Next weekend, we are hosting a traveling team from Invisible Children including a representative from Uganda.  When we started the "Salt" series, we wanted to spend time focusing on our calling and need to positively influence the world with the gospel and the things that were important to Jesus.  Within a week, we had an opportunity to have Bob Lubell from ComeOnLetsGo.com and Invisible Children be with us during this series.  Both are working hard at changing the world around them, and both were catalysts to lead others to be a positive influence.

I've been familiar with IC (Invisible Children) for several years now and have attended their events in Chattanooga before, so when we had the chance to have them at Journey, we jumped on it.  The founders are followers of Jesus and their mission mimics that of Luke 4 - to rescue the oppressed and set the captives free.  And what I find amazing, is it all started with 3 friends and a camera.  IMAGINE. 3 friends and a camera are catalyzing millions of people to come to the aid of the oppressed.

Since the debut of their new film a couple of weeks ago, alot has happened with IC that has caused some controversy.  Critics have come out of the woodwork to try to discourage their efforts and raise concerns about their funding and practices.  In addition, last night, their leader was taken to a medical facility after what appeared to be a very public and embarassing mental breakdown.  For a small young church, that is enough controversy to consider canceling...and we did consider it.  Instead, we are still going to have IC at Journey and I wanted to tell you why if you have been following the news.

1.  IC IS making a difference in the world.  The critics...not so much.  We have hurt the efforts of rescuing the oppressed by trying to make it so complex and holding the rescuers to a standard that no one can reach.  Sometimes you just need to do it even if it isn't perfect or not without criticism.

2.  IC has been criticized for only spending around a third of their income on the ground in Uganda.  However, that is only part of their mission.  Their primary mission is to raise awareness to prompt world powers to take action and they have been successful.  That is where the majority of the funding goes as stated in their financials.  It's a different type of aid, but one that is clearly spelled out to anyone who is willing to research their site.  If you want to donate to their cause, be our guest.

3.  It is difficult to see a leader go down and that is just what happened last night.  If you are following the news, a dehydrated, undernourished, and exhausted leader absolutely flipped out and wandered through traffic.  The police were called and he was taken to a medical facility where he has been treated but no foreign substances were found.  The guy seems to have just crashed under the pressure.

After praying and talking about it, we chose to move ahead and to be honest I think all of this is indicative of bigger societal problems within the church and big media.

1.  We want someone to help change the world, but when they do, we criticize them ruthlessly.  I'm not saying I agree with every single thing they do or spend money on, but they are working tirelessly to stop a mad man that is enslaving, killing, torturing, and maiming children by the tens of thousands.  I think Jesus would be all over that.

2.  It's just easier to criticize someone for doing something, so we can do nothing.  The breakdown of Jason Russell is heartbreaking and as a person that has put everything on the line for something I believe in, I know the emotional toll it can take on you.  Especially criticism.

3.  When did we stop trying to change the world with big dreams, audacious goals, and noble intentions?  Isn't that what the Great Commission is? Change the world with the good news of Jesus? Perhaps our world would be less messy if we stopped vilifying the dreamers.

So, they are coming and those who are going to be sharing with us will undoubtedly be struggling through these events themselves.  Let's remember that the enemy in this scenario is Joseph Kony, not IC.  Let's be an arm of grace, healing, and encouragement for our brothers and sisters that are making a difference in the world.  Then, let's join them with great dreams that are near to the heart of Jesus.  #Salt

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18–19

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This weekend we are celebrating baptism at Journey and I can’t wait! It can be a confusing thing that we do, so I thought I would post what it means and why we do it.

What is it?

Baptism is a symbol of choosing to become a follower of Jesus. It does not have any power beyond the power that comes from being obedient to Christ. It is demonstrating to others that you have died to sin and you are now alive because of Jesus.  You are saying to those around you, I have been forgiven by the grace of Jesus and I now belong to Him and will walk in His ways.

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:4

Why do we do it?

As with many things from the Bible, we do it because Jesus told us to.  It can be a very freeing experience as you physically act out what Christ is doing inside of your heart.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matthew 28:19

What if you don’t ever get baptized?

I am often asked if you have to be baptized to be saved. My answer is always, no.  Baptism is never a prerequisite for experiencing God’s grace.

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:9–11

The better question is to ask yourself, ‘Why not?’ If you have experienced the life giving grace from being forgiven for your sins and you believe that Jesus was tortured and murdered to secure that for you, why would you not tell others about this grace and your decision to follow Him? You are living in grace now and THAT is cause for celebration!

Am I more accountable if I get baptized?

This is another question I often receive.  Since baptism doesn’t make you more or less saved, it doesn’t make you any more or less accountable to God.  God knows your heart and baptism doesn’t change that.  You do have to take your faith seriously to be a follower and that does mean letting other people know that you are attempting to live your life following the example of Jesus.  That does take guts.  I hope you are part of a community that will celebrate this decision with grace and not just accountability.

