Wyandotte Family Church

2011-12-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

We have had a great month going through the series Gifts! (By the way you can listen to the messages on iTunes (subscribe to our podcasts) or at our website http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html )

Week one we talked about God has created you to be unique. We are supposed to be different.

Week two we looked at the various natural gifts that God has given us. You can read
Exodus 26-31. I would encourage you to read those 6 chapter and write down how many different natural gifts & skills it took to build the Tabernacle. You can also read Romans 12:6-8.

God has given you a natural gift.

Week 3 we looked at supernatural (Spiritual) gifts. You can read about them in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. We talked about how we want to be a church that is supernatural but not strange. (Thank you Pastor Hubbard for that quote. That helped encapsulate my entire sermon in one phrase)

If you haven't taken advantage of the "Let us Help You Open Your Gifts This Christmas" campaign, I encourage you to so. This weekend is the last chance to turn in a gift certificate and get a free Strength Finders 2.0 book.

Let us help you open your GIFTS this Christmas

2011-12-09T10:33:00.001-08:00

We kicked off our NEW series GIfts this past Sunday. (By the way you can listen to the message on iTunes or at our website http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html )

We looked at God's Word and how He has created every single one of us to be unique.

Tired of feeling insecure? Tired of comparing yourself to others and battle pride or insecurity? Tired of feeling like you were given the short end of the stick when God created you. Open God's Word and follow us on this journey as we discover that God has given us the gift of uniqueness!! We all have been give natural gifts and have the potential to operate in supernatural gifts. It's going to be a fun month as we open up our GIFTS.

(BTW: if you come this month we have a special GIFT for you)

Further Reading & Study:

Psalm 139
Genesis 1
1 Corinthians 12:12-18

Spiritual HUB

2011-12-02T06:55:00.001-08:00

Last month series "Family Ties" was a series that we can revisit and listen to time and time again (By the way you can on iTunes or at our website http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html )

God designed the family to be the main environment where spiritual growth happens. From learning how to pray, worship and developing a missional heart, the family is the spiritual hub for growth.

We tried to give practical resources and support all month to empower parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles to be empowered to lead their families. You can be a spiritual leader in your family. You can show your family who God is and be His hands and feet! Keep growing and learning and don't give up!

PS. The family adventure is something you can do often with your own family. Better yet get together with another family and do your own family adventure :)

Love loses itself

2011-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Julie & I just had our 3rd child almost 4 months ago. There is something powerful, mystical and amazing when it comes to babies. We love babies with all of our hearts. We get up in the middle of the night and lose sleep to feed them and change their diapers. We protect them and keep them warm. We do everything we can to love and take care of them.

Did you ever think of why? What have babies ever done to deserve that kind of love? Nothing! (except be adorable).

That kind of love is the kind of love our heavenly Father gives us. A love that is sacrificial and a love that is unconditional.

We are great at giving that kind of love to babies however we are not so good at giving that kind of love to others that have grown up. We get hurt, offended, betrayed, used, neglected and abandoned. Our heart grows cold and we build walls.

I pray that we return back to the kind of love that God calls us to live and give. A love that is unconditional and a love that is sacrificial. When we begin to love others this way we will see much fruit!

Love is Paitent

2011-10-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

This Past Sunday we looked at a 3rd aspect of love...patience. We shared two practical things we can all do in our daily lives to grow in this aspect of love. You can listen to the message at www.wyandottefamily.com Click on the media tab on the bottom right and select listen to messages.

To me this is a HUGE topic because patience is running thin in our culture. People are too stressed, busy, and worried to be patient. As followers of Christ we have another opportunity to shine the light of Christ as we live lives full of patience!

One of the interesting things I found in my studies was the correlation between patience and the Holy Spirit. Many times patience is mentioned in the same verse the Holy Spirit. It is also described as one of the fruits (evidence) of the Spirit.

Usually when I find myself losing patience and being short with those around me, I find myself running on empty. The reality is that we often leak. We experience God and His Holy Spirit in a prayer time or on a Sunday morning which is great.

However, just like a car we need to constantly be filled. The more we are filled with His Spirit the more we will see patience in our lives.

Over the next 4 days why not pause and spend some time in prayer asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Think about what your days ahead hold and allow God's fruit to be manifested in your life.

Love sees past the present into potential

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Love sees past the present into potential. Love has this amazing ability to see someone for what they could be instead of only what they currently are. I am so thankful God loves me this way.

This past Sunday we asked the question, "How did we love this way in our daily lives." I believe the secret sauce is found in Luke 19:10--For the Son of Man came to seek & save those who are lost. Because He had a singular mission and focus. He was able to see opportunities for miracles everywhere. He was able to see what people could become because that was His mission.

Because Jesus lived missionally he always SAW things that most people missed. Look at how many times it said, "Jesus Saw." When you read this phrase it's normally followed by a miracle.

Matthew 4:18--As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers...

Matthew 4:21--Going on form there he saw two brothers...

Matthew 5:1--Now when he saw the crowds...

Matthew 8:18--When Jesus saw the crowd around him...

Matthew 9:2--When Jesus saw their faith...

Matthew 9:9--As Jesus went form there he saw a man...

Matthew 9:22--Jesus turned and saw her...

Matthew 9:36--When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them...

Because Jesus knew his mission and was focused, he was able to see what others didn't.

What would happen if we embraced Jesus' mission for our lives? What would happen if we lived our entire lives for His glory and His cause?

I wonder what things we would be able to see?

Love sees past the present into potential!

LOVE part 1 "Undeserved"

2011-10-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we kicked off our new series "Love."
The main verse for this month is John 13:35-- Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In thesame way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognizethat you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.

Somewhere along the line we began to equate spiritual maturity and sharing our faith with simply head knowledge. I think we came to make knowledge of Scripture, busy Christian activity and Christian apparel a sign of being a follower of Christ because it is simply easier.

Loving others and working at become better at loving like Jesus is hard work. It definitely isn't for the faint of heart. However, Jesus said that love is the proof or evidence that we are his followers. So according to Jesus' definition, can others tell we are His followers?

#1--How much love is currently flowing in your life?
#2--Does your knowledge of scripture match the amount of love?
#3--Grow in love this week. Read & pray 1 John 7-11 this week.

ACT 4: Be A Trader

2011-09-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

We ended our series on the book of Acts this past Sunday with the message "Be a Trader."

We all make trades every single day. Some trades are great and some are not so good. We can trade in our own agenda to connect with our children or spouse. There are also times we trade in those times for hobbies, facebook or overtime.

The question that we have to answer is "how is our current trading and investment going?" Are we accomplishing what we want or what God has called us to do? Is what we are trading for really valuable for eternity? What would happen if we traded the American Dream for a life devoted to serving others. What if we traded in moving up the ladder at work for supporting our kids and being there at their events & games. What if we traded in our fear of failure & rejection and took steps of faith in trying new ministries, or building new relationships in our neighborhood.

Let's become traders! Let's continue the book of Acts and right our own chapter as we follow Jesus on this wild journey!

2011-09-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Act 3: Persecution of the Church

Cornell Jordan came and talked about Acts 5-8 and how the church began to scatter all over because of persecution.

I have the privilege to have 3 daughters and a beautiful loving wife. I am the only guy in a house of 4 girls. Needless to say I've become very aware of how dramatic it can be to comb hair.

Sometimes the girls hair is so tangled they cry when Julie is combing their hair. They want their hair to look good and have all the tangles out but don't like the process.

As we follow Jesus on our faith journey, its very similar. We want the end result of knowing God better, experiencing his presence, love & power yet we often don't like the process.

I'm not sure what you are going through right now and I won't pretend I understand how hard or difficult the pain is. However the one thing I do know is that God is in the amazing business of taking hard times and even pain and making something beautiful out of it if we let him.

Take away: what is one difficult thing in your life right now? How can you surrender it to God and let him make something beautiful out of it? Who can you takl to about what you are going through? How does this change your perspective on the situation?

Acts "A faith that doesn't play around"

2011-09-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last blog. Been adapting to having 3 girls and a whole new phase of life :)

The past 2 weeks we have been going through our series ACTS "A faith that doesn't play around." We gave this series this title for two reasons: #1 the early church didn't play games. They were bold and changing the spiritual climate of their day. Also, we meet in a drama theater that has plays (I know...I'm cheesy)

Week #1 Pastor Evan spoke from Acts chapter 1-3. He looked at the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit brings Power, Fire, & Rest to our lives. I pray for all us to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Week #2 I got to speak from Acts 3-4. We talked about how the church was created to prevail not fail. We took an honest look at the church in America and honestly evaluated if it was prevailing or failing.

We also talked about the 2nd part of our vision Family and unveiled 4 new small groups launching in a few weeks.
#1--The Alpha Course (for new believers or for those who
have a lot of questions about God & faith)
#2--The Marriage Course (for couples married 1 month
or 50 years. Will deal with a lot of great topics &
issues)
#3--Tangible Kingdom (how to develop & organize your
life so you will be more missional & less consumer)
#4--Understanding Community (the importance &
significance of being connected deeper)

There are many ways to achieve the vision of FAMILY. Our plan is not the only way to accomplish the vision. However, we are asking you to come on board and be a part of small groups. Take the next step from faith to family and be a part of the exciting church that God said the gates of hell would not prevail against.

Simple Part 1: Follow

2011-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

This Past Sunday we kicked off our NEW series titled "Simple." I've been waiting for this series because it is so close to my heart and the vision of Wyandotte Family.

We talked about in week one how Jesus asked people to follow him even before they fully believed in him or obeyed him. The church many times expect people to conform before they belong. We long at Wyandotte Family to be a place where people can belong and follow even before they believe. WHY? I am confident in the love and power of God and the Holy Spirit's ability to reveal truth. If people come they will encounter Jesus.

Why is it so hard for us to allow the Holy Spirit to do his job? Why is it so hard for us to get out of the way? Why is it hard for us to not judge?

May we be a church that has many people who feel comfortable to follow even if they don't' believe or even obey yet.

Hot Topics: Inside Look

2011-07-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a fun & challenging month as we have covered the hot topics of...

1. Depression

2. Pornography

3. Gambling

4. Drinking

Each of the topics have been tough to tackle but I have enjoyed the challenge and have enjoyed creating an authentic environment.

Today we talked about drinking. I know this is a touchy subject for a lot of people. I tried to navigate thorough this topic Biblically but not religiously. I encourage you to pause for 25 minutes and listen to the message online at http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html

The whole reason we have gone through this series is not to point fingers, not to make feel people feel ostracized but to deal with issues that people are facing and to create an authentic environment where people can get help.

I mentioned in my message that we support a ministry called Life Challenge in Detroit. They help people get free from life controlling problems. If you need help or know someone who does, I encourage you to check them out. http://lifechallengesemi.org

Porn Sunday Follow UP

2011-07-12T09:19:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was part 2 of our series "Hot Topics" as we tackled the issue of Porn.

I shared many stats to bring awareness to how prevalent this problem is. (you can listen to the message on-line by clicking this link http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html

I believe the best way to begin the process of healing and freedom is to tell several people you trust. Don't let the addiction stay in darkness because what is brought out in the light is easier to fight. Go ahead and tell a few people today and ask for their help, wisdom, prayers & encouragement.

Also, set up some boundaries. We are human and often give in when we are tired and alone. Accountability can protect us in our weak moments. Here is a link to 2 software's you can download. One is free and the other has a yearly subscription.

Safe Eyes Link (Internet filter & accountability...#1 software available)

X3 Watch Accountability Software (free version at very bottom, Pro is $7)

By telling a few people and implementing boundaries, you are taking 2 huge steps toward freedom. You may still be tempted and even stumble, but you are moving forward!!!

What does a pastor do?

2011-06-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways we can lead ourselves and be most effective in life is to manage our time well. As a follower of Christ this is one area of my life that I constantly focus on, pray about and examine. I juggle time for my marriage, children, the ministry, family, God, friends, chores etc. etc.

Many people often ask, "What does a pastor do during the week?" All you work is on Sunday's right?

Below is a general overview of a typical week on how I invest my time. I am in no way perfect and am constantly striving to grow and become better. The one thing I do strive for is for Jesus to be the center that everything flows out of.

Sunday's--The day starts between 5-5:45am to pray and read my Bible. 6:45am go to the "box" to help the Grunt Team B set up. After church (1:00pm) I'll often go out to eat with my family or with someone from the church. . I'll work on administrative stuff for the following week until 5 or 5:30pm.

Monday's--My Sabbath Day (Gift Day)--I won't answer my phone all day or look at emails. My wife will check it in case of emergencies. I'll spend extra time with Jesus and with my family. We try to do a family fun activity and act out a Bible play as a family. Will return calls & emails on Tuesday.

Tuesday--Get up around 5:15am to read my Bible & pray. Attend the Men's Coffee Group at Tim Horntons. Work on administration until 11am. During the summer I get to take Brianna to violin lessons at 10:30am twice a month). Noon is Rotary every week. After Rotary I spend a few hours downtown Wyandotte going from business to business meeting people, talking and building relationships. Will work on my sermon until 5-5:30pm

Wednesday--I spend half the day doing chores, cutting the grass etc. The other half is devoted to working on my sermon and emails. I often will set up appointments in the evening (marriage counseling, bible studies etc.)

Thursday--Try to get up at 6am to spend time in prayer & read my Bible. I will spend the early morning in prayer & finishing up my sermon for Sunday. I will make many phone calls to the leadership team to touch base and catch up. Twice a month I meet someone early in the morning at Tim Hortons to mentor another gentleman.

Friday's--Spend time in prayer & reading my bible at 7am. Twice a month I go to the Wyandotte Business Association meetings at city hall. I will often try to spend the a few hours after as well meeting people and building relationship int the city. I will finish the day until 5pm on administration, phone calls & final prep.

Saturdays--Will spend the day finishing up on any lose ends from the week and getting together with people. I spend the evening going over my message and praying.

