29eleven

prIde

2011-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

In last week’s 29eleven study, we talked about what C.S. Lewis called “The Great Sin.” The sin of pride. Pride is a complicated sin because, more than any other, it blinds us to its presence in our lives. As pride grows, our blindness to it also grows.

Throughout God’s Word, we clearly read that God hates pride (James 4:6; Jeremiah 50:31; Proverbs 8:13). He opposes pride because He knows that, as it blinds us, it causes us to loose sight of the fact that we need Him in every area of our lives. Pride leads to self-exaltation and independence, not to a growing relationship with the Lord and others.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says,

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

When we have pride in our lives, it envelopes us in a world of delusion that denies the reality that following God’s laws is the only way that leads to true freedom.

In last week’s study, we briefly covered four areas of pride that we tend to overlook.

1) Moral Superiority

This form of pride is really somewhat ironic. When we look down at others because of how good we think we are, we are really demonstrating how bad we actual are. We fall into this category when we take the moral high ground in an area and look down at others who don’t. Regular church attendance, the kinds of movies we watch or don’t watch, our language, how many missions trips we’ve been on or ministries we are a part of, how much money we give to the church… All are areas that can lead to a sense of moral superiority when pride creeps in.

In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story of a Pharisee and a Publican. The Pharisee thanked the Lord that he was righteous and upright, unlike the people he was comparing himself to. He waxed eloquent of how dedicated to the Lord he was in his giving and fasting. On the other hand, the Publican (tax collector) humbly acknowledged that he was a sinner in need of God’s grace. Jesus praised the tax collector for his humility. When we see ourselves as sinners in need of God’s grace, we will avoid the sin of moral superiority.

2) The Pride of Correct Doctrine

This is also a danger to believers, especially to those who are diligent to study God’s Word. The more we learn about the Bible, the more familiar we become with doctrine (doctrine=teaching). As we develop doctrinal convictions and gain more Bible knowledge, the temptation is to become prideful. We think we’re pretty awesome because we can explain the difference between infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism and casually use words like “hypostatic union” when teaching Sunday School to the 1st graders. This can make us feel pretty good about ourselves. C.S. Lewis said,

“Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good- above all, that we are better than someone else, I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil.”

To avoid this trap, it’s important to never forget Biblical soteriology and hamartiology, (whoops, pride!)… the doctrines of salvation and sin. As we remember the gospel, we will be reminded of the humility of Christ and that we were sinners saved by His grace, completely undeserving of salvation. Our correct doctrine should create a love for others, rather than a prideful, condemning spirit toward those who may not be as grounded in good theology.

3) Pride of Human Achievement

This form of pride celebrates accomplishments without seeing God in the picture. Maybe we celebrate an advanced degree in biology or a raise at work. Maybe it’s finishing a marathon or being smart enough to fix our car without a mechanic. Even though our accomplishments take hard work, it is still God who blesses the effort and controls the outcome. When diligence produces fruit, we are tempted to pat ourselves on the back by taking all the credit.

The Israelites in the wilderness were beginning to grow prideful over “their” accomplishments. Deuteronomy 8:16-18 says,

“In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth…”

Any achievement we attain is really the result of God working through us, enabling us to continue strong in diligence. When we thank God for blessing our efforts, we will grow in humility and thankfulness rather than in pride.

4) An Independent Spirit

This was the fourth and final sin that was discussed. When we are prideful, we tend to think that we can handle things on our own. We don’t seek accountability and have no desire to listen to the counsel of our spiritual authorities. As those who attend Mountain View Community Church, God has called us to submit to the Pastors who shepherd and watch over us (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Hebrews 13:17; Romans 13:1-7).

One of the hardest areas to listen to our Pastors is in the area of relationships… I’m not just talking about the roommate kind, but more of the romantic kind. If we desire to get into a dating relationship, it is wise to seek out the counsel of a Pastor or someone in leadership at Mountain View. This is one of God’s ways of helping us to make wise decisions. If a Pastor or mentor has a red flag with us being in a relationship (whether it’s us or the person we are interested in), it is wise to use caution. Pride will find ways to justify going against godly counsel. Over the years, I’ve seen many with an independent spirit get into a relationship against wise counsel only to end up in heartbreak and even divorce. This is no way to go! Galatians 6:7-9 talks about how we reap what we sow. The person who sows pride will reap sorrow, but the person who sows humility through the Spirit will reap life and peace.

So, in summary, pride is sin! Let’s seek the wisdom from the Lord and the insight of others to rid our lives of the subtle forms of pride. Of the four areas we discussed, which one do you struggle with the most? How can you develop humility in this area and overcome pride? Let’s take what we’ve learned and put it into action!

~AF

Me, Myself and I

2011-06-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul writes, “ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Continuing through the book, Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges, we discussed the topic of selfishness. When we let it take root in our lives, it acts as a vine, creeping up and around the base of our Christian life, threatening the fruit a healthy life might bear.

As Christians, can we miss the mark in the area of selfishness? You bet. It’s easy to do. Selfishness is rooted deeply in our sin-nature (see Romans 7:17-20) and in the author’s words, “Selfishness is a difficult sin to expose because it is so easy to see in someone else, but so difficult to recognize in ourselves. In addition, there are degrees of selfishness as well as degrees of subtlety in expressing it.”

Self-absorption isn’t just about not sharing, inconsiderate behavior, or irresponsible stewardship of time and money, it’s about allowing ourselves to get caught up in ourselves, instead of eternal things—Christ’s goodness, our calling, our fellow believers, the lost. The bi-product of this “me-centered mindset” is an attitude that our time is ours to spend, as is our money. Our interests and goals revolve solely around meeting our own needs.

To apply an already well-used analogy, our faith is as a sapling we look after, devote time to, nurture and feed. We hope it bears fruit; we expect it to and anticipate it. We use fruit as a measure of its growth, but our calling to care for the tree is not based on the fruit alone, but obedience to the calling. A selfless life is one that remains devoted to the cause outside of our own interests, feelings and circumstances.

Matthew 16:24 reads, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?’”

Sovereignty over Singleness?

2011-06-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

It really wasn't that long ago, but when I think back, it seems like it was ages ago. A lot can change in the course of three years!

The house I had purchased became the ultimate bachelor pad. Late night Rock Band parties (complete with a ginormous stage equipped with neon lights and a smoke machine), a 65" 1080 HD TV, and a hot tub (that was accompanied by friendly yellow rubber duckies that never quite learned how to swim). The hang-out house was given the nick-name, "Casa de Florea." It was great! My two roommates and I were three happy bachelor dudes with not a care in the world. Well, other than figuring out who was going to clean up the dirty dishes from the night before.

Two of the three bachelor dudes met girls. Then the girls became girlfriends who became serious girlfriends (you see where this is going?). These serious girlfriends became fiancees who became wives. As my two roomies progressed in their relationships with these girls, I continued to remain quite single. One of the roommates got married and moved out... to be replaced by another great guy. This guy met a girl whom he started to date... and I'm sure you can guess the rest. Yup, I had 3 roommates over the course of about a year and a half who moved into Casa de Florea completely single and available to walking down the aisle saying "I do" in record-braking time. What it was about my house, I have no idea, but all I do know was that I was, once again, betrayed by a fellow bachelor dude-roommate to go live with a member of the opposite sex. The joke around town was quickly spreading, "If you want to get married, move into Alex's house! HA!" Many guys came running for miles to live with me in hopes they, too, could meet the woman of their dreams and live happily ever after. There I was... in my early 30's, single, and all alone. *cue the sad violin music*

Why do I share this depressing story with you? It's because last week in our Monday evening Bible study, we talked about the subtle sin of discontentment. We discussed how discontentment is a restless longing for better circumstances. It's dissatisfaction or thinking that something is just not enough. We can easily struggle with discontentment as it relates to a difficult job, finances that are tight, or physical features about ourselves we don't like. In my situation, it was easy to fall into the sin of discontentment by looking at my situation and questioning God's plan for my life. When I was at home hanging out with my roomies and their lady friends, subtle (and dangerous) thoughts would often come to mind... "you'll never get married." "You've missed your chance." "You'll never be happy like they are." A wrong perspective feeds lies and ungodly thinking, which quickly leads to discontentment and wishing our circumstances were different.

In our study, I read a quote that said, "God does nothing, or allows nothing, without purpose." But is this really true? What about earthquakes and tsunamis? What about when I make a bad decision and suffer the consequences? What about when everyone around me is getting married and I still long for my life-long companion? The Biblical answer is an emphatic YES! Everything God does AND allows has a purpose. We discussed verses that talk of God's sovereignty... that He is all-powerful and does as He pleases for His own glory (Prov. 16:9; 16:33, Prov. 21:1, Psalm 115:3, Is. 46:9,10, Daniel 4:35). Nothing can thwart or stop His ultimate plan. Not the weather, not an unforeseen accident, not even sin that we commit. Isn't that a comforting thought? Not even our sin can stop God from accomplishing His ultimate plan. That does not mean we can live however we desire and expect things to go well for us. God still calls us to obedience, but even when our sin enters the picture, God can take that situation and use it in our lives for good.

