Hand it over...

“The Christian way is different: harder and easier. Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent, as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact I will give you Myself: My own will shall become yours.” --C S Lewis, Mere Christianity

Speech from Henry V

Here's the video on youtube
and the text at American Rhetoric

Ol' Willie Shakespeare nailed it when he wrote:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Legalistic Christianity loves "how-to" lists. It offers five ways to form edifying friendships, six pointers for handling conflict, seven steps toward exercising loving leadership, and eight techniques for more effective parenting. --Dan Doriani, The God-Made Man

Bible Studies Launch This Week

Tuesday
Men's Study at Mkt Street Pub 6:30am (Led by Billy Crow & Larry Eubanks)
&

Women's Study Tuesday Mornings @ 9:30-11:00am
@ The home of Suzanne Matthews (MAP)
Study on the book, "Breaking The Idols of Your Heart" by Dan Allender
Led by: Lizette Crosson, Paige French, Tara Gallagher, & Sharon Stankunas


Wednesday
Men's Study at the church house.... 6:15am til 7:30 (led by Rob Pendley, Steve Omli, Kevin Phegley)

Women's Event Thursday Night

• September 13th: Thursday
  "Recipe Exchange Party"
  7:00-9:00pm
  @ the home of Jenn Phegley (Click here to find directions...)
  
• All women, college age and up, are welcome to come for fun, food, and fellowship!
  Bring a sampling (just make one dish- it doesn't need to feed everyone) of your favorite recipe and then bring the recipe to share (~10 copies)!
  The recipe can be ANYTHING (punch, chicken, dessert, side, etc.)!
  You do not need to bring anything to participate, though, if you would just like to come and fellowship with us!
  Call Jenn Phegley with any questions: 333.3306

Lunch after Church

Tomorrow (9/9/2007) looks like this:

9am Adult Sunday School Class (in Media Center) & Children's Kickoff Gathering (in Student Center)

9:50 Live Together (iced coffee served)

10:15 Worship Service in theater, includes Ministry Fair (information and opportunities to serve this Fall at CCC)

11:30 Lunch for all!

6pm Youth Group at Church House

Club 45 on September 16

Club 45... a great time for 4th & 5th graders to:

-- play games
-- hear teaching from the Bible
-- eat Cheese-its returns Sept 16th (the day after the Tenn. game) from 4:30 to 6pm

WHERE? Church House (Map)

• September 16

• October 21

• December 9

Jackie Ausband

Jackie Ausband, Bob's wife, passed from this world to the next today.... there will be a memorial service celebrating her life on Saturday Sept 22....

Usually when someone dies a song about death and life enters my mind.... and it is never the same song. With Jackie it was this old Wes King song... primarily for the chorus which says: "She's gone to be with Jesus." The song is about a woman being freed by death from a painful last few months... and fits what we're all feeling about Jackie today.

God knows she hurt
When she was with us
But now she hurts no more
Her pain has passed
----the whole song is here

“The excellency of Christ, and the love of Christ, more appear in his yielding himself to be crucified for us, than in any other of his acts, so that these things, considered together, above all things tend to draw forth on our part the exercises of humble love.”

- Jonathan Edwards, The Excellency of Christ

"Those are for future guests"

Sunday during our worship service I saw something that i have no memory of seeing before....

the bulk of the back row was empty and it dawned on me that this was the case b/c many of you stepped up and moved toward the front in order to free up space for future guests---- "Those seats are for our future guests!"

THANK YOU!

We had 195 people Sunday... and it was Labor Day weekend.... Let's continue to see the crowded theater as a positive thing and keep ever before us the vast difference it makes when you sit towards the front.

Starts Next Week

Women's Bible Study: Tuesday Mornings
&
Men's Bible Study:
2 opportunities at 2 venues:
Tuesday morning at Mkt St Pub D'town
Wed.Mornings at CHouse on prkr road

Hey mate, don't you have any co-ed stuff? For me and me spouse?
Yep! Hmmm.... worship services and bible classes each sunday morning; community groups during the week... come to think of it.... just about e'thing else we do as a church family is co-ed, isn't it?

Yesterday's Newton Quote

several asked about the John Newton letter i quoted y'day.... here is some of it and a link to all of it:

I think my last letter turned upon the apostle's thought, Galatians 5:I7. "Ye cannot do the things that ye would." In the parallel place, Romans 5:19, there is another clause subjoined, "The evil which I would not, that I do." This, added to the former, would complete the dark side of my experience.

