“Loving Confrontation”

Posted on May 11, 2011 by David

Loving Confrontation
Joshua 22 || May 11, 2011
by David McConnell

The people of Israel were aware of their corporate responsibility as the people of God. (Deut. 28:9-10)

  • An entire fellowship can suffer for the sins of one person. (1 Corinthians 5)
    • We are not to judge those outside the church.
    • We are to lovingly hold each other to holiness inside the church.
  • The western tribes did not immediately act on their assumption. (Joshua 22)
    • They confronted their brothers in love.
    • Their heart was to see the sin stopped and to reconcile. (Joshua 22:19)
    • They shared their concerns and then they listened.
      • Loving communication will resolve most conflicts.
  • Jesus calls us to loving confrontation with the purpose of resolving and reconciling. (Matthew 18)
    • Go and go alone.
    • When it is done, let it go.
    • Involve others only if necessary.
      • A refusal to repent can result in a loss of fellowship.

Life Truth: When you are the victim: lovingly confront without assumption and be prepared to forgive and reconcile. When you are the one who was wrong, humbly listen, accept responsibility, and repent.

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples – John 13:35

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“The Attitude of Spies”

Posted on April 13, 2011 by David

The Attitude of Spies
Numbers 13-14 || April 13, 2011

God instructed Israel to search out the land He had promised them. (Numbers 13:1-20)

  • His people had to choose to believe Him.
  • His people had to work to attain the promise.
  • God’s providence is a reality, but we must often take care fo the practical issues.
    • Most often God directs us as we go in life.
      • Pray
      • Listen intently
      • Move when clear

The spies saw both promise and peril and were faced with a choice: Faith or Fear. (Numbers 13:21-33)

  • Sometimes you have to face down some enemies to experience God’s victory.
  • Faith is forged in times of uncertainty.
  • The attitude of a person’s heart shapes their perspective.

Life Truth: In essence we are all spies. Our attitude and perspective will influence others greatly.

The people had no apparent conficence in God, failing to recall His past displays of greatness and goodness. (Numbers 14)

  • The peace of God comes in part from the praise of God. (Philippians 4:6-7)
  • God takes no delight in those who turn back. (Luke 9:62)
    • The people rejected the promise of God through their faithfulness.

“But my servant [insert your name here], because he/she has a different spirit and has followed me fully,  I will bring into the land…”

  • Don’t you want Him to say that about you?
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“The Discipline of God”

Posted on April 6, 2011 by David

The Discipline of God
Leviticus 26 || April 6, 2011

Life Truth: Some of God’s promises are conditional.

If is a short word, but it is a critical word. (Leviticus 26:1-13)

  • God stakes His claim as the primary object of our affection. Nothing should take His place.
    • When God is supreme, He enhances every gift He gives us.
    • When an idol is supreme, it will serve to choke God out of our lives.
  • Obedience to God = Blessings from God.
    • God does not offer his blessings, apart from obedience to His word.
    • Blessings from God are not always material.
    • God’s greatest blessing to us is His presence.
      • Obedience to God = More of God in your life.

Disobedience invites discipline. (Leviticus 26:14 – 42)

  • Disobedience begins in the heart.
    • To obey God more we need to love God more.
    • Inner attitude always dictates your outward actions.
  • God brings discipline to us and looks for changes in us.
    • No change indicates a hardened and prideful heart.
    • Further rebellion leads to further discipline.
      • What begins with conviction, may lead to greater consequences.
  • God’s goal in the lives of His people is always repentance and holiness.

