HAPAS: Everything

Moving....

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Because Blogger is making some changes that I'm not sure I like... I'm switching to Wordpress. The blog is moving to http://13gen.wordpress.com/ We'll see how the move goes!

Assurance Church Tidbit - March 3, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:29:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – March 3, 2010
Pass it on….

A little yeast and some rebelliousness

Imagine Jesus trying to share something important with you and you are just a ding-dong and go in another direction. What He wanted to share is lost because He has to deal with another issue…. You missed out on what the Son of God had to say….

Mark 8:14-18 (NIV) - 14The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15"Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." 16They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." 17Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?

Jesus starts off by giving the disciples a little warning about the “yeast” of the current religious rulers of the day. That is a loaded statement…but I will just say, a little yeast works itself through all the dough. Yeast needs to be “activated.” Be careful what you “activate” in your life.

When the disciples start talking about not bringing any bread, He asks them if their hearts are hardened and links back to Isaiah 6.

Isaiah 6:10 (NIV) - Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and lose their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

I always thought God was kind of being a little mean here. He wanted people’s hearts calloused and turned from Him. But the real deal is that they were rebellious. Isaiah’s words would go unheard. And as a result, a callous would form on their hearts every time they refused to listen and respond to the Word of God. REMEMBER – these are religious people. You couldn’t walk around Jerusalem at this time without being reminded of their spiritual heritage. Not to mention, the temple was the focus of their culture and every holiday was tied to it in some way. There wasn’t President’s day or Memorial Day! Their holidays were a remembrance of the things of God!

It is a good lesson that having the “things of God” around us, doesn’t insure that we are walking in the “ways of God.”

So, how do you keep yourself “yeast” and “rebellious” free?

Good Websites

This is a great website for resources: blogs, audio and video from the author of Wild at Heart and Walking with God. http://ransomedheart.com/

And this is a pretty cool website for Christian parent resources. http://christian-parenting.suite101.com/

Sunday Sharing

This week – Galatians 2

Do you want to read Galatians 2 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Galatians 2

Paul’s mission was to spread the gospel to those who were not Jews. Peter, on the other hand, was called to work with the Jews. Conflict came between the two apostles over whether non-Jews had to observe Jewish traditions in order to be saved. Paul confronted Peter when Peter began to support those who forced Jewish traditions on believers. This confrontation, which Paul highlighted in this passage, emphasizes an individual’s need for faith in Christ, not works, in order to be saved.

OPEN
1. What two people would you like to see in a public debate and on what issue?

EXPLORE
2. Who was the messenger to the Jews? Who was the messenger to those who were not Jews? (2:7-8)
3. How did Peter first interact with non-Jews? (2:12)
4. How did Peter’s behavior change? Why did it change? (2:12)
5. How does Paul say a person is made right with God? (2:16)

GET IT
6. In what ways do people try to earn good standing with God?
7. How would you explain to a nonbeliever the foolishness of trying to earn one’s own salvation?
8. In what ways are you, like Peter, tempted to allow others to negatively influence your beliefs?
9. In what areas of your life are you tempted to be legalistic?

APPLY
10. What will you do about the areas of potential legalism you identified in your own life?
*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
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Assurance Church Tidbit - Feb. 16, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:24:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – February 16, 2010
Pass it on…

Kids and Stuff

Which came first, the irresponsible parent….or the bratty kid? Why don’t kids come with manuals? I bet that is what Eli was wondering when God sent a man of God to tell him some bad news.

1 Samuel 2:30-34 – says, 30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34 " 'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day."

Eli’s sons had been treating God’s sacrifices with contempt. They would take the raw meat of the sacrifice and roast it instead of boiling it like God had asked. And, they were sleeping with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. All this was going on while they were performing the duties of a priest. Well, God wasn’t having that!

The problem is that Eli didn’t really do anything about it. He talked to them…but he didn’t really discipline in an appropriate way. Yes, they were grown. But he was the High Priest. He should have, at minimum, relieved them of their duties.

As parents, we are giving the true blessing of raising kids. But there are things that they need…guidance and direction, discipline and discipline (the hurting kind and the kind that teaches them responsibility, organization, etc), modeling, and the most important, a relationship with Jesus.

Samuel grew up in Eli’s house. Eli raised him as his own son. I wonder if in his old age, Eli realized that he should have done things differently with his own children, and raised Samuel differently than his own.

What do you need to do differently starting now? It is the most important job that you will ever have…….

School Blog
I’ve been putting some work in on a blog that is attached to my school. I’ve been sharing some cool websites and started posting videos on “Lifelong Learning.” You can check it out by going here - http://cyfair1.schoolwires.net/198720511182019637/site/default.asp

Ash Wednesday
This Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 is Ash Wednesday. Check out the Wikipedia article on the topic - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday

Sunday Sharing

I wish Mel Gibson would make a movie out of the book of Judges! It would be awesome!

This week – Judges 21

Do you want to read Judges 21 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 21

This small group study covers Judges 19-21. We will have the same study for the next three weeks.

A terrible thing happened to the servant girl of a Levite. She was mistreated and killed in Gibeah by the Benjamites. This posed several problems for Israel. For each problem they needed God’s wisdom and guidance.

OPEN
1. What specific actions do you associate with hospitality?

EXPLORE
2. What happened when the Levite man went to the city of Gibeah? (19:15-20)
3. Why did the Israelites assemble at Mizpah? (20:1-3)
4. What did the Israelites decide to do about the sin of the men of Gibeah? (20:8-10)
5. What happened in the battle between the Benjamites and the Israelites? (20:14-48) 6. With whom did the Lord side in this situation? Why? (20:23)

GET IT
7. What challenge do you face in the near future?
8. What lesson can be learned from the way the Israelites approached their battle with the Benjamites?
9. How can you depend on the Lord for strength and direction in your life?

