Fusion: week of 11/30

FAMILY THEME: BROTHERLY LOVE

LOVE YOU LIKE A BROTHER

Philemon 1:1-25

Paul provides an example of brotherly love.

1.  Brotherly Love is Mutual Encouragement

     (Philemon 1:1-7)

     Paul greatly appreciated the encouragement he received

     from others and ecouraged others at every opportunity.

 
2.  Brotherly Love is Forgiveness and Acceptance

     (Philemon 1:8-16) 

     Paul wanted Philemon to forgive and accept Onesimus

     in spite of his past offenses.

 
3.  Brotherly Love Assumes the Risk

     (Philemon 1:17-25)

     Paul assured Philemon that he would make restitution

     for whatever losses that were suffered from Onesimus'

     past actions

Fusion: week of 11/23

FAMILY THEME: ALIVE WITH CHRIST

WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS?

Colossians  2:6 - 3:4

Paul teaches what it means to be alive with Christ.

1.  Believers Preach the Supremacy of Christ

     (Colossians 2:6-15)

     Our message is neither human tradition nor the basic

     principles of this world.

 
2.  Believers Refuse to Submit to Man-Made Religion

     and Philosophy

     (Colossians 2:16-23) 

     Man-made rules and regulations may appear wise but

     they lead one away from Christ.

 
3.  Believers Set Their Minds on Higher Things

     (Colossians 3:1-4)

     Since Jesus rose from the dead, believers focus on

     things above and not the temporary things of our earth.

Fusion: week of 11/10

FAMILY THEME: SUPREMACY OF CHRIST

NO ONE LIKE HIM

Colossians  1:9-29

Paul teaches about the preeminence of Christ.

1.  We Serve Jesus as Our King

     (Colossians 1:9-14)

     Those who believe in Jesus have been transferred

     from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of Christ.

 
2.  We Worship Jesus as Our Creator

     (Colossians 1:15-18) 

     The way Paul described Christ demonstrated His

     supremacy as our God.

 
3.  We Proclaim Jesus as Humanity's Means of Reconciliation

     (Colossians 1:19-29)

     The Colossians were once alienated from God, but

     Christ's death reconciled them to Him.

Fusion: week of 11/9

FAMILY THEME: CONTENTMENT

THE SECRETS OF CONTENTMENT

Phillipians  4:4-20

Paul teaches us the keys to contentment

1.  Contentment Comes From How We Pray 

     and How We Think

     (Phillipians 4:4-8)

     Praying and thinking are the basis for 

     peace and contentment.

 
2.  Contentment Does Not Depend on

     Our Circumstances

     (Phillipians 4:9-13) 

     Paul found contentment no matter his

     circumstances.

 
3.  Contentment Exists When Christians

     Share and Encourage

     (Phillipians 4:14-20)

     When we give and receive from each other,

     it is not likely that we will want for anything.

Fusion: week of 11/2

FAMILY THEME: CHRISTLIKENESS

NOTHING ELSE REALLY MATTERS

Phillipians  3:1-21

Paul explains what it is to live like Jesus.

1.  Place No Confidence in the Flesh

     (Phillipians 3:1-7)

     Paul refused to put his trust in works of the flesh

     and considered these seemingly impeccable

     credentials as worthless.

 
2.  Knowing Christ is Worth the Cost

     (Phillipians 3:8-11) 

     Paul was eager to trade all his religious 

     "accomplishments" for the joy of an intimate

     relationship with Christ.

 
3.  It's Never Time to Stop Growing

     (Phillipians 3:12-21)

     Paul recognized he had not reached the limit

     of his spiritual growth and called for the 

     Phillipians to follow him as he pursued Christ

     with all his strength.

Fusion: week of 10/26

FAMILY THEME: HUMILITY

TAKING OUR PROPER PLACE

Phillipians  1:1 - 2:11

Paul teaches us about humility

1.  Humility is Putting Jesus First

     (Phillipians 1:12-26)

     While uncertain as to whether he would live or die,

     Paul's desire was that Christ would be honored.

 
2.  Humility is Regarding Others Highly

     (Phillipians 1:27 - 2:4) 

     Paul wanted the Phillipians to stand firm in one

     spirit but he knew that meant they must regard

     others more highly than themselves.

 
3.  Humility is Following Christ's Example

     (Phillipians 2:5-11)

     Christ is our example in that He (in some sense)

     set part of His divine privilege to become like us.

Fusion: week of 10/19

FAMILY THEME: ARMOR OF GOD

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

Ephesians 6:10-20

Paul teaches us what we must do to prepare for spiritual

battles.

1.  We Battle Satanic Forces, Not Other Believers

     (Ephesians 6:10-12)

    Our battle is against Satan and his demons.

 
2.  We Must Fight Satan With God's Weapons

     (Ephesians 6:13-17) 

     Paul used military terminology that gave his audience

     a clear illustration of how spiritual warfare works.

 
3.  We Should Support Each Other With Prayer

     (Ephesians 6:18-20)

     Prayer is not an afterthought or something we do when

     nothing else works. Prayer is the primary source of 

     strength in the believer's battle with the evil one.