Posts tagged sunday recap
Sunday Recap- 4/15/12
WHAT IS OUR VISCERAL REACTION TO THE GOSPEL?
visceral: gut reaction, reflex, internal
Paul describes two very different gut reactions to the Gospel- offensive foolishness or wisdom/power. The cross is offensive to those who have yet to fast grace because it says there is ultimately nothing you can do to change the world (the root problem/condition).
To those who have experienced grace we boast in the cross (Galatians 6) because it removes guilt and shame and gives us our true identity. To boast in the cross means we must find ourselves there.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” -Galatians 2:20
What is your visceral response to the Gospel?
What does it look like to live it out?
Sunday Recap- 4/8/12
EASTER SUNDAY
“But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even CHrist has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” 1Cor. 15:12-14
“The resurrection is the epicenter of belief.” -Philip Yancy
“[Resurrection is] not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the church itself grew up, and the ‘given’ upon which its faith is based.” -CH Dodd
How do you react to the Good News?
When Jesus was resurrected, he appeared to many people. We looked at reactions in three instances:
Luke 24:13-35 …Two on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus
Luke 24:36-49 …The Eleven recognized Jesus by didn’t believe it because of joy and amazement
Matthew 28:1-10 …The two Mary’s recognized Jesus, believed it was him and fell down and worshiped.
How does our reaction compare to those?
Do we recognize who Jesus really is?
Do we believe he is alive and loves us unconditionally?
Do we bow down?
What prevents us from seeing Jesus for who he really is?
Worship Set
How He Loves
How Deep the Father’s Love
It Is Well With My Soul
Murdered Son
I Am Set Free
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
Sunday Recap- 2/26/12
If it is a fact that people change, then the question is ‘How are we changing?”
How does the fact that people change affect our relationships?
People change. Friends change. Spouses change. Parents change.
So as we change, the question becomes one of who we’re becoming. Are we changing/being transformed in proximity to Christ, tethered to an unchanging, eternal God, or are we changing in a way that we are allowing more and more of the world’s distortions of truth and love and life to become our mindset?
Change is inevitable, yet produces much hurt, unmet expectations, and misunderstanding which can harm and even sever relationships of every sort. With change also comes the opportunity for reconciliation and growth when there is a willingness to listen well, resolve conflict, forgive, and release with humility, perspective, and grace.
Scripture We Read
Matthew 5:23-24; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 4:13
Worship Set
Your Love Never Fails
You Reign
Take My Life and Let It Be
How Deep the Fathers Love
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
Sunday Recap- 2/19/12
In a culture where the notion of intimacy has been distorted by the mine-fields of fear, mistrust, and selfishness, where people settle for and are burned by counterfeit forms of intimacy, where many are caught in cycles of obligation and frustration, Scripture offers a distance perspective.
This week we looked at verses in Galatians 5-6 that speak about boundaries and discernment in our relationships, the tension between bearing one another’s burdens and the responsibility of carrying or own load.
It takes discernment to determine the ‘property line’ of what is ours and what is not as we attempt to come alongside others to sacrificially and compassionately love and serve them. One of the roles we have as a community of Jesus followers is to help each other discern those boundaries, to help each other align with God’s grace and truth.
Scripture we read
Galatians 5:1-6:5 (specifically 6:2,5)
For extra reading
When Your World Makes No Sense- Henry Cloud
Go Away Come Closer- Terry Hershey
Worship Set
Beautiful As You
Here is our King
Alive
How He Loves
How Marvelous, How Wonderful
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
Sunday Recap- 2/12/12
RELATE:Identity (part 1/4)
where we examine four important Biblical concepts that affect the way we relate to one another
Understanding our identity and how we view ourselves has a huge impact on how we relate to others.
WHO ARE YOU?
There are a lot of different ways to answer that question. God wired us in such a way that we need someone else to tell us who we are. There are a lot of people and things out there that want to tell us who we are or who we should be, but God is the only one with the authority to tell us who we are.
That truth often alludes us because we regularly rely on our own expectations or the expectations of others to dictate how we see ourselves and we forget who we are in Christ. We try to blend in with everyone else around us like a chameleon. We securely attach our entire self to another person, like a leech and allow our relationship with them to “complete” us. We can also strut around like a peacock gaining attention and approval from others by overtly sharing our accomplishments or struggles.
