Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor
Phil has challenged us during this current sermon series to memorize Colossians 1:15-20. In light of that challenge I thought it might be a good idea to take a quick glimpse at those verses in this blog.
Some believe that these verses were some kind of hymn or creed of the early church that Paul has pieced together, which is pretty cool if true.
In verse 15 we read that in Jesus the invisible has become visible. The very nature and character of God have been perfectly revealed in Jesus. We also see that same thought in the book of Hebrews. The word “firstborn” here in verse 15 is referring to Christ’s supremacy over creation, or his rank. It’s not saying that he is a created being, it is saying that he is above all created things. He is the Lord of creation.
Paul goes on to expand on this thought in verse 16. He basically says that good or bad, everything is subject to Christ. In fact, Paul is probably referring to hostile rulers or authorities. They all derive their existence from Jesus and they all owe their obedience to Him. Remember, Paul is talking about someone, Jesus, a common criminal, who was crucified maybe only around 25 years before this was written! This sounded like foolishness to a whole lot of people!
In verse 17 we read that there was never a time when Jesus wasn’t! He is before all things! And Jesus sustains all things. If he wasn’t sustaining the universe at this exact moment everything would disintegrate. He sustains all things by his powerful word!
Again, in verses 18 & 19 we read that all the attributes of God—-his wisdom, word, power, glory-—all are perfectly displayed in Jesus Christ.
Paul has emphasized so far that Jesus is Lord of everything and that everything was created by him, through him and for him. But something happened to this creation when sin entered into it that caused everything to be distorted and messed up. Here's the good news though: despite that sobering truth, verse 20 tells us that Christ on the cross has made peace or reconciled those who trust in His Name! Because the Bible is very clear that when we were not believers we were enemies of God and under his wrath. We needed to be reconciled. And Jesus did that on the cross once and for all!
I don't know about you, but I'm excited about memorizing these verses over the next few weeks and having these amazing truths alive in my heart where I can meditate and think on them!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Heart Connex!
We wanted to let you know about a free resource that we thought was appropriate in light of our current sermon series. These are free family e-devotionals that are provided by Lifeway called "Heart Connex."
"Each week, parents receive two 20-minute devotionals via e-mail. These studies contain solid Bible teaching. The eDevotions are set up so that students and parents alike are involved, with each given specific things to say or do.
These eDevotionals are designed for very busy families. You can easily print the studies and make preparations in only about five minutes."
Check it out. It's Free!! Just click here!
"Each week, parents receive two 20-minute devotionals via e-mail. These studies contain solid Bible teaching. The eDevotions are set up so that students and parents alike are involved, with each given specific things to say or do.
These eDevotionals are designed for very busy families. You can easily print the studies and make preparations in only about five minutes."
Check it out. It's Free!! Just click here!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Coming This Weekend!
There are a couple of exciting opportunities for you this weekend that we wanted to let you know about!
- Saturday (May 2) is Peak Day in downtown Apex. It's a great time when thousands of folks come and hangout in the streets downtown. We'll be there all day and we'd love for you to come and join us. We'll put up the moonwalk and have other games for kids including face painting and we'll be inviting kids to come to VBS this summer in June. If you'd like to come and help send Chuck or Matthew an email.
- Saturday night (May 2) we're kicking off our "Center" sermon series during the month of May with a men's dinner called IGNITE. Warren Lamb is coming and it will be awesome. If you're a man and you haven't signed up yet send Amanda an email. The dinner starts at 6:00 PM and we'll be done by 8:00.
- On Sunday, May 3, Hand of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center is hosting its annual Walk For Life from 2:00-4:00 at South Park in Fuquay Varina. Hand of Hope reaches out to young ladies with the hope of Christ and is an invaluable ministry in our neck of the woods. You can read more about Hand of Hope or the Walk For Life by clicking here.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Empty Nesters
Peter Dubbelman
Family Life Pastor and Church Administrator
Our last child, Ruth, is getting ready to leave for college this fall. Though we realize that our kids may be in and out of our house during the next several years, Brenda and I are excited about this new adventure that awaits us—being empty nesters. We believe that our best years are still ahead of us.
"Empty Nesters" face unique opportunities and challenges. We typically have more time and finances then we are used to, but we also are navigating new waters; e.g., ageing parents and adult children, a stronger need to be partner focused rather than child focused, and letting go of past disappointments and moving forward.
I want you to know about some exciting, useful opportunities at ABC that apply just to you:
- Roger Repp has started a Life Group class geared to empty nesters. If you are not already a part of a Life Group, please pray about this opportunity. For more information you can reach Roger at his e-mail address or see the above image for more info on the class.
- Brenda and I are reading a book on Empty Nesters: The Second Half of Marriage by David and Claudia Arp. It is published by Zondervan and has a Christian emphasis; and so far we like it. There are other books that address our demographic, but you might want to read it together as a couple.
