Life Connection Church has always been known for being friendly. After all, we strive to be God’s love with skin. For the last year and a half we have been renting time to do church from two other churches so our ability to hangout before and after church has been difficult. Now we have a place, and the time to hang out. I was sitting in our new Life House Cafe last night just thinking how comfortable and nicely decorated it is and what a great room we have. It really feels like home. When we were renting for a year and a half on Nutmeg we needed to get out in a hurry so the other church could do church. Our service was too early for most people to come and have coffee before church.
So…. Come a little early and hang around after the service…. Beginning this Sunday our service time will be10:15am.
I have been polling the church for the last month on service time preference for when we go to two services. We have a good mix of those who prefer the early or the late. We will be going to two services on Easter Sunday, April 8.
In the mean time….. Come early and stay late to the 10:15 service. The time is in the middle so the early people will come a little late and the late a little early till Easter. Then we will have a service time for everyone. Also, a 10:15 service time is an answer to, “My friends say 9:15 is too early for church.” Keep asking your friends… That’s the best way to grow LCC. Be an asker and a bringer.
We have our first outreach ”New Home Mailer” going out next week. It will be advertising a new teaching series. Beginning Feb 12….
Series Title: Falling in Love is Easy … It Takes Work to Stay In Love
I was a marriage counselor before I became a pastor. I often heard, “I still love him, but I am not in love with him.”
In this four week teaching series I will teach “the work” part of staying in love that I saw heal marriages over and over again in my counseling practice. If you plan on being married some day, want to improve a pretty good marriage, or want to save a marriage that’s looking pretty bad, please join me for this teaching. You will learn ”the work” part of staying in love or falling back in love.
If you are willing to work, you will be able to love.
The Work of Staying in Love
Feb 12: Working at Love
Feb 19: Work at Expressing Your Love
Feb 26: Working When Your Needs Are Not Met
March 4: Working at Having Good Fights
Git-R-Done Saturday. We will be completing our move this Saturday Jan 28 .. Reply if you can help… 8:30am start time
At 8:30am we will give away anything that is not already sold or that we are taking to the church. Then we will be hauling off what is left. Restoration Church has been so kind to allow us to use their space. As was God’s timing, as we found our new place, they sold their old place to the HEB school district. They will be demolishing the building and we are to completely clean out all of our stuff…..
We need some more volunteers. It will be organized and we will Git-R-Done as fast as possible. This will be our last big work day for awhile.
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God wants us to be strong but understand we are weak.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
Dangers in self-confidence over God-confidence
Pride
Forget to depend on God
Discouragement and spiritual confusion
God is against laziness…..
6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! 7 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work. Prov 6:6-7
God Confidence (Humility)
1) Don’t be too confident in my strengths.
That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 2 Cor 12:5
2) Recognize my weaknesses. Give God credit.
If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 2 Cor 12:6-7
3) Be thankful for my weaknesses.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 2 Cor 12:8
4) Accept God’s power through my weakness.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Cor 12:9
5) Be content by serving God.
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:10
Benefits of God-Help over Self Help
1) God is always there to help.
For when I am weak, then I am strong….vs. 10b
2) It keeps me humble.
The LORD despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished. 6 Unfailing love and faithfulness cover sin; evil is avoided by fear of the LORD. Prov 16:5-6
3) I will value others.
In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 1 Cor12:22NLT
4) I can comfort others with God’s comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Cor 1:4 NLT
It’s Hard to Go Forward When You Keep Looking Back
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Phil 3:12-14
Focusing on the past holds you back now and weakens your hope for the future.
What does it look like to focus on the past?
1) You dwell on resentments.
2) You hang on to regrets.
3) You struggle with remorse.
4) You settle for past successes.
Turn Your Eyes Forward
1) Let God be the judge, jury and executioner.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Eph 4:31-32
Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. Job 5:2
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 1 Pet 2:23
2) Let grief make you stronger.
David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. 18 Then on the seventh day the child died. 2 Sam 12:16,18
Look up instead of down….
Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate. 2 Sam 12:20
Accept what can’t be changed.
But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.” 2 Sam 12:23
Keep moving forward through the pain.
Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child. 2 Sam 12:24
3) Don’t dwell on or repress your guilt. Release it.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
4) Don’t settle on past successes.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31
Happiness is a state of mind. It is a way of looking at life. Is the glass half-full or half empty? Am I a victor or a failure? Is life mostly good or mostly bad?
