The eNews Week of May 2, 2004
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
CONCERTS IN SO-CAL
COLLEGE BRIEFING!!! September 3-6
HOLY WORLDLINESS—The Love Paradox
SUNDAY SERMON—Loving Your Fellow Believers Like Christ Loves You
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REGULAR HAPPENINGS
WORSHIP @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
EAT, Last Sunday @ 11:45 am
Next EAT is May 30
Meet in the TFB patio
SUNDAY GATHERING @ 10 am on Sundays—TFB College Room
BIBLE STUDY @ 7:15-9:00 pm on Tuesdays— TFB College Room
Current Study: Learning Jesus in the Gospel According to Mark
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CONCERTS IN SO-CAL
PAX217, May 21 at The Glasshouse
POD, June 16 at the Wiltern Theater & June 20 at Soma
Fish Fest, July 25 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Information courtesy of Transparent Productions
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COLLEGE BRIEFING!!! September 3-6
Cost: $160
Place: Forest Home (we’re staying in Main Camp this year!!)
Speaker: Bryan Loritts
Host: Jason Djang
Band: Plumbline
Sign-ups begin June 6
For details click here.
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HOLY WORLDLINESS—The Love Paradox
What's the point of being a light in a lighted room when there is so much darkness outside?
Today we looked at the Friends episode “The one with the red sweater,” and asked the question: “What do they value?”
Here’s a partial list:
Pleasure
Stuff
Relationship
Peace—as in absence of confrontation
What do you value?
Not what do you plan to value. Look at your life and ask yourself what you really value?
What does God value?
How do your values compare?
This is tough stuff. It’s not all that clear. In fact, at the very heart of the issue is a paradox.
1. God loves the world. John 3:16-18
2. God commands us not to love the world. 1 John 2:15-16
Now, if we’re supposed to be like God, and if God loves the world, how can we both love the world and not love the world?
That is the question, and sometimes—lots of times—it hard to answer.
As we saw in Genesis 1, God judged creation to be very good. Humanity’s choice to sin against God polluted creation, but did not destroy its message (Romans 1:20). Rather, it gave us a mixed message, and plowing through the crud to the non-crud is quite a job. So here’s the deal. While you’re enjoying the media, use your brain. Check out the list in Philippians 4:8. In that verse, Paul gives some criteria for figuring out what we should think about: true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellence and worthy. Look for that stuff in what you read and watch.
And, frankly, if the crud-ratio is too high—TURN IT OFF!!! Soul pollution has a very high price.
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Wanna think some more? Check out these articles at Relevant Magazine
Holy Worldliness, Part One
Holy Worldliness, Part Two
Relevant Magazine's progressive culture page
Mueller on culture
Faith and Culture links
Ransom Fellowship (discernment training)
questions to ask about film/tv/etc
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SUNDAY SERMON—Loving Your Fellow Believers Like Christ Loves You
Relationship Principles of Jesus, Part 3
John 13:34, 35
4 THINGS WE NEED
We need to look to a better example. “…as I have loved you.”
We need a strong foundation of Christ’s love for us. 1 John 4:19
We need a higher purpose than love itself. (v. .35)
We need God’s presence and power in our daily lives. 1 John 1:7
4 INDICATORS THAT WE ARE
We fellowship with each other as Jesus fellowshipped with God. 1 John 1:7; Acts 2:44-47
We forgive each other as Christ forgives us. Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 18:21-35
We accept one another as Christ accepts us.
We sacrifice for one another as Christ sacrificed for us. John 15:13; 1 John 3:16
“…as we obey this commandment to love one another, the darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in.”
(1 John 2:8, Living Paraphrase).
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