Southwood Lutheran Church

Wisdom and Finance

Listen to Pastor Greg's Message

Sermon Text: Luke 12:22–34

Enough* Series Introduction

Where are you financially? Are you in a looming financial crisis? Are bills piling up? Do you have major debt on credit cards? Do you feel like you are on a treadmill and something is going to break…either the treadmill or your wallet? OR, are you doing well? If so, what are you doing with what you have been given? Do you waste your money? Do you ever wonder “where it all went?”

In this sermon series we want to look at these issues that deal with our money.  Many of the issues of money aren’t about money itself.  Money is just a tool.  The issue of money is really an issue of what is in our heart…what we value…who we love.

Finding our purpose:

Many of us don’t have our purpose figured out so we buy into our culture’s definition which is: “To consume. To have more.” On the contrary, this is what the Bible teaches us about our purpose:

• We were created to love God and others
• We were created to care for our families
• We were created to glorify God through our actions
• We were created to build God’s kingdom and do God’s will
• We were created to seek justice and serve others in their need
• We were created to follow Jesus

Our money and possessions should align with our purpose!
A Biblical Plan for Wise Financial Management—10/10/80 

• 10% to God
• 10% for the future
• 80% to live on

Six financial planning principles (Enough p. 43)

1. Pay your tithe and offering first (give God his share off the top—not your leftovers)
2. Create a budget and track your expenses
3. Simplify your lifestyle (live below your means)
4. Establish an emergency fund
5. Pay off your credit cards and use cash/debit cards for purchases and use credit wisely
6. Practice long-term savings and investment habits

Prayer of Contentment

Lord, help me be grateful for what I have, to remember that I don’t need most of what I want, and that joy is found in simplicity and generosity.  AMEN

*This sermon series is based on the book Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity by Adam Hamilton

God is Sufficient

This post comes from Scott Koehn, a member of Southwood's Tanzania team who recently hosted a visitor from Tanzania.

This past weekend, Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning, we have had a Tanzanian named Munguatosha staying with us. It was his first trip to the United States and we spent all afternoon Sunday touring Lincoln.

He was amazed at the homes people live in, the shopping malls, the automobiles with only one or two people in them, the downtown area, and the university campus. As we passed a small used car lot he couldn’t believe the number of different cars and trucks there were for people to choose from. In his country walking, bicycles, and buses, are what most people use for transportation. I next took him to the new car lots on North 27th streets.

He asked how people could purchase such nice vehicles and live in such nice big homes. I tried to convince him that not everyone was so fortunate and drove him to some of the poorer neighborhoods with small houses and apartment buildings. He pointed out that people still had cars or trucks there as well.

We ended the trip by driving by a Starbucks and store that was marked Pet Hotel. He looked at me and before he could ask I said yes people pay money to leave their pets there while they are on vacation or out of town.

On Monday night I took him to small group where we went through the first chapter of the book “Enough” He sat and listened quietly to us talk about “affluenza” and “credititus” and keeping up with the Joneses. He listened quietly to us read and discuss the Bible verses. As we went through the discussion questions he talked about coming back from Henry Doorley zoo earlier that afternoon and seeing storage buildings where people stored there “stuff” they didn’t have room for in their homes and garages. Then I sat and became quiet. I thought about my own life filled with consumerism, all the stuff I had, and being driven to work hard to get a large enough retirement account that some day I could retire. But the thoughts and questions remained unanswered. How much is enough?

Munguatosha left Tuesday morning to visit other places in Nebraska. As Faye and I discussed the weekend’s events and our visitor around the dinner table Tues, evening, it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. I laughed out loud when it dawned on me the answer to my thoughts and questions had been with me all weekend. Munguatosha’s name translates to “God is sufficient”.

Our God is all we truly need.

I Surrender All

“Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 NRSV)
 
The Bible teaches us that brokenness is a prerequisite to blessing and usefulness.  No one ever achieves spiritual greatness until he has fully surrendered himself to God.  Victorious living comes only as we abandon ourselves to the lordship of Christ, becoming His loving bond slave.  God’s best for our lives is not the result of struggle.  Rather, it is simply the acceptance of His perfect will and the recognition of His authority in every area of our lives.

