Last night Jason Nelson, from Third Church's staff joined our group to discuss Contemplative Prayer. He did a great job! He had several handouts but began by discussing how contemplative prayer at its core is a journey of denying your "self" to become unified, united and whole with Jesus Christ and our one true and loving God. It is a life of surrender as a person increasingly seeks to abide in the Lord.
Jesus set the example in John 14:10-11 "Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe in the evidence of the miracles themselves..."
We focused a lot on resting prayer and began with Psalm 131 "I have calmed and quieted my soul...hope in the Lord from this time on and fore ever more." We become quiet within and recognize that my worries can't do much... Silence, however long, is like a holy stop, a sabbatical rest, a truce of worries...
Twenty minutes a day! That's all it takes to change your life. Here are some steps to take to get into silent prayer...
1. Figure out how long you are going to pray!
2. Sit alone in silence.
3. Get in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
4. Relax your breathing, and with your imagination direct your mind from the head into the heart.
5. Try to regulate your breathing for a moment in rhythmic breathing because it disperses distracting thoughts.
6. Pray the Jesus Prayer. While inhaling, say "Lord Jesus Christ" as you exhale continue with "have mercy on me" You may say it out loud or in your mind...
7. Continue until you relax. Allow God's peace to settle over you and rest your mind. When distracting thoughts enter your mind (AND THEY WILL!), set them aside...
8. Be patient and peaceful and repeat the process as needed in bringing yourself to silence and rest.
9. As you quiet down and go deeper, you may reach a place where you have no awareness of thoughts. This is like an open space where you are so intimately connected with the Lord that you experience complete rest in God and are not aware of anything but him. This is where silent prayer becomes resting prayer.
I will be honest. We practiced a little last night and it was difficult. My mind was racing with thoughts from the day, what I was going to do next, who I needed to talk to...where I needed to go... But for a short while, it worked and I did feel closer to God and to Jesus. I think it is something I am going to continue to try and hope you do too...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Spring Service Surge in Ottumwa!
Spring Service Surge in Ottumwa: TNT, Third Church, and thebridge are partnering with A Call To Serve Ministries (ACTS) of IA to complete 10-15 service projects on April 18 from 6:45 am-3:00 p.m. Projects will include painting, clean-up, general home repair and maintenance and the construction of wheelchair ramps. We need laborers, team leaders, prayer warriors, hospitality leaders, photographers/videographers and project “gophers.” Not able to volunteer all day? We also need prep volunteers to help pack kits of materials and tools for the team prior to the event, volunteers to help out on the morning of check-in (in Pella) and volunteers to help check-in tools and materials (in Pella) on the afternoon of April 18. If you are interested, register at www.actsofiowa.org or call Joel Bennett at 641-780-7858. Volunteers will receive a Spring Service Surge t-shirt for participating.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Destiny
Last night we watched a video teaching by Beth Moore in her Esther series. She talked about "destiny" and reflected on the Esther 4:14-15 verses that are so popular - that Esther was the Queen "for such a time as this."
Here's some common denominators about destiny . . .
1) We expect it to feel different than it does.
2) It will often be crisis that God uses to pivot our direction
3) There is human dilemma in destiny - like . . .
a) poor timing (this is not the right time for this! But God's time is always prime-time!)
b) unreasonable expectations (this is humanly impossible for me to step into)
c) it's tough being a person thrown a giant sized weight
d) risky identification - destiny appoints one and effects many
4) one of the most important parts of fulfilling our destiny will be transparency
a) the revelation of a person's destiny always demands revelation of the person
Have you thought about destiny before? I think the future moves toward us and when we come into it, what are we doing? Have you thought about God bringing about your destiny or that he even cares about that?
He does! Thanks for sharing last night and I pray that all of us will be able to come into a new revelation of God's destiny for us!
Here's some common denominators about destiny . . .
1) We expect it to feel different than it does.
2) It will often be crisis that God uses to pivot our direction
3) There is human dilemma in destiny - like . . .
a) poor timing (this is not the right time for this! But God's time is always prime-time!)
b) unreasonable expectations (this is humanly impossible for me to step into)
c) it's tough being a person thrown a giant sized weight
d) risky identification - destiny appoints one and effects many
4) one of the most important parts of fulfilling our destiny will be transparency
a) the revelation of a person's destiny always demands revelation of the person
Have you thought about destiny before? I think the future moves toward us and when we come into it, what are we doing? Have you thought about God bringing about your destiny or that he even cares about that?
He does! Thanks for sharing last night and I pray that all of us will be able to come into a new revelation of God's destiny for us!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Nooma - "Shells"
TNT was able to review the Nooma "Shells" on Wednesday, March 4. We had a good time watching the video and discussing it after wards. This was aided by a group volunteering their time and delivering ice cream sundaes. (Hmmmm...ice cream...)
Pressing forward, the discusson was really good because I feel like the Nooma really spoke to a number of people (or maybe just myself...) In the Nooma, Rob's son is on the beach collecting sea shells and then he stumbles upon a star fish... Only he can't grab the star fish because he has so many broken sea shells in his hands... Raising the question - have we filled our time with so many good things (broken sea shells), that it inhibits our ability to go after that one, really great thing in our life???
