Advent Worship

The Prophet Isaiah said, "...the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

The angel Gabriel said, "Surprise!! Mary, you are that virgin!"

That is how the story of Mary begins. It begins with something totally unexpected...a real shocker.

Mary's response, however, is a lesson for all of us as we face the unexpected in our lives.

Worship with us, these four Sundays leading up to Christmas, as we look into the life of the one who would give birth to the Savior of the world.

Don't See The Golden Compass!!

Plain and simple...do not take your children, grandchildren, neices, nephews, neighbor kids, etc., to see The Golden Compass. Also, do not buy the series of books, His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.

Read more at the following links...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/december/12.36.html

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7274

Misconceptions of Christ

Lutzer Tackles Most Common Misconceptions of Christ

Dr. Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, has written a new book titled, Slandering Jesus: Six Lies People Tell About the Man Who Said He Was God (Tyndale House).

According to Lutzer in a www.onenewsnow.com story, today's culture is ripe with false portraits of Jesus, and the situation isn't helped when celebreties such as Oprah Winfrey color the playing field.

"The thing is that Oprah teaches that Jesus is one way among many, and that God is more interested in our hearts than he is in whether or not we believe in Jesus. And she is a microcosm of what happens in America, a microcosm of what Americans believe, that Jesus is great, but he's not the only way to God," Lutzer says.

"And the point that I make is that once you grab the seriousness of sin, of necessity, Jesus is the only way to the Father."

Dr. Lutzer cites a serious erosion of biblical doctrine as the primary factor behind the confusion about the Christ of the Bible.

Reaching the Christmas and Easter Crowd

Inside the minds of holiday-only attenders.

by John Huffman, Jr.

Every pastor encounters them: the Christmas and Easter faces that appear in church only on the holiest of days. It's easy to grow cynical about the once-or-twice-a-year crowd. On the other hand, holidays provide the opportunity to touch the lives of the "under-churched." John Huffman's perspective, originally published in the Los Angeles Times, offers insight and hope. How do I feel about Christmas and Easter attenders?

Finish this article

Happy Thanksgiving

Giving thanks for all our blessings.

Have a great Thanksgiving Day.

Worship

When Jesus died on the cross, on Good Friday, many thought it was over. But those of us who know the rest of the story know that his resurrection on Sunday changed all that. Sorrow is turned to Joy.

Well, what if the opposite happened? What if it is Sunday...but Friday's coming?

Let me be more specific. What if it's Sunday...but Black Friday's coming?

Come worship with us, Sunday, and find out what that's all about.

Role Models

Note: Mark Beeson is the Sr. Pastor of Granger Community Church. I and on their mailing list and receive their communications via email. Following is a recent letter he sent to his congretation:


Dear Church:

Our parenting series got me thinking and a recent barrage of irresponsible statements from people with great influence got me writing. You are welcome to contemplate this problematic cultural conundrum. Read on.

“I’m just a musician. I never wanted to be a role model. That responsibility lies with parents.”

“I’m just an athlete. I never asked to be a role model. That responsibility lies with parents.”

“I’m just a teacher at the school. I never claimed to be a role model. That responsibility lies with parents.”

Is anyone else tired of hearing that lame excuse for negligent behavior? So am I. I’m fed up.

I’m sick of it.

We spout this garbage presuming to guard our value of individual freedom. But this isn’t freedom, its license – comprehensive authorization to do anything we want, anywhere we like, with anyone we choose. Such lunacy absolves people of influence from the responsibility essential to it. This release, so easy to say, excuses leaders of culpability.

This simple statement, offered and accepted as transcendent truth, exempts the shapers of our society from their indispensable contribution to it.

Allowing this tripe to continue unchallenged is akin to accommodating cultural suicide.

Gain without cost, benefits expanded without exertion, profit with no skin in the game, all these precipitate tragedy and loss. Our underlying desire for sex without marriage, money without work, loyal friends (when we have not cultivated closeness, nor have we demonstrated our own fidelity) manifests itself in bad behavior. We ache with selfish ambition while despising the levels of accountability inherent to success.

We want young people to buy our music and tickets to our performances. We want them to swallow our opinions, beliefs and political orientations. We demand they accept our values and morals. Our imagined contract reads, “You give me adulation. Celebrate me and I will enjoy the license of unrestrained self-indulgence as part of the deal.” Do we think we owe nothing after we have gained so much?

