Starting September 12, in the Equipping Hour, we will spend approximately 8 weeks going through Crown Financial Ministries’ book, Your Money Map.

Your Money Map has, at its foundation, a solid, readable overview of the key principles from the wealth of scriptures on finances. It also covers the practical applications of the Scriptures’ teaching. One unique thing about the book is that it provides a great “big picture” perspective on financial goals through the various seasons of life, and it prioritizes these into a series of seven “destinations”. Very helpful.

Whatever your age, and even if you have been through a study on Biblical finances before, we encourage you to participate. You may sign up using the form below or contact David Barfield (dave.) or you can fill out the form provided in the Sunday bulletin. Please indicate your interest by August 30 so we can order a book for you ($8).

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We are continuing our study called Thirsty? which is about having a passionate pursuit of God. For a couple more weeks, we’ll be exploring this idea of how God does and does not speak to us today. Click here for the most recent 1-page overviews of these studies.

Service (10:30 a.m.)

• Announcements:
  • David Barfield will be starting a new class during the 9 a.m. Equipping Hour on Sunday mornings starting September 12. Your Money Map is an excellent resource developed by Crown Financial Ministries and will be the tool used for the course. Please use the form in your bulletin to sign up, or contact David Barfield for more information (dave.).
  • For the next several weeks, the Antioch School will be focused on mentoring tasks, so there will be no Thursday night course work. We’ll let you know when the course work starts up again. Contact Shaun if you have any questions about the Antioch School (shaun@community-bible.org).
• Songs (click on links to listen/watch):
  • Glory to God Forever
  • Indescribable
  • Mighty To Save
  • Take My Life and Let It Be
  • Breathe
• Message by Shaun LePage and Scott Schultz: A Laborer is Worthy of His Wages! (Listen on the CBC Podcast):

Introduction: We heard Mitch Langley’s testimony about how he was saved and called into full-time ministry.

Request, Part 1: We’re asking you to help make Mitch Langley a full-time staff member.

• As you know, Mitch is currently leading worship for us, and would like to be much more involved in campus ministry at KU. Due to his financial situation, he is currently only able to lead worship.
• Mitch is paying his bills in 3 ways: 1) CBC is giving him a small amount, 2) He has been raising support through various contacts throughout the midwest, and 3) he is working as a para for the Lawrence public school system. Both raising support and the para job are very time-consuming, which limits his ability to do ministry.
• Mitch has received financial counseling from Elder Scott Schultz, who is satisfied that Mitch is handling his finances well. Mitch’s wife, Kristi, is having health problems and Mitch is working toward adopting Kristi’s two sons. Both of these situations have been a financial burden for the Langleys.

Request, Part 2:

• Scott Schultz reported on the status quo of CBC’s finances.
• He explained our vision for leadership development. A vision beyond our four walls. It includes our Antioch apprentices such as Nate Morsches, Jesse Schultz and Kenny Kies as well as other opportunities overseas.
• He reminded us of our immediate capital need of around $2300 for the upgrades to the sound system (most of that project was covered by a grant from the Oldham Little Church Foundation).
• He explained that our request is that you would help us make it possible for Mitch to quit his para job and devote that time instead to CBC. That would require $1500 per month and it will need to be over and above regular giving because CBC has been running about $200 short of expenses during the first half of 2010.
• He reminded us that the fuel for any successful ministry is the giving of time, talent and treasure—which includes sacrificial, joyful giving.
• Everyone was asked to pray about this situation for a week and let us know next Sunday (August 29) whether they would be able to help.

We are continuing our study called Thirsty? which is about having a passionate pursuit of God. For a couple more weeks, we’ll be exploring this idea of how God does and does not speak to us today. Click here for the most recent 1-page overviews of these studies.

Service (10:30 a.m.)

• Announcements:
  • John Masson’s Birthday! We sang happy birthday to John.
  • Mike, Tami and Bre McClintock officially joined CBC. Welcome McClintock family!
• Songs (click on links to listen/watch):
  • One Way
  • Let My Worship Be My Life
  • Better Is One Day
  • Revelation Song
  • It Is Well With My Soul
• Message by Shaun LePage: Why Did Jesus Come? (An overview of the Gospel of Mark)! (Listen on the CBC Podcast):

I. Introduction

A. If you found yourself facing persecution, what would you want? What would you need? If you were going to suffer for your faith, you’d want to know that you were following the real Jesus and His teachings.

B. Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark during a time of intense persecution under Nero. The future his readers faced required faith. In Mark, we find powerful answers to the question, Why did Jesus come?

II. An Overview of The Gospel of Mark:

A. Why Did Jesus Come? To preach a message. In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus had a crowd! But, He went off by Himself to pray. When the disciples found Him and asked what He was doing, “He said to them, ‘Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.’” (Mark 1:38) Jesus was driven by purpose! And His purpose was to preach a message. What was this message?

1.  
   1. “The Kingdom is at hand!” The first part of Jesus’ message was about the Messiah’s earthly kingdom. Jesus offered the kingdom to Israel in the first century, but because they rejected Him, this earthly kingdom was postponed. Later, in chapter 13, Jesus promised that even though the kingdom was postponed, He would inaugurate His kingdom in the future—at His Second Coming.
   2. “Jesus Christ, the Son of God!” Going back to Mark 1:1, we find the primary message of the Gospel of Mark: Jesus Himself. The fact of who Jesus was (is) was proclaimed by the
      Father (1:11; 9:7), proclaimed by the Son (2:1-12, 28; 8:38; 14:61; 15:2), proven by His miracles (Mark listed 18 specific miracles including casting out demons, healing all kinds of diseases, feeding thousands with one kid’s lunch, and calming storms!), and professed by eyewitnesses (4:41; 15:39, etc.).
   3. “Do not be afraid any longer…only believe!” Fear is a major aspect of Jesus’ message in Mark. In 4:40, Jesus made it clear that fear is a lack of faith. In 5:36, the positive challenge Jesus gave this synagogue official is what Jesus has to say about fear! Why not fear? Because of who Jesus is! If our faith is in Him, we have nothing to fear.

