St. Paul's Blog Archive for Sept. 1, 2008
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Monday SOC
My Monday Stream of Consciousness (SOC)... some thoughts from the weekend at St. Paul's...
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Quick Report & Update on Properties
Just a quick update on some developments today in terms of both properties we are pursuing (which for ease of reference on the blog I will simply refer to as "Coventry", which is the new 60-acre property about 2 miles down the road from our current "Storrs" building)...
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150 Day Challenge
Sunday at each of our four services, I had the opportunity to share about where God is leading us as a church and our 150 Day Challenge!
As a three-and-a-half ...
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About Marriage (Part #1)
I am spending time today prepping for a wedding I am officiating this weekend. For me, at this point, that is mostly about reflecting and praying for the couple. Though I myself am single, preparing couples for marriage and officiating weddings -- in addition to counseling couples and simply being in a community with lots of married people -- I get the chance to reflect a lot on the essence of marriage. What is it all about? In many respects, I think you can capture part of the essence of marriage in 7 C's...
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The 6PM Experiment
As you know, we launched our 4-service Sunday schedule just a few weeks ago. While it creates a long day for our staff and volunteers, it is going amazingly well ...
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1 Church, 1 Message, 4 Experiences
As you know, we now have 4 services on a Sunday at St. Paul's -- each with the same teaching/message, but different styles.
Here is the "cliff notes" of ...
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text:_
Tomorrow we are launching a new 4-week message series called text:_. We will be looking at the Bible: what it is, why it matters, how to read it.
Our ...
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text:_ Weekly Reading Schedule (9/8-9/12)
“Heavenly Father, help me see as you see. Empower me to do as you say.”
- Monday: Psalm 1
- Tuesday: Psalm 119:9-16
- Wednesday: Psalm 119:33-37
- Thursday: Psalm 119:97-104
- Friday: Proverbs 2:1-6
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text:_ Monday's Reading
PSALM 1 _
(NIV)
Monday, September 8, 2008_Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or ... -
text:_ Psalm 1 Reflections
I like this psalm, partly because of the poetry—it has many marks of Hebrew verse like parallelism, image, and simile—and partly because of the content.
I want to ...
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Monday SOC
My Monday Stream-of-Consciousness... reflections from the weekend at St. Paul's:
This was an UNBELIEVABLE WEEKEND at St. Paul's!
Tied for our third largest non-holiday attendance ever!
Bus was ...
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text:_ Tuesday's Reading
PSALM 119:9-16
(New Living Translation)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008How can a young person stay pure?
By obeying your word.I have tried hard to find you ...
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text:_ Psalm 119:9-16 Reflections
I think about this psalm in relation to my son who is a young man.
How can he keep his way pure?
By living according to the Word and hiding ...
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Worship Sets
Worship Sets online each week from the 4 and 6 services!
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text:_ Canon?
An answer to several of the questions texted in this past Sunday...)
Can we trust that the books that are in the Bible are suppossed to be in the ...
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text:_ Psalm 119:35-37 Reflections
_Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless ...
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text:_ Wednesday's Reading
PSALM 119:35-37 (NIV)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statues
and not toward ... -
text:_ Thursday's Reading
PSALM 119:97-104 (NIV)
Thursday, September 11, 2008Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for ... -
text:_ Psalm 119:97-104 Reflections
According to this Psalm, God's word makes us wise, gives us insight and understanding, and keeps us from evil. But we've got to meditate on it, obey it and love it. It's not enough to simply know it. Plenty of people know it without obeying or loving it (many pharisees in Jesus days, many seminary professors in ours). As John Calvin said: all true knowledge comes from obedience. If you're not obeying it you don't really know it...
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Online Small Group Options
In addition to our 15+ "in real life" small groups -- which includes topics including different bible studies, Nooma videos, Financial Peace, Beth Moore, prayer, spirituality, community service, and more -- we ...
