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March 25, 2008
Hi, Everyone!
What am awesome service Easter
morning, eh?!
Our visitors were truly blessed, and
several want to come back. We
got a double-barrel blessing with an
short Easter message with video,
then secondly, a final cumulative exhortation
on "FirstFruits" Sunday, the true
significance of Easter by Scott.
For those who didn't hear it, Easter's second part
(by Scott)
has already
been uploaded to iTunes
(click on "SermonCast" at bottom)
and our church website at
lifeway.org
("Teaching/Downloads".
What a celebration it was!
With the unity and expression of our
faith at its zenith for many years,
the FirstFruits" offering was one of
the best ever ... and the best "per
capita" ever! With our faith
so high and freely expressed in the
Lord and His "Purpose Driven Church"
at LifeWay, this all means that
some amazing things and answers to
prayer are going to happen this
year! 2 Thess. 1:11 assures
us " ... that by his power He may
fulfill every good purpose of yours
and every act prompted by your
faith." Some churches call
this a "faith promise"; God calls it
an act of faith that He promises to
reward," which Jesus confirmed by
saying: "According to your faith, so
be it."
Now---a surprise! Johnathan
just sent us a little study and
exhortation that he asked me to
share with our church. I know
you will be blessed as I was.
Here it is:
"Hi, LifeWay!
"Here is a meditation
for this week on John 12:23-26 and Luke 8:4-15,
called "What Ground Should I Seek to Fall
Into?"
"Let us look at the parable of the slower and see
the different "soils" not as individuals, but as
local "bodies."
- The hard ground
of religious tradition.
- Stony ground
of independent members in denominations living
shallow; having lost touch with the depth and
blessing of their origins.
- The weedy ground
of groups more enamored with the gifts than the
giver, the blessings than the blessed, the power
than the person of Christ.
- The good, deep
ground of a local Fellowship walking in love,
light, liberty, and a common life. These
are those who live to weep together, laugh
together, rise in praise together, battle in
prayer together---those who forgive, repent,
redeem, and press on.
"As we fall into
the prepared soul, the water, blood, and Spirit
accomplishes the "dying" or "breaking" of our
"outer man." We no longer have to rely on
worldly circumstances to "deal" with us (surely
the prodigal did not have to leave home;
but God will use those forces "outside" the body
if one does not receive the Spirit's working
"inside" the body). This is the truth
of communion: If we would judge ourselves
(inside), we will not have to face judgment
(outside).
"This is a great
privilege for those of us who desire to be fully
used, poured out, or, as Judas
accused Mary about the ointment, "wasted"
on our Lord and His love, which is His Bride--the Church.
"As we die in the
soil of his garden, our gifts are released into
the lives of all the members. One's lack
is overcome by another's abundance; one's
failing is redeemed by another's grace.
All prospering together, eating the finest of
the wheat, and savoring the "honey from the
rock"---our Lord released from the tomb of
our "selves" to build His Church, reigning in His
Kingdom, and glorified in our generation!"
Isn't that an inspiring devotional?
... Like a "shot in the arm!" You can tell
that Johnathan is spending a lot of time in
prayer and study---He calls it a "forced
sabbatical" - ha. He says he might
start a little series for us, called "Letters
from the Inside-Out," or something to that
effect. He only has months to go now
(it won't be long!),
so we need to pray that the Lord will give him
favor to come home in 9 months!
He said
his desire is to "fill up what is lacking" with
his absence, and to "bear his part of the burden."
Groups are being reformed with a new vision and
purpose, as we shared in the church meeting.
Announcements should be forth-coming in a few
days. New leaders will be asked to attend
a one-hour training session
(on perhaps a
Sat. or Sunday after church)
to learn how to input their group information,
calendar, blogs, etc. into the new interactive
"ConnectionPower" site for LifeWay. It's
at
www.lifeway.org/index2.htm.
Also, in a month or so, we will be placing a visual "ribbon"
in the front of the chapel to show the progress of our
giving toward our new worship location, and the
purchase of property on Hwy. 59 in Rosenberg.
Also, we will build a "display model" of our
150-acre, Ps. 68:6 "therapeutic community,' to
see the overall plan and to use for marketing
purposes. Everyone seems to be more
excited about the future---the nearness of the
actual materialization of the things God has
spoken to us to accomplish in and through Him
(Eph. 2:10)! Praise God!
Finally, in our listing of church and community
events online, we will be making a transition
from the Google Calendar
(below)
to our own interactive calendar at
"ConnectionPower." You can call Jako for
any technical questions regarding logging on to
the member site
(with your own
username and password)
or if you have not given us your active email
address to receive an invitation.
"That's all, folks" ... for now.
Love,
David
P.S. The Scripture for the week
(1 Cor. 12)
is next to the video we just posted at our
website ... the Mac/PC parody about the "Lone
Ranger" vs. the "Body Member"--- quite cute, as well
as instructional. You've got to see it again
(ha). Go to
www.lifeway.org,
then click on "Video/Multimedia" or
click here.
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