Desperate Households - Desperate Parenting by Cathleen Parks

Desperately Surviving the Kids

Transition video (I work with Monkeys commercial) - new job

Well........we are in our third week of desperate households. This week is Desperate Parenting.
I e-mailed a friend in California this week and mentioned that I was teaching on this subject this weekend.
i said this should be easy - all just give examples of everything stupid I did just this week and I’ll have the message - done.
Parenting. It is a daunting task. Our toughest job.
Our most satisfying job.
Our scariest job.

There is nothing more intimidating that looking into the eyes of a little person and realizing that his/her well-being is totally on your shoulders. Not only the simple stuff (food, clothes, a bed to sleep in) that’s easy. It’s the less simple stuff that gets you. What kind of person will she be? Will she see the good in others or enjoy the sport of locker room gossip where anybody is a target? Will he settle his arguments with patience and integrity or be quick to raise his voice or use his fists?
So what makes the difference between raising a child that makes your heart swell or breaks your heart?
Is it all up in the air or do you actually influence the outcome? Prov. 22:6 has this to say ‘Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.’

That sure indicates to me that we have a whole lot to do with the type of adults our kids become. So, what is the first step to raising adults. Expand (Not children, adults)
The very first and very hard step is to see your children realistically. This is very hard. Something happens to us when they are born. It’s like these parent eyes are implanted over our regular eyes and all of a sudden we see things about our children very differently than we thought we would before we had children. Do you remember before you had children and you would watch other people (at a restaurant, family, at the grocery store) with their children and you use to say..............& you did this, we all did.........’I would never.....’ Do you remember the first day that you realized you just did one of your I will nevers? And unless your paying attention, it may slip under your radar, until you do it the second or tenth time!
Parents, let’s face it - we really are blind. We just don’t see when these perfect, wonderful little darlings are playing us like a finely tuned instrument! I work at a private school and it is my job to enroll new students. But we have a selective enrollment process and one of the criteria would be that incoming students have grades of a certain standard or higher. Expand on parents handing report cards or telling of no discipline issues while you are on the phone with the other school. -
Parent eyes

Off the hook - born little boogers

Expand with looking at the ‘we corrupt them point of view’.

Proof that you get to get off the hook.

Genesis 8:21b every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood

1. See your kids realistically.
Realize that when your little sweet darling is batting her eyes at you she is not being sweet and cute she is manipulating you and your falling for it! Realize that those funny little white lies turn into big ugly ones.
Remember that if we aren’t realistic about where our kids are we cannot be a support to them.

2. Discipline accordingly
Let your discipline be appropriate. Evaluate the issue - where was the heart? Was this an honest mistake moment, a I made a mistake and then thought I would get in big trouble and tried to cover it up moment, or an I did it - I knew I did it and I was hoping like heck to not get get caught or to get away with it moment?
Proverbs 29:17
 17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul

Discipline, when done right, is not only good, it is expected. The Bible has a lot to say about disciplining our children and it is very clear that God expect us to do so. If fact Proverbs 13:24 says, ‘A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;
Never discipline in anger - tell story

3. See yourself realistically
Surround yourself with people whose opinion you value and trust. Allow them to speak truth into your life.
Explain spanking video w/ Brie and
How many of us would chose to never speak to that person again?

4. Listen with humility
Eph 4:2-3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
You have to allow others to speak the truth in love to you. The issue is ‘how are they speaking’?
Ideas of where, building real relationship

Allow God to speak to you through others

Mark 2:2-4 A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. 3They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. 4When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher.

5. Allow others to take you to Jesus, be available to be carried

6. Be a stretcher bearer

With the friends we just spoke of &with your kids.
Take your kids to the feet of Jesus. Explain biblical principal to them. Remember the scripture we looked at earlier?
Pr. 22:6 ‘Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.’

This is part of that training.
Tell story of fruit.
She needed to be lead to Jesus. That is my primary job as a parent - to lead my kids to Jesus.

Desperate Households - Desperate For Intimacy by Cathleen Parks

Series: Desperate Households - Desperate bedrooms - desperate 4 intimacy
(basic outline)

8 steps to intimacy

The look
The flirt
The handhold
The hug
The kiss
The make out
The Touch
SEX

Where will you draw the line?

Bible says sex reserved for marriage
Thess. 4:3-4  "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable"

Wanting line drawn for you = how far can I go & still be pure?

Wanting to go right to the line, take it to the edge
such as,

- Speed limit
- Taxes - loophole
Sex like taxes - how much can I get out of this without going too far? Is there a loophole? Is there a way to get around the rules?

It’s not just sex, but many areas of our lives.
Bible calls this our sinful nature - Gal. 5:16-17   "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should."

Gal. 5:19-21 "People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom."

Old Testament - people wanted lines drawn for them
God made it simple - He gave the 10 Commandments
Define a sabbath = define sex

Pharisees came up with literally 100’s of rules just concerning the sabbath. 1000’s of rules of how to live overall
God never intended us to live by a rule book but instead by a heart that desires to honor Him, and in that desire, to seek purity

Stop taking all of the Galatians issues and playing with the lines. Instead consider the moments. In this moment of conversation - with my words - in handling my anger - in my relationships - in my finances - with my body -
am I honoring God?

In all of these areas, you must decide where your line is. Especially regarding sex.
**Establish your line ahead of time!

Heat of the moments, heart racing, brain shuts down - sexual autopilot

Your line is your manual override switch

Single - figure out where your line is - establish it ahead of time

Married - your line is at the look

What is someone tries to go past the line? Look at Joseph - RUN!

8 steps for single people - but 4 steps that married people need to be keenly aware of

Talk
Time
Trust
Touch

Expand
Story of Pastor having affair with another woman - it was too late before sex ever happened. Married people - RUN -
stay away

So what do you do if you think it’s too late? Single or married - you look at your steps and you think ‘It’s too late.
I know where I am or where I’ve been and it’s too late.’

Know that it’s never too late.

We serve a God of great mercy. Mercies are new every morning.
Our God did not come to condemn us but to save us.
How are we saved from our sin? Repentance. Turn and go the other way.

Repentance leads to maturity. God’s will for each of us is maturity in Him
What if you had a baby that refused to eat? (Allison)

Nature course of maturity
(CONFESSION VIDEO - Desperate Housewives)

1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"

Today - God is calling you.

Calling you to stop being desperate for intimacy as we’ve evaluated it. But start being desperate for intimacy with Him.
Intimacy with God comes as you drink of His pure spiritual milk. Seeking purity, ingesting into your spirit that with is pure.


If you wish to grow up in your salvation - drink of His purity. Put aside your spiritual junk food. Christ didn’t come to condone our sin - He came to die for it. He died for it. That’s why His mercies are new every morning. Because He so desperately wants you to repent - go the other way and in that become intimate with Jesus.

Desperate Households - Desperate Communication

‘Can We Talk?’

Jesus was very clear, that Father God sent Him His only Son to the world so that anyone anywhere anytime who believed in Him would not perish but they would have eternal life.
Jesus said in John 3:17 - God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him. You know what this means?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

It means you’ll never look into the eyes of any man or woman who doesn’t matter to GOD. Which means we can never look into the eyes of a friend, family member or spouse thinking they don’t matter to God. They do.
They’re loved by God, they’re precious, valued, treasured, they are so important that God sent His Son to pay for their sin, to redeem them, to rescue them - they matter to God.

We should do the same
1. People matter to God so they should matter to us.

We too should value everyone, treasure all, we should treat everyone like they’re precious, b/c they are precious.
And you know what, shame on us - we treat strangers better than we treat our spouse. We’re more polite w/ people we’ve never met, than we are to the one whom we pledged our lives.
We communicate to total strangers they are worth dressing up for, speaking correctly for, cleaning up for, preparing for.
Do you treat your spouse that way? What are you
communicating to the ones that matter most?
Everyone matters to God, they do, so that’s what we’ve been trying to communicate here at FOCUS from the beginning - People matter to God - you have extremely high value.
In all that you and I communicate, wouldn't it be great if we could all get that, understand that, communicate that.
But sometimes in a pace of life, in a desperate world, where desperate people do desperate things sometimes we get a bit off-track in our communication. We begin to communicate in what we say, how we act, what we do, we begin to
communicate that our spouse doesn’t matter, kids don’t
matter, friends don’t matter, we begin to communicate things that aren’t even true. Often we don’t even realize it while it’s
happening - we do later though, in others reactions towards us.

