Weekly Update

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

Weekly Update

Today is Veteran's Day, a special day when we should consider all the men and women who has served in our armed forces in defense of the freedom that each one of us is able to enjoy here in this country. Many times we take this freedom for granted and forget about all the sacrifice people have made on its behalf. The United States and everything we know would be completely different if it was not for this sacrifice. This freedom is a gift of God upon which we all should be eternally grateful.

Yet our focus as Christians should also be upon our enlistment. Never should we forget what we are in defense of. For God uses people not only to defend freedom, He uses people in the defense on proclamation of the gospel. Paul understood this when he proclaimed: "It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel" (Philippians 1:7 ESV)

Paul always made the connection of the Christian life with the idea that we are soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). This should remind us that we are living sacrifices of the gospel and the mission at hand. We are on the front lines of a celestial battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Our role is simple, please the on who has enlisted us for the mission of sharing the gospel and not get entangled by the distractions of this world (2 Timothy 2:4). Let us continue this pursue and press on toward this goal.

My prayers continue to be with all of you as we approach the holiday season. I am eager for next year and watching God work through this group. All of you have been a blessing in my life and I continue to pray that I can be a blessing in yours as well...

Dinner tonight

In remembrance of Veteran's Day, we are heading up to Patty's Eggsnest / Chuckwagon on Evergreen Way for a late dinner. We are starting at 7:00pm and will be there until everyone leaves. If you feel like just dropping by for coffee or a late dessert, please feel free because tonight there is no official program. We will probably start and end the evening in prayer, but the rest will be fellowship. See you there!!

The address is:

6720 Evergreen Way
Everett, WA 98201

Here is a link for a map and directions:


1st and 2nd Timothy Study

Really excited about the upcoming study through 1st and 2nd Timothy. More information is on the way, but we will be starting on January 13th, 2010:


















Facebook

We are now officially on Facebook with our own page. Throughout the week I am going to be posting some questions and starting some discussions on various topics. It will also be a place to share prayer requests throughout the group. If you are interested in becoming a member of this page, you can find us online under Acts 2:42 Mens Fellowship or send me an email and I will send an invite. Anyway, it should be a great tool to help our growth as a group in our relationship with each other and our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Meeting format

In the coming weeks we may be experimenting with our meeting format by incorporating smaller group settings during portions of the meeting on Wednesday nights. This will allow for some more intimate settings for people to share and allow us to tackle more questions in workgroup settings. We will still have time in the large group and times of fellowship. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Our goal is to continue to seek out ways to grow in our relationship with each other and our relationship with Him...

Fellowship

Next Study - November 18, 2009 7:00pm-9:00pm Ecclesiastes 9

Ecclesiastes: storytelling of life

Return from Hiatus

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

Each week for almost two years, I would write a brief (or an attempt to be brief) message about what thoughts were challenging my mind and walk with the Lord. Sometimes they were a little more informational; while at other times they were simply thoughts. Each message was filled with the hope that they would be an encouragement to you in order to help each one of us walk with Christ in confidence and courage. Two months ago was my last post…

Since then I have been praying about whether I should continue sharing these thoughts in this format. At that time it was simply a routine and I was not sure of the impact they were making for Christ. It almost felt like they were turning into weekly chatter. So I came to the conclusion that it was difficult to maintain without revisiting its purpose. Additionally, I needed to take a break and focus more on the family.

Today, I have decided once again to start sharing these emails and prayer request each week.

Instead of them simply covering random themes and verses as before, I believe it would be better served to go through the Bible chapter by chapter. That way over time, we will cover and address all of the topics in the Word. This way we will cover not only the chapters that are easy to discuss, but the ones which bring up difficult subjects.

In no way do I wish this email each week to boast about me. Instead I am only one person, reading the Word, interpreting through the lens I have. The Word is the truth. My word is simply my view. But my prayer is that these emails will be just as helpful and encouraging as they have been in the past.

Therefore let us continue this journey together as our founding verse proclaims:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42 ESV

It is my desire to press on toward the goal and go wherever He leads this group. I have no idea at times what will be the end result of our meeting each week and emails such as these. But I do believe as long as we put Christ before us in everything we do, He will be glorified and when the race is finished He will say to each one of us, “Well done my good and faithful servant…”

God bless each one of you…
Mark

Proclamations

Brothers,
Here are some announcements for the Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship:

· Tomorrow night (Wednesday, May 20th) everyone is invited to the Men’s Ministry barbecue from 6:30pm-7:30pm at Northshore Christian Church. This is a church-wide barbecue for men involving every ministry. This is not just a CTL barbecue. Everyone is welcome!!

· After the barbecue (beginning around 7:30pm), the Acts group will be meeting with Tim at our regular location. The topic tomorrow night will be a general one. Tim is putting together something to discuss and a set of Scriptures to cover. It should be a great time of fellowship, prayer, and time in the Word. Hope all of you come!

· Starting next week (May 27th) we are beginning our Summer schedule, which is really no different than our Fall or Winter Schedule. The only difference is that both Tim and I will be there each week to lead the group. We are going to continue meeting from 7:00pm-9:00pm at Northshore Christian Church each Wednesday night. We may be moving back to the Fireside Room, but I will keep you posted in any room change. I am also considering a few Summer events like a barbecue in July and maybe a movie night to keep everything fresh. It should be a great time.

· Our study in Ephesians will begin in earnest once again next Wednesday. We have taken a few weeks off from the study to look at a couple of different topics that were on the heart of a few men in the group. But my goal is to have Ephesians wrapped up sometime near the end of June or first part of July. The outlines will begin coming your way again soon. Chapter 5 and 6 in Ephesians are great and if you have not attended or have not been with us in a while, please feel free to drop in as we continue to seek God’s blessing in our lives.

