The Endless Supplier

"Christ is that Fountain of living water which God has graciously provided for thirsting souls. From Him…there flows an abundant stream for all who travel through the wilderness of this world. In Him, as our Redeemer and Substitute, crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification, there is an endless supply of all that men can need pardon, absolution, mercy, grace, peace, rest, relief, comfort and hope." --J.C. Ryle

This was missing from the great summer flyer we gave out Sunday

"Ladies! Ladies! An evening of good food, fellowship and some games have been planned for us this Summer. Saturday, June 11th at 5pm. Please feel free to invite a lady friend or come alone. More info to come..... questions please call Stacy Morrison at 378-6887

Narnia Movie Trailer

Enjoy this 2 minute trailer that made my children ready for December 9th to get here now! But please, o please, read the book prior to the movie... i hate to be an imagination nazi... but you are always better served letting yourself form images before othersThe Chronicles of Narnia Movie Exclusives

Friday 5pm

Meet at the new church property to dedicate the land... then around the corner for swim party & cookout at Stankunas' home.

Sunday at Christ Community

9am Classes
Adults: Rob Pendley teaching on "The Crusades"

10am
Worship
Classes for younger children

I plan to preach on Acts 11:19-29

9 seconds of audio from Pendley & Neder...SDG!

Young Life Dinner; You are Invited

I wanted to remind you of the YoungLife sponsored fundraiser, The 3rd annual mystery dinner theater.

Who: Anyone who wants to come out and support the YoungLife ministry!

What: We are putting on a murder mystery theater production where the crowd gets to try and figure out "WHO DID IT". There will be a 3 course meal served throughout the night during the play. This meal is catered by Olive Garden and it consists of salad, breadsticks, lasagna, and a dessert.

Where: Vineyard Church off of NW 8th Avenue

When: Saturday May 7th, at 6:30pm

Why: YoungLife takes dozens of believing and unbelieving kids to summer camp every summer. Many of our kids do not have the funds to attend such a summer camp, so the leaders try to raise as much money as they can to lower the cost for each camper to attend camp. If you are familiar with YoungLife, many kids come back saying that it was the "best week of their life!"

If you are interested in attending, please contact Erik Folgate at 871-0794 to purchase tickets. THE COST OF EACH TICKET is $15.00 per person. Half price for small children. (6 and under). If you want to just show up the night of the show, that is OKAY too!!! Hope to see you there, thank you very much for the consideration.

Quotes from my prep for Sunday

Our preaching text sunday is Acts 11:19-30 contains, among other things, an account of the rapid and cross-cultural growth of Christianity. Ever wonder, humanly-speaking, why?
“A reason for Christianity’s success is to be found in its
inclusiveness. More than any of its competitors it attracted all races and
classes....Judaism never quite escaped from its racial
bonds....Christianity however gloried in its appeal to Jew and Gentile,
Greek and barbarian. The philosophies never really won the allegiance of
the masses....they appealed primarily to the educated....Christianity,
however...drew the lowly and unlettered...yet also developed a philosophy
which commanded the respect of many of the learned....Christianity, too, was for both sexes, whereas two of it main rivals were primarily for men.
The Church welcomed both rich and poor. In contrast with it, the
mystery cults were usually for people of means: initiation into them was
expensive....No other [religion] took in so many groups and strata of
society....The query must be raised of why this comprehensiveness came
to be. It was not in Judaism. Why did it appear in Christianity?”
--K.S.Latourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity vol.1 (Harper
and Row, 1937).

The 9am Class "The Crusades... for Dummies, from a Dummy"
"I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it. All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested." Urban II, the pope who "launched the 1st Crusade

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

This movie comes out tomorrow. This caused me to realise that i know little about the crusades and desire to know more. Therefore, i'll be teaching a one week course Sunday at 9am... "All you need to know about the crusades in 40 minutes"
We'll cover issues like:
~~History, what happened?
~~Evangelism, "how do you explain that?"
~~Faithfulness to God, "What does it look like for us to be a people who expressly say we exist to extend the kingdom of God?"

1st ever audio update... 30 second update on church property

Prayer

tonite 6:15 at Hope Church...
We shall ask God:
~~to teach us to pray
~~to transform us into a praying church
~~to extend His Kingdom in Gainesville
~~et al

Prayer & Fasting Tomorrow

Let me encourage you to consider making time to come out for a half hour of prayer.
Wednesday 6:15pm Hope Community Church

Opportunities for Youth & Children

Presbyterian Churches across the state of Florida rent CAMP KULAQUA in High Springs each summer. This summer's dates have been announced:

July 4-8 Middle School Conference
July 18-22 High School Conference

www.southlandinfo.com

We will be participating with Faith Presbyterian to put on a Vacation Bible School week. For children 5th grade and below, June 27-July 1.

New Adult Forum

Sunday school for adults:
Sunday May 8 God at the Movies, taught by Rob Pendley
Sunday May 15 The Holy Spirit, a 4 week class taught by Rob Pendley begins

Land Ho!

We are scheduled to purchase our land on Parker Road on Thursday, May 5.

