A very sobering video regarding the growth of Islam in Europe and the U.S. via childbirth
95 percent of you who watch this video will notice your jaw dropping quite suddenly at some point (either literally or figuratively!)
Tag Archives: video
Coming soon to Agape:
I am so going to do this in church one day. And if I can’t figure it out, we’ll just have to have Dr. Shine come in for a guest appearance!
Avowed atheist Penn Jillette talks about the importance of evangelism. (I’m not kidding!)
This is a pretty amazing video. Only a couple of weeks ago, I posted a link in one of our newsletters that featured an atheist writer who talked about the importance of Christian missionaries in Africa, and what a (good) difference was made when Africans converted to Christianity. Here’s one that is even more astonishing. Penn Jillette, an atheist who has often attempted to “debunk” Christianity, recently had an encounter with a Christian who gave him a small New Testament with the book of Psalms. Penn uses the word proselytize, which basically means to convince somebody to convert. I would use the word evangelize - but from the outside looking in, I can see how it might appear to mean the same thing. The main amazing part of this video is from the middle on, but the whole thing is worth watching. It is just incredible!
Here’s Penn’s pertinent quote: “I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and not getting eternal life or whatever. And you think that it’s not really worth telling people this because it would be socially awkward. And atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize, just leave me alone, keep your religion to yourself. How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize, how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that. I mean, If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it that that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you, and this is more important than that.”
Powerful words, considering the source!
- Chase
Agape Newsletter Volume 3 #1 Happy New Year!
Hello all, and welcome to the promised second mini-newsletter of the week.
I hope you had a wonderful New Years celebration with your family and enjoyed some black eyed peas, and turnips and such. I’m writing to let you know what’s going on this Sunday, as well as give a preview of what’s to come at Agape this month, so let’s get started.
This Sunday, we are going to continue to talk about God’s call for us in 2009, and specifically, we will are going to talk about how we, as the people of God, are going to triumph in 2009 by being smelly. (Yes, you read that right!) What in the world does that mean? I hope you join us Sunday morning to find out!
Next Wednesday, we will renew our study and discussion of Matthew, specifically chapter 12. What does it mean that the nations will put their trust in the name of Jesus? This is a clue for us as we consider how to reach northeastern Jefferson county with the gospel! The next Wednesday after that (January 14) will be our first Food Pantry of 2009, and Cindy and the Missions Team would love to have your help. Arrive at 5:45 (or sooner) to help them feed the hungry and minister to the lost! The next Wednesday after that (January 21) will be our monthly Wednesday night food and fellowship. For more upcoming events, visit our calendar online: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm
Finally, Angel Food orders are due by January 11…more info at: http://agapepinson.com/angel_food_ministries.htm
This week’s links (part 2):
***** Here’s some great advice for those who are making New Year’s resolutions, and looking back at 2008: “As we consider our goals and hopes for 2009, how about putting this one at the top: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). It’s impossible on our own, but are we willing to lean on Christ and trust him to work it into us? Are we even willing to have this sort of heart? Jesus followed up his words on true discipleship with a warning about counting the cost, which means that “For me to live is Christ” might include letting go of personal goals, dreams, and hopes along the way. Are we willing–willing enough to pray this week that God will work into us a Philippians 1:21 heart throughout the coming year?” Source: http://purplecellar.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-disciples.html
***** Pop quiz: Which world leader, thought by many to be a dullard, reads the Bible from cover to cover each year, as well as dozens and dozens of deep history, philosophy and nonfiction works? Frankly, I was surprised by President Bush’s reading list. He leads the country, and still has time to significantly out-read most all of us: http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB123025595706634689.html
***** Seven great resolutions from David Jeremiah: http://thepoint.breakpoint.org/2008/12/the-best-new-ye.html
***** Here’s a cool video of the stars taken in Namibia. You can see a lot more stars from Africa since there is less light pollution at night. It is breathtaking! http://www.theskyinmotion.com/
***** Interesting article on the faith of Kurt Warner, the 37 year old pro bowl quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. Interesting note from the article: “During a visit to the “Oprah Winfrey Show” to honor Masters champion and fellow Iowan Zach Johnson a couple of years ago, Warner purposely mentioned Johnson’s faith in the second of three sentences, believing the show’s editors wouldn’t be able to cut the sentence and eliminate the religious reference. But when the show ran, the second sentence was gone.”Anytime you mention Jesus or faith, people are turned off,” Warner said. “I think it scares a lot of people.” How about that?! http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/sports&id=6572434
***** This won’t be funny for everybody, but for some it should be quite amusing: I think My Wife’s a Calvinist (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZdoSG0IdNE “she likes Spurgeon more than she likes me”. ;)
Love you, and see you Sunday!
