Here’s the story: Monday night was a success.  You came.  We ate.  We learned.  We grew in community. 

An awesome handoff to the next level for 24.seven.

Stay tuned for more updates. 

Tonight @ 7:30pm

24.seven

REAL Church

be a part of the change.

(and…there might be food..)

With only a hint of rain, me and 12 of the fun-est and funniest people I know converged on my backyard for BBQ glory.  Ballparks, brats, and kielbasa, and the faint smell of matchlight charcoal in the air.  Panera Bread.  Crazy Eddie Bauer croquet.  Wiffleball shenannigans.  Marshmellow (or is that mallow?) fights.  Andrea and the American Flag…  I could go on.  If you missed it…you missed out. 

Pictures to follow.

Don’t forget, 24.seven transitioning to MONDAY NIGHTS @7:30!! REAL CHURCH. 

(don’t show up at my house, please…I won’t be there.  and if I am there, I may not let you in.)

•  Meat
• Pasta Salad
• Hotdog Buns
• Ketchup & Mustard
• Drinks –> thanks Mohan!

 What we need:

Wow, it’s been a month since we last updated!  Well, let’s get up to speed with everything going on.  God has been doing some exciting things in 24.seven!

God has challenged us to step out of our comfortable living room and put some action to our words.  Over the past several weeks we’ve visited Royal Oak, Wayne State, and our very own Hamtramck to meet people, smile, share the Good News, and invite them to church.  We’ve challenged ourselves to get out of our “comfort zones” and have been surprised at how “not scary” it really was.  Wow!?!  So let’s keep it up!  Whether in the grocery line or across a backyard fence, let’s be aware of opportunities given and missed every day to share Christ with a word, with a smile, with a hug.

We’ve also welcomed back our friend Steve from Vietnam.  Last week he shared with us what Christ taught him during his trip.  It was awesome.  He met many people, encouraged and was encouraged.  Ask Steve to tell you about his trip - I couldn’t do it justice here.  But we’re really glad that he’s back!! 

Last night studied mostly in 1John, and we talked about Truth, and living a life full of it.  Anthony shared what God had been teaching him about Truth and action. 

How can our faith be free and True?

1. Recognize who we are, and who God is: 1John 1:8-9
2. Do not love the world: Matthew 6:24, 1John 2:15-17
3. Live Differently: 1John 3:4-10
4. Love Others: 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:7-15
5. Find Victory and Freedom: 1 John 5:4-5, 1 John 4:4

I encourage you to look up the verses we went over, and see what the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you about living a life full of Truth.

Next week BBQ!!  Check your email for details and a food signup.

Matthew 13:1-9 & 16-23: “The Parable of the Sower”

In this passage, Jesus talks about four types of soil, but before we get into that, soil has a purpose. The purpose of soil is to produce a plant that grows and produces fruit.

Jesus relates the state of our hearts in this analogy to soil.

1. No Soil (verses 3-4 & 19)

Without soil, there is no hope of growth, no hope of fruit, no hope of a life that will make a difference. The seeds land on the hard surface and are easily devoured by the “birds” (Satan).

This is why we must cover our lives, as Christians, in prayer. Because as Christians, everything we do, every part of our lives is evangelism to the world around us. Prayer keeps us sensitive to the Spirit and makes our “witness” effective.

*Prayer makes the rocky ground into soil, whether it’s the rocks in our own hearts or the rocks of those we’re trying to reach.

2. Rocky Soil (verses 5-6 & 20-21)

Rocky soil is soil that is not complete; soil that only understands half of the story.

Rocky heart-soil is only looking for a blessing. It’s soil that doesn’t understand that there will be blessing AND suffering. James 1: 2-4 tells us that perseverance will make us mature and complete. We cannot hear this enough: Trials develop maturity.

Rocky heart-soil is only looking to add Jesus to it’s life (like fertilizer) when Jesus HAS to BE the soil.

To combat rocky soil it takes discipline, discipline, disciple. Discipline now makes perseverance later possible. It’s like sports or military training: Wind sprints in practice make the fourth quarter possible.

*With enough beating and pounding (discipline) rocks will turn into soil.