Our identity is not determined by us or other people. ”It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.” -Ephesians 1:11 (Message Translation)
The New Testiment very clearly defines who we are in Christ, here are just a few places where our identity in Jesus is presented:
John 1:12; John 15:15; Romans 3:24; Romans 6:1-7; Romans 8:1; Romans 11:16; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Ephesians 1:1; Ephesians 2:5-6; Ephesians 2:18-19; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 2:10-13
Do you really believe you are who God says you are?
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
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
{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}
Sunday Recap- 11/20/11
It’s popular, even among Christians, to knock the church a bit. It certainly has its own reputation of historical injustices and modern embarrassments. But there’s always the danger of creating an overly critical and cynical attitude toward the church that isn’t healthy, nor accurate. Here are three ideas in an attempt to properly perceive and receive The Church as she is.
1. Jesus Loves The Church
He refers to The Church as his bride and passionately pursues her despite her sin and even rejection of him
2. The Church is this world’s best chance at Justice and Restoration
The Church has historically honored the value of human beings through it’s treatment of the poor, the needy and abused. Rather than God snapping his fingers and restoring our world, he has commissioned his church to the restorers of this world.
3. The Church is a living thing that transcends all expectations and agendas
When operating fluidly within culture and among people, The Church can often cause the mess of people to rise to the top, which gives attention to the things that people genuinely face every day, and may be pointed to Jesus
The Church is weird and lovely, holy and human, at the same time. And despite her appearance or mistakes, Jesus has sent her into the world to restore it as the Kingdom coming to earth, and will someday restore her to himself and receive her as a glorious bride.
Scripture we read
Ezekiel 16
Matt 25:31-46
Acts 2:42-47
References
“Always a Woman” by Billy Joel
Dialogue from the film “Gladiator” between Maximus and Aurilius about Rome
Worship Set
Here is Love- Matt Redman
Let it Shine- All Sons & Daughters
All the Poor and Powerless- All Sons & Daughters
Shine Your Light on Us- Robbie Seay
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
Sunday Recap- 11/13/11
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteous like a never-ending stream.” -Amos 5:24
What are people worth? How would God answer that question?
This week, the book of Amos provided a backdrop to prayerfully move us beyond complacency or the paralysis from being completely overwhelmed and toward a desire to participate in God’s restoring work of justice and mercy.
In chapter 7, God shows Amos a plumb line. It’s what builders used to make sure the wall they are building is straight. It’s the truth that everything gets measured by. When God compares Israel to the plumb line of truth and justice and mercy, it is obvious that they are out of alignment with His heart and priorities. They have turned their backs on justice, they have ignored the poor and oppressed and in doing so, they have turned their backs on God.
Amos is calling them to repent of their apathy and return to God and God’s idea of Justice. Plumb lines are not about salvation… it’s by grace we are saved. But as we walk out what it means to be a Jesus follower, he wants to bring us to look at the plumb line and see where we are out of alignment with His heart for the poor and oppressed.
[refugee. migrant worker. homeless. single mom. elderly. neglected.]
who around me is in need of an advocate?
Further Reading: Generous Justice by Tim Keller
Worship Set
I Am Set Free- All Sons and Daughters
All the Poor and Powerless- All Sons and Daughters
Hosanna- Hillsong
Take My Life and Let It Be
People of God- Gungor
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
Sunday Recap- 11/6/11
God’s relationship with creation and our relationship with creation has been an important story line since Genesis 1.
God’s relationship with creation has been constantly revolving around four truths…
- He made it. [Genesis 1-2]
- He owns it. [Psalm 24:1; Psalm 95:3-5]
- He cares for it. [Psalm 65:9-10; Matthew 10:29]
- He works to sustain it. [Psalm 104]
After the fall, man severed its perfect relationship with creation, and Christ’s work on the cross restored and is currently restoring creation. [Romans 8:19-23; Colossians 1:15-20]
At the present, it is our calling to serve and preserve God’s creation as stewards before Jesus returns. [Genesis 1:26-30; Genesis 2:15; Psalm 8]
Worship Set
The Stand- Hillsong
Beautiful Things- Gungor
Rhythms of Grace- Hillsong
Perfect Ones- Desperation Band
The Earth is Yours- Gungor
{Don’t forget to check out the podcast on iTunes}
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