First Baptist Church Bethany Students: September 2010

Youth Center

3700 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

Open Hours

Sundays 9am-11am, 4pm-7pm

Wednesdays 5pm-8pm

Posted via email from FBCBSM Central

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Empire is Struck Week 4- Insubordinate Submission

LAST WEEK OF STUDYING COLOSSIANS SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW STARTS VERY SOON!!

Col.4.- Insubordinating Submission

so if being thankful weren’t difficult enough a virtue to sustain... Paul manages to impose a more difficult posture of living...

Submission-

a favorite theologian of mine remarked that “the power of the gospel is undeniable but sometimes it leads us to an arrogant hold on the truth”... because c’mon if you believe you have something great the tendency is to put it on show...

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

(Colossians 3:18–4:1 ESV)

an interesting reflection after reading this is that Paul does not call us to a dissary of order... wives and husbands and slaves and children all still exist but the focus and concern is altered... the submission of wives to husbands is not because the emperor says so but because it is fitting for the Lord... Children are obeying because it is Lord pleasing... Slaves are obeying because it is for their heavenly master...

this is not about a strict social order but an altered focus and reminiscent of last week/chapter lifting your minds to things above

Suffering/Affliction-

One of my more recent thorns/nuggets (something that sticks with me closely for a while and eventually becomes an affected part) is the identification of Christ Followers with Christ... the frustration is that it would seem to be so simple that we would just want to know and be as much like Christ as we could comprehend... until we roll up a deathly hallowed C-word... Comfort... becoming like Christ is a value of most christians that comes in direct contrast to their level of comfort...

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

(Colossians 4:2–6 ESV)

the answer to the questions asked- one of the best hermenuetical (bible-studying) tools that you already possess is to ask the questions the scripture tries to answer... so instead of reading just the answer, ask the question (jeopardy style)

Church- Worship

the place of learning- you don’t go when you like, you go to grow, be challenged and support...

the worst misconception of church is that you should go and feel better... when that happens we forget our primary focus/purpose- to worship

the whole centerpiece of what it means to be the church is to be a gathered worshipping congregation that stands opposed to the watching world... we confess a Christ crucified and resurrected and proclaim Him in song and existence... the Empire fails to fully succeed if we continue to exist and endure....

Revolution-

no matter how you feel about the state of the world today there is hope... an undeniable hope that belongs to those that believe in life beyond this life and love beyond understanding and grace sufficient .... we are the kingdom bearers the believers in a new reality....

“Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

(Colossians 4:18 ESV)

First Baptist Church of Bethany Student Ministries (FBCBSM)

3800 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

(405) 789-3312

Youth Center

3700 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

Open Hours

Sundays 9am-11am, 4pm-7pm

Wednesdays 5pm-8pm

Posted via email from FBCBSM Central

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Empire is Struck Week 3- Imperial Alternative

so i love music... if you have met me for 30 mins you know that i am consumed with new, old, fresh, and classic music.... but more so than just listening i love the process of discovering great music/bands/songs... especially when it has already existed and you just didn’t know where to look or when it is new and exciting and fresh!

Mostly associated with that is the idea of alternative music... it seems like every genre has a sub-genre that is either- cooler, grittier, or better (IMHO). For whatever reason (political or artistic) an alternative vision or idea of the music exists, so much so that the label and/or the band wants a separate caste for classification... (in the case of alt. country i think it is just truer music but i digress...)

I think more times than not we would be wise to view Christian living in this sense... we are humans and physically that makeup and composition doesn’t really change in the moment of salvation... but the vision and hope and artistry of life do... the wants, values, and hope that those who are not is/should be much different from those that are....

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

(Colossians 3:12–17 ESV)

We exist different we are “clothed” differenty... the values and qualities of our lives are vitally alternative to the world... when in doubt if we find ourselves to closely tied to the things of this world then we would be smart to question our motive or where our goals might be set... and aim a little higher....

Scripture is wise to remind to us if we would quick to listen...

First Baptist Church of Bethany Student Ministries (FBCBSM)

3800 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

(405) 789-3312

Youth Center

3700 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

Open Hours

Sundays 9am-11am, 4pm-7pm

Wednesdays 5pm-8pm

Posted via email from FBCBSM Central

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Empire is Struck Week 2- Identity

so the implication of last week is that

1. Our world is dominated by images (pictures, metaphors, idols of accomplishments...)

2. Those images tell a story (of how to be a- success, happiness, and hope)

3. That story is probably not the Christian one (even if it uses some of our language or imagery)

4. We need to hold fast to the central “image of the Invisible God” (Jesus)

5. His story may clash with the things we “swim” in everyday

Hearts knit together in love... (remember when Paul writes answer consider the questions or situation it may have stemmed from originally...)

so if the empire failed to control our imaginations with the images of hope, success, and happiness... then what is the next most probable place of attack is IDENTITY... individually and communally the hope of Empire is to make us doubt who we are, destroy those we love, and distress our daily lives so that we might cave and just fall into that story

Star Wars-ian Moment= the storm/clone troopers are mass produced so that their identity is shared and their purpose is singular... an army of mindless automatons. Dressed the same, programmed the same, feed the same... the all do the bidding they all follow suit... produced and uniform (isn’t that the hope of cool?)

“This is who we are” a quote that carries a lot of weight... that sometimes we need

one of the hard things about being a Christian in the time we live is that our identity seems so fractured... there are a hundred different versions of a thousand different churches that all claim to be “christian” but who is right, what is correct, who are we... really?

We Worship-

Wall Tall, Walk Hard-

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

(Colossians 2:6–7 ESV)

purposeful, strengthened, rooted.... Christ-following people must not tread lightly or without regard

(interesting inclusion of the word thanksgiving... that a people under weight of Imperial Force might feel forgotten or ill-favored)

Gratitude and Thankfulness- the necessary component Christians- if there is something that can get tough for Christians in the daily living and grind of life its staying thankful... in fact staying thankful in the midst of adversity is really a form of resistance...

Come hear more tonight at 6:30pm- so excited to see you all!!

First Baptist Church of Bethany Student Ministries (FBCBSM)

3800 N Mueller Ave

Bethany, OK 73008

(405) 789-3312