DRL Ministries - ISU

I wanted to make you all aware of a ministry opportunity. Intersection, a local ministry connected to Spread Truth, is offering free babysitting on Saturday afternoons for some lower income housing complexes in Normal. They are looking for volunteers. Here are the details…

Hey Friends…

Here are the basic details for the babysitting at Orlando (the section
8 housing). Babysitting will be from 1-4pm at the Northbrook Estates at Orlando
(Normal, IL). We will watch kids in the Community Center in the main
building. We’ve already got a bunch of toys donated, working on
diapers, wipes, and snacks.

The last thing we really need is volunteers! Let your people know
about this, they can submit a form from the Intersection site saying
their interested and Carolyn will get them scheduled.

Go to :
http://www.oneintersection.com/v2/babysitting.php

(Or click on the “babysitting” link on the www.oneintersection.com
homepage.)

Let Carolyn or I know if you have questions. We’re finalizing the
details/info now…
Josh

Hope you all had a great Spring Break.  I spent last week in NYC and it was AWESOME!  I’ll fill you in on some things about the trip this Thursday at DRL. 

This Thursday we’re going to do our fourth “Kingdom Relationships” message…this time on dating (and singleness).  I’ve gotta tell you - I’m a little nervous about this one.  Its a tuff one for me because I’ve had such a broken view of dating and relationships in the past and I’m still striving to renew my mind in that area.  Here is my question for you - what are some good, godly tips on dating and relationships you’ve heard in the past, or learned from experience you’d like to share?  Or, if you just have some random thoughts on the subject that you want to put out there for us to consider.  Or, if you have a specific question about dating or courtship or singleness, go ahead and ask it.  Maybe we can help one another out on this one. 

This Thursday night we’ll be doing our 3rd message on Kingdom relationships.  2 weeks ago we talked about family relationships. Last week we talked about friends (loving our neighbor).  This week - MARRIAGE.  I realize that for some of you folks, this may seem irrelevant to you at this point in your life.  I really hope that’s not the case, though.  It’ll be good to know what God says about being a good husband and a good wife on the front end of your life rather than the back end, right?  Feel free to post any questions you have or comments you might have on this topic leading up to Thursday…

A couple years ago I was sitting at the Coffeehouse in downtown Normal typing a paper when a couple of college professors sat down next to me.  I heard them discussing forgiveness and they were attempting to define what forgiveness meant.   

Earlier today I was doing some reading in preparation for my first pre-marital counciling session of all time, and I came across this definition of forgivenenss by Tim Keller…its really good and I wish I had had it that day at the coffeehouse…:

“When someone has wronged you, it means they owe you, they have a debt with you.  Forgiveness is to absorb the cost of the debt yourself.  You pay the price yourself, and you refuse to exact the price out of the person in any way.  Forgiveness is to a.)free the person from penalty for a sin by b.)paying the price yourself.

We are told that our forgiveness must imitate God’s forgiveness in Christ.  How did God forgive?  We are told that He does not ‘remember’ them.  That cannot mean that God literally forgets what has happened–it means he ’sends away’ the penalty for them.  He does not bring the incidents to mind, and does not let them affect the way he deals with us.  How did God forgive ‘in Christ’?  We are told that Jesus pays the price for the sins.  The Father gave up the Son, and the Son gave up His life.  God absorbed the cost in Himself.”

Please let me know what you think about this definition, and how this definition could play out in our lives (what would this definition of forgiveness acted out look like?)

A few years ago I heard a speaker at a conference say that “a leader can only lead those who are following him as far as he himself has gone”.  That makes sense, right?  So, in the world of DRL, I should be pursuing Jesus harder than anyone.  When I heard this at the conference, I quickly evalutated my own passion for Jesus and for whatever reason (be it pride, ignorance, or truth) I felt confident that I was indeed leading the way. 

A few weeks ago I remembered that statement about leading, and all of a sudden I felt I wasn’t so sure I was leading the way.  When I look over the landscape of DRL and see the passion that many of you have for Jesus, I am challenged to evaluate my own relationship with Him.  Do I treasure Him?  Do I want to know Him more, or am I settling for less than seeking to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

  I thank God for the discomfort you all provide me when I begin to coast.  I thank God that I know you will see through me if I begin to fake it.  I thank God He has put many people in my life that stir me on towards love and good works.

And when I think about the people that I have been closest to in the 8 years I’ve been walking with Jesus, they are the people who challenge me to press deeper into my relationship with God and not settle for less than His will.  They are the people whose own walk with Jesus make me want more of Him to.  I think God has blessed me with an abnormal amount of these people, so I believe I have an obligation to be that kind of friend to others (to whom muich is given, much is required). 

But here is my question - who are YOUR closest friends?  Do they make you want to go deeper with Jesus?  DRL is full of people who inspire me to go deeper with God.  I encourage you  to get to know these people and become like one of these people.  Join a Life Group.  Thats a great first step to these kinds of relationships.            

