Monday Night Summaries
Check out Last Years Talks | Back to Monday Nights
Date: |
Title/Summary: |
A/V Used |
See the speakers notes |
| 09.10.07 |
Purpose & Passion 1 : I believe that most of us are in one of three places when it comes to pursuing our faith in college....Many of us are in....Others in this room are also on the journey – but you’re not sure yet whether you’ll invest your time in GI...But there are others in this room who are still on the fence. You don’t know where you stand on this whole Greek experience and faith thing going together. Or you’re not sure if you WANT them to fit together, at least not for now......Well folks, that’s our purpose – to help you engage in, struggle through, and ultimately we hope to be able to answer some of those big questions in life. |
Video: GI Kickoff Video (low rez) |
|
| 09.17.07 |
Purpose & Passion 2 : Do you ever get the sense that this is REALLY what society thinks of college life? That the stereotypes are really true....... at the end of the day, we are not as bad as the stereotypes often depict Greeks as being, but at the same time, we’re not as good as we think we are either. And it’s challenging to hear that isn’t it......
because at our core we’d really like to live somewhere in between those two extremes, but the ideas seem in such opposition, we’re not sure we can actually do that. But we WANT to. We want to be better than they think we are, and better than we think we can be. We don’t want to settle for being just ‘not as bad as they think we are.’ We want to be more, and we want to create an environment that provides more for our friends. |
Video: "Greek" Season 1, Episode 1.
Audio: "I've Always Loved You" by Third Day |
|
| 09.24.07 |
Pause: Amy Grantham shared her reflections as a senior involved in IMPACT all four years. She spoke specifically of the 'why me' complex and why we are tempted to feel that way instead of trusting that God has a much bigger and better plan that we could ever imagine. The NOOMA clip "Kickball" offered a similar message. |
Video: "Kickball" Nooma
|
Resource: Some Favorite Scripture |
| 10.01.07 |
See an explanation for our Mind the Gap Series
Religion & Relationship: Lots of people ‘have religion.’ In fact I’d venture to guess that most everybody in this room, and most everybodies friends would say they are ‘religious.’ And that’s great. But what does it mean to have a relationship?... If you want to be ‘religious’ today, knowing and living the 10 commandments is probably a good place to start, wouldn’t you say? It’s also where I believe many of us find the first big gap in our faith as it relates to our college experience....But thankfully Jesus gives us an alternative. He offers us a better way. In fact the 2nd passage we just studied is so significant that Matthew, Mark and Luke all record it verbatim in their gospels and John hints at this greatest commandment several times in his recounting of Jesus’ life. |
|
|
| 10.07.07 |
Jesus & Christianity: (Tim Conder Speaking): The first Christ followers did so at a huge cost as the text many of them used in reverence to Christ ( Colossians 1:15-20) was the same verbiage Romans were required to say about the Emporer. These first Christ folloers lived in opposition to the 'empire,' which was set up for the people to follow IT, rather than HIM. Jesus was the antithesis of the empire and compelled his followers into an entirely different stream of life. How does this happen today? Are you a follower of Jesus, or have you bought into the mainstream Christianity that doesn't necessarily fit with His first teachings? What are the 'empires' around you that you need to give up to truly follow Christ? |
|
|
| 10.15.07 |
Thoughts & Actions: Whether we are willing to admit to it or not, there is a serious disconnect isn’t there, between what we think and what we do or say in life. And what do people often call us when we struggle with these things? Yes, some in the church or some critics of Christians would say those things, but do you know what I call it? It’s called being normal. Being a normal everyday person – whether you are trying to engage faith or not. At least I hope it is, because I know I find myself in many of those same situations on a regular basis. I find myself with these great intentions in my mind, and then have little application or follow-through. And I do it in my work, in my social life, in my marriage, in my life goals – you name it and there is sometimes a gap between the thoughts in my head and the actions or application of those thoughts in my life. But do you want to know the good news? We’re not alone in this. In fact, there is a significant teaching in the book of Romans in which Paul illustrates similar feelings. |
Video: "Liar Liar"
Text: Romans 7:7-25 |
|
| 10.22.07 |
Christianity & Other Religions : Many religions will claim to essentially same the same thing. Many of them claim there is one God, and many ways. But Christianity, and Jesus, stand in the face of this by providing one way, one hope and one resurrection. The historical evidence for Jesus has been debated for generations, but the facts remain, that if the Romans could have disproved that Jesus existed, died on the Cross and was resurrected - they would have. It would have been much easier to provide a body, undermine the beating and the death on the Cross, or doubt his miracles - if indeed it were something that did not come from a divine human being. But they couldn't, because the evidence indeed stood correctly. And thus the Romans watched as a religion, a faith and a way of life was created that, in many ways, stood in opposition to the ways of the empire. |
|
|
| 10.29.07 |
Pause: Scott Farmer reflected on life in the fraternity house as a Christian. He shared some regrets about not being more vocal or more inviting in his faith because he felt like he had to have all the answers and felt insufficient at times because of the sin he perceived in his life. It was in reading the book "The Ragamuffin Gospel" that opened his eyes to the fact that God loved him and extended grace to him where he is, so that he could be freed to be real and intentional with the people around him. The NOOMA clip "Lump" offered the simple message that there is nothing you can do that could make God love you less. Nothing, nothing at all. |
Video: "Lump" Nooma
|
|
|