Then, Friday May 13th, we will celebrate with a land dedication, followed by a party.
5pm at the Parker Road land... then 5:30pm dinner/swim/hang out at the Stankunas' home, just around the corner from the land.

Don't Miss This

You will want to block off your calendars for this one...
Friday May 13th at 5pm---until sundown... details forthcoming

Have you seen this?

Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Home

Lord's Supper Service

Sunday we come to the table together.

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Uganda Awareness

7:30 1st showing of 30 minute dvd
9:15 2nd showing of 30 minute dvd
music by sydney & melissa in between... tonite atChristian Study Center of Gainesville

I'm off to speak 3 times at a men's retreat... will be back to be with you Sunday morning... Deo volente

I'm in meetings today

....serving on the Florida committee forRUF - Reformed University Fellowship

new bible study starts tomorrow

7:00pm in Haile Plantation
all welcome
Topic: The Bible's Teaching on Eternal Rewards

376-6944 for more info

You His Saints

Those words jump out from Psalm 30 today.
"Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name."

We are His people, his holy ones. Sing praises; give thanks.

The Holy Spirit

God’s purpose was not only to secure our sonship by His Son, but to assure us of it by His Spirit. He sent His Son that we might have the status of sonship, and He sent His Spirit that we might have an experience of it. —John Stott

Christian experience is experience of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There really is no such thing as ‘an experience of the Holy Spirit’ from which the Father and the Son are excluded. In any case, the Holy Spirit is a reticent Spirit. He doesn’t willingly draw attention to Himself. Rather He prompts us to pray ‘Abba! Father!’ and thus witnesses to our filial relationship to God. And above all He glorifies Christ. He turns the bright beams of His searchlight upon the face of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is never more satisfied than when the Christian is engrossed in Jesus Christ. —John Stott

We must never divorce what God has married, namely His Word and His Spirit. The Word of God is the Spirit’s sword. The Spirit without the Word is weaponless. The Word without the Spirit is powerless. —John Stott

If you want the Holy Spirit's power...

... in your life, I encourage you to make Jesus the center of your life. --John Piper

Sunday at Christ Community

9am classes

10am worship
preaching on The Holy Spirit.... from Acts 10 and 11


if you'd like to do some thinking/heart-prep... think thru these elements we'll be using:

Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

songlist:
Praise to the Lord the Almighty
O love that will not let me go
God of Wonders
You Are My World

Two of our talented artists will be performing at UF

Melissa Reyes has a recital Saturday at 5:30pm on Saturday. She will be performing works by Mozart, Debussy, and Chopin.
Room 120 of music building at UF


and Kelly MacGregor will be singing opera in a program at 4:00PM in the University Auditorium (under the bell tower on campus) this Sunday, April 17th. It will be scenes from various operas and Music Theatre repertoire (Carmen, The Magic Flute, West Side Story, Carousel, Pirates of Penzance, etc.).

New Research Overturns Conventional Wisdom on Teens & Faith

Unpacking some myths about today's teens.
by Andy Crouch | posted 04/12/2005 09:30 a.m.

No book in recent memory has as much potential to transform the practice of youth ministry as Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton's account of the findings of their National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). Smith, a committed Christian who may be his generation's most significant sociologist of religion, carefully designed not only an in-depth phone survey of 3,290 teenagers and their parents, but also crafted 267 in-person interviews. The results overturn nearly every piece of conventional wisdom about teens and faith.

There is no generation gap. The NSYR finds that youth overwhelmingly admire and practice the religion of their parents, just as other studies have shown that teens these days overwhelmingly admire and like their parents. The baby-boomer ethos of adolescent rebellion has disappeared—if, indeed, it ever was so widespread as the media would have us believe.

Teens like church. There simply isn't much hostility to organized religion among 13- to 17-year-olds, Smith and Denton find: "U.S. teens as a whole report that they would like to attend religious services even more than they currently do."

Teens are not "spiritual seekers." Vanishingly few have heard the phrase "spiritual but not religious," the mantra of baby-boomer, mix-and-match spirituality. Less than 1 percent are exploring alternative religions like Wicca. Seventy-five percent of teens identify with some form of Christianity.

So far, so good, for those who would offer Christian faith to the next generation. If only all the news were so encouraging. In fact, these quantitative indicators are overshadowed by what Smith and Denton found out when they sat down to talk with teens one-on-one. It should rock the world of every church in the country: In spite of their generally positive attitude toward religion, almost no teenagers, from any religious background, can articulate the most basic beliefs of their faith. This interview excerpt, with a 15-year-old who "attends two church services every Sunday, Sunday school, church youth group, and Wednesday-night Bible study," illustrates how vaguely most teenagers answered a question about their personal beliefs:

"[Pause] I don't really know how to answer that. ['Are there any beliefs at all that are important to you? Really generally.'] [Pause] I don't know. ['Take your time if you want.'] I think that you should just, if you're gonna do something wrong then you should always ask for forgiveness and he's gonna forgive you no matter what, cause he gave up his only Son to take all the sins for you, so…"

In fact, that is one of the more articulate answers that Smith and Denton report. And it's not that teens are generally inarticulate—when the researchers asked them about pop culture or sexually transmitted diseases, they could give sophisticated answers. They could talk about Will & Grace, but not grace. Of the 267 teens interviewed, only 12 mentioned "repentance" in connection with their faith; 7 mentioned the Resurrection; and 4 mentioned "discipleship." On the other hand, 112 mentioned "personally feeling, being, getting, or being made happy."

