Tag Archives: Christianity

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First Importance Part 2: 1 Corinthians 15

This is the 2nd of Mike Erre’s sermons on 1 Corinthians 15–a pivotal section of scripture regarding the first importance of the resurrection.

The last part of 1 Corinthians 15 is confusing to our modern reading because we miss the cultural context, and we lack back 1st century knowledge of the Old Testament.  Mike does a great job of walking us through the what Paul is saying.

We have to remember that Paul was a famous preacher/communicator so when he said these words to a crowd of  1st century people, they must of understood it as clearly as we understand the newspaper.

Mike ends with a magical time of helping us to picture the grandeur and excitement of heaven.  Enjoy!

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The GREAT Adventure, Part 3: Your Story

What is your story? Join us in this 3rd part of 4 sermons on God’s love and grace.

There is a great website that walks you through the process of creating your story to share: www.5clicks.com

THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God

THE HOPE THAT IS WITHIN US

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect-1Peter 3:15

WE ALL HAVE A STORY TO SHARE

-Our friends are interested

-Our friends can relate

-It is hard to argue with

PAUL’S GRACE STORY-ACTS 26

9“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12“On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ” ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

_________–vv. 9-11

_________-vv. 12-18

_________-vv. 19-23

STORY TIPS

Theme

-The central issue in our lives that shows the_______ in our spiritual outlook before and after knowing Christ.

Middle Handle

-we need to keep it simple, clear, and __________

Conclusion

-End with a question that requires a ____________

Scripture

-Think of one key verse that relates to your story.

Language

-avoid religious clichés and insider language

Length

-Be_________ and to the point

Put others first

-keep focus on your friend

-Emphasize those aspects of your story that will relate

PRAY FOR AN OPEN DOOR

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.-col. 4:3


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The GREAT Adventure, Part 4: The Bridges

This is the 4th and final part of our sermon series on grace, love, and God.

THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God

HELPING SPIRITUAL EXPLORES FIND THE GRACE OF GOD

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” -2 Cor. 5:20

REMEMBER THIS IS A ___________ AND NOT AN EVENT

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field-1Corinthians 3:5-9

-Process oriented

-Team based

-Spirit driven

BRIDGE ONE: __________ RELATIONSHIPS

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. -1 Thessalonians 2:7-12

-Genuine

-Grace filled

-Authentic

BRIDGE TWO-THE ______________

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you…… 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,–1Cor. 15:1-3

The bridge illustration

THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.-Col. 4:3-6

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Men on the Path: Men’s Group on Wednesday’s

We are starting up again and going to have an exciting study from Dungy’s Book.

  • WHEN: Wednesday’s from 6:45am-8:00am
  • STARTING: September 23, 2009
  • WHAT: Dungy Bible Study
  • WHERE: North Park Community Center (NOTE: It is best to enter the housing complex off of Portola Parkway because then when you go through the gate the club house where we are meeting is straight ahead of you.


View North Park Community Center in a larger map

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Guy’s Night Out: Mobster’s Story

Monte has invited all men who can make it to a Mariners Church event:

Gentlemen,
We have been invited to participate with a special Mariners Church event on Sunday evening, the 13th of September.
This is what the event is about….Guys, you won’t want to miss this BBQ dinner from Newport Rib Company and music by three-time Grammy Award winner, Brent Lamb!

After dinner, you’ll hear the unbelievable story of former mobster, Michael Franzese – a story of hope and redemption. You may have heard him before and now your friends need to hear Michael’s story as he paints a picture of his former life and his life today.

Cost: $20pp or $150 for a table of 8.
Please let me know who is interested and we will coordinate. I know I am going, and I believe Pastor Bucky is as well.
Pastor Monte
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The GREAT Adventure, Part 2: God’s Story

This is the 2nd of 4 parts to a sermon series about grace, adventure, and God’s love. Enjoy!