Patrick M. Lencioni a business guru says, there are 3 steps to practical, effective communication - which works in the home by the way are:
repetition
simple messages
multiple mediums

3 things, they have nothing to do w/ presentation style, speaking ability, none of that - they are just critical practices to communicate well.

Say what we mean often -

2. say it often
it’s all about repetition.

3. say it clearly - it’s just simple messages

are you saying it clearly that you love your spouse/ are you saying clearly that they matter? are you saying clearly to your friends that they are important? that they’re valued?
cherished?
You see the way you get to this point is step by step, really the way you get anywhere in life is step by step - how do you get to this place? step by step
How do I do that? 5 love lang.
Lencioni says you wanna communicate well you have to say it alot! and you better be clear!
Often times we’re not clear - I know I mess up in this area at home - (Joe Jibberish) we don’t listen carefully and we don’t say it clearly

Say it often, say it clearly - we all know what it’s like to be misunderstood - we all know this happens, this happens, and we argue, but it doesn’t get fixed by going up the stairs or out to the garage or to the computer
We must take time for each other - whether it’s a friend, or a child, or it’s your spouse - we must take time for each other.
If you want to be understood, you’ll have to communicate over and over again and make sure it’s clear.
(drive - thru confirmation)
We need clarity - too many of us in our relationships think we can move on w/out getting clarity and more often than not it bites us in the butt. We need to say it alot as a simple clear message.

4. Say it every way you can

Around here we’ve got only one message -you matter to God, Jesus died on a cross for you, if you come to Jesus it will change your life here and for eternity.
That’s pretty much the message we communicate every week. Many of you are thinking, “why can’t we have shorter sermons then?”
It’s b/c we’re trying to say it every way we can - so we say it w/ music, we say it w/ media, in teaching, in small group
discussion, we say it by the way we treat every person that walks in here, ‘you matter to God’
Many ways, every way we can, over and over, simple and clear message, and it drives me crazy that we can’t do it even better. This is how bizarre I am.
B/c it’s a message that matters so much! What better news is there? You can be forgiven your sin, you don’t have to live in shame and or guilt any longer, you can come clean
before God and live a new life now and forever!

So I go home and think about how can I say it even better - maybe I could stand on the other side of the TV

Don’t you think about this stuff, about the people that matter most in your life and how do I share and let them know how much I love and care for them?
How can I get this through? How can I communicate this?
This is important message to important people, like your kids, you say how can I tell them, so you grab their cute little cheeks and make them look at you - you think maybe if you look at me it will help, then you try something else, and you just keep trying all kinds of things.

So all of us need to keep repeating the message, making it simple and clear in every way we can.
Are you doing that in your marriage? How about the kids? Other family members, friends?
You matter, you’re important

Often problems in our communication are due to a lack
of thought given. We just don’t think about it - when we do we really are not putting a lot of thought into it - we rush off, we don’t communicate like we should - soooo...

let’s Stop and THINK

T ruth - Is what I am about to say true? Zech 8:16 “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other”

before you speak, or erupt, or defend, or correct, or redirect, or discipline ask is it true? don’t say, “well I think so” what do you mean you think so... “well my mother’s brother’s
plumbers neighbors wife, she said...” What! that’s heresay
I don’t know if that’s true or not - you gotta know it’s true.
If it’s not true, you don’t want anyone to shape their life around it. “speak the truth to each other”
If we lie, not only does it do no good in the moment, but we lose our influence, as soon as we become liars in a relationship, our influence diminishes greatly, b/c trust is eroded.
(clip - lie son and mom)

door off hinges
you see trust is eroded - you lose influence

H elpful - Is it helpful?
will it make a difference, will it add value eph. 4:29
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
even if it’s true, if it’s not helpful, then what’s your motive?

I mportant - Is it Important?
“But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:8

So the ? is in your marriage, your family, your friends stop and think is this making a contribution to them - if it is, they see how much you value them - were commun. love, that they matter - is it important?

N ecessary - Is it necessary? Do you need to say this? at this time? Is this critical to the cause? Your timing is critical to your communication. How many times have you been in an argument w/ spouse, child, parent, or friend and you said something - it just popped in your mind and shot out of your mouth! And by the look of the other persons face you know,
“Oh man - I shouldn’t of said that” do you know what I mean? Hey, it may be true, but not necessary, not now.
Is it necessary?

K ind - Is it kind?
“Be kind and compassionate to one another” Ephesians 4:32
“Kind words heal and help” Proverbs 15:4
That’s a good thing - especially after those stupid words that just shot out of your mouth.
Is it true, is it helpful, is it important, is it necessary, and if it’s all those things - can you say it in a kind way?can you be kind?
Be kind to your spouse - we have to teach our children to be kind and compassionate, so they need to see it in you - so stop and think - before you say something, before you blow up - teach our kids to be kind
(clip - table)
The very fact that the boy survived that dinner seems to be a miracle to me - now men, some of us spoke to our mothers like that - this is not about the boy, this is about us and we spoke that way and if we teach our boys, our children to
disrespect their mother -
then we’ve done a great disservice to them and our spouse. You say, ahh he’s just a boy, boys will be boys - no no boys will be men - that’s your job dad, that’s your job mom - and the same goes for our daughters will be ladies. Here’s the thing, that’s not a message you start when your son, your daughter is 17, that’s a message you start when your son/daughter is 2. We are kind to each other in our family, we love each other, we display it, we follow Christ’s example to love one another.

Before you speak, stop and think (review)

It’s not enough in a relationship to know how to
communicate - we must also know how to listen
(communicate vid)

What Did You Say? How to be a Good Listener?

1. Look at the Speaker
The whole listening process begins w/ giving the other
person your undivided attention.
Don’t try to catch up on unfinished work, do the dishes, stare off/ zone out in front of the TV (Cathleen; Commercial)

2. Don’t Interrupt
Most people react badly to being interrupted - how about you? You feel disrespected. Why do we do it?
- don’t place enough value on what other person has to say
- want to impress by showing how smart & intuitive they are
- too excited by convo to let them finish
Periods of silence gives a chance to reflect on what’s been said so we can respond appropriately.

3. Check Your Emotions
Don’t let your feelings overcome you - anger, excitement, needing to vent - It will cause you to not pay attention b/c you want to speak.

4. Suspend Your Judgement
Have you ever begun listening to another person tell a story and you started to respond before he or she was finished?
I think we all have. We cannot jump to conclusions and be a good listener at the same time. As we talk w/ others we have to wait and hear the whole story before we respond. If you don’t you may miss the most important thing they intended to say. (guy/girl do that in love story movie) (we say, S.Y.J)

5. Sum up
Listening is most effective when it active. So comment at a appropriate break in the convo. It lets the other know your actually paying attention, it reassures them that your not asleep. This avoids the ?, “What did I just say? Were you
listening to Me?

6. Ask Questions to Clarify
Ever notice that top news reporters are excellent listeners?
They ask follow-up ?’s to dig deeper. We need to do that in all of our communication.
You want to be a good listener, become a good reporter - gently ask follow-up ?’s and seek clarification.

Are 1st Things 1st?

Are 1st Things 1st
The New Year is a time of renewing, reevaluating, and reprioritizing. It is a time to start over again. But if you are like me, the best intentions for a new exercise regimen or a new improved devotional plan seem to fade as quickly as they are made.
So we looked at possible causes for failure, then found out “HTBAEB”
Today were going to look at six symptoms of a life that's out of balance. You see here's the deal, if your life is crazy out of whack, that impedes your witness. People look at your life and wonder if Christianity is real and that's a lifestyle controlled by God, I'm not sure I want that!

How many of you remember the story of Abraham & Lot? Gen. 13-19

Gen. 19:14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Lot had lived so long and so contented among ungodly people that his life reflected as one of chaos and he was not a believable witness for God.
If our lives are out of whack - we become like Lot.

So to help you evaluate your life, I want to share with you a little test that will help keep us headed in the right direction. I'm going to give you six symptoms of a life that's out of balance, and you can determine whether you identify a lot or a little with each one. By the end of the test, you'll have a good feel for whether or not you're on track.

Symptom #1: Busyness.
People who are busy are always in a hurry. Time is their enemy because they never seem to have enough of it. Are you always running out the door, arriving just in time or a little late? Is your desk or house a mess? Is your car dirty? Is it because you just don't have time?


