Pastor Jeff

Tips for Holiday Cheer

2011-11-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Church Family,

Believe it or not Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. Another year has nearly flown by already. The older I get the more it seems that time is speeding up. Every time I ponder that thought the Lord reminds me about the importance of making the most of every moment and every day. Those moments and days quickly turn into years. God is big on stewardship, and He wants us to be good stewards of our time as well.

Back to my main point about tips for holiday cheer…most of us greatly look forward to this time of the year. As much as we look forward to the holiday season, it is also one of the most stressful times of the year for many families. I have put together four tips to help keep and to increase the amount of holiday cheer for each of us.

My first tip is to plan wisely. There is extra shopping to do. There are extra meals to make and extra goodies to bake. There are family gatherings to plan. There are holiday decorations to put up and take down. The list could go on. One could almost get stressed just thinking about it. Proverbs 24:6 says, “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” The Bible encourages us to plan wisely for events that lie ahead. My wife and mother-in-law go so far as to bake their Christmas goodies in October and freeze them for later. (I always manage to sneak a few before they get them frozen.) We also decide when we will be meeting with my side and with Pastor Rebecca’s side of the family months in advance.

My second tip is to have a budget. Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it?” Budgeting is a good idea through the holidays, even if you don’t do it the rest of the year. There are gifts bought and trips often made. Don’t just charge everything and then wait until January to figure out how you are going to deal with the bills. It is a good idea to have a budget ahead of time. The holidays are really more about Christ than the gifts anyway, so don’t get buried in debt trying to “outdo yourself”.

My third tip is to be selfless. Many times during the holidays various family members want to do certain things at certain times and in a certain way. It might not always be what we want to do or when we want to do it. We must develop somewhat of a “go with the flow” mentality. Obviously, we should not do things beyond our moral and Biblical convictions.

My fourth tip is to keep first things first. Don’t neglect your spiritual life because of the business of the holidays. If you normally pray, go to church, and read your Bible then still do those things. You will find yourself unfulfilled and without joy if you neglect those important things at any time, including during the holidays. The other things going on cannot take the place of Christ in your life. It is also a great time to be a witness to those who need Christ in their lives.

Coming from a large family and now being married with in-laws and four kids, I have found these things to be of help. I pray that they are a blessing to you as well.

Pastor Jeff

Finishing Strong

2011-11-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I want to take this opportunity to encourage each of you to finish this year strong in your walk with God, your church attendance, and your fruitfulness for God. We usually take time at the beginning of each year and pray for the new year and talk about vision for the new year. It is important that we start strong but also that we stay strong and finish strong.
Jesus said in Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”. God is pouring out His Spirit in these last days and wants to end this age on a high note. Let’s hook up with His plan and be a great part of His end time harvest of souls.
Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”. As God’s people He wants us to be strong and steadfast at all times, to the very end of whatever it is that He is asking us to do.
God spoke this admonition with me recently to share with the church. “Be careful not to unhook as things get busy this fall and transition into the holidays. How we finish this year will greatly impact our fruitfulness next year.” Let’s finish strong! Let’s have momentum going into next year!
Thank you for being an awesome church. I know that we will do this and bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. God bless.

Pastor Jeff

Thirty Years of Faithfulness

2011-06-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

What a joy it was last week to celebrate thirty years of God’s faithfulness to our church! Even though I have only been a part of things here for a little over 8 ½ years, it is evident to me that God has been very faithful to this church to bless people and to work in and through their lives in an awesome way. I loved hearing about the hunger of those who were a part of the church from the very beginning. I believe that hunger is a big reason why God has been able to do what He has done through this ministry. Let’s never lose that hunger to see God work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Psalm 119:89,90 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations…” Thank God that He is faithful to all generations. Let’s release our faith and believe that if the Lord hasn’t come back within the next thirty years that the next generation will continue to see the mighty hand of God on our church in that time span. We have a great foundation in the Word and in the Spirit. The sky truly is the limit on where we can go from here.

Will you join with us and commit to seeing the world around us reached in a mighty way? Even though we have seen God’s goodness here, there are many around us who haven’t tasted of it yet. Let’s not be content to just see ourselves and our families reached. Jesus is coming back for a glorious church. He’s waiting for the precious fruit of the earth to be harvested!

We have an amazing future ahead because we will remain faithful to an amazing God who has already proven Himself faithful to us! Thank you for being a part of something wonderful. We appreciate each of you and the part that you play in what God is doing through the church today.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

Consistency

2011-05-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

Hello! I hope you all have been well and enjoying this beautiful spring weather.

I have an interesting thought that I would like to share with you this month. A few weeks ago, I was doing lunch dishes at the kitchen sink, absentmindedly pondering how many times in a day, week, month, lifetime...that I perform my duty of cleaning dishes. I was not having a bad attitude about it-just thinking about how it is an "always-there" job that needs to be done each day. Suddenly I heard the Lord speak ever so clearly in my spirit, "Success in the Christian walk lies in consistency." He began to expound to me about how being consistent to do what is right each day-to do the things I know to do with a good attitude-make more of an eternal difference than I can see in the natural.

I have been meditating on this thought for several weeks now. Sometimes being consistent is difficult. It is easier to take the path of least resistance and give into our flesh. It is easier to skip our Bible reading and prayer time to sleep in a little later, to let the house go while we scroll through Facebook updates, to watch TV instead of imparting into our children, to take a nap instead of exercising...the list goes on. And to consistently walk in self-discipline every day, every week, every month-what a challenge! However, we can do it, and we can do it successfully with the help of the Holy Spirit.

After receiving this word from the Lord, I began reading Rev. Mike Keyes' new book called "Be Strong, Stay Strong." Interestingly enough, the theme of his book is being consistent in your Christian walk. In chapter 2 he says that the Lord told him, " 'I will give you a....definition for spiritual strength. Strength can be defined as consistency of action.' " Rev. Keyes then went on to say, "Consistency of action will produce strength in our lives-there is no doubt about it. I believe spiritual weakness is a product of spiritual inconsistency." He says that there are seven spiritual priorities that a believer should perform every day:

1. Worship
2. Praise
3. Prayer
4. Confession
5. Meditation
6. Study and Reading
7. Sharing

After we have accomplished these each day, I would add to this list joyfully fulfilling our responsibilities as husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and employees. If we will choose to be consistent each day, I believe we will outlast anything the devil sends our way and see our victory in the end. And each time we make right choices and prioritize what's important, we gain more and more strength.

Let's strive to be people who don't waver between being strong and passionate one day, yet weak and defeated the next! Let's be people who are well-balanced and strong of spirit, and who know how to consistently put first things first.

God bless you as you grow in strength in and through Him!
Pastor Rebecca,

Advancing the Kingdom

2011-03-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of March I often begin to look forward to the ministry of Rev.
Mike Keyes since we often have him in around this time of year. If you have
heard him speak you know Rev. Keyes is all about advancing the kingdom of
God in the midst of whatever attacks you may currently be facing in your life.
Rev. Keyes is obviously living this out with his outreaches in the Philippines.
How many of us are thinking on a daily basis about how we can advance the
kingdom of God? It is great to hear preachers talk about it. It is another thing
to have that at the forefront of your mind on a daily basis. Many people are
too caught up with the daily concerns of their own lives to be thinking about
what they can do to make a difference in someone else’s life. Jesus said in
Luke 9:23, “… If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross and follow Me.”

Many times the sacrifice needed to make a difference in someone else’s life
isn’t as difficult as one might think. A few extra minutes to encourage
someone, a smile to brighten someone’s day, an act of service to help
someone are all ways that we can do things daily to bless others. We should
be prepared to do more as the Lord instructs us, especially when it comes to
sharing our faith. First Peter 3:15 in the NIV says, “… Always be prepared
to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have.” We should always be ready to share our faith
when the opportunity is presented. We also need to go out of our way
sometimes to make that effort.

Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit who helps us to be a witness for
Him (Acts 1:8). As we spend time with God He gives us the wisdom, the
grace, the strength, and the boldness to be His ambassador in a lost and dying
world. I challenge you to think of two or three people that you can reach out
to over the next week or two and watch God work with you. What a thrill!

God bless,
Pastor Jeff

Vision for 2011

2011-02-10T18:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Church Family,

As you heard in our vision service a few weeks ago, our vision for 2011 is “A year to retool and to refire.” Some of you have borne witness to this and said that God is already retooling and refiring things in your own lives. We praise God for that and release our faith with you for everything God wants to do in your life this year to be accomplished.

