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Sunday, July 12, 2009
We've Moved!!
We are in the progress of moving our blog to WordPress at http://mbcmya.wordpress.com
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Friday, May 15, 2009
Important: Updated Plans for the Weekend
Hey Everyone!
Slight change of plans for the weekend...we will NOT be eating dinner at the Faulkner's on Saturday Night 5/16/2009. We decided that this weekend was full enough with the Quarterly Singles' Fellowship following the 11am service on Sunday and College kickoff party on Sunday Night, 5/17/2009 at 6:30 pm. Email me at living2serve@gmail.com for directions or if you have any questions.
Again, dinner at the Faulkner's has been postponed. The Quarterly Singles Fellowship will be Sunday 5/17 after the 11am service at the FLC as planned. The Welcome Back College Students Cookout will be Sunday Night 5/17 at my house around 6:30p.
See you then!!!
Johnny
Slight change of plans for the weekend...we will NOT be eating dinner at the Faulkner's on Saturday Night 5/16/2009. We decided that this weekend was full enough with the Quarterly Singles' Fellowship following the 11am service on Sunday and College kickoff party on Sunday Night, 5/17/2009 at 6:30 pm. Email me at living2serve@gmail.com for directions or if you have any questions.
Again, dinner at the Faulkner's has been postponed. The Quarterly Singles Fellowship will be Sunday 5/17 after the 11am service at the FLC as planned. The Welcome Back College Students Cookout will be Sunday Night 5/17 at my house around 6:30p.
See you then!!!
Johnny
Monday, April 6, 2009
Falling Behind......again
Has it really been since February since I posted to this site?!? What happened to March? Does anyone else feel like the last few months have absolutely flown by? I mean, seriously.....Easter is this weekend!!!!
I must say, however, that these last few months have not been without their share of fun and excitement, though. God continues to bless our small gathering, now averaging 10-15 regularly in attendance. I know that to those of you looking in from the outside, 15 doesn't seem like much to sneeze at, but when you consider that when I first was approached about young adult ministry, the class I took over had 1-2 people coming maybe every other week. From there, over 3 years ago, to now having 6-8 on a low day is really something to give glory to God for.
This ministry has also been a stretching time for me as a Christian and as a leader. For the first time in a very long time, I find myself wrapped up in a ministry that fuels my soul and propels me onward into the future with open-eyed optimism at what God has in store for me and the men and women of the young adult ministry. I am constantly faced with the reality that I cannot manage this completely on my own and so looking for opportunities to connect members of the class with roles that compliment their giftedness has been both exciting and challenging (mostly because I have a difficult time handing over responsibility to others....it's a weird personal thing that I struggle with and have for quite awhile).
I wonder if instead of the obligatory weekly posting of outlines, this blog may be more useful as a tool to share my heart for ministry with the readers. Initially, my goal for this site was to provide a place to host outlines, notes, etc. for people who had to miss a lesson but wanted to stay caught up. Since then, it's really lost its focus and I'm really finding myself, even more as I type this, wondering if perhaps the purpose of this blog needs to be re-evaluated. I do think that it's helpful, but perhaps a document repository would be too weak.
Hmmm......that's something to think about. Guess I'd better let that marinade in my brain for awhile. For anyone who is actually reading this blog regularly, please accept my apologies for getting behind. Thanks for continuing to stay connected.
Until next time,
Johnny
I must say, however, that these last few months have not been without their share of fun and excitement, though. God continues to bless our small gathering, now averaging 10-15 regularly in attendance. I know that to those of you looking in from the outside, 15 doesn't seem like much to sneeze at, but when you consider that when I first was approached about young adult ministry, the class I took over had 1-2 people coming maybe every other week. From there, over 3 years ago, to now having 6-8 on a low day is really something to give glory to God for.
This ministry has also been a stretching time for me as a Christian and as a leader. For the first time in a very long time, I find myself wrapped up in a ministry that fuels my soul and propels me onward into the future with open-eyed optimism at what God has in store for me and the men and women of the young adult ministry. I am constantly faced with the reality that I cannot manage this completely on my own and so looking for opportunities to connect members of the class with roles that compliment their giftedness has been both exciting and challenging (mostly because I have a difficult time handing over responsibility to others....it's a weird personal thing that I struggle with and have for quite awhile).
