 What is a bod for God? Happy New Year! I pray that you brought in the New Year safely with friends and family. I hope that this new year will bring you many blessings and renewed hope in Christ! Every year right around this time, the gyms get packed! Everyone sets a resolution to loose weight and the local gym gets full to capacity. Many times you even run into people like this guy who obviously has no idea what he's doing with that machine!  But on a serious note, I do believe that setting goals are great. I have some myself! And choosing to live a healthier lifestyle and exercise regularly are honorable resolutions. But the truth is that for so many (me included), our resolutions fizzle out some time between mid January and the first week of February. What if God actually cared about how we treated our bodies? Does the Bible have anything to say about it? I think it does! This Sunday we will start a new series called Bod For God. We'll be learning about how we can honor God with our bodies. I hope this series will be an encouragement to you and maybe even help you make good on those new year goals. The fun happens this Sunday at 11am inside of PS 299 - 88 Woodbine Street. We'll have some bagels, fruit, coffee, and healthy snacks for you when you get here! >>> Plan Your Visit ~ Danny Torres
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 A family that serves together, stays together! A note from our pastor… I hope you’re enjoying this Thanksgiving season! I know that there’s so much that I’m grateful for. One of those things is that I’m so blessed to pastor such an amazing group of people that are crazy enough to believe with me that God could use us to make an impact for the gospel in Bushwick! This Sunday we continue our series, No Place Like Home and we’re talking about how we can be a place to serve.The early church was committed to both serving one another and their community. And it was from the overflow of experiencing the love and selfless sacrifice of Jesus that they were able to do so. What does that look like for us as a church? What does it look like for you as an individual? I truly believe God has uniquely gifted each one of us in such a way that when we work together we can have all the more of a greater impact not only on each other’s lives, but on our neighbors and community as well. That’s what we’ll be talking about this Sunday at 11am inside of PS 299 - 88 Woodbine Street as we continue our brand new series, No Place Like Home. We’ll have some bagels, fruit, coffee, and snacks for you when you get here! See you Sunday! Danny Torres P.S. If you’d like to donate coats for our Coat Distribution outreach, feel free to bring in new or gently used coats with you to church this Sunday. God is with us in the valley and in the desert, but how is he with us on the mountain? Do we even need God when everything is going well? So often we're quick to run to God when everything is going to shambles. But what should be our posture in seasons of success? That's what we discuss in week 3 of God With Us. GOD WITH US
Week 2 // In The Desert Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him. {Matthew 4:1-11 CSB} Merry Christmas guys! Are you used to that yet? Last week we began our Christmas series called God WIth Us. We spoke about how God is with us specifically in the valley. As I continue speaking with people, I know that many are going through a valley season. Meaning things are tough. Maybe there’s financial hardship, or relational strife, or the loss of someone you love and care for deeply. We mentioned last week, that it’s not a matter of if but when you will go through a valley. We read that in Psalms 23:4. But even in those valley seasons, we have God’s promise that he is with us. Next week, Steven will be sharing about how God is with us on the mountaintops. Those are the seasons in life when everything is great. In fact, maybe things are trending upward. Do we even need God with us in those seasons of life? Steven will be sharing with us next week, so you definitely don’t want to miss that. As we begin our time, let me ask you a question. Have you ever been to a desert? Weird question, right? Especially if you don’t travel much, living in NYC, you don’t have any exposure to desert. But just for fun, in a show of hands, who has ever been to the desert? You may have visited a desert if you’ve ever traveled to Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas. For the rest of us, the closest we’ve ever been to the desert is that exhibit at the zoo where they paint cactus on the wall and the floors are a beige color to mimic sand. They pick up the thermostat a little to make it warmer and put up hot light bulbs around. In today’s passage, we read about Jesus finding himself led to the desert [wilderness]. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. {Matthew 4:1-2 CSB} Imagine this scenario. Before the launch of Jesus’ public ministry, he is led into the wilderness where he fasts and prays and eventually is tempted and tormented by the devil. The word translated “wilderness” is erémos which can be translated “desert, wilderness, isolated and desolate place.” This is where Jesus finds himself. And remember that the narrative of Jesus’ earthly ministry is mostly located in the middle east. So when we speak of wilderness here, we’re not talking about a rainforest. Think desert. Matthew tells us that he is in the desert for 40 days. But he’s not only experiencing the physical exhaustion of the desert. But it’s also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting for him as well. He’s in a desert season. Have you ever found yourself in one of these desert seasons? Here’s what we know about the desert. In the desert… // IT’S DRY There’s typically a lack of water in the desert. Water gives life. You can go without eating longer than you can go without water. When you’re going through a desert season in your