The Center for Parent & Youth Understanding

Their latest newsletter is available online. Good stuff

Luther on Psalms

"The Psalms are a little bible, a summary of the Old Testament."

No bargaining with God

The main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail. If there was any idea that God had set up a sort of exam and that we might get good marks by deserving them, that has to be wiped out. If there was any idea of a sort of bargain—any idea that we could perform our side of the contract and thus put God in our debt so that it was up to Him to perform His side—that has to be wiped out. -- C S Lewis Mere Christianity

Report from Va. Tech Minister

this is from an email Jenna Lammers sent out today.....
Steve's old college friends from Clemson RUF days (Eliza and JR Foster...used to be at Florida State doing RUF) are the RUF leaders at Virginia Tech. Wanted to share part of Eliza's email to me today so you can pray and hear some of what the campus Christian community is dealing with.

" Our students are in shock, I think. Many of them knew someone who knew someone, but honestly we are still waiting on names and reports. We do have one student who was in one of the rooms in Norris Hall...he was the only one not killed in that French class...he played dead. JR spend time with him last night. Please pray for him and his dealing with this awful experience."

" Pray for him (JR getting lots of calls by media for interviews from all over the world)...for bold proclamation of the gospel, for wise decisions about how to spend his time, for peace. Please pray for our RUF students...for their sharing of the gospel and holding out life to those around them, for their wrestling with this tragedy. Pray for other students and faculty to be brought to saving faith. Pray for me as I support JR, talk with studnets, and answer my children's questions...I just want to shelter them and yet it's such an opportunity...hard to now what to tell them."

a little help for my friends

some guys from Faith Presbyterian asked me to plug this:

Faith’s Men in the Church (MIC) is sponsoring a golf tournament on Saturday, April 21st, at Turkey Creek Golf Club with tee off planned for 7:24 AM. This was a good time by those who attended last Fall and we would really be encouraged to have you out there Saturday. We will be hacking around and enjoying each other’s fellowship. Please call the church office (377-5482) if you are interested in playing. The cost for the tournament will be approximately $25; Dutch treat lunch afterward at Conestogas in “beautiful downtown Alachua.” For more details, contact Dan Sutton, 273-1011. Come, bring a friend, and enjoy good fellowship.

What solemn tidings reach our ears!

Went to a funeral today. So amazing to be present at the mournful joy of a Christian's funeral. I've done funerals where I think I might be the only Christian in the room... and it is hard, though Christ is always faithful to show up and preach His gospel of hope. Anyway, sitting in the funeral an old hymn came to mind. One I love... it is about a Christian receiving the news that another Christian has passed over through death. He wrestles with his "envy" of the resting Christian... yet rejoices in the security of the promise of God.

What solemn tidings reach our ears!
How awful. How grand!
A brother landed safe from fears,
On Canaan's happy land.

No clouds obstruct his son.
All be life and peace.
With him tis ever ever new,
Nor can his joy decrease.

Refrain
He's gone in endless bliss to dwell,
And I am left below,
To struggle with the powers of hell,
Till Jesus bids me go.

Though he's more happy I'm secure.
God's promise cannot fail;
O may I patiently endure,
My heavenly Father's will.

The counsel of the Lord shall stand,
And all his will be done;
I'll therefore wait in Meshech's land,
Until he fetch me home.

virginia tech... where is God?

questions people ask

Summer Psalms

This summer Christ Community church will read the Psalter! Chipper Flanikan put together a very helpful reading plan that calls for--on average--2 psalms per day. One in private and one with family or roommates? That might be a way to do it. I will also be preaching through the readings. So, when you have read Psalms 1 thru 11 in a week, my sermon will be from one of those psalms.

This is a great followup to Journey of Faith, which really showed us how helpful & healthy it is to do church-wide projects.

Quick, what is the Bible about?

How do you boil down the Scriptures? In seeking to grow in my understanding....AND...
In thinking through how to help people get a grasp on the whole of the Bible, I came across a lecture that I'm about half-way finished with. It is almost 4 hours. Yes, 4. But if you took an hour a month to listen, you'd finish in 4 months. How does that compare what you've done in the last four months to grasp the message of the Bible? The lecture is by David Jackman (no relation to Hugh--i don't think), who is a UK friend of Tim Keller's. He's a good teacher and the accent is always cool. Link is here

link to John Newton Letters for purchase

Several folks have asked about how to get hold of the Letters of John Newton .... they are available from amazon

Clara Driebe's Dad is Home

Yesterday Clara Driebe's father passed into the presence of his Father. Kim & I had the privilege of spending some time Sunday evening with Clara and her mother. I'll write on this later, so encouraging it was.
For now I want to inform y'all of these events:
5-7pm today (Monday 16th) Visitation held at Milam Funeral Home on Main Street in Gainesville
11am Tuesday Funeral at 1st Presbyterian Church d'town gainesville

quiet time guide

Very helpful and very brief guide to sanity in the "Quiet Time" discussion...

