tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20018570477737292492024-03-04T21:18:26.461-08:00ALEX | Dream Higher! To boldly proclaim and make relevant the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our current and future generations so that they may come to know the Lord.Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-59323205850483142562022-09-26T09:08:00.006-07:002022-09-26T09:10:10.294-07:00Hope Unites | Is Jesus Really Just
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<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOs0IFXm629HMuoaU1JqV9MLZ2X-VegQfPhd_mI6OotSWVFAcJJd2Kwsg3WRuMQZ5hYMJZ7gvY-onVarOZrYebPbXKv9fjminxjOY2QjSAK9axmQhy9yk6iX_PSdxzeFlUqyknl1LQqi0TBOvCnVbXJgVkHHJtYOs-KyS3drjnoc1X5rM4m0ioxHA0g/s3840/Painting%20A%20New%20Perspective-%20Header-%20Sermons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOs0IFXm629HMuoaU1JqV9MLZ2X-VegQfPhd_mI6OotSWVFAcJJd2Kwsg3WRuMQZ5hYMJZ7gvY-onVarOZrYebPbXKv9fjminxjOY2QjSAK9axmQhy9yk6iX_PSdxzeFlUqyknl1LQqi0TBOvCnVbXJgVkHHJtYOs-KyS3drjnoc1X5rM4m0ioxHA0g/s16000/Painting%20A%20New%20Perspective-%20Header-%20Sermons.png" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bQ3dMMaQ_i4" width="569" youtube-src-id="bQ3dMMaQ_i4"></iframe></div><br /><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b>Painting A New Perspective | Which Picture Do I Paint | Alex Hardt</b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">We are the most anxious, creative, and diverse culture in history. We are struggling to find our identity, belonging, and purpose in life. Jesus paints a whole new perspective on things and helps us to realize that we are enough, wanted, and needed by God rather than the world’s judgement, isolation, and brokenness. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div></div><br />Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-8356089181524293302022-09-03T06:00:00.001-07:002022-09-03T06:00:00.169-07:00Hope Unites
<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96b8u0vbNVlZlJO1qxe4wCRT2mmTR-yp-pmoEpVRWUgE3VWyGuGLc1OjTJjEvWp9emMbsAcKtKdKq_9VIzYoUCkWiYWbgqr8RNJHzXB-r9x7gbsiLtOH5V8ZXYmPbqcyOT3GMxjN-ZwfcZomhgqtMHhYnCJE5RAxjQH4-91JXtm0mdSZzpH003-oQnQ/s1920/Hope%20Together-%20Sermon%20Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96b8u0vbNVlZlJO1qxe4wCRT2mmTR-yp-pmoEpVRWUgE3VWyGuGLc1OjTJjEvWp9emMbsAcKtKdKq_9VIzYoUCkWiYWbgqr8RNJHzXB-r9x7gbsiLtOH5V8ZXYmPbqcyOT3GMxjN-ZwfcZomhgqtMHhYnCJE5RAxjQH4-91JXtm0mdSZzpH003-oQnQ/w640-h360/Hope%20Together-%20Sermon%20Header.png" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">HOPE
UNITES</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By Alex
Hardt</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #111111; font-size: 12pt;">Did you
know when the sun set at night sailors<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">used the stars</span></strong> to navigate?
Stars move across the sky from east to west and some stars called rise and set
stars begin and end their nightly path below the horizon. Sailors determined
their heading by watching the movement of the stars the same way they watched
the sun’s movement. Stars give sailors hope. No matter where they are on earth,
they how to determine their direction based upon the stars. They know that if
they just follow the stars they will eventually arrive at their destination. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the things I have come to recognize
is that God is like the stars in heaven. Our life can be overflowing with joy
or overwhelmed by pain and yet God remains the same. Wherever we are on this
planet He will guide us. I can trust in His direction because He is the one who
has been here since the beginning of time and will be here through all of
eternity. This gives me great hope in knowing that the one who guides me is God.
</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hope can be hard to find, in fact I would
argue it often feels like it is missing. If you were to look around the last 3
years and say where is hope? You may have to search high and low to stumble
upon it. Where is hope in the midst of covid nineteen? Where is hope when the
world entered a war in Ukraine? Where is hope when the temperatures are rising,
and the water supply is depleting? Where is hope amidst the social unrest and
political division? Where is hope when another attack happens or when a school
has to be locked down? To be honest there does not seem to be a lot of hope
going around. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And yet in the scriptures, Psalm 121, it
says</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I lift up
my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the
Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who
watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will
neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at
your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The
Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will
watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Perhaps
where we were looking for Hope was in the wrong places. We tend to look for
hope in people, places, and things. We look for hope in the media, in
governments, the latest fade, or who is currently trending in the news. We
gamble our hope away on celebrities, athletes, investments, and the newest
gadgets. These things of the world tend to let us down at one point or another
and then our idea of hope is crushed. We wonder why we always feel empty, lost,
broken, and hopeless. In the scripture the author acknowledges this when he
says, “where does my help come from?” He could of said, where does my hope come
from? </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">This psalm
is called a song of ascent. It was intended for weary travelers heading to
Jerusalem. Jerusalem sat on a plateau in the middle of mountains. Families had
to travel through treacherous roads in the high desert heat where wild animals
or robbers could attack. In those days, All the shrines to other Gods were
built on hills, high places so everyone could see them. In the midst of all
these mountains, where is my help going to come from, the author is looking at
all the options. Is the author’s hope going to come from the God of Baal, the
God of my political party, the God of investments, the God of sports, the God
of Kardashians, the God of </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">swipes, clicks, links, Tweets, Snaps, and TikTok </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">OR the one true God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">The author
recognizes that his hope “<i>comes</i> <i>from the Lord, the Maker of heaven
and earth</i>.” He knows that it is God
who never sleeps, who never fails, who never stops chasing after him, who will
carry his family through this treacherous path. The author is not going to
choose to look to the false Gods or the Hills but above the Hills and the mountains
to the one who Made the Mountains. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif;">One of my
favorite stories in the Bible is of David and Goliath. David was tiny and
Goliath was humongous. Yet it was David who won the battle. The King of Israel,
Saul was always afraid of Goliath. Saul always compared his height to the
height of Goliath. David did not look at how tall Goliath was, he knew that he
was not sufficient enough, he looked at how tall His God was. If you look to
the hills, you will either find a false God who cannot help you or things that
will scare you. But if you look to God, you will find peace and hope!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Hope
of God unites us and carries us through the most treacherous paths. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Let us
search for Hope in God. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Practically
Speaking About Hope</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What people, places, or things have
let you down?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How did it feel when hope was gone?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What would it look like for you to put
your hope in God?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzG7-oQDBhExzGmxuDs4y4VaexqYepzqINeSbb3ptjdWTGtz1GqQqISt2FBGYSPIK-IfNl7SvM43wy8Yd25kzVF6crkj6i7y0PbIH8iSx5oMqtNF5o5dhT0Tz1kRb817dWLHWEMh92tpPy6OW8wJ2Wer0tFLmjzsRbU77K6vOy1EXTMYglPDs2o5m7A/s5760/Header-%20Sermons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="5760" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzG7-oQDBhExzGmxuDs4y4VaexqYepzqINeSbb3ptjdWTGtz1GqQqISt2FBGYSPIK-IfNl7SvM43wy8Yd25kzVF6crkj6i7y0PbIH8iSx5oMqtNF5o5dhT0Tz1kRb817dWLHWEMh92tpPy6OW8wJ2Wer0tFLmjzsRbU77K6vOy1EXTMYglPDs2o5m7A/s16000/Header-%20Sermons.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="396" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6BbSnK3qX80" width="476" youtube-src-id="6BbSnK3qX80"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b>Painting A New Perspective | Where Do I Belong | Alex Hardt</b></div><div>We are the most anxious, creative, and diverse culture in history. We are struggling to find our identity, belonging, and purpose in life. Jesus paints a whole new perspective on things and helps us to realize that we are enough, wanted, and needed by God rather than the world’s judgement, isolation, and brokenness. </div> <br /> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="454" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sh14H9WFfnk" width="546" youtube-src-id="sh14H9WFfnk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b>Painting A New Perspective | Who Am I | Alex Hardt</b></div><div><div>We are the most anxious, creative, and diverse culture in history. We are struggling to find our identity, belonging, and purpose in life. Jesus paints a whole new perspective on things and helps us to realize that we are enough, wanted, and needed by God rather than the world’s judgement, isolation, and brokenness. </div></div><br /><br />Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-44626229492041051952022-08-10T10:14:00.005-07:002022-08-10T10:14:53.909-07:00Painting a New Perspective | New Part 2
<h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></b></h2><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRMPwHc00ToJygfUqONYVoU3yvtJIoidn2Ajsg0RsFufE05UGRmSTcDnVQPMifSMf0UZOoioek3Qy3J5jdyCCh3qDSUZ2BAM_C2kWkqG_3rHl5ISjRV4XO8a4RTyvwQXpdCtud3dVasVSRhNKfAkIa3vKgycs5i1pWcAmaVIeSEO4O3qhImGT713xqw/s3840/Header-%20Blog%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRMPwHc00ToJygfUqONYVoU3yvtJIoidn2Ajsg0RsFufE05UGRmSTcDnVQPMifSMf0UZOoioek3Qy3J5jdyCCh3qDSUZ2BAM_C2kWkqG_3rHl5ISjRV4XO8a4RTyvwQXpdCtud3dVasVSRhNKfAkIa3vKgycs5i1pWcAmaVIeSEO4O3qhImGT713xqw/s16000/Header-%20Blog%20(1).png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></b></h2><h2 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Painting
a New Perspective | New Part 2</span></b></h2>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Now repent of your sins and turn to God,
so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from
the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed
Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration
of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. – Acts
3:19-21</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b><b>PAINT</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A few
weeks ago, I was sequestered to my son’s room because both him and I were
positive for Covid. I found that during this time period I was doing a lot of resting,
waiting, and listening. Waiting is hard and I will be the first to admit it is
not one of my gifting. I was listening and waiting, but then my mind began
racing so I decided to paint. There is something soothing about painting. Paint
covers a canvas, but it can also cover the scratches, the holes, and the dents.
If you ever painted an old cabinet or wall, then you know what I am talking
about. It can make a cabinet or wall look new. Paint brightens a room. Paint
hides the blemishes of worn and used objects. Everyone who sees that newly
painted cabinet or wall see a new creation. Paint can change how we feel about
that space or object. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>MADE NEW</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Right now,
I look at the world and see a lot of chaos, pain, and the divisiveness. We are
living in an unprecedent time. It can be really easy to look around and see
what is not happening. What is not happening is business like usual. What is
not happening is school is not functioning the way we imagined. What is not
happening is society responding the way it did in the past. What is not
happening is that we are able to rely on sources like we use to. What is not
happening is interacting with one another like we did pre-covid nineteen. While
there are a lot of things not happening, it is time to paint a new perspective.
