July 28, 2010

Discerning God's Will Resources

Posted by WIl

This week our sermon series By Popular Demand continues with the topic Discerning God’s Will. We have several resources available in the Resource Center that will help you dig deeper into this subject. All of these titles will be available in the Resource Center this Sunday.

The simple fact is that there is no quick and easy formula for learning to discover the will of God. It comes from regular disciplines that we put into place in our lives in order to draw closer to God. Through these practices we can learn to know God and His will not only for us, but for creation and humanity as a whole. The following books discuss the classic spiritual disciplines and how they can be implemented in our lives: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster; Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard; and The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg.

Connecting With God is also a very practical way of learning to connect with God and experience Him in the many ways He expresses Himself. This workbook is great for individual or group study.

Andy Stanley’s Discovering God’s Will (with DVD) focuses on understanding the role we play in bringing about God’s will in our lives, and understanding that God does not force His will upon us. This group study helps us examine our decision making process and shows how we can align the decisions we make with God’s will.

Sometimes there are barriers in our lives that prevent us from being able to see and implement God’s plan for us. The InterActions study Significance: Understanding God’s Purpose for Your Life reminds us that God longs to free us from the chains and burdens of sin and set us free so that we can live freely in His presence and carry out His purposes.

July 22, 2010

God’s Plan for Marriage Resources

Posted by Will

This week we begin our sermon series By Popular Demand. The first topic Isaac will be discussing is God’s Plan for Marriage. These resources will help you better understand God’s design and intent for the marriage relationship. They come recommended by Isaac, Marriage Prep facilitator Aubrey Hutchings, and family counselors Javier and Georgina Sierra. All of these resources will be available for purchase at the Resource Center this Sunday.

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
Dr. Eggerichs breaks down these two fundamentals of marriage and stresses the importance of and biblical foundations for both.

Power of a Praying Wife & Power of a Praying Husband by Stormie Omartian
These companion volumes guide husbands and wives in how to pray for each other according to their God-given uniqueness and responsibilities.

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
This book teaches that God’s primary intent for marriage is not our personal happiness, but rather it is intended to deepen our relationship with Him and model His love.

Intimate Allies by Dan Allendar and Trempor Longman
Intimate Allies strips away cultural expectations and takes a fresh look at God’s design for the marriage relationship. The authors focus on five foundations taken from Genesis 1-3 and include an extensive review of other biblical passages on marriage.

Goal of Marriage
This six-week study is part of the Intimate Marriage series and introduces the “leave, weave, and cleave” concept for strong, biblically based marriages.

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Healthy communication is necessary to maintain a marriage that will live up to God’s intention for it. This book will help couples discover their own and each others’ communication style and how to respond to it.

Staying Close by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
The Raineys discuss the natural trend towards isolation and loneliness in marriage and offer help on how to avoid these pitfalls.

July 15, 2010

Dignity Serves

Posted by Garry

Last night I was asked the question – “What is the thing that defines you most?”

I was then asked how it would feel if that thing was taken away. Who would I be then?

I was asked these questions because last night I began the Dignity Serves curriculum with my Summit Connect group. Now, nearly a day later, I can’t shake these questions and those that are created as a result of entertaining them. Questions like…

Who am I? What does it mean to be fully what I was created to be? Fully human? Do I look at those who have less as ‘them’ and those that are like me as ‘us’?

If we believe the Bible when it says that all of humanity is imprinted with the image of God (Genesis 1), if we believe that because of God’s intense love for humanity there is no real division or classification between people (Galatians 3), if we believe that Jesus came to seek and save all that was lost (Luke 19), if we take seriously the call to love others even if it means getting our hands dirty (Mark 12), then it changes how we look at people. It changes how we see other people. It changes who we are in a world full of people whom have the lovely image of God in them even if it has been marred by circumstances.

Jesus says simply, “follow me” in being fully what you were made to be – in being fully human. Follow me in a love that results in seeing the potential in people. I hope at the end of this six-week study I can be more like Jesus. I hope that I can be more compassionate in a world that needs. I hope I can be bolder. I hope I can see the world more like Jesus and be willing to serve, because that is what being fully human looks like.

July 14, 2010

Resource Guidebook

Posted by Will

In the last issue of SUMMIT MAGAZINE I wrote about the Summit Connect: Resource Center Guidebook. We have updated it since then, and decided to make it available as an online resource. If you are not familiar with the Guidebook, here’s a brief overview of what it is and how to use it:

Summit Connect groups exist as a way to live out the vision of Summit Church to be a biblically functioning community. Specifically, groups learn, serve, and worship together. The Resource Guidebook is designed to help your group dive into the “learn” portion of the vision for Summit Connect Groups. Resources are divided into categories that will make it easy for your group to find something to study. Categories include everything from studying specific books of the Bible to personal growth and development.

RESOURCE GUIDEBOOK

If you see a study you would like to go through with your group, just send an email to resourcecenter@summitconnect.org to check on the availability. We can have most studies ready to purchase within a week.

Since service opportunities change frequently, we have also moved our listings for service projects online. Click on the SERVE tab to view immediate volunteer needs at Summit and throughout the community.

June 30, 2010

"Choose" Resources

Posted by Will

The current sermon series is all about what we as believers can choose to focus our time and energy on no matter what is going on in our lives. Here are some resources that will help you go further with the themes of faith, joy, love and forgiveness.

The Jesus Way

Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, laments how easy it can be for us to choose to focus on things that have no eternal significance, and instead points towards the eternal path to peace, joy, and righteousness that Jesus laid out. A separate study guide is also available.

Blue Like Jazz

Donald Miller recounts his struggle to find a purpose and relevance for Christianity in our postmodern culture that tends to reject the timeless truths laid out by Jesus. He was ultimately encouraged by the faith he found across the country in some of the most unlikely places.

Mere Christianity

C.S. Lewis distills the essence of Christianity in a highly insightful and profound manner in this classic work.

Also, check out these InterActions Study Guides for Groups:

Jesus: Seeing Him More Clearly

Meeting God: Psalms for the Highs and Lows of Life

Essential Christianity: Practical Steps for Spiritual Growth

New Identity: Discovering Who You Are in Christ

Living in God’s Power: Finding God’s Strength for Life’s Challenges

All of these titles are available in the Resource Center