Seasons/Change

Life is full of change. One great thing happens, then you turn a corner and something bad happens. Seasons change in the weather the same as they do in our lives. But, the one thing that ALWAYS remains the same is our incredible God- regardless of whether or not we are in an "up time" or "down time".

Renee and I have been on a journey in ministry together for 11 1/2 years now. She is my partner. We have some news that we want to share with you next Thursday at Prime that we hope will be a blessing. It's hard to listen to the voice of God sometimes, especially when it's not comfortable. But, there is GREAT blessing in following the Lord's voice. He is our Great Shepherd and we will follow him with our lives!

Can't wait to tag-team with John next week as we share some important news, hope you'll be able to make it.

Steve

Prime Moves to Thursdays!

Wow...here we go. We have been praying about a move to Thursdays for a long time and have decided that the summer is the perfect time for the change. In other good news, we've decided to meet EVERY week throughout the summer and not just once a month. In other words, we heard you.

Now it's your turn. There is something that we at Prime cannot do, reach out to your friends. We need your help. You can bring someone with you on Thursday, June 17th for the kickoff of Summer Prime. We want this to be the best summer ever.

Welcome again to our new graduates. We would be honored for you to join us at Prime and throughout the summer with the great activities being planned. And, there are 2 Dynamic Sunday School classes being started just for you. So, stay together with your group (if you like) and join us on Sundays at 9:30am or 11:00am in the B-210 hallway (top of the B-building) starting June 20th! Also, make sure to join us on FB so you can keep up with the updates.

Great things ahead,
Steve

New Additions!

Welcome rising Freshman!
We are looking forward to seeing you this Monday night at Prime.
It's a worship night- look forward to seeing everyone.

Volleyball, great food, & an awesome Prime.
See you at 7:30pm at the Warehouse.

Links from last Monday's "Bridges II" series on why you can trust the Bible as the ultimate authority

http://www.faithfacts.org/search-for-truth/maps/statistics-of-the-bibles-power (Statistics of the Bible's Power)

http://www.crosswalk.com/1262196/ (Is the Bible trustworthy?)

http://www.carm.org/illustration-bible-text-manuscript-tree-and-variant-readings (Illustration of Bible text manuscript tree and variant readings)

http://www.carm.org/prophecy-bible-and-jesus (Prophecy, the Bible and Jesus)

Hey guys,

Here is the exhaustive list of links I promised you at Prime. There is plenty to go through, but how cool! Truth is on our side, so it's not like we have to take a "blind leap of faith". There is no question that there is a HUGE element of faith, but history speaks and confirms. We have a reliable collection of historical documents with specific names, dates, & places. The prophecies from the Bible do not deal with vague generalities; they are specific and verifiable. Remember, you'll never have enough knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:8-12). And, knowledge puffs up....but love builds up. Our ACTION STEP in this week is to allow God to use us to BUILD UP as we gain more knowledge of who our awesome God is.....enjoy your study time! Just don't forget to apply it during the week!

Steve

Bridges

They take us from one side to the next. In this next series, we'll be exploring the Old and New Testament in the Bible, and how they connect. See how some of the sayings of Jesus connect back to prophecies spoken hundreds of years earlier. Listen to the culture of the day, wow how it was SO different from ours. We sometimes see the Bible through the eyes of our culture. But, we need to see it in context of the day. The Bible is relevant for every culture and every day life, but don't you wonder sometimes how they were hearing the news that Jesus was sharing in the context of everyday life there in Israel?

We bridge from one situation to the next in our lives. Seasons come and go and situations can change on a dime! Come check out Prime in the next few weeks and let's explore some of the "AH HA" moments of the Old and New Testament. Hear it through the ears of the 1st century listener. Make sense of some of those rogue, Old testament sayings. See how the Bible continues to be the ultimate authority for life and godliness.

Make sure your relationship, your bridge, is intact.

Magnificent

I love the U2's "Magnificent", but really- could Seth and the Prime band have covered that song any better? That was ridiculous. What a fun night. It's always interesting to look at the vastness of our Creator and then to sit back and comprehend that He really does care about the needs of my heart too. Stars, galaxies, moons, solar systems are no match for the heart of a human being created in the image of God, the Creator.

If you can remember one thing this week, remember that the vastness and magnificence of nature (created by God) should drive us to be a humble people. Greatness often times produces humility, and rightly so.

