One More Thing

Hi Five Oakers, The weekend is coming and there are a few things I want to share with you.

The Weekend

This weekend's sermon is trouble. It's about how get in trouble. How not to avoid it. How your spiritual life actually depends on it.

Maybe after this weekend's service your response to God's Word will get you in trouble because Jesus wants you to get in trouble from time to time.

I hope you take the trouble to worship with us.

FYI

Kevin DeYoung on "Crazy-Busy Christians: Getting down to the reality of what Jesus actually calls us to do"

I understand there are lazy people out there who need to get radical for Jesus. I understand that many people are stingy with their resources and fritter their time away on inane television shows. I understand there are lots of Christians in our churches sitting around doing nothing who need to be challenged not to waste their life. I am deeply thankful for preachers and writers who challenge us to risk everything and make our lives count. I know a lot of sleepy Christians in need of a wake-up call. But I also know people like me, people who easily feel a sense of responsibility, people who easily feel bad for not doing more. For all sorts of reasons—pride, diligence, personality—opportunities have often felt like obligations to me.

John D. Inazu on "5 Guidelines for Living in a Pluralist Society: Protestant Christianity is losing the mainstream status it once enjoyed. How to model a winsome faith anyway"

1. U.S. Christians should avoid the language of “persecution” to describe their circumstances. Developments like the all-comers policy are legitimate threats to pluralism and religious liberty. These policies continue to proliferate. As I have recently argued, these policies reflect “a disturbing and (at least in some cases) unprincipled effort to rid colleges and universities of conservative religious groups with creedal faith statements.” But they are not persecution. Christians in other parts of the world are literally being martyred for their faith, and we ought to honor those distinctions in our language.

One More Thing

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:19-21)

This is Peter's message to the crowds that gathered after he healed a man in the temple. He speaks of a time of refreshing before a day of restoration. We live in that time of refreshing. It comes when our sins are blotted out because we experience, at that point, the presence of the Lord. The time of refreshing is each day lived in the presence of the Lord. Live today with the Lord, refreshed.

Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers, Here are most of the comments and questions from the weekend Communication Cards:

// I will keep inviting. [Yes!]

// I just love the heart and talent of our worship team. Thanks for serving as you. Thank you Henry for that inspiring message and clarifying our mission. Beautiful closing song!

// Loved Discovery Class! [Sorry to have missed it because I was in Israel. So glad you went and enjoyed.]

// Wow! Powerful and moving message! Thank you for feeding my spirit.

// Thankful for the bold invites who invited us back to Five Oaks… life changing.

// Amen.

// Thank you for an excellent message!

// I like to see communion at the center focus with the lights to the side. [That's the idea. Thanks.]

// I really like the new bulletin. It is much more useful. We are also enjoying the changes with Rush hour and middle school small groups. [Good to hear! Thanks for letting us know.]

// Church is freezing – can they turn heat on soon or turn blowers off please? [Our new system is in need of some adjustments. It was not working in the Worship Center. Sorry.]

// Hi, during the summer I was baptized. I’m a sixth grader. I still tell people about God, but people won’t listen. What should I do? [First of all, don't stop. God wants us to be faithful in our witness, but we have to leave the results to him. But here are a couple of other thoughts. People are often more willing to hear what we are good listeners, show an interest in them and in their thoughts and ideas, treat them respectfully, hang out and have fun, be a good friend, and show a willingness to help them if they need it. But remember, Jesus was all those things, and still most people rejected him. Same with Paul and the new believers in the book of Acts.  So don't quit! In time you will experience some fruit.]