Partnership Meeting and Journey Youth

Partnership Meeting

After Service

If you’re ready to learn more about moving from just attending to becoming a faithful partner of Journey Church, stick around after service this Sunday, June 27 for the Partnership Meeting.

Future of Journey Youth

Sunday, June 27 at 6pm

Area 2

Teens and parents of teens are invited to join Pastor Shawn, Jake and Niki for pizza Sunday evening to discuss ideas for the future of Journey Youth.

Lessons from Bicycling Part 3 of 3

Riding a bicycle has its own set of gear and ways of doing things. I have learned some roads to ride on that are conducive to riding. I now have routes to get to different parts of the city. And I can talk the talk of bicycling with other people with the same passion.

Following Jesus has its own set of lifestyle and ways. Just as riding a bicycle causes one to think, eat and sleep riding. So following Jesus will cause you to eat and sleep and think of the things of God.

You can’t ride a bike in traffic without being aware of your surroundings. You are aware of the width of the road the # of lanes and the existence of a rideable shoulder. You see in your mirror what is coming up behind you and praying for God’s protection and direction of when and where to ride. Constant watchfulness is useful in the spirit as well. I am looking if there is someone to hand a tract to and share the gospel with. I am praying for the ministry I will be doing in the days ahead and taking authority over the enemy not to take the word that I will share, from people hearts.

My bike that I ride has 27 gears, 3 in front and 9 in back. I am constantly shifting gears to maintain the correct cadence and effort or strength exerted. It can be the same with the spiritual realm. Life throws many things at you. And I try to let the Lord deal with them by bringing them to Him in prayer. I also look to Jesus and the promises He has given me and not the problems of life. I want to be content in all that I do. Yet not to be content to let the enemy steal and ruin peoples lives.

I have seen how food will allow me to ride with more strength. We eat to gain strength. But eating by itself will not produce strength. Eating gives us the ability to use the strength we have. If I don’t eat I don’t have the ability to use strength. To build strength I exercise. This exercising gives strength to my muscles. It is the work that builds strength. Food gives me the ability to work, but by itself, food will just make me fat.

In spiritual life knowledge of the Bible is like food. But knowledge by itself will not bring spiritual strength. It is using the knowledge that builds strength. I have heard it said, It is not what we know, but what we can testify to that is important. The work of faith God has for us, builds strength.

Our knowledge of the Bible without work will build arrogance. 1 Cor. 8:11 Cor. 8:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
8 ¹ Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

WP-Bible plugin I spend a lot of time in the Bible and if I am not careful I become arrogant. Prayer for humbleness and repentance are things I do to guard against this problem of arrogance. But this alone will not succeed if I don’t do what the Bible teaches. Actions are needed if I am to be a workman/servant/disciple for Christ. It is in this prayer and repentance that I get direction on what I am to do for the Lord.

For the bicycle the elements are eating, riding and rest. In the Spirit it’s Bible, prayer/relationship and service, and quietness.

The motto I live by is: Pray and go daily. I pray and get God’s direction, then I go as I am led. The next day I evaluate what I did yesterday and pray over it and get God’s direction again. Then I go again to serve as I am led. I have found that sometimes it takes God a while to get me to do something. But if I pray every day over the issues of my life I have to face up the to the fact that I am living in direct disobedience to God’s direction. To be honest with God is to be honest with yourself. I cry out for His help. Then live and act in faith to what He is leading me to do.

Lessons from Bicycling Part 2 of 3

Years ago we moved to the house we are in, I thought it would be too much work to ride a bicycle because of the many hills. When my daughter asked for a bicycle it dawned on me that just as problems will bring peace to my heart, if I am willing to serve as the Lord asks, So the hills would allow me to build strength.

I learned problems build strength both in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm.

If you look in the Bible that is what it teaches. Romans 5:3Romans 5:3
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance;

WP-Bible plugin And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. You will not exalt in tribulation if the purpose of your life is personal peace and affluence. You will exalt, if you want to bring the fight to the enemy.

James 1:2-4James 1:2-4
English: World English Bible - WEB
2 Count it all joy, my brothers The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”, when you fall into various temptations, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

WP-Bible plugin Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Again for those seeking personal peace and affluence this verse makes no sense. But we are not of the darkness but of the light when we shine the light of Jesus in a world filled with greed, covetousness and pride etc.

In Matthew 5:3-12Matthew 5:3-12
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the gentle, For they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, For they shall be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

WP-Bible plugin the beatitudes are opposites of those who love the things of the world. But we can’t be both a lover of the world and a lover of God. 1 John 2 We have to make a choice.

So I am learning not to seek personal peace and affluence but to serve God as He leads. I climb hills and use them as a way to build strength. I now attack hills and accept them as a way to become stronger. Without problems I stay weak. I am serving God now in areas that I would not of thought of before. Why? Because I am attacking problems not avoiding them.

To be continued…

Lessons from Bicycling Part 1 of 3

Lesson from Bicycling
by Scott McCrae

Part 1 of 3

Psalm 72:3Psalm 72:3
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

WP-Bible plugin

Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness.

Bicycling became an integral part of my life and health when my daughter asked me if I loved our new dog more than her. I asked her what she wanted to do and she wanted to ride a bicycle. So I bought our family all bikes and we went to parks to ride.

At this time the Lord was showing me lessons from Psalm 72:3Psalm 72:3
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

WP-Bible plugin that would strengthen my walk with Him. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness.

This verse did not make any sense to me because I understood mountains to mean obstacles. Such as Mark 11:23Mark 11:23
English: World English Bible - WEB
23 For most assuredly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.

WP-Bible plugin Truly I say to you, Whoever says to this mountain, ‘be taken up and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

I would go over this and other verses often and because of this when I read Ps 72:3Ps 72:3
English: World English Bible - WEB
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

WP-Bible plugin I was to expect the mountain or problems to bring peace to my life. How could problems bring peace. Or was I looking for the wrong thing in life? Is life to be lived for personal peace and affluence, or to bring light in darkness? If we are going to go into an area of darkness and bring light there will be opposition. The kingdom of darkness will not sit idly by and let light ruin their kingdom without a fight. Was I willing to go into the darkness with the light of Jesus and bring people to salvation? Or was I content to enjoy my personal peace and affluence?

I knew that I couldn’t sit idly by and let the darkness remain in others.

To be continued…

Hope Faith Ministries Tour

Saturday, May 22nd 9:00AM
1524 Charlotte St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Click for Map
www.hopefaithministries.org

Come check out how this non-denominational, faith-based ministry is currently serving as see how Journey Church can get involved with in the future. Their vision: To break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Kansas City by equipping, resourcing, and releasing individuals back into society. For questions contact jason@journeykc.com.

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