WHAT GOES ON AT YAM?
The Gathering--a gathering of young adults trying to figure out how to make God look good 24/7, Sundays at 10 AM, on the TFB campus, in the Young Adult room
Plain wRap--5 pm in the YA room
Experience--an alternative worship event, Every couple of months or so
Eating together--most Sundays, around 11:30 am, give or take...
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IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK
Upcoming Events
Sunday Schedule
The Gathering--Choosing what is excellent
Plain wRap--5 pm in the YA room
Campus News--Cal Poly Pomona's 10th Annual Pumpkin Festival
Know God--The Forgiveness Quiz
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UPCOMING EVENTS
40 Days of Purpose kick-off event, October 12, 10 am
Festival con Dios, October 12, 3:30 pm, Cottonwood Christian Center
See Sara play Volleyball! --TWICE!!
1) Christian Heritage at Westmont, Saturday, October 19 @ 7 pm
2) Christian Heritage at Biola University, Tuesday, October 29 @ 7pm
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NEXT SUNDAY
8:45 am Worship--Worship Center
10:00 am Gathering—Young Adult room
11:30 am LUNCH @ TBA--come Sunday to find out...
5:00 pm Plain wRap--Young Adult room
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THE GATHERING (A.K.A. Sunday School)
Philippians 1:10-11
So, what is all this thriving love supposed to do? I mean does it just sit there, thriving? Are we supposed to wallow in our intimate relationship with God and glory in all that marvelous moral understanding? I think NOT! In verses 10 and 11, Paul tells the Philippians the next part of his prayer,
So, what now? Hanging out with God, becoming more like him (you know, finishing his sentences) means that God's character--his values and purposes--flow out of us like apples from an apple tree.
Do you get what this means? This means that doing good stuff is not the focus of our faith. That would be idolatry! God is the focus of our faith. It's relationship! What's that look like? What does it mean to hang out with God? The basic-baby step is keeping in touch. We do this by spending some time with him every day. This is usually called a quiet time (though I am not sure why). Quiet times are like email. The purpose is just to stay in touch, to hear what God has to say (bible reading) and then say something in return (prayer). But email isn't very intimate. Relationships need face time.
Here's the suggestion: At least once a month--once a week is better--spend at least an hour with God, just hanging out. This means not writing down a plan of action. It means leaving the devotional book at home. It may mean setting the bible aside--this is not the time to make up for the skipped days in your devotional reading! This is a time to be, not to do, not to try--just be.
Spend the first few minutes unloading all the daily stuff--errands, concerns, stresses, whatever. Then start talking WITH God about the past week or month. What have you been reading in the Scripture? What have your quiet times been about? Then--and this is the hard part--just listen. Just sit there. "Be" in God's presence.
This will probably feel weird at first. That's okay. Weird can be good. Resist the compulsion to do something. If God really is the lover of our souls, we should be able to sit still and stare into his eyes. You may need to practice this for weeks or months before anything 'happens'. But here's the good news. You're not waiting for anything to happen. Remember? God is the focus of our faith; the good stuff he brings is just good stuff--cool to have and okay to be without.
As you continue to practice hanging out, your time with God will begin to take on a more personal shape. You and God will begin to do things together in your own way. That's good.
As we begin the 40 Days of Purpose, I challenge all of us:
First, come to the kick-off event, October 12, 9:45 am (yes, it's in the morning).
Second, read the 40 Days daily readings (The Purpose Driven Life)--this is your daily email with God.
Third, come to worship service every week to hear the sermon.
Fourth, come to The Gathering (aka Sunday School) or, if you work during the 10 o'clock hour, come to the Group Connection at 4:30 pm on Sunday, October 13, to get plugged into a small group.
Fifth, set aside one hour a week to hang out with God. Trust me, I know we all have busy lives, but I'm sure there's some TV or something that we can give up for six weeks, eh?
And, for those of you away at school, I'll be putting a summary of the week's emphasis and a bible study in the eNews and on the website.
Want more info on the 40 days of Purpose? Check out the TFB website
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PLAIN WRAP UPDATE:
Plain wRap--5 pm in the YA room
The preliminary results of our recent schedule survey are in. So far, the best days/times for Plain wRap do not include Sundays at 5 pm. Best times are Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday noonish. This Sunday at lunch (11:30 am) we'll look at best days and times. We'll see where (or is that when?) we go from here.
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COMING UP...
Festival Con Dios
October 12, 2002 - 3:30 PM
Audio Adrenaline * Toby Mac * MercyMe * Out of Eden * Bob Smiley * Jeremy Camp * Benjamin Gate * Tree63 * Sanctus Real * Everyday Sunday * Aaron Spiro * Pillar * Mike Silva * Jose Zayas
Cottonwood Christian Church • Cypress
$25 ($20 group of 15+)
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CAMPUS NEWS--Cal Poly Pomona's 10th Annual Pumpkin Festival
October 19, 2002 (Saturday) at Cal Poly Pomona, the 10th Annual Pumpkin Festival. Visitors can pick their own pumpkin from the field and enjoy live entertainment, horse rides, petting zoo, food and game booths, and the Insect Fair.
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KNOW GOD--RESOURCES FOR WALKING THE WALK
The Forgiveness Quiz
How much do you reallly know about the biblical teaching on forgiveness?
