A Letter to New Life Community Church

What’s up New Life? Here are 7 things I want to share with you…

#1—WAKE UP! This week Pastor Jim taught from Matthew 5:14-15, challenging us to BE the light that Jesus speaks of, to be that city on a hill. I don’t know about you, but this does NOT describe me, at least not all the time. I WANT to shine, but typically choose to hide. I WANT to share hope, but typically choose silence. What about you? What are you doing? I tell you what, I want nothing more than to see our church own the realness of God’s presence, his forgiveness, his saving grace, and make a difference in this community. As Pastor Jim said, we need to WAKE UP! We need to get out of this spiritual slumber, this laziness, this complacency. It’s time to stop hitting the snooze button and just get up. Get in his word. Start praying. Get in a Life Group. Share the Good News of Jesus Christ with family, friends, and neighbors. It’s time to stop WAITING for change to happen and start MAKING some changes!

#2—Were you at Celebrate Recovery this past week? Wow! Angie did a FANTASTIC job teaching Lesson 15: VICTORY! Standing up in front of 60 people is one way to overcome your fear and anxiety of public speaking! You did it! You owned it! And you did a GREAT job! I was PUMPED! I was ready to voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life (yes, that’s Principle 5). Recovery isn’t about going through the motions. Recovery isn’t about maintaining or sustaining minimal growth. Recovery isn’t about racing to the end. Recovery is the process of overcoming ALL your hurts, habits, and hang-ups. Recovery is the process of changing from the inside out as you go through life one day at a time. Recovery is CHOOSING to change! Read Romans 12:1-2 and ask God what that means in your life TODAY!

#3—One of the many resources we offer at New Life, especially for those who are unable to attend a particular weekend worship experience, First Wednesday, or Celebrate Recovery, is the church’s audio podcast. You can access this tool in a few different places.
1. Our website
2. Our App
3. iTunes
If you’ve never taken the time to check these out, I want to encourage you to do so! Share them with your family, your friends.

#4—This Friday at Celebrate Recovery is TESTIMONY night! Our girl, Zena, will be sharing a story of hope, grace, mercy, and love…HER story, HER freedom, HER joy! Be praying for her. Encourage her. And come out and support her this Friday at 7p. I’m anticipating God will set some people free from their hurts, habits, and hang-ups when they hear her story of overcoming past hurts to find a BETTER life in the present!

#5—Talk about life change! This Saturday, New Life hosts our second Play Group of the Summer as we head out to Harpers Ferry! Pack a lunch! Pack a towel! Pack some sunscreen! OH! And pack a mosquito net because I’m sure the gnats will be out and looking for some eyes, ears, and mouths to invade (did I just reveal my disgust for insects?). Here’s the EXCITING part: we’re going to be baptizing people! I’m praying for 20-30 people to step up and step OUT in faith, in obedience and follow Jesus! As a matter of fact, I’m praying God stirs the hearts of passersby to be baptized as well! God is so good!

#6—My wife, Tracey, and I leave this Saturday for wonderful, beautiful California. We’ll be attending the 2012 Celebrate Recovery Summit and I’m freakin’ EXCITED! I’m excited to see all the different people, representing all the different states, representing all the opportunities for people to find FREEDOM from their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I’m believing God will use this time to give us wisdom, to give us new ideas, to refresh us, to give us a new perspective…to WORK in our lives while we’re away! I think it would be AMAZING if we were able to take 10 people next year (that means start saving NOW!).

#7—New Life, I’m believing this year will be the GREATEST year of spiritual growth for our church! I’m believing we’ll see more decisions for Christ and more baptisms than ever before! Keep reading your Bible. Keep praying. Keep growing. Keep the relationship you have with God through his son, Jesus, FRESH! Remember, he makes all things NEW, so don’t grow STALE! I LOVE YOU!

Tryin' to be That Light

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Matthew 5:14-15 NIV84

What is my purpose?
What is my role?
What should I do?
What should I say?
Who should I be?
Am I who I’m supposed to be?
Am I that light?

I left church yesterday questioning my purpose and if I’m doing everything I can do to fulfill that purpose. I left church yesterday asking myself if we, as a church, as doing everything we can do to fulfill our purpose, our vision.

Are we a light to SHOW others the way?
Are we a light to attract others TO the way?
Could it be both?

I think of lighting a path in the dark with a flashlight. Darkness surrounds you, yet with the help of a tiny little light you can see your way around. You don’t trip. You don’t fall. You can see the obstacles that lie before you.

I think of my porch light. I’m torn. I want it on so I have a bit of light to unlock the door, BUT, at the same time, I don’t want it on because it attracts every freakin’ bug in five mile radius. Here, the light serves two purposes…the same two purposes I believe we, as the church, as followers of Christ, are to serve as well.