· The Weekly Message / Prayer Request email has been on hiatus these past few weeks. I have to apologize for this, but there have been a few reasons for the silence. First, vacation and time with the family has taken up some of the time I used to write. It seems like my children keep on waking up earlier each day, which is generally when I do my devotions and write. Second, it is difficult to keep up a writing schedule at times. Writing something each week is a challenge since my goal is to share something relevant and something worth your time as well. Finally, I have been praying about the format and what is best for God to be glorified. I do not want these emails to become about me. But I want them to be about God and His glory in the group and hopefully share something which helps all of us glorify God. So hopefully I will be able to send out the next email here soon and will begin once again sending them on a regular schedule.

· Please continue to pray for the group as we continue on this journey. I am very excited about the relationships which are being developed and how all of us are building ourselves up within the Word of God. It is great to see all of us challenged and encouraged by the Word. It is great to see God work in the lives of all of us. Therefore I pray all of you continue to come and that we can continue to make a larger impact for Christ in the lives of men. Please continue to invite others, not so we can grow the group in numbers. We could do that with a barbecue each week . Instead let our growth be with the Lord and invite others so they can experience this type of relationship with Him.

If you have any questions or have a prayer request, feel free to contact me right away.

God bless each of you in the coming few weeks. I am excited about us meeting once again on a regular basis and continuing to seek out God and His glory in the Word. It should be a great time and I hope all of you continue to join us or reconnect with us in the next few weeks. See you then!

In Christ,
Mark

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 NIV

Isn’t it interesting how so much conflict in our lives come from the fact that people do not see the same thing the same way. In fact, sometimes people will even agree on the conclusion but disagree on the way we are to get there. This is very common in our workplace and extremely common in the church.

For example, all of us in the church believe in the Great Commission because that is what Christ proclaimed us to do. He said that we should go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (paraphrase from Matthew 28:19). Almost everyone I know in the church believes this. Yet the discussion is always about the means because many people have differing views about how this should be carried out.

So when we begin discussing the concept of unity, it becomes a very difficult topic. It is not something we can simply declare and say since there are various levels of unity. In some cases unity may simply be around a common organizational name. Other times it may be around a common concept. It may be around a common person (as Paul even mentioned in the book of 1 Corinthians about people saying they were of Apollos or was of Paul). These types of unity exist.

But are any of these the type of unity the Bible says we are to have with one another? Or is there a different type of unity that God desires of us?

Jesus prayed this before all of the disciples in the gospel of John: “…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21 ESV). That we may be all one just as the Father and Jesus is one? That type of unity is not simply based around a common organizational name I believe. There is certainly something of substance behind that type of unity and simply not something we can say we have. It is something that needs to be discussed and prayed about.

Therefore it was exciting to walk into the Acts group after CTL and see the group discussing one of the most important parts of the Christian faith—unity. It is something that needs to be worked out in the church because we are unified beyond what all of us see. Our unity is based in Christ and we are connected to one another through the Holy Spirit. We are family, brothers and sisters of one another in Christ.

This of course does not mean we will not struggle to come to a unity in seeing things the same way. This does not mean we should not challenge others in their views to ensure accountability is upheld for fear of disunity. And it never means we should compromise core beliefs and the truth in order to join with others in thought. We have been made differently and each has different gifts and experiences to share within the ‘body of Christ’ while the truth is to be upheld at all times.

But what I believe we need to do is consider the strength of our unity in Christ and match it up with what divides us. What unites us is our true condition as Christians. It would be like measuring the effect of the moon’s gravitational pull on the earth’s orbit around the sun. Science tells us that the moon does have a gravitational pull on other celestial bodies. Yet the difference is minimal. For the reason why the earth is in orbit around the sun is not because of the moon, it is because of the sun and its gravitational pull.

This is our unity. For our orbit in life is because of Christ. Each one of us exists because of Him and we all exist together because of His plan. His “gravitational pull” keeps everything together in the same orbit because He is in all and through all (Colossians 1:16-17).

Paul shared to each one of us what we have been given—the ministry of reconciliation:

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” 2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV

This ministry is at the center of all unity. For the church has been called to be peacemakers in a world divided by selfish, self-centered ideas. By sharing a ministry of reconciliation to this world, we are going forth by God to love others as Christ has so loved us.

Therefore this coming week, let us consider what unity is and how we can strive to put the ministry of reconciliation into action. For we are all connected as one body; all connected as the church; all called to serve; called as one to a world so desperately needing a Savior.


Prayer requests

Over the next few weeks, I am considering changing the format of our prayer request here on the weekly email. It seems like we need to mix things up little so we can make a further an impact for our Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

In order to make this impact, I want to stress what these prayer requests are. All of these are things the members of this group have wanted to make public to the ‘body of Christ’ so that we may raise them up to Him in unity in prayer. We have firmly believed in the power of prayer from the beginning of this group and I personally have seen God work mightily in them and through them.

But please know that many times certain prayers need to be held confidential and kept in a small circle of believers. In these cases, myself or others in this group have been and are still willing to pray with you one on one. Let us know.
So as we continue to move in a direction God has set forth, let us continue to pray for others earnestly and continually. If anyone wants to share a prayer request, please email them so we can pray for them…

Carmine – pray that he will have peace for his upcoming surgery

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for his brother-in-law Jerry who is still working through his recovery from surgery, pray of Nathan who is about to finish basic training, pray for all the Christians who are in Sudan and Congo

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray for wisdom at work as he takes on a leadership role, pray the Lord will open up an opportunity for him to goto Bible College

Tim D – praise God for His faithfulness, pray that all the believers in the church will have the desire to seek out Him and to reach out to others

Bill M – praise God for touching his heart about giving thanks as a way of learning, pray for the men of the Acts group, pray for his grandchildren who were exposed to whooping cough and that they may remain healthy.

