SEVEN REASONS WE GET STUCK
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Open the Eyes of My Heart—Sonicflood
Like a Lion—David Crowder* Band
Unashamed Love—Jason Morant
You Revive Me—Christy Nockels
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick; I’m a grateful believer in Jesus who’s celebrating recovery from codependency and pride.
LAST WEEK:
One word: AWESOME! Andy, thank you for sharing your story, your testimony of HOPE! Thank you for being real; for allowing us to step into your life and share your experiences and struggles. As Steve said, it’s easy to share the stuff we experienced way back, but to share our recent mess, that’s tough. I pray God continues to give you strength, wisdom, and encouragement as you take each step on this journey of recovery.
And that’s just it, it’s a journey. Andy’s story on Friday was such a good example of working the program, setting up accountability, and NOT GETTING STUCK! He didn’t give up. He didn’t stay put. He reached out. He connected with friends. He applied the 8 Recovery Principles and worked the 12 Steps. Together, we have hope. Together, we have family. Together, we have recovery.
THIS WEEK:
I’m so EXCITED for this week at Celebrate Recovery! It’s been a few months since I last shared a lesson, a few months since I last stood on the stage and hung out with friends and family. This week I’ll bring a close to the 2012 year by sharing the 7 Reasons We Get Stuck (could probably make that 8 and include New Year’s Resolutions to the list…just sayin’).
That’s right. We could probably flip that title around to say 7 Ways to Ensure a Healthy Hope-filled Year, because if you apply these 7 principles, 7 struggles, 7 things, 7 reasons to your life, you WILL get better. It doesn’t matter what your issue is…
Drugs
Alcohol
Sex
Pornography
Overeating
Undereating
Overspending
Anger
Depression
Fear
Gambling
Smoking
People Pleasing
Divorce
Anxiety
Physical/ Sexual/ Emotional Abuse
Doubt
Self-Image
Self-Injury
You CAN be set free! You DON’T have to remain stuck! You’re not the mistakes you’ve made! You’re not past regrets! You’re not the things you do! You are a child of God and when He made you, He looked at you and said, “It is good.” God uses words like MASTERPIECE and SON and DAUGHTER to describe you. God uses words like HOPE and PROSPER and LOVE to describe His plans FOR you.
Don’t settle for less.
NEWS & UPDATES:
CR, here are 4 things I want to share with you…
#1 God is GREATER—seriously, that should say it all. Put that phrase after whatever your current struggle or circumstance.
I can’t stop eating. God is GREATER!
My husband cheated on me. God is GREATER!
My son is killing himself with drugs. God is GREATER!
Now that may sound cliché and it may sound oversimplified…but that’s because IT IS! It’s not rocket science, it’s faith. It’s believing in the unseen. It’s believing in the unknown. It’s believing there’s a Creator God out there who reigns above all, is in total control, and isn’t taken by surprise. God doesn’t have an oops moment. Whatever it is you’re facing, whatever it is you’re going through, God is GREATER than it and He’s ABLE to bring you through it! You can’t do it on your own, but HE CAN!
He can help you OVERCOME your overeating.
He can fill your heart with FORGIVENESS and help RESTORE your marriage.
He can RESCUE your child from addiction.
Believe.
#2 Celebration Station and The Landing are HERE—isn’t that AWESOME? I can’t remember the last time I was this PUMPED for anything! I can’t wait until the day when my kids come home from school and share with me that kids in school are talking about what they’re LEARNING and DISCOVERING about themselves AND God through these two programs. As a child I didn’t have that somebody to discuss my anger, my unhealthy view of sex (let alone talk about the sexual abuse), or the desire to hurt myself or even end my life. I didn’t turn 18 or 21 and all of the sudden struggle with drugs and alcohol and pornography and sex…no…I was 7 (pornography)…I was 15 (sex)…I was 18 (smoking, drugs, & alcohol).
Celebration Station will provide a safe, encouraging environment for children grades PreK5-5th.
The Landing will open the doors to students grades 6th thru 12th.
Remember, just because you don’t know about it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Don’t let your naivety kill your kids.
Each program OFFICIALLY launches Friday, January 4 from 7-9p.
#3 New Year is Upon Us—with the 2013 year coming up in a few days (wait…did you hear that? I thought I just heard someone said something about the Mayan calendar…anyways) our CR Leadership T.E.A.M. working alongside the leadership teams from both Celebration Station and The Landing, will be planning and preparing the schedule for the ENTIRE upcoming year (Lessons, Testimonies, and Special Nights).
Have you written your testimony? Would you like to share it? Let me know.
Are you interested in sharing your testimony? Don’t know how to write it? Let me know.
Never thought about sharing your testimony? The thought of it scares the crap out of you? Let me know.
I want you to be a part of the healing process, not just for yourself, but for OTHERS. I want to see our building flooded with people seeking HOPE and HEALING. If you’d like to be involved, whether it’s sharing a testimony, greeting people, setting up chairs, teaching in Celebration Station, or cooking in our CR BBQ…let me know.
Let me know and I’ll do whatever it takes to get you plugged in!
#4 Some Things to Pray For—as many of you know, especially those who have ever walked the streets of downtown Martinsburg, we live in an area full of HURTING people and many of those people are WITHOUT transportation. Join me this year and pray doors open up for us to get our hands on some vans OR (and even BETTER), doors would open up for other churches in the downtown area to start HOSTING Celebrate Recovery. I don’t care where it is. I don’t care who’s doing it. I just want to see our community get BETTER!
Workers. Leaders. Volunteers! Our Celebration Station team is sitting at 6 committed leaders who are passionate about our kids, our children being introduced to healthy coping skills for all of life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups and I CELEBRATE these 6 individuals! Future generations are going to know what it means to live a healthy life because of the time, effort, and, most of all, love they’ve invested. I want this number to jump to 10-15. I believe this year we’re going to run out of room. Our workers will be unable to sustain the growth. Do you have a heart for kids? Then I got a heart for YOU! Be praying for and about this program: leaders and kids.
Speaking about room and space…we’ve already reached the point of…where the heck do we put everyone? As attendance continues to grow, as new Open-Share Groups emerge, as Celebration Station and The Landing launch, space is LIMITED at best. Be praying God gives us WISDOM in how to best manage…wait…no…not manage, but ORGANIZE our space to what is most EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE. We can meet in the bathroom for all I care, if people are meeting Jesus and discovering hope is REAL and overcoming hurts, habits, and hang-ups…does it really matter? Pray. Pray. Pray.
THE END:
CR, y’all are seriously some of my favorite people in the world. NOTHING excites me as much as Friday nights. NO OTHER PLACE makes me feel like I’m at home than Friday nights. NO OTHER PEOPLE inspire and motivate me more than those on Friday nights. Jesus IS the hope of the world and CR is where you can find him!!! I love you and look forward to spending some time with you this Friday at 7p.
LAST WEEK:
One word: AWESOME! Andy, thank you for sharing your story, your testimony of HOPE! Thank you for being real; for allowing us to step into your life and share your experiences and struggles. As Steve said, it’s easy to share the stuff we experienced way back, but to share our recent mess, that’s tough. I pray God continues to give you strength, wisdom, and encouragement as you take each step on this journey of recovery.
And that’s just it, it’s a journey. Andy’s story on Friday was such a good example of working the program, setting up accountability, and NOT GETTING STUCK! He didn’t give up. He didn’t stay put. He reached out. He connected with friends. He applied the 8 Recovery Principles and worked the 12 Steps. Together, we have hope. Together, we have family. Together, we have recovery.
THIS WEEK:
I’m so EXCITED for this week at Celebrate Recovery! It’s been a few months since I last shared a lesson, a few months since I last stood on the stage and hung out with friends and family. This week I’ll bring a close to the 2012 year by sharing the 7 Reasons We Get Stuck (could probably make that 8 and include New Year’s Resolutions to the list…just sayin’).
That’s right. We could probably flip that title around to say 7 Ways to Ensure a Healthy Hope-filled Year, because if you apply these 7 principles, 7 struggles, 7 things, 7 reasons to your life, you WILL get better. It doesn’t matter what your issue is…
Drugs
Alcohol
Sex
Pornography
Overeating
Undereating
Overspending
Anger
Depression
Fear
Gambling
Smoking
People Pleasing
Divorce
Anxiety
Physical/ Sexual/ Emotional Abuse
Doubt
Self-Image
Self-Injury
You CAN be set free! You DON’T have to remain stuck! You’re not the mistakes you’ve made! You’re not past regrets! You’re not the things you do! You are a child of God and when He made you, He looked at you and said, “It is good.” God uses words like MASTERPIECE and SON and DAUGHTER to describe you. God uses words like HOPE and PROSPER and LOVE to describe His plans FOR you.
Don’t settle for less.
NEWS & UPDATES:
CR, here are 4 things I want to share with you…
#1 God is GREATER—seriously, that should say it all. Put that phrase after whatever your current struggle or circumstance.
I can’t stop eating. God is GREATER!
My husband cheated on me. God is GREATER!
My son is killing himself with drugs. God is GREATER!
Now that may sound cliché and it may sound oversimplified…but that’s because IT IS! It’s not rocket science, it’s faith. It’s believing in the unseen. It’s believing in the unknown. It’s believing there’s a Creator God out there who reigns above all, is in total control, and isn’t taken by surprise. God doesn’t have an oops moment. Whatever it is you’re facing, whatever it is you’re going through, God is GREATER than it and He’s ABLE to bring you through it! You can’t do it on your own, but HE CAN!
He can help you OVERCOME your overeating.
He can fill your heart with FORGIVENESS and help RESTORE your marriage.
He can RESCUE your child from addiction.
Believe.
#2 Celebration Station and The Landing are HERE—isn’t that AWESOME? I can’t remember the last time I was this PUMPED for anything! I can’t wait until the day when my kids come home from school and share with me that kids in school are talking about what they’re LEARNING and DISCOVERING about themselves AND God through these two programs. As a child I didn’t have that somebody to discuss my anger, my unhealthy view of sex (let alone talk about the sexual abuse), or the desire to hurt myself or even end my life. I didn’t turn 18 or 21 and all of the sudden struggle with drugs and alcohol and pornography and sex…no…I was 7 (pornography)…I was 15 (sex)…I was 18 (smoking, drugs, & alcohol).
Celebration Station will provide a safe, encouraging environment for children grades PreK5-5th.
The Landing will open the doors to students grades 6th thru 12th.
Remember, just because you don’t know about it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Don’t let your naivety kill your kids.
Each program OFFICIALLY launches Friday, January 4 from 7-9p.
#3 New Year is Upon Us—with the 2013 year coming up in a few days (wait…did you hear that? I thought I just heard someone said something about the Mayan calendar…anyways) our CR Leadership T.E.A.M. working alongside the leadership teams from both Celebration Station and The Landing, will be planning and preparing the schedule for the ENTIRE upcoming year (Lessons, Testimonies, and Special Nights).
Have you written your testimony? Would you like to share it? Let me know.
Are you interested in sharing your testimony? Don’t know how to write it? Let me know.
Never thought about sharing your testimony? The thought of it scares the crap out of you? Let me know.
I want you to be a part of the healing process, not just for yourself, but for OTHERS. I want to see our building flooded with people seeking HOPE and HEALING. If you’d like to be involved, whether it’s sharing a testimony, greeting people, setting up chairs, teaching in Celebration Station, or cooking in our CR BBQ…let me know.
Let me know and I’ll do whatever it takes to get you plugged in!
#4 Some Things to Pray For—as many of you know, especially those who have ever walked the streets of downtown Martinsburg, we live in an area full of HURTING people and many of those people are WITHOUT transportation. Join me this year and pray doors open up for us to get our hands on some vans OR (and even BETTER), doors would open up for other churches in the downtown area to start HOSTING Celebrate Recovery. I don’t care where it is. I don’t care who’s doing it. I just want to see our community get BETTER!
Workers. Leaders. Volunteers! Our Celebration Station team is sitting at 6 committed leaders who are passionate about our kids, our children being introduced to healthy coping skills for all of life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups and I CELEBRATE these 6 individuals! Future generations are going to know what it means to live a healthy life because of the time, effort, and, most of all, love they’ve invested. I want this number to jump to 10-15. I believe this year we’re going to run out of room. Our workers will be unable to sustain the growth. Do you have a heart for kids? Then I got a heart for YOU! Be praying for and about this program: leaders and kids.
Speaking about room and space…we’ve already reached the point of…where the heck do we put everyone? As attendance continues to grow, as new Open-Share Groups emerge, as Celebration Station and The Landing launch, space is LIMITED at best. Be praying God gives us WISDOM in how to best manage…wait…no…not manage, but ORGANIZE our space to what is most EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE. We can meet in the bathroom for all I care, if people are meeting Jesus and discovering hope is REAL and overcoming hurts, habits, and hang-ups…does it really matter? Pray. Pray. Pray.
THE END:
CR, y’all are seriously some of my favorite people in the world. NOTHING excites me as much as Friday nights. NO OTHER PLACE makes me feel like I’m at home than Friday nights. NO OTHER PEOPLE inspire and motivate me more than those on Friday nights. Jesus IS the hope of the world and CR is where you can find him!!! I love you and look forward to spending some time with you this Friday at 7p.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Worth More Than a Bird...Really?!?
What does it matter?
What difference does it make?
Who cares?
Who’s going to notice?
Today, you might feel tiny, small, insignificant. Today, you might feel as if nobody sees you, nobody hears you, nobody knows you’re there. Today, you might feel like the world has already ended.
The crazy part, the part I don’t like, is knowing that no matter what I say, what I write, no matter how much I reassure you, tell you I love you, hug you, call you, text you…I can’t change your mind. I can’t fix it. I’m not the remedy (though every ounce of my being wants to be…codependency, HELLO!).
But, I know the remedy. I know the answer. In fact, I know him personally. I know him by name and he knows mine. He’s been there for me in my darkest moments. He’s been there for me when I felt like this world, this life simply wasn’t worth it anymore. He’s been there for me when I felt on top of the world and he’s been there when I felt like the world was on top of me.
His name is Jesus.
What does it matter? Everything.
What difference does it make? Eternal.
Who cares? He does.
Who’s going to notice? He already has.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 NIV84
I love these verses because upon first glance my response is, “So what! What the heck do sparrows have to do with me?” Exactly. We place value on things that have little or no value at all. Things. Stuff. God wants you to know He values you MORE than anything you have or can think of. Gods wants you to know you matter. God wants you to know He loves you. You’re not forgotten. He hasn’t let you go. He loves you.
He loves you.
You matter.
Don’t take my word for it; trust His.
What difference does it make?
Who cares?
Who’s going to notice?
Today, you might feel tiny, small, insignificant. Today, you might feel as if nobody sees you, nobody hears you, nobody knows you’re there. Today, you might feel like the world has already ended.
The crazy part, the part I don’t like, is knowing that no matter what I say, what I write, no matter how much I reassure you, tell you I love you, hug you, call you, text you…I can’t change your mind. I can’t fix it. I’m not the remedy (though every ounce of my being wants to be…codependency, HELLO!).
But, I know the remedy. I know the answer. In fact, I know him personally. I know him by name and he knows mine. He’s been there for me in my darkest moments. He’s been there for me when I felt like this world, this life simply wasn’t worth it anymore. He’s been there for me when I felt on top of the world and he’s been there when I felt like the world was on top of me.
His name is Jesus.
What does it matter? Everything.
What difference does it make? Eternal.
Who cares? He does.
Who’s going to notice? He already has.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7 NIV84
I love these verses because upon first glance my response is, “So what! What the heck do sparrows have to do with me?” Exactly. We place value on things that have little or no value at all. Things. Stuff. God wants you to know He values you MORE than anything you have or can think of. Gods wants you to know you matter. God wants you to know He loves you. You’re not forgotten. He hasn’t let you go. He loves you.
He loves you.
You matter.
Don’t take my word for it; trust His.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick; I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with codependency and pride.
LAST WEEK:
O-M-G (with the G standing for “goodness”…of course)! Last week was off the hook! Seriously! The CR Band blew it up! Tracey was hilarious! Steve was so on point with his recap of this past year and a glimpse of what’s to come! It all fit together so nicely. As we celebrated 3 years of this life changing, life-giving program, it was so good to see some old faces mixed in with all the new. It was like a family reunion (and I’m talking about one that you WANT to attend!). This past year we’ve seen 33 decisions for Christ and 17 baptisms…I can’t WAIT to see what 2013 has in store for us!!!
THIS WEEK:
It’s TESTIMONY night! Yes! This week we’ll be hearing from Andy as he shares his struggles AND victories from this past year. Such a GREAT testimony of God’s grace and how we, as His children, can overcome our insecurities by learning to see ourselves as He sees us…His sons and daughters, His workmanship, His masterpiece!
NEWS AND UPDATES:
Here are 3 things I want to share with you…
#1 Celebration Station—I am EXCITED OUT OF MY MIND for this program to get kicked off! Let me tell you why…our children are going to be learning healthy coping skills (something I never knew) so that sometime in the future (or possibly present) they will know how to respond to a particular situation or put a voice to a hurt. That’s why it’s called PRE-covery!!! There are currently 6 leaders committed to launching this program and that’s AWESOME! I want to see this number DOUBLE by Spring 2013! With 10-12 leaders, we’ll be able to open up the nursery for children birth thru 4 years old. Celebrate Recovery will truly be available to ALL people (with age no longer being a limiting factor). 10-12 leaders. That seems like a lot and that’s because it is. That’s a God-sized number, a God-sized goal and I’m believing God will move and inspire the right people to become agents of change for our younger generation. Are you interested in helping? Email me at celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org and let me know!