In the realm of singleness, it's most often not the result of sin in our lives (although that can sometimes factor in). A lot of times, it's just that, well... we're single! God has allowed our circumstances for a reason. We may not know all the answers to our questions, but we can be assured that the Lord is a good God and that He is in control. We can only find true contentment and peace when we yield to God's sovereignty and accept that He has purpose in circumstances that seem hopeless.

As I learned how to better trust the Lord, I found great joy in my singleness... even in the midst of my closest pals getting married. It's not our circumstance but our perspective that leads to freedom. And often times, as we learn what God is teaching us in the midst of those hard times, He then works in ways we did not see coming. In my case, He brought a beautiful woman into my life who is now my wife ("Casa de Florea" is now "Florea la Chateau"). Being married or having what we think we want is not what brings contentment... it's all about developing a firm faith that God has a plan and a purpose in whatever we are going through. A quote from our study said, “It is SO important to develop a firm belief in the sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness of God in ALL the circumstances of our lives.” When we accept this, we move from an attitude of victim to an attitude of stewardship. We should ask the question, “God, how can I use this circumstance to serve and glorify You?”

~AF

Thanks or No Thanks?

2011-06-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last time we gathered, we discussed the topic of unthankfulness as covered in the book, Respectable Sins.

Cyrus explained that we don’t become saints by our actions, but are made saints, by the supernatural equipping of the Holy Spirit. Considering that, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner becoming of saints .

So when it comes to unthankfulness, do we live our lives like the cleansed leper mentioned Luke 17:11-19, who returned to Jesus, praising and thanking him?

Well, we ought to. Our condition as sinners apart from Christ was far more dyer than the leper. Romans 5:6 reads, “You see at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”

Now that’s something worth getting excited about.

Not only are we to be thankful for our salvation, but also our material possessions, opportunities to grow as believers and for God’s investment in us.

Thes. 5:18 reads, “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

If we get trapped in the, “nasty now” of life, forgetting all we have to be thankful for, we run the risk of living a life apart of the hope we have. A complaining, pessimistic, down, gloomy, “half empty” and whiny testimony says what to the world about Christ & Christianity? Not an accurate portrayal of the hope we have.

The truth is, the world needs to see we have been rescued from hell and every breath we take is a gift from God, because apart from him, we were surely destined for hell.

The good news is, we do not have to go it alone. That’s right, the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant, brought back from the dead, our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of Sheep, who equips us with everything good thing for doing His will.

Let us be encouraged with the assurance of Romans 8:38-39 that nothing, including our circumstances can separate us from the love of God, who in all things, works for the good of those who love Him. What great promises to remember, even in the most difficult of situations. That’s something to be thankful for!

Should I come to 29eleven????

2010-04-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

That is a question I have been asked quite often from people in and outside of the ministry. For some reason, sometimes there is an assumption that 29eleven is only for people who are not in a relationship/engaged or they do not need 29eleven anymore because they are in a relationship....that couldn't be further from the truth because I encourage you couples to come and want you couples to come.

I then ask all of us to answer this question in return, "what is the primary purpose of 29eleven?"......If it is to be a buffet where we go to pick from the best foods available because we are hungry, or a speed dating circuit disguised under a little bit of Jesus, or like the old TV show Love Connection where I am the host of the show and I exist to pair people off (I do have some ideas btw :), then you should probably stop coming if you are in a relationship because mission accomplished..... your view of this ministry was skewed and you were here for the wrong reasons...you were seeking first your kingdom not God's Kingdom (Matthew 6) and it appears your kingdom came.

However, if you believe that 29eleven exists:
*To have fellowship with others in the same stage of life and age
*To have a great place where we can be on mission together to bring friends/coworkers and also reach those who need Jesus who show up to events or Bible study and this is a great vehicle (as a couple now) to do all that
*To provide accountability and friends that will challenge us in our walks in becoming more like our Lord and Savior as we strive for purity, unity, and God's direction
*To have people in this group observe, pray for, and help us in our relationships
*To give an avenue to grow in God's word, discernment, truth, and worship him and discuss Him together now as a couple.

If we believe 29eleven exists for those reasons and more, then I believe the question will not be "should I continue coming to 29eleven?", but rather "why would I stop coming here?" because this is about Jesus and now is the time to continue being faithful and hear from God, others who love me, and have this relationship be centered around Him not us..."

In summary everyone, if we feel we do not belong here anymore, we are wrong. If we view this ministry solely or primarily as a means to our marriage desire ends, then the answer to the title question of this blog if we are in a relationship might be NO. However if we see this ministry as a means to grow in Jesus in all areas of our life, then the answer is "of course" because this is a ministry that will help relationships grow the right way, set patterns that the world doesn't revolve around the relationship or stop now that we are in one, and will provide another great avenue to hear and discuss God's word/be on mission together thus building a spiritual climate and relationship centered on God's kingdom coming, not ours...

Sorry gang for the long overdue response to this question I get quite often...I am pro relationships and marriage in 29eleven and am praying God fulfills the natural and expected desire for marriage if you have it so if and when the relationship comes... now you know, 29eleven is for you and wants you so come one, come two, just don't come once you say I do!

Cyrus

whose cuisine reigned supreme?.....

2010-03-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Team MEN'S! Yes, knives chopped, sliced and even diced and after a gruelingly intense 1 hour and 15 minute culinary war, the men prevailed in a hard fought and almost evenly matched battle! Both teams displayed amazing ingenuity and expertise with the secret ingredient of pineapple thus serving delectable dishes that satisfied the judges palates and tummys!

Both teams should be extremely proud of their effort for the margin of victory was only 1 point!!! Had the men stuck with their original tropical drink or had the women's succulent appetizer come out on point, things might not have been that close. In the end though, it was a great time! Thank you all for making this so much fun and it was great to see two teams accomplish a difficult task by working so well together under a strenuous time constraint, so again, GREAT work everyone!!!

Until next year's battle,

Iron Chef Salehi

Marty the Airport Angel

2010-02-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

I originally posted this on facebook a couple of weeks ago, but it ties in nicely with the recent conversations we've had at Monday night Bible Study about the unseen spiritual world around us, so it seems apt to post it here also. Enjoy!

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I recently spent a glorious weekend in Highland Park, NJ, for the wedding of my dear old friend Audrey. Not old because of her age (I'm older by 2 months anyway), but because we met in 6th grade and have a long history of theatre, letter writing, Bonnie Raitt songs, Trivial Pursuit, and water poker that spans almost 20 years now (criminy! Maybe we are old...)

Everything about the event was impeccably Audrey and perfect, from the eclectic assortment of plate and glassware to the music (especially the song she sang to David, her groom, accompanied by Gary, her dad, on the guitar) to the elegantly fun floor length brown gown with pink sash that she wore. It was the weekend that my soul needed - a chance to see Audrey and her family, her wonderful, dear family - the kind of weekend where you don't fully realize how much you miss someone (or a collective group of someones) until you see them again after an absence of too many years.

But I digress. This story is really about Marty, who may or may not be a real person. I'm open to either possibility, for I very much believe in the possibility of entertaining strangers who may very well be angels in disguise.

I'm late pretty much all of the time these days. I'm not really sure why this happens. Usually I have a good handle on where I'm going, how long it will take me to get there and when I need to leave to get there in time. But no matter how hard I try or how early I leave, something invariably happens along the way that makes me late. In FoCo, it's usually getting stopped at every red light between me and my destination or being stopped by a train. Sometimes it's a massive accident on I-25 that causes me to do things like miss my flight to Canada. This last month my excuse is that it's been too cold for my garage door to close and I have to wait and trick it into closing, which is about a 5 minute process. I guess all of these things could be comical, but mainly it's annoying because I hate being late.

But I digress again. Back to Marty.

I left my hotel that morning in New Jersey with plenty of time to spare. I got to the general area of the Newark Airport with plenty of time to spare as well ("plenty" being 15 minutes, which in Robin land is pretty close to excellent.) Here's where it got dicey. Despite Payless Cars' best effort to write out a paragraph of explicit directions back to the Wyndham hotel/rental car drop-off, I managed to continuously miss the exit to get me to the rental car office. Instead, I circled the airport multiple times, shouting a lot of un-Robin like words to no one in particular, except maybe whoever designed the 50,000 exits surrounding EWR.

20 minutes later, at 7:35 AM, I somehow managed to find my way into the hotel/rental car parking lot, dropped off my rental car, hoping that the shuttle would show up quickly to get me to the airport with enough time to print my boarding pass, go through security, and get to my gate in time for my 8:50 AM flight. Did I mention I was needing to do all of this in the Newark Airport? Yeah. That's right. At 7:45 AM, I was still standing in the Wyndham lobby waiting for the airport shuttle. It didn't take long for this normally smart girl from Los Alamos to figure out that this wasn't a good situation.

