I hope that you have been praying and inviting people to join you for our Easter Gatherings. We will have two gatherings at 8:30 and 10:30. Plan to bring family, friends and co-workers with you. There are invitations available in the foyers for you to use. Take as many as you need, as many as you can use! The people in your circle are open at Easter to attending an Easter Celebration so …. Invite them!
Easter is unlike any other event in the year because Easter is the celebration of the One who is unlike any other!
Easter is the culmination of 1000’s of years of God’s toil to arrange for the homecoming of the human race. God was working, around the clock and around the calendar, to return people into a loving relationship with Him.
He sent prophets, kings, leaders and teachers to guide people towards a faith relationship with Him. His hard work accomplished very little. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ - Immanuel – God with us – to live on this earth. Jesus lived a sinless life – the only one to ever do so. Jesus, the only one to have lived an innocent life died a criminal’s death on the cross. Jesus was buried in a borrowed grave and three days later He rose from the dead. Death could not keep Him down. He appeared to the women, the disciples and then to a group of 500 people at one time.
The resurrection of Jesus is what makes Christianity different then every other philosophy or religion. Jesus is the only teacher, the only prophet, the only miracle worker, the only Rabbi … who ever rose from the dead! Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, Confucianism, Mormonism … you name it – the leader, the prophet, the founder, the seer, the teacher, the Rabbis – they are all dead.
In all of history, Jesus alone, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is alive today. His resurrection is unlike any other event in history. He is alive! He is alive forever more!
These facts make Easter the greatest day in the calendar. There is no other day that compares.
Pray for those who will be here and invite others to join you!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
He is at work!
God is at work changing lives. At times His work is very obvious. There are other times when His work is not so obvious. There are seasons when the life changing work of God is easily seen. There are other seasons when that life changing work seems so hard to see. It can be so hard to see the work of God that people begin to believe that His work is not happening.
The Apostle Paul wrote about the life changing work of God to the believers in the city of Philippi. He was trying to encourage them. He wrote:
I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) He was trying to encourage people, who were going through a season where the work of God wasn’t so apparent.
It is interesting that Paul writes these words of encouragement, to the followers in Philippi, while he is in chains for being a follower of Jesus. (Philippians 1:7, 13-14, 17) Paul is in chains – chains – did you catch that? CHAINS. Paul is under lock and key. Even while locked up - Paul writes about God, who began a good work, continuing to work in discouraging circumstances.
Paul is attempting to do is encourage discouraged believers. The words have a similar tune to the words of David in Psalm 23.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NLT)
Are you going through a rough patch? A rough patch relationally? A rough patch financially? A rough patch in your health? A rough patch at work? Be encouraged! God is at work!
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)
The Apostle Paul wrote about the life changing work of God to the believers in the city of Philippi. He was trying to encourage them. He wrote:
I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) He was trying to encourage people, who were going through a season where the work of God wasn’t so apparent.
It is interesting that Paul writes these words of encouragement, to the followers in Philippi, while he is in chains for being a follower of Jesus. (Philippians 1:7, 13-14, 17) Paul is in chains – chains – did you catch that? CHAINS. Paul is under lock and key. Even while locked up - Paul writes about God, who began a good work, continuing to work in discouraging circumstances.
Paul is attempting to do is encourage discouraged believers. The words have a similar tune to the words of David in Psalm 23.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalms 23:4 NLT)
Are you going through a rough patch? A rough patch relationally? A rough patch financially? A rough patch in your health? A rough patch at work? Be encouraged! God is at work!
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Playing Dress-Up
Playing ‘Dress-up’
An activity that is common to almost every person growing up is pretending to be someone. Children ‘dress-up’ to be movie stars, athletes, musicians, doctors, nurses, policeman, firemen, soldiers, teachers, husband or wife. It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t ‘pretended’ to be someone that they admire.
The proliferation of the internet has taken pretending and has lifted ‘dress-up’ to a whole new level. People are now able to be almost anyone they want to be in a ‘virtual’ life. The news regularly reports on people who spend more time living out their ‘virtual’ life than they do their real life. In the virtual world I can be younger/older, taller/shorter, lighter/heavier, and richer or have more achievements. I can have the personality that I wish I really had. I can remove the ‘warts’ that are so apparent to people in the ‘real’ world. Whatever I would like to be – I can be – in the virtual world.
