Night of Prayer – 9.26.2010
Friends-
Mark your calendars for Sunday September 26th 5pm-6pm. We will be meeting at Steve and Becky Peralta’s for our monthly prayer gathering. This is a time of intentional and focused prayer for our community and those who don’t know Christ. I highly encourage you to come and be involved. Prayer is the way we will fulfill God’s will for Open House…prayer is the way we do battle! Please email me if you are interested in coming.
We will be meeting here!
And The Winner Is…
William Tyler!!!
Congratulations, William, on being the lucky winner of the Open House iPad Raffle!
For everyone who entered, we sincerely thank you for coming by the booth at the Heartland Festival and entering for your chance to win. Between the donations and tickets sold, we were able to donate $234 to Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen, helping to feed and shelter the homeless in Hardin County.
We truly hope that you can join us on a Saturday evening sometime in the near future at the Nexus Building as we gather to worship, discuss and share community together at 6:00pm each week.
Thank you all, again, for being a part of the iPad Raffle!!!
Servant Outreach
This upcoming week we will be at the Heartland Festival passing out free gatorade, water, and registering to give away a free iPad! Read more about it here! So what’s the deal? Why spend a Saturday afternoon just to give stuff away? At least 2 reasons:
1) To reflect the generosity of God. In the Bible there are many different lights one can view God in – Lord, Savior, Father, Ruler, Friend. All of these are true and accurate, but are all prefaced by the generosity of God. The way we understand God is only possible through his generosity – the greatest giver of all. God gives life & breath to everything and everyone. God gives us the story of his people that draws us in and compels us to be written in it. God gives. The primary act of generosity is Father God providing a way for us, in Christ Jesus to be brought back into relationship with him. God is generous. We should be as well.
2) To help a good cause. People are thirsty and it is hot! We can meet an obvious practical need free of charge. Also, all of the money collected to raffle off the iPad will be donated to Warm Blessings – a local soup kitchen. Read their story here.
Will servant outreaches bring conversion to the hearts of people? No. But neither will arguing with people, yelling at people, having well thought out arguments or debates, or any other attempt that we make will convert a single heart. It is by the Spirit of God alone.
So why do it?
Perhaps a small act of love coupled with a prayerful heart can lead to an open door to share the gospel about Christ – yet even then, it is only the Holy Spirit who can make truth real and lead people through it, not us.
Mike
Saturday Night LiveBlog :: 8.14.10
7:13:37 PM: Who is your favorite hero?
7:14:22 PM: Group: Batman, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Yoda, Mother Theresa…
7:17:19 PM: Looking in Hebrews 11:29-12:2
7:24:36 PM: Group: Sticking it out until the end, staying focused on the goal, after doing all you know to do, standing…
7:26:04 PM: Group: All the people mentioned in this passage were fixed on a particular goal
7:26:41 PM: Group: What really is the goal we are persevering for?
7:27:41 PM: Group: The things of God can become the goal instead of God Himself
7:31:23 PM: Group: Perhaps we get too tied up in the work of the Kingdom and lose sight of the goal of seeking after Jesus…
7:34:44 PM: Group: When the Holy Spirit has all of us, a new reality is opened to us…
7:36:42 PM: Why do we gravitate towards a works-driven, works-based religion?
7:37:28 PM: Group: It’s more comforting to serve an A+B=C type of God. Relationship is hard…
7:44:06 PM: Group: There is a certain danger in allowing God to have all of you. What might He ask? What might He change?
7:45:09 PM: There needs to be willingness and openness on our behalf to follow exactly what God says…
7:45:57 PM: The people in this passage had such faithfulness that their eyes were fixed on God and His mission…
7:46:37 PM: You cannot persevere without relationship…without faithfulness…
7:48:00 PM: This story becomes something of a relay race…a vast contrast to the idea that it’s an individualized race.
7:48:49 PM: Therefor, since we have such a history of faithful followers throughout history, we have a responsibility to continue the race
7:52:28 PM: We are responsible to share and show Jesus, faithfully, to the community around us. These people, heroes, were ordinary people; like us.
