2010

You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.

Psalm 65:11

The end of a year is always a strange time. We have one foot in the old year while ready to take the first step into the new. We pause to reflect on the past as we anticipate a brighter tomorrow. It’s important to be thankful for God’s blessings thus far but also to remember that His work in your life is not yet compete (Philippians 1:6).

It’s hard to believe that the year 2010 is right around the corner. Not only are we about to begin a new year, we are about to begin a new decade. It’s difficult to believe that ten years ago right now we were wondering about Y2K.

It’s amazing how time flies. It seems like yesterday we were welcoming the new millennium and today we’re already a decade into the new era. When you reflect on the past decade was a time of blessing or trial in your life? No doubt a lot happened in that short amount of time.

The question I would like you to ponder now is how are you going to spend the next decade of your life? This last ten years seemed to fly by and yet so much happened. What’s your plan for the next ten years? Think about your life, your purpose, your family, your relationship with God, etc. Spend time with God and pray about what He has in store for you.

I can honestly say I have never been so excited about the future. I can’t wait to see what Christ has in store for you and His church as He establishes His Kingdom and prepares for His return.

Why is Christmas so important?

Why is Christmas so important?

If you were to ask the average person today to tell you what they thought about Jesus they would probably respond... He was a great teacher, or He was a miracle worker, or even He was a good man. All of these answers would be true, but these are not the reason He came to earth. There are four verses, one from each Gospel, that we call the purpose verses for Jesus’ life.

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 (NLT)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 (NLT)

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

Luke 19:10 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come...I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives... this is the very reason I came!

John 12:23, 24, 27 (NLT)

Jesus was a great teacher, a miracle worker, and a perfect man but the reason Jesus came was to be our Savior. We were all are dead in our trespasses and sins. Our ultimate need is for a Savior that would come, take the penalty for our sins, and restore us into a right relationship with God. Jesus came as a baby, to later die on cross, in order to save us from our sins. Never forget why Jesus came. He came to be our savior.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

My Book Shelf – Primal by Mark Batterson

My Book Shelf – Primal by Mark Batterson

Every now and then in my blog to the church I like to share with you the books that I’m reading that really challenge and inspire me. My hope is that these books do the same for you.

I have a new favorite book and no surprise it comes from our long time friend Mark Batterson. I have enjoyed Mark’s previous books including ID: The True You, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, and Wild Goose Chase. His latest book is called PRIMAL, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. Mark’s premise is that our generation of Christianity needs a reformation, but not a reformation to create something new but rather a reformation that rediscovers the old.

In Primal, we are challenged to look back at the first Christians and the early church that had to strive to simply exist. It was a time when numbers were insignificant, worldly influence was little, being a Christian was illegal, and the church had to meet in underground graveyards. Batterson asks us to remember their creed, the Great Commandment, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Mark 12:30 (NLT)

In the four sections of the book Mark takes each point of the Great Commandment and reveals...

• The heart of Christianity is primal compassion.
• The soul of Christianity is primal wonder.
• The mind of Christianity is primal curiosity.
• The strength of Christianity is primal energy.

Through the use of story and Scripture Mark paints a picture of what the renewed believers will look like. That, in reality, they’ll actually look a lot more like the believers of old and that our new reformation will not only be built on creeds but more so on our deeds.

Concussion

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?

Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)

I wanted to write and thank everyone for praying for me the past couple of weeks. As many of you I suffered a concussion the Sunday we moved out of the Prime Outlet Mall in Huntley. Without going into great detail I basically overestimated my strength and coordination and ended by hitting my head quite hard. I have to admit I was pretty frustrated with myself and the situation and had plenty of time to think about it during my week of doctor-ordered rest.

I try to learn from my mistakes. So, when things like this happen or when I go through a difficult time I try to make a list of lessons I’ve learned in the process. But as I began to make my usual list I was challenged in my spirit to instead make a list of things I was thankful for as a result of the accident. Here are a few items from my list...

• I am thankful for a God that watches out for us even when we don’t make the wisest choices.
• I am thankful for family and friends that notice and care enough to force you go to the emergency room.
• I am thankful for a caring and praying church family.
• I am thankful for a church staff that can carry on the work of ministry.
• I am thankful for a God the heals.
• I am thankful for a thick skull.

This weekend I’m praying for you and the services at Christian Life. Leslie and I together with with Pastor Harry and the entire Mission Possible board are in Ft. Lauderdale at an important Mission Possible 25th anniversary event. I will be sure to give Brother Ivo and the entire MP team your love and greetings in the Lord.