In this time, I have come to realize that God is in control and though I may
want to grab a hold of everything, honestly, it is not possible. But what I can
grab hold of is God. God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is
making all things new. The scriptures say that God is constantly working on our
behalf to make all things new. Yes, we have a lot of scratches, holes, and
dents but God can make us new again. God can and will paint a new picture. Jesus
Christ came, died, and rose again so that we may start a new life. There is
nothing that God cannot reconcile or redeem. In the book of Acts, it tells us
there will come a time when All Things Are Made New according to God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">CROSSROADS</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My family is so excited to be part of
Crossroads and to see how God will make new in this community. Already the community
has greeted us with warmth and love. We appreciate individuals helping us
unload, the meals, the encouragement, the invitations, and the support. I love
that my wife, Brenda, invited to sing on the worship team and to make cards. I
also love that my daughter is learning how to croquet and that my son made a
friend through swimming because of Crossroads. We know with full confidence
that God is in the midst of this community and is using his people to bring
glory to his kingdom. God is going to bring about change, are you ready to
paint a new perspective? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Practically
Speaking | How Might We Paint a New Perspective</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Be still and listen to what God is saying to you. Sometimes
we need to take ourselves out of the situation to gain new perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Read the scriptures and see how God has made new
things in the past. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Read about how He has been faithful and will make new
things in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Spend time in worship and
celebrating the amazing God that we have. We need our heart to be formed by His
word and not the world. <span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <br /> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-40917045940652787242022-04-21T16:23:00.001-07:002022-08-10T10:10:00.692-07:00Intentional Targets | An Invitation to Take the Next Step
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUgxK03cy3pjgGFATpLWltjB1kLWFIF2MAoTwd8N5RKVzsGR51m1e-dgxE5kNPdObMcvW3be3c40qErzu45IeERNeLd7xpQhKczSioOMyDHw6l4qkBIec8zqok-3aSPJhKiD5UO8FAHaV7uEJeiR5sQ-if9mUhq1eseJhFZwPYyTskSKd6MJomKpoGQ/s1920/Header-%20Sermons.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUgxK03cy3pjgGFATpLWltjB1kLWFIF2MAoTwd8N5RKVzsGR51m1e-dgxE5kNPdObMcvW3be3c40qErzu45IeERNeLd7xpQhKczSioOMyDHw6l4qkBIec8zqok-3aSPJhKiD5UO8FAHaV7uEJeiR5sQ-if9mUhq1eseJhFZwPYyTskSKd6MJomKpoGQ/s16000/Header-%20Sermons.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Intentional Targets | An Invitation to Take the Next Step</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><i>Jesus Calls His First Disciples<br />18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.<br />21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James's son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.</i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>AIMING RIGHT</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a kid I remember going to summer camp each year. I loved the food, hanging out with friends, playing games, watching hilarious skits, and participating in the assortment of activities. One of my favorite activities was archery. I loved archery but archery didn't love me. I struggled to hit the target and if I'm being really honest, I struggled to even shoot the arrow correctly. My arrows would fall short of the target, fly off into an unknown direction, or mysteriously disappear into thin air. I commend the leaders for their bravery because I wouldn't have given me a bow and arrow knowing how bad I was. Those who could wield the bow and arrow were magical in my eyes. One of my leaders could hit the target with effortless precision. He was intentional about the way he handled the bow, where he pointed the arrow, how he placed his feet, the placement of his hands, and how he peered across the bow. That same intentionality is how we should approach discipleship. Bob Goff in his book undistracted says, "If we're willing to show up, God will provide us what we need and someone to share it with." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>WRONG EXPECTATIONS</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I read about the first disciples, I see how Jesus was intentional about his first encounter with those individuals. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fishing when they first encountered Jesus. The scriptures say that Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he spotted them. I can imagine Jesus watching from afar, observing their every movement, understanding their craft, and discerning their character as he comes near. Jesus wasn't waiting at the synagogue hoping that they would magically skip their work duties to show up. Instead, he was intentional about pursuing his targets. I think it's what the church has gotten mixed up. The church; and yes, I'm part of the church; has gotten so focus upon designing the perfect worship service, crafting an eloquent message, and designing programs that ask the individual to come to the church instead of moving the church to the people. But what if we knew the people in our community the way my leader knew his bow and arrow. What if we spent time watching how people work/play, got to know them in their space, developed relationships, and cultivated community outside of the church walls? The expectation then wouldn't be upon the individual but the follower of Jesus/the church. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>DESIRE TO BE DIFFERENT</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was recently reflecting upon the experiences, ministries, and people who had the most impact upon my faith life. I noticed that those things that played a significant role in developing me had little to do with a particular program or church. I remember when my youth pastor showed up at my game, or a conversation I had with a specific individual, or a communal faith experience, or when Jesus became incarnational because of how an individual interacted with me. Someone had experienced a transformation, discovered an indescribable joy/love, and felt freedom because of their encounter with Jesus who wanted to share that with me. Their invitation for me to take the next step toward Jesus wasn't random but an intentional decision upon their part. Along the way people continued to invest in me and eventually I moved from the crowd to an attender, to being discipled, to fully devoted, and finally into a servant leader. Now the ownness is upon me be the church in the community to which I am a part of. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Practically Speaking | How Might We Be Intentional in Discipleship?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>> </b>Being with prayer. Every morning I wake up and ask God to show me how I can be a reflection of his love in this world. My hope is to live with intentionality. I can't say I do this well all the time, but I find when I am actively trying to help people have an encounter with Jesus that God usually places someone before me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">> Build relationships. Showing up at the same coffee shop or park or school or workplace naturally facilitates opportunities for connection. I then need to be intentional about those connections. How might I invite that person to take the next step in their walk? I would be arrogant to think that every interaction I have results in a conversation. Perhaps though I can help them encounter Jesus or get a glimpse of the kingdom. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">> Be Communal. My path towards accepting Christ into my life was a communal experience. People from all walks of life invited me into their lives and I caught a glimpse of Jesus. They invested in me and didn't give up. They invited other people to be part of the process and Jesus became a communal rather than an individual experience. </div><p></p></div></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-67449454435356131582020-11-23T18:45:00.002-08:002020-11-23T18:45:35.963-08:00DEVO | 1 Peter 3
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwMKCYIHbisLiFNx2hT2YJchMQ5_W2ZFSpSDK_o6fFn8mA7ApB3r2RD82gEZB_SZ4tufDg4Jo-evQCef5J2MFq1nv0BOhI_FQiHbcr4ZoBvyilfE6rcd7QWqHmZoS3gjMCz8RFcRB4Kz0/s1650/1-peter-3-4-your-beauty-style-pro-proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwMKCYIHbisLiFNx2hT2YJchMQ5_W2ZFSpSDK_o6fFn8mA7ApB3r2RD82gEZB_SZ4tufDg4Jo-evQCef5J2MFq1nv0BOhI_FQiHbcr4ZoBvyilfE6rcd7QWqHmZoS3gjMCz8RFcRB4Kz0/s320/1-peter-3-4-your-beauty-style-pro-proof.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Scripture- </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Verse 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Don’t be concerned about the outward
beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. </span></i><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You
should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the
unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.</span></i><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First off, I acknowledge that the writer is
addressing the women primarily in verse 3, but I believe that its message is
applicable to everyone. I used to be little
obsessed with my looks. In High School
and early college, I would buy jeans that cost $100 and my hair product would
cost way beyond that. I worked a lot of
extra hours to keep up my fashionista self. I freaked out if my hair was not in
the right place. A sweat mark spelled disaster
for me. Oh, do not get me started on my
shoes. But over the years I have let
that go, mostly. I still cannot wear any
shoe but Adidas. We will leave that for
another conversation. I have come to
realize that I am much happier focusing on my relationship with Christ, my
relationship with others, and spending my time (and money) elsewhere. However, it is not like that temptation for
things necessarily went away. Every day
as I scroll through social media, news, and other media sources I come across
things that I desire or want. Like the newest
mic that syncs with my phone from a distance.
Or this automatic coffee pour over machine. My obsession with coffee some says is a
little much. Come on, I only have 5 ways
of making coffee at my house, a few posters about making coffee, and coffee
shipped in from other parts of the world. It is not like I am looking at buying
a roasting machine, but I did see one today on amazon. Whether we put them on our body or put them
in our house or put them in our driveway it is really easy to get wrapped up in
shinny things. Happiness is fleeting. Each new thing only buys a small bite of
happiness, but joy comes from the Lord. When
Jesus met the woman at the well, he offered her living water. Her whole life had been about filling a gaping
hole unsuccessfully with finite substances whereas Jesus offered something that
would provide eternal fulfillment. This
scripture reminds me to maintain my focus on Godly things. That God does not care about our worldly
positions or outward appearance that God looks at the heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Observation- </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is a command here to not be concerned
with the outward appearance. In 1 Peter
3, the writer here is focusing his command upon women but is applicable to
everyone. In verse 7, the writer asks
men to honor their wives. Men tend to
belittle those weaker than they or can tend to demean women (the deplorable phrase,
“locker room talk”). The writer is
calling followers of Christ to live in a different way. Not only does the writer
of this text not approve of this behavior, but it is also counter to God’s
way. One is not above the other as
society has deemed it to be so. The
writer then goes on to talk about in verse 8 why we would do such counter intuitive
behavior. Why might we not buy the shiniest
outfit? Why might we not be self-absorbed? Why we would honor and elevate women
when our friends are diminishing their value?
It is so that we can love others and sympathize with each other. Verse 16, so that we can have a clear
conscience because we belong to Christ.
Why? Because Christ did this for us, He suffered for us, He died on our
behalf, and his life was an act of love for us.
The very least we can do is act in accordance with Christ and His
teachings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Application- </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our outward behavior reflects our inward
heart. If we desire to please the world with our dress, behavior, or possessions
then our heart has been captured by the world.
God wants our heart. Let us not be led astray by the world but instead
be capture by the overwhelming love of God.
