Gateway is a little tribe who gathers in Bridgeville, DE to worship God, pray, share, and be formed as a family gathered around Jesus.
People don't do what's most logical, we do what we believe will make us feel good. Science, psychology, and marketing all verify this, and it makes us often confused by our own choices and the choices of others.How do we leverage this insight for our thriving?How does this impact our approach to God and inviting others to the life of faith?
This talk is based on Galatians 3:14."He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."
"The tongue is connected to the heart!" (Theresa said that during the chat.)James 3 provided the context of this Whiteboard session.
What matters most? This chat is about the bullseye of the target and what we tend to get sidetracked by instead.(Based on the parable of the good samaritan in Luke 10).
John 15:4-5 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
An easter message from Romans 5."For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Rom 5:10)
"As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."John 3:14-15
The master of the banquet tasted the good wine, but didn't know where it came from. He completely missed both the miracle and the divine love it revealed. How often do we do that?
The Lord Almighty fights for us.Therefore teach usto fight with weapons of light, not carnal weaponsthe way of the cross, not the way of the swordto bless and not curse (Rom 12:14),to give thanks and not grumble.As we suffer injustice, following Jesus,we entrust ourselves to our Faithful Creatorand continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)Pain and pleasure come and go, but God remains. So today I intend to meet all pain with tenderness and meet all pleasure with open hands.
Coming home to God also involves coming home to yourself and returning to what you've neglected and misused, learning from Jesus the art of really living.
Don't avoid it. Don't get stuck in it. Go through.5 What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.7 They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Zion.(Psalm 84:5-7)
This chat centers around the concept of how transformation happens, which is by gazing upon the beauty of God seen in the face of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4 was the main text.
There's something uniquely bonding about going on a spiritual pilgrimage together.
Our Father in heaven,Reveal who you are.Set the world right;Do what's best— as above, so below.Keep us alive with three square meals.Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.You're in charge!You can do anything you want!You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.'
This was the 3rd session of fresh encounter.
...about Jesus always leading us in triumph, the aroma of Christ, and then I chat a bit about who exactly this gospel is for based on Isaiah 61.
I'm a blessed man. My future is bright. My best days are ahead. I'm the beloved of God...
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. (James 3:13-17 NRS)
James 5:13-20 New Revised Standard 13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
A.K.A. "Adversity can wreck our faith." That's why we need each other! This chat is based on some of Paul's thoughts in 1 Thessalonians chapters 2 and 3.
Isaiah 9, wintertime blues, 75 inch tv, dollar store candy, and more. It's a Christmas chat.
This was two separate topics we chatted about at last night's Wednesday Whiteboard.
Luke 15:1-2 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
I spent a week in the mountains with young people doing inner healing work. It's always intense and special. And it is SO good to have such a grace-community to come home to.
Joel is a real friend to Gateway. He spoke while I was away in Costa Rica.
What gets my attention is more important to who we become than what happens.
Our overseer Mark conducted the service to formally recognize Carl and Stan as assistant pastors at Gateway.
What is your conscience? Does it always line up with God's truth? How can we line it up? What are some religious approaches to a defiled conscience? What about religious approaches to a clean conscience? What are some gospel solutions to deal with a defiled conscience? How is conviction different than condemnation? How is an orphan spirit different from the Spirit of Adoption? What's a hyperactive conscience? What's a seared conscience?
What perfectionism isn't, what it is, what kinds of things it says, and some things that might work better for us, such as... "Done is better than perfect." "Just keep moving." "We ain't building no piani." (Acceptable tolerances)
Do I fit in? Do I belong? If they really knew me, would they really love me?
12 Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.14 For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. (Heb 3:12-14 NRS)
This is the first time someone was so tall I could barely fit them in the baptismal tub. :)
I wrote this for me, but shared it in case others may find it helpful.
What is it that God most wants from and FOR you and me?
"A bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out."
Fear and mere human reasoning are not the life God intends us to live by faith and the insights of his self-revelation. There is a better, way more peaceful, way more hopeful way, by the Word of God.
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