communication from ada perry

Ada sends out a big hello from Shands AGH and says, "Happy New Year & Keep praying for me."

That's my secret too...

Canadian(?) Douglas Coupland, famous for coining the term "Generation X", in his book--Life After God-- concludes
"I have a secret. I need God."

as i live this week--among the people who are christ community church... and in my own skin-- we all desperately need God

I'm so thankful--because of grace, b/c of Jesus' work we know what to expect when we come to God-- acceptance, strength, hope, Him! See you Sunday.

remember...no 9am classes until the 22nd of jan ...
10am worship service w/ the Lord's Supper being served

mission stuff

gainesville stuff
Due to God's faithfulness to empower your generosity... we were able to cut "above and beyond the budget" checks of $600 per to these groups:
st. francis house
arbor house
house of hope
Gainesville community ministries
Christians concerned for the community

non gainesville-stuff

1.) Rob Pendley & Sid Gaitonde are going on a vision trip to Mexico to gather information about a possible strategic partnership.

2.) Frank Stankunas leading a construction trip to Veracruz Mexico

3.) Preliminary meeting for a future trip
Where: MacGregor home (352-372-5204)
When: Thursday January 19 7pm
Why: Preliminary meeting about an international mission trip. We will discuss location and dates. We will pray that God will reveal His purposes to us.
Who should come: All who would follow Christ in obedience to the ends of the world and all who would be willing to pray and help those who willing to go

for you non football fans

"Walking the Bible" premieres tonight on PBS. Author Bruce Feiler explores the Holy Land and some of history’s greatest landmarks. The three-part series features interviews, archaeological findings and a trek through the Holy Land to explore “the five books of Moses.” Go here to watch the trailer and check your local listings for times …1/4/06 | 12:29 PM

Sunday January 8

we are only having the 10:00am worship service... our classes at 9am return on the 22nd

this Sunday we'll share in the Lord's Supper together... prepare your heart to confess your need and feast on His provision

prayer meeting sunday

want to call on God to act decisively for His glory in Christ Community in 2006?

plan to come to the church house from 5:30-6:30 Sunday, January 8th

2 weeks from today

---women's bible study starts

Tuesday, January 17th
10:45am
Childcare provided
Meeting Paige French's home: 9143 SW 31st Place (Prestonwood subdivision in Haile)

"The Formation of God's People, Israel" During this study in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy we will see God's relentless pursuit of His people and the continuity of His covenant of grace in our lives today.


keep up w/ the church homepage (see link on right) for details

10 good questions at year's beginning

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

stolen from don whitney

sunday january 1st, 2006

we will meet at oak hall at 10am

no classes until 15th January

In Jesus all God's promises are YES!

We have a lot of purposes, a lot of goals—some of them noble. Desperate to save ourselves and our kids from everything but the wrath of God, we fail to realize that, however watered down, these are all nothing but law rather than promise. Eventually, we will become burned out on good advice. What we need is good news. (from an article by mike horton, "the promise-driven life")

10 questions to ask at a Christmas meal or gathering

Good conversation kindling:

What's the best thing that's happened to you since last Christmas?
What was your best Christmas ever? Why?
What's the most meaningful Christmas gift you've ever received?
What was the most appreciated Christmas gift you've ever given?
What was your favorite Christmas tradition as a child?
Why do you think Jesus came to earth?

The rest are here.

trying to call the church office?

our daily operations are now at the Parker Road CHURCH HOUSE... our temporary contact info is:

phone:
352.505.6087
352.505.6089

fax: 352.505.6092

HUGE thanks to Chris McClendon for helping us get set up

interesting only to my fellow u2 fans

:: View topic - How To Dismantle An Idolized Bono - (respond here)

Christmas Eve Readings

I'm looking for someone (any age) to read these passages Saturday at the Christmas eve service at 6pm
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 8:22-9:7

let me know if you might be interested in doing one.... robp AT christcommunitychurch DOT com

Buy a child on the street for $25

I just read an interview with Dr. Kent Copeland, an American physician working with church planters in Poipet, Cambodia, about the challenges of ministry in such a place.