- Brenda and I are also praying about leading a monthly discussion group on the above book or one similar. Right now, if there is enough interest in the idea, I’m thinking about starting it in either September ’09 or ’10 with a monthly evening meeting around food, fellowship, and book discussion; we’ll then culminate with the group going away for a weekend of fellowship, fun, and worship; however, I am open to suggestions. I’m not only wrestling with the idea but also with whether there is enough interest in doing something like this. So help me out. Ideally, I would prefer you join a community discussion of this idea or whatever else is in your heart with regards to Empty Nesters in the comments below. Simply click on the comments link under this entry and let us know what you think. You may also contact Brenda and I directly.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What's Wrong?
Alex Cosio
Pastor of Hispanic Ministries
I heard the story of a young man whose friends played a prank on him. While he was asleep, they rubbed an ointment with a very bad odor on his upper lip underneath his nose. When he woke up he complained: “this room stinks!” So he left the room and went outside. As he was walking through the hallway he said: “this hallway surely stinks.” He got into his car; as he started driving, he noticed the bad odor in his car too, so he complained: “this car is really stinky!” Everywhere he went he complained saying: “This really stinks.” It took him a while to realize that he was the one who stunk!
This story illustrates a problem that is common to many of us. There are people who constantly complain; and complain about everything. They complain about their neighbor, about their friends, their coworkers, their children, their spouse, their boss, their church, the prices, the government, the weather, etc. Do you know anybody like that? It is very easy to see the wrongs and defects on everybody else and never ask ourselves: “Could it be me the one that is wrong?”
The Lord Jesus said: “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:34-35) What a revelation! Could it be that we need to come into the light? What a difference the light makes around us! Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
The Lord promises that if we come into his light everything around us will look different. Your neighbor might be the same but will look different because of the light of Jesus. Your spouse might be the same, but it will look different because of the light of Jesus. Before we complain and judge, let us ask ourselves: Am I looking through the light of Jesus or through the darkness of this world? Let us challenge ourselves by asking: Am I walking in the light of Jesus?
Pastor of Hispanic Ministries
I heard the story of a young man whose friends played a prank on him. While he was asleep, they rubbed an ointment with a very bad odor on his upper lip underneath his nose. When he woke up he complained: “this room stinks!” So he left the room and went outside. As he was walking through the hallway he said: “this hallway surely stinks.” He got into his car; as he started driving, he noticed the bad odor in his car too, so he complained: “this car is really stinky!” Everywhere he went he complained saying: “This really stinks.” It took him a while to realize that he was the one who stunk!
This story illustrates a problem that is common to many of us. There are people who constantly complain; and complain about everything. They complain about their neighbor, about their friends, their coworkers, their children, their spouse, their boss, their church, the prices, the government, the weather, etc. Do you know anybody like that? It is very easy to see the wrongs and defects on everybody else and never ask ourselves: “Could it be me the one that is wrong?”
The Lord Jesus said: “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:34-35) What a revelation! Could it be that we need to come into the light? What a difference the light makes around us! Jesus said: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
The Lord promises that if we come into his light everything around us will look different. Your neighbor might be the same but will look different because of the light of Jesus. Your spouse might be the same, but it will look different because of the light of Jesus. Before we complain and judge, let us ask ourselves: Am I looking through the light of Jesus or through the darkness of this world? Let us challenge ourselves by asking: Am I walking in the light of Jesus?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
FOCUS Conference
We wanted to write a little on a great opportunity for all ABC teachers called the FOCUS Conference. Whether you teach adults, youth, or children this conference is for you! The dates are Friday night, April 17 and Saturday morning, April 18 so it's not a lot of your time, but we really believe that it will be worth it to you to come as we spend some time in fellowship and in training. One of our main goals with this conference is to equip you in your classrooms as you teach and to be sharpened together as teachers!
We'll eat dinner together on Friday night and then have one large group session altogether. Then we'll break out into our age-appropriate sessions. Here's the schedule for the weekend:
Friday 17th
6:00 – 7:00 Dinner in the Fellowship Hall
7:00pm – 7:45pm Combined Group Session with Dan Cook
7:45pm – 8:00pm break
8:00pm – 9:00pm Age-Group Track Session 1
Saturday 18th
8:30am – 9:00am continental breakfast
9:00am – 9:45am Age-Group Track Session 2
9:45am – 10:00am break
10:00am – 11:00am Age-Group Track Session 3
We've got some great folks coming in to teach and to train and they'll be covering some really good topics. Some examples of what we'll be talking about in the children's teachers breakouts are: discipline in the classroom, age-appropriate story-telling, games, songs and other tools that you can use in your classroom.
Feel free to email Nathan with any questions, but we really hope you'll sign up and join us that weekend! Click here to sign-up today!
We'll eat dinner together on Friday night and then have one large group session altogether. Then we'll break out into our age-appropriate sessions. Here's the schedule for the weekend:
Friday 17th
6:00 – 7:00 Dinner in the Fellowship Hall
7:00pm – 7:45pm Combined Group Session with Dan Cook
7:45pm – 8:00pm break
8:00pm – 9:00pm Age-Group Track Session 1
Saturday 18th
8:30am – 9:00am continental breakfast
9:00am – 9:45am Age-Group Track Session 2
9:45am – 10:00am break
10:00am – 11:00am Age-Group Track Session 3
We've got some great folks coming in to teach and to train and they'll be covering some really good topics. Some examples of what we'll be talking about in the children's teachers breakouts are: discipline in the classroom, age-appropriate story-telling, games, songs and other tools that you can use in your classroom.
