YAM eNews Week of October 26, 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, Bible Study
STUDYING ROMANS WITH PASTOR CHARLIE
NUGGETS FROM THE SDGs
The Gathering… What not to wear, Part Four: Colossians 3:5-8
Tuesday Bible Study-- The Kingdom of Heaven is like… [this is a work in progress]
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REGULAR HAPPENINGS—Worship, Eat, The Gathering, Bible Study
WORSHIP @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
EATING TOGETHER, 4th Sunday @ 11:45 am
Next EATING TOGETHER is November 23
Meet in the TFB patio
SDGs (SPIRITUAL DISCUSSION GROUPS)
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: “What not to wear” Colossians 3:1-17, led by Laura
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Bible Study @ 7:30 pm on Tuesdays—YAM room
Current Study: The Kingdom of Heaven is like…
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
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FOURTH SUNDAY EAT—ACAPULCO CAFE
This month we went to the Acapulco Café, just a bit east of TFB on Carson Street. Despite the fact that the anti-beef and pork person got a wet burrito with meat in the sauce—it was a good place with good food. There were nine eaters.
The next EAT will be November 23 at around 11:30 am. When know the when, but the where will be decided on the spot, as usual.
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STUDYING ROMANS WITH PASTOR CHARLIE
The Christian View of Life, Part 27
MY PLACE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Romans 12:1-8
HOW TO FIND YOUR PLACE
STEP 1: DEDICATE YOUR BODY (v. 1).
STEP 2: ELIMINATE COMPETING DISTRACTIONS (v. 2).
Matthew 6:33
STEP 3: EVALUATE YOUR STRENGTHS (v. 3).
Tendency toward two extremes:
We think we are indispensable.
We think we are worthless.
Humility means you’re honest about both your strengths and your weaknesses.
“The measure of faith God has given each believer levels the playing field. No one is better than another, so no one should think more highly of himself than he ought. Sober judgment renews the realization that living sacrifices owe all to God, and the grace they have received is simply God’s assignment for them in the body of Christ” (Holman NT Commentary, Romans, p. 368).
STEP 4: COOPERATE WITH OTHER BELIEVERS (4, 5).
Every believer is a minister.
Every believer has a different function.
Every ministry is important.
1 Corinthians 12:21, 22
Every believer must be a team player.
STEP 5: ACTIVATE YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT (v. 6-8).
1 Peter 4:10
1 Corinthians 12:7, 11
Ephesians 4:11-13
Steps to activating your gifts for God:
Examine
Experiment.
Exercise
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NUGGETS FROM THE SDGs
[more is available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
The Gathering… What not to wear, Part Four: Colossians 3:5-8
Last week we answered the questions: who are Christ-followers and where are they going? According to Colossians 3:1-4, Christ-followers died with Christ—their old, self-reliant, rebellious self is dead—and were raised with Christ—they have brand new life and this new life is hidden—is kept absolutely safe—with Christ in God. Where are Christ-followers going? In the process of heading toward glory (v. 4) Chris-followers’ desire and mind is tending toward above things—Jesus’ stuff—rather than toward earthy things. This means Christ-followers not only want Jesus’ stuff, they also intentionally think about Jesus’ stuff.
Since Chris-followers have these two tendencies, God commands them to kill—yes, kill—their earthy sexuality and to take off/set aside the earthy way that they get along with others. Killing their earthy sexuality and the earthy way that they get along with others proves—to themselves and to others—that they are no longer under God’s wrath. Frankly, when Christ-followers wear earthy sexuality or earthy ways of getting along, they are not being whom they are.
So, what is earthy sexuality? Verse 5 lists five things:
Immorality—this is unlawful sexual intercourse, which in biblical terms, is sex outside of heterosexual, monogamous marriage.
Impurity—this is even wider perversion—just think Calvin Klein ads and the show Sex in the City, and you’ll probably get an idea of what stuff Christ-followers are supposed to kill in themselves.
Passion—this is uncontrollable desire; now, at first, desires are small and controllable—or so it seems; what happens, though, is the longer we dwell on the desire, the more uncontrollable it becomes. This one’s sneaky.
