Drawing Water

Treasures of the Transformed Life: Satisfying Your Soul’s Thirst for More, by Ed Mathison

Part II – Drawing Water

Chapter 8 – Tapping into the Source

Water makes the difference between life and death.

When was the last time you sought the oasis of God’s presence?

We all go through times when it seems like God is distant or that our prayers aren’t being heard. It’s all part of the ebb and flow of him drawing us closer, teaching us to pursue him with our whole being and to wait for him.

Isaiah 44:3 – “For I will give you abundant water to quench your thirst and to moisten your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children.”

PRAYER – imagine a tree, strong, tall, full of fruit, planted by a river with constant access to living water.

When your life is submitted to Christ, it becomes planted in grace. Any other way is not firm.

Matthew 13:1-9 – man who scattered seed on different types of soil

THE WAY WE CONNECT TO GOD AND SOAK UP THAT LIVING WATER IS THROUGH PRAYER.

Very few things are permanent – i.e., disposable diapers, paper plates/cups, clothing, cars, houses

Contrast: John 6:27

The most permanent thing is Jesus Christ. Everything else changes, but he never does.

Chapter 9 – Prayer Defined

Prayer is simply talking and listening to God.

When we’re willing to listen, God will share his vision for our lives, his encouragement, and his love.

Prayer is not a religious activity – it is sharing your heart.

Matthew 6:8 promises that God knows what we need before we ask him. So why pray? We pray to deepen our relationship with him. If we want to become more like Jesus, we’ll do so by spending more time with him.

Prayer is not magic. God knows what would happen if he gave us everything we wanted – like a child who gets a tummyache from eating too much candy.

2 Corinthians 1:20 – all promises God made have been fulfilled through Christ. Prayer is not just a list of things we want; it is actually a means to partner with God in his work. The more we partner with God, the more we’ll seek him.

Walking closely with God may mean going against what others expect.

Chapter 10 – Line of Communication

Why pray? God commands us to. It’s about relationship.

Philippians 4:6 – Don’t worry about anything; pray about everything.

Do we see prayer as a life or death connection? What is we decided not to speak to our children for the month of October?

When we discover what God is doing and what he wants us to do with him, we can begin to find joy, happiness and purpose.

God invites us to do his work. Through prayer, we can be God’s hands and feet on earth.

Prayer allows us to experience God’s love and concern for ourselves. The best way to improve self-esteem and figure out who you really are is through prayer.

Luke 11:2 – Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: ‘Father.’” The word here translates to Abba,which means “Daddy.”

God thinks you’re precious (Isaiah 43:4): because he created you, making you different from anyone else.

Isaiah 49:16 – God said, “I have written your name on my hand.”

Through prayer, God gives us direction for our lives.

God’s love for us isn’t conditional; it doesn’t depend on how much time we actually spend with him; however, the more time we spend with him the more time we’ll want to spend with him.

Prayer p. 75

Chapter 11 – Scenario for Prayer

Pattern for prayer: Thumb – represents those nearest to us; Pointing Finger – those who point us to Christ; Third Finger – tallest; people in high places; Fourth finger – weakest; those who are weak (story p. 79); Little Finger – ME – comes after I’ve prayed for everyone else.

Pray, and let God worry. – Martin Luther

Once we get into conversation with God, we start remembering all the other people around us who really need something first; we see others in a different light.

Pray with the right motives (1 John 5:14-17)- but how do we know? The better we know God, the more time we spend with him, we learn more about the things that are important to him. We can line up our desires to match his will.

Pray with an attitude of thanksgiving. We can become so busy complaining about our problems that we aren’t thankful for the opportunities they provide. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “always be thankful. For this is God’s will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.”

Pray persistently. God has a perfect time for answering prayers. If we’re asking with the right motives, a thankful heart, and persistence, God will take care of the rest.

Chapter 12 – Standing in the Gap

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.

– Abraham Lincoln

We know our friends by their defects rather than their merits. We, as a society, are so quick to tear each other down that it’s no wonder so many people struggle with issues of self-esteem.

1986 study – mothers criticized their children ten times for every one time they said something positive.

As Christians, we have an opportunity to undo some of the damge, building each other up through prayer.

Ezekiel 22:30 – “standing in the gap” = prayer for others.

Pray specifically for two overall groups: the people IN our church and the people OUTSIDE it.

IN THE CHURCH: Pray for unity, boldness, not forgetting where we came from, that we will abide in God’s presence, for awareness that God is everywhere, willingness to ask God’s pardon. Pray that we learn to accept God’s provision, that we will be willing to do our part and trust that he will do his, that we’ll advance God’s purpose (that all people of the earth would come to know him)

OUTSIDE THE CHURCH: Pray that their hearts would be open to truth and that they would cross paths with Christians willing to share with them, walls be torn down.

God is still looking for people who are willing to build up walls rather than tear them down, who are willing to be sensitive to others and aware of their needs.

Chapter 13 – Products of Prayer

Just because you haven’t seen God respond in the way you want or expect him to yet, it doesn’t mean you’re praying for nothing. Daniel 10 – see p. 92

When we pray:

Confession takes place. The more we pray, the more we see how much of a relief it is, and the easier it gets.

Change takes place.

It brings community. When people come together to pray, encourage, and love one another, there’s unity. We can trust each other with our burdens and share our joys.

Prayer brings conformity to God’s will. We can conform to what the world says is right, or we can conform to what God’s Word says.

p. 95 – We can’t pull God to where we want him to be.

Commissioning – prayer allows us to receive our instructions so we’ll be ready to move out and do what God has for us to do.

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Priming the Pump

Treasures of the Transformed Life: Satisfying Your Soul’s Thirst for More, by Ed Mathison
Part I - Priming the Pump

Chapter 1 – The Need for More
How much money would it take to be really satisfied? Just a little bit more. – John D. Rockefeller
Psychologists tell us that most people in America today are unsatisfied.
The great pain in life comes when our heart and life are EMPTY.
We try to satisfy our “thirst” with other people, jobs, material things, nice houses and cars, relationships. That kind of fulfillment never lasts.
Sometimes we think our happiness depends entirely upon us, according to what we can accomplish.
“The most important thing you need to know is this: If your threads get tangled, call me and I’ll fix them.” Call on the One who made our lives, who made the thread, the One who knows how to untangle it and put it all back together into something beautiful.
We can get so caught up in life that we only talk to God occasionally. We are to seek – to intentionally devote all of our time, energy, and effort into going after God. (Isaiah 55:6)
If you give God more of yourself, he will give you more of himself.
This all begins with a recognition of THIRST.

Chapter 2 – God really does care
The dying Jesus is the evidence of God’s anger towards sin; but the living Jesus is the proof of God’s love and forgiveness. – Lorenz Eifert
The woman at the well, John 4:1-18: Jesus met her right where she was.
Many of us have become complacent, maybe even bored, with the idea of living a life that glorifies God.
Biblical references to water: parting of Red Sea, Noah and the floods, Jesus watching the feet of the disciples, Jesus turning water into wine.
Living water – wells up inside of us when we finally understand that WE’RE NOT THE ONES WHO CHOOSE GOD. NO, HE’S THE ONE WHO CHOOSES US. (Isaiah 43:2-5).
Faith is required.
Faith is closer to courage than it is to intellectual assent, or belief. Faith is acting with your body. Some people believe something without ever actually doing something about it. It takes courage to act on your beliefs.
Peter’s faith encouraged him to walk on water – to take a risk. (Matthew 14:22-36)
The ONLY way to walk on water is to put both feet out there and trust Jesus…letting go of security, trusting God completely and without reservation. It was when Peter took his eyes of Jesus that he started to sink.

Chapter 3 – Great Expectations
What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. – Eleanor Powell
God is committed to us; what commitment does he expect in return? ONE THAT IS REAL.
We can grow to the point that we recognize his true hand in our lives and are so familiar with who he really is that we won’t waste our time looking for something else to satisfy us.
Commitment involves establishing priorities. (Matthew 6:33)
The idea or adding something else can be overwhelming. Don’t put God on TOP of everything else, make Him the FOUNDATION.
Have you ever felt a pull from God – quiet time, giving money, read your Bible, etc.? We show our commitment in the little things.
We must be willing to sacrifice something. This means choosing to please God over pleasing other people.
Make a choice about what we’re going to believe and who we’re going to serve. No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). When we learn to put God first, He helps us balance out the rest.

Chapter 4 – Finding a niche
Certain it is that man must completely despair of himself in order to become fit to receive the grace of God. – Martin Luther
The Body of Christ – needs all parts (people) in order to function. You have a special role; you are the only one of you that God made. You are not an accident. (Psalm 139:15-16)
If we decide to live our lives according to what we want, we run the very real risk of missing God’s purpose.

Chapter 5 – Love Your Neighbor
God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through. – unknown
What sets a Christian apart from everyone else? John 13:34-35
Jesus’ kind of love – not in songs or movies. It is a conscious choice. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Do most of us love the other members of God’s family like that? Do we love so above and beyond the world’s definition of love that the world actually sits up and takes notice? WE COULD, if we follow Jesus’ example.
We can learn to see others as Jesus does; doing the best they can with what they’ve got to work with.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Encourage and build each other up.
Focus on helping others to succeed. We need to get our eyes off ourselves and put them on someone else.
Every one of us is either looking at life like a mirror (seeing only ourselves and what’s in it for us) , or like a window (through which God allows us to focus on those around us.
Accept others, just as Christ accepts us.
Love is not irritable; let go of the little things that people do that nag us.
Colossians 3:13
Forgiveness is a choice.
Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged. Don’t hold a grudge
When we think something is bigger than God, it becomes an idol in our lives.
If we forgive others, we’ll find that they’re more likely to forgive us.
Romans 12:16 Don’t think you know it all!
Romans 12:10

Chapter 6 – Overcoming Obstacles
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.- Viktor Frankl
Temptation – the devil will try to distract you with other things.
From the outside looking in, sin looks like a list of fun things we can’t do without getting in trouble with God.
When God asks us not to do something, he asks us for our own benefit.
Our sins actually hurt God, just as it hurts us when we ask our children not to do something and they do it anyway. By being in relation with God it is easier; we want to please Him.
The more we resist temptation, the stronger we get.
James 1:14-15 – As we grow in faith, we will be tempted and tested.
James 1:2-4 – When our faith is tested, our endurance can grow.
Three temptations
Physical appetite (Matthew 4:2-3) – what we’re tempted by won’t satisfy for long, be it sexual temptation, desire for material things, etc.
Idea of exception (Matthew 4:6) – Things can happen to other people, not me (ex. – drugs, speeding)
Power (Matthew 4:8-9) – Prestige, popularity
KEY: The next time you find yourself tempted – remember what Jesus did. He stood on the Word of God, and he told the devil to leave him alone.

Chapter 7 – Time to Commit
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. – Anne Frank
Popular phrases – “exit strategy”; “keeping my options open” = we’re not fully committed.
Commitment is the foundation on which everything else is built: knowing where we belong, knowing who is there for us, resting securely in God’s love.
For what am I thirsty?
God pursues us with intention. He wants to be involved in the major AND minor details of our lives.
You were created to be in relationship with God. Outside of that relationship, you’ll always feel emptiness.
God wants an everlasting covenant with us.
Luke 15:1-7 – parable of the lost sheep
Commitment to God – prayer, presence in a church family, gifts we share, service
What will it take for me to give God more of myself?
God wants us to be in relationship with other Christians.
Am I in a church in which I’m called or merely comfortable?
We will not like every person we meet. Love is a conscious choice. Like is an emotion. We allow Jesus to love others through us.
Who do I need to love, regardless of how I feel about them?
What is standing in my way? Am I willing to get a little more wet?

Stewardship Study

Beginning Sunday, our church family unites in a six-week study based on the book Treasures of the Transformed Life by John Ed Mathison. We'll explore our church family's commitment to prayers, presence, gifts and services.


Sept. 21 - Priming the Pump: Commitment
Sept. 28 - Drawing Water: Prayer
Oct. 5 - Jumping in with Both Feet: Presence
Oct. 12 - Pennies in the Fountain: Gifts
Oct. 19 - Offering a Drink to Others: Service
Oct. 26 - Filling the Bucket to Overflowing: The Transformed Life

Sunday School Open House

Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 4:01 PM
Subject: Sunday School Open House - Volunteers Needed!
Hello Parents of Faith,

As most of you know, the church will be holding an adult Sunday School open house on September 14. We will be supporting this effort by setting up a display in Fellowship Hall.

Your help is needed to staff our table. Please see the chart below and plug your name in when you are available to help out, then reply all to send back to the class. We'd like to have three volunteers during each shift. The times listed are approximate. When Fellowship Hall dies down, you can head to class or the service.

Everyone in the class is asked to wear a POF button. Please stop by the classroom or the booth to pick one up. This identifies you as being a member of a SS class. Then return your button before heading home so that we can use them again in the future! Class members who are not staffing the booth are asked to not congregate in the open house area, as this will cause overcrowding.

Thanks to Rene for baking our goodies that will be served at the open house. Her yummy treats will also be entered in to the bake-off to be judged by "church officials."

Thanks to Lynn for volunteering to update our class brochure. It has been a few years since we have done this...in fact we may have moved into another age category!!

Thanks to Steve and Scott for setting up our display as I will be out of town attending an event at my home church in Longview.


Shifts

Volunteer 1
Volunteer 2
Volunteer 3
8:00 - 8:30 set up and receive early round of visitors
Steve Owens (set up table with display board, buttons, brochures, and business cards)
Rene Owens (deliver baked goods to judges so we can compete for grand prize!!)
Scott Goebel (bringing easel, help set up table)
8:30 - 9:10
go to church
NA
NA
9:10 - 9:45
volunteers needed
Kathy Vela


9:45 - 10:30
go to class
NA
NA
10:30 - 11:00
volunteers needed;
clean up after event is over









One last request...If you know anyone who attends CRUMC who is not in an adult Sunday School class, please invite them to the open house!

Thanks to all!
Diane

Diane Goebeldiane.goebel@verizon.net972 208-2222

Nursing Home Visit

We are confirmed for Bingo at the Park in Plano on August 23rd at 2:00. This is the same place where we have done it in the past. It is also an Ice Cream social for the residents where we bring Ice Cream (including sugar free?) along with toppings. The more kids the better. Let’s make this another great outing for POF. Let me know who can make it. I’m getting confirmation on details for the Ice Cream portion. It should only be about 1 – 1:30.
Below are a few suggestions to help make your event run smoothly:

1. Please check with Emily Usher, the Activities Director, before your scheduled activity. The phone number is (972) 422-2214.
2. The kitchen facilities cannot be used under any circumstances. This is a City Health Code. Please limit “home prepared” foods.
3. When bringing snacks or desserts for the residents, please remember to also bring sugar-free items as well.
4. Sometimes the activity director is not available on Saturdays, so when you call to confirm your event, please ask the activity director to make sure the front office knows you will be coming, the time and where you are to set up.
5. Many of the residents are susceptible to sickness so if someone in your group is not feeling well that day, please use good judgment.
6. Please remember that residents really enjoy talking with you.
7. Activity should begin at 2:00 p.m., lasting 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
8. Use alarm code *4321 before entering or exiting the building.
9. Your class will be financially responsible for all materials, food or supplies needed. Most of the events will take place in the living room or dining room, but there will be some residents who are unable to attend. Some class members may want to visit with them on a one-to-one basis. They will especially appreciate your attention!

If you are able to provide some entertainment (singing, piano playing, etc.) in conjunction with your activity or would like to bring your children along, the residents would love it. Also, if you take pictures, please provide Sara Shinneman with copies as we always need updated pictures for our Mission Publicity.

Thank you again for all your help!

Melissa Edwards
Nursing Home Coordinator
Custer Road Missions Committee
(972) 618-5135
edwards.melissa@verizon.net