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

Summer Quest is the Best

First of all the disclaimer: I am about to mention negative feelings I have about a place that many of you love. This is not a commentary on that place, your choice to live there, or anything like that! Keep in mind too, my criticism is very specific and I hope the way you live proves me wrong!

I have built quite a few homes, not as a builder but as a carpenter. I have built most of those homes in subdivisions or housing developments whatever you choose to call them. Though I loved the inside of many of the homes we built I couldn’t stand the outside… Not because I thought they were ugly but because I thought the outside of every one of them portayed a lie… I would wager that not many of us like lies, being lied to, or any kind of falsehood in general. God doesn’t talk about lying in favorable terms in the Bible, my parents hated it and the times I have tried to slip a half truth or incomplete truth past my wife have not ended well for me. But I contend that almost ever house in every housing development lies each and every day and the lie is permanent. You ask how can a building lie? Well this is how. Every house I see in every subdivision has a front porch on it… to me that says that by design there is enough value placed on using that porch to justify the extra cost and loss of square footage in the home. 

Now I know practically the porch serves a lot of purposes in a mechanical way to protect the door opening from leakage from wind or air. But most often that door rarely if ever even gets used. Everyone uses their garage door and a garage really protects that entry door much better. 

My beef was always, “why have a front porch, beautiful or not, if you are never going to sit on it!” It feels like a lie to me every minute of every day… Building concrete steps, cedar posts and beams, expensive outdoor furniture that needs replaced from sun damage and not use, and outdoor decor for every season. I know Home Depot and Hobby Lobby both love those front porches but I do not. 

If the porches get used all of my frustration goes away. Really a house can’t lie, it is the cultural value that we put on a front porch that we never use, it’s us, the people that lie. And really this criticism is not pointed at any of you individually. If you have an HOA or a contractor worth his salt they are all going to require or recommend a nice front porch on your house. It’s not an individual problem its a cultural one. Now that we have airconditioning the necessity of sitting outside in the shade to catch the breeze is no longer advantageous. If I were really consistent with my line of thinking I would maybe critisize airconditioning and you will never catch me doing that. The two things any house I live in needs are a coffee pot and air conditioning, everything else is optional.

It is this cultural loss of the front porch culture that grieves me. In many parts of the world or even in more urban parts of our own country this is not completely lost. In our Central Plains western culture though it is on life support if its not completely dead. At the end of the day though I can be ok with it. It is what it is. Rather than try to fight the battle of the physical porch I want to highlight two things that I think we lose and that we do have to fight for. The porch provided both regular interactions and random interactions with our neighbors or those travelling through our neighborhood. Sitting out in the best parts of the day on your porch would facilitate interacting with neighbors. Try and have 6 or 8 kids living on the same block stay on the porch with their parents who are trying to relax or cool down in the breeze… It’s not happening. They will be in the street playing or all collected around an event in one yard or another. The adults too couldn’t avoid interacting completely, hello the playgroupnd of the extrovert! To the dismay of every introvert they would be at the mercy of their talkative neighbor unless they were so committed to isolation that they would rather drip sweat than sit outside. We also lose those random people walking or driving by that might stop and chat because they see us out on the porch. For a person like me who love community and connection I feel like the richness we lose is immeasurable by not having more of these regular and random interactions with other people.

How is this all about Summer Quest? I promised that in the title… and so far have been a liar myself. I think Summer Quest is the spiritual and literal front porch of our church. It puts us outside, unignorable to the neighborhood and passers by. We get a chance to be together on mission with our regular people, fellow church memebers and our actual neighbors where we live, and it sets us up for random people that we either invited or who see us and come to check it out. Sure we are outside and in my case always a little sweaty but we are giving that chance that a relationship will spark. My kids have friends with other families at church simply because we all walked together to pass out invites for Summer Quest together. Now that I bought a house and am no longer renting I know that kids in my immediate vicinity and see lots of others that are totally near enough to be invited. I know they will be bored this summer because every kid is and that like any kid if they get an invite to come off their porch to something fun and engaging it will get their serious consideration. Summer Quest to me embodies the true spirit of the front porch. Though Plumbrook Park, which is my site for this summer, looks nothing like a front porch I hope our site is as inviting as I imagine the best porch was in days of old. I can’t guarantee that any meaningful relationships will happen but the opportunity is there and I am praying God moves to do His work in creating them. Summer Quest is a great tool in His hands for this to happen. 

