Lakepoint Church with Brian Hofmeister

“Love costs, love hurts, love engages the whole of the self.  Indeed, love, as a slowly unfolding process, involves self-giving and self-transcendence that can only happen if there is already a healthy self-possession and a secure sense that self-gift will not become self-destruction.” - Philip SheldrakeYour surrender can make a difference in the life of someone else. Whether it's systemic change or the change of an individual life, there are deeply held values that can transcend the culture around us and move into acts of compassion and generosity that will confound the world around us. Support the show

In a world obsessed with productivity and achievement, Jesus invites us into a different path—a path of rest and surrender. This Sunday we explored the radical concept of Sabbath and how it could be the next invitation of your spiritual journey.Sabbath is a time to come back to Jesus, sync up with the Holy Spirit, and connect with our truest selves. It allows us to peel back the layers of protection and experience deep rest. Despite the challenges of our busy lives, Sabbath is essential for our well-being in a culture filled with anxiety and busyness.Support the show

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Through the  story of Jesus' crucifixion and his proactive forgiveness to those murdering him, we discover the boundless mercy and love God has for us, even in our darkest moments. If Jesus extends that kind of forgiveness to that group of people, we can trust him when he says "if we confess sin, he is faithful and just to forgive."When we choose to trust the promise of scripture, when we choose to trust the character of God, we can then move on to forgiving ourselves. As we've learned, forgiveness is not forgetting. So, we will always have some sort of memory of the times that we've found ourselves in need of forgiveness (from God and from other people). However, there's a process in which the forgiven need to live in forgiveness. If we go through the process of confessing sin, we also need to go through the process of self-reflection to say "If God has forgiven me, how can I choose to forgive myself when the sting of my sin starts to gain a hold on me again." Support the show

This week, we explore the concept of owning our own part of forgiveness. Forgiveness starts with us, in our own hearts. Just as Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, we are called to extend forgiveness at our own expense. We must own our part in a conflict or situation, offering sincere apologies, understanding, and explanations to the person who has hurt us. Our goal is to create opportunities for growth and restoration between us and others, recognizing that this process may not always lead to immediate reconciliation. We also understand the need for differentiation, allowing each person to have their own response and setting boundaries when necessary. We acknowledge that forgiveness is not always easy, but it is ultimately an act of obedience and a reflection of God's reckless love for us. Through the power of forgiveness, we can experience healing and reconciliation, balancing ourselves at the foot of the cross where both the body of Christ and His blood were shed for us and for those who have hurt us.Support the show

In this sermon we learned how to examine the wound someone else caused you. We can own how it feels, own what to do about it, but blaming the incident never make a healing treatment.  In many cases, we’ve become our wounds (false self).  We know ourselves by the hurts we carry.  Others notice us by the hurts we carry (Hurt people keep hurting people - and you’re one of the them).We tend to tell our stories as the hero or the victim (and accentuate either highlight). We should see and tell it as rescued and redeemed.Salvation is deeper by surrendering to forgiveness.Personal Question: How have the wounds I’ve carried shaped my story, my identity, my decisions, and my mind, for better or for worse?Community Question: How has the cross of Jesus shaped the way I forgive?Support the show

As we have been for a few weeks, we encourage you to review, re-listen and journal alongside this sermon. The false self keeps people out, the true self welcomes people in alongside Jesus. That’s the difference… Jesus is in the middle and makes a safe playground, otherwise we’re constantly afraid of getting hurt (again). Salvation is deeper by surrendering self to God alongside others.Here are the 2 questions that we were asked to process alongside someone we trust spiritually (or in your Missional Community). Personal Question: Are any of my attempts to manage my loneliness actually taking me into a greater place of loneliness? (notice any relational pattern that’s second-rate to real love).Community Question: What story do I have that I want to celebrate with a faith community?  (notice how God met a prayer, gave more than asked for, or just adds joy to everyday life).Support the show

How often are you seeking God’s truth in your feelings, in the information you receive?  Do you pay attention to your feelings when they warn you? Or are you numbing out and absorbing them, allowing them to stick? Are you allowing yourself to live up to the standard of the people around you, comparing yourself, doing what you “should” do by other people’s standards? Does culture have a hold on you?  Or are you boldly living your life as the person you were created to be?Intimacy is at stake here and not an intimacy in human form. An intimacy so much more freeing and pure- like Adam and Eve, naked and feeling no shame in the garden. With a strong sense of who they are and a close communion with God. As we continue to chip away pieces of our false self, we are becoming more and more aware of ourselves as God’s creation and less of ourselves as our own creation. As we continue to chip away pieces, we will be tempted to find a new way, a new comparison. As we continue to chip away pieces, we will find, in our vulnerability the desire to take control.And it’s a constant battle for truth. Support the show

