Life of Bryan

Interview with Amie Fox

2010-09-16T12:37:00.003-05:00

Amie Fox has been a member at Jubilee Church for eight years and has been on staff for six. This Sunday is her final Sunday with us as she will be moving to Atlanta, GA to join Jubilee - Atlanta and marry Micheal Mowrey (my brother...pray for her). Here's a little interview I did earlier this week.

Amie Fox: Secretaire Extraordinaire from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Making a Minus a Plus

2010-09-14T21:30:00.005-05:00

As a Christian, you're perspective on serving is totally different. Prior to your encounter with Jesus, serving was in the minus column among your weekly activities. Time with friends, vacations, TV, video games, hobbies, sports...these were all activities on the plus side. They added to your life and serving others was respected, but done sparingly.

But when you meet Jesus, His transforming love changed serving from a minus to a plus. Serving no longer takes from you, but actually it adds to your life. Jesus on earth told us that serving the pathway to greatness and modeled it perfectly.

This is very important to understand if you're a believer in Jesus so that you don't run away from serving opportunities and unknowingly runaway from Jesus. You won't find Jesus chasing after status, prestige or money. He came not to be served, but to serve. What about you? Is serving a plus or a minus to you?

I want to challenge you if you belong to Jubilee to pursue serving through Share the Love. Seek to give at two hours a week for 3 weeks. Serving opportunities are found on our website or on The City. Check out the impact when we do serve:

Dear Jubilee Community Members:
I want to say thank you for those of you that take great pride in helping people out and just being an overall warm and inviting group of people. Someone here, apart of jubilee, Helped my brother move a couple weeks ago with very little notice, but with large support. I know the work wasnt much but it was way more than I think my brother or myself were expecting. So, if I remember correctly, I want to thank Nathan for your help. My brother and I talked after your help and about the presence of God in the body of jubilee and its members. I am not in town to often but I want you all to know that a church that acts on such a giving manner is doing something right. I feel it allows believers and followers of Christ to feel more at ease to go out and share Gods word and to bring guests to their place of worship. Its easy to know that friends and strangers will feel welcome and invited and most importantly not judged. Thank you for all that you are doing as a church and I look forward to my next visit and time of worship with you all! Lucas Shelton

Let's Serve Our City!

2010-09-09T22:51:00.004-05:00

Opportunities to Share the Love begin this Saturday as we team up with the United Way. We will meet up at the Kingshighway bldg at 8:15 am to get our assignments and then go out together and serve until about noon. This is a great opportunity for the whole family so bring the kids. What a way train your children it's not about them!

For more information and to sign up for this event, please check out The City.

Membership at Jubilee

2010-09-02T12:29:00.003-05:00

In the USA, joining a church is not much different than joining a local social club...there's a loose affiliation without much of a deep connection. In the Bible, we see something completely different. What we see is a group of men and women who have come together under the direction of Christ into a deep, deep covenant relationship. 1 Peter 2 & Ephesians 2 say that Christians who are a part of a local church community are meant to be built together stronger and stronger and tighter and tighter into a spiritual house for God's glory and a witness to the rest of the world.

This is why membership is a big deal at Jubilee. To be a member is to come to the understanding that God has called you to commit yourself and be accountable to a local group of believers and in turn have that group of believers commit themselves and be accountable to you. It's rich, rich community that is help together by the Holy Spirit and made possible by the blood of Jesus.

We are just about to finish our Why? series...a very foundational series that explains why we believe and practice what we believe and practice. After listening to this series, if you feel your heart joined to Jubilee, I would encourage you to become a member. To do so:

Download our membership covenant on our website (look at step #2 under "how to become a member)
Sign it and give it to an elder or mail to our offices
Once we receive this covenant from you, an elder will call you to see if you have any questions about Jubilee or what it means to be a member
If you have been baptized as a believer, we will then recognize you on a Sunday morning as a Jubilee member

Sharing the Love...How to Get Involved

2010-08-31T22:29:00.002-05:00

Here's a a copy of recent post on The City from Seth Hein, Director of IT for Jubilee on how to get involved in Share the Love.

Jesus showed us great love by giving His life to serve. In the same fashion, we want to live our lives serving our city. So, this September we are going to log 1,000 hours of community service to show the St. Louis area the love of Christ. Service projects are already organized, all you have to do is sign up!

To see a list of projects, join the Share the Love group (just click the link, then click the join button). From there, if you click the Events tab at the top of the page, you’ll see a calendar with all the events available. Just select one that fits your schedule, and RSVP!

The first event is on Saturday, September 11th where we will serve in the 9/11 remembrance day with the United Way. We have 50 ppl signed up so far (42 on Sunday and 8 via The City).

Sunday Recap, August 29, 2010

2010-08-30T17:34:00.002-05:00

A few thoughts on another encouraging weekend for Jubilee Church in St. Louis.

Prophecy is very important
Prophecy encourages and builds up the church
Prophecy keeps us on mission
Love seeing our students trickle back in
Jubilee has a bright future
The people who served Acts 13 are AMAZING! A special thanks to those who served j-kids, put out food and especially those who stayed late Saturday night to clean.
The Q&A in the St. Louis City Location was fun and informative. You can download the audio online.
I'm encouraged by what's happening in our Washington location. We are moving our service time to Saturday night at 6 PM in a great new place.

Sunday Recap, August 22, 2010

2010-08-22T14:40:00.002-05:00

A few thoughts from our Sunday services in the St. Louis Location.

I love the Holy Spirit!
It never ceases to amaze me how much God loves to meet with people. 40+ people came forward to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
I love being a part of a church that takes seriously world-mission.
I love being a part of a family of churches that is breaking ground in countries where there are no churches.
The Holy Spirit is inseparably linked to our ability to engage in effective world-wide mission.
It wouldn''t bother me to find out that some people don't like us or our message, but it would bother me to be ignored and in the record book of heaven, insignificant.
I am horrified that I made a generalization about Irish heritage. I regret those comments and deserve discipline. I tend to stray from my notes a little too far in the 11 am.
I feel like the Why Series has gone better than I anticipated.
I love what God is doing at Jubilee. He continues to astonish us.
If you miss the Acts 13 meetings this Friday & Saturday...you will be missing something amazing. Register Today!!! It's free, but we still need you to register.
Chase Whitmer's baptism testimony today was amazing!!
It's an honor to serve as an elder at Jubilee.

Jubilee Church '09-'10 Annual Report

2010-08-21T17:03:00.006-05:00

Check out what Jubilee Church is all about and what God in doing through us.

Jubilee Church '09-'10 Annual Report

Spontaneous Baptisms

2010-08-20T21:45:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday 19 baptisms was a lot of fun. Can't wait to do this again! Here's some video clips.

Spontaneous Baptisms (August 15, 2010) from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

What to Expect at Acts 13 by Sam Poe

2010-08-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

If you haven't registered for Acts 13, sign up today! These are amazing times of prophecy and hearing the voice of God.

Sam Poe on Acts 13 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Sunday Recap

2010-08-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

A few thoughts on an outstanding day at Jubilee Church (9am & 11am in the STL City Location).

I was excited and nervous about doing spontaneous baptisms (wasn't sure anyone would take up our offer).
19 people were baptized this morning! 16 of them didn't plan on it when they woke up this morning, but God spoke to them and they went for it.
What I thought was going to be a somewhat "clinical" talk on baptism, ended up stirring passion in me about God's salvation. You'll be able to download that message by Tuesday morning.
Baptism gets its importance and meaning from the death, burial and resurrection that canceled our debt of sin and made a new life in Him possible.
Baptism is a command of Jesus.
How someone is baptize and when you are baptized speaks volumes about what you believe about salvation and membership in God's new covenant people.
I really enjoyed preaching in swim trunks, a t-shirt and flip flops.
I'm very, very proud of ALL the people who serve at Jubilee and make it happen. Truly a team effort.
I'm very, very proud of our staff who made preparations last week.
Wish I could do it all over tomorrow!
Excited to preach on the baptism of the Holy Spirit next week.

Best Illustration of Worship

2010-07-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

In a recent message "Why Worship", I left out the best illustration of worship in the Bible because it deserves it's own message instead of a brief mention. However, since I don't see the opportunity to preach it in the near future, let me give you 5 things we learn about worship through this illustration.

The illustration is found in Luke 7:36-50. 36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among [8] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Three Key Lessons About Worship:

Worship is to be aware that I am forgiven. Jesus says very clear, "...her sins, which are man, are forgiven-for she loved (worshiped) much. But he who is forgiven little (or you could say is unaware that He is or can be forgiven), loves (worships) little. If your worship of Jesus is lackluster, it is because His forgiveness of your sins hasn't hit home! Do as David did in Psalm 103 and speak to your soul, "Soul, wake up! He's forgiven your sin!"
Worship is not superficial, but extravagant. This lady didn't give mental accept to her state of forgiveness, nor did she simply give to Jesus what "she didn't need." But rather, she poured out a year's wages to anoint Jesus because in her mind, she was worth it. What is Jesus worth to you? Does your worship of Him match the value you have attached to Him in your mind?
Worship is not about being respectable. In order to anoint the feet of Jesus, she would have needed to upbraid her hair, which would not have been a respectable thing to do, but worshiping Jesus has nothing to do with being respectable. It’s about seeing Jesus and the wonder of His glory and grabbing a hold of his nailed scarred hands and looking into his deep, deep eyes of love and its letting go of yourself and realizing something about Him and you just get lost and you have an uncalculated response that at times is outwardly expressive

May we grow in our understanding of our forgiven sin and then express that gratitude in extravagant, inwardly and outwardly expressive way, which includes our how we spend our days and out dollars.

You're Coming, Right?

2010-07-26T17:06:00.001-05:00

The three best weeks of the year for Jubilee happen during the Week of Prayer....If you belong to Jubilee, DO NOT MISS!

Need some inspiration?

My 6-minute sermonette on Prayer:

Tope Koleoso (NF pastor in London) 1 minute nugget on Prayer:

Terry Virgo (NF Founder) sermon on prayer at Brighton Leadership 2010 Conference:

Tope Koleoso on "Why Corporate Prayer"

2010-07-23T20:16:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Brighton, UK at a Newfrontiers International Leaders Conference called Together On A Mission (TOAM). During my time there, I caught up with some old friends and made some new ones as well...a few of which, I interviewed on camera.

On the Sunday prior to the conference, I met up Tope Koleoso in London Bridge Train Station and got his thoughts on several subjects including the topic of "Corporate Prayer". Tope leads Jubilee Church, a church of 1,000 in northern London. Tope has also developed a conference called "300" that has had contributors such as John Piper and Matt Chandler. Tope will also be our Mobilise USA 2011 main speaker.

Why Gather to Prayer? Tope Koleoso from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Interviews at Brighton: Mbonisi Malaba

2010-07-21T20:34:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Brighton, UK at a Newfrontiers International Leaders Conference called Together On A Mission (TOAM). During my time there, I caught up with some old friends and made some new ones as well...a few of which, I interviewed on camera.

This one was with my friend Mbonisi Malaba from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. As you'll see in the video, I need help with pronunciation. My video editor thought he would have a little fun with me and so it's with a sense of humor, I'll pass it on to you.

Interview with Mbonisi Malaba from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Why Pray?

2010-07-20T15:50:00.002-05:00

Week of Prayer from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Let God, But Don't Let Go

2010-07-19T16:15:00.002-05:00

"Let go and let God" is one of those well-intended Christian statements that sounds nice, but doesn't hold up biblically. Of course, we must put our trust in God. We are absolutely dependent upon Him. However, I don't see in the Bible where we are suppose to let go. Paul, who was absolutely clear about God's sovereignty and his dependence upon Him, didn't seem to "Let go and let God."

Consider these two passages:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,..."

Philippines 3:13-14, "...But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

I believe we are to live with a holy discontent about where things are at right now. We should not be the type of people who settle. Who settle in their relationships people, who settle in their relationship with God, who settle for their friends being eternally separated from Christ, who settle for mediocre ministry within the church, and the list goes on.

I think we should be obsessed with being better not in spite of God being at work, but because He is at work. We have an imperishable wreath we're pursuing!

In my mind, if I’m not getting better, I’m getting worse. If I’m not progressing, I’m regressing. There is no middle ground. There is a holy discontentment inside of me to constantly be improving.

There is a potential danger with this mindset. We can become so busy constantly obsessing over being better that we do not take the time to adequately celebrate and appreciate where we are and how far we’ve come. This danger is real. We must continually be thankful for what God has done in and through us.

