The Fellowship at Cinco Ranch

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

John 20:21….  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”      (NIV)

Go!

Have you ever been sent to do a job! Maybe your parents sent you to the grocery store with a list and money. What if your mother was right in the middle of glorious Thanksgiving meal and realized that there were key ingredients that were needed. You were summoned to the kitchen with very clear instructions -communicated with the sense of urgency of a military mission. You were given $10 to buys these necessary ingredients and were sent to the store with the command – hurry, the family is waiting on you to do your job!

What if … on the way you hit some traffic, you start thinking about the...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Luke 10 6:25-37… “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (NIV)

The Merciful Neighbor

In the story of the Good Samaritan, we have two men (a priest and a Levite) who are supposed to be representing God’s interests and concern. However, they could not be bothered to stop and help the beaten man. Even worse, they used their religion as an excuse not to help the man.

Jesus shocks his audience by making the Samaritan the hero. This would be a man who had every excuse not to stop and help the man. In that day, he probably would have endured a lot of...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Luke 10:28-29…. “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (NIV)

Who is Our Neighbor?

This question asked right before Jesus tells the story known as The Good Samaritan still echoes today. We don’t like generalities – we want God to spell out for us who we should love. The question also speaks to our desire to exclude people from being our neighbor. We desire to keep the right to be able to decide who isn’t worth our time. In the story, Jesus is going to challenge that premise in a major way.

To fully comprehend a story, one must understand the characters:

•    Jewish Traveler – A...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Matthew 26:16-17…  Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Worship or Doubt?

Do you tend to worship or doubt? Doubting is a normal human response to all kinds of situations. The problem doubt can create is that it creates space between embracing what could be for fear of what might not be!

Here is the scene – Jesus had been publicly brutalized by the Romans and the Jews who demanded that He die. People viewed His trials, His beatings, His death, and His burial. Jesus had died – there could be no doubt! 3 days later – rumors began to spread that Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Luke 10:25-27…. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (NIV)

Why Bother?

What really bothers you? The  word “bother” means  “to take the time or trouble to do something.”  There are things that we let bother us that are of little significance - whether or not the store has our favorite ice cream, or the line is too long at the check out, the way kids...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message
    
Matthew 28:5-7…. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (NIV)

The Reality of Easter

Happy Easter – He is Risen!  These declarations have rung through the last 2000 years. Literally billions of people have proclaimed this to the world. Could it all be a hoax? Is it just a myth made up by a bunch of deranged or depressed followers? Is the miracle of the resurrection impossible?

A culture that has...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Matthew 26:64-67…  “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”   “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?” (NIV)

Who do you say that I am?

In this passage in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is on trial. What was He on trial for – murder, theft, fraud? No, He...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message
    
Matt. 6:22-23….  The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (NIV)

The Vision of the Great Investment

 
"Giving is an important criteria of mental health.  
Generous people are rarely mentally ill."
Karl Menninger - founded the world renown Menninger Clinic

Your eyes represent what you are “fixed on” as a person. Do I focus on my retirement plan? Every time I pass a clothing store, do I have to stop and I think “what would I look like in those clothes?”  When I drive by dealership, do I think, “I wonder what it...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Matthew 6:19-21….  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.    (NIV)

The Heart of the Great Investment

Jesus says this is NOT the place to store up stuff. One of the greatest financial catastrophes that ever happened was when the 1st billionaire history, Howard Hughes, lost 2 billion in 1 day. It was the day he died. He lost it all - every bit of it.
Everything you accumulate in this life has an expiration date - it’s the day that you die..

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Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message
    
Luke 10:33-35…. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii  and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (NIV)

Are You Ready to Love Your Neighbor?

One of the most recognizable stories in the Bible is the story of the Good Samaritan. Told by the greatest story teller who ever lived, Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan was used as an illustration of how we are to love our...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

2 Corinthians 9:6-7…. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.   (NIV)

How Generous Are You?

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, in America, those who make $20,000 or less of household income, give a higher percentage of their income than those who make $100,000 or more. How much larger of a percentage? Over twice as high of a...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

1 John 4:7-8…  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

 
The Real Stuff

Why do marriages not work? If you look around enough, you can find a million different opinions – from Dr. Phil, on the internet, or the thousands of books on the subject at the local bookstore. Some writers look at the divorce rate (and the dwindling marriage rate) and have just given up on marriage, encouraging people to quit setting unrealistic expectations.

However, Scripture does not us give that option.  Relations between men and women in the Bible are purely marital.  God’s design...

Invigorate LIFE

a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Deut. 15:7-8…   If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.  Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. (NIV)

 A Heart of Giving

Giving is not an easy thing to do. There are so many reasons not to give. Have you ever heard the phrase “Money does not grow on trees”? The fact is, it is hard to earn money – especially in today’s economy. It can be especially difficult to give to the needy – why didn’t they work harder in school? Why didn’t the person take advantage of the opportunities given to them in this great country?

Giving can also be a risk. There are no...

Invigorate LIFE

a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Luke 21:1-4…  Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. He also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For they all offered their gifts out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on." (NIV)

 Faith Giving

Jesus was teaching at the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Pharisees had been doing all they could to discredit His claim to be the Messiah. After Jesus had publicly answered their questions and once again silenced their attacks, He addressed a large inconsistency in their ministry – their inattention to the needs of the marginalized in society, the...

Invigorate LIFE
a daily dose of Scripture and thoughts from Sunday’s message

Matthew 6:11…  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

Moving From Toxic Assets to Dividends

In the midst of life, have the good things gone bad? Have you let the sin of worry, anxiety, greed turn your heart into an idolatrous heart? Is there worry about physical provisions for you and your family? Is there worry about your financial future? These concerns can melt our hearts into a toxic mess that poisons us from the peace and joy God desires us to walk in.

The reality is that you have today - you don’t have tomorrow … yet. There is power in the present moment. Don’t miss what God has for you today because you are worrying...