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This Christmas is the third year that we have challenged our friends at Journey to give less at Christmas and give the better gift of presence with family and friends instead.  This year we raised the challenge for each family to give at least $40 less in gifts and donate towards a well in India to provide clean water for 50-100 families.

Last week during our daughters nightly prayer time she asked this simple prayer…

“God, help me not to be sad that I am getting less for Christmas this year so we can help build a well in India.  I really want them to have clean water but I also want to have more Christmas presents so please help me not to be sad.”

I love that she is so honest and for a 9 year old, it is very normal.  So, we decided to involve each of our kids in Advent Conspiracy by giving them a portion of the money that they would have received on Christmas and we are letting them give it in the offering. It may not be quite as exciting for them but they can see what they are sacrificing for and learn how to give first hand.  We want our kids to learn a lifestyle of giving from us.  How can you be creative in teaching your kids to give?

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There has been a conspiracy from the beginning of time in which the full cost of it’s deception are being seen in our world, our nations, our churches, and in our families are only now being seen. 

It has been so successful that we are seeing the decline of nations, churches, and individuals.  Businesses are failing, innovation and manufacturing are declining, marriages are ending, relationships are becoming more shallow and an entire generation is about to experience a test like no other generation before it.

This conspiracy has changed the way we think about God, ourselves, our friends, and our resources.  It is so successful that it may single handedly distract entire generations from the gospel.

It’s greatest success? Quietly changing the way we understand the lives that we were created for and the nature of our creator.

Occupy Wall Street, the global economic meltdown, the Sandusky cover up, the rise in joblessness, the decline of marriage, the dramatic decline of our environment, and the closing of churches are just some of the results of this highly effective conspiracy.  And the truth is, every single one of us is victim to it with little chance of escaping it.

This has to change.  It can change. But it will require an intervention of supernatural proportions.

Want to know what it is and how Jesus said we could break free? Be at Journey tomorrow, Nov. 13th, at 10:30!

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Right now we are going through a transition of sorts and our leadership team has been working behind the scenes for several months on some pretty big stuff about to hit Journey in the coming weeks. Often when that is the case, it may appear that not much is going on, but I assure you that where we are headed is significant. As we prepare for that, I wanted to share a few things with you.

1. Deidra and I are so honored to be a part of this community. The idea for Journey may have been birthed before we knew most of you, but it has grown to become so much more. We love you all and KNOW that God has huge plans for us in the future.

2. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the investment that you have put into young families at Journey. I know of no other church that has the ratio of adults to children that Journey does. While I know our constant pleas for additional volunteers may seem desperate, none of us have experience in a church that ministers to so many kids every week compared to the number of adults that attend. Wow. THAT is incredible! Thank you! (And if you want to volunteer, let me know) :)

3. We are so thankful that you have helped us to create an environment where you can come as you are and be cared for and accepted. This is one of the reasons that I believe so many churches are watching us. This has been and will always be one of our core values. It helps us to stay focused on reaching out to people who don’t attend church.

4. We have done several things very well in our short existence, but there are some significant holes in our ability to create a movement in our city that honors God and leads many people to live life as a devoted disciple. This is where my heart and our leaders hearts live. We want to be an authentic community of faith that makes a real difference in our community. We want to see the hopeless gain hope, the disconnected to form solid relationships to Jesus and others, the lost to be found, and the Christ follower to grow significantly in their faith, and for the Church to share grace with our community.

5. In the coming weeks, you are going to be seeing some BIG changes at Journey in some core areas, but in others you may hardly notice a difference. We are still committed to imaginative creativity, high energy and spirit led worship, phenomenal children’s ministry, authentic relationships, and reaching out to the uncurched/dechurched in our community. We want to push the envelope and we want to be real. We are, however, changing how we lead and direct Journey as well as the primary fuel for discipleship, the art of growing as a disciple of Jesus. This is the very core of who we are as a church. It is the reason we exist and everything we have ever done has been to lead people to this end. We’ve been setting up this change for the last 4 weeks in our current series. Sunday we are taking it up a notch and I want you there. Seriously. This Sunday.

I know people attend Journey for different reasons and many times you will choose whether to attend based on the topic of discussion. In the next 2 weeks I am going to do my best to detail where we are going very soon and what this will look like. As we begin to implement these changes, you will begin to see the results infiltrating everything we do. That is how significant I believe this will be. I have been praying for each of you and for Journey since we were introduced to each other and God has been consistently telling me that He is about to do something huge in our midst this year. I believe that we are on the verge of this and that all of us are needed to fully realize what God is doing. That is why I am asking you to commit to being at Journey for the next 2 weeks. After that, some of you will be ready to engage in what is about to happen and some may not. If you are ready, we may just create history together in our city for the kingdom of God. Please be patient with us as we deal with the transition in leadership and in working out all of the details. I PROMISE it will be worth it and the very best is yet to come. Finally, thank you for the impact you are making in our church. You are awesome!