Poipet has been called the "Wild West" of Cambodia. What's the city like?
It's full of vices like prostitution, drugs, and gambling. Most disturbing is the child sex industry. A person can literally buy a child on the street for $25 and take them across the border into Thailand.

Made me think of Christmas and the darkness that exists around the world (and around my n'hood, city, and heart) that needs to be penetrated by the light of the world. One of my favorite Christmas hymn lines is in JOY TO THE WORLD.
He comes to make His blessings known... FAR AS THE CURSE IS FOUND! Thy Kingdom Come, Lord Jesus.

There is no joy but in this boy...

If you will have joy, bend yourself down to this place. There you will find that boy given for you who is your Creator lying in a manger. I will stay with that boy as he sucks, is washed, and dies.... There is no joy but in this boy. Take him away and you face the Majesty which terrifies... --Martin Luther

thought provoking 5 minutes on good morning america

Ken & pattie thompson are members of CCC who moved here this summer. Recently pattie's son ethan was in a faith & university segment on good morning america

i just watched it here
and had these thoughts:
1.) They studied the U.of Georgia... of course children have trouble believing in God there... they get waxed by UF every Fall!
2.) I do think there is some correlation between being challenged to "doubt" your faith while living at home
3.) The only answer i've ever found (personally & pastorally) to the struggle to seek joy by abusing alcohol, sexuality, etc is that Christianity is a religion of joy, freedom and power... that old sermon "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection" is so key here... John Piper & CS Lewis helped alot here

Isaiah 9 online

Many of you have mentioned the hope God gave you Sunday through our time under Isaiah 8:22-9:7
the sermon audio is available online under the date 12-18-05
Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Downloads

No ordinary shepherds

I learned that these weren’t just ordinary shepherds. The flocks pasturing near Bethlehem were destined for temple sacrifices. Shepherds tending the temple flocks were experts in determining the suitability of a lamb for sacrifice. They knew how to spot imperfections. Nothing was more appropriate than to summon these shepherds to be the first witnesses of the perfect Lamb who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. --carolyn curtis james

Same message, different words

grazing Christmas thoughts on the internet this morning and saw a brief article from a woman i deeply respect... turns out the message isaiah brought us sunday morning is picked up by her as well:

"We mute the Christmas message when we sugarcoat the raw misery of it all. There’s purpose behind the details, right down to the “No Vacancy” sign at the inn. "
Carolyn James, Caught in the Christmas Rush

Forever Man

"The incarnation was a historical and unrepeatable event with permanent consequences. Reigning at God's right hand today is the man Christ Jesus, still human as well as divine, though now his humanity has been glorified. Having assumed our human nature, he has never discarded it, and he never will."
John Stott, Authentic Christianity

Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Meals for New Mothers

Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Meals Ministry

Quite a day...

Yesterday was quite exciting with:
~ the service being interrupted with news that someone's car engine was flaming in the parking lot
~ the oak hall stage flooded from saturday's downpour
~ the chance for many of us to meet the Marshall's new baby for the 1st time, Jesse Elizabeth

'twas good to be together for all that

sunday 10am worship only; no 9am classes

this may be "old hat" to many

.... but my family sure enjoyed this hot cocoa recipe when andrew & i made it this rainy saturday HERSHEY'S Kitchens: Recipes: Hot Cocoa: "ngredients:

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* Dash salt
* 1/3 cup hot water
* 4 cups (1 qt.) milk
* 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Miniature marshmallows or sweetened whipped cream(optional)

Directions:
1. Stir together sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.