APPLY
10. In what situation that you are now facing do you need God’s wisdom and guidance? *taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise!

Just EMP the world!

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:10:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what our lives would be like without technology? Sometimes I think that those times were simpler and less stressful. I know there was the stress of planting the crops and having animals and there was no fast food or TV or whatever. But I just wonder if we could hack it! LOL

I think about the scene in Escape from LA with Kurt Russel, when he uses the satellite EMP to send the world back to the dark ages! LOL

I'm just saying....

Assurance Church Tidbit - Feb. 10, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:17:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – February 10, 2010
Pass it on….

Sin

Psalms 119:133 says, “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.” Can sin rule over us, on this side of the cross? Some Christians would say no! “We are saved by grace and that takes care of it.” It’s kind of like an excuse to sin, but not really be responsible for it.

One of the Bible verses that was always curious to me was one in which God has a conversation with Cain, before he kills his brother Abel.

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6-7

So what did God mean when He said, “…but you must master it.” Was He saying that we could master sin? Let me pull an illustration into this….let me use my diet. I’m doing Atkins (Please spare me the words of advice. I’ve been doing it for 7 years and I’ve heard it all…and I haven’t gained back what I initially lost.). I feel I’m pretty disciplined and can hold to it (thank you God for low-carb chocolate). But let’s say that I lose control because some evil little demon puts some General Tso Chicken right in front of me. Dr. Atkins isn’t going to rise from the dead and come haunt me, but I will have a consequence. My body will get out of ketosis, slowing the ability to lose weight. I haven’t mastered my Chinese food urges yet, but I’m doing pretty good otherwise. Could I get to the point where I “master” my food urges? Sure…someday.

For the Christian, sinning has its consequences (some more than others). But I can work at my urges and try to remove things in my life that will cause me to sin more easily. I might not master it, but I can work at it and not just shrug my shoulders expecting God to pour down His acceptance because I walked an aisle when I was 16 years old. There is some argument that speaks to us working at “mastering” sin in our lives. I’m not saying that we can “save ourselves.” One sin does us in. We still need Jesus. But we can put forth an effort to not sin.

Paul said in Romans 6:11-14, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

It kind of sounds like Paul is saying you have a choice of what you want to do.

The Screwtape Letters

The Screwtape Letters are correspondence from an Undersecretary of Satan to his nephew Wormwood. Uncle Screwtape gives advice and ideas how to derail the faith of a new Christian. You can read it online here - http://members.fortunecity.com/phantom1/books2/c._s._lewis_-_the_screwtape_letters.htm

School Blog
I’ve been putting some work in on a blog that is attached to my school. I’ve been sharing some cool websites and started posting videos on “Lifelong Learning.” You can check it out by going here - http://cyfair1.schoolwires.net/198720511182019637/site/default.asp

Sunday Sharing

I wish Mel Gibson would make a movie out of the book of Judges! It would be awesome!

This week – Judges 20

Do you want to read Judges 20 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 20

This small group study covers Judges 19-21. We will have the same study for the next three weeks.

A terrible thing happened to the servant girl of a Levite. She was mistreated and killed in Gibeah by the Benjamites. This posed several problems for Israel. For each problem they needed God’s wisdom and guidance.

OPEN
1. What specific actions do you associate with hospitality?

EXPLORE
2. What happened when the Levite man went to the city of Gibeah? (19:15-20)
3. Why did the Israelites assemble at Mizpah? (20:1-3)
4. What did the Israelites decide to do about the sin of the men of Gibeah? (20:8-10)
5. What happened in the battle between the Benjamites and the Israelites? (20:14-48)
6. With whom did the Lord side in this situation? Why? (20:23)

GET IT
7. What challenge do you face in the near future?
8. What lesson can be learned from the way the Israelites approached their battle with the Benjamites?
9. How can you depend on the Lord for strength and direction in your life?

APPLY
10. In what situation that you are now facing do you need God’s wisdom and guidance? *taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise!

Assurance Church - Superbowl Edition - Feb. 3, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:27:00 +0000

Assurance Church Tidbit – February 3, 2010
Pass it on….

SUPERBOWL EDITION…..

Believe

This Sunday, the Saints and the Colts will battle it out for the NFL Superbowl! We will all gather around, eat, watch the commercials and hopefully see some great football.

I wonder…after the game, if the loser will say something like, “We wanted our whole season to be described as a winning season. We thought that was enough to win the big game!” Of course they won’t say that! They will say, “our defensive didn’t show up,” or “our offense couldn’t convert on 3rd down” or maybe “we were just out played.” Describing the season or the type of season you want to have isn’t enough. Even the youngest of fans would say that the winning team needs to “prove” their desire to win by their actions.

We kind of have that in Mark 9:14-24. A father asks Jesus to heal his son “if he can.” Jesus responds, “'If you can'? Everything is possible for him who believes." The father replies, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

They were talking about 2 different forms of the word “believe.” Jesus was using the verb form (take action) and the man was using the adjective form (describe).

Sometimes we want to describe our lives as lives of belief in Jesus. The thing is, Jesus wants us to show our belief by our action. The action of belief will take care of the describing for us automatically.

Are you showing your belief through action or are you just describing it out? In other words, are you walking the talk?

Superbowl Party

Yes, we will have a Superbowl Party. Yes, we will have a lot of food. Yes, it will be a lot of fun. Yes, everyone is invited! So…if you don’t have a place to go – come on over! Email me or call for details.

Sunday Sharing

I wish Mel Gibson would make a movie out of the book of Judges! It would be awesome!

This week – Judges 19

Do you want to read Judges 19 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 19

This small group study covers Judges 19-21. We will have the same study for the next three weeks.

A terrible thing happened to the servant girl of a Levite. She was mistreated and killed in Gibeah by the Benjamites. This posed several problems for Israel. For each problem they needed God’s wisdom and guidance.

