So often we paint Bible characters with special colors, halos over the heads of our well-respected saints, looking at them as special people with powers and abilities way beyond our own.

But God pulled ordinary people into the extraordinary. He pulled every day people into the miraculous. He pulled earthy people into heavenly events.

This Christmas season, Pastor Christopher will look at some well-known characters with fresh eyes and introduce some people that we often overlook. He will investigate historical background to give us insights beyond our usual Christmas remembrances.

May this series bring you encouragement that God loves and visits His love upon ordinary people like you and me. Series schedule is as follows:

• Nov. 29   The Heart Cry of Infertility Turned into a Song of Hope
• Dec. 6      The Embarrassment of  Illegitimacy Overcome by God’s Peace
• Dec. 13    The Joy of the Outcasts
• Dec. 20   The Patience and Reward of the Faithful
• Dec. 27   The Jealous Rage of the Villainous Politician
• Jan. 3      The Wisdom of the Seekers

Also Join Us for Our
Christmas Eve
Candle Light Service!
7:00 PM

Matthew 5:13; Philippians 2:1-11

Evangelism is a word that often sends a tremor of terror
up some Christians’ spine. We are often terrified due to a
misconception of what the “E” word is really all about.
But evangelism can be as simple as taking a walk across a room.
In this series we want to learn what that means
and how to let the Holy Spirit be the leader in
every human relationship which we have.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-2, 9:7

Stewardship involves recognizing that God owns all that we have
and He makes us the trustee of those things. He calls us to
use our time, talents, treasures, everything for
His glory. Good stewards are generous givers.

Some people view generous givers disrespectfully.
They look at these people as if they are some kind of fools.
They think, “What’s wrong with these people?”
Don’t they know they are just being taken advantage of?
What are they ever going to get out of their giving?

We live in a society filled with people who are not givers
by any means. They have an entitlement mindset.
They are takers not givers. Consumers not producers.

But givers look at things entirely different.
They are already getting a rich reward for their giving,
but there is more to them than meets the eye.
What Makes a GIVER Work?

That question reminded me of an earlier curiosity
about the human body. I became fascinated with anatomy.
I could lay on the floor for hours as a kid,
leafing through the encyclopedia’s anatomy charts.
I wonder what the anatomy is of a generous giver.

Let’s explore that together…

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Matthew 6:5-13; Matthew 7:7-11

Whenever a person enters uncharted territory,
it pays to have a trusted guide.
When I started deer hunting two years ago,
I was a champion rookie. I didn’t have a clue.
Yet, trusted individuals took me out, showed me the ropes
and stuck me in “can’t miss” situations.
(Not sure how I missed the first season, but…)

Ever thought of life as a venture into uncharted territory?
So often, whether as individuals or as a church,
we are forced to venture into the unknown and unpredictable.

What can we do? We need a trusted guide to
continue the journey to which God is calling us.

Believe it or not, The Lord’s Prayer is all about
connecting to our Trusted Guide.
Join us this week for an unlikely message
for our first Stewardship Sunday.

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Missions Conference Features Muslim Awareness
“Understanding and Reaching Muslims” was the theme of this year’s Missions Conference at St. Luke Evangelical Church in Wellington on October 11. Special guests Dr. Mark and Sarah Anderson of International Teams spoke on three different topics to enlighten and challenge attendees on how to move from fear to faith when it comes to dealing with Islam in America and the world today.

The Andersons provide similar special training in workshops across the country and around the world. Their presentations focused on: “Unexpected Disciples–Audio” comparing the Roman Centurion during Jesus’ day with modern-day Muslims — in both morning worship services.

They shared insight into Muslim beliefs about Jesus and especially offered simple questions to ask Muslims about Jesus and Muhammad (Questions Power Point) during Sunday school.

Dr. Anderson then shared incredible stories of the salvation of many Muslims around the world and gave insights into the form of Islam practiced by the majority of Muslims around the world and in the US–Folk Islam Power Point–at a 1 PM workshop after a potluck lunch.