Yet the bigger danger is standing still and settling for less than the future progress He still has for us. At every moment I must be performing at the maximum level of my capacity while at the same time be increasing my capacity for the moment that follows.

Have You Ever Wondered Why?

2010-07-13T15:13:00.003-05:00

Have you ever wondered why the Church believes and practices what they believe and practice? 'Why?' is a seven week Jubilee sermon series to explain seven key aspects of the Christian Faith that are central to who we are as a church.

Why? from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Internships at Jubilee

2010-07-12T12:58:00.002-05:00

Leadership Development is one of the most important and vital areas of ministry at Jubilee Church. We believe God has called us to develop and invest in future leaders, so we have created an internship program that allows us to do just that. We have interns that participate as volunteer staff in a number of areas of ministry. Interns are equipped to be leaders in the local church and receive practical ministry experience leading and serving in various ministries at Jubilee Church. They are mentored as they serve in the church, while they process (with the elder’s help) where God has specifically called them to serve. We do not simply desire to “use” interns to get ministry done, but to use ministry to the intern done. Jubilee Church defines a successful internship as one that a) deepens character, b) discovers gifting and c) develops ministry at Jubilee Church.

Internship Options

Leadership: For those seeking to explore their call to lead in the church and to gain a deeper understanding both of how the local church works and how their specific gifts and skills could be of service.

Worship and Production: For those seeking to explore their call and develop their technical skill and craft, either in worship leadership, audio production, video production, graphic design, communication or web development by serving in the local church.

Administrative: For those seeking to use and develop their administrative, clerical, or organizational design skills by serving the church.

Full-time, Part-time and Summer Internships

Jubilee’s Internship Program offers flexibility to enable those who work part-time and/or go to school to participate. We do offer full-time internships, but many choose to do part-time (10-20 hours per week). Depending on the type of internship you choose, the internship can last for one year, one semester or for the summer.

Application Process

1. Complete an Internship Application
2. Submit a one-page summary of your “conversation experience” and “call to ministry”
3. Interview

For more information about Jubilee Church, log onto www.jubileestl.org

Brighton 2010, Part Three

2010-07-08T18:16:00.000-05:00

Brighton 2010, Part Three from bryanmowrey@gmail.com on Vimeo.

Brighton 2010, Part Two

2010-07-06T18:09:00.001-05:00

Brighton 2010, Part Two from bryanmowrey@gmail.com on Vimeo.

Brighton 2010, Part One

2010-07-05T18:02:00.001-05:00

For more information about the Brighton Leadership Conference or Newfrontiers, go to www.newfrontierstogther.org

Brighton 2010 Part 1 from bryanmowrey@gmail.com on Vimeo.

Why Join "The City"

2010-06-25T17:05:00.002-05:00

The City is here! What does this mean for you? Consider the following scenarios.

It's Saturday afternoon and you're feeling hospitable. You log onto the city and invite your Action Track over for a bbq and quickly and easily make requests for people to bring what you weren't able to go to the store and get.

You just bought some new furniture and would like to give your old furniture away to someone in the church who could really use it. You post this on the marketplace at The City and are able to meet a need in the community.

It's been a rough Thursday. You need someone to be praying for you. You post a prayer request on The City that only your Action Track and elders can see.

It's been a few weeks since you have had work, but today you finally got that job that so many at Jubilee had been praying for you about. You post your good news on The City so that everyone at Jubilee can rejoice with you.

It’s your first time walking into a Jubilee service. You were warmly welcomed and had your kids checked into our jkids program (which they loved). Moreover, you loved the worship and the teaching, and just as you’re thinking to yourself, “How do I get connected?”, a Jubilee member starts a conversation with you on The City about where you want to get plugged in and you do.

All of these are real situations that we run into as we go through life together. One of the great things about Jubilee is that we are a community seeking to serve and connect people. However, the challenge we often run into, is how to stay connected when we leave our actions tracks serving teams, or weekend services. That is one of the many reasons why we’re really excited about The City, our community tool that allows our members, attenders and leaders to stay in contact with each other, share prayer requests and needs, organize events and continue discussions throughout the week that started when they were together last.

The City is not just a social network, like Facebook or Twitter that is aimed solely at developing virtual community; rather, The City gives REAL communities of people a way to stay connected with each other even when they’re not in the same living room or in the lobby of one of our locations. Community doesn’t live on The City, The City just broadens its reach.

So how can you jump on The City and start connecting? If you're in the St. Louis City location, stop by the Information Table and type your email address in to one of the computers there. If you are in Washington or Wentzville, simply use your communication card. It’s that easy. Once you’re on, you can start interacting with the people in your Action Track, on your serving team, and at your location. We want to see all sorts of connection happening on The City.

If you’re having trouble getting connected or would like some extra help, please stop by your locations information table or contact us at grouplife@jubileestl.org We would be happy to help you get up and going on The City.

Faith Part 3: Parents, Don't Squash Your Child's Faith

2010-06-16T11:18:00.002-05:00

Did you know that all the "Heroes of the Faith" (listed in Hebrews 11) had parents? Seems like an obvious statement, but maybe what hasn't occurred to us yet is how those parents responded to God's call on their life?

Noah's father had high expectations of his son. Lamech said of his son Noah, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands." (Genesis 5:29) Lamech had hoped that Noah would grow up to be successful and bring comfort and pride back to the family. Lamech wanted Noah to make his life easier, but God wanted Noah to build an ark. I wonder how Lamech responded when he found out that Noah was going to give his attention and money to building an ark versus relieving their comfort? I wonder how Lamech responded when all the neighbors made fun of Noah?

What are your plans for you children? Do want them to have an easy life? Do you hope they are well-educated and well resourced? What if God calls them to do something different? What if God calls them to pass up on an education to pursue further spiritual/leadership training? What if they choose to go to a different school than the one you want them to? Are you prepared to allow the plans that God has for them crush your plans? That maybe necessary for them to walk in the life of faith God has for them.

Hold the plans for your children loosely, because as good as they may be, our desires for our children can actually squash their faith.

Faith Originates, Never Imitates

2010-06-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

You got to hand it to Noah for building an ark...that was an original. Not only had nothing like that been done before, but he had no architects to consult or weathermen to double check God's prediction (if you can call anything God says is a prediction).

Joshua received a battle plan that was pretty original as well. Who would EVER think up something like that? "OK, for this battle, let's not use swords. I think trumpets would be a much better weapon."

Abraham, who came from a non-religious family, followed God away from safety, security and wealth into obscurity and the unknown.

I think God sets it up this way so that there's no doubt where the credit goes. When faith is involved there is rarely a clear path or a proven method to go along with what God has called you to do. This is one of the many reasons why I am glad to be a part of a movement (Newfrontiers) whose founder (Terry Virgo) has gone down "No Well Worn Paths". It's easy to trust a man who trusting God.

When God presents to you His call for your life, do not expect to imitate what has been done before, but prepare yourself for something new.

Faith: It's All About Him

2010-06-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

What makes faith, faith is that it is rooted and ground in God's promise to us. Moreover, it's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to know that God's promise to us is UNCONDITIONAL. Consider God's promise to Abraham.

Genesis 12:1
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Notice that God did not say, if you will do this, then I will do this. Rather, God said, You WILL do this and I WILL do this! "Go from your country...and I will make of you a great nation." It was not a conditional proposition, but rather simultaneously a command and a promise. Why? Because God does not affirm us on the basis of what we do; He affirms us because of what He does. "...I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” (Romans 9:15)

Know that you are affirmed based upon His performance and not yours.

Gospel vs. Religion

2010-05-31T07:53:00.003-05:00

Religion is a slippery slope that is easy to slip into...much easier than you think. The reason why is because your external actions are probably the same. If you are living out the gospel, you are probably attending church faithfully, giving, serving, seeking to share your faith, etc. If you have slipped into religion, you probably are doing all those things...perhaps begrudgingly and without joy, but you're doing them.

So on the surface, living out the gospel and being religious look very similar. However, underneath the surface, there is HUGE difference.

There is no one better that I now of that explains better the internal difference between the gospel and religion than Tim Keller and he shows us in his new publication, Gospel in Life Study Guide (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), p. 16.

Acceptance

Religion: “I obey; therefore, I’m accepted.”
Gospel: “I’m accepted; therefore, I obey.”

Motivation

Religion: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
Gospel: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

Obedience

Religion: I obey God in order to get things from God.
Gospel: I obey God to get God – to delight in an resemble him.

Circumstances

Religion: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.
Gospel: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle, but I know my punishment fell on Jesus and that while God may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

Criticism

Religion: When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a “good person.” Threats to self-image must be destroyed at all costs.
Gospel: When I am criticized, I struggle, but it is not essential for me to think of myself as a “good person.” My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ.

Prayer

Religion: My prayer life consists largely of petition, and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.
Gospel: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with God.

Confidence

Religion: My self-view swings things between to poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel humble but not confident – I feel like a failure.
Gospel: My self-view is not based on my moral achievement. In Christ I am simul lustus et peccator – simultaneously sinful and lost, yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad that he had to die for me, and I am so loved that he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deep humility and confidence at the same time.

Identity

Religion: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work, or how moral I am – and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral.
Gospel: My identity and self worth are centered on the one who died for me. I am saved by sheer grace and I can’t look down on those who believe or practices something different from me. Only by grace am I what I am.

Jubilee Church in Zimbabwe, Part 2

2010-05-24T07:47:00.003-05:00

From Ginger Price:

As expected when traveling with Sam and Marlene Poe we hit the ground running here in Zimbabwe. Warm up your google page because it will be helpful for you to search on a map the ground we are covering. As a team our first stop after landing in Bulawayo was to join the leaders of the Newfrontiers Churches in Zimbabwe for 24 hours of prayer and fasting in Antelope Park. There could not have been a better way for us to be introduced to the advancing work of the Kingdom that is going on in Zimbabwe. During that time we also learned of the passion of this leadership team to believe God for doors to open for the work to extend into Mozambique and other countries surrounding. Our time with the leaders in two words was powerful and impacting as it gave us a very clearer view of what God is doing here and the faces of those that are leading it. In the coming months and years it will be exciting to see that work unfold. For me one treasure I’ve seen while here is the realization of how much we are all apart of something much bigger than us and that God’s message of grace and Kingdom advancement is universal across our family. It’s one thing to know that in your heart, it’s another thing to experience it. I left our meeting feeling like we have much that we can learn from our family in Zimbabwe. There is amazing perseverance and faith here that will blow your socks off. From Antelope park we returned to Bulawayo for an evening before heading out to the Kezi region to join Crossroads Church a rural church that meets in the same area where the Ebenezer Agricultural Training Center for Farming God’s Way training is taking place. And its really rural in a way that we don’t define rural, meaning no power...it’s a little like camping, but totally doable. During the meeting we were able to experience worship through music with our Zimbabwean friends where it was fun to gather and experience God together. This church is a place where the chronological bible storying is taking place with both the adults and children messages and so being a part of that part of the service was great to experience. Today we will be returning to the Ebenezer Center joining the apprentices during a normal day of training with an added farm tour. This promises to be a highlight of our trip as it is the heartbeat of one of the major apostolic initiatives here in the Southern part of Zimbabwe. From Kezi we will be traveling to Harare to participate in a Chronological Bible Storying seminar that is going to take place in the Northern part of Zim in Mashona Land. We will be there Wednesday through Sunday rounding out our stay joining Westgate Church for their Sunday service. Overall I think all of us would tell you that if there is something in your heart that is nudging you to do something like this follow that nudge, you will be a much better Kingdom citizen for the experience. Of course we’ve been well taken care of by world-class hospitality of Marlene that so many of you have experienced as well as the loving generosity of others along the way during our travels.

Jubilee Church in Zimbabwe

2010-05-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

I find it to be a huge privilege to be a part of the Newfrontiers family of churches. I love the values, I love the relationships, I love the sense of community, I love the passion, but most of all I love that we are on world mission together to reach our neighborhoods, our cities, our nation and our world.

There are many opportunities for training and exposure to the mission God has for us (check out the FYT and Transformation Teams)...one of those opportunities is a Life Change Team to Zimbabwe that two Jubileeites took advantage of. I have asked one of those participants Ginger Price to keep us informed on their travels.

And we’re leaving on a jet plane...TO ZIMBABWE!!!

On May 17th Newfrontiers USA will be sending a team of four people to join Sam and Marlene Poe in Bulowayo, Zimbabwe for a Life Change Team opportunity. This first trip is one of three that will be going to Zimbabwe for a cross-cultural emersion opportunity in the next year and a half.

