Keep Pointing

42 Seconds with Pastor John

 

Can't see the video?  Click here.

So you think you know better than God?

We kicked off our Waiting series with a look at Abraham and Sarah, who thought they knew better than God. We learned that whenever we think we know better than God, we end up not waiting well and getting ourselves in trouble. But the good news is that God is faithful, even when we’re not. If you missed this weekend, you can catch it here.

Next weekend, we’ll hit another side of Waiting as we look at the story of Joseph. We’ll discover that he had lots of waiting moments – and none of them were his fault. Remember to pray this week - and remember to invite. As we approach this new summer season, let’s focus in and grow.

FAQ: What if someone didn't get a chance to hear the gospel?

This past weekend, we finished up our FAQ series, and thanks again for all of your great questions! Sorry we couldn’t get to them all, but hopefully the resources we gave out last week have been helpful to you. 

One of the questions this weekend was, “Why would a loving God send billions of people to hell?  And what if someone didn't get a chance to hear the gospel?”  We didn’t get to cover it fully, so here are two pretty good responses/resources to this question that might be helpful to you:

• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
• Focus on the Family

(Again, keep in mind that we don’t agree with everything on these sites, so keep your Bible and your mind open.)  This was really a great series, so if you missed any, go back and watch it online.

 

Coming up…

Our next 3-week series, Waiting, is really going to be powerful!  Waiting is something that none of us will ever escape.  Sometimes it is the little stuff like waiting in line at the store.  Other times, it’s big - like waiting for God to deliver, or waiting for the pregnancy test.  We’re going to hit three Old Testament characters:  Abraham and Sarah, who took matters into their own hands instead of waiting on God; Joseph, who had to do a lot of waiting on God – and it wasn’t even his fault; and then Jonah – who got himself in a waiting spot where the mess was his fault.

We’re going to learn how to wait well, and also learn how the God of the Universe meets us in our “waiting”.

 

The Biggies!

A lot of great questions have been submitted for our FAQ series, and some were repeated a lot more than others.  So, here are a couple of the biggies we'll dig into this weekend:

• Faith Line - why we call it that, what it means, and what the journey looks like.  Whether you've stepped over the faith line or not -- this is for you!  
• Why would a loving God send billions of people to hell?  And what if someone didn't get a chance to hear the gospel?

Even though you might not be asking these questions...the people in your circle probably are! Don't you want to know how to answer them?

Invite your friends, and get to your campus this weekend -- you don't want to miss it!

FAQ Resources

What a great weekend across our campuses!  You had some awesome questions, and unfortunately we weren’t able to answer them all.  But as promised, here are some resources for more of your questions. 

Quick disclaimer:  although these sites contain some really good information, they might not always reflect the beliefs of myself or PLC.

• YouVersion
• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
• Always Be Ready
• Bible Gateway
• The Resurgence Blog
• Desiring God Resource Library

Books:

• Bible Difficulties (PDF)
• http://debate.org.uk/topics/apolog/contrads.htm
• Answering the Tough Questions

Theology:

• Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology
• Mark Driscoll's Doctrine
• Millard Erickson's Christian Theology

"I've always wondered about..."

If you've ever said that or heard a friend say it, this upcoming FAQ series is for you!  We're going to be answering your questions about God, Faith, and the Bible.  

The Campus Pastors and I had a chance to look at some of the questions that are coming in already, and they're great!  But we're still asking for more.  Here are three ways you can submit your questions:

• TEXT it: Cedar Falls 319.804.9735 / Waterloo 319.804.9872 / Osage 319.804.8856
• TYPE it: Submit it on our website
• WRITE it: Postcards are available at your campus' Connection Desk

Get your questions in...and get to your campus with a friend this weekend!  You'll be informed, challenged, and encouraged.

PLC in Austria!?

This is a photo from Ellie, one of our PLC girls, who is playing Pro-Volleyball in Austria.  (Check out her notes...awesome!)  This is it for her...this is how she does church. Did I mention, she's in Austria!?

Wow!  Thank you Prairie Lakes for being generous, and for being flexible as we move cameras around and change some staging.  Isn't this picture amazing?  God is allowing us to have a wider reach than we ever imagined!

So keep praying, being faithful, and keep tithing and giving generously.  It's making a difference here in Iowa, and around the world.  Praise God!

Do you know your identity in Christ? Check out these true statements...

Iowa Nice is good, and there’s nothing wrong with being nice…!  But sometimes, being Iowa Nice moves us in the exact opposite direction than Jesus wants us to move.  So when being nice means “I’ll do whatever it takes for people to think highly of me…” – that’s when being nice isn’t always good.  (If you missed it this weekend, you can watch the message online.) 

One of the steps we talked about is to know your identity in Christ.  So, as promised, here’s a list of awesome statements that are true about you – in Christ:

I am loved. (1John 3:3)

I am accepted. (Ephesians 1:6)

I am a child of God. (John 1:12)

I am Jesus' friend. (John 15:14)

I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him. (Romans 8:17)

I am united with God and one spirit with Him. (1Corinthians 6:17)

I am a temple of God. His spirit and his life live in me. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am a member of Christ's body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I am a Saint. (Ephesians 1:1)

I am redeemed and forgiven. (Colossians 1:14)

I am complete in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

I am a new creation because I am in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved. (Colossians 3:12)

I am established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21)

I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I am God's co-worker. (2 Corinthians 6:1)

I am seated in heavenly places with Christ. (Ephesians 2:6)

I have direct access to God. (Ephesians 2:18)

I am chosen to bear fruit. (John 15:16)

I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:5)

I’ve been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me. (Hebrews 13:5)

So, in the end, do you really want to have spent your life worried about what people think of you – instead of what Jesus thinks of you? Do not spend another day in this prison!

Iowa Nice starts this weekend!

Get to your campus with a friend on your arm this weekend as we start our Iowa Nice series.  The prolific acting duo of Kyle Thomas and Ben Schmidt will kick off our services with an awesome video, “You might be from Iowa if…” 

We’re going to poke fun at ourselves, but we’re also going to grind down to some Biblical truths about Iowa Nice.  We’ll learn that sometimes, being nice isn’t always good.  So get to your campus…and the video will be at the top, so be on time!

DEAD AND BURIED!

God moved in mighty ways at Prairie Lakes Church this Easter weekend!  Literally, thousands of people made a significant step to trust Jesus that His crucifixion and resurrection are enough.  All across our campuses people made decisions that it was time for issues to be dead and buried in their life.  Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ…”  Between two Good Friday and six Easter services, we had 4600 people attending. Praise God!

And now, for all of you who invited or brought your One – first of all, great job!  We know for most of you this was a culmination of prayer and guts.  I’m proud of you!  This was a step with your One – so if you haven’t already, get a ball and put it in the One-for-One container in the Lobby at your campus.

Now, here’s your next step.  Talk to them about their experience at Easter.  Remember, the idea is that we’re going to journey with our Ones, so help them with their next step. If your one stepped over the faith line this weekend but didn’t tell anyone, (we know there are many who did but didn’t stop to talk with a Chaplain…) get them to your campus again next weekend and have them tell their story to a Chaplain, or you can grab a faith line packet and you walk them through it, too.  This will be a significant part of their journey. 

Again, great job PLC!  I’m proud of you!  God was glorified!