#1—Show’em the Way. Just like the porch light provides just enough light to see where I need to put my key, we should be providing enough light for the world to see through all the darkness. The porch light isn’t complaining about being on. The porch light isn’t trying to fix the situation. The porch light merely provides enough light to SEE. That’s us. We need to be providing enough light for the lost, the hopeless, the broken, the downtrodden…those living outside of a relationship with Jesus…enough light for them to see the way. Our role is to share the HOPE found in the saving grace of Jesus Christ and then let God do what only he can do. We can’t open the door for them; we can only show them that the door exists.

#2—Live in the Way. Here’s the tough part. Here’s where so many of us fall short (me included). We need to start living like we believe God’s word is true. We need to start living like we believe God’s alive within us, moving through us, around us. We need to own the idea of SURRENDER and allow God to have his way in us. When your friends start to see you living in FREEDOM, when your family members see your life changing for the BETTER…people can’t help but want the same thing! Relinquish control and get out of God’s way! Let him be the LORD God of your life. Let take his rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords. Remember he has plans to prosper you, to bless you…he has something FOR you, he doesn’t want something FROM you. Step into the JOY offered through presence of his Holy Spirit and be the light that attracts everyone around you.

CenterPointe, I’m believing THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Friday Night At Celebrate Recovery

I don’t believe there’s another day of the week I look forward to quite as much as Friday. Most people I know think of Friday and CHEER because it ushers in the weekend, a time of rest, a time to relax, a time to let loose and enjoy family and friends. I love Fridays for an entirely different reason…

Celebrate Recovery!

I think those words should be like size 225 font, bold, underlined, shining, glowing, animated…SOMETHING that makes them pop out! It’s EXCITING! I LOVE Friday nights, LOVE Celebrate Recovery; because I’ve experienced the life change offered through the program, I’ve experienced the hope, the grace, the mercy, the forgiveness, the FREEDOM!

This may be news to you, but we ALL have mess in our lives. We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all been hurt or hurt someone else. I’m not making this up. If you don’t want to take my word for it, read His (Romans 3:23). And it’s because of this mess that we ALL need recovery from SOMETHING…a hurt, a habit, a hang-up. Recovery isn’t about overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, recovery is about OVERCOMING. That’s it. The end. Period.

Recovery is about OVERCOMING.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT

God looks through the mess, through the hurt, through the habit, through the hang-up, and he looks straight into the HEART! He sees what CAN be, what SHOULD be, what WILL be, if only we, I, you, will willing submit to EVERY change he wants to make in your life. He will make you NEW!

Are you READY?

That’s the question.

Are you READY?

I hope so. I pray so. My heart beats with the anticipation of witnessing this community changed FOREVER; set FREE from the bondage of sin and the prison of past hurts.

Come out tonight to Celebrate Recovery and learn what it means to no longer cower as the VICTIM, but stand VICTORIOUS!

What Are Your Priorities?

Priority check…

#1—Am I getting in God’s word? When was the last time I opened my Bible?

#2—Am I getting in God’s face? When was the last time I prayed?

#3—Am I present? Does my family know me?

#4—Am I more worried about yesterday than I am excited for today? Who am I trusting, who am I relying upon?

#5—Am I speaking up? When was the last time I shared what God has done and is doing in my life with a family member, friend, co-worker, complete stranger?

What are your priorities?

What Are You Doing To Have Fun?

What are you doing to have FUN?
What gives you ENJOYMENT?
Do you LAUGH?

Rejoice always,
1 Thessalonian 5:16

This verse is merely a part of a sentence, but I believe it could end with a period instead of a comma. It could be THE statement all by itself. Rejoice always. Rejoice always. I like that.

It’s too easy to become overwhelmed with all of life’s up and downs, stresses, hurts, tragedies, failures. It’s too easy to give up. It’s too easy to walk away. It’s too easy to shut down. It’s too easy to shut out. It’s too easy to mistrust.

Rejoice always.

What are you doing to ENJOY life? What are you doing to have FUN? I believe most people wait too long, allow the stress to build too high, before finally realizing, “I need a vacation.” What would happen if we didn’t wait, if we didn’t allow ourselves to become overwhelmed, but took simple daily steps towards SANITY?

What would happen if we…

Ate well?
Rested?
Exercised?
Played outside with the kids?
Hung out with the neighbor?
Got up?
Got out?
Got involved?

Rejoice always.

What are you waiting for? If you’re looking to FEEL better, don’t wait until tomorrow or next week…you have RIGHT NOW! What needs to change? What do you need to let go? What do you need to start doing? Who do you need to call?

Church, having FUN is essential to a healthy lifestyle (spiritual, emotional, physical, mental). Let’s learn to ENJOY one moment at a time.

