Hola Common Ground,

Here’s your announcement page for May 5th.  Commit it to memory and then destroy the evidence    Hope to see you at Wednesday Night Worship this week.  Also, remember the Car Wash this coming Saturday.

Peace, Tom

May 5th Common Ground Announcements (57.3 KiB)

HI Common Grounders!

Here’s the pdf of tonight’s announcements, full of grammatical errors as always.

See ya soon, Tom  

April 21st Common Ground Announcements (57.5 KiB)

Hi Friends,

Here’s your Common Ground announcements for tonight.  Remember, there’s no practice next week due to Mission to Mexico.

Peace, Tom  

April 7th Common Ground Announcement (57.0 KiB)

Well my friends,

I hope you have been encouraged and challenged to deepen your prayer life the last 30 days.  I’d like to give a big thanks to the sponsors who have contributed to the messages and especially Shawne for encouraging us to make prayer a more consistent part of our everyday lives.  Just because the 30 days are up doesn’t mean we’re supposed to stop praying.  I’m hopeful it has instilled in us the start of a habit to be more regular in talking and listening to God everyday.

Remember, you can always ask:  ”God, what are you telling me today?” and “Show me a sign.”

Peace, Tom  †

Hi Common Grounders,

Here’s the announcement page for tonight.  See ya later!

Peace, Tom

3.24.08 CG Announcements (56.9 KiB)

Hi Friends,

Great job yesterday.  The food was great and the music inspirational.  You are such a great group of people and I’m proud to walk along side or you.  Here are some words of encouragement from Shawne:

Give IT up! …… Turn IT over…….Let IT go!…….

What is” IT”? To me “IT “is all the stuff spinning in my head. All the things not going my way,

all the things I’m trying to control that are out of my control.

Please keep it simple!

Praying In the morning starts my day, praying at night ends my day.

Be Blessed because you are.

Shawne

Remember, two more days left on the prayer challenge:  ”God, what are you telling me today?” and “Show me a sign.”  

Hi Friends!

Tomorrow is the greatest celebration day the world has ever know:  Jesus’ Resurrection!  I’m looking forward to spending a good chunk of the day with you.  Remember, Common Ground shows up Memorial Park, Cupertino (across from De Anza College) at 6am sharp.  Instrumentalists, come at the times we discussed.

After this awesome Sunrise Service, we’ll head back over to Bethel, grab some food, and then serve our guests.  Remember to dress nice, but also something you can work in.  We’ll also sing at the 11am service at Bethel and then be finished around noon.  Please call me if you have any questions on my cell at 408-309-9975.

Peace, Tom  

Here’s the prayer challenge for day 26:  ”God, what are you telling me today?”  ”Show me a sign”

Here’s some more thoughts from Emily:

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:6 NLT

Prayer: Lord, please help me keep you front-of-mind, despite all of the distractions. Show me your will for me today and give me the courage to do it. Amen.

-Emily 

Hi Friends!  Hope you are well today 

Remember:  ”God, what are you telling me today?” and “Show me a sign.”

Here are some words from Shawne:

Its the small stuff in life that can bring us down, Its the small stuff in life that can help us build

a relationship with God that we have never known before. I used to be one of those who would only

pray in desperate situations, as I grow in faith I have learned and seen what hooking up with God every

day can be like, “Through Prayer”…I keep my prayers simple and form the heart, God already knows

 what is going on he just wants us to lean on him, and build a relationship with him.

When I turn it over to him my days are much better.

 Back  to the small stuff, I also was one who would pile up the small

stuff  in side of me and not share with another person.Pastor Rick had an awesome out door service about 2 years ago

were he labeled all the struggles we go through on bricks, one struggle one brick the he would put them into a back pack

and carry them around, we can continue to carry this stuff around or we can lay it at the foot of the cross as Rick did.

WOW now that’s the ticket!

When I started giving it up I sometimes need to turn it over 2,3,10 times a day for days,weeks or months.The sooner

I can let God take it the better for all.

Have a great day! Thank God for the small thing too.

Shawne 

Hi Friends,

Thanks to those who participated in the Anniversary / Reunion Weekend.  It was a really special time for Norita and I as well as many others.  I’ve attached the PDF of the CG Announcements for tonight and also have the Day 21 Prayer Challenge from Brett for you down below.  Please have your parents check out the announcement, especially the part about helping with the Easter Breakfast.

Talk to you soon, Tom  

3.17 CG Announcement PDF (60.2 KiB)

Here’s the prayer challenge: A good Easter allegory…

Don’t Leave It On The Desk……

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr.Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States .  Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution.  Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve.   Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen.  He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s  class.  One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

“How many push-ups can you do?”

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”

“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr Christianson said.  ”Do you think you could do 300?”

Steve replied, “I don’t know…  I’ve never done 300 at a time.

“Do you think you could?” again asked Dr. Christianson.

“Well, I can try,” said Steve.

“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work.  Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well…  I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Good.  I need you to do this on Friday.  Let me explain what I have in mind.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.  When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts.  No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.

Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?”

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”

“Sure.” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.  Then Steve again sat in his desk.  Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”

Joe said, “Yes.” Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?”

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.  And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr Christianson came to Scott.  Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve.

When the professor asked, “Scott do you want a donut?”

Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups?”

Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”

Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.

Scott said, “Hey, I said I didn’t want one”  Dr. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts.  Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down.  You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row.  Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.  Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”

Sternly, Jenny said, “No.”

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten….Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.  Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut.  There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts.  He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room.  He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time.  He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your pushups.  You are in charge now.  You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO, don’t come in. Stay out!”

Jason didn’t know what was going on.  Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”

Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?”

Steve said, “Yes, let him come in.  Give him a donut.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now  Jason, do you want a donut?”

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going

on.  ”Yes,” he said, “give me a donut”

“Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?”  Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters.  Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.  By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular.  Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut?”

Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan.  ”Susan, do you want a donut?”

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry.  ”Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups.  I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups.  He and I made a deal for your sakes.”

“Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?” As  Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said.  ”And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life.  And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.”

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

“Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding,  ”Not all sermons are preached in words.”

Turning to his class, the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever.  Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.”

“Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?”

————-

Hi Friends!

Here’s the prayer challenge: 

“God, what are you telling me today?”

“Show me a sign”

See ya tomorrow, Tom    

Here’s a note from Emily Larsen:

I think one of the hardest things for me to do is surrender my life to the Lord. I know the best thing for me is His will, but it is so easy to get wrapped up in my own wants. I have to remind myself every day that what He wants is better than what I want, and if I do it His way He’ll give me more than I could ever get on my own.

I’ve included the lyrics to the Jeremy Camp song “Take My Life” because whenever I hear it I remember that I ultimately want to do things God’s way instead of my own:

Here I am before you now
like a child reaching out
Here I am I’m giving all I can
Well breaking my pride I feel I’m through
Shattered inside I run to you
And now I give it all to you

So take my life!
-Emily