The still quiet voice of God kept telling me that it would be ok. The extremely loud voice of Robin kept telling me to panic. It's so much easier to listen to the loud voice...

Here's where the miracle begins. I'm in the lobby with an old guy who's on his way to the D.R. We discuss the Haiti earthquake briefly before panicky Robin makes a comment about being extremely late for my flight. There is no one else in the lobby with us except the hotel clerk and a family checking out. He looks at his watch, reminds me that it's 7:45 AM, one hour and 5 minutes before my flight, and basically says, "Good luck with that." Gee, thanks, old guy. I didn't realize I was cutting it that close until you pointed it out to me...

The shuttle shows up. I jump on and anxiously wait for the shuttle driver to get back on so I can demand that he take me to the Continental gate first. That's when Marty gets on. He sits down behind me and quietly says, "What time is your flight and what airline are you on?" He hadn't been in the lobby with us; I had no idea where he had come from, but the tone of his voice made it sound like he was fully aware of my situation somehow.

I tell my sister that she and I seem to carry this aura of vulnerability with us wherever we go. In reality, we are quite strong and can handle quite a bit, but we apparently give off a vibe that makes people want to take care of us (or worry about us.) No matter how old I get or how much I live, this quality doesn't seem to diminish for me, nor does it for her.

I don't know if that's what Marty sensed the minute he saw me or if it's just because he was one of God's invisible army members making himself visible and he knew exactly the situation I was in. But in that split second, I chose to trust him. I told him I was on Continental and my flight was leaving in an hour. He, too, looked at his watch and said, "I work for Continental, I'll get you there the short way."

Seriously? Where did this guy come from? And, God, remind me to trust you more than I do.

After the longest 5 minute shuttle ride of my life, we get to the Newark. I let Marty off first because I'm still not convinced he's for real. He gets off and waits for me and offers to carry my bags. I don't let my trust go that far...

As we walk inside, I ask him what he does. He says he's a captain but today he's not flying, just doing something else in the airport (he was wearing jeans and a jacket and looked nothing like a captain.) He starts telling me about his wife and how he always worries about her when she travels alone in EWR because she runs late and security lines are always long. Sounds like someone I know...

He guides me to a kiosk where there are no people, helps me print my boarding pass and then takes me through the employee only line at security. The normal security line was already a long one - it would have taken me 30 minutes to get through it if I had been on my own. By now it was 8:06 AM. There's no way I would have made it on my flight without Marty. He walked up to the front of the line, showed his badge, and said, "This is my friend, Robin. She's traveling with me today." The TSA lady let me right on through and we had priority going through the security screening area. Marty pointed me in the direction of my gate and promptly disappeared completely in between me putting my shoes back on and taking my bags off of the conveyor belt. This is why I suspect that he wasn't really a human, but probably an angel. Who knows, though.

I walked the length of my gate (which took 10 minutes since it was the furthest gate from security) smiling the whole way, amazed yet again at how God can pull my life out of the tank for no reason other than that He loves me. I got to my gate at 8:17, just as it started boarding. There's no way that would have happened without Marty.

Really, Marty is a picture of Christ, and a reminder of why I need a savior. When it comes to God's holiness, we're all running late. He's a busy airport where the security lines are too long and the gate is too far away from security to get there on time by ourselves no matter how hard we try and no matter how good our intentions are. That's why we need Jesus, the one who comes from behind, guides us to where we need to be and says to the One in charge, "She's with me. Let her through." And the One in charge listens and let's us pass.

Thank you, God, for that wonderful NJ weekend, the timeliness of needing to be away to work through some things in my heart, and for giving me Marty to remind me of who you are and that you came here to save me, not because I asked you to, but because you chose to.

~RAC

Preparing for Battle!

2010-01-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

I remember the scene in the beginning of Rambo (yes Rambo people...do not knock American iconic movies of the 80's) when the one man annihilation machine, John Rambo, was getting ready to be inserted into the jungles of Vietnam to rescue fellow P.O.W's and they show good ole J.R. putting face paint on, getting decked out in his fatigues, strapping on his 4 foot survival knife, grabbing his assault rifles, grenades, and anything else he could get his rugged hands on that would go boom....it was a great scene that was to portray to us that a war was coming and our hero Rambo was gearing up for up.

Too many of us Christians, in my opinion, fail to see our lives like John Rambo did. He had a purpose and mission and that mission was to go to war with the enemy so he could save lives. He knew bullets would fly and opposition would be consistent and fierce so he prepared for it because lives were at stake. We, those who are followers/soldiers of Christ, need to understand we are in a battle every day and it isn't of flesh and blood but as we learned at Bible study, a battle of a spiritual nature against Satan, demons, and wicked forces that are looking to devour, derail, and defeat us daily!

It is our responsibility as servants of Christ to put on the full armor of God so we can stand firm in the faith and withstand the devil as Paul states in Ephesians 6. I want to implore all of us to realize that souls are lost in Fort Collins and we have a job to do as ambassadors of Christ armed with a message of hope and reconciliation to fight the good fight and take this message into every sphere of influence we have!

Come join us Monday nights as we discuss spiritual warfare, Satan and his schemes, demons and their powers, and how to put on this armor of God to fight the good fight....

Cyrus

This week at the movies...

2009-09-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-09-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

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

The Reason

2009-04-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

Good Friday?! He was beaten and tortured beyond recognition. He was flogged with leather whips made of broken glass designed to rip the flesh apart. He was then forced to carry the heavy cross beam to His own death where they would nail His hands and feet. A cruel, humiliating death designed to slowly suffocate the victim as he hung naked and bleeding. This was a Roman form of punishment designed for the worst of sinners... not the sinless. And we call this Good Friday?! The Savior who fashioned the heavens and spoke creation into existence was now dying on a cross being ridicule by the very people He loved. The hands that sculpted the universe were now pierced with nine inch nails that held His frail body to the tree. This?? GOOD Friday??

Romans 3:23 says that ALL of us have sinned. We all fall short of His glory. Because God is Holy, our sin has separated us from Him. He is just and cannot allow it to go unpunished. It says in Nahum 1:3 that the Lord “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” But why Good Friday? Paul simply writes, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for US" (Romans 5:8). It's Good Friday because the perfect, spotless Lamb died in our place. Even though we turned our backs on Him, the Lord laid on Christ the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). Through the cross, we find redemption and grace. It is Good Friday because the cross provided salvation for those who would put their trust in Him. No amount of "good works" will save us. Even our best efforts to earn His love and forgiveness are seen as filthy, blood-stained tampons in His eyes (Isaiah 64:6 gives the gross picture of the menstrual cloth, which implied ritual impurity). Paul also states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the GIFT of God, not of works... "(Ephesians 2:8,9). It is Good Friday because through Christ's sacrificial death, we have salvation! We deserved hell, but He offers heaven. He took our place. And not only this, but His death and resurrection free us from sin now. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sin from us" (Psalm 103:12). He removed our sin (past tense)! If you have placed your faith in Him, He looks at you as a new creation. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation... all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Are you a Christian but living a life ensnared by sin? This is why He died and rose again... that you may have life! He paid the price so that you could truly live and be free from the slavery of sin (Romans 6). Are you weighed down by guilt or the cares of tomorrow? He is alive... He conquered death so that you could be free. This is truly good news! Life and peace and the assurance of knowing that He took every sin we ever committed or ever will commit and nailed it to the Cross. By His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

As Easter approaches, reflect on what you have been freely given. Thank Him for dying for you. If you have strayed from Him, repent and turn to Him. He is "faithful and just" and will forgive you (1 John 1:9). If you have never put your faith in Him, do it today. Believe in Him and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Talk to a friend or pastor who can encourage and show you the truths from Scripture. Or maybe you find it hard to even believe the Easter story... of a man who claimed to be God. Who died and supposedly rose from the dead (yea, I admit... it does sound strange!!). If this is you, please email me... I'd love to chat about it some more (alex.florea@comcast.net). You may be surprised at the overwhelming evidence that the resurrection was an actual, historic event.

~AF

"He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him."
~Isaiah 53:3-6

The Treasure

2009-01-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, Please!" Quickly the Mother checked the back of the little foil box and looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost two dollars. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy then for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma." As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grownup. She wore them everywhere- Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh, yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess- the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again,
"Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it Jenny? What's the matter?"Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with the other hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure... So like our heavenly Father. ~Author Unknown

This is a great story that directly challenges where our heart is at. Are we holding onto "dime-store" treasure because we are afraid to give God everything? What is the treasure you are holding back from Him? Step out in faith and offer it to Him in humility. He will begin to change your heart and give you peace. Genuine treasure is not found in people, jobs, relationships, money, hobbies, or even serving others, ministry, Bible reading, church going, etc. True lasting, genuine treasure is only found in Jesus. John 14:27 says, "My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you..." Whatever it is we are holding tightly onto other than Christ Himself is temporary. It will prevent us from seeking the One whose joy is limitless and bigger than any circumstance, trial, or hardship. Let go. Give it to Him. He wants to be your all.

