Paul (, /) Jon We need a hard road not a smooth road Life doesn’t go the way you thought it would Life doesn’t meet your expectations, how do you keep moving forward What do you trust in? Where do I put my trust? Lori Will be stepping down from Children’s Ministry in January Not leaving the church, just need to put family first Jon Jeremiah 17:5-8 It’s hard not to trust other people It’s easy to trust the things we’re good at If you put your trust in yourself, in something that fails, your heart will harden and turn away from God It’s wounds When the heart gets wounded it tends to protect itself, to harden itself Something to plug into, to get life from The shrub in the desert is waiting for something to rescue it We’ve all felt that sense of waiting for a rescue What are … Continue reading →

Paul (waltz) (lindy) Announcements Paul – PD Rob & Jill – Westside Pregnancy Clinic Jon Let’s talk about anger, what makes Jesus angry Mark 3:1-6 Not angry with frustration, angry with grief Observations 1. Jesus is not angry at how this affects Him personally 2. Most of our anger arises out of how it affects us Angry at human injustice 3. Doesn’t carry it with Him (to use tomorrow at the lunch table), doesn’t stew over it Amos 5:21-24 Divine anger, not human anger – not like the anger at home Amos 8:4-6 Ignoring the needy God will provide – He will see and He will respond Using another human being is the worst sin… What disturbs you more: a God who sees injustice and does nothing or a God who sees what’s happening and responds. Human life is more important than the Sabbath. 5. His anger leads to healing … Continue reading →

Paul Announcements Paul Paul jumped into a “God exists” debate on the Internet. This thing we do, this faith we wrap ourselves in really matters. Jon Making The Invisible Visible Matthew 6:19-24 Mustard Seed Movement Highlighting various charities – this week – Mercy’s Village 100×100 virtual plots Awareness helps Repent Teshuva – return to who you really are the fullness of who you are in God’s very image The Messiah has arrived Treasures on earth vs treasure on heaven Good/single eye vs roving eye Light vs darkness God vs money What is Jesus trying to communicate Have to put on our 1st century, Jewish spectacles Good/single eye Lots of great scholars say this text means utter devotion to God Passion, discipline, following Him What does that mean? How do the images connect? It’s either a or b, side by side comparisons When you leave here tonight, fly out the doors … Continue reading →

Jon Mustard seed movement Take the teachings of Jesus and apply them Plant small and care for it How we use our tongues, our language; power/weakness Kingdom movement Matthew 26:47-51 How do we respond when life doesn’t go the way we think it should go? Do-nothingness is a display of weakness 1. On the surface Peter appears strong as an agressor Airport lines are great places for patience Grumbler gets louder and louder I’m so important Starts swinging his sword If we honk long enough, a secret portal will open to get you to work in seconds So easy to draw swords, throw words Prov 18 tongue James 1:26 Can’t do nothing, shouldn’t throw words before gathering information James 1:19 Matthew 26:50-54 You can see Jesus picking up the ear and saying: is this what you learned from me? Matthew 29:10-11 1 legion of angels = 6,000 Jesus is all … Continue reading →

Paul Announcements Paul Uganda trip report Goal: true understanding of The Rock’s contribution to Uganda Heather Quick snapshot Worked with Sanyu Baby Orphanage for abandoned children, brought them supplies, age birth-4 AidChild orphanage for kids with AIDS (not HIV), age 4-16 Maggie’s Ranch/Cornerstone village that teaches western jobs (table service) ??? Ages 16-25 Played soccer and dancing to get ready for world vision kids Gulu for the world vision kids Nice to see 2D picture have personality County hospital and other hospitals – supply delivery God is really behind Jeami’s mission Given the Rock a really good name It’s daunting the power she wields the way she gets things done Super-anointed, it’s magical We need to get behind her Go and see it for yourself, financially support her, pray for her, ask her how you can help Don’t let her feel alone in what she’s doing Heather’s lessons 1. Maggie … Continue reading →

