THE LOCAL
The Book of Matthew: Matthew 9:35–10:4 “Living on Mission with Jesus”
In this sermon, Pastor Phil unpacks the mission of Jesus as seen in Matthew 9:35–10:4. It begins with Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing, and highlights His deep compassion for people who were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. From this, the message draws out a central theme: God’s mission involves both gospel proclamation (sharing the good news) and gospel demonstration (acts of mercy and healing).
Key Lessons:
Jesus to Us and Through Us
The Kingdom of God is both revealed to us through the proclamation of the good news and through us as we live out the compassion and mercy of Christ. Proclaiming God’s truth and demonstrating His love are not mutually exclusive but complementary.The Need for Workers
Jesus emphasizes the abundant harvest and the need for laborers in God’s mission. He invites all disciples to pray for more workers and to participate actively in the work of the Kingdom.Obedience in Partnership with God
Jesus calls His disciples—ordinary people with diverse backgrounds—to join Him in His mission. Their inclusion shows that God’s work does not depend on human qualifications but on obedience to His call.Legacy in Christ vs. Earthly Achievements
Pastor Phil challenges the cultural obsession with legacy, pointing out that true significance is found in obedience to God and participating in His eternal mission. Even the disciples, despite their monumental role, are largely remembered for their relationship with Jesus rather than worldly accomplishments.The Heart of Obedience
Echoing Scripture from 1 Samuel, Galatians, and John, Pastor Phil reminds believers that obedience to God—motivated by love—is better than outward sacrifices. Walking with Christ requires daily surrender and alignment with His purposes.
Conclusion:
Living on mission with Jesus means embodying His compassion, proclaiming His gospel, and demonstrating His love to others. This calling isn’t about leaving a worldly legacy but about drawing closer to God and helping others do the same. Believers are encouraged to pray, obey, and participate in God’s work, trusting that He accomplishes His purposes through willing hearts.
The Book of Matthew: A Call to Mercy and Transformation (Matthew 9:9-34)
A true love for Jesus means a desire to know Him deeply, to understand His teachings, and to let them transform our lives. In our study of Matthew’s Gospel, we see that knowing Jesus means more than just admiration; it’s about allowing His life and message to shape us. Without a commitment to orient our hearts around who Jesus is, we miss out on His influence in our everyday lives.
Matthew 9 offers powerful insights into how Jesus calls us into this life of transformation. Here, Jesus invites Matthew, a tax collector with a tarnished reputation, to follow Him. Matthew doesn’t respond by making excuses or recounting his past mistakes. Instead, he invites Jesus into his home, where he gathers his friends—many of whom are also seen as “outsiders” in society—to meet Jesus. Matthew’s response shows that loving Jesus involves action; he opens his home and his life to others so they, too, can encounter Jesus.
Matthew’s hospitality may seem ordinary, but in that cultural context, it was radical. Sharing a meal signified acceptance and connection, so when Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners, it shocked many religious leaders. They criticized Him, but Jesus pointed them to a deeper truth, quoting the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus wanted them to understand that God’s heart is for mercy, not ritual; His priority is loving others, not strict adherence to appearances.
In Matthew 9, we see the difference between a heart that’s open to Jesus’ message and one that’s closed off by rigid beliefs. Jesus healed a grieving father’s daughter, showed compassion to a woman suffering for years, and restored sight to two blind men who boldly called Him “Son of David.” Each encounter reveals that mercy flows where there is faith, regardless of background or social standing. Mercy, not judgment, is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry.
At the end of the passage, however, we see a different response. Instead of being moved by Jesus’ mercy, the Pharisees reject Him, accusing Him of working through the power of demons. This rejection highlights a crucial choice: when confronted with Jesus’ transformative love, will we allow it to shape us, or will we resist because it challenges our preconceptions?
