I Was A Child of the Devil, A Child of Darkness, A Child of Wrath!

Not that long ago Pastor Jack reminded us of a truth that sometimes gets confused.  Not everyone is a child of God.  To be clear, God is everyone’s creator and all of humanity is created in God’s image and therefore has value. But the Bible is very clear about who we were and who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 2:3 reminds us that at one time all of us were children of wrath, living according to the desires of the flesh, and deserving of God’s wrath against our sin.  John 8:44 shows us that for anyone who is not in Christ, as religious as he or she may be, they are a child of the devil.  1 Thessalonians 5:4-10 makes it clear that we are either children of light or children of darkness.

Even while I was growing up in the church, until I turned to Jesus in faith, I was a child of the devil, a child of darkness, and a child of wrath.  Had God not intervened, I never would have become his child.

One of my newest memory verses is John 1:12, “But to all who did receive him (Jesus), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.  1 John 3:1 says “See what kind of love the Father has lavished upon us, that we might be called children of God”.  Ephesians 1:5 and Romans 8:15-17 remind me that I have been adopted and am now a child of God.

I’m so thankful that at the core of who I am, I am a child of God saved by grace through faith in Jesus!  My core identity isn’t as a husband, or a father, or a pastor, but as a child of God. I want to live out of that identity everyday, and I want to share with others that they too, can be God’s child.

Pastor Kyle

Runners in a Stadium

Last week Courtney and I checked off a bucket list item and attended our first NFL game, and it was a doozy! Most notable were the mascots for the teams: Aslan from Chronicles of Narnia (Lions) and Charles Entertainment Cheese, the mouse of Chuck E. Cheese (Chiefs).

Hours before the game we participated in the largest Tailgate party...in the world.

That’s what I was told, anyway. But just between us friends, if you’ve ever been to a small outdoor concert...

It got better when the players were warming up before the game. I got my hat signed by Chad Henne and Mike Danna!

Right before the game, they brought out 3 enormous Lombardi trophy replicas to excite the fans.

This was meant to be a centerpiece of their accomplishment as a team, and it got me thinking.

This team is spending hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of hours, suffering a huge toll on their bodies, and giving their very best for this one award every year.

And even though I respect their efforts, and I’m genuinely happy for their achievements, it’s only temporary.

It is what the Apostle Paul calls a “perishable crown.”

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (CSB) 24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

If they are willing to put it all on the line for a temporary trophy, we have even more reason to give it all for an eternal reward. Enjoying this football season has encouraged me all the more to exercise self-control in everything, and to “run” as if the prize I’m fighting for is worth my life.

I look forward to this Sunday with you.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Pickleball Peace?

Professional pickleball is in absolute disarray. From the PPA offering out massive short term contracts to the MLP offering long term stable health care benefits! Each individual pro is being maliciously ripped from one side to the other. Okay, let me backup just a little bit. I understand some of you do not even know what pickleball is; let alone the fact that there are multiple professional organizations for it. Which is a total shame, because it is only the fastest growing sport in america! It’s enjoyable for anyone to play; 5 years old, 85 years old, retired professional football player, or recreational nap taker. It doesn't matter who you are, it is fun for everyone! I can also make a pretty strong argument for why it’s one of the most enjoyable to watch as well. But I won’t bore you with those details. 

If you’re still lost let me first explain what the sport actually is. Pickleball is a racket sport that is played using a wiffle ball and a pickleball paddle that is somewhat of a mix between a ping pong paddle and a tennis racket. Pickleball is similar to both those sports -Ping Pong and Tennis- in that the objective of the game is to hit a ball across the court, over a net, towards your opponent and hit it so well that they can't hit it back.  Though you might just now be hearing about this sport it has been around for approximately fifty to sixty years; and yes there are multiple professional organizations vying for the top spot right now.

In recent years there have been two organizations that have risen to the top of the pickleball sphere gaining many notable brand deals and millions of dollars in investment funds. The PPA (Pro Pickleball Association) and the MLP (Major League Pickleball). Both have different visions of how to move the sport forward and make it mainstream like Basketball or football. For a fan like myself it has been fun to watch these two pickleball juggernauts dual it out by introducing the next “brand new never before seen” thing over and over again. But last week while all the top Professional athletes in the world were in Kansas City for a PPA tournament, the Major League Pickleball executives dropped an atomic bomb of an announcement on the pickleball world. 

They were signing as many Pros in the space as possible to exclusive contracts that were higher paying than ever before and promised great benefits that also had never been offered in pickleball. On top of this they were poaching players that were previously PPA contracted players, stealing away many of the best athletes right under the PPA’s noses. They had completely blind sided the PPA. Now in a frenzy, it was time for the PPA to respond, and they did. They immediately started offering absurd cash contracts -funded by their billionaire owner- that were double what the MLP was offering. 

Now here’s the whole point of this. The players were now faced with a massive decision that might change the course of their life. I’ve listened to several podcasts from pros that were present while all these decisions were being made and all of them describe it as complete chaos. Everyone was non-discreetly in a corner on the phone talking to both organizations, their managers, and other pros. Trying to make a wise decision on which organization to go with definitely was no easy task. The players were faced with questions like, what if one organization doesn't get as much traction as the other and goes belly up? What if signing with one organization completely ruins relationships with everyone in the other. Then a multitude of other unknowns that no one can predict. All while trying to focus on playing in a tournament, that depending on the outcome, could directly affect their current livelihood. 

