Small steps in faith

Christ in you

2011-11-28T12:00:00.002-05:00

My notes from the sermon by Rennes Bowers on 11/27

Nothing is coincidence
The Son can do nothing of his own accord.
How did Jesus live his life?
Need to look at the root not just his fruits
He lived as a man.he did these miracles as a man in dependence of his Father
John 20 Father sent Jesus and Jesus sends us with the indwelling presence of Him in us
He breathes into them the Holy Spirit.
Jesus teaches on:
1. Kingdom 2. Father 3. Life
Creation...author of life
Plan..eat from the tree of life
We ate from the wrong tree...the tree of knowledge of good and evil
The Christian life is not to pursue good and avoid evil
It's to live with God in us
Gospel of John is about life
bios=measurable life
psuche=soul life
zoe=God's eternal divine life
Passover..blood
lamb=they eat if for strength for the journey
blood=salvation
zoe=life
lamb(Christ) in you
Jesus is Zoe
Galations 2:20
You can't live robotically
We are the vessel He lives in
Broken vessels..God flows through you to others
God puts lambs in our lives

"John 9:1-17"

2011-11-28T11:29:00.002-05:00

My notes from Jasons' sermon on 11/20

No reference to healing with blindness by God in the Old Testament
No reference to disciples healing blindness in the New Testament

In the gospels, there are many examples of Jesus healing the blind
Isaiah The Messiah gives sight to the blind
Jesus is showing He is the Messiah to the Jews

Observation #1
The blind man could not see Jesus but He could see him
Jesus stops and helps those who are blind..even spiritually blind. We don't seek God if left to ourselves
To be like Jesus....don't overlook the disabled

Assumption in that cultrure..specific suffering results in specific sins that caused it
God has a purpose for all of us...there is no accident or mistake
Look at the world through the lens of the WORD
Exodus 4:11

Observation #2
This man's blindness as purposed by God
Differently enabled..not disabled
Doesn't mean you can't pray for healing
Life with disability with Jesus is better than life without disability without Jesus

Observation #3
Jesus wants his disciples to co-labor with Him in the works of God
Ephesians 2:10

Observation #4
Jesus wants his disciples to do God's works with a sense of urgency
There is an enemy working in this world
Don't waste your life
Jesus got his hands dirty to heal a man
Pool of Siloan=sent
Jesus=sent

Observation #5
The pool of Siloan is a picture of Jesus
Need to be washed whiter than snow

Observation #6
The changes in the blind man's life caused the crowds to ask questions
Started off thinking of Jesus as a man then sees him as a prophet...later in John he sees him as the Messiah

John Newton
By the grace of God I am what I am..no longer a slave to satan and sin

"John 8:48-58

2011-11-13T16:55:00.002-05:00

My notes from Jason's sermon this am

V 48- Name calling from the Pharisees.
They dishonor Jesus by calling him a Samaritan and having a demon
When we stand for the things of God , we should expect some level of conflict

49-50 Dishonoring Jesus is the same as dishonoring God Opposing Jesus is opposing God
opposing Jesus..warning that God is a judge who will defend his glory
God sent Jesus to save us 3:17...not just to condemn
John 8:51 eternal life..if you keep his word...an offer of grace
John 11:35-26
We have physical death but our soul lives
John 5:24
Eternal life starts when we believe ...not when we die.
Death where is your victory

54-58 Jesus tells them who he is..even Abraham rejoiced who he is
Before Abraham..I AM...making a point about his preexistence and his presence now. I am God.
John 8:58 Jesus claims to be God. He understood his own divinity
When Jesus makes a promise, God makes a promise
Hebrews 2:14-15
Fear of death-enemy trying to keep you a slave to death

2 Samuel 9

2011-11-11T17:54:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon on 11/6
Orphan Sunday
We sang the beautiful song "Albertine" by Brooke Fraser
Videos of families who were involved with adoption

In the context of history of this chapter of the Bible
Saul is in the positon of leadership but has no heart for God
David..man after God's heart
He becomes a warrior
Saul becomes jealous of David
Saul's son, Jonathan, is David's best friend
Jonathan and Saul both die in battle
Mephibosheth is Jonathan's son
His nurse drops him and he is physically crippled

Mephibosheth was:

Fatherless
From a rival family
Damaged

David was:
Searches for him
Has kindness toward him
restores him
communes with him

Jesus goes to the morgue and puts his life on ours so that we may live
He restores our life

Look for ways God wants you to be involved with orphans

"Carried to the Table" by Leeland based on this story

John 8:37-47

2011-10-31T11:37:00.002-04:00

My notes from Rob's sermon

"Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me"

Spiritual paternity test
God or Satan

How does the Devil raise his children?

1. He wants to raise you to see God as your biological heritage
This isn't theological...it's about faith
The Jews felt entitled
For those raised in the church, this can be a vulnerability
"I'm good because I've been raised in the church"

2. He wants to raise you to do his work
Patterns of sinning

3. He wants to raise you in the belief that knowing God does not require you to love Jesus
He's not afraid of God talk but screams in fear of Jesus

4. He wants to raise you with his desires in order to overide the words of Jesus
ex. dating
theologically....read, listen to things that contradict scripture

5. He wants to raise you to see Jesus as the liar
ex. Genesis...the snake
Jesus has never uttered a lie

6. He wants to raise you to be spiritually deaf

We are not entitled to God's grace
Christ commissions us to good work
How are your affections for Jesus? you heart? your passion?
Are you operating in the power of the spirit?
Jesus is the truth in everything
Are you humble and teachable? or are you prideful?

Knowing God....J Packard

Do I understand my adoption?
Have I sought sure assurance
Do I think of Jesus as my brother? divine authority and divine sympathy
Have I learned to hate the things that displease my father
Do I look forward to that day in heaven?
Do I love my brothers and sisters?
Am I proud of my family?
Does family likeness appear in me?

"John 8:31-38

2011-10-31T11:23:00.002-04:00

My notes from Jason's sermon

Jesus is talking to those who profess beliefs
Abide in his words
What does that mean?
Remain connected to them in such a way action happens Producing fruit
Many examples in scripture that tell us the importance of producing fruit
What are you living out?
If tomorrow you decided "I don't believe in Jesus" would your lifestyle change?

1. Freedom's Practice
Abiding in Jesus word Ex. a chair...actually sitting in it
free from sin to free to something
Wants can conflict
True freedom to do what we're made for
The more we abide and discipline ourselves the more free we are

2. Freedom's Prerequisite
Admitting you are a slave v33
Can't base on religious heritage

Freedom is the state of having the right master...Jesus

3. Freedom's Promise
Becoming a family memeber v35
Are you a slave or are you a son? v36
free= to be set free fro the trap of sin
one who is freeborn..new birthrights
Set free to be adopted
Ex sex trade...liberation and adoption

4. Freedom's Person
Jeus the son

5. Freedom's Price
death

Are you living in the truth that sets you free?

"Holding On" by Jamie Caulk

2011-10-23T17:20:00.000-04:00

Jamie Caulk - Holding On from Matthew Caulk on Vimeo.

"John 8:21-30

2011-10-17T09:26:00.002-04:00

My notes from Jason's sermon 10/16

Warnings=grace
V21-24
If you don't believe, you will die in your sins
To die in your sins=to die in the state of being in your sin unforgiven
Still under wrath and condemnation
eternity will be in Hell separated from him
Jesus told this to "religious" people
You can be "religious" and still be in your sin

2 Warnings to Unbelievers

1. The opportunity to believe Him is temporary "You will seek me but not find me"

2. Unbelief results in permanent separation
Matthew 25...the door shuts
Unless you believe that "I AM"
Lift Him up(on the cross)
Supernatural things happen at Jesus death
Philippians 2:9 "Every knee will bow"

Will you believe before the day you die...or after you die when you are condemned

Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing

"John 8:12-20

2011-10-17T09:16:00.002-04:00

My notes from Rob's sermon 10/9

Fear of the dark
We grow out of being afraid of the dark but not out of being in a dark place
What does Jesus say about the dark places?

The Blazing Light that is Jesus

I am the light of the world
In John there are 7 "I AM" statements

1 The blazing light is transcultural
It's light for all

2 The blazing light is life giving
Led out of Egypt by a pillar of fire
Psalm 78:14

A great tragedy is being near a blazing light but being blind to it
We are born in darkness

Walking in darkness is thinking and acting in any way that treats Jesus as anything less than God

Doing good in world standards but you are blind in God's view

How were the Pharisees and Scribes walking in darkness?
They believed Jesus acted independently from the Father
They were wrong on the origin and destination of Jesus

Gospel courage...understand where we've been and where we're going John 16:28

They knew God as a revelation but not as a Father 1Thessalonians 5:5

"John 8:1-11"

2011-10-03T09:19:00.002-04:00

My notes from Rob's sermon on 10/2/11
In the ESV version, there are brackets around these verses. In some earlier translations, these verses were not included

1. A textual dilemma?
Textual criticism- finding out how we have gotten these documents to be in our Bible
We have no "autographs"...only manuscripts or copies
There is going to be variance
In the oldest copies, this story is not in there.
It doesn't appear for several hundred years
The vocabulary is different.
However, this doesn't mean it didn't happen.

2. Public shame
Jesus is teaching and they take the woman from the setting to this public place and announce her sin publicly
Pharisees and scribes scribes are lawyers

3. Demonic trap
Kill her...it's against Rome
Don't kill her...it's against the Sanhedrim
Their goal isn't pure..it's a trap
Deuteronomy 22:22
Leviticus 20:10
These are referring to the law
But where is the man?
One of the Pharisees? One of the scribes? Was it done to trap Jesus?

4. Dramatic Reversal
In a situation that looks like there is no hope
Jesus writes on the ground
What was he writing?
This woman was not the only adulteress in the story
CS Lewis "Mere Christianity" He talks about cold self righteousness
Jeremiah 17:13
He who is without sin cast the first stone....the oldest left first

5. An astonishing and life altering Freedom
Their greatest crime...they walked away...they didn't repent
Their self righteousness stayed
They see others sin as greater than their own
Jesus was the only one with no sin who could stone her but He lets her go "I don't condemn you"
but
sin no more...have a changed life
2 Corinthians 9:8
There are no "private sins" before God
Hebrews 4:18
Job 34:21
The adulterous woman is us
We need someone who is justified to kill us but by grace sets us free
There is punishment for the crime...but someone else pays for it...Jesus
Isaiah 55:5-6
Romans 8:1
Colossians 2:14-15

"John 7:40-46"

2011-09-18T17:37:00.002-04:00

Sept 18
These are my notes from Rob's sermon this am
Loved seeing Kristen Paulick on the screen talking about her mission for human trafficking. She will be starting a business to help prostitutes and women make money so they don't have to sell themselves or their daughters.
Beautiful worship music with 1000 + voices singing their hearts out
The last few verses of the last sermon are Jesus talking about being living water.
Disciples of Christ often get static for their beliefs...even in their own family ...just as Jesus does

3 Reactions to what Jesus has said

1. Division about Jesus (40-43)
Some say he is a prophet and some say he is the Christ
It's not the same thing

Deuteronomy 18:15
Talks about another prophet "like Moses" Some thought he was this prophet

Christ=messiah=predicted to come and make all injustice right
Micah 5:2 This audience has no idea is from Bethlehem as predicted. They think he doesn't fit the description

Allegiance to Jesus will foster questions "I think Jesus is......"
This is ok

2. Antagonism against Jesus (44-45)
Nobody is threatened by his miracles..they are threatened by his claims
He is the living water

Scapegoat=transfer of sin to "living goat" Christ
When Jesus is crucified and his side is punctured, there is blood and water that flowed

3. Disarmament of Jesus
The temple officers are disarmed by Jesus' words
We've never heard words like this
Are Jesus' words the soundtrack we operate by? at work? in the world?

When you experience oppostion because of allegiance to Jesus

1. Don't be surprised...scripture reminds us this will happen
2. Be thankful...God will use it to mature us
3. Don't demonize
4. Pray...pray for those who persecute you
5. Serve...through actions
6. Expose...share the gospel

"John 7 :25-36

2011-09-04T18:44:00.002-04:00

My notes from Apex sermon by Rob

Confusion and anger What is producing this?
This message from Jesus if for those at that time and for those of us now
We make the same mistakes that they are making
Who is Jesus? Your answer is crucial

1. Nature of Jesus (v28)
For thirty yr, Jesus lived a mundane life gaining in wisdom and stature
He wasn't fitting the expectations. They were confused on his nature.
The early church had wrong views of Jesus

a. Spirit-mind transplant view (Apollinaus)

b. The two person roomate view- 2 persons existed in 1 body (Nestorius)

c. One New Nature View (Eutyches)

Chakedon connection -fully God and fully man

God sympathizes in our weaknesses but He is God enough to take us out of it.
We often think Jesus needs to conform to our affections
Hebrews 2:17
Hebrews 4: 14-16

Going through prayerlessness, you are believing a heretical view of Jesus

2. Message of Jesus
2 definitions of know
know=facts
know=perceive
You "know" me..facts but you don't "know" me..perceive

He is saying this to Jews who feel they are in the bloodline...they go to the festivals and memorize scripture

Have you really studied who Jesus is? If so, you have choices to make

3. The mission of Jesus
The primary mission of Jesus is to glorify the father. We try to make it about us.
John 17:1-5
Jesus is going where no human can go and he is raising up judgment..soon it will be too late. "You cannot come"

Richard Drew was an AP photographer who too pictures of the twin towers on 9/11
A picture showing a man jumping ...."Falling of Man"
What if it was too late...to say goodbye....to say I love you...to say I'm sorry

Is Jesus your vision?

"John 7:1-13

2011-08-28T18:05:00.002-04:00

My notes from Rob's sermon on 8/21

There is 6 months between John 6-7
We look for the profound and miss the basic meaning of the text

Hostile setting (v1-2)
North Galilee
Middle Samaria
South Judea

Jesus is in the northern regiion of Galilee
Feast Sept to Oct harvest of olives and grapes
Jews wanted to kill Jesus

Logical challenge (v3-4)
God isn't controlled by our logic
Jesus often does things in secret
The gospel is God providing grace through the death on the cross..not through miracles

The incriminatory response (v5-8)
time..schedule=chronos
time opportunity=chiras
Our schedules are ruled by this world. Jesus is not ruled by the same time
He is going to the feast but at a different time

The lingering issue (v9-13)
Who do you and I say Jesus is
Our silence about Jesus is usually fueled by a fear over losing something or someone that we value over Jesus
The depth of our secret life determines the depth of our public influence
Prayer life...attitude..thought life
Close proximity to information about Jesus is not equal to receiving Jesus
Salvation is always a mystery and a miracle of grace.
Don't take grace for granted
We must seek the Lord about what is on our calendars and what to put on our calendars
We want the power that God provides but not the humility or shame that unleashes it.
Marthin Luther..God creates out of nothing...therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him

"John 6:60-71"

2011-08-19T17:30:00.003-04:00

My notes from Jason Wing's sermon

Tough truths
They are not offensive if:
1 It comes from a friend
2 You trust that friend

Three tough truths
1. I am heavenly (38-42) Deity
2. You must eat my flesh and drink my blood (51-53) Exclusive sufficiency
3. Apart from my Father, you can't believe(44) Sovereignty

Scleros..hard to accept

"It's not the things I don't understand that bother me. It's the things that I do understand." Mark Twain

scandeleso..offense
Many churches do things no to offend
Jesus was offensive
One way to God
women submit to your husbands
Men provide

Many truths offend

Truth 1 v 62
Truth 2 v 63
Truth 3 v 64-65

Left to themselves, sinners prefer their sin

Leon Morris "Conversion is always a work of grace"

Respond to Jesus
1. Sincere unbelief..hear and walk away (66)
2. Sincere Belief 68-69)
3. Insincere Belief(70-71)
Judas is an example. He was fascinated by Jesus and saw his teachings

The church is filled with these people today....no intention of loyally following Jesus
2 way Christian is not a Christian
Jesus truth is hard...if we fight against it

"John 6:22-29

2011-07-24T18:43:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex

Motives

As a believer, motives can keep you from growing
As a nonbeliever, motives can keep you from believing

Typically we love it when Jesus answers our prayers but do not feel the same way when he answers our motives.
Rome would feed the Jews every now and then to control them

Five common but lethal motives in following Jesus

1. Following Jesus to avoid Hell but not wanting Him
2. Following Jesus as a means to obtain something that you perceive of greater value
3. Following Jesus out of cultural expectation "Religiously lost"
4. Following Jesus as a way to get through a crisis
5. Following Jesus to receive forgiveness for sin but not to forsake that sin. Jailhouse gospel.

Jesus reveals our motives (v26) He fed them and they want to be fed physically
Sometimes the gifts of God can be the enemies of God
He challenges our motives(v27)
False motives are poison
He redefines their motives (v28)
They ask what can we do?
They don't get it. It's not about what we can do
It's about what God did for us
Believe in Jesus Christ
God is our bread. The ramifications of this can be hard.

How can I labor and not detach from the light of Christ?

1. Spiritual formation guides how you work
Being in a community, prayer, fasting, being in scripture
Work and labor become an outflow of who you are
If you "don't have time", ask yourself What if Jesus "didn't have time" to go to the cross?

2. Your joy in Christ
This should guide your labor not the coworkers,the money, the power
Let the joy of the Lord be your strength
You need to see work as an act of worship
Our boss is Jesus
You need to see it as a field to expand God's glory
Not everybody loves God's glory. It's not always a pleasant place to be
See work as a place Jesus i making you more like Himself God often uses people to "bubble up" our own idolatry

How are you answering the why questions(motives) in your life?

