CBC Bryan Parents of Children

The Truth Project--Round 2 "What is Truth?"

2012-01-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were with us the last time we studied The Truth Project, this will be a review and a more in-depth study of some profound truths. For those of you who were not with us last time, I hope that this study will be one that brings awareness and understanding to the issues created by the constant paradox of the world's view of almost every conceivable issue versus the perspective outlined in the Word of God. According to Dr. Del Tackett, the author and father of The Truth Project, the perspective of contemporary culture stands in direct opposition to the Truth-centered worldview presented in the Bible. Dr. Tackett advances the bold claim that our culture is not only filled with lies but is actually heading in the direction of social insanity. Consequently, he proposes that Pilate's question in John 18:38, "What is truth?" is actually the most important question facing our society today.

Dr. Tackett argues that every sin can be traced to belief in the lie. The cosmic battle of the truth versus the lie of satan is at the center of good and evil, spiritual and material, and the Children of God versus the children of the devil. I hope you will join us in the next four or five months as we again study the Word of God and compare and contrast the teaching of truth in almost every area of human endeavor to the lies of our society and the deception of satan.

The Scriptures referenced in this first part of the study: "Truth" are listed below for your reference:

Isaiah 6:1-8, John 18: 33-38, Matt. 5:18, Matt. 10:15, Matt. 13:17, Matt. 16:28, Matt. 17:20, Matt. 18: 3, 18, Matt. 19:23, Matt. 21:21, Matt. 23:36, Matt. 24:2, Matt. 25:40, Matt. 26:21, Matt. 26:34, John 3:3, John 3:5, John 3:11, John 5: 19, 24, 25, John 1:17, John 14:6, John 6:26, 32, 47, 53, John 8:34, 51, 58, John 17:17, John 4:24, John 8:32, John 14: 16-17, John 16:13, 1 Tim 2:3-4, Eph 6:14, Isaiah 59:4, Jer. 7:28, Isaiah 59:15, 1 Tim. 6:13, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, Rom 1:18, Acts 20:30, Rom 2:8, Rom. 1:25, 1 John 4:6, Job 1 & 2, 2 Thess 2:9-13, John 8:34-47, Rom.7:11, 2 Thess. 2:10, Eph. 4:22, Heb.3:13, 1 John 3:10, 2 Tim. 2:24-26, Col. 4:5-6, Isaiah 44:18-20, Isaiah 44:17, Matt. 6: 25-34, Col. 2:2-4.

WHEN LESS IS MORE--January 15, 2012

2012-01-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned during our lesson this week, I contemplated not showing this week's lesson due to the fact that the lesson appeared to target the business arena and, in my opinion, really did not speak to family issues. However, after finally deciding to use this week's lesson from Andy Stanley's series on "Time", I was pleased to have several members of our class express their appreciation for this lesson. God always uses His Word and our commitment to Him to give us insight to His Plan and His expectations for our life.

In this week's lesson, Andy used the story of Moses being given advice by his father-in-law Jethro to help us understand some important principles about the use of time in our organizations--NOT THE FAMILY. As you recall, Jethro criticized Moses for spending all of his time acting as the judge or referee for the everyday disputes that arose among the children of Israel. He suggested an organizational chart that placed others in positions of responsibility and freed Moses for more significant duties assigned by God. The first principle that Andy Stanley articulated this week was: "My fully exploited strengths are of far greater value to my organization than my marginally improved weaknesses." He interprets the following principle for making our best contribution to a society in which we might work: "Discover what you're not good at and eliminate those things from your schedule." Next, he suggests, "Identify areas where you make the greatest contribution" and "give your best time to what makes the biggest impact." Finally, the last principle to improve your organization is to "develop other leaders." If you wish to learn more about the Biblical Principles of time that Andy has identified, you may wish to visit www.northpoint.org/time

It was good to see so many of our group there this week. Hope to see you all Sunday.

Jimmy and Cindy

Compounding the Minutes--January 8, 2012

2012-01-09T03:06:00.000-08:00

Wow! It seems like it has been a very long time since we met as a Sunday School Class. It was good to get back in the swing of things this week. We returned to the Andy Stanley series on "TIME." The third message in the series deals with "Compoinding the Minutes." The lesson is based on the teaching in Ephesians 5:15.

Andy shares three things about time that we already know, but tend to ignore:
1) There is a cumulative value to investing small amounts of time in certain activities over a long period. Neglect is cumulative as well.
2) There is no immediate benefit to any single installment of time and no immediate consequence if we skip an installment of time.
3) There is no cumulative value to the random things we opt for over the things we know to be important.

Many of us have heard parents and grandparents refer to Ephesians 5:15 with the phrase, "Redeem your time." Andy interpets this scripture as, "Cash in your time for something of equal value." Another important concept from today's lesson is that anything that relates to your time is a spiritual matter.

Where do you need to begin making time deposits?
Spiritual?
Physical?
Relationships?

What is your biggest obstacle? A manifestation of God's life in you is self-control. What are you willing to do about it?

Thanks to Bo Miles for recommending a great little book that relates to this issue of time and prioritizing our activities: The Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles Hummel. It can be accessed at Amazon.com.

Have a great week. Redeem the time!

A Magical, Mystical Christmas Party

2011-12-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

I hope you will mark your calendars and plan to join us for our annual Sunday School Christmas Party on December 17 @ 6:30 p.m. We are thrilled to have a commitment from the great magician the Magical Holmdini (Marty Holmes) to provide some interesting entertainment for our party. The sign-up form will be available in Sunday School and will be sent out via e-mail later this week.

The Thrill of Hope--Zachariah's Story

2011-12-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday with your family. Cindy and I drove to Baytown several times, but we were able to visit with my parents and family, with our girls, and with Cindy's Mom and family. This week, we had Cindy's sister and her husband join us in College Station for some culture--we took them to see "A Tuna Christmas."

In the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, we have been watching Andy Stanley's series on "TIME." We will return to this series for the final three messages after the Christmas Season. However, beginning this week, we will be looking at Andy Stanley's series called "The Thrill of Hope." This is a message series leading us to the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This week's message is called, "Zachariah's Story."

Andy reminds us of the many Christmas Mornings that we experienced as children in which the waiting for that special day seemed to be unbearable. It seemed as if Christmas would never get here. Do you remember those days? Do your children now wait anxiously as you and I once did? Andy uses this illustration to explain the promise of the certainty of Christmas Morning and how the dynamic of waiting....waiting...waiting... set up the first Christmas. There were a group of Jewish people who lived their lives waiting everyday for the fulfillment of prophecy which promised the delivery of a Messiah. These devout Jewish believers had been living this way, waiting for the Messiah for hundreds of years, yet still waiting and expecting the Messiah to appear in their lives. Certainly, they began to experience that feeling that many of us felt as we waited for Christmas Day when we were youngsters...when will it EVER get here? Even in our Christian Experience, we may feel the same emotions that the Jews who were expecting the Messiah certainly felt at some point. After waiting and waiting, God seems to be quiet. He seems to be so silent that we begin to question and may actually doubt.

Then, in Luke, Chapter 1, beginning in Verse 5, we see the story of a priest and his wife who "walked blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord." We see the story of an angel appearing to the priest and promising a son who would become the "forerunner" of the promised Messiah. Yet, this promise of a son appeared to be highly unlikely when one considered the age of the parents and the years of infertility that had haunted them throughout their married life. Yet, the story of Zachariah is a story of God's promise being delivered. It is an example of how God can be trusted to deliver what He promises.

Christmas is also a reminder that your faith in God is not misplaced. God pays attention and is moved by and blessed by those that remain faithful...even when the waiting seems unbearably long. After hundreds of years of waiting, God sent a Messiah on that first Christmas night. Halleujah! Christ, the Savior is born!

Sunday School Class Christmas Party--December 17

2011-11-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

You are invited to our annual Sunday School Christmas Party. The party is scheduled for December 17, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. I hope you will all check your calendars and set aside this time if possible to join your friends and colleagues in a time of fellowship and enjoyment. The party will be at the home of Cindy and Jimmy Creel, 8431 Turtle Rock Loop. We will be sending out additional information in the weeks ahead, but our current plan is to provide chili and tortilla soup and have maybe a few other main dishes and then have others bring side dishes and desserts. We always have a great meal and the fellowship we enjoy is outstanding. There will be a few games and lots of door prizes. It is hard to attend without winning something!

I want to make a special invitation to those of you who have joined our group recently. This is a great opportunity for all of us to get to know each other better. I hope you will all attend if you possibly can.

Jimmy and Cindy Creel

AT CAPACITY--November 20, 2011

2011-11-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is on its way. Christmas won't be far behind. Our calendars are filling up quickly. The Christmas parties and shopping and family get togethers and church activities and special events are about to engulf our lives. All of these things--or at least most of them--are good things that enrich our lives. Yet, they also contribute to our feeling of being overloaded and unable to accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished.

In last week's lesson, we recognized the indisputable fact that we all have a limited amount of time. In view of that fact, we agreed that a good question to be asking in lieu of "What time is it?" would be the question, "How are you spending your time?" The implication of this question is that we should be spending our time doing things that honor and please God.

In this week's lesson, Andy Stanley illustrates the principle of priortizing the important things in life by using a familiar demonstration of big rocks and smaller pebbles being placed in a glass container. Most of us have seen the demonstration before. Yet, it continues to illustrate a very important point: The key to getting more productive is to prioritize.

Your priorities determine the capacity of your time. As we watched the illustration, we saw that when the big rocks are put into the jar first and then the smaller rocks representing the details of our lives are poured in, they all fit nicely into the glass container. When the smaller pebbles are given priority and placed in the container first, there is not enough room to get all the big rocks into the container.

What are the big rocks in your life? Certainly, your spouse and your kids would be considered "big rocks." Your job would be a "big rock." In order to identify all the big rocks in your life, simply ask yourself the question, "What do I view as important and who do I view as important?"

Andy makes a good point when he says, "Business destroys intimacy." We economize our relationships as we add, add, and add to our lives. For example, our relationship with our kids and our spouse will suffer if we continuously allow the demands of our job, our golf game, our hunting habits, our night out with friends, our bridge club, or any other event or combination of activities prevent us from spending quality time with our family on a regular basis. We live in a culture that seldom forces us to prioritize correctly. Unfortunately, most of us can look back a a time or season of our life when we could have done this better.

Priority determines capacity EVERY single time.

In both the Old and New Testament, we are taught to put God in the jar FIRST. Putting God first influences the priority of everything else in our lives. The Biblical equivalent of the word "priority" is really the word "seek." In Psalm 63:1, we see David committing to seek God earnestly. Psalm 119:10 makes reference to David seeking the Lord with all his heart. In Proverbs 28:5, we are told, "...those who seek the Lord understand all things." Matthew 6:33 encourages us to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His Righteousness. This means to invite God to be the organizing principle around which everything else revolves in our lives.

Andy challenges us to accomplish this priority in a simple manner. He suggests that we give God the first few minutes of every day and that we seek His guidance in the organization and priority of our day. Since the first few minutes of our day can often set the direction and pace of our day, doesn't it make sense to spend these minutes with the Lord? Andy suggests modifying the Lord's prayer to meet our own unique personalities and experiences and to use this as a pattern for communicating with the Lord every morning. He emphasizes the need to thank God for our protection, provision, and for the pardon of our sins.

You are seeking SOMETHING first. Why not let it be God? If we re-orient our time around God's will, He will make us productive as we honor Him. As the Holiday Crunch arrives this week, let's make an effort to prioritize our lives around the will of God. Will you join your Christian brothers and sisters in the coming weeks of Holiday Cheer and Goodwill in putting God first and allowing him to re-prioritize everything else in your lives? You may experience the best Christmas season ever if you are able to truly make God your top priority.

REMEMBER--NO SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS NEXT WEEK. On December 4, we will begin looking in earnest at the Christmas Story, beginning with the story of Zechariah and the birth of John the Baptist.

The Time of our Lives--November 13, 2011

2011-11-12T18:39:00.001-08:00

This week, I completed a new book written by Tom Brokaw called "The Time of our Lives." I found the book to be a thoughtful and provocative discussion about the changes that have occurred in our lives since the early 1950's. For example, Tom asks this question of his own parents, "How many shirts did you own in the early years of the 1950 decade?" Their answer was, "Not very many." Yet, when I look in my closet, there are so many shirts that I am not sure I could get another one in the closet, and I don't really think I am the exception to the rule. I think our lives have changed. As I was finishing this book, I also began preparing for Sunday School this week. I ran across a series by Andy Stanley called "Time". As I thought about the TIME of our lives and the general concept of TIME and considered the issue of TIME as we begin the holiday season, I concluded that it might be a good idea to take a couple of weeks to consider some Biblical guidance on this matter of TIME.

This week, we are going to share Andy's message titled, "Your Days Are Numbered." Andy makes the point that we are always aware of the time. We often ask the question, "What time is it?" He suggests a better question, "What am I doing with my time?" Keep in mind that your time is running out. The older you get the faster it seems to go! Andy introduces the concept by looking at some verses from Job: Job 7:6 and Job 9:25. He explains that at some point in our life, usually in our forty's, we quit thinking about how old we are and begin to think about how much time we have left. We begin to think, "If I am going to do something, I had better do it now." Andy even introduces us to the website: deathclock.com
Deathclock.com asks you to fill in some information about yourself and then purports to tell you when you will die. Here's a tip: if you choose to visit this website, be sure to consider yourself an optimist. It will make a huge difference in your predicted date of expiration.

Andy suggests that we begin to live our life with the end in mind. He refers to the words of Moses in Psalm 90. Moses spent forty years running from the Egyptian authorities in the wilderness taking care of sheep. Yet, Moses was used by God to lead His people out of slavery to the promised land that God set aside for His children. From everlasting to everlasting, we live between the bookends that God has established. Your life and my life is brief, common, quick and it is futile for us to try to create something more meaningful without seeking God's purpose for our life. Andy suggests the following prayer for each of us to begin living our life as if our life has a point to it and we are not it!

PRAYER: "Heavenly Father, teach me to number my days that I might gain a heart of wisdom and fulfill your purpose for my life."

When we begin to view our lives within the context of living between the bookends of everlasting to everlasting, we find purpose in our lives. As we approach the holiday season and begin to "deck the halls", lets pray for God to help us live a purposeful life--a life dedicated to honoring the God of the Universe.

Prayer Requests and Announcements November 6

2011-11-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

This morning, we were made aware of a family in the Angel Tree program with multiple children who desire a basketball goal for Christmas. Since this request is somewhat outside the regular gift parameters for Angel Tree, our class agreed to finance this gift. We collected slightly more than $100 this morning for this purpose. We may need to take another collection, but it appears that we are close to being able to pay for this gift already.

Prayer Requests from this morning:

Pastor Christ Osborne--heart attack

Stephanie and Fred Matthews in the loss of her grandmother recently.

Jewel Clift--Jimmy's friend's 92 year old mom who fell and broke her pelvis.

Kathleen's mom has had several falls with difficlty in recovery and healing/ also in need of a meaningful and enjoyable job. i

Miles--Luke will be undergoing procedure to place tubes in his ears.

Tammi Collins--Mother will be undergoing knee replacement and sister is recovering from an ankle injury.

Craig's grandmother as she recovers from pneumonia.

The Woods family in their recent loss.

PRAISE: Sheryl Lowe made us aware that the mother of one of our Upward Football players for whom we have been praying after she suffered a stroke several weeks ago actually was able to attend the Upward Football Game this week. Thank you Lord!

Please keep these in your prayers this week and remember the Promise of Peace with God as the perfect gift of Christmas.

Have a great week.

Jimmy

Promise Keeper--November 6, 2011

2011-11-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

WOW! It is hard to believe that it is November and some semblance of fall weather has actually shown up in the Brazos Valley. We have enjoyed some gorgeous weather in recent days and we are even beginning to see some fall colors--along with the browns of trees dead from the drought. As November commences, our thoughts naturally turn to Thanksgiving and then, to the Holiday Season! In our Sunday School Class, we got a jump on the Holiday Season by studying lessons during the past three weeks that actually come from the Christmas Story in the Bible. The focus of the Christmas Story that we have been studying is a little different from the focus of Christmas Stories to which most of us have been exposed in the past. These past few weeks, we have been looking at the genealogy of Jesus as presented by the apostle Matthew. Matthew himself was an outcast--a tax collector, one of the lowest of the lowest in the heirarchy of Jewish social circles. As such, many people were amazed when Jesus called this lowly, despised tax collector to follow Him. Not only did He call Matthew to follow Him, but He actually went to Matthew's home and dined with Matthew and other associates who were likely as low on the social ladder as Matthew himself. Jesus' disciples must have wondered if their leader knew what He was doing? They must have asked themselves how Jesus could invite such a degenerate to be part of His inner group? Here was a guy who paid the Roman government for the authority to take money from the Jewish citizenry virtually at his own discretion! It was almost like legalized theft. Now, Jesus was inviting him into the inner circle? What could He be thinking?

For that reason, Andy Stanley suggests that Matthew must have taken special comfort in underscoring the unlikely, undesireable, and undeserving characters whom God chose to play important roles in bringing His Son into this world. In this week's lesson, Andy Stanley points to a character that is most closely related to the name of Jesus in the long list of contributors to the linneage of Jesus. This individual caused 85 priests to be murdered! He ran around on his wife! He fathered a child out of wedlock and then took extraordinary steps to cover his sin, leading to the death of one of the king's most loyal and committed warriors!

This week, the Christmas Story focuses on the role of David, a man described in the Bible as "a man after God's own heart." Yet, we see in this week's lesson that David was a sinner in every sense of the word, a failure as a leader, failure as a father, failure as a friend, and failure as a husband! Yet, God uses David to accomplish His Great and Wonderful Plan for the salvation of all men! Indeed, we see in 2 Samuel 7:8 that God actually promises David that He will make his name great--like the name of the greatest men on earth. God made this unconditional promise to David and he was and is faithful to deliver on His promise. Even though David sinned and his sin was great, God was willing to forgive David. David suffered the consequences of his sin, but God was willing to forgive and still honored his promise to David.

When God makes a promise, He keeps His promise! Matthew was about to tell the story of an unconditional promise sealed with blood. God would keep his promise to mankind just as He kept His promise to David. Every Christmas for the rest of your life, when you hear the "town of David," I hope you are reminded of the promise God made to David and the promise God made to you! God promised peace! The only way to have peace with God is for Him to remove sin. Jesus came to remove your sin. You can't have the Promise of Christmas until the obstacle of peace (sin) has been removed. The unconditional promise of God is that you can have peace with God. The Promise of Christmas, Peace comes when we finally embrace the Promise of the GIFT--forgiveness of sin--obstacle removed. The Promise of Christmas is Peace for all mankind. Silent Night! O, Holy Night when Christ was born!

The Unexpected Christmas--The Label Makers Week 3

2011-10-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

As we have studied for the past two weeks, there are people all through the family tree of Jesus whom you and I would not expect to be there based on their actions, reputations, and history. As Matthew, the tax collector begins to launch into The Greatest Story Ever Told, he seems to take particular pleasure in underscoring the "R" rated members of Jesus linneage--the unlikely characters that God chose to help bring His son into the world. We have seen and will continue to see that all through history, God has chosen to distribute His grace to those who did not deserve it. In Matthew 1:1, we see yet another example. Rahab, the harlot was listed in Matthew's reiteration of the family tree of Jesus. Rahab wasn't even Jewish. She was a Cannanite woman whom Matthew reminds, had a reputation that was tainted throughout life and history. Surely, this lady of the night, this immoral Cannanite could not play an important role in God's plan? Surely, God would not choose such a character to be part of His plan to save the world?

Yet, in Joshua 2:8, when God's spies were studying the city of Jericho for the next conquest by God, we see Rahab taking these men into her house and hiding them from those who would like to kill them. We also find that the Hebrew word that Rahab used to identify God was a word for Lord that was not spoken by some and was only used in written form to refer to the God of the Universe. Rahab chose this particular term to refer to God, literally meaning "the existing one." God clearly had a plan for the conquest of Jericho so that it would be abundantly clear who should get the credit for this great victory--God. Believing and non-believing scholars alike have agreed that, for whatever reason, at the end of the day, the walls of Jericho collapsed. In the midst of the chaos that followed, God spares one family because of the faith of one Cannanite prostitute. How unlikely is that? How can we understand why God chose Rahab? Later, we find that Rahab and Salmon marry and have a baby named Boaz. Boaz eventually marries Ruth and their great grandson is actually King David of the linneage of Jesus! Rahab had a label, Rahab, the harlot. Yet, she played an important role in bringing our Savior into this world!

If the truth be told, probably most of us have a label. Sometimes labels are based on secrets, sometimes on habits, and sometimes on poor decisions. Yet, Rahab's story is much like our own story. When we think about approaching God, we realize that we all have some kind of label, Jimmy, the jerk, or Carrie, the coveter, or Larry, the luster, or Allen the addict. Yet, Jesus invited all kinds of people to follow Him while they were still wearing this label.

This Christmas season as we think about what Jesus did for each of us, let's rethink our approach to God. Instead of thinking about what I did (went to church, read the Bible, gave an offering, helped the neighbor, etc.), let's realize that God decided before the foundation of the earth to pay for the sins of all who wear labels regardless of what that label is. This Christmas, let's discard the "If I don't, then God won't" approach to God. Instead, let's approach the newborn Savior from the standpoint of the grace and mercy that He has offered to each of us. God offers each of us a new label. Lord, teach me to live my life in accordance with who YOU say that I am. Joy to the World!

The Unexpected Christmas--"An Unlikely Candidate"

2011-10-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

In this second week of Andy Stanley's series, "The Unexpected Christmas", we see a contrast between every religion in the world and Christianity. Every religion in the world with the exception of Christianity teaches an approach to God based on "what I've done." People who bought into this teaching assumed an attitude of self-righteousness in order to justify a relationship with God. Others realized that they can never meet this standard and have distanced themselves from God. That was the story of Matthew, the tax collector. Matthew, though understood the teaching of Jesus. Mankind had access to God not based on what they had or had not done, but based entirely on what had been done for them. This was a brand new view and one which was destined to turn the world upside down. This was a new paradigm for mankind.

In this week's lesson, Matthew illustrated this concept by underscoring another surprising member of the linneage of Jesus. In Chapter One of Matthew, we see the reference to Judah and his brothers. Judah had eleven brothers. These brothers became the foundation for the fathers of Israel. In this week's lesson, we reference the story of Joseph. As you recall, Joseph is stripped of his multi-colored coat by his brothers and sold into slavery. Judah, one of the brothers that appears to be a leader of the brothers, influences the sale of Joseph to Egyptian traders. Later, Joseph becomes a great savior of his people and of all people in the midst of a great famine. He would make a perfect forefather of Jesus. However, God chose Judah.

Judah and Joseph are the only two brothers of the 12 brothers who have a story in the Bible. Judah gets one chapter in the Bible and his story goes from bad to creepy. Judah has three kids, one of whom married Tamar. The older son of Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord and died. The second son of Judah also did evil in the sight of the Lord and died. Judah promises to take care of his son's widow, for in that day and time, a widow who was not cared for by her husband's family was left destitute. Tamar, however, dresses as a temple prostitute and Judah hires her for her services. As a pledge for his payment, Tamar asks Judah for his seal and his staff. Three months later, when Judah is informed of his daughter-in-law's illegitimate pregnancy, he is prepared to enforce the Mosaic law requiring the death of such a woman. Tamar reveals to Judah her possession of the signature seal and the staff and Judah quickly changes his mind about the death penalty.

Judah became a part of the family line that brought Jesus into this world! Judah was a picture of you and me. He was a picture of someone who deserved one thing and got another. He is the picture of a person learning that God's grace is available even to people who have not made themselves available to God. Joseph gave to Judah (and all his brothers) the opposite of what they deserved. God chose Judah through whom He brought His son into this world.

Never has anyone ever been expected to come to God on the platform of their own righteousness. That has never been the plan. I'll never be at peace with God because of what I've done or what I haven't done. Throughout history, God always chose the broken. This Christmas, let's be thankful that we don't have to approach God based on what we have done or what we have not done. We get to approach God based entirely on what He did for each of us. The GIFT He sent to us is on that special night in history is an unspeakable GIFT. O, Holy Night!

THE UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS--WEEK ONE

2011-10-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

How many of you have taken photos at Christmas of the whole family? Such photos usually include grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, sometimes gathered around the family Christmas tree or in front of some Christmas icon. The picture represents our immediate genealogy. In our Sunday School lesson this week, Andy Stanley begins a series titled "The Unexpected Christmas."

Andy begins a study of the writing of Matthew. He reminds us that Matthew was a tax collector, considered by the Jews to be one of the lowest of the lowest in the social heirarchy of the day. This is a man who paid the Roman government for the privilege of taxing the citizens at his own established tax rate, which offered him a handsome income! Yet, Jesus chose Matthew as one of his followers--one of his disciples--one of the writers of the Bible.

Matthew's writing starts off with the genealogy of Jesus. He was writing to a Jewish audience making the case that Jesus is the Son of God--answering the question of who is Jesus ultimately related to? Matthew makes the obvious connections in Jesus' linneage, Abraham, Isaac, King David those whom God chose to carry the line of Jesus. However, he also includes some other characters who were found in the linneage of Jesus. Some of the characters underscored by Matthew were similar to him in their standing among others, some had reputations that were as odious as the reputation of Matthew the tax collector, and some of the linneage of Jesus were as unexpected, undeserving, and unrighteous as he.

Matthew spent three years with Jesus. He heard Jesus teach. He saw Him perform miracles. He saw Jesus die on a cross and he stood next to an empty tomb. As he wrote the story of Jesus, he knew that shady characters carrying baggage were the point of the story he was about to tell. Sin was the issue Jesus came to address. Jesus didn't just come for sinners. He came FROM sinners. Jesus was the light coming into a world of darkness. He represented life coming into the element of death. He was the story of forgiveness in a world of condemnation. For Matthew, this story was also his story. These shady characters from the linneage of Jesus were like his people, like his friends.

When Jesus' followers questioned his relationship with Matthew, Jesus responded in Matthew 9:12, "...It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." While this statement could have offended Matthew and his friends, Andy Stanley points out that people who are far from God know they are far from God. This was the case with Matthew. Andy says the story of Christmas is about God leaning towards those who had leaned away from God. Jesus changed the rules about who could approach God. The religious culture suggested that those who approach God must do so under the guise of what they have done. Jesus debunked this requirement for approaching God. He made it clear that we could approach God based on what HE did for us and NOT based on what we have done. The story of Christmas is about this GIFT that God gave to us. The greatest gift ever given...the Savior of the World who came from sinners, and people who could never qualify as part of Jesus' family. This Christmas, let's remember the GIFT God gave to each of us.

"An Unexpected Christmas"--COMING NEXT WEEK

2011-10-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

For most of us, Christmas is more than one special day of the year. It is a time of the year in which we like to celebrate peace on earth, bright lights, cool air, and special music. It is a time when shopping and cooking and eating and spending time with the family become priorities. Special dishes and special songs, streets outlined with colored lights, the fragrant whiff of an evergreen tree, and the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cookies are part of our Christmas experience.

From a spiritual perspective, Christmas is about the birth of our savior. It's the story of God using everyday people to accomplish His purpose. It is about God fulfilling ancient prophesy exactly as it was written!

Here we are in October. Is it too early to begin thinking and talking about Christmas? If one looks at the calendar, one will see that there are nine weekends until Christmas (not counting Thanksgiving). I am certainly looking forward to the Christmas season--even if it is early in the year! I am looking forward to all of those Christmas experiences described above! Yet, wouldn't it be great if this Christmas was special? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we and our families and our friends and those who came into contact with us were able to experience a special annointing from God this Christmas? Wouldn't it be a blessing if we were prepared spiritually to celebrate the birth and life and teaching of our Lord in a way that brings us closer to Him and causes us to celebrate Christmas in a more Godly way than ever before?

We are fortunate to have two special Christmas message series from Andy Stanley that will cover eight of the next nine Sunday School Lessons leading up to Christmas. We will begin this series next week with a five week study of the geneaology of Jesus. We will study the Christmas Story during the next eight weeks from angles and perspectives that you and I may have never considered before. Andy Stanley will challenge us to think about Christmas with some unique thoughts about the way God brought His son into the world. I hope you will pray for God to touch us all with a special Christmas celebration that honors HIM and enables each of us to share a special Christmas spirit with those around us. Join us next week for "An Unexpected Christmas."

Embrace Your Response Ability--Part 4 Take Responsibility for Your Life

2011-10-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Every child in every culture has, at some point, uttered the phrase, "That's not fair." Well, life is NOT fair. Yet, we all want life to be fair some of the time. Andy Stanley suggests that we are really only concerned about life being fair when our piece of the pie is smallest. If we got the big piece of pie, we usually don't feel that life has been unfair to us. Even so, life isn't even. One guy marries into wealth and gets to enjoy the benefits of a big deer ranch. That was always my dream. When I met Cindy, I found out that her dad owned a "farm" in Anderson. Wow, I thought, my dream is coming true. Then, I found out that she stood to inherit 7 acres of a treeless, open prairie with no utilities and no infrastructure. Yet, one of my friends married a girl whose dad owns almost 2,000 acres of an old Mississippi plantation that is today prime deer and quail hunting habitat. Life's not fair.

In today's lesson, Andy observes that the unfairness, the unevenness of life often become an opportunity for irresponsible behavior. In past lessons, we learned that irresponsibility eats a hole in your soul. You begin a negative spiral as a result of this terrible confict in life. Perhaps, Ben Franklin said it best, "He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else."

Andy also notes that people with a large piece of the pie, people with "extra" are often irresponsible with their bounty. The more money you have, the more you waste. The more free time you have, the more time is wasted.

Andy Stanley suggests that we ask the question, "What am I going to do with the opportunity that God gave me, regardless of the opportunity that someone else has been given?" Jesus taught this 2,000 years ago in Matthew 25. God's perspective on unevenness or unfairness of life was illustrated in the parable in Matthew 25:14. Andy describes this passage as a story that teaches a lesson about the unevenness of God. Parables were used to make a point and parables did not actually happen. In this story, the master gave one servant 5 bags of gold, another 2 bags of gold, and another 1 bag of gold. Andy calculated that each of these bags of gold represented about 20 years worth labor. Obviously, this was NOT an even distribution of wealth. As you recall, two of the servants put the money to work and doubled the master's money. Yet one of the servants, the one who was given the least gold, began to blame the master and whine when called to account for his lack of effort on the master's behalf. Notice that the master chose to take the gold from the servant who had been irresponsible and give it to the servant who had been most responsible. Was it fair?

Andy points out that everybody gets an uneven amount of opportunity in life and everybody gets held accountable for what they do with the opportunity given to them. Our job is to figure out how to leverage the opportunity we are given--great or small--to its maximum. What are we going to do with what we have? We need to look at our own bag and refuse to waste it or refuse to excuse myself because I don't have as much as others. Andy makes reference to a book by Scott Rigsby called UNTHINKABLE in which we see a double amputee become the first double amputee to cross the finish line in the Ford Ironman World Challenge in 2007.

