Recap of 12/12/2011:
Though there was a lot of material, we plowed our way through the comparison of Calvinism and Arminianism. We can see that it's not a simple matter of black/white, or yes/no, or right/wrong. However, God's Plan R itself is extremely simple: God' wants to spend Eternity with His creation. He has given each of us free will to make the choice as to be with Him or not.
For 12/19/2011:
In our last session this season we will talk more about the concept of "perfection" (or, as I like to refer to it: simply doing what the Father tells us to do and saying what the Father tells us to say). We get hung up sometimes on "symantics" and the base Truth is that God gives us all the things, at all times, that we need to do what He calls us to do (2 Corinthians 9:8). Other scriptures we will cover include: Hebrews 13:20-21 (MSG) and Romans 8:28-32. We are justified in Christ, we do have the righteousness of God in Christ, and we see God takes us through a process in this life of sanctification which results in us being exactly who He wants us to be.
In closing this season, I don't believe it's an issue of ability, or, "Can I?" - because God provides all we need via the Holy Spirit. Rather, it's an issue of "Will I?"
Blessings!!
P.S. We will begin the next season the first Monday in February 2012 - see you then!
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me."
-- Philippians 3:12 (NLT) --
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Now, For Plan R (Part 2)
Recap of 12/05/2011:
Meeting at Mike and Cindy's house.
For 12/12/2011:
We are nearly completed with this series and it's been a pleasure learning with you! We will conclude the topic of Plan R this week. Plan R is that which God has set in place and stands in the gap of our failure with God's full redemptive power to bring about His ultimate purpose and pleasure. We will also take a brief look at Calvinism and Arminianism to learn more about how Plan R syncs with that comparison. I look forward to our time together! Blessings!!
"Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption."
-- Psalm 130:7 (NIV) --
Meeting at Mike and Cindy's house.
For 12/12/2011:
We are nearly completed with this series and it's been a pleasure learning with you! We will conclude the topic of Plan R this week. Plan R is that which God has set in place and stands in the gap of our failure with God's full redemptive power to bring about His ultimate purpose and pleasure. We will also take a brief look at Calvinism and Arminianism to learn more about how Plan R syncs with that comparison. I look forward to our time together! Blessings!!
"Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption."
-- Psalm 130:7 (NIV) --
Monday, December 5, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Special Social / Prayer Meeting
Recap of 11/28/2011:
We made quite a bit of headway into this week's topic ... however, we didn't complete it. So, we'll be concluding the Plan R topic next week!! Our highlights from this week circled around the emphasis on the place and plan the Christian has in Christ - when we need to have safety and how God provides that (Proverbs 18:10 and Deuteronomy 33:27). We then moved to the scripture of God's plan from before creation was ALL about redemption (Isaiah 46:10, Revelation 13:8, Hebrews 2:10, Acts 17:24-28, Ephesians 1:4). We finished our time together only scratching the surface of Joel 2:25 and Hosea 3. But, we will continue our exploration of this when we meet on the 12th!
For 12/05/2011:
Special Social / Prayer Meeting:
Meeting at Mike and Cindy's house - see email for details!
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together ..."
-- Hebrews 10:24-25a --
We made quite a bit of headway into this week's topic ... however, we didn't complete it. So, we'll be concluding the Plan R topic next week!! Our highlights from this week circled around the emphasis on the place and plan the Christian has in Christ - when we need to have safety and how God provides that (Proverbs 18:10 and Deuteronomy 33:27). We then moved to the scripture of God's plan from before creation was ALL about redemption (Isaiah 46:10, Revelation 13:8, Hebrews 2:10, Acts 17:24-28, Ephesians 1:4). We finished our time together only scratching the surface of Joel 2:25 and Hosea 3. But, we will continue our exploration of this when we meet on the 12th!
For 12/05/2011:
Special Social / Prayer Meeting:
Meeting at Mike and Cindy's house - see email for details!
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together ..."
-- Hebrews 10:24-25a --
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Now, For Plan R (Part 1)
Recap of 11/21/2011:
As we mentioned last week, Galatians 5:18 (MSG) states "... be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence". If we can latch onto this singular Truth we, partnered with Him, are unstoppable. Being Spirit led operates in grace and mercy and results in perfection because it relies on His strength to do His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). We attempted to cover Body Ministry and how we are each a member of the Body of Christ called to "be" according to His pleasure. Though we spent most of our time discussing this along the surface of the topic, we did manage to get into some of the details. The bottom line: we each are a member of the Body of Christ and have a place to "be" what God has created us to "be". There is nobody else who can "be" and take our place. Therein lies part of our potential struggle with fulfilling all that God has called us to. We may think ourselves as having failed many opportunities which are presented to us. As that may be, it doesn't negate the absolute fact the you are called to "be" and God will redeem all He has in eternity for you. Thus, the introduction of Plan R.
For 11/28/2011:
We will spend this week going into depth on Plan R that God had planned from before the foundations of creation. Yes, there is no Plan B (an alternate to us missing God's good, pleasing, and perfect will and having it met by another person), but, Plan R stands in the gap with God's full redemptive power to bring about His ultimate purpose and pleasure. Thank you Jesus for all that you've done to redeem us back into the family of our Heavenly Father, saved by your sacrifice on the cross, and now enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to "be" all that we can "be" in Christ (yes, perhaps the Army "borrowed" this principle, but, it's True, nonetheless).
"Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!"
-- Arthur Dimmesdale, pastor :: The Scarlet Letter --
As we mentioned last week, Galatians 5:18 (MSG) states "... be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence". If we can latch onto this singular Truth we, partnered with Him, are unstoppable. Being Spirit led operates in grace and mercy and results in perfection because it relies on His strength to do His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). We attempted to cover Body Ministry and how we are each a member of the Body of Christ called to "be" according to His pleasure. Though we spent most of our time discussing this along the surface of the topic, we did manage to get into some of the details. The bottom line: we each are a member of the Body of Christ and have a place to "be" what God has created us to "be". There is nobody else who can "be" and take our place. Therein lies part of our potential struggle with fulfilling all that God has called us to. We may think ourselves as having failed many opportunities which are presented to us. As that may be, it doesn't negate the absolute fact the you are called to "be" and God will redeem all He has in eternity for you. Thus, the introduction of Plan R.
For 11/28/2011:
We will spend this week going into depth on Plan R that God had planned from before the foundations of creation. Yes, there is no Plan B (an alternate to us missing God's good, pleasing, and perfect will and having it met by another person), but, Plan R stands in the gap with God's full redemptive power to bring about His ultimate purpose and pleasure. Thank you Jesus for all that you've done to redeem us back into the family of our Heavenly Father, saved by your sacrifice on the cross, and now enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit to "be" all that we can "be" in Christ (yes, perhaps the Army "borrowed" this principle, but, it's True, nonetheless).
"Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!"
-- Arthur Dimmesdale, pastor :: The Scarlet Letter --
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: There Is NO Plan "B"! (Part 2)
Recap of 11/14/2011:
After reviewing the doubt factors (rocks, shallow soil, scorching sun, birds, and weeds discussed in Matthew 13:1-23) that pull us away from maxing out in full Truth, we reminded ourselves of the proclamation in Jeremiah 19:11 - God has a plan, a hope, a future for us. In other words, He has set out a course of prosperous work for us that will bring Him the highest glory. When we mistep that course we are taken on a tangent (digressing suddenly from one course of action or thought and turning to another - Dictionary.com), or deviation, which takes us away from that good, pleasing, perfect will of God spoken of in Romans 12:2. This is why there is an emphasis on the need to change the way we think.
Now, even though we might deviate from that "perfect" course, there isn't punishment or death in the Christ-follower's world. But, rather, grace and mercy. God is wanting us to return to Him - to repent, to turn away from sin (missing the mark of following His direction) and turn back to God. When that happens, He is ready, willing, and able to dispense grace and mercy. God's whole plan is redemptive and has been from the beginning of creation.
We started our review of body ministry, of which we are part as a member of the Body of Christ. We will pick up on this in our next session and move forward from there.