Jubilee is sending two people to participate, myself Ginger Price and Greg Virkler from our new Washington location were for this adventure. Everyone has the chance to come along with us as we are a small representation of the larger Jubilee Church community. Your prayers for our trip and those trips that are coming will be much appreciated!

The purpose of our trip is unique to other Mission type trips. We will be on the ground covering some serious territory for two weeks traveling with Sam and Marlene to experience firsthand from the local church leaders in Zimbabwe how they facilitate cross-cultural ministry in their churches. While we are there we will be hosted by local families in both rural and urban areas of Zimbabwe. One thing on our agenda is to participate in a chronological bible storying seminar which is a method used to teach people biblical truth in a oral literature or narrative format to make these truths easier to understand and remember. This is a primary form for sharing the gospel truth with people in Zimbabwe and other oral learning cultures. I’m very excited to see this in action and learn more.

I’ve thought of a few prayer needs during our journey:

1. That our eyes and hearts will be opened to see a broader view of the Church and God’s Kingdom expression in Zimbabwe. Personally I’d like to know how we can support what is happening there in a way that is most helpful.

2. That each of us would hear very clearly what God would have for us to learn during our time together. I would like for God to show me the things in my heart that need to be changed to be a better participator in the Kingdom. Personally I haven’t put any expectations on what I might get out of this trip because I want to be open to what the Holy Spirit has for me to learn.

3. That we would be positive ambassadors for Jesus and that how we speak, the things we share and the impressions we make would really demonstrate His love and grace to our brothers and sisters that are being generous to open their lives and hearts to us. And that our presence would be an encouragement.

4. During our travels that we would be safe and remain healthy. International travel can make us vulnerable to things. We’d like to remain healthy and clear to serve during our short time there.

5. Finally this is more of a funny one, but is needed. I’m a little bug squeamish so I am asking for help to not be skittering around because of some obscenely large bugs!

I’ll try to update Bryan with entries during our travels for posting and hopefully some pictures. We will have limited access to E-mail and the internet, but as we are able we will send word along. The team will return on June 1st, I will be staying on to visit Martha Lee in South Africa, another Jubileeite that is on the other side of the world for the moment.

Thank you very much for your prayers. On the inside I’m jumping up and down excited to share the treasure that is imparted to us while we are with these wonderful people in Zimbabwe. I have a feeling that on the other end of this trip the Life Change will be taking place in us more than we can possibly think or imagine and to that I say bring it on Lord!

Gotta go...Ginger Price

Serving the Community

2010-05-13T13:36:00.002-05:00

Jubilee is passionate about serving our community because it is the way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ "who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." For us, serving is not a ploy to convert others (that's God's job), but we do so because we have been converted. In other words, because God freely loved us, it should be natural for us to freely love others.

I was so proud to hear that our new location in Washington, MO (that launched weekly services on May 9th) has quickly adopted that value. Check them out in action as recorded by the emissourian.com...you might recognize a few.

Life by Death

2010-04-28T13:02:00.002-05:00

Like most people, I am inspired when others make sacrifices for others. Recently, 23-year-old Megan Moss caught the attention of the St. Louis area with her deteriorating heart condition. However, on April 18, she received a miracle heart transplant that saved her life. What a story! But let's not forget, she got to live because someone else died.

This story for me communicates a Kingdom reality that I want to encourage you to pursue. Consider John 12:24, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

You have a choice to make in your life. You can hold on to your life (these 80-90 years) and your life is all you have. However, you can invest your life (die to yourself) and it will bear much fruit...30, 60 or even a 100-fold.

If you belong to Jubilee Church in St. Louis, you have an opportunity in front of us with Celebration Midwest to make an investment that will require personal sacrifice, but if we make it, will produce life in others. Here's how:

1) Sign up for Celebration Midwest.

2) Give money so that others can go. I would suggest paying the amount it would cost you to go and someone else. Cost varies (see brochure), but a single adult would pay $110 and a family of four would pay $330. Even if you can't make it to Celebration yourself, I would encourage you to give as an expression that we are all in this together. If you would like to give to this cause, you can do so on Sunday morning or online. Be sure to write "Celebration MW" in the memo.

In order to do both 1 & 2, it requires a desire in you to die to yourself. There are perhaps other things you would rather do the weekend of June 4-6. You will have to die to your own preferences, to join a community vision. Or maybe, you have other ideas of how you want to use your money and to give to this would require real sacrifice. I do not want to minimize the sacrifice. It is real and if it's producing fruit, it's usually significant. So I don't want to minimize the sacrifice, but I do want to highlight the benefit. Dying to yourself WILL breed life in others. It's a kingdom principle that will never go void.

If you want your life to be about more than just your life, I want to encourage you in this principle and to practice it today!

Check out the latest Celebration MW promo video.

Why We Are Paying For Every Jubileeite to go to Celebration Midwest

2010-04-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

There are two reasons why the elders decided that we are going to pay for all members and regular attendees to go to Celebration Midwest

Reason 1: We value the mission of Jesus.
We exist individually and corporately for one reason: to fulfill the mission of Jesus. Everything else must take a back seat. Moreover, to stay in tune with this mission, we need consistent envisioning or we begin to forget the mission we've been called to (the vision dies - Proverbs 29:18). With this in mind, the elders put a high value on Jubilee Church being exposed to "envisioning opportunities" like Celebration Midwest. It's possible to exist as a church, but not really be alive with the vision called has called us to be. We don't want to be that church.

Reason 2: We value community.
Community is not just a buzz word for Jubilee, but it's something we are absolutely committed to. At the very least, this means we strive to "have the same mind" (working together toward a common goal), and we are committed to one other's well-being spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, etc. One of the ways that we can practice community is to all come together as one to be envisioned about this mission we are on together (see reason 1) and two we can contribute financially to help those who can't afford to go so they can participate in this opportunity as well. I don't want our church to be divided up between the people who can afford to go and the people who can't. Our decision to pay for everyone through a special offering is a way for us to practice community as well as generosity. We will be receiving this offering on April 25 and May 2. For those who can afford it (only you know), a suggestion maybe to give the amount of your registration and then consider giving an amount to send another individual or family. However, whether you give a lot, a little or nothing at all, our hope is that you still go.

Against the backdrop of a failing economy and increasing individualism, this is an opportunity for the Church to shine!

To learn more about Celebration Midwest and why it's important, check out promo video #1 & promo video #2. Click here to register. If you are a Jubilee member or regular attendee, contact the office (office@jubileestl.org) for the Jubilee Church discount code.

Video 1

Celebration 2010 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Video 2

Celebration Midwest 2010 Invitation from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Ladies: Get Dressed Up

2010-04-15T20:59:00.004-05:00

Guest Blogger: Rachel Mowrey

The Annual Jubilee Women's Gathering is a time I look forward to. It's a time of really enjoying friendships with women I am joined in heart with as well as a time to meet and become more familiar with women I may see in the church but have not had a chance to connect with. It is a time of togetherness and celebration as we relax, chat, enjoy great coffee and food, but most importantly, as we worship God and fix our eyes on Him. It has helped many of us refocus where we may have gotten off course. I would describe the Women's Gathering as luxurious since we can all fully participate...there are no families to look after or serving responsibilities to attend to. I love the opportunity to simply languish in God's presence alongside my sisters in Christ.

There is a real sense of safety and sincerity in our times of worship and teaching and I believe the teaching has always ministered to specific women along the way. God has been very faithful to reveal what it is He wants to say to us as a body as we have gotten together to plan these events and I have been encouraged to hear afterward how the teaching specifically spoke to various women and met them exactly where they are at. The times of prayer are powerful as we take time to minister to those who have specific needs and many women have received words and encouragements from the Holy Spirit that stay with them forever.

This time around, I expect God to meet us once again and renew our passion for Him. I sense that God has plans to release women from things that may keep them from experiencing freedom and joy as well as healing women in mind and body. I look forward to hearing testimonies of how God spoke to individuals and how women stepped out to use their gifts so that other women may be built up and spurred on in their walk with Christ. Each of us has a part to play and is vital to keeping our collective body healthy and alive...I pray that if there are any Jubilee ladies hesitant about attending for any reason, whether insecurity, financial difficulty, lack of time or just plain disinterest, that their hearts would be stirred to see just what God can do. He may change you, or use you to administer God-honoring change in another woman's life. Come with expectation to meet your Father...he won't disappoint!

Register today!

Coming Home Resources

2010-04-10T19:27:00.004-05:00

One of my preaching influences is Dr. Timothy J. Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC. His book, The Prodigal God, has been huge resource for me in our most recent series, Coming Home.

Both Dr. Keller and myself have been influenced by Dr. Edmund Clowney's thoughts on the parable of the prodigal son. You can read his sermon here.

Easter Re-Cap

2010-04-07T13:03:00.003-05:00

Easter at Jubilee Church was an historic day. 501 people attended our services. What made the day particularly eventful was that we launched our 3rd location in Washington. There was a total of 76 people there with 12 first time guests. Thank you for continuing to pray for Washington.

Launching Our Third Location: Washington

2010-04-03T21:52:00.002-05:00

Easter is a big day no matter how you look at it. Firstly, and most importantly, it is the anniversary of our Lord's resurrection from the dead. Secondly, it is the Sunday when we typically have the most guests, which means it's our biggest opportunity to share the gospel.

But this year, there is a third reason why Easter will be a big day for Jubilee Church in St. Louis...we will be launching our third location. We will be meeting at 20 E 5th St. in Washington, MO at 4 pm. I want to encourage you to be praying with me for all of our locations, but in particular Washington. Here's a short video with a few prayer pointers:

If you can't see this video, click the above title of this blog, "Launching Our Third Location: Washington."

Washington Update from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Baptism Video: Jessica McNeal

2010-03-27T21:41:00.001-05:00

Jessica McNeal is one of the two people we will be baptizing tomorrow at our Jubilee City Location. Check out the video of her testimony.

If you can't see the video, click the title of this blog, "Baptism Video: Jessica McNeal"

Jessica McNeal - Baptism from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Baptism Video: David Renner

2010-03-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

David Renner is one of the two people we will be baptizing tomorrow at our Jubilee City Location. Check out the video of his testimony.

If you can't see the video, click the title of this blog, "Baptism Video: David Renner"

Dave Renner: Baptism Testimony from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 4

2010-03-22T15:27:00.002-05:00

In this 4th and final part of my interview with Adrian, we discuss his new book, Raised with Christ available at Amazon.com.

To watch this video, click on the above title, "Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 4"

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 4 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Free Postage for Coming Home Invites

2010-03-19T13:51:00.004-05:00

Do not forget to bring in the addresses of the friends you want to invite to Easter (April 4th), where will begin our Coming Home series. Jubilee will pay the your postage and mail any postcard you address.

What is the Coming Home series all about?

This series is designed for those who find themselves estranged from God because of past hurt and disappointment. If that's you, we believe God is calling you to come home. Are you ready to reunite with His love and grace?

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 3

2010-03-18T08:18:00.003-05:00

In part three of my interview with Adrian Warnock, we discuss the reasons behind the growth of his church, Jubilee Church in London. To go directly to this interview, click the title above "Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 3".

Tomorrow, I will post the 4th and final part of my interview with Adrian Warnock where we discuss his new book, Raised With Christ.

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 3 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 2

2010-03-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 2 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 1

2010-03-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

Interview with Adrian Warnock, Part 1 from Jubilee Church on Vimeo.

Let's Fast Together

2010-03-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

Three times a year, Jubilee Church gathers together for a week of prayer that ends with a night of worship and celebration. This year, our Friday night celebration falls on Good Friday so it will be extra special. If you belong to Jubilee, MAKE PLANS TO BE THERE!!

Typically during these weeks, we encourage people to fast, but to be honest, we have not made a very big deal about it. However, this year I want to make fasting a bigger deal. God has been very good to us this past couple of years and we've seen a lot of addition and increase (150 to more than 400 in 3 years). It would be easy to take that for granted. I think it is important for us now more than ever to humble ourselves and remind ourselves who God really is and to continue to cry out to God on behalf of our city, our nation, our world.

What is fasting?

Biblical Fasting is willingly abstaining from food or drink or both for a period of time in order to pray.

Why Fast?