Permit me to tell your Lordship a little part (for some things must not, cannot be told), not of what I have read, but of what I have felt, in illustration of this passage. I would not be the sport and prey of wild, vain, foolish, and worse imaginations; but this evil is present with me: my heart is like a highway, like a city without walls or gates. Nothing so false, so frivolous, so absurd, so impossible, or so horrid, but it can obtain access, and that at any time, or in any place: neither the study, the pulpit, or even the Lord's table, exempt me from their intrusion.

.......I see the baseness and absurdity of such a conduct as clearly as I see the light of the day. I do not affect to be thought ten feet high, and I know that a desire of being thought wise or good, is equally contrary to reason and truth. ....

The pride of others often offends me, and makes me studious to hide my own; because their good opinion of me depends much upon their not perceiving it. But the Lord knows how this dead fly taints and spoils my best services, and makes them no better than specious sins.

I embrace it as a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; and it is the main pleasure and business of my life to set forth the necessity and all-sufficiency of the Mediator between God and man, and to make mention of his righteousness even of his only. But here, as in everything else, I find a vast difference between my judgment and my experience (i.e. "what i say i believe and what i actually live out"). I am invited to take the water of life freely, yet often discouraged, because I have nothing wherewith to pay for it.....though my disease is grievous, it is not desperate; I have a gracious and infallible Physician. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

You can read the entire letter here

Communion Sunday

1st Sunday of each month we share the Lord's Supper together.

2 by Doriani

These are the messages given away on CD at manland...

Doriani's sermon A Man After God's Heart on mp3

Doriani's Sermon Images of Manhood on mp3

I'm trying to think of how this practice would bring harm.....

..... to any other members of the household. Why? Because who wants to do it? Seems like it might result in death to self, huh?

"I realized that my commute home in the evening was functioning as little more than a review of my day. As far as I was concerned, by the time I got in that car, my responsibilities were pretty much over until the next morning. I saw my home as a refuge, a place where the emphasis, for me, was on being served rather than on leading and serving with Christlike love.

In God's mercy, he showed me the selfish motivation I was bringing home each evening. I saw that my commute could be best utilized as a time of transition, so that I might be prepared to finish the day by loving and serving my family well.

So I made a practice of pulling the car over a few blocks from home so I could take a couple of minutes to make an effective transition in my soul. There on the side of the road, I meditated on Ephesians 5 as well as on some other passages. I confessed to God my sinful tendency to be selfish and sought to prepare my heart to serve my wife and children when I arrived home. In this way I learned to see my home as the context where I have my greatest privilege and opportunity to serve. This practice had a transforming effect, allowing me to walk through the front door with the mind and heart of a loving servant-leader. By God's grace, I found it an excellent help in building a loving marriage, enjoying my family, and minimizing regret." --CJ Mahaney

What is ManLand?

No frills... just a place and space for guys to hang out, renew existing friendships and make new ones. There's activity going on (ping pong, frisbee golf, etc) but there's also plenty of "down" time.

Starts at 6pm with hot dogs on the grill. Please bring your own chips and drinks. We got the ice.
Here's a MAP!! And here's the link to Mississippi State's roster, in case you want to start praying for them by name.

One Thing I'm "Fasting" from...

Being critical of my children... amazing how hard it is to go 3 days without pointing out anything they do wrong! Makes me realize how constant my critical words are...
Grateful for Jesus... and asking for His Kingdom to come, where Fathers don't exasperate their children.

a few Praises from the Vision Night 3x5 cards...

• “Through the leadership and members of CCC (especially through our community group),
I’ve witnessed and began to practice Christian leadership at the workplace.”
• “Lots of needs being met by the congregation.”
• “Improved mixing and relationship building between college students and locals.”
• “Dramatically improved quality of Sunday morning music/worship due to dedication of
leadership.”
• “The generosity of this community. Our transition to Gainesville has been extra
smooth.”
• “Love for and development of our children.”
• “The high participation rate in the Journey of Faith helped boost my trust & confidence in
the unity and purpose and commitment of our church family.”
• “Growth in CCC- improvements in service and music!”
• “Growing relationships with people that truly care about others.”
• “Opportunities, fellowship, community groups, Children’s ministries (our kids loved kid’s
camp-it was well done!), generosity.”
----get 'em all here in this pdf

Steve Lammers is talking about sex...

