9/12 Love Does Series “Bursting the Bubble of Shame & Anxiety” Matthew 14: 22-33
Bursting the Bubble of Shame & Anxiety, don’t we all wish it would just take a pin? Well guess what? This situation takes more than a pin – it takes a nail! Read on……. What shall I do with shame? What shall I do with anxiety? Those questions were posed to us during Sunday’s message. Pastor George went on the say that shame keeps us from living a life of love. It’s like an anchor that keeps pulling us under, he said. In the Love Does series this week we viewed Session 4 on Be Not Afraid. Fear keeps you locked up inside, says Bob Goff. It’s that anxiety that keeps you from acting and chasing after what Jesus is calling you to do. We learned in this series that fears, their hiddenness, fuels all sorts of shame and humiliation in our lives and drives us to make bad decisions because we are afraid. Sunday’s scripture passage in Matthew gives the account of when Jesus walks on water. Jesus sent the disciples away by boat, by evening the wind had picked up causing the boat to be beaten by the waves. As they were a ways out on the sea, Jesus came to them walking on the water. Thinking they were seeing a ghost they cried out in fear! In vs. 27 we read “But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, “Take heart it is I. Do not be afraid.” When we do a search in the Bible on the words afraid, anxious, fear, there are many passages to read and learn from, to handle our emotions when we get caught up in those snares, and the comfort in knowing that Jesus is always with us, helping us out. Pastor George gave us a lesson using Peter’s doubt. In verse 28 Peter said, “If it’s you Lord command me to come to you on the water” Jesus invited Peter to “Come”. Peter got out of the boat during a raging storm, and keeping his eyes on Jesus, he walked on water. When Peter’s eyes diverted off of Jesus, focusing instead on the storm going on he started to sink and cried out “Lord Save Me”. Jesus took hold of Peter saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus bad things happened. In our Right Now Media study this week From the Garden to the Savior by Robert Cheong, he states that all humanity has faced trials throughout life. No one remains unstained by the effects of suffering. But God has reconciled us to a hope that transcends our present struggles. Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciles us to God and frees us from the burden of our struggles. It takes the nails of Jesus Christ, that’s where we can find our freedom. Unashamed by Christine Caine is another series we watched in Right Now Media this week. Christine states that Shame has no place in our destiny God has for us. God sees you as having infinite value. The enemy uses shame to keep us away. God runs towards us with unconditional love, grace, and acceptance. Nothing can separate that. Shame steels your joy. The lie that keeps you shackled. We’re not designed to live in slavery – but in freedom, she says. Our freedom is found in Christ and what he has done for us. Christine knows firsthand just how hard it is to break free from the hurt and pain she too lived through. It isn’t easy she says, to let go of yesterday’s memories, what if’s, to move past your past. It takes courage, it’s a decision you make, it isn’t easy, but liberating. Christine says this, the degree to which you are willing to embrace the pain of recovery is the degree to which you will recover. She teaches that God wants you to move forward but it will take true faith, forgiveness, and a love that only God can give. Robert Cheong, in From the Garden to the Savior, said that when we set our eyes on Him, we fix our hope on a savior who exists beyond our circumstances. He says to grow in your trust that Jesus is sufficient hope for your struggles, grow mature in your faith, and allow someone to walk with you through the process. Live in the promises of scripture. Pastor George gave three keys to bursting the bubble of shame & anxiety: 1. We SPEAK it – tell others about it. There is a release within by letting it out. Tell a trusted person who will listen. 2. WRITE about it, journaling, put it into words what’s causing you pain, shame, rejection. 3. PRAY it, cry out to God, Jesus says come – come to me. God will give you the strength. Christine Caine referenced the passage in 2 Corinthians 4:7 “…this all surpassing power is from God” and not us. We as clay pots are easily broken, God will take our brokenness, our pieces, and put them back together again, in time, with our faith and trust in Him to do it. She says we are to declare out loud that YOU ARE IN CHRIST! You are not who you used to be. She gives these declarations we are to hold to: Declarations in Christ FORGIVEN – God has removed my debt JUSTIFIED – God has changed my state REGENERATED – God has transformed my heart RECONCILED – God has become my friend ADOPTED – God has changed my family REDEEMED – God has changed my ownership SANCTIFIED – God has changed my behavior God is our hero. His grace – in Jesus name – in this your greatest days are ahead. Sunday’s lesson is that like Peter, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, don’t let doubt nor diverting eyes cause you to start to sink again. Jesus is our focus, what you focus on – you will achieve, says Pastor George. It takes the nails of Jesus Christ to burst the bubble that traps us. Larry and Darlene
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9/6 Series: Love Does…...Loving What You Do John 13: 31-35
Regardless of age, gender, abilities, when we see someone really doing what they love, be it in their work, play, for someone or some purpose, there is a joy within them, a peace in their heart, they are smiling, because what they are doing isn’t a struggle at all, they love doing it! Pastor George says that Loving What You Do comes naturally out of you and your skills, gifts, abilities that drive you. Well then how come I’m stuck in a job I don’t like, a relationship that hurts, a battle that’s taking its toll on me? I’m trying my best in all of it. Maybe it’s times like those that we need to rethink Loving what you do. In that, whatever it is that you do, there is love. In both, the loving what you do times and those not so loving times, it is God’s love for us that keeps us doing. Pastor George reminded us that it’s not what is happening around me or you, but what Jesus has done and is doing within me and you. We do whatever because we are loved. In the scripture passage from John 13:34 we read, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Our motivation, says Pastor George, is Love because I have already been loved. This week’s study in Right Now Media was Love-First by Don McLaughlin. It addresses that very subject of God’s Love. A verse that we all can memorize and one that we need to impress upon our heart is from 1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us”. Don McLaughlin challenged our thinking in that: are we loving the idea of God? The one who created, the one who provides, the one who saves, on and on the attributes of God can be listed, instead of loving God. To emphasize our love for God in the right way, as a husband/wife or parent/child kind of love relationship. It’s how in the Bible where Jesus talks about how much He loves His bride – a love that never grows tired or is completely finished finding ways to fully express itself. We learn that God’s love is unconditional. There is no condition of our life that God would stop loving us. He is Love. Are we connecting with the loving God, asks Don, and do we live seriously the conditions of God’s love? He is referencing Matthew Chapter 12 where Jesus says, “First, love God with all your heart, mind, and strength.” It’s the first and greatest command, the command on which every other command is based upon. McLaughlin states that the Creeds share the gospel, but in each creed, the Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Athanasian Creed, something was missing, the word love was not mentioned once. He shared that God’s love is assumed through these creeds. We as believers live by what these Creeds say, as our Statement of Faith. In the Creed does it start with Love God and Love Your Neighbor, or is that assumed? Don McLaughlin’s First-Love is on a mission, driving for a personal revolution to love God first, for all believers to be living affectionately for God. This is his Love-First Creed (that comes right out of scripture) I BELIEVE – that God is Love. (1 John 4 vs. 7-8) I BELIEVE – that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. (John 3:16) I BELIEVE – that God loved me when I was an enemy, I was sinful, I was ungodly. (Romans 5 vs. 6-11) I BELIEVE – that the first and greatest commandment is that I would love God with all I am and I BELIEVE – that the second commandment is liken to it, that I would love my neighbor as myself I BELIEVE – that I must love my enemies and the