As we continue on with our series, “Life Rules” by Andy Stanley, this week we will be discussing “Encouragement” and what it means to encourage those around us. For most of us when we think about encouragement the first thing that pops into our mind is praise: “Wow, he’s a great athlete,” “she’s really smart,” or “you’ll do a great job, I know it.” But the biblical truth is that encouragement is not always praise. Actually at times encouragement can even appear to be more of a correction than anything else.
In Hebrews the third chapter Paul writes, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Here Paul says to encourage one another so that “none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Paul is not saying give each other praise so that you will not be hardened by sin , but rather correct one another so that sin will not harden your heart. The bible is literally telling believers to watch out for one another, and that when we see our brothers and sisters in the faith straying into sin to go and correct (encourage) them away from that sin – least it would harden their hearts or damage their faith. Yet sadly most Christians are too scared to do the very thing that Paul writes to do.
For some of us telling someone that they are making a mistake is a hard thing to do. We do not feel it is our place. We believe people will not receive from us because of who we are or due to mistakes we have made in our own past. Worried about rejection, we decide it is better to keep quiet than offend. But the Bible tells us that we have a duty to perform by speaking into others’ lives and holding them accountable. In 1 Corinthians 6:3 Paul writes that in the end times we will judge angels, how much more now are we capable to judge the matters of this world (my paraphrase).
This Thursday we will discuss what it means to encourage others the way God commands. How to encourage in a way that reflects our love and commitment for both Christ and others. And what the difference is between those who are followers of Christ and those who are not when it comes to encouragement and correction. You do not want to miss this week as we continue with lesson number four of our “Life Rules” – encouragement.
Shalom!
Brent
Yay! I can’t wait!! I missed last week’s message, is there any way I can get a copy of it on CD?
Awesome, Awesome, AWESOME!
This is why every one of us needs accountability partners: Somebody who will tell us the hard truths when we’re deviating even in the slightest. It can be easy to forget we are to be IN the world, but not OF the world; refusing to allow the deceitfulness of sin to get a hold of us. Stanley made a great conjecture regarding falling away: It’s a process. First comes sin, which hardens the heart, which in turn causes one to question one’s faith.
Thank God for EPIC friends, EPIC teaching, and EPIC rhema!
Can’t wait to see everybody on Thursday!
You Stay Classy Access,
-Los Explotantos
We had an “awesome” time at Cornerstone today. Caleb, Cindy, Jessica, and I went and hung out at lunch. It was cool ’cause Caleb used to go there so he saw alot of his friends. I made the observation that of all of the college campuses that we have visited, Cornerstone has the happiest students. Sorry to all others that attend somewhere else, but it’s the truth. And if you don’t like it, get a little more joy in your life. I can direct you to someone who can supply a lot of joy in ones life. Jesus.
I can’t wait for this week’s message on encouragement. I personally think that it is the best of the five weeks in our small group series. For those of you that don’t know or haven’t been to Access in a while. We are in the middle of a small group series. We meet throughout the week in our groups and then in the message each week, Brent speaks on whatever topic it is that we are studying.
You are all awesome! Keep on keepin’ on.
Blake McDaniel a.k.a.- shooti
Why is Blake McDaniel under the name Jessica Rillema?
Curious this is….
Ronzi
(www.myspace.com/kinggramjohnson)
My computer, Jessica is always using. (In an accent that a little green guy would have). So the web site thought that I was Jessica.
OK. Go back to your talks of garlic and wizards, Ronzi.
Blake
oh my gosh i’m so behind on my blogging. this can not happen again!!
(if anyone is reading this right now and has not yet blogged, you need to join in on the fun… it’s okay, you can do it. cross over to our side. it won’t hurt a bit).
blake (aka Jessica Rillema) ~ sweeeet bluntness in this statement: “And if you don’t like it, get a little more joy in your life. I can direct you to someone who can supply a lot of joy in ones life. Jesus.” Amen my brother. way to speak the truth.