The Gospel Message

The Unexpected Adventure

Pastor Bucky Dennis

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:16-18

  1. _________________________

  1. God is _________

“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in god, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16b

  1. God is _________ (absolutely pure)

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16

  1. God is _________ (a good judge)

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:16

  1. _________________________

  1. We were created good, but became _________.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

  1. We deserve _________ (physical & spiritual)

“For the wages of sin is death…”Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22

  1. We are spiritually _________ (“morally bankrupt”)

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9

The Gospel Message

The Unexpected Adventure

Pastor Bucky Dennis

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:16-18

  1. _________________________

  1. God is _________

“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in god, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16b

  1. God is _________ (absolutely pure)

“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16

  1. God is _________ (a good judge)

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you.” 2 Thessalonians 1:16

  1. _________________________

  1. We were created good, but became _________.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

  1. We deserve _________ (physical & spiritual)

“For the wages of sin is death…”Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22

  1. We are spiritually _________ (“morally bankrupt”)

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9

  1. _________________________

    1. Christ is _________, who also became man.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14; John 8:24

    1. Christ died as our _________.

“He himself bore our signs in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and life for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21

    1. Christ offers us salvation as a _________.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23

  1. _________________________

    1. You and I must _________.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

    1. We must trust Christ to be our _________

and _________.

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

    1. The result is a spiritual _________ by the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

  1. _________________________

    1. Christ is _________, who also became man.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14; John 8:24

    1. Christ died as our _________.

“He himself bore our signs in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and life for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21

    1. Christ offers His forgiveness as a _________.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23

  1. _________________________

    1. You and I must _________.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

    1. We must trust Christ to be our _________

and _________.

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

    1. The result is a spiritual _________ by the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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The GREAT adventure, Part 1: Grace & Love

Enjoy this teaching time about God’s amazing grace and love for us.  Here is the outline:

THE UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

Taking everyday risks to extend the grace of God

AMBUSHED BY GRACE

4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.-Eph. 2:4-9

FALLING INTO THE HEART OF GOD-Luke 15

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”-Luke 15:1

People matter to God

–the loss of connection

-a heart that seeks and finds

–the celebration of heaven

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. –Luke 15:

HELPING SPIRITUAL EXPLORERS FIND THE GRACE OF GOD

-Lead with love

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.-1 John 3:18

–live an authentic faith

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.–Matt. 5:13-16

-pray for opportunities

3And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.-col. 4:3

–take every day risks for God

5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.-Col. 4:5-6

20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” -2 Cor. 5:20

PRAYING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXTEND  GOD’S GRACE


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“You should take your kids to see the tolerance museum.”

We were told a party the other night that we should take our kids to the tolerance museum.  I was dying to ask: What is tolerance? But I got distracted and let the opportunity slip away.

The best and briefest summary of the tolerance issue that I have found is written by Koukl:

When Tolerance Is Intolerant

 Gregory Koukl

      There’s one word that can stop you in your track.  That word is “tolerance.”

      Let’s take a look at the confusing and mistaken ways tolerance is used in our culture today. 

      Using the modern definition of tolerance, you will see that no one is tolerant, or ever can be.  It’s what my friend Frank Beckwith calls the “passive aggressive tolerance trick.”  Let’s start with a real life example. 

      I had the privilege of speaking to seniors at a Christian high school in Des Moines.  I wanted to alert them to this “tolerance trick,” but I also wanted to learn how much they had already been taken in by it.  I began by writing two sentences on the board

“All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another.”

“Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting that.”

      They all nodded in agreement as I wrote the first sentence.  As soon as I finished writing the second, though, hands flew up. “You can’t say that,” a coed challenged, clearly annoyed.  “That’s disrespectful. How would you like it if someone said you were wrong?” 

      “In fact, that happens to me all the time,” I pointed out, “including right now with you.  But why should it bother me that someone thinks I’m wrong?”

      “It’s intolerant,” she said, noting that the second statement violated the first statement.  What she didn’t see was that the first statement also violated itself.

