Summit Church

Psalm 51: Hymn of Broken Bones: Wk 1 - 6/15/14

Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:49:00 -0400

Learn
Psalm 51 (ESV)
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Main Idea
In Psalm 51, we read a song written by King David in which he laments his sinful nature and asks God for forgiveness. Over the course of this new sermon series, we’ll explore David’s song of repentance, and this week we begin by looking at the sin that left David broken and in need of forgiveness.

Over time, David had grown comfortable with his power and wealth and forgot his need for God. While his army was off fighting the Ammonites, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. He had an affair with Bathsheba, the wife of his friend Uriah, and she became pregnant. In an attempt to avoid shame and accusation, David used his power and authority to have Uriah killed. When we, like David, find ourselves bored and unaware of our need for God, we are more likely to succumb to temptation and allow sin to go unchecked.

David might have continued on in this manner, if not for his friend Nathan. Nathan, a prophet, was not afraid to be honest with the king. Faced with this truth about his sinful nature, David could have held on to self-righteousness and run away. Instead, he chose to repent and accept God’s forgiveness. Christ-centered relationships, like the one between David and Nathan, are absolutely necessary for our spiritual health. God uses them to foster lasting change in our actions and behavior by reminding us of the salvation He offers. When we remember that Jesus has gifted his righteousness to us, we can’t help but sing.

Think
1. Charles Spurgeon said, “Repentance grows as faith grows.” Has your penchant towards repentance grown throughout your life? Why or why not?

2. Zach stated that most sin can be traced back to boredom. Has this been true in your life? Right now, are you bored or captivated by God’s vision for your life? If it’s the former, how might you recapture that vision?

3. Left unchecked, sin numbs and deceives. Over time, we stop recognizing sin for what it is. For example, we might justify gossip by saying we are concerned friends or brush off making fun of someone as comedy. What sins exist in your own life to which you’ve become numb?

4. Christ-centered community is often the context for repentance. Do you have a “Nathan” in your life who will be honest with you? If not, who might you deputize to fill that role? Who might you need to be a “Nathan” to?

Discuss
1. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and tax collector who have both gone to the temple to pray. Read this passage together. Have there been times in your life when you have been like the Pharisee and failed to see areas of sin in your life?

2. Zach explained that in the original Greek, repentance means to change one’s mind. What have you changed your mind about over time? What actions, beliefs, or thought-patterns in your life have changed over time through the process of repentance? When have you prayed the way the tax collector in Luke 18 prayed?

3. Despite the terrible consequences of David’s actions, Psalm 51 is surprisingly hopeful. Why and in what way does true repentance lead to hope?

Next Steps
Zach shared the the Greek word for repentance simply means to change one’s mind and agree with God. This week, spend some time praying and ask God to change your mind in any areas in which your thoughts and actions do not agree with him. Ask other Jesus followers in your life if they are aware of things from which you should repent. Read over Psalm 51 each day, praying each verse as you go. Lasting change cannot happen without continual repentance, so consider how you might make repentance a regular and consistent part of your spiritual life.

If you don’t have a “Nathan” in your life who can lovingly but firmly remind you of who you are in Christ, begin praying for God to provide such a person. You may already be blessed with such a person. Make a coffee or lunch date this week to ask him or her to prayerfully consider taking on that role.

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Follow the Wind: Wk 2 - 6/8/14

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 13:00:00 -0400

Learn
John 14:12-17; 25-26 (ESV)

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Main Idea
In this week’s sermon, guest teacher Dr. Steve Brown taught us to recognize just a few of the ways we experience the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. First, it is significant for us recognize that the Holy Spirit still works with supernatural power. God did not stop speaking, doing, and moving when the Scriptures were finished. That said, it is one thing for us to get the propositions correct when talking about the Holy Spirit, and another thing altogether to experience the person of the Holy Spirit.

Upon that foundation, Dr. Brown discussed four specific ways we experience the Holy Spirit as seen in John 14. The first is the authorization or empowerment of the Spirit to do even greater work than Jesus. As a community, we can see this in how the Church as a whole has survived throughout history, or how Summit Church in particular has survived tragedy. Secondly, the Spirit works in preparation. We can trust that the Spirit will prepare us for any and every means we are called to serve. Third, we experience the consolation of the Spirit. In many translations, Helper is translated Comforter. We experience the Spirit bringing peace in the midst of great darkness. Finally, we experience the edification of the Spirit. Jesus refers to the Spirit as the Spirit of Truth, connecting us (you know, like Bluetooth!) to the eternal truths of God.

Think
1. When life presents hurts and challenges, do you find yourself able to tell God, trusting that He is at work? What is this experience like for you?

2. To what extent do you think you know the propositions about God yet miss the person? What is it like to make an honest assessment of that?

3. This message covered four ways we experience the Spirit: empowerment, preparation, consolation, and edification. In which of those ways are you longing to experience the Spirit more?

Discuss
1. Do you struggle to come to terms with the Spirit working in supernatural ways in an otherwise ordered, explainable world? What about this gives you trouble?

2. What do you think it looks like for you to grow in your awareness of The Spirit’s work in your life?

3. What was the most recent time you recognized the Spirit’s working in one of the four specific ways mentioned in this message? Talk about that moment.

Next Steps
It is probably safe to say that we all would like to be a little better at discerning the Spirit’s work in our lives. We want to know and feel more of the Spirit’s power, preparation, comfort, and truth. As we talked about last week, this isn’t much of a do situation for us—it is the Spirit who is at work. Instead, to echo Dr. Brown’s encouragement: get your Bible, be still, and you’ll know.

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Follow the Wind: Wk 1 - 6/1/14

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:52:00 -0400

Learn
John 14:16-18 (ESV)
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Main Idea
In this week’s sermon, guest teacher Steve Brown taught us to recognize the good work the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. The Holy Spirit can be a challenging subject to discuss, because the Sprit’s role is in the background. We know from Scripture, however, that the Spirit is a Person, not an “it”. The Spirit is in fact the 3rd Person of the Holy Trinity. Maybe most significantly of all, we know the Spirit is living and active—He does stuff.

In verse 17 Jesus says of the Spirit, “You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” Though we may not often realize it, we know the Spirit personally. We know Him when we experience the good He brings out of us. It’s why coming to Christ can feel as much like finally coming home as it can feel like something new. Furthermore, we all desire to be better, and try and try as we might, we don’t always feel like we are becoming better. The good news is that the Spirit has not completed His work in us, but will continue to transform us more and more into the image God created and called us to be as long as we are on this earth.

Not only is the Holy Spirit working in us already and promised to continue working in us, but in the midst of all the good being done, we are held and loved by the Spirit. As Jesus said, He will not leave us as orphans. God won’t let go you.

Think
1. How does the statement, “You are what you are because of the Holy Spirit” make you feel about yourself?

2. How would trusting that the Holy Spirit is going to make you into the person God created you to be impact the ways you go about trying to be a better person?

3. Why do you think the Spirit chooses to work in the background?

Discuss
1. How would you describe the Holy Spirit? See what kind of description you can come up with as a group.

2. Name something the Spirit has done to make you who you are today. What do you hope for the Spirit to do in your life in the future?

3. What was the most recent time you recognized the Spirit’s activity in your life? Talk about a moment where you’ve recognized the Holy Spirit speaking to you or working in you.

Next Steps
How about this—don’t do anything. The truth is that the Holy Spirit is at work within you already. If anything, ask God to help you be more sensitive to the work of the Spirit: to help you see what He is doing. When you do, your inclination will be to praise God for the good He is doing in and through you.

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Guest Speaker: Steve Brown

Thu, 29 May 2014 11:35:00 -0400

If I could introduce only one person to my Summit Church family, it would be Steve Brown. And I get to this week! Steve will be preaching at Summit for the next two weeks on the Holy Spirit, and I’m more excited about that than riding the new Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train coaster at Magic Kingdom. (And I’m pretty excited about the latter, as you know if you follow me on twitter or had a conversation with me in the last month.)

Some of you already know Steve or at least his voice. If you listen to Z88.3, he’s the “you think about that” guy. He’s been doing radio pretty much since its invention. He teaches on a daily nationally-syndicated radio broadcast called Key Life as well as hosts a weekend radio talk show called Steve Brown, Etc. (of which I am part of the “Etc!”).

Steve is the founder of Key Life Network, and is the author of numerous books—it seems like every time he burps they’re publishing a new one—including A Scandalous Freedom, What Was I Thinking?, How to Talk So People Will Listen, Approaching God, Three Free Sins, and When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough. Also, he is my favorite seminary professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Lastly, other than Jesus, no person has taught me more about who God is and what it truly means to be “saved by grace” everyday. You think about that.

33rd Street: Psalm 129 - 5/25/14

Thu, 29 May 2014 10:34:00 -0400

Learn
Psalm 139:1-3, 23-24
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Main Idea
In the past week’s sermon in 33rd Street, Bill Behr took a look at King David’s life in 1 Samuel & 2 Samuel. Even though David was a man after God’s heart, he still took matters into his own hands by committing adultery with his friend Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and then shamefully tried to hide his sin by intentionally having Uriah killed in the battlefield.

David’s story is our story. Adultery and murder are horrible sins, but all sin is sin. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. Our sin has created a gap between God and us. We need someone who can bridge the gap. Jesus was the one who bridged the gap for us! Romans 5:8 says, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (because He loves us)”. Do you want Jesus to bridge the gap for you?

Rick Warren is the pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life. Rick says there are two parts of the bridge for us to consider:

First, do I personally believe Jesus was God’s son, that He paid for my sins on the cross and that He conquered death when He rose again, so that I might live forever with Him?

Second, will I receive the grace God has given because of the work Jesus did to save me? Rick says that the only way to receive Jesus is to realize that I desperately need Him. If I desperately need Him and understand what He did for me, then I will ask Him to be my Savior!

David understood who God was as he spent more time with Him. That is why David finished Psalm 139 with almost the same words he began it with, but his attitude was different. V.1-3 was about praising God. V.23-24 was about desperately needing God; wanting to be in relationship with Him and willing to be completely known by Him.

Invite God into your life today – He is waiting for you and your life will be transformed forever as you follow Him each day!

Think
1. Do you feel like you need a Savior or are there some days that your need for a Savior is less? Why?

2. Do you believe God knows you completely and accepts you just as you are? Or is there something you cannot forgive yourself for doing that blocks you from believing God loves you just as you are?

3. What are you doing about your sin? Have you grown comfortable with it, because it has become a part of who you are, or are you willing to ask God & your Christian friends to help you fight it?

Discuss
1. King David would normally go with his army onto the battlefield. But this time he remained behind and let Joab lead his army instead. Why? Was it because David was exhausted or feeling empty? What do you think was the catalyst of David’s plan to be with Bathsheba?

2. Do you have such a deep desire to be in relationship with God that you are willing to plead with God to “test you and know your anxious thoughts” (v23)

3. Do you trust God in “leading you in ways everlasting” (v.24) here on earth?

Next Steps
God knows us, loves us, and wants a deep, fulfilling relationship with us! But our sin gets in the way. This week, seek out a grace-filled friend that genuinely cares about you and confess your struggles. This may not be easy, but it will help you in your fight against sin. Will you do this as part of your plan for this week? Why or why not? As you spend more time with God, you will grow into a deeper relationship with Him. Try to make a plan to start your day with Him in prayer and reading His Word.

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Lake Mary: Psalm 8 - 5/25/14

Thu, 29 May 2014 10:28:00 -0400

Learn
Psalm 8
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Main Idea
The Psalms are not just a book of prayers, but also a book on how to pray. They give us words to pray even when we’ve run out of words to pray.

The Psalms are not only meant to be read and studied, but also prayed and sung. They are the hymns that Jesus quoted throughout His life and are just as relevant for our life today. One of the most refreshing parts of praying the Psalms is the acknowledgment that life doesn’t always go as planned and that we are free to speak hard words of truth to a God that is still present in the midst of pain and loss, even when He feels distant.

The Psalms stand at the crossroad of God’s time and our time. They are written by people who knew what God had done, hung on to the promises of what God had in store in the future for His Kingdom, but also existed in the present reality of what life was currently throwing at them. All of the Psalms exist in this tension of time and space and cry out for the hope of the future, while leaning in to the faithfulness of the past and the often-hard truth of the present.

Think
1. What season of life are you in – Orientation, Disorientation, or Reorientation?

2. What is your prayer life like? Have you ever prayed the Psalms or just read them?

3. Why can it be hard to remember God during the good times of life? What are some ways you can remember Him?

4. Read Psalm 13 – how does it make you feel to read these honest words of pain?

Discuss
1. What has your past experience been with the Psalms?

2. What season of life are you in – Orientation, Disorientation, or Reorientation? What is your biggest challenge during this season?

3. Read and pray Psalm 8 together. What are some of the images that stand out?

4. Read and pray Psalm 13 together. How does this make you feel? Have you ever had a conversation with God like this before?

Next Steps
Pray the Psalms this week.