A Letter to New Life Community Church

Hello New Life! Here are 6 things I want to share with you…

#1—If you missed Pastor Gary’s message this Sunday…WOW! Good thing is, you can listen to it here (in case you missed it). He was raw. He was real. He shared from his heart. He shared his own personal struggles. THAT’S called being a pastor. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s not about having it all together. It’s about connecting. It’s about being honest. It’s about being transparent. I was encouraged…I was MORE than encouraged! So many of us struggle with doing the things we DON’T WANT to do and not doing the things we WANT to do. I hear it. I see it. I DO IT!! My prayer is that each and every person who walks through the doors of New Life would find the courage to ACKNOWLEDGE their struggles, to BELIEVE Jesus can change you, and to CONFESS to someone they trust. It’s in this process you will find HEALING (James 5:16). It’s in this process you will find FREEDOM (John 8:31-32)!

#2—For those of you who wonder “What the heck is Celebrate Recovery?” or “Celebrate Recovery is for THOSE people” this past weekend, Pastor Gary shared what could be deemed a Celebrate Recovery message. A message of HOPE. A message of OVERCOMING. A message of FREEDOM. Is Celebrate Recovery for THOSE people? Yes, that is, if THOSE represents EVERYONE. We’ve ALL been hurt by someone or hurt someone. So, if chasing after a BETTER life is something you’re interested in, if growing in your relationship with Jesus is something you’re interested in, if learning to live an open and honest life is something you’re interested in…Celebrate Recovery is for you.

#3—Redneck Olympics? Huh? Yup. It’s happening. It’s for real. Our teens are going to have a freakin’ BLAST as Billy Hestand leads the way towards…a gold medal…a Wal-Mart gift card…a Camaro???? I don’t know. All I know is that it’s going to be a FUN time! So, if you like to just get stupid and have a great time, come on out and join us this Friday from 9a-12p at New Life. If anything, join us in support of our students. They are the next generation. They are the HOPE of tomorrow, the HOPE of today!

#4—This Friday night (7p) at Celebrate Recovery we’ll be covering Lesson 15: VICTORY! That just sounds good…VICTORY! It’s offered to us all. It’s available to us all. In Christ we have the opportunity to STAND VICTORIOUS! I’m excited to announce that we’ll be hearing from one of our Open Share Group Leaders as she steps out and teaches for the FIRST time! I LOVE watching, helping, coaching people step out and be challenged! Here’s why I’m excited…her ability to stand up on that stage and teach is a TESTIMONY of God’s work in her life!!! She’s found a strength, a courage that she never knew! Will you be next? See you on Friday.

#5—Water slides? Food? Fun? Yes to all of these above! I’m talking about the LifeKids Wet-n-Wild Kids Day at New Life this Saturday from 8:30a-12p. In the 80s it was said that girls wanna have fun, but this weekend we prove that KIDS WANNA HAVE FUN! So grab a towel, grab some sun screen and head over to New Life for a few hours to running around, laughing, getting water up your nose, and eating snacks! Hope to see you here!

#6—I LOVE MY CHURCH!!!

What Will You Choose?

Good morning New Life! Wow! I’m anticipating a movement, a revival, a spiritual awakening to sweep over and through our church like never before! Meeting people, sharing passion, listening to struggles, celebrating victories, just being relational…our people WANT to be more like Jesus, WANT to know God. That’s EXCITING! If our entire church were to become consumed with an overwhelming desire to grow, who knows what we could do!

Pastor Gary’s message yesterday was right on time. I believe each and every one of us at New Life is searching for something, looking for that one thing, the cure, the remedy, the solution to our hurts, habits, and hang-ups. We, hold on, I think it’ll be better stated like this, I struggle with doing what I know I shouldn’t and not doing what I should. I like comfort. I like safety. I choose complacency over contribution. Let me explain.

I believe each and every one of us put on this earth has a God given purpose to change the world, to make a difference. I believe each and every one of us has a part in His plan, His plan to save the world, to restore hope to the hopeless. To do this we must learn to rely on His strength, His glory, His power. To do this we must learn to trust Him. To do this we must be willing to accept ANY and ALL changes He wants to make in our lives. This is where most of us quit, walk away, press pause. We choose complacency.

I’m tired of complacency. I want to make a CONTRIBUTION. I want to make a difference. I want to be sold out, wholly surrendered. But it takes work. It takes effort. It requires a willingness to change, to grow, to do the things I don’t want to do. I’ve gotta be willing to let go of my hurts, my pain, my struggles and turn them over to the care and control of Jesus. I can’t hold on to my junk anymore. I need to forgive. I need to give grace. I need to love.

So, where are you? Are you resting in complacency? Are you waiting for something to happen? Are you waiting to be asked? Are you stuck in the past? Have you settled for just getting by?

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32 NIV

If we HOLD to his teaching, we are his disciples.
If we KNOW the truth, we’ll be set free.

What’ll it be?
What’s he waiting for you to hand over?
What’s he asking you to do?
Will you trust him?
Will you listen?
Will you do it?

What Does It Mean To Surrender?