Karen C. made the good points that "all decisions involve loss" and "embrace your limits"... Wise words to keep in mind, if you are giving your time to certain things, it is taking away your time from other things, and maybe from that one, really important thing...
We prayed together as a group and then stormed out of the room, ready to take on the world!
Pressing forward, the discusson was really good because I feel like the Nooma really spoke to a number of people (or maybe just myself...) In the Nooma, Rob's son is on the beach collecting sea shells and then he stumbles upon a star fish... Only he can't grab the star fish because he has so many broken sea shells in his hands... Raising the question - have we filled our time with so many good things (broken sea shells), that it inhibits our ability to go after that one, really great thing in our life???
Karen C. made the good points that "all decisions involve loss" and "embrace your limits"... Wise words to keep in mind, if you are giving your time to certain things, it is taking away your time from other things, and maybe from that one, really important thing...
We prayed together as a group and then stormed out of the room, ready to take on the world!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nooma - "You"
Before we get to the Nooma video that we discussed on Wednesday - don't forget about the pot luck on Sunday! 2/8/09 12:15 Room 101.
Okay, since that is out of the way, let's discuss the Nooma video "You" that we watched on Wednesday night. This was the first time I had ever viewed this Nooma and it made my head hurt. It really tackled some big topics... Let's go to the quotes!
"These first Christians believed that Jesus' resurrection had implications for the entire universe. Their tradition had taught them that the world was broken and desperately in need of repair and at some point in the future, God was going to put it all back together. For them, this future restoration had nothing to do with leaving this world; it was all about restoration, the renewing and reclaiming of this world..."
Do you believe this? How do we restore and reclaim the brokenness of this world? How do you do it?
Another good quote:
"These first Christians believed very passionately that the world was not made better through military power or political coercion. This gospel they were living had nothing to do with using political force to FORCE people to live according to their laws. For them, this gospel was about serving the world, especially those on the underside of the Empire. For them, it was about serving, not ruling."
This gets my motor going! Do people view you as a servant, or are you more of a ruler? How can we better serve those around us? Of course, I immediately start thinking about the poor, the needy, the disabled...but I am challenged to serve the short tempered, the egotistical, the wife who gloats in victories over me (wait, is that too personal?)... You get the point. Conversions to Christianity will happen little by little in some cases. Rev Kev's quote comes to life - You are the only Bible some people will read...
Last one...
"We all fall short and that's the beautiful part. Broken, flawed, vulnerable people like you and me are invited to be the hands and feet of Jesus who loves us exactly as we are, and yet, loves us way too much to let us stay that way..."
Beautiful.
Now for the mandatory scripture.
"And all of those who believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing with them all, as anyone might have need." Acts 2: 44-45
Okay, since that is out of the way, let's discuss the Nooma video "You" that we watched on Wednesday night. This was the first time I had ever viewed this Nooma and it made my head hurt. It really tackled some big topics... Let's go to the quotes!
"These first Christians believed that Jesus' resurrection had implications for the entire universe. Their tradition had taught them that the world was broken and desperately in need of repair and at some point in the future, God was going to put it all back together. For them, this future restoration had nothing to do with leaving this world; it was all about restoration, the renewing and reclaiming of this world..."
Do you believe this? How do we restore and reclaim the brokenness of this world? How do you do it?
Another good quote:
"These first Christians believed very passionately that the world was not made better through military power or political coercion. This gospel they were living had nothing to do with using political force to FORCE people to live according to their laws. For them, this gospel was about serving the world, especially those on the underside of the Empire. For them, it was about serving, not ruling."
This gets my motor going! Do people view you as a servant, or are you more of a ruler? How can we better serve those around us? Of course, I immediately start thinking about the poor, the needy, the disabled...but I am challenged to serve the short tempered, the egotistical, the wife who gloats in victories over me (wait, is that too personal?)... You get the point. Conversions to Christianity will happen little by little in some cases. Rev Kev's quote comes to life - You are the only Bible some people will read...
Last one...
"We all fall short and that's the beautiful part. Broken, flawed, vulnerable people like you and me are invited to be the hands and feet of Jesus who loves us exactly as we are, and yet, loves us way too much to let us stay that way..."
Beautiful.
Now for the mandatory scripture.
"And all of those who believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing with them all, as anyone might have need." Acts 2: 44-45
Monday, February 2, 2009
Iowa Chops!
TNT traveled to the Wells Fargo Arena (aka the Meat Locker) for some hockey action on Friday, January 30th. We saw a game between the Iowa Chops and the Peoria Rivermen. The Chops are the minor league affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. (Things I didn't know until today.) They were also doing a "Pack the Meat Locker" promotion and were trying to lure fans in with $5 of Wendy's vouchers. (It worked for us!) Sadly, only 8,300 fans showed up and they fell short of the 8,900 goal.
