As said during Connection, we have the opportunity to look at whether or not this happened during the history of the first century Church. In 1 Timothy 1:19-20 and 4:1-3 we saw that these men had, indeed, crept in and “shipwrecked” the faith of some. Paul goes as far as calling them out by name! A year or two later, Paul writes 2 Timothy 1:15, 2:17-18 where he continues to call these men out and equip fellow church planter–Timothy–on defending the gospel, the standard of sound words.

It got extrememly errie when we observed what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, where Paul describes these type of men who will come during the last days (which we are in according to Acts 1). Look at the list:

• lovers of self
• lovers of money
• proud
• arrogant
• abusive
• disobedient to their parents
• ungrateful
• unholy
• heartless
• unappeasable
• slanderous
• without self-control
• brutal
• not loving good
• treacherous
• reckless
• swollen with conceit
• lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
• having appearance of godliness, but denying it’s power
• leading away weak people
• always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth
• opposing truth
• men corrupted in mind
• disqualified regarding the faith

It isn’t the end of Ephesus. They’re also mentioned in Revelation 2:1-7. You might want to check it out too.

Thus, the assessment tool. How does theGATHERING leadership Biblically assess the flock? The emphasis, of course, is how does the Word, how does God assess people? So, we talked about these two tools that we’ve been using to assess with the word of God and the Spirit of God. People who come into a church need to be assessed so that the church leaders can identify who they are and what they need; how to use the gospel in the lives of the flock.

The Assessment: (From Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll)

Horses are vibrant leaders who pull a lot of weight and run fast. Horses need to have character, sound doctrine, and agree with the vision of the church.

Colts are emerging leaders who need training, testing, and opportunities to lead. If properly broken in, a colt can be develop0ed into a horse

Fish are non-Christians who are spiritually lost and often not actively looking for God. Fish need a Christian friend to lovingly introduce them to Jesus and his church.

Eagles are skilled leaders who are being developed within the church with the express kingdom purpose of leaving the proverbial nest and leading a ministry elsewhere, such as taking the gospel to the nations and church planting.

Mules are faithful workers who dependably and continually do whatever is asked of them in the church. Mules need to be thanked and protected from burnout.

Cows are selfish people who wander from church to church, chewing up resources without ever giving back to the church until they kill it.

Squirrels are people who are generally liked because they are nice, but they rarely do anything meaningful. Squirrels need to be put to work in the church.

Stray cats are socially peculiar longers who linger around the church. Strays need a friend to help bring them into the church and an opportunity to serve other people so that they can be meaningfully connected to the church.

Rats are people who appear to have the potential to have a fruitful ministry, but they lack dependability, humility, or maturity. Rats need to be rebuked, and if they don’t repent, they must be strategically ignored until they commit to no longer being a waste of time and effort.

Sheep are people who have legit needs that require patient and loving support. Examples of sheep include widows, orphans, and those who are seriously ill or fighting addictions. Sheep need to be loved and served (rather than trying to lead).

Ducks are disgruntled people who continually quack about whatever they are unhappy about. Ducks need to stop quacking, or the pastor(s) must go duck hunting before the ducks drown out everyone and everything else in the church.

Snakes are evil people sent by the Serpent on a mission to destroy the church through anything from sexual sin, starting rumors, and causing division through going to everyone else about someone’s sin instead of the person they’re talking about. Leaders must stomp on the heads of snakes before they bite more people and infect them with deadly venom. (Their talk spreads like gangrene)

Wolves are false teachers whom Satan sends into the church to devour Jesus’ sheep. Wolves need to be quickly identified, rebuked, and if they are unrepentant, they must be shot before their false teaching destroys people within the church. Anytime someone looks at the word and says, “It says that, but…” is in danger of being a wolf.

*the list is not mine. It came from @pastormark. The book is worth the investment.

Paul told the Ephesian elders to be aware (Acts 20). He told Timothy “hold fast to the faith, rejecting men who have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Timothy 1:20), saying, ” their talk will spread like gangrene “(2:17), and “avoid such people (3:5). Paul told Titus the same thing, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful: he is self-condemend (Titus 3:10).”

