Archive for March, 2006
FreshBread Message Friday, March 31, 2006
DON”T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR THIS SATURDAY NIGHT….GOD”S ENEMY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING HERE THIS WEEKEND……THIS IS POWERFUL STUFF!
Last Sunday we continued our series, Cross-eyed. I remind you that when Jesus calls you to follow him it is because he actually believes He can reproduce himself in you….so we have to drop our “nets”. I have included the Thought questions from Sunday’s service here for you to wrestle with this week:
1.What nets do I struggle to let go?
2. Where is my security, in Stuff or in God?
3. What is more important…being right or bringing the Kingdom of God?
4.How can I practically bring the Kingdom of God to others each day?
5. Do I feel a need to change people or do I find it easy to let God do that?
6. What direction are you looking?
7. Yes to Jesus means no to ______________________ ?
Spend some scheduled time with God today….in a special place…..in a special way….it’s something He looks forward to.
Today’s Readings are: Joshua 10, Psalm 142-143, Jeremiah 4, Matthew 18
Today’s Key verse is Matthew 18
Matthew 18 is packed with so much stuff. I want to see who may be out there this weekend reading FreshBread so here is my challenge. Take some time and read all of Matthew 18 (found below). Then respond to Scott@freshstartchurch.com with 3 questions that come to you from the text. I encourage you as you read to try and get out of your “church grid” of interpretation and read the scripture as if you were a first century Jew saying these things for the first time. Have FUN…….I can’t wait to see your questions. I came up with about 17 with a quick read this morning! Have a Great weekend and I’LL SEE YOU ON SUNDAY!
Scott
Matthew 18:
1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. 3Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.
7″How terrible it will be for anyone who causes others to sin. Temptation to do wrong is inevitable, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. 8So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven[a] crippled or lame than to be thrown into the unquenchable fire with both of your hands and feet. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven half blind than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.
10″Beware that you don’t despise a single one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
12″If a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one? 13And if he finds it, he will surely rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
15″If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won’t accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. 18I tell you this: Whatever you prohibit on earth is prohibited in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven.
19″I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.”
21Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[e] who sins against me? Seven times?”
22″No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven!
23″For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25He couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26But the man fell down before the king and begged him, `Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
28″But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. `Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full.
31″When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, `You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.
35″That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.”
FreshBread Message Thursday, March 30, 2006
Sunday we continued our series, Cross-eyed. I remind you that when Jesus calls you to follow him it is because he actually believes He can reproduce himself in you….so we have to drop our “nets”. I have included the Thought questions from Sunday’s service here for you to wrestle with this week:
1.What nets do I struggle to let go?
2. Where is my security, in Stuff or in God?
3. What is more important…being right or bringing the Kingdom of God?
4.How can I practically bring the Kingdom of God to others each day?
5. Do I feel a need to change people or do I find it easy to let God do that?
6. What direction are you looking?
7. Yes to Jesus means no to ______________________ ?
Spend some scheduled time with God today….in a special place…..in a special way….it’s something He looks forward to.
Today’s Readings are: Joshua 9, Psalm 141, Jeremiah 3, Matthew 17
Today’s Key verse is Matthew 17:14
14When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, a huge crowd was waiting for them.
Jesus took his disciples (Peter, James, and John) up on a mountain for a very special/spiritual moment (Matthew 17:1-13). However, they could not stay on the mountain; they had to come down to the valley. There are a couple of really important lessons for us here. First of all, it is really important that you disconnect from “the normal course of life” and get some alone time with God. Each day I have encouraged you to take sometime to do this. I trust you are planning it and putting it in the calendar. However, we cannot, nor does God want us to live on the mountain. When Jesus and the disciples came down, there was a group of people waiting for them. Our alone times with God have a dual purpose. Not only do they rejuvenate us, but they prepare us to give to others. GOD NEVER GIVES US ANY GIFT THAT HE INTENDS FOR US TO HOLD ONTO, BUT TO GIVE AWAY!
Have you been to the mountain lately? Are you on a mountain top now? There are some people waiting in the valley that Jesus is going to have waiting for you. Have a great day today…..Hope to talk to you in the morning!
I hope you can plan to join us on Sunday Morning (do not forget to set the clocks ahead one hour). God’s enemy does not want you to follow him….but he cannot be that bold or you would know what he is doing so the way that he derails us from following Jesus is unbelievable…but you can beat him at this game….come check out how this weekend. Have a Great day!
Scott
FreshBread Message Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Sunday we continued our series, Cross-eyed. I remind you that when Jesus calls you to follow him, it is because he actually believes He can reproduce himself in you….so we have to drop our “nets”. I have included the Thought questions from Sunday’s service here for you to wrestle with this week:
1.What nets do I struggle to let go?
2. Where is my security, in Stuff or in God?
3. What is more important…being right or bringing the Kingdom of God?
4.How can I practically bring the Kingdom of God to others each day?
5. Do I feel a need to change people or do I find it easy to let God do that?
6. What direction are you looking?
7. Yes to Jesus means no to ______________________ ?
Spend some scheduled time with God today….in a special place…..in a special way….it’s something He looks forward to.
Today’s Readings are: Joshua 8, Psalm 139-140, Jeremiah 2, Matthew 16
Today’s Key verse is Matthew 16:26
26And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul[a] in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?
These are some words that make you take a look inside…they follow Jesus’ words about denying yourself and shouldering the cross that we have been studying. So……let me ask you a simple question and I am going to join you in allowing God to search my heart on it all day. What have I spent the most time on this week? Gaining the things of the “world” or gaining my soul? Has it been world stuff or soul stuff? Since we have to work, etc…..we just blow this off and say things like well, I can’t go to church every min. But, is that what Jesus is talking about? Is it possible to go through life with our soul as the focus all the time? Before you get this confused with selfishness….MY soul…read verse 25…….2 5If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. Just some thoughts to ponder……have a GREAT DAY!
Scott