The Quiet Time Series, by Joe Thorn:
1. Not a Cleansing Rite
2. Defined
3. My Failure
4. What is it Good For?
5. Advice
Read them all here

People do not drift toward holiness.

Preparing to lead us into a series called, "Rivers of Grace: How God Nourishes Our Seeking Heart"....

Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated. - D. A. Carson, For the Love of God

Your Beloved Needs You Now

I've been reading alot of Psalms lately... and realizing how raw the relationships were that the writers had with God. Then, today I came across a song from some modern writers that seem to be lifted exactly from the pages of the Psalter:

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You
--Bebo Norman & Jason Ingram

How Temptations Show Us Christ

Temptations, by giving us a painful sensibility of the weakness of our graces, and the strength of our inward corruptions, tend to mortify the evil principles of self-dependence and self-righteousness, which are so deeply rooted in our fallen nature; to make Christ, in all his relations, offices, and characters, more precious to us; and to convince us, that without Him we can do nothing. --John Newton (read more of this letter here)

Off to Presbytery

Matthews and I are in Jax today at presbytery meeting

Burdened by sin, rest in Christ

This is a portion of a hymn on prayer, written by John Newton:

With my burden I begin:

Lord, remove this load of sin;

Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,

Set my conscience free from guilt.

Lord, I come to Thee for rest,

Take possession of my breast;

There Thy blood-bought right maintain,

And without a rival reign.

Vivid images and metaphors are what can make hymns so helpful to our souls. Jesus' blood-bought right to our hearts is gripping.
rest of hymn is here

What is Meditative Prayer?

“Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God...It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.” (Packer, J I: Knowing God)

"To meditate in God’s word is to discourse (discuss with God in prayer) concerning the great things contained in it, with a close application of mind, a fixedness of thought, till we be suitably affected with those things and experience the savour and power of them in our hearts."...

"Meditation is screwing the truth of God into our hearts until it catches fire." --Tim Keller

What does Christian growth look like?

I will venture to assure you, that though you will possess a more stable peace, in proportion as the Lord enables you to live more simply upon the blood, righteousness, and grace of the Mediator, you will never grow into a better opinion of yourself than you have at present. The nearer you are brought to Him, the quicker sense you will have of your continual need of Him, and thereby your admiration of His power, love, and compassion will increase likewise from year to year. --John Newton

Letters from an old friend, strength in trials

When I was in Mississippi recently I stole, er borrowed, a book of letters from my brother in law. They were written by John Newton. Wise counsel indeed:

All shall work together for good; everything is needful that He sends; nothing can be needful that He withholds. Be content to bear the cross; others have borne it before you. You have need of patience; and if you ask, the Lord will give it: but there can be no settled peace till our will is in a measure subdued. Hide yourself under the shadow of His wings; rely upon His care and power; look upon Him as a physician who has graciously undertaken to heal your soul of the worst of sicknesses, sin. Yield to His prescriptions, and fight against every thought that would represent it as desirable to be permitted to choose for yourself. When you cannot see your way, be satisfied that He is your leader. When your spirit is overwhelmed within you, He knows your path; He will not leave you to sink. He has appointed seasons of refreshment, and you shall find He does not forget you. Above all, keep close to the throne of grace. If we seem to get no good by attempting to draw near Him we may be sure we shall get none by keeping away from Him. ---John Newton, 1775

A Life Less Petty

Sunday we begin a 3 week study we're calling "Streams of Grace". The idea is to take a look at ways God nourishes our souls, strengthening them in the gospel. Avenues God uses to secure us, envision us, and send us out... Historically, the church has called these the "means of grace" and listed them in 3 broad categories... Prayer, Word, Sacrament. Sunday we will look at Psalm 1 as we focus on prayer. Specifically, prayer that nourishes the soul. Prayer that advances God's kingdom has often been called meditation, because it involves God's word. Look at the tremendous metaphor given to describe the effect that meditative prayer can bring...

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.

Former Felon comments on Resurrection

just saw this interesting quote from a Watergate participant

I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible. -- Charles Colson

Make a Playdough Mountain

Here is a great idea to do with the kiddies for Easter!

To put it bluntly

To put it bluntly and plainly, if Christ is not my Substitute, I still occupy the place of a condemned sinner. If my sins and my guilt are not transferred to Him, if he did not take them upon Himself, then surely they remain with me. If He did not deal with my sins, I must face their consequences. If my penalty was not borne by Him, it still hangs over me. There is no other possibility.

