Reflections: April 11, 2010

This Weekend's Reflection: by Jeff Taylor Pastor of Teaching & Worship

Wii Made It!! Wii just finished our series on the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith as documented in our LBF belief statements. It has been a real treat for both Gary and myself to get to dive so deeply into these foundational topics in the Word and bring it to the body. We understand that some of the topics and points made have a lot of debate surrounding them, but our prayer is that we would all be open to what God want to speak to us through His Word.

 

As we said throughout the series, we want to encourage you to dive into the study of the Word of God. It does not require a theology degree, or even hours of research. There are so many resources out there which offer in depth information to help each of us understand, at our own levels. A couple of the resources that Gary and I have used for this series as well as others

are:

 

"An Exploration Of Christian Theology" by Don Thorsen Hendrickson Publishers Inc. 2008

*** This is the one we handed out to various church members who posted "Mii's" on the LBF Facebook page.

 

"Introducing Christian Doctrine" Second Edition by Millard Erickson Published by Baker Academic 2001

 

Share some of your reflections on the series and how God has spoken to you about your faith and living out what you believe. Here is a quick recap of the topics in the series:

 

TITLE: Wii Believe Sin the Bible

BIG IDEA: The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings and is the final authority in matters of faith and life.

TEXTS: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21

 

TITLE: Wii Believe in the Triune God

BIG IDEA: God is one in essence, eternally existing in three persons ­ the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit ­ they are co-equal in attributes, power and glory and equally worthy of all obedience, worship, praise and adoration

TEXTS: Matthew 28:19, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:6-7, John 5:23, Acts 5:3-4

 

TITLE: Wii Believe in Jesus

BIG IDEA: Jesus Christ was born of a virgin ­ he is fully God and fully man ­ and that having lived a sinless life, was buried following his crucifixion on the cross at Calvary ­ he rose bodily from the dead.  He is the only Savior through whom fallen man can find forgiveness and salvation.

TEXTS: Luke 1:30-35, 24; John 1:29, 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5

 

TITLE: Wii Believe that mankind is sinful and separated from God BIG IDEA: We cannot be "Good Enough". Humanity is lost and sinful and therefore needs to be saved. That salvation and forgiveness is made possible by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross and comes to each person through personal faith in Christ, the Crucified One and that salvation is by grace alone ­ not by any good works.

TEXTS: Romans 3:10-23, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24

 

TITLE: Wii Believe in the Holy Spirit

BIG IDEA: We believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ at Salvation and then distributes Spiritual gifts to each believer as He wills and seals the believer for the day of redemption.

TEXTS: 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:30

 

TITLE: Wii Believe Christians are called to walk by the Spirit BIG IDEA: We believe as Christians we are called to walk by the Spirit, not after the flesh so our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in all things.

TEXTS: Galatians 5:156-26; 1 Peter 4:11; Romans 12:1,2

 

TITLE: Wii Believe in the resurrection

BIG IDEA: We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved.

Those that are saved will be resurrected into life and those that are unsaved unto the resurrection of damnation.

TEXTS: Corinthians 15; revelation 20:4-6; Daniel 12:2

 

TITLE: Wii Believe He'll Be Back (Second Coming Of Christ) BIG IDEA: We believe that Jesus Christ will come again to this world to rule and reign in righteousness and that His coming again is imminent and that it will be literal, personal and visible.

TEXTS: John 14:1-6, Acts 1:11

This Weekend's Message: Wii Believe...He'll Be Back!

by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship
John 14:1 Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father¹s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

This is an amazing promise. The ultimate, "I'll Be Back"! But when? How? What's taking so long? And what should we do in the meantime?

How, when, and in what order Christ will return is a topic that many people love to discuss and debate. But with all the predictions that we get from the news-stand-prophets, how should we consider the return of Christ and life until that great day?

Reflections: April 5, 2010

by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor

Wii Believe...Death is Not a Factor

Easter 2010 - remembering and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What about the resurrection? The resurrection says death is not a factor – that death does not have the last word – that what we do with our life matters – that our sins can be forgiven – that there is a strong and powerful place to put our hope. The resurrection says nothing will ever be the same again.

 

Do you believe this? If you do what difference is the resurrection making in your life today? How are you living your life differently because of the resurrection? If you don’t believe in the resurrection; why not? What is holding you back from believing in the resurrection? What other reflections do you have on the past week?  Share your thoughts! 