Chase
Agape Newsletter, 12-4-2008 Vision Casting and Bruce Lee ping-pong.
Brothers and Sisters,
Welcome to another Agape newsletter - a very important one, I believe.
Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:
1. Vision Sunday, Part 1:
2. Budget vote moved from December 7 to December 14 plus: review the proposed budget online!
3. Crossroads Sunday night begins again this Sunday (plus Crossroads Christmas party next week)
4. Angel Food orders due this Sunday (December 7 - see Cindy Underwood)
5. Angel food Pick up will be on Saturday, December 13 at Agape.
6. Bruce Lee playing ping-pong :) See This week’s links, below:
This week at Agape we will begin our most significant message series since I have arrived at the church. If you are an inactive member, or if it has been a long time since you have come - I want to urge and implore you to come to Agape at least this week and next week (December 14th) to hear more about our direction for 2009. If you are an active member, and you have the email address of somebody who hasn’t been in a long time - please allow me to encourage you to forward this newsletter onto them along with a personal invitation from you.
This Sunday, we will begin talking about the future at Agape - our vision, our calling, our purpose. What exactly does that mean? Maybe I can answer that question by listing a few things that you won’t be hearing this Sunday:
1. You won’t be hearing a big push to give towards a building project or anything like that.
2. You won’t be hearing MY vision - the goal is to articulate OUR vision as a church - that unique thing that God is calling us as a family to do.
3. You won’t be hearing a vision that only a few people can participate in. As I’ve said several times, the role of the pastors and leaders in the church is to build up the church and equip people to be who they are called to be. (See Ephesians 4:11).
The fact is that God has a purpose for our congregation. It can’t be fulfilled by any one person or leader - it can’t be fulfilled by just a few families. God has a purpose and calling (and vision) for our entire congregation - i.e., those things that we are unable to do separately, but that we are uniquely equipped to do together. In this day and age of individualism, it is somewhat foreign to us to think in terms of things that we can’t do without each other. Perhaps we can picture it by way of a football analogy: Saturday, Alabama will play Florida for the SEC championship. As I write this, Florida is favored by approximately 10 points. Think about what would happen if they tried to play the game with just one player on Alabama’s side! Florida could score an almost infinite amount of points. Think about what would happen if Alabama played with only a few players? Florida would still win by hundreds. How about if only one or two Alabama players were missing? It seems like that wouldn’t make that big of a difference, but I guarantee you that being down two players would hurt Alabama a great deal this weekend.
So then is the church - we are like a team, in essence, capable of doing amazing things together, but hobbled when we don’t come together. Sunday we’re exploring what God is calling our team to do. I am looking forward to it, and I certainly hope that you’ll make plans to join us!
Also note that we will be voting on our 2009 budget next Sunday, December 14th, right after our morning worship and word. We had originally announced December 7 as budget Sunday last week, but we decided to move it to the 14th so that we could get a copy of the budget into everybody’s hands to look over. If you would like to look at our budget, we’ve posted it on our website:http://agapepinson.com/online_resources.htm Please note that you will need Microsoft Excel to view the budget proposal. We should have copies available this Sunday morning for your perusal.
