What gives YOU the right?

You know that statement don't you? What makes someone think they have authority/privilege /permission to do something? Regarding Holy Communion... this 1st line of a prayer we'll pray is a tremendous encouragement that our hope and privilege is about Christ and His gospel, not us and our goodness:

WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, o merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.

I always cheat

Started book 5 of Psalms last night at the dinner table.... invite you to "Finish Strong" with our Summer Psalm Reading journey...

so read Psalm 107 today, which is the first psalm of Book 5 .... what stands out in Psalm 107... people in need who cry out "LORD, HELP!" and God helps those who call on Him. That is the message of the Bible and can be the message of your day today, and mine.

Fun Fun Fun on Friday Night

Best Friends Forever --BFF RESTORED!

Tonite KidsCamp/VBS concludes with a dinner, fun, and much more!!!
6pm at Oak Hall
ends at 8pm

Kids Camp/ VBS Wed.Nite

The Grace of Self-Knowledge

"I have counseled people for many years and one of the things that has impressed me over and over again is how self-deluded people (including me) can be. It's amazing how hard it is to see ourselves with accuracy. It's been my experience over and over again that we see the other person with a fairly high degree of accuracy, but can't seem to see ourselves with the same precision." --Paul Tripp in yet ANOTHER meditation on Ps 51 that is fire
read the whole thing HERE


O God, make Christ Community a people who see their sin... and run to your cross... and move out to serve others with JOY, humility & love...

vbs / kids camp

Each night this week (Mon-Fri) we are holding KidsCamp/VBS at Oak Hall
a light Dinner is served at 5:30 and the program runs from 6-8

it has really been a great week so far--see pics below-- and I encourage everyone (kids or no kids) to stop by sometime to see what's happening... i doubt it would feel like wasted time... consider it

more vbs images

Kids Camp / VBS Pics Night 1

Holiness

"Woven into the warp and woof of the New Testament’s exposition of what it means for us to be holy is the great groundwork that the self-existent, thrice holy, triune God has — in Himself, by Himself and for Himself — committed Himself and all three Persons of His being to bringing about the holiness of His own people. This is the Father’s purpose, the Son’s purchase and the Spirit’s ministry.” --Sinclair Ferguson

Starting your day with IOUs

--below is by Tim Chester
In his book, When I Don’t Desire God, John Piper talks about how he starts the day with his ‘IOUs’ to God (read about it for yourself here). I’ve adapted them and added a pray. I’ve also added four affirmations about God, each with a prayer. I think most - maybe all - of our sinful behaviours and negative emotions arise when in practice we stop believing one of these truths. Earnestly praying through these pointers would be a great way to start each day.

• I – Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! (Psalm 119:36)
  Lord God, may I desire you and your glory more than anything else today.
• O – Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalm 119:18)
  Lord God, may I see you and your glory in your word and in your world today.
• U – Unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)
  Lord God, may my whole heart desire you and your glory today.
• S – Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)
  Lord God, satisfy me with yourself and your glory today.

1. God is good so I don’t need to look elsewhere for joy.
   Lord God, may I delight in you today and not in empty things.
2. God is sovereign so I don’t need to be in control.
   Lord God, may I trust in you today and not in myself.
3. God is great so I don’t need to fear other.
   Lord God, may I fear you today and not other people.
4. God is gracious so I don’t need prove myself.
   Lord God, may I find my identity in you today and not in myself.

What business will be done at the congregational meeting?

The selection of elders. That's it.

What about voting on borrowing money for the building? Nope. That is a later meeting, probably in August.

Selection of Elders

During my years of voting I have seen it done in 2 ways:

Way One
Vote for one guy or the other: Michael Dukakis OR George Bush

Way Two
Vote on whether the following should be in office:
Judge Johnson Yes No
Judge Smith Yes No
Judge Judy Yes No

At the end of the day, either dukakis OR bush will be in office...
At the end of the day, all 3 judges may be in office... or 2 may be, or 1, or none.

The selection of elders we'll do on Sunday is a "WAY 2" type of voting.

Today's Psalms are 92 & 93

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 91 and God's Protection

You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing.... ---taken from The Message translation

Frank Matthews will be preaching this Sunday on Psalm 91!

Elders

After a brief search on google, finding nothing that seemed helpful... I offer this

Two Kinds of Elders, Ruling Elders (RE) & Teaching Elders (TE)
Similarities: They both have a vote on the elder board and are charged with overseeing the life of Christ Community Church

Differences:
--Ruling Elders are normal people (i.e. non-ministers) while Teaching Elders are Ministers
--Teaching Ministers are to officiate at the Lord's Supper and Baptisms; Ruling Elders are not
--TE's are members of North Florida Presbytery while RE's are members of Christ Community

Harry Potter

Later I'll post a bit on my journey into Harry... and how he has helped me:
1.) Follow Jesus
2.) Connect children with the gospel

But first....
--A lecture by Jerram Barrs that was my PORTKEY into Harry is HERE

-- Alan Jacobs teaches English at Wheaton College in Illinois, and is writing a book about original sin.
Here is article by Alan Jacobs that challenges MUGGLES (aka anti-Harry folk) about their dependence upon science while refusing magic
and
Here is an article called "Rumors of Glory" he wrote while waiting for the final book

