Quest: First Free St. Louis » alishajoy

Sexual Wisdom ?

alishajoy — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:36:27 +0000

Wisdom in the arena of our sexuality…sounds sort of strange but actually it is so badly needed. Proverbs 5 culminates with the rhetorical question of :

20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman

and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?

It is a reasonable question isn’t it? Why should or why would I become captured by the body, the sexuality, the passionate relational sphere of a woman other that my own wife?

It is so tempting. Our culture relates to it and affirms it all the time! It seems so common and therefore subtly it seems so normal. But it cause so much turmoil and so much chaos. Are there reasons why I should refrain?

21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.

God is our audience. He is observing my life and how I handle my heart and my mind and even my body. He is watching to see if my vows mean what they ought to mean both to me and the woman I vowed my fidelity to. Other watch, but God is the one who really matters. To please Him and to honor Him is what life is about.

22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

Foolish sexuality is a trap. The world suggests that sex is free and easy….but just a drop of common sense and life experience shows us that sex is never free and never easy. It is powerful and it is potentially destructive.

23 He dies for lack of discipline,

A lack of self control kills. Disciplining ourselves is never easy. However, good and great things come from having self control, a disciplined life. Creating and keeping boundaries in our sex lives give life rather than restricting life.

and because of his great folly he is led astray.

Sexual immorality leads to aloneness. The very thing we ache for is the very thing we lose. We ache for closeness, for being loved, for being understood, for being accepted, for being safe, for being known and loved. Sex without boundaries becomes a garden without fences. The fruit is taken and stolen by those who have no concern for our well-being, it is all for them. We are left alone. It is devastating.

One of 6…

alishajoy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:15:42 +0000

Wisdom…it comes in crumbs, bites, and loaves…all are worth digesting. This past week we offered up six bits that you could choose from…whatever might relate to where you are at in life right now:

Obedience from the heart leads to fullness of life (Proverbs 3:1-2)
Love and faith from the heart leads to a rich reputation (Proverbs 3:3-4)
Trusting from the fullness of our hearts leads to a life of purpose (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Honoring God from the heart and shunning evil leads to a healthy life (Proverbs 3:7-8)
Giving God our first and our best will never disappoint us (Proverbs 3:9-10)
God’s discipline in our lives is evidence of His love (Proverbs 3:11-12)

So, as we pursue wisdom we have to entrust ourselves to something or to someone even if that something or someone is ourselves. But has our own wisdom achieved the life that we long for? Maybe there is a better foundation available that really works in life, that being the character of God lived out in wisdom for today.

Wise-o-logy… An Adventure Together

alishajoy — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:50:15 +0000

The road to wisdom is one we do in Godly community. We are not called to isolation…truly we are not islands. We are called to do this with God’s people, walking the path together in encouragement and accountability. As we take the wise-o-logy challenge this summer…are you going to do it with other people? Are we going to step out of our comfort zones and seek to build relationships built on trust and love? Are we going to grow together in real community? Are we going to share God’s wisdom and truth with each other? Are we going to risk rejection to get to know someone on a deeper level? The risks may seem high and the challenge big, but not doing it is so much harder and so much more dangerous. So…are you up for it?

Wise-ology Challenge…Read and Share

alishajoy — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:29 +0000

Wise-ology…the study of wisdom…something often passed down from generation to generation. This is actually a revolution….or maybe better said…it is a counter revolution. It is totally contrary to the mainstream of our culture. To pursue wisdom and insight rather than to pursue pleasure, personal peace and affluence seems backward to us. The idea of having a meaningful discussion concerning life and its meaning with someone of another generation feels profoundly awkward, especially if it involves parents with their children. I know that this is not the first generation to feel this way, but something seems increasingly discombobulated about the norms of our day. It would be so much better to have parents and children engage one another, listen to one another, and to value what each brings to the table. It would be rich of there was a openness to receive what those whom God has placed in our lives and in authority of our lives have to offer by way of wisdom and insight. It would be refreshing to take the time to hear the heart of our children, to understand the pressures and the stresses that come with growing up in the 21^st century. And maybe a joint adventure of looking at the thoughts of Solomon could produce some things that we never dreamed possible.

Do you dare take the adventure? What do you think? I dare you to try!

Let’s Go There…Really!

alishajoy — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:58:02 +0000

So…for the last few weeks we have been in a series called, “Let’s Go There”, dealing with those topics we don’t like to talk about much less deal with in our lives. We hope that this series has been challenging, as well as encouraging. Topics such as hypocrisy, suffering, and finding ourselves in things other than God are never easy to talk about, but cannot be ignored.

This week we will be looking at how can we find truth in the “church”…when the church seems so hurtful. As we keep going through these different issues, we encourage you to join us. As a church we want to go there and deal with these hard conversations within our own lives and equip each other to be able to talk about these topics with our friends and family.

The Dangerous Life Ends This Week

alishajoy — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:20:52 +0000

Join us this week as we wrap-up our I Peter series. You do not want to miss it! Also, remember out Easter series, “Hope Has A Shape”, starts next week.

Only Two Weeks Left of The Dangerous Life Series

alishajoy — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:11:28 +0000

We only have two weeks left in our Dangerous Life series, looking at I Peter. In the last few months we really have talked about that life is dangerous, we all know that, but also that Christ calls us to live a dangerous life for Him. We are called to walk in faith, and live out His example in school, at work, and at home. We hope that this series has encouraged you and helped you to grow. As we wrap this series up, we will continue to be called to live the dangerous life, but the best part of that is that living for Christ, although difficult, is not done alone. We live the dangerous life through His power and within community.

Living the Dangerous Life

alishajoy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:14:48 +0000

We have been in the “Dangerous Life Series”, looking at 1 Peter for a few weeks now. I am not sure about you, but I often forget how really living for Christ and walking in obedience can feel really dangerous and hard. It definitely pushes me outside of my comfort zone. This series has reminded me where my trust for everything and where my security comes from. I hope that each of you are being challenged to really walk in faith and to live the dangerous life.