With Love and Prayers,

Dave and Andie Bentley

November 22, 2012

DISCOVERING YOUR SUPER POWER

Ephesians 4:11-16 (HCSB)
¹¹ And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
¹² for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,
¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, [growing] into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
¹⁴ Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.
¹⁶ From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Story: Poor Sheep-Rancher

There was a poor sheep rancher tending a pitiful little flock in a nearly barren waste land.  He barely had enough to get by, and many days he went hungry because he didn’t have any money.  This went on this way for years.  Then one day, as he was digging a new water well, he found a strange black liquid beneath the ground.  He had struck oil.  Within moment he went from being nearly destitute to incredibly wealthy.  The oil had been there all along, however he never looked to see what was his beneath the surface.

There are many believers in Christ who are living without purpose and without the resources that are theirs because they haven’t taken the time to discover what is theirs…just beneath the surface.  The SUPER POWER that Christ has given to them to fulfill His plan in their lives. 

Here’s a Video from the Superman Movie showing a similar Occurrence

STEPS TOWARD DISCOVERING YOUR SUPER POWER

I. FAITH—Believe that the Gifts are real and you are gifted

A. You are gifted (equipped) or God’s call is futile in us.

B. You are gifted or there is no possible service you can do

C. You are gifted, or the Bible is false

II. PRAYER—Asking to know and to use your gifts (James 4)

A. You do not have because you do not ask. (4.2)

B. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend {it} on your pleasures. (4.3)

III. AWARENESS—What gifts are available to me?

(This is not an Exhaustive List)

A. Gifts of Service/Helps

B. Gifts of the ministry of the Word

C. Gifts of direction and leadership

D. Gifts of signs and miracles

IV. ACTIVITY—Explore by doing and experiencing

(Next Week – Using Your Super Power on Purpose with Purpose)

It’s Not Enough!

I have not been to church in almost two weeks! That’s probably a surprising admission for a pastor to make. Even more that I have not been to my church service in almost three weeks. Travel and illness have kept me from my church community. There are many who would say that this is not a big deal. After all, I am very faithful (I suppose I have to be as the pastor). However, I know that this is not enough. It is not enough to be hit or miss when it comes to participating in church. It is not enough to connect with the community of faith in a sporadic and inconsistent way. It is not enough to only be with the family of fellowship on an occasional basis.

I’m getting older (WOW – two major admissions in one posting!). Later this month I will celebrate one of those annual anniversaries that reminds us that we are aging. One of the things about getting older, however, is that you start to realize how much you have taken relationships for granted through the years. Friends and family that you were close to growing-up, yet now you rarely see. Distance creeps in quite subtly, and before you know it close relationships become distant memories.
This is what happens with week we “take a break” from gathering with the people of God in fellowship with God. Suddenly you find yourself wondering why you can’t seem to connect with God, but you don’t realize that you have allowed dust and ashes to build up on the altar. It’s time that we (I) committed to lighting the altar fire of worship, fanned by the Spirit of God, and let those flames blaze in praise with God and His people.

1 Kings 18.30 tells us that on Mount Carmel, as Elijah was about to take a stand against the false prophets of his day, HE REPAIRED THE ALTAR OF THE LORD THAT WAS BROKEN DOWN. There, on top of the mountain, just before an amazing demonstration of God’s power and presence, Elijah began by returning to the foundations of the faith. For us, we need to be reminded to return to the foundations of our faith and the bedrock elements of worship, fellowship, and service.

My question for you…IS IT TIME TO REBUILD AND RETURN TO YOUR WORSHIP ALTAR (your church)? Get back where you belong! You are missed, and you are missing more than you realize.

This past Sunday I was recovering from apparent food poisoning, so Mike Monica stepped in and delivered the message.  Below are his notes with a few additions. 

Servolution: Starting a Revolution in your Church
A Message By Michael Monica at Living Waters Community Church

Acts 6:1-8

¹ In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.
² Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to wait on tables.
³ Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.”
⁵ The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a • proselyte from Antioch.
⁶ They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
⁷ So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
⁸ Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

Notes
Characteristics of a servant.
Service (Rom. 12:-8, Mark 10:45, Phil 2:5, Matt. 25-46, James 2:14-17)
a. Jesus came to _____________(Serve)
b. Our attitude should be like ____________ (Jesus)
c. We are judged according to our _________ (deeds)
d. If we believe we will __________ (serve.)