“When the Bible says that God sticks with us, the emphasis is on this dependable personal relationship, that he is always there for us…that he ‘sticks with us’ is the reason Christians can look back over a long life crisscrossed with cruelties, unannounced tragedies, unexpected setbacks, sufferings, disappointments, depressions—look back across all that and see it as a road of blessing, and make a song out of what we see. ..God sticks to his relationship. He establishes a personal relationship with us and stays with it. The central reality for Christians is the personal, unalterable, persevering commitment God makes to us. Perseverance is not the result of our determination, it is the result of God’s faithfulness. We survive in the way of faith not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous, because God sticks with us. Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more attention to God’s righteousness and less and less attention to our own.” Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Members Meeting Sunday

Sunday, July 22, we will have a members meeting. (aka Congregational Meeting)

We will be voting on certain men for the office of elder. An informational document is being mailed to members on Tuesday to help you prepare for the meeting.

a prayer

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 86

Some helps:
1. A suggested outline
86:1-6 The Master & His Servant
86:7-13 The Master & His Power
86:14-21 The Master & His Enemies

Part of our memory verse reads:
Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.

"The prayer is about God giving us grace to form the right habits rather than making the right moves. It has to do with the development of a whole mindset whose decisions will increasingly be in line with God's." --Michael Wilcock

Enjoying God Together

Great things this week....

Tuesday Night: Group of women had a blast eating out together in--of all places--Williston!
Wednesday Lunch: The "2nd Wednesday at Bennigan's" lunch group provided a place for guys to get to know one another
(Not to mention) All the community groups where folks from all walks of life come together to share life.

Good stuff

Haven't we found this to be true this summer?

The Psalms keep us honest. Biblical faith is not presented as being neat and easy. Rather, the closer you get to really understanding the shocking honesty of the Psalms, the more you see how messy, chaotic, and question riddled the life of faith actually is. In our world, things happen that we don't understand. God regularly confuses us, and sin blinds us. The Psalms speak into this world with a gorgeous balance of honesty and hope. --Paul Tripp

Where Forgiveness Leads

“This is the basis of worship. The full assurance of sin put away... leads.... not to a spirit of self-confidence, but to a spirit of praise, thankfulness, and worship. It produces not a spirit of self-complacency but of Christ-complacency, which, blessed be God, is the spirit which shall characterize the redeemed throughout eternity. It does not lead one to think little of sin, but to think much of the grace which has perfectly cancelled it. It is impossible that any one can gaze on the cross—can see the place which Christ took—can meditate upon the sufferings which he endured—can ponder on those three terrible hours of darkness, and at the same time, think lightly of sin. When all these things are entered into, in the power of the Holy Ghost, there are two results which must follow, namely, an abhorrence of sin, in all its forms, and a genuine love to Christ, His people and His cause.” --CH McIntosh, Notes on Leviticus, 1860 (Brethren pastor in London)

Psalm 73 Worksheet

A series of questions to help us recognize what we are really, functionally living for.

1. When do I tend to experience fear, worry, or anxiety?

2. Where have I struggled with disappointment?

3. What are the situations in which I regularly struggle with anger?

4. Where do I encounter problems in their relationships?

5. What are the situations of life that I have found particularly difficult?

6. Where are my patterns of avoidance? What things do I regularly seek to avoid?

7. What is my true agenda for others? What is my definition of a good relationship? What are my expectations for others? What silent demands do I make of the people around me?

8. Where in my life have I struggled with bitterness?

9. Where have I struggled with regret, being tempted to say, “If only...”?

10. When do they tend to experience problems in my life of prayer and personal worship? Where have I tended to experience problems in my relationship with God?

11. Where have I tended to struggle with envy of others? What have I tended to covet?

These questions can “draw out the purposes of the heart” (Proverbs 20:5).

A brother's passing

A UF student, Henry Crane, died this week. The story is here.

Henry, and several of his friends, have been participating in Christ Community this summer. Please pray for the Crane family... and that Christ will be glorified in Henry's death, even as he was in Henry's life.

Psalm 73 this Sunday

Psalm 73 has much to say about desire. We ought not to conclude that all this psalm says is:
that it is right to desire heavenly things
and wrong to desire earthly things.

It doesn't.... To desire blessings from God is not wrong, and many earthly desires are legitimate and godly--in their place. Psalm 73 (along with many other discussions of heavenly and earthly desires) draws attention to matters of emphasis, priority, control, and authority. What functionally rules the heart? Has desire become your demand and chief good? Does demand shape how you related to God and man, and how interpret your situation? Envy, anger, frustration, disappointment, fear--even happiness!--all reveal what rules the heart. The contrast is not simply between heavenly and earthly objects of desire or between good and bad desires, but between a heart ruled by God and a heart ruled by desire for the created thing. --Paul Tripp

Idolatry

Hope you had a good 4th.... Though I've been exposed to the idea of "idolatry" for years... I continue to see how amazing it is as a summary of what's wrong with me (and you!) and how useful it is in understanding sin. Here's a quote from an excellent & brief article by Tim Keller:

The Bible, then, does not consider idolatry to be one sin among many (and a rare sin found only among primitive people). Rather, all our failures to trust God wholly or to live rightly are at root idolatry—something we make more important than God. There is always a reason for a sin. Under our sins are idolatrous desires.

Madden James Phegley is here....

and healthy!!!! Born y'day-- on his dad's birthday (and Canada Day!)

Born July 1, 2007 @ 6:38pm

9 pounds 0 ounces

21 ½ inches

His Death Displays Our Sin & Seals Our Pardon

While His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit now is fill'd,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I kill'd!

--John Newton