Koinonia Davis Special Talk

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Koinonia _at_ Davis Special Talk

• True Love?
• February 9, 2007

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Our search for love

• Someday My Prince Will Come Snow White and
  the Seven Dwarves
• Some day my prince will comeSome day well meet
  againAnd away to his castle we'll goTo be happy
  forever I know Some day when spring is
  hereWe'll find our love anewAnd the birds will
  singAnd wedding bells will ringSome day when my
  dreams come true

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Something we long for

• Longing for something is evidence
• Hunger exists because there is food
• Thirst exists because there is water
• We long for love,
• but is there love in this world?
• and where can we find it?

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I. THIS LOVELESS WORLD

• Big indicator Loneliness
• Loneliness is now a national epidemic according
  to many sociologists and psychologists
  Jane Brady, NY Times
• Loneliness is the 1 problem for young people in
  this country Associated Press
• In a large crowd in your room
• At best of times worst of times

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From a national survey

• so many people admit to lacking relational
  connections The common solution is to keep
  busy and to stimulate ourselves with a variety of
  new experiences - that way we are not so likely
  to feel the pain of those fundamental holes in
  our life. People have discovered that if
  they fill the gaps with commitments and
  excitement, then they're less prone to feel the
  emptiness of loneliness

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(it continues)

• Of course, that just prolongs the inner despair
  that eventually cannot be suppressed any
  longer..." George
  Barna, 8/1/00

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Songs of the heart

• Listen to what we are saying
• Evanescence, Bring Me to Life
• 1 for 20 weeks in 2004
• Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• Record of the year in 2006

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Bring Me to Life

• now that I know what Im withoutyou can't just
  leave mebreathe into me and make me realbring
  me to lifecall my name and save me from the
  dark(Wake me up) before I come undone(Save
  me)save me from the nothing Ive becomeBring
  me to life(I've been living a lie, there's
  nothing inside)Bring me to life

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Boulevard of Broken Dreams

• I walk a lonely road The only one that I have
  ever knownDon't know where it goesBut it's home
  to me and I walk aloneI walk this empty
  streetOn the Boulevard of broken dreamsWhere
  the city sleepsAnd I'm the only one and I walk
  aloneMy shadows the only one that walks beside
  meMy shallow hearts the only thing that's
  beatingSometimes I wish someone out there will
  find meTil then I'll walk alone

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II. HOW DID IT GET THIS BAD?

• As a child, thought everyone loved you
• But slowly realized that there is limited amount
  of love
• ? You must fight for it
• Kindergarten teacher telling you, You are all
  special is just phony !
• ? You need to be even more special

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Resulting consequences

• We are fearful of those who are in the same
  specialty
• We quickly size each other up
• We live fake lives to maintain our special-ness
  via

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All of us put on masks

• Its a terrible thing to be alonebut dont
  lower your mask until you have another mask
  prepared beneath Katherine
  Mansfield, British author
• The many masks we put on
• The good son
• The cool stud
• The caring listener
• The funny dormmate
• ? But putting on these masks leads to

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Imposter Phenomena

• We knowthe truth about ourselves the image we
  project dont match
• So, we live in fear
• that one day the truth will come out
• ? We want people to know us, but we dont want
  people to really know us

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Doubly Disconnected

• We are disconnected with others
• AND with ourselves.
• ? Intense longing to trust someone, to feel
  safe secure with someone..

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Lyrics of the heart

• Evanescence, Bring Me to Life
• Save me from the nothing Ive become
• Breathe into me and make me real
• Green Day, Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• My shallow hearts the only thing thats beating
• Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
• ? Whats the solution?

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III. God Truly Knows Us

• Psalm 139 says,You have searched me and you
  know meYou perceive my thoughts from afarYou
  created my inmost being
• God sees through my mask knows all about me
  (even the darkest secrets sins)
• And yet, God still loves me!

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He would die for us

• Romans 57-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a
  righteous man, though for a good man someone
  might possibly dare to die. But God
  demonstrates his own love for us in this While
  we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• This is True Love.

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So different than human love

• We love conditionally
• Based on performance appearance
• ? resulting in insecurities
• Easy to love when things are good
• e.g. good grades
• Hard to love when someone gives you a hard time
• e.g. parents and bad grades, roommates and chores

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Gods love is so different

• Not based on appearance performance
• Romans 58 But God demonstrates his own love
  for us in this While we were still sinners,
  Christ died for us.
• But based on fact that we are His
• e.g. my testimony

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Conclusion

• Only a relationship with God provides
• Security that you are seeking for
• The proper connection with others
• Able to see others as non-competitors
• Can be free to take off your masks

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Personal Invitation

• Weekly Bible Studies
• College Fridays _at_ 66 Roessler, 7pm
• Sunday Worship Service
• Waypoint Community Church
• 130pm, 1801 Oak Ave., rides available
• Got Questions? See me after the talk