Love you deeply,

Mark

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The Psalmist encouraged everyone to meditate on scripture day and night, during every moment.  Keeping our minds focused and attentive to the bigger truths of life can be difficult.  So I've made some wallpapers for your technology that may help you face truth in every circumstance.  If you're like me, than you have a computer or an iPhone in front of you most of the day.  So by decorating them in truth I am forced to wedge a bit of meditation into my daily events.  Hopefully it can help you do the same.

There are wallpapers available for your Desktop, iPad, or iPhone.  Just pick your favorite, click the appropriate link, and get your meditate on!

Desktop

iPad

iPhone

Desktop

iPad

iPhone

Desktop

iPad

iPhone

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Whenever I want to surprise my wife with a gift, I usually clean the house, make her dinner, or buy her something not too expensive but just enough to evoke a “You totally didn’t have to do that!” response. One thing I learned very quickly is that if I repetitively do the same things over and over, it seems like less of a gift and more of a normality; the shock factor soon wears away, and the initial intention of that “gift” now seems worthless. It’s not that my wife is unappreciative at all, but we all fall into habits and lose sight of value, don’t we? I think this is because the relationships we have with other people are not meant to be formulaic. They are meant to be progressive. So, a question I recently have had is, if our relationships with other people are supposed to be progressive, how is our relationship, and more specifically our worship, with God supposed to be any different?

Growing up, my family bounced around from time to time to a number of different Churches. However, it seemed that no matter how many different churches we went to, they all shared a very familiar pattern to their music. They would have slow songs, a couple of mid-tempo songs, a “Special Music” song for the offering, and one at the end that everyone usually held hands for (awkward when you’re sitting on the end). Even though that was almost 20 years ago, I think we still fall into a pattern of the types of music we sing in church today, especially in the more "modern" churches.

HOW TO WRITE A TOP TEN WORSHIP SONG IN UNDER TEN STEPS

1. Big Intro
2. Soft Verse
3. Soft Chorus
4. Louder Verse
5. Loud Chorus (Sometimes repeated)
6. Soft Bridge
7. Build the Bridge up
8. LOUD CHORUS
9. Big Outro

Add this in with a few more similar songs, a prayer, and maybe a revisit to an old hymn at the end, and you have yourself a one way ticket on an emotional flight to destination "Surefire Repentance."  I hear their weather's nice.

Now, honestly, there is nothing wrong with this type of song. But the fact is, there isn't a recipe for worship. Repetition of music can be extremely useful when it’s filled with truth. The only thing we need to be careful of is that when we fall into repetition, it’s easy to see that we might be relying on the musical dynamics of the songs to ignite an emotional response more than we are pleading for an encounter with the Holy Spirit. The music we sing is not the worship itself, rather it is meant to provide an environment for us to connect with God in worship.

Ultimately, worship is not for us. It’s not about how it “makes us feel”. With that in mind, it doesn’t matter if the band plays our favorite song, if the cymbals hit at the right time, if there is a facemelting guitar solo (although preferred), or the singer has an impressive range. All that matters is that we open up our hearts completely, just as they are, and allow God to move in us whichever way He wants.

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Lk 22:31-32

Have you ever really thought about the process of sifting wheat? You might have a general idea, but let me try and give you a clearer picture.

You see, wheat is actually a grass. The part of the wheat we eat is called the kernel which is inside the head. In manual sifting, the very first step is to cut the wheat down separating it from its roots. Next, the stalks are laid out on the ground to be threshed. In threshing, the wheat is beaten with a flail (a nun chuck like tool) to separate the head from the stem. Finally, the head is tossed up in the air allowing the last inedible part, called the chaff, to blow away. The left over edible part, called the kernel, is the only part left.

I don't know about you, but I've never really thought about how laborious and exhausting the threshing and winnowing of wheat really is. I guess I just imaged it being similar to mining for gold by throwing rock and dirt into a sifter, shaking it gently back and forth, and allowing the little parts fall through.

Knowing that this process of sifting wheat is what Jesus is talking about in Luke 22 is almost scary. Just after promising the disciples that they will be eating and drinking with Him in heaven, Jesus tells them that Satan has begged to sift them as wheat. Remarkably, Jesus seems to have agreed! While it is unclear if this direct attack from Satan was allowed on all the disciples, it IS clear that Jesus allowed the attack against Peter. Astonishingly and humblingly, however, Jesus also prayed for Peter. He did not pray for Peter's protection or safety, or comfort or happiness. Instead, He prayed for Peter's faith, that it would not fail though He knew Peter would deny Him at one of His loneliest times. And, though He knew Peter would fail him, He also spoke a compassionate word of hope... when. Not if. Not maybe. When. When you have turned back, strengthen your brethren.

It seems as though there was something that needed to be refined in Peter. Maybe it was his pride? Maybe it was his faith (1 Pt 1:6-7). Maybe he needed to learn endurance that leads to perfection (James 1:2-4). Maybe Jesus wanted to rid him of his self-righteousness. Maybe... we don't really know. We are not told WHY Jesus allowed this time in Peter's life. We just know He allowed it. BUT, we also know that Jesus prayed for Peter. JESUS prayed for Peter. How amazing is that?

