AACM Weekly #3

Hey Everyone!

We have a few things coming up soon:

1) AACM Large Group and Games Night (February 5th, 7pm at Welch 1.308)

Join us this Friday for AACM large group as we talk about common objections to Christianity. After large group, we will be playing board/card games at Jester West Piano Lounge! PLEASE bring any games you have!  There will also be ultimate frisbee going on at clark field as well.  Below is the link to the facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=322070395129&index=1

2) Breakthrough 2010

Breakthrough is an amazing weekend training conference sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, drawing college students from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Held at a camp outside Waco, TX, you'll experience great training, corporate worship, and wonderful fellowship. Breakthrough staff offer 5 tracks inspiring and instructing you about the character of Jesus, in-depth Bible study, sharing your faith, cross cultural ministry and life after college. Come join us!! Breakthrough 2010 will be February 12-14 at Latham Springs Camp.  The last day to register is this Friday, February 5th! To register visit the website at www.redriver.intervarsity.org

3) 8:59 Prayer Meeting

Please keep in mind that our Monday night prayer meetings have switched rooms to Welch 2.304.  Prayer meetings begin at 8:59pm.

For last minute room changes for any AACM activities, please check www.texasaacm.com or follow TexasAACM on twitter for these updates!

In Christ,
Ben Yang

Breakthrough 2010, Feb 12-14

Breakthrough is an amazing weekend training conference sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, drawing college students from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. You'll experience great training, corporate worship, and wonderful fellowship. You pick one of the following tracks inspiring and instructing you about..

• Game Time: Learn spiritual truths about Jesus through sports and recreation
  
• Word: In-depth Bible study
• Tell the Story: Sharing your faith
• Ministering Across Cultures: Cross-cultural ministry
• What's Next?: Life after college for those graduating before May 2011
  

Come join us from February 12-14 at Latham Springs Camp
Cost: $80 before Jan 29th, $90 afterward
Urbana 09 attendees: you will receive $20.00 off your registration fee! Ask one of the staff if you need financial help

To register visit the website at www.redriver.intervarsity.org
Facebook Event

Suffering Well

Matt Chandler is a 35 year old pastor at The Village Church in the Dallas area. On Thanksgiving Day '09, he suddenly collapsed from what was later diagnosed as a brain tumor. His life changed, but his faith continues to be a testament to God's goodness in the midst of suffering. The AP recently wrote a story on Chandler and his family since the diagnosis. Below is also a 3 min video clip of him preaching at a conference. Chandler will be the main speaker at Rezweek this year.

Suffering Well: Faith Tested by Pastor's Cancer
an AP article by Erik Gorski

"Matt prays that his children and others do not grow resentful. "Lord, you gave this to me for a reason. Let me run with it and do the best I can with it."

Barnett says later that he's witnessed many tragedies and miracles. He has seen how people handle life-changing moments. He called Chandler's attitude one of the most amazing he's seen.

Chandler says learning he had brain cancer was "kind of like getting punched in the gut. You take the shot, you try not to vomit, then you get back to doing what you do, believing what you believe." We never felt — still have not felt — betrayed by the Lord or abandoned by the Lord. I can honestly say, we haven't asked the question, 'Why?' or wondered, 'Why me, why not somebody else?' We just haven't gotten to that place. I'm not saying we won't get there. I'm just saying it hasn't happened yet."

Books of the Month: February

This month in our Large Group Gatherings, we are going through a series of common apologetic questions to challenge you in what you believe about God and/or to strengthen your faith. These two books are a great resource to encourage you to grow further in this area. The first is one of the classic apologetic books of all time written by C.S. Lewis called Mere Christianity (it was referenced several times last week). The second is a recent work by Timothy Keller written in two parts, one to the modern day skeptic and the other to the Christian. 

Mere Christianity
a book by C.S. Lewis

In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
a book by Timothy Keller

Why does God allow suffering in the world?
How could a loving God send people to Hell?
Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?
How can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”?
Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

These are just a few of the questions and doubts even ardent believers wrestle with today. Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. he addresses each doubt and explains each reason. Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

AACM Weekly #2 - Jan. 27th

Hey everybody!