...starting tonight at RUF... RUF's large group meetings are every Tuesday at 7:30 pm at the HPNP auditorium. Directions to the HPNP building are available by using the "Directions" link on the left.

What our friend, the Holy Spirit, does...

.... the (Holy Spirit’s) work has three aspects. In the first place he makes and keeps us conscious—sometimes vividly conscious, always conscious to some extent, even when the perverse part of us prompts us to deny this consciousness—that we are God’s children by free grace through Jesus Christ. This is his work of giving faith, assurance and joy. In the second place, he moves us to look to God as to a father, showing toward him the respectful boldness and unlimited trust that is natural to children secure in an adored father’s love. This is his work of making us cry ‘Abba Father’…In the third place, he impels us to act up to our position as royal children by manifesting the family likeness (conforming to Christ), furthering the family welfare (loving the brethren), and maintaining the family honor (seeking Gods glory). This is his work of sanctification.”
-- J I Packer, Knowing God

And, before we grieve him in his 3rd work... we have always grieved him in the first two works... i.e. we only don't want to behave like God's child when we aren't convinced of His love --RP

Christian Study Center Kicks It Off

Here is a little blurb from our dear friends at the Christian Study Center & Pascal's Coffeehouse about the start of the semester. The writer is CCC-ite Richard Horner. CCC-ite Todd Best serves as Program Director:

1. Monday, August 27th, we will launch our Monday evening class with an introduction to the semester. Please pray for this class over the semester as we study Blaise Pascal and then create a discussion of the challenges raised by the attempt to study religion in the university setting. We will also be offering a reading group in the writings of Dorothy Sayers and a graduate roundtable on the Restoration of Reason just for graduate students.

2. On Wednesday, September 5th, I will launch a new class called "The Culture and the Cross." It is designed specifically for undergraduate students and will attempt to engage both the voices of the culture and the voices of the cross. Each class will begin with a very brief one-page reading that either captures important ideas in our culture or contains some key passage from Scripture. This class will give me a good opportunity to spend time with students, and I am very much looking forward to it.

---read all about it at their site

Prayer

The simple idea of today and the next two is for us to pray--- Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done-- with renewed concentration. And may God give us grace to pray for large advances of His Kingdom...

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,
       Jesus loves to answer prayer;
       He Himself has bid thee pray,
       Therefore will not say thee nay.

       Thou art coming to a King,
       Large petitions with thee bring;
       For His grace and pow'r are such
       None can ever ask too much.            --John Newton

Sunday Prayer Meeting 9am

After Friday night together being envisioned on the hoped-for future of CCC....
there is a Kingdom-Prayer Meeting IN THE MORNING at 9am in the Media Center/Library of Oak Hall.

We will use the prayer Jesus gave us as our model. If you fear that it will include:
--you being pressured to offer a long & loud spontaneous prayer
--someone droning on and on

by the grace of God.... it won't. We will pray in large & small groups... for God to come in power to renew & revive us, Gainesville, and UF with His grace.

Suweet!

Tomorrow (8.25.2007) starts our three-pronged attempt to grow together in the grace & knowledge of Christ.

To "do" church at Christ Community looks like this:
9am classes for all ages... This is Learning and we do it Together
9:50 hang-time & friendship development & greeting... this is Living and we do it together
did i mention there will be muffins from the Mill for the adults and bagels on the kids' table
10:15 worship service.... this is Loving God and we do it together

Mill muffins.... suweet!

Amazing Grace

"A church is a community of God's people who live into the imagination that they are,
by their very nature, God's missionary people living as a demonstration of what God plans to do in and for all of creation in Jesus Christ." --Alan Roxbourough

Y o u (the Church) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that y o u may proclaim the excellencies of him who called y o u out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once y o u were not a people, but now y o u are God's people; once y o u had not received mercy, but now y o u have received mercy.
--from 1 Peter 2 (wherever you see y o u... think plural... Y'ALL!)