Sifting is no fun and honestly a little brutal. It's hard to tell sometimes whether I'm going through the thrashing or the winnowing....and I sure don't know when it's going to stop.

I often want to identify with Paul. I want to identify with his fervor for the Lord, his missionary zeal, and the eloquence in sharing the gospel and challenging the church. But really, it is Peter with whom I identify. Boldly declaring devotion to Christ one minute no matter the cost, yet, cowardly denying His sovereignty and love when things aren't going my way or when the mental/emotional part of life is so tumultuous that I feel my soul is going to rip in two.

But maybe. Could it be, that Christ, that Jesus Himself, sees something in me that needs sifting? Something in me that needs to be refined? Maybe God wants to rid me of my own pride. My own self-righteousness. My own self-reliance. Maybe He desires for my faith to be refined. To create in me endurance, which refines my character, and produces hope in the only Love that does not disappoint (Rom 5:1-5). Could it be that Jesus has seen in me something worth putting me through the sifting process for? And could it be, that maybe, just maybe Jesus prayed for me too? That out of my trials and pain I may be able to comfort others with the comfort Christ offers me (2 Cor 1:3-7). That I may be able to turn back and strengthen those whose faith is wavering??? Maybe....

Part of what is amazing about all of this is that after Peter's denial, an angel sends him a special message about Christ's resurrection. Jesus gave him an opportunity to verbally reaffirm his love for Him. AND, Peter was used mightily on the day of Pentecost to preach the good news. If Jesus is willing to do that for Peter who so vehemently denied Him, then maybe... just maybe He still loves me and can use me too.

Reprinted by permission from Stacy Hill.

Stacy is an attender and group leader at Journey.

Thanks for the post, Stacy.  Great insight.

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Do you ever get together with friends and start remembering all the crazy things you did “way back when”? Is there a point in your life that you would love to go back to and experience it again? In the Bible, that point for most Christians is in the Garden of Eden.  It was the place where humanity was created.  The place where we drew our first breath, felt newly created dirt between our toes, took in the aroma of thousands of budding flowers, trees, and plants (Genesis 2:8-9).  “The Garden” is the place where humanity first walked and talked with God…and it hasn’t ever happened like that since.

God had thought of everything.  It was free game…eat what you wanted, go where you wanted, and explore the wonders of creation for the first time.  There were no tears, not disappointments, no discouragements, and no heartaches.  Everything was just as it should be to experience life fully.  God forbid one thing, though, that we know about…don’t eat from two specific trees He had planted in the garden, The trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil.  That was it.  It was paradise.  Life was good.  (Genesis 2:15-17)

In that whole scenario, I’ve always asked an intriguing question, why did God put the tree in the garden?  Couldn’t we have avoided a lot of mess if he had just left those 2 trees out? I mean, really… If you already know the story or if you read ahead, then you know that those trees would change everything for Adam and Eve and ultimately for you and I, too.  Eve would be tempted by a snake (Genesis 3:1-6) to do exactly what God said not to do and Adam would follow suit.  To be fair, it wasn’t any ordinary snake, it was the physical representation of Satan (Revelation 12:9).  This all happened sometime after Satan and his followers went to war with God and the rest of the angels.  Satan lost, he was thrown to the world, he spread his misery to everyone else.

I wonder what that fruit from the forbidden tree taste like.  I imagine it was incredible, after all, forbidden things just taste better. They are more exciting and seem to be altogether exhilarating…at least in the moment.  For Adam and Eve, though, that moment passed quickly.  This tree of the knowledge of good and evil was different.  It actually gave them knowledge of the difference between what is good and what is evil.  It gave them knowledge that they had done what God told them not to do.  They were acting in sin, an evil deed against the will of their creator and they were ashamed of what they had done…no forbidden fruit is worth that!

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.Genesis 3:7-8(NLT)

If this is the entrance of sin, then it still begs the question, what is sin?  The Bible describes in a lot of different ways…

•  Disobedience to God
•  Missing the mark
• Breaking the law of God
• Madness
• Selfishness
• Idolatry
• Among others

There are generally two broad categories that all other sins fall into.

1.     Sins of Commission – in other words, those are the things that God said not to do and we did them anyway.  We committed sin.

2.     Sins of Omission – those things that we should have done but chose not to.

Shame was their first consequence of sin.  They knew they had done wrong and it felt terrible.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only result.  Ultimately their choice to disobey God would cause them to be thrown out of paradise and ultimately have a much more difficult life.  The greatest consequence, though, was that they could now longer walk with their creator.  They could no longer be in His presence, a consequence that continues today. (Genesis 3:9-15)

All of this raises another interesting question, can we avoid sin?  Adam and Eve didn’t, but what about me? I can be good enough.  Unfortunately, the Bible says that we aren’t immune from the temptation to choose ourselves over God. 