~AF

Game Night!

2009-01-27T13:20:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics from Friday night. If you missed it, there are more events coming up in February.
Like any good church event, we started off the evening with some amazing food! Since Cyrus partially titled the night "roll-out night," there was some seriously good Sushi rolls.

Scattergories is a creative-thinking category-based game fun for everyone! HAHA! What is something that starts with the letter "A" that you would find on a hike? For some reason, my ingenious answer of "Aardvark" got rejected (yes, I'm still a little bitter). Pictured here is team "Jess n' Stef" as they go onto victory to win the coveted Scattergories trophy.

This friendly game of hearts got serious when Cyrus started making cash bets. As a respected Pastor at Mountain View, he should know better.

Pictured here is Jon carefully sculpting the purple Cranium clay. Like MacGyver, with the use of clay, duct tape, and a hair pin, his engineering skills could get him out of any predicament.

Greg sculpts a perfect looking skillet... complete with a spatula and all. But due to Adam's lack of kitchen utensil awareness, his guessing leads nowhere.

Cranium is billed as "The Game for Your Whole Brain." Unlike many other party games, Cranium includes a wide variety of activities. This variety led to some serious multi-tasking issues for many of us.

A Baby Boy Born in Bethlehem

2008-12-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

"He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute."
-Augustine of Hippo

What an amazing scene... certainly one of the most glorious (and ordinary) occasions to ever take place in history. Glorious because it was the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah whom the Scriptures prophesied about; the first step in God graciously sending His Son into a fallen world marred by sin so that we could have eternal life. But ordinary because it was the birth of a little baby Jewish boy who was placed in a manger. A manger! The glorious King was placed in an ordinary feeding trough. The same "I AM" who created the heavens and the earth was now in the form of a tiny, delicate, vulnerable baby boy.

We pick up the story in Luke chapter two. An angel of the Lord appeared to "shepherds living out in the fields." He did not appear to high dignitaries or important Roman or Jewish officials, but to the socially outcast. Throughout Scripture, we see that God always seemed to look kindly on the shepherds. They were a picture of the very heart of God. An angel announced to shepherds the arrival of "The Great Shepherd", who was born so that He would "lay down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Awe-struck and in sheer excitement from the good news, the shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem to see this special little baby boy. So excited, in fact, that Luke 2:16 says, "they came with haste." In the Greek, "haste" means they were in a hurry... they got moving, booked it, high-tailed it, got crackin'... well, you get the picture. haha! Here are Joseph and Mary adoring Baby Jesus when all of a sudden, these shepherds come and tell them that these angel dudes (yes, that's the technical term) appeared to them and announced that their baby was the Messiah. It must have been quite the story! Luke 2:18 says, "All those who heard it marveled..."

Michael Card poetically describes the event,
"Out in the stable yard
She sees a glow
Could it be angel light
How would she know
Shepherds stand wondering
Afraid to come in
But the baby that's born tonight
Will free them all To never fear again
As He lies in a cattle trough
She kneels by His side
Sweet baby breathing Soft infant sighs
Soft sounds of swallowing
As soft fingers part
Marvelous memories
She pondered then and hid them in her heart.

This brings us to one of the most interesting verses in the Christmas story, Luke 2:19... "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." She was taking it in. I wonder what she was thinking about in those moments? She couldn't comprehend what was fully happening, but I believe she knew these were events long foretold in the Law and Prophets and that her baby would impact all of history. She was right there in the midst of one of the most profound and important moments of all time! Without the birth of baby Jesus, we would still be in our sins and our faith would be entirely empty and pointless (1 Cor. 15:12-19).

I can't help but wonder if Mary also pondered throughout her parenting years why God would choose her to bring the Messiah into this world. Gabriel told her that she had "found favor with God." Was it because she was so special and lived a perfect life that pleased a holy God? Contrary to what many Catholics believe, this points to God's goodness, not Mary's. After all, the story of Christmas is about Christ, not Mary. We are ALL sinners (Romans 3:23) and fall short of God's perfect standards (yes, even Mary!). She found favor (like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others), because God is merciful and desires to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God also wants to use us... not so that we can think more highly of ourselves, but so that we can think more highly of Him.

Christmas is also about the amazing fact that God would even chose to save us. He certainly didn't have to! It would have been completely just to leave us in our sin. The angels look at us and marvel because we have a Savior... they don't (Hebrews 2:16). Christmas is really a peculiar story... just the fact that it is so odd really points to the reality of it's truth and historicity. The Almighty, omniscient, omnipotent God of the world born through a humble, virgin teenage Jewish woman? I would not have pictured the coming of the Christ through this kind of narrative, but something more resembling the likes of some super cool Hollywood action flick. I picture a sci-fi sort of story... like "24" meets "Heroes" meets "The Matrix" or something (Jack Bauer with Neo/Peter Petrelli-like powers would be sweet). An awesome hero-ish sort of Jesus showing up with amazing power, nuking anyone who stood in His way. Someone whose presence immediately demanded respect and attention. Maybe this sort of thinking was why so many people missed Jesus when He walked the earth. The Jews were looking for a Savior who would wear a crown of royalty and who would rule with an iron fist... not someone who would wear a crown of thorns with nail-pierced wrists. God's ways are not our ways. He displayed humility and desires us to do the same (Philippians 2:5-11). The story of Christmas is about the God of the universe being born a baby to save us and show us how truly mighty He is. Think about it, there is tremendous might in humility. Proverbs 16:32 says that a patient person (displaying humility) is stronger than a mighty person who captures an entire city. He humbled Himself even to the point of death so that you and I could have life.

Christmas is not just a story we read to our children. We need to guard ourselves from even the thought of it comparing to some far-removed fantasy. Although at times, the historical account of Jesus' birth may be hard to believe, it really did happen! Let's also not forget what Christmas is all about... not presents or spreading "Christmas cheer," it's about a baby in a manger who would grow up, live a perfect life, and die a horrible death on a Roman cross so that we could live an abundant life (John 10:10). Let's not think about Christmas this year without thinking about how He has saved us! It is truly an amazing time of celebration as we reflect on the hope, joy, and freedom we have in Christ. He died so that we could be free to live for Him! Let's focus our eyes on Him and push past the busyness of the season. It's sooo hard (I know!), but let's remember that this world has nothing to offer and that our satisfaction can only be found in Him and in Him alone. Not in things, not in circumstances, not in relationships... but in Him. As you spend time with family over the holidays, reflect on Christ's humility that was demonstrated for us. How can you serve others and show love to your family? As you give gifts to your loved ones, remember how God gave His Son as a gift to us. And the next time you see a nativity scene, don't forget to think of the amazing story of excited shepherds, a pondering Mary, and a baby boy who would one day die on a cross and rise again so that you and I could be free from the effects of sin.

~AF

The Bible's Ultra Dysfunctional Brady Bunch Family

2008-10-17T22:38:00.001-07:00

This isn't quite like the Brady Bunch! Get this scene... you have eleven brothers (Yes, 11 brothers!). You have some sisters, too... but for sake of time and simplicity, let's just focus on the bros for now. Unfortunately, your family isn't one large "happy family" but more of one that pictures some twisted reality show family from an odd polygamous region in the remote parts of Mormon country (or the rural mountainous regions of Utah- whichever you prefer). Ten of your brothers are from other mothers, three others to be exact. The four oldest brothers have the same mom, then the next two in-line have another mom, then the seventh and eighth yet another mom, the ninth and tenth in-line are from the first mom (am I confusing you yet?), and you and the youngest son in the family are from your dad's second wife (which is the fourth mom in the family). Oh, did I mention that wife #1 and wife #2 are sisters? Nice, huh? If that already wasn't strange enough, the story gets better!

Now imagine your oldest brother decides he wants to have an affair with the mother of two of your half brothers. Also, the fourth oldest brother in the family has a son who gets married and dies without children. Desperate for kids, she plays the role of a prostitute and sleeps with her father-in-law and has children with him. Yes, this is your family... your extremely dysfunctional family... figured out you who are? Yup, you're Joseph (if you guessed it, go ahead... pat yourself on the back)!

The reason I share this odd story is to focus in on the ancestry of Christ Himself. Without the book of Genesis to paint some of this history, I would have thought that the ancestry of Christ would have been a long line of great godly and holy men, who always obeyed the commandments of the Lord. The fourth eldest brother in Joseph's family, Judah, had a son with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, who was named Perez. Perez was the great great great (I'm not sure how many greats) father of King David who was the great great great (again, not sure how many greats!) father of Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. His family tree would certainly not have been one to be proud of... Christ's ancestry was integrated with horrendous sin! Why you may ask?