2 Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. Five 8-oz. servings. "

A Prayer

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine;
let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death,
Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty,
Thy glory in my valley.

more Puritan Prayers

Sunday, 10am worship... no 9am classes

Isaiah 9

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
ESV Bible Online: Passage: Isaiah 9:1-7

God's Answer is a Child

God's answer to everything that has ever terrorized us is a child. --Ray Ortlund, commenting on Isaiah 9

turkey bowl pic is up and looking good

Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Men's Ministries

church house now hosting

our daily operations... our temporary contact info is:

phone:
352.505.6087
352.505.6089

fax: 352.505.6092

HUGE thanks to Chris McClendon for helping us get set up

gift idea

if you have grade school age boys or girls to shop for>>> consider the series
"boys who>>>"
and "girls who>>>"
Westminster Bookstore - Ten Boys Who Made a Difference

Tim Tebow to Florida... interesting

my friend david wayne writes: "the reason I am especially excited is that Tim is a fine Christian young man. He was on ESPNews announcing his decision today and the first person he thanked was his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And I am especially excited because Tim's dad was my youth minister when I first came to Christ. "

entire article here:

Loving the AIDS Infected in Africa

For two years, Mission to the World (MTW) has been reaching one person at a time in the slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MTW missionaries, volunteers, and Ethiopian coworkers have gone into these slums and found people afflicted by AIDS and cared for them, held their hands, washed them, shared their suffering, and helped them get the care and medicines they needed.
MTW: full article

Christmas...

... says Madeleine L'Engle, "should be a time of awed silence."

The Bible's Purpose...

"The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome... religion is 'if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is, 'if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference." --Tim Keller

Sunday at Oak Hall when Christ Community Gathers

9am classes
10am worship; the children will help us to worship the Incarnate Word with a gift-presentation they've been working on

Sermon on Acts 17:11,12
1. receiving the word
2. examining the word
3. experiencing the word

CLUB 45 meets at the church house, 4:30pm

Hechos 17

if you were looking for Acts 17 in Spanish...Hechos_17.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

Narnia Last Night

Preliminary observations:
On the event of us gathering... wonderful to see so many children exposed to so many central gospel truths. you probably know that cs lewis didn't mean LWW to be a point by point parallel of the biblical gospel. Lewis has written that he meant it to be a kind of "pre-evangelism" thing that would create grooves of wonder and hope in children's minds so that when they hear the biblical gospel and historical Jesus announcement-- they would say/think, "Oh my, there really is a conquering Lion who is worthy of my allegiance."
I think that part definately came thru in film.

Also, you need to know that through the generosity of our elders, 20 children from the Florida Baptist Children's Home were able to view the film with us. May they grow up knowing the security of being loved and cared for by the ultimate King. And that His followers shall reign with Him forever. There are no "orphans" in the Kingdom of God... only royal sons & daughters.
--i'll post more reflections on the film later--

Narnia Thursday Night

6:45 at Butler Plaza (corner Archer & 34th)

See you there... if you already have a ticket!

Alan Charles Means

Born today at 2:56 pm
7 lbs, 12 oz

Adam & Ashley hope to bring him home tomorrow. In 2 weeks you'll have opportunity to provide a meal for them and Wendy McGovern will be coordinating that.

What is Advent?

Advent is a time of waiting, hoping, and getting in touch with our need for a Savior. It's a season of preparation for Christmas, much as Lent is a season of preparation for Easter.

In Advent we look back to the experience of Israelites as they yearned for God to forgive their sin and restore their nation. We put ourselves in their shoes as they hoped for the coming of the Messiah. Thus we ready our hearts to celebrate the good news of Christmas.

Yet Advent is also a time to look forward to the second coming of Christ. Though defeating sin and death through His cross and resurrection, Christ hasn't yet finished His work of renewing creation and restoring the kingdom of God. Thus we continue to experience the brokenness of this world, in violence, disease, natural disasters, and other forms of human suffering. In Advent we yearn for God's completion of the salvation begun in Christ. --Mark Roberts

Means Baby On the Way

Please be in prayer for Adam & Ashley Means as they are in the hospital and the baby boy is on the way!

Like the days of Oakland Raider dominance...

the narnia tickets are GONE!

I love my iPod... but needed to be aware of this...

This is from the president of the National Association of Evangelicals (which basically is an organization of Bible-believing churches of hundreds of denominations)
"We are all continually amazed at the newest and greatest electronic devices that come out on the market. One of the latest innovations is wireless handheld devices with video capabilities. Many of our young people are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to own one of these phones, PDAs or iPods.

