blog moving

This blog, in it's capacity as a continuation of our Journey teaching discussions, has now moved to this location. Please change your RSS feed to match. I'll keep this blog open and live for some of my more random thoughts.

Genesis 11

Tonight we talked about Gen 11, but only the first section b/c the section following is a bunch of genealogy stuff. The podcast messed up so there's no audio. Sorry. Read through the scripture and then check these thoughts. Some are things that I'm not necessarily convinced of, but they are thoughts to start off with...

Is this a story about pride and human accomplishment?
Is it a story about isolationism and not following God’s command in Genesis 9:1?
Is it a story about homogeneity vs. diversity?
Is it a story of God continuing the spread of humanity and preventing pre-flood conditions?

If a group has an isolationist mentality with complete unity of mind, does this create some danger for society and the world?

What does this mean for the church that is sometimes isolationist in the name of unity, all the while the church in scripture is being called to unity and mission?

Isolationism is in conflict with Matthew 28:18-20. Following this scripture we see Acts 2 (Pentecost) and the use of language to further the message of Jesus to all parts of the world.

What are your thoughts? Chime in...

Genesis 8

We talked about the continuing saga of Noah and the flood.. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points that we talked about:

This story draws a comparison to our lives and the “storms” that we experience. What lessons can we learn from how Noah followed the Lord through the storm?

Noah and his family may have desired to stay in the ark rather than venture out into a new world. Are there areas that God is calling you to, but you have not yet left the safety of familiarity?

Noah’s first reaction after this encounter is to make an offering to God. What does this teach us? What is your first reaction after “riding out the storm?”

Any thoughts to share? Please chime in...

Genesis 7

We continued the story of Noah with Genesis 7. Here's the podcast. We didn't have discussion points per se, but we did have a few themes that came out in the midst of our conversation.

We talked about the importance of the ark in the midst of the storm. God saved Noah through the storm, not from the storm. The storm still happened and God provided a way for Noah in the midst of it. This idea came from my friend Michele.

We talked about the symbolism of the ark compared to the role that Jesus plays for us. Ryan pointed out that in Genesis 7 God wipes out mankind while saving one man (and his family by default). Jesus came as one man, to die, to save all mankind. Great insight.

What else is there? Thoughts to share?

Genesis 6

Alright. This is an odd chapter. Odd beginning. Familiar ending. All of it weaves in the the theme of God's provision in the midst of man's disobedience. Here's the podcast.

No specific questions this time. We had a lot of discussion on Sunday night. Some of it about the concept of how good or bad they were at the time of chapter 6 compared with now. Some of it about how this chapter can seem like a downer but is an actual encouragement to those who seek God.

Etc. etc. Read the chapter. What are your thoughts, insights or questions?

Reverse post

Okay. So usually I post after the Sunday night teaching. This time I want to post before. This weekend we're talking about Genesis 6 (skipping 5 b/c it's mostly genealogy). What do you make of that stuff? It's certainly not one you're going to hear preached on most mornings in most churches. Obviously the Noah stuff we've heard before, but the first section? There are LOTS of varied thoughts on this one. What are yours?

Thoughts? Please??

Genesis 4

We continue our walk through Genesis as we come to the first children on earth and the first murder. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points:

The difference between Cain and Abel’s offering came down to the heart and the personal cost. What are you offering to God?

God steps in to intervene with Cain, but Cain must still make a decision of how to proceed. In spite of Cain’s decision, God still extends love and protection to him. What does this say to you about God’s love for His people?

What other questions or insights does this chapter raise?

Chime in...

Inequity of Wealth

I just read this statistic:

The combined wealth of the worlds' three richest people is greater than the combined Gross Domestic Product of the world's poorest 48 nations.

That's terribly sad. Maybe sad isn't even the proper word.. We have professional athletes pissing and moaning b/c suddenly $3 million a year isn't enough to put food on the table, all while people literally have no food and no table.

Recently I read about the United Arab Emirates where they have been auctioning off license plates with single digit numbers on them. I don't know if they've gotten to number 1 or not. They started with 9 and worked backwards. These license plates are going for millions of dollars. A license plate. And the proceeds are going to the department of traffic or something (I can't really remember).

Is there a possibility of bringing some equity to the world's wealth? Is there a chance of eliminating poverty? I don't know the first thing about the economics of this and the whole deal with capitalism and the other "ism's" so please don't go off on that. I just wonder if we will ever see the rich helping the poor. I'd like to think that I would if I had millions. It makes me wonder what I can do now with my thousands, compared to the millions or billions that others have.