ok. so i didnt blog about last week. i started to type it out and then never finished it. but here’s the thing – i didn’t cry last week! or last night! no way! it’s funny you guys, cause honestly i was like… why am I not crying??? is the Holy Spirit not doing a work in me?? what is going on??? ha ha. then i realized…. i’m growing. it’s a good thing. just as the tears were a good thing, growing past the tears is a good thing. i’m sure there will be more tears at some point, but my pain has continued to lessen, PRAISE JESUS (ALL THE GLORY TO HIM), and more joy is moving into my heart…taking up the spots where the sadness used to be. God touched me in different ways the past two weeks… it was different. the past 2 messages were about other people… i had to grow from things being all about ME, to focusing on other people. cause ya know, things really aren’t all about me!! (no, really????) God wants to change me and heal me so that i can be used to touch other people’s lives, the way people (particularly all of you lovely brudders and sisters) have touched my life. i can’t stay in “me and God” mode forever. no, i must move forward. it’s a process ya know… it’s only been 6 weeks. i still have so much more growing to do. but i’ve come so far in the past 6 weeks. God has done so much in me, that honestly it feels like months. i’ve had a hard week, i’ll be honest. a lot of memories of the past have been coming up and hurting me greatly. however, i’ll be the first to admit that i haven’t been in the Word the way i should have been, nor have i been praying as i should have been. brent’s teaching last night was soooo real and raw. and i sat there thinking – PRAISE GOD that i’ve changed my life so i dont have to sit here feeling like crap right now (not that i should have felt condemnation, nor was that brent’s intention, but knowing myself – i would have). it was AWESOME to finally feel right with God and know that i am doing my best to please Him. however, in terms of obeying God, He did open my eyes last night that i need to be obedient with my healing… and not open doors (or even window cracks) to allow the pain to come back in. He told me to move forward from the bad relationship that destroyed me, and i need to obey Him and do just that – move forward. going backwards and opening old wounds is a) not helping, and b) not what God wants me to do. i need to be just as obedient in that as i need to be with any other sin. so now i shall stay away from the bad dude because God is telling me i have to, and i need to obey Him. it’s a new frame of mind…. a new way of looking at it. it’s in obedience. thanks brent. i know your talk had nothing to do with what i just said, but God still showed me that nonetheless.
i’m glad i was there last night. i’m sicker than a dog (where did that phrase come from?) and i wasn’t going to go because i needed sleep (i still do). but, God had something to say to me, and Amen for that. i honestly dont think i would have missed it anyway. it is the highlight of my week. as soon as i drive away, i start looking forward to next week. also my friend blaize is being supremely touched at Access as well. it is amazing. but i shall let him type his own blog on that subject
i love you all. and go cowboys.
~lindsey
Princess Lindsey,
Let me give you a word: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus†(Philippians 3:13-14).
If we want to enjoy the kind of victory Paul did, we have to do the same thing. Otherwise, our mind will keep dragging us back into old cycles of sin and defeat because, unlike our spirit, our mind was not made new when we were born again. It stayed the same. If we don’t renew it with the Word, it will continually feed us with thoughts and fears from the past. And since our lives are shaped by what we think (which becomes what we say…which dictates what we decide and what we do), those thoughts and fears from the past will end up dictating our future (Kenneth Copeland).
I, too, have dealt with past hurts recently. The thing is, God is working in my heart to let go of things I have been holding onto for YEARS. I didn’t even know they were there! Yet they had built strongholds in my life that I had thought were just a part of who I was. But they’re not, and they are being stripped down and removed by the hand of the Most High!
I’ve prayed for Him to reveal to me ANYTHING that is coming in between He and I and the majority of issues were hurts I had hung onto. It’s not that I hadn’t forgiven… I had. But I was allowing the enemy to drag up past hurts and affect my present.
But no longer! In the past 3 weeks God has moved POWERFULLY in my life and has released me from all such bondages. Hallelujia, the King is Holy!
Oh, and one more thing…
GO LIONS
-Los Explotantos
Wow, Blake. I didn’t know you could be so rude (just kidding)! Worship at Access the other night was awesome! I really felt God’s presence.
Love ya all!
Access Rocks!!!!
Um Blaize you need to say a little bit more than that….!
Where’s my lightsaber??
Jason, I stole it, and Mike and I are infusing it with a new crystal. So now the color is: Lightsaber. Black. Hot.
And then we are going to have an epic battle to the death!
Brent can be the referee!
If the lightsaber thief is apprehended, I believe the correct course of action will be to make them watch Episode I over and over and over again. I cannot imagine a worse fate than that.
