ICF to go…

August 23rd – John 21:1-14

Waiting. What do you when you are waiting. When you want to know what do next.

The disciples were waiting. 
They simply had no idea what to do with their time and needed to eat and knew they need to be in Galilee. So they went fishing

When Jesus comes on the scene, He reminds them through the memories of his time with them that LIFE has come.

It begins again, the story is not over in fact it is better than before.

 He has come to tell them that he loves them.



They are not left without purpose or calling in fact in the amazing haul of fish he tells them that it  is the same Jesus on the beach that called them, he still wants them to fish and he will be the one to tell them where

.
How did the disciples respond
they had open hearts. They were waiting not really for fish but for that word, for that moment when Jesus would appear again and they could be with him.  It was a deep longing an ache.
 Both act in faith.

John understands in his heart and Peter hears and believes and splashes towards Jesus.




BREAKFAST



In this moment in the early morning on the beach with night behind them the disciples were experiencing the Risen Lord  as he embraced them.

 There is no mention of the past. There is no judgement. There is only acceptance, there is affirmation in the fact that Jesus wants the work of their hands and values it and wants it to be part of the meal.

There is inclusion. He calls them to a place he has already prepared. Not a place they expected but a place they have been longing to be.



The other part of the story is 2 Cor. 3: 18 the commission.

The call is to reflect back to others what we have received from him.

He invited men that had hurt him had stood by while he was tortured and killed and asked the,m to eat with him and be his friends to share in his life.

Can we do that.
There are people that hurt you, sometimes they are v close to you, they let you down, they don’t get you whatever it is they wound you.

June 28th – Revelation 1

What can we learn from Revelation 1?

1. John was exiled to Patmos and thought he would be useless there. But God used the situation for something wonderful: personal letters from Jesus to the 7 churches John used to work in. God turned an unexpected and unpleasant situation into a great opportunity He is able to do this in our lives too.

2. John saw Jesus in all his splendor and was afraid of Him. Jesus told him that he didn’t have to be afraid. And the same goes for us. Why? Because he loves us and has delivered us from our sins (v.5).

3. When John saw Jesus, He was walking in the middle of the 7 lamp stands. Those lamp stands represent the Church (v. 20). Jesus is always near his Church, even if we don’t see it and only look at circumstances like diminishing leadership or a dire financial situation. Jesus is always there, this is the invisible reality.
Jesus is in charge and nothing happens by chance, not in our lives and not in our church.

Takeaway nuggets from Sunday talks at ICF

June 14th – Staying Full of God

Do you ever feel like you and God have drifted apart and that the love and joy you once experienced with Him has faded? If you do, you’re not alone. Most Christians feel like the experiences they have with God diminish over time and that they need another touch. But is that the way it should be?

The Bible says God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). If that is true, and it is, who moved? As born-again believers, we are all capable of living in the fullness of God every day of our lives. God is continually pouring out His love, joy, peace, revelation knowledge, and every other blessing. But, we can get to a point where we’re not receiving and “feel” like He has drifted away.

What do you value? What’s big to you? You can magnify the Lord and make Him and His Word bigger than any problem. Do it by glorifying, praising, and thanking Him. Find someone in the Word who overcame a situation similar to yours. Meditate on the Word, and make it more real to you than the problem. You need to get to a place where God’s Word is true and where He is greater than any situation.

“All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

The Scripture makes it very clear that the attitude of your heart is far more important than your actions.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 23:25-26,

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

Your heart controls what you say, and it also controls what you do. All of the above are products of your heart. The opposite of those can be true also. Love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of the fruit of the spirit are also products of what your heart believes. The reason the heart responds in a negative way is because we allow it to be dominated by external, or physical, things instead of by the Word of God.

June 7th

This Sunday, June 6th, we looked at 3 of the final things Jesus shared with his disciples that gives us hope, not only for daily living, but for eternity as well.

1. We have a Present Assurance (John 14:1-4,18) – Jesus assures us that he is not abandoning us. He has a plan and purpose. Although he is not with us physically, he tells us he is busy about making preparations for our eternal home and he will return for us.

2. We have an Ever Present, Daily Help (14:26, John 16:7-11) – Jesus assures us that He has sent us the Counselor or Comforter. The Greek word is paraclete which literally translated is, “called to the side of” or advocate. The Holy Spirit stands beside us, he helps us, he teaches us, he convicts of sin. We don’t have to “go it alone”.

3. We have a Future Hope (Matthew 26:27-29) – Matthew adds one detail of the Lord’s Supper not found in any of the other Gospels. Just two words, “with you”. Jesus gives us the hope that one day he will drink from the cup again, in Heaven, with us. Although during this lifetime we know that we might not see the Lokkes or others of our family who are moving on, as believers, someday we WILL have a great reunion in the presence of our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


May 24th – Mark 9:33-37.

On 23 May we looked at Mark 9:33-37 together. After the disciples had spent a considerable portion of their journey to Capernaum debating which of them was the greatest, Jesus gathered them and taught them what it meant to truly be great. Jesus redefined their idea of greatness, telling them that in order to be the greatest they should strive to be “the last of all and the servant of all”.

1. Prayerfully consider for a moment: what are some of the things that personally cause you personally to struggle with being a humble servant? (Is it pride? Laziness or busyness? Jealousy?)
2. What was the significance of Jesus taking the young child in His arms and using him as an example to the disciples?
3. What talents and abilities has God given you to serve and edify your brothers and sisters in Christ?
4. What are the new ways you wish to serve in the coming year?

Pray that God would show you and the whole ICF family how we can better serve each other in His name and for His glory.

May 17th – Philippians 3:8

If I was to ask a group of people what’s the greatest think in life, I would probably get as many answers as there were people. Certainly many things contribute to a full and happy life, but I hope all believers would agree that knowing God is absolutely the greatest and most important of all. Without that everything else loses meaning.

The apostle Paul put it in this way in Philippians 3:8

Not only these things, I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake I have thrown everything away: I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him.

Knowing God in an intimate way is not on the radar screen for most Christians, They aren’t pursuing it and they are not experiencing it. How do we get started in our pursuit of intimacy with the lord? We can begin by spending time getting to know him through his word.


    May 2nd- Rom.3:19-31; Luk.22:7-20

    The Lord´s table is an act of remembrance. We should remember particularly
    that

    - Jesus loves us (the cup of wine being the love sign at the wedding
    between bridegroom and bride)

    - Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins (the wine representing his
    blood shed at the cross) and

    - Jesus wants to live with us forever (out of his broken body -
    represented by the breaking of bread – we receive a new birth and new and
    eternal life; in this new life Jesus lives with us as our bread of life).

    Our response should be one of love as the bride who takes the cup and
    drinks it as a sign of love. We´re challenged to love Jesus with all our
    personality and to love everyone, even including our enemies. Jesus will
    help us in this – even though it often seems impossible.


    April 19th

    Nobody fulfills Deuteronomy 28:1 and 2 except Jesus and those who put there faith in what Jesus did instead of their own performance!

    James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of them all! If you missed the mark in open point you do not deserve anything from God. Remember the picture of the broken window, it did not matter if a stone, a brick or a Piano smashed the window, it’s still broken. We have the tendency to classify sin into big ones and little ones! Christ has exchanged the broken window for a perfect one.

    We can receive not just salvation as a free gift of Grace but also healing, prosperity, deliverance, answers to prayers because of our faith in Christ’s finished works.

    Does this encourage us to Sin! Our motivation for a holy live is not that I will earn the blessings of god. Those blessings are paid for and provided by Jesus, not our performance. God does not move in our lives based on performance. We want to change from glory to glory through his power because he loves us and it pleases him and we want to be a witness for Christ to the lost around us.

    Grace is not just for the lost but for Christians too. let’s continue with God the way we started!

    April 11th

    Jesus talks about the end of time – Mark 13:1-37

    There will be an end of the world as we know it:

    * The world the way we know it will cease to exist
    * The end of the world in the Bible is always connected with the second coming of Christ
    * Jesus’ judgment will set everything right, end all injustice

    God’s Masterplan

    * The whole Bible is full of Gods “masterplan” leading up to the end of the world
    * The fact that mankind chose not to obey and to live separate from God had consequences for the whole Cosmos.
    * But Gods wants to restore man first and the rest of the Cosmos
    * How is he restoring mankind? By dying for our sins on the cross. By accepting this great offer, we can be clean again and live with God
    * We now have the task to spread the good news and to help other people to come to God. That is why verse 10 says “And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations”.

    We should be prepared for Christ’s return:

    * First we have to look at ourselves: are we still the person like Adam who wants to do it all by themselves? Or are we prepared to surrender, to obey and say: yes God, I want to live with you again and I accept the great offer you made to make me clean again so that I can be with you
    * And after that, we will become part of this plan. We start becoming part of infecting the world with the good! We can tell people that they can be set right with God again and become part of the restoration of the Cosmos too.

    April 4th

- Mark 14:12-26 / I Corinthians 15:14-22


Because Jesus Christ died on the cross and was risen from the dead, we have hope and assurance – not only for eternity, but also in this life.

As we look at some of the characteristics of Jesus Christ that were evident during the Last Supper, we see:

- Jesus is a provider. Jesus provided very clear, precise instructions for his followers – he provided exactly what they needed for what they needed to do.

- Jesus gave his body/life for us and his blood was shed to satisfy the payment for our sins. We see an old covenant being changed to a new covenant – no longer do we have to make sacrifices on an ongoing basis, Christ’s death paid for the penalty of our sins once and for all.

- Jesus gives us hope. Our faith isn’t something just to look back on (like the Passover ceremony) but a forward looking faith – we know that someday we will drink from the cup again with Jesus in the kingdom of God.

    March 14th

JOHN 12:1-8
12:1Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people?” 6Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. 7Jesus therefore said, “Let her alone, in order that she may keep it for the day of My burial. 8“For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me.”

Questions
1) Besides words, how do you express gratitude to friends and family?
2) Are you know by friends, family and co-workers as a grateful person?
3) How often do you express gratitude to others?
4) What concrete action express your gratitude and love for Christ?
5) If I am honest with myself, how often are my actions motivated by love and gratitude rather than a since of obligation or duty?

