Pastor Neil's blog

Book Recommendation

2011-08-09T22:03:00.000-05:00

Book Recommendation…

Two weeks ago, I shared that I am read the book “the Christian atheist” by Craig Groeschel. Today, I finished the book and I recommend that you read it.

I am a Christian atheist. I don’t live up to the standards that God has called me to live and I struggle daily to walk in His footsteps. Maybe you can relate. Groeschel walks the reader through a variety of interesting topics that Christians struggle with. Each chapter is written in a way that helps you relate to the struggle while helping you to connect with God. Chapters 2 & 12 were written for me; “When You Believe in God but are Ashamed of Your Past” & “When You Believe in God but Not in His Church.”

Looking for a good book? Here it is.

Top 10 List of Things Believers Should Know

2011-07-19T13:55:00.001-05:00

I received this “Top 10 List of Things Every New Believer Should Know.” It is written by Brian Mavis (http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/brian-mavis-10-things-every-new-believer-should-know-976.asp).

1. The one thing that the Bible emphasizes more than us loving God and people is that God loves us. He loves us first and most. God isn’t in heaven plucking a daisy saying, “I love you” when you obey and “I love you not” when you sin. He cannot not love you (Rom. 5:8 and 1 Jn. 4:16).
2. Your motivation for and the purpose of learning, serving, worshipping, giving, reaching, reading, praying, etc. is to grow relationally more in love with God and people (Mt. 22:36-40).
3. You not only are saved by grace, but you grow by it, too. A common trap for new and growing Christians is trying to clean up their lives without God’s help. This is a false equation: The less you sin = the less you need God’s grace. You can’t sin less and love more without the strength of God’s grace.
4. Don’t trample all over the Great Commandment (love God, love people) trying to obey the Great Commission (go and make disciples). New and enthusiastic Christians often do this. Instead, lead people to Jesus by loving people to Jesus (1 Cor. 13:1-3). If they ask you why live the way you do, humbly and simply share with them why you put your hope in Jesus.
5. Love your neighbors—your literal neighbors—the ones you have, not the ones you wish you had. Do this because you are a Christian, not just because you want them to be Christians.
6. Focus on Jesus, His cross, His resurrection, and His kingdom. When you confessed Jesus as the living Lord and Messiah, you never said—and will never say—anything more meaningful. Jesus is God with skin. No other “religious leader” (Moses, Buddha, Muhammad) is His equal. They were mere men; Jesus is God who became a man. He is the center and circumference—the hub and rim of all of life and creation. All of the world’s greatest gifts—love, life, truth, grace, etc.—have a name. Jesus.
7. God cares about your whole life, not just your “spiritual life.” It is a mistake to think that God is only concerned about a section of your life called “your soul” or “your spirit.” God cares about and is to be Lord of all of your life—personal, emotional, social, familial, financial, physical, vocational, sexual, intellectual, and so on.
8. Love other Christians who go to different churches (or no church at all) and who aren’t like you. Unfortunately, many Christians and churches view their “brand” of Christianity as the only true or most true type of Christianity. They may not think they are the only Christians, but they do think they are the best or most right ones. This is a prideful and sinful attitude that grieves Jesus and dismembers His body. Strive for unity in the body of Christ by praying humbly and thankfully for other Christians.
9. Pray with your Bible open. There are many different spiritual exercises (fasting, solitude, serving, etc.), but the two most important ones are communicating and communing with God through prayer and listening to and learning about God through the Scriptures. Prayerfully read about Jesus (in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Prayerfully read about the beginning of the church in a book called Acts. Prayerfully read some letters written by Christians for Christians—some good ones to start with are James, Philippians, and Ephesians.
10. Find a Christian mentor. You will need help and encouragement in this journey with Jesus. Ask an older Christian (of the same gender as you) to mentor you. Look for someone who displays the attitudes and actions that were described above. Be a blessing to them in return.
Christianity is not a list, but a life; it’s not a chart, but a charter.

Enjoy the ride...

Keeping our children safe...

2011-07-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

Our children are special gifts to us. They are our most treasured possessions and we want to make sure they are safe all the time. The church should be a safe environment for your children and grandchildren to come and learn more about Jesus Christ.

At our church, we have a policy called “Safe Sanctuary.” Safe Sanctuary is a policy that was put in place by our Board of Christian Education, designed to protect our children and our adult volunteers. Here are some highlights of that policy…

• All staff and volunteers must be active members of the congregation for at least 6 full months before they can volunteer.
• All adults will have a background check done yearly.
• Two unrelated adults will be present at all times during any church sponsored program, event or ministry involving children. Exception to this rule is KidzWorship.
• The Children’s Minister will check on the nursery and KidzWorship program at least once time each Sunday to make sure the guidelines are being followed and everyone is safe.
• Parents must complete an emergency contact form before leaving their Children at the church.
• Any volunteer for KidzWorship or the youth group will be at least five years older than the youth they supervise. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to supervise a youth program without two legal adults present.
• Adults are not allowed to drive youth home from the church.

These are some of the highlights of the Safe Sanctuary policy. If you would like a copy, please let me know and I will get you a copy. Our goal is to make sure all children are safe when they are participating in church events.

Connection Card Response

2011-06-27T22:10:00.000-05:00

I want to thank you for a wonderful Sunday Worship Service yesterday. There seemed to be a positive feeling in the room like the Holy Spirit was in our mist. One person said to me “there was something different about worship. It was so wonderful.” Thank you for being part of that!!!

On the Connection Cards, I asked you to answer this question; “What positive changes would you like to see happen over the next couple of months at our church?” I thought the responses were very thoughtful and positive. So, I would like to share them with you.

•Keep watching and praying for ‘the best is yet to come’. Let’s all ‘keep our forks.’
•More constructive conversation together about how we feel and what the direction of the church is. Goals on reconciliation
•Your sermon is so big, for all of us, to work together and helping each other, our community, our kids/families, life groups & sharing our story
•Stop ‘bickering’ & come together as a church family
•Help each other understand each other
•The continual warm feelings of our members
•Forget about the past and move forward
•Do God’s will, not our own
•Everyone get along and help each other
•A church without division and bitterness
•“Happy” place to be with Christians
•A church where you feel proud to bring guests and/or new members (especially families with children)
•More young families
•A youth program- Sunday School
•More people sign up for Sunday opportunities
•Follow up of the mediator results
•More sermons like today that give hope
•No more gossip or negative/hurtful behavior
•Everyone look outward instead of inward
•Revive the mission and start moving forward in a positive way
•Positive forms of communication to Board
•Prayer groups expanding
•Bible study expanding
•Our church looking to serve outside ourselves
•Find additional members
•Growth in church
•Reaching out to the community
•I’d like to see all members & friends in church at the same time-and every Sunday- smiling & feeling loved
•Would like to see messages/sermons again that aren’t focusing on all of our church’s ‘struggles.’ Let’s get back to ‘normal.’
•Members share life stories with church
•Give up the ‘it’ in our lives that separates us from God’s love and the church body
•Better attendance each week
•Would like to see people be thankful for what they have

Once again, thank you for your responses! Your feedback is very important for us to move forward.