For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5 (NLT)

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12 (NLT)

Sin would not only brought shame and broke the relationship we had with God, it actually brought death.  The first recorded death in the Bible is spiritual, the death of Adam and Eve’s life of sinlessness with God.  The first killing in the Bible was at God’s hands when he killed animals to make skins for Adam and Eve to wear.  We’ll learn later, that sin would tear apart families, ruin lives, and cause us to seek after every pleasure under the sun with no success in regaining true peace.  It would also lead to an eternity in Hell.

Not only is the cost of sin great, the cost of bring restoration to this fallen reality of life and creation would be immense.  We’ll talk about this Sunday at Journey but if you want to read ahead, look at what God would go through to bring us back.  To restore us to a relationship with Him in sinlessness.  Warning, if you read it truthfully, it’s intense.

2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!

5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.

9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.

10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.

11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. Isaiah 53:2-11 (NLT)

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When my oldest daughter was first learning to speak, she once asked me, "daj baws?"  I would usually smile and just respond with confused laughter assuming it was a new exploration in her ability to form sounds, but she was persistent. "Daj baws?"  The same question arose all week long and my response only grew more perplexed with time.

Later that weekend I sat down to spend some time with her.  I placed her on my knee and began talking to her as a cartoon appeared on the television.  It was an old episode of Care Bears (thank you, Netlfix) and my little girl immediately drew her attention to the screen exclaiming, "Daj baws!  Datch beaws!  ... Watch bears!"

Suddenly, a breaking point in the language barrier occurred and, because I took the moment to engage the culture of her little world, a new found connection was made to what I thought was childish nonsense.

When you spend time with your children, engaging them and emerging yourself into their realm of awareness, you learn about them and find new ways to communicate with them.  Similarly, as the church we carry a tenuous responsibility to love people who make violently poor decisions for themselves and others every day, and wrestle with the Gospel as it relates to a ragingly evolving culture.  All this while keeping our head above water long enough to catch breath and center ourselves before diving back down after those around us who are drowning.

Culture inevitably offers opportunities to reveal the heart.  Social Media, for example, becomes a platform for impatient and angry people to hurl flaming statements in haste, arrogant people to boast about their successes and post pictures of themselves for validation and to ensure they aren't ignored, skeptical troublemakers to post inflammatory comments, and perverts to illicit sexual affairs.

As culture changes, we are forced to respond in one of three ways - reject it, receive it, or redeem it.

Rejecting cultural trends is a grievously common response among Christianity because of human tendency to abuse the opportunity for selfishly decaying purposes.  By rejecting it we assume we can avoid the sin.  But in doing so, we shift the blame from the heart to the behavior - which only reveals the heart.  The result is always legalism.

Receiving the culture has the opposite effect.  We find ourselves compromising the truth of the Gospel for the approval of people attempting to fit church into the mold of a culture that places no value beyond affluent hedonistic behaviors.  The result is always liberalism.

As leaders in our community, however, we have chosen the third response - to redeem it.  This requires faithful intentionality, honest reflection, and strict accountability because we believe passionately that social media should and can be used for the glory of God and the advancement of the Gospel in every way possible.  That is why, even as a church of under 100 people, our leadership places so much effort and time behind our website, blog, Twitter, and Facebook.  We want to labor in the responsibility of using the opportunities of cultural trends to encourage and enrich the lives of those around us towards a community of repentance and redemption under the authority of Jesus.

We recognize that when we seize these opportunities with humility, then it becomes a breaking point in the language barrier of the church to engage and connect a culture with the Gospel that would otherwise seem as childish nonsense.

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Last week Chattanooga mourned the death of a fallen hero, Sgt. Tim Chapin, after he confronted a heavily armed and armored robbery suspect who would take his life moments later.  Hixson was flooded with members of local fire and police departments as the family celebrated his life at a funeral service and laid his body to rest at a local cemetary.  You can see in the video the hundreds of representatives who walked from Abba's House to the cemetary where he was to be buried.  Police departments from precincts surrounding Hamilton County volunteered to cover the shifts of local officers so they could attend their fallen friend and coworkers funeral.

As I drove by the church where his funeral was being held, the demonstration of solidarity and community was just overwhelming.  Dozens of police motorcycles lined the front parking lot of the church and firetrucks blocked off portions of Hixson Pike and Hwy 153.  As I watched this video, I found myself moved by the support that police officers were showing for their own who gave his life in the line of duty for our city.

It's a picture that mimics the kind of relationship that Jesus said the church should have for each other.  Willing to give their time for one of the family and show their support in horrible circumstances.  In the early church this would have been played out literally as Christians were persecuted and often executed for their faith.  There was a sense of family, community, and shared sacrifice that was deeper than the typical human experience.  The church is a family.  This is how we should care for one another.