Will you accept what's in your hand as coming from your Father in heaven and leverage it for something bigger than yourself? Remember, life's not fair. Get over it!

This is NOT the Time to Pray--Taking Responsibility for Your Life--Part 3

2011-10-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone try to talk themselves out of a situation they behaved themself into? As a former principal and school teacher, I heard it many times. I suspect the police officers in our class have heard many examples as well. As parents, you may have even heard your children try to talk themselves out of situations they behaved themself into.

Does such behavior ever apply to Christians? Do we ever try to talk or pray ourself out of situations we behaved ourselves into? I suspect we are all guilty of such behavior at some time in our lives. Some very religious folks have a tendency to hide behind their prayers and to match irresponsibility with prayers. For example, how many times have we disobeyed the will of God only to face the consequences of our actions, and then fell before God earnestly seeking deliverance from the consequences of our failure to follow God's will?

In today's lesson, Andy Stanley uses the story of Achan's Sin in Joshua 7 to illustrate how God's people often try to pray themselves out of situations they behaved themselves into. In Joshua 7, we learn that Achan took some of the spoils from God's great victory at Jericho after being told specifically not to take any of the spoils of victory. Achan saw a beautiful robe and silver and gold as he went through the rubble of the Israelite victory over Jericho. He coveted these things and took them even though the Lord specifically forbid such behavior.

Days later, when the Israelites attacked the small city of Ai, a city that Joshua's scouts had recommended only sending 3,000 men to attack and subdue the city, the Israelites were routed and chased from the city gate. Indeed, about thirty-six of the Israelite soldiers were killed. This caused the men of Israel to become afraid because they realized that God had not delivered Ai into their hands as they had expected. Joshua and the elders tore their clothes and fell face down to pray. At the end of the evening, the Lord told Joshua to stand up. He wasn't interested in granting the prayers of a people who had been unfaithful to him. He instructed Joshua to sanctify the people and to identify the men of Israel who had violated God's command. Achan was found to have the forbidden items. Achan and his entire family were destroyed. Many men died because Achan failed to honor God's commands. Praying to God was not sufficient to justify the irresponsible behavior of Achan. You might ask, "Was it fair that innocent Israelite warriors died as a result of Achan's sin? Was it fair that Achan's entire family was destroyed because of his sin?" Maybe not, but irresponsible behavior is almost never "fair" in the end.

Andy Stanley suggests that we don't need to pray about something that God has already addressed in His Word. You don't have to pray about it. God said to be honest. Don't pray about it, just be honest. God said to pay your taxes. You don't have to pray about it....just pay your taxes. God said not to participate in sex before marriage. One doesn't have to pray about it....just don't have sex before marriage. However, if someone fails to honor God's directives and then thinks they can pray their way out of a situation caused by their irresponsible behavior, they are sadly mistaken. Andy says, "If you are substituting prayer for taking responsibility in your life, you're an irresponsible person that prays." But, don't think that God is going to bail you out of a sticky situation that you have created.

Take responsibility for your life. Act responsibly. Follow God's directives. In these matters, prayer is not necessary. As the Nike slogan says, "Just Do It." If we fail to do so, we or someone else or perhaps both will have to pay for the irresponsible behavior. We can't tolerate irresponsible behavior--in our own lives or in the lives of others. Eventually, everybody pays for irresponsible behavior

The Disproportionate Life--Part 2--Taking Responsibility for Your Life

2011-09-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Motivating some disengaged students is one of the most challenging tasks for educators. Given the benefits of a quality education and considering the consequences of a failed education, one might wonder why it is so difficult to motivate some young students to take advantage of the education opportunities provided to them. However, I believe that Andy Stanley provides an explanation for such behavior in this week's lesson. Unless the student has a parent holding him/her accountable for their performance, there is no immediate consequence for poor performance at school. The failed Algebra test, the poor discipline record, the undone report, and the neglected homework assignment may contribute to a poor grade or report card. However, if no one is holding the student accountable for such grade reports, there really is no immediate consequence. The student may be assigned to a tutoring session or may be placed in a slower group of students, but many students fail to even recognize such steps as negative consequences of their behavior. The same thing is true in our Christian walk. Failure to follow God's commands, a refusal to establish Him as our top priority, or an unwillingness to serve God often do not have immediate consequences. When the children of Israel questioned God and complained about His provision in the desert, there were not always immediate consequences. However, in the long run, all of the group with the exception of Joshua and Caleb died in the desert and never experienced the promised land. We learn another very important principle in this week's lesson: "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap." Even though many of the Children of Israel failed to experience immediate consequences, they all suffered the negative consequences of failing to serve and honor God appropriately.

This timeless law of nature applies to all areas of life; physical, intellectual, relational, and spiritual. In our spiritual life, failure to honor God and failure to submit to His direction ALWAYS generate negative consequences. There may even be some who question the validity of this law. They see others flagrantly violating the laws of God, living in sin, and still flourishing by the standards of today's society. Yet, as Andy points out in today's lesson, "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap" is a spiritual law that has no limits in time. It applies today just as it did for the children of Israel 2000 years ago. Therefore, irresponsible behavior WILL result in negative consequences sooner or later.

Andy shared a saying from his dad, Charles Stanley, in this week's discussion. According to his son, Charles said, "You always reap later and greater." "Later" is why we tend to give up too soon. "Later" is why we sometimes envy irresponsible people. However, when the consequences for irresponsible behavior finally do manifest themselves in our lives, they are not always commensurate with the irresponsible act. In many cases, the consequences are exponentially greater than the original failure. Andy says, "Don't expect fair! Don't expect just! And, don't blame God!" Think about it! Isn't this true?

However, this week's lesson also provides sound advice for us as we recognize our irresponsible behavior. The first piece of advice is to "own your slice of the pie--no matter how small." In other words, take responsibility for your part in the issue or conflict, no matter how small it might be. Secondly, begin to do the things you should have been doing all along. The "later-greater" principle is also true for responsible behavior. If it is true that the consequences for irresponsible behavior are often not commensurate with the original sin, it is also true that the rewards of responsible behavior over time are often magnified as well.

The unmotivated school child has not accepted this timeless law of nature and of the spiritual world. Because the child experiences no immediate consequences, he cannot see the consequences that will eventually overtake him. As Children of God, it is easy to fall into the same trap. Study the words and meaning of Galatians 6:6-9 this week. Take responsibility for your piece of the pie. Begin doing what you should have been doing all along. Our God is an awesome God. You may be surprised to see the blessings that come! See you in Sunday School!

Welcome Back, Andy Stanley--Taking Responsibility for Your Life

2011-09-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Diabetes is rampant among men and women in our society, obesity has been recognized as a national crisis, heart disease is the number one killer among men and is not far behind in women, the divorce rate soars, and the percentage of unwed mothers in America is appalling. Prison construction is at an all-time high and the prison population continues to grow. All of these maladies are related to lifestyle decisions and our failure as individuals and as a society to take responsibility for our actions and to be responsible for our lives.
In today's lesson, Andy Stanley begins a series entitled, "Taking Responsibility for Your Life." Part I has the subtitle, "Let the Blames Begin." During the lesson, Andy asks the question, "Am I taking responsibility for my life...REALLY?"
Andy suggests that it is almost impossible to see in the mirror. However, our whole culture is becoming less and less responsible. For many of us, we have adopted the creed, "I have the right to be irresponsible, but you don't have the right to hold me accountable...and, oh, by the way, you are also responsible to foot the bill or clean up the mess for my irresponsibility." Wow! Isn't that attitude so common today?
Andy Stanley also reinforces another principle in today's discussion: "What gets rewarded, gets repeated." Therefore, if, as a culture, we tend to reward certain behaviors, those behaviors will tend to be repeated. If we reward those who refuse to work with free food, free education, free housing, free transportation, etc., more and more people are likely to refuse to work. Andy also brings out the fact that irresponsibility can be contagious. However, anytime an individual, a group, or a family acts irresponsibly, somebody else ALWAYS has to come along to shoulder the responsibility and carry the burden. In the case of runaway rates of health problems such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, we have seen our health care system overloaded and we have experienced unsustainable rates of increase in healthcare costs and insurance rates designed to meet the requirements of such costs. The government has felt a need to intervene in this area and we have seen the consequences. Healthcare providers are having their hands tied and are being limited in their practice by the dictates of Medicare and other government interventions. Unwed mothers are often driven to poverty and the government is compelled to provide basic food provisions, medical attention, housing assistance, and other basic necessities. Yes, someone or some group always has to step in to shoulder the burden when we act irresponsibly.
In today's discussion, Andy makes the point that each of us is responsible ultimately to our Heavenly Father. As Christians, we were created to e responsible. In Genesis 1:27-28 we see the first example of God's expectation that His children have respopnsibilities. We are happiest when we have responsibility and we are in compliance with that responsibility. Irresponsible behavior always creates conflict according to Andy Stanley in today's lesson. Blame is another form of irresponsibility according to Andy. Therefore, we should take responsibility for our own actions, refuse to get involved in the blame game, and seek diligently to meet our responsibility to our Heavenly Father. In doing so, we will be meeting all other responsibilities in our life. Are you being responsible for your life....really?

PLANS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM:
We will be using Andy Stanley material at least for the next five or six months. This series, "Taking responsibility for your Life" will last approximately four weeks.
Then, we will begin two Andy Stanley series that will last eight weeks and will take us to Christmas. They are both designed to lead our thinking and our worship up to and through the Christmas season. The first Christmas series is entitled, "An Unexpected Christmas" in which Andy goes through the unlikely family tree of Jesus. Finally, during the last three weeks leading to Christmas, we will engage in a series called "The Thrill of Hope," in which Andy takes us through the story of Zechariah, personalizes our own Christmas Story, and then reiterates Luke's story of Christmas. I think we will find these weeks ahead to be exciting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking. Most of all, I hope that this time that we will be spending together with one of the truly great Bible Teachers of our time will bring us to a season of worship, to a time of Honoring God, and to a time of deep personal introspection. I look foward to joining you on this journey! See you in Sunday School!

New Testament Prophecy--Jesus Our Victorious King

2011-09-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, my family and I visited Yellowstone National Park. I remember pulling off the road at one point and walking down a short path to view a mighty waterfall. Even though we were a good distance from the actual flowing water, the roar of moving water was so intense that one could not hear anything else. The roar of the water literally drowned out all other noise. In today's lesson, the voice of God is compared to the sound of "many waters." In other words, the almighty, all-powerful God of the universe is described as the ultimate victor in the confrontation of good against evil, the struggle of the righteous against the unrighteous, and the battle of light versus darkness.
We were made for peace. In Philippians 2:9-10, we are told that God highly exalted His own son and bestowed upon Him the name which is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. The Scripture makes it abundantly clear that we are all made to honor and worship Him. Yet, throughout the ages, we have experienced divisions, disagreements, and wars. In Genesis 14, we are introduced to the word "War" for the first time and since that time, millions have died and suffered in wars around the world.

Our lesson today focuses on the New Testament Prophecy found in the book of Revelation. Revelation is a book of incredible hope for those who love Jesus. It describes the outcome of the final war. It provides a vision of Jesus as the Mighty King, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings. In the book of Revelation, John, the apostle of Jesus, shares a vision of Jesus with the seven churches. Perhaps, one of the most relevant exhortations made in this sacred scripture is found in Revelation 3:15-16. In this selection, Jesus warns the church that they have become neither hot nor cold and that he is about to spew them from His mouth.

The last book of the Bible further predicts the events that will occur at the end of time when God decides to end the war of good against evil, to terminate the competition between purity and sin. During our lesson today, our host points to four signs that the end may be near:
1. The very existence of the nation of Israel is a precursor to the coming of Christ for the second time.
2. A period of intense spiritual deception as described in 1 Timothy 4:1 seems to also provide evidece that the time of deliverance may be near.
3. A time of intense and progressive moral decline is also an indicator that Jesus may be on His way soon. The description provided in 2 Timothy 3: 1-5 seems to reinforce this possibility.
4. Finally, an increased intolerance of the Truth as described in 2 Timothy 4:1-4 is another good indicator to suggest the time of Jesus return and God's ultimate Victory is on the horizon and could occur soon.

However, whether Jesus returns and the events of Revelation occur today or tomorrow or a thousand years from now, we can be sure, "Our God Reigns!" Think about the power of the voice of God the next time you get near a powerful waterfall! Our God Reigns. The next time you see evil, remember, "Our God reigns." Regardless of how dark it gets, our deliverace is near!

Jesus Our Teacher--Lesson 5

2011-09-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

"We behave as we behave because we believe as we believe." Think about this quote. Isn't it the truth? If we truly believe that it is important to spend time in the Word, we will make time to read the Bible. If we believe that God honors prayer, we will ensure time for daily prayer. Today's lesson reinforces this truth.
The New Testament writings cover Romans through Jude. These books are letters to the early church and their relevance for us has not diminished in two thousand years. There are 21 letters of which Paul wrote 13. Nine of these were directed to churches that were dealing with various issues of immorality and persecution. The letters were written to the churches and to us as lessons of instruction, correction, and encouragement.
This section of the Bible is divided into three areas by the presenters of today's lesson. They are identified as the 3 D's: Doctrine, Discipline, and Deceit. Biblical Doctrine teaches us what to believe about God and us. We learn that God is a loving God (see 1 John 4:8 and 1 Cor. 13). The proof of our love of God is seen in our obedience to His Word.
Spritual discipline includes those actions that we take as believers to mature in our faith. A book titled Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster was referenced in today's lesson. In his book, Foster describes three different kinds of discipline. The first is "Inward Discipline" which focuses on personal examination and change. These disciplines include meditation, prayer, fasting,and studying. The second is "External Discipline" which focuses on making the world a better place to live. This discipline requires service and evangelism. "Corporate Discipline" is the third component of today's lesson outline. Corporate discipline is designed to bring us closer to each other and most importantly, closer to God.
Our lesson facilitator today shared several of her personal strategies for prayer. She mentioned that she finds time for prayer before the day gets busy, she prays aloud, and prays on her knees. She also mentioned that she prays the scripture. These are some great strategies for regular prayer.
The final "D" in today's lesson addresses the issue of deceit. The last 8 letters of this section address this issue of false teaching that appeared to be problematic in the early church just as it is today. The letters were warnings against adding to the Woird of God or taking away from God's teaching. Also, the lesson facilitator makes the point that it is important to know the truth so that we can recognize false teaching when it occurs around us. Here is a list of verses referenced in today's lesson: John 14:6, Ephesians 6:2, Romans 12:2, Titus 2:3-5, Hebrews 12:5-11, Ephesians 6: 11-17, and Col. 3:12. Let's all keep the doctrine of the Bible in our hearts and minds and practice the disciplines of the Bible in order to accomplish this task and let's be prepared for the false teaching of Satan and the world. have a great week....and, GIG'EM, Aggies!

Jesus Our Savior--Week 4 Invincible Love, Invisible War

2011-08-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Not one of us will get out of here alive." This quote came from today's lesson which began in a cemetery. Yes, it is true. We will all die someday. The wages of sin is death and we will all pay that price unless we live until Jesus returns. The discussion today focuses on the first five books of the New Testament. The Gospel writers and the book of Acts tells about the fulfillment of prophecy. There was a span of four hundred years between the old testament prophets and the birth of a savior in the New Testament books of history.
We have likely all heard the argument from naysayers and non-believers that the Bible contradicts itself, especially when one compares the eyewitness accouns of the Gospel writers as they described the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. However, today's facilitators did an excellent job of explaining the differences in the details of the events described by different writers of the Bible. He used the analogy of an accident occurring in an intersection with witnesses on each corner of the intersection. As a result of the unique vantage point of each witness, and as a result of each witnesses' individual interests and knowledge and experiences, and, since each author was speaking to a different audience, it is understandable that small discrepancies in the descriptions would occur. Yet the facts of the case and the important realities of the events are not disputed and never have been!
Another important concept outlined in today's discussion: "God lives in the pauses." Psalm 46:10 encourages us to "Be still and know that I am God." Our speaker today emphsizes the importance of waiting to take action, of allowing time between a stimulus event and our response. Such waiting will help us to respond in a more Godly manner.
We also saw in today's lesson the importance of being able to quote the scripture of God. Using Jesus as an example, the speaker told of the temptations that the devil laid before Jesus and how Jesus overcame those temptations by quoting scripture. However, we learned also that we must be cautious of Satan quoting scripture and using half-truths to deceive us. Satan also takes the scripture out of context. It was said in today's lesson, "Scripture taken out of context is simply pretense."
Finally, we enjoyed a short discussion on the evidence of the resurrection. First, the earliest followers of Jesus who would have been eyewitnesses to this event have steadfastly described the event and have reported their personal interactions with the risen savior. Many of these early followers actually died as a result of their refusal to refute the resurrection. Had the resurrection not been true, they would likely have been much more resistant to the idea of dying for this cause.
The introduction and discussion of the Holy Spirit concluded today's lesson. As we follow Jesus and seek to be more like Him, we will become more like Him as the Holy Spirit guides our minds and bodies.
Have a great and blessed week.

God is Our Judge: Week 3

2011-08-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Who would you like to serve as the judge if you were accused of some wrongdoing? What traits would you like to see in your judge? Would you want him/her to be fair and honest? You probably would prefer that the judge have integrity and would not be susceptible to bribes and outside influences that may cause him/her to judge you unfairly. Would you hope that he/she had knowledge of the law and experience in the interpretation of legal issues? In today's lesson, we consider the 17 books of Prophecy in which God declares that He is our judge.
In this section of God's Word, we see that God sends His prophets with a message for His people. The people have fallen away from God and have slid into lives of sin, violence, and bloodshed. God repeatedly sends His prophet to warn a hard-hearted people of His judgement and punishment if they continue to disobey and dishonor Him. Part of the prophetical message includes an invitation to repent and to turn away from the sin that is destroying the country. God's message continues to offer forgiveness and restoration of their relationship with Him if they will repent from their sins and turn away from their sinful lifestyles and behavior.
The books of prophecy illustrate God's faithfulness. God ALWAYS does exactly what He says he is going to do. We see examples of fulfilled prophecy in these books of the Bible and we also see examples of prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. Either way, we can rest assured, God will fulfill prophecy just as He says He will.
The books of prophecy are a great way to introduce people to the future. God depends on His children to know the prophecy and how it impacts us today. Remember, God is a Judge. There will be justice. God's righteousness will prevail.

BACK TO SCHOOL SWIMMING PARTY: After church on Sunday, August 21, I hope you will bring lunch for your family and join us for lunch at the Emerald Forest Swimming Pool. We can eat lunch in the air conditioned comfort of the pool clubhouse. After we eat lunch, the pool will be available for kids and parents from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Bring your sunscreen, floaties, water cannons, etc. and come join the fun for one last time before beginning the school schedule this week.

WISDOM--Lesson 2 "Invincible Love, Invisible War"

2011-08-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

This week, our Sunday School study takes us to consider the concept of "wisdom". As we consider wisdom, we think about intelligence and discernment and knowledge. The lesson starts out in a library. As we all know, the library is filled with "How-To" books on nearly every topic conceivable. The problem with this kind of wisdom is that it is man's wisdom. For example, in the 18th and early 19th centuries, medical books suggested making cuts on an ill person in order to "bleed" the illness from one's body. Leeches were recommended as a means of sucking blood from a sick person in order to bring healing. In 19th century London, England, when cholera was devastating the population, killing thousands of people, the city government correctly determined that the source of the deadly illness was the accumulation of human waste and animal waste in a crowded, dirty environment in which there were no sanitary treatment procedures. In order to solve the dilemma, the city dumpted tons of waste into the Thames River, thereby polluting the entire water system and exponentially increasing the deaths due to Cholera. Clearly, man's wisdom is not always true and it often changes over time and circumstances. But, is there a book of wisdom that stands the test of time? Is there a book of wisdom that can be counted on to be accurate and true?
Pastor Tom Jones defines wisdom in this week's lesson as "good sense, the exercise of good judgement." Godly wisdom is described as "a knowledge, understanding, and sense of God's own heart." Check out the following scripture to learn more about what God's Word says about wisdom: Proverbs 1:5, Psalm 111:10, and Acts 13:22. The Hebrew word for wisdom means skills for living. The act of applying God's Word to our own life gives us a sense of God's own will and way in our lives.
Interestingly enough, the presenters of this week's lesson suggest that these are learned skills. They are not something that you and I are born with or that we inherit. Job 28, Psalm 111, and Proverbs 9 all provide examples of how we can learn wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied to our own lives. Understanding of God's will and direction in our lives is tied to our obedience. The more obedient we become, the more we understand. Wow. Having trouble understanding God? Try being more obedient. You may find that your understanding increases dramatically.
The lesson identifies three realities of suffering:
1. No one is exempt from suffering.
2. We don't often have control over the causes and consequences of our suffering.
3. We can CHOOSE how we will face suffering and how we will persevere.
Make the decision AHEAD of TIME. I loved the quote, "God is NEVER late, but seldom early." It has been said that you are either in a battle, coming out of a battle, or going into a battle. Either way, you need to be prepared with God's wisdom and with decisions made ahead of time about how you will respond and persevere.

Best advice from today's lesson: Go to God's Word whatever the season of your life. Whatever difficulty you may be facing, God's Word provides wisdom and discernment. Seek His guidance in His Word. Amen. Have a great week.

Invincible Love, Invisible War--Lesson One--Our Sovereign King

2011-08-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Today, we began a new series. The series is a study of the Word of God. It breaks the Bible into six divisions, the first being the History of the Old Testament--the first 17 books of the Bible. In this review, we learn that the Bible over a period of 1500 years, has more than 40 authors, was written on three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe) and in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic). Even with all this diversity, there is one constant theme throughout the Bible. Indeed, our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible tells us that ALL scripture was inspired by God (2Timothy 3:16). The Bible was the first book to be mechanically printed and is the most widely distributed book ever written!
In today's lesson, we were given a summary of the first 17 books of the Bible. The first chapters of this great book help us to understand that God created everything out of nothing! God was at work before we got here and He had a plan for us before time even began. Hard to fathom isn't it? Today's lesson also included a discussion on sin. We learned that the word "sin" simply means "to miss the mark." We also learned that from the very first sin, God associated the shedding of innocent blood with sin. The three major consequences of sin were reviewed: 1. death, 2. estrangement or separation from God, 3. shame.
We then learn of God's grand plan for our salvation even though we have missed the mark and fallen short of the glory of God. We also saw in today's lesson how the world (the system of man-made rules and institutions) tends to influence us against God. Our own flesh has become our own worst enemy. We desire to do things that are against God's will. The World system has fashioned hooks that snag our flesh.
We see how the early Christians experienced the same obstacles. God's people wanted a king when they did not need a king. Yet the world system led them to request a king. Out of 39 kings that ruled the people of God, only 8 of them were "good" kings and even those 8 had issues with God. A loving God disciplines His children. Therefore, throughout history, we have seen God at work disciplining His Children. And yet, He also loves his children. We saw in today's lesson the tremendous patience that God has demonstrated in his love for His children and we were shown that God's plan, His Sovereign Plan is unfolding even in our lives. Thank God for His Sovereign Power.

Here are some thoughts from the workbook that may help you to understand the enemy with which we are in spiritual warfare.

Satan is a creation of God. (Genesis 3:1)
Satan can tempt us or fill our hearts with evil desires. (IChron 21:1), (Luke 4:1-2), (Acts 5:3)
Satan has a kingdom in conflict with God's kingdom. (Luke 11: 18, 20)
Satan is a ruler men can choose to follow: (I TIM 5: 15), (2 Tim 2:26), (Eph. 4:27)
Satan can cause illness or tribulation. (Luke 13: 11, 16)
Satan is a liar and murderer. (John 8:44)
Satan's end has already been decreed by God. (Matthew 25:41)

END OF SUMMER SWIMMING PARTY
We are planning to have one last summer swimming party on August 21 after church. We are going to check Monday to see if we can rent the pool again for our class on Sunday, August 21. If it is available, we will set up the meeting room at Emerald Forest Pool for a potluck lunch after church and then swimming from 1:00-4:00 p.m. We will let you know as soon as we find out if the pool is available. JC

Prayer Link AND Workbook Order Information

2011-07-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

We will begin a new series next week called, "Invincible Love, Invisible War". If you would like to learn more about this series, go to https://amazingcollectionstore.com/user/login

At the top of the page, you will see a label for "Store". Choose Store and then scroll down the left side until you see the title, "Invincible Love, Invisible War." This will bring you to a picture of the workbook. Click on the title and it will take you to an overview of the study and, if you have created an account on the original page, an opportunity to purchase a workbook if you choose. The workbook costs $14.99 plus tax and shipping. You are not required to create an account just to review the material. If you wish to purchase, you will need to create an account or you could order by calling 1-888-366-3460.

You certainly don't need a workbook to complete the study. However, for some folks, the workbook helps them complete the study.
This morning, during our discussion, Bo Miles shared a list of 31 virtures to pray for our children. Access the list at the website below. If the link doesn't work, just type in www.praymag.com

It Does Matter How You Play the Game--Empathy

2011-07-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson was the conclusion of the Parenting by Design series. In today's lesson, our presenter calls empathy the glue that holds the parenting process together. Without empathy, the principles of Parenting by Design lose their effectiveness. God's unconditional empathy for His children is summed up best in Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Despite our rebellion, Jesus laid down His life to secure our relationship with God. He is the perfect example for our relationship with our own children. The perfect parent says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

We have learned to give our kids choices and to administer consequences when they violate a boundary. It is equally important that our entire interaction with our kids reflect the same empathy that God demonstrated in His Word. When you are able to display that kind of unconditional love by offering choices and delivering consequences with empathy, your child will know that no bad choice can separate him from your love. It makes a consequence seem bearable. With empathy, you can stay connected with your child while he is enduring a consequence and open the door to exploring motives behind his choices. The trust that empathy builds gives you that opportunity.

What does it look like when we display a lack of empathy toward our children? Lack of empathy is often expressed in sarcasm, judgment, condemnation, condescension, belittling, or resentment. It can show up in denying or dismissing a child's emotional response to a tough situation. Even when we are trying our best to help, we can communicate a lack of empathy by rushing to solve the problem.

Delivering consequences with empathy rather than anger or disrespect communicates two things--unconditional love and confidence that the child is capable of solving the problem for himself. Empathy conquers a fear of consequences.

Empathy is not the same thing as praise. Praise focuses on a result. Empathy focuses on a process. Separate the process from the result. That way, children do not learn that they must perform at a certain level for their parents to approve of them.

Finally, as parents, we need to be prepared to admit our failures and to ask our children to forgive us when we make bad choices related to parenting. God is our perfect model. The closer we are able to emulate him in our efforts to raise our own children, the more likely we will be to be able to discipline, correct, land reinforce our children's behavior with empathy.

During our discussion this morning, Bo Miles shared a list of virtues to pray for our children. The entire list can be accessed at the following website:

In addition, we discussed hosting the putt putt station at the fall festival again this year. After class, a few of us discussed the possibility of one last swimming party at the end of summer. We will study this possibility and look for availability and dates. If anyone has any other ideas for a class get-together, let us know.

NEXT WEEK: We begin "Invincible Love, Invisible War". See you then. Have a great week.

Jimmy and Cindy

Worksheet for Identifying Consequences

2011-07-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

If you were looking for the headings to the columns on the worksheet designed to help you identify consequences in the blog, I apologize. The format on this blog will not allow me to print columns in any shape or form. The column titles came out garbled in the blog today. So, here is another effort. I am going to try to attach a copy of this worksheet and hope it works. Here goes.

July 24, 2011--Lesson Seven "Consequences"

2011-07-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

In today's lesson, we examined the importance of givng consequences consistently and considered the kinds of consequences that are most effective. Chris opened the lesson by mentioning that many of you have small children and that many have small, compliant children. For these parents, it may be difficult for them to envision their children stepping over the discipline boundary in a significant way. He emphasized that all children will eventually step over the boundary just as we step over the boundary with our Heavenly Father. When this occurs, consequences should and will follow.

The first important point to consider in delivering consequences for behavior is to be sure that consequences are consistently delivered. Failure to act consistently in the delivery of consequences is very confusing to a child. If consequences are assigned sometimes and not assigned at other times, the discipline lessons are significantly diminished. According to the Groffs, consistently implementing consequences for bad behavior with empathy communicates love for the child.

Indeed, when God's servant Moses struck the rock causing water to flow in the desert, and accepted the glory for the provision of water, God felt compelled to issue a consequence for this behavior, resulting in Moses not being able to enter the promised land. Even though Moses was a great man of God and even though he had served God well, God assigned consequences to his behavior. It is quite obvious that sin must be addressed.

Chris stated that many of us tend to default to one particular consequence. In many families with older kids, that default consequence is often grounding the child. However, the Groffs teach that varying the consequences to match the situation is more effective in teaching specific lessons. Sometimes, consequences occur naturally. If your child forgets his lunch, hunger is a natural consequence of such action. There will be times when you will need to construct a consequence. In such cases, the Groffs recommend using one's imagination to identify a consequence that might teach a better lesson than the old "default" consequence.

Chris also encourages us to evaluate our consequences. If the consequence is too hard, the lesson to the child is diminished. If it is too lenient, there is no learning experience at all.

Be prepared! Kids will complain about consequences and our teacher suggests that some complaining is acceptable and even expected. Most of us grumble when we receive a ticket, even if the ticket was well-deserved. Kids are no different. However, we should be careful to distinguish between harmless complaining and disrespectt. If the comments are about the punishment and the target of the comments is the situation or the consequence, that is acceptable. However, if the target of the comment is you or your spouse, that may be stepping over the boundary and may be considered disrespectful. If disrespect occurs, consequences should be implemented, again with appropriate empathy.

According to Chris Groff, poor choices should be addressed immediately and inappropriate behavior should be pointed out. However, it is appropriate to delay the consequence, giving the child time to think about his behavior to to consider other responses that he might have chosen. The lesson today makes reference to a worksheet to help you identify possible consequences for specific behavior. Here are the four columns of the workbook:

Things your child Things your child Things you do Things that can be
does not like to do likes to do as favors exchanged for your time,
effort, and money.

Finally, our teacher describes "exploration" as the follow-up to consequences. This step should be taken only after the emotions are passed--not in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high.

NEXT WEEK: Lesson 8--Empathy

Thanks to all of you who brought breakfast food this morning and thanks for the diaper supply for the Halberts. As we mentioned, we will begin a new series in two weeks called, "Invincible Love, Invisible War". If you would like to learn more about this series, go to https://amazingcollectionstore.com/user/login

At the top of the page, you will see a label for "Store". Choose Store and then scroll down the left side until you see the title, "Invincible Love, Invisible War." This will bring you to a picture of the workbook. Click on the title and it will take you to an overview of the study and, if you have created an account on the original page, an opportunity to purchase a workbook if you choose. The workbook costs $14.99 plus tax and shipping. You are not required to create an account just to review the material. If you wish to purchase, you will need to create an account or you could order by calling 1-888-366-3460.