OPEN
1. What specific actions do you associate with hospitality?

EXPLORE
2. What happened when the Levite man went to the city of Gibeah? (19:15-20)
3. Why did the Israelites assemble at Mizpah? (20:1-3)
4. What did the Israelites decide to do about the sin of the men of Gibeah? (20:8-10)
5. What happened in the battle between the Benjamites and the Israelites? (20:14-48)
6. With whom did the Lord side in this situation? Why? (20:23)

GET IT
7. What challenge do you face in the near future?
8. What lesson can be learned from the way the Israelites approached their battle with the Benjamites?
9. How can you depend on the Lord for strength and direction in your life?

APPLY
10. In what situation that you are now facing do you need God’s wisdom and guidance?
*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?

Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe

Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise!

Assurance Church Tidbit - Jan 20, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:15:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – January 20, 2010
Pass it on….

Snapshots
If you were to take a snapshot of 2 Chronicles 16, you would see King Asa of Judah sending his personal silver and gold, as well as silver and gold from the Temple of God to Ben-Hadad, King of Aram, to convince him to break his alliance with King Baasha of Israel. You would see that it worked….to a point.

You would also see Hanani, a seer, come to King Asa and criticize King Asa for depending on gold and silver and human alliances rather than God to help deliver the nation from King Baasha. You would see Hanani tell King Asa that because of his foolish act, that he would always be at war.

You would then see King Asa as a bitter man, who was afflicted with a foot disease and died two years later, never returning to God or asking for His help.

However, if you were to take a snapshot of 2 Chronicles 15, you would see a quite different picture! You would see King Asa instituting religious reforms: removing idols, cutting down Asherah poles, fixing the temple and sacrificing to the Lord. These reforms were so life-changing and real that the people of Judah made a covenant with God and swore an oath:

“12 They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.”

All these reforms took place around the 15th year of Asa’s reign. The chapter ends with, “There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.” Jump to the above snapshot!

What happened in those 20 years of peace? The Bible doesn’t tell us. But if you’ve been walking with God for a while, you might have some clues. It’s easy to get complacent, comfortable and in routine with the things of God. It’s kind of funny to even write that because God is so HUGE that we can’t ever expend knowledge of who He is. A relationship with God can never get stale or boring, unless you allow it. God will always reveal more and more of Himself to you.

Superbowl Party

Yes, we will have a Superbowl Party. Yes, we will have a lot of food. Yes, it will be a lot of fun. Yes, everyone is invited! So…if you don’t have a place to go – come on over! Email me or call for details.

Bible Reading Plan & Prayer Focus?

Keeping track of where you’ve been reading in the Bible is important. You want to make sure you read the WHOLE Bible. Here is a link to an easy Bible Reading Plan. You can also find a template for establishing focus to your prayers for 2010. Follow this link - http://assurancechurch.com/RESOURCES.html

Sunday Sharing

This week – Judges 17

Do you want to read Judges 17 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 17

This small group study covers Judges 17-18. We will have the same study next week too.

Although Micah returned the silver he had stolen from his mother, he did evil by making an idol out of silver. Believing he could gain God’s favor with this idol, he employed a priest. Micah is an example of a hypocrite. He paraded his religiosity but did not bother to obey the God of Israel.

OPEN
1. What bad habits do people commonly excuse or shrug off?

EXPLORE
2. What motivated Micah to return the money he stole? (17:1-2)
3. Why did the mother bless the son when he returned the money? (17:1-3)
4. In what way were both Micah and his mother disobedient to God? (17:3-5)
5. How did Micah attempt to rationalize his shrine and gain God’s favor? (17:12-13) 6. What did Micah do when he realized his priest and idols were gone? (18:22-23)

GET IT
7. In what way was Micah hypocritical?
8. How can we guard against the sin of hypocrisy?
9. In what area of your life do you need to be more consistent with your faith?

APPLY
10. Whom could you ask to help you be more consistent in your faith?
*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise!

Assurance Church Tidbit - Jan 13, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:16:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – January 13, 2010
Pass it on….

Ready?
I love the story of Joseph. His story starts in Genesis 37. Basically, when he was 17 years old, God gave him a dream.

Genesis 37:6-11 - He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

His brother’s jealousy eventually got him sold into slavery….definitely not the dream he had. While a slave, things didn’t get easier. When he found success as the head of Potiphars household, Potifphar’s wife tried to seduce him. He did the right thing, ran from her, and was thrown in jail. In jail, he was put in charge of all the prisoners. The prisoner, in charge of the prisoners…. He helps the baker and the cupbearer, but then is quickly forgotten by the cupbearer until Pharaoh has a dream himself.

The cupbearer remembers and Joseph is brought to Pharaoh to interpret the dream. The Bible says that he was 30 years old when this happened! Joseph interprets the dream and Pharaoh puts him in charge of the whole country, along with some other perks. Joseph becomes the second most powerful person in all of Egypt!

Have you done the math yet? Why did God wait 13 years before Joseph’s dream became true? Maybe God was using the situations in Joseph’s life to get him ready to be more than what Joseph even thought he could be. Joseph could have grown up like his brothers. He might have owned some flocks and become very successful as a shepherd. But God had bigger plans…second in command of all of Egypt plans.

God used Joseph to save not just his family, but the whole world. Genesis 41:57 says, “And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.”

We have all had issues and situations that we have had to deal with in our lives. The good thing is that God can use any situation for His good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Have you ever wondered about some of the things that have happened in your life? Taking a moment to prayerfully reflect on how God could use that for His good is time worth spent! Maybe He’s using that time in your life to get you ready!

Sunday Service – Jan 17, 2010

This Sunday’s service time is 6 p.m.

Superbowl Party

Yes, we will have a Superbowl Party. Yes, we will have a lot of food. Yes, it will be a lot of fun. Yes, everyone is invited!

Bible Reading Plan & Prayer Focus?