If life is in order and things are good, here are some Psalms you can pray…
Psalm 8, 33, 104, 145

If life is difficult, here are words you can pray in an honest prayer to God…
Psalm 13, 35, 86

If you are just coming out of a difficult season of life, or want to start praying for this season to come, here are some prayers for you…
Psalm 30, 34, 40, 138

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Herndon: Galatians 2 - 5/25/14

Thu, 29 May 2014 10:20:00 -0400

Learn
Galatians 2:11-21 (NLT)
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” 17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Main Idea
In these versus, Paul confronts Peter in a fairly dramatic fashion. And it is within the context of this confrontation that Paul teaches Peter, and all of us, about the importance of being consistent and not hypocritical in our call to share the Good News of Jesus with the world.

Additionally, Paul speaks of the law (Judaic law) that was given to the Jews by God as a means by which to be obedient to Him. However, because of what Christ did on the cross, Paul is saying that the law now holds a very different role in society. He writes, “For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.” Clearly, Paul is changing the conversation from a law-abiding faith, to a Christ abiding one.

As we think of Paul’s teaching, there are generally two reactions we have to finding out that “we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law.” (v. 16) One, we’re relieved, because the idea of keeping law is something that we don’t have a natural proclivity towards (we’ll call it being law-avoidant). Or two, it’s difficult for us, because we do well with laws, structure, and a clear list of do’s and don’ts (we’ll call that law-leaning).

No matter which reaction we have, the encouragement is to not disregard the law, but also to not live for it. And the best way we can orient ourselves to knowing the proper balance is by following Christ and learning from His example

Think
1. What do you think about the confrontation between Peter and Paul? Was Paul justified, and did he go about confronting in the right way?

2. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation to Peter? What was it that made you leave what you knew to be right in order to do what was more comfortable or acceptable?

3. Peter, like many other former Jews, was struggling with the law no longer having the prominence it once did. This was a huge change, and understandably difficult to accept. Have you ever struggled with something that was difficult to accept, even though it was true?

Discuss
1. What’s your natural leaning? Do you tend to be a law follower, or a law avoider?

2. Where do you think this stems from? How have you seen your proclivity both help and hinder you in your walk with Christ?

3. Knowing this leaning, and knowing what Paul teaches regarding the law, what are some areas that you can be asking God to grow or shape you in?

Next Steps
If you’re a law-leaning person and you believe that a set of rules will gain you favor or an entrance into heaven, then the hope is that you know there is a grace and peace that surpasses all understanding. Nothing you can say, and nothing you can do, will make God love you any more or any less. Pray for that understanding.

And for those who are more on the law-avoidant side of the conversation, you need to know that you have been called to more than just a life of blind acceptance and optimism, People need to know not just about the death of Jesus on a cross, they need to know about the life of the man – what He encouraged and what He warned against. You can call them laws or rules, or you can call it wisdom – in any event, it’s truth. And we have a job to not shy away from it.

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Waterford: Romans 5 - 5/25/14

Thu, 29 May 2014 10:05:00 -0400

Learn
Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Main Idea
Throughout our lives, each of us will ask the question, “Is it worth it?” We will wonder if faith in Christ is worth it or if it is worth it to continue living in light of what we believe. Most often, we ask these questions in times of suffering, pain, and confusion. When in pain, we are tempted to focus on our circumstances and let them inform our opinion of God. However, this kind of circumstantial faith is fragile. Our perception is often incorrect, we don’t always know what God is up to, and our timeline is often different than His.

As we read the stories of people in the Bible, like Joseph or Paul, we find their lives are often filled with suffering and difficulty, but we always have the benefit of the next verse. Because we are able to read about the resolution, it’s hard for us to remember how they might have felt in the uncertain, painful middle. We can glean comfort and peace from knowing that those people also faced challenging circumstances, much like ourselves. Even more significantly, we can lean on these stories when we need reminding that God is still at work in our lives. Our suffering need not be the end of the story. When we view our circumstances in light of God’s character, we are filled with hope. We then have the opportunity to participate in God’s redemptive work by sharing that hope with others.

Think
1. At what times in your life have you wondered, “Is it worth it?” What were the circumstances surrounding that question?

2. What circumstances in your life have been challenging or painful? How has your opinion of God been shaped by those events?

3. Sam recalled a scene from Rocky IV in which Rocky and his trainer repeat, “No pain, no pain, no pain.” What do you do to avoid pain in your own life? What people, situations, or emotions do you ignore? What behaviors, habits, or coping mechanisms have you adopted?

4. Who do you know who has persevered and demonstrated hope through incredibly difficult situations? What can you learn from their story, and how does it lend you hope and encouragement for your circumstances?

Discuss
1. Sam used the Biblical account of Joseph’s life (beginning in Genesis 37) to illustrate the point that if we stop in the middle of a story (like when Joseph was sold into slavery), we miss what God is up to (using Joseph as a key figure and hero in the story of God’s people). What other stories from Scripture can you think of where it would be a tragedy if we stopped reading in the middle?

2. Our perception of circumstances is often skewed. When something initially happens, we believe it’s the worst possible situation, but over time we begin to understand how it was helpful or even a blessing. When has this been true in your own life?

3. At what times in your life has it been most difficult to persevere? Where have you found hope during those times, and how were you reminded that following Christ is indeed worth it?

4. What current circumstances in your life seem hopeless? Discuss what you know to be true of God’s character and how that might change your perception of those circumstances. Spend some time praying together for perseverance and hope in the midst of these difficulties.

Next Steps
As you read the Bible this week, make special note of stories that would have been tragic had they stopped in the middle. Consider your own story and the manner in which God has worked through tragic circumstances to write a better story. Spend some time praying that God would give you an eternal perspective, so that you would not give up in the middle of a difficult circumstance. Pray that God would continue to develop character and hope within you, as He promises to do in Romans 5:1-5. When you are in the midst of pain or difficulty, think about what you know to be true of God’s character, and allow that truth to change your perception.

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Malawi Update: Beautiful Experiences

Tue, 27 May 2014 14:09:00 -0400

Be present. A friend of mine gave me this piece of advice shortly before I left. I decided to make it my main goal here: to detach from every worry and hang-up I have and to be present and engaged in every single moment. The result has been unlike any experience I’ve had before.

To most people in our situation, this place looks like a different world. It certainly did to me initially and my heart broke when I saw the conditions so many here are living in. Guilt and shame began to creep into my consciousness and I felt my mind start to race: Why am I so selfish? Who am I to live this way when these people have so little? Why did I even come here? Before I completely spiraled into a ball of self-accusation, I heard those words again in my mind: be present. Taking a deep breath, I began to understand that I’m not here to shame myself or figure everything out or resolve every social injustice in the world. I was called here to enter and engage in a human experience I have never engaged in before, and to be entirely open and available to God’s calling on my life.

I wish I could adequately describe this place. There are honestly no words for the emotions experienced when you enter a village to dozens of ecstatic children sprinting toward you, eager to hold your hand. There are no words for dancing (horribly) with complete strangers at essentially every social gathering. There are no words for witnessing pure joy from people who have been through unthinkable hardships, or forming surprisingly meaningful relationships with people you can barely communicate with. The past few days have been intriguing and uncomfortable, heartbreaking and beautiful. I can’t stop thinking about how blessed I am to be here.

I’m learning that discomfort is okay, but pushing through it can lead to beautiful experiences. It is such a rare occasion when we truly let go of inhibition and immerse ourselves in someone else’s lens of life. And it’s caused me to realize that we’re not all that different from the people we’ve met here. At the end of the day, we all care about those closest to us: we’ve all experienced pain, we’re all searching for love, we’re all broken and in need of a Savior. It’s easy to put up walls the second we feel awkward or out of place, but we are called to so much more. Love requires sacrifice and sometimes that means giving up the luxury of familiarity. The process to truly understanding this can be messy, but I am experiencing how truly glorious the result can be.

I’m so grateful to be in Malawi with this team. I’m incredibly excited to absorb every remaining second of our time here, while learning to better extend genuine love to others. It is such a joy to sense God’s transformation in so many ways, and I am hopeful that He will continue to work in all of our hearts well past the end of our trip.

How on Earth to Talk to God: Wk 4 - 5/18/14

Thu, 22 May 2014 11:54:00 -0400

Learn
Matthew 6: 9-13 (NASB)
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Main Idea
Most of us would agree that we prefer not to be tested. In order to bypass, or even escape, these tests, we attempt to take shortcuts. The Bible considers these shortcuts to be temptations that keep us from waiting on our Father for deliverance.

God empowers us to overcome sin in our lives. He is not the one who tempts us, but he provides us with exactly what we need to endure whatever trial we face. So when we pray, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we are asking God not to lead us into a situation that will overwhelm us.

Why does God allow us to be tested? Hebrews 5:8 explains that even as God’s son, Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered. After His baptism and the glorious entry into His ministry, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested for 40 days. He prayed for deliverance, but understood that His Father would see Him through. Avoiding the trials of life means we miss the opportunity to be delivered from them by our Father who provides for us, forgives us, and loves us.

Think
1) Recall some of the areas that Satan used to test Jesus (physical needs, relational needs, power, etc). What are some of the ways you have seen the enemy test you in these areas?

2) Are there any lessons (or trials) that you are attempting to avoid right now? Are there shortcuts that you have a habit of taking when trials enter your life?

3) Jim mentioned that, “after every spiritual victory, we are tested.” Have you experienced this in your life? If so, what did you learn?

Discuss
1) What are some healthy solutions you can practice to avoid taking shortcuts during a time of trial and testing?

2) What are the main reasons you avoid letting trials teach you and shape you?

3) How does the way you see God affect your willingness to walk boldly into a time of testing?

Next Steps
Allow the trials of life to be your teacher rather than attempting to take shortcuts. In order to glean the most helpful lessons from our time of testing, we often have to walk all the way through the process. Escaping trials means missing the opportunity to be delivered from them by our Father who provides for us, forgives us, and loves us.

PRINTABLE VERSION

You Are Not Alone

Sun, 18 May 2014 10:01:00 -0400

I have the incredible honor of being on staff here at Summit and to be a part of reGROUP. reGROUP was there for me when everything was falling apart in my life and I truly believe that God has me exactly where He wants me. The most recent blessing this ministry has bestowed on me is the opportunity to serve at the Sixty Minute Seminars. If you have not attended one yet I strongly encourage you to check it out.

At the risk of stating the obvious, some of these subjects are really hard to talk about. (This is partially why we brought in other people to do the talking!) All kidding aside, these topics can be daunting. This is more than a hunch; it is an observation. I have been blessed to personally oversee how the Sixty Minutes Seminars play out at Herndon, Waterford, and Lake Mary.

For the record, these topics were not picked out of a hat or chosen for some sort of ‘shock value’—they were thoughtfully and prayerfully selected because they matter and the people that struggle with them matter even more. Our hope and our prayer has been that these seminars would be a safe place to come and learn; a place where one can walk in and feel no judgment; a place without stigma, shame, or fear. At the bare minimum these seminars are meant to be informational, but at their best they might also be a light in the darkness and a voice calling out to someone that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Maybe that person is you.

There can be shame attached to the simple act of walking into a room to hear an hour-long talk about any of these topics, leaving others to wonder if YOU struggle with it yourself. In that very same breath, I am fully aware that walking into a seminar that is focused on topics such as these may prove to be just too personally painful to hear. I get it. Yet, I truly believe that no one comes through the doors of church, reGROUP, or even these seminars by accident and that God may have only prepared one person with ears to hear in a room packed with people. There is no shame in leaning into a conversation about brokenness. My continued prayer is that these seminars would create the necessary space for the gift of vulnerability to grow and allow shame to be washed away by grace. Luckily for all of us, the topic for the next week’s seminar is vulnerability and shame!

Next week, Debbie Miller will offer us more categories around how to talk about our shame and what to do with our vulnerability. She will do this in a way that integrates current psychological research with a healthy Christian theology. This is no small task and I am excited to hear what she has to say. My sincere hope is that if coming to the Sixty Minutes Seminars is your next right step you would know that you are never alone in taking it. Never.

Find out more about Sixty Minute Seminars here.

A Baptism Story

Thu, 15 May 2014 16:51:00 -0400

I grew up in the church and was baptized at age 9. I sincerely believe I understood what my decision meant, even at such a young age, so when I kept feeling a pull toward getting baptized this last year, I was a little confused. Now that I am a bit older and have more life experiences, it makes sense that I understand Christian doctrine and God’s grace more fully. I’ve never questioned my salvation and knew that getting baptized as an adult wouldn’t be a bad decision, but to me, it seemed like I might be minimizing that first moment in my life. There was no escaping the fact that God was putting baptism at the forefront of my mind, so I did the only thing one can do in that type of situation—I emailed Eddie and told him I had lots and lots of questions.

I shared my story with him and told him how I had been feeling that pull toward getting baptized lately but I kept finding excuses. My relationship with God has carried me through some dark moments these last few years; I’ve had to work through things that I’d never dealt with and my “be happy and do good” mentality wasn’t working anymore. Through that difficult season, I grew closer to Christ and cultivated a deeper understanding of how desperately in need of Him I am. Eddie told me his own baptism story and explained that making a public declaration would serve as a reminder to me in all seasons of life that I have committed to put my hope in Christ. By the end of our conversation, I knew that God had been placing that desire on my heart for a reason: He knew that I was committed to Him, but He wanted me to take a step of courage in proclaiming that He has remained faithful to me, and likewise, I will remain faithful to Him.

