Chuck Swindoll wrote an article in Christianity Today entitled, Lessons from a Tavern. In it, he observed, “The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit that there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give his church. It’s an imitation, dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality – but it is a permissive, accepting, and inclusive fellowship.
It is unshockable.
You can tell people secrets, and they usually don’t tell others or even want to.
The bar flourishes not because most people are alcoholics, but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and be known, to love and be loved, and so many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers.”
I believe he’s got a point. I think Jesus wants His church to be unshockable, a place where people can come just as they are, with all their junk and past problems, and simply lay them at the feet of those in the fellowship of the faith without expecting any gruff, but love and acceptance.
People long for a place where they can say, “I’m beat! I quit! I lose! I’ve had it! I can’t go on anymore like this!” without people judging or condemning them, but rather loving them and encouraging them that they can change by the power of Christ and showing them how it can be done by exposing how Christ has changed their lives.
Why is it that Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin, night after night would show up at Cheers, a bar in Boston, “where everybody knows your name”? What is it that makes a worldly hangout appear to be more accepting than the church of Jesus Christ?
This weekend, we’re going to uncover what it means to be a church that has dynamic fellowship.
John
Upcoming Events
January
25 - A Call To Prayer 7 PM
February
4 & 5 - Women's Conference
8 - Women's Bible Study, New Study every Tuesday for 12 weeks 6:30 PM
11 - Date Night 6:30 PM
15 - Women's Bible Study
18 - The Way Young Adults
22 - Women's Bible Study
Mark your calendar for these special events. All events are subject to change so keep an eye on the "E-newsletter" and the "First to Know" bulletin for more details.
Last week we began our new series, Faces in the Crowd: The Lives and Legacies of the People of God, in the beginning, the very beginning in fact, with a look at the Genesis creation account of chapter one and Jesus Christ in His role as the “Alpha” in the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. This week we continue our series with a look at the creation of Adam and Eve, the fall, and once again Jesus in Genesis with the first promise of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15.
Now a Word from the Lord:
“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
As the Lord begins to curse the serpent, a subtle transition takes place between the cursing of a physical animal, and the cursing of the one that possessed the animal in order to tempt Eve, that is the devil (Revelation 12:9, 20:2, and 2 Corinthians 11:3). It is here that we once again find the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Genesis, and the promise of the Gospel, the good news that the fall was not the end of the story.
When you look around the world we can certainly survey the consequences of God’s curse on the physical animal. A slithering snake has caused me to jump more than once as I’ve explored and played in the Missouri outdoors, and if ever a copperhead has slipped into the yard where my kids play, you can be certain it felt the weight of enmity as this son of Eve grabbed a shovel to remove the threat from the area.
What I want us to see this week is that as real as we can grasp the physical consequences of God’s curse on the serpent (I mean can you even imagine a snake moving any way other than crawling; anything else seems preposterous), the spiritual defeat of Satan by the Lord Jesus Christ is just as real, and as something more than sons and daughters of Eve, as sons of daughters of God, adopted into His family by the blood and power of Christ, you and I are real life proof that God’s promise, this curse is true, as real as any shovel coming down on the back of a copperhead’s head.
My hope and prayer this week is that you would recognize this truth, recognize your privileged place as proof of God’s faithfulness, as once again we see the Lord Jesus Christ in the book of Genesis. Grace and peace to friends; God Bless and keep you in the week ahead!
As I Am Music, our student-led worship band and music ministry, has grown so has our need for leaders and teachers. If you are musically gifted and would be willing to spend Tuesday evenings from 6-8 PM pouring into our students, I Am Music is looking for you. Even if you could only spare one Tuesday a month, please contact Shaun at shaunratcliff@fccunion.org so we can work together to help our students grow as musicians, Christians, and leaders.
The study will cover women of the Bible. We will be using the Bible and the book by John MacArthur "Twelve Extraordinary Women" to guide the study. You will not need to purchase the book or workbook to participate in the study. If you would like you can purchase one on Amazon or if you are unable to order contact the church office. This is not a progressive study so if you miss a night it will be okay. Join us when you can.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Kristen Wideman at 832-513-8345 or kristenwidemanjp@gmail.com.
Men's Bible Study
Join us Saturday, January 29 @ 7 AM for a men's Bible Study at Red, White, and Brew Coffee Company.
Bible Study
Tuesday mornings from 9-11 AM. The Bible is always applicable, so even if you can't make it at the beginning, you are always welcome! The gathering is in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Needs arise more than just on a Sunday morning. If you need prayer at any time, please know you can text ‘prayer2fcc’ to 94000 and a staff member will receive your request any time and be praying for you.
You can also email your request or call the church office to be placed on the prayer list. There is a prayer table in the lobby where you can place a prayer request in the box and we will pray for you!
We are family, and we want to support you in any way we can and prayer is always the first and best place to start. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Join us in the Fellowship Hall downstairs for Celebrate Recovery. We will start with a time of food and fellowship at 6 PM. We have childcare starting at 6 PM. Please follow the sign for check in. We want to spread the love of Jesus to everyone in recovery from life's hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
So many times we hear “leave a legacy'' which sure, we should leave a legacy. In fact, Dave Ramsey has spent the better part of his life teaching how to do just that financially with his ‘7 Baby Steps’. There are many people who have left legacies, like Albert Einstein in the educational world and who can deny the spiritual legacy left by Billy Graham? What if, instead of dying to leave a legacy we strive to live a life of legacy. Check out how Celebrate Recovery can help you start living your best life and living to leave a legacy. Click here to see our new blog!
Check out our Facebook page at @FCCUnionCR. If you have any questions, comments, or requests feel free to email us.
Tai Chi Fitness
Tai Chi Fitness Fun for All!
Monday's from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM, First Christian Church,Union will be a place to participate in a free class for (mostly) senior citizens, but anyone pursuing a healthier life is welcome. Tai Chi fitness is a program developed by Dr. Paul Lam, a Chinese physician living in Australia. It is used worldwide for anyone who wants to improve their physical health and strengthen themselves for fall prevention.
Tai Chi originated in the orient, but the emphasis will be on Christ, beginning and ending each session with prayer. Any reference to any kind of oriental philosophy will be turned toward Christ and His sovereignty.
The medical field and Medicare recognize its effectiveness in improving health and vitality. It is a slow-moving exercise designed to deliberately make a mind/body connection, enabling awareness of our center of gravity, weight distribution and where our balance lies. It is not rigorous, and we don’t get down on the floor. If necessary, this program of Tai Chi can be done by holding onto a chair or even sitting in one. So, if people can get into the building, they can do it! Sessions will be held downstairs in the large, blue room nearest the glass double doors.
Questions? Call the church office, ext 5, or Jenny Hannaford.
Have you ever wanted to do a Bible study with your spouse, kids or maybe a group of friends but you didn’t know where to start? Leading a Bible study can seem like such a big task. Planning what to say and what questions to ask can be one of the reasons people are so hesitant to lead a study. Well, what if we took all the planning and prep work out of it and made it easy for you to do right in your own living room?
As someone who attends First Christian Church you have access to RightNow Media, a website with hundreds of video-driven studies. There are studies on just about every topic you may want; from parenting to having “the talk” with your older kids, marriage, studies on books of the Bible and so much more. There are even cartoons for the kids that teach Biblical principles. And the best part is, it costs you nothing! If you would like to check out this incredible resource you can sign-up here.