On to the hockey game. Have you ever heard the expression "We went to a fight and a hockey game broke out"? Well, that's kind of what the game felt like on Friday. The second period saw 4 major penalties dished out for fighting and two players had to leave the game due to rather large cuts over their eyes sustained in the fights. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fights as much as anyone, however, I couldn't help but feel like they were a little bit forced on this evening. It's like the marketing group went down to the players and said "We have a large crowd tonight... Put on a good show... People aren't coming here for the hockey action..." Between the fights and the cheerleaders (The Baby Backs) wearing about as much clothing as some of the new born babies in the Pella area, I was a little disappointed in the ol' Iowa Chops. (I didn't even mention the hot tub next to the arena with the Grandview students in their two piece swim suits that made their way to the Jumbotron more than a couple times...) It was pretty obvious what kind of fans they were appealing to, and how they wanted to keep them coming back.
It was kind of sad because overall, the hockey game was actually really good! Iowa overcame a 3-1 deficit, and tied it in the third period...sending it to overtime. Neither team was able to do anything in overtime, so it went to a shootout, with the Rivermen winning 3-1. I am pretty sure I could have goal tended about as well as the Iowa Goalie did in the shootout... :)
I pondered all of these things late into the night...all while enjoying $5.05 of Wendy's entrees. Hmmm... Wendy's....
On to the hockey game. Have you ever heard the expression "We went to a fight and a hockey game broke out"? Well, that's kind of what the game felt like on Friday. The second period saw 4 major penalties dished out for fighting and two players had to leave the game due to rather large cuts over their eyes sustained in the fights. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fights as much as anyone, however, I couldn't help but feel like they were a little bit forced on this evening. It's like the marketing group went down to the players and said "We have a large crowd tonight... Put on a good show... People aren't coming here for the hockey action..." Between the fights and the cheerleaders (The Baby Backs) wearing about as much clothing as some of the new born babies in the Pella area, I was a little disappointed in the ol' Iowa Chops. (I didn't even mention the hot tub next to the arena with the Grandview students in their two piece swim suits that made their way to the Jumbotron more than a couple times...) It was pretty obvious what kind of fans they were appealing to, and how they wanted to keep them coming back.
It was kind of sad because overall, the hockey game was actually really good! Iowa overcame a 3-1 deficit, and tied it in the third period...sending it to overtime. Neither team was able to do anything in overtime, so it went to a shootout, with the Rivermen winning 3-1. I am pretty sure I could have goal tended about as well as the Iowa Goalie did in the shootout... :)
I pondered all of these things late into the night...all while enjoying $5.05 of Wendy's entrees. Hmmm... Wendy's....
Financial Learning Experience!
TNT had the opportunity to travel down to Ottumwa on Wednesday, January 28th and listen to Joseph Sangel talk about everyone's favorite topic...MONEY! 
Joseph was what I like to call "high energy" and made what could be a very dry, some what boring topic more exciting. First, I am going to promote his website www.joesangl.com. It is wildly popular. Under the "Tools" link there are a bunch of useful ideas, excel spreadsheets and links that can help you start savings today.
The core principles of financial freedom...
1. There is power in working together. (Either with your spouse, or with friends...accoutability)
2. Avoid the debt trap! (Where is it written that you have to have a car payment?)
3. Develop a plan for your life - This creates the reason for you to plan your finances.
4. Have FUN managing your money! (Budget for fun!)
Another good quotes from Joe... "A written budget is different from a written budget that is followed!"
There were a lot of good ideas given by Joe and I guess I took away a couple ideas...
1. Shop your insurances. Life, car, home and any thing else... You should shop these at least every two years. Joe gave the example of the "Lending Tree" commercials - so when Insurance companies compete... YOU WIN! On Joe's website, under the "Tools" link, you can go to "Next steps and click insurance. http://nextsteps.iwasbrokenowimnot.com/insurancemain/ Here you can scroll down and get different life, car and home insurance quotes... When Insurance companies compete you win!
2. The debt snowball. Say you have 5 debt payments every month... When you pay one of them off, apply that payment to the next smallest payment and pay that off. And so on... This works better with a picture, but instead of paying off one credit card and then taking that $50 a month you were paying and upgrading your cell phone, apply that $50 towards credit card #2. Or car payment #3... You will not miss the $50...
3. Have at least $2500 in an emergency fund. Joe made the good point that money problems are terrible and they make every other problem worse. Say you don't have an emergency fund and suddenly your furnance breaks down. Now, you got a furnance problem...and a money problem.
I could ramble on (oops too late), but this was a good night and we got dinner and we got to listen to a speaker for $10 per family...but at the end of the night, Marty Schmidt and the Bridge said they were so serious about us saving money, they were going to refund the $10 we paid! It was beautiful! Much rejoicing was had...
"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow..." Proverbs 13:11
Joseph was what I like to call "high energy" and made what could be a very dry, some what boring topic more exciting. First, I am going to promote his website www.joesangl.com. It is wildly popular. Under the "Tools" link there are a bunch of useful ideas, excel spreadsheets and links that can help you start savings today.The core principles of financial freedom...
1. There is power in working together. (Either with your spouse, or with friends...accoutability)
2. Avoid the debt trap! (Where is it written that you have to have a car payment?)
3. Develop a plan for your life - This creates the reason for you to plan your finances.
4. Have FUN managing your money! (Budget for fun!)
Another good quotes from Joe... "A written budget is different from a written budget that is followed!"