#2 The Landing—For those of you who don’t know, The Landing is Celebrate Recovery for students (Grades 6-12). In other words, it’s been translated from adult to student. It’s more interactive. It’s more engaging. It’s more fun. It’s more Skit Guys. It’s more fun. There’s probably a chance it’s a tad bit louder as well. I see a crazy amount of potential in this program to bring in a wave of healing and hope to the streets of our community. Our students are hurting. Our students are searching for an outlet, a safe place to share hurts, habits, and hang-ups, a place where they can discover they’re NOT alone. Again, if you’d like to be a part of this energetic, dynamic team email me at celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org and let me know!
#3 Cardboard Testimony Video—Were you able to see the video this past week at CR? Wow! It was such an incredible story of life change and HOPE! If you missed it, don’t worry, we’ll be showing the video again this week! Oh! If you were in the video I’m putting together a Media Release Form that, if signed, will allow us to make the video public! We can air it over Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. etc. What a GREAT way to get the word out about Celebrate Recovery! Hold me accountable! Don’t let me forget!
THE END:
I LOVE YOU! Seriously, I do. This is one area that God has specifically changed in me over the last 3 years. I once believed I didn’t like people or need people and that I was unable to truly care for others due to my own selfishness. I was SO wrong! God has shown me what it means TO LOVE and BE LOVED! He taught me first the importance of loving MYSELF…overcoming the lies of guilt and shame so I could experience grace and forgiveness. Gradually, as my heart softened towards myself, I learned how to love OTHERS as well. Now, there’s a passion inside me that burns to see people set free from life’s hurt, habits, and hang-ups and somewhere in the mix of things, I’ve learned to love people for WHO THEY ARE, not who I want them to be.
I love you CR and can’t wait to see you this Friday!
LAST WEEK:
O-M-G (with the G standing for “goodness”…of course)! Last week was off the hook! Seriously! The CR Band blew it up! Tracey was hilarious! Steve was so on point with his recap of this past year and a glimpse of what’s to come! It all fit together so nicely. As we celebrated 3 years of this life changing, life-giving program, it was so good to see some old faces mixed in with all the new. It was like a family reunion (and I’m talking about one that you WANT to attend!). This past year we’ve seen 33 decisions for Christ and 17 baptisms…I can’t WAIT to see what 2013 has in store for us!!!
THIS WEEK:
It’s TESTIMONY night! Yes! This week we’ll be hearing from Andy as he shares his struggles AND victories from this past year. Such a GREAT testimony of God’s grace and how we, as His children, can overcome our insecurities by learning to see ourselves as He sees us…His sons and daughters, His workmanship, His masterpiece!
NEWS AND UPDATES:
Here are 3 things I want to share with you…
#1 Celebration Station—I am EXCITED OUT OF MY MIND for this program to get kicked off! Let me tell you why…our children are going to be learning healthy coping skills (something I never knew) so that sometime in the future (or possibly present) they will know how to respond to a particular situation or put a voice to a hurt. That’s why it’s called PRE-covery!!! There are currently 6 leaders committed to launching this program and that’s AWESOME! I want to see this number DOUBLE by Spring 2013! With 10-12 leaders, we’ll be able to open up the nursery for children birth thru 4 years old. Celebrate Recovery will truly be available to ALL people (with age no longer being a limiting factor). 10-12 leaders. That seems like a lot and that’s because it is. That’s a God-sized number, a God-sized goal and I’m believing God will move and inspire the right people to become agents of change for our younger generation. Are you interested in helping? Email me at celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org and let me know!
#2 The Landing—For those of you who don’t know, The Landing is Celebrate Recovery for students (Grades 6-12). In other words, it’s been translated from adult to student. It’s more interactive. It’s more engaging. It’s more fun. It’s more Skit Guys. It’s more fun. There’s probably a chance it’s a tad bit louder as well. I see a crazy amount of potential in this program to bring in a wave of healing and hope to the streets of our community. Our students are hurting. Our students are searching for an outlet, a safe place to share hurts, habits, and hang-ups, a place where they can discover they’re NOT alone. Again, if you’d like to be a part of this energetic, dynamic team email me at celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org and let me know!
#3 Cardboard Testimony Video—Were you able to see the video this past week at CR? Wow! It was such an incredible story of life change and HOPE! If you missed it, don’t worry, we’ll be showing the video again this week! Oh! If you were in the video I’m putting together a Media Release Form that, if signed, will allow us to make the video public! We can air it over Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. etc. What a GREAT way to get the word out about Celebrate Recovery! Hold me accountable! Don’t let me forget!
THE END:
I LOVE YOU! Seriously, I do. This is one area that God has specifically changed in me over the last 3 years. I once believed I didn’t like people or need people and that I was unable to truly care for others due to my own selfishness. I was SO wrong! God has shown me what it means TO LOVE and BE LOVED! He taught me first the importance of loving MYSELF…overcoming the lies of guilt and shame so I could experience grace and forgiveness. Gradually, as my heart softened towards myself, I learned how to love OTHERS as well. Now, there’s a passion inside me that burns to see people set free from life’s hurt, habits, and hang-ups and somewhere in the mix of things, I’ve learned to love people for WHO THEY ARE, not who I want them to be.
I love you CR and can’t wait to see you this Friday!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Set List 12.14/16.12
3 YEAR CELEBRATION
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Silent Night—MercyMe
How He Loves—David Crowder* Band
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)—Casting Crowns
Show Me Glory—Jesus Culture
Give Me Jesus—Jeremy Camp
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, & 11:15a
Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth—Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Noel—LifeChurch.tv
Born is the King (It’s Christmas Time)—Hillsong
The Friendly Beasts—Sufjan Stevens
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Silent Night—MercyMe
How He Loves—David Crowder* Band
Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)—Casting Crowns
Show Me Glory—Jesus Culture
Give Me Jesus—Jeremy Camp
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, & 11:15a
Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth—Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Noel—LifeChurch.tv
Born is the King (It’s Christmas Time)—Hillsong
The Friendly Beasts—Sufjan Stevens
Friday, December 14, 2012
3 Things I Want to Share With You
I’m so excited and overwhelmed right now that I can barely sit down to write. I have a million ideas and tasks racing through my brain that I’m struggling to focus (even more than usual!). So, here’s what I’m going to do…I’m going to write a few thoughts down that I’d LOVE to share with you…
#1 Celebrate Recovery 3 Year Anniversary—this happens TONIGHT (7p at New Life). Don’t know where that is? The address is 4102 Tabler Station Rd., Inwood, WV 25428. It’s going to be such an AMAZING night! Potluck dinner. Intense worship. Cardboard testimonies. A brief look at what’s happened this year, as well as, a look ahead at what’s the come! I want this happening RIGHT NOW, but have to wait until 7p tonight (6p for the potluck). There’s even a few surprises planned for tonight that’ll have you laughing hysterically! I can’t wait!
#2 Community—I’m believing more and more that we (you, me, everyone) fulfill the notion of being created in the IMAGE and LIKENESS of God when we are TOGETHER! I’m not interested in a theological debate; I’m interested in KNOWING you, BEING AROUND you, and doing this thing known as life WITH you. God created THEM in His image and likeness…THEM = more than one…THEM = people, not person. People matter. Get in a LifeGroup. Get in a Step Study. Come out to Celebrate Recovery. Start serving. The WHERE doesn’t matter, the WHO does. Open up your life to others and discover what it means to be in community.
#3 Kids Singing in Costumes = Somebody’s Gonna Cry—this Sunday, at New Life, our kids will be leading worship for the first time in…well…probably the first time since I’ve been here…and it’s going to be AWESOME! Be sure you arrive early. Be sure you clap LOUDLY. Be sure to take pictures. Support and encourage our children as they sing their little hearts out in celebration of the birth of little baby Jesus. Let’em know they matter! Let’em know you care! And who knows, maybe we’ll do it again sometime soon. Remember, kids are our future, they’re our RIGHT NOW!
Ok. Those are the 3 main things whirling around in my head and I already feel a little bit better sharing them with you. Thank you for letting me share.
#1 Celebrate Recovery 3 Year Anniversary—this happens TONIGHT (7p at New Life). Don’t know where that is? The address is 4102 Tabler Station Rd., Inwood, WV 25428. It’s going to be such an AMAZING night! Potluck dinner. Intense worship. Cardboard testimonies. A brief look at what’s happened this year, as well as, a look ahead at what’s the come! I want this happening RIGHT NOW, but have to wait until 7p tonight (6p for the potluck). There’s even a few surprises planned for tonight that’ll have you laughing hysterically! I can’t wait!
#2 Community—I’m believing more and more that we (you, me, everyone) fulfill the notion of being created in the IMAGE and LIKENESS of God when we are TOGETHER! I’m not interested in a theological debate; I’m interested in KNOWING you, BEING AROUND you, and doing this thing known as life WITH you. God created THEM in His image and likeness…THEM = more than one…THEM = people, not person. People matter. Get in a LifeGroup. Get in a Step Study. Come out to Celebrate Recovery. Start serving. The WHERE doesn’t matter, the WHO does. Open up your life to others and discover what it means to be in community.
#3 Kids Singing in Costumes = Somebody’s Gonna Cry—this Sunday, at New Life, our kids will be leading worship for the first time in…well…probably the first time since I’ve been here…and it’s going to be AWESOME! Be sure you arrive early. Be sure you clap LOUDLY. Be sure to take pictures. Support and encourage our children as they sing their little hearts out in celebration of the birth of little baby Jesus. Let’em know they matter! Let’em know you care! And who knows, maybe we’ll do it again sometime soon. Remember, kids are our future, they’re our RIGHT NOW!
Ok. Those are the 3 main things whirling around in my head and I already feel a little bit better sharing them with you. Thank you for letting me share.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
God's Plan is Spelled: C-O-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Thank you for saying ‘hello.’”
“Thank you for calling.”
“Thank you for the card.”
“Thank you.”
What happened when God saw Adam all by himself? No, He didn’t shout, “PARTY!” Nope. He looked at Adam and saw he was alone. God watched him there, in the garden, with nobody to turn to, nobody to help him, nobody to stand beside him, to talk to, interact with…and He said, “This isn’t good.”
In other words, God was saying, “Nobody should have to live this way. Nobody should be alone. Everybody needs a somebody.” So, He made Eve.
Now listen, don’t get caught up in the semantics of it being a man and woman. Don’t get lost in the translation. I believe there’s more to it than God creating man and woman to be together, it doesn’t say they were married, it doesn’t say they were dating or friends on Facebook, it does say a man and a woman would become one body…but I’ll leave that for another time to discuss (let’s try our best to keep this a G rated blog post).
God doesn’t want us to be ALONE. Not you. Not me. Not man. Not woman. Nobody should be alone. He intended for us to be in community, together, sharing our hurts, celebrating our victories, and so on and so forth.
Isolation = the opposite of God’s plan (outside of brief moments of getting alone with God, but even then you’re WITH somebody…anyways).
So, let’s go back to those first few lines I opened up with today. How often do you hear people say these things? I hear them ALL THE TIME. People want to be NOTICED! We DESIRE community. We DESIRE togetherness. It lifts our spirits. It makes us feel whole, complete, like we’re somehow fulfilling God’s plan and desire for our lives. People matter. You matter.
Someone you know is feeling desperate and alone. They believe nobody wants them. They’re feeling undesirable. You can make a DIFFERENCE simply by calling them, texting them, sending them a card, saying ‘hello.’ BE the difference. Not because I said to…
It’s God’s plan.
“Thank you for thinking of me.”
“Thank you for saying ‘hello.’”
“Thank you for calling.”
“Thank you for the card.”
“Thank you.”
What happened when God saw Adam all by himself? No, He didn’t shout, “PARTY!” Nope. He looked at Adam and saw he was alone. God watched him there, in the garden, with nobody to turn to, nobody to help him, nobody to stand beside him, to talk to, interact with…and He said, “This isn’t good.”
In other words, God was saying, “Nobody should have to live this way. Nobody should be alone. Everybody needs a somebody.” So, He made Eve.
Now listen, don’t get caught up in the semantics of it being a man and woman. Don’t get lost in the translation. I believe there’s more to it than God creating man and woman to be together, it doesn’t say they were married, it doesn’t say they were dating or friends on Facebook, it does say a man and a woman would become one body…but I’ll leave that for another time to discuss (let’s try our best to keep this a G rated blog post).
God doesn’t want us to be ALONE. Not you. Not me. Not man. Not woman. Nobody should be alone. He intended for us to be in community, together, sharing our hurts, celebrating our victories, and so on and so forth.
Isolation = the opposite of God’s plan (outside of brief moments of getting alone with God, but even then you’re WITH somebody…anyways).
So, let’s go back to those first few lines I opened up with today. How often do you hear people say these things? I hear them ALL THE TIME. People want to be NOTICED! We DESIRE community. We DESIRE togetherness. It lifts our spirits. It makes us feel whole, complete, like we’re somehow fulfilling God’s plan and desire for our lives. People matter. You matter.
Someone you know is feeling desperate and alone. They believe nobody wants them. They’re feeling undesirable. You can make a DIFFERENCE simply by calling them, texting them, sending them a card, saying ‘hello.’ BE the difference. Not because I said to…
It’s God’s plan.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick; I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who celebrates recovery from drugs, alcohol, and pornography and currently struggles with codependency and pride.
LAST WEEK:
Wow! Yet another AMAZING Friday night at #CelebrateRecovery (for those unfamiliar with this, it’s called a “hashtag” use it on Twitter to connect with CR peeps all over the world)! It was chip night! Wait, that didn’t quite have the effect I was looking for…it was CHIP NIGHT! And it was one of those nights when we nearly ran out of Blue Chips, AKA 24 Hour Chips, AKA First-Time Guest Chips. So many faces. So many people. So much courage and healing! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if I had the choice of seeing you ANYWHERE during the week, it would be on Friday night at CR. We are learning what it means to live a FULL and RICH life and we’re doing it TOGETHER!
As if that wasn’t enough, the chip celebration was followed up by an awesome testimony from Cris on overcoming life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups, weaving through the lies or the world and finding TRUTH in Christ! “I will not be moved” was the theme of the night as it blared loud and clear after her testimony!
In case you were wondering, one of the key elements of Celebrate Recovery is discovering how to firmly plant yourself on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we no longer identify ourselves by the things we’ve done or the labels we’ve been given…no…we learn that in Christ we are a NEW creation, the old is GONE, the new has COME!
THIS WEEK:
I cannot WAIT for this week! I am so EXCITED for Friday’s CR! This Friday we celebrate 3 years! 3 years of lives changing, families coming together, chains being broken, captives set free, great friends, new faces, people crossing over from death to life, baptisms, growing our own band, launching Celebration Station and The Landing (mark your calendars—January 4, 2013), and so much more! This year alone we’ve seen over 30 people give their hearts and lives to Jesus and 20 people baptized! If you add up all the numbers over the last 3 years we’ve had nearly 100 decisions for Christ and about 50 baptisms!!! And it’s only been 3 years! We’re JUST GETTING STARTED!
I anticipate by this time next year those numbers will double as we see more and more people from the community pour in through those doors seeking the hope, healing, and freedom that you and I have experienced! Know how they’ll find out? You. Me. Us, together, taking to the streets and local businesses and schools and doctor’s offices and local churches. It happens by us getting the word out to friends and family and the people we meet. I truly believe THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
So join us. Whether you’ve attended once, fifty times, or haven’t missed a week since day one. Whether you’re still attending or haven’t attending since day one. You’re invited to celebrate with us this Friday night. We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner together at 6p and then move to the gym to let go of all the stress from the week as we worship together with our outstanding CR Band at 7p. It’s going to be a night to remember!
NEWS & UPDATES:
I’ve only got 1 thing to share with you this week…because it’s THAT important and I do NOT want you to miss it.
#1 Anniversary Celebration—be there! Friday…potluck at 6p…party at 7p!
THE END:
This is the BIGGEST night of the year for our Celebrate Recovery family! I would love nothing more than to spend a few moments with you, whether over a meal (potluck) or worshiping beside you, or catching up with you afterwards at Crosstalk Café. I hope you can make it. It’s going to be AWESOME!
LAST WEEK:
Wow! Yet another AMAZING Friday night at #CelebrateRecovery (for those unfamiliar with this, it’s called a “hashtag” use it on Twitter to connect with CR peeps all over the world)! It was chip night! Wait, that didn’t quite have the effect I was looking for…it was CHIP NIGHT! And it was one of those nights when we nearly ran out of Blue Chips, AKA 24 Hour Chips, AKA First-Time Guest Chips. So many faces. So many people. So much courage and healing! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if I had the choice of seeing you ANYWHERE during the week, it would be on Friday night at CR. We are learning what it means to live a FULL and RICH life and we’re doing it TOGETHER!
As if that wasn’t enough, the chip celebration was followed up by an awesome testimony from Cris on overcoming life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups, weaving through the lies or the world and finding TRUTH in Christ! “I will not be moved” was the theme of the night as it blared loud and clear after her testimony!
In case you were wondering, one of the key elements of Celebrate Recovery is discovering how to firmly plant yourself on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we no longer identify ourselves by the things we’ve done or the labels we’ve been given…no…we learn that in Christ we are a NEW creation, the old is GONE, the new has COME!
THIS WEEK:
I cannot WAIT for this week! I am so EXCITED for Friday’s CR! This Friday we celebrate 3 years! 3 years of lives changing, families coming together, chains being broken, captives set free, great friends, new faces, people crossing over from death to life, baptisms, growing our own band, launching Celebration Station and The Landing (mark your calendars—January 4, 2013), and so much more! This year alone we’ve seen over 30 people give their hearts and lives to Jesus and 20 people baptized! If you add up all the numbers over the last 3 years we’ve had nearly 100 decisions for Christ and about 50 baptisms!!! And it’s only been 3 years! We’re JUST GETTING STARTED!
