WALK THE LINE Colossians 1:18-23

Posted on July 31, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog, Sermons

“No one can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.” (Nathaniel Hawthorne) Chris Seay in his book “The Gospel According to Tony Soprano” highlights the scene where Tony the mob boss takes his daughter on a college tour in the Northeast. While visiting colleges with his daughter he sees a former mobster turned informant, now in the witness protection program. Tony leaves his daughter and summarily goes and kills the informant before returning to his daughter and taking her to another interview. As he waits outside the office the words of Hawthorne are on the wall above him. We have a way of confusing life.

We live in a world that has not only blurred the lines between right and wrong but it has altogether erased them. ‘Reality, right and wrong are what you make them’ is the latest mantra. When the lines disappear you lose track of where you are. Last week we explored the question of “Where am I”? and this week we will continue to address the same question. But from a narrower perspective. While Christ created and sustains the universe. While the universe is framed within him, goes through him and is progressing toward him; what is our relation to him personally? Where are you in your walk with God?

Johnny Cash sang, “because you’re mine, I walk the line.” In Colossians, Paul is saying, because of Christ, we walk the line. Paul affirms the God has forgiven us, is at peace with us and has been reconciled toward us. All this has been accomplished through Christ and his cross. For Paul the death and resurrection of Jesus is at the center of addressing our relation to God. Our standing with God pivots on the shed blood of Christ (20).

Christ’s goal is to present us holy, blameless and above reproach to God the Father. We walk the line by practicing these qualities. Tragically we live in a world that rejects a fixed standard of holiness or a God who is holy. As Christians we live in a world where the lines have been blurred. The cross of Jesus reaffirms the line between sin and righteousness. Where are you in your walk with Jesus? As Christians when we blur the lines we not only lose track of where we are but we ultimately lose sight of who we are. “No man can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.” Because you’re Christ’s, walk the line. WHB

Weekly Bulletin – August 3, 2008

Posted on July 31, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
Aug 3, 2008
WELCOME!

As we open our hearts to God, may we extend our hands in friendship to one another. May all who have come to worship know that they’re sincerely welcomed  in this house of God.  If you are visiting us, please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

(There will be no Children’s Church during July & August)

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.

TODAY:  Informational meeting after S.S. in the Chapel, about Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

TONIGHT: No Evening Service

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

New Young Adult Class coming soon! All young adults (from seniors in high school on up) are welcome to join Will Reichel downstairs during Sunday School beginning sometime in August. Make sure to buy a copy of John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” for the class, if you haven’t already. You won’t want to miss it!!!

MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IN JULY:  $1800.00 so far.
We will continue to collect for our Missionary Christmas gifts thru the month of August. Our desire is to collect at least $780.00 more. That would give each of six missionary families a $430.00 gift.  If just 30 people could contribute $26.00 this month we would reach our goal. 

Help Wanted: Davis College is looking for full time & part time workers in the kitchen & café.  If you are interested, please call Shelly Joy Wilcox, 607-729-1581 ext. 403.
                  
Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!

Protected: Prayer Requests – July 30, 2008

Posted on July 30, 2008 
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Weekly Bulletin – July 27, 2008

Posted on July 24, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
July 27, 2008
WELCOME!

With enthusiasm and goodwill, we WELCOME each person to this worship service.  We encourage everyone present to reach out with greetings and good cheer  to those around them.  Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

(There will be no Children’s Church during July & August)

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.

TONIGHT: No Evening Service

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEW YOUNG ADULT CLASS coming soon! All young adults (from seniors in high school on up) are welcome to join Will Reichel downstairs during Sunday School beginning sometime in August. Make sure to buy a copy of John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” for the class, if you haven’t already. You won’t want to miss it!!!

MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IN JULY:  $1500.00 so far. The month of July is almost over, but we will continue to take your donations thru-out the month of August.  It is our desire to be able to send our missionaries at least as much this year as last, but it would be much nicer to send them even more.  We appreciate anything you can contribute.

FCC Directory Note:  New telephone number for Don & Debby Dickson,       (607) 231-0953

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!
 

“OZ” Colossians 1:15-19

Posted on July 24, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog, Sermons

“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” (Dorothy, from The Wizard Of Oz). If you’ve ever traveled chances are you have asked yourself, “Where am I?” One of the worst feelings is to be somewhere and be completely unaware as to where “somewhere” is. At that point my wife likes to use the word ‘lost”. We are usually in a vehicle and she informs me that we are lost and have no clue as to where we are. To which I promptly respond, “I know where I’m going.”

Did you catch that. I think reading helps see it better. How can one possibly know where they are going if they don’t know where they are? The appropriate term would be “bearings”. When I am hunting in big woods, I like to keep my bearings; landmarks, slope and direction. It helps me get back to the truck, even in the dark. When I take my daughter with me into the woods I am constantly asking her, “Where are we?” “How can we remember this place?” “How do we get back to the truck?” “How do you know that’s the right direction?”

Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz had found herself in similar circumstances. She had lost her bearings. She neither knew where she was nor how it was she could get home. How ironic, she was dreaming (singing) about going “somewhere over the rainbow” only to discover that the place she wanted to get back to was home. Welcome to the human race (pun intended). The quest of every soul. One’s longing for home. But we have lost our bearings; All we like sheep have gone astray.