B.  Why Did Jesus Come? To pay a ransom. Mark 10:45 is the key verse for this half of the book. Again, notice the purpose: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

1.  
   1. In verse, Jesus predicted His death and resurrection by saying He came to “give His life” (see also 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; 12:8; 14:8,27-28).
   2. He also explained His death and resurrection by calling it a “ransom”. This explains why He did it. Galatians 4:4-9 helps us understand this imagery: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?”
   3. Mark 10:45 also reveals that Jesus chose His death and resurrection! He said He came to “give” this ransom. He walked right up to Jerusalem to die. He went there after predicting numerous times that He would suffer and die. For the “many” including you and me (Read 15:16-39; 16:1-8).

III. Closing—The Gospel of Mark teaches us the greatest weapon in the battle against fear: Faith.

A. The way Mark wrote, the details he chose to include, were perfect for those who were afraid—facing persecution, suffering and death. He was telling them—and us—to look to this Jesus—the Son of God, the Suffering Servant—for the courage to endure whatever God asks us to go through in serving Him. In other words, Fight fear with faith.

B.  Fighting fear with faith means putting your faith in the message of the Son of God—He is the kingdom and has the future in His hands. It means trusting in who He really is. Mark tells us He is worthy of that trust; authority to keep His promises, power to still all our storms, compassion to accept the worst of sinners and care deeply for those who follow Him and become part of His family. It means following the example of Jesus and preaching good news even in the face of rejection. Final word (if 16:9ff is not original) is “afraid”. What effect did their fear have? “said nothing to anyone.” Fight fear with faith. 

C.  Fighting fear with faith means looking to the example of Jesus—the Suffering Servant—who endured the Cross for us; it means finding strength in knowing that He bought us out of our slavery to sin and because of His resurrection, we have been set free from the penalty of sin and will someday be eternally free of the presence of sin.

D. Dr. E. Stanley Jones (Source unknown): “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath—these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely—these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.’ But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

Most people think they are spiritually mature, but how can we know? Can that sort of thing be measured? (If you’re not sure you’re a saved/born again Christian, click here.)

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 about how to identify a spiritually mature person for leadership—men who could serve as elders and deacons in the local church. In the process, he described multiple qualities of a spiritually mature person. A tangible list to help us evaluate our own lives to determine whether we are maturing in Christ. Men and women throughout church history have used this list as a self-evaluation tool to get a clear picture of where they are right now and then develop a plan for growth in the future.

We invite you to use our on-line SPIRITUAL MATURITY SELF-EVALUATION TOOL. It consists of 20 questions developed from The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz (A study of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9). We strongly suggest you buy the book and do this evaluation on an even deeper level, but the SPIRITUAL MATURITY SELF-EVALUATION TOOL is a great way to get started.

The key is to be brutally honest with yourself—soberminded. Not prideful on one extreme and not guilty of false-humility on the other. Ask God to lead you through the process and help you see reality—then give you clear direction about how to grow.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments or if we can be helpful to you as you seek to grow to maturity in Christ.

We are continuing our study called Thirsty? which is about having a passionate pursuit of God. For a couple more weeks, we’ll be exploring this idea of how God does and does not speak to us today. Click here for the most recent 1-page overviews of these studies.

Service (10:30 a.m.)

• Announcements:
  • Shannon Vann and Megan Barfield are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy Birthday!
  • Please take a look at the cleaning schedule and consider taking a turn at helping us keep our facility clean.
  • Special Thanks to the Tomlins and Deasons for hosting our first ever baptism and fish fry yesterday (August 7). Your hospitality and generosity was a blessing to all!
  • Mom’s Time is moving to Mondays. Still from 9:30-11:30 a.m. but now on Mondays.
• Songs (click on links to listen/watch):
  • Forever
  • How Beautiful the Cross
  • The Wonderful Cross
  • Hungry
• Message by Shaun LePage: Who Is Jesus (An overview of the Gospel of Matthew)! (Listen on the CBC Podcast):

I. Introduction

A. What goes through your mind when you hear the name: Jesus Christ? Perhaps you think of a hippie-like pacifist. Perhaps one of many actors who has portrayed Jesus—usually with blue eyes and a British accent. Perhaps you remember the last time you heard “Jesus Christ” used as a curse word.

B. What about the people you know? Who is the Jesus they know? Have they invented a palatable Jesus they can live with? A Jesus who is content to be a minor part of their lives? Is their Jesus more defined by their own traditions or opinions than by the Bible? Someone has said that our task with many people is to introduce Jesus. But, for many others, the task is to reintroduce Him to those who think they know Him.

C. Matthew can be extremely helpful—let’s get better acquainted with the first book of NT:

D. 2 Keys to Understanding Matthew:

1. Matthew wrote to Jews (primarily). He quotes or alludes to the Old Testament far more than the other three gospels writers. Over and over he tells us Jesus “fulfilled”  prophecies about Messiah (Christ).

2. Matthew wrote to defend. He had a mission: introduce people to the real Jesus. He was answering the question, “Who is Jesus?”. There were then—as there are now—many false notions about Jesus: Wasn’t He a bastard child? He couldn’t be Messiah—He was from Galilee! He didn’t rise from the dead—His body was stolen. Matthew wrote to set the record straight.

II. An Overview of The Gospel of Matthew: Who is Jesus? Matthew 16:13-17 was a monumental moment. Jesus asked, “Who do people say that I am?” Then he asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter got it right: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Yes, there is a right answer! It is not acceptable to define Him however we want! Jesus made this clear when He said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”

A. In the first eleven chapters, Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and offered the kingdom to Israel. By listing Jesus’ origins and teachings and miracles, Matthew demonstrated that He actually was the Messiah.

