The pace of life ramps up for nearly everyone during the Christmas Season. It really ‘Tis the Season to be busy’. As busy as your Christmas season is we hope you will carve out some time to discover what Christmas is for and even invite a friend along to share in the discoveries with you.
Title: Christmas is For Everyone
Big Idea: Are you tempted to think of Christmas as a wonderful story with an adorable cooing baby, Wisemen, Shepherds, Angels and a stable? Have you ever considered that it just might be more than a story to be retold each year? That it just might contain good news for everyone – including you?
Big Idea: For many people the Christmas Season is anything but a highlight in their year. Rather than being something they look forward to it is often the most difficult and pain filled time of the year. Are their any lessons within Christmas for people dealing with hurt and disappointments during Christmas?
Big Idea: Most people do a lot of celebrating at Christmas and we participate in many different traditions. There are parties, gifts, Christmas Eve Services, family dinners, and so much more as we take time out from our regular routines of life. But during this party season do we really know what we are celebrating?
Date: December 24th, 2008 (Christmas Eve)
Speaker: Alan
MP3: Unavailable
How Big is God?. Series November 16 - December 7 2008
Everyone has some image come to their mind when they consider what God is like. And the problem that most of us have with that image is that our God is too small. We are not convinced that we are absolutely safe in the hands of a fully competent, all knowing, ever present, utterly loving God. And as a result most people live in a constant state of fear and anxiety because everything depends on them. So the question of this series is: How Big is Your God?
Title: Is He bigger than your greatest fear?
Big Idea: Life has a way of dishing out challenges and surprises. It is also filled with unknowns that can strike fear into the most confident person. Fear invades our life when we discover that on our own we are no match for what we are facing. But is your God equal to the task?
Big Idea: Reality can be hard to hear sometimes, but it can also be our best friend. This is especially true when it comes to sin. We’d rather avoid it or dance around it than be made to feel uncomfortable by it or suffer the consequences of it. Yet it is only after we face the unpleasant truth about sin that we can appreciate and embrace that God is big enough to provide and answer to our sin.
Big Idea: “Are you Smarter Than A (Canadian) Fifth Grader” is a television game show where adults are asked to answer grade-school questions from grades one through five. If the contestant is not successful in answering 10 questions with the aid of fifth graders, and then one more bonus question without any assistance, they must look into the TV camera and say, “I am not smarter than a fifth-grader”. The question is do we live our life without the assistance available to us and believing we are smarter than God?
Big Idea: As hearty Manitobans we know all to well what winter is like – ice, snow, windchill, black ice, long dark nights, etc. As human beings we are also familiar with what some have called “the winter of the soul”. Those times when we wonder if the chaos and pain in our life will ever end or if there is any way of escape. As Manitobans we hope for spring to finally arrive and that warm long days will again return. But where do find hope during the winter of the soul?
Having a relationship with another person or God for that matter, means that we communicate. We tell them about what is in our minds and on our hearts and we hear back from them. It is this second part of our conversation with God, hearing Him, that is not only difficult but often like a bad cell phone reception at best. Is it possible to clearly hear God speak to us? In this series we will spend time talking about both sides of prayer – talking and hearing. And the challenges with both.
Title: I Talked with God Today
Big Idea: Prayer is something that people are both attracted to and repelled by. It is something that many people yearn for and yet hide from. The idea that we can talk to and will be heard by the Supreme Authority in the entire universe is both compelling and intimidating. Is the answer to these tensions found in doing more of the same kind of praying we are doing now, or in doing something different when it comes to how we talk to God?
Big Idea: When you hear someone say they heard God speak to them what goes through your mind? Are you suspicious of their motives? Do you question the legitimacy of the claim? Do you flash back to a time when someone said “God told me” and things turned out very bad? Or do you feel a little jealous and wonder why God never speaks to you like that?
Big Idea: When we consider the possibility that ordinary people can hear God speaking, there is a real possibility for abuse. So how can we be sure that it is God speaking and not simply my own wishful thoughts or subconscious?
There is no way around it, attitudes play a huge role in the quality of life we enjoy – or don’t enjoy. Some attitudes move us into a rewarding life while others drain us of the joy we are longing. So it is good to pause every so often and do and Attitude Check.
Title: Who's to Blame?
Big Idea: Sin is a pesky word that people rarely use anymore. People generally avoid thinking about sin because it makes us think about God and about judgment and about personal responsibility. And that can’t lead us to a joyful life, can it? Or does discovering the right attitude about sin and the right response to sin actually become the gateway to finding a joy-filled rewarding life?
Big Idea: Billionaire Sir John Templeton said that without gratitude you’ll never be rich, no matter how much money you have. People who live as truly thankful people not only know how to say thank you, but they also know what to be thankful for and who to thank for it.