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35 (NLT)

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www.JourneyChattanooga.com

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In the Genesis 1 & 2 creation accounts, God systematically created the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, plants and animals, and finally Adam and Eve.  In each case, God spoke them into existence.  He said, “Let it be.” and it was.  The creation of humanity took a different direction, though.  God didn’t just speak them into existence, He crafted them.  Genesis 2 describes it as a supernatural sculpting of the first man, Adam, from dust with His very hands.  The first breath of life was given directly by God, too. 

It’s hard to imagine the kind of buzz that was present as all new life began to explore its surroundings.  God had created everything out of nothing and it seems as though there were components of God interwoven within the creation itself or at least they gave a type of testimony to His creative mastery.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.  Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”  Luke 19:38-40 (NLT)

The Creation of Humanity

When we studied the doctrine of creation, we noted that the Bible shared more about the creator than about the technicalities of the creation process.  Looking at the creation of people we see a few things about God.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.Genesis 1:26-31 (NLT)

• We were made in God’s image.
• God existed eternally in three persons.
• In some way, God intended for people to mimic some of His own qualities.  This idea would be known as the Imago Dei or Image of God.

In most ways, God is Unique

• Only God is Eternal
• Only God is Omnipotent/All Powerful
• Only God is Omniscient/All Knowing
• Only God is Omnipresent/All Places
• Only God is Immutable/Doesn’t Change
• Only God is Ruler and King

In some ways, we mimic the attributes of God

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.  Colossians 3:10-15 (NLT)

Ways we  can be like God/Imago Dei

• We Can Love
• We Can Create
• We are Spirit
• We Pursue Holiness
• We seek Justice and Righteousness
• We Receive and Share Grace
• We Exist Best in Community

How do we pursue a life that mimics the qualities of God?

1. Seek to do the will of God instead of trying to get God to do our will.  He created the universe…and us…certainly he knows what is best.
2. By worshiping God instead of the things that the world created (idols).
3. By demonstrating what it means to live in the image of God.  Leading others to have a relationship with God is one way we fulfill our purpose.
4. By serving God and serving others.  Something happens when you put someone else’s needs above your own.  Your entire perspective of life and value changes.
5. Struggle with what it means to love others and do it.
6. Care for those that were important to Jesus, namely the poor, sick, hurting, oppressed, and needy.
7. Live in Community, not in obscurity.  We were created to live with people and interweave our lives with each other.

How is life with God different from life without God?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.  Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.  Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT)

Bottom Line

A full life is only possible by living out the image of God.

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The doctrine of creation sets the tone for everything else we believe about God and about our own origins. What we believe about the origin of the world and ourselves will literally determine what we believe about the purpose of life. At its core, the central debate of creation is whether or not there is a God. Because we believe that God revealed Himself truthfully in the Bible, we learn a lot from it’s pages.

What does the Bible say about the beginning of the universe?

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Hebrews 11:3 (NLT)

The belief that God formed the universe gives us hope that He can answer prayers and ultimately save us from our sins as He claimed. The amount of evidence in biblical literature and extra-biblical literature confirms that God can actually bend the natural laws of this world because He created them. There is no conflict between science and God because He not only created science, He also gave us the curiosity to discover scientific principles.

What does life without God as creator look like?

That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of the unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built. -Bertrand Russell

2 Primary Beliefs about the creation of the world

1. Divine Creation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2 (NLT)

2. Biological Evolution dating back to 6th Century BC and made popular by Charles Darwin in mid 1800’s

• Macroevolution – that the building blocks of life existed already and over time, the combined and mutated to eventually form life quite randomly and by accident. This view claims the creation account from the Bible is false. It’s most visible challenge to the Bible occurred in the early 20th century during the Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. A biology teacher was taken to trial for teaching a non-biblical account of creation and gave national attention to the growing tension between science and religion.
• Microevolution – the belief that life undergoes small changes and adaptions to it’s environment over time without being a source of life or the ability to create new life. This belief does not require you to be a proponent of Macroevolution.

What is the purpose of the creation account?

You might think we have the account of creation in Genesis to give us the specific facts about it. Instead, the purpose of the creation account is to demonstrate who the creator is rather than describe the act of creation itself.

What does the Bible tells us?

1. Who made the earth

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:1-5 (NLT)

2. Why the earth was made

Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’”
Isaiah 43:7 (NLT)

3. How the earth was made

Genesis 1:1-31

What do we learn about God?

• The Eternality of God
• The Omnipotence/All Powerfulness of God
• The Creative Nature of God
• The Trinity in Action
• The Love of God
• The Desire for a Relationship with His Creation

God’s continual act of creation

This is what God the Lord says– he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:5-7 (NIV)

Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
2 Corinthians 5:14-18 (NLT)

Bottom Line

We were created by God, for God, and only find true hope, purpose, and fulfillment through God.

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Trying to explain God is like trying to explain the feeling you get when the sun finally comes out after a month of rain.  It just can’t be done! The fact is, God is a huge mystery.  If we could completely understand Him, He wouldn’t be God.  What we do have are the glimpses of what He has chosen to reveal in scripture.

