Shane's posterous - A place for people to tell of how God's power is working.

God's Call
We watched Evan Almighty last night. Which probably produces one of two thoughts for you...
1. It took you that long? OR
2. Why did you waste your time on that piece of theological garbage?
Actually, for Hollywood, I thought they portrayed God and the story in a pretty decent light. Yes, "pretty decent" and "completely accurate" are two different things and a different blog post that I won't do, but here is what I think they did get right.

The aspect of "God's call."
It overwhelmed Evan. He didn't want it at first, but it kept following him around. (That statement is hilarious if you have watched the movie!)

Then, he accepted it and started in and he was HORRIBLE at it. The call still overwhelmed him, but he started off by making a mess of it.

No one understood his call. For most of the time, Evan didn't understand it either.
When he thought he did understand it, he didn't...not quite.
His wife's call was separate, but equal.
Things happened that he couldn't explain.
When everything lined up, it really took off, both the production and persecution.

But when everything lined up, nothing else mattered than completing God's call.
I'm not an expert in God's call. Actually, I think I know less now (about calls in general, not my/our call) than I did 13 years ago when I received my first dose. What I do know is that I want it to look like Evan Almighty's, or Noah's, or Paul's...Overwhelming.

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- 30 July 2010
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Stuck

I have felt stuck. Yesterday, I hit some sort of "bottom."

God, at least this time, to quickly get out of "stuck." He showed me, then with Nichole, we have formulated a strategy that will keep October 10, 2010 in our minds.

That's the day we are going to launch a weekly service. We're going to go all out these next three months to see it happen.

Our prayer is that God is the one that does it. Really, we are not good enough to do anything. If he doesn't come through, we'll fall flat.

Pray for God to move in power in other people's lives.

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- 14 July 2010
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Fighting Together

God wants the people in the church to encourage each other to move away from sin and toward Christ.

The writer of Hebrews shows us this.
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today (My note: just in case you don't understand what daily means), so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. 14 For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. Hebrews 3:12-14.

He wants everyone in the church to not give up the fight. To struggle together so that we can continue to be more like Christ. Personally, the times I didn't have people I could tell where I was being tempted were the times when I gave into sin the most. It was once I opened up and allowed others to challenge and encourage in specific areas, I was able to find increasing victory over sin.

This is God's plan.
Is it risky? Yes. Will you have to be vulnerable? Yes. Will people let you down? At times. But the risk is too big not to open up. The risk to not do this is to continue to struggle in those areas we cannot touch by ourselves.

We are here to help in the battle, not tear down. Why? Because we are in a fight against sin. God designed this fight to be done together, and we need your help just as much you need ours.

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- 2 July 2010
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Band of Brothers
It is only fitting to now move into a series about the tools God has given us in this battle over sin. What is the #1 tool that God has given?
Each other.
A church is first a group of people, not a legal organization or a building. The group of people are supposed to support each other in a way that we overcome what trips us up. Want proof?
Hebrews 3:12-14.
Galatians 6:1-5.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11.
At The Bridge, we are not perfect people, and I hope we never give that impression that we think we are. We are imperfect people who struggle with sin (just like everyone else), but despite that, we are forgiven and made spiritually perfect by a perfect, loving God.
One of his gifts to us is each other. A group of people who develop relationships in order to challenge, encourage and comfort.
This produces a band of brothers that cannot be broken.
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- 1 July 2010
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Sharing Resurrection

God shares his resurrection.
Okay, I admit, this may be the strangest of all this series. Plus, if you read the verse and especially the context of the verse, you may think, "What?!"
Let me keep things simple. Think Easter. Wait, no, not bunnies and eggs, but Jesus and raising from the tomb. He resurrected to defeat sin.

With sin in our lives, we are dead. When we believe in Jesus as the only way to salvation and repent to walk in his way, we share in his resurrection. God makes us alive in Christ.

"I see dead people" all the time. People who are alive, but inside they are dead. They try to make their soul come alive, but never succeed. Why? The only resurrection of our soul is through Jesus.
On another note, all of what God shares with us is for the main purpose of us defeating or being rescued from sin. Sometimes (okay, maybe a lot of times), God is seen as a mean, vengeful God waiting to punish and throw lightening bolts. But, let me ask, does a God who did the work of overcoming sin on our behalf sound vengeful to you?

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- 30 June 2010
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Sharing Holiness

God shares his holiness with people.

Hebrews 12:10 is talking about when God disciplines his children. Any father knows there are times that children need discipline. They need to be corrected.

God corrects people who are his children. This is one of the marks of being his child.

Why does he discipline?

Because he wants to share his holiness with us.

This amazes me. I don't know about you, but I know that I am far from holy. God seeks us out and shares his holiness with us. This enables us to imitate him.

What does God sharing his holiness mean to you?

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- 28 June 2010
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Elijah Likes Whipped Topping (Video)

Apparently Elijah really likes whipped topping.
Anyone feel like doing the same thing?

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- 26 June 2010
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Josiah Turned Two--Video of him blowing out his candles

Nichole beat me to Josiah's birthday posts HERE and HERE, but I beat her to posting a video of him saying "Buzz Lightyear." That has something to do with me knowing how to do video:).

Josiah means "YHWH heals" or "YHWH is salvation." The two names we gave him, Josiah and David signify two of the best kings of Israel. They lead the nation towards God, not away from him. Our prayer is for Josiah to lead people in such a way to find God's salvation and healing.

As Nichole pointed out in the first post above, he goes to his own beat. As he grows, this is something he will need to do in order to stay true to the task.
Josiah can frustrate you and melt you at the same time. That is truly a gift!

Happy birthday Josiah!

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- 26 June 2010
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Sharing Skin

Christ shared in being human.

In the Old Testament, God told Moses that his glory was too great that anyone would instantly die if they looked at his face. What God did instead was to let Moses get a glimpse of God as he walked past him. Yeah, Moses go to see God's backside.

This makes Jesus that much more amazing. He was this same God in flesh. Why? So he could destroy the one who has the power of death--the Devil.

Ever feel like you can't overcome the things you hate doing? God became human so you could find victory. All it takes is a heart desperate for change and a desire for God to change it.

Just ask.

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- 23 June 2010
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God Shares His Inheritance
God shares with us by giving his inheritance to us.
We all love to think we have a long-lost rich uncle who will die and share his inheritance with us. We dream about receiving an undeserved gift based on someone else's generosity.

This is what God does. We are estranged children because of sin, but he chose to make it possible to become princes and princesses of the King again. God's generosity makes us fully invested in the inheritance of God.

What does God have?
- Everything.
- All power.
- All authority.
- Power over sin.
- A reign that is over all.
- Fruit that includes all joy.
This list is very incomplete, but it gives a glimpse into what God gives to us once we trust enough to place our lives in his hands.
How do we receive God's inheritance? Repent of the thing that tore it from us in the first place...our sin. Then we proceed in life like children of the king.
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- 23 June 2010
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Shane Kennard's Posterous

Developing Others.

More specifically I am husband to an amazing wife--Nichole.
Dad to 3 great kids--Elijah, Josiah and Noah.
A pastor and church planter for The Bridge Church in Baldwinsville, NY. Just outside Syracuse...

Go Orange!
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