I anticipate by this time next year those numbers will double as we see more and more people from the community pour in through those doors seeking the hope, healing, and freedom that you and I have experienced! Know how they’ll find out? You. Me. Us, together, taking to the streets and local businesses and schools and doctor’s offices and local churches. It happens by us getting the word out to friends and family and the people we meet. I truly believe THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
So join us. Whether you’ve attended once, fifty times, or haven’t missed a week since day one. Whether you’re still attending or haven’t attending since day one. You’re invited to celebrate with us this Friday night. We’ll enjoy a potluck dinner together at 6p and then move to the gym to let go of all the stress from the week as we worship together with our outstanding CR Band at 7p. It’s going to be a night to remember!
NEWS & UPDATES:
I’ve only got 1 thing to share with you this week…because it’s THAT important and I do NOT want you to miss it.
#1 Anniversary Celebration—be there! Friday…potluck at 6p…party at 7p!
THE END:
This is the BIGGEST night of the year for our Celebrate Recovery family! I would love nothing more than to spend a few moments with you, whether over a meal (potluck) or worshiping beside you, or catching up with you afterwards at Crosstalk Café. I hope you can make it. It’s going to be AWESOME!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Set List 12.7/9.12
TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Like a Lion—David Crowder* Band
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
Sing Sing Sing—Chris Tomlin
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Angels We Have Heard on High—Relient K
Noel—LifeChurch.tv
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
Unending Love—Hillsong Live
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Like a Lion—David Crowder* Band
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
Sing Sing Sing—Chris Tomlin
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Angels We Have Heard on High—Relient K
Noel—LifeChurch.tv
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
Unending Love—Hillsong Live
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick; I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with codependency and pride.
LAST WEEK:
Big shout out to Steve (@smparrill) for taking us through one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year…YES!
#1 YIELD myself to God
#2 EXAMPLE is what matters
#3 SERVE others like Jesus did
This is what it’s all about! Isn’t it? Recovery isn’t dwelling on past mistakes. Recovery isn’t holding on to the pain of our past. Recovery isn’t believing we are the names and labels we’ve been given. Recovery isn’t fixing others and ignoring ourselves. Recovery is learning who we are IN Christ…
And this only happens AFTER we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our one and only true higher power. That’s it. End of story. We call him Savior. We call him Redeemer. We find freedom in the shadow of a bloodstained cross. Acknowledging who he IS means we YIELD to his will, we SURRENDER, we wave our WHITE FLAG, we allow him to LEAD the way. We acknowledge his ways are BETTER and that he wants something FOR us, to BLESS us, to PROSPER us. We recognize God as FATHER and believe He will work all things for our GOOD!
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. That doesn’t mean it’s all cotton candy, unicorns, and rainbows. That simply means, I’m gonna mess up, manure is gonna hit the fan, I’m going to struggle, sometimes it’ll feel like my world is crashing down, BUT I know God is in control, He’ll never turn away from me, He’ll never let me go, and He wants what’s BEST for me because ultimately it brings Him glory.
THIS WEEK:
This week is TESTIMONY week! And, on top of that, it’s CHIP NIGHT! For whatever reason I was promoting last week as CHIP NIGHT (most likely because I also schedule the Weekend Experience and that took place in December while Friday was still November…anyways, just sayin’) and it wasn’t last week, it’s THIS week! That means we’ll clap and cheer and celebrate milestone dates for sobriety from all sorts of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll cry, clap, and cheer as we hear a testimony of victory and hope found in Christ! That puts the CELEBRATE in Celebrate Recovery!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Here are 2 things I want to draw to your attention…
#1 The Landing – This week marks the FIRST run through of The Landing. I’m so EXCITED for our launch team to be coming together, growing together, and serving and helping our students learn to cope with the hurts, habits, and hang-ups they’re all facing in our schools, homes, churches, and community at large. Do you have a student that falls somewhere within the 6th grade – 12th grade range? Bring’em! Invite’em! Let’em know they GET TO be a part of something from the VERY BEGINNING, the VERY START! We WANT them to be here, to provide feedback, to help us…in turn help them…which eventually leads to helping many MANY others! This all happens on Friday at 7p.
#2 Anniversary Celebration – Oh dang! It’s that time of year again! 3 years ago Celebrate Recovery invaded the 4 (or more) walls of New Life’s building and we haven’t looked back since. This year we celebrate 3 years of life change, 3 years of getting better, 3 years of growing, 3 years of family, 3 years of recovery. We’ll kick everything off with a potluck dinner at 6p and then some AWESOME worship music and a time of reflection on where we’ve been and casting of where we’re headed! Whether you’re currently attending, have attended in the past, have thought about attending, or don’t even know what Celebrate Recovery IS…I want you to be there. Mark your calendars: Friday, December 14.
THE END:
The end. Just kidding. I love you! I’m excited to see you this Friday! I’m excited to worship with you, pray with you, cry with you, and CELEBRATE with you! See you Friday at 6p!
LAST WEEK:
Big shout out to Steve (@smparrill) for taking us through one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year…YES!
#1 YIELD myself to God
#2 EXAMPLE is what matters
#3 SERVE others like Jesus did
This is what it’s all about! Isn’t it? Recovery isn’t dwelling on past mistakes. Recovery isn’t holding on to the pain of our past. Recovery isn’t believing we are the names and labels we’ve been given. Recovery isn’t fixing others and ignoring ourselves. Recovery is learning who we are IN Christ…
And this only happens AFTER we acknowledge Jesus Christ as our one and only true higher power. That’s it. End of story. We call him Savior. We call him Redeemer. We find freedom in the shadow of a bloodstained cross. Acknowledging who he IS means we YIELD to his will, we SURRENDER, we wave our WHITE FLAG, we allow him to LEAD the way. We acknowledge his ways are BETTER and that he wants something FOR us, to BLESS us, to PROSPER us. We recognize God as FATHER and believe He will work all things for our GOOD!
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. That doesn’t mean it’s all cotton candy, unicorns, and rainbows. That simply means, I’m gonna mess up, manure is gonna hit the fan, I’m going to struggle, sometimes it’ll feel like my world is crashing down, BUT I know God is in control, He’ll never turn away from me, He’ll never let me go, and He wants what’s BEST for me because ultimately it brings Him glory.
THIS WEEK:
This week is TESTIMONY week! And, on top of that, it’s CHIP NIGHT! For whatever reason I was promoting last week as CHIP NIGHT (most likely because I also schedule the Weekend Experience and that took place in December while Friday was still November…anyways, just sayin’) and it wasn’t last week, it’s THIS week! That means we’ll clap and cheer and celebrate milestone dates for sobriety from all sorts of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll cry, clap, and cheer as we hear a testimony of victory and hope found in Christ! That puts the CELEBRATE in Celebrate Recovery!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Here are 2 things I want to draw to your attention…
#1 The Landing – This week marks the FIRST run through of The Landing. I’m so EXCITED for our launch team to be coming together, growing together, and serving and helping our students learn to cope with the hurts, habits, and hang-ups they’re all facing in our schools, homes, churches, and community at large. Do you have a student that falls somewhere within the 6th grade – 12th grade range? Bring’em! Invite’em! Let’em know they GET TO be a part of something from the VERY BEGINNING, the VERY START! We WANT them to be here, to provide feedback, to help us…in turn help them…which eventually leads to helping many MANY others! This all happens on Friday at 7p.
#2 Anniversary Celebration – Oh dang! It’s that time of year again! 3 years ago Celebrate Recovery invaded the 4 (or more) walls of New Life’s building and we haven’t looked back since. This year we celebrate 3 years of life change, 3 years of getting better, 3 years of growing, 3 years of family, 3 years of recovery. We’ll kick everything off with a potluck dinner at 6p and then some AWESOME worship music and a time of reflection on where we’ve been and casting of where we’re headed! Whether you’re currently attending, have attended in the past, have thought about attending, or don’t even know what Celebrate Recovery IS…I want you to be there. Mark your calendars: Friday, December 14.
THE END:
The end. Just kidding. I love you! I’m excited to see you this Friday! I’m excited to worship with you, pray with you, cry with you, and CELEBRATE with you! See you Friday at 6p!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Set List 11.30/12.2.12
LESSON: YES
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
Me and Jesus—Stellar Kart
Love Like Fire—Hillsong Live
All Because of Jesus—Fee
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Angels We Have Heard on High—traditional
Come Thou Fount—traditional
Here is Our King—David Crowder* Band
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)—Chris Tomlin
Me and Jesus—Stellar Kart
Love Like Fire—Hillsong Live
All Because of Jesus—Fee
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Angels We Have Heard on High—traditional
Come Thou Fount—traditional
Here is Our King—David Crowder* Band
Friday, November 30, 2012
Serving Others = Love Like Jesus
I am passionate about life change. In fact, I’d say right now there’s no greater joy in ministry, no greater blessing, no greater privilege than to see people cross over from death to life in Christ. With each new life I feel as if we’re taking one step closer to seeing the world change. Each new life represents HOPE and FREEDOM for the lost, poor, and needy. And right behind it, like a super close second, is watching people SERVE! Why?
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
John 13:13-15 NKJV
The verses up top explain everything.
#1 You call Me Teacher and Lord – Yes! I do! I believer God put on skin and came down to our level as Jesus Christ. He came to restore the broken and fragmented relationship we turned away from in the garden. I believe his words have AUTHORITY as well as HOPE! Because I call him Teacher I choose to follow him.
#2 You also ought to wash one another’s feet – No! Really!?! Why feet? Oh…that’s right…it’s humbling. A few weeks ago I taught at a lesson at Celebration Station on serving others, on giving back, AND it just happened to be on this verse. To model what it means to serve I actually washed the feet of those kids who were willing to be served (yes, some of us refuse Jesus’ help because we feel unworthy…reference Peter and his response). I can’t STAND feet, so it was a good reminder that SERVING requires HUMILITY. If I’m going to put others FIRST, as in BEFORE ME, I’ve got to be willing to swallow my pride and be humble.
#3 You should do as I have done to you – This verse should be the end of the story. I don’t know if we merely gloss over this verse or maybe we skip it or possibly suffer from temporary blindness when we get to it, but this verse paints the necessity of service clear as day (if you live in Seattle bear with me and imagine what a clear day looks like). Do for others as I have done for you. He doesn’t say YOU CAN or HERE’S A NEAT IDEA, he says YOU SHOULD.
One of the things I’ve come to realize as I chase after Jesus, is that if God says to do something, I don’t need to pray about it, I don't need to debate Him about it, I don’t need to think about it, (are you ready Nike?) I JUST DO IT!
Do you want to be like Jesus?
Do you want to love like Jesus?
Serve.
Don’t know how? Don’t know where to look? Don’t know what to do?
If you’re interested in SERVING, but don’t know where or how or what, start by checking out the page on New Life’s website “Volunteer Time & Skills,” fill out the form, and someone will be in touch with you.
Heck, find me. Hit me up on Twitter. Message me on Facebook. Leave a comment here on the blog. And I’ll help you. I’ll sit down with you. I’ll make time to get you where you want to go. I LOVE you and want to see the best for you!
Be a blessing to OTHERS and be blessed yourself! Serve.
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
John 13:13-15 NKJV
The verses up top explain everything.
#1 You call Me Teacher and Lord – Yes! I do! I believer God put on skin and came down to our level as Jesus Christ. He came to restore the broken and fragmented relationship we turned away from in the garden. I believe his words have AUTHORITY as well as HOPE! Because I call him Teacher I choose to follow him.
#2 You also ought to wash one another’s feet – No! Really!?! Why feet? Oh…that’s right…it’s humbling. A few weeks ago I taught at a lesson at Celebration Station on serving others, on giving back, AND it just happened to be on this verse. To model what it means to serve I actually washed the feet of those kids who were willing to be served (yes, some of us refuse Jesus’ help because we feel unworthy…reference Peter and his response). I can’t STAND feet, so it was a good reminder that SERVING requires HUMILITY. If I’m going to put others FIRST, as in BEFORE ME, I’ve got to be willing to swallow my pride and be humble.
#3 You should do as I have done to you – This verse should be the end of the story. I don’t know if we merely gloss over this verse or maybe we skip it or possibly suffer from temporary blindness when we get to it, but this verse paints the necessity of service clear as day (if you live in Seattle bear with me and imagine what a clear day looks like). Do for others as I have done for you. He doesn’t say YOU CAN or HERE’S A NEAT IDEA, he says YOU SHOULD.
One of the things I’ve come to realize as I chase after Jesus, is that if God says to do something, I don’t need to pray about it, I don't need to debate Him about it, I don’t need to think about it, (are you ready Nike?) I JUST DO IT!
Do you want to be like Jesus?
Do you want to love like Jesus?
Serve.
Don’t know how? Don’t know where to look? Don’t know what to do?
If you’re interested in SERVING, but don’t know where or how or what, start by checking out the page on New Life’s website “Volunteer Time & Skills,” fill out the form, and someone will be in touch with you.
Heck, find me. Hit me up on Twitter. Message me on Facebook. Leave a comment here on the blog. And I’ll help you. I’ll sit down with you. I’ll make time to get you where you want to go. I LOVE you and want to see the best for you!
Be a blessing to OTHERS and be blessed yourself! Serve.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Squirrels, Cars, and Recovery
While driving my youngest to school this morning a squirrel jumped out in front of the van. Now, ask anyone that’s been in the car with me and they’ll tell you, “Nick drives like a grandma,” whatever that means…I call it driving the speed limit, but ANYWAYS…I was able to slow down with enough time for the squirrel to make it across the road safely (aside from a possible fit of anxiety as this massive white thing was about to run it over).
And, like God so often does, He whispered, “That was you.”
And, like I so often do, I replied, “Huh?”
God then reminded me of the squirrel of frantically darts across the road, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging cars and trucks, simply trying to make it to the other side (much like the chicken). But every once in a while there’s a squirrel, that for whatever reason, right before it makes it to the other side, right on the edge of reaching its destination, it stops, turns around, and runs back.
“That was you, Nick.”
I’d like to suggest that is not only me, but it’s YOU…it’s ALL of us! We WANT to get better. We WANT to get unstuck. We WANT to be free. So we walk through the doors of a church or the doctor’s office or the rehab or Celebrate Recovery with EVERY INTENTION of doing it! Then, at the last possible moment, something happens, something sparks a sense of doubt, and we TURN BACK.
That’s the squirrel that gets hit by the car.
That’s the squirrel whose life ends before it really begins.
That’s you.
That’s me.
Don’t give up. Don’t turn away. Don’t go back to old habits, old hurts, old feelings of bitterness and resentment. Don’t go back to what’s comfortable (and by comfortable I’m not talking about “feel good” I’m talking about “It’s what I’ve always known”).
Instead of turning back to the very thing that sent you across the road, KEEP RUNNING FORWARD! Work your program! Keep going to group! Take your medicine! Don’t look at what’s coming, don’t look at what was; keep looking straight ahead at the GOAL, the DESTINATION!
Hesitate and you’ll die.
Recovery is that serious.
And, like God so often does, He whispered, “That was you.”
And, like I so often do, I replied, “Huh?”
God then reminded me of the squirrel of frantically darts across the road, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging cars and trucks, simply trying to make it to the other side (much like the chicken). But every once in a while there’s a squirrel, that for whatever reason, right before it makes it to the other side, right on the edge of reaching its destination, it stops, turns around, and runs back.
“That was you, Nick.”
I’d like to suggest that is not only me, but it’s YOU…it’s ALL of us! We WANT to get better. We WANT to get unstuck. We WANT to be free. So we walk through the doors of a church or the doctor’s office or the rehab or Celebrate Recovery with EVERY INTENTION of doing it! Then, at the last possible moment, something happens, something sparks a sense of doubt, and we TURN BACK.
That’s the squirrel that gets hit by the car.
That’s the squirrel whose life ends before it really begins.
That’s you.
That’s me.
Don’t give up. Don’t turn away. Don’t go back to old habits, old hurts, old feelings of bitterness and resentment. Don’t go back to what’s comfortable (and by comfortable I’m not talking about “feel good” I’m talking about “It’s what I’ve always known”).
Instead of turning back to the very thing that sent you across the road, KEEP RUNNING FORWARD! Work your program! Keep going to group! Take your medicine! Don’t look at what’s coming, don’t look at what was; keep looking straight ahead at the GOAL, the DESTINATION!
Hesitate and you’ll die.
Recovery is that serious.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Is This What Church is Supposed to Be Like?
I didn’t grow up in the church. In fact, I think my only experience with church as a child was the occasional holiday visit to St. James Cathedral in Seattle, WA (i.e. Easter and Christmas Eve). So, working in a church as an adult, I don’t have a traditional background to turn to in order to ensure I’m doing church “right.” I don’t understand church politics (oxymoron?). I don’t understand tradition. I don’t understand the rules. I don’t fully grasp the do’s and don’ts. There’s a LOT I don’t get…stuff that just doesn’t make sense to me.
This has led to me forming an almost cynical view of the church. I think sometimes we get so caught up in making sure our own little world is all neat, tidy, pretty, and clean that we neglect THE world, the bigness and vastness of the world. We’re like a horse with blinders on. We can’t see to our left, to our right, behind, or around us…our vision is NARROW and focused on just a SMALL piece of God’s glory. We treat each area, each component, each ministry, each program of the church like a puzzle piece. We cut it and shape it and make sure it fits nicely in place…no rough edges please, no surprises please…that doesn’t look right so please try putting it somewhere else, like down the road.
We’re disconnected. Fractured. We cry from the stage or pulpit or wherever it is we speak from for UNITY and COMMUNITY…yet churches are divided, separate, competing with one another instead of working with one another. Again, narrow focus. My area. My people. My place. My thing. You stay there. I’ll stay here. We’re no different than dogs urinating all over the yard to say, “This is MINE! Stay OUT!”
To me, this doesn’t make sense.
To me, this is the opposite of God’s plan for His Son’s bride (Ephesians 4:1-16).
