North of Normal

You Asked…

Sunday @ C3 we talked about “Great Sex.” I’ve gotten a ton of questions/emails/facebook messages about issues people are wrestling with. Here are a few questions you asked:

1. How do I tell my spouse I have an STD? You know you have to tell them. Without knowing more (how long this has been an issue, if it’s the result of an affair, the mindset/emotional state of your spouse, etc.) this isn’t a simple answer. If you asked this question please email or contact our office and we’ll do all we can to help you. The bottom line is they deserve to know now, but how you tell them depends on many factors.

2. How do you save your marriage after infidelity? This is challenging for many reasons. You’ve experienced such a deep level of betrayal, but there is hope. Forgiveness is both a choice and a process. To restore trust and intimacy takes time and effort from both. For restoration to take place will not only take time, but a deep commitment from both - saving the marriage becomes a real priority. There is no set formula, I would encourage you to get some help - seek Christian counseling. If you don’t know anyone, contact us and well put you in touch with someone who can help.

3. As an unmarried woman, I was not given the choice when I lost my virginity. I want to know, does God blame me and does he expect me to save myself still for my future husband, even though now it means nothing to me? As you’ve found out, feeling violated steals something from you but that’s not why God wants you to save yourself. Often women think there suppose to save themselves for their husbands because it’s best for the husband. It’s also best for you. While the first experience was not your choice, this one is. God doesn’t blame you for something that wasn’t your choice, and God can help you heal from that. It does mean something to you, perhaps more than you even know. Your no less special, I believe God not only loves you, but has a great plan for your future.

This series has reminded me how so many have been so hurt in life. Often we wrestle with deep issues that we’re afraid to voice. You don’t have to spend your life wondering… God does love you and wants to be close to you.

If you have a middle school or high school student make sure they’re at Crave this week (Wed pm) - I’ll be speaking about an issue all of our teens deal with. Students - I’m pumped about being with you this week!

This Sunday we’ll wrap up “Google” - don’t miss this week, it will be awesome! Invest and Invite…

Published

Byron Bledsoe

on November 18, 2008

in C3 Church, Church, Faith, Friends, Future, Life, Past, Random, Sunday, Thoughts, Vision, fear, love, marriage, questions and women

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Great Sex

Google - Great Sex from C3 Church on Vimeo.

This Sunday @ C3 we’re continuing the “Google” series. One of the hottest topics people are interested in is sex. How do you have great sex? Sunday I’m going to be brutally honest about this often misunderstood and misused subject. Many adults, and teens, and had sex, but what is Great Sex and is it attainable? Is there something more than what you’ve experienced? Don’t miss this Sunday @ C3 as we “Google” Great Sex.

(I’ll also be answering some of your questions in the message… - invite people like crazy!).

Published

Byron Bledsoe

on November 12, 2008

in C3 Church, Church, Future, Life, Random, Thoughts, love and marriage

. 1 Comment

You Asked…

In our “Google” series @ C3, people have been writing in questions about the topics we’re covering. I’ll try to address a few each week that I didn’t have time to deal with in the messages. You asked… so here we go:

I tithe 20% but don’t save. What should I do, reduce and save, or continue the same? First you need to follow what you feel God is leading you to do. Having said that, the Biblical standard for the faith gift is 10% - anything over that is a generous gift or sacrificial gift. Also, the principle of bringing (what’s God’s) and giving (what he allows us to manage) is consistency. So, if you’re not saving, then if you hit a tough spot financially it will be difficult to be consistent. I would say to consider a 10% faith gift and putting 10% in savings. Again, you have to pray through this… these are just my thoughts.
What do you do when your spouse doesn’t “trust” God in the financial department but you do? That’s an incredibly difficult question without knowing more details. The issue may be a struggle to trust God, or it may be a struggle to trust you or themselves, or the church. I would suggest a discussion with your spouse to get to the heart of the issue. It would also be important to know are you earning this income or is your spouse, or both of you. Also, whether your spouse is a Christ-follower or not is a factor. The bottom line is I would try to come to some harmony on the issue. Begin with a give/take solution - something like, “I understand this is a struggle, could we just begin with this percentage and see what happens?”.

The financial climate right now is incredibly challenging. Just today we’ve read that Circuit City is filing bankruptcy and DHL is laying off 9,500 employees, while the government is now buying into AIG at a price of 40 billion dollars.

In these challenging times and markets, if stability is our desire, our foundation must be stable. God has never lied and lays out a clear plan. If we all followed the simple wisdom of bringing 10% to the local church, saving 10% and living on 80% we wouldn’t be here. While we can’t go back in time, we can begin today to understand that everything I have is God’s and I’m just a manager of his stuff. While I enjoy it, I need to be wise with it and he will bless me so I can bless others.

Published

Byron Bledsoe

on November 10, 2008

in C3 Church, Church, Faith, Family, Future, Life, Past, Random, Thoughts, fear, finances, money, questions and timeless

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Today We Died

This morning at C3 we stepped out of the “Google” series. We talked about a huge opportunity we have to “Connect the Community with Christ.”

A glance at the history of the church will quickly reveal something staggering. Eleven men (the disciples) changed the world, yet 1,000’s of churches today can’t even change our cities. What is the difference? I think it’s simple - true greatness is only achieved through sacrifice. To be successful you must sacrifice. There must be a day when you die. You die to everything except the one thing God has for your life. Eleven men changed the world because of their passion and love for Christ and for others, and everything else died. In Luke 14, three times Jesus says if you don’t meet certain conditions you can’t be his disciple. He was speaking to large crowds, but he understood some were in the crowd, but not a part of the movement. To be a disciple requires sacrifice. So, where are we sacrificing for Christ and for others?

C3 is partnering with Feed the Children again. This time we’re adopting 100 families in one of our primary zip codes. These are families that the public schools and the Department of Children and Family services have helped us to identify. Families who are hurting, struggling financially, and in need. As we enter the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas, no family should go without. So, for an entire month we are going to help feed and meet some of the basic necessities for these 100 families. Then, each of their children are also going to get a Christmas present.

I can’t tell you what it means to lead a movement of people truly desiring to be disciples - and love God and others. We, like the eleven disciples, don’t have unlimited resources… many of our own are struggling, but we do have the greatest resource in history - a people passionate about loving Christ and others experiencing him as well.

Think about it, eleven men changed the world - living under oppressive governments, having very little financial resources and no real influence in society. But, we’re here today because of them. During this special season, may we die to ourselves and begin a pursuit of choosing to be like the eleven. True greatness only comes through real sacrifice… so, today we died.

At a time when there’s less and many are holding back and hording and living in fear, we’re going to do the unthinkable. We’re going to give more than we ever have, step up and go out by faith to change lives.

All this, and we’ve only just begun!

Published

Byron Bledsoe

on November 9, 2008