Don't get caught in the activity trap. Remember, it's not how much you do that's important, but whether you're accomplishing the things that are really important.

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:30




Symptom #2:Stress. Burnout
Do you often feel pressure and anxiety? Do you have trouble sleeping or waking up? Are you frequently uneasy, restless, indecisive, unhappy, irritable, or worn out? Do you lack connectedness in relationships and keep conversations at a superficial level? Do you feel hopelessly overwhelmed?

Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he disusses one of the major maladies of our time - anxiety & stress. He calls it "overload," & says that people are just plain overloaded.

1. We’re overloaded with commitments. We’ve committed ourselves to go here & there, to take part in this activity & that social function. As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming & going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.

2. We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says. Our closets are full, & our garages are overflowing. We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we "simply must have." And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them. We are overloaded in the area of possessions.

3. Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work. We get up early, fight traffic, & experience intolerable working conditions because we have to if we’re going to pay for all those possessions that we’ve accumulated.

4. There is also an information overload. He said that as a doctor he has to read 220 articles a month just to keep up with all the changes in his profession. And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway. But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb it all. So we feel an overload in this area, too.

Those symptoms of emotional stress are all indicators that you're doing a whole lot more than God designed you to do or that you're doing it in the wrong way.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philip. 4:6 (NIV)



Symptom #3: Low Grade Nagging Guilt.
Do you feel guilty because you're not accomplishing everything you think you should? Have you stopped liking yourself? Do you feel like you don't measure up?

Nagging guilt indicates that something is wrong.


let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)

Symptom #4: Mounting Financial Problems:
Are you spending money you don't have? Are you going out to eat because you're too tired to cook? Are you shopping because you want to feel better? Are you working harder and longer but still can't keep up with the bills? Have you stopped giving to God because you just can't afford it? Do you seem to have a hole in your checkbook?
God may be using your financial struggles to get your attention.

The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:20 (Living)

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (Living)

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; Philip. 4:12 (Living)


Symptom #5: Spiritual Leakage.
How is your devotional life? Have you set aside quality time for God, or are you running out the door in the morning and crawling into bed exhausted at night with hardly a thought drifting God's way? If you treated a friend or a spouse the way you treat God, how good would your relationship be?

Here's a funny letter to a Pastor from a member:

Dear Pastor:

You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following reasons and the number of times indicated.

Christmas Holidays (the Sunday before & after) 2
New Years (the party lasted too long) 1
Easter (get away for the holidays) 2
July 4th (national holidays) 1
Labor Day (need to get away) 2
Memorial Day (visit hometown folk) 1
School closing (kids need a break) 1
School reopens (one last fling) 1
Family reunions (mine & wife’s) 3
Sleep late (stayed up too long Saturday night) 9
Deaths in family 2
Anniversary (second honeymoon) 1
Sickness (one per family member) 5
Business trip (a must) 1
Vacation (three to four weeks) 6
Bad weather (ice, snow, rain, clouds) 2
Ball games 2
Races 2
Unexpected company (can’t walk out) 2
Time changes (spring & fall) 2
Special on TV (superbowl, etc) 3

Pastor, that leaves two Sundays per year. So, you can count on us to be in church on the 4th Sunday in February and the 3rd Sunday in August unless we are providentially hindered.
Sincerely,
A Faithful Member

The amount of time spent with the Lord in prayer is one of the greatest indicators of where your heart is with God.


I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NKJV)

Symptom #6: Escapism Behavior. Do you sit down and mindlessly watch television for hours even if there's nothing in particular you want to watch? Do you grab something from the refrigerator, even if you're not hungry? Do you go shopping even when there's nothing you need? If you're doing any activity just to turn your mind off or get away from the pressures of life, you're practicing escapism behavior. Your life is out of balance.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 (NIV)




So how did you do? If you're like me, you probably didn't score as well as you would have liked on that test. Keeping priorities in line isn't easy, and as I thought about those questions, I realized that even now my life isn't exactly where I would like it to be.
But be encouraged-everybody's priorities are constantly in flux. I don't know anybody who has their priorities perfectly together and everything in line. But wherever you are right now, you can determine in your heart that you're going to take a step in the right direction.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 that “everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” It's a process. You're not going to run a marathon the first time you put on your running shoes. But if you want to run a marathon, you have to start running.
So if your life doesn't have the balance you desire right now, let me encourage you to do two things.
First, commit yourself to taking control of your time,
because you can't control your priorities until you control your time.

“So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish.
Make the best use of your time...” Ephesians 5:15-16

And second, commit to giving your first and best time to God.
Even if you're not a morning person, I'd encourage you to start your day with God. If you give God the first minutes, He can transform the rest of your day through His Spirit, Who will help you discern when to say yes and when to say no.
Then also give Him your best time.
What time of the day or evening are you functioning at your best?
Whatever that is, block some of that time to talk with God, get into His Word...
Spend some of your best time with God.
And before you know it, you'll experience the peace and power of a prioritized life.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Take the TEST:

ARE 1st THINGS 1st
"Consider your ways!" Haggai 1:5TEXT: GENESIS 19:14

Six Symptoms of Misplaced Priorities

1.___________________________________________
How to know: People who love you are saying "slow down" (1 point). You feel held hostage by time; your clock has become the enemy
(2 points). Your kids are clinging to your leg right now (2 points).

“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:30

2.___________________________________________
How to know: You are uptight, experiencing chest pains, having trouble sleeping (2 points). You are restless, uneasy (2 points). It's hard to make decisions (1 point). You're not very happy (3 points). You have a feeling of being totally worn out (4 points).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

3.___________________________________________
How to know: You feel bad about yourself, unfulfilled. There are a lot
of things you know are important (that you even tell others to do), that you're not doing. It's getting to you, robbing you of peace, and you're feeling like a hypocrite (5 points).

“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22

4.___________________________________________
How to know: Money's tight for you. Credit card bills are piling up, and debt continues to rise (5 points). There always seems to be too much "month" left at the end of the money (3 points). A budget, to you, is a "good idea," not something you're practicing right now (3 points). You're doing research on the difference between Chapter Eleven and Chapter Thirteen (8 points). You're not giving your first portion to the Lord, and you can't see any way in the world to do it? which adds to your guilt
(5 points).

“Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5
5. ___________________________________________
How to know: Your prayers consist mostly of quick, one-sided conversations in the shower or the car (5 points). You pray mostly with others, but not much alone (4 points). You don't feel close to God (3 points), you feel like you're on a spiritual roller coaster (3 points). Your Bible reading is hit and miss - more miss than hit (5 points). You feel like you're drifting spiritually, but can't find time to turn things around (5 points).
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

6.___________________________________________
How to know: You find yourself finding ways to "get away," not to relax, but to escape responsibility. You're developing habits of impulse buying (2 points), thrill seeking (1 point), purposeless driving (1 point), lots of eating out (3 points), excessive television (4 points). You recently took a vacation you couldn't afford, just because you couldn't "take it" anymore (7 points).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27
Scoring: Add your total from each category:
Excessive Busyness _______________________
Stress/Burnout __________________________
Low Grade/Nagging Guilt __________________
Mounting Financial Pressure ________________
Spiritual Leakage ________________________
Escapism Behavior ________________________
0-3 points Congratulations! You should teach a seminar.
6-15 points You're off to a good start, with only some minor corrections to make.
16-30 points It's time to make some major changes in your life. Get ready!
31-50 points The trends in your life have you headed for disaster, and you need to make radical changes.
51 + points Danger Zone! Do not proceed without getting immediate help.
As you can see, misplaced priorities can be destructive in multiple areas of our lives. Symptoms that may seem "temporary" concessions on the front end, appearing as minor aberrations, are the gateways to disaster. But don't be discouraged! God has given us clear directives on how to find genuine peace, fulfillment and productivity in our lives.

Two Commitments to Regain Balance

1. ___________________________________________
“So be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish.
Make the best use of your time...” Ephesians 5:15-16

2. ___________________________________________
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

The "LOST" week of the Year

I first heard about the "LOST' week about 10yrs. ago - it's a spoof of "last" week.
The holiday season begins a week or two before Thanksgiving - from that moment
on up until the main event Christmas Day - we are hurried, rushed, overloaded,
with packed schedules.