To me, this replaces the C with a c (THE Church vs. MY church).
To me, this limits the potential of the local church to bring about change.
Am I missing something?
Is this how church is supposed to be?
Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up in church, but this seems more like the bride has ran away from the altar.
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering who’s left MY church to attend YOUR church?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering what the other party wants?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering how to promote the next program?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of pretending to pursue Jesus?
It seems to me if the local churches were truly pursuing Christ, it would be TOGETHER, not apart. If we, as the bride of Christ, are unable to come together to make a difference in this community, your community, who will? Again, I didn’t grow up in the church, so maybe I’m missing something. Are we supposed to take a backseat while some OTHER organization rises up to take the lead? I thought the church was about life change, not marking property lines and maintaining attendance.
If this is how church is SUPPOSED to be…then I don’t want it.
If this is church TRADITION…then I don’t want it.
If this is the PURPOSE of the church…then I don’t want it.
If Jesus isn’t the HEAD of the body…it’s dead (John 4:14).
But…then again…I’m still new to the game. Maybe I simply haven’t been properly “assimilated” to church culture. Maybe Jesus didn’t really come for the sick. Maybe Jesus really did come so I could get mine and you could get yours. Maybe it’s about building MY kingdom.
Or…
What if God entrusted His perfect plan to imperfect people and somewhere along the line we’ve made mistakes, we’ve messed some things up, we’ve lost sight of what He intended? If that’s the case, then let’s ADMIT IT and start working TOGETHER to make some changes, make some renovations, let’s build the church into the Church and see REVIVAL resound across the globe.
THAT’S something I can get behind.
Let’s BE the difference.
This has led to me forming an almost cynical view of the church. I think sometimes we get so caught up in making sure our own little world is all neat, tidy, pretty, and clean that we neglect THE world, the bigness and vastness of the world. We’re like a horse with blinders on. We can’t see to our left, to our right, behind, or around us…our vision is NARROW and focused on just a SMALL piece of God’s glory. We treat each area, each component, each ministry, each program of the church like a puzzle piece. We cut it and shape it and make sure it fits nicely in place…no rough edges please, no surprises please…that doesn’t look right so please try putting it somewhere else, like down the road.
We’re disconnected. Fractured. We cry from the stage or pulpit or wherever it is we speak from for UNITY and COMMUNITY…yet churches are divided, separate, competing with one another instead of working with one another. Again, narrow focus. My area. My people. My place. My thing. You stay there. I’ll stay here. We’re no different than dogs urinating all over the yard to say, “This is MINE! Stay OUT!”
To me, this doesn’t make sense.
To me, this is the opposite of God’s plan for His Son’s bride (Ephesians 4:1-16).
To me, this replaces the C with a c (THE Church vs. MY church).
To me, this limits the potential of the local church to bring about change.
Am I missing something?
Is this how church is supposed to be?
Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up in church, but this seems more like the bride has ran away from the altar.
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering who’s left MY church to attend YOUR church?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering what the other party wants?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of wondering how to promote the next program?
What would happen if local churches started working TOGETHER instead of pretending to pursue Jesus?
It seems to me if the local churches were truly pursuing Christ, it would be TOGETHER, not apart. If we, as the bride of Christ, are unable to come together to make a difference in this community, your community, who will? Again, I didn’t grow up in the church, so maybe I’m missing something. Are we supposed to take a backseat while some OTHER organization rises up to take the lead? I thought the church was about life change, not marking property lines and maintaining attendance.
If this is how church is SUPPOSED to be…then I don’t want it.
If this is church TRADITION…then I don’t want it.
If this is the PURPOSE of the church…then I don’t want it.
If Jesus isn’t the HEAD of the body…it’s dead (John 4:14).
But…then again…I’m still new to the game. Maybe I simply haven’t been properly “assimilated” to church culture. Maybe Jesus didn’t really come for the sick. Maybe Jesus really did come so I could get mine and you could get yours. Maybe it’s about building MY kingdom.
Or…
What if God entrusted His perfect plan to imperfect people and somewhere along the line we’ve made mistakes, we’ve messed some things up, we’ve lost sight of what He intended? If that’s the case, then let’s ADMIT IT and start working TOGETHER to make some changes, make some renovations, let’s build the church into the Church and see REVIVAL resound across the globe.
THAT’S something I can get behind.
Let’s BE the difference.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick and I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who celebrates recovery from drugs, alcohol, and pornography and currently struggles with codependency and pride.
LAST WEEK:
Who DOESN’T love testimony night (rhetorical question)? I almost ask that as a declarative statement…possibly with an ! at the end. Seriously, to the hear the story of HOPE found in trusting God, not just with my eternity, but with my daily struggles…that NEVER gets old! I applaud my dear friend Johnny for taking to the stage, not to sing, but to guide us through his lifelong struggle with schizophrenia. It took a lot of courage to open up like that, to get vulnerable, and allow us to revisit some of the scariest times of his life.
I’m blown away week after week as I hear story after story of God doing what only He can do…the miracle of life change…transformation. Johnny has EVERY reason to smile, EVERY reason to celebrate, EVERY reason to sing and proclaim his faith and gratitude for Jesus. Wasn’t his song awesome?! (notice this time I added the !). Here’s a peak at the lyrics in case you missed it:
And this is my testimony
This is my song of victory
This is my triumphant story
Because of Jesus
I overcome
THIS WEEK:
Once again taking to the helm, once again leading us through the biblical truths of recovery, Steve (@smparrill) will guide us through one of my FAVORITE lessons: YES.
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.”
Matthew 5:10
Really? Really? Why the heck do I want that? Don’t you know what I’ve gone through? I don’t have to imagine what rock bottom looks like…I’ve BEEN THERE! I know what it means to leave my family. I know what it means to abandon my wife…my kids…my friends…my job. I know what it means to hurt and hurt so bad that it’s a struggle to open my eyes, let alone get out of bed. Why in the world would I want to be PERSECUTED? Great question!
God doesn’t promise an EASY life. God doesn’t promise HAPPINESS! God doesn’t promise rainbows and unicorns! God promises to BLESS you, to PROSPER you, to SAVE you, to REDEEM you, to SET YOU FREE! Somewhere in midst of all that good stuff He’s going to do, you’re going to face tough times because Jesus is offensive to those who don’t know him. Friends will laugh. Family will roll their eyes. People won’t understand. In spite of that, we do what He wants…because we CHOOSE to follow Him. I LOVE this lesson because we ALL need to yield to God, lead by example, and SERVE others! That’s the 12th Step! Give back! Share the message of HOPE with others!
Make time to come out this Friday at 7p and experience the grace, hope, mercy, forgiveness, and love of Christ!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Here are things I want you praying for, thinking about, talking about and spreading around!
#1 3 Year Anniversary Celebration—On Friday, December 14, we’ll be celebrating THREE YEARS of hope, healing, and life change at Celebrate Recovery! Come out and celebrate the goodness and richness of God’s love and grace as experienced and live out by those who HAVE BEEN and CURRENTLY ARE working the 12 Steps and 8 Principles. If you’re not currently attending or participating at Celebrate Recovery…I want to invite you to come out and be an encouragement to THOSE PEOPLE! It’s called CELEBRATE Recovery for a reason! God’s given us EVERY reason to scream, to shout, to dance, and to sing! Mark your calendars; it’ll be a night to remember!
#2 Celebration Station & The Landing—We’re so close to the launch date for these programs (January 4, 2013). I’m BEYOND excited! I don’t want to lose our kids! I don’t want to see our students waste their lives making the same choices I did. Let’s join together and PRAY for our leaders, pray for our children, pray for our students, pray God equips us with the ability and wisdom to lead and guide our families to a BETTER life!
#3 Recovery Cards—Each week, inserted nice and neat in the program, is an almost bookmark lookin’ sheet of paper called the Recovery Card. This is our way, as leaders of the program, to connect with you, to get a feel for who you are, what you’re going through, pray for you, help you get plugged in to a Step Study or possibly serving. Make sure you take the time each week to fill this out so I can personally pray for you…it’s actually the GREATEST gift I can give you. AND at the bottom of the Recovery Card is a perforated invite card to give to someone during the week, to share the HOPE of Jesus, to share the FREEDOM found at Celebrate Recovery.
THE END:
My time with the kids, at least on a regular week-to-week basis, is slowly coming to an end. Very soon I’ll be back out with my friends and family in the Large Group and I CAN’T WAIT to see y’all again! And who knows, maybe even get back up there with the band. Today, remember God’s grace is REAL and AVAILABLE for the taking! He’s offered up EVERYTHING we could possibly need AND…it’s free! I love you CR! See you on Friday night!
LAST WEEK:
Who DOESN’T love testimony night (rhetorical question)? I almost ask that as a declarative statement…possibly with an ! at the end. Seriously, to the hear the story of HOPE found in trusting God, not just with my eternity, but with my daily struggles…that NEVER gets old! I applaud my dear friend Johnny for taking to the stage, not to sing, but to guide us through his lifelong struggle with schizophrenia. It took a lot of courage to open up like that, to get vulnerable, and allow us to revisit some of the scariest times of his life.
I’m blown away week after week as I hear story after story of God doing what only He can do…the miracle of life change…transformation. Johnny has EVERY reason to smile, EVERY reason to celebrate, EVERY reason to sing and proclaim his faith and gratitude for Jesus. Wasn’t his song awesome?! (notice this time I added the !). Here’s a peak at the lyrics in case you missed it:
And this is my testimony
This is my song of victory
This is my triumphant story
Because of Jesus
I overcome
THIS WEEK:
Once again taking to the helm, once again leading us through the biblical truths of recovery, Steve (@smparrill) will guide us through one of my FAVORITE lessons: YES.
“Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.”
Matthew 5:10
Really? Really? Why the heck do I want that? Don’t you know what I’ve gone through? I don’t have to imagine what rock bottom looks like…I’ve BEEN THERE! I know what it means to leave my family. I know what it means to abandon my wife…my kids…my friends…my job. I know what it means to hurt and hurt so bad that it’s a struggle to open my eyes, let alone get out of bed. Why in the world would I want to be PERSECUTED? Great question!
God doesn’t promise an EASY life. God doesn’t promise HAPPINESS! God doesn’t promise rainbows and unicorns! God promises to BLESS you, to PROSPER you, to SAVE you, to REDEEM you, to SET YOU FREE! Somewhere in midst of all that good stuff He’s going to do, you’re going to face tough times because Jesus is offensive to those who don’t know him. Friends will laugh. Family will roll their eyes. People won’t understand. In spite of that, we do what He wants…because we CHOOSE to follow Him. I LOVE this lesson because we ALL need to yield to God, lead by example, and SERVE others! That’s the 12th Step! Give back! Share the message of HOPE with others!
Make time to come out this Friday at 7p and experience the grace, hope, mercy, forgiveness, and love of Christ!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Here are things I want you praying for, thinking about, talking about and spreading around!
#1 3 Year Anniversary Celebration—On Friday, December 14, we’ll be celebrating THREE YEARS of hope, healing, and life change at Celebrate Recovery! Come out and celebrate the goodness and richness of God’s love and grace as experienced and live out by those who HAVE BEEN and CURRENTLY ARE working the 12 Steps and 8 Principles. If you’re not currently attending or participating at Celebrate Recovery…I want to invite you to come out and be an encouragement to THOSE PEOPLE! It’s called CELEBRATE Recovery for a reason! God’s given us EVERY reason to scream, to shout, to dance, and to sing! Mark your calendars; it’ll be a night to remember!
#2 Celebration Station & The Landing—We’re so close to the launch date for these programs (January 4, 2013). I’m BEYOND excited! I don’t want to lose our kids! I don’t want to see our students waste their lives making the same choices I did. Let’s join together and PRAY for our leaders, pray for our children, pray for our students, pray God equips us with the ability and wisdom to lead and guide our families to a BETTER life!
#3 Recovery Cards—Each week, inserted nice and neat in the program, is an almost bookmark lookin’ sheet of paper called the Recovery Card. This is our way, as leaders of the program, to connect with you, to get a feel for who you are, what you’re going through, pray for you, help you get plugged in to a Step Study or possibly serving. Make sure you take the time each week to fill this out so I can personally pray for you…it’s actually the GREATEST gift I can give you. AND at the bottom of the Recovery Card is a perforated invite card to give to someone during the week, to share the HOPE of Jesus, to share the FREEDOM found at Celebrate Recovery.
THE END:
My time with the kids, at least on a regular week-to-week basis, is slowly coming to an end. Very soon I’ll be back out with my friends and family in the Large Group and I CAN’T WAIT to see y’all again! And who knows, maybe even get back up there with the band. Today, remember God’s grace is REAL and AVAILABLE for the taking! He’s offered up EVERYTHING we could possibly need AND…it’s free! I love you CR! See you on Friday night!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Set List 11.23/25.12
TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Me and Jesus—Stellar Kart
Forgiveness—Matthew West
With Us—Hillsong Live
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
My Testimony—John Hamman
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Alive in Us—Hillsong Live
You Revive Me—Christy Nockels
The Stand—Hillsong United
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Me and Jesus—Stellar Kart
Forgiveness—Matthew West
With Us—Hillsong Live
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
My Testimony—John Hamman
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Alive in Us—Hillsong Live
You Revive Me—Christy Nockels
The Stand—Hillsong United
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Be the Difference
VICTORIES shared.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re asking, “Nick, there’s 2 other points, 2 other letters before V…why did you skip them?” Alright, let’s be honest here (thank you @brandant for this phrase), most of you have NO CLUE what I’m talking about…so, here’s a quick backstory:
Friday night at Celebrate Recovery @smparrill shared a lesson titled GIVE. Each letter represents a point, a catchphrase to lead and guide us, and to help us remember HOW TO give.
God first
I becomes we
Victories shared
Example of our actions
I skipped the first 2. I’m leaving out the last one. I’m focusing on #3…my FAVORITE (after all, it is my blog)!
Ok. Let’s do this again. VICTORIES shared! LOVE it! I’m not sure where I’d be exactly had I NOT heard the stories of those men, sitting in a circle, sharing opening, freely, honestly. The raw emotion instantly led to barriers crumbling within me. I found HOPE in their stories. I found HOPE in their victories.
There’s POWER in your story!
There’s FREEDOM in your experiences!
Someone NEEDS to hear your story!
God didn’t give you a gift so you could hoard it, no! He wants you to SHARE it!
Be the difference in someone’s life.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re asking, “Nick, there’s 2 other points, 2 other letters before V…why did you skip them?” Alright, let’s be honest here (thank you @brandant for this phrase), most of you have NO CLUE what I’m talking about…so, here’s a quick backstory:
Friday night at Celebrate Recovery @smparrill shared a lesson titled GIVE. Each letter represents a point, a catchphrase to lead and guide us, and to help us remember HOW TO give.
God first
I becomes we
Victories shared
Example of our actions
I skipped the first 2. I’m leaving out the last one. I’m focusing on #3…my FAVORITE (after all, it is my blog)!
Ok. Let’s do this again. VICTORIES shared! LOVE it! I’m not sure where I’d be exactly had I NOT heard the stories of those men, sitting in a circle, sharing opening, freely, honestly. The raw emotion instantly led to barriers crumbling within me. I found HOPE in their stories. I found HOPE in their victories.
There’s POWER in your story!
There’s FREEDOM in your experiences!
Someone NEEDS to hear your story!
God didn’t give you a gift so you could hoard it, no! He wants you to SHARE it!
Be the difference in someone’s life.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, my name is Nick and I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who’s celebrating recovery from pride and codependency!
LAST WEEK:
What does it mean to GIVE? This was a question I had (and still sometimes ask) 3 years ago when I first walked through the doors of Celebrate Recovery. I was selfish. I was distant. I was fearful. I was untrusting. I was dependent upon everything BUT God. What COULD I give? I only knew what it meant to consume, to take, to keep. GIVE?
BIG thanks to Steve (@smparrill) for clearing the air and bringing some light to this subject. This past Friday he shared with our Celebrate Recovery family what it means to GIVE.
#1 God first
#2 I becomes we
#3 Victories shared
#4 Example of your actions
For us to make that transition from TAKERS to GIVERS, we gotta make some changes, or, better said, allow GOD to make some changes IN us! This becomes easier and easier as we begin to realize God wants something FOR us, not FROM us (Jeremiah 29:11). We can’t do it alone! We’ve tried! That’s what got us here in the first place! Are you ready to let God have HIS way in you? Are you ready to surrender to HIS will? What will it be?
THIS WEEK:
I’m so EXCITED for this week! This Friday is testimony night! My good friend Johnny is going to take us on a frightening journey through the perplexing world of schizophrenia and how TRUST in God has continued to help him through it. Johnny’s story is a reminder that regardless of your circumstances, God is GREATER and He’s ABLE to bring you through it! Whether you’re struggling with drugs and alcohol, buried in financial troubles, or recovering from divorce, you will find HOPE in his story.
NEWS AND UPDATES:
LOTS of stuff happening in and around Celebrate Recovery…but here are the 2 things I want you to REALLY pay attention to:
#1 Thanksgiving Dinner – Thursday, November 22, at 4p we are serving Thanksgiving Dinner to the ENTIRE community! That’s right! So, if you know a family that is struggling, if you know a single parent who might not be able to afford Thanksgiving, if you know someone who will be alone, if you know someone who knows someone who knows someone else…INVITE THEM! I want to see the building filled with people from around the community. Let’s share a bit of the HOPE we’ve found in Jesus and LOVE this community! Immediately following dinner we’ll turn on the projector to watch a movie while desserts are set out. It’s going to be an AWESOME night! Start inviting people TODAY! Also, if you’re interested in bringing a side dish (which would be GREAT!), email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or call 304.262.6522 and let me know what you’ll be bringing with you.
