Tory Farina

Bible in a year

What a great Weekend!

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearbiblereadingplan.pdf

If you are looking for the bible in a year reading plan here it is. This one is starting in Dec. But stop by the welcome center and we have one that starts in September.

A couple of reminders from this weeks message.

Hit the Books

The Bible

• #1 international best seller of all time
• 66 books
• 39 NT
• 27 OT
• 770,000 words
• Written by about 40 men over a period of 1600 years
• The Bible maintains a consistency and accuracy beyond all other ancient writings in history – including writings by Plato, Aristotle and Homer.

Psalm 19:9 The laws of the Lord are true… 10 they are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

Psalm 119:105 by your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.

1 peter 2:2 NASB like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow the Bible was written through PEOPLE

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active

What is the point of scripture?

Scripture is a Story that you and I have a part to play in… Its stories are our stories

James 1:22 niv Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.

Our goal should never be to get through the scriptures

Our goal should be to get the scriptures through us

The purpose of the Scriptures it not just to fill us with INFORMATION

It’s to bring us… TRANSFORMATION.

MEDITATION- To chew over. To reflect deeply on a subject.

When you read ask…

What does it say- re write or say it in my own words

What does it mean- think about what the original author was trying to say

What do I do with what it says- how does this apply to me today

3 types of Bible Translations

1) WORD FOR WORD translations.

The English Standard Version- Recommended

New American Standard Bible

New King James

King James Version

2) THOUGHT FOR THOUGHT Translations

New International Version

Today’s New International Version

New Living Translation- My favorite

Contemporary English Version

Good News Bible

3) PARAPHRASED

The Message – my favorite

The Living Bible

Amplified

Have multiple bibles- Layering gives a true picture of what God is saying

MEDITATION ATTITUDES

HUNGER

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Come Hungry- Leave Happy

HUMILITY

Hebrews 4:12 Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Scripture getting inside us and working through us is an endless process! We can not look at a passage and think we have it all figured out. We have to aproach it fresh every day.

HONESTY

Genesis 23- Jacob wrestles with God and the experience marks Him… He walks with a limp the rest of His life…

If we are honest about as we read the scripture we will not like everything we read… It is through the process of working through those passages that we are worked on by this living and Active word of God…

When was the last time you wrestled with God about a particular passage?

Engage the scriptures and they will mess you up for the better. Merely read them and you will have information without Transformation.

Seek Gods Transformation! 

Tell me about your book...

This is mine!

I love it... it is easy to read and I find myself always knowing what to read. I found myself Reading my favorite passages to regularly and so I got this to keep me regularly reading things that I haven't in a while.

What is your favorite bible? By the way I am talking about scripture this week. You are not going to want to miss it.

Ellipsoidal Fun!

                                                   

Lights are huge for us. The theatre is really dark without having a set of lights to make it look brighter. I look kind of strange in the dark. So I was surprised this week when a pastor in the area, who we had been borrowing some of our lights from, asked if he could get them back.

Bummer! To say the least.

I hate spending money on things like lighting. It is necessary and looks good which is important as we set God up to touch peoples hearts but I like to spend money on mailers, staff and people. Stuff that is immediately impacting of people. No one has ever walked into our church and gone, "Wow, nice lights I think I will give my heart to Christ today." But I am sure without them we would have people say, "Man this is strange how dark it is... I think that guy up there looks weird I am getting out of here and taking my donut with me."

Lights indirectly make what we do and say pop for those who come. We are passionate about the visitor and the believer who needs to experience God in new and fresh ways. We want to remove every distraction possible in order to allow people to Focus on what God is doing.

So look for the new lights... coming to a theatre near you.

Pray that they come in quick and work better than the lights we currently use. 

