Fail Devotion

Bad Dog

the LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? 12I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they."

-Numbers 14:11-12

Last night I ended up sleeping on the couch.  Not because I had a fight with Sunny, or because I accidentally fell asleep watching tv.  I was trying to catch my dog in the act of destroying the screens on the screened in porch.  He ruined four of them in the past few days and its started to get pretty annoying.  

So this got me thinking about the old Testament. The Exodus was a huge thing for Israel.  They were slaves to Egypt and even had to kill their baby boys as a form of population control.  Moses frees them from Egypt thanks to God's miracles.  They get going and the Egyptian army follows them.  God miraculously parts the Red Sea and helps them escape.  They run out of food and God gives them food.  

BUT, in the midst of all of this the people aren't satisfied and turn on God.  They rebel against him and complain.  God was furious with the people.  In a really strange twist to the story, Moses talks God out of killing all the people.  In the long run we see that the people continue to fall into a cycle of forgetting about God, getting in trouble and calling on God, and then forgetting all about God.  

What does this have to do with destructive dogs?  What does "old story" have to do with my life today?  It is the reality of what we are like.  My dog is to stupid to know not to destroy my house.  But still I love him.  I work with him to help him get better, even at a sacrifice to myself (ie. sleeping on the couch).  And even if he keeps ruining stuff, I'll still love him.

That's how we are with God too.  Except we are the bad dog.  God continues to love us even though we quickly forget how he has taken care of us.  God did a lot more than stay up on the couch.  He actually sent his son to the earth to die for our sins.  

Next time your dog does something stupid (like destroying your porch), think about how you so easily forget and rebel against God.  And know that God still loves you.  

100 Songs

We've just reached teh 100 song mark for our blog playlist.  You may notice the obnoxious music that starts when you visit this blog and have identified it comes from the Project Playlist thing on the left side a little way down.  Its got a selection of Christian music. With a little country (one artist) and hiphop but mostly modern pop rock stuff.  

If there is any Christian music you would like to add please let me know.  

Josh 

Fifth Quarter

Don't forget, we have a fifth quarter this Friday after the game!

Weekly Fail Devotion

Mixed Signals

 27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. – Matthew 23:27-28

It’s a great feeling to be welcomed isn’t it?  As a stranger it warms your heart when you show up at some ones house for the first time, or at a new church and you feel right at home.  One of the things I really hate is trying to guess which door to go to.  The garage door is usually closest, but it seems a little inappropriate if I haven’t really ever been to the house before and I usually debate between going in there or walking around to the front door.  I don’t visit churches as much as I used to but I know the feeling of showing up at a church and not knowing anyone.  You want to join in the fun and conversations, but usually just hope someone talks to you. 

 

I suppose that is why Welcome mats or signs were invented: to send the message that visitors are invited and welcome.  The irony of this picture is the glaring inconsistency between the two signs.  The whole reason it got on the “fail blog” was because it is just so stupid to put up such opposite messages.  Who would do that?

Well, maybe we would.  Sure not with two actual signs, but with our actions.  On one hand our church advertises that we are an “authentic community of faith and caring.”  We gladly invite folks and tell visitors “we are glad they are here.”  But what do our actions say?  Do we put up “Keep out signs” by forming cliques?  Do we post “no trespassing” warnings by saving our pew and giving the “evil eye” if someone sits there? 

Think about it this week, what kind of mixed messages are you sending?  

Middle School Guitar Hero Party

This Friday (Sept 12) we will have a super fun Guitar Hero and Rock Band party for Middle School. Meet at 6:00 in the Youth House. Pizza & drinks will be provided.

Christina L. drew this picture for the advertisement.

Wed Missions

Yesterday we had our first Wednesday night missions speaker. Carrey Russel and Sunny shared with us about ESL here at FBC. ESL (English as a Second Language) is a program in which we help teach English to whoever wants to learn. We are inspired to do so by the love of God, and through ESL classes have built meaningful relationships with peoples of various countries and shared in the good news of Jesus.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly when Sunny showed us what its like to not speak the language. Speaking nothing but Korean she led a fun game of Shirum (Korean Sumo wrestling). Check out the video provided by Christina.

See You at the Pole

See You at the Pole will be September 24. This is a national day of prayer in which students gather at their middle schools and high schools to pray for their school and their country. Check out these youtube videos.

Snack Supper Starts September 7

Share Memories, Make Money (make sure you read the fine print)

Upcoming Events

August 17– Youth Choir Resumes at 4:00
August 20– M&M Block-party at 5:30
August 23- Youth Choir Kickoff
August 24– Parents Meeting
August 27- Wednesday night schedule resumes. Supper is at 5:30 and we will have a recreational event at 6:15 (check out the weekly schedule below for more details)
August 29– Fifth Quarter after the football game.

September 6– Pet Parade (at the Taylor House). 9:00 a.m. If you would like to help with the Pet Parade show up at 8:30.
September 7- Snack Supper & Bible Study Begin at 6:00 following choir (check out the schedule below for more details). Tracey Buff will be teaching the New Testament portion and I'll be leading the O.T. This should be really good so be sure to stick around after choir or come at 6:00 if you aren't in choir.
September 12– Middle School Guitar Hero Party
September 19– Fifth Quarter
September 20– High School Lake Party. Meet at the church at 12:45

October 3– Fifth Quarter
October 10– Lock-in (subject to change). Lock-ins are super fun but can only happen with good parent support. Be sure to encourage your parents to volunteer to help withthe lock-in so that we can do it :)
October 31- Halloween Fifth Quarter