These things that temp us or cause us to be obsessed about surrender
them to Jesus and pray that He would take those away from you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prayer- </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That we may let our heart be guided by God and not by this
world. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-72659227250099358952020-10-13T09:47:00.003-07:002020-10-13T09:47:49.150-07:00Devo | Psalm 119<div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AN2gWEIlMexYSOPhXjIDmJHieDyVaUCOs0MwQTvukEoadMZDhKbKtlmSPVtjJ7Cx7xy9RUMe90BlcPoTLTEWS92OBmWjGy_g4_XPf706K2XhexjJ_7R3uFrWKK8sGg9Xc1TuowKKWowR/s1280/1602607527928_verse_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AN2gWEIlMexYSOPhXjIDmJHieDyVaUCOs0MwQTvukEoadMZDhKbKtlmSPVtjJ7Cx7xy9RUMe90BlcPoTLTEWS92OBmWjGy_g4_XPf706K2XhexjJ_7R3uFrWKK8sGg9Xc1TuowKKWowR/s320/1602607527928_verse_image.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Psalm 119: 33-40 <br /></b></span><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; text-indent: -16px;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Scripture</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b> </span><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v33" data-usfm="PSA.119.33" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Teach me your decrees, O </span><span class="nd" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Lord</span></span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">;</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v33" data-usfm="PSA.119.33" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will keep them to the end.</span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v34" data-usfm="PSA.119.34" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">34</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v34" data-usfm="PSA.119.34" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will put them into practice with all my heart.</span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v35" data-usfm="PSA.119.35" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">35</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Make me walk along the path of your commands,</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v35" data-usfm="PSA.119.35" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">for that is where my happiness is found.</span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v36" data-usfm="PSA.119.36" style="background-color: #84c4f9; box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">36</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Give me an eagerness for your laws</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v36" data-usfm="PSA.119.36" style="background-color: #84c4f9; box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">rather than a love for money!</span></span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v37" data-usfm="PSA.119.37" style="background-color: #84c4f9; box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">37</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Turn my eyes from worthless things,</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-indent: -1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #84c4f9; font-family: inherit; text-indent: -1em;">and give me life through your word.</span></div><span class="verse v37" data-usfm="PSA.119.37" style="background-color: #84c4f9; box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="note f" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline; position: relative;"><span class=" body" style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 4px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inline-block; left: 5px; line-height: 22px; opacity: 0; padding: 5px 10px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; top: 17px; transform: scaleY(0.85); transition: transform 0.5s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s, opacity 0.5s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s; width: 200px;"><span class="fr" style="box-sizing: inherit;">119:37 </span><span class="ft" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Some manuscripts read </span><span class="it" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic;">in your ways.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v38" data-usfm="PSA.119.38" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">38</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Reassure me of your promise,</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v38" data-usfm="PSA.119.38" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">made to those who fear you.</span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v39" data-usfm="PSA.119.39" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">39</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Help me abandon my shameful ways;</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v39" data-usfm="PSA.119.39" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">for your regulations are good.</span></span></div><div class="q1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -2em;"><span class="verse v40" data-usfm="PSA.119.40" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="label" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #777777; display: inherit; margin-right: 0.28571rem; padding: inherit;">40</span><span class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;">I long to obey your commandments!</span></span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v40" data-usfm="PSA.119.40" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Renew my life with your goodness.</span></span></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em;"><br /></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-indent: -1em;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 24pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This scripture touches the heart. I am
constantly fighting this temptation to hold onto money, to use it only for
personal gain, and to envy the newest object. Amazon Prime days are this
week and though I do not need anything I am inclined to buy something. It is so
easy to click buy now on my phone app. It is so easy to order something
when I do not have to physically hand over the cash but just magically charge
it to the card. I want I want I want. Sometimes I feel like a
little kid stomping my feet and screaming loudly because I did not get what I
wanted. I recognize that I should be wise
with how I spend my money. That I should
be giving at least 10% to the church, saving 10%, then using the rest to ensure
that our primary needs (food, gas, utilities, mortgage, etc) are paid for but
this little voice keeps creeping into my head.
“Buy it! It will not hurt anyone.
Buy It! You know you want it. Buy
It! You deserve it.” To be honest this
voice is annoying, and I wish this voice would go away but it probably never will.
The voice is deceptively right that it will
not hurt anyone, I do want it, and questionable whether I deserve it even if I
think I do. The problem with listening
to this voice is that it is not a voice from God, and it prioritizes the wrong
things. This item will satisfy me in the
short term, but it will never satisfy this hole inside of me. I am learning to constantly surrender over
everything I have to Jesus. Recognizing
that what I have is His in the first place. That all the money I earned was God’s
before it was ever mine and the portion, I give back does not compare to what
He has done for me. The truth is I could
never pay God back. Our God overflows
with unparalleled graciousness, compassion, and love. God will never stop giving. I need to stop focusing on the finite and instead
surrender to the infinite. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Observation- </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The writer is looking to be obedient to God’s
rules. The writer does not just want to
hear what God is saying to him but instead has a desire to respond. Money is probably a big struggle of this writer
and culture as it is emphasized in the text more than other temptations. Money causes us to pursue self-serving goals,
to be tempted, and to stir up envy inside of us. Money can bring about evil inside of us. We begin to desire the things we do not need
or the things that are contrary to that of God.
The writer is looking for wisdom and guidance among his struggles so
that he is not lead astray. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Application- </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">That we surrender everything to Jesus. Our Jobs, our family, our lives, and yes, our
finances. God calls us to be free from
all our desires. That we should pray
before any decision we make and seek the wise council of our God. That our decisions should be rooted in Him
not in our desires. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 24pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Prayer- </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">That I and you may surrender our finances over to Christ. It’s not about me!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="q2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; line-height: 2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 2em; text-indent: -1em;"><span class="verse v40" data-usfm="PSA.119.40" style="box-sizing: inherit; transition: background-color 0.75s cubic-bezier(0.42, 1, 0.16, 0.93) 0s;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END--></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-6421333140463371882020-09-02T12:44:00.004-07:002020-09-02T12:44:50.755-07:00Ramp Up | What Stops Us From Risk?
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL_dGTkCBP5-F_iMwEAVZLyJyqtTtfz9BMZcgAZgOOtMZ3KdOTy2t5DAybB1_H7Y1Yn4UJ_6CJ5rIA4Gm01EjRPT7rTXS3IUHecPZ6LKXqUD-QlDUhFQoEIWD5GLh-7_pY1Oo9xM9dg4q/s1920/Header-+Sermons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL_dGTkCBP5-F_iMwEAVZLyJyqtTtfz9BMZcgAZgOOtMZ3KdOTy2t5DAybB1_H7Y1Yn4UJ_6CJ5rIA4Gm01EjRPT7rTXS3IUHecPZ6LKXqUD-QlDUhFQoEIWD5GLh-7_pY1Oo9xM9dg4q/s16000/Header-+Sermons.png" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ramp Up | What Stops Us From Risk?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">42All the
believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and
to sharing in meals and to prayer. 43A deep sense of awe came over them all,
and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the
believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45They sold
their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46They
worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper,
and shared their meals with great joy and generosity46 Or and sincere
hearts.—47all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the
people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being
saved. – Acts 2:42-47</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">RISK</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When
I was young, I remember riding my bike for the first time and the imminent fear
that followed. I crashed a few times and
endured a few wounds before finally figuring out how to maneuver the bike. If I am being honest, I probably crashed
quite a bit, after all my nick name was Crash. :) I remember moving up to
middle school then high school then off to college. Each time seemed scarier than the last but as
the risk grew there appeared to be a grandeur reward. I could not stay in middle school or high
school my whole life, I had to move forward. Sometimes risk is forced upon
us. Other times we take a leap of faith
on our own. Each situation and decision
give us an opportunity to respond. In an
article by business wire they noted that 32% of people regret the major choices
they made in their lives. It also noted
that 93% of Americans had a favorable view of living an extra 30 years. With the extra life nearly, a quarter noted
they would “take more risks in life,” 56% said travel more, or move 35%. The top regrets were not following their
dream, not taking risks with their career, and not taking risks with their
lives in general. So, what is stopping
you from taking a risk? What would it look like to risk for God?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">RAMP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My
son loves to ride his bike and scooter.
He probably would be outside all day if I let him. On this day we decided to hit a skate park we
had not been to yet. For 2 hours my boy
tried and tried to hit this step ramp.
This boy was determined and with dinner coming upon us I gave a
two-minute warning. It was not that the
ramp was too big for him, or that he was not skilled enough, it was that he did
not have the courage to overcome the obstacle/fear that laid before him. On his final run, I told him I would position
myself at the bottom of the ramp where I could push him up the ramp, but he had
to pedal the whole way through. As my
boy comes flying toward the ramp two skate boarders, who were about my age, started
cheering him on and my boy miraculously increased his speed. He hits the ramp so hard I can barely touch
him before he makes it up to the top.
Everyone goes wild for him. The
risk was worth the reward. I challenge
him to take another go at it but this time without me standing at the bottom of
the ramp. He shakes his head; I then
lean over to him and tell him that he did it on his own. He lights up and ends
up hitting that ramp 4 more times. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">REWARD<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Often
times what I find stopping us from taking that risk is ourselves. Sometimes we do not have the courage to do
what is asked of us. Sometimes we are
afraid not because we are not equipped or unable but because we do not believe
in who we are. The fear of failing seems
to outweigh the reward. When I read this
scripture from Acts 2, I think about all the obstacles and challenges that were
before them. These individuals had their
life interrupted by Jesus. Their jobs,
family, and their lifestyles were uprooted.
They could have succumbed to the fear.
God was calling them, and they did not have to respond. Obviously, there were those who did not
respond to the Gospel but those who did respond experienced a deep sense of
awe. The apostle performed many
miraculous signs and wonders. They
realized the reward outweighed the risk.