What do you think about this? How do you see the average person being able to make a dent in this. And will we ever see the ridiculously wealthy doing the same?

Earth Day

Tuesday is Earth Day which began back in 1970. It began as an effort to raise awareness of the earth and the care for it. Today it is far more chic to "go green" than it was back then. Earth Day then was far more for the environmentalists and "tree huggers." Now even large corporations are going green and caring for the planet (though some are going green and selling organic all the while carrying out deplorable work conditions and putting small business out of work). The question is really about how we as the church are responding.

As we have recently begun studying Genesis it is very clear that God created the earth and was pretty pleased with it. God called it good. And God created man and woman to care for it. Some translations that we have today create the feeling that we have dominion over the earth in that we can use and abuse it for our purposes. The original words used, however, are much closer to the meaning of caretaker. God created us to be the caretakers of earth; to care for the earth as God's prized creation.

What are we doing to lead the charge in caring for God's creation?

Genesis 3

We continue with our walk through Genesis. Here we see the breaking of relationship between God and humankind. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points:

The serpent doesn’t really tempt Eve as much as he raises doubt about the truth of God’s Word. Do we still see that tactic today and how can we be ready for that? (Eve’s response to doubt was the real issue.)

As a result of this interaction with the serpent we now see guilt, shame, and fear enter humanity. We still battle these today even though we were created for wholeness and relationship with God. What is our role as a community in helping meet the needs of each other, and the greater community, who are struggling with guilt, shame, and fear?

Genesis 3 is both a story for then, but also a story for now. How do you see this doubt of God’s Word happening in your life and in our community?

What other questions or insights does this raise?

What do you think? Let's continue the discussion here.

Genesis 2

We continue to look at the creation account with chapter 2. This chapter is a closer look at creation of humankind. Here's the podcast. Here's the discussion points that we used:

What further revelation of creation does this chapter give us compared to chapter 1? How is it significant to you? How is it significant to us as a community?

In comparing the Bible with other early religions, it becomes clear that humans were the plan and desire of God compared with being an after-thought of the gods. How does this affect your desire of relationship with God?

What is a new insight for you from this chapter? What is a new question for you from this chapter?

Do you have any thoughts to share?

In the Beginning

Phew. Tonight at Journey we began a walk through a new book of the Bible. Not tht the book itself is new but that we newly began this look at the book. Yeah. So we are embarking on the journey through Genesis. It's a long one, but full of lots of fun stuff. Here's the podcast. Here are some of the thoughts that got our conversation going...

God created the earth, therefore we should care for the earth. God created humans, therefore we should care for humans. We, as created ones, should long to reflect something of the Creator. No person is insignificant and no part of the created order is without meaning.

The creation story is consistent throughout major religions and many minor religions, with the exception of the personal nature of God’s love for people. Only the God of the Bible embodies this love.

What questions or insights does this raise?

Other thoughts? This is a great chapter for conversation. Join in...

Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18 was our text for Easter Sunday. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points that we used:

We view the story of Easter from the back side. Does this help us have more or less joy than the original disciples must have felt?

Jesus left the disciples a message that He was coming back. How do you think this message helped them? What does it say to us today?

Grief veiled Mary’s vision, but it was the voice of Jesus that gave her clarity. Are we in tune with our Shepherd that we know His voice? If not, how do we get there?

Where else is God speaking to you today?

Another nugget that Ryan caught and we talked about was this thought, "Mary was so focused on looking where Jesus wasn't, that she failed to look where Jesus was." Is that like us in any way?

Thoughts?

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. He was declared King and celebrated. One week later he was killed. Ugly.

Tonight we finished our study of Philippians 4 with a short walk through and discussion. Then we took some time to walk through Mark 11:1-10 in observance of Palm Sunday. So we've posted two podcasts, one for each of those teachings.

Here are the discussion points for Philippians 4:

What is the difference between your personal praying style and praying as Paul describes in vs. 6, 7?

Paul teaches the church that their gifts to support his ministry work are actually gifts to God. This is much like giving to the church. How, if at all, does this change your perspective on giving?

What thoughts or insights have you gained from our study of Philippians? How has it impacted you?

Chime in. Ready...go!

Philippians 3

We continue our walk through Philippians. This chapter definitely has a different flavor than the first two chapters. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points:

Paul lists his resume of accomplishments that would typically give him status. He called it all garbage. Have you been stockpiling spiritual accomplishments in order to raise your status? What in your life “needs to go”?

In what ways are you impacted by Paul’s view of his personal pursuit of God and his encouragement of us to do the same? How does it alter your personal pursuit of God? How should it impact the way you share Jesus with others?