Fishers of Men, not Keepers of the Aquarium

2011-06-21T21:25:00.002-05:00

The blog below was sent to me recently by another church member. It is written by Pastor Steven Furtick. I think he hits the nail on the head and I wanted to share it with you.

http://www.stevenfurtick.com/leadership/keepers-of-the-aquarium/ [bolded words done by the author].

Fishers of Men, not Keepers of the Aquarium

People ask me all the time how we’ve been able to see so many people come to Christ in five years.

Outside of the favor of God, I could give you a lot of specifics. Tell you a lot of things that we’ve done. But none of it will help you until you make a decision we made in the early days of our church.

And that was the decision to be more focused on the people we’re trying to reach than on the people we’re trying to keep. As others have said, to be fishers of men, not just keepers of the aquarium.

We’re not going to cater to the personal preferences of the few in our pursuit of the salvation of the many.
And that includes if the few is ten people when we’re pursuing one hundred.
Or 5,000 when we’re pursuing 10,000.
Or 10,000 when we’re pursuing 20,000.
Most people and churches aren’t willing to do that. They’re keepers of the aquarium. They say they want to reach people, but in reality they’re more focused on preservation than expansion. On keeping people rather than reaching them.

They let saved people dictate style. Saved people dictate focus. Saved people dictate vision.

The result is a room full of saved people. Not people getting saved. Why? Because the people you’re trying to reach aren’t interested in the church that has been created by the people you’re trying to keep. If they were, they’d be coming. But they’re not.

For some reason, right here is where people usually play the discipleship card. They’re trying to disciple the people they’re trying to keep. They accuse you of pitting evangelism against discipleship.

But that isn’t the case. I just believe true disciples should care more about making disciples than freeze framing the church the way it was when they became one. Or wanting twenty-six programs customized to their liking. If the mark of Christian maturity is a bunch of people who want to create a museum glorifying and preserving their personal preferences and then sanctify it by calling it a church, count me out.
Some people say why can’t we have both? You can. Focus on the people you want to reach and you’ll keep the people you want to keep. Let the rest walk. They’ll find a church elsewhere to graze.

The way I see it is they’re just occupying the space of a person who needs to hear the gospel. You’ll fill their seat.

And it will be with the person who needs it the most.

Do You Know God?

2011-06-13T12:13:00.000-05:00

Today, as we move into a new week, I just want to restate some things that I mentioned in worship yesterday.

Do you know God? Please don’t answer that too quickly. Many of us say we know God, but our actions speak differently.

1 John 4.20 says “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not see.”

John tells us that God is love and if we love others, God lives within us. But, if we do not love, care, and support others (including the people that we don’t get along with or like), then we really don’t know God b/c He isn’t living within us.

I believe that most of us have a broken relationship with God. Why??? Because we aren’t caring, loving, and support each other. We have done a good job of creating divisions instead of building unity.

So today, I would like to suggest that we step back, take a deep breath, stop focusing on church issues… and let’s repair our relationship with God. And when I mean repairing our relationship with God, I mean repairing our relationship with each others. If we are not caring, supporting, and loving each other, then God is not living within us and we don’t know God.

Let’s work together to know God better through each other.

Books

2011-06-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

As you may know, I like to read a lot of books. I subscribe to the saying that “Leaders are Readers.” I enjoy reading, plus it helps me to grow spiritually and mentally. Some of you have been asking me what books I have read recently. So today, I want to share with you some of the books that I have read this year…

Professionally…

1.“Biblical Church Growth” by Gary McIntosh
2.“Leadership Gold” by John Maxwell
3.“Church Marketing 101”
4.“QBQ” by John Miller
5.“Comeback Churches" by Ed Stetzer & Mike Dodson
6.“Confessions of a Pastor” by Craig Groeschel
7.“Ten Most Common Mistakes made by New Church Starts” by Griffith/Easum
8.“Launch” by Searcy/Thomas
9.“Sacred Cows make Gourmet Burgers” by Bill Easum

Personally…

1.“Just One Closer Look” by Harlan Coben
2.“Call of the Wild” by Jack London
3.“By the Order of the President” by WEB Griffen

This week, I will be starting a new book.
“Decision Points” by Pres. George W Bush

If you ever want to borrow a book, let me know. I am always more than happy to share.

The Power of One

2010-07-08T08:56:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, Joshua and I went down to the lake to throw stones into the water. We had a great time choosing which stones we would throw into the lake and which stones would be taken home.

As Joshua and I threw stones into the Lake, we enjoyed watching the ripples that were created by each stone. The amazing thing is, no matter how small or large the stone was, ripples were created. Sometimes they were big and lasted for a while and other times they were small and didn’t last long.

Each one of us makes ripples in Life. The ripples represent how we affect the people around us as we move through Life. Sometimes we have a lasting affect while other time we don’t.

Leading people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ is the best way for each of us to have big ripples, lasting affects on people. We need to stay focused on the Vision that God has given to us and do whatever it takes to help others know Jesus Christ.

Life is all about God, not our comforts or interests. Each one of us has the opportunity to make a huge difference in another person’s spiritually life. Let us all go out and change the world, one person at a time!

Today is Gooding to be Great!

2010-06-25T09:03:00.001-05:00

"When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life is hard,' I am
always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'"
— Sydney J. Harris: Was an American journalist

Yes, life can be a struggle. It can be cruel, relentless, and impossible. But those days are seldom, and they pass as quickly as the clouds overhead. The truth is: If you have your health, you aren't fighting in a war, and your family bond is close, you should count your blessings daily. Because every day life presents such an incredible opportunity to grow, learn, share, laugh, and love.

Make today an awesome day!

The Calling of Levi

2010-06-24T16:10:00.001-05:00

In Luke 5.27-32, we read that Jesus has been traveling and doing some amazing things. People were being healed and Jesus is teaching everyone who will listen about God. From an outsider’s perspective, everything looks GREAT!

Levi was a tax collector. By society’s standards, tax collectors were the scum of the earth. They were terrible people who cheated and stole from people. So, when Jesus tells Levi to follow Him, we won’t be surprise that the religious leaders where offended.

