NEW LOCATION! A WEEK OF PEACE!
Hi Faith Family,
New Location: Peace In Jesus has a new location: 5383 Franklin Road in Boise. We are just down the road from our previous location. It is the southeast corner of Franklin and Phillippi, across from Fred Meyer.
We are thankful not to break down everything and set up somewhere else next week. After quite a bit of upheaval, classes are starting back up, and things are coming back down to a sense of "normal." After the trauma, there is more peace.
How do you deal with disaster? Which salve do you apply in sadness--which glue holds you together when glee turns to grim? Some try to deal with life's difficulties by depending on substances--drugs or alcohol. Some become workaholics, still others become vilolent and take out their frustration on something . . . or someone else.
Unless you are the first person in the history of the world to go through life without a problem, you must figure out what you are doing as well as what you will do when troubles come. Like grabbing a crutch with spiked handles, the tactics listed above usually do more harm than good. There is a better way.
God speaks to you and instructs your heart through his Word:
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
since as members of one body you were called to peace."
Colossians is killer in practicality. A few thoughts on these verses:
1) "Let it be, let it be." (Love the Beatles) Isn't it fascinating how the verse begins? Too often we make the mistake of choosing alternate paths to ease life's stresses and disappointments. We don't allow the rule of Christ's peace in our hearts due to our thinking we have to fix things; we can do everything ourselves. God's directive is not a suggestion, but instruction to surrender to him what troubles us, and trust in God himself to calm, heal, quiet, and help us in his way and time. Haven't done this perfectly? Yeah, welcome to the club. For such misdirected trust, the world's Savior was sent by God to live up to God's standards and quell the righteous demand for every misplaced priority, foolish decision, and every sin of yours, mine, and all the world's population. Because of Jesus, you have peace with God. Let it reign, now in your heart.
2) "We all need somebody to lean on." (Sticking with the song theme) We are gifts to one another. God made us family in our common faith in the Savior. So let's act like family--God's idea of family. It includes forgiving and helping each other. We are talking about looking out for each other and showing common courtesy (not so common these days). God brought us together for a purpose. Protect what God gave you in your faith family. Nurture it, treasure it, respect it. Someone ruffled your feathers in the past? Get over yourself. Get over it. Get yourself over to the foot of the cross to see your sins forgiven, fueling your forgiveness of your brother and sister in the faith.
3) "I just called . . . to say . . ." (Last song theme, you can tell they are getting pretty thin) If the previous point isn't enough umph for you, you have received a call from God to be a caring and forgiving brother and sister in the faith. You are a part of something awesome--a living and forgiving group of believers in the One True God. You have work to do--you have a job to do--given by God to you, his dear child. What are ways this weekend you can deepen the peace, perhaps even make peace, with those in your faith family? Consider and pray about ways you can fulfill your calling to renew and refresh peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
This Sunday, at Peace In Jesus, we will talk much more about going through challenges. You are welcome to join us at our new location: 5383 Franklin Rd., corner of Philllippi and Franklin. Regular schedule: English Worship 9:30 a.m., Vietnamese Worship 10:30 a.m. Peace!
Prayer idea: Consider and pray about ways you can fulfill your calling to renew and refresh peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Have a great weekend!
--Pastor Dan