What you may not know is that all the pornography on the Internet may be available on these devices without effective monitoring or filtering options. Our already sexualized culture is about to be inundated with yet another avenue for corrupting the innocent and ensnaring our children to the bonds of pornography.

We need to do something. The technology itself is wonderful but until the appropriate safeguards can be implemented we need to educate and inform evangelicals of the dangers to which they may be unknowingly exposing their young people.

The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (NCPCF) and the Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP) are working hard on this issue. You can read their joint letter Pornography on Wireless Devices on the NAE website. You can get more information about what is happening at www.nationalcoalition.org or by calling Jack Samad, NCPCF Vice-President for Internet Safety, at 513-521-6227."

CS Lewis on what he was trying to do in LWW

In a 1961 letter to a young girl named Anne, Lewis wrote:
“I think you will probably see that there is a deeper meaning behind it. The whole Narnian story is about Christ. That is to say, I asked myself ‘Supposing that there really was a world like Narnia and supposing it had (like our world) gone wrong and supposing Christ wanted to go into that world and save it (as He did ours) what might have happened?’ The stories are my answers. Since Narnia is a world of Talking Beasts, I thought He would become a Talking Beast there, as He became a man here. I pictured Him becoming a lion there because (a) the lion is supposed to be the king of beasts; (b) Christ is called ‘The Lion of Judah’ in the Bible; (c) I’d been having strange dreams about lions when I began writing the work."

Read more here

Our private showing of movie is Thursday at 6:45, couple tix remaining, call 379.4949 ext 14

John Piper wasn't the 1st to realize this...

"God is the most happy being in the universe--because
He is the most holy. And the happiness of His
people is just in proportion as they resemble
Him in righteousness and true holiness. " --Cornelius Tyree, 1800's

full text:

looking for an ESPNU favor

(Warning: Shameless personal plug): i need something recorded friday nite so that i can show it saturday nite... let me know if you get ESPNU

John Calvin on the Incarnation & Our Redemption

"It was also imperative that He who was to become our Redeemer be true God and true man. It was His task to swallow up death. Who but the Life could do this? It was His task to conquer sin. Who but very Righteousness could do this? It was His task to rout the powers of world and air. Who but a power higher than world and air could do this? Now where does life or righteousness, or lordship and authority of heaven lie but with God alone? Therefore our most merciful God, when He willed that we should be redeemed, made Himself our Redeemer in the Person of His only-begotten Son." --John Calvin, Institutes 2:12:2

Narnia Tickets!!

We have 11 tickets left for "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe"!
Call Lizette Crosson at the Church Office (379.4949) to reserve yours!

Visit the church website for details on the movie:
www.christcommunitychurch.com

most won't want this

My final point yesterday in the lecture on how Lion/Witch/Wardrobe has helped me was that it helps give me a vision of God renewing all things, not only saving sinners out of world going to hell in a hand-basket. Well, here's more on that for those who want it a "God promises us a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1). Some people leap to the conclusion that God will simply throw the present creation onto the scrap heap, so to speak, and start over again from scatch. But this cannot be right. We ourselves are part of this present creation. And if we trust in Christ, we know that we will not end up on the scrap heap!"
Reversing the Fall and Setting Creation Free:

Christmas Information

Saturday December 24th at 6:00pm: Christmas Eve Service in Oak Hall theater
more Christmas Information

Incarnation thoughts by Octavius Winslow

How could a holy God advance towards me, or I draw near to Him? But He takes my nature that He may descend to me, and He gives me His nature that I may ascend to Him. He stoops, because I could not rise! Oh mystery of grace, wisdom, and love! Shall I doubt it? I go to the manger of Bethlehem, and gaze upon the infant Savior.
read the rest here

The Greatest Drama by Dorothy Sayers

We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him "meek and mild," and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.
The Greatest Drama by Dorothy Sayers

Sunday at Oak Hall when Christ Community Gathers

9am classes for children and for adults i'll do a lecture called, "How The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe has helped me know, enjoy, and follow Jesus Christ."

more: preliminary notes here

10am worship
--no children's church
--Lord's Supper will be shared
ALSO, would you bust it to be in the theater at 10am this sunday?