life, you’re experiencing dryness. Perhaps you can especially relate to this on a spiritual level. You experienced the refreshing waters of God’s grace. You were overwhelmed with his love that came crashing over you like wave after wave. But now, it just feels dry. And maybe you can’t even quite put your finger on why. You can relate to the psalmist when he said, God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. {Psalm 63:1 CSB} Have you ever found yourself there? Maybe it’s a place where you’re just numb. You’re numb emotionally and spiritually. You might feel emotionally removed from your surroundings or not experiencing God how you once did. Sometimes a desert season is dry. // THERE’S SCARCITY In the desert there are not many resources at your disposal. There’s not a lot of choice for food. There’s not a lot of options around you. There’s a lot of scarcity. One of the ways the Bible speaks of scarcity is by using the word famine. For example in the Old Testament story of Joseph. The story goes that Pharaoh, who was the most powerful ruler of that day, had a dream. In this dream he sees 7 fat, healthy cows grazing. But then behind them 7 scrawny and ugly cows come and eat the fat cows. Pharaoh asks Joseph to interpret the dream. His interpretation was not good news for Pharaoh and the land of Egypt. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land... {Genesis 41:29-30 CSB} In other words, Joseph’s interpretation of the dream included 7 years of scarcity. There would be no food and the land would not be able to produce crops. In a desert season of your life, it may feel like this as well. Money might be particularly tight. It’s difficult to make ends meet. There’s more bills than income. The fridge and cupboards are empty and there’s cobwebs at the bottom of your pant pockets. In the desert we find scarcity. // YOU’RE ALONE The desert is usually deserted. There’s not a huge booming population of people typically in the desert. You can tend to feel isolated and alone. That was the situation of Jesus in the desert. He’s alone and isolated. In a desert season you can tend to feel this way. You can feel like you’re all alone. You feel like no one understands what you’re going through. Or no one even cares. In a desert season, you might withdraw and isolate yourself. // YOU’RE VULNERABLE In the desert, there aren’t many options for where to hide. You’re exposed and vulnerable. In the wilderness there’s predators waiting to harm you. In the desert you’re open to attack. This is where the enemy can really do some damage because you’re all alone. Like a lion who leads his pray away from the pack in order that he could attack, our spiritual enemy enjoys when we isolate ourselves because that is when we’re most vulnerable. You may be here today and you find yourself in the desert. But what do you do to get through to the other side of the desert. Let’s look at three things Jesus did to help him through his desert experience. 1: DEPEND ON THE WORD OF GOD 3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” {Matthew 4:2-3 CSB} When you find yourself in the desert, the temptation will be to look at the circumstances around you and allow that to determine your thoughts, actions, and emotions. We’re so quick to take our eyes off what we know and hold to be true in the word of God. One of the things God’s word helps us with is giving us direction. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. {Psalm 119:105 CSB} During a desert season, it is so easy to hear all the competing voices around you telling you what is contrary to God’s word. I’ve heard many people say during a particularly difficult season of life, “I just wish God would talk to me.” Well, guess what? He already has. And it’s right here in this book. So I have to ask you the tough question. How much of a priority is the reading of God’s word in your life? Or maybe I should ask you, what are you doing to make it a priority in your life? Don’t wait for a desert experience to begin digging into your Bible. Begin now. In fact, to make it easy for you, how about we do this? There is a 6-day Bible reading plan that compliments this series. How about we commit as a church to read this devotional together. Together, let’s depend on God’s word. Let’s seek its direction. 2: PUT ALL YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” 7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” {Matthew 4:5-7 CSB} Did you ever play the “trust fall” game? It’s when you position yourself in front of someone else and you’re supposed to fall back trusting that the person behind you will catch you. Here Satan is playing a proverbial game of “trust fall” with Jesus saying that if he would jump off, then God would protect him. Ultimately what Satan was attempting to get Jesus to do was to determine God’s trustworthiness based upon this test. But you see, God’s trustworthiness is not determined by whether or not he delivers you from your current state or situation. Many times, we want to put God to a similar test and we might say, “God deliver me from this issue, and then I will serve you. Then I will go to church. Then I will pray. Then I will devote my life to you.” Instead, we put our faith and trust in God simply because he is faithful and trustworthy. We don’t put our faith and trust in God so that we can simply withdraw from his celestial ATM machine. We don’t put our faith and trust in God just so that he can deliver us from our current desert situation. I like what this verse says here. It helps us see to important attributes of God… 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. {1 John 1:9 CSB} He is faithful. He is righteous. He is just. He is trustworthy. Therefore, even in our present desert experience, we will have faith and trust in him. By the way, I love the other reminder that this verse gives us and that is that he is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” God in his infinite love for us made it possible that we might stand before him blameless. We are sinful by nature and choice. This sin separates us from truly experiencing relationship with God. But God made a way for us to experience the forgiveness of sin and that was through Jesus. Jesus dwelt among us and lived a perfect and sinless life. Then on the cross he bore the weight of the sins of the world. Your sin and mine. As the only perfect sacrifice he died paying the penalty of sin for the world. Three days later he rose from the grave conquering Satan, sin, and death. In his death we experience the forgiveness of sin. In his life, we receive newness of life. The Bible tells us that all we need to do in order to experience this forgiveness of sin and newness of life is receive God’s gift of grace through faith. 