Know the story…Be the people…Expand the Kingdom

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com

A fresh eNews is posted each Monday and updated on Wednesday

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

REGULAR HAPPENINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY GATHERING—Revelation 5:1-14
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM—Given this, what next?
SERMON NOTES—Bobby Gupta
RESOURCES


tfbcollege pix on flikr

NOTE: you must have a free flikr account to download

Staff:
Pastor G (TFB Youth Min Pastor) gbenjamin49@gmail.com
Laura (teacher, AKA the mad tangent rider; eNews editor) lkspringer@gmail.com

Leadership team:
TBA

=============================
=============================
REGULAR HAPPENINGS

SUNDAYS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
Intergenerational worship gathering with indy-folk-rockish music and good preaching… too fun!
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish
Coffee, conversation, and donut holes in the TFB Courtyard.
COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
Collegial teaching time led by collegians
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 7:30 pm—place varies
Contact ElisaB or MattC for details

TUESDAYS
TUESDAY GATHERING @ 7:15-9:00 pm— TFB College Room
Hangout and conversation, guided by a teacher-facilitator; often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
Currently: Revelation

=============================
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m.

Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m. –meet at TFB
The Church has left the building—November 27, 2005, 11 a.m.
Christmas Soiree—December
Worship Experience—January

=============================
TUESDAY GATHERING—Revelation 5:1-14

Worship Space

First Tuesday Worship Curator: Laura

Remembering those who’ve gone before… All Saints Day


All Saints (Nov 1 or the first Sunday in November) is a day of remembrance for the believers of every time and place. We celebrate our connection with all followers of Jesus as we remember the dead, both of the Church universal and the local congregations.

Scripture Readings:
Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 116
Psalm 23
Revelation 1:17-19

Prayer
We bless your holy name, O God, for all your servants who, having finished their course, now rest from their labors. Give us grace to follow the example of their steadfastness and faithfulness, to your honor and glory; through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Study Space

Revelation 5:1-14
Discuss at http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/revelation-5.html

Read the sections in the context of the OT passages:
vv. 1-5
Ezek 2:9-10
Gen 49:9-10
Isa 11:1, 10

vv. 6-10
Exod 12:12-13

vv. 11-14

Prep for November 8. Read Revelation 6:1-7:8 everyday. If you want to discuss or go deeper, see http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/11/gathering-110805-rev-6-v1-7-v8.html

Bible study helps can be found at
http://bible.crosswalk.com/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/

=============================
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM—Given this, what next?

The ‘this’
Our Focus:
Know the Story
Be the People
Expand the Kingdom

05-06 Priorities:
Inreach
Outreach
Worship

The ‘what next’
First up: worship
Learn by teaching. Visit Laura’s blog post, study the passages, and then put your discoveries in the comments.
Link: http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/collegium-110605-what-is-worship.html

=============================
SERMON NOTES—Bobby Gupta


Bobby Gupta (of Hindustan Bible Institute, Global Partners) spoke at TFB on Sunday. Check out the details online, and then consider joining the team for a short term mission!

=============================
RESOURCES
=============================
Working Through a Passage in the Gathering

1. Grab a pen, a highlighter, and a Bible.
2. Prayerfully read the section twice, listening for God’s voice. After each reading, write down your thoughts.
3. Get a handle on the basics:
o Who are the main characters?
o What are the main issues?
o Where does this take place?
o When did/does/will this take place?
4. Look over the passage. Are there any historical, cultural, grammatical, or literary details that should be investigated? Using the Bible and tools (bible dictionaries, commentaries, study notes), investigate those details.
5. Look over the passage once again, ask the following questions, and then discuss the answers.
o Why does John shape the message this particular way?
o How does he want the readers to respond?
6. Look over the passage once again and ask:
o What is God saying to us?
o How does God want us to respond?