Big Idea: We would all admit that good, bad and ugly are all part of the package of life. When things are great life seems to roll along without a great deal of effort on our part. But what about those times when life is just down right hard and we are tempted to withdraw or give up?
The first-century church turned the world upside down. Is it possible for churches today to do the same thing? Is there a difference between being a BIG CHURCH and a CHURCH WITH A BIG IMPACT? If we could only be one of these types of churches, which one do we want to be?
Title: To Know Christ Intimately
Big Idea: For centuries Jesus has been inviting people to get to know Him. But how do we get to know someone we can’t see and sit down with? After all, building a relationship with someone we can see and touch is complex. So how is it possible to get to know Jesus intimately when He is no longer on earth?
Big Idea: A passionate, satisfied and fulfilled follower of Jesus is not someone who simply professes certain beliefs and holds to certain convictions. Rather, they are continually applying to every area of their life their growing understanding of life as Jesus described and modeled it.
Big Idea: If Jesus appeared on the earth today he would do the same thing – hang out with those who do not attend church. He made it a priority to make room in his life and build bridges rather than walls with those who have not personally discovered the depth of God’s love for them. If we are serious about following Jesus, we will do the same thing.
In sports we know who has won by looking at the score board at the end of the game. In business winners are typically defined by the financial bottom line. But what does a “win” look like for the church – and more specifically for Albright? And should we even dare to ask such a question?
Jesus is a big deal. He is the second person of the Trinity, the most capable, powerful and compelling teacher to ever walk the earth. In this summer series we will meet 9 different people who encounter Jesus. We will not only discover what they do as a result of coming face to face with Jesus, but we will be left to face an important personal question: what will I do with Jesus?
Title: Andrew Encounters Jesus
Big Idea: Many people float through their life without a real focus and in the quiet moments of their life they wonder if there is more. While we don’t read a great deal about Andrew in the Gospels what we do read makes it very clear that he found meaning and purpose that was worth giving his life. You might be surprised what embracing the same purpose will do to the quality of your life.
Big Idea:We have the privilege of free choice-we make decisions each day that affect our lives. And we know that none of us has a perfect track record when it comes to making important decisions. Peter also had a spotty decision making track record providing us with important life lessons about making good decisions and recovering from poor ones.
Big Idea:Most people don't want to give up on God, but they have had their fill of religion. It might surprise you but Jesus was fed up with religion. Some of the harshest and most scathing words he said while on earth were against "good religious folk."
Big Idea:Jarius was like many people who have sought out Jesus for help. When he finally gets up close to Jesus, Jesus seemed distracted. We have all had times when we feel distant and even deserted by God – wondering if He is interested in us or too busy with other people’s lives. So what can we learn from Jarius in those moments when we feel unable to get God’s attention?
Big Idea:When it comes to commitment in an athletic competition, all coaches would agree that 95% effort is still 5% short. When a young man who is living what his contemporaries would call a really good life comes to talk with Jesus, his world is rocked when Jesus demands it all - 100%. If less than 100% is acceptable in athletics and other life venues, why do Jesus' words cause us so much turmoil?
Big Idea: No matter who you think Jesus was, it is undeniable that he continues to be a central figure in history. There is no shortage of stereotypes and opinions about who he was, or claimed to be. Is it possible to gain clarity on who he was and does it matter enough to put in the effort to figure it out?
Big Idea: Few things leave us feeling more isolated than when it becomes known to others that we have messed up royally. Few things strike greater terror within us than the thought of a private failure becoming public. Since all of us have public and private failures in our past (perhaps our present as well) we must decide what to do when help doesn’t pass by, but it stops and offers hope.
Big Idea: When you are facing issues in your life that are bigger than you can deal with on your own, who is your go to person? Who do you trust the most to help you through? Jesus wants to be the one you go to first but we often find excuses or allow distractions to keep us from going to the One who asks, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Big Idea: Doubt and questions are part of every spiritual journey. In fact, moments of doubt can actually be the greatest place to start a sincere journey toward taking a step of growth. Growth in faith. Growth in character. Growth in one’s relationship with Jesus Christ. The doubts you have today just might be the very thing that catapult you into a healthy and authentic spiritual journey toward God.
You are a capable person. Have you noticed that the fact you are capable often expresses itself in the desire to be in control and independent? Small children, teens and adults all struggle to be independent from authority – to be the one in charge. It is this desire/struggle that makes it difficult for us to admit we are not God and to let God be God.
When a couple first learns they are going to be parents they typically begin to dream about raising really great kids. Albright wants to help parents realize that dream by providing safe and fun environments for parents, kids and students to develop a spiritual foundation and the necessary skills to become great kids with great parents.
