This Weekend's Message: X-treme Team

In team sports, the greatest players know that they are unable to be successful on their own. Even the best player will hurt his team’s ultimate chances of greatness unless he trusts and relies on his teammates. And that trust and reliance will only pay off if his teammates step up and fulfill their roles on the team. Truly great teams are marked by an intense level of togetherness, trust, and dependence.

In the final section of Paul's letter to the Colossians, he reveals that even a "spiritual superstar" like him cannot fulfill his calling unless he has a team of people partnering with him. When we participate on the team and fulfill our calling, we benefit, the mission of Jesus benefits, and the whole team benefits. When we don't, the mission suffers, the team suffers, and we suffer. You may be on the team...but are you participating?

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: X-treme Impact

The parent of a child who finally embraces the importance of honesty. The teacher of a student who suddenly understands what Shakespeare was talking about. The friend of someone who finds comfort in finally being heard and understood. What is the common thread? All three of these people are experiencing the joy that comes from impacting another human being in a powerful way. Despite all our efforts to be private people, we know that we were created for impact, and this is evidenced by the joy and satisfaction we get from the experience when it happens.

If you have embraced Jesus and been changed by him, that impact is not meant to be contained. It is meant to spread to those around you. Yet many of us keep our relationship with Jesus to ourselves. What does it take for our faith to go public? And, when it goes public, what kind of impact does it have?

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: X-treme Work

Many people dream of being in charge. As we sit in our offices or cubicles or classrooms, we think about how wonderful it would be if we were the ones calling the shots. Every once in a while, we achieve our dream and we become the boss or the teacher or the CEO. Often, this is the exact point that we begin daydreaming about how wonderful it would be just to be a worker and not to have the burden of being in charge.

It’s tough to be under authority, and it’s tough to be in authority. However, the saddest part of authority relationships is that they often create segregation between the two groups. Paul’s message in Colossians 3:22-4:1 is that this doesn’t have to be the case. He seems to think that the gospel of Jesus solves this gap and equips both groups for selfless living.

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: X-treme Parenting

You could fill a small city with all the books that have been written on the subject of parenting. There are books that tackle just about every angle of the subject, from discipline to nutrition, from education to hygiene. Television and radio shows from Dr. Phil to Dr. Laura regularly address hot topics with parenting. Many TV comedies center on the issue of parenting so that we can laugh at, and relate to, the scenarios in which the characters find themselves. There’s a reason why there is so much content on the subject of parenting: Parenting is really difficult. Many of us will take all the help we can get, and books, magazines, and shows provide options for strategies.

The Bible provides wonderful guidance when it comes to parenting. Its primary contribution, though, isn’t through giving us strategies. Through the Bible, God gives us something much more foundational when addressing the complicated and confusing relationship between parents and children. He provides for a new basis and foundation from which we can experience this relationship the way it was meant to be.

 Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: X-treme Marriage

In our culture we like to keep a wall of separation between our public life and our private life. This is especially true when it comes to our marriages. We make our marriages off-limits in the business world by passing laws that keep potential employers from asking questions about the health and stability of our marriages. We make our marriages off-limits in the political sphere by scorning campaigns that bring up marital failures as criticism for opposing candidates. Sometimes we also want to make our marriages separate from our religious life. We want Jesus and his church to help us with inner peace and freedom from guilt, but we consider our marriages to be our business. In Colossians 3:18-19, the Apostle Paul expresses a completely opposite viewpoint.

According to Paul, not only are our marriages fair game for Jesus to address, but they are one of the most profound areas of change when we experience the transformation that Jesus brings. This Sunday we'll look together at what happens to a marriage when Jesus steps in and brings transformation.

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: The Clothes Matter

Steve Hanson was eating dinner with his family at a local restaurant. They hardly noticed when a group of firefighters walked in, still wearing their turnout pants after responding to an accident down the street. A bit later, as conversation around the Hanson table continued, Steve’s wife noticed he was silent. He soon showed signs of distress and clutched his throat. Steve’s wife looked to their son and said, “Get the firemen.” Without missing a beat, he ran straight to the firemen’s table and told them his dad was choking. They rushed to the table to find Steve turning blue from lack of oxygen and beginning to lose consciousness. One of the firefighters grabbed Steve from behind and performed the Heimlich Maneuver, launching a piece of steak that had been caught in Steve’s throat across the table. After all the hugs and thanks from the family, the firefighters went back to their dinner, the family so thankful they knew where to turn.

A key element in this story that may have gone unnoticed was how quickly Steve’s son was able to get help because he knew where to go. The firefighters were easily identifiable because of the clothes they were wearing. The family didn’t have to jump up and down in a panic shouting “Can someone help us?” or waste valuable time asking unqualified people to assist. Because of the clothes of the firemen, Steve got the help he needed when he needed it most.

So, what does this have to do with X-treme Living or church on Sunday? Get ready, because we are going to continue into Colossians 3:12-17 and see just what a difference the way we dress ourselves can have on saving the life of someone we may not even know is watching.

Interact with us on Twitter and maybe you’ll get a shout out during the sermon! Answer the following question... “What is a character trait you would like to be known for?” #lbfXtremeLiving

See ya Sunday,
Jeff

This Weekend's Message: Xtreme Makeover

Xtreme Makeover
Colossians 3:5-11

For nearly a decade “Extreme Makeover” shows have been very popular. There is extreme makeover weight loss edition, plastic surgery edition, before and after edition, and probably the most popular one is home edition. In each of these shows, the dream is that something major will change for the better. Maybe it’s a whole new life with loss of weight, or a new face through plastic surgery, or the big one is a brand new home. Now that is something to get excited about!

As we continue our series called “Xtreme Living” this week we will look at part one of what it means to get an extreme makeover. Now that we have this new life in Christ – our X Factor – what is involved in extreme living? How do I experience extreme living? This could be risky and dangerous, but it promises to bring about a life full of meaning and purpose that will last forever.

See you Sunday,
Gary Keith

This Weekend's Message: X-treme Hope

What does it look like to live an X-treme life for Jesus? And once you know what it means, how do you do it?

Dan Franklin