Paul Welcome To The Rock It’s Good To See You All () (fast/halftime Lindy) Welcome and Announcements / (Coda, fade as one to) Love isn’t an emotion, it’s an action – for God so loved the world that He gave His only son (from yesterday’s wedding) Jon Why do we sing? To express our love for You Notes are useful Last week we talked about matters of the heart, hard hearts, etc Eternal life is a term bandied about Not heaven, but a God-centered life Genesis 1 v. 27 Even people you don’t like have a piece of the divine What makes us valuable is that we have been created in God’s image Told something about humanity – it’s goodness Today we see a lot of brokenness But in the beginning we were created good He speaks v. 3 there is light, order v.6 expanse Light, water, sky, air v.9 … Continue reading →

Paul Jon Ezekiel 47:1-12 Theme in the whole book Vision given to a people in the desert when the temple has been destroyed Cleanse themselves in Living Water Babylon destroyed the temple and took Israel into captivity Living water poured out over the altar Ezekiel 19:13 Planted in wilderness for disobedience They know where they are…something deeper God’s reminder goes deeper The image is a metaphor for God Revelation 1:15 like the roar of many waters The water brings life and healing Where God flows, there is life and healing Land of Pharoah Land of Canaan Land of the desert – where God lives Bigger than location or idea – metaphor Deeper in the desert, closer to God – Rabbi Akeva 40 years of wandering…for what? Complained about food and water-never the heat or the dangers Wadi – canyon in the desert that can quickly flood and fill it Had … Continue reading →

Jon … Ezekiel 47 Pool of Salome Feast of Sacoh 7 days Celebrating promised land, journey to it Leviticus 23-40 Waving palm branches at 9am and 3pm Fall season, dry for 6 months A million people waving palm branches sounds like rain Hoshana! Hosana! God save us! Save s Psalm 118 Save us from what? Pain hunger drought disease Living water 1 chronicles 3-5 Solomon prayed for rain Rain = living water Mon heichm The high priest would come down from the temple with a pitcher, gather water from the pool Pour it into a silver funnel John 7:37 Jesus standing at the temple on the last day If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink A million people praying for rain and Jesus shouting that He is living water Crowd would be stunned Wherever God’s reign is, each in will be a shelter from the storm … Continue reading →

Paul Jon God’s love is raining down on you… Celebrate graduates Idea of change and transitional times Academic graduation occurs, but there are pivotal non-academic changes: getting married, choosing a career, moving, etc Grad time is bittersweet: youth ministers say goodbye to old students and hello to new students His metabolism has changed…can’t just eat anything anymore Used to be able to be conscious of what he ate – “think about it and lose weight” Pre-emptive workout run this morning Jeans with elastic waistbrand These things are gonna slide right off Argued with mom to no avail Don’t want to be in junior high wearing Osh Kosh Transition is hard Motivation Choose to apply or deny what God is saying in our lives Tons of chances to transition, but early adopters get better benefits Samuel and Eli 1 Samuel 3:1-18 God is more of a Simon Cowell than a Paula … Continue reading →

Paul With special guest violinist/mandolin player (violin, lindy) (mandolin, fast lindy/charleston) Announcements There’s a story in Exodus about Moses (I would hope so!) Paul (mandolin) (mandolin/violin) (violin) (mandolin) John Teeler (sp?) Fountain of Life Covenant Church Church down the street Friends with the Lakers band Knowing God’s heart Didn’t grow up in the church (want to watch Popeye) Father died early in a gliding accident Lost the Christian club wrote a 5-page letter saying he had a 1:1 chance of not going to church Smoking, drinking, partying wasn’t the problem, it was a solution Late afternoon, surfing accident on a huge day, caught in a rip current Comes to the realization that today I’m going to die Two things popped: mom lost dad 5 years ago; already paid for prom limo Prayed: God if you’re real, help me Red buoy, dolphin man helps him to shore and disappears 3 years … Continue reading →