"John 6:16-21

2011-07-17T20:36:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex sermon 7/17

Following Jesus is never a straight line
Rarely a comfortable line

Christian life is not like a vacation cruise liner. It is a war boat storming the beach of a sin torn world

Darkness (17)
Dark nights of the soul
Spiritual depression
Whether or not we see Jesus in the dark, he always sees us

Absence (17b)
Feeling the Lord has abandoned you
Jesus is always praying for you
Philippians 2:1
You have been fused with Christ

Troubled (v18)
Storms of life
We wake up against the wind of culture
This world is broken. This is not our home. Remember to trust Christ
John 14:1..Let not your hearts be troubled...."

Labored (19)
rowing and slogging through life
Being a disciple of Christ is hard work
Take up your cross
You can't be saved by your work, but you don't grow without work
"Grace is not opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. " Dallas Willard

Darkness, absence, troubling circumstances and fatigue can cause confusing fear (19b)
The disciples were fearing that they weren't in control

God allows in this world, darkness, absence,troubling circumstances, and struggle so that Jesus can be sweeter to you.

On Christmas Day, Jesus came to the boat. Jesus gets us to the other side.
He went through darkness, absence, laboring for us.

John 5:25-29

2011-06-26T19:56:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from 6/26 sermon by Jason Zastrow

birth to life to death
We all create definitions of life
v25 An hour is coming and is now here ...both now and the future
Those who understand death are those who are dead..living in pain
Christ came so we can have life
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Who is telling me what life is?
Are you the definer of your own life or others?
Jesus gives life and judges life..redemptive judgment
Why does Jesus get to judge?
He lives as God and man perfectly..righteous judge.
We try to be others judge all the time and we are bad judges
v28 This is basic . No need to marvel
v29 reminder of judgment..while we can still hear his voice we will listen, obey and respond.
How do we live in the spirit in our flesh?
Romans 8..you are in the spirit..it dwell in you...raises our dead lives to life
Resurrection is the definition of life and freedom
Story of Lazarus
"Trumpet Child" by Over the Rhine
Are you living the life of Christ?
Where do you turn for life?

John 5:19-24

2011-06-26T19:32:00.002-04:00

These are my notes for Rob's sermon on June 19

Do Christians,Jews,Muslims, worship the same God?
The answer ..no.
God reveals himself in the exact same way.
The word trinity isn't in scripture but the concept is all over scripture

Studying the trinity
1. God's being and function surpasses us in many ways
2. The most supreme person in the universe has revealed himself
3. Highlights the atonement of the value of Christ..the lamb on the cross
4. For our justification
5. Emphasizes the importance of the interdependence of the body of Christ..we don't follow him alone
6. For prayer ..he hears all of our prayers

Trinity nature
1. Exists as 3 persons
2. Each exists as God
3. There is one God

The ontological trinity
Who God is ..the study of being .existence

The economic trinity
What God does

Roles of Jesus
1. Son is dependant on the father
Jesus is used by the father...we need to depend on the father and be used by the father

2. The son mimics the father..Jesus life wasn't dicatated by the Roman Empire or Jewish rulers
Why does he mimic the father? Because the son is loved by the father
On judgment day, you can't use your earthly father as an excuse..God is your father
Never get over the fact that you are loved by God

3. The son is used by the Father to judge humanity
sheep and goats...which side are we going to be on

4. To bring honor to the Father. Worship the son and you honor the father

5. To save humanity....death to life

Don't Forget to Pack Your Phone

2011-06-05T16:45:00.002-04:00

Luke 11:5-8

These are notes from a sermon I went to this am at Miamisburg Christian Church. I wanted to visit my friends Adam and Kyle who lead worship here.
Their series is based on summer and going on vacation and not forgetting to pack spiritual things we need
This Sunday was prayer(phone)

3 Reasons to Pack Your Phone

I pray because I know that I never don't need God
"O God, if in the day of battle I forget Thee, do not Thou forget me" William King

I pray because praying reminds God and me that I love God
"Prayer is so simple. It is like quietly opening a door and slipping into the very presence of God"

When I persist in my daily prayer, prayer is productive
Finger Prayer
Thumb..those closest to you
Pointer finger..those who teach
Longest finger...our leaders
Ring finger..(weakest) those who are sick
Pinky is smallest..pray for you

2 Reasons We might not pray

Prayer can be frustrating
"Prayer calls for us to be on God's timetable, not for Him to adjust to ours."

God wants my praying to be persistent
PUSH Pray until something happens

Lord,dismiss us now with Your peace, except those who don't know you; keep them miserable until they come to know the Prince of Peace." Donald Barnhous

John 5:1-18

2011-06-05T16:33:00.002-04:00

John 5:1-18

Jesus is going to a festival in the middle of Jerusalem where there is a temple. Outside of the temple is a sheep gate
Lambs/sheep were important in the Jewish faith
They were symbolic
There were 2 pools Many disabled were here. They live here because they have a hope.
The lamb of God doesn't go through the gate. He stops. He doesn't worry about becoming unclean

Jesus knows everything about this man. He created him

If you are going through chronic things, ..nothing gets better..remember Jesus knows..he is never blindsided by our pain
Jesus offers compassion to this man
He asks him a question..Do you want to be healed?
Not everyone who has a need, knows they have a need.
Many people love staying in the pain. Addiction to things that hurt us
We like to stay in our sin It becomes our God
Textual criticism..We justify by pointing to others sins

There was a myth that there were angels stirring the water in the pool and the first one in got healed
In pain...we believe myths and crazy things

Get up and take up your bed(reminder of pain)

Is suffering always caused by sin?
Physical suffering is not always caused by sin but it's connected to sin...pollution
Many ask why tornados? Because we believe in a broken world Personal or Pollution? We may never know which
This man is not a disciple of Jesus.
He tell him to stop sinning
Worse than being lame is a heart that is hardened.

John 4: 43-54

2011-06-05T16:20:00.002-04:00

John 4:43-54
These are my notes from May 21 sermon.
Irony.....contradiction
Profane...to make normal
Many times when we think we are welcoming Jesus, we are dishonoring him
Welcoming faith is not the same as saving faith

1. Faith motivated by tragedy
Problem leads to leap of faith

2. Motivated by miraculous
Jesus is not talking in this passage to just the dad
He is also talking to all of us
God does the miraculous all the time through grace

It's a desire to use Jesus but not love him
When he gets into parts of our lives such as idols, we want him to leave...we treat him like a dinner guest

Saving faith..Jesus uses the broken version of faith

1. Believes and responds...Sincere faith is not based on tragedy and miracles. It's based on God's word
We are all here to get our orders from the King
You can't be just listeners You have to be doers

2. Responds by trusting in his promises
Promise from the Lord in the middle of the desert. What will keep you going? The promises and word of God
Jesus has never broken a promise. He fulfills every promise
What do you do when it's not working out? Keep walking.We give up too soon. Jesus kept walking ..to his death.

3 Affects those around us.
If you don't always clearly see the fruit, it doesn't mean you're not walking

"John 4: 27-42

2011-05-15T17:03:00.002-04:00

My notes from 5/15 sermon

Harvest
4 Scenes of the Harvest

1. The thirst is quenched (27-30)
What jar in your life is containing what you think is sustaining you?
Job? Degree? Membership? Neighborhood?
Love? Affection? family?
Pleasure? vacations? video games? bottle? pills?
What do you need to abandon?
Sharing your story like the woman at the well..planting seeds

2. The hunger is satisfied (31-34)
food...are you spiritually starving?
food=doing the will of God
God's mission is our meal
Jesus mission= die on the cross so we can have eternal life

3. The harvest is reaped (35-41)
4 months of harvest....he addresses them in their physical mindset
white for harvest...spiriitual harvest people with souls...Samaritans wore white robes..they were the immediate harvest
Sowers and reapers
Sowers...give the good new i.e. John the Baptist
Reapers...the disciples
See where God is at work and join Him in it...Henry Blackaby

Secondhand testimony is not a substitute for direct personal encounter with Jesus
You can't ride the coattails of some one else's faith

4. The Savior is worshipped (v42)
God gives the growth
"The goal of the church is not missions but worship" John Piper

Missions exist because worship doesn't
We can plant and water but it's God who makes it grow

"John 4: 16-26

2011-05-15T16:56:00.003-04:00

My notes from the sermon on 5/8 Mother's Day

There are many things we want from God but there are things we don't want him to take in order to get them.

1. Jesus reveals the woman's false worship (16-18)
She married over and over
You can't make your spouse your lord.
She doesn't want to let Jesus in her heart...she argues theology.
Theological arguments are used to hide

2. Jesus reveals her broken thinking (19-24)
You can't worship without the spirit..it's from a deep place inside
It has nothing to do with hymns vs contemporary
Right thinking produces right feeling
Worship must have heart and head
head only=dry up
heart only=blow up
concert of both=grow up

3. Jesus reveals his solution (himself) (25-26)

"John 4: 1-15"

2011-05-02T12:50:00.002-04:00

A Tale of Two Empty People

He has a name...Nicodemus
She has no name

He is in Judah
She is in Samaria

He comes to Jesus
Jesus goes to her

He is revered
She is reviled

You can never to too high to not need salvation and you an never be too low to receive salvation

After Solomon Israel splits into Samaria and Jerusalem
Assyria comes in and defeats the northern kingdom. Some stay in Samaria and there are 2 theologies
Jews hate Samaritans..they diluted pure worship of the living God
There is tension and strife
Jesus meets a lady with 3 strikes

She's a Samaritan
A woman
Has a sordid past

She comes to the well at noon because of shame
Jacob's well...it's 100 ft deep and still works today
Jesus goes out of his way to get to this woman
He's tired but still cares about this woman's salvation
When you and I do gospel work, we will be weary

Being missional....
1. Jesus cares for the lost.. People are hard to love
a. Pray for the lost
b. Remember the mercy given to you
c. compare others to Christ, not yourself
d. feel the weight of our future (judgment)

2. Jesus displays vulnerability
If unbelievers see you as squeaky clean, that's a problem

3. Jesus connects (the earthly and spiritual)
There is a well inside of us
Problem..Her bucket is leaking Jeremiah 2:13.. Broken cisterns

4. Jesus offers (a deeper search)
Use your life earthly to connect to others spiritually...always be ready

Easter

2011-05-02T12:17:00.012-04:00

The resurrection provided hope to an ongoing reality

"What oxygen is to the lungs,such is hope to the meaning of life" Emil Brunner

Mark Barton...a man who killed his family in Atlanta. He had no hope

People who are hopeless and don't know it...are people who don't have hope in Christ but the world.

Resurrection hope is:
1. protected..it's kept in heaven and never decays
2. stubborn..even in trials..we still have hope in Christ
God doesn't put us through a trial so He can find out...it's so we can find out
If a trial happens to Jesus, it happens to his disciples
3. Overyoyed...irrepressible
In the final day we have new minds and bodies We will be reengineered to enjoy our ultimate joy

"John 3:31-36"

2011-04-17T17:11:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from the Apex sermon this am
This weekend Apex had a men's conference on Fri night/Sat am/afternoon
More than 700 men attended
The 2 things that stood out
1. A baptism of a new believer
2. The into of love our city.. We need to love our city..reach our city..work with our city.
To love a city...we need to love it's children
Apex has signed an agreement to support Big Brothers /Big Sisters with men who will mentor young boys.

John 3:31-36
In the midst of conflict, John reacts with humility. The conflict is about baptism

John understood the origin and height of Jesus(v31)
Jesus is from heaven....John is from dust...just like we all are. We need to remind ourselves of this
He is above all
We try to be kings/queens of our own hell
Jesus died on a hill...He is the King of the hill

Jesus has a vantage point we don't have
We don't know what happens in the future

John's humility is fueled by the authenticity of Jesus (v32-33)
We have the seal of Jesus on our life

We are only qualified to share the gospel because of blood of Jesus Christ

John is fueled by the sustaining spirit of Jesus (v34)
God does not hold out on us...he gives without measure
If you're burn out..life is oppressive..you've stopped repenting. We are always in need of His grace

John is fueled by the sobering goodness and wrath of Jesus
goodness=eternal life
Jesus is not just the good mood of God
The last face you see before going to Hell is the face of Jesus in judgment
God's goodness fuels his wrath
You can't have love without having hate

"John 3:22-30" Competition

2011-04-17T16:56:00.004-04:00

These are my notes from Apex for 4/10
Competition...sometimes it's taken too far
Women...relationships,looks lead to jealousy
Men...goal oriented..condescending to others
All of us are competitive in some way
There is no room for competition in the church of Jesus Christ
how do you deal with the fact that someone is always better than you?
How do we deal with losing?
Who you are jealous of is your functional god

John is baptizing differently than Jesus
Full immersion vs repentance
In the church today, we do Romans 6 baptism
v.25...discussion..fight..dissension
Jealousy minimizes what you have and maximizes what you don't have
"All are going to him" This is an exaggeration
How does John the Baptist respond?

1. John saw everything no matter how small as grace (v27)

2. John understood his role in the kingdom (v28)

3. John had met his joy (v29) He was the best man at the wedding. The groom was the object of the wedding

Men.....Has there been some resentment, frustration form a root of competition that has gone too far?
Women Are you comparing to other women?

"John 3:16-21"....and Rob Bell's "Love Wins"

2011-04-04T11:12:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from yesterday's sermon on 4/2/11

John 3:16 is one of the most well known verses of the Bible. It's often used out of context.
When we look at the word love, we are looking at God's intensity and how God plays out that intensity

The Extravagant Love of God is displayed by....

1. Sending His best. He gives his only son. The word begotten means unique.
You and I get the love of God when we give others our best....not just our leftover extras

2.Removing present and perishing condemnation
We are already condemned...it's already been decided.
The good news is in Romans..."Now there is no more condemnation for those in Christ
Perish-Hell
Hell is eternal existence ..an eternity away from the presence of God that's an eternity of suffering
Many in today's generation want to rebel against the talk of Hell because they felt the talk of Hell,fire , and brimstone was pushed at them...but....Jesus talked about Hell...alot
He talked about it with the topics of anger, misplaced fear,our wrong focus, the pharisees and their evangelism
Sometimes we try to lessen it's horrific nature
Rob Bell wrote a book called "Love Wins" Rob doesn't discourage us from reading it but make sure you have your Bible when you read it.
Rob Bell is a pastor and he talks about hard questions that many pastors deal with.
We get enamored with the questions, but sometimes the answers he provides don't add up.
2Corinthinians 10:5
Teachers and Preachers have a mandate to critique opinions to make sure they are of God.

The Approaches taken to lessen the horrific nature of Hell

1. The approach of language.... "well maybe that word doesn't actually mean that" "Maybe it's nuance of a phrase"
When you take this approach, you are on a slippery slope. An example of this is the serpent in the garden of Eden
"Did God really say that?"
In Hebrew Old Testament , there is one word for Hell ...sheol
In Greek New Testament , there are three words..tartaroo(used by Peter), Hades, and Gahenna

Tartaroo....abyss
Hades..equivalent to Sheol..pit
Intermediate state...redeemed and unredeemed before Christ comes back
Don't get intermediate state confused with purgatory
In Intermediate State...there is no change in staus...you stay reedemed or unreedemed
Gahenna.....Jesus uses the term for the valley in SW Jerusalem...the trash dump..Rob Bell points this out but stops there. He fails to tell you that it was known in 2 Kings as the Valley of Son of Hinnom where children were burned.
Jesus uses that concept to talk about the horrific nature of Hell. It's not just a trash dump
perish- everlasting punishment...on andon or just an age? Context always rules
If you use the word everlasting as just an age...you have to use it in that way for goodness as well
Revelation 14-future judgment ..."the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night"

2. The approach of History...(the"Oliver Stone" way)
Giving back and breathing in a new narrative
The Apostolic Fathers..a generation after Christ.
Every generation has heretics and heresy
The Bible recalibrates us when we are abusive in theology

3. The Approach of Universalism- everyone goes to heaven
Christian universalism...Jesus wears different masks.
If Jesus redeems, the words are the same...the message is the same.
If you read the doctrines for Hindu,Buddhist,Muslim,Jehovah's Witness,Mormonism....the message is not the same
Faith...hearing through the word of Christ

4. The Approach of Annhilation....it's not an eternal existence
In Philippians 2:10..it tells us that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and under the earth.

For the questions by Rob Bell as to whether an unfathomable amount of people will exist in Hell and a small number be saved

1. Jesus said so Himself. Matthew 7:13-14 Christ warned against Hell. He didn't use it as a "scare tactic"

2. I remember God's full justice would allow no one in heaven....none of us deserve heaven..we are all sinners and have created treason

3. God's love can't be separated or elevated above his Holiness...God is love but He is also Holy

4. I remember God's love is not done. Revelation 5:9 "..and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation" The message of the gospel will be made known to all...

5. I remember to get back to the work of the gospel
The greatest heresy isn't Rob Bell...it's us who sit and do nothing to reach the lost.

6. I remember grace...
"Think lightly of Hell and you will soon think lightly of the cross" Charles Spurgeon

"John 3:9-15"

2011-04-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

These are my notes for Apex sermon on 3/27

We treat God like a telemarketer who seeks us at inconvenient times. He shares what our needs are and we screen Him.
Nicodemus was screening the call of God. Religion was getting in the way.
Jesus is on a collision course with Nicodemus on two different types of knowledge.
Nicodemus..a scholar but doesn't understand the word of God
Do you look at it as a duty..a stopping point or as a place to jump off and love others more?

1 Samuel 10:16
Isaiah 32:5
Jeremiah 31:33

Nicodemus knew these verses. The personification was standing in front of him and he didn't know it

Our knowledge must flow out of...

