Dear Friends,

Last Sunday at LCC was awesome…..We celebrated Communion through the Lord’s Supper and community by coming together to worship as a group, learn Truth from God’s Word, and hang out together.  I love Sundays, and from the feed back I receive every week, people who come to LCC to check us out feel God’s love through LCCers.  And even more awesome than that; We are God’s church outside of the facility where we meet by being God’s love with skin.  And for this Christmas season we have amped up being God’s love to people who need it the most.

Our Goal as a community of faith, during the time of year when we celebrate the Gift of Jesus from our Father in Heaven, is for 100% of the LCC family to serve people in need.  From Nov 20, when we will serve meals at the Union Gospel Mission, to Christmas Day when we will serve Christmas dinner to hungry people at the Salvation Army, we have over 180 different opportunities to serve.  That’s right, over 180 chances to touch others with the love of Jesus Christ.  What a great opportunity to be real live honest to goodness disciples of Christ.

Our Pastor of Community Development, most know him as Brent, brent@lifeconnectionchurch.org has made it possible for us to reach our goal by setting up so many different opportunities.  Don’t forget to sign up this Sunday to serve.  We have enough places available that you can serve with your family and bring some friends to serve with you.  You can  click here and see some of what’s available and Brent has a sign up sheet with all the times and places….

On Sunday mornings I am still teaching through the incredible biography of Jesus known as the Gospel of Luke.  In the past few weeks we have read the Words of Jesus as He has spelled out what a disciple of Christ “is not”.  And this Sunday, in a teaching I am calling “Disciple?“, we are going to learn from Jesus how you can know if you are a disciple. 

You know that even though our salvation is a free gift to us.  It is not free.  It was very costly for Jesus.  His great sacrifice is what allows us to be free from the penalty of sin.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,  The grace of Jesus Christ is costly, “because it costs a man His life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.”  “It is costly because it cost God the life of His Son, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.” 

Many people call themselves Christian and most other religions recognize Christ as a great teacher or even a prophet.  But few are true disciples of Christ.  Few pay the cost of being a disciple.  This week, we will look at the cost of discipleship. 

As with all disciplines that are both physical and mental, the spiritual disciplines of a disciple of Christ will reap great rewards.  The rewards of discipleship will provide a rich life on earth and a much rewarded life for eternity in Heaven.

See you Sunday and bring a friend……

Your brotha from anotha motha

Royal

I came across this article by D. James Kennedy written in 2002…..You always hear a lot of talk about our founding fathers and whether they were Christian or not.  It is obvious when reading their writings that a good portion of  them were Christian, some were deists.  If that subject is interesting too you, I think you will enjoy this article by Dr. Kennedy.

Thomas Jefferson, as we all know, was a skeptic, a man so hostile to Christianity that he scissored from his Bible all references to miracles. He was, as the Freedom From Religion Foundation tells us, “a Deist, opposed to orthodox Christianity and the supernatural.”

Or was he? While Jefferson has been lionized by those who seek to drive religion from public life, the true Thomas Jefferson is anything but their friend. He was anything but irreligious, anything but an enemy to Christian faith. Our nation’s third president was, in fact, a  student of Scripture who attended church regularly, and was an active member of the Anglican Church, where he served on his local vestry. He was married in church, sent his children and a nephew to a Christian school, and gave his money to support many different congregations and Christian causes.

Read the rest of the article by clicking here…….

It is that time of year….Halloween is this weekend and then people are going to start focusing on the holiday season.  Ask people what they like about the season, and unless you hear depressing stories, you hear how it is about love, and caring, and family, and giving…You know what I’m talking about….It is like a built in season for an excuse for loving people.  And as far as the depressing stories go…You can turn that around by loving people.

We know as Christians that we don’t need an excuse to Love People.  We are commanded to love.  Jesus told us that if we want to follow Him, and obey His commands, the best and simplest way to do that is to “Love God and Love People.”  So LGLP is what we are all about at LCC.  And we spend the year looking for opportunities through our Deeds of Kindness ministry to be God’s love with skin.

So…One of the things I love about this time of year is that everybody and his brother has built in for us opportunities to be God’s love with skin.  We don’t have to be creative.  There are places to serve during this season all over the place.  And we are taking advantage of the opportunity to “show the love” and be the love.

Last Sunday I challenged the incredible LGLP people of LCC that we have 100% participation in serving and showing God’s love somewhere.  And we are lining up plenty of opportunities for you to serve with room to bring your family and friends to serve along side you.  Is there a better way to hang out with friends and family then to be showing God’s love to someone who really needs it, especially during this season?

