Everybody has to wait.  It’s true.  Waiting is a built in part of life for every single person that has and will ever live.

Here’s the interesting thing.  We all wait differently.

Some of us wait with extreme patience, some are passive, some are manipulative and almost all of us find some way to make the waiting period as short as possible.

What if how we wait matters more than what we are waiting for?

This week we look at how to wait when waiting gets tough.

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If there’s one thing that can drive us nuts, it’s waiting. Waiting for news about a job, a promotion, a report card, the medical test, or for your loved one to be healed or come home? How about your kids to figure out life? Ever feel like you’re waiting on God?

In a society where we want everything right now, waiting can be one of the most difficult things we do. In this message we’ll learn why waiting matters, and what God is up to in the waiting.

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I can hardly wait for the bumper to be done so I can teach us all why waiting is so important.

It can drive me crazy when I have to wait for something… especially when I feel like, “I don’t know how long this is going to go on.”

We long for, “Now,” but we live in a world of, “Not yet.”

You get stuck in a traffic jam. You feel like it’s never going to untangle.

Or you call a company about a bill.

Or you want to order food to go.

Have you ever had this happen? Someone answers the phone, and they say, “Do you mind if I put you on hold?” It’s rhetorical. You can’t say, “No.”

Then they put you on hold, and you may be on hold for 10 minutes. It drives me crazy when that happens.

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Did you ever listen to a sermon that just goes on and on and on? You start to think, “This is never going to end.”

If you haven’t, just wait.

One of the reasons we don’t like waiting is waiting reminds me, “I’m not in control.

When I’m waiting, I can’t do any of the important things that make me feel like I’m accomplishing something because I’m just sitting around.” No one likes to do that.

Go to a doctor’s office. They have a whole room devoted to waiting. It’s called the waiting room.

No one volunteers to go to the waiting room.

The one person you never see in the doctor’s waiting room is the doctor.

You never have a receptionist say, “You go to his office. You get work done. You accomplish whatever you want to. When you’re ready, we’ll send the doctor in. He’ll be waiting in the waiting room for you.”

One of the rules of waiting is the less important person always has to wait on the more important person.

Waiting makes us feel less important… and we don’t like that.

I was at Disneyland recently with my family.

You have to wait so long in lines at Disneyland that they actually put signs up in the line that say, “From this point on, it will be another three days before you go on Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Wouldn’t it be great if they had signs like that in real life?

“From this point — six months till you find a spouse.”

Or, “From this point — four years till your kids grow up.”

Or, “From this point — 10 years till your spouse grows up.”

The problem with waiting is it’s not just that we don’t know when “now” is going to come; the problem is “now” may never come.

We may live in “not yet” for the rest of our lives… and it drives us crazy.

You may have seen this — there’s a video on Youtube(well over a million views now) of a guy who is at a fine-dining restaurant, and it takes so long for his order to get there, he actually calls a pizza place and has pizza delivered to the restaurant.

Everyone in the restaurant starts applauding this guy who refuses to wait so long for his food to come.

But then there are more serious and difficult kinds of waiting.

There’s the waiting of a single person to see if God might have marriage in store for him or her.

They’re living in “Not yet.”

There’s the waiting of a childless couple.

I was talking to a couple about how painful it can be, waiting. “God, will you let us start a family? It would be such a good thing. We want it so badly.”

They’re living in “Not yet.”

There’s the waiting of someone who just longs to have work to do that can help pay the bills and is meaningful and a contribution.

“Not yet.”

Theres’ the waiting of a deeply depressed person for one morning to come when, “I actually feel like I want to live another day.”

The waiting of a spouse who is just trapped in such a painful marriage; they feel like it’s never going to change.

The waiting of an elderly

Outside of the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught more about money than any other single topic! He made it a priority because he knew a person’s heart is where his or her treasure is.

It’s liberating to live like we believe Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

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Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, and he says:

But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in the grace of giving.