7:53:07 PM: But most important, we must look to Jesus, the initiator and finisher of our faith.
7:53:55 PM: May we walk in that responsibility this week…may we run the race in such a way that we move others forward in the faith!
7:54:03 PM: See you here next week!
Diagonal Perspectives
About 3 weeks ago, my wife and I were in Chicago and we decided to take our last day there to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s free, it’s nice, and it was relatively close to our hotel. By relatively, I mean a 5 minute ride on the “L” train and about a 15 minute walk from the station. We hadn’t walked too much this trip, so it was a welcome stroll.
The problem came with our ignorance of entrance: namely, where the actual zoo entrance was to be found. On the map, there was simply a big, green area labeled “Lincoln Park Zoo.” From our past year’s memory of the place, we thought that the entrance was on the farthest south side. With this in mind, we set out on the most direct route from the subway station, and that was N. Lincoln Avenue. Never mind that the actual entrance was multiple blocks north of our trajectory, we hoofed it faithfully to the end.
Suffice it to say, we made it to the zoo, enjoyed our time there, and took a much better, more direct route back to the subway.
Going back to the long, long, long walk on N. Lincoln Avenue, though, I remember one thing in particular: the overwhelming feeling of being lost. You see, N. Lincoln Avenue is a peculiar kind of road. Where as most streets and avenues run north, south, east or west, N. Lincoln Avenue ran none of these. Instead, whomever concocted this strange little road elected to go with the oft-neglected diagonal approach. So, in the midst of a system of up and down, left and right, we have on road that went completely against the flow.
And it completely ruined my flow.
The way there wasn’t too bad. I knew that we just stayed put on the same road the entire way. Multiple 3-road intersections are admittedly a bit strange, but it wasn’t a big deal.
The way back, however, really threw me for a loop. Having to navigate a downtown setting with one diagonal road is strange, but as it turns out, there was another diagonal road we had to contend with…N. Clark Street. You can imagine my difficulty trying to remember which way we were actually headed at any given time! Thank God for Google Maps!
So the story ends and we got back safe and sound. But I started thinking about walking on these diagonal roads and the shift in perspective that happened almost completely without my noticing. You see, when walking on a path that is so different than all the surrounding ones, your brain begins to process things a bit strangely. Case-in-point, at every intersection we came to, I had to remember that our trajectory was the exception and the street being crossed was the rule. From my vantage point, it didn’t seem that way, though.
From my perspective, it looked like all the other streets were diagonal. And as strange as it would be to lay out a city in all diagonal streets, that’s what it felt like.
Because this was my path. This was my world.
And it’s all about me, right?
The staggering reality here is that’s exactly how we view life a lot of times, isn’t it? We have our path and our goals. We have our road that we walk. And when we cross paths with others who aren’t in line with our systems and ways of understanding, we discount that as strange and abnormal…even if the same abnormalities keep popping up. We just grit our teeth and move forward, so sure of our journey.
But what if our perspective is off? What if we’ve made things so concrete in our minds, but in reality they aren’t so sure. What damage could come from that? What turns might we miss. What wisdom might we never adhere to?
How lost may we find ourselves?
There’s almost always two sides to every story. There’s almost always another way to see things. There’s always a bigger picture. May we be open to see that. May we be open to see the larger things God may be doing around us. May we be willing to admit that it’s our road that’s askew, our perspective that is bent, and ourselves that may need the corrective turn.
..:: Robby Payne ::..
Saturday Night LiveBlog :: 8.7.10
7:03:52 PM: Hey folks, welcome if you are following along tonight (or if you are reading this a bit later)!
7:07:18 PM: The text for this evening is coming from Luke 12:22-34
7:09:54 PM: Jesus tells us, basically, not to be anxious about our life.
7:10:28 PM: Easy to say…hard to take when it’s us in the predicament.
7:14:28 PM: Do we genuinely trust that it pleases God to provide for us?
