The Spring Advance is now in the rear view mirror! For those guys that attended, the experience will last much past the weekend and will impact their lives permanently. There was fun, food and fellowship all over from the first push of a bike peddle to the last prayer. If you couldn’t make it up this year we invite you up for next year’s spring advance. Put it on your calender now for the weekend before Drake Relays next year.

Here are some of the highlights from this year’s Spring Adavance:

Biking Up -

Friday Night Session 1:

Friday Night Activities -

We had way to much fun on Friday night to stop and take pictures! Ping Pong, Pool, and Basketball kept guys moving and hanging out. Just having the opportunity to talk with other guys away from the office and away from family was a refreshing experience!

Saturday Morning Session -

After a great night’s sleep it was time to get back together for one more session.

CrossTrainers

Date: April 21th 2010

Speaker: Mike Swaim

Title: God Built – Chapter 4: “Take This Job & Shove it”

Today we are going to make Joseph a bit more practical. We are going through the book of Genesis and looking at the life of Joseph. We are seeing what happened to take Joseph from victim to victor.

Psalm 37:23 “The Steps of a man are established by the Lord. And he Delights in his way.”

How many of you are righteous men? All of you. You steps are ordered by the Lord. God wanted me here speaking today.

How many of you think that God didn’t know about this volcano erupting? God knew when He made the volcano.

If you are looking at your job and feeling really frustrated it is because you are looking at the job rather than at the job provider.

Let me tell you about a job that I had-

I was the assistant to the communications coordinator for south east Asia. I was waiting for my assignment. All my friends were going into career course, grad school, teaching at West Point. I wanted to go teach at West Point but my orders were to go to Fort Louis in Washington. I was bummed and my commanding officer noticed so he tried to help me out. He said that the folks in DC wanted me to be a Company Commander in Washington before I went into a career course. One evening I had to take something over to the guy that was a little higher in rank than my boss. He said that he could rearrange my assignment but even he wasn’t able to help me. So I get to Washington, I find my self way down on the totem pole. It was a total dead end assignment.

Joseph found himself in a the same place. He went to Egypt and ended up in a dead end assignment.

Dead end assignments:

In God’s plan, there are no wasted assignments

Potipher’s house:

What could Joseph have possibly found in his assignment that would have made him think that he this assignment in Potipher’s house wasn’t a wasted assignment.

It was a great opportunity to learn the language and the culture, and to practice godliness

He learned how to depend on God. In every one of our jobs it isn’t about who we work for it is about learning to depend on God.

Prison:

With the dregs of the earth. He learned faithfulness, patience and HOW TO DEPEND ON GOD!

If you’re a computer guy are you learning how to depend on God?

If you’re a bank manager are you learning how to depend on God?

If you’re a appraiser are you learning how to depend on God?

In God’s plan, every assignment is preparation.

Dwight David Eisenhower’s Assignment – Staff Officer Forever

Eisenhower graduated from West Point and had no opportunities to command ANYTHING for the first seven years. He was sent to Panama and ended up working under a man who loved Military history, he studied this guy and learned a lot. But he kept moving from dead end assignment to dead end assignment for 16 years. Douglas MacArthur saw something in him and he took him on as an aid. He was MacArthur’s aid for 3 years until MacArthur made him an adviser to the Philippine army. 21 years in the Army and he is still in dead end jobs. Eventually he is transfered to the Pentagon where he is responsible for drawing up war plans for potential wars with Japan or Europe. This was a dead end job no one ever thought we’d be in a war with Japan. After 26 years he was finally promoted to brigadier general – in eighteen months he moved from that position to being the supreme commander of the Allied forces!!

Key phrase when it appears you’re in a dead end assignment – “And God was WITH Joseph” – God is with you.

If you are in a dead end assignment, God is with you. Colossians 3:23 “work hard as unto the Lord”

Talk with the guy next to you: What’s your current assignment?

Psalm 37:3-4

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

God will put the desires in your heart when you Trust in HIM.

Then He will bring those things to pass!

Our hope for the future is always based on God’s faithfulness in the past.

Lamentations 3:18-20 DEPRESSING!

Lamentations 3:21-26 YET! Wow! Where is your hope?

The rest of the my story

I was so fed up with the Army and I still had two years left on my commitment. The Army decided to start the ninth signal battalion. It was an experiment in starting an all volunteer army. I became a commanding officer over this experient.

The best part of the story though is that if my boss or my his boss had gotten me out of this dead end assignment I would have never been sitting in that small church in Washington where I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Click HERE for the Full Audio for this message.

(notes typed by PJ)

CrossTrainers

Date: April 14th 2010

Speaker: Bob Stouffer

Title: God Built – Chapter 3: “God is Enough”

My wife Cheryl was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when we first moved to Des Moines.  That diagnosis got my attention, reminding me of the fragility of life, serving as but one of the dominoes which brought me to my knees in submission to Christ in 1994.  Was it fair that Cheryl got cancer?

My daughter Molly is an excellent teacher, far better than I when I was 23.  She has had three interviews for good jobs, but more experienced teachers were hired to those positions.  She seems at peace with a situation which is, quite frankly, frustrating for me.  Is it fair that Molly hasn’t found a job yet?