Easter Weekend: Wii Believe...Death is Not a Factor

Easter Sunday: 

Wii Believe...Death is Not a Factor
1 Corinthians 15

I think I’m on safe ground to say that no one alive today has ever seen a person who was once dead rise from the dead and come back to life again. And yet every person who calls themselves a Christian puts their entire faith in this one fact. The fact that Jesus Christ, a man who lived on this earth and was executed for claiming to be God, rose from the dead three days after he was buried in a borrowed tomb.
From any angle, believing in this story takes faith. It takes believing in something I’ve never seen. So why should I believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Is there any evidence? And if Jesus did rise from the dead what difference does that make in my life today? That is exactly what we will be talking about this Sunday, Easter 2010.
Remember, if you can attend either the early service (7:30 am) or the last service (11:15 am) that would be great and help provide seats for those additional people who will be with us Sunday. Also please note that the parking lot across the street from the church (the old Albertson’s lot) will be open for use on Sunday. And lastly, I would encourage you to invite someone to come with you to church on Sunday – it could be a life changing experience for them.
He is Risen!
Pastor Gary

Reflections: March 28, 2010

By Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship
 

Weekend's Reflection
As I have been thinking about this call to "Walk in the Spirit" I feel God is reminding me that this "walk" is a journey. There are going to be missteps, trips, and falls, but the concept of walking in the Spirit is that we are surrendered to God at a level that we allow, and even depend, on Him to pick us back up rather than relying on our own resolve.

What are some ways that you are going to seek to walk in the Spirit this week and allow the Spirit to move in you and through you?

Share it with us so that we can keep you in prayer and be encouraged by your willingness to to surrender the Spirit of God.

Jeff

This Weekend's Message: Wii Believe...Walking in the Spirit

By Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

Have you ever been lost? I don't mean the "can't find your way out of a parking lot" kind of lost, but the kind of lost that makes you wonder if there is any hope for you, and whether you will ever make any progress or move forward in your life.

 

We have been given the tremendous gift of the Holy Spirit which Jesus promised would be sent to free us from the power of sin... Romans 8:2. Intercede for us... ­ Romans 8:26. Teach us... John 14:26. Guide us in truth... John 16:13. Comfort us... ­ John 14:16-26. Lead us to intimacy with the Father... ­ Romans 8:15-16. Fill us with the hope of God... ­ Romans 15:13. Produce love, joy, peace...­ Galatians 5:22-23.

 

Now we have a choice to walk in the Spirit or not. But what goes into that? What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? How do you know if you are walking in the Spirit? This is the stuff we will talk about this weekend as we continue to look at what "Wii Believe".

 

See ya Sunday

Jeff

Reflections: March 21, 2010

By Gary Keith, Executive and Teaching Pastor

I have two things I have been reflecting on since Sunday morning. The first is how to solve the idea of whether we can give up our salvation once we have genuinely become a Christian. Two of the key passages I studied on this were John 10:27:30 and Hebrews 6:4-6, 9. Take a look at those two sets of Scripture and let me know your thoughts.

 

The second thing I've been thinking about is how to answer this question: How do we know it is the Holy Spirit at work in us and not just our human effort? Do you have any stories that would help answer this question? If so share them by clicking on the link below. My prayer is that our understanding of the Holy Spirit is not just head knowledge but that we can experience the Holy Spirit and be part of making his invisible presence visible - Have a great week - God Bless

This Weekend's Message: Wii Believe...in the Holy Spirit

The topic of the Holy Spirit is one that has brought controversy and confusion within the walls of the church. Maybe one of the reasons this is true is because the Holy Spirit is so mystical. We can picture Jesus because he became human. But when we try to picture the Holy Spirit no image comes to our mind. Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to the wind. But we can't see the wind only it's effects. Also adding to our confusion is that so much of the Holy Spirit is about our experience. Who is the Holy Spirit and what do wii believe about him?  We'll try and shed some light on that question this week.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Gary

Reflections: March 14, 2010

By Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

To be good, or not to be good...that is NOT the question. As I think about this idea of goodness, and then consider the passage in Romans 3 that tells me that I am not good, and in fact no one is, it makes me stop and literally sigh in relief that the bad choices I make and the ways that I sin against God, are not going to cost me my very life. The truth that I have been redeemed and that as my heart is before God I am seen as holy and precious, brings me such a sense of gratefulness that I can do nothing other than praise Him. You and I don’t have to walk around wondering if we measure up. Through Christ we measure up. We don’t have to live in fear that we are not good enough. Through Christ we are good enough. We don’t have to spend our days consumed with the fear, wondering whether there was a rule we forgot or a sin that is not covered. Through Christ we are covered.

 

So, if being good is not what saves us, what role should it play in a Christian’s life? Do you view goodness as an obligation or as a product of a relationship with Christ?

 

Have a great week living in the knowledge that you are redeemed!

This Weekend's Message: Wii Believe...in Redemption

You're a good man, Charlie Brown!

