February 12 - The Complete Christian Experience

This weekend's message centered on Isaiah 58:6-9.  Two concepts emerge from this passage.

1. What it means to be the people of God in the world.  To be the people of God in the world we must be so hungry for God's blessing on people that we routinely make sacrifices to see it happen.  In particular, we must come to the aid of the oppressed and the poor.

2. What we experience if we dare to live like the people of God in the world.  God promises three things: Our lives will radically change (growing in influence, healing of spirit); our endeavors will be successful (because God will guide and protect us); and our prayers will be answered (even the big, miraculous ones!)

Everyone was challenged to take part in the I:58 Project taking place the entire month of February.  To learn more about this project, click here.

February 5 - The Dangers of Playing Church

The message is based on the Isaiah 58:1-6.  The Big Idea: "Playing church is a futile, dangerous thing to do."

Playing church was defined as "sincerely engaging is spiritual activities, expecting God to bless you, while being at odds with others in the faith community and while being largely insensitive toward the plight of the poor and oppressed."

People who play church...

1. Divorce their work and money from their spirituality

2. Carry grudges and have unresolved conflicts with other Christians

3. Turn a blind eye to those who suffer from oppression or property.

What happens when we play church?

1. It makes God angry

2. It leaves us empty

3. It compounds the world's suffering

We were all challenged to get involved in the I:58 Project, which runs the entire month of February.  (See "This Weekend" page at www.ConnectionsCommunityChurch.org for details.)