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last hasth conquered:
Grant me now my supplication,
None of self and all of Thee (Unknown)

Judson W. Van DeVenter wrote “I Surrender All” after surrendering his many talents to his all-wise Savior:

For some time, I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work.  At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all.  A new day was ushered into my life, I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me.  God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing.

After making his decision to devote his life to Christian service, Van De Venter ministered with much blessing in extensive evangelistic work both at home and abroad.  Billy Graham is one of many who claim that Judson Van De Venter had greatly influenced their lives and ministry.

from Amazing Grace, by Kenneth W. Osbeck

Blessed to be a Blessing

Listen to Pastor Sara's Message

Sermon Based on: Matthew 5:1-12

Would you call yourself a saint?

• Saint (hagios)
• • Greek: holy, sacred, dedicated to God
  • English: a person of great holiness or virtue
• Blessed (makairos)
• • Greek: being fortunate or happy because of circumstances
  • English: to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy

Who does Paul call saints?

• 1 Corinthians 1:2 - To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.  (nrsv)
• Ephesians 1:1 -To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.  (niv)
• Philippians 1:1 - To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.  (nrsv)

The Beatitudes
(Matthew 5) describe the life of the Saint

• The first four bring comfort to those who are longing, hurting, or hoping
• The second five promise to bless those who actively seek mercy and peace

“The people who learn what it is like to receive the blessing, persons who travel the way of faith experiencing the ways of grace in all kinds of weather and over every kind of terrain, become good at blessing.”  —Eugene Peterson

Remembering the Saints:

• Who are the saints (living or dead) in your life?
• How do they bless you?
• How have they inspired you to bless others?
• How is your life different because of their lives?
• How are you a saint in the life of someone else?

Shall We Gather at the River

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:1 NRSV

Often called the “Good Doctor,” Robert Lowry was a cheerful man with a big beard and a quick mind.  He pastored Baptist churches in the Eastern U.S. during the mid-1800s.  One friend said, “Very few men had greater ability in painting pictures from imagination. He could thrill an audience with his vivid descriptions, inspiring them with the same thoughts that inspired him.”

But he is best remembered for his hymns.  Even in childhood he had composed tunes, and as he became acquainted with leaders in America hymnology—many of them based in New York—he realized he could reach more people through his songs than through his sermons.

He set many of Fanny Crosby’s hymns to music, including the classic, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.” And he wrote both words and music to the popular gospel song: “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

The doctor’s best know hymn is “Shall We Gather at the River?” It is a song about heaven.  It came to Lowry on a mid-summer’s day in New York, when in the sweltering heat, he began musing about the cool, crystal river that flows through the city of God as described in Revelation 22.  “My imagination began to take itself wings. Visions of the future passed before me with startling vividness. . . Brightest of all were the throne, the heavenly river, and the gathering of the saints . . . As I mused, the words began to construct themselves.  They came first as question of Christian inquiry, ‘Shall we gather?’ Then they broke out in a chorus, ‘Yes, we’ll gather.’ On this question and answer the hymn developed itself. The music came with the hymn.”

From Then Sings My Soul (Keepsake Edition) by Robert Morgan

Reformation and Repentance

Listen to Chip's Message online

Message based on: Psalm 46:1–11

Today is Reformation Sunday.
Reformation Sunday marks a very important historical event in the life of the Lutheran church, but it is also important to remember that reformation is always happening.

On October 31, 1517 a German Catholic Monk named Martin Luther challenged the teaching of the Catholic church with a document entitled “The 95 Theses.” After much study, prayer, and confession Luther wrote this and subsequent documents that called the church to turn back to God through Bible Study. Luther translated the entire Bible into German so that the average person could read and interpret it for themselves. Before Luther’s translation, the Bible was only available in Latin for the priests and educated professors to read and study. This began a reform of the Catholic Church that eventually led to a Protestant church and then many dominations of churches that all bear the name “Christian.”

But the Reformation continues today. We believe that the church is always under reform and that we are constantly called to a sound study of Scripture and a “turning back” to God for guidance in our lives and in the life of the church. The first of Luther’s 95 theses says: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.” As Christians we must continually repent and return to God. The heart of the reformation is repentance.