--The Cross in the New Testament by Leon Morris

quotes on cross & acceptance by God

Man is alienated from God by sin and God is alienated from man by wrath. It is in the substitutionary death of Christ that sin is overcome and wrath averted, so that God can look on man without displeasure and man can look on God without fear. Sin is removed and God's wrath is satisfied. --David Wells

It is impossible for us to face Christ's cross with integrity and not to feel ashamed of ourselves.
--John Stott

What a cleansing power in his blood to take away sin such as ours! and what glory in his righteousness to make such unacceptable creatures to be accepted in the Beloved! Mark, believer, how sure and unchanging must be our acceptance, since it is in him! Take care that you never doubt your acceptance in Jesus. You cannot be accepted without Christ; but, when you have received his merit, you cannot be unaccepted. Notwithstanding all your doubts, and fears, and sins, Jehovah's gracious eye never looks upon you in anger; though he sees sin in you, in yourself, yet when he looks at you through Christ, he sees no sin. You are always accepted in Christ, are always blessed and dear to the Father's heart. Therefore lift up a song! --Charles Spurgeon

Easter Sunday Details

Wanted to make sure you had all the skinny on Sunday...

Chris Hiatt and I have designed a 60 minute service that should be very helpful in helping you celebrate the resurrection of Christ and explaining to our guests why His death & resurrection are so central.

This 60 minute service will be offered at two times; 9:00am and 10:30am

What else is happening Sunday? Here is the program for both services

Age 4 and below Childcare offered throughout the 9am & 10:30 services
Age 5 thru 2nd grade; dismissed from service to Children's church prior to Rob's message
3rd grade thru age 94.... the aforementioned 60 minute service in the theater.

always more info at church website

The cross of Jesus, the spring of our happiness

When we tremble under a sense of our sins, the terrors of the Judge and the curses of the Law, let us look upon a crucified Christ, the remedy to all our miseries. His Cross has procured a crown. His passion [death] has expiated our transgressions. His death has disarmed the Law. His blood has washed a believers soul. This death is the destruction of our enemies, the spring of our happiness, the eternal testimony of divine love. We have good reason, as well as the apostle Paul, to determine with ourselves to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and especially him crucified. --Stephen Charnock (1684)

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.

The Cross

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. --1 Corinthians 1:18

Sunday we survey Christ's wondrous cross together... and gather at His table to celebrate!

Testing the Gospel We Teach (and believe)

The glory of the gospel is that God has declared Christians to be rightly related to him in spite of their sin. But our greatest temptation and mistake is to try to smuggle character into his work of grace. How easily we fall into the trap of assuming that we remain justified only so long as there are grounds in our character for that justification. But Paul’s teaching is that nothing we do ever contributes to our justification. So powerful was his emphasis on this that men accused him of teaching that it did not matter how they lived if God justified them. If God justifies us as we are, what is the point of holiness? There is still a sense in which this is a test of whether we offer the world the grace of God in the gospel. Does it make men say: ‘You are offering grace that is so free it doesn’t make any difference how you life’? This was precisely the objection the Pharisees had to Jesus’ teaching!

-Sinclair B. Ferguson

The transactions of the crucifixion

Sunday I'm preaching on "3 Things Jesus Accomplished at the Cross".... here's a quote by Spurgeon:
"The bitter herbs of Gethsemane have often taken away the bitters of your life; the scourge of Gabbatha has often scourged away your cares, and the groans of Calvary yields us comfort rare and rich. We never should have known Christ's love in all its heights and depths if He had not died; nor could we guess the Father's deep affection if He had not given His Son to die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing of love, just as the sea-shell, when we put it to our ears, whispers of the deep sea whence it came; but if we desire to hear the ocean itself, we must not look at every-day blessings, but at the transactions of the crucifixion. He who would know love, let him retire to Calvary and see the Man of sorrows die."

A Nourished Soul.... prep your heart for communion Sunday

A reminder here for you to be meditating on the sacrificial love of Jesus as we prepare to celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday. I am always encouraged by Q&A 75 from the Heidelberg Catechism...
Q. 75. How are you reminded and assured in the Holy Supper that you participate in the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross and in all his benefits?
A. In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat of this broken bread, and to drink of this cup in remembrance of him. He has thereby promised that his body was offered and broken on the cross for me, and his blood was shed for me, as surely as I see with my eyes that the bread of the Lord is broken for me, and that the cup is shared with me. Also, he has promised that he himself as certainly feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life with his crucified body and shed blood as I receive from the hand of the minister and actually taste the bread and the cup of the Lord which are given to me as sure signs of the body and blood of Christ.

Journey of Faith Team

Many have asked who pulled off the wonderful decorations and activities of yesterday at 9am. Paige French and Christina Fischer led a team that worked creatively and with great diligence.

The campaign was led by Brian & Rebecca Schackow, with Sarah Hamersma serving as Campaign Administrator. A more complete list of names will be forthcoming. Basically, you were well-served by a great team during this Journey.

What was your high point?

