BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD

On Sunday, April 15 during our Sunday School hour

we will observe a presentation of the

PASSOVER SEDER

conducted by Nicole's father, who has presented the Passover for nearly 20 years.

You will NOT want to miss it!

JESUS

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. Acts. 4:12

In our Sunday evening study of The Ever Loving Truth by Voddie Baucham, we are being challenged to consider the Truth of God: how willing we are to live it and how determined we are to defend it. We have asked ourselves some hard questions, and I believe we are being stirred to make some hard but life-changing commitments.

So, this past Sunday we pondered how the name of Jesus has become so offensive in our culture today. As Voddie pointed out, the names of Hitler and Stalin can be voiced freely in any venue (and protected by our Freedom of Speech agenda), yet the name of Jesus dare not be uttered in classrooms, courtrooms, or public settings without the threat of social, economic or even legal repurcussions. Oh, my. Why would a simple name be so offensive? Because there is POWER in the name of Jesus Christ. Saving power. Power to convict, ressurect, and redeem a life.

We can be tempted to back down. I am ashamed of the times I have done so. Some time ago I was reading my Bible at my hair salon. My hairdresser asked what I was reading. I had already eyed her statue of Buddha, laden with fruit and other offerings she had apparently given to her false god. I explained that I was reading my Bible. "You believe in God?" she asked, "Yes, I do," I replied. And I let it go. I LET IT GO. An opportunity to speak the name of Jesus and reveal the One who has the power to save had literally been poured in my lap, and I had been more concerned about offending my hairdresser than speaking Life to her. I knew the name of Jesus would either cause offense or bring life. There is power in the Name of Jesus Christ.

I want to be like Peter and John, whose lives had been so radically transformed by Christ Jesus that they said under the threat of great persecution, "We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." Jesus Christ saved me. He literally lifted my life from a pit and set my feet on solid Rock. I MUST tell others about Him. I must proclaim the Name of Christ, for there truly is no other Name by which men can be saved.

Let's not back down.

DON'T FORGET OUR NEW TIME!

This Sunday our class will meet at

11:05

in Room 313

See you there!

LET US PRAY

He saw that there was no man--He was amazed that there

was no one interceding...

Isaiah 59:16

How stunning ...that God would be amazed when we don't intercede in prayer. And do we? Oh, we make prayer requests. We write them on white boards, on clip boards, in emails...we go into great detail about problems and issues and exactly what we feel the solution is and how we feel God should answer. But then what? Do we leave them on a list as though some mystical power will lift them to the Lord? Or do we hope that maybe enough people will pray so that God will feel obligated to answer....exactly as we have requested? Do we believe in PRAYER or do we believe in GOD?

To pray is to seek oneness with God...to take on His mind, see through His eyes, feel with His heart. That's why prayer changes us even if our circumstances remain untouched. When we pray, we must begin with worship. When we see God as He is...the Creator of all the universe, high and exalted...full of compassion, perfection and righteousness...then we find ourselves seeking His will and desires about everything.

On Sunday we talked about a model Jesus gave His disciples for prayer. Here are some simple reminders:

OUR...we are a body of believers. This one word reminds me to pray every day for my brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted right now for the sake of the Gospel. It is an incredible privilege to pray with and for other believers, even those we will never meet, those who have gone before us and those who will follow behind us. (John 17:20-23)

FATHER...we can pray because we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is an awesome miracle and a mystery that the Creator of the Universe is our loving Father and we are His child. But it is true. He knows what we need before we even ask. We can speak freely from our hearts. He wants to hear from us. (Romans 8:15)

WHOM ART IN HEAVEN...God is God. I am not. As I bow down and acknowledge who He is, I am always struck by my desperate need for Him. (Psalm 103:19; Psalm 31:14)

HALLOWED BE THY NAME...The names of God describe His character. As I meditate on His names from scripture, I cannot help but worship and praise Him not just for what He does, but for who He is.

(Psalm 145; Psalm 9:10)

THY KINGDOM COME...God's kingdom is established on earth in the lives of believers as we die to ourselves and live for Him. It's not about me. (Galations 2:20)

THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN...God's will and plans are perfect and eternal. Ours are temporal and self-centered. As we yield to Him, His plans are perfected in us. How amazing. (Psalm 40:8)

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD...Placing our trust in Him daily, moment-by-moment, because He is trustworthy.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US... When, in humilty and brokenness, we recognize our need for mercy, we are in a position to recognize that those who offend us are no different...they, too, are in need of mercy and grace. Self-righteousness and pride do not coincide with a repentant heart. As we ask for God's mercy and recieve His forgiveness, we can recognize that we must extend that same forgiveness to others. (Matthew 6:14,15)

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL...We are weak. We have no power to live in victory except through the One who has conquered sin and death. He wants us to depend on Him. He will show Himself faithful.

(1 Cor 10:13)

FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM...God is ruler over all. He has authority over all of heaven and all the earth. In His hands, we truly have nothing to fear. (Romans 14:17)

AND THE POWER...All the power God used to resurrect Jesus Christ is available to us because Christ lives in us. Ask God to do what only He can. Begin with your heart. (Jeremiah 10:12-16)

AND THE GLORY...He alone is worthy of our praise. I want to let go of my urges for things, my desire for recognition or approval, and all other idols that clamor for my devotion, and worship Him alone. (1 T imothy 1:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 57:5; Psalm 19:1)

FOREVER...He is the Alpha and Omega, the God Who Was, and the God Who Is To Come, and the God Who Is (with us. Now.) (Revelation 1:8)

AMEN.