God expects it to be a part of our lives. Jesus says in Matt 6:16 ‘when you fast…’ not IF you fast.
In obedience to Gods word. Joel 2:12, 2 Cor6:4-6, Matt 9:15.
To humble ourselves before God. Jas 4:10.
To overcome temptations. Matt 6.
To be purified from sin. Dan 9:3-5
So we become weak and God is made strong. Ps 109:24
To obtain Gods support to accomplish His will. Acts 13:3-4
In times of crisis. Esther 4:15-16, 2 Chron 20
When seeking Gods direction. Ezra 8:21
For understanding and divine revelation. Jer 36:6
You learn to recognize God. Luke 2:37

What kinds of fasts are there?

The complete fast – no food or water. Max is 3 days.
The normal fast – liquids only, no food
The partial fast – missing out some things. For Daniel he missed out meat and just ate veggies and water.
Activity Fast: If you must eat food (pregnant, breast feeding, have a very physically demanding job, etc) you might consider a fast from activities such as social media, television, internet, etc.

What are the rules?

There are no ‘rules’ as such. Nowhere in the bible does it tell us we HAVE to fast or for how long and what from. Its something that is individual. If you want to fast for just one meal, 2 meals, one day, 3 days, a week, it doesn’t matter. You follow what you feel happy with or if you hear God leading you to a specific time. Some people fast from other things like TV, or chocolate, or coffee. There seems just to be one provision of fasting and that it in Matt6:18 where Jesus tells the people that WHEN they fast, not to do it so it is seen by others. It is something that matters to God and not to others.

Daylight Savings

2010-03-11T12:05:00.004-06:00

A friendly reminder that Daylight Savings is this Saturday/Sunday. Don't forget to set your clock FORWARD one hour...especially those who attend jubilee city 9 am!

Leftover XXXposed Q&A

2010-03-05T09:33:00.003-06:00

I recorded a few extra answers to the Q&A questions from XXXposed. Here is one about understanding John 8:1-11.

Follow this link.

Must See T.V.

2010-03-02T22:56:00.003-06:00

Anytime Terry Virgo is in town, he is a must see and this past Sunday he did not disappoint. If you were not able to be there you MUST download the audio titled "Overcoming Setbacks." It was superb even for Terry.

Not only did he come with a great preach, he came with faith for physical healing as well. I have received 6 confirmed reports of physical healing! God is a God who loves to heal...body, soul and mind. I so much appreciate Terry's example to us to believe God.

Cow Tipping...What is That?

2010-03-01T21:12:00.005-06:00

Preaching the Gospel is the Goal
My goal for the pulpit every Sunday is to preach the gospel...it's that simple. Now, I hope to apply it in a 100 different ways, which is why the subject changes from week to week. I also hope what I say is interesting, relevant and presented well; therefore, extra time is spent on the message and series presentation.

It Will Be Fun and Confrontational
We titled our next series, "Cow Tipping" because we thought it would be fun and interesting to knock over some sacred cows in culture and in the church. The content of these messages will be very meaty and at times, challenging. In fact, I expect it to confront issues in our lives that we do not normally confront.

Confusing Titles
There has been a little confusion over the titles of the messages, which are:

God Wants Me to be Happy
God is a Republican
Tolerance is a Virtue
If it is to Be, It is Up to Me

I have received several comments/concerns that the above titles reflect what Jubilee believes to be true. Actually, it's the opposite. We believe these statements are sacred cows (2 from religious circles, 2 from culture) that we plan to confront and question.

Invite a Skeptic
I think this will be a great series to invite your skeptical friends. In the first two weeks, we'll deconstruct some commonly held ideas in the church world, and in the later two weeks, we'll deconstruct commonly held ideas in culture.

Terry Virgo This Sunday!

2010-02-26T16:43:00.003-06:00

An annual highlight for Jubilee Church is having Terry Virgo as our guest speaker. The way he explains message of grace has been life-changing for many and foundational for our church life together.

Terry Virgo is the founder of Newfroniters, a successful author and a sought after speaker. You do not want to miss this Sunday at Jubilee, city location.

Single & Rocking!

2010-02-19T08:37:00.004-06:00

This Sunday we will conclude our XXXposed series with a Q&A session with myself and Licensed Professional Counselor Christi Brandenstein (of Crossroads Counseling). I believe it will be extremely helpful and encouraging as we seek for a Path to Purity.

In this series, we have talk a lot about being married or the process prior to marriage. I think it has been applicable for everyone because a) 93% of singles will be married so this is excellent stuff to help you in your pre-married years and b) even if you plan not to be married, as a member of a church you have both the responsibility and privilege to support and encourage other members of the body. This series can be instructional for you to know how to counsel, pray for and encourage those who are married or plan to be married.

However, I don't want to underestimate or ignore the vital role and importance that unmarried people play in the church and want to encourage you in your current status as single.

I have provided a link to PJ Smyth's outstanding essay on Single and Rocking. You may also check out my message on Being Single through our audio archive from 5/31/2009.

What Season is Your Dating Relationship In?

2010-02-13T09:06:00.002-06:00

Song of Solomon 2:10-14
10 My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, 11 for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing [4] has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

If you're in a dating relationship, I think a good question to ask yourself is, "what kind of season is my relationship in?" Is it spring? Are flowers appearing? Is your relationship producing fruit? Is it good fruit? Does your relationship have the life of Christ all around it? Are you encouraging one another into the things of God? The relationship we see here between Solomon and his bride had life. Spring was in the air!

However, what if there isn't life in your relationship? It is life-draining vs. life-giving. What if you are not encouraging each other in Christ? Your relationship could be in a season of winter and it could be time to re-access or at least slow down until the time is right. It could be dangerous to move forward in a relationship whose season has not yet come.

Getting Your Questions Answered

2010-02-12T09:03:00.003-06:00

Don't forget to ask your questions for the XXXposed series. I, along with a male counselor and a female counselor, will answer the most popular questions you submit surrounding the issue of sex, sexual sin, abuse, relationships, marriage, being single, etc, on Sunday, February 21 at all Jubilee locations and services. So far, we've got some great questions so it looks to be very a very interesting and helpful time together.

You can text 314-827-4334 or email xxxposed@jubileestl.org. You could also submit your questions on Sunday morning. All questions will remain anonymous.

Why I Give Online

2010-01-29T08:21:00.004-06:00

One of the best kept secrets around jubilee for the past few months is that you can now give online (see the main page of either the City or Wentzville). For many, this is long-awaited and good news because everything else you do is online and perhaps the only reason you even write a check is to buy girl scout cookies and give to jubilee. OK, I will admit it, we were slow adapters on this one.

Now for some of you, you may not like the idea of giving online because for you, the moment you drop the check or the cash in the basket is the moment when when giving becomes worship for you. I have to say, that is a great moment. Especially, on Gift Day and the band is playing an update, God-centered song...it's a great moment. However, to be clear and to guard from false thinking, the real moment of worship is when you (and your spouse if you are married) are sitting at the dinning room table with all your bills and account statements in front of you, and you first make the decision in faith to give a certain amount/percentage to God. It's God-honoring worship when it is pre-determined and is amount that represents sacrificial and generous giving. What is not worship, is last minute giving that is more of an after thought after you paid the rest of your bills. That, perhaps (emphasize perhaps) is giving done more out of compulsion rather than worship. Of course, spontaneous giving is great and is also God-honoring, but should not represent the bulk of our giving. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 that our giving should be off the top, regular and generous.

You can accomplish this kind of giving whether you give by check or whether you give electronically. Now my wife and I give online (auto debit from checking account...do not recommend using your credit card) because it helps us stick to our predetermined amount and keeps it regular (it's automated) because to be honest with all that I do on Sunday morning, I can forget.

The point of this post (if you're beginning to wonder) is to say that whether you give by check or online is not the determining factor in whether you are worshipping God in your giving. The determining factor is 1) the first spending decision you make? 2) is it sacrificial and generous? and 3) Is it regular? After those questions are answer, quite frankly it is just a matter of preference.

Donate your Facebook status and Twitter tweets to Jubilee!

2010-01-27T21:11:00.003-06:00

So as you likely already know, Jubilee Church is launching a new series this Sunday (Jan 31) that has already produced quite a buzz. We’re advertising on billboards, bus stops, passing out postcards out all over our college campuses (recycle please!) and we’ve relaunched a website with a great new video we produced.

As great as all of the promotional stuff is, chances are you know people in St. Louis that we may not reach… but you can! So we’re asking you to help us out by donating your Facebook status and Twitter tweets to Jubilee for one day between now and Sunday to help us ramp up to the XXXposed series starting this weekend. We want as many people as possible to post one of the following:

St. Louis love sex. God loves sex. Check out my church's upcoming series --> http://xxxposedchurch.com
Check out my church's new sermon series starting this Sunday --> http://xxxposedchurch.com
Contrary to popular opinion, God is not against sex—He's 100% for it! --> http://xxxposedchurch.com
Join us starting this Sunday 01/31 as we take a raw & unfiltered look at --> http://xxxposedchurch.com

So that’s it! Easy! If you’re up for it, post that for 24 hours and then you can get back to using your status to tell the world that you ‘have a lot to do today’ (don’t we all?) or that you ‘can’t wait till Friday’ (everyone loves Friday! That isn’t news!).

Thanks for reading!

Thank You

2010-01-20T10:36:00.005-06:00

I think my family and I are on the road to recovery after an intensely crazy week. January is by far my busiest month for a few different reasons: 1) Taking care of end of the year and beginning of the year church business, 2) Gearing up for a new trimester of Action Tracks (if you go to Jubilee, sign up today!!), 3) Gearing up for our February sermon series (this year: it's www.XXXPOSEDchurch.com), and Mobilise USA (a conference for 400 students and twenties).

This year, God added a twist to our month: the birth of a precious little girl named Josephine Rose Mowrey. We had expected her to come around February 8th, but she came a month early. This put us in a bit of a tail spin, but we have been so blessed by all the prayers, good wishes, gifts, meals and much more. The outpouring of support for our family has been overwhelming and humbling. I want to thank all of you and say how blessed I feel to be a part of such a great community. Love you guys!

Life Change

2010-01-07T13:43:00.004-06:00

In my recent blog series, Looking Back at a Decade, I recounted all the life change that has occurred because of Jubilee's ministry. Here is an example from a wonderful family that used to attend Jubilee, but has since moved to North Carolina.

Bryan,
I saw your post and felt inspired to write something. Jubilee Church will always hold a special place in my heart. I will always consider you guys family, even the new ones that I don't know. I look back at the past ten years and remember where I was emotionally and spiritually. Drugs, Insomnia, Rage, Anger, Pain. We had just lost my dad to suicide and had uprooted ourselves from "home." (Franklin NC 1999) My mother was falling apart and could not maintain employment. I was LOST! After many months of searching, God placed her with Pat Donjon, She will forever, in my eyes, be a "proverbs 31 woman". I remember meeting her family and going to Alpha at there home which consisted of the Poe's(senior) and Abbie, Dusty, Susan. I remember thinking I have never met people who really love like this. I want what they have. The way they interacted together, to their families, was something I had never experienced before. It truly drew me in. Steven was pretty much on the same path, the wide one. Even though the first few years of being saved we continued to mess up, but we were always welcomed. I remember being blessed at our wedding and having total support. I appreciate the leadership and elders who counseled us, it took us a while but we eventually got it. Many of those voices are the words of wisdom we still hear today. I know for a fact if it were not for Jubilee and prevalent truth that is preached on how to love some one, Steven and I would not be where we are today. We now have four children, I am able to home school them and we are both still desperately seeking the Lord. Our oldest Cora-8, was baptised this year and our second daughter, Lilly-6, was saved at VBS over the summer. Thank You Jubilee for your obedience in Christ, and your persuit of the Lost, because I know with out a doubt we were Found.

Much Love, Erin Willis

Strategic Giving vs. Spontaneous Giving

2010-01-06T20:39:00.007-06:00

The recent crisis in Haiti has got me thinking a lot about giving. Specifically, how Christians should give and for what reasons. There are really two different approaches that people have toward giving and I think both should be implemented in the life of the believer:

Spontaneous giving: In Acts 11:27-30, a need arose (a famine) and the church quickly gathered funds to help.
Strategic giving: 2 Corinthians 9:5 records Paul instructing the believers to regularly set aside money in advance to take care of the needs of the church in Jerusalem.

I think Americans are good at spontaneous giving. A need arises, a few movie stars are gathered and whamo!...millions of dollars are raised. However, the needs in a place like Haiti were there before the disaster (80% of the country lives on $2 per day) and the needs will continue long after the disaster has subsided. That is why strategic giving is so important.