Journey of Faith commitment Sunday was yesterday. What memories! Since the service I have asked people, "What was the high point for you yesterday?" Mine? It was seeing three jr. hi boys make their offerings as part of the children's offering at the start of the service. The humility and freedom for them to consider themselves children. OR, maybe they were given a freedom for a moment that we all need---the freedom to love God more than we love our reputation.

What was your high point? Give thanks to God.

Wowed by God

Weren't we all astounded by God? That He would secure the leaders, and envision them for the future... to the point of committing to give $1 million over the next three years.... Flabbergasting was one word I heard to describe it.

We look with great anticipation to what He continues to do in our midst as we seek to see Him known & cherished in Gainesville.

Thoughts as we make commitments Sunday

May I (Rob) please remind you of what we said over the past few weeks. Sunday's pledging toward Journey of Faith should be:

1.) Joyful, not under compulsion

2.) "New money"... no one is helped if you shift your normal offering (in whole or part) to Journey of Faith

3.) Towards God's Fame... sacrificial giving displays God as our treasure

120 RSVP's

Sunday at 9am there are special events planned as we culminate JOURNEY OF FAITH ....
We've received word of planned participation from 120 adults and about 50 children. If you aren't in that number... join in! 9am Sunday

Parents, pray about HOW you teach your children about God

"Teachers & parents who do not exult over God in their teaching will not bring about exultation in God. Dry, unemotional, indifferent teaching about God--whether at home or at church--is a half-truth, at best. It says one thing about God and portrays another thing. It is inconsistent. It says that God is great, but teaches as if God is not great." --John Piper

Our Great God

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations. ---Psalm 145

Ye Old Commitment Card

This is the commitment card we will be using on Sunday. In case you want to see it prior to our service.

Who will see my pledge?

This is a question that I (Rob) have been asked a couple o' times this week. The answer is..... the same as your normal giving. Our financial secretary, Debbie Staples. No one else.

Hope that is helpful.

Jesus: "Fear not, little flock....

... for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

"Somebody's Daddy died this week"

That is how the dinner conversation will begin tonite, or soon, in my house. I don't know the family or this man... but because of my history with RUF (Jesus found me there) and my current love for Steve Lammers... this hits hard.
The RUF minister at Furman University, Dustin Salter was riding bikes with his children (ages 10 and under) last Fall when he wrecked and sustained head injuries that resulted in his death this week.

A friend of his wrote a moving tribute you can read here.

Joshua Tree turns 20

The Joshua Tree was released 20 years ago this month. A 1987 interview w/ the band here.

Lunch in Downtown Beautiful Alachoooway

Our favorite native of Mumbai, Sid Gaitonde, organizes a monthly lunch get-together for men that is held every 3rd Wednesday of the month. They will be meeting on the 21st, which is soon.
They will be having lunch at 11:45am at Conestogas restaurant in downtown Alachua. Let Sid (sid.gaitonde AT gmail DOT com) know if you guys can make it so that i can get a head count to make reservations. You are welcome to invite other men.

Theology & Evangelism

All true theology has an evangelistic thrust, and all true evangelism is theology in action."
- J.I. Packer

A Week of Prayer

March 18-25 is a week of prayer for ChristCommunityChurch, culminating in our Journey of Faith commitments during the 10am service on March 25. Here are some ways to help you pray this week:

1. Some folks have cut a prayer path on the property where the building will be constructed. This makes a great place to go out and pray that--on this site-- people will experience the grace of Jesus Christ... AND--from this site... people will go out to extend the grace of Jesus Christ. Some have mentioned praying the names of their friends/family/neighbors while walking the path. Parents, while ambling, can pray for the work of God's Spirit in their children's hearts. Etc. Won't you come out and invest 10-20 minutes praying on the site this week?

2. On Sunday March 18th we exchanged prayer cards. Everyone present was simply encouraged to write the names of their family members on one side of an index card. On the other side we wrote these two verses:
LUKE 12:31
Seek first God's kingdom...
1 Chronicles 29:14
All things come from you, and of your own have we given you. (ESV)
Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. (NIV)

KEY IDEA: As we prayerfully seek to partner with God and make a commitment to journey of faith... we need to be praying for each other. So, everyone who decided to pray for another person took someone's card and this week will be praying those Scripture for themselves and for the person whose card they took.

What if I wasn't there Sunday? Call someone in your small group, or the church office and say, "I need to be prayed for; and someone for whom I can pray!"


3. Time of Fasting
On Tuesday or Wednesday all of CCC is encouraged to join in some form of fasting. This can be any abstinance or limitation from something good and normal in your life.
What would this look like in my life??? Here's a sample list:

--Jogging without listening to Ipod
--Only one cup of coffee that day
--No soda
--A light lunch or supper
--Leave the computer off
--Leave the TV off

The idea of fasting is to withdraw (for a season and a reason!) from something good in creation. This time, the purpose is to say, "God, help me seek your kingdom. What do you want to do through me in this Journey of Faith?")