Richard – pray that he will be able to have a stronger foundation in faith

Greg – praise God for having other brothers in Christ, pray for his daughter who moved out that they all will be watched over, pray for the leadership of the church that they will provide Biblical leadership

Mark – praise God for bringing forth Mardee’s baby and giving her life, pray for her protection, pray that I make walk worthy of the Lord today, pray for all those who have lost their jobs because of the recession

***Pray that all of us may feel the weight of Good Friday

Continued prayer needs

Ramon – praise God for continually bringing him work, praise God for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be comforted while she is going through counseling, pray that he may have the strength and ability to put in wood floors at his son’s house

Paul – pray that God will continue to guide him in Eastern Washington and protect him during his travels

Calvin – pray that he will find a good work family balance and that he may find success at work, pray that he will be able to return to the group soon

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Gary S – praise God for the job he was able to find in Oklahoma, pray for his marriage and that God will help them be able to work through the distance and any trouble they may be facing

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

****Wednesday, April 29th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, May 6th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, May 13th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, May 20th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Group Happenings

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Good Friday Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." Mark 14:48-49 NIV

In the gospel of Mark, this is where Christ becomes a prisoner for each one of us. This is the point where Christ submits to the will of the Father and begins the journey to the cross. From this moment, Jesus becomes a spectacle to the world through six trials and then his eventual execution in the same brutal way as a murderer would be killed.

Everyone at that moment simply thought he was hanging on the cross to die...

Yet this was never the plan according to God. He was not simply hanging on a tree, a spectacle to all those who mocked him or did not believe. He was not brought there to die. The journey Jesus was on was one of redemption. He was there hanging on that cross so the Scriptures may be fulfilled.

Today with it being Good Friday, do you feel that weight? Do you realize that it was not a rebellion Christ was leading? He even said it at the beginning of the passage. Nothing in that sequence of events which led Him to the cross was meant to be an Earthly rebellion, a victory in worldly terms.

What Christ was doing is saving each one of us from ultimate destruction. He was saving each one of us personally from the sins we have committed against our heavenly Father. His death was our life. That is the weight of that moment.

Yet today for many people will be just another day. Good Friday will mean nothing to them and just be a day on the calendar preparing for Sunday. Many throughout this world will travel down the road of life today and not reflect upon what happened on this day nearly two thousand years ago.

Let us not be this person. Instead let us reflect upon Christ hanging on that cross and realizing that it was something special. That His death there was our death there. His cross was my cross. In fact I should be the one hanging there instead of Him. Yet, He did it for me.

There are probably not many more words that can be said to emphasize this point. In fact it is difficult to put any of this into words because what was accomplished on that day is bigger than anything I can even say. And to be honest, it is bigger than anything I can understand because each one of us has our own cross to bear. Your cross has its own sins that none of us may ever know.

But please believe me when I say that Christ is on your cross to. Christ was there in place of you as well. I am certain of that because I have seen Him bring people back from their sins in a way that only God can be glorified. Therefore when the world seems dark, always remember that Christ was there on that cross for you.

And there is nothing more which needs to be completed. For Jesus completed everything that day and sealed the fate for all who may believe:

“Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:28-30 NIV

He finished it for us and fulfilled the Scriptures that all of us may be saved. The price has been paid for each one of us...

Today we do not mark a rebellion. Instead what we mark is the moment when everything was finished. Please feel that weight because it is huge. Your life and my life changed nearly two thousand years ago.

When Sunday comes and the tomb has been opened to find out that He has risen, let us look back to the weight of today and then realize that what happened on Good Friday was true. Because the empty tomb signifies the truth, that Christ did overcome death for each one of us on our cross.

May you feel the weight of today and honor Him with your thanks, your love, and your faith…

Let the love of Christ be with you today.


Prayer requests

Paul – pray that God will continue to guide him in Eastern Washington and protect him during his travels

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for his brother-in-law Jerry who may be released from the hospital here soon, pray of Nathan who is about to finish basic training, pray for all the Christians who are in Sudan and Congo

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray for wisdom at work as he takes on a leadership role, pray the Lord will open up an opportunity for him to goto Bible College

Ramon – praise God for continually bringing him work, praise God for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be comforted while she is going through counseling, pray that he may have the strength and ability to put in wood floors at his son’s house

Bill M – praise God for touching his heart about giving thanks as a way of learning, pray for the men of the Acts group, pray for his grandchildren who were exposed to whooping cough and that they may remain healthy.

Richard – pray that he will be able to have a stronger foundation in faith

Tim D – praise God for His faithfulness, pray that all the believers in the church will have the desire to seek out Him and to reach out to others

Carmine – pray that he will be strengthened at work with his relationships with coworkers
Greg – praise God for having other brothers in Christ, pray for his daughter who moved out that they all will be watched over, pray for the leadership of the church that they will provide Biblical leadership

Mark – pray that I make walk worthy of the Lord today, pray that Beth and I will continue to seek the Lord in our daily provisions, pray that we can financially become more secure, pray for all those who have lost their jobs because of the recession

***Pray that all of us may feel the weight of Good Friday

Continued prayer needs

Calvin – pray that he will find a good work family balance and that he may find success at work, pray that he will be able to return to the group soon

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Gary S – praise God for the job he was able to find in Oklahoma, pray for his marriage and that God will help them be able to work through the distance and any trouble they may be facing

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, April 15th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

****Wednesday, April 29th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, May 6th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, May 13th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

“Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 NKJV

This past weekend the providence of God was definitely visible in my life. Not that there is ever a time when it isn’t at work; but there are certain times when you can really see God’s hand working. For just as He directed the chain of events which led to the crucifixion of his Son (Acts 4:27-28), everything in our lives happens according to His purpose.

As many of you know, I am continuing to seek out God’s will for my life; or you also may be well aware that I have been considering the question of leadership-what makes a good leader and identifying them in your ministry; or you may know that I am seeking God’s wisdom in making the best financial decisions for my family; or if you have been with us any period of time for our Wednesday night meetings, you would know how serious I am at seeking and living out biblical Christianity.