IN ALL OF THESE CASES, it is the leadership calling out the wolves. Be alert.

What do you do with all of this? I can’t emphasize to you enough the need to allow the Holy Spirit to evaluate YOUR heart first. Ask the Lord, “God, which of these am I?” When God reveals sin, He does so in a loving, yet forceful way. THEN, approach someone who knows you well and whom you respect their walk with Jesus. SAY, “I feel like the Lord is showing me that I am a __________, what do you think about that?” Give them the freedom to speak gospel-centered truth into your life. This, friends, is what a gospel-change community looks like. Change is a community project.

For the kingdom,

LUCA

No longer are we slaves, but we are sons and daughters.

No longer do we live in fear, but we live in freedom, putting death the flesh through the power of the Spirit.

No longer do we depend on outward duties, but we depend upon the inner testimony of the Spirit of God which screams, cries, and yells  out about this relationship, “Abba! {Dad}”

In John 14, Jesus says that He is going to send the Holy Spirit to be our Comfortor, Counselor, Strengthener, or Advocate (depending on your translation). The Spirit is our paraklete. One of the primary reasons Jesus sent the Holy Spirit was to comfort/strengthen us in the midst of this world, allowing us to be made more into the image of Jesus through the power of the Spirit.

Yesterday, in our Connection time, we discussed three reasons why we don’t feel like these truths are a present reality in our lives.

1. We might not have the testimony of the love of God in our lives through the Spirit of God because we aren’t children of God. We might have the head knowledge of the gospel, but we’ve never had the heart transplant of the New Covenant–a heart of stone being taken out and a heart of flesh being given to us by God.

2. We might not have this relationship with God through the Spirit because our lives are way too safe or comfortable. We discussed times in our lives when we had to depend on the Holy Spirit for direction, guidance, strength and comfort. For many of us, it was a recent trip oversees where we didn’t know the culture, language, or lay of the land. Yet, we knew that our desire to share the gospel broke through all of those barriers because of the Holy Spirit. Still others, it was a huge life-situation–cancer, loss of loved one, divorce, guts to bring sin to the light–that we knew was the Holy Spirit working in us.

If however, we had to think for awhile of the last time that we HAD to depend upon the Spirit (which is funny, because as children of God we are to be the ones that are led by the Spirit of God according to Romans 8), then it wasn’t that our God was too small, it was that our lives are too safe.

3. Another barrier, Noise. One of the most observed and bemoaned aspects of life in our day and age is the rapid pace of everything (says Francis Chan in Forgotten God). “When we’re not busy at work, we’re on the phone or talking to friends and family. Even inanimate objects demand our attention–televisions, ipods, radios, computers, books, and so on.

We asked: When was the last time you sat quietly with nothing at all to distract you? What was it like?

As I eavesdropped on some of your group conversations I heard that it was sometime in college, a retreat, or an extended camping trip where you were able to just get away. While attending Liberty in Virginia, I had my spot. It was about an hour away from campus. The hike was beautiful, but at the end there was a huge waterfall. I would often sit and just listen, talking to the Lord, spending some time in solitude for hours. In Tennessee, I had my spot. It was near an inner city ministry that my wife and I worked with called The Oak Project. One involved nature, the other centered around people. If Jesus, Creator and Sustainer, had to get away from the crowd in order to spend time in prayer… I’m pretty sure that I’m in even more need of this discipline. (If you haven’t studied the life of Jesus, the rhythms of his life between ministry, disciples, and getting away… you need to.)

You may need to do something about this right now.

Your life may have become so busy and noisy that you haven’t sat alone with God for weeks, months, maybe even years. God jealously desires intimacy with you, His child. If that’s the case, set it aside and spend some time speaking and listening to Him directly. You don’t have to find a waterfall. His presence and Spirit are everywhere. We just need to be more aware of Him.