Please consider your role in Summer Quest this year. We still need Site Coordinators and since God has identified the sites that means He has also prepared some of you to fill those roles. Reach out to Amy, our Children’s Director, to get your assignment and enjoy the beauty of our front porch. amy@gccnewton.com

Blessings,

Will

Our Sensational Creator

Why are we sometimes set in our ways? Why does it take a miracle for some of us to believe that God exists?

God shows Himself in so many ways. I am constantly amazed at God’s creation.  God can do anything. There is so much around us even in small town Kansas that blows my mind. Right now in spring, the intricacy of flowers and how things grow is astonishing!  If you open up your sights further to the whole world God made…WOW!  He is amazing!  There is so much beyond our earth as well that points to the hand of our creator.

There are things in creation that even go beyond the ordinary. Did you know that there is a type of fish in Florida that can crawl on the ground?  They are called walking catfish.  Have you ever seen it rain fish?  In various parts of the world there are waterspouts over large bodies of water, like tornadoes on land, that suck up fish into the sky and cause them to fall up to 100 feet inland.

I wonder if God makes remarkable awe-inspiring things to constantly show us that He is real and close and loves us?   I don’t think He needs to prove that He is mighty, but some people seem blind or hard-hearted.  Do you guys ever wonder why the Israelites kept falling away from God when they were wandering in the wilderness?  How could they do that when they had seen so many things that physically showed God?  I also wonder how I would have reacted if I had been around when Jesus walked the earth.  It bothers me that it took many miracles and healings for some people to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. But then I look around today and wonder the same thing.  

I am glad to know you, my church family.  I am glad that we humbly believe that our God is all powerful, sovereign, omnipresent, stunning, and loving.

I am looking forward to our next “Proof” class with the kids this summer.  Last year we looked at archaeological finds that prove God and His Word.  This year we are going to be searching for tangible things in creation that prove God and show His majesty. For today, let me share with you some unusual animals that will just put you in awe of our Maker. (These blow my mind!)

(Blobfish, Venezuelan poodle moth, Dumbo Octopus, Glass Frog, Sea pig, Narwhal, Goblin Shark, Yeti crab)

It is sometimes hard to believe that a God who makes such amazing things came to earth to save us and wants to have a personal relationship with us.  That blows me away more than creation itself!  Looking around me at the world, I am always encouraged to thank God for keeping us amazed and for showing us His love.

Have a great week enjoying His creation!

Amy Thompson

Tomorrow?

Why do today what you can do tomorrow?  This is a phrase we used to quote a lot in college and high school.  Let me tell you, I am the king of procrastination.  I love to work under pressure.  In college I would wait until the night before a paper was due and then I would go to the library and get the books and then write all night and have the paper for class the next day.  I would turn in the paper and usually would get a “B” and sometimes an “A”.  Now on the other hand if I tried to write the paper ahead of time, which I did a couple of times, believe it or not, it seemed like I would always get a “C”.   So, my creed or motto sort of became, why do it today when I can do it tomorrow.   This has gotten me in trouble sometimes and boy that's no fun at all.

There are all kinds of things you can put off until tomorrow like yard work, homework, housework, sending birthday and anniversary gifts.  Talking to your kids, parents or bosses about critical issues are other things people put off, sometimes almost too long.  

There are all kinds of projects and decisions that I have procrastinated on in my life but there is one decision that I am so glad that I didn’t procrastinate with, and that is the decision to ask Jesus to come into my heart and to follow Him.  I made that decision when I was 14 years old. You know, if I had put it off until I was 38, I might have waited too long.  I thought about this when I got sick in December of 2007 and just about didn’t have a tomorrow.  

In Matthew 24:36 we are told,” "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. “  This verse is talking about when the Lord is going to come back to claim all that are His.  Not only do we not know when The Lord will return, we don't know how much time we have on Earth. You might have 10 years or 10 minutes from the time you read this before you leave this world.  When and if you make the decision as to whether you will reject or accept the gift of life that Jesus offers could determine if you spend your eternity in peace and fulfillment in the presence of God or an eternity in pain and suffering being separated from God.  That’s right, I am talking about Heaven vs. Hell. 

What is your decision?  Have you made it?  Will you choose to follow Christ?  He died so you could have the opportunity to make this decision.  He died to save you from sin and eternal condemnation.  

He was given the choice to be the payment for your sins and He chose to die for you.  He did not procrastinate! 

Jesus loves you and desires to be a part of your life and is calling you to come into a relationship with Him. He says, "Trust Me", "Love Me and be loved by Me!' and "Come follow Me!" 

What is your answer?  Are you going to trust in Him, love Him and follow Him?

What are you waiting on? Time is ticking. How much time do you have?

