Category: Starting Friday study

This week, we’ll wrap-up our series on “Jesus Outside the Lines” by Rev. Scott Sauls.  It’s been a great study!  For this week’s final lesson, please read the Epilogue section of the book and come prepared to discuss.

Also note that we’re meeting at the Charlotte Cafe for breakfast this Friday, our “tradition” each time we complete a series!  Please join us at 7:30 am at the Park Road Shopping Center location.

I’ll also introduce our next series……drum roll please….!

“How God Makes Men:  Ten Epic Stories.  Ten Proven Principles.  One Huge Promise for Your Life” by Patrick Morley.  This 10 week series will run from July 20th until September 28th.  We’ll take the Friday before Labor Day “off” but otherwise will meet each week.

ORDER the book on AMAZON at this LINK.

Weekly Leader Sign Ups for our next series are NOW live on the website:  SIGN UP FOR NEXT SERIES

Please order the book ($11.99) in advance of next Friday’s kickoff lesson; Chapter 1:  Abraham: How God Makes Man’s Faith Stronger.

If you haven’t been to FMMF in a few weeks, now’s a great time to jump right back into a rhythm!  Come this week as we conclude one series, and launch our next one!

See you this week, as Mike leads our discussion and fellowship.

 

Peace!

Last week, we decided to NOT gather this week, July 6th, given that many of our men would be out of town for the holiday.  So….enjoy the time with family, friends, and fireworks!  NEXT Friday, July 13th, we’ll wrap up our current series on “Jesus Outside the Lines”.  Please read the final section of the book, the epilogue, and come prepared to discuss some summary points.

Mike will lead us next week, but all are welcome to share their thoughts.

Also, remember that we’ll meet at The Charlotte Cafe at 7:30 am next week (not the Cornwell Center).

Happy 4th of July!

Peace!

After spending a week at Boy Scout camp with 22 boys under my watch….I’m relieved to be back in the land of frozen ice cream, the Golf Channel, my backyard chickens, and (most importantly) a comfortable bed!  “Tent living” for 6 nights…made me realize that I’ve gotten very “SOFT” since leaving the military years ago!

For the most part, we’ve reached the end of our study this week.  Formally, let’s talk about Chapter 10, which I will lead.  And we can “catch up” on any of the previous chapters/topics this week….as well as next week’s wrap-up session.

Playing “catch” always reminds me of one of my favorite movies….”The Natural” about the fictional baseball character, Roy Hobbs….“the best there ever was….”.

This week, we’re at the Cornwell Center.  Next Friday, we’re at the Charlotte Cafe for the wrap up.

See you on the 29th at the Cornwell Center, beginning at 7:30 am.  I’ll start our lesson at 7:45 am.

Peace!

 

If there were a headline for this week’s lesson, it might be something like this:
“The problem of pain and suffering is one of the biggest reasons why people keep their distance from God.”

I remember the first time I traveled to El Salvador for a church mission trip.  Shocked, is the best way to describe my feelings, witnessing suffering and poverty; a community living on pennies each day.  It was easy for me to have deep questions such as “how can this be?”

This week, we’ll tackle the notion that through all the world’s suffering, are we encouraged with hope, or disheartened by the realism?  Our reading assignment is Chapter 9:  “Hope or Realism?”

Maybe, we’ll see through this week’s reading that there’s a bigger picture?  After all, God’s long-term promises continue to be infinitely more real than any present, broken realities.

Mike leads us this week.  Only one more chapter after this week.  Gather at the Cornwell Center at 7:30 am.  We’ll kick things off at 7:45 am

Peace!

 

 

How many of us are old enough to remember the “Leave It to Beaver” show?  Hopefully, I’m not aging myself too much…but I do recall watching the 50’s/60’s black & white, family-orientated program when I was a kid….in syndication, of course!

Nowadays however, the lessons taught on the show are considered obsolete, foreign, and ridiculous, especially by most millennials in our society.  Early on in this week’s lesson, “Chapter 8: Chastity or Sexual Freedom”, the author shares a story about a young woman who is visiting his church and asks:

“We don’t live in Leave It to Beaver land anymore.  I have gay and straight friends, including many who are not married, who like to have sex, and who feel fine about it.”

Yikes!  Welcome to the church, young lady.  Would you like to sit here in the front pew?

Challenging chapter this week.  Let’s all put our big-boy pants on and come ready to discuss how the church can withstand many of the sexual distractions and challenges that are overloading our minds, televisions, and computers in today’s world.  And you thought “Sex Ed” in your middle school Health & PE class was tough!

Rob Miller is stepping up this week to lead us, thank heaven!  He’s the dad of two teenage boys and will have plenty to share, I’m sure!

See you at the Cornwell Center this Friday.  Gather at 7:30 am.  Rob will start at 7:45 am.

Peace!

