UW-Whitewater Campus Ministry

Spring Break Continued

2011-04-20T16:50:00.002-05:00

Spring Break Mission Trip 2011

2011-04-20T16:45:00.003-05:00

This years Spring Break Mission Trip to Texas was a blast! Participants got to stay at a beach house in Surfside Beach, TX, volunteer at a homeless shelter in Huston, work at the Huston Zoo, paint fire hydrants for the local Fire Department, paint ticket booths on the beach, help a paralyzed man with house.yard work, and fix up a house that was damaged in hurricane Ike. Check out a few pics below.

Direction by Dan Miller

2011-04-20T16:43:00.000-05:00

Below is a blog post recently written by my friend Justin Rabbach. He and I have grown closer through our shared experiences throughout the past two years. To give you an idea of where he’s coming from, Justin travels a lot for our church. Since he graduated from UW-Madison last year, the amount of travel itineraries he has printed is mind-boggling. I don’t even think I could list all the places he’s flown or driven to in that span. So naturally the topic of “direction” has been on his mind ever since God first started him on this crazy path just a few years ago.

After reading this on a blog, I felt it was a message that was applicable to all people, especially to college students. I know I struggle with this all the time, but hearing Bible verses like Psalms 32:8 and John 16:13 really inspires me to hold on to whatever God has put on my heart and know that whatever he sends me out to do is something that He knows I can accomplish. I hope you can find meaning in Justin’s words as much as I did and I pray and hope that all of you reading this can ask for and possess the courage and strength to act on whatever God has placed on your heart.

I own a GPS for my car, and it has come in very handy. It has taken me to places near my apartment in Madison that I probably could have found without it, but it has also taken me places I would surely have never found in the Great States of Florida and North Carolina.

I have become so used to having this technology, and knowing the directions (and the time of arrival down to a minute!) that I almost become nervous or anxious when I head out without a clear picture of where I'm going and how I will get there.

In our faith, I think it is this exact nervousness or anxiousness that God is asking us to overcome through trust in him. I mean, in order for it to be faith, we cannot know the means and the destination at outset. If that was the case, it would be extremely easy to follow God's plan for our lives. So easy, that we wouldn't need God at all!

Think about how God has called you. Is it with an email that has the full itinerary and directions of the who / what / when / where why?

For me, this has not been the case. I often feel a little pull, a little push to get up and get moving in some direction. Some faint idea that I need to act, and then a small, but building sense of peace that I am doing what is right, and what God wants me to do.

It is usually after the fact that I am able to see the powerful way in which God has worked.

God promises to be our "tour guide"

Psalm 32: 8

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."

John 16:13

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

Will you truly let God be your guide? Will you hit the road without know exactly where you are going and how you will get there?

Questions to think about:

1. What is a time where God has led you without giving you the full picture?

2. Was it hard to do this?

3. Have you ever said no to God because you were nervous about the direction in might take you?

I know that some of my best experiences have been ones that are unplanned. If I only went by the GPS, I would plug in that I want Taco Bell, and I would get the Steak Supreme Chalupa with no tomatoes. If I go off the map and just experience what is around me, I end up "accidentally" at Joe's Crab shack on Daytona Beach with shrimp and crab cakes, and a man who is successfully evangelizing to our waitress (True Story).

Maybe the best time to ask these "5 W's" (What happened? Who was there? Why did it happen? When did it happen? Where did it happen?) is after we have experienced God. I bet the answers to those questions will no longer fill you with nerves, but with excitement over what you just experienced.

God is Good! Trust Him! Let Him be good to you!

We are the Salt by Blake Scharine

2011-04-20T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hi folks, It usually takes me a while to get to the point and this bible study will be no exception.

You know we all fall short when stacked up against God’s perfection and so many of us have vices. A vice is just another word for sin and I’m a sinner, just like you and everyone else.

The two most commonly recognized or talked about vices are drinking and smoking. I can happily say I do neither, but I do enjoy eating. Yes, eating can be a vice without question, unhealthy eating specifically. I know folks that eat more when they get nervous, depressed or even bored.

For me, it’s enjoying each and every bite. The flavor of my food is really important, I’ll savor the meal even to a fault. Consequently, I’m usually the last to finish his meal as well.

Even when I was a kid I ate very slowly, although that was because I was always trying to find good spots to tuck away the foods I disliked. We had a dining room table w/little wooden pockets hidden underneath that worked great for that. But, no surprise, I digress…

Our e-Bible study continues w/ Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

This passage is a powerful statement coming directly from Jesus. We are more than frosting on the cake, a bow on the present, lipstick on a pig (ok that was dumb). We are the salt of the earth!

Salt has so many incredible abilities. Salt has the ability to bring out the best flavor of so many foods, it can be used in large quantities to best preserve perishables. In water it creates the best conductivity of electricity. It’s one of the best things to melt the hard glare surface of ice.

Remember the old BASF commercial, “we don’t make a lot of the products you buy, we make a lot of the products you buy better” God has given us this planet to live out our lives and with His grace and strength we can make our days and others the best. Like heaven on earth.

We the “Salt” have been sent out to bring the good news of God’s forgiveness and promise of eternal life to all the world. So will you put your best efforts, your best priority… really, are you prepared to give your very best to honor what God has bestowed to us?

Questions..

Can you be too “Salty” with God’s message when you approach others?
How can you make God’s promise better? Can that even be done?

Challenge…

Take this next week to begin making God’s grace palatable to each person you come in contact with individually. That means get to know the person you’re sharing with, find out where they are at in their faith walk and be just enough salt while sharing God’s message, that it tastes so good to them, that they want more and more.

Remember, too much salt with drive them away with a bad taste and not enough does them a disservice and doesn’t honor God.

Stay “Salty”

God’s Strength, Blake

We Are the Body by Ceci Sobolewski

2011-04-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

I Corinthians 12:27 reads: Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Each scripture I relate to, will be from the NIV

Chapter 12 deals with spiritual gifts, and how we as believers have all been given at least one of them. This is how we are each a part of the body of Christ, each having at least one of these different gifts being brought together into one cohesive body; the body of Christ. It also says in verse 7, how to each one of us, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good of all believers concerning these parts. There is to be no jealousy, or those thinking their part is more important than someone else's part in the body.

In the notes from my New International Version Bible, it states how it seems in the Corinthian church, there were those who thought certain gifts were more spectacular than others, which made those who did not have these spectacular gifts feel inferior. Paul is relating how every gift we are given, makes us all part of the body of Christ, forming one body. We are not to be disjointed from each other by becoming many cut off, seperate pieces, which happens as the result of our unloving hearts for each and every part of the body.

We are all part of the body of Christ linked together, each having our different parts, yet linked fully together. One might be a mouth (evangislist or pastor Eph 4:11) one might be the hand (ability to help I Cor. 12:28) and so on. If the mouth or hand is apart from the body, or cut off (by our own pulling away from the body, or someone else cutting us off) nothing would work very well, and these cut off parts, would most certainly die off, as to being a part of the body of Christ anymore.

We were meant to be together, live together, and work together as a unit, with our different parts in perfect harmony. In verses 12-31 in I Corinthians it talks again of us being this one body, with many parts. It ends with stating the word "Love" and how Paul will show us the most excellent way, as he leads us into chapter 13. Chapter 13 then tells us then of this most excellent way of having, and acting out in "Love" beyond the gifts given us by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible also tells us that "God is Love" in I John 4:16. In this verse, it goes on to say "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Glatians 5:22 is love. It is most important then, that we all should be displaying love, along with these Holy Spirit given gifts in the body of Christ. Love is so important that to be without it, we are only as a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal and gain nothing (I Corinthians 13:1-3) even with these spiritual gifts.

If we are moving together smoothly in love, as the body of Christ, the world will see we are Christ's disciples, and we will ultimately be the light to the world as He wants and desires us to be. Jesus tells us to be in this way, as He stated in John 13: 34-35 : "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So it seems, by this passage, and the I Crointhians 12:27 passage, to be of real use for our own common good, and a witness to the world around us of Christ, we must come together in our Holy Spirit given gifts, with love being the means to join us together, and keep us together.

Questions:

Do you know what spiritual gift or gifts you might have, to be of use for the common good of all?

If you do know, are you using this spiritual gift "in love", for the betterment of all, to display Christ to the world?

If part of the body is suffering, do you suffer with it. And if part is honored, do you rejoice with it?

Did you know that the bulk of these gifts are listed in the following seven passages:
Romans 12:6-8
I Corinthinas 12:8-10
I Corinthians 12:28
I Corinthinas 13:1-3
I Corinthainas 14:26
Ephesians 4:11
I Peter 4:11

Jesus the True Vine. By Kathy Findlay

2011-03-01T13:27:00.000-06:00

Jesus The True Vine by Kathy Findlay

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser... I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:1, 5

Jesus was talking to his dear friends one last time in the Upper Room on the night we call Maundy Thursday. He knew he needed to encourage and strengthen his disciples for what was to be his last hours on earth. The shattering events of Good Friday were only hours away.

Jesus spoke of himself as the true grapevine and his Father as the gardener. The disciples were very familiar with how grapevines grew and how they are cared for. They saw the vineyards on the southern exposures of gentle sloping hillsides in Israel. The ground is a sandy or gravelly loam soil suited for grapes. Being close to the Mediterranean Sea, the climate is temperate and rainfall is sufficient for an abundant harvest of grapes.

How is it that Jesus uses this comparison of Himself to a grapevine? Grape plants are staked to a vertical pole with a horizontal wire running between the posts at about six feet off the ground. The plant is pruned so that there are two main branches that are wrapped around the wire going in opposite directions and are secured with ties to the wire. From these main branches all other fruit bearing branches come forth. Was Jesus trying to show his disciples what was going to happen to him? Is he showing us how important it is to stay in close companionship to Him?

Jesus was put on a cross with his arms stretched open wide. He was and is reaching out to us to come to Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. Just as the main grapevine brings nourishment to the branches, Jesus is our life-blood, nourishing our bodies and our spirits.

If we as followers of Jesus Christ are to be the branches, what kind of fruit are we to bear? We can see part of the answer to that question in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" By remaining in a close relationship to Jesus through prayer, reading God's word, and meeting with other believers, we can grow and become Christ-like.

Our Father God is the vinedresser as stated by Jesus in John 15:1. As the good gardener that He is, He faithfully tends the vines, or us. Sometimes pruning is necessary. According to the Better Homes and Gardens Garden Book these are some reasons for pruning: to remove diseased, dead or broken branches; to renew old plants; to shape for a special purpose; to eliminate suckers and wild growth; to hold plant within bounds; to insure production of larger flowers or fruits. Pruning may seem harsh to a plant, but if done well and at the right time, the plant flourishes and becomes stronger for it.

Is there something God is asking you to cut out of your life?

How is He shaping you to be Christ-like?

What fruit of the Spirit are you producing that others can see?

As long as we each live on this earth God is moving in our lives, shaping us to be more like Jesus. The way may not always be clear or easy, but we are given a promise that we will grow and bear much fruit. "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-5

Who Am I? By Anne Gibson

2011-03-01T13:24:00.001-06:00

“Hey! Did you know God wants us to be living dead things?” my friend announced one day several years ago. I looked at her like she was crazy. “How can you be living if you are dead?” I asked. “It’s possible! We are!” she answered. “Look up 1 Peter 2:5!”

I was intrigued, so I wrote down the verse, and later on, opened my Bible to 1 Peter 2:4-5. It read: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering special sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Living dead things…Living stones? Yes, that must have been what she meant. But I was neither a stone nor a “dead thing”. What did she mean?

We talked about it later on, and the things I learned from her and since that time have made this picture of who I am in Christ a key one for me. Maybe it will be for you, too! J

To understand 1 Peter, we need to step back a few hundred years to the Old Testament. The center of Jewish worship was the Temple, a huge stone structure. It was the Temple that housed the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of the Lord God. It was, therefore, the most holy place in the entire Temple. Only the High Priest, a man from the tribe of Levi, could come before the Lord at the Ark of the Covenant, and only one time a year at that: On the Feast of the Atonement, to sacrifice and sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat (the top of the Ark) to atone for the sins of the people (Exodus 37:6-9). The Temple was completed by Solomon in Jerusalem in 960 BC, destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, re-built in 516 BC, and then destroyed again by the Romans in 70 AD. When the temple was destroyed the last time, it sent the Jews into a time of mourning and sadness that continues to this day.

When Jesus came, however, he gave new meanings to the temple, the high priest, and God’s dwelling place. It is in light of this fact that Peter writes about the chosen and precious living Stone, living stones, and later on in verse 6, the chosen and precious Cornerstone. Instead of a physical building, believers are the spiritual house where God dwells (see also 1 Corinthians 6:19), and believers are also a part of the spiritual temple that God is building with all His children. God’s holy presence is among us; not in an ark or a building (Exodus 40:34-38). There are no more sacrifices needed for sin, as Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. There are no more high priests; Jesus is the high priest (Hebrews 4:14), and as believers in Jesus we are a part of the royal priesthood!

It’s in combining the old understanding of the temple structure and the new understanding of the temple meaning that we need to look at 1 Peter 2:5 and the surrounding verses (4, 6-7). Peter uses structural elements to explain Jesus’ character to us: A cornerstone, and the stones that lay on top of it, forming the structure.

Cornerstones weren’t just pieces of ancient structures. They are important in buildings today, as well! In fact, you’ve most likely seen one on campus, at a church, business, or a historical site. In many cases, you’d have no idea which stone was the cornerstone—Others are more noticeable, and although blend in with the structure, have symbolic engraving on them with the year the construction started. It’s appropriate to bring attention to this chunk of stone, for the cornerstone sets the positioning, design, structure, and is the chief foundation for the building; in every structure, it is laid down intentionally and precisely.

Like a cornerstone, Jesus came to earth in the most insignificant way possible—as a tiny baby, born in a feed trough, amongst the animals. He was rejected by the very people he came to save, dying a humiliating death on the cross. Yet there’s a ton of significance in who Jesus was and what he did! Jesus is the living stone that was chosen by and precious to God! Like a cornerstone, Jesus is the chief foundation and structure for our faith!

In keeping with the building analogy, the stones that are directed and shaped by that cornerstone are believers in Jesus—you and me. By following Jesus, we are able to be built into the design and placed in the position God intended His children to be in.

There is a key piece to this, though: The “living dead thing” part. As people, we are physically alive and free to move wherever we want to. But as believers, we are physically alive and free to remain rooted and grounded in Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:17). We offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord (Romans 12:1). What happens to a sacrifice, though? It dies. (Think “dead things.”) If we are alive, both in Christ and physically, what dies? Our own sinful desires. We are fully alive as a part of Christ’s temple, but dead to our own sinful desires and to those things that would knock us off the precious Cornerstone of Jesus. (Romans 6:11).

This is great news! It’s a key piece to who we are in Christ! We can see through this analogy that we do not have to have it all figured out—Instead, we can look to the Lord for direction. We do not have to have the strength to face everything we’ll have to in life on our own—Instead, we can rest on the Lord’s strength and security. We can be happy about being a “living dead thing”—And just as excited as my friend was that one day a few years ago as she shared with me her revelation!

What does being a “living stone” look like in your life? Are you living for Jesus and dying to your will? Are you slanted too much in one direction or the other? (living fully but not submitted to Jesus—or not living fully enough in the ways God has called you to?)

