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When God started his contact with man after the fall of Adam, it was by way of a sacrificial system centered around an altar. This altar was usually made up of stones or wood. Man would build this altar, offer a sacrifice, and there he would have communion with God; this means fellowship with God. We see this in the times of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. THEN Moses comes along, and God moves man to build a tent in the wilderness. In this tent, there will now be a little more structure. In this tent, called a Tabernacle, you would find gold furnishings, intricate curtains, an Ark, a sacrificial system, a new order of priests, and on and on. This Tabernacle was all mobile. They would pack it (the Tabernacle) up everywhere they went and reset it in their new destination. THEN God moves the people from a tent into a temple. This was a more fixed location, much like what we have today. The temple was created by way of King David. King Solomon’s son is the builder. All of these demonstrated different ways to communicate or have communion with God BEFORE Jesus. BEFORE Jesus came to the earth, this was the closest we could ever get to the presence of God, regardless of our sacrifices, altars, tents, and temples. THEN, Jesus came to earth to be the ULTIMATE sacrifice. Jesus IS the ONE and ONLY sacrifice for ALL our sins. His sacrifice reconnects the lines of communication that were once severed by the first man, Adam. When did all this happen? Matthew 27: 50-51 “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart.” AT THAT MOMENT, all communication between fallen humanity and their Creator was once again reconnected. It’s like being granted access to free Wi-fi with NO limitations! BEFORE Jesus, communion and fellowship with God were relegated to a specific place, way, order, and time.

When we come TOGETHER as a people, God occupies the space. He makes it a dwelling place. MIRACLES can happen. RESTORATION can happen. HEALINGS can happen. ADDICTION can be broken. Evil spirits MUST FLEE ALL because God’s presence repels the things that contrast with his nature! I do NOT take being in the midst of all of YOU lightly when we gather together. There are times that I may be going through a time of hardship, and I do not have it in me or cannot find it within myself to praise. But when I come TOGETHER with this community of my brothers and sisters that I belong to now, and this community is lifting God’s name and praising him on my behalf, this community creates an environment that elicits the presence of God. God shows up because of your praise, and all who are broken receive the benefit! Because I BELONG and form part of this SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, when I go home, God’s presence is still with me. His presence is with me wherever I go, at work, in the car, on vacation, on the phone, shopping, etc. God hears how you speak to your wife or your husband, your friends, your children, and your coworkers. He sees what you look at when you think no one is looking. He knows all the thoughts that race through your mind. God does NOT stay in the church building. God goes wherever I go! Wherever I am, he is there. I can be in constant communication and communion with God, and He with me. Together, we BELONG to something much bigger than a church building, religion, faith, or denomination. We have been carefully placed to form God’s dwelling place. Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” You and I are FOREVER connected to each other by way of Jesus, regardless of ethnicity, race, and gender. WE are FAMILY. WE are ONE. WE BELONG! John 13:35 “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. My friend, brother, and sister, YOU are not alone. YOU now BELONG to a bigger family than anything you could have imagined. You can do very little alone. But together, connected to God through Jesus, you can do anything! Congratulations, you now BELONG!!!

In this section, participants will learn about the importance of abiding in Jesus and how it affects their lives and the lives of others. They will explore the concept of a God-given GPS that helps them navigate through the uncertainties of life. Through the story of Abraham and other biblical examples, participants will discover the significance of hearing God's voice and responding to it. They will also learn about the intimate bond they share with God, even before their existence on earth, and how their lives are purposefully designed by God. By the end of this section, participants will understand the importance of recognizing and following God's voice and guidance in their lives, ultimately realizing that they have "arrived" when they commit to a life with Jesus.

In this section, participants will learn about the importance of getting involved in their spiritual community, as illustrated in Matthew 9:35-38. They will understand that Jesus' compassion for the crowds highlights the need for more workers in the field and the value of serving others. Participants will be encouraged to use their gifts, talents, or skills to make a difference by getting involved in their local church. By examining Jesus' model of service, they will be inspired to serve others and work willingly as if they were working for the Lord. This section will emphasize the eternal impact of being involved in the spiritual community and encourage participants to take the next step towards active involvement.

