Week of October 24, 2004
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
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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
REGULAR HAPPENINGS
THINK! –Storytelling
MEMORIZE!!
BEING COMMUNITY—On the Front Porch, it’s easy to belong
BUILDING A FRONT PORCH…
REVIEWS—Put yours here…
SERMON NOTES—How To Destroy Or Build A Community
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REGULAR HAPPENINGS
WORSHIP GATHERING @ 9:15 am—Main Worship Center
“COFFEE HOUSE” @ 10:30ish—TFB Courtyard
SUNDAY COLLEGIUM @ 11 am—TFB College Room
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY @ 7:15-9:00 pm on Tuesdays— TFB College Room
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians
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THINK! –Storytelling
Every good story has three elements:
- Setting
- Crisis
- Solution
What stories do you have?
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MEMORIZE!!
On the Front Porch, it’s easy to belong: Romans 12:5
The Front Porch is a place to grow: 1 Thessalonians 5:11
The Front Porch is a place to serve together: Galatians 6:2
The Front Porch is a place to worship: Leviticus 23:3
The Front Porch is all about Love: John 13:35
The Front Porch reaches out streetside: Colossians 4:5
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BEING COMMUNITY—On the Front Porch, it’s easy to belong
October 24: On the Front Porch, it’s easy to belong, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Core Truth: The body of Christ is one body made of differing, functional, interdependent parts.
v.12-13: The one Spirit baptizes all believers into the one body of Christ.
v.14-20: The one body is made up of many parts, each with its own function.
v.21-26: Each part needs all the other parts.
v.27: All the parts together make up the body of Christ.
Take a sheet of paper and make two columns.
At the top of one column write, “One Body.”
At the top of the second column write, “Differing Parts.”
Read through the passage and list in each column everything you can learn about each topic. (Note: if you’re working in teams, have each team take a topic)
ONE BODY Team (JJ, Jake)
A unit made up of many parts
With Christ
One Spirit
All part of Christ’s body
Not made up of one part but of many
DIFFERING PARTS Team (Jonathan, Daniel, Danny)
Foot, hand
Jews, Greeks
Head, feet
Eye, ear
Hear, smell
Every part has it’s own specific and independent function, but all are vital to the operation of the entire body. Therefore, that is to say the body cannot function without all of these parts working in tandem. But we must not negate the fact that these parts are independent from one another, their own parts in relation to the whole.
Given what you’ve learned from this passage, write three statements you can use to evaluate a group’s belonging. Here’s what we have so far. Add/modify in the comments at the top of the page.
1. People are accepted regardless of personal style.
2. All the body parts work together, but still have unique duties.
3. We are all unique by our looks, personalities, and who we are, but we all form one body.
October 31: The Front Porch is a place to grow, Deuteronomy 30:11-16
November 7: The Front Porch is a place to serve together, Luke 10:25-37
November 14: The Front Porch is a place to worship, Psalm 22:23-29
November 21: Building the Front Porch
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BUILDING A FRONT PORCH…
A front porch is the transitional space between the personal/intimate space of
the house and the public/social space of the street. It is a space where perfect
strangers are free to interact and join in community, if only for a moment
between sips of iced tea.
October 17, we chose two front porches:
1. A Front Porch event in December: bowling
2. A Front Porch space: creatively thinking about how we might help the 10:30 TFB "coffee time" to be a front porch space.
October 24
Create/gather “belonging elements” for the Front Porch by asking, “What can we add to our Front Porch to make people feel at home?”
Here’s the brainstorm from Sunday. Next week we’ll translate these and add “grow elements”
WHAT HELPS PEOPLE FELL COMFORTABLE?
Sunken den
Raffle
College space downstairs
Incandescent lighting
Rocking chairs
Iced tea
Dog
Weber kettle
Leaving the space a bit dirty
Games
Banjo
Food
Beverages
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REVIEWS—Put yours here…
[This space left sadly blank…]
Here's how to do it:
- Give the movie/restaurant/TV show/whatever a rating of 1-5 stars (5 being best)
- Describe the story/style
- Explain your rating, why it was good or bad
- Send your review to tfbyam1@hotmail.com
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SERMON NOTES—How To Destroy Or Build A Community
Pastor Charlie
Romans 12:5
Attitudes and actions of SELFISHNESS destroy community. James 4:1, 2; Proverbs 28:25
Selfishness is natural.
Our culture feeds our selfishness.
Attitudes and actions of SELFLESSNESS build community. Philippians 2:4; Galatians 6:8-9
Ways to practice selflessness in your community group:
Participate
Accept new people
Listen to the people in your group.
Offer help.
Attitudes and actions of PRIDE destroy community. Proverbs 13:10; 16:18
Pride shows up in criticism.
Pride shows up in making comparisons.
Pride shows up in stubbornness.
Pride shows up in shallow relationships.
Attitudes and actions of HUMILITY build community. 1 Peter 3:8; Philippians 2:3-6; Ephesians 4:23-24
Attitudes and actions of INSECURITY destroy community. Proverbs 29:25; Genesis 3:10
We fear exposure.
Fear of rejection.
Attitudes and actions of LOVE build community. 1 John 4:18; 1 John 4:15-17
Attitudes and actions of RESENTMENT destroy community. Job 5:2; Psalm 73:21-22; Hebrews 12:15
Consequences of resentment:
You stop thinking clearly.
You start acting in self-defeating ways.
Attitudes and Actions of FORGIVENESS build community. Colossians 3:13; Isaiah 43:18-19
Reasons to forgive:
Resentment does not work. It only makes you miserable.
You have been forgiven by God.
You will need more forgiveness in the future.
What forgiveness is not:
Forgiveness is not making excuses.
Forgiveness is not minimizing the hurt.
Forgiveness is not justifying the conduct.
What forgiveness is:
Forgiveness is letting go of the pain and letting go of the right to get even.
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