Too Legit to Quit

Ok...

We're going to go with the whole....God doesn't know when to quit situation.

As in...He goes SO ABOVE and beyond...with everything He has for us.

His love.

His grace.

His mercy.

His creation.

His strength.

His freedom.

So...I need some situations where people just do not know when to quit.

Butch gave possible ideas like...bragging about a child...

I want several ideas of someone going on and on and on about something...even if it's something they shouldn't be going on and on and on about.

Then Butch will tie in with, "God is like that with us...He does not know when to quit! He just keeps on giving us more and more and more."

Put your thinking cap on!

And...I need to write this skit before I go to bed tonight.

The passage we are using is from Romans 8:35-end of chapter.

We need to show that God could have quit at making conquerors...but He has made us MORE than conquerors. This whole chapter is full of examples where God gives us all of Himself in lavish ways.

Tomorrow is out.

songs about Jesus' love

Here are some songs i thought of...most of them would probably be offertory songs rather than ones everyone could sing along with. but who knows....hope they help.

Lead of Love - Caedmon's
Thy Mercy - D. Webb
Oh Lord Your Love - Caedmon's
Thank You for Hearing Me - Crowder (Can You Hear Us? album)
How Great - Crowder (Illuminate album)
The Love of Christ - D. Webb or Sandra McCracken (...or Indelible Grace)
Jesus Paid it All - Kristian Stanfill (Passion '06)
There is Nothing Like - United (hillsong)
Sing (Your Love) - United
Where the Love Lasts Forever - United

Way to GO Charlie and Jon Lovitz

Thank you so much Charlie and Patrick for being in the skit this weekend. Skits really do take up your whole life on the weekends. Aaron and I are used to this, because it's sort of what we do...but when extra people help out and do a GREAT job, I'm always so thankful for your sacrifice.

Did Patrick remind you of Jon Lovitz?

I have NEVER almost lost it on stage before...but my word...Patrick is FUNNY. My insides were shaking at the 9 o'clock trying to keep a straight face. It did not help at all that someone from the front row kept saying, "Look at her...look at her...she's about to laugh." I was sweating trying to keep it together.

So...great job you two.

You made me laugh...and I couldn't even see you.

And thanks for all the ideas. I used several of the examples...I love how this is working!

Heather

A Very Important Question

What are we eating this week? Ideas??

It's a huge thing to forget

If God is for us, who (what) can be against us? Hebrews 13:6

While I was thinking through this, I'm pretty sure I need to come up with a way that shows that God is for us. His plans are perfect. He wants to bring good out of everything in our lives (good to God equals godliness). HOWEVER...we forget that so easily. SO EASILY!! We are distracted by the tiniest things...or maybe it's just me.

If we really took "God is for us" and "We are more than conquerors" and "This world is temporary...our lives even more so" and held that up to every trial, every annoyance, every issue that comes up (big and little) I think we would be able to be satisfied and content in all situations.

Matthew Henry (I have a crush on him) says that this passage can mean...God is for us as in all of God is made available to us...His power...His strength...His perspective...His resources...that's cool.

So...what is something we could use where someone keeps going through all this junk...or reacting wrong...or thinking wrong all because they FORGOT some HUGE thing.

I want to have one person on the stage talking about forgetting that God is for us is like...then have short little blitzes where two people walk out and act out something very insane and funny that impacts their lives in HUGE ways because they FORGOT something.

Like...

Starving, living on the streets all because you FORGOT you were a millionaire.

Drinking food out of a straw, staying in bed, taking chemo because you FORGOT you aren't sick anymore.

Living like a person stranded on a deserted island because you FORGOT you were rescued.

Help.

Heather

About application...

I thought of something that maybe we should heed while thinking up ways to portray the struggle of trusting Jesus during hard times...or whatever times for that matter...

Last night there were several mentions of the fact that, when it comes down to it, our problem is that we don't choose to trust in God's sovereign designs for our sufferings and trials. Therefore, we reasoned that we must simply...well, choose. Indeed. However, I think there is something deeper than this. And I pull this from scripture, from Liz's testimony, and my own life: In conquering this distrust we have in God, there is something more than just the classic "make a decision" we hear from many who have a more formulaic way of going about things. But I find that one can "choose" arrogantly, or rather...try to make a decision by "will power" to trust God too hastily, without ever crumbling before God first in surrender before boasting in some great decision they made. I am not saying that making haste to trust Jesus is a bad thing, but it can be a bad thing when we gloss over pain just to will ourselves into a quick fix. I think it is clear in scripture that trials are sent to first make us crumble and stop for a while to weep and be broken. For instance, how long did Job - who was righteous in God's eyes (holy cow!) - mourn and lay prostrate before the Lord roused him back to trusting in God? Or how about in Mark 9:24 when the wavering man says, "I believe; help my unbelief!" The man was a believer, but there were still parts of his own heart that he could not merely "will" to believe. He had to ask for help first.
I also saw this in Liz's testimony when she said that she was in such despondency that she could not eat or get up off the couch. And it was in her complete brokenness that God planted within her a desire for Himself. And when we exult after a time of conquering despondency or trials, what do we boast in? Our decision we made? Or Jesus supernaturally awakening us to his love and glory?
Or how about this example: I heard Matt Chandler talking about how we go about things in this life such as loving others, serving in the church, loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, etc. And he tested his audience by saying, "Ok. I command you to love the person in front of you just as Jesus loves them! Ok. Now I command you to love your wife as Christ loves the church! Now...serve with glad hearts!" He went on and on, but the gist was that you can not will yourself to do such things. It just doesn't happen. There is something that must happen before this, and that is being humbled at your own depravity and pleading with Jesus to heal your broken self so that you can be empowerd to love and trust Jesus. Too many people are burnt out and have hard hearts from hastily trying to move on in the flesh during a trial.
Indeed, there are decisions to be made...Jesus demands that...but he demands we come to him first.
Thoughts??