Is the way we look at life nature or nurture? Well it’s both, kind of. Some of us are born with the tendency to lean positive and others negative.
But ….. You are what you think …. Happy or sad…. Joyful, angry, fearful, courageous, full of faith or depressed by doubt. Your mind controls your feelings and your actions. You can change your attitude. If you have been a negative person your whole life or you struggle with depression it will be harder for you than for others.
But …. you can turn it around in your mind.
The apostle Paul wrote, …let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Rom 12:2
David Jeremiah wrote in his book Turning Toward Joy a list of habitual thoughts or ways of looking at life that will guarantee unhappiness.
Make little things bother you; don’t just let them, make them.
Lose your perspective of things, and keep it lost. Don’t put first things first.
Get yourself a good worry–one about which you cannot do anything but worry.
Be a perfectionist: Condemn yourself and others for not achieving perfection.
Be right, always right, perfectly right all the time. Be the only one who is right and be rigid about your rightness.
Don’t trust or believe people, or accept them at anything but their worst and weakest. Be suspicious. Impute ulterior motives to them.
Always compare yourself unfavorably to others, which is the guarantee of instant misery.
Take personally, with a chip on your shoulder, everything that happens to you that you don’t like.
Don’t give yourself wholeheartedly or enthusiastically to anyone or to anything.
Make unhappiness the aim of your life, instead of bracing for life’s barbs through a “bitter with the sweet” philosophy.
Do you see yourself on the list? Just one of these habits will take you down the road of anxiety and depression.
So where do you start? How do you change the way you think? How do you renew your mind?
Paul also wrote: “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:39
Watered Down Dictionary Def of Hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. to believe, desire, or trust:
King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. Acts 2:25,26
Living hope creates a condition of rest.
27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’ Acts 2:27,28
What is the opposite of hope? Discouragment
Living discouraged creates a condition of anxiety.
Conditions of Life that Lead Toward Discouragement
1) Physical fatigue.
2) Emotional Negativity
3) Relational conflict or lacking connection
4) Spiritually dead or disconnection
When You Feel Like Giving Up
1 When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. 1 Kings 19
1) Get physically fit. Put action to beliefs.
But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,the mountain of God.
2) Get quiet and listen to God.
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
3) Get together with other believers.
15 Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.
18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Rom 5:3-5
What a great week. I love Thanksgiving week. Yesterday evening we had our annual family turkey/chicken fry at Lisa’s mom and dad’s house in Irving. It is a great way to kick off Thanksgiving. Nothing blew up or caught fire, and we had great family time and left with some good fried bird to get us primed for “The Bird” or “Ham” on Thursday.
I hope you are having a great week. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. What is advent? Glad you asked?
The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. There are four Sundays of the Advent Season. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). Each Sunday we will light an Advent Candle and read the Scripture that goes with the topic of the week.
This year I am doing an advent season teaching series. “The Gifts of Advent”
November 27 —- Hope When I Feel Like Giving Up
December 4 —- Love Is What I Need the Most
December 11 —- Joy When Life Is Hard
December 18 —- Peace When My World Is Closing In
December 25 —- Midnight Christmas Eve Service 11:30PM – 12:15AM
I hope if you are in town you will join us this Sunday. Who are you going to invite to church? Your unchurched friends are thinking about God and church this time of year more than any other. Surveys say that 9 out of 10 people would go to church if a friend invited them. Who are you going to invite?
What has been accomplished for eternity through the use of God’s stuff?
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Tim 6:18-19
Why is it so important to God to teach us to be generous?
Our natural obstacle to generosity is selfishness.
Our stewardship of our money and possessions becomes the story of our lives. ~ Randy Alcorn
Paul wrote: You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
The Climb from Financial Stress to Financial Peace
1) Basic Level Giving: Return an initial gift to God in a way that is identifiable and accountable.
Now regarding your question about the money being collected for God’s people in Jerusalem…2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once. 1 Cor 16:1-2
2) Obedience Level Giving: Return the full tithe to God.
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Mal 3:8-10
What does a curse look like? Fear and worry
3) Peak Level Giving: become a generous giver
Willingness to stretch yourself.
Desire to be generous with others.
A decision to use all you have to honor God.
Steps to Freedom From Debt
1) Decide and commit to put God first financially.