Note: Our acceptance into heaven is based on belief, not works.  Our works are merely an overflow of what we believe.

Honor (Romans 12:10 & 13:7)
a. Honor God __________ (First)

Opportunity (Gal. 6:10)
a. Disciples of Jesus don’t see problems, they see _____________ (ministry opportunities)

Willing (John 13:1)
a. Are you willing to wash the feet (serve) those who will betray, deny and abandon you?

Hospitality (1 Peter 4:9-10)
a. We are called to show _______ (hospitality) and _______ (serve) through God’s grace.

Objection or Ordained (Acts 6:6)
Do you complain about problems or serve through them?
a. Complaining magnifies the _______ (problem), minimizes what is ______ (right) and misses what is _______ (important).
b. We are blessed to give our ______(time), _________(talent) and ______(finances)

Prosperity (Acts 6:7)
a. Service propels the ________ (Gospel message).

Everyone (John 3:16, Eph 2:8)
a. Because God loves us, he served us.
b. Service is about _________ (teamwork) and _________(family)
c. Service allows ____________(everyone) the opportunity to hear the gospel message.

Q & A
1. Is this __________ worth your time? (Church)
2. Are _________ worth your time? (People)
3. Is ________ worth your time? (Jesus)

Living Life Undistracted

1 Corinthians 7:29-35

Now let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short, so husbands should not let marriage be their major concern. Happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God’s work. Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away. In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man can’t do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be more devoted to the Lord in body and in spirit, while the married woman must be concerned about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

Men are notorious for being distracted. Most of us could qualify for having ADD — Attention Deficit Disorder. In fact, I heard about a guy who was so distracted over one thing and another that he had to have his wife tell him almost everything. One day his wife came into the room and said, “Here’s the sweater you asked me to find.” He said, “Are we going somewhere, or am I cold?” That would be funny if it wasn’t so close to home. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into a room and asked myself what I am doing there. I knew that I came there for a reason, but it was beyond me what it was because I became distracted by something else. Just ask my wife…I will stand in in our home stupefied because I forgot what I needed or where I was heading.

It is hard to remain focused isn’t it? Life for many consists of rabbit trails rather than highways. They are always on the move, but not really getting anywhere. The distractions of life dictate their decisions and control their schedules.

HERE’S A SNAP-SHOT OF MY LIFE: I make a lot of plans, but get very little done. The phone rings. I need something at the store. Here’s a classic scenario: I simply want to check my email. In moments, however, I get caught in the web of the internet following a story, looking up something, blogging, reading other people’s blogs, checking the weather, looking to see if the Mountaineers are any closer to a championship, or just catching up on the news…and I never get around to checking the email. The kids need to be dropped off, and then they need picked up. Something needs cleaned or repaired. A stack of books are begging to be read. Even making lists of things that need to be done is a distraction.

The problem is that it all seems important, or at least necessary. Our lives are filled with the urgent, and we have no time for the eternal. We have tended to a million little things and left undone the big things. We have filled the day with things that do not ultimately matter and left undone the things that do matter. We have done what seemed necessary and neglected what was essential. Days turn into months and months into years, and our lives have become trivialized by distractions.

How do we escape this ruthless cycle of distractions which keep us from what life was meant to be? Let me suggest a few things.

move from pragmatism to passion.

Pragmatism is doing something because it gets results or it works.

Passion is the craving of a heart that wants to experience the fullness of life no matter what the cost. Passion is fire in the belly.

move from being fractured to being focused

We are all tempted to be controlled by the tyranny of the urgent.

If you can begin each day in the Word you can see the big picture for the day.

If you begin each day with prayer & meditation you can focus on what’s important. But if you just start the day running you will never stop running.

Drop unimportant things, even if they disappoint some people, so that you can do the important things. Focus on keeping the main thing the main thing. The problem is that the main thing gets crowded out by a lot of things that are not even related to the main thing.

