LG Teaser

Growing Pains

2009-06-29T14:12:00.004-04:00

June 28th 2009 , Message series: The Antidote

The Antidote - Growing Pains from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

As adults we are taught that we need to take care of ourselves and dependence is frowned upon. In fact those of us who are independent are usually deemed as the ones who have it all together. We are the measuring stick society calls ‘productive’. So when the Bible says to cast all your cares upon the Lord its no wonder most of us don’t get it or reject the notion.

The Big Idea

There is another alternative when you worry than to cower or run.

God's View

Matthew 6:28 – 31 - "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
2 Chronicles 20:16-17 - Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Axioms

Your Level of worry is directly proportional to your level of Devotion
Prayer makes things smaller, worry makes things bigger
If its too small to pray about then you should not be worried about it
Cast your cares not your responsibility

Questions

Trusting God - 1 Corinthians 2:16 - "Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?". Trusting God means realizing that we dont understand His mind and thoughts. We trusted our parents as kids and we often did not understand and often many years later we understood why they did what they did.
1. In what areas of your life do you have a hard time Trusting God?
2. Be honest, why do you think you have a hard time trusting God?
3. Psalm 37:5-6 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
4. Trusting God allows God to be God and we reap the benefits
Praying without Worry -When we pray we must ask God for His will to be done and then we have to trust that He will.
Avoid trusting your own thoughts and actions - How can you tell when you are taking things into your own hands and not letting God work?

How Good is Good Enough?

2009-04-12T23:50:00.000-04:00

April 12 2009, Message series: Why Jesus?

The Big Idea

God requires 100%...what makes up the difference between your sins and 100%?

God's View

Proverbs 28:13 - Those who conceal their sins do not prosper, but those who confess and renounce them find mercy.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Questions

Why is it so hard to live out Proverbs 28:13? Why do we conceal our sins from others and from God?
What is the definition of mercy from Proverbs 28:!3?
Can we ever deserve mercy?
Would you sacrifice your child to save the life of someone else?
What does it mean to you that God 2009 years ago Loved you?
How does 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 affect your view of how you view your life, your problems, and God's view of you that He 'bought' you with a price even though He created you?

Be careful what you pray for

2009-04-05T18:37:00.004-04:00

April 5th 2009, Message series: conTXT

Hezekiah was a King who accomplished great things however almost none of his accomplishments were every recorded and most of them perished because of one errant prayer request. Hezekiah did not ask for anything unreasonable of God, but what he did ask for was outside of God’s will and God granted Hezekiah’s wish. We all go to God in prayer and for most of us our prayer life is more about asking God for what we want than consulting with God to figure out what He wants. Scripture says if you ask it will be given unto you…but sometimes we don’t really want what we ask for or we ask for the wrong thing.

The Big Idea

Prayer is about praising God, and asking Him to line your will up with His.

God's View

Psalms 66:4 - All the earth worships • you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah
Psalms 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess • my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalms 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Philippians 4:6 - do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Hebrews 5:7 - In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.

Questions

Have you ever prayed or wished for something that you knew you wanted and got it and realized it was not all it was cracked up to be.
When you pray where do you spend most of your time:

Adoration – proclaiming to God how great He is and how much you Love Him. (Psalms 66:4)
Confession – being honest and open with God and admitting your sins and asking for forgiveness (Psalms 32:5)
Thanksgiving – Thanking God for his many blessings (Psalms 100:4)

Supplication – making your petitions knowing to God (Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 5:7

Which area of prayer do you struggle with the most and why?

What are of prayer have you grown the most in the last year and what was your journey?

conTXT - Be Careful What You Pray For from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

Hateration - Part 1

2009-03-23T19:30:00.003-04:00

Sunday March 22 2009, Message series: conTXT

Have you ever known someone who just did not seem to like you. It seemed that no matter what you do they are always being negative or causing problems for you. Well, Joseph in the Bible had those types of people in his family and at work. This week we are going to explore how God wants us to deal with one category of our haters as we continue to learn how to read the Bible.

The Big Idea

Sometimes you unknowingly create the haters that exist around you.

God's View

Gen 37-50 - Life of Joseph
James 1:19 - 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Proverbs 6:2-3 - 2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion and give your neighbor no rest

Questions

Have you ever played favorites between people, or been the favorite?
Did you read Genesis 37, did you learn anything else from the story of Joseph?
If this was your first time hearing the story of Joseph as a young boy, did anything surprise you about the story?
This week we delved into learning to Listen to Gods words more. We broke down listening into Attention, absorption, and action. Can you really listen without taking action of some type (physical, mental, spiritual)?
When James 1:19 refers to being quick to listen, what does it mean...who should we be listening to?
Why would anger not produce the righteousness that God is looking for? What type of righteousness is God seeking from us?
Discuss Proverbs 6:2-3

conTXT - Hateration from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

Why read the Bible

2009-03-08T03:20:00.006-04:00

March 8 2009, Message series: conTXT

What's your take on the Bible? Some people think of the bible like a seat belt that is really just there to restrain you and the only reason you wear it is because its the law. If this is you, you probably do not want any more rules or regulations on how to live your life or what you are doing wrong. For others the Bible is like rental car insurance, you are pretty sure your current policy has all the coverage you will need so you don't want this extra expense. You have your own set of rules and moral standards that you live by and the Bible may or may not agree with you always. The last set of us, every Christ follower fits this, we approach the Bible as if it is a plate of hor d' oeuvres at a cocktail party. We sample everything but only eat what we like or can recognize. No matter what our take on the Bible is there is one central truth: as humans we need a baseline for our belief system that is solid and unchanging. The Bible gives us such a source, its awesome that it is God inspired too.

The Big Idea

We all need one belief baseline that is our foundation.