Prayerfully, list some things in your journal or wherever you write things down that keep you from a real relationship with God. Seriously, ask God, “God, what is it that is keeping me from this intimacy with you?” Whatever it is, no matter how long ago it was or how far out there it seems, write it down.

Then, consider which of those things you need to get rid of in order to pursue intimacy with God? Determine how to do this. For some of you, it is the cell phone. Yeah, you don’t want to cut the service off… but you may need to turn it off at night. Yet, for others… it is constant activity with other people instead of slowing down, clearning out the airwaves in your life, and allowing the Lord to speak. Television, facebook, video games, fitness… those were all things that were mentioned yesterday.

Warning, you don’t want to enter into legalism with this one. A good rule of thumb, take each thing or relationship and ask, “Does this stir my affections for Jesus, making me more like Him, or does this turn my affections away from Jesus?”

As I said yesterday, I hope this doesn’t come across as harsh or accusing. The bottom line is, the Lord wants to pursue a relationship with you through His Spirit. In fact, He gave His life for that end. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13-14). Jesus died so that you could receive the Spirit. He purchased intimacy for you at the greatest possible price.

1. theGATHERING-ACTS CHALLENGE

On Wednesdays we’re accepting the ACTS challenge–consistently spend time in the book of Acts each day, memorize Scripture, and come to theGATHERING on Wednesday nights to discuss. Comment below if you’re gutsy enough to grow. You’ll be entered to win the great give away.

Details: each day at 6:00 AM the post will go up (first one will be on Thursday, June 3rd). You’ll be able to find it here or on the facebook page. You can subscribe to the post and get it sent directly to your email address each day. The idea is for you to observe Scripture for yourself, spend time meditating on it, and then consider ways that it applies to your life. You’ll be given some tips on what to look at and what to do each day, which will take you between 20 and 30 minutes. You’ll write down your observations in a notebook. On Wednesday nights, at theGATHERING, we’re going to discuss what you’ve learned. STELLAR!

2. Connection-Sunday mornings at 9:15

POWERFUL? When is the last time someone used that word to describe you? It doesn’t make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurity. He put His Spirit in us so that we could be energized to be His witnesses. Sadly, most believers and churches are known for their intellect or talent rather than their supernatural-transformation power. What’s worse…

we’re okay with it.

On Sundays we’ll be walking through Forgotten God: Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan and the Bible study that goes along with it. It’s time for the beloved church of Jesus Christ to reverse the trend of neglect. Together, we’ll consider how to pursue the walking by the Spirit and a life of effectiveness for the sake of the kingdom.

You can pick up the book at any bookstore, but we have several copies available for $12 at the connection desk and Gathering Office.

3. Community Groups

What happens when we put what we’re learning in the Word (Acts) + the thoughts we’re thinking about the Holy Spirit (Forgotten God) + the urgency and unity of the Great Commission? Yup, community groups-doing life together for the sake of the lost in our community.

Groups are revamping for the Summer months. If you’re interested in a group in your area, call the Gathering office so that we can get you hooked up, plugged in, and living on mission for DFW with some pretty sweet people.

@faithtood

These past couple of months have been really challenging for me. I was in the Forgiveness 9:15 Connection Class for the last 6 weeks. Many issues were addressed, among them what it truly means to forgive- the question being “Do I want to get well,” and am I willing to take the step of obedience with forgiveness so that I might grow closer to Christ.

After about the 3rd time of hearing the verse out of Epheshians 4:30-32 I realized what the Lord was trying to say to me. The verse starts out with “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” After realizing the way I had been grieving the Holy Spirit with my unforgiveness of multiple people in the past, I couldn’t function anymore.

I was paralyzed with Truth that I ignored.

I ignored it because I did not want to deal with it. T

his is evidence of the disobedience in my heart.

As a result of disobedience in the area of unforgivness, roots of bitterness began to grow in my life which led to anger. Anger was one major thing I struggled with a great deal before becoming a believer.

I began putting on a mask that read, “I’m fine on the outside”,

but in reality on the inside I was a wreck. I began to feel like a person that was not the reflection of Christ.