This is such fabulous language. “Since you excel at everything…”

Paul wrote this letter to the church at Corinth — a place where people were really into how gifted they were, and they could actually get a little boastful and competitive about it.

So there are kind of air quotes around that statement — since you “excel in everything…”

I thought how appropriate that expression is here in the Bay Area, where we get all pumped up about how much we know and how much we do and how much we achieve — the pressure to excel around here is intense.

So these words come to us —

Since you excel in everything, see that you also excel in the grace of giving.

There are two words that describe two dynamics in giving that are so striking.

One of them is this word excel.

This is a real stretching word.

Excel at it.

Don’t just do it; excel at it.

Pay attention to it.

Study it.

Practice it.

Work on it.

Just like so often people will work super hard to excel in their work

or in leadership

or in scholarship

or at golf

or at a hobby or something…

Excel — aim at excellence in generosity.

Then he doesn’t say…

“Excel in your obligation to give”

or “Excel in the duty to give”

or “Excel because there’s pressure on you to give.”

He says, “Excel in the grace of giving.”

Don’t be a gritted-teeth giver.

Don’t do it with clenched fists.

Don’t ask, “How much do I have to? How much am I supposed to? How much must I?”

Turn your giving into dancing. Excel at the grace of giving.

So I want to spend some time on this.

What can I do, what can we do as a church, a congregation, what can you do, to excel in the grace of giving?

I’ll make a series of observations.

1. People who excel in the grace of giving learn to live gratefully within the means of God’s provision for their lives.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi said:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

What a secret that is.

Here’s where people can get into trouble.

Let’s say one of these lines is God’s provision for your life.

It’s usually not a flat line. It will ebb and flow. It will go up or down over the course of your life.

Paul says, “I have learned to live within the means God has provided for me and to do it with contentment.”

In fact, Paul actually instructs people about how they ought to set aside money, they ought to save, and part of why they ought to save is so they would be able to give.

So there actually ought to be margin between what resources have come my way and what I actually spend, my lifestyle.

For a lot of us, we have so many financial resources there ought to be some serious margin.

Where that’s present, where there is margin… plus contentment, it equals financial peace.

margin + contentment = financial peace

That’s what everyone is dying for: financial peace.

At the root of debt is wanting more than God’s provision for my life, wanting more than has come my way, and finding an alternative way of forcing it.

That’s where debt comes in.

At the root of debt very often is a way of saying:

“Hey God, I think you messed up on the provision level for my life. I think it actually needs to be a lot higher than it is.

“What would make me happy is more — more house, more lifestyle, more possessions, more

People turn to a lot of different sources in our day for guidance on sexuality. They turn to Oprah, movies, magazines, the Internet, or their peers. Well you can just google nuru massage and will have best result for massage.

People in our society don’t go to God very often. They don’t go to the author of human sexuality. They don’t go to the Bible.

In this message we look at getting authoritative guidance from God. We walk through four critical questions about human sexuality and see what the Bible has to say about this very important subject.

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Human sexuality is one of the most powerful, mysterious, baffling forces in all the universe.

If sexuality is such a powerful thing

If it’s so amazing

If it can be such a gift when it’s handled rightly

If it can express intimacy and love like nothing else in the world… which it can

And on the other hand

If sexuality can be so devastating when it’s mishandled

If it can destroy marriages

If it can cripple consciences

If it can traumatize young lives

If it can consume those who have become addicted to it…

Then where are we going to go for authoritative guidance on it?

People turn to all kinds of sources in our day. Some turn to Oprah, some to movies, magazines, the Internet, or their peers.

But I’ll tell you where people in our society don’t go very often. They don’t go to God, to the author of human sexuality. They don’t go to the Bible.

The chaplains of the University of Nebraska did a survey of incoming freshmen and asked, “Did your church significantly influence your views on sexuality?”

Two percent of the incoming classes said yes. Two percent said their church had a significant influence on the way that they think about sexuality.

That’s not a good thing.

So today, we’re going to look at getting authoritative guidance from God.

I would like to walk us through four critical questions about human sexuality and see what the Bible has to say about this very important subject.

Here’s the first question.

If sex is such a great intimacy producing activity, then why are there so many restrictive rules around it?

If sex is such a great intimacy producing activity, which it is, then why are there so many restrictive rules around it? Why does God put boundaries around it?

I want to start here with what is not the answer to this question because there is a lot of confusion about this.

The reason that there are rules regarding sexuality in the Bible is not because God is down on sex or generally opposed to sexual pleasure.

The Bible is quite clear that God created the human body, including the hormones, that are in us. They were his idea. Sexual desire is not evil. It is a good thing.

In fact, in the Bible, the very first command given to human beings is this command: Be fruitful and multiply.

You can be sure Adam and Eve’s response was not, “Well, if we have to, okay.”

God made us sexual creatures. Sexual yearnings are good things. They’re right in the design of your body. They are part of your desire for community and intimacy, but they’ve been junked up by the Fall, by sin.

Every one of us in this room has problems dealing with our sexuality.

Maybe it’s inappropriate sexual relationships

Maybe it’s addictive patterns of behavior

Maybe it’s that I base my self-esteem on whether or not my body is considered sexually attractive by my society

Maybe it’s escaping into romantic fantasy

But you look around this room right now. Every person you see, no matter how together they may look, has problems related to sexuality.

Therefore, the writers of Scripture have some very serious warnings about this area.

Listen to what Paul writes:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.

Now, the reason warnings like this are in Scripture is not that God devalues sex, but quite the contrary. It is that he va

God generously gives resources to his followers. We have a responsibility to be productive with what we’ve been given. In fact, God will hold us accountable for how we’ve invested what he has entrusted to us.

This Sunday we learn what Jesus taught about investments.

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If you would, take out a pen and a piece of paper. We’re going to take a little True/False quiz. I’m going to ask you a few questions and you can answer True or False:

I have, at least once, spent money unwisely.

I have, at least once, compared myself to someone else financially.

I have felt guilt over the affluence of my lifestyle.

I have wished I were more generous.

I want to make the confession part of this as gentle as possible, so I’ll put it like this:

How many of you have at least one “T” on your paper… or you’re sitting next to someone who has at least one “T”?

Here’s what I think happens for a lot of us. We live in a world where we’re bombarded with messages:

Want more.

Make more.

Acquire more.

Hoard more.

Sometimes we compare ourselves with people who have more than we do… and that stimulates the More Cycle.

Sometimes, we worry about the future — Am I going to have enough? And that stimulates the More Cycle.

Then somehow we’re exposed to the reality of suffering:

We go on a mission trip to a developing country

We see pictures of hungry kids

We come to church and hear a message about money

Or we read something in the Bible

And then we feel kind of guilty about how much we have.

When we feel that guilt, maybe we make a stab at giving, but eventually the guilt goes away.

And when the guilt goes away, we’re sucked back into the More, More, More Cycle.

Here’s what I think. I think that guilt alone is not enough to break the More Cycle or to develop the generous hearts that most of us want to have, and that God wants for us.

I think the only way to break through to that kind of financial freedom is to trust God enough to go on an adventure with God with our “Stuff.”

This brings us to the story we’re going to look at today. It’s a story Jesus tells about investments in Matthew 5.

It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.

So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

One of the key words comes right at the beginning of the story. It would have been very stri

The writers of Scripture teach that sexual intimacy is not just simply a physical act, and does not just involve body parts and nerve endings. It’s not simply biology.