My son-in-law Jake took the MCATs three times before qualifying for an interview with Des Moines University on a week ago Thursday.  What if he doesn’t get into medical school?  If such is the case, he says he won’t pursue medicine, a passion of his life.  It’s what he wants to do.  He seems at peace with a situation which is, quite frankly, making me anxious for him — unusual for me.  Is it fair if Jake doesn’t get into medical school?

Last week, Cheryl and I had one of our toughest sets of experiences with Hannah yet.  For the sake of some sense of privacy, I won’t share all of the details, but, suffice it to say, I continue to ask God for guidance in raising a daughter who seems impossible for me to parent.  I’m a pretty good guy, aren’t I?  My bride is wonderful.  Why us?  Is it fair that parenting is so difficult for a mom and dad in their 50s?

All interesting questions. . . .

Two weeks ago, Mike centered on a simple, yet profound concept from the life of Joseph from Steve Farrar’s book, God Built –

Joseph made the decision to be a “victor,” not a “victim.”

A week ago, Jerry taught from Steve’s book on a topic which I wish I had able to hear, given my circumstances in life –

God works in the midst of real, devastating, threatening, and chaotic times in our life.  We can’t live in this moments.  Often, if not always, we need the distance of time to look back on how God was working through our circumstances.

When I last taught, we delved into some pretty deep doctrinal aspects of “time.”  I tried to make a case that sound doctrine (orthodoxy) leads to sound living (orthopraxy), which, hopefully, ultimately leads to a right understanding of God – the extent that such understanding is even possible.

As with Job, God gives, and God takes away.  BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Today, we deal with more important doctrine from the story of Joseph –

Jerry also focused on important theology to any Christian. . .

. . .THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

Thomas Watson once said, “. . .the godly man, when he dies, ‘enters into peace,’ but while he lives, peace must enter into him.”

How?  One reason should be THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

Those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives talk about. . .

• Luck
• Chance
• Fate
• Coincidence
• Fate
• Randomness
• Accident
• Karma

Some Christians even use these terms as a part of their lives.

How does the fully-submitted follower of Christ respond to the concepts of luck, fate, and coincidence?

Central Analysis

Today, we look at the life of Joseph to determine how providence played such a significant part in his life.

And I hope you will be able to think about how God’s providence has impacted you as well.

Let’s talk about providence, according to Dr. Wayne Grudem and James Montgomery Boice.

Dr. Grudem defines providence in the following manner –

“God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes.”  (p. 315)

Boice rightly points out that God’s laws govern physics.  Gravity causes this book to drop from my hand to the floor [**********].  It’s a law of nature.

In the same way, God created laws of behavior, stated as truth in His Bible.  He seeks our obedience to these laws – boundaries and guardrails which actually allow for freedom in Christ.

Boice wrote, “. . .God will permit the ungodly to go their own way, but he has determined in his wisdom that, when they go, it will be according to his rules rather than their own. . . .spiritual laws are the equivalent of the laws of science in the physical creation.”  (p. 179)

Joseph’s brothers almost murdered him.

He was sold into slavery. Was that “bad”?  No.  Good.

Being sold into slavery actually saved Joseph’s life.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH and prospered him as the head of Potiphar’s household.

Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of raping her, and Joseph was thrown into prison.

Who favored Joseph?

How?

Joseph was thrown into prison.  Was that bad?  No.  Good.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH and prospered him as the chief jailer, catching the attention of a member of Pharoah’s staff.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream correctly, thus saving the cupbearer’s life, but the cupbearer forgot about Joseph for 2 years.

Joseph unfairly languished two more years in prison.  Was that bad?  No.  Good.

God forged Joseph’s character of patience, perseverance, and forgiveness.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH, calling the cupbearer’s attention to Joseph’s abilities as a dream interpreter, which ultimately brought Joseph out of prison and into a position of power second only to Pharoah.

Jerry talked about these incidences in Joseph’s life as “cross-providence.”  Events which seem devastating to us could be working together for our good, and we should never question the goodness of God in our lives.

What about the evil of this story?

What is God’s relationship to evil?

How did God influence the sinful behavior of Joseph’s brothers?

Dr. Martyn Loyd-Jones:

“. . .sinful acts are under divine control, and occur only by God’s permission and according to his ultimate purpose. . . .

“. . .God restrains and controls sin.”

Psalm 76:10 – “. . .God overrules sin for good.”

Genesis 50:20 – “. . .God never causes sin, nor approves of it. . . .People alone are responsible for their sin.”

James 1:13-15

Thomas Watson: “The Lord permits sin, but does not approve it.”

Someone walks up to you and says, “If God is in charge of everything in my life, and evil happens in my life, then isn’t God responsible for evil?”  Doesn’t that make him the author of evil?”  Based on what you have learned about providence, how would you answer someone who asked you those two questions?

God is sovereign.  He rules over all.  He causes or allows events in your life, and some of those events involve evil.

Grudem wrote, “If we were to say that God himself does evil, we would have to conclude that he is not a good and righteous God, and therefore that he is not really God at all.  On the other hand, if we maintain that God does not use evil to fulfill his purposes, then we would have to admit that there is evil in the universe that God did not intend, is not under his control, and might not fulfill his purposes. . . .If evil came into the world in spite of the fact that God did not intend it and did not want it to be there, then what guarantee do we have that there will not be more and more evil that does not intend and that he does not want?”  (pp. 328-329)

Are you a puppet on a string?

