Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
Dallas Willard’s new book, The Great Omission, opens with this observation: “The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples.” Part of Willard’s point in this book is to rejoin two concepts that are often pulled apart. To be a Christian is to be a disciple.
Discipleship is not reserved for the super spiritual. In fact, the act of being a follower of Christ is the first and most fundamental request made of believers in the New Testament. As far as the early church was concerned being a disciple was not optional if you wanted to become a Christian. They believed their entire lives belonged to Christ.
Ultimately, following Christ is about learning to live my life as if he were living it. If you haven’t been to church recently, we at Quail Lake encourage you to reingage and make your way back toward Christ and a life in him—and, obviously, we would love to see you there.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Paying Attention to God-QLCC
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
The things I pay attention to have a bearing on the shape of my soul. Paul tells us as much in Philippians 4:8 when he says we should think about the things that are true, honorable, just, excellent, and so on.Contrast Paul’s list with your typical night on TV. The kinds of images and ideas presented there sell to a broad and bored audience-very little of it is honorable, praiseworthy, or even true. Dwelling on these things does not do much good for our souls. But Paul’s list does. When I focus myself on Paul’s list I shape my soul to the kinds of things that come from God.
Church is a chance to turn your attention toward the One who can give life and health to your soul. If you haven’t been to church in a while, we at Quail Lake encourage you to make your way to church and encounter Christ, and, obviously, we would love to see you.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
New Year and QLCC
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church.
A recent Barna study showed some alarming trends in the commitment levels of many who consider themselves Christian. About one out of five considered church attendance to be important to their spiritual maturity, and of those who held a biblical worldview, only 25% thought a community of faith was important to their spiritual development. Don’t think of it in terms of the church needs your attendance, but in terms of other believers need your presence, support, input and help. Your presence at church this weekend can be encouraging to fellow believers, and can help them and you in your walk with Christ.
At Quail Lake, we are a new church and may not have all the bells and whistles of other congregations, but we do want to be a living community that takes God’s work and word seriously. We encourage you to make the New Year a good reason to rededicate yourself to church, and we would love to see you.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
A recent Barna study showed some alarming trends in the commitment levels of many who consider themselves Christian. About one out of five considered church attendance to be important to their spiritual maturity, and of those who held a biblical worldview, only 25% thought a community of faith was important to their spiritual development. Don’t think of it in terms of the church needs your attendance, but in terms of other believers need your presence, support, input and help. Your presence at church this weekend can be encouraging to fellow believers, and can help them and you in your walk with Christ.
At Quail Lake, we are a new church and may not have all the bells and whistles of other congregations, but we do want to be a living community that takes God’s work and word seriously. We encourage you to make the New Year a good reason to rededicate yourself to church, and we would love to see you.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information please visit quaillake.org.
Advent: His People
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church.
Scripture tells us that when Christ came into the world, he came to his own people. He entered history at a particular time and place and lived his life among God’s people. The Gospel of Matthew helps us understand exactly what it means for Christ to come to his own people in his genealogy.
When you take a close look at who is listed in the first few verses of Matthew, you will see that Matthew included some pretty unsavory characters as descendants of Jesus. There is a king who killed a man for his wife; a king who sacrificed his own son; a man who deceived his brother and took everything he had, and the list goes on.
But then an angel tells Joseph that the baby’s name is Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Jesus entered a family tree that desperately needed saving, and a human race that still needs his hand of grace.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Scripture tells us that when Christ came into the world, he came to his own people. He entered history at a particular time and place and lived his life among God’s people. The Gospel of Matthew helps us understand exactly what it means for Christ to come to his own people in his genealogy.
When you take a close look at who is listed in the first few verses of Matthew, you will see that Matthew included some pretty unsavory characters as descendants of Jesus. There is a king who killed a man for his wife; a king who sacrificed his own son; a man who deceived his brother and took everything he had, and the list goes on.
But then an angel tells Joseph that the baby’s name is Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. Jesus entered a family tree that desperately needed saving, and a human race that still needs his hand of grace.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Advent: Church
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church.
I think we all know it is very easy during this season of the year to get caught up in our work, trips, and lists of things to do. During this “happiest season of the year” we seem to be more busy and preoccupied than ever as we hop from work to shopping to home to even more shopping.
It may seem a little clichéd, but it is true—it is very easy to take our eyes and minds off of Christ during Christmas. Some of us will go to church for our one Christmas service, but not find time during most of the rest of the year to be with the body of Christ. I would encourage you to find your way into a good church this season to help put some perspective on Christmas, and I would also encourage you to consider making church a regular part of your life. I know we would love to see you this Christmas season.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
I think we all know it is very easy during this season of the year to get caught up in our work, trips, and lists of things to do. During this “happiest season of the year” we seem to be more busy and preoccupied than ever as we hop from work to shopping to home to even more shopping.
It may seem a little clichéd, but it is true—it is very easy to take our eyes and minds off of Christ during Christmas. Some of us will go to church for our one Christmas service, but not find time during most of the rest of the year to be with the body of Christ. I would encourage you to find your way into a good church this season to help put some perspective on Christmas, and I would also encourage you to consider making church a regular part of your life. I know we would love to see you this Christmas season.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Advent and Hope
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor of Quail Lake Community Church.
Hope is a neglected virtue. We often hear a lot about faith and love, but we don’t often think about hope and what it means for the believer. In fact, the Christmas season is a wonderful time to remind ourselves of what hope means.
We do not hope in hope, we hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Hope for the Christian is not a vague desire that things will get better against all appearances, but that the life and light of Christ will be manifest in this world and in our lives. When Christ entered this world, hope came. Matthew 12 says that, “in his name the nations will put their hope.” We now look forward to lives of meaning and fulfillment because of what happened on the first Christmas morning. Christ came into this world to give us a glimpse of the Father and to give me a good reason to hope.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
Hope is a neglected virtue. We often hear a lot about faith and love, but we don’t often think about hope and what it means for the believer. In fact, the Christmas season is a wonderful time to remind ourselves of what hope means.
We do not hope in hope, we hope in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Hope for the Christian is not a vague desire that things will get better against all appearances, but that the life and light of Christ will be manifest in this world and in our lives. When Christ entered this world, hope came. Matthew 12 says that, “in his name the nations will put their hope.” We now look forward to lives of meaning and fulfillment because of what happened on the first Christmas morning. Christ came into this world to give us a glimpse of the Father and to give me a good reason to hope.
This has been Every Thought Captive, a Christian worldview minute sponsored by Quail Lake Community Church. For more information, please visit quaillake.org.
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