"Slave of Jesus Christ"

This morning I referred to a Catalyst Podcast interview with Bill Bright by John Maxwell. You can download or listen to that podcast here.

The Power of Surrender-- Questions for Discussion and Reflection

Sunday Launch Fine Arts Ministry of West University Baptist and Crosspoint Church from Houston, TX shared with us the musical, White Flag-- The Power of Surrender. You can listen to Pastor Robby Dobbs’ message here.

What do the following New Testament Scriptures quoted during the musical reveal about the power of surrendering our lives to God?

Galatians 5:1--

2 Corinthians 12:9--

Romans 14:4--

2 Corinthians 9:8--

Ephesians 3:20--

2 Timothy 3:16--

Hebrews 2:18; 7:25--

Jude 1:24--

1 John 5:4--

What areas of your life is the Holy Spirit leading you to surrender to His control? 

Man of Steel Family Movie Night

Parents-- a great way to engage your family is to watch a movie together. This summer's blockbuster Man of Steel offers entertainment for the whole family and some great opportunities for interaction afterwards. So, round up the kids and take them to see Man of Steel (PG-13). Then use the following Conversation Guide to take another look at the movie’s major themes. In the conversation, you will discover new connections to your own life and God’s Word.

From the explosive first scenes of Man of Steel, only one unshakable determination stands: a father’s love for his son. Even when Jor-El (played by Russell Crowe) knows the sacrifices will be total and the separation utterly heart-wrenching, he will not be stopped. Throughout the film, the incredible love of a father is what makes everything good possible.It’s a powerful, self-giving, unrelenting force that becomes an anchor of Superman’s identity and purpose. This love drives hope; this hope drives purpose. And when spoken, this love gives Superman his ultimate challenge: “You can save them… you can save all of them.”

ASK YOUR KIDS:
1. What’s the best example of love that you’ve seen?
2. Think about the people you love in your life. How can you love them better?
3. What makes it hard to love people the way Jesus wants us to? Download the entire Conversation Guide from the American Bible Society here.

the Fundamentals: Servanthood (How to be Great) Questions for Discussion and Reflection

Luke, in Acts 11:26 reveals, “And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” The label, “Christian” was given to the disciples by the citizens of Antioch noting their follwership and identity with Christ. The suffix “ianos” (from Christianos, Christian) was often used of servants and the household to which they belonged. Servanthood in general and servant of Christ in particular is embedded in our identity as Christians.

Read Mark 10:32-45. What prompted James and John to approach Jesus? (32-34) How should Jesus’ statement “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” motivate Christians? See also Philippians 2:4.

What insights about servanthood are gained by the following New Testament examples?

Macedonian Christians—2 Corinthians 9:10-15—

The Apostle Paul—Romans 1:1; Ephesians 3:7; and Colossians 1:24-25—

The Apostle Peter—2 Peter 1:1—

Deacons— Acts 6:2-4—

Servant entrusted with five talents—Matthew 25:14-30—

The faithful Servant—Luke 12:41-48—

How ought Christians to serve?

1 Peter 2:16; 4:10—

Romans 12:7—

1 Corinthians 12:5—

2 Corinthians 4:4 & 13:4—

How is the Holy Spirit leading you to grow in the disciple of servanthood?

Father's Day Runner Up Video

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6, ESV

Ideas for Celebrating Dad this Father's Day

Celebrate Dad!

Father's Day is this Sunday! Plan a special way to honor the faithful dads in your family. (If there is no dad in the home, consider honoring a grandfather, uncle, or family friend.)

Here's a family discipleship idea from SPLINK. Click here to sign up for SPLINK.

Make a special meal for him (what dad doesn't love food???) and afterward take turns choosing one of the sentence starters and completing it. (Write each one on an index card or slip of paper.)

•        My dad is great at ________.

•        I love my dad because ________.

•        My dad is really good at __________.

•        The best thing I love about my dad is ___________.

•        I can count on my dad to always  __________.

•        I hope that I'm as good as you are at _________ when I grow up.

NMBC for a special Father's Day Celebration with Santos' Gospel Doo Wop at 9:00 and

10:45 AM and a BBQ & concert on the patio at 12:30. Click here for more information.

the Fundamentals-- Spiritual Discipline:Giving Questions for Discussion and Reflection

This week we focus on the spiritual discipline of stewardship. As Christians we demonstrate biblical stewardship when we invest our time, talent and treasure for God’s purposes. Randy Alcorn in his book, The Treasure Principle, writes, “If God (is) the owner, I (am) the manager. I need to adopt a steward’s mentality… A steward manages assets for the owner’s benefit.. It’s his job to find out what the owner wants done and with his assets, then carry out his will.” (Page 25) What insights do you gain from the following Scriptures in relation to the following principles of stewardship?