So what is the religion that teens hold in such high regard? Smith and Denton sum it up as "moralistic therapeutic deism"—the belief that religion is about doing good and being happy, watched over by a distant and benign Creator whose purpose is largely to help us feel better about ourselves.

And where do teenagers learn this faith that so closely reflects the American therapeutic culture, and so poorly reflects the Christian gospel? The evidence is overwhelming: There is no generation gap, and they love church. So they learned it from their parents—they learned it from their churches. Even their conservative Protestant churches. The fundamental axiom of youth ministry, Smith and Denton say, is, "We'll get what we are."

Wednesday Nights at the Park

June 8,15,22,29 from 6:30-8:30

What happened in Acts 10?

Many things, but at cornelius' house you see them all become trusting-followers of Jesus after hearing Peter preach just a little of his sermon. Why?

God enlightened their minds...
spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good; and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

Lord, teach Christ Community to pray!

What is a Spirit-Filled Church

"Since the teaching of the apostles has come down to us in its definitive
form in the New Testament, contemporary devotion to the apostles'
teaching will mean submission to the authority of the New
Testament. A Spirit-filled church is a New Testament church, in
the sense that it studies and submits to New Testament
instruction. The Spirit of God leads the people of God to submit
to the Word of God." --John Stott, commenting on Acts 2... yet, I think, very applicable to what is a Spirit-filled church in 2005

You don't speak Korean

On Saturday Steve Lammers and i were at a presbytery meeting. A man spoke to us about the bible's emphasis on congregational prayer as a main work of every local church. Steve and I were very impacted by this teaching. More on that later. For now, one little anecdote:

The American once said to a Korean, "How come the Korean church is able to pray so effectively?"
Korean response: "You don't understand b/c you don't speak Korean."
American: "Tell me anyway."
Korean: "If our prayer meeting is 60 minutes, you can bet that the first 30 are praying for our praying. We feel so weak at prayer that we generally devote 1/2 of our prayer time to asking God to teach us to pray."

I couldn't remember the last time I had asked God to help me become a pray-er. That is why i led you the way i did, on Sunday morning and again in "night church". At least for this week, I will conclude each post with a line of prayer and i ask you to join me in praying it...

"Lord, teach Christ Community to pray."

He Will Glorify Me

What is the mission of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told us what the essence of the mission of the Holy Spirit is in John 16:14. He said, "He will glorify me." J.I. Packer wrote a very good book called Keep in Step with the Spirit. His main point in that book is this: "The essence of the Holy Spirit's ministry is, at this or any time in the Christian era, is to mediate the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ" (p. 55). In other words, the Spirit is sent to make Christ real to people and to show us who he really is in his glory so that we come to love him and trust him and obey him and show him to the world. -----John Piper

We Lift Our Hearts to the Lord... Sunday @ CCC

Reminders and Reflections as we prepare to offer ourselves to God… heart, mind, strength
And receive from God… all He promises to be for us in Christ Jesus

Reminders:
9am Classes for all ages
Adult class in the library/media center
Rob Pendley teaching on the person and work of the Holy Spirit…
What is up with the tongues in Acts?What do I do about the signs and wonders which I see in Acts and don’t see in Christ Community?
Is Christ Community seeking to be a Spirit-filled church, or not?
What does Spirit-filled look like anyway?
How do I pursue keeping in step with the Spirit?


10am Worship in the theatre
Children’s church will be dismissed during the sermon
Sermon will be from Acts 10, particularly verses 44-48

6:00-6:45 Night Church at Hope Community Church
An opportunity for the church family to:
~receive updates on various functions in the life of our church
~share prayer concerns
~be together
We offer childcare for ages 4 and below. Children 5 and above will be in the meeting with their parents.

Reflection:
We really know as much of the gospel of Christ, and of the Christ of the gospel, as we have experience of it in our souls, by the power of the Holy Spirit. All other acquaintance with divine truth must be regarded as merely intellectual, theoretical, speculative, and of little worth.
--octavious winslow

Extraordinary Events in the Scripture

In the Scriptures, extraordinary gifts appear to be limited to a few brief periods in biblical history, in which they serve as confirmatory signs of new revelation and its ambassadors, and as a means of establishing and defending the kingdom of God in epochally significant ways. Without this perspective, some biblical miracles would be trivial and almost on the level of majic tricks. Only within this kingdom context does a floating axe head (2 Kings 6:1-5) or a coin in the mouth of a fish (Matthew 17:27) make coherent sense. --Sinclair Ferguson

Powerful Statement

Nancy Spikes, age 70something, said this to me this week:
"It was a joy to be at the women's bible study on Tuesday. Those young women are partaking of the meat of the Word instead of the milk. Jenna Lammers did a terrific job of leading the study of romans 8:28. It was a privilege to be with them."