Pastor Sean

Relational Evangelism

Years ago, I thought evangelism equated to inviting people to church. In the past 15 years I have become increasingly convinced that evangelism is meant to be relationally driven. This is what I see in Scripture, this is what I see as affective in our culture, and this has been my experience. This is why our services are not “seeker driven”.  We are not trying to create the most entertaining experience to draw people in, instead we want to equip the church to evangelize and share Jesus with our neighbors, coworkers, etc.  We believe the best way to bring people to Christ is not getting people in the doors of our church, but getting our people to look for opportunities to live intentionally outside our doors.

We had new neighbors move in next door to us about 3 weeks ago. And we have been praying for them by name, and asking God for favor and opportunities. On Easter Sunday we had an opportunity when their dog had messed with their outside faucet and it was creating a pool of water against their foundation.  They were making one last trip to their old house in Western Kansas to pick up some things.  I went and shut off their water, and called them, and they trusted me enough to ask me to go into their home and check to see if their basement was flooding. Praise God for an opportunity to serve my neighbors, and praise God that there was no flooding!  (BTW, I’m not encouraging you to pray for your neighbor’s things to breakdown. LOL)  Since the weather has been so nice, we’ve been able to have many conversations outside and I’m excited to continue getting to know them with the ultimate goal of sharing the gospel with them!

We say, “We are the church, now let’s go be the church” most Sundays.  I’m grateful to be on this mission with you all, and I’m thankful that our lead pastor is leading by example.  (Jack wouldn’t want me to brag on him, but I’m so encouraged by his example of practicing what he preaches.) Relational evangelism allows people around us to see the hope that we have and provides an opportunity to “give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).  It takes time, it takes patience, it takes sacrifice, and it takes a deep love for the lost, but I’m praying that we would be the church and own the mission to “love God, love people, and lead others to do the same”.

See you Sunday at 9am! - Pastor Kyle

Jeff Quandt: Elder candidate

This weeks staff journal is highlighted by Jeff Quandt’s Bio. Jeff has been Suggested as a potential Elder candidate and we will hold a vote on April 30th as a church, to decide whether or not to place him as an elder. This bio will be followed by a meet and greet on the 23rd of April after both services, where you will have the opportunity to meet Jeff in person.

Jeff Quandt Bio

I’m a Midwest native by birth, born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, but didn’t establish roots there because my father was an Air Force officer. Moving from place to place was our way of life until I was twelve years old, and we settled down in Sacramento, California in 1961. Between my hometown and Cow Town (a derisive nickname born in the NBA thanks to Sacramento Kings’ fans’ favorite noise maker - cow bells) we lived in Alaska, Louisiana, Italy, and New York.

Two years after college I had a dramatic encounter with Jesus that set the course of my life in the direction of leadership. God’s plan of making me a leader didn’t necessarily include defined leadership positions such as church or Christian organization rolls, but He repeatedly gave me favor among believers as trustworthy person of influence. As a young Christian I learned the necessity of daily surrender to God and avoiding any ambition that would conflict with a holy lifestyle. I said I learned “the necessity,” but as everyone whose heart desires deep intimacy with God knows, daily surrender requires daily crucifixion of every impulse to grasp for the passing pleasures of sin. So, while the necessity is present, I’m far from a Masters Degree from Selfless Love University.

I have served three congregations as youth pastor, and one congregation as administrator and staff pastor. Somewhere in that mix is a brief venture in church planting. Suffice it to say that I had much to learn about the demands of singlehandedly starting a congregation from scratch while working full time as a framing carpenter. Here, however, I have seen how church planting is supposed to be done: “Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.”

I’m delighted to say that Cheryl’s and my experience at Grace Community is pure joy as we live in community with people who share a living faith in Jesus and recognize the primacy of the Holy Spirt in every dimension of life. We had no idea when we moved to Kansas in 2020 that God was guiding us to a community that would immediately feel like home.

 If you aren’t interested in personal details, you can stop here. Otherwise, you’ll find out that Cheryl and I just celebrated our 46th anniversary April second. We have two children, three grandchildren, three granddogs, two grandcats, one granddonkey, and several grandchickens. Our son, Chris, and his family live in California, and our daughter lives here in Newton with her husband Aaron and five-year-old daughter, Sophia. We also just welcomed Emily, our Compassion child, into our family.

 My activities at GCC include a leadership role in Celebrate Recovery, volunteering at New Hope Shelter, participation in Denver and Sarah Sweazy’s wonderful Community Life group, and teaching kindergarten Sunday School. Outside of GCC I lead a Christian seminary program called The Urban Ministry Institute at Hutchison Correctional Facility. Prior to moving to Kansas, I taught the program for seven years in Folsom Prison in California.