So I went to the water. I answered three questions. And I experienced all the simplicity and intricacy of this outward expression of God’s love that He has called us to display. It was a day that will remain in my heart and mind through the all of the mountains and valleys of life. I told the world twice that I intend to follow Jesus for all of my days. And I’m pretty okay with that.

Robyn Batts works for Market Colors, a nonprofit online store that sells products handmade by African craftsmen. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with cool Summit kids, watching Downton Abbey, and eating too much gelato.

Inside 33rd Street

Wed, 14 May 2014 15:57:00 -0400

Summit’s ministry in the women’s side of 33rd, through their partnership with the Inside Out program, began in the spring of 2013. The ministry began with a team of just two people: Tammy Spence and Jenny Brodnax, who had met through a Summit trip to Malawi. Forming the new ministry, they began the venture to providing one-on-one mentors inside jail, with the future goal being the addition of support on the outside as women transition into their next right step.

Tammy describes the moment she became involved in the ministry through Summit’s 33rd Street Minister Bill Behr: “Bill said to me, ‘You know, we’re starting a new women’s ministry in 33rd.’ That was not even on my radar or anything I was ever interested in, but I said, ‘I’ll do it!’ I know that was God, because if it had been something I had thought about first, I may not have said that.” A few moments later, Jenny Brodnax happened to walk into that same office, and Tammy seized the opportunity to volunteer her friend, “And Jenny will do it!” After a conversation with Bill, the two began the process to be cleared to volunteer in the jail.

Having served inside jail for a year now, Jenny fondly describes the ministry inside 33rd: “Jesus wasn’t going after the perfect people, and neither is this ministry. We’re going after those who aren’t perfect. They may not be completely lost, but they’re lost in the moment.”

Tammy agrees: “We’re the first people who have seen anything in them for years. There’s no agenda. Yes, I want them to start walking a life of Christ, but I will love them either way… One of the first questions we’re asked is, ‘Will you be my outside mentor?’ but I don’t think that’s what they’re asking. I think they’re asking, ‘Will you love me for more than a week?’ I always say, ‘I will be your friend no matter what choices you make. And I will love you through this process.’”

Get Involved

In conversation with leaders and volunteers in the Women’s 33rd Street Jail ministry, the motivation behind their service is inspiring and completely transparent. The goals of the ministry are to love people and to help them understand the truth of who they are in Christ; the practical next steps and details all flow from that as their source. It’s the way Christ loves us. Really, one of the reasons this ministry is so beautiful to behold is that it mirrors so closely what we read in the Gospels about the ministry of the One who makes all things beautiful again.

Be a part of what God is doing within the men and women of the Orange County Jail. Attend one of our Volunteer Interest Meetings to find out more about 33rd Street Jail ministry. Join us after each service at each campus this weekend or Wednesday, May 21st at 7 p.m. at Herndon. You can also contact Abbie Abbott at aabbott@summitconnect.org, to find out more about our 33rd Street ministry.

How on Earth to Talk to God: Wk 3 - 5/11/14

Wed, 14 May 2014 09:00:00 -0400

Main Idea
In this week’s sermon, Jim continues to examine the Lord’s Prayer by focusing on Jesus’ statement, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. We are all familiar with debt, whether we owe money to creditors or we recognize the ways we may pay our debt to society (i.e., serving time in jail).

We are all sinners. We are in debt to God and God alone. In order to fully appreciate the gift of God’s grace, as we pray we are encouraged to take a moral inventory and name the sins that we are bringing to God. This step can be painful, but in doing so we feel the weight of our debts and can more fully experience the freedom that God grants us in canceling them.

Our salvation doesn’t depend on forgiving others. But the willingness to forgive others is a telltale sign that we have truly received grace and mercy—and forgiveness—from our loving Father.

Think
1) Do you know that God has forgiven you? Can you name the sins (or debts) that you bring to God and ask for Him to release?

2) Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to reveal to you if there is anyone in your life that you need to forgive.

3) Have you ever taken a moral inventory, either through reGROUP or another recovery ministry? What insights and self-discovery were revealed through that process that allows you to more easily extend grace and mercy to others?

Discuss
1) In what ways have you accepted and experienced the importance of God’s forgiveness in your life?

2) In his sermon, Jim said that it is a privilege to extend forgiveness to others. Do you agree? Why or why not?

3) Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” The word regard in this verse means “to cherish”. How might cherishing sin in your heart keep you from experiencing deeper intimacy with the Lord?

Next Steps
Forgiving others starts with knowing that you are forgiven. As you spend time in prayer this week, let the experience of gratitude and freedom wash over you as you come to your Father as one who is forgiven. Do you accept His forgiveness? Do you know what He is forgiving you for? Allow for some time of introspection and see if this provides some encouragement to extend forgiveness to others.

PRINTABLE VERSION

Herndon Annex Renovations

Tue, 13 May 2014 15:01:00 -0400

The Annex is getting a makeover! This summer, the Herndon Annex will be undergoing construction to create a new and engaging environment for Base Camp. We will be painting classrooms, renovating hallways, and creating a more inviting space. In addition, the Annex will have its own separate entrance and exit, which will create a smoother flow of traffic (no more running into people!).

Construction will begin Monday, May 19th, and will be completed in time for the fall launch of Base Camp. Over the summer months, we will be utilizing other areas of the Herndon campus for Base Camp classrooms. Beginning on Sunday, May 25th…

•If you attend the 9 a.m. or 10:45 a.m. service, the four and five-year-old classrooms will be in the South Meeting Room. Kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms will be in the BCL Theatre (check-in will also be in those respective areas). 4th and 5th graders will still meet in The Lodge as usual.

•If you attend the 12:30 p.m. service, Kindergarten through 5th grade classrooms will be in the BCL Theatre (check-in will also be in that area).

•If you attend the Thursday or Sunday evening service, children will continue to meet in the same classrooms.

We are excited about these renovations and look forward to the big “reveal” in the fall. In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to email Deanna McLellan at dmclellan@summitconnect.org.

What is Worship?

Thu, 08 May 2014 13:59:00 -0400

I tend to hear a lot of confusion about the definition of the word worship, reason being that there is no one “act” of worship. The ancient Hebrew texts have a vast array of words for worship and an even wider selection of action verbs that accompany them.

I also find that the word is rarely used outside of the context of religion. Most non-believers would say, “Oh, I’m not religious, therefore I don’t worship.” If the complete definition of worship means to attend a religious service and sing songs, then no, they don’t worship. However, maybe this definition is just one conduit meant to express the state of our hearts.

So what does it really mean?

Our modern word for worship comes from the Old English weorþscipe, etymologized to worth-ship or worth. This means the definition of worship is to give or ascribe something its worth or value. Simply put, we worship things in accordance with the value we place upon them.

What is that thing that if you lost it, would make you lost? If you ever failed at maintaining or keeping or growing it, you would just never be able to live with yourself? A job? A relationship? Sex? Money?

The thing that you are most afraid of losing is the number one thing that is in competition with God for your worship. When we take the gifts of God and ascribe them the worth meant for the Giver, we are living a half-life of disappointment, regret, and pain.

We all, believers and non-believers alike, worship something, but there is only one thing that will forgive you every time you fail at it. If you blow a deal at your job, you may lose money. If you don’t get that promotion, you may lose confidence or status. If you hurt someone in a relationship, you may lose trust or even the relationship itself. To fail at worshiping something other than God always means loss.

On the flip side, if you fail in ascribing God His worth, His worth is still the same—everything. You don’t lose the opportunity to be near to God. His nearness, strength, grace, and power don’t diminish. The more we begin to worship something other than the One who created us, the more those idols will fail to satisfy the true desires of our hearts, and yet again we will have another opportunity to draw nearer to the God who never fails us.

The worship of God is not an addendum. As long as Jesus is something that you go to church to “get a little bit of,” He will be no less fulfilling as an object of worship than that relationship, or that career path, or that “stuff” you’ve acquired. While these things are fine and good, they actually serve quite poorly as objects worthy of worship. As Jesus says in Matthew, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:21).

We tend to reach for things in order to fill the gap between where we are and where we wish we could be, while ever so gradually, the gap gets larger and larger until all we can see is the gap itself, just begging to be filled with something life-changing and steady for us to walk across.

Jesus destroys your present reality. Not just once. He does it every day for the rest of your life. He says, “I created you, and I came as a human to serve you so that you would not be a slave to the things I have given you to enjoy, but so that you would see me in them.” You see, Jesus is not the means to an end. He is the end. The finish line.

The unique thing about worship is not only that you should not, but that you literally cannot worship multiple things at once. Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” You cannot ascribe God His worth and simultaneously turn around and ascribe money worth, or ascribe sex worth, or ascribe relationships worth, or ascribe power worth in your heart. It’s not possible. Why?

Because God is already worth everything. Because He opened up His arms on a cross and looked deep into the depths of your heart and said to you, “You are worth everything to Me.”

The worship of God means that you have been so profoundly moved by the Creator of the universe’s endless gifts, mercies, and love for you that you can’t help but reflect that truth to the world with your entire life. This is why we sing. This is why we love others. This is why we can’t help but change. Worship is a matter of the heart.

How on Earth to Talk to God: Wk 2 - 5/4/14

Wed, 07 May 2014 09:00:00 -0400

Main Idea
In last week’s sermon, we identified prayer as relational, not transactional. This week, Jim helps us deepen this relationship by showing us that prayer does not serve to keep God informed on our lives, but helps us proclaim our humble position with God and admit our inability to control our lives.

When we read the verse, “Give us this day our daily bread”, we are reminded that we are the children and God is the one who provides for us. We all tend to drift towards self sufficiency in our lives, so we ask for God’s provision out of our need, acknowledging and confessing our dependency on Him.

Prayer includes preparing for the future, but the direct impact is on the present moment. When we recognize that we need God to provide for us daily, we enter into a consistent position of gratitude with Him. Each time we actively ask Him to supply us with what we need for that day, we grow in both thankfulness and adoration for the Father who deeply loves His children.

Think
1. Which needs/desires in your life do you tend to think of as your responsibility to fulfill and which do you ask for from God?

2. Are you satisfied with the basics (i.e., food, shelter, clothing, opportunities to make money) that God provides for you daily?

3. Reflect back on your family of origin (during your childhood years) and whether or not your basics needs were willingly and easily met. Were there conditions to receiving what you needed? How does this experience shape your relationship with God the Father as the one who meets your needs now?

Discuss
1. Do you typically feel it is your responsibility, and not God’s, to seek and supply the “daily bread” in your life? Talk through the pros and cons of this strategy in your group.

2. C.S. Lewis said, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God – it changes me.” How do his words change the way you view your time in prayer?

3. While many of us pray for guidance in planning for the future, how is God preparing you, healing you, and loving you today?

Next Steps
Our lives, generally speaking, are bookended by our helplessness. And how we live between childhood and old age never seems to plateau into a place where we are completely fulfilled. Matthew 6:34 reminds us that we are not to worry about tomorrow, but to focus on today. When we live in the present moment, we recognize that we live in a day-to-day dependency on God. Ask your loving Father to supply you each day with your “daily bread” and discover the many ways He shows you His love and provision.

PRINTABLE VERSION

Sixty Minute Seminars Preview | Week 5: Sexual Abuse

Fri, 02 May 2014 13:14:00 -0400

We are now five seminars deep into our 13-week series. Last week’s seminar brought by Dr. Chris Christmas focused on sex addiction. Chris, a local specialist in this area, did a great job of introducing a subject that has an incredible amount of shame attached to it. He brought it further into the light by offering us a framework that integrates today’s psychology with what the Bible says about the issue.

This week Sharon Hersh will cover the category of sexual abuse. When we strip away the sensationalism surrounding this topic we see that it also comes shrouded in shame and secrecy. Because of this, it’s fair to wonder just how many people really are affected by sexual abuse. I wondered the same thing myself when we discussed whether it was a topic that really spoke to a large number of people on a personal, experiential level. So I did some research.

What I found was that 1 in 3 women will be sexually abused during their lifetime. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will be sexually assaulted before the age of 18. That averages out to someone being sexually assaulted every two minutes. Those are some shocking numbers.

Even as numerically astounding as those numbers are, I still needed more context to help me wrap my mind around the enormity of the issue. I thought of another social issue that also has children at the center but gets much more attention—childhood obesity.

What I found was that between the ages of 6 and 19 a person was actually more likely to be sexually abused or assaulted than they were to be obese. And childhood obesity affects a smaller percentage of children than does sexual abuse or assault.

So what we have is an issue that directly affects an enormous about of people but does not get the same attention as other equally pervasive issues. And based on my own story, sexual abuse and assault affects as many—or more—people indirectly than it does directly.

Think how many of us have been raised by parents who survived sexual trauma. How many of us grew up with siblings and friends who experienced sexual trauma? How many of us survivors are now raising children, and who would give our lives before we let anything of sort happen to them?

I’m looking forward to Sharon leading us into another important conversation. One that I think we can all agree affects so many of us directly and indirectly, and has been both sensationalized and muted in our culture. It’s time to un-mute this topic.

Click here for more on Sixty Minute Seminars.