This December Cathleen and I attended two Christmas parties, 1 of the Church, 1 work
Christmas party.
Our girls attended 2 diffrerent birthday parties, not to mention Cathleen's
b-day is the 21st oF DEC.
Family in from out of town most of DEC.
Added onto all of the regular Christmas preparations of shopping, traveling,
children's plays and the like...
Come the main event - Christmas Day - we get about half way through the day and crash!

The next day, the 26th onto the 31st becomes the last week of the year, a week
that often becomes LOST - we have hit a brick wall and zone out! We think to ourselves,
"I did it! I made it through another holiday season alive with all my limbs attatched!"

The only problem is that when we zone out of the last week, we begin a New Year behind.
Behind physically, mentally, and spiritually.

To avoid that I'd like to share a few things I do to stay FOCUSED


The "LOST" Week of the Year
(December 26 - January 2)


"Act like people with good sense and not like fools.
...so make every minute count." Ephesians 5:15-16


Five suggestions to keep your FOCUS:


1. REFLECT, FAST, & PRAY

Grab a notebook and pen then take some time to reflect on the past year, the
good, the not so good, the fun stuff, the annoying things.
Talk to God about the year, ask what He has to say.
Take some time to fast this week. I fast New Years Eve into New Years day.
Think about what could work for you.

"Examine yourselves..." 2 Corinthians 13:5


"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. Jeremiah 29:12

"And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, who try to look
pale and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting." Matthew 6:16


2. Read a large book in the Bible

A couple of years ago I was reading the gospels, this year it's Acts. Pick a
good size book, Dueteronomy is a fabulous Old Testament book, Psalms or Proverbs, or maybe
1st or 2nd Corinthians. It will definetly get a head start on reading the Bible in a year
if that's your route.

"Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must
think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you will be successful." Joshua 1:8

3. Undress the House

This is simply using this week to take down and store all of your beautiful
Christmas decor.

You may say why? It's just the thought that come January 2nd you still have
Christmas decor up and it avoids the feeling of "Im already behind, I still have to put
away last year's stuff"

"let us strip off every weight that slows us down,... And let us run with
endurance the race that God has set before us." Hebrews 12:1


4. Set aside time for "Refreshing"

This is differernt from zoning out - this is purposed relaxation and refreshing.
Take some time of solitude and invite the Holy Spirit to come and renew you spiritually.
With palms up just say,

"God, I'm here willing to just sit and soak up whatever you have for me."
Then watch how God loves on you.

"I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my
whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God." Psalm 84:2


5. Summarize... Prioritize... Organize

Go back to the time of reflection, what did you come up with? What did God say? ...Summarize

Make a list of what you want to accomplish in '06 - from small to big - lay it out & ...Prioritize

Now that is done, how are you going to accomplish these things? What's your plan ...Organize

"Lead me in the right path, O LORD,... Tell me clearly what to do, and show me
which way to turn." Psalm 5:8

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

That's just a few suggestions, you may have more. Whatever the case, don't let
the last week become the LOST week.

Finding GOD in Narnia - A World of Wonder

Discover the Meaning in the Message

In ‘The CoN’ readers or viewers - recognize characters like themselves who’ve had to put up w/ bullying, betrayals, bad schools, & the overall cruelty that we and children often show each other. lewis’ stories also show children having to make hard choices, coming to terms w/ their moral responsibility, and undergoing spiritual trials and victories.
Just as we do in real life.

Tell story - Children left London due to the air raids of WW2
end up in a Professors large home - trying to entertain
themselves in any way possible, play hide n seek - Lucy
discovers the Wardrobe
As she enters she discovers it goes deep - she sees some light - she finds herself in Narnia.
Returns home - bros and sis don’t believe her - Edmund is quite vicious in teasing and tormenting his sister - Lucy feels unbelievably miserable - another way we can relate.
A few days later - Edmund discover Narnia w/ Lucy - he doesn't tell - Ed actually bitter that he was wrong and would have to apologize so he denies it.
This is the beginning of a nasty downward spiral for Ed.

The moral degradation of Ed is one of the story’s most
important issues. His rel. w/ the Witch is a symbol of his
sinful condition in this world.
Some sins are twisted and unlawful attempts to gain
something good, something that benefits them - thief/stereo
a drug addict who wrecks his body & life for a moments pleasure. Those sins are bad enough -
But there are others where the perpetrator gets nothing in return - Vandalism, Cruelty, Pride, Anger, Revenge, purposely hurting someone who loves us - again we can relate

The LWW is about sin, and it is about salvation from sin

Lewis makes it quite clear that sin is very ordinary. It does not have to be dramatic, breaking out into some monstrous crime to be deadly and soul-killing. It is in our nature
While sin can break out into action, it’s home is in our thoughts and feelings and attitudes, in the deepest recesses of our heart.

What a segue to discuss the White Witch (vid) - In the LWW, the witch symbolizes Satan. The story explores in symbol what the Bible says about Satan’s reign in a fallen world; how he tempts us; how he enslaves us; and how he is
defeated by Jesus Christ, who frees us from his bondage.

When Lucy was with Tumnus she asked him, “who is the white witch?” He tells her, she is the one who has all Narnia “Under her thumb” b/c of her, it is always winter and never Christmas - those simple words are charged w/ symbolism -
The Bible tells us Satan has the world, “under his thumb”

1 John 5:19 … the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

When Ed meets the the White Witch he is struck by how beautiful she is. This is important to remember about the
appearance of Satan. Satan and the witch in reality are hideously gruesome in their true inner selves, but they
appear attractive, persuasive, even good.
Evil generally presents itself as something good. We don’t just go out and say, “Hey, let’s do something evil today
today” Temptations and evil often come in disguise -
Sex. immorality masquerades as love, Cruelty pretends to be justice, Rebellion insists that it is freedom.
false in appearance

The witch with Ed becomes nice, inviting him onto her sleigh,
wrapping her fur mantle around him - She conjures up something warm to drink, She asks him, “What’s your fav. treat?”
Turkish Delight, he says
Ed starts gobbling up all the TD, as any young child would
then when the TD runs out, Ed wants some more, but the witch doesnt give him any - instead bring bro/sis get more
Ed craves the TD so much he’ll do anything to get more.
You see those who taste it once will want more and more - if they could, they’d eat, eat, eat until it killed them.
Ever heard of anything like that before?
Ed becomes addicted to the witch’s TD, hmm, drug addicts develop such cravings that they will lie, steal, even kill in
order to get another hit, another drag, sniff, snort, anything?
A drug addict will even keep taking drugs until they kill him.
The one addictive behavior leads to more and more, more.
Alcohol can have the same effect - Sexual sins can be just as addictive and destructive.
One characteristic of an addiction is that as the craving grows, the actual pleasure grows less, requiring more and more stimulation to achieve the desired affect.
This leads to overdose, destruction of self, and family.
But less dramatic sins also have the quality of TD. We can gorge ourselves on hatred, as well, or on envy or greed or pride. All of these are egotistical pleasures, which we come to crave more and more and more.
TD symbolizes the sense in which sin is enslaving.

Everything we just discussed ties us down, we are not free -
It may start with an exhilarating sense of freedom, or
rebellion against the norm, but these sins make those who
indulge in them slaves.
Addicts cannot just chose to stop their habits. If they were free they could, but even when the want to stop, they cannot, as their desires drag them deeper and deeper into self-destruction.
All sin is like that.
Contrary to the popular assumption that sin is liberating, the truth is that sin destroys freedom. As Jesus said himself, “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” Jn. 8:34
point of TD: now Ed bondage to witch, as sinners are in bon. to Satan.
(vid)
The figure of Aslan is the soul of all the CoN. Aslan is the center of the stories’ meaning and the main source of their insight. When Peter, Lucy, & Susan come to meet Aslan for the 1st time in attempt to help their brother who is controlled by the witch - they are awed and overjoyed by his presence and comforting voice when they are warmly received by Aslan. Just as God’s Word consoles His people, the sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd -
“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3-4

Aslan is Lewis’ symbol for Jesus Christ

The word Aslan is simply the Persian word for Lion.
The bible itself uses the lion as a symbol for Christ.
The earliest reference in scripture comes in Gen. 49
There are other ref. but the most explicit portrayal of Christ as a Lion is in the book of Rev. 5:5
“See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

In a later volume in the CoN titled the “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” another group of children meet Aslan. One of them asks him if he is in their world too?
“I Am,” said Aslan, “But I have another Name.”