As a church we expect to see a real stirring of the Spirit of God within our spirits to serve Him and to be on fire for Him as never before. Romans 12:11 in the Amplified says, “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord”. God wants to keep us continually aglow and burning with the Spirit! Second Timothy 1:6 says, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you…” Worship, prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance are all importance aspects of that happening in our lives.

This is also a year to retool some things. God wants us continually sharpening ourselves and giving attention to detail. Retool means to reequip, to reorganize, to revise, to modify, to update, and to make especially minor changes or improvements. Many times before God will have you do something large He will first have you do a series of small things to prepare you for the large thing. I believe that God is preparing us for some great and large things in our future. Let’s be obedient to do what He speaks to us now so we are ready for the things He wants to do in the future.

In the midst of retooling and refiring let’s also continue to believe God for an increase of souls being added to the Kingdom of God in our church. We have already been seeing this happen, but want to see many more added to the Kingdom in this year. We love and appreciate each of you. Thank you for your part in reaping the harvest in these last days!

God bless,
Pastor Jeff

Shaping Our Nation

2010-10-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

I want to take this opportunity to encourage each of you concerning our God given opportunity to shape our nation for the better. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world…” That is still true today. The disciples of Jesus are to be the light of the world.

Our nation has been heading in the wrong direction morally for many years and we are now seeing the effects of it in many ways. Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Charles Finney once said, “The church must take right ground in regard to politics…The time has come for Christians to vote for honest men…God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church takes right ground.”

One of the ways in which we must be a light is by voting for people who are upright and who stand for things that line up with the Word of God. People who do not honor God’s Word should not be retained in office or voted into office. If we as a church allow that to happen then we are not honoring God and we are not acting as a unified force to shape our nation in a way that will cause it to be blessed for years to come. The church has been silent for too long on matters of national importance. We must not stay silent on matters that matter to us and to God. We need to be talking to others about what God’s view is on different issues, and we certainly need to let our voice be heard by voting.

Georg Jean Nathan once said, “Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote.” Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” Reagan also said, “We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow.”

Let’s join other Christians across our state and throughout our nation and let our voices be heard on November 2. Let’s let the world know that righteousness matters in America because there is a church that is alive and well and shining the light of Jesus.

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

No Limits!

2010-08-06T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Recently our son Jason, who is four years old, began to ride his bike without training wheels. I know that there are probably many other four year olds and even younger children who have learned to ride a bike, but I took great joy in watching him because he was so determined to do this. He has been watching his older brother do this for a while now. He decided that he too could be a big boy and take off the training wheels. He doesn’t like to be outdone by his older brother in anything.

He started by asking me to remove one training wheel. He rode like that for a few days, leaning on the training wheel only when needed. Within a few days he wanted the other one removed as well. As soon as it was off he zoomed across the drive way and back as fast as possible. He acted like it was no big deal and as if he had been doing that for weeks. He figured that if Michael could do it then he could too!

The Lord began to prompt me that He wants us to think that way concerning His life on the earth. We cannot and never will be God, but Jesus made a way for us to live like Him! Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is “the way, the truth, and the life”. He came not just to show us the way but also to give us the power to live in His ways. In John 14:12 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father”. Jesus authorized us and empowered us to live in His ways and to do the works that He did.

Romans 8:29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. God wants us to look at Jesus’ life and say, “If He did it, than I can do it by the power of the Holy Spirit working in me”. We too can live righteously, shine the light of Jesus, set the captive free, and bring deliverance and healing to this generation. Let’s set our sights high. Jesus is our example, and He is here to help us live our lives according to the pattern that He set for us!

God bless you,

Pastor Jeff

God Bless the USA

2010-07-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings Everyone,

This Sunday I will be preaching on taking our country back for God. I would like to take this opportunity, though, to encourage each of you to thank God for all of the good things that we still have in this nation. I believe that the United States is still the greatest nation in the world!

We have liberties here that afford us rights that most other countries do not enjoy in the same way we do. First and foremost is our right to worship without being told which religion or which denomination we need to adhere to. A church like ours would not be allowed in many nations.

We also have the freedom of speech, which means we can freely talk about God, government, the Bible, or whatever else we want to talk about. This is huge when it comes to propagating the gospel and shaping the government of our nation.

Something that many people don’t think much about is the fact that we are still a capitalistic nation, although there is certainly a move to make our nation more socialistic. This gives us the right to choose how we are going to spend our money without the government taking it and deciding for us. If you ever talk to someone from Europe you will find that we have much more freedom in this area than most other “free” nations. I pray that I can still say that a few years from now!

We also have the freedom to work where we want doing what we enjoy. This is not true in some countries. This allows each of us to pursue our God given dreams.

We also have the right to get the education that we desire. Again, this is not possible in some countries. This can help equip us to do what we are called to do and to better ourselves.

We have been the most blessed nation spiritually and financially, which has allowed us to send out more missionaries than any other country. This has helped us to reap blessings as a nation.

We have so many other blessings that I don’t have time or space to discuss, such as abundance of food and a high percentage of home ownership. We have been the envy of other nations for years.

Let’s pray that America will continue to serve God so that He can continue to “shed His grace” on us!

God bless,
Pastor Jeff

Making the Most of Summer

2010-06-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

Now that Memorial Day weekend has come and gone it seems that summer has unofficially arrived again this year. I want to encourage each of you to make the most of your summer. We can enjoy family time, vacations, reunions, and all the other things that come with summer and still grow in our walk with God and make a difference for His kingdom.

I believe it takes a balanced approach to life to not go to extremes. I like summertime and the outdoors as much as anyone. When I was a kid I would be outdoors much of the summer. Let’s not forget our commitment to God and our church family as we enter this season which many of us greatly enjoy.

Our family will be going to Kansas City to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun this summer for a little getaway. I also like to play ball with the kids and go on walks with Pastor Rebecca. Recently I have started doing a little golfing with Phil Crosse and Michael. As a kid I never thought I would like the sport. It is more fun than I thought it would be.

In the midst of all the things I enjoy about summer I have made a commitment to always keep God first. All the great men and women of God that I have ever known have had the ability to keep God in His proper place in their lives no matter what season of life they were in. That is part of being a well balanced person.

A Scripture that often comes to my mind during summer if I get busy with things or am doing outdoor things that I enjoy is Psalm 42:1. It says the following, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You O God”. Like the psalmist I have a great inner thirst that is only quenched by God!

God bless,
Pastor Jeff

From Caterpillars to Butterflies

2010-04-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Recently Pastor Rebecca bought some caterpillars and put them in a netted cage in our house so that the students at Victory Christian School could watch them go through the process of metamorphosis. It was interesting to watch them go from what many would consider fairly ugly little creatures to beautiful butterflies in just a matter of a few days.

Webster’s dictionary defines metamorphosis as, “A marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching”. It is also defined as, “A striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances”. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. The word transformed is the Greek word “metamorphoo”. It means to change, to transfigure, or to transform. Many Christians get saved but never go through the process of transformation by the renewing of their mind by the Word of God. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. If you want to “morph” into the person that God wants you to be, then you must do more than pray a sinner’s prayer and come to church once or twice a week. You must meditate on the Word of God until His way of thinking becomes your way of thinking. When you do that, doing what God would want you to do is not just an afterthought, but your first thought. Old habits and ways of talking and doing things are changed. Your life becomes the beautiful life that God intended for you all along. You receive an alteration in character and the way you handle circumstances. You might even look better to the rest of the world, too, because you will be so happy about the changes that occur in your life.

Romans 12:2 in the New Living Translation reads this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is”. By the way, unlike the butterfly, our morphing process takes more than a few days. We begin to see changes as soon as we start acting on the Bible, but our process of changing will last until Jesus comes back. At that time our mind and bodies will go through a glorious and instantaneous change. Until then we have the Word of God to help us think like God thinks so we can begin to live the wonderful life that God wants us to live!

God bless you,
Pastor Jeff

Safe in Daddy's Arms

2010-04-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I want to share something about our little Joshua that I hope will encourage all of you in the fact that we have an awesome heavenly Father who can always be trusted to protect us and look out for us. Joshua is used to being held much of the time in our house. If Glory isn’t holding him, often one of the boys is. Sometimes they will hand him back and forth to each other, talking to him and trying to get him to smile. I can only imagine what is going through his little mind some days as he is getting handed around from one child to the other. He is hearing all the noises they make, feeling them tickle his little cheeks, and watching them try yet one more look to try to get him to smile.