These individuals gave up everything to pursue a relationship with
Jesus. It says they sold their
possessions and they worshiped together at the temple daily. And that God added to their fellowship
daily. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What is
stopping you from risking for God?</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Do you believe
that when you risk it all God will deliver you and proved for your every need?</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The other
thing that stands out to me is how they did not risk alone. It was a community of believers living into
the calling and moving forward the vision that God had placed upon them. The scriptures tell us how they were praising
God and blessing one another. God
intentionally puts people into our lives whom we can risk together with. When God calls us to risk, we never have to
do it alone. My son did not believe he
could do it on his own, so two random strangers and myself helped him to ramp
up. Just like my son or the believers in
Acts 2 needed one another, we too need one another for encouragement, support,
and accountability. Oh yes, and
celebration. It’s not fun celebrating
successes by yourself. In the book Good
to Great, Jim Collins says, “It doesn’t matter where the bus is going. All that matters who’s on the bus.” </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span face="" style="font-size: 10pt;">What is
God asking of you and who do you have risking with you?</span></i><span face="" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Practically
Speaking | How might we Risk for God?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Go to a strange
land or learn about a strange culture or reach out to someone from a different
background. (Hebrews 11:8)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Feed the Hungry
(Ecclesiastes 11:1-3)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Share Your Resources
with those in Need (Ephesians 4:28)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Serve God in
Difficult Circumstances (Acts 16)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Deny Yourself and
Follow God (11:24-26)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-52076329434067442952020-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:002020-08-26T11:00:08.385-07:00Painting A New Perspective | God Makes All Things New<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEw8Q3DTv0TGyZn0uaba1p1KPA3WFjjHd2GXXFU1VLwwTweDHCcXZBhsAEe7WqSZ4rJij3j3IMfAwVFUgAgtkq7UAnAjjhtjcQmw9IqUJEOba8KBT_5wlsF9mtgOFx5atd4OtYYIoc6oD/s0/Header-+Sermons+%25282%2529.png" /><br /></div>
<div><br /></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Painting a New Perspective | God Makes
All Things New<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so
that your sins may be wiped away. 20Then times of refreshment will come from
the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed
Messiah. 21For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final
restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. –
Acts 3:19-21</span></i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">PAINT</span></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Gill Sans MT, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This day was filled with reading, writing, waiting,
and painting. I was done scrolling
through ministry positions so I devoted time to process through theological
questions I might encounter in an interview and to time to hear from God. I am finding that during this time period I
am doing a lot of reading, writing, and listening. I think the important thing is not to get
hung up on what is not happening. We do
not control a lot of things, though I wish I could control a lot more than I
do. God is in control. God is the one who created heavens and the
earth. God is the one who can make the
mountains move or the seas roar. God is
also the one who decide when the timing is right, even though I may want it
now, so I decided to wait. Waiting is
hard and I will be the first to admit it is not one of my </span>gifting<span style="font-size: 12pt;">. I was listening and waiting, but then my mind
began racing so I decided to paint. We
have been working on doing minor updates and upkeep items around the
house. Today I decided to paint the
kitchen cabinets. There is something soothing
about painting. Paint covers the scratches,
the holes, and the dents. It makes a
cabinet or wall look new. Paint brightens
a room. Paint hides all the blemishes even
though we know that cabinet or wall has been worn and used. To everyone who sees that cabinet or wall
they see a new creation. Paint can
change how we feel about that space. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">MADE NEW<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Right now, I look at the world and see a lot
of chaos, pain, and the divisiveness. We are living in an unprecedent time. It can be really easy to look around and see
what is not happening. What is not happening is business like usual. What is not happening is school is not
functioning the way we imagined. What is
not happening is society responding the way it did in the past. What is not
happening is that we are able to rely on sources like we use to. What is not happening is interacting with one
another like we did precovid 19. There
are a lot of things not happening. Some of
the things not happening provide for new opportunities and some of the things
not happening have significant effects (good or bad). What I have come to realize is ultimately God
is in control and though I may want to grab a hold of everything, honestly, it
is not possible. I am constantly
learning to trust God with the things that are not happening that the things
that are happening. I know that I can
trust God because of who He is and how He has been faithful in the past. I see how the scriptures talk about God
making all things new. That God is constantly
working on our behalf to make all things new.
Yup we have a lot of scratches, holes, and dents but God can make us
new. Jesus Christ was sent to us, died
on the cross, and rose again so that we may start a new life. God can take what was worn and used to make
beautiful again. There is nothing that
God cannot reconcile or redeem. Maybe it
is time to stop getting hung up on what is not happening and paint a new
perspective, paint God upon our heart. In
the book of Acts, it tells us there will come a time when All Things Are Made
New according to God. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Practically Speaking | How Might We Paint A New
Perspective<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Be still and listen to what God is saying to you. It is hard, I know. Sometimes we need to take ourselves out of
the situation to gain new perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Read the scriptures and see how God has made new things in the
past. Read about how He has been
faithful and will make new things in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Spend time in worship and celebrating the amazing God that we
have. Allow your heart to be shaped by
His word and not the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-57675350438028031112020-08-19T20:31:00.000-07:002020-08-19T20:31:03.851-07:00Matthew, Mark, Mission | Serving Is Part of Discipleship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6UCR6S6RuIo8v1PgSxrvT1tbkyk2ISvD0DVR514O7no_gZrfIY0HYsxXZGxfVIxI-NzBc9R4rtYrnWMDx177bKRQw6_jDnBkwFJfOQVt7IMjpq7BdCNNGxRwlJhglwxCDP5w5UfofzHf/s1920/Header-+Sermons.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6UCR6S6RuIo8v1PgSxrvT1tbkyk2ISvD0DVR514O7no_gZrfIY0HYsxXZGxfVIxI-NzBc9R4rtYrnWMDx177bKRQw6_jDnBkwFJfOQVt7IMjpq7BdCNNGxRwlJhglwxCDP5w5UfofzHf/d/Header-+Sermons.png" /></a></div>
<br /> <p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Matthew, Mark, Mission | Serving is Part
of Discipleship<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest
commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew
22:37-40<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">PUSH FORWARD</span></b><span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Last November, wow that seems like a long time
ago even though it was only a year ago (shops were open, we did not wear masks,
and people could move around freely), my son had a birthday. For his birthday I built push carts. I took furniture dollies, attached a couple
of 2x4 as handles, and built a cardboard frame around it. We pretended they were Mario Karts. Actually, they turned out surprisingly good. What I did not anticipate was how the wheels,
being small, would catch on the road pavement when we pushed them. A kid would sit inside and then a parent
would push from behind. My road has a few holes in it so as you are racing down
the street your Kart comes to a halt.
One could stop where they are at and give up, but what is the fun in
that. Every parent found it within them
to push harder when they got stuck and every kid made it across the finish
line. Seriously, who is going to be that
parent that makes their kid cry because they gave up (Not Me)! It is the same
with life. Sometimes we are going to run
into a pothole aka a pandemic. Are you
going to give up or are you going to push forward? Pushing forward looks like
serving others! Here are a couple ways to push forward in the midst of a
pandemic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">MATTHEW<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">One of my favorite scriptures in the who bible
is obviously the greatest commandment to Love God and to Love others. What I often miss is that second part of
Loving your neighbor where it says as yourself.
What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? As we are going through this pandemic, I
realized that I need people in my life whom I can connect with. I cannot do this alone. My family cannot do this alone either. Early on in this pandemic we decided to meet
regularly with a few families in person.
These were families we knew we could trust that our kids could play
with, and that we could have real conversations with. We initially did this out of a personal need,
but soon realized this fulfilled a need in those families as well. The Washington post recently had an article titled
“Let us call it what it is. We’re in a Pandemic Depression.” Many people are struggling with isolation,
the loss of sports/school/work, the separation from friends and family, and all
the social distancing. We are social beings;
this does not feel normal. So, I began
to think what if loving our neighbor as yourself meant reaching out to people
who are homebound, isolated, have no family, and are without human
interaction. The need that I have for
human connection I bet my neighbor on either side of me does too. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">MARK<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Jesus was relentless in serving those around
him. Jesus did not let an angry mob or
even being hung on a cross stop him from blessing those within his sphere of
influence. Jesus fed the hungry, gave
sight to the blind, blessed a robber on the cross, showed mercy to his enemies,
helped the poor, and redeemed a woman at the well. The scriptures talk about how Jesus did not
allow his circumstances to determine his character. He did not limit his servants’ heart because
of unfortunate situations. Jesus intervened
on the behalf of others when things seemed most grim. What if loving your neighbor as yourself
means to continue to serve those around you even though the circumstance is
less than ideal? Some days I feel stuck
in a perpetual ground hog day. It is not
easy to push through potholes, but someone is counting on you, are you really
going to let them down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">MISSION</span></b><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As followers of Christ, I think it is
part of our mission to serve those around us.
I also think that serving is an essential part of discipleship. The Christian post in a recent article
defined discipleship like this, “Discipleship is a fancy word meaning how you
mature in Christ, how Christ is formed in you — in your thoughts, your actions,
your life.” If I deem Christ as my Lord
and Savior, then I should mirror the behaviors of the one I follow. Serving others is not just what God asks of
us, it is actually part of our who we are as followers of Christ. Serving others is part of our discipleship
and the discipleship of others. This
pandemic has cause each of us to get stuck, but it is time to push
forward. I do not want to be the parent
or disciple who does not cross that finish line. </span><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Practically Speaking | How Might We Make
Serving Part of Discipleship?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Began by praying for God to open up your heart to those in
need. Write down those people that God
places upon your heart. I did this by creating a FRANC list. Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors,
and Coworkers. I wrote down everyone I could think of, literally everyone, it
was a long list. Then I prayed over them by name every day. The weird thing was I started having deeper
conversations and connections with some of them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Write a letter, call, zoom, or heck even knock on the door of
someone God has placed upon your heart.