While it is monumentally IMPORTANT that Christians are spontaneous givers to needs that arise unexpectedly, I believe that church ministry an the needs of the poor are meant to be primarily funded by strategic giving. Strategic giving is giving according to one's means (a percentage) and is given regularly.

At Jubilee, we employ this principle to both funding church planting as well as giving to the poor. Jubilee sets aside money strategically for church planting as well giving to the needs of the poor. Therefore, when a need does arise, we have it available. There are also, of course, other times when we also give spontaneously to a specific church plant or an unplanned need.

I want to encourage you that if your giving is only spontaneous, to consider praying about being a strategic giver.

Looking Back at a Decade: Part 3

2010-01-05T21:11:00.002-06:00

Investing in Other Leaders and Churches

One of my favorite things about being a part of Jubilee (and something I find very humbling) is the influence we have beyond St. Louis.

Over the past decade, we have invested more than $300,000 in other churches.
We have trained 33 young men and women outside our church as a part of the FYT program
We have trained 85 men and women through the Trilogy Project...13 of which, went on to lead churches, 20 are a part of leadership teams and 8 were a part of church-planting teams.

You did this! You hosted them in your homes. You mentored them. You served them through setting up or feeding them meals. You released your leaders to devote time to teaching and inputing.

I am very proud to lead a group of people who think beyond themselves.

What Are You Doing With Your Extra?

2010-01-04T21:11:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday, I started the year off with a sermon on money titled, The Purpose of Our Extra that challenged us to think about the extra we have and what we are doing with it. If you missed it you can download it off our website at www.jubileestl.org/city/

If you are a member of Jubilee, I do want to encourage you to give this serious thought and prayer to what you are doing with your extra. Are seeking the kingdom first in your finances? Are you making giving a Priority, a Percentage and is it Progressive?

Make it a priority: I Cor 16:1-2, “1Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income...” This appears to be Paul's command not just for one church, but for all the churches (at the very minimum two)...to make giving a priority ("first day of every week"). This idea was demonstrated in the OT as the people of Israel gave their "first fruits" to proclaim who was truly God. Practically speaking in 2009, this means your decision to give is made prior to making any other financial decision. It means it's the number one line item on your budget (you do have a budet, right?). Rachel and I make our giving decisions at the beginning of the year as to what we'll give, keeping our eyes open to more opportunities to give throughout the year.

Make it a percentage: You'll notice in that passage above that Paul says to set aside a sum of money "in keeping with his (or her) income..." Paul is communicating to us the idea of making our giving a percentage. Making it a priority and making it a percentage...not just giving out of a knee jerk reaction, but making a decision to give regularly in proportion to our income. What percentage should you choose? I think 10% is a good place to start. I'm not saying that 10% is a rule, but it's a good place to start. Here's why. God asked the Israelites to return to Him 10% (a tithe) of the money He gave to them (they also gave an additional 10% to the festivals and 3.33% to the poor). When Jesus came on the scene, He didn't abolish the tithe, but called for something more. In Matthew 23, he gets on the Pharisees's case not for tithing, but for ONLY tithing (he actually commends them for tithing). Jesus' gripe was that they were fulfilling their religious duty, but they were not generous to the poor. It makes no sense that now that we are in the new covenant with greater revelation that somehow we should give less. Luke 12:48 says to whom much is given, much is required. So 10% I think is a good place to start. But whatever the percentage, the NT guide is that it's generous and sacrificial (read 2 Cor 8:1-7).

Make it progressive: The more we experience God's grace, the more we'll want to give. Luke 7:47 says he who is forgive much loves much and he who is forgiven little loves little. Jesus said this after a "woman of the city" (probably a prostitute) just poured out a year's worth of income in the form of perfume all over Jesus' feet. The point here is that the more we realize how merciful God has been to us in light of His righteousness and our sin, we will naturally give more. Progressive giving flows out of the assumption that you are growing day by day in your relationship with God and in your understanding of His grace in your life.

If you struggle in the area of finances, I want to HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you go to the Goodsense Action Track. It will give you some hands on practical help in developing a God-honoring plan for your finances.

Bible Reading Plans

2009-12-30T08:22:00.004-06:00

I have mixed feelings about Bible reading plans. On one hand, they are very helpful in keeping me on a plan to systematically and thoroughly read the Bible. However, on the other hand, they can also be an accuser when I fall behind schedule and I have a lot of "unchecked boxes" staring me in the face. When that happens, I completely miss the point, which is to connect with the living God.

Ultimately, I think Bible Plans are helpful and should be used as a guide to stay on track to do what you what to do. Paul says in I Corinthians 9:26-27a, "So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control,..." In this life, we shouldn't be casual about our pursuit of God. We are pursuing an "imperishable wreath"!

If the the truth be told, we apply discipline to that area of our life we are most passionate about. Could be work, could be video games, could be golf, could be fantasy sports, could be a lot of stuff. The funny thing is that when we apply discipline to those areas we are passionate about, it doesn't feel like work nor is it a strain. So maybe when I look at my Bible reading plan and feel condemned, stressed and strained, it's not the plan's fault. Maybe my heart has lost some zeal and passion for God? What I need to do is step back, and pray for a renewed faith and zeal and then, like Paul, continue to apply discipline in my pursuit of God.

With that being said, I have enclosed a couple Bible Reading Plan options for you:

Printable: Choice One Choice Two

Online: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/

A Look Back at a Decade: PART TWO

2009-12-29T20:56:00.002-06:00

Last Blog: People Impact

What God Has Produced in Us

Our mission is to Connect People to Jesus Resulting in God-Honoring Life Change. This statement implies that we will be proactive about reaching the lost, which was what my last blog was about. However, this mission of ours also implies that God will produce a work in us. When I look back at the recent decade, three things come to mind that I believe are strong community characteristics:

Generosity: The people of Jubilee Church have invested $3.55 million into the Kingdom in the past ten years. I find that to be an outstanding number for a few reasons. A) We are not a large group. We were only 66 when the decade began and 137 five years later. It wasn't until 2007 that we started to break through the 200 number and it wasn't until this year that we starting breaking through 300. B) We're a young group. The average age of adults is 27. This tells me that people are giving not out of their surplus, but out of sacrifice. God loves a cheerful giver an blesses those who seek first the kingdom. I'm proud to lead such a generous group.
Flexibility: Do you know that Jubilee Church has met in 11 different locations in the past 10 years? I couldn't believe it either. It takes a lot of flexibility for a group of people to make that many major changes. Not to mention all the set up and tear down of our rental locations. Church growth experts say that you will lose 10% of your congregation in making a location move. If that would have been true for us, we would have zero people. However, we have not moved from place to place due to our wisdom, but because of God's direction. We have been a people that have paid close attention to God's prophetic direction. Words like "I'm moving you out of the shade and into the light" that we received in 2003 got us thinking beyond 700 Tuxedo Boulevard. God also said that we would be like a lunar module bouncing around on the moon (and we bounced around for a few years), but then we would settle into a place and where there was once not life, life would emerge. I always thought that had spiritual implications only, but who would have thought it meant taking a mortuary and turning into a celebration center for the glory of Jesus and the benefit of the city?
Love for one another: We have been through a lot together in these past years. We have mourned together and we have rejoiced together. I am grateful for both because I believe it has produced a genuine love one for another. I don't just have friends at Jubilee...I have brothers and sisters as well as fathers and mothers. I love that we are not just about doing church but being the Church. I love that we do life together. That we know each other, care for one another, serve one another, and give to one another as there is need. I'm grateful too that it's not an inward love, but a love that is inclusive of new brothers and sisters. No group is immune to the temptation to form cliques, so it is a battle we'll need to continue to fight...but I'm proud of what I see.

God is so good to work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Let's continue to seek after Jesus and have Him form us and mold us more and more into His image.

Next Blog: Leaders We've Trained

A Look Back at a Decade: PART ONE

2009-12-28T21:42:00.000-06:00

As I have contemplated this past year and decade, I’ve quickly become grateful for all that God has done in and through Jubilee. It’s a lot, so I’ve broken it down into four parts: 1) People Impact, 2) What that Impact Has Produced in Us, 3) Leadership Training, and 4) Our Future.

People Impact

Saved and Added

As we concluded 1999, Jubilee averaged 66 people in our gatherings. We now gather 330 worshippers in St. Louis City and Wentzville combined (about 400 including Union). My gratitude goes well beyond the numbers because each one of us has a story. It is a story of God’s grace and redemption. It is a story of how we were once strung out, addicted, on the verge of divorce, broken, lonely, without purpose or plan, with no hope and no future—but God’s grace saved us. We were once a God-less people, but now we are the people of God! It is with His grace in full view that we gather together for celebratory worship and to be equipped so that we can worship Him by serving, giving and telling others of His wonderful works. (I really, really would like to hear your specific story. I would be blessed and encouraged if you took the time to email your story to office@jubileestl.org so I can read it.)

Saved and Sent

Now Jubilee’s people-impact goes well beyond our current gathering of 400. Over this past decade, dozens of people have felt the call of God to go elsewhere and we have had the pleasure of sending them. I think about people like the Largents and the Eftychious who in 2005 went to help plant Jubilee Church (Atlanta, GA) led by Carl Herrington. Jonathan and Leigh-Anne Eftychiou are a leading couple. Jonathan was on staff with us and oversaw worship. Both of them are classically trained musicians and were a huge blessing. Dave and Tasha Largent are a spunky couple who are very evangelistic. It was rare that they were not bringing someone with them on Sunday to hear the gospel. There have been several others, including Sam and Marlene Poe, who were with Jubilee in the beginning. Sam and Marlene moved to Tacoma, WA in 2006 to help plant New Community Church led by Bo Noonan (Bo will be speaking at Mobilise USA 2010 and to Jubilee on January 17). Sam Poe is highly prophetic and plays a huge role in our Newfrontiers family of churches to preach the gospel in nations who have yet to hear of Jesus Christ. He spearheaded a charge to develop a system of communicating the Bible through storytelling in order to reach oral learners who represent 70% of the earth’s population. Sending people is bittersweet. I love these people and wish they were still here, but I am encouraged how God is using them and feel honored that we were able to play a role in their lives.

Scattering Seed

Over the past decade, we have preached the gospel to hundreds of people who may not have stuck with us, but I am confident we impacted their life. Sometimes you reap where you do not sow, and sometimes you sow where you do not reap. When this life is over, we will not be judged by the results that we see but by the results that God sees. Our primary call as a church is to be witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For some the gospel is the power of God but for most it is the stench of death. Although we want to see people converted, it is outside our abilities to convert them. Our part is to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel and allow the Holy Spirit to do all the heavy lifting. However, we have seen literally hundreds of people make commitments to Christ and have baptized more than a hundred of them. There is nothing more encouraging for me as a pastor than to lead someone to Jesus or to hear that someone else has. It is why we do what we do.

Next Post: What God Produced in Us

Jesus is Knocking

2009-12-17T11:05:00.001-06:00

I find it amazing how much God desires to be with His people and demonstrate His love for them. Over and over in Scripture you see this desire. Crowds of people with all kinds of needs flocked toward Jesus and he graciously met with them over and over again. This idea is most clearly seen in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Jesus comes right out and says that He so wants to meet with us it's like He's standing right outside our door knocking, alerting us to the fact He's here! All it takes from us to meet with Him, to dine with Him, is to open the door. That's it!

I am writing about this now because I sense that Jesus is knocking on our door a little louder these days. When I look around at our church and here the stories of people encountering God, I see evidence of a louder knock. Salvations are on the rise and healings are on the rise. People are encountering His presence in an increased manner. I'm hearing about "chance" meetings with old friends that God is working powerfully through those encounters.

Here's the point. God is a God who loves His people and wants to administer healing in our lives. He is standing at our door...your door and He's knocking. Are you going to let Him in?

A New Normal

2009-12-09T22:04:00.003-06:00

A person who is normal is one who conforms to the dominant behavior in a particular society or community of people. Whether you realize it or not, you have a desire to be normal.

Normal Christianity in the New Testament meant to completely sell out to following Jesus. It meant to completely devote yourself to Scripture (living it, not just reading it), prayer, unity, one another, the poor, and the evangelization of the whole world. The early church looked after each other's needs (physical, emotional, and spiritual), they were honest with one another, they regularly confessed sin, there was a sense of awe because of the demonstrations of Holy Spirit's power, and they had a loose grip on this world and a tight one on the Kingdom. The word of God spread quickly but it cost many of them their lives. There were no pretenders or casual attenders because to say you followed Jesus was risky business.

