But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14

Most of us aren’t audacious enough to boast.  We don’t go out of our way to explicitly draw attention to ourselves.  So if that kind of boasting is what comes to mind when you hear Paul make this statement, you’ll probably miss its effect.

In order to see how deeply penetrating this statement is meant to be, first consider two other places where Paul uses this same Greek word that is translated here as “boast.”

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice [= boast] in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2

More than that, we also rejoice [= boast] in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:11

The same Greek word that is translated as “boasting” is the same word that is elsewhere translated as “rejoicing.”  In a few other places, it’s translated as “glorying.”  So the question that Galatians 6:14 should beg for us to ask isn’t limited to “What do I boast in?” but it should be expanded to include “What do I rejoice in?  What do I take comfort in?  What gives me confidence and emotional stability?”  Whatever my answer is to these questions, that is what I boast in.

Last week, I played in the championship game for the lunchtime intramural basketball league at work.  My team ended up losing a long, competitive game.  I don’t think I would have boasted if we won, but why did I feel discouraged and as though I had failed my team for most of the rest of the day?  Not just because we lost, but because I felt I had played poorly.  And this revealed that my “boasting” was really in my performance.

Last week, I ended up staying at work one night much later than I had planned to because I was trying to get something done even though I didn’t have to meet a deadline the next day.  I didn’t want to leave work until I had accomplished my goal.  And I was frustrated that I had to stop working that night without getting the task done.  I don’t think I boast about my achievements at work, but why did I experience a growing frustration that made me stubbornly refuse to leave work no matter how much time went by?  Because my “boasting” is in feeling like I’m successful in my career.

Last week, I spent some time after work having an extended conversation with one of my co-workers.  After having dinner, we joked and laughed and talked about life.  But why did I feel a little disappointed in myself afterward?  Because I felt as though I didn’t seize the opportunity to talk to him about Jesus.  And this revealed that my “boasting” is in how well I do the job of an evangelist.

The reality is that there are many things that I boast in.  There are many things that you boast in.  Yet Paul’s statement is clear in its scope.  All boasting is excluded except for boasting in the cross.  There is to be only one source of our joy, our comfort, our confidence, and our emotional stability: the cross of Christ.

The world and its philosophy give us comfort when we perform well.  The world gives us emotional stability when we’re successful in our jobs.  The world gives us its vote of confidence when we make logical decisions.  Because, in these moments, there is something we can point to in ourselves that makes us acceptable.

But here’s the catch.  The world will not give us comfort when we don’t perform well.  At least not the kind we desire.  The world will not provide us with emotional stability when we’re not making much progress at work.  The world will not give us its vote of confidence when we make decisions that put us in the minority.  Because, in these moments, there is nothing we can point to in ourselves that makes us acceptable.

The reality is that the times will come when we don’t perform well, when we’re less productive at work, when we make decisions that are unpopular.  If we’re looking for our joy, comfort, confidence, and emotional stability in the places where it’s nowhere to be found because the world isn’t giving it, that’s slavery.

But if we’re always looking for our joy, comfort, confidence, and emotional stability in the cross of Christ, then we’ll never be lacking.  It’s always available.  And that’s why freedom is found when our only boast is in the cross of Jesus, by which He made us acceptable to God through His life and death in our place, and when the world has been crucified to us.

When the world is crucified to us, we’re no longer seeking our joy, comfort, confidence, and emotional stability in the world so it doesn’t matter whether or not the world gives these things to us.  And in this sense, we’re crucified to the world.

The things we seek to find our joy, our comfort, our confidence, and our emotional stability in are really just different ways of trying to make ourselves acceptable (which is what the Judaizers in Galatians were seeking by forcing the Gentiles to be circumcised).  Last week, I wanted to make myself acceptable to the guys I played basketball with.  I wanted to make myself acceptable to my employer.  I wanted to make myself acceptable to my ministry partners (in a very worldly sense).  I’m trying to make myself acceptable in multiple ways every day.