Draw my affection, Lord

“Oh, let not mine eyes be dazzled, nor my heart bewitched with the

glory and sweetness of these worldly treasures. . . Draw my affection to

the love of that durable riches, and to that fruit of heavenly wisdom

which is better than gold, and the revenues whereof do surpass the

silver, that my chief care may be to have a soul enriched and furnished

with Thy grace.” --Samuel Hieron

Jesus offers us whatever our need is...

Since the radical powers of the soul are thus enfeebled and disordered, it is not to be wondered at that the best of men, and under their highest attainments, have found cause to make the acknowledgment of the Apostle, "When I should do good, evil is present with me."

But, blessed be God, though we must feel hourly cause for shame and humiliation for what we are in ourselves, we have cause to rejoice continually in Christ Jesus, who, as he is revealed unto us under the various names, characters, relations, and offices, which he bears in the Scripture, holds out to our faith a balm for every wound, a cordial for every discouragement, and a sufficient answer to every objection which sin or Satan can suggest against our peace.

• If we are guilty, he is our Righteousness;
• if we are sick; he is our infallible Physician;
• if we are weak, helpless, and defenceless, he is the compassionate and faithful Shepherd who has taken charge of us, and will not suffer any thing to disappoint our hopes, or to separate us from his love.

He knows our frame, he remembers that we are but dust, and has engaged to guide us by his counsel, support us by his power, and at length to receive us to his glory, that we may be with him for ever.

--John Newton, friend of William Wilberforce and author of the hymn, Amazing Grace

They must pinch or hamper us

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures excludes them.” --CS Lewis

Opportunity

This was sent to us this week. We don't have an existing r'ship with them... so you'd need to check e'thing out.

NEEDED: a nurturing, loving family in the Gainesville area that can open their hearts and home to a wonderful scholarship student for the remainder of the school year. Hardeep, a friendly 15-year old from India, likes sports, coin collecting, aeronautics, community service, and the drums. The student is staying with a great local family who, unfortunately, cannot keep him for the full year. If you can help by hosting him, contact local coordinator Dawn Brown at 352-316-2201 or mdawnfl@hotmail.com

Jesus, the Storybook Bible

book plug, this looks great ... a children's writer has taken the truth that Jesus is the center of the Bible and told 22 stories from the Old Testament... bringing out how they all point to Jesus.

How do you react to great suffering and evil?

Do you tend to be numb to it or shocked by it? Dennis Haack writes:

I want to suggest that faithfulness to Christ and his gospel does not include either option. We should not be shocked by what we encounter in a fallen world, and we dare not be numb in the face of suffering. “Bible believing Christians,” Francis Schaeffer always insisted, “should never have the reaction designated by the term ‘shocked.’” He means that if we are, we have failed to understand what we claim to believe, namely that we live in a fallen world. Satan’s temptation to our first parents was to underestimate the power and nature of evil, and we sons of Adam and daughters of Eve have believed the same lie ever since. Underestimating it, we are shocked when it appears, and by the havoc it wrecks. On the other hand, to feel numb, unmoved in the face of raw evil and unimaginable suffering is a prospect that should frighten us. A danger we must guard against if we are followers of the One who howled aloud in grief and anger at the death of his friend, and who so loved the marginalized and lost that he embraced their death for himself.

It’s easy to assert that we can not afford to be either shocked or numbed; it’s quite another to sort out what faithfulness looks like in our media-saturated and pain-soaked world. The topic is something discerning Christians might want to consider together in light of Scripture.

--Dennis Haack writes & runs the awesome rag called Critique

The Power of a Normal Christian Home

Recently I overheard a student say how much they'd enjoyed being one of a handful of students having a meal in the home of some CCC folks. I asked the student to write down what they said and send it to me. Would you notice how NON-DRAMATIC it is? Would you commit to inviting some students to a meal before the semester ends? Here's what the student wrote:

I so appreciate them opening their home to us. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to spend time with a wonderful family. I left feeling so full of life and joy. They radiate the love of Jesus; what a true blessing to be developing relationships with a family. I also enjoyed meeting the other college students in attendance. I had not previously met them and how nice it was to meet others my age. I look forward to seeing them again at church. I'm so thankful for the hospitality and graciousness of the family who hosted us.

All that you can't leave behind...

"It’s difficult for people to get rid of junk. They get attached to things and let them define who they are. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this business, it’s that you are what you can’t let go of." ---From the founder of 1-800-GotJunk?