David sends this information about the Crossroads Christmas Party in December: December 14th after Crossroads service we are going to have a Christmas fellowship dinner at Mary and David Ledbetter’s house in Pinson. Everyone is welcome. Mary and David ask that everyone who comes bring some kind of a dish, that way we have plenty of food. We are going to have Crossroads on Dec 7th, and the 14th. The 14th will kind of be our end of the year service so to speak. We will take the 21st and the 28th off and come back on Jan 4th.
This Week’s Schedule: (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)
Saturday, December 6 9:00 am - Church wide workday - our main focus this Saturday will be on decorating the sanctuary, so please come and join us!
Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: Vision 2009 - God’s call for US
Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on: ::
Baptized!Tonight we will be shifting into what it means to proclaim the gospel with our lives and we will begin with a study on the Biblical picture of how all new Christians first proclaim the gospel: Baptism. There may be no other church ordinance that is so debated among Christians and Christian denominations. Even among Baptists, we often declare baptism to simply be symbolic of an inward change. But, is that all there is to it? Is baptism simply a ‘good thing to do’ if you are a Christian? Join us tonight at 7pm as we attempt to uncover in the word: proclaiming the gospel through baptism.
Wednesday night, December 10 - Advent Part 3 - Join us for Wednesday nights in December as we celebrate Advent together and study/discuss things related to the birth of Jesus. We also have Food Pantry this Wednesday.
Saturday, December 13th: Angel food pick up.
This Week’s Links:
***** Here it is, as promised, Bruce Lee playing ping-pong with Nunchucks (or Nunchaku if you want to be technical): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHslHpK4-Q Now what other church newsletter gives you treats like this one?!
***** Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is fast on it’s way to becoming the next Harry Potter. A well written, engaging love story between a teen girl, and a vampire that abstains from drinking human blood, the story is a runaway best seller, and a very popular movie as well. Some abstinence advocates have encouraged reading of the book because the main characters do not ultimately engage in sex until they are married. On the surface, this seems like a good thing, of course, but the level of sensuality in the Twilight series is something that parents and Christians need to be aware of. Tim Challies offers an objective review here: http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/book-review—twilight.php
***** A bit on John Piper’s new book, Finally Alive: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/12/john-pipers-most-important-book-finally.html Sounds quite challenging!
Saturday, December 13th: Angel food pick up.
Finally, Christmas this year has been scheduled for December 25 (a Thursday).
This Week’s Links:
***** This past Sunday, we discussed Advent, and how enriching it can be for a family to celebrate Advent together. Here’s a very easy to use devotional for every night of Advent: http://scriptureunion.gospelcom.net/Advent.pdf
***** Here is a collection of solid resources on Advent, gathered by Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/christmas/features/advent.htm
***** Here it is, as promised, Bruce Lee playing ping-pong with Nunchucks (or Nunchaku if you want to be technical): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHslHpK4-Q Now what other church newsletter gives you treats like this one?!
***** Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is fast on it’s way to becoming the next Harry Potter. A well written, engaging love story between a teen girl, and a vampire that abstains from drinking human blood, the story is a runaway best seller, and a very popular movie as well. Some abstinence advocates have encouraged reading of the book because the main characters do not ultimately engage in sex until they are married. On the surface, this seems like a good thing, of course, but the level of sensuality in the Twilight series is something that parents and Christians need to be aware of. Tim Challies offers an objective review here: http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/book-review—twilight.php
***** A bit on John Piper’s new book, Finally Alive: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/12/john-pipers-most-important-book-finally.html Sounds quite challenging!
***** Liberty University’s kicker this year (on their division 1 football team) does not have arms http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/men/11596238/
Please be praying for each other, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday! !
Chase
Agape Newsletter, November 21, 2008: Special Innapropriate Reference to Moonshine Edition. ;)
Hello friends and family,
Welcome in to another action packed edition of the Agape newsletter. This week is a big week, so let’s jump right in:
Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:
1. Sermon this week: The Great Romance Part 3 - The Great Romance played out in the world.
1A - Coming December 7 and 14 - Agape’s Vision for 2009…Please be praying!