...Well, I'm not sure! :) Although we may not fully be able to answer this question, we can certainly learn some things about God's character. It shows the trustworthy nature of God in fulfilling His promises. From the very beginning, God promised Abraham (Judah's great grandpa) that He would be a father of many nations, and that those nations would be a blessing to all other nations. Meaning, Abraham's descendant would be the Savior of the world who would free all of the elect from the slavery of sin. God's promises will ALWAYS come to pass, no matter what. What are some of the promises He has made to us? He has promised us peace and comfort through the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14). The Spirit is a promise to us, a seal or guarantee that He will give us eternal life with Him in heaven someday (2 Cor. 1:22). Heaven will be an AMAZING place where the very glory of God will illuminate the New Jerusalem with His majesty and splendor (Rev. 21:23). It will be a place with no sorrow, death, or crying (Rev. 21:4). What an amazing promise! He has also promised that He will NEVER leave us (Heb. 13:5), and that NOTHING will ever separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38,39). The wonderful thing about God is that these promises are unconditional... it's not about how great we are, but how great He is!

The story of Christ's ancestry also shows the great humility of Jesus in entering a world stained and corrupted by sin. The verse in Philippians really comes to life, "but (He) made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men." He entered a family that had some pretty dark "secrets"... incest, adultery, fornication, murder, lying, idolatry, the list goes on. This wasn't a holy lineage but one that represented the sinful and depraved nature of mankind. Jesus would be born into a family with this kind of history to show His love for us and how, in spite of sin, His blood would cleanse even the worst of sinners and the most vile of pasts. Have you ever been inside during a huge snow storm during the day only to step outside to be blinded by the bright, white light of the freshly fallen snow? The unspotted and unsoiled whiteness of fresh-fallen snow is a picture of redemption. It's a picture of how God purifies our sin through Christ's precious blood. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Paul reminded the church at Corinth of this truth, "And such WERE some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Peter denied Christ, and yet he was used by God to help establish the church. Paul was the "chief" of sinners, and yet he penned nearly half of the New Testament. No matter we're you've been, what you've experienced, or the family you are part of, Christ can use you to accomplish His purpose! If you are in Christ, there is no sin too great in which He won't forgive. This should bring us to a place of humility and dependence on Him. Experiencing such grace and mercy should truly bring us to our knees in humble reverence. It should remind us to never look at someone's past in a way that "disqualifies" them from being used of God. He truly can and does use "ordinary" people do accomplish "extraordinary" things. It should also motivate us to continue praying for our loved-ones who do not know the Lord... because in spite of how lost they may be, God can do a "180" in their life.

So, even by looking into the messed-up family of Joseph, we can see the loving and gracious nature of the one true God. The next time you find yourself reading various historical books of the Old Testament, remember that it ALL somehow points to the Cross of Christ. It leads us to His mercy and to His grace, which ultimately leads to OUR salvation. Yes, He is truly a remarkable God and His Word living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

~AF

Night of Worship: Devoted

2008-10-04T19:21:00.001-07:00

If you missed our Night of Worship event recently, you missed out on a great evening of praising God and being encouraged from His Word! Cyrus gave a convicting message challening all of us to puruse God with an undivided heart. If you missed it, you're in luck 'cause I've posted it below (just click "play"). It's only about 20 minutes, and well worth your time.

"Devoted: Serving God with an undivided heart"

The God Who Weeps

2008-09-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

I've been utterly baffled (for lack of a better word!) for quite some time now by the thought of a God who is referred to as "a Man of Sorrows" (Isaiah 53). Is it really true that the very God who spoke the universe into existence experienced what it was like to weep and mourn? Isaiah also described Christ as being familiar with pain and suffering. It wasn't just a one-time occurrence-- He was actually familiar with it and experienced it throughout His 33 years on earth! This, to me, is simply amazing! What world religion out there worships a god who suffers? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Christ was "stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted." But why? So glad you asked:) Isaiah answers that important question, "... He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities... by His wounds we are healed." He experienced pain, suffering, mourning, and weeping (all human experiences as a result of the fall) because of His love for US!

This also reminds me of Hebrews 4:15 where the author says we have a High Priest (Christ) who can sympathize with our weaknesses (yet without sin). Have you ever felt that God is too far removed from your pain? Have you ever felt that God cannot relate to your tears of sadness? It is encouraging to know that we have a Savior who CAN relate. He didn't experience sadness as a result of sin (guilt, fear, lack of hope, self-pity, etc.), but He certainly experienced loss. He wept over Jerusalem because it was a city that was blinded to the truth of His coming (Lk. 19:41). He knew what it was like to lose a close friend He deeply cared about (Jn. 11:25). He also knew what it was like to lose a close family member-- there is no mention of His step-father, Joseph, past the early part of the gospels (Jn. 19:26,27 clearly indicates Mary was a widow at that time). In fact, He went through more than we can ever imagine (or will experience ourselves)! Martin Luther said, "When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death thinking of what they are in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ."
He actually sweat blood, was beaten and mocked, and was publicly humiliated and embarrassed when His nakedness was exposed on the cross. Imagine the emotional pain He experienced on the most tragic and heroic day ever!! He was so sorrowful in the garden, to the point of death, as He anticipated the moment when His Father would turn His back on Him as He bore the sin of mankind (Mt. 26:38). So, the next time you are hurting and the tears won't stop flowing, remember He is there for you. Like a loving Father, He knows your sorrow and pain and will be the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).

One of my heroes of the faith is Michael Card-- author, theologian, song writer, and musician extraordinaire (hey, I really like the guy!! lol). He wrote an entire album devoted to lament, called "The Hidden Face of God." In one of his songs, he writes:

In Eden, the darkening garden was still unwet by all the tears from the sky. The burden of that disobedient bite brought all the tears the fallen world would cry. The unwelcomed tears that they never had known coursed down their fallen faces in surprise. All they ever had seen was the light of His face, but now that sin had entered in, their tears would fall like rain. Falling tears from fallen eyes. Our faces with an unaccustomed stain. We were driven from the garden beneath the cloudless sky, for human tears are older than the rain. And so we all were driven from His presence and His peace to stumble all along this long lamenting race. From the deepest darkest shadows, He joins us on our way, and we recognize our fallen tears upon that Human Face.

Before God brought the Flood as punishment for a wicked world (Gen. 6:5), there was no rain on the earth. There was a greenhouse type environment where plants were watered through a mist that came up from the ground (Gen. 2:5,6)... probably not completely unlike that cool mist that waters the fresh produce at your local grocery store (haha! Okay, maybe not quite). Like rain, I don't believe tears were a part of the original creation either. Tears were the result of shame and guilt as Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's clear command. They were driven from the garden and clothed by God from the skin of an innocent animal (the first sacrifice, a picture of Christ- Gen. 3:21). It was likely around this event, that the first tears were shed.

We see that sin separates us from God and caused suffering to enter into the world. This resulted in God choosing to become a man to save us, which resulted in the Creator experiencing the punishment intended for the creation. And this is the amazing thing, as Michael Card so poetically says, "He joins us on our way and we recognize our fallen tears upon that Human Face." That's what I think about when I read the Bible's shortest verse, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). He took part in our suffering!

Of course, not all tears are tears of sadness. We often cry out of happiness. Maybe a touching story of an athlete who overcame cancer or maybe a news clip of an unwanted child adopted by a loving family. It can also be out of gratefulness and awe. Realizing the presence of God during an emotional worship service or remembering how God brought a lost sinner out of despair and into a victorious, joyous life. It could even be romance that brings tears to our eyes. Hearing of the perfect wedding proposal... at the beach... during sunset... with a lovely string-quartet playing Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" in the background (okay, getting carried away here!). Although I can't prove this, I believe that the tears of joy we shed are an example of how God can redeem something originally brought about as a result of the Fall and make it a thing of beauty. Just like the first rain brought a Flood that would judge the entire world, we later see throughout Scripture that it would become a sign of God's blessing. In similar fashion, tears originated from loss and suffering, but would also come to be a sign of joy and reconciliation (Gen. 45:14,15 shows a grateful Joseph as he wept at the reunion of his brothers). God has a way of mending and redeeming what was once broken! So, the next time the Broncos win in the final seconds of the game and you are overcome with happy tears (haha!), think about the God who can take something and redeem it by bringing new life and meaning to it.

We serve a Mighty God who is amazing! He can relate to us. He can comfort and meet us where we are at. He's "been there." And yes, He can even restore us and make us new and give meaning to our lives. Let's learn to praise Him with ALL of who we are and to go to Him during times of sorrow AND joy.

~AF

ps... I would love to hear some feedback from anyone out there! Additional thoughts or insights?

MY Grace is Sufficient

2008-09-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

It can be so hard to fully give ourselves over to the Lord. It's as if we are afraid that whatever it is that He has to offer just won't be enough. Why are we so afraid to live lives completely sold out for Him? What are we afraid of? I believe we're afraid of giving up all only to find that He really isn't Who He says He is... the God of comfort, rest, and lasting joy. We fear that what He offers won't satisfy, and sadly, we continue to go after that which only leads to heartache.

