One for all? Nope, all for One.

Pastor Booker Acts Sunday 

Matthew 5:14 

The church is many. You cannot light up the whole world with one candle. 

Acts 2:42-47

They broke bread together - they were called to be a light together. 

There is something wrong with our culture that values our individualism, and often we place very little value on the body of Christ. "Identity" always has to do with the individual. It continues to be a crisis because we're looking at identity from the wrong perspective. The identity of the community should be elevated above the identity of the individual (interesting, because of the game theory thing that says if you consider the importance of the group as a whole instead of your own personal interests, you might end up better off than simply "every man for himself" might make you.) essentially, selflessness. We focus so much on ourselves and we don't take into consideration OTHERS, even if they are in our group. 

Do we value personal identity over community relationships? 

It's hard for us to imagine valuing the community over ourselves because it's so ingrained in our culture. We have very little corporate identity. 

A quarterback's goal is for the TEAM to win, not for himself to win MVP or to get 50 touchdowns or something like that. 

2 Samuel 15:18

Our ability to be the bride of Christ is directly tied to our ability to do great things. The more we're together, the more we accomplish. 

"Omari is better than the rest of us."

-- Pastor Booker 

As amazing as he is, he can accomplish more with the people than he can on his own. 

Other cultures realize the importance of the community. 

(unrelated, I think there is a major number of problems in the US that sets us apart from other countries. It makes me wonder what role we will play in the end times, and where we appear in Scripture. Unless the US doesn't even exist when the Tribulation begins. Somehow. Hmm.)

Romans 12:1 

Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your body as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. 

Go on to read verses two and three. 

Romans 12:3

THIS VERSE ENCOMPASSES BOTH WHAT I LEARNED AT BR'S ABOUT HUMILITY AND ALSO IN GREAT TEXTS ABOUT BEING A WATER BOTTLE OH MY GOODNESS

It's literally TELLING us to be humble. To not think of ourselves as higher than we are - it's not telling us to think lowly of ourself or to recognize that we are of less important than the people around us. Not at all. It's saying to think of yourself with SOBER JUDGEMENT. THATS HUMILITY. 

And the water bottle thing, it says IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEASURE OF FAITH GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. He's given us each a certain amount of faith. But He fills us to completion - none of us are lacking His presence in ANYTHING. But some of us may have more faith than others because it's what God has apportioned us - it also doesn't mean our faith can't GROW. But we won't be at the same level as everyone else. 

Harris Creek, the Dreamer

Brady Herbert

Genesis 37:1-11

Why are we focusing on this story? 

The story of Joseph stands out in Scripture because: 

1. It covers a lot of material; 14 chapters. It answers an important question from Genesis 12 (verses 1-5 where God restarts His relationship with humanity through Abraham). The first part of the blessing was through Abraham and Isaac, then Isaac has Jacob and Esau. Through Jacob another promise is fulfilled because his descendants turn into a great nation (12 sons...the 12 tribes of Israel) AND the question: will God bless these people so that they can be a blessing to the all peoples on earth? 

2. The way that God chooses to work in the story of Joseph. It's much different than how He works up until this point. He speaks very directly to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob but that's not the case in the story of Joseph. He works in a different way. He works behind the scenes. 

What is common for believers today is to feel like God is absent. I wonder why this is? Is this our fault? I mean is it a result of our own incompetence of the proper way to worship and carry on relationship with Him? 

Genesis 37:1-4

The story of Joseph. 

"Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons." 

Well that creates angst right here. And then he goes and makes him an ornate robe. 

What the first four verses tell us is that Joseph is a little immature. He's 17, and a little spoiled, and he's also a tattletale. He brought his father a bad report about the brothers. 

I dont know about that. A tattletale? Mmmmmm. I question it. I mean, there's a difference between a tattletale and someone simply wanting to tell the owner of the sheep if his brothers are not working properly. In some cases that's okay. I don't really see the idea that he's this millennial spoiled brat but... Eh. 