Prayer Today, 2 Opportunities

12:15 til 12:45 in Office (off NW 43rd street, call for directions 379-4949 or mapquest location 2830 NW 41st street)

6:15-6:45 at Hope Church (Tower & SW 24th), this one is more "child friendly"

"Do you know, brothers, what great things are to be had for the asking? Have you ever thought of it? Does it not stimulate you to pray fervently? All heaven lies before the grasp of the asking man; all the promises of God are rich and inexhaustible, and their fulfillment is to be had by prayer."

Charles Spurgeon, from "Ask and Have," a sermon on James 4:2-3, delivered October 1, 1882; Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 28.

Acts 10 stuff

John Piper on Acts 10 ramifications: In other words, with the coming of Jesus into the world and with the final cleansing sacrifice of Christ now offered and with the command to take the gospel to all ethnic groups in the world now given, the old ceremonial laws about foods are lifted and that barrier to the Gentile world is removed.
And so Peter's vision has two points: 1.)the food laws are fulfilled and ended in Jesus (Mark 7:19), and 2.) the people they kept you separate from (the nations, the Gentiles) are not to be considered unclean or common.

Here is a great article on the gospel and people who are investigating Christianity... the Cornelius-types who God brings in our path
more

Easter Monday and those crazy Canadians

Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the Monday following Easter. It is not a statutory holiday except in Quebec, where the employer has the choice of providing the employee a holiday on either Good Friday or Easter Monday.
Early Christians celebrated the days immediately following Easter - the most important holy day in the Christian church - by telling jokes, playing pranks, and feasting on lamb. People would add fragrant oil or perfume to the Easter water they brought home from church, and then use this water to sprinkle and bless their food, pets, gardens, and homes.

On Easter Monday morning, men would wake their wives with a spritz of the perfumed Easter water as they whispered, "May you never wither." On Easter Tuesday, women would return the favor as they awakened their husbands with a bucketful of the scented water!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Indoor Easter Egg Hunt

1.) We've decided to go ahead with our plans for tomorrow. The Easter Egg hunt (and surrounding activities) will take place in the Student Center of Oak Hall from 10-noon.


2.) Remember, there is no Sunday School this week.
10am worship with children's program is the only Easter day activity.

3.) Today is Good Friday. Why is the day commemorating the murder of the good man called good? Because of what it accomplished:
He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities.

My Last Visit with Terri Schiavo

My Last Visit with Terri Schiavo - Christianity Today Magazine

Random Info

From time to time i am asked about information on homosexuality. Here are two groups that regularly help people find freedom from this type of sexual sin. Harvest also helps with heterosexual sin, particularly pornography.HarvestUSA
http://www.exodus-international.org/

Sunday at Christ Community

9am Classes for all ages
10am worship with special contribution by children, celebrating Palm Sunday; the sermon will be from
Acts 9:32-43

6pm "Christ in the Passover" interactive 45 minute lecture


also, pray for UF Film Festival today, our own Kimberley Wilder speaking

St. Patrick

He was a Roman who was taken from his home in Scotland at 16 to be a slave in
Ireland and his service was to be a humble Shepherd. Later he would shepherd a
whole people and train over 350 Shepherds of God's flock. I am sure by now you
have guessed his name: Patrick. The exact dates of his life are not certain, but
one historian has it that he was born 387 and died March 17, 493. His day has
been memorialized as a Feast Day, March 17. And of course he is the Patron of
Ireland and the Irish, whose symbols are the cross, harp, serpent, baptismal
font, demons, and the shamrock. All of these have significance in his biography.

The Collect for the Day from the Book of Common Prayer (1928)
O ALMIGHTY God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant Patrick to be an
apostle to the people of Ireland, to bring those who were wandering in darkness
and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: Grant us so to walk in that
light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through the
merits of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

Help Prepare for Easter Egg Hunt

Ladies are invited to Debbie Staples' home to enjoy one another and stuff plastic eggs with candy... in preparation for the children's egg hunt on March 26th.
8:15 come stuff your bellies
8:30 come stuff easter eggs

contact tamara johnston at 332-5403 with any questions

End of a good day... various topics

Sunday Night 10:30pm...

1. Someone left a Romans 8 folder and purple water bottle at Hope. It is in the church office now.
2. This week I'll be posting some of my thoughts on Nathaniel's wonderful message today... for now let me clear up a confusing point for some of you: Nathaniel was saying that the "old" way of doing missions called for an American congregation to raise $60K per year to send and keep an American to a place like Togo. What he wants to do is get the American Christians to:
a.) pay $2600 per year to have a native Togoan plant another church
b.) come to Togo for short-term training of the Togoan pastors
3. Congregation voted to purchase the 5 acres on Parker Road tonite. Very exciting.
4. Elders had a very successful and encouraging meeting with 5 members of congregation who are considering being on the BUILDING PROJECT TEAM that would lead us. Even more exciting.
5. My Mississippi State Bulldogs are playing Stanford in Round 1. That is a fitting matchup since both schools are Ivy League-ish.
6. Interactive Lecture on how Jesus Christ is portrayed in the Passover Meal is Sunday at 6pm at Faith. I'd love to see 30+ of you come out for that. I think it will enhance your communion experience in the future.