Family Camp: A Recap

Thu, 01 May 2014 13:14:00 -0400

When I asked my family what they liked best about family camp, I got a variety of answers. Oliver, my oldest son, enjoyed the waterslide and Octaball (which is essentially dodgeball contained within an octagon). Atticus, my middle child with crazy hair and limitless energy liked everything, especially the BCL skit “Meet the Stevens.” Alice, my youngest, loved when I taught about Jesus (I know we aren’t supposed to have favorite children…but come on!). She even said that it was better than when everyone sang songs from “Frozen” at breakfast.

Family Camp was a great time not only for my children, but for my whole family. My wife Kelly adored the relaxed nature of the camp and great amount of time set aside for family fun.

I’m so thankful to be a part of a church that does Family Camp and I was so proud of our staff and volunteers that worked so hard to create an environment where parents could simply enjoy their kids. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to just enjoy your kids solely for the sake of enjoyment, especially as they get older. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on delighting in them instead of the litany of things that need to be accomplished, whether it’s homework or correcting behavior or driving to football practice (and if you’re doing Pop Warner that means everyday!).

The staff had several meetings in order to plan what would be taught during the main worship times, but if you were in attendance, you know that any goals regarding teaching “take-aways” were quickly abandoned (try teaching to group that spanned ages 2 to 50 for more than five minutes). At one point during Eddie Kaufholz’s talk, he made the mistake of sitting on the edge of the stage causing him to be completely inundated by children. The fact that the kids interrupted his planned message was okay because what remained was time together, just enjoying each other, just because.

When Oliver was two, we started a ritual at bedtime where he would ask me why I loved him. I would always respond, “Why do you think I love you?” which would initiate the following exchange:

“Is it because I’m so smart?”

“No. You are so smart, but that’s not why.”

“Is it because I’m so handsome?”

“You are extremely handsome, but no, that’s not why.”

“Is it because I always obey?”

“Definitely not.”

Feigning exasperation, he would cry, “Why do you love me then!?”

Grabbing hold of him and squeezing him tightly, I would respond, “Just because. Just because you’re mine.”

I’m grateful for Family Camp because it reminded me of why I love my kids. The same reason God loves me— Just because. Just because I’m His.

Check out Family Camp photos here.

How on Earth to Talk to God: Wk 1 - 4/27/14

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:42:00 -0400

Learn
Matthew 6:9-13 NASB

9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day [a]our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

Main Idea
In this series, we will be spending four weeks walking through Jesus’ teaching to His disciples about prayer. Through the Lord’s Prayer we learn about the character and nature of God, even as we are addressing Him. Jesus taught the disciples, and us, not so much what to pray but how to pray.

Prayer is a privilege because it brings us into the presence of God. This is not a transactional event, and Jesus is not a “supernatural Santa Claus” who hands to us all that we desire. Preoccupation with the things of this world and our own agendas diminishes our reverential awe of God and has us believing we are in control. Through prayer, however, we receive the rich understanding that, in Christ, all is well. We have a Father who is holy, who has authority over everything, and whose will is good and just.

Through His relationship with the disciples, Jesus gave them the gift of prayer. And through prayer, we are brought closer to our Father, whom we are invited to call “Abba”. Daddy.

Think
1. What comes to mind when you hear the word “father”? Are your thoughts primarily positive or negative?

2. Are you satisfied with your prayer life? If not, what could you do to deepen and enrich your time with God?

3. Do you take shortcuts when you pray? For example, are your prayers primarily a list of requests, or do you take the time to thank God for how He provides for you and for who He is?

Discuss
1. What words would you use to describe your time spent in prayer? How do these words compare with how you would describe time spent with a spouse or a close friend?

2. Jeremiah 9:24 tells us that, if we boast, we should boast that we truly know and understand who God is (and therefore, who we are not). Is prayer, for you, more of a time for you to get to know God and what He is doing in the world, or for Him to get to know you?

3. In the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus prayed “Not my will, but yours be done.” He understood what He was facing and yet still desired to be used to fulfill God’s plan of salvation. What are your thoughts about God’s will becoming the focus of your life, even elevating it above your own plans and desires?

Next Steps
Prayer is about presence. This week, practice the presence of the living God by praying to your loving Father whether you are asking something of Him or not. Every time you pray, your relationship with God deepens. As your relationship with God deepens, His Kingdom is advanced in and through you.

PRINTABLE VERSION

Easter Sunday: 4/20/14

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:40:00 -0400

Learn
John 20:24-29
24Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Main Idea
We all have scars on our body. And our scars tell a story. These wounds, whether physical or emotional, are reminders of past pain or disfigurement and yet through this story of Thomas the disciple, we see that scars are part of the healing process.

Thomas is famous for saying “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Rather than shame him or ridicule his lack of faith, Jesus invites Thomas’s scrutiny, asking him to touch His scars. In that moment, Thomas’ faith is renewed and he responds by saying, “My Lord and my God!”

We may ask why the risen Christ still bears the scars of the cross. In Isaiah 53 we are taught that, “By His wounds we are healed.” The scars on Jesus’ hands and feet are physical (even eternal) reminders of His great sacrificial love and the price He paid so that we could be reunited with the Father.

Think
1. Thomas received the news that Jesus had appeared to the other disciples with much disappointment. What disappointments are you experiencing right now, whether at work, in your relationships, financially, etc?

2. How do you think the perfection of Jesus described in the Bible can coexist with His post-resurrection scars?

3. Are there wounds in your story? Do you bear scars that have been inflicted either emotionally or physically, that God has healed, allowing you to be transformed for the sake of others?

Discuss
1. Jim made the statement, “You never know when Jesus is going to show up.” How do you interpret this in your life right now?

2. Where would you place yourself on the spectrum we see in Thomas’ story throughout this Gospel – searching for hope (John 11), searching for understanding (John 14), searching for faith (John 20:25)?

3. Describe a special intersection between your life and God’s presence. What made you certain that it was God who intervened?

4. If you are still wrestling with whether Jesus is who He said He was, does the fact that Christ retained the scars of the crucifixion, signifying the sacrifice made on your behalf, in any way change your view of salvation?

Next Steps
Even after His resurrection, the scars still appear on Jesus’ hands and feet. The reason this is so powerful is because He defeated death in the resurrection. They are a reflection of His suffering, the sacrifice He made for each one of us. Without the resurrection, the scars wouldn’t bear the same weight. For each one of us who has ears to hear, our sins have been forgiven and grace is being offered to each of us.

Jesus will show up in your life, and when He does, you will have a decision to make. If you are wrestling with whether Jesus is who He said He was, we invite you to join a Connect group. In this context of community, you can ask questions, hear the stories from believers about the transformations they have experienced, and begin walking towards a decision about your faith. For others who have experienced deep and lasting wounds, reGROUP may be a helpful step in walking safely, with others, towards reconciling and healing those painful memories or events.

Whether we are like Thomas, disappointed, uncertain, lacking faith, or praising Jesus, we are invited to worship the resurrected Christ, our Lord. By his scars, we are healed.

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Africa: What’s YOUR Role?

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 12:22:00 -0400

What comes to mind when you think of your role in the world? Do think of yourself first as a citizen of your home country? A citizen of the world? A citizen of heaven? When we consider the vastness and complexities of the world, it is easy to become quickly overwhelmed. Besides that, we have enough problems at home, right? Why should we bother venturing into other places?

I think it’s important to realize that our immediate surroundings are really just part of the bigger picture, a single piece of a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. Indeed, we have deep responsibilities to further the Kingdom of God right in our own backyard, but sometimes God gives us glimpses into the work He is doing in other parts of the world, too. Sometimes He even invites us into it.

For Summit Church, this is where Africa comes on the scene. God has continued to open doors for our community to be involved here, and we have faithfully followed His lead. There is so much we can learn from one another as we seek to work together in bringing the Kingdom of heaven to more places. It is not about us helping them. It is about both of us together putting forth the best we have to offer as we follow God’s call—His call on the global church to pursue Him, unified as one body. It’s not until all the pieces of the puzzle are put into place that we finally see the big picture. God sees it now. We simply have to trust He is putting them all in place as He sees fit.

This should lead us to prayer. This should lead us to earnestly seek God’s role for us in the world. But sometimes it can seem overwhelming given the vast number of efforts that all seem to be doing great things. Here are some simple ways you could start:

1. Ask God for faith to know you are not the world’s savior—He is. You will need this belief to engage in Kingdom work and Kingdom prayer, sustainably.

2. Ask God if your actions should have more of a local or global focus.

3. Pray for God’s blessing on Summit’s partnerships in Africa.

4. One practical thing I’ve done to encourage regular prayer is covering my refrigerator with reminders of God’s global work. Missionary families, my sponsor child, letters from organizations… Perhaps something like this might help you, too.

Interested in going to Africa with a Summit team? Find out more information here.

Holy Week: Good Friday

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 09:00:00 -0400

Today is Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice that took place on the cross. It is also a time to reflect upon our own sin and brokenness and why Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary for our redemption.

Our Good Friday service is a bit more liturgical in nature than a normal service and includes readings and congregational responses. The thing I’ve always found amazing is how many references there are to Jesus in the Old Testament. The first couple of Good Friday readings are from Isaiah 53:

Leader: We gather to remember the one who was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

Congregation: Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

This reading is from Isaiah 53 as translated by Dr. Calvin Seerveld:

He was without beauty. He had no dignity. If we looked at him there would have been no comeliness to have attracted us. He was despised, a reject, a man of sorrows who knew grief so intimately you would turn your face away from him; he was so despicable he was not worth looking at. But did you know? It was our griefs he bore. It was our sorrows he carried. We thought he was hurt, wounded, oppressed by God, but he was jabbed through because of our dirty deeds. He was beaten down for the sake of our guilty wickedness. That the punishment lay on him gives us grace! By the welts on his body we are made whole.

Here are some further responsive readings used in Good Friday service:

Leader: O my people, O my church, what have I done to you, or in what have I offended you? Answer me. I led you forth from the land of Egypt and delivered you by the waters of baptism, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Congregation: Holy God, have mercy upon us.

Leader: I led you through the desert for forty years, and fed you with manna: I brought you through tribulation and penitence, and gave you my body, the bread of heaven, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Congregation: Holy God, have mercy upon us.

Leader: My peace I gave, which the world cannot give, and washed your feet as a sign of my love, but you draw the sword to strike in my name and seek high places in my kingdom. I offered you my body and blood, but you scatter and deny and abandon me, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Congregation: Holy God, have mercy upon us.

Leader: I came to you as the least of your brothers and sisters; I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me—naked and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison and you did not visit me, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior.

Congregation: Holy God, have mercy upon us.

In Good Friday service, we also pray The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Good Friday is a time to mourn our sin and the death of Jesus, the God incarnate. The deeper we understand what kind of sacrifice Jesus made on Friday, the fuller we can celebrate His victory over death on Sunday.

Holy Week: Thursday

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:36:00 -0400

Luke 22:19-20

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

As I described on Tuesday, it is obvious throughout the Holy Week readings that Jesus knows His time is short. This is certainly true about the Passover meal that has come to be known as the Last Supper. Jesus tells us explicitly in Luke 22:15 “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” Why is He so eager to share this meal with His followers? I have no doubt that there was much He wanted to teach them, and we will discuss that, but I think Jesus wanted one more chance to talk, eat, and enjoy time with His closest friends before everything changed, as it would later that night.

Jesus and His followers (the gospels do not say only the disciples were there, it is very likely there were others present) gathered in a room prepared for them to share the Seder, the traditional Jewish meal which remembered and celebrated the Passover from Exodus 12. Despite the traditional images of the Last Supper from Da Vinci and others, Jesus and His friends were not seated in chairs around a table.

The Seder meal would have been served on a three-sided table called a “triclinium,” and the attendees would have reclined (Luke 22:14, John 13:23) on their side on pillows and eaten with their free hand. It looked something similar to this:

To introduce His teaching about the New Covenant that will be established by His sacrifice the next day, Jesus selects two important parts of the Seder meal: the unleavened bread (matzah) and the wine (yayin). The breaking of the bread, called yachatz, was already a part of the traditional Seder meal, but at this meal Jesus adds His own words and significance: the broken bread represents His body, which will be broken for His followers on the cross.

A traditional Seder meal also has the participants consume four glasses of wine (Luke 22:17 and 20 make reference to multiple “cups”) over the course of the meal, during one of which (probably the third cup) Jesus again adds a new significance to it: the red wine of the meal will represent His blood which will flow freely in the day to come.

As when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey just a few days before, I feel that the humility and servanthood of Jesus is on full display at this event. In the midst of a discussion among the disciples about who was greatest (Luke 22:24), something the disciples fought about repeatedly, it is Jesus who demonstrates what constitutes greatness in the kingdom of God. Jesus removes His outer garments, pours a basin of water, and begins to wash the feet of his friends (John 13:1-17), a task normally reserved for a slave. Even in the provision of the elements of Communion, we see Jesus as the servant of the group. Surely it brought joy to Jesus’ heart to be able to serve His closest followers this way.

At the heart of Holy Week we see the great love that Jesus has for us all. It is this great love that causes Him to wash His followers feet, share the bread and wine, and to be willing to walk the road of suffering that will lead to Calvary. Just as His followers then, we deserve none of these things. But praise God that Jesus was willing to overlook the unworthiness of His followers (then and now), and take the form of a slave in order to set us free.

