Catalyst Church of Carrollton

Are You Really Blessed?

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fight Spiritually (Part three)

Start Serious!
Stay Hungry!
Fight Spiritually! 
Finish Strong! 

Fighting spiritually is fighting from victory, not fighting for victory.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Helmet of Salvation. 

The Sword of The Spirit. (The Spoken Word) 

Fight Spiritually (Part two)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Your Feet Fitted. 

Shield of Faith. 

Fight Spiritually (Part one)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

Belt of Truth.

Breastplate of Righteousness. 

Stay Hungry

Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.” ‭‭Pro ‭27‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬  

For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”‭‭Jer ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions…” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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.