Great Day Sunday

Sunday.... African Pastor Nathaniel Adawonu will be with us Sunday .... we'll be looking at Acts 1 together. That's at 10am. At 9am there are classes for children and Richard Horner class on the Gospels enters a new phase. (there is a link to Nathaniel's bio lower on this page)

Remember to pray for each other. Some are grieving. Others confused. Pray for your church family.

Ray Treadwell was strengthened by your prayers and did great last night speaking at Crusade.

http://www.gate-riverrun.com/ is where Ray and Rob and several others from Christ Community will be on Saturday. This might explain things if you see several of us looking sore Sunday morning!

Sunday evening we gather at Hope Church to vote on the purchase of the land on Parker Road. All are extremely welcome; voting will be done by members. 6pm until 6:50. Childcare available for age 5 and under. Other children will need to be in the meeting with their parents.

Grace & Peace,
Rob

Why Are You a Christian ?

I just picked up this book Why I Am a Christian : John Stott at public library, and before i read it i want to answer that question myself. Why am I? What drew me? What keeps me? How 'bout you? I think it would be a great exercise for you and encouragement to others if several of you decided to cobble together some brief thoughts. Whether it is just a couple of paragraphs or several bullet points... send them along to me.

Ray Treadwell speaking at UF Campus Crusade

Pray for Ray as he speaks on Genesis 22 tonite at 8:30pm.
Students, pray and come. more info at ufcrusade.com

One of you asked...

A 12 year old from non-religious background wants to know about God. How should i help?

This was my response, maybe others will be helped by the same info:

1. Would they consider reading the gospel of Mark?
2. Have they read Lion, Witch and Wardrobe?
They should, b/c it wonderfully shows
i.) Aslan (Jesus) as tender and terrible
ii.) Edmund’s “sin” must pay a price
iii.) Aslan dies and is raised in Edmund’s place
iv.) Aslan is renewing the whole of Narnia, not simply saving the soul of Edmund and the others
v.) It is a great story and the movie comes out soon and children need to form these figures in their OWN imagination before they see the movie

3. This is a classic children's book that one of my friends who worked w/ mega irreligious girls at Vanderbilt used to have them read… it is truly a classic.
http://store.discerningreader.com/chilstorbibc1.html

4. Also, we have in church office that red workbook for children.

5. Is there anyone who could read and adapt john stott’s basic Christianity? This is the best intro I’m aware of.

Finally, Christianity rises or falls on Jesus Christ. I’d try to focus it there. Either he is who he says or not. Help her to think about Jesus and his claims about himself and her.

Good on ya,

Rob

2 prayer meetings at Study Center Today

If you are around campus with an unscheduled half-hour... Ray Treadwell is leading a prayer meeting from 11:00-11:30 AND another one from 1:00-1:30. Today. Wednesday. IN the classroom of the Christian Study Center

Palm Sunday; Passover; Jesus

On Sunday Evening March 20th we will be gathering with our brothers and sisters at Faith Presbyterian for an interactive seminar explaining the Passover recorded in Exodus. Rev. Ron Elkin, will demonstrate the prophetic picture that the Passover feast gave of Jesus Christ 1400 years before He came to Earth. This will tremendously help your understanding of our monthly communion service! An optional Jewish meal will be served afterward, for those who sign up. You'll hear more soon, but mark your calendar.

Nathaniel Adawonu will be with us Sunday

Nathaniel Adawonu

women in Romans 8

starts today
MORNING: 10:45 at French home 332-4486
or
EVENING 7:30 at gallagher home 337-1468

The women are studying what many call the greatest chapter in the bible. Here is where we get:
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
and
"Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ."

Paradox

From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe:
Is - is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the king of the wood and son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I'd thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver. “If there is anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just plain silly.”
“Then he isn't safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver, “don't you know what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King I tell you.”

Kenneth Graham provides a classic example of this tremendous mystery in his book, The Wind in the Willows at the point when Mole and Rat have an encounter with the divine Piper at the Gates of Dawn:
Suddenly, the Mole felt a great awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water and bowed his head and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror. Indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy. But it was an awe that smote him and held him. He raised his humble head and then in the utter clearness of the eminent Dawn, he looked into the very eyes of his Friend and Helper. And as he looked, he lived. And still as he lived, he wondered. “Rat . . . Rat,” he found breath to whisper, shaking, “Are you afraid?”
“Afraid?” murmured the Rat, his eyes shining with unutterable love. “Afraid? Of Him? Oh, never, never. And yet, and yet . . . oh Mole, I am afraid.”
And then the two animals, crouching to the earth, bowed their heads and did worship.

Come!