Though none of us are professional pickleball players we can all relate to the feeling of being torn in a thousand different directions. Activities, sports, homework, investments, entertainment. Trying to make wise decisions for our family. Serving at church in multiple capacities. Maintaining a good devotion time. Trying to take care of our mental health. Sabbath, what even is a sabbath??? Life can be overwhelming at times. Honestly it can feel overwhelming a majority of the time. But I want to give you the subtle reminder, though those things can cause chaos at times, God is always willing and ready to give you peace in abundance. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Though it might be a simple reminder and one you have heard many times before, maybe it’s exactly what you needed today to get through to tomorrow. Take courage brothers and sisters because he has overcome this world and all of the stressful overwhelming situations we are in! 

Love you Grace, thank you for accepting me as one of your own. Oh and here’s a link to some sweet pickleball points if you want to indulge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRRy0kpiP0s

Bryant Hart

Sheep

`Psalm 23 is well-known to many of us. The basic premise is that God is our shepherd and we are well taken care of. He leads us beside peaceful water and to the best pasture. He protects us from enemies. This all sounds awesome at a funeral or in our personal devotions.

But are we willing to be sheep? Are we willing to let ourselves be thought of in that way outside of our chair where we read our Bible or when we are at our best not at our weakest?

Sheep never have a positive connotation. Oh, they may be tasty but they are also not considered strong or smart. Are we willing to accept that reputation in the world? Weak and hapless are not on the top of the list when I hear people dreaming about what their kids will be like. It seems very logical though that if we want God to be our shepherd then we need to be the sheep. We cannot avoid the necessity of this arrangement. We have to be humble and willing to follow. We also have to let it slide when outsiders or even those close to us view us differently than we want them to. The reason we will look this way is because we are all following the shepherd's voice if we are doing what we are supposed to. We know from other parts of scripture that we do not all have the same gifts and we do not all have the same roles in the church. That means if we are listening well to the shepherd what we are doing may not be exactly the same as the next sheep we are next to. And here is where it breaks down for many of us in the church. We readily understand that because we are following Jesus instead of the system of the world what we do will be different than what non-believers do. However, inside the church, just as sheep do, we all wanna look alike, and move alike, and we don’t understand the sheep that is acting differently. 

If each of us is willing to let ourselves be viewed as sheep to each other then at times we will not look strong. We will not look like the wolf who is so effortless and smooth in his hunting. We need to remember too that as sheep, both for ourselves and for others, we will not always be hearing the shepherd's voice well and that is where the power of the flock comes in. We both need to listen to the shepherd as individuals and as a church. We experience the goodness of this when we are not hearing the shepherd’s voice clearly. Then we can move with those sheep around us that we have come to trust. That’s the positive of the flock of sheep but again it will always just be a flock of sheep. It won’t be a herd of sleek and powerful horses coursing the plains. The flock will always be a bunch of jiggly, jumpy, fluffy sheep. To the outside and even at times to other churches, they will see us that way. But the choice is clear, be seen as a sheep because you are one and be seen as a bunch of sheep because we are or don’t follow the shepherd. There is no other choice. All the benefits of the shepherd await if we are willing to give up the trappings of the sleek efficiency and power of the corporate world. We cannot strive to be like to wolves or horses. Sheep are humble and our only hope is to grow in that humility if we want to be close to the shepherd. Growing in humility as a flock will keep us following Him together. 

Psalm 23 and all the beauty of its language is ours if we can put on the humble garb of the sheep. It’s not always gonna feel great when we see how others view us but it always feels great to be with The Shepherd.

Blessings,

Will

Our Kids’ Mission

You guys have got to see this!  I have a video for you that will show you what mission we support with our Awana club.  This is super exciting!  Every year the kids raise money for “Awana GO!”  This is a ministry that takes the Awana program to other countries in need.  For the past few years we raised money to help Awana programs in Nepal.  Last year we were presented with a new challenge out of Africa.  This was something that amazed us all!  The Awana program was started in 30 schools and was a great success. They decided to invite the Africa’s Secretary of the Ministry of Education to see the schools.  When she saw how this program had changed the children and schools for the better, she said this program needs to be in every school in this district.  Not only are the kids changing and being saved, but their families are being saved as well.  There is now opportunity to bring this scripture based Awana program to 7 other countries across Africa.   Our kids here at Grace in the Awana program raised $1737.13 last year for Africa.  That means we were able to help place the Awana program in almost 3 schools!  Watch this video to see how your kids are making a difference across the globe.  Then please pray for these schools where God’s Word is being planted!  It is so precious to hear these children say scripture from memory and see the smiles on their faces!

Africa Child and School Initiative

God Bless!

Amy

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

I have always been one who loves to be in competition and sports fed my hunger for that. I think that my high school wrestling coach was even more competitive than I was. I am pretty sure he  had obsessive compulsive disorder when it came to his team being as close to perfect as a team could get with technique and application of their craft.  He would remind us every practice in not so polite ways that, “Practice makes perfect!”.  I had some bad dreams with him yelling, “AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN!!!!!”,  only to find out that I was awake and at practice. UUUUGH!!!!

His pressing us toward perfection carried over into other sports for me. When I was a yell leader  in college, that drive to do everything as perfectly as I could,  made me spend hours tumbling and stunting every week to be ready for game day.

You might be wondering what brought this “practice makes perfect”  thing to my mind after all these years?” Well, I am going to tell you. (Whether you want to hear it or not.)

I was listening to the radio the other day and one of the DJs was talking about how man has had almost six thousand years to perfect the craft of sin. 