Keeping track of where you’ve been reading in the Bible is important. You want to make sure you read the WHOLE Bible. Here is a link to an easy Bible Reading Plan. You can also find a template for establishing focus to your prayers for 2010. Follow this link - http://assurancechurch.com/RESOURCES.html

Sunday Sharing
Judges is getting a little interesting with Samson. Some are even reading ahead!!!!

This week – Judges 16

Do you want to read Judges 16 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 15-16

This small group study covers Judges 15-16. We will have the same study next week too.

Samson possessed God-given strength, which he could have used for God’s glory and honor. Instead, his strength was wasted on his desires, his lusts, and his anger. Samson is an example of a person who did not concentrate on honoring God with his talents. He paid the price for it—languishing in prison until his death.

OPEN
1. What one character trait or special talent do you wish you had?

EXPLORE
2. Why did Samson believe he had a right to get even with the Philistines? (15:3)
3. What had the Philistines done that made Samson attack them so viciously? (15:6-7) 4. What happened when Samson was turned over to the Philistines? (15:14-17)
5. What weakness of Samson did the Philistines use against him? (16:1-5)
6. What was the source of Samson’s strength, and why did he lose it? (16:17-20)

GET IT
7. How did the Lord demonstrate his forgiveness and faithfulness to Samson?
8. What can you learn from this story about dealing with your own weaknesses and failures?
9. What are some of your strengths that you think God could use?

APPLY
10. How could you use an ability or talent for God’s glory? *taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit = http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise! =

Extra...extra...

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:59:00 +0000

I forgot to put this link into the Dec. 30, 2009 tidbit. It is a link to an article - DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE by James Quinn. It compares the Fall of the Roman Empire to our modern day America. It was written in August 2009, so it's pretty recent.

You can read the article here - http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/quinn/2009/0802.html

Assurance Church Tidbit - Jan. 30, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:09:00 +0000

It has been way too long since I’ve posted a new tidbit. I hope to break this pattern in 2010. So, I’m challenging you to send me an email if you don’t see a new one by Wednesday of every week! ;-)

The New Year

Workout equipment sales, diet ads and offers to help stop smoking are everywhere at this time of the year. Merchants know that people make New Year’s Resolutions to make life better for themselves and their families. The sad fact is that by April, most of the new workout equipment will be on Craigslist and/or $24.99 will be withdrawn from your bank account for 2 years to pay for a gym membership that you used for 1 month.

We head into the New Year positive and full of hope and determination. “This year will be a good year,” have you heard that before? We like new stuff….we like the idea of a clean slate. But, do we ever consider walking into the New Year with caution and an open eye?

The world is crazy out there! We can argue that it has always been crazy. But, I don’t think that anyone can deny that there is just a little bit of uneasiness about our economy, politicians, terrorist threats, true facts about global warming, the job market, 2012 (haha – had to throw that in), healthcare reform, taxes, a military that is stretched too thin, etc…etc…

I’m approaching this year a little different than other years. I will approach it with an open eye, caution, maybe even some skepticism when it comes to trusting in man. But my approach in God will be different.

I was recently reminded about a Scripture Memory Verse from Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. Amos 3:7 - Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. This Scripture came up before Christmas for me. God had given some detailed information about where the Messiah was going to be born. I won’t go into detail here, but visit - http://bible-truth.org/BirthPlaceofJesus.html and The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim.

Blackaby talks about 7 realities in Experiencing God. They are: 1. God is always at work around you. 2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. 5. God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. 7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

So this year, I’m going to make more of an effort to see what God is doing around me. I’m going to be looking for the invitation to “join Him” in His work. In that, you can’t go wrong…no matter what the economy, politicians, terrorists or whatever is going on around you. God is always working!

John 5:17 - Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."

New Year’s Eve

We will have a service @ 8 p.m. with more fun and fellowship to follow. Everyone is invited. Please bring some snack food/dip/brownie thing to share.

Bible Reading Plan & Prayer Focus?

Keeping track of where you’ve been reading in the Bible is important. You want to make sure you read the WHOLE Bible. Here is a link to an easy Bible Reading Plan. You can also find a template for establishing focus to your prayers for 2010. Follow this link - http://assurancechurch.com/RESOURCES.html

Sunday Sharing
Judges is getting a little interesting with Samson. Some are even reading ahead!!!!

This week – Judges 15

Do you want to read Judges 15 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 15-16

This small group study covers Judges 15-16. We will have the same study next week too.

Samson possessed God-given strength, which he could have used for God’s glory and honor. Instead, his strength was wasted on his desires, his lusts, and his anger. Samson is an example of a person who did not concentrate on honoring God with his talents. He paid the price for it—languishing in prison until his death.

OPEN
1. What one character trait or special talent do you wish you had?

EXPLORE
2. Why did Samson believe he had a right to get even with the Philistines? (15:3)
3. What had the Philistines done that made Samson attack them so viciously? (15:6-7) 4. What happened when Samson was turned over to the Philistines? (15:14-17)
5. What weakness of Samson did the Philistines use against him? (16:1-5)
6. What was the source of Samson’s strength, and why did he lose it? (16:17-20)

GET IT
7. How did the Lord demonstrate his forgiveness and faithfulness to Samson?
8. What can you learn from this story about dealing with your own weaknesses and failures?
9. What are some of your strengths that you think God could use?

APPLY
10. How could you use an ability or talent for God’s glory?

*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
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Assurance Church Tidbit - October 7, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:16:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – October 7, 2009
Pass it on….

Experience
At the beginning of the school year I asked teachers to email me their summer vacation pics. I sent it out today as a reminder of our summer experiences and fun. It got me thinking about a trip I took when I was a kid.