Repentance is not the same as confession.
Confession is simply acknowledging sin, but repentance is turning from it towards God. Literally means to change mind or change direction.

2 Chronicles 7:14 - “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (niv)

Repentance is both a one-time event and an on-going process.

• God gives us a new heart and new nature upon our regeneration and we repent once for salvation.
• But we are also called to continually repent throughout our lives as we sin and struggle to follow Jesus.
• Revelation 2:4-5

Repentance is at the heart of the Gospel
Repenting well means that we experience the tension between our will and God’s, either through the Holy Spirit convicting us or reading Scripture or both, and we choose to turn toward God and not inward.

Repentance is proof that we are following Jesus.

For Further Study:

• Read and reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-31
• Meditate on Romans 2:4 and what is means following Romans 1. What does it mean?
• Ask God to reveal areas of your life where you need to repent. Where are you feeling tension between your will and God’s? What does repentance in that area look like for you?
• Log on to itunes and search for The Village Church Podcast—Sermon Audio and listen to the sermon “The Path (part 2): A Continuing Ethic”.

Jesus is a Rock

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3 NIV

In three magnificent movements treating the subjects of joy (vv. 1–4), thanksgiving (vv. 5–10), and prayer (vv. 11-17), in Psalm 40 David has flawlessly crafted a sonatina on the sacrifice of praise.

Most likely the psalmist has recently been near death, for he uses the metaphor of a deep pit, lined with slime, to describe his precarious position. But the Lord hears his cry and delivers him—and what a deliverance! Now David’s feet are firmly planted on a rock.

Released from distress, he moves quickly from anxiety to a joyous celebration of God’s power. This fresh vision of God gives David exciting material for a “new song.” He may have arranged an old hymn—and discovering its genius—added fresh color and new insights. Or perhaps, in the rush of creativity and exhilaration, he composed an entirely new song. Inner joy results in music!

This event, and other miraculous deliverances in David’s life, were the inspiration for many of his great hymns of praise, shared with his congregation and recorded for generations to come. As a result, thousands “fear and put their trust in the Lord.” Worship becomes witness!

I also will be used of the Lord today in the extent that I place my faith and trust in him and lead others to do so. This is the source of both my joy and my music.

From A Musician Looks at the Psalms, 365 Daily Meditations by Don Wyrtzen

Serve From Your Heart

Listen to Pastor Sara's Message

Text based on: Mark 10:35–45

Anyone can be great because anyone can serve.
—Martin Luther King Jr.

Biblical Context:  Jesus leads a group of fearful followers, including his twelve disciples, to Jerusalem.  For the third time Jesus tells them what to expect:  He will be mocked, spit on, beaten, and killed; three days later he will rise.  Mark 10:35-45 is the disciple’s response.

What does the disciples’ response tell us?

• The truth about the world:  We are told to do better, reach farther, get to the top—we want to be the best and we would prefer not to suffer to get there.
• The greater truth about the Gospel:  Having been saved by Jesus, we are freed from the tyranny of striving to do whatever it takes to get to the top.  Our request then changes: “Ask not what Jesus can do for you, ask what you can do for Jesus.”

How Do we Become Better Servants?
One way is by making sure that the motivation for our service is love. Eighteenth-century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Secker said, “God has three sorts of servants in the world: some are slaves, and serve Him from fear; others are hirelings, and serve for wages; and the last are sons [and daughters], who serve because they love.”

Questions for Reflection
Have you come to a place where you can put your name in this verse?  “_______________ is not here to be served, but to serve.”

If you cannot confidently put your name in that verse, consider asking yourself the following questions and then praying through these scripture passages:

• Do I believe God has called me to focus on serving others?  (Mark 10:43-44; John 13:1-17)
• Do I believe he has equipped me for service? (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 12)
• Do I have a vision for what it would look like to live beyond myself?  (Acts 2:42-47; Romans 15:1-13; Philippians 2:5-11)

Lincoln Project Homeless Connect

A great event is occurring next Friday, October 23 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Center for People in Need, called Project Homeless Connect. It’s a one-day event organized by the Lincoln Homeless Coalition with a goal of bringing numerous community resources/agencies together to connect with Lincoln's homeless population.