The great thing about technology is that we have lots of ways to
facilitate personal connection.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Go a step further and invite someone to have a meal with you or you
drop a meal off at there door. We did
our gathering outside, with social distance, and had everyone bring their own
food. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Gill Sans MT",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Do not worry about trying to make a connection with everybody. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--AddThis Button BEGIN-->
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-15024260436910035182020-06-26T06:13:00.003-07:002020-06-26T06:15:59.901-07:00A New Beginning | Navigating Ministry to Students Post Pandemic
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Students Post Pandemic<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">By Alex Hardt</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">1 I love you, LORD; you are my strength. 2 The
LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find
protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. -
Psalm 18:1-2<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">STUCK ON REWIND</span></b><span style="font-family: roboto; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">As a kid I remember after watching a video my
parents would take the video tape out of the VCR and put it in the
rewinder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every so often the rewinder
would get stuck and the machine would continue to spin endlessly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last couple of months have felt like we
have been stuck on rewind and finally someone unjammed the machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a crazy time for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times over the last couple of months it
was hard to distinguish the day or the hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had to setup rhythms and habits that coincided with the day just to
distinguish which day was which.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the
COVID-19 pandemic continues many of us wonder what it is going to look like
moving forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have all experienced change,
but reports indicate that some changes affect particular groups more than
others, and young people are no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are 3 changes that family, leaders, and community members should be
aware of as we seek to minister to young people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: -4.5pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">As a kid
I grew up knowing the possibilities of my future. I knew that I could go to
school, that I could find work, that I could travel or do things that I found
interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part, I could
look around and see opportunities in every corner and depending on what I
wanted to pursue, or how hard I wanted to work to achieve that dream, nothing
was necessarily impossible to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today,
students are not in control of their future like they use to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The economy is uncertain, school may or may
not be open, the way we use to do school definitely won’t be the way we will do
school going forward. Starting jobs aren’t there, civil unrest is a part of our
everyday life, sports and other activities are shut down, and our world looks
nothing like it did a year ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let us
acknowledge the reality of fear within our society and the way it has displaced
many of our “traditional” functions or lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Jobs and schools can provide a sense of
accomplishment and opportunity for skill development, along with avenues toward
future careers. The absence of work and/or school may pose a challenge for
young people in a number of ways, but one impact that may go unnamed is the
impact it has on their identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
financial stress on the family, the lack of achievement or productivity, and
the inability to “control” who they are or what they want to become all have a
direct impact upon their identity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young
people may also have more time on their hand to spend at home, with friends, or
to help others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Volunteer
Hub, “Volunteers under the age of 24 account for 22.6% of all volunteers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be time to help students redefine what
success looks like and help them reorient their futures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">AN INABILITY TO TRUST<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">It seems that everyday “new” news comes out
dispelling the information from yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are bombarded with information from unfamiliar resources. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pew Research Center recently did a report looking
at the state of Americans’ trust in each other amid the COVID 19 Pandemic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This survey finds that about a third of
Americans (35%) register low levels of trust in other people, compared with 29%
who are “high trusters” and 32% who are “medium trusters.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they also found is that compared to other
age groups, young people between the ages of 18 and 29 are more likely to say
that most people can’t be trusted, will try to take advantage rather than be
fair, and look out for themselves rather than try to help others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same report notes, “…the less interpersonal
trust people have, the more frequently they experience bouts of anxiety,
depression and loneliness.” It is important that young people have an
outlet to communicate their feelings, that they be heard, and cared for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the body of Christ, we may need to check
in on each other more, help young people navigate the new social realities,
communicate a trust in Jesus Christ, and to be present more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young people are looking for security in an
unsecure world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are looking for
those who have gone before them to lead the way and provide a sense of
stability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">A LOSS FOR WORDS</span></b><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“We all
share certain fears during the pandemic. We are unsure when we can safely leave
our homes and we worry for family members. But some fears weigh more heavily on
some groups than others.” Tyler Greenway, Fuller Youth Institute </span><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For young
people, Covid-19 is a major threat to their personal financial situation and mental
health while older adults may focus on the physical health aspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there is a concern among young people
for physical health, but young people are primarily concerned with how this is
going to impact their overall future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is an uncertainty of what their future is going to look like and the absent of
opportunity to voice it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
frustrated, confused, angry, scared, and at a loss for words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young adults are keen on meeting people and
establishing a solid group of friends as well as a network that will boost
their careers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also during these
years that young adults more or less find their identities and are willing to
develop deeper relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As young
people continue to ponder their future in an uncertain world, we can consider
how we might help them</span><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Practically Speaking | How might we minister
to Young People a.k.a. “Youth and Young Adults”?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Reach out to them and think about the words they might need to hear
from us right now as- well-as what words we need to hear from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Give them an opportunity to be heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be present with them and listen to their
struggles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">What do the scriptures say about uncertainty, fear, and our
futures? How might a young person benefit from hearing the word of God from
someone older? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Pray daily for youth and young adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically write down a few names of young
people that God has put upon your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: wingdings; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">Ø<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "gill sans mt", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Commit to developing relationships with young people that are God
orientated and full of hope. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-91661245377271114262020-04-01T16:12:00.002-07:002020-06-26T06:14:25.294-07:00Wired for Connection | A Deep Desire for Personal Relationships
<font color="#000000"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6h5IaQPlRSzI4Gjpyo4GRhVPj8RsOPxgstpJbJrxiDC8klN-mWeBZNzEf1sEQ5NhBofvccgc-A_TNGyEKGOBnltAZiZszWiKYU1Co9vhPIsd9X_heDSVvhJngjXQ3iLCeEP-1Tmk8eQo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6h5IaQPlRSzI4Gjpyo4GRhVPj8RsOPxgstpJbJrxiDC8klN-mWeBZNzEf1sEQ5NhBofvccgc-A_TNGyEKGOBnltAZiZszWiKYU1Co9vhPIsd9X_heDSVvhJngjXQ3iLCeEP-1Tmk8eQo/d/Wired+for+Connection.png" /></a><br /></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">WIRED
FOR CONNECTION</span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px;">By Alex Hardt</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">One
of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at
last to see you. For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual
gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I
want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
– Romans 1:10-12</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">TOO
WIRED</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This last month I have
been trying to encourage my kids to exercise and move around a bit more, so we
do not go completely stir crazy. A little fresh air is good for all of us. One
morning I decided we would take a bike ride around the neighborhood. The
kids asked if they could do a poke hunt on the bike ride? (It is a game where
you have to physically move around from spot to spot catching little animals
called Pokémon.) Sure! It took us an extra half hour to get all our
electronics together. We finally get on our bikes when my son’s device falls
off his bike. Then at the bike park my daughter falls down because she is
trying to catch a Pokémon. My headphone wires wrap around the handlebars. After
a few more mishaps we finally decide to put everything in my backpack and just
ride. You know what we realized? That all these gadgets got in the way of us
being connected. That these wires hindered us from fully experiencing the joy
that God had placed right before us. We ended up going on an hour-long ride,
the kids did not complain, time flew by, and we had an amazing time together.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">A
NEW NORM</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When this pandemic
started, I shifted into survival mode. “What do I need to do in order to endure
the next couple of weeks?” As this has continued, I am beginning to
accept that sheltering in place and social distancing might be the new norm (in
some form or another) for the foreseeable future. It is easy for us to
underline the negative aspects of this situation, but this shift can also be an
opportunity to start new habits that could transform our lives and
relationships.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THE
SEARCH FOR AUTHENTICITY</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">It is crazy to think
that just over a month ago I was going through a crazy busy season. For church,
it was camp season for middle school, high school, and young adults. I
loved watching students come to know and accept Christ as their Lord and
Savior. For my kids it was competition (gymnastics) and cookie sale season (my
daughter is a Girl Scout). I loved watching my own kids excel at gymnastics,
scouts, and school. On the flipside I could not remember what happened
the previous day and caffeine was no longer able to supplement the overwhelming
feeling of exhaustion. I remember at the end of the month my son saying, “Daddy
why aren’t you going anywhere today?” Wow! I thought to myself, “Am
I really gone that much?” What is my son talking about, I take him to school
and all his events? That same week I heard from one of my most active students,
“I don’t feel connected.” I thought to myself, “You are at every youth group,
every event, and I see you all the time.”</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">In their own ways, both
were saying they were yearning for authenticity and depth beyond what the
program or activity was providing them. They were looking to not just be known
but to be Known. This pandemic has caused me to pause and take a deeper look at
the way I interact with my kids, with others, and with those in my ministry
context. Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent more time calling students
than engaged in program. I have been able to have longer and deeper
conversations because the distractions have been removed. I am forced to disconnect
from day to day programs and encounter those around me on a much more real and
authentic level.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I’ll be honest, I don’t
want anyone to see me at my worst moments. Yet, as a dad, I also think this
season is an opportunity for our growing kids to see that we are human and,
even more, hear us admit our limitations. I am not sure how to respond to
what is happening around us, but together we are all figuring this out.
It has opened the door to new conversations, authentic conversations. As a Youth
Pastor, I have often talked with parents who wished they could slow down or
have another chance to reconnect with their kids. Now’s our opportunity to grow
with our kids by trying new approaches for new relational connections. God has
wired us for connection! I am in for trying new things and building deeper
relationships. I hope you are, too.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically
Speaking | How might we Build Deeper Relationships?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Have
a game night or movie night each week</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Set
aside time each night/day to have undistracted conversations (electronics
off) with those you care about</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Do
a daily devotional with your family</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When
asking a question follow up with what is that like or tell me more or how
has that been for you? OR perhaps another open-ended question</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ask
questions before jumping to conclusions</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Communicating
rather than cloaking feelings</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-78469259460569767602020-03-01T15:52:00.001-08:002020-05-11T15:53:33.318-07:00Freezing the Faith | Spiritual Experiences Cultivate Commitments to Christ
<font color="#000000"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ACG7KaQbnMYGArWqtkCLcKNYJhfmqq-nZCFwc4B0-Zt507-aKoJHygJO6cNjSJFV26b-AA-9qzRmkHUOLQRbzKLMhfJm1aOD5KalExfKqVfdwrMZ2RjHFhTSjk1RvHN4xBOxc4eaJOO/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ACG7KaQbnMYGArWqtkCLcKNYJhfmqq-nZCFwc4B0-Zt507-aKoJHygJO6cNjSJFV26b-AA-9qzRmkHUOLQRbzKLMhfJm1aOD5KalExfKqVfdwrMZ2RjHFhTSjk1RvHN4xBOxc4eaJOO/d/Freezing+The+Faith.png" /></a><br /> </font><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">FREEZING THE FAITH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt, Associate Pastor to Youth and
Young Adults<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1One day as he saw the
crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples
gathered around him, 2and he began to teach them. – Matthew 5:1-2</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">FROZEN FOR GOD</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This month I get the amazing blessing of
taking Middle School, High School, and Young Adults to winter camps/retreats.
Yes, I get the joy of standing in the freezing cold waiting for mystery meat
for dinner, sleeping in a smelly cold cabin (middle school boy cabins should
require hazmat suits), and shaking in my boots hoping I don’t get frost bite.
Okay it’s not that bad except for the middle school boys’ cabins and the fact
that it’s seriously cold. I could go on and on about how cold it is, but the
truth is these experiences are fun, filled with truth, build community, and
give students opportunities. When Jesus went to the mount with his disciples
I’m sure it wasn’t the most pleasant of environment, they are on a mountain,
but Jesus utilizes this opportunity away from everything to pour truth into his
disciples, help them realize the value of community, and give them an
opportunity to respond. Sometimes we need to “Freeze the Faith” by creating
spiritual experiences away from life in order to deepen our commitments to
Christ aka camps, conferences, retreats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">TRUTH</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Camps and retreats provide a chance for youth,
young adults, and adults to hear the Gospel truth in a different way than they
probably have before. Normally we sit in church with our phones strapped to us
like the next greatest natural disaster is about to happen, prepped to respond
at a moment’s notice. At camps and retreats we escape the distractions of
technology and life to encounter God. Speakers share their personal stories, counselors
share with students, questions are encouraged, and, most importantly, the
Gospel is presented. The unfamiliar environment, the change of community, and
the shift in the Gospel presentation makes us more conscious of the message
presented to us. It’s why after hearing the truth presented many times over in
church services in a similar fashion, it can become stale and why at camps and
retreats people suddenly feel called to respond to the same message they heard
at church.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Don’t tell me you
can’t hear from God, when your book (Bible) is closed.”- Bryant Garcia</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">COMMUNITY</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">There is nothing like getting together with
some of your closest friends and spending a weekend away. It’s just different
than going out to lunch or hanging out for an hour or too. Your spending 36
waking hours at a weekend retreat with individuals whom you can’t escape, at
some point those walls, yes you know the ones you have built up over your
lifetime, will disintegrate and you will begin to be vulnerable with those you
know and those you just met for the first time. It is after the service when
questions are asked, and conversations happen. It’s walking from the cabins to
the mess hall or standing in line waiting for food or late at night around a
campfire. To add on to that, there are camp/retreat leaders investing into you.
