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Weekly Announcements

1/18/09

*We had a fabulous Sunday with the Genesis Class - 49 people in attendance. We missed alot of our regulars to the youth ski trip (we prayed for you!) and to those who missed due to a long weekend. See you next weekend!

Rick and Nan Richards are hosting a "SuperBowl" Genesis Party. Tentative details: 4 p.m SuperBowl Sunday - for shooting of skeet and a "Pig Pickin" to follow. All families are invited. Please bring a dish to share and a beverage (please, no alcohol). More details to follow.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Lesson

The Lost Virtue of Happiness Chapter 2 : Gaining Happiness by Losing Your Life
1. Consider the Ordinary Life VS. the Kingdom Life
The gospels say that if you are living an ordinary human life, you are trying to control what is going on instead of living a Kingdom life where you let God take control of your life. An ordinary life is one of loneliness, longing for something missing, confinement and despair.The Kingdom life is a life of love, peace, self-control and virtue. We discussed how there is a constant struggle for us to live the kingdom life. We are somewhere between ordinary and kingdom hopefully moving closer to the kingdom life.
2. Read John 12:23-26. If you love the ordinary life, you will lose it. If you hate the ordinary life, you will gain eternal life.
3. Are you living a Kingdom life that is worth fighting for and worth dying for? If you're fighting for the kingdom life, you are living as a role model. There are too many wars/conflicts to list where people have died and are dying for the kingdom of God.
4. Consider the following passages:Mark 8:35, Matthew 16:25, Luke 9:24, Matthew 10:39, Luke 17:33So, how do we fight for the life that Jesus is speaking of? We must give it all to God. We must Trust God and give up our control.
5. What do you think about the author's statement that "few Christians in the Western church today role model this spiritual maturity?
6. Consider these scriptures:Romans 6:11-13, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Colossians 3:5, 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Romans 12:1.
Sin must no longer rule your mortal body. Sin must not be your master. We must be a "living sacrifice to God dedicated to His service and pleasing Him".
7. What are the roles of solitude and silence in allowing us to "keep our earthly steps synchronized with the Father's Heart." Remember that Jesus deliberately and purposefully made time to be alone with God the Father. Even though Jesus knew that God was always with Him, He also knew that taking time to just be alone with God was part of the spiritual growth that we all need.
We all need to take time daily to practice solitude and silence with God whether it is alone in the car, on a walk, or taking a "retreat".
See you next Sunday for Chapters 3 & 4.

Beth Upton
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