reflection questions gospel choices pure in heart may 20,...
TRANSCRIPT
Reflection Questions
Read Galatians 5:16 – 1. What benefit can you see from this verse in making GOSPEL Choices? 2. How do the 4 STEPS (recommended on page 3 in your notes) correspond to the
six GOSPEL Choices we have learned thus far?
Admitting Need – My Spiritual Poverty
Getting Help – Accepting grief with Hope and Faith in God
Letting Go – Committing my problems to a Loving, Faithful, Powerful God
Making Changes – Making my highest desire to live by God’s will
Repairing Relationships – Letting God’s Mercy flow out to others in Forgiveness
Coming Clean – Accepting responsibility for what I have done and then accepting Forgiveness from God
This GOSPEL choice is a scary one…but “…it’s a step that separates those who just want to talk about getting healthy from those who really want to get healthy: Coming CLEAN – Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.” – John Baker
3. What benefits would you see from taking this step?
Actions Steps: (1) Write a MORAL inventory (see page 3 in your notes). (2) Pour this out in confession before the Lord. (3) Receive God’s forgiveness & forgive yourself. (4) Confess to a mentor or accountability partner.
GOSPEL Choices…Pure in heart May 20, 2012
I. Intro – C.S. Lewis on morality…
“You can get the idea plain if you think of us as a fleet of ships sailing in formation. The voyage will be a success only…if the ships do not collide and get in one another’s way; and…if each ship is seaworthy and has her engines in good order…if ships keep on having collisions they will not remain seaworthy very long. On the other hand, if their steering gears are out of order they will not be able to avoid collisions… And however well the fleet sailed, its voyage would be a failure if it were meant to reach New York and actually arrived at Calcutta.” – C.S. Lewis
Summary – morality is concerned with 3 things:
(1) Human relationships
(2) Internal morality
(3) In relation to the goal of our Maker
“You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society. That is why we must go on to think of…morality inside the individual.” – CSL
Jesus is deeply concerned with the morality inside you.
II. The “Beatitude Attitude” of the GOSPEL Community (Matt. 5:8)
Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed” = happiness from God for rightly responding to the GOSPEL.
Pure = moral purity & single-mindedness
Heart = “The heart is the center of the inner life of the person where all the spiritual forces and functions have their origin.” – Cleon Rogers
The Pure in Heart – “…what Jesus requires of his disciples is a life-style characterized by pleasing
God… The ‘pure in heart’ exhibit a single-minded devotion to God that stems from the internal cleansing created by following Jesus.”
– Dr. Craig Blomberg
“The one who is singleminded in commitment to the kingdom and its
righteousness (6:33) will also be inwardly pure. Inward sham, deceit, and moral filth cannot coexist with sincere devotion to Christ.” – D.A. Carson
BI: The “Beatitude Attitude” is single-minded in the pursuit of God to see God
To see God –
Hebrews 12:14 “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one
will see the Lord.”
“Holiness is a prerequisite for entering God’s presence. The pure in heart pass this test, so they will see God and experience intimate fellowship with him.”
– Dr. Craig Blomberg “Because God is a spirit, His divine essence is invisible… Nevertheless…Jesus
assured His disciples that in seeing Him they had ‘seen the Father’ (John 14:9). In the glorified state, God’s children will ‘see him as he is’ (1 John 3:2).” – R.C. Sproul
1 John 3:1
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has
not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as
he is pure.”
This GOSPEL choice is a scary one…
III. Cleaning out your closet – taking a MORAL inventory become pure STEP 1 – Take a Personal MORAL Inventory –
M – Make time
O – Open your heart and your mind
R – Rely on God’s grace
A – Analyze your past honestly
L – List the good & bad choices and events
Psalm 139:23
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
STEP 2 – Accept Responsibility – Ask God For Forgiveness –
1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
STEP 3 – Accept God’s Forgiveness & Forgive yourself / others – STEP 4 – Admit Your Faults to Another Person –
Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Whom Do You Tell? What do you say? When Do You Do It?
What’s the point of being “pure in heart”?
“(1) We might think that, provided you did the right thing, it did not matter how or why you did it – whether you did it willingly or unwillingly, sulkily or cheerfully, through fear of public opinion or for its own sake. But the truth is that right actions done for the wrong reason do not help to build the internal quality or character… that really matters… (2) We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules: whereas He really wants people of a particular sort… (3) We might think the ‘virtues’ were necessary only for this present life…” – CSL
Youth Servant AUCTION! Be working on your job list! The Youth Servant
Auction and Lunch is Sunday June 3,
in the foyer right after worship.
Babysitting, gardening, clean-up
work, the possibilities are
endless. Contact Pastor
Nathan if you have
questions.
Come HUNGRY!
May 20, 2012
Pure in Heart
Did you miss your opportunity to pick up a baby bottle last week? It’s not to late to join us as we raise support
for women in our community facing unplanned preg-nancies! 1. Pick up an empty baby bottle in the foyer, bring
it home and fill it with spare change, cash or a check
2. Return your bottle to church on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17th
CarenetpsPartners.org
Baby Bottle Boomerang is Underway!
