This week at the movies...

Ever been caught off guard at the movie theater because you found yourself watching a flick in which you knew nothing about?? ... and only to find yourself in the awkward position of wondering if you should get up and leave or sit through it, hoping it will somehow get less crass, smutty, and inappropriate?? This scenario can easily be avoided!! Know what you are going to watch ahead of time. It is just one more simple way in which we, as followers of Christ, can honor Him.

In spite of the belief that movies don't effect us, we see that Scripture says otherwise. What we watch can and does impact us, and we must be sensitive to avoid being entertained by what is repulsive to a righteous, holy God. The Psalmist said, "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes" (Psalm 101:3). In 2 Peter 2, we see that Lot was greatly effected by the surrounding influences. "... for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day be seeing and hearing their lawless deeds" (2 Peter 2:8). Does what we watch pull our thoughts away from Him? Are we compromising what we hold valuable as believers or being influenced by sex, violence, or overly romanticized relationships that are based on feelings rather than God's principles? Are there better decisions we can make when it comes to the movies we enjoy? Are you justifying what you watch and severing your conscience? James says, "... to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17). These are some challenging questions for all of us to think about!!

It can be difficult to find balance in life and entertainment for sure. But let's be men and women who love Jesus SO much that our lives are actually changed by Him. Let's be singles who live for Him, and who desire to make decisions based around what God would have us do. If we are truly seeking Him and desiring to put Him first in our lives, we can live a healthy, balanced Christian life. In the areas of movies specifically, I've found a great tool that you can resource before you drop $10 at Cinemark to watch a blockbuster full of compromise. Check out Plugged In Online.

We need to keep seeking Him by allowing the Spirit to guide every area of our lives, including the movies we watch!

~AF

Men's Prayer Night!!

Hey men,

Originally I wanted to do prayer this week but my internet was down last week so I didn't get an email off, and since we didn't have study today, I figured it would do well to wait another week so we can announce it there. With that, our next prayer night will be next week on Tuesday, 9/15, 8pm, at my place (357 Albion Way Unit D2).

Plan to keep the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month open for prayer. This is a great chance for fellowship with each other and of course with our merciful Savior, a time to not only seek answers but also to grow closer to God by surrendering our will to His. I hope everyone was as pumped as I was after hearing Kevin's message on Sunday!

Much of what we prayed for last time can be found, ironically enough, on the yellow insert, "Prayer and Fasting September 2009" that Mountain View handed out in the bulletins this past Sunday. If you still have yours, bring it and we'll use it as a starting point. Some highlights:
-preparing our hearts
-those in our church body struggling physically, emotionally, or financially
-youth, college ministries just kicking off for the school year, and of course 29Eleven
-next steps for a new church building
-outreach to our community
-Lighthouse Church in the Czech Republic (including a watering of the seed planted by our summer team, for the Alfredeens who are now living there, and for Melissa Wilson as she raises support)
-All the crazy church planting that is about to happen in the near future!

If there are any prayer requests specific to the items above or anything else at all that we should be praying for, please feel free to drop me a line. Also, if I have missed sending this to any of the guys in 29Eleven, please set me straight.

In Christ,
Jon Wolf
j.david.wolf@gmail.com