Hey all – we’re going to start a new series this Sunday in the Book of Acts! I’m pretty stoked about it and I think we’ll all be challenged and encouraged by this glimpse into the early church.

Acts is the second part of a two volume set that Luke wrote – Luke’s gospel and the sequel: Acts. (Nowadays it would have been titled “Jesus II: Global Conquest”)

This week we’ll begin by reading the first 11 verses of chapter one. It’s sort of Luke’s introduction and a segue between the conclusion of the Gospel accounts and the inauguration of the Church.

In v1 Luke says something very important about what he recorded of Jesus’ ministry. He wrote about what Jesus began to do and teach. What does that word imply to you?

This was Luke’s heading – as if to say, the rest of that ministry is in this account.

V2-5 inform us about what was inspiring to the disciples at that time. What does Luke highlight – and what kind of impact do you imagine that would have on Jesus’ followers? What impact, if any, does it have on you now, as a reader of this account from 2,000 years ago?

V6-8 reveals a bit of confusion on the disciple’s part. What were they expecting the kingdom of God to look like and how did they expect it to be established?  Where did they have God’s kingdom localized? In what way does Jesus redirect their understanding of the “kingdom project”?

I find v9-11 to be delightful. Apart from the amazing theology wrapped up in the ascension – I love how Jesus’ disciples just stand there staring into space after he’s gone. That’s so wonderfully flawed yet so relatable! I often try to imagine myself on the mountain that day, wondering what I would have thought, if I’d start to question my perception of reality. For them, it’s the very last place they’ve seen Jesus at work…and they are apparently reluctant to move on. Do you discern a message in that, and in what the angels (or very clean dudes in white) say to them? In what ways might we be tempted to stand still, staring at something in the past, instead of moving forward into life as we wait for Christ to return? Can you think of ways that the church in general has made that mistake? How can we avoid it in the future?

This should be a really challenging and encouraging study we’re embarking on! Hope to see you this Sunday!

 

Last week we started our short series on the basics of what Eastgate is about. We looked at our purpose; We are here to learn how to love God and love people, experience and express the radical grace of God and advance God’s kingdom in the world where we’ve been placed. That’s why Eastgate is a thing…but then the question arises from that: “Why do we go about fulfilling that purpose the way that we do?”

That’s where we will look at our values as a community. What are the things we prioritize as we pursue our purposes?

Here are a few passages of Scripture that we’ll be looking at as we go.

Psalm 119:104-105

Galatians 5:1-6 along with Romans 15:1-5

1 Samuel 16:7

Ephesians 2:19

Mark 10:42-45 ; Matthew 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-3

You may start to get a picture of the things we prioritize as a church from reading these. I’d be interested to know what your thoughts about Eastgate are. As you’ve been part of it, what would you identify as our values (things we place an importance on in our meetings and activities). Share your thoughts in the comments here.

It should be an informative session – hope to see you this Sunday!

 

Hey ever’body! This Sunday we’ll be starting a short (3 Sunday) series on the basics of Eastgate – what our purpose, values, vision and responsibilities as a church are. It’s pretty important for us to all find ourselves on the same page concerning these things. Since we don’t have a formal membership in our church, this is a way to remind us about why we’re here and what we’re up to. Hopefully, it will lead us towards a unity in our pursuit of Christ.

This Sunday we’ll be looking at our purpose…sort of asking, “Why is Eastgate a thing?” We’ll be examining what we believe the church is purposed to do universally, then we’ll look at some specifics as it touches our unique group.

One thing we’ll be talking about is grace. Eastgate is big on grace. There are reasons for that, which we’ll expound on this Sunday – and we believe there is a Scriptural necessity behind this kind of emphasis.

Over on the Eastgate group page in Facebook, I started a thread where I asked if any of you have had a significant encounter with God’s grace at Eastgate – and if so, how did it happen and what effect did it have on your journey with Christ. I’ve really been touched by the responses. Head over there and share your experience with God’s grace – I’d love to hear your story! The thread is found HERE.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Well Kats and Kitties – we’re coming to the last teaching in our study of 1 John.  I really enjoyed reading his letter – and I gained a lot from digging into his instructions. This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 John 5:14-21.

John will be wrapping up his letter, and giving us his parting thoughts. He wants us to be confident as we continue our journey into life. What does he want us to anchor our confidence on in v14-15? I used to belong to a crazy church that used those verses to teach that if we just could muster up enough faith, God would do whatever we asked him to do in life. That, of course, is not what the text is saying. But what is it saying? What qualifier does he put on our prayers? How does that effect the way you ask God, and what your expectations are?