Many time the church acts like the religious leaders’ of Jesus time. We pick and chose who should hear about God and who shouldn’t. Recently, I heard a story about a church who voted and successfully kicked out a man. The man was recently released from prison b/c he had sex with a teenage boy. Though the proper safe guards were in place and his parole office was involved, the congregation kicked him out.

Jesus is very clear that the church needs to get out of the pews and go into their surrounding areas and reach people in need of Jesus Christ. This is not a choice. This is a command! It doesn’t matter what we wear, the color of our skin, the amount of tattoos, what we have done in the past, etc. Everyone deserves to hear about Jesus Christ and experience His love.

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Into Thy Hands…

2010-06-09T07:27:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, my son Joshua scares me. Although he is only 6 years old, I have seen a great amount of wisdom and heart shown by him and that scares me. Let me give you some examples...

For the past month, Joshua has been drawing posters about a new church that he is starting for kids. After completing these posters, we wanted to go hang them all over the neighborhood. He has drawn the layout of our living room with details as to how we would fit everyone. And he has even gone to the extent of assigning hymns after he preaches about Jesus.
The other night, Joshua told me that tomorrow school would be over and then he was going to heaven. He told me he couldn’t stand this world anymore because it was “so dirty.” He needed to go to heaven and be with God and Jesus. I told him that God wasn’t through with us and he wanted us to tell more people about Jesus. Tears and sadness came upon his face. His desire to go to heaven with Jesus was so strong.
Following the above conversation about going to heaven, Joshua decided to design a robot that can speak many different languages and carry a backpack with Bibles and EvangeCubes. “This robot can tell lots of people about Jesus.”

When Mary and Joseph had Jesus dedicated at the Temple, a man named Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed him. Simeon told Mary and Joseph “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'”

I can’t imagine what Mary and Joseph felt after that prophecy. If I were them, there would be a lot of questions. But in my heart, I would know that God is in control and preparing him for great things.

I pray that God is preparing Joshua for great things. I have never seem someone so young, have such a heart for the Lord. Like Mary and Joseph, I too marvel at what God is doing in my son’s life.

Jesus The King

2010-05-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoy this introduction to our KING!

My Continuing Education

2010-05-12T11:32:00.001-05:00

Back in February, I started my continuing education with Nelson Searcy and his Tele-Coaching Network. There has been a lot of work, but it’s been good for me. I want to update you on what has been going on.

During the March Webinar, I learned a lot about Assimilation. This basically means, welcoming first time guests. Since Easter was right around the corner, the focus was welcoming new guests into the church. I learned the process of welcoming these guests so they will feel welcomed to continue worshiping with us. Some of the ideas that were shared we already do: connection cards, hand written notes, and $5 gas cards. One of the new ideas was putting pens on the bulletins. The pens on the bulletins make it easier for first time guests to fill out the connection cards and the message notes. They don’t need to search for a pen.

April’s Webinar focused on Stewardship. They did not talk about how to run a stewardship program. Instead, the topic was ways to help the congregation donate. There are two things I learned in this webinar. #1. The responsibility for raising funds in a church falls squarely in the lap of the senior pastor. #2. Congregations are uneducated about money and giving. Both of these thoughts really opened my eyes.

I have read three books since the last time I updated this blog.

“Fusion”

“Money Matters in the Church”

“Ignite”

I continue to listen to seminars, participate in coaching calls, and read other books. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. I would love to share.

He has Risen!

2010-04-05T14:22:00.001-05:00

Easter was an amazing day for me. As I stood at Korth Park and watched the sun rise over the City of Lake Mills, I had such a sense of peace come over me. I felt like I was walking to the tomb of Christ and I had found it empty already. I had a better appreciation for Mary that day she went to the tomb.

I just want to thank everyone for helping make our Easter Services a huge blast! I was overwhelmed and encouraged by see first time guest, our regular attenders, and people we haven't seen in a long time. It was truly a great day!

Now, I look ahead to the mission trip to Quevedo, Ecuador. We leave this Friday, April 9 with a team of 15 people. We are on a mission from GOD to tell others about his Son! Please pray that God will use us,empower us, and allow us to praise His holy name!

Love you guys! We are making a HUGE splash in God’s Kingdom!

We're Almost There!!!!

2010-03-29T18:43:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it???? Easter is almost here. I am so excited. Easter is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the spring time with new birth, the green trees, and warm weather. This Easter is going to be the biggest event of our church. We are expecting 300 people to worship with us between the 8 am and 10 am service. Never before has this happened. And our prayer is that out of the 300 people that show up, over 150 people will be unchurched or dechurched people. I want this Sunday to be the biggest event for God.

Here's what's going on this week.

Jim Schmidt and I are praying everyday at 5:30 am in the Warm Room at the church. Everyone is welcome to join us.
The Leadership Team is passing out over 300 door hangers this week throughout Lake Mills.
Jim Schmidt and I will be fasting (not eating any food) from Thursday to Saturday night. During this time, we will be in a constant state of prayer for our church, the people in Lake Mills that God will send to us, and our Easter Services.
Over 300 postcards will be mailed to residents in Lake Mills inviting people to worship with us.
We will run the second newspaper ad in the Lake Mills Leader inviting people to worship with us.

What can you do? Join us in praying for:

Every member of our church.
Our church Leadership.
Our 8 am & 10 am Easter Worship Services.
Every person in Lake Mills that receives an invitation to worship with us. May God open their hearts to join us.

There are great things that are going to be done in this city! Easter is just the start.

Easter 2010 Countdown

2010-03-09T16:01:00.003-06:00

Easter is quickly approaching with only several weeks to go. APRIL 4 is Easter and we have a lot of work to do. I want this to be the best Easter we have ever had. We are going to Maximize Easter and reach out to all unchurched and dechurched people in our community.

Here's the game plan:

This week, you will receive door hangers to place on your neighbor's doors. On the hanger will be information about our church inviting them to join us for worship on Easter.
On March 21st, you will receive postcards during worship. Give them to people who don’t go to church. Hang them on bulletin boards. Leave them on the table at the restaurant with your tip. Mail them to friends and family.
We are going to hang up posters in the community inviting people to worship with us on Easter Sunday.
We will have a quarter page ad in the Lake Mills Leader for two weeks in a row inviting people to worship with us on Easter.
If I can work out the details, we will have a LED sign in the Cook Memorial Garden advertising the Easter Service and welcoming people in.
Every 1st time guest that joins us on Easter will receive a free gift to thank them for coming.

I will be starting a new teaching series on Easter called “Prison Break.” I am really excited about this new teaching series.