Futbol Fans

did y'all know brasil is playing USA in chicago on sept 9?...

great quotes found while researching for Friday Vision

“Walking with God is essentially a positive thing. The Bible does not point us toward constant introspection. Instead, it helps us to focus on the privileges of being in Christ and enjoying fellowship with God.” --Richard Lovelace

"The Gospel is the root of all true obedience to God (cf., Rom. 1:5; 16:26) and thus the reason why the Gospel must always be the central focus of the believer’s daily life." --Walter Marshall

Free & Boundless Love of God Elevates

The free, boundless love of God, pouring itself into us, expands and elevates our whole being; and we serve Him, not in order to win His favour, but because we have already won it in simply believing His record concerning His Son. --Horatious Bonar

Psalm 139

-----it just doesn't get much better than Psalm 139..........

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. ---read the whole psalm

3 phases

We just ran through the Vision Night presentation to the elders today. I am very excited FOR YOU. God is at work in our midst in small and grand ways and it will be my privilege to play a part in helping tell you that story on Friday night.

Men's Groups--- Plan on 'em!

exact same material covered at both meetings........

Tuesday Mornings at Mkt Street Pub (Downtown) from 6:30-7:45am, starting Tuesday September 11th....
OR
Wednesday Mornings at Church House from 6:15-7:25, starting Wed.Sept 12th...
exact same material covered at both meetings
MORE INFO: Weekly Schedule and
ALSO, i want to throw the challenge out there... I've heard several mid 20's to early 30's guys say that they would be very interested in a 8pm-ish study at the church house. If you want to provide some l'ship... i would love to meet with you twice-monthly to coach you up on leading said group.

Youth & Parents Party Sunday Night

Sunday night, August 26th at 4:30pm there is a Kickoff Party for Youth. The parents will be pulled inside for a 25 minute presentation from the volunteer YOUTH TEAM. (whole family is welcomed)

The event might look like this:
4:30pm arrive, kids swim, etc
4:30 til 5:15 Parents mtg w/ Youth Leaders; kids enjoy pool
5:30 Dinner
after dinner hang as long as you like, til 7:30... youth leaders available to answer questions
(more to follow on this)
questions? see youth page on church site

We have a dream of a church which is… Biblical, Worshipping, Serving, Expecting... more on Friday

What's Up With 3 days of Prayer & Fasting

"Dad, I can't not eat for 3 days!!"

That was the response i got from one of my children when i asked, "What are you thinking of fasting from?"

So i offer these q and a:
Does 3 days of Prayer & Fasting mean I'm not supposed to eat anything for three days? Probably not

What does it mean?
Hopefully that you will temporarily abstain from

What are some reasons to fast?
I have heard fasting described as a "splash of water in the face"
Is there a sin that just isn't grievous to you?

Give me examples of what you expect some to do?
Someone who hits Starbucks daily will skip it FOR THIS PURPOSE on one or all 3 of the days.
Someone who eats cereal every night before bed will skip it FOR THIS PURPOSE on one or all 3 of the days.
Someone who watches TV every night will skip it FOR THIS PURPOSE on one or all 3 of the days.
Someone who jogs with their Ipod will run in silence FOR THIS PURPOSE on one or all 3 of the days.
You get the picture, I hope. Basically you are looking for ways to remind yourself... I don't want life as normal. I want to "shake myself" a little in order to ask God to thoroughly shake me for His glory.

God often uses fasting to awaken godly desires that have been dormant. God often uses fasting to bring an awareness of the heinousness of our sin. God often uses fasting to teach us more the depth of His love for us.

So..... that is one of the reasons we are looking at next week including 3 days of prayer & fasting.

Service Day Saturday

from 8 til noon Saturday there is a great opportunity to:
-- make a difference
-- meet new folks
-- work with friends

Contact Christian Smith (352.514.8197) or Rob Hamersma (352-214-8655) for more info on how to serve Saturday....
christianrms AT hotmail DOT com

Hey Dwight, I'm Rob

When dropping off my precious Olivia and mighty John Reid at Chiles Elementary this morning I had the opportunity to help someone.

Kim and I noticed that a little boy seemed to be wandering in an empty hallway and just starting to worry that he wasn't going to find his classroom. I asked him if he needed help and he said yes... then it was this:

me: "What is your name."
boy: Dwight Harris.
Me: "Dwight, I'm Rob and I'm going to help you find your class."

The sense of the relief on his face was priceless. I wonder what he felt.... "Someone cares." "I'm not gonna be lost much longer."

I walked away thinking & praying, "God, bless Dwight Harris. Secure that boy in your love. And give me grace to know that you are forever leaning down to me saying--Rob, I'm God and I'm going to help you."

