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Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W11: Sanctity of Life

Psalm 139:13-16 
13 For you created my inmost being; 
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W10: Human Sexuality

Matthew 19:4-6
4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

​THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • Practice #1: Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of Romans 12:1-2 as the Lord leads you to. 
  • Practice #2: Grace & Truth. Prayerfully reflect on our church as a whole and your life individually. Are we living in such a way that God’s truths can be known through us? And are we living in such a way that God’s loving grace can be felt through us?
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W9: The Sacraments

Ephesians 2:17-18

17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • Practice #1 Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of John 6:53 as  the Lord leads you to.
  • Practice #2: Feasting on the Word. Throughout much of human history, a feast involved the intentional act of savoring and enjoying different rich and delicious flavors.
Savor Scripture ~ Take time to slow down and savor the significance and different “flavors” of the Scripture memorization verse. Find a quiet place, and repeat it in your heart, or even out loud, multiple times. Take the time to pause over any word in the verse and enjoy the richness of it with the Lord. Especially as we consider this verse above from John 6, and our message on the communion meal as a way to respond to our Lord’s invitation into Life.
Fellowship ~ During your meal with other believers, share with either your spouse or a person of the same sex in a way in which you see Christ in them, or moving through them. This can be a behavior of theirs, but may be especially meaningful if you can identify the heart posture or character trait behind their behaviors.
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W8: The Church

John 12:44-50

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. ​47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • Practice #1: Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of 2 Cor. 5:9-11a as the Lord leads you to.
○ “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.”

● Practice #2: Intercessory Prayer. Pray for someone that you know hasn’t come under God’s pardon. Pray for their salvation! Pray for God to open up the opportunity for you to “persuade” them, as Paul says.​
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W7: The Church

Matthew 16:13-18
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
Practice #1: Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of John 17:20-23 as the Lord leads you to.
​

Practice #2: Prayer. Sit with the Holy Spirit in prayer and consider with Him at least one of the following (church-related) questions this week:

  • What does it mean to be consecrated and “called out?”
  • What does it look like to be free yet subject to King Jesus?
  • What does it look like for church members to be unique and united?
  • What is my function / gifting / role in the body of Christ?
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W6: Salvation

Ephesians 2:1-10
2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
 2 in which you once walked, following the course[a] of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
Practice #1: Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of Ephesians 2:8-10 as the Lord leads you to.

​Practice #2: Prayer. This week’s prayer practice is to commune with God and reflect upon the past, present, and future realities of your salvation.
  • Past (saved): Remember the moment when you first believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Take time to thank God for opening your eyes to His saving grace.
  • Present (Being Saved): How is God currently inviting you to live in greater freedom from sin’s power? Take time to surrender that area / aspect of your life to the lordship of Jesus and the power of the Spirit.
  • Future (Will be Saved): Imagine the day when you will see Jesus face to face and you’ll finally and fully be free from the presence of sin. What comes to mind? What are you most looking forward to? What does it look like for you personally to “eagerly await” for Jesus’ return?
​Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W5: Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • ​Practice #1: Scripture. Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as the Lord leads you to.
  • ​Practice #2: Prayer. This week’s prayer practice is to read scripture in a meditative and prayerful way by using the acronym BREAD as a tool.
BE STILL. Eliminate distractions, get comfortable, calm your mind, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your time.
READ. When you’re ready, read through your passage of Scripture for that day. After a minute or two, read the passage again slowly.
ENGAGE. Who are the characters? What’s happening? What are key words, phrases, and details? What’s the implication?
APPLY. Given the implication of the passage, how is the Lord inviting you to respond? What truth do you need to apply to your life?
​
DEVOTE. End with prayer by receiving and responding to the truth that God has revealed to you in your passage.
​Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W4: Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
​

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • Practice #1: Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 as the Lord leads you to.
  • Practice #2: Praying for the Holy Spirit’s filling.  
  1. Relax your body, take a few deep breaths, and begin opening your heart to the Spirit in prayer. This could look like saying the words, “Good morning, Holy Spirit” or “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”   
  2. Confess the ways that you’ve tried to replace his filling for something else, or have operated in your own strength instead of His.  
  3. As you come to the end of yourself, ask the Spirit to fill you with His presence, peace, and power. And remember, the Spirit isn’t a Genie to control, He’s a person to know and love! So ask and keep on asking. Seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking.
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W3: JESUS

Philippians 2:4-11

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
​

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • Practice #1: Read, reflect, and try to memorize as much or as little of Philippians 2:4-11 as the Lord leads you to.
  • ​Practice #2: W3's teaching ended with a call for us to know Jesus, not just historically or even theologically, but personally and intimately. That said, we’re calling this prayer practice the “loving Jesus” prayer.
  1. Find a passage where Yahweh, or Jesus Himself, is speaking.
  2. Insert your name into the passage as if Jesus is talking directly to you. (Ex: Matt. 11:28, “Come to me, Luke, if you’re feeling weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest…” Or Zeph. 3:17, “I am with you, Kristy. I am your Mighty Warrior who saves… I so delight in you…”)
  3. Through your passage, let the words of Jesus minister to your heart. And in return, love Him back however you’re led (you can just sit with him, or pour out your anxieties to him, or simply tell him you love him).​
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W2: Mankind

Psalm 8

1Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. 2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
​
“Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” There are two movements to intercession: releasing and asking. 

  1.  Your will be done. This part of the prayer is about releasing control. So name on thing you’ve never released to God, or perhaps released in the past, but are now trying to regain control of. Name it and release it. Ask for filling from the Spirit in place of releasing, peace in place of anxiety, trust in place of fear. 
  2. Your Kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven. Having released control and surrendered our will, we’re now free to see our lives, relationships, community, and our world through the eyes of God. It is from this place that we ask with hearts full of faith and hope for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done where it is needed the most – friends outside of a relationship with Jesus, the marginalized in Whatcom County, the needs in our country, the persecution around the world, our physical, spiritual, and/or mental health.
Anchored
A resilient faith in a relentless world. 

W1: The Triune God

Psalm 145:1-7

 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

THIS WEEKS PRACTICE:
  • ​Practice #1: Scripture Memorization ~ Before you gather again as a community group, read, reflect, and try to put to memory as much of Psalm 145 as you can. Whether it’s a few verses or the whole Psalm, our desire is to have scripture fill our minds and shape our thoughts
  • Practice #2: Silent Prayer ~ Before or after your time in scripture, practice silent prayer for as long as you’re led. “Be still and know,” David writes in Psalm 46:10. When we’re prayerfully still and silent before God, we’re reminded that God is God and we are not. That God runs and rules the world, and we do not. Silent prayer is a prayer of surrender and trust as we contemplate on God’s who is holy, powerful, patient, kind, etc.
Laurel Church
162 W Laurel Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
Office Phone/Text: (360) 935-1494
Office Email: [email protected]
Care Needs Phone/Text: (564)243-0623
Care Pastor Carl: [email protected]
Office Hours: 
Monday: 9am-12pm
Tuesday - Thursday: 9am-2pm
Friday - Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 9am-10am
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