In this section, participants will learn about "Devotion" and explore the practices of the early Church of Acts, focusing on four main devotions: the Apostles' teachings, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer. They will be encouraged to engage in these devotions. The section emphasizes the importance of balancing family time and church activities, helping participants grow in their faith and deepen their connection with God and their spiritual community.

Welcome to the ABIDE Pathways to Growth, a transformative program designed to help you grow spiritually, connect deeply with our church family, and fulfill your purpose in God's Kingdom. By embarking on this path, you will discover the joy growing in your walk with Jesus and his church.

In this first step, we will look at the God-given GPS in our lives, which helps us navigate the wilderness and the deep unknowns of our lives. For thousands of years, all mankind had looked to the skies for navigation. Whether in the Arabian Desert of the Middle East or in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, mancould count on the positioning of the stars and their constellations in the sky to help them navigate the terrain below. Today, we do the same, but we use satellites, about 30 of them, to be exact. Those 30 satellites circle the perimeter of the earth's span, providing us with detailed information about where we are and where we are going: all in the palm of our hand. GPS, which is short for Global Positioning Systems, help us avoid the pitfalls of uncertainty. If you have ever been on a road trip to an unfamiliar destination and you're being led by your car's GPS, it seems that we're all washed over with a sense of relief and a feeling of comfort when our GPS announces "ARRIVED". Any sense of anxiety, as a result of not knowing, subsides, and we are put to ease again because we have finally arrived at our destination. We know where we are, and now, we know where we are going. Nothing is more unsettling than not knowing where we are but even scarier than not knowing is the feeling of not knowing where we're going no matter how picturesque the sites may be or unfamiliarity can dampen that splendor. We've all seen movies where a protagonist (a good guy) is blindfolded, hands and feet are bound, rendered helpless in the back of a vehicle of some sort, and we are all on the edge of the seat, feeling the weight of anxiety as if it were us in that position. We empathize, and we put ourselves in that position, and our anxiety levels go through the roof! Many of us today are wrestling with this same unsettling feeling. as we navigate through our daily lives. For some of you today, this feeling may be a result of a career, relationship(s), investment(s), health, relocation, or parenting. The point here is that for all of us, uncertainty disrupts our peace. So how do we overcome these feelings of uncertainty and live life navigating in the direction God wills for us? Imagine waking up one day at 75 years of age to a voice you've never heard before telling you to pack your stuff and relocate from your country of origin, leave your parents behind, and rely solely on this voice you've never heard before as your GPS. Well, this happened to a man in the Bible we would later come to know as the father of faith, Abraham.

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” In these verses, Jesus isn’t saying that you are a literal vine or branch. Jesus wanted his disciples to know, then and now, that we are designed to need each other. We were designed to be interconnected. We were designed to BELONG! Jesus wanted His followers to know that life is hard alone, and our burdens can be lighter and easier to carry when the load is shared. Branches are a network of limbs that are all interconnected to one main trunk. They all belonged to one main source. Branches cannot live if they’re cut off from the main trunk. As a “branch,” we rely on being connected to each other AND being connected back to the trunk. In this context, the “trunk” is the VINE, and the VINE is GOD. Let me give you a snapshot of why we need each other.

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” In these verses, Jesus isn’t saying that you are a literal vine or branch. Jesus wanted his disciples to know, then and now, that we are designed to need each other. We were designed to be interconnected. We were designed to BELONG! Jesus wanted His followers to know that life is hard alone, and our burdens can be lighter and easier to carry when the load is shared. Branches are a network of limbs that are all interconnected to one main trunk. They all belonged to one main source. Branches cannot live if they’re cut off from the main trunk. As a “branch,” we rely on being connected to each other AND being connected back to the trunk. In this context, the “trunk” is the VINE, and the VINE is GOD. Let me give you a snapshot of why we need each other.