Well, here is the truth.

If people are looking at us with admiration, if others follow our lives with interest, if people emulate our words or admire our ways, if we influence anyone - then, whether we like it or not, we are responsible. We are accountable and we are liable. No more excuses. We don’t have an out.

Parents are responsible too; our Creator makes that clear. But as children navigate the waters of adolescence, the people who shape their emerging values, beliefs and opinions better step up and serve them well by living well. The success of every next generation depends on the responsible influence of their leaders and opinion-shapers.

So let’s stop whining about all the pressure we feel. Step up, my friend. Accept responsibility. Lead courageously and expect God to reward you. The next generation is watching and learning and they deserve more from us than excuses.

Mark Beeson

Christ and College

Research Reveals Critical Needs of Christian College Freshmen

www.crosswalk.com

The Christian Post reports that youth leaders who haven't yet called their graduates-turned-college freshmen might want to pick up the phone. Ministry directors who are researching the Christian youth fallout from the Fuller's Center for Youth and Family Ministry have noticed that for the most part, faith didn't prevail between the freshman and sophomore years for college students.

A college freshman's biggest priority is to establish friendships and figure out where they fit in, according to CYFM directors Kara Powell and Brad Griffin and Fuller Theological Seminary faculty member Cheryl Crawford. "Across the board, the freshmen we interviewed indicated that these first two weeks are absolutely critical for creating a social life. The primary -- and most accepted -- way to do this in college is to engage in the party scene,"

Many respondents said they wish they had maintained contact with friends or youth group leaders post-graduation.

Worship

This week concludes our short series.

The first two weeks we looked at finding and growing your passion. Now comes the hard part...taking the risk. Or, as the picture implies...taking the leap.

Come worship with us, Sunday, and find how you can have the courage to "go for it" when it comes to our passion.

"In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there will never be another just like it again. Today is the point to which all your yesterdays have been leading since the hour of your birth. It is the point from which all your tomorrows will proceed until the hour of your death. If you were aware of how precious today is, you could hardly live through it. Unless you are aware of how precious it is, you can hardly be said to be living at all.”

Frederick Buechner

Taking Membership to a New Level

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/004/2.14.html

Forget your Members Only jacket. At Vintage21, a church in Raleigh, North Carolina, it's Owners Only. The church is eliminating the concept of membership entirely in favor of what they believe is a more appropriate description for the body of Christ: ownership.

Gyms and clubs have members. Vintage21 contends that these memberships are "painless to obtain and even easier to discard." "Ownership," on the other hand, springs from the fact that followers of Christ are co-heirs of the Kingdom, and as such, possess a piece of the church. Vintage21 hopes each person will feel responsibility for the church and want to be more intimately involved, rather than just coming to services and taking off. They hope to ditch a consumer mindset and move into an investor's outlook.

"An owner makes the organization happen. Jesus wants his followers to make the church happen—go out and love people, nurture each other, and serve with your whole life. Ownership is a higher call than membership," Vintage21 explains.

Our only question is, will they call the offering a property tax?

Copyright © 2007 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal. Fall 2007, Vol. XXVIII, No. 4, Page 14

5 Kinds of Christians

5 Kinds of Christians

Understanding the disparity of those who call themselves Christian in America.

A new national survey co-sponsored by Leadership.

Reported by Helen Lee

Jennifer Hua identifies herself as a Christian. A 35-year-old former attorney studying Christian counseling at the Wheaton College Graduate School (Illinois), she has gone to church all her life and is a lay leader in her suburban Chicago congregation. She furthers her spiritual development by daily Bible reading, prayer, listening to and singing worship songs, and interacting with other Christians. And every few months, she carves out time for a silent retreat. "I do all of these things because I know from past experience I need to recalibrate my mind and my heart to be in tune with God," she says.

Finish this article

Worship

Last week, we talked about finding your passion. This week, we look at what to do once you find it.

OK, I know some of you might not have found it in a week's time...but you will eventually. So, when you do find it, you'll be ahead of the game.

There are two important things you must do to develop your passion. Come worship with us, Sunday, and find out what they are.

Time Change

Set your clocks BACK one hour before you go to bed, Saturday night.