Friday, August 26, 2011

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (RED Letters)


(Wk3) compaRED / Judging

Matthew 7:1-5... “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Mat Balgaard (Exec Pastor) is going to TEAR IT UP this weekend - here's a 'sneak peak' at some of what he's BRINGIN'!!!!

When making Judgments - Jesus said...
“Do unto others as you would have them do to you”

When Judging others …
Make COMPASSIONATE Judgments rather than being HARSHLY judgeMENTAL!

When Judging others …
Don’t be a 'Plank-Eye' who’s 'Speck-Sensitive!'

The 'EYES' God has given YOU are to be used to reflect INWARD as much as they are to be used to judge those OUTWARD!

EXAMINE the image you see in mirror first before you decide to JUDGE those outside its view!

The first steps of a WISE Judge …
Truth - Humility - Mercy - Compassion - Gentleness - SELF-INSPECTION!

Before you JUDGE someone else - remember what JESUS said...
"In the same way you judge others - you will be judged!"

Don't MISS this week at COC!!
Maricopa Wells Middle School (9a/10:45a)

Tuesday, August 16, 2011


(Wk2) prepaRED (treasures)

Matthew 5:19-21... “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Big Questions for this coming Sunday...
1) How Ready Are You To SPEND ETERNITY In Heaven?
2) WHAT ARE YOU PACKING FOR THE TRIP?

Did you know that Jesus said...
Wherever you spend your TIME - TALENTS and your TREASURES are directly connected to where your HEART is?

Jesus said...
What you VALUE - what you LIVE FOR - what you CARE FOR... can all be determined by what your 'packing in your bag' for ETERNITY!

Matthew 6:19-21 is Jesus' RED Letter WARNING to us - NOT to spend our TIME, our TALENTS and our TREASURES on things that WON'T MATTER IN ETERNITY!

It's a good time to remind you that the RED Letter Teachings of Jesus were not SUGGESTIONS on how to live - they were COMMANDS!

What are you doing in preparation for ETERNITY?

Remember...
How YOU live for HERE (Present)... WILL NOT LAST!
How YOU live for THERE (Eternity)... LASTS FOREVER!

See you Sunday for WK 2 of RED-Letters... prepaRED
Maricopa Wells Middle School (9a / 10:45a)


Thursday, August 11, 2011

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (RED Letters)


(Wk 1) botheRED (worry)

The RED Letters in the Bible were the words from JESUS!
They were not just meant to be READ - they were meant to be LIVED! (James 1:22)

botheRED... (Mt 6:25-34) WORRY is nothing more than momentary atheism crying out for correction by trusting in a good - sovereign God!

When you choose your way of dealing with things (WORRY) - you distance yourself from God's Way - your FORGET His Plan!

FORGETFULNESS breeds FRETFULNESS!

WORRY fades when your memory of God's Goodness doesn't!
Take confidence that God KNOWS what's going on in the middle of your mess!

WORRY does nothing more than give problems BIG SHADOWS!

KNOWING who's in CHARGE - counterbalances the mystery of WHY and HOW! (Lucado)

Suffering breaks self-reliance!

Know in your moments of WORRY that God is after your FULL OBEDIENCE more than your FULL UNDERSTANDING!

DON'T WORRY!!
God's got every DETAIL in your life covered!
You don't need to know every DETAIL first in order for you to FOLLOW Him FAITHFULLY!

See you Sunday as we take our first look at His RED Letters!
Maricopa Wells Middle School (9a/10:45a)

Thursday, August 4, 2011


Our APPETITES can keep us SATISFIED or make us MISERABLE! Works the same in MARRIAGE too!

MARRIAGE was not given to you and me for our SATISFACTION - it was given to us for our SANCTIFICATION! (To make us HOLY - not to make us happy!)

Three 'Need-toKnows' about APPETITES...
1) God Created Them - Sin Distracts Them!
2) They're never Fully and Finally Satisfied!
3) They're always about NOW!

When dealing with SANCTIFYING your Marriage...
IF YOU DON’T TAKE EXTREME MEASURES FOR IT – YOU WILL FALL INTO EXTREME SIN IN IT!

God of Abraham... God of Isaac... God of ESAU...
What might have been had Esau not been so concerned about his momentary APPETITE!

GRACE in the Christian life also means allowing God doing things FOR us and THROUGH us - that which we could never do for ourselves!!

Does your MARRIAGE appear to be over?
Just remember... GOD NEVER WASTES A HURT!
He has a HABIT of turning HURTS into HEALING!!!

See ya Sunday one last time for Man vs. Wife!

Maricopa Wells Middle School (9a/10:45a)