If you hadn’t already heard, Hillsong Live released another stellar live album last week or the week before, I don’t remember, but it’s freakin’ AWESOME! There’s one song in particular (I Surrender) that’s been really working on me. I know, I’m somehow less spiritual because I’m not referencing a verse of Scripture, a red letter verse, and talking about how it gave me new understanding and changed my life…no…I’m talking about a song.

Here are the lyrics that have absolutely blown my mind:

Like a rushing wind, Jesus breathe within
Lord, have Your way. Lord, have Your way in me.
Like a mighty storm, stir within my soul
Lord, have Your way. Lord, have Your way in me.

When I first heard this song I had one of those stop in your tracks kinda moments. It was as if time froze, at least for an instant, and I asked myself…“When was the last time I offered myself up for the Lord to have his way in me?”

Even now, as I sit here writing this, meditating on it, contemplating the implications of that word SURRENDER. I mean, that’s what it is. To offer myself up, my heart, my mind, my body, my EVERYTHING…that’s surrender. I may have moments when I’m overwhelmed by reckless passion, engrossed by God’s presence, when I believe with all my heart that I WANT him to have his way in my life, that I WANT to surrender, but it’s fleeting, it’s here and gone.

How can we fight this?
How can we stay in that place?
How do we give up OUR life and replace it with HIS?

I don’t want a moment, I want FOREVER!

Here are some things, some tasks, some habits, some exercises that I believe will help you, help me, help all of us in our relationship with God.

#1—Get in His word. Set time aside each day to read what he has to say. Psalm 119:105

#2—Get in His face. Do you pray? Do you speak with him? Do you stop to listen? Start a habit of prayer. Colossians 4:2

#3—Get on His path. Have you ever asked him for guidance? Have you ever asked him to actually be the LEADER of your life? This is an EVERY DAY decision, not just a Sunday refresher. Psalm 31:3

#4—Shut your mouth and start moving. Too many times God speaks and we say BUT or start negotiating, like we know a better way. Learn to shut up. Learn to listen. Learn to act on what he says. I’m telling you, it’ll radically change your life for the BETTER! Psalm 128:1

What Do You Mean, I'm Not In Control?

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10 NIV84

One of the biggest problems I’ve faced as a follower of Jesus is simply LETTING GO. I want control. I like control. I have difficulty trusting others (God included). I’m sure of my own ability, my own gifting, my own discipline and motivation to get the job done. Sound familiar? It’s this line of thinking that often gets me in trouble, frustrated, anxious, unsettled. Things don’t happen fast enough. Things don’t happen my way. Again…sound familiar?

This is NOT how God operates.

God simply says TRUST me. RELY ON him. LEAN INTO him. It sounds good, but my brain, my overly confident logic says, “No way.” I don’t want to wait for God’s timing because I don’t know when it is. I don’t want to follow God’s ways because it’s not my plan, my design. Duh!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8 NIV84

It’s no secret that his ways are not my ways, in fact he says it right there in the book of Isaiah. I mean, the Bible even says that his ways are good, perfect, flawless (Psalm 18:30). Why then do I fight it so much?

I believe this is a stumbling block for many people. Men. Women. Everyone. We aren’t raised to TRUST IN and RELY ON others. We’re raised to be self-reliant, do-it-yourself kinda people.

What would happen if today was the day you decided to FOLLOW God, whole-heartedly, no turning back, surrendering all, heart, soul, mind. What would happen? What would change?

This is what I know, if his ways are PERFECT and my ways are NOT, why wouldn’t I ask for help? This is why I LOVE Psalm 143:10 and in all its simplicity it just asks for help, for guidance…

God, teach me to do your will.
God, teach us to do your will.

A Letter to New Life Community Church

What’s up New Life? Here are five things I want to share with you…

#1—God is willing and God is able! Loved listening to our children hear a message, a lesson on TRUSTING God. I want our children, our kids, our students, our younger generation to receive the HOPE that I so desperately needed, but didn’t even know was available to me! There’s something about a child’s eyes lighting up with hope and amazement that fills me with joy. And this past weekend, learning about Jesus’ miracle when he fed the five thousand, my kids found hope in a God who can do GREAT and MIGHTY things! I want my kids to know a God who makes the impossible possible. BIG thanks to our LifeKids team for their time, their effort, and their passion for our kids!

#2—Are you READY? This was the question echoed throughout Friday night’s Celebrate Recovery. Are you READY? Am I READY? Life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. We stumble, we fall, we get back up and try again. It’s rough. It’s difficult. It’s worth it. Are you READY? In Principle 5 we make the decision to VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT TO EVERY CHANGE GOD WANTS TO MAKE IN OUR LIVES. That’s intense! That’s crazy! That’s what sets us free. Are you willing to take it to the next level? Are you willing to go beyond simply showing up? You say you WANT to be better, but are you willing to DO THE WORK? I’m believing God for a miracle, not just within our CR family, but this entire community! People are hurting everywhere, people feeling stuck, trapped…I’m praying for God to invade our communities and set his people free!