There were a lot of good ideas given by Joe and I guess I took away a couple ideas...
1. Shop your insurances. Life, car, home and any thing else... You should shop these at least every two years. Joe gave the example of the "Lending Tree" commercials - so when Insurance companies compete... YOU WIN! On Joe's website, under the "Tools" link, you can go to "Next steps and click insurance. http://nextsteps.iwasbrokenowimnot.com/insurancemain/ Here you can scroll down and get different life, car and home insurance quotes... When Insurance companies compete you win!
2. The debt snowball. Say you have 5 debt payments every month... When you pay one of them off, apply that payment to the next smallest payment and pay that off. And so on... This works better with a picture, but instead of paying off one credit card and then taking that $50 a month you were paying and upgrading your cell phone, apply that $50 towards credit card #2. Or car payment #3... You will not miss the $50...
3. Have at least $2500 in an emergency fund. Joe made the good point that money problems are terrible and they make every other problem worse. Say you don't have an emergency fund and suddenly your furnance breaks down. Now, you got a furnance problem...and a money problem.
I could ramble on (oops too late), but this was a good night and we got dinner and we got to listen to a speaker for $10 per family...but at the end of the night, Marty Schmidt and the Bridge said they were so serious about us saving money, they were going to refund the $10 we paid! It was beautiful! Much rejoicing was had...
"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow..." Proverbs 13:11
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Spoonful of Sugar to Can Held Down
Last night at TNT we played Telephone Pictionary. In case you haven't played, it's a combination of that telephone game you played when you were a kid and pictionary. (I give credit to Jake for this genius game.) For those of you who missed it, we got a stack of 13 papers (because that's how many people played) and we had to write a saying on the top paper. Mine was "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." You give the stack of papers to the person to your right and they have to illustrate your saying in 30 seconds. Then you had the picture to the next person to your right and they have to put down the saying that they think the picture is.
Mine was going really well until it got to Kelli and Jaime. Everyone did great until them. Then all of the sudden "spoonful of sugar" became "can held down." (Kelli and Jaime know I love them and I don't blame them for completely ruining spoonful of sugar) How does this happen? How can we be going so well and in one fell swoop, total change in understanding.
This morning I am reading this book called "It." About churches and ministries and people who have "it." I have enjoyed this book until this morning. Now, "it" has birthed a holy discontentment in me. I long for my life to engage with "it." How do you get "it"? I don't know. Even the author doesn't know but you know when you've got "it" and when you don't.
I pray for us as TNT that we will get "it." "It" doesn't happen all at once. Sometimes "it" takes time. And sometimes "it" surprises us. This morning it seems to me like I live in a dark hole and I am about to see some new light. Ever wonder if we are REALLY making a difference in what we do? What is the ONE thing that I can do and do well that would REALLY make a difference? Today, I don't know what "it" is. But, Lord willing, if I search, I will find "it." It may take losing my life to find "it" but "it" is worth that.
Mine was going really well until it got to Kelli and Jaime. Everyone did great until them. Then all of the sudden "spoonful of sugar" became "can held down." (Kelli and Jaime know I love them and I don't blame them for completely ruining spoonful of sugar) How does this happen? How can we be going so well and in one fell swoop, total change in understanding.
This morning I am reading this book called "It." About churches and ministries and people who have "it." I have enjoyed this book until this morning. Now, "it" has birthed a holy discontentment in me. I long for my life to engage with "it." How do you get "it"? I don't know. Even the author doesn't know but you know when you've got "it" and when you don't.
I pray for us as TNT that we will get "it." "It" doesn't happen all at once. Sometimes "it" takes time. And sometimes "it" surprises us. This morning it seems to me like I live in a dark hole and I am about to see some new light. Ever wonder if we are REALLY making a difference in what we do? What is the ONE thing that I can do and do well that would REALLY make a difference? Today, I don't know what "it" is. But, Lord willing, if I search, I will find "it." It may take losing my life to find "it" but "it" is worth that.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Here we go!
TNT is ready to go! After a couple of weeks off, we will be meeting on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 p.m. We will catch up on everyone's Christmas/New Year's, eat some pizza and play a couple games. We will order the pizza after everyone is there... Again, we meet in room 101 next to the coffee bar at Third Church in Pella, Iowa.
The next few weeks look like this...
Wednesday, January 21st 6:30 p.m. - Truth Project - Government. (One day after the President's inauguration (can I buy a vowel?), we will review an hour long video from the Truth Project. Discussion to follow.) Dinner is on your own.
Wednesday, January 28th 5 p.m. - NOTE THE TIME CHANGE! We are pumped about this week as we will be going down to Ottumwa to listen to Jeff Sangl give a Debt Free Seminar. Learn how to handle your money and benefit the Kingdom. Cost of the seminar and a dinner is $10. (BUT DO NOT let the $10 get in the way of you going! Really. Let us know if the $10 is a problem and we will handle it...)
Friday, January 30th 5 p.m.-ish - Iowa Chops Hockey Game.
(Hmmmmm... Chops...Aurrgghhh) 
Cost will be between $10-15... We haven't nailed down all the details, but you can count on some hockey action at Wells Fargo for sure!