Eventually Ed. is rescued, brought back and is repentant.
You may think, well now all is well, but there is a debt that has to be paid - the witch’s claim
The Witch approaches Aslan and announces there is a
traitor in your midst. According to the law every traitor
belongs to her. As a result, she maintains, Ed belongs to her - his life is forfeit - she is entitled to his blood.
You see, sinners in Narnia belong to the witch, just as
sinners in our world belong to the devil.
“He who does what is sinful is of the devil...” 1 John 3:8

The story here turns particularly powerful b/c now we can all relate to Ed and his predicament. We have recognized his spite, his envy, his lusts for pleasure and revenge, his injured pride, b/c we too, if were honest, have given in to such sins ourselves. Ed is in that bondage of sin that leads to death - he stands condemned - the wages of sin must be collected.

The Passion of Aslan

After a private discussion w/ the witch, Aslan proclaims Ed is free and clear - all is well.
There is great joy in the camp - but later that night Aslan leaves his camp off to the Stone Table - foll. by 2 girls
There the witch and her minions are ready and waiting to place Aslan upon the Stone Table to take his life.
On his way he is bound, mocked, his mane is shaven off, he is kicked, hit, and spit upon in humiliation - the scene
parallels the stripping and mockery of Christ.
On the Stone Table the witch kills Aslan, the girls witness his death and stay by his side after the witch and company leave - paralleling Mary and Martha at Christ’s death and at His tomb. (vid)
The Stone Table symbolizes The Cross of Christ

Not only does Aslan die for Ed, he dies in Edmunds place. He takes the punishment Edmund deserved, just as Jesus did for us.
The girls hear this loud cracking noise, they turn to the table and it is broken in 2 and Aslan’s body is gone!
They begin to cry thinking someone has taken his body but then they hear his voice - they turn to see him alive!
It is a physical resurrection of Aslan - Christianity hinges on the physical death of Jesus followed by his physical coming back to life. (1 Cor. 15:12-28)
The Gospels emphasize that the resurrected Jesus is no mere spirit, nor a ghost. He eats, and has the disciples touch Him.
Aslan explaining to the girls the written law, “If a willing victim innocent of treachery died in a traitor’s place, the Stone table would crack and death itself would start working backwards.”
(Ed sac to witch - Old Test. sac.)

You see, there is no longer a need for sacrifice on our part. Christ has been sacrificed once and for all - He did it for us
“Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! ...
By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.”
Hebrews 10:12-14
In Narnian terms, The Stone table, a place of sacrifice. can be broken, since sacrifices are now finished once for all.
The phrase, “Death works backwards” refers to the message of Easter - Christ’s death brings our life!
We are alive in Christ!
Christmas story - Jesus was born to die so we could live!

The Battle
Justification by faith is not the end of the Christian Life. It is just the beginning - it is the continual energizing force for what comes next. God does not take us out of the world after He has saved us. He sends us back into the world. (Jn.17)
He does not take away all of our problems, trials, and
conflicts.
Instead he turns them into stepping stones - opportunities to grow in our faith - this is known as ‘sanctification’.
This happened to Peter, when Aslan let Peter take on the evil wolf in a one on one combat - we need to notice that in that combat, Aslan was right there - God is always right there. But life is a battle
In this process of Sanct. we live out our life, w/ it’s ups and downs, triumphs and failures - thru it all we grow in holiness.
But it’s a battle (vid)

The battle is symbolic of our everyday journey in life
The battle against the witch and her minions continues even after the death and resurrection of Aslan.
Even after Christ’s death and resurrection, even after He saved us, we too must continue to battle sin, in ourselves and in the world.
The bible uses the imagery of warfare to describe
sanctification.
“For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see
another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” Romans 7:22-23

But God gives us the resources to fight these battles:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:10-18
This is how we are protected and engage in the battle
(you may want to do some research on this)

We have a God who loves us dearly. Who sent His Son as the perfect sacrifice so we could live! Live with Him for
eternity - WOW! This offer is for everybody - have you grabbed a hold of it?

Finding GOD in Narnia - All is not as it should be

Oxford, England, September 18, 1931. Two brilliant young professors walk in the darkness until 3:00 a.m. Jack and Tollers have become fast friends, drawn together by their love for obscure philosophers and ancient myths and fairy tales. But tonight, Jack is not talking about literature; he is desperately looking for answers to his doubts. He has recently given his life to God, in his own words “the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England,” but he struggles to believe the most basic truths of the Gospel. His friend Tollers is a Christian, but instead of quoting Scripture or arguing philosophy, he begins to talk about the stories they both love so much. Tollers says that in every great story, there is something good and deep—something that points to the best and deepest story—The Real Story—God’s story of salvation through Jesus Christ.

the Bible is at its root a story, not “cleverly invented” but true—a story of God and people, of good and evil, of betrayal and forgiveness, of frustration and redemption. It is a story that is not only true to the facts, but true to life—mysterious yet down-to-earth. It is a story that is simple enough for children, yet deep enough to address our deepest needs.

That September walk was a breakthrough for Jack, and two weeks later he told a friend that his doubts were no longer holding him back from his commitment to follow Christ. He told his friend Tollers that the world needed more stories that would point to The Real Story. Tollers, best known as J.R.R. Tolkien, went on to write the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Jack, who wrote as C.S. Lewis, wrote literary essays and philosophy and apologetics. He didn’t get around to writing his 'stories' until much later in life, one story we know as ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’

Now Disney is betting $180 million that children and grownups will go to see one of those stories of
Narnia in movie form. You should see the movie for yourself. Many of your non-Christian friends and neighbors will see the movie, and you should talk with them about it, and invite them to come to church next Sunday as we talk about Jack’s most
difficult question that night, “I simply don’t understand how the life and death of Someone Else (whoever he was) 2000 years ago can help us here and now.”

But this is not a commercial for a movie. Whether you choose to see the movie or not, I want to talk to you today about some parts of The Real Story that maybe you haven’t thought about lately.

If you were going to write a story, how would it begin?
Most of the world’s greatest stories begin with a painful reality: Things are not as they should be. Cinderella has a wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Sleeping Beauty has been cursed by a disgruntled old fairy.
Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother has been killed by the Big Bad Wolf. Dumbo - Bambi

Why do the greatest stories begin like that? The world is not as it should be.
There are tsunamis and hurricanes, war and starvation, earthquakes and
pollution. Marriages fall apart, children quarrel,
politicians lie, and people we trust betray us.
The world is not as it should be.
The Bible describes it like this: “The creation was subjected to frustration…[in] bondage to decay…”
Romans 8:20-21 We can see it everywhere we look.

In C.S. Lewis’ story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the world is not as it should be. World War II is in full swing, and 4 children have been sent to the country to escape the daily Nazi air raids on London. The world is not as it should be.
Magically, the children enter another world—a wonderful world called Narnia, where animals talk and trees are friendly and magic happens.
But even Narnia is not as it should be.
It is winter in Narnia, cold and desolate. It is always winter in Narnia—and never Christmas! And in the winter of Narnia, the animals are afraid to talk out loud, the trees are stark and barren, and the magic is dark and dangerous.

How did Narnia become so cold? There’s a witch in the story—there has to be a witch—an evil, lying witch, because the real story says, “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one” 1 John 5:19 and, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Cor. 11:14 and, “there is no truth in [the devil]. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44
The witch in Narnia is a White Witch, tall, thin, and beautiful like a fashion model, who calls herself the Queen of Narnia. She’s not the queen of course, and her whiteness is not the whiteness of purity, but the paleness of death. She promises a better life, but her castle is decorated by the stone statues of people who believed her lies.

Narnia is not as it should be. But that’s not the worst part of the story. The four children, “sons of Adam and children of Eve,” are not as they should be.

Edmund, the youngest boy to enter Narnia, is the first to meet the Witch. She feeds him candy—
Turkish Delight. She promises to make the little boy who never got any respect the prince of Narnia. And she tells him that he can have all the Turkish Delight he wants and be the prince only if he brings his brother and sisters to her castle. It’s all lies, of course, and if he were thinking clearly he would see how wrong and foolish it would be to betray his brother and sisters for Turkish Delight and a promise of power. So why does he do it?