Although Joshua loves his brothers and sister, there are times he just wants mom or dad. There have been times when the kids have had him for a while and I will decide it is my turn to hold him. Several times he has looked up at me after being handed to me by one of the kids as if to say “thank you for rescuing me”. He then closed his eyes and went to sleep within about five seconds. I barely got a chance to look into his eyes or to tell him I love him. It was as if he was waiting until he felt secure enough to close his eyes and go to sleep. He knew that in his dad’s arms he was safe, loved, and protected.

Recently this played out once more. Again, Joshua fell asleep in my arms in about five seconds. I looked down at him and thanked God for our little treasure from above. The Lord reminded me of how much He loves each of His children and that He wants each of us to feel that safe with Him as our Father.

Psalm 91:1-2 says “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in Him I will trust’”. No matter what is going on in the world we can feel as safe as a baby in its daddy’s arms, knowing that our Father loves us that much and more!

The Cold Is Not As Cold

2010-02-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, Church Family...

This thought came to me the other day as I was walking out to my car on another cold winter day. The cold is not as cold when You (God) are with me. Even though we have had a very cold winter along with many storms, blizzards, and power outages for some, I am convinced that it is not near as bad when we keep the perspective that God is with us always – no matter how bad the situation.

David said in Psalm 23:4, “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”. I believe the rod and staff represent the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Thank God that we are never on our own, even in the worst of situations.

If this winter has been long and difficult for you, think for a moment what it would be like if you didn’t have God’s comfort and peace in your life to help you through it. I believe God’s fire can warm our hearts, even in the coldest of winters. It just doesn’t seem to be as cold when you keep in mind that God is right there with you. That is called setting your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). This will always give you a better outlook on life. After all, we died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians3:3) – even if it means living it out on this earth in the middle of a cold and nasty winter. God is still with you. That makes everything better.

Philippians 4:8 also encourages us to think on things that are noble, of good report, and praiseworthy, among other positive descriptive words. It hit me the other day that I am also very thankful for indoor plumbing, and that we don’t have to run out to the outhouse to go to the bathroom (some of you may remember doing that)! I am also very thankful for a garage and a car and house that have heat. We should also be thankful for snow plows that clear the roads (even if they don’t always get there as soon as we might wish). For those of you that lost power, thank God for generators, friends or family to stay with, or extra blankets to cover up with. I am still working on being thankful for my shovel and snow blower when clearing drifts from my driveway, but I am getting there.

I am convinced that if we can learn the art of setting our “mind on things above”, the cold won’t seem as cold. Spring is only 22 days away!

God bless,
Pastor Jeff

P.S. Information about ALC’s group trip inJuly to Campmeeting at Rhema Bible Church in Tulsa will be available this Sunday! We would love to have you join us!

The Best Gift Ever

2009-12-23T09:10:00.001-08:00

Dear Church Family

Yesterday I went skiing at Mt. Crescent with Michael. It was his first time. He picked it right up and did great. We had a wonderful time together—so much so that Michael didn’t want to leave the ski slope. We finally headed home around 9:00 PM.

As I spent the day with Michael and had a great time bonding with him, it made me think of the Father’s love toward us and His desire to fellowship with us. He loved us enough to send His only begotten Son to this earth to become a sacrifice for us so that we could be in fellowship with Him and experience eternal life. What great love the Father has for us!

I want to encourage you this holiday season to draw close to God. He loves to fellowship with you as you spend time in prayer and meditating His Word. He also loves it when you sing songs of praise and worship to Him, even if you don’t have the greatest of voices (ha ha).

What a gift we have been given in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Let’s make the most of it by fellowshipping with God daily. After all, that’s why He came—so we could be in right standing with God and enjoy fellowship with Him! John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”.

Merry Christmas! Pastor Rebecca and I love you.

Pastor Jeff

Unshakable and Immovable

2009-11-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Church Family,

Greetings in Jesus' Name! I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beautiful fall the Lord has blessed us with!

This month, I wanted to share some insight from a few passages of Scripture that have been a rock to me over the past few months. As this year has progressed and is now coming to a close, it seems that we have encountered many people in our sphere of influence who have faced challenges during the past several months. We ourselves are not exempt, and have also faced our own set of obstacles to overcome during the past year. In fact, I told Pastor Jeff that this might just have been one of our most challenging years ever!

Psalm 34:19 declares that, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." The New Living translations states it this way, "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." We as Christians are not exempt from trials, troubles, and adversity. However, we have the blessed hope that God is on our side, fighting for us, and will walk us through the midst of the battle on to the place of victory. If we will keep walking with the Lord through the trial, never giving up, we will soon find that we have made our way through it and come out stronger and triumphantly on the other side.

One thing I have learned and am growing strong in is to not be moved or shaken in the face of adversity. I was one who grew up hearing the faith message and knew all about it in my head, but did not really walk in it. In the past, when a challenge would arise, I would let my natural emotions and reactions dominate, instead of having a strong persuasion on the inside that God would come through for me. However, as I have grown in my walk with the Lord, I praise Him that I have come to a place where I can say with the psalmist, "I WILL NOT BE MOVED!"

What does it mean to not be moved? I believe it means that in the very face of an adverse report or a trial, we bear up with strength on the inside and stand strong, declaring the Word of God. It is a mind-set that God wants us all to live by-not being weak and swayed with every wind of adversity like those in the world; but being tough, bold, and confident because of who we are in Jesus Christ. We can walk in this attitude because of the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us.

Paul said in Ephesians 6: 13-14, "...and having done all, to stand; stand therefore..." In this passage, he was referring to a common military phrase which meant, "having conquered all, stand ready to do battle again." In other words, even after you have achieved the victory, don't sit and gloat! Stand back up and be ready to conquer once more!

Here is another verse I love: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:58) The Greek word for steadfastness means to be seated, settled, and firm in the truth of the resurrection and of victory in Christ.

Here are a few more passages of Scripture to meditate on:

Psalm 16:8, "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
Psalm 62:2, "He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved."

I pray that you, too, are growing in your firm resolve to be immovable and unshakable!

You are loved,
Pastor Rebecca

Confession

2009-10-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I recently shared in church a quote from FF Bosworth about confession. In case you didn’t get it written down, here it is: “A spiritual law that few of us recognize is that our confession rules us. It is what we confess with our lips that really dominates our inner being. Nothing will establish you and build your faith as quickly as confession. The confession of your lips that has grown out of faith in your heart will absolutely defeat the adversary in every combat. GOD CAN BE NO BIGGER IN YOU THAN YOU CONFESS HIM TO BE.”

Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Mark 11:23 and James 3:3-5 are also wonderful verses about how our words spoken in faith will affect what we see in life. If you don’t like what you are seeing, check up on what you are saying.

This brings us back to the very important discipline of meditating on the Word of God day and night (Joshua 1:8). The only way you are going to speak the right things is by meditating on the right things. You’ve got to be full enough of God’s Word that it is coming out of your mouth and bringing forth the things that God wants to do for you. You may have to catch yourself if you start to speak the wrong thing. I have done that several times. I choose to speak what God says. Most people are used to making all kinds of negative confessions every day. So if you’re going to do this, it is going to take a lot of discipline, especially at first.

Let’s practice a little by making these confessions: I am a child of God. I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. I am the healed of the Lord. All of my needs are met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I have the mind of Christ, the wisdom of God, the ability of God, the strength of God, and the power of God working in my life. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The peace of God guards my heart and mind. I am blessed to be a blessing. Thank you Lord for using me for your glory in the earth!

Pastor Rebecca and I love you and pray for you daily. May God bless you richly.

Pastor Jeff

Rising Higher

2009-08-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As Believers, the Spirit of Grace is continually calling, encouraging us to rise up higher in Him, seeing ourselves in our rightful position as Sons and Daughters of the Most High. This position, purchased for us by the Blood of the Son, is seated in heavenly places with Christ. (Eph. 2:4-6)

Jude 1:20 in the Amplified Bible says, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit…”

Let me share with you an illustration I heard recently which so powerfully demonstrates this truth. Think of a hot air balloon-a vehicle created to rise up high into earth’s atmosphere. It is powered on the inside by a flame which, when the tethers are released, causes it to begin to ascend. After it is cut free, there is nothing that can make it descend, except for decreasing the heat of the flame inside.

