Fellowship Baptist Church

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Seeking God through personal worship.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Colossians 3:16 (Jeremiah 29:13; Psalm 30:12; 31:3; 47:1; 63:4; 98:4; 134:2; 138:2; 150:1-6; Colossians 3:1-2 & 16; Ephesians 5:19)
 
When we seek after God, we will see God work!
We will experience God when we read His Word. We will witness God work when we fast and pray! This leads us to respond....we praise God! We brag and glorify God!
But there is another response...we worship! Worship is a powerful way to seek God. On Sunday, we will not only study what it means to seek after God through personal worship, we will also put this into practice.
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God
Seeking God through personal worship.
I. Music directs our affections towards GodII. Music puts our mind on GodIII. Music is an outlet for personal worship
 
 
Illustration #1: Thrive Church Micro-Service

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Seeking God through His Word.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Hebrews 4:12 (Genesis 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:12; 11:3; John 1:1-4 & 14; Matthew 8:5-7 & 13; Mark 4:37-39 & 41; 5:8; Revelation 3:20; 19:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 55:11)
 
There is a story in the Bible where Jesus confronted a man that was possessed and controlled by a "legion" of demons. The demons were fearful of Jesus because they recognized who He was. To cast out the demons, Jesus spoke! He simply told the demons to leave and they had to leave. 
There is power in the words of our God! The words of God bring conviction, breaks bondage, stirs our hearts, and changes lives. God has given us a powerful tool in our lives. He has given us His written Word.  We hold in our hands and get to read the powerful, life changing, Words of our mighty God!
Do you want to be revived in your heart? Seek Him through His Word and you will experience the life given power of our great God!
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God
Seeking God through His Word.
 
Through His Word...
I. We experience His presence
A. His Word brings us into fellowship with Him
B. His Word brings us under His authority
 
II. We experience His power
 
III. We experience real change
A. it reaches the heart
B. it brings conviction
 
 
Illustration #1: Students at Camp during invitation

Seeking God: What does it mean to pray for God’s will? - Part 2

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - 1 John 5:14-15; Matthew 7:7; James 4:2; Philippians 4:6-7; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Psalms 27:14; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:26-28
 
Do you know what it means to pray according to the will of God? The Bible tells us to do this, but does this mean that we don't pray and ask for our hearts desires? Should we just pray, "Your will be done."
We should pray according to God's will, but this might not mean what you think.  When you understand God's will, when it comes to prayer, it opens up the power of prayer in a big way.
The goal of this teaching series is to address and dig deep into the questions and confusion that we have with prayer.  We know prayer is important, let's have an honest conversation on why we don't pray like we should.
Seeking God: Desiring a touch of God through prayer and fasting."What does it mean to pray for God's will?" - Part 2
II. What does it mean to pray for God's will?Our prayers must line up "according to" His purpose1. God's will is for you to ask2. God's will is for you to ask for your heart's desire3. God's will is to strengthen your faith through answered prayer4. God's will is for us to trust Him even if He does not answer in the way we ask
 
Illustration #1: Pastor Tony Liuzzo's home gym remodel (before)
Illustration #2: Pastor Tony Liuzzo's home gym remodel (during)
Illustration #3: Pastor Tony Liuzzo's home gym remodel (after)

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Seeking God through prayer.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Matthew 5 + Acts 12 (Matthew 5:1-2 & 5; 6:5-8; 7:7; Acts 1:8; 10:9, 19, 30-31, 37-39 & 44; 11:21; 12:1-9 & 16; James 5:15; Hebrews 11:1; Romans 8:26 & 28; Deuteronomy 1:30; Lamentations 3:22-23; Luke 4:18)
 
Have you ever prayed and you felt like nothing was happening? You are in a tight spot...you pour your heart out before God, and nothing changes or at least, it seems this way.
The truth is, prayer is powerful and prayer makes a difference. God works through prayer in ways we can't see! God works through prayer to do what man cannot do! Just like the song says, "Even when I don't see it, You're working!"
God taught us some really important principles concerning prayer. One of them is that He hears and works through our prayers! To help us understand this God gave us a visual in Acts 12. When we seek God through prayer, God responds in big ways!
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God
Seeking God through prayer.
 
When we pray....I. We are inviting God into our circumstances
II. God goes to work in ways we can't see
III. God does what man cannot doA. the power of prayer goes beyond our reachB. the power of prayer brings hopeC. the power of prayer breaks bondageD. the power of prayer opens doors
IV. God builds our faith through answered prayer

Seeking God: What does it mean to pray for God’s will? - Part 1

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - I John 5:14-15 (1 John 4:18; 5:13-15; 2 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 4:16; Romans 8:31; Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 3:20-21; James 1:5; 4:2; Matthew 7:7 & 9-11; 14:28; Philippians 4:6-7; Luke 18:27)
 