V16-17 are like finding a live hand-grenade hidden in a flower basket. The views on what John is talking about here are many and varied – and unfortunately, there is no universally held interpretation of what he means. The Roman Catholic Church uses these verses as the foundation for their doctrine of mortal vs venial sins – which the Protestant church rejects. Some believe he is referencing what Jesus talked about in Matthew 12:30-32 – what has become known as the “unpardonable sin”…but most conservative scholars believe Jesus is talking about an obstinate rejection of salvation through Christ – a rejection of forgiveness results in no forgiveness. Plus…how would anyone know if a person had consistently rejected salvation enough to consider them over and done with? The Apostle Paul sure started out that way…but things changed. Another view is that this is talking about physical death only, not spiritual. That if a person is suffering the consequences of bad choices, God has not necessarily obligated himself to undo those consequences. Even there, we aren’t told not to pray for such a person, only that there is no guarantee of efficacy. In all honesty…most scholars that I read in preparation for this teaching sort of throw the views out there and then tip-toe away…..which is what I’m doing now. Do you have any thoughts on this subject?

We sort of loop back to the ideas he presented back in chapter 3 when we get to v18. The phrase “keep on sinning” doesn’t mean sinless perfection, but is talking about a new normal for life. Sin is no longer a tolerable option, but something to be overcome and rejected. We still stumble, but now within a new framework of expectations for our lives. John throws a promise in at the end of v18  – in what way can that promise result in confidence in our walk?

Truth is mentioned three times in v19-20 – who or what is he describing as truth? How can acquiring that truth stabilize us in our spiritual journey?

When we get to then end, v 21, we get the overview of his whole intent. In The New Living Translation it says:  Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. That’s about the best understanding of idolatry we can present. Given all that John has addressed in this letter – what could be an idol to be on guard against in your life? How can we keep ourselves from them?

Well…I hope you’ve enjoyed this study too! Hope to see you Sunday!

 

 There have been a lot of stories from the church world in the last year of leaders who have had to step down or were removed from their place of leadership because of some moral failing. One pastor was not faithful in his marriage, another on the other side of the country was abusive and therefore not faithful to his calling. Everyone’s hope for both these men is that they will repent and honestly seek the help they need. At least, that’s my hope and prayer for them.

But there is another type of unfaithfulness in ministry, one not so easily identified or dealt with. There is the possibility of a leader being unfaithful to the gospel, representing a different Jesus than the one revealed there. This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 John 4:1-6, and John will send a strong caution to the church to be careful about the leaders we follow.

What do you believe John means by “test the spirits”? Why do you believe he uses that term instead saying leaders or pastors? It’s not that I’m looking for a right answer, I’m just curious about what you think of that.

What is John’s criteria for a message that is consistent with the Spirit of God? What, or who does it center on? Why do you think John focuses on that issue? How important is that issue to your determination of orthodoxy?

On the other side of this, John doesn’t want our carefulness to result in paranoia. He encourages us in v4 that the One inhabiting our lives is greater than the one who directs the flow of this world’s system. What do you believe he means by greater…greater in what way?

Take some time to read the story of Elisha and the army surrounding him. What do we learn from a story like that, and how can we apply it to what John writes in v4?

Hope to see you on Sunday!

When people really get into football season, they can sometimes go to outrageous lengths to display their hope and faith in a team. The things they wear, the chants they chant, almost everything they project is a display of their loyalty. This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 John 3:11-24, and we’ll be considering how Jesus gave his followers some specific instructions about how we would display our loyalty and faith in him….through our love for people.

As John begins, he takes us back to basics. The first command the churches he planted heard was the one that Jesus gave in John’s gospel, that his disciples should love one another. Then he goes back further – to the creation story, where Cain murdered his brother Abel over religious rivalry. He equates Cain with the broken world’s system of life, and he contrasts it with Jesus’ sacrificial death on our behalf. The love we are called to express displays the difference between Christ and the world’s systems. What are some of the contrasts that come into your mind as you consider Cain’s path and Christ’s path?

John uses Jesus’ sacrificial death to describe the shape of love. This kind of love was not just sentiment – it had practical impact on the object of love. Who benefits from Christ laying down his life? What is displayed in that kind of love? How does John picture our love for each other taking shape in our community? In what ways does this challenge you about your purpose in the church?

John even gets into the dynamic of our relationship with God. We can look at a lofty calling to love sacrificially and start to feel a little queasy about the many times we’ve failed to do that – we can start to condemn ourselves for how poorly we seem to be able to suppress our egos and put others first. But even there, John reminds us that “God is greater than our hearts and knows everything” – that is, he’s bigger than our failures and is all about drawing what’s best out of us, not condemning us. To know that we’re accepted in his love inspires confidence, which inspires us to love God in return, which results in expressing that love to others. There is a wonderful rhythm and flow to this that mere religion is oblivious to.