Each one of these topics has been at the forefront of my thoughts and prayers. And because of prayer, each one of these was addressed by a session I attended at the Northwest Ministry Conference this past weekend at Overlake Christian Church. It was absolutely amazing how God arranged these sessions to tackle where my focus has been these past few months.

Yet what I have generally always found is that God will many times go one step further. He will take it to the next level and challenge you to die to self, pick up your cross, and follow Him daily. That is always His challenge for our lives. He will say, “…yes you have come this far, but there is more distance to travel” or, “…yes you have given this up, but there is more you need to do.” His work continues in our lives well after when we feel it is necessary.

And by the providence of God, this chord was struck again Saturday morning…

Because God challenged me what would it look like if I was to live out this verse from 1st John? What could happen if I truly demonstrated this before the men of this group?

It can never be enough to meet together once a week and check in with each other if we are to live out this verse. What God has called is well outside of the idea of a social club or a place to get away from the daily routine. I believe God has not designed this group to be our personal ‘third place’ if I may liberally use Starbucks lingo (I am married to a former Starbucks store manager so it is easy for me to slip in verbiage from Starbucks).

Instead I believe there is something more for each one of us in this verse. Our place in this fellowship is not that this is our ‘third place’, but instead the ‘true place’. We have been called into a community of believers. It is about community; being there for one another during time of crisis; caring about each other at such a level we look at each other as if we are family. The Apostle John even said, “…we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

Jesus put it this way when He spoke with his disciples saying:


"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV

It really is about love. We should love others the same way that Christ loves us. If we do, then we will be living life just like Christ wants us to live. For we are part of a community, part of the same ‘body of Christ’.

This is why Peter says we are being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). He does not say we are being built into holy priests. It is about the entire ‘body of Christ’ manifest through all of us, not any one individual.

Therefore let us focus in on the group this week and put our thoughts on the reason why we are together in Christ. If we do, then I believe we will see the brotherhood that God designed with Christ as the head, the firstborn over all Creation.

This is how I believe we live out Biblical Christianity.



Prayer requests

Paul – pray that God will continue to guide him in Eastern Washington and protect him during his travels

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for his brother-in-law Jerry who may be released from the hospital here soon, pray of Nathan who is about to finish basic training, pray for all the Christians who are in Sudan and Congo

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray for wisdom at work as he takes on a leadership role, pray the Lord will open up an opportunity for him to goto Bible College

Ramon – praise God for continually bringing him work, praise God for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be comforted while she is going through counseling, pray that he may have the strength and ability to put in wood floors at his son’s house

Bill M – praise God for touching his heart about giving thanks as a way of learning, pray for the men of the Acts group, pray for his grandchildren who were exposed to whooping cough and that they may remain healthy.

Richard – pray that he will be able to have a stronger foundation in faith

Tim D – praise God for His faithfulness, pray that all the believers in the church will have the desire to seek out Him and to reach out to others

Carmine – pray that he will be strengthened at work with his relationships with coworkers
Greg – praise God for having other brothers in Christ, pray for his daughter who moved out that they all will be watched over, pray for the leadership of the church that they will provide Biblical leadership

Mark – praise God for continuing to work in our marriage relationship and strengthening it everyday, pray for continued discernment on making the right financial decisions, pray for Mardee and Rick that through the birth of their baby daughter there may come an amazing testimony and that God’s glory may be revealed

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ

Continued prayer needs

Calvin – pray that he will find a good work family balance and that he may find success at work, pray that he will be able to return to the group soon

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Gary S – praise God for the job he was able to find in Oklahoma, pray for his marriage and that God will help them be able to work through the distance and any trouble they may be facing

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 8th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 15th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

****Wednesday, April 29th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

“Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it, and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other. If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing, or the leather, or the woven or knitted material. But if it reappears in the clothing, or in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is spreading, and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. The clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mildew, must be washed again, and it will be clean.” Leviticus 13:55-58 NIV

There is nothing easy about the book of Leviticus. Yet this is where I find myself in my Bible reading plan. The one thing I have definitely noticed by reading a few sections the wrong time of day is never try to read this book right before bed. All the nuanced details about ceremonial offerings are difficult to keep focused on when your mind is shutting down for the day.

But can we learn anything from these words even though all of these sacrifices have been made obsolete by Christ? Do they play an important part of our life as a Christian? After all isn’t this part of the Scripture simply talking about how the Israelites were to properly deal with a contagious skin disease?

I believe we should first start with what the Apostle Paul shared with Timothy regarding the importance Scripture. He said that all Scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, and training (2 Timothy 3:16). He did not say to Timothy that only part of the Scriptures is useful; instead he said all of the Scriptures are. This is very important because every word is from God and was inspired by Him for our benefit. Therefore sections of the Scripture which may seem like a history lesson should be viewed equally important with those which speak of some theological discourse.

Here in the opening passage we have a section that discusses the proper way that priests should handle garments from those who were infected with a skin disease. Very practical and it was designed to prevent the spread of the disease to others. So I believe God put this in the Scriptures for a very sensible reason, much like many of the other teachings throughout the book of Leviticus (or even the book of Numbers). God loves His people and wants them to be safe.

Yet as I was reading, I realized that from this section of the Scriptures comes a powerful metaphor of sin. Because isn’t sin the garment we wear, covering our true nature to others through deceit, anger, slander, selfishness, and other sinful desires?

If this is the case, then I believe what we have here is an incredible metaphor to how sin is to be handled. There is no substitute for taking the easy way out with the sin in our lives. We must first recognize it as the priests recognize mildew (matching our lives up with Christ), then go through the cleansing process (repentance and prayer), and verify that we are sin free (accountability with others).

All of us at times will accept a particular sin being contained or faded in the garments we wear. We will justify it by saying, ‘What I am doing does not cause harm with anyone else…” or say “I am not as bad as that person…” or even declare “Look at all the progress I have made…” We will justify the existence of our sin by satisfying it with our own comforting words.