 Thank you, Grace Community Church, for warmly welcoming us into your home.

- Jeff Quandt

What is the Big Serve and why does it matter?

The Big Serve is simply a Sunday that we take to serve our community and its local residents. We take the morning to have different rhythms, we meet as a gathered body for a short time, but then we head out in teams to work… But, this event is so much more than just a service day. 

The work matters, getting a project done that makes a difference for a person or organization fills real tangible needs. When we take time to live out in concrete ways all our rhetoric about “loving people” we actively do love people. God smiles when things move from conviction to action among His people. People can feel the love Jesus has for them when Jesus’ followers take the time to show it.

The work really does matter but what matters just as much is the posture that this event puts us in. We can only give to others what we have received from God. Serving others is not primarily the strong helping the weak. It is actually or should actually be those who are plugged into Jesus following His leading to do good works. The need that some might have does not dictate our actions, though needs should never be ignored, rather Jesus' love should direct our action and meeting felt needs is a great way to do that. So we, those who look to serve, must be connected with Jesus so that we have something to offer. All the best skills under the sun are meaningless much like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13; if we don’t have love it don’t matter (Will Paraphrase Version). Serving people can show them love but it’s not a guarantee. Only being connected to Jesus’ love and then following Him in how He wants you to show it provides the surety that you are showing love.

Events like the Big Serve matter so much because we do them together. Working together with each other builds relationships in a different way than Sunday mornings. It’s not better or worse but when we build relationships with each other in different ways it strengthens our bonds. It also builds relationships outside of our fellowship when we serve other organizations. When we connect the love of Jesus to each other, to those we serve, and to organizations not like us we will see Jesus’ kingdom advance in our town. I hope you will all register for the Big Serve but I also hope you will each be prayerful, asking Jesus to fill you with His love and giving you opportunity to share it with others. That’s what life is about, and that's why we do the Big Serve.

-Will Regier

Service that Transforms

Lately I have been thinking a lot about helping children learn to serve others.  I want to present enough opportunities for them to help their neighbors so they will not only do what is right, but to grow in their desire to serve more.  I love that they are learning about God’s Word in classes and Bible studies. In Awana on Wednesday nights, they are memorizing hundreds of scriptures.  It is important for them to know what they believe, hide God’s Word in their heart, and to be able to give an account for their faith.  I want to take this a step further and allow them to put action to that faith.

We talked about active faith in our recent Route 56 meal.  I asked questions about faith, and as they gave an answer I would reward them with a can of pop.  The last person to answer a question came up to receive their can of pop.  I made a good show of shaking up their can before trying to open it for them.  This kiddo made a run for it.  Why?  Because she had an active faith that the pop was going to explode out of the can and into her sweet face.  If we put that much active faith in a momentary insignificant event, surely we can put action to our faith in the loving God of the universe.

I love that our church family is seeking to serve our community in our new annual “Big Serve”!  This is a chance for our kids to work alongside you and put action to their faith.  What a great way for all of us to mentor these children and show them how to ”love our neighbor as yourself.” ( Matthew 22:39)  As you serve on April 16, please take note of the children who may be serving in your group.  Show them your love for others.  Talk to them about what this service may mean to whoever we may be serving.  As we are working hard for our neighbor, we grow in our love for serving God and those He puts in our paths.  I pray that this event will do the same for our children.  

Thank you not only for caring for the needs of our community, but also for being a great example for our “littles”!  I want to share some scripture with you that I have been pondering about serving others.  

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2)

“but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

“If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10)

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”  (1 John 3:17-18)

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)

May God’s Word bless you,

Amy

TAKING A CHANCE OR A SURE THING?

A while back a friend and I were talking about a dice game called “Farkle”.  It is kind of like “Yatzee” but moves a little faster and you can lose all your points if you are not careful.  I pulled out a Farkle game and was rolling the dice in my office and started thinking.  Every time I roll these dice I take a chance of either getting more points or losing everything that I had accumulated up to that point, yet something makes me want to keep rolling for more. Life is a lot like that, there are things all over that people take chances on. Some are good and some are bad.  Some people take chances by playing the lottery, black jack or the slots, yet others take chances like jumping out of a plane with a parachute (I have done that and it was awesome) others take chances by doing drugs, drinking and  partying.  We all take chances everyday by driving, going on a plane or train, ridding a roller coaster or even walking down the street.  It seems that we are all willing to take a chance on a lot of things, a lot of things that is except maybe Christ and His cause. 

