One More Thing

Dear Five Oaks Family, The weekend's coming so there are a few things I want to share with you.

The Weekend

The friendship between Jonathan and David kept David strong in God during one of the darkest times in his life. Their commitment to each other and love for each others show us how spiritual friends strengthen each other in the Lord. That's the focus of this weekend's sermon in The David Story (1 Samuel).

FYI

Wesley Hill on "Why Can't Men Be Friends?: Men and women alike increasingly say they are lonely. It doesn't have to be this way"

As a single person, I acutely need intimacy and loyalty from my friends. I'm eager for them to say to me, "We love you because you're ours," without leaving an escape clause. Part of the reason I need that kind of friendship is because I don't think marriage is in my future. I'm gay, and also committed to the traditional Christian view that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. When I contemplate a lifetime of celibacy, I know I want committed friends who will walk beside me on the journey.

Mark Yarhouse on "Understanding the Transgender Phenomenon: The leading Christian scholar on gender dysphoria defines the terms—and gives the church a way forward"

A few years ago, my research team at the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity conducted the first study of its kind on transgender Christians. We collected information on 32 biological males who to varying degrees had transitioned to or presented as women. We asked many questions about issues they faced in their home, workplace, and church, such as, “What kind of support would you have liked from the church?” One person answered, “Someone to cry with me rather than just denounce me. Hey, it is scary to see God not rescue someone from cancer or schizophrenia or [gender dysphoria]...but learn to allow your compassion to overcome your fear and repulsion.”

One More Thing

Once again the Bryant's small group, together with several of their friends and family joined together to offer VBS at an apartment complex filled with Karen refugee children. Here's Kristen Brayant's email to me sharing her joy (and don't miss the pictures below):

We had another great Karen VBS. This year we had 127 kids attend, and 23 kids made first time decisions to accept Christ. That is something to celebrate! The highlight for me was when my daughter came over to me all excited that she helped 3 little kids accept Christ. What an amazing thing it is to see my own child stepping up and sharing the love of Christ with someone. That is what I really love about the Karen VBS, the opportunity to serve as a family.

One More Thing

Hi Five Oaksers, The weekend is coming and I have a few things I want to share with you.

The Weekend

I'm really looking forward to Game Cafe tonight (Friday). Lois and I love the game Settlers of Catan, so we'll be playing that our table. Anyone who wants to learn (first come, first serve) can join us and I'll teach them how to play.

This is the final week of our Rule of Life series and I'll focus on brining God into our everyday at work or school.

And it's also Palm Sunday weekend. And this year we'll be celebrating several baptisms. It will look and feel different than you've experienced before at Five Oaks. I can't wait!

It's going to be a great weekend.

FYI

Tim Challies on "Parenting Well in a Digital World"

Parents often feel intimidated by new technologies, so do not bother to investigate them. Instead, they hand their children devices without really understanding their power and capabilities, and that leaves the children as the ones who bear all the risk.

Jeff Vanderstelt on "Stop just going to church"

I watched young and old come to know the love of Jesus and receive very informal but effective training in how to become responsible, hard-working, loving men. Because of my parents’ ministry at home and at work, many men still call our family “their own.” However, the church never called this “ministry.”

One More Thing

Joe Thorn in Experiencing the Trinity:

“Holding indifference, apathy, or bitterness toward the church sets you against what God holds dear. It shows that what Jesus loves and saves is not worth your own time, interest, and affection. This fact applies to the church universal and the church local. God has called you to himself to be a part of his people. How you interact with the people of God reveals much about your relationships with the Lord (Matt. 25:31-46). If you love the Lord, you will love his church (1 John 4:7-12).”