You are like that hot air balloon. Your nature, after being born again and filled with the Spirit, is to rise up above the conditions of the earth. The Bible says that our God is a consuming fire. As you allow the flame of the Holy Spirit to burn brightly on the inside of you, you are lifted up above natural living and begin to experience supernatural living. The grace of God working on the inside of your spirit causes you to rise to your rightful spiritual place of sitting with Christ in heavenly places. The pull of the world-sin, fear, lack, sickness, condemnation, and other “weights” are like tethers which try to hold you down. But praise God, you have been cut free of these things by Jesus’ Blood. Don’t let them weigh you down any longer! Live according to your new nature –one who rises up! And keep the fire of God burning brightly on the inside by stirring yourself up in Him. Fires go out if they are not stirred, so we must take responsibility to keep ourselves ablaze by allowing the wind of the Spirit to blow upon His flame inside our spirit as we worship, pray, and meditate on the Word.

Whenever you feel yourself being “weighed down” by the pull of the world, remember this illustration and remember who you are in Christ! Nothing can keep you down!

Pastor Jeff and I love you and are believing for God’s best in your life!

Blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

P.S. Thank you for your prayers as we kicked off the first week of Victory Christian School! The first day was a beautiful, organized chaos, but by the end of the week the students and teachers were well on their way to settling into their more structured routines. It is so lovely to see these precious young ones begin their day with worship, Scripture memorization, and shouting LOUD praises to God (inspired by Pastor Jeff!) Come visit us some week day and see for yourself what God is doing!

Be Still and Know that I Am God

2009-07-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I want to encourage each of you to make sure that you take time this summer to do what God told the psalmist in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God”. It is easy this time of year to get busy with many things and to forget about our relationship with God. Unfortunately that can be a trap of the devil to get us out of the peace of God and out of the grace of God. There is no activity or amount of money to be made that is worth getting out of His peace or away from His strength.

John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”. Knowing God and spending time with Him is the source of all life and strength. If we want to remain strong as a people of God we must continue to spend time with Him and be strengthened.

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. In the time that we live many are growing weary and lacking strength. We as the people of God can be strong and point them to the Source of our strength.

John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing”. As we abide in Him, life and strength flows into us and we are able to bear fruit for His glory. Without doing this we are fruitless and barren like the rest of the world.

Thank God we have a Source of strength. Let’s make sure we spend time with Him each day to receive from Him. This simple discipline would cure many of life’s ills.

God bless each of you. Enjoy the rest of your summer. It’s going quickly!

Sincerely,

Pastor Jeff

Pressing In

2009-06-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to press into God this summer with all of your heart. Summer is typically a time when people like to take it easy, go on vacations, and enjoy various outdoor activities. I am reminding you that your relationship with God should never take a break. He is the source of all life, goodness, joy, etc. Each of our lives would be empty without Him.

So instead of coasting this summer spiritually, make it your aim to press in more than everbefore. Set personal goals to attain new heights in your walk with God. If you have children,this is a great time to take them farther with God. They are out of school and have no homework. Try to learn some extra Scriptures with them and have some family devotions.

Church attendance should also remain high. Don’t let summer activities keep you out of services. The one or two unavoidable situations are always understandable, but some people make little effort to plan activities around church attendance. To me that is a reflection of their heart. The heart that reverences God wants to be with God and wants to be in church around other Christians, hearing the Word and being encouraged.

I would like to especially encourage parents of teenagers to bring your child to Wednesday night youth service. This is their night to connect with God and each other and hear relevant youth messages. We had a smaller group in youth last Wednesday evening, which means this is a great time to bring your teens and let them get connected with other teens in our church. They can forge relationships that will last not only in the school year but for many years to come. They can make a difference for God together much easier than alone. We need our teens to get connected and built up and to be the influence when other unsaved teens step into
Velocity. This summer is your opportunity to get your teen connected and discipled. Let’s believe God for an explosion in our youth group this summer.

Our children’s classes are also great on Wednesday evening and we would love to see thatcontinue to grow. There are no homework assignments and no buses to catch the next morning. Let’s let this summer be a high point and not a low point in each of our spiritual lives.

Remember Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Let’s keep God at the center of our hearts.

God bless.
Pastor Jeff

Why A School?

2009-05-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be wondering why we have decided to start a Christian school. I can tell you that a lot of thought and prayer went into this decision. Pastor Rebecca and I believe this an exciting step for our church to be able to impact the younger generation of believers in a mighty way.

One does not have to go far to hear of the turmoil that this generation is facing. We believe that it is essential to prepare young people for life by properly equipping them with the Word of God and the influence of the Holy Spirit. By having children in school here at the church there will be plenty of opportunities to influence them in the right way.

Everyday our young people are being bombarded with wrong influences– from the kids they are hanging around with to the things they are being taught from a secular standpoint. We believe we can offer them something better, something that will help them to walk in victory spiritually every day of their lives. That’s why we are calling the school Victory Christian School. We are going to produce children who’s lives are on fire for God and who desire to live for Him and fulfill His plan for them.

I encourage you to strongly consider sending your child to our school if you have children. We are still working out some details like the tuition rate. It will probably be in the $1300 to $1800 range. You may be able to get your child some “scholarship” help if you do not have the funds. The church will be helping to offset some of the expense already to try to keep the rate in a reasonable range. We will also set up a payment plan where people can pay for the tuition over a 10 to 12 month time frame.

We will be offering pre-school through twelfth grades. I encourage you to come to the meeting on May 17th at 6:00PM to find out more about how the school will be set up. We will allow students to dual enroll so they can participate in sports or band at the public school. We also plan to have a music class in our school.

I ask that everyone keep this lifted up in prayer. This is a big step for us as a church, but we know that we serve a big God. We believe there will be countless lives touched through this ministry of the church. God bless you and thank you in advance for supporting this endeavor.

Pastor Jeff

Christian Training Event

2009-04-06T14:51:00.001-07:00

You’ve probably heard by now that Rev. Tony Cooke is going to be ministering at our church May 2 and 3. I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone involved in any area of helps ministry and anyone that might be in the future to be at the training seminar on May 2 from 1:00 to 4:50 PM. (We changed it to the afternoon to accommodate Rev. Cook’s schedule). He is one of the top teachers and trainers in Christian ministry today. He was Rev. Kenneth W. Hagin’s associate pastor for twenty years and a beloved teacher at Rhema Bible Training Center. There isn’t much that he hasn’t seen or encountered in ministry.

Rev. Cooke is sure to bring fresh insight and perspective into your involvement in the local church and I know that you will be a greater asset to God and to the church after going through this training (not that you aren’t valuable now). I know that this is on a Saturday afternoon in the month of May, but this is time for a gut check to see how much you are willing to pay the price to be used of God. People who truly desire to be used by God don’t look for excuses why they can’t do something; they look for ways to make it happen. That is why I am giving you as much advance notice as possible, so you can get this on your calendar and make it a priority. It is certainly a priority to God.

We will have snacks and drinks available for the three scheduled breaks. Also, there will be no Sunday evening service on May 3 since we are doing the training on May 2. Let’s honor God and God’s servant by showing up ready to learn at this event. Please arrive around 12:45 so we can get started at 1:00 PM. Also, please place a check mark by your name on the sign up sheet at the information booth so we know you are coming. Thank you and God bless!

Pastor Jeff

Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Him

2009-02-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Church Family,

A few weeks ago I preached a message about keeping our eyes fixed on God in this new year. Psalm 141:8 in the NIV says, “My eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord…” I believe that as Christians we have a covenant with God and can expect His favor and blessing no matter how things are going in the world around us. We, of course, need to be led by God and not be foolish in the time we are living in.

We also need to guard against getting into fear. Second Timothy 1:7 says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.” Ephesians 6:10 says to “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Let’s be courageous in this hour and not be dominated by fear as so many around us are.

A prophet of God named Dr. Mark Barclay recently declared some things about the year 2009. He said in this year it would be especially important to, “Keep your body in church, your nose in the Book, your knees bent, and your mind stayed on Him, and you will beat the evils of the day. If you cut back time and money, don’t make God take the hit.” (In other words don’t cheat God out of what belongs to Him and yourself out of the fellowship with Him you need to succeed in life.)

I believe that this will be another glorious year for the body of Christ. Don’t accept anything less than your covenant rights and privileges in Christ. I love you and declare God’s blessing over you and your family.

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff

A Divine Romance

2008-12-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone, and Merry Christmas! I hope you are all taking time to enjoy this beautiful (although COLD!) time of year.