At first I was like, “That is so true, he really has.”, but as I thought about it more I decided that that is not true.  Man didn't need to perfect that craft. It was a perfected craft almost from the get go. Man didn't have to perfect it because satan had already perfected the craft of being in direct opposition to God, before man was ever around.  That doesn't mean that we have’t continued to practice and practice and practice. In Fact maybe that practice to perfection has driven us to live in an ongoing game day of rebellion and disobedience.  I know that we (mankind) are very good at it.  

Just as in a sport you know that the other team is doing the same thing and that is what drives each side to work harder. I am so thankful for the fact that there is an opposing team to our rebellious craft and that team doesn't even have to practice to be perfect, because God is already so perfect in His knowledge, wisdom and grace that he had a game plan before the other team was even on the field.  

Try as we may to fight againstGod and his ways there is never a time when God cannot reach even the person with the most practice at living in opposition to Him.  

This is what we as believers and the church are all about, “The wondrous and powerful love of a gracious and forgiving God. A God that never sees anyone as a lost cause.  A God that pursues His prized creation and is not willing to lose any, but yet He loves us enough to allow us to make our own decisions even if it breaks His heart. 

Sometimes it is easy to forget that God loves His creation so much that He was willing to give His only son as a payment for the debt that their rebellion has created.

The best way to always keep that in the front of our mind is to practice. God reminds us in scripture of what we need to practice.

In our practice we are to make a decision every day as to who or what we are going to follow and serve. In that decision we are encouraged to draw near to the one who loves us and hold strong to the faith that we have chosen to have. Not only should we walk by that faith but we should walk in it. Faith is what draws us closer to God and helps us live a life that exemplifies The one who gives us life, hope, love and purpose.

To steal from God’s word (Oops! There is that practice again, “stealing”.) We live by faith and not by sight. If we practice living by the faith we claim to have, then we will be more likely to have that faith show itself in our actions, attitudes, words and relationships.

This may sound cliche, but it is so true, the more we practice the better we will perform.

I don't know about you but I am going to practice more on living by faith and less on living by sight. 

So let us practice being on guard, Standing firm in faith, being courageous and strong and seeking the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. (There I go once more, stealing. LOL!)

Now let’s get to it: practice, practice, Practice, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!!!!

See you on the Game Field!

(Places I stole from: Hebrews 10.22-23; Psalm 119.30; 2 Corinthians 5.7; James 2.18; 1 Corinthians 16.13; Mark 12.30-31)

- Pastor Sean                                            

I Have Beautiful Feet!

   We have a little inside joke in our home. Back in college some girl told me I have beautiful feet. I must have believed her at the time, because it stuck with me.  And now my whole family jokes about it. Every opportunity I get, I will passively comment about my feet being used to model for flip flops, or that my feet have the optimal toe arrangement where the big toe is the longest on down to the pinky toe. The second toe shouldn’t be longer than the big toe, that doesn’t make for beautiful feet.  Okay, enough about my feet…

            This morning I came across this verse in Nahum 1:15, “Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace!” This prophecy concerns the fall of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, the people that God used to punish Israel and defeat them in 721BC.  Through Nahum, Israel was told that God would punish Nineveh as well and that Israel would rejoice in their punishment. The feet that bring good news were the feet that would eventually come announcing Nineveh’s fall.

            Many of you probably recognize this prophecy that is later used in Romans 10:13-15, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

            So I guess, it turns out, I really do have beautiful feet! And you too, can have beautiful feet! We are called to proclaim the good news to the people around us. It’s why we end our service with “We are the church, now let’s go be the church. Grace, we are sent.” If you see yourself as ‘sent’ to proclaim the gospel in your neighborhood, or at your work, or at your school, or to your family, then you have beautiful feet! (even if they are truly repulsive LOL)

-       Pastor Kyle

The Wedges? of Sin

As I was going over Romans 6:23 with one of our kids at our Summer Quest site, I asked him if he knew what “wages of sin” meant. Expecting him to answer no, he said, “Yeah. Wedges. Like potato wedges.”

After we both laughed, we talked about what we earn from sin. He got serious, looked me in the eye, and told me that his sin earned death.

Wow.

One of the best parts of Summer Quest is talking to kids about Jesus. Not only do we get to share the Gospel each day, they get the chance to share what they know about God.

In our Bible lesson time, I challenged the kids to memorize 12 verses of Scripture that cover the Gospel from beginning to end. To my joy, half of them stepped up to the challenge and shared what they learned with the whole class.

And that’s what I love about Summer Quest. It grants me the opportunity to share God’s Word and challenge the next generation to do the same.

Grace and Peace!

Pastor Jack

A Life Above Suspicion

“The peasants examined the cows, went off, came back, always in doubt for fear of being cheated, never quite daring to decide, looking the seller square in the eye in the effort to discover the tricks of the man and the defect in the beast.”

A Piece of String by Guy de Maupassant

 De Maupassant’s fictional short story doesn’t name the whereabouts of these people, which suggests one can find such people anywhere. But this isn’t your garden variety of suspicious people. These people’s dollar bills wouldn’t say, “In God we Trust”, they would bear the motto: Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Sadly, this problem of deception leading to an ethos of suspicion has been around since the serpent struck up a conversation with Eve.