Hospitality Reminder

Friends, remember that every Sunday we have guests who have never been with us before. Think about the last time you went somewhere for the 1st time. Does that make sense? Example: I have visited Shands Hospital more than I can count. Once when we took our son to the ER there, Kim was wandering around lost and I looked at her as if to say, "Come on, the front door is right this way." It struck me how different her experience was than mine because I feel comfortable at Shands.

Do you know your way around Oak Hall? Gotten used to the way things are? Then use that freedom to welcome new folks and to have an eye out for those who seem a bit lost.

Prayer Request

Anna Addcox asks that you pray for Jude Gilliam, age 2... and his family.
Jude is in desperate need of brain swelling to diminish. Jude, his parents and 3 siblings are in Charlottesville, Virginia.

God Has Written You a Letter

The breathtaking truth is that Holy Scripture in its entirety is the Word of God directed personally to everyone whom it reaches in order to set up, deepen and enrich a personal love relationship between the divine sender and the human recipient. --JI Packer

Joy is the spin-off of Bible exploring*

...the Christian tastes God in all his pleasures, and this increases them, whereas for other men pleasure brings with it a sense of hollowness which reduces it. Also, I maintain that every encounter between the sincere Christian and God’s Word, the law of thy mouth (Psalm 119:72), however harrowing or humbling its import, brings joy as its spin-off... --JI Packer

*the word explore takes us further into the way we should relate to Scripture than the familiar words read and study do. Exploring is not, of course, less than reading and studying, but it is more. You can read books mechanically, without interest, and study facts mechanically, without focus, but exploring territory is a process of search, thought and correlation that demands both interest and focus. Exploring Scripture is more than a routine for gathering data. It has to do with memorization, meditation and interrogation. In exploring you poke and dig and ask questions and make and test guesses and try to see how everything ties in with everything else. Exploration is exciting! --JI Packer

(FYI: This little book by Packer--TRUTH & POWER-- that has sat on my shelf for years has turned out to be absolutely golden in providing excellent thoughts on the role of Scripture in the life of a Christ-follower)

Youth Getaway is Gone

Pray for these as they head to a "Get the School Year started right" Overnight Getaway in Daytona...
Students: Maggie, Marty, Ella, Robbie, Dean, Andrew, Ben, Zachary, Trace, Dionna, PLUS ONE (11)
Leadership: Sid, Greg, Nathan, Erin (4)

Christ and the B.I.B.L.E.

The link between Christ and the Bible, is direct, organic and multiple. So it is only true to say that life and health and peace come from either if at once you add that they come from the one through the other — from Christ, that is, through the Scriptures or from the Scriptures through Christ.

For the Christian there is no Christ but the Christ of the Bible (specifically, of the New Testament teachers) and no understanding of the Bible but that which matches the expressed mind of Christ and his apostles (specifically, as they interpret the Old Testament and relate themselves to it).

As regards authority, it is impossible to give too much weight to the fact that Jesus, who was himself God speaking, would have consistently viewed the words of his Bible as God speaking and should have lived his life and fulfilled his vocation of teaching and suffering in direct and conscious obedience to what was written. Now, in effect, from his throne he tells all who would be his disciples that they must learn from him and follow his example at this point and submit to becoming disciples of the canonical Scriptures. His authority and the authority of the Scriptures upon us are one. What then should we do? We should look to the Holy Spirit, who inspired the biblical text and who authenticates it to regenerate hearts as God-given by sensitizing us to the impact of its divinity, to make clear to us not only what God said in and through the text to its original readers but also what he says to us via the same text here and now. We should ask for the Spirit's illumination, especially for our attempts at applicatory thinking. --JI Packer

Love Picks You Up

The Apostle Paul sees love not so much as a set of guidelines that you pick up and do. Real love is a living active power that comes and picks you up and changes you.

We will never become loving only by trying hard. Paul implies that we’ll only become loving through meeting and encountering. Becoming a person of love is not a mechanical process. Something profound must happen to us. We must meet Love. We must have an ongoing encounter with the person of Jesus.
--(excerpted from the Redeemer curriculum on 1 Corinthians 13)

“Through the gospel, you have both the wind and the tide pushing you forward in your attempt to live a holy life,” (p. 112) Walter Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification

Meditating on Scripture

This first portion of Dr. Powlison’s Personal Reflection is an introduction, and includes some general comments on biblical change in the areas of anxiety, anger, and escapism. As with all of Dr. Powlison's writings, these words are infused with grace and the hope for change that comes from the gospel.

