Starting Friday: Men's Fellowship Through Accountability

What do you like to double-up on?

Maybe a favorite run….adding in an extra 4 miles?

Maybe a Starbuck’s drink….gimme an extra shot of expresso?

Or maybe my personal favorite…..a double-cheese burger!  Can I get an “amen” to that!

Hopefully, you’ll also love doubling-up on our homework for this coming Friday!  After a week off, I’m excited to regroup and “double-up” on Chapter 13 (John 19:30) and Chapter 14 (Romans 1: 3-4) !

Cornwell Center….same as every other time!  7:30 am to gather and 7:45 am to have fellowship!

See you then!

We won’t hold FMMF this week due to a larger than normal number of planned absences.  So rather than cover the next chapter to a smaller audience, we’ll simply “double-up” NEXT Friday!

Here’s the plan (spelled out for the engineers and accountants in the group):

• SEP 22:  No FMMF
• SEP 29:  Chapter 13 (John 19:30) and Chapter 14 (Romans 1: 3-4) Mike leading
• OCT 6:  Chapter 15 (Romans 3: 21-26) Leader TBD
• OCT 13:  Chapter 16 (21: 1-4) and series wrap-up.  Leader TBD

Then from OCT 20 – NOV 3, we’re going to spend some time allowing men to share their faith testimonies.  Details coming on that and our plan is for 2-3 men per Friday.

Tentative plan is to begin a new series on/about NOV 10th.

Enjoy the “rest day” this week…..don’t forget to read the next two chapters in prep for SEP 29th.

Peace!

We’re nearing the end of our current study of The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses by Chris Bruno.

So what’s next?  Bring your ideas this week or email me if you can’t make it this week.

I’ve gotten two recommendations already…but we can consider a few more!

True Spirituality by Chip Ingram

Summary:  Christians today live in a world that is activity heavy and relationship light. The result is spiritual emptiness. We struggle to know what God wants from us and for us . . . and we’re unsure what a real relationship with God really looks like. But that was never God’s idea. HIS idea of faith is not about rules or religion— it’s about relationship. That’s where God tells us to start. In Romans 12, God gives us a clear picture of what Christians should look like at the root level. If you’re ready to move from “in” to “all in,” then you’re ready to become a Romans 12 Christian. The next steps of your journey toward true spirituality start here.

Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur

Summary:  Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to be perfect to do God’s work. Look no further than the twelve disciples whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Jesus chose ordinary men – fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots – and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ’s careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today’s modern disciple – you.

Peace!

Lots of changes coming this week as we transition to the Gospels / New Testament.  After weeks of covenants made, covenants broken, and covenants made again, we find the Gospel of Mark sharing Jesus’ praise of “the time has come….”.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”  MARK 1:15-16

But is it an announcement or a warning?

If it was an announcement then maybe the fishermen were following Jesus out of a sense of curiosity.  Or if it was a warning, perhaps it was out of a sense of fear.

We may never know and that’s the beauty of this week’s passage.  Whatever the reason, we learn about the initial casting of Jesus’ net to find “fishers of men”.

Jason Schubert leads us this week on Chapter 12 of our study.  Gather at 7:30 am, ready to dig into our message at 7:45 am.

Also, we have two dates in mind for the Habitat build opportunity in Grier Heights:

-Saturday, OCT 7 (Jason is planning to register)

-Saturday, OCT 28 (Mike is registered)

Pick one or both of these dates if you can!  More on that this Friday at FMMF.

Peace!

Selfishly, I wanted to lead this week’s discussion on Isaiah 65:17.

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (NIV)

One of my favorite themes that’s constant in the Bible is this message of “creating, then re-creating” again and again.

Such is the message for this week’s passage.

But, what is our role in the creation stories that come up again and again?  Where are we expected to play a part?

Someone once told me:  “You’re either busy living, or busy dying…”  This week, as we discuss God’s promise of a new heaven and new world, I’ll challenge you to get busy….as God wants us to be!

Gather at 7:30 am….I’ll kick things into gear promptly at 7:45 am.

Peace!

Over the last several years, it seems that Hollywood has been on the “zombie train”….with several movies having a plot of these flesh-eating, back-from-the-dead “humans” reeking havoc on the living society.

That’s not exactly the picture God has in mind for us in reality, right?  Just ask Ezekiel for his account of standing over piles of dried up old bones!  Maybe you, like me, had visions of those zombies in the story of God commanding Ezekiel to breathe life into those “old dry bones”!

“Can these bones live?” Ezekiel 37:3-5

Jon Paschal leads us this week as we tackle Chapter 10 of the book and the corresponding Study Guide.

See you in the morning….gathering at 7:30 am at the Cornwell Center and starting our lesson at 7:45 shortly thereafter.

Peace!

In last week’s study, we all agreed that we seemed to be stuck without a lot of forward progress between chapters 7 and 8.  This week, in chapter 9, things appear to be moving forward.  There’s still some twists and turns, but the foreshadowing of a “suffering servant” could be cause to think we’re moving in the right direction.

But which direction are we going and who is this “suffering servant”?  We’ll find out this week as we gather on Friday.  Rob Miller is up to bat to lead our efforts in chapter 9:  The Suffering Servant.

This week’s verse comes from the book of Isaiah:

“The Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all.”  Isaiah 53:6

See you on Friday, ready to go at 7:45 am!

Peace!

Our lesson this week focuses on King David.  Oh…..King David….why is your house in such disarray?

Can we really blame the guy?  He responds to a covenant but doesn’t actually get to reap the rewards of it!

Chapter 8 is our homework for this week along with the corresponding study guide section.

John Ramey will lead us on Friday…..another guy who’s pretty good at tackling “giants” with a sling-shot!

Gather at 7:30 am….John will dig in beginning at 7:45 am.  Cornwell Center location, as always!

Peace!

 

We’re finally out of Genesis….and onward into Exodus.  Lots of blood (of the lamb) in this chapter of our book.  And lots of wandering around in the desert…..40 years to be exact.

Think that’s all cut and dry?  Well, not so fast!  Be sure to read all the details for this week.

At one point in our story, you may ask yourself, “Have things returned to Garden-like conditions for God’s chosen people?”  However, as we’ll discuss this week, when God’s people try to do things “their way” and not trust in God’s plan….well, we know what usually happens next!

Aaron will lead us this week.  Gather at 7:30 am and we’ll kick things off at 7:45 am.

And, of course, we’ll talk about the PGA Championship event here in Charlotte at some point too!

Peace!