I wonder if instead of the obligatory weekly posting of outlines, this blog may be more useful as a tool to share my heart for ministry with the readers. Initially, my goal for this site was to provide a place to host outlines, notes, etc. for people who had to miss a lesson but wanted to stay caught up. Since then, it's really lost its focus and I'm really finding myself, even more as I type this, wondering if perhaps the purpose of this blog needs to be re-evaluated. I do think that it's helpful, but perhaps a document repository would be too weak.
Hmmm......that's something to think about. Guess I'd better let that marinade in my brain for awhile. For anyone who is actually reading this blog regularly, please accept my apologies for getting behind. Thanks for continuing to stay connected.
Until next time,
Johnny
Monday, February 16, 2009
Holy Wormhole, Batman!!! What happened to the last month?
Wow!!! I can't believe it's been a month since my last post!!! My apologies to any of you who are regulars to the blog.
The last month has been a crazy one to say the least. We premiered our study on Creation vs. Evolution, but decided to go a different route and so last week we began our study of the book of John.
We are steadily trekking through Numbers on Sunday Morning and just finished up studying Balak's request to Balaam and how God allowed Balaam's donkey to talk to him.
Outlines are now on the right side of the screen so that you can find them easily.
Sorry that this is short, but hey, at least it's something, right?
Johnny
The last month has been a crazy one to say the least. We premiered our study on Creation vs. Evolution, but decided to go a different route and so last week we began our study of the book of John.
We are steadily trekking through Numbers on Sunday Morning and just finished up studying Balak's request to Balaam and how God allowed Balaam's donkey to talk to him.
Outlines are now on the right side of the screen so that you can find them easily.
Sorry that this is short, but hey, at least it's something, right?
Johnny
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
New Series for Midweek Study starts Tomorrow!!!
Hey Everyone!
Just a quick note to remind everyone that we will begin our new series this week on January 15th at 7:30 pm. Hope you can make it!!!!
~Johnny
Just a quick note to remind everyone that we will begin our new series this week on January 15th at 7:30 pm. Hope you can make it!!!!
~Johnny
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Sunday School 12/14/2008
Today we studied Numbers 14. True to form, we saw the Israelites once again complaining about their circumstances instead of trusting in the God who brought them out of Egypt. Here, following a negative report from the men who had explored Canaan, the Israelites lament their "bad fortune"at being brought to the edge of the Promised Land, only to be "unable" to possess it. However, what was reflected here was a lack of faith in God's ability to deliver on his promise. All the spies except for Joshua and Caleb were put to death by plague for their treason against God and the rest of the community was punished with 40 years of wandering in the desert and none of them would be allowed to live to see the promised land.
Numbers 14
Numbers 14
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday School: December 7, 2008
Today we studied Numbers 12 & 13 and saw in two cases where the people's faith failed, first in Moses and secondly in God's promise to give them the land of Canaan. In Chapter 12, we see Aaron and Miriam challenging Moses' authority and God's intervention to affirm both his selection of Moses as his spokesman and Moses' authority because of it. In Chapter 13, we see the 12 spies being sent into the land of Canaan and although the land was just as God said it would be, their fear of the land's inhabitants persuaded all but two of them to give a bad report in hopes that the people would not want to take hold of what God had promised them.
Ultimately we're reminded that in our own lives God may bring us to what appears to be an impossible obstacle along the journey as we're following him, but if God has led us there and is leading us through it, then we can trust that he will give us what is needed to succeed. God is not in the business of setting his children up with high expectations just so they can be disappointed. Let us strive to live as men and women who walk in faith with God, even through the difficult times.
Numbers 12 & 13 Outline
Ultimately we're reminded that in our own lives God may bring us to what appears to be an impossible obstacle along the journey as we're following him, but if God has led us there and is leading us through it, then we can trust that he will give us what is needed to succeed. God is not in the business of setting his children up with high expectations just so they can be disappointed. Let us strive to live as men and women who walk in faith with God, even through the difficult times.
