Affirmation of Faith of God's Freeing Love

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

from church Sunday 8/28 and was said in unison....


God's love frees me to be the person I am without having to become more attractive, more intelligent, more popular. God's love frees me to live in confidence, not needing to be self-absorbed, but ready to listen and to hear the stories of others. God's love frees me to take risks, to surprise even myself with courage, sometimes to fall flat on my face-but always to move onward with the knowledge that God is encouraging me. God's love frees me to view the world not from the standpoint of wealth gained or ambition achieved, but from the perspective of relationships lived and human love shared. God's love frees me to put my sins behind me, to know that no sin is too great or too small to be left open and healed by God's gentle touch. Thanks be to God! Amen.

The New Stewardship bindandloose.blogspot.com

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

1 Peter 4:10

Have you ever heard someone preach and thought...."I don't think they're good"?

or

Have you ever heard someone playing music and thought...."I don't like they way they sing"?

or (to be more positive)

Have you ever seen someone do something well outside their job that isn't related to their job?

I think we are all blessed in so many different ways. Humanity is a infinite continuum of talent. It has no boundaries and is constantly widening as opportunities grow.

I love seeing people in their element and using it to serve outwardly. There is a harmony in it.

I think people get caught up in doing too little because they are following what is successful for others. People also don't look to the depths of their gifts. Visible, Tangible, Transparent Gifts....but there is more.

Peter is calling us to use everything about us to serve..... EVERYTHING.

You can sing, great. You can write, great. You can run, awesome.

Think about all the things that come easy to you, that make sense to you, that inspire you, that convict you, that others see in you, and run with those. Stop trying to be someone else because it is much easier to share with others when you focus on your blessed talents, than your drive to acquire them.

Don't ever compare your gifts and talents to others. You'll never be satisfied. You'll always be confused on what you're doing. And more importantly....You'll take more than you'll leave, and we all lose.

May you dig inwards to discover that what you're tracking outwardly was in your own heart the entire time. May you see your talents, blessings, and resources as ways to bless others and not yourself.

Play music to inspire. Write poetry to connect people. Run races to raise money. Build things that build the Kingdom. Eat just enough to give you energy. Sleep just enough to give you rest. Play just enough to refresh your spirit. Live a life that takes all that was given and gives it away.

Faith or Trust bindandloose.blogspot.com

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (1)

Well they are pretty much the same thing.


If you trust someone/thing, you have faith in he/she/it.....and vice versa

Webster's actually defines faith as having "complete trust".

So.... where is your faith/trust?

You reveal weakness/insecurity/convictions/sin/struggles with where your faith is. You allow yourself to be all of you with them. You allow yourself to be taken advantage of, because you trust that they won't do it. It's really hard to have faith in a lot of people/things/Savior because it requires so much of you to give up things to have that trust.

I think this is where people put the brakes on with their relationship to God. They are okay in believing in Him. They will pray to Him. They will get up Sunday mornings for Him.....

But.... we don't tend to be weak with Him and a lot of times we put in safety nets in our lives if God doesn't come through (the way we want Him to).

How many people save money? You probably think it's a great think to save for the future.

Is it?....or are you saving because you don't have faith God will provide you with what you need?

Maybe that is too much of a tangent.....

Whether you trust or don't, have faith or don't, you have to have a relationship to have both. You can't trust or have faith in someone that you don't know. If you struggle with faith, maybe you struggle with knowledge of what you're needing faith in.

Read, Pray, Mediate, Give, Fast

May you realize where you are honestly and truly at in your faith. May you not lie to others and yourself when God knows you don't trust. May you understand that in your honesty you are showing faith and God will respond.


Day One. bindandloose.blogspot.com

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Jer. 29:11


I just wanted to write about something that came to me.

Today feels like a new day. That is because it is a new day. Nothing real changes in you except you mindset about today.

There are going to be a lot of days like today.
....first day of school
....first day of a job
....day you get married
....day your kid is born
....etc...

The truth is a lot of it is you and your attitude. You believed you're different and therefore act refreshed or excited.

What if you treated everyday like this?

What if you had the attitude that today is new? Today is different? Refreshed? Excited?