Down through the centuries - ‘Dress-up’ has been the activity of not only children but of adults too. Adults regularly ‘dress-up’ to impress people. ‘Dress-up’ happens literally. ‘Dress-up’ happens figuratively.
Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. (Proverbs 13:7 NLT)
People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.
(Proverbs 26:24-25 NLT)
One of the clear teachings from Jesus and from the first days of the life of the church is that God really hates ‘Dress-up.’ He never approves of people pretending to be something of someone other than who they really are.
Jesus said it this way: On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' (Matthew 7:22-23 NLT)
These are strong words to people who ‘Dress-up’ – people who ‘Dress-up’ as miracle workers no less!
Get Real!
An activity that is common to almost every person growing up is pretending to be someone. Children ‘dress-up’ to be movie stars, athletes, musicians, doctors, nurses, policeman, firemen, soldiers, teachers, husband or wife. It would be hard to find someone who hasn’t ‘pretended’ to be someone that they admire.
The proliferation of the internet has taken pretending and has lifted ‘dress-up’ to a whole new level. People are now able to be almost anyone they want to be in a ‘virtual’ life. The news regularly reports on people who spend more time living out their ‘virtual’ life than they do their real life. In the virtual world I can be younger/older, taller/shorter, lighter/heavier, and richer or have more achievements. I can have the personality that I wish I really had. I can remove the ‘warts’ that are so apparent to people in the ‘real’ world. Whatever I would like to be – I can be – in the virtual world.
Down through the centuries - ‘Dress-up’ has been the activity of not only children but of adults too. Adults regularly ‘dress-up’ to impress people. ‘Dress-up’ happens literally. ‘Dress-up’ happens figuratively.
Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. (Proverbs 13:7 NLT)
People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they're deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don't believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils.
(Proverbs 26:24-25 NLT)
One of the clear teachings from Jesus and from the first days of the life of the church is that God really hates ‘Dress-up.’ He never approves of people pretending to be something of someone other than who they really are.
Jesus said it this way: On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' (Matthew 7:22-23 NLT)
These are strong words to people who ‘Dress-up’ – people who ‘Dress-up’ as miracle workers no less!
Get Real!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Living a Lifestyle the Draws
I read a quote recently that I’ve been mulling over. I want to believe that what the author of the quote has observed and stated about the church is not true. I just don’t want to think that things are really like he says. I want to think that there are external forces totally responsible for people rejecting Jesus and the church.
The teaching of evolution has to be the number one reason why people reject Jesus and don’t want to be involved with the church. The constant bombardment of media and information has to be the number one reason for peoples’ response. The options that people have today – from 750 TV channels, internet, shopping, endless sports and entertainment – that has to be the reason that people stay away from God. Could it be that it is something else?
"The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny Him by their lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning
Could this be true? Could it be that the way I live or fail to live could stand in the way of people responding to Jesus and participating in a family of faith? Could it be that if I were to take how I live as seriously as Jesus told me to, it would have a far greater impact on those who have not crossed the line of faith?
Could it be that Jesus declared: “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT) because how His followers live does impact those who have yet come to faith?
When Jesus declared --- “… if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:19-20 NLT) --- was He actually talking not about what has often been referred to by the church as ‘legalism’ but instead He was talking about living a ‘lifestyle’ that has great appeal to those who have not come to faith?
Am I living a lifestyle that draws people toward faith or a lifestyle that gives people an excuse to not believe?
What about you?
The teaching of evolution has to be the number one reason why people reject Jesus and don’t want to be involved with the church. The constant bombardment of media and information has to be the number one reason for peoples’ response. The options that people have today – from 750 TV channels, internet, shopping, endless sports and entertainment – that has to be the reason that people stay away from God. Could it be that it is something else?
"The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny Him by their lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning
Could this be true? Could it be that the way I live or fail to live could stand in the way of people responding to Jesus and participating in a family of faith? Could it be that if I were to take how I live as seriously as Jesus told me to, it would have a far greater impact on those who have not crossed the line of faith?
Could it be that Jesus declared: “… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16 NLT) because how His followers live does impact those who have yet come to faith?