3: WORSHIP YOUR WAY THROUGH IT 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” {Matthew 4:8-10 CSB} Here, the devil attempted to get Jesus to worship him in order that he might gain immediate gratification and relief from his current desert experience. Jesus is quick to remind Satan that the only One truly worthy of worship is God himself. When you’re walking through a desert season, what is your default mode? Is your initial response to seek God and worship him? Or do you try to seek out immediate gratification and relief from your temporary problems? Satan’s failed attempt was basically to get Jesus to worship comfort, success, and wealth. All the things that, if we’re honest, we spend countless energy pursuing. How do you worship God? 1: You worship God individually. This is you personally seeking after God through prayer and reading God’s word. This is your living your life in such a way that you’re in a constant red hot pursuit of Jesus. This is putting all your hope, trust and dependance off of yourself and onto God. It’s living your life devoted to him. 2: You worship God corporately with other believers in community. Perhaps the greatest resource God has given us when it comes to traveling through those desert seasons in our lives is each other. Yet so many result to going through these moments and seasons alone. 24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. {Hebrews 10:24-25 CSB} In the context of community we can encourage each other. In the context of community we can pray for each other. In the context of community we can weep with one another. In the context of community we can help each other. I wish we could all see this. But yet, so often the first thing we let go of when entering a desert season is worshiping God corporately. We chose isolation over community. This is probably the biggest weapon your spiritual enemy has against you. Because if he can isolate you, he knows he can remove the support system God has placed around you. There you’re alone and vulnerable. But when we gather corporately, together we can encourage each other towards worshiping God through our current circumstances. Together we can lift the others hand, even when they don’t have the strength to. What do you do if you find yourself in the desert? Realize that God is with you. You depend on the word of God. Seek direction in God’s word. It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. What do you do when you find yourself in the desert? You put all your faith and trust in God. Realize that he is true to his word. He is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. What do you do when you find yourself in the desert? Do you worship your way through it? Seeking God even in the midst of your desert season. Not because of what he can do for you but simply for who he is. Simply because he is worthy of your worship and adoration. Do you worship through it corporately in the context of a community of believers there to encourage you, pray with you, and support you? Christmas time is a reminder for us that God is with us. He is with you, even in the desert. PRAY: God, thank you for the reminder that you are with us. I pray for those of us who find ourselves in a desert season right now. I pray that we would depend on your word. I pray that we might place all our faith and trust in your. I pray that we might be strengthened in the spirit to worship you through it all both as individuals and corporately as the body of Christ. GOD WITH US
Week 1 // In The Valley Merry Christmas everyone! Can you sense it? It’s among us! Whether you like it or not, all of the stores on Knickerbocker, Myrtle, and Broadway have Christmas decorations, selling plastic trees, ornaments, and gift wrap paper, and you can get a peppermint coffee at your favorite coffee shop. All that can only mean one thing. Christmas is here. What’s your favorite part of Christmas? Is it how all the stores at the mall begin playing your favorite Christmas songs on the radio? Is it the holiday themed food at the restaurant. By the way, Melissa and I went to Denny’s this week. She ordered a cinnamon sticky bun stacked pancake smothered in icing! Nothing’s more Christma than trying to unstick your top pancake from your bottom pancake which is superglued by an inch of cinnamon gooey stickiness. Maybe what you enjoy about Christmas are the memories made. It’s the conversations around the dinner table. Visits from aunts and uncles that you hadn't seen all year. Maybe it’s ice skating at Central park. Or taking a stroll past the tree at Rockefeller Center. Or the scent of cinnamon pine cones in the air when you pass by the home goods store. There’s certainly a lot of things we can enjoy about the Christmas series. But another thing that this time of year tends to do is heighten the emotions. For example, when things are going good, the holidays can enhance the joy, happiness, and hope you feel. But say you’re in a tough season. The holidays can tend to heighten the opposite feelings as well. My wife and I were talking to someone this week we hadn’t seen in awhile. We were making casual conversation and I asked her how her Thanksgiving went. Her face changed, she began to tear up, and she told us that it was quiet, she didn’t do much, and just stood home because it’s not been the same since they lost their daughter. As you can imagine, for someone suffering through a tragedy as that, the holidays can tend to take a different tone. But what I would really love for us to take away from this Christmas time of year is that, no matter what season of life you find yourself in right now, we can have this reminder. And that is that God is with us. In fact, that’s what the whole Christmas story is all about. It’s creator God entering his creation for the purposes of redeeming mankind. In the book of Matthew, we read what is our key verse for our entire series. Let me give you a little context first. In chapter one of Matthew, we learn how God’s redemptive plan for all of mankind narrows down to this moment in history. A young woman named Mary becomes miraculously pregnant. Not with just any child, but she carries in her womb the one who would redeem all of mankind. It was a miraculous pregnancy as it didn’t happen by normal conception. Mary and Joseph weren’t married just yet. But just like the angel prophesied, Mary became pregnant. Now of course, Joseph, who was engaged to be married to Mary, finds out that she is pregnant. Here’s what I love about this guy. It says in Matthew that “being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.” He was truly in love with her and an upstanding guy. **Here’s a side note. Ladies, if you’re single and ready to mingle, don’t settle for just any jerk that crosses your path, OK? You look for that guy that is going to love you, treat you with dignity and respect, and that above all that is seeking after God with all his heart. So Joseph is probably hurt by the news, but then an angel appears to him in a dream to help explain to him what exactly is going on. The angel tells him that the baby in her womb is extremely special and that he will be the one to save his people from their sins. That’s where our key verse comes in. It’s actually quoted from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Let’s read it together… See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” {Matthew 1:23 CSB} For ages, God seemed like a distant being. It seemed like He was up in the clouds somewhere while the rest of his creation was stuck on earth. There was a distance. God might’ve appeared in various forms to “special people” like Moses on the mountain. Or in the Old Testament, God had to be approached by going to the tabernacle through the sacrificial system. So people would offer their lambs, oxen, and goats for the atonement of sin. But now, according to this prophecy, we wouldn’t have a God who was distant and removed from us. Creator would enter his creation through the person and work of Jesus. He would be God with us. This is what this series is all about. We’re in the Christmas season, and while I love peppermint mocha caramel candy cane pumpkin pie lattes as much as the next guy. What we truly celebrate, and elevate, during this time is the fact that God is with us. For every other major world religion, embedded into their theology is people attempting to get to a distant God by living a more righteous life, working harder, being good, doing good things, being good people, praying harder, living religiously, and then maybe they can have a shot at drawing close to God. Only in Christianity, do we have God loving his creation so much that he personally enters his creation to rescue, redeem, and reestablish the broken relationship. He does so through the person and work of Jesus. For the next four weeks, as we enter this Christmas season, we’re going to look at how God is with us. The passage we want to focus in on is Psalm 23:4. Many of you know this Psalm because it’s David’s famous psalm which starts off by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. {Psalm 23:4 CSB} Here’s the first thing I’d like for you to notice from this passage… 1: GOING THROUGH A VALLEY IS NOT A MATTER OF IF BUT WHEN Valleys represent those low times in our lives. It’s those difficult seasons we go through in life. And the Psalmist says, “Even when I go through the darkest valley…” In other words, it’s hinting at the fact that going through a valley is not a matter of if, but when. I say this often. You’ve either just come out of a tough season, are going through a tough season now, or about to enter a difficult season. You may have received some bad news about a loved one, or have recently began suffering with some sort of physical ailment or sickness. Perhaps there’s been relational strife at home with family, or at work with coworkers that really increases your stress level. Maybe there’s been financial struggle where it seems you can’t make ends meet and the first of the month comes around all too quickly. Going through valley is not a matter of if but when. 3 TYPES OF VALLEYS // VALLEY OF DARKNESS
// VALLEY OF WEEPING
// VALLEY OF FEARS