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text:_ How to Read the Bible
[Here are some thoughts on a question that came in by text message Sunday]
Q. What is the general rule of thumb for when the bible can be ...
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text:_ Proverbs 2:1-6 Reflections
The relationship between wisdom and a “fear of the Lord” is interesting to me.
If you accept, store up, cry aloud for, look for, and search for wisdom in God’s Word, then God promises that you will understand the fear of the Lord. Wisdom is a free gift from God, but that wisdom starts with the “fear of the Lord.” (Psalm 111:10)...
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text:_ Friday's Reading
PROVERBS 2:1-6 (NIV)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 20081 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,2 turning your ear to wisdom
and ... -
Saturday Notes (9-13-08)
We have a great Sunday planned this week, so we just wanted to pass on a few quick reminders for you about things going on this weekend at St. Paul's...
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text:_ Resources
Some of the text messages I have been getting today were asking about good resources related to reading the Bible... you can check out a bunch of good resources in our online bookstore by going to stpaulswired.org/books.
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Quick Thoughts from Sunday
I will post my regular MONDAY SOC (Stream of Consciousness) , but a few very quick thoughts...
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text:_ Monday's Reading
MATTHEW 7:24-29 (NIV)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2008"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house ...
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text:_ Matthew 7:24-29 Reflections
MATTHEW 7:24-29
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008Cambria, NY. in the mid 1950's could have been easily labeled "the little town that time forgot". Many of my family's neighboring ...
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Monday SOC
My Monday Morning "Stream of Consciousness"...
- I am continually blown away at what God is doing these days at St. Paul's. I hope and pray that all our members ...
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150 Days Update: Zoning, Phase I, etc
Just some quick updates on the 150 DAY CHALLENGE...
- We've raised just over $6,000 since we started. We will be asking for pledges this Sunday. Our hope is ...
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text:_ Tuesday's Reading
MATTHEW 5:1-20 (NIV)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he ...
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text:_ Matthew 5:1-20 Reflections
"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them..." (Mt 5:1-2)
This ...
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Artist's Fast (10-28-08)
The Artists' Fast @ St. Paul's is a gathering of artists who feel called to get missional with their art—that is, to make art NOT for church but for ...
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text:_ Wednesday's Reading
MATTHEW 5:21-48
(The Message)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008Murder
"You're familiar with the command to the ancients, 'Do not murder.' I'm telling you that anyone who is ... -
text:_ Matthew 5:21-48 Reflections
At first glance as I was reading this passage this morning, I thought to myself two things: (1) nothing new here; and (2) these are a lot of things to ...
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Worship Set 9/14/08
9/14/08 Lead by: Beth Clements
Let God Arise, by: Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, and Jesse Reeves
Ancient of Days, by: Gary Sadler and Jamie Harvill
Forever, by: Chris ...
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text:_ Thursday's Reading
MATTHEW 6:1-34 (NIV)
SEPTEMBER 18, 2008Giving to the Needy
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do ... -
text:_ Matthew 6:1-34 Reflections
MATTHEW 6:1-34
SEPTEMBER 18, 2008One of the things I love about St. Paul's is that I feel like I'm surrounded by people who are blessed with ...
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Video Blog: 150 Days Challenge
To get more information or to make a donation online, go to stpaulswired.org/150days
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text_: Friday's Reading
MATTHEW 7:1-23
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008Judging Others
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged ... -
text:_ Matthew 7:1-23 Reflections
MATTHEW 7:1-23
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2008This week, we end where we began.
The week started with reading the end of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus calls ...
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What Ben is Reading This Fall...
Here are some of the books I am working through this fall...
"Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for a Church in Exile", by Rob Bell & Don Golden
"Unleashing ...
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I Love Fall!
I love the fall.
Warm days.
Cool, crisp nights.
Apples, Pumpkin-Spice Coffee, Cider.
Farmer's Markets still going strong.
It is one of my favorite seasons,
especially mid-Sept through mid-Oct ... -
A Note from the Techs at the 6PM
Hey everyone who was at the 6PM this week...