Tim Allen, star of the television sitcom Home Improvement, said in a Reader’s Digest article:

“How much of the day are you awake? You think, ‘I gotta get the dry cleaning, I gotta get going, and this and this.’ All of a sudden it’s dinnertime. And then there is a moment of connection with your spouse or your friends. Then you read and go to bed. Wake up, and it’s the same all over. You’re not awake, you’re not living, you’re not experiencing. We start early medicating ourselves. We start kids early on TV and video games and so on. It’s daunting how many possibilities there are in life for every one of us. But rather than face that I may be a failure or a success. . . people find diversions.”

We need to be focused instead of fractured.

move from wandering to living life on purpose.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

There is a purpose for your life and it is important to discover that purpose and not let a thousand little distractions rob you of it. I think of the disciples sleeping in the garden when Jesus needed them to be with him. He had warned them of the importance of prayer. He told them it was the only way they would be delivered in the time of trial and temptation. But they missed their purpose in those moments. They chose sleep over vigilance. It is no wonder that within a few hours Peter betrayed his Lord and the rest of them ran when they could and should have stood.

In her book, A Practical Guide to Prayer, Dorothy Haskins tells about a noted concert violinist who was asked about the secret of her mastery of the instrument. She said,

“There are many things that used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system prevented me from accomplishing what I should on the violin. So I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret to my success.”

I like the idea of planned neglect. She had a purpose, and she put that purpose first and deliberately neglected other things. She was a violinist and she never forgot it. She was a violinist first, and everything else came after that.

What would happen in your life if…(you fill in the blanks)

“There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul. God is whispering to us well nigh incessantly. Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God. He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.”   – Fredrick William Faber

• Let me ask you a few questions:
• What is your main purpose in life?
• What is your second most important purpose in life?
• What is your third most important purpose in life?
• Does the way you are living your life truly reflect those goals?

Three Truths to Take With You…

• Time is Short – Our Most Precious Commodity is the moment that passes us by.
• The Eternal MUST OUTWEIGH the Urgent

• Because time is short

• Because eternity hangs in the balance

• Make: PASSION…FOCUS…PURPOSE a priority in your life.

Theme Verse: Luke 9:23-27

Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Review:

• FOLLOWING IS A CHOICE
• FOLLOWING IS A COMMITMENT
• FOLLOWING IS A COURSE

Are We Following Jesus or Following the Rules?

The Pharisees and Scribes would have had Everyone Convinced that they were Completely Committed Followers. The only question is, what are they following?

That’s a good question for us to ask today. “What are you following?”

Matthew 23 – Pulling the Curtain Back on the Faithfully Faulty

The Prognosis: The Faithfully Faulty are often Dedicated and Devoted

• The Pharisees went through incredibly intense training and study
• The Sadducees were raised in a family of religious leaders to become leaders.
• There is no question that these men were devoted and dedicated
• The problem is that you can be devoted and dedicated, and still be wrong.

Jesus levels a pretty heavy accusation on the Sanhedrin referring to centuries before, when the Jews killed the messengers of God because they didn’t want to hear what God had to say when it went against their personal desires.

2 Chronicles 36.15-16 : But the Lord God of their ancestors sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising His words, and scoffing at His prophets, until the Lord’s wrath was so stirred up against His people that there was no remedy.

The Problem: The Faithfully Faulty have a Faulty Focus: Outside Vs. Inside

23.25-26: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed  and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,  so the outside of it  may also become clean.

Illustration: You might spend hours cleaning the outside of a toilet, but you are not likely to drink the water in the bowl…right? Why? What if at your favorite restaurant you kept getting bowls that were sparkling on the outside, but the inside didn’t look like it had seen the sink?

• If Your Focus is on the External, then it is on the Temporal
• These could be people who are not really saved.
• They know enough about how to act that they are convincing
• They know enough about what to say that they sound convincing

Listen, there could be a real danger for some of you here. You can spend time in church with believers, singing the songs and reading the Scriptures, but not really make the decision to be saved…to become a follower of Christ. You know all the stuff and may do all the right stuff, but you are LOST! It’s time for you to stop playing a game at the cross and come to Jesus.