You are what you look like

Quentin Schultze summarizes TV’s appearance message: “It’s impossible to miss the point: women are what they look like, not what they accomplish or what they value and believe. Their looks are their essence, for their body determines their identity as well as their image in the minds of family members and especially peers. Without the proper look, identity and intimacy will never be satisfactorily achieved.”
&
As time passes, the standards change, becoming increasingly unrealistic and more difficult to attain. Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia, reports that in 1950, the White Rock mineral-water girl was 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. Today, she stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs only 110.

these quotes are from an article entitled MIRROR,MIRROR written by a great group called the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding... at their site you can register to receive their monthly update-- it is a gospel-centered way of informing parents of youth issues

An Effortless Flow

You will always give effortlessly to that which is your salvation, to those things which give your life meaning. If Jesus is the one who saved you, your money [and, we could add, our time and energy] flows out easily into His work, His people, His causes. If, however, your real religion is your appearance, or your social status, or personal comfort, or pleasure, your money [and time and energy] flows most easily into those items and symbols. –Tim Keller

Don't miss an hours sleep... or show up late for church!

Move your clocks forward an hour before hitting the hay tonite.... as Daylight-Savings Time begins.

Sunday we continue Journey of Faith

Journey of Faith is forcing us to look at passages of Scripture that we might normally avoid. Sunday in Luke 12 we hear Jesus invite us to freedom and being rich towards God.

The warning (of verses 13-15) against covetousness provides the perfect backdrop for Jesus' parable and reinforces the idea that it is not the man's wealth which is condemned but the accumulation of wealth solely for his own enjoyment. --Craig Blomberg

All the Treasures

Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. --Paul, in colossians 2

Jesus, Priceless Treasure

Jesus, priceless treasure,
 source of purest pleasure,
 truest friend to me,
 long my heart hath panted,
 till it well-nigh fainted,
 thirsting after thee.
 Thine I am, O spotless Lamb,
 I will suffer naught to hide thee,
 ask for naught beside thee.


 Text: Johann Franck; trans. by Catherine Winkworth

One of US! is in the NY Times

A few weeks ago after service Dr. Sarah Hamersma asked me (rob) a few questions about minimum wage stuff. I made a few off the cuff comments and whew!! did she run with them. Read her piece in the NY Times. I'm off to pull my tongue from my cheek.

interview w/ author of new book "Science & Grace"

Science & Grace interview

http://byfaithonline.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID323422|CHID664014|CIID2307270,00.html

"Come to Me and Drink"

"Christ is that Fountain of living water which God has graciously provided for thirsting souls. From Him…there flows an abundant stream for all who travel through the wilderness of this world. In Him, as our Redeemer and Substitute, crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification, there is an endless supply of all that men can need pardon, absolution, mercy, grace, peace, rest, relief, comfort and hope." --J.C. Ryle

Prayer: Pouring Out Your Heart to God

Really struck this morning listening to Bryan Chapell preach
on Hannah... interesting topics covered:
--Dealing with emptiness in our hearts
--Advancing God's Kingdom thru prayer

from 1 Samuel chapter 1: Eli (Hannah's husband) observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.

Our Cheerful "Above & Beyond" Giving Says Something about God

1. That we are SECURE in Christ ("He'll provide for me.")
When we grip tight on "stuff" we are guilty of insecurity.

2. That we are SATISFIED with Christ ("He's sufficient for me.")
When we grip tight in order to get things that will satisfy (so we think) we are guilty of discontentment.

There is an old book that is a classic. It is tough sledding and so i'm going to bring some excerpts in coming days. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs.

Excerpt One:
I offer the following description: Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.

I shall break open this description, for it is a box of precious ointment, and very comforting and useful for troubled hearts, in troubled times and conditions. --J. Burroughs

The entire book is public domain

Things for which to ask God to give you by His Spirit as you receive the Lord’s Supper:

--Reverence and attention.
--Discernment of the Lord’s Body, an understanding
of the meaning of the Lord’s Supper.
--Meditation on Christ’s death and suffering
--Self judgment.
--Sorrow for sin.
--Desire for Christ.
--Feeding on Him in faith.
--Trusting in Him.
--Rejoicing in His love.
--Giving thanks for His grace.
--Renewal of your covenant with God and commitment to Christ.
--Special love to all Christians.

Preparing for Communion

Getting ready for the Lord's Supper is not "cleaning yourself up" to make yourself worthy of the gift. Then what is it? This week I've talked with people of all ages about preparing their heart to commune with Christ and His church.

How? I think the John Newton hymn, which is on this blog, has a great model...

#1.) Meditate upon your sins that put Christ on that tree.
#2.) Reflect upon Christ receiving ALL the wrath due your sin and sins.
#3.) With mournful joy and pleasing grief... taste and see that the Lord is good!

Make a memory

Have you realized that for many of our children the next phase of our church life will probably be a profound memory in their childhood. Part of the strength of Journey of Faith is that it is geared to help children learn about God resourcing everything and His desire to be worshiped by more and more people. Most of our kids cannot drive yet... so please get them to class by 8:59am these next few Sundays. Becca & Matt Kubo have prepared wonderful activities to help them learn... Here are the kind of things they'll be thinking through and working on:

-Come find out how counting items in your closet will help raise money for a new church building--this Sunday at 9 AM

-Come learn what singing a song in church has to do with a nickel--this Sunday at 9 AM!