      I pointed to the first statement and asked, “Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?”  They agreed. 

      Then I pointed to the second statement—the “intolerant” one—and asked the same question:  “Is this a view?”  They studied the sentence for a moment.  Slowly my point began to dawn on them.  They’d been taken in by the tolerance trick.

      If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than Jews is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than Christians.  But this is hopelessly contradictory.  If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because “tolerance” turns out to be gibberish.

      “Would you like to know how to get out of this dilemma?” I asked.  They nodded.  “Return to the classic view of tolerance and reject this modern distortion.”  Then I wrote these two principles on the board:

“Be egalitarian regarding persons.”

“Be elitist regarding ideas.”[1]

      The first principle is true tolerance, what might be called “civility.” It can loosely be equated with the word “respect.”  Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.  Tolerance requires that every person is treated courteously, no matter what her view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth. 

     Don’t let this new notion of tolerance intimidate you.  Treat all people with respect, but be willing to show them where their ideas have gone wrong.  The modern notion of tolerance actually turns this value on its head.  It’s one of the first responses deployed when you take exception with what someone has said.  “You’re intolerant.”

      To say I’m intolerant because I disagree with someone’s ideas is confused.  The view that one person’s ideas are no better or truer than another’s is simply absurd and contradictory. To argue that some views are false, immoral, or just plain silly does not violate any meaningful definition or standard of tolerance.

      The irony is that according to the classical notion of tolerance, you can’t tolerate someone unlessyou disagree with him.  We don’t “tolerate” people who share our views.  They’re on our side.  There’s nothing to “put up” with.  Tolerance is reserved for those who we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat them decently and with respect.

      This essential element of classical tolerance—elitism regarding ideas—has been completely lost in the modern distortion of the concept.  Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you’re called intolerant no matter how you treat them.

      Whenever you’re charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition, then point out the contradiction built in to this new view.

      Most of what passes for tolerance today is intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement.  Those who brandish  the word “intolerant” are unwilling to be challenged by other views, to grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them.  It’s easier to hurl an insult—“you intolerant bigot”—than to confront the idea and either refute it or be changed by it.  In the modern era, “tolerance” has become intolerance.

      As ambassadors for Christ, however, we choose the more courageous path.  In Paul’s words, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”  (2 Corinthians 10:5).  In a gracious and artful way, we accurately speak the truth, and then trust God to transform minds.

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What about those grey areas?

Many believe that the Bible teaches us that all moral choices are black and white when in reality, the Bible teaches the reality that life is hard, correct moral choices are challenging, and there are plenty of grey areas.

Mike Erre teaches from a passage of 1 Corinthians that helps us to be able to navigate through those moral grey area choices that we ponder every day.

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Yo Adrian: A Pastor from Sri Lanka shares his heart

Pastor Adrian from Sri Lanka came to speak to our church.  He plants churches, rescues widows and orphans (Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist and Buddhists believe that widows are not to be helped because their bad karma caused them to be a widow etc.–news to me! wow!), and is someone who is passionately changing the world for Christ.  A couple from our church is in Sri Lanka for a year helping with his ministry.  Here is a letter written by him that speaks of his brokenness and his passion. Enjoy!

This is the sixth week I have been in pain. I know Ophelia must have kept all of you informed, but I thought I must also give you my version.

I was in Korea for the Lausanne leadership summit – it was challenging and meaningful, but the highlight was for me to attend Dr. Paul Yonggi- Cho’s church. This was a highlight for me for several reasons:

  1. Over 750,000 members in the church. I was very impressed by the numbers,
  2. Impressed that the Lord took a very ordinary person to do an extraordinary work.
  3. I was also touched by the fervor and passion of the people. The service was simple (Good music, well organized) but the passion with which they worshiped and ministered to those around was unbelievable.
  4. They read the Apostles creed and the Lords prayer together – I did not expect this. I am amazed that there are so many people in our churches who do not know the apostles creed and the Lord’s Prayer. We must teach this to our people, specially in a context like Sri Lanka where we dealing with first generation Christians

I was seated and absorbing all of this, when suddenly it seemed to me that the Lord was speaking to me.

