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