B.  In chapters 12-27, Jesus’ offer was rejected. Most of His own people rejected Him as King and Messiah. This, of course, led to the Cross. Matthew explained that Christ’s enemies—the Jewish leaders—rejected Him, but they were wrong to do so. He showed how Jesus prepared the few who did believe for His departure. They would serve as His witnesses. Then, of course, Matthew described the official rejection—the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

C.  In the final chapter of the book (28), Jesus proves Himself by rising from the dead. Then, a massive shift takes place—Jesus sent His followers no longer exclusively to the Jews, but to the Gentiles! He gave them the Great Commission.

III. In a sense, the same choices are ours today:

A. Will you receive Him or reject Him? The Jews were not willing to receive their Messiah as He truly was. They rejected Him. Jesus’ question echoes down through time: Who do you say Jesus is? There is a right answer!

B.  Will you serve Him or ignore Him? His Great Commission is not optional. If you’re a Christian, you’ll either serve Him or ignore Him. Like Matthew, we must do what we can to set the record straight in our time—to reintroduce people to the Jesus of Scripture. Just as Jesus offered Himself to the Jews, we must present Jesus to our world. Many will reject Him—hanging onto foolish notions about Jesus being a hippie, the leader of a mushroom cult, or Mary Magdalene’s husband—but some will receive the truth and believe in the true Christ.

We are continuing our study called Thirsty? which is about having a passionate pursuit of God. After a break in July, we returned to this study with a focus on how God speaks. For a couple more weeks, we’ll be exploring this idea of how God does and does not speak to us today. Click here for the most recent 1-page overviews of these studies.

Service (10:30 a.m.)

• Announcements:
  • The Deasons and Tomlins will host a Baptism and Fish-Fry this Saturday, August 7 at 4:00. (Click here for a map and other details). Plan to join us for a great time together.
  • We’re in need of a nursery worker. Please contact Beth LePage if you can help.
  • Your opportunity to get in on the “cleaning ministry” is at hand. We need someone to take the last week of August. Contact Madalan Vann if you can serve that week.
• Songs (click on links to listen/watch):
  • Everlasting God
  • As For Me
  • You Are The Lord (A Mitch Langley Original)
  • O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (a little different than our version but a fresh version of this great old classic.)
  • All I Need
• Message by Shaun LePage: God Has Spoken! (Listen on the CBC Podcast):

Introduction: From beginning (Genesis 1:3: “Then God said…”) to end (Revelation 22:20: Jesus “testifies…I am coming quickly!”), the confident claim of the Bible is this: God has spoken!

Read Hebrews 1:1-3

 A. (1) God spoke the Old Testament

  1. “To the fathers in the prophets”. This is another way of saying, “Old Testament” (OT).

  2. “Many portions and in many ways”. God spoke the OT in many ways: audible voice (Moses, Samuel), types (tabernacle, sacrifices), visions (Daniel, Ezekiel), dreams (Joseph, Nebuchadnezzar), stories (Ruth, Elijah), writings of men (David’s Psalms, Solomon’s Proverbs). God spoke the OT using all different kinds of literature: stories, poetry, laws, proverbs and prophecy.

  3. It was actual history, using the minds and vocal chords and pens of men, but it was God speaking according to Heb1:1 (Peter agreed. See 2 Peter 1:21-22).

  4. These weren’t just random thoughts either. God spoke promises to Abraham and said His descendents would be His chosen people. He spoke through Moses and gave them His Law, telling them how to live holy lives. He gave them the promised land and told them to remember, glorify and obey Him. When they didn’t, He spoke through many different prophets for hundreds of years pleading with them to live righteously. Finally, He kept the promises He had spoken hundreds of years earlier and removed them from the land. Even then, He spoke again, promising a Messiah, a King who would deliver them.

  5. After all that speaking, God went silent. 400 years passed and the people heard nothing. This silence must have been deafening because as beautiful and rich and wonderful as the OT is, it is incomplete. It was filled with pictures and symbols that remained unexplained. It was filled with promises that had not been kept. Then…

 B. (2-3) God spoke in His Son

  1. “In these last days He has spoken to us in His Son”

     a) Soak in the holiness of that statement. Perhaps God was silent for 400 years because He was drawing the breath necessary for this greatest of Words.

     b) Read John 1:1,14,17-18. Jesus is the Final Word of God, the fulfillment of all His promises.

  2. There are many different opinions about who Jesus is: great teacher, political revolutionary, first hippie! But the Bible teaches that Jesus was far greater than any of these human ideas: Look at this list in Hebrews 1:2-3 alone:

     a) (2) “whom He appointed heir of all things” . He owns everything that exists.

     b) (2) “through whom also He made the world” . He is Creator God!

     c) (3) “And He is the radiance of His glory” . He is God! He “radiates” God’s glory—giving us a glimpse of the God who is so glorious, no one may look at Him and live.

     d) (3) “And the exact representation of His nature” . Again, He is God—not just a picture, but in His very nature (see Colossians 2:9).

     e) (3) “And upholds all things by the word of His power” . This is almost belaboring the point: He is God. The One who “upholds all things” or administrates everything He created!

     f) (3) “When He had made purification of sins”. He is Savior, Sacrifice, Priest, Mediator between God and man and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

     g) (3) “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. The “right hand” is the power side. Jesus is now reexalted to His place of glory that He left to come and be our Substitute.

  3. So, God spoke in His Son. When He returned to the right hand of the Majesty on high, did He go silent? No! Acts 1:1-8 tells us that Luke’s first account (Gospel of Luke) was written to document “all that Jesus began to do and teach” while on earth. But, Acts—Luke’s second account—was what Jesus continued to do and teach! Through His Apostles—His witnesses—Jesus continued to do great things and teach great truth. This is what we now call the New Testament (NT).

