WHAT GOES ON AT YAM?

The Gathering--learning how to make God look good 24/7, Sundays at 10 AM, on the TFB campus, in the Young Adult room

Eating together--most Sundays, around 11:30 am, give or take...

Tuesday Bible Study—Tuesdays—bring your bible, bring your brain, 8 pm, YAM room

HomeBase--fellowship in homes

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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

Calendar
Tuesday Bible Study—Psalm 145: 17-21
Too Funny—So, looking for an interesting career? How about armpit sniffing…
The Gathering—Mind Sciences
Resources For Living Out The Lesson
Know God—Online Prayer Labyrinth

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CALENDAR

Every SUNDAY, Worship @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
Every SUNDAY, The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Most every SUNDAY, Eating together @ 11:30 am—see Mike N for info
Every TUESDAY, Bible Study @ 8 pm—YAM room
Fourth FRIDAY of every month, All Church Prayer Vigil @ 11:30 am—Friends in Christ Room

SATURDAY, sometime in March, HomeBase
SUNDAY, March 9 @ 5:00 pm—Audio Adrenalin/Mercy Me concert
SUNDAY, March 16 @ 3:00 pm—Ducks Game (NHL)
SATURDAY, March 22 @ 6:00 pm—Beach Fest (OUTREACH EVENT!)
Sometime in March—March Madness (NCAA Men’s basketball)
FRIDAY, April 18 @ 5:00 pm—Avengers Game (Arena Football)
SUNDAY, May 4 @ 5:00 pm—See Spot Rock (concert, visit http://www.seespotrock.com for more info)

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TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY

YAM Tuesday--Summary for February 4, 2003
Big Rocks, Week 3—God
Psalm 145:17-21

The Book of Psalms is a collection of songs used in corporate and private worship. Psalm 145 was most likely written by David, King of Israel. It is the first psalm in a series of six psalms that end the book with a boatload of praise. In just these six psalms (145-150), the word "praise" is used 46 times!

In Psalm 145:17-21, the specific verses we looked at, God is presented, first, as LORD. One might think that the word is in all caps for mere emphasis, but this is not the case. Two Hebrew words are translated "lord." One is "adon." This word simply means "master, lord." It is a basic word and can be used for humans as well as for God. The other is "Yahweh." Yahweh is God's name--his first name, if you will. When God makes promises, when he makes covenant with his people, this is the name he "signs" at the bottom.

In these verses, Yahweh is presented as one who is completely good, who looks out for the needs of all his creation, who has a relationship of love and care for those who call on him and love him and have proper respect for him. He is also the one who will destroy those who do not call on him or love him or have proper respect for him. The psalm focuses on the superlative--notice how many times the word 'all' appears in these five verses. It focuses not only on what God is like (vss. 17-18), but also on what God does (vss. 19-20). Yahweh's deeds absolutely match Yahweh's character. He is consistent.

David's response to this? He makes a decision to praise Yahweh out loud. No Jesus shirts and holy headbands here. David decides to use his mouth! Then he goes a step further and calls every creature--humans included--to praise Yahweh forever!

What difference does this description of God make in the way we worship and serve? Our worship cannot be left to jewelry and bumper stickers, nor can it be left to Sunday morning in the "Worship Center." Frankly, the whole world is our Worship Center and our every thought and act is our worship. It means actually telling other people--with your actual mouth--telling them who God really is and what he does for them (water to drink, air to breath, life, etc). It means making YAM a faith community where God is not only seen, but is heard and experienced.

February 11 we'll look at Hebrews 12:4-11 for another perspective on God.

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If you’re away at school—or if you’re here in Torrance and would like to discuss the Tuesday Bible Study, or catch up on what you missed, the YAM blog (a log-in journaling place for YAM) can be found at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/

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TOO FUNNY—So, looking for an interesting career? How about armpit sniffing…

Just in case that current major doesn’t work out…

Golf Ball Diver
Earthworm Farmer
Funeral Parlor Cosmetologist
Odor Judge
Scoreboard Operator
Barbie's Dress Designer
Foot Model
Symphonic Page Turner

See the Wolffiles at ABC.com for more



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THE GATHERING—MIND SCIENCES

It all started with a guy named Phineas Parkhurst Quimby. No, really, that’s his name. He believed all sickness came out of false belief. There are three major belief systems that were born out of Quimby’s teaching. Christian Science was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879. She claims to have been healed by Quimby and became one of his students. Their current membership is about 250,000.

The Unity School of Christianity was founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in 1891. Myrtle was introduced to Quimby’s ideas during a lecture on New Thought in 1886. She also dabbled in Christian Science. Her husband Charles had been studying metaphysics, occultism, Hinduism, and Christian Science. The started the Unity School after Charles had a vision in which he heard a voice saying, “Unity.” He like the word and had been wanting to start a new religion, so they did. The Unity School has about 110,000 members.

The United Church of Religious Science was started by Ernest S. Holmes in 1927. Holmes was influenced by some of Quimby’s students and was interested in the occult. The United Church of Religious Science is the largest of the Mind Science groups, boasting 600,000 members.

All three groups share three basic beliefs:
1. God is an impersonal principle, or Divine Mind.
2. The Divine Mind is all that is real.
3. The material world doesn’t exist; it is only a part of the Divine Mind.

[Adapted from Bruce & Stan’s Guide to Cults, Religions, and Spiritual Beliefs]

For more information on the Mind Sciences, see their own websites and the Apologetics link below.
(Read with a mouse in one hand and a Bible in the other; find out what they believe and check it against what God says)

The Church of Christ Scientist (Christian Science)


Unity School of Christianity


United Church of Religious Science



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RESOURCES FOR LIVING OUT THE LESSON

Online Apologetics Index


Religion News Blog


Awesome Books

Bruce & Stan’s Guide to CULTS, RELIGIONS, & SPIRITUAL BELIEFS


By Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
with Dr. Craig Hazen, Biola University

Bruce & Stan’s Guide is a reader-friendly book that covers One-God religions, blended beliefs, philosophical religions, and no God beliefs. This is a great resource, priced at around $12.


The Case for Faith
The Case for Christ


by Lee Strobel

The Case for Faith makes the case that it is reasonable to believe in God, while the Case for Christ directs people to belief in Jesus as THE way, truth, and life. An excellent book to give to your unchurched friends. Both books run around $12 each.

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KNOW GOD--RESOURCES FOR WALKING THE WALK

Online Prayer Labyrinth

Labyrinth is an interactive installation for spiritual journeys. It's for anyone who wants a break from surfing the surface of culture to contemplate the deeper things of life.

Labyrinth reshapes a 12th-century ritual for the 21st century. Its maze-like path takes you on a symbolic journey, creates space to unwind and think - in particular about our relationships with ourselves, one another, our planet and God.

Designed for young and old alike, it provides a mixture of rituals and visuals, of contemplative words and contemporary ambient music, of symbols and media to help guide the spiritual traveller. [from the discover page at the labyrinth]