In Peggy Noonan’s opinion piece in the WSJ today she addresses the problem Americans have with America on the wrong track are not just about the economy or health care. Its about the character and the culture of America going down hill.
But something tells me this isn’t all about money. It’s possible, and I can’t help but think likely, that the poll is also about other things, and maybe even primarily about other things.
Sure, Americans are worried about long-term debt and endless deficits. We’re worried about taxes and the burden we’re bequeathing to our children, and their children.
But we are concerned about other things, too, and there are often signs in various polls that those things may dwarf economic concerns. Americans are worried about the core and character of the American nation, and about our culture.
The economy has always had an impact on the general American mood, and the poll offered data to buttress the reader’s assumption that economic concerns are driving pessimism. Fifty-one percent of those interviewed said they disapproved of the president’s handling of the economy, versus 42% approving.
Several years ago, at Life Connection Church, we started a midnight Christmas Eve service. We live in the large DFW, TX metroplex and there were very few Midnight Services to be found. When I first started talking up having a midnight service the first reaction from those who had never attended one was, “Why would you have a Christmas Eve service at midnight?”….
Everyone wants to be happy. As a counselor and a pastor people have told me for years they cannot control their emotions. They say of their anger, “I can’t help it.” Their sadness, “I can’t help it.”
You can help it. Your thoughts control or drive your emotions.
At the end of the life of Moses, he lived to be 120 years old, he wrote, Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Ps 90:12
I hope this note finds you well. The Christmas season is in full swing. LCCers are making a difference ministering to those in need. We already had close to 200 volunteer opportunities and Brent got a call because a group had backed out at the Union Gospel Mission. He put out an email and LCCers came through. We are now serving the evening meal on another night at The Union Gospel Mission of Fort Worth. Thanks to LCCers for all you are doing this season to be God’s love with skin. You are awesome.
I had a song playing in my head all of last week and we sang it on Sunday. It goes, “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you.” That is my prayer for you and me and that God uses us to show others Jesus.
On Sunday I called for an LCC Thirsty Thursday for this Thursday night. That’s what we call our Thursday night prayer nights. Tomorrow night, 7:00pm – 8:00pm we will have a special time of silent prayer at LCC. The worship center will be open, candles will be lit, lights will be down, and we will have a list of things to pray for on behalf of those who request prayer and for the ministry of Life Connection Church. Please join us. It is come and go. You will be given a list to pray through along with some Holy Scripture on which to meditate. Some others and myself are on a fast leading up to our prayer time. It will be a special night. Please join us if you can.
This Sunday is our Christmas Cover Dish Party. After the service we will head to the Life House Cafe for lunch and fun. The bounce house will be open to the kids and we will have a Karaoke Machine and lots of good hanging out with each other…..
We do food good at LCC….Great time to bring another family to church.
This Sunday is Advent Sunday #3. We will light the third candle for joy. It will be a great day to be in church together. I will continue my Christmas/New Year series I am calling, “A Bright Christmas and a Happy New Me”. You can listen to last weeks talk here.. http://www.lifeconnectionchurch.org/Pages/downloads.cfm
We will be having our Midnight Christmas Eve Service at 11:45 pm on Christmas Eve. We will sing Christmas carols, have a candle light service, communion, and celebrate some baptisms at midnight on Jesus’ birthday. If you have not been to a midnight service you have to come, it is a really special time. If you have been planning on getting baptized, how cool would it be to be baptized at midnight on Christmas morning? Email me if you want more baptismal info.
Who are you praying about inviting to church? We are doing some things online to help you introduce your friends to “The church behind the 7-11″. Some people are not sure what to expect so we are giving them a peek inside online. Check out my new video blog site: Royal’s Videos I have been uploading some 10 Minute teaching times from Sunday as well as our Video announcements and other videos to teach and hopefully entertain. Check it out and use it to introduce a friend to LCC. Also, make sure you are familiar with www.lifeconnectionchurch.org
I will see you on Sunday and bring a friend. if you do not have a church you call home, please be our guest this Sunday.
You’ve always heard “the only constant is change.” There is insecurity in change.
It’s not a true statement about God. God is the same God today as He was yesterday, and He will always be the same. A relationship with God who never changes will provide you with security and hope.
When you are stressed and feel alone. When you feel like God is not there, He is there
This is part 2 of “Hope from the Past” from my talk on Sunday 11/29/2009.
Last Sunday was an awesome Sunday after thanksgiving, and it was the first day of advent. Despite all the bad news in the media, people really seem to be in a good mood this year. At least the people that get out and about seem to be. Lots of smiles. If you are having trouble smiling try this: Be generous. Give stuff away. Give away your money, time, and talents. Give someone love when they don’t expect it. It will lift your spirit, guaranteed. Walk into a MacDonald’s tonight and pay for a family’s dinner. Rake your neighbor’s leaves while he is not home. At lunch today, by a strangers lunch. When they argue just say it is your deed of kindness (DOK) for the day. If they ask why again say, “Just spreading God’s love around.” Give above and beyond what you would normally give your church. Get an angel off the angel tree and provide him or her with Christmas. I found out this year that angel tree recipients are not just little kids. My angel tree person is a 74 year old lady. She wanted a robe and slippers. How cool is that? We got her some very soft and pink stuff and some extras she didn’t ask for.
