I am highly disappointed that Google is having issues and I am unable to upload the "Mawwage" scene from "Princess Bride."
I am not however disappointed in the great conversation we had in class last night. We took a close look at the Creation process in Genesis 1 and 2 and took a dive into how deliberate God was in His creation of marriage and the family. We talked about how marriage and family is an essential part of our faith because it is a physical picture of the Trinity, God's relationship to us, Jesus' relationship to us and our relationship with fellow believers.
Therefore, Satan took no time at all attacking the first married couple and subsequently their children. And he relentlessly attacks marriages and the family today. We discussed that these attacks essentially involve 2 key ingredients: Satan's lies and our pride/selfishness.
The Challenge:
What are the lies you struggle with?
Ask God to reveal those lies and the truth to combat them.
Study the Word to hide the Truth in your heart.
Ask God to give you and your spouse the courage to be completely naked and exposed to one another.
Stand strong and fight for your marriage and the marriage of others.
In Him,
Aaron
LIFE GROUPS: You don’t have to be a member of the church to join one of Lake Pointe’s small groups called Life Groups…it’s “the church within the church”. Life Groups are made up of people with similar ages or family structures meeting together for: •Living For Others | Mission/Ministry •Interactive Bible Study •Fellowship •Encouragement This is where real, life-enriching relationships can form and develop.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
The Weekly Challenge
The command is simple to say, but not so simple to live out. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." Jesus went so far as to command us to "love your enemies" and "pray for those who persecute you." He went on to teach that in doing this we are acting like our Father in heaven who reached out to us and offered us grace even while we were still enemies to Him.
My daughter drew the picture to the left. I found myself immediately trying to correct her regarding the missing "r" rather than being amazed by the fact that a 7 year old intently sat through a class for 40 year old married couples and walked away having learned about "grace." I shook my head and looked at her and said, "never mind, keep it like this, it is beautiful." Each one of us is like this picture, beautifully flawed, so how will we respond to each other?
The Challenge:
Spend time reflecting on 1 John 4:7-21.
Determine who the enemies are in your life and pray for them.
Contemplate what you are taught about them and yourself during those prayers.
Other Scriptures for study:
Matthew 5:43-48
John 13:34-35
1 Peter 4:8
In Him,
Aaron
Monday, June 8, 2015
Weekly Challenge - Pray for Campers
In class we spent time listing everyone we could think of from our Life Group who is attending Trek camp this week. We came up with the names of 2 adults who are leading, 1 teen who is leading, and 14 kids who are campers.
The Challenge:
Spend time in prayer this week for these people.
Pray that the leaders would be energized.
Pray that they would be filled with extreme spiritual power.
Pray that love would overflow from them to the kids who so desperately need it.
Pray that the kids would receive Divine guidance and direction.
Pray they would move towards owning their faith.
Pray they would find community and develop God-honoring relationships.
Pray they would know their value in Jesus.
Pray that God would ignite a passion in them for Him.
Pray their relationship with Jesus would deepen.
In Him,
Aaron
The Challenge:
Spend time in prayer this week for these people.
Pray that the leaders would be energized.
Pray that they would be filled with extreme spiritual power.
Pray that love would overflow from them to the kids who so desperately need it.
Pray that the kids would receive Divine guidance and direction.
Pray they would move towards owning their faith.
Pray they would find community and develop God-honoring relationships.
Pray they would know their value in Jesus.
Pray that God would ignite a passion in them for Him.
Pray their relationship with Jesus would deepen.
In Him,
Aaron
Monday, June 1, 2015
Weekly Challenge -Last lesson on Thessalonians
Life Group Community:
Paul told them to listen to his teaching and to follow his example. If you don’t work, you don’t eat.
Paul then told all the believers to never tire of doing what is right.
We
have finished the Spring study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. 22 weeks of lessons.
The
final lesson covered a lot of topics and we had a good discussion time in
LG. The main topics included:
Paul
worked so he would not be a burden to the church community and to be an example
to the new believers.
Some
believers were not working because of confusion about the end times they could
not work, they were taking advantage of the generosity of the community of
believers, or they were lazy.Paul told them to listen to his teaching and to follow his example. If you don’t work, you don’t eat.
Paul then told all the believers to never tire of doing what is right.
But
how should we react to believers who do not obey biblical instructions? Paul said we need to address the issue, act
in brotherly love, do not associate with him, with the end goal of restoration. The purpose of this
discipline is not final rejection, but only correction. This example shows us how to deal with a
public, deliberate, persistent disobedience to truthful instruction.
This type of confrontation is not always easy, fun, or painless, but it is biblical. My challenge to you this week is to pray for the church body to claim the truth of God, be convicted of sin, remove the sin, and be restored.
Be intentional.
Travis
Travis
Monday, May 18, 2015
Weekly Challenge -2 Thess 2:13-17
Life Group,
Great participation
and discussion on Saturday. Thank you
for the input on 2 Thessalonians 2: 13-17.
In our
passage of study, Paul was telling the young Thessalonian church (and us) to
stand firm, know the word/truth, and hold tight to sound teaching.
So we looked
up seven passages of Paul’s teaching to see how we can stand firm, know the
truth, and hold tight to sound teaching.
Here is a list of some of the truths:
Love rules,
above all, trust Jesus, love comes from the heart, be humble, live in the
Spirit not the law, know where you get the power, be in step, do good, do what
is right even when it is tough, don’t give up, all decisions have consequences,
be changed, act different, encourage, have a pleasing attitude, meditate on
THRPPGEW, pursue righteousness, stay strong, be steadfast, be on guard, stand
firm in the faith, be strong, be courageous, and do everything in love.