Please pray for me, Denise, and our church as we gear up for Easter. Our whole Leadership Team is fasting and praying once a week and over 20 people in our congregation have committed to fasting and praying too. Please pray that God sends 300 people to our worship services at 8 & 10 am. Pray that 150 of those people are unchurched and dechurched people. Pray that we will lead people to Christ during those services.

Our Vision is “Leading people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.” This will happen on Easter!!!

The Beginning of my Continuing Education

2010-03-01T13:41:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, I have started a 12 month continuing education program with Nelson Searcy at the Journey Church in New York City. I have read several of his books and really enjoy his work. Over the next 12 months, I will use this opportunity to keep you up to date about what I am learning. Even though I am going through this program, it is meant to benefit all of us.

Each month, there will be a two hour training call and then a one hour Q & A call. During the two hour call, I will listen to Nelson teach while I using my computer to look at his computer screen and view the material. The process is called a Webinar. I had my first Webinar on Feb. 18. This call was more of an introduction to the program. We learned more about what would be happening and what was required of us. I will have homework every month which will include listening to trainings and reading books. It's a pretty intense program. Here are three "soft truths" that I learned.

1. Your church has more potential than is being realized right now

2. You are doing way too much of the wrong things

a.Things are not most beneficial

b. We need to do replacement ministry

3. For your church to grow, the Pastor must grow!

a.Growing churches only grow with growing leaders

Nelson stated that there 8 systems of all churches. Throughout the next 12 months, we will be studying each of the 8 systems. All 8 need to be healthy in order for the church to be healthy. Here are the systems:

8 Systems of a Church: 1.Worship planning 2.Evangelism system 3.Assimilation system 4.Small group system 5.Ministry system 6.Stewardship system 7.Leadership system 8.Strategy system

If you would like more info on these 8 systems, let me know. As I learn more about these, I will pass this information to you.

It's going to be a good journey. I am looking forward to growing with you.

Lent in 2010

2010-02-09T14:20:00.004-06:00

For many years, I have given things up during the Lenten season. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (this year February 17th) and end with Easter Sunday. It spans a total of 40 days and is often thought as a parallel to Jesus’ “testing” in the wildness. Giving something up gives me time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the cross of Calvary.

Here are some reflective questions that a friend of mine shared with his congregation that can be used during this time:

■Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?

■Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those who irritate me?

■Do I feel the power of connection to God and the church in corporate worship?

■How is my devotional and prayer life progressing? Am I listening to God more and complaining less? Is it time for a change or a growth in my Bible study and prayer life?

■What are the lurking sin problems, which still plague me?

■Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?

■Do I speak up for the maligned and oppressed, or do I remain silent in order to remain popular?

I challenge you to use the the Lenten season as a time to re-examine who you are and who is God in your life. Allow yourself to be drawn closer to Jesus the Christ.

Here We Go

2010-01-25T09:49:00.002-06:00

The strength of our church can be seen in the strength of our faith. We are a people who are driven by God's vision for us- "Leading people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ." God has given us a laser sharp vision and we will lead the unchurched and dechurched to Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, we met to talk about the life of our church. As we discussed, there were mistakes that were made and there were big successes. It was great to put both, the positives and the negatives, on the board and discuss them openly. Open discussion makes us stronger. It allows us to share how we feel and talk about why things were done. Thanks for a good meeting.

I have been encouraged by the meeting yesterday. As a church, I believe that we are stronger than ever. 2010 is going to be a great year. We will continue to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and expand His kingdom!

Sunday Worship

2010-01-12T11:30:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday, we started a new sermon series called "Alignment with God." This three week series will focus our attention to 3 goals that our church and we as individuals can work on in 2010.

This past week's subject was "Supporting Others with Positive Words." Many of you have told me how helpful the message was to you on Sunday and wished others could have been there. We tape our serves every Sunday. If you would like a copy of the service, please let Denise or myself know. The DVD is FREE. Just ask and we will get you one.

This week, we will focus on "Service." If you thought last week's message was helpful, please invite a friend. You're invitation will be a blessing to those you invite!

Thank You!!!!

2010-01-07T12:26:00.002-06:00

I want to thank everyone for a good 2009 year. We have had several challenges during 2009, but as I reflect back, there have been so many blessings. These will be shared at the Annual Meeting.

I would also like to thank the church for their wonderful and very generous Christmas gift. Annie and I truly appreciate all of the love and support you have shown us over the years. We have a great church. Our strength is seen in how we care for each other. Thank you for caring for my family like you do.

Called By God

2009-12-15T14:38:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, we have a team of 10 people traveling to Quevedo, Ecuador from April 9-17. We will be joining a larger group from around the area. All of our missionaries feel called by God to travel and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our Ecuadorian friends. Our missionaries have been training and preparing for this trip for the past months.

Our mission is to help already established churches start new churches. During the 2009 trip, the missionaries from our church started 2 international churches. The whole 2009 group started 5 new international churches.

When we go to Ecuador, we use the EvangeCube to evangelize. Once a person accepts Jesus Christ into their hearts, we then disciple them. The discipling takes place over several days and it is an ongoing process. During the stay, we work with our translators and host churches to accomplish this work. At the end of our trip, we will have many new people who are hungry to know more about Jesus Christ and connect with their new church.

It's a wonderful thing to see people come to the Lord. The trip cost $2,100.00 for each missionary to go. If you would like to help support this trip and our missionaries, please write a check out to e3 partners and place it in the offering plate. Your gift is truly appreciated!

Merry Christmas!

Welcome Home

2009-12-09T13:54:00.001-06:00

Family time is so important for Annie and I. Though our house can be crazy at times, we enjoy the time we have with our children. I have said in the past, if you want to know how fast time goes by, have children. Time seems to go too fast and I am sometimes saddened by the speed in which our children develop. I sometimes wonder if my experience as a parent was similar to Mary and Joseph's experience.

This Christmas season, I welcome you to look at the "First Family" of Christmas. No, I am not talking about the Obamas. I am talking about Mary and Joseph. These two, young individuals followed the hope and promise of God. And they raised a child who was and is Christmas. No matter how busy and crazy this time of the year may get, Jesus is what it is all about.

Jesus is a member of our family. Happy Birthday Jesus. Happy Birthday Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T15:32:00.001-06:00

Today is an awesome day! It seems like each day gets better and better and God is sooooo good. I hope this is true for you too. Here's a couple of updates for you about what is going on around the church.

