Gateway Fellowship

I don't think we stop and consider this enough.

People have -- and need -- some sense of a significant future, even if they have to "live on" through their children, the species, or just the universe itself. Our expectations of the future order our present.

I woke up this morning with Isaiah 50:4 on my heart. "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary."

These need to be kept together but we often think of them separately or even worse, at odds.

Words create worlds. This chat was sparked by Galatians 3 where Paul says that all who rely on works of the law to find life are under a curse, but those who live by faith are under the blessing given to Abraham.

2 Cor 3:6 "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Psalm 44, that is.

Ever wonder why people who are in love with God one year aren't several years later? Top of the triangle - God's Spirit working (essential and also out of our control) Left Bottom - Trials (right understanding of our life's story in view of God's love and faithfulness) Right Bottom - The disciplines (we only mentioned the foundational ones: solitude and silence, study and worship)

This chat is from Isaiah 40.

But most of us don't really believe what we claim to believe. This chat was sparked by 1 Peter 1:21, which says, "Through Christ we have come to trust in God."

Whenever we set ourselves to do God's will we immediately attract two opposite spiritual forces to our position. Heaven draws near to assist, and hell attempts to resist. This chat is about that, based on Nehemiah 4.

1The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

Bob spoke with us about Luke 15.

Try Harder Good Enough Surrender

How do you excellent work? You take good work and keep working at it. How do you do good work? You take crappy work, and you hone it. How do you do crappy work? You show up every day and start. So how do you do excellent work? Oddly enough, you discipline yourself to do crappy work every day. This chat is based on Nehemiah chapter 3 wherein we read the names and exact parts of the wall that various people built. The little inconvenient things we do for God and his church are so significant that they get recorded for all time...

This chat is from Nehemiah chapter 2.

This is part 1 of what I expect will be a series from the book of Nehemiah. Just because it's not my fault doesn't mean it's not my responsibility. Before the problem can be fixed somebody has to own the problem.  "God I'm not qualified for this, but I'm willing."

Mark serves as our congregation's overseer. Nowadays he lives life, "with a light spirit" because of Jesus.

Revelation - What did God SHOW me/tell me? Interpretation - What does that MEAN? Application - What do we DO with that?

Some thoughts on 2 Peter.