Excited about everyday!

When you understand God, you'll understand that everyday is a new day. ...a gift.

May you be excited tomorrow, and the day after that, and the week after that, and the month after that, and the season after that.

To quote the tortoise from Kung Fu Panda, who is probably quoting someone a bit more famous
"The past is history, the future a mystery, and the present is a gift"

ry

Action 8/22 (bindandloose.blogspot.com)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (1)

...influenced by Francis Chan and Chris Deluise.


This morning I heard a sermon that was about "Call to Action". This sermon was a message from Jer. 1:4-10 and about how we react to our "calling" or "call".

Point 1. This is a reflection of the message. Our progression, as Chris stated, goes from
1. The Call
2.The Rejection of that call
3. GOD'S reassurance that it is right for us
4. The sign's that the call is in motion.

The call itself is continual and should allows be reexamined. Never should you think that the spirit is done with you. God may need you to move into a new mission field or he may be using your current mission/ministry to springboard into something else. (btw...all of us have a ministry because our lives are a ministry). And maybe in the searching for your call you discover that God has you where you're at for a reason and He isn't trying to move you in different direction.

The Rejection can be lengthy or so short you may not realize it. We are needed to do things that require us to subject ourselves or lay down for God/others. We are all selfish in our humanity, which is a wall and causes us to reject. But if we subject ourselves to God's will we can fight that rejection.

The Reassurance come from, in my experience, a path of least resistance. If I'm answering the call, my life seems simple/easy/but not absent of hardships. It's just that our hardships don't seem bigger than the God we serve.

....... A side note..... If you stress and worry, it's because you don't believe God is in charge. We all experience this, but if we live our lives this way ...it shows God that we are lacking Faith. If you need Biblical examples of people that worried and stressed, but then "got it"... see Peter, John, Andrew, Timothy, etc.

The last progression is the Sign(s) that you've answered God's call. This can be experience, words, actions, etc that are moments that God is wanting you to see. Have you ever done the right thing (in your life) and saw something come of it? That is a sign. You have to be trying to understand God's will for you in your life and you need to have your radar on for reassurance/signs.

Point 2. I really liked Chris' message, but I wanted to add an aspect that I picked up from Chan's book Crazy Love (p169).
You don't treat action for God so differently that you don't move. You've heard someone say "I just don't know what God is calling me to do." Their reaction to that is inaction. They don't serve others, the poor, the needy, the disenfranchised, and God because they don't know where God is "calling" them.

Don't wait because you aren't sure.

If you using that as an excuse, let me pose the same question Chan addressed.

Did you watch TV for 3 hours because God told you to?
Do you sleep in because God told you to?
Did you eat too much because God told you to?
Do you do a lot of thing because God told you to? .... I'd have to say NO.

Your "call" or "calling" is important but don't let that be so important to you that you don't ACT. ACT for God.

Rest...

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (2)

Rest is an important part of the equation.


Rest is the balance to work.... and we seem to place value on what we are producing.

I've taken some time to rest and I understand the importance more and more. I get to the point sometimes where the value of rest is very low on the "totem pole".

Work Hard, Rest Religiously, and Find God in Both.

There are disciplines that the Bible lays out for you. Not just because, but because they are essential to the balance.

Look up disciplines that the Bible states. (spiritual, self, etc.)

You are not a sociologist or an anthropologist, are you?

..... Human behavior/interactions/reactions/needs/responsibilities have common threads and the Bible speaks to these.

Don't think that the Bible is dated one minute. You are Saul, Nicodemus, Pilate, David, Abel, Judas, Peter, etc.

Rest because....

- you need it
- you have more to give if you do
- it heals
- you are commanded to

- if nothing else.....do it because God does.

r

Daily Interactions (5/18)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Know Pain, Know Glory


1 Cor. 9:25-27

There are 2 types of pain in life.

Trials - these are the pains that are afflicted to you from the outside.
....cancer
....losing a job
....parents divorce
....someone breaks your heart
....someone close dies
....etc. (I could make a long list)

Discipline - these are the pains that you bring to yourself by denying your desires
.....Fasting/Dieting
.....Give away our $$$, our time, our energy, etc.
.....Not watching TV
.....Not judging even if you know your right
.....Praying
.....Reading the Bible instead of Twilight
.....Helping others

What's real is trials and discipline bring you closer to God and make you spiritual mature.