I have been reminded of something recently that I thought I'd share in this month's blog. Have you ever read the book "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman? It is a great book that discusses the five various ways that we as humans give and receive love. These are, in a nutshell, words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Well, you might have discovered from the stories that my husband shares about me during his messages that he and I have completely different "love languages." My primary love language is "acts of service", while his is "quality time". In other words, when I stay up late to clean the house, do laundry, or work on church projects, in my mind, I am showing him how much I love him by how helpful I can be. While I am doing these things, I am thinking, "Aren't I a good wife and Proverbs 31 woman?" To my surprise, I have come to find out that when he is home and I am busying myself with these IMPORTANT tasks, he is not thinking that at all! In fact, I have even angered him with my busy-ness! My endless labor does not impress him. He simply wants to spend some time with me and leave these things to be done later. Even though this has been difficult for me to learn, I have found that he is the happiest and our marriage is SO much better, if I simply quiet my mind and take time out for him. This is one of the greatest ways that we keep our romance alive. (He has especially been reminding me of this during the last few weeks as I have been preparing for all of the Christmas activities!)

This illustration reminds me of how God feels about us. James 4:5 says, "Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, 'The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously'"? The word "yearns" portrays an intense desire, a craving, a longing or pining for something. The Holy Spirit within us is jealous of the less-important things on which we spend all of our time. He wants us for Himself and it angers Him when we let everything else crowd out time spent with Him in the secret place. He is a Divine Lover, and He desires that the focus of our lives be Him! If they are not, He will aggressively and passionately pursue us, like any lover whose beloved's affections were distracted by something else.

In the hurry of this Christmas, let's purpose to take time everyday with the Lover of Our Souls. This season is all about remembering the perfect plan that He orchestrated over 2000 years ago. As I close, I would like to share some words to a great new Christmas song called "How Many Kings" by a group called Down to Here.

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only One did that for me...

He has begun a Divine Romance with us. Let's glorify Him with our lives this holiday season!

Merry Christmas with love,
Pastor Rebecca

America's Godly Heritage

2008-10-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

As Election Day approaches, we are writing this letter to inform you of the godly heritage that we have as a nation. We believe it is important for the citizens of our nation to know what has made America great so that we can do what it takes to keep her great.

Virtually every one of the fifty-five Founding Fathers who framed the Constitution were members of orthodox Christian churches and many were outspoken Christians. It was the signers of the Declaration of Independence who started the Sunday School movement as well as several Bible and missionary societies. They were also responsible for penning numerous religious works and publishing many famous Bibles.

At one point during the American Revolution when things were not going particularly well, John Adams was asked if he thought America could actually win the Revolution. He confidently replied: “Yes!—if we fear God and repent of our sins!”

In his farewell address, which was considered so important and its content so profound that for years it appeared as a separate, stand-alone textbook, George Washington stated the following: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should subvert these great pillars.”

Here are some other quotes by Fathers of our Nation:
· “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.”
—John Adams.
· “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”
—Benjamin Franklin
· “The only assurance of our nation’s safety is to lay our foundation in morality and religion.”
—Abraham Lincoln
· “Those who will not be ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants”
—William Penn
· “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” —George Washington
· “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind.”
—United States Supreme Court, 1892

As you can see from these quotes, separating Church and State was not part of the belief system of our nation’s Founders. It is also not found anywhere in our Constitution. The phrase “separation of church and state,” which is used so commonly in our society today, was simply one line in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a church in Danbury, Connecticut encouraging them in the fact that our country would not mandate a state religion/denomination. A true student will discover that faith and morality are intrinsically woven into the very fiber of our national history.

In the words of the French statesman Alexis de Tocqueville from 1831, “America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

As you prepare to vote, please keep in mind that our great country was founded on godly principles and that it is our responsibility to elect people into office who will continue to uphold those principles. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

*Many facts in this article were taken from the book America’s Godly Heritage by David Barton.

Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

A New Season

2008-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hello,

With Labor Day having come and gone and the cooler temperatures this week, it seems that fall is unofficially here. I don't know about you but I love the fall. It is probably my favorite time of the year. The weather is great for outdoor activities like walking, jogging, biking, camping, football, etc.

I also like the fall because it is the time for harvest. As a kid I can remember helping my dad haul corn in out of the fields, sometimes late into the evenings. It is a very exciting thing if you are a farmer. We also get to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables this time of year right off the trees and out of the gardens. It is a time to reap and enjoy the fruit of our labor.

Another reason I like fall is because it tends to bring people back into focus. Many times people's summers can get a little hectic trying to get in all the family reunions, vacations, weddings, etc. These things are all great, but if you're like me you also enjoy some normalcy and focus.

Jesus said in Matthew 9:37,38 "...The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest". Let's take advantage of the focus that this time of year can bring and purpose to bring in a great spiritual harvest for the Lord. Let's carry that momentum right into the end of the year and all of next year! God bless each of you. Pastor Rebecca and I love you and count it a privilege to be co-laborers together with you.

Sincerely,

Pastor Jeff

A Parent's Job

2008-07-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, summer is in full swing but will soon be over before we know it! Ours has been very busy, filled with family, church, and kid activities, but a fun change of pace from the school-year routine.

Gloryana (almost 9) and Michael (5) just finished up their last swimming lesson last week. Michael was very excited to experience his first year of learning to navigate the water. Glory, however, (even though it is her third year) was less-than-thrilled, since being required to dunk her face in the water and jump off the diving board were to her, simply the worst disasters of her summer break! Before the first lesson, she experienced the usual butterflies that accompany the start of a new endeavor. But after she learned that the inevitable jump off the diving board was imminent, the following days brought whole new drama to our morning routine of trying to get everyone fed, ready, and in the van on time. First came the refusals to eat breakfast, then the declarations that she was sick, then repeated trips to the restroom (both at home and at the pool), and finally the laying down in the fetal position on the seat of the van moaning, "I don't want to go!"

Since mercy/compassion is not the strongest gift the Lord has given me, the first couple of mornings I simply gave her the "get over it-we are going anyway" speech. But as it seemed to get progressively worse as the days went by, I was suddenly taken back to instances from my own childhood when I can remember being gripped by fear as well, even to the point of physical sickness. As I thought about it, I recalled how no one ever taught me how to deal with the fear and overcome it. Although with the help of the Holy Spirit I have learned to achieve victory over fear and timidity as an adult, I thought about how much farther I would have been earlier in life if someone would have taught me the Bible way of dealing with it as a child.

So after that, I took time on the drive each morning arming my daughter with ammunition from the Word of God to help her see herself as the conqueror and overcomer she is. We took authority over the mind-set of fear and filled her with verses about how she can do all things through Christ who strengthens her. By the last couple of days of her swimming lessons, she couldn't wait to get there for the chance to jump off the diving board again! Although this particular circumstance might seem like a small one, as she learns to apply the Word in these little things, when she encounters big challenges in life, she will be well-able to face them and win.

Looking back on my family line, I could see where fear dominated some of my relatives' lives for generations. What iniquity is in your family tree? What tendencies were you raised with that are anti-Scriptural? As parents, it is our holy duty to address and change these things in our own lives so that they are not passed on to the next generation. After that, we must ask the Holy Spirit to teach us the right way so that we can demonstrate this to our children in every day life. What we do not deal with, our children will have to.

Proverbs 20:7 (NIV) says, "The righteous man leads a blameless life, blessed are his children after him."

Righteousness= peace and freedom from bondage in every area
Sin=absence of peace; bondage

Let us be parents who leave a heritage of peace and freedom in our family lines for generations to come!

Pastor Jeff and I love you!

Blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

A Time to Rejoice

2008-07-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

As we all prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend I would like to encourage each of you to take a moment and be thankful to God for all His wonderful blessings on this country. I believe that we live in what is still the greatest country on earth. I also believe that the reason we are so blessed as a nation is because God’s hand has been on it from the very beginning. Many of the early settlers came to this country to seek religious freedom. Our forefathers sought God for His help, protection, wisdom, and guidance. They also prayed before writing the constitution, which was established on godly principles.

I believe there has been a divine plan for our country from the very beginning. It is easy to recognize that if it wasn’t for our country, World War II would have ended differently and the world would be another place entirely as a result. But beyond our natural help in that war and others, as well as the many other good things our government does in other parts of the world, spiritually, our country has been a light to the world. People have seen how blessed a nation can be that honors and serves the true God. Additionally, we have sent many missionaries all over the world to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We have also been a friend to Israel, which we know is important to God.

So the next time someone stands up to criticize our nation or cries out for change, let’s see what kind of change they believe in because there is a reason that our country has been the most blessed nation in the world. Anyone who wants to take away from the values that have made us great is asking for the wrong kind of change.