 The Apostle Paul cites one particularly egregious example of deceptive, churlish people in his letter to Titus as he quotes Cretan prophet Epimenides’ caustic observation of his neighbors: "Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons." (Titus 1:12-13, Apparently Paul regarded the statement with a measure of suspended disbelief since Epimenides logically incriminates himself.) Poor Titus, Paul appointed him to evangelize and/or pastor this group of brutes and gluttons. I can’t help but believe he deeply sympathized with Isaiah who was commissioned by God to preach to people who would never believe him. (Isaiah 6:8-10)

 But, Paul was the kind of person who provided a solution whenever he talked about a problem.  Here are his words to Titus:

 First, remind those who profess faith in Jesus, and inform those who do not that God is not a liar - His promise of eternal life to the elect is irrevocable and unassailable (Titus 1:2). Trust the immutability and power of God’s word. Second, ignore the critics and naysayers who tell you church planting in Crete is a lost cause. “Appoint elders in every city as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). Trust the one you know speaks truth; walk in the footsteps of one who has shared in the sufferings of Christ in obedience to God, and imitate her/him. Remember, Titus, you’re not alone. Third, never surrender ground to the deceived, whether in or outside the church, who deviously speak the language of the Deceiver. “Hold fast the faithful word of the apostles . . . encourage the weak in faith with God breathed doctrine . . .  with self-control and tact rebut spurious teaching” (Titus 1:9,  My paraphrase of the Greek.) Fourth and finally, walk the talk, “be hospitable, loving what is good.” (Titus 1:8) In other words, go beyond speaking. Do the thing that no one can contradict: never pass up an opportunity to be generous with God’s love in action to those who can not pay you back. 

 Life and Peace,

Jeff Quandt

The Great Truth

Recently I got into a debate or discussion with someone who had recently spoken to a Mormon family member. This person I spoke with grew up catholic and had Evangelical family members as well. They are dubious about the full-blown Evangelical Christianity that we would seek to practice here at Grace and these “theological” debates usually hinder rather than help.

The person I am referencing is a past contact of mine and does not go to our church so I feel very confident in sharing this as an example but to protect their anonymity while also making my writing a little smoother I am going to give them the name Ferris. Ferris is retired so all their days are days they take off. Also, I looked up unpopular names hoping I wouldn’t make you think of anyone you know!

Ferris brought up two issues with me that their Mormon friend mentioned. Baptizing people who are already dead so they can go to heaven and caffeine being a sin to drink… Now I am not an expert on Mormonism and I know for a fact neither was Ferris’ family member. To be blunt we are not worried about the accuracy of Ferris’ view or the other person’s view on Mormonism. I tried my best in this conversation rather to steer things to the truth as quickly as possible rather than getting into endless debates about bad views of how God works. I know Ferris well and so I hoped instead to share the truth and use this rare window where he was asking me about “theology” to instead give the Gospel and remind him of things he has heard taught about God in the past.

I shared that baptism has always been performed by Christians while they are living and whether they are an infant or better yet a consenting believer that baptism itself did not put them into a right relationship with God. I shared that only believing Jesus’ death on the cross to cleanse us of our sins and his resurrection after three days to give us power over death so that we could live with God forever is what brings us into that right relationship. When we trust in Jesus’ work of death and resurrection and only that to save us from our sins so we can live with God forever then and only then are we able to be in God’s presence after we die here on earth.

There is a funny story about how Christianity gave the OK to coffee but since very early in Christianity other caffeinated drinks have been accepted and celebrated amongst the faithful believers. We all know a little coffee can make us significantly more pleasant to be around and I for one thing celebrate His creation giving us a boost. Just remember to thank Him for it!

This all got me thinking about the core of who we are as Evangelicals and very briefly I am going to share the answer from the National Association of Evangelicals. Our group of churches the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches is associated with this national organization and the FEC actively keeps up ties with the NAE.

Don’t think the acronyms are the most confusing words I am about to lay down. According to the NAE, on their website, they mention these four historical distinctive; Conversionism, Biblicism, Activism, and Crucicentrism. I thought to myself… get better words guys! The meaning of all those words are great and I will go through them but they are really awkward words!

Conversionism means that we are born again into a new life after we trust Jesus’ death to wash away our sins and that we believe in His resurrection as the power that gives us new life and through faith in that and only that we gain a new life or new birth into God’s family and we get access to live with God forever when we die.

Biblicism means that we believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority of anything regarding faith or how we should live. The Bible won’t tell you what care to buy but it will tell you how to think about money. It won’t tell you what person you need as your friend but it will tell you how to love them, forgive them, or ask for forgiveness yourself. Anything we need to know about God to have a relationship with God is in the Bible and anything we need to know to live a life that gives God joy in how we are living is in the Bible too.

Activism means that we are active in sending out missionaries to tell others about Jesus and that we engage ourselves in sharing the Gospel with others. Our own values as a church say “We are the church—each one of us has a unique responsibility to share the gospel in our circles of influence and beyond. No exception.” Wherever God sends us as a group or you as an individual. The Gospel is our greatest joy to share. 

Crucicentrism means that the Cross of Jesus, His sacrifice for our sins, Him giving us His righteousness that we did not earn, is at the center of everything we do and everything we think about. We do not earn anything by our sacrifices. We worship Him for His and we celebrate it through things like baptism and communion. We do not shy away from sacrifice though when called upon because He was our example to do so.

Hopefully, those poorly constructed words but the beautiful ideas behind them encourage you to spend a minute reflecting on the great truth God has passed down to us and you get a small break from all the untruthful ideas everyone is hoping to pitch to you every day. 

Grace and Truth,

Will

The Exodus

I have been reading in Exodus for the past couple of weeks.  I have had a few new thoughts about the Israelites that I want to pen. 