**Not included in list: Weekly call to my prayer partner, daddy dates with my girls, dates with Julie, leadership meetings once a month, meeting with people in the church as needed, city council meetings, connection groups, Third Friday's, monthly sectional Assemblies of God meetings, creative planning meetings, or running

The important thing for a pastor is to be flexible as needs arrive. However there are some things that stay consistent.

I've tried my best to be authentic. I constantly work on my schedule and ask God to guide me. I want to lead myself so I can lead others!

Iron Man

2011-06-19T15:21:00.001-07:00

What a great Father's Day Gathering. We continued our series "Heroes" and looked at the super hero "Iron Man." He conquered many villains and saved many lives but had a hard time leading himself personally.

We looked how a true iron man leads others by leading himself first. So how does a man lead himself...by allowing God to lead him.

We looked at 1 Kings 19 and how Elijah stood in the presence of God. When he stood in the presence of God he...

#1--Heard this still small voice of God

#2--He was able to unload his frustrations & stress on God
#3--God gave him a new perspective of his current situation

#4--God sent him back & re-called him to the very place he was running from

When we get into the presence of God the same amazing things happen to us as well. I know you want to be a great father, husband and follower of Christ. I know you want to be a leader. A real iron man leads others by leading himself first.

Let's make it a priority this week to spend time with God every day on our own. If you don't know how, just ask someone you know to help. You can journal, worship, read your Bible, go for a prayer walk or drive or just sit and talk to God in your living room. Let's pursue God and hear his voice, pour out our hearts to him and allow His voice, perspective & calling to lead us every day!

Thor: Humility

2011-06-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today for Heroes part 7 we looked at the comic super-hero "Thor." His Father Odin wanted to teach him humility so he striped him of his powers and sent him to earth as a human.

We talked about true greatness and God's definition of humility...HUMILITY + SERVING = TRUE GREATNESS.

Think of someone in the past who took time to genuinely serve you. What kind of impact did it have on your life then? Does it still have an impact?

Why do you think it was so important for Jesus to have that special moment where he washed the disciples feet?

Even though we don't wash feet like that anymore in our culture, what are some things that we could do that would be very similar?

How can you remind yourself this week of God's definition of true greatness?

With Great Power Comes Great Responsiblity

2011-06-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we continue our "Heroes" series as we looked at Spider-Man. The famous quote, "With great power comes great responsibility" came from Peter Parker's Uncle Ben. How ironic, that the same thief that he could have stopped and captured but let go because of apathy, was the same thief that robbed and killed his Uncle Ben.

Apathy may not always kill things that visually however don't be deceived, apathy kills. Apathy always kills something in our lives that is beautiful.

The story found in the book of Nehemiah is amazing at how we often settle to live in ruins when God has intended so much more. I pray that we authentically seek God and consistently ask Him to reveal areas in our lives where we have grown complacent. Let's wake up and rebuild the walls in our lives! Let's take action and not settle for anything less that what God has created us and called us for!

Captain America: You Can Change the World

2011-06-01T18:57:00.003-07:00

This past Sunday we talked about changing the world. Sound like a cliche? Seem like it's too big of a task? Make you feel small?

There are so many needs and so many problems (not including our own), that we often become overwhelmed or apathetic and end up doing nothing.

I used a quote from Andy Stanley, "Do for one, what you wish you could do for everyone."

Who is one person that you could pray for, call, facebook, email or text? Who is one person you could go out for a cup of coffee with? Who is one person you could focus on and serve.

To the world you may only be one person but to one person you could be the world!

Faith or Fear

2011-05-23T06:48:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was part 4 of our Heroes series. We looked at the hero "DareDevil" and talked about the reality of fear. We looked at how faith & fear are actually cousins that are connected with the common denominator of belief. What we dwell on determines our daily destiny.

At every moment in our lives we can choose one or the other. They both require belief and they are both readily available. Here are some verses you can focus on this week to help build your faith.

Ephesians 6:19--Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,

1 John 4:18--There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear

2 Timothy 1:7--For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Joshua 1:9--Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Let's feed our faith this week! What we dwell on determines our daily destiny!

Doing Life God's Way

2011-05-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Doing Life God's Way helps ordinary people live extraordinary lives. Being a hero is more often developed in small every day unoticed right decisions.

What is one area in your life that you feel like you have taken matters into your own hands?

What does the Bible say about that area? Take some time and find it.

How can you begin to do life God's way.

Heroes do life God's way. Ordinary people living extraordinary lives.

Heroes part 2 "Wonder Woman"

2011-05-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

What a fun "Mothers Day" as Pastor Julie spoke on Heroes Part 2 "Wonder Woman."

She talked about how Mom's can get so consumed with taking care of kids, cleaning the house, paying the bills, etc. etc. that life can be overwhelming, challenging and even disappointing.

She talked about how God's Wonder Woman (or Super Man) pursues God with their dreams! She talked about Hannah from 1 Samuel 1 and how Hannah cried out to God. She defined "crying out to God" as P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens).

We can spend a lot of time complaining, yelling, stewing, venting in the natural but the supernatural begins to happen when we take our authentic feelings, thoughts, hurts & pains to God in prayer.

Challenge: Plan a strategic time this week to pray and talk to God about your dreams, thoughts and feelings. Remember, prayer is connecting finite people to an infinite God!

Heroes Part 1 "Incredible Hulk"

2011-05-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

We kicked off our NEW series "Heroes" with talking about the Incredible Hulk and the relevant and reality of anger!

We looked at what the Bible has to say about anger and saw that anger by itself is not a sin (Ephesians 4:26-27). We looked at the reality of how are anger can either be a CANCER or a CATALYST!

We talked about the power of the Holy Spirit and how cancerous anger cannot grow where the Holy Spirit is allowed to flow. If you love gardening or planting flowers than you understand the the have the right soil is necessary for flowers or crop. The same principle is true spiritually, the condition of our hearts is important to what will be allowed to grow and flourish in our lives.

Challenge: This week spend time everyday asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit a fresh anew. Take time to wait and listen. Take time to receive and believe. Watch the fruit of the Spirit began to form in your live one day at a time!

Impossible is Nothing

2011-04-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we looked at the Resurrection of Jesus and how "Impossible is Nothing."

He is risen! He has defeated death, hell and the grave. He has conquered our sin and brought us new life. Nothing is too hard for Him.

No matter we face this week, we can stand on God's Word and remember impossible is nothing.

Remember...God loves impossible because He gets all of the glory and it gives us a story!

Death often paves the way to new life

2011-04-18T09:53:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we looked at part 3 "His Death." We looked at the reality of how death often paves the way to new life. We looked at the history of the Tabernacle, the holy place, most holy place and curtain that separated the two. It was exciting to talk about how when Jesus died on the cross and became the ultimate sacrifice that curtain hat separated us from God's presence was torn from top to bottom. We now have access into His presence!!!

I want to have more of a dialogue this week...

#1--Have you experienced a tough transition or loss in your life?

#2--How did you handle it?

#3--What new life came out of it after the fact?

Purpose Has Power

2011-04-11T07:27:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was part 2 in our Journey with Jesus series. We looked at the "Life of Jesus." We talked about how Jesus lived His live with amazing purpose and He never wavered. We looked at the reality...Purpose has power!

We were all challenged with this question, "What purpose is driving our life?" Are we living on purpose or just surviving? What controls how we invest our time, energy & money?

Below are five God-ordained purposes for our lives. I pray that one of these grips your heart this week and that you focus on living on purpose with purpose. Hey, if we focused on one purpose at a time, we will be suprised at the growth & change!

Purpose #1--To worship God with our lives ** I will focus on honoring God with my life at home, work, alone etc. I will write myself little reminders this week at the most frequented spots to help me remember my purpose

Purpose #2--To genuinely connect with others who have a relationship with Jesus (community) **I will intentionally pray for everyday for someone else this week *I will contact someone else from Wyandotte Family & connect with them outside of the gathering

Purpose #3--To grow closer to God **I will spend at least 5 minutes a day in prayer this week talking and listening to Him *I will continue to read the Bible everyday even though the 29 challenge is over

Purpose #4--To live Missionally & serve others **I will prayerfully look to serve 1 person a day as the opportunity arises *If I am not currently involved in a ministry at Wyandotte Family I will pray about what area to get involved in this week and fill out a communication card on Sunday

Purpose #5--Giving **I will read a Bible verse on giving/generosity every day this week & ask God how I can grow in giving

Text Message Part 3 "Help! How Do I Understand?"

2011-03-21T07:54:00.001-07:00

Reading the Bible can be a challenge at times! However, the Bible is important to our relationship with God! It's it's truth or his reality. It shows us the way He designed life to operate. It deals with tough issues and guides us to His heart.

SO HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND?

A unique way to read the Bible is the "One Word Bible Study." Taking time and thinking through every word and writing other words that have similar meaning in the column." For example...

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.

ONE WORD BIBLE STUDY...

John 3:16--For God so loved (valued) the world (all people), that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever (everyone) believes (trusts) in Him will not die but have eternal life (on-going life).

I challenge you to continue to read God's text message every day. The one word Bible study forces us to slow down, meditate and think. It helps us digest the truth of what God is saying and makes it easier to apply to our lives.

HAVE FUN!

Text Message: Divine Love Letter

2011-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was part 2 in our series "Text Message." We talked about the Divine Love Letter. The Bible (God's text message to us) is not a book of rules or strictly a code of conduct.
It's a divine love story about God getting back (redeeming) what is rightfully His.

The Bible is a story of how our sin (missing the mark) broke our relationship with God and how God was willing to send His only Son to live, die and rise again so that relationship could be restored. We talked about how reading God's text message through the lens of relationship changes everything. As you read it through the filter of relationship you see that everything God does and asks of us is because He has our best interest in mind!

Let's practice reading God's text message through the lens of relationship. Insert your name whenever there is a blank in the Bible verse.

2 Corinthians 5:21--God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for _______, so that in Him _______ might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 53:5-6--But He (Jesus) was pierced for _________ transgressions. He was crushed for ________ iniquities; the punishment that brought _________ peace was upon Him, and by His wounds ________ is healed.

When we understand that's is Love not law and that it's a Divine Love Letter to us of how God has provided a way for relationship with Him to be restored...it changes everything.

MAY YOU NEVER READ THE BIBLE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Text Message: Truth Brings Freedom

2011-03-07T08:19:00.001-08:00

This Past Sunday we kicked off our NEW SERIES "Text Message: God's Simple Message in a Complicated World." We are going to spend the entire month talking about the importance the Bible (God's Text Message) and how to understand it!

For part #1 we talked about how "Truth Brings Freedom." Jesus said in the book of John chapter 8...you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Jesus also said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

It also says in Galatians that it was for freedom Christ has set us free. God wants us to experience true freedom. He also shows us in His text message that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ!

Questions to wrestle with this week...

#1--Is there an area of my life where I need freedom? (Addictions, shame, past etc.)

#2--If so, what Bible verses from God's text message address those areas? (remember truth brings freedom)

#3--Who can I share the answer to #1 with? Our relationship with God and our spiritual growth was never intended to happen in isolation. The more you bring the truth out (even to others you trust) the more freedom you will find.

PS. We launched the "29 Day challenge" as well. Committing to reading once chapter in the Bible every day for 29 days starting in John 1. Join us!!

God is For-Giving

2011-02-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we were in between series so I shared the message "God is For-Giving"

We all are at different generosity stages and we all have a generosity point at which we pause and struggle to give.

We focused on the truth...learn to truly live by learning to truly give. As we cross the line into a relationship with Jesus, we become more like him. The more like him we become, the more we become for-giving!

We used the cheesy but fun acronym of (F.O.R.D-Frustrated over regular distractions) to talk about being generous with our time and (G.M.-Generous with our money) to talk about being faithful in giving in the church & outside as well.

#1-On a scale 1-10 (10 being the highest) how would you rate yourself on the generous scale?

#2-Why did you rate yourself the way you did?
#3-Where is your generosity limit?
#4-Why does it stop there? What is holding you back from growing in generosity?
#5--What can you do this week to grow in generosity?

Learn to truly live by learning to truly give!

"Big But's" Part 3 Blaming our Circumstances

2011-02-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we wrapped up "Big Buts" this past Sunday with blaming our circumstances.

We talked about "When circumstances go wrong, remember to whom you belong"

We looked at John 5 and how Jesus asked a crazy question to a man who was paralyzed for 38 years..."Do you want to be made well?" Read John 5 and you will be shocked at his response.

We talked about learning the art of giving our circumstances to God

Psalm 55:22-Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken

We all will face tough, challenging or unexpected circumstances. When they happen we can either blame them for our ungodly attitudes & actions or we can take them to God in prayer.

Challenge for the week: Carve out 5-10 minutes each day to "Cast your cares on the Lord"
#1--Be authentic--share with God your true thoughts & feelings
#2--Spend time in prayer both talking to God but listening
#3--Spend time reading a chapter from The Bible (The book of John is a great place to start) be reminded that your identity is not in your circumstances but in GOD!

BIG BUT #2--Blaming Others

2011-02-14T07:26:00.001-08:00

This Past Sunday we looked at "Big But" #2 Blaming Others. We talked about the reality that the moment we begin blaming other people we stop growing. "In Order to Grow we must let go."

#1--Who is one person you have been blaming for an attitude or action in your life?

#2--How has that been working for you?

#3--What will be the consequences for you if you don't let go?

#4--How different would your life be, if you do "let go?"

#5--What is one thing you can do today to begin the process today?

Here is a simple prayer..."Father God, I thank you that you love me and have my best interest in mind. I thank you that you have good things in store for me and that Your Word is truth regardless of how I feel. _______ has hurt me deeply and offended me greatly. I want to forgive and let go. Forgive me for my attitude and bitterness. Wash over me with your forgiveness and love so it can flow through me to others. Thank you for Your power and for helping me let go. I choose to let go today. In Jesus name...AMEN!

Does Anything Happen?

2011-01-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we finished our series "Starting Point: Going Deeper" with special guest speaker Pastor Cornell Jordan. He spoke on the topic of prayer....not how to pray but why we pray!

