A Life Giving Church Series

INTRO

A life Giving Church is a Spirit Filled Church...

Mission- an operation that is assigned by a higher power

Mission Statement:

The Redeeming River Church is a family of believers committed to preaching the cross with conviction, reaching the lost with compassion, and equipping the saints with the Word!

Vision- The formation of a mental image of something that is not present to the senses.

Our Vison:

The Word tells us in Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. Therefore, we know that where there is a God breathed vision the people have life. It is because of God’s specific plan for us that we can clearly see where we are going.

7 We Will Be’s

· We will be a life giving church whose waters flow from the River of God through all cultures and generations!

· We will be a life sustaining church where the heartbeat of God will keep our families spiritually healthy.

· We will be a life birthing church where new ministries are conceived, delivered, nurtured, and sent out.

· We will be a people of faith and expectancy who are not moved by what we see, but stand in the God who we know!

· We will be a people of devotion who are committed to the work of the Lord through the local church!

· We will be a people of worship who honor the Lord for who He is and not what He will do for us!

· We will be a growing church whose walls will not contain us!

BODY

I. THE SOURCE OF THE RIVER OF GOD IS NOT OF THIS WORLD

A. ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW AT ZAREPHATH

1. I Kings 17

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

2. The outlook is grimm - that we may eat it, and die

3. Do the Lord’s work first - make me thereof a little cake first

4. The Lord will make you a promise - meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail

5. He will deliver from His supply - barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail

6. His supply never runs out - sendeth rain upon the earth

B. THERE IS A PLACE OF OVERFLOW

1. What happens when you fill a sponge to the point that it cannot hold anymore liquid?

2. I like it when you go to grab for the paper towels

3. Now folks I never spill anything...lo

4. But when someone spills something and I need to clean it up...

5. It seems like there is just on little square left on the roll

6. Have you ever tried to clean up a 2 liter of Soda with one square

7. You need a miracle

8. Where does the water come from that is in a river?

9. Encyclopedia - Rivers begin at their source in higher ground, either rising from a spring, forming from glacial meltwater, flowing from a body of water such as a lake, or simply from damp, boggy places where the soil is waterlogged

10. How many of you know that the Kingdom of God has more than enough

11. John 7:38

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.