Today was an amazing morning gathering in the sanctuary. I loved seeing so many of us respond to the call to take the road back to a deeper relationship with Him. This road will be long, difficult, dangerous, expensive, require sacrifice and be demanding work. Yet when it is done, we all will be forever changed!
When does this road end?
I don’t know and I don’t care. As long as I am passionately pursuing the One that gave me life and loves me so unconditionally the road will be worth the travel.
I hope you won’t care either. I hope that you will learn to live out the words of Matthew 22:36-37 that tell us to love God with “ALL” we have. That “ALL” is challenging. That “ALL” is rewarding when we have times of God encounters.
Today we had an encounter with God and I am wrestling in my spirit whether I ended that encounter before God was ready to end it. I am not feeling guilty but afraid that God will not show up again for way too long!! He was there, right there.
The image I carry in my mind is that of the woman who was bleeding for 12 years. She pushed through the crowd, just so she could get a hold of Jesus’ garment, and when she did, she was healed! We had “pushed” through our crowded lives to get to Him and then just as we touched his garment……we let go.
We let go before his healing power could flow in bodies, in hearts, in minds, in souls. That will NOT happen again! Pray that God will be with us each Sunday. Pray for God to be with you each day. Pray for God to be with Shami and myself as we take the next 3 days to get alone with HIM for the things of New Life Community Church and our region.
Our response to Him from this moment on is CRITICAL!
Taking the Road Back to Him with you!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Don't Mess with the Monkey!
The Bible records the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:3-4 - "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven," and I have the privilege of having two little girls right now in my life so looking at things like a little child happens often for me.
Last night, Bayley and I came into the family room together at the same time that Savanah was beginning to take apart the Monkey that Bayley and I had made with Bend-a-roos the night before. All of the sudden the waterworks in both their sets of eyes let out!
Bayley was crying because the Monkey was being torn apart while Savanah was crying because she was in trouble for tearing the Bend-a-roo Monkey apart. Those tears flowed so freely from both of them I was speechless.
Today, a past member of New Life whom I never met before, came into the office to see the changes that we have made since his departure. We talked for a little while, or I listened might be more appropriate :-).
He told me he was married for 50 years and when I asked for 1 key reason, he said because they found Jesus!! All of a sudden the tears started forming in his eyes and you could see the waterworks wanting to let out as he told his story of amazing life transformation!!
That man was really a child. A child of God's who will most definitely be entering the Kingdom of Heaven!
(The Bend-a-roos Monkey was repaired and doing well, thanks for asking)
Last night, Bayley and I came into the family room together at the same time that Savanah was beginning to take apart the Monkey that Bayley and I had made with Bend-a-roos the night before. All of the sudden the waterworks in both their sets of eyes let out!
Bayley was crying because the Monkey was being torn apart while Savanah was crying because she was in trouble for tearing the Bend-a-roo Monkey apart. Those tears flowed so freely from both of them I was speechless.
Today, a past member of New Life whom I never met before, came into the office to see the changes that we have made since his departure. We talked for a little while, or I listened might be more appropriate :-).
He told me he was married for 50 years and when I asked for 1 key reason, he said because they found Jesus!! All of a sudden the tears started forming in his eyes and you could see the waterworks wanting to let out as he told his story of amazing life transformation!!
That man was really a child. A child of God's who will most definitely be entering the Kingdom of Heaven!
(The Bend-a-roos Monkey was repaired and doing well, thanks for asking)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wash Your Hands
Yesterday I was home alone with my youngest daughter, Savanah. At one point she had to do her duty and went #2 in the bathroom. She flushed away all that was laying in the toilet water.
As she came out of the bathroom, I asked her if she had washed her hands. She smiled at me, shook her head "no" and turned back towards the "place of dumping her waste" and washed her hands in the sink.
I asked her if she knew why we wash our hands after going potty and this amazing 4 year old in her innocence said, "no."
