Due to a forecast of rain for this evening, the Blazing Center KICKOFF Party has been moved from Duff Park to Murrysville Community Church.

See you tonight!

The Blazing Center
by John Piper

“God is the blazing sun at the center of reality. Everything revolves around him. And as the most valuable and glorious person that exists, God is loving, not conceited, when he calls us to worship him, because he’s offering us the one thing that will make us the most happy: himself. God’s pursuit of glory and our pursuit of joy are not at odds. Because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”
– From DesiringGod.com

New study starts April 30 with our Kickoff Party at Duff Park in Murrysville.

Order your book by Monday, April 27!

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We’ve been reading a book called “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God” by Francis Chan. It’s a great read and very convicting. Chapter 7, which we read this week, featured a reading of Isaiah 58:2-14. It’s long, but really worth it if you take the time to read it:

2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.

3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Powerful stuff. And, truly a good reminder of our purpose in worship.

Thursday, March 19 @ 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Green snacks and possibly some fake Irish accents join our regular weekly P:F meeting. What could be better?

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
by Francis Chan

“Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being. . . When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?” – From Amazon.com

Order your copy today!

As we near the end of our study and discussion of Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden, it’s time to begin the process of selecting a new study topic and book. We’ve selected three options, but we’d love to hear from you!

Comment on this post to vote for which book you’d like to read next… Or post another option (make sure to include a link)!

Option #1 – Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
by Francis Chan

“Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being. . . When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?” – From Amazon.com

——————–

Option #2 – Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals
by Shane Claibourne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

“Prayer is not so much about convincing God to do what we want God to do as it is about convincing ourselves to do what God wants us to do.” –from the Introduction

Activists Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove show how prayer and action must go together. Their exposition of key Bible passages provides concrete examples of how a life of prayer fuels social engagement and the work of justice. Phrases like “give us this day our daily bread” and “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” take on new meaning when applied to feeding the hungry or advocating for international debt relief.

If you hope to see God change society, you must be an ordinary radical who prays–and then is ready to become the answer to your own prayers. – From Amazon.com

——————–

Option #3 – Dangerous Faith: Growing in God and Service to the World
by Joel Vestal

“Today’s world is filled with stories of oppression, war, famine, and extreme poverty. For those who serve Jesus, our mandate is clear: Feed the hungry, free the oppressed, and offer light in dark places. Simply stated, we are the hands and feet of Christ’s ministry on earth. But such a call can feel overwhelming. Can each believer truly make a difference? Joel Vestal believes that not only is it possible to make a difference, it is essential. Dangerous Faith shares Joel’s extraordinary travels around the world and through human suffering. Joel’s stories and insights will challenge indifference and encourage readers to actively express their compassion. And as they engage with the world around them, they’ll find a deeper and richer walk with Christ.” – From Amazon.com

Tomorrow we’ll be discussing chapter 5 of Jesus Wants to Save Christians, so don’t forget to read!

Also, get ready for Thursday, January 22, for the annual March for Life in Washington DC! We’ll meet at MCC at 6:00 am to ride the bus down to DC and be back by 9:00 pm. Cost is $25 per person, but if cost is an issue, let me know! So, take the day off for the most important day in the pro-life calendar!

Due to lack of interest, the New Year’s Party has been canceled. See you next week for discussion of chapter 5 of Jesus Wants to Save Christians.

Happy New Year!

We’re beginning our new discussion of Rob Bell & Don Golden’s new book, Jesus Wants to Save Christians. For more information about the book, read our blog entry or check it out on Amazon. There’s also an audio download if you’re into that kind of thing!

Order your book by Friday, November 7, at 12:00 pm (that’s noon, people), and we’ll do our best to have a copy waiting for you at the next P:F meeting on Thursday, November 13, at 7:30 pm.

Feel free to pick up your own copy, but if we all order together from Amazon, we can avoid shipping charges. We won’t be reading the chapters aloud anymore, so you’ll want to buy the book this time.

Order your copy now »