Tag: Grace

The Sign in the Wine

Rob Woodrum3 Comments

 

Our passage for this Sunday is John 2:1-12 as we continue our study in the Gospel of John.

It’s a very famous story – Jesus doing the remarkable thing of transforming ordinary water into extraordinary wine. It is the opening story in a section of stories that have the theme of the old being replaced by the new.

According to v11, why does John include this story in his gospel?

The function of a sign is to reveal where something is – this sign that Jesus does reveals, according to John, the glory of Jesus. His glory is the reality that he is the Son of God bringing God’s reign of grace and truth to this world (1:14).

So – of all things, Jesus chooses THIS setting and THIS miracle as his first sign to reveal what the kingdom of God is coming to do. I find that really interesting. What does this sign reveal to you about the nature of God’s inbreaking kingdom? How does it compare with the way the church represents the kingdom of God – is there a difference?

Think about the nature of water and the nature of wine – what can we discern about God’s presence in the world that is revealed in that contrast? Think about the amount of wine that Jesus creates – what does that tell us about the life God has in mind for us?

The water jars were used for ritual purification. Jesus looks at those reminders of human uncleanness and re-purposes them completely. What lesson does this sign teach us about the nature of what God is up to in our lives?

Have there been times in your life when the wine ran out? How about now? What does this sign encourage you to do about it?

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Our Brother’s Keeper

Rob Woodrum4 Comments

This Sunday will be our last study in the book of James. We’ll be reading ch 5:19-20.

It’s a short ending, especially compared to the long, drawn out closings Paul would write in his letters. It’s like, when James is done, he just walks away while we shift uncomfortably glancing at each other with a look that says “is that it?”.

Yet what his closing lacks in eloquence, it more than makes up for in weight. It’s not triumphalism – its a very realistic view of a church made up of humans. We are prone to wandering, James knows that – and that reality creates some very important responsibilities for the church community as a whole. As you read this, what do you see as our chief responsibility in watching out for each other?

Love covers a multitude of sins. Read Prov 10:12, and 1 Peter 4:18.  What do you think this is saying, and how do you envision this as being lived out by the church?

On the other side of that…have you ever wandered? Did you come back – what brought you back? How were you treated, and did your treatment encourage you or did you get back on the path in spite of how you were treated?

As a church community, this is important stuff.  The church has not always handled this well…and in some cases, has failed miserably. Watch the video below to hear some people’s experiences…and then pray. Pray for a heart that shields the weak and covers those wrecked in the fall. Pray for a heart that steers toward life and a compassion that defies a vulture culture.  I think that’s what James would encourage us to do.  Hope to see you Sunday.

Relevant Grace

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Grace is a word we use a lot in our Christian worldview. It’s an amazingly deep and rich concept for such a small word. It is really fundamental to all aspects of our fellowship with Christ. It is a theological proposition, yet it is relevant to every part of our lives.

God’s grace is my obsession.  I’ll admit it. 21 years ago I brushed against the abyss of His grace and I’ve never recovered from that contact. Some people are geeks about sci-fi, some are geeks about movies and TV shows…I’m a grace geek. I can ruin any conversation in nano-seconds if it goes anywhere near the topic of God’s grace, because I can’t seem to shut up about it.

That’s why I really love Paul’s writings because he was apparently a grace geek too.  We’re going to be reading Titus 2:11-15 this Sunday, and we’re going to be looking at how God’s grace is relevant to the core of our Christian walk. Some people have said “you can’t always talk about grace Rob, sometimes you have to talk about obedience.” – as though you could ever truly have one without the other. I insist, as Paul seems to in Titus, that we can’t really talk about obedience if we’re NOT talking about grace.

V11 serves as a heading to the passage. What does Paul says grace does in our lives…and what ways does grace have a practical, even observable outlet in our everyday experiences?

How do you think grace teaches us anything?  What hope does grace inspire in you?

I’m really looking forward to Sunday! Surf-N-Grill 2012 commences right after 2nd service…be there or be….somewhere else, I guess.   Oh yeah, and small group leaders guides are here: leaders guide 5-20-12 (I changed the title of the teaching).

Great Hope for Screw-Ups

Rob Woodrum3 Comments

Well, the holidays are over and somehow it really feels good to get back into our routines.  One of those routines being our study of the Gospel of Luke.

Have you ever messed something up royally…I mean, done something that you wish everyone would just forget forever, including yourself? I know I have a huge file labeled “cringe” that every once in a while a folder will slip out of  and I have to be reminded of how very prone I am to messing things up.  In the passage we’re going to look at this Sunday, Jesus is going to preemptively  point out a huge failure that Simon Peter is going to experience.