 C. (2-3) God spoke the New Testament

  1. The big point is that God spoke the entire NT! Don’t make the “red letter” mistake thinking the red letters are somehow more important. They’re not! All the NT is what Jesus taught. See John14:26; 16:12-14. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus continued to speak to and through His Apostles.

  2. What did He say? Just like the OT, God spoke through history, writings (letters) and prophecy.

     a) The Gospels (Matthew,Mark, Luke and John) give us eyewitness testimony of the “Kerygma” (Preaching or Gospel). They all follow the same basic format: Jesus is the promised Messiah of the OT, He did miraculous deeds to prove it, He died as a perfect Sacrifice, He rose from the dead and commissioned His followers to go into all the world, tell what He has done, offer salvation to all who believe and lead those who believe into His church.

     b) The Book of Acts tells us how the church started out very Jewish, then Peter was used to introduce the message to the Gentiles and Paul was commissioned to also preach to the Gentiles as well as administrate the Church—to establish new Gentile believers in the faith through local churches.

     c) The Epistles focus on the Church—Paul’s letters focus on Gentiles, while the rest of the letters focus primarily on Jewish believers. The focus is still on Jesus and is in fact, His teaching given through Apostles.

     d) The Book of Revelation is the climax of history! The end of this present age. The exaltation of Christ.

  3. Over the next several months, we’ll continue the His Story series of messages by taking a look at all 27 books of the NT.

God has spoken and it cannot be ignored. We’re so used to it that we forget just how important this truth is.

Years ago, missionaries showed the Jesus film to a primitive tribe in the jungles of East Asia. They had never heard of Jesus; Then, all at once, they saw it all—the gospel in their own language. Can you imagine how it felt to see for the first time this good man Jesus, who healed the sick and was adored by children, held without trial and beaten by jeering soldiers. As they watched this, the people came unglued. They stood up and began to shout at the cruel men on the screen, demanding this outrage stop. When nothing happened, they attacked the missionary running the projector. Perhaps he was responsible for this injustice! He was forced to stop the film and explain that the story wasn’t over yet, that there was more. So they settled back onto the ground, holding their emotions in tenuous check. Then came the Crucifixion. Again, the people could not hold back. They began to weep and wail with such loud grief that once again the film had to be stopped. Again the missionary tried to calm them, explaining that the story still wasn’t over yet, that there was more. So once again they composed themselves and sat down to see what happened next. Then came the Resurrection. Pandemonium broke out this time, but for a different reason. The gathering had spontaneously erupted into a party. The noise now was of jubilation, and it was deafening. The people were dancing and slapping each other on the back. The missionary again had to shut off the projector. But this time he didn’t tell them to calm down and wait for what was next—all that was supposed to happen! Pandemonium should break out here from time to time—God has spoken!

Because God has spoken…

  1. Believe. Read it for yourself! Be here over the next several months—listen! Believe it! Yes, it requires faith which the world mocks, but faith pleases God.

  2. Pay attention. Read Hebrews 2:1 and 5:11-14. The challenge is to pay close attention. Is it true or not? Did God really speak or not? If Has God spoken—if you really believe that—soak it up!

  3. Speak. God spoke. You speak. Tell others. It’s not a secret to be kept, but good news to be proclaimed. Let’s face it, it’s not easy to share the gospel in our culture, but it’s too important to be silent. People need to know that God has spoken.

Bring lawn chairs and a cooler for your food if it needs it. The Deasons/Tomlins are on a hill with lots of shade and a breeze so don’t let the temperature deter you! The farm’s looking great, too, with lots to do—swimming, horse shoes, foosball, food, fireworks, ice cream and lots of time to fellowship! Feel free to bring your ball & glove to hit a few or anything you would like to do.

The Deasons live at 14065 35th St. in Perry—about a 25-minute drive from Lawrence. Click here for a map.

This TIME magazine cover illustrates at least two important things:

First, since the first century, people have been asking, “Who was Jesus?” TIME Magazine is just one of many who are still asking the question.   

Second, those who ask this question still get a wide range of opinions—just like the first century inquirers. Whose opinions matter? Is TIME’s answer trustworthy? Does it agree with the Bible?

Pastor LePage’s His Story series of messages continues with a look at the world-shaking, life-changing New Testament. The big question of the New Testament is the question Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16: “Who do you say that I am?” An equally important question is this: What does it mean to follow Christ? The difference between a wasted life and an abundant life is found in the answer.

No Equipping Hour in July, but we’ll be starting up again this Sunday, August 1. We’ll continue our study called Thirsty? which is about having a passionate pursuit of God.

Service (10:30 a.m.)

• Announcements:
  • The Deasons and Tomlins will host a Baptism and Fish-Fry on August 7 at 4:30. We’ll have maps on the information table next Sunday. Plan to join us for a great time together—let Shaun know if you’d like to be baptized.
  • We’re in need of a nursery worker. Please contact Beth LePage if you can help.
  • Equipping Hour will start up again next Sunday (Aug 1). The Thirsty? study continues from 9-10 a.m. This is a series of studies to help you passionately pursue a close relationship with God.
  • Mom’s Time is changing to Mondays at CBC—same time: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Contact Charity Harris for more information.
  • Your opportunity to get in on the “cleaning ministry” is at hand. We need someone to take the last week of August. Contact Madalan Vann if you can serve that week.
  • This was the final week Paul & Melanie Lavery and their family could be with us before they move to California. Keep them in your prayers as they get settled in the Sacramento area. Note: Paul preached one final time for us (see notes below).
  • Mitch & Kristi Langley announced that all the obstacles have been cleared for Mitch to be able to adopt both Hayden and Preston. Congratulations!
• Songs (click on links to listen/watch):
  • O Taste and See
  • Glory to God Forever
  • Take My Life and Let It Be / I Am Yours
  • Our God
  • Wonderful Maker
  • As For Me
• Message by Paul Lavery: Philemon—Forgiveness Applied (Listen on the CBC Podcast):
  • Four Components of a forgiving body of Christ:
    • Component #1: Faith in Christ and love for the saints (Read Philemon 1-7). Example: Philemon.
    • Component #2: Willingness to humbly go to your brother (Read Philemon 8-14). Example: Onesimus.
    • Component #3: Willingness to forgive your brother in love (Read Philemon 15-17). Example: Philemon.
      • We are to forgive others the same way the Lord forgave us. Read Colossians 3:12-13.
      • How did Christ forgive you?
        • Totally / completely.
        • Permanently.
        • Undeservedly.
    • Component #4: Willingness to intercede on behalf of another (Read Philemon 18-25). Example: Paul.
  • Application:
    • Are you like Onesimus? Do you need to seek forgiveness of someone? Read 1 Peter 5:5. Get past the barriers of pride, hurt and fear.
    • Are you like Philemon? Do you need to grant forgiveness to someone? If you are unwilling, there are 2 possibilities: 1) You don’t appreciate the depth of your own sin; 2) You understand the depth of your own sin, but you still struggle.
    • Are you like Paul? Are you willing to intercede to bring about reconciliation? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal a need to you so you can help bring about reconciliation.