Remember, if you say- like Jeremiah, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child," that God touched his mouth and put the words in them, then he said to go unafraid, He'll be with us and will rescue us. Gotten in to trouble lately for standing up for the cause of Christ? Maybe it hasn't been a priority. I hope you'll "stop, turn around" and then walk straight at the Savior. Let Him be your guiding light, your compass. Don't spend your life walking in circles. Be a World Changer, one person at a time. Then, bring them with you to a place where God can work in them (PRIME), and watch God work.

See you Monday as we celebrate the Magnificent Jesus, Easter is on the way!
Steve

Where is your focus this week?

"We spend the majority of time in the temporal, but we'll spend the majority of time in the eternal". This was the theme of Monday's Prime. But, practically how can we do that when life around us is so complicated and busy? Our focus has to be here on the day to day.

Think of it more as "while you are going". You can practice the eternal by:
1. Setting your mind on things above (Col. 3:1-4)
2. Become daily in experience what we are in our position in Christ (Rom 6)
3. Take a journey to the eternal through the portal of the Word (John 1:1-5, 14-18)

What about this?
1. Find joy in everything, give thanks as you go.
2. Love life, live it to the full for a purpose greater than your own (the kingdom)
3. Pray as you are going in your spirit, stay connected to your Father in Heaven.
4. Ask God to help you continually make wise decisions and to avoid evil

These are just a few practical ways to practice the eternal. Remember, you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14b), BUT you are SO valued by God. Make your life count. Be a light. Invite someone to Prime with you this week that you would not normally invite. You never know what God may do in their life. It could make an eternal difference and it will give you a whole new perspective!

Steve

The Secret life.
It can be a really bad thing , it can also be a really good thing.
That was the topic of this week's message.
We learned that there are bad, isolating secrets and there are secrets that lead to reward.
Jesus told us to let these 3 things be a secret and not for the whole world to see:
(Matthew 6:1-18)
1. Your giving
2. Your praying
3. Your fasting
I challenged everyone to pick one of the three in this week and to pursue it with great passion. As it is done in secret, where only your Heavenly Father can see, it will be rewarded. And, His reward system is greater than this world's. There is not even a comparison.

Remember the Mark Twain quote, "Everyone is like a moon, each has a dark side that they don't want to be seen." We talked about how God sees all and how we will all account for what we have said and done while here on this earth. God is full of grace and forgiveness, but will still require an account of us, just like the Tiger Woods press conference- accounting for his mistakes. That could have been each of us. The difference is that we will be accounting and accumulating or forfeiting rewards for crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus, the one who made possible the way for us to recieve a full pardon from our sin. (1 Corinthians 9:25/ 2 Timothy 4:7-8) Unbelievers will be accounting for their decision to reject Jesus which will result in judgement and eternal separation from a holy and loving God. (Matthew 12:36-37/ Romans 14:10-12/Matthew 25:31-46) You ask yourself, how can a Holy and Loving God let people go to hell? That's a long answer. http://http://www.gotquestions.org/God-create-doomed-people.html Try this link for starters.

I hope you have a "quiet" week, one that connects with a great rewarder!
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2rDrCWzCSQ (If you need encouragement)

Next week we finish up the Jekyll & Hyde series.
We will look at the Temporal and Eternal, very different.
Where do you live?
Steve

Practical ways to "guard your heart": Proverbs 4:13-17

1. Use wisdom in what you watch- don't just go the way of the crowd if the spirit of God is telling you you should not watch something...it's not playing the spoiler, it's protecting your eyes, the gateway to your soul.

2. Use wisdom in what you listen too- words do affect our minds and send us to places in our minds that are not pleasing to God if we are not careful. "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed" (James 1:14) If what you are listening too or watching begins to lead you down the road of enticement, get off the road quickly.

3. Call out to God with your requests and do it with thanksgiving. (Phil. 4:4-7) He will guard your heart as you call out to him.

4. Don't "overshare" in a new relationship. Reserve that for a close circle friend.

5. Submit to God (strengths & weaknesses) BEFORE you get into a difficult situation so that you KNOW what your response will be before you get there. And, don't walk into danger willingly. Avoid it. Unless you are purposefully sharing the gospel and have all kinds of "Green Lights" from the Lord. Even then, include others for accountability.

6. Don't put your trust in man, put your trust in God. Matthew 6:33
At the same time, don't grow bitter towards people and pretend like it's just "you and Jesus". You need people and people need you. Together, we are the church, the Body of Christ.

Well, those are just some practical steps to guarding your heart. Obviously, there are many more that could make the list. Looking forward to Monday night and talking about "secret sins". I know, these are not easy subjects to listen too, but I would rather root out the problem and deal with it than sit around and laugh and deny that anything is wrong. The truth is too important to freedom.