I’m nearly through this week’s reading, Chapter 7: Hypocrite or Work in Progress…..and I’m struck by one series of sentences that probably best describe the theme for this week:

“I am eager for my non-Christian friends to see that even for hypocrites, there is hope and beauty that comes through Christ.  I am eager for my non-Christian friends to see that yes, we Christians sometimes live inconsistently with what we believe….and we will continue to do so (albeit, inadvertently) until we die or until Jesus returns and makes everything, including us, new again.”  (pp. 126-127, Jesus Outside the Lines)

As you read this week, you will discover that Mahatma Gandhi once considered becoming a Christian (probably early on in life).  However, he decided against it because, as he said, “I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians.”

Wow….powerful words from a man who lived a pious life of love, selfless sacrifice and service to others…..much like Christ, himself.

So where do we sit today?  As Christians, are we living out the Godly message or are we only pious in the spotlight?  When I was in Ranger School, we had a name for those individuals who only shined when the instructors were around to grade us.  We called those Ranger students, “spotlight Rangers“.  Needless to say, many had a distaste for those individuals because they certainly weren’t team players when the instructors weren’t around.  As in life, those students tended to wash out in the end.

This week, I’ll lead the discussion on Chapter 7.  The author asks, “Are we hypocrites or simply a work in progress?”  Little soul-searching, perhaps, is required as we prepare for this week’s fellowship!

See you on Friday.  Gather at 7:30 am.  “Buckle-in” by 7:45 am, ready to go!  We’re back at the Cornwell Center this week too!

Peace!

Reminder that we are NOT meeting this coming Friday, May 25th, as many from the Charlotte group will be taking an early start for the Memorial Day weekend.  Also, this annual holiday is certainly about taking some time with family and friends, but the true holiday represents a time to honor our fallen veterans who have served this great nation of ours.  Please take the time to celebrate those individuals in tribute as well.

We’ll gather next on June 1st at the Cornwell Center and tackle Chapter 7: “Hypocrite or Work in Progress?”.  Mike will lead the discussion on that one.

So, relax and remember this week.  Be safe.  Godspeed.  We’ll see you next Friday!

Peace!

Have you seen the new movie that’s out called “The Avengers”?  Sadly, I have not…but both my sons have and they said it was great!  Box office returns back up their comments as well, with record numbers likewise seeing the film.

This week, we’ll need our own set of “avengers” or, better said, “super heroes”, gathered for a double-lesson.  Last week, we had limited attendance due to personal obligations and business commitments, so I asked last Friday’s leader, John Ramey, if he would punt and instead make plans to share the Chapter 5 lesson this coming Friday.  At the same time, Rob Miller is scheduled to lead this week’s lesson, Chapter 6 of our study, “Accountability or Compassion”.  But, since you’re all super heroes, I have no fears that we can take in all the important points from both chapters!  Buckle up, gents! 

This week’s chapter reminds us of the inevitable truth in describing our last day on Earth:

“We will either be welcomed into a life that’s better than we’ve ever dreamed…..or we will be cast into a life that’s worse than we’ve ever dreaded….” (p. 107)

So, if we all agree to that premise, then what’s the best way to remind each other of that and other “truths”?  Is it very bluntly, a choice that I admittedly tend to choose.  Or, is it through love and compassion?

I don’t have the answer to either of those questions and many more.  But I’m hopeful that both John and Rob will shed some light this Friday.  The leaders are asked to capture the high points from their respective chapters, planning on about 20 minutes each.

Gather at 7:30 am at the Cornwell Center.  Our lesson kicks off at 7:45 am.

Peace!

We’re moving into the next phase of our study of Scott Saul’s book, “Jesus Outside the Lines” this week as we tackle Chapter 5: “Affirmation or Critique?”  To some, this chapter may be tricky.  How many of us have realized we need to be critical of one person’s actions, all the while realizing that we too are at fault?

“Hello, pot….this is kettle……!”

To me, one of the more striking dichotomies in this chapter is this belief that as Christians, we are called to be closer to Jesus in order to be further from sin.  But then again, the closer we become to Jesus, the closer we will be to sinners, including ourselves.

Hmmmmm……

I’m so glad John Ramey is leading this week since I’m already planning to go through the chapter twice before Friday!

We’re back at the Cornwell Center this week.  Please gather starting at 7:30 am for fellowship.  John will kick off the lesson at 7:45 am.

Have a great week!

Peace!

Just got a reminder that Queens University of Charlotte has graduation ceremonies this weekend, and includes several graduation related events beginning Friday morning.

So, in order to avoid any parking and traffic congestion, let’s plan to meet at the Lenhart’s backyard treehouse this week only (1609 Sterling Road).  No changes to the meeting times…..just the location!

And next week, we’ll resume back at the Cornwell Center.

See you in the TREEHOUSE this Friday!  Be mindful of the “attack chickens” in the backyard!

Peace!