Trials you don't necessarily control, Discipline you do.

We live in a ME society. iPhone, iPod, iPad, My Playlist, My Diet, My Shows, My Style,......Me Monsters is what we are. We rarely suppress ourselves.

So when the church tries to tell you to subject yourself to Christ and to other people, there is crickets. Nobody whats to serve, because you serve yourself in every other aspect of life (myself included).

I will say this... we are good at serving with our mouths, but that isn't Biblically sound at all.

Heck... We live in a culture where leaders of churches make more than the congregation. The people called to serve, teach, and live as Christ did show us that subjection doesn't apply to ever aspect of their live (especially the wallet).

We need Discipline. We need to tell the "Me Monster" ....No.

Find something that you want/desire. Tell it "No".

Once you tell it "No" long enough, that desire dies. Then you move on to the next and it's not a discipline anymore.....It who you've been transformed into (Romans 12)


Daily Interaction (5/16)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

No more "Blank Check"


1 Peter 4:10

Bryan's sermon made me think about the market there is for "self-help" books.

People are always feeling inadequate.... Why?

Have you been convinced that there is something about you that needs work or needs to be fixed?

I have.

I think we are being tricked into believing that we aren't good enough and that we can't experience things because of the lack on something. I'm sure you can look to someone in your life and/or someone famous thinking that if I could just have ________ or just do _______, I'd be okay.

It's a trap. The __________'s in life are traps. Sorry to tell you that, but it's true.

I'm telling you this from my own experience. I've lived life at times _________ filling. Guess what happens when you fill the __________.???

....another __________ is created.

Have you ever watched a dog chased it's tail and laughed? I have and I assume that is what God is doing when we live our lives this way. Stop trying to fix yourself, and use what you have to try and fix the broken-ness around you.

Your inadequacy (short falls) are irrelevant. Use what you have to build up people around you.

That is the only "self-help" technique.

.....Imagine how much better you would be
.....Imagine how much better we would all be

Daily Interactions (5/13)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Unhappy


....please insert Psalm 19:7-12

Do you ever find yourself in a rut or a place where things never seem to work out?

Maybe your happyness isn't something you to need to go out and get.

God's Word
-restores your soul
-makes you wise
-brings joy to your heart

Today, find happyness in the Word. God will meet you wherever you stand. Wisdom brings understanding and understanding brings peace.

Find a verse and share how it speaks to you.

(i know i spelled happyness wrong... it was intentional)

Daily Interactions (5/11)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

A Full Tank of Gas


Luke 24:35-49 (emphasis on verse 49)

Jesus reappears to His disciples and instructs them on the task at hand. He explains that he has fulfilled His part and tells them what is next.

He tells them...

Not to fear.
Be reassured.
To feed Him.
Remember what you've been taught.
Go out and share this.

But before they act they should "stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."

God isn't commanding you to go out into the world unprepared. He didn't tell His disciplines to leave after He left and get the Word out. He told them to wait until you have received power.

My question is.... What is your "city" or place or state of mind/spirit that you go to to be "filled"?

What do you think Jesus meant by "power from heaven"?

Daily Interaction (5/10)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Heart Check.


Matt. 15:8-9 (Jesus quoting Isaiah 29:13)

This verse brings curiosity to the front of my mind. I spend a lot of time with people inside the church and I feel that this verse needs to be read and mediated on more and more often.

The first part (verse 8) reveals that to me that people love to "save face" when it comes to church and community of people within it. People love to say what they would want to believe but don't actually believe it. You can tell want a person actually believes by what they do.

Yes... they may say forgiveness is the most important thing, but if they hold grudges or they are constantly judging/criticizing...do they believe in forgiveness?

I think our culture consists of keeping your true beliefs silent if they don't line up (or at least keep the fact that you live a life that is in opposition of what you say is right... a secret)

I've often wondered if this keeps people out of church, because they may see more honesty outside these walls.

