18th July, 2010Revenge: Exodus 20:13: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download At first glance, it would seem that the 6th Word (Do not murder) would be the easiest command to obey. Who of us has ever murdered anyone? However, Jesus (in Matthew 5) expands our understanding of murder: when we allow bitterness and hatred to take root in our hearts, we’ve committed murder. Tonight, we talk why it is some important for us to trust God with vengeance and to not take it upon ourselves to seek revenge. Recorded at our service on 7/18/10. ———- Exodus 20:13 (Today’s New International Version) 13 “You shall not murder. ———- Psalm 94:6 (Today’s New International Version) 6 They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. ———- Matthew 5:21-26 (Today’s New International Version) Murder 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Footnotes: 1. Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13 ———- Deuteronomy 32:35-39 (Today’s New International Version) 35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. 36 The LORD will vindicate his people 37 He will say: “Now where are their gods, 38 the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices 39 “See now that I myself am He! Footnotes: 1. Deuteronomy 32:36 Or and they are without a ruler or leader Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 11th July, 2010Honor: Exodus 20:12: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download The command to honor parents is intended for adults, not children. It is a commandment to take care of the elderly, and, more broadly, all those living within the boarders who are not able to take care of themselves. Recorded at our service on 7/11/10. ———- Exodus 20:12 (New International Version) 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. ———- Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (New International Version) 18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. ———- The Poor 14 Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is an Israelite or is a foreigner residing in one of your towns. 15 Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. ———- Widows & Orphans 19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” ———- The Foreigner 33 “‘When foreigners reside among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigners residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. ———- Animals 4 Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. ———- 1 Peter 2:1-5 (Today’s New International Version) 1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. The Living Stone and a Chosen People 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house [a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Footnotes: 1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (1) 27th June, 2010Sabbath: Exodus 20:8-11: Jon MacDonald & Dr. Robert DukePodcast: Play in new window | Download The Sabbath is much more than taking rest because humans have limits and get tired; it is about honoring the way in which God has structured and ordered the universe. What would it look like if a community took these rhythms seriously and collectively sought to honor the Sabbath together? Dr. Robert Duke, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Azusa Pacific University, joins us to discuss his first hand observance of the Sabbath in modern day Israel. Recorded at our service on 6/27/10. ———- Exodus 20:8-11 (Today’s New International Version) 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. ———- Genesis 2:1-3 (Today’s New International Version) 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. ———- Leviticus 25:3-5 (Today’s New International Version) 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 20th June, 2010God’s Name: Exodus 20:7: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download The 3rd Commandment is to never misuse God’s Holy Name. As we follow God and worship him correctly, we then become His ambassadors in the world, bearing His Name. Our reputation becomes His reputation. Tonight we talk about the inescapable call to represent the invisible God in the good world He created. Recorded at our service on 6/20/10. ———- Exodus 20:7 (Today’s New International Version) 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. —– Exodus 20:18-21 (Today’s New International Version) 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. —– Matthew 7:21-23 (Today’s New International Version) True and False Disciples Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 13th June, 2010No Idols: Exodus 20:4-6: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download We continue our series on the 10 commandments, this time examining what it means not to have idols in our hearts and lives. Tonight we will not only see our own vulnerability to idols, but will have practical and concrete ways to identify idols in our own hearts and lives. Recorded at our service on June 13, 2010. ———- Exodus 20:4-6 (Today’s New International Version) 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 6th June, 2010No Other Gods: Exodus 20:1-21: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download Tonight is both an introduction to our series on the 10 Commandments and a reflection on having no other gods but God. Our obedience is motivated by a response of love to a good God who literally was torn apart to honor His covenant with Abraham. Recorded at our service on June 6, 2010 ———- Exodus 20:1-21 (Today’s New International Version) The Ten Commandments 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before [a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Footnotes: 1. Exodus 20:3 Or besides Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 1st June, 2010New Small Group (!)As a church, we take very seriously our call to be a blessing to our great city. We measure our success as a church on the lives that are changed all week, not just on Sundays. In order to get as many people involved in the heart of our church, we are initiating a new small group that will… 1) Study Scripture and pray together 2) Help people in our church get to know each other 3) Hear from people w/in our community (leaders of non-profits, HIV case managers, etc.) 4) Plan and organize service projects every 6-8 weeks that will involve the whole church The group will meet on Wednesdays from 630-7:45pm. Interested? Email Jon and find out more info. Posted at 10:52 am | Comment (0) 1st June, 2010The 10 CommandmentsThis summer, we will be studying together the 10 Commandments. We will find these 10 words as a gift from God, who wants to relate to us and teach us how to live well. These words that God etched in stone with his own finger are intended to be a blessing to us, so that we can relate to God and each other in a way that will bless the whole world. Posted at 10:42 am | Comment (0) 30th May, 2010Work: Matthew 25:14-30: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about the workers in his Kingdom, and how we will be held to account for what we do with the gifts we’ve been given. Yet in Matthew 11, Jesus promises rest, and that his call is not a burden. How could we be both called to work for his Kingdom, while simultaneously being called to lighten our burdens? Tonight we discover the secret: finding work that is difficult yet not a burden. Recorded at our service on May 30, 2010. Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) 23rd May, 2010Master of the Banquet: John 2:1-12: Jon MacDonaldPodcast: Play in new window | Download Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine {John 2:1-12}. Wine and banquets have a symbolic meaning in both OT & NT to symbolize God’s kingdom. Tonight we will be talking about Jesus as the Master of the banquet, and how the church follows Him and points to Him in bringing joy and meaning to life. Recorded at our service on 5/23/10. Posted at 11:30 pm | Comment (0) |
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