A New Testament look at The Discipline of God (Hebrews 12:1-11)

  • The aim of discipline is to train and to help. The aim of punishment is to pay back and to harm.
  • Discipline is motivated by love; Punishment is motivated by wrath.
  • Discipline lasts as long as needed. Therefore our continued rebellion can prolong the trial.
  • Our response in Discipline:
    • Accept God’s character training.
    • Repent of our sin.
    • Turn to Him for comfort.
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April 2011 Prayer Focus

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Nick

Hey guys, sorry this is a few days late but the pray focus for April is Growing in Love and Faith to Reach to the fallen, which sounds like a lot. We as Christians are to reach out to those who are being sexually exploited every day in almost every city. So what would this look like reaching out to those girls?  It would look like Hosea’s love for Gomer, a husband’s love for his wife, and Christ’s love for the church. To love as Christ’s loves we have to grow in him to produce fruits of his love. This month focuses on love, growing, the fruits of growth, and different types of love.  As the month progresses so do the different types of love leading to GOD’s agape love for his people. Sunday’s are devoted to missionaries who are going into these cities loving GOD’s fallen people and showing them what it means to grow in Christ. We grow for two purposes to reach toward GOD and reach out to others. This month’s prayer is devoted to this so when our time to reach out is here we are ready to reach out grab them, and love them just as Christ did for us.

Peace & Love,
Neely M

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Hide and Seek – Steven Furtick

Posted on April 2, 2011 by David

Hey Guys – This is a great post by Steven Furtick (author of Sun Stand Still) on why it is sometimes seemingly difficult to discern God’s will. For more posts by Steven you can go to http://www.stevenfurtick.com/ Grace and Peace - David

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.
Proverbs 25:2

There’s a reason God’s will in specific situations is so difficult to know sometimes. Why it can be so hard to know what God wants you to do.

Who to date.
Where to go to college.
Who to marry.
Where to move.
What job to take.

It’s not because you’re not praying. You’re probably praying a lot. It’s not because you don’t want to know His will. Many of you really do.

According to this verse, it’s because God conceals.
But why? After all, that seems counterintuitive to God’s purposes and using you in them.

The reason isn’t because God doesn’t want you to know His will. He wants you to know it more than you want to know it. It’s because God wants something more for you than that.

Him.

God’s not up in heaven hiding His will hoping you’ll never be able to find it. But he does play hide and seek. Not because He doesn’t want us to find His will but because He wants us to find Him. If He put it out in plain view, we would seek His will instead of seeking Him.

That’s why he conceals it. That’s why it’s so hard.

God’s not trying to make His will plain. His will isn’t the main objective. He is the main objective. He wants you to discover Him most of all.

God isn’t the shortcut to your best life. He is your best life.
God doesn’t want to give you the guide for your life. He wants to be your Guide.

The scariest possibility for your life isn’t getting God’s will wrong. It’s getting God’s will right but barely coming to know God in the process.

You could love the right woman but lose your first love.
You could find the right career but then make it your god.

That’s why He doesn’t just write His will for you in the clouds. At the end of the process He wants you to know something far greater than what you should do with your life or what you should do next.

He wants you to know who He is

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“The Goat and the Lamb”

Posted on March 30, 2011 by David

The Goat and the Lamb
Leviticus 10 and 16 || March 30, 2011

Life Truth: The value we place on the Grace of God is directly related to our view of the Holiness of God.

View the Holiness of God on display. (Leviticus 10)

  • Only one aspect of God’s character is in view here.
    • The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
  • Leviticus 10 shows us a God-centered view of sin.
    • The severity of sin is not determined by what someone does, but rather by whom they do it against.
    • When we casually approach the holiness of God, then we will casually approach our own sin.

Marvel in the Grace of God, in the light of the Holiness of God. (Leviticus 16)

  • In His love and grace, God chooses to allow atonement for our sins.
    • He does not overlook our sin, but He accepts a sacrifice to cover them.
  • In God’s grace…
    • He sees His law broken (which deserves death).
    • He allows a substitute death (the innocent for the guilty).
    • He removes all of the sins from His people.

Our salvation is rooted not in an OT sacrifice, but in the blood of Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 9-10)

  • Jesus is our High Priest.
  • Jesus is our lamb; our once and for all sacrifice.
  • Jesus is our scapegoat, removing our sins and guilt before a Holy God.
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“From Suffering to the Throne”

Posted on March 9, 2011 by David

by David
on March 9, 2011

Genesis 37-50

Joseph’s “valley of waiting” began at age 17 (Genesis 37:2-11)

  • At a young age he was a man of integrity.
  • He was chosen as the heir to his father.
  • He was surrounded by those filled with hatred, envy, and violence; those he would eventually be called to love and save.

