Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Doing Life Together

I am so excited about all that is going on in the life our church. The Lord has been doing some awesome things and it is a true privilege to be a part of something like this. If you are a part of the GF Family or have even listened to one of our sermon online, or even read one of our blog posts before; you have heard the phrase, "doing life together". This phrase is the heartbeat of who we are at GFchurch.
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for our church. We have had two families that have brought life into this world and our church through the births of their children. We have also had new friends walk through some very strategic surgeries and I am pleased to announce that ALL are well and good.

Let me introduce you to Caby Grace Davis. She was born at 3:48 a.m on February 20, 2010. She weighs 5 lbs 7 oz and 19 in long. JK and Alison Davis are very proud parents. Here is the photo album from Alison's Facebook Page

I would also like to introduce you to Austin Taylor King. He was born born at 8 a.m. on February 23, 2010. He weighs 7 lbs 6.8 ozs. Nate and Heather King are very proud parents. Here is the photo album from Nate's Facebook Page

I would also like to ask you to pray for my friend Mark Fanfara. Mark emailed us through the website last Tuesday with questions about the Men's Breakfast. He came to the breakfast Saturday morning and during prayer time he shared with the men that on Friday he found out that he was going to have to go in Monday (today) to have a triple bypass surgery. Well, he went in for surgery and they ended up doing 5 bypasses...yep 5! Anyway, Mr. Charlie (Finch) was able to get to Baylor on Monday and he was able to talk with Nancy after the surgery and Mark came through very well. He will be in ICU for a couple of days and then has a long road of recovery ahead. Please pray for him as he recovers and for Nancy as she helps in that process.

I really enjoyed teaching on Sunday over James 2: 14-26::

14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.


Here are the questions we answered while looking at this text::

* what is faith?
* faith and works:: what does it mean?
* what kind of justification is James talking about?
* textually, is James talking about this justification as being "a sign of our faith" or "salvific in nature" ?
* what did Paul say?

If you were not able to attend service, you can catch it here

Things coming up this month::

February 28 101 Class/ Membership @4pm @GFchurch

ConnectGroup schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
Wednite (youth) @ 7pm @ The Snow's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch

.. I love our church
.. I love our team
.. I love our people
.. I love our community
.. I love what He is doing in us
.. I love what He is doing through us
.. I love that He is not done with us

There are some awesome things coming up in the life of Gateway Fellowship.
.. new ConnectGroup video studies by Zach Snow
.. new Creative Arts stuff being led by Scott Finch
.. new way to stay connected with GFchurch Facebook Page

Monday, February 15, 2010

Reflections From Sunday

Yesterday was a great day @GFchurch We are walking through a series in the book of James called, "James:: The Essentials" and I really enjoying walking through this series with the church. This week was part7 of the series and we covered verses 1-13 of chapter 2.

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Things to think about::

* It's a heart issue (verses 1-7)
* It's the law of the King (verse 8)
(you shall love your neighbor as yourself)
-reference the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20
-the first 4 directed towards God
-the remaining 6 directed towards our fellow man
-reference the fact that they were spoken by Jesus in Matthew 22: 34-40

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

-also, reference Romans 13:8-10

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

* It's the law of liberty (verses 9-13)
-The Gospel saves
-reference John 8: 31-36

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

How amazing is it that Christ came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. He is the one who brings about fulfillment and gives us life. Thank you Jesus for showing mercy. Thank you that mercy triumphs over judgment. Teach us to look at those around us with an attitude of mercy. May we not show partiality which cares (1) more about outward appearance than the heart (2) gives us a misunderstanding of who is important and blessed in the sight of God (which is all of us) (3) gives us a selfish streak in our lives. The question here is, "how partial are we really"? When we begin to live the Royal Law or the Law of the King keeping in mind the Law of Liberty which brings about mercy and triumphs over judgment, it causes us to look at those around us differently. Remember we too deserve judgment but He gives us liberty. May we seek the heart of others, the goodness of others, and show mercy towards others. We LOVE because HE first loved us.



I am already looking forward to walking through James 2:14-26 this coming Sunday.

Things coming up this month::

February 20 Men's Breakfast @8am @GFchurch
February 28 101 Class/ Membership @4pm @GFchurch

ConnectGroup schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
Wednite (youth) @ 7pm @ The Snow's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch

.. I love our church
.. I love our team
.. I love our people
.. I love our community
.. I love what He is doing in us
.. I love what He is doing through us
.. I love that He is not done with us

There are some awesome things coming up in the life of Gateway Fellowship.
.. new ConnectGroup video studies by Zach Snow
.. new Creative Arts stuff being led by Scott Finch
.. new way to stay connected with GFchurch Facebook Page

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Reflections From Sunday


It was good to be back @GFchurch this week. It always seems like an eternity when we are away from our family at Gateway. Natalie and I celebrated 15 years of marriage on January 28, 2010, so we took that weekend to ourselves. It was so refreshing. I thought I would share a picture from our wedding day. We haven't change much at all. Yeah, right!

I really enjoyed service this past Sunday, Scott Finch is doing a great job leading worship and it is a blessing to hear God's people sing praises to Him on a weekly basis. Zach Snow and I team taught the last 2 verses in the first chapter book of James.

"26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." NASB

I also like the way this reads in The Message:
26-27 "Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world."

We discussed the that our "religion" has to be pure, practical, personal, and practicing. I know the word "religion" has a negative connotation to many, but take time to watch the service here at GatewayTV if you missed it. We addressed that whole issue of "religion" as well. Also, notice that the scriptural text above states that we are to "visit", this gives us a demand to do something. It must involve action! Not only does our religion have to be pure, personal, practical and practicing, but we must keep ourselves unstained by the world; or as The Message states, "guarded against corruption from the godless world"

Lord, would you continue to give us opportunities to, both personally and corporately, share the truth of who You are with a world that is unconvinced of who You are and Your love for them. May our lives be pure, and our faith lived out in action.

ConnectGroup schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
Wednite (youth) @ 7pm @ The Snow's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch

.. I love our church
.. I love our team
.. I love our people
.. I love our community
.. I love what He is doing in us
.. I love what He is doing through us
.. I love that He is not done with us

There are some awesome things coming up in the life of Gateway Fellowship.
.. new ConnectGroup video studies by Zach Snow
.. new Creative Arts stuff being led by Scott Finch
.. new way to stay connected with GFchurch Facebook Page