“I am very excited that we had the opportunity to host the Andersons,” said Pastor Christopher Barnes. “This is an important topic today. People are often unnerved by what they see in the news and unprepared to have a loving, gracious relationship with Muslims who might join them in the work place or in their neighborhoods.” Barnes also felt that this is “a caliber of presentation not often available in small communities like ours.”

The Andersons served as missionaries in France for twenty years. A ministry among middle and upper-middle class French people was expanded their last four years to evangelism among Muslims from French-speaking North African countries. Mark and Sarah now live in the United States.  They work in the Muslim Ministries Department of International Teams.  They teach and mentor Missionaries-in-Training.

What if twenty steps
across a room
could change your friend’s forever?

In his newest book, Just Walk Across the Room, Pastor BILL HYBELS
paints a compelling picture for how a few steps of obedience
really can touch eternity.

JOIN US

for a Four-Week Church Experience that will refresh your
appreciation for the Holy Spirit’s mysterious ways,
rekindle your passion for people,
and revive your belief that the single greatest gift
you can give to your friends and family members
is an introduction to

the God who…

CREATED them
LOVES them
has a PURPOSE
for their every day.

During these four Sundays, we’ll learn together how to approach our
sin-scarred world with a relevant, appropriate message of truth
- a message that is conveyed on the heels of a simple walk across a room.

We kick off this this new series on the first Sunday of November! Call now to order your copy of the best-selling book, Just Walk Across the Room, in either hardcover or audio CD. The book is authored by Pastor Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church.

Small group guides are available for those who will be in small groups. Small groups will feature DVD portions to kick off the weekly discussions.

One of our greatest fears is talking to someone about Jesus. Learn how to take the fear out and make each day of your life an exciting adventure.

The first four Sundays in November can be life-changing if we let them. See you there. Pastor Christopher

Jonah 4; Luke 15:7 & 10

Jonah preached through the city of Nineveh and got
incredible results! This huge pagan city,
from the least to the greatest, repented of their sin
and cried out to God for help!
Jonah should have celebrated.
No other prophet had ever experienced such results.

Instead, Jonah pouted!

What was wrong with this guy?
How do we keep from ending up with the
same hard heart toward the lost all around us?

Join us as we explore the heart of God,
toward the lost and toward His pouting prophet.

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Jonah 3

Jonah was vomited to shore, covered in slime
and seaweed, and probably never so happy
to see the open sky and to breathe fresh air.
But, even more important, Jonah was a complete failure.
He was all washed up as a prophet.
He had fled from the command of the Lord.

Ever felt that way?
Ever felt the shame of failing God or others?
Is there a way to get a second chance?

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Posted in Sermons ]]> http://lookstluke.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/jonah-3-the-god-of-second-chances/feed/ 0 Christopher Barnes Jonah Runaway Logo http://lookstluke.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/jonah-2-distress-signal-from-a-deep-place/ http://lookstluke.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/jonah-2-distress-signal-from-a-deep-place/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:16:28 +0000 Christopher Barnes http://lookstluke.wordpress.com/?p=784 ]]>

Jonah 2

Why do we run away from God? Where’s the logic in that?
Think of it… God is all loving, all wise, all powerful.
What’s the point of running from Him?
But we do it all the time. Don’t we?

In this message, I share a personal testimony of a time
when I ran away from God and what I learned from it.
We then look at where running from God got Jonah
– down in deep trouble. Surprisingly,
Jonah displays amazing faith despite
being tangled in despair.

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Jonah 1

When we get into a familiar Bible story,
we have to once again struggle to read it with “virgin eyes”.
Who is this man Jonah? Why is he relevant to us today?

Diving into the book we find surprising similarities between
this Prophet of old and our contemporary hearts.
Join us this week as we examine:
In what ways do we run away from God?
In what ways is God trying to get our attention?

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