Love in the bible

1 Corinthians 13:5
“[Love] keeps no record of wrongs”

I think I’ve always had a trouble with that. I forgive somewhat and I don’t forget at all. I think it’s because part of me doesn’t want to forgive entirely because I want the person who hurt me to be hurt in return. I think also, when someone apologizes to me, I take the apology and forgive them…somewhat. I’ll be friends with them again but I’ll always remember and at certain times, even if its way in the past, I’ll still feel a bit of anger. I keep a record of all the wrong things people do to me and I have a hard time really, truly forgiving.

And now on with Sunday’s sermon.
Love for Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

-Christianity is a religion of “do’s”
-3 things that Jesus tells us to do for our enemies to show them love is to 1. do good for/to them 2. bless them 3. pray for them. Yes..show enemies love.
-Motion makes emotion. If you act first, then the feelings that you want to receive will come. Show love and love will be returned to you.
-Love your enemies through action
-Blessing consists of 1. touch (like a hug or pat) 2. words (kind words) 3. a special affirmation
-don’t react in anger
-pray for those who mistreat us
- a woman named Elizabeth Elliot said “treat your enemies like how you would treat Jesus”
-The theme of sermon on the mount is to “be different” and you cannot be more different from the world than if you love your enemies.

sermon Sunday, 7/20/2008

Pastor Norbert’s Sermon. I thought I’d share it here. It’s something that Peter has been talking about for a long time, something that I’m afraid of and struggling with, something that is certainly very important.

-People have an innate feeling/desire to live for something (not just exist but live and make an impact)
-Nehemiah made an impact in God’s kingdom.

Qualities of People Who Make an Impact:
1) Live with a holy discontent
-a person who sees a problem with the world.
-a person who has a personal response for the brokenness of the world
let that discomfort inside of you grow because people of impact will do something.
2) Rely on God through prayer as preperation
- it’s not about us
-instead, it’s about God’s gracious hands to help and guide us
3) Take Actionable Steps
-people are so complacent. We think “everything” is “okay.”
-sometimes prayer is an excuse for action. When we see something, we’ll just “pray” about it and feel empathy about it. But empathy should not be an excuse for execution. We have to take action.

4) Persist through obstacles and failure
-Anyone who wants to make a difference will meet opposition. Opposition from others, opposition from yourself.
“Persistence surprises the world with its many triumphs”
5) Are fueled by a motive to honor our King
-if your motive is to glorify God, you will be making an impact.

Dear God
i pray you will help me stop being such a jealous person all the time. I pray that you’ll take the jealousy and the bitterness away from my heart and that you will help me patch up my relationships with the people that i am jealous of. I know that there’s no real reason to be jealous and that my jealousy could potentially end up doing something stupid so I pray that you’ll forgive me for being super jealous and envious all the time.
Amen

Genesis Winter Retreat 2008

So I’m back from retreat!
This year was my very first retreat and I had alot of fun
I’m kind of sad that everything’s over- that this four day weekend is over…that AMAZING RACE is over T_T

this was my bed in the girl’s cabin
The older girls stayed on one side and the younger girls on the other side

So during free time and in the mornings, people stayed inside the rec room. And we pigged out on snacks, played bang, big2 and pool

norbert and peter playing pool

lawrence and peter playing pool

So saturday morning, I woke up at 5:30 and about 10 people went up the mountains to see the sunrise.
we didn’t really see the sunrise..more the dark turn into the light.
but it was still fun and it was a great way for me to experience the cold.
first time that i’ve seen snow!
It wasnt snowing or anything but there was still leftover snow on the ground here and there

snoww!

too lazy to turn this around but more snowwwww

FROSTY!
a few of the girls made this haha. it’s so cutee and tiny.
And they were going to make frosty’s girlfriend but she turned out to be a lump of dirt
I don’t know if they finished her or not.

peter on a skateboard?

saturday afternoon was amazing race
it took us forever to find clues! and to figure them out but it was well worth it
I think the funnest part was when we found tony and he made us rack up  two hundred points by running laps, doing push ups, and sit ups ON THE COLD, WET, MUDDY GROUND.
peter did most of the pushups and situps. but the whole group did a four person pushup and basically you’re doing a pushup while someone is on top of you. that was painful, hard, but funn and i did some situps.
getting muddy and dirty was fun
that was an awesome workout because we were basically running up and down the moutain, looking for clues and for people for four hours
and i found out what orion’s belt looked like when peter showed me at night hooray.

now on a more serious note, I thought that this retreat really made me think about my relationship with God.
the theme of this year’s retreat was “wholly devoted”
Tony talked about
-why do you come to church?
-Christianity has alot to offer you, God has alot to offer you
-we take God for granted sometimes
-what is your relationship with God?
-matthew 7:22 says “many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name dirve out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Norbert talked about what it meant to be wholly devoted and how to be wholly devoted.
-how you have to know what you’re getting into.
-You cannot say “i’m going to give christianity a try“
-Devotion is  1) a decision to trust God with all your heart. It’s all or nothing.
                        2) an expression of complete self abandonment
-Devotion is maintained by including God in every aspect of your life.
-there’s a big difference between a fan and a follower of God.
-To know God for who he is to recognize devotion.
-Devotion is developed when we recognize God’s majesty, eternity and glory/holiness.
-Sometimes, God breaks you to make you realize his grace which leads you to appreciate his grace.
-live like Josiah (2 Kings 23:25)

Norbert also talked about how when you’re in a relationship with another person
you should push each other spiritually.
you should find a mentor.
you should keep each other accountable, pray together, and be totally honest with one another

and in friendships,
you should keep each other accountable.

Sermon Notes 12/23

1 samuel 16:7
The Lord looks at the heart.
don’t be locked in, be free to serve God.
God doesn’t care how old you are, 1. he will work in people who desire to do his will.
ex: angel Gabriel went to Mary to tell her she was having a baby. Her reply was that she would do whatever God wanted her to do. She did not decline God’s will. She desired God’s will. She desired to do God’s will.
You have to desire to do God’s will.
How to know if you desire it? How to desire it?
You have to pay attention to God to desire it.
Pay attention by reading the bible and by praying.
2. God also works in people who pay the price
THere’s always a cost in following God.
What can you give Jesus for Christmas? Give him your heart.
God cannot take your heart from you but you can give it to him.
So be willing to pay the price and God will take care of us.
Many of us are afraid that God doesn’t want the best for us. We fear that he won’t take care of us.
We fear sacrifice.
We need to put our faith in him. He will take care of us. He wants the best for us.
we have to be willing to pay the price and desire to do God’s will.
If we believe that Jesus exists and that he is our savior and that he is good, how come we still can’t have faith in him? (<–this leads back to last week’s sermon about faith)