I must have been around 10 years old. We traveled with Robert Gonzales (founder of KSBJ) and his family to Washington D.C. We traveled in an extended van. It had 4 captain chairs and a bed in the back (before the seatbelt law). There was plenty of room for 3 boys to spread out. Another cool feature of the van was the TV/VCR combo. Of course, every SUV/Van has them today, but back then, this was way cool! We watched Gone with the Wind while we were traveling through all the southern states!

We stopped at Stone Mountain, GA, Gatlinburg, TN (before Dollywood), up and down some winding roads in the Smokey Mountains and finally to Washington D.C. In the capital we saw all the sights you would want to see: The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, The White House, The Smithsonian, Arlington Cemetery, we visited Mount Vernon and a host of other places. On the way back home we stopped in Virginia Beach and ate at an Italian restaurant, the only place open because a hurricane or some big storm was coming. We finally ended up down in Florida and went to Epcot for a few days before heading home. That was a great trip!

I have a lot of other trips and experiences that are important and have a special place in my heart and mind: getting my driver’s license (much more important than high school), getting my first brand new car (1988 Chevy Berretta), our weekend place in Palestine,TX (actually in Elkhart I think), other family trips, getting married, my kids, graduating from graduate school, running the group home, involved in ministry, etc…. Of course, not all in that order!

But the experience that means the most is when I finally gave my life to Jesus. I always knew of Jesus, I grew up in a Christian home. But when I was 16 years old…..at a Fall Retreat in Columbus, Texas…my life changed! I have never looked back!

I hope you have had the opportunity to have that type of experience. And I hope that it holds the most special place in your heart and mind. All these other experiences will fade away eventually. But that weekend in October, 1989 will be my most important experience ever!

Family Day
Family day is this Sunday. I hope you are looking forward to some great food and fellowship.

Sunday Sharing
We are STILL reading Judges 4 this week.

Do you want to read Judges 4 in a different version? You can go here http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 4
This small group study covers Judges 4-5. We will have the same study next week too.

Deborah entrusted the defeat of the enemy of Israel to the Lord. She then did all she could to stand against that enemy. She encouraged Barak in his preparations for battle. She even accompanied the army. God rewarded her courage to trust in him with an extraordinary victory over the Canaanites.

OPEN
1. If you wrote a song about your life, what would be the title?

EXPLORE
2. What message from the Lord did Deborah give to Barak? (4:6-7)
3. How did Barak respond to the message that Deborah gave him? (4:8)
4. Why did Barak want Deborah to go to war with him? (4:8)
5. What encouragement did Deborah give Barak in the battle against Jabin’s army? (4:14)
6. What is the unifying theme of Deborah’s song? (5:1-31)

GET IT
7. What character traits did Deborah have?
8. What does this passage reveal about God’s providence?
9. With what situation in your life do you need to trust the Lord more?

APPLY
10. What specific steps could you take in the next several days to entrust a problem or enemy to the Lord?

*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

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Assurance Church Tidbit - September 30, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:26:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – September 30, 2009
Pass it on….

Forcing It
When Rebecca became pregnant with twins, the Bible says that she was experiencing some issues, so she went to inquire of the Lord. Genesis 25:23 says, “The LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.’” We later learn that Esau comes out first and Jacob comes out second, clutching Esau’s heal.

Fast Forward a bit… Isaac is about to die and asks Esau to go hunting and cook it up for him so he can give him his blessing. Rebecca overhears this and devises a plan for Jacob to receive the blessing before Esau gets a chance to get back.

When we force the will of God, there is always consequences. God had already told Rebecca that Jacob would be served by Esau. God doesn’t lie. His promises are always true. But she forced it! And because of that…. Jacob runs away, because Esau is upset and wants to kill him, and he never sees his mom or dad again. Rebecca and Isaac never get to hold Jacob’s kids or meet his wives.

Are you forcing anything? Just let God take care of it in His time!

YouVersion Bible – Free for Blackberry
Here is a link to a pretty cool app for your Blackberry. It is the YouVersion App. It has 40 different translations. You can visit the regular browser version here - http://www.youversion.com/mobile/blackberry You can use the “Email download link to me” to get it easily on your phone.

Family Day
The next family day will be Oct. 11th.

Sunday Sharing
We are reading Judges 4 this week.

Do you want to read Judges 4 in a different version? You can go here - http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here - http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 4
This small group study covers Judges 4-5. We will have the same study next week too.

Deborah entrusted the defeat of the enemy of Israel to the Lord. She then did all she could to stand against that enemy. She encouraged Barak in his preparations for battle. She even accompanied the army. God rewarded her courage to trust in him with an extraordinary victory over the Canaanites.

OPEN
1. If you wrote a song about your life, what would be the title?

EXPLORE
2. What message from the Lord did Deborah give to Barak? (4:6-7)
3. How did Barak respond to the message that Deborah gave him? (4:8)
4. Why did Barak want Deborah to go to war with him? (4:8)
5. What encouragement did Deborah give Barak in the battle against Jabin’s army? (4:14)
6. What is the unifying theme of Deborah’s song? (5:1-31)

GET IT
7. What character traits did Deborah have?
8. What does this passage reveal about God’s providence?
9. With what situation in your life do you need to trust the Lord more?

APPLY
10. What specific steps could you take in the next several days to entrust a problem or enemy to the Lord?
*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
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Assurance Church Tidbit - Sept. 23, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:09:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – September 23, 2009
Pass it on….

WORSHIP TIME
So, Jesus and Peter join the rest of the disciples on the boat. When they do, the disciples worship Jesus. Why?

First, let me say that we all worship “something!” But like I said last week, worship is a big topic. In this story, the disciples were surrounded in an atmosphere of the divine. Earlier in the day Jesus feeds the 5000, then a few hours later He is walking on water and Peter is joining Him.

When we are surrounded by the things of God, it is so easy to walk in His ways and worship the One who should be worshipped. The problem is that we don’t spend enough time surrounded by the things of God.

Let me give you an example….

