The Story Chapter 1 - God’s Great Passion is to Be With You

Some movies start at warp speed.  Case in point: Star Trek.  From the opening scene to the end it barely lets you breathe.  If you slip out for popcorn you were sure to miss something important.  And yet, people did. 

This disturbs me greatly since I am a movie snob.  I think the way to maximize the movie-going experience is to be in your seat at least 20 minutes early.  Never done that?  Then next time you go to a movie look around and spot the person that is in the prime seat—dead middle, eye level with the center of the screen.  That’s what 20 minutes early gets you.   Popcorn and drink in hand, nothing will move this person from their secured spot for the duration of the movie.

That’s where you need to be for God’s story.  Its opening scene also starts with a relentless pace that doesn’t let up.  The first line reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). 

Right off the bat we find the main character in the story is not you or me.  It’s God.  And the rest of The Story will unfold out of the nature and person of this character.  Just ten words in and there is enough action to leave you breathless. 

It doesn’t take long to find out what God’s great passion is.  Birds?  Nope.  Animals?  Not quite. Sun, moon or stars? Bright guess.  No, in Genesis 3:8 we find that God is walking in the Garden with Adam and Eve in the “cool of the day.” 

Sounds nice if you are in a hot, humid climate, doesn’t it?  It sounds even better for us in the frigid months of winter.  And yet the “cool of the day” is not the focus.  God is, and he is near.  He is right with Adam and Eve.  And he is right here with us.  His simple vision for his creation was to spend time with them every day, to take a walk with them.  God’s supreme passion is to be with us.  

Some of you have lived your life with the idea that God is some angry cosmic kill-joy who sits in the heavens and watches you, waiting for you to make a mistake so he can zap you.  Or, you feel he is distant and doesn’t care or has simply forgotten you.

But from the beginning he has shown us this is not the case.  He wants to be with you.  He has not forgotten you.   In fact, this might be the perfect time for you to go for a walk.  

That walk can begin with our journey through "The Story".  Beginning this weekend, February 9th, Skyline Church will embark on something that, I believe, will be life changing for everyone who commits to pour their heart and life into it.  

Skyline Church meets each Sunday morning at 10:15 a.m. in the auditorium of O'Fallon Township High School located at 600 S. Smiley St. O'Fallon, IL.  For more information on The Story visit our website at http://skylinecc.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=77 . 

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.  

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