I was a good evangelist in Youth for Christ, but now I have settled down to be the Leader of a Church planting movement, committed to its growth. I have given myself to establish programs that major on social justice and mercy, looking for ways of developing relevant Theology for Asia. Caring for the orphans and widows. Majoring in developing relevant models of ministry for the Church in Asia. In the midlist of all of such good and worthy projects, I have moved away from my primary call of reaching out to those outside the Kingdom of God.

This conviction came upon me in a real sense. The wonder of the church no more attracted my attention, I was confessing and rededicating me life to align with the purposes of God.

The following Sunday I shared this with the Kithu Sevana community, they responded in an amazing way. We prayed together and that evening I developed a pain in my shoulders. I am not a good patient at the best of times – but the pain was so sharp, I was walking around in unbearable pain for three weeks, the Doctors were treating me but I found no relief. The sad part was my trusted Doctor and friend Kumar Fernando was out, caring for people in the North. When he subsequently returned, I visited him and he prescribed some pain killers and sleeping drugs and muscle relievers. This helped me to finally sleep and I continued with the Physiotherapy and the shoulder pain has lessened greatly.

I learned the following lessons:

  1. Care for those who are sick – This has never been my strength. I am committed to a big picture, I am committed to seeing it happen, and many times I have willfully dodged my responsibility of caring and sometimes because I was so preoccupied with the big picture, I never saw the physically hurting people. Compassion is a prerequisite for ministry, without compassion, we will use people rather than serve them.
  2. Reaching out to those outside the Kingdom of God is a spiritual battle. This needs preparation, a deep walk with the Lord and much fasting and prayer and the unity of the body. Did I rush to do the right thing without much preparation?

This might sound childish, but I wonder if this could this be a spiritual attack to derail my commitment to reaching out to my people in more intentional manner.

I will let you judge the situation.

Sine last evening I am again in pain and unable to sleep. I was thrilled that the painful episode with my shoulder was coming to an end, only to realize that I have developed a sinus infection that has given rise to an asthmatic cough. (This is something that I battle all the time. I go on coughing throughout the entire day, and the worst is in the night when I can’t fall asleep due to the coughing.) At some point I cough so much in the nights and go into spasms.

At the moment I am exhausted and in deep confusion. My theology says God heals, but at the moment I have been in pain for seven weeks. (Many people in the Church have experience divine healing when I prayed) Does God heal only a few? How about the people who never experienced divine healing. Should we assure healing for all or should we simply pray for all, believing that God can heal but allowing this to be an act of God?

What is our responsibility for those who have never experienced healing – condemn them as people of no faith or love them as those who are suffering and we do not know the reason. Some of the evangelists that I have met and even well meaning Pastors and friends, based on erroneous theology add more pain and guilt on the poor and suffering. Their examples says see how God has blessed me, but the same God has withheld blessing from you. (They may not say this so directly but that’s what they communicate)

It is interesting for me to note that Jesus never asked people to give and testimony of how people got healed through his healing ministry to validate his preaching and healing ministry or even to give Glory to God, but on the contrary he asked them not share with any one, but in one occasion he asked the leper “to go and show your self to the priest”

Mark 1:43-44

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them. (From New International Version)

TRIUMPH-LIST ATTITUDE IN PREACHING

Those who understand their role to serve the people will give up this triumph-list attitude in preaching but will communicate the Gospel in a manner to encourage and not to condemn. When people come to church, they come condemned and battling many issues and unresolved problems, they know they have failed God even in worse ways than we can even imagine.  The Church must offer hope, encouragement to the week and hurting so that they can go back to their world and make a difference for Jesus Christ.

THE CHURCH MUST PREACH GRACE BOLDLY, OFFER GRACE LAVISHLY AND PREPEARE A GRACIOUES COMMUNITY THAT SERVES A GRACELESS COMMUNITY.