Even though he had many failures, in the end, it was simply because he was
a good guy that got him accepted. Many people base their theology on this kind of thinking: Good people go to heaven.

Before Sunday, I want to challenge you to read and give some serious thought to Romans 3, particularly verses 9-23. As we gather this weekend, we will talk about this idea of where our salvation comes from and the very popular belief that "good people go to heaven."

See ya Sunday!

Jeff

Reflections: March 7, 2010

This week's Reflection by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor

 

Wii Believe...in Jesus

 

To embrace the belief that Jesus was both fully God and fully man can cause a person to ask some interesting questions. For example, I had someone ask me, 'When did Jesus know that He was the Son of God? Did He know as a toddler? Or was when He was twelve and confounding the Jewish religious leaders? Or was it when He was baptized? Exactly when did Jesus know that He was the Son of God?'

 

Good question. That is just one of many we could ask when we really take time to consider the incarnation - God in the flesh. What are your questions about this subject? Which part of Jesus is it more difficult for you to understand - His humanity or His deity? Or is it the one nature combination of Jesus as human and divine?

 

When all of this is considered, what does it take to actually put your belief in this Biblical truth of the incarnation?

This Weekend's Message: Wii Believe...in Jesus

There is no doubt that Jesus Christ has easily been the most dominant historical figure ever. He inspires people to create great works of art and great works of music. He has caused great social renewal and He has also been the excuse for horrible evil. People worship Jesus and people hate Jesus. People have died as martyrs for Jesus and have killed others in His name. His name is used as a curse word more than any other.

What is it about Jesus that provokes all of this attention? Who is this Jesus that Christians say they believe in? What do Christians believe about Jesus? Those are the questions we will tackle this Sunday as we continue our series called "Wii Believe."

Pastor Gary

Reflections: February 28, 2010

This week's Reflection by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship

 

1. There is one God.
2. The deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is equal.
3. God is all three persons at every moment.
4. The Trinity is eternal. There has always been three.
5. The Trinity is incomprehensible.

 

What do each of these things mean to you as you consider your relationship with God? Does it bring comfort, awe, fear, bewilderment, etc…? Share with us how your understanding of this three-in-one God impacts you, and your relationship with Him.

This Weekend's Message: What Wii Believe About the Triune God

Egg, plant, water... What do each of these things have in common? Each have been used at metaphors for describing the Trinity, the Triune Godhead, the 3-in-1.

This weekend as we continue through our series discussing what "Wii Believe," we are going to look at the foundational Christian belief in the Trinity. One God in three persons. This is one of the most challenging concepts to grasp, let alone to teach, so be in prayer this week that God would open our hearts and minds to understand Him on greater levels. And I covet your prayers as well, as I prepare this teaching, that God would help me to communicate clearly and that the truth of His vastness would be made known.

Here are some of the verses we will be looking at this weekend: Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, John 5:23, John 14:6-7, Acts 5:3-4

Have a great week!

Jeff

Reflections: February 21, 2010

This week's Reflection by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor

Wii Believe in the Bible

 

As I reflect a bit on this Wii Believe series, I realize that many people would agree with the first part of 2 Timothy 3:16 - the part that declares that the Bible is the inspired word of God. But then we arrive at the second part of that verse where Paul lists four ways the Bible is useful. When we get to that part I wonder if we pause and say, "Wait a minute, I'm not sure I want the Bible to correct my life. I'll read the Bible for information, but I don't want it to correct my life."

 

If that is the case, then we haven't yet believed the first part of the verse. It's my contention that "Wii Believe" doesn't really happen until we put into practice what we say we believe. What do you think?

This Weekend's Message: What Wii Believe About the Bible

What Wii Believe About the Bible
2 Timothy 3:16-17

I don't own a Wii gaming system, but at times I get to play at my grandson's house. He even helped me create my own Mii (see below). We always have a good time and he always beats me. In fact, when we play together, he (age five) instructs me on how to play and when to sit out and wait for him. It's always a good time. I laugh a lot and he is patient with me!

One thing I've noticed about the Wii games is that there are different stages that must be completed. Just about the time you finish one stage, another one becomes available to experience and challenge you. I think the farthest I've ever made it to is stage three and that took a very long time.

This week starts a new eight-week series we are calling "Wii Believe." Just like in the game, there are stages of learning for Christians. During this series we will look at eight different stages - each one having an importance of its own, but each one building on the other. This week we will start by looking at what "wii believe" about the Bible. In a time where Christians are challenged to consider whether the Bible is true or not, it is important to ground ourselves once again to what "wii believe."

We are also inviting you to share your Mii with us! Check out our Facebook Fan page and share your Mii! It's just a fun thing we are doing!

See you Sunday!

Gary Keith