What was actually important about this robe was not the color or decoration, but the length of the sleeves. If you have longer sleeves you are in upper management. Just like scrubs show you're a member of the medical profession - someone will longer sleeves makes it clear that they are boss or manager of everyone working in the field. 

Basically, the intern gets promoted to boss. 

Verses 5-11

I feel it's very hard to actually determine Joseph's attitude throughout this. He told his brothers and his father the dream... But if he really had the dream, then he could have either been bragging or he could have honestly been saying hey this is what I dreamed. 

Okay, so I think he probably was aware of all the bonuses he was getting, and he was aware of him being kinda over his brothers - probably a little prideful, and a little smug sometimes - 

The pastor says that the way it's communicated is where we see some immaturity. He says "look" three times; he thinks his brothers will be excited about this but they really hate him and are probably not listening to him.  

There is an inane about of depth in this story. We could spend a lot of time talking about the human error in this story, but if we end there we'll miss the point the text is trying to tell us. 

Joel 2:28

"I will pour out my Spirit on all people"

Peter in Acts quotes it and one of the primary ways God works. 

When God shows up in this way for this purpose it's up to us to respond faithfully to these dreams. 

Dreams will disturb our reality. 

"The dream is the unsettling work of Yahweh, it's unsettling things in Joseph's life and the world around him. It's saying that the present reality will not work any longer. That's perceived as threatening by people who are in control." 

There are people that LIKE the current setup. 

Any God-given dream will create conflict in your life, and it will cost you dearly. It's tempting to ignore these visions from God because of the pain that goes with it. 

You have no idea what the end game is when God gives you a vision for your life. Those dreams are not just for ourselves. 

The question we have to address is this:

Is there a God-sized dream that you've been given that you've either set to the side or given up on altogether? 

...what is my dream? 

Nathan asked me that once. I didn't have an answer. 

"The dream gives definition to our lives and influences the steps we take. Daily we make choices that are either in alignment with or contrary to our dream. God has given us a dream for our lives and that's no accident." 

Quiet Times, Acts Sunday

Omari Head 

THE LAST ONE 

(Until next year.) 

Matthew 5:14

You are the light of the world. 

How to spend time with Jesus. 

The very thing that got us freedom keeps us free. Why do we always forget that? 

Mark 1:35-39

It's really. Really. Really important to have a quiet time. Wahh. I've always struggled with it. And it has to be in the MORNING. 

There are no distractions. I have to set aside that time. 

"He went off to a solitary place", so he went to the place he could focus. Where he was alone and away from the noise of life. 

Matthew 6:5-8

The hypocrites would pray in public in the synagogues. Don't pray for the advantage of others seeing you pray. You should want to pray because you want to talk to God, and it shouldn't matter that nobody knows you're doing it. It's your relationship with Him, not mankind, that should be growing. 

I violently wish I could express in words how glorious and beautiful God is, and how I see Him in each little thing I come across. In my friends, in the leaf that falls and hits me on the head when I'm hammocking, in the clouds, in thinking about the tiny little processes going on in the blade of grass that I use to whistle. He just pervades His creation with this strength that I can't explain, and I can't explain how I'm reminded of Him and how He loves us constantly. It hits me so hard but no matter how I try the words I say don't do Him justice, because no words can, but... I just want to sit in His presence and appreciate it all. Appreciate His massive love for us and the way He reveals Himself in the subtle subtle ways that so often we look over. 

Anyway. 

When you are light... Light is meant to be seen. It's meant to guide others. Are we walking as light? 

When I'm before people, am I light? 

When I'm with Jesus and nobody else, am I light? 

Ooh I love Jesus Calling. 

Five minutes with the Lord. 

1. Thank God. For everything. 

2. Praise God. Declare who the Lord is. (ABC's)

---those first two things put Him on the throne, and humbles us---

3. Confession. Ask for forgiveness. 

4. Pray for others. 

5. Listen to the Lord.