For 11/21/2011:
Wow, I am constantly amazed at how God chooses to work. I think He's going one direction and then He steps and beckons in another. He knows what's best for us. Galatians 5:18 (MSG) states "... be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence". If we can latch onto this singular Truth we, partnered with Him, are unstoppable. We will find our fulfillment of fruition, a state of being serene, and our pinnacle of purpose. The Law demands perfection and when perfection is missed, there awaits only punishment and death. Being Spirit led operates in grace and mercy and also results in perfection. Confused? Don't be ... because the former relies upon our strength and latter relies on His strength ... I trust our Father to shine His Light on this more as we continue.
The plan is to finish up on the topic of body ministry this week, touch upon the concept of pre-destination, move into "being" what He wants us to "be" (Acts 17:28 NIV), and introduce the concept of "Plan R". I look forward to the time with you all. Blessings!!
"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes --
After reviewing the doubt factors (rocks, shallow soil, scorching sun, birds, and weeds discussed in Matthew 13:1-23) that pull us away from maxing out in full Truth, we reminded ourselves of the proclamation in Jeremiah 19:11 - God has a plan, a hope, a future for us. In other words, He has set out a course of prosperous work for us that will bring Him the highest glory. When we mistep that course we are taken on a tangent (digressing suddenly from one course of action or thought and turning to another - Dictionary.com), or deviation, which takes us away from that good, pleasing, perfect will of God spoken of in Romans 12:2. This is why there is an emphasis on the need to change the way we think.
Now, even though we might deviate from that "perfect" course, there isn't punishment or death in the Christ-follower's world. But, rather, grace and mercy. God is wanting us to return to Him - to repent, to turn away from sin (missing the mark of following His direction) and turn back to God. When that happens, He is ready, willing, and able to dispense grace and mercy. God's whole plan is redemptive and has been from the beginning of creation.
We started our review of body ministry, of which we are part as a member of the Body of Christ. We will pick up on this in our next session and move forward from there.
For 11/21/2011:
Wow, I am constantly amazed at how God chooses to work. I think He's going one direction and then He steps and beckons in another. He knows what's best for us. Galatians 5:18 (MSG) states "... be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence". If we can latch onto this singular Truth we, partnered with Him, are unstoppable. We will find our fulfillment of fruition, a state of being serene, and our pinnacle of purpose. The Law demands perfection and when perfection is missed, there awaits only punishment and death. Being Spirit led operates in grace and mercy and also results in perfection. Confused? Don't be ... because the former relies upon our strength and latter relies on His strength ... I trust our Father to shine His Light on this more as we continue.
The plan is to finish up on the topic of body ministry this week, touch upon the concept of pre-destination, move into "being" what He wants us to "be" (Acts 17:28 NIV), and introduce the concept of "Plan R". I look forward to the time with you all. Blessings!!
"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes --
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: There Is NO Plan "B"! (Part 1)
Recap of 11/07/2011:
Meeting at Joe and Karen's house.
For 11/14/2011:
Prepare To Share:
As we approach this week's meeting, consider what God is calling you to stretch in your thinking when it comes to the doubt we allow into our daily lives in the form of the rocks, shallow soil, birds, and weeds according the the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13:1-23.
The discussion will revolve around the points of our assignment, what we are created to "be", His giftings and skills, and the function we play in the Body of Christ in our daily lives.
"I love it when a plan comes together!"
-- Hannibal Smith - The A-Team --
Meeting at Joe and Karen's house.
For 11/14/2011:
Prepare To Share:
As we approach this week's meeting, consider what God is calling you to stretch in your thinking when it comes to the doubt we allow into our daily lives in the form of the rocks, shallow soil, birds, and weeds according the the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13:1-23.
The discussion will revolve around the points of our assignment, what we are created to "be", His giftings and skills, and the function we play in the Body of Christ in our daily lives.
"I love it when a plan comes together!"
-- Hannibal Smith - The A-Team --
Monday, November 7, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Special Social / Prayer Meeting
Recap of 10/31/2011:
After opening with some examples of "perspective" differentials, we continued our discussion on 2 Thessalonians 2:11 about The Truth versus The Lie and coupled that with Isaiah 5:20-21 (calling good as evil and vice versa) and James 1:8 (double-mindedness). Allowing even the slightest variation from the Truth is a Lie. God is challenging us to consider our own lives in light of this point. Jesus pinpointed the good, pleasing, perfect will of the Father (Romans 12:2) by the power of the Holy Spirit and God is calling us to that same level of living by the very same Holy Spirit living in us! This where our dialog got a little "rocky" as we reviewed the parable in Matthew 13:1-23 about the Sower and the Seed. We touched upon the reality of how the Truth Seed of God is doubted in our lives - likening it to seed falling on rocky or shallow soil, or having the Truth Seed carried away by the birds (thieves), or even the reality of Life Weeds choking the Truth Seed out of our daily walk. When we allow the rocks, shallow soil, birds, and weeds into our thinking, that is when Doubt begins to replace the Truth Seed. We will continue this topic in our meeting on 11/14 and I look forward to what God has in store for us as we stretch our thinking to align more with His. Remember, the basis of the mindset will influence how other thought dominos will fall in sequence. If the base is good, the other thinking will be good as well.
For 11/07/2011:
Special Social / Prayer Meeting:
Meeting at Joe and Karen's house - see email for details!
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together ..."
-- Hebrews 10:24-25a --
After opening with some examples of "perspective" differentials, we continued our discussion on 2 Thessalonians 2:11 about The Truth versus The Lie and coupled that with Isaiah 5:20-21 (calling good as evil and vice versa) and James 1:8 (double-mindedness). Allowing even the slightest variation from the Truth is a Lie. God is challenging us to consider our own lives in light of this point. Jesus pinpointed the good, pleasing, perfect will of the Father (Romans 12:2) by the power of the Holy Spirit and God is calling us to that same level of living by the very same Holy Spirit living in us! This where our dialog got a little "rocky" as we reviewed the parable in Matthew 13:1-23 about the Sower and the Seed. We touched upon the reality of how the Truth Seed of God is doubted in our lives - likening it to seed falling on rocky or shallow soil, or having the Truth Seed carried away by the birds (thieves), or even the reality of Life Weeds choking the Truth Seed out of our daily walk. When we allow the rocks, shallow soil, birds, and weeds into our thinking, that is when Doubt begins to replace the Truth Seed. We will continue this topic in our meeting on 11/14 and I look forward to what God has in store for us as we stretch our thinking to align more with His. Remember, the basis of the mindset will influence how other thought dominos will fall in sequence. If the base is good, the other thinking will be good as well.
For 11/07/2011:
Special Social / Prayer Meeting:
Meeting at Joe and Karen's house - see email for details!
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together ..."
-- Hebrews 10:24-25a --
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: The Domino Effect (Part 2)
Recap of 10/24/2011:
We watched a video of the "Domino Effect" and discussed a variety of observations (domino color, planning, set-up, etc.). Following that, we covered how a base of thinking can influence our continued thinking. That base of thinking can establish or reinforce boundaries (both good and bad), it can enhance or cloud our understanding of consequences, it can even override our sense of security. So, the base of thinking from which we begin has a profound impact upon how we navigate and where we go. As we continued our discussion, one person offered the thought that Jesus came from a place of "no sin" whereas we come from a place of "sin". Therein lies our challenge: to understand AND embrace that Jesus, though he came from a place of "no sin", lived by the power of the Holy Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that indwells the believer (you and me). Even though we originate from a place of "sin", we are no longer a slave to it because of what Jesus did on the Cross (see Romans 6:6, 6:17-18).
For 10/31/2011:
Prepare To Share:
In light of the "domino effect", consider a recent event how your base of thinking caused you to end up at a result - either good or bad. Can you see how the base affected the navigation and outcome? How might you approach that differently?
Brief: We will continue our discussion of the "Domino Effect" and its impact upon our thinking. As Proverbs 4:23 (NCV) states "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.", it's important to understand the interaction between how we perceive, think, and analyze our environment and our reaction to it will result in our responding in either a tantrum or not.