1. Believe it or not, we are going to finally get the back door fixed. Boyd has received so many suggestions from many of you. Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts. Boyd is getting an estimate on fixing the door in the next two weeks. We will be installing a panic bar on the back door. We have panic bars on the front doors and they work well. We will teach everyone how to use it when the time comes. Only those involved in current ministries will receive a key. We will not be handing out keys to everyone.

2. Our Budget Listening Sessions will be on Dec. 13 after church and Dec. 16 from 6-7 pm. The budget will be out to all active members by the end of next week. This is an opportunity for us as a congregation to gather and talk about the ministries of the church. Please talk to any Leadership Team if you have question and can't make it to one of these listening sessions. You can get a list of Leadership Team members by calling the church office. At the Annual Meeting, there will be no discussion on the budget. Only a vote will be taken.

I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving. May God continue to bless you and your family.

What’s He Doing Now?

2009-11-17T13:54:00.003-06:00

The old joke is that a Pastor only works 1 hour a week and that is on Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings is when most of the church sees me in person. The congregation usually doesn’t stop in during the week to see or hear what I am doing. So, in this week’s blog, I would like to share with you some of the things I have been up to.

Besides the weekly preparation for the Sunday Worship service which takes many hours to prepare for (sermons, connection cards, announcements, studying), I like to keep on learning. I have been reading a book called “Inside the Mind of unchurched harry and mary” by Lee Strobel. It’s been a good book to help me think outside the “box” and consider what unchurched people are thinking. I hope to soon start the next book called “Ignite” by Nelson Searcy.

I just finished preparing the proposed 2010 budget for the Leadership Team to look at. As you can imagine, money has been alocated for ministry, but it is tight. We will be sharing the proposed 2010 budget in the beginning of December.

I have also planned all of my sermons for next year. Currently, I have all of my sermons planned until June 2010.

There are so many other things that I do, such as training our future Ecuadorian Missionaries, visit members, prepare surveys, talk to other churches, plan meetings, counseling etc.

These are some of the items that keep me busy. I hope this gives you a better idea of what I do.

Thoughts and Information

2009-11-09T12:23:00.001-06:00

The purpose of this blog is to try and let you know what is the “talk” around the church. I have been trying my best to keep everyone informed. This will be another avenue to do just that.

I want to thank Boyd Forest for preparing the walls and Deb Wishau for painting the Warm Room. They did a great job. There will be some pictures hung on the walls soon and Deb will rearrange the furniture in a more conversational way. We are also working on building an electric fireplace that will go on the back wall. This will provide a warm atmosphere for those who will use this room. The work will hopefully be done in the next week or so.

There will be two listening sessions that will be held in December. The 2010 Budget will be shared prior to these listening sessions. All church members are encouraged to come to one of the listening sessions to ask questions about the proposed 2010 Budget. During the annual meeting on January 24, 2010, there will be no discussion on the budget. There will only be a vote taken. The listening sessions are meant for people to come and share their thoughts and opinions.

I will be on vacation the week after Christmas. This will include Sunday, January 3. Our missionaries that went to Back Bay will lead the worship service. We will not have communion on January 3. Communion will be served on January 10 instead.

If you have questions, please let me know.

Growing and Changing

2009-11-04T10:46:00.002-06:00

As humans, we are always growing and changing. Our bodies mature and change as well as the world around us. At church, we have been growing and changing. Some changes have been very positive and others have not. It’s been a learning experience for all of us.

Our Vision “Leading People into a Life Changing Relationship with Jesus Christ” has been stretching us in many different ways. I and the Leadership Team have been learning many things on this journey.

As we continue on this journey together, I pray that you will have patience. I don’t have all of the answers. I am still learning and growing myself. I believe that as we walk this journey together, our church will be much stronger and we will have a bigger impact on God’s Kingdom.

Please come and talk to me if you have any concerns and we will work through the together.

Pictures of Jonah

2009-10-27T16:40:00.004-05:00

Well, I am a little bit late in getting these pictures up and on my blog. Here is Jonah Aaron Partington. He is 8 lbs. 15 oz. and 20 inches long. He is resting well at home with mom. Both mom and Jonah came home on Friday, October 23. He has been sleeping through the night. He went to bed at 11 pm and woke up at 6:30 am. I was very happy. Enjoy the pictures.

He's Here!!!

2009-10-21T13:49:00.003-05:00

Annie and I are very excited and proud to welcome Jonah Aaron Partington into our family. He was born on 10-21-09 at 9:08 am. He's 8 lbs. 15 oz. and is 20 in. Annie and Jonah are doing very well. Right now, Annie is resting and Jonah went for some blood work. Nothing to be concerned about.

I will be posting some pictures by Friday. So check back soon. If all goes well, mom and baby will be in church this Sunday!

What is It?

2009-10-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

Is it a girl or is a boy?? That is the question! Annie and I are very excited to find out what our new baby will be. We look forward to welcoming this new baby into this world. Both of us are getting excited. Names have been picked out. Time will tell which name we will have to use.

Please check back to see what the baby is. I will post some pictures of the baby on my blog by Friday. Please keep Annie and the baby in your prayers.

What's Next?

2009-10-05T14:00:00.001-05:00

This coming Sunday, we will conclude our current series on “Under Construction.” I hope you have enjoyed the series as well as guessing what the structure was that we were building. It’s been a lot of fun!

We have two more series coming up this year. The first series is called “The Amazing Race”. During this series, we will talk about the race of life and how we tackle that everyday. The second series is call “Family Matters”. This series will address several issues of families and tie everything in to the Advent season.

We will have many more series next year. Hopefully, we can touch people in Lake Mills and help construct God’s kingdom.

What's Up With Our Church???

2009-09-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

What’s going on at church? That’s a really good question. Let me update you to the many things going on in the church.

Last Sunday, we began a new sermon series call “Under Construction”. Our lives are always under construction. Just when we think we have everything planned out, we are sent in another direction- detoured in life. The goal of this series is to connect people to God in a new way. FREE tools will be given out each week and “something” will be build on the altar area. Can you guess what it will be?

Life Groups have started. I hope you are part of one. If not, boy are you missing out. The next session of Life Groups will start on February 7, 2010. Stay tuned for more details as to what they might be.

Finally, a personal note. Please keep Annie in your prayers. She will be having a c-section on October 21, 2009. She has good days and bad days. Overall, her pregnancy is going well, but I think she is ready to be done. She’s a trooper.

Have a great week!!!!!!!!

Fall is Here!

2009-09-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

Our church is ready to Rock n Roll this fall. We have five Life Groups that are ready to launch next week and we have an exciting sermon series that is coming up this Sunday. Finally, KidzWorship (formerly called Children’s Church) has new teachers, new thoughts, and a Preteen Group. How can’t you be excited about that lineup?