Know the story…Be the people…Expand the Kingdom

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com

A fresh eNews is posted each Monday and updated on Wednesday

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

REGULAR HAPPENINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY GATHERING
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 4: PRAYING WITH A GODLY ATTITUDE
RESOURCES


tfbcollege pix on flikr

NOTE: you must have a free flikr account to download

Staff:
Pastor G (TFB Youth Min Pastor) gbenjamin49@gmail.com
Laura (teacher, AKA the mad tangent rider; eNews editor) lkspringer@gmail.com

Leadership team:
TBA

=============================
=============================
REGULAR HAPPENINGS

SUNDAYS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
Intergenerational worship gathering with indy-folk-rockish music and good preaching… too fun!
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish
Coffee, conversation, and donut holes in the TFB Courtyard.
COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
Collegial teaching time led by collegians
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 7:30 pm—place varies
Contact ElisaB or MattC for details

TUESDAYS
TUESDAY GATHERING @ 7:15-9:00 pm— TFB College Room
Hangout and conversation, guided by a teacher-facilitator; often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
Currently: Revelation

=============================
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m.

Doing something that’s fun… really—November 18, 2005, 7 p.m. –meet at TFB
The Church has left the building—November 27, 2005, 11 a.m.
Christmas Soiree—December
Worship Experience—January

=============================
TUESDAY GATHERING

Worship Space

Worship Curator for October: JonathanP

Study Space

Revelation 4:1-11

This passage contains two worship choruses (4:8, 11). These two choruses focus on four of God's attributes: holiness, eternality, worthiness, and Creator. The themes repeat throughout Revelation.

The worship is throne-centered (v. 4, 6), continual (v. 8), communal (v. 9-10), physical (v. 10), and sacrificial (v. 10). Their worship is accompanied by singing; it does not consist merely in the singing. [read more http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/revelation-4.html]

Revelation 4:1-11 acts as a transition between the local focus of the messages to the seven churches and the global focus of the visions in the remainder of the book. The majestic images jolt the reader/listener, emphasizing the seriousness of these visions and the importance of keeping God as the center. Read Rev 4 again before moving on to chapter 5, spending some time in prayer and worship.

Prep for November 1. Read Revelation 5 everyday. If you want to discuss or go deeper, see http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/revelation-5.html

Bible study helps can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/


=============================
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM—The Church has left the building

Sunday, October 23, 2005, we walked through Old Torrance searching for places where we can serve our neighborhood. There are some exciting possibilities. Come Tuesday, October 25, to find out more.

=============================
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 4: PRAYING WITH A GODLY ATTITUDE
Pastor Charlie Rice
October 23, 2005
Luke 1:5-23

GOD PLEASE ANSWER WHENEVER IS BEST.

Keep on praying until either:
a. You get your answer
b. You get the assurance that God will eventually answer
c. You get the message that your request is not God’s will


GOD PLEASE ANSWER HOWEVER IS BEST! Isaiah 55:8; Ephesians 3:20

“God likes to answer in ways bigger than we can imagine, to accomplish more then we can plan.”

“God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with Him”


GOD PLEASE ANSWER FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE IS BEST! Matthew 11:11; Genesis 45:7,8

When you pray and the request is not right, God says NO!
When you pray and you’re not right, God says GROW!
When you pray and the timing is not right, God says SLOW!
When you pray and everything is right, God says GO!


=============================
RESOURCES
=============================
Working Through a Passage in the Gathering

1. Grab a pen, a highlighter, and a Bible.
2. Prayerfully read the section twice, listening for God’s voice. After each reading, write down your thoughts.
3. Look over the passage. Are there any historical, cultural, grammatical, or literary details that should be investigated? Using the Bible and tools (bible dictionaries, commentaries, study notes), investigate those details.
4. Look over the passage once again, ask the following questions, and then discuss the answers.
o Who are the main characters?
o What are the main issues?
o Where does this take place?
o When did/does/will this take place?
o Why does John shape the message this particular way?
o How does he want the readers to respond?
5. Look over the passage once again and ask:
o What is God saying to us?
o How does God want us to respond?