He asked tough questions like...

*When you pray does something miraculous, powerful or positive happen?

*If not then why?

James 5:16 says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (NLT)

The level of our prayer life will reveal the level of depth in our relationship with God. Why not begin to plan for prayer just like you plan to eat, take a shower and brush your teeth. The Creator of the Universe wants to have such a close relationship with you and be involved in your daily life. Will you let Him?

Fun

2011-01-17T08:09:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday was part 3 in our series "Starting Point: Going Deeper." We talked about the third part of our vision; FUN!

The way we have been trained to do fun is often temporary and never enough. Many who live their lives for fun are just waiting for the next best thing. It reminds me of kids at Christmas time who get bored with their toys after 3 weeks.

We define fun as living your purpose to worship God by serving others. We believe that when you truly put others first and use your talents to serve others you will experience overwhelming joy and a fun filled life. (Read Acts 5 & 16 for people who were truly having fun)

The way to develop that kind of life is to train our minds with this reality, "Fun is not an activity but an attitude--Jeanne Mayo."

With this new definition of fun...

#1--How can you have "fun" at work this week?

#2--How can you have "fun" with your family?

#3--How can you have "fun" with your neighbors?

#4--How can you have "fun" with total strangers?

Let's life our lives to worship God by serving others and truly experience "FUN"

We Are Family (can you hear the song?)

2011-01-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we talked about what it truly means to be a family. When we cross the line into a relationship with Jesus, we become a part of something bigger than ourselves. We get to be a part of the family of God and to do life together. Yet, if we are honoest, most of us jus settle for showing up once a week for an hour to church so we can go our own way the rest of the week.

How do we do life together in this day and age? How do we get connected with others to the point where we can be authentic? How do we stop the crazy schedule of life that seems to control us and dictate how we spend our time?

Here are a few practical suggestions to help build family...

*Call another person or family this week and invite them to join you at your house for a meal

*The next time you go shopping, call someone and invite them to go with you.

*The next time you go out to a movie, McDonald's or somewhere else, invite others to join you

*When you hear someone else have a need, ask if you could come and help

As followers of Christ become a true family; giving, loving, praying and doing life together, we will see God's presence and love draw others to Him in an exponential way.

Gotta have faith

2011-01-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

In the famous words of George Michael from the late 80's, "Gotta have faith, faith, faith..."

This Sunday we kicked of our NEW series, "Starting Point: Going Deeper." We focused on clarify what it means to have faith.

When you hear the word faith, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? On a scale of 1-10 how much faith in God would you say you have?

We defined faith as believing God is who he says he is and that he will always do what he says he will do. No matter what circumstances may be like, God's word is truth and we can take it to the bank.

According to that definition of faith, is there an area of your life that you have a hard time trusting God? If so, why do you think you struggle in that area but not in others? What does God say about that area? If you don't know, this would be a great time to check out what the Bible says.

God, I pray that in 2011, you teach me to trust you more than ever before. May I truly have faith and give you control. May I live my life believing you are who you say you are and that you will always do what you say you will do. In Jesus Name! Amen.

Beauty

2010-11-22T06:26:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday gathering we discussed the word "beauty."

We defined beauty has coming together and creating something that resonates with the heart of God. Creating a different reality than others are used to seeing which results in giving others a glimpse of God's glory. It's awakening other's imagination to realize there is more than this life.

We talked about walking in beauty when we walk in excellence & creativity.

1 Corinthians 10:31— So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

What are you doing right now? What are going to do today? What are you doing this week and Thanksgiving? Remember, that we are called to do it with excellence as unto the Lord! When we do beauty is released and others see a glimpse of God's glory!

Take Home: What is one thing that I can do with excellence this week?

Story

2010-11-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we talked about the word "Story."

Why are stories so powerful? Why do stories have the ability to touch our hearts like nothing else? Stories make us laugh, they make us cry, and they draw us in so we feel connected. Why is that?

I know this has been told many times but the word History is really His-story. The Bible is not a bunch of fragmented books that are disconnected. The Bible is 1 story starting in Genesis and signing off temporarily in Revelation. It's a story of Redemption and forgiveness. It's not a book full of rules and regulations and law. It's a story of how we turned away from God and severed our relationship with Him. It's a story of God's amazing plan to restore that relationship so we could know Him again. It's a story of how we can live our lives to the fullest and we can truly know God personally.

Have you read the story lately? Go ahead...start in Genesis 1:1 and read the beginning of it all. The more you know and become a part of God's story, the more you will desire to share it with others.

And Conference part 3

2010-11-09T06:12:00.001-08:00

As we continue this conversation on being attractional and missional I wanted to share a few barriers that we come up against. There are usually 3 barriers that challenge us and try to keep us from being missional in our every day lives.

BARRIER #1—Individualism
*This is how we process our social interaction…control who we are with. More and more in America we have become individuals often isolated from others. This is true for the church at large. We have created our own "bubble" that keeps us from being around the very people that need the love & power of Jesus. We are not truly a disciple (which means follower of Christ), until we are intentionally around those who need Him the most.

BARRIER #2—Materialism--which we define..."the reason I live and work is to get stuff" It's hard to be missional when we are focused on all of the things in life we want for ourselves. It makes it hard to be generous and giving. A disciple who is missional is characterized by generosity.

BARRIER #3—Consumerism--defined as...God is here for me first…I do everything for me. I seek God because God blesses my business. I attend this church because it meets the needs of my family. How do we know this is true? Statistics reveal that a majority of churches spend 80% of their money on themselves and keeping themselves alive. A missional disciple is one who understand that they are here for God and His purposes. They live with His mission and purpose for their lives at the center of every thing they do.

Which barrier do you struggle with the most? Write down and make it a strategic matter of prayer and focus this week as you strive to live missional and with meaning!

And Conference part 2

2010-11-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Once again the topic of this blog is on the tension of being an attractional and missonal church. Being attractional is trying to compel those who aren't walking with Jesus to come to the church. Being missional is leaving the church "box" and going out to the community to bring Jesus love to others.

Here are some more thoughts & insights from the conference

In the PAST—We focused on getting the community into the church. Church was defined largely by the weekend service. Primarily centralized top-down structure. Attendance and giving were how success was gauged. People come to the church building to do their ministry. Buildings serve the church—the community is invited to join them

Where we are NOW—Get the church into the community. Church defined by “where you are." We begin also tracking community impact and loving others as a gauge of success. Ministry isn’t confined to a building. It happens where you are. Buildings serve the community—the congregation also meets there

Many do what we have always done. Other's want to throw out the past and go with where we are now. We are going to join the movement and believe God to help us do both. I've always said, this is not a church...just a place where the church meets.

When you go to work Monday, there is church. When you meet others at Starbucks or Tim Hortons, there is church. When you hang out watching sports with others, there is church. Let's allow God to shift our mind and understand that everyday is an opportunity for us to meet with God to be used by Him to help others meet Him.

From the "And" Conference

2010-11-05T08:14:00.001-07:00

I have been given the great opportunity to attend this challenging
conference in Indiana. The entire conference is to wrestle with the
philosophies of being an "Attractional" church and a "Missional"
church. It's going to take a lot of blogs to share what God is saying but hang with me :)

First of all..let me define what Attractional & Missional means?

Missional means to Be the love of Jesus right where you live, being the church in your everyday life. Being Missional is being outward focused and taking the love and grace of Jesus out of the church into the community. Being missional is understanding that we don't go to church but we are the church. Everywhere we go, we take the power and love of God with us.

Attractional means to use creativity, arts, technology and other resources to attract the community to come to church. It's more inward focused trying to compel others to come to you. Attempting to be relevant and connect with the culture in how one designs one gatherings.

Over the past 5-7 years there has been debate on which one we should be. This conference is about how we can become both!

BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM...

The Shrinking 40% --This percentages used to be higher but is ever shrinking. Many Americans who currently don't go to church will possibly come to the “box” The way we do church is working for fewer and fewer people everyday. The way we do church isn’t style, traditional, denomination doesn’t matter—it's usually come to us.

60% and growing—60% of those who don't go to church, will never come to the “box”. Many of them believe there is a higher power yet don’t consider the church as a resource to take steps to know God better or find answers. Young adults today are less connected to church than previous decades but just as spiritual. If this trend continues churches will close as fast at GM dealerships

We feel this tension because many of us say..."But I love inviting people to church because that is how I came to know Jesus. That is how my life has changed. Yet we all have friends who we have invited to the "box" for years but they won't come. So, this leaves us with two choices.

Two Choices:
#1—Continue to pour our lives and resources trying to reach the 40% (28,565 unchurched people in Wyandotte, Riverview & Southgate who may come)
#2—Leave the institutional church behind. Go out and spend the resources and time going after the masses 60% (42,828 unchurch people who most likely will never come to the box)

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH? IS IT POSSIBLE TO REACH OUR COMMUNITIES AND FRIENDS? YES.

MORE TO COME and comments encouraged...

What Outfit are you Wearing

2010-11-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was the special illustrated message "Chainsaw Jesus." (Check our facebook fan page for pictures soon)

We talked about how many of us even after Halloween try to cover up the sins, hurts, and void in our lives with other things. However, the more we try to "mask it," the greater the wall becomes inside our hearts and the further from God we actually become.

Yet, THANK GOD FOR CHAINSAW JESUS! Through His death on the cross and his triumphal Resurrection on that 3rd day, we can be forgiven and freed from our sin and ourselves.

As I was reading this morning I came across this verse in Romans

Romans 13:14--Rather clothe (cover) yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do no think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Thank you Jesus that even though I deserve death and eternal separation from You because of my sins, I can clothe (cover) myself with Your love, forgiveness and freedom.

When You believe in God but won't share your faith part 3

2010-10-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

An old friend of mine is an author and blogger. I recently received an email from him about making an impact on others lives. Thought this was a great practical read as a follow up to the message from this past Sunday...ENJOY!!!
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Article by Matt Anderson (Matt Chat)

On September 25, the Texas Rangers cliched their division's championship in Oakland. It was cause to celebrate. This was rarefied territory for the frequent AL West cellar-dwellers. It would be their first playoff appearance in 11 years. Per tradition, bottles of champagne were popped open and freely dispensed over the heads of teammates.

But Josh Hamilton was nowhere to be found. After hugging and shaking hands with his teammates, he changed in the trainer's room, far away from the raucous celebration. Why would he eschew a moment craved by every baseball player? Two reasons. Hamilton is a believer in Christ who didn't want to send the wrong message to fans, and he is a recovering addict.

Hamilton is one of Major League Baseball's most interesting stories. Drafted as a "can't miss" prospect, his rampant addiction to drugs and alcohol had taken away everything - his career (suspended from the league), his family, and almost his life. At rock bottom, he made a decision to follow Christ, eventually got clean, and got back into baseball.

Now he's arguably the best player in the game. But he's far from perfect. Relapsing almost two years ago, he made the mistake of believing he could handle one drink. That dalliance snowballed into a binge and an indiscretion that once again could have cost him his career and family. Finding forgiveness from both his wife and team, he moved forward. These days, the right fielder has to live on a much shorter leash than most. He has no cash or credit cards in his wallet at any time, to eliminate the temptation to purchase alcohol or drugs. Even his per diem funds are handled by his manager. He is only allowed to hang out with teammates who don't drink alcohol. Which explains why Hamilton was nowhere to be found when the champagne was flowing.

This past Friday night, I watched from home as the Rangers defeated the Yankees to win the American League pennant. The team charged the field, huddled, hugged, and celebrated by pouring beverages over each other's heads. But this time, Hamilton was right in the middle of it. Why? What the lead broadcaster said next floored me. He remarked that, in deference to Josh Hamilton, the team was showering each other with liter bottles of ginger ale. From my living room, all I could say was, "That's totally cool." I know. Not the profundity you look for from a writer, but that's all that worked. I was amazed at the respect they showed to a valuable teammate.

It's not easy for Christians in the workplace. Even today, many of us will be regaled with tales of unholy conquest and behavior from the previous weekend. We seem to almost be speaking a different language than others in the office or the plant. It seems a gulf too big to span. However, I would suggest than when we are a valuable teammate and value those we work with, we will have the respect of (at least) some. If we refuse to go out for drinks with friends/co-workers and tell them we're concerned about getting drunk and what that does to us, only a complete moron (non-spiritual diagnosis by author) would be disagreeable. Yes, there will be those who can't wait for us to "relapse" and be less than perfect, but in their hearts they'll know we get it right a whole lot more than we get it wrong. And that counts for something.

If you're in that spot and think you're not making an impact, I want you to know that you are. When the loud mouth's head hits the pillow, it's your life he wishes he had. He wished he could live without the constant shame, guilt, and pain that only substances can anesthetize. Be as consistent as you can, be a good teammate to the company, and be available to your co-workers. Who knows? The next invitation to drinks may turn out to be ginger ale.

Penn Gilette...won't share your faith part 2

2010-10-26T05:58:00.001-07:00

Below is a video I wanted to show on Sunday at our gathering. It's the video blog of Penn Gilette (from Penn & Teller Illusion Show) talking about sharing faith. Now remember, he is an atheist. What profound and challenging words he shares.

When you believe in God but won't share your faith!

2010-10-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we finished our Christian Atheist Series. The entire series was designed to shrink the gap between our words & beliefs we profess and our actions.

When it comes to sharing our faith, we talked about inviting people to church, sharing your story & serving others in love. Sharing our faith doesn't mean trying to fix others ourselves or get them to act right.
I came across this blog from a another pastor Julie and I served under in Northville. Check it out...
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#1 way for us to be Spiritual NOT Religious
October 21, 2010 by Sonny Hennessy

This past year Shawn and I went to a Spiritual renewal retreat lodge in Colorado for 10 days. It was life altering! We felt like our Bachelor of Arts in Theology and 12 years of experience in “full time” ministry dimmed in comparison to the fullness of the Word we received 12-14 hours a day for 10 days.