Yet just as the priest in Leviticus cannot declare the garment clean until there is no evidence of the mildew, our lives cannot be declared clean until all evidence of a particular sin has been removed as well. We must complete the process and allow Him to finish the work He has started in us.

Even as this news seems discouraging and difficult, there is something significant about our lives as Christians. For we have a high priest which has already cleansed us for our eternal redemption which has been prepared:

“When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11,12 NIV

Therefore this is our hope and should encouragement us for the trials we face. For we are not bound by sin, but instead can be made clean by the high priest who loves us—Jesus Christ.

Let us meditate on this thought during the coming week and give thanks for the hope we have in Christ…


Prayer requests

Paul – pray that God will continue to guide him in Eastern Washington and protect him during his travels

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for Hee Young who was in a car accident pregnant with two children that God will watch over all of them, pray for Jerry’s rehab from the medical dialysis that he is going through, pray for the health of his wife

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray the Lord would lead him to an apartment

Ramon – praise God for continually bringing him work, praise God for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be comforted while she is going through counseling, pray that he may have the strength and ability to put in wood floors at his son’s house

Bill M – praise God for Gary making it to Oklahoma and finding a job, pray for Gary’s continued success and that he may be strengthened in his marriage, pray that his family will have a safe trip to Santa Barbara

Richard – pray for his son that he may be able to find some success at work and find strength in working two jobs

Gary S – praise God for the job he was able to find in Oklahoma, pray for his marriage and that God will help them be able to work through the distance and any trouble they may be facing

Tim D – praise God for His faithfulness, pray that all the believers in the church will have the desire to seek out Him and to reach out to others

Carmine – pray that he will be strengthened at work with his relationships with coworkers

Calvin – pray that he will find a good work family balance and that he may find success at work, pray that he will be able to return to the group soon

Greg – praise God for having other brothers in Christ, pray for his daughter who moved out that they all will be watched over, pray for the leadership of the church that they will provide Biblical leadership

Mark – praise God for this group staying strong for continually returning to this table to study the Word and encouraging one another in prayer, pray that he will heal Beth from a sinus infection, pray that God will provide all of us the ability to reach out to the younger generation and pass on the blessing from the Lord

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ

Continued prayer needs

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 8th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 15th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 22nd, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

“Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5 NIV

Whenever I feel like I am struggling, it is usually because I am not resting in the right place. Either my thoughts are resting on my finances; or my thoughts are resting on my job; or maybe my thoughts are resting on all the future struggles that are going to come my way. None of these can truly provide any rest, but instead only provide more anguish to some already anxious moments.

All of us at times will do it anyway. We will let our flesh focus on the wrong things while at the same time we know the truth in our minds. It then becomes a battle, keeping our focus on what is righteous and holy. A battle Paul knew very well when he penned in the book of Romans how the law of sin was raging against the law of the mind in his life (Romans 7:21-24).

Therefore let none of become discouraged of our failure to keep the faith and find rest in Him because it is a battle. It is a very difficult battle at times. Yet this is a battle we can all win with one victory at a time. God wants us to succeed and He has given us everything necessary to succeed (2 Peter 1:3,4).

So today I want to focus on David when he proclaimed where all of us should find rest—in God alone.

This is the only true place of complete rest. Only in Him will you find peace that will satisfy your deepest longings, your deepest troubles, or your deepest fears. God proclaimed this time and time again throughout the Scriptures. Jesus even said to come to Him because His yoke was easy and His burden was light (Matthew 11:30).

But many times we will never be able to match up this world with this truth because of all the external troubles which lurk outside our door everyday. For many of us it is persecution; for others it may be famine; or maybe it is a disease that plagues us or those we know. None of these are very hopeful thoughts and with each one of these, finding rest in Him may seem impossible.

So for us Christians, how do we match up our life with the truth? We do this through the hope we have in Christ.

The world is becoming an increasingly difficult place to find any truth. Instead the enemy is at work and today is “alive and well”; deceiving those who may listen and persuading them to believe in a lie. In fact, Satan is doing everything in his power to remove the truth because he knows that in Jesus is truth and in Him all things exist. This is why moral relativism has become such a powerful force in the world today—because truth is under attack.

Yet notice that David matched up his hope with his ability to rest his soul in God. He knew that our hope in Christ is how we match up reality with truth even when it does not seem to make sense. This is because hope is about having confidence, knowing that His truth is forever unchanging.

When Jesus said to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount:

“So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33 NIV

This is the truth. God will provide us with everything we need life and godliness; therefore we should have hope. We should have tremendous hope because He is the rock upon where our foundation has been set.

If we would display the hope we have in our Christ Jesus everyday to everyone we know, imagine the change which would happen in this world. Our testimony would become a city upon a hill and reveal the glory of God in a way that would absolutely amazing.

Join me in my commitment to fight the battle of hope. Let us encourage one another to not live by what we see, but live by what we know is the truth. From this testimony, the first step, we can make a difference and spread the Word of God to a culture who desperately needs to hear the truth…


Prayer requests

Paul – praise God for being able to make it over the mountains to with this group of men, pray for a safe journey while traveling around the state for work

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for Hee Young who was in a car accident pregnant with two children that God will watch over all of them, pray for Jerry’s rehab from the medical dialysis that he is going through, pray for the health of his wife

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray the Lord would lead him to an apartment

Ramon – praise God for continually bringing him work, praise God for the health of his wife, pray that his daughter may be comforted while she is going through counseling, pray that he may have the strength and ability to put in wood floors at his son’s house

Bill M – praise God for Gary making it to Oklahoma and finding a job, pray for Gary’s continued success and that he may be strengthened in his marriage, pray that his family will have a safe trip to Santa Barbara

Richard – pray for his son that he may be able to find some success at work and find strength in working two jobs

