Spiritual Conflict Final Project

SPIRITUAL CONFLICT FINAL PROJECT

Tammy RameySF 277

The Ministry: CPR

CPR: Children and Parents Rock!CPR is a new program in development at the Lincoln Nazarene Church. The aim of the program is to reach out to families by offering a parents’ night out providing time to go out on a date or for running errands while providing a safe, loving environment for their kids.

Ministry Goals

Display the Church as loving, safe place that cares about people

Providing child friendly, fun events Providing background checks on all event staff Providing proper training for all event staff Proclaim Christ through love in all situations

Ministry Goals

Reaching out to the community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Displaying the Church as a loving, safe place to children and their parents

Educating children about God, Jesus, and the Church

Loving parents without judgment or reservation

Proclaim Christ in word, action, and love

Ministry Goals

Church Growth

Encouraging belief in Jesus for participating kids

Encouraging a desire to come to Church to learn more about God and be “loved on”

Unconditional love of people will draw them in Parents and Children

Proclaim Christ in Love, Truth, and Word

CPR Format

Two three day events per year July/November Thursday and Friday night (5:30-8:30) Saturday Day (12:00 – 3:00)

Material/Curriculum God Rocks: Starlight Rescue – A Galactic

Adventure in God! Three stations

Theater (Lesson)/Music Craft Dinner/Lunch Games

CPR Needs

Place Basement of Church

Volunteers Theater – two Craft – minimum of two Dinner/Lunch – Minimum two plus cook Games – Minimum two

Food Asteroid Pizza Star Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches Rocket Ship Hot Dog

CPR Needs

Legal Information Background Information Permission Slips Transportation – Insurance Building/Room Capacity

Misc. Prayer!!!! and Church Support Fasting Advertising Gift Certificates For Parents Door Prizes for Kids

LNC Support for CPR

General Church Information Bible based preaching Authentic Pastor and preaching Caring community Small Church in a town of large churches Seems to be a wide spread age group

congregation Some healing needed within the congregation Seems to desire reaching for God and His will Separating Prayer/Bible Study to spend more

time in each Perhaps a slight fear of failure

LNC Support for CPR

CPR Leadership

Alice McCoy Difficult home life Busy work life Strong prayer life Relying on God’s leadership of CPR Looking to delegate jobs

Pastor Greg Wooten Full support of CPR Full load as Pastor Maintains a good personal spiritual life

LNC Support for CPR

Leadership Rebecca Van Nydeggen

Handling advertising and legal information Not wanting to be otherwise involved

Educational Specialists Background in education Background in educating and leading children with

behavioral issues and disabilities Tammy Ramey

Helping where can with spiritual encouragement and time

Helping with general organization and thought process Work and school make for busy schedule but should be

slowing down with school getting out soon

Spiritual Conflict

Spiritual Conflict is defined as a cosmic struggle for our individual lives and the cosmos.

Two fallacies of spiritual conflict used to distract Spiritual Conflict is everywhere and in every

situation Spiritual Conflict is not real and does not exist

Spiritual Conflict

What kinds of Spiritual Conflict might CPR have to deal with?

In order to answer this question, we must look at the ontology and teleology surrounding CPR.

Ontology is defined as “What is” “What is real”

Teleology is defined as “Cause and Effect”

Spiritual Conflict

Ontology: What is real about CPR? Broken, hurt, and imperfect people are

building program for God. LNC is a small church in a town with several

large churches. The congregation has attempted to do outreach

in the past which has failed. Believed to be because they could not compete

with the big churches. There is now a lack of faith in ability and a fear

of failure.

Spiritual Conflict

Ontology: What is real about CPR? Wanting to reach out to the unchurched of

Lincoln. Issues might be brought into the church:

Poor families = needs Drugs Bad family situations Single parents Anger/Behavioral issues Children with non-Christian beliefs/views/knowledge Other faiths/non-faiths might be introduced and

invited into the church Biblical justice issues might be brought forward

Spiritual Conflict

Teleology: What might be the effects of the above ontological issues which could cause spiritual conflict? Broken, hurt, and imperfect people

Satan hates it when broken people work for God. Individual attacks

Lies Dissention Fear Sloth Pride

Spiritual Conflict

Teleology: What might be the effects of the above ontological issues which could cause spiritual conflict? Past failure

Has created a sense of can’t “What is the point? It won’t work anyway.”

Could not compete with the big churches. Lie – a sense of competition within the God’s will Comparison to another’s mission

Lack of faith in ability and a fear of failure Lack of Trust in God to follow through Anticipate rather than wait for God

Spiritual Conflict

Teleology: What might be the effects of the above ontological issues which could cause spiritual conflict? Wanting to reach out to the unchurched of

Lincoln. Inviting in the unknown including possibly demons Knowing where to draw the line in justice

issues/Avocation Acceptance of people may mean needing to meet

needs Time/financial drain

Loving the unlovable Witness and Discipleship

Spiritual Conflict

Battlegrounds for fighting Heavenlies

Satan will not like CPR unless he can twist it, and we will need the protection of angels. Satan’s demons are prepared for war so we need to be ready too.