During the 6pm service on September 21, Michael and I encountered a problem with one of our projectors that affected a ...
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text:_ Monday's Reading
EXODUS 20:1-20
(Everett Fox Translation)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008God spoke all these words,
saying:
I am YHWH your God,
who brought you out
from the land of Egypt ... -
text:_ Exodus 20:1-20 Reflections
Imagine asking people on campus or at the mall about the 10 commandments. How many do you suppose they would remember? I'm guessing "Thou shall not kill" and "Thou ...
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Monday SOC
Monday's "stream of consciousness" reflections of the weekend:
Kind of a weird Sunday...
Pretty low attendance at 11:15AM and 4PM (normally our biggest services). On par at the ...
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Rubber Band Power
I just started reading "Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership", by Nancy Ortberg---- and it is great!
We are using this book in our online leadership ...
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text:_ Tuesday's Reading
2 SAMUEL 11:1-26 (TNIV)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 20081 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s ...
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text:_ 2 Samuel 11:1-26 Reflections
2 SAMUEL 11:1-26 (TNIV)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008I am really struck by the tragedy of this narrative as well as by two fundamental truths.
The tragedy is that ...
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text:_ Psalm 51 Reflections
Psalm 51 reminds me of a number of songs that I know!
I am amazed when I read the Psalms. David’s timing as far as when he writes is ...
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text:_ Wednesday's Reading
PSALM 51
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 20081 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away ... -
text:_ More Psalm 51 Reflections
I don’t remember exactly when, but at some point in my life I went on an underlining-spree and decided to underline the Bible verses that were most meaningful to ...
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Wowsers!
Sometimes I just sit back in awe at what God is doing----awe and a bot of exhaustion, lol.
Over the past 3 1/2 years at St. Paul's, we ...
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Blue Skies: Dreaming God's Dream
The week of October 5-8, our design and architectural team from Visioneering Studios will be with us to lead us through a process to develop a Master Plan for both ...
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text:_ Thursday's Reading
2 SAMUEL 12:1-22
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 20081 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town ...
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text: Reflections on 2 Samuel 12:1-22
2 SAMUEL 12:1-22
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008(First... my apologies. I posted today's reading and devotional yesterday by mistake. Sorry about that. Here is the reading and devotional ...
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Pastoral Thoughts on the Economy
As a nation, we are facing difficult economic times. In fact, some would suggest that we are facing economic crisis in our country. While I don't think fear mongering is very helpful, I do know that a lot of people are experiencing a lot of stress and fear and anxiety over the current economic environment...
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Bible Reading Resources
In today's message I talked about some resources that might be helpful to you in terms of reading the Bible. You can get all those resources at stpaulswired.org ...
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Pastors & Political Endorsements. What Do You Think?
Some pastors are directly challenging the current IRS rules barring pastors and churches from officially endorsing a political candidate from the pulpit. Here is one news report about today's ...
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Monday SOC
My random thoughts (aka "Stream of Consciousness") from this past weekend:
- We wrapped up our 4-week text:_ series this week and I was also able to give an update ...
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Crazy Wall Street & Washington
Another crazy day on Wall Street and in Washington. These are tough times and I suspect they will get tougher before they get better. I'm praying those who are ...
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The Next 15 Days are Crazy for Me...
Prayers appreciated... some highlights:
Tuesday meetings all day... small group at 9PM. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are always 12-14 hour days for me.
Prepping for Membership Class on Saturday.
Speaking ...
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Small Group Laser Tag!
Do adults really play laser tag? YOU BET...
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Architectural Evangelism
Author and sociologist Ray Oldenburg, in his book, The Great, Good Place, described how people throughout history have lived in three realms, defined by physical and social relationships. The First ... -
Worship Sets
9/28/2008 Lead by: Beth Clements
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace) by: Marc Imboden and Tammi Rhoton
I Will Not Forget by: Brenton Brown
You'll Come by ...
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