Why, indeed? Why do people choose evil over good? Is the Turkish Delight so delectable—or the money, the toys, the power, the thrills, the lust so delicious? Have the lies convinced them: that evil is good, and good is evil? Or did it begin long before, in their anger or pain or self-centeredness? The Real Story says that “each person is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15
We see all those things in Edmund: he wants the candy, he believes the lies, he wants to get back at his
brother for calling him a “beast.”
Perhaps we see some of those same things in
ourselves: the evil desire, the confusion, the weakness.

Edmund believes the lies of the White Witch, and betrays his brother and sisters. This creates
problems for him, as he soon discovers that life with the White Witch is not nearly as wonderful as he thought it would be.
It is a problem for all four children, whose lives are now in danger. But it is also a problem for Narnia, for by some deep magic Narnia can only be made right when four “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve” sit on the ancient thrones of
Cair Paravel. The fate of Narnia is tied to the fate of four children—All is not as it should be.

Now that is a strange magic, and nearly impossible to explain. It is a magic I have often wished I could explain—for it is a “magic” that extends to life on the planet we call Earth. What do you say when 85,000 people die in an earthquake? What do you say to the parents who have lost a child to cancer? What do you say when the bad people win, and life is so
unfair? It’s a mystery.
The world is not as it should be—that’s obvious.
But the mystery is that the world can never be right until the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve are as they should be.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was
subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.“ Romans 8:19-21

And that is the root of the problem: The only hope for the world is that somehow the sons and
daughters of Eve will finally be as they should be! And we don’t seem to be able to make ourselves right! It’s a problem we can’t solve—a problem only God can solve. The Apostle Paul says, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25

How God solved that problem will have to wait until next week.

So I will end today in the middle of the story—in the part of the story where we so often live. I want to end with a question—a practical question for people who are still in the middle of the story. The question is, “How do we live in a world that is not as it should be?” How do we live in a world where millions suffer from natural and man-made disasters? How do we live in an unfair world where bad people seem to get all the candy? How do we live with mean and misguided people who bring out the worst in us? How do we live with ourselves, when we seem to be fighting a losing battle, against the world, ourselves, our struggles, sin?

There are some hints in Narnia. The faithful faun, Mr. Tumnus, repents of his betrayal and does the right thing, though it costs him everything. The loving couple, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, build a happy and secure home in a chaotic and evil world
(we can as well). The brave children forget their fears and fight for the right against almost impossible odds. We can do the same thing in our world. Each of us have a purpose, a role to play - and the bible tells us, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

But maybe the best hint is a surprise, especially at this time of year. As Aslan the lion comes into
Narnia, the snow begins to melt; and who should appear but Father Christmas, who for us has become a much more commercialized Santa Claus. He comes with joy and presents and good food and drink, and he gives wonderful gifts, not because the boys and girls have been “good,” but because Aslan is good. There’s a hint for us there—a hint that may even help us deal with the commercialization of Christmas. As The Real Story says,
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,”
James 1:17 and, “everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Tim. 4:4-5

How do we live in a world that is not as it should be?

There are hints in Narnia, we can find God in Narnia:

We live in the faith that someday the world will be as it should be—and we will be as we should be. And we try to make our world and our own lives like they should be, in anticipation of the glorious future that awaits the sons and daughters of God!
The Real Story says it much better than I can:
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Jesus appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. “ 1 John 3:2-3


There is hope in the world today for those who call on the name of Jesus christ, and there is so much more to come.

Finding GOD in Narnia - A Land Far, Far Away

Welcome to Narnia....I’m your tour guide for your trip. Are you ready to go? Make sure you stay seated & keep your arms & legs inside the train. Caution...You are about to enter a land where it is always WINTER, but NEVER CHRISTMAS.

SLIDE ONE: Pictures of Narnia

Narnia...

Narnia is a land that came from the imagination of C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis had what many would call a biblical imagination. Lewis loved fantasy. In fact it was through reading fantasy that Lewis’ faith journey began. So it is no surprise that his Christian beliefs, actually Christian truths pushed their way into his stories. His theology was part of him so it became part of what he created. For him there is always a story within the story. So he created Narnia.

These stories began with images. The first one was of a faun carrying an umbrella with parcels under his arm. This image was first seen in his mind when he was just sixteen years old. It was decades later when he began the work of imagining the rest of Narnia.

SLIDE TWO: MAP of Narnia

Narnia, a country where Aslan is king of all
creatures, where there are talking beasts, fauns,
giants, and waking trees.

Narnia is a valley country extending from the Lantern Waste in the west to the capital of Cair Paravel which lies on the shores of the Great Eastern Ocean. We start our tour from the Lantern Waste area and will travel through out this land going all the way to the Stone Table and back to the west to end our tour.

SLIDE THREE: The Lamp Post

The first stop in Narnia for all visitors from earth is the Lamp Post. No one knows how long it’s been here. But it has always served as the starting point for visitors such as yourself.

The Lamp Post is a landmark to remember.
A Reference point between our world and Narnia.
The light between our world and Narnia.

God’s word is just like the Lamp Post. A reference point between heaven and earth.

For Lucy. Went further and further into the wardrobe because she was drawn by a light. The Lamp Post drew her from our world into Narnia.

God’s word draws us from our world to Him. God’s word serves as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. When we are lost, we go back to God’s word for our reference point.

Because Narnia is big, one can get lost in it. Therefore it is very important to familiarize yourself with this setting. In case you get lost always come back to the Lamp Post.

SLIDE FOUR: The Beavers Home
Second Stop: Mr. and Mrs. Beaver’s House.

This is a holy stop. It is a place that is hidden, a refuge.

You can always find a friend at the Beaver’s house. Mrs. Beaver has the gift of hospitality. She keeps a cozy place, warm, food cooking on the stove.
Comfort for all who enter.

It is in this house that the four children first learn of Aslan and the prophecy surrounding him and them. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver reveal the prophetic reason why the four are here in the first place. God always
releases information, the prophetic voice before
He does something big.

There is always a Mr. and Mrs. Beaver’s house in your journey. A place of prophetic awareness that there is something bigger than you that is going on.

As they sit around their table the children learn from Mr. and Mrs. Beaver that their arrival in Narnia is seen as the fulfillment of prophecy – a sign that
Narnia’s long – awaited deliverance is near. They learn about Aslan and what their roles play in this deliverance. (each of us have a purpose)

Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.



SLIDE FIVE: The Witch’s Castle
The Third Stop: The Witch’s Castle

Beware. This may be the most beautiful place in Narnia from a distance.

Take a good look. Large and imposing. Can you see all the statues? But beauty is only skin deep.

There is evil with in these walls. Lots of evil. Deception.

If you happen to meet a beautiful lady dressed in white and riding in a huge sleigh offering you
delectable treats called Turkish Delight. Don’t be fooled. Edmund fell for it and it nearly cost him his life.
And the courtyard full of statues? They say that they aren’t statues at all. But are Narnians that the White Witch has turned into stone. Shudder.

It is the Witch’s curse that has made Narnia always winter but never Christmas. Shudder.



SLIDE SIX: The Stone Table
Fourth Stop: The Stone Table

This is the most important stop on our tour.
Please step out of the train and gather round the stone table.

It is here that Aslan will take on the sin of Edmund’s betrayal in order to save Edmund’s life. It is here at the Stone Table that Aslan will be bound and
murdered by the evil White Witch.

It is here, this very place that Susan and Lucy will stay by Aslan’s body
It is here that upon hearing a “great cracking, deafening noise as if a giant had broken a giant’s plate” that Susan and Lucy will see that Aslan’s body is no longer on the table and the table has been split in two.

It is here that Aslan appears to them alive,
resurrected.

It is here that he explains to them the Deeper Magic.
“When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the table would crack and death itself would start working backward.”

Isn’t it interesting that the Stone Table in Narnia is similar to the Cross in our world?
and the cracked table similar to the torn curtain.


SLIDE SEVEN: Cair Paravel
Fifth Stop: Cair Paravel

As we are standing at the Stone Table look toward the Great Eastern Ocean. It is there on the shores of the ocean that you’ll see a castle.

Cair Paravel the place where 2 sons of Adam and 2 daughters of Eve will one day rule as kings and queens of Narnia.

A victory ceremony will be held here. As Aslan crowns them kings and queens, he says of their
destinies…

“Once a king and queen in Narnia always a king and queen in Narnia!” (if we belong to Christ we too are heirs of the kingdom of God)

And as Lewis wrote, “And now as you see, this story is nearly (but not quite) at an end.” We will leave it at that for now.