One of the books that was part of our daily curriculum was, “The Valley of Vision”. It is simply a collaboration of Puritan’s journaled Prayers. To hear them repent for the need to repent among other cries for God’s Mercy and Grace stunned me. These particular puritan’s, not that all were this way, were consumed with their own Holiness. Their focus wasn’t on others need to be Holy but their own need. They knew if they caught flame, others would follow but it was their responsibility to check their motives, heart, desires not just first…..but period. They were aware that they had so many sinful ways as flesh of flesh that they could spend all day everyday working on themselves. It was introspection, Fear of God, trembling in His presence. Who were they to judge others if they felt unworthy themselves? That is where God wanted them…aware of their unworthiness and their need for Him.

We have come so far from the pure fear of working out our own salvation that we honestly feel it is our duty to work other’s out for them. This is Religion.

It is saying I want to have a fence built around me by man- made rules and obligations so it is simple and fool proof. Next step is I need to get that fence around those who become Christians so myself and my earthly leader can prove this faith is “fool-proof”. We must realize we are fools, and those who don’t know Christ yet may really look foolish but I’m not the wise guy to change em! We want so bad to control any bad thing that may come our way, and don’t see that delima’s allow God to turn us in the direction of our true destiny if we let HIM!

We also feel obligated as Religious people to “take a stand against sin”, in fact we hear that preached often. It’s always a sermon that will get the Pastor some “Amen’s” and a “Preach it” here and there. Problem is, we believe we are making a difference “taking a stand” against sinners through picketing and making stern comments when opportunity arises. Shouldn’t we first take a stand against that darn plank in our own eye before we hold up our angry sign with a plank?

I recently was surprised to hear about a great Pastor we know who was rallying his congregation to show up and picket a topless bar. I asked Shawn if he thought the same time from the pulpit could be spent receiving an offering so some lovely church ladies could take money and hand it to one of the girls going into the bar to work a shift. This could be the “seed” God is sending to end the cycle of their need for this paralyzing career. The money may help a single mom support herself and poor babies so she can get out of the job that makes her a lot of money a night.

Oh, I know what most are thinking, “You don’t know what she will do with that money”….hold up right there…. is that us determining she answers to us not God? And how many preachers have used our offerings for the hotel bills to stay with one of these girls…ouch, that was just mean, I know! Sorry

Anywhoo, if we Religious folk (I act it too at times) would focus as much on ourselves and our holiness, we would ooze with Love and Mercy for others. Our heart would break for what breaks His!

There is no way you can be on your knees and in the Word and walk away looking for a sinner to reprimand. Those who are disgusted by “sinners” have not been with Jesus lately because you would be crying not raging. Jesus only ever got angry at Pharisees, Saducees, and temple workers…oh and at the devil.

With love and gentleness….;D

Sonny

When you believe in God but trust more in MONEY

2010-10-18T07:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was part 6 of the Christian Atheist Series. We looked at how easy it is for us to allow money to take the place of God in our hearts. Money is the #1 competitor to God. However, Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve both God and money. We will either love one and despise the other. You can listen to the message by clicking on this link http://www.wyandottefamily.com/listen.html

One of the things we talked about is how to combat selfishness and being discontented? One of the ways was to take action!

1 Timothy 6:18-19—Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the age to come, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Pause for a moment and spend a few minutes in prayer. Ask God how wants to use you this week and how you can be generous today to bless others. Remember, God isn't against His people having money or things but He is against money & things having His people.

TAKE HOME (ways to grow in generosity)

#1--Go back and re-read the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19 starting at verse 16) and the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19)
#2--Pray every morning asking God to make you more like Jesus (a giver)
#3--Purchase this economical and power teaching by Rob Bell Nooma: Rich at http://www.amazon.com/Nooma-Rich-13-Rob-Bell/dp/B000RW3UWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1287411747&sr=8-1 This video is full of challenging and mind blowing statistics on how rich we truly are in America.

When You Believe in God But Don't Think You Can Change

2010-10-11T07:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we had special guest speaker Brian Pruitt with us. He talked about When You Believe in God But Don't Think You Can Change.

He spoke from John 5:1-8 (I would encourage you to read it again)

Go ahead, pause, grab Your Bible or go to http://www.youversion.com/

and look up the verses.

The question from verse 6 is still echoing in my head, "Do you want to get well?"

Remember, God is unchangeable but we are not. Every life surrendered to Jesus can and will change.

Have a great week walking in FREEDOM!!

The God Bag

2010-10-04T07:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we talked about "When You Believe in God but still worry all of the time."I read a story about a gentleman who took a brown bag and wrote "God Bag." He put it above the kitchen door as a visual.

Every time he began to worry about something, he paused, prayed about it and then wrote it down on a piece of paper and put it in the God Bag. This was symbolic of him trusting God to handle the situation and that he didn't have to worry or stress about it.

If he began to worry again about that same issue, he had to get the step ladder out and climb up to grab the item back out of the paper bag symbolizing he wasn't letting God handle it and that he was taking it back out for him to carry.

I thought this would be a good visual for all of us to try as we move forward this week to "TRUST MORE AND WORRY LESS."

Philippians 4:6-8

His Love

2010-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we talked about "When you Believe in God but aren't sure He loves you." We shared how guilt and insignificance can be roadblocks to His love. We also talked about the key to knowing God's love is to truly know who God really is.

Take a few moments today and read these verses by putting your name in them.

John 3:16--"For God so loved (insert your name)that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

Romans 5:8--But God demonstrates his own love for (insert your name) in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Romans 8:37-39--No, in all these things (insert your name) are more than conquerors through him who loved (insert your name). 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate (insert your name) from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:4-But because of his great love for (insert your name), God, who is rich in mercy, 5made (insert your name) alive with Christ even when (insert your name) were dead in transgressions—it is by grace (insert your name) have been saved.

1 John 4:10--10This is love: not that (insert your name) loved God, but that he loved (insert your name) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for (insert your name) sins.

God's love is present right now for us to receive. Let's draw near to Him today and accept His love, live in His love and allow His love to change our hearts.

2010-09-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

We talked about guilt & insignificance being 2 roadblocks to God's love. Which 1 is the greatest challenge 4 you? Tomorrow we will discuss Gods answer, His love

It's Not Fair

2010-09-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's Not Fair!! How many times have we heard our children, grandchildren or nieces & nephews pout that phrase. It was just a few weeks ago when my youngest wanted to do something and I said no. She pouted and kicked her feet in her car seat and said, "it's not fair."

Now I have to ask...does my 3 year old know what is fair? Of course not. Her little mind and life experience is so shortsighted.

This past Sunday we talked about "When You Believe in God but don't Think He's Fair." We talked about how God is present in our pain, He comforts us in our pain & He can redeem our pain.

We all will go through situations and circumstances that we don't think are fair. We face situations that are not easy or sometimes explainable. We also serve a God that is greater, bigger, and more loving that we are. I wonder if He sometimes looks down at us with a smile, as if he was patting us on the head, as we scream "It's not fair." He sees so much more than we do.

Does that truth make what we face better, of course not. It just means when we face unfair situations and circumstances, we should run toward God's love and grace not away from it.

At Your Feet

2010-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday for our Grand Opening we talked about "When you believe in God but you don't really know Him." We are committed to building passionate followers of Jesus Christ who actively live out faith, family & fun.

Check out this powerful song by Casting Crowns called "at Your feet." This communicates well how to passionately follow Christ! Enjoy!

Grand Opening

2010-09-12T18:16:00.001-07:00

Today will go down in history...the grand opening of weekly gatherings at Wyandotte Family Church.

We had an exciting day with 77 adults and 30 children for a total of 107 in attendance. The worship team did a great job and the presence of God was evident as we sang!

I preached a message titled, "When you believe in God but don't really know Him." One statement that I made often was, "Jesus didn't die on the cross so we can know about Him but He died on the cross so we could KNOW HIM!. At the end we had 5 people make re-commitments to follow Christ.

As I look back at this last year and the journey we have been on, two truths stick out to me.

#1--God is always faithful--we have come across many bumps and challenges along the way but God has provided, guided or given favor every time.

#2--You are the sum total of the people around you. David was a great king because he had his mighty men around him. (just read 1 & 2 Samuel). Julie and I have been blessed to have so many amazing people around us on this journey. Those around us on the team our the true heroes in our book

Thanks for your continual prayers as we move forward!!

What is Church?

2010-09-02T06:46:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I was praying and had a thought come to my mind. When we find a building to lease I want to put up a sign over all the outside doors. "This is not a church...just a building where the church meets.

At Wyandotte Family Church we are passionate about "being" the church and not just simply going to church. It's who we are with Christ not what we do once a week! There is a huge difference. Then I stumbled across this article by Steve Pike, the National Church Planting Director of the Assemblies of God. Check it out.
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The church is not a building and it is not just a worship service…it is a called out people. Our Assemblies of God (AG) founding leaders got it right when they labeled our local congregations ‘assemblies’. In my humble opinion, that is the best English translation of the Greek word ‘ekklesia,’ which roughly means a group of citizens of a local community called out together for a purpose. Our purpose is to be with God on His Mission. His Mission involves way more than enjoying the 9:00 am contemporary service at the Hilltop Theater once a week. Being with God on His Mission means we are called to make disciples and walk together with other disciples, tangibly allowing the Gospel (The Bible) to transform us and our communities 24/7

Being on a Mission with God certainly involves worship, but the robust discipleship journey will include acts of service, ongoing personal spiritual formation, transformational connections with others and a continual posture of being sent by God to manifest His love and power. Local churches and leaders who put all of their energy and funding into one weekly service will likely end up cultivating anemic disciples who think the church only exists to make sure they are happy and well fed. That is hard to reconcile with Christ’s characterization of discipleship - “take up your cross daily and follow me.”

Today is a great day to run your ministry plan through the grid of discipleship as defined by Jesus. How will the church you lead develop a community where disciples pick up their cross daily and follow Christ? How are you helping people serve followers of Christ and those who haven't crossed the line into a relationship with Jesus yet? How are you cultivating spiritual maturity? How are you facilitating redemptive connections? How are disciples being sent? I’m pretty sure the answer will involve more than an outstanding worship service once a week.

The Mirror

2010-08-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

We teach what we know but we reproduce who we are--Troy Jones

2 Samuel 21:22 says...These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men (David’s men also killed Giants).

David's mighty men were able to kill the remaining giants because their leader David had already killed Goliath. When everyone was afraid and hiding because of Goliath's threats, David was willing to be bold and trust in God and confront Goliath. As a result those who followed him later could do the same.

As we lead our spouses, children, co-workers, and family this principle works the same. Gone are the days of "don't do what I do just what I say." We reproduce who we are! If our children are acting certain ways, there is a good chance they learned it from us.

What is one character or quality that you would love to see in those around you? Ask God today to start making it a reality in your own life. As that quality becomes a part of who you are, you will begin to reproduce yourself in others.

The Finger

2010-08-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Throughout the course of a day it is so easy to see the junk and wrong in other peoples lives. We see how rude and inconsiderate other people are on the highway. We see how heartless and picking our bosses are. We see how thoughtless and inconsiderate our spouses are. etc. etc.

2 Samuel 12:5 says David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

Going back a few verses and chapters you see what happens. Instead of going out to war with the troops King David stays back. When he is looking out of the palace he sees another woman bathing and finds outs its Bathsheeba, wife of Uriah. He ends up sleeping with this man's wife and she gets pregnant. To cover it up, he ends up sending him to the front lines of battle so he gets killed. He then takes Bathsheeba as his wife thinking he has covered everything up. That is until Nathan the Prophet comes and tells him a story (2 Samuel 12:1-7)

Usually, we are critical & judgemental of others for the exact same things we struggle with. We end up pointing the finger at others when we are just as guilty ourselves. The next time we begin to become critical of others, lets pause and ask, "what sin in my life am I struggling with or trying to hide?" Asking this simple question may cause us to see the situation in a completely different light.

What Tree Are You?

2010-08-20T08:06:00.001-07:00

Below is a challenging article from Pastor Tim Dilena in Highland Park.

Christians should resemble a fruit tree and not a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree has decorations that are tied on, but the fruit tree has its fruit grows out of it not placed on it. Holiness is not stuff that people tell you to hang on your life; it is the result of something that is in you. You don’t have to teach holy actions to people; if the new life is in them it should come to them naturally. To say that sanctification (the process of becoming more like Jesus) is natural consequence of regeneration is not to say that it is automatic. The Christian can still act badly and thoughtlessly and selfishly, and grieve the Spirit, and fail in marriage and relationships and be depressed, but every Christian has the potential for holiness (being set apart) now since Christ is in them.

This is a work of the Holy Spirit. Holiness is the fruit of the Spirit. Holiness is not an attribute that we have inherently. Doing the wrong thing is natural to us. In Mark 7:23 Jesus teaches that within the soil of every man’s heart lies buried ugly seeds of every conceivable sin. The “evil things” which we think, do, and say are not due primarily to our environment or are they bad habits picked up from bad teaching, bad company or bad examples. They are due to an inner corruption of the heart. That is not to say that environment or education are unimportant, for their influence can be good and bad. What Jesus is saying is that the dominant force in a person’s life is his heredity, and that his nature is twisted and self centered. We say and do evil things because we have an evil heart or nature.

Even when people are at their best and giving good gifts to children they are still evil by nature. Jesus says “If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children” This statement is striking; because it alludes to the fact that fallen men can do good things. Father and mothers who are not saved can love their children and make sacrifices for them but at the same time they do not escape the category of being evil.

It is out of the heart that evil things and evil thoughts arise. Here is the deduction: our heart controls our hands and feet or our nature governs our behavior. The heart of the problem is the heart. Right behavior in the eyes of God is dependent upon getting a new heart. And Jesus said this was possible in Matthew 12:33 “Make the tree good and its fruit is good” So the new birth is a profound inward change. It is the implantation by God of a new life, the bestowal of a new nature, the gift of a new heart Ezek. 36:26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

Religion has messed up “holiness”. We make holiness out to be rules and legalism. It’s not that complicated. Simply put holiness can be defined as wholeness or healthy. It means inward health. It is a balanced life. And our human nature is all about imbalance. Just look at the medical profession. Most physicians today are specialists that just focus on one aspect of health. But Jesus is not a specialist in a few areas. He is a specialist in every area. He is the Great Physician who heals our heart, renews our minds, and transforms us into His image.

