In Part 2, we will consider the most difficult aspect of building and maintaining community, church discipline. If we are to develop true community it must be on the basis of what Jesus has told us to do. Community never reaches its intended potential if we simply envision some vague sense of “togetherness.” In this teaching session we will consider how our commitment to each other will be tested when someone becomes spiritually unhealthy. What we do to help a person who has become spiritually unhealthy is the greatest mark of our dedication to true community. MP3 download.

 

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I was speaking with someone earlier this week about how time is neither friend nor foe. Time doesn’t care who you are. Time is equally distributed to each of us to use or to be used by. With that in mind, the writer of Ephesians says to his readers:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-16).

All of us must examine our priorities when it comes to how we spend our time if we are to make the most of our days on earth. Our examination must also include the use of technology. Are we being …

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True community never occurs in a vacuum. There are qualities in the development of community that must be present or we will never go deeper than spiritual talking points. Today we will consider two of the qualities necessary for connecting to one another and why they are essential ingredients to any true expression of Biblical community. MP3 download.

 

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The “Green Church” is a healthy church. The health of a church is not dictated by where it is located, the style of the service it has, the programs it offers, or the types of people that attend. A church that is green will have characteristics that relate to the character and priorities of Jesus Christ. What are these characteristics? Each characteristics or footprint finds itself rooted in the desire of Jesus to have a church that represents Him on this earth. It is our hope and prayer that our church will be refreshed and strengthened in our desire to be green for the glory of God. MP3 download.

 

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On Sunday (2.14.10), I gave a gentle warning regarding the prominence of our heart (a.k.a feelings) in regard to how we live our lives. Jesus would not have bought into the ridiculous “listen to your heart” counsel that is rampant today. As an example of how this heart-over-head mentality has taken root, I cited the core concept from the book: The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I took issue with the general thesis of the book that goes something like this: If a spouse learns to act on the “love language” of their marriage partner then their “love-tank” will be full. When each person in the relationship focuses on speaking the “love language” of …

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How many times have you seen a person make a decision based on an emotion or a feeling? How often were those decisions wrong? Whether it’s a person “falling in love” or the purchase of a lottery ticket due to a “hunch,” we are often seduced by our feelings. How does a person get off the merry-go-round of making emotional decisions? Do what Jesus did. Since Jesus was human and never made a bad decision, it makes sense to follow the pattern of His life.

First, consider the life-focus that Jesus had that served as a backdrop for all of His decisions:

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; he can only do what

…

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How many times have you seen a person make a decision based on an emotion or a feeling? How often were those decisions wrong? Whether it’s a person “falling in love” or the purchase of a lottery ticket due to a “hunch,” we are often seduced by our feelings. Since Jesus was human, do you think He ever made a decision based on feelings alone? We know he didn’t make any bad decisions… so how did Jesus live life yet never make an emotional “knee-jerk” decision? Today, we will continue to consider the model that Jesus provides for us in order to discern how to overcome our often self-oriented feelings and build our lives on …

 

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The effects of Jesus’ trust in the Father are profound and tremendously instructive. Since the desire of Jesus was to please the Father, the emotions and desires that Jesus had were always God-centered. The opposite is true for us today. Even as Christians our emotions and desires are rooted in a desire to trust and to please ourselves. Therefore, we often find ourselves experiencing (and fighting!) self-centered living. Today, we will continue to consider the model that Jesus provided and discern how to overcome our self-oriented feelings in order to build our lives around what is true. Simply put, Jesus is our model for true spiritual living. MP3 download.

 

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Check out our women’s ministry and Facebook page for the retreat promo video.

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