The grain offering was a “tithe” symbolizing the surrender of the first 10% of our harvest to God. This offering connects to the overarching theme of surrendering a part of our lives upfront, to open up surrender in the rest of our lives. This is the first and best, not the leftovers. As New Testament Christians, we are called to give more than the Old Testament tithe. Not just to a church organization, not just to a good cause. Generosity, giving our first and our best, should be the posture of our lives. This goes far beyond money. This principle touches our time, our attitude, our gratefulness, our family priorities and a hundred other things. This is the point where idea of "surrender" turns into a regular spiritual "practice." We engage in this practice by consistently offering small aspects of our lives to God as a form of worship. As time passes, we begin to realize that there are additional small things that can be joyfully given to God. A lifelong commitment to this type of progress can lead to a life where what we've gained far exceed what has been given. Here are the 2 questions that we were asked to process alongside someone we trust spiritually (or in your Missional Community). Personal Question: What’s the smallest thing that I’m having the biggest problem surrendering to God?  Community Question: What small thing surrender (10%) would make me more alive and surrendered to God in the big things (90%)?Support the show

We started Self-Examination in our first sermon of the series ( just by jumping in), but in this teaching we learn what Self-Examination is and how to practice it. We take a big look within at who we’ve become with regular looks thereafter (practicing daily/weekly Examen).It’s a sin thing, but not so simple as a sin thing.  It’s surrendering the false self that’s “working for you.”  For your journal time: Personal Question: What evidence in my life is indicating that I am placing inordinate value in 1) What I have, 2) What I do, 3) What others think of me?Community Question: Where am I at in surrendering my whole self to God?  (my faith, my baptism, my return to that faith & baptism)Support the show

A false storyline has been given to you.  Something you had to be or do to be loved in this world.  Maybe it was repeated enough, or maybe it hit you when you were young and fragile enough - but one way or another you believed it.  And as you lived out that belief it was confirmed to be true - the more you lived that false storyline the better it went for you - more love, or at least more acceptance, or at bare minimum it made the world a safer place when you stayed in that storyline.It was quick repeatable gains in the false story line that ultimately have become or longterm loss.  The false story entrenched itself so deeply that now most of our days are riddled with questions like:Why do some feelings downright consume me the way they do?  Why do some sins dominate my behavior, even though I resent myself when they come out?  Was I always like this?  Do I have to stay like this?  How did I get here anywhere?     There’s a dark spot in us all where our sins and Satan’s lies (our two greatest enemies) have formed a new monster - a dragon with it’s own fire - called the false self.  The only way to conquer it, is to know it, and ride it, and see just how deep and dark the pit is that it calls home.Support the show

Moses and Jeremiah, despite feeling inadequate at the beginning of their ministry, grew closer to God through openness, questioning, and sometimes confrontation. A relationship with God requires daily presence, vulnerability, and surrender to His plans, rather than the formula of a religious checklist. God has called you to make a difference on the earth. His call might not be easy, but he promised his presence while you say "yes" to him. Support the show

We don't have a lot of annual traditions at Lakepoint, but Vision Sunday is a very important one to us! Yesterday, Pastor Brian shared all about Lakepoint's vision, who we are as a church and how we interact with our community during the week (as a Community Center). If you are new to our church family or if you are considering a visit to Lakepoint, this talk will give you a good picture of what's important to us.Support the show

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Realizing the depth of the Fatherly connection with God is key, and it's all about embracing our roles as good daughters and sons. Jesus fully embraced his sonship, and he lived in perfect sync with the Father's guidance. In this teaching, we took Jesus' words and his example, and we unpacked how to nurture a close bond with our Heavenly Father. Support the show

We all have obstacles in coming to God.  Some are the hurts we carry for Christmas, other’s are hurts and voids people have done to us.  We miss the mark in letting a Father be at home by expecting God to give without relationship (prodigal 1), or to let us earn it by what we give (prodigal 2).  Jesus leaned into God’s constant love.Support the show

We learn about our faith through Jesus, but the real goal is to understand and feel the love of the Father. Last week, we talked about the adventure that God gives us in our faith journey. He is leading us somewhere amazing, and when our Heavenly Dad is with us, the adventure is just beetter. This week, we will focus on changing our perspective on Jesus and what he came to do. He is the savior of our sins, yes. He was a teacher that reoriented us to a new and life-giving way of living, yes. He was a role model for how to love the unloveable, yes. But, Jesus isn't just a role model for life, and he's not "just" any of those other things; he's here to reveal the Father, always following the Father's lead, and connecting us to a loving relationship with Him. Jesus is the gift of Christmas, but a good gift always brings us into closer relationship with the giver.Support the show

If Dad’s with you, and loves you, everything is different.  That is the point of Christmas.  You have a God who is also a Father. This Father sent his son, to tell you and the whole world, how much he loves you.It’s going to be fun Christmas season here at Lakepoint, getting to know Father of Christmas.  God the Father, his love, the adventures he's preparing for you. Support the show

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