2) Put becoming debt free as priority.
3) Pay God and self first.
10% God – 10% – Debt – 80% Live on — 10% God - 10% – Savings – 80% Live on
Dear Friends and Family of Life Connection Church,
In case you didn’t know, today is 11/11/11. I am not sure it means anything. But, I did find out there is a word for people who are looking seriously for what it means.
Apophenia: the urge to find patterns in seemingly random data.
Go figure.
Also today is Veterans day. Thanks to all of you who have served in our Armed Forces. Please take a moment today and pray for those who are in harm’s way now. I saw a sign today that read, “Home of the free because of the brave.” Never take our freedoms for granted. We are still the best country in the world no matter how messed up it may be sometimes. Pray for protection for our troops, for peace, and for the families who are waiting for them to come home safe. Send up a special prayer for those who have lost loved ones who were fighting for our freedom.
I think Americans need to stop fighting with each other and unify in our gratitude for what we have.
I mentioned Sunday that one of the things I liked about studying and teaching psychology is that when people study people they find out some truths that are already in the Bible. God knew what we were like way before surveys and studies revealed who we are.
A new study just came out and was reported by CNN.
A new study shows that attending religious services regularly can mean a more optimistic, less depressed, and less cynical outlook on life…
According to the report, to be published this week in the Journal of Religion and Health, those who attend services frequently were 56% more likely to have an optimistic life outlook than those who don’t and were 27% less likely to be depressed. Those who attended weekly were less likely to be characterized by cynical hostility, compared with those who did not report any religious service attendance. You can find the rest of the article by clicking this link ….
The apostle Paul wrote over 2000 years ago: the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5:22-23
The more you are connected to God the more emotionally fit you will be and the longer you will live. How about that. Obviously, the more you attend church and worship God the easier it is to stay connected to the Holy Spirit.
So…. I am looking forward to seeing you guys at church on Sunday with a smile on your face.
And bring a friend. It will change their life for the better. That’s what friends are for.
The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act. ~ Stephen Covey
…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Rom 12:2
A Changed mind changes behavior and behavior reinforces mind. (LEAP) Listen Engage Apply Produce
Topic of money and possessions in Bible more than anything else….. Why?
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Tim 6:10
If you are a Reborn Spiritual Being the Holy Spirit is convicting you to be generous.
What is holding you back? Fear and love of money
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Prov 22:7
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Prov 21:5
The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. Ps 37:21
We have to develop an “It’s all God’s” perspective.
God created everything… Everything was created through him and for him… Col 1:16
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. 1 Tim 6:18-19
Important money perspective questions:
Where did it all go?
What did I spend it on?
What has been accomplished for eternity through the use of God’s stuff?
We have to live open handed? (Whatever God Attitude)
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 1 Pet 3:15-17
Unchurched: People who are away from God.
Non Christian never been churched. Never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior
Once churched ….. Been away from church and the dealings of God for a long time.
Between churches…..
Truth: Perception is everything.
What do the Unchurched think about Christians?
1) Unchurched believe that we consider ourselves insiders and consider them outsiders.
Swagger: “Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, anti choice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe.” UnChristian, Kinnaman and Lyons
2) I don’t think my lifestyle would be accepted.
3) They criticize others for doing the same thing they do
4) I can have a good relationship with God without the church.
5) The church is not the only place you can learn about being a Christian.
6) If someone wanted to tell me about what it means to him/her to be a Christian, I would be willing to listen.
7) I would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked me to.
8) If a friend told me he recently became a new Christian he could have a positive effect on our relationship.
9) If the church taught me the Bible in an undersatandable way that relates to my life now, I would attend.
10) If the church cared for me as a person I would come.
11) I would go to a small group of people to learn about the Bible.
12) Great music is not that big of a deal.
The truth of Theology is the reason for my butological experience.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Rom 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Rom 10:9-10
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Rom 10:13
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” John 14:5-7
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Tim 3:15-17
I have found that through out the Christ-following part of my life, as I stepped out and obeyed God, He changed me. Some of you know what I am talking about. For years I just kind of did Christianity and it really didn’t seem to make much of a difference in my life, except for the guilt I felt when I didn’t do it right. When I was a Christian, by just name and loose church affiliation, it actually made for more stress. Why? Because I knew better. I told myself I believed, but I did not live like I believed.
