Tonight - Wed Refresh (latest update)

Oct. 7 update

“And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” John 8:31-32

“I AM the way, truth, and life.” John 14:6

A lie is the opposite of the truth! Satan is the FATHER of all lies. Jesus claims to be the ultimate truth!

What is truth? It's far more than correct information! Learning Bible facts won't set you free from the stress, habits, and mess-ups that daily follow you. How do the verses above change the way you view "truth?"

Jesus ran into a lot of religious people and he said this to their face: “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” John 5:39

A powerful truth passage is Proverbs 3:1-5 Verse 3 “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. 4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
 6 Seek his will in all you do,
 and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.”

Jesus IS truth. To be free I need Jesus in my life. Building trust starts with a clear awareness of our own weakness. It grows when we are constantly seeking HIS PLAN.

Sin is the opposite of truth: Sin simply means "I did it my way." That is why God's friends in the Bible saw sin as something not just against someone else, rather that which would harm their relationship with God - See Genesis 39 for an amazing story and perfect illustration of this truth (also see Psalm 51:4).

Two very important chapters in the Bible about sin are Psalm 51 and Romans 6. Sin will always be far more than a "list." It's trusting myself over God - See Romans 6:23, Romans 14:23, & John 16:9.

New Questions for Wed Refresh (Oct. 7)

Freedom from "My Precious!"

The masterpiece "Lord of the Rings" illustrates the power of "SIN" in our lives. This Wednesday we will be touched by the powerful, freeing words of Proverbs 3 (especially verses 3-8).

We will also look at the Iceberg principle - a tool to help us, in prayer, dive beneath the surface to the deeper issues we need to release. God's authentic "realness" is waiting to shine out of us. Check back on Tue and Wed for more questions, more Bible verses and a couple of very cool tools!

Question: What are the three biggest lies that tempt you on a daily basis?

Maybe - "Life should be fair!" "I need to be happy." "I can't be OK if others judge me."

How do you dive beneath the surface to discover the lie that is behind your frustrations, fears, and guilt?

Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." What is truth? Hint - It's NOT what Religion has been pushing for more than 1,000 years!

More questions for Wed Night Refresh, plus +++

Want the link to Bruce & Laura's "famous Fresh Salsa?" Read on . . .

This Wednesday night (Sept. 30) @ 7 p.m. (come early for a very cool treat)

Pastor John's "R" for the acronym RICE was "REST IN JESUS!"

a. What does it mean for you to rest? When do you rest best?

b. It's been said that "Less is MORE!" When you rest, are you more aware of God's

presence?

c. How might rest better put you in that spiritual mind-set that helps you "identify the

battle" God wants you to fight?

Read Genesis 2:2-3 and Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:1-3 (Message Bible)

"For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting."

Bruce's personal blog (salsa)

This Wed. Night - 7 p.m.

Pastor John used the acronym RICE in his talk this weekend - it's the power of letting prayer fill our lives. This Wed night is an opportunity to go a bit deeper into the gift of prayer. Check back Tue and Wed for updates of questions and Bible verses we will share. See what a Life Group feels like, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. See you Wed night at 7 p.m.

Check in on Tue for Bruce & Laura's salsa recipe they made for movie night last Friday.

Movie Night - Friday Sept 25@ 7 p.m.

Come EARLY if you want to see Bruce's Tomato Extravaganza show (it's about 7 min. long - fun, healthy & tastes GREAT - this is a miracle!). If you're here by 6:53 p.m. you'll see it all!

7 p.m. - OUR MOVIE is "Princess Bride" There is not better place to see this classic. Angela Taylor has a trivia quiz and you might win a very cool prize!

Bring a friend, meet someone new, see a great show (our sound system and three screens make this a great way to see a movie). Come early! Great food and some fantastic fresh salsa (Bruce's fav. recipe) - FREE!

How literal Should I take God's Word regarding Prayer?

This weekend at Living Hope Church is one you won't want to miss - Pastor John will be speaking about how to dress up in ALL of God's armor - I can't tell you how excited I am about this weekend - Bring your friends! This extended Living Hope at The Movies series features the Lord of the Rings Trilogy - it's fantastic! Your batteries will be charged! See you Sunday at our East Vancouver Campus!


Bruce


These notes are from Tom Taylor and Bruce Avery's Life Group (our wives are the real strength of our very cool Life Group Family:)

What are three specific areas/things you SELDOM pray about (Pastor John mentioned his "headache" in last weeks sermon)?

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:6

Praying about every worry - Does God mean every one of them?

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;" WHAT ARE YOU MOST "DEVOTED TO" RIGHT NOW?

Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

How "inclusive" should I be with this verse? “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18

Our Group spent about 8 minutes doing a short "word study" in Philippians 4:6 - the way this verse touched our lives and the sharing that followed was amazing!

4. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Don’t Worry = In the Gospels this word is translated as "take no thought" – Greek for: not your primary concern; not a high value . We say, "I could care less!" Be "Careless" about much more - "CARE MORE ABOUT LESS!" In Philippians 3 Paul says, "I'm only really concerned about ONE thing - KNOWING JESUS!
Everything = Greek for: All things (especially "things" but can include humans as well). How many "Thoughts" (things) am I worrying about right now?
Supplication = Greek for: need, desire – this word comes from the middle voice of the wd. "to beg, desire, or long for " SOME OF US FEEL WE HAVE A LACK OF FAITH OR THAT WE ARE "BIG BABIES" WHEN WE HAVE SUCH STRONG LONGINGS, OR WHEN WE KEEP ASKING GOD OVER AND OVER TO MEET OUR NEEDS - GOD WANTS US TO DO THIS! IT'S HIS INVITATION FOR US TO BE REAL ABOUT OUR PASSIONATE HEARTS! The root word behind the Old English word "Supplication" is, "to bind, tie, or fasten." In the OT this was used to refer to an obligation, law, or a duty. When we are calling out to God we are asking that we be "untied" and "unbound" from Satan's temptations and "tied up forever-safe" in a friendship with God!" Our passionate cries to our Heavenly Father builds our trust that God will NEVER leave or ABANDON US!

Requests = Greek (The root word) for: "To ask, beg, crave, or desire." How much does God want you to share your deepest longings, your unspoken dreams, all of your broken heart? This is a pretty passionate promise - God's Plan for us!

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18

Did you miss Last night's family night? - here's a link to my personal blog & to a Youtube of my son Gordon singing and dancing (very funny stuff)!

This Sunday's BBQ (Plus: HOW TO LISTEN & CARE MORE)

Our life group had a great time discussing the massive topic of What Does Great Communication Look Like?  (Check out my personal blog)

This Sunday (Labor Day weekend):

One of the most inspiring stories you've heard in a very long time (9 & 11 a.m.)

AND -  One of the best BBQ's this Summer (Free burgers and dogs - you bring a side dish)!  Don't be afraid of the rain - we've got tables indoors!

PLUS - Pastor Bruce will be grilling the ULTIMATE burger (no joke - you will have to contribute $$ for this - It goes for a great cause) . . . bring your "Bills!"

Bring a friend too and learn about all the cool things happening this fall!