Matthew 7:21-23 (HCSB)
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² On that day MANY will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we (DIDN’T I) prophesy in Your name, didn’t we (DIDN’T I) drive out demons in Your name, and didn’t we (DIDN’T I) do many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will announce to them, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’

• These may be the Believers who Wear their Christian Masks
• Don’t watch the wrong stuff…where people can see
• Don’t drink the wrong stuff…where people can see
• Don’t eat the wrong stuff…where people can see
• Don’t listen to the wrong stuff…where people can hear
• Etc…

Revelation 3.1 – To the angel of the church in Sardis write: “The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; YOU HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BEING ALIVE, BUT YOU ARE DEAD.

Notice the number of times Jesus uses the word: HYPOCRITE in Matthew 23 = 8x  (vvs. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29)

People tell me that they can’t stand the hypocrites in the church…neither can I. But I’m not at church for the hypocrites, for the people who disappoint, discourage, and mislead…I’m here for the ONE who LOVED me so much that HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON for ME, that I could have ETERNAL LIFE through my FAITH in HIM. (John 3.16)

• If Your Focus is on the Internal, then it is on the Eternal

The Promise: The Faithfully Faulty can Become the Faithful Follower

As With Moving from Fan to Follower…It Requires a Choice

• The Pharisees…and other Faithfully Faulty
• Choose Rules over Relationship
• Choose Law over Love
• Choose Guilt over Grace
• Miss what Really Matters

Galatians 2:16 (HCSB)
¹⁶ yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.

• Being a Follower Means…
• Choosing Relationship that empowers us to follow the Rules
• Choosing Love, that fulfills the Law
• Choosing Grace that is the Answer for Guilt

Invitation:

An invitation is given to people who have been selected by a person to attend or participate in an event, celebration. The invitation often comes with an RSVP for those who would choose to attend. Attendance may not be mandatory, but you can’t experience the benefits if you are not there.

• You are invited to…STOP PLAYING GAMES AT THE CROSS
• You are invited to…JOIN JESUS ON THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
• You are invited to…BECOME A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER

Not a Fan Series – Message #2 – LWCC09232012

Nick at Night: From Fan to Follower

September 23, 2012

Review: In the Last Message…

– We Discussed the Children’s Game: Follow the Leader

– We Discussed the command: “Go, clean your room.”

– We Considered some of Jesus’ COMMANDS

– We Looked at the Verse: Luke 9.23

WE EXAMINED THE SERIES THEME VERSE: Luke 9:23-27

Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

• FOLLOWING IS A CHOICE
• FOLLOWING IS A COMMITMENT
• FOLLOWING IS A COURSE

In this message we consider…the progress of changes in the life and relationship of a Jesus Fan on the way to becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Christ.

–It’s D.T.R. time With Jesus (Define the Relationship)–

Nicodemus: Moving from Being a Fan to being a Follower

John 3: A Fan in Secret – Seeking Jesus at Night

John 3:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to Him at night…

· Notice He Comes At Night – A Secret-Agent Believer

• WHY DID HE COME AT NIGHT?
• He’s close, but he doesn’t want to seem too close
• He might be wondering, what if people see?
• He might be concerned that following Jesus interferes with his life.
• One Reason I love the book of John is the encounters people have with Jesus
• Meeting Jesus changed the lives of those who encounter Him.
• My own encounters with Jesus leave me and my relationship with Him changed

John 7: A Fan in Transition – Stand Up for Jesus

John 7:50-52 (HCSB)
⁵⁰ Nicodemus—the one who came to Him previously, being one of them—said to them, ⁵¹ “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”
⁵² “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

• Standing up for someone takes courage and character
• It also involves a connection to the person on SOME level
• Perhaps just a surface level as another human
• Perhaps on a deeper level as a colleague or neighbor
• Perhaps even deeper as a friend
• Perhaps really deep as a family member
• Nicodemus STANDS UP for Jesus…The DTR is Changing
• Suddenly the choice to follow Jesus may be interfering in life

John 19: A Follower in Devotion – The Cost

John 19:38-42 (HCSB)
³⁸ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took His body away.
³⁹ Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 POUNDS OF MYRRH AND ALOES. ⁴⁰ Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ There was a garden in the place where He was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. ⁴² They place Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

• A Fan might be willing to pay some price, but limited
• A Completely Committed Follower doesn’t measure the cost
• 75 POUNDS of ointment and spices was a costly investment
• Consider:
• Matthew 26:6-7 (HCSB)
  ⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had a serious skin disease, ⁷ a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
• John 12:3 (HCSB)
  ³ Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil—pure and expensive nard—anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
• The tomb was an Expensive Gift
• Matthew 27.60 tells us this tomb was actually Joseph’s new tomb he had just had dug from the rock.

