One Person at a Time...

New Life on the Move!

If you were in worship this past Sunday, you know that the stage at the high school has been condemned.  That means our worship services are going to be moving---literally--across the street on November 18.  This Sunday (Nov. 4) and the next we'll continue to meet in the high school auditorium and use the space in front of the stage curtains for the worship team and others involved in leading the service.  Then on the 18th we'll move across the street to the South Butler School District Primary Center and our worship "home" will be the multi-purpose room, probably until the end of February.   As I reflected on the transition, it reminded me of God's people in the days of Moses who were literally traveling from Egypt to the "Promised Land," and how they had to set up the tabernacle--their worship center--every place they stopped along the way.  How much more convenient it will be for us!  The school district has been so helpful with seeing that our needs are met during this temporary change.  Kudos to Mr. Todd O'Shell and Mr. Chris Riser from the district who walked us through our options this afternoon and did it with professionalism and care. 

I'm actually looking forward to the tempoary change as it will give us all an opportunity to be closer to each other, since the room is wider than it is deep AND to have the hospitality center in the worship area, so we'll all have the opportunity to know when worship is going to begin.  More updates will be coming in worship, through the LIFELINE, on the church website, and in various ways, but you heard here first!

Two IS Better than One!

Yesterday afternoon, I confirmed one of King Solomon's sayings:

     Two are better than one, becaue they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

On Saturday afternoon, I started a major task:  taking my wood pile, which consisted of logs anywhere from 18" to 8' in length and cut them into 16" pieces so they would fit in our wood burning fireplace.  (Did I mention that the wood pile was about 50' long and 4' high!)  After four hours of working by myself about 20% of the pile was cut to length.  It didn't take a genius to realize that I had at least another 16 hours of cutting wood ahead of me.

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Dave came over to the house to help me with the project.  In four hours we had cut ALL of the remaining wood, and now I just have to split some of the pieces that are still too large in diameter to fit into the wood burner.  Imagine--in 4 hours we completed a task that would have taken me 16 hours or more on my own!  King Solomon understood the exponential return having a friend makes in life--whether the task is cutting wood, getting out of a pit, or something a bit more spiritual. Life is NOT intended to be a solo journey.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to help, encourage and challenge one another.  We can be sure as we do that the results will be far more than anything we could accomplish on our own. 

Are you trying to go it on your own right now? Remember, a friend can help you up, help you out, help you along.  Jesus said, "Wherever TWO or moreof you are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of you."  Not that Jesus isn't with us when we're alone, but there's a special blessing from Jesus when we make the journey with others!

Next Step #24

Next Step #24 – October 27, 2007

Hi Everyone!

     As you may recall from the last several next steps, we’re investing some time in investigating the “FRUIT” of the Spirit.  The Apostle Paul writes the following in Galatians 5:22-23: ²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

     The seventh trait in the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.  I don’t know whether the Apostle Paul consciously placed FAITHFULNESS as the seventh of the nine characteristics of the “fruit” of the Spirit, but in biblical numerology, the number seven is the number of perfection or completion. Faithfulness stands in that number seven position for good reason. Faithfulness is a primary characteristic of God.  God is 100% faithful, 100% of the time. In the Old Testament two traits of God are often paired:  steadfast love and faithfulness. In our lives, if we want to be like God, then we must also demonstrate LOVE, which is the first characteristic of the “fruit” of the Spirit and FAITHFULNESS, which is the seventh. Faithfulness by God means always being and doing what He says He will be and do. For us faithfulness means OBEDIENCE.  When we know God’s will and obey it, we are being faithful. Our faithfulness shows others that we truly love God.  Dr. Dale Milligan used to define loving God in this way:  to love God is to trust Him enough to obey Him.  God always knows what’s best for us. Therefore, when we trust Him enough to obey Him, our lives will be both blessed by God and a blessing to others. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be easy.  When I take the time daily to ask God to fill me with the Holy Spirit, and to let my life demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, I always pause on this seventh characteristic and ask God to let me love Him enough that I will trust Him and obey Him. Take some time right now to ask God to fill you anew with the Holy Spirit, so that you may be faithful—that you may obey Him regardless of what He asks of you today! As you do that, and as you live that, know that you will truly be loving God!