The great Charles Spurgeon was a man of unmatched giftedness in the ability to exposit the Word of God through preaching to thousands. Struggling to take his thoughts captive after a long day, he tells of this story:

"The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day's work. I felt very wearied, and sore depressed, when swiftly, and suddenly as a lightning flash, that text came to me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' I reached home and looked it up in the original, and at last it came to me in this way, 'MY grace is sufficient for thee'; and I said, 'I should think it is, Lord,' and burst out laughing. I never fully understood what the holy laughter of Abraham was until then.

It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and Father Thames said, 'Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.' Or, it seemed after the seven years of plenty, a mouse feared it might die of famine; and Joseph might say, 'Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.' Again, I imagined a man away up yonder, in a lofty mountain, saying to himself, 'I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year, I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere,' but the earth might say, 'Breathe away, O man, and fill the lungs ever, my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'

Oh, brethren, be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls."

Let's be encouraged that God has more than enough to offer us. His blessings will never run out, His grace will never fade, and His mercy and love will never be exhausted. Cheer up, give your heart to him, His grace is sufficient to satisfy your deepest longings and desires! It sounds scary, but I truly believe stepping out into the unknown... a path of humility and obedience, of giving our desires and passions to Him... only leads to finding more of His sufficiency. We serve a mighty God and His goodness will never run dry!

~AF

Night at Monte Carlo!

2008-09-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

Our Fall kick-off event for 29eleven was a hit! HAHA! No pun intended for you Blackjack players out there. Here are a few pics of the evening...

Here's Brett, the Hold 'Em dealer, explaining the intricacies of the art of Poker. How does he know so much about it anyway??!! Hmm...

Becky and Allison at one of the Bunco tables.

The giddy, Jacob Leis, excited for the games to begin as he ponders and carefully considers his strategy to beat two ladies at Blackjack.

Cyrus giving Allison a hard time... boy was he in trouble that night!

Caught off guard by having his pic taken with a Navy Seal, Dan awkwardly gives a "thumbs up."

Three white-tied, roommates as they pose for the next cover shot of GQ. Okay, maybe not!

Some serious games going on. You could feel the tension in the air! Who was going to win the BIG pot worth thousands of dollars???!!! Oh wait, there was absolutely no gambling going on that night! Somehow, I just don't think a church sponsored gambling event would have gone over too well with Pastor Jason.

Need I say anything??? :)

As the evening progressed, the ladies only digressed. Seen here are the MC Gangstas displaying their symbols. Umm... Holly? Yea, she doesn't look so tough.

He Calls Them by Name!

2008-09-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

As a young boy, my family would often drive in the middle of the night to visit relatives in California. Why in the middle of the night you ask? To avoid the crazy heat that accompanies the barren Nevada dessert. That’s why! Yes, this was always a good call (especially in a car that didn’t have working AC!). The exciting thing about the journey was stopping alongside the highway in pitch blackness, miles from any city light in the middle of nowhere to observe the stars that lit up the night’s sky. It was then that I first caught a glimpse of the Milky Way… billions upon billions of stars in our galaxy blurring together in a spectacle of wonder.

I imagine you’ve been awed by the stars on a clear, moonless night, but have you ever actually thought about how big the universe truly is? Let’s try to put this into perspective. From my house on a Sunday morning, it takes about 8 minutes to get to the church (okay, that may be going a bit fast!). Suppose I was driving at 670,616,629 miles an hour (the speed of light), I

could actually drive to the sun in that amount of time (8 light minutes or 92,750,680 miles). Sounds far, huh? That’s nothing! The Sun is the closest star to the Earth. Proxima Centauri is the next closest star and is a ridiculous 4.2 light years away… yes, the amount of time it takes light to travel in 4.2 years (1 light year=5,878,625,373,183.61 miles.) We’ve only just begun☺

Ever heard of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (http://www.sdss.org)? …absolutely amazing! By 2010, they will have mapped out 1/4 of the sky or nearly100 million galaxies. Each galaxy is estimated to contain 200-400 billion stars (I know these are quite large numbers, but hang in there!). Our tiny, puny little planet Earth is a part of the Milky Way galaxy. To get an idea of the vastness of just our galaxy alone, it would take 100,000 years traveling the speed of light to get from one end to the other.

The next closest galaxy to ours is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light years away. The remarkable thing about this galaxy is that it can actually be seen without a telescope. Granted it looks like a smudge of faint light, but it is the farthest object seen by the naked eye. By now, I imagine I’ve lost some of you— okay, probably all of you… millions of light years just doesn’t register. But hopefully I’ve gotten my point across. The universe is HUGE (okay, that might kind of be an understatement)! Numbers this large are hard to comprehend… like a person born blind trying to understand what color is.

Isaiah 40:26 says that God created the stars and “calls them by name.” If He knows the names of 30 thousand billion billion stars (the universe is believed to contain over 100 billion galaxies each with an average of 300 billion stars), where do we fit into the picture? Well, He not only knows us by name, He knows the very number of hairs on our head (Mt. 10:30). David wondered how this could be so, “When I consider Your heavens… what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Ps. 8:3-4). Like the stars, we are a part of His creation; but unlike the stars, we were created in His very image with the capacity to think, feel, and reason.

He also cares intimately about ever detail of our lives (Luke 12:6-7)! Nothing is too big or small to take to the Almighty! What hardship are you facing today? Is there a difficulty in your life that just seems too much to handle? He is more than mighty enough to comfort you in the midst of your pain! Once again, pondering creation, David writes, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their sorrows. He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Ps. 147:3-5).
Surely a God who knows the names of billions of stars is big enough to comfort and heal our pain. Yes, He is truly awesome. We see the greatness of Who He is reflected in the night’s sky… and the crazy thing is that the stars and galaxies only reflect a glimpse of His majesty and splendor (Ps. 19:1)!

So, the next time you have a chance to gaze into the starry heavens, think about how absolutely amazing God is, and remember that He is more than big enough to take care of whatever it is that you are going through.

Elitch Gardens!

2008-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Why they call it that, I have no idea. I could be wrong, but people I talk to don't go down there to see the pretty lilies and blossoming perennials. And what or who is Elitch? Or is it Elitches? haha! Anyway, here are a few pictures from the recent fun day at Elitch Gardens:

I wonder if Mike got in trouble for reading the sign! Thankfully, before posting this pic, we obtained permission from the Elitch Garden Private Sign Commission (EGPSC).

Yes, it was an interesting day. The screaming started long before stepping foot onto a roller coaster.

The infamous log ride! Where's the magical Shamwow! when you need one?

For some reason after leaving for the day, Nikki kept asking Riqui if they could get a pony.

This picture taken just before the launch... calm and peaceful Mike A. would instantly be changed into a hysteric, screaming, crazy man. We love Mike!

What are you waiting for?

2008-06-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Are you waiting for something? Anything? Maybe it could be your IRS Stimulus check... I just received mine a few days ago (360 Rock Band, here we come... hey, simply saving it doesn't help the economy! lol). If you're one of the unfortunate ones with an odd social security number, you could still be waiting. What about that dream job? It could be that you desire to be healthy or the day when you will choose to get in the gym consistently rather than watching that 4 hour finale of So You Think You Can Dance? Maybe you are waiting to meet "the one." Longing for a spouse to share life with... yea, that's a very common one among us singles. What about waiting for the Lord to give you peace in the midst of difficult relationships or circumstances? Are you waiting for the day when you will actually feel His presence and comfort when you spend your morning quiet time in His word? How about financial security? The Nuggets to win a title?

Whatever it may be, I imagine we are ALL waiting for something.. and likely of far more importance than wishing Jay Cutler would actually cut his hair. One of my favorite songs right now is called, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. Here are some of the lyrics:

I'm waiting I'm waiting on You,
Lord And I am hopeful
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead,
bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race Even while I wait
I'm waiting on You,
Lord Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting

Are we serving Him in the midst of our waiting? Are we moving ahead, focused on Him while we wait? Are we patient... obedient... faithful? Yes, it can be hard waiting on the Lord with things we desperately desire... things that we long for passionately, but it is far more important giving over our desires to Him than allowing our longings to gradually pull us away from having close fellowship with God. During this time of waiting, He wants to show us that He is the One who alone can satisfy. "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). I believe we can learn to be content in every situation (Phil. 4:11), but it doesn't mean that we deny ourselves of all desires and pharisaically be entirely okay with our singlenss, or our social life or our job situation, etc; it means that we trust God, not allowing bitterness to creep in because we are not getting what we want. He gave us those desires, but more importantly, He wants to make us more like Christ, and as we develop more character and see this life as He sees it, when those longings in our hearts are fulfilled, we are then ready to receive them. As we focus on Him, He may also do something amazing... He may change those desires. Scary? YES!! I believe this is the mystery behind Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart."

