Tag Archive - series

4 Christmases

November 22, 2009 in Church with 0 Comments

The fire’s roaring; snowflakes are gently falling; the kids are playing peacefully under the tree, family members whom you haven’t seen in years are gathered around the kitchen table relishing in each other’s company-laughing at old stories told for the 100th time; all is well with the world. It’s Christmas time!

Hello? Anybody home out there. Can we get real for a moment? Real Christmas is not like that hallmark commercial. Anybody can act cheery & peaceful for 30 seconds! But reality is this season tends to highlight some very real difficulties. How ironic! The date when we remember God coming to earth to help us & lift us up, has in many instances become a season we’d just rather skip.

Join me over the next 4 Sundays, beginning this Sun Nov 29th, as we begin our new Advent series called 4 Christmases: Real Hope for Real Christmas. Each Sunday we will explore what God’s message of hope is to 4 real Christmas experiences-loneliness, broken families, departed loved ones whose presence will be deeply missed & the lack of money. Remember, there is real hope for you…no matter what! That’s what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. So, join us as we explore what God says about our real life Christmas experiences.

What Forgiveness Isn’t & What It Is

September 20, 2009 in Spirituality with 0 Comments

I’m indebted to R.T. Kendall for most of the following insights. If you want to study more I highly recommend his book Total Forgiveness. Enjoy.
(*This article coincides with the 1st message in the series ‘The Most Shocking Words Jesus Said.’)

Colossians 3:12-13

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

What forgiveness is NOT:

  1. Forgiveness is NOT approving.
    God does not approve of sin. God hates sin. Jesus does not wink at sin either, likes it’s no big deal. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery but he told her plainly to ‘Stop it!’ Yes, we are called to forgive but we are never called to make what is wrong look like it is right.
  2. Forgiveness is NOT excusing.
    True forgiveness is not pointing to circumstances & excusing wrong behavior. It’s not explaining away sin. It’s not saying, “Well, I’m a very competitive person. I take my job seriously. That’s why I ‘f-d’ you out.” Continue Reading…

The Most Shocking Words Jesus Said

September 10, 2009 in Church, Spirituality with 0 Comments

Do you keep photo’s that are completely distorted or out-of-focus? Why not? Well, because they’re worthless. You can’t tell who’s in it, what’s going on & it certainly won’t help you remember the occasion. Even more, would you share this photo on FaceBook? No, you simply delete it & forget it. In the same way, many people are carrying around a picture of Jesus that is completely distorted. Is it any wonder that the real Jesus is completely void of any meaning & power in their lives?

I want to invite you on a journey starting next Sunday, Sept 20th as we begin a new series called: “The Most Shocking Words Jesus Said.” We will go beyond the stereotypes & the plastic Jesus that bobbles on our dash boards. Join us over the next 5 Sundays, as we actually open our bibles & seriously consider the absolutely shocking things that came out of Jesus’ mouth. Why would he say them & what do they mean to us today?

Get ready to be shocked!

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