Try it…..Stop thinking about whatever is getting you down and do a generous Deed of Kindness (DOK) for someone. (If you are reading this at work, get up and DOK right now, it will make your day) One of the things I like most about LCCers is that DOK is in our DNA. LCCers love being God’s love with skin. And seriously…They will tell you that it truly is a blessing to give. You will receive a true sense of peace when you generously, no strings attached, give.
People will look at you like you’re weird or there are strings attached. They are not used to receiving generosity in their daily lives. I had to almost arm wrestle a guy yesterday just so he would let me pay for his coffee. It was fun…and he left with a smile on his face while I got to leave with a smile on my heart.
When you shine God’s loving light on others, the result is peace. Peace is something money can’t buy, unless the goal you have for your money is generosity. If the object of your love is yourself, you will never be at peace. If the object of your love and worship is God, the fruit of that worship will be love overflowing to others, and a peace in your heart that will override any anxiety and replace depression with hope.
So try it…..Stop thinking about yourself and focus on worshiping God by loving people. I would love to hear the results….
This Sunday is Advent Sunday #2. We will light the second candle for peace. It will also be communion Sunday. It will be a great day to be in church together. I will be starting my Christmas/New Years series I am calling, “A Bright Christmas and a Happy New Me“. This Sunday’s talk is “The Light that Brings Peace.”
Be there and bring a friend.
We have an after church cover dish Christmas party coming up in next Sunday: Dec 13 after church. Email Brent@lifeconnectionchurch.org and tell him what you are bringing or sign up on Sunday. We need more main courses.
We will be having our Midnight Christmas Eve Service at 11:45 pm on Christmas Eve. We will sing Christmas carols, have a candle light service, communion, and celebrate some baptisms at midnight on Jesus’ birthday.
If you have not been to a midnight service you have to come, it is a really special time. If you have been planning on getting baptized, how cool would it be to be baptized at midnight on Christmas morning? Email me if you want more baptismal info.
Who are you praying about inviting to church? We are doing some things online to help you introduce your friends to “The church behind the 7-11″. Some people are not sure what to expect so we are giving them a peek inside online. Check out my new video blog site: Royal’s Videos I have been uploading some 10 Minute teaching times from Sunday as well as our Video announcements and other videos to teach and hopefully entertain. Check it out and use it to introduce a friend to LCC. Also, make sure you are familiar with www.lifeconnectionchurch.org
I will see you on Sunday and bring a friend. if you do not have a church you call home, please be our guest this Sunday.
It seems like any family relationship that is normally even the least bit strained becomes magnified or more tense during the holiday season. Some family relationships are so messed up, its easier to not spend time together and maybe even healthier. You do need to ask yourself if you have done what you can do on your side to fix it. Some may never be fixed or take years since you are dealing with other people involved who may never be ok with the relationship or may continue in behavior that keeps it complicated and unhealthy.
There is an article in Christianity Today by Conrad Theodore called Holiday Negotiations - How to divide the holidays so that both extended families are happy.
Theodore writes, ”If you’re anything like many of the readers we hear from, you’ve probably experienced some in-law tension that stretches beyond the reach of the holiday battles for time. And these unpleasantries can cause some real damage to your marriage. Here are some tips from Dr. John Townsend, the co-author of Boundaries for Marriage (Zondervan), on how to choose change and create an open, working—if not wonderful—relationship with your in-laws.”
1. Reality-check. Find out if there really is a problem or if it’s merely your perception. Sometimes we react to others based on our experiences, which can cloud judgment. To help gain a proper perspective, ask a trusted friend to observe and verify your perception of the situation.
2. Do a self-inventory. After you’ve identified the problem, ask yourself how you might be contributing to it. Jesus reminds us that we must first deal with our own actions before we help others correct theirs (Matthew 7:1-5).
3. Be direct. If you are passive in dealing with your in-law problems, you may begin to withdraw emotionally from them. Confront your in-laws gently but directly. Though you may need to involve your spouse, don’t avoid dealing with the problem personally. Let them know how you feel and that it gets in the way of being close to them. They may react with hurt, withdrawal, or anger. Or they may be surprised at what they learn and thank you for letting them know.
4. Choose your battles. Choose to end an issue by setting new limits or by simply adapting to it. If the conflict creates havoc in your marriage, you and your spouse may want to negotiate how and when you spend time with in-laws. If the issue is simply annoying, then you may want to let it go and enjoy the healthier aspects of your relationship.