ungrateful, and the wicked (Matthew 5 and Luke 6) I BELIEVE – that if I claim to love God but do not love others, I am a liar and the truth is not in me (1 John 4) I BELIEVE – that when I see my brothers and sisters in need, I must help them with my material possessions, or the love of God is not in me. (1 John 3) Love-First teaches that you don’t just think about love, you are called into the conditions of love. Living effectively is living with the Father, and with fellow man. It’s ending hate say McLaughlin before it’s too late. He referenced 1 Corinthians 13:13 “… without love you gain nothing, and you are nothing.” He shared that we need something above the world to face what is in the world, to face the problems of the world. Love is not the first thing, love is the only thing, and we know love from God. This is week three in our Love Does series where we are looking at Audacious Love. Bob Goff teaches that it’s something beautiful when you are so caught up in it. It’s expressing what’s going on inside of you. That joy, the peace, a happiness that explodes. It’s a kind of love that God has. The God of the universe is in love with you, he keeps coming back over and over again into our lives with his love for us. Bob asks, how does our love for one another make God visible? In loving another is it unconditional, continuous, active, it’s a new way of thinking about love, says Bob. It’s courage to act in spite of fear, to act creatively for and with God, to get involved in bringing heaven to earth. It’s our life being a presence in another’s as it continues to weave itself into the tapestry of every great story. It’s Loving What You Do regardless of how menial the task, said Pastor George. It’s a contagious enthusiasm, that’s the way love rolls – it multiplies! As we heard in this week’s sermon message, we are God’s ambassadors. Pastor George stated a quote from Bob Goff’s book Love Does, “I was once afraid to fail at the things that really matter to me, now I’m afraid to succeed at things that don’t really matter at all.” What really matters in life? That’s a call to step outside of yourself, says Pastor George, to respond with the strength God gives to go and do, in love for others. We also heard that God’s love is a choice to make, an attitude, a behavior, a joy on the inside that is expressed on the outside as we Love One Another. This will bring God joy! Every relationship in love blesses us, says Don McLaughlin. He shared that Love IS patient, and Love IS kind, these position you with the power to do good. Our love position needs to model His love, put it into the center of all your relationships, God moved into the neighborhood through us, says Don. Wherever you find yourself as you read this, Loving What You Do, or questioning how life is right now, Don McLaughlin offered these insights in closing out his series on Love-First: Love always trusts, trust that God can still work, that He is still engaged; Love always hopes, God’s glory is worth it, people are worth it, the planet is worth it, we’re not going to give up. Love always perseveres, God’s vision for the church is God’s love living in and through His church, the people of God, to transform the world. What in the world are we doing in the world? Loving What You Do, loving in what you do! Be the hands and feet and listening ear with God. Loving What You Do, Love-First, Love Does….it’s a choice that we make. How is your tapestry looking? We really won’t know until the other side of heaven. Keep threading love through the lives of others because you are not finished threading your life with others, the tapestry is still a work in progress. Larry and Darlene 8/30 Love Does series: How to Fail Forward John 18: 15-18; 25-27
Fail – that is a word that no one every wants to hear or admit to. Webster defines it as: to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved. We all have failed. At least, once right? Okay a few more times than one. And every time we were left feeling … well as a failure. So how is it that “How to Fail Forward” is a lesson in our current series of Love Does? Pastor George talked with the young people of Turning Failure into Something Good. And that takes love. Everyone fails, it doesn’t escape any of us. It’s how we react to our own failure and also the failure of another. This week’s scripture passage from John is the account of Simon Peter’s failure of not admitting that he was a disciple of Jesus, not only once, but three times. Jesus predicted to Peter that he would do such an act before the rooster crowed. Peter earlier had said to Jesus in John 13:37 “… I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” We read in John 18:27 “Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.” Peter right there and then knew that he failed Jesus. Imagine the emotion going through Peter, we’ve probably felt a similar pain and hurt of letting a loved one, a friend, a person or purpose we care about, and Jesus too, down. For certain we will fail again. It’s being human. So how can we learn to fail forward? Pastor George encouraged us by saying , ‘Don’t stop after failure’. We may have failed in an attempt, but we are not a failure, there is a big difference. He says we should ask ourselves two things: 1.What went well? There is something good in the fail, look for the positive. 2.What could be improved? Mistakes happen. Don’t ignore it, learn from it. If our mistake causes us to sin, we know our sin is covered, claim forgiveness that Christ offers. Jesus has hopes and dreams for us that are good and not evil. Pastor George also said, it’s who we are in Christ, forgiven, loved, given a plan to live out, because we are the Lords. Trust Jesus and try again. In this week’s Right Now Media we watched a training video Learning from Failure by Cheryl Bachelder where she says that we learn very little from our successes. Our failures drive us, keep them going. Say what? Yes, we learn our most important life lessons from failure if we don’t let them define who we are. Cheryl goes on to say, failure leaves us feeling hopeless, yet they teach us the best lessons for our future. Regard success as service and failure as opportunity. In failures our lives begin to shift into a fertile ground for spiritual development and growth, she says. Bob Goff in the Love Does series suggests that God fashions the people he loves the most, as if he leads them into failure so that we understand our absolute need for Him. He says, we are not defined by our successes but on our need for Christ. We are no longer defined by our failures. We are defined by Christ. Bob goes on to explain that it’s God telling us I don’t see you for your failure, but who you are becoming. Bob Goff says our failures teaches us 1. Of our character and who we want to be. 2. Jesus and who he wants us to be, to see whose we are becoming. In life a thing or two is going to go wrong, we are not dejected by God but defined by God. Another training video we watched was The Courage to Risk Failure by Wil Haughey. He too says, consider failure and the good that comes from it. God is in control of the outcome, trusting God for whatever outcome he desires. God is sovereign, take risks, fight for it. We’re in the business of taking risks. Fight to make yourself available to God’s call on your life and trust Him with the outcomes. Wil says, bear the mark of Christ as we go about our work. Whether the risk is in our jobs, our church work, or in life itself, show the love and compassion of Christ in serving other people, take the risk, we are free to fail. In Strategies for Handling Adversity by Workmasters in Right Now Media, we heard Donnie Smith tell us to ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’. In wherever God is leading you he will use that to teach us things. He referenced Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NIV) “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Donnie added that God uses that obedience to train, to give us skills. That obedience gives us courage to go on in other instances also. It was in this series that Cheryl Backelder also shared that almost all of our learning comes from some version of trial, tribulation, or outright failure. She says to be very intentional about learning from our mistakes. Use a difficult learning experience from failure to be a better version of yourself in the next opportunity. Jesus, after his death and before his Ascension into heaven, appeared to seven Disciples. Reading in part from John 21, just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore of the sea, preparing breakfast for them. After they were finished eating Jesus questions Peter three times saying, do you love me? Peter’s final answer, he said, ‘Lord, you know all; you know that I love you.’ Through this encounter, Peter has restoration with Jesus, Jesus takes Peter back as a disciple. Peter is not a failure. Peter is the name he had been given by Jesus. In Matthew 16 :18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Peter has work to do for Jesus. His new nickname, Peter, was not based on who he used to be but on who he was becoming. What makes a good “Jesus nickname” for you? It’s when we begin turning failure into something good. When we learn from our mistakes, and take the step to fail forward, that we grow into becoming who we are born to be. Christ Follower, Chosen, are a couple great nicknames to name a few. Pastor George asked us to repeat this saying: I have failed. I am not a failure. There is a big difference. The big difference is that we are loved. Loved by Jesus. Loved by God who wants to do a good work through his followers. Loved by God who wants us to become who he created us to be. Start today, to look at failure through the Master’s eyes! Larry and Darlene 8/23 Love Does The Actions of Love Hebrews 13:5