Wow. That is sound teaching. My
challenge this week is to read through this list every morning. Allow it to be your truth, the teaching you
can hold on to, the reason why you can stand firm.
Be
intentional.
Travis
Monday, May 11, 2015
Weekly Challenge -2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
Life Group Community:
In our passage and discussion this week, Paul was reminding the young Thessalonian church (and us) to be patient, live with hope, and trust in God.
There is evil and wickedness in the world and there will be a future climax of lawlessness which will follow the removal of the restrainer. However, it is still in God's control. If fact, the evil and wickedness will be removed by the breath of God when it is time.
This knowledge should give the church hope. The challenge for the week is to focus on living with hope. To accomplish this challenge, you need to know the source of hope. Use this prescription for patience and hope found in Isaiah 41:10 to meet the challenge for the week.
Be intentional.
Travis
In our passage and discussion this week, Paul was reminding the young Thessalonian church (and us) to be patient, live with hope, and trust in God.
There is evil and wickedness in the world and there will be a future climax of lawlessness which will follow the removal of the restrainer. However, it is still in God's control. If fact, the evil and wickedness will be removed by the breath of God when it is time.
This knowledge should give the church hope. The challenge for the week is to focus on living with hope. To accomplish this challenge, you need to know the source of hope. Use this prescription for patience and hope found in Isaiah 41:10 to meet the challenge for the week.
|
Prescription
for Patience and Hope (Isaiah 41:10)
|
|
|
Sunday
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“Do not be afraid”
|
|
Monday
|
“I am with you”
|
|
Tuesday
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“Do not be dismayed”
|
|
Wednesday
|
“I am your God”
|
|
Thursday
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“I will strengthen you”
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Friday
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“I will help you”
|
|
Saturday
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“I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”
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Be intentional.
Travis
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Jesus Said Love
Here are some eye-opening stats about the women that we serve:
1. 96% in Sexually oriented business have been abused
2. 93% have sexual abuse in their past
1. 96% in Sexually oriented business have been abused
2. 93% have sexual abuse in their past
3. 80% are mothers
4. 69% have PTSD which is more than the average man coming home from war
5. 90% live in poverty
6. 89% say they want out
7. 70% of women that are trafficked come through the commercial sex industry
8. 87% are abandoned by family from a troubled home, resulting in homelessness or a runaway situation
9. Within 48 hours of being cast out, girls/women are approached by a sex trafficker
4. 69% have PTSD which is more than the average man coming home from war
5. 90% live in poverty
6. 89% say they want out
7. 70% of women that are trafficked come through the commercial sex industry
8. 87% are abandoned by family from a troubled home, resulting in homelessness or a runaway situation
9. Within 48 hours of being cast out, girls/women are approached by a sex trafficker
10. Houston is the #1 sex trafficked city in the nation
11. Dallas is #2
12. San Antonio is #3
13. 300,000 children a year are coerced & manipulated into sex trafficking each year in the United States.
14. In Dallas alone, sex trafficking is a 99 Billion dollar industry a year
15. There is an estimate of 400 trafficked teens being used on the streets of Dallas right now
16. The average age for a girl to enter the commercial sex industry in any form is between 11 – 13 years of age.
17. These women have been forced into transit lifestyles – abortions, unwanted pregnancies, & a demeaning lifestyle that could make them $1000 a night, but is handed over to their “john”
18. Many of the older women we come across don’t even understand that they have been trafficked because they don’t know any other lifestyle.
19. As you can see, for the vast majority, stripping is not a choice.
11. Dallas is #2
12. San Antonio is #3
13. 300,000 children a year are coerced & manipulated into sex trafficking each year in the United States.
14. In Dallas alone, sex trafficking is a 99 Billion dollar industry a year
15. There is an estimate of 400 trafficked teens being used on the streets of Dallas right now
16. The average age for a girl to enter the commercial sex industry in any form is between 11 – 13 years of age.
17. These women have been forced into transit lifestyles – abortions, unwanted pregnancies, & a demeaning lifestyle that could make them $1000 a night, but is handed over to their “john”
18. Many of the older women we come across don’t even understand that they have been trafficked because they don’t know any other lifestyle.
19. As you can see, for the vast majority, stripping is not a choice.
Ways to be involved:
1. Pray: subscribe to the Dallas JSL Update at http://jesussaidlove.com/blog/.
2. Volunteer for: Gift Bag Team, or Hospitality team by clicking here: http://jesussaidlove.com/volunteer/. If you feel called to serve on the Payer Team, Club Team, or Security team, please let me know. We can use anyone who is willing to help in any capacity.
3. Give: give to the 1500 Columbus renovation project by clicking here: http://jesussaidlove.com/1500. Sponsor a monthly outreach or join our support team on a monthly basis. For more info: http://jesussaidlove.com/donate/
*Please note: if you want to give a monthly outreach, the BEST way to ensure the gift is applied to DALLAS is to mail a check to the address provided & write DALLAS CLUB OUTREACH on the envelope & the check. If you want to give online, please denote that on the form AND whichever way you choose, please let me know when you gave & how much so I can let Jodi know to be looking for it.
4. Influence: like & share Jesus Said Love on Social Media:
On Instagram: jesussaidlove
My hope & prayer is that you will be blessed as much as I am by this incredible ministry to serve the most underserved women in health & education services as well as spiritual care & concern in our city.
TO YOUR UNSTOPPABLE SUCCESS!
Emilie Quisenberry
Emilie Quisenberry
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