One More Thing

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

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The Weekend

Everybody is greater than somebody. Really!

When we band together as a church to proclaim the gospel and demonstrate it's transforming power and love to each other and to a lost world, we are unstoppable. Jesus said the church, the church, built on the confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, is a prevailing church (Matthew 16:13-18). The gates of hell won't prevail against it.

That's why, when we gather as the church and each person does their part in being the church to each other, the result is incredible. We're going to look at that result this weekend in Acts 6. It might surprise you. You make a difference in a prevailing church.

Next weekend we resume our series, "The Gospel According to Joseph."

 

FYI

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra on "Introducing the Bible! Now with Less! Delete the chapter and verse numbers. Kill all the notes. Make it one column. Make a million bucks.

If you watch Adam Lewis Greene's Kickstarter campaign page for more than a couple of seconds, you can see the number of pledges pop higher. With two days left, Greene's goal of raising $37,000 to print a Bible "designed and crafted for reading, separated into four elegant volumes, and free of all numbers and notes" has been met several times over. In fact, it just surpassed $1 million.

Yancey Yarrington on Indoctrinate Your Kids? Yes!

Even parents holding a negative view of indoctrination indoctrinate. Suppose a father and mother who pride themselves as intellectual progressives that disdain indoctrination in any form confidently proclaim they’ve withheld themselves from pushing their personal belief systems upon their kids. They chose to instruct their children to discover what’s true for themselves. However, they fail to see this also is indoctrination. They are attempting to deposit into their children the “ideology” or “principle” that truth is relative.

One More Thing

The Leadership Summit is half over as I write this. What a great first day. Here are a few highlights captured by my son Aaron who is working sound for the event here at Five Oaks:

// Bill Hybels: "People join organizations; they leave managers."

// Carly Fiorina: "Leaders never accomplish anything worthwhile when acting on their own."

// Jeffrey Immelt: "A [rising leader] questions authority, drives change."

// Susan Cain: "Restore quiet to your culture."

// Bryan Loritts: "I can't claim to have God's heart and do nothing for the least of these."

// Patrick Lencioni: "I'm tired of hearing about servant leadership; I don't think there's any other kind."

Monday Memo

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

4/365: That Monday Morning feeling is defeated by Coffee and Rock! (Explored) // A word of joy and appreciation. A member brought me coffee and two cookies yesterday. He made my morning. I was in need of energy while I was painting. That really helped me. I was delighted. It gave me energy, but more important it gave me joy. I really needed a break and a show of compassion! Thank you Ken!

// Great opening prayer followed by “Bless the Lord Oh My Soul”. Powerful, made my heart feel grateful and happy.

// Thankful, hopeful.

// Thank you for a glimpse thru suffering.

// Opening set was wonderful and set us for teaching! Great music and signing throughout.

// I turned 16 yesterday!  [Congratulations!]

// Wonderful to be back (been on vacation). Great message (thanks Warren) and worship!

// Loved, loved the worships set. Thanks for your leadership Jeremy. Really terrific song selection and flow to crescendo and back. Excellent.

// We brought a guest tonight who needed to hear this sermon. Thank you for this message.