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

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

Behold

Behold: verb – to see or observe (a thing or person, especially a remarkable or impressive one).

This Sunday some youth and kids will be sharing special music with us.  The song is called “Behold Him” and we will be adding it to our repertoire at Grace.

  The first verse of the song takes its cues from John chapter 1 and Philippians chapter 2.  Jesus is eternal, all things were created through Him, and he left His throne in heaven to become a man.  The second verse reminds us of the 4 gospels.  Jesus ate with sinners, he gave sight to the blind, healed the lame, and pursued the lost.  He was willing to go to the cross, taking the death of a criminal, so that he could pay for our sin with His blood.  He rose to life, conquering death in the process.  

  What is our response to Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the sacrificial lamb, the beginning and the end, our risen Savior?  Our response is to behold Him, for He is remarkable and impressive! We desire to see Him, and to wonder at His glory and holiness!  I’ve been using this song in my private worship for a few months and I’m excited for it to be part of our song repertoire at Grace.   May this song be a beautiful addition to your private worship and to our corporate worship on Sunday mornings.  May this song remind us who Jesus is, what he has done, and may it help us to be still and behold Him.

You can preview the song here.

 See you Sunday!

-       Pastor Kyle 

Slaves to Success

Focus Verse: Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

How do we measure success? Oftentimes I measure success based on how many things I can accomplish. If I finish all of my projects around the house on a Saturday then: “That was a successful day.” I manage to find all the groceries on my grocery list in one trip: “That was a successful trip to the store.” I try making a new chicken parmesan recipe that I saw online, but after a taste test I just end up taking a Taco Bell run: “ Well, that was extremely unsuccessful.” (Even though taking a trip to Taco Bell is always a five star experience!) For many of us the minute details of what success looks like may vary- such as, if we get that promotion at work. Or, if we can manage to get the kids bathed, clothed, in bed and sleeping by eight o’clock. Some might consider this a miracle and not just a success and to that I might have to agree. But even in the details I believe our culture as a whole has made us slaves to assosiating “success” with “achievement.” The world tries to tell us if you are not achieving enough, you are not successful enough. “So go out and try harder.” “Achieve greater things.”

Oftentimes my day to day interactions with the Lord are greatly affected by this world view. Whether or not the Lord looks down on me with favor -in my eyes- is often dependent on how successful I can be for His kingdom. So I ask myself more often than I should; “Have I completed my devotion today and did I successfully pull a valuable lesson from His Word?” “Did I successfully have a gospel conversation with someone today and did they come to know Christ?” These are not bad questions to be asking ourselves as Christians. But in the same exact way that the world equates “success” with “achievement” I often equate God’s love for me with my ability to achieve for His kingdom's sake. But this just isn’t right. God is not conditional and does not offer His love more freely to the highest achiever.

In scripture we see time and time again that the Lord offers His love to every walk of life and every tribe and tongue. But what He seems to value above all else is not individual achievements, but individual obedience. In 1 Samuel 13:13-15 we see Samuel referencing David as a “man after the Lord’s own heart.” This is the moment where God speaks through Samuel, showing the eventual transferal of kingship from Saul to David. In this moment the Lord is lifting David up not because of his success, but because of his obedience. David had not led Israel to many victories as Saul had. David had not been king over an entire nation for a number of years. But David was seeking the Lord and being obedient in a time where Saul was not.

God’s measure of success is not like the worlds. It’s not based on achievement. Heavenly success as defined by God is to seek His face wholeheartedly in OBEDIENCE. Which brings me back to Romans 12:1-2. “1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Though I often misplace God's desires for my life, recently He has been teaching me that His favor is in my obedience. My ability to put aside my desires, and present myself as a living sacrifice for His name sake in obedience is all God wants from me. He does not need my achievements or accolades. He needs my obedience. So as I conclude, my challenge to you is to present yourself as a living sacrifice in obedience to our Father. By doing so you will step far beyond the success of this world and step into the fullness of life that only He has to offer.

You are Loved.

Bryant Hart