Does the world offer acceptance?  It certainly does.  But only if you always meet its conditions.  Which again and again you will fail to do.  However, the gospel tells us that through the cross of Christ we’re already accepted by God.  Always.  There’s only one condition: trust Jesus.  Look away from yourself (both your failures and your successes) and trust the One who never failed and never will.

So, what do you “boast” in?

• Six-pack abs?
• Owning your own home?
• Good grades?
• Job performance?
• Having a certain amount of money saved in the bank?
• Obedient children?
• Always pleasing your spouse? A conflict-free marriage?
• The autonomy of being single?
• Your plans for the future?
• Being the leader of or part of a successful church plant?
• Being told how great your sermon was?
• ??

To “boast” in these things is to look to these things to make you acceptable, whether before yourself, before others, or before God.  It’s to look to them as “functional saviors” even if you trust Jesus for eternal life.  But Jesus didn’t just die to give you eternal life.  He died so that you could die to the bondage of boasting in your “functional saviors” and live in the freedom of boasting in Him alone.  He died so that you could find your acceptance before God (the only acceptance you need!) in Him alone.  In other words, He died to become your only and fully Functional Savior.

And because of [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:30-31

We boast in the things that make us acceptable.  Don’t wait for the time to come when your “functional saviors” disappear in your time of need (they fail to make you acceptable) because you stop meeting their conditions before you look to make Jesus and His cross your only boast.  If He’s not your only boast now, there’s no way He’ll be your boast then, when He’ll really be all you have to boast in.

The gospel is simple.  And yet so profound.  Only the cross of Christ makes us acceptable before God.  Believe it.  Be free.

People pack into large congregations, enjoying the many programs and people of a large church. It almost automatically feels like you are a part of something bigger than yourself because of the sheer size of it all. In addition, they have all the luxuries and comforts of modern day living. So why would you go to a small, budding church plant that has little or none of the things you have come to expect from a church? Whether you are a Christian, or non-Christian, there are good reasons to come.

For the Non-Christian

Special Care Will Be Given to You. You may be the only new person there; but don’t feel like you have interrupt our secret society! We exist for people like you. We want to minister to you in every way: physically, emotionally, spiritual. For you, Jesus said:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)

We want to help you find that rest for your soul and learn from Jesus, together, with us. It is easy to be lost in the shuffle of a large church. At Veritas, it is almost impossible for us to overlook you. You will find a casual, intimate, but godwardly focused group of people who are passionate about seeing people like you find rest for their soul and enjoyment in God.

You can focus on God here. Silicon Valley life is full of distractions and large mega-churches can easily be a place that adds to that. There is little here to distract you from coming closer to God.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33).

Do not think that you will be missing anything by coming here. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the important things will be added to you. Trust that God knows what’s important for you and will add it to your life in due time. Your first focus is to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. We will help you do that here.

We will tell you the truth. The reason that many of the large churches attract many people is by telling you what you want to hear and tailoring the message to be easy on your ears. 

We believe that the writers of the Bible, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, wrote God’s truth in the Bible. God has preserved His truth throughout the generations and He wants us to hear it now. We believe that God speaks the truth and it is the whole truth that God wants you to hear. We will not hold back those difficult passages in the Bible. We will explain them in a way that is glorifying to God so that you can enjoy the fullness of His character and be ministered to in a way that God intended His Word to minister to you.

We believe that there is power in the Word of God even if it is not easy on our ears—it has power to transform your life in ways that man-made methods will never achieve.

“my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor 2:4-5).

We want you to come in contact, not with man-made methods of wisdom and healing, but with the power of God.