Fasting and Prayer Wednesday

I was a freshman in college and was asked to come down to Florida for a national prayer and fasting event. I was flattered to attend and was going to be praying with my dad at the event. There in the back room of the event I meet a man who challenged me to be a person who doesn't just pray but to be a person of prayer and fast. The difference is that one is an event... the other is a lifestyle. Bill Bright was the man who challenged me. Here are some of his thoughts on prayer and fasting.

http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I am at the office with some great worship music playing. My heart is crying out to God... I am in prayer for the amazing things that god wants to do...

• In my life- I am so in need of you God. Teach me to be a better father, lover, boss, friend and worshiper. I submit my life again to you God. Help me to make decisions not in self perseverance mode but in Your Kingdom first mode. Show me how I can be more submitted to you. Take away anything that distracts from my being close to you. I love you deeply. I thank you that you have given me so many blessings. It is always baffling that I get to do what I love, in a town I love, with the people I love.  Thank you God for your amazing Providence. Thank you for your spirit. Give me wisdom, as I need it more today than I ever have.
• In my family- God thank you for the blessing of this little Girl. Give Elizabeth and I the abilities to lead her into a better future. Your will be done in our family. Show us how to spend our resources well. How to manage what you give and provide. May your presence always be found in our family. Build us strong in your presence and compassionate towards those who do not know you. God give me wisdom to challenge my family into the family that you have created us to be.
• In my Church- God Pour your spirit on this church. May we be your hands and feet in the community. May you be made famous because we are so passionate about what you do. Build our volunteers and help them to see and be passionate about the vision of High Point and building your kingdom. May we be the most welcoming place in the Twin Cities. Heal the sick... Raise the spiritually dead... Break the chains of sickness, addiction and demonic interference. May we as a church "Live our Potential" in and for you. Help this mailer to reach people who are prepared to reserve it. Bring in visitors. Help our connection groups to be the best they can be where we develop our faith together and sharpen one another. Keep us focused on you.
• In my community- I am praying for four people in my neighborhood who I want God to become known in there life... And that they would come to church on the Sunday when I invite them. Raise the level of your presence and fame in this community. Holy Spirit have your way in our lives and in our homes. Break the strong holds in this city that keep us distracted from you. Open up an opening and interest to your presence.

God Lead us on in You. Thank you for challenging us in a deeper way. Amen!

I would love to hear your comments about what you prayed about or maybe what God spoke to you when you prayed. Live your Potential!

More Olivia for those who are asking- Aimee :0)

This is a lot harder than it looks. It is a lot of fun though and she is a great baby. I am sure glade this was not available when I was a kid. She is going to hate this one day. Oh well- it is a lot of fun now.

Bathing Baby Olive

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25k mailers

We are in our final stages for the mailer that is going out the first week in Oct. It is freaking SWEET! Seriously it encompasses the energy and raw feelings we are trying to get at.

The series is called "Rescue Me" it is awesome when God drops a verse in your lap that ties the whole thing up in a nice neat bow.

Psalms 50: 15 (nlt) ...call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you...

We drop the mailer the 1st week in Oct. It should be awesome. We are talking about how each of us need rescuing at one time or another.

And your local FORECAST is...

Forecast...

Every night I hear a three not tune that tells me to pay attention and listen because i am about to find out what to expect outside tomorrow. It is great my favorite weather person gives me all the things i need to know about in a few minute time span. I then am able to tune out and get back to what I was doing before.

I sat at lunch today with a new team member Chad. He is a highly skilled sound technician and was a strong support to a youth ministry for a number of years in town. He is a youth major in college and has aspirations to be vitally involved in the work of the church. He said something to me today that made e think...

"I would love to know what is coming up next so that I can be prepared and think ahead. I am always thinking of great ideas about what you are talking about and cool things we could do as a church to reinforce the message while your talking."

So I says to myself... "Self, if Chad is asking this questions who else in the church is wanting to know whats coming up in order to partner with the future vision." I then heard three notes in my head that sounded very similar to the weather persons three notes.

Forecast! DUH! I have told you things are coming but I can forcast better what is on the horizan and give you more details...

check back more often and I will let you know what is coming up next!

Trust me I am a Pastor

I am looking for a sweet shirt like this!