Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Writing Your Life Chapter Into The Story Of Life


If you think Genesis is just a band from the ‘80’s . . .
If you think it was Dr. Dolittle who took two of each animal into a big boat . . .
If you think an epistle is a woman married to an apostle . . . 

. . . you may need to know more of The Story.  

You may be a bit intimidated by the Bible.  You’re not alone; many people are.  And no wonder,  its pages mention odd names like Jehoshaphat and Nebuchadnezzar.  It contains accounts from places you probably never heard of, like Sinai and Samaria.  And it seems to be made up of a lot of different, seemingly unrelated stories.  But it really is one big, exciting story.  

You can see it easily if you open your Bible to the beginning and then flip all the way to the end.  

The first words found in Genesis 1:1 read: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  Then, if you turn all the way to the back of the book,  Revelation 21:1, you find, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . .”

In the beginning God is creating the heavens and the earth.  At the end he is creating a new heaven and a new earth.  So the big question is this: “What on earth happened between the beginning and the end of the Bible?”  If you can answer that question you will have uncovered the one seamless story of God.

Why not read God’s story with your family this year?  Studies indicate if the extent of your child’s exposure to things of the faith is a only weekly visit to church or Sunday School, the likelihood is very great that when she graduates and leaves home her relationship with the Lord will turn cold.

However, if you as a parent engage your children in the experience of reading and discussing the Bible, chances go up astronomically that they will remain strong in their faith after leaving home.  You don’t have to be an expert or have all the answers.  You just have to be willing to experience it with them.  

Get involved in The Story of God.  It will forever transform your life and your family’s life. Every day God is seeking to guide you, forming sentences that flow into paragraphs that over time write the chapter of your life––a life committed to knowing him better.  

Will you choose today to take your life chapter and make it a part of the Big Story of what God is doing on earth?  

In just 2 weeks, we will begin this journey at Skyline Church and I can not wait!  This is not just a journey for the entire family, it is a journey for the entire church.  From the weekend messaged to our Connection Groups, from our ARC children's program to our Crossroads student ministry, we will follow the same path as we explore how God's story and our stories connect.

Join us Sunday, February 9th as we begin The Story.  

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Connecting To The Story Through Connection Groups - Guest Blogger Denyse Anderson




Denyse Anderson is a founding member of Skyline Church and currently serves as our Connection Group director.







I am excited about the journey that our entire church will be taking together through "The Story"!  You can continue your journey with others at Skyline by joining one of our Connection Groups.  Through your participation in a Connection Group, you will have the opportunity to learn, discuss and apply what you are experiencing.

Our Connection Groups are the best way for you to fully engage with others at Skyline Church.   Through your involvement in a Connection Group, you can expect to…     
  • Make new friends that will love and accept you just the way you are
  • Learn more about the Bible
  • Discuss with others how to integrate your faith into everyday situations
  • Discover God's answers to your tough questions
  • Have fun
I would like to personally invite you to participate in one of our Connection Groups in 2014.  I believe that you will experience life change by taking this important step in your life.

Won’t you join us this semester and discover how the story of Scripture intersects with the story of your life?

You can sign up for a Connection Group HERE   


Thursday, January 2, 2014

Finding Your Story In God's Story


If I were to write a book about my life, I am certain a few people might find it interesting.  The key word though is few.  I could fill it with a certain number of engaging or exciting stories.  I could fill it with obscure names like Okra, A.G., Paula or Dean.  It would chronicle my successes and failures on the gridiron or the hardwood.  The book would tell of my history growing up on a farm in south central Kentucky.

This would not be just any book; this would be a book about my family tree.  The stories would probably not be of any interest to you, but they are to me.  That’s what happens when you hear part of your story.  Something that seems lifeless comes to life.  Something that looks dull becomes dynamite, firing up your heart and igniting your imagination.  You are reminded that you are part of something bigger than you are, that began before you and will continue on after you.

That is why God wants you to know his story.  It’s found in another book. He wants to take you into his house where he has framed photos of your ancestors––folks you may not know––lining the walls of his house.

Stories of a family patriarch named Abraham whose faith was as great as any.  A matriarch named Ruth with courage that would make the most hardened warrior proud.  A stubborn Jonah and his improbable fish tale.  Impetuous Peter and his big mouth.  Persistent Paul and his adventures in preaching.

Yet who he wants most of all for you to meet in his story is his son. He desires for you to look long into the eyes of Jesus Christ and hear his claims that what he began in the first chapter of creation he will realize at the last chapter of the New Creation, where a perfect people can live in a perfect place with their perfect Lord.

The perfect place to do that is on the Storyboard.  The question is, “Are you?”  You can be there when you find your place in His Story and I guarantee you...there is a place for YOU in His Story.

Beginning February 2nd, Skyline Church will take a journey together through The Story.  The Story is a powerful book written by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee.  They have taken the narrative of God's story directly from the pages of the NIV translation and put it into chronological order.  I have personally read the book from cover to cover and it did not disappoint.

Our The Story campaign will consist of 31 weeks broken up into 3 sections.  Each weekend, we will hear a message that coincides with the reading material for the week.  In addition to the weekly sermon, we will have Connection Groups studying a special small group curriculum designed for the book as well as provide curriculum for our children and students.  This will be a journey for every single person of Skyline to take together.

My prayer is that God will use The Story to make His Word come alive in your heart.  I pray that you will truly see that your story and God's are not different stories but one in the same.  The Bible is the key to understanding that important fact and The Story really does an incredible job of painting this picture in a beautiful light.