Know the story…Be the people…Expand the Kingdom

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com

A fresh eNews is posted each Monday and updated on Wednesday

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

REGULAR HAPPENINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM
TUESDAY GATHERING
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 3: PRAYING FROM THE HEART
RESOURCES

tfbcollege pix on flikr

NOTE: you must have a free flikr account to download

Staff:
Pastor G (TFB Youth Min Pastor) gbenjamin49@gmail.com
Laura (teacher, AKA the mad tangent rider; eNews editor) lkspringer@gmail.com

Leadership team:
TBA

=============================
=============================
REGULAR HAPPENINGS

SUNDAYS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
Intergenerational worship gathering with indy-folk-rockish music and good preaching… too fun!
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish
Coffee, conversation, and donut holes in the TFB Courtyard.
COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
Collegial teaching time led by collegians
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 7:30 pm—place varies
Contact ElisaB or MattC for details

TUESDAYS
TUESDAY GATHERING @ 7:15-9:00 pm— TFB College Room
Hangout and conversation, guided by a teacher-facilitator; often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
Currently: Revelation

=============================
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM

The Church has left the Building—Torrance Street Faire: October 23, 11 AM
Christmas Soiree—Date and location to be announced

=============================
TUESDAY GATHERING

Worship Space

Worship Curator for October: JonathanP

Study Space

Revelation 3:14-22

Seven messages wrap-up: http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/messages-to-seven-churches.html

Prep for October 25. Read Revelation 4 everyday. If you want to discuss or go deeper, see http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/revelation-4.html

Good info on the seven cities can be found at: http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Revelation/main.htm

Bible study helps can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/





jj eats the year old popcorn 3
Originally uploaded by LauraS.



Oh, and if you come after 7 pm, you miss stuff. JJ ate year old popcorn. Bleh!

=============================
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM

Who are we and why are we here?
Key Passage
Matthew 28:16-20 ESV
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


If you want to discuss or go deeper, see http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/10/college-ministry-ponderings.html

=============================
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 3: PRAYING FROM THE HEART
Luke 8:4-15

Pastor Charlie
October 16, 2005

CULTIVATE AN OPEN HEART. Luke 8:5, 12

This soil represents a CLOSED heart.

Causes of a closed heart:
Pride: I don’t need God.
Fear: I’m afraid if I open my heart to God, He might tell me to do something I don’t want to do.
Bitterness: I have been hurt, and I blame God.

CULTIVATE A GROWING HEART. Luke 8:6, 13

This soil represents a SUPERFICIAL heart.
“A hurried life does not allow enough time for God and His truth to sink deep and take root in our lives.”

CULTIVATE A FOCUSED HEART. Luke 8:7, 14

This soil represents a PREOCCUPIED heart.

Possible thorns:
Worries – the problems and pressures of daily life
Riches – almost all energy spent making and keeping
Pleasures – recreation replaces worship

CULTIVATE A WILLING HEART. Luke 8:8, 15

Indications of a willing heart:
A willing heart carefully listens.
A willing heart holds on to what they hear.
A willing heart keeps on trying to live it.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22, NIV).



=============================
RESOURCES
=============================
Working Through a Passage in the Gathering

1. Grab a pen, a highlighter, and a Bible.
2. Prayerfully read the section twice, listening for God’s voice. After each reading, write down your thoughts.
3. Look over the passage. Are there any historical, cultural, grammatical, or literary details that should be investigated? Using the Bible and tools (bible dictionaries, commentaries, study notes), investigate those details.
4. Look over the passage once again, ask the following questions, and then discuss the answers.
o Who are the main characters?
o What are the main issues?
o Where does this take place?
o When did/does/will this take place?
o Why does John shape the message this particular way?
o How does he want the readers to respond?
5. Look over the passage once again and ask:
o What is God saying to us?
o How does God want us to respond?

