Saturday Sneak Peak: Your Mission - Choose to Accept It

What would it look like for a church to not only release it's people into the world to fulfill their mission but to come beside them to enable their dreams?

Read Philippians 2:1-12

Three Ways God uses the church to save the city:
1.  Truth. - What do we believe and what is the best way to talk about it with our 
     community.
2.  Identity - People are not commodities.  They are relationships.  We are not building
     church Inc.  We learn what it means to be the church.  
3.  Sent - The church is the sent people of God.  Father sends the son, the son sends the
     spirit, the spirit sends the church.  We are not called to stay in our buildings but to go
     into the city and announce the reign of God. 

Sunday at Nomad, I'm looking forward to walking through the first part of Philippians 2 to show us how we can find our ministry every day right where we are, but in order to do that we have to understand that we are sent back into the gospel to recognize our own propensity for evil.  Its about emptying our selves for humility and it makes the 'Mission Possible.'

Friday Word: Prosperity, Contentment & Hope

This week's Final Word comes from our friend and co-founder of generationalive.org,  Mr. Jeremy Affeldt.  Jeremy is also a relief pitcher for the MLB west contending San Francisco Giants and a close personal friend of Pastor Brant.  Jeremy has also donated to the many causes including the Theo fund as well as donating several sports memorabilia for the auction.  Thanks Jeremy!  And thanks for keeping it real in life as well as on the blogosphere!  

Prosperity, Contentment & Hope

I don’t look at someone who makes $30,000 a year and think that they’re a charity case. They’re not! But a lot of wealthy people do think that way. They’ll look at someone in that income bracket and say things like, “Oh, man, you need help,” or, “Good thing I didn’t make choices like that.”

Can you believe that? I know that’s the wrong view. It’s possible to live on $30,000 a year and have everything you need. And if you feel like you have everything you need, or if you feel like you have everything you can imagine needing, then you understand prosperity. You’re content! You know that it’s okay.

I don’t mean to say that everyone making $30,000 a year is prosperous and content. Honestly, if someone asked me, “Could you live off $30,000 a year?” I would have to reply, “No, I couldn’t.” Not with three sons. I really couldn’t. But when I was in Double-A in Wichita, I made $600 a month and I lived just fine. So at that time, I could. I really could. It was okay!

I’m telling you man, you can’t go around looking at people’s incomes and say, poor them. You can’t decide to feel sorry for people based on what they make. Look at them first. Are they happy? Are they smiling? Then they are content! It’s okay!

We’ve got the wrong idea of prosperity. Prosperity is not financial. Prosperity is life. Prosperity is wholeness. Prosperity is joy.

A prosperous life, for me, is to see my kids grow up to be respectful people, honoring their mother and their father. I want my boys to honor their mom. Not fear her. Honor her. I want them to serve her. (That’s partly my job. They’ll learn that by seeing me serve her.) Prosperity, for me, is knowing that my wife loves me. She doesn’t hate me, she loves me. My kids love me. They don’t fear me, they love me. My friends and I have a good time. The bills are paid. These are all reasons why I know I’m a prosperous man.

And there’s just one other thing. There’s the promise of the resurrection. That’s hope. A prosperous life is a hopeful life, and the resurrection is our hope.

It’s just like God to set things up that way. He created our hope. He hasn’t fulfilled His promise yet for a reason, but we are living on that hope. We are always anticipating. We just know that there’s got to be something better. When you ask someone, “How’s your life?” and they say, “Perfect,” they’re not telling the truth. I promise you that. Nobody’s life is perfect, because hope hasn’t arrived.

Don’t worry if things aren’t perfect. Not everything’s going to be perfect, because it’s not meant to be. We’re meant to feel anticipation, because we’re hoping for God. Deep in our souls, we know something isn’t right, not just yet. Deep in our souls, we know He’s coming. I know there are people who suffer depression because they’re not fulfilled, but be comforted. We’re not meant to be fulfilled yet, and that’s okay.

Excerpt taken from, http://jeremyaffeldt.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/prosperity-contentment-and-hope/

Tuesday Text: Extraordinary Love

“Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it’s a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life. Love should not be one of them.” ~Unknown

Monday Post: Where is your Calcutta?

If you could meet and talk with any 3 people from anytime in history who would it be & why?   

I'd probably have to go with Bono from U2, Martin Luther King Jr, and possibly King Solomon or one of those guys on the near-fated Apollo 13.   The one person I really would have loved to have met is Mother Teresa.  Living and working these almost 20 years in ministry I've had the opportunity to study and witness her work from other side of the world.  Thanks to internet technology and the many biographies written about her life, I almost feel like I did meet her.  I feel like I know her and there is probably little I would be able to ask her that I don't already know from what I've read.  Nonetheless it would have been great to hear her speak to a group of young college students and to hear her say that famous phrase of hers, "find your  Calcutta".  

Mark 9:30-36

30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.  33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”  36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.

”Finding your "Calcutta" is not always an easy things to do.  It's almost as difficult as figuring out what it means to give humans their due as created by God.  The writer of Mark's Gospel gives a bit of insight that reminds me of how complicated we make the Christian life.  We complicate it by always thinking that the "real" Christian thing is to do some huge mission and make huge sacrifices when it might be as simple as loving a child, helping a neighbor or praying with a friend.  As simple as walking and living the Gospel everyday in your very own Calcutta.  Where is that you ask?  It is where you sleep, where you live, where you work, and where you play.  Mother Teresa said, your Calcutta is to seek and find in your daily life, the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are . . . You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see.  

What would the world look like if we set out to love every person in our own Calcutta.  What is we all did our part, sharing with the needy.  I'm not just talking material possessions.  We can share our smiles, laughs, the Scripture, our time, our belongings, and our expertise in life.  I truly believe the more would come to faith in Christ and the world would be a better picture of restoration to God's image.  

SO WHERE IS YOUR CALCUTTA?  Spend some time this week asking God directly to show you right where you live, work and play what your "Calcutta" looks like.  Ask him to reveal things in your that are keeping you from being the missionary to your circle of influence you need to be.  SPend some time this week reading the Scriptures provided below and meditating on their meanings for your life.  Before you know it, you'll be living and working and ministering to others, and your office won't look like the daily grind, you'll picture it as a hospice center in Calcutta, India.  After all that is the one thing we have in common all over the world - we are all dyeing.  It is so vitally important that we all do our part and follow Jesus in faith into our very own "Calcutta".    

Reflections for Prayer

Who is the one person or group of persons you can serve this week?  Pray earnestly and then intentionally seek them out and serve them.  Serve them big!  Go big or go home as they say!  

What is the one major thing about your job that keeps you from being what Christ is calling you to be? 

Ask God to show you what it would look like to live the Gospel out better at - Home, Work, Church, Community? 

Further Study
Psalm 35
1 Cor 14:1-19
Mark 9:30-41   

Philippians 1:1-30      

                                                                               

No Greater Love, Mother Teresa & Thomas Moore

Generous Justice, Tim Keller

Saturday Sneak Peak; Live in a Worthy Manner

Philippians 1:27-30

²⁷ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. ²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,³⁰ since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

What does it mean or look like to "conduct" ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel?  

More on this at Nomad as the Mission Possible Series continues with a talk, 'How the World Saved Bill Stanley.' 

Tuesday Question: Everything They Had

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity."  - Acts 2:42-46 NLT

Taking the material possessions out of the equation what else could be meant by, "shared everything they had." in verse 44?   What else could we possibly share? 

Monday Message: Finding the Body

Today, I got an email from a dear friend that was impressed with a recent blog article that reminded her of the Nomad community.  In spite of a few differences to their format, including meeting on Saturday nights, their were some obvious similarities.  

Here is an excerpt from that blog . . . . 

We live life together during the week, too.  Prayer needs, many times in person, are met.  Gatherings to laugh and be silly are had.  Birthday parties for the kids.  Movie time for the guys.  Chat time for the ladies.  Decision meetups for the parents to decide the faith-path our kids will take.

There are leaders, but there is no hierarchy. We are each there to edify the Body.  Many folks using their gifts to glorify God.  Living life together can be messy.  We are vulnerable and (because we want to be) a bit in each others’ business more than I’m used to but it’s all love. So much love!

We might disagree and then agree, or maybe we didn’t even notice because it was all fine again and smoothed over so quickly. Because the Spirit is so incredibly alive. And powerful. And in charge. And the head of this community we call the church.  

This is the Body of Christ.  I can hardly breathe for the grace.  It’s immeasurable.

What a great story.  Nomad isn't alone.  It is great to see other organic communities like Nomad, walking, studying and living life together.  Know, that when we talk about Mission Possible, Social-Action or Meeting Needs, this is what we are talking about.  Living the Holy Spirit out in our lives in such a way that community is intentionally built.  To pray, talk and tryout various things together that we might, in all things, bring glory to God.  Bringing glory to God together is always a better way.  

As continue to set out and build "Intentional Community", dig deeper because it could change you and your communities life forever.  

Saturday Sneak Peak: Social Action

Saturday Sneak Peak:  Jesus said in Matthew 8:22, let the dead bury the dead.  What might this have to do with serving God in global social-action?  More on this tomorrow at Nomad, 10:15a.m.

Tuesday Quote: Intentional Victory

Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have 

made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."  - Psalm 50:5

"In confession the break-through to community takes place.  Sin demands to have a man by himself.  it withdraws him from the community.  The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation."  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together c. 78


Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was a German Lutheran pastor & theologian, who became 
known for his resistance against Hitler and the Nazi dictatorship.  He was arrested 
in April 1943 by the Gestapo and executed by hanging in April 1945, 23 days 
before the Nazi surrender.  After his martyrdom, Life Together" was published 
which chronicle Bonhoeffer's experience of Christian community including the story of a unique fellowship
in an underground seminary during the Nazi years.  

Monday Message: Victory, Prayer & Witness

Today's Monday Message come from Mike Law, Pastor Team at Nomad.  His post is a reminder of his talk yesterday as well as another Scripture to drive home the focus of being intentional.  Thanks Mike for such a powerful word yesterday.  It might have been the best worship gathering of the summer!     

Victory, Prayer & Witness

In spite of it being a full Monday to start the week, let's take full advantage church of the steps to Intentional Victory, Prayer & Witness.  To many times we live week after week in the illusion that we can't see or experience change.  Jesus Christ has come to give us new lives and thoughts.  We have power because of him.  Let’s embark on paths of change. 

Romans 6

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin…14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Are you trying to meet a need that only Christ can, looking to anything but him?

Have you grown accustomed to your condition and focused on the reasons you won’t get better?

What are the excuses, talking you out of change? 

Capture those false truths and replace them with truth! 

Saturday Sneak Peak: 3 Places to Start

Looking for forward to hearing Pastor Mike tomorrow continue the 100 day of Intentional Community with a talk on Intentional Transformation.  Excited to see him give us 3 area's we can begin to be intentional on.  

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

YOUR MISSION SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT  . . . . . 

Friday Final Word: 100 Days Begins Now!

100 DAYS OF INTENTIONAL COMMUNITYAugust 9th, 2012 marked the beginning of our 100 Days of Intentional Community.  We are excited to continue discipling our church folk in the being the church (not just doing church) that God has called us to be. Yesterday saw dozens of people across four states and 3 countries take some intentional time out for at least 15 minutes to pray for our buddy Theo.  Now we have 99 days left counting and we must use this time wisely as a community and more importantly as Christ followers.   

What can this 100 days look like?  The answer is found in Acts 2:42, "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." 

"They devoted" - (they), the followers were (devoted), meaning their entire life.  "Apostles teaching" -  (pastors) both in teaching & modeling Christ's teaching in our world.  "Fellowship" - Not just parties but welcoming strangers & growing our relationships.  "Breaking of Bread" - Referring to the sacraments (Communion, Baptism, & Washing Feet).  In our day this is also restoring the image of God in our world.  Finally, "Prayer" - It's prayer that doesn't just talk to God but that hears & follows the heart of God to great action.  

This was the early church and this is Nomad Church!  
So over the next 100 days we want to focus on three simple areas:

1.  Intentional Ministry:  The teachings of Christ should lead us into the society in which we move and breathe.  We must be intentional in reaching our friends and fighting actrocities around the world.  Over the next 100 days, be in prayer about who God would lead you to minister to. 

2.  Intetentional Conversation:  What is conversation?  In its purest since it is adult to adult discipleship.  Over the next 100 days, check out the facebook threads (daily prayer thought from 1-100),www.nomad-7.com thread, conversation daily by a leader in our community and world.  And then when we are ready to begin doing studies and meetings to builld people of influence, attend!  

3.  Intentional Relationships:  Intentional Ministry and Conversation should always breed relationships.  True relationships founded in love and grace.  True relationships that aren't afraid to admit their failures and aren't ashamed to bring their brokenness to the table.  As you pray for God to move, he will put people on your heart and you MUST be intentional with calling, writing, meeting, and helping people. 

This is the type of church God has called the Nomad community to be and it is the passion found in the creed read almost every Sunday, affecionately called, The Way of the Nomad. There is a seat at the table for you to live out his purposes.  Join us for this amazing 100 days of journey and discovery. The 100 is back and its better than ever!  


Further Reading:  Over the next 100 days order these great reads that
will parralled the next 3-4 preaching series. Philippians
Isaiah
Ephesians
Genesis
Malachi

Also . . . 
- Pursit of God, by A.W. Tozer
- Generous Justice, by Tim Keller
- Explicit Gospel, by Matt Chandler
- Conspiracy of Kindness, by Steve Sjogren
- Chasing Francis, by Ian Cron
- Wholly Jesus, by Mark Foreman 

Tuesday Quote: Area of Focus

100 Days of Intentional Community must focus on the following areas:

Acts 2:42
"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowhsip, to the breaking of break and to prayer." 

1.  Scriptural Teaching (both listening, growing and doing)
2.  Fellowship (Intentional visits, calls, meetings)
3.  Sacrimental Living (missional outreach)
4.  Prayer (prayer that motivates us to grow and move)

Just curious, how has God already been speaking into your life where "you" personally could grow in the any of the following areas.  We look forward to walking together to achieve authentic grow.

Grace & Peace,
Nomad Pastor Team.

Saturday Sneak Peak: Encounter Sunday

The Pastor Team is so excited for our very first 'Encounter Sunday'. Normally we'd give as little info as possible so as to allow you the advantage of the mystery and the newness of the experience.  However, when you're desiring a fellowship meal, its a good idea to give a bit of direction.

So here goes . . . . 

This Sunday at 10:15 at Nomad, bring some yummy eats for your family and a enough to share a bit as well.  Already setting the place up and its going to be a great day of building 'Intentional Community.'

Also bring some school supplies to share with kids in our community that are need of some assistance.

Finally, please be in continued prayer for our buddy Theo.  More updates coming this weekend as we being this 100 days of ministering to the Menswar family and building 'Intentional Community'. Don't miss this Sunday to come and connect with the your community.

Friday Final Word: Love & Basketball

"There is only one way to be successful in anything and that is give everything." 


The above quote was from Spike Lee's romantic film, Love & Basketball starring Omar Epps (House M.D.) and Sanaa Lathan (The Family that Preys).  It is the story of two neighbors who grew up loving basketball and, eventually, each other.  In 1981 L.A. the two L.A. teens Monica Write (Lathan) and Quincy McCall (Epps) are drawn together to each other and share a passion of basketball.  They eventually fall in love but soon break up while playing in college at USC due to many pressures of family, school and their futures.  Years later, their pro careers at a crossroads, they meet again.  Quincy asks, why she is leaving the game and she tells him it just isn't fun anymore.  Quincy tells her he never knew anyone who loved basketball as much as she did. , realizing her love for Quincy, who is in another relationship, challenges him to a final game of one on one.  If he loses, he must choose Monica; but if he wins, he is free to choose his fiancee' Kyra. 


Wait For It . . . .   Quincy wins, beating her in a close game.  I know right?!?  Its killing me too and then the movie fast forwards to 1998 and Monica has now gone pro in the WNBA.  The surname on the back of her jersey is Wright-McCall and the film ends with her husband Quincy helping their baby daughter to cheer on Monica as she is introduced at an L.A. Sparks game.  


In the middle of the movie he is challenged by her coach to be successful by giving everything.  You immediately know the writer is speaking of something greater.  Quincy and Monica has to give up something they thought they loved (Basketball) for a greater love (each other).  It was only in their crossroads with basketball that they could face the truth of their love.  It makes me wonder what keeps us from realizing the most important thing in our lives is love.  Not love for possession, fame or power.  But a love for Christ that helps us give everything.  All of it, every last bit of it, whatever that is for each of us.  Then when we give it all, our entire mind, heart and soul, we realize a love for each other that couldn't be realized any other way.  And the best part is, we often don't see either of this love without the cross roads of life.  


So where ever you find yourself these days, allow God to use it to bring you into a closer love relationship with his Son Jesus Christ.  Then and only then can you experience the "Summer of Love"

1 John 3:1-3

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.