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ThuThursdayJanJanuary31st2013
Purity Week
Purity Week
Christ Follower: Set apart for purity. Set free from Failure.
Schedule of Events
Worship Service February 4th and 5th: “Set Apart for Purity”
Women: Monday 6-7:30pm, Wendesday 9:30-11am(childcare available) and 7:30-9pm.
Men: Tuesday 7:30-9pm and Saturday 8:30-10am.
Youth (Middle and High School): Thursday 6-8pm
Worship Service February 11th and 12th : “Set Free from Immorality”
5 things PURIY WEEK is NOT!
1. PW is for a select group of sinners. NOT! PURITY WEEK is for every man, woman, and youth (middle & high school), and as is true of God’s word, all of you will benefit from being there.
2. PW will take up my entire week. REALLY? While there are PURITY WEEK activities all week, you need only attend ONE meant for your particular gender through the course of the week. Of course, you should also be in both worship services during the bookend weekends.
3. PW is meant to be a HUGE guilt trip for my past. NO, PURITY WEEK is about you having a future that honors Jesus and that allows you to live a life without regret. Yes, you may have to deal with some stuff that is current or from the past, but aren’t you tired of carrying that garbage on your back?!
4. PW will expect me to disclose my sins publicly, to EVERYBODY! NO, NOT REALLY. But our hearts are that you will engage any immoral behavior or thought patterns and share the work Jesus is doing in your life with someone else who can be a place of help and accountability.
5. PW is a STUPID idea and just a church program. WRONG!!! PURITY WEEK is meant to honor Jesus by engaging one of the chief ills of our society. This special week is built for your freedom and to build up His bride, the church, in all purity.
PURITY WEEK will be a significant time in the life of North Point Fellowship as we throw off the chains of immoral thought, behavior, and practice. As we become a church more Set Apart in Christ, North Point will experience God’s blessings in greater measure to honor Jesus and to lead many into His kingdom.
You will hear strong testimony of how Jesus changes the lives of those that earnestly seek Him. You will also be led in a process of developing your personal plan for moral purity, custom built by God and you, to keep you back from the edge of moral failure.
Plant your flag, make a commitment, and set your course to be at the worship services and meeting that applies to you. May Jesus Christ be honored by our desire to walk in purity before His holiness. I am proud of your courage to help one another and to face this critical issue.
In Christ’s love and service,
Pastor Paul
MonMondayFebFebruary6th2012
PURITY WEEK
Dear North Point Family and especially Parents,
Our special PURITY WEEK events kick off this evening with the first of our women’s meetings. Each meeting this week, whether for the women, men, or youth, is built to engage the issue of staying morally pure in a culture that does not value, nor promote purity.
Because of the sensitive and direct communication that is taking place this week, if you are parents of youth or younger children, it is imperative that you consider their level of maturity as to whether or not they participate in any of the above meetings. Frankly, you must be careful not to over-estimate the maturity of your youth, for that could do just the opposite of what our intent is for the week.
In light of the above, please exercise great caution in considering whether pre-college age youth should attend either the men’s or women’s meetings. I encourage you to discuss your thoughts with a pastor, elder, or NDOW leader. Middle school and high school youth will address the issue of purity in their Thursday evening meeting. They will divide by gender as well as by age (middle and high school).
This coming weekend’s services will be entitled, “Set Free from Immorality.” I am rating this message NP16. Each of you as parents can certainly make the decision as to whether your children are in this worship service, but understand that I will be speaking about sexual sin, particular situations, and their impact on our lives, families, church, and society (such as pre-marital sex, sexual abuse, pornography, etc). I will not be vulgar or obscene, but will speak biblically and directly to the practice and cost of immorality.
Of course, as we seek God’s hand of healing and purification, we must remember that it is only the saving work of Jesus Christ, and His gospel message that can rescue and empower us. Make no mistake; all of the purity training in the world cannot accomplish a truly changed life. It is only in becoming a Christ follower and being adopted into His family that gives any potency to training in purity.
May we honor our Lord Jesus by embracing our salvation in Him and allowing His power to Change Us for GOOD in the area and practice of purity.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
1st Cor 6:18-20
To His glory in our body,
Pastor Paul
ThuThursdayFebFebruary2nd2012
Set Apart On Purpose
Dear North Point Family,
Broken cars, lost keys, strep throat, grumpy spouse (sometimes I wake up grumpy, sometime I just let her/him sleep), and smelly diapers. “Are you telling me Jesus does that ON PURPOSE?” Well He is never out of control, but that’s not exactly what we are talking about.