Do you know what it means to pray according to the will of God? The Bible tells us to do this, but does this mean that we don't pray and ask for our hearts desires? Should we just pray, "Your will be done."
We should pray according to God's will, but this might not mean what you think.  When you understand God's will, when it comes to prayer, it opens up the power of prayer in a big way.
The goal of this teaching series is to address and dig deep into the questions and confusion that we have with prayer.  We know prayer is important, let's have an honest conversation on why we don't pray like we should.
Seeking God: Desiring a touch of God through prayer and fasting."What does it mean to pray for God's will?" - Part 1
II. What does it mean to pray for God's will?
What is His will?It must line up according to:1. His purpose2. His desire--- God desires for us to desire to see him do great things!--- God's desire is to do great things through us!!!3. His pleasure
This is God's will for your life right now:1. God's will is for you to ask2. God's will is for you to ask for your heart's desire3. God's will is to strengthen your faith through answered prayer

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Seeking God through fasting.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Matthew 6:5-15 (Philippians 3:3 & 19; Romans 7:18; 8:8; Matthew 5:6; 6:6-7 & 16; 26:41; 17:20-21 Galatians 5:16-17; Luke 9:23; Colossians 3:2; Jeremiah 29:13; James 1:22)
 
Can you feel it? Can you feel the spiritual condition of the world around us? To be honest, it is not just the condition of the world around us, but the condition of our own hearts. Is it possible that we could be so used to going through the motions of the Christian life that we have slowly adapted to a powerless and passionless life? Are we missing something? Could God be shaking us right now to awaken His people to the life, passion, and power that we were created to live out? What if we stopped, listened, and responded?This world might be in a mess right now, but God is not finished! We might be broken, but our God is still faithful! God greatly desires to REVIVE His people to the power and purpose that we were created to accomplish. Together, let’s take a journey to seek God and ask Him to Revive our hearts!
If prayer is so powerful, why don't we pray more? Have you ever thought about this? We often blame the Devil when we are not doing the things we know we should be doing. But the Devil often gets blamed for things he did not do.
The Bible tells us that we have opposition that pulls us away from spiritual things....things like prayer and reading our Bibles. The real opposition is us...our flesh. But there is good news! God has given us a spiritual exercise to counter our flesh, it's called fasting. A word mentioned more than practiced.
If it is in the Bible, we need to know why and we need to obey it. In this episode, we will study what it means to seek God through fasting.
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God
Seeking God through fasting.
 
Our flesh is...
1. corrupt
2. weak
3. at war with the Spirit
 
I. Fasting is resisting our flesh
A. fasting is confronting our flesh
B. fasting is telling our flesh "NO" (it's a spiritual discipline)
 
II. Fasting is how we amplify our prayers
A. fasting puts our focus on God
B. fasting is coming to God with a heart of surrender
 
III. Fasting is part of the Christian life
 
Types of fast:
1. absolute fast: abstaining from all food
2. partial fast: abstaining from a particular food
3. liquid fast: abstaining from all solid foods
4. alternate fast: refraining from Netflix, social media, screen time, playing video games, etc.
 
Keys for fasting:
1. have a plan
2. pray about doing it
3. remember: it is about your heart and desire
4. just start

Seeking God: What is prayer?

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Matthew 6:5-9; Mark 10:14 & 16; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 149:4; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6
 
Prayer is one of the most common aspects of the Christian life. We define it simply as talking to God. We would describe prayer as powerful and life changing. If we know this to be true, why don't we pray more? Oftentimes it is because we don't fully understand prayer. We have questions about prayer that causes us to doubt the power of prayer. 
The goal of this teaching series is to address and dig deep into the questions and confusion that we have with prayer.  We know prayer is important, let's have an honest conversation on why we don't pray like we should.
Seeking God: Desiring a touch of God through prayer and fasting."What is prayer?
I. What is prayer?A. prayer is…B. prayer is not…Prayer is simply talking to your Heavenly Father.
When you are talking to your Heavenly Father:A. be real with GodB. speak from the heart

Don’t Look Back: The Epistle to the Hebrews (Week 6)

John Sullivan (FBC Trustee + Deacon) - Hebrews 2:1-4; 4:12-13; 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 12:25-29; Romans 5:1-11; 8:18-27; John 6:39-40 & 44; 10:25-30
 
When the going gets tough, every Christian faces the temptation to return to old habits and ways of thinking. But what do you do when a whole church community wants to return?
In this study, we'll find that the author of Hebrews gives a simple but complex answer: "Don't look back; Jesus is better."
Don't Look Back: The Epistle to the Hebrews
Week 6
I.  RecapA.  Jesus is BetterB.  Don't Look Back
II. Five Warning PassagesA. Hebrews 2:1-4B. Hebrews 4:12-13C. Hebrews 6:4-8D. Hebrews 10:26-31E. Hebrews 12:25-29
III.  Three Key IssuesA. Who is the author addressing?B. What is he telling them they shouldn’t do?C. What consequences is he warning of?
IV. Two Historical ViewsA. ArminianismB. Reformed
V.  AnalysisA. Professing Believers (Truly Unsaved)B. Genuine Believers (Truly Saved)--- 1. Hypothetical Rejection--- 2. Community Rejection--- 3. True Rejection--- 4. Fellowship / Repentance RejectionC. Truly Saved (but blessings removed)

