Views from The Ridge 10.18.23
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week
Wednesday, October 18, 6:30pm Sunset Worship on the front lawn
Sunday, October 22
9:15am Life Groups, children’s Roots gathering, teen gathering (see website for more info)
10:30am Worship in the Chapel (Our Maturity In Christ - Philemon)
4:30pm Chapel Worship
6-7pm Parent Group: Every Season Sacred
6-7pm Youth group gathering in the fellowship hall
Upcoming…
Wednesday, October 25, 10:00am Women’s Wednesday Fellowship
Discipleship And Board Games
-Riley Stirman
In 1975, Gabriel Enterprises began selling a new board game in American stores. It had enjoyed great success in Japan in the four years it had been available there, and it immediately became a hit stateside once it was introduced. Since then, over 40 million copies have been sold in over 100 countries.
The game, named after the Shakespearean play, was called Othello. You may recognize the box once you see it, sporting the iconic black and white game pieces on a green square board. You may also recognize the tagline that has appeared on the box since its early days:
"A minute to learn . . . a lifetime to master!"
I like this slogan a lot. It's a pretty good sales pitch that effectively says it's really easy to get started with this game, but you won't ever get bored with it. The game may be deceptively simple in its rules, but it can also be bafflingly complex in strategy.
I had a professor once tell me he thought this would be an apt slogan for Christianity as well. After giving this a lot of thought over the years, I have to agree. And I think the apostle Paul would as well.
If you look at how Paul introduces Christianity to people, it's always unwaveringly simple: Jesus died, was buried, and was raised (see I Corinthians 15:3-8). That's the heart of the matter. It's really all you need, and you can learn this in all of thirty seconds.
But we also know that Paul wrote a lot. He had lots to say to churches on how to act, on how to navigate persecution, and on how their beliefs in this core message of Jesus actually served to give them hope. He knew that learning the core of the message was only the beginning of a lifetime of discipleship. He knew that there was a long road before us.
Whether you have been a believer of Jesus for one week, ten years, or your entire life, you have been changed by the good news of Jesus Christ. And you've still got plenty of changing left to do. The path of maturing as a follower of Jesus is the process of allowing him to shape you little by little into his image. Like a coastline slowly shaped by waves, or like a rock's edges being gradually smoothed by currents of water that surround it, we are being formed steadily into exactly who Jesus has called us to be.
Wherever you find yourself this week, just remember this one simple truth: Jesus isn't finished with you yet. Whether you feel you're just hanging on by a thread or you think you've got a pretty solid handle on this faith thing, Jesus isn't finished with you yet. You're being formed into a new creation every single day. And by God's grace, we may wake up tomorrow just a little bit better than we are today.
Men’s Retreat
Mark your calendars! On Saturday, November 18th, all men in our community are invited to join us for a one-day retreat from 11 AM to 8 PM. Dick Ihfe has generously offered to host us out at his house. We’ll use this day to get to know each other better, to listen to the Spirit and to each other, and to ponder the question “Who am I?” The cost is $30 per person to help offset the cost of food, but please don’t let cost be an obstacle to joining - we’ll be happy to work something out with you. To RSVP or if you have any further questions, contact Riley Stirman at riley@sunset-ridge.org
Around Our Community
EVOLVING FAITH
Some of our team spent last weekend listening and learning at the Evolving Faith conference in Minneapolis. It was a beautiful time to hear how other people are pursuing faith and healing in their own contexts, and we look forward to continuing the conversation among our community.
AGAPE MINISTRY REQUESTS
Please continue to bring your non-perishable food items (canned goods, cereal, and peanut butter are especially appreciated) and place them in the boxes in the Fellowship Hall.
GOOD ACRES ROUNDTABLE
This week more than thirty faith leaders from around our city gathered on campus to learn more about how to share resources and support one another in the work of flourishing for our city. It was a joy to host, to share a bit of our story, tour the park, and learn more about the work each of their congregations are doing. We look forward to next month’s gathering, and are grateful to the H.E.Butt Foundation for their investment in this work.
SOLAR ECLIPSE PARTY
Our Sprouts Schoolers, their families, and many more gathered to learn about the solar eclipse this weekend.
