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Weekend Recap – Home As Mission Center

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On Sunday, I finished leading our adults through Book Three of BILD International’s First Principles series — Participating in the Mission of the Church.   We’ve enjoyed studying these books during the summer the past 2 years.  I like the simple layout of the curriculum: consult the Scriptures, consult the scholars, consult your heart.  There’s much content that is driven in these short books.

Sunday’s wrap got at Acts 10:1-33 and how God used Cornelius (and his home) as a mission center to advance the Gospel.  We were all challenged to dream of ways that our lives could incorporate more intentionality to the mission that God has given us.  So, I’d recommend you consider this resource, but, in a deeper way, if you’re a believer, dream of ways you could strategically help spread the Gospel through your home.  This coming Sunday, new adult Sunday School classes will begin: one on the (not so) Minor Prophets and a class going through Paul Tripp’s DVD curriculum Getting To The Heart of Parenting.

Weekend Preview – Love To The End

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washing-feet-john13

This coming Sunday, Lord willing, we will continue working our way through the Gospel of John, studying John 13:1-38.  John tells us that as Jesus’s hour has come, He loved His disciples to the end.  He gives an example for service, exposes His betrayer, and even provides His followers a new commandment for how they should act and live.  So, I’m excited to dig into this amazing chapter as Jesus gives us a picture of love that emerges with technicolor brilliance.  I hope to see you this Sunday at 10:15.

Our service will also begin with a baptism, so be on time.

Weekend Preview – Jesus’s Time Has Come

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bucketlist

You’re familiar with this term “bucket list” more than likely.  It’s things you’d like to accomplish before your time is up.  This coming Sunday, in John 12:20-50, we’ll be looking at what Jesus would exhort you to do.  After all, we’re told His time has come and therefore, these are His closing words for us.  So, I hope you’ll dig into this amazing passage with us Sunday and see what God might want to shape in you.  See you then.

Weekend Preview – Hate, Hearts

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heartexposureThis coming Sunday, I’m preaching John 11:55-12:19 and calling the sermon Haters Gonna Hate.  There are all kinds of sinister motives revealed in this passage.  I think the way this will most help us is revealing all the motives that lie in our hearts, keeping us from following Jesus the way He deserves.

There are things like misguided passions, love of money, the world’s resistance, and jealousy that cloud what a pure following of Jesus might look like.

So, would you pray that God would search you and know your heart, try you and know your thoughts, to see if there is any wicked way in you, and lead you in the way everlasting.  We’re headed here this Sunday.

Weekend Preview – Lazarus

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lazarus

This coming Sunday (Lord willing), we’ll continue our study in the Gospel of John at Crestview.  In particular, I’ll be preaching on John 11:1-54 and the revelation of Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life through the healing of Lazarus.

Some thoughts:

  1. I’m reminded of Tony Evans who said, “If Jesus hadn’t said Lazarus, come forth, all the dead would have come forth.”
  2. Carman.  Lazarus Come Forth.

 

Or, 3. if Carman is too much, here’s Greater Vision with their Southern Gospel hit, My Name is Lazarus.

Hope you enjoy these and come ready to see Jesus’s glory revealed in this amazing healing.

Weekend Preview – The Blind See

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This weekend, Lord willing, at Crestview, we’ll be looking (he, he) at Jesus healing a man who was born blind in John 9.

There’s so much to say about this, so plan to join us Sunday, 10:15AM and come to delight in Jesus with us.  After all, as the famous hymn says, before Christ, “we once we blind, but now we see”.

Another thing this reminded me of was some classic Caedmon’s Call.  Here you go:

See you Sunday.

Weekend Preview – Living Water Can Be Yours

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Jn7.37-38

This coming Sunday, we will be continuing our work in John’s Gospel.  In John 7:25-52, there’s a big question on the table: Can this man really be the Christ?  In other words, can Jesus be the Promised One, the Messiah?  So, this passage unpacks who Jesus is.  It helps us see where He’s really from, the life He gives, and how we can judge Him rightly.  I hope to see you there as we hear Jesus address the concerns of our heart: our lack of trust and belief in Him.  See you Sunday.

