Seasons, Part 3

Recommended books:  Necessary Endings, by Dr Henry Cloud

Unlimiting God, by Richard Blackaby

The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson et al.

Examples of people entering a new season of life

Read Luke 1:26-38 (the angel visits Mary)

Life will never be the same for Mary!  She is surprised to be entering a new season in her life.

Other Biblical examples:

- Joshua, entering the land of Canaan

- the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection

Real-life examples:

- becoming an empty-nester

- starting a new job

- becoming the parent of young adults

- becoming a grandparent of young adults

- adult son moved back in

- a new car with GPS

How do you prepare for  a new season?

- get a mentor

- appreciate the people in your life, right now

- accept your new season

- discern what advice is related to your situation

Biggest danger when entering a new season

- that you will deny it or resist it

- that you choose to remain in the old season

Appreciate the season you are in right now, but be ready to embrace a new season.

Pruning

- cutting back branches that aren’t any good anymore.  This leads to vitality and energy going back into useful (blooming) branches.

When entering a new season, some things that were useful in a previous season might be a burden to you in the new season.

Some examples:

- old friendships sometimes need pruning

- clothes.  Face the fact that you are never going to be a size 2 again.

- discern between clutter and useful stuff

Reminder – getting rid of stuff you no longer need is a gift to your children!

Jesus said that if it is not a useful branch, chop it down and throw it in the fire. 

Three cheers for the fig tree, Bob K’s favorite biblical plant!

The Apostle Paul says that we died and now have new life in Christ.  But our tendency is to want to still let the old self live on.

Book:  The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson et al.

Final thoughts:

- new seasons are inevitable in life.

- find someone to talk to – there is no doubt someone who has been through a similar season.

- sometimes it is impossible to prepare.

Seasons: Book recommendations

Books about life's seasons:

Necessary Endings, by Dr Henry Cloud

Unlimiting God: Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine by Richard Blackaby

Seasons, Part 2

Review of last week

What God taught the Israelites in the wilderness during those 40 years:

- manna, water from the rock à God provides

- commandments à righteousness

- golden calf & God’s reaction à sin is serious business

- pillar of fire, cloud à God will lead

Recognizing that you are in a new season 

Seasons are inescapable.  They come whether you like it or not.

Matthew 16:1-4.  Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign from heaven (to test Jesus).  Ph. & Sadd don’t understand what spiritual season they are in.  They are right in front of the sign of the season of the Messiah/season of grace, but don’t recognize it.

- it is difficult to go against the tide.  Popular opinion can hold a big sway over us.

What do we need to do to recognize the season and prepare for it?

- routine is different; the external environment is changing.

- functionality; things are just not working the way they used to.

  Examples: newspaper business; high-performing high-school students flunk out of college bcs they had not developed the necessary study skills to make it in college.

- be alert to God – some things are only known to God.  Sometimes there are no outward signs. 

Example:  Noah. How did he know there was going to be a flood?  God told him.

When you recognize that you are in a new season, what is the danger?

- resistance to change

- denial of need to change

- afraid of the unknown

Book recommendation:  Necessary Endings by Dr Henry Cloud.

What are the challenges to the church in making a big change?

- deciding who is going to be in control of the new way of doing things

- “We’ve always done it the old way.”

- how is the new way going to work?  (uncertainty)

We live in many different environments all at once – family environment, church environment, societal environment, in-law environment…So we are facing different seasons in each of these environments, all at once.  It’s complicated.

Seasons: part 1

Today we hosted Bob Jamison of Adam's Quest.  Be sure to attend next week for more insights.

Plus, there will be cake!


Part 1 of Seasons: Facing changes in your life and thriving through them

Seasons of life that some of us are facing:  entering retirement, kids getting married, raising teenagers, aging, etc

If you regret the season that just passed, you will miss the beauty and fun of the season you are in.
Every individual experiences a particular season differently.

It’s important to discern what God’s agenda is for the new season.
And it’s important to embrace the new season rather than resisting it.
Recognize that other people are going through a change in circumstances, too.  This allows us to give grace to others.

What happened to the Children of Israel after they left Egypt?
- They learned to trust God who provided for their needs (manna)
- They are entering into a relationship with God
- They received the laws, so that they have structure and know where the lines are.
- They built an idol and found out God is not pleased by that
- God led them (pillar of cloud and fire)
- God gave them a way to govern themselves
- It took them 40 years to transit from Egypt to the land of milk and honey because they had not yet learned the lessons from God.