No Equipping Hour last week, but see the announcement below about The Equipping Hour schedule. Click on these links for a synopsis of the Thirsty? studies:

• Part 1: My Soul Thirsts?
• Part 2: The Monstrous Substitution

Service (10:30a.m.)

Announcements:

• On August 7 (Saturday), Jimmy & Niki Deason and Bill & Nancy Tomlin will be hosting a Baptism and Fish-Fry at their home in Perry. All are invited to join us starting at 4:30. A flyer with a map will be available on the information table. 
• Special thanks—again—to Paul Wilson for working with MSM systems and for reworking all the mic jacks on our newly refurbished platform! Last week, we had some work done to our sound system and the projector was hung from the ceiling. The updates to the sound system eliminated the dead spots in our sanctuary, and hanging the projector will not only give us better projection but will also protect the projector from the wear and tear from being moved so much. We’ve received a grant for this project from the Oldham Little Church Foundation—a foundation that specializes in helping small churches with relatively small projects. The grant is for $5700, but the project cost closer to $9,000. Please consider helping us bridge the gap with a gift over and above your regular giving—thanks. 
• Immediately after the service, several people who were interested in helping with some other building projects met for about twenty minutes.
• There will be no 9 a.m. Equipping Hour or Youth study in July. We’ll start again on August 1.
• Summer Nights. We’re having a great time on Tuesday nights, but we need YOU to be here—6:30-8:30. Bring a dessert and a lawn chair and spend some “family” time with us right here at CBC. Contact Jody Rees for more information ().
• Antioch School: A new Antioch course entitled Covenants, Unity of Scripture and Biblical Worldview, will begin on Thursday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. This 10-week Antioch School course is open to all who want to dig into the Scriptures. The Covenants Course is designed to help students understand the big picture of the Scriptures as a basis for developing a lifeview that is consistent with God’s plan and purposes. For more information, please reply to this email. Click here for more about the Antioch School.

Music: (click on the links to listen/watch):

• Salvation is Here
• How Beautiful the Cross
• Mighty to Save
• It Is Well – Video tells the story behind the song
• I Will Rise

Message: “The Family Series: Connect, Grow, Serve” (Listen on the CBC Podcast)

Introduction 

We started this Family Series with a couple great country music philosophers. Let’s end with one more: Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dying”. What a question: “All eternity…what did you do with it?

Last week: Strong families grow strong churches grow strong families. Today I want to finish answering the question “How do we strengthen families?” I finished last week with challenge to stand together to strengthen families inside and outside this family of families. Hopefully you’re asking, “What can I do?”

Connect, Grow, Serve. There’s a clear pattern in NT that answers the question—this demands our attention and action:

Matthew 28:19-20—The Great commission: Going, baptizing and teaching.

The key command is to “make disciples.” “Go” is not an imperative—it’s a participle like “baptizing and teaching.” “Going, baptizing and teaching” explain how we are to make disciples.

“Going” into the world is a command for followers—it’s not where disciples start.

“Baptizing” is where disciple starts. This is more than dunking. It includes water baptism—the first act of obedience—but the real point is to identify with God (“in the name of the Father/Son/Spirit) and His people. It is symbolic of the death and resurrection of Christ (identification with Christ) and public identification with His Church.

“Teaching” is not just “teaching” but “teaching them to observe…” To observe means to “obey (NIV) everything that I (Christ) commanded”. This includes “going, baptizing and teaching” eventually.

How did the early church understand this exactly? We see in Acts!

Acts 14:21-23—The Pauline Cycle: Evangelizing, Establishing, Entrusting. The first missionary journey reveals a pattern or cycle used by the first missionaries to the Gentiles.

First, they evangelized. They ”preached gospel”. They introduced unbelievers to Jesus Christ.

Second, they established churches. They ”strengthened” the local churches, not just individuals. In other words, they gathered the new believers into communities called churches.

Fiinally, they entrusted the leadership of these churches to elders. They “appointed elders” in every city. This is the household order explained later in Paul’s letters. This is the hallmark of healthy churches.

This 3-step pattern lines up with the Great Commission. It shows how the early church understood Jesus’ instructions. It shows that the local church was central to the work of the early church’s understanding of the Great Commission.

Paul’s Letters—Establishing Tools: Gospel, Church and Household Order.

Paul’s early letters (e.g., Romans) were focused on establishing believers in the gospel. Making certain they understood the full implications of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Paul’s middle letters (e.g., Ephesians) were focused on establishing believers in the purpose and significance of the church. If these locacl churches were to thrive, they must be one-minded around their message and mission.

Paul’s later letters (e.g., 1 Timothy) were written to leaders to help them order the churches as households. This included developing new leaders and establishing a family-like approach to relationships within the church.

