Community Groups

Sunday evening, August 26, 2007 Sunrise had a Community Group Open House. The Open House was a very positive experience. People meeting one another, telling stories, and laughing with one another. Sunrise will begin new Community Groups this September. These groups meet twice a month at various times and on various days. Each meeting last approximately an hour and a half and include visiting with one another, Bible study, sharing and encouragement, and prayer. People open up their homes for a Community Group and those in attendance have a good time visiting, learnng, growing and encouraging one another. This Fall Sunrise is starting new groups and and the existing groups are growing in numerical growth. That is exciting. Thanks to Scott Salsman, SCC's OutReach and InReach Pastor, and Jenny Michonski who does a great deal of administrative work for SCC and for Community Groups. Thanks also to those who open their homes and for the Community Group leaders. Visit www.sunrisecc.org for more information about Community Groups and other small groups in SCC.

Some Words Made Up At Sunrise

Godcidence: Much like and much more than a coincidence. Something unusual that happens in your life as you seek to live for and with God.

Creavolution: Creation and evolution. God created and causes evolution. We are God's creation. We do evolve. Creation and evolution are not rivals, but related.

Faithilistic: You have heard someone say, "We need to be realistic." Sunrise believes followers of Christ need to be faithlistic. See what God can do in our lives and the lives of others as we live by faith in a very real world.

Some Sunrise Sayings

"People are a priority."

"Once you become a follower of Christ you will have to think more than you ever thought before."

"You matter. Your life counts. You are a diffence maker."

"God desires to be involved in your life, let Him."

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. NASB

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Amplified Bible

Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. The Message

For SCC - Dying To Live 8-26-07

Sunday morning we ended our series "From One To Outrageous". Scott shared with us Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinning Christ died for us." Christ death brings us life. While preparing Salsa Scott explained that the death of Christ can be seen in all of life and that death does lead to life. In taking the Lord's supper we remembered how the death of Christ brings life. We remembered that eternal life and hope is derived from the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity is about life. Becoming a follower of Christ is about death and life. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me." Taking up the cross means dying to self and recognizing new life in Christ. In Galatians 2:20 the Apostle Paul, a follower of Christ, wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Paul, a very educated and well travelled man understood and spent his life seeking to help others understand that death brings life. May you and I give some thought to the life that we gain because of the love of God and seek to help others enter into life.

Psalm 94:18-19 Verses of the Day at Bible Gateway

When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 94:18-19 found in the Bible

Solar Zone

Earlier this week, Tuesday, August 21, I posted some comments about a new leader and helper in Solar Zone (SCC's Children's Ministry). I want to say again that I appreciate the ministry of Solar Zone. As I think about the new school year beginning and the work and effort that the Solar Zone leaders and helpers place into ministering to the children I am overwhelmed with thanks. Sunrise has a good number of children attending on Sunday mornings and the children and their parents are treated with kindness and honor. The most heard comment form children who attend Solar Zone is something like this, "That was fun". I am aware that people's schedules and life circumstances can be overwhelming and so is probably the case with most of the Solar Zone servants, yet they continue to touch lives. They continue to pray, plan, and prepare in order to help children enjoy being in a church setting, learn the Bible, eventually accept Christ as their Lord and Savior and begin to grow in their relationship with God. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.

Psalm 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100 found in the Bible

Galatians 5:22-23

22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Galatians 5:22-23 The Message

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23 The New Living Translation

I Choose...

I choose self-control...

I am a spiritual being... After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Max Lucado, Grace For The Moment

The Lord's Supper And A Party

This coming Sunday, 8-26-07, Sunrise will take Communion/Lord's Supper. As we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we will also talk about celebrating new life and the hope Jesus Christ brings into a persons life and into His church.