2. Agape Thanksgiving meal this Sunday after church.
3. Crossroads Sunday night at 5:00 pm - Focus: One Life, One Shot.
4. Crossroads: Christmas party and December schedule (see below).
5. Traci Jones surgery….meals for the Jones family.
6. Cornbread and Cranberry Sauce needed.
What an exciting week we have ahead of us! In the Thompson family we love Thanksgiving week. It means great food and fellowship, and a time of thanksgiving, of course - but also - it means Christmas music! We look forward every year to the day after Thanksgiving as the time that marks the beginning of Advent, and the breaking out of Christmas worship music that will be played throughout the day. “What is Advent?”, I hear some of you ask? “Are you Catholic?” I hear others ask. Advent, put simply, consists of the weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In our family, beginning after Thanksgiving, we gather nightly for a candle lit devotion, responsive reading, and singing. Then we place an Advent ornament on the Christmas tree. By speaking of the birth of Jesus every night leading up to Christmas, I believe it really communicates to our entire family what this season is all about. Next Sunday, I believe I’ll be sharing more with you about Advent and family worship, so stay tuned. Also, we are not Catholic, though we have caught Abbey sneaking around with a nun’s wimple lately. (I kid…)
Speaking of Sunday’s - this Sunday we will be concluding our series on The Great Romance. Two weeks ago we looked at the amazing fact that God loves us not just as a Father, but also as a Husband - indeed we are to be the Bride of Christ. Last week, we looked at the implications of that Romance - He loves us, so we are to especially love each other in the church. Sunday, we will take The Great Romance a step further and look at how the Love of Christ compels us to go into the world and invite others to the wedding feast.
After worship and word, we will all join together to celebrate Thanksgiving. You are encouraged to bring 2 dishes - either 2 side dishes, or 1 side dish and 1 dessert. The church will be providing the meat, rolls, drinks and moonshine*.
Also Sunday, our missions team asks that you bring corn bread and cranberry sauce for the food pantry. During last week’s food pantry, we had the largest line I have ever seen here - and even this week (when no food pantry was scheduled), we had people lining up outside the doors. Help us feed the hungry!
Please be in prayer for Traci Jones, who had back surgery this week. We would like to bless her family with meals as she recovers from surgery, so please email me if you’d like to provide a meal for the Jones family!
Finally, David sends this information about Crossroads in December: December 14th after Crossroads service we are going to have a Christmas fellowship dinner at Mary and David Ledbetter’s house in Pinson. Everyone is welcome. Mary and David ask that everyone who comes bring some kind of a dish, that way we have plenty of food. We are going to have Crossroads on Dec 7th, and the 14th. The 14th will kind of be our end of the year service so to speak. We will take the 21st and the 28th off and come back on Jan 4th.
Sunday, November 23, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
This Week’s Schedule: (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)
Saturday, November 22: Angel Food pick up. If you’ve ordered Angel Food for this month, then it needs to be picked up at 9:30am Saturday.
Sunday, November 23, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: The Great Romance, part 3 - Into The World…
Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on: :: One Life…One Shot
Jonathan Edwards once said that he was resolved to live his life the way that he would wish he had lived it when he came to die. All around us we are surrounded by the worldly ideals of what will make us a success in life. But in light of the gospel we have experienced, what will a successful life look like when we stand before Christ? Join us on November 23rd as we look at what scripture says it means to make life count for all of eternity.
Tuesday Night, November 25th: The Nest - church volunteers leave Agape at 6:30.
Wednesday night, November 26th - We will not be having Wednesday night Bible Study, but the Food Pantry will be open - from 6 to 8 pm, and I’m sure the mission’s team would appreciate your help!
***** Serbian doctor who performed almost 50,000 abortions, becomes a pro-life activist. A must read!: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08111304.html
Next Sunday, November 23 (right after worship: Thanksgiving fellowship meal and celebration.
