Fusion: week of 7/16

FAMILY THEME: PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Paul concluded 1 Thessalonians with simple, down-to-earth

instructions for Christian living.

1.  Keep Your Church Relationships on Track

     (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15)

     Respect and love for church leaders continues down

     the line with loving care for all members.

 
2.  Keep Your Heart on Track

     (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22)

     Paul spoke to individual believers regarding actions

     and attitudes that keep us in the center of God's will.

 
3.  Keeping on Track is a God Thing

     (1 Thessalonians 5:23-28)

     Paul indicated that sanctification is a work of God

     that cannot be accomplished in our own strength.

Fusion: week of 7/9

FAMILY THEME: WAITING IN FAITHFULNESS

1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11

No one knows when Christ will return, but no one can deny His 

coming is closer now than it has ever been.

1.  Anticipate a Reunion

     (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

     We look forward to a day when both living and deceased

     believers will be reunited with Christ.

 
2.  Mark Your Calendar

     (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5)

     Christ's second coming will catch many off guard, but

     not those who walk in the light of the truth.

 
3.  Prepare For The Big Day

     (1 Thessalonians 5:6-11)

     We can be prepared for Christ's coming because of

     salvation and the life we live by faith.

Fusion: week of 7/2

FAMILY THEME: WALKING IN GODLINESS

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

The way we handle ourselves in relationships with others shows

the world where we stand in our relationship with God.

1.  Delight God With Your Body

     (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

     Paul urged the Thessalonians to follow God's will in how

     they used their bodies so they could live up to the holy

     calling of God.

 
2.  Delight God With Your Relationships

     (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

     The Thessalonians were doing a good job loving each other,

     but Paul encouraged them to continue and increase their 

     love for all Christian brothers and sisters.

 
3.  Delight God With Your Productivity

     (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

     A life that is pleasing to God is also a productive and 

     independent life.

Fusion: week of 6/25

FAMILY THEME: GOD CAN USE FLAWED PEOPLE

Judges 16:1-31

Sin can devestate our lives, but God can forgive and restore our

relationship with Him.

1.  Sinful Patterns Lead Us Down Paths of Bondage

     (Judges 16:1-5)

     Samson's lustful passion grew into a sinful pattern

     of behavior in his life.

 
2.  Sin Distracts Our Judgment

     (Judges 16:6-20)

     Samson was blinded or willfully ignorant to the

     dangers his sin placed him in both physically

     and spiritually.

 
3.  God Provides Grace and Forgiveness for Our Sin

     (Judges 16:21-23)

     God graciously granted Samson forgiveness and

     the power to fulfill his original calling, destroying

     3,000 Philistines with his final act.

Fusion: week of 6/18

FAMILY THEME: TRUSTING GOD'S POWER

Judges 7:1-23

God prepares us to be victorious through His power and provides 

exactly what we need.

1.  God's Perspective of Our Battles is Different From Our Perspective

     (Judges 7:1-2)

     Against conventional earthly wisdom, God told Gideon the

     Israelite army included too many soldiers.

 
2.  God Takes Us Through Refining Process in Preparing Us for Battle

     (Judges 7:3-8)

     God used a series of tests to reduce the number of Israel's

     army, preparing them for a victory only He could provide.

 
3.  God is Patient With Us in Our Struggles of Faith

     (Judges 7:9-15)

     God encouraged and strengthened Gideon's faith for the

     coming battle.

4.  Our Objective in Life is the Glory of God

     (Judges 7:2 ; 16-23)

     God granted the victory in such a way that no one could have

     denied that He alone was the victor.

Fusion: week of 6/10

FAMILY THEME: TRUSTING GOD'S PLAN

Joshua 6:1-27

God uses His servants to accomplish His will through His power.

1.  There Are Inherent Dangers in Times of Peace and Prosperity

     (Judges 4:1-2)

     God's people allowed themselves to become complacent

     during the peace He had provided them.

 
2.  Repentance and Dependence Open the Door for Spiritual Change

     (Judges 4:3-7)

     The Israelites cried out to God, and He heard them and

     prepared to free them.

 
3.  God's Plan for Victory May Not Always Seem Orthodox

     (Judges 4:6-10)

     God's plan of deliverance involved people and strategies

     that may have seemed counter-intuitive to the military

     strategies of the day.

4.  Trust and Obey to Experience the Lord's Work in Your Life

     (Judges 4:11-16)

     As Deborah and Barak obeyed God and trusted His power,

     they experienced an amazing victory.

Fusion: week of 6/4

FAMILY THEME: THE COST OF DISOBEDIENCE

Judges 2:1-23

The Israelites failed to fully obey God's commands, leading to a 

downward cycle of idolatry and disobedience.

1.  We Are Prone to Disobedience

     (Judges 2:1-2 , 11-12 , 17 , 19)

     Despite the covenant relationship with God, the people

     chose to worship idols.

 
2.  Disobedience Leads to Defeat and Discouragement in

     Our Lives

     (Judges 2:3-5 , 13-15 , 20-23)

     The Israelites' disobedience had dire costs and

     consequences.

 
3.  Obedience Can Influence an Entire Generation

     (Judges 2:6-10)

     Joshua led the people in committing to and obeying God.

4.  God Equips Us for Obedience

     (Judges 2:16-18)

     God provided leaders and deliverers for the people

     to look to and follow in obedience.