-Los Explotantos et las Funkos del Bunchos
Mike… Ronzi….
You have derailed!
B.
Okay then! I’m not really feeling inspired to right at the moment, but I am going to try to make sense. And no I guess I’m not a man of few words, I just think Access rocks.
I’ve been coming to Access for two weeks now and it has helped me out a lot. I am going to be completly honest, everytime that I come to Access, I end up crying. I just feel God’s holy presence so strong… It’s amazing! Lots of horrible event have occured in my life these past four months and feeling God is something vital in my life. I talk to God now more than I have ever in my past. I feel God speaking to me through Brent, and that’s wonderful. The firt time I actually praised God in tongues was the first time I went to Access. I don’t know what it is about it, maybe because it’s a Thursday night? hmm.. No. Maybe because it’s at the Ground Floor? (a place I love going to concerts at) well that can’t be it though. Ummm… I wish I knew why I feel Him so strong at Access, but I don’t. Except I love always looking forward to Access. The worship is the best worship in any church that I have ever been in. I guess because it is more down to earth and relatable to my generation.
And I love all of the friendly people who go to Access. I am always greeted with a smile and a hello from these cheerful Christians. Hopefully I can go tomorrow night, I really need this in my life right now. I need to be closer to Jesus instead of being more interested on a girl. I need to be totally emotionally and physically right with Jesus before I can start dating and I realize that. Well, not just with dating.. but with everything. Jesus needs to be the MAIN focus in my life and Access is helping me with that. GOD is helping me with that through the ministry at Access.
Thank you so much! I’m always so emotional… I’m even crying right now… But you know what, the grace of God is so beautiful and it makes me have some tears of joy for Him. I need to live fully for Him and then I’ll be able to do anything.
I love you all, but Jesus loves you more!!! Later!
Your brother in Christ,
Blaize
btw, check out my myspace page http://www.myspace.com/lovebrian4life add me!
Adios!!!
hellloooo my access friends! We had a great campus visit today again. We went to GVSU bearing hot cocoa or chocolate, if you will, and people were so funny. they were so wary of accepting something without first asking what they had to sign or vote for. So it was great to just give it to them for free and then get to share with them a little about this amazing college and twenty-somethings group that I happen to know about where they hear the Word and encourage one another in the Lord and submit to one another. Speaking of submittance… ha, what a great and ever so corny transition. But, I did love this week’s thing on submittance. It really hit me how Andy Stanley (the small group videos for those of you who don’t attend…you should!!!) went into detail on Eph. 5:21 on submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. That we should think of how Christ put them (meaning other people in our lives) above himself, he being above everything!, and out of reverence for him and the value that he places on them by humbling himself as their servant and enduring death on a cross for their sake, we too should submit to them. he does command it, and he wouldn’t command us to do something that is impossible for us to attain. It certainly brings a few people to mind that begin to look differently in my eyes when I think of the value that Jesus places on them. That really changes how I approach them and my attitude towards them as well. Oh God is so good!
Gracias Brent! Just wanted to let you all know how amazing this week’s topic was. We were missing half the group however we did it anyway and had some really great conversation…
one thing we talked about is how important it is to submit even when we don’t feel like it because we never know who’s watching. One interesting question that came up was, “what exactly does submission mean?” The definition we came up with, based off of Stanley’s message, is: Submission, the laying down of one’s own needs, desires, wants or schedule in order to accomodate, help out, serve or listen to someone else… in essence putting their needs above our own. (Ph 2:3-5) When Christ died for us he set the ultimate example of submission.
I can’t wait for tonight to see what everyone else got out of this topic!!!!
be blessed,
Anna
brent I love your “derailed” word. i’m gonna use that one from now on. “you have completely derailed!”
and where is MY lightsaber?????????????????
ok WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW worship was SO AMAZING last night!!! like WHO CARES that Patrick’s guitar stopped working?!?!?! i think it made it better!!! that was my favoritistest worship time ever – in my whole 7 weeks of Access. and when Jace was worshipping prophetically at the end?? so, so great. when blake started praying i was like nooooooooo!!! i didn’t want it to end. so cool.