I am convinced that triumph- listic preaching continues to do more harm to our people than good. We may be communicating to our people we are far superior and above them. They may admire us for such spirituality, but can never relate to us. Brokenness on the other hand, permits me to be real and celebrate the blessed assurance of JUSTIFICATION BY HIS GRACE and share my feeble attempt to reach SANTIFICATION through his sustaining Grace. This brings hope to those who are battling sin and doubt and make us shepherds they can relate to.

I wonder whether any of this make any sense to you, if so I am glad-If not I need help


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Is the Bible filled with contradictions?

Bart Ehrman is a New Testament critic and an agnostic who is doing his best to disprove the Bible’s authenticity.  This is a 1 hour clip from Stand to Reason podcast in which a true New Testament scholar (Ben Witherington) refutes (very easily, I might add) Bart’s attempts at “Jesus Interrupted” (Bart’s newest book title).

Comments? Questions?

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True Christianity

A good friend of mine just became a Christian! It is so exciting to see someone make the decision to cross the threshold of eternity.

He has been asking A LOT of questions.  What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Shouldn’t we sell all our possessions and follow Him as the disciples did?

Mike Erre’s sermon attached to this post is titled: The End of Your Rope.  A title from a quote from Dallas Willard who points out that we don’t truly see Him and grow deeper in knowing Him until we are at the end of our ropes.  Speaking from one who has been at the end of the rope, I agree completely.

Please share your thoughts.  I found this sermon to encapsulate the true meaning of being a Christ follower.

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How simple is the Christian walk of faith?

Here is a marvelous quote from 2 Christian missionaries who live in Africa about the Christian walk.

“Loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength will take you to the end of yourself, and you will find yourself looking out over a precipice. Only God can keep you from falling. Only faith working through love counts. Let’s never leave the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. All we know when the pressure becomes great is Jesus and Him crucified. We exist by the power of the Cross, safe and secure.”-Rolland and Heidi

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Imagine: Using our Minds & Imaginations to grow closer to God Part 1

I have placed 1 of the 8 sermon series on this post because it is so important for Christians in the U.S. to come back to the early church practices of prayer, meditation, and using ALL of our sense and especially using our imagination/minds.

As a western physician, my brain is entirely left without a right.  The use of imagery in prayer and in our walk with Him could transform our faith if we took the time to practice these exercises.

As a former atheist, I am quick  to put distance between myself and God when life is going smoothly and to be filled with doubt when life is going rough.  These sermons inspire and challenge all of us to use our minds/imaginations to grow closer to Him.

Animate Sermon Series by Boyd (This is the link to notes on the Series)

As always share with us your thoughts.

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Kingdom Living: Listen & Look for God moments

In Mike Erre’s newest book: Death by Church, he has an important chapter titled: Postures of Incarnation.  We need to show the world the incarnation through out actions.  We need to prayerfully watch and listen for the God moments–those moments every day where God is nudging us to show his love to others.

“I used to hate interuptions to my ministry until I understood that interruptions were my ministry.”-Henri Nouwen

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Worry Free Living by Bill

Worry-Free Living

Christian Soul Care Devotional

William Gaultiere, Ph.D.

In the Bible Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6). Is this really possible? Can you and I learn to be free of anxiety and worry?

Anxiety is probably the most common problem that Kristi and I have helped people with over the last twenty-five years. In our Christian Soul Care office, in churches, on retreats, and in small groups we’ve given care, counsel, and prayer to so many anxious people – including ourselves!

Is it any wonder why? We try to do too much in a day.  We push ourselves beyond our limits to achieve our goals. We think multi-tasking is good. We drive too fast. We’re information overloaded. We don’t know how to rest and we don’t get enough sleep. We don’t know the meaning of “good enough” or “enough” of anything. We want more than we have. We want better health than we have. We want to be happier than we are. We try to make other happy with us. We seek constant stimulation through entertainment, noise, over activity, adrenaline, or caffeine. And we’re sure that the grass is green on the other side of the fence and somehow we’ve got to get over there.