Let’s head back to the place where this tour started. More for another day. Back to the Lamp Post.

SLIDE EIGHT: Return to the Lamp Post
Final Stop: Back to the Lamp Post.

Great tour. Thank you for touring Narnia.
You were a fun group. However, I was a bit surprised that this tour consisted of adults. For to enter
Narnia, you must enter as children.

Responding to a letter written by a young girl named Ruth, Lewis says: “If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope that you may always do so. I’m so thankful that you realized the ‘hidden story’ in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown-ups hardly ever.”
Children can naturally have what theologians call a numinous experience – a supernatural experience of the divine Presence. Usually by the time we have matured, we adults lose that sense of awe, that
direct experience of the supernatural, that numinous experience.

Mt. 18:3 - Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom of God we must enter as little children.

For the very reason that they have not lost that sense of awe. They still have that ability to keep on probing, seeking, asking questions, searching for the real thing, the something more.

If that has stopped, then we have lost that child like awe to desire more of God, to know Him more.

My prayer for you today is that this tour will help
begin to restore awe and wonder to your faith. To become like a child.



Dec. 11th -Always Winter, Never Christmas
All is not as it should be

Dec. 18th - A World of Wonder
Discover the Meaning in the Message

The Names of God - by Eric Cummins: Worship Leader

Main Entry: 2worship
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -shiped or -shipped; -ship·ing or -ship·ping
transitive senses
1 : to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power
2 : to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion


In regard to the first def. we need to know something of this supernatural power or being in order to honor or reverence.

In regard to the second we generally save that kind of respect or honor for those that have
contributed something great to our lives.

To me that makes sense. First you have to know someone, then you can honor them.
So for the rest of our time here today we will get to know the lord a little bit more.

Then we can learn about how to honor Him.

The names of God
(I am not claiming that this is all of the names just a few.)

ABBA.............................Romans 8:15
15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[a] And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Abba literally translated into today’s slang would be “daddy”.
How cool is it that we have a heavenly daddy. Not some father that we better make happy or else.
(by the way. This is why many people raise their hands during worship. It is a sign that we need our dad.)

ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv)
1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Jesus is our advocate. It is only through Him that we are saved. We are saved because of His advocacy. He gave Himself so we can be free from sin. And He knows temptation.

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jer. 33:16
meaning "The Lord our righteousness"
In his days Judah will be saved
       and Israel will live in safety.
       This is the name by which he will be called:
       The LORD Our Righteousness.

We are saved from evil and from evil people. Not by anything that we have done but by His righteousness.
The Lord fights for us.

JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15
meaning "The Lord our banner"
15Moses built an altar and named it "GOD My Banner."

In this chapter we find Moses being tested. In those days it was custom to build an alter out of rocks to mark where you have been. This is also called an ebeneezer. Moses built this alter and named it God my banner so all that pass there will be able to see it and know that the battle was won.

EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13
meaning "The strong one who sees"
7An angel of GOD found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. 8He said, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, what are you doing here?"
    She said, "I'm running away from Sarai my mistress."
    9The angel of GOD said, "Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse." 10He continued, "I'm going to give you a big family, children past counting.     11From this pregnancy, you'll get a son: Name him Ishmael;   for GOD heard you, GOD answered you.   12He'll be a bucking bronco of a man,     a real fighter, fighting and being fought,     Always stirring up trouble,   always at odds with his family."
      13She answered GOD by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, "You're the God who sees me!"   "Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!"

God sees us. Even when no one else does and when we don’t want Him to. But He is faithful even when we are not.
He keeps his promises.

COMFORTER(the friend)..........................John 14:26(kjv)
26The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.

When Jesus ascended into heaven He promised us that his spirit will remain. Te pourpose or this spirit is to teach us, remind us and comfort us when things go the way we do’nt want them to.

DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26
26And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

When the evil in the world gets to be to much we are promised a deliverer. He will deliver us from evil.
All of these things God promises to be. And He is. In fact another name of His is I am..
What does that mean you might ask. Well ……….
God I need strength .I am. ect.

So He is being everything we need to live according to His will.
He is and has given us all that is good right and pure and it is a shame that we (myself included) are not living by that.
So how do we honor God? How do we worship God?
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Remember that all the names of God are promises to us. We have access to these promises so we can fulfill Romans !2:1
   








 

A Voice of HOPE

A Community of Faith, Love, and Hope PART 3

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and
Father, your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

To be a Voice of HOPE

Every believer in Christ knows the meaning of Hope. Every Christ follower knows what life was like before their
encounter w/ Jesus. We can look at our lives of the past and look at our lives now in Christ and see Amazing Grace, Amazing Love - and our lives now are filled w/ hope, b/c of the gospel, the message and life of Jesus Christ.

When this gospel is born in our hearts, it gives us a picture of who we can become in Christ and what God can accomplish thru our lives. The gospel has the power to take the orphan and make her a friend of the fatherless; to take the brokenhearted, the outcast, and the lonely and make them
instruments of peace, forgiveness, and healing.

We understand that a Christless world is a hopeless world. At the same time we seem to forget that a Christ-filled world is a hope-filled world.
Somehow we’ve lost the mandate given to us by God to stand in a desperate world and offer hope.

What is the Gospel? Good News

We know that, we teach it, but we often do not communicate it as good news. When we speak the gospel of Jesus Christ, we seem to somehow get logjammed around the message of sin, damnation, and hell - no wonder so many people feel that the church has nothing but bad news to tell.
(video - "real christian of genius")

The gospel, as given to us by Jesus, is supposed to be good news. Jesus himself said, I have not come to condemn the world, but to give the world life.” John 3:17; 10:10
(world beats us up)

What would happen if people heard the message of Christ as a message of hope and not a message of judgement?
How many times have you heard Christians described as hypocritical and self-righteous? How could a message of hope cause us to be perceived in this way?
Could it be that people do not hear us acknowledging our own sinfulness, but only identifying theirs, so they call us
hypocrites.
Could it be that those receiving our message feel that we are standing as judges over them rather than servants under them?

The message of Christ and the need for repentance are inseparable, but even in that, the Bible is clear in how we are to relate to people.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it is the loving kindness of God that brings us to repentance - we are to speak the truth in LOVE - it is a message HOPE! The best indication that we are communicating the gospel effectively is that broken,
sinful, and despairing people receive it as a word of good news.

I think it’s important to remember that the people Jesus continually offended were the religious.
Sinners seem to warm up to Him quite easily.(why)

The gospel, in it’s essence, is a message of hope to a world full of despair.

A great story in the life of Jesus is in John 8, where the
religious leaders confronted Him, wanting to condemn an adulterous woman. Look at how Jesus when others tried to force Him into meanness, would not allow it. If there was ever a perfect opportunity to bring down the wrath of God on a sinful woman, it was right then. And yet from that encounter w/ this woman caught in adultery, thrown down before Him, we have some of jesus’ famous words - watch this
“Where are they?” “Who condemns you?” She stood there almost dumbfounded, astonished, maybe almost paralyzed over what just happened, it begins to settle in on her,
“no one”
Jesus revealed the heart of God when He told her He didn’t condemn her. He simply said, “Go and sin no more”

This is an important guide for each of us.

We are God’s voice of HOPE

stats - 200 mill. m,w,c lost in Amer. today
closer to home - 7 out of 10 you know lost

Those who have known nothing but condemnation and shame will find a new beginning in Jesus Christ.

God's Message:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11

The natural outcome of being connected to God is being optimistic about the future. When this permeates a biblical community, optimism and enthusiasm prevail in the church. The church of Jesus Christ is always looking forward. It
always believes in the promise of tomorrow and is never overwhelmed by the difficulty or even failure of the present.

This should be one of the markers of a New Testament community - We are to be a voice of hope b/c we are a
people of hope.
A follower of Jesus Christ has no excuse for pessimism.

God has called us to be a Voice of HOPE

Who do you know that needs to hear that?
who needs a shot of hope injected into their lives?

Faith, Love, and Hope are not just foundations or pillars; they are wellsprings - It is our identity our DNA
The deeper the church digs these wells, the more rich and resilient they become.




