BUILDERS GOD CALLS HIS FAMILY TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM DR. LARRY LAMB MARCH 6, 2022 The Christian life is a long series of decisions where we recognize the need to re-prioritize our affections. Colossians 2.8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high- sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 1 John 2.15-17 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for every- thing we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. What is The Kingdom of God? Here is what it’s not: ▪ It’s not complicated. ▪ It’s not our kingdom, but His. ▪ It’s not easy. ▪ It’s not temporal in scope. To believers, the Kingdom of God is where He is heavily invested: 1. The Church. 2. The people He created. 3. The authority of His written Word. ▪ We’re in a fierce war and the enemy seeks to capture and control our affections for God. ▪ God calls His people to build His Kingdom with the people in His Kingdom. He’s not calling people outside of the family of faith to build His Kingdom. HE’S CALLING US. ▪ Here’s one very large hurdle to building God’s Kingdom that originates from the kingdom of darkness: serve ourselves first. I build the Kingdom of God through: 1. The wise decisions of my life. MATURITY. 2. The submission of my character to God. AUTHORITY. 3. The willingness to place all that I have under His control. STEWARD- SHIP. 4. The eagerness to live in the Kingdom of Light. DEPENDENCE. (another word for power). 5. The audacity of choosing what’s eternal over the fleeting mirage of all things temporal. JOY. 6. By prayerfully answering the question: Why has God left me here? PURPOSE. Building God’s Kingdom is building what He places a high value on. Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord, for saving me and for answering my prayer. AMEN.

BUILDERS CVC VALUE #5—BEFORE YOU ARE READY DR. LARRY LAMB - APRIL 3, 2022 Before You’re Ready 1. Discovery – What is God’s purpose for me? 2. Develop – What am I doing to develop the one and only life God has given me? “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.” Jim Rohn 3. Decide – What decision will I make for Christ that stretches me away from being a consumer to a contributor? Does my FEAR fuel indecision? Does my FAITH fuel action? “We’re concerned with how things turn out; God seems more concerned with how we turn out.” Philip Yancey 2 Corinthians 5.7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. God says many times to people: You go first, and I will do something. God says, “BEFORE YOU’RE READY.” Malachi 3.10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test! Joshua 1.1-3 After the death of Moses, the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses...” Ecclesiastes 3.1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 11.4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. When God calls us to leave what’s comfortable, to go to the next place, remember God is already there. Before You’re Ready 1. Prayer = Asking God for daily wisdom. 2. Scripture = Searching God’s Word for depth. 3. Faith = Belief before sight. 4. Submission = Yes to God’s direction wherever, whatever, whomever. 5. People = Those who speak into our lives because they have a track record of maturity. 6. Waiting = Called and then sent appears to be the pattern God installs to develop our character. 7. Go = Move in the direction of God’s calling. 8. Repeat = Do this for life. Does my FEAR fuel indecision? Does my FAITH fuel action? Dear God, I know that I am on the wrong path. I admit that I am a sinner on the road headed away from You. I want to turn around and journey with You on the road to eternal life. I know I cannot do that by myself. I know You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. Right now, I trust in Jesus as the only One who can provide true life -- the life that is found in You. I trust in Jesus as the One who did for me what I cannot do for myself. I trust in Jesus as the only One who can place me in an eternal relationship with You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

BUILDERS GOD CALLS EACH OF US TO ADVANCE IN GENEROSITY DR. LARRY LAMB - MARCH 27, 2022 Mark 8.35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. Mark10.43,44 Butamongyouitwillbedifferent.Whoeverwantsto be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. Through all the Bible God teaches a principal that states -- people receive through giving. When we give we receive. Proverbs 11.24,25 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. 25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Acts 20.35 (Jesus said) It is more blessed to give than to receive. REF Malachi 1.7-10 Offering God our best creates contentment instead of guilt. Guilt giving isn’t sustainable and inferior giving dishonors God. REF 2 Corinthians 9.6-10 Generosity thinking realities from this text of God’s Word: 1) We cannot harvest a crop if we don’t plant seed. (v.6) A farmer who refuses to plant will have nothing to harvest and won’t be a farmer too long. 2) We determine the size of the harvest. (v.6) {Few seeds = small crop & generous planting = generous crop} 3) We can choose the attitude of giving: reluctant because of pressure or enthusiastic in obedience. (v.7) 4) We are blessed to bless others. (vs.8,9) The more we give, the more we have to give. (Why would God give me more if I’m irresponsible with what I have already been given?) 5) We receive more than we give. (v. 10) For God is the one who provides seed the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Unbelief puts our circumstance between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances. F.B. Meyer Hebrews 2.10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. Whatever we plan without God is miniscule. Whatever we plan with God can be a miracle. BIBLICAL GENEROSITY RECAP - KINGDOM EXPANDERS THINK LIKE THIS: 1) God is the giver and owner of all I have. 2) Putting God first in all quadrants of my life is the wise thing to do. 3) Partnering with God financially is gaining and not losing. Gracious and giving Lord. Thank You for taking the first step in giving me everlasting life through Jesus. I have a significant faith step that I know is right, but my faith seems small in this area. I pray for courage and trust to place all my possessions into Your hands. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

