Fundraising Sunday

We've got our fundraiser this Sunday!

Bake sale, plus hot dog sale, lots of work to be done, but it's exciting to work with the same group that I'll be with over the next few weeks

Basically nothing has happened since last week except the passage of time.

Announcements: 

We do a disservice to God by treading Christ as boring. He gave his life so that we may live, and have life to the full.

It is all about the intimate, personal relationship with God. That is where we find our identity, not in activities, actions, groups, or careers. Our identity is in Christ, and that is what we desire to see each and every day when we look in the mirror.

Pastor Dean & Laura introducing our Missions team, and the church praying over us.

Menergy

33 The Series

Discussions

Review of idols:

Idol is an inflated thing that becomes more fundamental than God. Something that you love ultimately.

Brutal honesty: brutal men with brutal struggles

Solomon - empty promises John Bryson

Identify and deal with the roots of our sin.

Jeremiah 2:13 

Two evils man has committed, forsaken me the fountain of living water, and gone for broken cisterns, idols.

Adam

The original lie: that we must go around God and away from God, rather than toward him for the things in our life.

The idyllic garden of Eden, balance in relationship.

Genesis 3:5 idols of control and significance

Genesis 3:6 idol of comfort

Over promise andunder deliver, like all idols.

All men either walk in the shadow of the first Adam, or the light of the second Adam

The lie: there's a better way than what God has provided.

 

Solomon

Ecclesiastes documents Solomon's all out pursuit of happiness. Ended in vanity.

Searched for wisdom and knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 1:16-17 

Found it was only a broken cistern,

So he searched after pleasure

Unlimited bank account, meant massive parties.

Excessive alcohol, 43% of men engaged in binge drinking (>5 drinks in an hour)

Solomon was worshiping at these 3 altars

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Sex,

Solomon found it all vanity

Work,

We are not our work, work makes for a terrible God.

Paul - idol of self righteousness

Find significance in being good, in being moral, in being self righteous

Philippians 3:4-7

Whatever gain I had I counted it as loss. (Context: huge self worth)

Religious discipline or duty.

You are not alone.

Good things can become bad things if they become the main thing

Enjoy life, don't worship life.

Next session, battle plan.

Discussions:

Heavy hitters, the poster boy of the New Testament,

These guys still fall short.

What are our desires:

Myself:

Independence,

Financial stability,

Community,

Family,

Fitness,

Peace,

Things that we might be idolizing,

Something that we cannot get from God?

Went to the semifinal meeting after Menergy,

We decided to take two groups to the airport on Monday morning.

The plane leaves at 6 I believe, so we're meeting for 4:15.

That's all for now!

Baby Boy!

It hasn't been too long, but long enough.

It's time to offload my life into my blog, I love it!

Recap: My weekend in sask, Hayden's new Alpaca home, Sask Riders football, Briercrest peeps, mom & dad in Edmonton, Jana & Ians baby boy (7 lb 15 oz = 3.6 kg name ?), Becky moved?, got together with CCC people for prayer last Sunday?, prep work for our Missions Trip to LA, went to Talons house in Camrose a few weeks? ago, started Men's group this month, started Encounter Core/Encounter YEG this month, worked at Servus Centre in St. Albert, in Bonnyville school, talked with Jordan about communication @ work, 

Church @ The Project

Announcements with Andy!! What what!!

Momentum: young adult conference on Nov 4-5 (sad face I'm in LA, 

I love my friends Josh and Alyssa,

Josh has this hat that he wears pretty consistently. Classic British cap.

It makes him super obvious, so when I glanced around The Project sanctuary, I pinpointed our friend group easy peasy, since I know that Alyssa, Josh, Dom, and Isaiah sit together pretty regularly. It's just awesome having friends that you know care about you, especially in a moment when you might feel kinda far away.

David preaching: What We Believe

Science!

Favourite movie: Interstellar

Black holes, huge mysteries, 

Spaghettification? Feet vs head gravity.

Physics leaves no room for God

-Stephen Hawking

How do Christians reconcile what is right and wrong?

The Bible is not meant to be read as a science textbook.

Like swimming s race with hockey equipment, it doesn't fit the context.

How to engage with the culture that is scientifically dominant?

1 Cor 9:19-23

"...I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."

Who was Jesus, what he taught, why he died.

Paul set the stage on how our lives play out.

"To the Jews I became a Jew...to those under the law I became as those under the law, so as to win those under the law... and the same with those not under the law, to win those not under the law...to the weak I became weak, to win the weak..." 1 Cor 9:20-21

Anecdotal story about David's unit evolution teaching.

It didn't disprove Jesus, his tacking, church experiences, or his personal time through prayer.

Some things will be a mystery for us.

The foundation of my faith is not in (evolution vs creationism) it is in Jesus Christ.