In Exodus 6, Moses has asked Pharaoh to let his people go and Pharaoh has of course said no. This has soured Pharaoh, so he then turns to his overseers and says to make work harder for the Hebrews. The Hebrews were making bricks at the time.  He has told them that they cannot have straw for bricks but they are to make the same quota. So they have to go out into all the land and gather stubble to make bricks. He has also told his Egyptians to beat them. So now the Hebrew are coming back to Moses and Aaron and saying because you have come before Pharaoh we are now dealing with this enormous hardship. 

My thought is that I wonder if God put them through this struggle in order to help them leave?  I think life needed to be so bad for them as slaves that they just couldn’t stay. They were going to endure hardships in the desert. It would have been hard to leave when there is a desert ahead and you don’t know what is in store. I’ve often thought that sometimes it takes hardships for us to rely on God.  Sometimes our day-to-day needs to be difficult enough for us to even turn to God to begin with. Sometimes people ask, “Why does God let people suffer?”. He loves us and wants to be near us and wants us to turn to him. Sometimes that’s what it takes for us to turn to him. We can be such selfish people that we rely on ourselves and not on God.

I had another thought.  In Exodus 6:12 it says that Moses asked “Why would Pharaoh listen to me when I have faltering lips?” He says earlier that he is a man of slow speech. God delivered his whole people from 400 years of slavery and freed the Israelites to worship God in their own country. He used Moses who seemed to have some kind of speech handicap. God can use us exponentially even with our faults and our weaknesses.

There is one more thing I was pondering about the Israelites…  

I imagine many of you will understand my suffering when I say I have an old phone. A phone that doesn’t recognize the new apps very well. A phone that laughs in my face when I try to do something that I need to do. I say this because my phone has rejected the “Church Center app” lately where I go to pay my tithe every week. So I feel like my efforts in tithing have become more difficult. All of a sudden, I may have to write a check. Uggh.  I have not signed up for the automatic payments on purpose. I personally want to make sure that I am giving my offering by hand every week. I want to bring my first fruits to the Lord myself. But why should I get discouraged when an app doesn’t work and I might have to write a check? I think the Lord is teaching me something this week. This morning I was reading Exodus 35. This was after Moses came down from the mountain where his face glowed from seeing God. He came down and told the Israelites what the Lord had commanded of them. As he told them about how they were to rest on the Sabbath, they were also to bring the Lord offerings of gold, silver, dyed yarns and tanned skins among other things that were to be used to construct the temple. So these weren’t things that you just go get. These are things that they had to labor on and make excellent. Can you imagine that you have collected the hide from one of your animals and tanned it until it was the right type of leather and then had to take time to dye it?  All the while you are doing this, you know you are doing it for the Lord. I wonder what it was like for them. Were they deep in worship? Were they praying to God a lot while they were working on this gift for him? Think of the time that was put into it. I do not give God that much effort in my giving. All I have to do is click a button and I can give to the Lord. I definitely feel that I need to put more time and effort into my giving. I don’t know what this means yet, except I will be praying a lot about this and seeking what the Lord would have me do.

I feel as if the Israelites have given me a lot to think about this week. Usually when I read Exodus, I mostly notice how much the Israelites grumble and sin.  This time, I have used it to reflect on my own spiritual growth.  Thank you God for your Word which is living, active, fulfilling, and teaching.

God bless,

Amy Thompson

New for a Time

After one of my daughters was born, I remember sitting in the hospital holding her and thinking, “Boy, it seems like I have done a lot of thinking in the hospital this last year.” I had made several visits to hospitals for various reasons. But, you know, you have to take inspiration when and where God gives it. Right?

Some of these thoughts may seem random but they all go together, just be patient and read on. I was thinking, and this is what I came up with. I was holding my daughter and I thought, “WOW! This is a new life. How incredible it is that a little person like her could come from two half cells making one and growing into this beautiful little girl.” I still think that about all of my girls. I remember everyone who came to see her would tell us how precious and perfect she was, she really was. You know how it is when someone has a baby.  Everyone just “oohs” and “aahs” over the new little baby, for a period of time and then it kind of trickles off.

Well, this is kind of how it is with new Christians.  We tend to make a fuss over the ones who have just given their lives to the Lord and then after a period of time we stop.  Not only do we praise and dote over them but, we also seem to encourage them more in the time right around when they make the decision to believe in, and accept Christ. This lasts for a while and then our praise and support slowly tapers off.

This doesn’t only happen with our interaction with others, it also takes place in our own lives.  We are excited and all fired up about our newfound faith or new revelation from the Lord and then after a short period of time we seem to lose the fervor and vigor. I think that we allow the world to creep in and ruin or make less important the thing that should be the most important. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father should be the most important thing in the world to us. Luke 9:23 says, “Then He said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’.”

We all sometimes forget that being a Christian, having a relationship with Christ, is a daily decision that we have to make. We also forget that we must choose to take hold of the joy that that relationship provides us. There is a song that young and old alike know and it is a good one to remember. It goes like this: “I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart”. This is so true, if we choose to take up our cross daily and follow Christ then there is that joy that will always be in our heart. 

I want to challenge you to do a few things every day for the next month. 

            1.  Take time to pray and surrender yourself to God.

            2.  Make the choice to live your life in a way that honors God.

            3.  Choose to have the joy that only Christ can give and let it show.

            4.  Encourage someone in their walk and faith.

            5.  Whenever you come to church make it meaningful, not just a routine habit.

We, who have Jesus in our heart, are family. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, so let's start loving and encouraging each other like family should. 

One last word that comes from Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:25 says, “
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. “ 

Let us dote over one another’s faith and encourage each other to live daily in faith for Jesus Christ, allowing the joy that He gives to dominate our lives.

BXFC 

(Be Xtreme For Christ)

Pastor Sean              

Urim and Thummim…What?

