Sunday Recap- 1/22/12

We all suffer from the tendency to manager our image, creating a false perception of ourselves toward others.  We also battle a lot of forces that oppose the genuineness of our faith.  It’s these forces we may find ourselves taking cues from, more faith than our own:

• Tradition
• Trend
• Social Pressure
• Euphoria
• Fame

These influences don’t necessarily equal a genuine faith that endures.  God has always desired the faith and practice of his people be genuine, deeply from the heart.  How does one build up enough escape velocity to break free of these influences, instead of defaulting back to them?

Some would suggest a crisis of faith as a healthy right of passage for those seeking a deeper, more genuine faith.  It’s frightening to question your heart, your intentions, and everything you’ve ever believed.  To do so might be considered a “dark night of the soul”. But, to emerge on the other side of that, you might find a truer faith your one to embrace for yourself, taking cues from a genuine love for God.

Scriptures We Read:
Acts 4; Acts 8; Acts 19; Psalm 119:112; Psalm 51; Jeremiah 31; Matthew 22

Other References:
“70% of high school students will leave the church between the ages of 18 and 22.” -The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons
You Lost Me by David Kinnaman

Worship Set:
Like an Avalanche- Hillsong
Beautiful as You- Bill Wolf
Altar of Our Praise
All I Need is You-  Hillsong

WOMEN’S RETREAT

Date: February 10-11, 2012 (6pm Friday-Noon Saturday)
Where: Ross Camp (We’ll meet at Campus House and drive there together.)
Cost: $16
Sign-up: Online at www.pcch.org/womensretreat
Contact: Lea Schrumpf (lschrumpf@pcch.org)

Join us for Women’s Retreat 2012: TASTE & SEE!  This short weekend getaway is designed as a true winter retreat— time away from campus to relax, eat good food, enjoy time with other women, and be intentional about spotting what God is up to in our lives.

During our time together, we will share Scripture and worship through art and music and also have the opportunity to hear experiences of God’s goodness in the lives of some special women.  Plenty of time will be allowed for evening conversations, relaxation, and board games.

The retreat will be held again at the A-frame lodge at beautiful Ross Camp with a view of a wooded ravine.  The lodge offers bunk bed accommodations for up to 70 people and ample floor space for additional sleeping bags, as well as plenty of showers and restrooms.  A nice dinner, evening snacks, breakfast, and Greyhouse coffee will be provided— all for only $16!

Registrations can be made online.  The first 100 registrants will be accepted.  Hope to see you there!

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
-Psalm 34:8a 

Men’s Retreat

2012 CAMPUS HOUSE MEN’S RETREAT
Register at Campus House
Jan. 27-28 (back to campus around noon), $22

Four men who have all experienced different walks with God will be present to take part in an open forum conversation on what their journeys as Godly men have looked like, as well as answer questions submitted by students.

Email Alex Ray (aray@pcch.org) with any questions.

Sunday Recap- 12/11/11

QUINTESSENCE [the perfect embodiment]

It’s vital that we are appropriately leveled by the divinity of Jesus (transcendent, all-powerful, Creator, Ruler, Judge, King, supreme over everything) before we try to understand the significance and mystery of what happened in a stable in Bethlehem a couple thousand years ago.

Paul tell the Colossians that ‘in Christ we have the fullness of deity in bodily form.’
John preached in his Gospel that Jesus is eternal and that through Him everything was created.
The writer of Hebrews wrote: ‘The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the fact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.’

With that backdrop, these words from Philippians are the essence of Christmas…
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

Jesus giving up His divine privileges… His status, His glory, to become a human in order to save humanity.  That is the essence of love.

All God.  All man.  Living the life we live with the same struggles and temptations and loneliness and exhaustion.  Yet without sin.  And in His sinlessness He not only ‘ate with sinners’ and ‘was a friend to sinners’, but was the only possible solution to free sinners… to free us from the chains of sin and death.

So we continue this essence of incarnation.  ’Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ Lived and poured our for a desperate humanity.

Scripture we read
John 1:1-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 John 4 

Worship Set
Here is Our King- David Crowder Band
A Baby Will Come- Bill Wolf
Come Thou Fount
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Silent Night
The First Noel 

{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}

Sunday Recap- 12/4/11

QUINTESSENCE
The pure and concentrated essence of a substance.  The most perfect embodiment of something. 

Jesus is the quintessence of God.  The Christmas season naturally bends our heart and mind toward the Incarnation- God coming to earth as a man, Jesus Christ.  But we must never overlook that Jesus was both fully MAN and fully GOD.  

It is easy to overlook his divinity during this time of the year.  However, Revelation paints a very vivid image of Jesus and His divinity.

Revelation 12:1-6 [she gave birth to a son… who will rule all nations with an iron scepter.]
Revelation 1:12-18 [I am the First and the Last…]
Revelation 5:5-10 […you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God.] 

Jesus Christ is the perfect quintessence of God.  In a time when we are constantly faced with Jesus the baby and and Jesus the man, let us not forget his complete divinity.

Other scriptures we read
Colossians 1:15-20 

Worship Set
King of Wonders- Christ Quilala
Death in His Grave- John Mark McMillan
Murdered Son- John Mark Millan
Till I See You- Hillsong 

{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}

JUBILEE CHRISTMAS

Jubilee Christmas is Lafayette Urban Ministry’s annual Christmas assistance program.  One Saturday each December, LUM member churches become Jubilee Toy Shops where low-income parents can select new toys and games to give to their children.  Every year, Jubilee serves over 600 families and over 1700 children.

You can help by bringing in new, unwrapped toys, games, stuffed animals, etc. and placing them in the donation boxes located in the Campus House lobby.  Gifts are due December 5th.

For more information, contact Alex Ray (aray@pcch.org) or check out http://www.lafayetteurbanministry.org/jubilee.html