Wednesday, February 4th - 6:30 p.m - Nooma Video
Sunday, February 8th - Potluck after church. 12:30 p.m. More details to come.
Wednesday, February 11th - 6:30 p.m. - Nooma Video
The next few weeks look like this...
Wednesday, January 21st 6:30 p.m. - Truth Project - Government. (One day after the President's inauguration (can I buy a vowel?), we will review an hour long video from the Truth Project. Discussion to follow.) Dinner is on your own.
Wednesday, January 28th 5 p.m. - NOTE THE TIME CHANGE! We are pumped about this week as we will be going down to Ottumwa to listen to Jeff Sangl give a Debt Free Seminar. Learn how to handle your money and benefit the Kingdom. Cost of the seminar and a dinner is $10. (BUT DO NOT let the $10 get in the way of you going! Really. Let us know if the $10 is a problem and we will handle it...)
Friday, January 30th 5 p.m.-ish - Iowa Chops Hockey Game.
(Hmmmmm... Chops...Aurrgghhh) 
Cost will be between $10-15... We haven't nailed down all the details, but you can count on some hockey action at Wells Fargo for sure!Wednesday, February 4th - 6:30 p.m - Nooma Video
Sunday, February 8th - Potluck after church. 12:30 p.m. More details to come.
Wednesday, February 11th - 6:30 p.m. - Nooma Video
Friday, December 19, 2008
What's up next!
TNT will be taking the next couple weeks off to celebrate the Christmas season. We hope and pray that you have safe and happy holidays!
A couple items of note. We will start back up on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 at Third church, room 101. We will be watching Nooma videos and studying scripture for the next semester. We are excited to get to know each other more and get to know and understand God and His plan for our lives.
We also have some social events in the works for the next couple of months. We will be traveling to the big city of Des Moines to watch the Iowa Chops in some exciting hockey action at Wells Fargo Arena. We may even work in some ice skating of our own at scenic Brenton Skating Plaza...the only outdoor skating arena in Iowa! We will keep you all posted on our plans.
Finally, we rejoice with Kyle and Sheila Punt on the birth of their new born baby boy! Caleb Jay was born on December 15th at 7:50 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs and 5 oz. Both mother and baby are doing very well! We actually got to visit the Punts in the hospital on Wednesday as we were caroling. The little guy is cute! We were able to snap the picture and let me tell you, he is every bit as cute as the picture show. Just precious!
Merry Christmas to you all and we will see you in January!
A couple items of note. We will start back up on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 at Third church, room 101. We will be watching Nooma videos and studying scripture for the next semester. We are excited to get to know each other more and get to know and understand God and His plan for our lives.
We also have some social events in the works for the next couple of months. We will be traveling to the big city of Des Moines to watch the Iowa Chops in some exciting hockey action at Wells Fargo Arena. We may even work in some ice skating of our own at scenic Brenton Skating Plaza...the only outdoor skating arena in Iowa! We will keep you all posted on our plans.
Finally, we rejoice with Kyle and Sheila Punt on the birth of their new born baby boy! Caleb Jay was born on December 15th at 7:50 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs and 5 oz. Both mother and baby are doing very well! We actually got to visit the Punts in the hospital on Wednesday as we were caroling. The little guy is cute! We were able to snap the picture and let me tell you, he is every bit as cute as the picture show. Just precious!
Merry Christmas to you all and we will see you in January!
Friday, November 21, 2008
TNT Update!
Hey guys and gals! Just a quick update before you start your weekend. Three things!
- No TNT this week on Wednesday (11/26/08). Enjoy the Thanksgiving
- Our next meeting will be Wednesday, December 3rd, at 6:30 p.m. We will be reviewing the first part of a video series entitled “The Truth Project.” I have no idea what this is about, either I spaced off when we talked about it, or they are keeping me in the dark…either is a distinct possibility. (But if you are curious, google it…and believe the hype!)
- On Wednesday, December 10, we will be reviewing a NOOMA video, discussing how it applies to our lives and opening up the last 30 minutes for you all to give us some feedback. What do you like? What do you NOT like? What would you want to see changed?
- I lied about only three things in this post. (And you fell for it!)
- On Wednesday, December 17, we will be going caroling in the community. We did this a couple years ago and it was a big hit! Basically we just go around to different places, singing and passing out cookies. So on 12/17/08, please bring at least a dozen homemade cookies to pass out. And your beautiful voices.
Thanks everyone and again, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! If you have ANY questions, please let me know. Again, we meet at
Saturday, November 8, 2008
James 5:1-12
Hi Everyone!
I really enjoyed our discussion the other night on James 5. If you weren't able to be there you should take a look at the text because wow, it's pretty powerful stuff. We discussed a lot on Wed night including a lot of the deeper meanings in the text. It's always amazing to me though how much we can learn from scripture alone. So here are a few things that I wrote down about the text and have been pondering throughout this week that were pretty clear to me simply from the text....
What we learn about hoarding wealth~
*Leads to misery, corrosion, fire
*Associated with dishonesty, selfishness (not paying the workmen), luxury, self-indulgence, getting fat (really that's in there!!), condemning and murdering innocent men.