The Answer in Question Wk 5 - 4/13/14

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:10:00 -0400

Learn
Matthew 11:2-6
2Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Main Idea
John the Baptist believed in Jesus. He had told his community about the coming Messiah for a long time. After baptizing Jesus, he saw the sky open up and heard, firsthand, God proclaim who Jesus was. He had been devoted to Jesus for most of his life, and yet he found himself in jail and began to wonder if he had been right. Jesus was not acting the way John thought He should. So, John sent sent his disciples to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

We often come to Jesus with a problem-centered approach, asking God what He’s going to do for us, but John doesn’t do that. Instead, he just asks, “Are you the One?” It’s the most important question any of us could ask. Furthermore, he doesn’t say that if Jesus is not the Messiah, he will stop looking for one. If we reject jesus, we will spent the rest of our lives searching for him, or we will find something else to fill His spot. We’re all looking for a savior. We can find the evidence of God working in and around us, even if He’s not doing so in the way we expected.

Think
1. John the Baptist expected Jesus to be a vengeful, wrathful King. Instead, Jesus proclaimed mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Zach shared that for most of his life, he expected that Jesus would make his temptation to sin go away. What expectations have you had for Jesus? What did you assume would happen over time, if you followed Him?

2. At what times in your life has Jesus failed to meet your expectations? What happened to your faith as a result? In a similar situation, John the Baptist asked, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” What questions have you asked Jesus in times of crisis?

3. Jesus helped John the Baptist understand that if we reject Jesus, we’ll spend our whole lives looking for Him or we’ll turn something else into God. What other things have you put in Jesus’ place? What have you looked towards for salvation? Perfection? Approval? Hard work?

Discuss
1. Talk about the times in your life when Jesus didn’t act the way you expected Him too. What questions did you bring to Him during those times?

2. Jesus tells the disciples to remind John the Baptist of all they have seen: blind receive sight, lame walk, lepers are healed, the deaf hear, and the dead are made alive again. What evidence of God have you seen throughout your life? How can you remind yourself of those things in times of crisis or confusion?

3. Zach compared John’s question, which focuses on who God is, to the question of thief being crucified next to Jesus, whose questions all demanded something of God. He had a problem-centered approach. What problems to you bring to Jesus repeatedly? How can you learn to be content with how God works in those situations?

4. John the Baptist didn’t want to speculate about who Jesus is. He was not content to sit around and pontificate about it. Instead, He asked directly. He wanted Jesus to reveal Himself. How has God revealed Himself to you throughout your life? How has he answered some of your questions, and how has He surprised you?

Next Steps
In His response to John the Baptist, Jesus said we have to wrestle with the offensiveness of the cross and the offensiveness of our own sin. As we approach Good Friday, we are considering our sin and the messiness of our lives. Join us for a Good Friday service this week. Use that time to dwell on what His sacrifice means for each of us. If you haven’t already done so, don’t hesitate to ask Jesus the same question John the Baptist asked: “Are you who you say you are?” ??If you believe and have decided that Jesus is indeed your Savior, and you haven’t already been baptized, now’s the time! It is a wonderful way to join our church family in celebrating who Jesus is and the ways in which He has transformed our lives (even if it was in ways we did not expect). You can fill out a baptism application here.

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Holy Week: Wednesday

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 11:35:00 -0400

Mark 14:10-11

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

We cannot be certain that Judas’ betrayal of Jesus actually happened on Wednesday. This event may have taken place late on Tuesday. Regardless of when Judas made his deal, it is a significant turning point in the story, as it led to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding Judas’ betrayal and so many questions we can ask. In Luke’s gospel, it says that Satan entered into Judas. Did Judas have any choice in the matter? Was there any way Judas could have escaped Satan’s grip? If He didn’t betray Jesus, what would have happened? These are all tough questions and I don’t pretend to have the answers. But I do want to look at something interesting that happened after the betrayal.

Judas wasn’t the only disciple to betray Jesus. Peter, one of the most passionate disciples, denied Jesus three times out of fear. While Judas’ betrayal led to suicide, Peter’s denial led to a deeper relationship with Jesus in the end. How did these two men, who made similar poor choices, end up on two completely different roads?

Peter chose to reengage in his story with Jesus. Judas chose to despair. After Jesus was resurrected, He met Peter on the beach for breakfast (John 21). There, they shared a meaningful conversation in which Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus and Jesus reaffirmed His calling on Peter’s life.

By the end of Peter’s ministry, he was so committed to Jesus that he wanted to be crucified upside down. He did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner his Master did.

Could this same kind of transformation have happened in Judas’ life after his betrayal? I don’t see why not. Jesus has always been quick to offer mercy and grace to anyone who asks. Even as Judas was betraying Him, Jesus called him “Friend.” (Mathew 26:50). For some reason though, Judas refused to engage in the process of restoration.

We all have times when we feel like we have “betrayed” Jesus. Maybe not to the extent Judas did, but we feel the guilt nonetheless. Perhaps a friend uses His Name in vain, and we laugh. Maybe we don’t stand up for the things Jesus wants us to stand up for. Regardless of what our “betrayal” is, we have the choice to either take the path of Judas or the path of Peter.

As we march closer to Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, let us reflect upon how broken and in need of a Savior we truly are. For even as mankind was betraying Him, Jesus was crying out to God to offer us forgiveness.

Holy Week: Tuesday

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:11:00 -0400

Mark 11:27-28
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus again left the city after his Monday clearing of the temple. He returns on Tuesday and enters the temple courts, which were a series of open areas that surrounded the main temple buildings. It is in these courts that Jesus receives a series of challenges by the ruling Jewish authorities of the day: the Pharisees and Sadducees. These were religious political parties (there would have been no separation of religious and political authorities in this society) who held different interpretations of how to live out what we would call the Old Testament. Members of both parties (and others) formed a central temple council called the Sanhedrin. And one thing these parties did agree upon: this Jesus of Nazareth was a threat to their power.

The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record a series of challenges to Jesus from various parties in the Sanhedrin while He is in the temple courts on Tuesday. They ask by what authority He has cleansed the temple and is teaching in “their” temple courts, as Jesus would not have had the traditional credentials of a rabbi. They try to trap him with political issues such as the legality of paying taxes (Mark 12:13-17), and the issue of resurrection (a disputed question in that day as in ours, Mark 12:18-27). When Jesus silences each of these challenges, they turn subversive and look for a way to arrest him (Mark 12:12).

Not only does Jesus respond to each of the presented challenges, He makes statements and challenges of His own against the ruling parties who were exploiting their position for personal gain. Some of Jesus’ most well known teachings come from this part of the gospel:

- The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19)
- Give (or render in the King James) to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s (Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25)
- The Seven Woes (Matthew 23)
- The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46),
- The Parable of the Talents (or bags of gold) (Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27)
- The Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-34)
- The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14)
- The Signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-36)

In addition to responding to the challenges that Jesus is presented with, we can see that He is aware that time is short, and that there is much that He desires to teach the crowd. This will be the last time that Jesus teaches in public.

In considering the concept of Jesus’ authority, we can see today how little has changed since the First Century. The authority of Jesus is still questioned in the hearts and minds of people everywhere, if not rejected outright. We see books and websites dedicated to the “fact” that Jesus never existed at all! We see others claim that He was a good teacher, but nothing more. His teachings and commands are marginalized by Christian and non-Christian alike. Against these slights and rejections we see Jesus reply “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, [they] will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak for myself” (John 7:16-17). As those who claim to follow God’s will, let us prayerfully consider how we might better submit ourselves to Jesus’ authority during this Holy Week.

Holy Week: Monday

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:16:00 -0400

Mark 11:15-18
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We saw that the people welcomed Him with praises because they were under the assumption that He would liberate them from the Roman authorities. Jesus, however, had something different in mind.

The next day (Monday) Jesus heads straight to the temple and accuses the merchants of turning His house into a den of robbers. Jesus doesn’t attack the political leaders or social institutions as the people thought He would. He was more concerned with the spiritual health of the people and was righteously disgusted by what He saw going on.

But what was it that got Jesus so fired up?

People were using religion as a way to get rich. People who entered Jerusalem had to purchase animals to sacrifice at the temple. This, in itself, was not a bad thing. The problem was that the merchants were opening up shop right in the temple (an inappropriate place to do so) and charging outrageous prices for the animals.

In addition to this, if people did bring their own animals the priests would have to inspect them to make sure they were acceptable for sacrifice. The priests would often deem them “unclean” which would force people to have to purchase an animal from the temple merchants. The merchants would split their profits with the priests.

This was not the only way people were being exploited in the house of God. Travelers who came into Jerusalem had to exchange their currency in order to pay tithes and buy things. This exchange would take place at the temple and the priests would often give an unfair exchange rate, turning a profit for themselves. The temple became a breeding ground for people to manipulate God’s commands and use them for their own financial gain.

Not cool… Not cool at all.

Jesus’ reaction to these thieves serves as a reminder of the God we serve. Jesus is not a pushover. He does not tolerate injustice or the taking advantage of people. His anger in this moment was sinless, as His whole life was. And because He chose to do something about the situation, the priests became extremely angry at Him. Their anger, unlike His, was not so pure. He was interfering with their business, and they began looking for a way to get rid of Him.

A big objection to “religion” in today’s society is that people use it simply as a way to take advantage of others. We must remember that Jesus had this same objection in His society. We have been called to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.

Holy Week: Sunday

Sun, 13 Apr 2014 08:25:00 -0400

Mark 11:1-11
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Today Christians all over the world are celebrating Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week. All four gospels record the event (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12), in which Jesus enters the city to a welcoming crowd. There is so much going on here, so let’s take a closer look at some of the symbols and significance of the event:

First, we have the donkey. Jesus instructs His disciples to go into town and borrow a donkey for Him to ride into town on. They do so, and Jesus enters Jerusalem in a way that was surely shocking to the crowd. Jesus did not enter the city on a horse or other animal of war, but on a humble donkey. We should not miss the significance of the message that Jesus is sending: he has come to Jerusalem on a symbol of humility and peace, rather than on a chariot or war horse.

Next, we have the branches and cloaks. It is John’s gospel that tells us the crowd cut palm branches (12:13), which were seen in the ancient world as a symbol of victory. The cloaks and coats that the crowd laid down along the road point to their seeing Jesus as a coming king, with a similar event is occurring with King Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13.

Finally, we have the chant of the people: they shouted “Hosanna” (Aramaic for “save” or “save us”). Separated by twenty centuries, we only know the religious meaning of this word. But like the spreading of the cloaks, there was political significance to the crowd using this word: they were crying out for a leader to deliver them from the oppressive Roman government that controlled Israel. Certainly as Christians today we can see this need for a “savior” in an entirely different way: deliverance from sin and death that Jesus would provide in dying on Friday.

Based upon these symbols and words, it would appear that the crowd who welcomed Jesus that day believed they were welcoming the rightful king of Israel (Jesus was of David’s line as the gospels remind us) who was going to overthrow the Romans and liberate his people. Liberation is what Jesus had in mind that day, but in a way that no one could have expected…

Jesus had a much larger vision than the crowd did. His goal was not to free Israel from oppression, but to save a world from its own sinfulness. Was Jesus’ “failure” to deliver His people in the way they expected what caused many to turn on him before the week was out? Perhaps. Whatever the limits of the crowd’s vision (something easy for us to see now), it was at least focused on the right person, and Jesus accepted their sincere praise at his entry (Luke 19:40). As we enter the “gates” of this holy week, let us consider how we might offer our own sincere worship to the humble man of God who came to Jerusalem to save us all.

Sixty Minute Seminar Preview Week 2 // Sexual Orientation

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 15:52:00 -0400

On Monday, reGROUP launched a Sixty Minute Seminar series on some of the most important topics facing our city and our community. Almost 300 hundred people showed up to kick off the series. Sharon Hersh gave a great introduction for how to approach the issues we intend to tackle each week. We started with The Core Problem, which, as it turns out, is us.

So whatever categories of problems or issues we talk about in the next 11 weeks, Sharon was calling us to see both our beauty and the brokenness that resides in each of us. In order to bring The Core Problem into focus, we need to start with ourselves. We need to see ourselves more clearly. We need to see both our own beauty and our brokenness in light of the cross. Only then will we be ready to talk about the problems we face in topics such as: addiction, sexuality, sexual orientation, anxiety, depression, disordered eating… the list goes on.

This reality is of utmost importance as we prepare for this week’s topic: Sexual Orientation. There are few topics in recent memory that hold so much tension inside and outside the Church. Therefore, I think it’s important right up front to point out what this seminar will not be before I say what it could be.

This will not be Summit taking a position on sexual orientation and how to move forward in “the great debate.” It will not be an attempt to create a script for how to have a conversation with someone who is gay affirmative or someone who is not affirmative of people who are gay. Nor is this seminar meant to move us theologically anywhere except deeper into God and His story.

So what will this seminar on sexual orientation be? We will get to hear Sharon Hersh’s perspective on what is important to know, regardless of where we are starting from, in this very important conversation that is happening in our culture right now. Over the 60 minutes she will offer us categories to help us think through the topic of sexual orientation. Sharon will also offer us language that will help us to have conversations—conversations that will hopefully lead to confession, which will lead to connection and ultimately to communion.

