The Not So Perfect Family

September 16, 2009 by Bill Robbins

The Not So Perfect Family

Series Launches Sunday, September 20, 9:45 am

Hemingway once wrote: “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”

Just admit it. There’s no such thing as “the picture perfect family.” There is a degree of dysfunction and brokenness in every family. Your family and mine…

In fact, as Reggie Joiner points out in his new book, Think Orange, you would be hard pressed to find an example of a great family that hit on all cylinders within the pages of the Bible!

Adam and Eve? They single-handedly blew it and caused the downfall of the human race. If that’s not enough, their oldest son, a guy named Cain, ended up “offing” his younger brother… Talk about a messed up family…

What about Abraham? Don’t even go there… Father of the faithful? You bet! But He was also all too agreeable when his wife, Sarah suggested that he “bed” her much younger servant girl, a twenty-something year old “looker” named Hagar, in order to have a son… And then, on at least two occasions, when he got into a jam, Abe offered his wife to another man…

Noah? The dude had a drinking and a streaking problem…

Jacob? His family was totally messed up… His sons were so jealous of their younger brother, Joe, that they thought about killing him, but later decided to make a buck by selling him into slavery…

David? Oh, man… Where do we start? The guy had an affair with one of his lieutenant’s wife. His kids were an absolute mess… We’re talking incest, rape, murder and rebellion on a national scale…

Eli? Just another preacher who lost total control of how his boys acted in church…

I know what you’re thinking… But Joseph and Mary didn’t do too bad with Jesus? I know. But let’s not forget they had a pretty big advantage because of who Jesus’ real father was…

When you think about it, in comparison to the families we read about in the Bible, your family is probably INCREDIBLE!

I love this statement from Reggie Joiner: “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe God filled the pages of Scripture with so many examples of [families gone bad] to encourage us?”

I mean, sure our families may have issues, but in comparison with some of the families in the Bible, we’re doing awesome! Right?

One more thing: What if the pain, brokenness and weakness in your family are really the point at which God can meet you with extravagant grace that leads from despair, to hope, to lasting change? What if what Jesus accomplished on the cross is really sufficient to meet your family’s deepest needs and heal your family’s most profound hurts?

Again, let’s just admit it: there’s no such thing as the”perfect family.” Not even close. Every family comes with its fair share of brokenness, pain and dysfunction. Even the so-called “heroes” we read about in the Bible. The great news is that God isn’t looking for perfection. He longs to give grace… This series is about God’s grace for broken people and real families.

To paraphrase Hemingway, “The world breaks every family, and some families get stronger in the broken places.”

This series is for YOU! Whether you’re single, single again, a single parent, married without kids, married with children, grandparents, you name it… Make plans to attend this important a2 series…

Game On! Video

August 26, 2009 by Bill Robbins

Game On! from Chris Goins on Vimeo.

Dear Birmingham Video 3

August 10, 2009 by Bill Robbins

Dear Birmingham – Part 3 from Chris Goins on Vimeo.

This is the third video in our Dear Birmingham series. It features Robin White in the lead role and was shot at the beautiful and historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

The video was shot and directed by Chris Mileski. Additional video work and photography by Ben Shanahan, Kevin Johnson and Brian Thomas.

Special thanks to Brian Thomas for getting us into Rickwood Field for the video shoot.

We love Birmingham and believe “the best is yet to come.”

“Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in the city.”

Dear Birmingham Video 2

July 28, 2009 by Bill Robbins

All of us have pieces of our past we would like to forget… Memories of when we weren’t good enough, strong enough, smart enough, spiritual enough…or memories of when we were just down right wrong.

What can you do with all of that pain and regret? What can you do when you’ve failed not only on a personal level, but on a much more public level?

Chris shares two principles that can help move you towards wholeness in this second video of the Dear Birmingham series…

Dear Birmingham Video 1

July 24, 2009 by Bill Robbins

Dear Birmingham from Chris Goins on Vimeo.

Dear Birmingham

July 16, 2009 by Bill Robbins

If God wrote a letter to this city what would he say? The memoirs of a guy who lived hundreds of years ago might give us a clue. The book of Nehemiah describes a city that had fallen on tough times, but God gave one guy a vision of what the city COULD be… What the city SHOULD be… When Nehemiah leaned into that vision, miracles occurred… Join us for this important series at a2 Church in July – August 2009.

a2 Rock The Block Back Yard VBS

June 23, 2009 by Bill Robbins

a2 is talking the Gospel to the streets and to our neighborhoods this summer! Join us July 27-30 for Back Yard Bible Clubs from 9-11 am or 6-8 pm.

WE NEED YOU in order to the ROCK THE BLOCK in the neighborhoods and subdivisions of the greater Birmingham area.

A special program will be available on the a2 Campus for children ages 3 and under whose parents serve as teachers during ROCK THE BLOCK. If you have children 3 and up, they can get in on all the action.

If you’re interested in hosting a Back Yard Bible Club in your neighborhood, or you’re interested in leading or participating in one of the clubs, contact Brice Jackson @ 205.370.4116 or bricejackson317@gmail.com. We would love to define all host homes and recruit all team members by June 28.

This is a2′s MAIN SUMMER OUTREACH program and YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Contact Brice ASAP. We look forward to ROCKING YOUR BLOCK with the gospel of Jesus!

PS: One of the crafts kids will be doing during Rock The Block requires empty baby food jars. If your family or someone you know is using baby food, please save the empty jars and bring them to the a2 Kid’s Club every Sunday AM until June 19. We’ll put them to use in making crafts. We estimate that we will need 100 empty baby food jars. Thanks for your participation.

Online sign-up coming soon!

Know Your Enemy Part 1

June 1, 2009 by Bill Robbins

know-your-enemy

In his classic, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis made the following statement:

“One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe – a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin… Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage… Christianity agrees…this universe is at war…” ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

On June 7, a2 will launch a new four week series on spiritual warfare. Discover the schemes Satan uses to keep you from experiencing all that God has planned for you in this balanced look at an important subject.

TOGETHER: If You Go, We Go!

May 27, 2009 by Bill Robbins

According to George Gallup, Americans are among the loneliest people on the planet. Despite our busy lives and over committed schedules, many of us feel desperately alone.

We all crave relationships. We were made to “connect” and relate. But what does a great friendship look like? What do real friends do for one another?

Don’t miss this weekend @ a2 Church. It will be one of the most practical, down to earth message you’ve ever heard. It could change your relational world.

What’s The Big Deal Anyway?

May 20, 2009 by Bill Robbins

Memorial Day is all about remembering.

Two of the single most important observances in the church are about the same thing: REMEMBERING.

Jesus gave the church the observances so that they would never forget all that He accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection. These observances have been around for 2,000 years. They’re so important that we call them sacraments.

What are they? Why are they such a big deal?

Discover the answers this Sunday @ a2. The service will include an opportunity for Holy Communion.

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