#3—With the launch of a new, bigger, better children’s ministry, LOTS of opportunities have surfaced to help, to lead, to serve! I want to see us become a church who loves the lost and encourages the kids! I want to see us become a church that is less focused on what we can GET from Sunday morning and more on what we can GIVE! Our church is full of men and women who passionately chase after Jesus and I just think it would be AWESOME if these same men and women were mentoring, apprenticing, and discipling our children! Is that you? Do you have what it takes? Are you willing to be goofy? Do you know how to have fun? I want to encourage you to sign up today and start serving this week! You can make a difference. I’m anticipating children’s ministry where our kids are dragging parents to church because it’s so stinkin’ AWESOME!

#4—Don’t forget! This Friday, at 7p, our Play Group will be gathering at Regal Cinemas to watch the movie Ice Age Continental Drift. This is an easy way to check out New Life, meet new people, and just have FUN! Let’s take over the theater!

If you have any questions about Life Groups, please visit our website and check out what groups are currently available.

#5—Remember, you might be going through the most difficult time in your life EVER, but you serve a sovereign God who is GREATER than your circumstance and he is ABLE to bring you through it! Our God will come through ALWAYS! I love you New Life!

Why Should I Help With the Kids?

I love kids.
I love their honesty.
I love their simplicity.
I love their insightfulness.
I love their observations.
I love their authenticity.
I love their ability to just have fun.

I get around kids and totally understand why Jesus wanted to be around them (Matthew 19:14). I get around kids and wonder why we adults aren’t more like them. Then I remember…most kids haven’t experienced years and years of disappointment, discouragement, and whatever other dis- word you can think of. They haven’t had the labels. They haven’t been told they won’t amount to anything. They haven’t been hurt. They just live.

Now, don’t get me wrong or jump to the conclusion that I believe all children are perfect or don’t experience pain, hurt, or suffering…as a victim of sexual abuse, I know differently. What I’m trying to say is kids model a level of authenticity that many, maybe most adults need to learn.

Adults work to buy a bigger, nicer car. Kids are happy to ride in the car.
Adults want a big yard to distance themselves from neighbors. Kids play in the yard and invite the neighbors.
Adults seek out the quiet to work. Kids seek out the adult to play.
Adults say, “I’m good!” Kids say, “You look tired.”

I believe that our children, our families are our GREATEST ministry, maybe our ONLY ministry. I’ve met so many children who lack any sort of relationship with their father, their mother, any adult. They want attention. They want to be loved. They want to be noticed. They want to fit in. They give you hugs. They hold your hand. They like you. They’ll love you.

We can learn so much from them.

This is why I'm so stinkin' fired up about the planning and preparation going into the creation of the kid's ministry at CenterPointe. We have an opportunity to invest in our younger generation; a generation of kids longing for attention in this crazy, busy world. Be a friend. Be a mentor. Be a brother. Be a sister. Be a kid. We can share with them the HOPE we’ve found in Christ Jesus in a FUN and EXCITING way!

I hope you get involved. I hope you help introduce our children to a God who LOVES them, CARES about them, WANTS to know them.

I love my church!

Afraid to Make a Difference

Are you familiar with the ripple effect? It’s what happens when you toss a rock into a pond. The rock strikes the surface of the water generating a series of tiny waves or ripples that move outward from the point of impact. BUT not only does the rock cause ripples, but then there’s also the drops of water that splash from the impact that ALSO cause ripples to flow across the waters. One causing the other. The other effecting another. And so on and so forth.

The once calm waters disrupted. Chaos. Moving to and fro. Everything is affected. Reflections distorted. Then, if all is left alone, the ripples disappear. The calm returns. Chaos shifts to order. There’s stillness. Reflections restored.

I think this describes so many of us as Christ followers, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, family, workers… We make a decision, we make a mistake, it affects everyone around us, people are hurt, something gets lost, whatever, SOMETHING happens and we SEE the ripple effect.

We freeze.
Gripped by fear.

Afraid we’ll hurt someone else, afraid we’ll just mess up again, we choose to NOT choose, we decide to make NO decisions, NO action is the best action. We believe if we simply do nothing the chaos will transform into order, the calm will return. We pull away. We hide. We leave everything and everyone. We leave it all alone.

Here’s the deal. People are going to make mistakes. You’re going to make mistakes. People are going to hurt you. You’re going to hurt others. No one is perfect. Instead of doing NOTHING, learn from your mistakes and determine to do BETTER, to IMPROVE.

Don’t sit on the side and WATCH the waters.
Jump in.
Make some ripples.
Touch lives.
Change the world.
Love Jesus.
Love people.

Are You Ready?

Are you READY?

