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Living in the Forever Now



Leading

Life that is worth living is marked by submission, service, and suffering.

Date: Sunday, May 29, 2011

Speaker: Bart Garrett

Text: 1 Peter 5:1-11

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    • 1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
    5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
    "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble and oppressed."
    6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
    8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
    10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.


Following

Following Jesus means mutual love and shared mission.

Date: Sunday, May 22, 2011

Speaker: Jonathan St. Clair

Text: John 10:11,14-15; 13:1,36-38; 21:15-22

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    • Jn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
    down his life for the sheep.
    14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my
    sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I
    know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
    * * *
    Jn 13:1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew
    that the hour had come for him to leave this world and
    go to the Father.
    36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
    Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now,
    but you will follow later."
    37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will
    lay down my life for you."
    38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your
    life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows,
    you will disown me three times!
    * * *
    Jn 21: 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon
    Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than
    these?"
    "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
    16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love
    me?"
    He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
    17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do
    you love me?"
    Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time,
    "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things;
    you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
    18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you
    dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when
    you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone
    else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to
    go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by
    which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him,
    "Follow me!"
    20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus
    loved was following them. (This was the one who had
    leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said,
    "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw
    him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
    22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I
    return, what is that to you? You must follow me."


Failing

Your past failure will shape your future

Date: Sunday, May 15, 2011

Speaker: Bart Garrett

Text: John 18:15-27, 21:15-25

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    • 18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
    17 "You aren't one of this man's disciples too, are you?" she asked Peter.
    He replied, "I am not."
    18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
    19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
    20 "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
    22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
    23 "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
    25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, "You aren't one of his disciples too, are you?"
    He denied it, saying, "I am not."
    26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the garden?" 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
     
    21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"
    "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
    16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
    He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
    17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
    Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
    Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
    20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
    22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"
    24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
    25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.


Trusting

Waiting makes way for hoping. Hoping makes way for trusting.

Date: Sunday, May 8, 2011

Speaker: Bart Garrett

Text: John 21:1-14

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    • 1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
    4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
    5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
    "No," they answered.
    6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
    7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
    10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
    11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Calling

We are called by God, to God, and for God.

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011

Speaker: Bart Garrett

Text: John 1:35-42, 21:1-14

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    • 1:35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
    37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
    They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"
    39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."
    So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
    40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
    Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
     
    21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
    4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
    5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
    "No," they answered.
    6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
    7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
    10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
    11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.


Easter (Resurrection Sunday)

How the resurrection changed everything.

Date: Sunday, April 24, 2011

Speaker: Bart Garrett

Text: John 20:1-10

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    • 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"
    3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.