You certainly don't need a workbook to complete the study. However, for some folks, the workbook helps them complete the study.

July 17--Lesson #6 "Choices Within Limits"

2011-07-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT
Please mark your calendar for next Sunday, July 24, 2011. We will be hosting a diaper shower/breakfast for the Halberts, who are expecting their fourth child soon. Please bring diapers and wipes and a breakfast dish or pastry to share. The church will provide coffee, water, and perhaps, juice?

PRAYER REQUESTS: Pray for Wesley Holmes and all our junior high students who will be on a mission trip this week in Arkansas. Pray that God will open their eyes and give them a heart for those in need--spiritually and physically. (But, isn't that a great prayer for us all? I know it is for me.) Pray for Leslie's mom, Sylvia Day who is recovering from by-pass surgery. Pray for a Boy Scout who underwent emergency appendectomy surgery this week. Pray also for our visitors this week: Shawn and Kim Reynolds. Shawn and Kim have three children: Emalee(7), Danielle(4), and Elizabeth (7 months). PRAISE REPORTS: Jessica's mom has experienced healing and Valerie received a positive medical report. Thank God for hearing our prayers and for His divine intervention.

In today's lesson from Parenting by Design, the Groffs discuss the concept of offering kids choices within limits. Chris talked about the fact that God gave his people a free choice and the fact that we often learn best by experiencing the consequences of choices, good and bad. In the case of our kids, Chris suggests that we build choices between two parameters: safety and our own values. Often, kids are more amenable to control battles and boundary setting when they have choices that are clearly under their own control.

Mr. Groff also discusses the contrast between commands and choices. We can avoid control battles often by providing our kids with more choices. As long as they choices remain within the parameters of what is safe and our own value system, they are perfectly legitimate strategies to avoid the total rebellion that often is a result of a control battle.

We had some great examples shared in class of successful efforts to provide choices for our own kids. Natalie Halbert shared a situation in which one of her children was refusing to wear clothes that Mom and Dad felt were appropriate for certain occasions and activities. They began to pick out two or three outfits and gave the child the opportunity to choose an outfit from the selected ensembles the night before. That way, there was no crisis the next morning when it came time to get dressed. Stephanie and Brian shared an example in which a child wanted to attend a party and stay out until 11:00 p.m. After ensuring that the parents hosting the party were responsible and that appropriate supervision would be present, they still had issues with the lateness of the hour. The child was given the choice of going to the party and leaving at 10:30 p.m. or not going. In this way, the child was not denied the opportunity to socialize and spend time with friends. However, appropriate limits that reflected the values of the family were implemented.

We also had a discussion about the difference between commands and choices and reiterated the fact that there are always consequences for choices, both good and bad. What an important concept for our kids to learn!

Think about these concepts and principles and their application in your own family. Perhaps, God is showing you another way to guide your kids without being overbearing and creating an attitude of hostility?

Next week, in Lesson 7, we will discuss "Consequences." I look forward to seeing you there.

The Developmental Stages--Lesson # 5

2011-07-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson dealt with the developmental stages which children progress as they grow and mature. According to the Groffs, an understanding of the developmental stages helps us to have realistic expectations for our children and their behavior and helps us to understand the struggles they are facing. It also sheds light on some of the quirky things your child is likely to do and enables you to offer the kind of scaffolding he or she may need to move from one stage of development to another. In addition, knowing what your child is experiencing helps you to be empathetic. When you understand the unique challenges of each stage of the developmental process, you will be less inclined to misinterpret their actions. Understanding encourages empathy.
The Developmental Stages as outlined in today's lesson are:
I. Infant/Toddler--Ages 0-2, II. Preschool--Ages 2-6, III. Elementary--Ages 6-12, and IV. Teenage--Ages 13-18+. Within each stage, the Groffs discussed three types of development: Relational, Intellectual, and Moral.

During the first stage (Infant/Toddler), children tend to be bonding with those around them. A lack of bonding at this age can create serious problems that can be long-lasting. Fortunately, God has designed parents, and particularly mothers, in such a way that this bonding process is as pleasurable for parents as it is for the child. Because bonding is the sole focus at this stage, the bonding that occurs is pervasive. The intellectual world of a newborn is limited to what the child can physically sense. As their senses develop, their world expands, but only to the extent that they can physically perceive and interact with it. For example, when they see something it exists, but when it is hidden from view, it ceases to exist. Because these kids don't have language yet, their primary method of causing change in the environment is crying. They quickly learn that crying brings a parent and cases change. In reference to moral development, the thinking is again very simple at this age. Children of this age tend to think that whatever brings pleasure is good and whatever brings pain is bad. They are unable to comprehend things outside their physical world

During the pre-schooler stage, children begin to test boundaries as they meet people outside the family and learn to interact with them. Children at this age like to use the word "No." They are learning to separate from you ever so slightly. In the elementary stage, they are engaged heavily in information gathering and they develop a sense of fairness based on a strict set of rules. Moral decisions are based on this sense of fairness.

As they progress through the teenage years, they are likely to explore bonding again...this time outside the family. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see "puppy love" and short, but intense "romances." The pre-frontal cortex of the brain is not yet fully developed, causing teenagers to make decisions that often seen irrational. The pre-frontal cortex controls impulse decisions, delayed gratification, reasoning and risk assessment. Consequently, we often see teens taking inappropriate risks, acting on impulse, or acting in an unreasonable manner. Teens also are likely to seek acceptance and affirmation from groups with whom they are affiliated. Group interaction exposes kids to value systems other than their family's and the pressure to conform causes them to take the group's ideas very seriously. They will not take kindly to a denouncement of their group's ideology during this substage. Hopefully, toward the end of this stage, we begin to see young people developing principles as guidelines for moral decisions. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded in Mark 12:28-31, "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandement than these." Christ gives two principles that should govern everything we do. Remember, at this age, you are still the most influential person in your kid's life. However, your input will be discounted if it is not provided empathetically.

Next Week: Choices Within Limits

Have a great week: Jimmy and Cindy

June 26--Boulders and Backpacks--Lesson # 4

2011-06-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

PRAYER REQUESTS: PRE-TEENS AT CAMP THIS WEEK, JESSICA'S NEIGHBOR'S SON (NATHAN)--HEART ATTACK, PASSING OF DAD IN FAMILY WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, JIMMY'S DAD.

Today's lesson is titled, "Becoming a New Parent". The Groffs discuss the challenges of changing one's parent style to one that neither dictates nor rescues children, but rather allows children to make choices and requires them to live with the consequences of those choices. As parents, it is often hard for us to allow our children to make poor choices resulting in painful consequences.

Chris Groff describes the manipulation skills of our children when he talks about the ability to young children to "push the right buttons" to set off their parents. Our kids know our trigger points and they often delight in manipulating us to the point that we explode or engage in an out-of-control response to some behavior or attitude demonstrated by our kids. Chris and Michelle advise us as parents to stay balanced. Chris states, "Remember, the most loving thing you can provide for them [your children] is an empathetic environment where they are encouraged to struggle with a problem in order to learn long-term life lessons. Take the longest possible view of the issue and let them learn from it." Life is a process. Allowing your children to manage the process is the best gift you can give to your children.

Today's lesson is based on the teaching of two scripture verses:
Galatians 6:2--encourages us to carry each other's burdens. The word used to describe "burden" is a word that means those loads, those burdens that are crushing in weight in which one person cannot possible be successful in carrying. Galatians 6:5 encourages everyone to carry their own load. The word used to describe load refers to a load that can be managed by one person. Chris and Michelle discriminate between the two concepts by describing one as a boulder--way too large for one individual to shoulder and carry, while the other is a backkpack, specifically designed to be carried by one person and efficiently moved from place to place by one individual.

Our job as parents is to discern between the backpacks and the boulders in your child's life. Even in the case of a boulder, we should not attempt to completely take over the responsibility of dealing with the issue. We should, according to the Groffs, be an empathetic supporter, building a scaffold system to help our children deal with such issues. In the case of backpack issues, we should have the patience and courage to allow our children to struggle....and even fail in order to learn how to deal efficiently and effectively with such issues.

Let's take a look at a few examples of "backpack" issues. Chris offers three examples of backpack issues that could be left to the child. These examples include getting ready in the morning. This might include dressing oneself, eating breakfast, getting to the carpool or bus stop on time, or having supplies and books in the backpack or book satchel. Chores around the house are also examples of backpack issues. Finally, homework can be an example of a backpack issue. Of course, this one can become a boulder as well because of the long-term impact it can have on a student's academic future.

Some boulder examples include dealing with injuries and/or illnesses and the ending of relationships. Sometimes, kids need empathetic encouragers and scaffolds in order to deal with these issues.

Here are the guidelines offered by the Groffs for discerning backpack issues from boulder issues:

1. Don't do something for your child they can and should do for themselves.
2. If helping makes you feel resentful, the issue is probably a "backpack."
3. Be respectful of your child's responsibility.

A TEMPLATE FOR DEALING WITH BACKPACKS AND BOULDERS P. 46 OF PARENTING BY DESIGN WORKBOOK:

BACKPACK ISSUES BOULDER ISSUES

1. Give empathy, "How sad," or "I bet that 1. Give empathy, "How sad," or
hurts." "That sounds awful."

2. Clarify whose problem it is, "What do 2. Clarify whose problem it is,
you think you're going to do?" "What do you think..."

3. Offer choices, "Would you like to 3. Offer help, "What could I do
hear what other people your age have tried?" to help you?"
A. Offer your worst choices first. A. Ask for 3 options.
B. Go to step 4 after every choice. B. Choose one option and tweak
C. Never be afraid to run out of choices. it until you feel good about giving
it.

4. Ask how their choice will work, "How do 4. Ask how it would make them feel
you think that will work for you?" if you gave them that help, "How
would you feel if I did ______?"

5. Give the power statement, "That sounds 5. Give the promise statement,
great. Let me know how it turns out." "Then I'll do it."

6. After you have done what you
promised, re-evaluate whether the
problem is still a boulder or if it
has become a backpack.

Think of examples of boulders and backpacks in your home.

Have a great week.
Jimmy and Cindy

June 19--Lesson 3: Parental Authority

2011-06-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Today's lesson dealt with Parental Authority or central authority in the family. In some very important ways, earthly families are models of the spiritual family. The Groffs suggest that parents are a child's first curriculum on God. In his/her early development, a child does not understand the concept of a transcendant God. However, they learn about love, provision, authority, submission, and dependence by observing and experiencing the parent/child relationship.

According to the Groffs, when a small child understands, accepts, and enjoys their parents as the central authority in their lives, they are prepared to accept and enjoy God as their ultimate central authority. They learn about the nature of a relationship with God from their relationship with their parents. Hopefully, as they grow, they will become less and less dependent on their natural parents and more and more dependent on the Perfect Parent instead.

The Groffs refer to parenting as a "team sport." In other words, both parents have to be on the same page when it comes to interaction, discipline, consequences, and the exercise of authority in the family. As Chris says, "Kids are adept at discovering cracks in the parental coalition, and you should be aware of their ability to spot a weakness." He suggests that parents have "team meetings" in which they discuss issues, differences of opinion or philosophy, and the best action or communication in reference to their kids or some behavior of their kids. In talking with your spouse about the kids, he suggests that we should be empathetic and attentive listeners as our partner expresses their position. Each person in the body of Christ has different spiritual gifts. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that the husband and wife will also have different parenting skills. Chris Groff advises us to listen to one another and to discuss our views calmly in order to establish a joint response that we both can support.

God has uniquely created you to be the central authority of your family. However, this role requres a delicate balance. Being the central authority requires the judicious exercise of power that helps each member of the family grow into the person God intended them to be. Groff also makes the point that the parental exercise of power will likely be different for each child. As a parent, it is our job to determine the appropriate and unique limits for each child.

Unfortunately, in some families, the role of central authority has been unwittingly ceded to a child or to the children. This happens when we allow the child's activities to become the center of the family's life. In today's society, this reality is fairly common. We all want our kids to have meaningful experiences that will help them develop and be prepared for the challenges of life. Consequently, we sometimes, quite unaware of our actions, allow the tremendous deluge of activities and events to drive our schedules and to consume our time and energy. When this happens, it is easy for the central authority to be shifted away from you as the parents of the family.

Here are some examples of the perfect central authority shared by the Groffs:

God (as the central authority in our lives)
--Is a strong, calm authority
--Sets reasonable boundaries
--Permits any choice within those boundaries
--Lets the consequences of choices teach
--Relies on influence rather than control
--Meets us with unconditional love, regardless of our choices.

How about "Respect for Authority?" How important is it for your children to learn respect for authority? Very few of us have positions in life where we do not report to someone and do not, at some point, have to demonstrate submission to someone else in authority. Groff says that the family setting is a safe place to start practicing respect for authority.

Keep in mind also that a really good central authority will choose to EARN the respect of their children. They use power in a respectful and empathetic way.

As mentioned previously, in today's fast-paced society, it is not uncommon for a child's calendar to become the central authority in a family. In such situations, children often learn entitlement. If we take on their responsibilities and problems, they grow to expect it and become angry when a parent is not available to cater to their needs. This certainl is a sensitive issue since most parents want their children to be exposed to a lot of activities. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important that age and development appropriate boundaries be set and observed. Groff emphasizes that such boundaries should not be based on our own personal preferences, but on creating an environment within which you will allow your childrent to make good choices or mistakes and experience the consequences of them both.

The Groffs suggest one good indicator that we may be stepping over a boundary. They suggest that when a fun family activity becomes anxiety, this may be a clear indicator that we have crossed the boundary and that appropriate consequences should be allowed to progress.

Homework for this week:
Try to make dinnertime enjoyable. According to Groff (p.40), research shows that families who eat dinner together at least five times per week are substantially less likely to have kids who smoke, drink, lie, use drugs, have premaritial sex, or contemplate suicide. Make dinner a time for fun and sharing.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADS. HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD.
JIMMY

June 12, 2011--"The Three E's of Parenting--Experience, Example, & Exploration

2011-06-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

As we continued our 8-week video series from "Parenting by Design" by Chris and Michelle Groff and Lee Long and Mark Foster, we looked at Week 2 of the study this week. Week 2 identifies the "three E's of parenting: age-appropriate (and maturity-appropriate) experiences, our parental example, and lovingly leading our children on an exploration of the motivations driving their behavior.

I saw evidence in today's lesson that the authors of this program have not only consulted the ultimate guide to parental design, God's Holy Word, but they have also referenced some of the foundational paradigms of education as well. For example, in today's discussion, Chris Groff talked about early brain research in which the brain was dissected, making it difficult, if not impossible for research to be conducted on a living subject. However, in the past two decades, improved imaging capability has made it possible for researchers to study the brain while it is in action in a living subject. This commentary on the advances in brain research likely came from the early chapters of a book by Eric Jensen, Teaching With the Brain in Mind. During his discussion on leading explorative activities with our children, he mentioned the importance of listening to your child and repeating without emotion the child's comments. This practice is a mainstay of a discipline management strategy known as "Reality Therapy" espoused by Dr. William Glasser.

A worthy goal for our parenting is to have our kids move from dependence on us as parents to reliance on God. Our job as parents is to help kids move in that direction. Since it is "camp" time in many of our households, we took an informal survey this morning to determine the differences in parental control over our children's preparation for camp. Some parents reported that their kids were ready to pack their own bags and they allowed them to do so. Others were not comfortable with allowing their kids to pack their own bags. This is just one example of our willingness to allow our kids opportunities to experience independence. Remember, the experiences should be age-appropriate as well as maturity-appropriate. Otherwise, the learning opportunity will be wasted. For some kids, allowing them to pack their own bags for a week at camp would be a disaster. For others, it is a learrning opportunity. As parents, we are charged with the responsibility to determining the right time and the right experiences for our children. Decision-making and problem-solving are skills that are learned through practice. Like any skill, our kids need opportunities to master them.

NEWS FLASH: As I am writing this blog on Sunday afternoon, I have received a phone call from my youngest daughter informing me that she is stranded on Highway 21 on this side of Caldwell with a flat tire as she heads home. One side of me suggests that she is only 30 minutes away and that I should go handle this situation for her. However, the other side says to let her deal with this situation....it will be a great learning experience. She has AAA coverage and it is just a matter of making the call, showing her card (assuming she can find her card), and giving the technician time to find her location and mount the spare tire (also assuming that the spare is not flat). One side of me says, "Run to her aid." The other side says, "Let her handle this situation. Afterall, she is 25 years old." I share this with you as an example that these feelings of the need to control do not necessarily disappear even after your children "grow up." Of course, it IS HOT out there today...maybe I will let her take care of this--what a great learning experience.

Chris Groff asked us to view our children as "little scientists" running around conducting experiements as they grow. Certainly, there will be some mistakes. Some of these mistakes may even be painful. Yet, we must uderstand and accept that mistakes are part of the learning process. These mistakes can also be the basis for new growth and maturity. I appreciated the example shared by Kathleen and Bill Gutierrez this morning as they shared a story about their son and his involvement in scouting. It seems that Bill knew that his son would need certain materials (notebook, pen, etc.) in the meetings and that he also knew the start time of the meetings. However, he allowed his son to attend the meetings without the appropriate materials and even allowed him to go to meetings thirty minutes late in order to learn the consequences of failing to meet these expectations and to grow in his capacity to take care of himself and to act responsibly. Kathleen found out about the "experiment" and was not pleased that they were allowing their son to fail in these areas. However, as a result of his experience, their son has become responsible, bringing his own materials to meetings and scheduling the meetings in a timely manner. A hard lesson to learn? Possibly, but it was learned under the watchful parameters of a Mom and Dad who desperately wanted their son to learn responsible behavior. Years from now, they will be glad they allowed this to happen in order to teach a valuable lesson to their son.

James 1: 2-4 says: "Consider it all joy, my brethern, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

The four essential ingredients of experience that encourage growth and maturity in children:
1. Kids should have age-appropriate problems to solve.
2. They should be allowed to try to solve these problems on their own.
3. They should be allowed to learn from the consequences of their problem-solving efforts, successful or not.
4. They should be given just the amount of support they need to solve the problem for themselves. In other words, it is healthy to struggle a little. If we take the problem from them, they learn very little.

The Bible tells us that trials develop perseverance, wisdom and dependence on God. When we recognize the eternal value of struggles, it helps us to walk alongside our kids with empathy and let them experience the consequences of their choices. Children who have opportunities to solve problems are more likely to develop responsibility, respect, resourcefulness and an understanding of the spiritual power available to them.

Chris and Michelle also discuss the values of chores around the house. According to the Groffs, chores teach teamwork, time management, resource management, and all kinds of other skills kids will need when they leave home. Kids also get a sense of accomplishment and value as they learn and use new skills. Is it possible that we are shirking our responsibility as parents when we don't give our kids these opportunities to contribute?

Here are some Proverbs cited in the workbook that relate to chores:

Proverbs 13:4 "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."
Proverbs 18:9 "One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys."
Proverbs 21:25 "The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing."

The second E in our lesson stands for example. The way you live your life is influencing your kids. They are watching everything you do. As a result, you must model the qualities you want to see in your children. I like this quote from C.H. Spurgeon that was included in the workbook: "If we walk before the Lord with integrity, we shall do more to bless our descendants than if we bequeathed them large estates." Teaching the Word is important, but living the Word is more important.

James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Groff states, "You are your kids' first curriculum on the characteristics of a 'father'. Consequently, your example will influence how they perceive their heavenly father." WOW. What a responsibility! Here are some ways to be a positive model for your kids:
1. Model humility
2. Facing and solving problems
3. Giving and receiving empathy
4. Learning from consequences

The third E stands for exploration. In the Bible, God often asks questions to encourage His people to explore their hearts. Jesus wanted people to respond to God in ways that go beyond mere obedience. Isn't this what we want for our children?

Some Biblical examples of exploration are:
After Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit, God asks Adam, "Where are you?" (Gen. 3:9) and "Who told you that you were naked?" Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gen. 3:11). Clearly, God knew the answers to these questions. He was not asking for His sake, but rather to cause Adam and Eve to explore themselves and their motivations.

In 1 Kings 1:5-6, "Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." So he prepared himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" David is criticized for not asking his fourth son, Adonijah, thought provoking questions about his behavior.

This week, give your kids more age-appropriate choices/experiences and allow them to experience the consequences of their choices. If the chance arises, try exploration with empathy.

NEXT WEEK: Parental Authority

Welcome to Jason and Sumar Ballard who visited with us today. The Ballards have three children, Amy (12), Tristan (9), and Halle (7).

Lesson One--Parenting by Design June 5, 2011

2011-06-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

This week, we began a new Sunday School study--an 8 week DVD Study known as Parenting by Design. In 2003, Chris and Michelle Groff were forced to check their son into a treatment program in Colorado. In the fall of that year, they attended a family weekend event presented by the program's therapists under the direction of Lee Long. At this family weekend, the therapists offered a parenting class which became the basis for the current Parenting by Design program.

Lesson One deals with parenting styles and methods and asks the question, "Why do we parent the way we do?" According to the Groffs, the most influential source of parenting style usually is the example of YOUR parents. It is understandable that we would absorb most of our parenting skills from the parents to whom we were exposed for the first 18 years or so of our lives. Of course, this does not always mean that one will adopt the style of his/her parents. Sometimes, we adopt an opposing methodology to compensate for what we perceive as mistakes made by our own parents.

In Lesson One, we identified a number of other factors that often influence our parenting styles. These factors may include your agreement or disagreement with the following statements: "1. I like to feel in control of my kids and their lives. 2. I want to be appreciated by my kids. 3. I don't want my child to suffer as I did. 4. I love my child, and I do everything I can for him or her."

Lesson One also included a discussion about our goals as parents. The "Success Trap" was identified as a potential downfall for parents and children. Chris stated, "When we ask parents to describe what a successful parenting experience might look like, they often respond that their children would exhibit traits like faith, love of God, love of others, happiness, respect, etc. But when we drill down to specifics, we begin to see the world's influence. It is convicting to take a little time and reflect on our definition of "success" and to see how the world's view can surreptitiously influence our thinking."

Four questions that parents were encourged to ask were:
"What is a successful job?, What about status in that job? How about marriage and family? and Is recogniton important?" Fame is awarded for all the wrong reasons. As with power, the world craves fame for the glory it brings to the individual rather than seeking to bring glory to God. Our culture defines success based on money, power, beauty, and fame.

We should be seeking God's definition of success for our children. God places no value on money, fame, power, or beauty. Jesus describes the Godly picture of success in Matthew 20:26-28: "...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Phillipians 2:3-5 reinforces this concept. Dr. Tim Kimmel defines true greatness as: "A passionate love for God that demonstrates itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others."

We need to trust that God knows best. Psalm 139:13 assures us that God has known us for a long time and He not only created our children, He purposefully designed us to be the parents of our children. We must trust God to equip us for the task. (Hebrews 13:20,21)

Groff says, "Don't be surprised when, during the course of this class, you begin to see your relationship with your Heavenly Father differently." James Dobson says, "Ideal parenting is modeled after the relationship between God and man. And, the context of parenting enables us to see God's parental love in a unique way." God's unconditional love is amazing. "It is the model we should strive to emulate in our relationships. God uses the parenting journey as a unique tool to help us grow spiritually. It has a way of exposing areas where we are too invested in worldly validation, where we are indulging our flesh in the way we communicate, and where we are failing to trust God. Few things are harder to trust to Him than our children. Ask God to reveal your blind spots and where they are affecting our parenting decisions. This can be a golden opportunity to chart a new course."

Finally, in Lesson One, we discussed Parenting Styles: Bonding, Boundaries, and Balance. Bonding is the capacity to get close to another person. Boundaries are necessary for a child to be a distinct person.

Groff states, "To the extent we can learn to be balanced between these two needs, we are likely to have healthy relationships." Our lesson described The Trinity as a perfect model of balance between bonding and boundaries. The Groffs have described parents with three different labels which describe their trends toward the extremes of parenting. The first label is "The Rescuer." This parent fears failure and they do everything in their power to help their kids avoid mistakes. They hover, protect, and rescue their children from their predicaments. They sacrifice necessary boundaries for bonding. The children of rescuers often demonstrate entitlement because they learn to expect parents to solve problems for them.

Proverbs 19:19 warns against this type of parenting:
"A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again."

The Dictator also cannot stand to see their child fail. Their concern is less about preventing pain, but more about promoting success. They lecture, order, and direct their kids to a path they are certain will bring appropriate results. Dictators sacrifice the bonding a child craves for boundaries. They focus on results and neglect nurturing. They undermine their child's individuality by demanding that things be done the parent's way. The children of dictators often become rebellious or withdrawn. Because these kids are given little control over their lives, they often try to gain it back in inappropriate ways.

Proverbs 12:18 addresses this kind of parenting:
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

The Consultant parent embraces bonding and boundaries. They communicate their love while embracing the child's individuality and value. These parents send a message that the quality of the child's life depends greatly on the choices he/she makes. The consultant parent is described in the following verses:
Proverbs 17:27, Ephesians 6:4, and Colossians 3:21.

We should all be striving for balance. Verses that support Bonding include:
James 1:19, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 16:23. The importance of Boundaries is described in Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 29:21, and Ephesians 4:15.

As Mr. Groff said in the lesson, "There has only been one perfect parent...and, you're not Him." Even the children of the perfect parent have rebelled. Therefore, we cannot assume that our own children will not be rebellious at times. Yet, God demonstrated unconditional love to His children and we should strive to emulate that unconditional love to our own children. We should seek that Godly balance of bonding and boundaries.

Which parenting style best describes you?

Are there some areas where you need to redefine "success" in parenting? If so, how can you model that for your children?

Practice empathy by spending some time engaged in an activity your child enjoys. Ask them what it is about that activity they love so much.

Next Week: "The Three E's of Parenting: Experience, Example, Exploration"

Have a great week.
Jimmy

May 29--Once and For All

2011-05-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

REMINDER: SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS SWIMMING PARTY AT EMERALD FOREST POOL, NEXT SUNDAY, JUNE 5 AT 12:30 P.M. OR AS SOON AS YOU CAN GET THERE AFTER CHURCH. PLEASE BRING A LUNCH AND DESSERT WITH A LITTLE EXTRA TO SHARE AND COME HAVE A GREAT TIME OF FELLOWSHIP AND EATING AND SWIMMING. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THERE.

This week's lesson is the final lesson in the Andy Stanley series named "Guardrails." In the previous five weeks, we have discussed guardrails in all different areas of life: financial, marriage, sex, friends, and parenting. In today's lesson, Andy speaks to those of us who may disagree with the concept of setting guardrails in our lives. According to Andy, "Refusing to have guardrails doesn't solve anything. It just moves the guardrail closer to disaster." Andy argues that our refusal to set our own guardrail at a distance that is sufficently back from the abyss of disaster doesn't prevent us from being warned by a guardrail that is perhaps set by others. However, such a guardrail is usually dangerously close to disaster. In other words, if a married person chooses to go out and spend time with a friend of the opposite sex other than his/her spouse, it is not necessarily a sin. However, such behavior certainly moves one much closer to sexual sin and increases the likelihood that one would fall into maritial disaster.

Andy points out in today's lesson that no appetite is ever fully satisfied. When one feeds an appetite, it does nothing but grow. Therefore, thinking that I can do something just this one time and get away with it is faulty logic. Our appetite for that one thing just grows after we have allowed it to be saited one time. Andy suggests, "Draw a different line of tension far enough back that it is manageable and a step over the line is not likely to create disaster in one's life."

Wherever you say so, this is where your temptation begins. If you draw the line of temptation far enough away from disaster, you are likely to avoid the consequences of such a disaster.

Andy used the scripture from Daniel 1:5 to illustrate his point in today's lesson. Daniel was in a position where he could easily have compromised his principles and eaten the king's food. Yet, he recognized that compromise in our life does not erase the tension, it only weakens our resolve. Daniel resolved not to eat the king's food. He made up his mind BEFORE he knew the end of his story. Daniel was able to predict the end of his story if he participated in the king's food regiment and the cultural training to which he was being subjected. However, he resolved not to participate. Then, the game changer described in Daniel 1:9 took place, "Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials." The game changer: "Now, God..." When God acts, it changes the whole game. God will use your guardrail to not only protect you, but to guide and direct you as well. Make up your mind before you know the end of the story. "The integrity of the upright guides them..." (Proverbs 11:3).

Thanks to Natalie Halbert for her contribution to our discussion this morning in which Natalie shared the name of a book that her family purchased to help teach their kids how to be prepared for various situations that they might face in life. The name of the book is "STICKY SITUATIONS: 365 DEVOTIONS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES."
I looked up the book on Amazon.com. The author is Betsy Schmitt. It sells on Amazon for $10.19. Please be aware that not all of the reviews for this book were positive. Some reviewers stated that the choices given in the multiple choice response format often included two ridiculous choices and the one obvious right answer. Others said that the wrong choices could provide kids with ideas that would never have had if they had not been exposed to the book. Another person said that the Bible verses that were correlated to the correct response were either irrelevant or were such a stretch to fit the scenario that they became irrelevant. One review said the idea of the book was great, but suggested that the author was put in a position of having to generate 365 relevant examples and situations and had been unable to do so. Given the cost of the book and the pages I was able to review, I would think it would be useful as a weekly or occasional devotion guide making it possible for one to pick and choose the very best items for review with your kids. It does seem like a great way to prepare your kids for situations that may encounter.

NEXT WEEK: WE WILL BEGIN AN EIGHT WEEK SESSION ON PARENTING BY DESIGN.

The Consumption Assumption--May 22, 2011

2011-05-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

As I announced last Sunday, Cindy and I hope to be in San Antonio this Sunday where we look forward to watching our youngest daughter graduate from the University of Texas Health Science Center with a Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy science. Beth Miles has graciously agreed to facilitate the class discussion for this week.

The lesson from Andy Stanley is another good one. It is about money and spending habits. Andy mentions that many, if not most of the serious issues brought to his office for counseling deal with one of two topics: sex or money. According to Andy, sex or money drive many of the conflicts, failures, and regrets that we experience in life. Andy says that the reason God says so much about money in His Word is that our attitude and behavior toward money has everything to do with our devotion to Him. Andy refers to Matthew 6:24. The scripture simply spells out the fact, we cannot serve both God and money. Money, in our society, is seen as the pursuit of wealth or the pursuit of security. In either case, the pursuit of wealth or the pursuit of security reflect a lack of confidence and devotion to the God of the Universe to supply all our needs and to keep us safe.

Andy says that we need guardrails on BOTH sides of the road when it comes to money. One one side of the road is the ditch that contains the danger of consumerism--in which we spend every dime that comes our way. On the other side of the road is the ditch that contains the danger of hoarding--in which we feel compelled to save everything that we possibly can because we cannot trust God to take care of our future needs. According to Andy, both ditches are very self-centered and result in living as if there is no God. Both ditches or both lifestyles are consummed by greed. Greed is difficult to see in the mirror, but many of us suffer from this condition--either to support our uncontrolled spending or our incessant need to save for the future.