The season you are in might not be a fun season, but it is a purpose-filled season.  The change in seasons is inevitable, and necessary.  We have to be wise enough to adapt to a new season.

Sep 30: Northside Common Ministries

Presentation by Jay Poliziani, director of Northside Common Ministries

Sep 30, 2012

Northside Common Ministries offers several ministries in the Northside, including a men’s shelter, Food Pantry, urban landscape improvements, and much more.

Ways to Pray for NCM:

- Please include NCM in the congregation’s prayers

- pray to see if you can come lead a  Bible study once a month (Mon and Wed)

- for families – numbers of homeless families has increased, but services for them have not.

Specific needs:

- twin-sized sheet sets

- bath towels

- toiletry items (especially deodorant and razors, since those items are not donated so often)

- children’s books to give away to kids

- clothing donations

Please note: NCM cannot take furniture donations, because of space limitations.

There are good stories happening at NCM every day.

- men leaving the shelter for an apartment

- men finding jobs

- men reconnecting with family

Fundraisers

In 2013 NCM will host a history tour.

Egg carton gift cards: donate to NCM, get a gift card to send to someone saying that in that person’s honor, you donated X dozen eggs.

Celebration of Caring dinner

March – Food Pantry brunch challenge:  10 different restaurant chefs make food using only Food Pantry food.

Details

Hiland is instrumental in providing meals for Pleasant Valley Shelter.

NCM is affiliated with Goodwill Industries of SWPA.

Men’s shelter usually houses at least 25 men.  In winter, numbers go up to 32 men.  It is one of three men’s shelters in the area.

The shelter’s routine is:  the men sign in during the morning, are away from the shelter during the day, then come back at night for the evening meal and to sleep.

PVS has drug test kits and alcohol test kits on site.  Not mandatory testing, but if drug or alcohol use is suspected, person is tested.  If positive, person is asked to leave.  Counselors are on site 2x week.

During the day, NCM operates a drop-in center for men and women, with a meal (shower for men), and laundry facilities.

Food Pantry – serves over 900 people per month.  Largest one in the Pittsburgh area.  Serves only the Northside, from 3 local zip codes.  They receive a delivery of eggs, meat, and milk from Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.  Running the food pantry costs $45,000 per year.  The Food Pantry receives nothing from the government.

The third floor of NCM is a host site for a GED classroom, which preps hundreds of students for the health care field.

NCM works with dieticians at CCAC, who work with clients to learn how to prepare Food Pantry food in a more healthy way (to reduce obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.  For instance, draining a can of veggies in a colander reduces the salt content.

Third floor office also provides

-help for people who need help with utility bills.

- tax prep service during tax season

- case management for formerly homeless men.

Two times a week, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, and pharmacy interns come to the shelter.  Having all those medical professionals there at the same time ensures tha the patient can actually get the medical attention they need (for instance, can get the prescription drugs they are prescribed).

NCM has plans to create a garden – next week will create a rain garden and butterfly garden.  Also a raised bed box garden for vegetables (can’t grow vegetables in regular ground because there formerly was  a building there, so original soil is not cleared of contaminants enough to grow food).

Youth Group Work Camp

Senior High work camp this past summer was in Athens/Sayre, PA, near Elmira, New York.  The community had been devastated by flooding from Tropical Storm Lee and was still in the process of recovering.  The kids were very inspiring in their attitude.

The sub-theme was "belts".  Ask Roy about this.

The Junior High group went to The Pittsburgh Project, working on helping with home repair and maintenance for eligible homeowners throughout our area.

Discipleship

When the Rabbi Says "Come"

When it came time to choose his disciples and launch his ministry, Jesus did not go to Jerusalem - the first place we might have gone - but to the sparsely populated hill surrounding the Sea of Galilee.  Why?  What was it about Galilee that captured his attention above all other places in Israel?

Scythopolis vs Bethsaida: cities in contrast

Scythopolis: big town, with amphitheater, schools, temples.  But Jesus did not come here to find disciples.

Bethsaida:  a fishing village.  Part of a triangle of towns: Korazin-Capernaum-Bethsaida.  People here lived an "ordinary" way of life.  Five of the 12 disciples came from here.

The building blocks of discipleship:
- living in community
- Torah (Bible) and debate about its interpretation
- school (beit midrash) for learning of scripture
- passion, and a desire to be like the rabbi