This new series that we are beginning- Love Does, stems from a book written by Bob Goff with that title. Our current focus is The Actions of Love. The ultimate action of love that we know of is Jesus willingly dying a sinner’s death on the cross for us, because he loves us. As Pastor George stated Sunday, intrinsically we want to live in such a way to thank him. Jesus in a way says to us, live your life in such a way so that I know it was worth saving. Actions of Love is this week’s study, our focus is trying to wrap our thinking around just what those words speak of. Actions is a verb, it’s active, current, moving, it’s plural, more than one, multiple, again and again. This means continuous, it’s not a one and done kind of thing. Just as Jesus continues to speak into our lives, to love us continually, we are to do also. The Bible passage from Hebrews 13: 5 says “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. We are reminded again from Sunday’s sermon that God is with us every step of the way. His name, Immanuel – means God with us! We are never alone. Once we accept Jesus into our heart and life, he is there forever! As the spirit lives in us, God is with us. When we personally accept what Jesus has done for us, dying on the cross, our sins are forgiven, and he now lives in us. Wherever we go, whatever we do, daytime, nighttime, God is with us, a trusted friend, our helper, our savior. How do we respond to such actions of love? Pastor George told us on Sunday, Be Jesus with skin on. What he has done for us inspires us to action – to the love He poured into us. Jesus invites us to follow his ways, to rely on his grace, his power, as we are with others, he is with us. As we are with others? Or are we living our life amongst others? One is active, the other is passive. Love Does – with presence, “with you” is active. In the first series in Love Does this week in Right Now Media, Bob Goff focuses on the first video in this series: I’m with you. He tells of his friend Randy and their story together. Bob learn valuable life lessons through Randy’s presence with Bob during an adventure that Bob thought was best for him to go on. It was Randy’s presence that spoke love into Bob. Randy wanted to be there for Bob. He didn’t just wish Bob well and said good luck let me know how it goes. Instead, Randy dropped what he was doing so to speak, and took off with Bob. It wasn’t about the adventure. Rather it was knowing that being with somebody doesn’t make the adventure quite as scary. That is true in any uncertainty of life that we go through or that we know another may be going through. Knowing someone else is there, then whatever it is …. we are not alone, someone else cares. Yes, I know that God is with me and that should be all that matters. But God knows that we need someone else to be Jesus with skin on for us. Bob Goff said that, I’m the guy being asked (by God to be Jesus with skin on), and the last thing that I want to do is miss an opportunity or make God mad, so I just keep saying yes. When we get those nudges from God, say yes says Bob, or ignore it, then tell God why he has the wrong person. God gives us opportunities for Actions of Love, lean in toward what is unfolding and say yes, it is our invitation to come and see what God wants to do through you. Okay, the next time I’ll say yes, then I’ve done my duty, my share. In this kind of thinking are you treating someone as a project or treating them as a friend? Would you like to be considered a project, or considered a friend of someone? We also learned from this study that being engaged isn’t just an event, being engaged is a way of doing life, a way of living life and loving the people you meet along life’s paths. Bob asked the question, are we too busy doing stuff that we miss opportunities that God is bringing to us? He suggested that we quit the wrong thing – just don’t quit Him. It’s suggesting that we refocus our life and energy on what is most important. We learned that God usually choses ordinary people like us to get things done. Bob says, get to the “do” part of faith, love DOES! Another series that we watched this week was Love Works by Joel Manby. Manby’s focus is on leading with love, practicing his faith in the marketplace through the essence of what God is. Referring to 1 Corinthians 13 as the Words of Love. It’s living out Agape Love, unconditional, in how you treat people regardless of how you feel about them. He briefly talked on 7 words of Love in every circumstance. Patient, Kind, Trusting, Unselfish, Truthful, Forgiving and Dedicated. Patient with people, praising in public, admonish in private, but praise more than admonish and always remember where the learning focus is.; Kind is not being nice all the time rather be an encourager to make people better. We have an impact to make their day better or worse.; Trusting is to put confidence in someone, clarifying the decision making and stick to it.; Unselfish is to think about yourself less. We need to be unselfish with our time, treasure, and talent. Use our time investing in other people, helping them to grow; Treasure is what we’ve been blessed with. Are we giving it? Talent, volunteer your talent in other organizations and charities. Joel said that everybody has something going on, giving support verbally or through assistance or through outreach programs available to them is love in action.; Truthful, corporately, and individually be truthful about the individual. Be open to hearing of our own individual shortcomings. Be helpful to others, help them forward by being present for them. The I am with you kind of support we all need.; Forgiving, release the grip of the grudge. Have a forgiving spirit. Joel uses the acronym MAMO, Minimize and Move On, it’s second chances. Mistakes happen, move forward with a serving of I can be there to help attitude. Dedicated, Joel Manby says that he focuses on these principles to be content. I can control these, he says. We all can do the same. Living out these seven Words of Love are what we as leaders at work, at home, and in our volunteering need to engrain on our hearts. He went on to say Jesus’ number 1 commandment is Love God and Love others, then we are doing what God commanded on this earth. It’s caring, having an impact on those around us. These are timeless principles that are taught in the Bible and work everywhere. Pastor George teaches us to remember that God came to be with us and for us, receive it and follow me, Jesus says. Just live it out. Love does something by simply being with them, people for whom we can be present. Can you now say, “I am with you”, it’s a Christ follower phrase we now learned. As Christ followers we look for extraordinary ways to live life in an ordinary world. Answer those nudges, actively involved in Actions of Love, Always in service, Jesus with skin on. What a difference we can make in someone’s life. Immanuel, come. Larry and Darlene 8/16 What’s Your Story? Living Out Your Story Romans 1:16-17 1 Peter 3: 13-17