You’ve identified your hurts. You’ve acknowledged your struggles. You’ve asked for help. You’ve encountered hardships and obstacles and are determined to OVERCOME, no longer be overwhelmed. You’ve formed accountability teams. You’ve let people in. You’ve shared your secrets. People know you. You can finally be real. You’ve decided to be an encouragement to the people around you. You’ve started leading your family. You will inspire your children and their children to live a BETTER life.

But are you READY?

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10 NIV

There comes a point in your recovery (of which we’re ALL in recovery, some are just more apt to admit it) when you hit a wall. It can be Step 1. It can be Inventory. It can be Step 12. Whatever it is, you hit it and you stop. I ask “Are you READY?” because I want you to be prepared.

You know what makes the difference between a person who remains stuck in their struggles and the person who is set free? Being READY.

You gotta know that relapse is looming.
You gotta know that triggers are all around.
You gotta know that you cannot do it alone.
You gotta know that hurt people, hurt peole.
You gotta know that it isn’t over.
You gotta know that Satan would LOVE to see you fail, fall, stumble, and never get up again.

Are you READY?

God give us instruction in his book, his living word, the Bible…will you listen, will you do what he says? He’s already laid the foundation for your freedom. He’s already set you free. Will you embrace it? Will you own it? Will his grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness invade your heart, your mind, your soul, your everything?

Are you READY?

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.
Psalm 37:5 NLT

I love you. I want the best for you. I want to see you set free from life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I want to see you renewed, refreshed, redeemed. I want you to know joy like no other. I want to see you break free from the curse and be BLESSED! I want you to see yourself as God does…beautiful…his son…his daughter…his masterpiece...forgiven…loved…

Are you READY?

How Do I Know that I Matter?

Hello, my name is Nick. I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who is overcoming issues of codependency. Again, my name is Nick.

It’s at this point I typically hear the echoing, resonating, beautiful sound from the people of Celebrate Recovery sounding off with “Hello Nick!” People love to hear their name! People love to be noticed! People love to be a part of something bigger than themselves! This is why I love Celebrate Recovery! Some people, for the first time in their life, are being acknowledged, being noticed, receiving positive, healthy attention! You matter! Your life has meaning! Your life has worth! People actually want to be around you and not because of something you HAVE or something you DO or the way you LOOK, but simply because you are you….THAT’S Celebrate Recovery!

Read Ephesians 3:14-21. Wow! Read it again.

Allow me to write out something that simply jumped out at me from this selection of Scripture (emphasis mine; NLT)…

…the Father
…the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth
…his glorious, unlimited resources
…Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust him
…Your roots will grow down into God’s love
…may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is
…May you experience the love of Christ
…you will be made complete
…all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think

We serve such a MIGHTY, AWESOME God! He LOVES YOU! The world around you may not take notice of you, people may simply pass you by, you might be overlooked, BUT GOD KNOWS YOU and HAS KNOWN YOU and WANTS TO KNOW YOU MORE! You are his child! His son! His daughter! You have his heart and he desires to live within yours!

Do not be discouraged by the people of this world. Not by their words. Not by their actions. For God so loved YOU that he gave his one and only son. He looks down upon you and sees a world changer. He looks down upon you and sees someone who can make a difference in this community, in this world!

He’s already taken notice of you. He knows your name. In his eyes you matter more than you can possibly imagine.

Today, who will you choose to listen to?

A Letter to New Life Community Church

Hello New Life Community Church! Here are 5 things I want to share with you…

#1—God IS interested in what do! He’s given us this life, this thing, this notion, this idea of ETERNAL life through his son Jesus Christ. He rescued us from our pits of despair, the darkness of our addictions, the pain of our past, the sorrow of loss. He’s forgiven us. He’s lavished us with grace, mercy, and love. He’s a GIVER! I would dare say that he did NOT give us life so we could pack it away in a safe place, saving it for later, hording it for ourselves, but so many of us live as if he did. NO! I would say he has given to us so we could give to OTHERS! He looks at what we DO, he evaluates our WORKS, our ACTIONS…and then he gives us a reward, as if he hadn’t given enough already. Read 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. I pray our church becomes passionate about FINDING people and SERVING people!

#2—This past Friday at Celebrate Recovery we heard an AMAZING story of God’s redeeming grace. I can’t say it enough…I FREAKIN’ LOVE TESTIMONIES! God does this work in our lives, he takes out from our struggles and shows us a better, brighter tomorrow. He brings HOPE to the hopeless. I’ve spent the majority of my life hurting, struggling, lost. I don’t want that for my kids. I don’t want that for my neighbors. I don’t want that for my community. And HOW do we make a difference, HOW do we make a change? We SHARE our stories! THAT’S the power of a testimony! THAT’S the power of your story! Let me ask you, have you written your testimony yet? Have you taken a few minutes here and there to write down what God has done in your life?