Feel free to email Nathan with any questions, but we really hope you'll sign up and join us that weekend! Click here to sign-up today!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Forgive Them
Tim Shaw
Adult Education Pastor
As spring is in the air causing the trees to bud and flowers to bloom, my thoughts are more on the approaching Easter season than the calendar season. The whole basis of our faith is the Cross of Christ and His resurrection!
When Christ was crucified, He made seven profound statements while He hung on the tree before He breathed His last earthly breath of air. As I think about Jesus Christ and what he went through on the cross, the word "amazing" dominates my mind. We can learn a lot about Christ's character from these few statements that I believe to be truly amazing. Of those seven, the one that I find the most convicting was the first. "Then said Jesus, 'Father forgive them; for they know not what they do'." Luke 23:34
Jesus, having just been nailed to a cross, was in the process of dying by the most painful method of execution that has ever been devised by man. In the midst of His agony, Jesus looked down from the cross at the people responsible for His suffering and offered up a prayer requesting that God forgive them. If you think as I do, you read this and thought, "Wow, that's amazing!" And from our human reasoning it is. But should it surprise us that He would offer such a prayer? After all, this forgiveness if the very reason that He chose to lay down His life!
There is debate among theologians as to whom Christ was referring when He said "they know not what they do." Is He referring to the Romans who were responsible for carrying out the execution or to the Jews who failed to recognize their Messiah? I believe He was referring to the Jews, for they made a serious mistake and failed to recognize God's plan for their nation. As Paul later wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:8, if they had known who Christ was, they would not have crucified Him. Regardless of which group He was referring to, all the participants in His death were included in the prayer for forgiveness.
This same forgiveness that Christ prayed from the cross is available for everyone. However, one must accept it before salvation can be claimed. How about you? Have you ever come to the point in your life where you realized that you were a hopeless sinner and that you stood in need of a Savior? Have you ever asked that Savior, who loved you enough to lay down His life for you, for forgiveness of the sins you have committed? Have you ever placed your faith and trust in that Savior as the only means by which you can have hope and eternal life? If you have not, there is no better time than right now.
If you have received Christ as your personal Savior, are you living by the example He set? Do you love your enemies? Do you offer or withhold forgiveness from those who have caused you pain and suffering? Amazing, astounding, miraculous -- choose any descriptive word you like. Then choose to live for Christ, and extend the mercy, grace, and compassion He has shown you to other people.
Adult Education Pastor
As spring is in the air causing the trees to bud and flowers to bloom, my thoughts are more on the approaching Easter season than the calendar season. The whole basis of our faith is the Cross of Christ and His resurrection!
When Christ was crucified, He made seven profound statements while He hung on the tree before He breathed His last earthly breath of air. As I think about Jesus Christ and what he went through on the cross, the word "amazing" dominates my mind. We can learn a lot about Christ's character from these few statements that I believe to be truly amazing. Of those seven, the one that I find the most convicting was the first. "Then said Jesus, 'Father forgive them; for they know not what they do'." Luke 23:34
Jesus, having just been nailed to a cross, was in the process of dying by the most painful method of execution that has ever been devised by man. In the midst of His agony, Jesus looked down from the cross at the people responsible for His suffering and offered up a prayer requesting that God forgive them. If you think as I do, you read this and thought, "Wow, that's amazing!" And from our human reasoning it is. But should it surprise us that He would offer such a prayer? After all, this forgiveness if the very reason that He chose to lay down His life!
There is debate among theologians as to whom Christ was referring when He said "they know not what they do." Is He referring to the Romans who were responsible for carrying out the execution or to the Jews who failed to recognize their Messiah? I believe He was referring to the Jews, for they made a serious mistake and failed to recognize God's plan for their nation. As Paul later wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:8, if they had known who Christ was, they would not have crucified Him. Regardless of which group He was referring to, all the participants in His death were included in the prayer for forgiveness.
This same forgiveness that Christ prayed from the cross is available for everyone. However, one must accept it before salvation can be claimed. How about you? Have you ever come to the point in your life where you realized that you were a hopeless sinner and that you stood in need of a Savior? Have you ever asked that Savior, who loved you enough to lay down His life for you, for forgiveness of the sins you have committed? Have you ever placed your faith and trust in that Savior as the only means by which you can have hope and eternal life? If you have not, there is no better time than right now.
If you have received Christ as your personal Savior, are you living by the example He set? Do you love your enemies? Do you offer or withhold forgiveness from those who have caused you pain and suffering? Amazing, astounding, miraculous -- choose any descriptive word you like. Then choose to live for Christ, and extend the mercy, grace, and compassion He has shown you to other people.
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