BUILDERS GOD CALLS EACH OF US TO GIVE MONEY TO HIS KINGDOM DR. LARRY LAMB - MARCH 20, 2022 Six prevailing styles of “giving” understanding in our church: 1) The Never Giver – Never sums up their attitude about biblical obedience regarding investment into God’s Work with finances. Their attitude is: “Regardless of what the Bible says, my money stays with me. Period. I love God’s Word, just not that part of God’s Word.” 2) The Left-Over Giver – “I’d give more if I had more.” Leftovers are good when it comes to food. It’s not with relationships toward God or people. 3) The New Giver – This may be the student, young adult, older person who has never been taught biblical principles of giving but they are eager to begin to trust God in this step of their maturity. Their attitude is I will begin to take steps. A lot of new givers’ thinking, centers on their eagerness to be obedient and their attitude is “Please teach me!” 4) Growing Giver – This friend gives because of their understanding of what God says about giving. It’s been a stretch to give 10% of their gross income. The growing giver realized that faithfulness in giving was obedience and discipleship. 5) Engaged Giver – They invest in God’s Kingdom with consistency. Giving is not a pain but a pleasure because they are giving back to God what already belongs to God. They don’t dread giving. The issue of financial ownership was settled a long time ago. If the engaged giver makes $1,000 in gross income for the month, then the math is simple. They will go online at CVC (in most cases) and give $100 which is a tithe (which means 10%). Here’s their attitude about the biblical teaching on giving: It’s a settled issue. 6) The Generational Giver – This person doesn’t give 10% of their gross income. They give more than 10% freely, joyfully, and with anticipa- tion of what God will do with their obedience. Matthew 6.21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Proverbs 11.24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. Proverbs 11.25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Proverbs 10.22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. If we have a money problem, the answer to our problem is not money, it’s our unwise attitude about money. REF 2 Corinthians 9.6-8 • Fear has always been the enemy of faith. • When people begin to view their blessings/wealth from God’s perspective, they see that the thing to fear isn’t giving away too much -- but giving too little. • Sowing in faith results in an eternal crop but cowering in fear yields empty fields. 1) What are your next steps on the generosity journey? Of the six groups mentioned, where do you see yourself? 2) We want to help people who need a systematic approach to finances. 3) Whatever your next steps may be, follow through in obedience. Jesus, I thank You that You came and died on the cross for my sins so that I can be forgiven. I am a sinner and in need of Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. I turn from my sins and say “No” to a life of living for myself. I turn to You and say “Yes” to Your will for my life. I ask You now to save me from my sins. I open my heart to You and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me and forgiving me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

BUILDERS GOD CALLS OUR CHURCH TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM DR. LARRY LAMB MARCH 13, 2022 All followers of Jesus are called and commissioned to build the church. OUR MISSION “Inviting the lost and broken into our Christ-centered journey from empty religion to generational life change.” KEY: Inviting the lost and broken is a strategic act building the Kingdom. Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 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.” Who are the lost? - According to God’s Word, every person is lost before being in Christ. - Ephesians 2 says that people outside of Christ are spiritually dead. - Inviting the lost and broken is a strategic act building the Kingdom. OUR VALUES 1) Biblical truth alive in love – We unapologetically hold up the truth of Scripture regardless of the shifting winds of cultural confusion. Holding to Biblical fidelity is building. 2 Timothy 3.16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. OUR VALUES (cont.) 2) Power of Prayer – We mean that the Living Lord answers prayer. We pray and God decides. Devotion to prayer is building. 1 Thessalonians 5.17 Never stop praying. 3) Life Changing Generosity – We believe that when we act with generosity, we’re modeling God’s pattern of giving. The cause of Jesus gets built by generous people. John 3.16 For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 4) Unity in Diversity - We lead with Jesus because He is a unifier. Unity is a big deal to Jesus – John 17. Unity in diversity and mission build the what’s important to Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1.10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 5) Before You’re Ready – This value has some entrepreneurial qualities to it. Taking bold initiatives builds. All followers of Jesus are called and commissioned to build the church. Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord, for saving me and for answering my prayer. AMEN.