Disciplines:Simplicity

On Tuesday night Pastor Brad shared with us from the sermon on the mount about the discipline of simplicity. The main text for the night was Matthew 5:37 "Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." The context is making Oaths and swearing by God's name, the heavens or your own head. Jesus is instructing them to let your yes or your no be good enough for whatever agreement or argument you are in. By living a life where you are true to your word, it simplifies a lot of the problems we have in our personal lives. Many of the problems we have in life come from broken vows. We make promises we can't keep, but make them anyway in the hope that circumstances will change or situations will be different. Ultimately these promises, when broken, hurt our relationships with others. This is very hard discipline because things are not always black and white, yes or no. This week, ask God for wisdom to make the right decisions, the discipline to live a simple life and for strength to keep the oaths we make to God and to each other.

Jeff

Setlist

Here For You - Chris Tomlin

Happy Day - Tim Hughes

We Will Sing - New Life Worship

The Stand - Hillsong

Came To My Rescue - Hillsong

Disciplines:Committment

Last night we meet in the fireside room because the sanctuary is under construction. It was a great night of simple worship without all loudness of drums and electric guitars. Don't get me wrong, I love drums and electric guitars, but there is just something special about singing music to God with simple instrumentation. Pastor Bruce shared again from the sermon on the mount in Matthew about Lust and Divorce. In the passage Jesus makes some startling statements about gorging out your eyes and cutting off your hands. These are meant as exaggerations and not literal actions. But Jesus' great point is that the smaller sins, lust and anger, lead to greater sins such as murder and divorce. Jesus wants us to avoid every kind of sin so that we can maintain our faith in Him, and also so that we don't have to live with the consequences of that sin. When I think about my own life, I am so thankful that I am in a committed relationship with my wife. I am very secure in that relationship because we have vowed to stay together. We are committed to each other. If two humans can be so committed to each other that they vow to stay together regardless of feelings and actions, how much great must God be committed to us, to sacrifice His only Son so that we can have a relationship with Him. Be encouraged, God is for us, he is committed to us, and He loves us with an everlasting love! Have a great week and hopefully next week we will be back in the sanctuary.

Jeff

Setlist

How Great Is Our God - Chris Tomlin

Glorified - Jared Anderson

Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman

Healer - Hillsong

Just To Be With You - Paul Baloche

Disciplines:Forgiveness

Hey everyone,

Sorry this is a day late, I've been really busy because we are doing some major sound renovations in our sanctuary. Please pray for this project which is the rest of this week and most of next week.

Pastor Bruce shared on Tuesday night about the discipline of forgiveness. Forgiveness is hard because, once again, we can't stand on our right to be mad, stay anger, or get revenge on a person who has wronged us. Romans 5:8 says "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." That verse doesn't say, "Once we felt bad about what we have done and asked for forgiveness, Christ died for us." Christ died for us while we were still His enemy. We are enemies of God in our fallen state. It is only because of the blood of Jesus that we can have a relationship with God. That blood washes and covers our sins so that we can truly be forgiven.

I understand that people can hurt you very deeply, and that it is hard to truly forgive those who have done such things. But embrace the forgiveness that Christ has given you, through His Son, and hopefully that forgiveness will make it's way, through you, into others lives as well.

Jeff

Setlist

My Savior Lives - New Life Worship

Alive And Running - Kristian Stanfill

Break Free - Hillsong

Hosanna - Hillsong

How Great Is The Love - Paul Baloche

P.S. Next week we will be meeting in the fireside room because of construction in the sanctuary! See you then!

Disciplines:Holiness

Last night Pastor Bruce shared about the discipline of holiness. Holiness means set apart, or completely other. God is holy because it is his nature, and also because he is completely set apart and completely other from us. Pastor Bruce encouraged us that as we are salt and light in the world, we should be different and set apart, not in an arrogant or condescending way, but that people should notice a difference. Salt makes food last longer and taste better. Light is helpful to discover new things and dispel darkness. While the discipline is hard, it will ultimately bring glory to God and help us battle the devil. The concept of Lumen is actually based on Matthew 5:15, "You are the light of the world." Be a light to those around you this week, and as "let your light shine before others, they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Jeff

Setlist

Your Name High - Hillsong

Alive and Running - Kristian Stanfill

Counting on God - New Life Worship

Overcome - New Life Worship

Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle