November 30, 2008
First Sunday of Advent
Posted by John R Loppnow
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
That was a prayer that millions of followers of Christ are praying across the world today (Sunday).
In future posts I’ll be talking about the meaning and significance of Advent. I’m curious who knows what Advent is all about? What has it meant for you? How can we thoughtfully enter into Advent? My sense is that when we understand the signficance of Advent we will be drawn deeper into conversation with our loving Father by the Spirit.
November 15, 2008
Pray for the Week
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
November 14, 2008
Questions to ask while dating
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
Preparing for the most important human relationship is is very beneficial and pays off in your future marriage. There are many ways to prepare for your marriage even if you aren’t currently dating. Reading books on dating and marriage is a great way to prepare. Reading a book with a few close friends is even better. One of the most important elements in preparing for marriage is to realize the reality of marriage in general and specifically with the person you are dating or engaged to. Asking yourself questions as a couple is a good way to prepare for marriage.
I often send people a file with 99 questions to answer in the pre-marital process. And the feedback I get is very positive. I’ll include 10 questions here. If you are interested please respond with a comment here. The 99 questions are divided into 5 categories: Family Background, Conscience, Compatibility Potential, Relationship Skills , Past Relationship Patterns. I’ve included 2-3 questions in each category to give you a little taste.
Family Background
1. What made you feel special in the family?
2. How were conflicts handled by your parents?
Conscience
1. What do you feel strongly about? Rights and wrongs?
2. How do you handle it when you are wrong?
3. Do you understand my perspective?
4. Do you validate my perspective when I explain myself to you?
Compatibility Potential
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your personality?
2. How good at nurturing are you?
3. How do you handle your money?
Relationship Skills
1. Are you good at reconciling and making up?
2. Do you initiate conversations? Apologies? Affection?
3. How open are you to get help for our relationship from someone else outside of the relationship?
Past Relationship Patterns
1. What were the patterns of your previous relationships?
2. What did you do well?
3. What do you wish you had done differently?
4. What did you argue about?
November 13, 2008
Holiday Plans
Posted by Missions Dept
Already it’s November, when we begin to think about the holidays – Thanksgiving & Christmas. Each year during this season, I feel a tension between celebrating the season as the rest of the world does and celebrating as Jesus would be delighted. For surely I feel that the real reason for the celebration is being pushed away and away.
One thing I always think about as I am doing Christmas shopping for people around me, is, “where is the gift for the birthday boy?” What would I get for Jesus? Can I get anything for Him? What would I give Him? What would make Jesus delight on this day?
Many thoughts and ideas…but what about presenting one people or nation who is yet to come into the family of God? Interceding for that nation or people, giving toward the mission to that nation, or making a specific plan to reach out to them?
Jesus came to save the lost and to give life, and life abundant.
Jesus came, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus came not to condemn, but to save.
Would you join Jesus on this season of celebration for what He has come for? Give Jesus His birthday gift!
November 12, 2008
“Missional”????
Posted by Pastor Yana Ahn
Recently, a few of us were talking about what it means to be “missional.” In fact, we, YNCC, are to become a missional community that connects, serves and extends. So, what does it mean to be missional? What comes to your mind when you hear the word, ‘missional’?
Here are some of responses we shared together;
• Living beyond myself — looking outside of me, looking into God’s heart
• Living with a purpose
• Intentional — having direction of life . . .
• Sharing the hope of Christ with those without the hope . . .
• Requires more than crossing a border, taking a Short Term Missions (SMT) trip.
It requires a life HERE and NOW being missional—being intentional for Christ with the purpose of sharing the hope of Christ in wherever you are — whether in a classroom, in a marketplace, in a boardroom, or in a PTA meeting, etc.. Only then, crossing the border doesn’t really mean much, and we learn to truly become missional.
What comes to your mind when you hear the word, “missional”, YNCC becoming a missional community? Would you share your thoughts? Thus, together, we may enlarge our understanding of what God has called us to become? Welcoming your input. . .
Yana
Missions Pastor
November 11, 2008
Marriage Missions
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
As the pastor of Marriage & Family Ministry I’m always on the search for resources that are easily accessible and helpful to people and their marriages. That is why I was so happy to find the ministry Marriage Missions. This website has so many great resources; a weekly email you can sign up for, great articles for all stages and elements of marriage and they have a section on helping people prepare for marriage (personally I value prevention and preparation very much!). I encourage you all to take a look at it. Even for 5 minutes. I think that everyone can find something helpful.
Here is the reason that they exist and the website.