Second part (verse 9) speaks on the teachings within a church.
...
Do we live by the doctrines/structures of man or that of God?

We (all churches) have rules, rules, and rules.
And there are rules on how to follow the rules.
And rules on how to deal with rule-breakers.
And rules on how to reward those who are rule-followers.
And rules about making new rules.

Understanding that this is a bold statement
....but there is 1 rule.

Love God.... the end..... fin...... al final.

We spend energies in so many ways and have a tendency to forget "why" we are doing what we are doing... and we end up "worship(ing) me in vain"

When you are at church, do you focus on loving/worshiping God?

What else do you do at church? (follow rules, structure, make sure people are doing their job, criticize, sleep, etc)

Quote:

"The word 'getting' is, I think, the problem with contemporary Christianity. God is the audience of worship. What you get is, quite frankly, irrelevant as a starting point."

-James Gilmore (economist talking about the church experience and people's attitude towards worship.

Daily Interaction (5/7)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Misuse....


Jer. 29:11

This is just one of many verses that are misused in the bible. This is a big one in the prosperity Christianity movement, but I'm not going to write out the problems with prosperity Christianity.

The purpose of this post is that I heard 4 different examples of people misusing scriptures this week. They didn't misquote them, but they we're using them in a prideful sense of proving others wrong. Scripture isn't put into place for you to use as ammunition. People have a tendency to use particular verses to fulfill there own beliefs. This is okay if you read the whole bible, understood the entire bible, and had an understanding on the intent of the verse.

This doesn't happen....

Instead you have people using them to create an illusion of their god that supports their ideas and agendas.

Verses have been used to justify genocide, rape, women oppression, slavery, forbidding dancing or alcohol, racism, war, etc, etc, etc....

I write this as a warning because we all have the tendency to speak on God's behave about social issues. God is more concerned with your soul and your heart, and the soul and heart of those you're trying to coerce, convince, or persuade.

Love God constantly.
Love Your Neighbor at all costs.

Worry about how you can do these things and not how "right" you are.

Salvation isn't a win-loss outcome.


Daily Interactions (5/4)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Giving


2 Cor 9:6-15

It's not always easy to give our money away. We work hard to earn it, and we need it to buy necessities (and maybe some fun things as well).

But in this passage, Paul reminds us why it can be easy: God is the great Provider, God owns everything, and God is always able to provide for you as you provide for others.

You can't outgive God.

So do you trust God? If so check to see where your money goes.

Qu?

-Why is it so hard to give sometimes?

Ask God for faith to trust him in the areas of your life in which you're still holding on to your money.

Think about some ways that God is providing for you already.

Daily Interactions (5/1)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (1)

Thank you God


Psalm 118:24

Today is pretty simple. Thank you God for what I have.

Today, some of us are fasting to help us raise money and also awareness.

This is my 5th fast of the year (all about 36 hrs) and all are different. I think this one is more powerful because I know that others are doing it as well. My brother's church is doing 30 Hour Famine at the same time, and I think that connects us as well.

I could write for days on the importance of fasting or quote numerous scriptures to drive in why it was important back then.

I'd rather, just be thankful that I have the opportunity to feel something natural, something that help me empathize with others, and something that keeps me focused on God.

So Thanks.

Qu?

-What is something that you can thank God for today?

Tell Him.

Daily Interactions (4/30)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Okay Peter, it's like this.


Acts 10:9-48

God loves the drama in this story.

Why the drama, because this was a big event and a transition for Peter... and for Christianity.

Up until this point, Peter (a man that understood Jewish traditions and law) knew certain things about God. What was acceptable and what wasn't.

Or at least he thought he did.

God comes in with something simple like food and ends up paralleling it to people.

Before this, Jews were the chosen people, but now he understanding that God loves everyone just as much as he loves the Jews.

He loves....
the gentiles
the Jews
the Romans
the pagans
the Americans
the Iraqis
the Chinese
the Republicans
the Democrats
the atheists
the murders
the jerks
the hypocrites
the church going
the mean girls
the "you".....

all the same.

Peter didn't accept this easily, much like it is hard for us to accept that God loves people that we don't. As Peter began to understand, he changed his mind... and so can you....