Paul said "I have become all things to all people" 1 Cor 9:22

Christianity is for everyone in every situation. No culture has a monopoly on it, no religion, no cult, no traditional views, no one people group.

Share the condition of those you serve.

Often we set up camps on big issues.

Intelligent design vs evolution.

Predestination vs free will.

We don't have to change our own beliefs, we don't compromise our conviction.

Remember why we reach out to people!

"....all for the sake of the Gospel." 1 Cor 9:22

3 Practical Basis for our lives

1. Be flexible

-we get uneasy when we're invaded.

-don't compromise your beliefs

-science doesn't have all the answers to life's problems

-X people are uneducated and/or narrow minded.

-the answers to tough questions need varied answers and places to receive answers from.

-allow others to speak first, hear where they're coming from so you know where they're coming from

2. Be intentional

-languages, culture, economy.

-rather than consumers, Christians need to be in science, but not of science. It is not our identity

-people are curious, you don't know how God will use that curiosity

-use science as a conversion starter:

People need to be eased into a conversation about religion and faith, adapt to where they're at to how and why you have the hope you do in your life.

3. Be Loving

-John 13:35 "everyone will know who you are, by loving one another"

-everyone in this room will die. 

-King Solomon writes "sorrow is better than laughter because...."

-'...In tragic pain and suffering it makes you contemplate what is really important in life.'

Share the condition of those you help

That's all for now.

(I'm in an amazing mood praise God)

A man and his Idols

Menergy 2.0

Third series of 33

A Man and His Traps

So

Gods design for manhood

Key life relationships and events

And this one, Idols: A Man and His Traps

I'll be satisfied if I just have a little mire.

Idol: over promise andunder deliver 

Romans 1:21 For although they knew Him they did not honour Him  as God

Two things

1. Key Realities

2. Understanding Temptation as a Man

- what is driving my struggles

The Sin beneath the sin

1. Ruthless Honesty

-pretending we have it all together, going through life wearing a mask.

David White "we don't want to be. Honest, we like living in our lie."

2. Struggle + Temptation

-something that distracts us from our purpose, 

"we are either battling sin, actively sinning, or in the aftermath of sin"

3. Grace

-regardless of our performance, we cannot lose or get more of this gift.

Matt Chandler "when we stumble, run to God and not from Him"

4. Heart Change

-not just about behaviour modification

-behaviour modification without heart change is dangerous

All wrong behaviour goes back to a Heart problem.

-Idolatry: when we allow anything other than God to become the centre of our heart

Tim Keller "idolatry...the secret to change is always to identify the idols of the heart."

An idol can be anything - even a good thing

-Anything that competes with God for your hearts affections

Idolatry is built in a lie

-fail to bring lasting rest or refreshment 

Idols come from legitimate desires

-to pursue food and sex outside of Gods purpose/plan for us leads to bad things

Surface Idols and Deep Idols

-top par of a deep iceberg, directly relate to some external behaviour

-lower part of an iceberg, the motivating voices behind surface Idols. Deep desires that rule our hearts.

Deep Idols cause the manhood behaviours that can devour us.

Control

Significant

Comfort

Control:

-fundamental lie

If I can just maintain influence or mastery ofer this situation. Then I'll be ok content strong and safe.

Functional Heaven: having certainty or dominance

Biggest fear: instability or weakness

Ways it can play or What if I lose my Jorge? Will I have enough money?

Projecting through the future, 

experiencing panic attacks or over Anxiety

Significance

The lie: if this oerson______ginr mr worthy, then I will be important and acceptable

Functional Heaven: receiving affirmation and important feeling

Biggest Fear: rejection or humiliation

Ways it can play out: 

An inordinate desire for recognition 

Comfort

Lie: if I can maintain physical ease or relaxation____life will be more fun, easy, or forgiving?

Functional heaven: Pleasure and east

Biggest fear: boredom and responsibility

Ways it can play out

Avoid stress and responsibility

Constant consumption

Tendency to indulge first and ask questions later

Master the idol framework

Answer the idol diagnostic questions

(Booklets not quite here yet)

Discussion with men.

Martin twitch Group that going on a missions t ip tonight

That's all for now!

Encounter Core 2.0

Hanging out at Andy's place off White Ave

Carl Leitz preaching

You will make it through the valley

/White people staying in their zone./

Disney swirl, overnight changes

Not how the world works, there are dark days.

Religiosity does not mean we will not have valleys

Psalm 23 "the Lord is my shepherd..."

1. Stay Active

-keep moving, 

Proverbs 11:25 "The generous will prosper, those who refresh others will they themselves be refreshed."