Gary S – praise God for the job he was able to find in Oklahoma, pray for his marriage and that God will help them be able to work through the distance and any trouble they may be facing

Tim D – praise God for His faithfulness, pray that all the believers in the church will have the desire to seek out Him and to reach out to others

Calvin – pray that he will find a good work family balance and that he may find success at work, pray that he will be able to return to the group soon

Greg – praise God for having other brothers in Christ, pray for his daughter who moved out that they all will be watched over, pray for the leadership of the church that they will provide Biblical leadership

Mark – praise God for this group staying strong for continually returning to this table to study the Word and encouraging one another in prayer, pray that God will provide all of us the ability to reach out to the younger generation and pass on the blessing from the Lord

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ

Continued prayer needs

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 the academy wing

Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, April 8th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 15th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

“Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites…. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:1-2,5 NIV

One of the promises God gave his chosen people was a chosen land—the Promised Land (Genesis 15:18-21).

It was the place He destined for them. It was the place where He was going to unfold His story of redemption. This land, the Promised Land, was the place where all of redemptive history was going to begin. It was not like the land they just left in Egypt where they could sew their seeds and irrigate them; but instead it was a place of hills and valleys, flowing with milk and honey, and a land which drinks water from heaven (Deuteronomy 11:8-12).

Each Sunday morning I feel privileged to lead an Equip U class about the Promised Land from ‘Focus on the Family’ titled That the World may Know. It is a great DVD study of places where significant events happened in the Bible. One can learn about the context of how God’s story of redemption unfolded and the meaning behind its location. It is great to see video of these places and get a feel for how this history must have looked and felt.

After every class I find myself reflecting upon how amazing God is. How God purposed everything to perfection and designed the events to take place at a certain location, in order that His glory and His love would be revealed to all of history. (I invite each one of you to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00am to study the amazing meaning the Promised Land has for all of us. It is open to all of you.)

This is very significant to each one of us because as I said in last week’s message, we were going to consider the meaning of hope and what it means to us these next few weeks. And there is no better place to start then to look at the confidence that God will provide the basic necessities of life—food, water and land.

This hope was realized by the Israelites through the Promised Land because it provided an objective hope of food, water, and land. Yet, what does this mean to us? We have not been given a Promised Land to move to or to seek out. But let us lose no hope because what we have been given is something even greater; something like a ‘Promised Land’; something just as great and just as real as the land given to the Israelites.

For we have been chosen instruments of God. We have been given the special calling to share the message of good news to those who are in darkness, so their darkness may cease. And none of this comes simply through the Word of the gospel, but instead it comes through the power of the gospel.

Paul pointed out to the Thessalonians that this power exists when he said:

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 NIV

This power is not something we simply tap into when we choose. This power is something which resides within each one of us who believe in Christ. It is what I believe is today’s equivalent to the ‘Promised Land’ of the Israelites. Because the gift of the Holy Spirit has not just come into our lives only to comfort us, but come to give us power. Power to overcome this world (1 John 5:4) because when we have been received the Holy Spirit; we have been born of God, and therefore born of power.

And when you look into 2 Peter 1:3a (NIV) which says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…”, we have been given the reason why I believe we should have hope. Because like the Promised Land to the Israelites which gave them food, water, and land which gives life; we have been given the Holy Spirit which gives us everything for life and godliness.

Yes, there will be struggles. There may even be famine, disease, and mass poverty in this country in the years to come. But there is Hope! There is the truth which lies over the mountains (see last post for reference) with all which is promised here being true.

Therefore let us keep the faith because we have hope. Let us stay strong knowing everything is within the context of our Lord. Everything is within the truth…



Prayer requests

Joe T – pray for his brother who unintentially overdosed on Tylenol, praise God he lives, pray for his son Joey who is dealing with seizures, pray for his wife, praise God for his patience and that his oldest son accepted Christ

Bill M – praise God for watching over the government and that it will remain within God’s will, pray for the health of his wife

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray for his wife’s arthritis, pray that Jerry will continue to respond to treatment from prostate cancer, pray for Nathan who is in boot camp

David – praise God for the life he provided him, pray the Lord would lead him to an apartment

Ramon – praise God for continuing to have work, praise God for helping him finish a roofing job, pray that he can properly resolve things with an electrician which is giving him trouble over a billing problem

Richard – praise God for the health of family, pray for wife’s health that she may have healing in her asthma and breathing

Gary S – praise God for blessing him with some job opportunities, pray for his marriage and that he will be able to make the right decision on where to go for a job

Tim D – praise God for his sovereignty, pray for patience

Greg – praise God for being God, pray that missions week will go well and that the visit by Pastor Titus will bear fruit

Mark – praise God for the men which continue to gather in this fellowship, praise God for the men’s ministry and the impact it is making in the lives of men, pray that my relationship with my wife will continue to grow and that we can stay on the same page disciplining our children, pray that we continue to make the right decisions financially

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ

Continued prayer needs

Paul – praise God for the work he has, praise God for the home he has been given in Eastern Washington, prayer for continued guidance in doing the right thing

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Calvin – pray that the men of this church will become energized for God, pray for his brother which is dealing with a difficult custody battle

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 the academy wing

Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, April 1st, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

“Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 NIV

Last weekend as we were driving to Church, my daughter looked out over the Cascade Mountains and the rising sun and proclaimed in a flurry of excitement, “My grandma and grandpa live over those mountains! They live over those mountains! I am so excited to see them!!”

Now we have told her before that they live over the mountains, but this impromptu burst of excitement came so unexpectedly. My mind immediately reacted and I could not help but to think how much this speaks to the child-like faith of children.

For everything she knew about where her grandparents were; everything she realized about what was over those mountains; everything she could comprehend was based completely on faith. She did not know they were 2400 miles away. In no way could she even comprehend what that distance was. Instead, simply by faith, she knew they were over those mountains simply because she was told.

