Archive for November, 2011

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29
Nov

Porch Notes 11/29/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Ryan Nixon
Ryan talks about the anticipation children feel for Christmas break.
-No School
-Christmas Morning
-Santa
Ryan then recalls the feeling he had when he found out that there is no Santa.
A lot of time we treat God like Santa.
-We’re just hoping that when we get to the end of our lives we find out that God wasn’t a hoax and we’re not on the “bad list”.
Child-like Faith
-As we get older we tend to forget about the miraculous thing God has done.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-4
Satisfied with the Father… Through faith like a child
-Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
-Why is child-like faith important?
-What does child-like faith look like?
Jesus said that in order to be great and enter the kingdom of heaven we have to be like children.
-They are the greatest among us because they have a right understanding of God.
“Narrow is the path to life.”
Jesus might also add that the door is small.
-We have to be small to enter the kingdom of heaven.
If we don’t have a child-like faith we’ll trade worldliness for self-righteousness. We’ll mature to a point where we don’t need God.
To become child-like…
We need Humility.
We have to depend on him for everything.
We have to trust him.
We need to have child-like faith in God as our…
-Provider
-Protector
-Comforter
-Being in awe of his Power
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:7-11
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
James 1:16-18
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Do we have a small view of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
James 5:17-18
Sometimes we believe that these miraculous things we Gods acts of the past and he doesn’t do such things now.
-There are lots of examples of miraculous things happening all around us.
A baby depends on its parents for everything. If the was no one to take care of a baby it would die.
A baby trusts it’s parents for protection. It runs to them when confronted with something unfamiliar.
A baby trusts it’s parents as a comforter. i.e. A baby stops crying when it’s parents picks it up.
Are you satisfied with the father (daddy)?
Ryan prays that we would grow to become more like children in our heavenly father.
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22
Nov

Porch Notes 11/22/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Jonathan Pokluda (JP)
JP is in a community group with all engineers. Every year they do something called the “engineering challenge”. They are given a set of materials and they have to build something. Those who wish they had more materials never win. Those who are successful “get after it” with what they have.
Many people complain about what God hasn’t given them and chase after the things and assets of others. When this happens you miss what you have, you miss the reason you were created.
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30
A talent is equal to many pounds of precious metals. It is very valuable. God has entrusted us with something very valuable. The modern usage of the word talent is taken from this passage. Talent = Something God has entrusted you with.
What you are is not an accident.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:11-16
You are the only you. You are unique.
What we have to steward
1. Personality
2. Gifting/Talents
3. Experience
4. Story
5. Relationships
6. Resources
7. Passions
What can you “run a 5 minute mile” in? What do you do really well?
What experiences have you had?
What is your story? What is your testimony?
What people have been put in your path?
What resources do you have? What do you do with your time?
-Everything is God’s. Why would you waste any resources, even those that have been entrusted to others?
What do you care about?
-A group of  1500 were split into those who wanted to pursue “money now” (83%) vs those who wanted to pursue their passions (17%). After 20 years there were 100 millionaires. Only one was from the group who pursued “money now”.
-You were created to fill gaps. If there is an area where you see something lacking, you should take care of it and be part of the solution.
If you dislike what you don’t have you may miss what you have.
“Know yourself, love yourself, like yourself.” -Stuart Smalley
Keep asking yourself, what does God want to do through me?
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Many things we ask God for things that will make us more worldly, we ask for things that we are told we shouldn’t want.
Most of the people in the audience can have a home in the suburbs, high income, etc. If you set your sights on that goal it’s not hard to come by. However, the desire for that is really lame.
The servant in the parable was punished because he didn’t do anything with what he was given.
Is God satisfied with your stewardship of the gifts he’s given you?
Sometimes the things you don’t have are an asset.
To whom much is given much is expected. Because we live in America we all have been given much.
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15
Nov

