FreshBread

Good Morning Friends,
Last night I had the privilege of speaking to the FreshStart for Kids Camp Staff. This morning the campers arrive. Please pray for the staff this week and campers as they have a wonderful opportunity to focus on the Love and Grace of our Heavenly Father!
We spoke last night for the first 5 verses of Mark Chapter 2…they read:
1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”
We spoke about the four men who carried the mat. Who were they? What did they expect Jesus to do? Did the man ask them to bring him to Jesus or did they just grab him and go? We do not know much about the men, but we do know that they brought their friend into the presence of Jesus.
Often today we seek to tell people about Jesus. We want to tell them the story of Jesus or our experience with Jesus. Maybe we should seek to bring them into His presence and let them meet Jesus? Well how would that happen? Jesus is not in the house next door speaking to a full house today. Does that mean we can only tell people about Him? But if Jesus is ALIVE as we claim He is, then I believe we should be able to bring people into his presence. I also believe we get some instruction in these verses. Let’s take a look at it this week.
Before we go, please remember to pray for the staff at camp and campers today! Also begin to think of who might you desire to bring into the presence of Christ. I believe these 4 guys teach us it is a very intentional act…..it did not take words, but it was more than actions, We’ll talk tomorrow.
Scott

Good Morning Friends,
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

So what do we know about “a yoke of slavery?” As we mentioned yesterday, it would be a teaching in which people would NOT be free, it is a teaching that binds, controls and focuses people on sin management or avoidance.
I have been reading a very challenging book called Naked Spirituality by Brain McLaren. In it he shares these thoughts:
“Imagine the tense teenage guy, infused with hormones, thinking, “I have to avoid lustful thoughts. I have to avoid thinking of cleavage, I have to avoid thinking of slender legs, I have to avoid……” You know exactly where this commuter train of thought will lead the poor guy. BUT in an environment of GRACE (Freedom), avoidance of sin stops being the focus, and other things….generosity, creativity, fun, learning, whatever can occupy our attention, so we sin less by thinking less about sinning. We can now yield to the good temptation of better things.”
So where is the focus of your faith….on a list of things you can’t do because you are a Christian? Or does your faith focus on the ever expanding things you can do since you have embraced the freedom that Christ has won for your life? The former is part of a YOKE OF SLAVERY; the latter is the Freedom of Christ in practice.
Let’s keep talking about this tomorrow.

I want to thank each of you for your prayers and calls about my wife. She is getting stronger and there is a chance that I will be able to bring her home tomorrow. Thank you again for your support. The love of the FreshStart Family has been deeply felt in our home!
Scott

Good Morning Friends,

Galatians 5:1-2

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
So how do we do this when we hide our brokenness? How do we do this when we tell everyone that everything is “OK”, we are “Fine”? Pain that isn’t processed is passed on. Pain that is not transformed is transmitted. So we pass our hurts to others if we do not deal with them. This is why we are to love others as we love ourselves. The problem is that as many of us look down inside we don’t like ourselves very much.

This weekend at both the Experiment and Sunday morning service we are going to challenge ourselves with the honesty that brings freedom! DO NOT MISS THIS! Take a break from your weekend and join in. See you then!

Scott