Some of us may come away with a better understanding of our own sexual identity. Some of us may come away with a better way to engage someone we love who has questions about their sexual identity. Some of us may even come away with renewed compassion for those who know exactly where they stand on the issue and are hurting people whom Jesus died for.

I’m making a prediction right now. For those who are so courageous, this seminar will almost certainly open up new space for God to work in us and through us. You can’t go wrong with that.

Click here for more info about Sixty Minute Seminars, including a monthly schedule of speakers and topics.

niceSERVE Inside 33rd Street

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 17:07:00 -0400

Imagine for a moment that you have been sitting on the edge of a room, unable and not allowed to participate in what is happening. You are not given the chance to care for others, and you assume that others do not want to take the time to care for you.

Summit Church is a place that wants to break down those barriers and make sure each and every person understands their value in this world. The words can be heard from the Summit stage often: “You have never locked eyes with anyone who does not matter to God.” “There is no age or height restriction on being a part of the family of God.” “You matter!”

niceSERVE is one of the days in the life of our community during which you can see this lived out in beautiful, tangible ways. Family projects allow all ages to participate in caring for others and the world around us. All types of people are cared for through various projects… elderly, young, sick, healthy, widows, orphans, prisoners… And each of those types of people are given a unique opportunity to serve others as well… elderly, young, sick, healthy, widows, orphans, prisoners…

To find one of those unique opportunities, we take a look at our 33rd Street Jail campus. On any given niceSERVE day, you can find men and women in the 33rd Street Jail working diligently to care for others. They do so by writing letters. They write letters of encouragement to their spouses, parents, and children. They write letters of forgiveness to themselves. They write letters of forgiveness to those who have hurt them. They write letters of apology to those they have hurt. They write letters about God’s love. They write letters of thanks to those who have broken down the barriers and taken the time to care for them. They write letters.

Writing letters might seem like an insignificant way to serve, but imagine for a moment. Imagine that you are opening an envelope, a bit scared of what the words might say. As you read, you realize that the words are words of life. The words are words of apology, forgiveness, encouragement, thanks, life, and love. You have been given a gift that you can hold onto as long as you would like… words to cherish.

Truly, you have never locked eyes with anyone who does not matter to God. Truly, there is no age or height restriction on being a part of the family of God. Truly, each and every one of us can serve in our own unique ways. Truly, you matter!

The Answer in Question Wk 4 – 4/6/14

Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0400

Learn
John 9:1-7
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Main Idea
Everywhere we look, we see pain and suffering. We see it clearly in our world, our communities, our families, and in ourselves. That pain is both unpleasant and overwhelming, and as Christians, we sometimes try to distance ourselves from it by asking theological questions. That is exactly what the disciples did in this account from the Book of John. Like many in their culture, they saw the man’s blindness and tragic suffering, caused by an angry god as a result of sin. But as we’ve seen throughout this series, they are surprised by Jesus‘ response. Instead of a tragedy, Jesus saw a work-in-progress. Jesus was able to see the man, rather than his problem.?Though they didn’t expect it, Jesus gave the disciples an opportunity to participate in the healing He offers. When we limit our thinking to a “sin=suffering” mindset, we miss the opportunity to join in the redemptive work God calls us to. Jesus was not afraid to get messy in order to redeem this blind man’s pain. In the process, He healed the man’s sight, but also healed the disciples’ judgmental and disengaged hearts.

Think
1. How do you distract yourself from pain? Perhaps by binge-watching Netflix, drinking, aimlessly scrolling through Pinterest, or letting calls go to voicemail?

2. What people in your life (either on a daily basis or in your community at large) are in pain? What would it look like for you see them as works-in-progress and as people for whom the best is yet to come?

3. We all bring questions about pain and its purpose to God. What are your questions, and what emotions (anger, confusion, discouragement?) reside behind them?

4. Are you avoiding any painful or uncomfortable situations by focusing on theological questions? Zach shared that good theology should always move us closer to God and people. Who might God be asking you to move closer to?

Discuss
1. Talk about times in your life when you have been in pain and the people who chose to move closer to you during those times. How did their actions impact you?

2. Rather than letting the disciples remain distant and aloof, Jesus invites them to participate in the work of redemption. In verse 4, He encourages them to “work the work” of God. Discuss areas in your personal life, family, and community that God seems to be redeeming. Discuss how you might be participate in that work.

3. Romans 8:28 promises, “…that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Zach challenged us to constantly remember and recite this verse during good times, so that it becomes our default response in times of suffering. Discuss the ways you have seen God bring about good through painful situations. If you are still waiting to see the good, spend some time praying for those situations.

Next Steps
It is probably easy to label the disciples as insensitive and judgmental, but it’s worth considering whether or not we have the same attitude. Make a list of issues, problems, and/or people from which you’ve tried to distance yourself, and pray that God will help you see how He is working in each situation. Zach shared that someone once told him to pray daily, “What need have You fashioned my heart to meet in a broken world?” Pray that prayer each day this week, and see what God might reveal to you.

Beyond that, consider attending the Sixty Minute Seminars to learn more about loving people through difficult issues. niceSERVE is also coming up this Saturday, April 12th, and is a fantastic way to join God in the redemptive work He’s doing in Orlando.

PRINTABLE VERSION

niceSERVE: Be Great

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 13:41:00 -0400

Be great.

These are words of challenge, but they are also certainly words of invitation. These are words that Jesus says to His followers seeking places of honor in the Kingdom He is ushering into this world. In Matthew 20, two of Jesus’ followers essentially ask, “Can we be great?” In response, Jesus doesn’t rebuke them for desiring greatn ess. He simply gives a new definition of greatness to His followers that should lead to love. Jesus came to clarify that greatness doesn’t come from position or status but from willingness to serve others. “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). By this new definition of greatness, Martin Luther King Jr. would later say as he continued a movement to give voice to the voiceless, “Anyone can be great.”

But this is not simply an idea that Jesus delivered, it was a life He lived and invited others into. Directly after this definition of greatness is given, Jesus shows what greatness looks like. As He is walking on his way to Jerusalem to sacrifice all for the sake of all, He sees two men in need. And He shows us the value of being interruptible. While the disciples urge Jesus forward as if to say, “Jesus, we have important business. We have an agenda. We have a schedule. We don’t have time for this,” Jesus stops. And He asks these two men in need, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus listened, had compassion on them, touched them, and healed them.

He stopped, and He asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

This is what greatness looks like.

This is what we want to be about as His family, His church in our city: people interruptible by those in need.

And this is why we do niceSERVE twice a year.

We create partnerships with organizations in our city that are doing Christ-honoring work and twice a year come together as a church to serve with these organizations for three hours. We ask them, “What do you want us to do for you?” and form projects of multiple types in multiple places throughout our city that you can sign up and participate in at niceSERVE.

Our hope is that by stopping and asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” we can make our city look more like what God intended when He spun the world into existence and said it was good.

We hope that everyone who calls Summit their church home—and hopefully some who don’t—will participate in niceSERVE. We hope you sign up for and participate in niceSERVE on April 12th because it is fun to meet new people, get a free t-shirt, get your hands dirty together, eat a great lunch together, and get connected with a great non-profit organization with which you could continue to serve. But more than anything else, we hope you participate in niceSERVE because you can be great.

niceSERVE is April 12th. Sign up here.

niceSERVE Featured Projects

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:59:00 -0400

Have you signed up for the April 12th niceSERVE yet? There are lots of great projects available—maybe one of these has your name on it! Here are just a few of the open projects from each campus…

Herndon

Project: Salvation Army Towers
Category: Ministering to Children & the Elderly
Description: Give the gift of a clean living space! Help clean apartments for seniors with disabilities.

Project: Ronald McDonald House (Florida Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital)
Category: Cleaning & Sorting
Description: Deep clean of the Ronald McDonald House for families supporting children undergoing long-term hospital care.

Project: Habitat ReStore (Florida Mall)
Category: Cleaning & Sorting
Description: Assist with sorting and helping in the thrift store.

Waterford

Project: The Mustard Seed
Category: Painting, Construction, and Maintenance
Description: Help us take apart mattresses to be recycled.

Project: OURM Bargain Store
Category: Cleaning and Sorting
Description: Sorting items to be stocked in the bargain store.

Project: Cornerstone Pregnancy Center
Category: Landscaping
Description: Replanting bushes and cleaning up landscaping around the facility.

Lake Mary

Project: Meals On Wheels
Category: Landscaping
Description: Help local seniors with landscaping around their homes.

Project: S.E.R.V. (Seminole Education Restoration & Volunteer Program)
Category: Miscellaneous
Description: Help protect our waterways and natural areas, and beautify the community! We’ll be removing litter from multiple sites in Seminole County. (Be sure to wear outdoor clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty; along with closed-toed shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen or a hat.)

Sign up for one of these or find more open projects at niceSERVE.org!

Sixty Minute Seminar Preview Week 1 // The Core: An Introduction

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:06:00 -0400

We chose to start our seminar series with an introduction because we need a framework for what we are attempting to do as a community. Week 1 will be what supports and give structure for our efforts to enter into places most do not.

Whether we readily identify with them or not, the topics of the Sixty Minute Seminar series occupy territory in the cultural landscape of our community. Often that territory is filled with fear, hurt, and rejection. We’ve all been hurt and have hurt others in our approach to some of life’s heartaches. Personally, it’s scary to talk about sexual orientation in today’s climate of prejudice and mistrust, no matter what your perspective is on the topic.

In truth, we are addressing some sensitive topics. As such, each topic comes with a set of weighty assumptions. For example, most of us, myself included, already have a pre-loaded mental map of what it means to engage with anxiety and depression. Some of that topography has been shaped by personal experience; other from people I love dearly who wrestle with the “issue.” The reality facing us all, regardless of the issue, is that we are all struggling to find language to have conversations that lead to real connection in these areas.

Our Sixty Minute Seminar series will kick off April 7th at Herndon with noted author, professor, speaker, and therapist Sharon Hersh. She will offer us a “Rosetta Stone” of sorts to set up our “language lessons” for the following weeks in our series. Our aim in acquiring language within these categories is to be able to enter into conversations that lead to real connection, and ultimately to communion—in every sense of the word.

This will be a week you won’t want to miss!

On the surface, it may seem obvious that we would start a series of mini-seminars with an “introduction” week. On the other hand, it might be fair to ask: “Why one whole session just to get started? The other topics on the menu seem self-explanatory.” The answer to why goes back to the vision we have for Sixty Minute Seminars. Read all about it and find a schedule of upcoming topics and speakers here.

The Answer in Question Wk 3 – 3/30/14

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 14:30:00 -0400

Learn
John 8: 2-11
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Main Idea
All of us have a proclivity toward sin, and simply wanting to be better won’t help us. We often try to guilt ourselves and one another into not sinning, but that is not how Jesus operates. In this account from John 8, the religious leaders of the time brought a woman before Jesus. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and they wanted to trap Jesus in a spiritual debate. They presented Him with the facts and asked, “So what do you say?” Jesus responded with grace, refusing to shame the woman or her accusers, and He responds to us the same way. Jesus hates shame, and He does not condemn us. This story reminds us that accepting God’s grace is the way to change our hearts. The more we remember God’s grace, the more likely we are to “go, and from now on sin no more.” Grace meets us where we are, but it does not leave us where it found us.

Think
1. Zach began this sermon with an illustration from Steve Brown about the job of a pastor. A pastor’s job, he said, is to stand at the edge of a cliff warning people not to jump, but often watching them jump anyway. This story reminds us that we have an inclination toward sin, even when it hurts. The woman in this story was already at the bottom of the cliff. The Pharisees (though they didn’t realize it), had also fallen: They had succumbed to judgment and pride. In your own life, when have you jumped off the cliff, succumbing to the temptation to sin? How was Jesus there for you at the bottom? In what ways are you tempted to jump off now?

2. In this sermon, Zach showed us Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery by the Italian painter Tintoretto. In both the painting and in Scripture, we see that the woman is isolated and humiliated, paraded in front of a crowd by her accusers. When have you felt a similar kind of shame or humiliation?

3. Throughout this series, we’ve read and heard about what Jesus offered Pilate, the rich young ruler, and the Pharisees. But unlike the woman in this week’s story, they all walked away from Jesus. Have you walked away from Jesus in the past? Are you walking away now?

Discuss
1. The Pharisees were stuck in a cycle of legalism. Have you ever been caught in this cycle? How have you seen it manifested in your life or in the lives of others?

2. In verse 11, Jesus tells the woman, “Neither do I condemn you.” Have you heard Jesus say these words to you? Discuss where you were when you first understood God’s forgiveness, and how it has changed your life.

3. While grace meets us where we are, it doesn’t leave us unchanged. Christ gives us grace as fuel to move forward. He told the woman in John 8, “Go, and from now on sin no more.” Discuss the areas of your life where you find it most difficult to move on, and discuss the areas where you have been the most transformed by grace.

Next Steps
Read through this account again, and picture it in your mind. Which of the people in the story do you most relate to? Are you one of the accusers, stuck in a cycle of guilt and legalism, feeling inward shame?