John summarizes the commandment in v23. What are the two words he uses to epitomize God’s intent for us? What do they display about our relationship with God? This will be a challenging but encouraging passage to explore!

The last Surf N Grill of the season is this Sunday – hope you can make out to hang with the fam and support those making a public declaration of following Christ (getting baptized…I know, I’m too verbose).

 

When I look at pictures of my wife as a young girl and pictures of my youngest daughter side by side, it’s difficult to distinguish who is who. Honestly, almost as soon as a baby gets born into a family we begin inspecting the child to see who she or he favors, the mom or dad. Genetic traits get passed along a tree of shared DNA and the connection to a particular family becomes conspicuous.

This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 John 3:1-10 (I highly recommend reading the Message version of this passage) where John will talk about how we’ve been brought into God’s family by his love for us – and how we will start bearing the family resemblance as a result of it.

John tells us that because we’re part of that family, there will be a future revelation of who we really are and it will be tied to who Jesus is. His point seems to be that the future of our redeemed selves is reaching back and manifesting in our present.

It’s important to keep in mind that what John is referring to in this passage, when he talks about sin and sinning, is a lifestyle of habitual, unrestrained determination to refuse God’s will in favor of self-will. He already made it clear back in chapter 1 vs 8 that we lie to ourselves and other if we claim we don’t sin. His point here is about the overall tone that our life takes.

When he says that a person who keeps on sinning as a lifestyle choice has not seen or known Christ, what do you think he means by that?

Being “of” the devil (enemy) means to be in cooperation with. Jesus came to take away sin and destroy the work of our enemy. What does it mean relationally to ally ourselves with someone at odds with someone else we care about?

The whole section revolves around relationship with God – he uses terms like children, know,  abide, born of, love. How do you think keeping a relationship in view as opposed to obligation to a religious system can better guide us towards righteousness (living rightly)?

It will be a challenging study – hope to see you on Sunday.

 

 

 

This Sunday we’ll be examining 1 John 2:18-19

John is going to warn us very emphatically about false leaders who are opposing the young church. He uses strong language to describe them. Liars and antichrists. Antichrist is a provocative word, isn’t it? What do we usually associate the name with?  It may surprise us where that word is found in the Bible…and where it isn’t. The main concept of the word is “anti-messiah” – opposing or undermining the truth of Jesus as Messiah while appearing to represent or replace him.

John has specific people in mind when he uses this term. He’s talking about false leaders who are attempting to derail the faith of the young believers in the churches he planted.

How does John describe their deception in v19 and 22? How would we translate to our present day church…what would we need to be wary of when it comes to the teachers we listen to?

John also encourages us that we don’t have to fear or bother about false teachers much – we have some specific provisions given to us by God to preserve us on our journey. V20,21,24, 28,29 all describe specific ways in which God has given us what we need to stay the course when being opposed by deception. How would you word what John says in these verses?

Well…it will be a challenging study (be prepared to think), but I believe a very encouraging one as well. Hope to see you then!

 

There is no way around it, the Bible presents us with a dualistic worldview. We are continually presented with two paths, two choices, two loves.  Middle ground is hard to come by in Scripture. As the Didache says in it’s opening: “There are only two paths; one leads to life and the other to death and there is a world of difference between the two.”  This Sunday we’ll be reading 1 John 2:12-17, where John will state a similar sort of theme.

V12-14 are considered by many to be an ancient hymn or liturgy which John is quoting. The liturgy speaks to children, fathers and young men – most probably signifying stages of life within the context of family. If John is trying to encourage his readers about who they are and what they’ve been given – what are the attributes he describes of these sets of people within the church? How can knowing who we are and what we’ve been given by God lend itself to stability in our Christian journey?

In v 15-17 John gives his impassioned warning about the two paths. One way is false – a lie, a construct pulled over our eyes and if we embrace it, we do so to the neglect of our God. When John says not to love the word…what do you think that means? What is the world…and how would we love it?

How does v16 help in identifying what the “things” of the world are? What is the root of this issue? How can we determine a love of the world in our own experience?

What is John’s encouragement centered on in v17? In what ways is this world and it’s desires passing away? What sort of things will last forever, according to the Bible?

I can say this….it will be a challenging study this Sunday.  Also…SURF N GRILL is this Sunday!!! Hope you can come hang with the Fam!