Qu?

- How would you react if God asked you to change your mind about something you've always believed?

- Is there any place in your life where you believe some people are more important than others? Why?

- How does this passage help you deal with that? (knowing you're not alone, Peter feels your pain)

Daily Interaction (4/28)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Christian Virus


Acts 1:6-8

Hey, I know it is a weird title to discussion, but I like to think differently. I prefer it.

I love this verse, it is like God telling you to get off you butts and get to work for Him.

God could of sent Jesus to ever corner of the Earth so that everyone would see the miracles,
hear the teachings, and receive salvation....but He didn't.

Jesus/God empowers us, (that's right, you have powers) to spread this message of salvation to the
far ends of the globe. God wants you to act on your own salvation and forgiveness to tell other about
what has happened for them as well.

There is roughly a billion of people who have never heard the Gospels...that's crazy.

Qu?

-Have you ever felt like God was calling you to tell someone outside of your culture the Message?

-How do you think we could reach that billion+?

Finally, pray/mediate in silence about the verse...read it 2-3 times and ask God how He wants to use you?

Daily Interactions (4/27)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (1)

Roots.


1 Peter 2:9-10

Where do you come from? Are you Irish, Native American, African American, etc?

Your roots give you a sense of direction, guidance, history, and importance in the grand scheme of things.

Today, look at your spiritual roots.

You are part of a long standing heritage that is the church.

Read the scripture.

How does it feel to know you're a part of a larger spiritual kingdom?

How should this knowledge change the way you live as a believer?

Daily Interaction (4/26)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Role Playing


1 Corinthians 12:27-31 & Colossians 1:18

Being a part of a church or a part of the Church (all Christians together), means that you have your part to play in community of believer. You may think, "I'm not important because I'm not in a particular group or have a particular personality", but that is far from the truth. Everyone has been blessed with spiritual gift
(to figure out yours click here -> http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/).

Another part of being in a community is realizing who is in charge. We get caught up in following people in the church... Friends, Parents, Youth Directors, Clergy, Etc...

The truth is Jesus Christ is the leader of our church.
The Brains.
The Heart.
The Power.
The Inspiration.
The Message.
The Authority.

Qu?
-How can you honor Jesus today as head of His Church?


- Do you know what your role in the Church is? ...no?... Pray and ask Christ to reveal to you what it is.

Daily Interactions (4/25)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Churchin'



Using the message from Bryan's sermon this morning, I wanted us to look at what is church.

Why do you think Christians attend church weekly, hardly at all, or never?

What is the purpose of going to church?

I've experienced various reasons in my own life.
- I've gone out of discipline (just showing us)
- I've gone because my parents made me (stay out of trouble)
- I've gone because I didn't have anything better to do (stay out of trouble)
- I've gone because I'd mess up (wanting forgiveness)
- I've gone because it was an escape (wanting refreshment)
- I've gone because I love God (wanting to worship)

Church has many faces.
It is a noun.... a place to go.
It is an adjective..... describing people that are discipline (churchie person or church-going)

It a verb.... an act of meeting with others that are trying to understand and thank God.

Church is not entertainment, Church is not a reflection of worldly values and justice, Church is not a business, Church is not a commodity.

Verses 18-19. What is described about Church?





Daily Interactions (4/24)

Posted by Ryan, Lindsay, Kai, Andrew, and Malia comments (0)

Mark 10:17-31


What part of the verse/parable do you focus on the most?

This parable mainly focuses on two things:
- What money, little faith, and good works gets you.
- What leaving it all behind will get you.

The focus for today is verses 29-30

Whatever you leave behind, you'll receive 100x that later. We shouldn't ultimately struggle with leaving money and possessions behind, but it is hard when you're talking about people (especially family).

If your relationships are struggling outside the church community, how are you working on building those relationships with your brothers and sisters in God?

Have you ever felt like Peter? (meaning... Peter surrendered everything)?

The Youth of Klein UMC's Fan Box

About this blog

Copyright 2009 - To Bind and Loose....

Blogspot Theme designed by: Ray Creations, Ray Hosting.