Now, normal church life in America is quite different. To be a Christian in America simply means to go to church on Sunday, read your Bible, pray at meals, give a few dollars and perhaps volunteer once in a while. The Christianity we experience today is in large part sub-normal to that of the Bible.

However, in recent days, I believe that God is speaking to me that He wants Jubilee to experience a new normal. A normal that includes an increasing number of salvations, healings, miracles and joy in His presence. This new normal will be resisted by our desire for the status quo, but we must contend for all that God has for us. To not settle for a sedentary Christian lifestyle that can lead us to experience spiritual atrophy. I believe He wants to awaken our hearts and revive our souls through the power and the coming upon of His Holy Spirit. This new normal isn't for our benefit, but for the benefit of those God has called us to reach who are many.

I would encourage you to be in prayer as God so desire to move upon your life in ways you can't imaging (Eph 3:20) to demonstrate His love for you and the world.

Expanding Our Borders

2009-12-03T22:48:00.002-06:00

Isaiah 54:2-3, 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.

A consistent theme in the prophetic call to God’s people is to make preparation for expansion. It is a promise of blessing in order that we might bless others. However, to receive this promise, we must in faith make preparations (changes) in order to make room for the blessing God wants to pour out.

I have spent the last couple of days in Northeast Missouri…about 25 miles south of the Iowa border. It is very rural and with lots of farms. Any farmer knows that you have to build a silo before you can harvest. Moreover, the size of your silo (or the number of your silos) depends upon how big you expect your harvest to be.

Jubilee has always lived with the expectation of a big harvest, and has sought to be the kind of church that has prepared for growth before it’s happened. This has meant we have:

Rented or bought facilities bigger than maybe we needed at the time
Developed and trained more leaders than we needed
Remained very flexible with our systems and methods of going about our mission.

Our hope and plan is to continue to “enlarge the place of our tent”, to lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes.

This Sunday, December 6, the roughly 75 people that currently make up Life Church in Union, will officially come under the leadership of the Jubilee elders, making them a part of Jubilee Church. This is an exciting time…the family is growing!

The Nations Are In Our Basement

2009-11-21T17:49:00.006-06:00

The call to go to the nations is clear. There are oodles of verses in the Bible that command us (Christians) to go "into all the world to preach the gospel" (Mt 28) or to be His witnesses "to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1) This is a command that should effect the ministry goals and plans of EVERY church.

One of the great advantages of living in a global society is that the call to go to the nations no longer requires you to get on a boat or an airplane. You do not have to look far to reach the nations because the nations have come to us. Within just a few miles of our Kingshighway building, there are dozens of languages spoken by people all over the globe. In recent years, south St. Louis city has experienced the biggest influx of people from Bosnia, Iraq, Vietnam and Eastern African countries. Some of you may or may not know that there is a food pantry in Jubilee Church St. Louis City Location's basement that primarily serves these new Americans.

My Action Track served there this morning by giving away donuts and coffee to nearly 100 people as they waited in line to receive their food. Everyone in my group was blown away by this experience to interact and befriend others from a different countries, listen to their stories and even pray for a few.

If you are a part of Jubilee, I would encourage you to check it out one Saturday morning. If you're in an Action Track in the city, encourage your track to serve there as a group.

Sharing the Gospel

2009-11-12T12:38:00.006-06:00

Every Sunday, it's my aim as a communicator/preacher to shed light on the gospel. It may not be as direct as the "Roman Road" (Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-10; 10:13), but my hope is that everyone (Christian or non-Christian) walks away with a better understanding of the gospel.

However, this Sunday my hope is to be direct and take dead aim at explaining how God makes knowing Him possible. The friends you bring along with you (you are bringing a friend right?) will receive about a 35-40 minute explanation of the gospel of grace, and in doing so, my hope is also to provide you with a model of how you can also explain the gospel. Here's rough outline of my message that you can use:

1. "...(God) took on flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14)

a. God became one of us to identify with our lives

b. He dwells among us to so we can really know Him

2. The invitation of salvation is for everyone (John 3:16)

a. People no one else wants to relate to

i. Samaritan woman (John 4)

ii. Woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)

iii. Mary of Bethany (John 12:1-8)

b. People who are low on the totem poll (Peter, James and John - Luke 5)

3. Jesus came to show us truth and grace (John 1:14)

a. He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life (John 14:6)

b. We don't earn anything it's grace

i. unmerited favor

ii. through the death of Jesus

4. Sin deserves death (Rom 6:23), but by trusting in Jesus we get life

a. Why did Jesus die if he didn't sin?

b. He took our sin and we get his perfection! (2 Cor 5:21)

5. Now what?

a. We don't walk with a swagger as if we did anything (humility - Eph 2:8)

b. We don't loathe life as if we are still under condemnation (Rom 8:1)

c. We worship with our whole lives (Eph 2:10; Rom 12:1)

I'll see you and your friends on Sunday!

What is an Elder?

2009-11-12T11:25:00.001-06:00

Read this great post about eldership by Rick Hein.

Another Jubileeite Gets Baptized

2009-10-31T22:11:00.004-05:00

Nathan Deming is a student from Webster who connected with Jubilee last year through Latitude. He had quite a year with us as God really broke through in his life. He ended up participating in the Evangelism Internship in Chicago last summer. Currently, he is studying abroad in London and is attending one of our (Newfrontiers) churches in London called ChristChurch.

Check out his baptism from last week!

Nathan plans to return to St. Louis and Webster next semester.

I Hope Your Friendships Are Deeper than Andre Agassi's

2009-10-31T11:42:00.003-05:00

Saturday afternoons are pretty intense sermon prep days for me primarily because it is non-stop from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. So, I need little points of relief throughout the day and one of the most common is checking out the headlines on ESPN.com. This Saturday, the headline that caught my attention first was: "Ex-coach had 'no clue' Agassi was taking meth."

Here's a quote from that article by Brad Gilbert (Agassi's former trainer and friend): Because we (Gilbert and Agassi) hung out a ton, but that doesn't mean you ask things that are personal. As I read the article, I became deeply saddened by the reality of most people's relationships.

I believe that in a Biblically functioning church, relationships are intensely personal. Now granted, not everyone in the church will be best friends, but the ones you "hang out a ton" with, better be personal. How sad is it and unloving is it that we would never ask, "Hey bro, how are you doing...really?" That all we would do is gather together and watch TV, play board games, eat guacamole, but never be caring enough, be loving enough to make it personal. Recently, I had very good friend of mine asked me how I was doing in the area of spending time with my son. The long and short of it was that he was able to show me that I was, in fact, being inattentive with my son. Furthermore, this inattentiveness was resulting not just in a lack of relationship, but in a lack of discipline, which really is a lack of love that puts stress on my wife and will someday, cause my son to pay a bigger than expected price. I made the adjustment and things are much better because of good friends who ask personal questions.

With the backdrop of a hyper-individualistic and relationally desolate culture, the church must rise up and be different. We must be personal. We are in relationship with a personal God. The world didn't start with power by an isolated and alone God. It start with love and community within the triune God and out of that overflow, the world and human beings were created. Sin in your life will cause you to drift from relationships (real relationships), but as you draw near to God, expect (and inspect) that you will draw near to others as well.

Video Blog on Prophecy

2009-10-22T14:24:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSpqnQMdfW8

Want a T-Shirt?

2009-10-15T20:58:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday, I kicked off Jubilee’s new sermon series titled the “God Series” where we will look at 10 characteristics about God (a complete list found at www.jubileestl.org/city). I started the God Series with “God Creates” and to help promote the subject I wore a t-shirt with the title on the front (as I will each week throughout the series). I received a lot of requests for the t-shirt so we called the company we bought the shirt from to make more available. If you’re interested in getting a shirt, they are $10 and you can select your favorite color, title and series title through this order form.

The Bible in 90 Days, Part 2 (Guest Blogger)

2009-10-12T11:17:00.005-05:00

On October 1, the elders and staff of jubilee church st. louis city embarked on a 90-day adventure through the entire Bible. Our hope is that we would gain a new perspective by reading the Bible quickly (an "aerial" view) versus and reading the Bible devotionally (an "on the ground" view). From time to time, I hope to share our insights. Here is one from one of our Administrative Assistants, Amie Fox:

I have felt incredibly inspired by God through the stories I’ve read so far. Some of my previous understandings of Him have definitely deepened and I find I’m just more in awe of Him than before. I’m sure that will continue through the rest of the reading plan. There is one thing that I specifically wanted to mention because I thought of our (Jubilee’s) presence in St. Louis and sensed God’s favor. In Exodus 3:19-20 when God is speaking to Moses about the Israelites enslavement in Egypt by the Pharaoh, He said, “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go except under heavy pressure. So I will reach out and strike at the heart of Egypt with all kinds of miracles. Then at last he will let you go,” and I remembered how in previous years it was prophesied over Jubilee that God would cause us to be fruitful throughout the St. Louis region and specifically at the heart of our city...

In reviewing what I know of St. Louis and what I know of God, I was encouraged by the fact that no matter the type or degree of enslavement our city can be experiencing in poverty, depression, abuse, etc. -we serve a God whose arm is not too short to save or incapable of breaking the chains. In fact, the heavier and stronger the chains, the greater and more powerful His miracles!

Above it all though, as I continued to follow their journey into freedom, what I was most moved by was God’s heroic nature. His determination to rescue us despite our circumstances is so captivating... and a reminder of how He alone is worthy of my worship.

New Sermon Series

2009-10-08T21:59:00.002-05:00

We just finished our four part "Jubilee Series" where we looked at Jubilee Past, Jubilee Present, Jubilee Future and How to Participate. If you missed it and call Jubilee home, I would highly encourage you to listen to these messages. The can be downloaded from our website.

This Sunday I am very excited to kick off our 10 week sermon series "God Series" where we seek to reveal the breadth and depth of God's brilliant character to a world that is desperate to know Him. While no sermon series can comprehensively reveal all of God's glory, our hope is that through this series people will come face to face with the grandeur and majesty of who God is and how He interacts with His creation, mankind. As an added bonus to the series, all Jubilee Action Tracks (small groups) will be discussing this sermon series in their weekly gatherings. We hope you will join us for this significant series of messages.

Week 1 - Bible in 90 Days

2009-10-08T21:51:00.004-05:00

Going through the Bible in 90 days has been a great experience so far. Genesis. Done. Exodus. Done. Leviticus. Done. Here's what I know so far - God is very good and humans have an unbelievable capacity to mess up, take for granted and forget God's grace and mercy. Most people view the God described in the Old Testament as the mean, old grumpy God who destroys everything and gives rules that are impossible to follow, and that it took Him to the New Testament to mellow out and be nice. God is the same yesterday, today and forever and He has always been gracious merciful.

1) He sent Adam and Eve away from the Garden, but gave them the promise of a Savior (Gen 3:15) and would not leave them separate forever (Gen 3:22)

2) Spared humanity through Noah

3) Promised blessing to the whole world through Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)

4) Was willing to spare Sodom for not 50, not 45, not 40, not 30, not 20, but for the sake of 10 righteous...oh well...there was 10 found righteous

5) Saved His people from bondage (Ex 1-15)

6) Feed them manna (Ex 16:31) and supplied water from a rock (Ex 17)

7) Gave them leadership (Ex 18)

8) Gave them a sacrificial system to deal with their sin (Leviticus)

Through all this, the primary response form people was to complain and forget the promises and faithfulness of God. In your life, what are the blessings God has given you? Do you remind yourself of them often or do you tend to complain about what you don't have?

The Bible in 90 Days

2009-09-30T21:13:00.003-05:00

The jubilee city elders and staff just finished an insane two-month period of hard work in getting our location ready for two services that launched on Sept 13 (going very well so far). Instead of all going on vacations, we've decided to due something different - go on a spiritual adventure by reading through the Bible in 90 days starting tomorrow.

Over the next 90 days I'll be sharing with you some insights of our process and hopefully have a guest blogger or two along the way.

If you want to join us, follow this link: Bible in 90 Days

Getting Ready for Gift Day

2009-09-24T12:22:00.002-05:00

In light of our upcoming Gift Days (9/27 & 10/4), Rick Hein (a Jubilee elder and Wentzville Location Pastor), posted this blog recently and I found it personally helpful:

Once a year Jubilee Church St. Louis receives an offering above and beyond our normal contributions. Though established years ago, this Gift Day continues to be practiced, not because the church is in dire straits, because we're not. It's been an ongoing practice of Jubilee's because it reinforces in our minds and hearts that everything we have has been given to us by God. The realization of this truth affects every facet of our lives.