So what tree are you? A Christmas tree adorned with self aggrandized ornaments or a fruit tree bearing fruit that is produced by the Holy Spirit? Let Jesus exchange your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Voice Over

2010-08-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

The following is an article from Matt Anderson in his weekly "Matt Chat" email. Thought this was worth sharing...enjoy!!

Have you ever noticed that audio loop that plays on the public address system at airports? It is that nondescript, unthreatening, reassuring voice giving us proper traveling instructions. It helps us to understand that, "The Red Zone is for loading and unloading of emergency vehicles only," and that parking is restricted in such areas. Inside the concouse, we're told to "not leave our baggage unattended at any time". The faceless instruction continues unabated, occasionally interrupted by calls for passengers to report to the United Airlines ticket counter.

I'm convinced that we have a similar loop that plays unendingly within our mind. And what we've allowed to be recorded on that loop will largely determine the direction of our life and our attitude while getting there. The mind is the navigational system of the soul. The coordinates placed within it control our belief systems and faith level. How it operates determines how we function on a daily basis. What we fail to understand, however, is our role in it.

From our earliest recollections, voices all around have contributed to the contents of "the loop". Parents, siblings, kids on the school playground - all have lended their voices to it. For those who have been nurtured in caring, scriptural families or environments, their loop is the launching point to believing the absolute greatest possibilities in God. For others, it's a constant reminder of their faults and inevitable victimization. It's all the difference between, "Good morning, Lord!" and "Good lord...morning."

We know the enemy of our soul wants to do all he can to infect the recording. He wants us to believe the worst about ourselves and our Father. When others have been his mouthpiece, it becomes that much more settled in our cerebral cortex. There are people reading this article today who hourly believe they are not as loved as others, less able, untalented, ugly, doomed to failure, and a source of shame to their friends and loved ones. Yep, Christians. People who have been redeemed and lift their voice in worship on Sunday morning. They do what they can to fight through it, but it plays without ceasing and constantly sends them the wrong direction. The longer it plays, the more true it is.

Maybe you've never given thought to, well, your thoughts. You haven't done a detailed, spiritual inventory of the loop. Maybe I'm not the first, but if your mind is constant source of spiritual drain for you, let me unequivocally state that those are all lies! You are not who you have believed yourself to be. The Lord wants to perform a voiceover today. He wants to renew your mind and "take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ" (II Corinthians 10:5, NLT).

This week, I'm going to ask you to do something difficult. I want you to write down the harmful, untrue thoughts that have played in your mind for years. It's time to expose the lies of the evil one. I guarantee you'll feel silly writing them for the simple reason that exposing them will immediately reveal their inherent idiocy. Satan's lies lose their punch when taken out of the realm of secrecy.

The Father also wants to have His say in all this. Bring light to the darkness and watch the darkness dispel. Once you've exposed the lies, I want you to search the Scriptures for passages that speak the opposite of the accusations. Write them down and place them in strategic locations, like your nightstand, computer, bathroom mirror, and car. We have to be very intentional about allowing God to renew our thoughts and that means surrouding ourselves in His Word. He wants to replace our thoughts of failure, abandonment, and isolation with His reminders of abundant living, constant presence, and companionship. We've let this thing play too long. We're not stuck with this; it can be better. The truth will indeed set us free, so let's hand God the mike and let Him start marking a path of righteousness and peace within us today. I hope you have an amazing week.

The Matt Chat Book is available at the Create Space E-Store by clicking here, or at Amazon.com by clicking here. Hope it provides inspiration for you.

New Song Forever Reigns

2010-07-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Take a few moments and watch this new worship video!
Listen to the lyrics and have fun in God's presence!

Faith part 2

2010-07-15T04:43:00.001-07:00

The last blog we talked about what it means to really have a relationship with God, the amazing creator of our lives and the universe.

Once you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and once you surrender your life to God, then what?

When we cross the line into a relationship with God we change citizenship's. We become citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Because of God's grace and mercy, heaven becomes our home and our destination.

We also get the privilege to walk with God in relationship and to live for His glory on this earth. We get to use the gifts, talents, energy, time, and money he gives us to worship and honor him every day. What an exciting adventure. He gives us purpose not just for the future but also in the present!

In 1 Samuel 2:12 we read about Eli's sons who were priests serving at the temple. Yet we read in this verse that they were wicked and had no regard (no experience or perception) for the Lord. They did whatever they wanted and ignored the heart of God. They thought because of their position and title they could do whatever they wanted.

This is where a lot of followers of Christ get tripped up. For years, many have fallen into a set of legalistic rules that squelched their relationship with God away. Manyy turned following God into a list of rules that was void of life. GOD was not pleased. So the pendulum has swung the other way, where many claim to follow Christ but they live their lives for themselves and order their lives for how they think is best. He is not pleased with this either.

Always remember, that God has our best interest in mind. Everything He asks us to do is for our benefit and will bring the best outcome. When we read His Word and follow His ways, it always brings true life. No matter how it hard it seems, you never regret following God's way.

If you finish reading 1 Samuel 2 & 3 you will find out what happens to Eli's sons. They reap the results of their own actions. It is not good.

Have you crossed the line into a relationship with God yet? If not, today is the perfect day! if you have, are you living your life God's way or your own? Do you know what God's plan and will for your daily life is? We get the amazing privilege to read God's Word and to discover His plan for our lives. Let's be people who follow Him completely! Let's let God change us who we are on the inside and everything will take care of itself.

FAITH

2010-06-25T04:40:00.001-07:00

The first part of our vision at Wyandotte Family Church is to encourage individuals and families on their faith journey. As i was reading this morning in the Old Testament, Judges chapter 2, I was reminded of the faith journey.

Judges 2:10 says after the whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

After Joshua had died there was a whole generation that didn't know God or basically know about Him. The faith journey includes both of these aspects.

There are some people who "know about God." Kind of like how I know about the Detroit Lions. I know statistics (unfortunately) about them, their schedule and even names. However, I truly can't say I know them personally. Maybe that's you....you know about God but you don't know him personally. The amazing thing is that you and I can! God extends a personal invitation to us through Jesus Christ for forgiveness, wholeness and the bridge to knowing God. Simply pause for a moment and express your desire to know Him and that You want to walk in a relationship with Him...He will come running toward you.

However, once we know God the other side is important as well. Once we begin to walk in a relationship with God, it's good to learn about His character, power, faithfulness and love. It's knowing the Bible and what He has done that builds are faith when we face hard times today.

Heart and head.....it starts in the heart but we need them both.

Do you know God today?

Shortcuts

2010-06-21T17:52:00.001-07:00

I remember one time when I was dating my wife Julie in college, we were going from Springfield MO, to Branson, to Joplin and my roommate and I mapped out a "shortcut" to save time. Well, it may have been less distance but it probably took twice as long and we barely found our destination while it was still light out.

Shortcuts...we all try to find them. With summer construction, lane closures, crazy drivers and accidents, any chance we can take a shortcut we are all over it. However, just like my shortcut to Joplin, if we aren't careful the shortcuts can be dangerous and sometimes even derail us from our destination.

Matthew 4 is the story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Why don't you pause for a moment and take a minute to read the chapter. If you don't have a bible, just check out http://www.biblegateway.com/ and type in Matthew 4 in the passage search. Did you read it?

3 times Satan tempts Jesus with a shortcut. The ironic thing is that the shortcuts didn't seem that bad in the natural. The first one was to turn the stones into bread. Jesus was fasting so he was extremely hungry...food isn't a bad thing right? Then he was tempted to show off the glory of God and His power. It's not a bad thing for people to see how powerful he was right? Finally, he was tempted to bow down to Satan so he could have control of the earth.

Jesus was tempted to take the easy road but I'm so thankful he didn't. He eventually got all 3 of those things but not the way Satan wanted him to. He eventually finished his fast and we read that he broke bread symbolically teaching His disciples of how his body was going to be broken on the cross for our healing. Later on we see that Jesus raised the dead man Lazarus back to life and showed everyone His power and glory. Finally, after He died on the cross He rose again in 3 days defeating death, hell and the grave taking rightful ownership of this earth and our lives.

What shortcuts are you being tempted with? Shortcuts are just distractions from the real thing! Let's follow God with all our hearts and stay committed to what He has called us to do!

2010-06-20T06:28:00.001-07:00

No meeting tonight so families can spend time together!! Happy Fathers Day. See you next Sunday, 27th @ 5pm "lessons in leadership."

2 Buildings

2010-06-15T04:28:00.001-07:00

Today we are looking at two buildings in Wyandotte as
places to meet when we launch September 12th. Both
are close to the downtown area which is where we want to
be.

We appreciate your prayers as we look for God's direction
and provision.

PS. I can't find my personal notes on the book "Do Hard Things."
The book must be in storage right now so I will have to
revisit this theme at a later time

Do Hard Things

2010-06-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

I got a chance to watch the grand finale of "The Biggest Loser" last week. The irony of it all is that I hadn't seen one episode all season. Yet, I sat there in amazement watching recap videos of every person and where they started. One lady in particular was so big and so out of shape she fell off the treadmill and started weeping she couldn't do it and wanted to quit.

What would of happened if she would have quit. She would have joined the rank of thousands of other average people living in mediocrity and probably would have been consoled and patted on the back. However, they got in her face, strongly encouraged her (lol) and she didn't give up. She did hard things and came out on top and was extremely satisfied with the results.

Doing hard things isn't popular these days or promoted. When is the last time you have seen a product advertised on TV that is going to make you work harder? Most inventions are made to make life "easier" and less work (remember the Clapper?). However, if you study the life of men & women who changed their world, they all did hard things. I red a book a few years ago called "Do hard Things" by Alex & Brett Harris. Over the next few weeks I am going to challenge you and use experts from this book to do hard things.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 says--Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize

Get ready to do hard things!!

Book Review

2010-05-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Even though this book is written for Pastors, if you are in leadership of any kind, this is a great and easy read. Its broken down into short chapters yet each chapter deals with important & strategic issues of leadership. I recommend this book for those who are busy yet crave leadership growth and guidance.

Dick Hardy has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. He has stayed faithful to God and in serving others throughout his entire ministry. In 27 Tough Questions Pastors Ask, Dick Hardy deals with the tough aspects of leadership and the necessary components for success. I wish the book had little bit more practical action steps to tackle some of the issues that are presented. Nevertheless, I still recommend this read.

Price Tag

2010-05-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

How many of us love to get a good bargain? I'm just curious...are you one of the crazy day after Thanksgiving and Christmas shoppers too? I love those two days more for the free snow globes at JC Penny's than anything else (lol)

I was reminded of another quote from Dave Williams as I was reading the Bible this morning..."We all understand the value of something but we very seldom want to pay the price."

Deuteronomy 7 reveals this principle about understanding the value but not wanting to pay the price. God was revealing Himself to the entire nation of Israel though fire on the mountain. Out of the fire the tangible voice of God could be heard. They were the first people to actually hear the voice of God and to encounter the glory of God and not die. A GREAT THING, right? Something to get excited about, right? Wrong!

Instead they approached Moses and asked him to talk to God for what they saw and heard was too much for them. In other words, they understood the value of hearing God's voice and being in His presence but they didn't want to pay the price to do so.

What was the result of them delegating the presence and voice of God to someone else? While Moses was on the mountain encountering God, they were at the bottom making an idol (golden calf) and growing further apart from Him!

Anything in life that is significant comes at a price. No one can run a marathon by watching the fitness channel. No one can lift 300 pounds by only lifting Twinkies. We all understand the value of things but often don't want to pay the price. Let me encourage you today, nothing compares to knowing God and walking in His presence. It's worth the price of dropping everything else for a moment to read His Word, pray and listen to His voice. It's worth setting aside time to get together with other followers of Christ once a week to worship and encounter His presence together. ITS WORTH IT!!!! Don't delegate the most important things of life to someone else.

District Council

2010-05-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

Every year all of the Assemblies of God churches come together for a time of prayer, worship and business. I wanted to share a few powerful quotes from this past week that have challenged me!!!

We do the faithful, God does the fruitful--Scott Wilson
*So many times we try to bring results. We forget that all God asks of us is to be faithful. We want God to say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

There is a difference between working for the Kingdom of God and working from the Kingdom of God--Dave Williams
*So many times we strive to work for God instead of seeking His face and then doing what He
tells us.

Brainstorming brings the results and thoughts of men. Praying brings the results and thoughts of God--Dave Williams
*I have been challenged to pray more. There is so much potential & opportunity to connect
with God and hear His voice.

It all Depends

2010-04-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever faced an extremely tough situation? Maybe you are facing a hard circumstance right now? Maybe your boss is making it so hard for you at work, it's hard to show up everyday. Maybe your spouse isn't showing the appreciation or support you really desire. Maybe the stress of trying to pay all of your bills and stay afloat is weighing heavily on your shoulders. Maybe you have lost or are in the process of losing a loved one as you read.

Whatever the situation we face, the results of our lives often depend on our response!

Numbers 20 reveals this amazing principle on the significance of our response. You have to understand that Israel was no stranger to the power and miraculous hand of God. They witnessed the plagues God brought against Egypt so Israel would be set free from slavery. They witnessed God open up the Red Sea so they could walk through on dry ground. They witnessed God provide manna in the desert and quail when they complained about more options.

Yet in Numbers 20 they are in the dry desert, hot and thirsty without any water. However, instead of responding in faith and with confidence in a God who has been taking care of them they respond with negativity, complaining, and quarreling.

This is in great contrast to how Moses and Aaron respond. Numbers 20:6 says Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. Every time Israel faced a tough situation they complained and got negative. Every time Moses and Aaron faced a tough situation they fell facedown and sought the face of God!