7:14:54 PM: In this passage, God is revealed as generous; pleased to give us the kingdom…
7:19:33 PM: Yet we all admit that we struggle believing that God wants to or will take care of our issues…
7:21:25 PM: Its all a matter of trust…we are looking for security
7:21:49 PM: Security, in things that cannot provide it…
7:24:00 PM: Check out this cartoon by Donald Miller… http://www.ubersite.com/m/112356
7:38:00 PM: Does generosity mean everyone should sell everything? Or does it mean something deeper?
7:46:41 PM: Perhaps, its the call to ask if you were willing to…
7:47:40 PM: What sacrifices are we willing to endure to be generous? Are we willing to faithfully seek Jesus and unlock our dependence on possessions?
7:51:56 PM: Do we even consider ourselves taken with our possessions? Do we ever consider what God may ask us to give?
7:52:09 PM: Generosity and sacrifice go hand in hand…
7:54:31 PM: May this be our weekly prayer: God, help me loosen my grip on the things that I hold onto too much…
7:54:49 PM: Join us next week!
Waiting for Worms?
“Don’t worry. God will provide.”
Ever heard that? Ever felt unworthy of that? Ever felt beaten down by the fact that you fail at that?
I have.
If I’m honest, I have to admit that throughout the various ups and downs of my life, I’ve been saddled with this particular phrase more than once. And more than once I’ve felt like a complete and utter failure at my inability to carry out such a simple command.
Don’t worry. God will provide.
But what does that mean, exactly? I think we can all admit that it is almost impossible not to worry when money’s tight, bills are due, and there’s not a whole lot of hope in sight. I would say that most of us can also agree that our time spent worrying is mostly worthless toil. But is it realistic for us to expect that we can reach a point in our lives where we don’t worry at all? Is that what Jesus is saying in Luke? Is he saying to just throw our hands up, sit back, relax, and take it easy since God will provide? Is that what it looks like not to worry?
I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind.
Just before He makes this statement in Luke 12, Jesus lays out some of the creatures that God takes care of on a daily basis. One of these is the Raven. It becomes interesting in this explanation that Jesus never says that the raven sits back in his prefabricated nest and waits for the worms to crawl into his nest. He never paints the birds in a way that would assume that there is no work involved in their provision. In fact, we know very well that birds toil all day, looking for worms, carrying them back and forth to their nests. God has provided. The birds instinctively know this. Yet they still have to go and get the provision. They have work to do. They must respond.
So do you and I.
When Jesus confidently tells us that God will provide, He doesn’t ever say that He is implying that we drop everything, sit back and wait for God to work everything out. Instead, He draws up pictures and stories that convey partnership. The provision is there. The way is available. But there is a response on our part.
Worry does not come when we understand that God has made a way. But that way is revealed only as we seek Him. As our understanding becomes clear, the provision He has given comes into focus. But it starts with seeking His will. Seeking His way. After that, our response to Him is all that matters. When our sight is fixed on Him, we begin to learn what it is to depend completely on the Father for our needs.
So, press on. Keep fixed on the Father. Root yourself in Jesus and His ways, and God will work out the rest.
..:: Robby Payne ::..
Saturday Night LiveBlog :: 7.31.10
6:55:30 PM: Great to be back live! Reading from Colossians 3:1-11
6:56:17 PM: Paul is speaking about new life in Jesus
6:56:37 PM: What does it mean to have “new life” in Christ?
7:00:07 PM: Group: New life means second chances, a new relationship with Jesus, eternal life, rescue, salvaged from our old self…
7:01:56 PM: How do we communicate salvation with people?
7:02:41 PM: Group: By example. But there must be more…
7:03:37 PM: Group: We don’t know all the answers, but we can know what happened to us. What we know. How God has changed us.
7:05:19 PM: Group: Our stories are all different. How we met Jesus and how He affected us are all unique.
7:05:59 PM: Yet, there are some similarities of what new life means for each person, regardless of history, regardless of experience.
7:07:27 PM: We were in sin,
7:07:53 PM: We are forgiven…we respond.
7:11:59 PM: How do we convey the Good News that we have received, though?