How is your story reading? It’s not finished yet if you are reading this, cause you’re still living. So how is it going? That answer can change at any given time, just like living life does! Truth be told there are things that we really don’t want anyone to read about. Life gets hard sometimes. On the other hand, there were and still are those times that I could go on and on telling you about. Life is fun! Let’s call this the ups and downs of life, or as Pastor George called it Sunday the excitement and challenges, we all face. It’s those times that move us out of our comfort zone, or as we age or our children age there’s a transition taking place. Nothing stays the same way forever. And that’s a good thing. Life has so many factors to it. We learn as we go and grow. Not by the seat of our pants as the saying goes, instead go to the source from whom all things flow, to navigate the life we’ve been given. Living out our life, our story, with our creator. God created us to be with him. Pastor George says, it’s his (God’s) calling on our life to reflect his love and his grace and his mercy. That’s Living Out Your Story! Landon shared his testimony with us on Sunday giving his GOSPEL presentation. Our Cross-Training students use this acronym G.O.S.P.E.L affirming their faith. Promises to themselves of faith, belief, and commitment. These six truths are the essence of the Bible that Pastor George promotes and teaches. It’s a relationship with God; realizing that our sins push God away and we can do all the good that we want to make it right with God, but it’s never enough. Jesus died on the cross, he is our substitute, he did what we cannot do, covering our sin with his shed blood, making us sinless in the presence of God. It is placing our faith in Jesus alone. This faith gives us eternal life. As Pastor George said, everyone who crossed that line of faith, who trusts in Him alone, now has a new life and an eternal life that started the moment you place your trust in Jesus. It’s this new life, this relationship with Jesus that we are living and walking in right now that continues eternally forever. But it’s not ours to hoard, to keep. We are to share it and to pass it on. That’s evangelism, that’s sharing your story, that’s living out your story. We had more good teachings from Right Now Media this week. The Power of Knowing God by Tony Evans teaches why we should pursue the person of God. It is a passion you gotta want, says Tony. Call it a relationship, an intimacy with God. A closeness, a fire for the relationship, a joy. Another was Knowing God Discussion Group Series by a group called Explore God. These discussions cause us to stop and think and then discuss how we experience God. We also viewed Sharing Life by Pete Briscoe. Pete talks about us having a heart change for God. He says that we are to bring a foundational attitude, a decision we make to live every day with a biblical attitude. We are sharing a person says Pete, not a program or process. We have no reason to be ashamed of our faith, says Pastor George. We heard from our scripture passage Sunday in Romans, verse 16 that begins “For I am not ashamed of the gospel...” and ends in verse 17 “as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.” What do we have faith in? Where have you placed your faith? Hopefully not in a God specialist, or a God professional, a secondhand faith, rather our faith as we’ve read above is in Jesus alone, no other. So, living by faith, is living by the ways of Jesus. The other passage from Sunday in 1 Peter 3:15 says “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” As opportunities arise, share your story. As Pastor George encouraged us on Sunday, don’t force it, but don’t hide it. And when you do share it, share it with gentleness and respect. Pastor George posed the question Sunday, how do we articulate what we believe? We live it. Meaning that our whole life is God centered. We learned in our Discussion Group Series this week that God has made us for contact with Him through Scripture, Prayer and Community. Let’s look briefly at these for explanation and understanding of what that means as we learned through this series on What’s Your Story. God – God is the ultimate standard of goodness. We are to follow His moral goodness. He is our greatest blessing. He is in control. His justice is rooted in His Holiness. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us see God more clearly; to experience Him more intimately; to tune into the mind of God so we get to know God in the realities of life, says Tony Evans. Prayer – Prayer is talking with God. Speak to him as it really is. There is no formality to follow. God walks with us throughout the day, so just talk to Him. Look for God in everything. That’s where the opportunity to get to know God in a deeper way is. Ask God for wisdom in our crisis, in the challenges of the world, the flesh, or the devil, that come at us. Ask God for discernment for living in a complex age. Prayer is praising him, seeking him, thanking him for his many blessings. Scripture – It’s not a textbook. The heart of scripture is finding the person, the Triune God. The Bible is an influential book that introduces us to Jesus and speaks into our life. We get to know the character of God through the Bible. We are to have a firsthand knowledge of him. We learn of him through reading our Bible, studying the Bible, listening to Bible teachers, so many ways we can get the word of God into us. Community – We grow around people. We learn, we experience, we gain spiritual growth when our lives connect with others. Looking for people who have a natural love for what we long to know of, be it scripture knowledge, deeper prayer life, serving others, or whatever tugs at your heart, can be found within communities where we live, work, and play. Church – God has placed us in families and in church families. Church matters. We have opportunities for small groups to grow and guide us, helping our studies of the Bible. It is singing songs of praise and worship that too help us learn and grow. It’s taking and being Jesus in a hurting world. Representing Him in the world. Through our willingness we take the Good News beyond the church walls so beautifully displayed – it gives people an encounter of what it feels like to be loved by Jesus. To Live Out Your Story is many facets. It’s not about doing this by yourself, it’s doing this for yourself. Sharing is Caring; We have Freedom in Christ that we want to tell of, as sinners we are forgiven; it’s to tell of His Grace and Mercy; as we know Him we know His voice and obey; this new life we live – we put behind us our old ways; with the power that comes from inviting Jesus into our life we are changed, our identity is in his love for us; our behaviors and habits are now God focused, doing what’s expected of me I will receive my reward, if not in this life, in eternal life through being faithful, I will receive the Crown of Life. Sunday, we sang. The same power that rose Jesus from the grave – the same power that commanded the dead to raise – lives in us. We are no longer dead in our sins, but alive in Jesus. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, live life more abundant and free, living in the light of His Glory and Grace. May we as Christians, little Christ’s, continue to Live Out our story of redemption, to share our story and not be ashamed of what He’s done in our lives. But to have a testimony, a reason for the hope we have, and ready to share it with gentleness and respect. In the Knowing God series this week they wrapped it up this way: Look Up & Taste – meaning a sense of something beyond our world Look Within – to learn, to live, to grow Look Outward – telling others about these things May God Bless us as we do. Amen Larry and Darlene 8/9 What’s Your Story?.......Expectations & Rewards Luke 19: 1-10
Expectations – they can wear on a person with the demands to meet them. Expectations – they can power us up, get us excited, for what’s in it for us or others involved. Expectations – can be our own, can be what another wants of us. In the end it’s kinda like getting your grade. A how well did I do kind of feeling. We’ve been in this series for seven weeks now of What’s Your Story? What are we learning? Are we expected to be doing something? Okay, I get it, I’m to share my story but I’m still not comfortable in doing that. Jesus conversations scare me. Regardless if I know the person or not. I’m scared of rejection, especially of me since I’m the one talking, and I sure don’t want to be the reason they reject Jesus. I’m scared of speaking in error to the Truth, to be challenged by what I’m saying. And I really don’t want to be labeled as a ‘Jesus’ freak. So now I’m struggling inside. I’ve been listening and learning these past weeks from Pastor George speaking on What’s Your Story?, sharing my story, there it is, that expectation, but do I really need to, want to, or feel obligated to? Can you relate? We may never be an evangelist like Billy Graham or a Mother Teresa. Great people, one who spoke to the masses on Salvation, and the other who ministered in action to the masses. How about just sharing your story with the person(s) who cross your path. Your life experiences, telling of what you know of from first-hand experience. We are all sinners, we all need a savior, we should want to share what’s going on in our lives, the change in us for knowing Jesus. That should be an expectation that we all can achieve easily. As Pastor George said to tell of our rescue story. God has interacted with our story, let’s share it. We learned from the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 about expectations and rewards. Zacchaeus went looking for Jesus, Jesus said to Zacchaeus, I must stay at your house today. The towns people knew Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, the worst of the worst, a sinner. Being in the presence of Jesus Zacchaeus changed from within. He stood in the Lord’s presence and declared I