Augustine said, “If you deny the Trinity you will lose your soul.  If you try to understand the Trinity, you will lose your mind.” He was right! The fact is, what we believe about God determines what we believe about life.

The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one triune God who exists eternally in three equal persons…God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but with no division in nature, essence, being, or message.

There is one God

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 (NLT)

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)

Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.  1 Kings 8:60 (NLT)

“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God— there never has been, and there never will be.  Isaiah 43:10 (NLT)

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Luke 1:35 (NIV)

One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.  Luke 3:21-22 (NLT)

Development of the doctrine of the Trinity.

It’s important to know that the Trinity is not mentioned in the Bible.  Instead the idea of one God in three persons first mentioned by Theophilus of             Antioch in 170 AD who was known for driving out heretics attacking Christians.  Others have associated this new doctrine to Tertullian.

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding concepts from the Bible that was written in another age is the difference in language and culture.  “Person” in English is understood to be an individual.  In ancient Israel, “person” communicates the idea of an individual AS WELL AS that person existing in community.

Why does it matter if it is one or three Gods? A number of questions would be raised.

• Who is supreme?
• Who should be worshiped?
• Who is more powerful?
• Which should be followed?

When we attempt to study God, we often call it “theology”.  It’s a word made by two greek words…Theos (God) + Logos (Word) = theology – a word about God.  Similarly, sociology is a word/study about society.  Psychology – A word/study about the psyche (mind/behavior).  Ecclesiology – A word/study of the Ekklesia (the church).  Soteriology – A word/study of the soter or savior or the  study of salvation.  Studying the Trinity helps us to understand God in the ways he was revealed Himself to us.

God represented as “Three In One” Through the Bible

God was so revered in the Old Testament that His name was never to be spoken out loud.  He was to be honored above all things.  He was simply called God or Lord.

The Holy Spirit was introduced in the Old Testament but was not fully taught until the New Testament.  Jesus was mentioned in the OT as the coming messiah and He asserted his godship as did God the father during Jesus’ baptism.  The consistent message of the Trinity has always been to know God, to become like Christ, and to lead others to do the same.

This is the one who came by water and blood–Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.  1 John 5:6-13 (NIV)

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Hebrews 9:14 (NLT)

God the Father

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”  John 6:35-40 (NLT)

Jesus who was often referred to as “the Word”

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.  John 1:1-5 (NLT)

Holy Spirit

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NLT)

Our response to the Trinity

Once we have a grasp of God existing as one God in three persons, we must respond to him in some way.  After Jesus was wrongfully convicted, crucified, and resurrected from the grave, He gave certain instructions to His followers.  We call this the “great commission”. We see that we are to lead people to know and worship God as the Trinity.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

Bottom Line

1. God is one God that exists in the three persons of God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. God’s consistent message is one of love and salvation through Jesus so that we can know God, become like Jesus, and lead others to do the same.

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• Creation came into being as “God spoke”
• God spoke before Adam  and Eve’s sin and he continued to speak after
• God’s desire is to be known. He already knows us.

1. General Revelation – What God has spoken to everyone through nature, through prophets, and through the Bible.
2. Special Revelation – Specific insight about God to someone of God’s choosing, the kind of knowledge that leads to salvation, and specific instructions to the follower of God.

1. Verbal Plenary Inspiration – The Bible is word for word, God’s word spoken through people of His choosing.
2. Inerrant – There are no errors in what God reveals.
3. Infallible – The Bible can be trusted in all arenas of life and study
4. Complete – Nothing is to be added to the Bible

• Canonized 150-300 AD years after Jesus (Put in its current Form)
• 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament
• Written over a 1500 year period
• Over 40 authors
• 1205 – Stephen Langton (archbishop of Canterbury) started using chapters as reference points
• 1240 – Cardinal Hugo of St. Cher gave us our current chapter divisions
• Robert Stephanus, a book printer, added verse numbers while fleeing for his life

1. Number of original copies – The Bible has over 24,000 discovered remnants of early copies of Scripture that tell the same story
2. How close authors were to the actual events – The writing of the New Testament was complete by 100 years after Jesus death, burial, and resurrection and was written by eyewitnesses or trusted authors who interviewed eyewitnesses.
3. What impact has it made over time? – The most read book of all time and it is still changing lives.

• Reveals who God is and how we can know truth.
• Communicates how to be saved from sin
• Gives us the tools to grow spiritually
• Tells us the stories of those who have walked in faith before us
• God Continues to speak to us today

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The following is a post from Diann Jarvis.  She and her family have attended Journey from the very beginning.  I asked her if I could post it here and she kindly obliged.  We have no idea to what lengths God will go to bring people to him.  Wow.