If you had come to our church on Sunday, you spent about 2 hours (a nice round number) in our “worship” service: praise and worship, 1 Corinthians 16 discussion, message, communion and prayer...this doesn’t include family day.

Now let’s compare that with the rest of our week. There are 168 hours in a week. If you don’t do anything else to connect with God…like…read the Bible, pray, listen to Christian music, read a Christian book, attend a small group somewhere or listen to a sermon/message on your mp3 player or the radio, then your ratio is 2 hours with God/168 hours in the week. When you convert that fraction into a percentage, you get 1.2%!!!!!

1.2% of your week is spent in the presence of God. Is that enough time to off-set the junk the world is throwing at you? I calculated my time driving to work in a week. If I don’t purposefully do something to put the things of God in me every week outside of church, then I spend more time driving to work than I do with God.

There have been times in my life when I have spent so much time in the presence of God or surrounding myself with the things of God that I felt like I was on a spiritual high! I know the difference when I’m not spending enough time with God… and I don’t like it! It makes a big difference.

I challenge you to add up the amount of time you spend on some of your favorite activities in a week. Then visit the website that I provided below and calculate how much time you give to that activity compared to the amount of time you spend in the “things of God.”

What’s the Precentage?
Find the percent of a total online - http://www.marshu.com/articles/calculate-percent-of-total.php

Family Day
Sherri did a great job finding the Hawaiian Luau recipes. The next family day will be Oct. 11th.

Sunday Sharing
We will be reading in Judges for the next few weeks… Judges has some great stories of victory and God’s provision. Let’s read Judges 2-3.

Do you want to read Judges 1 in a different version? You can go here http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – Judges 2-3
The people of Israel did an ineffective job of teaching their children what God had done for them. Because of this, the nation grew ungrateful. They forgot what God had done for them and failed to thank him for the love and compassion he had shown them in the past.

OPEN
1. Why do you think bad things sometimes happen to good people?

EXPLORE
2. Why was God angry? (2:13)
3. What happened to Israel because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord? (2:14)
4. How did the Lord show his mercy toward Israel even when they were unfaithful? (2:16)
5. How did the Israelites respond to the judges God raised to save them from their enemies? (2:17)
6. What did the Israelites do after a judge had saved them from their enemies? (2:19)

GET IT
7. What can we learn from this story about the importance of remembering what God has done for us?
8. What does this story tell us about why God allows bad things to happen to believers?
9. How has the Lord shown compassion to you recently?

APPLY
10. How could you say thanks to God for the compassion he has shown you?

*taken from Ilumina Bible Software

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Assurance Church Tidbit - Sept. 8, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:03:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – September 8, 2009
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Waiting
Why does God wait to do stuff for us? I mean, COME ON GOD… You’re a loving Father and everything!!!!!! Don’t you want the best for us?????????

I love what John Ortberg suggests…. God is doing something inside of us when we wait on Him. We are so used to getting things so fast, we are not used to waiting. So, what do we do while we wait?

• Worship – This is such a huge subject. But, in this reference, worship keeps us focused on God and on what we are waiting God to move on. How many times have we forgotten what we were waiting for because our attention was transferred to something else.

• Prepare – What if God is waiting for you to be ready to receive whatever you are asking for.

• Dream – Maybe what you’re waiting for….is too small. Maybe God wants to expand or tweak your dreams….

Family Day
September 13, 2009. Sherri has some ideas and will be calling you soon, if she hasn’t already.

Sunday Sharing
We finish up 1 Corinthians this week. There are some study questions below to help out in your reading. If you have a suggestion on which book to read next, let me know.

Do you want to read 1 Corinthians 16 in a different version? You can go here http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – 1 Corinthians 16
Paul’s ministry was characterized by a network of Christian friendships throughout the Mediterranean world. Every member of this network actively encouraged the others in their faith—from fellow evangelists, like Timothy and Apollos, to new believers, like Stephanas. Paul concluded his letter to the Corinthians with an exchange of Christian greetings. Through these various personal remarks to a number of people, the significance of Christian friendships in Paul’s life and ministry becomes increasingly clear.

OPEN
1. Is it easier for you to communicate through a letter, a phone call, or in person?

EXPLORE
2. What were Paul’s immediate travel plans? (16:5-8)
3. Which of Paul’s friends were planning to also visit the church at Corinth? (16:10-12)
4. What were Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians regarding the family of Stephanas? (16:15-18)
5. Who visited Paul while he was writing this letter to Corinth? (16:17)

GET IT
6. What is meaningful about the friendships that are represented in this passage?
7. Who has played a significant role in your Christian growth?
8. What value do relationships have to the effectiveness of Christian ministry?
9. Why do you think Paul valued people, like Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, who visited him?

APPLY
10. How can you best communicate your appreciation this week for those who have influenced your Christian growth? *taken from Ilumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
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Year of Firsts cont....

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:59:00 +0000

I attended my first "rookie" AP meeting today. I attended my AP meeting back when we started on contract, but this one was just for the noobs! ;-)

One of the things that was brought up in our discussion/meeting was this cool quote by Haim Ginott -

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”

That's pretty powerful there!

Another thing that always strikes home with me is the....taking time to teach social skills. This seems like a waste of time, but it is well worth the effort. Taking a little time every Monday to visit some social skills and talk about expectations will take care of issues before they become issues....

I also read this today....by John Maxwell, "The average person will try to pull down anyone around him who is working to rise above average." And, "Great people desire to bring out the greatness in others. Small people will try to put the same limits on you that they have put on themselves." Ouch! Dang small people....get away from me! ;-)

PEACE

Assurance Church Tidbit - Sept. 2, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:49:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – September 2, 2009
Pass it on….

Focus
How many episodes of cooking, home improvement or fashion programs does it take till you go out and cook something, paint something or buy something? It’s hard to watch those shows and not have them influence you.