At the conclusion, Dr. Powlison encourages an unusual and yet extremely helpful reading (and singing along with!) several well-known hymns. You can click on the link to view the hymns and then follow Dr. Powlison’s suggestions. These hymns provide a wonderful picture, a model of a heart transformed by God's truth. If your experience is anything like mine, you'll never read hymns or psalms the same way again!

Personal Reflection
by Dr. David Powlison

Anxiety, anger, and escapism are common life problems, in both senses of ‘common’: everyday, every person. They are sins endemic to the human condition and to our struggle. And they are doorways through which the grace and mercies of Jesus Christ daily invade lives.

This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified.
--Martin Luther

In each case, we see three things:

1. It feels like we have good reasons to react with sinful anxiety, hostility, and escapism. The pressures, heat, difficulties, threats, frustrations, wrongs, beguilements of life come at us--and reveal what rules our hearts.

2. God gives better reasons, truer reasons, deeper reasons, imperishable reasons--Himself, reclaiming our hearts--that we learn to respond with faith working through love.

3. The inworking and outworking of faith and love produces the holy anxiety of caring concern (wrapped within deep trust). Faith works through love to produce just anger (wedded to generous mercies). Faith works out into a right longing to escape trouble and to help others in their troubles (alongside hearty enjoyment of innocent pleasures).

We’ve laid out a model, a picture, a map of the terrain of battle. A map is useful for orienting you, but it does not get you there. Our goal is to relate to our God honestly, intelligently, believingly, in ways that change us in real time, real place, real problem.

1. Take one of these three common sins to face and tackle this day. Your Father is the vinedresser, putting his pruning shears into your life:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me; and lead me in the everlasting way” (Ps. 139:23f).

2. Whichever of the common deviancies you’re choosing, first read and ponder these hymns (and, if you’re so moved, sing with heart and voice!). Notice how we’ve parsed the hymns,

--The pressures of life are described in italics, those things (‘good reasons’) that provoke us to anxiety, anger, escapism. These are the circumstances within which our battle plays out.

--The Lord’s promises and self-disclosures come in bold, these invitations (‘better reasons’) to live differently. These are ways the Redeemer enters human life. Notice how these things that God says compete with the voices and pressures that woo and provoke us towards anger/grumbling, fear/anxiety, escapism/addiction.

--Our responses of faith are underlined. This is the heart of change.

Read all the italics. Then read all the bolds. Then read all the underlinings. Then worship.

New Baby!

Kristina and Josh Fischer are celebrating the arrival of their son,

Ian Mark Fischer

Born August 9, 2007 ~4am

7lbs. 1oz.

The Bible

The teaching of the written scriptures is the Word which God spoke and speaks to his church, and is finally authoritative for faith and life. To learn the mind of God, one must consult his written Word. What scripture says, God says. The Bible is inspired in the sense of being word-for-word God-given. It is an explanation of divine revelation which is both complete (sufficient) and comprehensible (perspicuous); that is to say, it contains all that the church needs to know in this world for its guidance in the way of salvation and service, and it contains the principles for its own interpretation within itself. ---JI Packer (Fundamentalism and the Word of God, p. 47).

The Flow

There are always many things happening this time of year... I want to take a minute to help you see how some flow together...

3 biggies:
Vision Night, Friday August 24 (held at eventfuls in Jonesville)
Kingdom-Focused Prayer Gathering, Sunday August 26 (held in media center of Oak Hall)
3 days of Prayer & Fasting, August 27-29 (held wherever you are, no public meetings)

Now, the idea is this...
1.) at Vision Night God graciously calls us to partner with Him in expecting and attempting great things... which sends us to
2.) Sunday morning prayer gathering... the coming of the Kingdom is to big for us... apart from Him we can do nothing... He gives us hope in our corporate prayer
3.) We are together spiritually in denying ourselves from some good part of creation FOR THE PURPOSE of asking God to deepen our desire for Him and His kingdom...

This could be a tremendously refreshing time of renewal for us as individuals and families and as a church family. We'll need a big Jesus as we head into the Fall. Prayer is God's most often used means to get His people there.