STANDING UP

Joseph and Nicodemus were secret believers, but after seeing the horrible treatment of Jesus, they decided that it had gone far enough and they were going to stand up, show their loyalty, and take care of Jesus’ body for burial. Today, many treat the Bible and Jesus with similar horrible treatment. Now is the time for believers to step forward. Now is the time to come forward and testify to what God has done for you. Now is the time to join “that courageous and faithful band who are not afraid to stand up and be counted!” — Life Application Bible Commentary

So, Are You Ready to Move from

• FAN
• Secret Faith
• Avoiding Faith
• Budget Faith

• TO FOLLOWER
• Shared Faith
• Confident Faith
• Costly Faith

Not a Fan Series – Message #1 – LWCC09162012

September 16, 2012

(REMEMBER OUR WEDNESDAY SMALL GROUP STUDY)

Discuss the Children’s Game: Follow the Leader

· The expectation is that whatever the leader does, the followers will do as well

· It’s such a simple thing, and children get it and do it and enjoy it.

· However, as adults in church we don’t seem to have the same mind-set

Discuss the command: “Go, clean your room.”

· The AWANA Child returns: “Dad, I am so excited! I have memorized your command to clean my room! Isn’t that so awesome!”

· The Seminary Child returns: “Dad, I have learned to read and say your command in both Greek and Hebrew! Is that cool? Do you wanna hear it?”

· The Church Child returns: “Dad, I have started a small group to study your command to clean the room. We’re going to meet for several weeks so we can fully understand what you are asking in the context in which you are asking.”

QUESTION: Does the room ever get clean? Is the COMMAND ever followed?

Then there is this possible scenario:

· The Cooperative Program Child returns: “Dad, I have given our neighbor , Sam, some money and he’s going to clean my room instead of me.”

So the room is cleaned, but the one to whom the command is given still has not obeyed the giver of the command.

Now Consider Some of Jesus’ Commands:

• · Jesus commands us: “Be born again.” (John 3.7)
• · Jesus commands us: “Seek FIRST God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6.33)
• · Jesus commands us: “Pray always” (Luke 21.36)
• · Jesus commands us: “Let your light shine before men” (Matt. 5.16)
• · Jesus commands us: “Worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4.23-24)
• · Jesus commands us: “Love your neighbor” (Matt. 19.17-19)
• · Jesus command us: “Go, make disciples…” (Matt. 28.19-20)

And are we responding as the child in our illustration? We are doing something, but we are not doing what was commanded. We have all the appearance of obedience without really obeying.

Luke 9:23-27
²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Picking Apart Luke 9.23

· IF – indicates that there is a choice to be made (presupposes a “then” follow-up)

· ANYONE – includes everyone who would make the choice

· WANTS TO – the choice is born from deep desire, not a surface appearance

· FOLLOW/COME – Go where I am going…Do what I am doing…Be like me

· WITH ME – Promise of Jesus’ presence. He is WITH us as we are WITH Him

· HE MUST/LET HIM – No option here. No plan B…These are the conditions

· DENY HIMSELF – The first thing is not the ME THINGS…it’s the HIM things

· TAKE UP HIS CROSS – For each person this will be unique and personal

· DAILY – Every day we make a choice, and each day the choice should be Jesus

· FOLLOW ME – Go where1 I go and do what I do the way that I do it

FOLLOWING IS A CHOICE

· EVERYONE Chooses

o Like in Salvation: Everyone Chooses, but not everyone chooses Christ

o Everyone Chooses, but not everyone chooses to be a committed follower.

· The options

o Choose to be a fan…surface level disciple

o Choose to be a follower…deeply committed disciple

· The Outcome

o Following Christ isn’t a promise of ease and prosperity

o Following Christ is a promise of presence and purpose

FOLLOWING IS A COMMITMENT

· Jesus says that whoever would follow Him “Must…”

o What are some things we are told we must do in life?

o What are the consequences is we don’t do those must-do things?

o Following is a Choice, but IF we choose to follow…then we MUST…

FOLLOWING IS A COURSE

· Like Directions from a GPS, we follow where we are lead.