Know the story…Be the people…Expand the Kingdom

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com

A fresh eNews is posted each Monday and updated on Wednesday

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

THIS I PRAY
TUESDAY GATHERING: Revelation 3:1-13
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM: October 9—Who are we and why are we here? – Who are we?
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, part 2: Key Principles For Receiving Answered Prayer
REGULAR HAPPENINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM

tfbcollege pix on flikr
NOTE: you must have a free flikr account to download

Staff:
Pastor G (TFB Youth Min Pastor) gbenjamin49@gmail.com
Laura (teacher, AKA the mad tangent rider; eNews editor) lkspringer@gmail.com

Leadership team:
TBA

=============================
THIS I PRAY

I pray that we would know the story of God for what it is--God's glorious work through all of time, bringing everything into conformity to his will--and would be honest about the story of ourselves--that we are messy people learning to follow Jesus.

I pray that we would be the people of God--members of Christ's body and members with all Christ-followers (even those who do not seem to be as spiritual as we are). I pray that we would be connected with the believers at TFB, actively participating in the life of our local congregation.

I pray that we would expand the kingdom, not only by telling others about Jesus, but also by taking a hard look at our lifestyle choices, by being broken by our own worldly conformity, and by deciding to live lives that point to Jesus.

Source http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/09/yeah-like-she-said.html

=============================
TUESDAY GATHERING: Revelation 3:1-13

Tuesday, October 11

Worship Space

Worship Curator for October: JonathanP

Holy, by Brenton Brown
Holy Holy God Almighty
Who was and is to come
God of glory You’re so worthy
All the saints bow down
...


Study Space

Revelation 3:1-13

1. Grab a pen, a highlighter, and a copy of Revelation.
2. Prayerfully read the section twice, listening for God’s voice. After each reading, write down your thoughts.
3. Look over the passage. Are there any historical, cultural, grammatical, or literary details that should be investigated? Using the Bible and tools (bible dictionaries, commentaries, study notes), investigate those details.
4. Look over the passage once again, ask the following questions, and then discuss the answers.
o Who are the main characters?
o What are the main issues?
o Where does this take place?
o When did/does/will this take place?
o Why does John shape the message this particular way?
o How does he want the readers to respond?
5. Look over the passage once again and ask:
o What is God saying to us?
o How does God want us to respond?


Many at Thyatira had become corrupted by culture, worshiping idols and committing sexual sin. It is all too easy to become corrupted by culture. One of the most powerful forces for cultural corruption is the movie/television industry. Stories are very powerful and most movies are crafted by the writers, directors, and producers to make a point and influence culture. This means we must be intentional in our entertainment. Otherwise, the cultural corruption will sneak in without our even knowing. Hollywood Jesus is one place to get some information that will help you be more intentional: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/. Another place is the Progressive Culture page at Relevant Magazine: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc.php

Don’t let the world pollute your soul without you noticing. Be intentional about your entertainment and spend time with God so you begin to develop his perspective on things.

Good info on the seven cities can be found at: http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Revelation/main.htm

Each of the messages to the churches follows a basic pattern.

Not all the parts are in every message.
For the messages to Ephesus and Smyrna, label each section.



---------------------------------------------------

Next week, October 18, we’ll continue discussing Revelation 3:14-22, the letters to each of the seven churches—Laodicea, and we’ll be wrapping up the messages to the letters before we go on to chapter 4.

Get more out of the gathering by bringing more to the gathering! Study ahead:
  1. Wednesday and Thursday: Pray through the passage as a whole. Write down any thoughts.
  2. Friday: Using bible handbooks and bible dictionaries, hunt down any cultural or historical info that might shed some light on the passage.
  3. Saturday: Lay out all your notes and talk them over with God. Ask questions. Write down any thoughts.
  4. Sunday and Monday: Try to answer some questions:
  • What is God saying to us?
  • How does God want us to respond?
  • What other stories (in the bible, in history, in your own life) come to mind as you read this?
  • If you had to explain this passage to someone else, what would you do or say to make it clear?