5. Strengthen your role as spouse. Though you and your spouse love your parents, you should be more aligned with each other than with them. When a spouse isn’t loyal to his or her mate, there may be a “leaving and cleaving” problem (Genesis 2:24). This problem is exhibited in behaviors such as needing parental approval or respect, being afraid to confront parents, going to parents for self-image support, being emotionally or financially dependent on parents, or feeling responsible for parents’ emotions. If your spouse struggles with these issues, let him or her know how you feel and how his or her actions affect your sense of safety as a couple.
Tomorrow is the first Sunday of advent. We will light the first candle which represents Hope. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on the day before Christmas. Thus it begins on 29 November 2009 and ends on 24 December, Christmas Eve.
We will celebrate the last day of advent with our Midnight Christmas eve service.
The main reason for the Season of Advent is to recognize the first and second coming of Christ….
Ps 25:10 The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
Luke 21:25-36 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
29 Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30 When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. 32 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
If you have been around me, LCC, or LCCers for anytime at all, you know that we are about loving God and loving people, and what better time to do that than during the official season of love. The Christmas season has kicked off. What a great time to show the world that Christmas is about the Love of God being given to a world that needs Him desperately through His Son Jesus Christ.
We kicked off the season on Thursday night as twelve LCCers served the evening meals at The Union Gospel Mission. This is the same mission written about in The Same Kind of Different As Me. Nothing changes two people’s lives like serving and being served. I have heard some powerful testimony as to the effect of serving those in need from the one’s from LCC who did the serving. And like I said, that was just the start. LCCers serve year round, but we take it up a few notches during this season. We still have some slots available to serve in many different ways through Christmas day. If you would like to find out more or volunteer, email brent@lifeconnectionchurch.org.
I know you all are going to do some major shopping in the next couple of weeks. Please consider spending some of your shopping money on someone in need. Due to the recession, there are more people in our area in need than during a typical Christmas season. One of the places we are committed to assisting in ministry is Six Stones Mission Network in Euless. They have helped more people out in the last quarter than they ever have before and they are short of food and clothing. So how is this for a great idea? Buy food and clothing for those who cannot buy for themselves. You can call Six Stones and ask how you can best help restock their shelves at 817.868.7400 or email then at info@6stones.org .
Besides all the serving we will be doing, we will be celebrating also. We have an after church cover dish Christmas party coming up in December. We will be having our Midnight Christmas Eve Service at 11:45 pm on Christmas Eve. We will sing Christmas carols, have a candle light service, communion, and celebrate some baptisms at midnight on Jesus’ birthday. If you have not been to a midnight service you have to come, it is a really special time.
My Christmas teaching series, beginning Dec 6, will be, “Dreaming of a Bright Christmas and a Happy New Me“.
Who are you praying about inviting to church? We are doing some things online to help you introduce your friends to “The church behind the 7-11″. Some people are not sure what to expect so we are giving them a peek inside online. Check out my new video blog site: Royal’s Videos I have been uploading some 10 Minute teaching times from Sunday as well as our Video announcements and other videos to teach and hopefully entertain. Check it out and use it to introduce a friend to LCC. Also, make sure you are familiar with www.lifeconnectionchurch.org
I hope you have a full, in more ways than one, and awesome Thanksgiving…..
I will see you on Sunday and bring a friend. if you do not have a church you call home, please be our guest this Sunday.
Lisa and I got hooked on the Muppets when our kids were little. We would be watching Sesame Street with them and then we look around and the kids had gone off to play and Lisa and i were still watching.
Lots of people were following Jesus. Most just wanted to see Him do miracles and hear some incredible teachings, but some, really wanted to be His followers, His disciples. Jesus said to them, “Before we go up this hill, there are some things you need to know. It’s not easy to follow me.”
I struggle with the fact that, in our American world, we are surrounded by Christians in every arena who are silent about their convictions. I believe most are silent because they are unsure. They are unsure, not in their salvation, but in the power of their faith.
Why? They are not living their faith. One has to live it to know it. Faith is a LEAP. You have to Listen to God through the Word, others, and the Spirit. Then you have to Engage and live it out in your mind, values and convictions. Then it is important to actually Apply the Word of truth to your every day life. And when you do, you will Produce the fruits of the Spirit. L.E.A.P
the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gal 5:22
When you produce Christian Spiritual fruit you will become more confident to live and speak your convictions. You can not convincingly present someone you are not.
Below is a video I came across done by Ronnie Bruce, a film student at Temple University. It is a Typography Animation project for class using a poem by Taylor Mali (www.TaylorMali.com).
I don’t know the title of the poem, but it suits this post….
Christians have a problem. Many people avoid Christians because Christians don’t act like Christ. People were drawn to Christ becaus of His joy. If Christians were to be more joyful like Christ, people would be drawn to Christians.
