it’s all about the love

I read this post this morning and cannot get it’s referenced scriptures/content off my mind…..so I feel compelled to share it with you. No matter what, it’s all about love. It’s from CHRIS BENNETT, lead pastor at New Community Church in Las Vegas. His blog at http://newcommchurch.blogspot.com

-tom

Impotence

Many people wonder why the church is losing it’s influence in today’s world. Why are people voting with their feet and leaving in droves? Why are lives not changing? Could it be that the church and it’s people have lost power? Have we become impotent?

1 Cor. 13:1-3 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. [3] If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

According to what you just read, without love…

• What you say is annoying
• What you know makes you know-it-all
• What you believe becomes irrelevant
• What you give gains you nothing
• What you accomplish is worthless

In other words: Life unmotivated by love has no power. It is impotent. Worthless. Nothing matters more than relationships. And in relationships nothing matters more than love. God is Love.

1 John 4:8 (MSG) “The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.”

she’s still young at heart

Alex, me and Sharon

I thought that turning 40 was easy. Yesterday

we pulled a quick surprise birthday party for my wife. Sharon will turn 50 this week. One of our good friends, June Janzen, made the plan and executed it to perfection. Great job Junie! We gathered many family and friends to help her celebrate what has been an adventure of a year.

Her life has been very busy over the last year. In the highs and the lows, she has trusted God to lead her through her 49th year of life. What’s even more exciting is that I believe that this next year will be one of the most blessed and God lead times of her life.

Thanks to all of you who helped to celebrate Sharon’s milestone this week. You mean so much to my family. I love you “sweetie”. Have a great week!

-tom

it’s all about the boot!

 

ok, it's crutches too!

Well, it’s been almost 10 weeks now since that fateful day when that mean cast iron bathroom sink launched off my basement wall and found my right foot to protect it from hitting the floor and thereby breaking my first metatarsal. Since then, I’ve been in a foot cast for 4 weeks and then (thanks to Dr. Truong) he removed that smelly thing and put me into a walking boot. Unfortunately, I am still unable to put weight (Dr’s orders) on my broken foot. Glad to say that I see the Doc in two weeks for another x-ray and evaluation. Maybe I’ll be released to stroll just a little!

Ok, the point in all of this is this: When something like this happens and puts your usual life in a big holding pattern, it makes you (you have the time to) realize how much of your life is going right by you. However, the best part of all of it is that I am blessed by the kind words and actions of those around me who have challenged me to take it easy and let my foot heal. I don’t just “take it easy” very easily. But this event has taught me that it’s ok to not be in control of everything (that’s something else God is teaching me through this).

 

Of course thats because I’m not in control and He is. Thanks for the reminder!

-tom

so what is this biblical community?

The results of ordinary everyday followers of Jesus taking adventurous steps of faith (outside their box) in a ground floor (it’s very beginning) environment to help grow/change spiritual and physical transformation in the lives of people they may have never met or have no idea where their heart was before meeting them. 

If you are a “Christ-follower” and attend a church where “the truth” (from God’s word) is spoke, I challenge you. I challenge you to work with other Christ-followers in your community. For those who think that building the biggest MEGA church in the area is where it’s at (and it could be for you), I dare you to take the walls down of your efforts and work with the other churches in your community. If the churches in your city are spiritually dead, be part of their AWAKENING and build biblical community with them. 

I am a little tired of the “we are dominating the world” attitude in churches. God is calling us to reach people where they are (churched or unchurched). Attitudes can separate us, even in the church. 

So, what is biblical community to you? How do you and the church you attend do biblical community? I hope you will comment? My comments will be here too…I am excited about the efforts that God is putting before us in bringing His church together. 

-tom

the weekend that was….amazing

Crossroads Worship Team

Hooray, it was fun! Yes, that is exactly right, hooray! This last weekend Halstead’s own Crossroads Community Church held it’s first ”party in the park” community event. Our purpose? Meet the community in a place where they could come out in some great weather (thank you God), eat some amazing food (thanks Randy), great music dramas (thanks C3 students), inflatable fun (thanks Randy, again) and live worship music (thanks to Kim, Mersades, Baren, Alex, Corey, Bill, Tom). Yes, this weekend was a big hooray, it was fun! Crossroads put on an awesome time of community fellowship………………..Thanks Halstead for the fun. Thank you God for putting all together in a way that only you can. AMAZING!

-tom

mega is still correct

As I look toward tomorrow’s very first outreach event for Halstead’s Crossroads Community Church, “party in the park”, I wanted to share what God has been “narrowing my focus” with over the last two months. I’ll explain….

Those who serve God in churches in smaller communities are often tempted to think “small,” focusing on obstacles instead of possibilities, limits rather than potential. God has been leading me in a paradigm shift. Rather than thinking in terms of size or resources, or even becoming a “mega church,” I am becoming totally focused about how Crossroads will have a “mega-impact” in our community. Focusing on what our church can do–right where it is–to change the spiritual landscape of the neighborhoods we live in.

So, as we meet together this weekend I am asking all who attend Crossroads to consider this question: What can Crossroads Community Church do today to touch the lives of the people who live in our community? I look forward to your ideas……………….

See you this weekend!

-tom

he’s no James Dean, but glad he isn’t….

Ok, that kind of looks like Alex…

My youngest son Alex never ceases to amaze me in what he gets himself into…..Tryouts for the next Halstead High School fall play production happened last week and parts were announced. He was chosen to play the role that infamous actor James Dean played in the movie production of “Rebel without a cause”! On a daily basis, Alex does and says things that truly make me very proud that God gave him to me as my son. I’ll keep you informed of his progress in the play as well as the dates of the performances coming up in November. Have fun “little man”, you deserve it! Love you son!!

-Dad

October thoughts

As I get older in years (pushing 50), the days, weeks and months go by quicker everyday. Our family continues to always keep us busy with life, school, friends and church. Ah yes, church! Since 2005, we have made a bigger effort to listen (yes listen first) and follow where God has been leading our family.

After attending the same church in Halstead for the first 8 years of our residence in our fair city, we left and began (with our good friends the Heskett family) to visit many churches in the Wichita area (both rural and metro) as we patiently waited on God to color inside the lines that he provides in a picture of what a new church would like in the Halstead community. 

Being in the month of October, I’m reminded of the first church plant (RiverPoint Church, now meeting in Newton) that our families were a part of starting as an opportunity reach those in our community who were unchurch or far from God. We are very excited about what RiverPoint Church and it’s leaders are now accomplishing in the Newton area. Working in Newton, I know what a difference RPC can make. Praise God for lifting people like us from our dead spaces and advancing His church.

Once again, October has God’s newness all over our family as we were led to be a part of a second church plant in two years. Crossroads Community Church is an additional answer to the original vision that God laid on our hearts back in 2005 for Halstead, being “community in community”. Much affirmation each day from God’s word and His Spirit around CCC. We are seing high school students entering into a relationship with Christ for the first time as well as adults re-connecting with their Savior weekly.

This is a big ole’ world, and I believe that every October will remind of God’s growing love for seeing His church(s) advanced in Harvey County and around the world. Praise God for people willing to stand up for HIm. Have a blessed Sunday experience…….

-tom