#2 Celebration Station and The Landing – I am blown away by the response of our CR family and New Life! People don’t want to lose our younger generations! They want to make a difference…or, as Pastor Jim said this past week…BE the difference! What would’ve happened if someone had come up alongside you as a child or student and shared with you the TRUTH of God’s word and the FREEDOM that can be found in Christ? What would’ve happened if you learned how to build healthy, open, and honest relationships with others? You CAN! We are still looking for volunteer leaders for both Celebration Station and The Landing. If interested, you can email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or sign up Friday night on your Recovery Card.
THE END:
CR, I LOVE you and can’t wait to see you Thursday (Thanksgiving Dinner) and then Friday (Celebrate Recovery)! AWESOME that we get to spend more time together this week!
LAST WEEK:
What does it mean to GIVE? This was a question I had (and still sometimes ask) 3 years ago when I first walked through the doors of Celebrate Recovery. I was selfish. I was distant. I was fearful. I was untrusting. I was dependent upon everything BUT God. What COULD I give? I only knew what it meant to consume, to take, to keep. GIVE?
BIG thanks to Steve (@smparrill) for clearing the air and bringing some light to this subject. This past Friday he shared with our Celebrate Recovery family what it means to GIVE.
#1 God first
#2 I becomes we
#3 Victories shared
#4 Example of your actions
For us to make that transition from TAKERS to GIVERS, we gotta make some changes, or, better said, allow GOD to make some changes IN us! This becomes easier and easier as we begin to realize God wants something FOR us, not FROM us (Jeremiah 29:11). We can’t do it alone! We’ve tried! That’s what got us here in the first place! Are you ready to let God have HIS way in you? Are you ready to surrender to HIS will? What will it be?
THIS WEEK:
I’m so EXCITED for this week! This Friday is testimony night! My good friend Johnny is going to take us on a frightening journey through the perplexing world of schizophrenia and how TRUST in God has continued to help him through it. Johnny’s story is a reminder that regardless of your circumstances, God is GREATER and He’s ABLE to bring you through it! Whether you’re struggling with drugs and alcohol, buried in financial troubles, or recovering from divorce, you will find HOPE in his story.
NEWS AND UPDATES:
LOTS of stuff happening in and around Celebrate Recovery…but here are the 2 things I want you to REALLY pay attention to:
#1 Thanksgiving Dinner – Thursday, November 22, at 4p we are serving Thanksgiving Dinner to the ENTIRE community! That’s right! So, if you know a family that is struggling, if you know a single parent who might not be able to afford Thanksgiving, if you know someone who will be alone, if you know someone who knows someone who knows someone else…INVITE THEM! I want to see the building filled with people from around the community. Let’s share a bit of the HOPE we’ve found in Jesus and LOVE this community! Immediately following dinner we’ll turn on the projector to watch a movie while desserts are set out. It’s going to be an AWESOME night! Start inviting people TODAY! Also, if you’re interested in bringing a side dish (which would be GREAT!), email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or call 304.262.6522 and let me know what you’ll be bringing with you.
#2 Celebration Station and The Landing – I am blown away by the response of our CR family and New Life! People don’t want to lose our younger generations! They want to make a difference…or, as Pastor Jim said this past week…BE the difference! What would’ve happened if someone had come up alongside you as a child or student and shared with you the TRUTH of God’s word and the FREEDOM that can be found in Christ? What would’ve happened if you learned how to build healthy, open, and honest relationships with others? You CAN! We are still looking for volunteer leaders for both Celebration Station and The Landing. If interested, you can email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or sign up Friday night on your Recovery Card.
THE END:
CR, I LOVE you and can’t wait to see you Thursday (Thanksgiving Dinner) and then Friday (Celebrate Recovery)! AWESOME that we get to spend more time together this week!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Set List 11.16-18.12
LESSON: GIVE
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Beautiful Things—Gungor
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
Came to My Rescue—Hillsong United
15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Dinner Banquet: Saturday 5:30p
Like a Lion—David Crowder* Band
Christ is Risen—Matt Maher
Nothing But the Blood—Jesus Culture
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
The Church—Elevation Worship
All Because of Jesus—Fee
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
All Because of Jesus—Fee
Your Great Name—Natalie Grant
With Us—Hillsong Live
To Our God—Bethel Live
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Beautiful Things—Gungor
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
Came to My Rescue—Hillsong United
15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Dinner Banquet: Saturday 5:30p
Like a Lion—David Crowder* Band
Christ is Risen—Matt Maher
Nothing But the Blood—Jesus Culture
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
The Church—Elevation Worship
All Because of Jesus—Fee
SERIES: LOVE LIKE JESUS
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
All Because of Jesus—Fee
Your Great Name—Natalie Grant
With Us—Hillsong Live
To Our God—Bethel Live
Friday, November 16, 2012
God, Can We Reschedule?
This morning I sat on my couch, put my feet out, and planned to open up YouVersion, pray, and read Scripture. The kids, well at least 2 out of 3, were at the table eating breakfast. I had already packed Isaiah’s lunch. My wife’s coffee was made (this time NOT by me…I don’t think). Everything was done. All the OTHER things of the morning had been accomplished. No more stress. No more worry. Just me and God. Just me and God. Just me and God…oh look a notification on Facebook…
Yup, that’s how it all went down. I had every intention of working on my relationship with God, but instead, chose to catch up on the lives of the people around me. After wasting a few minutes on Facebook, I noticed I had a few unread emails…I better check those! A few minutes later emails were all checked. What was I going to do? Was I going to tweet something? I don’t remember…oh yeah! Me and God. Me and God.
How many of your mornings are like this? How much time do you spend getting ready? Preparing breakfast? Making lunches? Laying out clothes? Checking homework? Making sure teeth are brushed? Browsing Facebook? Playing a word?
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3 KJV
Bustin’ out the King James for this one! God doesn’t want our seconds. God doesn’t want our leftovers. God wants our BEST! God wants to be FIRST! Sure, we ALL have responsibilities in the morning. We ALL need to be somewhere or go somewhere or do something, BUT, why can’t God be first? We make time for EVERYTHING ELSE and then toss up a quick prayer to God while driving because…oops, forgot to do this, let me do it right quick.
Stop staying up late,
Stop hitting snooze,
Stop grasping of those few extra minutes of sleep,
Stop sleeping in,
Stop grabbing your phone,
Stop making excuses,
And start praying.
Put God FIRST. Give Him PRIORITY. Let’s do it together.
Yup, that’s how it all went down. I had every intention of working on my relationship with God, but instead, chose to catch up on the lives of the people around me. After wasting a few minutes on Facebook, I noticed I had a few unread emails…I better check those! A few minutes later emails were all checked. What was I going to do? Was I going to tweet something? I don’t remember…oh yeah! Me and God. Me and God.
How many of your mornings are like this? How much time do you spend getting ready? Preparing breakfast? Making lunches? Laying out clothes? Checking homework? Making sure teeth are brushed? Browsing Facebook? Playing a word?
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3 KJV
Bustin’ out the King James for this one! God doesn’t want our seconds. God doesn’t want our leftovers. God wants our BEST! God wants to be FIRST! Sure, we ALL have responsibilities in the morning. We ALL need to be somewhere or go somewhere or do something, BUT, why can’t God be first? We make time for EVERYTHING ELSE and then toss up a quick prayer to God while driving because…oops, forgot to do this, let me do it right quick.
Stop staying up late,
Stop hitting snooze,
Stop grasping of those few extra minutes of sleep,
Stop sleeping in,
Stop grabbing your phone,
Stop making excuses,
And start praying.
Put God FIRST. Give Him PRIORITY. Let’s do it together.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
2013 Brings a NEW Celebrate Recovery to New Life
I LOVE Celebrate Recovery!
Let me say that again…
I LOVE Celebrate Recovery!
I’m not talking about that kinda love where you go, “You know, if I’ve got some free time this week, I should stop by there.” No! I’m talking about that kinda love where you MAKE TIME to be there, like something is GETTING DROPPED ‘cause you KNOW you can’t miss it! That’s what I’m talking about. I’m not talking about that kinda love where people say, “He’s drank the Kool-aid.” No! I’m talking about that kinda love where you’ve bought a life-time supply of the concentrate! That’s what’s up!
Why? I believe Celebrate Recovery directs us to the answer for ALL of life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I don’t care if you’re recovering from a divorce, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), buried in a gambling addiction, the victim of sexual/ physical/ emotional abuse, frustrated because you can’t fix people, seeking affirmation and acceptance through pleasing everyone you know, or even caught up in drugs and alcohol…it doesn’t matter, Celebrate Recovery is for you. BUT, please let me be clear, Celebrate Recovery is NOT the answer, the program merely POINTS TO the answer…
and his name is Jesus. True story.
It’s not hype. It’s HOPE. I have personally experience freedom from past hurts resulting from physical and sexual abuse, freedom from compulsive behaviors related to drugs, alcohol, and pornography, and I’m currently learning how to develop healthy relationships by working on my codependency.
Because I’ve EXPERIENCED it and KNOW what it can do, I am so freakin’ EXCITED for the launch of Celebration Station and The Landing on Friday, January 4, 2013!!! Like my head is gonna explode! It’s been in discussion since our initial launch in December 2009 and is FINALLY becoming a reality!
Celebration Station is Celebrate Recovery only translated into kid language. So, our children will be learning healthy coping skills to deal with life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups…we call it PRE-covery! Every Friday night our kids will eat dinner together, building community with one another, spend time in activity centers, dance, sing, and even take a few moments to journal and share with their friends. The kids that graduate this program (PreK5-5th) WILL BE the next leaders in our churches, in our homes, and in our communities!
The Landing is Celebrate Recovery only translated into student language. This means our students will be engaging the same material as the adults and kids! EVERYONE will be learning the same things at the same time…fostering an environment of openness and discussion within the family. The Landing gets students up out of their chairs through an awesome time of worship, hilarious skits from the Skit Guys, and activities designed to build bridges from unforgettable experiences to unforgettable truths. Be prepared for students to take over the building as they discover HEALTH and PURPOSE in their lives; they WILL lead the way!
For more information on both Celebration Station and The Landing please visit New Life Community Church this Sunday (Nov 18) for an informative meeting where you’ll be able to explore the program, meet the launch teams, and ask any questions you might have. The meetings will take place at 9:45a and 11:15a.
I would be SO AWESOME if you could make it.
Take a moment and watch this video on Celebration Station…
Take a moment and watch this video on The Landing…
Let me say that again…
I LOVE Celebrate Recovery!
I’m not talking about that kinda love where you go, “You know, if I’ve got some free time this week, I should stop by there.” No! I’m talking about that kinda love where you MAKE TIME to be there, like something is GETTING DROPPED ‘cause you KNOW you can’t miss it! That’s what I’m talking about. I’m not talking about that kinda love where people say, “He’s drank the Kool-aid.” No! I’m talking about that kinda love where you’ve bought a life-time supply of the concentrate! That’s what’s up!
Why? I believe Celebrate Recovery directs us to the answer for ALL of life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I don’t care if you’re recovering from a divorce, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), buried in a gambling addiction, the victim of sexual/ physical/ emotional abuse, frustrated because you can’t fix people, seeking affirmation and acceptance through pleasing everyone you know, or even caught up in drugs and alcohol…it doesn’t matter, Celebrate Recovery is for you. BUT, please let me be clear, Celebrate Recovery is NOT the answer, the program merely POINTS TO the answer…
and his name is Jesus. True story.
It’s not hype. It’s HOPE. I have personally experience freedom from past hurts resulting from physical and sexual abuse, freedom from compulsive behaviors related to drugs, alcohol, and pornography, and I’m currently learning how to develop healthy relationships by working on my codependency.
Because I’ve EXPERIENCED it and KNOW what it can do, I am so freakin’ EXCITED for the launch of Celebration Station and The Landing on Friday, January 4, 2013!!! Like my head is gonna explode! It’s been in discussion since our initial launch in December 2009 and is FINALLY becoming a reality!
Celebration Station is Celebrate Recovery only translated into kid language. So, our children will be learning healthy coping skills to deal with life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups…we call it PRE-covery! Every Friday night our kids will eat dinner together, building community with one another, spend time in activity centers, dance, sing, and even take a few moments to journal and share with their friends. The kids that graduate this program (PreK5-5th) WILL BE the next leaders in our churches, in our homes, and in our communities!
The Landing is Celebrate Recovery only translated into student language. This means our students will be engaging the same material as the adults and kids! EVERYONE will be learning the same things at the same time…fostering an environment of openness and discussion within the family. The Landing gets students up out of their chairs through an awesome time of worship, hilarious skits from the Skit Guys, and activities designed to build bridges from unforgettable experiences to unforgettable truths. Be prepared for students to take over the building as they discover HEALTH and PURPOSE in their lives; they WILL lead the way!
For more information on both Celebration Station and The Landing please visit New Life Community Church this Sunday (Nov 18) for an informative meeting where you’ll be able to explore the program, meet the launch teams, and ask any questions you might have. The meetings will take place at 9:45a and 11:15a.
I would be SO AWESOME if you could make it.
Take a moment and watch this video on Celebration Station…
Take a moment and watch this video on The Landing…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Focusing on the Problem Only Makes it Harder
The addict asks, “Is this as good as it gets?” as the needle enters his vein.
The wife says, “I’m just not attracted to him anymore,” as she picks up Fifty Shades of Grey.
The father asks, “Will I ever have time for my family?” while working late yet again this week.
The mother screams, “Why won’t my kids listen to me?!?” while browsing Pinterest.
The husband thinks to himself, “She’s changed so much,” as he clicks his favorite porn site.
The daughter asks, “Will they ever understand me?” while she cuts her arm.
The son asks, “Will they notice I'm gone?” as he takes the last pill.
Why do we do the things we don’t want to do?
Why do we refuse to do the things we know we should?
Why?
I ask these questions, but I do it simply for effect. Thanks to Paul’s openness, thanks to Paul’s willingness to be real, I already have the answer (and so can you). Grab your Bible and open to Romans chapter 7. Start reading at verse 14. Read it. Stop once you’ve read through verse 20.
Paul didn’t ask these questions; he confessed his struggles. He knew he wasn’t doing what he should and continued doing what he shouldn’t. BUT, doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t simply confess his struggles, he identifies the ROOT OF THE PROBLEM…obviously Paul had successfully completed a Step Study.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 7:20 NIV84
We’ve ALL got this problem called SIN. Don’t be afraid to say it. It’s offensive because it’s true and sometimes the truth hurts. Well, I don’t like that word…Jesus had to die because of it, something tells me he doesn’t like it either, but that doesn’t mean we should hide from it.
Hurts. Habits. Hang-ups. All three of these are wrapped up in SIN. Either WE were the one acting in sin or the recipient of ANOTHER’S sin. It’s all SIN. I’m not the problem. You’re not the problem. The problem is the filthiness of our minds and the selfishness of our hearts. The SOLUTION is Jesus. He came to HEAL the wounded. He’s the REMEDY for the sick. His blood set us FREE.
You don’t have to keep doing these things. I don’t have to keep doing these things. There’s a GREATER plan, a BETTER plan. There’s HOPE and FREEDOM. We’re not the mistakes we’ve made, we’re not the things we’ve done, we’re not the labels we’ve been given…in Christ we’re a NEW CREATION!
So, we can either focus on the PROBLEM or focus on the SOLUTION.
The wife says, “I’m just not attracted to him anymore,” as she picks up Fifty Shades of Grey.
The father asks, “Will I ever have time for my family?” while working late yet again this week.
The mother screams, “Why won’t my kids listen to me?!?” while browsing Pinterest.
The husband thinks to himself, “She’s changed so much,” as he clicks his favorite porn site.
The daughter asks, “Will they ever understand me?” while she cuts her arm.
The son asks, “Will they notice I'm gone?” as he takes the last pill.
Why do we do the things we don’t want to do?
Why do we refuse to do the things we know we should?
Why?
I ask these questions, but I do it simply for effect. Thanks to Paul’s openness, thanks to Paul’s willingness to be real, I already have the answer (and so can you). Grab your Bible and open to Romans chapter 7. Start reading at verse 14. Read it. Stop once you’ve read through verse 20.
Paul didn’t ask these questions; he confessed his struggles. He knew he wasn’t doing what he should and continued doing what he shouldn’t. BUT, doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t simply confess his struggles, he identifies the ROOT OF THE PROBLEM…obviously Paul had successfully completed a Step Study.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Romans 7:20 NIV84
We’ve ALL got this problem called SIN. Don’t be afraid to say it. It’s offensive because it’s true and sometimes the truth hurts. Well, I don’t like that word…Jesus had to die because of it, something tells me he doesn’t like it either, but that doesn’t mean we should hide from it.
Hurts. Habits. Hang-ups. All three of these are wrapped up in SIN. Either WE were the one acting in sin or the recipient of ANOTHER’S sin. It’s all SIN. I’m not the problem. You’re not the problem. The problem is the filthiness of our minds and the selfishness of our hearts. The SOLUTION is Jesus. He came to HEAL the wounded. He’s the REMEDY for the sick. His blood set us FREE.
You don’t have to keep doing these things. I don’t have to keep doing these things. There’s a GREATER plan, a BETTER plan. There’s HOPE and FREEDOM. We’re not the mistakes we’ve made, we’re not the things we’ve done, we’re not the labels we’ve been given…in Christ we’re a NEW CREATION!
So, we can either focus on the PROBLEM or focus on the SOLUTION.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who celebrates freedom from drug, alcohol, and pornography addiction, and is celebrating recovery from pride and codependency, my name is Nick.
LAST WEEK:
What’s up CR? Last week my man Gerald shared his heart, shared his struggles both past and present, and unashamedly proclaimed gratitude for God’s grace and his need to both TRUST Him and RELY ON Him and Him alone! Wow…that was a mouthful…run-on sentence HELLO! I am seriously excited about hearing testimony after testimony of what God is DOING in your lives. Our CR family is full of people who don’t have all the answers, but we know WHO to turn to, WHO has the answers, and WHO has a better plan!
