FreshBread

FreshBread Message Thursday, September 2, 2010

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:48:11 +0000

Good Morning my Friends,
“The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.”- Psalm 119:64
Remember, it is always from a foundation of LOVE that we learn God’s desires! What the psalmist is saying is simply, Lord if I am swallowed up in you, then I can learn from you. Take a look in the mirror this morning; talk to the people around you…….does love flow from your being? When you are filled with God he oozes out. If something else (anger, hate, bitterness) is oozing out of your body, don’t make (spiritual) excuses for it….it’s NOT GOD, my friends. Figure out why you have this “junk” flowing from your being, get help, confess, receive the LOVE of God which is the presence of God himself and then, and only then, will you learn HIS decrees! Have a great day. I am praying for you today!
Scott

FreshBread Message Wednesday, September 1, 2010

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:01:58 +0000

Good Morning Friends:
Saturday, September 11, 2010, FreshStart will be celebrating 11 years of ministry at John Chestnut Park from 4-7:30 PM. This will be a great time of fellowship for the whole FreshStart Family and a chance for you to invite neighbors and friends to the celebration.
We have a great meal planned with BBQ Ribs, Chicken, Pulled Pork and hamburgers and hotdogs! HOWEVER, we need to know if you are coming! Last Sunday we had a ton of people sign up and you can also do so this Sunday, but if you are going to be out of town this weekend….CALL THE OFFICE NOW….No, not later, NOW! CALL 813-814-1128. We want to be good stewards and order enough food but not too much. Oh yea, we would love for you to bring a side dish to share.
Kathy will have some great activities for the kids, (by the way there is a kids night out on Friday the 10th at the church office….you can sign up your kids when you call). The band will be playing some great party music, and Scott always has some surprises up his sleeve. Don’t miss this great family time!
We will continue the celebration on Sunday, Sept 12th, at 10:00! We have opportunity to share, great music, and Scott will be sharing on the DNA of FreshStart Church our 7 guiding principles! Don’t miss this weekend and invite someone to come with you! CALL THE OFFICE!

Scott

FreshBread Message – Tuesday August 24, 2010

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:42:47 +0000

David continues his prayer of confession in Psalm 51:

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
A few weeks ago we spoke about Biblical Confession and that it always has 3 audiences. The first is YOURSELF! You see if we do not first admit to ourselves that we have chosen sin, that our actions have been hurtful to others, that we have done or said things that do not exemplify “God’s Glory my Goal” we will never confess our sins to God. O many people “throw up a token”, forgive me for my sin, while they continue to tell themselves that their greed, hatred, anger, harsh words, controlling behavior are justified. Often we find people or even biblical texts to mask and justify our sinful behavior. Thus, we have never admitted our sin to ourselves. Stand before the mirror today and pray…..Search me O God, show me the reality of my heart! Let me see if there is any offensive way in me….so that I may live a Kingdom Life today!

Have a wonderful day and we will talk in the AM.

FreshBread Message Monday, August 23, 2010

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:54:23 +0000

Good Morning Friends,
A Broken Spirit is the heart of the Kingdom Life. Jesus taught, “blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” There is a difference between living a broken life and living with a broken Spirit. People who live with a “broken Life” are usually angry, frustrated, blaming others, or they retreat to the self pity “hole”. In a much different way a broken spirit is characterized by humility, love, grace and mercy. David reminds us that it is a broken spirit that is the also the heart of Confession! In Psalm 51:17 David says: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” What does your spirit reveal?
David starts his prayer of confession with these words:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
MERCY……God holds that which we deserve from us. David knew that he deserved to be abandoned by God, or even die. He called on God to hold from him that which he deserved.
Think about this for a moment, the apostle Paul calls us to be imitators of God! We are to be people of Mercy, we are to be people of Love, people of compassion, forgiving the transgressions of people against us. This is the heart of the Kingdom Life, this is the life that is lived with a Broken Spirit. REMEMBER God is walking with you today…..Show Him Off! Have a great day!
Scott

