Austin Mustard Seed » Ponderings http://www.austinmustardseed.org A church community of faith, hope, and love Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:31:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Ephesians 2:11-22 http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2010/07/ephesians-211-22/ http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2010/07/ephesians-211-22/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:40:34 +0000 John Chandler http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2010/07/ephesians-211-22/ This Sunday, we are moving on to Ephesians 2:11-22. At first glance, this looks like a difficult text to understand, but as I’ve been studying it, I’m stunned by the beauty of the images Paul uses. I’m excited to share it with you as we work together to understand what it means for us today. Of course, I hope you can take a few moments each day to read over it before Sunday and come with your own comments and questions.

]]> This Sunday, we are moving on to Ephesians 2:11-22. At first glance, this looks like a difficult text to understand, but as I’ve been studying it, I’m stunned by the beauty of the images Paul uses. I’m excited to share it with you as we work together to understand what it means for us today. Of course, I hope you can take a few moments each day to read over it before Sunday and come with your own comments and questions.

]]> http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2010/07/ephesians-211-22/feed/ 0 Thanksgiving Reflections http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/11/thanksgiving-reflections/ http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/11/thanksgiving-reflections/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:54:05 +0000 John Chandler http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/11/thanksgiving-reflections/ This week, we explored how gratitude is the source of a changed heart. As we reflect on Thanksgiving this week, here are the quotes we discussed about the goodness of God:

“Because God is love, God is self-giving. Because God is self-giving, God willingly creates the world.” — Stanley Grenz

“It was so much like God to create, to imagine possible worlds and then to actualize one of them. Creation is an act of imaginative love.” — Cornelius Plantinga

“The creation of the world was the free outpouring of God’s powerful love. The one true God made a world that

…

]]> This week, we explored how gratitude is the source of a changed heart. As we reflect on Thanksgiving this week, here are the quotes we discussed about the goodness of God:

“Because God is love, God is self-giving. Because God is self-giving, God willingly creates the world.” — Stanley Grenz

“It was so much like God to create, to imagine possible worlds and then to actualize one of them. Creation is an act of imaginative love.” — Cornelius Plantinga

“The creation of the world was the free outpouring of God’s powerful love. The one true God made a world that was other than himself, because that is what love delights to do.” — NT Wright

]]> http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/11/thanksgiving-reflections/feed/ 0 Images of the Church http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/09/images-of-the-church/ http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/09/images-of-the-church/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:17:36 +0000 John Chandler http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/09/images-of-the-church/ In our gathering this week, we allowed the New Testament to stimulate our imagination. The graphic below shows over 80 metaphors for the church as they are listed in a book called Images of the Church in the New Testament.


(Click for a larger image.)

Which of these images are most hopeful to you?
Which are most troubling?
What other reactions stir in you as you read these images?

]]> In our gathering this week, we allowed the New Testament to stimulate our imagination. The graphic below shows over 80 metaphors for the church as they are listed in a book called Images of the Church in the New Testament.


(Click for a larger image.)

Which of these images are most hopeful to you?
Which are most troubling?
What other reactions stir in you as you read these images?

]]> http://www.austinmustardseed.org/2008/09/images-of-the-church/feed/ 0