We think we’re anxious because of stress, but we’re wrong. We’re anxious because of our attitude. We don’t worry or become tense and agitated because of stress that happens to us – stress is a natural part of life. Our problem is that we respond to our life challenges by becoming fearful or by fighting against reality. This internalized stress in our bodies is anxiety and it does more to damage our health and our relationships than probably anything else.

Anxiety is considered a secondary emotion because we only feel anxious when we have unwanted emotions like fear, anger, shame, or sadness that we’re trying to get rid of. In other words, anxiety is a control problem. When you or I are anxious it’s because we’re trying to control things: how we feel, what people think of us, or the outcomes of situations in our lives.

People who are anxious usually feel that they shouldn’t be anxious – they’re upset at themselves for feeling like they do, for being “weak” or for needing help. They’re convinced that if they just try harder things will get better. But trying harder rarely makes things better. We need to learn to try differently, to train to become the kind of person who can rely on care from God and others and submit to God in all things and, therefore, be at peace.

We need to learn to trust God and others by opening up our hearts to care, being honest and vulnerable, admitting to and verbalizing our emotions regarding what’s stressing us out or hurting us. (It’s ironic that accepting the reality of an emotional problem and not rushing to “fix” it helps to relieve anxiety.)

And as part of receiving care it’s very important to focus on absorbing and agreeing with the compassion offered. To “agree with” someone’s care for you is to smile and say, “Thank you!” It’s to say to yourself, “Yes, I needed that listening. What a blessing my friend is to me.” It’s to repeat to yourself words of affirmation or encouragement that someone offers you. It’s to memorize a Bible verse that ministers to your soul and to marinate your mind in it, speaking God’s word to your soul in prayer over and over again. The Psalmist models for us this authentic faith in community and in prayer.

The Psalmist also continually submits himself to the Sovereign Lord’s will, rather than trying to make things turn out in his life the way he wants. He does ask God for what he wants, but then he waits… and waits! And in the waiting he learns to focus his wanting on developing a closer relationship with the Lord rather than being consumed with concern over one of they myriad of lesser blessings we all tend to desire. (It’s another surprising irony that when we deny ourselves we discover true life.) And when he’s angry because he’s been disappointed or mistreated he entrusts his anger to God and his justice rather than seeking revenge or becoming embittered.

Daily I use the Psalmist’s prayers to help me to live out his authentic faith in which he cries out to God. Many of his Psalms read like journal entries and help me to get in touch with and admit my own emotional struggles. And the Psalmist shows me how in the midst of my troubles I can give thanks for the Lord’s goodness to me and speak his words of love to myself.

Each day I also use the Psalmist’s prayers of submission to help me to get into Jesus’ easy yoke (as we discussed in the last Christian Soul Care Devotional). One of the ways that Jesus himself learned to submit to the Father and to stay in the Father’s easy yoke was through praying the Psalms. He prayed the Psalms everyday and he recited them frequently. For instance, one of my favorite prayers of submission is Jesus’ adaptation of Psalm 31:5, which he used during his suffering on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

Real-life prayers of submission like Jesus’ cross prayer are the best way to eliminate anxiety. Jesus found this so important that he put submission right in the heart of the Lord’s Prayer – even before petitions and confession of sin – with the words: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Honest prayer and submission to God really works! Some time ago I experienced a disappointment. I put my heart into preparing something and then I was told it wasn’t needed. I felt hurt and frustrated. I started to become anxious so rather than ruminate over the situation or become resentful I talked to God about how I felt (and I might add that I shared this with Kristi). Then a simple prayer of submission came to me: “Lord, your will, your way, your time.” Again and again I prayed this over my disappointment, deepening my submission to God in this matter in three fundamental ways:

  1. God’s will for me is always good and can be accomplished when I am mistreated or experience hardship
  2. God’s way for me to follow is always good and it focuses more on my character formation in Christ than the accomplishments or blessings I may want
  3. God’s time for me to receive what I seek is always good and it usually requires that I wait longer than I want

I have used this prayer of submission as a Centering Prayer for myself and others countless times since. It helps me follow the holy advice I received in spiritual direction from a Benedictine monk: “Relax in the yoke of God’s providence.”

