Good Old Days

A question has been stirring in me of late that I want to share with you. Perhaps we will start an open discussion about it through the information highway.

By the way if you have not got on the 50th Anniversary page, YOU NEED TO! There is some great history for us to learn and some great people to meet that have laid a beautiful foundation all of us that are currently attending New Life Community Church should be grateful for. If you don’t know how to get there, you can go to our church website – www.newlifecc.us and just click the “50th Anniversary” link.

Here’s my question – “Why do we say ‘those were the good old days’ when speaking of the past?”

I have some great memories of good days in the past but I always get the impression that people that tend to use the “good old days” language would rather live in those good old days.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever so to him every day is good! He chose to create today and I am glad that he did. I hope he chooses to create tomorrow as well. We had a phenomenal altar time both Sunday AM and PM this last week, but no matter how good it was to see people Baptized in the Holy Spirit like Sunday PM or set free and on to a new journey with Jesus like Sunday AM, I want more of HIM. “Good old days” implies to me that you want the forward moving God of the universe to stop time and reverse all that has happened so you can bask in whatever experience you may have had back then in “the good old days.”

If I were to bask in what God did during those 3 Sunday PM services we entitled “Remove the Noise” I could have missed the miraculous moment of God’s financial provision for Shami and me a few weeks back when we stepped out in faith trusting that He provides ALL things for us and not the green colored paper that says “In God we trust.” If I was to concentrate on that moment I could have missed the opportunity to hear my daughter, Bayley say “Yes” to getting baptized this Sunday, April 25th during the AM service with 4-5 other people!!

I love what good that God has done through the 36 years of my life, and through the 50 years of our church but God has greater things planned for me, for New Life Community Church and FOR YOU!

When the exiled Jews returned and began to build the new temple, it was smaller than before and some wept because of that fact but the prophet Haggai spoke for God regarding that new temple and said in Haggai 2:9 – “The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory,” Those that were weeping for the past “Good old days” did not know that the Son of God himself would walk into the new temple one day.

What if the disciples lived after Jesus’ death and resurrection thinking, “remember the good old days when Jesus was with us?”
But they did not. Jesus basically said in John 14:12 that these days may be good but you have greater days ahead!! “

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father."

We MUST REMEMBER our days from years gone by, but the truth still remains…they have gone by! If you are not sure yet, I love all of New Life Community Church’s history, every piece of it! Without it we would not be Loving God with all we have and Loving People no matter what TOGETHER!! We’ve needed the past to get to the present so we can keep going on towards are greater days!

As I close this email please remember the amazing words of the song “God of this city.”

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

May God give you a greater day today than the one you had yesterday…whether it was Good day or a Bad one! I love you all!

In HIM,
Pastor David

THANK YOU!!!

I know that I have already expressed thanks to all involved in the Million Egg Hunt, yet after our sorting of the Easter Eggs last night I want to make sure all of you are aware of my great joy that I have in the people of New Life Community Church that jumped up to respond in giving candy, bikes, baskets, cash for any of these items, bunnies, or t-shirts.

Thank you for your time helping collect sponsorships, or donations. Thank you for helping serve at the unforgettable, battle-scar creating adventure known at the Egg Stuffing night! Thank you for coming early to help set up and prepare on the day of the egg hunt, serving through registration, security, prize giveaways, bunny/shirt blasting, costumed characters, running names from registration to the prize table, and more.

Thank you for those that helped get the bathrooms opened, did a great job in their efforts to count every person, make signs, lay out eggs in all four sections, help during the egg hunt time, collect the eggs and clean up during the raining aftermath. Thank you to everyone that stayed to help get everything back into the van and Budget truck, unload it at the church, reset the sound for Kids Zone.

AND from yesterday, Thank you for those of you that helped sort the eggs back into the boxes (dimple or no dimple) and helped clean the gym up afterward too. Regardless of how long you helped in any capacity or how much of you gave (time, resources…) I want to say again THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

I appreciate that we understand the why behind all that we did in preparing, giving, serving and doing this year’s Million Egg Hunt! It was not for a record attendance, which we likely had. It was not to look good to the community, though they loved it. The why behind the Million Egg Hunt is one word – souls!!!

There were souls that were transformed that Saturday morning and we should be proud of our efforts, no matter if it took 5 hours to stuff or 3+ hours to sort. We should be proud because God used us to live out the Great Commandment (Loving God and Loving People) and live out the Great Commission (Go make disciples in all the world!).

Remember this journey of going deeper into a relationship with Him is long, difficult, dangerous, expensive, requires sacrifice and requires demanding work. The Million Egg Hunt has reminded me of that truth even when it comes to reaching others with Christ. As we go deeper into Him we will learn that He wants us to go further into our community and share what He has done in our lives!

Keep digging deeper!
Pastor David

Million Egg Hunt Update!

What a night!!! I don’t think anyone of us that were there will forget that experience! I know we’re all glad it happens only once a year too!

I was amazed at so many people.

- I don’t think Debbie Williams and Donna Gray ever sat down. Tim Bolden took his family home and came back to help finish. Shami’s sister, Tanya and her two kids (Ashlee and Austin), were here on Spring Break from Las Vegas and stuffed eggs the entire night with us so did Pastor Ryan McCarty and so many of his people from God’s House. Mike Colyer came and represented Hills Chapel and we thank them for their help too. Dan Faunce, even with his battle with cancer, was the first one to show up around 5:30 (I think) and I know he was there past 9 PM! Pastor Garth and Phil wrapped so many bunnies and t-shirts for Saturday that I have heard they need to shoot off one every 15 seconds to get them all out into the crowd!!

I could keep telling more stories like this! I know so many of you did so much too! Your energy and efforts were just as valuable! THANK YOU NEW LIFE!!!!!!!!! Last night displayed one of the reasons why I love all of you so much! You make your Pastor smile and feel so blessed to be with you!

Let me give you an extra push this morning to continue preparing for the Million Egg Hunt with excitement and expectation.

Friday, April 2, 2010 at 6:30 pm we will gather again (not for 5 hours and I promise not one egg will be stuffed)! This time we will present to God all of the things during the past 40 days that we have removed from our insides as we have been drawing deeper into HIM! I must tell you that one person emailed me and told me that years ago they gave their life to Jesus and now they felt what they were to nail to the cross tomorrow night was “THE REST OF THEM!” WOW!

We will also be praying for all the prayer requests that have come in, in the past 12 months, praying for every chair in the Sanctuary for Easter Sunday and of course praying for the Million Egg Hunt itself too! We have planted the “seeds” into the Easter Eggs for 4 years now and I believe that the weather has been set up to be the best yet because there will be a harvest of souls Saturday morning and Easter Sunday!!

Just remember to not grow weary in doing good because at the right time (God’s time) we will reap a harvest of righteousness!