SHOWDOWN: Youth Sunday 3x10 - a podcast by C3 Church Southwest WA

DAWSON WILLIAMS

“Showdown With Perspective

Verses:

1. But godliness (conforming to the laws and wishes of God) with contentment (contentment means to be satisfied or pleased.)is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)(esv)

2. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)(esv)

Big idea:

We need to adjust our posture to better understand his words Main verse: but godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) (esv)

Introduction:

We CANNOT sit back and wait for something to happen, we need to take our next steps with him through prayer and supplication (the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly).

Point(s):

1. Our perspective should look through the lens of gods grace

Action steps:

I’m inviting you to adjust your posture by doing the following: removing a negative and adding a positive

Closing:

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)(esv)

Nathan Semlick

“Showdown Against Deception”

Big idea: To fight deception we must first realize we are being deceived then fight against it 

Introduction: During the War of 1812, British General Isaac Brock and the Shawnee chief Tecumseh bluffed their way into capturing Detroit without a fight. The ruse began in August 1812, when Brock besieged American General William Hull’s 2,000-strong army at Fort Detroit. Brock’s inferior force included just 300 regulars, 400 Canadian militiamen and 600 Indians, but he had cleverness on his side. Knowing that Hull believed the Indians to be ruthless barbarians, Brock allowed him to intercept a false letter indicating the British had 5,000 natives at their disposal. He then wrote another letter to Hull in which he cautioned that the Indian war party was so large that he feared he would be unable to control its bloodlust once the battle began. While Hull was mulling this over, Tecumseh marched the same group of whooping Indians past the fort multiple times to give the appearance of larger numbers. Brock also clothed his Canadian militiamen in discarded British uniforms to make the Americans think they were up against veterans. Faced with this well-acted bit of battlefield theater, Hull lost his nerve and surrendered. What if I told you that this scenario happens everyday. The devil and his army of legions try and do deceive you everyday. Today ill be talking about what deception happens and what you can do in response. 

Point 1: When deception comes it will appear good 

2 Corinthians 14-15

Satan does not come as a comic book style red guy with horns and a pitch fork, nor does he come as a monster from Nun. He will come as a a little tweety bird. His suggestions will appear to be wonderful and lovely but in the end they yield nothing. When you to restaurant and they give you to much change, and you think ah this wouldn't hurt anyone and you don't tell them. That is sin. If you promise to give your neighbors lawn mower back after using it and they never come for it, so you just keep it. That is sin. 

Point 2 : Deception is related to action 

We can be deceived in our action. Our actions are the evidence of what we believe . If we don’t do what we say we believe then we really 

believe something else. If I claim to hate greed, then demand a salary raise when I am being paid ample then my action show that I do not really hate greed. I may say I love my family, but what I really love is what they do for me. 

Point 3 : There are different levels of deception 

Unconscious Incompetence: When we don’t know we are being 

deceived and thus sin Conscious Incompetence: When we know we are being deceived and still give into sin 

Conscious Competence: When we know we are being deceived and don’t give into sin Most of us fall into Conscious Incompetence or Unconscious Incompetence we either don't know, we are being deceived and thus sin, or know we are being deceived and still sin. So how do fight conscious competence or learn about my unconscious incompetence? Point 4 : You Must Be Prepared To Fight Deception 

When the enemy comes it usually happens within a split second and if 

you are not prepared you will easily give in . You must train your mind to recognise deception that way you can fight it. You must set your heart on the things of God. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” 

In the past this was a big issue for Christians and so to help in the fight against sin and deception they created a list of virtues and vices. 

Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. 

Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. 

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body. 

Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as anger. 

Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness. 

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work. 

Kindness = cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede them. Temperance = cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be healthy, therefore making one fit to serve others. 

Charity or love = cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up treasure for one’s self. 

Chastity or self-control = cures lust by controlling passion and leveraging that energy for the good of others. 

Humility = cures pride by removing one's ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the attitude

of service. 

Diligence or Zeal = cures slothfulness by placing the best interest of others above the life of ease and relaxation. 

Patience = cures wrath by taking time to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or speaking. 

Tell my story of working on sloth. 

Now I want you to take 30 seconds and look at this chart and pick both a virtue and vice to work on. Some of you may be thinking boy I don’t struggle with anything on this list well i can assure you you do (explain how they can mean different then we typically think). Then turn to someone one near you and tell them what your gonna work on. The church is a great place to build one another up and work on our mistakes and praise our successes. Now set a reminder on your phone for tonight. What I want you to do is before you go to bed take a minute or two to think about how you did with your virtue or vice. Do not forget or turn over to go to sleep or start watching a tv show, this is the part where you must fight. Temptation is strongest when you know your being tempted. You may get in bed and think boy I should do that but i’m too tired. Do not give in. 

Action Steps 

1 : Ask for help from God 

When you get to these moments, which if you are constantly thinking 

about whether you are applying your virtue you will, you will not be able 

to do it on your own. You must ask help from God. When you get home today I want you to choose a bible verse to go along with your virtue. 

2 : Don’t expect perfection

As Christians we know that perfection is impossible, however we can work toward it. In your journey you should mark success by progress, wars aren’t won in a day. They say building a habit takes about 30 days of intentional thought, so for the month of December I would encourage you to work on your virtue. At the end of that you may be able to move on to another virtue. For December I will be working on the temperance of my words, speaking only want is kind, true, and necessary. My bible verse will be Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise”. I implore you to do this to and while it may be hard it is worthy task. Here is great quote from C.S Lewis “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it”. So let us do as Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Abby Mowery

“Showdown With Outside Voices”

Big Idea: To stand up when people tear and question our faith in Jesus. 

Introduction: 

Story 

History discussion on the separation of church and state - more specifically prayer in school. My stance: there should be a mental health or quiet time that if kids choose, they may use that time to pray without having to fear the scrutiny of their classmates. Explain why I did CREW last year (to allow kids to feel safe together to pray and have a community where they could feel comfortable) 

People's responses directed at me: that this idea is inappropriate, unimportant, religion doesn't belong during the school day. 

How that left me feeling: upset, angry, confused 

How I dealt with it: I turned to my bible (which I had been kind of neglecting for a bit up to that point) and prayer. I thought how could these people say these things not only are they wrong, but they just don't get it and then God spoke to me through Acts 18:9-10 

Scripture: Acts 18:9-10 

ESV: And then Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 

Points: 

● Keep speaking when the voices try and drown you out. - SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE OUTSIDE VOICES 

God said, “your right they don't understand, BUT that is EXACTLY what I have sent you to do. DO NOT STOP preaching my word until they DO understand!” If we are to love our neighbors, then do NOT give up in the face of scrutiny. Do not stand down. The ideas and criticism of the enemy is fighting you for a reason; he knows what you can do in the name of Jesus. he knows what you can do in prayer. 

● Access God’s children; You are not alone. - SPEAK WITH THE INSIDE VOICES 

We are never alone no matter how we may feel. God is alway there, but also just like he said, “for I have many in this city who are my people” and we have them too. Utilize your family, your pastors, your mentors, and especially your prayer and bible. We are a community and we band together. 

Action Steps: 1. Defend your faith always, don't give up. 

2. KEEP PREACHING GOD’S WORD AND HIS TRUTH!

3. Reach out to God's community. 

Closing: 

We need to keep preaching until those who don't get it, do get it.

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