1. the authority of Jesus (11-13)
He is not a consultant
Who is the "we"?
Jesus uses sarcasm
He is talking about Himself and the Father
He has authority in and of Himself
We only have derived authority
Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth

2. the mercy of Jesus (14)
Knowledge without love...we get puffed up
Many with knowledge only are jerks..no one wants to be around them.
They have the knowledge but it's a wall not a conduit
Numbers 21:5
God's divine judgment and divine mercy
The serpent on the pole
The lamb of God on the cross
He who knew no sin became sin for us

3. the mission of Jesus(15)
Luke 5:31
Came to save sinners
Ezekiel 34:16
seek the lost strengthen the weak
We don't gain knowledge to become fat and immobile.
It's to serve others and to be a blessing to others

"John 3: 1-8

2011-03-20T18:48:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from the sermon from Apex this am.
I loved that we had someone playing an orchestra bass for worship.
Rob recognized the fact that many questions are coming in surrounding the Rob Bell book and dealing with the topic of hell
We will be addressing this in sermons involving John 3.
The word perish in the Bible...what does it mean?

Chapter 2 flows into Chapter 3
We tend to impose our own culture on certain passages and this is one of those.

Nicodemus..a pharisee..a teacher of the Jews...came to Jesus at night.
Why? For an uninterrupted conversation and to protect status

Pharisees came in the 400 yrs between old and new testament
The Roman Empire grew and they needed to stratisfy leadership
Rome conquered Israel
They used Jews in roles of leadership

1. Zealots.. a party that came out and fought with Rome
2. Sadducees..political...didn't believe in the physical resurrection. Didn't believe in angels. They were wealthy
3. Essenes...separated from culture..lived in deserts...minimalistic
4. Pharisees..word of God...law..they were obsessed with how God revealed himself.

Truly Truly..."you need to listen to me"

The term born again Christian is redundant.
A Christian who is not born again is not a Christian

Being born again:
1, Transfers you into the kingdom of God (v3)
We are all citizens of a kingdom. Not all citizens are of the same kingdom.
Kingdom is either celestial or demonic
Hitler and Billy Graham equally need the righteousness of Jesus
The kingdom is now and it will be perfected when Jesus comes back....and then ...there will only be one kingdom
How can I tell if I'm part of God's kingdom? Every part of your life involves God's kingdom
Nicodemus gives a sarcastic response to Jesus (v4)

2. Renovates you for the kingdom of God (v5-6)
water and spirit..refers back to Ezekial 36: 24-27
Gives you a new will..an inclination to make us a person of God that He desires
How can I tell?
Are you growing in your hatred toward sin? Is it becoming more unnatural

Too many church members are starched and ironed but not washed

Christianity is a wrecking ball to our life.

3. is a spiritual mystery of the kingdom of God
"The grace of the wind"
Humility is important
We deserve nothing but hell

"The Bridge of Peace" by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-03-18T10:06:00.001-04:00

I have just finished reading a very intriguing Amish fiction book called "The Bridge of Peace" I had read the first in the series and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read this as well.
This takes place in the Amish community and involves some of the same characters as the first book as well as new ones.
The focus is on the story of a school teacher, Lena Kauffman, who becomes entangled in the lives of her students and their parents. It deals with modern day subjects such as bullying and alcohol and it's effects.
It deals with the secrecy and privacy issues that Amish people struggle with in marriage.
I like the fact that it explores the characters such as Lena and Grey and goes back into their history .
There is romance, intrigue and mystery, and most of all it gives you insight into the Amish community and how they deal with everyday modern problems that manage to infiltrate into their community.
It holds your attention so that you will read for hours just to see what happens next.
I would highly recommmend this book

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

"John 2:23-25"

2011-03-13T18:02:00.002-04:00

These are my notes for today's sermon by Rennes Bowers

Zeal isn't taught, it's caught from others..white hot
As we exercise faith, we become spiritually alive
God knows everything about everybody
That's either frightening to you or encouraging
They believed in his name but he didn't entrust himself the them ..not saving faith
They believed He came from God...that's faith that saves

"John 2: 12-22"

2011-03-13T17:48:00.002-04:00

These are my notes for the sermon on 3/6

The text needs to be looked at 4 ways

1. Look at Occasion
Day of Atonement..Passover It's usually in late March/April
All Jewish males went up to Jerusalem
Jesus goes to the temple to the Court of the Gentiles

2. Look at His Anger
He used a whip to drive them out.
What is making him so mad?

3. Look at the Reasons
1. Economic..prices are increased unfairly
2. Racial..Jewish people were getting in the way of religion...Racist against Gentiles
3. Jesus knew he was going to destroy the temple. There would be no barriers...the curtain comes down
The Babylonians destroyed the temple and are still trying to rebuild it
Hebrews 9:8 Specifications of the temple

4. Look at ourselves
God lives in the lives of disciples.
God overturns the tables in us What are they?
Are there barriers in the courts of your life that keep you from boldly coming before Jesus....not praying..not sharing faith
We're exchanging the value of Jesus of something cheap
What does Jesus need to take a whip to?
Are their barriers toward other people? Latent racism..against economical class ..personality type
Jesus can turn over those barriers through the power of His cross

3 yrs after this incident was the crucifixion.
When Jesus was getting whipped, He was whipping sin
Is there a table of sexual immorality or bitterness that needs to be overturned?

"John 2: 1-11

2011-03-04T16:06:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon last Sunday. The sermon was based on scripture I have heard before but not in this way.
Many of us feel like we're running on empty and we have unmet expectations.
In this time of scripture, marriage was very significant.
In a Hebrew wedding, the groom was the focus and his family paid for the wedding.
Hospitality was a big deal
A Jewish wedding lasted for a week
Archaeologists didn't know where Canna was until 50 yrs ago. It was very obscure.
At the wedding, they run out of wine and Jesus is there.

When the drama happens.....

1. Acknowledge his presence (1-2)
Jesus gives meaning even to the mundane.

2. Remember his identity.
Mary.."They have no wine" Jesus responds awkwardly with the term "woman" why?
What do we have in common?
Mary is trying to lord over Jesus and He is setting her straight to his identity
When he says my hour , he is talking about his death/resurrection
In Rob's generation..We can be honest with God but we don't want God to be honest with us.

3. Receive his provision (v6-7)
His provision rarely comes to us the way we think it will
Jars of stone with water.. Purifying was important in Jewish culture
The jars were empty and them to fill them up
God can take a small piece of shrapnel and make something of it
Master servant...monitored the alcohol. He knew at the end alcohol was watered down. In this case, the good alcohol was at the end.
All means all. All things for the good of those who love him...even in the face of hard things in life.

4. Trust His good news (8-11)
Question..Do we believe that God is good? Theologically this is different from trust.
Jesus does something to prevent the shame of the groom
We are reflectors of God's goodness and grace. We need to be more humble.

"John 1:43-51"

2011-02-20T17:06:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the sermon by Jason Zastrow this a.m.

Ansel Adams transformed the west into pictures/paintings we have all seen
When we encounter Jesus, He transforms everything.
Things we like we tell others about i.e. iPhone. Do we tell others about Jesus?

Jesus says "Follow Me" He doesn't say follow a movement or a person
In Gary, Indiana is a beautiful church,City of Methodist Church, which is deteriorating. There are no people in that church. We need to learn from this lesson of this church. It's not about the church,the people,the pastor...we need to follow God.

1. Encountering Jesus stirs us to mission. (v43-45)
Philip knew Jesus scripturally as much as personally
Luke 24:24,44
We need to know Jesus as He reveals himself

2. Encountering Jesus allows us to see He is utterly God (46-49)
Where might Jesus be found? In the places we bigot against?
We can become afraid of reaching out to those we don't know.
Nathaniel finds himself with a bigoted heart.
FS Bruce..Honest inquiry is a sovereign cure for prejudice
Be open
Jesus takes things that are bad and reshapes them
Jesus looks into Nathaniel's heart. He knows him
Romans 5
Jesus from Nazareth...a lowly city..he associated himself with this city
In our muck Jesus comes to us.
"While we were still sinners..."
The "otherness" of Jesus
He crossed an alien distance to get to us.

3. Encountering Jesus gives us a new vision of reality(50-51)
Genesis 28:10
Jacob's ladder
Bethel..house of God
Through Jesus heaven and earth meet and have relationship

Questions

1. If your worship doesn't lead you to mission:

Am I really worshipping Jesus as he has revealed himself or am I worshipping a Jesus in my own image?

Are you reaching out and being with others in your city just as Jesus the "true other" came to you?

Do you know Jesus of the Bible? Does He transorm your reality?

"John 1:35-42"

2011-02-18T15:46:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from last Sunday's sermon at Apex

John 1:35-42

Transition from John the Baptist to Jesus
In a project by Jim Collins he studied what makes good great.
He looked at leaders and what is it about leaders that make them great

1. Ambition. deep in their bones
2. Humility.

What are basic attributes of being a disciple?

A disciple beholds (v35-36)
look..oberving..sensory perciption
behold...look of affection..pondering of a relationship

2. A disciple responds. (v37)
Love your neighbor. Encourage one another. Keeping each other accountable.
It's not just the big things ie being called to other countries as a missionary
"Perfect obedience would be perfect happiness if we had perfect confidence in the power we are obeying."

Part of the armour we put on is on our feet. Our feet are in readiness
God is the initiator and we are the responder.

3. A disciple abides (v38-39)
We hang out continually with Jesus
Do the unbelievers in our life recognize we are spending time with Jesus?

sinkholes..our interior lives look like this when we aren't spending time with God
We are sitting on a fragile base..it can collapse and open up and devastate us.
Not abiding=segmenting from the vine

What are you seeking? What Jesus are you and I seeking today?
Do you see him as only a pothole filler. He fills in our problem spots and then we take over?

4. A disciple speaks (v 40-41)
You can't expand the gospel without speaking and sharing

5. A disciple brings. (42a)
Bring people into our experience with Jesus. It's about making disciples.

6. A disciple is transformed. (v42b)
Names are our identity and mission.
We will all get a new name.

"John 1: 24-34"

2011-02-07T18:48:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex 2/6

Why is John baptizing such a radical act?
Jews knew baptism
John is continually baptizing..not just a certain time
He was baptizing Jews as well as Gentiles..Gentiles who wanted to be part of the Jewish faith baptized themselves
Apex believes in Believer's baptism. It's done after you have professed your faith.
Living in a "religious" home doesn't "save" you
Jesus is life. Anything else is death

John's baptism:

1. Was an obedient action (v24-27,31-34)
As Christians we are ambassadors and our authority is God in case you are asked "Who do you think you are?"

What is your motivation in obeying Jesus?
I am nobody but I know a God who is better than both of us
Value of who He is and all his perfections
We obey what we are intoxicated with

2. Was a symbolic action (v 26,33b)
John's baptism is repentance before Jesus comes
Our baptism..we are identifying with Jesus' death and resurrection..die to our old self
We are baptized on the inside with the Holy Spirit.

3. A preparatory action (29-31)
to present the lamb of God to us
Many references in Revelation to the lamb
Jesus is the warrior lamb of God
Are you prepared and preparing for Jesus next arrival?
He is coming back to take us home
John the Baptist prepared the way for the first coming
We are to prepare for the second coming

Question: Am I living in an intentional life or continually being caught up in trivial issues?
Am I looking forward to seeing Jesus or more concerned with who or what I will leave behind
Am I pursuing obedience to Christ or letting my flesh control my life
Am I living in awareness of future judgment?
Every person will be judged
Am I living in awareness of future grace?

John 1: 19-23

2011-01-30T17:55:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this am.

Verses 1-18 were a prologue
Verse 19 starts a narrative
How to be used by God that we don't even fear the taking of our own life

Setting the tension (v19)
No prophetic activity for 400 yrs.

Cultural tension..waiting to be free from Rome
Religious tension..waiting for the Messiah

Jews..the Sanhedrin..a council of religious rulers. They have a high amt. of political clout. They are made up of priests and Levites

Moses brother, Aaron, was a high priest. His family were the priests who go yearly to the Holy of Holies

Levites..they are the tribe who repented after bowing down to the golden calf
They assisted the priests. They were the janitors,temple guards,baked the bread, and led worship

If you want to used by God :

1. Know who you are NOT (v20)
John the Baptist freely tell them who he is not.."I am not the Christ"

Malachi 4:5
They knew Elijah would come before Christ. John is not him.

Deuteronomy...18:15
A prophet will come. It is not John

We try to figure ourselves out by what we do
Looking glass self..you look at yourself by how others

Self worth is not what we do, it's not looking inside yourself, it's not the opinions of others..it's by our Creator

2. Know who you are (21-23)

John.."I am a voice"
He ties his story into God's story
The Old Testament is our story. We are connected into God's drama as it unfolds

Isaiah 40..Prophet sings to them to help lead them out of the wilderness

Present wilderness..relationship with Jesus will lead us out of the wilderness home

Isaiah 53:5 method to get his people home..Jesus Christ

Questions to ask ourselves

1. Are you so committed to your lifestyle that you stopped listening to the Lord..even a Christian lifestyle?

2. Are you being spiritually sensitive to the questions people ask you? Always be ready to give a reason for your hope

3. Are you OK with who you are not?

4. Are you playing your unique role in the building of the church?

5. Are we being a highway or detour for others getting to Christ?
Are we making a smooth path or creating obstacles by our mouth, what we wear, our lifestyle

6. Are we standing in the way of broken people as the people did when the men tried to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus?

Love your neighbor

"John 1: 14-18"

2011-01-23T14:58:00.002-05:00

My notes from 1/23/11

Joan Osborne sang a song in 1995 called "One of Us" It's her interpretation of God.
In John, he gives us God's interpretation of Himself"
Jesus is the interpreter of God
What does Jesus reveal about God in these verses?

Jesus is:

1. God moved in.

Eugene Peterson .."God moved into our neighborhood"
Word became flesh and dwelled
In Exodus..God provides a way for him to hang with his people..a tabernacle.
God doesn't leaveus in the desert.
Tabernacel...temple(more permanent)..Jesus...We have become the tabernacle...we have the Holy Spirit.
Looking into the future..Revelation 21..God will be with us.
How is God's presence being made known where we work and live?
Jesus was not a wallflower. He made his presence known. Jesus comes in to the muck and dirt of our lives.

2. Jesus is God's glory made bearable

Glory is the public expression of magnificence.
If God exists for his own glory, you and I exist for the full glory of God.
What is the core motivation of your life?

3. Jesus is God's face of inexhaustible grace. (v17)
God doesn't give us leftovers. He gave us his best for sinners.
God's grace is always on repeat..we need to cherish that.
Bitter people..they have detached themselves from realizing that every breath is grace.
The law represents grace.
Laws are a restraint. It's a shadow of Christ.
Law and grace come through Jesus..it's better than previous grace

People in hell now and in the future didn't enjoy God.
Is your heart joyful and humbled because of grace?

Rob finished with a story of 2 older ladies who he grew up with. When you asked Jane how she was doing, she would always reply with "Honey, I am so blessed"..despite losing 2 husbands tragically.
Grace upon grace despite sad circumstance in life.

"John 1: 6-13"

2011-01-23T14:39:00.003-05:00

My notes from 1/16/11

Opening Acts..Rob gave opening acts for concerts he's been to.
John the Baptist...opening act for Jesus

John the Baptist

Very unusual dress and diet
He was born to point to the person of Jesus Christ
We are reborn to point to the person of Jesus Christ

The light that is life:

1. Sent John (v6)
We are saved to be sent. All disciples of Jesus are sent

2. Defined John (v 7)
We are the noun and verb (witness)
His "purpose statement" and ours
There are no sample groups God uses all of us.

3. Humbled John (v8)
With 400 yrs of silence, people wanted to make John the Baptist "the one"
We are imperfect lamps

The light is:

1 True (v9)
Alathea=true
There are many lights but not all are true Jesus is the true light. The devil disguises himself as the angel of light.
Definitions of Jesus.."Starbucks Jesus" , "Republican or Democrat Jesus", "Revolutionary Jesus",

2. Universal (9b)
God created all of us in His image...doesn't mean we all have relationships with Him
We have a sense...all of creation has heard something..No person has an excuse. We are all born missional..it's universal

If there is no communication in parts of the world..God will provide.
If there is a sincere desire..God ordains it.

3. Ignored (v10) Jewish faith

4. Rejected (v 11)

5. Graciously received (12-13)
When you believe in a person's name, you believe in totality of their character
That's what it means to believe in Jesus Christ
Book to read..."The gospel according to Jesus" by John McArthur
Chapter 9 of the book talks about how we are accepted by grace. You will not see God on the coattails of your parents.
You can't be socialized into the kingdom of God

John Stott..Basic Christianity.."hound of heaven"
Jesus pursues you even when you are running away

Living On The Streets

2011-01-21T14:34:00.006-05:00

I just finished reading an eye opening book called "Under The Overpass" by Mike Yankoski
The book is about 2 young men who decide to live on the streets for 5 months in various cities in a journey of faith. They start in Denver and travel to Washington D.C.,Portland,San Francisco, Phoenix, and San Diego. They went with basically nothing, only a backpack with some clothes and supplies and their guitars. They went to live out their faith and be Jesus to those on the streets through relationship. They learned to sleep on sidewalks, in bushes, under bridges, in front of churches. They found food any way they could. They experienced life in the shelters.
The stories of the people they met in each city and their interactions and feelings make this a very easy book to read. I found myself not wanting to put it down.
I think the most interesting thing they found was how poorly the "Christian" treated them, whether it was the Christian on the street or the church itself. As a Christian, it made me sad. It made me think how I look at someone on the street here in Dayton. I am not immune to the homeless and needy as I work in an inner city hospital and have cared for many of them with health needs. Just as these men found out, some are truly down and out, some are mentally ill, and some are con artists. It was a reminder to me that I need to open my eyes and look around and not avoid because it makes me "uncomfortable" I would highly recommend this book to anyone who calls himself a Christian to see whom God has called us to help, the poor, the needy, the down and out person who has nothing.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

"John 1:1-5"

2011-01-09T18:47:00.002-05:00

My notes from Apex this am
And here we go...from the beginning...the book of John

John 1:1-5

1. The Preexistence of the Word

In the beginning God has always been. We have a history..God doesn't..he's always been.
It makes the most since to go to God who has always been and has the wisdom
Nothing surprises God..people panic..they are surprised.
Proverbs 8:22-31
Colossians 1:17
1John 1:1
God is the Ancient of Days

2. The nature of the Word

logos=reason
The audience is Greek and Judaic
Platonic view..2 worlds side by side that don't cross.
An example today...American Christianity..it's Pantheism
Judaism God spoke into existence
with=toward
This is where we begin seeing hints of the trinity
fused together...The Word was God
Rob used the Jehovah Witness faith as someone who distorts the Bible by taking out of context the Greek interpretation Because there is no article in front of Word, they place "a" in front of God instead of "the". They use this to confuse those who aren't strong in their Bible knowledge.
John 10:30
John 14:6-11
The Word is simultaneously deity and distinct but never disconnected.