Porch Notes 11/15/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
Speaker: Jonathan Pokluda (JP)
JP believes that the creation story is literal and true. We’ve never seen the world before the fall.
Were Adam and Eve satisfied? It depends.
-They were in paradise and God was there.
-The enemy came and manufactured a desire for something they didn’t have.
People always say that you should be satisfied in Christ, but what if you’re not satisfied, i.e. You want a new job, boy/girlfriend, etc.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalms 23:1-6
Satisfied = Not Wanting
In heaven there is no deceiver.
Why do you want? Because you don’t trust your Shepard.
We need to lean into Jesus. Yes, that sounds trite, however, we think so little of a statement like that we don’t actually do it.
-i.e. All followers of Christ are called to fast. The feeling of hunger is supposed to push us closer to Christ.
Dissatisfaction = Wanting (It isn’t what we have or don’t have.)
*God satisfies us by providing for our needs.
We only see the world through the lens of the fall.
-i.e. Living in the consequences of someone else’s choice.
Why is God good?
-If you don’t believe God is good it’s because you’ve experienced something caused by the fall or God has denied you something you don’t need.
-Everything that we know exists because God provided it.
Jonah had no shade, was given a vine, worms came and ate the vine, then Jonah was frustrated at the lost of something he previously never knew.
Don’t trust your wants over God’s provision.
Needs = What is necessary for survival.
-However, as Christians we don’t need to survive because we have the promise of Christ.
The Lord meets our needs. JP has personally never anyone who has devoted their lives to Christ who have not had their needs met.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
Psalms 37:25-26
*God satisfies us by guiding us in the right way.
Most of the problems we have we’ve brought upon ourselves by not trusting or listening to God.
*God satisfies us by protecting us from harm.
-The worst thing that can happen is that we die and inherit the kingdom.
+Ultimate satisfaction comes from trusting God.
-Happiness comes from not wanting. Not wanting come from Jesus.
We quit smoking because we believe it will make us happy, we get married or divorced because we think it will make us happy, we change jobs over and over again because we think it will make us happy, etc.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
-The idea that a shepherd would lay down his life for his sheep is crazy.
If you want to do something crazy, don’t go bungee jumping, go share the gospel.
Life is found in Jesus and that is where we must seek it.
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,
7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
1 Timothy 6:6-9
Many teachers have done us a disservice by telling us that it’s not wrong to want nice things. For most people our desire to be rich and our want for nice things is wrong because we desire them more than Jesus.
Our desire for pleasure is too small, not too big. We’re like children who want to make mud pies in a slum instead of a holiday at the sea.
JP shows a clip of his daughter who only wants a balloon for her birthday.
We are offered eternal life and happiness yet we keep saying we want a six-figure job or a husband/wife.
JP reads a story about a little girl who loved a dime store necklace, but would not give it up to her father so that he could give her genuine pearls.
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3
Nov

Porch Notes 11/03/2011

posted in: Porch Messages
JP tells a story about a woman who got cancer but refused Chemotherapy to save her unborn child. She got to hold the baby once before she passed away.
At the end of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he tells them about the greatest story ever told.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1. The gospel is the greatest story ever told.
It’s true and it’s the story that changed the world.
JP tells a story about Tuesday Night’s dinner. He asked the waitress if she had a faith. She responded that she rejects religion, but she believes in God. After further questioning she admitted that she believes the Jesus is God’s son. Yet she didn’t know the whole story.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-19
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
The most powerful force ever known in the world was a story. Twelve people told somebody, who told somebody, who told somebody, who told you. They were willing to give their lives for it because it’s true.
The story is the cure to the greatest disease ever known, sin. There are dead people everywhere and we can bring them back to life by telling them a story.
2. You have been given a story.
JP’s friend got an STD from someone other than his fiancé. Afterwards God changed his life. Now he tells the story to everyone.
God has saved many people through a story.
He’s used the story of a woman who went to Calcutta to minster to lepers. He’s used the story of a girl who professed her faith while she had a gun placed up to her head at Columbine High School.
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
3 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-
4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
6 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
There is a really thin line between people who are frustrated with hearing a message and people who are ready to listen.
We don’t convert anyone. We should let the angel celebrate conversions. We should celebrate faithfulness. Those who go out there and tell the story.
God tells us to tell the story to anyone and everyone. It’s a story, we have to use words.
And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Mark 13:11
and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
Ephesians 6:19
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Luke 19:40