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
Wannabees are never happy? And fake, by name and affliliation, Christians are just miserable. When you are “kind of a disciple”, but really not, you suffer the consequences of “in your face Jesus” disobedience. A non faithful believer thinks, “I know what I am supposed to do, according to You, but I am choosing to go my way.”
As Christians, who have been set free from the guilt of our sins, we should be living a full or fullfilled life. John 10:10 It takes that connection with Jesus to live the full life He gave us through the sacrifice He made of His own life and His resurrection that gifted us victory over spiritual death. (separation from God)
So Jesus said that if we faithfully obey, we will know the truth, and knowing the truth, experientially knowing the truth, will set us free.
In the past week and a half I have had four conversations with male LCCers who are experiencing life change through obedience. Three of them tested God with a sacrificial offering toward the purchase of the building and within a couple of days God blessed them with taking care of a financial need. They are experiencing the feeling of freedom that comes from “knowing the truth” through obedience. And the fourth, through his obedience, has been convicted by God to change other areas of his life to become more fully obedient.
It has been amazing hearing these “MY Story” experiences as God is rewarding the obedience and sacrifice of LCCers and setting them free. (“My Story” video in production) If you have a “My Story” to share ….. Please email me or talk to me at church.
This Sunday – Last Sunday’s teaching; Show, Tell and Bring was part 1 of a two part series on sharing your faith and bringing your friends to church. For some people this is a scary thing. Well, since this is Halloween weekend, lets address the scariness of sharing your faith. Last week we looked at how we have been commanded to live out our life in faith, tell others about our beliefs, and then bring them to church.
This Sunday we will look at how the unchurched feel and what they think about Christians and church. I will also show you a very practical way to share the theological part of your belief to anyone in any setting.
Youth: We have a new youth minister and we will be cranking our youth ministry back up. I will introduce him at church on Sunday and he wants to have a short meeting with parents of kids who are 6-12th grade right after church…..
Salvation Army Angel Tree: We will be working the Angel Tree booth in December at NE Mall….. More details Sunday.
Building Update: Our contract is at the bank and the title company. They are saying a 2-3 wk approval process… Please pray it goes well and we still need another $50,000 to reach our goal.
TBA but soon- Signing of contract and taking possession of new home and half of down payment is due ($50,00
60 days later- Second half of down payment is due
Dec 24 – Our first midnight Christmas Eve Service in our own home….
Jan 2012 — ReGrand opening of Life Connection Church ……
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20
People are introduced to the person of Christ and disciples are made as part of the body of Christ.
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. … we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Cor 12:12-13
Don’t be proud. Be gentle and respectful.
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 1 Pet 3:15-17
You can always feel good about what you do if doing good is what you do.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph 2:8-10
How do you know when you have believed?
When you obey.
15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 1 Pet 3:15-17
Christians are afraid to tell because their conscience is not clear.
Invest and invite
Be a teller and a bringer. Share your story. (Butology)
I was anxious… but now I am at peace.
I was angry … but now I am grateful.
I felt guilty … but now I am free
I was fearful … but now I am confident
I was bitter … but now I am forgiving
I was stingy … but now I am generous
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”Rom 10:14-19
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).
42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. John 1:40-42
Dear Friends and Family of Life Connection Church,
I hope you are having an awesome fall day. I have a thanks, a couple of updates, and a coming this Sunday note for you.
Thanks Thanks so much to those of you who were able to serve last weekend in the CPR project. We painted and roofed a house in Bedford. The owner of the home came out and talked to me for a little while. He was extremely grateful. He had to leave his employment at the School district three years before he was eligible for full retirement for health reasons. He is not a man who goes to church. He was surprised and impressed that LCC and three other churches work working on his house. I told him that “we just like to be God’s love with skin.”
Building Update There are still a few contract details being worked out by the two attorneys. Don’t worry … It looks good. They are minor dotting of the “I”s and crossing the “T”s. The signing date has been moved back but it is going to happen. We still need to raise about $60,000.00 in the next 60 days. Continue to pray and to give. You can give online at www.lifeconnectionchurch.org
LCCers are excited. We are looking forward to having our own place and using the new building like crazy for worship, discipleship, children and youth, and as a home base to be God’s love with skin to each other, our community and the world. I have already had several requests for another dessert and coffee night. Count me in.
