Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.

Photo taken with iPhone 4 and processed using TiltShift Generator app.

Bryan Sparks
Sent from iPhone

Bryan Sparks
Sent from iPhone

We are all “bad” people who do evil. I do it, you do it, everyone does it. Not always, but often enough that we need some mechanism for atonement and forgiveness. And if someone wrongs us, then we are to forgive them, regardless of their religion or whether or not they are penitent. In other words, it is not OK to forgive one and not another based on whether or not that person is Christian. Now with that said, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. I know that I can be incredibly unforgiving to some people, and very forgiving to others. It is not right to be that way, and that in itself is a sin that I need to work on. I am thankful to God that he is merciful and provided for me an atonement for my sin, the blood of Jesus Christ. I can only strive to extend that forgiveness to others who sin against me.

Ronnie Norman - 09/25/2011

1.  Betrayals are an inevitable part of the human experience.

2.  Betrayals are traumatic because they come from those we trust.

  Proverbs 20:19

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

The key word here is confidence, which is trusting someone with personal information.

Genesis 37:3-4; 23-24

³Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. ⁴When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 

²³So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing— ²⁴and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

Matthew 26:20-24

²⁰When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

²²They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

²³Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

 3.  Betrayals have varied motivations:

Competitiveness

Defensiveness

Unhappiness

Jealousy

Greed

Meanness

Expedience

Matthew 10:21

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.

4.  Betrayals are hard but not impossible to repair.

 5.  When betrayed, follow the wise and counter-intuitive teachings of Jesus regarding revenge.

Romans 12:17-21

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. ¹⁸If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰On the contrary:

      “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

      if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

      In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 6.  Don’t get so bogged down with rage that you miss out on how God can work in this situation.

Genesis 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Notes from a sermon delivered by Ronnie Norman at FCCC on 08/27/2011.

What kind of man can God use?

1)     A man who conquers his pride.

a)     Pride is your greatest enemy

b)     Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

c)     Proverbs 29:23 - A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

2)     A man who knows how to define success.

a)     1 Timothy 6:9 - People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

b)     Measure success wisely, for it is more about character than anything else.

c)     Ask yourself these questions regularly:

i)      Is my faith in Jesus still intact?

ii)     Is my character still intact?

iii)   Am I still with my wife and still in love?

iv)    Have I passed the baton of faith on to my children?

3)     A man who has sound sensual sense.

a)     Sexual temptation is every man’s battle.

b)     Proverbs 25:28 - Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

c)     Proverbs 6:25-26 - Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, ²⁶for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

4)     A man who will step up to the plate.

a)     Ephesians 5:23 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

b)     Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5)     As men, we are conquerors.  God built us to be strong and courageous.  But to be a conqueror and a warrior for God, we must first conquer ourselves.  Only though Jesus Christ can we do this.

Notes from a sermon delivered by Dr. Randy Lowry, President of Lipscomb University.

It is great to be part of such a diverse group of people who have such unity of purpose in doing God's will.

Jesus is about to be arrested and crucified. In John 17 we have an intimate view into Jesus's prayer.

In this hour he prays for our unity...

John 17:20-21 (NIV)
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Unity is not uniformity. Unity is not something we create, it is something we accept.

It is not a matter of working through differences to become unified, it is to accept that Jesus did that for us already on the cross. We just need to accept it.

If you tune one piano to another, then a third one to the second, and so on, by the time you get to number six, it will not be in tune with number one. You must tune each piano to the same standard. It is the same with us, we must tune ourselves to the standard of Jesus. Only then can we be unified.

In the church, at some point, because of the blood of Jesus, we must realize we are all one.

Unity is achieved when service to each other eclipses our concerns for self. If we as a church can get so caught up in what we are called to do, the differences among us will simply disappear. Do you want to get to those folks you disagree with? Serve them.

John 17:22-23 (NIV)
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: [23] I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

• Intercession
• Worship
• Healing
• Lamentation
• And many, many more.