"I call it like the domino theory of reality. If you can go one step at a time and it seems to make sense, you can then take your audience into an area that is relatively outlandish."
-- Ivan Reitman --
We watched a video of the "Domino Effect" and discussed a variety of observations (domino color, planning, set-up, etc.). Following that, we covered how a base of thinking can influence our continued thinking. That base of thinking can establish or reinforce boundaries (both good and bad), it can enhance or cloud our understanding of consequences, it can even override our sense of security. So, the base of thinking from which we begin has a profound impact upon how we navigate and where we go. As we continued our discussion, one person offered the thought that Jesus came from a place of "no sin" whereas we come from a place of "sin". Therein lies our challenge: to understand AND embrace that Jesus, though he came from a place of "no sin", lived by the power of the Holy Spirit - the same Holy Spirit that indwells the believer (you and me). Even though we originate from a place of "sin", we are no longer a slave to it because of what Jesus did on the Cross (see Romans 6:6, 6:17-18).
For 10/31/2011:
Prepare To Share:
In light of the "domino effect", consider a recent event how your base of thinking caused you to end up at a result - either good or bad. Can you see how the base affected the navigation and outcome? How might you approach that differently?
Brief: We will continue our discussion of the "Domino Effect" and its impact upon our thinking. As Proverbs 4:23 (NCV) states "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.", it's important to understand the interaction between how we perceive, think, and analyze our environment and our reaction to it will result in our responding in either a tantrum or not.
"I call it like the domino theory of reality. If you can go one step at a time and it seems to make sense, you can then take your audience into an area that is relatively outlandish."
-- Ivan Reitman --
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: The Domino Effect (Part 1)
Recap of 10/17/2011:
Our discussion revolved around the aspect of tantrums and how they impact our lives. Even King David experienced that his "tantrum" had profound results. In 2 Samuel 12:15-25, he attempted to change the outcome of his tantrum, but it didn't work. Job, likewise, was impacted by his "tantrum" of fearing what could happen. When he feared and operated out of a base of fearful thinking, he acted and reacted differently than he would if operating out of a mindset of believing what God says is true.
For 10/24/2011:
Brief: We will break some new ground in covering the topic of the "Domino Effect" and how our thinking is impacted by where our base beliefs reside. Even as we approach a test, our interpretation of how we see the events unfolding (based on our thinking pattern) will influence how we react.
"That's one of the great advantages of age. You can say, I don't want to, I don't care, you can throw temper tantrums, and nobody minds."
-- James Lee Burke --
Our discussion revolved around the aspect of tantrums and how they impact our lives. Even King David experienced that his "tantrum" had profound results. In 2 Samuel 12:15-25, he attempted to change the outcome of his tantrum, but it didn't work. Job, likewise, was impacted by his "tantrum" of fearing what could happen. When he feared and operated out of a base of fearful thinking, he acted and reacted differently than he would if operating out of a mindset of believing what God says is true.
For 10/24/2011:
Brief: We will break some new ground in covering the topic of the "Domino Effect" and how our thinking is impacted by where our base beliefs reside. Even as we approach a test, our interpretation of how we see the events unfolding (based on our thinking pattern) will influence how we react.
"That's one of the great advantages of age. You can say, I don't want to, I don't care, you can throw temper tantrums, and nobody minds."
-- James Lee Burke --
Monday, October 17, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Unpacking Tantrums
Recap of 10/10/2011:
We started unpacking the definition and examples of "tantrum" by starting with a video of "Lily's Disneyland Surprise". I requested that we consider loosening the traditional definition that we think we know (as well as any 'official' definition) in order obtain the broadest exposure to what a tantrum might be. By what we think and what our experiences have been, impediments effect the necessary vision or sight to do something critically important. We introduced the 'tantrum spectrum' and briefly touched upon some biblical examples of people who have evidenced tantrums.
For 10/17/2011:
Prepare To Share:
Consider your own life experience and where you've demonstrated a fit or outburst (aka tantrum) and what the process and outcome was.
Brief: We’ll be talking about the hinderances of tantrums and dig deeper in a few biblical examples. Again, I ask that you be willing to expand your definition of 'tantrum'. Remember, the scripture we've covered before about the power of thoughts. The mind, as the very core of our person, influences our words and actions. When the Bible talks about “heart” we need to consider if the reference is really the “mind”. For example, Proverbs 23:7 (AMP) says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” ... it's our mind in which the tantrum begins.
"We used to say that he who threw the biggest tantrum won the day."
-- Neil Finn --
We started unpacking the definition and examples of "tantrum" by starting with a video of "Lily's Disneyland Surprise". I requested that we consider loosening the traditional definition that we think we know (as well as any 'official' definition) in order obtain the broadest exposure to what a tantrum might be. By what we think and what our experiences have been, impediments effect the necessary vision or sight to do something critically important. We introduced the 'tantrum spectrum' and briefly touched upon some biblical examples of people who have evidenced tantrums.
For 10/17/2011:
Prepare To Share:
Consider your own life experience and where you've demonstrated a fit or outburst (aka tantrum) and what the process and outcome was.
Brief: We’ll be talking about the hinderances of tantrums and dig deeper in a few biblical examples. Again, I ask that you be willing to expand your definition of 'tantrum'. Remember, the scripture we've covered before about the power of thoughts. The mind, as the very core of our person, influences our words and actions. When the Bible talks about “heart” we need to consider if the reference is really the “mind”. For example, Proverbs 23:7 (AMP) says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” ... it's our mind in which the tantrum begins.
"We used to say that he who threw the biggest tantrum won the day."
-- Neil Finn --
Monday, October 10, 2011
Tantrums, Tests, Truth: Introduction
Once again, I am humbled and thrilled at what and how God includes me in! He chooses to reveal little bits of His purpose to me and that is thrilling. He chooses to show me how to do something and that is empowering. He chooses to call me His son and I am humbled.
This season, Bible: Out Of The Box will be covering elements of the topic "Tantrums, Tests, Truth". This is an exploration of what happens when God calls us to move in areas in which we have little experience or which goes against our current comfort state.
We will be exploring what might be considered a "tantrum" as we approach, navigate, and conclude a "test" which ultimately leads us to His "truth". I ask that you join us in the exploration not only of His word, but of ourselves in response to His word. Blessings!!
"We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."
-- Professor Dumbledor (Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire) --
This season, Bible: Out Of The Box will be covering elements of the topic "Tantrums, Tests, Truth". This is an exploration of what happens when God calls us to move in areas in which we have little experience or which goes against our current comfort state.
We will be exploring what might be considered a "tantrum" as we approach, navigate, and conclude a "test" which ultimately leads us to His "truth". I ask that you join us in the exploration not only of His word, but of ourselves in response to His word. Blessings!!
"We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."
-- Professor Dumbledor (Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire) --
Monday, May 16, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 3a
Recap of 5/9/2011:
I cannot fully express my appreciation of how our God guides us to where He wants us to be - if we are willing to be led. I couldn't have imagined this course of study we've traversed during the last few months. My hat goes off to y'all as we've walked together in discovering even more of what He has in store for us.
We started our final segment of this study, “Baptism In Fire”, and what a start it was! In recap:
For 5/16/2011 (Our last meeting for this season!):
Brief: For our last meeting we will finish off “Baptism In Fire” along with discussing summer activities. Please put your minds to the task of the homework below and, additionally, what activity you'd like to have considered for group multi-voting and what you'd be willing to coordinate once we vote on the top activities!
Homework
Over the next several days, I ask that you consider the following points, see what scripture says about them, and come prepared to share your findings during our discussion. The points to muse are:
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
I cannot fully express my appreciation of how our God guides us to where He wants us to be - if we are willing to be led. I couldn't have imagined this course of study we've traversed during the last few months. My hat goes off to y'all as we've walked together in discovering even more of what He has in store for us.
We started our final segment of this study, “Baptism In Fire”, and what a start it was! In recap:
- We discussed the difference in our thinking, according to Romans 12:2 (NLT), when we view the “little red spot” on the larger white board. God is challenging us to “change the way we think” about us, our world, His engagement with us, etc.