As you read the passage, how do you imagine Jesus saying these things…that is, how do you read his emotional response; angry, sad, irritated, or what?  Imagine that YOU are the one who’s going to screw up (like Peter), and then imagine that Jesus’ words are being spoken to you. How does that read – do his words leave you hopeful or condemned? Is this different from how you imagine God’s response when you fall short and sin?  What can we take away from this?

v35-38 have always been somewhat troubling. Jesus’ meaning is not very clear on the surface. Does reading the Message Paraphrase add any insight for you into what Jesus may be trying to say? Do you find any connection between Jesus’ identification of an Enemy (Satan) and his warning in v35-37?

The Small Groups are going to launch after Sunday, and group leaders may want to pull some of the questions posed here to supplement the questions already provided to you.  If you don’t have a leader’s guide, you can download the PDF for this week’s passage here:  leaders guide 22-31-38

Please make the commitment to get involved in one of the home groups that are starting – it is vital for our church to make deeper community connections.  Remember, everything about the Christian life is expressed in the context of community – to grow with God we MUST grow closer to other people.  If you need to know what home groups are available, you can download the PDF of the home group list here:  small group flyer

No Privatized Faith

Rob Woodrum3 Comments

Did you grow up in a family with siblings?  Did you ever disagree on anything with your brothers or sisters?  Ever get into an all-out brawl over anything?  If you were part of a family with siblings, and you answered no on any of the other questions, you are A) in total denial and unable to process reality correctly; or B) an alien for whom Scully and Mulder have been searching in vain for these two score years.

Point is…families fight. They just do.  The Christian church is oft described as the family of God…and we shouldn’t be surprised that as God’s family, we fight too!  Jesus is going to give us some instruction concerning this, in a series of sayings that require us to engage in some serious self-inspection.

We’ll be reading Luke 17:1-10 this Sunday (Father’s Day…happy happy! – then it’s off to the beach for Surf N Grill!!!!)

It’s my consideration that v1-2 are a transition, where Jesus is still talking about the bad behavior and attitudes of the Pharisees.  We aren’t told to judge them back…but that’s not to say that judgement is non-existent.  With eternity in view…what should we feel for those who try to put a stumbling block in our path of faith?

V3-4 change the focus to US.  How are WE supposed to deal with offenses within our community of faith?  Sluff things off, tell white lies that “nothing’s wrong”….or what does Jesus instruct?

If someone wrongs us, we’re commanded to forgive.  Not just once…but open-endedly.  How does that work for you?

By v5-10, the disciples are in a panic because this seems like impossible stuff to live out. They need more faith…they really want superpowers to accomplish this change in reaction.  But Jesus doesn’t seem to indicate that more faith is the answer.  What DOES Jesus indicate as the key to living out this forgiving love in real life?

Should be an interesting read this Sunday…hope to see you there!

Relational Stewardship

Rob Woodrum2 Comments

This is Memorial Day Weekend.  While we’ll have our fun doing what we do best as Americans (BBQ), lets enjoy ourselves for all its worth, but not forget the price that gets paid to ensure our freedom to do so. Lets pray for peace and an end to madness…that’s the best gift we can give to any solider far from home.

Ok…well, this Sunday we’ll be reading Luke 16:1-9  …it is a serious WTF passage. (WTF=”where’s this fit?”…..why, what did you THINK I meant?)

Scholars have had headaches for hundreds of years trying to puzzle through what this story is trying to say…and how we apply it to life as the church.  I scoured through a lot of writings by experts from  N.T. Wright and Eugene Peterson to John Piper and John MacArthur (different ends of the doctrinal spectrum, FYI),   and taking their thoughts in overview provided  the footing I needed to try and exegete this passage.  I’m no scholar…so you may disagree with me, and that’s totally cool…but I think we CAN learn some valuable principles from this passage that are at very least in harmony with the rest of Scripture.

I won’t throw out a lot of questions in this post….just one main one:  What do you think Jesus’ point is in telling this parable?  Can you decipher a context that could help this make sense?

I’d be interested in your thoughts….but it’s an odd passage, so I’m not pressuring you to weigh in.  You’d be surprised how many scholars just say “We can never understand it”, and move on to the next verses.  Not US though…we’re taking this passage to the mattress!   Hope you can be there to join the exploration!

The Finder of the Lost

Rob Woodrum5 Comments

Ever lose anything…like something pretty important?  What was it?  How did you feel, what did you do?  If you found it again, what emotions did you experience?

I lost my dog Shadow once…but I’ll tell that story on Sunday.

Jesus goes toe to toe with Pharisee lame-ness in our passage this Sunday, Luke 15:1-10.

The story opens with Pharisees grumbling because Jesus is hanging out with the wrong crowd, yet again. They specifically are upset because Jesus is eating with decidedly non-spiritually minded people.  What’s the big deal with that, do you suppose?

To answer, Jesus responds the best way he does, with four different parables (not three, as Eugene Peterson points out in his book “Tell it Slant”) about lost-ness. He talks about a lost sheep, lost coin and two lost sons.  We’ll only look at the first two this Sunday.