The good news of Jesus is that His mercy is limitless and reaches all who are open to it. Our study of Matthew encourages us not just to admire Jesus from a distance but to let His love reshape our lives. Just as Matthew did, we’re invited to extend the same mercy and hospitality to those around us so that others, too, can encounter the transformative power of Jesus. Next time, we’ll explore even more about what it means to live a life defined by Jesus’ call to mercy and discipleship.
The True Foundation of Faith
Last Sunday, we delved into the powerful narrative of Matthew 8:22-34, a passage that unveils the multifaceted nature of faith and the transformative power of Jesus Christ. While awe-inspiring miracles often captivate our attention, it's crucial to recognize that true faith is rooted in something deeper.
The Illusion of Awe and Wonder
Matthew's Gospel, while filled with miraculous accounts, isn't solely focused on eliciting awe and wonder. Instead, it serves as a testament to the reliability and trustworthiness of Jesus. The miracles, such as calming the storm and casting out demons, are not merely spectacles but rather demonstrations of Jesus' divine authority and power.
The Core of Faith: Trust in Christ
A Foundation of Trust: True faith is built on trust in Jesus Christ. It's about believing in His promises, even when circumstances seem bleak.
Beyond the Superficial: While awe-inspiring miracles can be captivating, they should not be the sole foundation of our faith.
The Danger of Fear: Fear can hinder our faith and lead us to doubt God's goodness and sovereignty.
The Call to Discipleship
As we conclude, let us remember the ultimate goal of our faith: to become disciples of Jesus Christ. This involves not only believing in Him but also following Him wholeheartedly.
Embrace the Journey: The journey of faith is often filled with challenges and uncertainties. However, with Christ by our side, we can navigate any storm.
Overcome Fear: By trusting in God's promises, we can conquer fear and live a life of courage and hope.
Share the Good News: As disciples of Christ, we are called to share the good news of salvation with others.
Conclusion
May we strive to deepen our faith, not merely in awe-inspiring miracles, but in the unwavering love and faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Let us embrace the challenges and uncertainties of life, knowing that He is always with us.
How to: Portable Church Rolling Storage Carts (part 1)
When Clarity Church launched, we were very scarce on capital for some of the things that some church plants have. We were definitely scarce in capital compared to multi sites and extended campuses. Despite this reality we knew we needed to create a mobile church system that made it as easy as possible for volunteers to get involved.
We looked at Portable Church Industries, Church in a Box, and Church on Wheels for their mobile storage solutions, but it was just way too expensive. So what did we do? We scoped out a couple of churches who owned these "name brand" boxes, wrote down their specs and built them at half the cost ourselves. Because I know there are many church planters out there who may be in the same situation we were when we launched I want to share the knowledge as much as possible. More new churches means more new followers of Christ. So this is a post on how we build out enclosed storage carts. In another post I'll explain how we built our rolling carts for bins, and then in another I'll explain the cart we built for our lights, and then finally a cart for our pipe and drape.
So here's my best attempt to explain what we did:
DIMENSIONS
This is a 2' x 4'-1/2" cart. The height of your cart will be determined by your trailer's door height. We built our carts so that they are 5' 10-3/4' tall. (including casters)
MATERIALS AND TOOLS
Shopping List
(3) 4' x 8' x 3/4" Plywood or OSB (For back, sides, top and bottom)
(1) 4' x 8 x 7/16" Plywood or OSB (For front door)
(2) 6" Heavy Duty Rigid Casters
(2) 6" Heavy Duty Swivel Casters with lock
(2) 1-1/2' x 48" Continuous Hinges (also known as Piano Hinges)
(16) 5/16" x 2-1/2" Galvanized Hex Bolts
(16) 5/16" Galvanized Washers
(16) 5/16" Galvanized Nuts
(16) 5/16 Galvanized Lock Washers
Galvanized 10D nails
1-1/4" screws
Wood GlueOptional:
We used butterfly hinges that we order from Parts Express (https://www.parts-express.com/penn-elcom-l905-915z-butterfly-latch-zinc--262-200) as well as spring flex handles (https://www.parts-express.com/penn-elcom-h7154z-spring-flex-cabinet-handle-zinc--260-700) you can use other methods for keeping your doors closed and creating a way to "pull" on the carts.
