Trust God

I am learning what it means to trust God.
We just went to HS winter camp and the thing that was nost impressed upon me was trust God. When I was praying in the little prayer chapel, the overwhelming thing that I heard and felt was trust God. Then as I left there was a penny right in the doorway that I picked up. I dont think it was there before but it might have been. Anyways, the point is on the top is insribed "In God we Trust". And then about a few hours later I was sitting in the back of the gym durring the worship service and I picked up a little scrap of paper that was laying right in front of me. Two words on it. Trust God. So now I am in the process of putting the "I" and the "My" back into the "We" and the "They" when I say things like trust God. Its for me first when I speak the things of God. Its for me first when Jesus tells me something. Its for me first when the Holy Spirit lays change on my heart. Its for me first, that I need to trust God. Me first, then you next...

6>80's Music

The snow as started falling as the faint sounds of 80's music plays in the background. Not the good stuff, but the songs that everybody knows the words to, but wishes they didn't like Prince's "Purple Rain" though there was some Sting and Queen that was pretty redeeming. If there was ever a place to take a girl this was the place. Ive only ever been ice skating once and it ended with stiches, so I chose to walk around with Boston, but with the snow falling, ice-skating in the park seemed picturesque. And I was thinking of our past few days together. I pray that we come back ready to rock the Lake. If nothing else, our group has fused like brothers and sisters (though we are outnumbered 3 to 1, yikes.) Like any family theres been our struggles and issues, but the group has gelled to a thick solidarity. Theres justin who is always just this side of the line, quiet Angi who we left at a mall, Erin the trooper who survived a trip to the city hospital, Boston the joymaker who seems to have the ability to but a smile on everybodies face and myself who got the group lost while walking to moody (not entirly lost but… we were on the right street just about 12 blocks down…) Im excited to see what the rest of this week will hold. The thoughts and ideas that are swimming around in everybody's head, how they will be poured out to become concrete reality. No seminar has said here is what you do to improve your church, your ministry, your small groups. Its been fairly simple, but profound. – CHANGE YOURSELF FIRST – Focus on God in your own life. Focus on who he is. And that change will radiate outward, like ripples in a still pond. Change begins here (index finger pointing at your own/my own stearnum. A. T. Elwer

5>Hebrews 2

Salvation found… Don't drift away from your salvation "Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, least we drift away from it" From the letter to the Hebrews chapter 2 Salvation is a whole that encompasses the christan life Election- Chosen by God before the world Justification- The forgiveness of sins Sanctification- Becoming holy Glorification- After this life (As good Westlyians we'd probably add one more) Adoption- becoming the Sons and Daughters of God 2 Biblical Assurances of Salvation The Enduring Faith- "He that endures to the end..." The Fruit of that Faith So… Wake up! – Pay more attention, focus, the act of being anchored to a mooring What causes us to fall into spiritual slumber? – A list The Pursit of pleasure in its various forms as an ends to itself. That is the list Listen up! – What we have heard Clearest proof of convertion is an overwhelming love for the Gospel Keep up! – Least we drift away- a ship loosed from its moorings The Gospel Declaired by Jesus Experienced by People Confirmed by God

4>Predisposition

John 1:1-14 The living word of God vs Abstract thought The biggest problem in christianity today is the battle that is ragging of abstract thought verses the Living Word of God You see… abstract thought is just that. Abstract. It has no real substance or basis in the real world, it is ideals and perfection and clean and neat. However the Living word is messy, it rolls up its sleves and works, it has the power to change lives… John engages the both the Jewish and the Gentile with the prologue to his Gospel "In the beginning was the Word and and the Word was with God… and the Word was God… The Jewish veiw of the Word- The word does stuff. It blesses, it curses, it creates something that wasn't there before. Creation happened because of a word It's the reason Issac couldn't take back the blessing of Jacob. The word is an agnet to itself -Our words should cause more than a neutral response. They ought to create heat and passion. "Our speech should be afflicted with the nessisary power to convey our message The Greek view of the Word Brings order out of disorder. The word is the rational part of the mind- it enlightens the spirit and orders the brain Johns shocking twist "The word became flesh and dwelt among us" The mirical of the incarnation revealed What weight do our words carry. Are we like John? Analizing culture and then using our best talents to create a predispositon to hear the Gospel Maybe that's what hit me the most. It what ways am I creating a predisposition in others to hear the Gospel. Is it through the music, my attitude, my speech, my service? How can I be better used and utilized to create that predispositon Where did we loos our wonder of the incarnant God? Our Familiarity with scripture No longer moved by it. All the right notes but wheres the music We are so eaisly distracted from it. Forget your frettings and fussings- come in out of the wind Child We forget the purose and reason Simeon was watching for the Comfort of Isreal to come- a comfort to the Jews and Gentiles The woman at the well- town prostitute to town evangilist Recapturing your wonder- Absorb Jesus- Read the Gospels Be an Anna (or a samaritan woman)- Share your faith Check your self for Christlikeness. Be thirsty and drink deeply Are there those around you who cause you to be thirsty? Are you causing others to be thirsty? Drink deeply of the one who offers living water.