This Week’s Links:
***** In San Francisco, a group of 13 young adults with the San Francisco Justice House of Prayer, were physically and sexually assaulted by 200-500 homosexuals who were angered by the passage of proposition 8. The response of the 13 is a great example of love under fire. http://www.jhopsf.org/
***** Serbian doctor who performed almost 50,000 abortions, becomes a pro-life activist. A must read!: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08111304.html
***** Let the shaking begin! http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11584250/
***** Tragedy in India: Hindu extremist groups are offering rewards of food, money, and alcohol to those who kill Christians and burn their homes: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5186703.ece
***** For you artsy folks, the Bible in sand (a video): http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11584250/
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!
Chase
*moonshine not available at all churches. Including ours. Why, the very thought of moonshine at a church - shame on you! ;)
Agape Newsletter 10-31-2008
Hello friends and family, and welcome to another Agape newsletter. I’ve promised myself a fresh chocolate chip as a reward for finishing this newsletter, so I’d better get started!
(I added a few people to the newsletter list this week - if you’re one of those people, and don’t want to get this amazingly awesome weekly newsletter, please let me know, and I’ll take you off my list!)
First up: Here’s an ultra-quick summary of what’s inside:
1A. DON’T FORGET about Daylight Savings Time ending this Sunday morning - set your clocks BACK 1 hour before you go to bed Saturday night!
1. Send in your questions for our economy panel this Sunday!
2. PLEASE invite a friend to come join you at worship this week!
3. Crossroads Sunday Night at 5:00pm (topic: can I lose my salvation, and how do I know if I’m really saved?)
4, Special Prayer Time for the 2008 election Monday night (November 3rd) at 8:00pm.
5. The children’s Christmas program practice begins Wednesday night, November 5
6. Don’t forget to turn in deacon nominations this week.
Sunday morning we will be having our expert panel on the economy, and addressing all of your questions. Our panel consists of 2 attorneys, an accountant and a banker. In addition to the extended Q and A time, I will be bringing a very brief (10-15 minute) message on how we, as God’s people, should respond to the economic crisis. IF YOU HAVEN’T SENT IN YOUR QUESTIONS YET, please do so! There is still time for you to send in any questions that you might have, and the sooner we get your questions, the better we’ll be able to answer them. Thus far I have about 11 or so questions that have been sent in, and we still have room for a few more. Act Now! Operators are standing by. Free questions to the first twenty callers!
Also - I would like to urge you to invite friends, neighbors and family members to come visit Agape Sunday. The economy is something that is on a lot of people’s minds, and to my knowledge, not many churches are addressing it in a practical and spiritual way - this week would be an awesome time to encourage somebody to visit with you!
This Monday night, beginning at 8:00 pm we will be having a time of corporate prayer in the sanctuary, focused on the 2008 election, which will be happening Tuesday. This is a critically important election for our country, and we need to join with millions of believers across the nation who will be crying out to God for His will and His wisdom for Tuesday.
Finally, on a bit of a personal note, please allow me to encourage you to go see the movie Fireproof if you haven’t seen it yet. Janet and I watched it tonight, and both of us found it to be a great movie. Let me be very clear: I don’t have a lot of patience for most Christian movies - I appreciate their message, but let’s be frank: most of them stink! Fireproof, however, stinketh not one jot or tiddle, to use King James English. It was an enjoyable movie with a powerful message, and it can certainly be a life changer for a lot of couples. Let me say it one more time: this movie doesn’t stink! I wasn’t actually looking forward to seeing it all that much, having plenty of experience in the past with Christian clunkers like Megiddo,Thief in the Night, and some of the Left Behind movies (the books are better than the movies) - but this is a really good movie, with an even better message. Guys - take your wives!
My Top Christian Movies:
1. Amazing Grace
2. Fireproof
3. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (I haven’t seen Prince Caspian yet)
4. Luther
5. The one I’m forgetting right now.
This Week’s Schedule:
Sunday, November 2, 9:15 am - ALERT ALERT ALERT. Corporate Prayer has been changed from 8:30 to 9:15. The reason for the change is so that people (like me) who might not be all that fired up about waking up early, can wake up just a shade early, and come pray together. It is a critical time in the life of our country and our fellowship at Agape, so I urge you to come a few minutes early, and pray with us in the back of the sanctuary.