Every year when Gayle and I prayerfully consider what God would want us to give for theGift Day offering we keep coming back to the fact that all we have is from God (1 Chronicles 29:12) and belongs to God (Revelation 4:11). This gracious reminder solidifies so many things in our hearts, such as...

Our very lives are not ours, but God's (1 Corinthians 6:20)
Purpose in life is about glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31), not riches. Hording stuff glorifies our stuff. Generosity towards God glorifies God.
It's a way to increase our own joy because "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)

If you're like Gayle and me you don't have much, if any "extra" money laying around. On a personal note in the past week and a half Gayle and I have been hit by our two largest car repair bills of the year. We are grateful for God's provision, though it put a sizable dent in our finances. Nonetheless, we will be doing what we do every year at this time, praying what God would want us to give on Gift Day.

Plans are to use Gift Day funds for future staff, building improvements at the City Location and freeing up resources for future locations of Jubilee Church. Ask God what He wants you to give and then give it with a joyful heart. The Gift Day offering will be received Sunday, September 27 and Sunday, October 4.

Why Go to an Action Track?

2009-09-16T07:50:00.003-05:00

Action Tracks are a HUGE part of what we do at Jubilee. They are not just a great next step to get more involved, they are the door way to many other things we do as a church like praying together, serving the community together, discipleship, spiritual formation and the list goes on. In fact, speaking of lists, let me give you 10 reasons why you MUST sign up for an Action Track if you call Jubilee "your church".

10. It's the best way to meet new friends at Jubilee

9 . You will learn more about Jesus with other people than you could ever do on your own

8. You will have an opportunity to serve the St. Louis community with others (very Christ-like)

7. It's an opportunity to receive prayer for your daily concerns

6. It will require you to put others first (very Christ-like)

5. It will multiply what you get out of the Sunday morning messages (note: all Action Tracks in the fall trimester will be following the fall sermon series "God Series")

4. You can be a friend to someone else who really needs one

3. It's a place to use your spiritual gifts (serving, mercy, encouragement, leadership, etc)

2. It's the primary way you will receive care

1. Because God never called us to go it alone...you need others and others needs you

Here's how to sign up:

Sign-up during our Sunday morning service beginning Sunday, September 13th, 2009.
Sign-up online beginning Sunday, September 13th, 2009. REGISTER TODAY!

It's Been A While

2009-09-14T14:54:00.002-05:00

My goal is to make 1 or 2 blog posts a week...it's been almost 3 weeks since my last one. The reason why is because, along with the rest of the elders and staff, I have been crazy busy with the launch of two services at Jubilee Church St. Louis in the City, which turned out great (btw). We had good crowds at both services and John Lanferman delivered a "must listen to" message if you call Jubilee home.

Along with the launch two services, we also took the opportunity to update our bulletin, interior signage, website, and the J Kids check-in process. It was all possible because of a great staff and a lot of volunteerism. I am very proud to be a member of Jubilee Church! More posts will becoming soon.

Volunteer Appreciation

2009-08-27T23:04:00.006-05:00

I am truly grateful for the volunteerism that happens at Jubilee Church St. Louis. Week in and week out, hundreds of hours are logged collectively by more than 120 people. The other day I got curious and figured out that if we paid minimum wage for every volunteer hour (and most of our volunteer jobs are worth far more), it would cost the church nearly $100,000 per year! But more than saving a few bucks, the high level of volunteerism has enabled us to reach more people and participate more in life transformation. Our children's ministry, that is almost exclusively run by volunteers, has effected the lives of hundreds of kids. All of our graphic designers are volunteers and have helped us communicate our message and have been instrumental in attracting and gathering. Our Sunday morning teams are all volunteers and show such great hospitality and create a warm friendly environment (which, by the way, is the first thing people mention in describing our church). And the list of life-impacting volunteerism goes on and on.

Some might say, "God doesn't need us. He can build the church just fine on His own." To that, I would say a big, "Amen!" However, let us never use God's sovereignty as an excuse for our apathy. God could do it all by Himself, but He hasn't choosen to do it that way. It must be that it's such a thrill and a joy to participate in changing someone's life for all eternity, He wanted to let us in on it.

So if you have every volunteered at Jubilee, thank you for doing so. If you haven't joined the fun yet, what are you waiting for?

Leaders Wanted Audio and Notes

2009-08-17T17:39:00.002-05:00

If you missed Leaders Wanted last Saturday, but would like the audio recording as well as the notes and worksheet, you can download them separately below:

Session One Audio
Session Two Audio
Session Three Audio

Notes

Worksheet

Leaders Wanted

2009-08-13T21:28:00.003-05:00

The popular view of leadership is that is for the select view - Ghandi, Obama, Martin Luther King, and William Wallace quickly come to mind. No doubt these men are (were) very powerful leaders. However, I would contend that 99% of all leadership comes from the middle and not the top. Everyone is in a position to provide leadership for their family, their workplace, their neighborhood and the church. You just have to understand your role and how you can best play our role.

For the Christian, leadership is more than just a possibility, it's a calling. We are instructed by Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples (lead people). In Matthew 5, Jesus said that we are to be salt and light. That is we are to be an influence in society for his glory. Therefore, I believe it is crucial that we undertand what it takes to be a leader and to be the most effective leader we can be.

If you're in St. Louis this Saturday, I will be doing a seminar on leadership titled, "Leaders Wanted" from 9 am to noon at Jubilee Church St. Louis City. Hope to see you there!

August Bible Reading Plan

2009-08-02T21:31:00.004-05:00

Here is the August Bible reading plan for all of you who use it. If you don't, I hope you're using something to help you read the best book ever written!

I'll begin a new one in September

Diversity Matters

2009-07-31T09:07:00.003-05:00

There are reasons to encourage diversity within a church that go beyond political correctness. A highly homogeneous church is as susceptible to disease and infestations (you can call them blind spots) as is a large biological monoculture. "Every farmer knows that when he and his neighbors plant tens of thousands of contiguous acres in a particular variety of wheat year after year, that variety will soon become vulnerable to new diseases or new strains of insects. Ecosystems that are biologically diverse are much tougher and more resilient in the long run than monocultures, and so it is with organizations (churches) that contain a wide variety of people working toward a common goal." (excerpt taken from the book "The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership")

I can think of a few reasons why this is true for the church (for the record, when I refer to diversity I mean race, age, education, socioeconomic, etc):

The more the people around you are just like you, the less likely their opinions and views on life will contradict yours. This is another form of individualism that can lead to big problems because it will cause you to live life with huge blind spots and sin in your life gets more difficult to spot.
Creativity is stifled. If you're all the same, it's difficult for new ideas to emerge that make long-term sustainability possible (just ask GM). Without fresh ideas and perspectives, you end up doing the same old, same old, which gets outdated quickly.
Bringing people together who are different is at the very heart of the gospel. Simply put, sin separates, but it's the gospel that brings us together. The gospel wants to bring everyone together from every tribe and tongue, from every nation, and from every generation. If in your church, everyone is the same, it could indicate that you have a gospel problem. If you have a gospel problem, you won't have a church for very long.

Serving Opportunity

2009-07-22T16:35:00.001-05:00

Guest Blogger: Gabe Dunn, volunteer Coordinator for Community Relations

I just wanted to take a minute to tell people about an upcoming opportunity to demonstrate discipleship by serving a great local organization. This Saturday, July 25th a group from Jubilee will be helping do some yard work and brush clearing for the Bevo Area Community Improvement Corporation (a.k.a. the Bevo). For those of you who are not familiar with the Bevo is is located at 4705 Ridgewood, only a few blocks from the Jubilee city location building. The Bevo is a blessing to the community in several ways. It is home to the Alice & Alex Aboussie Senior Citizens Center which offers transportation, meal delivery, entertainment, and community building activities year round to the elderly in the South City area. The Bevo also opperates a large food pantry, works to improve area housing value, and has a field where area kids play ball. In the past Jubilee has helped the Bevo in a variety of ways, for which the personel at the Bevo have expressed their deep appreciation. Helping the Bevo this coming Saturday would be a great way for us as members and attenders of Jubilee to express our desire to nurture the relationship we have established over the years with this service minded organization. It would also be a great demonstration of our Lord's ability to transform and restore the South City area by using us, His hands and feet, to serve those that serve. If your intereseted, below is more infromation...

Meeting Time: 9:30am Saturday July 25th
Meeting Location: Jubilee Building (carpool from there)
Things to bring if you can: Work gloves, tree trimmers, hand saws, shovels, bug spray.
What to wear: Things you don't mind getting dirty! Work shoes/boots and old jeans/shorts.

Type of Work: Pulling weeds, clearing brush, trimming, cutting down, and digging out small trees.

Who we're helping: The Bevo Area Community Improvement Corporation @ 4705 Ridgewood, St. Louis, MO, 63116

Contact: Gabe Dunn phone:616.502.3081 email:gdunn77@gmail.com

the mystery of godliness

2009-07-21T21:16:00.002-05:00

Guest Blogger: Seth Hein, Worship Pastor at Jubilee Church St. Louis

I was reading in first Timothy this morning, and a verse jumped out at me in an interesting way. It was in verse 16 in chapter 3. Paul writes:

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

I realized that the second bit is about Jesus, He’s the one who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated, seen, proclaimed, believed and taken up into glory. But the part that struck me was how Paul sets it up. He says that this is the mystery of godliness! I was surprised. When I originally read that first sentence, I was expecting Paul to explain godliness in a different way. I expected a standard of living, similar to what is laid out for elders and deacons shortly before this passage. I expected a picture of what it means to live a good life. But instead I got a picture of Jesus. After thinking a bit more about all this, things started to make sense. Godliness isn’t really about being a good person, following lots of rules, or religious codes. If that was all godliness is, you wouldn’t even need to follow Jesus. There are loads of decent people who follow all the rules but still seem empty on the Inside. Real godliness is about knowing Jesus. It’s about finding our fulfillment in His saving grace, and finding ourselves adopted as sons and daughters of the King, God almighty who made all things. Godliness isn’t about me, it’s about Him.

Tough Subject

2009-07-15T22:47:00.002-05:00

There is no question about it, this Sunday's sermon topic from Hebrews 6 is one of the most difficult and weighty that I have had to deal with in my young pastoral career. I have spent countless hours studying this passage and researching the issues surrounding the security of the believer. I have read several books on the subject, listened to several messages by other respected preachers, discussed it with the elders as well as with other friends and mentors and I still feel a bit intimidated (if I'm being honest) at tackling such a subject.

In my study, I have reviewed at least 16 basic (yes, I said 16 and I said basic) ways of interpreting this text. There are two views that are the most common: 1) is the Armenian view that says a once saved person can fall away; hence losing their salvation and be subject to eternal damnation; and 2) the Calvinist view that says you cannot lose your salvation and people who fall away must have not been saved in the first place.

I believe that both of these systems of thinking find themselves in a head on collision at Hebrews 6 and I'm not sure I have found a survivor yet at the scene of the accident. I think both systems of thinking are problematic to what the writer of Hebrews is actually trying convey.

Here's what I think everyone (including me) can agree on: 1) this passage contains a strong warning to maintain an ACTIVE faith in Jesus Christ, 2) God desires that we have an abundant life full of joy and fruitfulness, and 3) we can be sure of our salvation and our relationship with the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So here's my plan for Sunday: I want to be the best teacher I can and offer an explanation of what the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey and then I want to be the best pastor I can by giving us an exhortation and a challenge.

What Are You Wishing For?

2009-07-07T16:37:00.004-05:00

When I was growing up, my dream, my wish was for a 3-wheeler. I had a couple of friends who had one and I thought they were the luckiest kids in the world. That dream lasted for a while until it became a car, a girl, a job and then one day, God completed interrupted my world. He told me through Psalm 81:10, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." From that day on, my dream (my food) was to do the will of the Father...to get caught up with his agenda. What's his agenda? Bringing glory to His name by saving the world from the deadly effects of sin, which He makes available free of charge (to the beneficiary) through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. So he gets a hold of people like you and me, gets rid of our old life and gives us a new life with new dreams. He makes us fishers of men! (Mt 4:19).

So what am I wishing for now? People. My wish is that the people that God has put in my path...people in my sphere of influence (neighbors, relatives, people I play sports with, etc) will come to know the living God...that they would be connected to Jesus. This is also the passion, the dream, the wish of Jubilee Church...to Connect People to Jesus that results in a brand new, God-honoring life.