Guacamole! This will be Great!

We're going to have a "Mexican Food" potluck fiesta night!

Yum!

Liz said she would make a Mexican Casserole. I'll make taco meat and guacamole.

Someone could bring:

Tortillas
Taco Shells
Tortilla Chips
Hot Sauce
Sour Cream
Dessert
Shredded Cheese

Anything else? Am I forgetting anything?

I'll also have paper goods and sweet tea....and LIMEADE.

Can't wait to see you!

Comment if you're bringing something, so we don't get duplicates (except for dessert...duplicate dessert is never a bad thing).

Word to your enchilladas,

Heather

Kaycee's Song Ideas

I was thinking about songs for this weekend. You all are right, there are not many songs about the Holy Spirit so I was just trying to think about songs that tell about God being that main mover in our relationship to him and also about the theme of God pouring out his grace on us and loving us despite our sin issues. Here's what I've thought of so far:

Grace Like Rain
I will Praise You Oh, Lord (this might not be the title but it say's "you have rescued me from sin and I am blown away...great is your love to me...you have delivered me)
Rescue (because it talks about Jesus being the source of life and that no one else will do)
Let Your Praises Ring (because it says In you I live and move and breath)
Give Us Clean Hands (again having talking about God doing these things in us)

That's all I've got for know.
-Kaycee

Hey Groupers...

That sounds like I'm calling you fish or something. Are groupers fish?

Fish or not, what are we going to do about dinner on Tuesdays?

Do we want to do a potluck style shin-dig?

We could post what we're bringing, so people know what still needs to be brought.

OR..

We could switch around who makes the main dish each week (amongst the grown ups, if need be). Then the non-grown ups could just grab something to go with the main meal.

I could continue to cook more than enough for our family and whoever needs it eats it when they get here.

However, I'd like some brownies, people...and I'd like to not have to make them.

So we need a plan to make Tuesday eating a happy thing...the highlight of our week.

The only thing we have to be careful about is that we don't eat like...all cheese nachos, or have cheese or chocolate fondue...you know, any of those things that would kill Hayden if he touched them...or if you touched him after eating them.

I will always be in charge of cooking the food he eats, so no worries there.

We just still have to be careful about what we eat if we plan on touching Hayden, or if we want him in the room while we're eating.

So...any ideas?

What on earth is a Creative Team Hope Group?

It sounds so intimidating.

Have no fear.

We're just people using the gifts God has given us to share the freedom of the cross with others. No matter what neat ideas we have, or beautiful words we string together, or visual picture we paint for the people at LH, it is always comforting to know that we're just following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Using pictures and object lessons is how Jesus taught thousands of years ago.

I'm pretty sure it's because He knows that is how we learn. It's how we connect. It's how we're wired.

It's not surprising that He knows how we think since He was the one that knit us together. He made our thinker. He knows what makes it tick.

We will meet every Tuesday night at 6:30 to discuss the message before it happens.

Yep...it's kind of kooky...kind of like the Matrix.

From 6:30 until 7 p.m. we will eat. However, it's going to be "Bring Your Own Grub."

Then, from 7 until 8 we will study the passage and brainstorm ideas for worship songs.

And somehow, right in the middle of all that, Heather will get an idea for the skit.

Kids are welcome. We have quite a few of our own. We let them run wild. We let you get to know them and get them juice if they need it. We let them interrupt us, or share an idea they may have. They are part of our community too.

We want to learn how to connect with each other and encourage one another. We want our HOPE Group to be a tight-knit community.

For that to happen, you've got to do your part.

You've got to be transparent and share with us what is going on in your life. You have to be honest.

We all do.

So, let's connect and create.

God has gifted us.

All of us.

We want to encourage you to use your gifts to point people to Jesus and to bless LH's family of believers.

We believe that when others see your God given gifts, they should stand in awe of the God who gave them to you.

Your gift, used for God's glory should force others to consider it as "not of this world."

It should not make sense.

It should be so jaw-dropping, you can not even begin to take credit for it.

God using your body to display His gifts should boggle even you.

We want to challenge you this semester.

Are you ready?