13 - Dec - 2011
The Christmas Story
Date: 13 December, 2011 | Posted By: Jonathan Blundell | Category: Faith
01 - Sep - 2011
Never beyond a second chance?
Date: 01 September, 2011 | Posted By: Jonathan Blundell | Category: Faith, relationships
Imagine if you would…
Your father, leaves behind his former life in search of power.
He kills your mother, leaving you and your sister orphans.
He then kills your mentor and attempts to take your life as well.
Could you still see the good in him?
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22 - May - 2011
today at encounter: how does life change happen in you?
Fruit grows by the life that is inside the vine, tree, or plant. It cannot be forced, threatened, shamed, or produced by any outside force. Jesus said there was only one way that the fruit of life grows in us – by abiding or resting in Him. From this humble place of accepting His forgiveness, favor, grace, love, and mercy we have produced in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness for others. We have fruit formed in us from what He first gives us!
Today, at encounter we celebrate and learn more about how to abide in Him and have His fruit produced in our lives. The heart that is truly set free has the fruit of worship, serving, and giving from a place of grace.
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14 - May - 2011
how you have been related to is how you will relate to others
We relate to people in our lives based on how we have been related to. If we have experienced forgiveness we will have a greater capacity to forgive. If we have been genuinely loved, then we will have a greater capacity to love. The opposites are true as well. If we have found little acceptance in life, we will have a greater tendency to not give acceptance. If we have been treated harshly, we will have a greater tendency to treat others harshly.
These are true of how others have related to us. They are also true of how we believe God relates to us. Those who see God has demanding, will often be demanding of others. Those who see Him as hard to please will often pass that on to others.
The opposite is also true. Those who have experienced the reality of His grace, acceptance, and love in their lives, will have a greater capacity to relate to others with that same kind of grace, acceptance, and love. Those who have been served by Him will have a greater capacity of serving others.
This Sunday at encounter, we dive into what it means to love and serve others – not out of duty or command; not out of force or manipulation. We’ll discover how to serve out of humility and love. We’ll see how to give away what we have received.
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20 - Apr - 2011
how would you answer the question?
How is a person made right with God? What does it take for the heart of a man to be changed and forever made clean and whole with his Creator. How a person answers that question speaks volumes about how they see God, how they see themselves, how they relate to others, and how they live life, and where they find their joy.
Placing them in the wrong order will drive a person to frustration, emptiness, and despair. The Bible gives a clear answer for which comes first and what happens next. That answer that confounds the wisest of men because it is the opposite of everything that seems right and natural.
How would you arrange them? In what order do they happen for someone to be made right with God?