The following verses were used to get me: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 talks about being an Ambassador for Christ and being reconciled to Him; Ephesians 4:32 it says,”Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you,’; and Galatians 5:22 talks about character…none of these qualities was I exhibiting. I was challenged with my priorities and more deeply my integrity in Christ. I began to pray one of my favorite verses, Psalm 139: 23-24, “Search me, oh God,and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Note to self, when praying this, be prepared for God to rock your world.)

After lots of time praying this I felt like it was time to deal face to face with the unforgiveness I had allowed to pile up in my life. I began seeking forgiveness for things I had done from people and God, and forgiving those who I had not forgiven. This was no easy task, some of it involved facing demons from my past which lead to distrust in people,

but God’s grace and mercy

became so clear and almost tangible in each situation of addressing my the offenses in my life.

Talk about experiencing a battle of the flesh and the Spirit. My flesh was saying, “Dont show mercy- its weakness, be mad they hurt you, they dont deserve your forgiveness” and the Spirit was saying, “Forgive as I have forgiven you, love because I first loved you.” I began to experience healing, grace and mercy in new ways that I had never really experienced before.

More of Faith’s story will be told in the weeks to come. Do you have a story of what God has been doing in  your life as a result of the truths that you’ve discovered? Let us know!

Would you like more information about our 9:15 Connection Classes which focus on discovering the truth for yourself? If so, fill out the contact form.

The resources used was an inductive study on the topic of forgiveness; click here to find out more about this resource and other inductive studies visit

In order to follow after Jesus, to be His disciple, we must come to place where we are intent on imitating and becoming like Him. All of life is centered around that one thing: Knowing God and being transformed into His image.We look to Him to lead us in this endeavor.

In order to follow Him these things must take place:

1. A disciple submits to the authority of  the Teacher

2. A disciple learns the words of the Teacher

3. A disciple learns the methods of the Teacher

4. A disciple imitates the life and character of the Teacher

With all of this in mind, we have some ways for you to awaken to what God wants to do in your heart through His Spirit and the Word of God. We’re going to give you every opportunity to allow the Word of God to take root in your heart through our Connection Classes.

Starting January 10th at 9:15 we’re going to begin a 6 week journey. You’re going to commit to a group that is going to walk through a text & topic together. Included below is a list of the topics. Know that it isn’t merely a topical bible study, but rather a study that will force you to wrestle with God’s Word for yourself through inductive study. In other words, you’re going straight to the source, allowing God to be your teacher, so that it comes directly from Him to you. Through the topics you’ll discover truth for yourself, what God says, and how it applies to your life in community today.

2 things for you to do before Sunday:

1. Prayerfully consider which class and community the Lord is leading you to roll up your sleeves and get messy with. Remember, prayer + Word is where we’re at.

2. Ask the Lord to bring two or three people to your mind. Intercede for them. Ask the Lord to bring them to the place where they connect with us as we unpack these huge truths. If the people you pray for need a little word of encouragement to connect with us this Sunday… then send them a message via facebook, post this to your page, send it via twitter, write it up in an email.. use the social media tools.

The Connection Classes:

Be REAL-For the guys

religion or relationship? churched or changed? Discover what it means to be real, authentic, and genuine in a relationship with God. Get to the core of what life with God through Christ is really about.

FORGIVE-all the single ladies

As imperfect people living in an imperfect world, we eventually find ourselves needing to extend or receive forgiveness in nearly every relationship. But when the wounds run deep, forgiveness doesn’t come easy. Discover how to forgive when the pain is great, whether or not forgiving means forgetting, and what happens if someone chooses not to forgive.

PERSEVER -An all guys class and an all girls class

Did you think all the problems we’re going to go away when you become a believer?Do you look at others and they seem to have it altogether, but you feel like you’re on a roller coaster of one trial to the next? Discover how to respond to life’s most difficult challenges and find hope to live for one thing.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR STANDING-A coed class

Knowing and operating out of your identity in Christ; do you think life is a checklist of do’s and dont’s? Do you think the Christian life is simply about trying harder? Discover principles about who you are in Christ and how it can make all the difference in every area of your life.