We found these to be the best and are not too much more than traditional cabinet looks and pulls. Also, it has been the experience of other church planters that traditional locks that are meant for stationary cabinets do not hold up to the rigors of a mobile church
Cut list:
FYI...this is a cut list for a cart that is a total height of 5' 10-3/4"".
(1) 4' x 5'3" x 3/4" Plywood (for back)
(1) 4' x 5'3" x 7/16" Plywood
(2) 4' x 2' x 3/4" Plywood (for top and bottom)
(1) 5' 1-1/2" x 2' x 3/4" Plywood (for sides)
(1) 4'x 2' 1-1/8" Plywood (for rigid bottom)
Cut list instructions:
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
STEP ONE:
Start by building the top and sides with generous amounts of wood glue and galvanized 10D nails to build the box. Do not reinforce with screws yet.
STEP TWO:
Attaching the back: Place the 5'3" x 4' x 3/4" plywood on one side using generous amounts of glue and several galvanized 10D nails. If you cut your back ply square, not all your corners should be square. You can use a speed square or a framing square to check your corners.
Once you are confident your corners are square, then begin securing the back to the sides with a generous amount of 1-1/4" screws. Remember...this thing is going to get moved around a lot and hold your expensive equipment:)
Turn over and do the same thing with the 5'3" x 4' x 7/16" plywood
"Churches Near Me" - why that's a great search request
Type the word “churches” in google, and it will auto-complete for you the phrase, “Churches Near Me”. Interestingly enough, those keywords are probably what drives most organic traffic to a website. But this isn’t about google keywords or marketing…this is about why “Churches Near Me” are a great place to start when exploring faith in Jesus.
Without going into all the theological implications of the interaction between proximity, community, and discipleship, since the dawn of the new testament church, people engaged in a journey of faith experience GROWTH in increasingly learning to submit all of life to Jesus as Master and Savior when they are connected to a community of people with whom they can share life together. Even though many church conferences and church growth books will try to steer you towards other factors, there isn’t as influential a factor for the possibility of one growing as a disciple of Jesus who makes other disciples than proximity.
This is because - at the end of the day - community with people who are leaning into faith with Jesus as a part of the rhythms of your everyday life (not just Sundays) is the most significant factor in influencing a follower of Jesus’ spiritual maturity.
By the way, when I speak of “community”, I am talking about relationships of transparency, vulnerability, and empathy that engage in the spiritual disciplines of scripture learning, prayer, worship, generosity, service, evangelism, etc. Community isn’t one time a week bible study. That’s a GREAT STARTING POINT, but it is not community.
So…looking for a church near you? Do you live in the Brooklyn Park, Osseo, Maple Grove, or Champlin area? Then, consider yourself invited to belong. Our typical “front door” is our Sunday gatherings, but if you’d rather have coffee, I’d love to meet you and tell you all the good things God is doing in and through the people who call themselves Clarity Church.
-Pastor Phil
Where have all the podcasts gone?
Have you been wondering where have all our podcasts gone? For those of you who have found our podcasts to be meaningful content for you, we apologize that we have not been able to recently publish our messages. Currently we do not have anyone who is able to serve in the capacity of podcast editing and publishing. If you or someone you know would love to serve in this way, please email us at info@claritymn.org.
Otherwise, we are currently looking for people who are are willing to serve in podcast creation and publishing and we will get our podcasts updated as soon as possible! Until then, if you are able, please join us every Sunday 10am at Edinbrook Elementary School where our gatherings are held!
"Here for Good" An open letter from Pastor Phil
Another church within our network of churches has this in their description of their mission and vision - and I think it's the perfect intro for what I want to communicate in this email.
In Jeremiah 29:7, God commands His people who have been exiled in Babylon to “work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare” (NLT).
