This Week’s Experience – 4/28/2019

First time here?

May we recommend…

Our children’s program. We have age-appropriate programming for infants through 5th graders during our Adult Worship Experience.

Completing our Connection Card (click here) to share your interests and prayer requests with us.

Using our message outline to help you follow along with today’s speaker.

That you not feel obligated to participate in the offering. This is for regular attenders who consider Exponential Church their church home.

Visiting the Welcome Center in the lobby to learn more about the exciting things going on at Exponential Church.

Using our free WiFi. Login using the password NextSteps.

Order of Service

Music……………………..Worship Team
You Came to My Rescue
Welcome……………………….Bill Butler
Music……………………..Worship Team
Praise Goes On
Raise a Hallelujah
Reckless Love
Message……………..Gilbert Thurston
Love Your Enemies
Offering & Announcements
Music……………………..Worship Team
You Came to My Rescue
Dismissal………………………Bill Butler

Message notes

You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.


-Matthew 5:43-44

Forget about the wrong things people do to you, and do not try to get even. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.


-Leviticus 19:18

If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.


-Exodus 23:4-5

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

-Proverbs 25:21

I get to choose whether or not I want to be a Christian, but I don’t get to choose what it means to be a Christian.

When the Word of God comes in  with  I  who ?

Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.

-Matthew 5:45

God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his own blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us.

-Romans 5:8-10

If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

-Matthew 5:46-48

LIFE APPLICATION
To discuss during the week with your family or Life Group

1. How is what Jesus says here in this passage counter cultural?

2. How do you normally define enemies? Has that definition been too broad?

3. In what ways does this teaching from Jesus mirror what the Gospel is all about?

4. How can you better live out loving your enemies?

5. What is your next step as a result of this message?