LOOKING AHEAD
May 25 ··········· Whirlyball - rsvp by May 9
June 3 ············ Youth Servant Auction & Lunch
June 10 ·········· Graduation Sunday
June 24 ·········· Annual Meeting and Lunch
July 6-15 ········ Youth Mission Trip
July 16-19 ······ Community VBS at Lakewood Park
Aug 5-9 ·········· Grace Summer Camp
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VOLUNTEERS We want to give a BIG THANK YOU to the
many volunteers who gave their time in
serving in children’s ministry on Sunday
mornings. You have provided a safe, loving
and fun environment for kids to learn
about God and His Word. The time and
energy you give in coming alongside the
parents in discipling their children is very
much appreciated. Your love for and
investment in each child will pay dividends
in eternity! I Corinthians 15:58.
Multi-Church VBS July 16-19, 1-4pm Ways to be involved: First, EVERYBODY
Pray!! Second, Volunteer at Day Camp –
Lots of possibilities using your talents &
gifting. Check the display in the foyer for
areas of involvement or see Pastor Jerry. –
Training dates – Pick one: Sundays June 24
and July 1, or Tues, July 10. Needed for
VBS: Enclosed trailer or truck with
enclosed bed for storage.
Let us LOVE GOD & PEOPLE BY
PRAYING FOR: Lorraine Schukar &
family (passing of Chuck Schukar), Gaye
Turner (mother of Bill Turner - pancreatic
cancer), Sean McMonigle (surgery
recovery), Wilma Palmateer (health issues),
Cole Sonsteng (gastro paresis), and those
with ongoing health needs: Kimberly Smith
(seizures), Martha Miller & the unemployed.
Please also pray for our Elder Board: Larry
Watson, Ron Sasaki, Paul Lang, Josh Hanson,
Ryan Faust, Kevin Anway & Drayton Lemert.
INTERESTED IN MEMBERSHIP? For anyone who would like to become a
member of Grace Church, please pick up
and fill out membership application from
the Welcome Center and turn it in ASAP.
Then plan to join us for a membership class
on Sunday, June 10 at 9 am in the Upper
Room. Questions or need more info.?
See Pastor Ryan or Ron Sasaki.
PRAYER REQUESTS Like to be added to the Prayer Partners
distribution list? Please contact the office.
Have a prayer request? Call or email the
office during office hours. After hours, call
Barb Stuart 932-7459 or Elsie McCoy 938-
0644 who will get your prayer request out
to our prayer warriors right away.
NOTE ABOUT YOUTH MISSION TEAM I just want to thank everyone who’s been a
part of the youth fundraisers so far and
those who’ll be involved going forward as
well. I feel it's important to let every know
how excited I am for this upcoming trip to
Louisiana. Not only are we headed to a
town where so many kids need to hear the
Gospel, but we're taking a team from
Grace that I have so much faith in. Please
know that you're not just supporting a
team of students to have an "experience"
in Louisiana. You are supporting a team to
go to Vinton, LA, and through the Holy
Spirit make an eternal difference in the
lives of locals there! Please continue to lift
us all up in prayer! - Pastor Nathan Schlaud
Visiting Grace? If this is your first time of worshiping with us, we joyfully
welcome and thank you for coming! Please visit the Welcome Center in the foyer to learn a bit more about life at Grace.
10323 28th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98146-1202 Phone: (206) 937-8400 Fax: (206) 937-0881 [email protected]
www.gracechurchseattle.org
THIS WEEK AT GRACE
SUNDAY, MAY 20
9:00 am Sunday School for Infants through Jr. High
9:00 am School of Theology - various classrooms downstairs
10:00 am Coffee & Fellowship
10:30 am WORSHIP CELEBRATION - sanctuary
Kids dismissed to Children’s Church - 1st-3rd grades - room 122
Kid’s bulletins are available for 4th and up at the Welcome Center
6:30 pm Youth Small Groups - various
MONDAY, MAY 21
Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm
9:30 pm MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) - various
TUESDAY, MAY 22
Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm
6:30-9:00 pm Celebrate Recovery - foyer, rooms 128 & 129
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23
Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm
7:00-8:30 pm Youth Group - the Shack
7:00 pm Elder Meeting - conference room
THURSDAY, MAY 24
Church Office open 9 am to 4 pm
8:30 pm College Group - Nathan & Megan Schlaud’s
FRIDAY, MAY 25
Church Office closed
SATURDAY, MAY 26
Church Office closed
Pastor Ryan Faust, Senior Pastor [email protected] Pastor Jerry Buell, Children’s Ed & Family Ministry [email protected]
Pastor Nathan Schlaud, Youth & College Ministry [email protected] Janis Lemert, Director of Body Life [email protected] Kathie Varney, Executive Assistant [email protected] Sherry Croom, Bookkeeper [email protected]