You are saying, ”Wait a minute, I love the Lord and have given my life to Him, So, what are you talking about?”  Well let me put it this way.  Asking Jesus into your heart and life to be your Lord and Savior is not a chance or a gamble, it is a Sure Thing.  So then, what am I talking about?

I’m talking about being Sold Out for Christ in everything you do.  Does Jesus invade every part of your life?  Is He the reason for everything you do?  If He isn’t then you are taking a huge chance. What do I mean by having him as your reason for everything?  I mean do you weigh the cost and make every decision on the standards that Christ laid out and stands for. When you go to work do you just go to work or do you ask yourself, “How can I make a difference for Christ at work today?”  How about when you are hanging out with friends do you ask, “How can we have fun and glorify Christ at the same time?”  

Even at church we need to ask some critical questions.  Like, "How can I serve my church in a way that will bring glory to God and lead others to a relationship with Christ?"  Maybe we should ask ourselves, "Is our church serving in such a way that it brings glory to Christ.?" Depending on the answers to those questions we then may have to ask, "What can I / we do to bring new Christians into a deeper relationship with Christ?”, or maybe even, "How do I bring myself into an even deeper relationship with Christ? "That is what discipleship is.  When a church makes disciples and has faith then all other things fall into place.  But when a church or individuals places emphasis on other things, then, it is taking a chance on itself and not taking hold of the sure thing in Christ.  The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness of Christ and then all this will be added unto us.  If we are trying to problem solve rather than seeking then we are taking a chance.

We also need to ask, “Am I/are we doing enough or all that I/we can to further the cause of Christ?”  Is there “No I’ve done enough” or “it’s someone else’s turn” when it comes to the kingdom of God. So stop taking chances and just serve God and seek Christ.  I would like to close with a little blurb from the poem “I Am A Disciple”.  (Not the denomination creed but the creed of a true disciple of the Lord of Lords.)

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”

If you are going to take a chance why not make it a sure thing!?! Go all in!!!

Pastor Sean

This is Our God

We recently introduced a new song to our repertoire.  “This is our God” is a declaration that we proclaim together about our God. He loves us and He saves us through the death and resurrection of Jesus our King!  Jesus paid for our sin, He rescued us, and He deserves the glory and praise!

I think this song captures what 1 John 4:9-10 says, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

In this song we remember that death and the grave used to be our enemies, but Jesus destroyed them.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, fear and the other giants and prisons we face have lost their power.

I look forward to singing this song together and giving Jesus the glory and praise that only He deserves!

Here’s a link for you to learn the song and praise the Lord in your homes.  This is our God

For His glory,

Kyle Schanbacher

Only one thing missing…

I am writing this article in a Best Western in Buda, TX. There are 13 of us who are now (02/26) on our way to the Children’s Haven International home in Reynosa, Mexico, where we are participating in GCC’s 23rd Annual Amigo Trip in support of the ministry.

The following are some reflections about why I keep going on this trip and to an extent, why YOU should consider participating soon as well.

1. We are aiding a very productive, Christ-centered ministry that is (by God’s grace) rescuing many Mexican children from horrible living conditions, and teaching them to be productive citizens of Mexico. This is accomplished by providing a safe living environment, educational opportunities, and more importantly, leading many of them to faith in Jesus and modeling what a Christian home looks like.

2. This trip becomes a wonderful opportunity to spend time with old friends, become better friends, and make new friends with other like minded believers from Grace Community Church and our sister Churches in Kansas.

3. This is a very family friendly trip and for many of us has become an effective way of introducing our kids to missions in another culture. We have traveled with children as young as six months old and are known here as “the church that brings their kids.” A common quote from our children who return from their first trip is, “I never knew I had it so good.”

4. Yes, we do accomplish many needed tasks ranging from construction to sorting clothes. But the longer I do this (and the older I get) I believe more and more that what is more important are the relationships we develop and the encouragement we bring, not only to the children, but also to the leaders and staff members who are constantly in challenging situations. Sometimes people are hesitant to go because they aren’t sure how much they would be able to contribute to the “projects,” and I tell them that this is not even the most important part of the trip, and you CAN build relationships.

5. There are obviously many other reasons why Grace keeps organizing this trip, but my last thought is one that we all know, but often forget—when we give of ourselves to bless others, the one who receives the most blessing is usually us.

When I get home people will ask me, “How was your trip?” And I will tell them, “This was the best trip ever, and the only thing missing was you.”

- Paul Friesen (2/26/23)