The Jesus Dare

SO we have been challenged this week at First Baptist, Albion to spend the week with Jesus. I trust that God does some awesome stuff in your mind, heart, and life this week. Here are the options we chose from to follow through with our lesson in John 5, will you complete this "Jesus Dare"?

Three options to choose from for The Dare:
Option #1 Set aside specific time with Him
Option #2 Do something out of the norm that He did; ask Him what you can do for Him
Option #3 Study Him this week: Choose to read one of His sermons, one of His prayers, one of His miracles, and Matthew 27 His death.

Here is what I sent to the friend who is holding me accountable this week, consider it as a path for you too.

One sermon –
Sermon                    John passage                Related passage
Bread of Heaven      6:26-58                        John 8:12-59
Light of the world     8:12-59                        John 6:26-58
The good shepherd   9:35-10:21                   Luke 15:1-10
Son of God              10:22-39                      Matthew 25:31-46
Upper room discourse 13:1-17:26                Matthew 26:26-35

One prayer –
        Matthew 6:9 – The Model prayer
        John 17 – The Lord’s prayer in the garden

One miracle –
       Not that many more mentioned in John – found that interesting
       John 9:1 The Blind Man
       Many others to choose from here.

Matthew 27

Let me know which ones we are going to study, looking forward to it. By the way – outside of Monday, I will be having a meeting with Jesus at 6am with coffee in hand. Check me on it though as we go through the week."

The corresponding message for this can be found at www.fbcalbion.com after Monday evening.

Deconstructing false gospel's: Part 2

So “Easy-believism” is not the only gospel abuse out there. Certainly some other deconstruction's need to take place concerning false gospels. Traditionally, the simple gospel and the individual’s faith response to it has not been good enough for many. They either feel the need to rewrite it, ignore it, or try to add to it – all dangerous patterns when it comes to knowing how God wants us to respond to His Son and His plan for us. The “adding to” Christ’s statement has been the most used – think about it, nearly every religion has some form of a merit-based salvation or promise of eternity. “Do this: and you will be ok, you will make it. And then if you do this you will really make it.” Certianly this is not what we find in scripture: so let’s consider the next false gospel and do some deconstruction -

• Meritorious salvation – The idea you do something that merits God loving you. Work hard enough and God will...

Deconstructing false gospel's: Part 1

Today as I was studying, I was reminded of all the confusion as to the expected response when someone begins to follow Jesus Christ. I am not saying that Jesus was confusing – in fact He was clear:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Since Jesus spoke those words early in his ministry, as recorded in Mark 1:15, many have tried to clarify those words and in the process, damaged this simple proclamation and brought confusion to the masses. We must be very cautious of ideologies

Surrender: What we miss when we don't?

I wonder what God is asking us to surrender to this year - or even just in this week. So many times we fear that if we surrender, God will rob us of the thrill and joy of life. I am convinced this is one of Satan's best lies, he prompts you to stay put by saying, "You will lose out if you give God control, be faithful in other ways, you don't have to yield everything over to him."

And there you have it, a great deception, that when followed, strips us of the exact thing we assume it will allow us to possess: JOY. Let's face it, possibly one of the most feared or ignored verses

What if your congregation got a report card?

It may reveal some interesting, and even frightful results; but can you imagine if each person in your local fellowship recieved a report card. Now this may hit a nerve

A pastor in Albion gets his report card: humbling

What if pastors were graded, I mean besides the grade attenders give in the critiques on the ride home or gathered around Sunday's dinner table. What if each pastor considered their strengths and weaknesses and made it a matter of prayer? What if church

Chick-fil-a, "gays", and the Gospel

Did you pay attention to the Chick-fil-a controversy this week? Interesting trends when mayors have the power to deny businesses the right of starting new franchise locations in their town because of the CEO of Chick-fil-a's statements and beliefs regarding the biblical definition of marriage. It should be noted that is what he made statements about, not opposing gay and lesbians personal decisions, just opposing the change in the long-held definition of marriage. Before this week I really liked Chick-fil-a and now their sweet tea and chicken sandwich provide a moral reason to like them too!

See story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/chick-fil-a-controversy-heats-up/2012/07/27/gJQAGJXJEX_video.html

How should Christ's followers respond to all of this? I mean, besides going through the drive-thru next Wednesday. First, we should be bothered by this. I am bothered by sin. It dishonors God. I dislike lust, lies, murder, oppression, and hatred. I labor to communicate God's plan of having sent Christ to die in our place for the punishment of sin and to set us free from sin. I need to be bothered most by my own sin. I despise racism - it takes place when people are identified as less/more valuable based on their culture/color/nation. I believe we are all one race, Adam's. I am opposed to sexism - no gender is better or of more value to God. I believe God created us male and female, gave us the law, and that Satan, as always, tries to blur the distinctions in God's laws and His creation. I do not believe in the oppression of people. I do not equate mistreatment of ethnicity's or genders to be the same as opposing a redefinition of marriage. Gay is not