Why hunger and thirst?

Why did God create bread and hunger?

One of the reasons food has this amazing power is that it is so basic to our existence.  Why is this?  I mean, why did God create bread and design human beings to need it for life?  He could have created life that has no need of food.  He is God.  He could have done it any way he pleased.  Why bread?  And why hunger and thirst?  My answer is very simple:  He created bread so that we would have some idea of what the Son of God is like when he says, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).  And he created the rhythm of thirst and satisfaction so that we would have some idea of what faith in Christ is like when Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).  God did not have to create beings who need food and water and who have capacities for pleasant tastes.

But man is not the center of the universe, God is.  And everything, as Paul says, is "from him and through him and to him" (Romans 11:36).  "To him" means everything exists to call attention to him and to bring admiration to him.  In Colossians 1:16, Paul says more specifically that "all things were created through [Christ] and for [Christ]."  Therefore bread was created for the glory of Christ.  Hunger and thirst were created for the glory of Christ.  And fasting was created for the glory of Christ.

John Piper, A Hunger for God, page 23

Soul Care Update (03/21/14)

Here are possible questions for this week...

What is worship?

Read acts 12:20 - 13:3

Why did Herod die?

Describe what happens in 12:24 - 3:3 in one sentence.

Quote:   Missions exists because worship does not. 

What role do you and EBC play in sending Mark and Anahi self specifically and missionaries in general?

Soul care the week of March 30 through April 5:

I am thinking about not doing soul care notes for that week.

I would like to encourage people to go out and do Some possible suggestions...

Come to sonshine meeting on the 30th

Come out to upward practices on Tuesday or Wednesday Come out to upward game on Saturday Help out with celebration on Saturday night With the weather warming up go help a neighbor do some work in his/her yard

Soul Care Leader video (03.19.14)

Soul Care Leaders,

Below is a 3 minute video about training and growing.  A reminder:  Training #6: Praying Out Loud fits great with this month’s Missions Emphasis.  Choose a couple of the prayer ideas to use in your group this month.

Use this week’s sermon to challenge your group members to think about how they can reach out to others.

Please be praying about, looking for and encouraging people to consider being Soul Care Leaders next year.

Thanks!

Why New Groups When Existing Groups Could Use People?

Why New Groups When Existing Groups Could Use People?

I want to let you know a couple of things to answer this question.

1. It is easier for a new person trying out a group to meet with people who are doing the same.  They can experience those initial connection points your group had.
2. It is far easier to start a new group than to get an existing group to multiply
3. It is also easier to empower a new person to start a new group with a couple of friends they already have than place them in an existing group of people they may or may not know.

The reality is many of our groups have been meeting for more than a year.  There are relationships and connections formed.
No matter how friendly and open you THINK your group is, a new person coming into your group is going to feel like an outsider.

The problem for many of us is we have never had or cannot remember that feeling of joining a new group.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this.  I would prefer that you comment on this blog for others to see.  If you are not comfortable with that, you can email me.

Thanks!

Soul Care Leader Update (03/15/14)

Once again another Wednesday/Thursday of bad weather.
This has definitely been an interesting winter.

I know it has probably been difficult for some groups to get some consistency.

Know that I have been praying that each of you  would help your groups grow.

Soul Care Leaders:

Please be thinking about potential leaders in your groups.  To see the Soul Care ministry grow we need to have new leaders.  I will posting some details of a spring initiative to help with groups.

Soul Care Training:

Check http://soulcare-disciplemaking.blogspot.com/ for a new blog post entitled “10 Ways to Avoid Awkward Silence in Your Small Groups.”

Also want to encourage you to do the training if you haven’t done them yet.

Soul Care Notes:

Tim Vermilyea is going to be sharing about our Samaria and how to make disciples there. 

The Soul Care notes will probably be very general this week.

This post was posted on 04/17/14

10 ways to Avoid Awkward Silence in Your Small Group

www.pastoralized.com/2014/03/10/10-ways-to-avoid-the-awkward-silence-in-your-small-group/

Here are the main points.  If you want to read more about each one check the blog.

1. Come to your small group prepared to share.
2. Provide a “break the ice” time.
3. When you hit an awkward silence moment, wait…
4. Follow the ground rules for asking questions in a group discussion. 
5. Deflect questions from the group back to the group.
6. Ask if people disagree.
7. Model vulnerability. 
8. Just once, call on a shy person by name to share what they are thinking.
9. Politely ask the talkative people to let others weigh in.
10. Encourage discussion on the interpretation of the passage.

Soul Care Update (03/09/14)

SOUL CARE NOTES:

A couple of tips to help use this week's Soul Care notes...

1.  BIBLE STUDY:  The first question is a look at the Philippians passage Pastor Duke refers to in his sermon.  Really try to get your group members to thin about what this passage say about God, Paul and man.

Go to www.soulcare-disciplemaking.blogspot.com for the answer to the two blanks on this week’s Soul Care notes.

2.  ONLINE RESOURCE:  One section is look at one of this week's ebcgrow.com posts that is connected with this week's message.

3.  CHURCH INFORMATION:  Be sure to read the information section at the bottom of the notes:  information for 3Eing (my new made up word), praying and serving.

SOUL CARE TRAINING:

Training #6 at soulcare-disciplemaking.blogspot.com is designed to help with public prayer.  

There are some reasons why public prayer is important and how to improve your group's prayer time ideas.

If you haven't read the three articles and tried some of the ideas in your group, please do so as soon as possible.  

I would love to hear and share what you are doing in your groups.

SOUL CARE NOTE BLANKS

If you haven't been to this site, the training videos and other resources i have referred to are here!  Please be sure to check back here for Soul Care leader resources.

We usually don't do fill in the blanks for several reasons.  
1.  The mere spitting out quotes from a sermon is not necessarily a helpful way to use Soul Care group time. 
2.  Trying to figure out what the question asker wants is usually to challenging.  

With that being said, this week's fill in the blanks statement is:
Fill in the blanks:  Any conversion story, especially Saul’s, magnifies GOD'S SOVEREIGN GRACE  toward SINNERS

Also, the Leviticus 21 and 22 question doesn't require you to read through all the verses.  You only need to look at the specific verses in the statement above. 

Bottomline is that God is the one who saves.