Numbers 12 & 13 Outline
Monday, December 1, 2008
Reflections on Numbers 11
So this week's Sunday School lesson on Numbers 11 was pretty convicting for me, and, I must admit, unexpectedly so. We're studying the book of Numbers, probably one of the least-studied books of the Old Testament and yet I found myself really staring right at myself in the mirror as we read Numbers 11 this week. As your leader, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you what this passage has come to mean for me and, perhaps this insight into my own application of Numbers 11 will serve as a launching point for your own personal reflection.
If you haven't read Numbers 11 yet, I'd recommend taking a moment to read it before you continue reading this post, just for the sake of understanding where I'm coming from. You can read it online here via BibleGateway.com. OK...here goes.
I began class on Sunday by reading an excerpt from a commentary by Ray Stedman (you can read it here via Blue Letter Bible) and one of the things that stuck with me was how the first books of the Old Testament can be seen to portray the life of a person who becomes a believer. If Genesis establishes our depravity and our bondage to sin, and Exodus depicts our being freed from the bondage of sin, then Numbers illustrates our sanctification, the process by which we are shaped into the likeness of Christ by the Master Craftsman. It's a growing-up time, a time where we are refined and stretched as the Holy Spirit does its work within us that we might be made into the likeness of Christ. This is an ongoing process, one that takes time, experience, and faith. This parallel between the sanctification in the life of a believer and the sanctification of the Children of Israel in the book of Numbers is key in understanding the specific application that I am making in this article. Let's continue.
In Numbers 11 we find an account of yet another Israelite pity party. There were some among the people who, being tired of eating manna, began to complain about the lack of meat and other variety in their diet, even going so far as to reminisce of their "free" meals back in Egypt. Here is where Stedman points out a very keen and important observation: Manna was not intended to satisfy them completely, but was meant to sustain them on their journey to the Promised Land, a land that flowed with milk and honey. They were promised so much more than manna, but were not ready to take possession of the land; thus, we see that in addition to God's judgement here in Numbers 11, they also will face delay after delay as they wander in the wilderness, through their time of sanctification in preparation for taking hold of what God had promised them.
Two parallels (among many) worth mentioning here are the tendency for man to be unsatisfied with what they have and the fact that they had to grow into their spiritual readiness prior to entering the Promised Land. First, let's agree that although I'm sure manna gets old after awhile, it sure beats starvation! God provides them food miraculously with the dew each morning, enough to sustain and entire nation of more than a million people, but some have the audacity to complain? Secondly, part of the reason that they're stuck eating manna for so long is their own spiritual immaturity. God is using this time to prepare his Children to receive what he has set aside for them and yet their stubbornness, pride, and disobedience just extend the time needed to prepare them. God had a land that flowed with milk and honey waiting for them not that far away, yet before they can have a life of abundance, they must learn how live without.
So, you say, that was a great recap of what's going on, but how does that affect us today? How is this account of God's methodology for sanctification relevant for us? While I can't speak for you, I will share what I have come to realize from my own life.
Today was my 3 year anniversary at my job. I started working for my company exactly 3 years ago today (Dec 1). Starting about a year or so ago, however, I started to become frustrated and "burnt out" of doing the same thing each day and my attitude changed, seemingly overnight, from optimistic and motivated to frustrated and ungrateful. I was tired of eating manna. So each day got a little worse and a little worse until I found myself very cynical and negative about the people I'm supposed to be helping and serving each day on the other end of the phone. Every "dumb" question became an opportunity for me to criticize privately instead of showing grace publicly. I did a great job of keeping up appearances to customers, but inside I just kept sliding deeper and deeper down into the mire of negativity and cynicism. Day after day I became more and more tired of manna. I tried fixing it a different way, but let's face it: manna is manna, no matter how you dress it up. I found myself in this time really asking God (from a genuine heart, believe it or not) to allow me to have more. In my heart, I felt like that would mean either a better job opportunity with my same company, better-suited for me and my personality, or a change out of the corporate world completely and into some type of full-time ministry. I remember praying and asking God for something different...telling him that I'm so tired of manna and that I could really use a quail or two. Yet despite the occasional quail here or there, satisfaction eluded me and left an ache in my stomach for more and more of something different....just no more manna.