7:14:40 PM: What are the common parts of the Gospel that we should be proclaiming?
7:20:20 PM: First, the issue is not that you are sinning, but that you are in sin. You must acknowledge that you can’t get away from it.
7:21:09 PM: We cannot respond without that humility, recognizing that we need Jesus.
7:23:31 PM: Once we have been humbled and responded, we now begin a new process of sanctification…Jesus in us, producing life through us…
7:24:03 PM: Jesus is going to begin putting certain things to death in us
7:25:14 PM: How do we see these changes happen, realistically?
7:25:49 PM: Group: Prayer. We get closer to God and understand more of His character that begins to produce in us.
7:26:23 PM: Group: Ingesting God’s Word on a daily basis.
7:32:22 PM: Paul says for us to set our minds and hearts on things above…we need to have a fixation or obsession on things above…
7:38:07 PM: If we are obsessed with Jesus, it affects us in every part of our life. Its about being fixed on Jesus.
7:40:08 PM: Focus on Jesus does not mean pulling away from the world, but instead engaging it in the way He would.
The Great iPad Giveaway!
Sometimes blog posts facilitate a deep thought. Sometimes they facilitate a reflection. Other times, they facilitate ridiculously cool, exciting and important news.
This particular post would be for the latter.
And, as the title so aptly gives away, the big news here is the fact that we (Open House) are giving away an iPad!!! How awesome is that?!!?
Here’s the scoop:
- Where? :: The Heartland Festival (Freeman Lake Park – Elizabethtown, KY)
- When? :: August 28, 2010
- What? :: This will be a raffle, $1.00 per ticket (limit 2 per person/750 entries max)
- Who? :: The raffle will be hosted by Open House with all the money collected being donated in full to Warm Blessings Soup Kitchen in Hardin County
That’s it in a nutshell. So come out to the Heartland Festival, stop by the Open House booth for some free Gatorade, and drop a couple bucks in the raffle for your chance at a brand new iPad!
The lucky winner will be announced via this website, Facebook, and Twitter and we’ll be presenting both the iPad and the donation money on September 11, 2010 at the Nexus Building during our Open House open house. It’ll be a night of music, coffee and an introduction of who we are as a community…we hope that if you’re reading this, you’ll join us! (Here’s a map to the building.)
Saturday Night LiveBlog :: 7.3.10
7:08:09 PM: We’re off and running…welcome!
7:17:48 PM: Discussing the ideas of accountability in community…
7:18:50 PM: Reading from Galatians 6:1-16
7:23:18 PM: Group: Accountability = responsibility, commitment, judgement, standards…
7:23:56 PM: Accountability is there to help us flourish…but can it be a negative?
7:25:12 PM: Group: If the accountability does not line up with what we see as valuable or what we see as right, we are only people-pleasing
7:26:41 PM: Accountability should be an internal standard, one that resonates inside us
7:29:23 PM: What is the best way for us to grow in the faith? How do we do this in the most effective way possible?
7:30:44 PM: Most of us, following after Jesus, must admit that we desire to grow and follow closer, not remain stagnant
7:33:27 PM: What Paul says in this text is, in order to follow after Jesus, to continue growing, we must be in accountable relationships with each other
7:34:13 PM: What are the challenges associated with being real with each other in community?
7:34:44 PM: Group: Judgement…being judged
7:36:33 PM: Group: It feels like if we open up to each other, we’ll be judged for our failures
7:39:01 PM: What is the difficulty we have as people to trust others not to judge us?
7:39:46 PM: Group: We are broken and struggle with sin
7:40:40 PM: Group: Hurt people hurt people…
7:45:04 PM: If these problems are valid and the help is community, what do we do about it?
7:46:00 PM: Our struggles are not obstacles to community, they are reasons for it..
7:47:32 PM: In community we find ways, together, to overcome each others obstacles
8:00:03 PM: Disclosure without accountability doesn’t lead us to growth
8:00:41 PM: Is there a difference in being judgmental and making a judgement?
8:03:51 PM: We’ll continue this discussion next week…come join us!