Keep Pointing

Has it ever been your fault?

Waiting.

We’ve been talking about it for the past two weeks, and we have learned that we can find ourselves in a ‘waiting room’ – and it isn’t even our fault. 

But…sometimes it is. 

Sometimes we have definitely been disobedient to God.  This weekend, we are going to look at Jonah inside the belly of the whale and discover what it takes to get out of the belly of the whale and get back on the beach with God. 

Again, this may not be you, but it may be your friend, your child, or your spouse who’s in a tough ‘waiting room’ right now.  This is a great opportunity to invite them, or learn how you can partner with God and help them get out of the belly of the whale.

Keep inviting.  Keep praying.  Keep waiting well.

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.