20
Feb 2011

February 27th Connect Service: Media Month!

The Sync, invite your friends because it's media month at East Baptist Church! Our 20s and 30s group will be meeting this coming Sunday, February 27th, for our 6:30-7:30pm worship service. A fellow GCTS student will be using film clips to talk about the gospel message in modern media. We'll have some sort of refreshment afterwards and really hope you'll join us to enjoy them. Here are a few fantastic photos from our last event. Notice Kris's fine display of athletics, Bill's sweet example of community, and Patricia's excellent example of awesomeness. Hope you all can make it!!!

In Christ, Jonathan Romig
http://awkwardchristianity.com/


 

(download)

18
Feb 2011

Shopping Zombies

The Walking Dead. 

We have all probably seen a good zombie movie or two. Mindless. Thoughtless. Relentless. Zombies have one purpose; consumption. 

Funny, for a time I felt like a zombie as I would troll through the malls with my fellow dark creatures, consuming indiscriminately. 

Then I woke up from the nightmare. 

On Sunday, I am going to share my story from mindless consumer, discontent with everything, to a more stable, satisfied and alive being. 

Discontentment and Consumption, these are the topics for Sunday with even a handout. 

09
Feb 2011

Ixthus

Good morning, guys and gals!

I didn't know this. Did you?

 

Question: "What does the Christian fish symbol mean (ixthus / icthus)?"

Answer: The Greek word for fish is "ixthus" or "icthus." The Christian fish symbol that many Christians place on their cars is known as the “ixthus.” Five Greek letters form the word “ixthus,” and those letters inside the fish form an acrostic which is a message that Christians clearly identified with. The first letter represented the word Jesus. The second letter represented the word Christ, the next two, God Son, and the final letter represented the word Savior. This adds up to “Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the Savior.”

During the early days of Christianity, Christians were often put to death for practicing their faith, so they worshiped in secret places. A fish painted on the outside door of a house let other Christians know that they would be safe and welcome inside. The Christian fish symbol is now often used to identify Christians and/or Christian businesses.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-fish-symbol.html

I found this interesting and wanted to share! Have a great rest of your week!

Brian

08
Feb 2011

Something a Little Different

Hey all,

I have a question for you. I don't want to take away from the intriguing talks about Creationist Theory and Christian Philosophy, but I want to delve into the realm of the media a little bit as we are focusing on it in Youth Group this month. My question for you is this: What makes a band (or even a song) worth listening to? What would Jesus listen to if he walked the streets of our post-modern world with an iPod? Is it only music that has been deemed "Christian"? Is there some music that has been deemed "Christian" that is not worth listening to? Is there "secular" music that is worth listening to? Let me know what you think. If I like your post, I may read it in Youth Group this Friday night.

God bless and Keep Listening,

Brian

03
Feb 2011

Creation Theories

How should we as believers approach the creation account? Do we believe in science like evolution? Is one way right or wrong? Do we reject everything the world has to say about our beginning? Genesis 1:1-2:3 has both confused and amazed readers and believers alike for quite some time. Here are a few theories that Christians have come up with to try and align both science and the Bible. After reading through them, let us know what you think.

Gap Theory:
God created the entire world in Genesis 1:1 but a serious disaster occurred in Genesis 1:2 in which Satan and the evil angels fell from heaven. The rest of the creation account (Gen 1:3-27) was a type of renewal that took place in six actual days after the earth had aged and lay barren for millions of years.

Literal Interpretation Theory: A six-day in a row creation account used actual 24-hour periods.

Flood Theory: The earth is a young earth and Noah’s flood was so powerful it moved sediment layers to look like something much older. Fossils found in several layers of sediment help this position.

Ideal-Time Theory: God created the world to look old, much like Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:3-10). Therefore, the earth is not actually old, but just looks like it.

Neo-catastrophism: The earth was formed in a much shorter time and that quick but extremely violent events like the Mount St. Helens eruption have formed the earth to look older.

Figurative interpretations: The Bible is not meant to teach us science, but to teach us about God and the days are topological instead of chronological.

Age-day Theory: The word “day” doesn’t mean a figurative 24-hour day, but longer periods of time.

Progressive Creationist Theory: God used this time to supernaturally create life, animals, and man as the earth aged. Therefore, God created the first cat and dog and the species evolved from there. This seems to line up with science like the Cambrian explosion.

Theistic Evolution Theory: God created the world then let the natural process work.

Pictorial-Day or Literary-Framework Theory: Moses received the revelation in a six-day format or he just arranged it into this format to more easily communicate it. The creation account is ordered logically so that the first and fourth, second and fifth, and third and sixth days line up. The first three days are God creating places and the following three days is God filling them. This theory considers the creation account a type of historical prologue for the covenant to come. The earth, heavens, and man are vassals and God is the faithful suzerain.

A proper method for engaging science requires we examine modern theories and see if they can fit the creation account as told in Genesis. The scientific theory itself could be wrong or some science is yet to be discovered that will help align scripture and science more closely. Although we should place scripture over theories that contradict it, we need to make sure we are not reading the text inaccurately and that our ideas make sense.

So all of these theories are just that… theories. They all have pros and cons and we have to remember that God is God and we are not. We cannot know for certain but we can consider all the ideas and try and come to a knowledgeable conclusion about what we think is correct.

Psalms 8:1-4 “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

In Christ, Jonathan
Website: http://awkwardchristianity.com/

02
Feb 2011

Give it Up

Thanks to Jonathan and Brian for making our first CONNECT a huge success. And great job to Jonathan on Sunday's teaching. - Kris

02
Feb 2011

TheSync Review: Forgiveness and Reconciliation

(download)
I've attached a copy of Sunday morning's class handout. Try and go through some of the extra stories of forgiveness and reconciliation this week. Thanks for preaching at Connect Kris! Look forward to more of his teaching this coming Sunday morning.

28
Jan 2011

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Reconciliation

Join us this Sunday for the Sync's lesson and discussion on forgiveness and reconciliation. We're going to tackle some passages from both the Old and New Testament. Don't worry. We're not going to grill you on who you need to forgive or who needs to forgive you, but we are going to fellowship together as we look at some Scriptural examples of forgiveness. Come with thoughts, questions, and comments!

If you're still interested in learning more about the Evolution vs. Creation debate, look for a post this next week explaining the different theories and theological ideas!

In Christ, Jonathan Romig
awkwardchristianity.com 

27
Jan 2011

Radical

On Sunday, the Sync is having it's first Connect. An evening of Worship and a little sermon sprinkled in the middle. 

The question or the basis for the sermon is this "What does it mean to follow Jesus?" 

Well, let me ask, what does it mean? 

 

25
Jan 2011

CONNECT

Good evening all!

Just a reminder that CONNECT is this Sunday at 6:30pm in the Chapel downstairs at East Baptist! It will be a time of worship, fellowship, and pizza so come out ready to bless and be blessed! Have a great week and keep posting and commenting here! Stay connected!

Brian