What is something that you’re stressed about or hurting over? Talk to God and a friend honestly this situation and pray to relax in the yoke of God’s providence. Place your struggle before the Lord in prayer as you slowly repeat: “Lord, your will, your way, your time… Lord, your will, your way, your time… Lord, your will, your way, your time.”

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Is there really a satan? PART 2

This is the 2nd of 3 part series on the Biblical foundation of the spiritual truth of the demonic, the evidence of the demonic, and some evidence of the demonic learned from experience and C.S. Lewis. Uberlumen has chosen this 3 part series because we in the western world have lost site of the demonic.  As one friend has said: Don’t you think satan is real if Paul wrote about him?  Part of our Christian growth and walk must acknowledge the truths that we don’t like to think about and that we put into question in our society.
PART 2: Here are a podcast and a blog site by a missionary friend of mine who experiences the angelic and demonic daily in his ministry (we experience them daily as well but just live lives unaware of them).
  1. The reality of the demonic: a podcast from a missionary in the middle east
  2. The reality of the demonic (part 2) by same missionary
  3. Here is a brief story of the demonic from the same missionary

I have also come across some stories from my friend Mike Erre.  In his book about the Kingdom: Death by Church, he points out that we must shift our understanding of the kingdom, the Bible et al by taking a warfare worldview–the world is truly at war between evil and good. 

I know Mike to be very analytical and ‘western’ in his mindset.  So when Mike shares his personal experiences with the demonic on pages 104-106 of his book, I know that these stories are true, accurate, and VERY real.  I remain a healthy (or unhealthy?) skeptic without my own personal experiences with the demonic although I am thankful, and I have had several unexplainable experiences with the angelic and likely the demonic (without knowing it! which is the problem–it happens all the time, all around us but we have been duped into disbelief).

What are your thoughts on this subject? Please leave comments.

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Part 3: Do Christ & Christians show us God?

Join us in our 3rd of 5 part series titled: Show me God.  In this sermon, we discuss one of the ‘new’ atheists favorites–They claim that the world would be better off without Christians and religion in general…

Show Me God

Christianity

Dr. Drew Lawson and Pastor Bucky Dennis

 

 

The God Who Shows Up

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:20-21

 

Fact or Fiction:  Christianity is Bad.

 

Truth –We Have an Image Problem!

  • Judgmental

  • Hypocritical

  • Insensitive

 

What did Jesus say about these issues?

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!  25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. 27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:23-28

 

 

Dare – Will the Real Jesus Please Show Up!

 

In the Church

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

 

In Me

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

 

What can I do about it?

  • Honesty: About my unchristian attitudes and actions

  • Authenticity: Pursue the Path of genuine transformation

  • Compassion: Serving others with humility and love

 

Will the Real Church Please Show Up!


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Is there REALLY a satan? PART 1

This is the 1st of a 3 part series on the Biblical foundation of the spiritual truth of the demonic, the evidence of the demonic, and some evidence of the demonic learned from experience and C.S. Lewis. Uberlumen has chosen this 3 part series because we in the western world have lost site of the demonic.  As one friend has said: Don’t you think satan is real if Paul wrote about him?  Part of our Christian growth and walk must acknowledge the truths that we don’t like to think about and that we put into question in our society.
PART 1: The Biblical foundations of this spiritual truth.  We live between a clash of 2 kingdoms.  Enjoy this sermon by Mike on the Biblical truth of the kingdom of darkness.
As always please share with us your thoughts by leaving a comment below.