When Jesus declared --- “… if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! (Matthew 5:19-20 NLT) --- was He actually talking not about what has often been referred to by the church as ‘legalism’ but instead He was talking about living a ‘lifestyle’ that has great appeal to those who have not come to faith?
Am I living a lifestyle that draws people toward faith or a lifestyle that gives people an excuse to not believe?
What about you?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Easter is around the corner!
Easter is fast approaching. Easter is April 24th this year. Easter is one of the times of the year that people are most open to attending a worship service.
Pray
I want to encourage you to begin praying regularly for people in your circle of life. Pray for family members, neighbors, co-workers, friends, fellow commuters and those that you attend school with.
Pray that they will have a desire to know God and have a relationship with Him.
Pray that they will sense their need of forgiveness, peace, hope and new life.
Pray that they will accept an invitation to join you at a worship service on Easter.
Pray that their hearts will be open to the message of Jesus and the resurrection.
Invest
Look for ways that Jesus would have you invest in the lives of those that you are praying for. How should you love them? How can you serve them? In what ways can you invest into their life and further your friendship with them?
Once you’ve prayed and once you’ve invested – the next thing to do is invite.
Invite
In the next month determine who you are going to invite to join you and invite them. We will provide invitations the 2nd weekend in April. Use as many invitations as you need. Give them to people. Invite them. Plan to meet them here.
I have already been inviting people to join us. I have been telling them that I will remind them in a few weeks and that I really hope that they will attend. I invited a man who I talked with at breakfast today. I’m going to remind him as we get closer to Easter.
Pray. Invest in relationship. Invite.
I’m anticipating a wonderful day celebrating!
Matt
Pray
I want to encourage you to begin praying regularly for people in your circle of life. Pray for family members, neighbors, co-workers, friends, fellow commuters and those that you attend school with.
Pray that they will have a desire to know God and have a relationship with Him.
Pray that they will sense their need of forgiveness, peace, hope and new life.
Pray that they will accept an invitation to join you at a worship service on Easter.
Pray that their hearts will be open to the message of Jesus and the resurrection.
Invest
Look for ways that Jesus would have you invest in the lives of those that you are praying for. How should you love them? How can you serve them? In what ways can you invest into their life and further your friendship with them?
Once you’ve prayed and once you’ve invested – the next thing to do is invite.
Invite
In the next month determine who you are going to invite to join you and invite them. We will provide invitations the 2nd weekend in April. Use as many invitations as you need. Give them to people. Invite them. Plan to meet them here.
I have already been inviting people to join us. I have been telling them that I will remind them in a few weeks and that I really hope that they will attend. I invited a man who I talked with at breakfast today. I’m going to remind him as we get closer to Easter.
Pray. Invest in relationship. Invite.
I’m anticipating a wonderful day celebrating!
Matt
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Jesus Story ... Continued! - Repent
When John the Baptist was traveling the countryside he had one message that he continually spoke. He sounded like ‘a broken record.’ Whether he was talking to the common Jewish person, the religious leaders or King Herod he said the same thing over and over and over again: ‘Repent.’ ‘Turn from living a self-centered life.’
The start of Jesus’ ministry is described this way: From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, … The message has always been: Repent. Turn from living a self-centered life.
Josephus, the first-century Roman historian, wrote that there were times in Israel when Jewish rebellion against the Roman government became catastrophically intense. One of the consequences of this insurgence was that the Romans would crucify more than 500 Israelites a day. He wrote that there were so many crucifixions, that there was no more room for crosses along the roads around Jerusalem and that they ran out of crosses to crucify people on.
There is a passage in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy that declared that anyone who dies hanging on a tree is cursed. The Jewish people always took down the bodies before nightfall.
In order to deepen the punishment on the Jews for their revolt the Romans would leave bodies up on crosses for days, weeks and even months. The rotting bodies hung there in front of everyone as the birds picked at their flesh. The message sent to the people of Israel was very clear. This is one of the reasons why people were so anxious for someone to set them free from Roman tyranny.
Scholars say that when Jesus said: Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38 NIV) or, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 NIV), he probably did so while he and his entourage traveled on one of the roads into Jerusalem. Jesus looked up at one of those hanging on the cross and spoke these stinging words.
Everybody who was traveling with Jesus knew what he meant: "Be ready to die."
He was using a life event, in all of the sounds, sights and smells to illustrate the same old message: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!