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food."
ESV Bible Online: Passage: isaiah 55

Flesh of His Flesh

What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink His shed blood?
First, to accept with a believing heart all the suffering and the death of Christ, and so receive forgiveness of sins and life eternal.[1] Second, to be united more and more to His sacred body through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us.[2] Therefore, although Christ is in heaven[3] and we are on earth, yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones,[4] and we forever live and are governed by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.[5]

[1] John 6:35, 40, 50-54. [2] John 6:55, 56; I Cor. 12:13. [3] Acts 1:9-11; 3:21; I Cor. 11:26; Col. 3:1. [4] I Cor. 6:15, 17; Eph. 5:29, 30; I John 4:13. [5] John 6:56-58; 15:1-6; Eph. 4:15, 16; I John 3:24.

9am classes 10am worship, celebrating holy communion

Nothing in my hands i bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.

Who Made You?

God made me. There have been some recent discussions in the GvilleSun about the sad reality that many don't know this simple and simply liberating truth. Here's a resource you may be unaware of:

Berkeley's Radical

A Father's Resolutions by Cotton Mather

"When the children are of a fit age for it, I will sometimes closet them; have them with me alone; talk with them about the state of their souls; their experiences, their proficiencies, their temptations; obtain their declared consent unto every jot and tittle of the gospel; and then pray with them, and weep unto the Lord for His grace, to be bestowed upon them, and make them witnesses of the agony with which I am travailing to see the image of Christ formed in them. Certainly, they'll never forget such actions! " Cotton MatherRead the other 20:

Why We Pray

Revival, I define, as a work of God by his Spirit through his Word bringing the spiritually dead to living faith in Christ and renewing the inner life of Christians who have grown slack and sleepy. In revival God makes old things new, giving new power to law and gospel and new spiritual awareness to those whose hearts and consciousness have been blind, hard and cold. Revival thus animates or reanimates churches and Christian groups to make a spiritual and moral impact on communities.—J.I. Packer

"Hospitality has a thousand different looks, because it is a responsibility for us all"

A Bowl of Soup and a Listening Ear:

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. --Psalm 34:3

thoughts for tomorrow's prayer meetings.....
I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.

When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn't mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don't make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger....

My brethren, God calls us to magnify Him, to see Him big. A meeting is not big because a lot of people are present. A meeting is big because a number of people see a big God in the meeting. And the bigger God is seen, the greater the meeting. A friend of mine has a little saying, 'I would rather have a big, little meeting than a little, big meeting.' There are a lot of big meetings that are little because the God in them is a small God. And there are a lot of little meetings that are big because God is big in the midst of them.... (AW Tozer)

prayer meetings wednesday

12:15-12:45 at office (Millhopper Area, just off NW 43rd)

6:15-6:45 at Hope Church (Tower Road)

call 379-4949 for directions or other questions


FYI: if you were looking for a goal for fasting from food, a certain food, or refraining from any other good thing God has given... perhaps from after dinner Tuesday until dinner Wednesday. Remember, fasting should always be practiced wisely.

Three Accounts of Paul's Conversion

Acts 9:-20; Acts 22:3-21; Acts 26:9-20

The Integrity of Christianity

Just noticed how different the visions of God that Paul had and Joseph Smith (mormon founder) claimed to have. Paul says, "Go ask my travelling mates if something weird happened?" Joseph Smith says, "Trust me, it happened, but there were no eyewitnesses." Hmmm.
Acts 9: "The men who were traveling with him stood speechless"

So it seems that Paul was running around believing in the resurrection and claiming you could check his story for veracity.

Child Lovers Check This Out!

From one of my top 21st century theologians!Jesus Teaches Us How To Be Happy

Union With Christ

The union between Christ and His people that Saul/Paul first glimped in Jesus' rebuke, "Why do you persecute ME?" operates in two directions. Jesus counts His peoples' suffering as belonging to Himself. And He counts His own suffering and death as belonging to His people:
"I have been crucified with Christ." (Galatians 2:20)
"All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death." (Romans 6)
--Dennis Johnson

I really like Bill Maher

I do. And think he would be exactly the kind of chap i'd love to hang with... and am hopeful for him and believe that the fact that he thinks (at some level) is a good reason to hope for him. I have friends like him, i hope you do too...
His comments last week on MSNBC show the kind of blindness that we'll be talking about Sunday. He totally (though not maliciously) misunderstands the nature of Christian conversion:

Bill Maher: "I think religion is a neurological disorder. If you look at it logically, it‘s something that was drilled into your head when you were a small child. It certainly was drilled into mine at that age. And you really can‘t be responsible when you are a kid for what adults put into your head.

But when you become an adult, you can then have it drilled out. And you should."

Host of the show: So, you are saying that the millions and millions of Americans who go to church every week or go to synagogue...

MAHER: Have a neurological disorder, yes.
want more?

Our Help, Our Hope, Our Home

This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of for­mer British prime min­is­ter Winston Churchill in St. Paul’s Ca­thed­ral, Lon­don, 1965.
written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Savior We Are Thine

Jesus you have bought us not with gold or gem
But with Your own lifeblood for your diadem

With Your blessing filling each who comes to Thee
You have made us willing, You have made us free

By Your grand redemption and your grace divine
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior we are Thine.
--Mo Leverette

A Church-Plant Behind Prison Bars...