Are you like the woman in this story, caught in sin and feeling isolated and ashamed? Consider making a list of the sins that leave you entangled. Pray, asking God for forgiveness and for fuel to move away from those sins.

No matter which person in the story you relate to, remember that Christ hates shame. Consider joining reGROUP, so that within a community, you can bring your shame into the light so it can be redeemed. With a friend or your Connect group this week, spend some time praying that God will constantly remind you of grace and begin redeeming areas of sin and shame in your lives.

PRINTABLE VERSION

The Edge Goes to Camp Recap

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:13:00 -0400

The Edge Goes to Camp was an awesome weekend of silliness and really good conversation. A little over 50 high school students from all three Summit campuses joined us for a weekend centered around unplugging from the busyness of life to reflect on the story of the prodigal son. Zach Van Dyke joined us as the camp speaker and did a phenomenal job of presenting God’s gracious gospel to students—some of whom hadn’t heard it before—while also challenging students who were already followers of Christ to lean into the life He calls us to lead. The labels of the older brother and younger brother in the prodigal story really hit home with our students and led to fruitful conversation during cabin Connect groups.

We were blessed with beautiful weather all weekend, so Saturday afternoon’s free time was full of lake activities like tubing and blobbing (a giant pillow-esqe float on the water that launches students into the air when another student jumps on the opposite side). Throughout the weekend, we were visited by some oblivious bobsledders (dressed in American-flag-themed morph suits) who were convinced that the winter games were being held at Camp Sparta and not in Sochi two weeks prior. These zany program characters even did a bobsled run downhill in what looked to be a pool float on wheels. Needless to say, the weekend was full of laughter!

The Answer in Question Wk 2 – 3/23/14

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:52:00 -0400

Learn
Mark 10:17-27 (ESV)
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Main Idea
This week, we examined another story from Scripture in which a man comes to Jesus with a question. This man was young, rich, and powerful, and everything we know about him implies that he was giving his life to a pursuit of goodness. He wanted to know, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In effect, he was asking, “Am I good enough to earn that reward?” Jesus’ answer was not what the young man expected to hear. Instead, Jesus exposed the man’s heart, and He’ll do the same for us if we are sincerely seeking truth. In word and in action, Jesus conveyed that no, we are not good enough to earn eternal life, yet He considers us worthy of love and sacrifice. Our salvation is not deserved because we are good. Rather, it is gifted to us because of God’s great love. Unless we see our salvation as beating impossible odds, we have not truly seen our salvation.

Think
1. Zach began this week’s sermon by discussing some of his favorite Steven Spielberg films, many of which revolve around someone’s quest to discover whether or not they are good enough to deserve the approval or sacrifice of others. Think about your favorite movies and books. In those stories, who is asking, “Am I good enough?”

2. The rich young ruler comes to Jesus with a sense of urgency, running and kneeling at Jesus’ feet. What questions are you urgently asking Jesus? What drives that sense of urgency (fear, obligation, excitement)?

3. Zach explained that the rich young ruler was seeking God’s blessings rather than God Himself. In what ways are you doing the same thing? What blessings do you hope for? Have there been times in your life when you’ve desired God’s blessings more than a relationship with Him, and what was the condition of your heart during those times?

Discuss
1.The rich young ruler defined “good” as adhering to the customs and rules of the Jewish law. Discuss how you tend to define goodness for yourself and for others. What characteristics make someone “good,” and which of those characteristics do you tend to lack?

2. When the young man approached Jesus, he referred to him as “good teacher.” Jesus asked, “Why do you call me good?” When you are really honest, what words do you use to describe God? Why do you choose those descriptors?

3. Zach quoted his mentor Steve Brown as saying, “If anyone told you coming to Jesus required bringing anything other than dirty rags, they lied to you.” Isaiah 64:6 (NIV) says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” In what ways have you tried to clean yourself up before coming to Jesus? What “righteous acts” do you tend to rely on in order to appear good?

4. When Jesus tells the young man he must sell all his possessions, the man is grieved and disheartened. Zach explained that Jesus is not concerned with the man’s riches, but rather with his heart. What competes for the affections of your heart, and what do you love more than Christ? (Money? Family? Approval? Success?) What would be your response if Jesus asked you to leave it behind to follow Him?

Next Steps
So often, we try to be “good” in order to earn Jesus’ approval or to eliminate our need for Him entirely. As we see in this story, however, Jesus only wants us to follow Him. He never asks us to do anything He was not willing to do Himself. He gave up His glory and power to die on the cross for our salvation. He knows we are not good enough but still considers us worthy of His service and sacrifice. A relationship with Christ is not something to add to our to-do list; rather, it is a substitution. When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ. He never asks us to be good enough.

This week, spend time considering whether Jesus is really worth following. The rich young ruler found it impossible to follow Jesus because he loved God’s blessings more than God Himself. Make a list of the things competing for your heart, and pray for each one individually. Ask God to rightly order your affections so that you are able to freely and passionately follow Him.

PRINTABLE VERSION

SERMON PODCAST

The Answer in Question Wk 1 - 3/16/14

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:49:00 -0400

Learn:
John 18:33-38 (ESV)
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him."

Main Idea
What we think about something affects the way we interact with it. This is also true of our interactions with people, including Jesus. Throughout the New Testament, a variety of people ask things of Jesus, and each interaction reflects the questioner’s background, experiences, and wonderings. In Jesus’ responses, He implies, “Who am I to you?” For many of us, whether we consider ourselves Christ-followers or not, this is a difficult question to answer. In this passage from the Gospel of John, Pilate’s questions mask his cynicism and disinterest, but Jesus is not content to give the answer he wants to hear. Instead, each of Jesus’ responses aim at Pilate’s heart.

Think…
1. Zach suggested that Pilate’s questions reveal his masked cynicism, fear, and disdain. Do you have any of these feelings towards Jesus? How do they come out in your interactions with Him?

2. If you were face-to-face with Jesus as Pilate was, what questions would you ask? As you spend time praying this week, make a running list of all those questions. Consider what emotions and thoughts those questions reflect.

3. Zach illustrated the ways Pilate was stuck in the Roman kingdom of power, striving to maintain a good reputation and the favor of those in authority. Jesus, however, came to abolish that kingdom and establish His own: an upside-down kingdom in which the least are greatest and the last will be first. In what ways do you feel stuck in the kingdom of this world? Think about how your life might be different if you were living in the kingdom of God.

4. When was the last time you were a helpful interruption in someone’s day, the way Jesus was to Pilate? Think about who in your life needs to encounter the truth about who Jesus is, and consider how you might interrupt their life to point them towards Him.

Discuss…
1. Zach shared the story of when he met Sally Lloyd Jones, the author of The Jesus Storybook Bible. Do you have a funny celebrity encounter in your past?

2. Zach shared the story of his friend, who when asked “Who is Jesus to you?” could only respond with a generic, abstract answer. Discuss how you have answered this question at different points in your life. How do you answer it now? Do you respond to Jesus as an abstraction?

3. What questions do you currently have for Jesus? What do you wonder about, or what hang-ups do you have about Him? Discuss how you might begin to uncover some answers.

4. Who do you know who has major questions about Jesus? Pray for those people. Discuss how, with God’s help, you can help them find answers.

Next Steps
C.S. Lewis wrote, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

This week, spend some time answering the question, “Who is Jesus to you?” Avoid vague abstractions, but answer the question honestly. If you don’t have answer, it’s so important to find one! We should take as long as we need to, but not any longer, in our search for Truth.

Whether you have an answer to that question or not, read through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Underline or make note of the questions people ask Jesus. Notice the similarities and differences among them, and consider how they compare to your own questions. Keep those questions in mind as we continue through this series.

PRINTABLE VERSION

SERMON PODCAST

Be An Intern!

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 15:16:00 -0400

One of the most formative experiences in my life was the time in and around my first ministry internship. It was that internship, working in Student Ministries at Northland, that accelerated my calling in ministry, built my faith in Jesus, and nurtured a love for the local church.

The season building up to that internship was kicked off by a conversation I had with my youth pastor, Vernon, while we were sitting in rocking chairs in one of the nursery rooms on a midweek afternoon. I had requested the meeting because I had all of these ideas about what ministry should be like, how we could reach more students, etc. I think all of the ideas eventually proved to be ridiculous, but the thing that began to change me was Vernon’s response. He gave me permission to participate in being a solution to the challenges I saw. I had anticipated he may reject my suggestions (which were really suggestions for him, not me), but I never expected to be invited in to being a part of the change I was looking for. I was floored.

So I jumped in and thankfully was advised to participate in what was laid out before I tried to shape what would be. I, along with many others, was given real responsibility in ministry and the opportunity to see the vision lived out. I got to learn more about who God had made me to be by participating in the work that He was doing. It was an incredible experience that resulted in many of us from that group going on to make significant investments in ministry that continue to this day.

So what was the secret of that treasured time for us? It was the fact that we were given real responsibility in ministry well before we were ready (as if “ready” is ever a reality). We were forced to trust God, given work that mattered, and then experienced the joy of seeing God take our meager best and use it for His glory and the good of His people.

It is that spirit that feeds the summer internship program here at Summit. And as we enter the sixth year of this program, it is the fact that God is still faithful to show up and use the work of “mere” interns that keeps me close to them. I love seeing the look in the eyes of a 20-something intern when they begin to understand their role. It is a look that says, “You are going to trust me with that? But that is really important…” I love seeing them have to trust God. I love seeing the humble confidence that develops when God shows up.

This week, we begin to accept applications for the 2014 class of Summer Interns, and I cannot wait to witness what new stories are told, what calls to ministry are confirmed, and what happens when people make incredible sacrifices of their time and energy in order to have a close up view of what God is doing in this church.

WANT TO BE AN INTERN AT SUMMIT THIS SUMMER?
Read all about the program and apply here!

Keeping the Peace Wk 4 – 3/9/14

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 16:22:00 -0400

Learn
Philippians 4:10-13
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Main Idea
In the final week of Keeping the Peace, Jim explored Paul’s words about contentment in Philippians 4:10-13. We learned that contentment is not something we superficially impose upon our current circumstances, but rather something that comes over time. Paul clues us in on how to approach having this attitude. Verse 11 indicates that we must learn contentment. It takes time. We then infer from verse 12 that we must choose contentment independent of our circumstances. Paul used what he had learned and chose to be content both in times of plenty and in times of want. Finally—and thankfully—we see that we are not intended to do this with our own power. Verse 13 famously declares that this is made possible from God’s strength working in us. We as followers of Jesus are to rely upon His strength as we learn what it means to be content, and to choose it daily throughout our lives. The peace of God is found in the strength of God.

Think…
1. How do you define contentment? How do you define biblical contentment? Are they different? Why or why not?

2. When was the last time you felt content? What were the conditions at that time? Were the conditions contributing to your contentment?

3. How can we separate the idea that being content means settling for something less?

4. Do you think Paul is talking strictly of possessions when he talks of being content? Imagine yourself in conditions of extreme material need and in extreme material excess. What does contentment look like in both of those scenarios?

5. Do you feel you are actively learning to be content? Do you feel you are actively choosing to be content?

Discuss…
1. Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10. What do we learn about contentment (and discontentment) from this passage? How might this passage encourage you to learn and choose contentment?

2. Read Philippians 4:13. Do you really believe that? Why or why not? If you do believe it, are you willing to apply it? Why or why not?

3. Jim said that contentment is a call for all Christians but that it’s attainable through God’s strength. Discuss your thoughts and challenges about this statement.

Next Steps
It is not hard to see the similarities between contentment and peace. God calls us to lead lives marked by these qualities. He then gives us the very power we need to fulfill that call. This week, ask Him for that power. Thank Him for the many things He has provided. Perhaps it would be helpful to make a list you could keep with you for encouragement during less peaceful times. In addition to thanking God, ask Him for the kind of contentment only He can provide. Ask Him to give you a peace that surpasses everyone else’s understanding (Philippians 4:7).

PRINTABLE VERSION

Philippians 4 Downloads

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:40:00 -0500

Want a reminder of the challenge we have been asked to do over the next 40 days? We’ve created Philippians 4 wallpaper for your computer desktop, iPhone, and iPad. Download it here for all your devices:

Computer Desktop: 2560 × 1440

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Of Pythons and People

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:47:00 -0500

For the third consecutive year, I have confirmed with my own eyes that there are no pythons in the Everglades. Or, at the very least, that there are no pythons around when I am there.

I have spent three years (OK, really only three days a year for three years) searching for the elusive invasive reptile amongst the vast marshes of South Florida. It has, at times, seemed to be more likely to find a skunk ape (our Florida version of the sasquatch) than an actual python, but I have not been inclined to give up the quest.

The main reason for continuing to return is that there is openness and natural beauty in the Everglades that is hard to find anywhere else in Florida except on open water. It is quite a thing to camp under the stars and hear nothing but the sounds of nature—the conversational chorus of gators complemented by the steady unceasing hum of mosquitos. I go each year to be in nature and to experience the beauty of creation. I go to get away.