We have been given an assignment by Jesus to ECHO his words and his ways to others. Matthew 28:18-20 “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the comments I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You’re probably saying to yourself that there is no way you could possibly tell others about Jesus. I’m here to tell you, you can and you will because it’s easy! Telling others about Jesus is a lot easier than you think. And today, I want to help you get started on developing your story. That’s right, you heard correctly, YOUR STORY. Today, we are going to learn about echoing (or telling others) my story about Jesus. Tell your friends and family what YOU already know and what YOU have already experienced by turning to Jesus. Let me share this quick story…

Genesis 12:1-4"The LORD has said to Abram, 'Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.' So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy­ five years old when he left Haran." NOW, the Bible does not give specifics and explain HOW Abraham heard God. It just simply say he HEARD God, and he RESPONDED to that voice. God speaks to us DAILY. The problem is that because of SIN, and as a result of being born INTO sin, we've CEASED from hearing God speak! When we give our lives to Jesus, we are repenting of our sins. ("Repenting" is turning around, away from sin, and making a CONSCIOUS decision to WANT to hear God.) This process is what Jesus referred to as becoming "Born Again." Just like a newborn baby, as you turn away from sin and turn to God(BORN AGAIN), you are re-learning to walk, speak, listen, think, and function in your new birth. Are you ready for this? When we TURN to Jesus, it's as if our GPS is re-routing us and sending us on a new journey in a new direction. ONCE, you were lost. ONCE, you lived a life as if you were dead, but NOW that you have turned to JESUS, YOU ARE ALIVE! YOU HAVE "ARRIVED"! This was the case for this 75-year-old man (Abram). He knew in his heart of hearts that the voice he heard calling him was the voice of God. He packed up his family and belongings and set out on a journey to an unknown destination on an unfamiliar path, relying solely on the voice he had heard once. Why was Abraham so convinced that what he heard was the voice of God? I like to believe that those who hear from God are willing to put everything on the line and risk everything. When you hear God something happens inside you that changes the course of your life on the outside of you.

John 9:24-25: So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied, “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see! Without getting into too many of the details because of time…A blind beggar is being asked by many when Jesus saw him and healed him. The religious leaders of that time were furious with Jesus because Jesus had healed the man during the time of the Sabbath, and doing so was forbidden by Jewish law because it was considered working; part of the observance of the Sabbath is that working is prohibited. Healing a blind man was no work for Jesus. It was life as usual. So, Jesus and the blind beggar part ways, and the religious leaders are now interrogating the beggar; “Who healed you and how?” They questioned this man on three separate occasions. And over and over, he ECHOED the same story. He never budged; he never changed his story. His story was simple: I used to be that, and I’m no longer THAT! They wanted to know how Jesus healed him. They wanted to know details about this miracle worker and how he did this. They were adamant about his story. Over and over, he said: “I don’t know how Jesus did it, where Jesus came from, where Jesus is off to next. I don’t know THAT, but I do know THIS: I WAS BLIND, NOW I SEE!” Folks, this is EASY! Your story is a very simple one that can offer the world hope and wonder! We all have a story that we can ECHO. As we come to Jesus, we all used to be someone else and something else. ECHO THAT STORY and never ever stop! The blind man had one story with very little facts, and he never wavered. He stuck to his guns and to what he knew. You DON’T have to be a biblical scholar, a pastor, or have deep knowledge of God or the Bible. It’s even OKAY to say, “I DON’T KNOW THAT.” The story that made you stop in your tracks and say to yourself, “I need a new beginning, I need a fresh start, I can’t continue down this same path, I need a fresh start.” That’s the story. That’s YOUR story. ECHO that! From here on, your facilitator will help you navigate any questions you may have, but I’m so proud of all of your progress and all you’ve accomplished during our time together.