The message has never changed. Every part of life that could be described as ugly, broken, wrong, unjust and damaging is the result of self-centered living.
The message is: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!
The start of Jesus’ ministry is described this way: From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, … The message has always been: Repent. Turn from living a self-centered life.
Josephus, the first-century Roman historian, wrote that there were times in Israel when Jewish rebellion against the Roman government became catastrophically intense. One of the consequences of this insurgence was that the Romans would crucify more than 500 Israelites a day. He wrote that there were so many crucifixions, that there was no more room for crosses along the roads around Jerusalem and that they ran out of crosses to crucify people on.
There is a passage in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy that declared that anyone who dies hanging on a tree is cursed. The Jewish people always took down the bodies before nightfall.
In order to deepen the punishment on the Jews for their revolt the Romans would leave bodies up on crosses for days, weeks and even months. The rotting bodies hung there in front of everyone as the birds picked at their flesh. The message sent to the people of Israel was very clear. This is one of the reasons why people were so anxious for someone to set them free from Roman tyranny.
Scholars say that when Jesus said: Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38 NIV) or, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 NIV), he probably did so while he and his entourage traveled on one of the roads into Jerusalem. Jesus looked up at one of those hanging on the cross and spoke these stinging words.
Everybody who was traveling with Jesus knew what he meant: "Be ready to die."
He was using a life event, in all of the sounds, sights and smells to illustrate the same old message: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!
The message has never changed. Every part of life that could be described as ugly, broken, wrong, unjust and damaging is the result of self-centered living.
The message is: Repent – Turn from living a self-centered life!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Jesus Story ... Continued! -- Community.
As we look into the book of Acts powerful community relationships is one of the aspects that is clearly portrayed. There was a camaraderie and a commitment to one another that is often not seen today in the American church. The Scriptures say that the people were ‘devoted to meeting together.’ Devoted is not necessarily a term that is used today to describe people’s commitment to one another. The reality that people walk out on marriage, walk out on children and walk out on financial commitments might indicate a devotion problem in our culture.
One of the fallouts of people ‘walking out’ is that it causes everyone to be cautious in their relationships. Those that remain tend to pull back. The question is asked: Why should I be ‘devoted’ if others are just going to walk out when they feel like it? People become hesitant to extend themselves to others. People become undecided and don’t try to really get to know each other.
The ‘individuality’ of the American church shouldn’t surprise anyone should it? We are a country that prides itself on individuality. The American motto is not: “All for one and one for all.” We pride ourselves on the ‘self-made man.’ Pity the person who is successful because of someone else’s fortune. “He had it handed to him on a silver platter” is a slam on a person’s character.
The community of faith that Jesus flows through isn’t like that. The book of Psalms says: How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalms 133:1 NLT)
Commitment, devotion and love is the life that is portrayed in the book of Acts. ‘A life of harmony.’ The Life God desires can’t be lived any other way.
Albert Schweitzer wrote: "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." Rekindling the inner spirit is part of life lived together.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are His followers because of our love for one another.
Our daily prayer should be: Jesus, create this kind of faith community in us!
One of the fallouts of people ‘walking out’ is that it causes everyone to be cautious in their relationships. Those that remain tend to pull back. The question is asked: Why should I be ‘devoted’ if others are just going to walk out when they feel like it? People become hesitant to extend themselves to others. People become undecided and don’t try to really get to know each other.
The ‘individuality’ of the American church shouldn’t surprise anyone should it? We are a country that prides itself on individuality. The American motto is not: “All for one and one for all.” We pride ourselves on the ‘self-made man.’ Pity the person who is successful because of someone else’s fortune. “He had it handed to him on a silver platter” is a slam on a person’s character.
The community of faith that Jesus flows through isn’t like that. The book of Psalms says: How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalms 133:1 NLT)
Commitment, devotion and love is the life that is portrayed in the book of Acts. ‘A life of harmony.’ The Life God desires can’t be lived any other way.
Albert Schweitzer wrote: "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." Rekindling the inner spirit is part of life lived together.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are His followers because of our love for one another.
Our daily prayer should be: Jesus, create this kind of faith community in us!
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Jesus Story ... Continued!