Since God is sovereign, in what sense are you still responsible for your own choices and decisions?

Do we truly have free will?

Grudem wrote, “. . .we make willing choices, choices that have real effects.  We are aware of no restraints on our will from God when we make decisions.  We must insist that we have the power of willing choice; otherwise we will fall into the error of fatalism or determinism and thus conclude that our choices do not matter, or that we cannot really make willing choices.”  (emphasis in original, p. 331)

However, Grudem pointed out, “An absolute ‘freedom,’ totally free of God’s control, is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself.”  (p. 331)

Joseph was obedient and faithful to God.  Bad things often happen to good people.

Disobedient people who don’t even know a relationship with God sometimes prosper greatly throughout their lives. Good things often happen to bad people.

Is it fair that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people?

Boice wrote, “It is all things, including evil, that God uses in accomplishing his good purposes in the world.”  (emphasis in original, p. 181)

Some men and women preach the “prosperity gospel [lower-case g].”  The essence of that gospel is that following God will automatically prosper you.

Watch what John Piper has to say about the prosperity gospel in 2 minutes, 46 seconds –

http://www.youtube.come/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s

[YOUTUBE VIDEO OF JOHN PIPER “ON THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL”]

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him, even in the midst of suffering.

Did Jesus deserve death on the cross?

God used that unfair death for good, for the saving of many.

Steve Farrar wrote, “So let me get this straight.

He owns it all.

He rules over all.

He has ordained all.

He controls it all.

That means I shouldn’t have trouble sleeping tonight.”  (p. 63)

I encourage you to reflect upon circumstances in your life in which the assurance of those words could be very encouraging and comforting.

I could teach about providence for several weeks.  In fact, today, I purposefully avoided the controversy between Arminianism and Calvinism, a discussion for another day.

Grudem wrote, “Every believer who meditates on God’s providence will sooner or later come to a point where he or she will have to say, ‘I cannot understand this doctrine fully.’”  (p. 336)

Last week, Jerry shared an excellent closing, which I would like to reiterate this week –

God’s plan for Joseph’s life was intentional and purposeful.  His life included suffering.  But this wasn’t random suffering.  The suffering was purposeful, and God wouldn’t leave him in his suffering.  God was refining and testing Joseph.  One day, God would bring Joseph forth as refined gold.  And He did!  Whatever your circumstances, God is purposeful.  God is intentional.

The bottom line for me?

Follow the example of Jesus.  Jesus’ will was perfectly consistent with His Father’s will.  He abided in the father.  As the Father directed Him to speak and act, He spoke and acted.  He did the work of the Father, bringing Him glory and honor.

My will should be perfectly consistent with Jesus, my Savior.  I should abide in Christ.  As the Holy Spirit directs me to speak and act, I should speak and act.

Boice wrote, “. . .our good is to enter into the destiny we were created for: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and thus ‘to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.’”  (p. 180)

I must do the work of God, bringing Him glory and honor.

Becoming more like Jesus makes our choices more certain.

Questions to Consider

Imagine waking up one morning with the conviction that everything in your life was random.  How would that affect your attitude toward the events of your day?

Think back to some difficult or devastating event in your life.  Explain how the doctrine of providence will help you in the way you think about that event.

To what extent has thinking about the doctrine of providence increased your trust in God?

Explain how a proper understand of the doctrine of providence should lead a Christian to a more active prayer life.

Closing

Check out a YouTube video that beautifully illustrates my points about providence today.  This is a story that is very close to Jerry Foster, Jr.’s and Sr’s heart –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR8vyAYFL-I

[“Erika’s Story: Saving Lives Through Organ and Tissue Donation”  (4:31)]

Is it fair that a 16-year-old girl was killed so early in her life?

“Fairness” has nothing to do with it.

God is sovereign.

God has wrought much goodness from Erika’s death, and that goodness will continue with every person who commits to being an organ donor as a result of this testimony.

In 1774, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) expressed God’s providence extremely well in the famous hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” –

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill

He treasures up his bright designs,

And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain;

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain.

Our focus should not be on ourselves or our circumstances.

Our focus should be on God.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

God is enough.

FLAME ON!

Resources

Boice, James Montgomery.  Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive and Readable Theology. Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1986.

Farrar, Steve.  God Built: Forged by God in the Bad and Good of Life. Colorado Springs, Colorado:  David C. Cook, 2008.

Grudem, Wayne.  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Holy Bible. English Standard Version.  2001.

Click HERE for the Full Audio for this message.

• Spring Retreat ADVANCE – April 16th and 17th (NEXT Friday /Saturday)

SIGN UP NOW!! (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!!)

This year’s annual Spring ADVANCE (Men don’t retreat, they ADVANCE!)  We will be going up to Hidden Acres again this year for some a great time of hanging out, recharging and refocusing.  You don’t want to miss this!!

Where: Hidden AcresWhen: April 16 – 17 (NEXT Friday night – Saturday morning)
Friday Schedule

11:00 or 1:00 – Departure from church for Bike Riders (optional)
5:00pm – Check in begins at Hidden Acres
6:00pm – Dinner
7:00pm – Session 1:  Worship, MC, Mike Burkey
8:30pm on – Pick up basketball, ping pong, pool, video games, etc.