Andy mentions that for most Americans, God is like the back-up finance plan. God wants to be the master and ruler of your life. The chief competitor with God being master and ruler is "your stuff."

Andy Stanley suggests a spending plan that looks like this:

1. GIVE--the first 10% of your income should be given to the Lord (this could be more than 10%, but at least 10% should be given)
2. SAVE--the next 10% of your revenue should be saved
3. LIVE--live on 80% of your available revenue

A plan such as the one outlined above provides adequate guardrails to be sure that you are using your money in a Godly manner.

Matthew 6:32 spells out the fact that God knows our needs. Do you really belive that God knows and cares about our needs? Don't let money steal your peace or your joy.

REMINDER: Sunday School swimming party and lunch at Emerald Forest Swimming Pool on June 5 after church. Come on down for a great time with the class and with the kids.

"Me and the Mrs"--May 15, 2011

2011-05-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our lesson with Andy Stanley today included comments from his wife Sandra as they discussed several areas of marriage and family life and the guardrails they have built in their own relationship and family. Andy mentioned that the guardrail principle is found in Proverbs 27:12: "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Andy argues that the prudent Christian, the wise man will be able to discern threats and danger to his life and lifestyle and will take refuge or will build guardrails to prevent him from reaching the abyss or the point of disaster. Andy says that we need guardrails in every area where we have an appetite or desires. This would include the financial arena--our spending, saving, and giving habits, sexual integrity--our visual, physical, and emotional desires, family time and commitment to family, and any other area where we may experience temptation.

I felt like many of you would relate to this week's lesson because it makes reference to the season of life in which many of you find yourselves. You are trying to raise young children and attempting to spend quality time and meet their needs. At the same time, you are trying to build successful careers and you are trying to earn comfortable livings for your families. These goals often create contradictory demands on your time and energy.

One of the most important things I heard in the lesson today was the comment which Andy quoted from a seminar that he and Sandra once attended. "Kids are a welcome addition to the family. However, we should be striving for a marriage-centered family, NOT a child-centered family." In my opinion, this is one of the biggest mistakes made by young Christian families. Given our love for our kids and our desire to see them excel in all endeavors, we often tend to make them the center of the universe, and if not the universe, at least the center of our family. This creates pressure on the marriage and the family and does not do justice to the child. As Andy Stanley said in today's lesson, the greatest gift one can give to their children is a great marriage. As such, you and your spouse need to take time to nurture your marriage. This includes periodic date nights, trips together in which the kids are not involved, frequent breaks in which the parents have the opportunity to talk, re-group, and enjoy a short respite from the challenges of responding to young children all day and all night long.

Having said that, it is important to understand that our family needs our time also. Therefore, it is critically important that BOTH parents develop strategies that allow them to spend quality time with young children. Sandra quoted a great scripture from Nehemiah in describing how she had to prioritize and was forced to turn down some opportunities to ensure sufficient family time together. The scripture was Nehemiah 6:3: "I am doing a great thing and I cannot come down." Nehemiah was focused on a great work and he refused to be distracted from this great work. Likewise, you are doing a great work with your children. Each of us should commit ourselves to focusing on this great work and refuse to be distracted by outside distractions.

Join us again next week when Andy discusses our financial habits.

REMINDER: MARK THE DATE!!! OUR AFTER CHURCH SWIMMING PARTY IS SCHEDULED AT THE EMERALD FOREST POOL ON JUNE 5, 2011. EVERYONE IS ASKED TO BRING A LUNCH AND DESSERT. WE HAVE SET UP TABLES IN THE PAST AND SHARED DISHES AND ENJOYED LUNCH AND FELLOWSHIP INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE. THE POOL WILL BE OPEN FROM 12:45 P.M.--2:45 P.M. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THERE.

Guardrails: "Flee, Baby, Flee!"

2011-05-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

It is official. Our after church swimming party has been changed to June 5, 2011. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us at the Emerald Forest Swimming Pool after church on Sunday, June 5. Everyone is asked to bring a lunch and dessert to the clubhouse. We will eat lunch and the pool will open at 12:45 p.m.--2:45 p.m. The pool folks have instructed us to keep food away from the pool area, so we will need to do our eating and drinking inside the clubhouse. Bring the kids for a great time of fellowship.

This week's lesson was about sexual temptation. Andy Stanley referred to 1 Corinthians 6:18 in which Paul warns us: "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." Andy Stanley explained that this one sin is responsible for many of the problems in our culture and society. It is the reason for broken families and young children who live in single parent homes rather than in homes with a mom and dad, it is one of the reasons for our high rate of poverty, it contributes to our problems in education, it is one of the drivers of our prison population increase, and it is a contributor in almost every malady that we experience as a culture and society.

Andy suggests several guardrails to help keep us from stepping into the abyss of sexual sin. He suggests that married people never travel with members of the opposite sex, that married people never eat a meal with members of the opposite sex, and that employers not hire members of the opposite sex because they are cute and need a job. He also encourages married people to never counsel members of the opposite sex. As we discussed the guardrails that Andy proposed, some of our class felt that some of these guardrails were a bit too conservative. Because some of us work in fields where there are large percentages of members of the opposite sex, some of these guardrails could present real limitations in our work.

Andy argues that the consequences of sexual sin are so great that it is an area of life that must be carefully guarded and protected. Flee, baby, flee! He argued that if we bump up against one of the guardrails he proposed, there would be little or no consequence. However, if we go past the guardrail and should slip into the abyss of sexual sin, the consequences are profound not only for us personally, but for our families and loved ones as well.

Whether you agree with the guardrails that Andy proposed or whether you prefer to set your own guardrails in this area of life, we probably can all agree that we do need guardrails and we do need to be sure that we are protecting our sexual integrity. Guardrails are designed to stop us before we get into an area where we will be injured or suffer negative consequences. If you don't buy Andy's guardrails this week, I hope you will consider your own guardrails in this area of life. Divorces, broken homes, single parent families, unsupervised children, and children who suffer the loss of one parent and the regular presence of one side of the family are all part of the price that adults impose on their family when they make bad decisions in this arena of life.

Come join us next week as Andy Stanley's wife, Sandra joins him on stage to further discuss and describe guardrails. In the meantime, have a great week and try to stay off the guardrails.

Guardrails: Why Can't We Be Friends?

2011-05-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Save Another Date
Earlier this week, I sent an e-mail message to Sunday School Members asking you to save the date, May 15, for an after-church swimming party at Emerald Forest Pool. Since that time, we have learned that several of our families have conflicts on that date. So, in order to try to find a time that will accommodate most of our schedules, we are going to see if the swimming pool folks will allow us to change the date to Sunday, June 5. If so, we will reschedule the Sunday School Social for June 5, 2011. We will let you know as soon as we find out if the pool folks will allow us to change dates. We have already paid money and we will ask them to allow us to transfer to another date without additional cost.

Today's lesson was about the influence that "friends" can have on our lives. Andy made the point that we should have guardrails in our lives that warn us about the negative or inappropriate influences of those whom we consider to be friends. Andy's scripture this week was Proverbs 13:20: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Here are the five guardrails that Andy derived from this scripture:

Your conscience should light up when...
1. It dawns on you that your core group isn't moving in the direction you want your life to be moving. Indeed, it should concern you to the point that you do something about it before it becomes a problem...not wait until it becomes a problem.

2. You catch yourself pretending to be someone other than who you really are.
When your spouse says, "You act differently when you are around them," you should be very concerned.

3. You feel pressure to compromise. When what has never been a temptation before suddenly becomes a live option, it should scare you to death--not when you do the behavior, but when you feel the temptation.

4. You hear hourself saying, "I'll go, but I won't participate."

5. You hope the people you care about most don't find out where you've been or who you've been with.

Andy instructed us to never confuse compassion with wisdom. Compassion will never require you to make an unwise decision about yourself. When you use compassion or love as an excuse, you are lying to yourself and it is misguided compassion. There is no conflict between compassion and wisdom.

According to Andy Stanley, there is a lot of misguided compassion in our culture. The best thing you can do for a person you love is to stay on the safe side of the guardrail so you are healthy enough to help them when they crash. You become the "go to" person because you are healthy. Drawing back from that person may be the best act of friendship you ever express for that friend.

Let's face up to what we know is God's will for our life.

Prayer Request: Please pray for my Mom and Dad this week. Dad is dealing with kidney dialysis three times per week and his heart is in defibrilation with the top two chambers of his heart not functioning. He is scheduled to have a cardiac conversion this week. (Jimmy)

John Brick will be starting a trial this week that will mean long hours and stress for John and his family. Please pray for him and them this week also.

Have a great week.

Jimmy

Guardrails

2011-04-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

This morning, Andy Stanley introduced a new series, "Guardrails." The series started out by showing pictures of guardrails. Indeed, Andy even had a bright, shiny, new guardrail installed on stage for this message series. Andy made the point that guardrails are designed to keep us from venturing off the road into a place that is dangerous and likely to cause serious injury, destruction, and even death. While we may experience a wreck if we hit a guardrail, the whole purpose of the guardrail is to prevent us from going into that space beyond the guardrail where catastrophic damage is almost certin to occur. A guardrail in our llife as described by Andy Stanley may be a subtle, quiet nudge to the ribs, a feeling of uncertainty, or that twinge of conscience regarding some action or comment that we are about to embark on or articulate. We will see in the coming weeks how we need guardrails around our marriages, how we need guardrails around our financial practices, guardrails around our relationships, and guardrails around many other aspects of our lives. I hope you will continue to join us during the next five weeks as we study ways to build guardrails around our lives.

REMEMBER--NO SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT WEEK, APRIL 24, 2011

Congratulations to the Gunters on the arrival of their newest addition. Kathleen has set up a meal calendar. I hope we will all contribute to this effort to provide meals for the family while they transition into a new mouth to feed, diapers to change, and all the tasks that come with a new addition to the family. Here is the link at which you can sign up to provide meals.

http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/71956

The Calendar ID is 71956
The Security Code is: 8968

Have a great week.

Jimmy

The Final Question

2011-04-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

In this morning's lesson, Andy Stanley introduced us to the final question to ask when we are faced with a tough decision. As you will recall, the first question Andy taught us was to ask, "Am I being completely honest with myself?" Next, he suggested, "What story do I want to tell?" and then, last week, "Is there a tension to which I need to pay attention?"

Today, Andy talked about the Christian concept of deflecting or reflecting glory when it is presented to us. As Christians, we are not made to accept glory according to Andy. We are made to graciously recognize glory and then to pass it on to others and to our God in Heaven. Having seen him frequently in the last few weeks, we identified Coach Gary Blair as a good example of one who is able to do this well. On the other hand, those who seek to hoarde glory are often those individuals whom we identify as obnoxious or egotistical. Since our role should be one of deflection and reflection of glory....one of passing it on to others, Andy Stanley suggests that the fourth question we should be asking as we approach a major decision in our life is "Which option best honors God?" In other words, as I make this decision, which of the options that I choose will honor my God? How can I push the glory to God? Andy shared the example of Tony Dungy, the Super Bowl Winning Coach of the Indiannapolis Colts. As Tony realized that his team was about to win the Super Bowl, he realized also that, for a few brief seconds, he would be the center of attention for more than 90 million people around the world. He thought about words he could use to bring glory to God. As he responded to the commentator's questions on live television at the end of the Super Bowl, Tony found a way to give God the glory for this great success!

Andy made the point that we are not made to hoarde glory and that our glory is not something worth hoarding. We should pass it on to others, to friends and family, and most of all, we should pass it on to God. To God be the glory! Which of the options before me best honors God? Now, do you have a better idea about which solution to choose?

MORE OF ANDY STANLEY NEXT WEEK: Next week, we will begin a six week series by Andy Stanley called "Guardrails." Guardrails are all around and we seldom pay much attention to them--until someone hits one. The next series of lessons from Andy will address the guardrails we need in every area of our life. I hope you will be in Sunday School to join us as we study these Biblical truths.

Pay Attention to the Tension

2011-04-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

This morning, we hosted a class breakfast and a diaper shower for the newest member of the Gunter family. We enjoyed a great breakfast, good fellowship, and extended best wishes and prayed the Lord's blessings on Greg and Wendy Gunter and their family. Also, please keep in mind that our class has been invited to join the other Parents of Children class (Williams) in a Square Dance at the Family Life Center on April 9. Also, please pray for Jamee Brick's grandfather this week as he faces some crucial medical tests and she accompanies him.

Today's Lesson--This morning, we continued the Andy Stanley series, "Your Move." This series outlines four questions we should ask anytime we are facing a big decision in life--especially if the decision is unexpected or a decision that we really would prefer not to make. The first two questions that we discussed in previous weeks were: "Am I being completely honest with myself?" and "What story do I want to tell?" Today, we considered, "Is there a tension that needs my attention?"

Have you ever faced a major decision in which a little something in the back of your mind or heart kept raising a question or holding you back? Perhaps, there was a little question mark somewhere about whether or not this decision might involve something that's not entirely right ethically or morally? What do we do when that happens? We are pretty good salesmen and we often dismiss it by telling ourselves, "Everyone else is doing it," or "It's not really such a big deal," or "No one thinks that way anymore."

Many times, as we face a major decision and we begin to lean toward a particular option, we sense a degree of tension that is rooted in a particular moral or ethical issue. We might think of it as a "red flag" or a "twinge of conscience". In either case, something doesn't seem right and this causes us to pause. Sometimes, we don't sense the tension until someone else makes us aware of an issue or we might be aware of an issue and yet try to discount it or ignore it.

Andy Stanley advises that when we sense such an issue, we should pause and allow it to rise up and become as big as it can before we make a decision. Otherwise, we might make a decision that will take us to a place that we later regret. He illustrates this concept with the story of David as revealed in 1 Samuel 24. Saul and three thousand men are looking for David to kill him. According to the scripture, Saul stopped to relieve himself and he entered a cave in which David and some of his men were hiding in the back of the cave. What are the chances that all of these events could have occurred coincidentally at the same time in the same place? Saul felt the urge to relieve himself at a specific time which caused him to select a specific cave out of dozens of caves in the mountains and this particular cave just happened to be the one in which David and some of his men were hiding. One can certainly understand how David's men must have thought "the stars are aligned" or "it's a God thing." In verse four, the men said to David, "This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Surely, this was God's hand at work? Yet, David felt this small twinge of doubt, this slight feeling of concern, this small debate of assurance. Was this God's hand? Had he delivered Saul into David's hand in this cave? Did God expect David to take Saul's life and to assume the kingship at this very time in this very place? David had reason to doubt. He crept toward the king with his dagger drawn but, when it came time to use the dagger, he silently cut a piece out of the king's robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for even having cut a portion of the king's robe. He went out and bowed down to the king and explained that he was not Saul's enemy. The scripture tells us that David asked the Lord to be the judge between himself and Saul. We don't know what would have happened if David had taken Saul's life when he had the opportunity. But we do know that God blessed him and opened the door for David to become ruler without David raising a hand against Saul. Indeed, seven chapters later in the scripture, we see Saul being slain in battle. At a critical point in his life, David could have exacted revenge upon someone who had mistreated him, but he wisely chose not to. His example reminds us to "pay attention to the tension."

Whether it is a twinge of guilt, or the Lord speaks through our conscience, or the Holy Spirit causes us to question the ethics or morality of an issue, we need to always ask, "Is there a tension that needs my attention?"

What Story Do I Want to Tell?

2011-03-27T20:22:00.001-07:00

March 27, 2011

We enjoyed a great time together with our Sunday School families at the College Hills Elementary School Playground this evening after church. It is always fun to have the opportunity to visit with our Sunday School family. Today, several of our families were able to enjoy a picnic and the kids had a great place to run, climb, and play in the sand while we visited. Thanks to all of you who were able to join us. We will be scheduling other activities in the near future.

As I mentioned this morning, I have been remiss in recent months in keeping this blog updated. I have been doing consultant work in many different locations. Even though I will still be spending time in Beaumont at Lamar University teaching a School Law class, my travel schedule should slow down for a while. Therefore, I hope to get back in the saddle and keep the blog updated. I trust that it helps you to keep up with our class discussions and with our class activities.

Last week, we began a new series with Andy Stanley called “Your Move: Four Questions to Ask When You Don’t Know What to Do.” The first question identified last week was, “Am I being completely honest with myself?” This week’s question is, “What story do I want to tell?’ Andy Stanley says that when people tell their life stories, they condense large chunks of their lives into just a few sentences. Decisions that at the moment seem so large and complicated will later be nothing more than a line or two in the stories we tell. What do we want those stories to say?

In every transition and every decision-making environment, we’re writing the script for that story. Our stories have already developed in a certain way up to this point. But often, as we face new decisions, new obstacles, or new opportunities, we forget to connect it to our pasts. We forget to ask, “Which of these choices best fits my story so far?” In the future, you want to be able to tell your whole story honestly and not feel forced to skip or disguise any parts.

The biblical story of Joseph in the Old Testament illustrates these life-story dynamics. Joseph faced dilemmas he could never have expected, and at times he was forced to choose between no-win options. In extremely difficult situations, he made choices in harmony with a consistent pattern in his life of God-centered integrity and faithfulness. Joseph was later rewarded for this.

We, too, can look at God’s providential care in our lives up to this point, and make choices now that fully align with what God has already done for us. In contrast with Joseph, his brothers were forced to live a lie for many years because of a tragic choice they made and to see their father’s broken heart as a consequence of it.

Every decision you make becomes part of your story. What is the story you want to tell? Will it be, “I cast my care upon my heavenly Father, and I obeyed God to the best of my ability?” Remember, your kids are watching you make many of these decisions and your story will, to a large degree, be their story as well.

Write your story well—and live your story well—because in the future you want to be able to tell the whole story. What you do now really does matter.

Sunday School Class Prayer Requests and Picnic Announcement

2011-03-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

This morning in class, we prayed for the following:

Leslie Woods’ Mom—Sylvia Day. Sylvia was hospitalized in Orlando, Florida. We prayed that she would be improved enough and stabilized so that she could be transported back home where she could be seen and treated by her personal healthcare givers. Please pray for her this week and for Leslie and her family as they minister to their Mom.

Please remember to pray for those in Japan who suffered through the terrible earth quake and tsunami and are now being threatened by Nuclear Reactor Damages.

Please remember to pray for world leaders and for our own leaders as they attempt to deal with Libya and other foreign countries where the people who have been deprived are beginning to rise up against oil-rich dictators who have been in power for many years.

Pray also for those who are participating in the Easter Pageant.

CLASS PICNIC

Next Sunday, March 27, 2011------Mark your calendar and join us after church for a class picnic!

Bring your own picnic lunch and drinks for your family and maybe something to share if you like.
We will be meeting at the playground/park at College Hills Elementary School—1101 Williams Road, College Station.
Tracey and Craig Scasta live adjacent to this site and they have offered the use of their home if we need restroom facilities.

Bring the kids….we chose this site so that the kids could have a nice place to play. There are even places for bike riding so bring the bicycles if you wish. I hope you will all try to join us for this time together.

We will plan to meet at the park after church----about 12:30 p.m.

Remember, next Sunday, March 27, 2011, at 12:30 p.m.

Have a great week.

Jimmy

2011--A Year for a Closer Walk with Jesus

2010-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Challenge for the New Year

In Sunday School yesterday, I inivited the class to join Cindy and me in attempting to read the Bible thru in 2011 and in memorizing a new scripture passage each week. Completing a systematic reading plan on a daily basis and memorizing a new scripture passage each week will result in the Bible being read thru in 2011 and in the memorization of 52 new scripture passages. I trust you will join me in attempting to read God's Word this year and in hiding His Word in your heart through memorization. Let's try it together and let's hold each other accountable for our progress throughout the year.

I have attempted to send copies of these documents to each of you through the Sunday School e-mail list. If you did not receive it or if you were unable to download one of the documents, send me an e-mail to my home address, jimmycreel@suddenlink.net

I will try something else to get the documents to you.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Jimmy

A Sunday School Class Challenge for 2011

2010-12-18T19:21:00.001-08:00

As we come to the end of 2010 and begin to look forward to 2011, it is appropriate to consider ways that we can strengthen our walk with the Lord. Psalm 119:1 says, "Thine word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against thee." In order to "hide" God's word in our heart, we must READ His word and we must commit the principles and statements of God's Word to our hearts and minds....to our memory. Therefore, I am inviting our Sunday School class to join me in 2011 on a "Spiritual Odyssey" in which we attempt to systematically read through the Word of God and commit 52 scripture passages to memory. I hope you will use the "Read the Bible Through in 2011" plan to systematically read the Bible daily and to completely read the Bible in one year. In addition, I hope you will join Cindy and me in attempting to memorize one scripture passage each week for the next fifty-two weeks. I will send a copy of both documents, the Read the Bible Thru Plan and the 52 Memory Scripture Passages via e-mail to the class. We will talk about these plans more in Sunday School tomorrow. See you then. Remember, we have a potluck breakfast scheduled in the morning.

SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST--POTLUCK

2010-12-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

Please bring your favorite breakfast dish (egg casserole, or breakfast tacos, or pastries, etc.) or just pick up a dozen donuts and join us for a Sunday School breakfast in our regular Sunday School Classroom this weekend (Sunday, December 19, 2010). We will provide drinks and paper goods and utensils.

This week, we will be making a plan for the coming Sunday School year and perhaps, reflecting on the past year. See you Sunday Morning.

Jimmy

Christmas Party

2010-12-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Our annual Sunday School Christmas Party is scheduled for this Friday evening, December 10, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at Cindy and Jimmy's home at 8431 Turtle Rock Loop in College Station. We already have a good group signed up to attend. Please accept this message as a very special invitation to our members who are serving in other areas of Sunday School. We miss you guys and would love to have you join us for fellowship, fun, and food. If anyone can come and you wish to sign up to bring something, just give us a call at 979-695-1684 or you can just post a comment on this blog. Don't feel that you must be signed up to attend. Just come on over. We will have a good time together.

We will eat and visit and probably play a few games and give away a few prizes and door prizes. I hope you all will attend if you pssibly can. We look forward to seeing everyone.

Jimmy and Cindy

December 5--Muddy Water

2010-12-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today's lesson was about simplicity. Andy Stanley used the analogy of a story about shark fishing to help us understand the dilemma that many people experience when they consider the Gospel Message. As Andy described, many people who say they reject Christianity are really rejecting some other aspect of religion that has nothing to do with the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. Andy says that we (Christians) have a tendency to make the Gospel Message complicated and that the complicated issues and answers to Biblical conundrums are often the things which cause people to reject "Christianity." He makes reference to some of Paul's writings that are indeed difficult to understand or to the Old Testament laws of the book of Leviticus. Even though there are many questions and many issues described in the Bible that are difficult to understand and decipher, Andy attempts to boil down the Gospel Message to a simple formula that we can share with others in today's lesson. He bases the lesson on perhaps the best known Bible verse in the New Testament, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

Andy suggests that the formula can be reduced to the following:

GOD LOVED

GOD GAVE

WE BELIEVE

WE RECEIVE

It really is a pretty simple solution and an easy formula to share with others. As Steven mentioned in class today, there may be questions about the meaning of "believe" or even about "receive", and certainly we can have a discussion about these terms and the different understandings that many people embrace for these terms. Andy tried to demonstrate the meaning of believe when he talked about putting one's full weight on a stool...in other words, depending completely upon the stool to provide support and foundation for one's body. Even so, there may be many different descriptions for this term and these various descriptions certainly detract from the simplicity of this message. Yet, as Christians, we probably can all agree that God sent His son and, as a result, He offered us an opportunity to live in His presence for eternity. Yes, this offer is contingent upon our "belief" and we all must define that word for outselves. Even so, this formula can be used to help us and those around us to understand in a very basic way the amazing Gift that God gave us at Christmas. We can be thankful that He loved us enough to give and that we simply must accept His gift through faith in order to benefit from the greatest Gift ever given to man.

November 14, 2010--"Fish Guts"

2010-11-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

We had a nice diaper shower for the Collins' and a nice breakfast this morning. Thanks to everyone who prepared dishes.

We had the pleasure of having two couples join us in Sunday School today. Welcome to Chris and Rene Lawrence and to Mark and Kelli Thornton. Mark and Kelli visited a couple of weeks ago as well. I appreciate everyone in our class making every effort to make our visitors feel comfortable and welcome.

In today's lesson, Andy Stanley continued his theme of "Fishers of Men." Today's lesson came from Acts 4:23-30. He called the lesson "Fish Guts." While the title doesn't sound good, it is designed to help us understand the basic, intimate role that God has for each of us in His plan. Acts 4:23 begins the description of a prayer voiced by Peter and John as they became aware of God's sovereign plan and as they understood the opportunities that they had missed because they did not recognize God's hand at work.

Andy said that John and Peter's prayers before this time were much like our prayers. Oh, Lord, bless me, protect me, guide me, and take care of those whom I love. Think about it. If you were listening to your prayers, would you describe them as self-centered? Would you say that you were asking God for things that you wanted to see happen?

In this prayer, John and Peter open the prayer with the salutation, "O, Sovereign Lord." Andy describes this phrase as an admission that "God is large and He is in charge." The prayer goes on to recognize all of the recent events in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of the predestined Will of God. In some cases, John and Peter recognized, they had actually been praying against the will of God. For example, when the crowd confronted Jesus, they were likely praying, "God, deliver Jesus and us from this threat." Yet, now they recognized that Jesus' death and resurrection was exactly what God had preordained and had orchestrated from before the creation of the earth. They recognized that God's sovereignty was at work and that He had simply provided opportunities for them to be "players" in His grand plan.

Andy makes the point that you and I have the same opportunity today. God is still large and He is still in charge. He is still active and his preordained plan is still being implemented. You and I should be praying for God to enable us to speak boldly on His behalf. I hope you will join me this week in making this our prayer.

Thanks to Beth Miles who has agreed to facilitate the Sunday School discussion next week. If things go as planned, I will be out of town on Sunday. Also, please remember that we will not have Sunday School on the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend--November 28.

Finally, how about that artist in church today? He looked like he was just throwing paint up on a wall and then, it looked like Jesus. Amazing. For people like me who have not ONE artistic bone in my body, this kind of talent is just phenomenal.

Have a great week.

Jimmy

Have a great week.

November 7, 2010--WHY FISH?

2010-11-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here are the announcements and prayer requests from this morning:

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Please remember that we will be honoring the newest arrival in the Collins’ household next Sunday morning with a diaper shower and breakfast during Sunday School. Please bring diapers and a breakfast item.

David Phelps will be in concert here at Central Baptist for a Christmas Concert on December 5, 2010. Tickets can be acquired at www.davidphelps.com or www.itickets.com .

An N-Vision Missions Conference is scheduled for November 12-13.

An adoption/foster care informational lunch is scheduled on Sunday, November 21 right after the worship service. Please e-mail Lisa at lmcdougald@cbcbryan.org if you plan on attending this luncheon.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

PRAISE: Jessica reported that her blood clot is gone. Thank the Lord for answered prayer. Please continue to remember Jessica in your prayers this week.
Craig and Tracey’s daughter Hallie is ill. Please remember her and her parents this week in prayer.
Bo has a construction superintendent whose father-in-law has melanoma. The father-in-law’s name is Clayton Ford. Please pray for Mr. Ford and for his entire family and for those who are ministering to him as it appears that the cancer is consuming his body.
Kerri’s mom, Ginger has Multiple Sclerosis and seems to be losing ground. Please pray for her this week.
Please pray for our daughter Jennifer as she makes final preparation to take the Physician’s Assistant Board Exams on November 17. She is nervous about the test and she is making every effort to be adequately prepared to do well on the exam.
Please pray for our youngest daughter Brittany as she is dealing with housing issues in Austin, Texas for the remainder of this semester.
Please pray for our country and our leaders.

Today's lesson asked the question, "Why Fish?"
Since we began the series last week, Andy Stanley addressed the question of why Christians should be "fishers of men" this week. Andy makes the point that early Christians such as Peter and John were sharing experiences that they had seen and heard and that contemporary Christians should also be sharing experiences in the Lord that we have seen and heard and felt first hand. As such, it should be difficult for us not to talk about our experiences and the things that we have seen God do. Andy points out that our beliefs are based on a point in history, on a significant event, on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Christianity did not begin as a new belief system. It began as an event in history that is well-documented and described by eye-witness, first person narrative terminology. Andy also makes the point that Christians need to talk about Jesus because the message is so counterintuitive--if nobody tells them, they won't know. Lord, please do not let us be guilty of withholding the truth about Jesus from anyone with whom we come into contact. Help us to have the courage to share our own personal experience with Jesus with those around us. Here is the directive left with us by Jesus before he returned to heaven:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19

This is what God expects us to do. Will you "fish" this week? Let's all be prepared to share our own personal experiences with Jesus Christ when the opportunity presents itself this week.

Have a great week.

Jimmy

October 17, 2010--Personal Ministry

2010-10-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT: MEN'S NIGHT OUT--THIS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2010 AT THE HOME OF BO MILES. BO HAS SOME VENISON AND DEER SAUSAGE THAT HE IS DONATING TO THE CAUSE. IT WILL BE A GREAT EVENING OF FUN AND FELLOWSHIP. BO WILL BE SENDING AN E-MAIL WITH HIS ADDRESS. I HOPE ALL OF YOU GUYS WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO JOIN US. I FEEL SURE YOU WILL FIND IT TO BE AN ENJOYABLE TIME TOGETHER.

PERSONAL MINISTRY
Andy Stanley talked about another factor that he has identified as a contributor to the growth of "Big Faith" in our lesson today. That factor was called "Personal Ministry." Andy based today's discussion on the narrative in Matthew 14: 13-22. You will recall this story as one of the times in which Jesus miraculously provided for the feeding of more than 5,000 people on a desolate hillside. As you read the scripture, you will see that the disciples asked Jesus about sending the people away so that they could go into the nearby villages to buy food. Jesus responded with a directive for the disciples to feed the people. As Andy stated, He said, "You feed'em." Reading the scripture futher, we find that the disciples responded the same way you and I often respond when God gives us a job. They started listing the reasons why they could not feed these people. They were in the middle of nowhere. They did not have the resources. They were incapable of feeding so many people. Yet, they, like us, overlooked an important component of the equation. They overlooked the supernatural power of God. Despite the limited resources, the crowd was fed and left-overs were picked up after the meal. How did this happen? The disciples did what they knew how to do--distribute the food baskets--and God multiplied the food to provide more than enough.

This is the lesson for each of us. When God asks us to do something, we should do whatever it is that we know how to do and depend on God to take care of our insecurities, lack of knowledge, and other limitations. When God is involved, our limitations will not matter. He will take care of any shortcomings on our part.

