--Scott
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The future of New Beginnings
This next week, be thinking about the direction of New Beginnings. Shane will be talking to us next Sunday about the vision he has for the church. Prayerfully consider any thoughts/questions/concerns that you may have and want to ask.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Making sure God's words aren't lost in us
Scripture: Deut. 31:24-26; 2 Kings 23:1-3; John 15:14
Speaker: Bruce
Date: 2.08.09
As I was preparing for yesterday’s Sunday school class, I relied on the fact that the Covenant class is such a great group that your discussion would help us reach a deeper level of application for our final study in 2 Kings. And of course you did not disappoint! What an awful way to grow up, realizing that you could become king while you were still a prepubescent. That happened to Manasseh (age 12), and again to his grandson Josiah (age 8). But it is startling that someone in Manasseh’s evil home planted in Josiah the seeds of faith that eventually grew to make him a man after God’s heart.
To me, one of the most startling things about Josiah’s story is that after less than 60 years since the reforms of the godly King Hezekiah, the people of Israel had already entirely forgotten the word of the Lord. The scriptures themselves had actually been lost INSIDE THE TEMPLE! And this after the book of Deuteronomy specifically told them where to keep the book (Deut. 31:24-26). I appreciated the thread of conversation that Garry launched with his response asking how the church of today loses the Word of God, and by extension how we lose it as individuals. You came up with some great examples, suggesting we lose it by thinking we are already familiar enough with it, or by changing our interpretations of it to fit our whims.
I loved the examples you gave at the beginning of class listing your favorite Bible verses, and their connections to your life situations at the times those verses became important to you. I think this idea lies at the heart of at least one of the ways we keep the Word of God from getting lost—by using it as a source for dealing with our problems.
Finally, 2 Kings 23:1-3 talks to us about committing to God’s commands. I often dismiss much of the Old Testament saying it is simply the old covenant, and that is has been replaced by the new covenant with it’s mind-bending ideas that are opposed to legalism. But in fact in John 15:14, Jesus gives us commands and tells us that those who love him are those who follow his commands.
The final words of the class were discussion about what we can do to ensure God’s words are not lost to us. We discussed that we all realize what a special place the Covenant class is. And we ended with the question each of us needs to answer—“What can I do to help us export the kind of spiritual fulfillment found in our class to other places within the church, and then outside the church?” So, what can you do?
Speaker: Bruce
Date: 2.08.09
As I was preparing for yesterday’s Sunday school class, I relied on the fact that the Covenant class is such a great group that your discussion would help us reach a deeper level of application for our final study in 2 Kings. And of course you did not disappoint! What an awful way to grow up, realizing that you could become king while you were still a prepubescent. That happened to Manasseh (age 12), and again to his grandson Josiah (age 8). But it is startling that someone in Manasseh’s evil home planted in Josiah the seeds of faith that eventually grew to make him a man after God’s heart.
To me, one of the most startling things about Josiah’s story is that after less than 60 years since the reforms of the godly King Hezekiah, the people of Israel had already entirely forgotten the word of the Lord. The scriptures themselves had actually been lost INSIDE THE TEMPLE! And this after the book of Deuteronomy specifically told them where to keep the book (Deut. 31:24-26). I appreciated the thread of conversation that Garry launched with his response asking how the church of today loses the Word of God, and by extension how we lose it as individuals. You came up with some great examples, suggesting we lose it by thinking we are already familiar enough with it, or by changing our interpretations of it to fit our whims.
I loved the examples you gave at the beginning of class listing your favorite Bible verses, and their connections to your life situations at the times those verses became important to you. I think this idea lies at the heart of at least one of the ways we keep the Word of God from getting lost—by using it as a source for dealing with our problems.
Finally, 2 Kings 23:1-3 talks to us about committing to God’s commands. I often dismiss much of the Old Testament saying it is simply the old covenant, and that is has been replaced by the new covenant with it’s mind-bending ideas that are opposed to legalism. But in fact in John 15:14, Jesus gives us commands and tells us that those who love him are those who follow his commands.