Saturday Schedule

8:00am - Breakfast
9:00am - Free time with God
9:30am – Session 2: Worship, MC, Jordon Korell
11:00am – Return home / go golfing / skeet shooting

Cost: $40 per person which covers food, lodging and use of the facilities (scholarships are available).
Speakers: Jordon Korell & Mike Burkey
MC: Tim Shiftsky
Theme: Our theme this year will be “REDEMPTION: Purchased with a Price for a Purpose.”  Our speakers will be sharing their own stories of redemption from pain and failure to a place of restoration and impact.  We hope to see you there.
CHECK YOUR CALENDER AND SIGN UP TODAY

• theUprising is ONLINE!!

What to stay up to date on what is going on for MEN at Valley Church?  Bookmark this link
www.theuprisingonline.comYou will find everything you need to know about theUprising here.  It is the first place information is deposited and the best place to connect to theUprising leadership team.  For all my tech guys out there you can even subscribe to the RSS feed so you’ll know as soon as we add something to the website.
In the coming weeks and month we look forward to making this website not just an opportunity to share events and news but to also share resources and create connections for guys.
Check it out TODAY!

• StoryTellers –

• Did you miss it? Check online! If you missed the March 28^th StoryTellers with Jim Mars check out the website for notes on Jim’s talk.  We will be posting future summaries of StoryTellers on the website.  You can read, comment and interact with other guys even if you had to miss a StoryTellers.
• April StoryTellers – There won’t be a StoryTellers for April because of the Men’s Advance however we will be having a great StoryTellers in May so stay tuned for dates and times.

• CrossTrainers – Wednesdays @ 6:30am in the Chapel

• New Series! God Built by Steve Farrar – God Built explores the defining spiritual process that makes men of God. You’ll uncover the Biblical pattern for growth, gain insights into common frustrations and difficulties, and get equipped for the journey ahead.  Surrender yourself to Him. And become a man that’s built to last.
• Did you miss it?  Check online! If you miss a morning of CrossTrainers or if 6:30am is just to early for you then head over to www.theuprisingonline.com each week for copy of PJ’s notes from that day’s talk.  You will also find a link there for an audio version of the talk

o        Resources for Bible Reading – Check out these awesome customizable reading plans at YouVersion.com.

CrossTrainers

Date: April 7th 2010

Speaker: Jerry Foster

Title: God Built – Chapter 2: When Your Dreams Die

Introduction:

We are talking about the life of Joseph.  The trials, the hardship, the forgiveness that Joseph experienced.

I didn’t hear Mike’s message last week but I’m assuming he told you about the overview of the book.  About the sovereignty of God.  About how sometimes it seems that God works slowly.

The one thing we do know is that God IS at work.  However, often times God is at work in the midst of our hardship and trials.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, how could God allow that to happen?

The thing that Joseph didn’t know at the time was that this chapter of his life would last for 13 years.  If Joseph would have known this it would have made it even more difficult.

Our own storms batter us.  We deal with them day to day.

For Joseph, the storm didn’t make since until he got through it.

“In these bewildering chapters of life you will have to give 5,10,15 years before anything makes since.” – Steve Farrar

After college I went off to Chicago, had a great ministry but ended up coming home.  I spent the next 10 years in a storm of doubt, marriage struggles, money struggles, spiritual dryness.  At the time I didn’t understand.  Now I understand.

This couple I met in Brussels, from Assyria, left everything to go to a place where they could have religious freedom and right now things are really difficult.  They are broken.  I know that down the road they will look back with a story to tell.  They will see that God’s timing was perfect.

Joseph was able to look back on his life and see God’s timing was perfect.

Think about it, Joseph’s brothers were trying to kill him.  But at just the right moment this slave caravan comes by and his brothers were able to sell him instead of killing him.

I imagine from Joseph’s standpoint being sold as a slave was the worst thing that could happen, he probably wasn’t down there jumping for joy that he was saved from death.  Joseph didn’t know what God was doing.

It had to have been difficult for him to see that God had saved him from death.  He was dealing with a devastating loss.  The loss of freedom.

Here is the big question: Could God be behind devastating losses in our life?

We can go to the book of Job.  I don’t like this book.  When I read the book of Job I come to a troubling conclusion about life in this world.

While God gives satan permission to test Job, God remains in control.  Satan didn’t realize that God would use Job’s story for thousands of years to teach His people.

Job 1:13-19  In a matter of just a few minutes, Job’s life was ruined beyond repair.  But what we know is that Job never wavered in his commitment.

Job 2:9-10 Here is where we go wrong.  We think that anything good that happens comes from God and anything bad that happens comes from satan.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 If God can control everything why does He allow bad stuff?

Cross Providences:

You know you’ve hit a Cross Providence in your life when you question the goodness of God.

Then we need to step back and ask if God is doing something different.

When I step back and look at what God is doing and I try to understand what he is doing, I am often looking through the situation through my flesh.  In my flesh I don’t have the capacity to understand God’s providence.

Psalms says that the Lord is good and the Lord does good, but in the midst of pain it can be tough to see that.

Consider this, we may never see the good on this earth.  All the pain I see around me, much of it I will never see the point of until heaven.

CS Lewis said that it very well could be that the first words out of our mouth in heaven will be, “of course.”

Once we have the whole picture things will make sense.

We have to come to the place where we know what we believe about God’s providence.

When we ask our questions, we find God working in our hearts to say you won’t understand this right now.