I explained why and she then said, "never knew that was why."
Do we dump the waste of life only to have the residue of that waste remain on our hands?
Moses was asked, "What's in your hand?" I ask you, "What's on your hands?"
Are you living with clean hands or is the residue of your life's waste still remaining?
Let's keep cleaning our insides out and washing our hands clean too!
As she came out of the bathroom, I asked her if she had washed her hands. She smiled at me, shook her head "no" and turned back towards the "place of dumping her waste" and washed her hands in the sink.
I asked her if she knew why we wash our hands after going potty and this amazing 4 year old in her innocence said, "no."
I explained why and she then said, "never knew that was why."
Do we dump the waste of life only to have the residue of that waste remain on our hands?
Moses was asked, "What's in your hand?" I ask you, "What's on your hands?"
Are you living with clean hands or is the residue of your life's waste still remaining?
Let's keep cleaning our insides out and washing our hands clean too!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Are You Nervous On Sundays?
I hope that your snowy week has been one full of fun with your family and friends and as little snow shoveling or pushing as possible :-)!
We are on the home stretch of our 40 Days of Love journey and it has been nothing short of phenomenal!
We are on the home stretch of our 40 Days of Love journey and it has been nothing short of phenomenal!
Beyond what God has been doing on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the services, small groups and classes God has been giving all of us opportunities to take our love all over and impact lives!
Last Sunday, I was nervous and excited unlike any other Sunday!
Last Sunday, I was nervous and excited unlike any other Sunday!
Why?
Because a friend of mine who did not know Jesus as his Lord and Savior was coming!! My prayer for all of you is that you would have that feeling at least once this 2010 year!
To have that nervous and excited feeling we have to choose to INVEST into people we care about, and people we don’t know. Then INVITE them to Sunday or other gathering opportunities and INCLUDE them into your “church” circle of friends. I promise that when you have that nervous and excited feeling it will prompt you to want to invest into even more people! This is how our 10 year vision for the year 2018 to become 10 times our size in 10 years will become a reality!
That’s where we’re going…The picture above shows you where we’ve come from. It is the land our church now sits on before anything was there! 50+ years later here we are continuing what was begun in those days!! Keep Loving God with everything you have and Loving People no matter what!
That’s where we’re going…The picture above shows you where we’ve come from. It is the land our church now sits on before anything was there! 50+ years later here we are continuing what was begun in those days!! Keep Loving God with everything you have and Loving People no matter what!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Are you a Bezalel?
In Exodus 31, Bezalel was "specifically chosen" by God to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle that would allow God's presence to be with his people, the Israelites. Bezalel was a master craftsmen and was filled with the Spirit of God and had wisdom and knew what he was made to do and he did it well!
In the church today, we need Bezalel's to rise up and take their place. Too many times, followers of Jesus that are a part of the Body of Christ are choosing to sit and spectate rather than take their specific place that God has chosen for them to participate.
How do we do that? Be the part of the church you were made to be, do the part you were made to do and do it well!! Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 both focus on the uniqueness that each of us brings to the church and how each of us is needed!!
Ultimately, being who you are to be, doing what you are to do and doing it well will help bring other "parts" of the body of Christ together so we can draw closer to God and He closer to us!! Even those "parts" that don't know Him, yet!!
Be the Bezalel, God made you to be!!!
In the church today, we need Bezalel's to rise up and take their place. Too many times, followers of Jesus that are a part of the Body of Christ are choosing to sit and spectate rather than take their specific place that God has chosen for them to participate.
How do we do that? Be the part of the church you were made to be, do the part you were made to do and do it well!! Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 both focus on the uniqueness that each of us brings to the church and how each of us is needed!!
Ultimately, being who you are to be, doing what you are to do and doing it well will help bring other "parts" of the body of Christ together so we can draw closer to God and He closer to us!! Even those "parts" that don't know Him, yet!!
Be the Bezalel, God made you to be!!!
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