The Bible is the Gospel of Jesus Christ

"The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome... religion is 'if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is, 'if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference." --Tim Keller

"Laden with guilt and full of fears, I fly to Thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears but in Thy written Word;
The volumes of my Father's grace doth all my griefs assuage,
Here I behold my Savior's face on every page." --Isaac Watts

Psalm 119 continues...

What Scripture says, God says; for, in a manner comparable only to the deeper mystery of the Incarnation, the Bible is both fully human and fully divine. So all its manifold contents—histories, prophecies, poems, songs, wisdom writings, sermons, statistics, letters, and whatever else—should be received as from God, and all that Bible writers teach should be revered as God’s authoritative instruction. Christians should be grateful to God for the gift of his written Word, and conscientious in basing their faith and life entirely and exclusively upon it. Otherwise, we cannot ever honor or please him as he calls us to do. --JI Packer.... whole article

Vision Night

Next week we will gather for an annual event in our church life... Vision Night. So far we have more than 70 folks committed to making this a night dedicated to:
<> being together
<> imagining God's future for us
<> hearing the 3 initiatives that we'll give ourselves to this year ('07-'08)

What happens on Vision Night?
You'll be surprised to see the progress God made... we will look back, ever so briefly, on what we announced last year at Vision Night... and how God surpassed our hopes----- then I (rob) will lead a program where you hear from me and other leaders on the direction we're headed this year.

Where? Eventfuls is located 4 ½ miles West of I-75 on SR 26 (Newberry Road), in the Willow Walk business park just east of Steeplechase Publix. Turn onto 138th Terrace, and we are located in the first yellow building to your right.

Friday August 24 7:30pm Eventfuls in Jonesville

Youth Getaway

The Christ Community Youth Group will head to Daytona on Saturday for an overnight retreat. The focus will be developing community life in the group and envisioning the students for their usefulness in Christ's kingdom. They will return on Sunday at 3pm.
Call for more info..... 352.871.7247 Nathan Taylor; Denise Hamilton 352.528-5415

Corporate Prayer

On Sunday morning, August 26th we will have a prayer meeting that runs from 9am til 9:40.
Why on 26th? Kicking off the Fall seeking God's power
What will happen? You will be led through the Lord's Prayer and the Vision Night plans of Christ Community Church...
(It will not be you listening to someone else pray for 5 minutes uninterrupted!)

You will not be:
-- forced to pray aloud
-- disappointed that you came

Club 45

I had the privilege of meeting with the leaders of this ministry to 4th and 5th graders yesterday. They are excited about plans for this Fall.

The Club 45 dates are:
--September 16
--October 21
--December 9

There is also a plan for Club 45 to serve as a team during the Church Work Day on December 1st.

Room for good to run wild

The more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.
--GK Chesterton

Psalm 119

Augustine's idea that the Psalms are essentially prayers of Jesus Christ is surely in place here. What this psalm shows us is the perfection of the perfect heart in its unwavering openness to all that God teaches in the Scriptures, and the Gospels show that our Master was mastered completely by what came to him from his Bible.

Fasting

if you picked up a calendar y'day at our weekly gathering... and looked at it... you'll notice 3 days in august dedicated to prayer & fasting...... don't zone out on that .... i would venture to say that there is some way for every person to fast in a manner that awakens new areas for you.... to get you thinking of at least one non-food fast possibility....justintaylor writes:

One of the best parts of my vacation was being without a computer. Good for the soul!

I thought back to something that Doug Groothuis (philosophy professor at Denver Seminary) requires of his students:

I routinely require my students to engage in some kind of "media fast," in which they abstain from an electronic medium for at least one week. During this time they are required to reflection several portions of Scripture--the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the fruit of the Spirit, etc.--in light of their experiences. In the six or so years I have been assigning this fast, the results have been nothing less than profound for the vast majority of the students. Having withdrawn from the world of TV, radio, computers, they find more silence, time for reflection and prayer, and more opportunities to engage family and friends thoughtfully. They become more peaceful and contemplative-and begin to notice how media-saturated most of our culture has become. So, we need some asceticism. Any area of culture that decreases godliness and enhances worldliness must come under the loving discipline of Jesus Christ--for his glory, for our good, and for the good of those we serve. Christians need to withdraw from aspects of our technological culture (which Postman calls a "Technopoly"-a culture dominated by technology) in order to gain perspective on ourselves, God, and our culture.