The final words of the class were discussion about what we can do to ensure God’s words are not lost to us. We discussed that we all realize what a special place the Covenant class is. And we ended with the question each of us needs to answer—“What can I do to help us export the kind of spiritual fulfillment found in our class to other places within the church, and then outside the church?” So, what can you do?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Are we risk-takers?
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-14
Speaker: Sarah
Date: 1.25.09
Name one example of a big risk that you have taken? It can be any risk at all. One that has paid off or one that completely flopped.
Some examples that were shared;
- Going back to school
- Quitting a job
- Reaching into a rattlesnake hole (thanks Lee!)
- Starting a small group
Let’s take a look at just one of the many examples of risk-takers in the Bible. Moses. Read the story of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-14).
It would be all to easy for Moses to turn God down. All to easy for Moses to stay in his “safe or comfort zone” and deny the calling that God has for him and his people. But Moses instead embraced what God was directing for his life. Moses did have some initial hesitations but still he chose to go and say to his people “The one who has sent me is the I AM WHO I AM.”
Let’s not get caught up on the overwhelming evidence that it was God who spoke to Moses. We can all agree that if God physically came down to us in the form of a burning bush we would listen right? I mean who wouldn’t believe that? One thing that often gets overlooked is that Moses had spent time in the desert prior to this moment. He didn’t simply wake up one morning, wander out to the desert to find a burning bush. There was time spent prior to this; dwelling in God’s presence. When the time was right, when Moses could recognize Him, God revealed Himself. The point is this; Moses was listening and ready to act that is when God spoke.
What are some other examples of biblical risk-takers?
- David
- Paul
- Daniel
- The prodigal son and his father
- Jesus
- Joshua
So the question is; what is Christ asking us to risk so that we may advance his kingdom? And what is holding us back? Is it not more risky to stay in our “safe zone” than to pursue what God asks of us?
We know through the examples we mentioned above that God goes ahead of us and prepares the way. For sure Moses felt uneasy about standing in front of Pharaoh and demanding that he let the Israelites go. But as God was with Moses so he will be with us.
Speaker: Sarah
Date: 1.25.09
Name one example of a big risk that you have taken? It can be any risk at all. One that has paid off or one that completely flopped.
Some examples that were shared;
- Going back to school
- Quitting a job
- Reaching into a rattlesnake hole (thanks Lee!)
- Starting a small group
Let’s take a look at just one of the many examples of risk-takers in the Bible. Moses. Read the story of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-14).
It would be all to easy for Moses to turn God down. All to easy for Moses to stay in his “safe or comfort zone” and deny the calling that God has for him and his people. But Moses instead embraced what God was directing for his life. Moses did have some initial hesitations but still he chose to go and say to his people “The one who has sent me is the I AM WHO I AM.”
Let’s not get caught up on the overwhelming evidence that it was God who spoke to Moses. We can all agree that if God physically came down to us in the form of a burning bush we would listen right? I mean who wouldn’t believe that? One thing that often gets overlooked is that Moses had spent time in the desert prior to this moment. He didn’t simply wake up one morning, wander out to the desert to find a burning bush. There was time spent prior to this; dwelling in God’s presence. When the time was right, when Moses could recognize Him, God revealed Himself. The point is this; Moses was listening and ready to act that is when God spoke.
What are some other examples of biblical risk-takers?
- David
- Paul
- Daniel
- The prodigal son and his father
- Jesus
- Joshua
So the question is; what is Christ asking us to risk so that we may advance his kingdom? And what is holding us back? Is it not more risky to stay in our “safe zone” than to pursue what God asks of us?
We know through the examples we mentioned above that God goes ahead of us and prepares the way. For sure Moses felt uneasy about standing in front of Pharaoh and demanding that he let the Israelites go. But as God was with Moses so he will be with us.
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