This Sunday at New Life!

This Sunday's message has a LONG title:  "Jesus THANKS the Father For Revealing Life to the Childlike!" but the message is simple:  God reveals Himself to those who are willing to be childlike.  Note it is child-LIKE, not child-ISH!  There's no blessing in acting childish.  In fact, one of our goals as Jesus followers is to grow up in every way into Him, that means becoming more mature every day.  But child-LIKE means loving, trusting, and willing to submit to the authority of Jesus.  As we continue our 40 Days of Gratitude, I include this message, because it takes a childlike spirit to be grateful.  When we think of ourselves as "clever and wise in our own minds," which Jesus contrasts with being childlike, we become less and less grateful. 

Join us this Sunday as we open the Scripture to Matthew 11:25-30, and find one more reality about having an attitude of gratitude, and how to live it each day!  I hope to see YOU there!

Psalm 23 Video!

You'll love this little girl's recitation of the 23rd Psalm!

Running (and praying!) in the Rain!

Since I didn't run and pray in the morning yesterday, I decided to do so in the afternoon.  When I started rain was falling lightly. By the time I was just past the halfway point, the rain was coming down hard.  I repeated the "exercise" this morning, although this time the rain was falling lightly as I started and had all but stopped by the time I finished.  As I ran and prayed in the rain, I thought of my mother.  When I used to tell her that I didn't want to go outside to do something because it was raining she would say, "You're neither sugar nor salt. You won't melt."  I didn't then, and I didn't yesterday or today!  In fact, as I ran and prayed yesterday afternoon and this morning, my body, soul and spirit were renewed and strengthened!  It felt good to keep my appointment with God, and actually, it felt good to have the rain cool me down as I ran. 

Sometimes we make excuses for not investing time with God that really don't hold water (pun intended.)!  We'll get wet.  We'll get too tired.  We'll get dirty.  We'll get ________.  Really?  Jesus got all of those things and much more, when He came to the earth to take our place on the cross.  Jesus didn't make excuses.  Even as He faced the cross, He turned to His Heavenly Father with a request that the "cup" my pass from Him, but if not then He would do His Father's will.  I long for the day when my love of God is so great, and my commitment to do His will so fervent that I will no longer make excuses, but instead will always just do whatever it is that will empower me to know Him more and to serve Him more faithfully.  Running (and praying) in the rain is a useful start for me in that process.  What is it that you need to be and do today to know Him more and serve Him more faithfully?

Thankful?

We're 10 days into our 40 Days of Gratitude at New Life and I was wondering whether you woke up and thanked God for the greatest gift of all today--Jesus!  That's this week's challenge to thank God every day for the greatest gift of all!  I woke up early this morning--2:35 to be exact. It wasn't that I wanted to get up then.  I woke up with a headache and some other discomfort.  I started to pray.  I prayed for the pain to subside so I could go back to sleep.  At 3:45 I got up and took a couple Alleve.  That's extreme for me, because I don't like taking medicine, but I was aching in some joints and the head was still hurting.  At 5:30 when my alarm went off, I still hadn't been back to sleep.  I'd tossed and turned and prayed, but to be honest, none of the prayer was of the thanksgiving type.  It hit me that we're supposed to give thanks in all situations, so I started thanking God for His blessings, common and amazing.  I thanked Him for Jesus, and then something cool happened--I fell asleep.  You probably thought I was going to say that all the pain went away.  Actually, when I woke up a couple hours later, the headache was gone, and much of the other pain.  I decided to forego my usual morning run/prayer time, and started into my day.  I'd already been praying on and off for a while, and I realized that even though I was still in some discomfort I really was THANKFUL--thankful for Jesus, thankful for a warm home, thankful for the opportunity to start the day a little more slowly than usual, and thankful that even in the midst of pain and discomfort, God was on my heart and mind.  Gratitude is an attitude we can maintain not only when it's sunny, but also when it's raining and we're feeling "party cloudy" ourselves--THANKS to Jesus' presence in us!

Is a LIFE Group in Your Future?