No matter what siutation you face today or in the near future you have two choices...to complain and become negative or to seek God. If you complain and become negative it will only feed your fears, unbelief, discouragmeent and anger. If you seek the face of God you will receeive strength, peace, hope, direction and most of all God's presence. Let's choose to run to God and trust in Him with every situation. We will be glad we did.

Alpha Course Kicks off this Sunday night

2010-04-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to kick off the Alpha Course this

Sunday evening @ 5pm.

Come for a free meal and a relaxed environment as we discuss some tough questions of life. Since Alpha is a more relational atmosphere, you can ask any question and have great discussions. Learn more about Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what the Bible actually says.

We rent out the chapel at First United Methodist Church on the corner of Oak & Biddle downtown Wyandotte (71 Oak St.)

Letters to God

2010-04-05T19:20:00.001-07:00

You are a Letter from God (By soul fuel Dare 2 Share Ministries)

Have you ever wanted to write a letter to God? If you sat down right now to compose a message to the Creator of the universe, what would you say?

I think most would go with the whole series of "why?" questions...why me God? Why did my parents divorce? Why am I depressed a lot? Why did you make me this way? Why are things turning out like this? Valid questions to be sure - and also ones that God is not threatened or angered by. Life is sometimes plain and simple awful, and it is human nature to point our finger at the sky and blame the One in charge - right? That is certainly something Tyler Doherty could have done, and no one would have blamed him.

Who is Tyler Doherty? Well that's not his real name, but he is a real 8 year old boy who went from an easy going, soccer playing childhood to the darkest journey anyone could ever face when one simple word entered his world: Cancer

In the process of his battle with this deadly disease, Tyler had to quit his beloved sport, lose his hair and eyebrows, and face a daily battle with a reality that could crush the spirit of anyone on the planet. But Tyler had an unshakeable relationship with God...a childlike faith that turned his pain and discouragement into a community transformation. That's why the letters he writes to God are not about the "why," or even about him. Tyler writes to God about other people and their problems, and in turn becomes a living letter from God to everyone around him.
And now his story has the chance to transform - not hundreds - but literally millions of lives through the movie Letters to God.

I can't say if I would have the faith that Tyler had when facing a giant of that size, but one thing I have in common with him is that I, too, am a living letter from God to the people around me. And if you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, this statement is true about you: Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts (2 Corinthians 2:2-3).

This truth formed the foundation of Tyler 's outlook on life. He wrote pen and ink letters to God on behalf of others, and in turn God used him to be a beating heart letter from Jesus Christ. His deepest wish was that the sad, hurting, and broken people in his world would come to know God. We've been granted an unbelievable opportunity - haven't we? Every day God is texting the world through our eyes, our words, our attitudes, and our actions. The ink from our hearts bleeds onto the paper of our world, painting a picture of Jesus Christ.

So what kind of living letter are you? The answer to this question can be found in another question- What kind of letters are you writing to God?
Your prayers are your letters, so if they are generally composed of complaints, questions, and self-focused requests, then that is the kind of God the people around you will see.

How about we all start a new letter writing campaign? One that asks God to touch lives and heal the pain in our corner of the world. One that begs God for the salvation of our friends who don't know Him because they haven't trusted in Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation. Let me start this campaign with a letter from God that changed me to the core of my being:

He was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God's paths to follow our own.
Yet the L ord laid on him
the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Remember, the ink that God is using to write His message to the world through you was paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Don't waste this precious gift with selfish and self-centered prayers and living, rather make each day a magnificent composition to your Savior, then watch Him write His message of unconditional love and salvation to everyone around you!

Missing the Mark part 3

2010-03-31T04:28:00.000-07:00

The past 2 blogs we have looked at some pretty gloomy stuff. We've talked about the definition of sin and the result of sin. Sin always brings death and separation. We've also looked at the sacrificial system the Israelites used to do in order to be in right standing with God.

Now comes the fun part...Jesus. Jesus death and resurrection was a monumental moment in history that changed our lives forever.

Romans 3:25 says God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.
Hebrews 2:17 says For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people

Even though Jesus was God He didn't cling to His rights as God but humbled Himself and became a servant, obedient until death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus left amazing heaven to become born in human flesh simply to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (missing the mark). He walked this earth in complete obedience to His Heavenly Father and lived without sin (Hebrews 4:15). When He died on that cross, He was shedding His blood to cover our sins once and for all. HE WAS THE ULTIMATE SCAPEGOAT so we could be forgiven.

Now the Jesus has done the hard part, it all boils down to our part. The Bible says that with out faith it is impossible to please God. We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder for those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11). Our part is accepting His love and sacrifice and putting our faith and trust in Him. Our part is coming to the realization that we have missed the mark and we need His love and forgiveness.

As we come to this Easter weekend I pray that You are overwhelmed with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. I pray that you realize how valuable you are and that you were worth Christ dying for. May you embrace Him and open up your heart to Him. May you put your faith and trust in His sacrifice.

Missing the Mark part 2

2010-03-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

The previous blog we looked at what missing the mark means and how sin separates us from God and others and how sin brings death. The question we ended with was, "so what can we do about it."

As we approach Easter this weekend, we approach more than a yearly holiday or Christian custom, we approach a reality that offers true hope and forgiveness. In order to truly appreciate what Christ has done we must go back to learn the history of forgiveness.

Romans 5:14 connects with Genesis 3 and reiterates the time and place when "missing the mark" (sin) entered the world. Once sin entered the world the separation and death we talked about began to happen. Because God is so holy and so loving He developed a way for people to have their sins atoned for. Atonement means appease or satisfied.

There were lot of sacrifices and rules that required the bloodshed of animals (remember sin brings death). However, Leviticus 16 reveals to us the concept of the "scapegoat." The priests would lay their hands on the head of the goat and confess and pray for all the sins of the people. After they had prayed they would then send that goat away into the wilderness never to be seen again. The sins of the people were "transferred" onto the goat and he left the camp into the wilderness.

Sacrifices were made daily and the scapegoat and "Atonement", repentance of the people's sins happened once a year. This was a constant reminder of their sin and that they could never measure up. It was a constant reminder that sin separates and sin brings death. It was a vivid picture of the result of mankind going its own way and missing the mark.

Check out the next blog as we see the amazing and exciting reality of how Jesus became our eternal scapegoat and paid the ultimate price!!! Easter Sunday is so significant!

Missing the Mark

2010-03-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

There is a church word that has been tossed around for years. It has been tossed around for so long even those who don't believe in God or go to church know the word. Have you guessed it yet? It's the word sin.

Even though we hear that word a lot, what does it really mean? Does the truth and reality of sin line up to our perspective of it or what we have heard?

One of the main Hebrew definitions of the word sin simply means missing the mark. How many times have we played darts or archery. We get so excited when we get a bulls-eye because it doesn't happen every attempt.

God has a standard (the bulls-eye) but unfortunately we miss the mark (sin). Check out a verse from the book of Romans founs in the new Testament...Romans 3:23. There isn't one of us who meets the standard. We all miss the mark. What is the effect of our sin?

#1--Sin Separates--we see in the book of Leviticus that those who miss the mark are cut off from the rest. Even though we don't practice removing people from churches who sin (because there would be no one left including the preacher) SIN STILL SEPARATES. SIN (missing the mark of God's standard) always causes separation in relationships.
#2--Sin brings death--Leviticus 8:35 & Romans 6:23--the ultimate goal of sin brings death and the ultimate goal of God is to bring us life. So the way God has designed us to operate and His principles that have been set into motion, actually bring life and freedom while missing that mark brings death.

So now that we know what sin actually is and the results of it, what in the world are we to do about it? Over the next few days I'll try to dissect the significance of Jesus and what He did to remove our sin.

Is it good or bad?

2010-03-17T13:12:00.001-07:00

The other day I was driving down Southfield Rd. in the midst of all the crazy construction and traffic. I was running late and of course in a hurry. Then all of a sudden a semi-truck pulls over into my lane and cuts me off. I was starting to get frustrated since he was going so slow and getting in my way (lol). He pulled over back to his lane and that's when I saw clearly. There was a cop in the right lane trying to catch someone speeding and the truck actually saved me!!!

So many times we go through certain situations and circumstances and are quickly to judge good or bad. Whatever you are facing today, hey you never know, could end up being a blessing tomorrow!!

Sabbath is spelled T R U S T

2010-03-12T03:32:00.000-08:00

When we hear the word Sabbath we all have different thoughts or pictures come to our mind. Some have no idea what sabbath means? Other's think of a legalistic set of rules to follow on Sunday. Some may think of simply going to church in the morning.

No matter what comes to mind God created Sabbath to be a day of delight, rest and refreshment. Life is busy, hectic, hard, fast pace, stretching, exhausting, and sometimes painful. God understands that and has actually implemented and created a princple called the Sabbath.

Exodus 24:21--6 days you will work but on the 7th day you will rest, even during theh plowing season and harvest you must rest.

Here are some simple thoughts on God's princple of the Sabbath

*Taking a day of rest (delight) reminds us that we aren't god. The world doesn't revolve around us. The world still goes on even if step back from our Blackberry's for a day

*Taking a day of rest is about trust. God commanded Israel to take Sabbath even during the most crucial work season possible...plowing and harvest. But God, if I take a break and spend time with you and others less work will get done. God say's "not really...if you obey me and follow my Word, you will get more work done because you will be refreshed."Do I trust God?

*Taking a day of rest goes again this culture. In a world of 24/7, God's princple allows us to be different and allow His power and presence to be revealed.Have you ever taken a true Sabbath rest before? I challenge you in the next 7 days, set one day aside and answer the following questions...

#1--What should I not do on my Sabbath (what would distract me & still be work)

#2--What shoudl I do on my Sabbath (what will refresh my relationship with God &

my family)

First Ever Preview Service

2010-03-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

It's official...we have secured a meeting place for our first ever Sunday morning service.

Sunday, April 11 @ 10:30AM

Washington Elementary School

1440 Superior Blvd. Wyandotte

(between 14th & 15th st. with entrance to
parking off of Vinewood)

The theme will be "Alive"

We will have worship, drama, and an illustrated message. It is going to be a fun day as we move forward in planting this church in Wyandotte.

Timing

2010-03-02T04:34:00.000-08:00

TIMING is everything! The timing of God is the one thing followers of Christ and even those who haven't crossed over yet to a relationship with Christ struggle with! We don't understand God's timing. Because we don't understand it's easy for us to get mad at God and try to remind Him what's at stake here!

We are currently going through this ourselves with the sale of our home. It's been a year and our house hasn't sold yet. It's easy for us to get impatient, frustrated, confused and even disillusioned. However, we can rest assured that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do!

John 2:4 we find Jesus at a wedding in Cana. The wedding reception is going full force and they run out of wine. So Jesus' mother tries to get Him involved. He replies, "Why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.?

We also read in Acts 3 about the amazing miracle of the crippled beggar. This beggar had been sitting at the gate beautiful (the favorite entrance to the temple court at Solomon's Colonnade). We know from Acts 3:2 that the beggar who was crippled from birth went to the gate everyday to beg. We also see in John 10:33 that Jesus had walked into Solomon's Colonnade. So, if Jesus passed by this gate and this beggar, WHY DIDN'T JESUS HEAL THAT MAN?

If we continue to read Acts 3 we see that God used Peter and John to perform a great miracle and the crippled man was healed. Because of this healing, Peter and John had the platform to share about Jesus' death and resurrection and that He was alive! God's perfect timing created a platform for His glory to be displayed.

Do I understand God's timing, NO! I wish I could but I'm glad I serve a God who is smarter and more powerful than me. If I could figure out God and He was at my level the whole world would be in trouble. We see in Isaiah 55:8 that God's thoughts and ways are so much higher and greater than ours. So, as you walk this day out, know that you can lay your decisions, stress, struggles and pressure at Jesus' feet. You can rest in His care and perfect timing...even if you don't understand.

#1--What situation are you facing that seems like God isn't listening or paying attention?
#2--Read a few of these verses in this blog and let God's peace reassure you that His timing, even though we don't understand, is good!

Present

2010-03-01T04:22:00.001-08:00

Being present in every situation in our lives is harder to accomplish then ever before. In the age of multi-tasking, we have been trained to believe being present and fully engaged in the moment is a waste of time. However, Jesus was the master of being present wherever He was.

John 11 is the famous passage of Jesus' good friend Lazarus. He gets deathly sick and his sisters Mary & Martha send a note to Jesus about Lazarus' condition. Instead of worrying and being frantic, He actually stayed where he was for 2 more days. This astounded and confused everyone around him for they knew Jesus loved Lazarus.

Everywhere Jesus went He was fully engaged and present with the people He was with. He gave those around Him His undivided attention. He calls all of us to do the same! If we were honest with ourselves, the #1 temptation and challenge to being present is worry. Worry unpackaged is simply a lack of trust in our Heavenly Father. We have a hard time being present because we worrying about the future, worrying about what other people will think about us, worrying about our image & reputation and even worrying about our basic needs.

Jesus says to us today...don't worry, trust in Me and be present everywhere you go today (Matthew 6). When we spend time with God praying and reading our Bible, let's trust our Heavenly Father with our needs and be present. When we are at work and around gossip, negativity and worry, let's trust our Heavenly Father and be present. When we are with our children, let's trust our Heavenly Father with our needs and lets laugh and play and be present.

Being present is actually where God's power and presence is revealed. As we move foward toward April at WFC and even beyond, let's be known as people that are present. When we are present we will be more aware of other peoples needs and what God is doing. We will find ourselves being used by God to love others, serve others and sharing our faith more often. Have a great day being present!

Third Friday's

2010-02-24T08:29:00.001-08:00

THIRD FRIDAY'S

Every Third Friday we will be downtown Wyandotte by the clock tower providing a family fun event.

This past Friday we had children make their own miniature ice creations with colored ice and different shapes. It was a huge success with 78 children making their own creations. Many parents thanked us for providing something for the kids.

