JourneyWorship

#Follower - Week 3

Well, it's time to resurrect the Journey Worship blog. After a few months of Josh being away in Uganda, this thing fell by the wayside. So, let's get back at it, shall we?

Today was week three of the series "Follower." Pastor Jimmy's main idea today was very simply that followers help others follow. He stated that the American version of the Gospel, for the most part, distorts the truth Gospel. In our version, WE are the end of the Gospel. We say things like "when He was on the cross, I was on his mind." But that's not the whole Gospel. It's true that you are the beneficiary of God's grace, but you are not the END of his grace. He saves you so that you can make him known. Sanctification is the process of Him shining his light in everything that doesn't look like Jesus. So that he who started the good work wil be faithful to complete it. The light of the world becomes light in us so that he can be the light through us. He extends his grace to you so he can be grace through you.

Matt 4:18-20 - "While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Disciples help make disciples.

You are either on mission or you are the mission.

1 Cor 3:6-8 - "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

You have to know your role and your limits in helping People follow Jesus.

Your condemnation and judgment will never bring someone to Jesus!

PRACTICAL THINGS

1. Partner with a local church

• Sacrificing - with the same dollar you can worship God and fund the mission! 
• Serving 

2. Share your story 

3. Invest and invite - leverage your relationships for the Gospel

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Worship Set

1. You Deserve (Hillsong)

2. Holding Nothing Back (Jesus Culture vers.)

3. With Us (Hillsong)

4. Unending Love (Hillsong)

9.25.11 Worship Recap

Today at Journey we concluded our series Square Ped Round Hole. Pastor Jimmy brought an encouraging word about genuine faith. Here are a few highlights:

Jesus doesn't point you to some data or facts. He points you to a revelation of Himself.

If He is who He says He is, then why should we not build our lives on Him.

1 Corinthians 15:13-20

If this isn't true, than we are wasting our time, and our faith is in vain. We are nothing more than a bunch of idiots to be pitied.

If Christ has not been raised, than we are lost in our sins.

v.20 - "but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead."

Hebrews 11:6 - "and without faith it is impossible to please God."

We have a longing to trust, and He has a longing to be trusted.

We have a longing to believe, and He has a longing for us to believe in Him.

When God issued the call to Moses from the burning bush, He used the title "Yahwah" meaning "I am that I am."

When you seek Him you find everything you've been looking for.

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It was a fantastic day today. At the end of the service, Paul Crouthamel sent off Josh and Tasha Via and their family with some encouraging words and a word of prayer. The Vias leave tomorrow for six weeks in Uganda as they finish up their adoption of a little girl from the orphanage at Bukaleba, a ministry of Arise Africa International. The Vias would appreciate your prayers during their stay.
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It was a blast worshiping today with our team. Their hearts for Jesus is always so contagious. The band consisted of Kody Masteller (drums), David Patterson (bass), Jamie Joyce (electric/worship leader), Daniel Milers (electric), Steven Sharpe (keys), Tasha Via (violin), Whitney Bauer (BGVs/worship leader), Hannah Roughgarden (BGVs/worship leader), Josh Via (acoustic/worship leader).

We worshiped to:
1. You Are Wonderful (Journey Worship - look for it on the album coming Nov. 20th)
2. All Our Love (Journey Worship - look for it on the new album)
3. Yahweh w/ King on His Way tag (Hillsong, Via)
4. Wonderful, Beautiful (New Life Worship)
5. This is My Story/Blessed Assurance (New Life version)

"UNSTOPPABLE" 12.5.10 Worship Recap

Yesterday began our two-week mini-series called "Unstoppable." Pastor Jimmy talked about our mission as a church and challenged Journey not to lose focus on what really matters and what we're called to do as a church. It was a powerful message that I think brought clarity to where we are as a 5-year old church and where we're headed. Here are a few bullet-points and highlights. 

• As The Church, 1)We have the promise of the Father, 2)We've been purchased by the Son, and 3) We have the power of the Holy Spirit.
• "I've never been concerned that the church might not succeed, but that we would succeed at the wrong things." 
• Success breeds self-reliance.
• Individual surrender is the key to corporate success.
• There's a difference between movement and mission.  
• If Journey Church closed it's doors, would the city of Raleigh even notice?  Would they even care? The next season of Journey is going to be one where we find ourselves answering "Yes" to that question.

We worshiped to:

1. For Your Name (Hillsong)

2. You Are Wonderful (Journey Worship)

3. Forever Reign (Hillsong)

4. Arms Open Wide (Hillsong)

11.7.10 Recap

Today we continued our series "Traveler's Guide" through 1 Peter.  Pastor Jimmy brought a strong message on suffering.

Just to recap:

Suffering is subjective.  It's subjective because the pain we are going through is our only reference point.  We know nothing a/b the kind of suffering that Chinese believers face. But the suffering we experience is still painful, nonetheless.  That's why we say it's subjective. So, we'll call suffering, pain.

1. Sometimes God does cause pain

• But we have to understand the difference between punishment and discipline.  Punishment is about penalty.  Discipline is about teaching/instruction.
• Sometimes God causes or wills pain in our lives to discipline or teach us.

• Heb. 12:6-11 - "Those the Lord loves He disciplines..." If He doesn't discipline you, you're an illigitimate child.

2. Sometimes suffering comes at the hand of Satan

• 1 Peter 5:8 - "the devil is like a roaring lion"
• 1 Peter 2:19-20 - "But if when you do right and suffer or it you potentially endure it, this finds favor with God."

3. Sometimes suffering comes at the hand of another person

• The example of Jospeh

4. Sometimes suffering comes because of my bad choices

• The example of Lot
• Lot pitched his tents toward Sodom, but before long he was living there and "sitting in the gates."
• Lot probably thought he would just live in Sodom, but before he knew it, Sodom was living in him!

Whatever the cause of your pain, you have a choice to make--a crux decision.  For some, pain causes them to run away from God.  For others, it causes them to run toward God. 

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It was an amazing day, for sure.  The Holy Spirit's presence was thick in the warehouse as we worshiped together.  Make no mistake about it, God is up to something in the hearts of our Journey people.  And we must be ready and willing to obey.

We worshiped to:

1. You Are Wonderful (Journey Worship)

2. Revival's Fire (Andy Cherry)

3. Stronger (Hillsong)

4. Overcome w/ Dance With Me tag (New Life Worship/Jesus Culture)

5. This is My Story (New Life Worship)