This Christian marriage ministry is designed to help those who are married and those preparing for marriage to be PRO-ACTIVE in helping to save marriage from divorce and to enrich it by offering INSPIRATIONAL skill-building information which REFLECTS the HEART of CHRIST.
http://www.marriagemissions.com/
Here are some of the topics that are listed with resources:
• Save My Marriage
• Preparing For Marriage
• Newlyweds
• Dealing with Parents
• Sexual Issues
• Marriage Enrichment
• Marriage and Finances
• Spiritual Matters
If you find any of these topics interesting please consider taking 1-2 minutes and look through the website. And sign up for the weekly email. It is definitely worth it.
I leave you with their guiding biblical passage.
“Be imitators of God as dearly beloved children and to live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
November 10, 2008
Forced Family Fun (FFF)
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
This is what my best friend in High School called the time he had to spend with his family doing something together. I’m sure many of us grew up with FFF. To tell you the truth I’m grateful for my parents’ making us spend time together as a family doing something “fun” together. Even though, at the time, I probably would have rather gone out with my friends, I’m definitely grateful for those memories. And, in some ways, I wish they had created more of those memories.
As a parent I can see the importance of creating many moments of connection. Some more elaborate such as a family vacation. Or as simple as running errands together. Some of my fondest memories are running errands with my parents. I can remember going to the bookstore with my dad and he said that I could pick out one book. I think he is the reason for my book addiction. (Yes, I take full responsibility for my Dad getting me addicted to books). I also enjoyed our family trips to see extended family on the weekend.
I think its a great idea to intentionally create family memories together. As the kids grow we can increasingly include them in shaping the family memories. We can ask for their input and what they would like to do as a family. So, in the midst of our busy schedules lets slow down to remember to focus on what is most important – one another. Mom and Dad can find creative ways to create the best FFF (Forced Family Fun).
November 9, 2008
Prayer for the Week
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Jesus Creed
Scot McKnight, the author of The Jesus Creed, writes powerfully about the way Jesus amended Judiasm’s creed – The Shema (Duet 6:4-9). Jesus took the spiritual center of Judiasm and added what he deemed important – the act of loving others. Central is loving God with all of who we are and Jesus said in order to live the life he desires we must love God and love others. They cannot be separated according to Jesus.
According to McKnight he writes,
“A scribe asks Jesus about the essence of spiritual formation and Jesus gives him an old answer with a revolutionary twist: Love God and love others, and love God by following me (p. 13)”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
This is our greatest call as followers of Jesus Christ. We are to live this out in all of our relationships; marriage, family, co-workers, fellow brothers and sisters, and beyond. We will have the greatest opportunity to live out the greatest commandments in our marriage. In a sense it is our best training ground to grow strong in Christ as we learn to live out our loving (1 Cor 13) attitudes and actions in our marriages.
Be strong and courageous as God is our Good Shepherd who is faithful to complete what he began in your marriage.
November 7, 2008
Godly Marriage
Posted by Pastor John Loppnow
To be made in the image of God is to reflect and participate in relationships founded on love (as described in 1 Cor 13). As human beings we must wrestle with two natures: our sinful fallen nature (as we depend upon ourselves – self-will) and our God given nature that is enlivened and empowered by the Spirit of God. As people who follow and look to Jesus on how to live a good life, we can learn from God, who is three in one, how to live in relationships of love. Jack & Judy Balswick state, in their book A Model for Marriage, “The love shared among the persons of the Trinity and love of the triune God for us provides the best model for our love relationships (p.26).” A marriage built on biblical principles looks to our God for a vision of what it means to love. Anything less than giving and receiving love (as God loves us) is living from our sinful nature. As we learn to love like God we participate in His divine nature (find scripture). Not only will our spouse and families experience the goodness of this, but also people who do not know God will “know us by our love (John 13:35).”
The Balswick’s go on to show the theology of an increasingly mature covenant between two spouses. They present the biblical principles of covenant, grace, empowerment and intimacy as the basis for a resilient marriage (p.38). They depict these four principles in a circle as interrelated in an ongoing, deepening process.
“When spouses live according to the covenant principle, “to love and be loved,” the grace principle, “to forgive and be forgiven,” the empowerment principle, “to serve and be served,” through mutual servanthood, and the intimacy principle, “to know and be known,” they will reap the rich rewards of following God’s more excellent ways (p. 38).”
Using the Balswick’s taxonomy as a vision for our marriages as well as the way we relate to one another in our families and church, we then can see that heading in the opposite direction will lead us towards trouble and broken relationships.