CBC Vision—Connect, Grow, Serve. As we seek to fulfill the Great Commission in our day and time, we must first understand the commands of Jesus and how the early church understood those commands. Then we must ask, “How will we obey in our time and place?” Our vision is to challenge every person to connect with Christ and His Church, to grow to maturity in Christ and to serve as part of the Body of Christ. (See cards available in the foyer—these are for you to give out to others.)

Connect:

Connect with Jesus Christ and His Church. At its heart, Christianity is about relationships. God has made it possible for us to connect with Him personally through Christ. And following Christ is impossible without connecting with His people—the Church. When we connect, we can grow and serve.

Connecting is being part of expanding Christ’s Church—connecting people with Jesus Christ and His Church. It is the equivalent of “baptizing” in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). Baptism represents the formal identification of a disciple with Christ and His Church. All of us should be connecting and then helping others connect—evangelizing unbelievers; leading unchurched Christians to church.

Action: Trust Christ and begin a personal relationship with Him right now. Then, be baptized and join CBC.

Grow:

God wants us to grow to maturity in our faith. This maturity requires that each believer connect with a local church to be rooted and built up in the teaching of Christ and His Apostles which is found in the New Testament.

To grow is to participate in the establishing ministry of the church. It is the equivalent of “teaching” in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20). Teaching is the task of “rooting and building up” (Col 2:7) a disciple in the teaching of Christ and His Apostles—the New Testament. All of us should be growing and then helping others grow.

Action: Take full advantages of the opportunites available to you—Community Group, Equipping Hour, College Ministry, Youth Ministry, counseling, Antioch School, etc. Help others grow, but supporting CBC through your time, talents and treasures.

Serve:

Jesus was the ultimate servant. As His followers, we’re called to be like Him. To serve as part of His body—the Church. To serve people by helping them connect with God and grow up in the faith.

To serve as part of the body of Christ is to participate in the entrusting ministry of the church. It is the equivalent of “going” in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). “Going” implies that a disciple has been equipped for ministry and is participating in the expansion and establishment of the church according to his/her gifting.

Closing

I read about a survey taken of several people 95-year-olds and older. The basic question was, “If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?” Most of the answers could be arranged into one of three categories: 1) I would reflect more; 2) I would risk more; 3) I would do something that would live on after I’m gone.

As we conclude this Family Series, I want you to ask that question Tim McGraw asked us earlier: “What did you do with it?” What will you do with this life—the days, the months, the years God gives you?

This CBC vision—if we embrace it and work together; if we all connect, grow and serve—will impact our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It will impact other families we haven’t met yet—families not yet a part of this family of families. Since this is Jesus’ Great Commission, the impact will be for eternity.

• A Laborer is Worthy of His Wages (Sunday, August 22, 2010)
• Why Did Jesus Come? (Sunday, August 15, 2010)
• Who Is Jesus? (Sunday, August 8, 2010)
• God Has Spoken (Sunday, August 1, 2010)
• Philemon: Forgiveness Applied (Sunday, July 25, 2010)
• Connect, Grow, Serve (Sunday, July 18, 2010)
• A Family of Families (Sunday, Julu 11, 2010)

No Equipping Hour last week, but click here for a synopsis of some of the “Thirsty?” studies. (See the announcement below about The Equipping Hour).
 
Service (10:30a.m.)

Announcements:

• Darren, Pam and Ashley Powers officially joined CBC! Welcome Powers family!
• Special thanks to Paul Wilson for getting the platform redone and recarpeted. It looks soooo much better!
• This week, we’re having some work done to our sound system and getting the projector hung from the ceiling. The updates to the sound system will eliminate the dead spots in our sanctuary. Hanging the projector will obviously give us better projection but will also protect the projector from the wear and tear from being moved so much. We’ve received a grant for this project from the Oldham Little Church Foundation—a foundation that specializes in helping small churches with relatively small projects. The grant is for $5700, but the project will cost closer to $9,000. Please consider helping us bridge the gap with a gift over and above your regular giving—thanks.
• There will be no 9 a.m. Equipping Hour or Youth study in July. We’ll start again on August 1.
• Summer Nights. We’re having a great time on Tuesday nights, but we need YOU to be here—6:30-8:30. Bring a dessert and a lawn chair and spend some “family” time with us right here at CBC. Contact Jody Rees for more information ().
• Antioch School: A new Antioch course entitled Covenants, Unity of Scripture and Biblical Worldview, will begin on Thursday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. This 10-week Antioch School course is open to all who want to dig into the Scriptures. The Covenants Course is designed to help students understand the big picture of the Scriptures as a basis for developing a lifeview that is consistent with God’s plan and purposes. For more information, please reply to this email. Click here for more about the Antioch School.

Music:

• This was a big, bittersweet weekend for our Worship Team.
  • Tim Northup married Megan Jones on Saturday and they will be living and working in Kansas City, Kansas, this fall—too far to drive every Sunday. Tim led us in worship for 4½ years and will be greatly missed. His ministry was marked by a big heart for worship and an excellent blend of the best of the new worship music with the best of the older, time-tested favorites. Why don’t you take a few minutes and write a note to Tim & Megan (; megan.renee.) to express your gratitude to Tim for faithfully leading us in worship over the past 4½ years and your congratulations on getting married and how much we’ll miss them.
  • Fortunately, God has blessed us greatly by bringing us Mitch Langley. Tim and Mitch have been sharing the worship leading responsibilities for much of the past two years, but this Sunday, Mitch took on the full responsibility of leading us in worship. He is a gifted worship leader with a big heart for worship and we’re blessed to have him and his wife, Kristi, and their three sons with us.
• Songs (click on the links to listen/watch):
  • Your Grace Is Enough (the writer, Matt Maher, explains how the song was written)
  • Nothing But the Blood (Hillsong live)
  • Til I See You (with subtitles to sing along)
  • Jesus, Messiah (the writer, Chris Tomlin, explains why he wrote the song)
  • The Revelation Song (powerful song by Gateway Worship featuring Kari Jobe)

Message: “The Family Series: A Family of Families” (Listen on the CBC Podcast)

Introduction

The point: Strong families make strong churches make strong families.  So, the big question is: How do we strengthen the family? Of course, it requires every individual embracing his/her role, obeying God and living wisely. But there’s more.