God's View

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20-21 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Questions

Go through the break down of the Bible, Old and New testaments as well as how the books are divided.
Share Bible facts (66 books, over 40 authors, nearly 2000 years of history and culture)
Discuss what this quote means to you and how it affects the way you view the Bible as a book of truth by Dr Nelson Glueck (authority on Israeli archeology) - "No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."
What is your take on the Bible...seat belt, rental car insurance, or hor' d'oeuvres.
Are there Biblical texts that you do not understand, what are they?
How do you deal with hard Biblical texts that you do not understand, defy culture, or you do not agree with?
Is there a problem with reading the Bible and coming up with your own interpretation based on what you think or believe?
Read Luke 17:11-19 - The 10 Lepers. Have you ever felt unappreciated?

conTXT - Why read the Bible from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

Best Sex Ever Challenge

2009-02-22T16:27:00.004-05:00

Feb 22, 2009, Message series: Electric Sex

Admittedly this message is geared to married couples. We are challenging to to a 21 day Best Sex Ever experience. Click Here to download the challenge for you and your spouse.

For Life Groups this week we will be discussing potential sermon topics for our next preaching calendar that starts June 2009. Feel free to leave your answers as comments below.

Questions

What topics did we cover this year that you need more clarity on?
What biblical stories have you heard that you would like to know more about?
What biblical principles are confusing to you?
What area of your life do you struggle with the most?
What are some tough spiritual questions that you wrestle with?
What are spiritual questions that your friends or family have asked you that you could not answer?

Best Sex Ever Part 2 from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

Best Sex Ever

2009-02-15T00:15:00.007-05:00

February 15 2009, Message series: Electric Sex

When we worship God we are the closest to Him that we can become. During true worship we are emotionally and spiritually naked before God. Ever notice that when we try to hide yourself from God in worship you get lost in the music or just kinda sit there waiting for it to be over. But God wants a true worship from you, He wants you fully engaged in worship. He wants to connect with you during worship so love can flow freely between the two of you. There is Love making in worshiping God.

God defines sex as an act of worship between a man and wife. In sex we are in a celebration of God's decision to unite US. That may sound strange. In fact in an informal survey most people said that their sex lives don't include thoughts of God. God created you and your spouse to become one flesh. He made each of you for the other and gave you sex to consummate, celebrate, and solidify your union.

For the Singles...Here is a Gift for you.

The Big Idea

Sex is an act of worshiping God

God's View

Genesis 2:20-25 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Prov 5:18-19 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Song of Solomon 4:16 Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.

Questions

Have you ever had a fully engaged worship experience, explain?
Did God create sex to be an act of worship?
How can a man and wife worship God during sex, while engaged in a physical act?
1 Corinthians 7:3-5 says that couples should not deny each other sex, what does that mean to you?

Best Sex Ever from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

is GOD Homophobic

2009-02-08T10:00:00.005-05:00

February 8 2009, Message series: Electric Sex

GOD and Jesus define a very delicate balance in the bible where: GOD loves you unconditionally, God made sex for Man and woman, GOD gave humans free will, and GOD commanded us not to kill. The ‘Christian Right’ and ‘Christian Left’ will have you believe that the Bible says all sorts of stuff about homosexuality and abortion…But what is GOD really saying. Is He homophobic or is He Anti-choice. In this message we will clearly present that GOD loves everyone despite their sin but humans have learned to judge each other. Its our judgments that keep people from finding the real GOD.

The Big Idea

We can’t judge each other’s sins, we must love and bear with each other

God's View

Leviticus 18:22 ’Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.

Mathew 7:1-5 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Questions

Why do we as humans judge each other?
What does John 13:35 mean to you? How does it tell you to live your life?
Is homosexuality or Homophobia sin?
Is God Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?
How can we love someone we know is living in sin?

Desperate Sex

2009-02-01T10:00:00.004-05:00

February 1 2009, Message series: Electric Sex

Lust affects every human being, some of us more than others. But our lust can lead us into times where we have desperate sex, sex with out love, sex because it’s the sexy thing to do. This week we uncover that we each have a void in our hearts that only God can fill. Most of us though have attempted to fill the hole with lust or other pleasures to make ourselves feel complete. But we never do feel totally whole.

The Big Idea

Desperate sex is an act of worshiping the false, little g, god of sex called lust.

God's View

Exodus 20:17 Do not covet your neighbors wife.

Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Questions

Why is sex outside of marriage so much fun?
What does it mean that we use sex to fill a void?
Is there a place for sex outside of marriage, and what counts as pre-marital sex?
Is sex spiritual, does it affect your soul?
Can sex outside of marriage make you spiritually sick and what does that look like?
What is God's truth about our sex life and lust life?

Desperate Sex - Electric Sex Sermon Series from Vision Runners on Vimeo.

Porn Sunday

2009-01-21T21:06:00.009-05:00

January 25, 2008, Message series: Electric Sex

Pornography is everywhere today. There are actually more adult bookstores and movie rental places than there are McDonalds restaurants. In the last 8 years the porn industry has exploded because of the internet. But what is the big deal? Making or viewing porn is not illegal, unless there are minors involved. The actors and actresses get paid, its their job. Why do our significant others get so worked up when they learn we watch porn? Why do we secretly watch it if it should be ok? Is there more that we may be missing? Is porn viewing and addiction really just masking something else?

The Big Idea

Masturbation is an not fulfilling substitute for true intimacy and is fueled by lust

God's View

1 Corinthians 10:13-14
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Questions

We all know sex sells, but what are they really selling?
Have you ever used porn to stimulate yourself or a relationship experience?
Can someone masturbate without feeling lust?
Does masturbation have a place in marriage?
Is there a difference between lust and desire?
Do you believe that lust could be a signal that something is missing from your life?