I ask you to say a prayer for our nation this weekend and ask God to continue to bless her and to work in the hearts of the people of this country so that we can continue to be a light to the world around us. God bless.

Pastor Jeff

Holy Spirit: Not Allowed

2008-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The other day my husband told me of a conversation he had with someone who had visited our church recently. This person mentioned how he was blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit that he had felt during our service and how my husband had not been afraid to operate in the gift of tongues and interpretation of tongues OUT LOUD during the course of the morning. (Imagine that!) This person went on to say how he had roots in a church like ours, but had been unable to find a Full Gospel one recently that would allow the moving of the Holy Spirit in their corporate setting.

That got me thinking...

The last time I read Acts , didn't they pray in tongues out loud when the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost?
Didn't Paul say in 1 Corinthians 12:1 that he did not want us to be ignorant concerning spiritual things?
Didn't he also say that we should covet, or earnestly desire, the gifts of the Spirit, one of which is tongues and interpretation? (1 Cor. 12:31)
I also remember reading that tongues are a sign to the unbeliever, (1 Cor. 14:22) and that we should "forbid not to speak with tongues." (1 Cor. 14:39)

It grieves me that many churches who call themselves Full Gospel, or even Word of Faith, are opting to quench the moving of the Spirit because they are more concerned about increasing their attendance than demonstrating the true power of God. It's like saying,"God the Father, we honor You for You greatness, and Jesus, we thank You for Your sacrifice, but Holy Spirit...You're not allowed, because the things you do might be too 'out there.'" Of course, we agree that all things should be done decently and in order. (1 Cor. 14:40) And yes, there may be times when a person's heart will not be open to speaking in tongues-the language of the Holy Spirit. But many others, who are hungry for the deeper things of God, will be drawn to Him through the utterance of this heavenly language. What gives us the right to pick and choose what parts of the Bible we think are "relevant" in our modern day society and leave out the rest?

I don't know about you, but I am a whole Bible kind of person. I don't want to be a people-pleaser; I want to be a God-pleaser. I also want our church to be known in this region as a place where hungry hearts can come and be filled with the Power and Presence of Almighty God. I don't want to shy back because I'm afraid that someone might be offended at the way God desires to demonstrate Himself. No, instead I want us to be a place where God is free to move however He pleases! Don't you?

Not ashamed of the Gospel,
Pastor Rebecca

Update on Velocity Student Ministries

2008-03-18T20:41:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Pastor asked me to write in order to give you an update of what has been going on recently in Velocity Student Ministries. It has been a great year for us so far, and we are expecting it to continue to get better and better!

We have added many kids to the youth services over the last few months. We tend to average about ten more per week compared to our numbers this time last year. God is doing amazing things in the students! We usually average about 5 rededications every Wednesday night and 3 salvations a month. Five have been filled with the Holy Spirit this year.

The students are getting more involved by taking ownership in their youth group. One of the areas of involvement is our greeters. We have a group of fifteen youth that rotate in on a weekly basis. Every Wednesday night a team of three greeters waits at the door with smiling faces and warm handshakes for every student who walks in the door. We also have a team of row hosts- what we’re calling our “point guard ministry.” They are looking for students to invite into their rows and in addition, are looking for students who did not attend that week so that they can contact them by phone. They also are asked to, in a friendly way, try to help keep the distractions to a minimum during worship and while I am preaching. They even bring gifts once a month to make sure the students know that they are highly valued. This is a ministry that the students enjoy. Only the ones who have proven themselves faithful and participate on a regular basis are asked to be involved in this area of ministry.

As well as continuing to cook meals and oversee the kitchen duties, Brandi is organizing what we are calling the guest reception. This is a time after the worship where new students are asked to be seated. We then all come around to shake their hands and let them know how glad we are to have them with us. Afterwards, we ask them to go into children’s church for a welcome party where they watch a DVD that talks about Velocity Student Ministries and answers some frequently asked questions.

We also have implemented a drama department. The drama skits that they have done have been a great help in getting the messages across to the students.

Our youth band is thriving and we have recently added several new youth to our worship team. They continue to grow in their ability to lead in worship each week.

We have also implemented a discipleship program called Turn Life, which is a program we adopted from Oneighty in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The students sign up for an eight week course that deals with several topics including salvation, the Word of God, operating in the overflow, the power of our words, authority, and witnessing. After service, they come into children’s church for twenty minutes and are taught a short and powerful illustrated lesson. Then the students take home a CD and corresponding workbook. Every week they get a new CD. After they complete the course, we will have a graduation where the students will take a zero pledge that states that they promise to abstain from drugs, alcohol and sexual relations until they are married. Our first graduation is scheduled for the first week in April.

Our recent trip to Acquire The Fire was incredible. We packed the bus with 41 students and seven adults. Everyone got involved and all were inspired to live radically for Jesus.
We are looking forward to this summer and a lot of the kids are already excited for summer camp. As you can see, we’re touching hearts and changing lives in our ever increasing and thriving youth department. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Sincerely,
Pastor Dave

Pursuing Passionate Living

2008-02-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Church Family,

Greetings in Jesus' Name! If you attended our men's and women's Bible studies last week, you heard Pastor Jeff and myself teach on the topic of pursuing passionate living. I received this short devotional by Pastor Joel Osteen that is a wonderful follow-up to what we discussed.

Don't settle for less than God's best in any area of your life-whether it be your marriage, your job, your finances, your health, or your relationships with God and other people. Vision for the God-kind of life comes from meditating in His Word, and passion to attain that kind of life is stirred up in prayer. Sever the chains of bondage to an average, mundane existence! Be passionate about loving God, loving life, and loving people!

With love,

Pastor Rebecca

Staying Alive Your Whole Life by Joel Osteen

Are you living every day filled with hope and expectancy? Are you living life to the fullest? So many people today have simply lost their enthusiasm for life. At one time, they were excited about their future. They were pursuing their dream, but along the way, they hit some roadblocks. Things didn’t work out, and now they’re just going through the motions of life. They quit dreaming. They quit pursuing their goals. They lost their purpose. Don’t let that be you! Make the choice to stay alive your whole life by keeping your dreams in front of you. Remember, you have a purpose. You have a destiny. You didn’t just accidentally show up on planet Earth. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb, and He has an assignment for you. You were created to make a difference—to impact our society—to make this world a better place.

On the inside of you right now, there are dreams and desires put there by the Creator of the universe. Don’t let the pressures of life push those dreams down. Stir up those dreams. Stir up those gifts. Shake off every disappointment and press forward. This is a new day. Get a new vision. Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, you’re going to keep pressing forward. You’re going to keep growing. You’re going to keep learning. You’re going to stay active. If you will stay passionate about life, knowing what your purpose is and being your best every day, God will pour out His blessings and favor on you, and you will live the life of victory He has in store!

Puppy Love

2008-01-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

This blog is humorous but brings across a very real verse of truth from the Word of God. First Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” For about the last year our family has been dealing with a new addition to our family—a puppy that is half Labrador Retriever and half Golden Retriever. We got him as a baby a couple of days before the big blizzard at the beginning of March last year. We learned very quickly that he was going to be a lot of work—we just didn’t know how much work/trouble he would be!

Blacky has done everything from tearing up flowers to digging down to the sewer line to ripping up the kids’ inflatable pool to destroying shoes, and about anything else he can get his paws, or should we say, teeth, on. We, along with some great help from Jock Gettys, installed an underground fencing system to keep him from killing the neighbor’s chickens and tearing clothes off their clothesline.

The first day we got the underground fencing installed he got shocked. We heard him yelp and thought he ran away. We spent hours driving around looking for him and asking neighbors if they had seen him. We looked all over but couldn’t find him anywhere. We went to bed that night thinking he might be gone forever. As much of a pain as he had been, we were still sad. (Pastor Rebecca even prayed and used her faith so that he would come home.) We were excited to find out the next morning that he had run into the garage and had been hiding under the van all afternoon and night. (At first Pastor Rebecca thought that surely the Lord had performed a miracle by translating him back from wherever he was lost into our garage. Then we just discovered he had gotten stuck under our vehicle.)