In Numbers 27:15–23, Joshua is selected by God to lead His Chosen people. However, he had to inquire from the LORD to know whether “to come or go.” Interestingly, Eleazar the priest was instructed to use the Urim to discern God’s will for the people. So Joshua wasn’t leading alone. He had to rely on Eleazar to know the will of the Lord.

And how would they know what God wanted them to do? Two simple words, “Urim” and “Thummim.”

You may wonder, “What are the Urim and Thummim?” They were small objects placed within the breastpiece of the priest’s attire. Their function was simple: discern the will of the LORD. Take a look in Exodus:

Exodus 28:30 (CSB) 30 Place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Notice how God instructed them to be placed “over his heart.” How fitting that the location would give insight to God’s intention. He wanted the objects to remind them exactly what Jesus prayed in Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, and John 5:30—God’s will over mine.

If we want to walk with God, we have to prioritize His will over our heart’s desires. We have to be committed to His direction, especially when it conflicts with our own.

Today, we don’t have to use holy objects to discern God’s will. We have the Holy Spirit and the gift of prayer. All we have to do is ask God for wisdom and direction, and He promises to give it to us if we ask in faith (James 1:5–8).

I don’t know what decisions you are facing this summer, but I’m sure not all of them are easy. Go to God in faith, and simply ask Him for directions. Whatever it is you need to know, He will tell you exactly when you need to know it.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jack

Psalm 46 | Lord of Hosts

 In case you missed it, we introduced “Psalm 46 (Lord of hosts)” on Sunday morning.  

 I absolutely love this song!  I love cranking up the volume and singing from the top of my lungs “Lord of hosts, You’re with us! With us in the fire, with us as a shelter, with us in the storm! You will lead us through the fiercest battle. Oh, where else could we go but with the Lord of hosts!”  I can belt out this truth when I’m tempted to be afraid, or when the battle with my old self rages, or when the enemy wants to discourage me with whatever means possible.  God is with me through everything I face. If our nation crumbles, my God is still with me.  If tragedy hits my home the Lord of hosts is still with me.  If I lose my ability to sing, the Lord of angel armies would still be with me.

 Last Friday night my family watched the last episode of the Chosen season 3. It has the scene with the storm and the boat, and Jesus commanding the wind and the waves “Silence, be still!”  The disciples were afraid as the boat was filling with water and they thought they were going to die.  And at Jesus’ command, the sea was still!  It reminds me of verse 10 in Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”  God can still the greatest storm, and God can still the most anxious heart.

Through cancer, through the loss of a loved one, through addiction, through persecution, and through sorrow or depression, the Lord of armies is with us! “Though oceans roar You are the Lord of all the One who calms the wind and waves and makes my heart be still. Though the earth gives way, the mountains move into the sea, the nations rage, I know my God is in control.”

I pray this song can be a source of encouragement and strength to you. I pray it will help you remember God’s power and presence in your life. I can’t wait to sing it with you again on Sunday!  

-  Pastor Kyle

Healing In His Wings

7 The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’” Numbers 15:37-41

The word for “corner” in Hebrew is “kanaph”, which can also be translated as wings.  Thecorners of the Jewish prayer shawl were sometimes referred to as the wings of the garment.

The word for “tassels” in Hebrew is “tzitzit”, which is a specially knotted tassel worn in antiquity by Israelites and today by very observant Jews.  It is attached to the four corners (wings) of the prayer shawl.  Each tzitzit (tassel) is made of 8 threads and tied with 5 double knots.  8 + 5 = 13.

Also, in Hebrew each word has a numerical value. The numerical value of the word tzitzit = 600.   600 + 13 = 613.  There are 613 commandments in the law of Moses.  By placing the prayer shawl over themselves (they would sometimes place it over their head), they are representing the placing of themselves under the authority of the laws of Moses. If you place yourself under the covering of God’s law, being obedient to His law,, you will find protection and a refuge.  This is what the psalmist was referring to in Psalm 91: 1-4.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely, he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,

and will cover you with His wings.

 When you place yourself under His wings (i.e., live under His authority, following His law) you will find it as a protection and refuge.

 During the 400 years of silence (from Malachi to Matthew) there arose a thought / belief that the tassels of the shawl the Messiah would wear would be different.  Since the Messiah would complete or fulfill all the law, the tassels of the cloak of the Messiah would have healing in them. 

The prophet Malachi in Malachi 4:1-2 gives support to this thought.

 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

 The “sun of righteousness, of course, referring to the Messiah.

 Now we have the story in Matt. 9:20-22 (also in Mark 5:25-34) about the women with menorrhagia (continuous and heavy menstrual bleeding) for 12 years.

20 Then a woman, who was ill with a flow of blood for twelve years, came behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said within herself, “If I may just touch His garment, I shall be healed.”

22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, “Daughter, be of good comfort. Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well instantly.

The word for “hem” is “kraspedon”, which is a tassel of twisted wool.  It is referring to the tzitzit. 

There would be healing in the tzitzit (tassels) of the shawl the Messiah would wear.

Now the object (the tassels) had no magical power.  And it wasn’t her determination that healed her.  It was her faith in the fact the Jesus was actually the Messiah, the long awaited one, that healed her.

 There is “healing in His wings”. It is still true today for us.

-Allen Graber

1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

There’s nothing much more fun than a dog in a car.  He runs from window to window, his tail wagging, his tongue out.  He really enjoys sticking his head out the window to catch the wind in his ears and jowls.  For some of us, when we were a new Christian life was like that.  We had that mountaintop high and are ready to go out and conquer the world to spread God’s Good News with everyone we meet.

