"Other Tuesday" Material

As promised here is the link to the material we started reading. 

http://bit.ly/1eh65yB

We were in section three "Why Study the Bible?"

There's so much good stuff on this site, I encourage you to soak it in. There's also an app for that if you're interested. 

There are so many charities to give to right now for typhoon relief, but I ran across this one today. They do video updates which I think is cool and you can see food packs from Feed My Starving Children that you can volunteer to pack in Tempe. 

http://h.ope.is/1befHth

One last thing. Going into Thanksgiving week, here is some food for thought. 

http://bit.ly/1eh5ZXJ

Fighting Words

Here's an interesting text conversation that I had with a stranger this morning. I was trying to send out the message that I was cancelling small group tonight. I had a wrong number for someone and ended up texting someone in FL. 

Here is the verse that opened that devotional.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10)

God is good!!!
Please be in prayer for Michael and his family for healing and that they would see God in the midst of this trial.
Here is a link to the full devotional.
http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/fighting-words

Finally

It's Friday finally, we look forward to it all week. As Christians we always have hope to look forward to that one day we will finally be home.

Community

Propaganda - G.O.S.P.E.L.

Tuesday 10/22/13

So I read this fantastic article by the folks over at Lifehacker...Anyways the gist of the article is in order to have effective brainstorming or a meeting where everyone is involved and sharing ideas, you need sufficient time to ponder the question yourself.

Having a group brainstorming session isn’t wrong but it shouldn’t be thought of as a single event. Instead, group brainstorming should be considered part of a process that includes sufficient time for individual thought

In light of this article and to initiate conversation, I want to pose a question for us to ponder and talk about the next time we get together. 1 Peter 3:15 says be prepared to offer hope. Here is the scenario: you are talking to someone who is at the end of their rope. They are depressed, they feel worthless, unhappy, and unloved. Just in an overall dark place. They are a Christian but feel really far from God. How do you offer them hope? Think about it and bring it back to the group for discussion.

Additionally, if we have enough time I'd like to start talking about how the Bible fits together and reveals the story of Christ throughout. Here are the materials that we would primarily draw from.

Tuesday 10/8/13

Tuesday night 10/8/13 was our first gathering. The scripture we focused on was 2 Peter 1:3. The main idea being that everything we need to be Godly, is to know God. We said that is what we wanted to focus our time together going forward is to know God.
The text was from the new "Flame" album:
If you're interested in hearing the entire sermon you can listen to it here.

We ended with Jonathan Edwards first two resolutions: One: I will live for God. Two: If no one else does, I still will.

Have you enlisted?

2.  Too often the gospel message today is accept Christ rather than enlist to serve Christ.  The American pastor A. W.  Tozer said, "The trouble is that the 'Accept Christ' attitude is likely to be wrong.  It shows Christ applying to us rather than us to Him.  It makes Him stand hat-in-hand awaiting our verdict on Him, instead of our kneeling with troubled hearts awaiting His verdict on us.  It may even permit us to accept Christ by an impulse of mind or emotions, painlessly, at no loss to our ego and no inconvenience to our way of life" (cited in Signposts: A Collection of Sayings from A. W.  Tozer [Wheaton, Ill. : Victor, 1988], p.  24).  How do you present Christ to others--as a beggar who would like to serve us, or as the Exalted Lord of the Universe who has the right of service from every creature? - John MacArthur

Sylvester

From invisiblepeople.tv

Yes, I too am guilty of stereotyping homeless people. I almost didn’t talk to Sylvester. From a distance he looked a little “unstable”. After a morning of making new friends in Atlanta, I had one pair of socks left. I started to cross the street so I would not have to pass him, yet became conscious of what I was doing so I walked back. I didn’t plan on rolling the camera. I was simply going to give him the last pair of socks and move on.

Sylvester’s story is one of the reasons InvisiblePeople.tv exists. His story is powerful. When I walked away I was in tears. Off camera Sylvester told me he was raped at 15 by the group leader of the foster home he was living in. I felt his pain.

Sylvester describes discrimination on the streets. He looks right into the camera and asks “what makes you better than me?”

Matthew 25:35-40
Matthew 20:16

Updated: Pray for Haiti.

Once again the embattled country of Haiti is going through.  The cholera outbreak which has taken at least 440 lives and hospitalized another ~5000, is suspected to worsen as Hurricane Tomas rolls through the country.  People who have lost everything are now losing it again, forced from their "shelters" from flood waters.

Please be in prayer for the people of Haiti.

In the midst of devastation from last years earthquake, the people of Haiti are enduring another crisis.

In the last few days more than 200 people have died from a cholera outbreak, and another 2300+ cases have been reported.   

If you want to help in other ways, please support United Youth of Tomorrow.  This is a group of young people from Haiti in Arizona who have a heart and a passion to help the people of Haiti.  

Operation World is a good source of prayer resources.

Matthew 25:42-45.