Live free,
Steve

The struggle within-

"Temptation is not sin, but yielding to tempation is sin."

"God tests us to confirm our faith, the devil tempts us to make us fall".

Great reminders. There is a "bottom line" when it comes to temptation. The Bible promises an out every time (1 Corinthians 10:13). And, we can take heart to know that Jesus Christ was tempted in every way we have been, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15-16). Listen now to what the Bible says we can do, pretty awesome: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of GRACE, that we may obtain MERCY and find grace to HELP in time of NEED" (obvisouly, my emphasis added to Hebrews 4:16).

There is a place you can go when tempted. That place offers help. The throne is not just some distant place that houses those who don't know what we are going through. The throne houses the One who walked where we walked, was confronted with the temptations and trials of this life, and is residence to the only One to ever pass through without sin. This is the same Jesus that says he prays for us. Wow.

There is so much opportunity to escape temptation. There is ample room for mercy and grace when you need the help. The throne room calls out to you to deny the lures of temptation and embrace the One who can help you "stand up under it". Today, this week....you can be an overcomer. Don't try it in your own strength. Lean on His. He resides in the Heavenlies and His mercies are new every single day.

So much to be learned about the "best way" to do relationships. It's interesting how everything that began as good has somehow been twisted to be bad. Sex, outside of marriage is sometimes exalted- but produces guilt, shame, jealousy, low trust....just to name a few. But, sex inside of marriage, as the Bible states in Hebrews 13 is honorable. Marriage is honorable among all. Living together is not. And, as we talked about last night- we are not representing those who want to yell at people from the Bible. We want to reveal the true results of living together outside of a lifetime commitment, or marriage. We saw that fear was a big motivator for people to move in together. Their parents couldn't hold it together, so the next generation decides to "test drive" for compatibility before they make the purchase. But, ladies....let me again reiterate- what guy would NOT want to have everything from you without a commitment? Where is the mystery? We live in a society where women reveal too much (and so do guys- "pants on the ground") There is such a draw for guys to mystery, and there just seems to be so little of it in relationships. I'm not talking about being weird or creepy. I'm talking about dressing modestly to leave something to the imagination. And, Kelly mentioned something powerful last night- most women would rather recieve the love of one man than the attention of many. If that's the case, and I believe it is....as believers, we need to hold our standards high even in a long relationship. You can't do it alone. You need constant encouragement. Just don't go through your life missing the opportunity to be full of joy, live with complete trust and enjoy each and every day without looking over your shoulder or living under the cloud of consequence. Need forgiveness? He's got plenty to hand out. Trust God with your singleness. Let Him lead in your relationships (and maybe future marriage). Ask him to help you become a whole person. And, then be satisfied in Him.....

Relationships- Why are they so stinkin' hard sometimes? Ever think of what makes a guy tick and what makes a girl tick? They are somewhere on the polar opposite sides of the universe. Then, how can that possibly work together or for the good? That just doesn't make sense, right? Wrong.

God designed us for relationship.
Many run from it.
Others run over it.
Still some seem to have a seemless time finding "the one". (Why not me, right?)

"Is there a formula to follow? Or am I doing something wrong? Hello up there? Can you hear me?"

If that at all sounds like some of the conversations in your head in your past, you need to be there for the next series on "How to do Relationships". Mondays 7:30pm- Warehouse.

Steve and Kelly will lead this night coming from two very different stages in life. Steve, married at 28 (almost 11 years) with a 2 1/2 yr. old and one on the way, and Kelly, single- having spent 10 years of her life on the mission field, she represents joy and purpose to everyone who knows her and looks in on her life. Married or single, God never changes. We must.

We hope to see you this Monday night!

Snake bitten, crazy cannibals, thick jungle, foreign world- some of these describe places and things from mission fields of the past and present. I think sometimes, if you are like me, you think that you may not quite be up for that kind of mission. And, when you hear about people giving their lives for the gospel in an uncharted land (ex-John Paton & the Hebrides) among cannibals, it can be a little intimidating, humiliating and all but take the air out of your spiritual sail. I can't do that. I don't know that I care for a people group that much. How do I get from here to there and is there the ultimate goal?

Last night, we looked at Luke 24:36-48 after Jesus had resurrected from the dead, walked among the disciples along the road to Emmaeus and showed up in the middle of a room where the disciples were meeting in Jerusalem. He basically said this (my paraphrase). "I'm not a ghost, come and see and feel. And, give me something to eat". Then, he tells them what their job is and where it is to start.....Jerusalem. Right where they were. Home. We know that the goal is to get the gospel to the whole world, but there has to be a starting point. That starting point is here, home...Jerusalem for us.