Next Third Friday, March 19th we will be by the clock tower
from 5:30-8PM. We will have the Easter Bunny there and allow children the opportunity to decorate plastic Easter eggs with chocolate in them. Of course they will be able to keep them and take them home.

One of our core values is serving the community. We strive to be active and involved in what the city is doing. We don't simply go to church on Sundays...we are the church. God never intended the church to simply be a building or a hour service. The church is who we are...Christ in us the hope of Glory.

SACRIFICE--"I am the greatest"

2010-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants to be the greatest. Everyone wants to be in first place. I know those closest to me, like to pick on me for being so competitive. I am sooooo competitive, when I play a game with my 5 year old daughter I still want to win.

Our country often prides itself on being the smartest, fastest, strongest etc. That mindset is so ingrained in us we default to that way of living & thinking.

Even Jesus' disciple's struggled with that mindset. In Mark 9 the disciples & Jesus traveled to a house in Capernaum. Along the journey the disciples were arguing among them who was the greatest disciple. Jesus asked them, "What were you guys talking about along the way?" for He knew what they were talking about. They were silent, ashamed to admit their discussion.

Jesus proceeds to say the most profound and counter culture statement anyone can make. He said in Mark 9:39-37...

35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

Jesus goes against our human nature and what we are taught and teaches us the one that is actually the greatest is the one who serves and puts others first. WOW! That is why we need God's power and Spirit in our lives. It isn't our natural nature to serve. But when we ask God to be in control of our lives, His Spirit lives in us and changes us.

As we plant this new church in Wyandotte, we are not competing with other churches. We are not trying to be the best. Jesus calls us to SERVE! One of our core values is serving the community. That is why we have and will continue to ask various departments in the city if they need volunteers. That is why we will partner with the city in events they are putting on. That is why we will continue to challenge and encourage every person at Wyandotte Family Church to have FUN and get involved in serving. When we stand before God one day, the first will be last and the last will be first.

Sacrifice--Sean & Leigh Anne Tuohy

2010-02-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Sean & Leigh Anne Tuohy were successful professionals in life. They owned more than 80 fast food restaurants, including those under the Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, and Kentucky Fried Chicken brands.

Every single one of us know what it is like to be busy, stressed and frustrated that there never is enough time in the day. Yet, Sean and Leigh caught a principle that is life changing. It all happened when they ran into Michael Oher.

Michael repeated both first grade and second grade, and attended eleven different schools during his first nine years as a student. He also alternated between time spent in various foster homes and periods of homelessness, before he was sixteen years old.

When they met Michael and saw his behavior and situation they had a choice! They could continue on their busy “successful” lives or they could pause, and become inconvenienced by getting involved in someone else’s life. Allowing a teenage foster child into their home at their stage of life (having 2 biological children) wasn’t easy. It was very challenging and inconvenient. Yet because of their sacrifice…his life turned around and he was able to reach his life dreams and now give back to others.

Busyness causes us to miss the opportunities that are around us everyday. (Luke 10:25-37) There are miracles waiting to happen in you and through you if you are willing to be inconvenienced. There hasn’t been one person who has helped change another person’s life that was convenient.

As we plant this church in Wyandotte, I pray that we slow down and open our eyes to the needs around us. God wants to flow his love, grace, healing, strength and forgiveness through you to others. PAUSE…take a deep breath, slow down and become inconvenienced today.

Sacrifice-Joan of Arc

2010-02-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

She was used greatly in battle to help lead the French army against England. Many say she was a strategist and knew how to organize an attack. She truly was brilliant.

In spite of her success she died at the stake at the age of 19. She was tried in court as a heretic for saying she had visions and heard voices. She was also tried because she wore men's clothing (even though the majority of people in that time had no problem with it because of her role).

As she was dying at the stake history records her saying, "Every man gives his life for what he believes & every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing yet they give their lives to that little or nothing. One life is all we have, we live it and its gone. But to live without belief is more terrible than dying, even dying young."

Are you living for something greater than yourself? Are you living your life to the fullest the way God created and designed you to or are you living for little or nothing? Many people are alive but they are not truly living. I believe that every person has purpose and destiny in Jesus Christ. That purpose and destiny cannot be fully unlocked until one enters into a relationship with Christ.

We can give our lives to many causes and many things that bring temporary satisfaction and pleasure. Let's give our lives to eternal things and live our lives for the glory of God! Let's dream big for Wyandotte and downriver. Let's believe God to use us to serve, live, give and reach thousands with the hope, love and forgiveness of Jesus!

Sacrifice--"the wrong things?"

2010-02-08T03:51:00.001-08:00

Sacrifice...the past 5 blogs have been positive and inspiring stories of people who have been used by God to change history. Each one had sacrificed certain things in their lives in order to stand out and impact their world.

However, sometimes if we aren't careful we can find ourselves sacrificing the wrong things. The reality is this..."we all sacrifice everyday. The question is, "what are we sacrificing?" Are we sacrificing our health, relationships, or destiny?

As I was reading Exodus 5:9 this morning these thoughts came to my mind. Here was Moses & Aaron obeying God and confronting Pharaoh to let Israel go and worship God for 3 days in the desert. Pharaoh responds by increasing their work load so they forget what Moses and Aaron are telling the people.

We all know that taking time to worship God every day is of utmost importance and value. It strengthens our relationship with Him, gives us direction for the day, sharpens our character and our ability to hear His voice and keeps our priorities straight. We all know our family is a gift from God and relationships are more important than material things. Yet, we often find ourselves enslaved to the "American dream and expectation," so we work hard to make more money, prove that we are important or good at what we do, try to impress others or just keep up with them. The harder we work and sacrifice what's truly important the more we become enslaved.

Pharaoh understood this so he increased the work load in order to make the people forget about what God was calling them to do.

Should we work hard? YES! Should we give our all everyday? YES! However, what is God calling you to do in your relationship with Him? With your family? How much quality time have you spent with God and with your family lately? We all sacrifice everyday...what are you sacrificing?

Sacrifice--John Wesley

2010-02-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

John Wesley

Born in 1703 is most known for being the founder of the Methodist Church. However, as you look a little deeper into his life you see a lot more. He stood for many causes and beliefs that brought him great persecution and pain.

He was the first preacher to publicly preach for slave rights. He was a huge supporter of the abolition of slavery which brought him much opposition.
When his theological views caused him to pushed out of the church he began to speak in open air meetings outside with his friend George Whitfield"
He began to gather and approve lay preachers to help with the ministry. The Anglican Church was furious for him letting people preach who weren't ordained. This was an outcry.
Because of his generous spirit, when he died, he died a poor man in the eyes of the world. Yet, during his life he was used by God to see 541 lay preachers spread out all over and reach thousands for Jesus Christ

The one part of his sacrifice that challenges me the most is this one statement as he was having dinner with one of the most popular British authors of his time. He asked John to stay up late with him and keep talking to which John replied, "no, I can't I have an appointment in the morning." He was asked at what time? John replied, "I have an appointment at 4AM." With whom? John replied, "With God." That was a commitment he made everyday to be alone talking and listening to God.

As we plant this church, there will be plenty of opportunities to sacrifice time, money, energy and comfort. The one sacrifice I pray we all experience is the sacrifice of seeking God and believing Him to do the impossible. The more we know God the greater He will pour out of our lives. Maybe you start with just taking 10 minutes every morning to be with HIM! Let's sacrifice for the eternal!

Sacrifice--Martin Luther

2010-01-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

As we continue our study on sacrifice, we now turn to the life of Martin Luther. He was born in 1483 and died in 1546.

Martin Luther was a theologian & a priest. He was well educated and had a passion for the Scriptures. He climbed the ranks among the Catholic Church and was a well respected teacher of theology.

However, he came to a fork in the road in his life. Those in authority over him, the arch bishops and Pope were participating and encouraging behavior he disagreed with. Would he keep his mouth shut and let it happen to maintain his status and reputation. Would he stay silent in order to keep his life easy and comfortable? The Catholic Church was powerful and had the power and authority to not only have him excommunicated but killed.

He searched his heart and decided his faith in God was more important than anything else. He was willing to sacrifice it all. He disagreed with the selling indulgence's and taught and believed salvation/forgiveness didn't come through works but through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, you couldn't pay for people to make it to heaven.

When he nailed the 95 thesis he was sacrificing everything. To sum up a long story, he was eventually excommunicated and anyone in society could kill him without legal consequence. He fled and was able to go into hiding where he eventually translation the Bible into the German language so everyone could read the Scriptures not just the priests and Pope.

Theologians not refer to this as the beginning of the "Great Reformation." He had a passion for God and for the Scriptures and wanted to see everyone have the chance to know God and be forgiven by His grace.

As we plant this church in Wyandotte, there will be decisions we eventually make that aren't popular. There will be times where your so called "reputation is on the line." People will try to bargain with us through reason. We will lovingly and boldly stand up and proclaim Jesus is real, alive, active and in control. He is the way the truth and life and is still in the basis of forgiving and changing lives. That is why we are planting this church!

Sacrifice--Herman Boone

2010-01-20T04:42:00.000-08:00

Herman Boone, born October 28,, 1935, was made famous from the movie "Remember the Titans" (one of my all-time favorites). He is T.C. William's High School's most famous coach. Most people have seen the movie and know what extreme situations he had to face and conquer in order to reach his goals. Let's look at some obstacles he faced even before he got to T.C. Williams.

At E.J.Hayes High School in Williamston, North Carolina he amassed a record of 99 wins and only 8 losses in a 9-year period. They were recognized by the Scholastic Coaches Magazine as the number 1 high school football team in America. However, in 1969 Boone was fired from his position because the Williamston School District said they weren't ready for a black head coach yet.

In 1971 we moved to Alexandria, Virginia where he became the head coach of the newly racial integrated school of T.C. Williams. Prejudice was so strong and hatred among races was so prevalent. Even though they were integrating externally, internally they were still segregated. It also didn't help that he was placed over Coach Yoast who was widely accepted and liked by the city of Alexandria.

Coach Boone faced prejudice, hatred, deception, gossip, slander, verbal abuse, and attacks. He sacrificed security, safety and placed himself in the middle of opposition and turmoil everyday. Why? The entire reason he got into teaching and coaching was to mentor and motivate other youngsters. That was his life mission and he was willing to sacrifice for it.

Well, of course we know the outcome. They won the state championship that year and were ranked 2nd in national polls. Richard Nixon was quoted saying after they won the state championship that "The Titan's saved Alexandria." The team was not only used to bring the players together in unity but the city also came together and saw unprecedented unity among races. Because Coach Boone was willing to sacrifice, he motivated and mentored youngsters but also changed a city and a nation. You and I are even inspired by him today.

When we sacrifice and are willing to go through challenges and pain for the greater cause, we are not only changed but we change the world around us.

As we plant this church in Wyandotte, there will be children 20 years from now that will be thankful for the sacrifices made by those who helped start this church. There will be families that attend that read about those who sacrificed their time, money & talents to serve and reach downriver. We keep our eyes on the goal! It's going to be worth it!

Sacrifice: William Wilberforce

2010-01-19T04:27:00.000-08:00

William Wilberforce...is a name many people are not familiar with. He lived from 1759 to 1853. He was a politician, a philanthropist and a leader in the movement to abolish the slave trade. His name has recently become more well known do to the movie, "Amazing Grace." (side note: if you haven't seen that movie, I encourage you to do so). After he started his political career, he became a follower of Christ in 1785.

Wilberforce's involvement int he abolition movement was motivated by his desire to put his Christian principles into action & to serve God in public life. His first involvement with abolition movements was in 1787 with the first act brought to Parliament in 1791. Wilberforce ended up dedicating his life to see the slave trade abolished. He poured years into research, dedicated hours to prove the horrific conditions these slaves endured. In spite of all the efforts of Wilberforce and his partners, time and time again, year after year the bill was voted down. After battling ill-health and years of pain, frustration and anger,

the slave trade act was finally passed in 1807, twenty years from his early involvement.

It's easy to make convenience, comfort and the least amount of pain our goal in life. It's easy to take the road of less resistance. However, as we study great men & woman of the Bible & history we see that anything of significance, takes sacrifice. The notion that changing history and making a difference is easy, is a lie.

What are we living for today? Are we living for a cause bigger than ourselves? As we plant this church in Wyandotte, we desire to change the spiritual climate of downriver Detroit. To see thousands come to faith in Jesus Christ. To see families strengthened and healed. To see marriages restored and couples madly in love with each other. To see parents investing in their children and spending quality time together. To see people discovering their gifts and talents and having fun using them to serve their community & church.

Will all of this take a sacrifice? You bet! Will it be worth it all in the end? You bet! Won't you join us!!

Sacrifice

2010-01-07T02:41:00.001-08:00

Sacrifice...not a very popular word! Our society in general actually exists to find the most ease, convenience and comfort possible. Sacrifice is slowly becoming a foreign word.

However, if you study the lives of great men and women throughout history & throughout the Bible you will see one common thread that connects them all...sacrifice.

Nothing of significance comes cheap! If it comes easy and cheap it most likely won't last long and isn't that significant.

Follow my blog over the next few weeks as we study the lives of great men and women who scarified a lot and were able to accomplish a lot.

1 Corinthians 9:25--Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Next Blog: We will look at the life of William Wilberforce!

Since the Beginning

2010-01-03T01:33:00.000-08:00

The devil is referred to in Scripture as the Father of lies (John 8:44). Since the beginning of time that is what he speaks because that is his nature.

Genesis 3:4 shows Eve being told by the serpent that God doesn't want her to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if she does, she will become like God.

That desire is truly the root of all our sin...to be like God. We desperately want to be in control and call the shots. Somehow if we are in control we think life will go better and our lives will be more fulfilling. That has been Satan's #1 from the beginning.