Bible study helps can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/
Also, good info on the seven cities can be found at: http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Revelation/main.htm
---------------------------------------------------
Do you know a person who is asking tough questions about God and the mess of life? Great! Invite them to the Tuesday Gathering for our Revelation discussion. Pick up a flyer in the college room.

Questions are exactly what we’re looking for…


=============================
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM: October 9—Who are we and why are we here? – Who are we?

Key Passage
Matthew 28:16-20 ESV 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


What we learned last week:
Know the Story
  • God: In his steadfast love and holiness, he will bring his kingdom to his intended end.
  • Life: This side of eternity, life is a mixture of sin and glory.
Be the People
  • Part of a people: We join a family—a nation—of God-followers that spans time and place.
  • Unified in Christ: Christ is present in his people every moment.
Expand the Kingdom
  • Go wide: We are to make more disciples of all nations.
  • Go deep: We are to become more and more like Jesus.

One Point
Everything we do flows from who we are. Culture, personality, character, experiences, skills, and passions have a part in our behaviors and beliefs. Everything we do in ministry flows from who we are as the people of God. Everything we do aims at the three goals of ministry: know the story, be the people, and expand the kingdom. The TFB College Ministry does this through three intentions.

  • We intend to be so certain of Jesus’ continuing presence that we are free to tell God and each other the true story about ourselves;
  • We intend to expand God’s kingdom by recognizing, preparing for, and participating in God’s continuing story; and
  • We intend to expand God’s kingdom by working together to tell God’s Story to all who will listen and challenging listeners to become followers.

The specifics change as the group changes. New collegians come in and others move on. Some go away to school and others stay local. The specifics change, but the goals and intentions remain the same.


Project
Since the group changes, we keep asking a key “who we are and why we are here” question: “If the TFB College Ministry could be everything God wanted it to be in three years, what would that look like?”

From a list of about 20, we narrowed to three:
  • Inreach
  • Outreach
  • All about Jesus

Here are most of the draft media projects so far (a couple went home for further editing, one supposes…)



--------------------------------------------------
Prep for October 16
Think about our three priorities, then ask: “What should we do this year to head in that direction?”

=============================
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, part 2: Key Principles For Receiving Answered Prayer
Pastor Charlie Rice
October 9, 2005

YOU NEED TO HAVE AN HONEST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. John 15:7; 1 John 1:8-9

*Am I currently ignoring any of God’s principles? 1 John 3:21-22
*Do I really want God’s will for my life? 1 John 5:14-15


YOU NEED TO EXERCISE A FORGIVING ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE. Mark 11:24-25; Hebrews 12:15; 1 Peter 3:7


YOU NEED TO BE WILLING TO BE A CHANNEL OF BLESSING TO OTHERS. Proverbs 21:13; 1 John 3:17; 1 Timothy 6: 17-18; James 4:2-3


YOU NEED TO PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME. John 14:13-14; John 16:24

Note: praying “in Jesus’ name” is not a formula; it is praying with the realization that Jesus is Lord and Savior. There are no magic words.


=============================
=============================
REGULAR HAPPENINGS

SUNDAYS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
Intergenerational worship gathering with indy-folk-rockish music and good preaching… too fun!
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish
Coffee, conversation, and donut holes in the TFB Courtyard.
COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
Collegial teaching time led by collegians
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 7:30 pm—place varies
Contact ElisaB or MattC for details

TUESDAYS
TUESDAY GATHERING @ 7:15-9:00 pm— TFB College Room
Hangout and conversation, guided by a teacher-facilitator; often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
Currently: Revelation

=============================
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM

The Church has left the Building—Torrance Street Faire: October 23, 11 AM
Mid-Term retreat—Camp Pursche, late October or early November

=============================
=============================

READER SURVEY: if you read the eNews (in all or in part), leave a note in the comments at the bottom of the page :-)

Know the story…Be the people…Expand the Kingdom

If you would like to contribute to the eNews or converse with the editor, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com

A fresh eNews is posted each Monday and updated on Wednesday

=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK

THIS I PRAY
TUESDAY GATHERING: Revelation 2:18-29
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM: October 2—Who are we and why are we here? -- What does God say about it? Part 2
SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 1 “KEY COMPONENTS TO PRAYER”
REGULAR HAPPENINGS
UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM

tfbcollege pix on flikr
NOTE: you must have a free flikr account to download

Staff:
Pastor G (TFB Youth Min Pastor) gbenjamin49@gmail.com
Laura (teacher, AKA the mad tangent rider; eNews editor) lkspringer@gmail.com

Leadership team:
TBA

=============================
THIS I PRAY

I pray that we would know the story of God for what it is--God's glorious work through all of time, bringing everything into conformity to his will--and would be honest about the story of ourselves--that we are messy people learning to follow Jesus.

I pray that we would be the people of God--members of Christ's body and members with all Christ-followers (even those who do not seem to be as spiritual as we are). I pray that we would be connected with the believers at TFB, actively participating in the life of our local congregation.

I pray that we would expand the kingdom, not only by telling others about Jesus, but also by taking a hard look at our lifestyle choices, by being broken by our own worldly conformity, and by deciding to live lives that point to Jesus.

Source http://lauraswritings.blogspot.com/2005/09/yeah-like-she-said.html

=============================
TUESDAY GATHERING: Revelation 2:18-29

Tuesday, October 4

Worship Space

Worship Curator for October: JonathanP


First Tuesday Worship Curator: Laura

Here is the legacy window, step one.


Study Space

Revelation 2:18-29

1. Grab a pen, a highlighter, and a copy of Revelation.
2. Prayerfully read the section twice, listening for God’s voice. After each reading, write down your thoughts.
3. Look over the passage. Are there any historical, cultural, grammatical, or literary details that should be investigated? Using the Bible and tools (bible dictionaries, commentaries, study notes), investigate those details.
4. Look over the passage once again, ask the following questions, and then discuss the answers.
o Who are the main characters?
o What are the main issues?
o Where does this take place?
o When did/does/will this take place?
o Why does John shape the message this particular way?
o How does he want the readers to respond?
5. Look over the passage once again and ask:
o What is God saying to us?
o How does God want us to respond?


Many at Thyatira had become corrupted by culture, worshiping idols and committing sexual sin. It is all too easy to become corrupted by culture. One of the most powerful forces for cultural corruption is the movie/television industry. Stories are very powerful and most movies are crafted by the writers, directors, and producers to make a point and influence culture. This means we must be intentional in our entertainment. Otherwise, the cultural corruption will sneak in without our even knowing. Hollywood Jesus is one place to get some information that will help you be more intentional: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/. Another place is the Progressive Culture page at Relevant Magazine: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc.php

Don’t let the world pollute your soul without you noticing. Be intentional about your entertainment and spend time with God so you begin to develop his perspective on things.

Good info on the seven cities can be found at: http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Revelation/main.htm

Each of the messages to the churches follows a basic pattern.

Not all the parts are in every message.
For the messages to Ephesus and Smyrna, label each section.



---------------------------------------------------

Next week, October 11, we’ll continue discussing Revelation 2-3, the letters to each of the seven churches—starting with Sardis.

Get more out of the gathering by bringing more to the gathering! Study ahead:
  1. Wednesday and Thursday: Pray through the passage as a whole. Write down any thoughts.
  2. Friday: Using bible handbooks and bible dictionaries, hunt down any cultural or historical info that might shed some light on the passage.
  3. Saturday: Lay out all your notes and talk them over with God. Ask questions. Write down any thoughts.
  4. Sunday and Monday: Try to answer some questions:
  • What is God saying to us?
  • How does God want us to respond?
  • What other stories (in the bible, in history, in your own life) come to mind as you read this?
  • If you had to explain this passage to someone else, what would you do or say to make it clear?

