"We Hear the Christmas Angels"

It's interesting to me that angels were the messengers God used to communicate with the main characters of the Christmas story. We will be looking at these "angelic interactions" during the month of December at Open Door. I invite you to spend at least one of the Sundays of December with us!

Living at a "Whole 'Nother Level"

The Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon ever preached. Over the next few weeks we'll be studying Matt. 5:21 - 48, which includes some of the more well-known teachings of Jesus. "Turn the other cheek". "Go the second mile." "Love your enemies."

Please consider this your personal invitation to meet with us Sunday mornings at 11 at Open Door as we study how to live at a "Whole 'Nother Level".

Influence

Jesus told His followers that we were "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." We will be studying these two illustrations of influence on Sept. 26 and Oct. 3.

In my research on "influence" I ran across this clip. It makes me smile when I see it - and it's a great illustration on influence. Question: What kind of influence are you having today?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8z7f7a2Pk&feature=player_embedded

Blessed are the Persecuted?? Really??

Yes, really! At least, that's how Jesus concludes His teachings that we commonly call "The Beatitudes." Here's a taste of what we'll be talking about this Sunday, Sept. 19, at Open Door.

Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems. Christ-followers are not like everyone else with a slight difference, they are essentially different. Therefore, persecution will come. Jesus wasn't persecuted because He was good - He was persecuted because He was different.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we look at this last Beatitude. If you can't make it, check out the "Audio and Video" link on our home page to watch the sermon and download the notes.

Blessed are the peacemakers

Many of you will remember when the word "peace" was used as a way of saying "goodbye." Occasionally one of my Chaplain colleagues will say "peace" when I start my shift at the hospital. I like that! "Peace" on the job is a good thing! "Peace" in life is a good thing!

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Since I enjoy having peace in my life, I want to help others find that peace, too. But how can I be a "peacemaker"? That's what we'll be looking at Sunday, Sept. 12, at Open Door.

Perhaps one day we'll look at why I use so many "quotation marks" in my writing!!

"Have a Blessed Day"

Some of us remember when you could simply say "good-bye" to someone when you parted company for awhile. Then it was "Have a good day". And now, especially in the Bible belt, it seems you have to say "Have a blessed day."

I've often been tempted to stop and ask someone, "What exactly do you mean by that? How will I know if I'm having a blessed day?" But I resist that temptation!

Beginning Sunday, July 11, at 11:00 a.m. at Open Door Community Church, we are beginning the study "How to experience God's blessing in your life." Jesus was very clear in Matthew 5 about the requirements to be "blessed".

I welcome you to meet with us for this study! And, until then.....well.....you know!

What do your grandchildren say about you?

Proverbs 17:6 is a verse that convicts me. It reads "Children's children are the crown of old men..." In other words, our GRANDCHILDREN, not our children, determine our spiritual legacy. That's challenging! To me, it means that our true legacy is what we have passed on to our children that they, in turn, have passed on to their children.

Sunday, June 20, is Fathers' Day. At 11:00 a.m. at Open Door Community Church we will be studying I Chronicles 28, and see what King David considered as key elements in his spiritual legacy. I pray it will be helpful to all of us - whether we are biological fathers, adoptive fathers, or "spiritual parents".

Being a Positive Influence in a Negative World

Our society is getting less and less “friendly” toward Biblical principles. Is it even possible for Christ-followers to have a positive impact on our world? (Of course, you know the answer is a resounding “YES!!") But how? Beginning May 16 at 11 a.m. we will study some young men who faced the same challenge, and faced it successfully. Hint: There’s more to Daniel than a Lion’s Den!

Upcoming sermons

During the hours following the Resurrection, Jesus helped His disciples work through some very human challenges. We face the same challenges, and we will be looking at how Jesus teaches us to handle them.
April 11 - “What to do when you fail”
April 18 - “What to do when you lose hope”
April 25 - “What to do with your fears”
May 2 - “What to do with your doubts”

I invite you to meet with us at Open Door Community Church Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
If you can't make it, click the audio/video link on our home page and watch online!

If you have doubts.....

At Open Door Community Church, we welcome people who don't yet believe in the God of the Bible, but are honestly seeking answers. The Bible teaches that the Resurrection of Christ is the heart of our faith. If you have doubts about Easter, I suggest you find and read these books. You can find them at most religious bookstores, and any local bookstore can order them for you - or you can find them online!
“Evidence that Demands a Verdict” - Josh McDowell
“Who Moved the Stone?” - Frank Morrison
“Know Why You Believe” - Paul Little
“The Case for Christ” - Lee Strobel

Easter's Coming!

Easter 2010 is April 4. Here is where we're heading on Sunday mornings leading up to Easter Sunday.
March 14 - Gethsemane was the site of one of the most intense times of Jesus' life, as His sweat became blood. Although not on the level of Jesus, we, too, face times in our lives when it seems that we are fighting for our lives. We'll look at what Jesus teaches us about those times.

March 21 - Do you know who Malchus was? Do you know what is so significant about his ear? We'll learn!

March 28 - There's a song that starts "In the Upper Room with Jesus." We'll look at that familiar scene, and learn about the choices we all face in our lives.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Listen to the Music!

It seems to me that in a society’s popular music there are several threads:
**songs that glorify rebellion against the norms and mores of society **songs that are love-songs about inter-personal relationships
**songs that are just written to entertain or make money (remember when there were no messages in the songs - just fun!! “Simon Says”, “The Name Game”
**songs that address issues/problems, either in society or in people’s lives.

Much of today's music is not what Christians need to feed their minds on, but adults need to be educated about what their children/teens are listening to. And if you’ll listen, you’ll experience a whole range of emotions:
**there will be some pleasant surprise as you find some of it isn’t as bad as you thought;
**there will be some nostalgia as you hear remakes of songs you listened to growing up;
**and there will be some shock as you discover some of it is worse than you thought.

Having said that, I have been interested for several years in what the music of the day says about our culture and the moral standards of our culture. And I have been interested to see that periodically the current prophets are crying for meaning and purpose in life, and the issues they bring up can be best addressed by going to the Scriptures for real answers.

During the next few weeks we are going to take some recent songs and see how the Bible addresses what the culture needs. In other words, let's take the music of our culture and use it as an opportunity to share the Truth of God's Word! We need to be able to communicate with this generation where they are living - answer the questions they are asking. I usually call this series "Listen to the Music", but you can call it "God on Your IPOD or mp3 player"!

Some of the songs on the "play list":
"Battlefield"
"The Climb"
"You Found Me"
"If Today Was Your Last Day"

Please email me any suggestions! See you Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Open Door Community Church!