CHRISTMAS IS MISSION

Just a reminder that this is the season when people are open to here the gospel, check out a church and just talk about spiritual things and the meaning of life. How are you taking advantage of this? Who are you inviting to church and into your home? Who are you sharing life with? Where is your time and money going?

Here is a challenge this week. Invite someone you know over. Invite someone you meet to church. Go someplace new in Joplin and strike up conversations about life and Christmas.

Christmas is Mission
John 3:16, 20:21

Justified

"Nobody has understood Christianity who does not understand this word. It is the word Justified." - John Stott

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

LAST FIGHT OF 07!

THE LAST MEN OF MYSTERY FOR 2007 is NEXT MONDAY Nov. 26th 7-9pm at Pizza by Stout

The next gathering will not be until February so you best get your man on one last time.

Free Cinnamon rolls and Arm Wrestling! Bring your book (or not) and join us for manly talk and challenging insights from the bible.

Turn those caps backwards and lets go over the top one last time till 08!!!

Working with the Arts

Mystery will be volunteering at the Spiva 60th annual membership show Friday November 30th.
10 volunteers are needed. We'll be helping set up tables, serve food and chatting with the people we're serving. Also we will handle tear down when the event is over.
This is tremendous opportunity to serve the local artist community. God is THE Creator and we value beauty and creativity as followers of Jesus made in the image of the creator to create.

Dress business casual we will be volunteering from 4-8pm.
Come meet new people, serve and celebrate the arts in Joplin.

What is the truth of the gospel?

The gospel is the good news that we sinners, guilty and under the judgment of God, may be pardoned and accepted by (God's) sheer grace, His free and unmerited favor, on the ground of his Son's death and not for any works or merits of our own. More briefly, the truth of the gospel is the doctrine of justification (which means the acceptance of God) by grace alone, through faith alone." John Stott

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us"
Galatians 3:13

Thanks!

Last Saturday we had a great turn out to serve and love First Presbyterian Church where we meet.
Thanks to everyone who came and worked hard and served. What a great show of gospel unity and commitment. Everyone at First Pres. was very grateful and excited by the work.

People Always Ask Me...

People ask me all the time what is Mystery?

1. We are a church. More specifically we are a gospel centered, biblically faithful, missional church. Which means:

Mystery is a community of people being transformed by the gospel of Jesus, in love with Jesus, Learning and applying the bible to our lives and living with a passion to see more people know Jesus and have their own hearts and lives changed.
As a church we exist for the glory of God and for the good of the city in which He has placed us to live.

2. A church is a place to meet new people, worship God and get involved in community, be real and build deep relationships. We value knowing who we are inn Jesus and sharing that with others as God shared himself with us through Jesus.

3. A church is more than a place it’s a people. And Mystery is a diverse biblical community where people seek to know and love God, live together along side others seeking to serve and transform the city by the power of the gospel.
Practically speaking, that means some of us are just checking out Christianity for the first time, while others have been in church their whole lives. There are people of all ages, diversity and backgrounds each with their unique story.

We’re a pace where its ok not to be ok. We are people who realize we’re not good at being good. We are a church and Everyone is welcome.

Love Live Enjoy – This is Mystery.

TONIGHT

Tonight is Theology on Tap. Bring a Friend and Enjoy.
7-9pm at Pizza by Stout

The Promise

God made a promise to Abraham. In it he heard of grace.
God sent the law through Moses. In it we heard the truth of our need for grace.
God sent Jesus in grace and truth to fulfill the promise, to bless us and to make us a blessing.

Gen 15,17; Ex 20; John 1:14

Mystery in The Joplin Globe

Mystery Church is in the news all this week...sorta. Steev was invited to be the verse of the week guy beginning today and running through next Saturday. You can find him in the print edition and also online at joplinglobe.com. The online edition has an added bonus of audio commentary about the verse as well as an interview with Dave Woods online Editor of the Globe about Mystery.
We are hoping they will do a feature on us in the coming months. Please pray for that as it would be great exposure for Mystery.
The verse commentaries and the interview will also be available in the coming weeks via our iTunes podcast. If you subscribe to that you will get it automatically as they are posted.

Hola!

Who are you inviting to church this week?
Who are you spending missional time with this week?
Who from Mystery are you inviting into your life this week?
Who are you building relationships with this week?
Who are you praying for and trusting Jesus with this week?
What's their name? What's holding you back?
Where is Christ your confidence and assurance?


See you Sunday!

THIS SATURDAY

Please bring yard working equipment and cleaning supplies. Lunch will be provided. Contact Lindsay Matush if you need more information.

Why do we cling to Our Stupidity?

Galatians 3:1,3
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?
How do we live Foolishly rather than by Faith?
We deny God’s work in our lives, ignore scriptures teaching of God, the gospel and our salvation and we reject justification by Faith alone and live foolishly trusting ourselves.

Why do we cling to our Stupidity?
If I have a low view of God’s involvement in my life I can keep my Pride and control.

If I devalue the bibles authority over my life I lesson my responsibility for my actions and I can keep Sinning.

If I increase in my moral goodness, I am superior to others and I can lesson my guilt and debt toward God.

What is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?
Our God is in the heavens; and he does all that he pleases.
Psalm 8:4
Psalm 115:3

"A Christian is someone who has reached the end of himself and his own moral resources."
Mark Dever