Take a few minutes to look through these questions from Steve’s book.

Discussion Questions:

For Joseph, in the midst of his life’s worst storms, it seemed like life had spun completely out of control.  When you have been in the midst of your own storms, what did you think about God and His plan for your life?

Being betrayed by His own brothers had to have hurt Joseph.  How can we keep from being overwhelmed by negative emotions in such moments?

If the providence of God hadn’t shown up at the exact right moment, Joseph would have died.  In His providence, has He shown up and altered your course even if it hurt?

Is it possible that you in your own life, God has shown up and spared you from an outcome that you aren’t even aware of?

Conclusion

God cannot lie

God cannot sin

God cannot do evil

If that is the case then the cross providences of our life have to be for our good.

God’s plan for Joseph’s life, for Job’s life, it was intentional, it was purposeful.

God didn’t leave them in their suffering.  He used it to refine them and test them.

When we look at our lives we need to see that God is purposeful and He won’t leave us in our suffering.

Click HERE for the Full Audio for this message.

(notes typed by PJ)

StoryTellers

3-28-10

Jim Mars

Jim’s Introduction:

We did not come into this world with a clear perception about God and His Kingdom – or about our own selves, for that matter. We began with distorted views, and part of our task as Christians is to let God change our views to accurately reflect His character and His Kingdom. In other words, we need wisdom. And the Bible earnestly desires wisdom, understanding for us.

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – Proverbs 9:10
• Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you – Proverbs 4:6
• Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding – Proverbs 4:7
• Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you – Proverbs 4:8
• If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault – James 1:5
• Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold – Proverbs 3: 13-14

But what is this wisdom?: The very mind of Christ; Listen to Paul’s words to the church at Corinth. He as tell them the source of his instruction – 1 Corinthians 2:13-16

1 Corinthians 2:16b – “But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ”

Wisdom therefore is not information imparted, but character learned.

If we pray for wisdom, the direction will become clear.  If we pray for direction, God could answer by giving us information. But if we pray for wisdom, God answers by giving us His own mind.

God’s provision of His mind is often given in advance. It is more than instruction for a way to go; it is training for a way of life. We begin to understand our time, our treasures, and our talents differently.

Think about it, would you prefer to depend on the logic of finite mind tainted with sinful motives? Or on the vast intellectual resource of the Omniscient – the one who knows the fabric of our souls and holds the future in His hands?

If we are to have the mind of Christ you have to:

1. Have Christ; 1 John, these things I have written to you that you may know that you have eternal life – 1 John 5:9-12
2. In order to learn the mind of God, we have to face up to a sobering fact; our own understanding is fundamentally flawed. The human mind is never dependable and it cannot be given free rein to choose its own direction. Why/ because our knowledge is limited and our motive are not pure. That’s why the scripture begs us to:
   1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding – Proverbs 3:5.
   2. Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds – Roman 12:2.
   3. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:6.
3. We have to surrender our will, instincts, ambitions to the Lordship of Christ. It’s not enough to know our minds are flawed. The change is to surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

Jim’s Story (or Jim’s dad’s story):

I could tell you a lot of stories but I want to tell you a story about my dad: I want to tell you the story of my father from a son’s perspective. My goal is for you to see how one man’s commitment to Gods wisdom controlling his life, gave to another the invaluable lesson of what having the mind of Christ looks like. Not that I have it figured out, but I would be satisfied if I could have the mind of both my fathers.

Growing up as a PK

I grew up in a pastor’s home.  It was great!  We had missionaries over all the time and other pastors.  We heard incredible stories.  I saw the collision of human instinct and kingdom values on many occasions.

Church was kind of my play ground.  I remember one time that I was supposed to clean up the communion cups with my friend and we decided that we would just drink all the left over grape juice.  The result wasn’t pretty, I had way to much grape juice.  I remember the first time I sang I was probably about 3 yrs old, they had me standing on this table so that people could see my head sticking up behind my brothers.

My dad was very sensitive to the fact that the pastor’s house was a “glass house.”  It was a glass house in more than one way.  My dad was very concerned about the glass house (people from the congregation watching our life) as a young pastor but he didn’t realize that the real glass house was a little boy that was watching him.  I realized that he was real human being.  There was one Sunday when he was preaching and hit a big point in his message that his pants fell all the way down around his ankles, I was in the front row watching this and could see this around the big pulpit.  He stopped and said, “Let’s pray.”  That got everyone to close their eyes but the choir was behind him at the time and they could see everything!  He human.

For my dad his faith began in the South Pacific in a Foxhole.  He was a Marine and a future tight end for the University of Minnesota but he came to Christ and it changed his life.  After he came home he went off to Northwestern College in St. Paul to go into ministry.  He was married and went into ministry.

4 Characteristics I saw in my dad

Characteristic #1 – Sacrificial Love: Just before my brother’s senior year of High School my dad took a job in Polk City Iowa.  This meant that my all of my brother’s work to get more playing time on the football team for the last three years of high school would be lost.  It was really hard on him and my father made a commitment never to do that again. It just so happened that just before my senior year it was time for my father to leave his church and go to another. Instead, he left the ministry and went to work as a painter. All so he did not scar me and his relationship with me. What causes a man to set aside his own ambitions for his sons? That’s the day I learned what God’s “Sacrificial Love” is.