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - This Sunday, as noted above, we will be addressing the crumbling economic situation in America. What does it mean for us individually, and what does it mean for the church?
Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on the Gospel again, specifically focused on two important issues of salvation. Here’s his summary: When it comes to the issue of salvation, more than one Christian has dealt with the question of ‘Am I really saved’ or ‘Can I lose my salvation?’ And while it is critical for us to know the condition of our heart, Christ does not want us to walk in confusion or fear over the issue of being born again. Which is why we can and should have the assurance of salvation. Join us November 2nd at 5pm as we seek truth from the word on how we know we are saved.
Monday Night, November 3rd, 8:00 pm - Corporate prayer for the 2008 Presidential election - in the sancutary.
Wednesday night, November 5 7:00 pm- This Wednesday night we’ll be finishing up Matthew 10 - should ministry today look like it did when Jesus sent the twelve out? Was Jesus the Prince of Peace, or did He not come to bring peace but a sword? And why in the world is He telling us to hate our wives, mothers andf fathers in this passage? Could this be the same Jesus that we used to see on the flannelgraphs in Sunday school? Come join us!
This Week’s Links:
***** Here’s a fantastic new song from Hillsong - Stronger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZBPD-T20t0
***** A great holiday is set to be celebrated today, so I’d like to take this opportunity to say “Happy Reformation Day!” To everybody: http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11583552/
***** Abortion is one of the greatest tragedies and horrors of my generation. This article demands a response of intercession and a crying out to God for mercy and justice. http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.28_Hendershott_Anne_A%20Dangerous%20Time%20to%20be%20a%20Black%20Baby_.xml I honestly had no idea it was this bad.
***** Thoughtful and short: Three ways we can spoil the gospel. http://andynaselli.com/theology/three-ways-to-spoil-the-gospel
***** John Piper on meekness vs. laziness: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/10/piper-friday-meekness-not-laziness.html
***** Visualizing the debt of the United States in a clear and easy to understand way (as credit card debt). Who knew we owe Luxembourg so much? http://blog.mint.com/blog/finance-core/visualizing-uncle-sams-debt/
Come and join us Sunday morning as we worship together and encourage each other in Jesus!
Chase
p.s. I ate my chocolate chip cookie about one paragraph into this newsletter. Guess it’s time to work up a message on self discipline…and time to go make some more chocolate chip cookies! :)
Agape Newsletter - 10-17-2008 - Economic Crisis part 1
Hello all, all and welcome to the third week in October edition of the Agape newsletter. Among our highlights this week: A missions yard sale Saturday at 8:00am, A message on the Economy this Sunday morning at 10:45am, and a Crossroads message Sunday night on how the sacrifice of Jesus saved us from our sins. Read below for more details:
This Week’s Schedule:
This Week’s Schedule:
SATURDAY OCTOBER 18 at 8:00 AM: Don’t forget that the missions team is having a yard sale at Agape tomorrow (Saturday) morning, beginning at 8:00am. Come one, come all - find some great bargains AND help our missions outreach fulfill the calling of Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46) and love our community.
Sunday, October 19 - 8:30 - Corporate prayer. Prayer is so critical in the life of the church, so please join us in the back of the sanctuary to lift up our hearts to God.
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Morning worship and word. This week I will be bringing a message that is centered on all of the issues raised by our volatile economy. What is going on? Why is the stock market struggling so much? What does it mean to you and me? And, most importantly, where is God in all of this, and what should our response be as the people of God?! Come join us and have a listen to this very unusual message, as well as seek God and bless His name in worship and prayer. If you know somebody who has been effected by the economic crisis currently, or has been interested in it, then please forward them this email and invite them to come join us this Sunday!
Sunday night: 5 pm - Crossroads. Most of us know that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross makes it possible for us to enter heaven, right? But HOW does that work? Why did it work? Here’s David’s summary of what he will be teaching on this Sunday night at Crossroads: The Cup Christ came to secure our eternal redemption from the rebellion of Genesis chapter 3. But how did He do it? Was it the nails? The crown of thorns? A beaten and bloodied trip up an ancient hillside? How did the sacrifice of Christ secure forgiveness of all sins, for all times for those who would believe? Would we be surprised to hear that it was not what was seen on that day that saves us, but what was unseen? Please Join us October 19th at 5pm.