#3—God is entirely too good! He provides and sustains us, his people, his church, his children. He GIVES us everything we have, everything we need. As the Worship Pastor of New Life I believe it is my duty, my role to help others reach a point of selfless abandon, of letting go, of seating God in his rightful place in your life…to WORSHIP him and him ALONE! I will unapologetically teach and speak on finances, on tithing, on giving. I will not fear man, for I serve God. I spent the first few years of my spiritual journey wondering why the church needed my money, wanted my money…MY, MY, MY. It’s not about the money; it’s all about my HEART! Read what Jesus said about money in Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13. Have you taken that step to trust God with your finances? He says to TEST HIM! Will you take him up on the challenge?

#4—I’m PUMPED to share again this Friday at Celebrate Recovery. I’ll be teaching on what it means to be READY! What does it mean to let go and let God? What does it mean to surrender? What does it mean to turn over our lives and will to the care and control of God? What does it mean to allow God to lead? Set aside time this Friday night and join me at Celebrate Recovery. We serve dinner at 6p. The Large Group starts at 7p. We then break into Open-Share Groups, similar to Life Groups, at 8p. Celebrate Recovery is where change takes place. Come on out and discovery your next step!

#5—Play Groups are launching next week. On July 20 we’ll have a group gathering at Regal Cinemas to watch the movie Ice Age Continental Drift. It’s going to be a GREAT time of meeting new people, of getting around the people of New Life, of making new friends, and hopefully lasting friendships. Maybe you’ve wanted to get involved in a Life Group, but didn’t know what to do expect, well now’s the time to find out! Mark your calendars and plan to be there!

Can I Really Make a Difference?

If life was a comic book, Jesus would be the hero and complacency would be the villain. I know. Someone just read that and thought, “What about Satan?” Well, here’s the deal, I know how the story ends and Jesus wins, he reigns victorious as Satan is cast into the lake of fire. Gone. Done. Game over. He has no power over us. The only leverage Satan has over our lives is what WE GIVE HIM! I believe that leverage is birthed out of laziness, out of pride, out of complacency.

It seems like many of us within the church start strong and then coast until we cross the finish line. We do just enough to get by, not enough to get noticed or make a difference, but just enough to FEEL good. We read the bible occasionally. We pray when we need something. We go to church to get refreshed. Rinse. Repeat.

So goes the cycle of complacency. So goes the routine of the average church-goer.

Thank you Jesus that you didn’t call us to be the average church-goer. Thank you Jesus that you called us to something SO MUCH MORE!

But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
1 Corinthians 3:15 NLT

We’ll eventually reach a point in our lives, in our existence when we are judged, not for our sins, but for our actions, our obedience, our contribution to the advancement of the Kingdom.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to JUST MAKE IT. I don’t want to JUST GET BY. I don’t want to be like someone who barely escaped through a wall of flames…that just sounds bad. I want my life, my work to have VALUE. I want my REWARD (v.14).

It’s my hope and my prayer that God invades this church and we lean into the Holy Spirit for guidance, for help, for strength, for courage, for wisdom and TOGETHER we make Jesus known to the greater Tri-State Region!

Let’s stand up. Let’s get involved. Let’s make a difference. The best is yet to come!

Why Celebrate Recovery?

Hi. My name is Nick. I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with co-dependency. Again, my name is Nick.

It still amazes me how a simple introduction such as this, anonymously disclosing my personal information, shielded and protected by the withholding of my last name, yet personal, intimate, honest, as I share my struggles, can lead not only myself but others to freedom.

This is Celebrate Recovery.
This is honesty.
This is help.
This is hope.
This is freedom.
This is my life.
This is my story.

There’s POWER in our words. Please never discount the difference you can make in this world simply by uttering the hope you’ve received through a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have a hope the world’s desperate to receive. Communities can be transformed. Nations restored.

Tonight at Celebrate Recovery we’ll have the honor and privilege to hear the story, the testimony, of one who was lost, but now she is found, who once was blind, but now she sees. God’s grace truly is AMAZING!

I LOVE MY CHURCH!

You're Not Invisible

This has to be one of the SADDEST songs I’ve EVER heard. It literally brings me to tears when I hear it. My stomach aches. My soul hurts. The lyrics pierce my heart and I imagine my daughter sitting alone, in her room, writing these words in a journal, singing these words aloud…feeling invisible.

I get it.
I know what it feels like to be alone.
I’ve had the love/ hate relationship with isolation.
I know what it means to have people see through you.
I’ve felt unnoticed.
I’ve experienced abandonment.
I get it.
It sucks.

“Every day I try to look my best even though inside I’m such a mess.”

Wow! Sadly, that sounds like CHURCH! We show up…hurt, sad, frustrated, pissed, at the end of our rope, lacking hope…and put on a smile and wave to everyone like everything is ok. Church has become a place where lost people get saved and saved people pretend. What would happen if we let down our guard? What would happen if we opened up to one another? What would happen if we put as much energy into sharing our faith as we do covering up our mess?

Change.
Growth.
Healing.
Salvation.

