8-Week Core Plan

Chris and Ricky’s 8-week Core Plan
January 16 – March 5
Core Time: Wednesdays at 8:30

For the next 7 weeks, our Core group will be reading through John. For homework each week, everyone is going to read three chapters of John. Each week at Core, we will spend around 20 minutes discussing what people got from the reading: best ideas, lessons learned, questions, etc. (Which that time can really go on for as long as necessary, as long as there is good, productive discussion.) Ricky or I will then prepare something that we have pulled from the passage that we would like to focus on in more detail, a lesson of sorts. (Those topics are not decided yet.)

Before the main discussion time and lesson starts, we will have someone from the Core share a Worship thought. Ricky and I wanted to pick a book to read because we are wanting our Core guys to spend more time in the word, actually reading it for themselves. We are going to plan to have more outside Core activities for our group. More hang-out time outside of Core is one thing most of our guys mentioned that they wanted to see this semester.

Tentative Reading/Lesson Schedule
January 16 – Discuss John chapters 1-3
January 23 – Discuss John chapters 4-6
January 30 – Discuss John chapters 7-9
February 06 – Discuss John chapters 10-12
February 13 – Discuss John chapters 13-15
February 20 – Discuss John chapters 16-18
February 27 – Discuss John chapters 19-21
March 5 – “Hang-out Night” (This night may be shuffled earlier.)

(*I am supposed to credit Aaron and Chris, as they gave us this brilliant idea.*)

Serving God

It's a wonder how God works. I guess I might have had a slight glimpse of that tonight. (So here commences a story...)

I was at the movies, and I get a text message and call from Joe. (I suppose this was about 9 o'clock "tonight".) I didn't realize that he was calling asking me to help at the International Student Furniture Drive that was tomorrow. I decided not to worry about thinking about whether I could go until I got home. I had several excuses that I could give for not going because I was not really sure I wanted to go. (When in actuality I did want to go at the same time...if you know how that goes?) So I could have said that I didn't have enough notice. Or I could say because I wanted to sleep in. Or possibly even that I have some work I need to do for school. Or that we were planning on cleaning the apartment more tomorrow. Which all of those were true excuses. And many people would need just one of those to not go. However, my main hesitation was the meeting I had scheduled with Ricky at 10am.

I knew I wanted to help out because I have helped several times in the past few semesters. And I really enjoy serving people, especially in the means of projects that require more manual labor and such. And I know it is for a good cause I would be helping, helping deliver furniture to International students who, most of them, essentially have "nothing." (And also Joe mentioned he was short on people.)

I finally decided that I would check with Ricky and see if our meeting could be moved. If so, I would help. (Yet that still left the question, if we couldn't move it, should I work from 8 until 10, as we were starting to move furniture at 8am.) Thankfully I was able to move the meeting back until 1pm. So now I will be able to help and will, despite all the excuses I have. (Which one thing I've learned the last few years is that when I start making a lot of excuses for not doing things, especially good things, I really need to question myself. Because many times, I've found out, that is exactly what I need to be doing.)

Ok, so I think that's all of the story. So now, about God working, or rather, being able to hear from God. I am just starting this Experiencing God study that will last about 12 weeks. Since it was getting late in the night, I almost decided that I would not work on Day 3 of this week, but since I was already behind, I needed to go through it. It turns out that Day 3 is about "Learning to Be a Servant of God." Just from the title, I was like, "Woahh...and I was even considering not helping tomorrow." However, the study went in a little different way than I had imagined. It talked about how many times, we are told, "Just do something for God." However, the author mentioned:

We are a doing people. We always want to be doing something. I think God is crying out to us, 'Don't just do something. Stand there! Enter a love relationship with Me. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to Me. Let Me love you and reveal Myself through you to a watching world.'

Do you want to be a servant of God? Find out what is on the Master's heart. Discover where the Master is working; that is where you need to be. Find out what the Master is doing; that is what you need to do.

The neat thing about that was, I know this furniture drive is a part of God working on this campus, as we have so many International students. Now, I only pray that I can do more than just deliver furniture to these students but that they will be able to see how good God is or that I will be able start a relationship with one or two of them.

And in Day 2 of this Experiencing God study (which this will be the last thing for this evening) , it talked about following God's will and Jesus being our model. The author has said:

During this course and throughout your life, you will have times when you want to respond to situations based on your own experiences or your own wisdom. Such an approach will get you in trouble. This should be your guideline: always go to the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of your situation to you.

I have heard this many times, but asked the question, how in the world do I begin doing this? (or at least something of the like) And then this happened tonight where I felt God was telling me I really need to help in this furniture drive. I just found it refreshing that I was able to come to the decision of helping before I looked at the lesson. However, my decision was certainly confirmed after going through the study.

That might be something small, but I found it really amazing!

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. - John 12:26

Blog Info

So, it looks like I am finally going to use this thing. But before I did, I wanted to post a slight warning of sorts. Beware when you are reading my posts. One of two possible things might happen. For some strange reason, I tend to write long, so beware that my posts on this blog, whenever they do happen, might be quick lengthy. This will definitely not be a surprise to some of you, but other, it might just blow you out of the water. (I guess that's why my blog is blue...Ignore this comment if the blog is not blue.)

This can be detrimental, I know because I know some people do not like to read something that is long. I am definitely one of those persons. And I am not oblivious to the fact that most of you will start reading my post and may either lose interest or just give up. Trust me, I have seen it with the "long" emails I have sent out for FOCUS in the past. (Or maybe the problem there is email itself?) Regardless, as I mentioned earlier, one of two possible things might happen after reading my posts. Either I might have just written something so profound, and I have enlightened you greatly. Or I have completely wasted your time. I do not doubt it will be some of both; however, it might be more of the latter.

Your comments are very welcome on anything, either good of bad. [However, I reserve the right to delete the comments I don't like, assuming I can do that. I imagine I'd be able to? ;-) ]
Now if you do comment, I will know that you are among the 10% of people who actually read all/most of my post. (Or well, at least started reading them.) Otherwise, I will assume you failed. A simple, "Read it!" would be enough. :-) Hope you enjoy!

(And see, this was supposed to be a short message telling you this...I'm telling you...)

PS...feel free to let me know when I'm not making sense or may have mistyped something "major."

Hope You Made It Here

Hope you made it...
So actually I will be posting here. Hopefully I'll have something up in a day or two at the latest. See you then!