We’re learning that it’s OK to not be OK. We’re learning that God has been gracious enough to give us a second chance or a third or a fourth or a twentieth. We’re learning that the program of Celebrate Recovery isn’t the answer, it points us TO HIM! We’re learning to live day by day, moment by moment, embracing right now instead of worrying about what has yet to happen.
THIS WEEK:
Know what the BEST part of CR is? That we GET TO do it again this week! LOVE it! This week my good friend Steve (@smparrill) will be leading us through the lesson GIVE. What does it mean to GIVE BACK? What does that look like?
This is one of my absolute FAVORITE lessons because it describes why Celebrate Recovery is such a POWERFUL program. We recognize our issue(s)…notice the option to make it plural. We recognize our powerlessness. We recognize our need for God. We trust God for healing, for a better way of life, for freedom. THEN, we GIVE BACK by helping others. This is why I say Celebrate Recovery is a leadership factory! As we get BETTER, we develop into LEADERS!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Three really REALLY big announcements this week…
#1 Women’s Food Issues – Are you ready? This week we launch our NEW Open Share Discussion Group! Women will finally have a safe place to discuss their hurts, habits, and hang-ups as they relate to food. I’m PUMPED for the lives that will be transformed because of this group!
#2 An Intro to Celebration Station and The Landing – This Sunday, November 18, at 9:45a and 11:15a, we’ll be hosting a gathering to discuss and explore the programs of Celebration Station (PreK5-5th) and The Landing (6th-12th). You’ll have an opportunity to meet with leaders, ask questions, and even sign up to help with the launch! These programs are set to launch on January 4, 2013. I’m SUPER EXCITED for the chance to open the doors of Celebrate Recovery to the ENTIRE community regardless of age! Watch these videos…
Celebration Station – HERE
The Landing – HERE
#3 Thanksgiving Dinner – On Thursday, November 22, Celebrate Recovery is hosting a community Thanksgiving Dinner. That’s right! Nobody should have to be alone on the holidays…NOBODY! God intended for us to do life TOGETHER, so that’s what we’re going to do! Food will be served at 4p. Again, food will be served at 4p. If you’d like to help set up, tear down, prepare food, decorate, greet, serve, whatever…email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or call 304.262.6522. I believe God is going to bring in 100+ people from in and around the community for this special Thanksgiving tradition! Be praying!
THE END:
That’s it CR! There’s so MUCH happening at Celebrate Recovery right now! God is really moving and stirring something big within our midst. People are changing! People are growing! Leaders are emerging! God is entirely too good! Tell a friend. Invite someone. Let’s see our community set FREE!
LAST WEEK:
What’s up CR? Last week my man Gerald shared his heart, shared his struggles both past and present, and unashamedly proclaimed gratitude for God’s grace and his need to both TRUST Him and RELY ON Him and Him alone! Wow…that was a mouthful…run-on sentence HELLO! I am seriously excited about hearing testimony after testimony of what God is DOING in your lives. Our CR family is full of people who don’t have all the answers, but we know WHO to turn to, WHO has the answers, and WHO has a better plan!
We’re learning that it’s OK to not be OK. We’re learning that God has been gracious enough to give us a second chance or a third or a fourth or a twentieth. We’re learning that the program of Celebrate Recovery isn’t the answer, it points us TO HIM! We’re learning to live day by day, moment by moment, embracing right now instead of worrying about what has yet to happen.
THIS WEEK:
Know what the BEST part of CR is? That we GET TO do it again this week! LOVE it! This week my good friend Steve (@smparrill) will be leading us through the lesson GIVE. What does it mean to GIVE BACK? What does that look like?
This is one of my absolute FAVORITE lessons because it describes why Celebrate Recovery is such a POWERFUL program. We recognize our issue(s)…notice the option to make it plural. We recognize our powerlessness. We recognize our need for God. We trust God for healing, for a better way of life, for freedom. THEN, we GIVE BACK by helping others. This is why I say Celebrate Recovery is a leadership factory! As we get BETTER, we develop into LEADERS!
NEWS & UPDATES:
Three really REALLY big announcements this week…
#1 Women’s Food Issues – Are you ready? This week we launch our NEW Open Share Discussion Group! Women will finally have a safe place to discuss their hurts, habits, and hang-ups as they relate to food. I’m PUMPED for the lives that will be transformed because of this group!
#2 An Intro to Celebration Station and The Landing – This Sunday, November 18, at 9:45a and 11:15a, we’ll be hosting a gathering to discuss and explore the programs of Celebration Station (PreK5-5th) and The Landing (6th-12th). You’ll have an opportunity to meet with leaders, ask questions, and even sign up to help with the launch! These programs are set to launch on January 4, 2013. I’m SUPER EXCITED for the chance to open the doors of Celebrate Recovery to the ENTIRE community regardless of age! Watch these videos…
Celebration Station – HERE
The Landing – HERE
#3 Thanksgiving Dinner – On Thursday, November 22, Celebrate Recovery is hosting a community Thanksgiving Dinner. That’s right! Nobody should have to be alone on the holidays…NOBODY! God intended for us to do life TOGETHER, so that’s what we’re going to do! Food will be served at 4p. Again, food will be served at 4p. If you’d like to help set up, tear down, prepare food, decorate, greet, serve, whatever…email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org or call 304.262.6522. I believe God is going to bring in 100+ people from in and around the community for this special Thanksgiving tradition! Be praying!
THE END:
That’s it CR! There’s so MUCH happening at Celebrate Recovery right now! God is really moving and stirring something big within our midst. People are changing! People are growing! Leaders are emerging! God is entirely too good! Tell a friend. Invite someone. Let’s see our community set FREE!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Set List 11.7/9/11.12
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
First Wednesday: 6:30p
To Our God—Bethel Live
The Church—Elevation Worship
Alive in Us—Hillsong Live
With Us—Hillsong Live
TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7:00p
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Born Again—Third Day
Bring the Rain—MercyMe
Overcame—Jeremy Camp
THE WALKING DEAD
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Our God—Chris Tomlin
Jesus Son of God—Chris Tomlin
You Are My Vision—Rend Collective Experiment
How He Loves—John Mark McMillan
First Wednesday: 6:30p
To Our God—Bethel Live
The Church—Elevation Worship
Alive in Us—Hillsong Live
With Us—Hillsong Live
TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7:00p
Marvelous Light—Charlie Hall
Born Again—Third Day
Bring the Rain—MercyMe
Overcame—Jeremy Camp
THE WALKING DEAD
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Our God—Chris Tomlin
Jesus Son of God—Chris Tomlin
You Are My Vision—Rend Collective Experiment
How He Loves—John Mark McMillan
Friday, November 9, 2012
I've Got Questions; Is That Ok?
Ever get the feeling this whole “following Jesus” thing is just a tad difficult? I mean, let’s be real, there appears to be this unapproachable, unobtainable expectation of holiness and righteousness that can be quite overwhelming at times. Or is that simply a misunderstanding? Am I to be holy and righteous or is Christ in me that works to make me holy and righteous? Is will power enough? Can I honestly make good decision? Am I capable of making healthy choices? At what point do I need to start relying on God or should I be doing that from the very beginning?
So many questions. AND when I finally get an answer it usually leads to a few more questions.
Confusing. Challenging. Difficult. Following Jesus is ANYTHING BUT easy. You can never know enough. You can never do enough. Who he is and what he wants to do in my life surpasses my understanding (here’s a hint: that’s why I TRUST him).
Glad I’m not alone.
Reading through the early pages of John you’ll stumble across a conversation, a discussion, an exchange between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus (Pharisee; member of the Sanhedrin; teacher; smart guy). Instead of listing a bunch of details regarding the dialogue between the two, I’ll simply post the text itself…or at least the part I want to focus on.
“You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
John 3:10-12 NIV84
I LOVE this. Here we have Nicodemus, a teacher of the Law, a dude that most likely was highly esteemed, well-educated, all-around smart guy, asking Jesus about regeneration…no, not like a starfish growing (regenerating) a new limb, but a person crossing over from death to life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. He asked, “What does it mean to be born again?” Jesus then carries on a bit, referencing flesh, talking about Spirit, making an analogy to wind…then BAM! He tells Nicodemus like it is.
I tell you the TRUTH.
We speak of what we KNOW.
We testify to what we have SEEN.
And in spite of this, you, me…we do not accept it or understand it. We deny the truth. Cynicism takes over and we laugh it off, make snide remarks, and go about business as usual. For whatever reason, we lean into our faulty logic and finite reasoning to decipher the mysteries of the Creator of the universe.
I’m glad I’m not alone in this. I’m comforted in knowing I have questions that may remain unanswered until the day I die and meet Jesus face to face (or remain slumbering in my earth suit until he calls me up…either way I don’t think I’ll know the difference) and have the chance to ask him myself.
Don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions. Don’t be afraid to ask question EVER! It’s not about WHAT you KNOW, it’s about WHO you LOVE!
What heavenly things ignite a flame of curiosity in you? What questions do you have?
So many questions. AND when I finally get an answer it usually leads to a few more questions.
Confusing. Challenging. Difficult. Following Jesus is ANYTHING BUT easy. You can never know enough. You can never do enough. Who he is and what he wants to do in my life surpasses my understanding (here’s a hint: that’s why I TRUST him).
Glad I’m not alone.
Reading through the early pages of John you’ll stumble across a conversation, a discussion, an exchange between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus (Pharisee; member of the Sanhedrin; teacher; smart guy). Instead of listing a bunch of details regarding the dialogue between the two, I’ll simply post the text itself…or at least the part I want to focus on.
“You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
John 3:10-12 NIV84
I LOVE this. Here we have Nicodemus, a teacher of the Law, a dude that most likely was highly esteemed, well-educated, all-around smart guy, asking Jesus about regeneration…no, not like a starfish growing (regenerating) a new limb, but a person crossing over from death to life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. He asked, “What does it mean to be born again?” Jesus then carries on a bit, referencing flesh, talking about Spirit, making an analogy to wind…then BAM! He tells Nicodemus like it is.
I tell you the TRUTH.
We speak of what we KNOW.
We testify to what we have SEEN.
And in spite of this, you, me…we do not accept it or understand it. We deny the truth. Cynicism takes over and we laugh it off, make snide remarks, and go about business as usual. For whatever reason, we lean into our faulty logic and finite reasoning to decipher the mysteries of the Creator of the universe.
I’m glad I’m not alone in this. I’m comforted in knowing I have questions that may remain unanswered until the day I die and meet Jesus face to face (or remain slumbering in my earth suit until he calls me up…either way I don’t think I’ll know the difference) and have the chance to ask him myself.
Don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions. Don’t be afraid to ask question EVER! It’s not about WHAT you KNOW, it’s about WHO you LOVE!
What heavenly things ignite a flame of curiosity in you? What questions do you have?
Thursday, November 8, 2012
I Want to Help People...Right?
I want to help people.
I want to help people.
I SAY I want to help people.
I THINK I want to help people.
Do I want to help people?
Sometimes I’m not to sure. Sometime I doubt there’s any goodness in my heart, not discounting the presence of God’s Spirit dwelling inside me, but sometimes it seems like the selfish side of me is the dominant force flowing throughout my body…leaving little or no room for God to have His way in me.
For example, just this morning my beautiful wife misplaced her phone. She was nearing panic. She, like most of us (or some of you), have very busy workdays, schedules to keep, deadlines to meet, people to see, places to go, and the slightest delay or detour seems to shift the momentum of your ENTIRE day. That was her morning. Stressful, eh?
I looked at the clock. I had some margin. My son didn’t need to be at school JUST yet. So, I did what any good, well-intentioned husband would do…I’LL HELP! I’LL FIX THIS! I’LL COME TO THE RESCUE!
Right.
After 15 minutes I found myself growing resentful. I felt inconvenienced. The trajectory of MY day was now starting to shift. Why did I volunteer for this? Did I REALLY want to help you? My son is going to be late. Where is your phone? Seriously…where could it be?
Then…in an almost serene moment…amidst the chaos, as tensions were rising, just on the cusp of tears and breakdown, we spoke to each other, encouraged one another, inspired one another…
Can’t you just use that App?
Within 5 minutes my wife was driving away, phone in hand.
Within 5 minutes I was driving away, son fastened in his seat.
Within 5 minutes catastrophe was averted.
As I drove to my son’s school I didn’t feel good about myself, I didn’t feel like I had accomplished something, I didn’t feel like I had helped the situation, let alone a PERSON! Instead, I was frustrated at the thought of possibly, just possibly being late to my son’s school.
That’s when the question came to mind, “Do I want to help people?”
Do I REALLY want to help people? Or do I merely want to help people so long as it isn’t an INCONVENIENCE?
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40 NIV84
God doesn’t say love people if it fits into your schedule. Goes doesn’t say love people if you have time. God doesn’t say love people so long as they have an appointment. God doesn’t say love people when it’s planned.
God says love people.
God says love people as yourself.
God, help that to be me. I want to help people. Do you?
I want to help people.
I SAY I want to help people.
I THINK I want to help people.
Do I want to help people?
Sometimes I’m not to sure. Sometime I doubt there’s any goodness in my heart, not discounting the presence of God’s Spirit dwelling inside me, but sometimes it seems like the selfish side of me is the dominant force flowing throughout my body…leaving little or no room for God to have His way in me.
For example, just this morning my beautiful wife misplaced her phone. She was nearing panic. She, like most of us (or some of you), have very busy workdays, schedules to keep, deadlines to meet, people to see, places to go, and the slightest delay or detour seems to shift the momentum of your ENTIRE day. That was her morning. Stressful, eh?
I looked at the clock. I had some margin. My son didn’t need to be at school JUST yet. So, I did what any good, well-intentioned husband would do…I’LL HELP! I’LL FIX THIS! I’LL COME TO THE RESCUE!
Right.
After 15 minutes I found myself growing resentful. I felt inconvenienced. The trajectory of MY day was now starting to shift. Why did I volunteer for this? Did I REALLY want to help you? My son is going to be late. Where is your phone? Seriously…where could it be?
Then…in an almost serene moment…amidst the chaos, as tensions were rising, just on the cusp of tears and breakdown, we spoke to each other, encouraged one another, inspired one another…
Can’t you just use that App?
Within 5 minutes my wife was driving away, phone in hand.
Within 5 minutes I was driving away, son fastened in his seat.
Within 5 minutes catastrophe was averted.
As I drove to my son’s school I didn’t feel good about myself, I didn’t feel like I had accomplished something, I didn’t feel like I had helped the situation, let alone a PERSON! Instead, I was frustrated at the thought of possibly, just possibly being late to my son’s school.
That’s when the question came to mind, “Do I want to help people?”
Do I REALLY want to help people? Or do I merely want to help people so long as it isn’t an INCONVENIENCE?
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40 NIV84
God doesn’t say love people if it fits into your schedule. Goes doesn’t say love people if you have time. God doesn’t say love people so long as they have an appointment. God doesn’t say love people when it’s planned.
God says love people.
God says love people as yourself.
God, help that to be me. I want to help people. Do you?
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who’s celebrating recovery from pride and codependency; my name is Nick.
LAST WEEK:
What is GRATITUDE? What does it mean to give thanks? What does it look like to acknowledge all you have? Tracey (@traceybscott) did a FANTASTIC job of walking us through the creation of a GRATITUDE list this past week at Celebrate Recovery. It was a defining moment, not only for us a family, but for her as she shared her own struggles and victory over her present circumstances…CHOOSING gratitude over self-pity (if you missed it, you can listen to it here).
If that wasn’t enough…Friday’s Celebrate Recovery was followed-up with a weekend experience at New Life unlike any other! 4 services. 20 testimonies. It was AMAZING! I clapped. I cheered. I cried; in fact, I cried until my face hurt. It was emotionally exhausting, yet spiritually fulfilling. It was a GREAT reminder that HOPE and FREEDOM are ready, available, and REAL and they’re found in Jesus.
Have you started writing your testimony?
THIS WEEK:
It’s TESTIMONY night at CR this Friday (7p)! I LOVE testimonies! I LOVE being able to share in the stories, in the struggles, in the pains, and in the VICTORIES of other people! I LOVE seeing God at work in the lives of the people I consider family. This week Gerald will share his story of discovering God’s grace, finding FREEDOM from past hurts, as well as building BETTER relationships.
NEWS & UPDATES:
One of the coolest parts of this past Sunday at New Life was having the ability to set up an information table AND promote both Celebration Station and The Landing to the ENTIRE church. The response was INCREDIBE and I believe we’re going to be blessed with an AMAZING team for each program. AND, here’s the cool part, there’s still a spot available for you to help launch and lead these ministries!
If you’re interested, please email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org, call 304.262.6522, or sign-up this Friday at the Information Table.
What would have happened had you developed healthy coping skills as a child or teenager? You can make THAT difference in the lives of our kids and students!
Oh! Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 22. We’re going to open up the doors of New Life and host a Thanksgiving Dinner for the entire community! Would you like to help set up? Would you like to prepare a dish? Would you like to serve on the clean-up crew? Would you like to attend? I’m praying this building is FILLED with families from all around the community! Start getting the word out today!
STEP STUDIES:
The heart of the Celebrate Recovery program. It’s within the Step Studies that we move beyond the symptom and get to the root of the problem. For nearly half my life I struggled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography, but it wasn’t until I went through a Step Study that I was able to finally understand WHY. And once I understood WHY, I was able to figure out HOW to overcome each one! Groups are still OPEN. Let me say that again…groups are still OPEN! They meet every Tuesday night from 7-9p at New Life. These groups utilize the Participant’s Guides ($5 per book or $17 for the 4-pack) and the Celebrate Recovery Bible (optional).
