We have been exploring the question "Why Church?" in our sermon series during the month of August, and I hope you will be able to attend the conclusion of that series on Sunday, August 28th.  Last week I shared four things that God's creation of the church says about us.  In case you missed it, here they are:

1. God believes that we mature in Christ best through our participation in church (Ephesians 4:11-16).

2. God believes that we drift in our faith when not anchored to the church (Hebrews 10).

3. God believes that we need the accountability of other Christians in order to live a Christ-centered life (Galatians 6:1).

4. God believes that we can reach more people for Christ collectively than individually (Ephesians 2:19-22, 4:1-16).

But what does it mean to be the church?  What does it mean for us to be the "body of Christ"?  In his excellent work, The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today, Dr. Everett Ferguson shares the following implications of being the body of Christ:

1. The church is where Christ is, where he is preached and confessed, where he is working and obeyed.  Christ is the creating and sustaining force of the church.

2. The reverse side of this is that Christ is present in the church.  Such is the closeness of solidarity of Christ with his people that they are assured of his presence in their corporate life.

3. Christ is greater than the church.  He is not confined to the church; he is not necessarily where a "church" is.  Christ is the only indispensable "part"; indeed, he is the whole.

4. Christ is the central reality of the church.  The church is made up of those who take their life from him.  Christ's people find meaning and existence from him.

5. There is no salvation outside of Christ (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 5:23).

I will be speaking at several events this summer.  If you're interested, here are the dates:

June 12 - Quail Springs Church of Christ, OKC (both services)

June 12 - Camp Genesis @ OC, 8 p.m. (Judd Theater)

June 13 - Camp Genesis @ OC, 7 p.m. (Judd Theater)

June 14 - Camp Genesis @ OC, 7 p.m. (Judd Theater)

June 19 - Bammel Church of Christ, Houston

June 22 - Lakehoma Church of Christ, Mustang, 7 p.m.

June 26 - Cooperstown Church of Christ, Cooperstown, NY (tentative)

July 6 - First Wednesday @ Alameda Church of Christ, Norman, 7 p.m.

July 20 - South Yukon Church of Christ, Yukon, 7 p.m.

August 3 - Memorial Church of Christ, Houston, 7 p.m.

August 10 - Southern Oaks Church of Christ, Chickasha, 7 p.m.

August 17 - Edmond Church of Christ, Edmond, 7 p.m.

*There may be a couple of more events added to this list.  If you're in the area, come worship with us!

As was announced to the congregation last Sunday, we are "pushing the reset button" on our Youth Minister search and starting over.  The elders met with parents and volunteers last Sunday night to provide detailed information and answer questions.  Many of our parents have stepped up to take leadership roles in this ministry, and Darin will continue to be a resource person for our youth ministry.  I'd like to thank Darin and our teens' parents for doing such a wonderful job of "standing in the gap" while we search for a new Youth Minister.  I would also like to thank our teens for having such a wonderful attitude and staying plugged in to the youth ministry.  They have made us all very proud.

We will continue to keep you informed as the search process moves forward.  Please pray daily for this ministry and this search process.  And remember to take courage in the words of Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" 

I have been teaching the Primetimer's Class on Sunday mornings this quarter.  The class is entitled "Yet Will I Trust Him: A Study of Job."  We have had a great time studying this important piece of Scripture.  This Sunday we will end our study with a guest speaker, Shelly Porter, who has an amazing story to tell of God's redeeming grace in the midst of suffering. Because of that, I am posting the class notes for the final class here.  These notes are a summary of lessons that we can learn from Job's story.

7 Life Lessons from Job (from Charles Swindoll's book on Job):

1. We never know ahead of time the plans God has for us.

2. A vertical perspective will keep us from horizontal panic.

3. Discernment is needed to detect wrong advice from well-meaning people.

4. When things turn from bad to worse, sound theology helps us remain strong and stable.

5. Caring and sensitive friends know when to come, how to respond, and what to say.

6. It's easy to be Monday-morning quarterbacks when we encounter another's outburst.

7. The cultivation of obedient endurance is the crowning mark of maturity.

4 Lessons about God from Job:

1. God is Sovereign.

2. God's ways are beyond our understanding.

3. God will allow us to suffer.

4. God is able to redeem our suffering.

I recently read a book by Dr. David Platt entitled "Radical".  It is a great read that challenges readers to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences.  This book convicted me that I have too often judged "success" by worldly standards rather than by Christ's standards, and that I have too often relied upon my own ingenuity rather than the Spirit's power.  And I don't want to live like that anymore!  I want to dive deeper into the wonders of God's grace and become the man and minister that God created me to be.  I want to have the kind of radical faith in Christ that Peter, John, Paul, and others had.  