Pastor Brent Schneider is our point man ( Brent@lifeconnectionchurch.org), and he has been on the phones offering ministry help all over the place.  And we have plenty of opportunities, places, and times for you to serve and for us to serve together as a LGLP community of faith.

Here is an excerpt from the email Brent sent out yesterday.  Start signing up and look forward to more opportunities.

ANGEL TREE MALL ADOPTION/COLLECTION TEAMS: November 28 & December 12  (N.E. Mall & Grapevine Mills)

Most of us have been a part of adopting a Christmas Angel (an area child that is economically challenged)…but have you ever assisted people in the adoption process of an angel or collected the many many gifts for the kiddos?? It’s amazing! These two teams will be made up of people who will give 2-3 hours on either date to help eager families at our local malls select their angels & collect the gifts. (Time Schedules Available Sunday)

ANGEL TREE “Santa’s Warehouse” DISTRIBUTION TEAM: December 23

Folks, this one is OUTSTANDING & WILL ROCK YOUR HEART!!! Imagine being side by side with other LCCers, friends, and family (86 in total) distributing the ACTUAL gifts to the ANGEL FAMILIES/KIDS!!!! Yes, that’s right…YOU will be in the most JACKED UP ENERGY FILLED toy warehouse you have ever been in – why? Check this out…every twenty minutes (on schedule) a new bus arrives with Angel Families/Kids and YOU get to be their “Santa” (for a lack of other words)…personally helping them one by one find their gifts, load them in a cart, and helping them back out to the buses. AND best yet…the 86 volunteers I spoke of earlier…that’s just US!!! LCC will run the warehouse that morning!

*Special note – this is a great opportunity to reach-out and invite co-workers, friends, and family to come join the team! And I will tell you ahead of time, tissue is a great thing! This will BLOW YOU AWAY!!! I can’t think of a better way to show someone the LOVE that LCC has for people than for them to see it IN PERSON!!! (Time Schedules Available Sunday)

CHRISTMAS DAY MEAL SERVING TEAM: December 25

Grab the family and come serve up a warm meal! Enjoy that special Christmas morning and then come the team serving meals to the homeless Christmas day. Our teams will be serving in 2 hour shifts during the lunch meal – limited number of spots available…all welcome! Bring out the entire family! (Time Schedules Available Sunday)

 NIGHT OF WONDERS – H.E.B. Partnership With 6 Stones Mission Network: TBA

Locally, there are many many families needing that extra assistance this Christmas. Well, we’ve formed a great alliance with the H.E.B. School District & 6 Stones Mission Network to adopt 10 local schools and specifically…the families in need at each one. LCC has adopted Lakewood Elementary as our focus school to support and make that NIGHT OF WONDERS come true! Families will be hearing the TRUE Christmas Story in an exciting evening full of encouragement and GIFTS! Each family in attendance will be receiving a FULL CHRISTMAS meal they can prepare on Christmas day. (More Details To Come)

These are going to be great opportunities to show God’s love and finish out our year worshiping God by loving people who need his love the most.

Come Serve With me

You brotha from anotha motha

Royal

By the way:  I do recommend this book for everyone married or not.  As a counselor it improved my counseling talents incredibly and changed a lot of relationships for the better.

This is an excerpt from the email I sent to my men’s leadership group.  They have committed to reading a book a month on a variety of subjects, and this month they are reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. 

I am loving the feedback I have received on The Five Love Languages book by Gary Chapman…..Some people have gone from haters to lovers……(of the book or the idea of the book)

 When you ask men to read a book that is geared toward better relationships there is an automatic rejection with a lot of men….I saw it in my counseling practice…Most of the time, married men would not come to counseling because they believed they were doing their part in the marriage and if there was a problem, it was the wife.

 I am not sure why that it is.  It probably has to do with the fact that men don’t look for as much conversation or fuss in a relationship as women do.  Women say, “Let’s get help.”  Men say, “I am fine.  You got the problem.”  or “It would be better if we just had more sex.”    There is also the man’s idea, usually not always, that we can figure it out without help.

 So…A few guys have started off reading this book thinking, “Why is Royal making us read this book?  I have been married, its Ok…I don’t need it.”  But after sticking with their Iron Men commitment, they have been pleasantly surprised and learned some valuable and applicable information.

 How many of you have been surprised at how you tested out with your love language?  How about your wives?  I have heard a couple of guys say they were surprised to find out they have not been communicating love to their wives very well……

 I told you…The information in this book, when applied, can greatly improve even mature marriages.

 Lines from the book….

• Most of us have grown up learning the language of our parents and siblings.
• We speak and understand best, our native language.
• We must be willing to learn our spouse’s primary love language if we are to be effective communicators of love.  (Or kids, or other people close to you)
• They may learn a secondary language, but they will always feel more comfortable with their primary language.
• IMPORTANT:  Seldom do a husband and wife have the same primary love language.  We speak our own love language and we become confused when our spouse does not understand what we are communicating….