Peace and Purpose Behind Bars - byFaith Online

A Church-Plant Behind Prison Bars...

Tasting God in Your Pleasures?!

James I. Packer:
In thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11). I hold the heady doctrine that no pleasures are so frequent or intense as those of the grateful, devoted, single-minded, whole-hearted, self-denying Christian. I maintain that the delights of work and leisure, of friendship and family, of eating and mating, of arts and crafts, of playing and watching games, of finding out and making things, of helping other people, and all the other noble pleasures that life affords, are doubled for the Christian; for, as the cheerful old Puritans used to say (no, sir, that is not a misprint, nor a Freudian lapse; I mean Puritans—the real historical Puritans, as distinct from the smug sourpusses of last-century Anglo-American imagination), the Christian tastes God in all his pleasures, and this increases them, whereas for other men pleasure brings with it a sense of hollowness which reduces it. --from his book, God Has Spoken

Coffee, Carbs, and Conversation

All women (and children) are invited to Rebecca Schackow's Tuesday morning to simply hang out. 9:30-11:30am. 332-2179 for directions (Schackow's live behind N. Fla Hospital)

Struggles, Burdens, Unbelief...Jesus

"Where sin struggles in the heart, and guilt
burdens the conscience, and unbelief beclouds
the mind; whose grace subdues our iniquities,
whose blood gives us peace, and whose light
dispels our darkness? Jesus! " taken from :

Interesting

MSNBC - Mommy Madness

A Growing Hunger for Honesty and Authenticity

A Growing Hunger for Honesty and Authenticity

PCA PCA PCA PCA

You know that Christ Community is glad to be connected internationally with the Presbyterian Church... but don't bombard you with our connection. Well here is something that we've done that is quality and i must share it with you. If you visit byFaith Online today you will see a great article on what we, as disciples, can learn from Bob Dylan. Also, click around and sign up for the free trial issue of the actual magazine. It really is quite smashing.

For Sunday...acts 9

“Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;
acts 9

5 good things at Christ Community

1. At least 2 weekly bible-study meetings where our people are introducing non-Christians to the claims and hopes of Jesus Christ.
2. Joy brought to Shands this week as sick children received Valentines made by our children.
3. 10 people currently taking the Intro to CCC seminar
4. A cadre of worship leaders who love Christ.
5. The older men are now 2-0 in Turkey Bowls.

5 good things at Christ Community

1. At least 2 weekly bible-study meetings where our people are introducing non-Christians to the claims and hopes of Jesus Christ.
2. Joy brought to Shands this week as sick children received Valentines made by our children.
3. 10 people currently taking the Intro to CCC seminar
4. A cadre of worship leaders who love Christ.
5. The older men are now 2-0 in Turkey Bowls.

One chap's conversion to faith in Christ

"I became aware that I was holding something at bay, or shutting something out. Or, if you like, that I was wearing some stiff clothing, like corsets, or even a suit of armour, as if I were a lobster. I felt myself being, there and then, given a free choice. I could open the door or keep it shut; I could unbuckle the armour or keep it on. Neither choice was presented as a duty;
no threat or promise was attached to either, though I knew that to
open the door or to take off the corset meant the incalculable.
The choice appeared to be momentous but it was also strangely
unemotional. I was moved by no desires or fears. In a sense I was
not moved by anything. I chose to open, to unbuckle, to loosen the
rein. I say `I chose,' yet it did not really seem possible to do
the opposite. On the other hand, I was aware of no motives. You
could argue that I was not a free agent, but I am more inclined to
think this came nearer to being a perfectly free act than most I
have ever done. Necessity may not be the opposite of freedom, and
perhaps a man is most free when, instead of producing motives, he
could only say, `I am what I do'. --CS Lewis

Very Cool...

Our own Kelly MacGregor will be live on internet tomorrow morning. She writes: This is what I've been working on for a couple of weeks. At 7:00 am and again at 7:30 there will be a never-before-attempted technological feat... I've been working with Digital Worlds Studio here at UF and they have put together this presentation of "The Lost Chord." It's a skit that involves people from England, Australia, Miami, Gainesville, and Korea, with five girls all singing and acting...live...together! I'm one of the voices of the Oracle...but I've been helping out with the music/vocal coaching of the girls for the last couple of weeks. I hope you are up that early...enjoy!


The Lost Chord

Sermon follow up...

Dear Friends,
I failed to mention on Sunday that people struggling with eating disorders should not pursue connecting with God through fasting from food. They should connect with Him in other ways. My sincere apologies to those of you who struggle with (or love someone who does)anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating and binge eating.