3. Weedy/Thorny Soil (verses 7 & 22)

Weedy soil is soil that can produce growth and good fruit but chooses not to because it does produce growth; the growth just happens to be weeds.

People with weedy heart-soil are more obsessed with stuff than they are in love with God. Stuff can be anything you put in your life before God like image, cars, money, popularity, etc. Or it could even be that you worry more about what people think about you than what God thinks.

It’s sad because this soil can produce good fruit but chooses to let the weeds in. Weeds don’t grow by accident. They grow in soil that is not properly taken care of.

Don’t be lazy with your soil. Pluck out the weeds. Plucking out weeds is Repentance. Daily repentance keeps the soil healthy and allows the nutrients to reach the good plant.

*Pull out the weeds so that the good plants can grow

4. Good Soil (verses 8 & 23)

Good soil produces a great harvest.

Understanding the Word of God is the key to good soil. This means that good soil doesn’t happen by accident, it takes work and care. Work is your time and your priority.

You see, we have to be good “Farmers” of our heart soil.

A successful farmer doesn’t work part time. A successful farmer arises early, works late, works no matter the weather (there will be storms in your life that will cause you be creative at times to continue working and being disciplined), and he/she clearly understands that time is a precious luxury that is not to be wasted.

Be the successful farmer

Be the successful farmer of not only your own heart but of those you are ministering to as well. REMEMBER: Jesus came to redeem ALL types of soil. It’s not for us to choose which soil is to be redeemed.

Also: We must be farmers and not just seed spreaders. Anyone can go out and throw some seed on the ground, but it takes a real Christian to work the land and be persistent.

Pray for the “No Soil”

Pick out the rocks of the “Rocky Soil”

Pull out the weeds of the “Weedy Soil” (Note: Pulling out weeds damages the soil a little bit, but the end result is ALWAYS better for the soil in the end)

Practice working the land to make “Good Soil”

Here are some questions to think about regarding your own heart:

1. Does your prayer life keep the “birds” (Satan) away?

2. Are you practicing discipline?

3. What are the weeds in your life that you need to pull out? What do you need to do to get them out?

4. How can you become the successful farmer?

*We all want to see change/transformation in our city, in our families, in our work places, in our friends, in our church and in our community… This is a good thing

*BUT, before we can change the world around us, transformation must first be taking place in our own lives.

*I think there are many Christians out there trying to change the world with out being truly transformed themselves.

*We teach the truth… sing the truth… try to tell others the truth… but many times we forget to look inward and ask ourselves the question, “Have we truly been transformed by the truth?”

*Until we are transformed, we can not transform.

*Jesus can only make a difference through us, when he makes a difference to us!

*I LOVE JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

transformation.  fellowship and study.  you game?  @7.

I read an article entitled “Subversive Jesus and His Trojan Horse” by Glenn Packiam today on boundless.com.  It pricked at my heart…

I’d encourage you to link back and read the whole article, but if you won’t, at least consider this exerpt:

For all the blessings, opportunities, healings, miracles, provisions, protections, and stability that He [Jesus] has given you, there’s one thing that He values more, one thing that He would trade all of the above for: you.

And that’s precisely what makes our faith in Christ so unexpectedly subversive to our own agenda. This faith that we’ve embraced, this Life that we have taken into our hearts, will be our undoing. And it means to be that. It’s designed to be the end of us. The Jesus I’ve come to see and know at work in my life is the One who comes to undermine my own small-minded and wrong-headed plans. He is the Trojan Horse of blessing that we readily welcome into our hearts without knowing His mission to destroy us. For He has not come to bring peace, but a sword. This is the subversive Christ.

But this subversion is the means to His ends. In our death, we find His life. In our surrender, we find His sovereignty.

Sovereignty is an attribute of God I am seeking to grasp more fully, and this article has provoked more thought and prayer for me.  What do you think?  

(also posted on erinleigh.wordpress.com)

NightLight is only days away.  After much preparation, we are still moved to do more.  This Friday night we will be spending a few hours on the campus of Wayne State, praying, inviting people to the new service, and telling people who haven’t heard about Christ. 

Would you like to join us?  You should.  Give us a call, or check your email for more details.