One of the things I love about camp/retreats is that I’m encountering people
who I might not normally associate with. I am sitting across from individuals
who have different backgrounds, like different things, have different political
views, watch shows I would never watch and do things I have no interest in but
for some reason we have been able to connect with.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I’ve been asking God
for a community and what I realized today that this is my community.” – A student
at the end of Winter Camp</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">OPPORTUNITY</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Camps/retreats provide an opportunity for us
to make time for God, to reboot, develop spiritual habits, and make commitments
to God. We are not bound by a schedule or to do list. We are free to open
ourselves up to what God is saying to us and respond likewise. This last month
we had three students give their lives to Christ and over 10 other students
recommit their lives to Christ. Praise God! I don’t know whether these students
would have responded the same outside of these experiences. What I do know is
that each of these students need to put a pause on life (aka Freeze the Faith)
and experience God without the distractions. When Jesus took the disciples away
to be with him on the mountain it was an experience unlike any other and they
were different because of it. Spiritual experiences cultivate commitments for
Christ. What are you willing to experience?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically Speaking |
How might we Invest Well?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Recognize the need for devoted
time with God away from the chaos of life<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Create space in your calendar
each year for at least one camp/retreat<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Pray about how you might
surrender your calendar and time over to God<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Sign up for a camp/retreat.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Resource</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Covenant Camps/Retreats- </span><a href="http://pswc.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">http://pswc.org/</span></a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Mission Springs Camps- </span><a href="https://www.missionsprings.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">https://www.missionsprings.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-83262070768805044312020-01-01T15:48:00.001-08:002022-09-26T09:11:15.039-07:00Worth It | Why Investing In Others Matters
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixa8dSFyILgwABZJoulah7DtGkmcaMPQuaWIheizTfQ7Hyt6ZFqHF0YhqxQgP3_G40JXdymk1iSzP-oGUki3x7ApcCKGweAw2AdXp7ZuBbJURLFcB1r4CWP8vKY3w3cS2RUEOCiCUdVnq/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixa8dSFyILgwABZJoulah7DtGkmcaMPQuaWIheizTfQ7Hyt6ZFqHF0YhqxQgP3_G40JXdymk1iSzP-oGUki3x7ApcCKGweAw2AdXp7ZuBbJURLFcB1r4CWP8vKY3w3cS2RUEOCiCUdVnq/d/Worth+It.png" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">WORTH
IT</span></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt,
Associate Pastor to Youth and Young Adults</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">25One
day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this
question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26Jesus replied,
“What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”27The man answered, “‘You
must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your
strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29The man wanted to
justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, <b>“And who is my neighbor?</b> –
Luke 10:25-29</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">DIVISION</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">No matter how you vote
or where your political affiliation falls, I am pretty sure you will agree: our
country feels divided. Left vs right, rich vs poor, young vs old, big business
vs people, and the division continues. The country feels more divided than ever
before, even my kids are feeling the division. There’s this air of angst
floating around us. It’s like we are all walking on eggshells waiting for the
next big thing to implode or explode. There is an uncertainty of what we can
say or shouldn’t say because we don’t know whether that will set them off.
Students anxiety are at an all-time high, depression is sky rocketing, and they
feel utterly overwhelmed. While there are a multitude of factors contributing
to these feelings, this sense of division is a major contributor.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">I wonder if Jesus ever
dealt with such a situation or talked about a division among people?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">BRIDGING
THE GAP</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Pushed for clarity of
neighbor in Luke 10, Jesus tells a story of a Jewish man brutally beaten by
robbers during the treacherous journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. Those who
should have stopped for the man; a priest and a Levite; end up stepping over
him while the one who seemed least likely to stop, a Samaritan (Yup, the guy
who lived in a different area had different religious views, was from a
different economical background, and was utterly opposed to the man), takes
pity on him. The Samaritan dresses his wounds, likely using fragments of his
own attire to do so. The Samaritan doesn’t stop there, though he could, he
proceeds to pay out of his own wallet—for the beaten man to spend the night in
an inn. This generosity would have been notable for anyone. But it is particularly
prominent given the animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. noted what enabled the Samaritan to cross the bridge of hatred and
show such compassion, “It seems to me that this [Samaritan] man’s goodness can
be described in one word: <b>altruism </b>(the dictionary defines
altruism as a regard for, and devotion to, the interest of others).
Indeed, the Samaritan was great because he made the first law of his life
not self-preservation, but other preservation.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">OUR
DEFAULT</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Let’s be honest, while
we love this story our natural default is self-preservation. I can think of
three times today that I put my own interest ahead of others (one of them being
the amount of times I paused for coffee instead of doing other things). And
teenagers are developmentally even more self-interested. Their whole life is
curated by social media and self-interest. But that doesn’t mean that churches
and families stop inviting teens to look beyond themselves and neighbors.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">“<b>According
to our data, teenagers and young adults are drawn to churches that challenge
them to give of themselves to others. </b>While the path to neighboring
well is not always clear in such tumultuous times, teenagers and emerging
adults consistently described in interviews and focus groups how much they
care about their church’s process or journey for arriving at particular
beliefs, positions, and statements.”</span></i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> <b>– Kara Powell</b></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">As followers of Christ,
we have an opportunity and obligation, by the Good Samaritan story standard, to
tell a different narrative. Our narrative is one of love, hope, and tells
individuals that they have worth. Are the differences between our rivaling
political parties great? Is there division in this world? And am I weeping over
what’s happening in our country these days? Yes, yes, and yes.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">But
when we, or young people we know are tempted to go radio silent, lash out in
anger, or write off those who disagree with us, may we remember more of Dr.
King’s teachings about the neighborly example of the Good Samaritan: “The
ultimate measure of a [person] is not where they stand in moments of comfort
and moments of convenience, but where they stand in moments of challenge and
moments of controversy. <b>The true neighbor is the [person] who will risk
his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others</b>.” </span></i><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">– Fuller Youth
Institute Blog</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Is it Worth it? Yes! Do
young people need to see this kind of response? Yes! Is it difficult to do?
Absolutely! Am I there yet? Not even close, but I want to continue to learn how
to surrender my will and desire over to God so that I can help bring about
unity instead of division. I’m learning what it means to be “a Good Samaritan,”
will you come along with me?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically
Speaking | How might we invest well?</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Recognize
where we are living in a divisive world.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Begin
with prayer, praying for those who feel divided and asking God to help
them overcome division.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Dwell
in God’s word. How do we see Christ responding to division?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">It’s
more of a process than a position. Look for opportunities to create open
dialogue rather than closed doors.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">It’s
more about a posture than a proclamation. Are we
willing to give up our desire of being right? Self-preservation, for the
sake of God’s will being done?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Practice
forbearance and forgiveness!! Read Col.3:12-14. What does it take to
preserve spiritual unity?</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Resource</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Fulleryouthinstitute.org</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-84375622742462810242020-01-01T15:44:00.000-08:002020-05-11T15:45:12.064-07:00Reboot | When Is It Too Late To Start Over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ91C_6vDrRml-FXiKvG6QjnCd0hfTG4Oq5rGN7p7Vtza01YWBKcuiwxjD0816QCtwA_Jy2uVurGmpOWZbZ0uzGSCm76IVuswyhk50VubXGstFh5qHf78OmPDBySAzQYaIaz2RQ4PJGoSp/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ91C_6vDrRml-FXiKvG6QjnCd0hfTG4Oq5rGN7p7Vtza01YWBKcuiwxjD0816QCtwA_Jy2uVurGmpOWZbZ0uzGSCm76IVuswyhk50VubXGstFh5qHf78OmPDBySAzQYaIaz2RQ4PJGoSp/d/REBOOT.png" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">REBOOT</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt,
Associate Pastor to Youth and Young Adults</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">But
if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">-1
John 1:9</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">TIME
TO REBOOT</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">One of my favorite
shows growing up was called ReBoot, where a character named Bob tried to reset
the things done wrong by the evil characters Megabyte and Hexadecimal. My inner
tech geekiness fluttered with joy watching this animated show about technology.
Bob, the main character, was always hoping that Megabyte and Hexadecimal could
right their wrongs. In one episode, Bob teams up with Megabyte to save the
world only to be betrayed by Megabyte at the end. As a kid I wondered if there
was going to be a moment where Bob would give up hope because things were
beyond repair? Is there ever a point where it is impossible to redeem what has
been done?</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">During the Mid 90’s
technology was on the rise for the general consumer. Video game systems were
popping up everywhere, the growth of internet was skyrocketing, and personal
computers were becoming a household mainstay. Toys like Legos were fighting
against an ever more technological advanced consumer. In the mid 90’s Lego was
on the verge of bankruptcy. Maybe the days of these blocks were over after more
than 70 years?!? Lego didn’t fold, but instead decided to reboot themselves.
