Steve & Mo Omli and Kevin Phegley return from Haiti

The trip's purpose was accomplished. Medical supplies were delivered and distributed and construction work on the orphanage was done. Praise God for bringing them back to us. You can look forward to hearing more from them about Haiti... as well as from Frank Stankunas about Tanzania.

Finishing Up Isaiah 6

As we complete our look at CCC's cycle's of worship... we'll look at Cycle 3: Commmitment
The text shows that it is:
I. Total
II. Purposeful
III. Compelled

Union With Christ

Here's a list w/ tons o' passages on our living, loving, lasting connection with Jesus http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/8449/union.html

The List of Martyrs Grows

Assyrian Christian Boy Beheaded – source:Assyrian International News Agency (AINA)
The AINA has reported that a 14-year-old Assyrian boy, Ayad Tariq, was beheaded by Muslim militants in Baqouba, Iraq, on October 21. Ayad was beginning his shift of maintaining an electrical generator when a group of disguised Muslim militants approached him and asked to see his identification. When the Muslims saw his identification and noted he was a "Christian," they (called him) a "dirty Christian sinner!" They then threw him to the ground, held down his arms and legs, shouting "Allah Akbar!" (God is great), and beheaded him. Pray God will comfort Ayad's family and friends, giving them the supernatural gift of peace that comes from forgiving our enemies. Matthew 18:21, 22

clarification on Elder Nomination

These nominations are for men to ENTER a season of training and evaluation to discover if God is calling them to the office of elder...

These nominations are not for these men to be an elder now.

Hope this helps. Remember, there's a primer on church site that might answer other questions.

I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again

Sting & Believing promises

As i've been thinking about 2 peter and believing promises of God.... ie Faith, this song keeps popping in my head:

You could say I lost my faith in science and progress
You could say I lost my belief in the holy church
You could say I lost my sense of direction
You could say all of this and worse but....

If I ever lose my faith in you
Thered be nothing left for me to do

(Trivia: I saw Sting when he was member of THE POLICE, saw 'em twice! in Memphis... Ghost in the Machine tour & Synchronicity tour--yep i'm that old!)

2nd Letter of Peter, chapter 1

God's divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Great Words: Resplendent

re·splen·dent
Function: adjective
definition:
shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor

Discipleship Course

D'ship course reminders: lessons 14 (union w/ Christ) and 15 (believing promises) are the prep work for nov 8
nov 15 is lessson 33

Great Prayer Need

Christ Community needs laborers for the harvest in our ministry to children. Please pray.

Communion Sunday

It is our practice as a church family to celebrate Holy Communion on the 1st Sunday of the month. In preparation, I encourage you to meditate/reflect on
Your great need for a Savior/Rescuer...
and
The great Savior/Rescuer provided for your need...

When we come to the Lord's Table we are non-verbally saying, "I'm yours Jesus. You've bought me with your body & blood and I'm responding. Spend me."

Helping you think about scandal

RP here: I just saw this on the front page of GOOGLE NEWS. I don't report it to gossip... but to help you think biblically to things people are and will be talking about. I think the post by Justin Taylor that begins below is helpful.

By now I'm sure many of you have heard that following news about Ted Haggard:

A Colorado Springs-based giant of the conservative Christian movement, with direct access to President Bush, stepped down Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals in the wake of allegations by a former male escort that the two had a three-year sexual relationship.

Read the whole post

put this in your ipod

think your (or anyone's) relationship is a result of ANYTHING other than the tenacious kindness of God???? then unleash yourself with this....CH Spurgeon is one of the great preachers in the history of Christianity. Spurgeon also communicates brilliantly through the written word, and his giftedness to proclaim the doctrine of grace shines in his little gem, All of Grace. Many Christians believe that this small book presents better than any other non-canonical work the gospel of salvation alone by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This short book is one of the bright jewels in post-apostolic writings on grace.

Go to the Free Download Page at christianaudio.com and use the coupon code NOV2006 to redeem the digital download format of All of Grace.

Communion and Rich Mullins

Listening to these words this morning made me think of the Lord's Supper

"There's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments." --from song, If i stand, by rich mullins

My great fear is that many people, yes, even in Christ Community, are sentimental about the Lord's Supper.... viewing this as some cleaned-up talisman we can rub for good luck... but it is really about our declaring our small "l" loyalty to Jesus and his allCAPS LOYALTY to His people, which includes little ol' me. Anyway,
Here is a link to the 1st of a 4 part interview with the late Rich Mullins. Listening to him will make you:
--Mad
--Cry
--Laugh

and at every few minutes you notice you have moved across the room towards Jesus because you want to be closer to Him... people like this are such a rush...

Christian venture capitalists

very interesting stuff (HERE) about connecting capitalism and bringing justice to world....

Jr Hi Retreat

January 26-28, 2007

grace at home

Keeping Grace in Place

Keeping grace in place in our homes, that is the task. We experience many temptations to leave out the grace and the hope of the gospel when our children require correction and motivation.

How does keeping grace in place look and sound? Your message to your children is this: “People who fail can find hope in the God of grace.” Think of it this way, the gospel must be the core of your nurturing interaction with your children. The gospel is more than just the simple plan of salvation. It is all the grace and power of the gospel - forgiveness, cleansing, internal transformation, and empowerment (Ezekiel 36:25-26).

rest is here

set your heart on the Father's love

"This will be exceeding effectual to endear your soul unto God, to cause you to delight in him, and to make your abode with him. Many saints have no greater burden in their lives, than that their hearts do not come clearly and fully up, constantly to delight and rejoice in God—that there is still an indisposedness of spirit unto close walking with him. What is at the bottom of this distemper? Is it not their unskillfulness in or neglect of this duty, even of holding communion with the Father in love? So much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him. This, if any thing, will work upon us to make our abode with him. If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will? Put, then, this to the venture: exercise your thoughts upon this very thing, the eternal, free, and fruitful love of the Father, and see if your hearts be not wrought upon to delight in him. I dare boldly say: believers will find it as thriving a course as ever they pitched on in their lives. Sit down a little at the fountain, and you will quickly have a further discovery of the sweetness of the streams. You who have run from him, will not be able, after a while, to keep at a distance for a moment."

John Owen, Communion with God, chapt. 4

Now it is there

Just spoke with Frank Stankunas. About a year ago I was having coffee with a student who told me about an orphanage in Tanzania that didn't have a place to keep the children... so these orphans were "homeless" during the nights. I put the student in touch with Frank Stankunas... and voila (almost) and by the enabling grace of God... there was a building built over the past week or so by Frank and a team he led. The children begin sleeping there in January. An idea and need was there, no there is reality. Thy Kingdom Come...