the five15 blog » 2008

Why It’s Called Rocket

January 16, 2008 11:15 am

That question came up a lot. It leads to a lot of lame jokes: “We’re gonna take off!” “It’s a blast!”

But here is the main idea that I hope sticks with people:

The direction you’re pointed makes a big difference in where you end up.

Each of the messages was intended to help us know that we are pointed in the right direction, and they are now online:

Enjoy!

Categories: Rocket—08, five15 blog
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Rocket Photo Gallery 3

January 15, 2008 12:40 pm

Click on any of the thumbnails to see a larger image:

Categories: Rocket—08, five15 blog
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The House Is On Fire…

8:50 am

In one of the messages at Rocket, I asked everyone to think about this scenario:

Your house is on fire. You know that your family and pets are safe. What do you grab as you run for the door?

I was impressed with how honest people were: they admitted that they would grab the Wii or the X-Box, the camera or maybe the computer. A few would grab a Bible or some treasured possession.

What would you take and why?

Categories: Rocket—08
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Now I Know I’m Getting Old

8:45 am

Here’s how I know:

(I am not making this up) I’ve started receiving mail from the AARP — the American Association of Retired People.
Three days later, my shoulder is still sore from playing dodgeball.

And to think I used to be invincible.

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Monday Matters, 01/14/08

January 14, 2008 9:19 pm

“The Trinity… confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought that the human mind has ever been asked to handle. It is not easy; but it is true.” J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, p. 40.

How’s that for a good place to start our series of messages on the Trinity? Mark gave us five good reasons to study The Majesty of the Three in One God:

5. Error
4. Evangelism
3. Relationships
2. Worship
1. The Gospel

Even though the word Trinity is not used in the Bible, there is ample Biblical data that to support this Trinitarian affirmation:

There is one God who exists eternally in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; each person is fully God.

Stay tuned over the next five weeks for more messages on the Trinity.

Categories: Monday Matters
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Rocket Photo Gallery 2

12:40 pm

Click on any of these thumbnails to see a larger image:

Categories: Rocket—08
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In the first Rocket message, we looked at a little booklet called 2 Ways to Live. Produced by Matthias Media, this is a simple and compelling explanation of the gospel. If you lost your booklet, there is an online version of the Two Ways to Live.

Here’s the basic idea:

God is the loving ruler of the world. He made the world. He made us as rulers of the world under him. But is that the way it is now?
We all reject the ruler—God—by trying to run life our own way without Him. But we fail to rule ourselves or society or the world. What will God do about this rebellion?
God won’t let us rebel forever. God’s punishment for rebellion is death and judgment. God’s justice sounds hard. But…
Because of His love, God sent His Son into the world, the man Jesus Christ. Jesus always lived under God’s rule. Yet by dying in our place, he took our punishment and brought forgiveness. But that’s not all…
God raised Jesus to life again as the ruler of the world. Jesus has conquered death, now gives life, and will return as judge. Where does that leave us?
There are two ways to live: A) Our way, rejecting the ruler—God, trying to run life our own way, resulting in condemnation by God and facing death and judgment. Or B) God’s new way: submitting to Jesus as our ruler, relying on Jesus’ death and resurrection, resulting in forgiveness by God and eternal life. Which way do you want to live?