6) Why does Jesus put the priority on Love?
7) How can being loved change us?

JOHN 13:1
13:1Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

JOHN 13:34-35
34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    March 7th – Acts 2:42-47

    1. Verse 42 draws out four key ways that set the apart the Christians in Acts 2:42-47 from the Christians in 1 Corintians 11:17-22.

    - Devoted to teaching of the apostles (the Bible)
    - Devoted to fellowship (sharing of life) with other believers
    - They broke bread together regularly
    - They came before the Lord in prayer regularly

    2. What are steps we can take at ICF in order to be more like the church in Acts with regards to the above characteristics?

    3. Verse 44 says: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common” What does it mean that such a diverse body such as the global church can have “all things in common”? It is only Jesus Christ that can bring this about.

February 28th - Mark 11:12-25

“Lessons from a fig tree: Battling sin with belief”

1. Every sin is, among other things,a sin against God. When we sin we are doubting at that moment that God’s plan is really better than our plan. We think that if we give in to the momentary temptation we will somehow have a happier life then the life God planned for us.

2. Christ’s answer to this is simple: “Trust in God.” Look to Jesus and believe that God is plotting for your good, that His ways are not only right, but that they ultimately are the only way we will ever find lasting contentment. Hope in God and He will be glorified, you will be joyful, and those around you will be blessed.


February 21 – Mk 10:46-52

On Sunday, we talked about what makes you handicapped and who sets you free. In this respect, please take some time to consider these questions:

1. How does Christ change your identity? Name some specific areas in your life where following Jesus has been instrumental in shaping you to become who you are.

2. Referring to Heb. 12:1: what do you still need to “set aside” in order to keep better focused on Jesus?

3. Reread the passage in Mark 6:46-52, followed by the definition of faith in Heb. 11:1-2. How does this definition of faith help you to understand the passage in Mark?

4. What are some of the areas for you to exercise your faith this week? Please be specific.

5. What are you going to do this week in order to keep your focus on Jesus?

February 14 – Mark 8:27-9:32

1. What does it mean for us to “take up our cross” and follow Jesus?

2. Are you prepared to follow Jesus, even if it means alienation from friends and family, loss of your reputation, risks to your career, or even possibly losing your life?

3. Have you ever felt like the father in Mark 9, who believed, but struggled with his unbelief? What are some ways that God has used and continues to use to build your faith in Him?

4. In these chapters, but certainly not limited to this passage, we see that Jesus has his mind set on the mission of the Cross before Him. At first, Peter struggled to grasp why Jesus said that the Son of Man must be crucified and then rise again. If a friend of yours was struggling with the same questions, how would you explain what Jesus meant?

LORD’S TABLE – February 7, 2010

Revitalizing Our Relationship With Christ

- Communion is given to us a means to revitalize our relationship with Christ. In what way does communion revitalize your relationship with Christ?

- Communion is an act of remembrance. We have an outward sign – the bread, through the eating of which our relationship with Christ is strengthened. What happens to us when we participate in the Lord´s table?

- The wine reminds us of our sinfulness and that it needed the shedding of Christ´s precious blood to forgive our sins. How should we respond to such great a gift?

- By eating the bread we internalize our faith in the way Oleg described in his sermon two weeks ago on Mark 8:1-26. We should not idolize the bread nor view Christ as “Bread King” but eat the bread to remind us that Christ wants to live in us. We should be thankful for the gifts but shouldn’t forget the giver over them. What hinders us to internalize our faith in Christ in this way

January 31

1 Corinthians Chapter 1

  1. When did I first sense that I was being called by God? How did I respond? What was my life like before I believed in Christ? How has God changed my life since that point? Is it easy to recall who I once was before Christ? How does this humble me today?
  2. Why does God choose the members of his family? Why does He choose the people He does? How does this make me feel? What should it be?
  3. How could you explain the following terms to a child : righteousness, sanctification and redemption?
  4. What have I boasted about in my life? How has this displeased God? Why is it difficult to boast in the Lord? How can I learn to boast in the Lord? How can I avoid artificial spirituality? How can I practise authentic humility?

January 24

Mark 8:1-26

Nuggets to follow!

January 17

Mark Chapter 7

  1. TraditionWe have many man-made traditions; do any of them hinder our obedience to God? Are any of them an excuse to avoid real practical obedience?
  2. Purity (clean & unclean)Does the idea of purity have any day-to-day relevance to us as Christians in 2010? If so, how are we to judge (later today, or tomorrow morning) whether something is clean or unclean?
  3. OutsidersDo any of our attitudes or behaviour tend to exclude certain groups of people from the Kingdom. If so, what attitudes or behaviour do we need to change?

January 10

Mark 6:30-56

  1. The difference between a disciple and a groupie is not that the disciple always gets it right and the groupie gets it wrong, it is that the disciple keeps following Jesus no matter what.
  2. Thank God for all of His gifts, but do not commit the idolatry of loving the gifts and ignoring the Giver.
  3. Hope in God. He will again help you and cause you to praise Him. (Psalm 42:5).