Stephen Clark in Man and Woman in Christ wrote, “Many modern people, Christians and non-Christians alike, have attempted to strengthen the family by directly buttressing the nuclear family unit (Dad, Mom and kids). In many ways this seems to be the most obvious course of action. However, the evidence from anthropology and social history indicates that the nuclear family is only strong when it exists in the context of a larger extended-family system. Such a system need not be completely built on lineage, but it must involve the commitment of the nuclear family to a larger social grouping” (emphasis added).

In other words, we strengthen the family through church connection—each family committing to God’s ordained community, the church. And then, helping other families by helping them get connected to the church.

The Facts: The church is designed by God to be a family of families. These are the facts as they are presented in the New Testament:

We are the household of God.

• In 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul called the church “the household of God”. The word “household” is key to understanding the nature of the church.
• In Matthew 6:9, Jesus invited us to call God “Father”.
• In John1:12, we’re told that those who believe in Jesus are give the right to be called God’s “children”. In this same vein, Galatians 3:26 says we become “sons of God through faith in Christ” and Ephesians 1:5 tells us we are “adopted” by God through Christ.
• Ephesians 3:1-10 tells us Paul had 2 jobs: first, to preach to the Gentiles. Second, the “administration” of the mystery (the church). Administration literally means “house law”. Paul’s job was to explain how the church was to function, so his letters are particularly important.

We are to treat one another like family.

• In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, we are told to treat each other as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.
• The terms “brothers…sisters…brethren” are used at least 196 times in the epistles to refer to fellow believers.
• To treat each other as family changes everything! If church leaders treat the church like a business, people become assets or liabilities! But when we treat each other as family, people are brothers and sisters! We’ll be more patient, more loyal, more respectful.

We are to choose leaders proven in the home.

• In 1 Timothy 3:4-5 and 12, we see that elders and deacons are to be chosen based on how they “manage their households”. The same skills that make a man a good manager of his home will make him a good leader in the church.
• In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12, we read that the Apostle Paul and his team of ministers of the gospel had a parental mindset as they ministered to people. He said they were nurturing like a “mother” and encouraging like a “father”.

We are to strengthen families through the family of families.

• In Titus 1:6-11, once again elders are to be good family men who can teach sound doctrine and refute false doctrine. Why? To protect families. False teachers, according to v.11 were “upsetting whole families”.
• In Titus 3:3-5, we see that older women are to be well-established in their character (v.3) and well-established in the faith so they are able to “teach and encourage” young women to be good wives and mothers! Older women are just as important to the church as wives and mothers are to the family! Just as the older women were to minister to younger women, older men should minister to younger men (v.2,6)—to strengthen families!

The Challenges

We must rethink church: Church should be a family.

The word “family” is used a lot, but aren’t most churches filled with loosely connected acquaintances who struggle to make conversation once a week or 2-3 times a month? Don’t most church leaders think more like CEOs providing a service to consumers? Many “attend” church rather than join a family with common beliefs, values and goals. Are you struggling with all kinds of things, but your church family is completely out of the loop? Family isn’t like that and the church isn’t supposed to be like that. We should be close-knit, spending time together, aware of struggles, ready to help, support, serve, teach, advise, hug, weep with, admonish—almost everything family members do for family members.

We must rethink our commitments. Church should be central to our lives.

Many are very serious about church, but their church is not central to their lives. Church family should not be higher priority than individual families (spouse and children), but it must not be a peripheral slice of our lives either. Ask yourself: Is it possible we’re seeing problems in our individual family (marital problems, children “slipping away” and not embracing the faith, materialism, etc.) because church is not central to our lives—therefore, we don’t have that “extended-family system” (Clark) we need? Ask yourself: Does God have me on a shelf because I just don’t consider church to be central to my life? If we’re going to be part of what God is doing and invest our lives in what is eternal, we must make church central.

Closing

Some of the huge redwood trees in California are over 300 feet high. Compare that to the KU tower which is a mere 120 feet high. Those redwoods must have tremendous root systems that reach hundreds of feet down into the earth—right? Wrong. The redwoods actually have very shallow root systems. The redwoods grow strong and tall because their root systems intertwine. They lock into each other. If a redwood stood out in a field alone, it wouldn’t take a very strong storm to knock it down. The key word is “alone”. The strength of a redwood is found in its dependence upon the other trees which stand beside it.

Let’s stand together like that! Let’s support one another! Let’s commit ourselves as a church family to help strengthen the multitude of families out there who need a family of families.

We believe worship is serious business, but we think you’ll find us to be a very friendly and welcoming family of believers. We believe the corporate gatherings of God’s people are vital to the health of a congregation, but we also consider our Community Groups (in-home small group fellowship meetings) to be just as important as our large group gatherings.

 Click here to find out what happened last Sunday?

Please go to our Contact page for our phone number, address and an interactive map. You’ll also find an email link. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Are you thirsty for God? When the psalmist wrote, “My soul thirsts for God…” he painted a picture that’s universal to mankind. That’s a metaphor we all understand. You know that real life and satisfaction and comfort and joy are found in Him, but do you feel you’re as close to Him as you should be? Join us at 9 a.m. each Sunday morning as we seek to discover how to quench this thirst.

Summaries of each study (on Pastor LePage’s blog):

• Part 1: My Soul Thirsts?
• Part 2: The Monstrous Substitution
• Part 3: Draw Near
• Part 4: The Ultimate Reward
• Part 5: Still Speaking?

