KILLING THE SAUL WITHIN Dr. Jessica Fernandez | Springcreek Church November 6, 2022 What do you do when someone in your life makes it difficult for you to be around them? When they have caused you frustration, heartache, and pain? When nothing you do seems to please them and it almost feels like they are setting you up for failure? Young David, in the Bible, knew exactly what this felt like. Nothing he did ever pleased King Saul and it was Saul’s insecurity and jealousy that caused him to fervently chase David and try to kill him multiple times. David’s first instinct could have been to kill Saul but instead he recognizes that he must kill the Saul within. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1.) We have all dealt with difficult people. In dealing with them, how did you respond? Do you regret responding that way? What could you do differently? What did you learn about yourself from that experience? 2.) Saul’s insecurity led him to continuously chase David with the goal of ultimately killing him. Some people use insecurity as an opportunity to work on the reasons why they feel insecure. Others react to their insecurity by reacting to others in a negative way. In what ways have you reacted to insecurity in the past? Was the reaction positive or negative? Was anyone hurt in the process? 3.) When David was being chased by Saul for years and years, he had the opportunity to kill Saul multiple times. David preferred life as a fugitive away from home and obedient to God, rather than on the throne in disobedience to God’s commands. What does this statement mean to you? https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ #realspringcreekchurch #killingthesaulwithin #saul #david #difficult #jealousy #insecurity #obedience #dotherightthing #kindness #mercy

STRENGTH IN SOLITUDE Pastor Jessica Fernandez, PhD. September 11, 2022 There are many times in life when we experience loneliness - times when we feel alone, empty, and disconnected. On the contrary, solitude is a sense of deep connection with our God where we find a sense of belonging. Jesus often spent time in silence and solitude to encounter the Father. Loneliness is dependent on what is happening around us, whereas solitude is time alone that is focused solely on our dependence on God. In times of loneliness, encountering the Father produces strength in solitude. 1. SOLITUDE IS GOD’S REMEDY FOR LONELINESS. “Like many other feelings in our lives, it’s easier to experience it than to define it. Loneliness is being all by yourself even when you’re surrounded by people. Loneliness is a feeling of isolation even in the midst of a crowd. You feel unwanted. You feel unneeded. You feel as though there’s nothing to live for. You feel as though nobody really cares anymore. That’s loneliness. Loneliness eats away at the inner person. It saps you of strength. It robs you of hope, Loneliness, as it were, puts a wall around you no matter how free you may be.” - Warren Wiersbe 2. LONELINESS IS NOT BEING ALONE, BUT FEELING ALONE. You can BE alone and not FEEL lonely at all. “I found solitary confinement the most forbidding (hostile) aspect of prison life. There is no end and no beginning; there is only one’s mind, which can begin to play tricks. Was that a dream or did it really happen? One begins to question everything.” - Nelson Mandela “Solitude is a gift from God, but isolation is a tool of the enemy.” - Carey Nieuwhof 3. IN TIMES OF LONELINESS, ENCOUNTERING THE FATHER PRODUCES STRENGTH IN SOLITUDE. “If we possess inward solitude we do not fear being alone, for we know that we are not alone. Neither do we fear being with others, for they do not control us. In the midst of noise and confusion, we are settled into a deep inner silence. Whether alone or among people, we always carry with us a portable sanctuary of the heart.” - Richard Foster • If Jesus, the son of God, the savior of the world had made time to connect with God, without distractions, how much more do we need to be practicing the spiritual discipline of solitude? • If time with God is so important and beneficial - why is it so hard? “Solitude is the Spiritual Discipline of voluntarily and temporarily withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes. The period of solitude may last only a few minutes or for days. As with silence, solitude may be sought in order to participate without interruption in other Spiritual Disciplines, or just to be alone with God.” - Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life 4. IN THE BUSYNESS AND CRAZINESS OF OUR LIVES, HOW CAN WE DISCONNECT AND UNPLUG TO PRACTICE SOLITUDE? --- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Have there been times when you thought you were engaging in solitude and you were actually isolating yourself? 2. Have there been specific times when engaging in solitude gave you the strength to deal with certain situations? Or, has God revealed to you areas in your life that need to be dealt with? 3. What are some strategies you can implement in your life to increase time in solitude? https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ #realspringcreekchurch #strengthinsolitude #solitude #loneliness #lonely #God #connection #belonging #strength

