Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday we had a great day @GFchurch. I love our team and all that He is doing in us, to us, and through us. Scott Finch did a great job leading us in worship. If you were unable to attend service this past Sunday you can watch it here on GatewayTV. We looked at Discipleship, and what it looks like to be a disciple. Here is the basic outline of the message::

The Great Commission: “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’”” ~ Matthew 28:19-20

...... Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you




excerpt from Dallas Willard‘s The Spirit of the Disciplines

The word "disciple" occurs 269 times in the New Testament. "Christian" is found only three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to the disciples…. The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ.


But the point is not merely verbal. What is more important is the kind of life we see in the earliest church is that of a special type of person. All of the assurances and the benefits offered to humankind in the gospel evidently presuppose such a life and do not make realistic sense apart from it. The disciple of Jesus is not the deluxe or heavy-duty model of the Christian — especially padded, textured, streamlined, and empowered for the fast lane on the straight and narrow way. He stands on the pages of the New Testament as the first level of basic transportation in the kingdom of God.


For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit, and teachings as a condition of membership — either or entering into or continuing in fellowship of a denomination or a local church…


…So far as the visible Christian institutions of our day are concerned, discipleship is clearly optional….



(Cited in Richard Foster’s Devotional Classics, pp. 14-15.)



Luke 5:1-11

5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

qualities of a disciple::

* obedience
* humility
* mission
* spiritual health / disciplines


In the words of James E. Faust:

“Our true claim as disciples comes when we can say with certainty that His ways have become our ways.” James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 20–23


.....Brief overview of Romans 6-8



* A Disciple not only confesses with his mouth but also confesses by his actions.
* A Disciple confesses Jesus with their life.
* A Disciple loves Jesus more than anything.

...... Summary of Galatians 5


We have some big events coming up in the life of our church. We are now in the preparation stages of putting our neighborhood block parties together. We will also be pushing out some information regarding a Gateway Community Day, as well as many other opportunities to embrace the community around us. One of the big things we need your help with is gathering candy for the Royse City "Trick or Treat on Main Street" community event that will be held on Wednesday, October 27th.


......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......

~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~October 23, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~October 27, 2010 Trick or Treat on Main Street


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us