- From there we covered a number of scriptures which talk about “fire”. Many were offered by members of our group and we concluded with several more grouped into the following “unofficial” categories (as mentioned, some of these scriptures can be in a few of the categories):
God's Appearances (Exodus 3:2, Deuteronomy 4:24, Daniel 7:9-11)
God Leads and Protects (Exodus 13:21-22, Exodus 40:38, Numbers 9:15-16, Exodus 19:18, Exodus 24:17, Deuteronomy 5:4-6, Deuteronomy 5, Daniel 3:19-27, Zechariah 2:5)
Judgment/Cleansing by Fire (Numbers 11:1-3, Leviticus 10:1, 2, 6)
Purification by Fire (Leviticus 6:12-13, Numbers 31:22-23, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:2, Mark 9:49, 1 Corinthians 3:13)
Dedication by Fire (2 Chronicles 7, Isaiah 43:1-3)
Word of the Lord = Fire (Jeremiah 20:9, Jeremiah 23:29)
- The last thing we discussed at length was a proposed concept of “opposites”. We first played with a list of words and “popcorn” responded with the opposite (words such as after, black, good, kids, man, run, true, etc.). Some of the responses demonstrated that we have a variety of perspectives - which is a GOOD thing in my opinion, otherwise, we end up with a bunch of boringly-similar, mundane people trying to influence a VERY diverse world. Remember, the Apostle Paul states that “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NIV) … can we expect anything less of the church today?
For 5/16/2011 (Our last meeting for this season!):
Brief: For our last meeting we will finish off “Baptism In Fire” along with discussing summer activities. Please put your minds to the task of the homework below and, additionally, what activity you'd like to have considered for group multi-voting and what you'd be willing to coordinate once we vote on the top activities!
Homework
Over the next several days, I ask that you consider the following points, see what scripture says about them, and come prepared to share your findings during our discussion. The points to muse are:
- In Hebrews 5:8 (NLT) it says “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” (thank you Bryan!) Consider what is meant here by suffering (when thinking of obedience and suffering, keep in mind that this is talking about the sinless Son of God).
- Formulate your thoughts (jot them down even) about what it takes to become child-like in your response to God as it's recorded in Matthew 18:3 (MSG) “… return to square one and start over like children …” and Matthew 11:25 (NIV) “you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
- Finally, what is your reaction to God's call to be holy as recorded in 1 Peter 1:13-16 (MSG, my version preference)?
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, May 9, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 2e
Recap of 5/2/2011:
We concluded with the remaining gifts of the Spirit. As a reminder, the purposes of spiritual gifts are:
Listing of spiritual gifts (Part 2 for this week):
1 Corinthians 12:27-29
Romans 12:
Do only select people receive spiritual gifts?
Are spiritual gifts given to an elite group of people? NO!! They can be given to anybody, anywhere, at any time of the Holy Spirit’s choosing. “Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.” (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 MSG) A major factor that plays into “who” gets “what” and “when” is, as Paul says: “earnestly desire the most helpful gifts” that would be appropriate for the circumstances at hand, again, motivated by love.
The use of all spiritual gifts is motivated by Love:
A tree is identified by its fruit (Luke 6:44 NLT). In other words, it's who you are, not what you say and do, that matters. When we have a desire to operate in the spiritual gifts, the spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-24) must first motivate us. There is a difference between spiritual gifts and fruit. Gifts are the Spirit’s manifestation through a person, but Fruit is the result of spiritual character. The Holy Spirit gives gifts as He desires; the Fruit is a by-product of the Holy Spirit’s influence and effect in our lives. In the natural, fruit is produced when a tree is fertilized, watered, and given sunshine. In the spiritual, Fruit is produced supernaturally when we are fed by the Word of God (having our mind changed and re-educated), watered by the Spirit (washed clean and our thirst quenched), and living in the Light (the illumination of God’s Word working with the power of the Holy Spirit showing us sin in our lives, leading us to repentance, and being renewed).
The Fruit of the Spirit is the display of the character of Christ. It has several attributes and, as Christians, we possess them all. We each can yield to the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit at varying rates. Spirituality isn’t measured by gifts, but by the evidence of Fruit. Though all of the Fruit of the Spirit is important – even critical to successful Christian living – we will focus primarily on the highest attribute of a spiritual person … love.
1 Corinthians 13 (often referred to as “The Love Chapter”) describes the action of love:
When love motivates us as described in 1 Corinthians 13 in being available to the Holy Spirit’s use of spiritual gifts, it removes the concern and fear of this topic entirely and the end result is exactly what God intended and desires for His church.
For 5/9/2011:
Brief: We will move forward to our last segment: “Baptism In Fire”. Though this was a topic of concern for me as we started this journey, I've come to appreciate what the scripture has to say about this topic and welcome with an open mind, open heart, and open life. I trust you will find the same attraction to have and be ALL that God wants for you.
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
We concluded with the remaining gifts of the Spirit. As a reminder, the purposes of spiritual gifts are:
- Equipping believers to share the Good News – Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 4:18; 1 Corinthians 2:13
- God confirmed the message of the Good News – Hebrews 2:3-4
- Strengthening the church to serve – 1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:26
Listing of spiritual gifts (Part 2 for this week):
1 Corinthians 12:27-29
- gifts of administration (organizers) – able to keep things organized and in accordance with God's principles.
- able to help others – always having the desire and ability to help others, to do whatever it takes to get a task accomplished.
- apostles – one sent by God with a holy mission to fulfill; and the supernatural power and spiritual gifts to fulfill the mission.
- prophets – one that speaks with divine authority, what God has made clear. Supernatural power and events to verify God has given the message.
- evangelists – one with the heart of God that all should come to the knowledge of the truth that God loves everyone.
- pastors – one with supernatural ability to love and care for the body, soul and spirit of many people at the same time.
- teachers – one with the divine mind of Christ to make the things of God easy to understand and live by in daily life.
Romans 12:
- prophesying – supernatural ability to receive a message from God to strengthen, encourage, and comforts the body of Christ or a believer. Supernatural ability to know the heart of God through a dream, vision or any divine encounter God would use to manifest Jesus Christ.
- serving - supernatural ability to do for others whatever needs to be done. Divine ability to carry another burden or task without notice or earthly reward.
- teaching
- encouraging – supernatural ability to motivate members in the body of Christ to do the works of Christ.
- giving – supernatural ability to give money or time where and when needed with a cheerful heart.
- leadership – supernatural ability to know when something needs to be accomplished, who can accomplish it and how it can be accomplished.
- showing mercy/kindness – supernatural ability to love and care for those who are not able to care for themselves. Divine knowing of who to help and when to help. Divine ability to care for those who no one else would care for.
Do only select people receive spiritual gifts?
Are spiritual gifts given to an elite group of people? NO!! They can be given to anybody, anywhere, at any time of the Holy Spirit’s choosing. “Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.” (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 MSG) A major factor that plays into “who” gets “what” and “when” is, as Paul says: “earnestly desire the most helpful gifts” that would be appropriate for the circumstances at hand, again, motivated by love.
The use of all spiritual gifts is motivated by Love:
A tree is identified by its fruit (Luke 6:44 NLT). In other words, it's who you are, not what you say and do, that matters. When we have a desire to operate in the spiritual gifts, the spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-24) must first motivate us. There is a difference between spiritual gifts and fruit. Gifts are the Spirit’s manifestation through a person, but Fruit is the result of spiritual character. The Holy Spirit gives gifts as He desires; the Fruit is a by-product of the Holy Spirit’s influence and effect in our lives. In the natural, fruit is produced when a tree is fertilized, watered, and given sunshine. In the spiritual, Fruit is produced supernaturally when we are fed by the Word of God (having our mind changed and re-educated), watered by the Spirit (washed clean and our thirst quenched), and living in the Light (the illumination of God’s Word working with the power of the Holy Spirit showing us sin in our lives, leading us to repentance, and being renewed).