THE END:
The holiday season is upon us! These next few months can be rather tricky. There’s the EXCITEMENT of giving, helping, and serving others! BUT, we often do it while neglecting ourselves. Make sure you’re setting time aside each and every day to pray, read the Bible, and connect with people you trust (Accountability Team). Get AROUND people and fight ISOLATION. Let’s make this the BEST holiday season yet! And let’s do it TOGETHER!
LAST WEEK:
What is GRATITUDE? What does it mean to give thanks? What does it look like to acknowledge all you have? Tracey (@traceybscott) did a FANTASTIC job of walking us through the creation of a GRATITUDE list this past week at Celebrate Recovery. It was a defining moment, not only for us a family, but for her as she shared her own struggles and victory over her present circumstances…CHOOSING gratitude over self-pity (if you missed it, you can listen to it here).
If that wasn’t enough…Friday’s Celebrate Recovery was followed-up with a weekend experience at New Life unlike any other! 4 services. 20 testimonies. It was AMAZING! I clapped. I cheered. I cried; in fact, I cried until my face hurt. It was emotionally exhausting, yet spiritually fulfilling. It was a GREAT reminder that HOPE and FREEDOM are ready, available, and REAL and they’re found in Jesus.
Have you started writing your testimony?
THIS WEEK:
It’s TESTIMONY night at CR this Friday (7p)! I LOVE testimonies! I LOVE being able to share in the stories, in the struggles, in the pains, and in the VICTORIES of other people! I LOVE seeing God at work in the lives of the people I consider family. This week Gerald will share his story of discovering God’s grace, finding FREEDOM from past hurts, as well as building BETTER relationships.
NEWS & UPDATES:
One of the coolest parts of this past Sunday at New Life was having the ability to set up an information table AND promote both Celebration Station and The Landing to the ENTIRE church. The response was INCREDIBE and I believe we’re going to be blessed with an AMAZING team for each program. AND, here’s the cool part, there’s still a spot available for you to help launch and lead these ministries!
If you’re interested, please email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org, call 304.262.6522, or sign-up this Friday at the Information Table.
What would have happened had you developed healthy coping skills as a child or teenager? You can make THAT difference in the lives of our kids and students!
Oh! Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 22. We’re going to open up the doors of New Life and host a Thanksgiving Dinner for the entire community! Would you like to help set up? Would you like to prepare a dish? Would you like to serve on the clean-up crew? Would you like to attend? I’m praying this building is FILLED with families from all around the community! Start getting the word out today!
STEP STUDIES:
The heart of the Celebrate Recovery program. It’s within the Step Studies that we move beyond the symptom and get to the root of the problem. For nearly half my life I struggled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography, but it wasn’t until I went through a Step Study that I was able to finally understand WHY. And once I understood WHY, I was able to figure out HOW to overcome each one! Groups are still OPEN. Let me say that again…groups are still OPEN! They meet every Tuesday night from 7-9p at New Life. These groups utilize the Participant’s Guides ($5 per book or $17 for the 4-pack) and the Celebrate Recovery Bible (optional).
THE END:
The holiday season is upon us! These next few months can be rather tricky. There’s the EXCITEMENT of giving, helping, and serving others! BUT, we often do it while neglecting ourselves. Make sure you’re setting time aside each and every day to pray, read the Bible, and connect with people you trust (Accountability Team). Get AROUND people and fight ISOLATION. Let’s make this the BEST holiday season yet! And let’s do it TOGETHER!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Set List 11.2/4.12
LESSON: GRATITUDE
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
All Because of Jesus—Fee
Cornerstone—Hillsong Live
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Came to My Rescue—Hillsong United
STAND-ALONE
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
With Us—Hillsong Live
Unending Love—Hillsong Live
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Love Like Fire—Hillsong Live
Nothing But the Blood—Jesus Culture
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
All Because of Jesus—Fee
Cornerstone—Hillsong Live
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Came to My Rescue—Hillsong United
STAND-ALONE
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
With Us—Hillsong Live
Unending Love—Hillsong Live
Forever Reign—Hillsong Live
Love Like Fire—Hillsong Live
Nothing But the Blood—Jesus Culture
Friday, November 2, 2012
3 Things I Want To Share With You
What’s up leaders? How would you define leadership? What IS leadership? What does it mean to LEAD? You may not know it yet, you may not consider yourself a leader, but I’m willing to bet you ARE. Leadership, in a nutshell, is influence. This means, if you have people or even a person (singular) that looks up to you or TO you in some way, you are a LEADER. Whether you want to be or not, you are a leader. The question is, “How will you manage your influence?”
The answer to that question will determine whether you’ll be a good leader or a not so desirable one.
Here’s are 3 things I’ve picked up along the way and try my best to implement whenever possible…
#1—Think the BEST in people. Regardless of what’s happening, in spite of the circumstances do NOT assume the people you’re leading are out to get you or trying to undermine you. This will put you in a defensive posture and EVERYTHING from that point forward will feel like an attack against you. Don’t go there. Don’t let it happen. Some people say it’s being “careful” or “wise” or having “discernment.” Sure, there’s room for that, but when you’re the one common denominator in an ocean of fragmented relationships…I’d say something’s up. Always, always think the best in people.
#2—Surround yourself with people you TRUST. This goes back to #1. If you don’t think the BEST in people, you’ll never TRUST people. And if you say you TRUST them then think the BEST in them. It’s a bit of a catch 22. If you don’t trust someone, you won’t ENTRUST them. That person will never reach their full potential under your leadership nor will you be able to tap into their potential because you’ll always keep them at arm’s reach, out where you can keep an eye on them. Surround yourself with people you trust and let them do their job, let them take ownership, give them permission to run with things. TRUST them to do their jobs so you can do yours.
#3—Do not BELITTLE your people. A leader that honestly cares for people, who loves the people more than the product, typically isn’t going to have to worry about this. On the other hand, the leader doesn’t, typically sees people as a means to an end. The leader who doesn’t CARE for people often USES people. This leader will often scold their people as if they were children…if I spank you in front of your friends, maybe you won’t do this again! This mentality will only lead to your people jumping ship. Think the BEST in people, TRUST them, CARE FOR them, and this won’t happen. Don’t treat people like dogs. Don’t treat people as a means. LOVE them. INVEST IN them.
I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to be a LEADER. God is showing me that I gotta love the WHO more than the WHAT. God is showing me that I gotta love PEOPLE more than PRODUCT.
Leader, how are you managing your INFLUENCE?
The answer to that question will determine whether you’ll be a good leader or a not so desirable one.
Here’s are 3 things I’ve picked up along the way and try my best to implement whenever possible…
#1—Think the BEST in people. Regardless of what’s happening, in spite of the circumstances do NOT assume the people you’re leading are out to get you or trying to undermine you. This will put you in a defensive posture and EVERYTHING from that point forward will feel like an attack against you. Don’t go there. Don’t let it happen. Some people say it’s being “careful” or “wise” or having “discernment.” Sure, there’s room for that, but when you’re the one common denominator in an ocean of fragmented relationships…I’d say something’s up. Always, always think the best in people.
#2—Surround yourself with people you TRUST. This goes back to #1. If you don’t think the BEST in people, you’ll never TRUST people. And if you say you TRUST them then think the BEST in them. It’s a bit of a catch 22. If you don’t trust someone, you won’t ENTRUST them. That person will never reach their full potential under your leadership nor will you be able to tap into their potential because you’ll always keep them at arm’s reach, out where you can keep an eye on them. Surround yourself with people you trust and let them do their job, let them take ownership, give them permission to run with things. TRUST them to do their jobs so you can do yours.
#3—Do not BELITTLE your people. A leader that honestly cares for people, who loves the people more than the product, typically isn’t going to have to worry about this. On the other hand, the leader doesn’t, typically sees people as a means to an end. The leader who doesn’t CARE for people often USES people. This leader will often scold their people as if they were children…if I spank you in front of your friends, maybe you won’t do this again! This mentality will only lead to your people jumping ship. Think the BEST in people, TRUST them, CARE FOR them, and this won’t happen. Don’t treat people like dogs. Don’t treat people as a means. LOVE them. INVEST IN them.
I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to be a LEADER. God is showing me that I gotta love the WHO more than the WHAT. God is showing me that I gotta love PEOPLE more than PRODUCT.
Leader, how are you managing your INFLUENCE?
Thursday, November 1, 2012
7 Principles from Principle 7
Celebrate Recovery's Principle 7 of states, “Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.”
That’s a LOADED statement! Let’s break it down…
#1 Reserve a daily time with God…setting time aside for God is just a good idea, it’s critical to maintaining any sense of progress in recovery. After a while it’s easy to get into a routine, to settle down, to grow complacent. We get comfortable in our sobriety, in our recovery, so comfortable in fact; we forget how it is we even got there…HIS help, HIS power, HIS grace. Are you setting time aside? Are you reserving a daily time with God?
#2 for self-examination…we PRAY for others, but we don’t try to fix them. The purpose of engaging God is a personal dialogue is to grow YOUR relationship, asking Him to reveal the things in YOU that need to change. Whether you’re talking to God or someone you trust, talking about other people is gossip. Trust me, it isn’t like God’s like, “Oh! Really? I didn’t know that about them!” How are you doing in this area?
#3 Bible reading…God’s word. That book is the easiest way to discover what God has to say to you right now, in this moment. It’s a tangible way of communicating with Him. He’s trying to guide you, lead you, direct you THROUGH His word. When was the last time you picked up your Bible with a desire to HEAR FROM Him?
#4 and prayer…God speaks through His word. You speak through prayer. Give Him thanks. Give Him praise. Give Him the good. Give Him the crap. Give Him your joy. Give Him your pain. Then stop. Pause. And listen. Listen for Him. Prayer is an intimate conversation between you and the Creator of the universe. He isn’t too busy to listen, are you too busy to speak?
#5 in order to know God…that should say it all. You want to know Him? Get in His word. Get in His face. How do you build a relationship? Proximity. Time. Communication. These are probably the 3 biggest components of a healthy, working relationship. How’s your relationship with God? Do you know Him?
#6 and His will for my life…we ALL have plans for our life. We ALL believe we know the BEST way to do something. We ALL think we know the RIGHT way. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. Chances are, you have too. How’d it work out? How far did you get? Me? I ended up in drug and alcohol addiction. I ended up choosing pornography over my wife (in other words, cheating on her, sorry guys gotta call it like it is). His ways are BETTER. His ways are GREATER. Want to know what He has in store for you? Set time aside for Him.
#7 and to gain the power to follow His will…here’s the real kicker; we CAN’T DO IT ALONE! He shows us His plan. He gives us direction. And we take off running, pumped, excited…problem is we left God behind. “Come on God! Catch up!” Recovery is about giving up our sense of control and allowing God to lead. Recovery is about running, no longer running AWAY FROM ourselves, but running in His footsteps. HE leads the way. Have you given up control?
That’s a LOADED statement! Let’s break it down…
#1 Reserve a daily time with God…setting time aside for God is just a good idea, it’s critical to maintaining any sense of progress in recovery. After a while it’s easy to get into a routine, to settle down, to grow complacent. We get comfortable in our sobriety, in our recovery, so comfortable in fact; we forget how it is we even got there…HIS help, HIS power, HIS grace. Are you setting time aside? Are you reserving a daily time with God?
#2 for self-examination…we PRAY for others, but we don’t try to fix them. The purpose of engaging God is a personal dialogue is to grow YOUR relationship, asking Him to reveal the things in YOU that need to change. Whether you’re talking to God or someone you trust, talking about other people is gossip. Trust me, it isn’t like God’s like, “Oh! Really? I didn’t know that about them!” How are you doing in this area?
#3 Bible reading…God’s word. That book is the easiest way to discover what God has to say to you right now, in this moment. It’s a tangible way of communicating with Him. He’s trying to guide you, lead you, direct you THROUGH His word. When was the last time you picked up your Bible with a desire to HEAR FROM Him?
#4 and prayer…God speaks through His word. You speak through prayer. Give Him thanks. Give Him praise. Give Him the good. Give Him the crap. Give Him your joy. Give Him your pain. Then stop. Pause. And listen. Listen for Him. Prayer is an intimate conversation between you and the Creator of the universe. He isn’t too busy to listen, are you too busy to speak?
#5 in order to know God…that should say it all. You want to know Him? Get in His word. Get in His face. How do you build a relationship? Proximity. Time. Communication. These are probably the 3 biggest components of a healthy, working relationship. How’s your relationship with God? Do you know Him?
#6 and His will for my life…we ALL have plans for our life. We ALL believe we know the BEST way to do something. We ALL think we know the RIGHT way. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. Chances are, you have too. How’d it work out? How far did you get? Me? I ended up in drug and alcohol addiction. I ended up choosing pornography over my wife (in other words, cheating on her, sorry guys gotta call it like it is). His ways are BETTER. His ways are GREATER. Want to know what He has in store for you? Set time aside for Him.
#7 and to gain the power to follow His will…here’s the real kicker; we CAN’T DO IT ALONE! He shows us His plan. He gives us direction. And we take off running, pumped, excited…problem is we left God behind. “Come on God! Catch up!” Recovery is about giving up our sense of control and allowing God to lead. Recovery is about running, no longer running AWAY FROM ourselves, but running in His footsteps. HE leads the way. Have you given up control?
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
What Difference Does Perspective Make?
This morning I was smacked in the face with a fistful of PERSPECTIVE.
Millions of dollars in damage spread across the east coast.
Thousands of people are without power.
Thousands of people are without their home.
Thousands of people have lost everything.
Some have died.
And this morning I woke up frustrated that I’ve been without an Internet connection for a little over 2 days.
Really?
God, help me centered my focus on You, giving thanks for all You’ve done, all You’ve given, all You’ve blessed me with. God, help restore HOPE to the people affected by Sandy. God, help us, Your church, be Your hands and feet. Amen.
How’s your GRATITUDE this morning?
How’s your PERSPECTIVE on life?
Need a change?
Millions of dollars in damage spread across the east coast.
Thousands of people are without power.
Thousands of people are without their home.
Thousands of people have lost everything.
Some have died.
And this morning I woke up frustrated that I’ve been without an Internet connection for a little over 2 days.
Really?
God, help me centered my focus on You, giving thanks for all You’ve done, all You’ve given, all You’ve blessed me with. God, help restore HOPE to the people affected by Sandy. God, help us, Your church, be Your hands and feet. Amen.
How’s your GRATITUDE this morning?
How’s your PERSPECTIVE on life?
Need a change?
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
A Letter to Celebrate Recovery
Hello, I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who’s celebrating recovery from pride and co-dependency, my name is Nick.
LAST WEEK:
Wow! Last week was intense! There was something stirring in the room, like a massive release of pain, anxiety, and fear. You could feel it during the worship and you could definitely feel it carry over through the testimony. Anne did a FANTASTIC job of sharing her story; trusting God and her family at Celebrate Recovery enough to get real, to get vulnerable. It takes a crazy amount of courage to do it, but how about the song at the end? Didn’t that just blow your mind? Whatever tears were held back during her sharing definitely found their way out during her song! You go girl! Keep GROWING! Keep SHINING! Moments like last week give true meaning to the phrase, “Glory to God.”
THIS WEEK:
This week we discuss GRATITUDE. And I must say this is the PERFECT lesson to teach after last week’s testimony and this week’s storm. We all have so much to be GRATEFUL for and until we start recognizing the LITTLE things, we’ll miss out on all the BIG things. Huh? I say that, because as long as we fail to give thanks for all the little things, the ordinary things, the things we take for granted, we’ll fail to get passed it and we’ll remain stuck. GRATITUDE is essential to our recovery. If we don’t learn to focus our attention on the GOOD, on the POSITIVE, our attitudes will be drastically affected.
Instead of seeing progress, we’ll see our past.
Instead of seeing what we have, we’ll see what we lack.
It never ends. Start your GRATITUDE list today in preparation for Friday night.
NEWS & UPDATES:
With November 1st just a few days away, we are now 2 months away from launching Celebration Station and The Landing. I’m SUPER EXCITED for these programs! FINALLY our kids and students will have an outlet to share their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. They’ll learn how to develop healthy coping mechanisms; hopefully eliminating the need for Celebrate Recovery as adults…well, you know what I mean. They’ll learn how develop open and honest relationships. They’ll learn how to trust one another and build healthy relationships. I can’t wait!
And guess what, we’re still in need of a few more leaders for both Celebration Station and The Landing. I’d LOVE to see each program launch with 10-12 leaders, a core team of people who are passionate about seeing our kids and our students find HOPE and HEALING. If you’re interested in receiving more information on either program or signing up to help lead, call 304.262.6522 or email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org
STEP STUDIES:
The heart of the Celebrate Recovery program. It’s within the Step Studies that we move beyond the symptom and get to the root of the problem. For nearly half my life I struggled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography, but it wasn’t until I went through a Step Study that I was able to finally understand WHY. And once I understood WHY, I was able to figure out HOW to overcome each one! Groups are still OPEN. Let me say that again…groups are still OPEN! They meet every Tuesday night from 7-9p at New Life. These groups utilize the Participant’s Guides ($5 per book or $17 for the 4-pack) and the Celebrate Recovery Bible (optional).
THE END:
Celebrate Recovery is where I learned who I REALLY am. Celebrate Recover is where I learned what it means to be a husband, a father, and a friend. Celebrate Recovery has been the GREATEST resource available to learn what it means to start a relationship with Jesus and then FOLLOW Him. Celebrate Recovery isn’t for THOSE people, it’s for you. I CAN’T WAIT to see you this Friday…CR BBQ at 6p; Large Group at 7p; Open-Share Discussion Groups at 8p; Crosstalk Café at 9p.
LAST WEEK:
Wow! Last week was intense! There was something stirring in the room, like a massive release of pain, anxiety, and fear. You could feel it during the worship and you could definitely feel it carry over through the testimony. Anne did a FANTASTIC job of sharing her story; trusting God and her family at Celebrate Recovery enough to get real, to get vulnerable. It takes a crazy amount of courage to do it, but how about the song at the end? Didn’t that just blow your mind? Whatever tears were held back during her sharing definitely found their way out during her song! You go girl! Keep GROWING! Keep SHINING! Moments like last week give true meaning to the phrase, “Glory to God.”
THIS WEEK:
This week we discuss GRATITUDE. And I must say this is the PERFECT lesson to teach after last week’s testimony and this week’s storm. We all have so much to be GRATEFUL for and until we start recognizing the LITTLE things, we’ll miss out on all the BIG things. Huh? I say that, because as long as we fail to give thanks for all the little things, the ordinary things, the things we take for granted, we’ll fail to get passed it and we’ll remain stuck. GRATITUDE is essential to our recovery. If we don’t learn to focus our attention on the GOOD, on the POSITIVE, our attitudes will be drastically affected.
Instead of seeing progress, we’ll see our past.
Instead of seeing what we have, we’ll see what we lack.
It never ends. Start your GRATITUDE list today in preparation for Friday night.
NEWS & UPDATES:
With November 1st just a few days away, we are now 2 months away from launching Celebration Station and The Landing. I’m SUPER EXCITED for these programs! FINALLY our kids and students will have an outlet to share their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. They’ll learn how to develop healthy coping mechanisms; hopefully eliminating the need for Celebrate Recovery as adults…well, you know what I mean. They’ll learn how develop open and honest relationships. They’ll learn how to trust one another and build healthy relationships. I can’t wait!
And guess what, we’re still in need of a few more leaders for both Celebration Station and The Landing. I’d LOVE to see each program launch with 10-12 leaders, a core team of people who are passionate about seeing our kids and our students find HOPE and HEALING. If you’re interested in receiving more information on either program or signing up to help lead, call 304.262.6522 or email celebraterecovery@nlccwv.org
STEP STUDIES:
The heart of the Celebrate Recovery program. It’s within the Step Studies that we move beyond the symptom and get to the root of the problem. For nearly half my life I struggled with drugs, alcohol, and pornography, but it wasn’t until I went through a Step Study that I was able to finally understand WHY. And once I understood WHY, I was able to figure out HOW to overcome each one! Groups are still OPEN. Let me say that again…groups are still OPEN! They meet every Tuesday night from 7-9p at New Life. These groups utilize the Participant’s Guides ($5 per book or $17 for the 4-pack) and the Celebrate Recovery Bible (optional).
THE END:
Celebrate Recovery is where I learned who I REALLY am. Celebrate Recover is where I learned what it means to be a husband, a father, and a friend. Celebrate Recovery has been the GREATEST resource available to learn what it means to start a relationship with Jesus and then FOLLOW Him. Celebrate Recovery isn’t for THOSE people, it’s for you. I CAN’T WAIT to see you this Friday…CR BBQ at 6p; Large Group at 7p; Open-Share Discussion Groups at 8p; Crosstalk Café at 9p.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Set List 10.26/28.12
TESTIMONY
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Sing Sing Sing – Chris Tomlin
Open the Eyes Of My Heart – Sonicflood
You Are So Good To Me – Third Day
How He Loves – David Crowder*Band
STAND-ALONE
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Dry Bones – Gungor
Beautiful Things – Gungor
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship
Nothing But The Blood – Jesus Culture
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Sing Sing Sing – Chris Tomlin
Open the Eyes Of My Heart – Sonicflood
You Are So Good To Me – Third Day
How He Loves – David Crowder*Band
STAND-ALONE
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Dry Bones – Gungor
Beautiful Things – Gungor
Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship
Nothing But The Blood – Jesus Culture
Friday, October 26, 2012
Do Miracles Exist Today?
We’ve all hurt someone.
We’ve all been hurt by someone or something.
We’re all in need of recovery from SOMETHING!
What’s your thing?
What was it?
What happened?
What have you yet to let go of?
What still haunts you from your past?
Could it be a who?
What did they say?
What did they do?
Recovery isn’t about drugs and alcohol, sure, it INCLUDES it, but there’s SO MUCH MORE!
I would like to suggest to you, that if everyone you know, everyone you see, everyone you call family, everyone you call friend, everyone you call coworker…EVERYONE, went through 1 year of Celebrate Recovery, actively pursuing the 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles, engaging others in a Step Study, writing and sharing a testimony… truly working the program, we’d experience a WAVE of HEALING like we’ve never seen before.
Don’t believe in miracles? Attend Celebrate Recovery.
We’ve all been hurt by someone or something.
We’re all in need of recovery from SOMETHING!
What’s your thing?
What was it?
What happened?
What have you yet to let go of?
What still haunts you from your past?
Could it be a who?
What did they say?
What did they do?
Recovery isn’t about drugs and alcohol, sure, it INCLUDES it, but there’s SO MUCH MORE!
I would like to suggest to you, that if everyone you know, everyone you see, everyone you call family, everyone you call friend, everyone you call coworker…EVERYONE, went through 1 year of Celebrate Recovery, actively pursuing the 12 Steps and 8 Recovery Principles, engaging others in a Step Study, writing and sharing a testimony… truly working the program, we’d experience a WAVE of HEALING like we’ve never seen before.
Don’t believe in miracles? Attend Celebrate Recovery.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Sometimes It's Best To Just Ignore
Man, I think I need to drive more often. It seems God speaks to me a lot while driving. I think it’s because He finally has me seated in one place, unable to move, lacking the ability to get up and run…and, seeing the opportunity, He takes it. It’s one of the only times during my day when my mind isn’t running in a million different directions and my body isn’t rushing from one thing to the next; so I think it’s during these moments that I’m able to HEAR Him because I’m not completely distracted by life. I need to drive more…either that or allow myself to settle down a bit more.
Anyways, as I was driving this morning I started to notice all the people looking down while driving. Let’s face it; you can’t hide this. When you’re driving, when your vehicle is coming towards me and your eyes aren’t looking in the same direction as your vehicle…you can’t hide that.
I shrugged off the first person. Who knows? Maybe he dropped something. Maybe there’s a lit cigarette rolling somewhere around his feet or legs. Maybe he was looking for a place to get rid of whatever he pulled out of his nose. I don’t know. My brain is weird. I thought of a lot more scenarios, but I think you get the picture. But, then there was another driver…and another…and another, until it seemed like 1 out of every 5 people were looking down. THEY CAN’T ALL BE PICKING THEIR NOSES! I thought (Yes, I screamed it out, in my head, hence the caps). Really?
What can possibly be so urgent that we gotta take our eyes off the road, off the cars around us, off the people around us, simply to look at a phone? What is so urgent that it CAN’T wait?
Right as I was on the cusp of judging them, I really felt God tell me, “I know a GREATER urgency.” BAM! Just like that. He flipped my perspective. As I’m about to point a finger, He shows me a mirror.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV
There’s a GREATER urgency. Those of us who call ourselves “followers of Christ” have a hope unlike any other. It’s the hope of a BETTER tomorrow. It’s the hope of CHANGE. It’s the hope of FULLNESS. It’s the hope of BLESSINGS. It’s the hope of FREEDOM. It’s the hope of ETERNITY. This world is full of people WHO DO NOT KNOW THIS HOPE! That’s the urgency! That’s REAL urgency!
Put your phone down. Put it away. Talk to the person sitting next to you. Take a trip to that one person you know you’re supposed to reach out to. Keep your eyes on the road. Pay attention. Hope is better communicated through what God’s doing in your life than you losing your life.
He knows a GREATER urgency.
Anyways, as I was driving this morning I started to notice all the people looking down while driving. Let’s face it; you can’t hide this. When you’re driving, when your vehicle is coming towards me and your eyes aren’t looking in the same direction as your vehicle…you can’t hide that.
I shrugged off the first person. Who knows? Maybe he dropped something. Maybe there’s a lit cigarette rolling somewhere around his feet or legs. Maybe he was looking for a place to get rid of whatever he pulled out of his nose. I don’t know. My brain is weird. I thought of a lot more scenarios, but I think you get the picture. But, then there was another driver…and another…and another, until it seemed like 1 out of every 5 people were looking down. THEY CAN’T ALL BE PICKING THEIR NOSES! I thought (Yes, I screamed it out, in my head, hence the caps). Really?
What can possibly be so urgent that we gotta take our eyes off the road, off the cars around us, off the people around us, simply to look at a phone? What is so urgent that it CAN’T wait?
Right as I was on the cusp of judging them, I really felt God tell me, “I know a GREATER urgency.” BAM! Just like that. He flipped my perspective. As I’m about to point a finger, He shows me a mirror.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV
There’s a GREATER urgency. Those of us who call ourselves “followers of Christ” have a hope unlike any other. It’s the hope of a BETTER tomorrow. It’s the hope of CHANGE. It’s the hope of FULLNESS. It’s the hope of BLESSINGS. It’s the hope of FREEDOM. It’s the hope of ETERNITY. This world is full of people WHO DO NOT KNOW THIS HOPE! That’s the urgency! That’s REAL urgency!
Put your phone down. Put it away. Talk to the person sitting next to you. Take a trip to that one person you know you’re supposed to reach out to. Keep your eyes on the road. Pay attention. Hope is better communicated through what God’s doing in your life than you losing your life.
He knows a GREATER urgency.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Set List 10.19/21.12
STAND-ALONE: GENEROSITY LADDER
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Courageous—Casting Crowns
God is Able—Hillsong Live
Revelation Song—Kari Jobe
Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone—Chris Tomlin
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
One Thing Remains—Bethel Live
Alive In Us—Hillsong Live
I’m A Lover Of Your Presence—Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Celebrate Recovery: Fridays 7p
Courageous—Casting Crowns
God is Able—Hillsong Live
Revelation Song—Kari Jobe
Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone—Chris Tomlin
Weekend Experience: Sundays 8:15, 9:45, 11:15a, 12:45p
Your Love Never Fails—Jesus Culture
One Thing Remains—Bethel Live
Alive In Us—Hillsong Live
I’m A Lover Of Your Presence—Bryan & Katie Torwalt
Friday, October 19, 2012
There's More To Proximity Than Just Blowing Up
It’s all about PROXIMITY.
As a teenager I spent numerous hours, and by numerous I mean too many to count, playing one of the GREATEST games ever made…GoldenEye (Nintendo 64). The game was based on the movie…GoldenEye…a Bond movie. The movie was good; the game was AMAZING! I’d even be willing to suggest the game was inspired, but that’s another story altogether…let me get back to this idea, this concept of PROXIMITY.
In this game you ran around shooting people, blowing people up, shooting people, shooting people, and blowing people up…sounds good, eh? Well, one of the weapons available in the vast arsenal of the game were these little tiny explosive devices called PROXIMITY mines. I’d run around throwing them in odd places, hoping my buddy Nick Miller wouldn’t see them, and BOOM! Blow up.
For years, when I thought of PROXIMITY, I thought of blowing up, dying, losing, game over. And you woulda thought I applied this idea to the way I related to people. I kept people at a distant. I wouldn’t let people in. I didn’t trust them. I wouldn’t allow them to really get to know me (looking back, I’m not sure I even knew who I was).
I chose to isolate, separate, go my own way on my own, by myself. After all, I could TRUST myself. I wouldn’t let myself down. Right?
Wrong.
I’ve spent the last 3 years in the program known as Celebrate Recovery. It was here that I was introduced to the 12 Steps. I was introduced to the 8 Principles of Recovery. I was introduced to…well…myself! I’ve learned who I am. I’ve learned to step out of DENIAL, acknowledging my shortcomings, my faults, my struggles AND how to overcome them! And it’s in this program I’ve learned how to build healthy relationships.
I remember the first time I attended an Open-Share Small Group Discussion. I sat there bewildered by the honesty, the openness, the rawness of the sharing. Guys were talking about stuff that society says keep secret. Guys were sharing their struggles. These men were crying, allowing themselves to be vulnerable. It freakin’ blew my mind! Let me tell you something, once you share your “darkest” secrets with a group of people, you discover what it means to TRUST someone and build true FRIENDSHIPS.
My perspective on PROXIMITY, at least as it pertains to PEOPLE, has completely changed. Here are just a few of the words I think of now when I hear the word PROXIMITY:
Closeness.
Togetherness.
Community.
Partnership.
Family.
Friendship.
Accountability.
Nearness.
We NEED each other. We cannot do life alone. We definitely cannot do recovery alone.
As a teenager I spent numerous hours, and by numerous I mean too many to count, playing one of the GREATEST games ever made…GoldenEye (Nintendo 64). The game was based on the movie…GoldenEye…a Bond movie. The movie was good; the game was AMAZING! I’d even be willing to suggest the game was inspired, but that’s another story altogether…let me get back to this idea, this concept of PROXIMITY.
In this game you ran around shooting people, blowing people up, shooting people, shooting people, and blowing people up…sounds good, eh? Well, one of the weapons available in the vast arsenal of the game were these little tiny explosive devices called PROXIMITY mines. I’d run around throwing them in odd places, hoping my buddy Nick Miller wouldn’t see them, and BOOM! Blow up.
For years, when I thought of PROXIMITY, I thought of blowing up, dying, losing, game over. And you woulda thought I applied this idea to the way I related to people. I kept people at a distant. I wouldn’t let people in. I didn’t trust them. I wouldn’t allow them to really get to know me (looking back, I’m not sure I even knew who I was).
I chose to isolate, separate, go my own way on my own, by myself. After all, I could TRUST myself. I wouldn’t let myself down. Right?
Wrong.
I’ve spent the last 3 years in the program known as Celebrate Recovery. It was here that I was introduced to the 12 Steps. I was introduced to the 8 Principles of Recovery. I was introduced to…well…myself! I’ve learned who I am. I’ve learned to step out of DENIAL, acknowledging my shortcomings, my faults, my struggles AND how to overcome them! And it’s in this program I’ve learned how to build healthy relationships.
I remember the first time I attended an Open-Share Small Group Discussion. I sat there bewildered by the honesty, the openness, the rawness of the sharing. Guys were talking about stuff that society says keep secret. Guys were sharing their struggles. These men were crying, allowing themselves to be vulnerable. It freakin’ blew my mind! Let me tell you something, once you share your “darkest” secrets with a group of people, you discover what it means to TRUST someone and build true FRIENDSHIPS.
My perspective on PROXIMITY, at least as it pertains to PEOPLE, has completely changed. Here are just a few of the words I think of now when I hear the word PROXIMITY:
Closeness.
Togetherness.
Community.
Partnership.
Family.
Friendship.
Accountability.
Nearness.
We NEED each other. We cannot do life alone. We definitely cannot do recovery alone.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Excuse Me; I Don’t Mean To _________, But…
Excuse me; I don’t mean to _________, but…
LIAR!
Why do we say things like this? Why do we do things like this? Have you ever said this? Heard this? Hold on…let’s try a few more and see if it jogs your memory.
Excuse me; I don’t mean to INTERRUPT, but…
Yes you do! If you didn’t want to INTERRUPT, you wouldn’t have!
Excuse me; I don’t mean to GOSSIP, but…
Right. Sure. Does this one even need explanation? I don’t mean to GOSSIP, I just want to talk about someone behind their back, sharing THEIR story, not mine. I don’t want to GOSSIP; I just want to keep you informed about what’s going on…that’s all…
Excuse me; I don’t mean to PRY, but…
Uh-huh. You don’t mean to PRY? Then why are you asking? Are you asking because you care and want to help or because you’d like to control the situation or because you find amusement and some twisted sense of satisfaction in someone else’s struggles?
Excuse me; I don’t mean to JUDGE, but…
…I’m going to!
Excuse me; I don’t mean to be a JERK, but…
This one cracks me up! You know what you’re about to say is the opposite of nice, in fact, you know it’s going to hurt someone’s feelings (and not in a good way), but you’re going to say it anyways! JERK! Own it! You’re a JERK! If you weren’t you’d keep your mouth shut.
Why do we do it? Why can’t we just be HONEST? Why can’t we just say things as they are? People laugh when I say, “Excuse me; I mean to interrupt…” They laugh, but I seriously mean to invade your conversation. Honest wins and if we can’t be honest with the small things, the insignificant things, how can we EVER learn to be honest and real with the big things?
Start with the small. Work towards the big.
LIAR!
Why do we say things like this? Why do we do things like this? Have you ever said this? Heard this? Hold on…let’s try a few more and see if it jogs your memory.
Excuse me; I don’t mean to INTERRUPT, but…
Yes you do! If you didn’t want to INTERRUPT, you wouldn’t have!
Excuse me; I don’t mean to GOSSIP, but…
Right. Sure. Does this one even need explanation? I don’t mean to GOSSIP, I just want to talk about someone behind their back, sharing THEIR story, not mine. I don’t want to GOSSIP; I just want to keep you informed about what’s going on…that’s all…
Excuse me; I don’t mean to PRY, but…
Uh-huh. You don’t mean to PRY? Then why are you asking? Are you asking because you care and want to help or because you’d like to control the situation or because you find amusement and some twisted sense of satisfaction in someone else’s struggles?
Excuse me; I don’t mean to JUDGE, but…
…I’m going to!
Excuse me; I don’t mean to be a JERK, but…
This one cracks me up! You know what you’re about to say is the opposite of nice, in fact, you know it’s going to hurt someone’s feelings (and not in a good way), but you’re going to say it anyways! JERK! Own it! You’re a JERK! If you weren’t you’d keep your mouth shut.
Why do we do it? Why can’t we just be HONEST? Why can’t we just say things as they are? People laugh when I say, “Excuse me; I mean to interrupt…” They laugh, but I seriously mean to invade your conversation. Honest wins and if we can’t be honest with the small things, the insignificant things, how can we EVER learn to be honest and real with the big things?
Start with the small. Work towards the big.
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