Starting Point – Andy Stanley

The following are some brief notes on the series.

Part 1: Start

“The Bible says” is not an adequate place to start for many adults and is not how it started a couple thousand years ago. For the first 250 years of Christianity you could not say “The Bible says”.

Who is Jesus?

How and when did your faith journey start?

How has your faith stood up to the rigors of life?

Part 2: Problem

What do you call someone who keeps making the same mistake?

You can’t correct you.

Sinner: someone who knows they are doing wrong but do it anyway.

Sin breaks relationship, recognition of sin restores relationship.

Part 3: Trust

Abram believed the Lord , and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6

What if the starting point for a relationship with God is simply trust?

Part 4: Rules

Rules always assume a relationship.

Family Model – rules because you are in.

Club Model – rules to become member.

When am I in and when am I out with God?

Ten Commandments, around 1446 BC – Exodus 20

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:1-3

Abraham – Ishmael (Arab Nations), Isaac (Nation of Israel)

With God, relationship precedes rules.

Rules are a confirmation of relationship with God.Isaiah 49:6 (NLT) – He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

John 1:12 (NIV) – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Part 5: Nothing But Jesus

What can wash away my sin? only the blood of Jesus

If someone said they “ARE” the solution, not just “have a solution”, they would be crazy/insane, lying, or we should pay attention.

You don’t have to forgive yourself, because Jesus already has.

Part 6: Grace, Amazing

At some point everyone has bargained with God “If you will …, I will …”

If you are negotiating with God you think you have something God wants.

You cannot bargain with God because He doesn’t want something from you, He wants something for you.

Grace – unmerited favor. Ephesians 2:8,9

What standard will you use to determine where you stand with God?
– Your behavior? – all non-Christian religions
– God’s grace?

Part 7: Faith

Believe that …

Believe deeply enough becomes self fulfilling profecy.

When Jesus died, his followers believed that he was dead and that he was not the Messiah not the son of God.

The same group of cowards later on were preaching about Jesus.
1. You killed him
2. God raised him
3. We’ve seen him
4. Say you’re sorry

Part 8: Invitation

Ecclesia – gathering – Jesus did not predict a building but a people. – first English translation was congregation
Matthew 28:19,20