Jesus has set apart those that are Christ-followers to a life that has His very purposeful direction, calling, gifting, and opportunity. He makes the beginning of our journey obvious and our initial purpose easy to discern. Colossians 3:12-14 says that our first purpose is to be like Him. When we attach all of the Christ characteristics to His love which “binds everything together in perfect harmony,” (remember the jet engine metaphor) we have found our most significant purpose in life: to look like Jesus.
Once we are living His purpose, we get to live our purpose. Our life in Him directs us to His preferred future. There is no more fulfilling place than to be where we feel His pleasure. For those of you that are presently located in the center of Jesus’ will, you are shouting, YAYA, AMEN! What a place of safety and pleasure even through difficulty.
There is a great freedom then to live your life “On Purpose.” No default, no path of least resistance, no living life by consensus, but knowing the direction God wants you to go and fiercely accepting the challenge.
I bear personal testimony to our Lord, that His direction and purpose for life is the most fulfilling place I have ever existed. Each of us is called to put on His character. From there, just hold on, because life becomes better than even Mr. Toads Wild Ride…WAY BETTER!
PURITY WEEK is almost here. Join us as we corporately commit to Jesus’ preferred future for purity in this church on Friday evening at THE FURNACE. It begins at 6:30pm and you will be moved and blessed for being there.
Challenged to change for Jesus’ glory,
Pastor Paul
TueTuesdayJanJanuary31st2012
Purity Week Childcare Update
Reference the schedule below for childcare availability.
Schedule of Events
Worship Service February 4th and 5th: “Set Apart for Purity”
Women: Monday 6-7:30pm, Wendesday 9:30-11am and 7:30-9pm.
Childcare is available on both Monday evening and Wednesday morning.
Men: Tuesday 7:30-9pm and Saturday 8:30-10am.
Youth (Middle and High School): Thursday 6-8pm
Worship Service February 11th and 12th : “Set Free from Immorality”
ThuThursdayJanJanuary26th2012
Set Apart in Jesus
Dear North Point Family,
This past weekend we began our new sermon series, “Changed for GOOD!” It is only when we come to Jesus Christ, that we change for the good, and changed for always. It is such a privilege for me to tell you that in the last week, 7 people have given their life to Jesus and are “Changed for GOOD.” Their lives have now been “Set Apart in Jesus” and their eternal destination is assured. In addition to the 7+ (there may be more) that have come to Christ, at least 3 people have rededicated their lives to Jesus. In addition, as many of you know, 8 of our folks were baptized at Sunday evening’s amazing service. Also for your encouragement, a number of the folks that gave their lives to Jesus were young people in our youth ministry.
God is truly leading His great work here at North Point, and preparing many to embrace the changes that Jesus offers us when we come to His saving grace.
Being set apart in Jesus should give us great confidence, not just in our future, but in our present as well. He really does make a difference in our lives. Here is a reminder of the process we observed in Colossians 3:1-11.
- Live Your Reality – Go Vertical by seeking up, thinking up, and living up
- Leave Your Carnality – Depart Carnizontal by putting your earthly desires to death, by putting away the sinful part of our thought and speech life, and by putting off all deceit.
- Embrace Your Renewal – Hit Refresh. Jesus does not just perfect our spirit and leave us until we die, but He is constantly renewing our knowledge to help us to think, act and look more like Him.
God is indeed pruning this fellowship, and as He is, we are already seeing the increase in fruitfulness. Oh, God is not done making us look more like Jesus, but isn’t it worth it as we begin to see our spiritual nursery filling up with new believers? The harvest of 2012 has begun and each of us must enter the field and be a part of bringing in those that are ripe to the Gospel.
Our next step this weekend is to discuss being “Set Apart ON PURPOSE.” There is no game of chance with God. As we walk in Christ, He has a very deliberate and purposeful process for our lives. Be ready to engage Jesus personally about His plan for you.
We are deeply blessed. I hope each of you have a great sense for what God is doing here. On Thursday of last week a teenage girl gave her life to Jesus. On Sunday her mom committed her life to Jesus and oh by the way that same day and service her grandmother recommitted her life to Jesus. THREE GENERATIONS WERE SET APART IN JESUS! If that doesn’t blow your hair back (or scalp), CHECK YOUR PULSE!!!
Rejoicing in Christ’s love and service,
Pastor Paul
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