Keep praying for LCC and for New Life to find a new place to meet……
TBA but soon- Signing of contract and taking possession of new home and half of down payment is due ($50,000) (May be moved back a little working on contract issues)
60 days later- Second half of down payment is due
Dec 24 – Our first midnight Christmas Eve Service in our own home….
Jan 2012 — ReGrand opening of Life Connection Church ……
New Very cool LCC website coming soon….
Sunday Please join us Sunday and bring a friend. I will be teaching: Show, Tell and Bring … We will be answering questions like: What is a common fear among most Christians? Now that we have a building, how are we going to grow? What are some of Royal’s most favorite, get me pumped up, Bible Scriptures?
Bring a friend…. You know they will feel welcome and be taught the Bible practically and understandably? Are those real words? You know what I mean.
The focus of your worship is the contents of your treasure.
Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matt 6:21
When you are stressed, the object of your worship is yourself.
Before they built the temple they had to rebuild their worship. (Bring the heart home)
1 In early autumn,when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembledin Jerusalem with a unified purpose.
Rebuilding Worship
1) Worship as family, as one. (One purpose)
…with a unified purpose. (…together as one man… KJV)
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Cor 12:12-13
12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Eph 4:12-13
2) Obey the Word of God. (Impossible to worship without obedience and repentance)
2 Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel. They wanted to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the Law of Moses, the man of God.
“If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. John 14:15-16
Building the altar of sacrifice is our worship.
And so, dear brothers and sisters,I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Rom 12:1-2
3) Don’t hold back worship.
3 Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord each morning and evening.
4) Worship as a lifestyle in church and out.
4 They celebrated the Festival of Shelters as prescribed in the Law, sacrificing the number of burnt offerings specified for each day of the festival. 5 They also offered the regular burnt offerings and the offerings required for the new moon celebrations and the annual festivals as prescribed by the Lord. The people also gave voluntary offerings to the Lord
Dear Friends and Family of Life Connection Church,
I wanted to quickly pass on three very important things.
Commitment Sunday Was Awesome – Last Sunday at LCC was an incredible day of changed lives, generosity, and God’s blessings. It was so exciting to baptize Jimmy P. He is a great example of a new life in Christ. After making Jesus Lord of his life a couple of years ago he has become a new man who is changing to be more like Jesus every day. Jesus has truly changed him and I love to hear Jimmy talk about the joy following Jesus brings into his life and his stories of sharing his faith with his friends.
I know what you are dying to know… What is the result of the Commitment Sunday giving to the new building? I am glad you asked. On a very short notice of our $100,000.00 goal, 12 days, the family of LCC showed incredible faith and generosity. It was awesome watching people come to the front, some in tears of joy, to drop their offerings in the bucket and reup as part of the LCC family. LCC is not a church full of materially rich people, but we are a generous people. We are God’s love with skin, we are followers of Jesus, and it shows in your heart felt sacrificial giving.
In the last week we collected an offering of over $30,000.00 and we have pledges toward $10,000.00 more. We are more than a third of the way to our goal that we will need by the middle of December. And you can tell by looking at the pledge cards that some major prayer went into upping the level of our monthly giving toward the proposed budget of the coming year. Some have said, “I gave what I could now and more is coming.”
God blesses generosity. Generosity is not about how much money, it is about how much heart. Dear LCCers that stepped out in faith and gave from the heart, you will be blessed. We have been focusing on Malachi 3:10 on tithing for the last couple of months where God says to “test me” and I will bless you for the test. Well here is a blessing promised by Jesus….
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Luke 6:38
God will bless your generosity. It’s a promise received from a test given. Its a promise kept when the premise is obeyed.
If you are a friend of LCC and you would like to give toward our new building. You can give online at www.lifeconnectionchurch.org. It will be greatly appreciated by the LCC family and you will be blessed according to God’s promises and our prayers for your generosity.
We also have an account with Morgan Stanley – Smith Barney if you would like to donate stocks or bonds.
Please continue to pray. We will reach our goal. God is going to bless our faithfulness….
LCC is God’s love with skin inside and outside the church building.
If you are thinking about inviting a friend to LCC and you are not sure if that person will feel accepted or not, you don’t know the heart of LCC. We are God’s love with skin. Jesus loved and accepted all people and we are His love with skin. We do what we do and make the choices we make on Sunday to make anyone feel as welcomed as possible. We don’t want to be what blocks them from coming to Jesus. There are many people in the world who do not like Christians, and Christians have done enough mean things to deserve that judgment. At LCC we work hard to be love.
