Together

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
-Romans 12:10

Growing up in my church, the word "fellowship" meant some sort of post-worship-service gathering that involved food and coffee. And that was about it. It seemed pointless then; but looking back, I can see how important those times were. A church is a family made up of different types of people. And the only way such a diverse group can become a real family--and not just a crowd--is by spending time together.
This week we'll see the members of the early Church giving money to one another, sharing their possessions, and taking care of each other. This is what a real church family is supposed to look like. But how do we get there?
In every church God wants to build something called "community," the sense that we're all connected in a real way. Serving each other, helping, loving, and giving are all ways we express real community. Believe it or not, this can be the most exciting and life-changing aspect of your church experience. But community isn't easy to come by. It takes a deliberate choice to be a part of the people of God. Once you join, the benefits are endless. This week we're going to look at how to build real community in our own churches.

Read Acts 4:32-37

Sharing isn't natural. No one has to teach a child to be selfish with his toys. That trait just comes naturally to him. But it applies to teenagers and adults as well. So how do you figure 3,000 people voluntarily selling their possessions to help other people? When the Spirit of God moves, we discover how the Spirit provides all we need--including a family of parents, brothers, and sisters to help us through life. Recognizing God's provision, Barnabas gladly chose to sell his land to aid the church. Would you be willing to do the same with your stuff?

Our culture is selfish; it's time we challenged the status quo by loving each other sacrificially.

Do you believe God will provide all you need--even when you help others?

Do you truly love the people in your church?

What are some ways you can serve the people in your church this week?

**
Taken from "Community" Student Life, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.

Faithfulness

What does it mean to have grace on someone?

Have you ever had someone you love hurt you so bad, you don't know what to do with the feelings. I recently watched a good friend of mine go through a difficult situation with an incredible amount of faithfulness. It reminded me that while things don't always work out the way we plan, God calls us to be faithful anyway. Take some time to reflect on ways in which God is calling you to be faithful. Write down some things that are difficult on your life in a journal. Its amazing how going back and reading past experiences gives you a new perspective on life.

Not always what it seems

I was talking with a friend this morning about a tough situation occurring in their life. I found myself being struck by how sad the situation is, while at the same time excited that this person recognized just how bad it really was. I rejoiced that God had blessed me with this conversation. There were questions of why God would allow certain things to happen and if God was really even there. In that same breath I was told by this friend that they see God in me. The statement really hit me because while it is my goal to reflect Christ, I am all too aware of how much I fail at it. I reminded me that the life I live is being noticed. The life you live is also being noticed. What are the messages, pictures and stories that people see or hear from you? The beauty of it all is that I have no idea at what moment or in what ways this person saw God reflected in my life. I saw that is beautiful because i cannot boast in my self. Whatever work was done happened because God is Love. Perfect Love casts out all fear, always be willing to trust that God is using you, even if you don't know how.

From another perspective...

The following new story is about a tribe which has been photographed in the Amazon, imagine what they are thinking as a helicopter or plane flies overhead. What would it be like to witness that. I think its a good look at how we should look at things from someone else's perspective.



(CNN) -- Researchers have produced aerial photos of jungle dwellers who they say are among the few remaining peoples on Earth who have had no contact with the outside world.

Taken from a small airplane, the photos show men outside thatched communal huts, necks craned upward, pointing bows toward the air in a remote corner of the Amazonian rainforest.
The National Indian Foundation, a government agency in Brazil, published the photos Thursday on its Web site. It tracks "uncontacted tribes" -- indigenous groups that are thought to have had no contact with outsiders -- and seeks to protect them from encroachment.
More than 100 uncontacted tribes remain worldwide, and about half live in the remote reaches of the Amazonian rainforest in Peru or Brazil, near the recently photographed tribe, according to Survival International, a nonprofit group that advocates for the rights of indigenous people.
"All are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed or decimated by new diseases," the organization said Thursday.
Illegal logging in Peru is threatening several uncontacted groups, pushing them over the border with Brazil and toward potential conflicts with about 500 uncontacted Indians living on the Brazilian side, Survival International said.
Its director, Stephen Cory, said the new photographs highlight the need to protect uncontacted people from intrusion by the outside world.
"These pictures are further evidence that uncontacted tribes really do exist," Cory said in a statement. "The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct."
The photos released Thursday show men who look strong and healthy, the Brazilian government said. They and their relatives apparently live in six communal shelters known as malocas, according to the government, which has tracked at least four uncontacted groups in the region for the last 20 years.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/05/30/brazil.tribes/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Good Article

Click here for a great article about Patriots Tight End Ben Watson journey of faith.

Alice Cooper Interview

From Risen Magazine (RM):



RM: So what's the truth?


Alice Cooper: Well, I'm not a Christian rocker; I'm a rocker who's a Christian. I think that makes a big difference. I don't do praise music, but everything i do I try to point to Christ. If I write a song, it's never going to promote sex; if it does it's on the level of satire that everybody should be able to get. in the end it should point to the fact that as a society we're moralistically crumbling, and that society is decaying. Why? I want the interviewers to ask the right questions when they ask about my albums. I felt like I was manipulating them, and I was. The first thing they said was, 'How dare you talk about morality?" I love that. Now you see the change being what I was, what I am, and why. Now I can get them to ask questions that I want asked, instead of [sarcastically] "Did you kill chickens? Do you know Ozzy?" I know those are coming, but if they ask the right questions I get to answer them. I don't initiate my Christianity, I let them initiate it.

Risen Magazine: "Up to Speed", p. 70: vol 4* issue 5 - oct/nov 07.