Boulder Creek Community Church

Mark 12:13-1713 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them.A Revolutionary Answer.His answer is absolutely remarkable! We know politicians! How they avoid answering questions! It’s infuriating! Were these people mad? They were amazed! He doesn’t over simplify things…. A lot of what Jesus teaches us is very simple, especially w

Mark 12:13-1713 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”“Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

The Serenity Prayer – God grant me the serenity… To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference…. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful worldAs it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right… If I surrender to His Will; So that I may be reasonably happy in this life… And supremely happy with Him… Forever and ever in the next.Amen.Declaration of Independence – We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness… Is it even attainable…? Henry David Thoreau: "Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” Apostle Paul – “Rejoice in the Lord al

Jesus is brought before Pilate... John 1833-19-16

We need to see politics and culture through the lens of faith... not the other way around.

Shame – comes on the heals of guilt. ** Example of Guilt and Shame at work – you blow it… tell a lie! You feel bad about doing something wrong… but deeper than that… you feel ashamed! You did something you despise in others… you thought you were better than that! You thought you were more courageous than that! Opposite of guilt… innocence! Opposite of shame… Glory! (Significance… value… worth)Wrong being… Who am I…? What names me…? Whose approval really matters…? Have I tried to build my identity on the wrong things…? - being a mom - being the best employee- having someone’s approval- being successful Shame is accompanied by - strong feelings of inadequacy… - Uncertainty as to where you fit in…- a fear of failure… - inability or unwillingness to take risks… or - over shyness… Key: When we violate God’s standard…Out of love, He brings a deep sense of conviction… but never condemnation! Romans 8:1 – There is no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus! 1 John 3:20 – 20 If our hearts condemn us, we

2) Phantom Guilt – Like a person who has had a limb amputated. Phantom guilt can persist in a Xian’s life for sometime if not dealt with… where does it come from…?- A hypersensitive/weak conscious… - Unhealthy spiritual upbringing… - Unhealthy upbringing…o Don’t feel what you feel… feel what we tell you to feel!o Don’t show emotion! ** Don’t ever get angry! o Emotions not validated… You shouldn’t feel like that! o Abuse… neglect… abandonment… Phantom Guilt unchecked…. Can lead to:- Perfectionism- Workaholic - Depression- Regular outburst of anger- An inability to have close relationships- Can lead to physical illnesses! - Can lead to addictions… from drugs to food to shopping! Feeling guilty…? Ask: Is my guilt true guilt or phantom guilt…?Have I violated God’s Word…? Or…Have I not lived up to my mom’s expectations…?Have I disappointed my dad…?Have I not lived up to some expectation that’s not from God…?

Two kinds of guilt:1) True Guilt – A good thing! Not a good thing when someone never experiences guilt! Psalm 51:4 – 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. David has a straight edge… it’s God who sets the standard, and its God who determines sin and is 1st offended by our sin. To distinguish true and phantom guilt, we need to go to God’s Word… get good counsel… study, seek advice of scholars…etc…We can’t resist all guilt! Some of it is right! Don’t you wish Hitler felt guilt…? * WWII – US slow to believe reports about the slaughter of Jews… Not Germany! A Christian nation… maybe a less sophisticated people… After the war, US soldiers were horrified at what they found… in one city the US general forced the people of that town to clean up the mess… The Mayor and his wife committed suicide the next day! They knew that stuff was taking place, but they didn’t want to believe it could happen.How do you deal wi

Matthew 4 – 18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Not a cheesy play on words… but a 1st century idiom… follow me and you will become like me! You will become a wise and influential person… An invitation of a lifetime for these “uneducated fishermen – an invitation to walk in and sit in the Dust of the Rabbi!) 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him. ** Not like some of you might follow the Giants… Jesus isn’t inviting us to be his fans… he’s inviting us to put on a uniform and play the game! “Follow”… 79x’s!4:21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind

Emotional Intelligence – EQ vs. IQ… EQ is The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. ‘emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success’According to the bible we are not only emotional beings, but we are also complex creatures made up of mind, conscience, spirit & emotions all wrapped up in a physical body! And it’s all connected! Our emotions are not isolated or separate from our conscious, mind or body! Psalm 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. When we come to faith in Christ… God has so much more for us than to just “be good”. He also desires to reform and transform our lives, which includes our emotions! A person may come to Christ with very damaged emotions… Either overly emotional… someone who is controlled and subject to their emoti

Be good and mad

Luke 6:40 – 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.We become like the people we are around the most! Luke 10 – 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her. NLT

** So… Question: When you get mad. What are you defending? When you understand what it is you’re defending, you have the answer to what it is your heart holds most dear. Which leads us to why it is that our anger… the things that make us angry bring about so much pain, heartache and destruction in our relationships…Our basic problem is NOT anger, but that our anger is disordered. Disordered anger is a result of disordered love. Here’s what I mean by that… Disordered love comes as a result of us making a good thing the ultimate thing.When our love is disordered our anger will be disordered! .** Example – Your child gets caught stealing. You’re mad! But why? Because you see the destructive and painful path your child is headed down, and your love compels you to be angry, or because your reputation as a parent is at stake. What will the neighbors say? Peel back like an onion… - Level 1 – Everyday things that we face. Johnny spills his milk, my boss yells at me, my wife doesn’t respond the way I’d like…

"Be angry"!Anger is love in motion… it’s a response to defend someone or something that is threatened! When your child is threatened by someone trying to hurt them or violate them, a normal healthy response is to be angry! Anger is commanded! Ephesians 4:26-27 – 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.”John Chrysostom (pastor in the 300’s)“He that is angry without cause, sins. But he that is not angry, sins also…Summary… No anger (repressed)… blow anger (expressed)… slow anger (calculated; intense; intentional). Slow anger is the mark of a mature and wise person! ** So… Question: When you get mad. What are you defending?

There are different ways of dealing with anger... 1. Some people think they have NO anger... but they are in denial. 2. Some people have BLOW anger and they erupt when triggered3. But the emotionally intelligent way to deal with anger is to be SLOW to anger.What's the opposite of anger...? It's not NO Anger... (to have a short fuse). But patience. (to have a long fuse).Do you have a short fuse or a long fuse...?- Proverbs 14:29 - Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. - Proverbs 15:18 - A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. - Proverbs 22:25 – Do make friends with a hot-tempered person or associate with one easily angered.

Stephen Mealing

III. Pray your tears!The psalms are raw... real... But what’s important to see here that David runs to his connection to God! Friends are vital! Living in community is critical!! But… we must go to God to! Take your tears to your heavenly Father!a. Pray in light of God’s love. The beauty of the Psalms… God’s love remains… Even when you are not theologically correct… Psalm 39:12 "Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my sobbing. I'm like a guest in your home. I'm only a visitor, like all of my family who lived before me. 13 Leave me alone. Let me be full of joy again before I die."He knows how we speak when we are desperate! And he is not afraid of it or bothered by it.“The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God’s love for us does not.” ― C.S. Lewisb. Pray in light of the cross. Matthew 26:38 – 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” There is no other book or God like thi

Psalm 126 – 5 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.** Don’t waste your sorrows… See your tears as an opportunity for growth. You can’t stuff them… you get no fruit! You can’t just walk outside and dump a pile of seeds! No fruit! Look beneath the surface! What’s going on…? What’s underneath…? What’s under the hood…? What causes our tears?Psalm 42:5 – 5 My spirit, why are you so sad? Why are you so upset deep down inside me?** Musicians get it! Eels… Songs like, “Novocain for the soul” and “Elizabeth on the Bathroom Floor” & “Be Hurt”… probably most known for his songs on the Shrek movie… Mark Oliver Everett went on what he calls a project of self-improvement, during which he got married, got divorced and, at the age of 54, had a son. He also spent time reckoning with the losses he'd experienced earlier in life, including his sister's suicide, his mother's death from cancer an