3. The artistry of the Word
Colossians 1:15-19

4. Overcoming Light of the Word
The light overcomes the darkness
The gates of Hell will not prevail because of the Head of the church not the church itself.

Bottom line....God wins!!!!!!!

Robin shared her story of a dark time in her life of sexual abuse and cutting. Today that dark time is overcome by the light of her Savior and Lord. God showed her to that light through the love of her church family.

Issiah 53..."by his stripes we are healed"

"John's Profile"

2011-01-02T18:55:00.002-05:00

At Apex, Rob has decided to preach through books of the Bible. We are starting with the book of John. This will take 1-2 yrs to go through. I love this style as this is what I was used to at Faircreek when I went back to church after a long absence in my 20's and 30's.
Today we are starting with an overview based on scripture

John 20:30-31

In John, you see the heart and soul of Jesus.
It's 21 chapters and 878 verses.
The author is John although this is disputed in some religious circles.
The disciple John is loved ..John 21:7
2/3 of the gospel is about the last week of Jesus life.
John was the only disciple to follow Jesus up to the cross

Audience Both believers and seekers

Unique features

Seven "I Am" statements
There is no mention of the baptism of Jesus
Seven signs..miracles
Seven is a large symbolic role of completeness
The word belief and believe is used 110 times
There is an ongoing prophetic need for the gospel of John
Today the deity of Jesus is being attacked
The world is trying to "domesticate" or calm down Jesus
There are many misconceptions and quotes out there ex.
Stephen Colbert "There are infinite paths to accepting Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

The bottom line is:

"Jesus is God...deal with it" Robert G Lee

Remember:
1 All miracles are bound up in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
2 The message of John is NOT exhaustive. What is recorded is needed
The message of John is sufficient.
3 The purpose of John is not mere information but rather life transformation
You only have life when you are in the name of Jesus Christ.
Remember that in this life..you may mess up...things may not go well..but you're not disowned...you are still under God's name.

"Confession: The Inbreak of Light"

2010-11-30T21:35:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex. We are still in the series Repentance

Psalm 51:1-13

Sorrow for sin is not the same as repentance
Religious repentance vs gospel repentance

Religious repentance..got caught..I messed up with God. I'll do better
Need to pay a debt because I've messed up...despair
Gospel centered...Jesus as the centerpiece
Getting the poison out is biblical
Confession(one voice) Agreeing with God about my sin
We all need a Nathan in our life..love us by encouraging but not afraid to confront us with our sin
Godward confession involves an appeal to God's love and mercy while also acknowledging his pure justice
When you have nothing to stand on..incriminating..you can only ask for mercy
We are clothed in Christ
When we sin we try to make God our getaway driver..trying to make God complicit with our crime
If God practiced his wrath, David wouldn't have a place to stand on. God practiced mercy.
We want to self justify when we sin

Six desires of Godward confession

1. Desire to be clean
Sin leaves a stain.
Hebrews 9 The blood of Christ cleans us.
Memories we have are used to remind us of our need for Christ

2. A desire to recognize the pollution of our sin
Sin never just impacts you. It affects family,friends,Psalm 40:12

3. Desire for a changed heart
You can't just change outward things around you

4. A desire for true joy

5. A desire for spiritual intimacy
Holy Spirit in the New Testament
The wheels come off the wagon when you aren't communing with God

6. A desire to be on mission
Followers of Christ are in war..If you aren't on mission, sin creeps in.

Tim Keller "All of Life is Repentance"..info on "The City"

The What and Why of Repentance

2010-11-15T19:58:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex 11/14

Acts 17:29-31

Once Jesus saves you..you can't be snatched. Once you are sealed in Christ..you persevere to produce fruit.

Sometimes when disciples live their lives, they minimize the importance of the day to day walk in holiness.
We think our behavior from day to day doesn't matter....BUT IT DOES.

Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ willed that the whole liffe of believers should be repentance..Martin Luther

Repentance is not a one time occurence

Repentance is a school from which we should never graduate

Repentance ..heartfelt sorrow for sin..a renouncing of it

True repentance will entirely change you

Some see repentance as feeling bad about consequences ...this is not true biblical repentance.
Change needs to happen at the root..the heart

Mars Hill in Athens..an area where people would debate ideas. Paul goes and share the gospel and builds trust with them.
He acknowledges they are religious. To be human is to be religious
God has sovereignly placed us where we are to be.
God is not a statue
God is living..pulsating..full of life

1. Our entire existence is dependent on the providence of God
Job 12:10
Psalm 36:9
Colossians 1:17
Hebrews 1:3

Why do we need repentance?

1. We are natural born idolaters (v29)
Idolatry is fought hardest in the mind
Faulty thoughts in the person of Christ

2. Universal human need(v 30)
From Genesis to Christ's birth God restrained over and over his judgment
With the cross, judgment has a sharper point

3. There is impending judgment (v 31a)
He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness
What about Gandhi? This is often asked
We don't judge each other by each others righteousness. You will always find someone worse than you. We will be judged by His righteousness which means no hope for eternity or in His righteousness

4. Jesus is the prosecutor. (31b)
We all like him to be our savior but He is also the judge and prosecutor
James 5:9

Repentance is a grace.
Faith is turning to Christ and repentance is turning from sin...
How did we get repentance? By Jesus dying on the Christ
Have you asked God to forgive you for your thoughts about Him?

"Adoption"

2010-11-07T17:06:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning.
Romans 8: 12-17

This is Orphan Sunday.
Every disciple needs to be involved in orphan care.
Most cultures value widows and widowers but not orphans.
There are orphans all over the world. In the United States we have 150,000.
Nov 15th is a day in Washington to support a bill for legislation to stop Child Trafficking. 30 million children are forced into sex slavery.
Mentoring project...Big brother/Big Sister
SAYF..Special alternatives for youth and family. Apex holds a Christmas Party every year for these kids and it's a great way to become involved.
God has given us the spirit of adoption.

The spirit of adoption transforms our relationship with God by changing our identity toward God.

You are sons/daughters of God or you are an enemy.

The spirit of adoption:

1 Gives God's children a killer instinct toward sin

2 Frees his children from living out of devastating fear

3 Provides his children confidence of who they are. We are loved and honored like Christ is.

4 Infuses his children with blood bought tenacity.

Literal adoption is not for the faint of heart. It's not just the "cool and in thing to do" For some it is a long and expensive process.

Phil and Amber Wing talked about what they went through in order to adopt Silas from Ethiopia. Their testimony is a beautiful story of how when you are obedient to God, it may not be easy but it's a blessing. Phil wrote a song called "To Find You" about that journey..beautiful song..makes me tear up when I hear it.

So many ways to help the orphan,fatherless, and lonely...you just need to go out and get involved.

"Courage in the Crisis"

2010-10-17T09:47:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from last week. We went to visit Kristen and Todd at the plant church where they lead worship.

1John 4:4, 5:4
Jeremiah 29:11
John 10:10

Faith determines your future
Feelings lie to you
You must become what you already are. See yourself through the eyes of God if you choose to fulfill your destiny
God is the hope, substance, and evidence of our faith

Your faith determines your attitude in the face of a crisis
Your faith will determine your inspiration
The Bible is the key to your life. It never runs out of gas and has your best destination in mind.
God doesn't have an opinion of you..He knows who you are.
Your faith determines your toughness
Your faith will give you hope
future,attitude,inspiration,toughness,hope =faith
Faith..believing what God has said and speak it
Be careful of your words
God spoke words and life and creation began
God said we were very good.
Romans 12:2 renew your mind
Psalm 91:1 abide in the shadow.don't fear the shadow
Daniel 3
Old Covenant..promises from God
God always provides the needed sacrifice

"The Water"

2010-10-17T09:34:00.002-04:00

My notes from Oct 2 sermon by Rob at Apex

Challenge: Relevance can create an idol..it can take the focus off what is important
The gathering was never meant for the people coming..it's for the God we serve

Collision between our identity and that of Jesus..Jesus always takes over.

Last week we talked about the jar..today we talk about the water

John 4:10-15

Jesus came into her world. Samaritans were from the other side of the tracks

Incarnate Jesus..get involved in people's lives who are undesirable

He challenges her religious assumptions about God
Samaritans intermarried among cultures..it's not racial..it's theological..they adopted idolatry.
They rejected parts of the Old Testament
Everybody has assumptions about God. We need to be willing to get involved in their world and correct assumptions.

He exposes her sin

The well in this passage is still there today. It's 100 ft deep. It has a spring that feeds it.
She has a cavern of emptiness that she is filling with fear of being alone and has gone from man to man
She tries to change the subject..this usually means that there is something to hide
When someone comes back with the line "That's your interpretation..." they want to stay in that sin.
He exposed her sin
Her water was deadly
He offered himself

The water of Jesus
is a gift
is ever satisfying
is an eternal and external spring

The living water of Jesus causes:
1. Repentance.v28..the woman left her water jar
2.Confession..with no shame
3. A new identity..a revival in the village God uses her even with the people whose life she destroyed

We are a well and springs to provide water to others
Come and see....go and tell

"The Call of Pouring Out"

2010-09-19T17:18:00.002-04:00

My notes from Apex sermon this morning

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Poured Out
The dominant religion in our culture is Consumerism. The Gospel turns this upside dow. God created us to pour out. You are called to ministry.

Apostle Paul is writing this passage to Timothy.

What words would you write for your own funeral?
Would you be telling the truth?
If Jesus was doing your funeral what would he say?

Drink offering= sacrifice.
Sacrifices train us to look ahead in faith. Sacrifices in OT were yearly,monthly,daily.
Pouring wine on the sacrifice denoted joy and completeness. It created a cloud of aroma.
How will our death smell?
What kind of aroma are we giving to those around us including nonbelievers.
The city of Dayton needs Apex to be a drink offering. It's not up to city officials, it's up to God's people who need to be that vapor from the drink offering.

The motivation of pouring out is the presence and rewards of God.
God overflows and enjoys giving to us.
God continually gives..resources,oxygen,our bodies,etc.
Hebrews 11:6
Proverbs 11:18
Matthew 5:12
Matthew 6
Luke 6:35

Paul loves His appearing. We don't focus on that enough..the coming of the Lord.

The act of pouring out will involve...

1. Fighting.."I have fought the good fight"
good fight=suiting up with God's armor. There is an invisible battle going on around us.
Battle of the flesh..we need to cut off those sinful tendencies

2. Finishing
Conversion is the starting point not the ending. You are saved to be a blessing.You aren't done yet. Some of us won't get to the finish.
We are on a mission

3. Faith..believe in God the way God believes about Himself.
"the faith" not just faith
Acts 3:16
Acts 6:7
Acts 16:5

Depart from me..I never knew you..they didn't have "the faith"

An Epilogue to James: The Source of Our Works

2010-09-12T21:17:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning.

Matthew 11:25-30

Rob recommends that we read
1. The commands of Jesus in all 4 gospels
2. "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream" by David Platt.

You can do something religious and still lose Jesus in the process. Rob used the example of Joseph and Mary on their trip to the temple when Jesus is 12.

When you don't care for a car's motor it can crack
For us..when we do spiritual things off of a checklist.we can crack spiritually
It's easier to work for Jesus than walk with Jesus

Important attributes of walking with Jesus and not just working for Jesus

Practical intimacy with God (v. 25-27)
Often we say "I feel close/distant to the Lord"
What does that mean?
We let our emotions dictate . There is no intimacy without behaviors of intimacy
Jesus was always in conversation with God. He would even distance himself from others and pray.
When you have intimacy, you will have a growing awareness of grace.

All of us have multiple yokes
Jesus is saying quit doing that type of work and do this type instead.
Are you bearing the right yoke?
Jesus has done the heavy lifting
He has infused with his strength for his work v.28-30
Gospel work involves pain and bruises on the outside and our soul is renewed
Which yoke are you bearing this morning?
If it's hard and you're complaining..you're bearing your own yoke(the heavy yoke)..you're not bearing the right yoke(the lighter yoke)

"The Test of Courageous Love"

2010-09-05T17:52:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon

James 5:19-20

Authenticity is more than jeans at a service/music terminology/a band.
James peels back the culture layers and defines what authenticity is.
Faith is not just a head/doctrinal thing.

We live in a culture and time where truth is subjective(post modernism) vs objective.
What happens? Our truths clash. Our behavior is tied to our beliefs and values.
James is writing to churches that are being persecuted for their belief in objective truth.
James tells us the tests of these faiths.

Every week people join the family of Apex and people leave Apex.

Baptism in faith and commitment to house church is joining the family of Apex.
Coming every week to the gathering is joining a crowd.

We all need community. It doesn't matter where you are on the Meyer-Brigg or what circle you are in.

5 questions that should haunt biblical community.

1 Hey whatever happened to.....?
2. Have you seen ...... lately?
3. Is ..... doing ok?
4. ....comes all the time but does anyone kow his/her spiritual condition?
5. Boy,..... has really gone over the deep end hasn't he/she?

We shouldn't have to ask these questions because we should know the answer and have taken action.

The people who are wandering...people who don't respond when we reach out in emails,phone calls, etc.

Who goes after the wanderer and who is the wanderer? All who call themselves disciples
Why do we go after the wanderer? Better is open rebuke than hidden love Psalm 27:5
We need people who courageously love us and who we courageously love.
We don't go after the wanderer because of numbers..its because their soul is in danger.
If you aren't persevering in your faith and there is no fruit..you can't have assurance of being in Christ.
How do we go after the wanderer? Bring them back to the truth(gospel)
Bring them back to Christ not just us.

Other equipment to use in pursuit of the wanderer

1. Soak in prayerful self-reflection Matthew 7:1-5
It clears out your motives. It makes us humble.
2. Communicate both love and truth
3. Approach them gently but deliberately
4. Go through their behavior but get to the heart
5. Involve the body of Christ(as necessary)
Rob has put an article on church discipline on "The City" at the Apex website
Celebrate their return
6. Set up real mutual accountability

"The Test of Prayer"

2010-08-30T08:21:00.002-04:00

My notes from Apex this weekend.
We're at the end of James..one more week.
James 5:13-18

Prayer and scripture..you need both
Prayer without scripture=confusion to who you are praying to
Prayer is what keeps the church breathing
The church was going through "spiritual emphysema" breathing in but not out

What follower of Jesus would not want:

1. physical and spiritual healing
2. friends or relatives forgiven of sin
3. the ability to affect global events

1. Awareness prayer (v13)
James is using sarcasm here
Why does he need to address this?
Because in times of suffering our reaction is the wrong one.
We ask God why or we say "I've got to figure this out"
We need to pray just like we breathe

Matthew 26:41
Luke 21:36
1 Peter 4:7
Colossians 4:2

2. Community Prayer (14a,16b)

3. Responsive Prayer (14b)
Prayer does not take the place of obedience but it does provide the power for our obedience

oil=symbolizes joy
oil is used as a medicine
some take oil literally and use it to annoint..not an issue
Oil is not the big deal..it's the person we're praying to.
sick=weak

4. Trusting Prayer(v.15)

5. Repenting Prayer (v.16)
If you and I are praying but have no desire to repent of a habit or sin,He DOESN'T LISTEN

Psalm 66:17-19
Proverbs 15:8
Proverbs 15:29
John 9:31

6. Relentless Prayer(v.17-18)
Elijah
It's not because of the need for answer, it's because of the one we're praying to.
God's view of our continual need and his supreme provision for all of our needs.
God is continually praying for us.
Philip Yancey...Prayer..What God did for Peter he's continually doing for us now

The Test of Waiting

2010-08-22T19:54:00.002-04:00

My notes from this morning's service. Definitely an emotional one. It was great to see the masses of college students who are back. 1000+ singing "The Revelation Song" will give you goosebumps.

James 5:7-12

Waiting is hard.
Different kinds of waiting
Waiting in line for a product is different than:
a waiting for the rebellious child to come home
b results from a medical test
c Unemployed..waiting after sending out resumes

James talks about waiting during a hurting stage

John 16:33
Acts 14:22

It takes radical obedience to wait on the Lord

How you wait and how long you wait is dependent on what you are waiting for.

Trust that God is indeed working while you are waiting.

If you have a hard time waiting, it may be that:
you don't trust God as trustworthy
you are not sure God is good

When you're waiting and it's not resolving, it feels like God's not doing anything but God is always working
Lamentations 3:25-26
Jeremiah knew what it meant to suffer and to wait

Focus your affections on the ultimate longing of your soul..the coming of the Lord
Someday Jesus is coming back. We don't focus on this enough. God uses this waiting to test our ultimate longing..is it on things? is it on a job? is it on a relationship?