I hope everyone had a good first full week of school.  We have some exciting things coming up this week!

1) Existence of God LG and Fuddruckers 
(January 29th, 7:00pm at Welch 1.308)

Join us this Friday for AACM large group as we talk about the existence of God. After large group, we will be going to Fuddruckers to eat and all first-timers to AACM will have a free meal! Invite your friends!  If you can drive to Fudds, then please drive your car to Jester Beach after large group.  Below is the link to the facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=274788273978&index=1

2) Breakthrough 2010 (February 12th-14th)

Breakthrough is an amazing weekend training conference sponsored by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, drawing college students from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Held at a camp outside Waco, TX, you'll experience great training, corporate worship, and wonderful fellowship. Breakthrough staff offer 5 tracks inspiring and instructing you about the character of Jesus, in-depth Bible study, sharing your faith, cross cultural ministry and life after college. Come join us!! The cost is $80.00 if you register by January 29th. After January 29th, the cost increases to $90.00, and the last day to register is February 5th. If you attended Urbana 09, you will receive $20.00 off your registration fee!
Please register online through: www.redriver.intervarsity.org

3) New Website

Check out our new website at www.texasaacm.com!  It will be a portal with all things relevant to following Jesus in College including all the latest AACM info. It has many new features such as the ability to subscribe via a rss feed and you can also follow us on twitter (TexasAACM) for quick announcements, links to blog posts and more. If you would like your blog added to the blogroll, just let us know.

4) IM Basketball

Sign up for intramural basketball this Friday after large group or at this link http://tinyurl.com/aacmbball10. There will be a co-ed division and a mens division for the small groups. Please contact King Choi at kinginthebox@gmail.com if you are interested in being a captain for either of these divisions.

In Christ,
Ben Yang

Love the Church

Wrong Reasons to Love the Church
a blog post excerpt by Josh Harris 

Acts 20:28 tells us that Jesus obtained the church with his own blood. Is this what your love for the church is based on? If it's anything less, it won't last long.

• Don't love the church because of what it does for you. Because sooner or later it won't do enough.
• Don't love the church because of a leader. Because human leaders are fallible and will let you down.
• Don't love the church because of a program or a building or activities because all those things get old.
• Don't love the church because of a certain group of friends because friendships change and people move.

Love the church because of who shed his blood to obtain the church. Love the church because of who the church belongs to. Love the church because of who the church worships. Love the church because you love Jesus Christ and his glory. Love the church because Jesus is worthy and faithful and true. Love the church because Jesus loves the church.

Jesus Sustains All Things

Why We Call Him Master
a blog post by Thabiti Anyabwile

“In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.” (Heb. 2:8)

Let this truth take hold: Everything is subject to Jesus.  “God left nothing that is not subject to him.”  The entire creation–everyone and everything in existence, whether in heaven or on earth–lives beneath the feet of Jesus.  Everything bows under the sway of His rule and control.  There is nothing excepted.  He is King, and all is subject to him.  The Savior is exalted far above every power, dominion, principality, ruler–everything!

“Yet at  present we do not see everything subject to him.”  That disturbs some people.  It may even sound like a contradiction.  Or, we may think this means there is something “not yet” under His sway.  And we may be tempted to look around at the world’s chaos–of which there seems to be much–and say, “God did not control that.  Jesus was not in that.  This or that is ‘outside’ the Lord’s will.” In so many attitudes, unspoken thoughts, actions and words, we may say, “Are you really on the throne?”

But the sentence is about us–not Jesus.  It points to a limitation in us–not the Risen King.  Everything is under Him.  But we don’t see it… yet.  At present, our powers of observation are limited.  Our vision is blurred.  Our perception cloudy.  But believing that Jesus is not ruling and that there is anything not yet under him because we don’t see it yet is like believing the sun is not in the sky because the day is cloudy.  The clouds may block the sun from our view, but the sun beams there in all the radiant power it ever had on the hottest, brightest day.

So it is with Jesus.  We do not yet see everything subject to him, but He is the One “sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3).  It’s not too much to say that the entire universe hangs on His every word.  Everything is subject to Him.  That’s why we call Him Master. Let us not forget this today, even if we don’t see it fully.