Where do you find yourself today? Right now in this moment? Do you find yourself in one of these valleys in this moment? Do you find yourself in the valley of darkness, weeping, or fears? Talking with many people, I’m learning that many of us are in one of these seasons right now. But this is why what David says next is so valuable to us. 2: GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE VALLEY Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me... {Psalm 23:4 CSB} This is such a wonderful promise. The fact that even when we find ourselves in the darkest and most difficult of times, God is with us. He is with you. Are you going through a valley right now? He is with you. While I was preparing this message, I couldn’t help but think about a three Old Testament characters that went through the fire, literally. One of the ways I look at these trying times in our lives is as going through fire. In the book of Daniel we read of three young Jewish men who were in captivity under the rule and influence of a godless culture. A law was passed that would force all people to bow down, literally worship, at a statue of the King. The three Jewish men however refused to bow to another idol. Their loyalty was to God and God alone. Their punishment was to be thrown into a human sized oven. A barbaric punishment for refusing to worship the king. If anyone was having a bad day, it would be these guys! But after throwing them into the fire, the king looks into the furnace and realizes something. The king says, “Didn’t we throw 3 guys in there?” He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:25 CSB} In the fiery furnace, God was with them. In the heart of their most trying time, with their lives literally on the line, Go was with them. And he is with you to. Jesus made this promise to the disciples in the book of Matthew. It’s a promise we can hold onto as well. Let’s read it together: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” {Matthew 28:20 CSB} Do you find yourself in the valley today? Take in this truth, that he is with you. 3: YOU CAN FIND COMFORT IN THE GOSPEL Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. {Psalm 23:4 CSB} Shepherds would use their rod and staff for different reasons. I want to list three reasons why David said in his Psalm that the shepherd’s rod and staff brought him comfort. As I list these out, I hope that you will be able to see the gospel in them. // SOVEREIGNTY One reason the shepherd had a staff was to count his sheep. This means he knew his sheep and how many were in his flock. He kept tabs on his sheep and would make sure they wouldn’t wander off. For us this means that we are known. We are known by God. We can know we are cared for because Jesus knows us by name. Look at how Jesus said it in the book of John... My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. {John 10:27 CSB} // PROTECTION The rod would provide protection for the sheep. Whenever wolves, coyotes, foxes, or even larger animals like bears and lions would come to attack the sheep, the shepherd’s rod was used for protection. For us this means that our lives, our salvation is not in our own hands, but in God’s hands. Our eternal security is in Christ’s grip. And whenever our spiritual enemy attempts to rear his ugly head, Jesus, our good shepherd, protects us and keeps us safe. In the very next verse, John 10:28, Jesus says this… I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. {John 10:28 CSB} // DIRECTION Another reason the shepherd used the rod and staff was to guide his flock. In fact, in the beginning of David’s Psalm he says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside quiet waters.” Part of the shepherd’s job was to lead his flock to find nice, green grass, and fresh water for the sheep to eat and drink. He used the staff to guide and direct them towards that. For us, this brings us comfort because Jesus provides the way for us. We find direction in Jesus. When we were lost and astray, Jesus brought us comfort by leading us to himself. Jesus said it this way in John 14. Let’s read this outloud together. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. {John 14:6 CSB} If you find yourself in a valley today, know that God is with you. It doesn’t mean that there is a magical solution to your problems. But it does mean that you have a loving God who is sovereign, who loves you, and who cares for you. He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. If you’re here today and you haven’t accepted God’s free gift of grace through Christ, I want to give you an opportunity to respond. God will never leave us or forsake us. But one moment, when Jesus was on the cross, paying the penalty for our sin, he cried out in a loud voice, “My God why have you forsaken me. You see, on that cross, Jesus was forsaken for you and me. Our sin led him to that cross. Jesus was the only perfect and able sacrifice. The punishment of our sin and God’s wrath was poured out on him, so that you don’t have to absorb the punishment yourself. God’s word teaches us, all we need to do is accept this free gift of God’s grace in Jesus.  Today we will discuss Kidology. Kids are an important part of our church. As a church we want to focus on our kids and create an environment where they can grow to become fully devoted followers of Christ in a fun and interactive way. We want to come alongside of parents and equip them to disciple their children. JESUS LOVES KIDS One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
I love this picture of Jesus. It seems like the children were seen as a nuisance. The disciples are “shooing” the kids away. But instead of being bothered by the kids, he welcomes them. He makes time to bless and pray for them. I think we live in a day and age where children are viewed more as a nuisance than anything. People would rather have a dog or a cat than have a child. And the truth is that children are a huge responsibility. The truth is that they can be noisy, disruptive, and uncontrollable at times. But Jesus’ response, I think, is something to admire. He makes time for the children. And I think this is a good place to start for us as a church. Look at the attitude of Jesus in this passage. As a church, how will we respond in a Christlike manner to the children God would entrust in our care? LEAVING A LEGACY Something that is so wonderful about what we are doing as we go about planting a new life giving, gospel centered church in Bushwick, is that we are able to show our children something great. We are able to show them that God can use ordinary people like you and me to have an impact in our community. Our children will be able to see that God loves Bushwick. God has a heart for the people in Brooklyn. God wants to do something in and through us.
Can you imagine the faith we will spark in our children’s lives? These are the future pastors, leaders, church planters, missionaries, singers, life group leaders, etc. We invest in our children because we want to leave a legacy that will go way beyond our lifetime. SWERVE KIDS CURRICULUM
As a Network Church, we will be using some phenomenal kids curriculum for our Swerve kids. Life.Church has material for kids ages Pre-K to Middle School. The material they have for kids is really top notch! Churches all around the US and around the world use their curriculum. LC is super generous providing all their material absolutely free. As a Network Church, we are especially blessed having access to different resources and trainings to help us use the material well. Some of you will be interested in serving as kids leaders and teachers. We will be able to equip you to use the curriculum and to serve on a Sunday with our kids. You can have a hands on opportunity to lead our children to become fully devoted followers of Christ. EQUIPPING PARENTS Part of what we want to do as well is to be able to equip parents to be able to lead their children to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
In this passage, the big idea is that parent are to pass on the commandments from God to their children. Parents are to love God with heart, soul, and strength and pass on that very same passion to their children.
As the church, our job is to put resources into the hands of the parents in order to equip them to do just that. This would include a summary of what was taught that Sunday at Swerve Kids. On there, parents will find activities they can do with their children such as practice the memory verse, rehearse the big idea, along with other helpful activities and prayers, etc. In the future, as we become more established as a church, we would also love to equip parents through a regular email, blog, or other online resource. All so that as a church we can lead our children to become fully devoted followers of Christ. CONCLUSION Our kids are everything! Can you imagine how many children there are in Bushwick? Can you imagine the massive opportunity to lead children to become fully devoted followers of Christ? Can you imagine the number of families we can impact and influence towards becoming fully devoted followers of Christ? Let me paint you a picture. All throughout Bushwick there are single moms with several children and no father in the picture. All throughout Bushwick there are dads that are physically present with their families but are emotionally distant. All over Bushwick there are families that have no connection to a church, no connection to the gospel, no sense of community and purpose. There are parents addicted to drugs and alcohol. There are children that are confused, lost, and lacking purpose. As the church we can come in with the powerful and life transforming message of the gospel and change our community one family at a time.  We know that we have been uniquely gifted to serve each other for the glory of Jesus. With this knowledge, how can we have a Biblical perspective on how we are to serve? What is the posture we are to have in our service? Why is this important to us as a church? JESUS THE SERVANT The first few places I want us to look in Scripture as we try to frame this topic help to show us Jesus as a servant. Ultimately, our best example for service comes from Jesus himself. {Read Mark 10:35-45 NLT} Here in this passage, John and James are having a discussion on who can sit next to Jesus in heaven. The other disciples are hearing this conversation and are becoming jealous. So Jesus uses this opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson in serving. I think it’s important to note here that this similar type of attitude seems to fill a lot of our churches even until today. Many want that “seat of honor”. You see, James, John, and the other disciples hadn’t fully understood what Jesus was calling them to. In their day, the religious leaders, the Scribes, the Pharisees had a lot of weight in their culture. Today, within our church culture, there is a similar feeling. The persons in “leadership” are viewed as greater. He even makes the reference, the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. In other words, what is popular in culture is to flex your authoritative muscles over those under you. Instead, Jesus here shows them that the life he is calling them to is one of servanthood. Jesus himself would model this. Reread verse 45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” How counter cultural! Even for today! And of course, Jesus here making a reference to the ultimate sacrifice that he would make on the cross {Gospelology} This is the same message echoed in Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He calls them out and teaches on servanthood. {Read Matthew 23:1-12} Jesus has some harsh but truthful words for the religious leaders of his day. But ultimately the message is the same. The greatest is the one who serves. WE ARE TO SERVE In the passage we’re about to read, Jesus not only leads by example again, but also gives a mandate to serve others. This is where we come into the picture. As followers of Jesus, we too have the opportunity to serve others. {Read John 13:3-17} Jesus draws out these parallels. He says, slaves are not greater than their master...the messenger is not more important than the sender of the message. In other words, we are likewise to do what he modeled for us to do. POSTURE OF SERVICE This should help to center our hearts to an attitude of service. We should not only want to serve but be grateful that we have an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We have an opportunity to obey his commands. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. {Romans 12:9-13} Look at the language and the picture being painted by Paul,