Sunday Night: Women's Christmas event at the home of Paige French--6:00pm
See the church website for more details.

Christmas Information

Saturday December 24th at 6:00pm: Christmas Eve Service in Oak Hall theater

This is our weekly worship gathering. There will be no worship service on Sunday December 25th.

Body Wars

Culture tells our daughters they're fat, ugly, and unlovable. Here are 5 ways to defeat those lies and make your child feel as beautiful as she is.
Body Wars - Parenting

Narnia is Near

-- "In The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe what's the only explicit reference to a Bible?

--Who's the first Narnian to call Lucy a 'Daughter of Eve'?"

these are just 2 questions from a fun narnia quiz at:
Dick Staub: Staublog - Narnia is Near:

Across the Lands

You're the Word of God the Father
From before the world began
Every star and every planet
Has been fashioned from your hand

All creation holds together
By power of your voice
Let the skies declare your glory
Let the land and seas rejoice

You're the author of creation
And the Lord of every man
and your call of love rings out
across the lands
--Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

sunday

9am classes for children and for adults i'll do a lecture called, "How The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe has helped me know, enjoy, and follow Jesus Christ."

10am worship
--no children's church
--Lord's Supper will be shared

Sunday Night: Women's Christmas event at the home of Paige French--6:00pm
See the church website for more details.

reading cs Lewis

what with the upcoming release of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, CS Lewis is hot right now. If you have never read LWW... I won't beg again here. But you are really denying yourself a treat if you haven't read any Lewis. It is simply fun learning. One suggestion is below. I'm sure you could google "weight of glory" and read it online...
"Begin with The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses. Here you will be introduced to themes that pervade Lewis’s works: “Joy,” heaven, Christian ethics, approaches to education, the background of two world wars, the meaning of myth, the importance of imagination, personal holiness, and the Body of Christ, all within the space of the less than 200 pages in most editions. Read Lewis’s famous lay-sermon, “The Weight of Glory” first. Alan Jacobs correctly maintains that “The thought expressed in those sentences is everywhere woven into the fabric of Lewis’s work.” Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, Lewis’s spiritual autobiography, is another good place to start. One caution: Lewis sometimes uses abstract literary references with which first-time readers may be unfamiliar. Don’t let that stop you. The book is still well worth the effort. Obviously, any introduction to Lewis is incomplete without reading Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and the Chronicles of Narnia. If you want to read what Lewis considered his best works, read Perelandra and Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold. If you are a first-timer and choose to tackle these books, be sure to have Clyde Kilby’s, The Christian World of C.S. Lewis and Images of Salvation in the Fiction of C.S. Lewis close at hand. Kilby’s introductions to these books are invaluable."
Reformation 21 � December Article Mercer:

Children's Activities Today

Club 45 is working on the set for the children's program, 2:30-5:30 at Stankunas home.
All children meeting at church house at 6pm for Christmas Program rehearsal, 6-8pm.

OK, we're addicted

For a year and a half Kim and i were unexposed to the tv show "Lost". Now, after a chance sighting of an episode 2 weeks ago... we're hooked. I was just sent out to the video store to get Season One, Disc 2. Great show.

Thanks for all who expressed concern about my health. I am feeling much better.

Turkey Bowl was huge success and fun was had by all. Old guys won.

Finally, huge thanks to PATTIE THOMPSON, who stepped up big time to coordinate Monday's CLUB 45 activity at Stankunas' home, 2:30-5:30.

Sunday

NO 9am children's classes
10am worship
11:30 Turkey Bowl (Flag Football game for the guys)

Sunday is the beginning of Advent. Advent (from the Latin Adventus, sc. Redemptoris, "the coming of the Saviour") is a holy season of the Christian church, the period of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, or Christmas.