COMMUNITY IN THE CALM Called to Community - Part 4 Lead Associate Pastor Jessica Fernandez, PhD July 24, 2022 The time to build a storm shelter is not in the storm, it’s before the storm! What happens when we find security in the routine of our lives? When we become comfortable with the mundane and we find excuses not to engage in community because it doesn’t fit into our schedule. The time to prepare for a crisis is before it happens, in the monotony of life. So, what’s your excuse? Series: Called to Community We often use phrases like “let’s do life together!” Yet, what does that really mean? This series will discuss the importance of being connected with others in community whether we are in crisis or not. But not all community is created equal and may come in ways that we have not thought about before. God calls us to be connected so that we can provide support, encouragement, and objective perspectives as we live our lives together through all life’s circumstances. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. When thinking about holy apathy, have there been times in your life that you recognize now as times of holy apathy? 2. When identifying some reasons for not joining a group, which one resonates with you the most? 3. Today, we have discussed various ways for you to be in community and create community. What are some ways that you are excited about trying to create community? What makes you nervous or apprehensive to be in community? ----- Engage with us for updates, alerts, and information by text... CHURCH INFO AND UPDATES: Text SPRINGCREEK to 96995 GUESTS: Text NEW to 96995 CONNECT: Text CONNECT to 96995 PRAYER: Text PRAYER to 96995 BAPTISM: Text BAPTISM to 96995 COMMUNITY GROUPS: Text GROUPS to 96995 FAMILIES: Text PRESCHOOL or KIDS or MS or HS to 96995 GIVE: Text GIVE to 96995 Your generosity helps transforms lives. Be a part of something bigger. There are three easy ways to give from right where you are: 1) Text GIVE to 96995 2) Give online: https://www.springcreekchurch.org/give 3) Mail your gift directly: Springcreek Church, 2660 Belt Line Road, Garland, TX 75044 https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ #realspringcreekchurch #calledtocommunity #community #calamity #findingtherightcommunity #thisaintit #wisdomincommunity #wisdom #friends #wise #spiritualwisdom #communityinthecalm #calm #storm #prepare #areyouready #excuses

Community in Calamity Called to Community - Part 1 Springcreek Church | Lead Associate Pastor Jessica Fernandez, PhD Sunday, July 3, 2022 What do you do when you’re in crisis? Do you isolate yourself? Do you hide when everything is falling apart? In the book of Ruth, Naomi finds herself in a crisis when her husband and her two sons die. Without anyone to care for her and her daughter-in-laws, she decided to go back home because she understood the power of community. Her community sustained her during this difficult time but not just her, but for her daughter-in-law, who was considered an outsider to the Jewish people. This community birthed hope in their lives when the situation and circumstances seemed hopeless. Series: Called to Community We often use phrases like “let’s do life together!” Yet, what does that really mean? This series will discuss the importance of being connected with others in community whether we are in crisis or not. But not all community is created equal and may come in ways that we have not thought about before. God calls us to be connected so that we can provide support, encouragement, and objective perspectives as we live our lives together through all life’s circumstances. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Think about a time or event that you considered a crisis? How did you get through that? 2. What did that situation reveal about the infrastructure of your community? 