The Hebrew word translated here as “peace and prosperity” is shalom. It denotes universal holistic well-being – personal well-being of mind, body, and spirit; but also interpersonal well-being: social, societal, and financial. God is telling His people in captivity to LIVE in the city and INVEST in the cultural world and societal good of all.
As followers of Christ, we believe that we are called to pray and work for the peace and prosperity of the city - the geographical areas where God has us planted. We are commanded by God to work hard to help our city and its people flourish in all that they do. We are called to be the people of God being the presence of God in the city for the good of the community and the glory of God.
While not all of us are people who live in the city of Brooklyn Park, we are a church that regularly gathers for worship in the city of Brooklyn Park and tomorrow we have an excellent opportunity to prove that we are a church that is committed to "shalom." We get the opportunity to share our location with the Force Soccer Club who will be holding their annual soccer club on the fields surrounding Edinbrook Elementary.
What does this mean? It means that finding parking on Sunday will be more like finding parking at Target or the Mall on a busy day. For more detailed instructions about parking, check out this quick video we made to help prepare you for tomorrow.
If you're still reading this, allow me to tell you a great story of how God is using this weekend "for Good".
- On Monday I found out that force soccer club was planning to hold their soccer tournament on the fields surrounding Edinbrook Elementary and - having had experience with Maplebrook Soccer's Tournament last summer - I knew that this was going to force us to change our expectations for Sunday.
- I immediately called the school district and they informed me that they did not know about the tournament and that this was something that the Brooklyn Park's Parks and Rec oversees. When I called Brooklyn Park's Park and Rec, they told me they were not aware that a church was regularly meeting at Edinbrook.
- I was suprised through these conversations to find out that there has been a pattern of lack of communication between the city of Brooklyn Park and the School District. At the risk of sounding "overly spiritual" - once I recovered from the shock of an unexpected change of plans - I was immediately reminded of how Jesus was a bringer of the "Better Wine".
- If you don't remember, one of Jesus' first miracles was turning water into wine at a wedding. He wasn't the one host and he definitely wasn't the one getting married, but when a potential crisis arose at this gathering, Jesus rose to the occasion and did what he does best - he brought shalom to this gathering. He made water to wine - the best wine anyone had tasted. He worked to be part of the solution and thus began his earthly ministry.
- This week we have had the opportunity to "bring better wine" by bringing the district and the city together. As I sat in a room with the head of facilities for the District and the recreation program supervisor of the city of Brooklyn Park, I witnessed the city and the district begin coordinating with one another about facility plans for the rest of summer - something that they have not had a practice of doing in the past. As we left the room there was a sense of unity and camaraderie and Clarity Church got to be part of being part of bringing relational and organizational "shalom" between the district and the city of Brooklyn Park.
Still reading? 5 gold stars for you! :)
So, I hope you plan to join us tomorrow for worship as we continue in our series through Galatians 5, learning what it means to wrestle with love by studying and growing in what the scripture calls the "fruit of the spirit".
I look forward to worshipping with all of you soon!
Pastor Phil
phil@claritymn.org
A New Rhythm
For me, Fall is the real start of a new year. I have nothing against January, but it just doesn't compare. Fall is my favorite season. My birthday is in the Fall. The holidays are right around the corner. With the changing weather and colors comes a sense of newness. I personally have a new schedule, a new rhythm, and renewed focus in my work and my relationships. I’m excited about it!
I am also excited about our church as we enter a new season of ministry. We have historically seen new faces this time of year, and we expect to continue that trend in 2017. Our new location gives us a tangible presence in a community that we believe will resonate with the vision God has given us.