Youth Group Progressive Dinner

 
 

spiderman 2, has anyone heard this?

today i came across a list of 50 significant spiritual films and this quote caught me way off guard the evangelical outpost: The Lists:
50 Spiritually Significant Films: "Spider-Man 2 (2004) (Oddly enough, this film presents a the comic-book superhero as the best allegorical representation of Christ since Aslan.)"

Lunatics, Knowing God, and Worship

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word "darkness" on the walls of his cell. But God wills our good, and our good is to love Him (with that responsive love proper to creatures) and to love Him we must know Him: and if we know Him, we shall in fact fall on our faces. —C. S. Lewis

turkey bowl III is day after FSU game, 11:30am

nuff said

Youth need Help... updated

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!!

Calling all CCC folk!! The youth group is having a Progressive
dinner and we need your help!!

Who: Anyone willing to cook and open up their home!
What: Progressive dinnner. WE, the youth group, travel around and
eat dinner in four different courses at four different houses. One
house will provide appetizers, another house will provide side dishes,
another house will provide the main dish, and finally we'll stop at
our last house for dessert!
When: Sunday, November 20th from 6:30 - 8:30
Where: 4 different homes
Why: Because we like to eat yummy food!!!!

Appetizers: THIS SPOT NEEDS TO BE FILLED. It can be any kind of
finger foods that teenagers enjoy. Enough to feed 15 - 17 people.

Side Dishes: THIS SPOT NEEDS TO BE FILLED. It can be any kind of
thanksgiving style side dishes. Enough to feed 15 - 17 people.

Main Dish: HORNER FAMILY

Desserts: PENDLEY FAMILY.

If you are interested, contact Erik Folgate at erik.folgate@gmail.com
or 352-378-7608 and leave a message. Thanks!

Few Know

at 11am i'll be meeting with the women's study to look together at the bible's teaching that the free grace given us in Christ motivates/inspires greater holiness than does our own "elbow grease"... thought someone might benefit from this richard lovelace quote i found while preparing:
Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Martin Luther's platform: YOU ARE ACCEPTED BY GOD, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in that quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude. (emphasis mine)

I am Totally His

I am His by purchase and I am His by conquest; I am His by donation and I am His by election; I am His by covenant and I am His by marriage; I am wholly His; I am peculiarly His; I am universally His; I am eternally His. Once I was a slave but now I am a son; once I was dead but now I am alive; once I was darkness but now I am light in the Lord; once I was a child of wrath, an heir of hell, but now I am an heir of heaven; once I was Satan's bond-servant but now I am God's freeman; once I was under the spirit of bondage but now I am under the Spirit of adoption that seals up to me the remission of my sins, the justification of my person and the salvation of my soul. --THOMAS BROOKS

bookstores

Amazon is great, of course. But here are a couple of others:
monergism books
heart and mind books

narnia deadline today

please remember that today is the last day of Christ Community's 1st dibs on the december 8th movie tickets
all the info is at our website

call 379-4949 to reserve yours

Club 45 & Youth Stuff

Club 45 (for 4th & 5th graders) at church house Sunday 4:30 til 6

Youth Group at 7pm at church house.

Youth Group looking for 4 people to volunteer their home for a progressive dinner on Sunday November 20th.

Putting A Whole In Your Head: Suicide, The Voices, And Wounded Warriors

a realistic and hope-giving meditation from a guy who went to clemson & covenant w/ Steve Lammers
"The voices loudly proclaim that 'you suck', 'you're alone', 'it can't get better', 'nobody cares,' 'you won't be missed,' 'dying is better than living,' 'life sucks, I suck, everybody sucks,' 'I'm a mistake,' 'nobody loves you,' 'you're such a loser.'"
Anthony Bradley: Putting A Whole In Your Head: Suicide, The Voices, And Wounded Warriors:

9:00am- Sunday School Classes for all ages
10:00am- Worship Service (children's church will be dismissed prior to sermon)
4:30pm– Club45 @ the church house*
7:00pm- Youth Group @ the church house*

text notes on Acts 16:
1. when God captures your heart, your resources are with it (lydia's house)
2. lydia is on her way to being the multi-tasking proverbs 31 woman... which is SOO different from the stereotypical "conservative/traditional" view of women
3. loads of stuff on guidance of the Holy Spirit, First, we learn that God may guide us for a long time sending us only “no’s”
without any “yes’s” at all.
Second, guidance is never passively received--it always entails wrestling with
the evidence and using your mind and making a choice.
Third, guidance is corporate.
Fourth, guidance is gradual.
more here
4. "Lord, I thank you that i was not born a woman, a slave, or a Gentile." that was the morning prayer Paul had been taught growing up... boy, must his paradigms must have beens in pieces after his time in philippi!
5. lydia household baptized, phil jailer household baptized... doesn't say infants involved... but servants were almost surely there... certainly seems to at least leave open the possibility of the presbyterian understanding of "who" gets baptized
6. If you have people in your life that you think are not the "type to become a follower of Jesus" then you have forgotten the very power that reached your heart
7. Paul & mates SING in the night prison...men sing for 2 reasons (i can think of): 1.) they are drunk on alcohol, a sports team victory, or the grace of God 2.) they are in a rock band I can't think of other times men sing.
8. you gotta be flexible evangelistically
a.) lydia needed a bible study, reasoning
b.) slave girl needed direct assault on her heart, power encounter
c.) phil.jailer needed to see Xn character (they sang in night AND resisted fleeing jail post earthquake) and to be served in a personal crisis by Christians
So, Memorized gospel presentations can be useful and but perish the thought that my (or your) contact with every non-Xn should look similar

Club 45 Sunday 4:30pm

Calling all boys and girls of 4th and 5th
grades! Sunday, from 4:30-6:00pm,
we will have games and small group Bible
studies @ the church house!
Visit our website for more information or directions.
Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Welcome to Christ Community Church Online

New Churches across N. America

Mission to North America (one group that started Christ Community) is assisting local presbyteries (the other group that started Christ Community) in placing church planters in the following cities:

Davis, California
Thousand Oaks, California

Smyrna, Delaware

East Naples, Florida

Dayton/Virginia City, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada

Cleveland (Westlake), Ohio

Hillsboro, Oregon

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Bellingham, Washington

Toronto (Mississauga), Ontario, Canada

Thank you Jesus

cool weather and starbucks has broken out the Christmas decorations... sweet

Resources for Ministering to Youth

Adolescence can be a difficult and trying time in the life of a young person. Today's culture pulls them in many different directions and offers them a variety of idols that promise health, wealth, and happiness but lead only to spiritual darkness. Covenant Seminary's Online Resources offers a variety of downloadable resources to help the Church minister effectively to youth. Find out more by searching the key word "youth" at:

i can't wait to see...

I want to see the part when Peter goes to the Professor to tell him about Lucy making up tales, and the professor talks him through to the logical conclusion that since Lucy is not a liar or a lunatic, then she must be telling truth about Narnia. How surprising for Peter...

--Kelly MacGregor

I can't wait to see the part when they meet the beavers (goes back to a family joke back home)

--Lizette Crosson

women's event Tomorrow 6pm

great opportunity to connect; strongly recommended; details at church website
Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Women's Ministries

The Joy of Reading Great Works

Why should we make time to read great books? What should we read? How should we read most effectively?
good stuff here

Business for the Glory of God

The UF Prayer Walk went right by the business school... we were praying for things that are mentioned in this book review of a new 93 page book that looks very promising. Good Christmas gift for $10.

excerpt:...when people ask how their lives can glorify God, they are rarely told, "Go into business." Students, when they ask, "How can I serve God with my life," don't often hear the answer, "Go into business." This little book claims just this, that "many aspects of business activity are morally good in themselves, and that in themselves they bring glory to God - though they also have great potential for misuse and wrongdoing."

clarification on Narnia

This week Christ Community has first dibs on the tickets to the December 8th showing. Next week we will open up the tickets so that the larger community can purchase from us. So make your decisions and act by calling the church office 379-4949. Tell your friends in other churches na nanny boo boo--- I mean, hang on 'til next week.

here's the info

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Religious & Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers

this is link to a review of a new book on teenagers. (amazing that one of our worship leaders had time to write this book!) The Religious & Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
1) A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
2) God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3) The central goal of life is to be happy ands to feel good about oneself.
4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5) Good people go to heaven when they die.

