Foster Fest - Local Outreach Ministry

The You & Me Class had a fantastic turnout for Foster Fest last night where we manned the Comfort Station provided by the Columbia Baptist Association. Each person who used the station filled out a contact card that we plan to use for followup. Thanks to everyone who showed up to make it a big success and a great time of fellowship for our class.

Sadly, many who helped are not in the pictures below. Thanks to Ray, Kirk, and Brittan who worked with Jeff to unpack the trailer and set up the tent and station. Shay, Dustin, and Gabe (welcome back Gabe and Jamie Crook) stayed to help us put the monster back in the bag and load the trailer. Thanks to all!

JOB: Lesson 1

The Book of Job is our first book in the Wisdom Book Series. Today we introduced the Prologue of the Book of Job where we began to explore the dilemma that is presented to the reader: "Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?" or as many people ask "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Animated Video of Job 

During the next few weeks we will explore the story of Job's crisis. Questions we must answer are: "Is God just?" and "Does He run the world according to justice?"

MARRIAGE BUILDER: Lesson 8

The conclusion of the Marriage Builder Series focused on the three building blocks for oneness in marriage: GRACE, COMMITMENT, and ACCEPTANCE.

GRACE: In all of our relationship trials, turning despair into hope can only be done through the truth we find in the grace of God. There is no event in life for which God's grace is not sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

COMMITMENT: Having the desire to fulfill the marriage commitment is found in the goodness of God (see slide 43). It is not something you can decide to do but rather a desire that God gives you when you delight yourself in Him (Psalm 37:4).

ACCEPTANCE: We are commanded to accept our spouse (Romans 15:7). Acceptance is not always accompanied by the feeling of enjoyment and will often require forgiveness in order to reach oneness. Only one who appreciates God's forgiveness can truly forgive others.

Real COMMITMENT requires GRACE, and it is impossible to reach ACCEPTANCE without COMMITMENT. The ability to overcome relational despair is not possible through the power of our soul (mind, will, or emotions) but is only possible through the power of God through His Holy Spirit which resides in the believer.

Next week, Patrick will give an introduction to the wisdom books--one of which is Job. The wisdom books show us that God values and responds to our myriad questions and prayers. We can take comfort that no experience in our lives, whether wonderful or terrible, can place us outside the love and understanding of a gracious God. We will dive into Job the following week.

One of the most famous characters in the Bible, Job is the archetype of the “suffering saint”—a God-fearing man who experiences terrible trials and sufferings, and calls out to God for an explanation. The book does not offer an easy or simplistic answer to the problem of suffering, but finds solace in God’s sovereignty.

MARRIAGE BUILDER: Lesson 7

As "...the Chief Cornerstone" (1 Peter 2:7), God is the Master Architect of each of our bodies. He has uniquely designed each person's body for His purposes. As Paul said, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The real tragedy of denying our character as persons made in the image of a personal God is that very few people are aware of the exhilarating potential for personal satisfaction. We have missed the truth that the deepest joys and satisfactions do not come through the five sense. Even Christians who really should know better try to relieve personal pain with physical pleasure. Many unmarried adults, proclaiming Christ as their Savior, explore physical intimacy with the opposite sex in search of security and significance.

Today we looked at five truths regarding the body's five senses and concluded that BODY oneness in a marriage is defined as physical pleasure with personal meaning. Personal meaning in God's world depends on participation in God's purposes (see slides).

Next week we will complete the Marriage Builder Series by looking at the three important building blocks required for the development of oneness in marriage. No matter what else may be right about a relationship--sincerity, honest effort, noble aspirations, warm feelings, common beliefs, communication skills--a marriage will not and cannot reach the goal of oneness without the basics: GRACE, COMMITMENT, and ACCEPTANCE.

We will begin the study on Job beginning October 9th.
 

MARRIAGE BUILDER: Lesson 6

We continued with last week's lesson on SOUL oneness: Communication by looking at how to respond to your spouse, friend, or family member when they share their feelings.