They are looking for more volunteers. If you are interested please sign-up at http://projecthomelessconnect.ning.com/.

Please take note that all volunteers are required to attend a training session before the event. There are two times the training is offered, and you can choose to attend either one. They are available:

• Thursday, October 22nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Center for People in Need 3901 N. 27th Street Lincoln, NE
• Friday, October 23rd at 8:30 a.m. at the Center For People in Need 3901 N. 27th Street Lincoln, NE

This looks like a lot of fun and would be a great serving opportunity for friends, family or small groups.

O Christ Your Heart Compassionate

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:25-29 NIV
 
Do you tend to turn upside-down a gold object, or a piece of china, or a silver service, or a piece of antique furniture to look for a special stamp or symbol?  If so, you are checking for a hallmark, a stamp of approval by someone with authority, an official sign that the object is genuine and, therefore, valuable.  The proper hallmark can determine the difference between fake or genuine, trash and treasure, yard sale or Sotheby’s.
 
It is a lawyer that gets the conversation started in this reading from Luke 10.  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asks Jesus.  Jesus reminds him that he already knows the answer.  As a faithful Jew, he is able to recite the age-old teaching, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” But the lawyer wants to nail down all the contingencies, so he asks Jesus for his definition of “neighbor.” Jesus responds with what has become known as the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 25:30-37).  In this story, a priest and a Levite each pass by the opportunity to look after a wounded man; only the Samaritan—a person considered unclean, unrighteous, and unworthy by the Jews—does the neighborly thing and takes care of the wounded man.  Jesus does not even have to answer the question himself; he out-lawyers the lawyer by letting him state the obvious verdict: the proper definition of “neighbor” is one who shows mercy.  Showing mercy to those in need is the hallmark of a believer.
 
From Soli Deo Gloria by Wayne Wold
Published by Augsburg Fortress
 

Southwood Serves Wall

The Southwood Serves Wall was unveiled on October 3^rd during the Southwood Serves volunteer day.  People were asked to share their serving stories on cards and clip them to the new wire grid on the wall to share with others. 

Here are some story examples from the Wall and pictures from the serving day:

• What an amazing experience packaging bags of food for Kids Against Hunger. We had a great family experience—the girls were thrilled to be able to do something for other kids. My heart was filled with joy when they announced that we filled over 11,000 bags.
• It was a nice feeling, knowing you are doing something that someone will really appreciate. Work can be a lot of fun, especially when you are serving Jesus.
• My favorite moment of our morning was my daughter saying “There is no time for sitting, it’s time for serving”
• I had an opportunity to share the morning with a lady named Linda, her cats, gerbils, and birds. Our group cleaned, painted, did yard work and windows. My prayer for Linda includes healing for her son and a chance to attend worship.
• We helped a Tabitha Meals on Wheels client clean up her yard. She was so appreciateive for what we were doing. Our group is planning to go again in another 2–3 weeks.  This was an amazing opportunity and I would definitely volunteer again. 
• It felt good to help out the dogs and cats at the Humane Society. It was even more fun to do it with my dad. I realized that by helping the animal shelter and animals, I was serving God. I think I will go to the Humane Society again soon and bring someone home with me!
• We helped at the City Mission Distribution Center. We organized the food pantry. This hopefully will help those in need. “Thanks for the food Lord!”

Stop by the Fellowship Hall to read more stories on the Southwood Serves Wall or sign-up to serve in Southwood’s Community, Global or Hospitality missions.

Here is the breakdown of where information between Southwood Central and the Southwood Serves Wall:    

Southwood Serves Wall:

• Community and Global Missions Information and Serving Sign-Up Sheets
• Southwood’s Hospitality Missions and Ministries Information and Serving Sign-Up Sheets

Southwood Central:

• New Visitor/New Member Information
• Children and Youth Information
• Women’s and Men’s Ministry Information

Living Beyond Yourself: Following Jesus

Listen to Pastor Greg's Message

Matthew 16:21-25

To follow Jesus you must…

• “Give up your selfish ambition” (self-centeredness)
• “Take up your cross” (Accept God’s plan for your life)
• “And follow me” (live like Jesus—“the way, the truth and the life”)

Being a Follower of Christ is the greatest adventure of all time.
In the market place, it is reputation and money.  In Christ’s work, when you are doing God’s program, there is a distinct possibility that something super natural is going to happen.  God is going to cross your path and do something and you will miss it if you are not connected to God.

Being a Follower of Christ changes the goal of life.
Instead of safety, Jesus calls us not to play it safe but to change the world—to build his kingdom.  Instead of playing defense, we are accepting Jesus’ invitation to play offense and score some points for God in this world.  His kingdom will advance and not even the gates of hell will have power over it.

Being a Follower of Christ changes our mindset.
Many present the gospel as a way to avoid hell.  When that is done, people just kind of hang out until heaven.  However, Jesus teaches us that when we know our salvation through his cross, we can then be a part of his redemptive actions in the world. 
We like to talk about being saved from something…Jesus challenges us to think about it in this way…what are we saved for? We are saved to build the “kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.”

Southwood Serves in Review

WHO ARE WE GOING TO SERVE? JESUS!

WHO ARE WE GOING TO SERVE? JESUS! 

That was the chant volunteers shouted while twirling serving towels in the air during the Southwood Serves Worship.  There was a definite energy in the atmosphere as people headed out to their serving projects.

Here are some fun facts regarding the Southwood Serves serving day:

• 11,880 meals were packed at Kids Against Hunger
• Groups helped with yard work and cleaning projects for 19 homes in the Lincoln community
• 15 pairs of Bigs and Littles came to Southwood to participate in fun fall activities with Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Volunteers helped with yard work, cleaning and organizing at nonprofit organizations such as City Impact, Gathering Place, Humane Society, Lighthouse and People’s City Mission.
• Groups brought cheer and good news through music to the residents at Madonna and Tabitha.
• The shelves were restocked at the Lutheran Food Pantry and food boxes were made for families
• 40 volunteers picked up litter and cleaned local parks in the City of Lincoln
• Volunteers helped clear a field at Camp Carol Joy Holling to prepare for a new baseball field

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and for showing people in our community God’s love.  I pray that our service brought many blessings to the community of Lincoln and the individuals we served. 

Below are some pictures of the serving projects:

• Worship
• City Impact
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Clean Up Lincoln
• Gathering Place
• Humane Society
• Kids Against Hunger
• Light House
• Lutheran Food Pantry
• Madonna Rehabilitation Center
• Meals on Wheels Homes
• Nursery
• Southwood Serves Wall
• Lunch Time

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide . . .”  Pardon.  It is a term we don’t use very often.  Vietnam War protesters received pardons at the end of that difficult conflict, and the U.S. President Gerald Ford issued a pardon to Richard Nixon after his resignation from the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

As in these cases, a pardon does not render a person “not guilty.” It only deals with the sentence.  It means that, for one reason or another, a person does not have to serve the sentence for the offense committed.

Pardon for our sin would be more than any of us deserve, and yet God’s grace goes even farther.  The prophet put it this way: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18, KJV).  God deals with our sins, not just the sentence.  He makes it as if our sins were never there in the first place.  He washes them away and He removes all the evidence.  As far as God is concerned, our sins are not in the picture.

It’s not just that we get a break on our sentence.  We get a clean record.  And this is the way we will meet God.

From Be Thou My Vision, by John Fischer

Living Beyond Yourself: Be Transformed

Listen to Pastor Greg's Message

Based on text: Romans 12:1-2

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” Romans 12:1

• Living sacrifice…Submitting ourselves to God’s will, not our own desires.
• Holy and pleasing…Aligning our thoughts and behaviors with God.

“Do not be conformed to this world” Romans 12:2

• Conform…The word conform (syschematizo in the Greek) means to “conform oneself (mind and character) to another’s pattern. 

