Catalyst Church of Carrollton

Start Serious

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 11:1-11 NIV 

Immanuel-Got Room For Me?

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 NASB

Is there room in your inn? 

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Immanuel-God Messes Things Up

The message of Christmas is: I may mess things up, but I’m in them! 

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.” Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

40 and For Real! (Maybe too Real!)

3 lessons that hit deeper at 40:

I got some ish…but God ain’t done with me. 

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m built different. 

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The first 40 was a setup for the next 20.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV

Seeing Through Grateful Eyes

The way you see your past reveals your heart, shapes your present, and sets the trajectory for your future.

Gratitude isn’t just for the good moments, it’s God’s will for every moment. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18-Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Habakkuk 3:17–18-Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

You can’t honor God and not honor People.

Rom 12:10-Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Philippians 2:3-Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves.

 

Work What God Gave You

You can’t work what God gave you until you know what God gave you. 

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” Romans 12:6-8 NLT

Faithfulness is How You Fight

Faithful Where You Are.

“Slaves, obey your masters in all things. Do not obey just when they are watching you, to gain their favor, but serve them honestly, because you respect the Lord. In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, which he promised to his people. You are serving the Lord Christ.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NCV

Faithful For The Right Reasons.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Faithful With What You Got. 

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bonus Message | Ben Bonner | From Catalyst Church Vision Day 2025

Bonus message

This Is Why You're Here

“Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭16‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This Is Who You Are

“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” ‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