When it comes to sex, we’re dealing with something so explosively powerful that deeply involves the human soul. Each of us has holds questions. Are other sexual positions sinful? Is thinking of sex a sin? What are the sensitive parts or what is the pc muscle? God did not create us as souls, and then just wrap us around a disposable bodies. God created Adam’s body and then breathed into it the breath of life. His body was intimately connected with his soul. Welcome to advice from a fellow Savvy Bridesmaid who has made limitless mistakes, planned everything from bride’s brunch to burlesque classes, designed countless Hens Nights & managed to maintain her manicure and her sanity in the process. Take these tips with love from a woman who has walked in those peep-toe high heeled shoes before. If you are located in Sydney and are planning a hen’s party, then your search ends here. We are all about making your pre-wedding girl’s night out a night to remember. We have exciting weekend hen’s packages and celebration ideas from the most outrageous to highly sophisticated. Our packages are designed to ensure that every bride has the time of her life. We put in a lot of time and effort into planning and adding activities and games to suit everyone’s palate, making it as much fun as possible. You can navigate here for more detail about Hens Night.

Tell the truth. When you and your friends get together to talk about great sex, are you the audience or the great storyteller envious casual sex stories? There are advantages to both sides of wild, no strings attached sexual encounters but very often you will get more pleasure from being the teller. You benefit from the physical stimulation rather than just the mental stimulation of a great casual sex story. When you are ready to become the story teller then why not try these sexual tips with your mate of the moment. You can give them an experience that will send them to the moan zone and also running off to their friends to share their great sexual encounter with you!

There are two completely opposite casual sex encounters that can result in toe curling memorable sex: slow and quick. Of course, if you combine them in the same encounter, that can be pretty amazing in and of itself but that’s not what I’m referring to here. You can check that site for more information about real sex stories.

Any man can tell a story about what he likes, and about what other women he’s been with have liked, but tailoring a story to a particular lover’s preferences and fantasies will make all the difference for her. So some explicit pre-conversation will be very helpful. Does she have any kinks or fetishes? What positions does she love? Does she like to be in control, to relinquish control or a combination of the two? What kind of foreplay really gets her going? Where are her hot spots, inside and out?

Once a man has the details, he can use them wisely throughout his story. He should be careful not to turn the story into a formulaic bullet-point list of her desires. Intersperse aspects of what she likes with what the story-teller craves – having made sure that she is comfortable with what he likes. Learning what she doesn’t like is just as important here.

This Sunday as we explore why sex is so unspeakably intimate, sensitive, delicate and powerful and how Sex Toys can double the pleasure; why it is as close as any human being can come in this world to touching someone else’s soul. Feel like spicing up your bunny party, birthday party or other special event? The incredibly sexy male strippers from Bare Nights will be certain to have the time of your life. These stunning specimens are all handpicked for their hot bodies, good nature and capability to make every lady present feel great. 

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Money and Sex!

These are fascinating forces that are g

We have approximately 25,000 opportunities to open our eyes, face the day and live with purpose.  The writer of Psalm 90 must have thought about those limited opportunities when he penned “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”  He must have know that if we didn’t begin each day with eternity in mind we might waste that day on activities that had no eternal value.

This weekend we conclude the Move series with a focus on living and leaving a legacy of faith, one that impacts those around us and the next generation.  

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This message is real simple. Matt talks about why serving really is the best life possible. Jesus taught this and modeled it throughout his life. We’ll look specifically at the ways we experience joy and fulfillment through doing what God designed us to do.

The post Join A Team appeared first on Blue Oaks Church - Pleasanton, CA.

God’s plan is for his followers to have influence with unchurched people where we work, play, live, relate, and do business. Without investing in meaningful relationships with unchurched people the Church is in danger of becoming arrogant, self-righteous, and self-centered.

It is crucial that we develop relationships with people far from God, actively engage them in spiritually significant conversations, and bring them to church where they can be exposed to a community of faith and hear the Gospel.

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You can choose one of the two ways to go through life. You can choose to embrace people and live in community with an open heart or you can choose to exclude people and do life on your own.

Living for yourself is a one-way ticket to loneliness, misery, and embitterment. However, when you connect deeply with others, you learn to serve and celebrate with a loving heart.

It’s our desire that each person at Blue Oaks choose community where you build spiritual friendships and studying the Bible together.

The post Choose Community appeared first on Blue Oaks Church - Pleasanton, CA.