The Fruit of the Spirit is the display of the character of Christ. It has several attributes and, as Christians, we possess them all. We each can yield to the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit at varying rates. Spirituality isn’t measured by gifts, but by the evidence of Fruit. Though all of the Fruit of the Spirit is important – even critical to successful Christian living – we will focus primarily on the highest attribute of a spiritual person … love.
1 Corinthians 13 (often referred to as “The Love Chapter”) describes the action of love:
patient, kind, not jealous or boastful or proud, not rude, does not demand its own way, not irritable, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and endures through every circumstance.Love is the greatest evidence of spirituality (1 Corinthians 13:13), without which, spiritual gifts cannot function effectively (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). Paul said we should have a desire for spiritual gifts, but it should follow the greater goal of love. “Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives,” (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT).
When love motivates us as described in 1 Corinthians 13 in being available to the Holy Spirit’s use of spiritual gifts, it removes the concern and fear of this topic entirely and the end result is exactly what God intended and desires for His church.
For 5/9/2011:
Brief: We will move forward to our last segment: “Baptism In Fire”. Though this was a topic of concern for me as we started this journey, I've come to appreciate what the scripture has to say about this topic and welcome with an open mind, open heart, and open life. I trust you will find the same attraction to have and be ALL that God wants for you.
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, May 2, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 2d
Recap of 4/25/2011:
We did a side-by-side comparison of tongues "the sign" and "the gift" and also a comparison of prophecy "the gift" and prophetic "the function/office". This comparison is not to say that one is better than the other, but, rather, to show when, where, how, and why they are different. Here is a summary of the information we covered:
Tongues: The Sign
Prophecy: The Gift (1 Corinthians 14:3)
For 5/2/2011:
Brief: We will conclude with the remaining gifts of the Spirit - hopefully - and then move to the Baptism In Fire. Once again, I count it a privilege to be working with you during this time of discovery and am VERY excited for what God has in store for you as a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!!
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
We did a side-by-side comparison of tongues "the sign" and "the gift" and also a comparison of prophecy "the gift" and prophetic "the function/office". This comparison is not to say that one is better than the other, but, rather, to show when, where, how, and why they are different. Here is a summary of the information we covered:
Tongues: The Sign
- All may speak at one time (Mark 16:17)
- All may speak at one meeting (Acts 2:4, 33)
- No interpretation (Acts 19:6; Acts 10)
- Only one speaker at a time (1 Corinthians 12:10)
- At the most, three may speak (1 Corinthians 14:26-28)
- Must be interpreted (1 Corinthians 14:5)
- we have reached unity in the faith
- we have unity in the knowledge of the Son of God
- we have become mature
- and have attained the whole measure of the fullness of Christ
Prophecy: The Gift (1 Corinthians 14:3)
- Strengthens
- Encourages
- Comforts
- Predictive (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11)
- Rebuke
- Directive
For 5/2/2011:
Brief: We will conclude with the remaining gifts of the Spirit - hopefully - and then move to the Baptism In Fire. Once again, I count it a privilege to be working with you during this time of discovery and am VERY excited for what God has in store for you as a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!!
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, April 25, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 2c
Recap of 4/18/2011:
Once again, I stand amazed as God takes us where He wants us to grow. I am truly humbled to be serving you all and to have the opportunity to grow with you during this time. Blessings upon each of you and your family!!
When conversations about “spiritual” gifts take place, it can conjure up a wide variety of thoughts, definitions, concerns, and fears. The gifts of the Spirit are simply God enabling believers to do what He has called us to do. There is no need for fear, when the source of the gift is from the Holy Spirit and is motivated by love. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). God calls us to be obedient servants to whatever is given to us as an opportunity. When He calls, He equips. So, whatever task or tasks He calls us to, He has obligated Himself to provide us “everything we need” to accomplish those tasks (2 Peter 1:3). For example, God may call one to be a teacher and gives that person the gift of teaching, but that does not excuse the person from serving God in other ways as well. We shouldn’t focus so much on one (or a few) spiritual gift(s) that we miss other opportunities to serve God and people. Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering (Romans 12:1 MSG).
Paul teaches the gifts of the Spirit are useful and beneficial, but not necessarily equal in their use or benefit. There is a use for the gift of prophecy, but may not be the most beneficial in the hospital when visiting the sick. The gift’s benefit is determined by its worth at the time. To help describe this, Paul uses the analogy of the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Members of the body have differing functions, Paul says, but the different parts are arranged and function together. The service of each Christian should be in proportion to the gifts that he or she possesses (1 Corinthians 12-14). All believers, as members of the body of Christ, must be serving together in order for the body to be fully functional. We need pastors, teachers, helpers, servants, administrators, those with great faith, etc. All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit working together are needed to produce the full potential of the church. Since the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of grace, their use must be motivated by love – the highest goal of all the Fruit of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13). The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church.
Purposes of spiritual gifts are:
Listing of spiritual gifts (Part 1 for this week):
There are many gifts listed in scripture. The list below may represent a majority, but, is by no means, an exclusive list.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11:
For 4/25/2011:
Brief: We covered a lot of ground last week … needless to say, there will be much more ground to cover this week. But, in addition to covering more gifts, we'll also compare a couple of giftings. We'll do a side-by-side comparison of tongues "the sign" and "the gift" and also a comparison of prophecy "the gift" and prophetic "the function/office". This comparison is not to say that one is better than the other, but, rather, to show when, where, how, and why they are different. ALL of the giftings of the Holy Spirit are good and necessary. Let's not fear them … let's embrace them for the purpose God has for His church!!!!
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far (above listing) and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Once again, I stand amazed as God takes us where He wants us to grow. I am truly humbled to be serving you all and to have the opportunity to grow with you during this time. Blessings upon each of you and your family!!
When conversations about “spiritual” gifts take place, it can conjure up a wide variety of thoughts, definitions, concerns, and fears. The gifts of the Spirit are simply God enabling believers to do what He has called us to do. There is no need for fear, when the source of the gift is from the Holy Spirit and is motivated by love. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). God calls us to be obedient servants to whatever is given to us as an opportunity. When He calls, He equips. So, whatever task or tasks He calls us to, He has obligated Himself to provide us “everything we need” to accomplish those tasks (2 Peter 1:3). For example, God may call one to be a teacher and gives that person the gift of teaching, but that does not excuse the person from serving God in other ways as well. We shouldn’t focus so much on one (or a few) spiritual gift(s) that we miss other opportunities to serve God and people. Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering (Romans 12:1 MSG).
Paul teaches the gifts of the Spirit are useful and beneficial, but not necessarily equal in their use or benefit. There is a use for the gift of prophecy, but may not be the most beneficial in the hospital when visiting the sick. The gift’s benefit is determined by its worth at the time. To help describe this, Paul uses the analogy of the human body (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). Members of the body have differing functions, Paul says, but the different parts are arranged and function together. The service of each Christian should be in proportion to the gifts that he or she possesses (1 Corinthians 12-14). All believers, as members of the body of Christ, must be serving together in order for the body to be fully functional. We need pastors, teachers, helpers, servants, administrators, those with great faith, etc. All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit working together are needed to produce the full potential of the church. Since the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of grace, their use must be motivated by love – the highest goal of all the Fruit of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13). The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church.
Purposes of spiritual gifts are:
- Equipping believers to share the Good News – Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 4:18; 1 Corinthians 2:13
- God confirmed the message of the Good News – Hebrews 2:3-4
- Strengthening the church to serve – 1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:26
Listing of spiritual gifts (Part 1 for this week):
There are many gifts listed in scripture. The list below may represent a majority, but, is by no means, an exclusive list.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11:
- message of wisdom – the ability to make decisions and give guidance that is according to God's will. It is the wisdom of God – the supernatural impartation of facts; it is not natural.
- message of knowledge – the ability to have an in-depth understanding of a spiritual issue or situation. It is supernatural insight or understanding of circumstances, situations, problems, or a body of facts by revelation; that is, without assistance by any human resource but solely by divine aid.
- faith – A supernatural ability to meet adverse circumstances with trust in God's words and messages and encourage others to trust God, no matter the circumstances.