Couple thoughts about our new sermon series “Under Construction”. I’m amazed at how challenging peoples’ lives are. We are all on a spiritual journey that is full of bumps and sometimes huge potholes. Just when we think we know which direction we are going, life throws a detour at us.

“Under Construction” is designed to help us connect with the creator of life. God designed our life and He can help us navigate through it. The catch is~ we need to ask for the help.

I hope you will join us for this 4 week adventure with God.

Back to School

2009-08-31T11:52:00.004-05:00

Friends;

Annie, my wife, sent me this article from Dr. James Dobson on kids going back to school. We both respect Dr. Dobson's work and his words. I was so touched by this article, that I am putting it on my blog for you to read. I hope it will bless you like it has blessed us.

For more information or articles like the one below from Dr. Dobson, you can go to his website at www.focusonthefamily.com

Dear Friends:

August can be an emotional month for families. For children, it's a time to say farewell to the "lazy, hazy, crazy" days of summer and a return to the discipline and responsibility of the classroom. And while mom and dad might look forward to having peace and quiet around the house again, for some, their relief is tempered by a sense of sadness because their parenting years are almost over. That thought always put a big lump in my throat.

With that in mind, I'd like to revisit a letter that I wrote some time ago when my own son, Ryan, left home for college. His older sister had taken the same journey several years earlier, which meant that Ryan's departure officially qualified Shirley and me as "empty nesters." As you will see, that experience made a profound impact on me. I would like to reprise that letter today for those of you who haven't read it, and who might be nearing the "launching" of your own children. This is a milestone that most parents have to face, and perhaps our experience can be an encouragement to you and yours.

With that, let's go back to a very precious time in the Dobson household.

*****

Years have come and gone since the morning our first child came into the world. An instant and irrational love affair was also born that day between this new dad and his baby daughter, Danae Ann, who took center stage in the Dobson household. How deeply I loved that little girl! She would stand in the doorway each morning and cry as I left for work, and then run giggling and breathless to meet me at the end of the day. You would have thought we had been separated for months. Could I ever love another child as much as this one, I thought.

Then a few years later, a little lad named James Ryan made his grand entrance, and it all happened again. He was my boy--the only son I would ever be privileged to raise. What a joy it was to watch him grow and develop and learn. How proud I was to be his father--to be trusted with the well-being of his soul. I put him to bed every night when he was small, and we laughed and we played and we talked to Jesus. I would hide his sister's stuffed animals around the house, and then we turned out the lights and hunted them with flashlights and a toy rifle. He never tired of that simple game. But the day for games has passed.

This morning, you see, marked the official beginning of the "empty nest" for Shirley and me. Danae graduated from college a year ago and is now building an exciting new life of her own. It was difficult for us to let her go, but we took comfort in Ryan's remaining years at home. How quickly those months have flown, and today, our formal years of parenthood came suddenly to an end. We took Ryan to the airport and sent him off to Colorado for a five-week summer program. Then in August, he plans to enter his freshman year at a college in the Midwest. Though he will be home periodically for years to come, our relationship will not be the same. It might be even better, but it will certainly be different. And I have never liked irreversible change.

Though I knew this moment was coming for many years, and I had helped others cope with similar experiences, I admit freely that Ryan's departure hit me hard. For the past two weeks, we have worked our way through a massive accumulation of junk in his room. Ryan is a collector of things no one else would want--old street signs, broken models and favorite fishing rods. The entire family took tetanus shots and we plunged into the debris. Finally last night, Shirley and Ryan packed the remaining boxes and emptied the last drawer. The job was finished. His suitcases were packed. Our son was ready to go.

Ryan came into my study about midnight, and we sat down for another of the late-night chats that I have cherished. He always liked to talk at the end of the day. I won't tell you what we said in that final conversation. It is too personal to share with anyone. I can only say that the morning came too quickly, and we drove as a family to the airport. There I was, driving down the freeway when an unexpected wave of grief swept over me. I thought I couldn't stand to see him go. It was not that I dreaded or didn't look forward to what the future held. No, I mourned the end of an era--a precious time of my life when our children were young and their voices rang in the halls of our house.

I couldn't hide the tears as we hugged good-bye at Gate 18. Then Shirley and I drove along to our home, where a beloved son and daughter had grown from babies to young adults. There I lost it again!

The house that we had left three hours earlier in a whirlwind of activity had been transformed in our absence. It had become a monastery--a morgue--a museum. The silence was deafening to us both. Every corner of it held a memory that wafted through the air. I meandered to Ryan's room and sat on the floor by his bed. His crib had once stood on that spot. Though many years had passed, I could almost see him as a toddler--running and jumping to my open arms. What a happy time that was in my life. The ghost of a kindergartner was there, too, with his brand-new cowboy clothes and his Snoopy lunch pail. Those images are vivid in my mind today. Then a 7-year-old boy appeared before me. He was smiling, and I noticed that his front teeth were missing. His room was filled with bugs and toads and a tarantula named Pebber. As I reached out to hug him, he quietly disappeared. Then a gangly teenager strolled through the door and threw his books on his desk. He looked at me as if to say, "Come on, Dad. Pull yourself together!"

My own words now come back to mind. I remember saying in my second film series, Turn Your Heart Toward Home, that the day was coming soon when "the bicycle tires would be flat, the skateboard would be warped and standing in the garage, the swing set would be still, and the beds would not be slept in. I know those times will soon be here, and I realize it has to be so. I accept it. I wouldn't for anything try to hold back our son or daughter when it comes time to go. But that will also be a very sad day, because the precious experience of parenting will have ended for me." Alas, the day that I anticipated has just arrived.

If you're thinking that I am hopelessly sentimental about my kids, you're right. The greatest thrill of my life has been the privilege of raising them day-by-day in the service of the Lord. Still, I did not expect such intense pain at the time of Ryan's departure. I thought I was prepared to handle the moment, but I quickly realized just how vulnerable I am to the people I love.

In a larger sense, however, it is not merely the end of formal parenting that has shaken my world today. I grieve for the human condition itself. When Ryan boarded that plane in Los Angeles, I comprehended anew the brevity of life and the temporary nature of all things. As I sat on the floor in his room, I heard not only Ryan's voice but the voices of my mother and father who laughed and loved in that place. Now they are gone. One day Shirley and I will join them. First one and then the other. We are just "passing through," as the gospel songwriters used to say. All of life boils down to a series of happy "hellos" and sad "good-byes." Nothing is really permanent, not even the relationships that blossom in a healthy home. In time, we must release our grip on everything we hold dear. King David said it best, "As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more" (Psalm 103:15-16, KJV). Yes. I felt the chilly breeze of change blowing through my home this morning, and I understood its meaning.