While in the valley, Joseph…

  • Faced injustice. (Genesis 37:12-36; 40:23)
    • Mistreatment will come. How will we respond?
  • Faced temptation. (Genesis 39:1-13)
    • Satan will attack at our weakest moment.
    • Holy Spirit please give us the attitude: How could I ever sin agains God?
  • Brought glory to God. (Genesis 39:3-5; 40:5-8; 41:16)
    • Joseph kept a faithful and good attitude.
    • God ensured success.
  • Was never forgotten by God. (Genesis 40:22-41:14)
    • God was guiding his every move. (Genesis 37:12-15)
    • God was molding his every circumstance. (Genesis 39; 40:6-8)

In the story of Joseph we see…

  • God as the sovereign ruler of all things. (Genesis 45:4-8; Proverbs 19:21)
    • God uses both good and evil for ultimate good. (Genesis 50:19-20)
  • God as the cleanser of His people. (Genesis 42:21-23; 42:26-28; 43:33; 44:13; 44:33-34)
  • God as the covenant promise keeper. (Genesis 46:3-4; 47:27; 50:24)
  • Joseph as the richest illustration of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.
    • Beloved by His Father and obedient to His will.
    • Hated and rejected by his own people.
    • Falsely accused and unjustly punished.
    • Elevated from suffering to the Throne.
    • Saving his people from death.
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“Isaac & Ishmael”

Posted on March 2, 2011 by David

by David
on March 2,2011

Genesis 15-17

Life Truth: The salvation of man began with a promise from God. And the question that permeates all of scripture is do we trust Him to keep His word?

The Promise Made (Genesis 12:1-3)

  • The promise would begin with Abram and would one day spread to all people.
  • Abram would have a son (Isaac) would have a son (Jacob) who would have 12 sons (Israel) from whom the Messiah (Jesus) would come.

The Promise Sealed (Genesis 15)

  • God, who we cannot see, is our place of confidence, not the world that we can see.
    • Abram was focused on his greatest area of weakness.
      • God flips the script: Your greatness weakness, I will make into your greatest strength.
    • Abram believed; God is faithful
      • May this be this principle will live by.

The Promise Threatened (Genesis 16)

  • The mountain peaks of promise and fulfillment are separated by the valley of waiting.
    • God’s purpose in this valley:
      • Growth in Godliness
      • Growth in faith
      • Molding of circumstances
      • His glory
    • Satan’s purpose in this valley is to whisper to you:
      • God has failed
      • God has forgotten
  • Faith requires patient waiting. When faith is replaced by human effort and calculations, confusion and conflict will abound.
    • Through it all God remains:
      • Close
      • Listening
      • Faithful

The Promise Affirmed (Genesis 17)

  • By His faithfulness, we have a new
    • Identity
    • Focus
    • Devotion

The Promise Protected (Genesis 21:1-21)

  • Isaac represented the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.
    • He was from the Spirit.
    • He brought with him great joy.
  • Ishmael represented a fear that God could not be trusted.
    • He was loved.
    • He brought with him painful conflict.
  • God proved Himself faithful to Abraham and Sarah, as well as Hagar and Ishmael.

Life Truth: God’s promises and plans stand, no matter what we may believe. He is rightly to be praised.

“The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings” – George Morrison

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Hello world!

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Nick

That’s right boys and girls, EPIC has a webpage! And we think it is pretty nifty as a matter of fact. There will be a lot more coming to the blog in the coming days and weeks. In addition to the content that will find its way onto the blog, there is a number of other resources and information available here on the site. We hope you’ll browse around and see what’s going on with EPIC. If you’re new or don’t know much about us, you’ll find information about us and our vision for the student ministry in 2011 and beyond. If you are familiar with EPIC or part of the student ministry, in addition to the information about where we are and where we’re going, there are various resources and information about how we are putting our vision into practice in 2011 and beyond. Thanks for stopping by the site and be sure to check back soon!

Grace and peace

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