Yup, that is what resolute means.

Just wondering, what are you resolute to make happen in 2010? According to Websters, some synonyms of resolute are “bold” and “steady.” As you look back over the terrain of 2009, possibly even the entire decade, what is the Lord stirring within you? As you look forward you must remember the destination–the city of God, the place where death’s funeral will take place and where you will bask in the presence of the Lord.

With this destination, I John 3:1-5 style–in what areas of your life are you going to be resolute in 2010? More than goals and weight loss fads, what sanctified steps is the Lord leading you to make for the sake of the kingdom? Leave your comment via facebook or twitter in the space below.

As we determine to let it seep down into every aspect of our living, we’re forced to deal with some haunting places within our hearts. For the past six main Connection classes we’ve been walking through a series entitled re:{relate}.

We began with Eden, where we saw God’s original purpose for men, women, relationships with Him, and relationships with each other. We’ve been keeping before us the truth that God is a good God. God looked over what He had made, formed, and fashioned and said, “It is very good!”

Yet, the willful disobedience of our first parents ushered in the perversion of all things relationships. The gender roles of men, women, and how we relate with one another have all be skewed. Even more alarming, our relationship with the one who breathed life into us has been marred.

How do we, as men and women, get back to being an image bearer of Jesus Christ when it comes to our sexuality?

Below is a brief summary of our time together (I apologize for the technical difficulties with the podcast) followed by some practical tips and resources.

With the understanding that God is a good God and the giver of good gifts, we recognized the importance of realizing that His desire for our sexual purity is based out of His goodness. This, of course is radically different than viewing God as the cosmic killjoy in the sky who doesn’t want His creation to have any pleasure at all.

I Thessalonians 4:1-8 is pretty clear on God’s intent for us as His children. God’s will for us to be sanctified, conformed to the image of Christ, especially in regards to our sexuality. As a child of God, we’ve been called to holiness and honor when it comes to our sexuality. There is to be a marked difference as the Gospel seeps down to our core. We asked the hard question: When it comes to your sin, are you more committed to your sin or to God?

We’ve determined that we need to actively apply Romans 12:1-2 everyday. We can’t be conformed to the pattern of this world when it comes to it’s preoccupation with sex. We must be transformed by the renewing of our mind. If we’re involved in sexual sin, we must get past the action to the deep seated issue of the heart. We’ve got to get past the symptom and get to the cancer. We must realize that actions reveal the heart. We must stop believing the lie that something else besides Jesus will bring us satisfaction.

Again, the gospel is penetrating to the deep places of our heart. How do we, as a generation inundated with sexual propaganda everyday, develop a battle plan?

1. The Gospel is Key.

One dealing with sexual sin must come to grips with the Gospel of Grace. A heart transplant, within the new covenant of grace, must take place. You, my friend, cannot defeat this sin on your own. You can try every form of will power, but apart from the gospel your flesh can’t fight flesh. If you’re dealing with sexual sin, you must rehearse the Gospel–God’s holiness, your sin, God’s mercy and grace in Christ Jesus who became sin for so that we might be the righteousness of God. Obedience flows from heart that responds to the gospel in gratitude. You must be motivated by the Gospel in order to make war against sin.

2. The Word of God is key.

If you have a sin problem you have a word problem. You’ve got to build the arsenal. You’ve got to put the fighter verses all around you, chew on them, and use them in combat. You can’t just memorize, you’ve got to believe by faith in the heat of the battle for mind. You’ve got to kill sin, as Romans 6 talks about, with the word of God and the Spirit of God. Here are some fighter verses:

Romans 6 (Yep, the whole chapter)

Philippians 4:8 (the 48 Magnum)

II Corinthians 10:5

2 Timothy 2:22 -note that it isn’t enough to just flee, but you’ve got to be pursuing something else. Not that the battle isn’t one of isolation, but you’re fighting it with others who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

I Corinthians 6:13-20–What is your motivation? The gospel. You are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price. Therefore… as a result of this great price that was paid, honor God with your body.