Be careful about turning against each other. Grumbling is inward. It doesn't come out.
It's under the surface like a cold war. Remember that you need your brothers/sisters in Christ.
Galatians 5:26
1 Peter 4:7-11
In the midst of hurting, give yourself away. Love other people.

Acknowledge that you're not alone. There are others who have been through the same thing..God in the flesh is an example.

Recall God's purpose..compassion and mercy. God permits what he hates in order to accomplish what he loves.

Psalm 78:38
Isaiah 55: 6-7

Protect your character so that people know your yes is yes and your no is no.

We saw a video of a young man named Zach Smith who was diagnosed with colon cancer stage 4.
His message... If God heals me he is God and He is good. If God chooses not to heal me, He is still God and He is still good.
God chose to heal him by taking him to heaven in May of this year.

"The Test of Material Perspective"

2010-08-15T19:51:00.003-04:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this am. Very difficult to hear some of the words today because many hit close to home and are strong words.

James 5:1-6

Rob started off giving the story of a photographer who took over 400,000 pictures of JFK.Only a small percentage of those were published. The other negatives were stored in a vault to protect them..but during 9/11/01..they were vaporized by the attack on the twin towers.

When the pulpit shirks it's prophetic obligation, it affects the culture.
James is writing to the church..and some of them attend but are non believers. His words are very strong.

weep and howl= that phrase is the screaming you do when there is no hope, when you can't turn back,when you hit bottom and there is no way up
Matthew 6:19-20

Three reasons for God's tragic condemnation

1. Your riches have deceived you about your future (2-3) and it deceives you right now.
Your riches lie to you right now..Psalm 49: 6-20

2. Your riches have deceived you about your neighbor( v. 4,6)
You believe other people exist to serve you
It separates you and demeans your view of others.
Example..Enron
Many of our friends are in the same financial status as we are

Neighbors exist for us to love and encourage. When we tie our identity to our neighbors we deceive ourselves.
Many who choose not to be in house churches do so because they want to hide...they don't want to invest their time in others.

3. Your riches have deceived you about your comfort. v 5 We build our own little kingdom Luke 12: 16-21
Our hearts become fat..we are feeding our own destruction and storing up wrath for ourselves.

If you aim for heaven you get heaven, if you aim for earth you get Hell.

Six questions and one action

1. How much does the future dictate your spending habits?
2. Are you scared to death of death?
3. Do your buying habits simplify or complicate your life?
4. Do you have a system in place that consistently funnels finances toward kingdom expansion?
5. Do you have a system in place that consistently funnels possessions toward kingdom expansion?
6. Do you have a system in place that consistently funnels yourself toward kingdom expansion?

Action..Always read the Bible with Jesus being the crown jewel of every passage..you can read the whole Bible in a year and totally miss it.
Proverbs 11:4
Proverbs 11:28

"The Test of Planning"

2010-08-10T18:22:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from the sermon on Sunday by Jason

James 4:13-17

In verse 13 "we" is referring to our relationships
"such and such a town" refers to locations
"trade" is our work
"profit" is finances

We plan for all of these things

It's not wrong to make plans. We should be diligent workers but there may be a wrong way of planning

v14 we don't know what tomorrow brings..i.e. death, economic downturn, infertility,change of jobs

planning vs presuming

It's not OK to presume
Life is short..death comes quickly

Psalm 90:10-12

Number our days means value each of them one at a time

v15 "If the Lord wills" You hear this phrase a lot ..it's not just a cheesy christian phrase, it's a mindset of our hearts

we will live and do..100% is dependent on the plans of God
we act and live and plan as though we are the ones in control

v16 boast in arrogance..."look at what I'm going to do"
We have a lot of "I will" and " we will" in our lives
All boasting is evil

When we plan our future without taking God's will into consideration, we are living like practical atheists.

v17 right thing to do...depend on God for future plans
When we don't it's sin...sin of commission and sin of omission..not loving our neighbor, not forgiving, not encouraging

If we plan our future independent from God,
1. we have the wrong view of life
2. we have the wrong view of God
Our lives fall apart
We have made ourselves an idol

Saving faith works by planning our future with sense of complete dependence on God

How is God involved in your future?

"Making Peace by Making War

2010-07-31T19:09:00.003-04:00

These are my notes from last weeks sermon by Jason Wing

James 4:1-12

v1 What's up with all the drama and fighting?
Source..it stems from inward and we are the problem
We think passions can satisfy us

v2 When your aren't satisfied it leads to conflict. It leads to pointing fingers at others because of the inward conflict inside of us

v3 Don't ask Don"t pray..Prayer is the language of our dependence on God
When we don't pray its because we think we are self sufficient, we are prideful, and we are arrogant. Often we ask or pray with wrong motives.

v4 Spiritual adultery..God(groom) and church (bride)
the world (cosmos)
desires of the flesh..approval,laziness,sexual desire,gluttony
desires of the eyes...beauty, body image,clothes
pride and possessions..collectibles,stuff,money,trophies,

All of this is tempting but it is also temporary
Spiritual adultery starts with flirtations.

v5 God longs for you

v6 Grace.free gift of forgiveness. Proud people don't say forgive me or thank you

Solution

v7 Surrender..resist oppose the devil. The Devil is the mastermind behind the cosmos..the ruler of the cosmos..John 14:30

v8 draw near to God..How is your intimacy with God? How is your prayer life?

v 9-10 Have inner repentance
Our hearts need to be moved. When we humble ourselves, He lifts us up

v 11-12 You are nothing to judge your neighbor It is up to God.

Big idea..we make peace by making war

Are you flirting with the world today? Are you making excuses to dabble in sin?

Where is your prayer life? Is it full of selfish motives?

"The Test of Wisdom"

2010-07-18T18:17:00.002-04:00

My notes from Jason's sermon this morning.

James 3:13-18

Big idea..True wisdom works wisely in relationships

True wisdom is more than words..true wisdom is works..inwardly(meekness=strength under control) and outward(good conduct;character)
Wisdom is more than intelligence and knowledge.
Jason gave the example of a kid from his youth group who knew scripture inside and out but had an anger issue...when Jason called him in and talked to him the kid focused on the fact that Jason misquoted a bible verse. Immaturity.

verses 14-15
False wisdom..2 motivating factors..bitter jealousy and selfish ambition

"You have what I deserve" bitter jealousy
"You have what I want and I'm going to take it"..selfish ambition
A self centered person puts themselves in the middle of family, Personal, and vocation.

An example of false wisdom..."Do what makes you happy"
Focuses on the earthly,nonspiritual, and demonic

earthly..temporary.."Do what works best now"
nonspiritual...fleshly realm..sensuality..feelings.."Do whatever feels right"
demonic..rooted in evil

Result..disorder and vile practice
Life is chaotic and meaningless There's drama in your life

v 17
True wisdom

6 Characteristics

1. Wise don't compromise integrity(pure)
2. Wise don't antagonize anger (peace loving) Do you thrive on conflict? stirring the pot?
3. Wise don't criticize others(considerate)..don't strike back at enemies
4.Wise don't minimize suggestions...they are submissive and teachable..not stubborn and closed minded
5.Wise don't emphasize mistakes. (full of mercy and good fruit) Mercy triumphs over judgment
6. Wise don't disguise themselves ..they don't wear masks..they aren't hypocrites.(impartial and sincere)

v18 The result..harvest of righteousness in peace

The big question..Are you working wisely with others as a peacemaker? Are you working for restoration and unity?

6 Questions to ask yourself in the midst of relational chaos

1. Am I doing what is right?
2. Am I being solution oriented?
3. Am I being kind? Are you approachable?
4. Am I learning anything in this process?
5. Am I showing grace?
6. Am I being honest?

Jesus is the ultimate Peacemaker Colossians 2:3

"Test of Words"

2010-07-11T20:39:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Jason's sermon this morning at Apex. Very convicting.

James 3:1-12

Saving faith works...with our words.

The average American has 30 conversations/day
The average man speaks 20,00 words
The average woman speaks 30,000 words
1/5 of our life is spent talking..using words

Big idea..Because we talk a lot...words matter a lot.

Problem: people don't think words matter. Words are used with vulgarity and sarcasm .
Matthew 12:34 out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks

Why words matter a lot

1. They are personally incriminatory vs.1
Rabbis in the New Testament were teachers. They were respected in the Jewish culture.
If you want the role you need be ready for the responsibility. Teachers are held to a higher account.
We all sin in various ways..especially with our words.

2. They are disproportionately influential v. 2-6
Examples
bit/horse
rudder/ship
spark/forest
tongue/body
Our words affect our whole body.
Words set on fire the entire course of life
source of the tongue...hell
Satan uses our tongues as an arsonist. He sets our lives on fire with our tongues.

3. They are humanly irrepressible.
No human can tame the tongue. We need God's help.

4. They are devastatingly injurious
They are like snake venom. They can sting and hurt

5. They are wrongfully inconsistent. v. 9-10
verbal schizophrenia.
hypocrisy of words is a sin

6. They are spiritually indicative of our hearts v. 11-12
Fountains and fruits.
Matthew 15:18
Is there a mouth problem? It comes from our heart.
You can't will yourself to control your tongue.
You need to look at your heart and sometimes we need heart transplants.

The big question: How much do your words matter to you?
Prayer for Apex to pray this week:

Psalm 141:3

"Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!"

Words matter a lot to a true believer.

"The Test of Works"

2010-07-05T11:41:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex sermon. Jason Wing is speaking this month while Rob is on sabbatical.

James 2: 14-26

Real enemy..Satan...many times we make the enemy "the lazy christian"

Big idea...Saving faith works..non saving faith doesn't

Non saving faith
James gives us 2 examples:

1. Deadbeat faith v. 15-17
Good words and intentions but no works to back it up. We need to be part of the means to provide for people in need.

2. Demon faith..v. 18-19
Demons have faith
You hear people say they are christian "because I believe in God" Even the demons believe in God. They have the theological belief but they don't love or obey the gospel. Their lives aren't changed.

Saving faith

2 examples

1. Patriarch faith. Abraham..faith validated by his works(obedience)

2. Prostitute faith..v 25 Rahab

These are 2 different examples ..you have a man who spends most of his life in a righteous lifestyle vs woman who spends most of her life in sin
They are both saving faiths..they are backed up by their works ..trust and obedience

Big question...is your faith a working faith?
Big problem..we believe nonworking faith can be saving faith v 26

Jason gave the example of Lenin whose body was preserved and embalmed and worshiped..in the end...he is a corpse...he's dead...so is faith for many of us

Living faith is a surrendered obedience.

When Jesus saves he does something for you and in you and through you. It's not enough to just pray a prayer and believe in God.

"The Test of our Perspective"

2010-06-27T16:45:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from the sermon on Sat night.
Chris Cardiff,an elder,did the sermon.

James 2: 1-13

Many times we have the wrong perspective.
The right perspective is keeping your eyes on Jesus...it is eternal.

If we have our perspective right, how ridiculous is it that we think we are better than others?

What happens when we don't have perspective?

We look to others and covet what they have.

Test of Perspective

Distinctions can cause divisions
1. Rich vs Poor
2. Race vs Race
3. Ministry vs Ministry
4. Pleasing man vs. Pleasing God

We are all "6th men" off the bench.

vs 8-11 Royal law=king's law
vs 12-13
Judgment vs Mercy
It's a daily battle of our flesh...what is motivating our heart?
God doesn't show partiality and neither should we but it creeps in subtly.

How many times do we have Jesus in front of us and we have our focus on something else.

Do you believe this? It's something you need to ask yourself

"What Anger Cannot Produce"

2010-06-27T16:21:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from the sermon on 6/20. A little late posting :)

James 1: 19-27

The test of our response to the word of God
If we are reading the word of God correctly, it will contradict our fleshly nature
Jesus "hacked off" a lot of people
There is also righteous anger. If you stay there,even if it's right, hearts of the spirit won't grow.

1. Authentic repentance
It's not.."I probably should stop.." It's putting it away. Repent before you read scripture. You'll get more out of it.

2. Humble reception
Jesus is not a "consultant" He is the head. We should be accepting his words with a yes.
The Bible is a manual for life.

3. Relentless application
This is your identity. If you're not a doer, you forget what you are like. We're not on mission wandering around saying "What am I doing?"

If this is the way we approach the word of God....

1. We will be blessed..not with riches..it means God is using you.

2. We wil have self control. Our mouths are attached to our hearts. The hardest person to lead is yourself.

3. We will love compassionately. If you love scripture but not others then you have a hardened ingrate heart. You need to love EGR people (Extra grace required)
Be more sensitive to vulnerable people..ex. orphans and widows

4. We will pursue personal purity
We will reach the world when we give them something different.
Salt and light
When the world looks at you as a fool and idiot, you need to be able to say "I'm good"
Don't approach the word of God in a demonic way.
Don't become an expert at bible trivia. Don't be just hearers of the word.
What is the last command you read and did from the Bible?

Authentic faith...pioneer vs settler theology

2010-06-13T16:19:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from this a.m.'s service.
Our worship was awesome. Four acoustic guitars and a keyboard player and the beautiful voices of Apex A Capella at times. "True Light" and "From the Inside Out"...doesn't get any better :)
Rennes Bowers did the sermon today. Such a godly man.

James 1:16-18

James was martyred and sealed his testimony with his own blood
James was written about 45 AD

Believing "facts" doesn't mean you are on your way to heaven. That's not saving faith
Jesus did something for us and in us and he does something through us
Are you really in authentic faith or have you "intellectualized" your faith.

Temptation must be battled at the point of conception..not at the point of behavior.

When you drift, you become lured by deceit.
House churches help keep us accountable and authentic.
Don't "hide out" in knowledge
It's about discipleship
To be a follower, it costs you. You give up reign of your own life.
God gives us all perfect gifts. We lack nothing.
"Father of lights"..he is steadfast..the only stable thing in the universe.

Deceit is the word we get planets from. Planets are always rotating and changing.

Pioneer vs Settler theology

A settler sees life as needing to be guarded
A pioneer sees life to be lived

A settler sees church like a stone house which is dark with small windows
A pioneer sees church as a covered wagon; always on the move.

A settler sees God as being in office with the blinds drawn...predictable and feared
A pioneer sees God as a trail boss..full of life who eats and sleeps with his pioneers

A settler sees Jesus as the sheriff who forces town rules
A pioneer sees Jesus as a scout who finds the way for his pioneers

A settler sees the Holy Spirit as a philosopher who comforts
A pioneer sees the Holy Spirit as a buffalo hunter who provides and shakes up the settlers

A settler sees a Christian who believes in safety first,order,happiness
A pioneer sees a Christian as one who risks,daring..whose new life is on the trail and he dies with his boots on

A settler sees a clergy as a bank teller who protects the vault
A pioneer doesn't see a clergy..only a cook who helps others learn to cook

A settler sees sin as breaking town rules
A pioneer sees sin as wanting to leave the others

We are the prototype of what is to come. We are the firstfruits. Our world revolves around Him instead of us.

Open your eyes. There are places (India) that need to be harvested.

"The Test of Fighting"

2010-06-06T17:56:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this morning

James 1:12-15

The test for today? How are you fighting?
We are all fighting something or for something

Trial and temptation..derived from the same word. One used more as a noun and the other a verb

Trial or temptation?
How you react to it tells you which it is

Reaction..angry,embittered,apathetic...it's temptation
Reaction...commitment to Jesus, worship, continuing to serve and share the gospel..trial
God is using it to bring death to our lives

Psalm 94:12
Psalm 119:71

Trials
There are 2 vertical reactions toward God

1. The first reaction is :

Choosing to be steadfast is proof:
a. You are blessed when you persevere under trial
No matter what happens around us , we have Jesus and we are blessed.
b. That you will be crowned. You have persevered to the end..the finish line..perseverance
is not perfection. You pick up and keep going.
1 Corinthians 10:24 imperishable wreath

True love always translates into true perseverance
Ex. A parent who loses a child in a crowd..you will continue to look for that child forever

2. The second reaction is :

blaming God for your disobedience
"I can't help this...God made me this way"
"Oh God, why did you do this?"
There will be a day when you stand in judgment. Your parents,friends,children, evil spirits won't be there..it's all you

The Process of Sin
Are you in the pipeline?
It starts in the human heart with:

1. undisciplined desire and thoughts

Ex. kids at Disneyworld wanting everything.you need to stay near your dad(God)
You can set yourself up to be vulnerable in your lifestyle. You become jaded to it.
Proverbs 23:19; Proverbs 4:23

Temptation doesn't produce itself in it's true form. It's like the kiss of Judas.

2. Being lured and enticed It's like a trap in the forest covered by grass
We put our foot in the trap

3. A commitment to sin..Psalm 7:14
Sin makes us lie to ourself
We keep feeding it and it separates us from true relationships
The only thing that can break the cycle is a God hanging from a tree

Death is the last part of the pipeline
"O death..where is your sting?"

"The Test of Attachment"

2010-05-30T19:51:00.003-04:00

These are my notes from this morning's sermon by Rob at Apex

James 1:9-11

James doesn't let us take grace for granted

60 commands in 5 chapters of James
How we act is extremely important in our walk
There are 22 references to The Sermon on the Mount

The test of our attachment to "stuff"

Lee Atwater..an adviser for George H. Bush. He was vicious in the political arena
He developed brain cancer at age 40.
Before he died he acknowledged that it took a deadly illness to make him see the truth he had as well as our nation has...a tumor of the soul.

The test of our boasting

We all boast
James talks to the poor and rich

How do the poor boast?
We all know what it means to be deprived of something
The poor are to boast because their deprived condition is not the same as their redeemed condition.
They are poor culturally but rich in Christ which can't be taken away.

www.globalrichlist.com is a website where you put your income in and it's compared to the world. People in the U.S. fall in the top percentile for being rich.