God is the ultimate and rightful Owner of everything—

     Psalm 24:1—

     Haggai 2:8—

     James 1:17—

The steward belongs to God— “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:20

     Romans 1:6—

     Philippians 1:1—

     2 Timothy 2:24—

Stewards seek to faithfully manage all with which they are entrusted—

     Malachi 3:8—

     Mark 12:41-44—

     James 4:13-15—

     Acts 4:32-37—

Read Acts 19:17-19. How did these new Ephesian believers demonstrate biblical stewardship?

Take some time to examine your use of the talents, time and treasure God has entrusted to you. Do your actions show you an owner or steward? What steps is the Holy Spirit leading you to take as a result of this study?

Prayer Update for the Eurasia Institute

Wesley and Mary Downum are in the Ukraine with IFES (known in the US as Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship. As they begin their second week of service they shared the following update and prayer requests:

We are starting the second week of the IFES Eurasia Institute; training Inter Varsity staff workers for their work in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The picture is a general shot of the staff workers (or, to be precise, some of the staff, who work in less sensitive countries). I asked one of the 'students' (staff workers) here what surprised her most in the first week. She replied that she had been focused on the mechanics of building strong student leadership teams and strong groups. Things like encouraging prayer, regular Bible study, and how to do evangelism. She found herself surprised and challenged by the first week focus on recognizing that there is no simple check-list of activities that create a good Christian community environment.

The teachers spent much more time on encouraging the staff and their students to 'be' more than to 'do'. Be transparent in conversations, acknowledging your failures and your successes. Be working toward more Christian maturity (read 2 Timothy, if you are wondering what that means for a Christian leader). Be loving. This staff worker is starting to work through the issue of how to balance the temptation to focus on the activities instead of on the character. Mary and Wesley are tiring some. The four tea breaks a day imply a lot of standing on our feet, and there are always a small set of additional tasks, from checking the batteries in the receiver units for the times the teacher is translated (whether into English or into Russian) to the occasional 'clean up a room after a national group has held a planning session for the entire afternoon and has left their sketch-pads taped to all of the walls. And it still surprises us how much difference it makes that none of the flights of stairs are made up of 'all steps of the same height'. For some reason that does stress the feet unusually. That said, conversations like the one at the start of this letter make it all worthwhile and we are looking forward to more encouraging news for you. (And we promise to share the failures as well, when we return.)

Thank you for your prayers. Wesley & Mary

"Daddy Tithe"

This Sunday we're taking a closer look at the spiritual discipline of giving. In this video Pastor Thomas McDaniels shares a humorous story to illustrate the biblical principle of tithing. In my family we call this kind of "sharing" of french fries a "daddy tax." Enjoy!

Father's Day Gospel Doo Wop!

Join us Sunday, June 16th at 9:00 and 10:45 AM for a Father's Day Gospel Doo Wop                      featuring Santos.
Free BBQ and Concert on the patio at 12:30 PM. Enter to win a pair of Yankee tickets!

the Fundamentals-- Spiritual Disciplines Questions for Discussion and Reflection

This week we focus on four spiritual disciplines—prayer, the Word, fellowship and witnessing. Dawson Trotman described these disciplines as spokes of a tire emanating from the Hub which is Christ. Review the following Scriptures related to these disciplines. What would commitment to each of these look like in your life?

    

Prayer—

     Matthew 7:7--

     John 15:7—

     1 Timothy 2:8—

     Philippians 4:6-7—

Word—

     Joshua 1:8—

     Psalm 119:9—

     2 Timothy 3:16-17—

     1 Peter 2:2--

Fellowship—

     Acts 2:43—

     Hebrews 10:24-25—

     1 John 1:3—

Witnessing—

     Matthew 4:19—

     Romans 1:16—

     1 Peter 3:15—

In Disciplines of a Godly Man Tullian Kent Hughes & Carey Hughes “We will never get anywhere without discipline, be it in the arts, trades, business, athletics, or academics...This is doubly so in spiritual matters. In other areas we may be able to claim some natural advantage. An athlete may be born with a strong body, a musician with perfect pitch… But not of us can claim a natural spiritual advantage. In reality we are all equally disadvantaged.  (See Romans 3:10-12) Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything—everything! (pages 18-19) How has this study spurred in you a greater desire for discipline? What spiritual discipline is the Holy Spirit leading you to focus your energy?