Church In many ways, we are literally inviting Satan into the church

and into our lives. We must be prepared to stand for God. World

We must understand the culture of Lincoln and be prepared to love the unlovable and be out of our comfort zones.

The Individual Mind We must stand strong as individuals in community supporting

each other in our relationships with Christ for Satan is not above attacking the individual to bring down the whole of this project.

Communication

Preparing for battle!

It is important to communicate the realities of the spiritual conflict that the church as a whole, willingly or not, has stepped into. Whether it has been in the battle or is rejoining the battle with the creation of CPR, the church is diving farther into that battle and must be aware. What follows is a communication and education plan about the expected spiritual conflict surrounding CPR.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict? Is it casting out demons? Is it a movement of the Holy Spirit? Does it still exist? Is it purely an individual fight? Is it only a mental fight against temptation and

sin? Does it mean hunting down demons and Satan

and giving them hell? Is it being a “holy roller”? Is it a Pentecostal movement issue? Does it pertain to the clergy only?

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict?

Spiritual Conflict is defined as a cosmic struggle for our individual lives and the cosmos.

This conflict is between God and Satan (our chief opponent and the personification of evil).

It is fought between the spirits (unbodily, personal, powers), angles (spirits of God) and demons (spirits of Satan), and humans.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Biblical Perspective? The Beginning – Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent… said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Biblical Perspective?

The Beginning – Genesis 3:1-6

Spiritual Conflict began when Satan raised himself to be equal with God which is impossible. The created can not be equal to the creator.

Temptation is defined as the luring of humans to the willful surrender to sinful actions and/or thoughts. Temptation entered humanity with the speaking of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Spiritual Conflict began when Eve “saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” and she had to decide between following the implied advice of a created animal or listen to her Creator.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Biblical Perspective? The Beginning – Genesis 4:2b-7

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions form some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why is are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Spiritual Conflict


The Beginning – Genesis 4:2b-7

Spiritual Conflict for Cain began with acting rightly. However he knew about sacrifice, Cain obviously knew what he was supposed to bring and that was his best. In failing to bring his best, Cain fell face forward into sin (a vandalism of God’s way of life in any way).

Because Cain did not take heed of God’s warning that “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it”, he continued in sin until he murdered his brother out of envy and anger.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Biblical Perspective? Exodus 7:10a-12

“Aaron threw his staff down …and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptians magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake.”

Exodus 7:20b-22“He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. …But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts…”

Exodus 8:6-7“So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts…”

Exodus 8:18“But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not…”

Spiritual Conflict


Exodus 7 and 8

Satan can duplicate many of the works of God. Be on your guard.

Satan is neither all powerful or all knowing; therefore, he is no match for God. Rely on God and find your strength in him and Satan is no match for you.

You must stand strong in faith and fight the good fight.

Spiritual Conflict


Numbers 25:1-3

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

Spiritual Conflict


Numbers 25:1-3

Remain loyal to God! Do not be led astray by sensual pleasures which are

but momentary, but keep focused on the pleasure which God has for you which last for eternity.

Be careful about the people you choose to spend a lot of time around and be sure to tend to your own spiritual life.

Spiritual Conflict


Joshua 1:6-9

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land… Be strong an very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law… do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. …meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful…

Spiritual Conflict


Joshua 1:6-9

Stay in the word of God and keep it on the forefront of your mind so that you might obey.

Be mindful of your choices and seek wisdom and God’s guidance in all things.

“Be strong and courageous” because of the strength you have in Jesus Christ and thus in God your Creator.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Historical Perspective? Early Church

They held to a Biblical view which believed in spirits and powers beyond our understanding. They believed in the power of prayer and in obedience.

Throughout History Views of Spiritual Conflict began to reflect contemporary

enemies of the time. For example, during World War II, Hitler was referred to as Satan or at the very least the Anti-Christ. Hitler became the enemy rather than the personification of evil known as Satan.

Spiritual Conflict

What is Spiritual Conflict from a Historical Perspective? Nazarene Church

The Nazarene Church was set up as a holiness denomination meaning that God’s people were to be set a part from the world. Sometimes this was carried to far and at other times, not far enough.

Today Let us return to a Biblical view of Spiritual Conflict in

that it is real and there is a reason to be set a part as God’s people who are different than the world around them.

Fighting Back: Taking a Stand

What to do? Prayer has already begun and must continue to

eternity. This approach of eternity is important because there is never enough prayer so that the job is done, because the battle will not be over until Jesus returns.

When coming up against an issue: Take a step back and determine the origin and

reality of the situation Pray and/or fast Ask questions that will divulge these realities. Find Biblical precedent. Respond appropriately.

Documents

Spiritual Conflict Final Project