James wrote, Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. James 2:8
All people are welcome at LCC. Bring your friends. Their past does not matter. We want to introduce them to a loving God who has great plans for their future as a new person.
And we will be serving with www.6stones.org tomorrow and Saturday on their Community Powered Revitalization project. Come serve with us. You can sign up on their website.
I heard a song this morning that prompted me to refocus on what is most important.
I woke up with a song in my head by Chris Rice. When I brought up my Facebook page this morning a person I have not seen in years had posted the song on her FB page. Please take a couple of minutes to watch this video with song and lyrics. You might get a tissue first. It will bring it all back into perspective.
Oct 18 – Signing of contract and taking possession of new home and half of down payment is due ($50,000)(May be moved back a little working on contract issues)
Dec 15 – Second half of down payment is due
Dec 24 - Our first midnight Christmas Eve Service in our own home….
Jan 2012 — ReGrand opening of Life Connection Church ……
Throughout Scripture, God did amazing supernatural things with regular people like you and me as long as they went forward in faith and obedience. We are going forward and we are excited to see the supernatural work of God through us…. Life Connection Church … God’s love with skin.
Dear Friends and Family of Life Connection Church,
If you are part of the LCC family or a supporter of LCC, you are part of an important time in the history and the future of Life Connection Church. We are about to own our own building to be used exclusively for carrying out the work God has called us to do as a church. We are about to have the facility to grow our children, youth, adult discipleship and outreach ministries and put us in the position to go the next step to making a larger impact and being God’s love with skin than we ever have been before.
So… Some of you are asking, “Royal, how can I help?” “Where do I start?” I am glad you asked.
Start where you are. That’s right, I know it seems simple, but it takes faith to start. I talk to people all the time that say things like, ”You know as soon as I get to this place in my life I will start serving God.” or “When my finances get straightened out I want to start giving to the church.” or how about, “I can’t imagine how God could use I guy like me to make a difference?” You will never know, if you never start. And if you start, you will be so glad you did. Your life will change and you will know God like you have never known Him before. As you go forward you will grow your faith and be able to grow more and more and more.
Here is the deal….. You ….. That’s right …. You are God’s church. You are God’s family. And throughout the Word of God it is pretty clear, wherever you are in your life, God does not want you sitting on the fence waiting for the right circumstances to be involved in His Church. He wants you to start where you are, in the situation you are in, using the talents and the resources you have. There is not a magic number or a special situation to wait on. God says start where you are. It is not about how much you know, how spiritual you are, or how much you owe. It is about sacrificing your life to be a Christ-Following, God obeying person of faith.
You cannot, it is impossible, to please God without faith. Heb 11:6 If you wait till it seems easy, it is not faith. You are commanded by God to start right where you are being sacrificially faithful with what you have and in the middle of your circumstances. Jesus carried His cross, took on the burden to free us. Then he commanded that we pick up our cross and follow Him. He said that if we don’t pick up our cross, we can’t even call ourselves His followers. Matt 16:24Matt 10:38
It is about right here and right now. Right where you are as you read these words, commit to being His and picking up your cross as it lays there beside you and following Him now. It takes faith to pick it up. And you can’t please God without faith.
I am looking forward to celebrating the future of LCC Sunday. Let’s recommit together. Bring yourself and your offerings toward the new building. God says “Test Me”. He will bless you like you have never been blessed before.
This Sunday we will continue to look at the Hebrew people as they went back to Jerusalem and built their temple. It was not popular, people were against them, and they were afraid. But they went forward in faith, because God’s people need God’s church…… This Sunday’s Message is “Why Do We Need the Church Anyway?“.
Please join us and keep inviting your friends.
We have borrowed a baptismal. Do you want to get baptized? Email me and let me know or if you have any questions.
Here are some important dates…
Oct 9 – Commitment Sunday and Baptisms
Oct 18 – Signing of contract and taking possession of new home and half of down payment is due ($50,000)
Dec 15 – Second half of down payment is due
Dec 24 - Our first midnight Christmas Eve Service in our own home….
Jan 2012 — ReGrand opening of Life Connection Church ……
Throughout Scripture, God did amazing supernatural things with regular people like you and me as long as they went forward in faith and obedience. We are going forward and we are excited to see the supernatural work of God through us…. Life Connection Church … God’s love with skin.