Understanding how to minister to someone in conversation requires that you recognize the need of the person. We display our needs through feelings - anxiety, fear, anger, worry, and other emotions. When your spouse, or someone close to you, makes known (through their feelings) that they have an emotional need, you have the opportunity to minister to that person in your response.

Jesus said, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" Mark 12:31. We must listen to the feelings of our spouse and minister to them just as you would want them to minister to you. This is one of the most powerful aspects of SOUL oneness. Only when we are sensitive and patient can we hear the feelings behind the words.

Next week we will continue with BODY oneness.

MARRIAGE BUILDER: Lesson 5

We continued looking at SOUL oneness and the importance of communication. Communication problems can usually be traced to a failure in the commitment to minister, or simply, to wrong goals. 

Words, and the way we line them up and let them roll off our tongue is critical. It is not a natural process to always say things that will minister love to someone. Learning to communicate love is not easy, but it can be learned. The first step is to become aware of the needs of the person. For two singles, an obvious need would be to show an interest in the other person by asking simple questions that allow a person to share things about their life. A husband or a wife should be aware of at least a few needs of their spouse. When you satisfy a need, you minister to that person.

Ultimately, God is the only One who can completely and consistently satisfy our greatest needs (security and significance), but when we express love to another person by ministering to their known needs, that person will feel loved and significant--that is what SOUL oneness is all about.

Next week we will begin the class with several case studies and exercises to help you learn the right way to respond when your spouse or friend shares their feelings. Then we will look at BODY oneness.

We will wrap up the Marriage Builder Series the last week in September (25th) with a final lesson on the three building blocks that hold marriages together. In this last lesson we will look at what to do when the marriage is not working. Are we asked to give up all hopes for personal happiness in order to proved happiness for our mates? Are we to continually forgive our partners when they hurt us? What are we as husbands and wives to do when our marriage relationship has soured beyond any reasonable hope of sweetening?

The series on JOB will begin October 2nd. Job is one of the three wisdom books (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job). There are many great lessons to be learned from our study of Job

MARRIAGE BUILDER: Lesson 4

Today we moved from SPIRIT oneness to SOUL oneness. Spirit oneness is the mutual dependence on the Lord for our personal needs (security and significance). Soul oneness is the mutual commitment to minister to one another's personal needs. Where spirit oneness is our vertical relationship with God, soul oneness is the relationship to earthly circumstances where husband and wife are relating to each other.

As mentioned above, soul oneness is a mutual commitment and a choice. The choice is to manipulate or to minister. Unless there is the purpose of communicating love based on an awareness of needs, we qualify as manipulators, not ministers. We looked at three case studies (the unhappy wife; the romantic husband; and the rebuking husband). Each situation created the opportunity for the husband or the wife to manipulate or minister to their spouse. Bottom line: the goal of soul oneness is ministry.

For a majority of Christians, these truths are academic. Many have not actively thought through the radical implications of these concepts for the marital relationship--or any close relationship. And because they do not translate them from theory into experience, these truths never become vital (real).

The sculpture of the person held back by chains was to help us visualize the freedom Paul talks about in Galatians 5:1. "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." Until we identify and begin to cut the chains of sin from our lives can we truly experience the freedom Paul talks about. And unless we are free, we cannot experience the spirit oneness that is so vital to our mutual dependence on the Lord for personal needs. Without first experiencing spirit oneness with the Lord, any effort to find soul oneness with our spouse (or other close relationships) will be futile. We must be free (identified and confessed) from known sin if we are to have oneness.

In summary, we can not move from spirit oneness to soul oneness until we are living a free life--free from sin. "...stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly untangles us." Hebrews 12:1

The movie "Sully" begins Friday, September 9th. The subtitle is "The Untold Story". Today I attempted to highlight the events of U.S. Air Flight 1549 and tell you a little more about what Captain Sullenberger and his crew experienced on that cold day in January when they were forced to land on the Hudson River. However, technical problems robbed the show, so next week I will give you "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would say.