God builds our faith through challenging opportunities for personal ministry--allowing us to serve others even though we may feel unprepared and inadequate. The key in personal ministry is simply to do what we know how to do, and trust God to do what only He can do. While personal ministry may mean teaching a Sunday School Class or coaching an Upward Bound Football Team or some other church ministry, it may also refer to a one-on-one witness with a non-believer or could refer to a charitable act in a hostile environment. God can call us to action in any of these situations. Remember, personal ministry is a grower of faith.

NEXT WEEK'S LESSON: PIVOTAL CIRCUMSTANCES

October 10 Private Disciplines

2010-10-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

In today's lesson, Andy Stanley introduced us to the concept of "private disciplines." Private disciplines include those activities that God expects us to perform in the privacy of our own home or in the confidential pages of our own bank account or in a place where our actions are not advertised for the praise of others.

Andy points out that we trust God for everything that happens from the time we take our last breath. However, such trust is not difficult since we really have no choice. Since we have no control over what happens after we take our last breath, it is relatively easy to say, " I trust you, God to take care of everything after I take my last breath." However, Andy asks who we trust from the present until we take our last breath. Do we trust God explicitly during that time? Since much of our energy during that time is directed toward making a living, earning money, and supporting a lifestyle, Andy suggests that it is not surprising that God expects us to show our trust in Him by giving generously of our physical blessings. However, as the scripture directs, our giving should be done in the privacy and confidentiality of our own home or our own bank account and should not be done in a way that brings attention or recognition to us as the giver. Since time is our most valuable resource, Andy also suggests that the allocation of a daily quiet time with God is also a private discipline for which God will reward His children. If we spend time in prayer, talking with our Heavenly Father and spend time studying His Word, Andy points our the promise of scripture in which Jesus tells us that we will be rewarded for such activity. No, we don't engage in such action to gain a reward. Just the same, Jesus promises that the Lord will reward those who do these things.

We discussed private disciplines and ways that we were or were not taught private disciplines in our own childhood. We also considered ways in which we could encourage our own children to engage in the practice of private disciplines.
Andy Stanley suggests the following things occur as a result of us practicing private disciplines:
* Growth--even if we engage in these activities with a bad activity, we will see growth
* Freedom--we can experience freedom from the debilitating debate of whether or not to give, freedom from the argument of not having enough time, and freedom from prioritization of our activities in order to spend time in the Word--these decisions are already made when we practice private disciplines. They are part of our lifestyle.
* Peace--the practice of private disciplines brings peace into our lives. The private disciplines eventually become a joy to practice rather than an unpleasant task.

Let's all consider our own practice of private disciplines this week and evaluate whether or not we can improve these practices in our own lives. Best wishes for a great week.

October 3--Providential Relationships

2010-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

During today's lesson, Andy Stanley discussed the importance of providential relationships in growing one's faith. Andy argued that there are no "neutral" relationships. All relationships either enhance our spiritual walk with the Lord or they detract from it. For this reason, as parents, we often attempt to manipulate and influence the relationships that our children create and nurture. We recognize the influence of relationships and we seek those relationships for our children that we perceive to be positive in nature.

Andy Stanley also points out the importance in placing our children in environments in which they have other adults speaking wisdom and influence into their lives. As we discussed, if your children have not already concluded that your advice is not always sound, they soon will. In such cases, it is important to have other Godly adults in whom your children are comfortable and confident and in whom you are comfortable and confident. Andy pointed out that waiting until your child is in the eleventh grade to place him/her in such an environment is too late. During our class discussion, we talked about the practice of some of our class in which they have purposefully attempted to create trusting, intimate relationships with other Christian couples in order to create other adult resources for their kids in a time of need when the kids may not have confidence in his/her own parents or when the kid simply feels the need to seek counsel from someone other than his/her parent. We also talked about the accountability that can be created among parents who have developed such a relationship with other parents. The idea of picking up the phone and calling a parent of a child who is observed speeding or driving recklessly requires a relationship of complete trust and confidence.

Finally, it is important to remember those providential relationships in our own lives in which someone has helped us to grow spiritually. I remembered the men and women who served as Sunday School Teachers and Vacation Bible School Teachers when I was a young kid. I continue to remember a special pastor when I was a young deacon in another church. All of these people were providential relationships for me.

In addition, I believe that Cindy was brought into my life as a providential relationship. She has taught me much about Christian parenthood, appreciation and respect for those who may be different, ways to disagree with people and still treat them with respect and dignity, and she has been a partner in Christian growth as we have worked toward spiritual maturity together.

Who has served as a providential relationship in your life? For whom have you served as a providential relationships? Indeed, providential relationships play a critical role in growing our faith. I hope you will think about those who play such a role in your life and I hope that you will be open and willing to serve in such a role for others as the Lord uses you.

Have a great week.

September 26--Practical Teaching

2010-09-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Class Fellowship and Swimming Party
Thanks to all of you who were able to join us for the class fellowship and swimming party after church. We had a great time visiting, watching the kids swim, and snacking on picnic foods.

During our Sunday School lesson, Andy Stanley addressed one of the five things that he has identified that God uses to grow big faith. The first topic to be addressed in detail was "Practical Teaching." Andy pointed out that most people who talk about their spiritual journey will make reference to their initial exposure to someone or some group through which they were taught Biblical truths in a practical, life-impacting way. The reason this is important is that such teaching makes the Bible meaningful, practical, and applicable to everyday life. Mr. Stanley refers to Matthew 7:24-28 in which Jesus uses the parable of the man who built his house on a solid foundation as compared to the man who built his house on a foundation of sand. He compares the man who built his house on a solid foundation to one who hears the words of Jesus and puts them into practice--applies them. The man who hears the words of Jesus and fails to apply them in his life is compared to the house that was built on sand. When the winds came and the water rose, the house with a flimsy foundation collapsed. Likewise, you and I will be unable to stand up when the winds of life and the rains of conflict strike if we have not learned the words of God and then applied them in our life.

Remember, the teachings of the Bible have the power to be soothing and disturbing in our lives, depending on the circumstances and situation in which we find ourselves. However, the most important thing for us is to be sure that we make application to our lives of the Biblical truths that we hear and lean from practical teaching. I hope we will all seek practical teaching of Biblical truths in our lives and that we will apply those truths when we learn them.

Next week, we will look at "providential relationships." See you in Sunday School next week.

September 19--Swimming Party Reminder & Lesson Review

2010-09-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

REMINDER:
I apologize for forgetting to mention the swimming party scheduled for next Sunday during our announcements this morning. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us at the Emerald Forest Swimming Pool and Clubhouse after church next Sunday, September 26, 2010. We have rented the pool and clubhouse until 2:30 p.m. We chose that weekend because there is no Aggie game next weekend. I hope you will bring the kids and join us for a few hours of fellowship and fun with the family and with our class. Please bring a picnic lunch for your family and a little extra to share in case there are folks there who did not bring food. Also, please bring a salad item or dessert item to share with everyone. We will provide ice, water, and tea. We will be able to put our food in the clubhouse. We shall look forward to seeing you and your family at the party.

Jimmy

FIVE THINGS GOD USES TO GROW YOUR FAITH
We began our study of the Andy Stanley series, "Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith" today. In our class discussion prior to the lesson, I found it interesting that class members identified many of the same concepts as those identified by Andy Stanley--those things God uses to grow BIG faith. We talked about people in the church who demonstrate big faith as being good examples, we talked about learning from God's Word and prayer, we talked about good and bad experiences in our lives that often grow big faith, and we talked about learning from our children and from other important people in our lives.

As we watched Andy Stanley, he described the following five things God uses to grow our faith:

1. Practical teaching from the Bible
2. Providential relationships
3. Private disciplines
4. Personal ministry
5. Pivotal circumstances

I hope you will consider these concepts this week and contemplate their role in growing your own faith. I suspect you will find that all of these things have been at play in your life. While we may use other terms to describe some of these concepts, most of us would agree that these are significant influences in the development of our personal faith. Next week, we will begin looking at each of the concepts above in detail. I look forward to seeing you in Sunday School next Sunday.

END OF SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIAL

2010-09-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the summer is over and school is back in session. Soon, the fall activities will be upon us. Before that time arrives, we would like to get together as a class one more time for fellowship and opportunities to get to know each other and our families better. Toward that end, we have scheduled an AFTER CHURCH SWIMMING PARTY on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at EMERALD FOREST SWIMMING POOL from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.--or later if you wish. We will ask everyone to bring a picnic main course (sandwiches and chips, sandwich fixings, barbecue, fried chicken, etc.--whatever your family likes--for your family and enough to share with someone else. Also, please bring a dessert or salad item to share with everyone. We will provide ice, cups, tea, and water and we will have the club house reserved for our food and drinks. If you prefer soft drinks, bring them as well.

Please mark your calendar and join us for fellowship and a picnic and swimming on September 26, 2010. SEE YOU AT THE POOL.

September 12--Marriage Part 3

2010-09-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

As we begin this final session of "The Life" with Bill and Anabel Gillham, I would be remiss if I did not wish my lovely wife Cindy a Happy and Blessed Birthday. Yes, today is her birthday and I am so thankful for her. Growing in the Church and growing in Christ with Cindy has been a blessing beyond description. Like most couples, we don't always see things the same way, but our life together has been a great one and I have been blessed beyond measure to have her as my wife.

Many of the things taught by Bill and Anabel have been true in our marriage as well. As I think about our family and pray for my girls even now, I often pray that the Lord will introduce them to God-loving, God-worshipping, Christian young men when and if His plan calls for them to have a partner in life. I want my girls to experience the joy of growing in a Christian marriage relationship, growing in the Church, and growing in Christ along with a loving partner if that is the Lord's will. Therefore, I pray regularly for those young men, whoever they may be, wherever they are in the world, even before we know who they are. And, I thank God daily that He gave me such a person with whom to share my life. Happy Birthday, Cindy!

Bill makes the point in today's lesson that most of us enter into the most important human relationship in life, marriage, without adequate preparation. God knows that we need instruction and He gives it to us in His Word. Bill suggests that we must recognize and confess our inability to carry out His instructions, and then determine to trust Christ to express through us the knowledge we gain about marriage from His Word.

In comparing the decision-making process for males and females, Bill states that it is generally true that males base decisions on systematic logic while females tend to base decisions on intuition or at least arrive at the decision through intuitive processes. He points out that neither process is wrong--they are just different. Bill states that it is the husband's responsibility to make a final decision for the family only after much prayer and discussion and consideration of his wife's viewpoint. The wife should then honor the husband's decision and be supportive, especially in front of the children. How often do you undermine your spouse's decisions or points of view in front of the children? We must be careful. This undermining can be subtle and even can be inadvertent.

Anabel points out that the wife in a modern marriage is often influenced by cultural norms that tend to reduce her role in the marriage to a sex object or to minimize her influence on pre-school age children, or limit her responsibility in the home to cleaning and organizing the house. In reality, God describes and directs the role that women should play in the sex relationship, in the homemaker role, and in the social and spiritual development of children. I especially appreciated the statement Anabel made, "A woman is never in an inferior place when she is in the place God created for her." She also pointed out that women who work outside the home are not necessarily missing God's will, provided their responsibilities at home are not compromised. She made reference to the Proverbs 31 Woman. You may want to take a look at Proverbs 31.

Bill and Anabel also point out that "Agape" love is crucial in any marriage (John 13:34). They define "agape" love as "doing whatever is the most constructive, redemptive thing for your spouse, regardless of the situation or circumstances."

Bill and Anabel also review the six perceptual needs of the female in a marriage relationship as derived from the description of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Those needs are:

1. Listen to me.
2. Let me know that you are thinking about me.
3. Tell me that you love me.
4. Be aware of me.
5. Spend time with me.
6. Don't be harsh with me.

A key concept from today's lesson is this: "Satan is putting forth every effort to blur the roles that differentiate the two genders. Following the enemy's plan instead of God's guarantees a marriage vulnerable to destruction."

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
Do you understand that your fundamental role is choosing to be obedient to Christ? Have you really tried to follow His plan for your marriage? Or have you been rebellious, believing you have the right to demand that your needs be met before you will meet your spouse's needs?

Perhaps you've viewed your marriage as a tangled mess that seemed impossible to realign on Godly principles? But now you see the Biblical foundation for marriage and have an understanding of where the power to begin loving your spouse comes from. Confess your need and unreserved dependence on Him to live His life through you and so make your marriage all He intended it to be."

I want to encourage you to read the book, "The Lifetime Guarantee" that the church provided with this curriculum. Cindy began reading our copy and she said it is an excellent supplement to the DVD Curriculum. I plan to read our copy after she finishes. Several class members testified regarding the relevance and impact that they have experienced from reading this book. If anyone wishes to obtain a copy of the book, shoot me an e-mail, comment on this blog, or let me know verbally and we will get you a copy. E-mail: jimmycreel@suddenlink.net

NEXT WEEK: We will begin a six week session with Andy Stanley called, "The Five Ways God Grows Your Faith."

REMINDER: END OF SUMMER SWIMMING PARTY--after Church on September 26 @ Emerald Forest Swimming Pool. Bring a picnic main course for your family and some to share and a dessert or salad entree to share. We will provide ice, tea, water, cups and a place for your kids to swim.....and you too if you like. We have the pool reserved from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. and if anyone wants to stay later than that, you can swim as Cindy and my guest.

WELCOME BACK TO SOME OF OUR CLASS MEMBERS WHOM WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN A WHILE

As you know, every year, there are members of our class who answer the call to serve in other capacities in our Sunday Morning Bible Study Program, making it impossible for them to be with our class on a regular basis. Also, there are class members who move to other classes or even some who move to other cities on a temporary basis and then return to our class. Even so, we are always glad to see our former class members again. In the past few weeks, including today, we have been honored to have Craig and Vicki Hillert, Dewayne and Leslie Whitten, and Rex and Leslie Woods joining us in class. I hope you will make a point to welcome these folks and, if you do not know them, to introduce yourself. At the same time, we need to be praying for those couples in our class who are serving in other capacities in our church this year and will not be able to join us on a regular basis. We will always make an effort to be sure they are aware of any activites scheduled for our class and that they are invited to join us in fellowship.

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!

Session 10 Marriage Part 2 September 5, 2010

2010-09-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we are already on Session 10 of our study with Bill and Anabel Gillham. Indeed, next week, we will conclude our DVD Study of "The Life". Fortunately, our church has provided each couple in our class with a copy of Bill and Anabel's book so that you can study their work in more detail.

The focus of today's session deals with each partner in a marriage union knowing the individual roles assigned to the husband and the wife. Such knowledge can be exciting and anxiety provoking. It is exciting in that we better understand our own needs and have the information we need to meet the needs of our spouse. It is anxiety provoking in that we are fearful that our spouse will fail to meet our needs, or that we can't satisfy the needs of our spouse.

Keep in mind that God doesn't expect us to persevere in our own strength to keep these assigned roles. His plan is for us to allow Christ to be our perseverance, our patience, our love, our gentleness. He wants to do it all for us.

The Emotional Needs of the Male
The basic emotional need of the male is found in Ephesians 5:33. He needs female praise. According to Bill, praise is a God-given need that is evident from an early age. A boy's mother will be the one who initially meets this need. A male's need for female praise is ultimately centered on his wife, who has been instructed by God to meet this need. Praise is accomplished through the wife by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and is to be exercised as an act of obedience. Keep in mind: It is not hypocritical to praise your husband when your feelings may not be in agreement.

The perceptual needs of the male include the belief that he is the head of the relationship. This is an innate need--not an ego problem. This is not an honor to be bestowed upon the male for good performance. Competition from his wife can be very destructive to a man. Marriage is not a competition, but a joint endeavor that brings glory to God.

The Emotional Needs of the Female
The emotional needs of the female are summarized by the list above. The twenty ways to love your wife are as vital to the female as praise is to the male. This performance by the husband can be accomplished only as he allows the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to do it through him.

Have a great week.

Session 9 Marriage--Part I

2010-08-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our visitors this morning--Billy and Kelley Gable. The Gables have recently moved from Giddings, Texas and have two children, Tyler(7) and Amanda(5).

Today's lesson with Bill and Anabel Gillham changes the focus somewhat from our previous lessons. The focus changes somewhat from our relationship with God to our relationship with others as directed by God. As Bill asks a rhetorical question about how we are to build and maintain our relationship with our spouse, he says, "Let's turn to the manufacturer's owner's manual," as he holds up the Bible. Indeed, the Bible is the manufacturer's owner's manual for all issues and concerns. If our marriages are to be all that God intended them to be, then they must operate according to God's plan. As Bill said earlier in this series, "God's job description is that He runs things." He is the supreme authority figure and, as such, has established His plan for marriage.

Bill points out that the Bible establishes that men and women are equal with different roles assigned by God (Genesis 5:2). God made the woman and thus completed the whole man (Genesis 2:18 and Genesis 2:23).

Bill made reference in today's lesson to the world's view of marriage. He described four different world views--all of which are lacking. The world often views marriage in one of the following ways:
Casual view--no lasting commitment
Feelings view--based on current passion
Separate lives view--living like roommates
Dictatorial view--male is dominant and superior.
None of these views represent the Godly expectations for marriage.

Most of the remainder of today's lesson deals with the needs of the female and male. Spiritually, both the male and female need to know Jesus Christ. Emotionally, the husband needs praise from his wife. The wife needs tender loving care. Perceptually, the husband needs to believe that he is the head of the relatiohship. The wife needs the husband to listen to her. Physically, the husband and wife need a sexual relationship, but not surprisingly, they most often view the sexual relationship differently.

What a great lesson! I hope you will take a look at the book's parallel comments regarding this topic. Bill and Anabel suggest the following action before the next session: In the quietness of prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus on those areas where YOU can improve in your marriage. May the Lord bless your marriage and your family this week.

If you would like to study Biblical references to Bill and Anabel's teaching this week and for the next three weeks, take a look at the following scriptural references:
John 13:34
1 Cor. 7:1-6
Eph. 5: 21-33
Phil. 3: 8-10
Col. 3:18-19
1 Peter 3: 1-7

August 15 Overcoming Temptation & Giving Burdens to God

2010-08-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

Our lesson today was made up of two parts. The first part dealt with overcoming temptations and focused on I Corinthians 10:13. The second part of the lesson dealt with a visual and emotional tool that Anabel discovered to help Christians learn how to cast their burdens upon God.

Part I: I Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure."

With every temptation, God provides doors of escape so we can say "No" to the enemy and thus endure his attack. However, if the initial door of escape is ignored, not only do subsequent escape routes become narrower, they also become more difficult to access. Failing to take the way of escape provided does not mean the temptation was too strong and that I Cor. 10:13 does not work. It simply means that we ignored our opportunity to escape.

Just as the Bible says, God is faithful and He won't allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist. However, we must use the escape plan that He intends for us to use. Calling out to the Lord at the edge of sin and asking Him to deliver us is a dangerous and costly habit. In so doing, we load ourselves with a heavier burden of temptation. Spiritual battles are won at the threshold of the mind, not in the mind.

Anabel shared the story of a high school girl on a date in order to illustrate the dynamics of temptation. Within every temptation, there are doors of escape. Thoughts come from the Holy Spirit, your sound mind, and the power of sin. All these thoughts are manifested in first-person pronouns. Subsequent doors of escape are narrower than the first door was. Anabel shared a story of a vacuum cleaner salesman who gained access to her home and how much more difficult it was to get rid of the salesman than it would have been if she had met him at the door of her house. The strongest defense against temptation is at the first way of escape, the threshold. Say "No" to the devil's temptation--and mean it. Prepare for Satan at the threshold of your mind, remembering that in Christ, victory is already yours.

PART II--How to Give a Burden to the Lord

Psalms 68:19 says, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden..."I Peter 5: 7 says, "Cast all your anxiety upon Him." Psalm 55:22 says, "Get rid of the burden. Throw it onto the Lord." God commands us to give our burdens to Him. It is not a suggestion. There is no need to package them nicely; just give them to Him.

Anabel suggests the following: Get a piece of paper, an envelope, a pen, a marker, a watch, a brick, and a helium balloon with string on it. Go somewhere where you can be by yourself. With your marker, write your burden on the balloon. Hold the brick and the string to the balloon in your hand--with your arm outstretched. Tell the Lord everything about your burden while holding the string and the brick in your outstretched hand. Hold this "burden" until you can't stand it any longer, then simultaneously drop the brick and let go of the balloon. Immediately, write on the paper the time and date that you gave God your burden, and write at the bottom of the page, "And He took it." Put the paper in the envelope and seal it. Put a few notes around the house, with the date and time on them, to remind yourself that you gave your burden to the Lord--and He took it. Continually thank God for taking your burden. This practical exercise will give you a solid reminder that you really did give your burden to the Lord. But, you must let go. Here is a poem Anabel shared to end the lesson today:

Just as my child brings his broken toys with tears for me to mend
I took my broken dreams to God because He was my friend.
But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
"How could you be so slow?"
"What could I do my child?" He said,
"You never did let go."

The enemy will ferociously tempt you to take your burden back. But it is no longer yours; you gave it to the Lord.

Cindy and I will be vacationing with our girls in the Seattle area next week. We hope to attend church next Sunday at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Thanks to Beth Miles for agreeing to bring the lesson next week. We shall look forward to seeing you again on August 29.

"Dealing With Your Emotions"--The Life by Bill Gillham

2010-08-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

VISITORS TODAY
We were pleased to welcome Tim and Jessica Pierce to class this morning. The Pierces have three children: Mikagle McDaniel(2/7/2002), Sean McDaniel (9/19/2003), and Hailey McDaniel (7/21/2005).
We have been blessed all summer with a steady stream of visitors. Let's continue to welcome our visitors and make them feel at home. I always follow-up with a letter or e-mail to our visitors inviting them to join our class. If any of you would like to make contact also, just let me know and I will provide contact information.

In today's lesson, Dr. Gillham began with a story about a bear--a mean, man-eating bear in Alaska. He asked us to imagine that we were walking along the Alaskan prairie when we saw the bear galloping toward us at break-neck speed, intent on having us for lunch. As we consider our options, we run into a cabin made of railroad ties...in other words, it is sturdy and stable. We lock the door behind us and we notice a small window in the front of the cabin. The window is large enough for the bear to look through and to stick his front paw through. However, we are safe. The bear is unsuccessful in every effort to invade the cabin. The diagram above comes from the leader's guide to today's lesson and is the diagram that was shown during the lesson. It illustrates how our mind and our emotions influence our will and our actions.

Dr. Gillham states, "Emotions are a powerful force in our lives. We dare not ignore them, but neither should we be ruled by them. God intends that we 'walk by faith,'and faith is anchored in the mind, not the emotions." In this lesson, Dr. Gillham shares four steps to help us understand how not to be dominated by our emotions, but rather to walk by faith in consistent victory.

STEP 1--TRUTH
In the case of the bear story, you are safe in the cabin. But, unless you know that you are safe from the bear, you can still die from heart failure. All of our lives, we have heard the saying, "What you don't know won't hurt you." However, Bill helps us to understand that in the case of your spiritual walk, what you don't know can and will destroy you. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

STEP 2--FAITH
As the bear story progresses and as time passes, you eventually begin to realize that you are safe inside the cabin. Bill calls this "cabin faith." Whether you are talking about "cabin faith" or Christian faith, the issue is not the amount of faith. The main issue is the object of your faith. You can believe you are safe inside the cabin and not act on your faith and still die from heart failure.

STEP 3--WORKS (behavior, performance): Act like you are safe.
If you were in the cabin and the bear continued to ram his head against the door, shaking every timber in the building and he continued to growl and swat his paw through the window seeking to reach your body and you continued to see his bared teeth as he growls, your emotions would still have great difficulty buying the fact that you were safe. As I mentioned in class, I would still be looking for more protection, more insurance....such as a high caliber weapon or a long, sharp spear...anything that I might use to fend off the assault. However, Bill points out that regardless of what your emotions are feeling, you can choose to act like you are safe, lining your behavior up with reality. As Bill mentioned, you could even choose to lie down on the floor and catch up on your Bible reading. Remember from last week the definition of a hypocrite. If you begin to act like who you are, "feeler" will not like it and sin will accuse you of being a hypocrite; but you will be walking by faith, believing the truth, living in reality.

STEP 4--FEELINGS--You finally begin to feel safer, sort of.
You will never gain total control over your emotions. Even Jesus dealt with emotions at Gethsemane, but He still had peace. Some people say that they have lost their peace of mind when things go wrong, but they never really had peace of mind in the first place; they had peace of feel. True peace, the "peace that passes understanding," is knowing that the Father has everything under control and that He is conforming you to the image of Christ.

Here is a challenge from this lesson:
Pray, "Lord, begin a new work in me. I'm going to feel weird when I act differently than I feel. I am trusting You to make my identity in Christ a reality in my life. You, not my emotions, are the essence of my identity. I do not want the truths I am learning to be just information. Right now, as best as I understand it, I offer myself as a living sacrifice to You to do Your will in me."

Have a great week. Don't hesitate to contact me personally if I can help you in any way.

Jimmy

Why We Still Struggle; Channel 1 and Channel 2 August 1, 2010

2010-07-31T11:12:00.001-07:00

This week's lesson with Dr. Bill and Anabel Gillham deals with the inner war that we all experience within our own minds and conscience as we struggle to honor God in a world where we face constant influences and suggestions and life options that are not Godly. Bill points out that many of us mistakenly believe that this inner war is between the old man which is symbolized by Adam and his decision to decide for himself what direction he wishes to take and the new man which is symbolized by our walk with Jesus in faith. However, as Bill states, such a struggle would mean that we are a house divided. The scripture clearly states that a house divided against itself cannot stand. So, what is it we are fighting against?

Dr. Gillham points to Ephesians 2:4-6

"Eph 2:4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:" (ASV)

Looking at these verses, Dr. Gillham points out the verb tense (past), emphasizing that this is a "done deal." God loved us, He raised us up with Him, and made us to sit in the heavenly places. You and I, as Children of God, are already sitting at the right hand of the Father. Then, why do we still struggle?

Dr. Gillham points out that the scripture says Heaven is up. But it doesn't say how far up. He suggests that we imagine heaven is one inch off the surface of the earth. If that were true, we would be standing with our feet planted on the earth, with our body extending into the realm of Heaven. You are united with Christ spiritually and are a partaker of His divine nature (See 2 Peter 1:4). Your soul and spirit are sealed in the Holy Spirit (See 1 Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13, and Eph. 4:30). Then, why do we still struggle? How can we be standing with our body in heaven and still face temptation, and worse, still fail?

Dr. Gillham points out that Satan is a great counterfeiter. God is your father. However, Satan seeks to be God. Satan is the false god and the "father of lies." Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. Satan's false messiah is the antichrist who will appear on this earth in the last days (See 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Satan counterfeits the Holy Spirit with the power of sin.

Consider how the Holy Spirit works: He indwells you; He interprets the circumstances of life to you; He dialogues with your mind. John 14:26 states, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." The power of sin is going to function in the same manner as the Holy Spirit, but with the opposite intent.

Genesis 4:7 is the first reference to "sin" in the Bible. Here we find that sin is a noun, not a verb. God's word is personifying sin. The word "sin" appears 41 times in Romans five thru eight. 40 of these occurences are nouns. Only 1 is a verb. Romans 7 gives a clue to the way sin, the noun, works. In Romans 7:20, sin is clearly identified: "Rom 7:20 But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me." (ASV) In verse 7:15, only the pronoun "I" is used: "Rom 7:15 For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do." (ASV) What happened to sin in verse 15? Sin is masquerading in verse 15 as "the old you" that was crucified with Christ, and he's imitating the old man. In other words, according to Bill, the power of sin impersonates the old man, speaking to you--the new creation--with first person pronouns (I, me, myself), using your accent and your one of voice. (Wow! That is a scary thought--my accent and my tone of voice?)

That is why it seems like the old man is still alive, even though the Scriptures state clearly that he is dead. He was crucified and buried with Christ (see Romans 6:4-6 and Gal. 2:20). Here is how Dr. Gillham describes it: "Some versions of the Bible use the term "sin nature," but this is not a Biblical term and is not a literal translation of the original language. If you are born again, then sin is no longer your nature, but rather an alien power that works in you." The key concept is, "Nature" defines the essence of a person or thing. As a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17, you still have sin in you (Rom. 7:21-23); but it is not your essence (nature). You do not have a "sin nature; you have a new nature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). As a new creature in Christ, the law of God is written on your heart. You long to obey God (2 Cor. 3:3).

Bill describes two "television channels" that control our thinking. Channel 1 is described as the location of sin as identifed in Romans 7:23 "Rom 7:23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members." (ASV)

Bill uses the stimulus of a "curvy lady" to describe the process by which temptation and sin enter our lives. The diagram at the top of this blog outlines the process of how our eyes and our mind allow satan to influence and tempt us. Bill points out that temptation comes from the devil and your true desires come from God. In order to combat this powerful tempter, we must take every thought captive (see 2 Cor. 10:5) and say "No" to temptation (see 1 Cor. 10:13). Bring Christ on line to give you victory. You are dead to sin and alive to God, so act like what you are--dead to sin. James 4:7 states, "Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (ASV)

Bill suggests that we change our tuner from Channel 1 to Channel 2. Channel 2 is synonymous with walking in the Spirit and setting your mind on reality, determining to depend upon Christ, and declaring that you desire for Him to express His life through you.

People believe they are being hypocritical if they act contrary to how they feel. This is Satan's definition of a hypocrite. The true definition of hypocrisy is, "pretending to be what you are not." If you begin to act like who you are, your feeler may not agree and sin will accuse you of being a hypocrite. The truth is, you are walking by faith, acting like who you really are and aligning your life on the truths in God's Word. Bill stated, "Your old flesh patterns are like your high-school algebra; they will dissipate from lack of use."

Cindy and I both experienced this concept this week. Our old knowledge of high school algebra has dissipated. We had a young man come to our home one evening this week for assistance and tutoring in a college algebra class he is taking. Cindy taught math for more than 30 years and I took advanced math classes through integral calculus and differential equations during my early years as an engineering major. Surely, together, we could work these college algebra problems in a breeze. WRONG! We worked for hours. While we were finally able to work most of the problems, I doubt if we were able to explain them sufficiently to help the student learn what he needed to understand the concept. Lack of use had caused our skills to dissipate. Bill says the same thing happens when we stop using those "green highways" and old flesh patterns that lead to sin. Think about it. It makes sense!

Let's all try to live on Channel 2 this week.

Jesus Loves Me

2010-07-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a lesson we shared with Bill and Anabel Gillham this morning in Sunday School. First, Anabel explained that God's Word is like a love letter written to the one He loves. I have never thought about the Bible as a love letter but I will from now on. Isn't it great to know that God cares for His children so much that He has given us "love letters" to help us know how to deal with the challenges of life. Of course, to benefit from that knowledge, we must be engaged in reading and studying the Word of God. Here is the BIG question: How often do you read and study the Bible? You can grade your own papger on this one. You know if your answer is adequate or not. If it is not, I encourage you to re-prioritize your schedule and be sure there is time for reading and studying the Word of God on a regular basis. It may mean that you have to get up thirty minutes earlier or it may mean that you have to do without the Starbucks on one day each week. Whatever it means to you, I believe that the investment will pay big dividends in your spiritual growth. Give it a try!