Dear Friends and Family of Life Connection Church,
I hope your week is going well. I am sitting on my back porch writing this and wincing just a little bit every once in awhile. My doctor sent me to the hospital on Wednesday night and I came home with a Kidney Stone. I have not had the big pain that “every single person” I talk to warns me about. So far just lots of discomfort. It is so weird how quick people will tell you its gonna be the worse pain you have ever had. So…If you have had a Kidney Stone and it did not hurt very much, I would appreciated an encouraging email. Please no more terrible pain stories. And I would appreciate prayers along the line of “Dear God, please let Royal pass this stone without a whole lot of pain, or … If it be Your will….Just make it disappear. Thanks for the prayers ahead of time.
I have the contract for the purchase of LCC new home. I received it last night via email and we are having it examined by a lawyer who specializes in real estate.
Tuesday night’s Dessert and Coffee LCC Family meeting was awesome. We had a great turnout. We had some incredible dessert including a couple of special cakes celebrating LCC getting our own place. You can see pictures at LCC Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/LifeConnectionChurch
We always talk about LCC being God’s love with skin. You can really feel that love when we gather to hang out like we did Tuesday night. Several LCCers shared their My Church Testimonies about why LCC is their church and it was emotional and exciting. As a pastor to hear your church family say that the love of the people and the teaching of God’s word is what makes LCC their church made for an incredible and emotional night for all of us.
The other reason for gathering on Tuesday night was to present the opportunity at hand for LCC to purchase the New Life Family Church building in which we are now meeting. If you would like the info presented on Tuesday I will have copies at church this Sunday. I should have a video of the presentation along with the testimonies from Tuesday night also.
We have designated October 9th as Commitment Sunday at LCC. There will be a special collection to give toward the building fund. LCCers will be handing in financial commitment cards for the building and the coming year and we will be recommitting to being participating members of Life Connection Church.
We will also be baptizing on on the 9th. If you want to get baptized or talk to me to know more about baptism please reply to this email and I will give you a call….
LCC Dates to know and be praying toward:
Oct 2 – Communion Sunday and continuing teaching in Ezra on Going Home 360 back to 360
Oct 9 – Commitment Sunday and Baptisms
Oct 18 – Signing of contract and taking possession of new home and half of down payment is due
Dec 15 – Second half of down payment is due
Dec 24 - Our first midnight Christmas Eve Service in our own home….
Throughout Scripture, God did amazing supernatural things with regular people like you and me as long as they went forward in faith and obedience. We are going forward and we are excited to see the supernatural work of God through us…. Life Connection Church … God’s love with skin.
Last night on Parenthood the grandfather was trying to coach his grandson on how to meet and date girls.
This morning I came across this blog by Perry Noble. Good stuff and here it is….
OK guys…here we go…I’ve been wanting to do this one for a long time. Please keep in mind that I made TONS of mistakes as a single dude…so these lessons are NOT all as a result of my success stories. BUT…I did manage to do some things right…and I have a red hot wife to prove it. (Thank You Jesus!!!)
#1 – If You Are Interested In A Girl…YOU Need To Talk To HER.
The Bible says in Proverbs 18:22 that he who FINDS a wife finds what is good (AMEN!) Men…it is up to you to FIND a wife…that means YOU are to be the one to initiate things…if you want to be the leader IN the relationship then you should take steps to be the leader at the beginning of the relationship!
This means, if you are interested in a girl…you talk to her!!! You don’t call HER friends and ask them to drop hints for you…unless you are a pathetic wimp. You don’t get YOUR friends to drop hints to her friends. BE A MAN! If you want to ask her out…ASK HER OUT! Trust me…her friends don’t want to talk to you about it anymore…and if you keep bothering them they are going to tell HER to stay away from you!
I did this right…when I finally decided that I was interested in Lucretia I told a couple of buddies so they could pray for me…and then I had a conversation with her and was completely honest and transparent about the way that I felt. She said she would “pray about it” and that she was “not saying no,” which was NOT very encouraging. BUT…I found out later that she always told her friends that if a guy was interested in her then she expected him to talk to her…NOT anyone else.
#2 – When You Talk With Her–BE HONEST & DON’T PLAY GAMES!!!