Will you pray this week? Will you use this model and worship God in prayer, taking on His mind, His eyes, His ears, His touch, His words? God will change us as we seek Him with all our hearts.

WE'RE MOVING! DIFFERENT PLACE, DIFFERENT TIME!

Since the formation of our class last April, we have moved from classroom to classroom a few times. This time we will move to a new classroom AND a new Sunday School hour!

Beginning Sunday, March 25

Starting Point will meet

at 11:05

in Room 313

That means our room will be located on the third floor of the Education Building. Take the staircase next to the Library (located in the breezeway between the sanctuary and the Family Life Center.)

How to find us...

Take the staircase located near the Library

Don't stop at the second floor...veer to the left and keep going to the third

(this can be tricky!)

At the top of the stairs, take a left

Go down the hallway and look for our room on the right

Our class voted to make the move so more space can be available in the early Sunday School hour. Last month our student ministry began worshiping with the rest of the church body in the 11:10 worship service (they will move their student worship service to Sunday nights); consequently, some classes with middle school parents wanted to move to the 9:45 Sunday School hour and worship with their teenagers in the late worship service. Thank you, Class, for your willingness to help out.

LET THE SON SHINE

Who doesn't love a little sunshine? Even my pooch found the sunniest spot in the house today. He could have snuggled into a huge, soft chair in the study or spread out on a furry blanket in the den. Instead, he chose the floor and a little sunshine.

We love those rays...yes, we do. Rain, rain, go away...let us have a sunny day.

I was thinking about our infatuation with blue skies this morning as I knelt to pray. I looked up at the sky and tried to wrap my mind around God's hugeness. The sky was crystal clear.

Funny thing, but suddenly I missed the clouds.

Don't get me wrong. I love a sunny day. But there's something about those clouds that makes me acutely aware of God's majesty. I simply see Him in the clouds: swirling clouds, light, wispy clouds, or dark clouds that threaten rain...He is all over them.

The same goes with my life. When my heart is broken...when temptations threaten to crush me...when I am wounded or grieved...when life makes no sense...those are the times I have sought God most desperately. And He has never disappointed me. Every time I have turned to Him, He has shown Himself to be merciful, patient, tender, strong, steadfast, and a Bringer of Joy in the Morning.

So, this morning I squinted at the sun, stared at the clear, blue sky and thanked Him for such a perfect day. Yes, those rays are beautiful.

But rain or shine, God is present and forever faithful.

Do you know how God directs His clouds or makes their lightning flash? Do you understand how the clouds float, those wonderful works of Him

who has perfect knowledge?

Job 37:15-16

For He makes waterdrops evaporate; they distill the rain into its mist, which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out or how the thunder roars from

God's pavilion?

Job 36:27-29

Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?

Or who can tilt the water jars of heaven?

Job 38:37

God never promised skies always blue,

But strength for the journey all the day through.

-Unknown

THE LUNCH BUNCH

We've had a great time going to lunch after class for the past two Sundays at Gringo's and Hasta La Pasta. We took a short break from our Sunday night Bible study after finishing our last study, Love and Respect. We will begin Voddie Baucum's study of The Ever Loving Truth this Sunday, March 11, at 6 PM. Our study will finish at 8. On the first Sunday of each month we will forego our evening study and go to lunch together following the church service. We love our evening Bible studies, but we also want to be able to include visitors in our fellowship, and lunch on Sunday is a great time to meet and

eat! Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming lunch locations. (Thanks to Chris for taking care of our reservations.)

SACRED MARRIAGE

Sacred: dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity

Wow. At a marriage conference at church today led by Gary Thomas, I was reminded of some basic truths that will absolutely transform our marriages.

Gary pointed out that it's easy for us to love God in the "abstract." In other words, we can easily say we love God because He doesn't have bad breath, act ungrateful, wake up cranky, etc. But we are called to love a person who may. And, plain and simple, how well we love that person indicates how well we love God.

For those who say But you don't know my spouse, Gary had a question:

Are you God-centered or spouse-centered? In other words, do you respond to your spouse according to how he or she has treated you? Or have you truly placed God first so that you are responding to God, not to your spouse. If I am responding to God, my actions will more consistently be loving, kind and forgiving.

Adam and Laura Watson shared a song that Adam wrote only yesterday and it beautifully reflected Gary's premise that God wants to use the imperfections in our spouse to teach us to love perfectly. One of my favorite lines went something like this:

You are making me holy. You and the Father are shaping me to be holy.

Well, that didn't even touch on the highlights of this conference, so I have a lot of spiritual food to chew on and digest while Mike is on a two-week trip in the Middle East. Over and over, God has been telling me that it's not necessarily digging for deep spiritual truths that will transform my life, but obeying simple spiritual truth. This is simple stuff. But it's life-changing.

(Thank you, Bethany and Chris, for serving today. You were wonderful greeters.)