willingly give half of what I have to the poor, I’m willingly returning to those who I defrauded quadrupled of what I’ve taken. He wanted to exceed what was expected of him. To show his sincerity to change he took immediate action. The story ends by saying that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. And that’s just what happened for Zacchaeus. He was a sinner, but no more for Jesus also said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.” Well just what does that mean? A Son of Abraham means those who are of faith are Sons of Abraham. In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. God’s promise to Abraham, that “all people on earth will be blessed through you.” One way this prophecy is fulfilled is through the salvation that God grants to us, by grace through faith. That is our reward, our blessing. As we prayed Sunday: God, thank you from whom all blessings flow. You are my testimony – you are my rescue story! Hunter shared with us on Sunday his testimony giving the GOSPEL presentation: G God created everyone to be with Him. O Our sins separate us from God. S Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. P Paying the price for our sins, Jesus died and rose again. E Everyone who trusts in Jesus alone has eternal life. L Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. This acronym Pastor George uses as an easy way to share our testimony of faith of what we believe and why we believe in Jesus. This is something that we can use in our Jesus conversations. Jesus Conversations is a series that we watched this week in Right Now Media by Dave Sterrett. In this series we learned of ways to become courageous in engaging conversations, telling our story. We must evangelize says Dave. An evangelist, he says, is a faithful servant bringing Good News in the circumstances right where God has placed you. It’s having courage to speak up, take a risk and it starts with a hi, says Sterrett. In his series he also gave examples that we can become familiar with to use. Some use the bridge visual. Using John 5:24, The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. It’s the visual of the cross making The Way from our sin nature mountain, to God’s holy mountain. He also gave us the acronym SALT S-start a conversation A-ask a question, get to know them, L-listen to their story, T-tell your story, your testimony. Whichever you chose, however you feel confident to open up about your faith, is what matters. Allow God to use you, by the power of the Holy Spirit you too can share your story. Imagine the reward in that! Another good series that we watched this week was Second Hand Jesus by Glenn Packiam. He addresses our behaviors and habits of our God relationship. We all begin relying on the God Professionals or the God Experts, or the God Specialist that he likes to call them. He referred it to us saying something like, I myself don’t need contact with God, I just need you (the experts) to tell me what I need to know, as long as I make it to heaven. Glenn calls this a second-hand knowledge, a substitute for our own relationship with God. Which this can then lead us to thinking of God as a ‘lucky charm’, or thinking my God is a God of second chances, I can get a another chance to get it right or to work harder to please God. With the God professionals telling me what I need to know it frees me up for other things that are more important to me right now. Um, like my other idols, those things that push God back. This seems to work out fine until a crisis hits our lives, Glenn calls it a what-the-heck moment where life seems to be pulled apart at the seams. Instead, Glenn taught us that what we need is a first-hand faith. Ask yourself, Do I know Jesus more this year than I did the year before? What is happening with me and Jesus? Is Christ in our house? With Jesus our lives change. In the series Face to Face with Jesus by RC Sproul in RNM, there are twelve accounts of people throughout the Bible that had face-to-face encounters with Jesus. We all will one day says RC. Face-to-Face is reading scripture, biblical accounts, personal accounts where the heart and soul are awakened. Just like Zacchaeus had when he was face-to-face with Jesus. As Pastor George said, He changes us, the Jesus that never gives up on us, that’s our reward. Sunday’s sermon points are that in Expectations 1. Jesus calls for a response. It’s our continual rescue story, day by day by day by day. The Rewards 2. Jesus offers salvation. This Jesus who repairs where we’re broken, a restoration to what’s good, right, and true. He has bridged the gap for us to God. Our behavior and habits are rescued with God’s help. We now have a new lifestyle of love, grace, and hope. It’s this that we reflect. As we sang, This is my story, this is my song, praising my savior all the day long. As we’ve been learning in the series What’s Your Story? a changed life – changes lives. Share your story, it begins with a hi. Larry and Darlene 8/2 What’s Your Story? The Power of an Invited Guest. Luke 9: 1-10
This story from Luke is about a man named Zacchaeus and his desire to “see” the man called Jesus who was passing through Jericho. His desire was so great that he willingly climbed a tree just to get a look. Reading from verse 5 “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’” Zacchaeus wanted to see, he was looking for Jesus, but it gets even better for Zacchaeus for Jesus said I must stay at your house today! Zacchaeus received him joyfully. As Pastor George stated Sunday, when we look for Jesus, we often find him. In a sense Jesus says to us, come down, I want to go to your house. I’m knocking at your door, will you answer? I want to be in your life, allow me to come in. Is Jesus our invited guest? We all have had guests in our homes. Family members who come to visit wanting to reconnect. Neighbors visiting so that we can get to know them better. Inviting guests for a purpose or cause that’s important to us to share conversation with them. Within each one of these there is a power, a purpose, a love for, that connects each to the other. These are interacting in-person events that are real. So much can be said for The Power of an Invited Guest. Invites. We all like to receive them. Some more than others like to offer them. One of the most popular invites in our day and age is an invite through Facebook. An invite to friend someone. Once the invite is accepted, you have been welcomed into that person’s life so to speak with Facebook posts that you can read, possibly along with pictures to see of them, of what’s happening in their life. You can then click the like button on what they’ve posted and comment on it if you want. We’ve turned into people who keep constant watch on our phones and devices to see who is liking us today and ultimately how many likes we get when we post something. It gives us a good feeling to see that. If we don’t get the response we’re looking and hoping for that puts us into a different mindset with a feeling of unacceptance. Has Facebook taken control of how we are to feel about ourselves based on the number of friends that we have, based on the number of likes we get on a post, of delivering multiple opinions from multiple people, to have taken control of our social lives, of our time. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? I guess that depends on the power of an invited guest, even on Facebook. This week we viewed the Right Now Media study on the effects of Facebook led by Craig Groeschel entitled Liking Jesus. So how about it, if Jesus sent you a friend request on Facebook would you accept the offer? And to turn it around, if you sent a friend request to Jesus would he accept your offer? We don’t need Facebook to have a relationship with Jesus. But we do need Jesus to help and guide us through the effects of Facebook. This series discussed multiple downfalls of Facebook. Craig Groeschel shared topics of Recovering Contentment; Restoring Intimacy; Revealing Authenticity; Resurrecting Compassion; and Replenishing Rest. What do all these topics have to do with Facebook, well let’s take a look. Craig says that the use of Facebook has pitted people against each other. In a sense a kind of resentment of God’s goodness in others. We lose a sense of acceptance of who we are, we have an unspoken kind of jealousy. To break this cycle we fill our minds and hearts of Jesus’ love for us, who we are in Him, and draw our strength from him as it reads in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. To recover contentment, we develop a relationship with Jesus. The word friend is evolving. Facebook has given it a new term. One can have 328 friends on Facebook, but only 2 or even fewer close friends on average, says Craig. And Facebook gives you the power to do friendship on your own terms, to accept or not to accept. No longer are we face-to-face, engaging with another by spending time with them. Now it’s through technology, machine driven, alone, a limited personal intimacy. This cycle needs restoring to personal involvement, active, being what the word friend really means. Craig reminded us that how much love you showed is what will matter at the end of your life. Knowing Jesus’ love and letting his love work in and through us will make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of others. Our phone means that we always have a camera with us to catch those selfie moments to share on Facebook. Craig says that we’ve become a selfie obsessed culture, with added filters. We can and do make ourselves look quite impressive. We hide our flaws by polishing up our look. We are less authentic than we are. What’s really going on? What are we wanting to hide? We connect with people through our weaknesses. Jesus walks with us through our struggles and weaknesses so that we can be a blessing to other’s through theirs. 