"Holy Cow" Party Was a Blast!

The night was great; food was free; and all had fun!

Just some message recaps for those who are asking:

A UNIFIED COMMUNITY

1 Cor. 12:12-24

A unified community = authentic relationships committed to a common vision. The church has the most potential for beautiful community and meaningful relationships than any other organization can offer in the world. You can't escape the presence of the value of community in the Scriptures.

Community is not the goal of what we do - it is the byproduct. When we make friendships and community the goal, the focus of what we do turns in. But the focus has to be on Jesus - making Jesus known, worshiping Him, lifting Him up. Start thinking battleship, not cruise ship. A battleship is about mission; a cruise ship is about comfort.

We are a unified community with intentional mission. You need it and you're needed.

Make the choice to connect your life. Don't believe the lie: "All I need is God and me."

Know that we are all different but can complement one another. The very thing that rubs you the wrong way about the people you are closest to is the very thing pointing you the right way so you can be on mission with God.

Puzzle pieces go together because they are shaped differently!

Check out these Scriptures:

Romans 12:5

Romans 12:15

Romans 15:14

1 Cor. 12:25

1 Thess. 5:11

Ephesians 5:21

Ephesians 4:2

Hebrews 10:24

1 Peter 4:10

James 5:16

Galatians 6:2

Over and over we see the Scriptures pushing us back toward each other.

The reason the choice to connect your life is the first choice is that God wants people in your life to bring about the benefits of the other choices. The other choices do no good for the hermit. You need others, and the alienation you experience in your pain blocks them off from you. So you must take a step away from your comfortable surroundings and allow others to minister to you and nurture you - no matter how difficult it is.

What is God's purpose in creation? And what is His purpose in redemption?

• Creation:

1. Romans 3:23 → Man to share in Glory
2. Romans 3:21→ Glory of the children of God

For the Glory!

"Every time you sin, instinctively you think of judgment and punishment. When God sees sin, he thinks 'Man missed out on Glory'...When you sin, you forfeit Glory."

Purpose of Redemption: GLORY, GLORY, GLORY

Romans 8:16-18 and Romans 8:29-30
Jesus is the first born Son among many other glorified sons.

BUT, It says in John 1:14 that he is the ONLY son.

How can God make the ONLY begotten the FIRST begotten?? 

John 12:24 says "unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Jesus was the ONLY seed, but He DIED and rose again so He could produce MANY SEEDS!!!

The Prodigal Son isn't about the son's suffering, but the father's loss.

The 1st and 20th chapters of John explain Unified Community. In chapter one, Jesus is the ONLY son and refers to God as "My Father" or "The Father." But after His death and resurrection, when He becomes the first of many sons, He is pleased to call us brethren. "My Father AND Your Father." This is found in John 20:17. Check it out. It is the first time the disciples are called brethren, because now the resurrection has happened!

"He became what we are so that we can become what He is." 

Glory only follows order. Our bodies are our temples, and in the Old Testament, God specifies the order that He wants His temples to be built so that the Glory may follow. Give the temple (our bodies) order, so that Glory can enter.

"I THE SON OF GOD BECAME THE SON OF MAN, SO THAT YOU, THE SON OF ADAM, MIGHT BECOME THE SON OF GOD!!"

Notes thanks to Ashley Jennings!

Looking forward to this Thursday night - what are we called to?

We start the brand new series...see you there!

pcraig