Bible study helps can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/
Also, good info on the seven cities can be found at: http://www.luthersem.edu/ckoester/Revelation/main.htm
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Do you know a person who is asking tough questions about God and the mess of life? Great! Invite them to the Tuesday Gathering for our Revelation discussion. Pick up a flyer in the college room.

Questions are exactly what we’re looking for…



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SUNDAY COLLEGIUM: October 2—Who are we and why are we here? -- What does God say about it? Part 2

The One Point
Matthew 28:16-20 ESV
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


Ministry is defined by who we are and why we are here. Let’s take a closer look at what God says about ministry in Matthew 28:16-20, and then create a rough draft of a visual media piece that effectively communicates the three ministry goals to collegians outside the TFB College Ministry.

The purpose of the TFB College Ministry comes from three big ideas found in this passage. First, we are to know the story. The story of “us” (verse 17) is mixed; the disciples responded to Jesus with both worship and doubt. We respond the same way. The story of Jesus includes everything he commanded in words and in actions.

Second, we are to be the people. According to verse 19, we become part of the people of God by being baptized into the Name. In verse 20, we remain part of the people of God because Jesus is always with his disciples. In baptism we are made part of him and by his presence we are kept part of him.

Third, we are to expand the kingdom. The kingdom is not a physical space, but is the rule of God; wherever and whenever God is obeyed, there his kingdom is present. We expand his kingdom by going into the world and making more disciples (verse 19) by baptizing them into the Name. Verse 20 tells us that we also make disciples by teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded. God’s kingdom expands when we make more disciples and when we all become better disciples.

Project: Assuming Matthew 28:16-20 as all you know about ministry, create a visual media piece that will let your friends know who we are and why we are here. Be sure to include information relating to each of the three goals.




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Prep for October 9
“If the TFB College Ministry could be everything God wanted it to be in three years, what would that look like?”

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SERMON NOTES—Effective Prayer, Part 1 “KEY COMPONENTS TO PRAYER”
Matthew 6:5-15

Pastor Charlie
October 2, 2004

HOW WE APPROACH GOD IN PRAYER

Be Real (v. 5).
-Don't try to impress others.
-Don't try to impress God.

Be Relaxed (V. 6).

Be Revealing (v.7, 8),

KEY COMPONENTS TO PRAYER

PRAISE – giving God my love (v. 9).
PURPOSE – giving God my life (v. 10).
PROVISION – giving God my needs (v. 11). Philippians 4:6
PARDON – giving God my guilt (v. 12)
PEOPLE – giving God my relationships (v. 12)
PROTECTION – giving God my fears and temptations (v. 13)

A KEY TO POWERFUL PRAYER: PRAYING TOGETHER
Notice the pronouns in the prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.


Challenge: this week, pray like breathing

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REGULAR HAPPENINGS

SUNDAYS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
Intergenerational worship gathering with indy-folk-rockish music and good preaching… too fun!
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish
Coffee, conversation, and donut holes in the TFB Courtyard.
COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
Collegial teaching time led by collegians
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 7:30 pm—place varies
Contact ElisaB or MattC for details

TUESDAYS
TUESDAY GATHERING @ 7:15-9:00 pm— TFB College Room
Hangout and conversation, guided by a teacher-facilitator; often resembles Mr. Toad’s wild ride, but with bibles.
Currently: Revelation

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UPCOMING EVENTS—Next: The Church has left the Building, October 23, 11 AM

The Church has left the Building—Torrance Street Faire: October 23, 11 AM
Mid-Term retreat—Camp Pursche, late October or early November

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