Take off the mask and let people see the real you. You’re NOT INVISIBLE, you’re a NEW CREATION!

A Letter to New Life Community Church

Hey New Life! Here are 6 things I want to share with you…

#1—This past Sunday Pastor Brandan shared a straightforward message on faith, love, hope, and obedience. He challenged us to examine WHAT and IF we believe. That’s tough. He pointed a finger, not at you, not at me, not at the church, but at himself (with each and every one of us included as well…of course). He challenged the complacency of today’s church, of our church here in Inwood, WV. Will we continue to slide through life, just making it by, never making a difference? He asked us the question, “What would change in your LIFE if you knew you only had three weeks to LIVE?” Only the Father knows when Jesus will come back (Matthew 24:36). I pray we find the courage to press forward and see the VISION of New Life lived out!

#2—BIG thanks to Duane Sowers for organizing the Celebrate Recovery band. Live music adds an element to the program that simply cannot be replaced or substituted AND I absolutely LOVE seeing a band made up of our own people, THOSE people, the poor, the needy, the broken, the downtrodden, the humble, the weak, the rejected, the dejected…the BEACONS OF LIGHT full of HOPE found through a relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ! That’s AWESOME! It’s a great reminder of why we do what we do!

#3—The Bible is full of promises. Promises of hope. Promises of restoration. Promises of blessing. Promises of salvation. Promises of things we desire, things we want, need. The crazy thing is that sometimes we FEAR these promises. Like God says, “Here is something GOOD!” and instead of reaching out to grab it, we run and hide. One promise in particular that we tend to skirt around is God’s promise of HEALING (James 5:16). God says we will be healed, BUT (yes, there’s a catch) we’ve gotta be willing to let out our secrets. Many of us are ok with experiencing pain from our past, remaining in the hurt, being stuck, simply because we don’t want to ADMIT our wrongs, our past, our shortcomings. We’re afraid of what people might think. We’re afraid of the consequences. We’re convinced there’s more to LOSE than there is to GAIN. Admitting the crap of your PAST leads to freedom in your PRESENT. Stop holding on and let go.

#4—Read Acts 2:42-47. Read it again. Seriously, read it again. Something’s missing at New Life. We meet on Sunday mornings. It’s awesome. It’s refreshing. Then it ends. The multitudes that show up disappear. The handfuls that volunteer go home. The building empties. Everyone goes their own way. The MAJORITY will not see another person from New Life until the following Sunday. That’s wrong. If we’re going to grow, and I’m not talking about numbers, I’m talking about spiritual growth, we need to be MEETING TOGETHER! 1 out of 3 people at New Life (that’s being extremely generous) are in a Life Group. Something needs to change. Life Groups bring us closer together, building relationships, friendships, accountability…community. On July 20th New Life is launching a Play Group (Ice Age: Continental Drift at Regal Cinema). Play Groups are relaxed, informal events designed to help you build real relationships while having fun! Whether it’s watching a movie, playing laser tag or going extreme bowling… it’s an easy way to check out New Life, meet new people, and just have a good time.

#5—Be encouraged! Know that your identity is found in CHRIST! You are not the mistakes of your past or the labels you’ve been given. You are a NEW CREATION! This week follow Jesus, not people. Let Jesus be your EVERYTHING!

#6—THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

How do I Avoid Being Caught Off Guard?

It’s Monday.

For some it’s the beginning of the week. For others it’s simply just another day. For many in and around the tri-state area (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia), it’s yet another day without power, another day without water, another day in the nasty stinkin’ heat.

It can be difficult to maintain an attitude of GRATITUDE to say the least.
It can be difficult to find JOY in the moment.
It can be difficult to feel even the slightest desire to REJOICE.

This was not anticipated. This was unexpected. Storms come. Storms go. Power goes off. Power comes back on. We didn’t see it coming; it just happened. We were caught off guard. We were caught by surprise.

Winds swept in.
Rain poured down.
Trees collapsed.

Isn’t this how we live our lives? We get so wrapped up in our daily lives, so accustomed to our routines and rituals that, should there be a sudden change, we panic, our world gets flipped upside down, we don’t know WHAT to do or HOW to do it. I believe this happens because instead of focusing our attention on the cross of Christ we look to and find security in our jobs and our stuff. When our eyes are set upon these others things it’s easy to be shaken. We’re not grounded. We’re balancing on shifting sand. There’s nothing to grasp. There’s nothing to catch us. We stumble. We fall. We feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, scared, angry…

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Matthew 24:42-44 NLT

KEEP WATCH! Stay alert! Jesus warned us to be ready ALL THE TIME. Are you ready? Are you so focused on WHAT you’re doing and not WHO you’re living for? Do you have a tendency to set aside the Bible, avoid prayer, make excuses to not attend church…yet make time for sports, shopping, your favorite TV show?

Are you ready? Or will you continue to get caught off guard?