CCC Gainesville | Blog
Each of our classrooms has an apprentice this year. All of our apprentice’s serve most every Sunday alongside one of our Core Teachers. Today I would like to introduce you to Olivia Pendley. If you have a child in the K/1st class during the first worship hour it is likely they are getting to know Olivia. We encourage you to step in and introduce yourself if you have not yet had a chance to meet her.
Meet Olivia:
Hi, my name is Olivia Pendley. I was born in Gainesville and have grown up here.
I am a Freshman at Buchholz high school. I swim for their swim and dive team as well.
I have been apprenticing in the Schackow’s kindergarten and 1st grade class. I have really enjoyed being with the kids, they are all so sweet. Plus it is great to learn what it’s like to teach a class. Thank you!
We’re reading through Acts together. Today we’re at chapter 4. In just four short days God has reminded me; and many of you, I pray–of the glory of Jesus and the urgency with which the church is to live. Today’s reading contains a “how to” on prayer. After reading Acts chapter 4, enjoy John Stott’s comments:
Having been bold in witness, they were equally bold in prayer. Their first word was *Despotes, Sovereign Lord*, a term used of a slave owner and of a ruler of unchallengeable power. The Sanhedrin might utter warnings, threats and prohibitions, and try to silence the church, but their authority was subject to a higher authority still, and the edicts of men cannot overturn the decrees of God.
Next we observe that, before the people came to any petition, they filled their minds with thoughts of the divine sovereignty. First, he is the God of creation, who *made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them* (24). Secondly, he is the God of revelation, who *spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of…David*, and in Psalm 2 (already in the first century BC recognized as Messianic) had foretold the world’s opposition to his Christ, with nations raging, peoples plotting, kings standing and rulers assembling against the Lord’s Anointed (25-26), Thirdly, he is the God of history, who had caused even his enemies (Herod and Pilate, Gentiles and Jews, united in a conspiracy against Jesus, verse 27) to do what his *power and will had decided beforehand should happen* (28). This, then, was the early church’s understanding of God, the God of creation, revelation and history, whose characteristic actions are summarised by the three verbs ‘you made’ (24), ‘you spoke’ (25) and ‘you decided’ (28).
Only now with their vision of God clarified, and themselves humbled before him, were they ready at last to pray. Luke tells us their three main requests. The first was that God would *consider their threats* (29a). It was not a prayer that their threats would fall under divine judgement, nor even that they would remain unfulfilled, so that the church would be preserved in peace and in safety, but only that God would *consider* them, would bear them in his mind. The second petition was that God would enable them his *servants* (literally ‘slaves’) to speak his Word *with great boldness* (29b), undeterred by the Councils prohibition and unafraid of their threats. The third prayer was that God would *stretch out his hand to heal*, and to perform *miraculous signs and wonders* in and *through the name of…Jesus* (30). As Alexander pointed out, ‘their demand is not now for miracles of vengeance or destruction, such as fire from heaven Lk.9:54), but for miracles of mercy’. Moreover, the word and the signs would go together, the signs and wonders confirming the word proclaimed with boldness.
In answer to their united and earnest prayers,
(i) *the place…was shaken*’ and as Chrysostom commented, ‘that made them the more unshaken’;
(ii)*they were all* again *filled with the Holy Spirit*; and
(iii), in response to their specific request (29), they *spoke the word of God boldly* (31). Nothing is said in this context of an answer to their other specific prayer, namely for miracles of healing (30), but it would probably be legitimate to see 5:12 as the answer: ‘The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.’
From Todd Best:
Perhaps you’ve seen the announcement recently in the church bulletin about the Opus Project launch event to be held on Friday, Nov. 16 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. We hope that you plan to join us for this important evening of conversation, and I wanted to take a few minutes to explain what the Opus Project is all about and what you can expect from the event.
The Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture, out of love for God and neighbor, nurtures reflection and conversation about our shared contribution to the flourishing of society and the renewal of all things.
Opus will include classes, reading groups, and special events in which we read, hear, view and take in various forms of culture, discuss the significance of such things, and consider how we might take steps in cultivating cultural activity for the common good. All this is rooted in the foundational theological vision of God’s grand mission to renew all things through the work of Christ. Some concepts that help us ground this project include: faithful presence, shalom and cultural renewal. We will be unpacking these in the coming weeks.