-Who are the people who help lead our worship on Sundays? Knowing their names will give you a head start on your own journey of faith! Find out how this Sunday!

-How many windows are in your house? The more the better for our children's journey of faith--find out why this Sunday!

Welcome to the world!

- Name: Hailey Caroline Baker
- Born Feb. 28.07 ~5pm
- Parents Dan & Jennifer Baker

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Amazing Grace

This Sunday during our Communion Service* we'll debut a new refrain for the classic hymn, Amazing Grace

My Chains are gone I've been set free
My God my savior Has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending Love, Amazing Grace


*I will be posting stuff on Friday to help any aged heart prepare for the Lord's Supper

Children, 9am Sunday will be great

The children of Christ Community will get their introduction to the idea of stewardship and building a facility for our church at 9am Sunday.

here ya go

Here are two helpful reviews about the Jesus family tomb thing. Saw that it was lighting up the tele last night (during a two minute surf before hitting the hay)
Oh yes, forgot to HatTip (HT) thank Mr. S. Addcox for the headsup on this whole thing
One
Two

Imperishable! Unfading!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5, Listen, ESV)

Important Children's Time 9am Sunday

plan to have your children at Oak Hall promptly at 9am Sunday

The Holy Spirit and the Glory of Jesus Christ

Think of it this way. It is as if the Holy Spirit stands behind us, throwing light
over our shoulder on to Jesus who stands facing us. The Spirit’s message to us
is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always,
“Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him and hear his word; go to him and
have life; get to know him and taste his gift of joy and peace.” The Spirit, we
might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to
bring us and Christ together and ensure that we stay together.

—J. I. Packer, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE SPIRT: FINDING FULLNESS IN OUR WALK WITH
GOD, 2nd Revised and Enlarged Edition. Grand Rapids: BakerBooks, 2005, p. 57.
ISBN 08010-6558-5.

The Coffin of Jesus?

Surely this will be at buzz for a few weeks. Titanic man James Cameron will show the world that the coffin and body of Jesus have been found....My brief thoughts on this kind of thing?

1.) Good to be reminded that every Christ follower should be able to give some loving & intelligent response to every new "discreditor" of Christianity. And helpful to reply with, "I can't make the leap of faith required to trust (in this case) James Cameron."
2.) A life transformed by the power of the gospel of the risen Christ is THE ULTIMATE apologetic... actually, John 17 makes me say that lives transformed living in community in the church are the ultimate apologetic.
3.) Don't get sidetracked. I'm actually old enough now to know that this is -- like the 15th or 30th -- thing like this to come along in 20 years of following Christ. Don't "waste" much time on trying to defeat it.

The Looks, by John Newton

I saw one hanging on a tree
In agony and blood
Who fixed His loving eyes on me
As near His cross I stood

And never till my dying breath
Will I forget that look
It seemed to charge me with His death
Though not a word He spoke

My conscience felt and owned the guilt
And plunged me in despair
I saw my sins His blood had spilt
And helped to nail Him there
But with a second look He said
“I freely all forgive this blood is for your ransom paidI died that you might live”

Thus while His death my sin displays
For all the world to view
Such is the mystery of grace
It seals my pardon too
With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by Him I killed.

Christ!

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

A Father Writes to His Unborn Child

GREAT stuff here:
excerpt: "I read today that you can now open and close your fists, like miniature hearts budding on your arms. You will certainly hear things that will make you close those fists, make you want to strike out, but do not confuse your enemies. As with your heart, keep your hands open, your ears, and you will hear this: what angers you is not, finally, your neighbor, but the very thing that angers that neighbor, that the world is deformed, infected with shame.

Why are relationships scary? by Paul Tripp

1. You were created to be a social being.

2. We all tend to enter our relationships with unrealistic expectations.

3. We all tend to seek to get identity from our relationships.

4. We tend to be disappointed in our relationships because they were more about the purposes of our little kingdoms of self than they were about the kingdom of God.

--excerpt from longer article here

Announcing Our Worship Intern

Chris Hiatt has recently been asked by the elders to do a 5 month internship as our Worship Leader. Here's a brief bio:

Station in life: graduating from UF College of Journalism & Communication in May with a degree in Public Relations

Born: Dallas, Texas

Has lived in: Texas, SoCal, and Hilton Head, S. Carolina

Hobbies: Music, riding his motorcycle, writing

"I'm excited about what God is doing in the life of Christ Community and look forward to seeing all facets of the music program grow."

What a Promise!

If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said... "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
Now he (Jesus) said this about The Spirit. --Jesus, recorded in John 7

what a great day sunday

super lunch (Thanks Gordons)!, bouncehouse for kids (and Tamara & Rebecca) in the freezing temps.... excellent time celebrating God's generosity to us re: paying off our church property

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. --2 corinthians 8

Morrow Omli is helping with this...

WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH FAIR

IN MEMORY OF JOYCE POKORNY

FEBRUARY 17^th, SATURDAY, 8:30-12:00

HAILE VILLAGE FARMERS’ MARKET

Is Jesus Your Valentine?

So in the deepest sense, only Jesus can be our Valentine.
--Richard Phillips, in this brief article which is quite good on history of the day and how we can use it to grow in Christ

What is Journey of Faith???

Observant eyes have noticed a tab on the church website entitled "Journey of Faith". What is that? Journey of Faith is a church-wide endeavor to :
<> Reflect on the generosity of God
<> Wrestle with our response to His grace
<> Raise funds for our building project

Mailings with more info are in the mail. (This post, like me, needs editing... and i will later)

Invitation

Are you (or a friend of yours?) new/newer to Christ Community?

Do you know less than 10 folks at Christ Community?

Would you like to hang out in a casual environment with some leaders from the church?

Then plan to come to a dessert at my (Rob) home, Friday February 23.

Give a call to 379-4949 (or email lizette@christcommunitychurchDOTcom) to let us know you'll be here... you know, so there's plenty of cake.

Ephesians and Family Life

The family life which God created at the beginning and pronounced to be ‘good’ was spoiled by human rebellion and selfishness. Relationships fell apart. Society was fractured. Love was twisted into lust, and authority into oppression. But now *in the Lord*, by his reconciling work, God’s new society has begun, continuous with the old in the fact of family life but discontinuous in its quality. For now all our relationships are transformed precisely because they are *in the Lord*. They are purged of ruinous self-centredness, and suffused instead with Christ’s love and peace. --John Stott

spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6

Two exhortations stand side by side. The first is general: *Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might* (verse 10). The second is more specific: *Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil* (verse 11). Both commands are conspicuous examples of the balanced teaching of Scripture. Some Christians are so self-confident that they think they can manage by themselves without the Lord’s strength and armour. Others are so self-distrustful that they imagine they have nothing to contribute to their victory in spiritual warfare. Both are mistaken. Paul expresses the proper combination of divine enabling and human co-operation. The power is indeed the Lord’s, and without *the strength of his might* we shall falter and fall, but still we need to *be strong* in him and in it, or more accurately to ‘be strengthened’. For the verb is a passive present which could almost be rendered “Strengthen yourselves in the Lord’ or (NEB) ‘Find your strength in the Lord’. It is the same construction as in 2 Timothy 2:1 where Paul exhorts Timothy to ‘take strength from the grace of God which is ours in Christ Jesus’ (NEB). Similarly, the armour is God’s and without it we shall be fatally unprotected and exposed, but still we need to take it up and put it on. --John Stott

Family Mission Trip to Chattanooga

please see website for details... but a deposit is due by end of Feb

Wow

Reading the bio of Augustine today and came across this quote:
"I struggle mightily with sin & temptation... yet I also have moments of experiencing God that "if made permanent would be hard to distinguish from the life to come."

2 marriage sermons posted

We posted a couple of sermons from CCC past... over at our site

2 marriage sermons

Posted to website 2 sermons on marriage...
one by Steve Lammers on Bible & wives
one by Rob Pendley on Bible & husbands

The Truth About Married Sex

Here is a link to a helpful "balance" to what was preached y'day where i probably made it sound like every married sexual encounter is like a July 4th fireworks show. Not all are...

Excerpt: Much of good sex is just . . . well, normal, everyday. Think about it. Most people in the history of the world have lived in one-room huts, where the kids sleep in the same room with their parents! Countless families have lived in flats, with only curtains for room dividers, your mother-in-law in the far corner, your wife's younger brother sleeping on the couch. Or they've lived in tents, as nomads. Not much sound-proofing or major privacy operative in that housing arrangement! Not much in the way of gymnastics or sound effects is possible unless you have no children. That's not to say that a married couple with children shouldn't get away for a weekend, or close the door, or do things to make sex special. --David Powlison

Stott paragraph on Christian view of Authority & Social Structures

From Sunday February 4 sermon

Lewis ZOE quotes

Golden!

Marriage Resources

Brief look at Ephesians 5 today motivates me to gather some gold for helps:
1. Class Frank Matthews is teaching RIGHT NOW at 9am on Sundays
2.

Tim & Kathy Keller’s Lecture on "Cultivating a Healthy Marriage, followed by Q&A, best $5 you'll spend this year! Redeemer.com

3.
When Marriage Brings Suffering
Gushee article

Sunday 9am (great!) classes; 10am Communion service

In taking the sinner's place on the cross, Jesus became as totally accountable for sin as if he was totally responsible for it.

~John Blanchard

Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; but the Father, for love!

~Octavius Winslow

Communion Helps Here