Christ Presented to the People

Christ Presented to the People, Stage 3 by Rembrandt

Christ Presented to the People, Stage 8 by Rembrandt

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of the Holy Week where Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead...The most important week in Jesus' life and ministry! This message was shared with Chase Oaks during services this weekend by Greg Holmes, and it is too good not to share...

Rembrandt made quite a few changes in the two pieces of art above.  In the final image, Rembrandt cropped some off the top.  He changed a few of the details. But, most notably, he removed the crowd in the foreground - a puzzling decision. The image is still called Christ Presented to the People, but now there are no people.  When Greg first came across these etchings, he was looking at them side by side.  He asked himself, "Where are the people?"  "Who are Pilate and Jesus looking at?"  Then, Greg remembered his mouth just falling open.  They were looking at at us...We are the people!  It wasn't just that crowd 2,000 years ago that has to make a decision about Jesus.  We have to make a decision about Him, too!  I have to admit...This was the part of his sermon that gave me what I like to call Godbumps!  To view the sermon based study, please visit Christ Presented to the People.

Starting today on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday, these readings are designed to focus our attention on Jesus and His love to the uttermost (John 13:1).  These meditations are all excerpted from the preaching and ministry of John Piper.  To download, please visit Love to the Uttermost: Devotional Readings for Holy Week.

This Easter, we encourage you to start a new tradition with Easter Dinner!  Please visit A Holy Experience for more information.  Thank you to our Brother and Sister in Christ, Chris and Christina, for introducing the Seder tradition to our LifeGroup family...It's an annual event that we look forward to every year!

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19

Shayna

The Art Of Neighboring

I recently attended The Art of Neighboring Groups Leadership Conference at Chase Oaks Church and was challenged with this by Dave Runyon... What if Jesus meant that we should love our actual neighbors?

When Jesus was asked to sum up everything into one command, he said to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Most of us have turned this simple idea of loving our neighbors into a nice saying, putting it on bumper stickers and refrigerator magnets and then going on with our lives without actually putting it into practice.  

Jesus is a Genius - Who Is My Neighbor?

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.  "Do this and you will live."  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Luke 10:25-29  Dave said, "When we try to love everyone...we often end up loving no one."  

You can download the Block Map Resource at www.theartofneighboring.com.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

With our neighbors, we should be beneficial, authentic, and open.  I miss Mr. Rogers, and he said it best here http://viewpure.com/Upm9LnuCBUM.

Overcoming Roadblocks

Strangers ---> Block Map/Acquaintances ---> Block Party/Relationship ---> Host a Meal

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."  Acts 17:26-27  Dave said, "God has placed us in our specific neighborhoods for a reason."

Final Thoughts

Dave said, "Sometimes we need to forego some good things to devote time and energy to better things, the main things - loving God and loving our neighbors."  He also said, "We don't love our neighbors to convert them; we love our neighbors because we are converted." 

I can't wait to read this book and begin to love and transform our own neighborhood!

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19

Shayna

Back to Blogging

This isn't the way we had planned to get back in to blogging, but sometimes God gives you the nudge that you need.

Today we lost a father figure to many and the verse Jeremiah 29:11, one of our favorites, was mentioned... 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

No one knew when we woke up this morning and began 2014 that Rusty Franklin would be leaving us today.  Although we all selfishly would have loved for him to remain here on Earth, we have no doubt that he heard the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!", as found in Matthew 25:21, when he was at home with the Lord.

"We thank God every time we remember you, Rusty." Philippians 1:3

We found this picture on Rusty's Facebook page, and it made us tear up and laugh at the same time.  This is exactly how we picture Rusty looking over us from Heaven!

We had originally planned to blog about new beginnings, and we guess this is a new beginning of sorts...A life without Rusty Franklin for his family, friends, and Plano East.  His spirit will live on in all of our hearts...
  
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19
Jason and Shayna

Happy EasTer!

Well...This EasTer we slept in.  Sara found her Resurrection Eggs that the EasTer Bunny hid in the kitchen this year thanks to the much needed rain showers outside.  We took some time to open each egg and retell the EasTer Story.  You can find the preschool friendly version we used at: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/Resurrection_Eggs.pdf 

For brinner (breakfast for dinner) we made our Resurrection Rolls...

We dipped the body of Jesus (marshmallow) in oil (butter) and rolled it in spices (cinnamon sugar) to place inside the linen cloth (crescent rolls). 

We placed these inside our tomb (oven) for 3 days (15 minutes at 350 degrees).

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay."  Matthew 28:6

Happy EasTer 2012!  May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Special thanks to my Sister in Christ - Noelle...Without her inspiration, we wouldn't have these beloved traditions for our family!

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19
Shayna

The Story of Easter Day 7

On this awesome day, we'll spend time meditating on the cross, the empty grave and all that it has given to us.  But let's also meditate on the task this day calls us to "go and make disciples..."  The pure gospel that Christ passed on to His disciples was the good news of a grace to be passed on, not just received.  Jesus left His disciples equipped to make other disciples, to bear fruit.  We can tell it worked because the people that they made disciples of were making disciples too.  And so it has been passed on for two thousand years.  But probably in every generation, certainly in ours, sometimes the gospel we spread mutates into something weaker.  Instead of truly bearing fruit, we cultivate seedless grapes.  As we spend time worshiping and thanking God today for the grace we have received, let us pray to be more challenged than ever to pass on that grace and to live out the Great Commission.    

Read and Reflect on Matthew 26-28

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19
Shayna

The Story of Easter Day 6

The woman broke her jar and poured out all of her perfume.  She lavishly wasted everything that was of value to her.  Breaking her jar effectively eliminated any chance of keeping any for her own use, then or later.  She gave everything she had - past, present, and future - to Him.  Jesus said that people would remember her remarkable love forever.  Then at the last supper, those same words appeared again.  He broke His body and poured out His blood for us.  This time when you read Jesus saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," don't just picture crackers and grape juice.  See communion as a picture of what it calls us to.  He was beckoning us to do what He did: be broken and poured out.  Go all in.  Hold nothing in reserve.  Completely relinquish control.  That's what would truly commemorate what Jesus did.  Not cherishing a ritual, but being a memorial.  What should "broken and poured out" look like in your life?

Read and Reflect on Mark 14-16

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19
Shayna

The Story of Easter Day 5

Paul wrote in Philippians 3 that he wanted "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."  Although it seems impossible to want to experience this horrific scene, the miracle this story offers is that we can truly know Christ.  When we look at the peace, joy, serenity, and grace shining through all the violence, you can see the beauty of becoming like Him in His death.  How simple His life had been trusting wholly on God.  He had no earthly care but a mother who He entrusted to His best friend.  His only asset was a robe that fell to a gambling guard.  That simplicity.  That clarity of focus.  That devotion to God's purpose.  That complete trust in His Father.  That is something to long for. 

Read and Reflect on Luke 22-24

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19
Shayna