We need to answer the question, “Where am I?” But to do so we need to “get our bearings.” That’s where the Apostle Paul and Colossians 1 come in. If we are to understand where we are one has to understand it in relation to something (or in our case ‘someone’) else. “Where am I” is not only a physical question but it can be a philosophical/theological one as well. The Bible teaches that we are a part of God’s creation uniquely designed to relate to him. For instance we learn in Genesis that we were created in the image of God. And that everything God created was “good”. Paul narrows the discussion in Colossians and addresses our (creation) relation to Jesus Christ. What we discover is that the world is a place of meaning and purpose as defined by Jesus Christ. In fact the world would not and could not exist apart from Christ. Our very existence is tied to Jesus. Today the world is very worried about its destiny. What it (we) should be concerned with is the destiny of Jesus. For our destiny is dependent upon the destiny of Christ. In Colossians 1:15-17 Paul makes it clear that the world is subservient to Jesus, exists through Jesus, is progressing toward Jesus (as Savior, Judge and Executioner) and cannot exist outside or or apart from Jesus.

Where am I? I’m on earth, a place created by a personal God who wants to relate to us. He has done so through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord of all creation. He determines what is right and what is wrong. He controls time. He gives life meaning and purpose. He holds the world accountable for its actions. He (God) has made himself known. All will one day face him. To deny him in this life is to suffer eternal loss in the next life. In fact I would go so far as to say Jesus is the meaning and purpose of life. Without him you have no bearings. You are lost, neither knowing where you are nor how to get ‘”somewhere over the rainbow.” “If you were raised with Christ…. you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1a,3-4) WHB

Protected: Prayer Requests – July 23, 2008

Posted on July 23, 2008 
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IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES Colossians 1:9-13

Posted on July 17, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog, Sermons

“We may talk about conquering the world for Christ. But what sort of ‘conquest’ do we mean? Not a victory by force of arms…. This is a battle of ideas” (John Stott). At the core of how we live is our own perspective on life. Whether consciously or unconsciously how we ‘think’ is directing how we ‘live’. Or as Michael Milton put it, “Ideas have consequences.” We are about to embark on our latest sermon series, “God’s answers to life’s biggest questions.” This is a series whereby we will be exploring how God sees the world. As Christians we in turn should take our view of the world based upon the revelation of God. That is the Bible tells us how we should see the world and think about it. In the old days this was called ‘philosophy of life” (the term I prefer). But today it is being called, “worldview”. This new series is a quest to see the world the way God sees it. Along the way we will be answering some of the most disturbing questions that haunt us. Such as, “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?”.

Our primary text will be the book of Colossians. It is a book where we learn that Christ is our life, we are to beware of the vain philosophies of men and Paul’s prayer is that we will be overtaken by God’s will and wisdom for spiritual understanding. Paul understood that ideas have consequences. The great thing about Colossians is that it is a Christ-o-centric book. Jesus is at the center of Paul’s worldview. In Paul’s mind the entire universe revolves around the Son of God. Jesus Christ is literally holding it together. Amazingly God the Father sent his Son into the world and to the cross to bear the burden of our sin. Christ and his cross should be etched in every Christians mind and be influencing how we see the world and respond to what is happening around us. In Paul’s mind Jesus was Lord of all and that mindset changed the way he thought and lives his life.

Ideas have consequences. And we are in a battle for the mind. The voices of the media, politicians, education and other philosophies are constantly  bombarding us and influencing what we think and ultimately believe about life and eternity. More then ever before we as Christians need to learn to think from a biblical perspective. Which means we have to have an intimate relationship with Scripture. It is not enough to be able to recite verses from the Bible but we must understand God’s word and practice what the text preaches. If we do not learn to think biblically we are nothing more than sheep being lead to the slaughterhouse of ideas.                         WHB

Weekly Bulletin – July 20, 2008

Posted on July 17, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
July 20, 2008
WELCOME!

With enthusiasm and goodwill, we WELCOME each person to this worship service.  We encourage everyone present to reach out with greetings and good cheer to those around them.  Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

(There will be no Children’s Church during July & August)

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

 PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.

TONIGHT: Family Movie Night, 6:00 PM – “Ruth”

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

New Young Adult Class coming soon! All young adults (from seniors in high school on up) are welcome to join Will Reichel downstairs during Sunday School beginning sometime in August. Make sure to buy a copy of John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” for the class, if you haven’t already. You won’t want to miss it!!!

MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IN JULY:  $1075.00 so far.
There is a box by the bulletin board for your contributions for our Missionary Christmas Gifts. Pick up a “Mission Offering” envelope to use if you would like a receipt for your contribution.

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!

 

Protected: Prayer Requests – July 16, 2008

Posted on July 17, 2008 
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Weekly Bulletin – July 13, 2008

Posted on July 10, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
July 13, 2008
WELCOME!

With enthusiasm and goodwill, we WELCOME each person to this worship service. We encourage everyone present to reach out with greetings and good cheer to those around them.  Please fill out a visitor card before you leave today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
   
PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC    

(There will be no Children’s Church during July & August)

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL, NEXT!
There are classes for every age.

THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
 Nursery Workers desperately needed! Word of Life / Gopher Leaders needed for the coming year. Please contact Megan Reed, 775-1719

MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS IN JULY:
There is a box by the bulletin board for your contributions for our Missionary Christmas Gifts. Pick up a “Mission Offering” envelope to use if you would like a receipt for your contribution.

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!
 

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