Wednesday night, October 22nd - Back to Matthew this week, as we’ll be tackling the 10th chapter of Matthew - a most challenging, yet refreshing passage of scripture. We will also have food pantry that night, beginning at 6:00.
Wednesday night, October 22nd - Back to Matthew this week, as we’ll be tackling the 10th chapter of Matthew - a most challenging, yet refreshing passage of scripture. We will also have food pantry that night, beginning at 6:00.
Friday night - Family Movie Night with fun and games and much more!
Well, normally, I would try and type something interesting, funny, spiritual, inspiring, or antagonizing to Auburn fans in this space, but alas, I’m babysitting Kassidy while Janet is taking Chloe and John Caedmon to the doctor (they have bronchitis - pray for them please!), so I’m not able to concentrate enough to type much of anything worth reading, so I guess I’ll just close out with some hopefully high quality linkst.
This Week’s Links:
***** Thinking about World Hunger Month….Did you eat breakfast today? (I did: 1 bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats, one bowl of Rice Chex): http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/10/how_hungry_are.html
***** Deep Truths of the Bible for Children (good children’s books with a deep Christian message): http://www.ligonier.org/blog/2008/10/deep-truths-of-the-bible-for-c.html
***** This will be a bit controversial, I imagine. I am posting it less for it’s political content, and more for it’s incisive commentary on the importance of being pro-life: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2630
***** Fireproof 1, Religulous 0 http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/10/religulous.html
***** Real Preachers of Genius; Mr. Mega Church Seeker Sensitivity Guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb9DF16Fx8k&feature=related (Please note - this video lampoons seeker sensitive churches and touches on the Emergent movement. I’m including it here only because of it’s amusement value, not because I necessarily agree with some of the issues the video raises. For me, it’s a mixed bag)
I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday!
Chase
Agape Newsletter - 10-10-2008. Yard Sale, Movie Night + more
Hello again everybody, and allow me to welcome you to another edition of the Agape newsletter - now available in print edition (when I remember to print it out)!
October looks like a very active month for us, so let’s get straight away into our weekly schedule and announcements, shall we?
This Week’s Schedule:
Sunday, October 12 - 8:30 - Corporate prayer. If you haven’t yet joined us for corporate prayer - why not come and and seek God with your faith family? We meet at 8:30am in the back right of the sanctuary.
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Morning worship and word. This week we’ll finish up our series on leadership, and examine God’s plan for Elders, Deacons and Pastors in the church. Come join us, and bring a friend!
Sunday night: 5 pm - Crossroads. Sunday night David is going to tackle a very serious issue - How can a good God send people to Hell? If you missed last week’s message, then you missed a powerful explanation of how a good God who is all powerful can allow evil and suffering in the world. Here’s a link to download it: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm
Here’s a summary from David of what’s coming up this week at Crossroads: Whether in public or private conversation, more than one Christian has been challenged to respond to why they believe a loving God would punish sin and send people to hell. In light of our rebellion, perhaps we should ask how a Holy God can allow sinners into Heaven. To answer these questions, we must search scripture to understand the character and glory of God. Join us October 12th at 5pm as we continue our study of The Gospel.
Wednesday night, October 15, we’ll be having a fellowship meal together, along with some various and sundry fun and games. The meal begins at 5:45, so come join us for some quality food and hang out time!
This Week’s Announcements:
Attention: parents: Please help us keep children off of the stage in the sanctuary. There is much expensive and sensitive equipment on the stage, and recently we have had issues with children getting on the stage and moving or knocking over equipment. Let’s all join together and remind the kids to stay off of the stage when we see them there!
