The Rest of the Story - Hebrews 11

We all fall. We all fail. We all sin. We all hate to recognize it, talk about it, admit it. We feel a strong need to be perfect, even though its not possible. We want to be perfect and we try to make the heroes of our stories perfect as well. We talk about their successes and victories, but never learn from their struggles. When we move from Sunday School stories to Biblical events, we see a more complete picture of the faithful men who did great things for God. We see men who followed God despite the same kinds of failures that we experience. Despite their failures, these men were defined by their faith, so are we.

• Noah - Everybody Fails
• Genesis 9:20-21
  
• Abraham - Failure Follows a Pattern
• Genesis 12:10-20, 20:1-3
  
• Moses - Failure has Consequences
• Numbers 20:9-12
  
• Hebrews 11 -
  
• Failure Does Not Define Us - Faith Defines Us!
  

DO - Matthew 25:31-46

While Christians know that they are justified by faith, Jesus still taught that men are judged by works. Parables in Matthew 7 and Matthew 25 give examples of this. Matthew 7 teaches that there will be those who do great things, but Jesus will say that he never knew them. Matthew 25 teaches that basic acts done for "the least of these" have a much greater importance than we realize.

DO:

• Simple Things
• For the Right Reasons
• Good Deeds are the Fruit, not the Root
• For All People
• "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
  

A Fresh Start - Colossians 3:1-4

Every life is precious. The Christian life is a special gift from God, given at Baptism. Baptism is one of the most misunderstood, controversial practices in Christianity. This Biblical look not only describes Baptism, but talks about what it means for the Christian and how it impacts them for eternity.

Baptism is:

• For Everyone - Ephesians 4:4-6
  ...one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all...
  
• For the End - Romans 6:2b-3
  Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
  
• For a Beginning - Colossians 2:9-12
  ...you have been given fullness in Christ...
  
• For the Heart - Colossians 3:1
  ...set your hearts on things above...
  
• For the Mind - Colossians 3:2
  ...set your mind on things above...
  
• For Eternity - Colossians 3:3-4
  ...you will also appear with Him in glory.
  

Family Dinner - 1 Corinthians 11:17-29

Food is an essential part of life, but it is more than that. It is the central part of many of the social customs and practices that fill our lives. It only makes sense that God would take such a simple, important part of our life and use it to remind us of what is most important. When Jesus met with the disciples for the "Last Supper" he instituted a memorial service that can apply to every meal we eat, but relates specifically to the weekly meetings of the Family of God.

• Dinner for One - “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup." - 11:27-28
  
• Dinner for Two - “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” - 11:26
• A Family Dinner - "So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other." - 11:33
  
  

Bumped

Into every life a little rain must fall. When that happens, do we look for rainbows and silver linings or do we slosh through puddles with faces that match our umbrellas? Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." What are we filling our hearts with? Are we filling them until they overflow? What will spill out when we get "bumped"?

Filling our hearts

• "Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD.
  You have filled my heart with greater joy..." - Psalm 4:6-7

Overflow

• "Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:45

Getting Bumped

• "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." - Luke 6:28

Join the Resistance - John 13:35

Jesus' resurrection is the defining event in the history of mankind. It was the moment in which God created a bridge between heaven and earth, making it possible for people to gain eternal life. It was also the moment in which Jesus resisted the power of evil most directly. He stood up to death , and he did it with nothing but love. In the same way we are called to resist evil with love as well. In our daily lives when we face fear, evil and death we are called to, "Join the resistance, fall in love."

Resist Fear

• There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. - 1 John 4:18
  

Resist Evil

• If you love me, you will obey what I command. - John 14:15
  

Resist Death

• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
  

Past, Present, Future - Luke 19

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday, is unique in that it is the only time in Jesus' time on Earth when he was treated the way that he deserved to be treated. Instead of doubt, disbelief, beating and berating he was greeted with a parade and shouts of victory. But this victory parade came before the victory was won. In fact, it came before the battle was engaged. The timing doesn't make sense. When we look at God's timing from our limited human point of view it often doesn't make sense. We can't see the big picture. Luckily, it isn't up to us to see the big picture or understand it - all we have to do is trust in God to handle it. All of time is in God's hands.
Through Jesus, God:

• Purifies our Past
  Matthew 21:4 - This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet
  
• Provides for our Present
  Luke 19:40 - "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
  
• Prepares our Future
  Luke 19:42 - "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes."
  

Facing An End - 1 Peter 4:7-11

We all face ends in our lives. There are times when certain parts of our life come to an end - things will never be the way they were before. These can be good times, like a graduation or a birth. They can also be hard times, like the dissolution of a relationship or a death. How do we react to these situations? How do we respond to changes? Peter writes about facing big changes in 1 Peter 4:7-11.

When facing an End, Peter says we should:

• Be Clear-Minded and Self-Controlled
  7b - Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
  
• Be Loving
  8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.
  
• Be Hospitable
  9 - Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Use God's Words and God's Strength to do all these things to praise Him.

Militant Christians - 1 Peter 4:1-5

What is the biggest problem facing the world today? Many would say it's the proliferation of Militant Islam. That is a problem, but really its just a symptom of a deeper issue. The real struggle that the world faces is the death of Militant Christianity. Christians have become scared to act on what they believe in, choosing to whine and complain about what is wrong instead of working and fighting to bring about good. 1 Peter 4 verses 1 through 5 gives instructions for living as a Militant Christian

• Armed with Christ's Attitude
  v1 - Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
  
• Awaiting God's Orders
  v2 - As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
  
• Aware of the Past but Focused on the Future
  v3, 4 - For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
  
• At War!
  v5 - But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
  

It's Never Easy - 1 Peter 3 & 4

Everybody hurts... into every life a little rain must fall... it's never easy. No matter how people reference it, suffering is a part of every person's life. There is some suffering that we cause to ourselves, some that others cause and some that seems to be a matter of chance. While we cannot control all of the suffering that comes our way, we can control how we react to it. In 1 Peter we find numerous references to suffering and persecution, coming to a head in chapters 3 and 4. Here, Peter tells us about suffering itself and also how to handle it when it comes our way.

• Suffer for the Right Reasons
• Suffer in the Right Way
• Relax - 3:14b -Do not be frightened.
  
• Regroup - 3:16 - Keep a clear conscience.
  
• Rejoice - 4:13 - Rejoice!
  
• Recommit - 4:19 - Commit themselves to their creator.
  
• Suffer in the Right Company