- gifts of healing – the miraculous ability to use God's healing power to restore a person who is sick, injured, or suffering.
- miraculous powers – the performance of something which is against the laws of nature; it is a supernatural power to intervene and counteract earthly and evil forces. However, the greatest miracle (and often least talked about) is the miracle of salvation … taking spiritually dead people and transforming them into something new (a new creation) and giving them a fresh start in Jesus.
- prophecy – being able to proclaim a message from God which strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. It is divinely inspired (not of intellect) and a supernatural proclamation in a known language.
- distinguishing between spirits (God, man, demonic) – the ability to determine whether or not a message, person, or event is truly from God. It is the supernatural power to detect the realm of the spirits and their activities.
- speaking in different kinds of tongues (languages) – supernaturally enabled speaking in languages not known to the speaker. These languages may be a current world language, some past culture, or “unknown” in the sense that they are a means of communication inspired by the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4, 10:44-48, 19:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 13:1-3, 14:2-22, 26-32).
- interpretation of tongues (languages) – the ability to interpret the tongues being spoken and communicate it back to others in your own language. Supernaturally speaking an interpretation to reveal the meaning of a different tongue. This gift comes from the mind of the Spirit rather than out of the mind of man.
For 4/25/2011:
Brief: We covered a lot of ground last week … needless to say, there will be much more ground to cover this week. But, in addition to covering more gifts, we'll also compare a couple of giftings. We'll do a side-by-side comparison of tongues "the sign" and "the gift" and also a comparison of prophecy "the gift" and prophetic "the function/office". This comparison is not to say that one is better than the other, but, rather, to show when, where, how, and why they are different. ALL of the giftings of the Holy Spirit are good and necessary. Let's not fear them … let's embrace them for the purpose God has for His church!!!!
Homework
As part of our response to this learning, consider the gifts we've covered thus far (above listing) and spend time with the Lord asking which of them are areas He wants to begin moving you into. If we have time, we'll spend some of it talking about this … don't worry, we have a few weeks to cover this part of the homework. So, we'll give it the time and space needed - as He leads.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, April 18, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 2b
Recap of 4/11/2011:
WOW! Talk about "whirlwind" … we barely got through the topic of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Once again, I underestimated what God wants to do with this topic and our group. Have Your way done, Lord! We will continue by looking more deeply into the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see more below). As we discussed this, we realized that there are at least two primary reasons that God wants us to walk in the baptism of the Holy Spirit: to have power and to be His witness (Acts 1:8). I believe it's critically important that we understand that God's desire is for us to be successful in being the kind of witness He needs on this earth and that He has promised to give us all that we need to be that witness. So, "we receive" the power and "we are" the witness!
For 4/18/2011:
Brief: There are many giftings that come with receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This week we'll plunge into those gifts to better understand what power God is willing to give us to be His witness. The question is: Am I willing to be a power-filled witness for God in this life? Here is the informational sheet we've covered before in brief. Feel free to download and print out for use in our next session.
Homework
As part of our coverage, we provided a number of scriptures in Acts to review during the week. Remember to look at these in context by reading the surrounding scriptures to the references:
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
WOW! Talk about "whirlwind" … we barely got through the topic of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Once again, I underestimated what God wants to do with this topic and our group. Have Your way done, Lord! We will continue by looking more deeply into the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see more below). As we discussed this, we realized that there are at least two primary reasons that God wants us to walk in the baptism of the Holy Spirit: to have power and to be His witness (Acts 1:8). I believe it's critically important that we understand that God's desire is for us to be successful in being the kind of witness He needs on this earth and that He has promised to give us all that we need to be that witness. So, "we receive" the power and "we are" the witness!
For 4/18/2011:
Brief: There are many giftings that come with receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This week we'll plunge into those gifts to better understand what power God is willing to give us to be His witness. The question is: Am I willing to be a power-filled witness for God in this life? Here is the informational sheet we've covered before in brief. Feel free to download and print out for use in our next session.
Homework
As part of our coverage, we provided a number of scriptures in Acts to review during the week. Remember to look at these in context by reading the surrounding scriptures to the references:
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, April 11, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 2a
Recap of 4/4/2011:
Dipping into the start of our journey in "baptisms", we covered the aspect of "John's Baptism", which, is a baptism of repentence and how it occurs prior to the cross of Jesus Christ. John came prior to Jesus and, in part, prepared the way in people's lives for The Way. Jesus came to "fulfill all righteousness" and to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. The "fulfill all righteousness" that Jesus accomplishes (with the aid of John) is the full acceptance of being the servant of God and obeying every word that comes from the mouth of God. We continued to splash about in the topic pool of the "Believer's baptism", which, is a baptism taking place after the cross of Jesus and is for those who acknowledge their need of a saviour and dedication of obeying God even as Jesus did. This "believer's" baptism is essentially an outward act signifying our inward change via repentance and agreement to follow God. We then lightly touched upon the aspect of being baptized in the Name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Though this is teaching that is controversial, it is something to be considered in light of scripture.
For 4/11/2011:
Brief: My naiveté would have us completed by now with the topic of baptisms - not so much! So, this week we'll begin our dive into the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As our topic title suggests, "wind" is an appropriate term in helping to describe the dynamics of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word, "pneuma" (breath) begins to help us understand this a little better - think of "pneumatic tools" or air tools which are usually driven by compressed air. Another, perhaps more appropriate, analogy is the wind which sailboats use to generate a force to power them. I like this one best because the boat is at the complete mercy and dependence upon the wind to move. This is how it ought to be for the Christian - totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit - "For in him we live and move and have our being". I don't expect we'll get through both baptisms of "Spirit" and "fire" this week, but, we'll give it a go! Repeated here are the starter scriptures to use in your preparation for our meeting.
Homework
Note what scripture says about the baptisms and be prepared to discuss them in our group time. For each of the following scriptures, find others in the Bible which complement or expand on the topic.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Dipping into the start of our journey in "baptisms", we covered the aspect of "John's Baptism", which, is a baptism of repentence and how it occurs prior to the cross of Jesus Christ. John came prior to Jesus and, in part, prepared the way in people's lives for The Way. Jesus came to "fulfill all righteousness" and to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. The "fulfill all righteousness" that Jesus accomplishes (with the aid of John) is the full acceptance of being the servant of God and obeying every word that comes from the mouth of God. We continued to splash about in the topic pool of the "Believer's baptism", which, is a baptism taking place after the cross of Jesus and is for those who acknowledge their need of a saviour and dedication of obeying God even as Jesus did. This "believer's" baptism is essentially an outward act signifying our inward change via repentance and agreement to follow God. We then lightly touched upon the aspect of being baptized in the Name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Though this is teaching that is controversial, it is something to be considered in light of scripture.
For 4/11/2011:
Brief: My naiveté would have us completed by now with the topic of baptisms - not so much! So, this week we'll begin our dive into the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As our topic title suggests, "wind" is an appropriate term in helping to describe the dynamics of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word, "pneuma" (breath) begins to help us understand this a little better - think of "pneumatic tools" or air tools which are usually driven by compressed air. Another, perhaps more appropriate, analogy is the wind which sailboats use to generate a force to power them. I like this one best because the boat is at the complete mercy and dependence upon the wind to move. This is how it ought to be for the Christian - totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit - "For in him we live and move and have our being". I don't expect we'll get through both baptisms of "Spirit" and "fire" this week, but, we'll give it a go! Repeated here are the starter scriptures to use in your preparation for our meeting.
Homework
Note what scripture says about the baptisms and be prepared to discuss them in our group time. For each of the following scriptures, find others in the Bible which complement or expand on the topic.
- Acts 19:4 (AMP)
- Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
- John 3:5-7 (NLT)
- Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
- Luke 24:47-53 (NIV)
- Acts 10:43-49 (NLT)
- Romans 8:29 (MSG)
- 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (NLT)
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, April 4, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “Baptisms - Earth: Water, Wind and Fire” - Part 1
Recap of 3/28/2011:
We took a shot at covering the topics of the "power", the "sign", the "gift" and surrounding elements. Though we did not have an atomic explosion, I think we covered some good ground. Hopefully, as we radiate into the next few weeks, we'll see how much devastation we can do to the enemy's attempt to influence our thinking and understanding!!
