Missio Dei Communities

Nothing replaces missing a family gathering, but if you did miss yesterday's gathering here are some of the highlights:

- This Saturday (March 20th) we are sending a team to Port au Prince, Haiti for ten days.  As a Missio wide family we set aside most of our January offering to BLESS Haiti in whatever way God chose to use.  That money will be used to both send people, but also proclaimers (audio bibles) to the people of Haiti.  You can be praying for Tim Westbrook, Cori Oversby, Brad Rule, and Kevin Platt as we are sent to Haiti.

- Saturday March 27th we are having two Saturday Sessions.  Every few months we want to be providing alternative learning experiences for the MIssio Body.  That could sound creepy, but what we are doing, is teaching on specific topics that have emerged as theological questions from within the body.  In the Saturday Sessions we teach through those topics in an interactive  classroom setting.  So on the 27th we will be teaching a Gospel Centered approach/theology to Spiritual Disciples from 8-10am and a Biblical Theology of The Kingdom of God from 10.30-12.30.  Please RSVP to Chris (at) missiodeicommunities.com so we know how much space to have available. 

Teaching Review:

As we are coming to a close on the book of Acts there were three core convictions that Paul held that we long for us as a church to be gripped by as well.  These convictions led Paul to be an effective and faithful witness to the gospel throughout his life.  Here they are:

Who God is:  Sovereign.  (Acts 26.1-11) Paul's life and words showed that he was utterly convinced of the Sovereignty of God.  Whether he was experiencing the gospel renewing a city or locked away in a Roman jail he was convinced that a loving God was orchestrating events. Our hearts and minds do not need to be wracked with anxiety or false pride because it is God who is in control not us.

What God Has Done For Us: Forgiven our Sins and given us a community. (Acts 26.12-18)  Paul had a resolute conviction that it wasn't his morality or his upbringing that put him right with God, it was the fact that Jesus had opened his eyes and delivered him from Satan's power.  Our hearts and minds do not need to be slaves to guilt and alienation, through faith in Jesus God has forgiven our sins and placed us in a community of others who are freed as well.

What we do for God: Faithfully Declare and Demonstrate the Gospel.  (Acts 26.19-30)  The order to this is crucial, the first conviction is rooted in God's character as sovereign, the second in his ability to save, and because of all that God is and what He has done our hearts are moved to worship filled service.  Our service no longer has to be done in order to earn or deserve God's approval, but as beloved sons and daughters who are already approved we are liberated to serve God gratefully not out of compulsion.