• Me: “There’s no camp-ground here.”
• Andie: “I told you we passed it back there.”
• She was right AGAIN

· Unlike the Directions from a GPS, Jesus is totally trustworthy.

o In My Life this has Meant…

• Following to Vermont
• Following back to New York
• Following to West Virginia (where I really started following)
• Following to Florida (where I never wanted to go)
• Following to Alabama (where I never thought I’d go)
• Following deeper into Florida (where I never knew existed)
• Following back to Vermont (where I wasn’t sure I would ever return)

Finding the Course Involves Investment

Jeremiah 6:16 (HCSB)
¹⁶ This is what the Lord says: STAND by the roadways and LOOK. ASK about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then TAKE IT and find rest for yourselves.

• Time spent in Prayer…ask for directions
• Time spent in Bible…consult the Atlas
• Time spent in Worship…look to the hills, that’s where your help is
• Time spent in Fellowship…talk to the fellow travelers
• Time spent in Reflection…where you’ve been…where you’re going

Oh, there is an Alternative:

· Jeremiah 6.16 continues: BUT they protested: We won’t!

· The Result of this decision:

o Jeremiah 6.19: Listen, earth! I am about to bring DISASTER on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to My word. They have rejected My instruction

SO, TODAY…

· Make the Choice – become a follower of Christ

· Get Committed – be ready to go the distance with Jesus

· Follow the Course – Jesus has the perfect plan for your life, follow Him

to be continued…

(Next Sunday: “Nick at Night: Moving From Fan to Follower”)

Increasing Academic Success for Children with ADHD Using Sticky Notes and Highlighters

As the Melissa Stormont (2008) opens her article, “Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represent about 3% – 5% of the school age population and are most often educated in the general education classroom” (p. 305). While those number may seem to represent a relatively small portion of the school population, educators in the field know that this relatively small population of students can have a significant impact on the educational experience of the greater population. Stormont’s article shares some effective methods of accommodating students with ADHD and helping them cope with the disorder by developing strategies of learning that meet their needs.

The author focuses on two readily available and inexpensive resources. Sticky notes, most are familiar with those adhesive backed little squares that show up all over the classroom by the time June rolls around. Utilizing these tools the author shares 20 strategies that help to address the four characteristics of children with ADHD, which are; selective attention problems, sustained attention problems, impulsivity; and high levels of verbal and motor activity. The benefits of using these simple tools and strategies include, availability of the resource, low cost of the tools, and the portability of the tools making this a resource that can go home with the student.

If a reader of this article has experience with ADHD with either themselves or a close family member then some, perhaps many, of the strategies Stormont expounds upon will resonate. Utilizing the sticky notes to create sequences of activities to complete assignments systematically, covering all or part of the spelling words to practice spelling, or math problems to follow systematic solution practices can help keep the student focused. Using highlighters of varied colors to represent different priorities in assignments and what to attend to in order, noting completed tasks on a list, marking sections of a story read, and highlighting misspelled letters in words will help the student attend to the tasks and recognize both mistakes and progress made.

This article was practical, interesting, and beneficial. Providing teachers with these simple, inexpensive, and effective strategies that may aid in the education of students with ADHD adds to the pre-service teacher’s toolbox. In addition, while the primary focus is the benefit derived by students with ADHD, these ideas might also prove helpful to students and teachers who need help organizing thoughts, tasks, and practicing systematic learning. As this student/teacher has discovered in his experience, any tools that help organize one’s thoughts and design logical steps to learning are an asset.

• Stormont, M. (2008). Increasing academic success for children with adhd using sticky  notes and highlighters. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43(5), 305-309
• Web Link to PDF File: http://education.missouri.edu/orgs/prevention/files/Increase%20Academic%20Success.%20ADHD.pdf

We continue looking at love in an effort to define and understand what real love is, and how this impacts our marriages.  Something needs to happen to stem the tide of destruction and restore stability in marriages that are in jeopardy.  Understanding love is just a part of the emergency care Marriage 911 will help provide.

Love is:

• Unconditional
• Unconventional
• Uncondemning
• Uncomfortable
• Uncompromising
• Uncondescending

Love—real love—never fails!