This year, two things happened that disrupted that experience. First, one of our boats caught on fire (no, not the boat I built). Second, we accidentally became entrapped and entangled in a mass of tourists and day-trippers. This proved to be far more demoralizing than the boat fire…

There is something that is lost in the experience when you think you are surviving in an untouched wilderness while hunting a reptilian terror, only to stumble on a retired couple from Massachusetts (just guessing their state of origin) who are taking their sweet time photographing everything in sight, seeming to miss all the signs of their not being welcome in my wilderness (signs include bison jerky and swamp water breath, general dirtiness, multiple bladed weapons, and my polite but mild aloofness). These were not the only people who encroached on “our” Everglades and robbed us of the illusion of isolation. There were young men taking their ladies out for a day on the water. There were fathers taking their sons fishing for the day. There were guys driving their mid-life crises past us at 80 mph so they could get to their fishing spot sooner. It seemed for a while that there would be no possibility of regaining serenity and quiet.

The reality is that people often mess up our plans. They slow us down, get in our way, and generally complicate things. We have a sense for how our day, our week, or our life should go, and then people enter the picture and our plans have to bend and adjust or get placed aside altogether.

That perspective, however, gets humbled and matured when you look at the life of Jesus. This man, who had three years of active ministry in which to begin ushering in His Father’s Kingdom, build a following of future leaders to carry on His work, challenge long-held beliefs in the world around Him, demonstrate His divinity through signs and wonders, take the punishment of all our sins so that we could receive grace, and set in course the events that would change the entire world because of His life, seemed always to have time for people. In fact, it seemed that most often His agenda didn’t have to bend to accommodate people; His agenda was people. Jesus changed the world while simultaneously taking time for children, outcasts, the rich, the poor, the confused, the lost, the hurting, and those who were alone.

For an introvert like myself, this is a valuable reminder. There is little I can do that will add value to the world around me that does not directly involve being in the lives of people—my family, my friends, my church, my neighbors.

So upon returning from the Everglades, showered and shorn, I have begun to think about next year’s trip and my strategy to go deeper in the wilds of America’s largest wetlands. In the meantime, however, I have a year’s worth of people to love, to invest in, to receive from, and to follow God together with, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead. This year, my plans are people…

Ash Wednesday

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:18:00 -0500

Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season, a time during which we focus on the attributes of who God is so that we can understand how good He is in comparison to who we are. Through this process, as we approach Easter, we understand more fully how amazing God’s grace is for us. The Scriptures allow us to see who God is in comparison to who we are. It is God’s goodness, not our worthiness, that led Jesus to the cross.

During last week’s sermon, Jim Keller invited us to spend time meditating on one of the virtues from Philippians 4 for each day of Lent. (Download a printable calendar here.)

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
—Philippians 4:8-9

Consider the following as you spend time meditating on each day’s virtue:

• Where is this virtue already present in my daily life?

• How can I aspire to cultivate this virtue in my daily life?

There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. —1 Samuel 2:2

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. —John 3:16-17

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. —Ecclesiastes 3:11

The Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. —Deuteronomy 7:9

Join us for Ash Wednesday services tonight:

@ Herndon: 6:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. (Base Camp provided for children ages 3 months-5 years at the 6:30 p.m. service only.)

@ Waterford: 7 p.m. (Base Camp provided for children ages 3 months-5 years.)

Keeping the Peace Wk 3 – 3/2/14

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:57:00 -0500

Learn
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Main Idea
Thinking and doing. Most of us tend more toward one of these things. This week, Jim Keller encouraged us to engage in both of them. He said we must think before doing, but that we also must not do without thinking. As we continue this week through Philippians 4, we learn that adopting this attitude actually helps in our pursuit of God’s peace. Paul in this passage tells us how to focus our minds and how to direct our actions so that the peace of God may be with us wherever we go.

Think…
1. Are you more of a thinker or a doer? Explain.

2. Think of the list from verse 8. Take some time to think of an example of each one.

3. Read Psalm 139. Consider the ways in which God intimately knows all our thoughts and actions. Jim used the particular example of a TV show pulling him away from purity in his mind. Can you think of something pulling you away from purity or another attribute listed in verse 8?

4. Think of the last time you were prompted to action based on something you read in the Bible. What inspired you to action?

5. Jim said, “Thinking without doing is sheer fantasy. Doing without thinking is simply foolish.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Discuss…
1. Verse 8 challenges us to think. Verse 9 challenges us to do. Which of these do you find more difficult? Do you think one is more important than the other?

2. Consider those in your Connect group or close circle of friends or family. How might the thinkers encourage the doers? How might the doers encourage the thinkers?

3. Jim recalled the night this passage from Philippians began to change his life. Reading from the King James Version, he pointed out that the first sentence of verse 9 ends with the word do. Jim had never internalized the concept that all the things he had been reading he might actually do someday. Have you internalized the concept of actually doing what you read in the Bible? Has that “someday” yet become today? Why or why not?

Next Steps
Pursuing a thought life that focuses on the virtues in Philippians 4:8 is not something that comes naturally. It requires determination and mental effort. Sure, we all have thoughts enter our minds unexpectedly, but we have a choice as to whether or not to dwell on them. Our actions (verse 9) must be given the same level of intentionality and effort. But thankfully we are not left to do this all with our own strength. We have the power of the God of the universe working from within to give us the strength we need. Not only that, but when we have our thoughts and actions aligned with Paul’s example, we see that God’s peace will become a close companion. Knowing this, consider this week how you might begin dwelling on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Consider using the Lent calendar you received in service to help guide you through this process. (Didn’t get a calendar? Download a printable PDF here. They will also be available at this week’s Ash Wednesday services.)

PRINTABLE VERSION

Keeping the Peace Wk 2 – 2/23/14

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 16:29:00 -0500

Learn
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Main Idea
When is the last time you felt joy? In Week 2 of Jim Keller’s sermon series Keeping the Peace, we were challenged with this question. In Philippians 4, Paul encourages us to rejoice in the Lord, and he gives us two conduits to help build rejoicing into our lives. Using this passage, Jim helped us to see two key points. First, we need to be gentle. This enables us to see that we cannot force something to happen. Second, we must approach everything in prayer. Prayer helps us to say very clearly that we cannot fix things on our own. In a world packed with appointments, deadlines, and soccer practice, we see the ever-growing need for gentleness and prayer in our lives.

Think…
1. Do you differentiate between happiness and joy? Why or why not? How does this affect our rejoicing in the Lord?

2. Read Proverbs 15:1. What are some ways you can be gentle that might help cool the temperature of a conflict or even the temperature within your own mind? Have you witnessed an example of this?

3. What are you trying to force? How can you use gentleness to communicate the attitude that deep down you know you cannot force it?

4. The second conduit that helps us to rejoice in the Lord is prayer. What do your conversations with God normally sound like?

5. What are you trying to fix? How can you use prayer to communicate the attitude that deep down you know you cannot fix it?

Discuss…
1. Consider Galatians 5:22-24. How does gentleness compare to some of the other fruits mentioned?

2. Discuss your thoughts on prayer.

3. Jim said, “God has called you and me in the midst of all the turmoil to a life of peace.” Do you view being more gentle and praying more merely as additional items on your to-do list? How might the incorporation of these two things actually transform your to-do list?

Next Steps
Before you plunge headfirst into another week, take some time to pause your thoughts. Pray through your schedule for the week. Ask God to do all the fixing for you. Ask Him what role you are supposed to play in that fixing. For the things you feel you can control, consider the control you truly have. Think of some ways you can incorporate gentleness in your handling of these matters. Find a friend with whom you can report back and forth about these things. Consider the ways these changes affect your ability to rejoice in the Lord.

PRINTABLE VERSION

SERMON PODCAST

Measured in Stories: Steps in Obedience

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 13:50:00 -0500

What would your response be if you were called by God to go love and serve others across oceans? In the summer of 2013, Summit was able to send their third special needs team to Malawi. The children there needed to know that not only are they uniquely made by God, but they have dignity to serve others regardless of their disabilities. A much larger story continues to unfold within the community of Malawi, but in return, God also unfolds a change within the team who obeyed the call to go and join what God is already doing in Africa.

Watch their story here.

Measured in Stories: Steps in Obedience from Summit Church on Vimeo.

Interested in going to Africa on one of our summer team trips? Click here for more information.

The Forum Podcast

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 14:51:00 -0500

On February 18th, 2014 at The Forum, the Summit family gathered for a night of worship, prayer, and updates from church leadership on what’s next for Summit. For those who weren’t able to attend, don’t worry. We recorded it for you! Just click on the buttons below to listen.

A few highlights…

• Multi-site Development Minister / Local and Global Partnerships Director Garry Abbott shared the latest news about Summit’s partnerships in Africa.

• O.J. Aldrich was commissioned as the new Lake Mary campus minister. (Welcome to Lake Mary, O.J.!)

• Organizational Development Pastor Jeff Kern dug deeper into the heart and vision behind our new Summit University classes.

• Worship Pastor Andy Simonds gave an update on the Teaching Team.

• Communications Director Kristy-Lee Lawley and Lead Pastor John Parker helped us understand the results of our church-wide survey from November.

… and more!

Listen here:

The Forum Part 1

The Forum Part 2

Keeping the Peace Wk 1 – 2/16/14

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 15:10:00 -0500

Learn
Philippians 4:1-3
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

See also Romans 12, Matthew 18:15

Main Idea
In the first week of our new series, Keeping the Peace, Jim Keller challenged us with the idea of working together as a church. Too often fellow members of the Body of Christ allow differences to hinder the greater work they are called to do together. In Philippians 4, Paul urges the people to “be of the same mind in the Lord.” Jim helped us to see that this doesn’t mean everyone has to think identically. However, it does mean that we need to be in agreement in the work God has called us to do. And it means we need to agree to do it together. We need not allow something as minor as keeping the peace stand in the way of the greater work to which God has called us.

Think…
1. Think about previous times you’ve been able to work or serve alongside other Christians. What stories, either good or bad, stick out to you most?

2. When conflicts arise between believers, do you find that people often focus on the larger goal of building God’s kingdom in this world? Why or why not?

3. Read Romans 12:18. What are some steps you could take to live at peace with everyone? What are some limitations to this that Paul may have had in mind when he wrote this?

4. Think about what it means to be first and foremost a citizen of heaven instead of a citizen of any particular country. How might this affect our attitudes toward others?

5. Jim said that unresolved conflicts in a church community would prevent us from fulfilling the greater goal of spreading God’s kingdom in this world. Why do you think this is true?

Discuss…
1. Jim challenged us with the idea of Christians often treating church as a commodity meant solely for their consumption. He said we should not treat our membership in the Body of Christ as an individual sport. Rather, it is vital that we focus on our needs for each other. How can we focus not only on what we need but on what others need as well? How can we focus on a community of encouragement, advice, and rebuke within the members of the Body?

2. Think about a time you were in another town or another country where you may have felt out of place. Did you meet anyone from your hometown you instantly felt a connection with? What would it look like if all Christians treated each other with the same type of familiarity, comfort, and camaraderie?

3. Consider Matthew 18:15-17. Now think about a previous (or present) conflict between Christ-followers. Is there any overlap between the passage and how things were (or are being) settled?

Next Steps
When it comes down to it, relationships are hard work. But Paul assures us that the hard work is worth it. He demonstrates to us that if we love each other and support one another, the result can be greater than we had ever imagined. This week, think through some ways you can be an example of cooperation to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Consider ways you might support and pray for other believers, while encouraging them to do the same. Think of a fellow Christ-follower whom you may be at odds with. What are some steps you could take this week to begin overcoming your differences?

PRINTABLE VERSION

SERMON PODCAST

Why I Love Family Camp

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:20:00 -0500

One of the biggest highlights of 2013 was our first annual Family Camp. A few disclaimers before I get into this:

1. I love camp.

2. I love families (especially mine, but also yours). I love that God uses our families to tell His story. That is an amazing and humbling thing.

3. I love Southwind. I started a relationship with Christ there. I have had the amazing privilege of being with hundreds of students who have done the same at that very place. I have spent more than two years of my life there, between working there and taking students. It holds a special place in my heart.

Family Camp came out of a conversation between Tracy Beeson (Children’s Ministry Director) and I when I first started working at Summit. We were reminiscing about our times at camp, specifically at Southwind, and started dreaming of getting our families together at camp to experience it together. Within a year we were at camp and had one of the best weekends of our life.

There are so many things that I loved about Family Camp. I love that my family got to spend time with other families that we go to church with. I love that we shared meals together with people we may not have known before. I love that we laughed a whole lot together. I love that characters came out at meals and surprised us. I love that Base Camp Live! put on a full production at camp. I love that Student Ministry, Base Camp, and BCL all had a hand in planning and running camp together. I love that parents got a chance to sit around and have a cup of coffee together and reconnect. I love that kids got to go on an adventure and do new things. I love that families created shared memories that will last a lifetime. I love that we captured some of them on film! I love that people have pulled me aside in the Lobby every Sunday since last March to tell me how great camp was.

And I love that we are doing it again March 28th-30th. Family Camp is coming. There is still room. I love that almost every family that signed up last year is already signed up this year, many within minutes of registration opening. This year is going to build on the success of last year and create space for new memories to be formed. I can’t wait, and I’m excited to spend the weekend with you. So get your families together, sign up, and get ready for an amazing weekend filled with great food, great fun, and great memories.

Click here to register for Family Camp 2014!