23 April 2019

New News about

J17 MINISTRIES

Harmony Hub

Bible Heartburn

If you attend a Christian church, more than likely it's written somewhere in your church's statement of faith that you accept the Bible as the inspired word of God. We believe it's inspired - but how does it inspire you? Saying it was inspired when it was written pales in comparison to hearing the Living God speak to you through it!

That first Easter Sunday afternoon, the resurrected Jesus (with a big smile on His face, I'm sure of it), snuck up behind two travelers on the road to Emmaus. "Whatcha talking about?" he asked. And they told Jesus the whole sad story about... Jesus. Cutting to the chase, after the encounter was over and the Emmaus bro's were reflecting on the evening, they said, "Didn't our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"

How's your Scriptural heartburn doing? Got a regular case of it, I hope?

If you haven't contracted Bible heartburn in awhile, might I suggest that you hang out with some brothers and sisters from a different background than your own, and do a Bible study together? Our love can grow cold if we're not learning new things, and one of the very best ways to do that is to hang out with some new people.

It was in one of those settings, after I'd probably preached on John 17 at least 100 times, and actually written a book about it, that I discovered something new about John 17 that had been there, plain as day, the entire time! I love the inspired and inspiring Word of God, always new, always bringing forth new insight and more importantly, new life.

Here's what I learned at a Pastor Prayer Summit about 3 years ago, which I'll unpack in a future three part series here. John 17 has four petitions in it. Each petition gets repeated at least once, with Jesus showing how He personally invested in that petition in between the first and at-least-second time the request gets mentioned. The last request, "Make them/us one as You and I, Father, are One" is in the prayer four times. And the first three petitions are how you get the last one. The first three petitions are quite literally our GPS, our roadmap, for unity. Stay tuned!

Harmony Hub Contributor:

Pastor Dave Drum

Collaboration Corner

TMA is a Revelation

I have been attending the Tucson Ministry Alliance Thursday luncheon from its inception. Every meeting is a revelation! By that, I mean I learn something I did not know, hear a story I have never heard, or meet someone from a different sector in our city.

 

For example, I have listened to business people talk about their faith and share crucial scripture promises. I have heard them testify how their trade is a platform for witness. I asked one business leader what a pastor needs to know about his daily life. He said, “The highs and lows of owning a business.” I have also listened to leaders in government talk about how important it is for a city to define itself (versus someone else defining it), the danger of charisma without character in politics, and the critical need for mentoring youth. Government leaders and business leaders are not in my usual social network, but they are there at TMA.

 

I also hear stories of good news in Tucson. The beginning of the Opportunity Center is an example, where some twenty-two ministries are coming together to serve the poor in a refurbished hotel that God provided. Or learning about the transformation of our downtown area, where there were once 4 restaurants and now there are 80. Did you know that Tucson’s downtown revitalization is now nationally recognized?

 

I also recently learned how Linda Leatherman came to be the faith-based coordinator of our city when President George W. Bush came to Tucson during the Mt Lemmon fire. She is now a key leader in church-government collaboration.

 

Finally, I have learned so much from the presenters. I learned that historically Tucson has been a “no” city and Phoenix a “yes” city in regard to business expansion, development, and new growth. I learned that young adults who stay in church do so because they have had adult friends or mentors in the church along the way. I learned the industry of pornography is larger than all the sports teams combined; and the industry targets kids as young as 6-10 years of age. I also learned the tremendous work Sold No More has done in alerting youth to sexual predators and maintaining sexual integrity. I have learned that every pastor must decide whether they will pursue success or mission.

 

TMA meets together, eats together, learns together, and prays together. We ask God to show us – reveal to us – how we can change the city we are called to love. Won’t you join us for our next TMA meeting on May 9?

Collaboration Corner Contributor:

Dan Johnson, Retired Pastor

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