A New Leader And A New Helper

Sunday morning the Children's Ministry had a new leader and a new helper in Solar Zone (SCC's Children's Ministry). These ladies are helping children understand God's love in a fun, creative and safe enviornment in Solar Zone. these ladiew are part of a ministry team/group that is making an eternal difference in children's lives. As they serve and minister in Solar Zone they will get to know one another better, parents of the children better and other adults in the Solar Zone Ministry better and help SCC build a sense a community. Sweet! Thanks to all who lead and help in Solar Zone.

Beach Baptism Bash

The beach baptism was a great time. It was exciting for everyone who was there. The water was blueish, greenish, brownish, the sun yellowish, the sand beigeish and the people at the end of the day were redish, brownish. The atmosphere was joyish. Those being baptized were pumedish. Thanks to all who helped with "Student Ministry Hits The Beach" and the baptism.
Sunrise Community Church was started seven years ago in order to help people accept Christ, grow in their relatiosnhip with Christ and begin to serve Christ. Thank God it is happening. The people who were baptized on Sunday were helped by people who were baptized just last year. Many of the adult chaperones who helped with the Student Ministry have grown by leaps and bounds in their faith walk in just the past couple of years. Thank God. Thanks to the family members who supported those being baptized.

Baptism is about hope. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward decision to accept Jesus Christ and begin a new life in Christ. New life is about hope. God is about hope.

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near
Hebrews 10:24-25

Centri-Kid

Raving reports from C-Kid. Five children accepted Christ and others rededicated their lives to Christ. The adults were encouraged in their faith walk and had a good time with the children. Thanks to Jenny Michonski for planning this week and putting it all togehter back in January. Thanks to Mark Reed, Judy Coleman, Ray Coleman, and Scott Salsman for helping with the week. These people gave and had an amazing week.

I Choose...

I choose gentleness...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

Grace For the Moment, Max Lucado

Andrew, Simon Peter's Brother

Andrew bringing others to Jesus.

35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
John 1:35-42

1Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 3Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
John 6:1-14

20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!"
Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
35Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
John 12:20-35

The link below is a brief bit about Andrew.
http://www.chrysostom.org/firstcalled/life.html

For SCC - Give It Up 8-5-07

From One to Outrageous is the Weekend Service theme for Sunrise during the month of August. This past Sunday John 6:9 was the one verse and that we learned to live so that we can begin to experience outrageous results. John 6:9 is tucked away in the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. John 6:9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"

This one verse is packed full of biblical truths that you and I can apply to our lives, but we walked away with two thoughts to live. The boy decided to give. The lad made the choice to give up his fish and barley loaves. He gave. Out of his giving the boy and others were amazed. The boy gave and outrageous results were experienced. The people who were hungry ate from the fish and loaves the boy gave until everyone was full and there were leftovers to the amazement of all. Five barley loaves and two fish fed over 5000 people with lunch for tomorrow left over. From one verse we can begin to experience outrageous results in our own lives. We, like the boy, can chose to give. We can give of our finances, abilities, and resources. We can decide to give of our time, talents, and treasure. When you and I give it blesses other people and we like to bless other people. We like to see people smile, rejoice, and have fun. We enjoy giving gifts to loved ones. We enjoy giving at Christmas time. We like to go out to dinner with family and friends and even purchase the meal. We like to open up our homes and have people over for drinks, chips and a football game. We like to give. May we give it up. Choose to give.

When we choose to give we will be amazed as the people were in the story. The question posed by Andrew, "but what are these for so many people?", is answered when we give and God multiplies. When we choose to give God will do a mighty work. Be amazed. Give. If you are not giving begin giving. Be like the boy. Choose to give. If you are giving, continue to give and ask God to multiply your giving for His glory. Giving of your time, talents, and treasure leads to people experiencing eternal life, new and hopeful relationships, the hungry being feed, homes being built, and other outrageous results. Give it up. The boy gave. He was amazed.

Here About This Tree Sunday, 8-5-07

The story behind this tree this Sunday, 8-5-07 or in next weeks blogs. Nice looking tree, hey.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS

When God speaks, listen.
When God commands, obey.
When God leads, follow.

Taken from God Is In The Small Stuff, Bruce and Stan