There Must be a Better Way!
"1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." ~ Psalm 95:1-7a
Use that passage as some kindling for worship tomorrow as we celebrate the Rock of our savation. If you are in Dahlonega, let me invite you to Creekstone Church. Cafe' at 10:00 a.m.; singing, shouting and extoling begins at 10:30 a.m. Wherever you attend, look to Jesus and be stunned by the wonder of the cross.
In his classic book, True Spirituality, Dr. Francis Schaeffer describes the redemptive change that we can expect to take place in the life of a believer. He called this change "substantial healing," which covers all areas of life, including human identity, sexuality, relationships, etc. Most of us struggle to experience this substantial healing—and some have given up. But the gospel is the power of God to save and to sanctify! So if you would like to explore what substantial healing might look like in your life, join us this Sunday at Creekstone as we continue our study in Romans — Extreme Makeover: How Grace Changes Our Lives.
After today's service I found myself in the lobby visiting with a number of new folks. As I stood there talking, I noticed that there was a team of people in the auditorium taking down all of the equipment we use for worship—lights, speakers, screen, mic stands, the sound board, drums, etc, and taking it all out to our u-haul truck that takes our stuff to a storage facility each week. Out front there was a team putting away tables and signage from our welcome and greeter area and taking it all to the truck. The folks responsible for the cafe' were wrapping things up there, too, as well as the members of the nursery and children's ministry. In a moment of reflection, it dawned on me yet again that Creekstone is a team ministry, and for that I am so very grateful. Or to use Paul's analogy, we are a body, each doing its part, working together with the mission "to glorify God by helping people come alive to the wonder of the gospel." So to all those on the Creekstone team, and on other teams in local churches who serve, whether up front or behind the scenes, thank you. Your role on the team makes a difference.
A note in The Reformation Study Bible on Romans 6:1-14 says, “So great was [Paul’s] emphasis on the freeness of God’s grace in the face of sin that his preaching had been accused of antinomian tendencies, or ignoring the ethical requirements of the law.” He knew that his preaching of grace would lead religous folks to begin asking the inevitable question, "If we are saved by sheer grace, then why not sin so that grace can abound all the more?" Other questions that are connected include these: What motive is there for living a new life? What power is available for change, if there is one at all? Should I see or expect a change in my life after I experience the revolutionary status alteration of the gospel (a fancy way of talking about justification).
This Sunday as we enter Romans 6, we are going to deal with these inevitable questions, finding that there is an inextricable connection between what God does for us (in justification) and what God does in us(through sanctification). This is going to lead us into a greater understanding of the gospel with many practical implications such as: (1) what should "living a new life" look like, (2) why do I see so little change in my life, and (3) how can I change?
So as you can see, we are transitioning from the foundation of our new position secured for us to the power of Jesus lived through us. This is exciting, practical and helpful stuff! The main passage we'll be looking at is Romans 5:20-6:4. Read ahead if you are able so that you can come hungry for more gospel, more grace, more Jesus.
Thanks to Matt Nielsen for making this video of Creekstone's practical demonstration of grace ministry to the community on Saturday, Dec. 17. Can't wait for more opportunities like this!
In order to show our community a practical demonstration of grace, Creekstone regulars wrapped presents for free outside of our local Wal-Mart today. It was such a joy to describe grace and turn away all donations and tips! Thanks to all who volunteered, especially to our coordinator, Rick Nielsen.
Creekstone's Gift-Wrapping Mission
By wrapping presents for busy parents next Saturday in front of Wal-Mart, we will be offering more than a great service—we will be offering a practical demonstration of grace. Our gift wrapping can’t be purchased by those in need. It can't be earned. It can only be accepted, just like God’s gift of redemption to us in Jesus.
* To participate, just email mission project coordinator, Rick Nielsen, at nielsenFM@inpo.org. See below for items you can donate.
This is a photo from our "Tacky Christmas" K-Group gathering on Sunday, Nov. 27, at the Turk's house. When I look at this picture, I can't help but smile—not because of Jesse's outfit or Nixon's (which were classic!), but because this group of folks didn't know each other not too long ago. Now, we gather to eat, study, share and pray together in the context of gospel community. I just love it, and am grateful. NOTE: For those of you not pictured, know that you were missed!
Hello friends,
As my family prepares to spend time with extended family this Thanksgiving, I wanted you to know how thankful I am for you. Creekstone has been such a huge, huge blessing in my life, that I really can't properly express how grateful I am for our fellowship and how expectant I am for how the Lord is going to move among and through us in the days and years to come. I suppose I'm trying to say that I'm just really glad to be here with you and that I look forward to Sundays together as the highlight of my week.
I know that many of our students will be away this Sunday and some of us will be traveling. For those who can make it, let's savor the gospel together and be thankful for the community we call Creekstone. For those who can't be there, please know that you will be missed (and we will hope to see you the next Sunday!).
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week,
McKay
