YAM eNews Week of September 21, 2003
If you would like to contribute to the YAM eNews, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.
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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
REGULAR HAPPENINGS—Worship, Eat, The Gathering, Communal Discovery
WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL
STUDYING ROMANS WITH PASTOR CHARLIE
NUGGETS FROM THE SDGs
YAM SERVICE TEAM—Applications due September 21
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REGULAR HAPPENINGS—Worship, Eat, The Gathering, Communal Discovery
WORSHIP @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
EATING TOGETHER, 4th Sunday @ 11:45 am
Next EATING TOGETHER is September 28
Now taking restaurant recommendations…
SDGs (SPIRITUAL DISCUSSION GROUPS)
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: “Leading a Bible Study Part II: How to Study” taught by Jonathan Pribble
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Communal Discovery @ 7:30 pm on Tuesdays—YAM room
Current Study: How it all began... Genesis 1-11
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
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WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL
Colossians 3:12-14
12Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Last week we looked at what not to wear. This week, we look at what to wear. The believer’s new wardrobe is made up of stuff we develop from hanging out with Jesus. This new set of clothes equips us to live with fellow believers, even when they’re not being “nice,” the clothes help us to be mature—complete—in our faith, and the clothes help us to have Jesus’ peace as the arbitrator in our hearts.
How is your relationship with you fellow believers? Do have some unfinished conflicts that you just can’t seem to leave behind? Maybe they’re valid conflicts. People really do hurt us and they really do wrong things. So, how can we set these conflicts down and leave them down? Paul says the answer is being who we are. Putting on the clothes that really are ours.
Spend a few minutes taking an attitude inventory. Talk with Jesus about your attitude and about the stuff you’re having trouble putting down. Remember, he loves you more than you realize and he is the one who gives you that new wardrobe.
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STUDYING ROMANS WITH PASTOR CHARLIE
The Christian View of Life, part 22
GOD IS FOR US!
Romans 8:31-39
Pastor Charlie
GRACE MEANS I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD’S POWER.(v.31)
1 John 4:4
Philippians 4:13
I John 5:18
GRACE MEANS I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD’S PROVISION. (v.32)
Psalm 37:4
Psalm 84:11
Philippians 4:19
1 Peter 1:7
GRACE MEANS I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD’S PROTECTION. (v.33)
Revelation 12:10
1 John 2:1,2
GRACE MEANS I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD’S PARDON. (v.34)
1 Peter 3:18
GRACE MEANS I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON GOD’S PRESENCE. (v.35-38)
John 10:28,29
GRACE MEANS GOD IS FOR US!
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NUGGETS FROM THE SDGs
[more detail is available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
The Gathering… Leading a Bible Study Part I: Studying the Bible
Led by Jonathan Pribble
Today we looked at a passage study using Acts 17:10-15.
There are four steps:
1. Where and when is the passage set?
2. What is the context?
3. Who is involved?
4. What nearby passages are relevant?
5. What’s the moral of the story? What’s the point?
Here are some resources:
1. Commentary
2. Concordance
3. The Internet (check the YAM website for some useful links)
4. The Word itself (here’s where a regular habit of bible reading comes in. The more you read, the more the Spirit can bring relevant passages to mind.)
TUESDAY COMMUNAL DISCOVERY-- The book of Beginnings: Genesis 1-11
September 16, we looked at Genesis 9 (focusing on 9:8-29).
Observation: What it says.
- There are two stories in this passage. The first (9:9-17), deals with the covenant God made with humans and all creatures.
- The second story (9:18-29), deals with a very strange incident.
- Some historical stuff: Shem is the father of the Semites (that’s basically Hebrews and Arabs). Japheth is the father of the Indo-Europeans (that’s your basic white folk, basically, but not really white). Ham is the father of the Cushites, Egyptians, and Canaanites (yes, the Canaanites, into whose land the wandering Hebrews—the original audience of Genesis—were preparing to enter… hmmmm).
Interpretation: What it means.
- Read over the passage again.
- What do these stories tell you about God? What do these stories tell you about God’s dealings with people? What does it tell you about the direction of God’s plan?
- Think about Ham’s behavior and Noah’s reaction. Why might Noah announce a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, rather than on Ham? On the face of it, this seems a bit unfair. Look a bit further. What do we learn about Ham’s character from his behavior towards his father? What kind of man is he? What kind of father is he? If the curse is made by Noah—if his speaking the curse causes the curse—this is unfair. On the other hand, if Noah is simply announcing the logical result of Ham’s flawed character, then the curse makes sense.
Application: Our response.
- During their wandering, the Hebrews following Moses made the choice not to enter the land because they were afraid of the people (Numbers 13). The result? Wandering in the wilderness for forty years.
- During the wandering, Moses disobeyed God by striking the rock instead of talking to it as God had commanded (Numbers 20). The result? Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
- Ham lived a life that tended away from God. The result? His entire family tended away from God and, in the end, the Canaanites were condemned by God (Deuteronomy 20).
- How do you go about making moral choices? Do you look only to today and how good something will feel? Whether it is choosing whether to drink or what major to take, take the long look. Every choice has consequences.
Spend some time talking with God about how he wants you to respond to his Word.
Next week we’ll look at Genesis 10:1-11:9 (focusing on 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel—Read up)
Get a headstart. Spend one of your personal worship times reading over Genesis 10:1-11:9.
--Laura
NOTE: As always, there is way more on the web, so check it out: http://tfbyam.blogspot.com
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YAM SERVICE TEAM—Applications due September 21
YAM Service Team Applications have been delivered. Applications are due Sunday, September 21, 2003. If you are interested in serving on the team, either in YAM or elsewhere in TFB, be sure to fill out an application.
In his letter to the Ephesian believers, Paul reminded them that the ministry happens in the members:
“He [Jesus] is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
In other words, it is the job of every believer to be part of a community and to use their gift(s) to help make the community more like Jesus. How can you use your gifts to make YAM more like Jesus?
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