Eventually, by cutting costs, improving processes, and developing new product
lines, the company started to bounce back. In 2017 the company’s net profit was
$7.8 billion, a far cry from bankruptcy of the 90’s.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">TIME
TO START OVER</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">As a Christian and a
pastor, I read the Bible and it initially appears like one long narrative on
failure. From the beginning, in Genesis, we find Adam and Eve failing at living
out God’s command not to <i>“eat from the tree of knowledge of good and
evil” (</i>Genesis 2:17). Seriously, you had one job Adam and Eve! As the
narrative progresses, we read how God’s chosen people, the Israelites,
experience one failure after another, after another. It’s like they were stuck
on repeat. Fast forward to the New Testament, when Jesus enters the scene,
there is still no respite from failure. Instead, failure seems inherent in
every narrative moving forward. Whether it was Peter denying Jesus (Luke
22:54-62), Paul persecuting Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9), or Disciples
failing to heal (Mark 9:14-25), the Bible is full of failure.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Praise God that failure
is not the end of the story! That we have a God so full of Grace and Mercy that
every mistake we make can be redeemed. For every failure in the lives of people
in the Bible, there is a God who is constantly in the process of taking failure
and redeeming it into something life-giving. Rewind those stories of failure in
the scriptures and you will see how God used the brokenness of people to bring
about redemption in their lives. Failure doesn’t define who we are or what we
are capable of. As I look at the biblical narrative, it seems that failure is
an inevitable part of humanity. Failure isn’t the end of the road; rather it
often seems to be the vessel through which God reaches into our lives to bring
forth redemption.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“<i>Our failures become
the transforming work of God, a fertile ground that helps us live more in line
with who he has created us to be.”- Rhett Smith</i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Maybe instead of
running from our mistakes we embrace them, Reboot, and discover the redemptive
power that God offers to us through Jesus Christ. And maybe instead of asking,
“When is it too late to start over?”, we should be asking, “Am I ready for a
reboot?”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically
Speaking | How might we reboot?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Recognize
that failure is inevitable in our lives</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Reframe
failure as an opportunity for growth. Joyfully surrender your failures
over to God. Let Him navigate the difficulty of failure with you.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Draw
closer to God in our failures. Prayer, scripture, worship, small groups,
and devotion. Be reminded of the narrative that when failure happens in
the bible, God steps into that failure and redeems it.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Pursue
Forgiveness. God loves us regardless of our failures. Ask forgiveness from
our Lord, Jesus Christ and find redemption.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Resource</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Chasing Failure by Ryan
Leak</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-38985096004579573412019-12-29T06:40:00.014-08:002020-07-14T22:17:57.261-07:00Without Recognition - Significant Stories (Luke 2:21-40) // Alex Hardt // December 29, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iNM-D0bp_mM" width="320" youtube-src-id="iNM-D0bp_mM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 18.6pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b>Sermon Title // </b>Significant Stories<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 18.6pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b>Main Idea //</b> Praise without Promotion<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 18.6pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b>Scripture // </b><b> </b>Luke 2:21-40<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 18.6pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b>Main Points // </b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;">Pursue God, not Power</span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> – Luke 2:21-27 </span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;">Preparation and People</span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> – Luke
2:28-38 </span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 27.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;">Praise without Promotion</span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> – Luke
29-40 </span><span style="font-family: "Myriad Pro", sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: "noto sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-87201949228937215962019-12-01T15:39:00.001-08:002020-05-11T15:40:28.669-07:00Pivot Point of Christmas | Putting God at the Center of Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfUyCf65uGaEjUZUBZeyJDHM_kOK5XskEiIM3dlKaCQwMF0EptzLNRhGTyW_4tnXOQRAcZvfkV9JygTIKBQ4WqvYFWmpzw8MKfQcrUdPXf0TcRF5wQXDQo_zpFbCuYYkPJysjMacl1NEo/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfUyCf65uGaEjUZUBZeyJDHM_kOK5XskEiIM3dlKaCQwMF0EptzLNRhGTyW_4tnXOQRAcZvfkV9JygTIKBQ4WqvYFWmpzw8MKfQcrUdPXf0TcRF5wQXDQo_zpFbCuYYkPJysjMacl1NEo/d/Pivot+Point+of+Christmas.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>
<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">PIVOT POINT OF
CHRISTMAS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt, Associate Pastor to Youth and
Young Adults<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So the Word became
human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and
faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one
and only Son. John 1:14</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS
YET!</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I know some of you are really excited about
the Christmas season, but did you know the Christmas season hasn’t
actually begun yet? Wait. What?!? This can’t be true. Seriously, I’ve seen
Christmas decorations, music, and cheesy Christmas movies on repeat since
Halloween. The streets are lit up, the shopping stores have holiday specials,
and I am already wearing my ugly Christmas sweater by the fire. It’s a bit
confusing since everyone is already saying it’s Christmas when, in actuality,
the Christmas season doesn’t actually start until December 25.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Years ago, in a galaxy far, far away (so
excited for the new Star Wars movie) all the stuff we are doing now (ya
know…all the shopping, presents, decorating trees, parties) didn’t even start
until Christmas Eve! That sounds like the end to Black Friday as we know it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to crush your shopping or Christmas spirit,
but I believe by rushing into the Christmas season, we’re actually
missing out on something even more important. Something else has been put
at the center of Christmas and it’s not Jesus. I’ll let you guess what it is!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">TIS THE SEASON FOR
ADVENT!</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So if this season isn’t the Christmas season .
. . what is it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">IT’S ADVENT! Think of how that might change
some of your favorite Christmas tunes. “Oh Advent Tree! Oh Advent Tree! How
lovely are thy branches?” or “We wish you a Merry Advent and a Happy New Year!”
That might be going a little ludicrous considering Advent is the season leading
up to Christmas day. So yes, that tree is still a Christmas Tree even though we
are in a season of Advent. Advent is important and should have a significant
role in how we approach Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The word “advent” means, “the arrival of
someone notable”. It means someone important is on their way (spoiler
alert: it’s Jesus). Advent is the season when we are reminded about Who not
what is at the center of our lives and Christmas. It’s the preparation for the
birth of a Savior who would sacrifice everything so that we might be reconciled
to God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This difference matters, because . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">When you get ready to celebrate
something, the preparation is usually all about you and what you can get
from that experience. It’s about how I look, or what I can get, or who shows
up. But when you get ready to celebrate someone, the preparation is about so
much more than you. During the season of Advent, our excitement and
anticipation isn’t about Santa, or family, or the presents. It’s about Jesus.
Imagine for a minute, thousands of years ago, droves of people waiting with
great anticipation for the coming of Jesus-literally. He hadn’t been born and
yet people knew that someone was on the way. This was because God had promised
it (take a look at the book of Isaiah) but they weren’t sure who they were
waiting for. Advent is about preparing ourselves for the greatest gift we could
ever receive, the gift of a Savior. You might be tempted to reject or ignore
the gift of Jesus, but this Advent, I hope you’ll choose instead to get
ready to receive God’s gift, because it is the best gift you could ever
receive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically Speaking |
How might you prepare for the Savior?</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dive deeper into His word and
learn more about the Savior. Make Christ the center of your Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do one less thing… Maybe you
can watch one less hour of television or take one thing off your Christmas
list. Making sacrifices like these over specific periods of time is
sometimes called fasting, which is something Jesus modeled and encouraged
us to practice.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Develop deeper relationships.
Spend time connecting with someone who feels alone, broken or just needs
encouragement. Invest in someone not something.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Resource</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">More ideas at these Blogs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><font color="#000000"><a href="http://covenantgrove.org/devotions/"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">http://covenantgrove.org/devotions/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-74474569284695292172019-11-01T15:34:00.001-07:002020-05-11T15:35:47.275-07:00Gratitude Changes Attitude | Understanding the Science of Gratitude
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7TMOf4NO9Rgy7kYjwQwgjukF4S0tcadacqxk0J2wx0loBSgbql3r_FSxkZXuaCij7GJgfcXyk86lk6XrPvDDByF-U0PxK_cCq7-NM3eYoWzKKBwEEWB9lSN4zgPBm0LBwFJwFZc6DAmV/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7TMOf4NO9Rgy7kYjwQwgjukF4S0tcadacqxk0J2wx0loBSgbql3r_FSxkZXuaCij7GJgfcXyk86lk6XrPvDDByF-U0PxK_cCq7-NM3eYoWzKKBwEEWB9lSN4zgPBm0LBwFJwFZc6DAmV/d/Gratitude+Changes+Attitude.jpg" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">GRATITUDE
CHANGES ATTITUDE </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">Gratitude
Changes Attitude: Understanding the Science of Gratitude</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt,
Associate Pastor – Youth and Young Adults</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">We</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> <b>live</b> <b>gratefully</b> <b>because</b> <b>of</b> <b>God’s</b> <b>grace—because</b> <b>of</b> <b>all</b> <b>God</b> <b>has</b> <b>done</b> <b>for</b> <b>us</b> <b>through</b> <b>Jesus</b> <b>Christ. </b>Grace
is what separates Christianity from every other religion. And grace
is the ultimate fuel for our gratitude. – Kara Powell</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Acknowledge
that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his
people, the sheep of his pasture. – Psalm 100:3</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">FEAR</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">We are consumed by
negative thoughts. I turned on the news or see my social feeds streaming
negative thought after negative thought. In a 2015 NY Times article it noted
how our culture markets fear. You ever notice how scary stories garner attention
and provoke action more efficiently than do rational arguments? When
frightened, we react viscerally, our emotions are riled, and want to take
action to protect ourselves and our communities. Fear and negativity tend to
motivate people often in a way they may not normally respond. It manipulates
and controls the individual. It dictates the situation. What am I going to do?
What if I don’t respond? What is going to happen if I don’t get involved? What
if I don’t show up or I miss out on something? What if they don’t like me?</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">It
is human nature to avoid emotions that scare us. Who wants to walk
directly into what promises to be a painful experience? Except that by
continually avoiding looking at the ‘boogeyman’ within, you become hostage to
the monster. – </span></i><a href="https://www.psycom.net/authors/sherry-amatenstein/"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration-line: none;">Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> (Psycom.net)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">GRATITUDE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Gratitude is powerful.
Gratitude is essential. It has the power to change the brain chemistry inside
of us. Research has shown that gratitude can reduce stress and depression,
improve general well-being, increase resilience, and support healthy social relationships. People
who are grateful tend to have better overall well-being and life satisfaction.
Science has shown that gratitude can change one’s physical attributes like
increasing immune systems, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and helping
one sleep better. Grateful people tend to be more alert and more generous,
compassionate, and happier. Grateful people also have a greater capacity
for joy and positive emotions.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Gratitude
involves noticing the goodness in the world, but it doesn’t mean being blind to
the tough stuff or the mess that can get all of us from time to
time. Gratitude makes sure that in the midst of the things that serve up a
good dose of negative feelings, we don’t lose sight of the good. – Karen Young
(heysigmund.com)</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">RECLAIMING
GRATITUDE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">We choose to live by
gratitude or by fear. We choose the way we see our world and how it has an
effect upon how we live. In 1 Timothy 4:4 it says that God created everything,
and it was Good. In Psalm 100:3 it explains how God made us, and that we are
His people. In 1 Chronicles 16:34 it proclaims that God’s love for us never
ceases. God, the creator of all things, endlessly blesses us. Our attitude
should be out of response to who the creator is and what God has done for us.
If our creator is kind, compassionate, and gracious then we should do likewise.
