Dear Fellows and friends of CSLI Annapolis,
We had a full slate of events while Dr. Ken Boa visited Annapolis this past month. Many facets of Annapolis were touched by his wisdom and clear articulation of the gospel.
There are a full slate of events on the calendar below. Please check for events that you may be interested in. You will also be receiving invitations to events that are open to you. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC are the following:
Pastor Gerry Miller will be our speaker for a two-part Apologetics Seminar on "Why Should I Trust the Scriptures?"
- Apologetics Seminar Part I | Friday, January 29 | 7-9pm| Brice House
(dessert/coffee will be served)
- Apologetics Seminar Part II| Saturday, January 30 | 9-11am| Brice House
(pastry/coffee will be served)
And Dr. John Lennox from Oxford University will be the speaker at our first Annapolis Annual Banquet on Saturday, Apr 16, 6pm at the Doubletree Hotel. Invitations will go out for this event in the next 60 days.
In October's newsletter, we offered an introduction to "The 8 Traits of a Disciple of Jesus", and committed to cover all eight traits over the next eight newsletters. I use these traits to disciple someone who wants to know and follow Jesus better. The first and last of the eight newsletters contain the introduction and conclusion respectively along with the 1st and 8th trait. If you find this useful, you are welcome to have the "Eight Traits" in their entirety for your discipleship purposes.
Eight Traits of a Disciple:
Trait 3.
A follower of Jesus loves others. In John 13:34, Jesus says: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
What does it look like to love others? If we use our definition of love from Trait 2, then should we not say that to love another is to ensure that everything we do or say is to promote the good of the beloved?
Who do you have a difficult time loving? Who is least deserving of your love? Who needs your love right now? Who needs your forgiveness, your unconditional commitment to their well being whether they deserve it or not?
A follower of Jesus loves even when they do not want to or feel like loving. Love is a choice, a decision, not a feeling, and Jesus expects us to do it, to everyone, at all times.
This is an e-mail I received from a C.S. Lewis Fellow after considering this command of Jesus:
"During the last few weeks, and in particular during the month in which we were discussing "Community of Believers" I became convicted of a relationship with a brother in our church that had become broken. We had not been on speaking terms for almost a year. It was clear that this was not honoring to God. By God's grace, and to a large extent aided by the reading and materials from April (The Bible study, Bonhoeffer and Keller), he and I have met twice now - once last week and again last night - where we both clearly and honestly laid out the ways in which we both felt wounded, and also to acknowledge our sins and offenses against each other and to seek each other's forgiveness. It was hard, but so worth it. We left last night embracing each other and feeling totally reconciled. I never knew such gospel centered reconciliation was even possible. There has been a huge weight lifted, for which I am so grateful to God and how he used the Fellows program to help me in this!" (C.S. Lewis Fellow)
Jesus loved others by washing His friends' feet. We may not need to literally wash someone else's feet but we can serve them. Loving others unselfishly in the manner He loved is not a suggestion for a disciple of Jesus. We are to love others unselfishly because He loves us willingly, unconditionally and sacrificially.
Who do you need to love right now? Why do you block God's best for you by disobeying His command to "love one another as I have loved you"?
Next month: Trait 4
Thanks for all your support. Lives continue to be changed through your generosity of time, money, and prayers.
Blessings,
Jim Phillips
If you do not yet receive Knowing & Doing, the Institute's quarterly publication and you would like to, click here to sign up.
December
- Fellows Exclusive - Dessert/coffee w/Bob Ragan | Friday, Dec 4 | 7-9pm | Brice House
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Dec 5 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
January
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Jan 9 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
- Apologetics Seminar Part I | Friday, January 29 | 7-9pm| Brice House
- Apologetics Seminar Part II| Saturday, January 30 | 9-11am| Brice House
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
February
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Feb 6 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
- Pastor's Luncheon | Wednesday, Feb 17 | Noon - 1:30pm | YellowFin
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
March
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Mar 5 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
April
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Apr 2 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
- CSLI DC Annual Fundraising Banquet | Thursday, Apr 14 | 6pm | McLean Hilton | John Lennox speaker
- CSLI Annapolis Annual Banquet | Saturday, Apr 16 | 6pm | Doubletree Hotel | John Lennox speaker
- John Lennox at USNA | Sunday, Apr 17 | 11am | U.S. Naval Academy Chapel
- John Lennox at USNA | Monday, Apr 18 | noon | Laboon Center
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Apr 30 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
May
- Pastor's Luncheon | Thursday, May 5| Noon - 1:30pm | TBD
- SJC Men's Discipleship Group | Tuesdays | 7:30pm | Aslan House
- SJC Women's Discipleship Group | Wednesdays | 2:30pm | Aslan House
June
- Year 1&2 Fellows Meeting | Saturday, Jun 4 | 8:45am | Brice House & Paca House
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