How do the rich boast?
The rich are to boast because their affluent conditin is not the same as their redeemed condition.
They can only take away what you don't need.
The problem? We have made our wants our needs

The equalizer for the rich and the poor?
Pain..the tears are the same

There is a warning to the rich

1. Riches can kill us slowly and subtly
Like the Sirocco wind that hits the Mediterranean. It is 100mph and extremely hot. It kills vegetation and flowers.

2. It is not our wealth that condemns us..it's our pursuit of wealth that condemns us
Your heart can make an idol of riches. What is our pursuit?
"If I can just get to here.."

How can wealth impact our relationship with Jesus?

1. Give false sense of security
2. It can distract us because of worry and stress
3. It can turn your view of Jesus as only a supplier and not Lord.
4. It can keep us from that relationship period.
Ex..the parable of the rich man in Matthew. He walks away from Jesus when confronted with giving up his wealth. His wealth kept him from heaven.

The Pharisee vs the tax collector
Pharisee..culturally rich
tax collector..financially rich

The Pharisee was judgmental and arrogant in thinking that he was better than the tax collector

The tax collector went home justified because he recognized his sin..."Lord have mercy on me. I'm a sinner.

"The Test of Trusting"

2010-05-25T18:41:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Sun am's sermon at Apex.
Rob is on sabbatical and Dave Black was the guest.
I thought he did a great job.
Worship music this week was incredible as well with Isaac's team.

James 1:5-8

Authentic faith know to trust in trials
Do I have trusting down?
The person who doesn't trust is all over the place.
A trial may have come into your life to test your trust.
You're not asking for options. God is your only hope.

If you have already asked the trusting question...ask for wisdom

1. Are you listening to Him?

2. What are you anticipating?

It should be wisdom from God..not riches, power,etc
We have a tendency to make our weekends and vacations our savior

3. Get rid of contingency plans.
"In case of emergency..." God is the plan

4 Make sure your heart is anchored to the cross
Trust God. Those who do aren't flailing.

How?
What posture do we have in trials
If you are in the deep end of the pool of life and trying to get to the other side..you're getting tired..you're sucking in water...we do everything except what we should do...ask for wisdom.

How am I going to make it another day?
Where is God in all of this?
What do I do now?

You need God's truth applied to choice and opportunity
You need to see it the way God sees it.
God gives freely...you don't cash in "God chips"
Make sure you ask in faith and without doubt
Doubt is divided faith..it's doubting God's ability. God or money? God or internet?
This is not easy but the plan has always been trusting. When your flailing and trying to get to the other side in the deep end...turn over and float on your back (trust God)

"The Test of Suffering Well"

2010-05-16T17:38:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from this morning's sermon. Kristen Paulick was skyped in from Thailand where she and Hope are working with young girls involved in the sex trafficking culture.

James 1:1-4

Authentic faith will have opposition

In older culture, they were concerned about doctrinal fidelity
In recent culture we have been concerned with doctrinal authenticity
There was a chasm between preachers and the audience
Today...Are we real to the point that it's an idol? Is it authentic?
Sometimes churches who are "real"...bands,jeans,etc. can be less authentic than the church that has hymns and liturgy.

In the book of James it defines what real authenticity is.

Do you love God for what you imagine Him to be or for what He really is?

Are you pleased with his character and do you love every part of it?

Do you love holiness as well as grace?

Do you look at God for how he saves you or are you more concerned with how he can damn you?

Who do you love more than God?

Test of Enduring Trials

There are various trials ..all of us experience different trials at different degrees

1. Inward..our thought lives, our emotions

2. Circumstantial trials...work,school,

3. Relational trials..dissonance between us and family,friends,coworkers

We may experience all of these at once

It's not a question of if...it's when

How do we deal with trials?

1. Transpose it to joy. Acts 5:40; Acts 16
This can seem like "Pie in the Sky" theology. Really? joy? how do I do that?
Joy is never found in how trials FEEL to you...joy is knowing what it DOES for you

2. Understand the reason. Steadfastness=endurance
Matthew 5:10;12
Luke 6:22-23
Romans 8:18
Testing=stamping us with authenticity

3. Surrender to the process
We are to be transformed people
He wants to equip us so that we are lacking in nothing
When the heat gets turned up..we want to speed God along..the risk of this? Lowering our standards.
Job 23

An Introduction to Authentic Faith

2010-05-09T17:23:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex

James 2: 14-26

We are starting a series for the summer on the book of James. If you read the book of James every day you will have read it 100 times by August

James is writing to the Jews
Faith always brings works

Mark Driscoll did a series on this subject so Rennes played 10 min of the video.
I'm not a huge fan of Mark Driscoll but he was spot on for this

It's not "by" that we need to remember ..it's "to"
Christianity leads to humbleness

When you look at 2 trees..one has fruit and the other doesn't. The one with fruit..Christianity...the one without....non Christian. There is no "3rd tree"
Sometimes the tree with fruit has a puny piece of fruit barely hanging on..It needs pruning.

Jesus has done something for you(died on the cross)..he does something in you(spirit and soul) and he does something through you..(works).

There is dead faith..intellectual in the facts..but no change inside and no works.

The parallel book for James is 1 John. It tells us the "birthmarks" of a believer

1:7
2:3
2:5
2:17

James gives us tests to evaluate our faith. Do you have saving faith or intellectual ascent?

1:2-13 trials
1:14-21 temptations
1:23-27 response to the word
2:1-13 response to the poor
2:14-26 Test of the works
3:1-12 The tongue
3:13-18 Wisdom
4:1-6 Coveting and worldliness
4:7-17 humility
5:1-6 riches
5:7-12 suffering

There are periods where we go through barrenness. James is talking about Christians who go through their whole life without fruit
Daily we need to fill up with devotion...we have buckets with holes that need to be filled up.

Take in God's word,prayer
Remember..."Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven"

"How Does Jesus Lead Apex?"

2010-05-06T20:54:00.002-04:00

My notes from last Sunday's sermon at Apex.

Matthew 20: 20-28

What does it mean to be great?

In this scripture it's believed that the mother of James/John is Jesus aunt.

The first thought is to put her down for her request

The other disciples became indignant because they didn't think of it first.

She asks for her sons to be on the throne next to Jesus...she doesn't know what she's asking

So you want to be great?

In order to be great you need to understand the cost of greatness (v22)

1. The cost of greatness (v22)

When you don't reach this, many experience the negative..cutting, anorexia,wrath, and retribution

Are you just "saying" you'll pay the cost or will you pull the trigger of obedience.

2. Understand the place of greatness (v25)

Greatness isn't sitting on a physical throne exercising authority as the Roman Empire

Jesus sets his throne in the human gospel-changed hearts. Politicians, corporations, don't change culture..the gospel changes culture.

Career doesn't matter..the inside of your heart matters..Guard your heart

3. The trust of greatness (v23)

Trusting in god's sovereign placement of your life

4. The position of greatness (v 26-27)

Not inward..serve in the gospel..in our churches,in our marriages

5. The model of greatness (v28)

The disciples don't know the end of the story..they are still in Matthew Chapter 20.

The model isn't your pastors, not the praise band....it's Christ

Do you want to be great? It's not a bad thing, but it has to be defined and directed by Christ

"Our Future Humanity"

2010-05-01T12:42:00.003-04:00

These are my notes from last week's sermon. My week has been a little chaotic i.e. our office is going electronic.

Glorification
Living out our new declared humanity is propelled by hoping in our future glorious humanity. It's declared into our lives..it's not by works.
Our eternal "City of God" is what gets us from Sunday to Saturday

Hebrews 11 Abraham looking forward. Moses looking to the reward.

There is a phrase "You're so heaven minded that you're no earthly good"..this is a lie.
Those who are heaven focused are the ones who ARE doing good on earth

How does God help us hope in our future glorification?

1. He frustrates creation..If you are a follower of Jesus, you shouldn't be satisfied in your walk, "Even creation groans"
Volcanoes,hurricanes,tornadoes..it tells us in Genesis 3 that the curse came down on creation.
Why?...Because if it grew in splendor, we would worship creation. An example is how Greeks and Romans created gods of creation
The tornado in Mississippi was an equalizer....it doesn't pick out certain people..it knocks us down to what we believe and trust.

2. He gives us a groaning spirit..the Holy Spirit..Romans 5:5,2 Corinthians, Ephesians 1:13-15

Followers of Jesus...Human agents can't change culture from the inside out..only the gospel can. Don't put your hope in a human agent i.e. political persons

3. He promises us new bodies
In creation there is natural decay. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

We wait with long suffering=patience
If you have trouble with patience..where is your hope? Are you dwelling on Christ when life throws you a curve ball?

Rob told a story about the flying Roudellas..when the flyer lets go he has to be still in order to be caught.
When you are served divorce papers, when you get bad news at a doctor appt,when your kids rebel:
"Be still and know that I am God"
He is going to catch you.....even if you die.

We hope in what we do not see.
What is competing for your hope?
What is clouding your vision of heaven?
What are the rhythms is your life?
Have I created an idol in God's gifting in my life?

"Our Humanity and the Gift of Suffering"

2010-04-18T17:00:00.002-04:00

These are my notes for this morning's sermon at Apex.

There was a baptism which is always an emotional moment for me plus we sang a Phil Wickham song "Safe" which made me choke up.

The series "Human" is continuing with the following scripture

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Sanctification = growth in Christ
Bible,Prayer,Community,Obedience and Suffering

Suffering..it's the box we'd like to leave on the shelf but you can't shortcut around it

Paul talks about his thorn.

What is the thorn?
Nobody really knows. It could be physical...it could be psychological

We all have thorns

Thorns are painful
Thorns are chronic
Thorns expose our weakness

The thorn is allowed by God but the instrument of the thorn is Satan.
God uses Satan as the messenger.
The thorn makes you vulnerable
words are the messenger of Satan..Satan speaks lies...it's his native tongue

When you look at your life through your thorn , what conclusions do you come up with?
1 Bitter
2 Damaged
3 Unforgiven
4 Angry
5 Abandoned
6 Depressed
7 Weak
8 Hopeless

When you look at your life through God you are:

1 Blessed
2 His child
3 Chosen
4 Holy
5 Blameless
6 Loved
7 Predestined
8 Adopted
9 In Christ
10 Enjoyed
11 Freely loved
12 Redeemed
13 Forgiven
14 Loaded with grace

Which side are you living on?

Paul prays for his thorn to be removed 3 times but he understands the gift of the thorn

Our suffering is an act of God's grace

"God sees we need sickness for the goodness of our souls more than healing for the healing of our bodies"

What is the purpose of the thorn?

Thorns help us...

1 Stay humble
2 Treasure grace
3 Operate in Christ's power
4 Learn contentment

"For those of us who were not there"

2010-04-05T17:37:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Easter service at Apex. Darrell and I went Sat night so I wouldn't miss worship music and we would be able to find a seat since we were doing welcome/info table. There were easily 1100 people at the 9:30 service.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Rob directed his sermon to two separate groups
The first part of the sermon was for skeptics

Compelling truths regarding the resurrection of Jesus

1. The viability of the scriptures
Manuscript evidence is very strong.
Most differences that are found are insignificant.
There are eyewitness testimonies
In the old and new testaments..the characters have good and bad parts to them..there are doubters,murderers,thieves,adulterers,etc.
It says women were the first eyewitnesses to the resurrection. This would be something that wouldn't have been common in this culture.
It includes many details that can't be disproved.

2. The amt of eyewitnesses
After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on the earth teaching..this wasn't done in secret. Over 500 eyewitnesses are described. It's not illusion or mistaken identity

3. The illogical nature of the resurrection

4. All rational human beings want it to be true(even if we don't want to believe it)

The second part of the sermon is for those believers who are full of doubt

Are you a disciple of Jesus but going through a season of doubt?

Doubt....
1. Can cause you to remove yourself from Christ-centered community. In scripture..Thomas had separated himself from the other disciples Doubt starts when our faith gets uncomfortable for us. We need to be gentle,consistent, encouraging to doubters.

2. Can cause you to place conditions on God in order to believe again. God is bound by nothing and no one.
Blessed are those who have not seen but have believed

God's ultimate miracle..The cross and resurrection. When you doubt..go through a "Thomas season", remember God has given you love, trust,joy, and hope. Cling to those truths.

Hebrews 11:6

Thomas went to India and lived out his life for the glory of God.

"Human Redeemed"

2010-03-28T17:29:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex. It was a blessing to see Hope M and Kristen P. skype from the Philippines. The hands and feet of Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-10

You were made alive:

1. Out of an act of love. Not because of your morality, not because of your Christian upbringing. God is saying "I am choosing to love this dead body through mercy"

2. Through the resurrection of Jesus. We need a second Adam(Jesus) If Jesus stayed in the grave..there would be no hope. Jesus physically rose and now we follow the track record of the second Adam...not the first.

3. To a new standing before God. We are no longer enemies of the cross. Our standing is right now...not just the future.

4. To be a reflector of God's greatness. God uses the church as an object lesson to the angels. We do not wear veils. Practically..What are you reflecting at work, to your friends, to your family.

5. To be involved in God's redemptive story. Many have reduced the gospel to getting out of Hell. Jesus saved us for good works..for a mission ..just as Hope and Kristen are missionaries..so are we.

This is a passion week at Apex.

Thursday..Garden...6:30am,12noon,6:30 pm...Prayer meetings.

Friday...Cross.....Evening of Teaching and Reflection 6:30-8:00 pm

Sunday....Grave...Weekend celebration gatherings Sat 6pm and Sun 9:30 and 11:30am

"Here Burns My Candle" by Liz Curtis Higgs

2010-03-26T10:22:00.007-04:00

A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.
Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips.
His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.
One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.
A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

To check out this book or buy it you can go here

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS is the author of twenty-seven books with three million copies in print, including: her best-selling historical novels, Thorn in My Heart, Fair Is the Rose, Christy Award-winner Whence Came a Prince, and Grace in Thine Eyes, a Christy Award finalist; My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland, an armchair travel guide to Galloway; and her contemporary novels, Mixed Signals, a Rita Award finalist, and Bookends, a Christy Award finalist. Visit the author’s extensive website at www.lizcurtishiggs.com.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

"Human Broken"

2010-03-21T14:03:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex. We sang 2 of my all time favorites.."True Light" by Phil Wing and "Deliver Me" by David Crowder.

Ephesians 2:1-3

If you come to Apex, you know that Rob doesn't wear a suit/tie. Today he was dressed in black with 2 guys on stage also dressed in black..and a mannequin. Why? I'll tell you at the end.

Adam/Eve made a decision against the will of God and it impaceted all of us.
The image of God was distorted. Our moral reasoning and dignity were distorted.
Relationships were distorted.

Our sinful humanity:

1. Has been encased by sin. Many times we want to run away from things in our life..but you take it with you when you run. (The mannequin was wrapped by the 2 men in saran wrap)

2. Infects our whole lifestyle;How you raise your kids..your job..how you live.
Our human nature determines the overall course of our life.
Romans 12:2.."Don't be conformed to the pattern of this world..."

3. Connected to the satanic. Part of us is spirit..we are connected to the Holy Spirit or the unholy spirit(Satan) 1John 5:19

4. Is governed by our own authority. When we have desire...we feed it.

5. Places us on the receiving end of God's wrath..justified punishment to sin and sinners. Those with no relationship with God are an enemy of the cross. (The men place a bulls eye on the mannequin)

6. We are enslaved

7. We are deaf in hearing God's voice. John 10 "The sheep hear his voice and know his voice" (The men place earmuffs on the mannequin)

8. We are dumb in discerning God's ways..Ecclesiastes 3:11. The cross is foolishness to unbelievers. ( The men put a dunce cap on the mannequin)

9. We are blind to God's supremacy. ( The men put a blindfold on the mannequin)

10. We are communicators of empty words. Matthew 6:7
Ephesians 5:6 (The men put a gag over the mouth of the mannequin)

11. Hard hearted toward God's desires. (The men put a cardboard heart on the mannequin)

12. We are left without hope..Ephesians 2:12 (The men put the mannequin on a gurney)

You may think as a church you are cool, you are relevant...but many wear a mask and to God you are dead. "Depart from me..I never knew you..."

The reason for the black suits...this is a eulogy to a funeral for death (The men put the mannequin in a body bag and roll him away)

How will you and I die?
We need to be rescued..someone to cut the strings of enslavement..to give us new ears,new eyes,new mouth and new heart.

Rob told a story about the rescue teams for Hurricane Katrina. Many of the people refused rescue..not because they were ungrateful..because they didn't realize how desperate their situation was.

In the end..you don't answer to your family, your boss,your neighbors,...you answer only to God.

We sang the song "Rescue" by Newsong with this line "This world has nothing for me (I will follow You)"

"Human Innocence"

2010-03-15T20:20:00.002-04:00

These are my notes from Apex

Genesis 1:27

A Dangerous Question...Who are you?

Origins
We live in a culture where many believe we evolve.."survival of the fittest"
Disciples of Jesus...we believe in creation

In Roman times there were humans/animals who fought for entertainment of humans.
It's no different today. The media allows us to watch others destroy themselves.

In the London Zoo, there was a display of humans..the purpose? To show that humans "aren't that special"

What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
We were made "like" God and to "represent" God. 1 Corinthians 11:7

What are attributes of being made in the image of God ?

Human beings have the ability to reason ..morally..wrong vs right..Animals don't

Human beings exercise dominion or authority. We have an influence on creation. We create cultures. We should be concerned about our environment, our neighborhoods, our economy.

Human beings have exclusive dignity..because of the artist(God)

End of life issues..abortion..bioethics

Psalm 139
Every human has dignity and we are unique.