What about you?  Are you tired of going through the motions of being a Christian?  Are you looking for something more than the watered-down version of faith that many of our churches have settled for?  If so, then join me in the adventure of becoming a "radical Christian."  At the end of Platt's book, he outlines "The Radical Experiment: One Year to a Life Turned Upside Down."  Here are the five components of the experiment:

1. Pray for the entire world.  God is doing so much in the world that we are not aware of because we don't take the time to educate ourselves on what's happening outside of America.  For one year, intentionally, specifically, audaciously pray for God's purpose to be accomplished around the world.  A great resource for this can be found at www.operationworld.org

2. Read through the entire Word of God.  Bible reading plans can be found on the resource section of Alameda's website.

What a great night this past Sunday night was!  We had a powerful night of praise led by the acclaimed singing group Acappella.  We estimated the crowd at about 850 or 900. Thank you to our wonderful Alameda family who invited so many of their friends and acted as gracious hosts.  Thanks also to everyone from the community and other church groups who came to share this experience with us.

Jonah Lehrer of The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an interesting story about a University of California psychologist, Dr. Philip Tetlock, who has spent 25 years monitoring the predictions of pundits.  He studied their opinions on topics ranging from future elections to economic trends to international relations.  His conclusion: "The vast majority of experts performed worse than random chance, with an accuracy rate below 50 percent."  He also said, "Liberals, moderates, and conservatives were all equally ineffective, and the most famous experts tended to do the worst."  The summary of Dr. Tetlock's research was this: "Our political discourse is driven in large part by people whose opinions are less accurate than a coin toss."

Isn't it interesting how we put so much stock in what the media "talking heads" tell us when they don't really know what they're talking about?  And isn't it sad to think that so many of us arrive at our political, social, and even theological views based on the testimony of "experts" whose "opinions are less accurate than a coin toss"?  Instead, we should spend more time staying connected to the one who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).  He does not steer us wrong; he is always accurate in what he says; his truth endures the test of time; and his peace lasts through all eternity.  

Here's a thought: How 'bout we put more trust in what Jesus teaches us than in what the media pundits tells us?

As we continue to pray hard for Leslie Evans, I thought it would be a good idea to remind you of some of the "golden rules" of comforting those who suffer.  These thoughts come through my personal experience as one who has suffered, as well as my study of God's Word.

1. We should approach the sufferer in silence, remembering that primary comfort for the griever does not come through the words of the comforters, but through their presence.  The first rule of comfort is: be there and be silent.

2. We should listen to the sufferer.   As agents of God's comfort and mercy, we should be "safe places" for the sufferer to vent, lament, cry, process, and simply talk about what is happening to them.  The sufferer should also feel confident that we are not going to spread rumor, gossip, or false information.

3. We should approach the sufferer in sympathy with expressions of love. As Dr. John Mark Hicks writes, "Job's friends made the mistake of correcting Job rather than sharing his suffering.  They thought they could explain his suffering, but all Job wanted was someone to share it with him.  Instead of helping him, his friends became 'miserable comforters' (Job 16:2)."

4. Above all, resist the temptation to interpret the suffering.  Interpretation is a task for the sufferer, not the comforter.  When I was suffering, some good-hearted people hurt me deeply and offended me greatly by trying to explain why bad things were happening to me.  Let's remember that it is not our place to make judgments.

As always, Alameda members are doing a wonderful job of supporting and loving the Evans family.  Let's continue to allow God to use us as his agents of mercy and comfort. 

I know that this is only the second day of our New Testament Challenge, but we are already off to a great start.  Sunday night, about 200 Alameda members gave away 850 copies of the New Testament to our neighboring community in less than an hour!  It was amazing to see Life Groups walking the streets, engaging in conversations with neighbors, and inviting people outside of our church family to take the NT Challenge with us.  In my Life Group, our kids were so excited about handing out Bibles that I only got to give away two.  However, I did talk to a group of guys who were sitting around drinking beer.  They thought it was "cool" that we were doing this, so I invited them to church.  We'll see what happens!

I have already heard from families who are doing this challenge with their children, and they are so excited about reading the Word of God together.  I have heard from people who are reading on their computers when they get the emails, and I have heard from people who are listening to the podcasts when they're out running or doing their commute. I am fired up by all the people who are genuinely excited about spending time in the Bible.  Keep reading, and as you read, remember to allow the Word of God to shape you into the image of His Son.

One of the best books I read this summer was The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser.  My favorite chapter was about the church, and at the end of that chapter Rolheiser lists nine Scriptural reasons why a person should go to church.  They are:

1. Because it is not good to be alone.

2. To take my rightful place humbly within the family of humanity.

3. Because God calls me there.

4. To dispel fantasies about myself.

5. Because "ten thousand saints" have told me so.

6. To help others carry their pathologies and to have them help me carry mine.

7. To dream with others.

8. To practice for Heaven.

9. For the pure joy of it...because it is Heaven!

So, why do you go to church?