What an incredibly important scriptural concept. If we really grasped the numbering of our days, we would be motivated to invest ourselves in eternal values.

Would a 50-year-old man pursue an adulterous affair if he knew how quickly he would stand before his God? Would a woman make herself sick from in-law conflict or other petty frustrations if she knew how little time was left to her? Would men and women devote their lives to the pursuit of wealth and symbols of status if they realized how soon their possessions will be torn from their trembling hands? It is the illusion of permanence, you see, that distorts our perception and shapes our selfish behavior. When eternal values come in view, our greatest desire is to please the Lord and influence as many of our loved ones for Him as possible.

I ask each of my readers this important question: If we really believed that the eternal souls of our children hang in the balance today--that only by winning them for Christ can we spend eternity together in heaven--would we change the way this day is lived? Would we ignore and neglect so great an opportunity if our eyes were fully opened to this awesome responsibility? I think not. I pray not.

Addressing myself now to the mothers and fathers of young children, I urge you to keep this eternal perspective in view as you race through the days of your lives. Don't permit yourselves to become discouraged with the responsibilities of parenting. Yes, it is an exhausting and difficult assignment, and there are times when you will feel like throwing in the towel. But I beg you to stay the course! Get on your knees before the Lord and ask for His strength and wisdom. Finish the job to which He has called you! There is no more important task in living, and you will understand that assignment more clearly when you stand where Shirley and I are today. In the blink of an eye, you will be hugging your children good-bye and returning to an empty house. That is the way the system works.

In conclusion, let me offer this thought from my book Love for a Lifetime:

In August 1977, my wife and children joined me on a trip to Kansas City, Missouri, for a short visit with my parents. We enjoyed several days of family togetherness before it was time to leave. As we drove to the airport where we would say good-bye, I asked my father to pray for us. I will never forget his words. He closed with this thought:

"And, Lord, we want to thank You for the fellowship and love that we feel for each other today. This has been such a special time for us with Jim and Shirley and their children. But, Heavenly Father, we are keenly aware that the joy that is ours today is a temporal pleasure. Our lives will not always be this stable and secure. Change is inevitable, and it will come to us, too. We will accept it when it comes, of course, but we give You praise for the happiness and warmth that has been ours these past few days. We have had more than our share of good things, and we thank You for Your love. Amen."

Shortly thereafter, we hugged and said good-bye, and my family boarded the plane. A week later, my father suddenly grabbed his chest and told my mother to call the paramedics. He left us on December 4 of that year. And now, she has also gone on to be with the Lord. How quickly it all unraveled.

Even today, so many years later, my dad's final prayer echoes in my mind. An entire philosophy is contained in that simple idea. "Thank You, God, for what we have ... which we know we cannot keep." I wish every member of God's family could capture that incredible concept.

Family Vacation

2009-08-26T10:38:00.001-05:00

Wow! The last three weeks have been awesome! As many of you know, Noah and I traveled to Ecuador for 9 days. We were home for a couple of days and then our family traveled to the Apostle Islands for vacation. We returned on August 22.

Since my family is new to Wisconsin, we have tried to experience the beauty of the state and take advantage of the wonderful state parks. For the past 7 days, we once again this again. On August 15, we hoped in the van and traveled to the Apostle Islands for a family vacation. The Apostle Islands are located 6.5 hours north across from Bayfield on Lake Superior. All but one of the islands is owned by the state and we stayed on that island (Madeline Island). The rest are owned by the Federal Gov.

Throughout the week, we hiked often, when canoeing and kayaking, toured the town of La Pointe, and enjoyed each others company. It was a wonderful vacation.

I would encourage all of you to travel to Madeline Island. What an awesome place to visit.

Ecuador Mission Trip

2009-08-11T11:10:00.002-05:00

On July 31, Noah, Shannon Willey, and I traveled with a team of 9 people from Real Hope Community Church to Ecuador. Our mission was to start new churches. That would be accomplished by working with existing churches to evangelize and disciple new people.

Noah and I were teamed up with a lady named Julie from Real Hope. Shannon was teamed up with a guy named Steve from Real Hope. I will be writing from Noah and my perspective.

On Saturday night and Sunday morning, my team worshiped with our host church. It was great to meet the people who we would be working with and worshiping with them. Through our translator, we were able to learn more about their church and have conversation about many things. Though Noah couldn’t speak Spanish and the Ecuadorian children couldn’t speak English, they all enjoyed playing soccer together and had a great time.

Sunday afternoon and each day following, our team would travel to our mission site and go door to door sharing the EvangeCube. When someone heard the message of Jesus Christ and accepted Him into their hearts, we would then offer them a Bible and start discipling them. It was an awesome experience.

My team produced 34 new believers to start a new church. Between Shannon’s team and my team, we started 2 new international churches in four days. That is very exciting.

More stories will come in the near future. God is working in amazing ways. Please pray for our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters. They still have a lot of work ahead of them, but they are on the way!

Life Groups- It's What We Do!

2009-07-20T12:47:00.001-05:00

Last week, my blog was on why we do what we do. This week, I am going to explain how we are going to run Life Groups this fall. Hopefully you will find this helpful and be ready to participate.

The fall Life Groups will run from September 20 to December 6. We will run them 3 times a year, 13 week sessions. There are five Life Groups that you can chose from, each having different topics to study. Each Life Group will have between 15-20 people involved in them. This will allow a good conversation to take place as you deepen your faith in Jesus Christ. Sign-ups for the fall Life Groups will start on August 30 and go to September 13. More information will be coming your way in August and you will be able to access it on our website at www.ucclakemills.org

Life Groups are key to our church fulfilling its vision of “Leading people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.” It is proven that people grow the most/ deepen their faith in Jesus Christ through small groups. Thus, we will have small groups because we are a church that is driven by our Vision.

We do the things we do, so God may receive all of the Glory!

Why do we do the things we do?

2009-07-14T15:08:00.001-05:00

Did you ever ask yourself why we do the things we do? I mean, what drives us to wake up in the morning, shower and head off to work? What drives us to apply ourselves at work? Why do we do all the things that we do?

I ask those types of questions from time to time. Lately, I have been asking those questions at the church.

~Why to we worship the way we do?
~Why are we having Kidzfest and pouring so much time and energy into it?
~Why do we need to spend so much time planning?

Each time I ask these questions, the answer is always the same. We do the things we do at the church because God had given us a Vision to do them! Our purpose is to “Lead people into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ!” That’s our purpose. That’s what we do.