What we learn about the Lord~
*His coming is near
*He is the judge
*He is full of compassion and mercy
Traits we want to have~
*Patience
*Perseverence
*Control of the tongue (No grumbling or swearing).
Isn't the book of James great?!? Next week we'll be finishing the 5th chapter and the following week you WILL NOT want to miss! We're going to do a wrap up of the book of James using "The Office" TV show...it'll be AWESOME!!
I really enjoyed our discussion the other night on James 5. If you weren't able to be there you should take a look at the text because wow, it's pretty powerful stuff. We discussed a lot on Wed night including a lot of the deeper meanings in the text. It's always amazing to me though how much we can learn from scripture alone. So here are a few things that I wrote down about the text and have been pondering throughout this week that were pretty clear to me simply from the text....
What we learn about hoarding wealth~
*Leads to misery, corrosion, fire
*Associated with dishonesty, selfishness (not paying the workmen), luxury, self-indulgence, getting fat (really that's in there!!), condemning and murdering innocent men.
What we learn about the Lord~
*His coming is near
*He is the judge
*He is full of compassion and mercy
Traits we want to have~
*Patience
*Perseverence
*Control of the tongue (No grumbling or swearing).
Isn't the book of James great?!? Next week we'll be finishing the 5th chapter and the following week you WILL NOT want to miss! We're going to do a wrap up of the book of James using "The Office" TV show...it'll be AWESOME!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
True, Kind and Necessary
One of the things going through my mind is this idea that Sheila brought up. When we have talked about "the tongue" and it's power in James 3, we talked about how do we know when to say something. There is so much power in this small thing. So, we talked about 3 things to let us know when we should say something.
1) Is it true? This is usually where we stop - yes, this is true, so I will say it.
2) Is it kind? Hmm.
3) Is it necessary. Boy I could save myself some grief and be much more quiet if I would get to number 3.
Maybe the political candidates should live by this. We would have a lot fewer commercials.
1) Is it true? This is usually where we stop - yes, this is true, so I will say it.
2) Is it kind? Hmm.
3) Is it necessary. Boy I could save myself some grief and be much more quiet if I would get to number 3.
Maybe the political candidates should live by this. We would have a lot fewer commercials.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
A night of service...
TNT had a great night of service last night. We started with a very hearty meal provided by Jen, which everyone enjoyed. I am going to butcher what it was, but it was a Mexican soup over cornbread and was just delicious! (Seriously hoping that Jen posts the recipe right here.) It was a great time of fellowship and I found it very relaxing after a hectic day at the office. (Lots happening with my fantasy football team...plus the waiver wire was busy....)
Then we got to the jobs. Three persons who were more "cooking inclined" took to the kitchen and baked up a storm. 350 cookies later, and they were finished. The gauntlet was laid down for the cleaning portion of the evening, with myself talking smack about my crazy cleaning skills (or skilz as the kids say...). Let me just say that Kyle and Clark answered the bell, and came out swinging... Clark tackled cleaning two windows at a time, one with each hand, cleaning in a clockwise manner with his left hand and counter-clockwise fashion with his right. (Did you just pick up your hands to see how easy that is??) Kyle answered by cleaning three (!) windows at a time, spraying them down with his right foot, using both hands and his tongue. It was impressive. He said it was a little trick he picked up in the Sioux Center plant. I thought I would go above and beyond the call of duty and pick up some trash, but Clark, cleaning some of the windows outside, found a chunk of concrete misplaced under the prayer tower, so, I kid you not, the man picked up the entire tower! I mean, it was just a couple inches off the ground, but I was impressed. The Tower looked a lot better after he put it down too. (See picture depicting the effect.)
All in all a great night of fun and service, answering James' claim that faith without works is dead. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
(Feel free to use the windows at Third Church to see a perfect reflection of yourself, because those bad boys are clean!)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Favoritism and judgment
The other question that we didn't get to last night was "How do judgment and mercy relate to favoritism?" In other words, how do verses 12 and 13 fit in with the rest of the passage??
Showing favoritism, or partiality, IS judging another person's worth or value. Of course James is making the point that we are judging their worth based on things like clothing, social status, money, appearance, attractiveness, etc. INSTEAD of the things that truly matter (their faith). In that sense we are treating their outward appearance/wealth/etc. as more valuable than Christ.
James sees the opposite of favoritism (or judging) as being mercy. Mercy is at the very essense of the "Royal Law" that he speaks about in vs. 8. James is applying the teaching of Jesus. For more on this you can read the parable of the unmerciful servant found in Matthew 18:21-35 and see that he calls the merciful "blessed" in Matthew 5:7.
Until we meet again I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will continue to mold and shape us to be more like Christ. May we show mercy to others~whether that be to the ornery student in the classroom, the smelly patient who doesn't bathe regularly, or the waitress doing her best to serve us.
Showing favoritism, or partiality, IS judging another person's worth or value. Of course James is making the point that we are judging their worth based on things like clothing, social status, money, appearance, attractiveness, etc. INSTEAD of the things that truly matter (their faith). In that sense we are treating their outward appearance/wealth/etc. as more valuable than Christ.