Our posture of service should be one of gratitude, enthusiasm, genuineness, authenticity, readiness, and love. Is this your posture of service? Is this how you view service? How will this impact how you serve? IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE As a church, this has huge implications. First of all because our mission is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Have you ever been to a church where you didn’t feel welcomed? Where you weren’t served? Where the focus was inward instead of outward? How did that make you feel? We want to be a church that follows the example of Jesus. We want people to feel welcomed. We don’t want to cause any type of obstacle preventing people from hearing and responding to the life changing and saving message of the gospel. Secondly, we are a church that will love God, love people, and serve our community. We are in a very needy community. We want to do what we can to love and serve our neighbors. Likewise globally we want to lead the way with irrational generosity and give to ministries and organizations that are serving some of the poorest places in the world. That’s why we give to and serve alongside of organizations like:
CONCLUSION In light of how God has uniquely gifted you, how can you best utilize your gifts to serve the church and our community thereby bringing glory to Jesus? We serve primarily in three ways.
Next week we will continue our discussion with Givology. How can we honor God with our giving? Swerve church is a new church plant forming in the community of Bushwick in Brooklyn  The following is a summary of what we spoke about this Sunday. Last week we ended with a reading of Ephesians 4:15-16 which says
It gives us this picture of a body at which the head is Jesus. We all together form part of this body. The body is held together by “every supporting ligament” and it grows and is built up “in love”. It also paints this picture of each member of this body having a job to do and fulfilling work. THE BODY This will be our primary analogy. You especially see Paul use this example as he describes the church. It’s a good picture because as you can see we have many different appendages, limbs, and parts but they all contribute to being one body. Before we begin specifically talking about these gifts, what they are, etc., let’s talk about what exactly are these gifts for? WHAT ARE THE GIFTS FOR?
As we look at this passage, I want you to see the language that Peter uses here. Let’s try to highlight these attitudes:
What observation can you make from this passage and from the language used? Who are the gifts for? What do we do with these gifts? I think that the language here is pretty clear that one of the primary reasons we are gifted is for the service of one another. But Peter gives us an even greater purpose and use of our gifts. ...in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Ultimately, we are gifted to bring glory to Jesus. And when we use our gifts to show hospitality, love one another, and serve one another it all brings glory to Jesus. Before we get into specifics, let’s discuss why you are important to the church. We return to the body analogy. YOU ARE IMPORTANT For this next part I need us to take out our Bibles, or YouVersion Bible Apps to read along this passage since it’s pretty lengthy. {Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31} Paul continues his analogy of the body representative of the church. In this passage in particular he uses a little sarcasm and humor to make his point. It seems like perhaps in the church of Corinth, and in anticipation of today, Paul writes to clarify more on spiritual gifts and the importance of each individual in the corporate body of Christ. I think that in this passage, Paul both elevates those who may see themselves as insignificant within the church while humbling those who think of themselves too highly. This thought, I believe, continues within many churches today. What do you think of yourself?
This Chapter is closed out with a set of rhetorical questions. “Are we all prophets, are we all teachers?” The answer is an unequivocal “no”. This means you are important! You have something to contribute! SOME GIFTS We’re going to continue to look at some gifts listed in this very chapter. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Let’s look at what it says, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
As you can see by this passage, there are many different types of gifts but the source of the gifts are all from the same place. It also confirms the fact that we use the gifts to help and serve each other. Being that the source of the gifts all come from the same person, I want you to also notice that He alone decides which gifts we each have. He personally assigns us gifts. This ought to come to the forefront of our minds when we look at someone else’s gifts and wish we had them ourselves. Would you like to learn what gifts you possess? Take this free test to help you discover your gifts. Visit giftstest.com. Now, in no way is this a super comprehensive or extensive test. But it does serve however to help us narrow down a few ways we may be uniquely gifted. Now that we know our gifts, next week we will discuss how we can use our gifts to serve the church. In many ways this is a continuation of what we spoke about today. In fact, much may even crossover. But this is what we have to look forward to in Servology. Swerve Church is a new church plant forming in the community of Bushwick in Brooklyn.