Then maybe soon after, we are hit with some negativity from the world.  We are hit with burdens that people deal with in their ups and downs of life. We may be torn down by our brothers. This may cause us to feel like we have lost some of that energy and we slowly feel we may not make a difference anymore. 

Listen, that joy from the Lord is still there.  We have many opportunities to fulfill Jesus’ command to “go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15) Keep serving the Lord even when there is negativity happening around us.  If you are being discouraged by burdens or others’ words, remember that God loves you and Jesus died for your sins so that you have a way to Heaven to be with Him. Look to God for strength, encouragement, and love, then try to be the person who builds others up.  Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35.)  Be the encourager.  Let’s challenge ourselves to not tear people down, but to build others up in love.  You might make a big difference in someone else’s spiritual walk by your words. Hopefully our joy will spread.  Who knows, maybe you will even encourage the discourager.

Romans 15:5 

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had."

Blessings,

Amy

The Great Adventure

This week let's see if we can have a little fun recapping my sermon from the book of Jude a couple of Sundays ago. 

Once upon a time, a group of daring brothers in Christ decided to set out on an adventure to connect with God and each other. They had to decide what kind of adventure it would be.  One of them, who grew up in Colorado, suggested that they go on a camping trek. The others thought that was a great idea.  As they prepared for their adventure they gathered their gear, which included a tent, a compass, and a first aid kit. Little did they know that each item they packed would relate to a discussion they would have about the book of Jude as they trekked through the wilderness.

As they walked they began talking about how they had all experienced some opposition to their faith in the past year. Sometimes from people they knew and other times from a total stranger.  

As they set up their campsite, one of them unfolded their tent. It was a tall, sturdy structure that provided shelter and protection against the elements. While they sat in the tent that night they realized the tent was a lot like faith. Just as the tent shielded them from the wind and rain, faith was their spiritual refuge, protecting their hearts and minds from doubt, uncertainty and attacks from those who did not understand their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Night fell, and under the starry sky, another one of them was holding a compass in their hand. He commented about how the compass needle always pointed north, guiding them in the right direction. One of the other adventurers said it reminded him of prayer and how it could be their spiritual compass. Just as the compass guided their physical steps, prayer guided their hearts and minds, ensuring they stayed on the path of righteousness and remained connected to their Heavenly Father.

In the midst of their camping adventure, one of them fell and tore up his knee. They had to stop and pull out their first aid kit.  As they patched up his knee they talked about the similarities between the first aid kit and mercy. Just as the kit provided relief to physical wounds, mercy brought forgiveness and life to a soul that was destined for death and judgment. They also discussed the importance of both receiving and extending mercy, fostering forgiveness, compassion, and support for those who stood contrary to what they believed.  They came to the realization that in order to receive mercy from God and show mercy to others, they must first humble themselves before God.

Once the friend was patched up they continued their journey. One of them picked up a sturdy walking stick from the forest floor. It became a trusted companion, providing balance and stability on the rugged terrain. They realized that the walking stick symbolized God’s guidance. Just as the stick supported their physical steps, they acknowledged that the presence of their Savior, Jesus Christ in their life was guiding them through life's challenges, preventing them from stumbling, and leading them towards their ultimate destination. They paused and gave God the praise He so rightly deserved and worshiped Him right there in the middle of the trail.

As their journey came to an end, they realized that their camping adventure had become more than just a physical experience. It had become a spiritual pilgrimage, where they discovered the simplicity and power of faith, the importance of prayer, the healing nature of mercy, which was all tied to the strength of leaning on God to hold them strong in their walk and how it was all tied together in the praise and worship of a God who loved them enough to give His life as a ransom for their sins. .

From then on, their camping gear became more than just equipment. They became symbols of their remarkable journey. A journey that would forever shape their lives and draw them closer to Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

And so, with hearts full of gratitude and souls enriched by their experience, they packed up their camping gear, knowing that the lessons they had learned would continue to guide them through life, long after this adventure had come to an end.

Where are you on your adventure with Jesus Christ?  Are you sheltering in faith, being guided by prayer in The Spirit, living humbly in mercy, and being held up by the God who deserves your praise?

Hope your adventure is incredibly exciting and fulfilling, drawing you closer to the heart of GOD!!

Jude 1:17-25

Pastor Sean

Equipping the Saints for Ministry

Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”  I’ve been leading worship for about two and a half decades now.  Over the years I’ve learned more about the need and the joy of equipping others to do what I do.  According to Ephesians 4, one of my roles is to equip the church to do ministry.  I love pouring into others and equipping them to serve on our worship teams.  Some of the most rewarding things are when students who were serving with our team start serving with a church at college, or even a couple people now who have paid positions leading worship through song.  

This past school year I had two young adults reach out to me desiring to do an internship with our worship ministry.  Now I have a wonderful opportunity to invest in Sayge Gardiner and Ethan Chouinard as they intern with us this summer!  We’ve already spent a little time together, and I can tell that we are all going to grow from this experience!  Both Sayge and Ethan will have opportunities to lead worship through song this summer!  We are working through lots of things together, including what Scripture has to say about worship, selecting songs for services, increasing our skill on our instruments, reading through a book on worship, and much more.  Please pray for our interns (and me) for equipping, and that God would bless the vision to raise up, equip, and send out worship leaders!

         See you Sunday!