John 15:5 (NIV)
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Read by Buzz Aldren at communion on the Moon.

Three views of communion:

1.  Transubstantiation = the literal view, that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus when blessed.  It is a very high and respectful view of communion.  It says that God meets us here.  This is the view of Catholicism.

2.  A Memorial = a means of remembering Jesus.  Something we do for our benefit so that we don't forget Jesus.  It's a good thing to do, but God doesn't really meet us there.

3. Real Presence = Jesus present in the spirit with believers who share together.  God ministers to us in a way that cannot be experienced elsewhere. There is a reality in the symbols Jesus gives us.  Don't let anything come between you and communion.  If you can't be in church, find a way to take communion.  This is the view of our church, and the view that is supported by scripture.

How to Approach Communion:

1. Enjoy, encourage, and protect our unity and community in Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NIV)
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? [17] Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Example of Christians who allowed their differences to divide them:

1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (NIV)
In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. [18] In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. [19] No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. [20] When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, [21] for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. [22] Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

We meet together as friends and we need each other.  Jesus never started anything that didn't have people at its center.  

2.  Remember and proclaim Christ's sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, [24] and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." [25] In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." [26] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The grace of God is for you.  At communion we remember and proclaim the grace of God.

3.  Examine yourself spiritually, morally, and relationally.  

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 (NIV)
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. [28] A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. [30] That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. [31] But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. [32] When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

The Lord says I love you, but you need to learn to discipline yourself.  God wants us to be great, and he wants us to strive for greatness in our righteousness.  God is our Father, not our Grandfather -- he will discipline us.

When we come together for communion we need to proclaim the grace of God in each others' lives, and encourage and lift up one another. 

Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV)
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. [7] Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. [8] Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) [9] Then the angel said to me, "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

Notes from a Bible study taught by Ronnie Norman at FCCC on 03/09/2011.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NIV)
Be joyful always; [17] pray continually; [18] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. [19] Do not put out the Spirit's fire; [20] do not treat prophecies with contempt. [21] Test everything. Hold on to the good. [22] Avoid every kind of evil.

Thessalonica was a church that Paul established.  The town is still a thriving city to this day.  In AD 50 or 51 he wrote the first letter to the Thessalonians.  In this letter he is concise and direct.  He closes the letter with six easy prices of advise, much like when people tell you to "drive safe", or "be careful" when you say goodbye.  

1.  Choose your attitude.
"Rejoice always"

Your attitude is your choice.  Don't be passive.
Philippians 2:5 (NIV)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Your attitude is contagious.  People with bad attitudes will make things worse.  People with good attitudes will make bad things better.

Numbers 14:1-2 (NIV)
That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. [2] All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!

Never allow what you don't have to rob you of what you do have.  

2. Talk to the right person.
"Pray continually"

Why God answers prayer:  because you ask.  Don't make prayer too hard.  Pray easy and conversationally.  You have a heavenly father who invites you to talk to him.

Reasons we may not pray:

Faithlessness: "prayer doesn't work"
Failures:  "I didn't get what I prayed for"
Feelings: "I just don't feel like it"

3. Feed your gratitude. 
"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is 
God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Obstacles to thankful spirit:
Excessive noise: the volume of life screaming for attention.  
Owe me attitude: everyone owes me.
Worry: dwelling on the negative.
Materialism: need to have everything. 

4. Do the next right thing.
"Do not quench the Spirit"

The Holy Spirit leads you and nudges you to do the right thing.  Don't avoid it.  

5. Pay attention to scripture.  
"Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good."

With all of the information coming your way, there is some that is so life giving.  Go to church, read your Bible, listen to spiritual music.  Let the Word of God bathe your soul.

6. Avoid the edges.
"reject every kind of evil"

Rather than seeing just how much you can flirt with the world, stay as far away from things you know will tempt you as you can.  Just stay away from the edge.

Ask yourself this question:
"In light of where I want my life to go, what's the smart move for me in this situation?"