Fusion: week of 3/20

FAMILY THEME: THE SACRIFICIAL SAVIOR

John 19:1-42

Jesus' death on the cross wasn't a tragedy. It wasn't the death

of a martyr. Jesus' death was the sacrifice of a Savior, and it was

all according to God's plan for our redemption.

1.  Pilate Deliverd the Son of God to Be Crucified

     (John 19:1-16)

     In an effort to appease the crowds, Pilate gave Jesus over 

     to be crucified.

 
2.  King Jesus Was Crucified for His People

     (John 19:17-22)

     Despite the Jewish leaders' objections, Pilate had a sign

     placed on the cross proclaiming that Jesus was King of the

     Jews.

 
3.  Jesus' Crucifixion Fulfilled Prophecies About the Messiah

     (John 19:23-42)

     At least four prophecies were fulfilled in these 19 verses,

     showing the reliability of God's Word.

Fusion: week of 3/13

FAMILY THEME: THE HUMBLE SAVIOR

John 13:1-20

Jesus demonstrates in a powerful way how His followers should

imitate Him.

1.  Christ Humbly Served Despite His Circumstances

     (John 13:1-5)

     Jesus demonstrated what it meant to be a servant.

 
2.  Christ Humbly Served Despite the Failures of His Followers

     (John 13:6-11)

     Jesus served all His disciples despite their present and

     future failures.

 
3.  Christ Humbly Served Despite His Position as Lord

     (John 13:12-20)

     He was master, teacher, and Lord, and that did not prevent

     Him from serving like the lowest servants of the day.

Fusion: week of 3/6

FAMILY THEME: THE COMPASSIONATE SAVIOR

John 11:1-44

Where is Jesus when we are suffering? Does He care? Why

doesn't He answer in the time we think He should? John 11

gives us some insight into these questions.

1.  Christ Waited to Raise Lazarus So His Disciples Might Believe

     (John 11:1-16)

     When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick He did an unusual thing-

     He waited two days.

 
2.  Christ Preached His Own Resurrection So His Followers Might Believe

     (John 11:17-29)

     Christ wanted Martha to understand that He is the Son of God

     and that resurrection and eternal life are in and through Him.

 
3.  Jesus Cared About People's Pain So They Might Believe

     (John 11:30-44)

     Jesus cared deeply about the brokenness and pain that sin has

     brought into the world.

Fusion: week of 2/28

FAMILY THEME: THE CHURCH IS PERSECUTED

Acts 12:1-25

Persecution plagued the early church, and Christians were killed for

their faith in Jesus. However, despite the attacks, they were never

alone.

1.  The Followers of Christ Face Persecution

     (Acts 12:1-4)

     Persecution is inevitable inthe lives of followers of Christ. 

     However, when we are persecuted we should realize we're

     in good company.

 
2.  God Accompanies Us Through Persecution

     (Acts 12:5-17)

     When our faith brings persecution, we never have to face

     the fight alone. God is with us even when the world is

     against us.

 
3.  God Delivers the Retribution

     (Acts 12:18-25)

     Christians are not to play the role of avenger. We are to

     trust God to bring about judgment.

Fusion: week of 2/21

FAMILY THEME: THE CHURCH EXPANDS

Acts 10:1-48

The gospel was not mean to be exclusive. Peter was shown that the

Lord accepts people from every nation and tongue who fear Him.

1.  Go Wants the Church to Expand to All People

     (Acts 10:1-23a)

     God used a vision to remind Peter that His plan of redemption

     was to include all people,

 
2.  The Church Expands Through Connections

     (Acts 10:23b-33)

     Cornelius had gathered others in his house to hear Peter's 

     message.

 
3.  None Who Believe Are Excluded

     (Acts 10:34-48)

     Peter shared the gospel with the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit 

     confirmed the Gentiles were to be included in the Great

     Commission.

Fusion: week of 2/14

FAMILY THEME: THE CHURCH PERSEVERES

Acts 4:1-31

As the early church grew, the rulers and religious leaders began to

take notice. Acts 4 highlights some of the early opposition the young

church faced and three keys to persevering in the face of resistance.

1.  Have the Right Answer

     (Acts 4:1-12;  18-20)

     Peter used the opportunity he was given to point others to Christ

     and to share the gospel, despite being told by human authorities

     not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

 
2.  Don't Let Your Confidence Waver

     (Acts 4:13-22)

     Peter and John did not waver in the face of opposition because

     their courage and confidence were rooted in Christ.

 
3.  Know Who to Lean On

     (Acts 4:23-31)

     When things get tough, believers must rely on one another for

     support as well as on God through prayer.

Fusion: week of 2/7

FAMILY THEME: THE CHURCH IS BORN

Acts 2:1-47

As people from all over the world flocked to Jerusalem for Pentecost,

the Holy Spirit fell on God's people.

1.  The Attributes of the Church

     (Acts 2:1-13)

     The Holy Spirit empowered the believers in Jerusalem to share

     the gospel with thousands.

 
2.  The Message of the Church

     (Acts 2:14-41)

     In Peter's sermon, Jesus was the main character of the message

     and salvation was the goal.

 
3.  The Conduct of the Church

     (Acts 2:42-47)

     Through the teaching of the apostles, the fellowship and brotherly

     love of the believers, and the blessings of the Lord the early church

     grew daily.