Decisions Good Dad's Make. June 15 2008 (Father's Day)
Big Idea:
Fathering is a challenge for biological dads, step-dads and father figures. The stakes are high, as fathering decisions will have a lifelong effect on their child(ren). Fatherhood is a major league challenge men need to face head on, and the pay-off will be worth it.
Exceptional observation skills aren’t needed to realize that conflict is part of life. In fact, we need to look no farther than our own relationships to see that conflict is part of our own life. So why do we have conflict at work, with neighbors, in the Church, and in our families? And is there anything we can do to reduce the collateral damage these conflicts cause? Over the four weeks of this series we will discover what every conflict has in common and what can be done to replace strained relationships with peaceful ones.
Title: And the Winner is...
Big Idea: Different people will respond to conflict in different ways. For example, some fight while others take flight. No matter what your approach may be, everyone shares a common desire when they find themselves in conflict; they want to be right and come out the winner. Might there actually be a better way to navigate our conflicts than ending up divided into winners and losers?
Big Idea: Did you know that every conflict, be it a major or minor disagreement, can be traced back to one thing? And that one thing starts with the letter "d". Learning to navigate the terrain of relational conflict begins with knowing what this word is and what to do about it.
Big Idea:Last week we discovered the wisdom of guarding against going and talking about our conflict to soon. So when is a good time to talk about it? How do you decide whom to talk with? What should you finally say when it is time to talk?
Big Idea: Since the vast majority of people genuinely want peace, why is there so much conflict around them? Could it be that we need help that comes from beyond our natural self. Do we need more than good conflict management skills? If so, what so we need and what will it cost?
Mothers are living in trying times. They are surrounded by voices that shout conflicting messages. Messages that often leave them tired out and guilt-riddled as they try to achieve unattainable motherly perfection. Is there a one mold fits all approach for motherhood? If there is more than one "motherhood mold", how can a woman find her unique calling as a mother?
Take a moment out of your day and look at the world around you. We live in a world of noise, hurry, struggles, push and shove as people search everywhere and everything for something that will satisfy the appetites that are deep within us. This 5-week series is an invitation into selected Psalms within the Bible where we can learn from real people like us who discovered how to live a real life in a real world.
Title:Life is a Highway
Big Idea: “Life is a highway.” At least, that’s what the song says. It’s a journey on which we are all pilgrims stumbling forward to find our way to the life we’ve always wanted. It’s a journey in which the road map isn’t always clear, in which the street signs can sometimes be very hard to read, and in which it can be hard to know where to turn for directions. Where will you turn for direction in life?
Big Idea: As long as we are surrounded by noise and keep ourselves busy our mind remains occupied keeping life’s concerns from penetrating our harried mind. But then when we do finally slow down – typically as we attempt to fall asleep at night – our minds begin to race with thoughts, fears, plans and worries about all the “what ifs” that could happen tomorrow. Is there a better way to handle life’s uncertainties than tossing and turning at night and keeping ourselves distracted during the day?
Big Idea: What is your “BIG ONE”? You know, that big mistake that you hope no one ever finds out about. That thing that you regret more than anything you have ever done. The Bible is clear that all of us have messed up and the Bible calls it sin. And our sin not only messes up our relationship with people and God, it also leaves us to deal with feelings of guilt and shame. Is there a way to finally shake free from the guilt and shame you feel – even over the “BIG ONE”?
Big Idea: You discovered it as a child. You’ve seen it many times as an adult. You’ve likely even said the words, “LIFE’S JUST NOT FAIR!” While this may be a true statement about real life in the real world, does it mean that we need to just get over it and accept that life is like that? Or, can we actually do more than just gut it out when things aren’t fair?
Big Idea: Surrounded by all that the Real World offers (money, possessions, health care, etc.) we naturally drift toward self-sufficiency. With all that we have, and can yet achieve, the majority of people chose to live this life without ever thinking they have any need for God. But is that really the best way to live? What happens when the bottom falls out, and it will? When we find our self face to face with the realization that we need someone/something greater than ourselves or what we have achieved, will we be able to find Him and hear His voice?
When Life Isn’t What You Signed Up For. March 23 2008 (Easter S)
Big Idea:
The Saturday between Good Friday & Easter Sunday must have been the longest and most difficult day in the lives of those who had been following Jesus. What they were going through was not what they had signed up for. But they were about to discover that those who follow Jesus should "never put a period where God puts a comma" (Thomas Tewell), because "God always has one more move" (Bishop Ken Ulmer).
The single greatest and unequaled thing (ever) is that the God of all creation, the supreme authority of the universe, the holy and absolutely perfect God of Heaven wants a personal/authentic relationship with you.
Christmas is For... 