This Sunday, September 17, is our Fall Launch. This marks the beginning of our new rhythm as a church. Coinciding with this date we are starting a new series called “Peculiar: Permission to Live Different.” We will be examining what it might look like to live as if the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, were true in relation to our schedules, relationships, work, stuff, and spiritual lives. Initially I was not excited about this. It had a self-help, TED Talk vibe. But the more I wrestled with it, I realized that I don’t have it all figured out yet. As I get older, I relearn things I thought I knew, but in fresh ways, with more depth. I believe that we all want to make changes, whether big or small and I believe that as we gain greater clarity on who Christ is, we will be empowered to live changed lives!
Wherever you are in your faith journey, I want to invite you to participate with us in this new season, and maybe even invite someone you know who could benefit from being part of a community that works hard to live as though Jesus is alive and working. Come be with us as we enter this new season!
Jared Sells
Student Ministry
Christmas Eve Service in Plymouth
Start a new tradition! Looking for a a Christmas Eve service that you can experience with the whole family? Join us this year as we host a family friendly Christmas Eve service where you will have an opportunity to sing familiar Christmas hymns, hear scripture readings about Jesus' birth, as well as take part in a multi-media presentation of the meaning of the Christmas Story.
Join us on December 24th at 3:30pm for a FREE and very special event at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth MN inside of the Regency Ballroom.
Want to invite a friend?
- Share the Facebook event invite HERE
- Share this event via twitter HERE
Share this event via twitter!
Where everyday faith meets everyday life
I am not sure who began the rumor that being a "church person" means that life is always happy and without problems. Maybe it's because people who consider themselves Christians use the word "blessed" so many times. And I get it...to the un-churched, de-churched, or quasi-churched this communicates an idea that things are all good, just perfect, or everything is fine. But here's the reality - at least for the people who call themselves Clarity Church:
We confess that we are just regular people pursuing a way of living that is increasingly learning to submit all of life to Jesus as Lord (he is in control and he calls the shots) and Savior (we trust him to reconcile our relationship to God, and to daily transform us to become more like him and less like the "old self")
So what does that mean? Well it means that people we call part of the Clarity family experience heartache and heartbreak. It means that we get diagnosed an ailment that renders us unable to continue volunteering with podcast editing. It means that we lose our jobs and we lose loved ones. It means that we experience anxiety and become control freaks.
It means that we are everyday people trying to engage everyday life with an everyday kind of faith.
At the end of the day we take hope in what people of faith in Christ had taken hope in for nearly 2 millennia. The Apostle Paul said it best when he said:
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 7:21-25)
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
How to Tell if Your Child is Ready for Baptism
by John Murchison via vergenetwork.org
Baptism is an important step that a believer in Christ takes to share with the world that they are a Christian. As your children see others get baptized, or read about Jesus getting baptized in their Bibles, they may begin to ask if they can get baptized. While this desire is always an occasion to rejoice, it’s important for parents to discern whether or not a child understands and believes the gospel before saying “yes” to this request.
Of course, there is no system or checklist that you can go through to tell whether or not your son or daughter is ready to be baptized. But here are a few questions to help you think and pray through as you consider whether or not to baptize your children:
- Whose idea was it to get baptized? If your child thinks that you want them to get baptized, they may do it just to please you. If your child wants to get baptized without any prompting from you, that can be evidence of the Holy Spirit calling them to get baptized.
- Does your child understand the gospel? Do they understand what sin is, and that the penalty for sin has been taken by the death of Jesus? Do they understand that there’s no amount of good works they can do to please God, but that Jesus was perfect on their behalf? Do they understand that Jesus’s resurrection means that there is no more penalty for sin to be paid, and that we can live with God forever through faith in him?
- Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in your child’s life? When a person is brought to faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in them and begins to change them to make them look more like Jesus. Do you see conviction and repentance of sin? Do you see a love for God and His Word, the Bible?
- Do you have others that you can process this through with? Obviously, your spouse should be the first person that you pray and discuss this with. But think about involving others as well. It’s a safe bet that your friends and you small group would love to pray with you about this important decision. Your church elders and staff would also be great to talk with.