Maybe you’re a leader or parent wondering how to help teenagers and young
adults grapple with this truth. Maybe you need help reclaiming gratitude
yourself as this year has been punctuated with more heartbreak than joy.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Below are a few ideas
to begin reclaiming gratitude:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">Practically
Speaking</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Every
night at dinner or bedtime, ask your family to share one thing they are grateful for that day</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Spend
time in the community serving. Discover the joy of helping those in need
and appreciate how God has blessed you.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Have
open conversations around grace and blessings with others. Shift the
conversations you engage in by starting the conversation with: What are
you grateful for? What has brought you joy this week?</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Live
out grace. This can be done by surprising your kids or someone else by not
giving them a consequence they “deserve” for a mistake or poor behavioral choice.
Instead extend grace to them, connect that grace to our heavenly father,
and celebrate the great things they have done.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Spend
time reading about God’s faithfulness, goodness, and compassionate heart
towards us in the Bible.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Focus
your prayers for a week on not what you don’t have, what’s broken, what
you need but instead upon what God has done for you, how God is moving
around you, and how God is moving through you.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Resources</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">More ideas at these
Blogs:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="https://www.heysigmund.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.heysigmund.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/reclaim-gratitude"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/reclaim-gratitude</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<!--AddThis Button END--><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-43225884355627340332019-10-01T15:17:00.001-07:002020-05-11T15:18:08.332-07:00Good Mythical Mayhem | Debunking Falsehoods about Youth and Young Adults<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqvISoCtu91Ioo_hk-f-1V23wEyf_9t8rFmjSdw-haHJftbaI6FtgChaoPVeaH0P-hXQqt09XzLoYbJZAuC00LLTt-3B-BtMNS28d9vDgy62hnRFzlGRaHJmLlgrqnz9QfvAJsYaF2IGK/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqvISoCtu91Ioo_hk-f-1V23wEyf_9t8rFmjSdw-haHJftbaI6FtgChaoPVeaH0P-hXQqt09XzLoYbJZAuC00LLTt-3B-BtMNS28d9vDgy62hnRFzlGRaHJmLlgrqnz9QfvAJsYaF2IGK/d/Good+Mythical+Mayhem.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>
<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Good
Mythical Mayhem | Debunking Falsehoods about Youth and Young Adults</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt,
Associate Pastor to Youth and Young Adults</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Young
Adults are Lazy and full of Apathy”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Generation
Z is all about Selfies, themselves, and being Self Absorbed ”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Emerging
Adults have no motivation, no purpose, they lack the drive”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Let
no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech,
in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.-</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1
Timothy 4:12</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">THEY
ARE LAZY</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Perhaps the most common
slander on today’s emerging adults is that they’re “slackers.” Many people
believe that 20-somethings avoid work whenever possible, preferring to leech
off their parents for as long as they can get away with it like some sort of
blood sucking parasite. The belief is that young adults have an inflated sense
of entitlement (fa sho) and that they expect work to be fun — and if work isn’t
fun, they don’t want to do it #lamejob. Party!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Perhaps young people
have an unrealistic expectation for work, but lazy? No. If you look around at
who is serving you at Starbucks, or Dutch brothers (so much better </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji", sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">😉</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">),
or ringing you up at Target, stocking the shelves at Safeway… It’s emerging
adults. Many of them are doing double duty by working and going to school at
the same time, trying to survive while chipping away at their student debt, the
highest in history <i>(According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
outstanding student loan debt in the United States lies between $902
billion and $1 trillion with around $864 billion in Federal student loan
debt. As of Quarter 1 in 2012, the average student loan balance for
all age groups is $24,301).</i> It’s false and unfair to tar the many
hardworking emerging adults with a stereotype that is true for only a small
percentage of them just like it’s true for only a small percentage of adults.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">SO
SELFISH</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I hear this over and
over with regards to emerging adults and young adults. With this stereotype,
too, there is a small grain of truth that has been inflated into a large
falsehood. I would probably agree that most emerging adults today grow up with
a high level of self-esteem, higher than in previous generations. After all,
from the time they were born, their boomer parents have been telling them,
“You’re the best!” “The sky is the limit” and “Be whatever you want to be”. So
why are we surprised that emerging adults took those messages to heart. By the
time they get to emerging adulthood they do believe they’re special, and nearly
all of them are confident that they will be able to get what they want out of
life. As young people get closer to adulthood their bubble is popped multiple
times by love, work, and reality. The economy isn’t what was promised, the
opportunities aren’t there, their perspectives are limited, and the outlook on
life isn’t what they were told. High self-esteem is what allows young people to
get up again and continue moving forward. <i>(55 percent of youth ages 12
to 18 – participate in volunteer activities; the teen volunteering rate is
nearly twice the adult volunteering rate of 29 percent. – According to
nationalservice.gov)</i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">LACK
MOTIVATION</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">For emerging adults and
young adults with anxiety, millennials dealing with self-doubt, and the
slackers who seem to lack motivation; there is one mantra they all share: “If I
choose to fail and do… then I win”! The critiques, judgements, and stereotypes
have resonated unfortunately well with them. Here’s the good news: They really
do want to win. They just don’t have a single clue on how to do it.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">What is odd is that
when you get past all the negative situations, stereotypes, or judgements
emerging adults have been through and really talk and listen to them, they
really want to succeed but they just don’t have a clue how to do that, so they
channel all of their desires into self-sabotage. This goes on for so long that
it is almost impossible for them to remember that this was a coping mechanism
and not their true nature. Given the opportunity, most people really will
choose to succeed.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Iron
sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. -Proverbs 27:17</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">We have developed a
generational divide and perhaps we need to rethink how we can grow <u>with</u> instead
of <u>against</u> one another.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Practically
Speaking</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Give
opportunity and bring challenge to emerging adults.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Help
them to recognize the potential that is within them by elevating your
expectations of them.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Walk
with them, mentor them, and invest in them. They need those who have
already experienced life to model for them, resource them, and develop
within them the tools necessary to succeed.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Resource</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">More ideas at these
Blogs</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><font color="#000000"><a href="https://mentoringyoungadults.com/blog/"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">https://mentoringyoungadults.com/blog/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><font color="#000000"><a href="https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/connecting-with-college-students"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/connecting-with-college-students</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><a href="http://www.yfc.net/resources/adults-who-empower2"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><font color="#000000">http://www.yfc.net/resources/adults-who-empower2</font></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<!--AddThis Button END-->Alex Hardthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09290722389946659630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2001857047773729249.post-8768402880365288052019-09-01T15:11:00.002-07:002020-05-11T15:12:55.306-07:00Labor of Love | Celebrating Leaders in Ministry
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewWwahEaZ1xEIwZcfAHmY2ZPnJZPPNyA0THPV1rOzTD65OEe-8fVZGuMegwMelBcFy1W9yAEbg6QeF5MsUYSu8o-vFGjbX5kdPfHgQRqq9zTSdYb6h1hcMQZHWnuDr8P1Cc0P5-QSgE79/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewWwahEaZ1xEIwZcfAHmY2ZPnJZPPNyA0THPV1rOzTD65OEe-8fVZGuMegwMelBcFy1W9yAEbg6QeF5MsUYSu8o-vFGjbX5kdPfHgQRqq9zTSdYb6h1hcMQZHWnuDr8P1Cc0P5-QSgE79/d/Labor+of+Love.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">LABOR
OF LOVE</span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">by Alex Hardt,
Associate Pastor – Youth and Young Adults</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">“Great
leaders share themselves and what they have learned.” – Developing the Leader
Around You by John Maxwell</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> “If
your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more,
you are a leader.”</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> <i>-John
Quincy Adams</i></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> “The
single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership
development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that
recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops
them.” -John Maxwell</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The Bible is filled
with instruction on discipling believers. But we see also, woven into the
Scriptures, examples of leadership and the value of raising up great leaders
within the body. For instance, Jesus calls 12 disciples, 11 of whom would
continue the mission and vision He had established; these disciples would set a
foundation on which the Church would grow. And Paul empowers Titus to be a
leader, Titus 1:5 says, <i>“I left you on the island of Crete so you could
complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.”</i> He
then describes what these elders should be like. Similarly, Paul tells Timothy
to find <i>“faithful men and women who will be able to teach others also”
(2 Tim 2:2).</i> Jesus and Paul have something in common when it comes to
leadership. They recognize the potential to affect people multiplies when they
inspire others to follow a vision that transforms them and then empowers them
to live it out. Sure, Jesus could have gone out on His own to heal people, save
the lost, resurrect the dead, and share the word of God. And Paul was probably
a good enough communicator that his words would have lasting impact upon a
significant amount of people. But the real juice to their ministry was the
people, the volunteers, and followers who were willing to live out the vision
and hope of Jesus.</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">1
Corinthians 12:12-13 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up
one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are
Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized
into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">‘There is a beauty when
strong and diversely gifted people unite to serve the church. It’s a faint
glimmer, a dim reflection of the triune God — coequal persons, distinct roles
in creation and salvation, but always united in their delight for one another
and all they accomplish together.’ -Dave Harvey</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The impact we have as a
ministry, as a church, as a body of believers is multiplied because of the
volunteers who serve out of love for the Lord; who desire to make the Gospel
known beyond the walls of the building. There is a joy in witnessing others
catch hold of the vision and want to live out that vision. In Luke 10:1-20
Jesus enthusiastically sends out 72 disciples to <i>“harvest the fields.”</i> When
the disciples return in verse 17, it says they were overflowing with joy, and
Jesus ecstatically responds in verse 20, <i>“But don’t rejoice because
evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”</i> There
is a joy in serving alongside other people who have that same desire as you to
further the mission. There is joy that God has uniquely gifted each individual
with a skill, talent, or ability that can be used to propel the message of
Christ forward. This unity as a body reflects the kingdom that God has laid
before us. There is a joy in walking alongside and caring for one another.
Recognizing that we grow best in community as we learn, lean, and laugh with
one another. According to Jesus, it’s our love for one another, not our
productivity and performance, that marks us out as distinct from the world
(John 13:34–35).</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;">A
Labor of Love</span></b><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">As we Kick Off, we
recognize the importance and value of our volunteers in furthering the mission
and growing the body. We appreciate each of our leaders and volunteers at
Covenant Grove. You are incredible! Whether it’s helping setup, leading a Life
Group, serving food, helping with the next gen ministries, leading worship, or
any number of other things; it’s important, and you are the real juice behind
Covenant Grove. It’s a labor of love. Together, we are furthering the kingdom
and transforming religious and irreligious people into fully devoted followers
of Christ. So, THANKS for all you do!</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3.75pt;"><i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">‘God
values both the ends and the means. He not only wants the mission to be
accomplished, but God wants to see churches that flourish and last. Because
humility remains an indispensable ingredient towards securing that future, God
created shared leadership. Then He blesses our feeble and faltering attempts to
faithfully practice it.’ – Dave Harvey</span></i><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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