So, let's wait with joy and longing grounded with a heart of obedience to God, our Saviour!! His plan is best and His timing is impeccable... even though we may not understand that (I know from personal experience!! :)). We are waiting for a purpose, we just may not see it yet. But hang in there! God wants to work in your life! Step out in faith, be vulnerable with God and others, and allow Him to form your heart as you wait.

~AF

BAR-BA-GANZA! 2008

2008-06-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

My dear friends,

In the summer of 2007 there was a party like no other. A celebration of everything good and decent in America... Often spoken of in whispers and referred to in reverence… such was the importance of the original Bar-Ba-Ganza!

Now, that time of year has rolled around once again. As the sun warms our faces and spirits, even now you can faintly smell the scent of grilling hamburgers and potato salad. The echoes of laughter and the murmur of friends chatting and enjoying fellowship is distant… but it is unmistakably getting closer.

Just as no one can stop the change of seasons, Bar-Ba-Ganza! 2008 will not be resisted. Details are still be fuzzy, but know that it is coming… It… is... coming... (insert slow-building, epic music here). Specifically it is coming on Saturday the 28th of June at 5:30 p.m. at Alex and Jacob's house: 4256 Stoneridge Drive in South East Fort Collins.

If you foolishly missed last year’s event, you can see, in the historical photograph attached below, that the event was…

A) Fun,
B) Well Attended, and
C) Not Overly Diverse.

I can’t tell you much, but I can tell you already that there will once again be…
• food,
• maybe something to drink,
• a grassy backyard with a grill, and
• at least two people there with smiles on their faces.

Please don’t miss out on the chance to be a part of the continuing saga of Bar-Ba-Ganza! RSVP NOW to Jacob (jacobleis@gmail.com) or Alex (alex.florea@comcast.net).

~Alex and Jacob

A lonely night on the Sea of Galilee

2008-05-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Picture this scene...

It was a cool, calm evening only days after Jesus had been crucified. Although the disciples had seen the risen Savior, I imagine their hearts were still uneasy with fear and a sense of loneliness. The Man whom they had so intimately come to know... their Friend, their Provider, their Lord, was going to be with them no longer. As the sun went down over the Sea of Galilee, Simon Peter sat quietly, fighting off tears as his thoughts went back to the moment when he had denied his Savior. If only he had been stronger. If only he could relive those moments. But he knew that Jesus still loved him with a love so deep and profound that it made Peter long even more to see the face of Jesus one last time. A fisherman by trade, Peter decided to get his mind off things. We pick up the story in John chapter 23... "Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We are going with you also.' They went out and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus." (John 21:3,4).

This was a scene similar to three years prior... Peter recalled it in his mind like it was just yesterday. It was an all-night, fishing marathon where their efforts would come up empty. They remembered returning to the shore in the morning where Jesus was waiting for them. He told them to go back out and cast their net on the other side of the boat. Slightly amused by this mysterious Jesus, the men went along with it only to find their nets soon full of fish! It was then, that Jesus of Nazareth called them to no longer be just fishermen, but fishers of men. It was an event that would forever impact their lives as they were called to be His disciples.

John continues the story in verse 5, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Children, have you any food?' They answered Him, 'No.' And He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loves said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord... he plunged into the sea..." (John 21:5-7).

Jesus appeared to them one last time, and in the same way as He had done in the very beginning. All at once He stood there by the shore waiting for them... not in His glory surrounded by the angels He commanded, but by a charcoal fire that His nail pierced hands had made. He met them where they were at. He comforted them. He provided for them. He reminded them that He was the same Person who could miraculously meet their every need.

How often do we loose hope and find ourselves trapped in a sense of loneliness as if Jesus had left us? Do we find ourselves striving in our own efforts only to have our "nets," once again, come up empty? Do we sometimes see His strong hand of provision and strength one day, only to loose sight of Him the next? We can be reminded that our Savior, Jesus Christ, is ready to meet with us, comfort us, and provide for our every need. It is often after the quiet, loneliness of the night when Jesus reveals Himself to us in the morning... not unlike that evening nearly 2000 years ago on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

DODGEBALL: The true 29eleven story

2008-04-05T23:52:00.001-07:00

Our evening of dodgeball turned out to be a great success! Thanks everyone for coming! It was a competitive (but friendly) event full of exciting action of pounding each other with soft, squishy brightly colored balls. After seeing the talent of of our 29elevener's, I really believe we should start our very own professional dodgeball team! Anyway, if you missed it, you missed out on a great night... here are a few pictures:

HAHA!! LOL!! The surprised Mark getting tagged by the "Redheaded Ninja"! Look at those crouching tiger, hidden dragon-like skills!

Courtney's dodgeball talent was every bit as impressive as her fashion statement. In this pic, we see a near miss as she leaps over the red ball as it flies underneath.

Watch out!!

A little jump ball action!

The object of the game is to throw the balls, not hoard them! haha!

The ladies lining up... kind of looks like they're getting ready before the firing squad! But they did actually hold their own with the men (well, almost!! :)).

Check out that form!!

Ready, set... go!! Getting a good jump off the line was key for success. Unfortunately for Kelli, Chris nailed her in her struggle with Craig (maybe there really is something going on with the cool, red headband).

Surrender

2008-04-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

Do we, as believers, often measure our faith by how successful we are? Meaning, do we gauge our faith merely in overcoming temptation, getting in the Word, meeting with our accountability partners, attending the Concert of Prayer service, etc? (the list can go on an on!). But shouldn't the true test of faith not be how "successful" we are, but how surrendered we are? This is a challenging thought!! If we are to be Christians ("Christ-like"), we should be utterly, absolutely, and completely surrendered to God. Jesus was so surrendered to the Father that "He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." As we seek to be more surrendered to the Lord in our lives, we must get past two questions that many have a hard time with: "Is God good?" and "Is God Lord?" If God is so good, than why all the evil and hardship in this life? If He is in control, then why doesn't He do something about it? Until we can come to some resolve with these questions, we will find ourselves at constant battle with the Lord. After all, it is impossible to surrender to a God to whom we're suspicious. In order to mature and be surrendered, we must come to the conclusion that God is good and even though we may not understand it all and why He allows it, He is Lord. Without believing these two truths, intimacy with Him is impossible. If you are struggling in these areas, please find a loving, godly friend who can come alongside and help guide you into the truth of His Word. If this is you, please drop us an email so we can know how to encourage and pray for you.

As single adults, it is easy for us to adopt the false notion that we are in control of our lives. We make our own decisions. We decide how we spend our time. We generally don't have the many responsibilities of being a parent or a loving spouse, etc. To put it simply, we love running our own lives! This certainly gets in the way of how we interact with a God who not only wants our time, but our hearts. Thomas a Kempis said, "the love of thyself doth hurt thee more than anything in the world." Translated in modern English, it basically means, "if you think you are the center of the world, you're setting yourself up for some serious heartbreak!" (my loose translation) Surrender is hard because it means we must be willing to part with anything... and on a regular basis. Anything? Yup! Even the good things that come from God. It is often in the good things that we cling onto so tightly... it can become a trap and a snare that can sometimes take the place of God. For this reason (and it can be a VERY hard lesson!), He sometimes takes away that which He has given. He does not take it away to deprive us forever, but to give it back without the impurity of our sense of ownership. When we become captivated by the gift itself, it is easy to loose sight of the Giver.

In this process of learning how to surrender to the Lord, we will find ourselves being thankful in every situation rather than complaining when things don't go the way we want. Are we truly surrendered if we thank God only for the good times? William Law said, "For to thank God only for such things as you like is no more a proper act of piety than to believe only what you see is an act of faith." True "Christ-likeness" comes when we are thankful no matter the circumstance.

But how do we do this? How do we surrender the things we love the most? How can we be thankful when times are hard? The answer is to allow God to define good and evil in our lives and allow Him to shape us according to His will. At first, this may simply be an act of the will. In time, however, God will change our hearts to where we will want to obey. We must die to our own desires so God can give us new ones. It's not easy, but it is simple! A life of surrender brings a deep, lasting, supernatural peace. Christ says to us, "My peace I give to you, not as the world gives... (John 14:27)." His peace is lasting. His peace is deeper and more satisfying than whatever we are clinging to in this life! "A thousand years from now, I'll have a pretty good understanding of why my life has gone the way it has; for now, I'm content to trust that God knows what He is doing (Gary Thomas)." Let's remember that surrender is the very essence-- and the greatest blessing-- of the Christian life.

~AF

Is Genesis Relevant today?

2008-03-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Does the book of Genesis really matter when it comes to our beliefs? In this video, Ken Ham helps put things into perspective. If you missed it, we will be watching another video next Thursday evening at Alex's house... you don't want to miss it!

Is Genesis Relevant Today?