James sees the opposite of favoritism (or judging) as being mercy. Mercy is at the very essense of the "Royal Law" that he speaks about in vs. 8. James is applying the teaching of Jesus. For more on this you can read the parable of the unmerciful servant found in Matthew 18:21-35 and see that he calls the merciful "blessed" in Matthew 5:7.
Until we meet again I'm praying that the Holy Spirit will continue to mold and shape us to be more like Christ. May we show mercy to others~whether that be to the ornery student in the classroom, the smelly patient who doesn't bathe regularly, or the waitress doing her best to serve us.
Judgement and freedom
Another question that was raised concerns vs12. How are we judged by the law that gives freedom?
All of us are going to be judged after we die but as Christians we are to "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom." This is Christ's law. As Christians we are covered by the blood of Christ and will receive mercy instead of condemnation in the final judgment. BUT, we will still give an accounting of what we have done so James is reminding us to speak and act as though we're remembering this! The law gives freedom from our oppression from sin. Thank you Jesus!!!
All of us are going to be judged after we die but as Christians we are to "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom." This is Christ's law. As Christians we are covered by the blood of Christ and will receive mercy instead of condemnation in the final judgment. BUT, we will still give an accounting of what we have done so James is reminding us to speak and act as though we're remembering this! The law gives freedom from our oppression from sin. Thank you Jesus!!!
Follow up from 10/1
Hi All!
We had a great discussion last night on James 2:1-13. I loved the questions that you raised. Questions are how we learn~think of how many times Jesus answered a question with another question...anyways, your questions have had me thinking and I hope have done the same for you as well!
Here's the first question that we didn't get to...it is a TOUGH question!! I'd love to hear other's feedback on this too. The question was...How do we determine right and wrong without being judgmental??
This is an interesting question that I've been struggling with for awhille now. I did some research and here's what I came up with so far (by no means does it completely cover the subject). I think we are all scared of the verse in Matthew 7:1-2 where Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I looked up a little about this verse and here was a good quote from biblegateway.com..."Many people have ripped this passage out of context. Jesus warns us not to assume God's prerogative to condemn the guilty; he is not warning us not to discern truth from error" (see 7:15-23). Discerning truth is a must for those of us who know truth. But, as we talked about last night we have all sinned and broken the "royal law" and will all be judged by Christ. Aren't I thankful that He is FULL of mercy?!? So how much more should I show mercy to my fellow sinner!! AGAIN this seems to be all about our heart and our motives (whether or not we are condemning others/judging vs discerning right from wrong).
There is so much more that I could write about this topic but I'm curious to hear some thoughts from YOU!!
We had a great discussion last night on James 2:1-13. I loved the questions that you raised. Questions are how we learn~think of how many times Jesus answered a question with another question...anyways, your questions have had me thinking and I hope have done the same for you as well!
Here's the first question that we didn't get to...it is a TOUGH question!! I'd love to hear other's feedback on this too. The question was...How do we determine right and wrong without being judgmental??
This is an interesting question that I've been struggling with for awhille now. I did some research and here's what I came up with so far (by no means does it completely cover the subject). I think we are all scared of the verse in Matthew 7:1-2 where Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I looked up a little about this verse and here was a good quote from biblegateway.com..."Many people have ripped this passage out of context. Jesus warns us not to assume God's prerogative to condemn the guilty; he is not warning us not to discern truth from error" (see 7:15-23). Discerning truth is a must for those of us who know truth. But, as we talked about last night we have all sinned and broken the "royal law" and will all be judged by Christ. Aren't I thankful that He is FULL of mercy?!? So how much more should I show mercy to my fellow sinner!! AGAIN this seems to be all about our heart and our motives (whether or not we are condemning others/judging vs discerning right from wrong).
There is so much more that I could write about this topic but I'm curious to hear some thoughts from YOU!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Parker Dog, Lady . . .
I can't help but blog about my mentioning of Lady, the Parker dog, last night. Perhaps this blog can be one of my outlets that will lead me to a better relationship with this canine. (Basically, I am going to ramble a little which may be good for me but not as much fun for you . . .)
So, here's the deal, Justin has had Lady since he was a junior in high school. She turned 15 this month (in September). She was very jealous when Justin and I started dating and would put her nose down between us when we would sit together on the couch.
Eventually, they grafted me into the family and she would protect me (and Jarrett too) from anyone who would threaten us.
Why wouldn't this be ok with me? Lady is a good dog. Just don't leave your socks or undergarments laying around. You will see them again it will just be the next day out in the yard. It's amazing what will go through her digestive tract! Justin actually saved a pair of Jarrett's socks once - cleaned them up and he was good to go . . .
Anyway, Lady is a DOG. I have never considered myself a dog person and she came with Justin. I have tolerated this quite well but more recently has become more inconvenient. My biggest issue is that she sheds which requires more house maintenance. I also don't like to be breathed on or brushed up against on hot days. When I am on the floor playing with Jarrett, when I pick him up, I have to use a lint remover on him and me before we leave the house.
As I am writing this, I am saying to myself, "it's so trivial isn't it ". . . My point of writing? Well, to keep you updated on what I learn about what Lady represents for me. It's not logical to be so angered by the canine so there is something there . . . if any of you have insight, feel free to let me know.
