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Slide 2 Slide 3 22,000 different Christian denominations US News and World Report Source: Inside & Outside Slide 4 Slide 5 Heresies Politics $$$ you and me. Slide 6 Dissect the problem Slide 7 Slide 8 Slide 9 Slide 10 Slide 11 Arab Ni-Yaraouou (feast of the rivers) Persian Nowrouz Coptic New Year Anno Martyrum Diocletian, 284AD How Does One Become A Martyr? Slide 12 Slide 13 Slide 14 The Message He Left Us Slide 15 Slide 16 Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men. Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17-18 He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him Mt 4:21-22; Mk1:20 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spiritsheal all kinds of sickness Mt 10:1; Mk 3:13-15; Lk 6: 12-16 Follow Me Mk 2:14 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two Mk 9:7 Slide 17 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God! The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? They said to Him, Rabbi.where are You staying? He said to them, Come and see. Jn 1:35-39 Slide 18 What do you seek?...Where are You staying?...Come and see Follow the leader Slide 19 Slide 20 Ill go where you want me to go Dear Lord, real service is what I desire Ill sing you a solo anytime Dear Lord, just dont ask me to sing in the choir Ill do what you want me to do Dear Lord, I like to see things come to pass But dont ask me to teach boys and girls O Lord, Id rather just stay in my class Ill do what you want me to do Dear Lord, I yearn for your kingdom to thrive Ill give you my nickels and dimes Dear Lord, but dont ask me to tithe Ill go where you want me to go Dear Lord, Ill say what you want me to say But Im busy just now with my service Dear Lord, Ill help You some other day Slide 21 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. Slide 22 Slide 23 Serving from your intellect Serving from your heart Slide 24 Is God your Boss? Is the Church your Supervisor? Slide 25 Saints visit where there is love Simon, son of Jonah, Do you love Me? Do you love Me? Feed My sheep. Slide 26 He Fed the multitudes He gave sight to the blind He Healed the sick He Rose from the dead Slide 27 True service requires love towards others Service is a natural consequence of the Love for God Slide 28 Slide 29 Pride, jealousy, judging, competition, rivalry, bitterness, cynicism Slide 30 Slide 31 CommUNITY! LITURGY: (leitourgia) meaning a "public work" LITURGY: A prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship. Slide 32 Slide 33 Pray for the peace of the ONE,Holy, Universal and Apostolic, Orthodox Church of God Slide 34 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians Slide 35 Slide 36 Slide 37 Peter was guilty of hypocrisy (Gal 2:11-12) Barnabas gave in to peer pressure (Gal 2:13) Euodia and Syntyche argued (Phil 4:2) Many of Pauls helpers were selfish (Phil 2:20-21) Slide 38 Do you know all the facts? THERE ARE ALWAYS 2 SIDES TO EVERY STORY Different points of view Be sensitive to personal matters You may be wrong! Slide 39 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything James 1:4 Slide 40 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing 1Peter 3:9 Slide 41 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. (Prov 11:13) If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom 12:18) BE AN INSTRUMENT OF RECONCILIATION Slide 42 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians *Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ; Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God; There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all Corinthians Slide 43 Slide 44 If we want the world to believe, we must be one Jn 17:11,20 Slide 45 Slide 46 Since the whole conduct of these brethren was to God, and since whatsoever they did they did it for God, with an upright aim, and since the aim of each was the same, they appeared to be in the old mans opinion of equal merit before God. The Paradise of the Holy Fathers, trans by E.A. Wallis Budge, p283 Slide 47 ARE WE CALLED or ARE WE DRIVEN?