         Pastor Kyle

Rubber Chickens, Messy Games, and a Whole Lot of Gospel

In just under four days my wife Jillian and I will be starting a brand new adventure together. As many of you now know, we will be serving on staff at Fuge Camps for the majority of the summer. The goal is to share the gospel with teens all across the south east part of the United States in hopes that they would experience the life change that only Jesus can provide. Buuut, the means in which we accomplish that goal can look a little hilarious at times.

Some elements scheduled into a random day of camp can include competing in a series of messy games involving baby food, chocolate pudding, and glitter. Followed by a yelling and jumping match -in a seemingly animalistic way- in order to show your “Team Spirit” and achieve the chance to win… None other than the Holy Grail, the infamous amazement, the prize above all prizes… A RUBBER CHICKEN! That’s right people, a rubber chicken. Believe it or not middle and highschoolers LOVE competing for the chance to win a rubber chicken. 

Also something that is noteworthy is the fact that a majority of my team is made up of nineteen and twenty year olds freshly finishing their first and second years of college. Why is this noteworthy?  Well, we are a traveling team that will go from Nashville TN, to Arkadelphia AR, to Mount Vernon GA, to Lebanon TN, to Wilson NC and then back to Nashville. Totaling two thousand seven hundred nineteen miles traveled in total. All while carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of production equipment, camp supplies, and bible study material in two, twenty six foot long box trucks driven by those same exact college students. Why Lifeway trusts this mission to a bunch of twenty something college students is still far beyond my realm of comprehension. 

Yet when I take a step back and examine how hilarious this all is and ask myself “how is this all possible?” The answer is undeniably clear. We serve the creator of the universe. The one that spoke everything we see and know into existence. If we are fully devoted to carrying on his mission HE CAN make a way. No matter what. Hands down, full stop. 

This will be my fourth summer serving in the camp setting and I can speak from experience that God can use anything, and I seriously mean anything, to bring people into a relationship with him. We just have to be willing to get out of our own way and serve for his purpose. If you’re like me, you've probably made plenty of excuses as to why you can’t go share the gospel with your neighbors. Excuses I use are “it wouldn't make sense for me to go over there and just start sharing. I don't even know their names.” “they might reject me and then our relationship will always be broken.” One of my favorites to use, “I'm too tired, or I am too busy.” In all of those excuses I am getting in the way of the mission that God is trying to accomplish. But I have experienced God do amazing things at times in my life with my obedience; why do I continue to get in the way now? I think for me it’s my moments of lack of faith. I need to rely on the Lord to strengthen me and give me a bigger faith. What is it for you? I’d encourage you to think about the last time you shared the Gospel with someone? What's stopping you from doing it again?  Maybe we need to rely on the Lord to help us remove that excuse or barrier from our lives to carry on his mission. 

I want to leave you with a real story of how God revealed his power to me -through serving on staff at Fuge- that constantly reminds me that God can use anything for his glory; I just need  to have bigger faith and get out of the way. My first summer on staff there was a girl that came to camp and for privacy sake we will call her Linda. Linda was a sophomore in highschool that did not go to church and claimed to be an atheist. She reluctantly came after a friend from her school invited her. The first day or two of camp she was completely shut off from participating in anything and honestly seemed like she hated being there. But after a couple days she seemed to transform into an open, joyful, excited person. On one of the last nights Linda and her youth pastor came up to our staff as she was in tears, but these weren’t sorrowful tears, they were hopeful ones. She proceeded to tell us her story and how when she was a young child she was placed for adoption. She was then adopted by a family that claimed to be christians. However, this family then repeatedly abused her and raped her. Who could blame her for saying she was an atheist if the only thing that she new about “god” was abuse and rape? While almost the entire room was in tears she said “but now I know that my savior is Jesus, and I gave my life to him tonight.” Her experience at camp, participating in those messy games I mentioned before, sitting through bible study led by early twenty somethings, and hearing from God’s word each night showed her that Christ and Christians are not what she thought they were. She realized she was in need of a savior and came to know him; from atheist to an eternity spent in heaven in one week. If God can do that, he can do anything! 

If you would, please join Jillian and I in praying for the countless teenagers that will be exposed to God’s word and his love for them this summer. We covet your prayers as we go and also ask that you would pray for strength and constant obedience for us. 

Thank you church family,

We will see you soon! 

Bryant Hart

Thank God for a Teacher!

Did you know that teachers in America were first honored on Teacher Appreciation Day in 1953? I can just imagine the sighs of “Finally, they appreciate us!” that echoed through the halls and classrooms. Sometimes it’s hard to know just how many people appreciate you until you’re gone.

In our church family, we have public, private, and homeschool teachers; we also have Sunday School teachers, AWANA teachers, etc. And each one of them serves our community through their work. So, if you are a teacher, Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We love you and pray that God blesses you this week.

Your work is pretty special. But did you know your role as a teacher originated from God? (which is really cool)

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit (third person of the Trinity) is referred to as a teacher in several passages. Here are a few examples:

1. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:26, CSB)

2. “We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.” (1 Corinthians 2:13, CSB)

3. “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.” (1 John 2:27, CSB)

In these verses, we see that the Holy Spirit:

• Teaches us all things and remind us of Jesus’ teachings (John 14:26)

• Teaches us spiritual realities (1 Corinthians 2:13)

• Teaches us the truth about all things (1 John 2:27)

The Holy Spirit's role as a teacher is also connected to the idea of guidance and illumination. In John 16:13, Jesus says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.” This suggests that the Holy Spirit not only teaches us, but also guides us in understanding and applying what we learn.

What a Teacher! 

So, as you thank God for the people who teach/taught you or your family or neighbors the truth, remember that there is One Teacher that every person needs in their life—the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Jack