I almost gave up on a dear friendship that I have enjoyed for over ten years. 2020 was hard on relationships. Perhaps you struggled relationally in 2020 too. Perhaps you lost some friends in 2020 due to all the upheaval around us. This weekend we will go to the scriptures to frame the relational trauma that we experienced. Proverbs chapter seventeen and verse seventeen says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. It may be helpful to think about our friendships through the lens of confidants, constituents, and comrades. Each play a role in our lives but only one is born for adversity. Of course, Jesus is our ultimate model of what it means to be a friend.
“This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father." - John 15:12-15 (The Message)
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” — Walter Winchell
“A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.” — Unknown
“A friend who understands your tears is much more valuable than a lot of friends who only know your smile.” — Unknown
“A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” — Donna Roberts
This week, I want to talk to you about, ”Fighting for the Friendship.”
WISDOM: Fighting for the Friendship
June 13, 2021
WISDOM: A Life of Wisdom Looks Different Than you Think
August 1, 2021 • Michelle Rader
Wisdom: We all want it. We know we need it. And we are often deceived into thinking that folly is wisdom. We aren't alone. Way back at the beginning in Genesis 3, the serpent convinced our first parents that they could become wise by eating forbidden fruit, the fruit God had warned would lead to death. In Proverbs 8, we hear the ringing words of Lady Wisdom: To you, O People, I call out, and my voice calls to all mankind. You who are naive, discern wisdom And you fools, understand discernment.... Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching at my doors day by day, waiting beside my doorway. For the one who finds me has found life and received favor from the Lord. But the one who misses me brings harm to himself; all who hate me, love death. (Prov. 8:4-5, 35-36) True discernment, true wisdom, leads to life. And conversely, false wisdom is actually death in disguise. So where do we find God's true, life-giving Wisdom? Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that it is found in Christ crucified - the crucified Messiah is the wisdom and power of God. The serpent hid death in a false promise of life and wisdom. God displays true wisdom and life in the death of his son on the cross - it is in knowing Christ that we come to know and understand the wisdom of God - the true wisdom that leads to life and joy and peace. A life of wisdom looks different than you think. Join us as we conclude our Wisdom series by a study of how Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8 points us to the Wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians - Jesus, the wisdom and power of God - and what this means for our life today.
WISDOM: Renewable Resources – God's Grace and Money
July 25, 2021 • Richard Fredericks, Ph.D.
The generous are joyful. Less fearful. More grateful. It is a great truth of this counterintuitive kingdom we are a part of. Jesus said the more we give away, the more we blessings we have—that our life does not consist (despite 10,000 adds) in the abundance of things possessed, but in the depth of our relationships, especially with the God who “so loved the world that He gave…” Our goal is to be more like the God of the Cross and less like Satan, who is utterly wrapped up in himself and his own ego (see Isaiah 14:12-15). So join me as we explore the wisdom of Proverbs on the use of God’s resources in our lives and explore the truth that our resources are truly renewable and life-giving when we live as rivers, not reservoirs, for: “The generous will themselves be blessed” (Proverbs 22:9).
WISDOM: Reflections From My Sabbatical
July 18, 2021 • Raj Pillai
It’s good to be back with you after my sabbatical. This weekend, I will share some key thoughts and reflections from my time away. In our world, our nation, and our church community, we have (and are continuing) to wrestle with a sea of changes none of us could have anticipated. Throughout this journey, we have committed to deepen our understanding of what it means to follow and proclaim Christ and present everyone mature in Him. So what does the road ahead look like in pursuit of God’s mission? How do we navigate this season and what’s ahead? How do we stay anchored on what is truly important? Join us this weekend as I walk us through some thoughts and reflections about God and about us that I hope to build into a more detailed series this Fall. A message that I hope will encourage you and embolden you to press on as we seek to become what God has called us to be.