As we begin the 6 month study of the New Testament book of Acts, I want to call your attention to a verse from the Gospel of John that describes the substrata of what occurs throughout the first 30 years of church history and is, I believe the way that God intends for the church to live today. The verse is John 3 just before the most famous verse of all, John 3:16.
Here is the verse:
The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NLT)
You can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going …
The Book of Acts is an historical recording of what happened when the wind blew – the wind of the Holy Spirit. People didn’t know where the wind was coming from and they didn’t know where the wind was going.
Sometimes they were blown by the wind to new places and sometimes they set their faces against the wind and pushed forward. Listening, following, working with and, at times, standing against the wind required a continuous engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. There was no ‘been there, done that’ attitude. They were living with their hearing aids turned up to full volume; the gain was turned all the way up on what was happening. They couldn’t sit back – putting the transmission in neutral and coast their way through life. Things were happening in such a way that it required serious engagement with Jesus.
But -- that was then and this is now. We can turn the hearing aids down; we can push the ‘gain’ down to a one; we can put the transmission in to neutral – we can just coast. NOT.
The life of faith is meant to be – The Jesus Story … Continued!
We are only living a life of faith when we are in serious engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. I contend that anything less than that either borders on living a secular Christian life or is a full blown secular Christian life.
Is – The Jesus Story … Continued in your life?
Here is the verse:
The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 NLT)
You can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going …
The Book of Acts is an historical recording of what happened when the wind blew – the wind of the Holy Spirit. People didn’t know where the wind was coming from and they didn’t know where the wind was going.
Sometimes they were blown by the wind to new places and sometimes they set their faces against the wind and pushed forward. Listening, following, working with and, at times, standing against the wind required a continuous engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. There was no ‘been there, done that’ attitude. They were living with their hearing aids turned up to full volume; the gain was turned all the way up on what was happening. They couldn’t sit back – putting the transmission in neutral and coast their way through life. Things were happening in such a way that it required serious engagement with Jesus.
But -- that was then and this is now. We can turn the hearing aids down; we can push the ‘gain’ down to a one; we can put the transmission in to neutral – we can just coast. NOT.
The life of faith is meant to be – The Jesus Story … Continued!
We are only living a life of faith when we are in serious engagement with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit. I contend that anything less than that either borders on living a secular Christian life or is a full blown secular Christian life.
Is – The Jesus Story … Continued in your life?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Self-Feeder
The Jesus Story … Continued!
Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning. It will take us about 6 months to go through the book of Acts. However, since there are so many lessons in this book we will only be able to look at certain ones during our Sunday mornings! It would take years to cover the variety of subjects that the Bible teaches in Acts. There are really only two subjects not covered in the 28 chapter book: Marriage and Parenting. Those two subjects are probably on the agenda for late 2011.
One of the primary areas that I believe God wants to bring growth in each person is in the area of ‘feeding.’ The book of Hebrews talks about milk, meat and feeding.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14 NIV)
God wants to make each one of us into ‘self-feeders.’ He wants to teach each one of us to feed ourselves spiritually… that each of us would learn to dig, catch, gather, sort, prepare and eat the kinds of spiritual food that will nourish us long-term.
Those of us who teach on Sundays work very hard to prepare a fresh hearty meal that includes a variety of nutrition. Sunday is important, but Sunday is not enough. Sunday is more like a restaurant. Sunday morning is not meant to be the only place that each of us eat. Going out to dinner at a nice restaurant is great! Eating at a restaurant can be convenient and a pleasure to the palate. Restaurant food is often rich, fattening, prepared by a ‘trained’ chief – it is good and often mouth watering but it is missing a lot. Eating at a restaurant is not how a healthy spiritual life is lived.
There is a great deal to be learned by planning, shopping, preparing, chopping, cooking, serving and then eating. If eating is the only thing that happens in the way of spiritual nutrition then it is not a well rounded spiritual life.
When the only food someone gets is from a restaurant, the food is likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring.’ When the restaurant is a ‘supplement,’ then it is less likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring’ but instead it becomes an anticipated outing. (People go away thinking – I’m going to try that at home!)
Jesus, Teach us to be ‘self-feeders!’ Amen
Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning. It will take us about 6 months to go through the book of Acts. However, since there are so many lessons in this book we will only be able to look at certain ones during our Sunday mornings! It would take years to cover the variety of subjects that the Bible teaches in Acts. There are really only two subjects not covered in the 28 chapter book: Marriage and Parenting. Those two subjects are probably on the agenda for late 2011.