Human beings thrive in relationships

Genesis 1:26 uses us and our. The trinity..they exist in a dance of self-giving love
God has relational makeup

Implications

There is not a human being that does not have the image of God

Our meaning in life is found in connection with our creator

What we do in life is dependent on who we are in life. What we do flows out of who we are.

What kind of influence are you contributing to your different culture?

How invested are you in others' lives? House churches

Look at Jesus

"Why Does Apex Use the Bible As It's Primary Source?"

2010-03-07T18:19:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the Apex sermon this am.
Worship with Phil and his band members was a blessing and it's truly "one voice"

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Scriptures =word of God =sacred writings

When Rob trained for his radio station job he used index cards to remember what he needed to do
When the disciples trained under Jesus for 31/2 yrs and he left them..their "index cards" were the Bible.

The Old Testament had a postive attitude on scripture
Psalm 19:8
Jeremiah 15:16
Eziekiel 1: 1-3

The American church today is sick. We have an attitude problem toward the word of God.

1. The Source of Scripture
All religions and cults have "a book" The authority of these books is radically different from the Bible.

Bible..God wrote through men about Himself.
Christianity is a rescue religion
When we get lethargic or jaded on the word of God then we are usually detached from the source and author.
Word of God..it gives us life. Do you look at it like your life depends on it?
Adam's life depended on the "breath of God"

2. Function of Scripture
Teaching
How is it taught?
1 It Confronts Us. reproof
We are biblicslly illiterate. We don't want to be wrong. The Bible calls us out. It will question our attitudes and demand change.

2. It corrects us. It sets our hearts back in place.

3. It conditions us. discipline;training
Many of us are conditioned around things like American Idol..we have American Idol parties..we talk about it alot...it takes up our thoughts. We do this for things we love. We need to do the same for the word of God.

3. Goal
You need word and spirit to grow up.
God didn't die just so we won't burn. That is NOT the gospel of Christ. He saved us for a work. We are gospel activists.

We are sending a team from Apex to Haiti. They have the baseline they need to minister...the word of God.

"Mother Daughter Duet" and "Dancing With My Father"

2010-03-01T15:50:00.004-05:00

This is a 2 for 1 review :) I read both of these books for the blog tour this week

The first book, "Mother-Daughter Duet" was a very timely book. It's written by a mother and her daughter. It gives both of their views on different situations that mothers/daughters go through from letting to when a daughter is looking for independence through the different times of life such as wedding and motherhood. It's easy to see things through one set of eyes and this book helped to show real life feelings and emotions. I enjoyed the Connecting and Bonding chapter for ways to spend time together. It also deals with crisis situations and recognizing generation differences and also knowing when to let go. There is a fine balance in staying a mother but being a good listener and friend. I would highly recommend this book to women who have teenage daughters and are struggling with their relationships.

Author Bio:
Cheri Fuller is a best-selling, award-winning author whose books have sold more than one million copies. She speaks to a wide range of women at women’s conferences and is a frequent guest on national radio and television programs.
Ali Plum is Cheri’s daughter, a writer and songwriter, a wife, and a mother to Noah and Luke. She and her mom have weathered the ups and downs of their relationship to find one of the most treasured, honest relationships of their lives. Ali has recorded background vocals for popular musicians, and Mother-Daughter Duet marks her debut into book publishing.

The second book,"Dancing With My Father", talks about having a life of joy through all the different aspects of our lives. That joy may be in memories, it may be in friendships, it may be in trials, or just in our everyday mundane lives. The key is keeping eyes and ears open in all circumstances and looking for that joy. She gives examples with her own life circumstances which were relatable. It's a great book to read when you are feeling down and need encouragement to look at the joy of life under the dark cloud.

Sally Clarkson is a popular speaker, known across the nation and internationally for her work with women. She is the author of several books, including The Mission of Motherhood, The Ministry of Motherhood, and Seasons of a Mother’s Heart. She has worked in various ministries, including Campus Crusade for Christ. With her husband, Clay, she is cofounder of Whole Heart Ministries, which encourages and equips Christian parents. The Clarksons, parents of four, live near Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Go here and here to buy these books

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"The Calling of Our Work"

2010-02-28T12:53:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning. Loved our worship! Apexers definitely know how to sing it out!

Colossians 3:23-24

Life can be a nonstop regimen.
Vocare means spiritual calling. We get the word vocation from this.
If someone asks us what is your calling, we don't think about our job.

Work is never mundane within the kingdom of God. "Do all for the glory of God"
Work is a means for worship

Why?

Our activity of work should flow out of our soul.

What kind of soul?

1. A soul that comes under the grander authority of God.
When you get a complaining,whiny attitude...you are working for the wrong person

2. A soul that hopes in the compensation of God..we inherit the earth, eternal life, but we are also bought by Christ.
If you work for a means to an end..these are "deceptive ways"

3. A soul that recalls the nature of Christ
We didn't come to be served but to serve.
We are serving the greatest servant

When you are thinking,talking and acting :

1. Give attention to the behavioral values of your workplace

2 Work as hard on your character as you do for your job..tune your heart to the word of God.

3. Pursue excellence and diligence

4. Rest in God's sovereign positioning of your life...you are where you are because God has plans for you there

5. Be very careful how you carry yourself verbally...don't gossip..don't throw people under the bus

6. Consider your work as part of the cost of being a disciple

If you love being chiseled and changed to be more like Christ..you will love your job.

"Beholding, Repenting, and Going"

2010-02-24T19:48:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex. I'm a little late this week in posting :)

Isaiah 6:1-10

Rob told the story and significance of John Lennon's death to our culture. It was the death of "give peace a chance"

In Isaiah, King Uzziah dies. He reigned for 52 yrs. This was significant to this culture.

Isaiah is the Romans of the Old Testament.

Living out our calling flows from:

1 View of God

We see his majesty his majestic authority,he sits on a throne
Is that exhibited in our behavior?
Do we look to Him for everything?

a His eminence. (intimacy) His robe fills the temple
b His holiness..He is set apart.. a cut above
c His glory..the public display of holiness
If we grasp this we have a desire for his gospel to be known everywhere
d His power...You can be "religious" and not have the power of God in your life
Is there fruit in your character?

2 Brokenness before God
Isaiah says "Woe is me"
Freud saw "cultural Christianity"..don't want to feel the pain
Be careful when you are pointing out others woes..you need to start with yourself

3 Freedom given by God
The lips are connected to the heart
There are some bad choices in our lives
We aren't guilty anymore. There is no condemnation. We have been set free.

4 Costly obedience to God
Gospel fruit isn't always conversions
It will soften some..Christ will harden some hearts
You need to be faithful in wherever God has you

"Hear No Evil" by Matthew Paul Turner

2010-02-20T10:06:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading "Hear No Evil" this morning,not because it's a long book but because when I find a book that I like and makes me laugh, I don't want the experience to end.
Matthew Paul Turner is one of my favorite authors and Twitterers (is that a word?) and bloggers. His books are honest but also humorous. Sometimes you have to get past the sarcasm to see that there is a genuine honest heart that has an important story to tell.
"Hear No Evil" is a book that chronicles his experiences with music. Most of the book deals with his college and young adult experiences in the Christian Music Industry.
His upbringing in a very legalistic church have a very strong impact on his likes and beliefs. I think his friend who described him as a "boy in the bubble" was very accurate. His church and parents sheltered him from the real world. When he discovers some of these things, his reactions will make you laugh. The description of his family dropping him off at a "christian" college was hilarious.
The story of Tina, a woman who had dreams of performing, and Kyle,a man who came to church at Easter were very touching. Matthew has a way of making you laugh but also finding that story that makes you really think about how Christians push away the very people they are trying to reach.
I would hightly recommend this book to anyone. It made my week :)
To buy a copy of this book check out this website

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"The Call of God and Christian Service"

2010-02-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex.
Sometimes the words of worship songs hit me like a hammer. That happened this morning with the songs we sang. The worship team that led this morning really did a great job.
Rennes Bowers did the sermon. Rennes is one of the elders at Apex.

John 15:8-17

Call to vocational ministry
God calls all of us to ministry but some for professional ministry
The number of pastors who leave paid ministry if huge because of burnout.
God needs more full time Christians and less full time professionals
Jesus said "Go make disciples.." not "Go make pastors"
God does call some to go to seminary and get more teaching.
If you only have pastors, you'll have keepers of the aquarium not fishers of men.

7 Points of Discipleship

1. Deny self
2. Cross bearing
3. Supreme love for Jesus
4. Forsaking all
5. Persevering in teaching
6. Fruitfulness
7. Fervent love one to another

Can you lose your salvation? no
Can you lose your "assurance of salvation" yes
If you leave your faith and live a life of sin...only God really knows if you are truly saved

1 Peter 2:9-10

We are a chosen race....it transcends color and culture
Why does God choose us?
He has set us apart and has a purpose
We are a royal priesthood
Identity leads to destiny
Our mission..to make known who God is. Revelation 5
2.6 billion are unreached..most of these are in India
Allow God to serve you as you serve Him. With that, everything is possible

"Love & War..Finding The Marriage You've Dreamed Of

2010-02-12T14:58:00.006-05:00

So right before Valentine's Day is a good time to read a book on marriage? In this case the answer is yes. I have read books by John Eldredge and I have read a book called "Captivating" by Staci, but this time they co wrote this book on marriage.
I like the fact that you see both points of view on their stories. They have been married 25 years. Through those 25 years they have had hard times..2 times almost divorcing. Through the good and bad, they have found what things to focus on,what things to let go of in a marriage. I like the fact that they talk about their backgrounds and how those impact how they relate to each other. You are dealing with 2 different people with different thoughts in most marriages. It takes work to understand and relate. They talk about marriage as a shared adventure. In that sharing, God is the most important person. Without Him, you end up relying on an imperfect human. They cover things like quirks,bad timing, sex, arguments, and how to pray with each other and for one another. The book has a lot of insight in to how many of us feel in our marriages. I would recommend this book for couples who are just starting out and for couples,like Darrell and I, who have been married 25 years.

To buy a copy of this go here

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

"The Most Important Calling"

2010-02-07T20:37:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from Apex.

Romans 10:12-13

God called us first..he's done a work inside of us.

Acts 2:29-30
We are able to call on the name of the Lord

3 ways of understanding "the call"

1. A general call...invitation summon

2. A specific call

3. A vocational ministry

Specific call
How to know you are called by God to be His son or daughter.

Rob did a visual on explaining the gospel.

God, who is just pure, and creator is at the top....scum of the earth at the bottom i.e. Hitler,Jeffrey Dahmer,Osama Bin Laden
In between are rungs of a ladder where we place family,friends,enemies,etc.
No matter where you put them on that ladder..they are not God, they are not perfect.
They all lead back down to the bottom because "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" "The wages of sin are death"
God created Christ to be our judge.

Ephesians 2
We are born dead in our transgressions

Ecclesiastes
Even though we are impacted by sin, we are created to worship and we go through life like going up a ladder

Up the sides of the ladder rungs are ways we try to go up the ladder through our life
Secular...American dream, sports,being a "good person",philanthropy,education,marriage
Religious..praying,going to church,reading the Bible, mission trips,preaching

The rungs of the ladder represent every emotion,every thought

Can a "dead" person do things to go up the ladder ie pray,live the American dream..NO

Your "deadness" doesn't look like Hitler but what you are doing is "justifying" by comparing.
In the end...it will be only you standing in front of Christ for judgment

Religion vs Gospel

Religion is "dead" people trying to do things...i.e. pray,go to church,give money,etc to get to God
The Gospel is making "dead" people alive..not making good people better.

God came down the ladder..He came under the law,He was tempted in every way,He was perfect,and He was judged for our sins because God is a judge and has to punish sin.
Christ absorbed our sin and was judged guilty..he was put on a cross and died. He went to the tomb.

The Good news
You can't keep a God buried..He rose 3 days later

When you wonder where was God when...there was abuse, there was a split in the church, there was a wrongful death,,,He was on the cross.

How do you know if you are called?
1. Believe and trust in Jesus Christ...John 1:12
2. Confess Jesus as Lord..Romans 10: 9-10
3. Turn from your sin...western culture wants Christianity without repentance.

You have to have repentance..even the demons believe and confess Jesus as Lord.

"How to Respond When You Reject God's Moral Will"

2010-01-31T16:30:00.004-05:00

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex this morning. Ryan Stanley from Mercy Hill did the sermon. Phil did worship alone with just acoustical guitar which was beautiful with The voices of Apexers .

Psalms 51:1-19

Christianity is a story peppered with instructions. Many other religions are instructions peppered with a story.
We find ourselves outside of moral will..in sin..by doing or not doing something.

We need repentance.

He started the sermon talking about ways confessions on TV are done
Avoiding details
Minimizing
Excusing
Sharing the blame
Addict-ionize
Talk about love a lot

In this Psalm, David is confessing about his affair with Bathsheba

1. He turns to God 1-2
He asks for mercy
He grounds that mercy in God's love
He knows God can cleanse him

2. Zoom out 3-6
Sometimes we have to look at the big picture.
It is worse than we thought because we hurt others in the process.
It happens more than once

3. Trust your theology 8
Theology is practical.

4. Recognize the Source 10
It's an evil heart that our actions come from. Outworking of something inside

5.Seek transformation 7,9,11
inner cleansing
Don't need more instruction

6. Receive restoration Joy 12
Remember the day you believed

7. Spread restoration Joy 13-15

8. Review the Gospel 10-19
You can't "do" to gain God's acceptance.
What pleases God is broken hearts turning to Jesus

"How to Respond w

2010-01-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

"The Filter of Wisdom"

2010-01-24T16:49:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this morning.

Proverbs 2: 1-11

God's will is something that can be "spiritual experience" on one end and "Bible only" on the other.
Our spirit experiences always are subservient to God's word.
We need wisdom...it's not the same as intelligence.

What is wisdom?
The moral skill to understand and apply the commandments of God to situations and people. It is the ability to connect the principle to the application. James Petty

The ability to apply in life the character and purposes of God. The wise individual discerns and lives out the unseen reality of God's kingdom and rule.

Nature of wisdom

Gaining wisdom is an act of humility. It(wisdom) has to be given to you by God.

Gaining wisdom is hard work. It takes diligence. Resources are there but we are lazy.

Gaining wisdom finds it's fulfillment in the knowledge of God.
Everything about us is a means to know God.

Questions toward gaining wisdom

Look at your circumstances
Utilize common sense
Clearly define your desires

1. Have you done thorough research on the decision? "Seek it like silver"

2. Have you done thorough research on yourself?
What are your gifts?
What are your motives?
What is driving this decision?
What are your fears?
Romans 12:3

3. Have you sought out a counsel of wisdom?

4. Have you been living in the vine? It tunes us in to God's sovereign will. Prayer,scripture, fellowship with believers.

5. Have you consecrated yourself? Are you all in? Don't be "double-souled" where you have allegiance to 2 things.

"The Dance of Wills"

2010-01-17T12:36:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon this am.
This is a continuation of last weeks sermon

Genesis 2:16-17

Rob gave a visual of his skiing experience at Lake Placid. Different levels of skiing..different choices you can make.
Safety is a mirage
Our lives are molded by our decisions
Starbucks has 19,000 ways to make coffee..many choices
Life confronts us in thousands of ways.

We use God or the holy spirit to support our decisions when many times it's our own ego making the decisions.

3 wills

Sovereign
Moral
Individual

Too many times we become too obsessed with individual will and forget about the other two.
There is no "permissive will of God" That's not a biblical statement.

The issue isn't whether God has a detailed will for each believer, the issue is whether we can know that detailed will before we take action.

Be careful how you apply narratives from the Bible.
The word of the Lord can become an obsession more than Christ himself.

Direct revelation was the exception not the rule in scripture.

God speaks most clearly and powerfully in his word.
Many times we "amen" that but we rarely live that.

Don't look for the supernatural. God did these many times because of lack of faith.

"Decision making and the will of God" by Gary Friesen

We have freedom towards a variety of choices within God's sovereign and moral will

In Genesis 2...we may eat of every tree
not to eat the tree of knowledge..moral will

Leviticus 11 animal sacrifices clean vs unclean animals
Levitcus 22 offering is free will
1 Corinthians 8....food choices
2 Corinthians choice of financial giving
1 Corinthians 10.."whatever you do"..it's a choice for the end result..glory of God

Ask yourself:

1. What is a significant decision that is confronting you right now?

2. What is your process in making that decision?
We often have control issues and need for independence

3. What are your motives in making that decision? Our motives are who we are.

4. What are your fears/concerns in making that decision?

"We want lives of simple, predictable ease—smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see—but God likes to go off-road." Tony Snow

"The Male Factor" by Shaunti Feldhahn

2010-01-15T08:56:00.008-05:00

Last year I read a book called "What Every Woman Should Know" by Shaunti Feldhahn. It opened my eyes to some things that make men and women different. It honestly helped me look at my husband differently and understand why he thinks and feels differently.
This year she has come out with a book that is similar but it has it's focus on the workplace. Many of us work with men and again may not understand why they think and feel differently. Personally, I only work with one male in our office but even in that work relationship I can now understand why many times he looks at us like we have a second head :) I think this book would be most valuable to those women who work in the business field.
Men want to be respected, they are visual, they focus on results not relationship.
I think these are the 3 main points I learned from this book.
Shaunti took the time to interview several men through survey and interview. Once I read the book and understood why men feel the way they do, I had many "OH.....now I get it" moments. I highly recommend reading this book to make your workplace more positive for yourself and your male coworkers. To buy a copy you can go here

Summary:
Many talented women today risk undermining their careers without realizing it, simply because they don’t understand how they are perceived by their male colleagues and customers.
In What Men really Think, best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn reveals the inner reality behind men’s views — the unspoken expectations that no man would dare to publicly acknowledge, and no woman would learn from an HR department. These revelations include:

• Men’s unwritten ‘rules’ of the workplace
• How men perceive workplace emotion
• What common situations with female colleagues most frustrate men-- and why
• Why revealing clothing can sabotage a woman’s effectiveness
• Why some men think flextime is fine, but equal compensation for it is not

What Men Really Think equips women with the information they need to make informed decisions and compete on a level playing field.