“Be transformed by the renewing of your minds” Romans 12:2

•  Transform… (metamorphoo in the Greek) literally means to change into another form…to transfigure, to undergo a complete change. 
•  Renewing of your mind…The word renew (anakainosis in the Greek) means: to have a total renovation.
• Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things that are true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Philippians 4:8 

Summing it Up:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, and develops well-formed maturity in you.  Romans 12:1-2 MSG

Fixing Our Head Problems:

• Fill your minds with the Word of God.
• Put on positive qualities and attitudes.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide, counsel and help you change.

Beyond One Sunday

We celebrated Global Mission Sunday this past week.  But Global Mission goes far beyond one Sunday and three worship services per year.  Already in the four days that have passed between Global Mission Sunday and today, great things have been happening to change lives in God's kingdom!

• Pastor Moshi, the Pastor In Charge at Uswaa in Tanzania received the prayer requests from Southwood's people and was eager to have his congregation begin praying for Southwood. He said:

To us here at Uswaa are fine. I received the list of prayer requests. Thanks so much for share with us the prayers we will do on our side.  As Christians we have an opportunity to go before him and cry for help. Thanks so much. WE WILL PRAY.

• Michelle is writing on her blog this week about how she's praying for her AIDs orphans, Neema and Kantate in a new way.  Check out Southwood's Global Missions page to learn more about taking a Global Missions trip or sponsoring an AIDs orphan.  From that link you can also watch the Global Mission's video we showed in church this past Sunday.
• This week we are sending money to Uroki Secondary School in Tanzania so that Uswaa students can participate in a 90 day intensive course in English to prepare them for acceptance exams to Secondary School.
• On Saturday 60 people from Southwood will work at Kids Against Hunger for our Southwood Serves day.  They will work for two hours and package over 10,000 meals that will be shipped around the world.

If you'd like to dig deeper into how you might get involved in Community and Global missions check out the book The Hole In Our Gospel, by Richard Sterns.  This is an incredible book that both gives a picture of the reality of need in the world and gives us real ways that we as individuals and churches can be involved in spreading hope.

Take My Life, That I May Be

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8 NIV

“Take myself, and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee.”  (“Take My Life and Let it Be” by Frances R. Havergal)

“Ever for Thee.”  This means “for all time.”  Forever.  This is an eternal commitment I have made.  I’m not going back on it.  I’m not changing in mid-stream.  All of my plans are made with this commitment to Christ in mind.

“Only for Thee.”  This means there are no other gods in my life.  No one or no thing is vying for first place. No idols.  This is harder to pin down than “ever for Thee” because my idols are not as obvious as they used to be.  They don’t have funny names and they aren’t made of wood and stone.  They are things like cars, power, money and self.  They are parts of our culture and parts of everybody’s lives, even Christians.  Contemporary idols are hard to determine and almost impossible to destroy.  The test would be to ask:  “Am I doing this for Christ, or for some other reason?”

“All for Thee.”  This means all that I have to give.  This is about passion. This is about worship.  This is about putting guts into my faith.  This is about putting all that I have into this relationship with God.  My relationship with God is the central reason for my existence, the defining “why” of my life.  “All for Thee” give reason and meaning to my life, and as a result, I am giving all my life back to the one who has given His life for me.

From Be Thou My Vision, by John Fischer

An Experiment in Hunger

Could you go for a whole week eating beans and rice?  How about just rice?
 
This past Sunday we hosted a human experiment focusing on the types of portion sizes, foods, and dinner settings of people from different income levels around the world.  People who attended the Hunger Banquet were asked to “Come. Eat. And Leave Hungry.”  That hunger was both physical and metaphorical.
 
First the physical hunger, the attendees drew out a colored card as they entered the room:

• Blue cards placed you at the high income table where you were served a meal of lasagna, garlic, bread, and salad.
• Orange cards placed you at the middle income tables where you were served rice and beans.
• Yellow cards landed you with a seat on the floor and a bowl full of rice.

After eating the meal we talked about how it felt to be in one particular income level or another.  The people at the high income table felt guilty.  The people in the middle were just glad to be in the middle.  The people on the floor were still hungry, and had a new appreciation for those around the world who go hungry.  One person from the high income table ventured across the room to share her food with the hungry.
 

