The Launch part 2 // rethinking faith

Read This // Matthew 14.24-33 (The Message)

24-26 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror 27 But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid. 28 Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.29-30 He said, “Come ahead.”Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” 31 Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”
32-33 The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”

Watch This // Slides

Launch Slides ( numbers below match their slide number)

1.Where does your faith come from? Your parents, your friends, your pastors?
When was the last time you thought about what you believe?
Maybe it’s time to consider this…

2.Jesus is doing more than just putting on a show of his power.
He’s proving a point to Peter, “You can do what I do”.

3.It seems like Peter became afraid and lost his faith in Jesus,
But was it Jesus who Peter lost faith in,
or was it himself?

4.If that’s true, then why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon in a boy in Matthew 17. Surely they believed Jesus could heal him.

5.Jesus calls 12 men to follow him. He spends 3 years teaching these men to do the same things that he was doing. Jesus then instructs them to go, spread the gospel. He doesn’t micro manage them, he has faith that these men are capable of starting the church.

6.It says in Mark 5.26/34
“…She had suffered a great deal, and she had spent all she had on doctors. ..” I imagine that means she has no job, no house, and no money. Yet it says “when she heard about Jesus…” She had hope. At this point She must be in one of two positions. Completely desperate, and broken or she’s at the point physically of life and death. Either way Jesus is her only hope.

7.She was standing there believing all the right things, and Jesus just passes her by.
How many people in that crowd were believing all the right things?
But if faith is about believing the right things, and trusting Jesus,
then why wasn’t she healed when Jesus walked by her?

8.Jesus never even saw her, yet it says he realized power had gone out of him. In a crowd of People, dozens of people were touching Jesus, all of whom needed something from him, why is she the only one? Then Jesus says your faith has healed you. So it wasn’t just standing by believing in Jesus that healed her, it was when she believed it enough that she did something.

9.In the gospels Jesus clearly shows that it wasn’t the movie stars of his day that had faith. it was the desperate, the down and out, Any time Jesus points out faith it’s in a person you would never suspect. Like a roman solider, a man with leprosy, women and children.

10.rethinking that faith is all about God
rethinking that faith means your weak.
rethinking that faith is how many bible verses you know
rethinking that God has faith in me

11.Is my faith based on another persons beliefs?
Do I swallow whatever I hear about God?
Who is the biggest contributor to my faith, do they have an agenda?
What was the last thing that shook my faith?
What does a person with a strong faith look like?
How do others view my faith?

Answer This //

Do you really live out  what you believe? If  not why are you still holding on to it?

The Launch part 1 // rethinking church

Read This // Matthew 16.13-19 (The Message)

13 When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. 18 And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. 19 “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.

Watch This // Slides

Launch Slides ( numbers below match their slide number)

1. I want to say upfront I’m not anti church, I’m not encouraging anyone to stop going to church, or trying to replace church with podcast and blogs. There are things that happen in a church setting that are beautiful, and you can’t find them elsewhere. I Do believe if you don’t think about your faith you’ll never change it. Change is intentional.

2. Jesus had taken the disciples to Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi was a Gentile town where ancient Greek and Roman shrines to the god Pan were once located. A good Jewish Rabbi should not take a group of good Jewish boys into this region. But Jesus did things a little different, and he had a point to prove.

3. This word was not attached to any religious terms yet. No one would refer to the temple as the “church”.

4. The Ekklesia would gather and vote on issues, they had the final decision on legislation, war and peace.

5. This was a brand new idea. To take people from different walks of life and have them join a group together. Even though their personalities were different, and they didn’t always approve of what the other did. they all share a common denominator, Jesus Christ

6. There are obviously more than that, these are things that struck me right away.

7. You never once see Jesus say “You know I’d like to heal you, but I only do that kind of thing in the temple.” Jesus takes every opportunity to minister to people. Often using his location as part as any example, like at Caesarea Philippi, or when he calms the storm.

8. Overwhelmingly Jesus meets peoples needs. He heals and provides, he comforts and encourages. There are points in the gospels where it says Jesus saw the crowds and was filled with mercy.

9. Jesus teaches His disciples to go out, to do something, he allowed room for them to make mistakes, to try and fail, to ask questions. He commands us to do into all the world. The call of the church is not to pat ourselves on the back and tell each other how good we’re doing. It’s a call to move, to be active, faith is a verb not an adjective.

10.

I’m rethinking that Church has to be in a building

I’m rethinking that Church has to have an hour sermon

I’m rethinking that Church has to be a production

I’m rethinking that Church has to be about people who share the same physical spaceI’m rethinking that Church has to make people feel good

I’m rethinking visitor packets

I’m rethinking first impressions

I’m rethinking how a Church should communicate

I’m rethinking the functions of a church

I’m rethinking how Churches handle money

I’m rethinking who Churches hire

I’m rethinking that Churches have to be a “Super Center”

I’m rethinking that Church has be a lot of people to be important

I’m rethinking how Pastor’s should act

I’m rethinking how Churches should use media

I’m rethinking What a Churches priorities should be

I’m rethinking Church customer service

11. Maybe we need something fresh
Churches going “green”

Churches talking about health and science

Churches teaching basic life classes: Finances, marriage, raising kids
Churches providing women with facts and contacts on how to get “Wic” and “medicare” and where to apply for state funded grants.

Churches where instead of pastors wearing shirts and ties, how about vest like walmart employees, that say how can I help you

Churches volunteer to help local PTA’s, help schools raise money for education

Churches that provide their community with a free service ( after school programs, gardening services, dance classes, ect…)

Churches that provide scholarships for their youth to go to college

Churches teaming up with the mayor or their city to accomplish “City Goals” ( lower the poverty rate, give jobs to homeless, provide a free clinic)

Churches that take one Sunday off a month from meeting in a traditional building, and instead participate in something communal like the Down syndrome walk, or the race for the cure breast cancer walk, even if no one in the church has down syndrome of breast cancer.

12. Is it a church or is it a country club. I heard it like this once, if we’re not careful church becomes like a box of puppies. We do nothing but lick each other. I am a firm believer that church is what happens off of church property. Church is like a gas station. You come by once a week to fill up so you can keep going the rest of the week. No one fills up and drives around the gas station parking lot until they run out of gas. the real driving takes place out on the highways. I’m not saying it’s easy, or that I have it all figured out. I just can’t go to church to every week and feel like that’s all there is. there’s more out there, and someone has to be brave enough to push the lines.

Answer This //

* Are you proud of what your a part of?

*Does your Church really make any difference in the community? If it left would the community protest?

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