“Today is a day I will never forget. Today is my dad’s 75th birthday. Instead of me giving him an incredible gift, he gave me one…again. I gave my heart to the Lord in November of 1998. About a year of so later, my dad gave me a little black bible that my mom had given him on 12/25/1969. My husband liked it because it was little and compact. He started carrying it. He made notes and underlined chapters.  He carried it in his truck and would read it on lunch break. He came out of work one night and his truck had been ransacked and the bible was gone. Mike wasn’t so upset about the truck being broken into as he was about the bible getting sto…len. My parents have been divorced since I was 5 so this bible was special to me. Mike made the statement that night that he hoped whoever stole it would read it and it would change their life. I hoped so too. Last week, my dad got a phone call. The man said he had found a little black bible that had his information in it and wanted to return it. He said he had found it in an old car that his son had bought. He went on to say that he had been reading it and he and his wife had given their hearts to the Lord and he wanted to return it to its rightful owner. My dad told him to keep it if he needed to. The man went on to explain that his wife had bought them new bibles. He brought the bible to my dad last week and once again, I am in possession of this little black bible. I have often wondered what happened to the bible. Now I know. It was exactly where God intended it to be. Riding around in an old car until it reached the ones that would receive the fullness of it. God’s Word is so active, alive and awesome. It never returns void. In this case, it returned via 2 more saved souls. I have been truly blessed beyond measure today. You go God!!!!!”

Thanks for sharing Diann.  Go God!!!!

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I came across this note on Facebook and asked Anna if I could repost it here.  She readily agreed.  EVERY CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO READ THIS.  We have a horrible reputation in restaurants.  The worst.

“You may not believe me when I say this, but, my friends, how much you tip when you go out to eat on Sunday directly affects my testimony at work. If you don’t know alreay, I work at Longhorn Steakhouse, a place where Christians are certainly in the minority. While there are many reasons for this, I truly believe that one of the main ones is how you are viewed when you go out to eat. My friends there should all know that I’m a Christian by now, and (I’m not trying to brag, but) I think that I am respected for the way that I act and choose to live, but last night part of me was ashamed to be identified with a couple of Christians who need someone to explain this to them… I went to bus the table where this couple had enjoyed their dinner, and was shocked when, after the dishes were cleared, I saw only two one dollar bills and some loose change. What was worse than that, though, was a booklet with a smiley face that said “Jesus loves you” next to the money. My first thought was to laugh that they thought their small tip was showing Jesus’ love to their server because $2.85 was not even 5% of their check. My next thought was to run out and give them the booklet back and ask them not to tell anyone that they’re associated with God unless they are going to leave a 15% or 20% tip. Yes, I just said that… 20% is the standard now. I understand that that  is a lot of money. I’m not rich either, but if I can’t afford to leave a tip then I guess I can’t afford to go out to eat.

It saddens me greatly that our servers have to fight over who has to work Sundays because it’s the worst shift of the week when it should be the best! Christians should be the nicest, best-tipping customers that come in our store, but instead, many are generalized as demanding and low-tipping. I had a good server friend of mine (that I pray will become a Christian someday) tell me one Sunday afternoon, “They can tithe their God 10% of everything before they come here, but they can’t even tip their waitress 10% who waits on them hand and foot.” It’s not a very nice way to say it, but it showed me how much it stresses them to wait on Christians after church.

I’m definitely not trying to put anyone down, and I love all of my Christian friends, but I think that so many people don’t realize how important it is to act like Christ EVERYWHERE YOU GO!!! because THE WORLD IS WATCHING US!!!

Thanks for taking your time to read this, and think about it this Sunday

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Kids almost always want to stand in front of the TV.  My kids do it and I did, too.  As I was growing up, dad would simply say, “Mark, you’ve been drinking muddy water, again” to signal that no one could see the TV through me.  It’s a lesson I learned in the living room, but not in church planting.

Last weekend, we unveiled a change that is happening at Journey.  For the first 2 1/2 years of our existence, we have been known by the name, Journey Chattanooga. We chose that name because…

• We wanted to reach out to people who were skeptical of churches.  By taking “church” out of the name, we hoped it would communicate that we were different from the typical perspective of church.
• There are Journey Churches everywhere! We wanted to communicate that we weren’t a campus of another Journey Church. Truth is, people who don’t go to church aren’t familiar with the other ones, either.
• Aaaannnnddddd, we just thought it sounded cool.  Though, the first reason was really our primary purpose.

Along the way we’ve discovered a few things about our community.  They couldn’t tell what we were from our logo or signage (many thought we were a travel agency) and they had certain expectations of what churches did…even if they didn’t attend one.  In other words, we looked like we were drinking muddy water because they couldn’t see past our cool graphics.  So, we are changing our logo and name.  Here’s why…

• Our purpose is to lead people to be passionate followers of Jesus.  Everything should point to that.
• We love Jesus, not travel.
• We belong to the largest family on the planet, the “C”hurch.  We want people to know that.
• Most of all, we want to be clear.  Clear that we are a church.  Clear that we are a place and a people where you can learn about Jesus.  Clear that we exist to lead people to know Jesus Christ.  So, here’s the new logo.  Like it?

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