Scott Young from Lincoln’s Food Bank was there and shared an important message about the reality of hunger right here in Lincoln and in Nebraska.  The Food Bank is doing amazing work in many areas, but there is still need.  You can listen to Scott’s message here.  Scott reminded us that most of us have drawn a blue card in life.  Not because of anything we’ve done to earn it, but by “the lottery of the womb.“  He said, “many of us have woken up on the third base and we think we’ve hit a triple.”
 
Participants in the Hunger Banquet left with a metaphorical hunger to “do something.”  Many will be serving at Southwood Serves this Saturday, and many others will find themselves walking across the room in the future to share the food they’ve been given with others.
 
Are you hungry?  (physically or metaphorically)  What are you going to do about it?
 
Pastor Sara

Mission Sunday

Listen to Pastor Greg's Message

Text based on: Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT)

“I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40 (NLT)

Matthew 25 contains 3 parables about Jesus’ second coming. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus is making a connection between the final judgment and whether or not we have served to meet the needs of the “least of these” in our midst. Jesus says that when we serve the “least of these,” we are serving him! He even goes as far to say that if we ignore the “least of these” amongst us, our hearts are not with him and our salvation is in question.

Some Facts about Poverty

• 40% of the world’s population make less than $2 a day (2.6 billion people).
• 15% of the world’s population make less than $1 a day (1 billion people).
• 4.5% of the world’s population make $105 a day (0.3 billion people).
• The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for just 5 percent of global income.  The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of the world’s income.
• The top 20% of the world’s population consumes 86% of the world’s goods.
• Some 350-400 million children are hungry.
• About 1 in 7 worldwide (854 million people) do not have enough food to sustain them.
• Approximately 25,000 people die each day of hunger or its related causes, about 9 million people per year.

Serving the Least of these has had an impact!

• Life expectancy in developing nations increased from 46 years in 1960 to 66.1 in 2005.
• Preventable child deaths have fallen 50% since 1960.
• The percentage of people with access to clean water in developing countries went from 35% in 1975 to 80% in 2007.
• Polio has been almost eradicated from the globe.
• Adult literacy has risen from 43 to 77 percent since 1970.

Next Steps

• Pray for the “least of these” in our midst.
• Get involved: Give your time and money to community and global missions work.
• Change your lifestyle; live more simply and generously so others may have basic needs met.

Three Cups of Tea

Last night, like about 1000 other Lincolnites I got the chance to hear Greg Mortenson speak.  Mortenson is the author of the book Three Cups of Tea, a Three Cups of Tea young readers edition, and a children's book called Listen to the Wind.  (Each of these books will soon be available in Southwood's library.) Greg also has a new book coming out in December called Stones into Schools.

Read the Journal Star article here.

The title of the book Three Cups of Tea comes from something Greg learned when he was rescued by a small Pakistani village after a failed attempt to climb K2.  It takes three cups of tea to build a relationship, the first cup we are strangers, the second cup we are friends, the third cup we are family.  You know what happens over those cups of tea?  Conversation - the essential ingredient to building strong relationships.

From a blog post I wrote last summer after I had read the book, Here are a couple of my favorite lines from the book Three Cups of Tea:

"In times of war, you often hear leaders - Christian, Jewish, and Muslim - saying, 'God is on our side.' but that isn't true. In war, God is on the side of refugees, widows, and orphans."

And from a young woman, educated at the first school built:

"When I was a little sort of girl, I would run away and hide my face. But after I graduated from the Korphe School I felt a big change in my life, I felt I was clear and clean and could go before anybody and discuss anything."

Greg is an incredibly humble man, and that is inspiring. He is building schools one at a time in order to break the cycle of violence. He quotes an African proverb that says: "If you educate a boy, you educate and individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community."  I am just now finishing up a book on the global condition of women called "Half the Sky, Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide"  look for a review of that next week.  I am so thankful that Greg Mortenson is encouraging and equipping girls and women to be educated and to then educate and care for their families and their communities.

You can learn more about Mortenson's work here and see some of his speaking appearances here.

Did you hear Greg last night?  What inspired you?  Have you read the book?

Pastor Sara