Next, Anabel showed a great illustration of the scriptural concept in John 14:20: "When I come back to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." She used envelopes to show how Jesus is in God, and how she and you and I are in Jesus, and how Jesus is in us. The critical teaching point of the illustration was the fact that Anabel had to let go of the envelopes for them to all be safely tucked inside the biggest envelope labeled "God." The key point is that we all have to let go and let God. We have to depend on God and not ourselves in order to experience the security of being in God and having Jesus in us.

Perhaps, the most powerful illustration of the lesson today was Anabel's story of her son Mason. Mason was a profoundly retarded little boy who was born into the Gillham household. As Anabel was preparing to take him back to the place where he was institutionalized, she finally came to that point where she admitted that she could not do it on her own. She had a need to communicate her love to her little boy and yet, he could not respond. She said that she stood before that little boy with grubby hands and a shirt with food all over it and saliva drooling out of his mouth and told him how much she loved him. Yet, he could not respond. It was at that point that he recognized the Lord telling her that He loved her the same way that she loved Mason. He loved her because she was His--nothing else was necessary. God loves us because we are His. We don't have to do anything....we can't do anything to earn His love. We are loved because we belong to Him. God loves you and me unconditionally. We are loved. "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. We are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so."

We had a visitor this morning: Kim Reynolds. Kim is married to a United States Marine and she has two children: Emalee who is six years old, and Danielle who is three years old. Please pray for Kim and her family this week.

It is a privilege and an honor to serve as your Sunday School Teacher. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can pray with you or help you in any way.

HAVE a GREAT WEEK!

Session 3--Our True Identity in Christ

2010-07-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Our lesson this week addresses our TRUE identity in Christ. We are asked at the beginning of the lesson to choose a number between 1 and 10 that represents our view of ourself. The lesson begins in the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:16, 17. Our identity is determined by birth, not by performance. When we are born into this world, we inherit the spiritual traits and nature of the old man, Adam, who, as we know, decided that he could be his own boss. He became the first lord of the ring. As humans, we inherited that broken nature.

However, God created ALL things for His purposes--including time. Faith requires the time dimension. When faith is no longer needed, time will cease to be. God is not controlled by His creation. He is not time dimensional. You and I are time-dimensional beings. Bill describes our timeline as shown in Figure 3-4 to the left. It is important to understand that God never allows a problem to come into our life for which He does not already have a solution. Isn't that a great thought?

As a descendent of Adam, you and I have inherited his spiritual characteristics. We are born with a dead spirit. Thus, we must be born again (see the story of Nicodemus, John 3: 1-15). As mentioned above, birth always determines identity. All we have to do to go to hell is show up on the planet as a descendent of Adam.
Salvation is a change in your nature and your identity from the inside out. When you enter into Christ's lifeline, you receive His nature (His spiritual characteristics) and His life. You receive a new present, a new future, and a new past.

Your heritage from Adam is history. God had to do away with your old identity in order to give you a new identity. God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam). The plan is to kill it and start over again.

It is from the perspective of who you are in Christ that you understand your true identity and realize that Christ is your life. Review the information in "Your True Identity in Christ" to better understand who you are in Christ.

LINK TO LUNCH PICTURES JULY 11, 2010

2010-07-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures I took at lunch today. Sorry I couldn't name all the kids. I don't know if I got everybody (they were moving around pretty quick), but I got most of them.

Jimmy

You are invited to view Jimmy's photo album: Sunday School Lunch 7-11-2010

Lesson 2--Bill and Annabel's Flesh

2010-07-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had a great time sharing lunch today at Fuddrucker's. Cindy and I enjoyed watching your little ones. While they did eat, they appeared to be more interested in the games. I especially enjoyed watching little Will Gutierrez. He stood in front of one of those games mesmerized. He would point the pistol toward the screen and periodically yell for himself. He was having a blast! And it did not matter to him that no one had activated the game with a quarter. He thought he was playing the game just like the big boys and girls and he was having a great time...for free. As Bo observed, it will be a sad day when he realizes that you have to put a quarter in the game for it to work. I also enjoyed meeting Kathleen's Mom. It is nice to meet folks for whom we have been praying. It was also great to see each of you who were able to make it. I always enjoy our fellowship time together.

As Craig reported, we have looked at the support materials that are available to accompany the DVD study series called "The Life." Beth passed around a couple of children's books available at the website and I passed around "The Life" Study Guide that accompanied the DVDs. Craig spoke with Karin Peters about the possibility of buying the book, "The Lifetime Guarantee" to accompany our study. We are going to explore the possibility of having the church provide each couple in our class with a copy of this book. We will keep you informed.

TODAY'S LESSON

In today's lesson, we saw both Bill and Annabell share their own personal versions of "the flesh" which weighed them down, enslaved them, and ultimately threatened to destroy their marriage. Even though it appears that many of our flesh patterns may have developed in response to our home environment when we were young children, Bill makes the point that our parents were playing "Lord of the Ring" just like we play "Lord of the Ring." However, our real enemy and the real culprit of our flesh development is satan himself.

One of the freightening things that I saw in today's lesson is the understanding that many of the things we do, the way we say things, the actions we take, and the attitudes we demonstrate could be impacting our kids in a negative way when it comes to the development of their own flesh. While Bill's flesh pattern was based on a need to be a "manly man" and to demonstrate strength and machismo, Annabel described a need to perform well, even a need to be perfect as her own flesh. Both of these flesh patterns worked against their marriage and both individuals fell victims to their own flesh patterns as well as those of their spouse. This destructive pattern drove Bill and Annabel to the brink of divorce.

In Bill and Annabel's story, we see that God used the incompatibility of their flesh to bring them to a place of trusting Him. Annabel shared that she reached the point when she cried out, "God, I can't! You are going to have to." God responded, "Thank you, Annabel. I will do it all for you!" And with this, Annabel began to grasp the truth of Galatians 2:20--that she had been crucified with Christ and that Christ would live His life through her.

Your flesh and my flesh may be different from Bill and Annabel's. However, we all have flesh and we all behave in ways that are fleshly. The sooner we recognize these patterns and the sooner we admit that we simply cannot defeat the enemy, the sooner we are in a position to be delivered from the slavery of sin. We must turn it over to God. He will do it all for us. In addition to freeing us from the terrible bondage of fleshly living, our freedom in our marriages and in our homes is likely to help our own kids to avoid some of the destructive behaviors, attitudes, and emotions that are often based on subtle messages that were received during upbringing. Probably, none of us can avoid passing on some negative thoughts, actions, or attitudes to our children. However, we can minimize such teachings if we are willing to lean on God completely--to be crucified with Him and to allow Him to live through us (Gal. 2:20). Amen.

The Life: Session 1 Programming of the Flesh

2010-07-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

REMINDER: LUNCH WITH THE FAMILY AT FUDDRUCKERS NEXT SUNDAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORSHIP SERVICE

PLEASE ANSWER THE ONE-QUESTION POLL AT THIS BLOG SITE. THANKS. JIMMY

In Session I of "The Life", Bill Gillham pointed out that there are really only two ways for Christians to walk (behave) in this world: according to the flesh, and in the spirit. He helped us to understand this key concept: "The Christian life is not difficult to live; it is impossible. Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever really lived the Christian life. He is the only one who can live it today, and that is exactly what He wants to do--through you (see John 15:5 and Galatians 2:20). Dr. Gillham pointed out these three basic points:
1. God is love. You were created by God to be loved unconditionally. Only God loves unconditionally, therefore you need God.
2. God created laws (ways) to govern the universe. All of His ways are good.
3. Each of us showed up on planet earth with the need to be loved. Instead of getting our need met God's way, we developed our own ways of getting our needs met. This is what the Bible calls "flesh." The cardinal sin of man is independence from God.

The human design includes the body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23). The Spirit is the dimension of your being through which you relate to God. At the time of your physical birth, your spirit is dead to God. This condition is inherited from Adam, the first man, and that is why you need to be "born again" (see Jn. 3:1-15).

The soul is your unique personality and is comprised from three parts: 1) the mind, 2) the emotions, 3) the will. Your body, called your "earth suit" by Dr. Gillham, houses your soul and spirit while you are on earth. It is the vehicle through which you relate to people and the environment. You are a spiritual being with a soul in a body, not a physical being with a spirit.

Both the mind and emotions are quick to respond to stimuli, but the emotions are much slower to recover. When you are chronically exposed to harmful stimuli, your emotions can become "stuck." As the brain repeatedly receives the same type of information and interacts with the mind, will, and emotions in the same ways, those programs become deeply ingrained. Bill refers to these programs as "green highways." After you are born again, these "green highways" become your unique version of the flesh. Walking in the Spirit most often requires you to choose to walk by what God's Word says rather than by what you feel. Bill's working definition of the flesh: "Your old ways which you developed through independent living."

Before we blame our parents for the way our self-perception (programming) developed, we must look to see how our parents were raised and how their parents were raised and their parents were raised, etc. If we look back far enough, we will find the enemy of God, Satan, who originally deceived Adam into thinking independence from God was a good plan. The battle we face is not against your parents or any other human being. Our battle is against the power of the enemy and his principalities (reference Eph. 6:12). One of the biggest examples of flesh is performance-based acceptance. If you perform well, I will accept you. If you don't, I won't.

Bill referred to a "Flesh Inventory" in his comments today. I shall attempt to copy the inventory below for your review.

Questions for Personal Reflection
When you were a child, what people and experiences had the most significant impact on what you believe, think, and feel? Were the messages you received generally positive or negative? Work through the following "Flesh Inventory." Ask the Holy Spirit to use this inventory to help you identify your unique version of the flesh. Check the issues that you struggle with and put a number from 1-10 beside each check--with 1 being low and 10 high--to indicate the intensity of your struggle. Is your "feeler" stuck at the top of your emotional Richter Scale? In the following sessions of The Life, you will discover how to appropriate what God has done through Christ to free you from these patterns!

____Anger ____Envy ____Indifference to others'____Overly quiet ____Self-gratification
problems (obsessions)
____Anxiety ____False Modesty _____Overly sensitive to criticism

___Argumentative____Fear____Inferiority Feelings ____Overly submissive____Self-Hatred

___Attraction to astrology___Feelings of Helplessness ___Inhibited___Passivity

____Self-indulgence

____Bigotry ____Feelings of Rejection____Insecurity____Perfectionist
____Self-justification

____Bitterness____Feelings of Stupidity____Intemperance____Prejudice____Self-pity

____Boastful____Feelings of worthlessness____Jealousy____Pride____Self-reliant

____Bossy____Gluttony____Laziness____Profane____Self-righteousness

____Causing dissension____Greed____Loner____Projecting Blame____Self-sufficient

____Conceited____Guilt____Low Self-Discipline____Prone to Gossip____Selfish Ambition

____Controlled by emotions____Hatred____Low Self-worth____Quick to speak ____Sensuality

____Controlled by peer pressure____Hostility____Lust for Pleasure ____Racism____Sexual Lust

____Covetousness____Homosexual Lust____Materialistic ____Rebellion at Authority ____Slow to Forgive

____Critical tongue____Idolatry____Must strive to repay any kindness shown to you

____Resentment ____Stubborness

____Deceitfulness____If it feels good, do it ____Restlessness ____Temper

____Depression(non-organic) ____Impatience____Negativism____Sadness____Unlovely

____Dominance____Impulsiveness____Nervousness____Self-Centered____Vanity

____Drug Dependency____Impure thoughts____Occult Involvement____Self-confidence

____Withdrawal

____Drunkenness____Inadequacy____Opinionated____Self-depreciation____Workaholic

____Worrier

God Bless America on this July 4! Hope to see you all at the July 4 Celebration at Church in a couple of hours! Have a great week.

Jimmy

2010-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

LET'S ALL PRAY THIS WEEK: 49 Pre-teens leave for camp on Monday morning. Let's pray for them to have a great week together and in spiritual growth. Let's pray for Brittany Parsons and for all the others who will be ministering and supervising for at least part of the week, including our own Steve Day and Marty Holmes. Let's pray for the bus driver/s who will be transporting this precious cargo to and from camp. Let's Pray!

Let's pray for the young missionary (Jessica Van Slyke) and her colleague, Sarah who will soon be in Russia doing medical missionary work. The following is an excerpt from an earlier blog in case you wish to make a contribution to Sarah and Jessica's missionary work.
Financial Support--Missionary to Russia

Our class was privileged to have Jessica Van Slyke join us last Sunday. Jessica will be traveling soon to Moscow, Russia where she will be serving as a missionary. If you have a desire to support Jessica's work, here is the address she sent. Just send a check to the following address:

And here's the address to the gatekeeping account(tax-deductable):
Agape Unlimited, Inc.
P.O. Box 50994
Midland, TX 79710
They just have to put "Sarah and Jessica" in the memo line!

Let's pray this week for mine and Cindy's friend, Annette Doucette who is recovering from a broken hip and hip replacement surgery. Let's pray for Wendy who recently underwent a colostomy and was fitted with a colostomy bag.
Let's pray for Gena Higginbotham's grandfather, L.T. L.T. has suffered a heart attack and is very weak. Let's pray for Kathleen's Mom as she continues to seek a new job. Let's pray for Clayton Jackson and his grandmother as they travel. Let's pray for the Scastas as they travel this weekend. As we approach the July 4 weekend, let's pray for our country and for our leaders. Let's Pray!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL LUNCH

On Sunday, July 11, we would like to have a time of fellowship over lunch at Fuddruckers immediately after the worship service. I hope that all of you will make an effort to join us for this time of informal fellowship and visiting. As I mentioned in class, it will be a great opportunity for those of us who do not normally have an opportunity to see your kids to have that opportunity. We will pull tables and chairs together and just enjoy lunch and each other.

TODAY'S LESSON:

Circumstantial Evidence for Christ

Today, we considered the circumstantial evidence to support Jesus Christ as the risen Son of God! Jesus' closest followers scattered in the wake of the crucifixion. They were not expecting Jesus to die at the hands of the Romans. When He died on a cross, they were unsure of His power, doubting that He could be the Messiah of all creation, and afraid that the authorities would come after them next. However, in three days Jesus rose from the dead and Jesus' followers were eyewitnesses that He lived and He walked and He talked after also being eyewitnesses to His death. Their relationship to Jesus changed forever. They were now convinced that Jesus was and is the Son of God. After all, they saw with their own eyes! They were committed...not just committed....but obsessed and completely sold out. They faced torture and martydom, but they never recanted from their commitment. They knew what they saw.

On the other hand, there were non-believers who made a complete 180 degree change of direction after encountering the risen Jesus. Jesus' half-brother James was not a believer--until he saw Jesus alive and well after the resurrection. He became a church leader and died a martyr's death as a result of his commitment. Saul of Tarsus pursued Christians with a vengeance. Yet, after his personal encounter with the living Christ, he became one of the greatest crusaders for Christ that the world has ever known.

If you have not read The Case for Christ, I encourage you to do so. The evidence will reveal the truth!

THE CASE FOR CHRIST--Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ: The Pivotal Point for All Human History

2010-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

This morning, we considered the evidence that supports the hinge point on which all other human history and human endeavor rests: Did Jesus Christ actually die on an old wooden cross and if He did die, was he resurrected on the third day? If these things did not occur, then human life is meaningless and our faith as Christians is of no value and also meaningless. Therefore, the validity of these events is easily the most critical analysis that can be undertaken by Christian and non-Christian alike. Validation of these events verifies that Christ is who He says he was, the Son of God, and that He was and is capable of saving sinners from the consequence of their actions: death. Indeed, the critical importance of these events is emphasized in Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 15: 13-14, Paul writes, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain."
As Mr. Strobel discusses in the book, there are those who try to explain the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by postulating that Jesus actually never died. He only fainted or was drugged and actually was alive when he was removed from the cross. This theory is popularly characterized as the "swoon theory." Yet, we examined the likelihood that a person could walk away from the kind of punishment that Jesus suffered at the hands of the Romans. We considered these fact: 1) The Romans were experts in administering the death penalty and inflicting pain on those whom they viewed as enemies, 2) Jesus was flogged prior to the crucifixion. Often, flogging in and of itself was sufficient to bring about the death of a victim. Flogging resulted in the exposure of nerves, muscles, and, in some cases the intestines of the person being flogged. As we discussed in class, there were no antibiotics at the time of Jesus. A person whose skin was torn from his body and who suffered extreme exposure in unsanitary conditions would not be likely to survive even this "minor" punishment. 3) The crucifixion of a person led to a victim being spread-eagled on a wooden cross and nails driven through the victim's hands and feet. In order to breathe while suspended on the cross, victims were forced to press down on their pierced feet and lift the body up so that the diaphragm could fill the lungs with air. In many cases, the victim became so exhausted and debilitated by the excruciating pain, that he simply asphyxiated on the cross. 4) While we did not discuss it this morning, Strobel refers to medical expert testimony that suggests that even if an individual was able to survive the flogging and the crucifixion, the extreme shock that the body would certainly encounter would be enough to bring about death, 5) The Romans, being experts in the administration of the death penalty, had the experience and the knowledge to determine when a victim of the cross was dead. The soldier who looked at Jesus determined that the breaking of His legs was not necessary because He was already dead. Just to ensure that his assessment was accurate, he pierced Jesus' side with the spear and, according to John, "blood and water came out." Again, based on the medical expert testimony, this observation was an indication that the pericardial sac which surrounds the heart had filled with fluid--the "water" that John referenced. Based on the medical testimony, such a condition would have precipitated the stoppage of the heart resulting in death. Clearly, the preponderance of evidence demonstrates that Jesus was indeed dead when he was removed from the cross.
Next, we must consider the allegation that Jesus' disciples stole his body from the tomb in which it was buried. Matthew reported that the chief priests paid the soldiers who were on duty a large sum of money to make the allegation that Jesus' body was stolen. Of course, we know that during that day and time, the soldiers who allowed a body to be stolen when they were assigned to guard the body would be facing torture and death as a consequence of this action. No such response is reported. While this may be the origin of the allegation that Jesus' body was stolen from the tomb, it is only a story that was fabricated by the chief priests to minimize the evidence that Jesus was indeed resurrcted from the dead.
Some of the experts in the DVD pointed out that if the early Christians were fabricating a story about the missing body and the empty tomb, they certainly would not have chosen a woman, Mary Magdelene to be the lead character in the discovery of the empty tomb. Women were second class citizens and Mary Magdelene was also a woman of questionable background. If this report of the Easter Morning discovery were not true, there is no feasible reason for Christian fathers to report it as it was reported. Yet, the report circulated soon after the death of Jesus and even in the face of severe criticism and questions about the credibility of women, Christian reports continued to reinforce this version of events.
Finally, we considered the appearanches of Jesus after his death and resurrection. Jesus appeared to more than five hundred followers as well as to the apostles after his death and resurrection. Again, the preponderance of evidence is overwhelming--Jesus Christ of Nazareth was seen time and again by those who would recognize him. He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! Amen!

THE CASE FOR CHRIST--Analyzing Jesus

2010-06-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

We were pleased to have Trey and Shelly Schultz join us in Sunday School this morning. Please join us in praying that the Lord will guide them to the Sunday School class that He has for them.

Here are the other prayer requests that Tracey published from this morning's class: Swope- Please pray for Zane's childhood friend. He has been in poor health the past few years and is on a heart transplant list and now is going through a divorce- The Haley family.

Higginbotham- Please pray for Gina's grandfather. He has diabetes and has had to have several toes amputated and is facing losing more. Also pray for her mom who is caring for him. Her mom and grandfather have had a very tense relationship over the years.

Miles- Please remember Messiah's Ranch. It is a local christian camp, and the lake which was their main attraction has dried up.

Scasta- Please pray for Craig's mom, Phyllis, as she undergoes outpatient surgery Tuesday.

Gutierrez- Please pray for them as they travel this week to El Paso and then on to Cloudcroft, NM.

Please remember Pastor Chris. He is at the Southern Baptist Convention this week and has a meeting on Monday that is expected to be very tense as it involves some churches having to give up receiving money that they had gotten used to having.

Please pray that God will stop the oil flow in the Gulf and for all those affected.

TODAY'S LESSON:

This morning, we looked at the material from Chapters 9 and 10 from the book, The Case for Christ. These chapters address what Lee Strobel calls the profile evidence and the fingerprint evidence. Mr. Strobel continues to use the metaphor of a court case and strengthens the analogy by referring to the common police investigator strategy of drawing a profile of a suspect in order to verify the suspect's identification. In the DVD presentation, we saw examples of police artists sketching a profile both free-hand and with the use of a computer in order to establish a picture of the alleged suspect. Mr. Strobel points out that The Old Testament creates a profile for the characteristics of God which are fulfilled in The New Testament as Jesus is described. For example, as we discussed in class, some of the attributes of God include His omniscience, He is all-knowing, His omnipotence, He is all-powerful, His omnipresence, He is present everywhere, and His immutability, He never changes, the same yesterday, today, and forever. We see this profile matched in the biographies of Jesus found in The New Testament.

As Dr. Craig Evans, one of the scholars we saw interviewed on the DVD stated, "Jesus' contemporaries--that is, people who liked Him, people who were indifferent, and people who opposed Him--all acknowledged that Jesus did extraordinary things." Such acknowledgements can be found in John 2:23, John 10:24-25, and Matthew 12:24. However, as we discussed in class, many of us had never considered the forgiveness of sins to be the most impressive miracle performed by Jesus. Yet, according to New Testament scholar Mark Strauss, the most astonishing miracle performed by Jesus was exactly that, the forgiveness of sins. The forgiveness of sins can only be accomplished by God. Therefore, even though Jesus performed other miracles to validate his authority to forgive sins, the forgiveness of sins is the ultimate validation of Jesus as God.

We further examined the fingerprint evidence established by the prophecies of The Old Testament as they identified the only person in all of eternity who could fit the fingerprint of The Messiah. We learned in the DVD presentation this morning that there are 48 ancient prophecies regarding The Messiah. Jesus fulfilled them all! The mathematical odds of one person fulfilling all of these prophecies in his lifetime bring further evidence to the case that there is only one individual in all of eternity who could fit this divine fingerprint. The following chart provides examples of some of the prophecies, the Old Testament reference, and the approximate years they were written before Jesus.

FULFILLED PROPHECY O.T. REFERENCE YRS. BEFORE JESUS

Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 700
Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 700
Mocked, scorned, whipped, killed by Psalm 22 300--1,000
the piercing of his hands and feet,
bones out of joint, garments divided
by the casting of lots
Time of birth predicted Daniel 9: 24-26 600
Come from the seed of a woman Genesis 3:15 1,400
Descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,David Genesis 12:3, 17:19 700-1,400
Numbers 24:17
Isaiah 9:7
Heal the deaf and the blind Isaiah 29:18 700
Would teach with parables Psalm 78:2 300-1,000
Would be betrayed for 30 pieces silver Zechariah 11:12 500
Bones would remain unbroken Psalm 34:20 300-1,000
Would be resurrected on the 3rd day Psalm 16:10 300-1,000
Hosea 6:2
* For more information on prophecies fulfilled, see the book, The Case for Christ.

The overwhelming preponderance of evidence from the profile and prophecies created in The Old Testament points to only one person--The Risen Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Amen!

Please join us next week as we begin to consider the medical evidence, the evidence of the missing body, and the evidence of appearances. The case continues to build--The Case for Christ. Have a great week! Don't hesitate to call me if I can help you in any way or if I can pray for you or with you. 979-229-6606

The Case for Christ--Corroborating Evidence

2010-06-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

This morning, we looked at Strobel's collection of corroborating evidence from Chapter 3 of his book and briefly at the rebuttal evidence from Chapter 6 of the book. We talked about the meaning of corroborative evidence. Webster defines corroborate: "To make more certain; confirm: He corroborated my account of the accident." Corroborative evidence supports other testimony; it affirms or backs up the essential elements of an eyewitness account. It can be a public record, a photograph, or additional testimony from a second or third person. It can verify a person's entire testimony or just key parts of it. In effect, corroborative evidence acts like the support wires that keep a tall antenna straight and unwavering. The more corroborative evidence, the stronger and more secure the case.

Chapter 3 from The Case for Christ makes reference to corroborative evidence found outside the Bible. For example, one of the "support wires" from the image described above could be the historical writings from various historians such as Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger, Tertullian, and Phlegon. These writings verified and validated many of the events, actions, words, and characteristics that we find in the eyewitness accounts of Jesus in the Gospels of the New Testament. For example, the historical description of the darkened sky and the earthquake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross is referenced in the historical documents of the day. Jesus was described as a wise man who performed acts of amazement and who was a teacher to those who followed Him. An important fact to keep in mind is that these historians were not Christians. They had nothing to gain by embellishing the facts. In fact, they likely faced some criticism and persecution from those who were attempting to quell the Christian movement. Yet, they were compelled to record the facts for history and these historical facts clearly corroborated the Biblical version of the life of Jesus.

We took a brief look at Chapter 6, the rebuttal evidence. Most of the rebuttal evidence comes from the gnostic gospels. I did not realize that there were more than 80 gospels, 4 of which were eyewitness accounts that are included in the Bible. The gospels of the New Testament were all written relatively soon after Jesus' death and they are all attributed to the author whose name they bear. Not so with the other "agnostic" gospels. The agnostic gospels were written long after Jesus lived on earth and authorship cannot be attributed to the name listed as the title of these documents. In addition, these documents have many contradictory accounts that do not reflect the events as they were described in the eyewitness testimonies of the Gospels of the New Testament and they do not comply with the other evidence found in historical documents and other outside evidence.

The Holy Bible placed great emphasis on "truth." The emphasis on truth is verified by the following scriptures: Psalm 15: 1-2, Psalm 25:5, Psalm 40:11, Psalm 51:6, and Psalm 145:18. Our lesson today deals with the "Truth" of the Bible, the truth of Jesus, and the truth of Christianity. In John 8:32, Jesus is quoted as saying, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." AMEN.

The Case for Christ--Eyewitness Evidence

2010-05-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend--what an impressive tribute to our armed forces during the worship service today! Please remember our armed forces who are serving around the world and their families and loved ones in your prayers this week. Also, please keep Kathleen's mom in your prayers as she seeks a new job and is being considered for a position that appears to fit her skills and experience well. Also, would you please pray for Rebecca Edwards, a friend of the Lovingshimers who sustained a serious knee injury while playing soccer this week. She is dealing with pain and a surgical repair and recovery.

During class today, we considered evidence of Jesus and the New Testament based on the direct and indirect eyewitness reports of those who were contemporaries of Jesus. The Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are either statements of one who actually witnessed and heard Jesus or they are statements of one who talked to those who saw and heard Jesus. Matthew was one of the original twelve disciples and recorded the words and deeds of Jesus based on his own first-hand account. Likewise, John was in the inner circle of Jesus and wrote about his first-hand observations of Jesus and repeated the actual words of Jesus. Mark was a close confidant of Peter and appears to have recorded the personal experiences of Peter in his relationship with Jesus. While not mentioned in the DVD today, the book does mention an early church historian by the name of Papias who specifically affirmed that Mark had carefully and accurately recorded Peter's eyewitness observations. In fact, he said Mark "made no mistake" and did not include "any false statement." Irenaeus, another early church historian, verified that Luke, who has been called "the historian", was a companion of Paul and "set down in a book the gospel preached by his teacher."

Strobel's research and interviews with the top Bible scholars of our time clearly indicated that the first written records of Jesus acts and words came within a realtively short period of time after His death and resurrection and certainly within a generation of Jesus' life on earth. Until that time, the facts about Jesus were maintained through oral tradition. In the lesson today, we learned that the oral tradition of an ancient culture required those who would share this sacred information to actually memorize the information perfectly in order to ensure that the information was accurately transmitted to the next generation. As a result of the realtively short period of time between the life of Jesus and the recording of these eyewitness accounts, Biblical scholars have suggested that the accuracy of the data was actually enhanced since there would have still been eyewitnesses around who would most assuredly have challenged any false or blatantly inaccurate information that was written in the first manuscripts describing the life and words of Jesus.

We had a brief discussion this morning about the allegations raised by some non-believers that because the details of the Gospels are not perfectly aligned, its credibility is called into question. On the contrary, as we discussed, the fact that there are differences in the eyewitness accounts helps to assure readers that the writers were not acting in collusion. Also, as we mentioned in class, there are no discrepancies about the main themes and critical points of any of these stories.

We looked at a few perceived discrepancies of the Bible and discussed possible resolutions that could be simple explanations.
We looked at 1 Chronicles 21:25 and 2 Samuel 24:24 and the apparent contradiction between the amount of money that King David paid for the property and equipment where he was led to build an altar to make sacrifices to the Lord. We also made reference to Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 in which there appears to be some contradiction about who asked Jesus to heal the child. Also, in Matthew 1: 1-16 and Luke 3: 23-38, different names are listed in the geneologies of Jesus. These contradictions and about 800 others are addressed in a book called "When Critics Ask" by Norman Geisler. Dr. Geisler says, "...in my experience when critics raise these objections, they invaariably violate one of seventeen principles for interpreting scripture." Now, I am on a quest to find out what those seventeen principles are. Have a great week. Jimmy

THE CASE FOR CHRIST--The Investigation of a Lifetime

2010-05-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Today, we began what best-selling author Lee Strobel calls "the investigation of a lifetime." While Mr. Strobel approached this investigation from the perspective of an aethiest which he was at the time he began to investigate the evidence that he thought would repudiate the claims of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, most of us will be approaching this study from the perspective of believers who sometimes have doubts or who often hear arguments from society which question the evidence for Jesus being who He says that He is. As Brian Gray pointed out in class this morning, it is not a bad thing for those of us who believe to confront these questions which often present themselves either in the form of our own personal doubts or in challenges from those around us. Indeed, it is a good thing for us to confront and embrace these questions and arrive at the conclusion which, for us as believers, will simply reinforce our commitment and our understanding of who He is.

We heard from several people on the street as they responded to the question, "Who is Jesus?" Here is the response from the last woman who responded: "I don't believe we will ever know if Jesus was really what everyone says he was. I think it's a lot of folklore. I think it's a lot of historical misrepresentation. It's a lot of wishful thinking. But I don't think we know. I don't think we'll ever know. And I don't think there's any way to prove what has been claimed about Jesus for all these years."

Wow! This woman described Jesus as folklore, historical misrepresentation, and wishful thinking. Unfortunately, her views are not uncommon in today's society. Marshall J. Gauvin in his book, DID JESUS CHRIST REALLY LIVE, suggested that Christ is nothing more than a corporate logo, not unlike Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, or Joe Camel, "the purpose of which is to get you to swallow a whole raft of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors by an act of simple faith, short-circuiting the dangerous process of thinking the issues out to your own conclusions."

The objective of our study during the next six weeks will be to help us to address our own questions of doubt, our own insecurities, and our own biases or prejudices regarding the true identity of Jesus Christ. In addition, we hope to learn, like a skillful attorney, to point to the irrefutable evidence in order to build a case for the truth.