Here at New Life, one of my goals from the beginning has been that we would be a local church OF LIFE (Living In Faith Everyday!)/Home Groups, rather than a church WITH them.  So far, that goal has not been realized, but as a result of our 40 Days of Gratitude emphasis, we have several new LIFE groups.  Our group met for the first time last night, and it reminded me once again how EASY it is to make a home group part of your life!  Yes, it DOES take time.  The host will probably invest a little time in tidying up the house for the group.  The leader will invest some time in preparing for the gathering, and everyone will invest an hour and a half or whatever is agreed upon in the actual group time.  But what an investment!  The return on one's investment is the opportunity to go deeper in fellowship with a group of folks who have the common goal of knowing and serving Jesus; of digging into God's word in a way that can't happen on a Sunday morning; of praying with and for one another, and of knowing that as you go through your week  others are praying for you and will be there to encourage and exhort you when you return the next week!

If you're already part of a LIFE/Home group, great!  If you're not make the investment of time and yourself to become part of one, NOW, or for sure as a part of your New Year.  We'll be making everyone aware soon of another opportunity to get on board with a LIFE group  in January.  So start praying and thinking now about setting aside a couple of hours each week to invest in your growth in knowing and serving Jesus!

Next Step #23

As you may recall from the last several next steps, we’re investing some time in investigating the “FRUIT” of the Spirit.  The Apostle Paul writes the following in Galatians 5:22-23:

         ²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, GOODNESS, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The sixth trait in the fruit of the Spirit is goodness.  What is goodness?  I learned a long time ago that goodness is related to TRUTH. In fact, one of the historic principles of church order that I learned is “Truth is in order to goodness.” That means that when we know the truth and live it out the result will be goodness in our lives. The Apostle Paul told the Ephesian Christians that we are to speak the truth in love. That is another good definition of goodness.  As I’ve often said, “It’s easy to speak the truth—if we don’t care about being loving. Such speech is often hurtful.  It’s also easy to speak with love—if we don’t care about the truth. Such speech never offends.  But when we speak the truth in love—then and only then can we truly help others.” Speaking and acting the truth in love is what goodness is all about, and that’s why it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Such speaking and acting do not flow from the “flesh.” In our natural state, apart from the Holy Spirit we may speak and act with truth or even with love, but holding the two together requires the Holy Spirit’s action in us. So, as we go about this day and this week, let’s call on the Lord to fill us with the Spirit that our words and our actions may reflect His truth and love, and thus His goodness!

The Other Side of the Stands...

For sixteen football seasons we were residents of the Mars School Disctrict.  On many occasions during those years I attended a Mars football game--high school varsity, high school junior varsity, 9th grade and 8th grade.  EVERY time I went, I sat on the Mars side, the home side of the stands.  Other than running past the "visitors" stands when I was working out on the track, I had never even been near them.  Until yesterday.  Yesterday, Knoch's 8th grade team played Mars 8th grade team.  While we have players from New Life that attend both schools, I now LIVE in the Knoch school district.  Emmy wanted to go to the game (and so did I!).  When we entered the stadium, I naturally walked over to the "home" side of the field and up into the stands.  Then I realized it--I'm a "visitor."  I "belong" on the other side of the field, in the other stands.  I walked half way around the field.  It was a new perspective.  I'd never looked at the field from the "other side of the stands."  As the game progressed, I kept thinking about the difference.  I still didn't know many of the parents, as we're relatively new to the district, and it still feels strangerooting for Knoch instead of Mars---but the change is happening.

I realized that this situation is an analogy for what happens in our walk of faith.  We all start out on one side of the "stands" and it's the WRONG side.  We belong to Satan.  The viewpoint becomes natural over time, and the longer it takes us to go to the "other side of the stands" the bigger deal it becomes.  Jesus calls us to "sit" with Him.  Jesus has already "bought the ticket."  We just have to walk around to the other side of the stands--from death to life, from defeat to victory.   PLEASE, take the analogy for what it's worth--I'm not saying that Knoch is heaven, or that Mars is hell.  I'm just making that point that change is necessary for us to move from the world's side to God's side; that the perspective is different, and that ultimately we can only be victors if we make the change.

Knoch won the game, by the way--12-6.  So the analogy stands.  Which side of the stands are you on right now?  I'd love to hear from you--to hear when and how you made it to the other side of the stands, or if you need to know HOW to make that move.  Comments are ALWAYS welcome!