“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
   But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
 "No one, sir," she said. 
      "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:1-11

To Be Known by LOVE

A Community of Faith, Love, & Hope PART 2

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I
consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippans 3:7-11

This is one of those passages where Paul is describing his own journey, who he was, where he’s been, how he’s
gotten here. Kinda begins w/ a strange moment of arrogance it appears - “look if anyone had it altogether w/out God it was me, if anyone earned the right to hang out with you, be loved by you, be in your presence, Paul was saying it was me.
Paul was a guy who gained political power, religious power,cultural power, this guy had really pulled together what some would say from a worldly perspective, a good life to live.
Here was this guy that had just about everything there was, then he speaks of this encounter he had w/ Jesus Christ and it changed everything he considered valuable.
The he goes off into this LOVE talk - about extra. love
This guy who was so self-righteous, a condemner of men,
begins talking about extra. love.

Love is one of those topics that is tough for us to get a
handle I think b/c it’s a word that we overuse or certainly misuse.
and it then loses it’s power

(family using words properly - HATE - dont say hate someone, you can profoundly dislike them, but dont hate people
and I can teach a whole slew of other descriptive words to use - I hate broc. and to hate evil as the bible says - well the word can lose it meaning. So we kinda reserve extreme language for extreme cases.
How about the word starving?)

We do that w/ everything and we do it w/ love - we love
everything - the brits love their tea, the french love their wine, the italians love their expresso, the swiss love their cheese, the Belgium's love their choc. the hillbillies love their nascar...

So the problem becomes we love our wives, but we love
fantasy football. could be a reason why there’s so much
divorce. we love things equally and improperly.

To be people who are known by love then we really need to know and understand exactly what that is and looks like.
Which drives us to the scriptures - if you have never read the bible, if you don’t really have a sense of what’s at the core of this story - it’s a story of love, of unconditional love, of
undeserving love, of unending, unlimited love.

What paul was saying was, “I was pursuing God in all the wrong ways, as far as legalistically i was there, i tried
everything humanly possible to connect to God and basically saying it didn’t work.

It can be a maddening thing - to try to do all the supposedly right things and left w/ this vacuum-us hole.
By the way, we can’t function well w/out love, so we look to and grasp onto any counterfeit we can find.
Back to what Paul told the Philippians,
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord...

He says, this is it - just to know, just to be able to wrap my brain around the truth that Jesus walked into human history, and lived a perfect, sinless life and had flesh and blood just like us and allowed himself to be brutally crucified on this death-instrument we call a cross, to die as a perfect sacrifice for my sin and He arose so I could live - and that - to know that is enough to give up everything for.

Paul had found real love - it came in Christ - it came in the form of sacrifice and servanthood.

To be known by LOVE

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. Philippians 2:19-30

As you read thru this section of the letter, it’s like Paul is coming to a close then he picks it up again.

Have you recognized in life that you have convo. that are not always right in line with the subject you started with?
Sometimes when you’re having a convo. w/ someone a word clicks your mind and you star talking about something else
or you’re talking about one person and then they remind you of someone else, and then that person reminds you of someone else - and usually the person listening what your saying doesn't really have a connection to what you started talking about but somehow they knew how it all pieced together.

I think this is one of those moments here while paul was writing this.
b/c in the vs. before what we just read he is speaking specific instruction and then all of sudden he starts talking about Timothy, and from Tim. he starts talking about Epaph. and beginning in ch. 3 he’s moved past both of them.

What’s happening here is Paul is writing this letter about
Jesus and he’s encouraging us to live in a manner of Christ and to desire a life modeled after Jesus.
In this discourse of writing about Christ and all He is and has done for us in great sacrifice and service - I think right then Paul’s mind began dominoing. Jesus the servant and then Oh yeah Timothy the servant and Oh yeah Epaph. the
servant - although we may not instantly see the connection, but what is sooo cool is that when Paul began to think of the great servant Jesus other people came to mind.

Now when it comes to God - He stands alone, and we cant even come close to that right. I think we’re all happy letting God be God - we realize He is far more talented and qualified than we’ll ever be so just let it be.

But if there’s something about God that he is willing to share, to give to me, to pass on then man I want that - and here it is
when Paul saw the servant heart of Jesus, the servant nature of Jesus -
I don’t think he could help it - his mind went fluidly to Tim. and Epaph. -
2 close friends thru whom he experienced the servanthood of God to his life and the life of others.

non religious - say help others out - serve

Even though it may fall under the umbrella of "the religious" it is not at all natural for us to move towards serving.
Serving w/in religion, w/in the church would seem to be a natural, but it’s not, and so when we see it we know
something special is happening.
When we experience the genuine servanthood of another human being, when someone places us above them, when someone sacrifices of their time and energy to do something on our behalf - it does something inside of us - it makes us wonder if we couldn’t be different as human beings.

We begin to see that maybe what it means to be connected to Jesus is something more than just being religious.
Wouldn’t it wonderful if that when someone thought of Jesus they couldn’t help but think of you.
B/c they can’t really see Jesus serving, but they can see you and me serving, they begin to see Jesus in and thru us.

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Phil. 2:19-22

- others above ourselves (sacrifice)
- prove ourselves (not a one and done)
- he has served

“But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.” vs. 25-30

- others above himself (sacrifice)
- you don’t get better then serve, you serve to get better
It doesnt matter where you are you can serve today - “Im intersted in serving, I’m interested in helping, I’m interested in making a difference, but right now I’ve gotta focus on me, I gotta get me better 1st” - ever heard that, ever said that, ever thought that to God?
- Christlike service


To be known by love has nothing to do w/ how spiritual you are - how religious you are - how much doctrine and
theology you have stored up in your mind -
It is all about sacrifice and service
The mark of maturity and to be known by love is how willing we are to give our lives away for the sake of Christ and the sake of others - it’s being focused on eternity

So here’s Paul describing this encounter with real love - the sacrifice and servanthood of Christ - I thought of Jesus and Timothy came to mind, and Epaph. came to mind

How am I serving others?
How am I making others more important myself?
How am I giving my life away?

To Live By Faith

A Community of Faith, Love, & Hope PART 1

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep
conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of
severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9or they themselves
report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”
1 Thessalonians 1:4-10

“We always thank God for all of you,
mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember
before our God and Father, your work produced by faith,
your labor prompted by love, and your endurance
inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

To live by FAITH, be known by LOVE, & be a voice of HOPE

1.TO LIVE BY FAITH

story: ‘contingency plan’

1 Sam. 14 (tell story)

Often we look to the Bible for comfort, assurance, and kind of a ‘how to’ guide, but not courage - we’re willing to engage in the battle if we believe that God has promised ultimate
victory. We have somehow convinced ourselves that God has signed a contract w/ us, promising that we will never fail. Implied that we will never suffer, or go thru disappointment, or even be inconvenienced in the journey. ( I am inconven. not living here, but committed) What Jonathan knew w/out any doubt was that nothing could stop God from saving, whether by many or few. But he was honest w/ his armor-bearer and said, “perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf”.
What he was saying is, “I know what God is doing - He is delivering the Phil. to the hands of Israel. It’s clear what’s on God’s heart. He has called us to engage in battle - I have no doubt that God is powerful enough to give us victory. So let’s act in line with the heart of God, and see what He is going to do in and through us, if anything at all right now.

With our church, I have no doubt that God is calling us to impact this city - it is absolutely clear that Jesus came so He could save the lost. And absolutely God is calling our church to join Him in declaring the gospel to the nations. I know that God is pleased w/ our action - now let’s see what He is going to do in and thru us.
How about in your life?
(never fail, suffer, be disapp, be inconv, not just w/ the church, but in whatever area of life - dare to dream BIG -
you must live by faith)

What does it really mean to live by faith?
________OBEDIANCE________________
A church begins to live by faith when
it's people move the things God has
clearly said into the non-optional category.

What are some of the non-optional things
God has called us to do?
______PRAY, READ, SERVE, WORSIP,
FELLOWSHIP, EVANGELIZE, ETC..._____


It is never enough to live on __YESTERDAYS FAITH_______
We are always required to move into ___FRESH FAITH____

RESOURCE: 'Fresh Faith' by Jim Cymbala

Recall Moses and Joshua how each
of them had to cross a body of water.
(Exodus 14:21-22 and Joshua 3:12-17)

What took faith yesterday is sight today.

When we live by faith, we allow God to take us into
new experiences of __WHO HE IS ____
and ___HOW HE WORKS____.

We cannot live on the faith of the past,
we are called to be the living expression of faith!
When a church lives by faith
it's people prove that God can be trusted.

I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20