Psalm 114, The Hebrews Exodus, and Your Life

Tomorrow we will celebrate Holy Communion in the context of looking at Psalm 114... which celebrates the Hebrew exodus from Egypt.


The celebration of the Exodus in the annual Passover feast (Exodus 12) is intended not to simply evoke pious and thankful memories of the past, but to bring each generation under the living power of this unique eschatological event (vv. 26f; 13:8). Thus, in displacing the ritual of the remembrance of the Exodus by a new ritual centered on His death and resurrection, Jesus indicated that these events would uniquely affect the destiny of all generations of mankind. He deliberately instituted for His Church a means by which the power and reality of His death and resurrection could be brought to bear upon the life of each generation within the Church" [Wallace, "The Lord's Supper," 165]. --kim riddlebarger

Communion with each other

"We should not . . . think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury... We should recognize rather that such fellowship is a spiritual necessity; for God has made us in such a way that our fellowship with himself is fed by our fellowship with fellow-Christians, and requires to be so fed constantly for its own deepening and enrichment." --J.I. Packer

Bridge Collapse

John Piper pastors a church within sight of the bridge that collapsed... he writes in Putting My Daughter to Bed 2 Hours After the Bridge Collapsed
"When I sat on her bed and tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago...
...Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because she trusts him. And she will make it through the river."

Sunday's Worship Service

It is our pattern as a church family to celebrate Holy Communion on the 1st Sunday of each month. I wanted to write to you about the way we'll do that Sunday. There is a minor change.

The service will flow like this:
Opening Hymn, followed by a scripture reading and the Doxology... per usual

Children's Church dismissal and The sermon will come next, a meditation upon Psalm 114 which shows us a connection between the Passover & Exodus miracles of God at work in His people AND THE miracle of God at the cross.

Then we'll share communion with God and each other... followed by the return of Children's Church and a more extended time (than our usual) of celebrating the redemption we have in Christ.

I'll post a link to the worship folder later....

ManLand

Thursday August 30th... start your stretching now...

Psalm 108

With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.

Ps108 is made up of portions of 2 earlier psalms (60 & 57)... but it is much more than a mindless cut&paste. The psalmist takes earlier prayers and suits them for his current situation.

Psalm 108 is here

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

Death, The Christian, and Healing

Death is not the death of the man--but the death of his sin. When a believer dies--his sin dies with him.
As death came in by sin--so sin goes out by death.

The Persians had a certain day in the year wherein they killed all serpents and venomous creatures. Such a day as that, will the day of death be to every believer.
All his serpentine and venomous sins will be forever destroyed! Then he shall never again . . .
be proud,
nor passionate,
nor unbelieving,
nor worldly,
nor neglectful of duty,
nor grieve the Holy Spirit,
nor wound his conscience,
nor break peace with God!

When death takes away a godly man, it takes him away from his sins! And as death rids the believer of all his sins--so it will rid him of all his sorrows. Death cures all diseases, the aching head and the unbelieving heart. --Thomas Brooks

Read the whole thing here

For You!

Is Jesus precious to your heart? Is He the object of your supreme admiration and delight? Does He have your warmest affection? Do you love Jesus? You must light your torch of affection for Christ, at the altar of Calvary. You must go there, and learn and believe what the love of Jesus is to you—the vastness of that love; the self sacrifice of that love; how that love of Christ labored and wept, bled, suffered, and died for you! Can you stand before this love; this love so precious, so great, so enduring, so self-consuming, so changeless; and know that for you was this offering—for you this cross—for you this agony—for you this scorn and insult—for you this death; and feel no sensibility, no emotion, no love to Jesus? Impossible!

Do not be cast down, then, in vain regrets that your love to Christ is so frigid, so fickle, so dubious. Go and muse upon the reality and the greatness of the Savior's love to you, and if love can inspire love, while you muse, the fire will burn, and your soul shall be all in flame with love to God! --Octavius Winslow

Piper books for $5

Today and tomorrow John Piper's books can be ordered online for $5. It has almost been 20 years since I first read Desiring God. My RUF minister put it in my hands and I've never been the same.
If you only buy (and read!) one.... make it Desiring God. Here's my humble ranking of some of Piper's others:
1.) Future Grace--excellent treatment of how God's promises help us battle sin and all types of sins.
2.) When I Don't Desire God, subtitle: Fight for Joy