Releasing the Pressure
I mentioned earlier that deciding whether or not to baptize your child is an important decision. And it is. But I also want you to remember that this is not a life and death decision, and not an eternal life or eternal death decision. The act of baptism itself does not save a person. Only God can do that. And a believer who doesn’t get baptized has not committed the unforgivable sin.
If you’re not sure if now is the right time, then it might be best to hold off. No harm can come to your child by waiting, since it doesn’t impact their salvation. A child who is older will also be able to better articulate their faith, and will better remember this important step of faith.
If your child can articulate what Jesus has done for them, if you see fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and if you and your spouse agree that now is the right time, then there’s no reason to wait. Talk with your family, community, and church leadership to know the best method, time, and place to celebrate your son or daughter becoming your brother or sister in Christ.
[View original article here: http://www.vergenetwork.org/2014/11/07/how-to-tell-if-your-child-is-ready-for-baptism/]
Learn About Jesus in the Scriptures
Today we talked about the difference that Jesus makes and one of the takeaway applications was for us to learn more about who Christ is from the scriptures.
Here are a few bible reading plans that you can start. Don't forget that the scriptures was intended to be studied and learned in the context of community so invite someone who loves and follows Jesus to join you!
Is Jesus Something More? (7 Day Plan)
One man’s life changed the course of history for billions across the globe. Who is this man and what difference does it make? This seven-day devotional explores the life of Jesus Christ and explains why understanding his identity is central to understanding yours. This discipleship tool will enable you to better understand and articulate your faith in Jesus and equip you to walk non-believers through a clear gospel message.
This weeklong devotional features Dr. Ravi Zacharias' reflections on the Gospel of John from his book, "Jesus Among the Other Gods." Dr. Zacharias leads readers to think about who Jesus is and why his identity matters for our lives.
Jesus the King (9 Day Plan)
New York Times bestselling author and renowned pastor Timothy Keller shares a series of episodes from the life of Jesus as told in the book of Mark. Taking a closer look at these stories, he brings new insights on the relationship between our lives and the life of the son of God, leading up to Easter. JESUS THE KING is now a book and study guide for small groups, available wherever books are sold.
BEFORE THE CROSS: The Life of Jesus (80 Day Plan)
God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross paying the price for all our sins, and rose from the dead defeating death and sin. This 80 day reading plan takes you through the four Gospels, in chronological order, walking through the life of Jesus from His birth to His ascension into Heaven.
Sermon on the Mount Resources
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) is the most important sermon of all time. This is not true just because Jesus was the one who gave it, but this sermon was the foundation that Jesus set for what a life fully submitted to him looks like.
For those of you who join us at Clarity for this 10 week study, you may want to "geek out" on this passage in more ways than we are able to do so in a 30 minute period one a week. So here are some resources by theologians and scholars what have submitted their thoughts.
As with any man-made attempts to make commentary of scripture, always be a student and don't automatically take what all these people have to say for truth just because they wrote a book. Do your homework. Study tour bible. Pray. Get in community with other people who follow Christ and love the scriptures and are committed to understanding if for all it's worth.
Here is a list of some resources that you can use to gain more perspective on "What He Said!"
- J.P. Greenman, The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries: From the Early Church to John Paul II
- Bonhoeffer, D., The Cost of Discipleship
- Allison, D.C., The Sermon on the Mount: Inspiring the Moral Imagination
- Guelich, R.A., The Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding
- Carson D.A. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5-10
Live Sent ReCap
When Christians are indistinguishable from non-Christians, they are useless for mission. But when Christians intriguethe world they attract the world. (v. 13)
Followers of Jesus are called to be an alternate city within every earthly city; An alternate human culture within every human culture; An alternate kingdom within the kingdom of this world. (v. 14-16)
Jesus came to cast a vision for a truly intriguing life—a life that embodies the kingdom of God right here in the kingdom of this world. (see Matt. 5:17-7:27)
We can only commend Jesus as Lord to the people around us effectively if Jesus is clearly and obviously our Lord.