Striving for Holiness

2008-03-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

At Mountain View, we talk a lot about personal holiness... of becoming men and women who love the Lord and strive to be more like Christ. This is great, but one of the dangers we need to be careful about is that some of the more zealous among us (like me!) tend to overdo it. Here's what I mean-- the desire at times to grow abnormally quick. Wanting to progress to maturity in record timing. This desire is not necessarily bad, we just need to realize that holiness most often is a gentle and consistent progress.

It's easy to get fired-up to holiness when we hear a great sermon from Pastor Jason or Pastor Kevin... just like when we see the dramatic heart-wrenching stories on T.V. that accompany the annual coverage of the renown Ironman Triathlon. It almost makes us want to get out there and compete in our own triathlon (almost). In regards to the Christian life, we must realize that holiness is not something obtained just between Tuesday and Wednesday, but rather it is the fruit of a live lived consistently and thoughtfully over the course of time. Don't get me wrong, it is always good to strive for great things, but at the same time we are far better off in keeping constant and steady vigilance in the small things... rather than trying to prove heroic in the big things. The encouraging fact is that we don't have to accomplish amazing feats in order to be different and set-apart for Christ, we just have to be faithful in the small areas. I know in my own life, I must remember to not "over do it" by striving for instant change. This just leads to ongoing discouragement by my failure to change overnight.

The "heroic plan" of holiness motivates us to try to battle the big foes of the enemy, but can sometimes overlook the more subtle temptations. In his book, Introduction to a Devout Life, de Sales says,

"... Wherefore I say, that being ever ready to fight courageously against great temptations, we must in the meantime diligently defend ourselves against those that seem small and inconsiderable."

We should remember that we have an enemy who is willing to surrender the yards lost during great measures in order to gain miles won when we return to soft living (Gary Thomas). Basically, one day of fasting and prayer cannot overcome six days of Christless living. These truths shouldn't discourage us from trying to pursue Christ and live lives of holiness, it should motivate us to stay consistent in the small areas of our lives. Improving even in just little areas will not only protect us from falling into greater sin, it will give us opportunities for God to use us in amazing ways!

~AF

Can God use singles at Mountain View?

2008-02-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

As singles, is there a place to where God can use us at Mountain View? Are there even opportunities for us to serve? Or are we waiting for something or someone to come along before we can be effective for Him? If you are like me, you’ve also wrestled with some of these questions!

Looking around at Mountain View, it pretty much appears that a person has to be married in order to be used by God. Only the married people are respected. Only married people can be in leadership. Only married people can make an impact. Are these some lies that we, as singles, have believed? Have we been limiting the impact we can make at our own church, because we have somehow believed that we are lesser Christians who don’t have a place to serve? I have been extremely challenged in this area lately, and have come to the conclusion that I am guilty of adopting this dangerous mentality.

It is a lie that has somehow affected our thinking. By merely looking around, we see a church body made up of those who are married, and can sometimes draw the conclusion that a person has to be married before they can make an impact for Christ. From these observations, the tendency is to develop an inward focus that quickly leads itself to mediocrity in our spiritual lives. It’s easy to have the false concept that when we are married, then we can make an impact for the Lord. The question we really should be asking ourselves is, “How am I making a difference now?”

Single men and women throughout the history of the church have had an amazing impact! Corrie ten Boom led an exiting life of adventure as she helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II. C.S. Lewis was unmarried when he wrote Mere Christianity, which has impacted the lives of millions. Also, if it weren’t for a single person (Paul) making an impact in the church, we wouldn’t have half of the New Testament… or for that matter, a Savior! Despite what Dan Brown and others say (those who are overly infatuated with twisting the Scriptures and inventing theories on Leonardo da Vinci’s work), Jesus was single and He certainly had a place in the church. So, marriage certainly isn’t a prerequisite for church involvement!

If we are totally honest with ourselves, have we adopted the thinking that we can’t make a difference? I want to encourage all of us to reach out to the body at Mountain View. To look for ways to serve… this may even mean to start a ministry that is your very own. How has God gifted you? What are you passionate about? I was talking to a college student and a young married just recently, and unfortunately they both felt that the singles at MVCC can sometimes come across as unfriendly and unwelcoming. I know at times, I can be too caught up in myself to where I overlook the opportunity to serve others… or even just to be friendly by saying hi to someone I’ve never met.

The book, Seeking the Face of God, by Gary Thomas, has challenged my thinking regarding service and ministry. He says,

“God must do a work in us before He can work through us… If I am steeped in habitual sin, if I remain a spiritual adolescent, I cannot threaten hell, not while kissing its feet or lusting after its trinkets…

Have we refused to deal with needy issues in our lives, perhaps denying they exist, and therefore blinded ourselves to the needs and hurts of others? Or have we just become lazy, content to coast into heaven rather than be faithful servants?

This goal, to love God so much that we overflow with love for others and consequently see hell break apart at our feet, encourages us to press on to be the type of person God can use consistently and powerfully. The goal is also clearly defined by a central question: Are people around us being changed?”

As singles, let’s step out in faith and see how God can use us! Let’s actively pursue serving others and finding ways to make an impact at our church! As we strive to do this, we will see God working in our lives. He will reveal more of Himself to us and bring a lasting joy and contentment that is only found in submission to Him. We can make an impact! If we will seek to be godly men and women following hard after the Lord, we will not only be used in incredible ways now, we will be much more prepared for the future He has for us… whether we are single or married!

~AF

Mark Driscoll on dating!!

2008-02-22T22:55:00.001-08:00

Notes...

As part of the Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions series, last Sunday, Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church answered the question: “How does a Christian date righteously; and what are the physical, emotional, and mentally connecting boundaries a Christian must set while developing an intimate relationship prior to marriage?”

Here’s a basic outline of the sermon from Pastor Mark:

There are four kinds of relationships–three of which are acceptable for Christians, and one of which is sinful (option #3).

#1 - Prearranged Marriage

#2 - Courtship

#3 – Non Christian Dating

#4 - Christian Dating

I also gave some practical advice for single men and single women alike, and advice for men and women specifically:

Christian Dating Principles for Both Men and Women

Maximize your singleness for God.
Do not pursue a relationship until you are ready to marry.
Be reasonable – do not set your expectations too high or too low.
A date is not dating: date = time together; dating = couple (1 Tim. 5:1-2).
Never go on a date or date a non-Christian (2 Cor. 6:14).
Only date one person at a time.
He initiates; she responds.
Look at who God puts in front of you (e.g. Boaz & Ruth).
Feel free to use technology (e.g. internet dating) wisely.
Only invest in a relationship with someone who you are attracted to entirely (e.g. physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, ministry gifts).
Only date someone who agrees with you on gender and family.
Guard your heart (Prov. 4:23).

Christian Dating Questions for Men

Are you overlooking good women (e.g. single moms, shy, divorcees)?
Are you honoring, God, her, her family, her friends, etc.?
Is she modest (1 Tim. 2:9)?
Will she follow your leadership?
Does she have noble character (Prov. 31)?
Can you provide for the lifestyle she expects (1 Tim. 5:8)?
Is she like the worst women in Proverbs (e.g. nag, loud, quarreling, unfaithful)?
Do you want your daughters to be like her and your sons to marry someone like her?

Christian Dating Questions for Women

Do you want to help him and join his course of life (Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 11:9)?
Is he tough enough to remain strong in tough times (2 Tim. 2:3)?
Will he take responsibility for you and your children (1 Cor. 11:3)?
Is he considerate and gentle with you (1 Peter 3:7)?
Will he be a good father (Ps. 127:3-5; Eph. 6:4)?
Is he a one woman man (1 Tim. 3:2)?
How valuable are you to him?
Do you want your sons to be like him and your daughters to marry someone like him?

New Bible Study starting soon!

2008-02-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

This will be a GREAT study... our kick-off date is scheduled for Thursday, March 13th, at Alex's house (Map). If you are interested, please let me know and I will put you on the email list and make sure you get the meeting dates.

Here are the topics we will study...

• Is Genesis relevant today?
• Did God create in six literal days—
does it even matter?
• Why is there death and suffering?
• Is there really a God?
• Do the animals “evolve”?
• Where do the “races” come from?
• What is the only answer to racism?
• Dinosaurs—in the Bible?
• How can we raise godly children?
• Fossils and the Flood—what’s the
connection?
• How can we evangelize a secular
world?

This dynamic and challenging 12-part DVD series upholds the authority of the Bible from its very first verse. Powerful, foundational teaching that equips Christians to defend their faith against the onslaughts of evolutionary humanism!

Featuring Ken Ham, internationally known speaker and leading apologetics author on the accuracy and authority of the Scriptures, this fast-paced and sometimes humorous series provides solid answers to the most-asked questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis. You’ll think more biblically in all areas of life after viewing this Bible-honoring series. These well-illustrated presentations will teach you how to reconnect the Bible to the real world!

Night of Worship

2008-02-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

If you didn't make it, you missed out on a great night of worship as we praised the Lord through song, prayer, and communion! It was also a blessing to have many of the young married couples join us. There will be more N.O.W. events to come!