3>God Speaks

The Supremacy of God's Son


Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
-from the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testiment


From Wednesday Morning- Dr James McDonald


- Jesus Christ the living Lord


Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke.
If nothing else, let us be thankful that God speaks
He speaks little by little as we need it at many times
He speaks through the prophets, the scriptures, His Son in many ways
He did not set the Universe in order and leave it on its own
He is not silent GOD SPEAKS! AND ITS TRUTH!
There is lots of truth out there, but Gods truth will make an impact
2 2=4 is true but it wont change your life.


How does God Speak?


He speaks Personally in Christ-
in these last days he has spoken to us by his son
He speaks Powerfully in Christ
through whom (Jesus Christ/The Word) also created the world
He speaks Precicly in Christ
The exact imprint of God-the fullness of the Godhead
He speaks Profitably in Christ
He made purification for sin- He is the solution for our sin problem
He speaks Permenantly in Christ
He sat down His rest and sabbath- It is finished
in the Old Testament there was never enough provision for sins
there were no seats in the temple, but Christ sits


Believe in Him.
Seriously
Believe in Him

Intensity Well Lived

Our first day in Chicago has passed with a sudden gust of wind and the slowness of foot traffic. So much has happened today that events before lunch seem like a day or two ago and even had willy refering to them as Yesterday. There is the hustle and bustle of going to hear speakers, seeing Willy’s old stomping grounds, eating, getting coffee, and looking for places for the girls to stop and use the bathroom. But the pace crawls as we walk from place to place, taking in the city from corner to corner, with new sights to greet us at each turn. We stopped for coffee and lunch at a little café, and while we were eating and listening to some jazz, sombody noticed the presence of snow falling from the sky, which at some points of the day had turned into blustery wind-driven snow that left 2 or 3 inches of snow on the ground. Standing in the snow, I couldn’t help but smile and have a spring to my step at the joy of experiencing an actual winter. The seminars too were amazing. Today we saw two. The theme for the whole week of founder’s week is that of “God’s Word.” The first one guy read from hebrews on the whole idea that “God Speaks” and went off from there (check out the blog – God Speaks) The second guy talked about the Church as God sees it. That we ought to major in the majors- as he put it “The main thing is that the main thing remains the main thing, mainly” He also put forth a phrase > intesity well lived. I want to be intensity well lived. Im going to bed now. If you wanna check out founders week go here www.foundersweek.com and you can actually download the messages. On a side note the worship band for the evening session was an orchastra, pretty rad. Anyways Later Adam

1> The City

I cant seem to decide on music this morning. The location demands something appopriate. Something urban like some Miles Davis beat tracks, but the tinkling of George Winston is calling to me...

It was dark when we landed. The sprawling size of the city was made more apparent by the sheer numbers of lights that spread to the horizon and greeted us with a soft orange glow. But the day would have hidden the size. Riding the "L" to downtown, the lights inside the train make it all but imposible to see out the window. We reached downtown with out so much as going outside so the cold reality hit us when we went outside... its winter here. The condensation of our breath, nipped fingers and ears, and the fogging up of glasses seem to be reminders that we are not in Cali any more. In my hotel room this morning it seemed not to matter if we were in California or Chicago. A hotel room is a hotel room. Untill you draw the shades and reveil the urban landscape of scuring people and bustling cars, and concrete and trees and buildings. The archetecure here is amazing. The buildings are old by my standard, though in most parts of the world they would be considered new construction. There was a church that we saw last night that was over a hundred years old. It was made of rough hewn stone and decretive masonry with large leaded windows and the most amazing wood doors you can immagine that made me take off my glove just to touch it and feel the texture. 

There is a overall buzz in our group though it seems we all are a bit tired this morning. Some of its the time zone differance and some of that is the ride on the airplane yesterday. I'm not sure that they had people of my size in mind when they were designing the seating arangements. I pray for unity and discernment for our group as tiredness lends itself to all other sorts of things, like irritability, short tempers and an overall exageration of expression and emotion. I pray for a unity of our group and an overwhelming sense of growth and expectation to outway anything else that might be happening.

The city provides this overwhelming distraction to me and I relized this morning that this town is no differnt than my own, people living out their lives, either in line with God's plan, or ultimatly set against it. There are strugles and joys living side by side and sometimes in the same momment. Its just the the stage for their lives has a much different backdrop. 

So I settled on the winston and his piano. Winter into Spring.
Later All
Adam