Service Project '10

Enjoy some of these pics from the Service Project last Saturday. We had a blast as we picked up trash at the Bob Woodruff Park in Plano, Tx!

Matthew 25:34-40

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Blurred Vision - Modesty

Last week at Vibe we had the privilege of having Tracy Parlin visit to talk to the ladies in the house! We continued our series of Blurred Vision, so often the world gives out a picture of how we should act or dress. We hear so many different opinions, read so many magazines, where can we find the truth! When it comes to deciding what to wear, the Bible seems to be the last place we look. Surely, the Bible doesn't really say anything about what we should wear. If you look closer, you will see that it does!

The definition for modesty is 1. the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc. 2. regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc. It means a lot more than it sound, and it doesn't sound that pretty either. Wish it sounded as great as beautiful, just as I wish we would seek it as much as beauty. And we sure do seek "beauty"! just take a look at any women magazine! What are some words that stick out? You'll probably see "fashion", "beauty tips", "Dos and Don'ts"

Tracy led us through some great verses that help guides us to choosing wisely when it comes to the closet. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 talks about a godly woman dressing modestly, not wearing braids or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. I know what you might be thinking. I can't wear jewelry or braid my hear! That is not what the Bible is saying, during these times, these are what women would do to bring attention to themselves. When we are getting ready, are we dressing up for special attention? Are we dressing for a guy?

In 1 Peter 3:3-5, the Bible says instead of the clothing drawing attention, our inner self should be where the beauty is! Are we pleasing God by the way we act or by the way we dress?

Have you ever thought about what kinds of people you will attract? If you dress "sexy", you attract the "macks". Rather than attracting the "man" with the inner beauty!

So how do we dress, this verse is a great verse as we seek the beauty of modesty! Colossians 3:12-14 (the Message) "So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment, Never be without it." This is what we should seek! The wardrobe of God!

By wearing these things we are being more Christ-like and even loving our possible future husband!

~Ash
Vibe Intern

Blurred Vision - Mack

Hey Guys!

First off, what about that snow??? Kinda crazy right?! I don't think I've ever seen snowfall like that in Texas. I was driving to work today and it was tough to see very far ahead of me. Speaking of obscured vision, we started a new series last night (like the transition?). The title of course is "Blurred Vision". Last night we talked about the biblical view of a man and how often that get's eclipsed by our world's view of what a man is. We called that view the "mack". Our society often sees a man as someone who is in constant pursuit of a physical relationship with females.

Last night we talked about how bogus that was. The Bible doesn't see a man in that way. As a matter of fact we took a look at 1 Timothy 5:1-2 where Paul encourages Timothy to treat "younger women as sisters with absolute purity." So we talked about how a real man is dedicated to purity and sacrifice. Once you do that, you are a true man and you are preparing for a real marriage relationship when you get older. One of the big ideas from last night was "Commitment comes before the benefit of that commitment."

To call the men in our group to action we said that a godly man does the following:

1. M - Makes a covenant with his eyes. That means when you are talking to a girl, you look her in the eyes. It means that you don't look longingly or lustfully at a young lady. It also means that you set parameters for yourself when you get on the internet. Don't look at pornographic sites and don't look at other sites where females are dressed inappropriately.

"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. (Job 31:1)

2. A - Aim your sites differently in a relationship. I repeated several times last night, "I'm not saying that you need to be in a relationship, that's between you and your parents." So don't get me wrong, I would highly suggest you not be in a relationship but if you do or when you do, your focus needs to be on getting to know the person. You cannot make your intent or focus on making it to the next stage of physical contact. That makes the person you are dating feel used and it makes you a "mack" instead of a man. Friendship should be the focus.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” (Ephesians 5:25)

3. N - Name your boundaries - If you don't set physical boundaries at the beginning of the relationship, you are doomed to failure. I know that it doesn't come naturally but that's precisely why you need to put them there. Once you communicate those boundaries (like "we're just going to hold hands"), stick to that plan and get accountability from a Christ like friend, you will be on track to living life like a man.

Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit. (Prov. 25:28)

Matt Snellings

Junior High Pastor

Chase Oaks Church