One of the primary areas that I believe God wants to bring growth in each person is in the area of ‘feeding.’ The book of Hebrews talks about milk, meat and feeding.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14 NIV)
God wants to make each one of us into ‘self-feeders.’ He wants to teach each one of us to feed ourselves spiritually… that each of us would learn to dig, catch, gather, sort, prepare and eat the kinds of spiritual food that will nourish us long-term.
Those of us who teach on Sundays work very hard to prepare a fresh hearty meal that includes a variety of nutrition. Sunday is important, but Sunday is not enough. Sunday is more like a restaurant. Sunday morning is not meant to be the only place that each of us eat. Going out to dinner at a nice restaurant is great! Eating at a restaurant can be convenient and a pleasure to the palate. Restaurant food is often rich, fattening, prepared by a ‘trained’ chief – it is good and often mouth watering but it is missing a lot. Eating at a restaurant is not how a healthy spiritual life is lived.
There is a great deal to be learned by planning, shopping, preparing, chopping, cooking, serving and then eating. If eating is the only thing that happens in the way of spiritual nutrition then it is not a well rounded spiritual life.
When the only food someone gets is from a restaurant, the food is likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring.’ When the restaurant is a ‘supplement,’ then it is less likely to get ‘old’ and ‘boring’ but instead it becomes an anticipated outing. (People go away thinking – I’m going to try that at home!)
Jesus, Teach us to be ‘self-feeders!’ Amen
Monday, February 7, 2011
Vision Breakfast - February 13
Vision Breakfast
Next Sunday, February 13th at 10:00 will be our annual Vision Breakfast. There will not be an early service at 8:30 but Breakfast at 10:00.
We’ll eat together, worship, hear some stories from the church family, hear a little about Vision and take Communion together.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE HERE – THIS IS NOT A MORNING TO SKIP OUT.
The Jesus Story … Continued!
Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning.
It will take us about 6 months to get through the book of Acts. I would like to challenge you to read through the book of Acts a number of times over the 6 months. Read it in different translations. Read it slow. Read it from cover to cover over a weekend. I encourage you to read the chapter that we will cover each weekend before you come on that Sunday.
The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ What I hope becomes very clear to each of us is that Jesus is still, daily, writing His story in our lives. He is writing His story on the good days. He is writing His story on the tough days.
The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ in the first days and years of the church. The book of Acts is about people trying to figure out how to let Jesus work in their lives and through their lives – in a totally brand new reality. We’ll look at some great things that happened in the book and we’ll look at some very troubling things.
If you are unable to make one of the weeks in the study of Acts I hope that you will catch it on line.
Remember – BREAKFAST NEXT WEEK – FEBRUARY 13TH – 10:00 AM.
Next Sunday, February 13th at 10:00 will be our annual Vision Breakfast. There will not be an early service at 8:30 but Breakfast at 10:00.
We’ll eat together, worship, hear some stories from the church family, hear a little about Vision and take Communion together.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE HERE – THIS IS NOT A MORNING TO SKIP OUT.
The Jesus Story … Continued!
Starting on February 20th the Sunday morning teaching time will be from the book of Acts in the New Testament. We’ll be looking at one chapter each week and then drawing a single lesson for the morning.
It will take us about 6 months to get through the book of Acts. I would like to challenge you to read through the book of Acts a number of times over the 6 months. Read it in different translations. Read it slow. Read it from cover to cover over a weekend. I encourage you to read the chapter that we will cover each weekend before you come on that Sunday.
The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ What I hope becomes very clear to each of us is that Jesus is still, daily, writing His story in our lives. He is writing His story on the good days. He is writing His story on the tough days.
The book of Acts is ‘The Jesus Story … Continued!’ in the first days and years of the church. The book of Acts is about people trying to figure out how to let Jesus work in their lives and through their lives – in a totally brand new reality. We’ll look at some great things that happened in the book and we’ll look at some very troubling things.
If you are unable to make one of the weeks in the study of Acts I hope that you will catch it on line.
Remember – BREAKFAST NEXT WEEK – FEBRUARY 13TH – 10:00 AM.
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