2 Corinthians 3:16 says “…but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” It’s not what other people think of me – it’s about what He thinks of me. With unveiled faces – our identity is in His love. It’s time to reveal, to get back to authenticity, loving you as you are, created just as God wanted you to be. Craig shared that we have become a self-centered society. We are caring less of other people. With the rise in social media we’ve become desensitized to the suffering around us. Caring is more than clicking/liking a Facebook post. Caring is acting. To know Jesus is to know a Jesus with compassion. Compassion changes lives. The Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus changing a person’s life. God will use you to show His love. A love through which lives will be changed, other peoples and yours. #struggles, we all have them. We all get weighed down by them. They keep us awake at night which affects our rest. It’s the inability to shut down on the inside says Craig. We keep looking to our phones for answers. Hoping to see a post that means something, one that we for sure don’t want to miss. It evens keeps us up at night. Or for sure to keep the phone nearby so that if a ping or bells rings of a new post we’ll be sure to know it immediately. Jesus is closer than your phone if you’ll let him and he will give you rest. He says, come to me and I will give you rest. We all need replenishing rest that Jesus gives. Craig said that we have a power beyond this world. Christ is all you need! We have a purpose to share our story, telling of all Jesus has and is doing for us. Telling of a love that is available to anyone who invites Him into their lives. To know The Power of an Invited Guest, you need to get to know the guest. The second series that we watched this week in RNM was Your Quiet Time Should Change You by Jen Wilkin. Jen is a Bible study teacher and author. She advises us to regard our quiet time as a time to grow in the foundational knowledge of God’s Word. To love God with our hearts and minds. The heart, she says, cannot love what the mind does not know. She says to find your preference in studying your Bible. Use a Topical Study diving into passages on the chosen topic. Or go the Foundational approach diving into a book of the Bible. Either way this is an investment towards a future payoff. All scripture is useful at some point. 10 years or 15 years from now God could bring to mind, out of the storehouse, to speak to us of something that we’ve learned prior. Quiet time, she says is an accumulated effort, spend the time learning. Jen shared that a disciple is a learner – a person who engages the minds. As Pastor George spoke of on Sunday, Who is this Jesus, that you consider inviting into your life? He gave us these points 1. Jesus is PASSING through your life in song, in devotion, in worship. Those triggers of awareness. 2. Jesus COMES to you. It’s an intimate thing, the sharing. 3. Jesus FORGIVES you. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Cling on – invite Him in. Don’t let Jesus pass by without inviting Him in. Get to know him. He’s the one guest we all need to invite into our lives. To know him is to know THE POWER of an Invited Guest! It’s a relationship to begin now and one that will last throughout all eternity. May you too have the desire to see Jesus. Larry and Darlene 7/26 Part 5 – What’s Your Story? Summer series – today’s title “How to Begin a New Chapter in Your Life” John 8: 8-11
The focus of the Bible passage from John 8:11 is “…And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more’” First of all we are relieved to know that Jesus doesn’t condemn us for our sins. What he wants from us is to go, go on with life. And as we do, he tells us, from now on sin no more. That is a new start. Like a new chapter in your life! We start a new chapter with excitement, anticipation of leaving that sin behind, and pressing on to what lies ahead. A new chapter that will draw us deeper into the story, not to toss the story aside, but to grab hold of it with a new desire, with a purpose, to something we hold claim to. Pastor George gave these points during his message. He said it is that what lies within us, is most important. #1. Claim forgiveness from the past. #2 Forget what lies behind. #3 Now, what lies ahead, press forward, the good that lies ahead is our new focus. The new chapter begins with joy in our footsteps inviting the Holy Spirit to help. We claim hold to the grace that is greater than all our sins. To quote from the song My Story; “Oh to tell you my story – is to tell of Him.” You would hear victory, freedom, a life overcome from sin, justice served, the kindness of Jesus, mercy wins, that’s what draws me in. Just like a roller coaster, life will continue its highs and lows. We all have sinned, missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God. We all make mistakes. As Vince Miller stated in the RNM series on Defeating Repetitive Sin, sin baits us in, hooks us, we get caught in its repetitive nature. Vince goes on to say that we rationalize it, getting our minds to make those bad choices which leads to shame by hiding it, and to blame by pointing to others and ultimately to God. God takes care of that for us just as he took care of it for Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3:21 we read “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin and clothed them.” Vince says that, just as God made garments of skin and clothed them, this covers over the sin and shame of the first man and woman, Jesus came, shed blood, to cover our sin and shame because He loves us just as God loved Adam and Eve. He loves us all the same. He also stated that there is a loving God walking with us. God sees our sin as an opportunity to love you and me. In Defeating Repetitive Sin, we learned that it is a war within, between the flesh and the mindset. Vince Miller gave 4 statements regarding our sin nature. To summarize all that he said: 1. We construct belief systems - we make judgements, develop concepts, a cluster of things in our minds. 2. We are controlled by our belief system – we allow those beliefs to control us in the most unfortunate way. 3. We have corrupt belief system – every intention of the heart is only evil intentionality, a repetitive belief system that becomes comfortable for us. 4. God must reveal the belief system – it requires a leap of faith to thinking differently, aligned with truth, a grace-based living. It’s unraveling things in our lives to put us back together to become a person of God. Vince goes on to say that it’s The Remaking of the Mind as quoted from a French philosopher named Pierre Chardin ‘We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.’ C.S. Lewis stated that ‘How we think about ourselves is how we live our lives’. In Romans 12: 1-3 it says be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Who we are and who God is. Renewing our mindset, grounded in God’s Word. Minds are powerful tools, always renew this mindset of what God says in His Word, says Vince. Desires of the flesh…against the spirit = the war within. We learned in this series that God values accountability. At the end of time he will hold everyone accountable for what they’ve done. We must accept the fact that we make mistakes, change it, and make it right. It’s about willingness to accept accountability. Accountability drives results in life – embrace it says Vince. What then about our spirit being having a human experience? In More to Your Story by Max Lucado, he says that our story indwells God’s story. From the mind of God, according to His plan, our story comes. Your life is a narrative written by God. God’s Story turns our story into a preface, says Lucado. Our story tells of sin, shame, blame, repentance, back to sin, shame, blame, the cycle continues in our human nature, it’s living in the darkness of this world that works hard to keep hold on us. Max shared that Jesus sighs with us here on Earth. A sign of sadness with a heavenly glance that it won’t be this way for long. See your challenges in the scope of God’s story. Our struggles in life will be lost in the splendor of Heaven. No more curse, no more sin, no longer at war with our flesh, we will be brand new. In More to Your Story we learned that God’s Story redeems our story. God’s story tells of the Word becoming flesh, he dwelt among us. He didn’t separate himself from his creation, no he came to live within it, for it, to redeem it back to himself. Max shared just as Jesus asked Peter, ‘Who do you say that I am?’, he asks of us. To this personal question from God, who do you say that I am? what have you witnessed?, how have you experienced this God on Earth?, how would you answer within your story? Max says we never travel alone, we have the commanders voice to guide us. No one can see God; God is here in love. He chooses to love you and me. We and others experience God in the love we both give and receive. It’s part of our story, it’s part of His-Story. It’s living in and telling God’s Story within your story, that’s how to begin a new chapter in your life. Max asks the question of why we dress ourselves in our mistakes, don the robe of poor choices, our regrets and rebellion. Instead, he says, focus on Jesus and what he did on the cross. As Pastor George said, the Bible tells us how God’s Story redeems our story, what Christ has done for us. Jesus died a sinner’s death in our place, the sacrifice of Christ, laid on him was the iniquity of us all. Our righteousness is in the goodness of Christ, lose your old robe/vest, you’ll look better wearing His, say Lucado and Pastor George. Begin that new chapter, continue telling of your days here on earth, but now we stand with Paul on the promise of eternity, we add that to our story. As we too sigh of the struggles we go through, we can but quickly change our mindset, our glance towards the splendor of heaven, to begin a new chapter. Larry and Darlene 7/19/20 What’s Your Story? Summer series Unaware Luke 24:13-40
Voices, they are sometimes identifiable, sometimes sounding familiar but not quite sure, but it can also be unknown to us, unaware, not knowing the voice. We all have a voice that identifies us. A familiar voice if you know the person who’s talking, then we are more attentive to what they are saying because we know the voice. If you don’t know the person nor the voice talking, we may listen, we may not. We don’t recognize the voice. We are unaware of the person. Why am I listening to this voice and does it have anything to do with me? I am unaware of this voice, unacquainted, so should I be listening to this voice? It's fun to watch a baby as they recognize a voice, it brings a smile, brings comfort, it’s love shared by voice. We have voices in our heads. We hear voices of loved ones now gone. We hear voices as we recall memories. We hear a voice speaking to our minds. Then there are times that we hear a voice speaking but are unaware of who it is. Could it be the Holy Spirit? Or worse is the devil playing tricks with my mind. We are unaware of whom we are hearing this voice from. Can I know, can I tell, can I listen, or should I avoid it all together? In Sunday’s scripture from Luke 24: 13-40 we read of the time just after the resurrection on the road to Emmaus that two men were walking and Jesus joined them but they were kept from recognizing him, they were unaware of the voice of Jesus. As they came close to the village, Jesus continued on as if he were going further. The men urged him strongly to stay with them, which Jesus did. Verse 30 reads, “when he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them”, then verse 31, “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him”. Another passage that Pastor George referred to Sunday was Revelation 3:20 “…look, I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.” In both of these passages there was a welcoming of Jesus. Jesus waits for the invitation to come in. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit once we say yes to Jesus and allow him to come in. Pastor George explained it’s God in your head – becoming a living presence in your heart. He’s waiting for the invitation. That’s faith! Believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross for us, for our sins, for the joy set before him he endured the pain. It is the joy of our belief in him. That’s the joy that kept him on the cross. It tells of his love for us. So how can we know this Jesus, to go from unaware, to being aware of his voice and presence? Pastor George gave us the answer. He shared that Jesus speaks, nudges, prompts us to his ways by reading the scripture, through which we read and know his ways – his voice. That’s how we get to know anyone really, isn’t it? By spending time together, intentionally. Two points Pastor George offered Sunday states #1. Slow down occasionally. Create some moments that you can simply slow down and be with the Lord, spend these moments of awareness. #2. Becoming familiar with the source. Going back to the source, the scriptures. Read and learn of God’s love and God’s grace. Chuck Swindoll from his Insight for Living Ministries Broadcast on Thursday the 23rd shared that we have a scriptural injunction/command to read from the scripture. This the Apostle Paul makes clear to Timothy when he sets forth the directives for the church that there would be reading of the scriptures. You don’t forsake the reading of the Word of God. It becomes so familiar to all of us that we forget that we are reading the Word of God. THE WORD OF GOD The only inspired literature that you will ever read in all of your life that has been breathed out by God – is from the BIBLE. So, when we read it, we’re reading what God would say if Christ were here among us speaking. Pastor George reiterated, to open the love letters of scripture. Getting to know God and of his deep love, his grace, and his mercy. Breathe them in. To get to know his voice speaking. The Spirit of God is our helper. It’s him who talks with us, influences us, encourages us. According to Pete Brisco in Sharing Life we are to be attentive to the Spirit in our evangelism for Christ. Pete says we should be depending upon the Spirit as he leads, guides, enables, prompts, empowers us, as he steps into our mind – we are to do. We are to be open to the Spirits promptings to the people in our live who need to hear the Gospel. As we share life with them, sharing Life with them is imperative. The lowercase l being our lives, the capital L being the Life of Christ. Get into conversation and try to lead them into spiritual conversations. Takia, in Sharing Your Faith with Friends testified that the reason we don’t share our faith, is we fear rejection from friends. Is this saying that we value our friends more? Pete Brisco shared that in the early church evangelism was a natural thing. Now evangelism sounds like selling Jesus. The good news is evangelism is not selling Jesus, it’s sharing life! One way we can do this is by Sharing Your Story. In the Sharing Life series in Right Now Media (RNM), Pete went on the say that stories are powerful things. More powerful than statistics, more interesting that facts, more exciting than presentations, easier to remember and recount than an outlined speech. Because they go to the heart and impact us and move us. Story is a remarkable thing. As you spend time in God’s Word you will become more familiar with all the stories that Jesus tells. He uses stories to teach, to give insight to his ways, to make an impact in our memory, because it goes to the heart and moves us. Stories are powerful things………… We viewed Sharing the Gospel on Your Mission Trip by Todd Philips this week also. Now don’t give me the excuse that you’re not going on a mission trip. Anytime that you walk out the door of your home, you, my friend are on a mission trip. So be attentive to the Spirit’s nudging’s - you just never know. So, what are we to share? Todd also says that, #1 Tell your story about God’s redemption in your own life. #2 Listen to their story. What is it that you can connect with in hearing their story? #3 Sharing Very Clearly about what the Bible says. The Gospel message of salvation, but also those stories learned by reading the Bible that could help someone go from being unaware, to loved by God. Pete Brisco says that when we find ourselves in these conversations that we are to rely upon the Holy Spirits help. God will take over if we let him. We just need to say to the Spirit, Okay, Holy Spirit you know this guy better than me, what’s the best next thing that I should do? I really don’t know what to say, but I know he’s hurting. Listen to how the spirit leads, you are no longer unaware of the voice. With the idea in your mind, assume it’s the Spirit telling you what to do. Sounds loving? Guaranteed it’s the Spirit talking – do it! Go and be Christ to people. Larry and Darlene 7/12 What’s Your Story series: Where does God’s Forgiveness fit into Your Story?