This winter we have felt sorry for him being out in the cold so we have let him come in the basement into the laundry room to warm up for a little bit if we are going to be downstairs. Last night I decided to tie him up by the basement door and just let him lie on the rug and warm up for awhile since it was so cold. In the few minutes he was there he chewed a hole in the rug and broke his leash. He then came running upstairs all excited to surprise everyone. If any of you have ever owned a puppy before you can probably relate at least a little bit! (I have had other puppies, but I don’t ever remember them being this much work or causing this many problems). I have thought several times over the last year about the verse at the top, “…love will cover a multitude of sins”. Because we love him we have chosen not to stay angry with him for the things he has done wrong. Although the application of this verse may be funny in this story, it is something we can all certainly apply in our Christian walk toward others every single day. If we can overlook the annoying habits of a puppy, we should surely be able to overlook the faults of our brothers and sisters and continue to love them as well. God bless.

Pastor Jeff

FOR HIS GLORY

2007-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings!
I have recently been meditating on Ephesians 2:10 which says that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them". You and I are God's workmanship, His own handiwork. He molds and shapes us to be vessels of glory to be used for His purposes in the earth. This verse also says that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. When you and I confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are born again and are now created in Christ Jesus after God's own likeness. We are born of the Spirit of God. God comes to live in these earthen vessels. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new". You and I are created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing good works. We are to glorify God with our thoughts, words, and actions--with all of our hearts. When we do this God is glorified and His plan is carried out on the earth through the body of Christ.

So does this mean that we become robots when we get saved and are just created to work, work, work for God and never enjoy life? No, it's quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. That's the glory of the New Testament and the ministry of the Spirit through us. He gives us the desire to live for God and to serve God and the grace to do it. He also reminds us that ultimately a reward is laid up for each of us in eternity when we live for His glory. That should inspire each of us and give us a sense of destiny and purpose as well as joy for the journey. Not only that, but He helps us to enjoy our families and friends and to live a balanced life. Anyone who has done much for God knows that to continue to be used of God one must continually draw from the the rivers of living water and let his or her soul be refreshed in the Lord.

The last part of Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God has already prepared ahead of time that we should fulfill these good works. I don't know about you but I'm not living just for life on this earth at this present time. I believe that God has had a plan for my life and for yours from the beginning of time and that He is counting on us to live out that plan. I believe He wants to use us in a mighty way. I believe that there is only one chance to get it right. There is no second time around on this earth. I want to do as much good as I can right now. I want to affect as many people as I can right now. I want to win as many people to the Lord as I can right now. I want to bring us much glory to God as I can right now. It's what I was created for. It's what you were created for. Will you accept the challenge, or will you miss out on the wonderful blessing of living a life for God's purpose? Whenever you choose God's way you are choosing the way of life! God bless each of you as you follow after God with all of your heart. There are always going to be opportunities to get distracted, discouraged, and sidetracked. But know that you serve a BIG God and that He is BIG in you!

Sincerely,
Pastor Jeff

A Scary Thought

2007-10-31T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! Today is the day that the world celebrates Halloween-the Day of the Dead-and glorifies things that are frightening, dark, and grotesque. Of course, we don't participate in the "festivities" because our God is a God of Peace and Light and His Word warns us to flee from evil, no matter how harmless it may seem. However, I want to draw your attention to a topic that, if you think about it enough, can put the good kind of fear into you-godly fear.

The other day I happened to read an article on the Internet about the recently deceased Steve Irwin (the famous "Crocodile Hunter") and the wife and children he left behind. I was sharing the information I had learned with my 8-year-old, Gloryana, who is an avid animal lover herself. She asked me if I thought Mr. Irwin went to heaven, and I told her I didn't know for sure, but that it didn't seem like they were followers of Christ from some of the comments that his wife had made in the article. She proceeded to ask me in her childlike way if people in hell could see what was happening up in the earth. I answered "no" and began to think about how utterly hopeless a soul in hell must feel. For a moment, it was as if the Lord let me glimpse at the despair of someone, perhaps someone who accomplished much during their earthly life, who upon expiration of their physical body, finds themselves escorted down to a place filled with darkness, death, and worst of all-NO HOPE. No hope that they will ever see the light of day. No hope that they will ever be re-united with the ones they loved and see what they accomplished with their lives. No hope that they could ever warn them not to come there. No hope that they will ever feel peace, love, joy, or security again. No hope of escape. NONE.

What a tragic eternal existence! Hell was not a place created for humans, but for the devil and his demons. (Matt. 25:41) But untold multitudes descend there every day because either they have not been told the Truth, or because they have rejected the Truth. If thinking about that for awhile doesn't make you want to go out and evangelize, I don't know what does!

We have the ability to prevent this terrible scenario from happening to those who are around us. All we have to do is open our mouths and tell them the Truth! When we do this, one of three things will happen: 1)They will accept Christ; 2)A seed will be planted, of which a harvest could be reaped at a later time; 3)They will reject our message, but we will get rewards in Heaven because of our faithfulness to tell them (see Luke 6:22-23). Evangelism is a win-win-win situation! You cannot lose!

I pray that as a church, our lives will be consumed with the heartbeat of Heaven-winning souls and discipling believers. Think about Eternity today.

Love In Christ,
Pastor Rebecca

Forward Moving Faith

2007-09-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

Grace and peace! Time has slipped away from us, and I recently realized that it has been quite awhile since we've written to you. It seems like the summer flew by, and now the beautiful fall season is upon us. With fall, and the return of children to school, many of us begin again in our daily schedules and routines, which are sometimes a refreshing change after the busy-ness of summer. I have always enjoyed structure, so getting back into the "routine of things" has been welcomed at my house! I find that as I re-focus on my normal daily disciplines, I take time to analyze my spiritual life as well to make sure that it, too, is sharp and focused. I want to know that I am continually gaining ground and not back-tracking in all areas-spirit, soul, and body.

This type of living-continually analyzing our lives for the purpose of bringing about growth and improvement-is one way to live our lives seeing through the eye of faith. We believe that God always has good plans for our future, so we strive to do TODAY the things that will cause us to prosper TOMORROW.

The New Testament Greek word for faith is pistis. The very nature of this word denotes a force that is forward-directed and aggressive-never passive or backward-reaching, but always reaching forward to obtain or achieve a specific target or goal. Let's look at this definition a little more closely:

"A force that is forward-directed"- If we are walking in the Spirit, we should never be going backward in our Christian walk, or even staying the same! We should always be taking new ground. We don't have the power to continually think like this on our own. The only force that could enable us to live at all times with a forward-directed mentality is the Force of the Holy Spirit working on the inside of us.

"Aggressive-never passive"- Human nature invites us to "coast" when things are going okay and to "ride" on the waves of yesterday's move of God in our life or our church. However, yesterday's move is not good enough for today! God wants us to seek Him aggressively, with passion in our hearts, each and every day. Remember: "The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12)

"Always reaching forward to obtain or achieve a specific target or goal"- Always means always! There's no time to take a break in our faith walk. We must have our eyes set on the goal and be ever reaching forward from deep within our spirits to achieve whatever that goal may be. Whether it's your job, a relationship, your family life, your spiritual growth, or the ministry that God has called you to, don't lose your faith focus.

The Holy Spirit is on the move at Abundant Life Church! Pastor and I are striving to live in the very essence of this definition of faith each day for ourselves, for you, and for this ministry. We are believing God for increase in every area of our church. We appreciate your prayers and the spiritual supply that you bring! May each of you continue to grow and be strengthened in your walk with the Lord!

For the Kingdom,
Pastor Rebecca

Strongmen

2007-07-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

The lyrics to the new song we sang at church on Sunday have been running through our hearts lately. The song began, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord. We will wait upon the Lord." Have you taken time to wait upon the Lord lately? To wait upon Him means to minister to or serve Him through prayer, worship, reading His Word, and taking time to listen to the voice of His Spirit.

Christians should be the "strongest-of-spirit" people in all the world! We should set an example for everyone with our ability to be peaceful during a tumult, to be joyous when everyone else is depressed, and to be valiant in times of adversity. When the people around us are crumbling emotionally, we must be the ones who are "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10) We should ever be ready to lift people up with the strength that's in us from Almighty God!

If you are not feeling strong right now, take time to meditate on the following Scriptures to form a new belief in your heart. And if you do feel full with the strength that comes from Heaven, let these verses water your faith:

Isaiah 40:28-31, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Nehemiah 8:10, "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
2 Timothy 2:1, "Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. "
Joshua 1:9, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Spend some refreshing time in God's presence, and let the Giver of strength infuse you with His power!

We love you!

Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

Home Improvement

2007-05-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

Ahhh....Spring is here and love is in the air. This is the time of year, it seems, when flowers and romance blossom and, for many, love culminates into marriage. We thought it was amusing a couple of months ago when we heard that last year a well-known prophet said that this year (2007) would be a year of weddings. Well, he must have been right, because all we have been doing lately is attending weddings, performing weddings, conducting pre-wedding counseling, and hearing of couples who are engaged and planning their weddings!

Since marriage has been on our minds, we decided to use this blog to discuss the importance of the husband and wife roles in the home. These roles are God-ordained, and when properly fulfilled, cause us to experience "days of heaven upon the earth". (Deut. 11:21)

I (Pastor Rebecca) will begin with encouragement for the wives. Ladies, God has been showing me in the past few months that the most important thing you can do to cause your marriage to flourish is to respect and esteem your husband. In fact, let's look at what the Bible has to say on this very subject: "...let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly.] (Ephesians 5:33-Amplified) I could write a whole teaching, taking each of these words and expounding upon them with definitions, etc. but I trust that you will meditate and receive revelation from the Holy Spirit on your own. Your husband needs your respect-whether he is a non-believer, pew-warmer, or on-fire Christian! When we women stop trying to get our husbands to change (so that they can be how we think they should be) and instead take verses like these and actually obey them on a constistent basis, we will be amazed at how God works in both of our lives! God made men to need support and undergirding from a loving wife, not correction, criticism, or an attitude of disapproval. You have the power to either make or break your man. Use this ability to help him rise up into all that God has for him in life. In doing this, you will find that you receive love, blessing, and promotion yourself.

I (Pastor Jeff) want to speak briefly to the men. Ephesians 5:25 tells us men that we are to love our wives "just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her". First Corinthians 13:5 says that love "does not seek its own". When a man truly becomes interested in loving his wife and seeking how he can be a blessing to her, it will draw his wife toward him. Many times in marriage men and women are fighting for what they want. If they would become interested in what their partner wants instead, they would end up getting what they want in the end. It truly takes both sides to make a great marriage. It takes hard work and it takes an attitude of selflessness (the opposite of selfishness). As my wife stated, we must work at changing ourselves and not be thinking about how we would like our spouse to change. Even if they never change, you will be a better person and will have been obedient to live how God wants you to live. I also believe that if you keep sowing love and positive things toward your spouse you are going to reap good things back. When we truly get a revelation of that our marriages will be what God intended for them to be. God bless each of you and may you experience heaven in your home.

In Christ's love,
Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

Mind Maintenance

2007-04-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:23 (Amplified), "And be CONSTANTLY renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.]"

Because of a situation I experienced this week, I have been meditating on a truth that was stated by Joyce Meyer in our Battlefield of the Mind books: "Right thinking comes before right actions. Right actions are a 'fruit' of right thinking." In other words, what you start thinking about on a regular basis is what you will end up doing.

The devil is sneaky. His ways are predictable, but must be guarded against with vigilant caution. You might be living a life pleasing to the Lord, walking in holiness, spending time in the Word and prayer, and doing everything right that you know to do as a Christian. And then comes the thought..."There's that person who offended you-don't say hello to them." OR..."You've been tithing, but you haven't really seen any increase in your life." OR..."That person is better looking and treats you nicer than your spouse." OR..."God doesn't really care about you personally. You're not important." These thoughts come in a variety of forms, and are meant to plant seeds of doubt. If you choose to think on them, they will lead to unbelief, and eventually, to sin.

When these thoughts come, we must make an IMMEDIATE choice to replace them with the Word of God. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." It should be obvious to the Christian that the enemy of our souls desires to cause us to fall out of fellowship with our heavenly Father, and we should not be ignorant of the devices that he uses. Sin and bondage of all kinds always start first in the mental realm. When we refuse to take these God-contrary thoughts into ourselves, and instead replace them with heavenly thoughts, we are, in a sense, scoring points for the Kingdom, and damaging the forces of darkness.

Last night I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, "This time that you are living in is a time to be accurate. There is no room for playing around with disobedience or unbelief." We have much work to get accomplished before we are caught away in the Rapture. Not only that, but we live in a dangerous time as well-a time in which we MUST be actively led by the Holy Spirit. Unbelief and sin hinder our ability to hear God's voice.

I thank God for the Holy Spirit Who helped us to walk victoriously! I pray that you too are purposing to maintain a Christ-like mind and to grow strong in the ways of God. One day when the rewards are passed out in Heaven, you'll be glad you did!

Love and blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

Made New By The Blood

2007-04-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Dear church family,

I want to share some thoughts for you to meditate on this week of Easter. This is a foretaste of some of the things I will be sharing this Sunday.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new". You and I have been made new by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior). Verse 21 of 2 Corinthians 5 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him". E.W. Kenyon gives this definition of righteousness, "the ability to stand in the presence of Father God without the sense of guilt or inferiority". He goes on to say the it is "the nature of the Father imparted to us". You and I, as believers, will never get any more righteous than we are right now. Death itself will not even make us more righteous--glory to God! We have been given much because of the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 9:12 says, "Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption". The Bible is referring to what Jesus did for us in Hebrews 2:10 when it says, "bringing many sons to glory". In Romans 8:29 Paul referred to Jesus as "the firstborn among many brethren". Verse 30 in the amplified says "...raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being". That's talking about you and I. Hebrews 12:10 says that we have been made "partakers of His holiness".

Friends, we have a lot to be thankful for. Let's go out and tell the world about Jesus. Bring two or three people to church with you this Sunday if you can and let them hear the good news of the gospel. God bless.

Pastor Jeff

An Open Door

2007-03-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I asked Pastor Jeff if I could write the blog entry this time to share something that the Lord put on my heart last week. I had been meditating on the prophecy given by Dr. Dufresne during our special service a few weeks ago. Second Chronicles 20:20 says, "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." This man of God declared to Pastor and myself, "The fifth year is a pivotal year where you’ll see another phase that you’ll come up to, [that] this church will come up to." This was a confirmation to both of us since the Lord had already spoken this to us individually. As you may know, we will be entering the fifth year of our ministry here this coming December.

Last Wednesday night during corporate prayer, I heard the Lord say in my heart that He has set an open door before our church over the next few months that He desires us to walk through-together. We have seen amazing things happen in our Body during the past years, but He said that these things are simply "the tip of the iceberg" compared to what He plans to do through us if we will be willing and obedient. I heard specifically that Abundant Life Church is called to demonstrate what God desires for a New Testament church to this region and to this generation. We should regularly experience signs, miracles, healings, deliverances, and salvations happening both in our services and outside of them.

So, I asked the Lord, "How does our church walk through this door?" I heard Him say that it will happen by three means: prayer, faith, and desire.

We must purpose as a Body to keep ourselves continually stirred in these three areas so that God's plan may be accomplished through us. We must always refuse to slip into apathy and complacency, which is the way of human nature, and choose to continually be filled with the Spirit and His fire. And we also must think BIG with the eye of faith, refusing to limit God and allowing Him to move in whatever ways He desires. Isaiah 54:2-3 says, "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited."

Will you walk through this door with us? Let's press in like never before so that we can be the generation that shows our communities the power, glory, and mighty works of God!

With love and blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

Children of God

2007-02-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

1 John 3:1 says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" What an awesome privilege we have as Christians to be considered children of God. We have spiritual DNA that can be traced to Jehovah (God). Our spiritual makeup is a lot like God's, because He lives in us. In Colossians 1:27 Paul uses the phrase, "Christ in you, the hope of glory". God lives in us when be come His children by making Jesus the Lord of our lives and accepting His glorious salvation. That is something we can praise God for throughout eternity.
Let that love that is in you (through the Holy Spirit) begin to affect not only your life but those around you. Share it with others. Lavish it on others. You have a rich supply in God. Romans 5:5 tells us that "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us". Freely you have received, freely give. You will reap a rich harvest of love back in your life as you do this!

Be blessed,
Pastor Jeff

New Grace for the New Year

2007-01-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

I want to encourage each of you that God has more than enough grace for you to accomplish all that He has for you in the new year. Now is the time to seek His face and find out what He has for you to do in this year. I believe it will be another glorious year because we serve a glorious God. That doesn't mean that you won't encounter some challenges to the plan that God has for you, but know that God's grace is more than enough.
I believe that as we all seek to please God and do His will we will see another fruitful year in 2007! As you seek to do God's will, I want to remind you of one of my favorite passages of Scripture. Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint". Remember to wait upon the Lord, and you will have all the strength necessary to do all that God wants you to do!

Have a prosperous 2007!
Pastor Jeff