FreshBread Message Monday, August 16, 2010

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:19:58 +0000

Good Morning Friends,
We started an interesting journey on Sunday morning in Exodus 32! Moses and God had a very spirited discussion on Mt. Sinai. God told Moses he would wipe his people out and start over with Moses, but Moses challenged this action of God and the scripture tells us that GOD RELENTED. He chose not to do what he told Moses he was going to do.
Let’s stop there for a moment and wrestle with this question. Can God change his mind? Can a challenge from a man like Moses get God to change his mind? Many times Hebrews 13:8 is used to “prove” that God never changes:
7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
As you can see, the writer (who is writing to the HEBREWS) is talking about remembering their leaders and imitating their faith. This is followed by the verse that Jesus is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow. This verse is not a proof text of the fact that God does not change, it is reminding the HEBREWS that Jesus does not change, he was a Hebrew and remains a Hebrew. The faith of their leaders was following the HEBREW JESUS and they should follow him too.
There are several places in scripture where God seems to change his mind. I say “seems” because I am not sure that God’s mind is changed at all…..but what does change is the action that he will use to carry out his glory. God’s character never changes, He is righteous and holy. For him to wipe out the people would have been righteous and holy, but for him to choose to minister to them through Moses was righteous and holy.
As we mentioned Sunday morning, there are three things in scripture that “seem” to change the mind of God. The first is intersession as we have illustrated in this passage. The second is repentance. As sinners we deserve death, but with repentance God “changes his mind” and bestows on us grace and mercy. And the final way that we see change in God’s action is due to the compassion of God.
The story gets more troubling from here however. We will continue to look at this tomorrow. Let me start you thinking with a question: What method do you think that God used to communicate with Moses?
See you in the AM!
Scott

FreshBread Message Friday, August 13, 2010

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:06:04 +0000

Good Morning Friends,
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Thanks for your thoughts today on these verses. I truly am encouraged by those of you who wrote and wrestled with these verses and how they would be lived out in your lives. This Sunday we are going to look at a second picture of prayer! We have a lot to share with you this Sunday, and I believe God has something to say to you. I trust you can make it, see you there.
Scott

FreshBread Message, Thursday, August 12, 2010

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:06:09 +0000

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Good Morning Friends,
This is another one of those verses that is used to hammer folks. So what did it mean to honor God with your body? Any thoughts? Send them to Scott@freshstartchurch.com and we will talk in the AM.
Scott

FreshBread Message Wednesday, August 11, 2010

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:05:31 +0000

John 13:34-36
34″A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Do you think Jesus really meant that? He really meant that people would know by the way we love each other that we are his disciples. Do you really think Jesus meant that all people would have to do is look at how we treat each other and they would know that we belong to the King? Do you really think Jesus meant that the way we live would distinguish us and not having to tell everyone what we believe and what they should believe? Come on, are you serious?
I wonder if Jesus realized that the day would come that people outside of the church many times are more loving than those inside the church. Does that make them His disciples? I wonder if Jesus realized that some people inside the church would take every opportunity to “throw stones” at other believers merely on the basis of a difference in belief. Is that love? Does this mean these “stone throwers” are not disciples?
I have always tried to take Jesus’ words seriously, and I think he really means that the world should look at those of us that claim to be His and know we are followers of Christ, not because what we preach or what religious rituals we keep, not even based on what we believe (I think Jesus knew we would not agree on that), but merely by the love that we have for each other…..surely every Christ Follower can get that? Right? Just Wondering?
Have a great day
Scott
P.S. Have any idea why God wanted his people to NOT HAVE idols? The answer may surprise you. Looking forward to sharing it with you this Sunday….bring your seatbelt!

FreshBread Message Monday, August 9, 2010

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:31:18 +0000

Good Morning Friends,
I have not slept for 38 hours now but am finding it hard to unwind. As many of you may have heard, my daughter delivered yesterday morning. (I want to thank Doc Stiliha for filling in for me at the last minute.) What an amazing experience! I have not touched the ground for 12 plus hours.
One of the hardest parts of the experience for me ( and I am reminded by women that it is nothing compared to what my daughter went through) was watching my daughter in pain. I am a natural fixer….many of us are……however, it was the struggle and pain that brought about LIFE….(the life of Mercy Elia, 7lbs 7 oz and 20 “ long born at 7:30 Sunday morning). I was reminded again how hard it is for our heavenly Father to see us struggle, and even more to allow us to struggle knowing that the struggle will produce deep spiritual life in us.
Seek not to illuminate a person’s struggle…..instead cheer them on. At the end of the struggle is a bundle of JOY!
Have a great day!

Scott

FreshBread Message Friday, August 6, 2010

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:26:34 +0000

Good Morning Friend,
Many people struggle with God for comfort here in this life. Remember these words of C.S. Lewis: ”It is quite useless knocking at the door of heaven for earthly comfort, it is not that sort of comfort they supply there.
This Sunday we are going to look at the second picture of prayer. Don’t miss this GREAT TIME together!
Scott