Prayer Walk #1

Rick Kingsley and I met at the Christian Study Center and
prayer walked for an hour. We prayed for campus ministries as we walked by (Baptist College Ministries, Study Center, RUF and Presbyterian Student Center) then headed across University Ave into campus.
We prayed at the Business School, Student Union, Journalism & Communications building, Turlington... and then of course, The Swamp.
We prayed for people to know the hope of Christ and the love of God, for the various departments to be used to train people who would use their business and communication degrees to serve people, not use them. Example: develop business in 3rd world countries, communications specialists who speak for the oppressed, etc
OVerall, it was very helpful to me. Easier to pray for an hour when your walking than kneeling.
Next Monday 9am we're meeting downtown. If schedule allows, join us. Details later.

(Is TODAY the day that Richard Horner, Steve Lammers , or my wife reads this blog?)

Sydney Schaef's email

many of you remember sydney, an undergrad at UF who has helped lead worship and hi school girls bible study... she's studying in Tanzania this semester and her recent email is worth readingsydney's email

Prayer Walk Monday 9am

read all about it

Sunday at Oak Hall when Christ Community Gathers

Individual renewal is indissolubly connected to the renewal of the whole church. We cannot attain the fullness of the Spirit without being turned inside out, so that our central focus is no longer our own growth, but the glory of God and the growth of Christ's kingdom. --Richard Lovelace, Renewal as a Way of Life

sunday 9am classes for all ages
10am worship gathering with celebration of Lord's Supper/eucharist/communion

In thinking through Acts 15, which we will dwell upon Sunday, it strikes me that there are at least these two marks of a healthy church:
1. There are enough people coming to faith in Christ who don't look-like & act-like the insiders that the leaders have to make some rulings about the congregation's life together
2. The leaders are zealous to both stand for the gospel of grace and protect the conscience of ALL followers of Jesus

May God pour out His Spirit to make those 2 things true of Christ Community.

SAVE THE DATE, december 8

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
We have reserved the Royal Park Theatre for a special viewing of
Narnia’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. This will be a fun,
Christmas church event for the whole family to enjoy!
December 8th, 2005
6:45pm @ Royal Park Theatre
$9.00/person
Due to limited seating the tickets will be
sold on a first come, first serve basis.
Call the church office to order tickets and make reservations: 379.4949

Parent's Night Out

Parent's Night Out is THIS Friday (November 4th), from 5:30-9:00pm!

RUF students are offering FREE babysitting at Faith Presbyterian Church (5916 NW 39th Ave.) This is to give you an opportunity to spend time together, go out for dinner, or do some Christmas shopping! Please RSVP to the church office (379.4949) as soon as possible if you are planning to bring your children. Our RUF students need to know how many children will be coming and what their ages are, in order to plan for this event.

Men's B'fast Tomorrow at Church House 6:30am

6:30 til 7:15 at church house; on parker road...1.5 miles south of newberry road

Legalism in a Decaying Culture

Legalism in a Decaying Culture

Parenting by Grace, not Legalism

Parenting by Grace

Prayer Walk

Next Monday Rick Kingsley and I will go on a prayer walk from 9am til 9:45. We'll begin and end at the Christian Study Center. Feel free to join us. What is a prayer walk? I'll post more later, but it is pretty much what it sounds like.

Waco pastor electrocuted while peforming baptism

Please pray for the widow and 3 young children who lost their husband and father...
HoustonChronicle.com - Waco pastor electrocuted while peforming baptism

Friday Morning Men's B'fast at the Church House

6:30-7:15
full breakfast
purpose is for men to be together
a brief devotional will be given

Kaitlyn Joy Gallagher info

Born Wednesday at 12:30pm
She weighs 7lbs 1oz. and is 20 1/2 in. long

Thanks for all the prayers for the safe delivery!
Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - News and Events

Kaitlyn Joy Gallagher was born this week! More later...