Peel House Progress – January 30, 2021
“Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge, but anyone who loves God is known by him”
1 Corinthians 8:2-3
Some have named our era as the “information age.” If you don’t know something it’s just because you haven’t had time to google it yet. And this ready access to knowledge leads to great pride when we know something and great condescension towards those who don’t share the knowledge we have obtained. But Paul makes an argument, in the context of eating food sacrificed to idols, that knowledge is incomplete without love. I want to think more about that this week. So often we say things like “they should know better.” But maybe we would be better served if we focused on ‘loving better.’ We should love better, I think that is Paul’s point.
-Pastor Travis
Peel House Progress – January 23, 2021
New Sunday Adult Seminar!
The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World’s Largest Religion Is Seeking A Better Way to Be Christian
Led by Pastor Ralph Anderson
Sunday 10:30 a.m.
January 24 – February 14, 2021
During the next four weeks we will be exploring the ideas of provocative contemporary theologian, Brian McLaren, who invites us to reflect on our current belief systems in our search for religious meaning. “We’re a people on the move,” McLaren says. “We’re seeking a better way to be Christian.” So, join me in trying to figure out what in the world he means! It will be a fascinating journey!
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84364439242 Meeting ID: 843 6443 9242
“And the people of Nineveh believed God” Jonah 3:5
Jonah wasn’t optimistic that the evil people of Nineveh whom he despised could change their ways. But God believed they could, and they did. There are so many reasons to be pessimistic these days. We’ve seen so many people do thing that are unconscionable, and we have a hard time believing they could ever change. We have our own personal enemies too, people in our lives who anger us, disappoint us, betray us. And it’s easy to fall into Jonah’s way of thinking, that people don’t change. But God doesn’t think that about anyone. People can and do change. People can and do turn from evil. People who didn’t believe in God can come to faith in the Lord. May God help us see people the way God sees people.
-Pastor Travis
Peel House Progress – January 16, 2021
Netflix Watch Party – The Social Dilemma (2020)
January 22 at 9 p.m.
If you haven’t seen this documentary already, it is a must-see for anyone with a nine-year-old or older! This documentary addresses the way technology is behind the unprecedented levels of self-harm, suicide, technology addiction, depression, and rising intolerance in society today. With technology taking over more of our lives now that it ever has, it is important to know the ethics (or lack-there-of) behind some of the biggest technology companies in America. This is a critical expose that features former executives from Facebook, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, and more exposing the gloomy underside of social media. It’s not all dark though, this eye-opening documentary shows us the ways that social media can be used for good and were ultimately created with good intentions. This documentary helps us to regulate social media when it has been known to not regulate itself. How do we use social media as the tool it is meant to be rather than being played by it?
Join me on a late Friday night (after bedtime) for a Netflix Watch Party. There will be a chat box next to the movie that will allow us to interact and discuss while we watch. **You will need to have a Netflix subscription to join and add the Teleparty extension to your Google Chrome browser. More information can be found here: https://www.netflixparty.com
If you are interested in this event, please email michaela@flccs.net. The link to the watch party can only be shared at the start of the event, so to receive the link you will need to RSVP via email before the event date and time.
“Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46
A skeptic and his friend talking about the possibility that all their hopes for the future have arrived in the person of Jesus. How do you convince someone that Jesus is the Messiah? The answer isn’t clever arguments and encyclopedic knowledge. It’s simply an invitation to come and see for yourself. That’s our invitation today also, to the world. But what are we inviting them to come and see? Let us do the work to make sure our community so reflects the messiah that when people come and see they recognize their hopes fulfilled in Jesus.
-Pastor Travis
New Sunday Adult Seminar
FAITH & JUSTICE: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S SERMONS
Led by Michaela Eskew
January 10 & January 17 10:30 a.m. over Zoom
As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day and in the midst of a tumultuous year of racial conversations, we will spend the next two weeks listening to and reading four of MLK Jr’s most famous sermons and speeches. Along with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” we will also explore “The Death of Evil Upon the Seashore” and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” These speeches resonate with biblical allusions and deep theological understanding, while also transporting us right into the middle of the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84364439242
Meeting ID: 843 6443 9242
Peel House Progress – January 9, 2021
First Thoughts at First 