The Gathering Christian Church, Sermons and Resources: Recent Comments

Comment on The Radically Normal Christian, Part VII: Drinking to the Glory of God

2011-10-31T13:58:31Z

Just finished listening to this sermon online. I thought you handles this subject very, very well Josh. The best I have ever heard. Honest,realistic and Biblical. Thanks!

Comment on Andrew Spangler: Romans 7

2011-10-10T23:08:15Z

Andrew did an outstanding job. This message touched on some of the big questions in my struggle. I have listened multiple times, I am sure I will listen again. Thank you.

Comment on The Radically Normal Christian, Part I: Stoic or Indulgent?

2011-09-13T13:49:59Z

What a concept Josh. I'm looking forward to following your development of being a radically normal Christian. Thanks!

Comment on Inscription 57: Thriving in Exile

2011-08-08T03:53:01Z

thank you so much for getting this posted so quickly. Really enjoyed it. Dad said it was great. will listen to it again soon....before homegroup

Comment on Insription 38: Fasting

2010-11-24T05:03:28Z

Was just listening to the Fasting sermon, and had to laugh, ...lent is not the past tense of lend. Funny, Josh!

Comment on Inscription 24: Teaching the Next Generation

2010-07-12T16:14:07Z

Reading over what I wrote here I would amend one expression. At the last sentence I should have said, "our job is to facilitate, if at all possible, make it natural, and pray for that day that they would be ready, open and alert to His voice." I think that it is proud and foolish to think that we could make a child decide anything...but the Holy Spirit is able and wise. He guides us, He gives us grace....and He can do the same for our kids.

Comment on Inscription 24: Teaching the Next Generation

2010-07-03T19:42:47Z

I would like to add something. I have many times had people ask what we did to have 3 kids serving God. In all honesty we were real screw ups if you ask me. But we did desire God, and we wanted our children to serve Him. So when people have asked that question I used to say, "It really wasn't us, it was all God".

Then one day a lady said to me, "Don't say that, because if it is true, God must love you more than he loves me".

So I sat down one day and wrote down the principles I had come to believe about raising disciples.

I would like to say that there are many things we can do that influence and teach our children about God, but the MOST IMPORTANT PRINCLPLE is that we NOT hinder our children from following Him.

Each one of us needs to seek God, and say "what am I doing that could cause my child to turn away from you? What lie am I demonstrating to my child about you that would make You undesirable?"

Then, in the same manner we ask, "what is it that I can do to encourage them to want you?"

Then it boils down to the fact that God has a day, a moment, an appointment with each one of our children when He makeS Himself their God, when He reveals Himself to them in a way we can never do. Our job is to make them ready, open and alert to His voice.

Comment on Inscription II: Experiencing the Psalms

2009-12-07T18:32:33Z

When listening to a sermon sometimes we would like to make it a conversation because something said resonates with us. We understand a point made, or illustration, and we just wish we could share our experience, and insight with others.

I had that experience when listening to this sermon, and Josh you really helped me understand.

Josh referred to "Shindler's List", I only saw it once. But as I just finished reading "War and Remembrance" and viewing the miniseries of this great historical fiction, my heart is very sensitive to the horrors and the specific tragedies of millions of individuals who were caught up in Hitler's "Final Solution".

Corrie Ten Boon who with her sister Betsy was sent to a concentration camp by the Nazi (for the crime of hiding Jews) struggled with the same emotions as the psalm writers who watched their children murdered by the Babylonians.

But her sister Betsy viewed the soldiers who were performing the atrocities as victims as well. She pitied them as she and others were degraded and beaten.

When I was reading "War and Remembrance" I often wanted to skip over the parts written about the Holocaust, it was just to hard...still out of respect for those who suffered I continued to read. But watching the same things on the T.V. was different. For a moment perhaps I wondered at how people could perform such acts, could be so calculating as they planned the murder of millions.

As you watch it on the screen, the children, the families, and know that it really happened...only one thought...God don't forget!

I would like to have God's point of view, and at moments we get glimpses. We might see the deception, perhaps a historical philosophy that allowed a nation to be led by a mad man and act mindlessly without question. If we had the mind of God perhaps we would feel compassion, but we would crumple under vision of each little broken heart, each pitiful scene.

But we are human. I strive to be like Betsy...but I am more like Corrie...God, don't forget.

But one more thing. The story of Corrie Ten Boon doesn't end there. Before she could heal, God required, and enabled her to forgive...and to care and provide healing for those who were victims of Hitler's deceptions.

And Psalms doesn't end there. David who wrote so much of Psalms raped a man's wife then had that man killed...and yet he found himself broken before God, and found forgiveness.

So the doctrines of the Bible can be found in Psalms? Interesting....looking forward to seeing that.

Comment on God's Big Plan (Romans 8:28-30)

2009-05-25T17:23:12Z

Hey Cecil, Didn't hear this in person, so got to listen while doing my dishes this morning.

Started my day walking out to where we do laundry. The sky is blue, the spring green of the new fir growth and vine maple...so beautiful, breath taking...and the thought that ran through my head was, "I should feel elated by this...but this "not having work sucks...and puts a hold on my enjoyment." and then I hear, again, "Just trust me, will you?"

Then I came back in and listened to you speak the words that I so totally believe. Thank you for reminding me.

May I add. Obedience to what God has called me personally to do is the purpose of my life.

The first "to do" is to know Him, and do all I can to find more and more of Him.

The next "to do" is to trust Him, believe Him...and I demonstrate that best to myself when I rest in Him, and don't believe what the things that I see seem to be saying. Those things that would cause me to lose heart, and fall into the sin of unbelief.

The last "to do" is obedience to His will revealed to me. For us, at this time it is live half of our life in Mexico, and trust God with our means.

I do so much know that this life is temporal. My mother's death really brought that home. In all the suffering that came on me with that event, I count a deeper commitment to my "eternal perspective" as my richest gain.

Good Job Cecil, well done, well said.

Comment on The Pillars of Community XVII: Single in Community (1 Corinthians 7)

2009-05-05T19:41:05Z

Just listened to last Sunday's sermon. As it started and progressed I started to feel that the focus was on sex rather than the true issues of being a Christian who is single. I thought, "this is good and useful stuff, but may not be an issue to the women I know."
Forgive me for complimenting my son, in that I feel the information, as usual took a different approach, and also gave new info, and was really valuable...

As I listened, the parts that I feared would be left out were added, but I thought may have been eclipsed by the preceding material.

First, I want to say that most of the single women I know at the Gathering appear to be doing well, serving faithfully in remarkable ways. Not only that, they are not isolating themselves from us married ladies, but they are rather serving us as amazing sisters.

Our times in Mexico has exposed us to many young women, and older women who serve as missionaries, or were doing their stint of a year or so with YWAM or Campus Crusade for Christ, or Misíon Victoria.

Many of these have found husbands on the field while they were serving faithfully, and have been "surprised by God" as He brought the man of their dreams.

Others, still serving faithfully have felt that they could not make plans for the next thing because they desired so much to be a wife, and have a husband to serve besides in their missionary work. I have heard these sweet, amazing gals hearts and I have prayed with them, and prayed for them, as I believed with them that God would not have left the desire to be a wife if He did not intend to bring the bridegroom along.

I know such wonderful and beautiful stories. I have told them to encourage these young women, and even a few older women.

I agree that separating the "singles" from the "marrieds with children" of our body is very Undesirable. I think it would be great if at some point in time we could hear the testimonies of these who have waited and received. It could encourage those who are waiting....and edify those who are married.