I have not been to see This Is It, the part documentary-part concert film about Michael Jackson.  Lisa really wants to see it, so i am sure we will work it into our schedule in the next week.

I have heard from several people who have been and the responses to the MJ film have all been 2 thumbs up.

Russ Breimeier did a review for Christianity Today.  He gave the film 3.5 out of a possible 5 stars.  His conclusion on the film is:

This Is It succeeds and will surely be a hit—it already is due to pre-sales. Not to say it’s a major cinematic achievement, but it does entertain, and uniquely so. Few aging superstars are able to recapture their glory days with a comeback, and fewer still are able to say goodbye to their fans before a tragic death. Incredibly, Michael Jackson and his creative team have accomplished both with this film.

Here are some other excerpts from Breimeier’s review.  You can see the whole article by clicking here..….

The non-fan has absolutely no reason to see this—not even morbid curiosity. There are no major revelations into Jackson’s life or the sordid details of his shocking death on June 25, 2009. It’s purely a celebration of the mega-star’s musical legacy.

But the Jackson fan has every reason to see it. Jackson had been rehearsing at the Los Angeles Staples Center since April 2009, preparing for 50 sold-out shows in London that would have surely led to a worldwide farewell tour. Now it’s the tour that will never be, making this bittersweet project a glimpse of what might have been by distilling over a hundred hours of rehearsal footage (intended for DVD featurettes) into a two-hour film.

What about those with a mixture of admiration for the entertainer and disapproval for his eccentricities? This Is It surpassed my expectations, and reaffirmed Jackson’s showmanship through a developing concert that truly defines spectacle.

This Is It works to recreate the conceived concert through raw rehearsal footage.

Cynics and sensationalists looking for evidence of Jackon’s faltering health won’t find it here. Though it’s been over a decade since Jackson’s last tour, the 50-year-old artist still had what it took to keep in step with (and sometimes outshine) the energetic 20-something dancers at peak fitness behind him. Yes, the man could still moonwalk like no other.

Based on the visual evidence, Jackson’s final tour would have played like a Vegas show on steroids set in an arena, combining a near-perfect set list of his best-known hits with energetic showmanship and unparalleled production values.

Jackson shows plenty of calm humility by giving his dancers and musicians their moments to shine, including a scorching solo from Aussie guitarist Orianthi during “Black and White” and a sweet pep talk to the crew at the end.

Nothing here delves into Jackson’s tragic death. The filmmakers wanted to keep things positive, focusing on his musical legacy.

Six year old Elena Desserich took steps to make sure her family knew she loved them before losing her battle with cancer. Meredith Vieira sits down with Elena’s parents and little sister.  Here is the link to the Today Show….

Today Show – Six Year Old Girl

Got this video link from @deantwan…..

I am blessed to be able to work with the GHS Football Mustangs as their chaplain.  After a very tough year last year, new Coach Henigan and his staff has done a great job turning around the Mustangs.  Tonight we will be playing Trinity.  Both teams are coming into the game 4-0 in district play.

Here is a nice article in The Star-Telegram about the Mustangs…..

Grapevine Goes from Patsy to Playoff Contender, TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

GRAPEVINE — Ian Bargsley remembers all too well when the feeling of hopelessness hit hardest.

Amid an 0-10 football season, which became a taunt for opposing fans, Bargsley gathered with his fellow Grapevine linebackers and admitted reality.

“Right in the middle of the season we were just looking at all our losses and it was like, ‘wow,’ ” said Bargsley, a senior. “The linebacking corps, we were pretty close, and we all knew.

“There was one moment when we said, ‘Guys we can only do so much.’ We can’t win the games ourselves. We just told each other we’re going to fight and play our hearts out and let the chips fall where they may.”

Those proverbial chips fell off the table and onto the floor like scraps of bad leftovers.

But today, there’s a smile on Bargsley’s face when he talks about the 4-3 Mustangs. Grapevine is 4-0 in District 5-5A and ready to face Euless Trinity (5-2, 4-0) on Friday for the district lead.

See the rest of the article by clicking here……

Dear Friends of Life Connection Church,

I hope you have had a great week enjoying the cooler weather.  Chili, Frito Pie, Hot Chocolate, Holiday Brews at Starbucks, sleeping with the windows open under thick blankets, and of course….Football and the MLB playoffs.  This is a great time of year.  And with the weather we have had, I have been told we will probably see, right here in Texas, some fall colors. Get out your cameras and spend some time outdoors…..