For the Young or Wayward Christian

Be discipled here. One of the tragedies of Christiandom is that people come on Sunday, hear a message and leave; but the teachings of the Scripture are not applied to their individual lives and so they do not experience the life transformation that is part of the Christian life.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2)

We want you to not only come on Sunday, but come to one of our community groups and be encouraged towards spiritual growth with other like-minded Christians. We desire to apply the powerful truths of Scripture to your individual circumstance and struggles. We desire for your to become fruitful, like the seed that fell on good soil.

“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matt 13:8)

Gain a solid foundation. Life is full of those things which cause men to stumble and loose hope. Come here to gain a solid foundation on the teachings and the disciplines of the Christian life. We exist for the following reason:

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph 4:11-15)

Avoid being a consumer. Many Americans fall into the trap of evaluating a church in the same way they would evaluate a consumer service. The evaluation of the church is based on the standards that are set by the business world. This is a dangerous starting point. If you seek superficial consumer qualities in your church, you are at the risk of gaining superficial worldly qualities in your spiritual character. 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

By our nature, as a church plant, we have little that the world has to offer, but we are abundant in what God has to offer. Consider the latter as immensely more important in making your decision.

For the Mature Christian

Answer our “Help Wanted” sign. Okay, we don’t actually have such a sign or ad; but the reality is that church plants need mature Christians to help disciple and gather in those who Jesus Christ is calling to himself. Feel secure in knowing there are other like-minded Christian here that are willing to work side-by-side with you in this labor of love for Jesus Christ and to glory of God:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luk 10:2).

Perhaps you are the answer to our prayers. Go into the harvest, be a laborer. Consider whether your current church already has plenty of help. Perhaps they could get along just fine without you. A small church plant like ours needs people like you.

Be poured out for the souls of others. The good news of the Gospel did not come to you for simply the well being of your own soul. Paul recognized that for him to die would be gain and be with Christ. Yet, he recognized the necessity and fruitfulness of ministry to other if he stays.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me… to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith” (Phil 1:24-25).

God desires to use you as a vessel of grace, love and mercy towards other people. Do not let your service towards others be hidden away among the masses.

See your faith grow. Perhaps, if you were to come and join our efforts, you will see people come to Christ, lives transformed and God’s Church grow right before your eyes. What food for your soul and reason to rejoice!

Or perhaps it will be a time of great trial and difficulties. Remember, your suffering is not in vain. It has the result of building your faith and building your character.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jas 1:2-4)

We cannot guarantee the outcome, but know that Jesus spoke to this type of situation with some great words of encouragement.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29)

Finally, do what Jesus commanded. The great commission calls Christians to go out and make disciples. At small churches, the opportunity is tangible and the need is palpable. Come to Veritas and help is fulfill this great commission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20).

Women’s Retreat 2010 - Great is Thy Faithfulness: A Study in Lamentations
March 5-7
Koinonia Conference Center
Watsonville, CA

Visit the Conference Website to learn more.

Overview

Life sometimes has its challenges. These challenges cause us to question what we believe about God…His sovereignty (or control) over our lives, His goodness in the midst of trials, whether He hears our cries and whether He will come through in His promises, to name a few.

The good news? In the midst of the slightest of difficulties or even in the darkest of nights, God is there.  He is there not only to provide us with comfort but to reveal new things about His character, grace and faithfulness.

2010 Theme: Great is Thy Faithfulness: A Study in Lamentations

Judy Achilles has had her share of difficulties and “dark nights.”  And the resounding conclusion of her testimony – and the testimony of God’s Word – is that God’s faithfulness is the proven beacon of our hope.  Join us for this year’s women’s retreat as Judy shares from Scripture and from her own personal testimony about the faithfulness of God.

Retreat Objectives:

  * To magnify the glory and delight of Christ.
  * To understand more about God’s faithfulness.
  * To give women proper Biblical principals in order to know Christ in a deeper way.
  * To give support and encouragement to fellow women as they grow in Christ.
  * To have fun and enjoy fellowship with other women.

The Cabin has 3 floors, 3 bathrooms and 17 beds. We currently have 12 people committed to going and three maybes.