Shaunti Feldhahn is a nationally syndicated columnist and the bestselling author of For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men and For Men Only, which together sold one million copies. She holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard, worked on Wall Street and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Disclaimer:This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"God Has A Will For Your Life- Really??"

2010-01-10T21:00:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning.
Worship was great. Loved the David Crowder songs but especially loved the words for the Phil Wickham song "Safe"

To the one who's dreams are falling all apart
And all you're left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think your on your own
but you're not all alone

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong and never let you go
oh you're not alone

Chorus:
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms

Colossians 1:9-10

True North..what is our true north?
Rob tells us 3 story situations of people who ponder God's will

1 A couple who don't know if it's God's will that they get married
2 A guy in politics who finds God and wonders if it's God's will to go into ministry
3 A man who is accused of a crime who is innocent and faces capital punishment

What does God's will mean and do we know it?
You are filled so much with God's wisdom that it will show in your actions.
God's will..what God desires to do and the means he uses to accomplish these desires

Understanding the will of God is important because:
1. It bends the ear of God ( John 9:31 ; 1John 5:14)

2. Provides extravagant benefits (Ephesians 1:11)

3. It helps us discern God's excellencies

( John 7:17 ; Romasn 2:18)

4. It is the difference between being wise and being a fool (Ephesians 5:17)

5. We need to be spiritually equipped for it (Hebrews 13:21)

6. It is an indicator of true salvation ( John 9:31 ; Ephesians 1:5; 2Timothy 2:26 ;1John 2:17)

Three levels of understanding God's will

1. God's sovereign will
God doesn't consult us..It is just going to be done

2. God's moral will.
Know his word. the Bible.

3. God's specific will
You and me as individuals
Ideal detailed plan for each believer

Does God have a specific will for your life?
Yes..(but you normally will not know it until you look backwards)

God's specific will that we can know is for our lives to think, desire, and act like Jesus.

We often put this after choice of spouse, career,where we live, etc.
Conformity to Christ is your most important life direction ( 1 Thessalonians 4:3)

The 3 stories
1. The couple ...Pastor Rob and his wife Angela. He didn't "get a sign" that Angela was the right one but he knows she is because he is married to her.

2. The politician...William Wilberforce..he stayed in politics and abolished slavery

3. The third man...Jesus.."your will be done"

Christ dying on the cross wasn't Plan B. It was the plan the whole time.

"The One Day Way" by Chantel Hobbs

2010-01-04T10:25:00.010-05:00

Over the weekend I read a book about losing weight by Chantel Hobbs. I read her first book last year and actually still use alot of her suggestions. This book is a good addition to the first book. It focuses on 3 main areas of weight loss..faith,food,and fitness. She puts a lot of focus on encouragement and focusing one day at a time. By focusing one day at a time you establish a foundation. She gives great ideas for food. It's important to eat balanced, it's important to cut back on calories. She gives an example of a 7 day menu that she uses. These are suggestions she used in her first book as well. I still use the breakfast with oatmeal and the snacks. With fitness, she gives visual examples of strength training using a medicine ball and resistance bands. She talks about her 10 commandments for fitness. The bottom line for weight loss is burning off more calories than you consume.
The end chapters deal with the encouragement and what to do when you hit the obstacles.
The book is a very practical way to lose and maintain weight loss. She is a living example of her plan that works. To buy a copy of this book go here

Author Bio:
The author of Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Trainer, Chantel Hobbs is a motivational speaker, life coach, personal trainer, marathon runner, wife, and mother of four whose story has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, the 700 Club, and the covers of People and First magazines. She appears weekly on two fitness-themed radio programs and promotes her One-Day Way Learning System on television. Visit Chantel at ChantelHobbs.com for fitness updates and coaching tips.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Questions to ask yourself this New Year

2010-01-03T14:33:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning. Worship was good.. a different view from the balcony :)

1 Timothy 6:11-16

What is going to be our attitude going into the next year?
Reality..some of us will experience the best, some the worst, some of us may not be here at this time next year.
As a culture we focus on the outside...i.e. weight loss.

What are some questions we need to ask about our inside?

1. How are you going to run?
We're always running away from something.
What you run away from is an indicator of who you are.
More of an indicator is what you are running to.
"O Man of God flee these things.." money, division, false teachings
Run to righteousness, godliness Being Jesus to our family and friends.
We need to run after trust. Don't be a controller. If we micromanage our life we end up wearing a mask.
Run toward agape love. Don't love people for what they can do for you..it needs to be unconditional.
Run toward patience and gentleness. Be humble.

2. How are you going to fight?
Paul assumes life is a fight
Fight the good fight of faith
Fight= agony
There is good agony where you run toward Christ
There is bad agony where you complain and whine

a. Take hold of eternal life
b. Remember your confession..when the world creeps in and the adversary clouds your mind.
c. Model this on Christ
d. Fight clean..free from reproach..don't back stab and cause division
There will always be hypocrisy in the body of Christ but don't let this become your authority.

3. How are you going to be motivated?
No better motivator in following Jesus than the character of Jesus.
Not religious things or experiences..It's the character of Christ.
a. God is our pursuer..he came after Adam and Eve. He came after sinful humanity. God pursues you and He is coming back.
b. God is our supreme ruler. He is the authority. No matter what deadness you are going through..He wants to give you life.
c. God is unapproachable..Jesus is our access to an approachable God. The veil is torn open.

Mysteries of Jesus

2009-12-27T19:39:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from our Apex service this morning. Rennes Bowers did our sermon this am. Rennes is one of our elders, a Dayton firefighter,and the chaplain for the Dayton Dragons.
Worship was beautiful as always.

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Taste=savor

John 12:20
Gentiles wanted to see Jesus and went to the disciples to ask.

Mysteries of the Lord Jesus

Ephesians 1:15

1. Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better. It's not just coming to church and bringing your Bible and your ears with you.
God changes us..it's a process.

2. 2 People stare at the cross..one worships and one yawns..what's the difference?
One is drawn to him. He took their blinders off and made their heart soft from stone.
The Lord makes that difference.

3. Revelation 5
The lion who looks like a lamb.
God became a real man. Man was born from Adam's race and curse. Jesus is from God and the virgin Mary. God gave his Son..the greatest Christmas gift.

Jesus became guilty at the cross for all of our sins.
Our record is clean and we become righteous.

Jesus died and rose after the 3rd day. He comes back as the lion. The lamb comes back as the lion for judgment day and we see the wrath of the lamb.

Christmas is Act 1 of the play.

"Labor of Love"

2009-12-25T00:23:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from tonight's Christmas Eve service.
It was absolutely the most awesome service. At least 1200 people were in the sanctuary..not an empty seat and some were standing.
We started with O Come All Ye Faithful and O Come O Come Emmanuel.
Then Phil sang "Deliver Us" by Andrew Peterson. He did an awesome job.
They showed video clips of 2 Apexers describing their past struggles with drugs and abuse. It was so honest and so touching. There was a girl who described the process of pregnancy,labor, and birth in a dramatic way and then "Labor of Love" was sung by Melissa. She sounded just like Jill Phillips when I saw "Behold the Lamb"

Rob used Micah 5:1 to give his sermon. It's the Old Testament version of God sharing the Christmas Story.

1. Christ will come in the midst of war. To be human is to be in conflict. There is physical war. There is invisible war. There is spiritual war. James 4 describes the war that can occur inside of us.

2. Christ will come in mind blowing humility. He comes from a small town. He comes as a baby. He comes from Ancient of Days and has always existed. He died on a cross.

3. Christ stood over us as a shepherd. In the garden he stood and took the cup.
He stood during his trial. He stood upon a cross.

4. He is the provider of the deepest peace.
We need peace with God.

The service ended with the 2 Apexers giving their testimony of where they are now in their life and how Christ saved them from themselves..it brought tears to my eyes.

We ended with singing "O Holy Night"

It was an absolutely beautiful service.

"Primal" by Mark Batterson

2009-12-21T09:59:00.004-05:00

I read this book as a review and loved it. It doesn't take long to read but it has so many great thoughts and ideas that you will want to take each section at a time. He divides it into 4 main areas: Heart,soul,mind, and strength. In heart he deals with the main theme of compassion and how that translates into thoughts and actions. In soul, he deals with getting past your five senses and experiencing God through passion. Mind deals with curiosity..looking and searching and asking why questions. Strength deals with our service and actions of faith.
My favorite quote from the book:

In my experience, it's much easier to act like a Christian than it is to react like one. Anyone can put on an act. But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart."

Be Astonished Again

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

To buy a copy of this book go here

Author Bio:
The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

"Holding Jesus"

2009-12-21T07:58:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the Apex sermon. We had Christmas music for worship with an original song by Matt Thornberg along with "Go Tell it on the Mountain", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", and "O Come All Ye Faithful". Kristen went to church with us and she still has the most amazing and beautiful voice.

Luke 2:25-35

This is a time when they have been waiting for 400 yrs for the Messiah.
God always hears us but how he answers can be really hard sometimes.
When you have a child you are anxious to hear the pediatrician's report...that everything is ok with your baby.
In this passage Simeon also gives a "report" about baby Jesus.

What would you think if you heard that your newborn child:

Will give life to people
Will condemn people
Will be opposed by people
Will reveal the innermost secrets of people

Who is Simeon?
1 Righteous man
2 Devout..careful and concerned about being obedient
3 Waiting..for the comfort of Israel

There are 2 reasons for parents to go to the temple
1 Circumcision
2 40 days after a birth...for the baby to be consecrated.dedicated to the Lord

The Longing of Christmas
1 is drawn from the well of spirit

2 is practically seen in promise driven perseverance
Simeon knew that he would see the Christ child before death as promised by God
He banked his perseverance on God's promises..not on man's success rate with his own promises.
Rob gave the example of the man who was recently released from prison after 35 yrs. His DNA showed he didn't commit the crime. The man persevered in his faith that he would be exonerated.

3 understands the international implications of Christ's birth
God came for all nations..sinners
In heaven we keep our ethnicity...a young black man in the service yelled out "Amen" which made all of us including Rob laugh.

4 Allow his disciples to die in peace

"Peace on Earth! Really?"

2009-12-13T19:34:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning. Beautiful Christmas music with a mini choir and the praise band.

Matthew 10:34-39

Jesus provids such life giving peace that it can actually start a war.
That peace impacts all parts of our lives.

A "private" Christian is a biblical oxymoron..it doesn't exist.

At Christmas, many of us have family who are not Christian. It creates conflict.

This relational conflict arises because :

1. There is change in the focal point of your love. Family isn't #1...Christ is.

2. of the change in your identity. Christ died to save us from ourselves. We die to ourselves. Sometimes you lose friends.

3. of the supreme nature of your devotion to Christ. You take up your cross..you die to self..it's like a spiritual electric chair.

Simple principles to remember in relating to non believing family

1. Don't be surprised
2. Don't quarrel
3. Have a merciful attitude..God had mercy on you everyday
4. Respond to mistreatment with goodness..respond to sarcasm with encouragement and acts of service
5. Purue honor within biblical lines. Push honor without compromise.
6. Pray and be ready
Obey and let God take care of the fruit.

"Compassion that Compels"

2009-12-07T06:35:00.002-05:00

This week I went to visit my friends Kyle and Janelle Dobbins at First Baptist Church in Franklin. They have a beautiful 4 yr old daughter,Elsie, who sang "Happy Birthday Jesus" as a solo. She looked beautiful in a sparkly purple dress and did a wonderful job. If you need a boost in Christmas spirit, go watch a children's program...it will warm your heart :)
Her dad, Kyle, is the worship minister. I love Kyle's passion for music and God. I met Kyle at my former church and always loved his positive attitude. He and his band did some Christmas music and one of my favorite songs "Mighty to Save". It was a perfect song for the message.
"Everyone needs compassion..a love that's never failing."

Luke 1:26-38

Compassion..Caring enough to do something about someone Else's need.
God saw a desperate need here on earth.
During the time of Mary and Joseph, the custom was for the groom and bride not to see each other. This is where our custom of the groom not seeing the bride on the wedding day comes from.
An angel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son who will be the Savior.
Mary is confused. Why would God choose her?

We are all chosen by God as reflections of who God is.
Many of us also ask Why would God choose me?

v 35...Mary also asked..How can I be pregnant? The Holy Spirit comes upon her.
v37 For nothing will be impossible with God.
v38 Mary says yes..she believes
When God calls us to be followers..something stirs inside of us. Will you say yes?
Mary's yes changed lives and the shape of the world.
When we say yes, God will change us. He will work in us and through us.

Because of sin..we are judged. Punishment for sin is death and hell but because of God's compassion he sent his Son to a womb, Mary's womb. Jesus was born a helpless baby. He lived among us and never sinned and at the chosen moment took on death and hell so we wouldn't have to.

When we go to Jesus for forgiveness, when we say yes, he saves us from eternal death and a cycle begins.
God shows us compassion so that we can show others compassion.
We need to ask "Who needs compassion?" It moves us beyond ourselves.
Look around you. Whose need do you see?

"Above All Else"

2009-11-28T20:33:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex tonight.
You know that the sermon is going to be powerful when the heat goes out and the projector bulb burns out just before the service.
We sang "The Desert Song", Amazing Grace medley, Beautiful, and a new song Issac taught us which was equally beautiful.

Proverbs 4:1-23

This scripture deals with a father giving his son wise instruction.
Paul Isaacs did our sermon tonight. He used his own father's advice to correlate to God's instruction to us.

1. Be Careful.
There are many verses that tell us to be careful.
Why? Because there is a powerful enemy.
He correlated a bike to us. The front wheel is our mind..it determines what direction we go. What are you listening to? What are you reading? What are you watching?
The frame is our body.
The rear wheel is our soul..the power of the bike. The soul is where the enemy will attack.
How do you protect yourself? You put on the armor of God. You hide God's word in your heart and speak it out loud.

2. Remember who you are.
You are important. God confides in us.

3. Have character
Character is who you are when no one is watching. Examples Daniel and Joseph.

4. You will have to give an account for what you do someday.
He told the story of a youth pastor who had affairs on his wife. When he ran into him 2 yrs later, the youth pastor's advice.."Always have someone in your life who keeps you accountable"
There are other people who you don't want to let down. Family,friends, and even those who don't have a relationship with Christ but are watching us.

There are people who are counting on you:
1 To remember who you are
2 To have character
3 Who will hold you accountable

Guard your heart..it will determine your course in life.

"The Supreme Receiver of Thanks"

2009-11-22T17:44:00.002-05:00

These are my notes from Rob's sermon at Apex.
We sang 2 Brooke Fraser songs.."Hosanna" and "You'll come"..(Chains be broken..lives be healed), "Wonderful Maker" and "Revelation Song".

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

We don't have to rely on circumstances to be thankful. For some here things are good and for others...they may feel there is no hope.

The reality of the cross is always there. We can always say thank you

"Feelings are real...they just aren't authoritative" Jeff Cook ..Cedarville professor

We all express things in different ways.

Rob told a funny story about a guy in Alabama who loves ribs and when he took a bite used the expression "Smack your momma" to mean they were good.

Paul was always thankful. Are you this way?

He was thankful for the whole church, not just the leaders.

What does "church" mean?
In our culture, "Christians" have given the impression of it being an elitist system. This is wrong.

Paul always mentions them in prayer.

Thessaloniki have :

1 A work of faith. Faith changes you. They had mission work. They turned from idols.

2 Labor of love. This is hard work. It takes God to love people who are not like you.
People in our lives can be inconvenient and interfere with our lives.
If you aren't in the vine of Christ..you run from this..you are not a true disciple of Christ. Love is irrespective of what we get back.

3 hope. Unmoved and unrelenting.

Romans 5:3-5 Suffering..endurance....character....hope.

John Ortberg talked about a medical study of 25 men who were pessimists. 21 of the 25 died within 8 yrs. "It's better to eat twinkies with hope than broccoli with despair."
Where are you in this story?

"Deep Thanks"

2009-11-15T18:36:00.003-05:00

These are my notes from Apex this morning. I loved the music. "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Because of Your Love" are two of my favorites. We also got to hear from one of our missionaries,Kristen Paulick, who is now in Nicaraugua. She's had some "God moments" and was able to pray with us via internet connection on the screen.

Psalm 50: 1-23

Many times Thanksgiving is more of a Christian holiday than Christmas. Thanksgiving magnifies God.
We don't always have the heart and good attitude with our thanks

These passages are similar to being in a court proceeding.

Who is the judge? God
Who is the prosecutor? God
Who are the defendants? God's own people
What are the charges? (7-13)

1. Your are going through the religious motions. The problem is their attitude.
"God needs for me to do this because..."
God doesn't "need" anything. He was the creator.
God doesn't need it ..we need it.
It's religion vs. righteousness of Christ

2. You hate discipline (v16-17a)

3. Your throw away his commands (17b)

4. You fit in better with unbelievers (v18) Even though Jesus was a friend and hung out with the sinners...He didn't sin.
We hang out with the sinners and have the same behavior. We "fit in"

5. Your mouth goes unchecked (v 19-20)
Slander, gossip,condescending attitude

6. You treat God like He is another human being. (v21)
We treat friendships badly..push people away...we do the same thing to God.

What is the possible punishment? (v22)
God will not always be silent. He is slow to anger but it tells us "he will tear us apart"

Where is our only hope? (v23)
2000 yrs ago God brought the offering,Jesus. When we have hearts of thanksgiving then we participate and experience the benefits.