Here is some other great news….Our LCC softball team is in first place…..Yes…with just three games left we are tied for first.  The last couple of seasons have been bleak for the LCC softball team.  I do like to win more than losing.  Don’t you??  I joked that God was teaching us humility and patience, but  I was ready to hang up the cleats and glove for a couple of seasons and then maybe give it another shot.  Then it happened….We had the right mix of players, a little more experience under our belts, and thankfully we started winning.  It has surely been a lesson in humility, and maybe, just maybe, I learned a little more about patience. 

Patience….I know…Its just a “D” league softball team….You’re thinking, “Give me a break.  There are many more important things going on in our lives than softball.”  And that is an absolutely true statement.  In my life there are many more important things going on than softball.  But here is the deal.  The wisdom we pick up in any part of life is transferable to the other parts.  The more serious parts.  The more painful parts of our lives.  What we learn in the minors, we can take to the majors.  That is the plan…. 

Patience….I have always heard, and I have often repeated, “Whatever you do, don’t pray for patience because God will give you something to be patient about.”  And its a whole lot easier to learn how little control I have over my life and to learn patience over something as minor as a softball team then it is to learn it in the middle of the pains of serious life situations.

Patience….Is one of the hardest lessons of life, but it is also one of the more important lessons to learn.  We all have regrets due to our lack of patience.  We have all looked back and thought, “Man, if I had just stuck with that a little longer, it could have been different.”  We look back with a different, and not so worn out attitude and think, if only.  “I wish I had had more patience.”  If you are picking up wisdom as you go along in life, and that’s God’s plan, you have picked up some much needed patience along the way.

PATIENCE….God is very patient with us.  God, our Father, teaches us that patience is the first ingredient of real love.  Throughout the Old Testament God reminds us that He is slow to anger and full of love.  As God practices patience with us very immature children, He provides us with love overflowing. 

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  Psalm 103:8

You know how you can tell what ingredient is most prevalent in a bottle?  You read the label and the ingredient listed first is also the ingredient that is the most. 

Patience….In the new testament God tells us the ingredients of love.  I often call 1 Cor 13:4-7 our love check list.  The apostle Paul writes the label of ingredients for love….Lets read the ingredients on the bottle… 

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Note the ingredient that is listed first.  “Love is patient.”  God teaches us the patience of His love all the way through the OT and then in a letter to the church at Corinth, through Paul, God says, “If you want to give love, if you want to be real love like I am, if you want your faith to be effectve, then you have to start with patience.

Patience….is a hard lesson….But, if you want to be good at anything, including your faith in God, the first ingredient is patience.

This Sunday, as I continue teaching through the book of Luke, we will be in chapter thirteen.  Jesus, on his way to Calvary, is teaching his followers that if they really want to grow in their faith they need to realize, that patience is a foundational key.

Who are you bringing to church Sunday?  Most people say that they would go to church if they were invited by a friend.  Have patience…They won’t always come the first time.  I had a lady tell me in a email this week that she had been invited many times before she came to LCC.  And she is glad she came….She has had a life changing experience….

Your brotha from anotha motha

Royal

The GHS Football Mustangs are 3-0.  They have had an incredible turn around and the attitude on the team is very positive and contagious.   Coach Henigan and his team of coaches are doing a great job at teaching the disciplines that are needed to not just win football games but to win at life.  Coach talks to the boys all the time about the traps you can get into that will result in a loss.  One of the traps is feeling good about where you are and losing the intensity needed to compete at the highest level possible.

So how do you keep from falling in that trap?  Discipline.  Discipline is what helps one create habits that you live out whether you are on a mountain top or in the middle of a struggle.  Discipline is what keeps you learning and then continuing to apply what you learn, and then learning from the experience of the application. 

Yesterday I taught from the chapter on discipline in Jim Tressel’s book, The Winner’s Manual for the Game of Life.  This is some good life application stuff.

Paul “Bear” Bryant said, “A champion pays an extra price to be better than anyone else.”  

A Disciplined Player…

• Knows the importance of being on time.
• Has learned the value of regular hours and good training habits from working hard in practice.
• Has learned the team comes before himself.  This strengthens his character as he is sometimes called upon to sacrifice for others.
• Has learned to take orders; in taking orders, he learns how to give them.
• Knows that discipline is the essence of every successful organization; as a member of the team, he understands the need for it.
• Has learned that many of these things establish a degree of self-discipline.

 A Disciplined Football Team…

• Doesn’t beat itself by mistakes.
• Keeps penalties to a minimum.
• Is always ready to play.- Intensity
• Has the guts to come from behind.
• Rises above adversity.
• Never, Never quits

How is your discipline training going?