Evil Desire—this is an illicit craving… nuff said.
Greed—it seems odd for this to be in a list with earthy sexuality, but as someone said Sunday, greed is about filling your own needs/wants and not caring about the needs/wants of others and that is the nature of earthy sexuality. Earthy sexuality is about pleasing yourself. Earthy sexuality is basically worshipping yourself and your own pleasure, rather than God.
Now on to earthy ways to get along. Verse 8 lists five:
Anger—this is chronic smoldering hatred. Hatred is defined as “Intense animosity or hostility.”
Wrath—this is an acute outburst; it is usually over quickly, but the damage done to others often lasts much longer that the wrath. The bible says that God’s wrath is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-19). Wrath itself isn’t necessarily bad, but for humans, it is often much too difficult to tell a just cause from an unjust cause.
Malice—this is what lies below anger and wrath. The American Heritage Dictionary defines malice as “A desire to harm others or to see others suffer; extreme ill will or spite.” Malice is the tendency of desire and mind that leads to unjust anger and wrath.
Slander—this is railing or evil speaking against another person.
Abusive speech—this is shameful or abrasive speech; shameful speech is “talking dirty.” Abusive speech tears others down.
So, look back over the definitions. How does our culture’s view of sex and sexual desire compare with God’s? How does our culture’s view of getting along with others compare with God’s? Our culture says that any sex is ok as long as it does not hurt someone. Our culture says that it’s important to take care of our needs and if someone else gets their feelings hurt, it’s a bummer, but oh well.
Christ-followers are not to be like that. For Christ-followers all of life points to Jesus. Our culture, like the culture of the Colossians, has a lot to say that does not match what God says and does not fit who Chris-followers really are. Start exercising your soul towards Christlikeness.
Paul’s letter to the Colossians talks a lot about Christ and Christ-followers. If you’re wondering how to get your desire and your mind to tend towards Christ and Christ’s stuff, do the “Going Deeper.” The best thing you can do to be more like Jesus is to hang out with Jesus.
Going Deeper
Continue reading through the letter to the Colossians, reading about a paragraph each day. After you read, spend a few minutes talking with God about what you’ve read. You may want to keep a journal of your discoveries and questions.
Culture Assignment:
As you live your life this week, look around for ethnic, social, and status division/diversity. Also, think about tolerance, diversity, division, and prejudice. What is good? What is not good? Why?
- Laura
Tuesday Bible Study-- The Kingdom of Heaven is like… [this is a work in progress]
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
What’s the parable? Wheat and tares left growing together until harvest, despite the fact that tares are bad for wheat…
What in the world are “tares”? Well it’s bearded darnel… Now doesn’t that just clear it all up?
Just one reason to have a bible dictionary handy when you’re looking at the bible—especially parables. The point of a parable hinges on correct understanding of the story. So what are “tares”? It’s variety of ryegrass (also known as bearded darnel) that looks a whole lot like wheat until the grain begins to show; it also happens to carry a fungus that is poisonous).
Armed with this handy information, give verses 24-30 a good read—before looking at verses 36-43—and try to figure out what Jesus is saying about the Kingdom, the King, and/or the Kingdom inhabitants. Then see what Jesus had to say about the parable of the wheat and tares in verses 36-43.
After you’ve studied the parable and Jesus’ interpretation, work on the DIA (define-identify-apply). Add what you’ve discovered to the list we came up with Tuesday night.
Define
“an ordered area with a main lord—God—who rules over everything”
Identify
KINGDOM
involves reward
revealed to hear-ers and see-ers
hidden from everyone else
is integrated/mixed on earth
KING
merciful
wise
in control
has an enemy attempting to harm the inhabitants of his kingdom and the king
KINGDOM INHABITANTS
children of righteousness
planted by God
cared for by God
Apply
producing fruit among non-believers (kingdom evidence)
what we do show who we are—works are an expression of our relationship to God
If you have stuff to add, feel free to put your findings in the comments on the bible study blog. By the way, whether or not you attend YAM Tuesday Bible Study, feel free to add your comments!
--Laura
NOTE: As always, there is way more on the web, so check it out: http://tfbyam.blogspot.com
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