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SUMMER 2010 Back to Basics: What Do We Believe About . . . This summer our annual “Back to Basics” series will go after some of the questions people are always asking, o What do we believe about. . . o What does the Bible say about. . . o What does the church teach about . . .” Look through the list of questions and you’ll see that there are going to be some challenging conversations. The goal is to learn what God’s Word says. But there is a bigger goal! Our Father gives us His Word so that we grow to be more like His Son, Jesus. Many of His Words will remind us of the gap between our lives and His will. That leads us to call out for forgiveness, and ask for the Holy Spirit to shape us to be more and more like Jesus. Another word for that is: spiritual transformation.
So, here we go! What Do We Believe About . . .
July 3-4 What Do We Believe About Freedom . . . When We Continue to Entrap Ourselves Galatians 3:26-4:7 On this weekend, citizens of the United States of America celebrate the freedom of this great land with sparkles, booms and bangs! As we celebrate our constitutional freedom, it is with irony that we note that like the people of Israel, we easily walk back into shackles that keep us from living the free life God won for us. You may have something more to celebrate this July 4th weekend, as you listen to God’s design for your ultimate freedom!
July 10-11 What Do We Believe About The Holy Christian Church . . .When We Are Divided Deuteronomy 7:6-9; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 17:20-23 As the holy Christian Church, Jesus called us to be united, but we experience division. While we do celebrate a unity with Christians of every denomination, we also live with sad divisions that mute our witness before those who are not Christian. Our Lord Jesus not only prays for unity, but shed His blood that we may be reconciled to His Father, and to one another. Unity in Christ happens for a church body as the individuals in the church use the gift of reconciliation in their own lives. This week, we also pray for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod gathered in convention in Houston, Texas. We pray that the Holy Spirit will unify those representing our church so that we can give a positive witness to a broken world.
July 17-18 What Do We Believe About Suffering . . .When It Seems Like God Should Give Us a Break Isaiah 53:3-11; Romans 8:18-27; John 12:23-28 Christians and non-Christians always wonder about suffering. How can a loving God, with all power allow people to suffer? Why does God allow injustice among nations to cause pain and death among His own people? Why do natural disasters happen that cause suffering? Could there be a purpose for the suffering? Let’s look deeply into God’s Word and actually get a glimpse of his great design.
July 24-25 What Do We Believe About Introducing People to Jesus . . . .Even Though We May Feel Unprepared or Afraid Acts 17:22-34; Romans 3:21-26; John 1:35-42 We have learned the art of introducing a new acquaintance to a friend. We’re especially excited about making that introduction when the friend is able to add something needed to the other person’s life. Today, we will see several examples in Scripture of people who simply had to tell someone else about Jesus because they knew what would happen if others met the One who had changed their lives. Someone you know has been waiting for you to talk with them for a long time. The Spirit is prodding you now. So, how will you respond?
July 31-Aug 1 What Do We Believe About Living as a Disciple of Jesus . . .When We’re Pulled in Many Directions Exodus 13:20-22; Ephesians 4:17-24; Luke 9:57-62 Living as a disciple of Jesus is like having a trainer at the gym. It’s a commitment that requires time, energy, money, learning, and suffering. Our disciple-trainer, Jesus, wants to take us deeper into a life that will lead to a much more meaningful life. But often our spiritual discipleship is dwarfed because we have followed other voices and made other commitments to other masters. Soon we see how significant a wrong choice can be . . .for us and our children. This is an important question to wrestle with.
Aug 7-Aug 8 Our youth will be sharing in our services, focused on the theme of the National Youth Gathering which was “We Believe”. We live in a world in which we are constantly bombarded with messages about how we should dress, spend money, eat, drink, study, work, vote, believe, live, etc. There are so many different messages that it gets hard to know which messages are true and which are just a bunch of lies. And then there are those in-between messages--the ones that aren't entirely wrong, but aren't entirely right either. So how do we know what messages we should listen to? How do we know what we really believe?
Aug 14-15 What Do We Believe About Christian Marriage . . .In a Culture Frightened about Commitment Genesis 1:26-28; I Corinthians 7:1-7; Matthew 19:1-9 Marriage is one of God’s greatest gifts to men and women. Marriage is also one of the most challenging commitments we make to another person. Because of sinfulness in the world, unhealthy relationships and divorce rips apart hearts that have been enmeshed in a new one flesh creation. As we look at the hard words of Jesus we want to understand God’s design for marriage, but we also want to make certain we hear God’s Word of love and forgiveness for all who have experienced divorce or broken commitments within our marriages and relationships.
Aug 21-22 What Do We Believe About God’s Design for Sexuality . . .in a World Where Anything Goes Genesis 2:18-25; Romans 1:18-27; John 8:1-11 Sexuality is one of God’s great gifts entrusted to people. Still, because of our sinfulness in the world, sexuality has been cheapened and misused in such a way that it has robbed people of their value. No matter what our station in life, people find themselves challenged over sexual choices and behaviors. Other Christian and Lutheran denominations have made significant decisions condoning the ordination and marriage of those who are gay. The topics today are sensitive because of the life situations with which we are surrounded. Our goal: we want to hear God speak to us from His Word, apply His forgiveness to our own lives, and challenge ourselves to conform our ways to His Word.
Aug 28-29 What Do We Believe About Speaking the Name of Jesus . . .In a World that Is Afraid of His Name Acts 4:1-12; Philippians 2:5-11; John 18:1-9 Things have changed: using the name of Jesus in a prayer is definitely a courageous act in our culture. The name of Jesus has a lot of power. People of our culture are afraid even to hear a Christian use His name in their presence. Yet, as a baptized Christian, you wear the name of Jesus for all to see. How can we use the name of Jesus in a loving and in some way that will enable others to experience His love and joy in their lives in a world that has suddenly become so afraid of Him?
Sep 4-5 What Do We Believe About Sabbath Rest . . . In a Culture that Asks Us To Do More Exodus 20:8-11; Hebrews 4:9-11; Luke 6:1-11 When we go back to the Manufacturer’s Instructions, we find that human beings were designed for rest every seven days. But Christians find themselves stretched to the max and moving quickly from week to week with no down time. Even our cell phones are given a chance to recharge. God has a wonderful plan for your life that could change everything about your health, your stress, your connection to Him, and the people around you. This is Back to the Real Basics.
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