This is such a great picture of faith and hope because isn’t this what God is asking us? He gave us truth in the Word (Ephesians 1:13). He told us about our inheritance waiting for us (1 Peter 1:4). He shared a vision of what the New Heaven and the New Earth was going to look like (Revelation 21:1). He revealed His glory in His Son on the cross and was rose three days later to defeat death once and for all (2 Corinthians 13:4). He has promised us everything needed for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He has given us eternal life (Luke 18:30). All of these are only a few promises we have been told; yet each of these are on the other side of the ‘mountains’ for all who believe.

But why do none of us say it with conviction? Why does none of us shout out like my daughter and proclaim these truths that lie over the ‘mountains’ like we should? Instead we struggle to put this truth out before even our own family at times. (I have struggled with this tremendously at times, presenting this hope, the truth with undeniable faith.) Instead, our beliefs become this personal thing which is not shared or even proclaimed. It lives within us and everyone can either find it for themselves or not.

Yet I do not believe that the Apostle Paul believed in this type of faith. He really believed that the truths we know over the ‘mountains’ was something to rejoice over which is why he said that we “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Rejoicing is something that is external, ‘displaying a great happiness about something’ as the Encarta Dictionary says. This is supposed to be us about the truth.

Paul also goes on to say something even more profound about the truth. He says in a very familiar verse:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word…” 2 Timothy 4:1-2a NIV

Within this familiar charge to preach the Word comes a significant message because the word used for ‘preach’ by Paul is the Greek word kerusso which literally means ‘to proclaim’ or ‘to herald’. Paul is telling Timothy it is not just about sharing the Word, but proclaiming it! One should give the same emphasis to the Word that one would give to proclaiming the arrival of nobility, or a King. We are to herald its truth!

So the over the next four weeks I am planning on building upon this idea of proclaiming the hope we have in Christ; proclaiming the truth which exists on the other side of the ‘mountains’.

The world is continuing to use the word hope for other ideas and is looking toward a different type of hope. What we are looking toward is something based upon the truth and is unchanging regardless to anything yesterday, today, or tomorrow.

This goes along with the Ephesians study rather nicely and I look forward to all the parallels; but regardless to the Wednesday night’s study, I look forward to this journey and considering together what is on the other side of the ‘mountains’ we can proclaim together!


Prayer requests

Bill M – praise God for his family and grandchildren, pray that his wife will heal from the back trouble she is having

Brett S – praise God for bringing him here to the group healthy and with energy, pray that he will continue to have some more good days of strength and health

Paul – praise God for the work he has, praise God for the home he has been given in Eastern Washington, prayer for continued guidance in doing the right thing

Ernie – praise God for his goodness, pray that Jerry will continue to respond to treatment from prostrate cancer, pray for Nathan who is in boot camp

David – praise God for His presence in his life, pray that He will reveal Himself more in his life

Ramon – praise God for continuing to have work, praise God for helping him finish a roofing job, pray that he can properly resolve things with an electrician which is giving him trouble over a billing problem

Richard – praise God for this church and how God is speaking through the ministries and pastors of Northshore, pray for a young man who is dating his daughter and how he wants to come to church with him

Gary S – praise God for his good health and the blessings he has been given, pray that he can find work and that his family will be strengthened

Tim D – praise God for his limitless mercy and glory, pray that he will have patience in finding the right job and waiting upon the Lord

Greg – praise God for being in his life and his continued blessings, pray that he can be a godly steward at his work

Mark – praise God for healing my family from a recent bought of sickness, pray that Mark can get back into a normal routine which includes more time reading the Bible and studying, pray that he can find opportunities to use his skills maybe even in a part-time position outside of work, pray that Mark and Beth can finally balance their budget

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ

Continued prayer needs

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Calvin – pray that the men of this church will become energized for God, pray for his brother which is dealing with a difficult custody battle

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

Wednesday, February 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 the academy wing

**** Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church



Group Happenings

Just started… “Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV

Weekly Message / Prayer Request

Acts 2:42 Men’s Fellowship

“He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.” Ezekiel 8:16 NIV

Today I must be honest with everyone. As I told everyone last night, my mind has drifted some from the mission this past week…

Instead I have found my patriotism stirred, focusing on the difficulties that lay before my country. The economic challenges, financial uncertainties, and the international relations which all sit before this country as problems that needs to be solved. This has caused much of my focus outside of my daily devotions to fall squarely on these concerns.

Yes, patriotism is a good thing; but we must always keep this in perspective, as our study through the book of Ephesians has revealed. We are just sojourners, passing through this life unto our ultimate destination in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

This week as I was reflecting upon my focus on worldly events, I remembered this section of Scripture from the book of Ezekiel. Because there is no place, no set of circumstances, upon where we can avoid falling into temptation and worship the creation more than the Creator. It is a slippery slope. Even some of the most “sacred” places can be places of idolatry.

In this story from the book of Ezekiel, here we have twenty-five priests within the inner court of the Temple. These priests were facing east, worshipping the rising sun with their backs toward the temple of the Lord.

These men were supposedly men of God, men who were considered righteous enough to be within the inner court. But their worship became worldly, focusing on the creation not the Creator. They fell prey to one of the earliest forms of idolatry (Job 31:26-27) and into violating one of the Ten Commandments given to the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:3).

But the question is, how did it get that far? How did these men who were at the Temple, a place of worship to God, being the most well respected priests of their day, still turn their back on Lord who was the Creator of all and began to worship the sun? Pagans worshipped the sun.

The answer I believe is pride. For no man can escape its grip once you have given into its seductive calling. Once it has its grip on people, pride leads them into believing that you can find answers in this world on your own. It leads men to thinking, “No longer do I need God…”

We have been warned of this faulty argument and one we need to take heed of. Listen to the Apostle Paul when he spoke to the Corinthian people:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NIV

The priests in the book of Ezekiel looked toward the sun in their worship. They were worldly in their thinking. Many today do the same thing. In fact, the world is worshiping the earth more and more each day (example: global warming) while trying to remove God from every aspect of society.