Story of the mother of 5 with terminal cancer, still serving, 

2. Stay Connected

-relationships will make or break you

Ecclesiastes 4:9

"Two people are better than one....of one falls, the other can reach out and help. If one person falls alone... a person standing alone can be easily attacked, but two can stand back to back and overcome. A three braided cord is not easily broken."

Lean on me, when you're not strong

Sometimes there are doorways only you can go through.

Phil 4:13 "You can do all things through..."

If I wanna mess up my life I need to lie to a million people

Is it too easy to sin? Make it hard on yourself.

3. Stay Focused

-keep your eyes on the promises of God

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Do you see what this means-all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we better get on with this strip down, keep running. Never Quit!... when you find yourself flagging in your faith, go through that story again, item by item, and it will shoot adrenaline through your soul."

Why am I here? Most googled question

If you don't know, and are unfocused?...

In a moment God can change a season.

Chaplin of ____in Florida Lindsey Sterling - Majesty

Are you the same guy who has fallen 40 times but is still going after god?

Aren't you the same girl_____ dicorces, with those kids.

Aren't you the same church that nobody knew about last year but...

Focus on the cross

Churches are going to fail you, preachers are going to fail you, but Jesus will never change.

That's all for now.

Encounter Core

Kickoff night for Encounter Core 

Andy Stanley's "What makes you happy?"

No|thing|

Do we know?

We have forgotten what makes us happy, 

Advertisements promise and under deliver

Happiness is more about who than what 

Parents who create the environment, but 

Happiness is always associate with a who or two 

Happy what always leads to happy what else

I'd an aging what deflates your happiness you aren't happy to begin with. Just being marketed to.

globalX Syndrome:

"How can they be so happy, they don't have anything."

Impossible for Parents to eclipse the happiness than their most unhappy child

Same with husbands and wives

A couple struggling with infertility: what you own, what you drive, what you wear

Hard to maintain happiness when you're trying to bring a child into the world.

Our fulfillment will be tied to some who's, not some what's

In the end you will have relational, not possessional, regrets

"I don't need anyone in order to be happy"

Two types: people with relational options, inundated with love & such

People who cannot fix their relational problems: I am an island - super dangerous

When we can't get what we want, we tell ourselves we don't really want it

Happy people are at peace with...

-Themselves

-Others

-God

Anything that undermines your peace ultimately undermines your happiness.

Jesus followers => Christians

Peace with God paves the way to peace with ourselves and equips us to make peace with others

A lawyer asks Jesus What is Gods favourite law?

-Matthew 22:36

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

-Jesus

The most important commandment is about peace with God.

The second is like it: love others as yourself.

God provides the way to happiness

One other idea:

SIN

Whatever you think others or yourself shouldn't do, but do anyway

Sin is falling short of our standards

Sin separates

-You from others

-You from God

-Yiu from yourself

'If I ever_______, I wouldn't be able to live with myself!'

Sin makes a happy promise sin can't keep.

Sin is not your  friend.

James brother of Jesus

James 1:15

After desire, -> sin, -> death.

 To summarize:

Since happy is about who, not what

happy people are at peace with themselves, others, and possibly God, and 

since sin undermines peace by substituting and substituting

Since Jesus valued and prioritized peace both God, ourselves, and others

And since you want to be happy

You should consider becoming a follower of Jesus.

That's all for now.

Young adults

Young adults @ CCC

Theme for this month: hearing Gods voice

Life changing, destiny shaping, walking in Gods peace no matter the circumstances.

Sharing time.

God speaking to us:

When we're reading the bible

In situations, events, etc

In prayer, meditation & reflection

Internally, directed thoughts

Dreams, awake visions,

Music, 

Through strangers, friends, words from others.

God has called us to pursue Him, we need to be active listeners, not passive sheep.

Disobeying does have consequences, but they might not be as obvious as you'd like

Be still and know that I am God Psalm __:36

Distractions, not making time, selfish desires, "busyness"

The foreign feeling of Quietness

Samuel 3:1-11?

The word chose to speak to Samuel.

Why not so much? Complacency, normalness, not a miracle, distractions, not hungering for God, 

Joel 2:28 young men will receive visions, older men will see dreams

Esther 4:12 Esther interceded for her people.

How should you balance your life input?

Who should you allow to have influence over you? 

Take everything to God first, pray and ask for wisdom when dealing for inputs.

God has the final say, people make mistakes.

1 Kings 19:11-12

'The more you listen to His voice, the louder it gets.'

Psalm 37:4 "...and He will give you the desires of your heart."

As we align our hearts with the Lords purpose our desires become one.

Idols. 

Change of Heart

Your will be done

The Bible *is* the primary way that a God speaks to you

Recap:

Audible voice

Still small voice

Desires

Bible

Being intentional, using your off time, scheduling time.

Sponsored by Shine FM: Safe and fun for the whole family.

That's all for now.