In his book, If You Want To Walk On Water, You Have To Get Out Of The Boat, John Ortberg states “your mind will think most about what it is most exposed to.” This is the Law of Exposure!

Does it even affect our spiritual lives? Uhm…YES! You can’t watch programs, listen to certain types of music, play certain types of games, etc… without it affecting your thought process, what you believe and who you are!

How much time do you allow yourself to be exposed to the things of God? I can tell you Sunday is not enough!

Home Church Research
The Barna Institute has put out a new article on some research they have done on Home Church. Check out the link - http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/19-organic-church/291-how-many-people-really-attend-a-house-church-barna-study-finds-it-depends-on-the-definition

Home Church? – A Challenger to You!!!!!!
I don’t think many of you took my challenger! HATERS! I’m leaving it here again to see if you’ll go check it out. Tell me what you think.
http://www.house2house.com/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=FaithHighway/10000/7000/767HO/welcome

Family Day
September 13, 2009. Sherri Munson is organizing it!

Cool Websites
I thought I would pass some non-spiritual websites along….

What does your handwriting say about you? - http://www.viewzone.com/handwriting.html
A list of websites that will teach you another language - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/18-great-sites-to-learn-a-new-language/

Sunday Sharing
The chapter for this week is 1 Corinthians 15. There are some study questions below to help out in your reading.

Do you want to read 1 Corinthians 15 in a different version? You can go here http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions* – 1 Corinthians 15:1-34
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it, Christians could not confidently expect Christ’s forgiveness of their sins or their own resurrection from the dead to eternal life. This is why Paul in this passage attacked the rumors circulating throughout the Corinthian church that discounted the resurrection of the dead. Christ is alive; and that is proof that we, too, will be raised from the dead in order to live with him forever.

OPEN
1. What is your opinion on the reported claims of a person returning to life from “near-death experiences”?

EXPLORE
2. Who does Paul say witnessed Christ’s post-resurrection appearances? (15:5-8)
3. What rumors were circulating about life after death in Corinth? (15:12)
4. How does Paul illustrate the connection between belief in the resurrection and the Christian faith? (15:13-19)
5. What does Paul say is the final enemy that God will destroy? (15:26)

GET IT
6. What is significant to you about Christ’s resurrection from the dead?
7. How would you summarize the importance of Christ’s resurrection to the Christian faith?
8. How does belief in Christ’s resurrection affect your thoughts about death?
9. What do you think might be difficult for nonbelievers to accept about the belief in the resurrection from the dead?

APPLY
10. What changes will make in the way you live your life on this earth in light of the fact that you will live on forever? *taken from Ilumina Bible Software

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Year of Firsts

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:58:00 +0000

I'm doing the Doogie Howser thing....

This year will be a year of firsts.... I completed my first week as an AP @ Copeland. I'm excited to be at the school! The only thing I would change is how far the AP office is from the classrooms. I wish it was a little closer... Poor kids...are going to have to walk the long walk just to sit and talk. I wonder if it will be scary enough! LOL

I love that everyone seems to be opened to technology. I also see very little complaining on the staff's part! That is cool.

I just need to find a volunteer who will come in and massage feet at the end of the day!

Peace!

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:01:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – August 5, 2009
Pass it on….

Here you go…another edition of the tidbit….the best e-newsletter in your spam folder….

Faith – Living Balanced Lives
Go here to check out my model of faith - CLICK HERE

On one side we have knowledge, experience and reality. All of these can be understood by the five senses. On the other side we have the unknown, unseen and blind faith.

We should strive to live balanced lives in our faith. If we lean to much to “what we know,” we won’t ever develop a true trust in what God can do in our lives. We will never know the joy and peace of what that life style will lead to. On the other hand, if we lean to the “spiritual/mystical” side, we will get disappointed in God because we will throw our faith out there, outside of His will, and not see anything develop.

When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, He said, "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." (Matthew 14:28) Peter was “balanced” at the time. He was leaving the boat (unknown if he would sink or not) on Jesus’ command and at the same time, had the experience that Jesus had done some miraculous things (just fed the 5000) in His short ministry career.

In my life, I would rather error on the side of blind faith. What I know, my reality is… I’ve seen Jesus come through too many times for me, my family and others. My reality is that He is an awesome God! Which way do you lean?

Preview of this Sunday
“When people wrestle with doubt, they may tell themselves that they will try harder to have more faith. But faith is not the sort of thing that can be acquired by trying harder.”
–John Ortberg, “If you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat”

Family Day
Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

Online Video – Sermon “Streams in the Desert”
You might have to cut and paste the url below.
http://embeddedvideo.cloversites.com/thecoastlandsaptosfoursquarechurch_1246808135374.mp4

Sunday Sharing
The chapter for this week is 1 Corinthians 11. There are some study questions below to help out in your reading.

Do you want to read 1 Corinthians 11 in a different version? You can go here  http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here  http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group Questions – 1 Corinthians 7
On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus introduced the tradition of the Lord’s Supper to his disciples. Jesus wanted them to celebrate it after he had left this earth in order to remember what his death meant for them. In time, however, the Corinthians began to neglect the significance of the meal and, instead, approach the occasion selfishly, expecting something to eat. Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians concerning the Lord’s Supper were aimed at restoring the significance of the meal.
OPEN
1. In your opinion, what is the best restaurant in your town and why?

EXPLORE
2. What were the Corinthian Christians doing wrong at their meetings? (11:17-22)
3. What did Jesus say is the significance of the bread and the wine? (11:24-25)
4. What did Jesus say would be the significance of future celebrations of the Lord’s Supper? (11:26)
5. What is Paul’s instructions concerning how the Corinthians should prepare for the Lord’s Supper? (11:28-29)

GET IT
6. How would you describe the attitude behind the Corinthians’ actions?
7. How does personal selfishness affect a Christian community?
8. What is personally significant to you regarding the tradition of the Lord’s Supper?
9. What does it mean to “look into your own hearts,” as Paul instructed?