Yet as we watch the world; as we consider the ‘wise’ by the human standards of today; as we look at the ‘influential’ in dealing with the financial and economic problems; let us never forget where true wisdom resides. Let us never turn our back on the Lord and worship anything other than the One who gave all and is in all.

Instead of allowing pride to grip your heart and mind, let us live in humility. Let us live according to Christ knowing this life is temporary because our inheritance is secure.

So join me on this journey as we recommit to the calling we have been given (Matthew 28:19) and through prayer, let us not be conformed to this world but renew our mind in the truth (Romans 12:2).


Prayer requests

Bill M – praise God for his health, pray for wife who is dealing with fibromyalgia

Paul – praise God for the work he has, praise God for the home he has been given in Eastern Washington, prayer for continued guidance in doing the right thing

Ernie – praise God that his grandson is recovering from cancer and is now back at work, pray for his brother-in-law Jerry who has had numerous complications from prostrate cancer surgery, pray for grandson who is in basic training for the Army, pray for a man who works with Ernie who is a Muslim and that Ernie can witness to him

David – praise God for His presence in his life, pray that He will reveal Himself more in his life

Ramon – praise God for the weather so he can finish a roofing job, pray for the health of his wife who is struggling with fibromyalgia as well

Richard – praise God for this church and how God is speaking through the ministries and pastors of Northshore, pray for a young man who is dating his daughter and how he wants to come to church with him

Gary S – praise God for all the blessings her has been given, pray for wife who is in California and is working on her Masters Degree, pray for the family as they are separated from one another, pray that he may be able to find employment after being laid off

Tim D – praise God for his love and mercy, pray for mom who broke her ankle and the plate put in her foot

Mark – praise God for my family and how blessed I am with a beautiful wife and children, pray for Matteo who has bronchitis, pray that I can remained focused on the Lord and can maintain my spiritual integrity while monitoring the political / economic forces at work in America, pray for Northshore and the Men’s ministry

***Pray that Northshore can continue to make an impact in the local community for our Lord Jesus Christ


Continued prayer needs

Sky – praise God that the move to Bellingham has gone smoothly and he is now attending a school up there

Greg – praise God for the church and all that He is doing here at Northshore, pray for his brother who is moving to Arizona

Jimmy – pray that he will be able to walk more consistently with the Lord

Calvin – pray that the men of this church will become energized for God, pray for his brother which is dealing with a difficult custody battle

Carmine – pray for the troops which are serving overseas and for their financial health and security

Dick – praise for his new job that it is a good fit and he can be successful

Kelcy – pray for all the pastors and leaders within the Church

Stephen G – pray for strength in teaching kids at school so they may learn and become better students

Steve S – pray that he will be able to trust more in God

Brett S – pray that he will be able to stay strong in the Word and continue to come back to this fellowship

Nelson – pray for the President-elect that he will be a man of God, pray for his brother Bob

Tim W – pray for wife who is going to Germany to visit parents who may not be doing well, pray that a great deal of success came from the auction which happened on Saturday night

Larry Miller – pray that he will be able to find work, pray that he will be able to strengthen the marriage ministry at Northshore

Tim H – pray for his wife to find her ministry

Gary – pray for strength as he works through all the various stresses of life, pray for the health of his wife

Brent – pray that he will find clarity and guidance for finding the right person to marry

Chad – pray for continued seeking of purity in his life


Future Meetings

**** Wednesday, February 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church in room C214 in the academy wing

Wednesday, February 25th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, March 4th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church

Wednesday, March 11th, 7:00-9:00 pm, regular meeting at Northshore Christian Church

**** Wednesday, March 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm, meeting with Tim Dresler at Northshore Christian Church


Group Happenings

Just started… “Ephesians: The Wealth of God in us”—A study through the book of Ephesians, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so we can discover all we have been given by God…

As the world continues to tell all of us all what we do not have and what we are lacking; as each one of us continue to struggle through tough economic times; as the Church continues to face new challenges; I believe there is no better time than to truly discover all we do have as Christians. We have been blessed beyond measure through our Lord Jesus Christ and by Him have access to all of God's promises.

By studying all the topics covered in the book of Ephesians together in this fellowship of men, my prayer is that all of us will truly come to understand that we have "The wealth of God in us".

Pray that this study will be a tremendous blessing to each one of us, a blessing to the Church, and an opportunity for the Acts 2:42 Men's Fellowship to continue the calling God has placed on all of our hearts...

I invite you to invite others so that through this study, we can minister unto others and share the love of God.

God bless and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

In Christ,
Mark


Ephesians Study Outline

Here is the outline of the study plan we are looking at covering while we study the book of Ephesians:

Part number
1. Ephesians 1:1-14 Salutation / Predestination, Redemption, Inheritance in Christ
2. Ephesians 1:15-23 Resources in Christ
3. Ephesians 2:1-10 New Life in Christ
4. Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity in Christ
5. Ephesians 3:1-13 The purpose of the mystery revealed
6. Ephesians 3:14-21 God’s Fullness for the Church
7. Ephesians 4:1-6 God’s Plan for Faithful Living in the Church
8. Ephesians 4:7-16 God’s Son Endows and Builds the Church
9. Ephesians 4:17-32 God’s Pattern and Principles for members of the Church
10. Ephesians 5:1-14 Walking in love / Living in Light
11. Ephesians 5:15-21 Walking in wisdom / Filled with God’s Spirit
12. Ephesians 5:22-6:9 God’s standard for Authority and Submission in the Church
13. Ephesians 6:10-17 God’s provision for His children’s spiritual battles
14. Ephesians 6:18-24 God’s appeal for prayer in the Church / Benediction

Memory Verse

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV