Prayer for Serenity

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it; Trusting that you will make all things right

If I surrender to your will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this lifeAnd supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Amen

I. Rat Park

The roots of addiction have more to do with isolation and disconnection than the actual addictive substances

II. Community, our natural habitat

Tiger truck stop - the difference between surviving and thriving

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” - Henry David Thoreau

God is relational: 1.Trinity 2.Adam and Eve 3.Abraham 4.Israel 5.Jesus and his disciples 6.The Early Church

We are the dwelling place of God

Ephesians 6:19-21 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit

The context of our lives matter

III. Barriers to community

Individualism

Consumerism - So many folks treat church as a consumable product, but consumerism is a cheap substitute for true community.

`Fear and shame

IV. Bungy jumping feels like suicide

What seemed like the end was actually a new beginning

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

V. Experiencing community requires intentionality

Hebrews 10:24-25

24Let us, as well, stir up one another’s minds to energetic effort in love and good works. 25We mustn’t do what some people have got into the habit of doing, neglecting to meet together. Instead, we must encourage one another, and all the more as you can see the great day coming closer.

The Table is a once a month lecture and discussion on a particular topic of Christian theology or doctrine. In this class we look at the historical background of hell, the challenges in translating hell in the Bible and different views of hell that have existed at different times in church history.

I. If hospitality is the posture of Love then compassion is love in action

2 Hallmarks of Jesus’ ministry - Hospitality and Compassion

Compassion - from the root words for with and suffer: to suffer with

II. The cold sword of religion and the warm embrace of Jesus

Religion often uses the scriptures as a weapon to keep people out or beat people down

When religion sees a person struggling it concerns itself with judging the why. This is in contrast to the love of Christ which doesn’t ask why but simply embraces the broken.

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

III. Exercising compassion helps keep us from an individualized and personalized faith

Compassion turns our prayers into action - When we have the bread we need for today, we can become bread for others. “Give us this day our daily bread” becomes “Let me be your answer to prayer for bread by others.”

IV. Compassion and Spiritual Formation (Philippians 2:1-11)

V. Opportunities for compassion

Boxes of Hope, Bag Hunger

Mercy Response

I. And God rested... Even God needs to take a break from work

II.The temptation and the lie - You can be like God apart from God

III. A brief history of Sabbath

IV. The Vicious Cycle of Overwork

Overwork leads to stress and/or burnout which leads to depression which becomes fuel for addictions which leads to shame leading back to overwork (as a means of avoiding the feelings of shame) repeat...

V. The Sabbath as resisitence

I. I’d rather go to the dentist than talk about money…

II. Beware of money

Psalm 62:10, Proverbs 23:4-5, Ecclesiastes 5:10,1 Timothy 6:6-12

We need to realize that though money itself is neutral it has a very powerful way of shaping our lives when we handle it.

III. Why should we give of our money?

Many give to the church out of guilt, fear or the promise of riches.

We are generous because God is generous (Matthew 5:43-48)

Giving of our money is a concrete way to love God and love people and keeps our idea of love from becoming merely sentimental

III. How should we give? 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Cheerfully and not under compulsion

Not to get blessed but because in Jesus we are blessed

Sowing and reaping

Detachment/Indifference to money

So that we can be generous (2 Corinthians 9:11)

You are not THE point but A point in what God is doing

IV. Where to give

The church organic

The church organized