You know, God honored that.  After that time as a painter God brought Dad back into the ministry at First Federated Church.  By the time he was 60 he was at his most fruitful in ministry.

Characteristic #2 – Unmerited Grace: As a young teenager I committed a stupid sin against my father.  I was so embarrassed I couldn’t confess it to him. Well he found out. And when he came to me…..I couldn’t look him in the eye. This 250 pound, ex-marine pulled me into himself and said “you’re forgiven”. That’s the day I learned what God’s “unmerited Grace” is.

Characteristic #3 – Trust in the Lord: When I was 26 years old man, married with three children, I experienced some nausea and lost my equilibrium playing catch in the street with a friend.  The doctor just thought I was out of shape and had high blood pressure that would be corrected if I got off my butt, did some exercise and started eating better. After 3 weeks of working out and losing 10 pounds, he thought we should do a CAT scan of my brain just to make sure it’s not something else. On a Monday following a Friday scan, he called to tell me: “Jim, you have a mass in your cerebellum. I need you to go home, get packed. I’ll call you in a couple hours with more detail. You’re going to Mayo Clinic tonight for an appointment tomorrow morning. Get home, I call you in a couple hours.”

I went to my friend’s office to tell him what was going on we talked and laughed but on my way out the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.  I immediately went to see my dad at his office.  He was in the middle of talking to a couple but when he saw me and knew something was wrong he dismissed them to talk with me.  I told him what was going on and he told me two things. First he said, “This is going to be really hard on your mom.” Second he said, “Let’s pray.”  I hadn’t even thought of that!

The surgery went really well.  The next week I was recovering my dad was visiting with me.  While he was there I heard him in the next room praying with another patient.  He was ministering around the hospital wing while I was recovering. That’s the day when I learned what it meant to “Trust in the Lord”.

Characteristic #4 – Total Surrender to the Lord: I’ll never forget at the end of my dad’s life.  My dad was a diabetic. He didn’t follow the doctor’s orders, he didn’t take care of himself very well.  At the end of his life he was in this intensive care type room, I don’t think it was actually intensive care but it had a lot of windows so that the doctors could see in and keep an eye on the patients.  I was in there with my whole family, and through one of those windows I saw my good friend Magdi Ghali.  I stepped out when I saw him and we talked about what was going on with Dad.  About that time the kidney doctor came over and he and Magdi talked together about my dad’s medical condition.  Madgi told the other doctor that he needed to be more clear with us what was going on.  The doctor came into the room and said “either he goes on dialysis or he dies.”

So we had the doctor ask Dad what he wanted.  He asked him and Dad says, “No, dialysis, I’m done” He was fine, no worries. Everyone is crying but Dad was fine.  Just about that time in comes a priest. Dad couldn’t see him so he asked the priest a few times who he was.  Once he knew that this guy was priest, Dad asks him, “If you die tonight where will you go?” The priest sort of hemmed and hawed but he wouldn’t let him go.

This is what peace looks like from someone totally Surrendered to the Lord.

Conclusion

If you don’t know God, seek him today. All you have is your own instincts and they are flawed.

My father, needs no accolades: I’m not here to praise my father. You have to see where he came from. He was a drinking carousing football player. He sought the Lord and God changed him.  His instincts were changed.  Because of that he can echo what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8

How many of you have kids. One thing that frustrates me is all of the “how to” books for raising kids.  What we really need is to live out the character of Christ. We don’t always have to do it right we need to show the character of Christ. I didn’t say one thing about a sermon my dad preached but instead about how he lived.  We need to remember that our kids are watching how we live.

Where does your wisdom come from?

Proverbs 3:6 says “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Think about it, would you prefer to depend on the logic of finite mind tainted with sinful motives? Or on the vast intellectual resource of the Omniscient – the one who knows the fabric of our souls and holds the future in His hands?

What is the key question for us who desire to have the mind of Christ:  Can God be trusted? I am continuing to learn the answer to this question.  As a young man I said “no”, but as an older man I am beginning to understand the answer is not only yes, but that I can’t trust myself.

In a secular society, depression statistics rise dramatically. Suicide rates soar. Anger, bitterness, and hopelessness are evident in the cultural expression of our times. There is often a missing ingredient in the psyche of modern man that makes him pursue his own foolish instincts – The Love God!

Think about your emotional tendencies. Don’t most of our behavioral problems and psychological flaws come from an insecurity deep within?

Those who have immersed themselves in the immeasurable love of God are wise indeed – and extremely secure. They have no need to envy; no desire for revenge; no reason to fear; no time for pettiness; and no cause for self-promotion.

Having the mind of God means a willingness to live differently.

Human nature tells us to:

• Hide when we’re in trouble. God tells us to cry out to Him.
• Protect ourselves at all cost. God tells us I will supply all your needs.
• Danger is lurking at every step. God tells us no-one can lay a hand on his own.
• Make a name for yourself, that’s success – God says have the mindset of Jesus who became nothing.
• Trust your instincts, watch out for #1 – God says deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.
• Get everything you can – seek me first and you’ll get all the rest.

Psalm 107:43 “Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord”

CrossTrainers

Date: March 31th 2010

Speaker: Mike Swaim

Title: God Built – Chapter 1: Strangely and Slowly; God is Working

The story of Joseph – An overview

This book deals with how men are forged

I’ve studied the life of Joseph up and down over the years but I’ve never spent this much time thinking about Joseph as I have over the last couple of days.