ok anyway. God continues to do such amazing things in my life. it’s so awesome to have a thirst for the Living Water. i wish that we had Access every night (well, i’d probably start to really miss my daughter if that were the case…. but you get my point). seriously i hope that my hunger for God never goes away again, because it is awesome. i’ve never felt more at peace in my entire life. and it’s so cool, cause this month is the 20-year anniversary from when my dad left, and i came into this season NOT healed, and God is totally healing me and bringing me through it. FINALLY i have joy and peace and a purpose in my life. thank JESUS He took that bad guy away from me, so that i would have to fall on my face before Him, with absolutely NOTHING to hold on to, and find my strength in HIM and HIM ALONE. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
working in the cafe was fun, too. which is a blessing because i was soooo exhausted, and had no desire to do it, and almost told Jessica i wasn’t going to do it. but it ended up being really fun – praise Jesus! and after work crew tomorrow i finally can sleep
and p.s. can we turn the heat on???? last night i had on my jacket, my [dallas cowboys] winter coat over my lap, and i still felt like i needed to go get my [dallas cowboys] blanket out of my car and wrap myself in it. i freeeeze in there! just a little request from a little kalamazoo-er. thanks
love ya!!!
oh wait, when I said “bad guy” in my last post, I wasn’t referring to my dad, I was referring to the guy that broke up with me 7 weeks ago, which made me start coming to Access. sorry for the confusion
oh and speaking of confusion, i did NOT actually have open-heart surgery, as i heard some of you thought 
ha ha ha ha ha. in previous blogs i was referring to having emotional heart surgery, not the real deal.
“De-railed” implies that at some point I had a rail that I was on.
Touche Lindsey, worship was EPIC.
Brent, your message tying submission into humility vs pride hit me HARD. Much like a lightsaber to the dome, but not as cool looking. I, too, am guilty of “puffing up” and God had already begun dealing with me about that earlier this week. Your message was confirmation of his conviction. As the refiners fire purifies my heart, I am excited to see how it changes my actions as well. AWESOME.
“Do, or do not, there is no try…”
- Los E.
hey no way!! I have “do or do not. there is no try” taped to my monitor at work!! go yoda.
dr. h,
I’m so glad God touched you with the message last night. I found it to be great as well. Amen for HUMILITY!!!
i must ask, why did you say ‘touche’ ? what did i say that was touche? or are you just using the word incorrectly
Ok, so I tried to post something on Wednesday and something must have happened to intercept my very nifty weekly post. Lindsey, you make me laugh and I’m so glad you worked in the cafe on Thursday. You stuck with it and I know you dished out some incredibly rich and sugary, not to mention with the perfect chunks, shakes to our access people. That’s where God wants us too, in places where we are continually being pushed forward and breaking through new comfort barriers every day.
wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww so much great stuff to respond to, yet i’m so tired. and let me say that i’m just confused because things are getting moderated at different times so im like… what goes where? whos on first whats on second?
ok i’m going to sleep i love you all.
I ‘heart’ Access.
Anyhoo,
I recently discovered that as one makes a sandwich, whatever one places on the bottom piece of bread will be the predominant taste in one’s mouth…
For example, if I put my favorite Gulden’s Spicy Mustard on the bottom piece of bread and Mayo on the top piece of bread, I will barely taste the Mayo but will have an explosion of mustard! And vice-versa, Mayo on the bottom, and Gulden’s on the top, more Mayo flavor.
So, my brothers and sisters, consider this the next time you are making a sandwich to take with you to class, work, or for the next time you wake up at 3:00 AM and want a epic sandwich. Your tastebuds will thankyou!
Go Lions
Go Blue
Go Access!
-Dr. Henry Jones Jr.
wow, dr. henry jones jr., i dont think i could have gone on from this moment without the knowledge of the predominance of the bottom piece of bread on the sandwich. now i can go forward in life, knowing how to make a true sandwich. thank you for sharing such an insight, oh wise doctor.
p.s. I sooooo want some spicy mustard now.
Dear Dr. Jones–
Do you think that this is because whatever is on the bottom is closest to your tongue and therefore closest to your taste buds? Course when one chews, the sandwich gets all mushed up and no longer stays bottom side down and top side up, but rather all mixed together… so really it shouldn’t matter what is on bottom but for just the first bite that removes that piece from the rest of the sandwich.
B.