For 4/4/2011:
Brief: As it was in the beginning, so God continues His creative power. He desires to have "the good" restored in His creation. We'll be looking at the dynamics of earth (humankind), water (Word of God), wind (Holy Spirit), and fire (purifying) as we look at the baptisms in the Word of God. Below you will find some starter scriptures to use in your preparation for our meeting.
Homework
Note what scripture says about the baptisms and be prepared to discuss them in our group time. For each of the following scriptures, find others in the Bible which complement or expand on the topic.
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
We took a shot at covering the topics of the "power", the "sign", the "gift" and surrounding elements. Though we did not have an atomic explosion, I think we covered some good ground. Hopefully, as we radiate into the next few weeks, we'll see how much devastation we can do to the enemy's attempt to influence our thinking and understanding!!
For 4/4/2011:
Brief: As it was in the beginning, so God continues His creative power. He desires to have "the good" restored in His creation. We'll be looking at the dynamics of earth (humankind), water (Word of God), wind (Holy Spirit), and fire (purifying) as we look at the baptisms in the Word of God. Below you will find some starter scriptures to use in your preparation for our meeting.
Homework
Note what scripture says about the baptisms and be prepared to discuss them in our group time. For each of the following scriptures, find others in the Bible which complement or expand on the topic.
- Acts 19:4 (AMP)
- Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)
- John 3:5-7 (NLT)
- Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
- Luke 24:47-53 (NIV)
- Acts 10:43-49 (NLT)
- Romans 8:29 (MSG)
- 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (NLT)
“God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!”
-- Genesis 2:7 (MSG) --
Monday, March 28, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: "New Clear Power"
PRE-POST: To be updated for our next meeting! Because of the "excitement" surrounding our topic from Monday night about the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit, we're going to take a more atomic look at the "power", the "sign", the "gift" and surrounding elements. Please come prepared with your scripture study to share with all. Remember, our objective it to get Truth on the table, see what the Scripture says about the topic and above all: exercise Love.
Blessings!!!
Blessings!!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: “But Wait! There's More!!”
Recap of 3/14/2011:
As we used light to help us understand the concept of The “Po-Po” Principle, I trust we’ve grown in knowing more about “put off, put on” and the effect it has on our walk with God and service in his kingdom. By exposing the fundamental error of mixing a little “untruth” with truth, we realize how it poisons and deceives. As stated in Ephesians 4:22-24, putting off our former way of life puts distance between us and a corrupt or rotten mindset. This allows the Spirit of God of renew us and work a fresh mental and spiritual attitude (AMP, v23). The result is that we put on a new way of life – one that is God-fashioned and working itself into our conduct as God reproduces His character in us (MSG, v24)
For 3/21/2011:
Brief: The advertising slogan “But Wait! There’s More!!” is probably well known amongst many of us. However, when it comes to what God has to offer, there is always more than we expect and more than we give Him credit for. This week, we’ll see what scripture reveals about this concept of expectation. He has provided much for us … but wait, there is more!
Homework
What areas if God prompting you to “put off” and “put on” a new way of thinking or living?
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.”
-- Anonymous --
As we used light to help us understand the concept of The “Po-Po” Principle, I trust we’ve grown in knowing more about “put off, put on” and the effect it has on our walk with God and service in his kingdom. By exposing the fundamental error of mixing a little “untruth” with truth, we realize how it poisons and deceives. As stated in Ephesians 4:22-24, putting off our former way of life puts distance between us and a corrupt or rotten mindset. This allows the Spirit of God of renew us and work a fresh mental and spiritual attitude (AMP, v23). The result is that we put on a new way of life – one that is God-fashioned and working itself into our conduct as God reproduces His character in us (MSG, v24)
For 3/21/2011:
Brief: The advertising slogan “But Wait! There’s More!!” is probably well known amongst many of us. However, when it comes to what God has to offer, there is always more than we expect and more than we give Him credit for. This week, we’ll see what scripture reveals about this concept of expectation. He has provided much for us … but wait, there is more!
Homework
What areas if God prompting you to “put off” and “put on” a new way of thinking or living?
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Where and When does this take place?
- How is it done?
- Why do I care?
- Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
- 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (NLT)
- Ephesians 4:11 (NLT)
- 1 Timothy 3:10; 3:1 (NLT)
- Romans 12:4-8 (NIV)
- 1 Corinthians 12:28 (AMP)
- 1 Corinthians 7:7 (NLT)
“There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now.”
-- Anonymous --
Monday, March 14, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: The “Po-Po” Principle
Recap of 3/7/2011:
“Who Do I Say That I Am?” was the question we started to unpack last week. Jesus said we would do the “same work” as He did (John 14:12 (MSG)). This is a BIG challenge to our mind and response to this thing we call “christianity”. Our default mindset is that we are not able to do what God calls us to do, however, scripture says otherwise! Our examination of 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 and the reality of “strongholds” demonstrated that our response to arguments, pretensions, and warped philosophies which set themselves against the Truth of Jesus Christ is to Believe the Truth by aligning every thought and emotion and impulse to the Truth. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). In the near future we will revisit the concept brought out in this scripture described in The Message version: “fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” You have a unique structure of life that God wants, rather “needs”, you to live for Him. Are you up to it?
For 3/14/2011:
Brief: The “Po-Po” Principle may be new to some as we prospect scripture this week. Yes, I know “po-po” has other slang overtones, but I wanted to use the term for this reason: when an influential authority shows up on the scene, things change … and that’s what the Truth of God does, it changes things. There is a fundamental error in thinking when it comes to the way we live and walk out our life with Jesus. The “put off, put on” principle will help us understand more about this as we shine light onto the deception of lust and desires.
Homework
Please consider sharing your personal discovery of your “Stronghold”, “Sentencing”, and “Salvation” based on the scriptural truth found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
-- L. Frank Baum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) --
“Who Do I Say That I Am?” was the question we started to unpack last week. Jesus said we would do the “same work” as He did (John 14:12 (MSG)). This is a BIG challenge to our mind and response to this thing we call “christianity”. Our default mindset is that we are not able to do what God calls us to do, however, scripture says otherwise! Our examination of 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 and the reality of “strongholds” demonstrated that our response to arguments, pretensions, and warped philosophies which set themselves against the Truth of Jesus Christ is to Believe the Truth by aligning every thought and emotion and impulse to the Truth. Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). In the near future we will revisit the concept brought out in this scripture described in The Message version: “fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” You have a unique structure of life that God wants, rather “needs”, you to live for Him. Are you up to it?
For 3/14/2011:
Brief: The “Po-Po” Principle may be new to some as we prospect scripture this week. Yes, I know “po-po” has other slang overtones, but I wanted to use the term for this reason: when an influential authority shows up on the scene, things change … and that’s what the Truth of God does, it changes things. There is a fundamental error in thinking when it comes to the way we live and walk out our life with Jesus. The “put off, put on” principle will help us understand more about this as we shine light onto the deception of lust and desires.
Homework
Please consider sharing your personal discovery of your “Stronghold”, “Sentencing”, and “Salvation” based on the scriptural truth found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Where and When does this take place?
- How is it done?
- Why do I care?
- Ephesians 4:13-16 (NLT)
- Ephesians 4:30-32 (NLT)
- Ephesians 5:6-10 (MSG)
- Ephesians 5:11-14 (MSG)
- Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG)
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”
-- L. Frank Baum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) --
Monday, March 7, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: "Who Do I Say That I Am?"
Recap of 2/28/2011:
Last week, we talked about how God set an example in the beginning as He spoke creatively in Genesis. We then reviewed when Jesus spoke creatively in multiplying food to feed people, when calling Lazarus forth from the dead, also when He spoke healing on the lame, blind, and bound. In the same way as God spoke and Jesus spoke, we can speak creatively as ambassadors for God. As heirs to the Kingdom, we have the same rights and permissions to continue the “body ministry” work that Jesus did during His time here. The spoken Word of God has power and as Jesus stated in John 14:12 (MSG) “I … am giving you the same work to that I’ve been doing.” So, when equipped and led by the Holy Spirit, we can do all the same work that Jesus did!!!