Then Sunday we studied Numbers 11 and after reflecting on it before and after class, I was met head-on with a sobering truth: I have been ungrateful for the manna that God has provided to sustain me on my journey. I'm an Israelite!!! In my yearning for the Promised Land of an abundant life filled with passionate pursuits in ministry, I despised the very thing that God intended to get me there. O wretched man that I am!!! (Rom 7:24) My job, no matter how much I eat of it, is still a blessing of provision from the Lord. Who am I to demand more when I have yet to give thanks for my daily manna? How can I look into the face of my Heavenly Father and say, "I'm so tired of this blessing! Can you please give me something better?" How arrogant I must be to speak so flippantly to the Sovereign God of the Universe who saw fit to show grace and mercy to me by sending manna for me to gather each day so that my family and I may survive another!!!
So, as I hope you can tell, I am right in the middle of my repentance and I have begun the work of putting to death my old habits and attitudes in exchange for a thankful heart. It is not and will not be easy...even just today I found so much gravity pulling back toward my old habits. Yet I am confident that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6). Pray for me in this, for it is a heart issue and those seem to take an extra measure of perseverance and faith to mend. Finally, I challenge you to look upon your own life through these glasses and ask yourself whether or not you're gathering your manna with a thankful heart. I hope that you will find this transparency from me as your leader motivating to pursue the holiness Christ has called you to in your own life.
If you haven't read Numbers 11 yet, I'd recommend taking a moment to read it before you continue reading this post, just for the sake of understanding where I'm coming from. You can read it online here via BibleGateway.com. OK...here goes.
I began class on Sunday by reading an excerpt from a commentary by Ray Stedman (you can read it here via Blue Letter Bible) and one of the things that stuck with me was how the first books of the Old Testament can be seen to portray the life of a person who becomes a believer. If Genesis establishes our depravity and our bondage to sin, and Exodus depicts our being freed from the bondage of sin, then Numbers illustrates our sanctification, the process by which we are shaped into the likeness of Christ by the Master Craftsman. It's a growing-up time, a time where we are refined and stretched as the Holy Spirit does its work within us that we might be made into the likeness of Christ. This is an ongoing process, one that takes time, experience, and faith. This parallel between the sanctification in the life of a believer and the sanctification of the Children of Israel in the book of Numbers is key in understanding the specific application that I am making in this article. Let's continue.
In Numbers 11 we find an account of yet another Israelite pity party. There were some among the people who, being tired of eating manna, began to complain about the lack of meat and other variety in their diet, even going so far as to reminisce of their "free" meals back in Egypt. Here is where Stedman points out a very keen and important observation: Manna was not intended to satisfy them completely, but was meant to sustain them on their journey to the Promised Land, a land that flowed with milk and honey. They were promised so much more than manna, but were not ready to take possession of the land; thus, we see that in addition to God's judgement here in Numbers 11, they also will face delay after delay as they wander in the wilderness, through their time of sanctification in preparation for taking hold of what God had promised them.
Two parallels (among many) worth mentioning here are the tendency for man to be unsatisfied with what they have and the fact that they had to grow into their spiritual readiness prior to entering the Promised Land. First, let's agree that although I'm sure manna gets old after awhile, it sure beats starvation! God provides them food miraculously with the dew each morning, enough to sustain and entire nation of more than a million people, but some have the audacity to complain? Secondly, part of the reason that they're stuck eating manna for so long is their own spiritual immaturity. God is using this time to prepare his Children to receive what he has set aside for them and yet their stubbornness, pride, and disobedience just extend the time needed to prepare them. God had a land that flowed with milk and honey waiting for them not that far away, yet before they can have a life of abundance, they must learn how live without.
So, you say, that was a great recap of what's going on, but how does that affect us today? How is this account of God's methodology for sanctification relevant for us? While I can't speak for you, I will share what I have come to realize from my own life.
