Hey guys...sorry I missed small group yesterday night...hope it was a blessing time for all of you.  Please keep me in your prayers (I know that sounds selfish), but these next two weeks are killer for me.  Full Measure has been rehearsing six hours every night, and we will pretty much keep going into next week.  Our group really needs strength and encouragement...thanks! Oh yeah and btw, we have a gig tonight in McClleland at 9 pm so come out if you can! Onto the QT...this is for yesterday and today.

Romans 14 & 15:1-13

I think Romans 14 is Paul's warning to all those who have 'holier than thou' complexes.  The passage spoke to me personally because, what do you know?! That's me! Because I've been raised as a Christian all my life, I find myself so easily judging my fellow brothers and sisters over matters that Paul calls "disputable."  I mean, don't we all do that? And I don't think Paul is talking about rebuking fellow brothers and sisters here - that much is necessary.  I think Paul is warning us not to judge them over matters that are unimportant in the big picture.  How many times have we labeled our fellow brother and sister "unholy" because they didn't fast anything for Lent or because they missed small group one week?  Paul tells us in v. 17 that "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit..."  Now having said this, I think it's also necessary for us to be weary of the possible implications this verse may have.  I don't think Paul here is giving Christians a license to sin, and I definitely don't think he is telling Christians to look the other way when they see a fellow brother or sister sinning.  Paul writes, "Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (v. 13) So while we as Christians should not judge one another, we at the same time need to be mindful of our fellow brothers and sisters as we live out our lives.  When we constantly place ourselves in situations that can stumble others, we are not only compromised but we put our fellow brothers and sisters in situations where they may fall to sin or to false judgement of other people.

In the first section of Chapter 15, Paul specifically addresses those who are strong in the faith, telling them "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." (v. 1) What really spoke to me was what Paul says in verse 3 where he writes, "For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."  How can we not bear the failings and shortcomings of our brothers and sisters when Christ bore all of our inadequacies and mistakes? Who are we to place ourselves on a higher spiritual pedestal than our neighbors when we ourselves cannot compare to the holiness and perfection of Christ? As a small group, let's really ask God to give us hearts that encourage those brothers and sisters in our group who seem to be struggling or falling away.  Let's not label them or judge them, but rather, show them more of Christ's love. Amen!?

- Jase

Hey family!! I missed you all over the break (actually not that much...HAH)...haha...but yah...hope you all had restful spring breaks and had a chance to relax and enjoy God's creation...we will be having small group tomorrow night same place same time so be there or be square!!

Here is the QT passage for today...I believe we stopped at Romans 13:7 before the break.  I know it may be tough for some of you to get back into the swing of things, but let's really ask the Lord for perseverance until the end.

Romans 13:8-14

In this passage, Paul brings everything in the Bible down to one word - love.  "Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law." (v.10) Sometimes, I think Christianity can become really gray with all the different theologies and doctrines and rules.  But what Paul tells us today is that, ultimately, what Christianity boils down to is loving one another as Christ loved us.  We can know our Bible inside out and go to every small group and every large group, but if we cannot love our fellow brothers and sisters, then we need to reexamine our hearts once again. 

One thing that really stuck out in this passage was Paul's explanation for why we must love one another.  "And do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (v.11)  This verse spoke to me in two ways.  In a broader sense, it reminded me that the time is indeed near for Jesus' return and that we cannot waste our lives here on earth living for ourselves.  On a more personal level though, this verse reminded me that I only have two more months left here at Penn to really love people and make an impact on their lives.  I look back on my four years here, and I really have to ask myself how much I really loved and cared for my fellow brothers and sisters in ECF.  I'm almost ashamed to say that most of my time here has not been spent doing that.  I think God really convicted me to really use the short time that I have left here to invest in people's lives and love them as Christ loved me first.  Let's all use the time we have here wisely because it will fly by before we know it.

-Jase   

some pics from cranium night

jason

joyce and jimmy james

cranium night

cranium night

holding chris

6 people holding up chris

haha, not sure why Richard is holding Chris' head like that

hahaha

Chris got caked

our b-day boy

~Julia

Hey all! Come out to small group tonight...we're battling James' small group in Cranium! We're gonna kill em! I mean...we're gonna have an encouraging time together in the Lord...

Romans 13:1-7

In today's passage, Paul talks about submission to authorities.  "Everyone must submit himself to the goverrning authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." (v. 1) One thing that I took from this passage, more than the obvious idea that we should all submit to the proper authorities, was the motive behind why we do things.  Paul is saying that we don't submit to authorities merely because they are above us, but rather because they were placed in those positions by God.  In other words, not submitting to those authorities is essentially rebelling against God as well.  We can take this same theme and apply it to almost every aspect of our lives.  I know I have so much repenting to do because of my lack of discipline as a student.  And why are we called to be disciplined students?  Is it so we can get good grades and get good careers in the future? Of course not! We are called to be faithful students because God has placed us in this school to do so.  For us to disregard our responsibility as students is not shortchanging ourselves, but moreso shortchanging God.  If we take everything in our lives and look at it through this lens, then I think alot of us would live much differently. 

See ya at small group!

-Jase