What are some things that could be changed? (If you can’t think of any, take some time now and pray about it. Pray that your life would be more like the living stone, carefully placed on the precious Cornerstone of Christ.)

There’s a song that really has spoken to me about submitting to Christ, and being a “living stone”. It’s called “At Your Feet” by Casting Crowns. Check it out on YouTube or online if you get a chance. It talks about laying it all at Jesus’ feet, our dreams, wanderings, mistakes, and dwelling at His feet. When we are living stones, resting on the Cornerstone of Christ, we are doing just that.

At Your Feet by Casting Crowns

Here at Your feet, I lay my past down
My wanderings, all my mistakes down
And I am free

Here at Your feet, I lay this day down
Not in my strength, but in Yours I’ve found
All I need, You’re all I need

Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
Oh, to dwell and never leave
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet
There is nowhere else for me
There is nowhere else for me

Here at Your feet, I lay my future down
All of my dreams, I give to You now
And I find peace, I find peace
Here at Your feet, I lay my life down
For You my King, You’re all I want now
And my soul sings…

‘Cause I am free (here at Your feet)
All I need (is at Your feet)
I find peace
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet

And I am free (here at Your feet)
All I need (is at Your feet)
I find peace
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet
We’re at Your feet

Here at Your feet
I lay my life down

Who Am I? I am only a vistor of this world in which I temporarily live. By Chuck Taylor

2011-03-01T13:22:00.001-06:00

Who Am I?

I am only a visitor of this world in which I temporarily live

By: Chuck Taylor

1 Peter 2:11 (New International Version, ©2010)

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:9-12 (The Message)

^9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

^11-12Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

When I was a senior in high school, a foreign exchange student lived in our home for the entire year, and our families became close. Several years later, when my wife and parents and I traveled to Chile for his wedding, my Chilean brother gave us a crash course in some of the cultural differences that we would encounter. We did our best to adjust our habits so that we would “fit in” and not embarrass our hosts, but clearly we never stopped being Americans. Had we stayed for more than a couple of weeks, however, I expect that we would have begun to adopt some of Chile’s cultural norms – both good and bad. (“On time” for a party means something like an hour after the time on the invitation!)

As Christians, we find ourselves in a somewhat similar situation. We believe that we are truly “just visitors” here, and that this world is not our final home. In this passage from 1^st Peter, we’re urged to live exemplary lives here on earth, adopting the good cultural habits of the world so that as Christ’s people, we’re not easily dismissed with, “Oh, they’re just a bunch of Christians!”

But we’re also reminded to never forget who (and whose!) we really are. If we allow ourselves to become too comfortable in this foreign land, it’s easy to also adopt some of the world’s manybad cultural habits. When that happens, when we give in to the sinful desires of greed, jealousy, lust or anger, we move our lives away from Christ and away from the eternal home that he has promised to us.

The Bible is full of stories about God’s people in foreign lands trying, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing, to keep their faith. They were slaves in Egypt, wandered in the desert, and were exiles in Babylon. Often they strayed far from their relationship with God as they embraced customs in the lands where they lived – even going so far as to worship Baal or other gods. Each time, however, something reminded them of their true home, their place with God, and they returned to Him.

That, then, is our challenge: to live exemplary lives here on earth so that our words and our deeds honor Him and turn others toward Him. At the same time, we’re not to get too comfortable. We need to be always mindful that this is not yet His world; it is still a “foreign land” full of hate, anger, prejudice, temptation and sin. When it becomes a choice between “fitting in” and being true to our faith, as Christians we are always called to Christ – and toward our eternal home with Him.

Questions for reflection:

In what ways do I stand out from the culture around me that honors Christ?
What do I need to do differently to better live an exemplary life while here on earth?
How have I honored God with my words this week? How have I honored Him with my deeds?

On Fire through Faith by Ben Prather

2011-03-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

On Fire through Faith

I want to talk about faith with you, I have an idea that I think will help you approach it and gather a better understanding of what it is, what it isn't, and what it leads to.

From the Austrian Alps to America's Grand Canyon there is a new demand from sightseers to see these historic places of wonder from a unique viewpoint. They are called "sky walks" and essentially they are large glass extension that allows the viewing public to see their particular monument from a new perspective. Rather than look from the Sears Tower at the surrounding skyline of Chicago, the viewing public can now get an appreciation for their immediate surroundings by being able to look down. For instance, the sky walk in Arizona extends a glass walkway immediately over the edge of the Grand Canyon, allowing visitors to feel the depth of the canyon floor while suspended mid air into the sky.

I had the opportunity to experience one of these engineering masterpieces while in the CN Tower in Toronto (think Space Needle). While strolling around in the top floor of the tower I noticed a crowd gathering around one section of the floor. People were taking turns trying out this mind boggling creation. As I approached this glass floor my entire body was filled with an uncomfortable feeling of fear, I became hesitant to even take one step out on the glass. In essence, it was going to take faith to walk across that glass floor! It was from this experience that I have a better appreciation of faith.

Faith & Comfort

You may hear many people describing their faith as a great comfort to them and I am sure it is but before we come to faith in anything we begin in discomfort. It was true on the sky walk and it is true in our spiritual life. When we honestly reflect on God, who He is and who we are in relation to Him we ought to be uncomfortable. Much like standing on that sky walk, the realization of being suspended thousands of feet in the air with only a layer of glass between you and gravity is a frightening thing- before we come to faith in Christ as our savior we must realize that we are at odds with a perfect, and holy God who will and must destroy evil. God cannot ignore or condone sin because his nature is morally perfect. This is an uncomfortable place to be, if you honestly look at your life you will see how much you have chosen not submit yourself to this perfect being in order to believe anything that suits your own self-centered life-style. Before we gain the comforts of faith we must first address the problem or discomfort of our situation.

-how have you complained against your creator
-how much you have distrusted where he has placed you
-how much faith are willing to put into God's hands to guide you life?

STOP (and think)

Knowing vs Believing

You see, I knew that the sky walk was safe; I had just watched a whole crowd of people walk across it, lay on it, take funny pictures of themselves over it and yet I was still hesitant. Why? The reason is because there is a difference between knowing the truth and believing in the truth.

All throughout Jesus' ministry people had the opportunity to see miracles and yet they still could not put their faith in Him. They still were not willing to allow Him to guide their life. You can know all there is to know about Jesus and the Bible but that does not translate into saving faith, I imagine the devil knows more Bible verses than any of us! So knowledge does not save, it helps to understand but it does not equate into walking out on that glass floor and believing you are saved.

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes... This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." Romans 1: 16-17

Paul tells us that only faith can save us, the Good News shows us both how righteous God is in His plan for us to be saved and also how we may be made fit for eternal life. By trusting Christ, our relationship with God is made right. "from start to finish," God declares us to be right with Him because of faith and faith alone. As we trust God, we are saved; we find life both now and forever.

DROP (on your knees)

Faith leads to...

"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesnt show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless... Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?" James 2: 17,19-20

If you say, "I believe in God, I know there is our savior therefore I am saved" I must caution you, you are moving too quickly. Let us start with faith, it is not one more thing we ought to do - if it were, then, again, we are only saving ourselves. Faith is a gift God gives us because HE is saving us; it is God's grace, not our faith, that saves us. In his mercy, he saves us, he tells us we can have a relationship with his Son and even more astounding is that He helps us become like him... Holy.

Once we have an appreciation for what God has done for us but giving us a savior we are more motivated to live for Him. When you appreciate all that Jesus has done for you and is continually doing for you each day God's commandments will change from Him telling us "you must do this" to "I promise you, you will do this." That is what faith is all about, it is a force that changes us into His likeness. Not in a methodical way of, "I'm going to keep the rules" but in a loving way that says "I want to honor this awesome God who loves me so much." Think about it this way, we don't keep God's laws to be saved; rather we do all these things because we're saved.

ROLL (get rolling already!)

The Past is the Past by Jeremy Singer

2011-03-01T13:16:00.003-06:00

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 3:12-14

This was part of the letter that Paul wrote while he was in jail. What God is trying to tell us through Paul is that we as humans will make mistakes. When these mistakes happen we tend to think God will no longer have us and we stray away from Him. However, God wants us to know that we should put all of our wrongdoings in the past and renew our lives in Christ.

Going into high school my faith wasn’t very strong and I did many showed it. However, after I went on my first mission trip I came back changed and wanting to live a life for Christ. One thing I was worried about though was the fact that I did so many bad things before and I was afraid I blew my chance at being a Christian. I talked to my youth pastor about his and he shared this verse with me. It comforted me to know that what I’ve done I’m not supposed to worry about anymore and I should focus on what is ahead.

Our New Name

2011-02-15T09:27:00.003-06:00

Devotional: By Zach Chudy

1 John 4:15 (if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.)

What a thought, an incredible truth and victory we have in Him. Yet it is so easily forgotten, the second we fail, feel left out, or hear something about ourselves that we don’t like. The list of things that throws us off from the truth goes on and on, it can be the simplest thing, even just not feeling like the Lord is with you can send you into a whole whirlwind of lies and doubts.
Just yesterday I was playing basketball with some of my friends and someone made a comment saying I shoot too much (he was joking) but I still let it sink in and thought “he’s right maybe I really am selfish I do feel like that sometimes” and it affected me. Then later on I was making dinner and my roommate said to me “you don’t eat healthy at all”. Again something really simple that really wasn’t that big of a deal but because my focus was on how I felt at that time instead of the truth it sent me into a spiral of lies: I am a bad friend, I don’t eat right, I don’t take care of myself, something is wrong with me and I just can’t fix it. Now, I know this sounds like a big stretch and really dumb now that I see it in writing, but it was really quite convincing at the time.

The point I am trying to make is this: God made you in his image, we are a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are no longer useless, lonely, afraid, unworthy, unrighteous, or a failure. Our new name is holy, accepted, worthy, righteous, forgiven, and valued. So whatever it is that tries to convince you otherwise is a lie, no matter how good it sounds or feels it is not true, stand firm and declare who you are and who lives inside of you weather or not you feel like it at that time……because it is the truth!

Jehovah Nissi

2011-01-27T08:37:00.000-06:00

Exodus 17:8-15

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner

Jehovah Nissi means “The Lord is My Banner”. Exodus 17:8-15 is the story of God destroying the Amalekites and as Joshua fought them, Moses lifted up his staff, and as long as his arms were raised the Israelites were winning and if his arms lowered they would start losing. God fought for the Israelites and defeated the Amalekites as He promised to do.
A banner, or flag, or standard was used to identify the army and family you fought for and represented. Each tribe had their own banner so you would be identified as being from a tribe if you fought under the family banner. The banners or flags would also represent the values of the nation you were fighting for. It would be like here in the US. Our flag represents our values; the values established at the writing of the constitution, perhaps not the values we exhibit as a nation today. The flag also represents protections that we have “under the constitution”, or “under the flag”.
So, banners were very important in biblical times and they would go out first in a battle to inspire and rally the soldiers. Scripture says the Lord is our banner. Moses built an altar to commemorate the victory and named it Jehovah Nissi. Jesus is our banner. We identify who we are in Him. We are part of God’s family because of Jesus Christ. He also fights our battles for us, just like He did for the Israelites. Our victory is already won. We are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom 8:37). What are the battles you are facing today? You don’t have to face them alone. You have the power and authority of Jesus Christ to overcome. We are now overcomers because of Jesus.
Spend some time this week worshipping and reflecting on Jehovah NIssi. Worship Him and thank Him for being our banner. Song of Solomon 2:4 says, “His banner over me is love.” Ask God to reveal Himself to you as Jehovah Nissi.

Forgiven Sin by Alyssa Bocanegra

2011-01-27T08:35:00.000-06:00

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Philippians 2:13

When I was about 8 years old I was walking home with my older sister, when I realized I had lost the house key, and my mom wasn't home. When we got there, I was in a panic. We searched the garage to find something we could stand on to break into one of the windows. We found my mom's shop vac vacuum cleaner. It was the middle of winter, but we managed to drag it out and stand on top of it and break in. Success! We got in. But in the midst of the excitement we forgot the shop vac outside. The next day there was a snow storm and the vacuum was destroyed. The neighbor had seen the whole thing and ratted us out.
Now if we just would of called my mom and confessed to losing the keys, she would of helped us- no harm done. But instead we wanted to fix the problem, before we faced our mom. I think many times when we go to God we have that same attitude. We want to try to “fix” our sin and then go to God for forgiveness. We want to be sanctified (be made holy) before we are justified (forgiven). I once heard someone say, “The only sins we can have any headway in overcoming are forgiven sins.” It is God who works in us to forgive and help us overcome our sins.

Loss by Katelyn DeVoe

2010-12-02T14:29:00.001-06:00

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die.....Ecclesiastes 3

There comes time in everyone's life when they experience a significant loss of a friend or family member. I myself lost my grandfather last week. For a moment in time I lost my hope in God and his greater plans. I was overwhelmed with sadness and a deep sense of emptiness. When I stopped to think about the meaning of life and the new beginning we receive after our death here on earth I found this scripture that reassured me that death is indeed a part of life. At my grandpa's funeral the pastor talked about the differences between human death and the way God perceives death. God doesn't want us to feel as though this is an ending; he wants us to embrace a joyous homecoming. My grandpa had given his life to God a long time ago and I know now that someday I will meet me grandpa again in heaven. When you experience a loss remember God allows us a chance to weep for those we have lost but wants us to ultimately find comfort and joy in the homecoming of all his children

Overflow by Dan Miller

2010-12-02T14:26:00.001-06:00

This devotional is taken from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers from October 19th. Found at http://utmost.org/. At the bottom is my interpretation of this devotion. I have highlighted important parts that I took away from this devotional. My interpretation is at the bottom. I encourage you to pick out your own message from this and let God speak to you as you read this.

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world - John 18:36

"The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation . . . . For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). It is a hidden, obscure thing. An active Christian worker too often lives to be seen by others, while it is the innermost, personal area that reveals the power of a person’s life.
We must get rid of the plague of the spirit of this religious age in which we live. In our Lord’s life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today, and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others.
It is not the practical activities that are the strength of this Bible Training College— its entire strength lies in the fact that here you are immersed in the truths of God to soak in them before Him. You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in overactivity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God’s redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
_________________________________________________

My interpretation of this is not meant to scare you away from service, but to refocus your purpose of service. The service you are involved in should not be simply to show others you are a Christian. I am too often guilty of this without even knowing it. (If you truly live a Christian life like Jesus, then people will notice without effort from you). The service should be an extra thing. The service should come because you love God so much that you can't contain it yourself. That it overflows to others. I have spent a lot of time lately figuring out the purpose of my service. If it's truly something I am doing out of the relationship I have with God, then there is no question I will engage in that action. But if the purpose is to impress other people and prove my worth to them, I must learn to say no to those things and focus on my relationship with God.

In Quietness and Confidence by Ben Prather

2010-12-02T14:12:00.002-06:00

Isaiah 30:15The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”

One distinct memory I have as a child is my first crime. When I was 5 years old I stole a Micro-machine race car model from Walgreens. I remember I was so happy that I could walk out of the store with that prized possession, so happy in fact I felt I needed to tell my mother about it! When she realized what I had done she told me I needed to apologize and return the toy. I felt I needed to explain the situation, that if she only understood how much I wanted this one and that the store had millions of toy cars so they couldn’t miss having this one. To no avail I walked slowly into the Walgreens, warm tears rushing down my face and placed the toy car on the check out counter.I think this example might illustrate our relationship with God. Instead of relying on our faith in God we choose to take care of the situation ourselves (as if we knew what is best for us).
Isaiah 30:15The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, “Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.”

In this passage, God warned Judah that turning to Egypt and other nations for military might could not save them. Only God could do that. They must wait for him in “quietness and confidence.” No amount of fast talking or hasty activity could speed up God’s grand design. We have nothing to say to God but thank you. Salvation comes from God alone. Because he has saved us, we can trust him and be peacefully confident that he will give us strength to face our difficulties. We should lay aside our well-laid plans and allow him to act. When was the last time you returned to God and patiently waited for His direction? How has your faith been your confidence through trials?

Truth by Zach Chudy

2010-11-03T11:44:00.001-05:00

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
This past semester I spent in chiropractic college was the hardest schooling I have ever done. 7am to 5pm followed by studying. It was really difficult but I was making it through. The last month and a half though I woke every morning and heard the same lies over and over again. That I was not good enough to make it through, I didn’t have the energy, I wasn’t as smart as the other students, I am not friendly enough to be succeed, I’m too shy, I just get walked all over, why even go to school you are a failure.
So I got up each morning heard these lies and many others and they were very convincing, but I got down on my knees and said “Lord I don’t think I can even deny that what is being said is true, but I believe what you say about me is true in spite of how things look, feel, or seem, I choose you and I choose life today. The lies kept coming and every time I went to Lord and declared what he said about I believed even though it didn’t seem to fit at all.
Ultimately, greater is He who is in me then he who is in the world, and in Christ I overcame the lies. It was anything super exciting or some big change but it was enough for each day knowing who I am in my savior and overcoming. And at the end of the semester I ended up getting the first 4.0 ever in my life. So yeah I can say that what the enemy says to me is definitely a lie and Christ over came it just as his word says.

Courage by Jeremy Singer

2010-10-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1: 7-9
What is God trying to tell you?
In this passage God is telling us several things. He starts with emphasizing the importance of following his rules and studying The Bible. Then he goes on to say that if we do this we will have nothing to fear because he will always be with us.
Going into my first year of college this fall I was very afraid that I might stray away from God and struggle with my faith. There are a lot of temptations and it’s all too easy follow the crowd and slip away from Him. After bringing this up at my church one of my friends told me about this verse and it really helped realize everything was going to be ok.
Throughout our lives we all encounter times where we get overwhelmed and feel like we won’t be able to do something. The key to this is realizing God is all powerful and there is nothing that he can’t do. If we just follow his word he will always be with us and helping us every step of the way.

Who can Bear a Crushed Spirit? by Joe Bailey

2010-10-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

Proverbs 15:30 – A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.
I recently received an e-mail from the university which said, “According to the 2010 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, 26.6 percent of UW-Whitewater students reported feeling so depressed they couldn’t function.” Reading this, I was completely caught off guard by that very high number. As Proverbs 17:22 says – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” and Proverbs 18:14 says “The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit?”
We ALL struggle from stress at times, but often we can be blinded to how evident these problems are in other’s lives and even our own. The people of Whitewater desperately need God’s peace, rest, and joy. I believe we have all felt the way David does in Psalm 142:1-7,
“I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me for you are good to me.”
As Christians we ought to take this attitude David had, and turn these distraught people to God for their rescue. We are definitely called to love, but how much greater is the love of Jesus Christ?
Hebrews 4:16 – So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Abide in Me by Owen Cooper

2010-10-13T12:40:00.001-05:00

We have a huge sunflower in our garden right now. I enjoy watching the flower follow the path of the sun throughout the day. This week, Joseph and I were out looking at the giant leaves of the sunflower. They all looked very green and healthy. I broke one leaf off and we took it inside to see what it would look like. After a few days, it was dry and yellow and wilted.

Every summer we watch the tree leaves grow and flourish and provide for us wonderful shade. Then in the fall, as it gets colder, the leaves stop growing, lose their vibrant green and eventually fall off the branches. We are like leaves on God’s tree. God desires for us to grow in Him and be nurtured by His Spirit. But we can’t do that if we’re not connected to Him. Nor can we grow if we’re connected to Him but refuse to accept His life-giving Spirit in our lives. What color is your leaf? Are you a fresh bud growing by leaps and bounds every day? Do you have a vibrant, mature, steady growth about you? Have you stopped growing, living off your previous growth? Or are you lying dormant waiting for God to stir your Spirit anew?

Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...by Samantha Ruehl

2010-10-13T12:26:00.002-05:00

How long do you spend in front of the mirror looking at yourself and all the things you wish you could change? Do you ever wish you looked like that supermodel on TV, flawless in every way shape and form? If you have then you are like a lot of people in this world, including myself. The other day I was feeling bad about my appearance, feeling like I’d never live up to the world’s standard of beauty, so I turned to God, the only One I knew could help me. I said a little prayer asking God to speak to me, to heal me of the pain I was feeling, then I opened my Bible and God brought me to the verse1 Samuel 16:7 and it says, “…The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." I was reminded that I am not here to live by the world’s standards but by God’s standards and He looks on the inside. I was remind that I should be spending all the time I am worrying about the outside and put it towards making who I am on the inside better.
The media makes us believe that everything depends on the size of the clothes we wear, the color of our hair, the condition of our wardrobe, and how much flawless skin were showing. But nothing could be further from the truth. What is important is pleasing our Father in Heaven. We can please Him by making our intentions pure and our actions just, by focusing on making our hearts right, and by living by His standards alone.

Working for the Lord by Samantha Ruehl

2010-10-13T12:22:00.001-05:00

Colossians 3:23-24 (New International Version)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Sometimes the work-loads of life can leave us feeling stressed and unmotivated. As a junior in college I have felt this many times. College can be very difficult and boring. Often times we have to learn a lot of stuff outside of our majors that we could really care less about. Not only do most of us have lots of school work but we also have jobs, maybe you’re like me and have three. The other day I was feeling stressed and unmotivated when I came across Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” I realized that God calls us to do our best not just for ourselves or others but for His glory. When I find myself not giving it my all I am reminded of this verse and find purpose and peace in the work I am doing. So remember work is a noble calling and when you do your work well God notices, even when no one else does.

Campus Mission Week and 24/5 Prayer

2010-09-07T13:15:00.004-05:00

Spring Break Mission Trip to Texas Spring 2010

2010-09-07T12:54:00.004-05:00

Broomball Pictures

2010-05-13T15:08:00.007-05:00

Delight Yourself in The Lord by Joe Bailey

2010-04-30T15:08:00.001-05:00

Cinderella sings, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” As I watch the movie I sigh, “ahhhhhh, if only dreams came true”. Well what do you know! God says in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I can actually obtain these desires of my heart because of God’s gracious love for me. The only problem is I often fail to delight myself in the Lord. I put ridiculous things like a half hour nap before him. There are so many times I fail to give the glory to God by not throwing away my worries and delighting myself in him. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Even as I write this, the time crunching pressures of school are beating on me, yet he gives me so much peace as I give it up to him. What a wonderful God we have.

Luke 12:22-25 – Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

Blessed Are The Peacemakers by Mary Beth Byrne

2010-04-30T15:03:00.002-05:00

Beatitudes of Jesus: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matt. 5:9

Have you ever considered yourself to be a “peacemaker?” Do you listen to both sides of a situation and help negotiate an acceptable and peaceful outcome? Think about your role in your family ~~ are you the family comic? the family agitator? the family leader? or the family peacemaker? What role do you take on in YOUR family? in your living arrangement at school? on your job? in your social circles?

Jesus makes frequent reference to peace and peacemaking in his teachings in the New Testament. Remember that the angels hailed his birth by singing, “Peace on earth.” He said, “Love your enemies. . .do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.” (Matt. 5:44) In John’s Gospel we read of Jesus’ last bequest for peace, “My peace I give unto you.” (John 14:27) Jesus Christ came as the Prince of Peace, teaching us to reconcile with God for peace within our own souls, as well as for peace with each other. The peace known in the Bible comes from trust, love and obedience toward God.

The Bible contains many stories of conflict, contention, and major avoidance among God’s people. Remember how the Jews hated and treated the Samaritans? In every age nations have been at odds, homes and businesses have been torn apart by strife, and our individual lives and souls have become alienated from God. Our history books are full of the details of conflicts and wars, not just from the past, but right up to the present day. Conflicts and alienation continue even in what we refer to as “The Holy Land.” Signs of “Pray for Peace” appear on every tour bus and in many shop windows. And yet negotiations between the Palestinians and the Jews remain at a standstill.

But, you may ask, what does this have to do with ME?

Some scholars of the early Church took this beatitude in a purely spiritual sense, and thought that it meant, “Blessed is the one who makes peace in his/her own heart and soul. . . .”
How and when have you experienced the kind of inner peace that Jesus’ teachings refer to??
What are you willing to do to maintain that kind of inner peace in practicing the presence of God? What strategies do you use to deal with the struggle in your own life between good and evil.

We can look at the multitude of decisions we are called to make every day. . .did we make good choices? Or did we take out our inner anger on our roommates, classmates, professors, parents?? Consider “The Law of the Garbage Truck!”

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so....Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it! Have a garbage-free day!

Being in a right relationship with God allows all of us to live every day as a garbage-free day! Peacemakers—makers of peace—are few, primarily because it is so much easier to fan the flames of past hurts and prejudices, and to keep the arguments going. Jesus made peace. (Eph. 2:14-18), and calls each of us to become peacemakers. As our inner peace and relationship with God grows, our ability to be about the work of peace becomes easier.

Making peace, though, is NO easy task! When we see something that needs to be done we can’t just avoid it. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things as they are because we are afraid of the trouble of doing something about them, but the active facing of things ~~ the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle (i.e. the Civil Rights Movement; women’s equality and the right to vote). We might say that the most important work of the peacemaker is the constant practice of the presence of God. This is what peacemakers are doing in many parts of our world where there is conflict ~~ they are practicing the presence of God and showing by example ways to resolve conflict.

Jewish Rabbis considered that the highest task one could perform was to establish right relationships, with God and one person with another. Eugene Peterson’s translation of this passage says it well: “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
In our upside-down world, being a peacemaker goes against a culture that gives more value to “getting what is due me” than learning how to live in peace with each other.

Your reward for being a peacemaker is that God acknowledges you as one of God’s children, being at one in spirit with our Creator. God counts you as one of the Family, and honors you with joy and warmth as a peacemaker.
What role will you fulfill as a member of God’s Family?
Who represents the role of a peacemaker to you? Why? What are their characteristics? What can you learn from their lifestyle?
Watch the film, “Invictus,” the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (prisoner for 30 years and then elected President of South Africa) joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country, divided racially and economically in the wake of apartheid.
Identify ways in which Mandela demonstrates the life of a peacemaker.
Meditate on the words to the following hymn, and let it become your mantra:

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God our creator, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow; to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

And God will bless your life!

Love The Lord Your God by Nathan Heinritz

2010-04-30T15:00:00.002-05:00

On a Thursday night, my friend and I were going through the new release movies at the Red Box in Wal-mart. As we intently looked at the movie selection, we exchanged comments like, “That ones good….seen it like 10 times….that one’s hilarious....too inappropriate. As I glanced away from disinterest a red sign happened to catch my eye, which read Avatar, coming soon! I immediately responded to my friend, “I LOVE that movie.” How often have you heard a friend use the word, “LOVE” to describe anything and everything? A friend the other day told me that he LOVED God and in the same few sentences said that he LOVE tacos and LOVED his new car. This doesn’t make sense that as Americans we LOVE everything and anything. Where do you draw the line? What can we love and what should we like? What does the Bible say? The Bible says in the book of Matthew to store up treasures in heaven and not of this earth (Matt. 6:19-21). Since love is such a powerful word, the real question is what are treasures of heavenly value? The relationships you build with God and with other people is the only thing that will have heavenly value. “Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love you neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

Blessed Are The Pure In Heart by Don Sorenson

2010-04-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God

Skeptics say if there is a God, show Him to me. On the other hand, Christians know that there is a God and stand in awe of Him. But still, Christians long to see God. Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). God replied that no one could see His face and live, but He allowed Moses to see his back after He had passed by. Do we conclude then that it impossible to see God? No, the Bible has more to say about that.

John the evangelist tells us that no one has ever seen God, but that God the Son has made Him known (John 1:18). John also tells how Jesus explained to Nicodemus that while we can’t see the wind, yet we see its effects and hear its sound. God is like that. By faith we see things that God has created, things He sustains, and things that God has brought about in response to prayer (John 3:8).

This beatitude tells us that we see God when we are pure in heart. My experience confirms this truth. I’ve seen how the unbeliever’s heart, stained with sin, doesn’t see God. They hear of God, and are occasionally brought close to God by the power of His Spirit, but until they accept the fact that Christ is God and that Christ makes God known to them, they never really see God. It was true for me. Since I’ve been a believer I see God in the work of Christians serving in His name. Unbelievers might think that Christians are just do-gooders who are either driven by some set of church rules, or who get a personal kick out of being better than others. I see the work of Christians as the work of God, and I see God in these people.

Of course, seeing God in other Christians is not the same as seeing Him face-to-face (like Moses wanted). The Bible teaches that someday we will see God face-to-face. For those whose names are not written in the lamb’s book of life it will be a terrible thing, but for those washed pure by the blood of the lamb it will be a glorious experience. At that time God will give us a new heaven and a new earth. We will “see His face” (Revelation 22:4). Nothing impure or false will be there. We will all be pure in heart.

How does it happen? How do we become pure in heart? We need to take on God’s character. We express reverence for God in our worship, but we demonstrate our faith by our efforts to be like Him. Foremost in this must be purity of our motives. God forgives our sins and our failures in actions we take; He rewards our actions arising from pure motives. Secondly, we must ourselves take on the character traits of God. These include: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22). They also include holiness, humility, compassion, forbearance, contentment, thankfulness, considerateness, sincerity, and perseverance. Our task is before us—take on the character of God. Our proper motive—that we will see God!

Questions to think about:
1) Are God’s standards too high? Can’t we set the bar a little lower?
2) Where do we get the power to do all that God has called us to do?
3) What will it be like to see God face-to-face someday?

No Greater Love by Paul Dawson

2010-04-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

John 15:13 (KJV) – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

The book Blackjack-34, previously titled No Greater Love: A Day with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam, tells the story of July 18, 1967 with the men of the only real American guerrilla force in Vietnam. Told from the perspective of Special Forces Medic James C. Donahue, this book paints a picture of what has been considered to be one of the worst wars ever fought. On that day, his platoon was on a special mission, code-named Blackjack-34, to find enemy units for the 1st Infantry to destroy. However, their platoon was found by enemy forces first. Donahue bore witness to the determination of his teammates, who were willing to go so far as to give their own lives so the others could live.

This willingness to give up one’s own life is what Christ was referring to in this verse. This willingness comes from God's unconditional love for the human race. John 3:16a says, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son." It's because of His love for us that Jesus came to this world. I really like the King James Version of this verse because it conveys the idea that Jesus was not just human, but a man. Christ is the ultimate example of a man. In Max Lucado’s book God Came Near, he writes, “Only in seeing his Maker does a man truly become man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time.” Were it not for Christ's death on the cross, humanity would be unable to receive the gift of salvation and spend eternity with God. There truly is no greater love than that.

Being to Busy by Jenny Seegers

2010-04-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

About 6 in 10 Christians say that it's "often" or "always" true that "the busyness of life gets in the way of developing my relationship with God." Christians most likely to agree were from North America, Africa and Europe. By country, Christians in South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Philippines, the United States, and the United Kingdom, are more distracted from God, respectively, than those in other countries.

Scripture:
Isaiah 32:6
For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.

Isaiah 32:6 talks about being too busy to hear the Lords word that we are abandoning our faith, and those who we can serve through faith: “the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.”

Over the last month, I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed with classes, work, relationships, etc. We all can relate. However, after reading this verse, I realized that I’ve been so busy, that I am putting the most important thing last: becoming so preoccupied that I am missing the opportunities that God has presented for me. There are opportunities out there for all of us to experience, but often enough, we miss them because we are too busy. I feel that if we just take a moment or two to reflect on what the Lord is trying to tell us, all of the other things will fall in place. It is human nature that we pre-occupy ourselves, to try to fulfill our lives; however, if we don’t reflect on what God is trying to tell us, we may be filling our lives with useless things. I encourage you to stop and look for the moments God may be presenting to you, or you may just be missing out what is really important in life.

God's Work by Samantha Ruehl

2010-04-09T14:39:00.001-05:00

Ephesians 2:10
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

According to Ephesians 2:10, when God created us He prepared opportunities for us to do good works. Since these opportunities have already been prepared for us, all we have to do is keep our eyes open and listen for God’s voice and when we hear it, respond. Although God has planned these opportunities for us we still have a choice because of our free will. If we hear God’s voice or God is laying something on our hearts we must choose to act on it. It is so easy to miss out on these opportunities. I just missed out on one of these opportunities on one of the most important days of the year, Jesus’ Resurrection.

While I was getting ready to go to my grandma’s house for Easter dinner I felt the Lord telling me to ask my family if I could say a prayer at dinner. I didn’t grow up in a Christian family, so this would have been the first time anyone has ever lead the family in a prayer. If you think about it, it’s pretty crazy that God would want me to do this on the day that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to prove that He is indeed the One True God.

After God told me He wanted me to do this I responded to Him by saying, “Lord I will try my best to do what You asked of me, if You will provide Me with the perfect moment to do this.” I was thinking to myself that if God provided the perfect opportunity maybe I could do it, while at the same time leaving a way out by saying, “I will try my best.” I was scared because I knew my grandma doesn’t believe and she can be one tough scary lady, and I also have deaf people in my family that I wouldn’t want to feel left out. Anyways, our ever-so-faithful God provided me with the perfect opportunity that my ever-so-unfaithful self missed out on.

There are usually about 12 people that come to dinner at my grandma’s house on holidays, so we can’t all fit around one table, well this time there was only 8. We all fit around the table perfectly and when everyone got their food and began eating it was silent for a couple minutes. I knew this was the perfect opportunity but got scared because I knew it would’ve required me to leave my comfort zone. I missed the perfect opportunity, which I now regret.

Sitting here writing about it today makes me feel horrible for not following through. I could have possibly planted a seed in my family’s hearts, and now I will never know. I also missed out on a good work that the Lord had prepared for me and it doesn’t feel good. I encourage you to keep your eyes out for these good works that the Lord has prepared in advance, and to listen to what God asks of You because if He planned it You know it is for a good purpose.

Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Merciful by Ceci Sobolewski

2010-04-09T14:33:00.001-05:00

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

By Ceci Sobolewski

I am writing this study during Holy Week.

I am writing to you, from the eyes of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, daugher-in-law, sister-in law, co-worker in the kitchen of Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital etc. (lest I leave any out) and sister in Christ. The role I hold dearest is the role of "Sister in Christ", which reigns over all my other roles. The world might not look at any of my roles in life as much, but the one of "Sister in Christ", certainly would not be looked upon as the important one, if looked upon at all. An upside down world. Much has been coming at me again lately, in my many roles in life, and I have had to fully lean on the one of "Sister in Christ" to a degree of "testing, or trial". I need to count this testing all joy, as James says in Chapter 1:2. Sometimes, it doesn't feel so good to be going through this testing, or trial. I know it leads to patience, and that I need to let patience have its perfect work, that I might be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4). Mercy needs to be extended to others.

I also remember today, just before Good Friday, how Jesus could have walked away from the cross, (What testing, when He knew He wouldn't have to be there with such power at His command) leaving us standing seperated from Him and our Father and The Holy Spirit. But instead, He extended His mercy to us. Mercy brings us together. Forgiveness brings us together. "Forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Words of Jesus from the cross. Words that brought us life.

Jesus also said much about forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Wait a minute, " as we forgive our debtors ". I say those words very well. Does it always sink into my heart though? This is another teaching about mercy: forgiveness. But I must go there, to Calvary, to the Cross, to pain, to forgive, to extend mercy. Mercy is expected from God, to the point if we are not merciful, we will not be shown mercy! It says that right after the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:14 &15. Jesus said that, and still says that today. Mercy must be extremely important, if this is what Jesus says right after the words of the Lord's Prayer! He didn't key in on anything else immediately following the Lord's Prayer, just this about extending mercy.

We are also told of the story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18: 21-35. Again, some powerful words about mercy. You might want to look this up in your bible. Or go to www.biblegateway.com or www.blueletterbible.com.

If we do not forgive a parent, sister, brother, co-worker, or anyone else, of a sin against us, (and there are some pretty awful things to be listed in the arena of sin) we will not be forgiven, and will not be released from the power of sin in our lives. Mercy is an upside down thing in this world's view, but a necessary thing to give, to live as believers in Christ. Holy Week is a huge reminder of this Jesus who loved and loves us so much, He took the penalty for our sin, became sin, took it away, and the power of it over us. He replaced it with His power of LOVE. A complete act of Mercy! Will you and I do the same, to show mercy, to love as Christ loved and loves us?

I really like my Noah Webster dictionary, and was going to type up many of the 9 definitions for mercy. However, the only one I am going to is this one: Eternal life, the fruit of mercy.
Need I say more?

My friends, I was led to keep my writing short and, "to the point" this time. So, I will leave my words here. The only other thing I will do is to ask a few questions:

1. Who do you and I need to forgive? Who has been causing me pain, that I need to be merciful to?

2. Can I be truly be merciful to someone whithout God's help to do so?

3. Do I know Christ as my Savior, having asked for His forgiveness and mercy, so I can extend it to others?

An Easter joyful cry: He has risen indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beattitudes- Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thrist For Righteouness by Anne Gibson

2010-04-01T14:50:00.003-05:00

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. –Matthew 5:6

Well, here we are! Week five of our e-study! Week five of seeking for “the bottom of the boat” as Pastor David described in the Beatitudes’ introduction. Today we look at righteousness, a word not used so much in daily context, but a word that as Christians, I suspect many of us would use to define the kind of life we aspire to live. I mean, who doesn’t want to live a just, right, life? Who doesn’t want to be a good person in the world, doing good things?

I knew I’d be writing this study five weeks ago. Since that time, I’ve been praying about what to say. My “righteousness radar” has been up…And I’ve truly been amazed at how often it shows up in Scripture. Multiple times a week, I found myself focused on it. And, you know what? Hungering and thirsting for righteousness has nothing to do with being a good person!!!

Let’s find out why!
Hunger—A strong desire or need for food. The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by prolonged lack of food. A strong desire or craving.
Thirst--A sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat related to a need or desire to drink. The desire to drink. An insistent desire; a craving: a thirst for knowledge. To have a strong craving; yearn. (www.answers.com)

I suppose you knew what those words meant, didn’t you? At least, I assume you’ve experienced them—Probably not to the extent that many people in the world do, but perhaps you’ve had that time when you were running so fast from one thing to another all day that it wasn’t until late at night that you discovered you hadn’t eaten all day and were famished? Maybe you were intentionally fasting. Maybe you were on a restricted diet for a period of time. Maybe you were in the hospital and they restricted your liquids. Or hiking in the heat of the desert or summer and had no water left. We do know, to an extent, about hunger and thirst. Take a moment to think about your experiences for each craving.

What are some things that we crave beyond food and water? Acceptance, love, money, cars, homes, certain friendships, new products, belonging….The list could go on for miles! As humans, we desire a lot of stuff! We tend to crave everything we don’t have, and then some. Commercials tell us to satisfy our cravings with whatever product or line of thought they are peddling—And we often cave to them. Getting an upgraded cell phone plan can’t be that bad—I mean, accessing the Internet on the road will save me time!

Here’s something that I heard in a sermon by Pete Briscoe—He was reading David’s Psalm 63:1—“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. “ Someone had asked him why we don’t seem to have that same longing, hunger, and thirst for the Lord today. Pete’s answer: People are thirstier and hungrier than ever—But they are misguided. Our culture tells us there are many water fountains to drink from—Many things that will bring us pleasure and relief. We are told that there is more than just Jesus that can quench our thirst, so drink, enjoy—Whatever satisfies you for right now is good. We get distracted by things that don’t really satisfy and miss the One true fountain: Jesus Christ. We all have a God-sized hole in our hearts—What—Who, rather—Will fill that void?

He couldn’t be more correct. When was the last time you actually desired—No, craved the Lord? Not something from Him, but the Lord God Himself???

Francis Chan, in his book “Crazy Love” (An incredible, but challenging book that I highly recommend!) gives us some food for thought. He asks, “Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words, half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better? Has your relationship with God changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? Are you satisfied with being “godly enough” to get yourself to heaven, or to look good in comparison to others?

He then proceeds to look at Revelation 3:15: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth!” Yikes!

Chan spends the entire rest of the chapter profiling a lukewarm person, based on what Scripture says. I pulled out a few of the haunting examples.

Lukewarm people…
…Are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones.
…Say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.
…Think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation.
…Do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.
…Probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

Ouch! Did any of those hurt? Chan is giving us an “in your face” reminder that we are to be upside-down Christians.--Radicals who truly hunger and thirst for the Lord—Who are submitted to Him—And whose lives bear the fruits of that eternal relationship!

So—We know about hunger and thirst—But what about “righteousness”?

Let’s go back to Psalm 62:1 again…For David was one of the blessed spoken of in Jesus’ beatitudes. He hungered and thirsted for God—Who IS righteousness.

I found 239 entries listed for “righteousness” in Scripture in the Strong’s concordance! Perhaps that’s why I kept hearing about it the past five weeks—In any case, it’s repeated enough that we should see it’s a rather important word!

Righteousness –holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. It comes from a root word that means “straightness”. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness…Therefore, man’s righteousness is defined in terms of God’s.
(Source: Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

Take a look at Deuteronomy 32:4--4 He [the Lord] is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Psalm 36:6—“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.”

Isaiah 5:16—“But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.”

When we are seeking righteousness, we are essentially seeking God, and the things of God!

Matthew 6:33—“But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So—Do you see that seeking righteousness is so much more than being a good person (by the way, there is no such thing according to Romans 5:12) and merely doing good things (often set by our own lowly standard!) in this world?

If we are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness, we realize that we cannot effectively serve two masters (things of earth and God). We toss our agendas and measurements of right living and accept God’s “straightness standard”. We accept that we must die to our sinful nature through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:2-4). We realize that on our own we are imperfect and utterly unrighteous people, and yearn for the gift of grace, forgiveness, and righteousness that our perfect God gives us through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:18). Something within us changes…And, as we live out our new lives in Christ, we crave time with the Lord daily, in prayer, and in His Word. We hunger to put His Word into action, and to bear His fruit in the world—Not our own!

We long to be the mirror that effectively reflects God’s perfect love and grace to the world around us. We are defined by God’s righteous standards of living; not the worlds. We seek out examples of righteous living in Scripture and seek to emulate them (check out James 2:23, James 3:18, Hebrews 11:7). We are not lukewarm, and we see that filling that void in our lives with anything other than Christ will actually leave us empty, hungry and thirsty for something more.

No wonder people that live like this are blessed!
--Will you join me in hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness alone?

Questions to ponder:
· What are some things that you crave? Write them down…Lift them up to the Lord, one by one.

· Did any of Francis Chan’s definitions of lukewarm people convict you? Ask yourself why…and spend some time in prayer about it. If you haven’t fully submitted yourself to Christ—This may be the time to re-commit your life to Him.

· Read through some of the Psalms that talk of God’s righteousness—As you read them, lift them up as prayers to the Lord.
Psalm 23:3; Psalm 33:5; Psalm 35:28; Psalm 36:6; Psalm 65:5; Psalm 71:2, 15-16

· Look up some of those men and women whose lives were considered righteous. How can they be examples for you?
James 2:23 (Abraham)--
James 3:18 (peacemakers)--
Hebrews 11:7 (Noah)--

Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Meek by Chuck Taylor

2010-04-01T14:49:00.002-05:00

Beatitudes of Jesus: Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Ah, I can hear the reaction now, “Boy, did they give that one to the wrong guy!” Perhaps so. For more than thirty years, I was a Special Agent with the United States Treasury Department. Occasionally, we kicked down doors with guns in hand. Doesn’t sound like the best place to look for meek folks!

Also for more than thirty years, I’ve been a firefighter and emergency medical technician. I’ve been inside dozens of burning buildings and treated hundreds of sick and injured patients, some of them so ill or so grievously injured that they did not survive. That doesn’t seem much like a task for a meek guy, either.

At my age, it’s one-year-at-a-time, but last summer I played my 51st season of competitive softball. Over the past six decades, I’ve competed in softball, soccer, football, racquetball, volleyball, and nearly every other sport that has winners and losers. If you were to ask those I’ve played with or against, I’m afraid they’d all say much the same things: He plays to win! He’d thump a little old lady at bingo if he could find a way.

Obviously, there has been a mistake here. There has got to be someone better to explain what Jesus meant when He talked about the meek. If the meek will inherit the earth, this guy’s not even going to get a garden plot. Absolutely! I’m certain that there are many who can better explain what Jesus had in mind. True to my “un-meek” nature, though, I’m going to give it a shot anyway.

Let’s think about Jesus himself. Are you familiar with the story of Jesus and the moneychangers at the temple in Jerusalem? (John 2:13-16) So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. Whips? Overturned tables? Scattered coins?
Or think of Peter, about whom Jesus said, “. . . on this rock will I build my church . . .” (Matthew 16:18) Think of Peter’s reaction when Jesus is arrested. (John 18:1-11) Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Sword? Cut off ear? Yeah, this Peter’s a really meek guy. No doubt about that! Perfect guy to head up the church!

The Bible is full of other examples – King David (among other things, he kills Goliath with a stone 1 Samuel 17), Paul (he is stripped and beaten, yet keeps on preaching Acts 16:22-43), and Mary (she undoubtedly endures great scorn and derision when she is found to be pregnant, but not married Matthew 1:18-25, yet she and Joseph don’t take the easy way out). Oddly, it seems that we find many of our great Biblical role models to be anything but meek. What do we make of all this? Did Jesus get it wrong? If we take these examples and set them beside what Jesus says about the meek inheriting the earth, it becomes clear that He simply cannot be talking about weak, Caspar Milquetoast-type individuals. So, what is He talking about?

Jesus is talking about the spirit, the soul. He is talking about a meekness before God. He is talking about meekness in our relationships with each other. He is talking about putting others before ourselves and God before all else. When Jesus explains to His disciples that He must suffer many things and be killed, Peter becomes upset. Peter takes Jesus aside and says in effect, “Lord, say it ain’t so!” And Jesus’ not-so-meek response to his friend Peter? "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." (Mark 8:31-38) Whoa!! To Jesus, nothing was more important than the will of God.

Jesus was not a meek man, but He was meek of spirit before God. He put God’s will before his own in all things. Even as Jesus faced death on a cross for our sins, not his own, He was able to pray, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:39-46) In his willingness to die for our sins, Jesus put our needs before his own and God’s will before all else. He asks no less of us.

So, perhaps there’s hope for me yet. I may have to adjust my attitude about the little old lady, but, still, in Jesus’ upside-down world, there’s hope. And there’s hope for you, too. Pray that you will put others before yourself. Pray that you will put God before all else. Pray for meekness.

Reflection
How will your daily relationships be different if you consistently put other’s needs before your own?
What will putting other’s needs (not necessarily their desires) before your own mean in day-to-day, real-life terms?
How will putting God before all else change what you do tomorrow? Next week? Next year?
How does a person who is “meek of spirit before God” differ from one who is not? Can you and I see that difference?
What part does prayer play in becoming “meek” – as Jesus used the word?

Beattitudes- Blessed Are Those Who Mourn by Lynn Binnie

2010-04-01T14:45:00.001-05:00

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Wow -- if a special blessing being reserved for those who are poor in spirit seemed "upside down," the blessing of the second Beatitude seems even more unlikely. Who would ever choose to mourn? The Greek word that is translated "mourn" describes the most acute, intense kind of grief -- "to bewail or to lament." Mourning is often accompanied by crying, so it's of interest that the following appears in the version of the Beatitudes found in Luke (6:21): "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh."

We probably most often think of mourning as being a result of the death of a loved one, but there are many other life experiences that can reduce us to wailing -- flunking a test, being dumped by a girl/boyfriend, learning that our parents are getting divorced, discovering that we didn't get that perfect job, hearing that a close sibling got orders to ship out to Iraq for a third tour of duty.

There are many examples of this sort of meaning of "mourning" in the Scriptures, such as:
- Abraham mourned at his wife Sarah's death and wept over her. (Gen. 23:1-2)
- When Joseph was sold by his brothers, his father Jacob believed that he had been killed, causing Jacob to mourn for "many days." (Gen. 37:34-35)
- David lamented the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. (2 Samuel 1)

We even see Jesus mourning at the death of Lazarus, as recorded in John 11:35 - "Jesus wept." Since he would soon thereafter raise Lazarus from the dead, we have to assume that Jesus' grief was in the nature of empathy for Mary and Martha.

So is it from this deep emotional response to loss that Jesus is telling us we will be comforted? Certainly it seems to be one appropriate application of the Beatitude. As Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, we can trust God to meet us with empathy and comfort in times of loss. Does God have experience with anything similar to human grief? How about what happened when Jesus humbled Himself to be born as a human being? Though it was done out of sheer love, the incarnation came with an unfathomable cost. How about the crucifixion?

There are other possible understandings of the mourning that will be comforted. Most of us don't know anyone in Haiti or Chile, but we couldn't help but mourn for the people in those countries as we recently saw on television the unthinkable numbers of dead, wounded and homeless people. God's concern for poor and oppressed people, and for social justice, is highlighted in over 300 verses in Scripture. As we reach out to those people by turning our mourning into tangible expressions of God's love, we may be comforted to hear of the healing that is taking place.

There's another kind of mourning that we find in the Scriptures. In Genesis 6:6 we find that before the flood, humankind's wickedness had become so great that God grieved over having created people. In Luke 19:41-44 we read that on Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem. There are times when we find ourselves grieving over poor choices, addictions or alienation from God among our family and friends. We pray that they, and we, may be comforted as they respond to our caring and God's love.

Lastly, do you ever find yourself mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? That was the experience of Peter after he denied the Lord the third time: "...he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:62) Could your mourning be an indication that you need to seek and find forgiveness from God, and also perhaps to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? That's the thrust of this verse from 2 Corinthians 7:10: "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." When the Prodigal Son, starving and mourning, came to his senses, he set out to beg forgiveness from his father. The warm welcome, forgiveness and comfort he received were beyond his wildest expectations.

At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus visited the synagogue in Nazareth and read these words from Isaiah 61:1-2: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn..."

During this Lenten season, may we be comforted by the One who fulfilled these words from Isaiah 53:3-5: "He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."

1. What have been the most significant losses that you have mourned in your life? Looking back, are you able to see ways in which God comforted you?
2. Do you think of anyone who is mourning -- due to circumstances beyond their control or due to their own choices? Are there ways in which you may reach out to them with God's love?
3. Are you mourning over things that you have done or failed to do? Do you need to ask forgiveness from someone you hurt? What would you say to God about those failures? If the Man of Sorrows came to bear your griefs, are you ready to accept His forgiveness and comfort?

"It is not enough for us...within the arena of the world's pain merely to know of a God who sympathizes. It is not even enough to know of a God who heals. We need to know of and be connected with a God who experiences with us, for us, each grief, each wound. We need to be bonded with a God who has had nails in the hands and a spear in the heart."
Flora Slosson Wuellner, Weavings

The Lord's Calling by Elizabeth Bledsoe

2010-04-01T14:42:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been sitting in your apt or car and suddenly a friend pops into your head? And you just shake your head and move on with what you are doing. Or have you ever had words come to your mind that you know you should say to a friend, but they don’t make sense to you, and you just brush it off?

That isn’t just coincidence that is God speaking to you. That’s God trying to use YOU to speak to someone else. And we need to learn to listen, because someone else’s life may depend on it.

Last night while on facebook I was talking to a friend, she has been having a rough few weeks and just really going through a lot. While talking with her I could hear someone telling me I need to tell her something’s but I just brushed it off and ignored the voice. It kept getting louder and finally I said okay God what do you want with me! I remembered a message at IHOP about how when we hear that voice and when it’s speaking about someone, we need to stop and say, “Lord I am available what do you want to do with me.”

So I gave it a try last night, I said what do you want with me. The Lord laughed and said sign on as Mr. Compliments you nicely (facebook profile) I have some work for you to do. So I signed on using a different internet browser so I could still be signed on. I went on, and just waited, he (God) drew me to some people’s pages I wrote the first things that came to my mind and after a few posts, I thought I was done. NOPE! He lead me to a close friends of mine (friend I was talking to earlier) status, it was about Mr. Compliments and her wanting to know who it was that was posting on her wall, cause you see anyone can sign on as this person and post compliments to their friends or to anyone that is friends with Mr. Compliments. I, acting as Mr. Compliments responded to her post saying, I am a messenger from God. For she (my friend) had no clue who I was. We continued to speak for 3 hours back and for posting on her status thread. Whatever came to my mind I wrote, even if I was like whoa God what is that about? I still wrote it. I tried a few times to erase something but the backspace wouldn’t work. A few times I tried to stop my fingers from moving but they kept typing. That night on facebook, two friends were joined together by God. My friend was searching for something, she was searching for God, she needed to be renewed by him, she needed his guidance, and she needed his touch. She had been searching and searching and was coming up empty. And I, needed to see God’s work be done, I needed to see him really work in someone’s life. Last night, late at night, God used me, Elizabeth, to be his messenger to talk to my friend. Today when I talked to my friend, she told me she met God last night and that she is just in awe over what happened. She had no clue it was me, her ordinary friend that she talks to daily, she did however find out later it was me, and that God used me to talk to her.

I had every chance to ignore his will, to say I am busy, I don’t have time, I don’t want to do this, it’s late, and she won’t listen. But I listened to him, I said I am available use me! And because of that my friend met with God last night for 3 hours and found what she was looking for. I challenge you this week to think about this and to next time when you are walking down the street or are in your room and you hear that voice speak to you, that you step back and ask the question, “Lord I am available what do you want with me?” And be open to receiving cause not only did my friend meet Jesus last night, so did I!
Psalm 28:6-7 (The Message)
Blessed be God—he heard me praying.
He proved he's on my side; I've thrown my lot in with him.
Now I'm jumping for joy, and shouting and singing my thanks to him.

Beattitudes- Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit by Owen Cooper

2010-04-01T14:41:00.002-05:00

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What does it mean to be blessed?

The word “blessed” is an adjective, that is, it’s a descriptor word.

Who are the poor in spirit?
We know what it means to be poor. But some of the ways this Greek word (ptochos) is used in the Bible according to http://www.blueletterbible.org/ will expand our understanding of “poor.” Here they are:

1) reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms
2) destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour
a) lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches
b) helpless, powerless to accomplish an end
c) poor, needy
3) lacking in anything
a) as respects their spirit
1) destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved them selves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)

Looking up and down that list, the word blessed is most likely not going to come into your mind!

Do you feel blessed when you’re reduced to begging?
Do you feel blessed when you have no money? Or when you have no power to change your circumstances? Or no respect from others?
Do you feel blessed when you are lacking?

But what does it mean to be poor in spirit?

Here are some other yearnings of the spirit from Scripture. Look them up and see how God deals with the:
Oppressed in spirit 1 Samuel 1:15
Crushed in spirit Psalm 34:18
Humble in spirit Proverbs 16:19; 1 Peter 3:8
Deeply moved in spirit John 11:33
Troubled in spirit John 13:21
Sober in spirit 1 Peter 1:13

Did you see a common theme?

Hannah was oppressed in spirit. God heard her and allowed her to have a baby after years of being unable. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It is better to be humble in spirit. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit at Lazarus’ death. God allowed Lazarus to come back from the dead. Jesus was troubled in spirit when he knew a disciple would betray him. This is a rare time where we see God not intervene. Peter commands us to keep sober in our spirit and after this list we can see why!

A couple of other things to note about our spirit. There is a kind of spirit we want to avoid:
Stagnant in spirit Zephaniah 1:12 (The Lord will punish the stagnant in spirit.)

Lastly, some positive things for our spirit:
Strong in spirit Luke 1:80 (Describes John the Baptist.)
Fervent in spirit Acts 18:25; Romans 12:11 (Describes how a teacher was teaching. Describes how we are to serve the Lord.)
United in spirit Philippians 2:2 (We are asked to be united to all other believers.)
In spirit and truth John 4:23-24 (Describes how God is to be worshipped.)

Are you beginning to see where Jesus was coming from when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”?

Remember the upside down perspective Pastor David talked about in the introductory e-mail study? Here we see it again!

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

First, a Kingdom should be defined as royal power, kingship, dominion, or rule. It is not to be confused with an actual kingdom of land, but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. In Scripture, the Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) is spoken as the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah. And Jesus’ royal power and dignity are conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom. So the Kingdom of Heaven is anywhere Jesus Messiah reigns.

Here’s some more Matthew references to the Kingdom of Heaven:

Matthew 3:2
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 5:3
Matthew 5:10
Matthew 5:19-20
Matthew 7:21
Matthew 8:11
Matthew 10:7
Matthew 11:11-12
Matthew 13:11
Matthew 13:24
Matthew 13:31-33
Matthew 13:44-47
Matthew 13:52
Matthew 16:19
Matthew 18:1-4
Matthew 18:23
Matthew 19:12-14
Matthew 19:23
Matthew 20:1
Matthew 22:2
Matthew 23:13
Matthew 25:1
So here’s a perspective I’ll ask you to ponder this week:

What if the Kingdom of Heaven is ours when we are powerless?

“And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

What if when we think we have it all together, we are actually hindering God from working in our lives? What if our lack of money or our lack of power or our lack of respect is a tool that God is using to perfect us for the Kingdom of Heaven?

“Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you encounter trials of many kinds, for the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

And if that’s the case, then what are we supposed to do?

Look at beginning of James 1 again. “Consider it pure joy!”

What do we have to be joyful about in our trials and our testing, in our “poor spirits”?

Because, “ours is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Our joy will be to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

“For consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Questions for Reflection:

In what ways do I feel “poor in spirit”?
In what ways do I feel blessed?
How would you describe your spirit right now?
Where do you see the Kingdom of Heaven in your life?
How can you be joyful this week in the midst of your trials?

Appearances by Monica Digman

2010-04-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

1 Samuel 16:7

7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance but the LORD looks on the heart."

This scripture was talking about when David was anointed as King. God is telling Samuel not to choose one of Jesse's older sons. Jesse was to bring all of his sons before Samuel. All were present but David, the youngest, who was tending the sheep. When David arrived he was covered in ruddy dirt, but was the one chosen to become king.

This scripture reminds us all to remember that we are different. You must keep your mind open to find what you are searching for; whether it be a helping hand, someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on.

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

Beattitudes- Introduction by David Kalas

2010-04-01T14:38:00.002-05:00

Upside Down Boat

The Oscar-winning 1972 disaster movie, The Poseidon Adventure, told the story of a capsized cruise ship. The SS Poseidon was sailing in the Mediterranean when a sub-sea earthquake caused a great "wall of water" to dwarf and devastate the ship. The carefree passengers were happily celebrating midnight on New Year's Eve at the time, and the majority were immediately killed by the catastrophe. Once the initial chaos of being capsized was over, however, the few who had survived were left with the dilemma of how best to position themselves to be rescued.

One group insisted that staying put was the best course of action. Virtually every passenger had been in the Grand Ballroom at the time, and some thought it best to stay in that same location until help arrived.

Another group, however, reasoned differently. They reckoned that, if the ship was upside down, the best course of action was to work their way to the bottom of the ship -- which was now on top. Any rescue attempt from outside, they figured, would have to come through the bottom of the boat. The rest of the movie (spoiler alert!) tracks this handful of purposeful passengers as they make their way through the bowels of the ship, enduring many obstacles, until they reach the bottom near the propeller shaft. And, in the end, we discover that they are the only passengers to be saved.

Upside Down World

The irony of The Poseidon Adventure is the counter-intuitive nature of salvation.

Customarily, passengers traveling on a cruise ship aspire to the top of the ship. The higher the deck, the more expensive and plush the passage. Conversely, the lower the deck, the less desirable the accommodations. And, of course, no passenger chooses to book passage in the dark, dank, and deep propeller shaft room.

Yet that most undesirable place proves to be the way of salvation for the Poseidon passengers. But only because the ship was upside down.

As we read the New Testament, we discover a similar sort of paradigm at work.

The world has its own standards of desirability. Those standards are so much a part of our thinking that they go unquestioned by us. Naturally, we prefer comfort over pain, abundance over want, happiness over sadness, adulation over persecution, and such. We are wired to seek our own pleasure. And as the world relaxes our standards of morality, our pursuit of pleasure meets with fewer and fewer inhibitions. Consequently, concerns for purity, integrity, discipline, and self-sacrifice are set aside in favor of what the world considers the 'upper decks' of the experiences this world has to offer.

But the New Testament understands that this world has been capsized by sin. It is completely upside down. Most of the passengers don't recognize it, however. After all, it's always been this way, hasn't it? At least it has been like this our whole lives, and so how could we know or imagine anything different?

God so loved this world, however, that He sent His Son to it. And that Son of God taught His followers to cut across the world's grain. And so, while the rest of the world lives in hot pursuit of what it considers to be the 'top,' Christ's followers are invited to live toward the 'bottom.'

Living Toward the Bottom

When Jesus teaches that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30), or that the one who would be greatest must become the servant of all (Matthew 23:11; Mark 9:35), or that whoever wants to save his life must lose it (Luke 9:24), He is teaching an upside-down paradigm. He is pointing all who would be saved to head toward the bottom of this world's boat. It seems contrary to every instinct, yet the people who follow Him find their rescue, and their freedom there!

One of the classic illustrations of this counter-intuitive paradigm is the set of teachings we know as The Beatitudes. They appear at the beginning of the longer and well-known passage of teaching that we call The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

The term "beatitude" itself does not appear as such in the text. Dictionary.com defines the word as "supreme blessedness; exalted happiness," and so the term is applied to this collection of teachings because they contain Jesus' keys to happiness. Indeed, each line in the teaching begins with the Greek word "makarios," which means "blessed" or "happy."

Yet see the sort of people that Jesus identifies as "happy." The poor in spirit. Those who mourn. The meek. The pure. Those who are persecuted. Those who are reviled and slandered by others.

Is He crazy? If that's the key to happiness, we think, then perhaps we don't want any part of it!

But, no, Jesus is not crazy. He is simply encouraging us to find the bottom of the boat, for in that unlikely and seemingly undesirable place are the people who will be comforted, will inherit the earth, will receive a great reward, and will see God!

Questions to Consider

1) Consider the following conditions, and identify which ones best describe you:
poor in spirit
mourning
meek
hungering and thirsting for righteousness
merciful
pure in heart
peacemaker
persecuted for righteousness' sake
reviled, persecuted, and slandered on account of Jesus

2) Consider the following promises, and identify which one seems most desirable to you:
receiving the kingdom of heaven
being comforted
inheriting the earth
being filled
receiving mercy
seeing God
being called children of God
receiving a great reward in heaven

3) In what ways have you aspired to the 'top' of the world's boat?

4) In what ways have you chosen the 'bottom'?

Forgivness by Katelyn DeVoe

2010-04-01T14:36:00.001-05:00

Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Have you ever gotten in a fight with a friend or family member or possibly been a victim to cruel acts? Over the course of my life I have had my fair share of fights with friends and upsetting situations. In the last couple of months I have been really praying for the ability to forgive. [Just as we say every week in church, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”] When you have a lot of feelings left “weighing heavy on your heart”, as I like to say, they can really start to affect all kinds of relationships in your life. One of the relationships I am talking about and the most important one would be your relationship with God. God doesn’t want to see you hurt and carrying all the burden of anger and frustration. When you pray to him and ask for the ability to forgive and to carry out your forgiveness only then can you become closer to Him.

Knowing that God is there for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for my whole life none the less is something I put so much faith, and comfort into. I know that God has a greater plan for me and that learning to forgive and strengthening my relationship with God only makes me a better follower of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Give Thanks by Zach Chudy

2010-04-01T14:34:00.002-05:00

I was reading 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” and thought of the story of Joseph and how he could have easily seen the situation in front of him (being sold into slavery by his own brothers) as being evil and just bear through it until better times. But he chose to see “Christ” through his situation and realized that all though bad things in our lives are not caused by God, God is in them using them to benefit and teach us. So many people will be talking about a hard time in their life and say “but God pulled me through it”, but in those moments do any of us thank God (“in all circumstances”)?

I was having a really good day last Thursday, just felt relaxed and joyful, when I got a phone call from my dad saying that my place of employment sent me my tax statement and that it was incorrect and I needed to get that straightened out. And he also needed my tax form from UW-Whitewater (which I have deleted because he has never needed that e-mail for the last 3 years). This, although really not that difficult, ruined my day in an instant and just made me irritated.

And then I remembered what I had read earlier that day and chose to see this annoyance as a way to trust in the Lord. I then sat down, prayed, and thanked God for this problem that really made me angry. I chose to experience him in the midst of it. Later that weekend I had found a way to get a hold of my tax form from Whitewater and the right W2 arrived at my house. This was a very simple solution that worked out quite nicely, but in the midst of it I hated it. But when I chose to see the Lord in it, everything changed.

Yes, the result would have still been the same and everything would have worked out, but I would have had no life and no expression of faith in the moment. No matter what it is you are going through or struggling with in your life, thank God for it and He will work with you. That doesn’t mean everything is going to work perfectly but you will be at peace and you are allowing God to work in your life through faith.

The Radical Life by Jimmy Kussow

2010-04-01T14:32:00.001-05:00

Revelation 3:14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

These words may seem harsh at first but it’s actually a calling to live a radical life. You see it all too much in the Christian faith of people making compromises. This may be doing a little bit of something even though God has told you not to. This happened to me last semester and at the Onething conference in Kansas City put on by the International House of Prayer, God broke me of it. At this conference I fell more in love with God and could see how much Whitewater needed God, whether it on campus or in the city in general. I saw the luke-warmness in the Christian family here in Whitewater and how we need to be praying for our own brothers and sisters in the faith and pray they stop making compromises and start living the radical life of love that God has called us to.

A Time For Everything by Samantha Ruehl

2010-04-01T14:29:00.002-05:00

Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (NIV).

Sometimes school and work can become overwhelming and take over our lives. So far this semester I have been very busy, and it has been hard to make time for fun, but when I manage to I find time for fun it's so much more enjoyable. Last semester I had plenty of time to have fun and realized that too much of some things — television, shopping, eating, for example — can corrode our spiritual health. We need a good balance in our lives. We don't want to overwork and miss out on all the joyful things the Lord has made, but we also don't want to have too much fun and lose sight of other important things. Our happiness is important to God. He created pleasure because he enjoys watching us laugh and smile. Having fun helps us balance the disappointments and hard times in life, but God also expects us to work. Like Ecclesiastes says, “there is a time for everything.” Are you using your time wisely, in a way that honors God?

2010-02-11T11:05:00.002-06:00

Free Lunch video article from Royal Purple

FREE LUNCH BEGINS FEBRUARY 2!!

2010-01-12T13:41:00.001-06:00

Where Does God Want You to be a Year From Now?

2010-01-12T13:34:00.003-06:00

At the start of a new semester and a new year, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on where you’d like your life to be headed. This year there are many chances for you to grow in your relationship with the Lord. I know some of you some have a solid and vibrant relationship with Jesus while others wonder if God even exists, and most fall somewhere in-between. But no matter where you fit in that spectrum, the Lord desires more of your heart. With that in mind, here are some upcoming opportunities that the Lord may want to use in your life:

Pray. Has God laid on your heart to have prayer happening in Whitewater 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Help make it a reality!

Sign up for the weekly e-mail devotional written by your fellow college students to encourage you throughout the semester or the weekly Bible Study sent out via blog.

Find our free resource table at Free Lunch.

Find our facebook group (UW-W United Methodist Ministry).

Opportunities for Women: Encourage one another through the study of God’s Word- led by Staci Cooper (my wife) and Anne Gibson.

Opportunities for Men:

Gather weekly with me to apply God’s word in a practical way.

Join us for a monthly man outing.

Spend a weekend camping (or in a cabin) with 20-30 other crazy guys in Michigan. (January 29-31)

Work on a ranch overlooking the Grand Tetons, then go backpacking in Grand Teton National Park! (May 16-29)

Discipleship House- While working your summer job around the Whitewater area, live together in an intentional community, pushing one another to become better men. (June 1-30)

Grow in your leadership through Tentmakers visioning event (January 23) or Campus Outreach Academy. (August 15-24)

Contribute to the direction of this ministry by attending a University Ministry Support Team meeting. (January 26 or May 6)

Energize your soul and body with a weekend retreat (February 26-28)

Spring Break Mission Trip to Texas- Make a difference with your time off! (March 19-28)

Campus Mission Week. (April 11-15)

Refresh yourself during finals at Study Central with Free Coffee (May 11)

Volunteer at Christian Disciple Farm- A Vacation Bible School Day Camp for families with special needs children. www.DiscipleFarm.com (August 7-14)

Boundary Waters Canoe Area- End your summer and start your school year surrounded by the wonder of God’s creation and good friends. (August 22-28)

Join the Relational Ministry Team- a chance to build intentional relationships with others during Free Lunch. Next training session will be in the fall of 2010.

Information and an upcoming events calendar for all of this and SO MUCH MORE can be found on our website www.fumcwhitewater.org/UniversityMinistries.html. Just think, where does God want you to be a year from now? Let’s make this a great year!

Serving Him and you,

Owen Cooper

Milwaukee Lord's Day

2009-11-29T16:22:00.002-06:00

Saturday night we did a Lord's Day Celebration. We didn't include a meal because Chris & Gina bought us pizza. We honored the Lord through readings, shared apple juice signifying the Lord's blessing. We passed around the bread of thankfulness. We prayed around the circle. And sang a couple of songs- The B-I-B-L-E and Lean on Me. We had about 5 neighbor boys from ages 3-17 join us. At this Lord's Day celebration we had Ages 1-32. We finished the evening with a game of Settlers.

Transformation City House

2009-11-29T16:17:00.004-06:00

We worked alongside church members and neighborhood kids. Some church members brought us all lunch- chili, bagels, and ice cream! Lunch was served on a donated ping pong table.

Ken & Ben live in this house with the specific intention of building relationships with the neighbors. They are doing an amazing job! There were always kids around and neighbors stopping over to say hi or to join us for a bowl of chili.

Painting the Neighborhood House

2009-11-29T16:11:00.000-06:00

Volunteering at Rescue Mission

2009-11-29T16:07:00.000-06:00

Urban Exposure Weekend In Milwaukee

2009-11-29T15:54:00.004-06:00

3 College Students + our family went to Milwaukee to experience what God is doing in the city.

Relational Team Member Description

2009-11-29T12:25:00.002-06:00

Main Objective: To build authentic relationships with students during Free Lunch so that all who come may feel welcome and be encouraged in their faith journey.

Key Result Area #1: Personal Growth in Relational Skills
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You attend all required training sessions.
2. At least once during the semester you have an one-on-one evaluation/review with University Ministry staff.

Key Result Area #2: Meaningful Conversations
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You commit to setting aside at least 2 hours during the semester to have conversations with others at Free Lunch.
2. During the semester, you engage at least 12 students in meaningful conversation, which includes praying for them.

Key Result Area #3: Timely Follow Up
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You report all necessary information to the University Ministry Coordinator’s office.
2. You fill out reports as requested by the University Ministry Coordinator’s office in a timely manner (that usually means within a week.)

Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness by Caroline Wieman

2009-11-16T16:26:00.000-06:00

Acts 2:1-8

“On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages.”

Acts 2:12

“Every one was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, “What does this mean?”

While the Trinity is a most difficult concept for some Christians to understand, it is only one third that is particularly challenging. Certainly we understand God the Father and Jesus the Son somewhat; we know fathers and sons. Fathers and sons have been around a long time: since the beginning of human existence.

But the Holy Spirit is a relative newcomer appearing for everyone only after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, unlike the concept of father and Son, is outside of our typical physical experience and so leaves many Christians baffled and a bit anxious.

It is not just present day Christians who struggle with the concept and reality of the Holy Spirit. Paul, a Jew who had begun his contact with Jesus’ followers as a “hit man” for the Jewish religious establishment was trying to validate his Christian credentials with the church at Galatia. He tells the Galatians that his message comes directly from Jesus Christ who came to him on the Damascus Road. There are divisions among the Galatian Gentile and Jewish Christians about following the very complicated Jewish religious laws. Paul tells them that “once a person has learned to have faith, there in no more need to have the Law as a teacher” (Galatians 3:25). Christ’s death and the Holy Spirit of God have [fulfilled] the strict Jewish religious law. Paul continues, “God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled” (Galatians 5:22-23). These characteristics are the Fruit of the Spirit.

When one becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us and through the Church to strengthen our faith. The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is planted in the Holy Spirit that Christians receive. The Fruit of the Spirit is more like a raspberry with individual sections all in one raspberry rather than like grapes on the stem with each grape an individual fruit. The Fruit of the Spirit is a unity of nine characteristics rather than nine separate traits. Each of us has been given the Fruit of the Spirit, and we as Christians must display this fruit in our lives.

We know from our experience with plants that some plants like tomatoes produce fruit the first, year, while other plants like raspberries, take longer to bear fruit. Some trees take four or five years before they produce fruit. So it is with the Fruit of the Spirit. Some Christians immediately display faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Others struggle with gentleness and self-control for years but are witnesses to faithfulness, goodness and patience. While the Fruit of the Spirit is given by God to Christians, how and when Christians display the parts of that “spiritual raspberry” are very individual and represent various amounts of struggle.

One of the lobes of our “spiritual raspberry Fruit of the Spirit” is kindness which is contiguous with the love, goodness, and patience lobes. Unfortunately, kindness is not the default setting for humans. Fortunately God has sent Christ and the Holy Spirit to us. Thus the Fruit of the Spirit is emblazed in Christians, a gift from God. Kindness is the deliberate preference of choosing right from wrong. Kindness is an inner strength to resist all evil, an uprightness of the soul which chooses and follows all moral good. It embodies God’s kindness: benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, patience and grace. While kindness is in us as Christians, we do have to work to help kindness flourish.

But that part of the Fruit of the Spirit which is kindness is not just personal inner purity. God creates through the Holy Spirit an expectation that Christians will not be satisfied with working only on their inner kindness. He expects that Believers will take their kindness in to the world. Wesleyan tradition holds that “inner holiness leads to outer holiness,” and this is certainly true of the Fruit of the Spirit. This external manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit is to be kind even in hostile environments and to resist all moral evil.

Like an ordinary raspberry plant, the Fruit of the Sprit in us must be nurtured through prayer, worship, Bible reading and Christian fellowship. So with God through the Holy Spirit, we Christians are always growing the Fruit of the Spirit.

Questions for reflection:

-How do we as Christians led by the Spirit show benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and patience in our lives, our work and our world?

-Will my Spirit-driven compassion look like yours?

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience by Anne Gibson

2009-11-16T16:12:00.002-06:00

“I want patience, and I want it right now!”

I love this old tongue-in-cheek adage—Probably because I’ve either said it or alluded to it with my thoughts and actions so many times that this desire has found a way to weave itself right into the fabric of who I am! I’m not proud of that fact…And, I suspect I’m not alone! Time to unravel that thread! (Immediately, of course!)

There are so many things in our lives that we wait for, aren’t there? Acceptance letters, test results, return phone calls or e-mails, situations we wish would change, healing, stop lights, our turn in line, birthdays, visits….The list is infinite!

Some things yield foreseeable results:
“I know that if I wait for 3-4 minutes, the popcorn in the microwave will be popped!”

Some things have approximate time-frames:
“I know that I will probably graduate from college in 4-5 years.”

Some things have no end in sight:
“I pray that my friend would be healed, but I have no idea when or if that might happen.”

It’s hard to wait in all cases; however it’s the last instance—The indefinite wait-- that seems to wreck the most havoc in our hearts. It’s been throughout a season of this kind of waiting that the Lord has decided to reveal some things about patience to me—Some things to help drown out the ticks of the clock of passing time and, instead, rescue the beautiful hum of blessings the Lord has to give.

Did you know that the Bible is filled to overflowing with people that had to exude patience as they waited upon the Lord?

Let’s take a look at some of these people—And their season of waiting!

Leader Calling Waiting Scripture Reference
Abraham Father of a nation 25 yrs Genesis Ch. 11-25
Joseph Leader of a nation 13 yrs, + 10 more Genesis Ch. 37-50
Moses Deliverer of a nation 40 yrs. + 40 more Ex., Lev., Nu., Dt.
David King of a nation 17 yrs + 7.5 more 1 Sam. 16-1 Kgs Ch. 2
Joshua and Zerubbabel Rebuilders of a nation 20 yrs Ezra Ch. 2:2-5:2
John the Baptist 4runner of Messiah 1-2 yrs. Lk Ch. 1,3, 9(Mt, Mk, Jn, too)
Mary Mother of Messiah 33 yrs Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Paul Witness to Messiah 33 yrs Acts 7:58-28:31; NT Letters
Noah Salvation from Flood 2-5 yrs Genesis Ch. 5:28-10:32
Jacob Return to homeland 20 yrs Genesis Ch. 25-50
Joshua and Caleb Conquering of Canaan 45 yrs. + 2-5 more Numbers Ch. 13-14; Joshua
Hannah Have a child 5-15 yrs 1 Samuel Ch. 1,2
Esther Salvation for a nation About 5 yrs Esther

(table is a compilation from When God Waits: Making Sense of Divine Delays by Jerome Daley, and the Life Application Bible)

All of the people listed above were told by God that they would be used for certain things or that certain events would happen, but none of these things came true right away! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). -- But why does it take so long to see that good sometimes?

Jerome Daley, in When God Waits: Making Sense of Divine Delays reminds us that waiting periods are actually blessings. He says that we should “unwrap the gift of waiting and discover its unique purpose in your journey.” The gift of waiting? What?!

You see, for every one of the people listed above, and in our own lives, we can either choose to fight the time of waiting or use it to learn and grow closer to the One who gifted us with the time in the first place! It’s the latter choice that oozes with the juice of the patience fruit.

During college, I worked at Kinko’s. When the store was full of eager customers, the day would fly by faster than I could have imagined. Those days when nobody seemed to come in, on the other hand…Wow! The clock’s second hand seemed to be glued in place; one day seemed to last forever!

Perhaps that is the secret to the fruit of patience. When we are in a waiting period (as we all are or will be soon!), what do we do with it? Will we fold into ourselves and get frustrated and angry with God over it? Or, will we remember the words of Romans 8:28, acknowledging that out of His love for us, God works all things together for the good of those who love him?

There is a song by John Waller—It’s called “While I’m Waiting”. He tells us how to develop patience honestly and clearly. Take a look at the words:

I'm waitingI'm waiting on You, LordAnd I am hopefulI'm waiting on You, LordThough it is painfulBut patiently, I will waitI will move ahead, bold and confidentTaking every step in obedienceWhile I'm waitingI will serve YouWhile I'm waitingI will worshipWhile I'm waitingI will not faintI'll be running the raceEven while I waitI'm waitingI'm waiting on You, LordAnd I am peacefulI'm waiting on You, LordThough it's not easyBut faithfully, I will waitYes, I will wait

(if you want to hear the song, it’s on YouTube along with some scenes from the movie Fireproof)
Did you see the keys to being patient?

Here’s what I found:
-Serving the Lord
-Worshipping the Lord
-Walking (running!) with the Lord daily
-Faith
-Hope and trust that God’s Plans are best
-A bold commitment to wait

Just like the other fruits of the Spirit, patience is really an action verb! It’s the action of surrendering.
John 3:30 says, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.”

Psalm 18:30-32 says, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock besides the Lord? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

I referred to a season of waiting that I was in at the beginning of the study—That season continues. But somehow it seems shorter, even though the calendar wouldn’t agree. Oh, I still need reminders to surrender my wants and to let God be in charge. My journal still feels the wrath of my pen some nights, and my prayers are not always cheery and hopeful. But, my attitude is changing—I’ve been excited to see what God has already done in this waiting period, and I’m curious to see what’s ahead! I hope and pray the same for you, as you journey through waiting periods and cultivate the soil of patience.

Reflection

Take a look at the list of Biblical heroes that had seasons of waiting above. Think about one of them. Perhaps you want to read some of their story.
-What did they do during their time of waiting?
-What did God do?
-How was God able to use them because of their faithfulness?

The Bible is also full of encouragement we can grasp onto in times of waiting. Take a look at one or two of these Scriptures:
-Isaiah 40:29-31
-Hebrews 6:10-12
-Hebrews 10:23
-Psalm 27:14

1. What does the verse say about the Lord?
2. What does the verse say about our perseverance?
3. What words of hope can you cling to in times of waiting?

Take a look at your own life:

-What is something you are waiting on/for?
-How could this waiting time be a gift?
-Lift up this time of waiting to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to guide you in seeing how you can wait with and for Him. Lift up others around you that you know are also going through times of waiting.
-In what ways can you continue to serve and worship the Lord while you wait?

Look at Psalm 18:30-32 and Romans 8:28 again. Choose one to write down in a place where you can see it. When you do see it, take a moment to give God thanks and praise for Who He is and His perfect plans.

“Patience to the soul is as bread to the body…we eat bread with all our meats, both for health and relish; bread with flesh, bread with fish, bread with broths and fruits. Such is patience to every virtue; we must hope with patience, and pray in patience, and love with patience, and whatsoever good thing we do, let it be done in patience.” –Puritan Thomas Adams

All In by Owen Cooper

2009-11-16T16:02:00.002-06:00

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version) The Widow's Offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________from When you play poker, the betting starts low and depending on how good your hand is, you’re willing to raise the stakes, slowly putting in more and more of your money. At some point, you get pushed to the limit, and you must declare “all in.” This means that you’re putting everything you have on that one hand. If you lose, you go home. Jesus is asking us to go “all in.” Commitment demands action. It extends beyond our relationship to the heavenly Father to every area of life.

Below is a pattern, for the “all in” convert to God (from Matthew Henry's commentary).

1. We must take the Lord for our God.

2. We must take his people for our people in all conditions, though they be a poor despised
people and not always fun to be around.

3. We must be willing to submit to God’s yoke and to go where God will have us to go.

4. We must continue and persevere. Not even death can end our commitment to Christ. It is an everlasting covenant because the Apostle Paul tells us that to join in Christ’s death means we also get to join in with His life and resurrection.

5. We must bind our souls with a bond never to break these resolutions. There is no turning back.

The Land of My Sojourn by Owen Cooper

2009-11-16T15:57:00.002-06:00

I really enjoy being outdoors- running, hiking, camping, and backpacking. I spend a lot of time on the Ice Age Trail. It’s close and yet it’s like stepping into another world.

When I go hiking or backpacking, I travel with no home. On the trail, I pass through a lot of places. Some views are so spectacular I wish I could build a house there. Some swamps are so mosquito infested I wish they would put the trail somewhere else. Some woods are so quiet and still I have to stop in peaceful reverence. Yet no matter how beautiful or how painful, I am still just passing through.

There’s a concept in the backpacking world called “light” hiking. That is the thought that most backpackers take more than they need therefore making their packs heavier. Consequently, they move slower with more pain and less enjoyment. The “light” hikers carry only what they need to be safe, travel more ground per day, feel less sore the next day, and overall have a more enjoyable experience.

Now I’ve read the books on this, but the problem is when I’m packing for a trip, I start thinking about how hungry I’ll be and how cold I’ll be and what if it rains and what if it’s hot. I can know in theory that I should leave some of this stuff behind, but in reality, it is harder to execute.

Don’t be afraid to leave things behind. The truth is we will enjoy the journey of life far more with less baggage. Jesus is our living bread and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He WILL take care of us. We can read that truth in the Bible, but then we head out into the real world, and we get scared. I might need this. Or I might need that. Don’t be afraid to leave things behind. We can’t just read books about the Christian journey, we need to go out and experience it.

There’s so much to see and go through- pleasant green valleys and dark valleys of the shadow of death. They’ll be places we’ll want to stop and stay and places we wish we never had to go through. They’ll be places where worship will come easy and places where it’s all we can do to keep walking forward without bitterness and anger. Yet no matter what our sojourn brings us, remember, we are just passing through. As enjoyable and painful as the journey is, some day we will be done. And then we will be home.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace by Dan McCrea

2009-10-29T16:38:00.000-05:00

Peace, the perspective a language a challenged layman.

There are times I wish I was a better student of the English language. Oh, I do okay, but my written and verbal command of my native tongue is, more than I would care to admit, weak. I grew up in Brighton Park, a working class neighborhood on Chicago’s south-west side. The grandson of immigrants, I was a fourth generation McCrea living in a two-flat purchased by my father’s grandparents. As a native Chicagoan, I grew up speaking like all Chicagoans, replacing “th” with “d” as in “dem, dese, dose and dere” rather than correctly saying “them, these, those and there.” I also have a tendency to drop the “g” off of “ing” as in “shoppin’ cart” rather than “shopping cart.” The list of my verbal infractions can be long and is often times met with humorous rebuke from my wife. Kim, a native Badger, who will in an interesting tone, respond to my infractions with a question. “Dan, where is the frun-chroom in our home?” Indeed, Kim’s not so subtle correction was in reference to my calling our living room a “frun-chroom.” My reply to her inquiry is usually something like the following. “Ey, my livin’ room was in da fronna da house.”

In spite of my oral inadequacies, I am fascinated with how people use language, particularly the same word to describe what may be two, or more, different emotions, characteristics or qualities. For example, one may hear “I love my new care” and then hear from the same person “I love my children.” This puzzles me, for I wonder how one word can be used to describe what I hope would be two very different affections for two very different subjects- a car and a child. The Greeks used three different words for three types of love. They had it right.

Love is not the only victim of the English language used widely and carelessly. Words such as excellence, teamwork, partnership, business, marketing and communication have all morphed to the point of where the receiver is unsure of the sender’s intent. For example, my definition of marketing is based on the marketing mix- product, price, distribution and promotion while others us the word, incorrectly in my opinion, solely in the context of promotion.

Well, all of this leads me to the word, “peace,” as it relates to the fruit of the Spirit. What does peace mean to me, to you or to God? I had not really thought about it until I was asked to contribute this devotional. Is the word “peace” carelessly used like the word “love” that I wrote of earlier?

In church we hear “peace be with you” to which we respond with “and also with you.” On the news we hear President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peaceful international relations. On gravestones we see “Rest In Peace.” And, often we personally wish for some “peace and quiet.”

Now I’m sure we are all smart enough to know the general meaning of “peace,” but perhaps we should examine a deeper, more Biblical definition of the word,. Originally written in Hebrew, the Old Testament word for peace is shalom. The New Testament, written in Greek, used the word eirene. Since I took neither Greek nor Hebrew in college, I dangerously used Wikipedia as my source for word translation.

Shalom, Hebrew for peace, completeness and welfare. Shalom is often used to mean both hello and goodbye. In review of this definition, we can understand the meaning behind the exchange of “peace be with you” followed by “and also with you.”

Eirene, the Greek word for peace used in the New Testament is similar to Shalom in that the word implies wholeness or completeness. The Greek verb erio means to bind together that which has been separated.

The fruit of the Spirit as written by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 is as follows: “22But the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control Against such things there is no law.”

Allow me to propose that although peace is the third fruit, perhaps Paul’s intent was not to highlight or force rank one fruit of the Spirit over another, but to bind the fruits together in hopes of achieving wholeness. We are the fruit of God or the product of accepting God as our Savior while striving for His will. Our fruit is not one quality or two, but all qualities- love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control- bound together creating peace within one’s soul- to be whole with God. Like a tree bears fruit, our usable fruit of the Spirit that is visible to others, is the product or illustration of our relationship with God.

In today’s world we deal with an abundance of technology bombarding us with words, messages and noise to which, as written earlier, we wish for “peace and quiet.” When we seek peace we are, perhaps, searching for completeness; completeness in Christ that can be achieved by giving, producing, and illustrating our control. Think about it, when you were at peace were you hateful, inpatient, unkind or evil? Or were you illustrating the fruits of the Spirit?

Philippians 4:4-7

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5:Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request s to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Further reading:
http://www.spirithome.com/fruitssp.html#fruity

Questions for Reflection:

What can I do this week to find peace in my life?
How has God given me peace lately?

Vision of Ministry/Name of Ministry

2009-10-29T11:12:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about the name of the ministry: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater United Methodist Ministry.

I think it's too long.

I've been thinking of new names.

During that process, I've gotten wisdom from two people.

The first person said, "Why don't you get some ideas for other people?" And who better to ask then you who are actually a part of this facebook group?!

The second person said, "You've got to start with a vision, and the name will come out of that."

Very wise, indeed!

So, I'd like your input.

For starters, my vision as best as I can articulate it now is this:

1. Cast the net wide to reach those students who are falling through the cracks- those who aren't being served by other campus ministries.
2. Do events, outings, and activities that will help foster community and connectedness on what can be a lonely college experience.
3. Lead small groups Bible Studies for opportunities of spiritual growth and learning.
4. Invest in a few key individuals to pursue God in a deeper way.

I welcome your thoughts and input. I also welcome your ideas for a name.

Here's what my brainstorming session has come up with so far:

-The Bridge: Connecting You to God and the Campus to the Community
-ROC (Resting On Christ) Solid Campus Ministry
-The Cross & The Flame Warhawk Chapter
-Splash (Like a splash of water on a clear lake, we want to make a lasting impact with our lives and on this campus.)

What do you think?

Gifts from God by Devin Wisman

2009-10-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
During a mission trip over the summer to the Bahamas, I was given the opportunity to help out with the weekly Soup Kitchen provided for the homeless people in the area. It was an experience I will never be able to fully describe.
About twenty people had gathered at the gates of the church waiting for food. The church pastor came out and we held a short fifteen-minute service. It was amazing to watch these people who had nothing praise God with song, prayer, and scripture. After the service, we began handing out food. The church volunteers told me to make sure that each person received only one bag. As I began handing out bags, I realized that I had to watch to make sure that they weren’t hiding a bag behind their legs and asking for a second. I also had to start watching their faces, as some people would get one bag, go around the corner to hide it, and then return for a second. It was heartbreaking to watch. All they wanted was a second bag of soup, and I was walking through a buffet line twice a day at our hotel. I served people young and old, families and individuals, children and the elderly. I had to fight back tears as emotion washed over me. It was almost overwhelming.
Eventually we ran out of food and had to lock the church gates again. I think the hardest part was to return to the Vacation Bible School we were teaching. We were working at the richest Methodist church on the island, so the children who came to the VBS were not hurting for money. They had the latest Hannah Montana t-shirts and were well fed. The snacks provided by the church at the VBS were quite large, so when I returned to the VBS during lunch, I found it very difficult to watch them throw away burgers with one bite out of them, knowing that starving people right outside the church gates would have done anything for that burger sitting in the trash. It was quite a mind-shock.
It is in experiences like this that I am reminded of God’s grace and my responsibility to His people. As long as I am capable, I know that I need to work to help those less fortunate. God has been good to me in my life. I am blessed beyond my knowing, and I need to use the gifts God has given me to share His blessings with others.

God's Timing by Monica Digman

2009-10-28T13:37:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, can be seen in the picture above (DSC00804).

When I was going through my bible I read over many verses, but the one that "spoke" to me was ECC 3:1-8. There are many different ways one could read and understand this passage, but the main theme from the passage is time, that there is time for everything under the sun. But everything happens in "God's time."

I think that the best example of God's Time is when lightening starts a fire in the forest. The forest will get burnt to a crisp and all of the wildlife lose their homes. The whole place is burnt beyond recognition. One may ask, how any good could come from such a destructive force of nature? All of the trees look like a burnt match stuck upside-down in the dirt. It's only when the forest begins to re-grow itself that you can see that the burn was indeed profitable to the undergrowth of the forest, all of the little plants get fertilized from the ash from their fallen brethren.

One doesn't always understand why bad things happen to good people, until afterwards when you see the situation as a "learning situation." I was always taught that "Hind sight is 20/20" you can't change what you did back then and you can only see what you did wrong because only now can you see the big picture.

(I included some pictures, the first is a picture of a fire and the second of undergrowth soon after one, they are NOT the same forest though)

Here is a link to a video of a good example of the destruction and re-growth of nature, provided by Disney.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn1oKz9V7NY

CAN YOU SEE THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES?

~They didn't love their life so much As to shrink from death, Inspired in their footsteps We will march ahead.
Don't be shocked that people die, Be surprised you're still alive~ ("Cassie" Flyleaf)

Anxiousness by Zach Chudy

2009-10-28T13:36:00.000-05:00

Recently I had an experience with school work mounting up. I had 2 exams and a take home exam along with lab work and other reading assignments. This being my last semester before grad school, I wanted to finish up strong and was cruising through this semester.
So I started working on this take home exam and it was not really going well at all. I was unable to understand any of it, and became more and more anxious and stressed out, thinking to myself, “I am going to fail, and even if I do pass how can I possibly do grad school if this gives me so much trouble?”
A few minutes later I stopped myself and said, “What am I doing?” I remembered the verse “don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God.” (Philippians 4:6) And so I tried to relax and say God is in control; everything is ok, and I just couldn’t shake the stress and anxiety. So I prayed and asked God to show me how to cast my cares unto him (Psalms 55:22) and how not to be anxious. And I stopped studying and went outside.
Within the time it took me to walk out of my apartment and down the stairs to the crisp night air, I felt a wonderful peace cover me which has lasted the whole weekend. I am still struggling with figuring out the work but I am slowly getting closer. I am finding out how to enjoy God in the simple task of doing my homework and in the midst of failing to understand my homework, and it is simply awesome. You might think I would end this with a success story, and there will probably be one, but to me what I have said is one already. (The outcome of my grade matters little to me compared with walking in faith with my Savior.)

The LORD will fight for you by Jimmy Kussow

2009-10-28T13:35:00.002-05:00

Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

I find this passage of scripture very awesome. It is said by Moses right before the parting of the Red Sea as the Egyptians are running after the Israelites after they had let them go. They were worrying that they had escaped Egyptian control only to fall prey to their superior army. Moses didn’t have this worry at all because he knew the Lord would provide.

We can definitely apply this to our lives today as we scurry around to classes, group projects, and being involved in organizations. You may worry you wont have enough time to do things but God will provide you a way to get everything done. This is definitely the case in my life right now as I search for a job/internship after I graduate. I am going to let God get me a job where he wants me to have one. I am not going to worry but be still before God because he is the worker of miracles.

Contentment & Strength by Samantha Ruehl

2009-10-28T13:33:00.000-05:00

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:11-13

These are the words of the apostle Paul who went through much suffering.

These days we are living in a tough economy and for some of us, especially those who have seen the finer things in life, it can be quiet uneasy. Even if we are not suffering financially we are all suffering in some way.

I am a college student who at this point in time is broke. In this situation I would usually turn to my father who has provided for me my whole life, but due to him currently being laid off I can no longer do this. This situation has really been stressing me out. I have very little money left in my checking account and am not sure what I’m going to do when it’s gone. It is not the easiest time to find a job, especially living here in Whitewater, and my school load is already stressing me out. All of these things have been bringing me down, so I decided I needed to turn to my Heavenly Father. That is when I came across this scripture. I realized that I should be totally content with what I have. There are so many people that are worse off than me, at least I have a meal plan and know I will be fed, a roof over my head, and people who love me. Some people don’t even have that let alone Him who gives me strength.

So next time you feel stressed out or depressed at your current situation remember happiness comes through being content in all circumstances and this is possible through Him who gives us strength.

Purpose Driven People by Alyssa Bocanegra

2009-10-28T13:20:00.000-05:00

“Now, my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
John 12:27-28

This is what Jesus said after he predicted His death.

Jesus lived a purpose driven life.

He knew the call of God, and He did not waver. His mindset was to fulfill His call and Glorify God-even to His death. Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven was transformed.

The apostle Paul is pretty well known for the persecutions he suffered. He was flogged, imprisoned, shipwrecked- all in a good days work. But, he never wavered from His purpose. He knew that God was calling him to spread the Gospel, and because of his perseverance, the Kingdom of Heaven was advanced.

Now I know that most of us may not have callings anywhere near those of Jesus and Paul.

But what difficult situations are you facing today? What sacrifices is God asking you to make? Have you focused on how to bring God glory through them?

Let us be a purpose driven people- ready to sacrifice to bring God glory!

The Tongue by Owen Cooper

2009-10-28T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is the first installment for the school year of a weekly e-mail devotional. Every week a different student will write and share some thoughts from scripture with us all. My prayer is that we may encourage and edify one another through this process.

James 3:1-12

Did you know that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body? Scripture refers to the tongue again and again as a mighty weapon. The question is: Is it a weapon for good or for evil? Here are some evil uses of our tongue:
Flattery
Lies
Mischief
Wickedness
Boastfulness
Deceit
Destruction

But our tongues can be and should be used for good. We are admonished to use our tongue to:
praise our Lord
encourage one another
speak justice
sing joyfully
bring words of healing and knowledge
teach kindness
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

How will you use your tongue this week? What can you say to your roommate to cheer them up and encourage them? How can you praise the Lord with your tongue this week? How can you speak justice, healing, knowledge, and kindness into the world?

May God inspire you with ways to inspire others with your words.

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy by Staci Cooper

2009-10-28T13:18:00.001-05:00

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Go to Nehemiah Chapter 8. Read the chapter and then continue on.....

The Bible, in Nehemiah 8:10 , says "the joy of the LORD is your strength". How can the LORD's joy be my strength? How does that work?

Putting the verse back into its context tells us more about what is being said here. Nehemiah, the governor, directed and completed the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days! He had help from the people who had returned from exile and captivity with him from Babylon. This had been an on going project for almost 100 years! Ezra, the priest, is reading the book of the law, the Torah, to the people who have returned from captivity.

All of the people have assembled to hear the law. Verse 9 says that Nehemiah and Ezra tell the people:
"'This day is holy to the LORD your God, do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law."

Why is this day holy to the LORD?
Because His people have heard the law, the truth, and their hearts have been convicted of the sins they have committed against God.
They realize that they have broken covenant with God and that God has remained faithful.

Verse 10 Says: "Then he (Nehemiah) said to them 'Go, eat of the fat, and drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"

Why are they to eat when they have just been weeping and mourning?
Because eating together is a part of the covenant that God has made with His people, including you and me.

Jesus came and gave us the New Covenant and we are to eat and drink, in rememberance of what He did for us. His body and His blood are what allow us to be in covenant with Him.

Eating and drinking (taking Communion) remind us to look at the covenant God made with us and to examine how we are doing on keeping covenant with Him.

God always upholds His end of the covenant and He knows that we will fail. Yet, He still sent His Son to fulfill our half of the covenant. So that we could live eternally with Him.

Christ is the ONLY ONE that is able to do that. Not our works, our prayers, our thoughts, our zeal, our busyness, or our belief. That is why His grace is SO amazing!

That is why "the joy of the LORD is your strength." Did you catch it?

When we come to the LORD in repentance, in weeping and mourning, for breaking covenant with Him, for sinning, HE invites us to dine with Him.
God says to us, as filthy and dirty as we are, to come to His table.
He clothes us in His robe of righteousness (or reminds us that we are wearing His robe).
He invites us to eat with Him, to drink with Him at His feast of love.
The LORD says to us, “Come and eat with Me, commune with Me, for you have made known your covenant breaking before Me. Come and continue to keep covenant with me for I am filled with joy.”

Then, we are able to stand before our LORD in His strength because we are now keeping covenant with Him. He has restored us to Himself because His Word has instructed us in our shortcomings and we have acknowledged them.

O Beloved, I can't wait for that glorious day when we join Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!!

Questions to think on:

-In what ways do you keep covenant with God?
-In what ways do you break covenant with God?
-What can you do today to find "the joy of the LORD"?

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love by Owen Cooper

2009-10-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

The Fruit of the Spirit: LOVE

When I was in college, I had a friend who loved to play this game with songs. Everyone would agree on a word, like “truck” for example, and then we would take turns trying to think of songs with the word “truck” in it. If you couldn’t think of a word, you were out. The last person left would win, and then we’d pick a new word. I remember the time we did the word “love.” That game lasted for 3 days!

How many songs do you know with the word “love”? Lost love, found love, new love, or true love is the topic of most songs. How many catchy “love” quotes do you know? (“Love makes the world go ‘round.” “Love is blind.”)

It’s true that love is all around us, but where does this desire for love, to be loved, and to feel loved come from? The Greek word for love in the New Testament is agape. The Zondervan NIV concordance says that the word agape “in the New Testament [is] usually the active love of God for his Son and his people, and the active love his people are to have for God, each other, and even enemies.”

So the love we are to have for each other and even the love that we give back to God is modeled for us by God Himself! He shows us how to love by how He loves His own Son, Jesus. And He shows us how to love by how He displays His love toward us. And how does He do that?

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) This then, truly is an active love. This is not a passive, feel-good-about-myself kind of love. This is a love with teeth.

Read 1 Corinthians 13 below.

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I guarantee you that if you google the word love, you will find all sorts of “love,” but most of it will not look anything like what we just read in 1 Corinthians 13 above. Why do human attempts at love fall so short and become so broken? How can we possibly display the agape, God kind of love?

1 Corinthians 13 describes the ideal love, the perfect love. Surely we can’t do that! That’s where our passage about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians helps us. Here’s what it says right before and right after listing the fruit of the Spirit:

“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:17-18) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

So it is not our human frail love we have to count on, but through the Holy Spirit of God, we can love like God loves- even better, we can love with God’s love!

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us…We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:16-17a, 19)

Questions for Reflection:
1. Where have you seen agape love at its best?
2. When have you tried to love someone without God’s help?
3. How can you show agape love to those around you?
4. How does God show you that he loves you?
5. How do you show God that you love Him?

The Produce Department by David Kalas

2009-10-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

The Produce Department

Walk into Sentry and turn right, and you'll find yourself in the midst of that most appetizing portion of the store -- the Produce Department. Before you get to all the foods that are boxed, canned, bottled, and wrapped, you walk through Nature's section of the store. These foods are not wrapped in plastic or cellophane. These foods are wrapped in things like peels, leaves, and husks.

Admittedly, there is a great deal of modern technology that goes into producing our produce today. Still, the product remains fundamentally the same. Bring into our supermarkets a visitor from the 18th-century -- or anyone earlier -- and he will recognize the apples, oranges, and bananas. The macaroni-and-cheese shaped like Spongebob will not look familiar to him. Neither will the Froot Loops, the Fritos, or the Fanta. But he will know what he's looking at when he walks through the Produce Department, for it most resembles what every generation of humanity has known.

Indeed, the Produce Department is the part of our grocery store that most resembles Eden -- the fruit-filled garden, which was God's first home for human beings (Genesis 2:7-17).

God's first instructions to His Creation was to "be fruitful" (Genesis 1:22, 28; see also Genesis 8:17; 9:1, 7; 35:11) It is within the very design of produce to re-produce, and this design reflects God's will for all of Creation. And so we see, as the Scriptural story unfolds, that He continues to want to see fruitfulness from His creatures.

Fruitful Living

At the beginning of the Book of Psalms, we read a brief, poetic description of the righteous person -- the true man or woman of God. The Psalmist describes for us what this individual does and does not do. And, along the way, we are told that this exemplary person is "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season" (Psalm 1:3 NIV).

The Old Testament understanding of righteousness was a thing that functioned the way that it was designed to function. A righteous human being, therefore, was understood to be one who lived the way that God designed a human being to live. And so the image of a fruitful tree was a natural metaphor for a righteous person.

Conversely, a wicked person is often identified in terms of a tree that does not bear fruit. John the Baptist warned that the judgment of the wicked would be like the cutting down of trees that fail to bear fruit (Matthew 3:9-10). And Jesus, likewise, indicated that you could tell the righteous from the unrighteous by "their fruit," echoing the prospect that any tree failing to produce good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:15-20).

Evidence of the mercy of God, however, is the fact that even the sinful are urged to bear fruit. Specifically, there is a sort of fruit that a sinner is capable of: the fruits of repentance. John the Baptist urged the crowds that came to hear him preach, saying, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7-8 NRSV).

Meanwhile, once a person has repented of his or her sins and has come to salvation in Christ, there is a new and different kind of fruitfulness that God desires.

God's Orchard

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia, he impressed upon them the differences between a life lived according to the flesh and a life lived according to the Spirit. He detailed for them what each kind of living produces. And the produce of a Spirit-lived life he appropriately referred to as "the fruit of the Spirit."

According to Paul, "The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23 TEV).

Produce, you know, is what comes naturally. You have to "make" macaroni. You have to "make" Froot Loops. But you don't have to make an apple or an orange or a peach. They grow naturally on the trees that produce them. And, likewise, the spiritual fruit Paul itemized are supposed to come naturally out of a certain kind of tree: namely, the individual who is living under the influence of the Spirit of God.

We have a phrase to capture that which is abundant and free. For we say of our limited resources, "You know, that stuff doesn't grow on trees." Well, fruit does grow on trees. It is God's design that trees produce and reproduce. There is fruitfulness and abundance in His will for nature, as well as in His will for human beings.

This, then, is truly fruitful living, and this is true righteousness: to live a life filled by the Spirit of God is to live the way God designed us to live. And that life blossoms forth in the virtues that reflect and resemble their Source.

Finally, we recall that insight of the Psalmist: that the righteous person is like a tree "which yields its fruit in season." That raises the question of the "seasons" for the spiritual fruit. What exactly is the "season" for self-control? What is the "season" for patience? If you and I are really allowing the Spirit to do His strong and lovely work within us, then we will be like that fruitful tree in Psalm 1: when the need rolls around for kindness, humility, or whathaveyou, we'll be there with the ripe produce!

Personal Reflection

As we embark on a several-week e-study of the fruit of the Spirit, give some personal thought to these fruit individually.

Here, again, is the list. As you read it, who is the person in your life experience that comes first to mind as exemplifying that particular fruit? As you read it, which fruit do you think others would say characterizes you? As you read it, which fruit do you especially lack? And, as you read it, consider a recent occasion in your life that was perhaps the "season" for each.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Humility

Self-Control

Why this blog?

2009-10-24T15:08:00.001-05:00

I've been receiving so many good devotionals and e-mail Bible Studies from students and church members that I wanted to get them out there for more people to see. What if you signed up late? Now, you can go back and look at the previous ones. So this will sort of be the archives for what everyone has written.