Every decision that is made is based on this Vision. If it doesn’t support the Vision, we won’t do it. We are a church that is driven to help lead people to Jesus Christ. That’s why we do the things we do!

Planning Ahead

2009-07-07T16:13:00.001-05:00

One of the areas where I struggle in is planning. I am more likely to think about something for a short amount of time and then jump into it without further planning. It’s all of the little details that I sometimes forget to think about. Since things are done at the last minute, there really isn’t enough time to consider the little details.

Unfortunately, I am not the only one who doesn’t plan well. Most churches across the country don’t plan well. Everything is done at the last minute and there is little prep time or planning time involved. Maybe that’s why the Christian church in America is so ineffective.

We, the staff at First Congregational Church, are changing the way we do things. Instead of last minute planning, we are planning a year to two years out. We are looking at planning events into the future, planning worship six month ahead, and planning Life Groups three to four months ahead. All of this planning is meant to produce more efficiency in carrying out our God given vision and to advance God’s Kingdom.

I hope that you will find things flowing smoother and more effective.

Baptism

2009-07-02T09:21:00.003-05:00

I’m excited! Boy am I excited!!!!! On June 21, I had the privilege to baptize two people at Rock Lake. Amanda Johnson and her daughter accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It was an exciting time to meet the families and baptize them in the lake. Some pictures are here so you can see this exciting event.

Going Green!

2009-06-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

On June 12, 13, 14; Pat and Boyd Forest (delegates), Shannon Willey, Annie and I went to the Wisconsin Conference Annual Meeting. The theme was:

“Creation and the Environment; Living Gracefully”
"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it."
Psalm 24

The keynote speaker was Jean Feraca, the host of a public radio program. During her presentation, Jean talked about how connected we are to God’s creation on Earth and throughout the universe. She showed some amazing pictures taken by the Hubble telescope and had some cartoon images to illustrate our connectiveness to the earth. I was struck by the images she showed and the illustrations she used. Though I knew that we were part of creation, I never thought about how connected we were and how dependant we are to the world around us.

Throughout the conference, Ken Medema provided musical responses to the issues at hand. Ken has been blind all of his life, but I think he can see things better than I can. I was blown away by this man’s talent for music. Many times, he would listen to people’s stories and then create a song immediately, retelling the story he just heard. Ken was the life of the conference for me.

I truly enjoyed the conference. All 5 of our kids were engaged in activities that were appropriate for their age. We camped in a pop-up camper and all of us slept well after a full day of events. Saturday night- we had a campfire and it was awesome!!! The stars where out and God’s creation was amazing!

Watch and Learn

2009-06-04T16:13:00.000-05:00

S- “When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he (Isaac) said, ‘she is my wife.’ He thought, ‘The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, b/c she is beautiful.’” Genesis 26.7

O- In Genesis 20.11-12, Isaac’s father Abraham claimed that Sarah was his sister. Abimelech just happened to the king. I find it ironic that Isaac uses the same playbook as his dad to the same king, Abimelech. Isaac was truly a chip off the old block.

A- This passage challenges me to reflect on the things I do and have done. Have I made the same mistakes as my dad? I love my dad, but am I a ‘chip off the old block’ in some wrong areas? I need to really reflect and grow in a positive way.

P- Lord, open my eyes to my actions and my dad’s actions and help me not to repeat what you don’t want repeated. May I learn and grow so you are given the Glory. Amen

I am Sent too!

2009-05-27T17:01:00.002-05:00

S- “Paul, an apostle- sent not from men not by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” Galatians 1.1

O- As I did my reading today in the book of Galatians, I was struck by the opening line of the letter. Paul was sent by Jesus Christ, not by men nor by man. What a powerful statement that Paul makes. Paul recognized who he served, who equipped him, and who sent him into the world. Paul “was on a mission from God!” And God sent him.

A- So often, I am overwhelmed and struggle to make headway in life. With 5 children and 1 on the way (by the way- I know the gender), life is very busy. I need to remember that it is Jesus Christ who has sent me into the world. Just like Paul, I, too, am on a mission from God. And God is sending me!

P- Lord Jesus, thank you for considering me to be a part of your plan in this world. Thank you for sending me to Lake Mills and the surrounding communities. I pray that I will fulfill your mission faithfully and honorably. Amen

Do I really have to go through this?

2009-05-27T13:58:00.003-05:00

S- Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us

O- We all suffer. It’s part of life, almost as if it were a thread woven into the fabric of life. I hate pain and suffering. Come to think about it, who does enjoy “good suffering”? Suffering is the building of hope. Suffering is the 1st stage of the process of growing. Suffering equals perseverance, which equals character, which equals HOPE. Suffering doesn’t jump to Hope. Character doesn’t produce perseverance. Once must go through the process. One must go through Good Friday to get to the resurrection of Easter. And Easter is Hope.

A- In times of suffering, I must remember that I am on a journey with Christ.

P- Father God, thank you for Jesus suffering. Through Jesus’ suffering, there is Hope for me. Amen.

It boils down to Faith

2009-05-21T16:58:00.002-05:00

S- “And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. Romans 3.22-24 (Message)

O- Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. So often we think that we have to earn our way into heaven. That our salvation is up to how we perform. This probably comes from our competitive world where everyone is striving to be better than the next person. All of us have sinned. Everyone is on equal ground with God. Money and status don’t matter. Labels and titles don’t matter. All that matters is our faith in Jesus Christ.

A- So often, I let my human pride and earthly success (as little as it is) get in the way of how I view people. I need to remember that I am the same as everyone else. Faith is the key, not earthly things.

P- King Jesus, thank you for allowing me to have faith in you. Thank you for stripping me of my human pride and making me whole through the blood of the cross. Amen

Christ the Filter

2009-05-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

S- "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." Colossians 1.22 (NIV)

O- I think it's amazing what Jesus Christ has done for me. So often, I feel unworthy of His love and grace. And yet, love and grace are offered to me each day. If Christ didn't die on the cross for my sins, God would not be able to look at me. Since God is Holy, He couldn't look at me because my sin prevented it. Because Jesus did take my sin away through the cross, God now looks at me through Christ. Christ is the filter that removes my sin so God can look at me.

A- I need to recognize that Christ is the filter for everyone, not just me. His death on the cross covers everyone. If God continues to love and show grace to everyone, so should I.

P- Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice for me. Thank you for being my filter and allowing me to have a better relationship with my Creator. Amen.

How Great is Our God

2008-10-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog. I hope you enjoy the music of Chris Tomlin. He is an awesome Christian singer! Check back weekly for more blogs on a variety of Biblical subjects.