Genesis 33: 1-20 Do Over! How many times have we said or thought that? I want a do over. In other words, I’m really not satisfied with the outcome here, I want to do it over. How about those situations where it was you that was hurt by words or actions from another where you feel the pain, emotionally hurting, wanting for what once was between you and them. It’s like the example Pastor George used with our young people, we want that white board, to use the eraser and wipe it away. A do over in a sense so as not to hurt or be hurt in our relationship with another. What about your story… where does God’s forgiveness fit into it? How is God’s forgiveness a part of it? We know that we are to ask for forgiveness, to confess our wrong and God will forgive us, it’s no more, he wipes it away. Well that seems pretty easy to do, all I need to do is confess it to God and I know he will forgive me. God’s forgiveness given to me is easy. But take a moment and give some thought to just how easy it actually was for God, Christ crucified, the pain and suffering he endured so our sins are forgiven. We can’t imagine that kind of pain. And then how easy it should be for us to show that same kind of forgiveness between us and another that we have wronged or who has wronged us, but it really isn’t. The pain of forgiveness. It really isn’t that easy. What would your story tell? This week we are looking at forgiveness. The scripture in Genesis 33:1-20 is an account of Jacob wanting to reconcile the relationship with his brother Esau. To seek forgiveness, to find favor with his brother. When Jacob saw his brother running towards him his first reaction was trouble ahead. Instead he experienced forgiveness before he could even ask his brother Esau to forgive him. Verse 4 reads “But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” Esau wept because of the love for his brother, Jacob wept too because of the love for his brother, but also, he is relieved because he deserved judgement in steeling the birthright so many years ago. Verse 10 reads “Jacob said, ‘No, please, if I have found favor in your sight (experiencing Esau’s forgiveness), then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.” As Pastor George said, when we receive forgiveness, it’s something beautiful! When you experience forgiveness, you see God’s face. Imagine what the interaction in heaven will be like between us and God from receiving his forgiveness. This week we dug deeper into what true forgiveness means. Looking at The Power of Forgiveness by Joni Ortlund she listed some essential elements. 1. Go to Christ. Take your pain, your suffering to him. Because he suffered, our suffering is important to him. Jesus still bears the marks of his suffering. 2. Go to The Word. God’s word says in Romans 12:19 “Never avenge yourself but leave room for God. It is mine to avenge, I will repay says the Lord.” My response is to forgive and give it to Jesus – don’t be the judge. Every time a person forgives the gospel spreads a little further, says Joni. She shares that being defensive we go on the offense of protecting “me”. We are to remember that God’s love for us continually covers our own sins. We experience His Grace and Forgiveness every day. Chuck Swindoll in his illustration on Forgiveness & Bitterness said that these two cannot co-exist. Without the first you’ll live through life in the second. Bitterness is a dangerous germ in our memory bank. Bitterness is anger turned inward. Like we heard Sunday, anger, frustration, and resentment will build up like lava. Sooner or later that volcano of emotions at some point is going to erupt. Chuck Swindoll referenced the parable in Matthew 18. A man had a debt. The Master forgave the man of his debt. It continues on to read how a servant owed this man money. The man demanded payment, but the servant could not pay, so the man had him put in prison until his debt was paid to him. When the Master heard what this man had done, continuing in verse 34 it reads “… in anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.” This is how it is explained. The man was forgiven by the Master, his debt was paid, but the man shows no mercy to the servant who owed him money. The Master then had the man put into a prison so to speak. In un-forgiveness we are held hostage. As long as we chose not to forgive, we are held in prison, held hostage. Our freedom is in Christ. It’s doing as Christ has done for us that we find freedom. In love, we forgive from the heart. Instead, in our unwillingness to forgive someone from our heart, we are continually held hostage, in a sense tortured for our stubbornness to not forgive. Fred Zaspel presented Forgiving as Forgiven at a conference that we viewed in RNM this week too. He also used the passage in Matthew 18 from which he offered 3 points. #1 Goal of Forgiveness – Reconciliation. In Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. Making peace with God, with friends. In reconciling fellowship, you gained your brother. We are to do as Christ does for us, …iniquities I will remember no more. #2 Cost of Forgiveness – forgiveness demands substitutional payment of the debt. Each of us stands before God with an unpayable debt. God and Grace pays the debit. To forgive we have to absorb the loss and pay the debt ourselves, forgiveness from the heart. #3 The Demand of Forgiveness – forgiveness demands yet more forgiveness. There is to be no limit on forgiveness to our brother. Where would we be if God limits on forgiveness? Fred went on to say, compared to the immeasurable debt we have been forgiven, how small are our brothers’ sins against us? Our Lord is not asking us to renounce a right, the Kingdom is about mercy, this is the demand! Fred used a mind picture of a wooden bridge over the great chasm that divides us from God. And that bridge being Christ who laid down his life so that we can live and know God. Pastor George referenced Romans 5:1 …declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God. One great incentive to continued fellowship with one another is that in Ephesians 4:32 which Pastor George also referenced Sunday says …forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. This says that sin cannot enter God’s realm. He will not have unforgiving servants in his kingdom. Each time we chose not to forgive, it’s like removing a wooden plank in the bridge that we must cross. Fred Zaspel said, don’t ruin the bridge over which you must pass. Forgiveness, we must deal with it in our hearts. So Where does God’s Forgiveness fit into your story? Have you experienced the face of God through forgiveness? Larry and Darlene |
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