For 3/7/2011:
Brief: As we continue our exploration, we’ll be covering the aspect of “Who Do I Say That I Am?”. Part of our struggle in doing the “same work” that Jesus did is that we don’t know “who” we are in God. The enemy is working to ensure we are ineffective, but, God has a different plan for us! I’m thrilled to comb scripture with you to reveal who the Bible says you are!!
Homework
None given.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
-- John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (Lord Acton) (1887) --
Last week, we talked about how God set an example in the beginning as He spoke creatively in Genesis. We then reviewed when Jesus spoke creatively in multiplying food to feed people, when calling Lazarus forth from the dead, also when He spoke healing on the lame, blind, and bound. In the same way as God spoke and Jesus spoke, we can speak creatively as ambassadors for God. As heirs to the Kingdom, we have the same rights and permissions to continue the “body ministry” work that Jesus did during His time here. The spoken Word of God has power and as Jesus stated in John 14:12 (MSG) “I … am giving you the same work to that I’ve been doing.” So, when equipped and led by the Holy Spirit, we can do all the same work that Jesus did!!!
For 3/7/2011:
Brief: As we continue our exploration, we’ll be covering the aspect of “Who Do I Say That I Am?”. Part of our struggle in doing the “same work” that Jesus did is that we don’t know “who” we are in God. The enemy is working to ensure we are ineffective, but, God has a different plan for us! I’m thrilled to comb scripture with you to reveal who the Bible says you are!!
Homework
None given.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Where and When does this take place?
- How is it done?
- Why do I care?
- John 1:12 (NIV)
- John 15:15 (NIV)
- Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)
- 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)
- John 15:5-8 (MSG)
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”
-- John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (Lord Acton) (1887) --
Monday, February 28, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: "You’ve Got The Power!!" – Part 2
Recap of 2/21/2011:
Well, we don’t seem to get as far as I would have “thought” (grin). While we covered the topic of the power of thoughts, we didn’t reach the power of words (this week, maybe?). We reviewed the concept of the James-Ephesians Bridge and how the “sweet spot” of Ephesians 3:20 lies right between the guardrails of James 4:2 and 4:3 (see image here).
For 2/28/2011:
Brief: This week, it’ll be about the power of words. We’ll see how God set an example in the beginning, how Jesus further demonstrated it during His earthly ministry, and the same work that we have today. I’m excited to rummage around scripture with you to understand better our power to create and to destroy!!
Homework
Keep track of those thoughts which are positive versus those which are negative. Be prepared to share your results with the discussion group.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. --
Well, we don’t seem to get as far as I would have “thought” (grin). While we covered the topic of the power of thoughts, we didn’t reach the power of words (this week, maybe?). We reviewed the concept of the James-Ephesians Bridge and how the “sweet spot” of Ephesians 3:20 lies right between the guardrails of James 4:2 and 4:3 (see image here).
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For 2/28/2011:
Brief: This week, it’ll be about the power of words. We’ll see how God set an example in the beginning, how Jesus further demonstrated it during His earthly ministry, and the same work that we have today. I’m excited to rummage around scripture with you to understand better our power to create and to destroy!!
Homework
Keep track of those thoughts which are positive versus those which are negative. Be prepared to share your results with the discussion group.
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Where and When does this take place?
- How is it done?
- Why do I care?
- Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT)
- Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
- Ephesians 2:7-9 (AMP)
- Ephesians 2:18 (MSG)
“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. --
Monday, February 21, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: "You’ve Got The Power!!" – Part 1
Recap of 2/14/2011:
We talked about the “Tale Of Two Gardens” and the impact of what was lost in Eden by Adam and regained in Gethsemane by Jesus (aka “Jesus, Tell Them What They’ve Won!!”). Our discussion challenged the thinking that walking in “the desert” is where things get tough. When, as I proposed, that walking on a day-to-day basis in the “garden” of a lush, green, fruitful life we experience some of our most arduous decisions for serving the Lord – just as Jesus did in Gethsemane.
For 2/21/2011:
Brief: We’ll be talking about the power of thoughts. The mind, as the very core of our person, influences our words and actions. When the Bible talks about “heart” we need to consider if the reference is really the “mind”. For example, Proverbs 23:7 (AMP) says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” For me, my heart is busy pumping blood, so I use my mind to think. How ‘bout you?
Homework
None for this week
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. --
We talked about the “Tale Of Two Gardens” and the impact of what was lost in Eden by Adam and regained in Gethsemane by Jesus (aka “Jesus, Tell Them What They’ve Won!!”). Our discussion challenged the thinking that walking in “the desert” is where things get tough. When, as I proposed, that walking on a day-to-day basis in the “garden” of a lush, green, fruitful life we experience some of our most arduous decisions for serving the Lord – just as Jesus did in Gethsemane.
For 2/21/2011:
Brief: We’ll be talking about the power of thoughts. The mind, as the very core of our person, influences our words and actions. When the Bible talks about “heart” we need to consider if the reference is really the “mind”. For example, Proverbs 23:7 (AMP) says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” For me, my heart is busy pumping blood, so I use my mind to think. How ‘bout you?
Homework
None for this week
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Why should we do what is written here?
- How is it done? How does this apply to me?
- John 1:12 (NLT)
- Philippians 2:5 (AMP)
- Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)
- 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
- Acts 1:8 (AMP)
- Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. --
Monday, February 14, 2011
The God Of Possibilities: "Jesus, Tell Them What They've Won!"
Recap of 2/7/2011:
We covered the variability’s of what the gospels say about all things are possible with God. We also discussed a few people’s suggested “possibilities” and “impossibilities”. We concluded the discussion time with Mark 11:23 and the mountain of unbelief which can cause us a problem.
Homework for the week: Observe your life and note three (3) times how your unbelief keeps you from doing the possibilities ahead of you.
For 2/14/2011:
Prepare To Share:
Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss this during group. What is a possibility and impossibility for another person you know and then for you? How can you pray for them and for yourself?
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
“Without Divine assistance I cannot succeed; with it I cannot fail.”
-- Abraham Lincoln, February 11, 1861 --
We covered the variability’s of what the gospels say about all things are possible with God. We also discussed a few people’s suggested “possibilities” and “impossibilities”. We concluded the discussion time with Mark 11:23 and the mountain of unbelief which can cause us a problem.
Homework for the week: Observe your life and note three (3) times how your unbelief keeps you from doing the possibilities ahead of you.
For 2/14/2011:
Prepare To Share:
Consider the following questions and be prepared to discuss this during group. What is a possibility and impossibility for another person you know and then for you? How can you pray for them and for yourself?
Truth And Dare!
For each of the following scriptures answer the following questions:
- Who is this speaking to?
- What is being said here?
- Why should we do what is written here?
- How is it done? How does this apply to me?
- Ephesians 3:12 (MSG)
- Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT)
- Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)
“Without Divine assistance I cannot succeed; with it I cannot fail.”
-- Abraham Lincoln, February 11, 1861 --
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The God Of Possibilities (Intro)
I'm so excited for where God is taking us this season! Our subject title for this season will be "The God Of Possibilities" ... as Jesus spoke to His followers, “All things are possible for God.” What does that mean to us as Christians today? What does that look like in real life? How do I integrate this into my life? Join us as we explore and apply this to the life He is leading us to live.
Our first time together this season will be Monday, February 7, 2011, 6:00pm for dinner followed by the meeting beginning at 7:00pm. The menu is yet to be determined, but please bring a salad or dessert to share with the group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (via email, or via comment to this blog).
Everything you think and feel and see around you will argue against what you are about to be exposed to. Get ready!!
Our first time together this season will be Monday, February 7, 2011, 6:00pm for dinner followed by the meeting beginning at 7:00pm. The menu is yet to be determined, but please bring a salad or dessert to share with the group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (via email, or via comment to this blog).
Everything you think and feel and see around you will argue against what you are about to be exposed to. Get ready!!
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