We’ve been referring to Nov. 16 as a launch event because it is the official unveiling of this new initiative of Christ Community that will have an ongoing presence in the life of our church. The Opus Project has been steadily developing for the last year or so, and there is a good chance you have been involved with it in some capacity. If the term Opus has a familiar ring to it, that’s because our Vision Night last fall was called the Opus Event. That night we had a congregational conversation about our collective callings and work. In many ways, the Opus Project has grown directly out of that event. In the spring of this year, we offered a class on finding meaning in work. Then this summer we hosted the Opus Reading group which met monthly. And this fall’s class on the church and the common good brings us to the present. But until now, the Opus Project on Faith, Work, and Culture has mostly been on the down-low. Now it’s time to launch the larger, fuller version of this project that will include one-time events as well as regularly occurring discussions.
The event on Nov. 16 will include a brief presentation by Rob Pendley and me that will serve as an introduction to the Opus Project, followed by four breakout sessions on our four focus areas: work, arts and culture, social justice and the neighborhood. In order to lay some groundwork and to help us all start thinking in this direction, Richard Horner will be preaching the next two Sundays.
We hope you can make it to this event as we expand our concepts and begin thinking of how we might work for the good of our community. Please check your calendars and RSVP your intent.
Note to families: childcare will be provided at $3 per child, but we need your RSVP.
To RSVP or for more details, email me at toddbest@gmail.com or see Chris Hiatt or Stephen Addcox.
This Jesus of Nazareth—the one you saw, the one you knew, the one you crucified—he is more than you know. Jesus may not be what you expected, but he is better. He may not be what you were looking for, but he is bigger. Have you ever considered that what you saw in Jesus is not what God sees in Jesus?
You thought he was a false prophet, but according to Moses, he was the Prophet.
You spoke against him, but Samuel spoke of him.
You said his father was the Devil, but he was the promised son of Abraham.
You had no ears to hear his gospel, but the Lord God said to listen to him in whatever he tells you.
You considered him a blasphemer, but he was the Holy One of Israel.
You treated him wickedly, but he was the Righteous One of God.
You gave life to a murderer and murdered the Author of Life.
You handed him over to die; God raised him up from the dead.
You denied him before Pilate; God glorified him in heaven.
The One you delivered to the Romans, God has made your Deliverer.
Have you ever heard of a man like this? Can’t you hear him calling your name? Can’t you hear him speaking to you now through his word? If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Now is the time to repent and believe. For the Savior you would not set free is mighty to save, even for you.
We had a great turn out for our Shoebox Chili Cook Off on Sunday! Over $250 was raised in support of our Operation Christmas Child project. Those funds will now go towards supplies and shipping for boxes packed by our Children’s Ministry classes. Thanks to all who brought chili, made cornbread, helped set up or clean up…we couldn’t have done it without you!
Awesome panoramic shot taken by Rob Pendley of the event.
This was a wonderful kick off to jump start our church’s Operation Christmas Child efforts! Last year we collected 173 boxes and the majority of those boxes were sent to Madagascar. (Hopefully you were able to see the video about Madagascar on Sunday…if not, check it out below.) Our goal for our church is 200 boxes this year. We can do it! If every person or couple or family packed just one shoebox we would far exceed this goal. So, let’s get packing CCC!
Here is how to pack a shoebox gift:
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please), a small plastic container or just grab a box from church. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork from the OCC website. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. Use the gift ideas provided on the bottom of this page.
Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our “Follow Your Box Donation” option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.
Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop it off at church. National Collection Week is November 11-18, but you are welcome to begin bringing in your completed boxes as soon as this Sunday. You can put them on the wooden stand in the Foyer.
And if you still need more motivation to pack a box…please visit the OCC Stories page to read story after story of how God uses these simple gifts to change hearts and lives and communities around the world. It is truly amazing to see how God uses something we would consider insignificant to spread his Kingdom and glory all through the Earth.
If you have any questions, please contact kids@christcommunitychurch.com.