Mr. Strobel pointed out in today's introduction the significance of this particular investigation. The implications are eternal in nature. I hope you will join us as we consider "the case for Christ."

VISITORS: We were pleased to have Greg and Wendy Gunter join us in Sunday School this morning. The Gunters are long-time members of Central Baptist.

Financial Support--Missionary to Russia

2010-05-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our class was privileged to have Jessica Van Slyke join us last Sunday. Jessica will be traveling soon to Moscow, Russia where she will be serving as a missionary. If you have a desire to support Jessica's work, here is the address she sent. Just send a check to the following address:

And here's the address to the gatekeeping account(tax-deductable):
Agape Unlimited, Inc.
P.O. Box 50994
Midland, TX 79710
They just have to put "Sarah and Jessica" in the memo line!

Jimmy

May 16--Missionary Headed to Russia

2010-05-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Prayer List for this Week:
Holmes- Please pray for Marty and family in the sudden loss of Marty's step-dad.

Endreola- Please pray for Sarah and Joe as they will be moving to Okinawa on May 27th with a toddler and 2 dogs.Â Also they don't have confirmed housing once they get there either.

Scasta- Please pray for Craig's assistant, Misty, who is on bedrest that she will have a healthy baby and not go crazy in the meantime.Â Also Tracey's friend who is trying to heal emotionally from a sexual assault.

Walsh- Praise!Â Jessica's tests all turned out normal!

Please pray for missionary, Jessica Van Slyke, who will be traveling to Russia in June.Â If you feel led to support her financially or otherwise contact her at javanslyke@gmail.com.

Social:
Ladies Night Out Tues, May 18th at Cafe Eccell at 6:30 ish and then Mugwalls for coffee on Harvey Rd around 8PM.Â If you have questions call Tracey cell 777-6244.Â See you there!

MISSIONARY TO RUSSIA

We were blessed to have Jessica Van Slyke come to speak to our Sunday School class this morning. Jessica is an Aggie graduate whom the Lord has called into mission work. What a blessing it was to hear her testimony and to learn of her submission to the Lord's call on her life. Jessica just graduated from A & M with a degree in International Studies and she will be leaving in June to work in a medical clinic in Moscow, Russia through the Agape Ministries. I hope you will join me in praying for Jessica and for her colleague Sarah who will also be headed to Russia this summer to minister to people who are in need of God's saving knowledge.

If you would like to contact Jessica personally, her e-mail is:

javanslyke@gmail.com

I have sent her e-mail asking that she send directions for making financial contributions to her ministry. When I receive her response, I will share it through this forum.

Best wishes for a great week. Please remember to pray for these missionaries and others as well as our own class members who are facing challenges this week.

Jimmy

Love Your Neighbor

2010-05-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson is based on Jesus' words in Matthew 22: 37-39: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Dr. Tackett shared many other scriptures that help us to understand the heart of God. Using the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus describes the behavior of a good neighbor--one who has a sincere concern for those around him. Dr. Tackett recalled a child in his elementary school who was an outcast. He also recalled his first dance in which his dad asked him if there were any girls who were not asked to dance. Dr. Tackett shared that his dad encouraged him to ask those girls to dance because he had a real desire to love those who were needy--those who were outcasts, unpopular, or even homely.

We followed the DVD lesson with a discussion about our own school days and most of us recalled at least one student who was treated as an outcast. Some of us even contributed to the painful actions directed toward these students. We discussed the fine line between teaching our kids to treat all people with RESPECT versus a display of disdain for those who are different. We talked about our experiences in schools in which we have seen a student sitting alone at the lunch table, ostracized from the other students. Kids can be cruel and such a scenario is not unusual in our schools today.

Dr. Tackett asked us to consider the heart of God and to have the same compassion for the needy as God has. If we felt this same compassion, we would be looking for opportunities to include the disenfranchised. I hope you will consider this issue this week and perhaps, even discuss it with your kids. We must not only talk to our kids about the heart of God, but we must be a role model. They tend to imitate what they see. Thanks to all of you who love the Lord and who seek to imitate Him before your kids. Have a great week.

jc

Labor--Part 2

2010-04-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today, we completed Part Two of Lesson 11 of The Truth Project in which we discussed the sphere of "Labor" in our lives. Dr. Tackett made the point that Labor is the source of all things in our lives. It pays for homes, cars, clothes, vacations, food, healthcare, etc. It also is the source of some evil things in our lives such as pornography, drug abuse, alcoholism, gluttony, and materialism. Dr. Tackett shared seven general principles related to money and economy:
1. All things belong to God.
2. God has made man a steward of His goods with ownership rights and accountability for the manner in which we manage God's goods.
3. Theft of another's goods is wrong and coveting of another's possessions is wrong as well.
4. The skills and abilities to work come from God.
5. Work is good, profitable, and to be pursued. Laziness is not.
6. Love God and not your goods.
7. Be compassionate and generous with your goods to those in need.

The last principle led to a discussion of our role as Christians in addressing the needs of the poor in our culture and society. Dr. Tackett pointed out that scripture directs us to leave the gleanings of our work for the poor. We talked about what this means. Dr. Tackett points out that it does not mean for us to harvest all the crops and give some to the poor. It means for us to leave some of the crops for the poor to harvest for themselves. In other words, we are not helping the poor by giving them a handout. We help the poor by providing an opportunity for them to work with their hands and provide for themselves. As Dr. Tackett says, it is our responsibility to "see the poor as beings of eternity who have a destiny beyond this world." The most meaningful thing we can do to help those who are poor is to help them find meaningful employment and make it possible for them to work with their own hands.

We also discussed the issue of the influence of the arts and media in our culture today. We debated the axiom, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." While there may be some differences in what one person perceives to be beauty and what someone else perceives to be beauty, Dr. Tackett took the position that all beauty should be measured against the standard of Truth as set out by God. We discussed the role of arts in our society and made note of the fact that there are productive and good roles for art and artists in our churches and in our society. We concluded that we should be encouraging our children to excell in their areas of talent and strength, but we should also be guiding them to use those talents in strength for the glory of God.

Wow! I thought today's lesson had some powerful truths that are especially relevant for this day and time. Of course, I have thought that about each of the lessons in the Truth Project. I am so thankful that God directed us toward this powerful curriculum. I hope it has been as meaningful to you as it has to me. Next week, we will begin the last lesson: Community. See you next Sunday.

The Country Fair is next Sunday evening. I am sorry that we will not be able to join you for this activity. I have a consultant job in San Antonio that will require me to leave right after church on the 2nd. However, I know you will do a great job with the putting booth. Best wishes for a great time with your kids and with the kids of our community.

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK:

Jackson- Karri's mom's church in Arkansas is going through the process of finding a new pastor. Please pray for guidance and resources for them as they look for the right person.

Please remember all of the kids and teachers that will be undertaking TAKS testing this Tuesday and Wednesday.

Scasta- Praise! The pianist at the church that Tracey grew up in is in stable condition and her heart problem will be able to be treated with medication.

Please pray for Franklin Graham and our nation. Franklin's invitation to the national day of prayer function at the Pentagon was rescinded because of negative comments he made in the past about the Muslim faith. Please pray for him as he stands for truth.

Remember to pray for the President and Congress.

Social:

The Country Fair is next Sunday at 5:00 at the church. Our class is manning the putt putt booth. If you can work a slot, let us know. We're trying to have 2 people for each 30 min. slot. The schedule is:

5:00 Swope
5:30 Gutierrez
6:00 Scasta/Holmes
6:30 Miles/Lowe

Bring your picnic blanket and hang out with us near the putt putt game!

Have a great week!

LABOR--WHAT SHOULD BE THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW OF WORK?

2010-04-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

APRIL 18, 2010
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
We were pleased to have Scott and Melissa Blair visit with us in Sunday School this morning. Please join me in praying for Scott and Melissa this week asking the Lord to show them the place of service and participation that He has for them in the coming days. If the Lord so leads, we would be thrilled to have them join our class.

Cindy and I got to see Zoe Halbert this week. She is a precious little thing and her big sisters and mom and dad seem to be doing a good job of taking care of her. Please continue to pray for Natalie and Kyle and their family as they adjust to a new member of the family---who still does not sleep in synchronization with the rest of the family!

Also, please pray for the saint whom Tracey spoke of who has served the Lord in the Music Ministry for many years--played the piano in the church where Tracey grew up and is now facing issues with her heart and coronary arteries that have closed even after stints were placed in the arteries. In addition, Craig shared a concern about one of his patients who fell and broke her back recently. She and her husband have been married for more than 60 years and he is facing the possibility that his long-time partner may not survive this injury. Please pray for them both this week.

TODAY'S LESSON:
Today, in our DVD presentation, Dr. Tackett introduced the discussion of the "Labor Sphere." He made reference to Exodus 20:9-11. Some of you have heard it called "The Sabbath Commandment." Dr. Tackett labeled it "The Labor Commandment." He talked about work and labor as something that God gave clear directions about: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work..." Dr. Tackett pointed out that "work" is an opportunity for God's people to create, to be creative, to accomplish things that make a difference for the world.

He made reference to Gutenberg's work: the invention of the printing press in 1455. This single invention, perhaps more than any other, made it possible for the word of God to be shared with the world. Prior to the printing press, the scripture had to be copied by hand, usually taking about one year to create one copy. The Bible was the first book to be printed on the Gutenberg press. In 10 years after the printing press was developed, the number of books in the world went from 50,000 to 10 million. Indeed, the work of Gutenberg made a difference in the world and contributed to God's work on earth.

Dr. Tackett also made reference to the creative work of God and a segment of the DVD showed examples of God's creative handiwork displaying mountains, forests, seas, beaches, animals, insects, flowers, trees, and stars. He also referred to our role as stewards of God's handiwork. Perhaps, this could be viewed as a scriptural basis for green practices such as recycling and conservation.

One analogy made by Dr. Tackett in today's lesson did generate some debate in our car on the way home from church. In every other lesson from The Truth Project, our discussion has been one of complete agreement with the statements and assertions made by Dr. Tackett. However, on the way home today, Cindy took issue with Dr. Tackett's analogy of the sabbath command with a child being told that he must put up his toys and quit playing with them for one day of the week. As Cindy argued, and I tend to agree, most of us are looking forward to a day of rest when it finally comes each week and we do not view the Sabbath as a time when we are forced to put up our toys, but more as a day when we are allowed to put down our tools and focus on our Lord and restoration of our minds, souls, and bodies.

Next week, we will see examples of how the labor sphere is impacted and influeced by other components of labor such as the media, art, music, and literature. I asked the class today to be especially cognizant of the influence of the media and our culture on each of us as we go through this week. In the next section of the DVD, we will actually join the camera on the streets of Time Square where we will experience the sound, lights, people, and atmosphere that is indicative of our cultural influences. Finally, next week, we will see that God sets the standard for what is good in our work, whatever that work may be. Dr. Tackett will make reference to the standard that we should all be striving toward: "for God's glory alone!" In the meantime, I trust that you will work toward that end as you labor this week. Have a great week.

The American Experiment--Part 2

2010-04-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who were able to join us for the class social last Friday evening. I love the "Pot-Luck" format for enjoying a nice meal together. It seems like good food always shows up. We all sat on the patio and enjoyed the comfortable spring climate as we ate and visited. Then, we spent the evening just socializing. I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as Cindy and I did. If you have any ideas for class socials, please let me or Craig know. We cherish the time we have together when we can get to know each other better.

TODAY'S LESSON
In our lesson today from The Truth Project, Dr. Tackett referred to the change in the curriculum of American Law Schools and the application of the theory of evolution to our legal system...a system that now uses case law as the basis for determining right and wrong. In contrast to early legislation in which legislators proposed laws based on their perception of what the scripture required, we now have a system in which legislators often propose legislation based on what is best for their constituents or for their geographic area, many times with little or no concern for what God would have us do. Indeed, because of the doctrine of the separation of church and state, we avoid any reference to guidance from God and from His Word. I fear that Hosea 13:6 is becoming more and more descriptive of the American culture: "As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me."

Lord, let it not be so. Let the scripture above not be used to describe the people of America. Amen. We talked in class today about how propserous our country has been because our nation, our laws, our government, our system is based on the foundation of morality and religion--God's principles of right and wrong, God's guidance, and His light. Dr. Tackett talked about the fact that darkness does not overcome light. The only time darkness prevails is when the light is blocked or is withdrawn. If darkness is spreading across our land, there can be only two explanations. Either someone is hiding the light or the Lord is withdrawing His lampstand from our land. Either way, we must take a stand to bring God's light back onto our land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 provides the ONLY solution: "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

We talked about the fact that we as parents should be teaching our kids to "Remember" what God has done for His people--teach them to understand the memorial stones of our nation and our faith. We should be going beyond the limitations of the public education system in helping our kids to understand the role God plays in the success and prosperity of our country, our families, and our people. Let us this week seek to humble ourselves before the Lord, let us pray diligently, seek His face, and turn from our ways that are not pleasing to God. He has promised to hear our prayer, forgive our sin, and heal our land. Let us all do our part to restore our nation, to restore our families, and to restore our culture to one that worships and serves the God of the Universe.

He is risen!--April 4, 2010

2010-04-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying."--Matthew 28: 5-6

He is arisen! He is ALIVE! On Easter, Christians all around the world celebrate this fact. Jesus was crucified, died, and lay in a tomb until the first day of the week. On that day, the words above were spoken when two women came to visit Jesus' grave. Up from the grave He arose with a mighty triumph o'er His foes, He arose! Thank God, He arose.

Everything about Easter speaks of life. This week, I began to notice green leaves of grass in my otherwise dead lawn. For the first time since November, I mowed the lawn. This week, Cindy and I enjoyed the absolutely beautiful wild flowers on the side of the road as we traveled from one part of the state to another. The colors were vibrant, the fragrance was sweet and fresh. New life in all its varied forms manifests itself at Easter. All life celebrates this fact--Jesus died on an old wooden cross, but he did not stay dead. As the evangelist David Ring says, "Jesus is NOT dead. He is not even SICK!" He is alive and well, praise God!

As you worship this Easter and as you enjoy spending time with your family...even as you help little ones find Easter Eggs, I know you will continue to give thanks and praise to our God! He lives! Happy Easter!

SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIAL:
I hope you are all able to join us next Friday evening around 6:30 p.m. for a class "get together" at our home (8431 Turtle Rock Loop in Emerald Forest Subdivision). If you need childcare, please sign up with the church by Monday, April 5. We are looking forward to a time of fellowship and fun. The meal will be potluck, so bring whatever and come join us for a good time in Christian fellowship. If you know you are coming, please shoot me an e-mail to let me know you are coming and let me know what you plan to bring so that we can be sure we don't have all vegetables or all desserts. On the other hand, if we had all desserts, I wouldn't have any choice....I would have to eat sweets. If you are not sure of your availability and cannot make a commitment but find out that you can attend at the last minute, just come on! Our time together is informal so just come join us. Here is my contact information if you need to reach me or Cindy:

E-Mail: jimmycreel@suddenlink.net cindycreel@suddenlink.net

Home Phone: 979-695-1684

Cell Phone: 979-229-6606

Looking forward to seeing you all Friday Evening.

The Rise of the State--March 22, 2010

2010-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

During yesterday's DVD Lesson from The Truth Project, we considered the pathologies of the state. What happens, for example, when the state's role as "punisher of evil" begins to grow? Who defines 'evil' for the state and who decides the punishment for the manifestation of 'evil'? We talked about examples of how the power of the state has run amock. I shared with the class our emotional visit to the Memorial for European Jews in the heart of Berlin. The memorial was designed to make one think about the staggering loss of life in Europe when a government went out of control--when a government became judge, jury, and executioner. I mentioned that the number of people murdered by the government or in the name of the government created a list so long that it will take a narrator years to simply name the names of each victim. That narration is occurring in the Berlin memorial even as we speak and, having begun in 2008 and continuing 24-7, has not yet been read through a single time. As history has demonstrated time and time again, goverments can be evil and governments can abuse the power which they usually wield.

What about our government? Most of us would agree that the United States is the best place to live in the world and that our form of government is by far the best government under which to live. Yet, we can see the rise of the state in our own land. The state has extended its influence into all walks of life--marriage, education, work, the food we eat, the products we buy, our finances, and just about everything else one could imagine. Indeed, as of yesterday, the government has taken a huge step toward taking over the healthcare industry. Are these things bad? Should we be concerned about a goverment that makes it more lucrative financially for a couple to live together out of wedlock than to get married? Should we be concerned about a government that, in some states defines marriage as a union between same sex individuals as well as a union of members of the opposite sex? Should we take issue with a government that appears to feel entitled to take our first fruits and to spend without regard in order to fund its own agenda?

I am thankful that I can write such words without fear of goverment reprisal. That is not true in many parts of the world. However, I am also seriously concerned that our own government has headed down that road on which civil authority and the power of the government begins to assume that it is all-powerful and fails to recognize the sovereign power of God as the ultimate source of truth and life. We all need to pray diligently for our country and for our leaders. We need to pray for repentence and for revival in the United States of America!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Kyle Halbert was in Sunday School yesterday. I accused him of coming to Sunday School to get some sleep. Ha! He reported that Natalie and the new baby are doing well. Amen! Thank you Lord!

I spoke with Ashley Swope this week to check up on her surgery that had been scheduled. She did not have the surgery and has postponed the surgery. Please keep Ashley in your prayers.

As mentioned in Tracey's prayer list from class, please keep Laura Brittain in your prayers this week as she is undergoing testing to try to address chronic breathing and sinus problems. Laura is just recovering from sinus surgery and is still facing challenges from this condition. Let's pray that the doctors will identify the problem and relief will be forthcoming in a big way.

CLASS SOCIAL
Please mark your calendars and join us for a class social on April 9, 2010. Since the church is offering parent's night out on that date, we have scheduled a potluck supper at the home of Jimmy and Cindy Creel--8431 Turtle Rock Loop (Emerald Forest Subdivision) 979-695-1684. Everyone come and bring whatever you wish to share with others. We started a sign-up list this week. Here is the current sign-up information:

Meat/Main Dish

Laura & Brian Brittain--casserole
Beth and Bo Miles--Deer Sausage
Michelle and Terry Lovingshimer--Mexican Casserole
Cindy and Jimmy Creel--Chicken Tortilla Soup

VEGETABLES

Kathleen and Bill Gutierrez--Green Bean Casserole

DESSERT
Gena and Steven Higginbotham

Other

If you have not signed up and plan to attend, please send an e-mail to jimmycreel@suddenlink.net and let us know what you would like to bring.

March 14, 2010--The Sphere of the State

2010-03-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

This week, we viewed "The Truth Project" discussion of the sphere of the state. How are Christians directed to respond to the state (in Biblical days, this was the king)? Exodus 22:28 says, "You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people." Romans 13:1 states, "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." Titus 3:1 says, "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed." 1 Peter 2:13-15 states, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men." Clearly, Christians are expected to subject themselves to the government.

However, in this week's lesson, we see examples in which the government(king) stepped over the line of what is right in God's eyes. In 1 Kings 21, King Ahab and his evil wife conspire to commit murder of an innocent citizen in order to take possession of some land which Ahab desired. In Daniel 4: 29-35, we see the story of a great king who allowed himself to believe that he was the one with ultimate power and authority and we see the consequences of that behavior when Nebuchadneezer refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. In 1 Samuel, we are told the story of God's chosen people who came to Samuel requesting a king. The current system of government, the judge system, was broke. In addition, the people wanted what others had, a king to govern their lives. They were unwilling to trust God to take care of their daily needs. Even after a solemn warning of the consequences, they still wanted a king. They paid and we continue to pay today a terrible price for this failure to depend on God to govern His people. We also see an example of a king who served the Lord well for many years in 2 Chronicles 26. Yet, even King Uzziah who had a track record of faithful service to God, allowed himself to become intoxicated with power. He insisted on burning incense to the Lord personally. God's people had a clear directive that only God's chosen servants, the priests were allowed to burn incense before him. An interesting component of the story of Uzziah is the fact that the priest Azariah and 80 of his courageous colleagues were willing to stand up to the King and say, "You stepped over the line."

During the second half of this lesson coming up this Sunday, we will see how our current government compares to those described in the scripture and we will learn more about our obligation as Christians and citizens in today's government. I think you will see many similarities in the government's tendency to over-reach and its failure to recognize God as the sovereign ruler of all. I fear that we will also see examples of how we as God's people have allowed our goverment to "step over the line" and how we have been less than courageous in our efforts to challenge the state in appropriate and effective ways to ensure that God's Sovereignty is recognized and unchallenged. I look forward to seeing you in Sunday School this week when we will consider the "Rise of the State."

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Please keep Natalie and Kyle Halbert and family in your prayers this week as they are scheduled to deliver their newest addition this week. Also, please continue to pray for Ashley Swope and the Swope family. Ashley was scheduled to have surgery last week and her surgery was postponed. However, Zane's grandmother passed away and they have been dealing with that loss. Also, please continue to pray for my mom and dad as he continues to struggle with dialysis and related issues.

BEST WISHES FOR A GREAT SPRING BREAK WEEK

REMEMBER--NO WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICE THIS WEEK.

What Keeps Us From Accomplishing Oneness With God? March 7, 2010

2010-03-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

As I write this blog this evening, I have just returned from Baytown where I attended visitation for an uncle who suddenly slumped to the ground as he was entering a restaurant on FM 1960 this week only to never regain consciousness and pass from life on this earth shortly thereafter. This man was a beautiful example of the humble spirit that God's people should demonstrate in one's daily interaction with others. When I think of Uncle Don, I think of that old verse, "Lord, let others see less of me and more of You in me." He was that kind of guy. He was gentle, loving, courteous, kind and humble beyond what one might normally demonstrate or expect.

I wish you all could have known him. I think the gentle humility seen in Uncle Don is the kind of humble attitude that God seeks from His children. As we discussed in class today, the quest for significance may be the single most important factor in our inability to experience unity with God. Many of us are too busy seeking our own significance. We want people to recognize us. We just want to be publicly appreciated! Yet, from our DVD lesson today, we find that one of the reasons that people outside the church see the church as "a place were stupid people go," or "a building where people go when they need to relax," is the fact that church folk have a tendency, like the rest of society, to pursue our own significance. Many of the false impressions created among society are consequences of the actions, behaviors, and words of well-meaning Christians who are trying for find significance in their lives and actions.

Dr. Tackett explained that the search for significance, like the sex drive, is a positive thing if it is maintained within the covenant relationship. However, when it manifests itself outside the covenant relationship, it is a negative, destructive concept that has been known to destroy people and to create animosity and resentment among those who are not part of the church. Lord, help us this week to let others see less of us and more of You in our actions, words, and behaviors.

Unio Mystica: Am I Alone?--February 28, 2010

2010-02-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

PRAYER REQUESTS--PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING IN MIND AS YOU PRAY THIS WEEK:
Higginbotham- Please remember the Mike Lindsey family in the loss of him this last week. He left behind a wife and 4 boys. Also pray for Steven as he has a minor heart procedure done on Thursday.

Gutierrez- Pray for Kathleen's mom as she searches for a job as it is hard to be motivated.

Please pray for the family of Jim Bob Helduser as he passed away this past week.

Please pray for the outcome of elections on Tuesday. There have been attack ads on the radio this past week against Christianity and local resident, Don McLeroy, who is running for the Texas State Board of Education. Please don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

Have a great week!

TODAY'S LESSON AND DISCUSSION

The following three paragraphs are quoted from "The Truth Project" website. They provide an excellent summary of the material which was covered during the DVD presentation in class this morning.

"In our discussion of the family, we saw that the apostle Paul likens the bond between Christ and the church to the oneness shared between husband and wife (Ephesians 5:31-32). This oneness, he concludes, is a "profound mystery" –a concept that is difficult to fully grasp. On this tour, we proceed to examine an even deeper and more mysterious aspect of this bond: namely, that it is experienced not only within marriage and the corporate context of the body of Christ, but also on an intimate, personal level by the individual believer. This, says Dr. Tackett, is the greatest of all the wonders we will contemplate during the course of our study: that the God of the universe has come to make His dwelling both with us and in us.

Dr. Tackett marshals an impressive array of scriptural passages and biblical images to illustrate both facets of this glorious truth. On the corporate side, he draws our attention to Jesus' discourse on the vine and the branches and the importance of "abiding" in Him (John 15:5); the high priestly prayer of John 17, in which Christ speaks again and again of the oneness shared between the Father, the Son, and the body of believers ("I in them and You in Me"); the several passages in which Paul emphasizes the importance of unity in the church and the mutual edification of the various members of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 2:19-22, 4:11-16; Galatians 3:28-29); and the many "one another" commandments with which Jesus and the apostles set forth their vision for our common life as Christians, including John 13:34-35, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:16, and 1 Peter 1:22. On the personal, individual side, he cites Jesus' statement to Nicodemus about being "born again" (John 3:7); His promise of the indwelling Spirit (John 14:16-17); Paul's declaration that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17); and the apostle's astounding claim that "Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). In connection with this discussion, Dr. Tackett points out that we must be careful not to "blur the spheres" by applying the unique and particular social laws of one realm to another realm – for example, by assuming that we can meet our need for Christian fellowship by worshiping God individually, or that we can enter into the wonder of the UnioMystica simply by attending services at the local church.

As in all of the social spheres, there is potential here for the emergence of dysfunctions and pathologies as the effects of the Cosmic Battle make themselves felt at the very core of man's relationship with God. Interestingly enough, marital imagery arises again in this connection: the Lord warns His people many times in Scripture against the danger of "prostituting" themselves or "going a-whoring" after other gods and idols (see Deuteronomy 15:38-39). Just as spouses are to seek fulfillment of the sexual drive exclusively within the bonds of the marriage covenant, so we as believers are to confine our quest for significance to the covenant relationship with the Creator. For it is this powerful human hunger for significance, says Dr. Tackett, when directed outside of God's covenant relationships, that constitutes the single most formidable barrier to intimacy, communion, and oneness. All too often, we forsake the Lord and cut ourselves off from others in attempt to puff up our own sense of self-importance.

Points to Watch for
Especially important to the overall message of this lesson is the idea that oneness with God represents the heart of the Christian Gospel; in other words, that Christianity is not primarily a moral, philosophical, or religious system, but rather a deep, intimate, and living relationship with a personal Creator. This, to return to a point made in Lesson 4, is the essence of "eternal life" – i.e., knowing God just as intimately as Adam knew Eve. It is important to help students come to the place where they can not only begin to understand this concept rationally – something we can never fully achieve – but also feel the wonder of it in a profoundly affecting way. This is the point at which the transformational aspect of this tour will come home to participants most tellingly. Some students may also need to wrestle with the implications of Dr. Tackett's warning about the danger of 'blurring the spheres.'"

During our class discussion, we considered the "unfathomable" truth that God loves us so much as individuals that He was willing to send His own son to die a horrible death on a Roman cross and that He continues to love us enough to tolerate our weaknesses and failures and continues to forgive us and craves a close intimacy with each of His children. We also made reference to Dr. Tackett's comments to his own children in which he encouraged them to make their own petitions to God and to talk to Him personally. I mentioned that I could not ever remember encouraging my kids to do their own talking with God. We certainly read Bible stories and had discussions about scripture and Godly behavior and we prayed together, but I fear that I did not emphasize the need for them to initiate their own regular discussions with God. Yes, I encouraged our girls to turn to God in prayer when they faced challenges and obstacles, but I don't believe I did a good job of encouraging their own personal conversations on a regular basis. Hopefully, this is something they learned without my direct instruction. I hope you will consider such direct instruction with your kids this week.

We also made reference to the summary of the behaviors called for in scripture as Christians deal with others. Here are the behaviors and the corresponding scriptures as outlined in the presentation today:
THE FLOCK

Love one another 1 Peter 1:22
Bear one another's burdens Gal. 6:2
Pray for one another James 5:16
Forebear one another Eph. 4:2
Be kind to one another Eph. 4:32
Admonish one another Col. 3:16
Build one another up Rom. 14:19
Give preference to one another Rom. 12: 10
Live in harmony with one another Romans 12: 16
Encourage one another 1 Thess. 5:11
Submit to one another Eph. 5:21
Serve one another Col. 5:13
Accept one another Rom. 15:7
Be devoted to one another Rom. 12:10
Teach one another Col. 3:16
Comfort one another 1 Thess. 4:18
Forgive one another Eph. 4:32
Be of the same mind with one another Rom. 15:5
Regard one another as more important Phil. 2:3

Wow! Wouldn't the world be a better place if all Christians exhibited these behaviors in our treatment of our brothers and sisters?

Next week, we will begin to look at some of the pathologies in the church.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK and don't hesitate to call if I can help you in any way.

Jimmy

February 21--God's Divine Imprint on the Family

2010-02-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

PRAYER REQUESTS: Please remember the following in your prayer time this week:
Craig and Tracey Scasta--out of town today
Laura Brittain--recovering from sinus surgery/Brian taking care of the boys and housekeeping
Steven Higginbotham's Uncle--liver problems
Jimmy Creel's father and mother--dad is in dialysis and facing difficulty and mom is trying to minister to him
Missionaries all over the world and especially those Christians who are trying to share the gospel in North Korea

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Remember, the church-wide games night is scheduled for Friday, February 26, 2010 from 6:00 p.m.--9:00 p.m. with a movie scheduled from 9:00 p.m.--10:00 p.m. Child care is available, but you do need to sign-up by tomorrow (February 22) in order to access the childcare. Several families from our class plan to participate. Please consider joining us for a fun evening!

TODAY'S LESSON AND DISCUSSION:
After some technical delay this morning, we watched the second half of Lesson Seven in The Truth Project: Sociology. Dr. Tackett made reference to God's "Divine Pause" when he created woman and thus instituted the family. Dr. Tackett pointed out that God was in the midst of creation in which He identified every creation as "good" until he paused in Genesis 2:18 and declared, "...it is not good for man to be alone." Dr. Tackett points out that "aloneness is bad in an ethical sense because it contradicts the nature of God, who is three-in-one: God Himself exists in community and relationship; man, who is made in His image, is supposed to do the same. This concept forms the basis of a true, God-centered understanding of the social sphere. To go against God's social design is to deny His character."

During the DVD presentation this morning, interviewees were asked to define "family." It was both interesting to hear the varied definitions and to witness the pain, confusion, and emotional reactions connected with this discussion. Any discussion of family is sure to provoke strong emotional responses. However, the important point raised in this presentation was the fact that we really do not have the authority to define family according to our own preferences. To go against God's social design is to deny His character. Romans 1:20 points out that God's essential nature or character is imprinted upon the things He has made. Therefore, social institutions such as marriage and family are not just part of cultural convention. "Instead, their shape, form, and function are determined by the 'Natural Law' which is rooted in the Trinitarian nature of God."