Weekend Preview – Judging Rightly

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judgingrightly

Do you have a category for judging rightly?  If you DON’T, then you have to do something with Jesus, who said, “Don’t judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).  This coming Sunday, we’ll be exploring this “right judgment” out of John 7:1-24.  I hope you’ll join us and see the amazing way we can be shaped by God’s Word, even if it’s very much out of step with the prevailing notions our world might offer.

See you then.

Weekend Preview (2) – VBS and Confession

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LIfeway VBS 2016

Yesterday, I mentioned some previews related to our Baby Dedication and my AM sermon.  Today, I wanted to remind everyone that Crestview’s VBS begins this Sunday, 6/19/16, at 6:30PM.  Lots of preparations are underway for this.  And tonight, there’s a time to help everyone set things up at 6:30PM.  We call this the VBS work night.  If you’re able, you can start to get a feel for the theme and other information.  We love the partnership with Lifeway to deliver a VBS that connects children to the Gospel.

Further, we are taking the Lord’s Supper this Sunday and will be using this confession of faith from Coram Deo Church in Omaha, NE.

(based on 1 Corinthians 15:1-6…)
We profess and affirm the good news
that we have received,
in which we stand,
and by which we are saved,
if we hold fast:
that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day.
We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus Christ is the first and the last, the beginning and the end;
he is our Lord and our God.
We hope you can join us for an amazing day this coming Sunday.

Weekend Preview – Eating Flesh, Drinking Blood, and Baby Dedication

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Ok, sorry, for the horrific title to this post.  This coming Lord’s Day (6/19/16), there are a couple of things getting teased out.

First of all, we’ll continue working our way through John’s Gospel (in John 6:41-71) learning about the controversy around Jesus as the bread from heaven.  Much of this had to do with Jesus speaking that unless we at His flesh and drink His blood, we can’t have eternal life, which is a very wild way to describe something.  I’d say on the one hand, this is more than Lord’s Supper for those who might go there.  Taking communion doesn’t save you (after all, we’re not saved by works, lest we should boast according to Ephesians 2:8).  If this was merely about observing Passover meal, disciples wouldn’t have left him (see John 6:66).  Rather, this has to do with placing our faith in Jesus alone, as was explained in this helpful post from Desiring God.

eatflesh-drinkblood-abide

Another part of our gathering this Sunday will be a Baby Dedication during the morning service (which happens to be Father’s Day).  We use this commitment language that we’ve adapted from Sojourn.  Here’s how it goes:

The Home:

  • Parents, will you commit to trust God’s promises made to you and your children in His Word?
  • Will you commit to seek God, and seek gospel change in the way you live and parent your children?
  • Will you commit to discipline your children and show them grace?
  • Will you commit to teach God’s Word to them and live out the Gospel in your home?
  • Will you commit to pray for them and teach them to pray?
  • Will you commit to partner with this church community, seek their help and accountability, and lead your children to do the same?

 

Answer if these are true of you: “We will with God’s help.”

 

The Church:

  • Parents, look around you. You are not alone.  This is your community of faith.  Crestview, will you commit to seek God and seek gospel change in the way you live before these children?
  • Will you commit to pray for these children—that they will grow to love Jesus and trust in Him?
  • Will you commit to teach them the gospel through both your words and your example?
  • Will you commit to partner with these parents—holding them accountable and confronting their sin?
  • Will you commit to pray for them and encourage them as they face the trials of parenting?

 

If so, please read the following:

“With joy and thanksgiving, as Christ’s church, with God’s help, We promise to love, encourage and support you as you follow Christ and train your children in the faith.”

Pray.

 

So, we’re anticipating a great Sunday morning this coming Sunday at Crestview.  I hope you’ll join us.  Thanks.