This line of thinking (along with the help of some creative types) gave me the idea to create a book mark called a "Wish List" (see example of the front and back). It's a tool to help you and me keep the names of the people God has put on our heart to pray for, to love, to share the gospel with and invite to Jubilee...all in effort to see them connected to Jesus. They are free to any one who wants one. You can get them at a Jubilee Sunday service (both locations). Hope they help!

July Bible Reading Plan

2009-07-02T19:54:00.003-05:00

Sorry this is a few days late. I was in Chicago and I haven't been the same since having to pay $32 to park my car for 12 hours.

July's Bible Reading Plan

Sunday Leftovers

2009-06-29T16:19:00.005-05:00

In preparation for last Sunday, I felt like God wanted me to narrow the focus of my message to finding His rest and I'm glad I did. I was so amazed at how this message effected so many. Never in Jubilee's history have so many people come forward for prayer (roughly 80-90 people). If you were one those people who received prayer...I would love to hear a testimony of how God met with you. Leave a comment on this post or email me at bryan@jubileestl.org.

Narrowing the focus to God's rest was absolutely the right call, but there were so many leftover thoughts that I would have liked to included. I'll mention one of them.

In Hebrews 3, Jesus is compared to Moses and it's the writer's contention that Jesus is better than Moses. Now, this wasn't meant to discredit Moses (he was a faithful servant), but rather highlight the greatness of Jesus as a Son and builder of the house.

There are a lot of things we can say about why the writer chose to make this comparison, but the one that I find the most helpful will require us to be reminded that this letter is addressed to a 1st century Jewish audience. What we must remember is that most of these Jewish Christians were probably kicked out of the synagogue and perhaps their families for following Jesus. They became outcasts and their families were probably very disappointed for them turning their backs on the "family religion". It was necessary to remind them that in Christ, they most certainly belong to the House of God. They may have been cast out of the local synagogue, but they have not been cast out by God.

Maybe you have had a difficult time with your family for turning your back on the "family religion". You may even feel isolated and alone for doing so. The writer of Hebrews would remind you that you are not an outcast in God's eyes. If you are a believer in Jesus, you belong to the House of God.

Joint us this Sunday as we continue in our series in Hebrews, Rescued Faith. I will elaborate on finding God's rest and how we can help one another stay there.

A Message for the Weary and the Wanderers

2009-06-24T15:45:00.004-05:00

For those tuning into Jubilee's sermon series in Hebrews titled "Rescued Faith", I hope that you are finding it both meaningful and beneficial to your life.

This week, I will be preaching from Hebrews 3 and will be addressing the idea that God wants to bring us to a place of rest...a place life, vitality and fulfillment. However, most of us (like the Israelites) reject God's offer and prefer to wander. This kind of life is God is far below what He has in mind for us and usually leads to discouragement, disillusionment and disappointment.

If you know someone who is discouraged in their Christian experience, this will be a highly relevant message for them.

Abby Loves Her Church

2009-06-20T16:20:00.003-05:00

Abby Chance (age 13) and her family are members of Jubilee Church in St. Louis. Recently, she was given the assignment in school to write a persuasive speech. She choose to do her speech on, "why you should go to Jubilee." I thought I would pass it along to you:

Everyone has different habits. One thing my family always does is go to church. We truly enjoy doing this. Three reasons why you should come to church with me are you will be welcome, you will meet great people, and you will learn some things you may not have known.

One reason you should come to my church is because you will feel welcome. People will not snub you. They will accept you. You won't be uncomfortable. People will want to be your friend.

Another reason is because you will meet awesome people. You may meet new friends. I can guarantee people will be kind and you will enjoy being with them. You will want to come back.

It won't just be about people, it will also be about learning. You may learn something you didn't know. It may even be something that will change your life.

Going to my church will be a great experience. You will be welcome, you will meet great people and you will learn things. All of these things will make it a great time for you. You should come and be amazed.

Abby loves her church. What has been your experience?

Don't Miss Father's Day

2009-06-16T21:48:00.004-05:00

This Sunday at Jubilee Church in St. Louis City, all fathers will receive a free copy of the book Wild At Heart by John Eldredge. In this book, John invites men to recover their masculine heart, defined in the image of a passionate God. This is an excellent book and a must read by every man.

John Lanferman will continue our series, "Rescued Faith."

Rescued Faith

2009-06-12T08:32:00.003-05:00

This Sunday, I will begin a 13 week sermon series in the book of Hebrews titled “Rescued Faith”. The unknown writer of Hebrews is writing this letter to believers who were about to give up on their faith...some were under intense persecution...others were falling back into religion and legalism...others were just bored, immature and unfruitful and maybe were never Christians to begin with. They were a group of believers whose faith was in need of rescue. And I’m pretty excited about this series for a few reasons:

It is a book that is intended to be inspiring and thought-provoking with very few commands. This isn’t a book with a lot of "do this" or "don’t do this". This is a book that explains to us ultimate reality found in the person of Jesus Christ. So this isn’t a book that is meant to be immediately practical, but I think it will be eternally helpful.
There is some ideas in here that I normally wouldn’t touch with a 10-ft pole like, “Can you lose your salvation?” I will cover that July 19 in chapter 6.
And there are some beautiful, beautiful OT practices that come alive as the revelation of who Jesus is becomes clear.

So let me ask you a question: Does your faith need to be rescued? Do you can relate to these believers? Maybe you know someone who's faith is waning? They know the church game all too well, but they've lost sight of Jesus. This is why we are doing this series. To help those of us who have lost sight of true faith in Jesus.

Excellent Teaching!

2009-06-07T21:44:00.003-05:00

Celebration MW is a great event for many reasons...the fellowship, the sense of unity, the prayer, the worship, the recreation, but this year, I felt as though the teaching was the highlight and will be what I remember about 2009. The teaching is always good, but this year was especially good.

If you missed it, the good news is that it's currently online. You can listen to it on the Newfrontiers USA website. If you only have time to listen to one message, try Lanferman's talk in the final session.

Living Single

2009-06-04T09:07:00.002-05:00

I can't remember a message at Jubilee that has had more buzz than the message from this past Sunday titled, "Living Single". I think it confirms my suspicion that a message on singlehood was long overdue. It was encouraging to hear that marrieds also found this message helpful and applicable to them.

You can listen to the entire message online, but I wanted to highlight the main points:

Singlehood as well as marriage is a gift: Like any gift, don't wish for something different, but make the most of it. Ask yourself, "How can I leverage my status as a single (whether temporary or permanent) to make the most kingdom impact?
Don't use your status as a single to pursue self, but use this as an opportunity to decrease self. Seek to know God more (and yourself less). Self-discovery is a dead end road.
Don't idolize sex and marriage. Most people view sex and marriage from a self-centered perspective...a way to to have your own needs fulfilled. From a Biblical perspective, sex and marriage is an opportunity to meet the needs of your spouse.
Wanting to be married isn't wrong, but don't allow that "want to" to consume you. Allow the truth of God's sufficiency to permeate your heart. Rest in his grace.

Singles (as well as marrieds) are a gift to the church. It's my desire that as we grow and mature as a church, we'll discover this to be true and learn to rest in the sovereign grace of Jesus.

june Bible Reading Plan

2009-05-30T20:30:00.001-05:00

Keep it up! The year is almost over.

June's Reading Plan

Everyone Wants to Be Missed

2009-05-19T15:54:00.000-05:00

I think one of the worse things in the world is to be forgotten. I want to know that if I'm missing...I'll be missed. I want to know that there are people who care whether I'm around or not.

At Jubilee, we fiercely believe that God made us to know and be known. That we would walk out our days on earth knowing others and being known by others in a real and personal way. So while God is wanting to "fill the earth with His glory" by saving milllions (like in St. Louis), His desire is that they walk out this journey with Him and for Him together. That's why for us, Action Tracks are so huge.

I want to encourage you to sign up for a Track today by clicking here.

Celebration MW Deadline

2009-05-10T13:07:00.001-05:00

Celebration MW Standard Registration Deadline is Monday, May 11, 2009. If you haven't signed up you and plan to do so, you better hurry! To sign up, simply log onto http://celebration.newfrontiersusa.org/mw-home.html and click "FULL REGISTRATION" at the bottom of the page. If finances are an issue, request to speak to an elder at info@jubileestl.org.

WHY CELEBRATION MIDWEST IS AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR JUBILEE

We talk a lot about community at Jubilee, highlighting the importance of interdependence. Interdependence is this idea that we rely on one another, understanding that we can do more together than we can on our own. This is true not only on the individual level (individuals need to be in community on mission), but it's true for churches as well (churches need to be in community with other churches on mission).

Because we are connected with Newfrontiers, we have participated in proclaiming the gospel not only to St. Louis, but our nation and even our world. We are currently in 8 of the top 100 cities in the US and 24 churches total. Internationally, we are 600 churches strong in more than 50 countries.

Celebration Midwest is a once a year opportunity for the churches in the midwest to come together to celebration all that God is doing among us and receive much needed envisioning concerning our future together. It's fun, inspiring and something you don't want to miss. For more info, log onto http://celebration.newfrontiersusa.org.

Sunday, May 3 Leftovers Part 2

2009-05-05T21:46:00.002-05:00

I think one of the biggest tensions the elders of Jubilee feel is structuring the church for growth as well as creating an environment for authentic and robust community life. It's so much easier to go for one and leave the other behind. However, we must go for both if we want to follow the New Testament layout for church life.

One of the most freeing ideas that we have come across is sourced from a book called A Search to Belong by Joseph Myers. In A Search to Belong, Myers explains four different types of "spaces" and how we can connect with others through each space. Below is a listed summary of his findings and how it relates to us.

A Summary of Joseph R. Myers' A Search to Belong

PUBLIC SPACE: "Public space happens when we connect through outside influences. It isn't about connecting person to person; it is about sharing a common experience. Think of fans at a football game, members of the PTA, shoppers at a grocery store. In each case an outside influence brings these people into a common grouping. They connect because of the outside influence, not because of shared personal information" (p. 41).

SOCIAL SPACE: Social space is often denigrated as superficial, but it is vitally important. "In many ways, social belonging is the 'small talk' of our relationships" (p. 45). The neighbor relationships of social belonging allow us to "share snapshots" of who we are with others. A shared social space also "provides a safe selection space for us to decide with whom we would like to grow a 'deeper' relationship" (p. 46).

PERSONAL SPACE: Personal space involves the sharing of private information. It takes place in a safe setting where trustworthy confidences are built. We connect through sharing private - although not 'naked' - experiences, feelings, and thoughts" (p. 47). The people to whom we belong in this space are friends or "close friends" rather than acquaintances.

INTIMATE SPACE: "In intimate space, we share 'naked' experiences, feelings, and thoughts. Very few relationships are intimate. Intimate relationships are those in which another person knows the 'naked truth' about us and yet the two of us are 'not ashamed'" (p. 50).

How This Applies to Us
The big issue in the American church world is that, in general, we settle for public space and social space. There is little interaction among church members outside Sunday. Our connection is limited to a "shared experience" (public space) or perhaps some small talk (social space). However, if we are going for New Testament community life, our relationships have to go deeper! We have to be real with one another...but not necessarily everyone. That is where I think the tension is for us in Jubilee and where Joseph Myers can be helpful.

Those of us who are passionate about personal connections, who like our gatherings small and intimate, will naturally struggle when we show up on a Sunday morning because we don't know everyone. The reasoning being that we don't have the same family feel like we did when we were smaller.

As a church grows, members need to be comfortable and understand that there are different levels of connecting with people and that is actually a healthy thing. Sunday morning, for example, is more and more going to resemble "public space" where your connection with some people is purely an experience. Now if that is all it is for you (a Sunday experience), that's an issue, but that is where Action Tracks come in. Let's not forget that the community portrayed in Acts 2:42 was 3,000 people strong...so how did they achieve such deep community? Well, they met in the temple (Sunday) and in homes (Action Tracks). So are Actions Tracks where we develop deep, authentic community? Yes and no. Because in an Action Track we are still bringing people together who may not have previously met, it can most accurately be described as social space. Action Tracks are medium sized groups (10-20 people) that provide a great opportunity to meet new friends, but it may not be the best place to "get real" with one another although that could happen.

So how do we connect deeply with one another? Developing deep, authentic community won't be found in simply attending Sunday (although that's an important part of the process) and it won't be found in simply attending an Action Track. Our hope for authentic community is that we come together and share a common experience on Sunday that would lead us to a social environment like an Action Track (or serving together), and from those environments we would connect with 3 or 4 people and begin to do life with one another (share personal space).