This is a very complex subject and much prayer should be involved. If you would like to follow up on this, or receive special prayer, please let us know. Rob

Hunger for God book is Free

Hunger for God
intro and chap 1 are must reads

Tomorrow at Christ Community

9am classes
10:00 worship

Turkey Bowl after the service

6:00-7:05 "Night Church" at Hope Community, kids making valentines for Shands kids



One interesting thought on fasting from things other than food/drink:
"... we should regularly practice media fasts: days or weeks during which we reduce the flood of information we receive to the merest trickle. Not only will such a practice enable us to set our knowledge in perspective, it also will help us recognize the love/hate relationship we have with information overload. We
say we are frustrated by having so much to respond to, but we still carry cell-phones everywhere and check our e-mail every 10 minutes. It makes us feel important to be so busy. Media fasts
should help us become more honest about our motivations."
Ken Meyers, Tabletalk Nov 2000

I've Seen Jesus

People ask me why I am a Christian today, how I’ve overcome intellectual doubts and nagging questions. Sooner or later it comes back to this. I have seen Jesus. He lived at my house in the person of Dick and Esther. Given this cloud of witnesses, the cloud of unknowing parted enough for me to see God, and whatever radiance I possess is but a dim reflection of my northern star, my mother and father, who themselves are aglow because they have seen the face of God. --Dick Staub
The whole story is at
Why I Am A Christian

Share Your Heart with the Children

Annual Banquet and Auction Tommorrow

February 11, 2005, 6:30 pm, Plantation Oaks, Turkey Creek

Sponsored by Friends of Children in partnership

with The Florida Baptist Children's Homes

Tickets: $30 see Jason MacGregor (372-5204) jemacgregor AT hotmail.com

An Outdoor Exercise

Go outside today. Reach down and pick up some dirt. Allow it to sift through your fingers. "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." Some of us are closer to returning than others... but we'll all get there. Life is a vapor. May God give you and me grace to use it well...
genesis 3:19

Calling all kids!

This Sunday night at Hope Community Church, while the adults meet for our monthly evening church, the kids will be making Valentines for children at Shands Hospital. Everything starts at 6pm, so mark your calendars for this fun event!

Today is "Ash Wednesday"

... which is the beginning of Lent. Basically, it is an "excuse" to pursue Christ. Take advantage of it.

Prayer and Predestination

Prayer and Predestination

Women's Studies on Fat Tuesday

The women gather for bible study morning and evening today... tomorrow Lent begins with "Ash Wednesday". Clueless to what that means? Try this

http://reignofgrace.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_reignofgrace_archive.html#107711351962178028

A General (and Powerful!) Thanksgiving

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men; [*particularly said when any desire to return thanks...to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may he unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen."
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer: Morning Prayer: " A General Thanksgiving.

Lord's Supper Service

Sunday we'll celebrate the Lord's Supper together.

At 9am there will be classes for all ages. Dr. Horner's class on the Gospels just started last week with an introduction. Come on out...

Also, many of you have asked about the bible version i preach from, the English Standard Version.... here is a handy little one at a good price
CVBBS: Inventory

Finally, there's been a change of plans in Super Bowl plans for youth... find out tomorrow!

Intro to Christ Community tonite and Artist Kov

from 7:00-8:15 at Hope Church
In this seminar I try to communicate the core commitments of Christ Community, as well as the vision and sense of calling we uniquely feel as a part of Christ's body in Gainesville.

While it is a requirement for those interested in membership, pursuing membership is not required to attend. Like every square is a rectangle but not every rectange is a square, kinda.

Location is Hope Community Church. This 3 week class is meeting February 3rd, 10th, 17th

The Christian Study Center
-Calling All Artists-
For the new Spring Exhibit.
The theme this semster is
Creativity and the Arts.
ALL MEDIAS WELCOME!
If interested please contact:
Caroline Burkhard
(407) 702-5517
carolb25 AT ufl DOT edu
or
Cassidy Grindstaff
352-283-1479
ckg1143 AT aol DOT com

Prayer Changes Things

Today, 3 opps
11:00-11:30 at Christian Study Center
12:00-12:30 at Church office
6:15-6:45 at Hope Community Church

Prayer Meetings tomorrow

Tuesday morning at Christian Study Center
noon at office
6:15 pm at hope

Super Bowl Parties

A.) Young Couples and Professional Students

Today, the MacGregors are hosting a Super Bowl Party and Chili Cook Off starting at 5pm. This party is BYOB (Bring Your Own Bean-O). They will have a bunch of different pops (aka soda) but if you want something else feel free to bring it. Please invite friends, come for part of the game or the whole game, and just relax.
If you need directions then give Kelly or Jason a call at 372-5204.

B.) Male Yutes
all guys in the high school and jr hi range are invited to Nate Meyers house.... here's his invite:

Kick off time: 6:30pm, so I'd say the party starts at my apartment at 6:00pm and will end at half-time

Details of the party: Hamburgers, hot dogs, Halo 2 (video game), and Superbowl

My address: 2701 SW 13th Street Apartment D-12 Gainesville, FL 32608

Directions: From Archer and 13th Street go 1.5 miles south on 13th Street to the second traffic light (the first traffic light will be SW16th Ave). Make a u-turn at that 2nd traffic light (the one after SW16th Ave) and then make your first right. You will be entering a bluish-grey apartment complex (Boardwalk Apartments). We are the first building on the left and I'll try and have some tiki torches out. There is no towing, so feel free to park anywhere.