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Thank you for taking to time to read this week's edition of the News & Notes! We hope that as your week continues, you would see glimpses of God working in your daily life and hopefully through means of our weekly Worship Gathering, personal and group Bible study, our Growth Group communities, and various other volunteer opportunities, you will continue to develop into disciples who make disciples—one step at a time. ????
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How to be Holy
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A couple weeks ago when Jake and I shared about Riverwood's renewed emphasis on spiritual growth, I opened with a story about playing a game with the wrong "scorecard." I used that story to share how I believe one of the most important things on God's "scorecard" is disciple-making. In some of His last words on earth, Jesus commanded His followers (in what is nicknamed 'the Great Commission') to "make disciples." This is clearly at the heart of God.
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But what is a disciple? A disciple is someone who is seeking to live like Jesus lived. And how did Jesus live? With love, patience, kindness, boldness, sacrifice, generosity, wisdom, and so much more.
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But if I may, I think this can all be summed up in one word: holiness. In other words, a disciple of Jesus, to put it in the words of 1 Peter 1:16 (which is a quote of Leviticus 11:44 and 19:2), is to "be holy, because I [the Lord your God] am holy."
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Something holy (according to the dictionary) is something or someone "dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose." Meaning that which is holy is sacred. And you, my friend, if you are a follower of Jesus, have the Holy Spirit within you, making you most definitely sacred and holy.
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A couple weeks ago when Jake and I shared about Riverwood's renewed emphasis on spiritual growth, I opened with a story about playing a game with the wrong "scorecard." I used that story to share how I believe one of the most important things on God's "scorecard" is disciple-making. In some of His last words on earth, Jesus commanded His followers (in what is nicknamed 'the Great Commission') to "make disciples." This is clearly at the heart of God.
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But what is a disciple? A disciple is someone who is seeking to live like Jesus lived. And how did Jesus live? With love, patience, kindness, boldness, sacrifice, generosity, wisdom, and so much more.
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But if I may, I think this can all be summed up in one word: holiness. In other words, a disciple of Jesus, to put it in the words of 1 Peter 1:16 (which is a quote of Leviticus 11:44 and 19:2), is to "be holy, because I [the Lord your God] am holy."
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Something holy (according to the dictionary) is something or someone "dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose." Meaning that which is holy is sacred. And you, my friend, if you are a follower of Jesus, have the Holy Spirit within you, making you most definitely sacred and holy.
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For All Things Holy
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So because all Jesus-followers are sacred, they are called to be holy, just as their God in heaven is holy. But that begs the question: how do you "be holy?" Do you have to...
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don robes and gaze peacefully to heaven like the paintings of Catholic saints?
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wear camel skin clothing and eat bugs like John the Baptist?
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pray for 16 hours a day while fasting from food?
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Not exactly. But rather than answer this question in this post, we are going to consider
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How to Be Holy over the course of the next four weeks, where we will discover that holiness comes through partnering with...
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- God's Grace (Sept 19)
- Others (Sept 26)
- the Holy Spirit (Oct 3)
- and Spirit-Led Discipline (Oct 10)
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So join me in this space next week as we see how God's grace can help you "be holy like [Jesus] is holy."
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Painting Party
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We are looking for 5 or 6 painters to help finish painting the front of the building on Saturday, Sept 14 @ 8:00 am. Email us to get connected! (In the case of rain, we will postpone our Painting Party to Sept 21.)
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Brunch Potluck
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It’s that time of year again—it’s the Riverwood Brunch Potluck! Bring something brunchy on Sept. 29 to share right after the Worship Gathering right here in the Riverwood lobby. Plasticware and beverages will be provided.
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Join a Growth Group
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Growth Groups are a vital part of our culture here at Riverwood! If you haven't connected to one of our groups and missed out on this past Sunday's Growth Group Fair, please reach out to Jake Epley to help you get connected!
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Just For Fun
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This September, join us Sundays @ 6 pm at the Waverly Soccer Complex (Field 1, West lot). All ages and experience levels are welcome, so invite a friend, meet at the concession stand, and let’s have some fun!
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