Do Your Part Recap
sHift // Part 2
“Do Your Part”
January 12, 2014
All followers of Christ have a MINISTRY because all are MINISTERS.
Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. - Ephesians 4:12
The body of Christ is ALL of us - not just ONE of us.
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ...Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. - 1 Corinthians 12:12,14
>> What it means to “Do MY Part” at Clarity<<
1) CONNECT with others
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. - John 13:35
2) Serve on a TEAM
He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. - Ephesians 4:16
Bottom Line: We DO our part, so others can BE a part.
MEMORY VERSE:
Matthew 9:37-38
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Lower The Bar ReCap
The gravitational pull to move from being a a community of people who follow Christ and live their everyday lives as on mission by God to share the message of His grace - His Gospel towards being a "Club for Insiders" is overwhelming. That is unless a community of people who follow Christ - a Church - decides to commit to doing what James and the Apostles decided to do for those who were turning to God in Acts 15. They lowered the bar and decided to keep the bottom rungs on the "ladder of faith" so those turning to God would not find it difficult to become followers of Christ.
SHift: Part 1
“Lowering the Bar”
January 5, 2014
MOST PEOPLE WANT TO CONNECT WITH GOD
“Lowering the Bar” is not about a watering down of standards. It is actually holding up the standards that existed since the early days of the Church that were based on these convictions:
1. God wants to CONNECT with LOST people
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. - Luke 19:10
2. The message of the clarity of the Gospel should always be EASY and ACCESSIBLE
And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. - Acts 15:19
3. The church is a hospital for SINNERS not a hotel for SAINTS.
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” - Mark 2:17
QUESTION:
What are you willing to SACRIFICE to ensure we stay on mission?
Memory Verse:
Acts 15:19
And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. - Acts 15:19
1 Corinthians 1:10 Recap
In a letter Paul wrote to encouraged a church he started in a city called Corinth, he wrote:
1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
Here is the truth - God desires to reach and bless all kinds of people. Because of this it seems that he enjoys having a wide variety of churches so that everyone is reached. This includes people who connect to God in a highly emotional way to those who connect to God in a highly formal way and everyone in between. Each of us has a part to play in God’s plan, but we all need to know where we fit in this spectrum.
Specifically, we all need to be of one mind, united in thought and in purpose. To be clear, unity is not conformity. Unity is saying that despite our differences in personality, background, or preferences, we decide to work together because we believe that what God could do through all of us has the potential for more than what God could do through just any one of us.
The reason why I am so excited about our upcoming series is because I believe that will help us continue to see the kind of things we believe God has called Clarity Church to exists for. For us to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose we need to communicate. For most of us who follow Christ and call Clarity Church home, it will be the kind of communication you have been longing to hear because it is the same intention that you have had in your heart.
Be A Scrooge Recap
xmiss: Part 4
"Be a Scrooge"
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus is in the business of bringing hope into a hopeless situation.
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
- Luke 18:27
If this is true, then what is true second chances that could prevent us from making an “xmiss” our of Christmas?
1. Jesus came to be WITH US
2. Jesus came to CHANGE our hearts and minds
3. Jesus come to SAVE people
Memory Verse:
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
If you missed "Be A Scrooge" at Clarity Church in Plymouth MN then you can watch it below
Don't Shoot Your Eye Out Recap
xmiss: pt 3
“Don’t Shoot Your Eye Out”
Text: Matthew 6:12-15
We can “xmiss” if we don’t take care of what unforgiveness can do to ruin a potential for giving presence . So why do we hesitate to forgive?
- It feels GOOD to hold a GRUDGE
- We don’t want to get HURT AGAIN
- We mistake forgiveness as being an EMOTION instead of a DECISION
What you need understand about forgiveness.
- Forgiven people FORGIVE
- "...and forgive us our sins,as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” -Matthew 6:12
- You MUST forgive because YOU have been forgiven.
- "But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” -Matthew 6:15
MEMORY VERSE:
Colossians 3:13
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