What to bring?

• Warm Clothing
• Sleeping Bag
• Towels
• Laptop (Comcast Internet available for free)
• XBOX 360’s with extra controllers
• Cameras
• Cash (To pay for food and gas) $40 would be good. We are expecting the shared price to be $20-30 dollars. (Very Cheap!)

What is there to do?

• Fellowship
• Hike
• Go to the Lake
• Snowball fight
• Play XBOX (If someone brings one)
• Read
• Pray
• Go Sledding
• Go Skiing/Snowboarding (You would need do this at your own expense.)

What to expect?

• The cabin is warm and has central heating
• We have three showers (Showers are mandatory including deodorant)
• Cell Phone’s work there
• There should be snow on the ground
• We will all have to share in doing dishes

We are planning this to be fairly unstructured to facilitate lots of fellowship. The only planned event will be Sunday where we have some worship, teaching, and prayer.

Transportation?

The best way would be for us all to meet at Josh Keller’s House prior to departure.  If you won’t be able to do that we can probably make accommodations.
Lets plan on meeting at Josh’s House at 7pm on Friday(741 W. Latimer Ave. Campbell, CA 95008). Right now we have two cars driving up with room for 10 people.  If we get more people, we will borrow a 15-passenger van from my in-laws or something.

Please call me or email if you have questions.

The following people are confirmed as going.

• Brad K
• Josh K
• Josh C.
• Kyle
• Rick
• Tim
• Jason Trapp
• Chris
• Darryl Lane
• Nathan Pops

The following people might be going

• Ajit Ninan
• Rob Lombardi
• Robin
• David Snider
• Joe Kochen

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it” (Micah 4:1).

A new day has dawned in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Micah tells us that in the days of Messiah, which is what he means by the latter days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established.  We are in that day, and we get the awesome privilege of looking back at what Christ has done, and forward to what He continues to do in our lives.  When Jesus died in Jerusalem and was raised on the third day, the Lord established Him higher than all the mountains. 

    Today Jesus reigns in His spiritual kingdom and we who believe in Jesus are part of that kingdom.

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:16-17).

Jesus is now firmly in control of all things.  He is the ruler and sustainer of all things. Seeing this day would come, Micah pointed to our exalted Lord Jesus.

    In the last part of the verse Micah says people shall flow to the mountain. Since the ascension of Jesus Christ people have been coming to Him. People to this very day continue to flow to Him as water to the sea.

Scripture Passage

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ” (1 Pe 2:9–10)

The Big Idea

As followers of Jesus, being missional is an important part of our identity that we can’t afford to lose.  But it’s not the only one.  And if we are going to be a missional church that lasts and continues to bear fruit, we can’t afford to neglect the other aspects of our identity as followers of Jesus.

Come, be blessed, by Chris’s passion for Christ and the preaching of His Word.

The Church is Sustained and Preserved by Jesus

Passage

Rev 1:9-20

A series in the first five chapters of revelation.

Scripture

Rev 1:1-8

A series in the first five chapters of revelation.

John 17:20-26

The Big Idea

God has called us to be in perfect unity with each other so that others so that the world may be believe the God sent Jesus.

Note: Video Only, Audio will be available later (after July 28).

Galations 5:1-12

Big Idea

When Jesus sets us free, he doesn’t set us free to do whatever we want. He sets us free form our self-centeredness so that we can love God and love other people

Gal 4:21-31

The Big Idea

Our salvation is not based on who we are or what we do, it’s based on who God is and what he does.

Galation 4:1-20

Freedom - Adoption as Sons

Main Idea

We are sons of God through Christ death on the cross, so stop turning back to the law.

Galations 3:15-29

Big Idea

The law leads us to Christ.

Galatians 3:1-14

The Big Idea

Justification is through faith in Christ and not by works of the law.

Scripture Passage

Galatians 2:11-21