If you are going to be coming over the next few weeks or months you should be reading through Genesis 36-50.

If you read Genesis 36-50 each week through this study you would understand how to move from being a victim to being a victor

2 concepts on typology:

1. When you read the Old Testament you can see different types in scripture that represent different things that we experience or see in Christ. Many people look at Egypt as a type that represents “the world.” God had told Isaac not to go to Egypt when things got tough but instead to stay in the land and wait for God to provide. Keep the understanding that when we read about Egypt we are looking at mans solution for problems.

2. Joseph represents a type of Jesus. We see many things of Jesus in Joseph.

Foundations

We need to look at Luke 6:46-49

Jesus talks about people being on a solid foundation being those who are DOING the sayings of Jesus.

Even though Joseph was doing God’s plans there were still floods that came. He didn’t have sin that was creating these things, it was a flood that God had brought into his life.

From Victim to Victor

How many of you would like to go through what Joseph went through?

He was sold into slavery. He was a stranger in a strange land. He was sent to prison for something he didn’t deserve.

Lets look at Joseph’s life from the end, looking back

How old did he live? 110 years

How old was he when Pharaoh took him out of prison and put him in charge of Egypt? 30

He faced adversity from ages 17 or so to 30.

Sometimes we need to understand that our trails are for a season and are to produce something better.

If Joseph’s grew up in today’s world his story would have been a great episode of Oprah!

He came from a really dysfunctional family.

• Great Grandfather – Abraham: He had a child with his handmaid. Lied to a king to save is own hide, Twice!
• Father – Jacob: Steals his brother’s birthright. That was a big deal! He felt entitled, he was a deceiver and a thief. He got deceived by his uncle Laban and ended up with the wrong wife. He finally got the “right” wife but found out that she couldn’t have kids. This kicked off a tug of war between Jacob’s two wives and their maid servants. Joseph had a bunch of brothers with four different moms and one dad.
• Brothers: Eventually his brother’s try to kill him, but instead sell him into slavery. They make up a story to deceive their dad.

But Joseph is on his way to Egypt – 300 miles. Probably took about 10 to 20 days. He gets to Egypt, doesn’t speak the language.

Genesis 37:28, Genesis 39:1-4

The Lord was WITH Joseph.

BUT!!

Then Potiphar’s wife gets him thrown in prison.

In both of these situations he could have said, “If I hadn’t grown up in this dysfunctional family this wouldn’t be happening”

He could have been looked at what was going on and blamed those around him

We have a tendency to do this. What we need to do is to look around and say, “God what are you doing here?” instead of blaming our circumstances on everyone else.

Adversity comes. Not necessarily because you have sinned.

God was with him

God prospered him

The principles of God are true through out scripture regardless of when they are revealed.

Proverbs 3:3-4

If I love you regardless of what you do to me then I will find favor.

What is the word of God that was given to Joseph? There will come a day when your brothers and father will bow down to you.

What is the love of God to Joseph? He was with him. Regardless of what happens with anyone else, God was with Joseph.

What is the key to moving from moving from victim to victor? FORGIVENESS

I believe that forgiveness for Joseph started on the way to Egypt. I believe this because we see that Joseph won favor in Potiphar’s house. He wouldn’t have won that favor if he hadn’t forgiven his brothers and refocused his attention on God, he wouldn’t have been walking in love and wouldn’t have found favor.

HOMEWORK: Read Genesis 36-50 once a week as we go through this study.

Click HERE for the Full Audio for this message.

(notes typed by PJ)

The NEW CrossTrainers teaching series based on God Build by Steve Farrar starts on March 31.

Our world is in desperate need of bold, passionate men of integrity. Yet such men aren’t born, they’re built, shaped and formed by God to enrich their families, church, and community. But what does this process look like? And how do we get started?

The answers are found in the story of Joseph, a humble shepherd who overcame tremendous odds to become an influential leader. It’s here we discover the process that creates true men of God, where He works

Providentially, supplying everything we need in our journey
Strangely, often in ways that we won’t understand
Slowly, building our patience and trust

God Built explores the defining spiritual process that makes men of God. You’ll uncover the Biblical pattern for growth, gain insights into common frustrations and difficulties, and get equipped for the journey ahead.

Surrender yourself to Him. And become a man that’s built to last.

CrossTrainers

Date: March 24th 2010

Speaker: Bob Stouffer

Title: God and Time

Psalm 90:4

This week Bob closed out the book “Infinite Impact” by Stu Webber.

He began with the riddle from The Hobbit

This thing all things devours:

Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays king, ruins town,

And beats high mountains down.

What is it?  TIME!

Bob wasn’t planning on doing this message but God took him on an about face to look at God’s perspective on time.

The question was asked, “What is God’s perspective on time?”  Bob asked us to discuss this, deeply, not on a surface level.  We were to discuss what we know is doctrinally true about God and time.

God is Eternal

God alone is eternal, believers in Jesus Christ will experience “everlasting” life but we are not ETERNAL beings like God

Dr. Wayne Grudem, in his book Systematic Theology, defines God’s eternality as follows:

“God has not beginning, end, or succession of moments in His own being, and He sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time” (Grudem p. 168)

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit — All three persons, dwell as one ETERNALLY

“…Time does not change God, it has no effect on His being…” (Grudem p. 169)

Jesus was fully human when on this earth, but, since He was fully God, time did not change His divine nature.  Time contstrained His human essence, but His divine nature was not changed.