One of a man’s top fears is rejection. SO…in order to stay away from this pain and hurt he will not come out and say he is interested in a girl…he won’t say, “I would like to take you out for dinner.” Nope–he plays games…drops hints…all the while hoping that the young lady will pick up on his pathetic attempts to “woo her” and then begin to pursue him.
Dude–stop it, right now!!! If you are interested in a young lady–tell her. Just come out and say it. If you are not sure…but you think you would like to get to know her better…then tell her, “Hey, I would like to get to know you a little better…can we have some supper?”
DO NOT SAY, “Hey…uh…well…maybe, you know, if you like food…uh, do you like food,” hoping that she will say, “Yes, take me to get some.”
Ladies want a man that can be honest…and if you can’t be honest with her from the beginning then how in the world will you ever convince her to trust you in the future?
One more thing…another reason that dude play games is so that they can fuel their pathetically weak male ego…they string girls along…they are not interested–but do want someone to make out with on the weekends. To be honest–I want to punch guys like this in the nose. (And if you are ANY sort of man…and you have a daughter…and a dude does that to her…you want to punch him as well–no matter “how godly” you are!!!)
#3 – On The Date–Be Creative
Ladies–please…if a guy ever takes you to supper and then a movie ON THE FIRST DATE…DROP HIM like a bad habit. Trust me…this relationship has started off on the wrong foot…and here is why…
When you go to a movie on the first date you learn NOTHING about one another…there is NO interaction, no conversation…and so when you get home one person will lie to the other one and say they had a nice time…when they really didn’t because time and money were spent on getting to know all about the lives of the fictional character on the screen.
Guys–think enough about her to PLAN the date…and when you PLAN…PLAN it well! (This is where you CAN get advice from her friends.) When you pick her up–don’t ask her where she would like to go eat…HAVE IT PLANNED. (There should be a conversation somewhere about particular restaurants that are liked and are not liked.)
I know one dude that took a young lady to eat and then they went to Wal Mart where he said, “Let’s get a buggy–go through and pick out five things that we identify with…and then meet back here and write them down…and then go somewhere and talk about them.” DING DING DING–we have a WINNER!!!
(Note: Movies are NOT a bad date idea…they are just a bad first or second date idea!!!)
#4 – On The Date–Be A Gentleman
Dude–you have GOT to treat her like a lady. Walk her to her car door and open it for her. I have had guys argue with me & say, “My dad doesn’t open the door for my mom.” I always reply, “Well…maybe your dad is an insensitive jerk!” Just a thought.
(Ladies…if he does not open the door…just stand outside of his car–he will get the hint. If he doesn’t find you valuable enough to open the door for you…trust me, it’s going to go downhill.)
Guys–a lady wants to feel special…like someone really wants to take care of her…and trust me, the little things matter…so open her car door.
Oh yeah, one more thing…when you come to her house to pick her up…cut your car off, walk up to the door, and ask for her like a man. If you pull up in her driveway and call her from your cell phone–you are a loser. If you pull up in her driveway and honk your car horn…you are REALLY a loser.
(A dude came to pick up my sister once a blew the horn…she got up to leave & my dad told her to sit down. The guy outside then began to hold down on the horn…my dad, who had drank a beer or twelve, got up, walked outside, opened his car door and hit him in the nose, knocking him across the car. He said he was going to go home and tell his father…to which my father proceeded to invite him to do so, telling him that he would be glad to give his father the same treatment. The dude left & came back an hour later cleaned up and apologized for the way he had treated my sister.) I LOVE TELLING THAT STORY!!!
#5 – If She Says “NO,” That Means NO!
Guys–if you ask a girl out on a date & she tell you no–back off…stay away…you can be her friend but do NOT begin to try to put pressure on her…this freaks her out.
I have had so many single dudes tell me, “But Perry, you talk about how you pursued Lucretia for nearly two years before she even went out with you.”
YEP–that is true…but I was her friend and not a freaky stalker. During my two year friendship with Lucretia we maybe had five conversations about the possibility of us dating one day…and she NEVER told me NO or to never bring the conversation up again. We were friends…we hung out…with NO strings attached. She never told me to back off.
If a young lady tells you no and you continue to pursue–dude–you are NOT being romantic…you are being stupid. Let it GO!!!
That’s about it for now–just curious–what are some things a single lady needs to know? (I will post about this–but remember–this Sunday is the message for the women at NewSpring…the men came out in full force…ladies…don’t miss this!!!)