3. What are some reasons that have held you back from really being connected to a community of believers? ----- Engage with us for updates, alerts, and information by text... CHURCH INFO AND UPDATES: Text SPRINGCREEK to 96995 GUESTS: Text NEW to 96995 CONNECT: Text CONNECT to 96995 PRAYER: Text PRAYER to 96995 BAPTISM: Text BAPTISM to 96995 COMMUNITY GROUPS: Text GROUPS to 96995 FAMILIES: Text PRESCHOOL or KIDS or MS or HS to 96995 GIVE: Text GIVE to 96995 Your generosity helps transforms lives. Be a part of something bigger. There are three easy ways to give from right where you are: 1) Text GIVE to 96995 2) Give online: https://www.springcreekchurch.org/give 3) Mail your gift directly: Springcreek Church, 2660 Belt Line Road, Garland, TX 75044 https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ #realspringcreekchurch #calledtocommunity #community #calamity

#BlessedBrokenness #beatitudes #blessed #brokenness #poverty #grief #meekness #loss #comfort #healing #Jesus #humility #gentleness #attitude #faith #God #promises Blessed Brokenness of Meekness BLESSED BROKENNESS - Part 3 SERIES: BLESSED BROKENNESS Go online and search the term #blessed and you’ll see a lot of vehicles, vacations, partying, and evidently, #blessed is also a code word for “take a selfie using duck lips.” But what strikes me about the way we define the blessed life is how absolutely incongruent it is with how Jesus described it. The beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount are the most extensive teaching Jesus ever did on what it means to be blessed. He described the blessed life as poverty, mourning, meekness, hunger, and persecution – hardly the things we associate with blessings. Yet the Jesus’ way is the only true path to the blessings of God. Join us this weekend as we discover the secret to the blessed life. PART 3 - BLESSED BROKENNESS OF MEEKNESS In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Though society doesn’t value meekness, God honors the meek and is demonstrated when we treat others with humility and gentleness. Meekness not only involves our attitude towards people, but it reveals our attitude towards God. It displays strength under the control of God. It is a form of submission to God’s unwavering sovereignty. You will never fully be all that you can be, and all that God wants you to be, until the power of your personality and the force of your convictions come under God’s control. The meek shall inherit the earth by experiencing joy through every circumstance by having faith, confidence, and hope that God will keep his promises now and in the future. Join us this weekend as we discover strength in meekness. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. The true meaning of meekness is humility that rests in God and rejects the temptation to be self-sufficient, self-righteous, and prideful while trying to achieve all our wants and desires. When we think about the true meaning of meekness, do you believe that you hold this Christ-like attribute? If you are meek, how did you cultivate that? If you’re not meek, how are you going to cultivate that? 2. Kristin Schmucker describes the promise of inheriting the earth perfectly when she says, “The kingdom of God is now, and the kingdom of God is coming. It is already and not yet. He reigns now in our hearts, and someday, He will rule over every part of creation. The kingdom of God is in us because He is in us.” What are the benefits of inheriting the earth now and the benefits of inheriting the earth later? 3. “Makarios” describes joy which is serene, untouchable, and self-contained, that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and the changes of life. How can we cultivate that type of joy in our lives? Download and use the SPRINGCREEK CHURCH APP for interactive message notes, online giving, events, and so much more! Get all the info you need at your fingertips! Or, engage with us for updates, alerts, and information by text... CHURCH INFO AND UPDATES: Text SPRINGCREEK to 96995 GUESTS: Text NEW to 96995 CONNECT: Text CONNECT to 96995 PRAYER: Text PRAYER to 96995 COMMUNITY GROUPS: Text CG to 96995 FAMILIES: Text PRESCHOOL or KIDS or MS or HS to 96995 GENEROSITY: Your generosity helps transforms lives. Be a part of something bigger. There are three easy ways to give from right where you are: 1) Text GIVE to 96995 2) Give online: https://www.springcreekchurch.org/give 3) Mail your gift directly: Springcreek Church, 2660 Belt Line Road, Garland, TX 75044 Thank you for the culture of generosity that exists here because of you! https://www.springcreekchurch.org/​​​​​​ #RealSpringcreekChurch