What other questions does this raise?

Thoughts? Other Questions? Comments? Snide remarks?

Philippians 2

We continued our walk through a short but impactful book. Philippians 2 reminds us of the example of Jesus and encourages us to unity in the church. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points that we had:

It’s easy to look at this passage in terms of our own personal lives, and indeed we must work on these character traits as followers of Jesus. But how do we live these out in the context of community?

In what ways was Jesus counter-cultural in His approach to reaching the world? What does His example mean for you?

Timothy and Epaphroditus were immediate examples of what Paul was talking about. What step can you take toward living out these teachings more fully?

What other questions does this text raise?

Please join in our conversation here...

Philippians 1

Tonight we started a new study, a walk through the book of Philippians. Here's the podcast and here's the questions that discussed.

Paul exemplifies two great character traits: 1) a life of joy; and 2) big picture view. How can you implement these into your life? How would your life look different?

How you react to situations is a testimony either to what God is doing in your life, or what you are trying to do on your own. What statement are you making with your life?

Whether free or in jail, Paul never falters in his mission of sharing the gospel of Jesus with others. Where is “sharing the gospel” in your list of priorities?

Please continue the discussion with us here online.

Celebration and Vision

Tonight at Journey we took a break in our teaching schedule to do some celebrating and dreaming. We spent some time sharing in our community about what God has been doing in our lives over the past year. Then we spent some time looking forward to what God might do in the midst of our community and through us in the greater Findlay community. Here's the podcast for it.

Next week we'll start in on a study of the book of Philippians.

Ephesians 6

I'm kind of sad. I thoroughly enjoyed our study of Ephesians and wish it were a longer book. Since it's not, tonight we ended with chapter 6. Here's the link to the podcast. We tried to take a different look at the second portion of chapter 6 on the armor of God. Give it a listen. And here are the questions that we discussed:

In what ways are the “codes” in chapter 6 applicable in your life today? How should you be living them out more fully?

The armor of God consists of Truth, Righteousness, Readiness in the Gospel, Faith, Salvation, the Word of God, and Prayer. How differently would we live our lives if we daily “dressed” in these? What difference would it make to the people around us?

What have you taken away from our study of Ephesians 6 that will enable you to live more like Jesus in this world?

Other thoughts on this chapter or on the overall book of Ephesians.

bathroom, part 2

The bathroom appeared to be good to go for the weekend. There are touch-ups that need to happen by the crew on Monday, but the rest seemed good. Then last night I found water under the sink. Then I found water next to the sink. Not good. Wiped it up and it didn't come back. Good.

This morning we tried to get everyone bathed in our newly functioning tub and shower. The kids took a bath together but we could hear the drain slowly letting water out. Not good. Apparently easily fixed, though. We'll see.

With the kids clean and dressed, Lori hopped into the shower to enjoy our newly installed shower head. The kids went downstairs and I was upstairs collecting laundry. Suddenly Emma yells upstairs, "Daddy, come quick it's important!" Not good! That can't be good when a five year old tells you to come quick. I hear her say something else about the kitchen as I round the corner. I'm not sure if she said there's a leak in the kitchen...or there's a lake in the kitchen. Either way she was right. Not good! I grabbed a bucket and towels. Emma ran up to tell mommy to turn off the shower. Apparently there was a leak in the shower mechanism and it leaked behind the tub into the cavity under the plumbing which happens to be right over the ceiling fan in the kitchen. Thus, when Lori showered it turned our kitchen fan into a secondary shower head. Not good. Fortunately there's a ceiling fan there. If the ceiling had simply been drywall, we wouldn't have known for a while, eventually would rot or cave in, and then we'd have to have the kitchen ceiling done.

Thankfully the guys were able to come over and fix it this morning. Andy, one of the guys on the crew actually lives next to us...great guy! They fixed it. I finally got to shower in our new tub with a new shower head and it seemed to not leak. Good!

Bathroom, part 1

So it's been quite a week. I was sick for most of it. Shall I say deathly sick? I think I can probably say that b/c Lori doesn't really read this blog and then can't argue the point. So I was deathly sick this week. In the midst of being sick we haven't really had a bathroom. Yes, we're having work done on our bathroom mostly b/c of the flooding in August. Ironic! The rains from the first flood caved in the ceiling of our bathroom over the tub. Good place for a roof leak. So we got the roof fixed this summer, but have had to wait until now to get the ceiling and tub/shower fixed. While they were at it we decided to get the toilet replaced. While they were at it Lori never really liked the vanity which also means a new sink. Since they're pulling up the toilet and vanity we might as well get the flooring replaced. Argh! It's a freakin' money pit. Where does it stop? Thankfully that's about the extent of it since our bathroom is only the size of a closet.