Well, we got back from Passion 07 late last night/early this morning (1:30am).  The conference was in Atlanta, and you can actually watch the sessions online (I think) for atleast a little while at www.268generation.com.  I would highly, highly recommend it!  Speakers were Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, John Piper, and Francis Chan…all were absolutly fantastic.

I’m still in the process of unpacking everything God did in my soul while in Atlanta, but here are few things God impressed upon me…

• Lots of reasons to LOVE HIM.  I realized how small my love towards God is in light of the gospel (all He’s done for me).  God is so so so worthy of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
• The gospel is more powerful than we think it is.  God’s grace and kindness and love towards us goes deeper than any of us are very comfortable with. 
• Humility is KEY to living a life that magnifies Jesus.  I have to go after this character quality with everything I have.  Pride kills joy and freedom and love…humility cultivates them.
• The aim of Christian worship should be to be made more into the likeness of Jesus through it.
• World missions is about inviting all peoples into the greatest event in the history of the universe - the wedding party in heaven Jesus is throwing for His Bride.
• I can do nothing apart from Jesus…that is why prayer is so important.

I recognize that most (or all) of these points are not necessarily new to you if you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time.  But God opened my heart to receive these truths in a very powerful way this week.  Hope you’ll have a chance to check out some of the sessions online.  And if you went to the conference, please add a comment about your experience! 

Our life group passage this week is Hebrews 3:7-4:13.  Here are some questions to consider…

1.  Can you recall a time when you clearly heard God’s voice and you obeyed?  Can you remember a time when you hardened your heart?  What was the outcome of each?  What did God use to soften your heart and bring you back to obedience?

2.  Why is it so important for us to obey the command of v.13?  What’s at stake?

3.  How do we know if we have “shared in Christ”? (v.14) What is the “original confidence” we are to hold on to firm to the end?  What does this say about those who don’t hold their original confidence firm to the end? 

4.  What Old Testament story does the writer of Hebrews refer back to?  (Read Numbers 13 and 14:20-38).

5.  Why was Israel not able to enter the rest God had promised?  What is the call for Christians today from this passage? 

The life group passage to open up this week is 2 Tim. 2:1-13.  Here are some discussion questions…

1.  Why does Paul call Timothy his child (v.1)?  Who is your “father” in the sense Paul was Timothy’s?  Do you have any “spiritual offspring”?

2.   What were Paul’s instructions to Timothy in v.2?  What kind of people was Timothy to carry out these instructions with?  Do you fit this criteria?  Is there anyone in your sphere of influence right now that you could be carrying out these instructions with?

3.  Read v. 3-6.  What 3 types of people are compared here?  What do the three of these have in common?  How can these be compared to the Christian life?

4.  How is man’s responsibility and God’s grace and enablement pictured in v. 7?  Can you think of other specific ways God “partners” with us to live out the Christian life?

5.  What is Paul’s command in v. 8?  Within the context of v. 9, why might this command be especially important?

Be encouraged in the victory Jesus has won for us this week!  And encourage one another!   

Our Life Group discussions this week will center around Luke 15 -

1. What was it about Jesus that made the Pharisees grumble in v.1,2?  Why do you think this bothered them so much?  What was it about Jesus that these pharisees just couldn’t grasp?

2.  What do all three parables in the chapter have in common?  What are some differences?

3.  Describe what each son in v.11 - 32 failed to realize about the father and their relationship to him.

4.  In what ways do you identify with the sons?  Can you describe any specific scenarios in your life that would parallel one of the son’s actions or atttitudes?

5.  What important lesson(s) was Jesus teaching us with these parables?   

Here is our passage for the Life Groups this week.  I hope this passage will challenge you guys as much as it challenged me this morning!  Here are some questions to help draw out some applications:

1.  Why does v. 13 say that we should be subject to every human institution “for the Lord’s sake”?  How should we regard these human institutions (v. 14)?  Do you find it difficult to subject yourself to human authority? 

2.  v.15 gives an counter-cultural way of  silencing ignorant, foolish people.  How is the way prescribed in v.15 different than the way you typically try to silence them?

3.  Explain the paradox in v.16 (live as people who are free…but living as servants of Christ).  How can we live both as free people and as servants?  Isn’t being a servant (slave) the opposite of being free?

4.  How do Christians use thier “freedom” to cover up their evil?

5.  Read v. 18-20.  Name a situation where you were unjustly treated.  How did you respond?  What is the hardest situation you can think of to submit yourself to God and suffer unjustly.  v. 18 gives a pretty difficult scenario!  

6.  How is our ”calling” described in v. 21?  What is the comfort found in that calling. given in v. 21?

7.  What can we learn from Jesus’ example in v. 23 about how we can endure through unjust suffering? 

8.  According to v. 24, why did Jesus die for our sin?