Sermon thoughts, 12/6/09
By Pastor Noah. Filed in Sermons |
Wow! Thanks for all the feedback from the questions on Sunday! I was reading back over Acts 13 and 14 – amazing how much good stuff is in there…
I finished reading “Sea of Glory” on Monday Night. I had been reading for a few weeks, and from the first chapter on I had a nagging question about the main character in the book. Finally, the second to the last page, the author deals with the question I had been pondering all along. I wasn’t sure I was satisfied with his answer… Heather was on the couch next to me so I told her some of the background and asked her what she thought. The topic really came alive to me as we talked… I was left with some good answers but it also grew my curiosity about the subject.
Thanks for making the journey with us this year as we explore God’s story. I’ll bet that as you spend a little time each week discussing with others some of what you are learning on Sunday, the topics will really come alive to you as you talk, and inspire you on your journey to follow Jesus!
Have a great week – Here are few of the questions I put on the back of Sundays fill-in the blanks.
1. If corporate prayer was such a dominant part of the gatherings of the earliest church, why isn’t it today?
2. Fasting seems to be a central part of these two chapters. Why? Does fasting play a role in your life?
3. There were some family and ministry connections already established that made the island of Cyprus a natural destination to go first. Where do you have connections and established relationships that you could take advantage of in sharing with others?
Noah Largent
Wednesday, January 27th 2010 at 10:01 PM |
I think sometimes fasting can be done with things other than food, for example TV, or a hobby, or even work, for someone who is a workaholic.
Wednesday, December 16th 2009 at 5:26 PM |
Great question… Clearly fasting has it roots in the Old Testament and Jesus fasted for 40 days. Jesus gives gives some simple guidelines for the practice in Matt. 6:16-18. It’s interesting that although fasting in common and important practice in the early part of the book of Acts there (as far as I know) no mention of fasting in the rest of the New Testament but what seems clear from early church fathers (Ambrose, Origen & Augustine) that the non-jewish church made fasting a regular part of worship. Although it seems that they them moved the day from the normal Jewish days of fasting of Monday and Thursday to Wednesday and Friday.
Tuesday, December 15th 2009 at 5:43 PM |
Did the Apostles and churches fast because they were still following Jewish tradition, or was this fasting part of the new, post-Jewish Gentile movement?