Today was my 3 year anniversary at my job. I started working for my company exactly 3 years ago today (Dec 1). Starting about a year or so ago, however, I started to become frustrated and "burnt out" of doing the same thing each day and my attitude changed, seemingly overnight, from optimistic and motivated to frustrated and ungrateful. I was tired of eating manna. So each day got a little worse and a little worse until I found myself very cynical and negative about the people I'm supposed to be helping and serving each day on the other end of the phone. Every "dumb" question became an opportunity for me to criticize privately instead of showing grace publicly. I did a great job of keeping up appearances to customers, but inside I just kept sliding deeper and deeper down into the mire of negativity and cynicism. Day after day I became more and more tired of manna. I tried fixing it a different way, but let's face it: manna is manna, no matter how you dress it up. I found myself in this time really asking God (from a genuine heart, believe it or not) to allow me to have more. In my heart, I felt like that would mean either a better job opportunity with my same company, better-suited for me and my personality, or a change out of the corporate world completely and into some type of full-time ministry. I remember praying and asking God for something different...telling him that I'm so tired of manna and that I could really use a quail or two. Yet despite the occasional quail here or there, satisfaction eluded me and left an ache in my stomach for more and more of something different....just no more manna.
Then Sunday we studied Numbers 11 and after reflecting on it before and after class, I was met head-on with a sobering truth: I have been ungrateful for the manna that God has provided to sustain me on my journey. I'm an Israelite!!! In my yearning for the Promised Land of an abundant life filled with passionate pursuits in ministry, I despised the very thing that God intended to get me there. O wretched man that I am!!! (Rom 7:24) My job, no matter how much I eat of it, is still a blessing of provision from the Lord. Who am I to demand more when I have yet to give thanks for my daily manna? How can I look into the face of my Heavenly Father and say, "I'm so tired of this blessing! Can you please give me something better?" How arrogant I must be to speak so flippantly to the Sovereign God of the Universe who saw fit to show grace and mercy to me by sending manna for me to gather each day so that my family and I may survive another!!!
So, as I hope you can tell, I am right in the middle of my repentance and I have begun the work of putting to death my old habits and attitudes in exchange for a thankful heart. It is not and will not be easy...even just today I found so much gravity pulling back toward my old habits. Yet I am confident that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6). Pray for me in this, for it is a heart issue and those seem to take an extra measure of perseverance and faith to mend. Finally, I challenge you to look upon your own life through these glasses and ask yourself whether or not you're gathering your manna with a thankful heart. I hope that you will find this transparency from me as your leader motivating to pursue the holiness Christ has called you to in your own life.
Father, I see now how much like the Israelites I have been and how ungrateful I have been for the blessings of a family and a job with which to support them, for a home and for the ministry you've allowed me to shepherd. In truth, much of this would be next to impossible without the manna you've provided to sustain me through this journey of sanctification. I press onward, Lord, in faith that this work is not in vain and that you have a Promised Land ahead where I will live in abundance. And whether that abundance comes in my time on earth or not, help me to gather manna each day and to be thankful for what you've provided. Amen.
Sunday School 11/30/2008
This morning we studied Numbers 10:11 through the end of Chapter 11. We saw the Israelites setting out from Sinai towards the promised land and within the first three days, already they began to complain. In this, we see a picture of ourselves in that we often find ourselves dissatisfied with what God has blessed us with and instead seeking the comfort of our flesh over contentment and faith that God will provide all we need. There's an odd familiarity to the push and pull battle between the faith and flesh, yet we see in this passage that God is one who deals justly with the ungrateful, ultimately for the refinement and purification of his people and, in our lives, the process of sanctification as he chips away that which is unlike Christ.
Numbers 10:11-11:35
Numbers 10:11-11:35
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!I just wanted to take a second and let you all know how much I really am thankful for the privilege of serving as your teacher in this ministry. God has been so gracious in his blessing of this class and ministry as a whole. I can remember back about 3 years ago when I was first asked to teach this class with its 3-4 guys each week. We've come a long way from The Monastery, as we jokingly called it, and it is so exciting to not only see all of you young men and women getting excited about Bible study, but also looking for ways to live out your faith on a daily basis. Thanks for being a blessing to me and I'm looking forward to what God has in store for us in the weeks, months, and years to come!!!
~~Johnny
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