In the meantime, me and my lint remover will be close by.
And, finally, we get to this question of religion. Which many of us in the room last night said we recoil at that word. We don't like being called "religious." But this scripture can help us with what that really means and it's great news! If we were truly "religious" in this way, people would love Christians and "religious" people!
James gets to this point to Accepting the Word and Doing the Word but what can this lead to? Religious "practices." It looks good but it becomes mere ritual and not Christ-centered. So James lists 3 penetrating dimensions of religion that are acceptable to God:
1) Control of the tongue - how many sins can you think of that are caused by our tongues? James obviously knows this is a big deal and dedicates chapter 3 to address it. Just to let you know, James is not addressing if we sometimes have an unbridled tongue it's if we have an habitually unbridled tongue.
2) Help those who cannot help themselves = orphans and widows. These two persons in NT days were helpless without men to take care of them in their Patriarchal society. It was up to Christians to lend a charitable hand to meet their needs and help them in their plight. And this is not just to give money but to be personally involved with them. Hands-on caring.
3) An unpolluted life - I think this comes back to the question from the beginning - what does a righteous life look like? This may look different for everyone but certainly includes what this passage addresses - quick to listen, slow to speak and become angry. Listen to the word AND do what it says. Watch what you say and help those who can't help themselves. That may be a good start to this unpolluted life.
Any other ideas?
I love how this passage involves our Words, our Hands, and our Hearts. I am challenged to my core and the dog is my test :-)
James gets to this point to Accepting the Word and Doing the Word but what can this lead to? Religious "practices." It looks good but it becomes mere ritual and not Christ-centered. So James lists 3 penetrating dimensions of religion that are acceptable to God:
1) Control of the tongue - how many sins can you think of that are caused by our tongues? James obviously knows this is a big deal and dedicates chapter 3 to address it. Just to let you know, James is not addressing if we sometimes have an unbridled tongue it's if we have an habitually unbridled tongue.
2) Help those who cannot help themselves = orphans and widows. These two persons in NT days were helpless without men to take care of them in their Patriarchal society. It was up to Christians to lend a charitable hand to meet their needs and help them in their plight. And this is not just to give money but to be personally involved with them. Hands-on caring.
3) An unpolluted life - I think this comes back to the question from the beginning - what does a righteous life look like? This may look different for everyone but certainly includes what this passage addresses - quick to listen, slow to speak and become angry. Listen to the word AND do what it says. Watch what you say and help those who can't help themselves. That may be a good start to this unpolluted life.
Any other ideas?
I love how this passage involves our Words, our Hands, and our Hearts. I am challenged to my core and the dog is my test :-)
Looking in the Mirror
The mirror = the Word. The word speaks of the Old Testament.
When we look into the Word, we see, literally, the "heart of our birth". The longer one looks at the mirror, the more we begin to see our flaws, blemishes etc. (Some talked about when we see ourselves on video, the camera doesn't lie . . . or how about the great 360 mirror on What Not To Wear? Nothing is hidden. . . ) The mirror - the Word - allows us to look at ourselves but also to gaze upon the face of God.
So we have 2 pictures - one person who "looks at their face in the mirror and, after looking at it, goes away and forgets what he looks like." The 2nd picture we get is a person who "looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this."
The first person may have scripture memorized, know the books of the Bible, know stories, etc. They have accumulated knowledge but clearly, that is not enough!
The second person is gripped by what they see in the mirror - and keeps on looking! The "perfect law" refers to the OT Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus because he came to fulfill the law. They see the sin in themselves and they also see the holiness of God. Like Paul says in Romans 7:24, "What a wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
Which kind of person are we? Do we look into the mirror and act upon what we see? Are we a part of a process of looking & doing, looking & doing, looking & doing?
If we are looking and doing? How is this lived out for you?
James closes with a beatitude: if we hear and do the word, one will be blessed in ALL they do. (Wow, really??) That's what the scripture states . . . :-)
When we look into the Word, we see, literally, the "heart of our birth". The longer one looks at the mirror, the more we begin to see our flaws, blemishes etc. (Some talked about when we see ourselves on video, the camera doesn't lie . . . or how about the great 360 mirror on What Not To Wear? Nothing is hidden. . . ) The mirror - the Word - allows us to look at ourselves but also to gaze upon the face of God.
So we have 2 pictures - one person who "looks at their face in the mirror and, after looking at it, goes away and forgets what he looks like." The 2nd picture we get is a person who "looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this."
The first person may have scripture memorized, know the books of the Bible, know stories, etc. They have accumulated knowledge but clearly, that is not enough!
The second person is gripped by what they see in the mirror - and keeps on looking! The "perfect law" refers to the OT Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus because he came to fulfill the law. They see the sin in themselves and they also see the holiness of God. Like Paul says in Romans 7:24, "What a wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
Which kind of person are we? Do we look into the mirror and act upon what we see? Are we a part of a process of looking & doing, looking & doing, looking & doing?
If we are looking and doing? How is this lived out for you?
James closes with a beatitude: if we hear and do the word, one will be blessed in ALL they do. (Wow, really??) That's what the scripture states . . . :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)