 Today we are going to focus on Churchology. As with the gospel, many times we have an unhealthy or false view of the church. What is the church and what is the mission of the church? Is the church limited to a building with a steeple and stained glass? Here are some common misconceptions of the church. The church is not…
So then what is the church? First we must begin at the top. JESUS IS CHIEF SHEPHERD Now may the God of peace-- who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood-- may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. {Hebrews 13:20-21} In this passage, who is the Shepherd? Who are the sheep? Jesus is our chief Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep (Gospelology). Many times we have these distinctions brought about mostly by tradition. But here we clearly see that the head of the church is not a pastor, bishop, pope, tele-evangelist, or prophet. Jesus is the head* and we are all part of the body (church). *Colossians 1:18 - He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. JESUS IS FOUNDING PASTOR When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. {Matthew 16:13-18} I love this passage! Jesus says that he is founding pastor and that no one, not even Satan and the gates of hell, can ever stop what he has founded! And hasn’t this stood the test of time? Look at all the persecution that has happened and continues to happen around the world. The church still continues strong. So ultimately Jesus is our chief shepherd, our lead pastor. Again, this speaks to what we spoke about last week, that we are a gospel-centered church. Our church is founded upon Jesus’ founding of the church. Without Jesus’ perfect life, his sacrifice, and resurrection, there is no church. JESUS SENDS OUT Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” {Matthew 28:18-20} After Jesus’ resurrection, he appears to his disciples and gives them this command. The command to make disciples of all nations. This passage is incredible because Jesus tells his disciples that he has all power and authority, and with that power and authority he commissions them to go. He also sends them to teach all his commands. What are some of these commands?
This is how we come into the picture. Because people took this command seriously, today we know the truth and have the hope of the gospel. WE ARE THE CHURCH And so because of this, we too are commissioned to do the same. We are commissioned to make disciples, to love God, love people, to baptize and teach. When we make that decision to follow Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God. We are new creations, purchased by the blood of Jesus. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. {Ephesians 4:15-16} This passage speaks to the fact that we each play an important role in the body as a church. This means that the church is not a building or place. Rather is a people redeemed by Jesus, sent out on mission to make disciples and make Jesus’ name great. This leads us to what we will be talking about next week, Giftology. If we are the church and we play such an important role collectively as the body of Christ, then where do I specifically fit and how do I function? Swerve Church is a new church plant forming in the community of Bushwick in Brooklyn.  Enjoy these notes from "The Time Is Now" week 3: THE PROBLEM: CONDITIONAL OBEDIENCE TO GOD "I'll do what you tell me to do as long as it's not inconvenient, makes me uncomfortable or I don't see what I want to see." Many times we tell God this very thing. Our obedience to God is determined by our comfort level. If what He's asking us to do does not line up with we want it to be, then our obedience is conditional and we choose not to do it. What is God asking of you that you are putting a condition on? Forgive that person that has hurt you? Find accountability and confess that secret sin so that you can be restored? THE CORRUPTIVE POWER OF SIN
When your heart isn't right with God, everything you do will be wrong. Attitude matters. We do not obey God so that he will bless us. We obey God because we love him.
If we're honest, we don't like what it says in verse 17. But as we continue reading we see the reason. He was not trying to punish his people. Instead He was simply trying to restore them. Sometimes God will not change your negative situation because God is trying to change your heart. We're not saying that you deserve what is happening to you. But there are times that God may allow what is happening to catch your attention and bring your heart back to Him. If this seems unloving even for a moment, remember that if you're a parent, you would do the exact same thing as a loving parent to a rebellious child. God is saying here, more than anything else I want you heart. This is why corporate worship is so important. It helps us align our hearts to God's. This is why it's so important to gather in life groups. There is so much pulling our hearts away from God. Our affections are constantly challenged. We need each other to realign our hearts back to God. The beauty of this story is that God had their hearts. Because their hearts came back to God, so did the blessings of God. Not simply because the obeyed, but because their hearts changed.
Perhaps you are obeying outwardly but are rebellious and discontented inwardly. God is after your heart today. Swerve Church is a new church plant forming in the community of Bushwick in Brooklyn.
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