That's why we decided to plant a church on the campus of KSU in the Fall of 2010. As many of you heard at our last Prime, meetings have been happening on campus since the Fall of 2009. And, it is our desire to take the gospel to that campus since we have long realized that the campus is not coming to us. 20+ of you responded to the call to help. Many more will follow. We believe that it is our job to move the Kingdom forward without regard to who gets the credit. I hope that wherever you are, you'll get involved in Kingdom work. Join the Campus Church team, join your local church, and certainly feel free to join the movement at Prime.

Keep reaching,
Steve

"Expose the injustice"- Ghandi
We watched in this last Prime how injustice has been exposed in different ways in the past- The Humane Society's commercials, the re-education and rehabilitation of the Ecuadorian Condor, and the brave story of Mamie Till in the death of her son, Emmit. These are just a few of the instances where the greater public was allowed to look in on the injustice of a situation. And because of the public outcry, transformation has been and is happening. Why can't we apply that same standard to the value of life? We watched how a 9 week old baby, just formed, has incredible reflexes that early in developement! My wife, Renee is now 10 weeks pregnant, so that moment was pretty meaningful to me. We introduced the ministry of Justice For All last night. They are applying the same principles as Ghandi did, as the Humane Society did, as Mamie Till did, and even the Ecuadorian Condor program did. JFA wants to educate the next generation and at least ask the hard questions, but do it in a tone that is honoring to God, I believe. They operate shoulder to shoulder, discussing the issues, relaying truth- not face to face to try and win an argument. You see, way too many people have been stung by the heartache of abortion. Many have thought that it was their only way out. God's grace is big enough for the most difficult situation and His forgiveness will always extend beyond comprehension. There is forgiveness and healing for those who have chosen that path. http://www.troubledwith.com/index.cfm?utm_source=troubledwith.org&utm_medium=billboard&utm_campaign=offline
And, there are options for those who are contemplating the decision to take a life. http://www.hopectr.com/ JFA represents the hands and feet of Christ to people regardless of where they stand on the issue. They want to make a difference in this world. That's what makes them "World Changers". What are you doing in your world this week?
Steve

It was such a relief to be back at Prime this Monday night. It really is my favorite day of the week. I missed seeing all of my buddies and buddettes for those few weeks over the holidays. It was a big honor to have Carrie McDonnall join us to share her story of how God uses the ordinary in extraordinary ways. Her story is a little overwhelming to me. Even as I wrote out some of the questions for the interview, I just kept feeling uneasy because I wanted to make sure that we honored her, her late husband, and those 3 workers that died that day in Mosul, Iraq in 2004. I just kept thinking..."don't let this be a program or just a service, let it be about the people and their stories". I don't know if you've ever felt the pressure to try and manipulate something (for a good cause), but I constantly have something inside of me that serves as a "governor" on my motives. And, I'm glad. It's called the Holy Spirit, I know. I desparately want to have pure motives. That is one of my life's goals as a believer in Christ. But, sometimes good things and expected outcomes can bring dark shadows over pure motives. I say all that to say, it was a great night. I felt like Carrie's message to us fit perfectly with our series "World Changers" in that one person really can make a difference, and you don't have to be a superhero....matter of fact, as you recall- Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 that God chose the foolish things, the weak things, the lowly things of this world to shame the wise, shame the strong and prove that outside of Christ, there is no boasting. Remember Matthew 5:13-16? WE are salt. WE are light. Salt permeates a substance and loses its identity, so should we. Light works silently, pointing people to the Light of the World, Jesus. So, should we. Finally, we are not called to be God's glorious chandeliers, drawing attention to ourselves. Rather, we are like a single unadorned light bulb along a dark corridor showing the way to the throne room of Jesus. This week, "May you always trust God that you are exactly where you are supposed to be"- Mother Teresa
http://www.carryonministries.org/

See ya next Monday if not before,
Steve

Prime 2010 begins Monday, January 11th at 7:30pm in the Warehouse!

I can't wait to see you!

What a great year we experienced in 2009, just looking back- Here are some of the ways Prime has been involved in our world:

1. Raised $4,500 to dig a clean water well in Africa

2. Helped Church on the Street in Downtown Atlanta feed/minister to around 250 homeless

3. Raised over $500 to help provide for the Single Parent Christmas

4. Helped a single mom get her house ready for sale and went over and above just before Christmas!

2010- Let's make an even BIGGER splash for the Kingdom. See you Monday night...

Steve