Angel Food orders are due by October 11 (Saturday) at 9:00 am. Cindy and the missions team will be at Agape to collect these, as it is food pantry Saturday. For an online menu, as well as more information on Angel Food, go to our site: http://agapepinson.com/angel_food_ministries.htm
Also here are some more announcements from Cindy and the Missions Team:
1. Movie/game night Oct. 24th starts at 6:30pm
2.Missions yard sale Oct 18th see Sue Taylor if you have items to donate
3. October. is world hunger month. we will be collecting food/money specifically for food pantry at our church for the entire month of October. See Cin for any questions.
4. Need personal care items for The Nest on Oct. 28th.
2.Missions yard sale Oct 18th see Sue Taylor if you have items to donate
3. October. is world hunger month. we will be collecting food/money specifically for food pantry at our church for the entire month of October. See Cin for any questions.
4. Need personal care items for The Nest on Oct. 28th.
Just in case you’re not on Sue Taylor’s email address list, here’s her email with more information about the Missions Yard Sale:
Hey guys! This is just a reminder about Agape’s Benevolence Yard Sale which is NEXT Saturday, October the 18th. PLEASE, if you have donations that you have not already taken to the church, plan to take them to Agape this Saturday morning before noon. We will be there working with the donations! We’ll even help you unload your vehicle!!! If you have donations but can’t get them there by then, please have them at Agape by the evening of the 17th.
Don’t forget, the more the merrier. Come and visit and SHOP our yardsale. (This would be a great time for the husbands to buy their stuff back!) All proceeds further our benevolence work atAgape!
Love you a
ll,Sue
A personal note:
One other thing before I give you some external links to check out: Sadly, our dog, Kara (a stray who was dropped off at the parsonage a few weeks ago), was run over by a car and killed early this morning. She had a bad habit of crossing the street and going to the bank from time to time, and though it has gotten better lately, she apparently still would go over to the bank early in the morning to greet the bank tellers when they arrived. She was such a personable and sweet dog, and we’re very sad to see this happen - the kids in particular. After I told the kids about it this afternoon, they wanted to see Kara one last time, so I walked them down to the woods where I had moved her for them to say goodbye. On the way back up to the parsonage, Chloe looked at me and asked, “Why does God let bad things like that happen?” Answering that question on a level that a child (or even an adult) can understand is quite challenging, but David did an excellent job of doing just that last Sunday at Crossroads (see the link above to download the message).
Maybe you have somebody like Kara in your life. Not a dog, of course, but a friend or family member who is engaging in dangerous/risky behavior. All evening, I’ve been asking myself if I could have done anything different to prevent what happened this morning. If you have a friend or family member that is in a similar position, don’t wait until catastrophe strikes to help out or intervene in some way - otherwise you’ll be like me, wondering what you could have done differently, but knowing that it might be too late.
Finally, some links to sites and articles worth checking out:
***** Adrian Warnock is one of my favorite Christian bloggers. Here, he has a video of Billy Graham preaching in 1958: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/10/video-billy-graham-preaching-in-1958.html
Also on his site this week is an article from Charles Spurgeon (the Baptist “Prince of Preachers”) that states that conviction of sin is necessary for salvation: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/10/spurgeon-conviction-of-sin-essential.html
***** Here’s a thought provoking article that I don’t entirely agree with, but definitely find some merit in. What the Church should learn from Google: http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/09/17/what-the-church-should-learn-from-google-1-of-many/
***** From ThinkChristian (quoting the pope): Our financial systems are built on sand. Boy, has that been evident this week! http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2008/10/07/financial-systems-built-on-sand/
***** Were you aware that the Christians in Orissa, India are currently undergoing major persecution? Please pray for them! http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/november/3.15.html
More information and a video from Gospel for Asia: http://gfa.org/orissa-video - The speaker in this video is K.P. Yohannan a very trustworthy and Godly man, whom I have enormous respect for. Keep in mind that there may well be more Christians in India than in America. I am almost certain that there are more Christians in China than in America. Food for thought.
That’s it for this week! If you have questions, comments, prayer requests or announcements, please let me know by replying to this email!
Grace and Peace,
Chase
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