Galatians 5:16–What beast are you feeding? If you’ve been feeding the beast of lust, then accept the gospel and starve the beast of lust. Starve it and it will become less of a force in your life. Feed the beast of the Spirit of God through prayer, the word, the gospel, and biblical community and that beast will win.

Galatians 5:22-25

Rehearse stories like Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 37) and David and Bathsheba (1 Samuel 11) and Nathan’s confrontation of David in the following chapter. Meditate on Psalm 51 and I John 1:9.

All of these force us to ask these questions:

-have you ever been frightened by your sin? Not scared that you’d get caught, but frightened? When? How did you react?

-in what way does lust, pornography, and masturbation make a mockery of God’s design for sex?

-Do you, as a child of God, believe that Jesus alone satisfies? Do you believe that God has given you everything you need for life and godliness in Christ Jesus?

-As Jesus said to the lame man, “Do you want to get well?”-we have guys within the group who’ve decided not to have internet at their house; they check their email at the library. We’ve had intervention type meetings in apartments and dorm rooms as guys have rallied the troops around them to pray for them and hold the accountable. The Gospel is powerful. The Spirit is powerful. The Word of God is powerful, but do you want it to do what it is capable of doing?

Resources:

Sex is not the problem (Lust is) – a Gospel driven look on how to confront sexual sin with the truth of God’s word.

XXXChurch.com–Stories, testimonies, free Internet software for your computer, podcasts, and an interactive online Bible study.

Covenant Eyes–An Internet accountability software that send a record of the Internet sites visited to several accountability partners.

Pure Life Ministries–More DVDs, testimonies, counseling

Celebrate Recovery--meets every Wed night before theGATHERING

Men’s Bible study is a place where men are getting intentional about using the word of God and the Spirit of God to fight to be God’s men.

On January 3rd, we’ll reveal a new study for guys that need a battle plan. 9:15 connection class where you’re getting to the nitty gritty about the gospel and temptation.

The two becoming one-flesh; “It was very good!” Sexuality built into the marriage relationship, the oneness, unity, and intimacy was VERY Good. Our parents, Adam and Eve, were naked and not ashamed. And then, cue the music, Genesis 3 happens. The train-wreck, the Mac Truck of rebellion against God effects every aspect of life, including sexuality. What was good is now wrecked. The image of God in man is now marred. Perversion has taken root through sin.

Hear God’s message, God’s boundaries, God’s instruction, and God’s plan of restoration through the Gospel.

Join First Singles and First University for our annual Thanksgiving Feast. We’ll be celebrating God’s goodness together after church on Sunday. Cracker Barrel will be catering, the girls are testing their Martha Stewart skills by decorating tables, and you’re invited to celebrate with us.

Come on, five bucks! Who isn’t a fan of Cracker Barrel for five bucks! Well, there is another catch to it as well. Thanksgiving is all about recognizing that you’ve been blessed to be a blessing. While we’re enjoying food, there are countless individuals in our church community who aren’t able to make ends meet. This year we’re going to partner with the Young Mom’s By Choice Community at First Euless. This group of young moms have made the choice to keep their children instead of getting an abortion. This is our opportunity to pray for them and shower them with gifts and necessities.

SO, in addition to your five bucks, bring some diapers. Each Wednesday and Sunday, the young moms are given diapers for their kids. It is an item that they literally can’t do without. Anything from Newborns to size two would be great. If the Lord lays it on your heart to bring other baby items, go for it!

One more thing, we need to you to RSVP so that the lovely Andrea Davis can order enough food from Cracker Barrel. Go to the first singles facebook page and click on the events tab. Sign-er-up. You are a fan of First Singles… right?

In order to understand how to re:{relate} with the opposite sex, we’ve got to know how God created us, why He created us, and how that should affect where we are today.

In this episode of re:{relate} we go back to the origin of manhood and femininity, when God breathed and created man in His image. Break out Genesis 1.