Focus '15 - Be Ready - Entry # 3

Hi Friends!

During the days leading up to Easter we are going to be looking at what the Bible says about love - more specifically what the Bible says about sexual intimacy - my hope is that we debunk myths, denounce sins, and dial-in the healthiest perspective possible of one of God's greatest gifts to humanity.

The season of Lent is often used as a time to give something up in order to draw closer to the suffering that Christ endured for us - my hope is that this lesson series will cause you to give up anything that is grey in the area of sexual sin - and embrace sexual intimacy in LIGHT of God's Word.

Ephesians 5: 9-10 (NIV) says, “Live as children of LIGHT (for the fruit  of the LIGHT consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the LORD.” 

You may already know what pleases the Lord in the area of sexual intimacy - if so this should be a great and fun review - if not this lesson series should serve to help you unpack some baggage in your life that is more than likely hindering and hurting the best life God has available for you.

I ask for your prayers for my preparation and presentation in this series - the church tends to leave this topic in our schools and theaters - my desire is to be very sensitive and respectfully tactful as we learn more about the gift of sexual intimacy from God's Word as children of LIGHT without shades.

God's Peace,
Jeff

Focus '15 - Be Ready - Entry #2

Hi Friends!

Our focus in 2015 is to "be ready" (found faithful) when our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ returns for His Church - our vision is to "connect people to our loving God and each other through a personal relationship with Jesus" - we seek to do that by fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus (see Matthew 28: 18-20).

I deeply desire for us to continue to do that as Connections Christian Church and in praying about that "today" I was drawn to Psalm 96 - some scholars believe this could be a Psalm of David - because it closely resembles David's hymn of praise in 1 Chronicles 16:23-36.

Psalm 96 tells us how to praise God "today" and everyday - we can sing about Him, tell others about Him, worship Him, give Him glory, bring offerings to Him, and live holy lives unto Him - as Christians we seek to do all these things through the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

I encourage you to continue to live and love all people intentionally - reaching out to others with the truth and grace of Jesus who saves all who put their faith in Him from eternal death (eternal separation) from God - continue to be faithful to fulfill the great commission of Christ Jesus.

God's Peace,
Jeff

Psalm 96 (NIV)

Psalm 96

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his faithfulness.