That is why Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 that if anyone wants to follow me they must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 that whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Following Jesus Christ is such a paradox. On the one hand it could be considered simple because Jesus did the hard work. He left heaven, was born in a stable, walked this earth, died on the cross and rose again so we could be set free and forgiven from sin. Yet, it could also considered difficult because to follow Christ means life-long surrender. We surrender our rights....we surrender control to HIM.

Some may say, "why would I do that? I know what's best." Take a few minutes and read Genesis 2 and 3 and see the result of Adam & Eve's sin? Compare it to what God intended and offered? Who knew best? Who still knows best?

Father, we confess that we often try to be god, please forgive us. We surrender control of our hearts and souls once again to you today. We surrender our lives, marriages, families, jobs and hobbies. Take complete control. In Jesus Name!

2010-01-01T11:17:00.001-08:00

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God!
Its so refreshing to know that as we start 2010 God has always been in control & He still is! With God it will be a great yr

Reflections

2009-12-28T03:32:00.000-08:00

As I sit back and think about 2009, it truly was one of the best years ever. We got to spend more time together as a family than ever before. We traveled to Iowa 4 times in which one trip was on a train. We got to see our friends in Minnesota three times. It has been tons of fun.

I also think of the amazing people that have invested and poured into our lives.

I think of my wife who has been an amazing servant and support!
I think of my family who has worked hard in serving and giving following the vision God has given us for Wyandotte.
I think of the core team who has been faithful, allowing God to direct and stretch
I think of Real Life & Pastor Shawn & Sonny. Thank you so much for everything!!!
I think of Steve Bradshaw and the AG District Office. Thank you for always being there and for your guidance.
I Think of BCC & Pastor Nate. Thank you for your encouragement and belief.
I think of Northville Christian and it's entire staff. Thanks for opening up your arms and embracing us as your own.
I Think of Freedom Christian A/G and pastor Aaron Hlavin. Thank you for being the one of the firsts to jump on board and support us monthly.
I think of Brighton A/G & Pastor Brad. Thanks for allowing Julie and I to come and even have the privilege to speak. Your support has been a blessing.
I think of Monroeville A/G & Pastor Lance. Thank you for always believing in us!!!
I think of Bethel A/G & Pastor John Peck who has been a huge support and fan of what we are doing. Your thoughtful words and willingness to help as blown me away.
I think of Woodland & Pastor Clanton. Your time & wisdom over lunches have been challenging and much appreciated.
I think of the Metro & Metro South sections who have invested in us financially. WOW!
I think of all of our individual supporters who faithfully send money in every month and never miss a beat. Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to reaching those who haven't crossed over into a walk with Christ yet.

I guess all of that to say, it has been very humbling and refreshing to see the body of Christ operate in full force. God has called us to change the spiritual climate of Wyandotte, to reach those who haven't crossed over yet and to strengthen and empower families. There is no way we can do it alone.

Please pray as we launch weekly gatherings January 10, 2010. We are also going to reach out and serve once a month as we move toward public launch.

Stuffed!

2009-12-27T02:34:00.001-08:00

PROVERBS 27:7--A person who is full refuses honey...

Now that we are wrapping up the holiday season, we are thinking about working off all of the extra pounds we gained from all of the great food and desserts. You know what I'm talking about! You eat so much that you lean back on your chair and moan semi-out loud, "I can't eat another bite or I'll explode."

Well, honey is very sweet and very satisfying! However, when someone is stuffed, they don't want any honey. Have you ever walked by Outback Steakhouse after you were full and the smell of steak didn't even smell good?

It's easy to fill my life up with busy church work, sports, TV, and plethora of other things. I get so stuffed with life that when it comes to the pure life of God's presence I can easily refuse it. Wait, a minute...what did you say Jeremy. It's so easy to be stuffed with the "junk food" of this world that we don't enjoy the gourmet buffet of God's presence. God's Word and Spirit bring life to us. The more we eat of this the more we develop an appetite for it. Whatever we consistently eat, we begin to CRAVE!

As we wrap up 2009, begin today to make it a habit of digesting God's Word and spending time in His presence through prayer and worship. Don't allow busyness to make you too full for what's truly important and what truly satisfies.

Write down a few thoughts and goals. Write down some specific action steps, times and places how your thoughts & goals will be a reality. If you need help go to www.biblegateway.com or www.youversion.com two great Bible websites.

too much coffee...really?

2009-12-14T12:19:00.001-08:00

This is taken from writer and speaker Matt Anderson's weekly email "Matt Chat."

Just when you think you've heard it all.Seems that 31 year-old Dan Noble was driving erratically last week through the campus streets of Pullman, Washington. In fact, his driving was so bad that he struck two pedestrians with little to no hesitation. Both victims suffered broken legs and other assorted injuries.According to police, Noble exited his vehicle about 175 yards beyond the second victim where he was promptly tasered by police, taken into custody, and charged with vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run. Open and shut case, right?Au contraire, mon frere. His lawyer is alleging that his client is not responsible for his violent actions. Why, you ask? I'm not sure you want to hear the answer. You really want to know? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you. Noble's attorney contends that his client's enormous consumption of energy drinks and Starbucks coffee put the would-be-killing financial analyst in a state of, ahem, "caffeine psychosis". Yep, you read correctly. Caffeine psychosis. (Source: The Spokesman Review, 12/9/09)

Maybe you didn't realize it, but you've been raised in an extremely fortunate era. In fact, I would like to officially congratulate everyone in the world. As of this day, we all now have a built-in excuse for absolutely everything. For every flaw, every misstep of our lives, there is a natural explanation that absolves us of all gulit. Got pulled over for speeding? Just tell the officer you suffer with HAFS (Heavy Accelerator Foot Syndrome). Overeat during the holidays? No sir. Not when you have Unquenchable Gastronomic Hunger or UGH, as we clinicians like to call it. Are you chronically late for work and in danger of losing your job? Just tell your boss you can sue him if he does, all because you have been diagnosed with Determined Delay Disorder.Let's bring it on home. Ladies, don't be so rough on your husbands. Don't you realize that millions of men quietly suffer with RATTLE, Repeated Aggravated Traumatic Toilet Lid Elevation? Fellas, maybe you get onto your wife for nagging you when you're driving because you won't stop for directions. But it's really not so funny when you realize that NAG really stands for Navigational Assistance Gene and should be treated with the delicacy and sensitivity it deserves. That feeling you have on Saturday that keeps you in front of the TV instead of doing tasks around the house? It's called ARCS: Attached Remote Control Syndrome. Spending too much money on those shopping channels? You can't help yourself. Somewhere along the line, you were inflicted with ACCENT: Accelerated Credit Card Emotional Nurturing Trauma.The point is it's not your fault. Don't you see? It's obvious. You weren't hugged enough as a kid, were around too much asbestos, had too many immunizations, ate lead paint chips, lived under power lines, neglected to eat regularly from the four basic food groups, attended a fundamentalist church, had a low-fiber diet, sat too close to the TV, kept your eyes in the crossed position too long, shocked yourself in your grandmother's light socket too many times, played too many video games, drank too much Kool-Aid, ran with scissors, and liked the smell of felt-tip markers. How can you be expected to do such complex tasks as keeping pedestrians in an upright position?

We live in a world that absolutely needs to blame and refuses to take responsibility. What an odd pairing. In other words, it's always somebody's fault...just not ours. Wouldn't it be refreshing in this litigious world to hear someone say, "Yep, it was me. I did it. It was all my fault"? That's what David did when he disobeyed the Lord in I Chronicles 21 by taking a census of the people, and God responded by unleashing an epidemic. The king said, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I'm the one at fault...Punish me, not them; me and my family; don't take it out on them." (v.17, MSG) David didn't claim to have DISC: Davidic Illegitimate Survey Condition. He said, "It's my fault. Forgive me, Lord." We all have our stuff to deal with, and sometimes we don't handle it like we should. Rather than reaching for an alphabet soup of excuses, let's just take responsibility for our sin, confess it, and repent. Sin is the ultimate disorder we should be trying to avoid.

And for what it's worth, the only psychosis I've seen with caffeine is from those who need it and haven't had it. Well, I'd better end this article before I slip into Mechanical And Technical Textual Chronic Hallucinogenic Alphabetical Trauma, which stands for...hey, wait a minute!

Gut Check

2009-12-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

I just got done listening to a sermon by Francis Chan about being a lukewarm Christian. It was based off of Revelation 3. I have been doing some serious soul searching tonight. Take a few moments and honestly answer the following questions. Ask for God's strength and truth to really empower You to open up truly to Him! Remember, the results are worth the pain.

He says in Revelation 3:20-21--Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. ²¹ Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

#1--Am I completely in love with Jesus! Do I enjoy and look forward to being with Him? Am I truly satisfied in my relationship with Him?

#2--Do I serve Him or others out of love or out of duty?

#3--Do I realize how much God loves me?

#4--Do I truly realize how short this side of heaven really is? Does my life reflect what is eternally valuable?

As I honestly worked through these questions myself, I must confess that I have been doing a lot of repenting and asking God to forgive me for how lukewarm I have become. THANKS BE TO GOD for His amazing love and invitation for relationship. God, I want to be with YOU!

Relevant

2009-12-13T02:02:00.000-08:00

The Bible is an amazing book! Some books of the Old Testament are as old as 12th century BC. Even though the Bible has been around for centuries, God's Word is still relevant to our daily lives. God's truths are timeless and change who we are no matter what generation we grow up in.

The Bible is really the "flesh" or the guide to what it means to surrender your life to God. It talks about marriage, raising children, finances, sex, friendship, and work all God's way.

Throughout history some people have lived life their own way and others have surrendered control to Christ and done it God's way. I don't know about you but I think God knows best.

If you struggle reading the Bible or have a hard time understanding it, here are a few tips.

#1--check out www.biblegateway.com--This site allows you to read various translations (I recommend New Living Translation or the Message), search keywords or search by topic like money, fear etc.

#2--Make sure you have or read a translation that you understand

#3--Develop a plan. The Bible is a big book. If you pick it up and randomly read, it can be confusing or overwhelming. Many times its good to read a Proverb a day (coincides with the day of the month) and a chapter from the New Testament (start in John)

#4--Ask others for help or their advice

God's Word can empower and transform your marriage, family, job and life. Pick it up today and begin to let God's truth renew your heart and mind!

Mixing Their Religion

2009-12-11T03:39:00.000-08:00

ARTICLE IN USA TODAY on Thursday, December 10, 2009

22% of Christians surveyed believe that people will be reborn in this world again and again (reincarnation)

17% of Christians surveyed believe that people with an "evil eye" can cast curses or harmful spells

15% of Christians surveyed admitted they attend services of at least one other faith.

What does all this mean? Synchretism by definition means blending together of different religions. People are taking one thing from Christianity, one thing from Islam, one from New Age Thought, and another from their own experience.

What drives your belief system? If it's emotions, they will fail and change often. If it's a new age movement, give it time it will fade. If it's God's Word, it will always remain.

Psalm 33:4--For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

1 Peter 1:24-25--"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, ²⁵but the word of the Lord stands forever.

God's Word is truth and stands the test of time. Many people have tried to get rid of the Bible and make it extinct but they always failed.

Let's seek truth. Let's continue to pursue God's Word and see what He says above all else.

Challenge from Sandra Bullock

2009-12-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

Sandra Bullock says it's a blessing to meet and to portray a real Christian.

Associated Press - 12/1/2009 9:45:00 AM

LOS ANGELES - Actress Sandra Bullock says meeting Leigh Anne Tuohy, who she portrays in the new movie "The Blind Side", showed her there really are some Christians who "walk the walk."

Bullock says thanks to the Tuohys, who attend Grace Evangelical Church in Memphis, she now has "faith in those who say they represent a faith." Getting to know Leigh Anne Tuohy, says the actress, showed her that religious faith can be authentic. "She was so open and honest and forthright," Bullock shares, "and I said, wow, I finally met someone who practices but doesn't preach."

Tuohy isn't like some hypocritical church-goers she's known, adds Bullock. "The beauty of Leigh Anne was one of my biggest questions was how people use their faith and their religion as a banner," she says. "And then they don't do the right thing, but they go 'I'm a good Christian and I go to church and this is the way you should live your life.'"

Bullock admits she was wary of Christians before she met the Tuohys. "Whereas...before I was like, do not give me a lecture on how to live my life when I know I'm a pretty decent human being," says the actress. "I might not go to church everyday, but I know I do the right thing or try to. You're going to church and you're still sleeping around on your wife...how are you better than I am? So I finally met people who walk the walk."

Many people feel, think and live the same way Sandra does. Being good and trying your best is what gets us brownie points in the next world. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You and I can never be good enough to earn salvation. Romans 3:10 says there is none that are righteous. My best day and my best efforts to be good are as filthy rags in God's presence (Isaiah 64:6)

Our hope, future and salvation is secure only because of the amazing love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. He is our life!

So, because of what Christ has done lets continue to love others and let our actions speak loud. Let's continue to love those that don't deserve it. Let's continue to serve others and let God use our lives as a voice to communicate HE IS REAL!

Birthday Lesson

2009-12-01T12:14:00.001-08:00

The vision of Wyandotte Family Church is faith, family, fun!!

This morning as we celebrate my daughters birthday I am introspective.Why is it the older we get, the harder it is to live with true joy? Children start off so full of joy and excited about life. As we get older we still want joy but often try things that only bring temporary happiness but not lasting joy!

Galatians 5:22 says one fruit of the Spirit is joy.

When we find ourselves living without joy let's pause and examine the direction & speed of our lives. Maybe we need to slow down and spend some time in Gods presence and allow HIS joy to fill our lives. Maybe we need to hang with some little ones and be reminded how to let loose and have fun!

Remember, activity doesn't always equal productivity. Busyness doesn't always equal fruitfulness. The proof is in our hearts and lives.

What is one fun thing you can do with your family or with others today? When you are done take time to read Galatians 5:22 and ask God to help you be filled with His Spirit and fruit so that you don't chase counterfeits.

2009-12-01T07:38:00.001-08:00

Lessons from a birthday celebration. Coming soon :)

2009-12-01T07:33:00.001-08:00