Everyone is welcome to join us for Summer Nights—a fun-filled, family-friendly evening of singing, games, food and fellowship. Each evening there will be a skit that focuses our attention on the Good News of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Summer Nights will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Tuesday starting June 29 and finishing up on July 27. Contact Jody Rees () for more information.

Mitch & Kristi Langley, Hayden, Preston and Lyrik

From Nate Morsches: I am continuing my education through the Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development, which is offered at Community Bible Church.  I’m learning how to be a leader in the church, while getting premium Biblical training.  About the Acts Course, which is the first study in the curriculum, I will always tell you, “It changed my life.  I began to see the mission of the church for the first time, and I want to be a part of it!”

From Misty Warren: God has particularly brought tremendous spiritual growth in my life over the last 2 ½ years while attending CBC (through Community Group, the Women’s Ministry, Adult Sunday School and Sunday sermons, as well as Christ-centered friendships). I am so blessed to serve and learn here at CBC, and praise God for what He has done and what He is yet to do.

From Megan Jones: I started attending CBC and the last three and a half years have really been a time of learning about the power of God’s grace and rebuilding the foundations of my faith as well as developing strong Christian friendships that have encouraged me in my walk with the Lord.

From Nate & Meghan Morsches: The first week we visited in early January 2007, the college group was going through a “Relationship Study.”  Consequently, we were engaged in March 2007, and married in July 2007.

• Click here to listen to Paul & Angela Wilson tell their story. 
• Click here to listen to Jesse Schultz’s story.
• Click here to listen to the stories of the Harris Family and then the Vann Family.
• Go to our Directory page and read more stories there.

Members: Want to add your story? Email us right now.

Charlene Kornbrust

Email Charlene –

Contact Information

What in the world is a “Love Feast”?

A Love Feast is simply a fellowship meal which revolves around the Lord’s Supper—the remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “Love Feast” (Greek: Agape) is a term found in the New Testament to describe the fellowship meals that were common in the first century church. Here is a helpful paragraph from Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary:

LOVE FEAST — a meal shared by the early Christians when they met together for fellowship and the Lord’s Supper. The term love feast is clearly used only in Jude 12 (feasts of charity; KJV). But some Greek manuscripts support “love feasts” instead of “deceptions” in 2 Peter 2:13. The love feast is also referred to in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34, and probably in Acts 6:1–3, although neither passage in English versions of the Bible uses the term. The Greek word for “love feast” also is one of the New Testament words for “love,” indicating that the meal was originally intended to be a rich experience of God’s love. The purpose of the love feast was to remember Christ, to encourage His disciples, and to share God’s provisions with the needy. (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson’s New illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville: T. Nelson.)

We tend to think of fellowship meals only as a time for Christians to get together and eat. But many believe the Love Feasts were one of the reasons why the early church flourished and grew so rapidly. Robert Banks has written a fictional account of what the gatherings of the early church were like. The book is entitled Going to Church in the First Century. In the preface, he writes:

“We have lost something vital in the twenty centuries since (the beginning of the church). And even though we can’t go back and simply imitate what the earliest christians did, the essential character of their meeting can be given appropriate twentieth century expression.”

What was that “essential character”? Love! Why else would they call them Love Feasts? Non-Christians were invited in and made to feel welcome among the believers. They were given a meal and got to see and hear what Christians were really all about: Love for Christ, love for family, love for the church and love for people. In a time when many voices are telling the world what Christians are all about, it is vital for the world to see first hand the love we have for one another—the love that will identify us as belonging to Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

In 2010, CBC is celebrating Love Feasts quarterly. The hope is that these will be a fresh way to worship God and connect with people. We’ll break from the routine with testimonies and different voices speaking and, of course, by sharing a meal together. We’ll also invite everyone to share with the less fortunate in various ways.

In our first Love Feast on November 15, 2009, we invited four men to take part in the message of the Kerygma (“the preaching” or gospel)—each taking about 10 minutes each. Three of the men are apprentices in our Antioch School—Kenny Kies, Nate Morsches and Jesse Schultz. The fourth was our Worship Leader, Tim Northup. Kenny focused on the Old Testament message regarding the Messiah. His message was entitled, “He’s Coming!” (click on the links to go to our podcast and listen). Nate focused on the primary message of the Messiah in the Gospels—”He came!” Jesse followed with a focus on the return of Christ in a message entitled, “He’s Coming Again!” Tim wrapped up the morning with a message about the response God desires from each of us: “Believe!”

In our second Love Feast, on February 7, 2010, we heard the testimonies of two of CBC’s families who are participating in foster care and have adopted multiple children. It was great to hear such a powerful, pro-life message preached through the lives and stories of these two families. 

Please join us Sunday, May 23, starting at 10:30 a.m. for our next Love Feast. We will hear from Barbara Watkins of the Pregnancy Care Center in Lawrence, and the testimony of one of our members who made a pro-life choice in the midst of a crisis pregnancy.

• The six big issues of marriage (i.e., sex, finances, roles, communication, children and church)
• What does the Bible really teach about submission?
• What does it say about parenting?
• How should we discipline children?
• Can homosexuals really have a family?
• Or anything else you’re wondering.

Send your question to shaun@community-bible.org.

The Family Series:

• Introduction: A Distinctive Way of Life (April 25, 2010). The purpose of this series is to challenge us to live the distinctive way of life taught in the New Testament. We all fall short of God’s standards in various ways, so the intent of these messages is not to judge past failures or discourage. But, considering the state of the Christian family today, it is time for us to recommit ourselves to doing family God’s way.
• Walk Carefully (May 9, 2010). Trying to life the distinctive way of life of a Christian is hard. Wives submitting? Husbands loving like Christ loved the Church? Children honoring and obeying parents? Parents bringing children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord? How can we possibly do these things?