APPLY
10. What can you do this week to weaken a selfish attitude you may currently possess?

Old Tibits?
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Fine Tune Knob

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:35:00 +0000

This week was way crazy; up and down emotionally and spiritually. I've had a lot of things on my mind...but then you couple that with, for example, a disobedient kid, a trouble-some co-worker, a vehicle that is giving your problems, finances or something else that could possibly come up and take things to levels you don't want to go.

It's important to remember that this is OK. Because life, our Christian life, doesn't happen in a vacuum. We aren't, or shouldn't be, Christians on Sunday and something else the other days of the week. We are Christians and in the midst of this deal with: kids, finances, co-workers, vehicles, you name it!

We must always remember, and this is the test of spiritual maturity, to keep God in the details of our life. Even when we "freak out" for a bit, we should come back and ADJUST our lives to what God is wanting for our lives....how He wants us to live in this world.

This week I looked at a radio that had a "fine tune knob." There was a knob that got you in the general vicinity of the station you wanted to listen to, but it was the "fine tune knob" that allowed you to listen to the station in crystal clear stereo.

Christians are a lot like this.... We allow the "big" knob to get us in the general vicinity of God's love and forgiveness. We need to use the "fine tune knob" to allow us to hear His voice in crystal clear audio and live obediently to His will.

PEACE,
Todd

Assurance Church Tidbit - March 9, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:53:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – March 9, 2009
Pass it on….

Here you go…another edition of the tidbit….the best e-newsletter in your spam folder….

I’m going to change up the tidbit a bit. I’m not going to include the family devotion anymore…unless I overwhelmingly here from people that they want it in!

I’m also going to try to add more content…in one form or another.

Sunday Sharing
The chapter for this week is Luke 19. I really enjoyed reading it today. I hope you read it a couple of times this week and see what you get out of it.

Do you want to read Luke 14 in a different version? You can go here http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here http://www.studylight.org/

Zola Levitt
This Sunday I showed a video from Zola Levitt on the Passover. You can view or download the videos here http://www.levitt.tv/

His main site can be seen here http://www.levitt.com/

David Wilkerson
Did you see the latest post by David Wilkerson? Some food for thought…do you believe that God still speaks through prophets today? You can view a blog post that stirred some interest on the internet this week here http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/2009/03/urgent-message.html

Scriptures to Memorize
I “stumbled on” this website. You can print out Scriptures to memorize http://freeinchrist.truepath.com/memory/DC/dc1.htm

Online Bible
Wow! Check this one out! http://biblos.com/

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise!

Michael & Patricia Dinh Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:05:00 +0000

Michael and Patricia married on October 25, 2008 @ the Houston Planetarium!

Bethlehem Star & Family Day

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:48:00 +0000

I'm really excited about December 14th. It's the second Sunday of the month, which means Family Day. This day is always cool - but on Dec. 14th we are going to show the DVD - The Star of Bethlehem. You can watch the trailer here...and check out the website here.

Everyone is welcome - so if you would like to see the video, you are welcome to join us on Dec. 14th. Check out the church site for our service time and directions.

Hurricane Ike

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:29:00 +0000

Assurance Church - August 20, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:26:00 +0000

ASSURANCE CHURCH TIDBIT – August 20, 2008
Pass it on….

Here you go…another edition of the tidbit….the best e-newsletter in your spam folder….

Walking with God – Book Study 4 the Ladies this time
Sunday @ the Starbucks on 290 & 43rd @ 4p.m.

Game Night – August 22, 2008 @ 7 p.m.
Bring a game, swimsuit and a dessert. The guys will probably watch the Dallas vs. Houston game!

Sunday Sharing
The chapter for this week is 1 John 2. Take some time read it, pray over it and see what kind of insight the Holy Spirit gives you. Then, if you want, share it on Sunday!

Do you want to read 1 John 1 in a different version? You can go here  http://www.biblegateway.com/ If you want to look at Greek and Hebrew words, you can go here  http://www.studylight.org/

Small Group @ The Chapmans – Call for the time.
Directions: Take 290 out of town and exit Barker Cypress. Take a left and go over 290. Take a left on Little Riata, then a left on Echo Falls. Take a left on Shadow Lawn Way. The address is 17531 Shadow Lawn Way.
281-770-4683 – Melinda • 713-894-3917 - Randy
Resources - http://assurancechurch.com/RESOURCES.html

Family/Personal Bible Study* - 1 John 2:15-27

In the final days before Christ’s return, the Antichrist, the great enemy of God, will arise to persecute God’s people. In the meantime, many “minor” enemies, people who deny that Jesus is who he says he is, will arise. These people seek to lead others astray with their teaching. The best way for Christians to deal with these enemies is to hold fast to the truths of Scripture.

OPEN
1. What does it feel like to be misled by inaccurate directions?

EXPLORE
2. How do we know that these are the last days? (2:18)
3. How did the enemies of Christ make themselves known? (2:19)
4. Who does John identify as a liar? (2:22)
5. What has the Son promised to us? (2:25)
6. What special gift does a Christian receive from Christ? (2:27)

GET IT
7. What did John mean when he said that these are the last days?
8. Who are the enemies of Christ in our society today?
9. What is our defense against the enemies of Christ?

APPLY
10. What can you do this week to undermine the teachings and influence of the enemies of Christ?

*taken from the iLumina Bible Software

Old Tibits?
Would you like to view old issues of the tidbit? You can visit  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assurancechurch/

Subscribe
Have you subscribed to the Assurance Church Tidbit? If you want to subscribe and receive this newsletter in your email – send an email to assurancechurch-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - You will not be spammed at all…I promise! 

Family Day Panorama

noreply@blogger.com (Todd) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:07:00 +0000

Randy Chapman created a panorama pic from two smaller pics of family day.