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Seek Him.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Psalm 63:1-2 (Isaiah 55:6; 1 Chronicles 16:11; Psalms 9:10; 63:1-2; 121:1-2; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Matthew 6:6; Jeremiah 29:13)
 
Can you feel it? Can you feel the spiritual condition of the world around us? To be honest, it is not just the condition of the world around us, but the condition of our own hearts. Is it possible that we could be so used to going through the motions of the Christian life that we have slowly adapted to a powerless and passionless life? Are we missing something? Could God be shaking us right now to awaken His people to the life, passion, and power that we were created to live out? What if we stopped, listened, and responded?This world might be in a mess right now, but God is not finished! We might be broken, but our God is still faithful! God greatly desires to REVIVE His people to the power and purpose that we were created to accomplish. Together, let’s take a journey to seek God and ask Him to Revive our hearts!
If we truly desire to revive our hearts then we must be willing to take action steps. The Bible is filled with the phrase, "seek the Lord" and "seek His face." This is a passionate pursuit to know Him and to be in His presence.
If you are saved, then you have God in your life. But this is just the beginning!!! He wants you to know, really know Him and experience so much more!
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful GodSeek Him.
I. Seeking requires an awakening
II. Seeking God is a pursuitA. it requires a shift in priorities B. it requires action--- 1. Do you spend time in personal prayer?--- 2. Do you seek Him in His Word?--- 3. Do you seek Him when you come to church?
III. Seeking God brings us into His presence and power

Spiritual Check-up

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Colossians 1 (Colossians 1:1-4 & 7-11; John 15:8; Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 11:29; Mark 14:70-71; Acts 4:2-3 & 8)
 
Most people make it a habit to have an annual physical with their doctor. You don't do this necessarily because something is wrong, we do this to make sure we stay ahead of physical problems.
It is important for Christians to have a Spiritual Check-up. We compare our lives to God's Word to see if our spiritual vital signs are what they should be.  Let's make it a priority to be healthy Christians who want to be growing in the Lord.
Spiritual Check-upI. Is your life pleasing God?II. Is your life fruitful?III. Are you still growing in your faith?IV. Are you emotionally and spiritually strong?

REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful God — Search Me.

Pastor Tony Liuzzo (Lead Pastor) - Psalm 139:23-24 (Jeremiah 17:9; 29:13; James 1:8 & 23-25; Psalm 139:1-4, 13-14 & 23-24; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 5:27-28; 18:15; Revelation 3:16; 1 John 1:8-9; Galatians 6:8; Ephesians 3:20)
 
Can you feel it? Can you feel the spiritual condition of the world around us? To be honest, it is not just the condition of the world around us, but the condition of our own hearts. Is it possible that we could be so used to going through the motions of the Christian life that we have slowly adapted to a powerless and passionless life? Are we missing something? Could God be shaking us right now to awaken His people to the life, passion, and power that we were created to live out? What if we stopped, listened, and responded?This world might be in a mess right now, but God is not finished! We might be broken, but our God is still faithful! God greatly desires to REVIVE His people to the power and purpose that we were created to accomplish. Together, let’s take a journey to seek God and ask Him to Revive our hearts!
We are truly a broken people that are seeking a faithful God! We need God's help and guidance in this complicated world. We miss out on what God desires to do in our lives and through our lives because we grow distant in our walk and relationship with God. It is vital that we seek after God and desire for our hearts to be revived.
In this episode we will focus on an action step to revive our hearts. We have addressed the problem, now it's time to take action. We must start by asking God to "Search Me." This can be a scary prayer to pray, but if we truly desire to experience a move of God, we must start with a humble heart that desires to be right with God.
 
REVIVE: Broken people seeking a faithful GodSearch Me.
Dear God,I. Search my heartA. starts with humilityB. requires surrender
II. Show me what needs to change
III. Lead me to more

Don’t Look Back: The Epistle to the Hebrews (Week 5)

John Sullivan (FBC Trustee + Deacon) - Hebrews 11-13 (Hebrews 11-1-40; 12:1-17; 13:1-25; Psalms 137:1-9)
 
When the going gets tough, every Christian faces the temptation to return to old habits and ways of thinking. But what do you do when a whole church community wants to return?
In this study, we'll find that the author of Hebrews gives a simple but complex answer: "Don't look back; Jesus is better."
Don't Look Back: The Epistle to the Hebrews
Week 5
I.  RecapA.  Jesus is BetterB.  Don't Look Back
II. Human RitesA. The Purpose of the Old Testament InstitutionsB. Application for Today
III.  Winding Down HebrewsA. Techniques--- 1. Repetition--- 2. Example ListB. OvertureC. The First ListD. Aliens and StrangersE. More ExamplesF. Conclusion
IV.  Conclusion: EndureA. Running the RaceB. Treated as a SonC. Choose Holiness
V.  Final Passage: How to Live Out a Persevering Faith