“…the passing of time does not add to or detract from God’s knowledge: He knows all things past, present and future..” (Grudem p. 169)

God has NEVER ceased to exist

He alone can say, “I AM” !

“The fact that God never began to exist can also be concluded from the fact that God created all things and that He Himself is an immaterial Spirit” (Grudem p. 169)

GOD IS IMMATERIAL SPIRIT.

“Before God created the Universe, there was no ‘time’ at leas not the sense of succession of moments one after another.  Therefore, when God created the universe, He also created time.” (Grudem p. 169)

God views the past as vividly as the present and as vividly as the future.

Psalm 90:4 shows that God views a thousand years as yesterday.

“… all of past history is viewed by God with great clarity and vividness: all of time since the creation is to God as if it just happened” (Grudem p. 170)

“..any one day seems to God to be present in his consciousness forever” (Grudem p. 170)

“..in God’s perspective any extremely long period of time is as if it just happened.  And any very short period of time (such as one day) seems to God to last forever..” (Grudem p. 170)

God is Timeless

“.. God is Timeless..” (Grudem p. 170)

“..God created time and is Lord over time..” (Grudem p. 171)

“..Thus God somehow know stands above time and is able to see it all as present in His consciousness.” (Grudem p. 171)

Some theologians “have objected that God cannot be ‘timelessly eternal’ in the sens described aboe, because the moment He creates something, He is acting in time and therefore He must exist in time.” (Grudem p. 172)

God uses time for His own purposes (Grudem p. 172)

God uses time to display His glory (Grudem p. 172)

“..as God’s peopl we will experience the fullness of joy in God’s presence for all eternity – not in the sense that we will no longer experience time, but in the sense that our lives will go on forever.” (Grudem p. 173)

This thing all things devours:

Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays king, ruins town,

And beats high mountains down.

This thing – time -all things devours – but this thing – time – DOES NOT DEVOUR GOD!!

Makes your head hurt doesn’t it?  Our heads should hurt when we are attempting to discover new truths about God.  We are told to love the Lord our God with all of our MINDS.

According to Bob, the best sentence in Stu’s book appears on page 3.

“..God is the lor of our entire timelines.  At the same ‘moment’ He hovers over our present, He also walks in our past and goes before our futures.” (Webber, Infiniate Impact p.3)

Bob closed with the following:

CS Lewis once said, “The future is somethign which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”

Bob’s timeline started in August of 1958

How will  your earthly timeline end?  When will your earthly timeline end?

How will we use our lives?  In his book, Stu Weber point out that the decisions we make about how we live our lives “shapes our destiny and the interlocking destinies of many, many other people” (Webber,  p. xix)

I want my life to count for something!

I want to make the Infinate Impact of which Stu Weber wrote about.

I want to share the sentement of Mr. Kenneth P. Bowles “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid broadside, throughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow, what a ride!’”

Flame on!!

Click HERE for the Full Audio for this message.

(pj quoting Bob’s notes for Crosstrainers 3/24/2010)

• StoryTellers – Because one man’s story can change another man’s destiny.
  • Sunday March 28th @ 6:30 pm. Northpoint
    • Storyteller – Jim Mars – Jim is an executive at Holmes Murphy Financial Services and has rendered many years of service to Valley Church as a teacher, elder, and campaign chairman.  But Jim’s most important contributions have been to his family.  Come hear Jim’s story, from life growing up as a pastor’s son to his current role as husband, father, and grandfather.  Jim will share some of the experiences that have shaped him, as well as his commitment to Christ that is making an impact on generations to come.

• Spring Retreat ADVANCE – April 16th and 17th (Friday Night – Saturday Morning)

Keep your calendars open guys for this year’s annual Spring ADVANCE (Men don’t retreat, they ADVANCE!)  We will be going up to Hidden Acres again this year for some a great time of hanging out, recharging and refocusing.  You don’t want to miss this!!

Our theme this year will be “REDEMPTION: Purchased with a Price for a Purpose.”  Our speakers will be sharing their own stories of redemption from pain and failure to a place of restoration and impact.  We hope to see you there.

The cost will be $40 per person which covers food, lodging and use of the facilities (scholarships are available). Sign ups will begin on the website and in the community card soon!

• theUprising is ONLINE!!

What to stay up to date on what is going on for MEN at Valley Church?  Bookmark this link

www.theuprisingonline.com

You will find everything you need to know about theUprising here.  It is the first place information is deposited and the best place to connect to theUprising leadership team.  For all my tech guys out there you can even subscribe to the RSS feed so you’ll know as soon as we add something to the website.

In the coming weeks and month we look forward to making this website not just an opportunity to share events and news but to also share resources and create connections for guys.

Check it out TODAY!

• CrossTrainers – Wednesdays @ 6:30am in the Chapel

If you miss a morning of CrossTrainers or if 6:30am is just to early for you then head over to www.theuprisingonline.com each week for copy of PJ’s notes from that day’s talk.  You will also find a link there for an audio version of the talk

• Resources for Bible Reading – Check out these awesome customizable reading plans at YouVersion.com.
• Sign up to receive our monthly briefings here along with other news and information on special events for men. (Click Here)