The lesson made reference to Malachi 2:16, in which God says that He "hates divorce." According to Dr. Tackett, "Just as the unity, communion, love, and intimacy of marriage are rooted organically in the essence and character of God Himself, so the violent breaking of this bond in divorce is something more than an unfortunate blip in the lives of two individuals--it is an offense against the divine nature and the foundations upon which the entire creation is built." This reminds us that sin can be defined simply as a breakdown in relationships. Those relationships can be between God and man, man and wife, or man and his neighbor. In any of these cases, the breakdown of that relationship is sin.

During our class discussion, we noted that the high divorce rate observed in society is not significantly different when one considers the divorce rate only among born-again Christians. In other words, we are not doing a good job in the church of preserving the sacred bonds that are formed in marriage--at least we are not doing much better than our unchurched brethern in this endeavor. We also discussed the fact that the high divorce rate may be a result of our tendency to "take the easy path." In some cases, it appears to be easier to get a divorce than to work through issues, change behavior, and establish a God-centered family. Dr. Tackett pointed out that men in a Godly marriage are called on to love and honor one's wife and that women in a Godly marriage are called on to submit to one's husband and to show respect. As we seek to strengthen our own marriages and as we have opportunity to minister to those around us, our response to the attack on the marriage institution should be like God's, one of grief, compassion, and renewed willingness to reach out with the healing message of God's plan for the social order.

February 14--Social Structures Instituted by God

2010-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine Day! Today, we enjoyed a nice breakfast in honor of the upcoming addition to the family of Natalie and Kyle Halbert. Thanks to everyone who brought food and diapers. The diapers should give them a good start with their new little one.

We began considering the next topic in The Truth Project this morning. That topic is sociology. Dr. Tackett starts the discussion by consideirng the intricate design and function of a normal chicken egg and the manner in which the properties of the chicken egg and other systems of nature also reflect the properties of the social institutions that God established. Dr. Tackett made us think of the Trinity as described in the Scripture. The Trinity, as we know, represents God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. In nature, the chicken egg is comprised of the shell, the yolk, and the egg white (albumen). In physical science, there are three states, gas, solid, and liquid. In the family, the first social structure instituted by God, there are also three main components, the husband, the wife, and the children. Dr. Tackettt does a beautiful job of showing us the consistency of God's plan across all areas of man's observation and understanding. The more we search, the more we observe, the more we can see an amazing consistency in the complexity of God.

As we examine the family unit and consider the fact that it was the first social unity established by God, we begin to understand why the family is under such brutal attack in today's society. Satan recognizes it as part of the basic foundation of God's creation and he is doing his best to destroy families and prevent the stability, confidence, and source of strength that comes from Godly families who seek God's leadership and protection and who transmit the fear of God and dependence upon God to the generations who come after them.

We shall see more next week about the family and its role in God's plan! I hope you will join us at 9:00 a.m. for the second half of our lesson on sociology!

The church is holding a "Game Night" in the Family Life Center on February 26. It was brought to my attention this morning that several of our group already have plans to attend this activity. This could be a great opportunity for members of our class to have an opportunity to visit and enjoy fellowship with each other. Activites are being planned for the kids and adults will have opportunities to play games and visit. I believe there is even a movie scheduled for this evening of fun. Take a look at your calendar and, if you are available, this would be a great opportunity for you to have some fun with class colleagues while the kids have a fun time as well. February 26, 2010 6:00 p.m.--10:00 p.m.

Please don't hesitate to contact me by phone or e-mail if I can help you in any way or if you need someone to pray with you or for you this week.

Jimmy
jimmycreel@suddenlink.net
979-229-6606

Stepping Stones for Others--February 7, 2010

2010-02-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Today, in Sunday School, we watched the second half of The Truth Project--Lesson 6--History: Whose Story? The presentation reminded us of God's directive to His people to "REMEMBER"--Memorial Stones described in Joshua 4:1-7, Tassels referenced in Numbers 15: 38-39 and Deuteronomy 22:12, and the Feasts commissioned by God--Exodus 12:24-27, Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:4-12, and finally, the admonishment in Deuteronomy 8:10-20 to "Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God."

Yet, as the DVD mentioned and we discussed in class, we are in the midst of a "Famine of Truth" in our culture and society. Rather than quote the historical writings of the Mayflower Compact with references to God and dependence on spiritual leadership, politically correct versions are often included in textbooks and in our classroom presentations across America that actually delete all references to God and to our forefather's commitment to spiritual principles. What a shame when facts that include the role God played in the lives and cultures of historic men and women are deliberately left out of modern curriculum and contemporary discussion so that those who have different beliefs and opinions will not be offended by the references to an all-powerful, all-knowing God of the Universe. We discussed the role that our legal system, the courts, the legislature, the education system, and academia have played in this "famine of truth" that has enveloped our lives.

Even so, there is still hope because we know that God is still in control. As we think about the story referenced today in the DVD presentation of Ahab and Jehosophat in 1 Kings 22: 28-34, it is easy to recognize the power of God and His sovereign rule. Even though Ahab was not dressed as a king and even though he took steps to ensure his own safety in battle, a random arrow fired into the air not only found Ahab, but also found the very small space between his armor that allowed the arrow to pierce his body and his vital organs resulting in his death just as God's prophet predicted. Yes, the sovereign hand of God was in control on that day and He is still in control today.

Dr. Tackett made reference to another common condition found among people today. He described the condition as "natural myopia." He was referring to a condition in which God's people and others lose sight of the larger story of God. He made the point that people who were caught up in the grand story of God have been willing through the years to make sacrifices and commitments that allowed them to be steppings stones to others in the performance of a great work. He used the Pilgrims as an example of a group of people who faced extreme hardship and attrition of their ranks through death. Yet, because they saw their role in history as one directed by God, they refused to give up and refused to leave the land they claimed as their new home. Dr. Tackett stated, "People who are caught up in their own little story will never be willing to lay themselves down as stepping stones for others." Lord, I pray that you will give each of us the ability to focus on your grand story and to be willing and ready to lay ourselves down as stepping stones for your great plan. Help me not to be handicapped by Jimmy Myopia and help me to recognize your plan in my life and in the lives of those around me. Finally, help me to be willing and able to do whatever you ask me to do to contribute to your plan. Help me to understand and recognize that your plan will be accomplished. As Mordecai said to Esther (Esther 4:14), "For if you remain silent at this time, relief will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish." Whether I contribute or not, the great plan of God will be accomplished. Give me the strength and courage to do my part, to accept the role you have given me, no matter how modest or how small. Let me become a stepping stone. Amen!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Today, I passed out copies of the church Sunday School Curriculum that is available to us. I asked the class to review the curriculum offerings and to provide feedback regarding the curriculum you would like to use when we finish The Truth Project. We still have some time remaining on The Truth Project. However, now is the time to begin considering our next area of study. There appeared to be some interest in the study based on the book written by Lee Strobel, "The Case for Christ." I will communicate with Karen about our interest in this study. In addition, we will be doing some research on a couple of other offerings that were mentioned by class members. If you have any preference or would like to have input on our future curriculum offerings, please send me an e-mail at jimmycreel@suddenlink.net or you can just make a comment in response to this blog.

NEXT SUNDAY: We will be hosting a "Diaper Shower" for Natalie and Kyle Halbert. Please bring a breakfast dish and diapers size two and up. The newest additon to the Halbert family will be arriving soon and we want to be sure they are stocked up on diapers. Kyle will be changing a lot of diapers. This event will not only give us an opportunity to support Kyle and Natalie but will also provide a rare opportunity for us to visit with each other and learn more about our families and personal lives.

NEXT UP ON THE TRUTH PROJECT: When we return to The Truth Project, probably in two weeks, we will be taking up the issue of Sociology and how it relates to God.

Thank you for your prayers for my dad and mom. I can't tell you how comforting to know that there are others praying for my family. No matter what happens, I know that God is hearing our prayers and I know that He is in control.

If I can help you in any way this week, please don't hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at the e-mail above or at home: 979-695-1684 or cell: 979-229-6606.

PRAYER REQUESTS (This is a copy of the e-mail sent out by Tracey)
Prayer Requests:

Creel- Please continue to pray for Jimmy's dad who is in the hospital and his mom who is caring for him. His dad is having to do dialysis and is in pain.

Scasta- Please continue to pray for Craig's grandmother who is getting more frail. She had another fall already but was not injured.

Endriola- Please remember Sara's friends who live in Virginia. They are having the worst winter weather in recent memory.

Please pray for the "famine of truth" occurring in our country that we learned about in class today.

Class Events:

Remember the breakfast and diaper shower honoring the Halberts next Sunday during class time. Please bring diapers in size 2 or above and maybe some donuts, but leave your porridge at home!

Have a great week!

January 31--History points to God

2010-02-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

This week, we continued our study of The Truth Project. We began a new discussion this week as we examined the ways that history really is "His Story". Dr. Tackett illustrated how what we know influences our present beliefs. He flashed the numeral one on the screen and asked the class to identify what they saw. Obviously, it was the numeral one. However, he pointed out that our recognition of this symbol for the quantity "one" was based on something we learned at a much younger age. He also pointed out how historic events could change what we believe. Dr. Tackett pointed out that the numbers 911 were usually viewed as "nine hundred and eleven" when most of us were young children. However, in recent years, the numbers "911" have come to represent an emergency call number. Since September 11, 2001, these numbers have even taken on another meaning in our society. This illustration shows clearly how history can and does impact our current beliefs.

Such an illustration helps us to understand why history is important and why there continues to be an effort to revise history. We see it happening even today. References to God are purposefully redacted from historical documents, efforts are made to take the reference to God out of the pledge of allegiance, and out of textbooks even though our forefathers were Godly men who tried to build a nation where men and women could worship God without persecution and fear.

The next two paragraphs are quoted from The Truth Project website. The website describes this study of history better than I ever could:

Dr. Tackett's key scripture passage for this discussion is Isaiah 46:9-11: "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done … Indeed, I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass … " Two major thoughts arise from these verses. First, God is sovereign, or absolutely in control. History is in the most literal sense His story. Nothing happens at random or by chance. The hairs of our heads are numbered, and the details of our lives are threads in the great tapestry of His overarching providential plan. Second, we as human beings cannot understand our place in the world without cultivating a vision of ourselves as part of this larger story. This is why the Bible contains so many exhortations to "remember" what God has done in the past, whether through the device of "memorial stones," annual festivals, tassels, phylacteries, or the discipline of hiding His Word in our hearts. If we do not remember, we run the risk of becoming myopic, proud, self-sufficient, and eventually incurring our own destruction (see Deuteronomy 8) – not necessarily physical destruction, but rather a complete loss of identity, purpose, and meaning, or what Amos refers to as a "famine of hearing the Word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11).

Here too we come face to face with the implications of man's fallen nature and encounter yet another manifestation of the Cosmic Battle. Man resists the idea of a sovereign God. He wants to control his own destiny, live inside his own "little story," and free himself from all connections with or references to an all-inclusive divine plan. Thus he devises ways to propagate the "pernicious lie" of self-determination ("I am my own god," or "I believe in myself") by taking the larger story of history into his own hands and turning it into a powerful tool for the manipulation of other people and the accomplishment of his own selfish purposes. Historical revisionism, or the agenda-driven re-writing of history, operates on the basis of the premise, "If I can change your historical context, I can determine the way you view the present." This strategy is consistent with George Orwell's observation that "He who controls the past controls the future" and Karl Marx's dictum, "A people without a heritage are easily persuaded."

I hope you will join us next Sunday as we look at the second half of The Truth Project Lesson Six. We will be continuing our discussion of how history influences our belief and how history points toward the all powerful, all knowing God of the universe. I shall look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Missionary Stories--January 24, 2010

2010-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

This morning, we were blessed to have Greg Dixon, a recent International Missions Board Missionary to China speak to us. Greg spent two years in Hohot, China which is located in northern China in a province known as Inner Mongolia. Because of its international population and proximity to diverse cultures, Hohot is identified by the International Mission Board as one of the 100 Gateway Cities in the world for spreading the word of God.

Greg served as an English Teacher in China and witnessed to students and others as he worked to share Jesus with the lost. He showed pictures of baptisms taking place in the bathtub of a hotel. He shared that it is sometimes difficult to find a place to baptize so they sometimes rent a hotel room for this purpose. He showed pictures of the students with whom he worked as well as pictures of the city in which he worked. He talked about the work ethic of students in China and commented that most Chinese students feel tremendous pressure to achieve academic success and they are usually willing to commit time and energy toward this end. He also talked about the corruption, cheating, and deception that are commonly observed in a culture in which there is little or no moral direction. While we like to think that we have a significant moral compass in our country, I must admit that cheating, plagiarism, and illegal copying of materials (documents, songs, movies, etc.) is fairly prevalent in our own academic system as well. We do recognize such acts as a breach of integrity, but they continue to occur just the same.

Greg also shared several resources for learning more about missionary work around the world. The International Missions Board website has a plethora of facts and figures about mission efforts all over the globe. One may access the IMB website at the following URL: http://www.imb.org/main//news/default.asp

I spent some time this afternoon at this website and learned much about our missionaries and mission efforts around the world. For example, did you know what it costs to support a missionary? According to the IMB website the cost to support a single missionary is:

• $40,931.64 a year
• $3,410.97 a month
• $787.15 a week
• $112.14 a day
• $4.67 an hour
• $.08 a minute

This is the reason that our gifts to Lottie Moon and other Mission-related offerings are so important in sharing the love of Jesus to a lost world. Indeed, the website has much information today about the missionaries who are in Haiti and the efforts tht are being made to assist the people of that country.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the work of God's Missionaries in a foreign land as much as I did. Everytime I hear of such efforts, it gives me a new respect for the men and women who make the sacrifice to leave home and family to serve others in a strange place.

Next week, we will return to The Truth Project. We will begin looking at world history and how it points to God. I hope you will join us. We shall look forward to seeing you Sunday Morning at 9:00 a.m. In the meantime, if I can help you or pray for you, please do not hesitate to call me personally. (979-229-6606)

Jimmy

SCIENCE--What is True? January 17, 2010

2010-01-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

From where does life originate? Did the first living cell on earth come from another planet--directed panspermia? Or did living cells spring from non-living material--spontaneous generation? Or, is there evidence in our world of a grand design, of a plan that was put into place by some divine, all-powerful creator of all life? As we continued our journey through The Truth Project today, we saw evidence that almost every scientific argument that has been used to support the theory of evolution has been debunked in significant ways--even to the point of disproving such scientific arguments. The theory of spontaneous generation was debunked long ago when it became possible for man to see and understand the development of microscopic spores, eggs, and cells. The complexity of life as we know it today attests to the fact that such complexity simply could not have developed from a "primordial soup", and the fossil record of life on earth leaves serious gaps that cannot be explained by evolution.

In short, the complexity of life on this earth and the scientific record found in fossils and the current knowledge of the inner workings of individual cells as well as intricate mechanisms such as blood clotting all point to the inescapable conclusion that there is a grand design and that life was and is a product of a divine creator. Amen! Dr. Tackett made reference in the video segment today to the fact that professors who oppose the theory of evolution are often chastised in the academic world, students who take issue with textbooks or professors or teachers who support evolution are often criticized, and people in our culture who challenge the concept of evolution are often met with derisive comments. Yet, when one examines the data used to support evolution in detail, the theory is completely unraveled. There is only one explanation for life and it is detailed in the book of Genesis.
NEXT WEEK:
As I mentioned in class this week, we have been contacted about the possibility of having a missionary speak to us next week. If the missionary presentation materializes, we will return to The Truth Project on January 31. At that time, we will move from the realm of science to the realm of history. I think it will be interesting to see how history points to God just as science points to God.

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK:

Please remember Bill Gutierrez's Dad this week as he is having back surgery. Also, please continue to remember the victims of the Haiti Earthquake and those who are ministering to them, including the U.S. Military.

Gena Higginbotham offered a praise this morning for answered prayer as her home-schooling efforts are going well. Please continue to remember Gena and her son and their family in your prayers this week as she seeks to provide the educational foundation that he needs.

Please do not heisitate to contact me this week if I can pray for you or if I can help you or your family in any way. My cell phone number is: 979-229-6606 and my e-mail address is: jimmycreel@suddenlink.net

P.S.
Cindy told me today that there is a movie coming out soon about Darwin and his work. The movie is called "Creation". I did a quick search to find that the movie details an inner conflict in which Darwin struggled with the reconciling of his religious views and what he perceived as "science." According to the movie public relations, Darwin also had a very religious wife who influenced his work as well. Apparently, because there was some fear that the religious conservatives of the United States would not welcome the movie, there was some problem in getting a U.S. distributor for the movie which was made in England. That issue must have been resolved and the movie is scheduled to open in U.S. Theaters in the near future. After our recent discussions in The Truth Project, I am thinking about trying to see the movie. I will let you know if I learn more about it.

Intelligent Design January 10, 2010

2010-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

During today's lesson, we continued to explore evidence that supports an intelligent design in life, indicators that there must be a creator, and facts that cannot be explained in a theory of "primordial soup", random selection, and evolutionary design of complex life as the solution to the age-old question regarding the creation of all living things. The complex process of blood clotting was described in detail with prominent men of science admitting that the process cannot be explained through the theory of evolutionary development. The amazing role of various components of a living cell and the replication of genetic material through the splitting of a DNA molecule and the creation of a complementary copy of genetic material that occurs in all living cells was also reviewed and cited as evidence of an almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful creator who is responsible for the creation of life and the perpetuation of all life as we know it today.

I found it interesting that our discussion in class led us to a conversation about the curriculum taught in our public schools and the validity or lack of validity of much of the scientific literature in our children's textbooks. We concluded that our children need to understand that the fact that something is written in a textbook does not make it a valid truth of life. Then, the preacher made the same point in his sermon this morning as he made reference to the fact that textbooks and the material in them are prone to change every six years or so. As Brother Chris stated, there is only one book that is absolutely truthful and correct and it is the Word of God.

We will continue in our study of intelligent design next week. I hope you will join us in this awesome study of the truth of God's Word and the fallacy of the attacks and challenges against the Word of God that are often prevalent in our culture today. We shall look forward to seeing you in Sunday School next week.

P.S. It is great to be back in the United States after visiting Germany, France, and Luxembourg for the past three weeks and it is great to be back with our Christian brothers and sisters in Sunday School. We hope to be back in the saddle for a while now. Let me know if I can pray for you or help you in any way.--Jimmy

Greetings from Hutcheshausen, Germany

2009-12-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of our two girls, Jennifer and Brittany standing in front of Puerto Niegra, the ancient city gates of the oldest city in Germany. Trier is the homeplace of ancient Romans whose ruins still stand in the city today. It is also the site of the home of Karl Marx. In modern day, it is the host of one of the best Christmas Markets in Germany. During our visit to the city, the temperature hovered in the upper 20's and snow silently but quickly covered everything and everyone. Perhaps, one of the most impressive sites in the city was the cathederal. This ancient building has survived revolutions and wars and still stands as a testament to the dedication and commitment of people through the ages to the worship of their God. The building is made of huge stone blocks and the interior of the auditorium and the altar reflect the craftsmanship and pride of the ancient artists and builders. As I stood in this massive House of God, I thought about the people who built this building and those who have served in it through the years and maybe, even those who took shelter in it while bombs were dropping all around during the great world wars, or perhaps, those who served clandestinely in order to avoid the prosecution from government authorities. I also thought of the allied soldiers who trudged through deep snow very similar to the snow we experienced today in order to protect the way of life I enjoy today.

Such reflection can only lead to one conclusion for me. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the men and women who came before me, serving God, serving others, and serving their country. I owe such a debt that I can never repay it. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my Lord who orchestrated every stone as it was laid upon the previous stone in the building of this beautiful temple, and who placed a shield over this building to protect it from the rain of allied bombs on this German city, and who continues to call His people to serve in this building and many others like it around the world today. Most of all, I am thankful to an all-powerful, all-knowing God who saw fit to allow his only son to die on an old wooden cross in order to save me from an eternity in hell. Thank you, Jesus! Amen!

Wishes for a warm, spirit-filled Christmas

2009-12-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who were able to join us for the class Christmas Dinner last night. Cindy and I thoroughly enjoyed having you in our home and we hope that you enjoyed the get-together as much as we did. It is always fun to spend time with our Sunday School brothers and sisters in a different setting that allows us to visit, have fun, and get to know more about each other. I will include a recipe from Laura Brittain for her dessert that she shared last night as well as a recipe for the chili and the tortilla soup that we ate last night at the end of this blog.

This time of year is one of my favorite! The grass is not growing so I don't have to worry about mowing the grass all the time, I can sit on my back porch without getting drenched in perspiration, it's hunting season--enough said, and it is a time when friends and family often get together for visits, fellowship, food, and fun. Our time together last night seemed to be a combination of good food, tremendous desserts, Christian fellowship, laughter, and fun. Cindy and I enjoyed hearing stories of your young families. The stories of how your young children perceive Santa Claus and how you help to perpetuate the myth of Santa in your family were amusing and reminiscent of an earlier time with our own girls. Enjoy these days with your little ones. They are precious and they will pass quickly.

Since we will be out of town--yes, out of the country--for the next three weeks, I wanted to extend best wishes from Cindy and me to each of you for a blessed time with your families. We pray that each of you will enjoy an extra heaping of fun, joy, and fellowship with those whom you love this Christmas. From our house to your's, we wish each of you a warm, spirit-filled, joyous Christmas Holiday.

We will look forward to seeing you again on January 10 as we continue our quest for "Truth" in The Truth Project.

Here are the recipes from last night's dishes:
Take-Along Cake

1 package of chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's food ... which I guess was not appropriate for a Sunday school party!)
1 package (12 ounces) of semisweet chocolate chips (I've used peanut butter chips before too, and it was really good as well)
1 cup of miniature marshmallows (I usually use about a cup and 1/2)
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1/2 cup of brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts (I used a little more than that and I've used both kind of nuts ... equally as good ... used pecans last night because that's what I had on hand)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cooking spray in a 13x9 pan.

2. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Stir in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Pour into the prepared pan. Drizzle melted butter over the batter. Sprinkle with sugar and top with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cool completely in the pan. You can serve it warm with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla for an extra special treat. Serves 12 to 16.

Laura Brittain

Cindy’s Chili:

3 lb Lean Hamburger Meat
1 Onion diced/chopped
Brown Hamburger meat and onions together

Add 1 pkg. of 2 Alarm Chili Mix
CAUTION: Add only “a little bit” of Red Pepper in the Chili Mix—approximately ¾ of TSP.
Do not use MESSA that comes in package.
Add large can of Tomato Juice—approx. 46 oz.
Add 1 can of crushed tomatoes—15 oz.
Done in 30 minutes—

Jennifer’s Tortilla Soup
October, 2005

1 Chicken—Whole Chicken cut-up, boiled and de-boned
1 onion chopped
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
1 bundle of green onions chopped
¾ bundle of cilantro leaves chopped—leaves only
3 cans of chicken broth (approx. 15 oz. each)
1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz.)—not drained
1 can black beans (15 oz.)—not drained
1 can rotel tomatoes and green chilis—not drained
1 can red enchilada sauce (approx. 12-14 oz.)
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ package of chili seasoning mix
1 ¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 TBSP Flour
About 10 oz. or ¾ of a 16 oz. cube of Velveeta Mexican Cheese (Mild) cut into small cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Boil and de-bone chicken

Combine chicken broth, onions, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, corn, black beans, canned rotel tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and spices and flour in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add chicken and cheese. Simmer for additional 30 minutes. Stir frequently so cheese doesn’t fall to bottom and scorch.

Ready to eat. Serve with cornbread, crackers, tortilla strips, etc.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Gig'em Aggies!

Chili Dinner--Parking Suggestions

2009-12-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Our driveway will be clear tomorrow evening when you arrive for our Christmas Dinner. Please feel free to park in the driveway. We can conceivably park nine vehicles in the driveway if folks are not afraid to have someone parked behind them. Since most of these kinds of parties usually break up at the same time, I encourage you to take advantage of this convenient parkings space if it is available when you arrive. Even if you do get pinned in, those behind you will always be willing to let you out if you have to leave before they are ready to leave.

Another option is to park at the dead-end segment of Spring Creek. As you approach the intersection of Spring Creek and Turtle Rock Loop, you will notice that Spring Creek goes straight ahead to a dead end. It is permissible to park on the curb on either side of this T-shaped dead end and walk around the corner to our house.

Finally, if you prefer, you may certainly park on the side of the street. Just please be careful not to block any of the neighbor's driveways.

Give me a call if you get lost. 979-695-1684.

Jimmy

December 13, 2009--Who is God--Part 2

2009-12-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today in Sunday School, we viewed the second half of the video lesson from The Truth Project in which Dr. Del Tackett addresses the question, "Who is God?" According to the Truth Project, "Knowing God is absolutely central to the meaning of human life, for it is only in the context of intimate, personal relationship with Him that we experience eternal life." (Lesson 4 Leader Guide, p.1)

In the first half of this lesson, Dr. R.C. Sproul describes our era as one in which the knowledge of God has been eclipsed. I think this is a great description of what is happening with God and His Word in our culture and our world. In other words, even though there have been efforts to do so, the truth and the knowledge of God have not been destroyed. However, they have been obscured and shadowed by lies and misconceptions. Dr. Tackett addresses some of the attacks that have been leveled against God's Word during the video segment we watched today. He answered the objections of Voltaire, Robert Ingersoll, and liberal theologians such as Julius Wellhausen and members of the Jesus Seminar. He also demonstrated the Bible's historical accuracy by helping us resolve an apparent scriptural discrepancy concerning the dates of King Jehoram's reign.

R.C. Sproul made the statement that the establishment of two basic points related to God and His Word will make "90%" of the case for God. The two basic points are: 1) The existence of God, and 2) The credibility (accuracy and inerrancy) of His Word. Certainly, it seems reasonable that if we can establish with a non-believer that God does indeed exist and that the Bible is the all-powerful, all-inclusive, inerrant perfect Word of God, we can help that non-believer reach a saving Grace in Jesus Christ.

Much of today's lesson focused on the names of God, specifically, the name "El Qanna." Dr. Tackett made the point that names matter and when God gives himself a name, it describes a fundamental characteristic of God. He describes "El Qanna" as the God who is a consuming fire, jealous for the purity of the covenant relationship. When this knowledge dawns upon us, we can expect a couple of things. One is that the revelation of God's character is likely to reveal things to us about ourselves. Just as the prophet Isaiah declared, "Woe is me, for I am undone!"(Isaiah 6:5), we may be inclined to recognize our failures before God. Even though such a revelation will surely drive us to despair, He raises us and shows us who we can be in Him.

Today's episode helps us to understand that we should all have a thirst for the Word of God. The "thirst" should be so strong that we will not be deterred from spending time and energy in God's Word! Dr. Tackett states, "Knowing God ought to be our passion and our highest goal; for until we look upon His face, we cannot rightly know ourselves or begin to grasp the meaning of our existence in the world." (The Truth Project--Lesson 4 Leader Guide, p. 1).

Next week, the class will begin looking at the question, "What is truth?" This segment is fairly extensive and will address issues of science and the existence of an all-powerful, omnipotent, omni-present, God of the Universe. I hope you will make plans to be present for his intriguing presentation.

Directions to Creel House

2009-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

We live in the Emerald Forest Subdivision.
Take Highway 6 Bypass South to Harvey Mitchell Parkway (2818). Exit and turn left under the freeway. Follow Harvey Mitchell Parkway in an easterly direction as it becomes the Emerald Parkway and enters Emerald Forest Subdivision.
Stay on Emerald Parkway until you reach APPOMATTOX Drive. TURN LEFT on APPOMATTOX. As you drive on Appomattox, you will see a city park, tennis courts, and a swimming pool on your left. Soon, you will cross a bridge. After you cross the bridge, you will turn right on Spring Creek, which is the second street after crossing the bridge. The first street on your left after you turn on Spring Creek is the first leg of Turtle Rock Loop. DO NOT TURN HERE. Go to the second street which is also Turtle Rock Loop. Turn left. Our house is the second one on the right after you have turned. 8431 Turtle Rock Loop.

Turtle Rock Loop is an actual "U-shaped" loop. If you should turn on the first street, just stay on it and you will come around the loop to our house.

Christmas Dinner Information

2009-11-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY SCHOOL DINNER--DECEMBER 14, 2009 @ 6:30 P.M.
AT THE CREEL'S -- 8431 TURTLE ROCK LOOP, COLLEGE STATION (EMERALD FOREST)--
KINDLY RSVP BY SENDING E-MAIL TO JIMMY AT jimmycreel@suddenlink.net or by commenting on this blog or by signing up in Sunday School.

Please join us for an evening of fellowship and fun. We will provide chili, tea, and coffee. You are asked to bring one of the items listed below and/or a Christmas dessert, candy, or favorite dish. We will NOT have a gift exchange—no running to the mall for a gift to exchange. However, we do have some Christmas games that will be fun for everyone! If you have a friend or a neighbor or relative who could be a prospective member of our class, please invite them to join us as well. Kindly RSVP by sending an e-mail to jimmycreel@suddenlink.net or by filling in the form below or by completing the sign-up sheet at Sunday School. If you submit verification by e-mail, please include the names of those who will be attending as well as the item(s) you will bring.

YES, I (WE) will be there and we will bring the following items:
Use the comment box to send your name and the food item you will bring if you wish to sign up by responding to this blog.

NAME and FOOD ITEM YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING:
Jimmy & Cindy Creel CHILI, TEA, COFFEE

Selection of items to bring:

SOFT DRINKS (3 1 LITER BOTTLES) ANY VARIETY

SOFT DRINKS (3 1 LITER BOTTLES) ANY VARIETY

CORN CHIPS AND TORTILLA CHIPS—FOR 10—12 PEOPLE

CORN CHIPS AND TORTILLA CHIPS—FOR 10—12 PEOPLE

2 BOXES OF CRACKERS

2 BOXES OF CRACKERS

1 16 OZ. PACKAGE OF GRATED CHEESE

1 16 OZ. PACKAGE OF GRATED CHEESE

CHOPPED GREEN, RED, OR YELLOW ONIONS FOR APPROX. 10 SERVINGS

CHOPPED GREEN, RED, OR YELLOW ONIONS FOR APPROX. 10 SERVINGS

SOUR CREAM (1 PINT)

SOUR CREAM (1 PINT)

1 PLATE OF ASSORTED VEGETABLES TO SERVE 15-20 PEOPLE

CHRISTMAS DESSERT OR GOODIES

CHRISTMAS DESSERT OR GOODIES

CHRISTMAS DESSERT OR GOODIES

CHRISTMAS DESSERT OR GOODIES

CHRISTMAS DESSERT OR GOODIES

Potluck—your choice

Potluck—your choice

Potluck—your choice

Potluck—your choice

Feel free to bring any favorite Christmas dish that you wish to share even if it does not fit this particular menu. There may be others who would like to taste your dish.

If you invite a guest, please do not ask them to bring anything, but do let us know they are coming. For directions to the Creel house, see the Sunday School Blog at: http://cbcbryanparentsofpre-schoolers.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to seeing you all!
Merry Christmas to all!