I love these stories.  What are your thoughts on what Jesus is conveying about the nature of the Kingdom of God advancing in this world?  What does this reveal about God’s heart toward humanity…and what does this reveal about humanity…about YOU?  Read v5 and close your eyes and imagine the scene…what does it evoke in you emotionally?

Man…I love this section.  Hope you can make it this Sunday.  Surf n Grill is this Sunday too!!! Come hang out at St. Andrew’s St Park and we’ll eat and enjoy the beach and baptize a few folks who are “found”…and let’s get stoked!  We still need people to hang late and help clean up…so pray about serving Christ this way!  See you then!

Finding Peace in a Threatening World

Rob Woodrum2 Comments

There are a lot of things to be afraid of in this world…but I wonder how many of the things we perceive as dangers are really a threat at all? Remember Y2K? How about the ruination of our beaches here, the apocalyptic forecasts of how life would never return to normal after the spill? I know some people still insist that the danger isn’t over…and maybe not, but the devastation certainly hasn’t panned out like so many people predicted. One guy wrote a book about the culture of fear we’ve been cultivating here in our country. We certainly do seem to be motivated a lot by what can only be described as fear mongering.

And you know what? I think the evangelical church leads the pack of culprits in this arena. After all, we latch on to any evidence we can find that things are going to hell in a handbasket in order to drive home the point that its time to repent. The problem with that is, we tend to throw around false statistics and unfounded rumors right along with those who are making a lot of money by keeping an audience glued to the latest threat to our cozy lifestyle. I think we need to amend our ways.

But what about the threats we perceive in this broken world? Our passage this Sunday will be Luke 13:31-35, and we’ll be looking at how Jesus responded to a threat posed to his well being. How does he respond…and why does he respond the way he does? Jesus launches into his lament over Jerusalem. How does he describe himself/God? How can this image of God’s behavior toward rebellious people help resolve our own feelings of insecurity or fear?

Hope to see you Sunday!  Peace!

Honoring Christ (Without Being a Religious Jerk)

Rob Woodrum2 Comments

This Sunday we’ll be reading the rest of Luke 7, so, it will be v36-50.

The passage is the account of a dinner party thrown by a Pharisee named Simon.  It’s a party Jesus is invited to…maybe even as the guest of honor.  The cultural etiquette was different from our day.  In that culture, dinner parties were often held in courtyards or in rooms adjacent to courtyards.  The general public could stop by and observe, or listen to the guest of honor if he happened to be a rabbi or respected teacher.

The diners would recline on couches that surrounded a table called a  triclinium .

While the dining customs and etiquettes are vastly different from ours, the odd behavior of the woman and her crashing this party would have been just as awkward and weird as it would be today.  There are so many ways to look at this scene…we can view it from the Pharisee’s vantage point, and consider his rudeness and self righteousness.  We can see it from Jesus’ standpoint, the total grasp he had on the situation, and his willingness to associate with people who are marginalized.  Or we can consider it from the woman’s perspective…her lavish expression of love and devotion.

This Sunday, I’m going to focus on the woman’s expression of honor and love to Jesus.  We’ll consider the implications to our own lives as we seek to be people who honor and worship our Lord.  What do you notice about her, about Jesus’ reaction to her, about the Pharisee’s reaction to her.  How would we apply her expression of worship to our own?  Those are the things to think about and discuss for Sunday.  See yaz then!

Closed Hearts to a Wide Open God

Rob Woodrum2 Comments

This Sunday we”ll continue in Luke’s gospel, reading chapter 4:14-30.

Many scholars believe Luke’s gospel intentionally reverses Mark’s order of Jesus’ return home and his ministry in Capernaum in order to provide a sort of overview of what will characterize Jesus’ ministry all through the story.  It’s sort of a microcosm of the whole thing.

In the text we’ll read, Jesus is the Homeboy who returns to the neighborhood after generating quite a bit of interest in his ministry while in the larger town of Capernaum in Galilee. As he goes to church with his old friends and neighbors, he is offered the customary honor of being the reader of the Scriptures that day.  The Synagogue of that time was structured in a very similar way to our present day order of any given church service – with songs, prayers, the reading of the Torah and a short talk on how it should be applied to a person’s life.  If a rabbi or honored guest was in town, he was asked to read the Torah for the group, and share any insights he may have.

So, Jesus is handed a scroll (a seemingly random affair which held such huge significance), and he reads from Isaiah 61.  He hands back the scroll, sits in the chair of honor, and with everyone waiting in rapt silence, announces that the prophecy he just read is being fulfilled at that moment.

Cut to pandemonium: Everyone is marching Jesus out of the synagogue toward a cliff outside of town…brandishing pitchforks and baseball bats, crying out for Jesus’ death.

So what happened?  Why did the people of Jesus’ own home town react like this toward him?  As you read it, and consider the place, the people (including their racial heritage)  and the implications of Jesus’ words…what do you think made them so mad?  In wanting to follow Jesus, how would we avoid doing what the fine religious folks of Nazareth did?

Stuff to chew on….see you Sunday.