So now I sit here, trying to catch up on teaching prep since I was sick all week. I'm being serenaded by a combination of sawing and pounding from upstairs and Emma sitting next to me singing while playing on the computer. Yeah...I'll get a lot of prep done this way!!

Ephesians 5

Wow. Tough chapter to teach on with the whole section section. We gave it a shot, though. Here's the podcast link. And here are the questions we dealt with during our discussion:

The first section of this chapter deals with instruction for daily living as a follower of Jesus. What would the church look like if we truly followed this instruction? What insights do you gain from those instructions?

What would the church look like if it truly submitted to the leadership of Jesus?

What would marriage look like if husbands and wives submitted to one another and loved each other as Christ loves His church?

What sort of witness to the world would the church offer if we as members of Christ’s church lived this chapter?

What do you think?

Ephesians 4

I was gone this week so we had the privilege of having Steve share with us during the teaching time. He did a great job, but due to some technical difficulties we were unable to record the teaching for the podcast. Bummer. Here are the questions that jump started our discussion time:

1. Ephesians centers on God: the Father, Christ the Lord, and the Holy Spirit. How does (or should) this emphasis on God—especially what God has done for humanity’s well being (salvation)—serve to renew/correct our thinking and our living?

2. The focus on the Church permeates all of chapter 4, perhaps as much as any other place in the New Testament. While many Christians reading the letter and this chapter tend to think and apply its message in individualistic terms, the author clearly places the emphasis on corporate, communal understanding and practices. So while not eliminating the diversity of individuals and their gifts to the body, the emphasis is unquestionably the unity of the whole body of Christ, and the reality of our oneness that needs to be lived out. How does (or should) this more community-oriented understanding of the text affect your own thinking and living?

3. There is a major emphasis on Christian’s/the Church’s behavior here in chapter 4, yet always with the underlying point that it’s because of God’s love, Christ’s sacrifice, and the Spirit’s uniting presence that we can live out these commands. What difference does it make (or has it made) when the Church behaves in accordance with these good attitudes and behaviors? What difference does it make (or has it made) when it does not?

What do you think? Please share your thoughts on these questions or on any other part of chapter 4 that comes to mind.

Ephesians 3

We continued our walk through the book of Ephesians with chapter 3. Here's the podcast and here are the points we discussed:

The mystery was that Gentiles and Jews were to brought together in unity as one church under Christ. Are we working for unity in the church? Are we creating space where all people can be drawn together in Jesus?

Paul prays that we would be rooted in love, in order to grasp the love of Christ, so that we would know His love. Is love evident in your life in this way? If not, where and how does it start?

Vs. 18-20 talk about the far-reaching love and power of God. Does your view of God match this? In what way does your behavior reflect your view of God?

What other questions does this text raise?

Any thoughts to share? Join the conversation here...

Ephesians 2

Here are our discussion points that we used as a "jumping off" point. We didn't fully talk about these so much tonight b/c the conversation went a slightly different directions, but here they are for further discussion...

God offers salvation to us out of His love for us rather than anything we could do. Have you accepted that gift from Him? Has that changed your life and are you expressing your thanks through your life?

Unfortunately, the behavior of Christians can still create walls between God’s people. If we are truly Jesus’ followers, we should strive to make God’s temple—which is our very selves—open to everyone. We need to develop attitudes and actions that show God’s love to others each and every day. Do your actions make it easy or hard for people to experience God? Are you building walls around yourself or tearing them down?

Feel free to continue the conversation here. Also, if you've got more to talk about beyond these two points, by all means go for it...

Ephesians 1

Tonight we started a 6-week walk through the book of Ephesians. Give the podcast a listen if you'd like. It has some background on the book itself and some great explanation on our identity as children of God. Here are the discussion points we talked about:

As adopted children of God we have a birthright of redemption and forgiveness along with citizenship in heaven. As followers of Jesus we are called to be holy and blameless, and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. How does this affect your view of your own identity and how your are called to live your life?

Paul’s wishes for us are that: 1) we would know God better, and 2) we would know the hope to which God has called us, His glorious inheritance, and His power for us who believe. How can we move forward in this this year?

Jesus brings reconciliation between God and people. He also calls us to reconciliation with others. Why is it that we often embrace the former without giving thought to the latter? What do we do about it?

Any other thoughts to share? Please chime in...