By Mark Acuff, on January 20th, 2012
I’m reading a biography of Albert Einstein and it is surprising how early his career was essentially over. He was twenty-six when he submitted his first paper describing Special Relativity. Max Planck, the founder of quantum theory was the editor of the journal that carried the paper and as he finished the last page he “realized that the accepted scientific order had been overthrown.” (The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene) A few years later, Einstein wrote his paper on General Relativity and he’s been a household name ever since. Interestingly, though, he refused to accept much of quantum theory even though his own principles became the foundation for it. He spent the last thirty years of his career trying to come up with a Theory of Everything, and at least one scientist suggests that he might as well have gone fishing for those thirty years considering the lack of impact he had. Significance. All studies on what makes people happy say that we all search for a sense of significance, the Steve Jobs quest “to make a dent in the universe.” We all want a good bio. This Sunday at the Gathering Church we will learn something about the bio God wants to write. In our series Learning God: The Big Moments we will look at the big conversation David has with God about his own bio. Found in 2 Samuel 7:1-17, David wants to do something for God, something great. But God has something different in mind. What happens when God writes our bio? You’ll be surprised. David was. This Sunday.
By Chris Breslin, on January 20th, 2012
When the king was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I’m living in a cedar palace, but God’s chest is housed in a tent!” Nathan said to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because the LORD is with you.” But that very night the LORD’s word came to Nathan: Go to my servant David and tell him: This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in. In fact, I haven’t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have been traveling around in a tent and in a dwelling. Throughout my traveling around with the Israelites, did I ever ask any of Israel’s tribal leaders I appointed to shepherd my people: Why haven’t you built me a cedar temple? So then, say this to my servant David: This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to be leader over my people Israel. I’ve been with you wherever you’ve gone, and I’ve eliminated all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great—like the name of the greatest people on earth. I’m going to provide a place for my people Israel, and plant them so that they may live there and no longer be disturbed. Cruel people will no longer trouble them, as they had been earlier, when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. And the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make a dynasty for you. When the time comes for you to die and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your descendant—one of your very own children—to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a temple for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. Whenever he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod, with blows from human beings. But I will never take my faithful love away from him like I took it away from Saul, whom I set aside in favor of you. Your dynasty and your kingdom will be secured forever before me. Your throne will be established forever. Nathan reported all of these words and this entire vision to David. -2 Samuel 7:1-17 (Common English Bible)
By Chris Breslin, on January 16th, 2012
Gathering Church Sermon Podcast | Mark Acuff | Exodus 3
By Mark Acuff, on January 13th, 2012
“I want to live an amazing life so I can draw a picture of it.” So said my six-year-old granddaughter, McRae. She loves to draw and ‘do art.’ You can see some of her master pieces in our kitchen. She gets it. That life is to be amazing art. But, let’s admit it. Some of us are not very good artists. And some of the pictures drawn from our lives are not suitable for public viewing. What happens, though, when a person discovers who is really meant to draw the picture of our lives? What happens when one discovers the real Artist? This Sunday at the Gathering Church we will look at one of the most important conversations ever described. In this month’s message series, Learning God: The Big Moments, we are expanding what we know and what we experience with God. This week in Exodus 3:1-15 we go with Moses to check out a bush on fire. Moses makes it out alive from this encounter with God, but he’s not unchanged. From that point on Moses’ life can only be explained by the artistry of God. Gods’ art work. Isn’t that what we want to be? This Sunday.
By Chris Breslin, on January 13th, 2012
Moses was taking care of the flock for his father-in-law Jethro, Midian’s priest. He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. The LORD’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up. When the LORD saw that he was coming to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” Moses said, “I’m here.” Then the LORD said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.” He continued, “I am the God of your father, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, “I’ve clearly seen my people oppressed in Egypt. I’ve heard their cry of injustice because of their slave masters. I know about their pain. I’ve come down to rescue them from the Egyptians in order to take them out of that land and bring them to a good and broad land, a land that’s full of milk and honey, a place where the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites all live. Now the Israelites’ cries of injustice have reached me. I’ve seen just how much the Egyptians have oppressed them. So get going. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and to bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God said, “I’ll be with you. And this will show you that I’m the one who sent you. After you bring the people out of Egypt, you will come back here and worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I now come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they are going to ask me, ‘What’s this God’s name?’ What am I supposed to say to them?” God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God continued, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how all generations will remember me. -Exodus 3:1-15 (Common English Bible)
By Chris Breslin, on January 8th, 2012
Gathering Church Sermon Podcast | Mark Acuff | Genesis 15
By Mark Acuff, on January 6th, 2012
One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of him. -J.I. Packer, Knowing God Has your mind ever been instantly opened and rocked by something your read? Suddenly truth is so powerfully real that you can’t resist it, that you don’t want to resist it, that you know right away without any hesitation that you want to go where that truth is going to take you? We usually call that moment an epiphany. We know that something has changed us. That’s exactly what happened to me years ago when I read the words above by J.I. Packer. Chapter Two of his classic book explained the difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God. Internally, I knew that life was about knowing God. And about inviting others to the same pursuit. This Sunday at the Gathering Church we begin a New Year’s series, Learning God: The Big Moments. Over the next few weeks we will step into some of the most important conversations in the Bible, with some of the most important people: Abraham, Moses, David, and Isaiah. Why? Well, I can’t imagine a better outcome than to grow our knowledge and experience with God. We start with Genesis 15:1-6 this Sunday. Check out the stars before you come.
By Chris Breslin, on January 6th, 2012
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. -Genesis 15:1-6 (New International Version)
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