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DTOTD

May 21, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC, Jesus

by Brendon

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Dwelling.

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Brendon

“ I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt….” – Leviticus 26:11-13a

In today’s world, the thought of who you are with is becoming more and more apparent and judged.

Oh you hang out with that crowd….

Oh, I didn’t expect you to be hanging out with that kind of person…

Oh you believe the same thing as them??

It’s almost like the people we hang out with or dwell with will determine what everyone will think of us.

It’s like the question, what high school did you go to? The answer will determine everything someone needs to think and know

about you.

However, what if we start to think about the people we dwell with. The people that we do life with. The people that influence us the most. The people that can determine what your outcome in life could be like.

God makes this statement over all of the Bible.

In Genesis we see Adam and Eve had a very personal relationship with God. In Gen. 3 we see it noted that in the cool of the evening, God came to walk with Adam and Eve in the garden. But we see that because Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree they were not supposed to, they hid from God. ( Gen. 3:8-9 ).

In Leviticus, we see that already, God is wanting to dwell again with his people. God leads them out of Egypt and along the way they fall away from God over and over and will continue to do so. ( Lev. 26:11-12 )

In the prophet Ezekiel’s book, we see that after God brings a valley of dry bones back to life, God make mention to covenant of peace and that God’s dwelling will be with his creation. ( Eze. 37:27 )

In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul makes this claim again that God desires to dwell among his people and they will know Him and know that he is their God. ( 2 Corin. 16c)

Then again in Revelation, the apostle John writes in Revelation 21, that behold, the dwelling place of God is with his his creation. That He will dwell with them and they will be his people. ( Rev. 21:3 )

We can see that God from the beginning of life, to the end of life, has one goal….to dwell or be with close contact with his people.

And in seasons of life it is incredibly hard to understand and really embrace this truth. The truth that God really does love you and desires a relationship with you.

In seasons of winning: when you have great health in your family or when you get the promotion you worked so hard for or when you move to a new location that brings new life to our heart or when you have a healthy baby come into the world or when you win the lottery!

In seasons of losing: when health is an issue, when you lose your job, when you don’t get that promotion, when you look at your bank account and it is not where you thought it would be, or when you look at your house and see all of the repairs that you are not able to make, or when you look at your relationship with your spouse and it is on the rocks or when you lose a loved one.

God still, desires to be with you.

Life is hard. Jesus tells us that in John 16:33.

Even when we fall away from God.

Even when we forget about the things he calls us too.

Even when we stop thinking about him.

Even when we don’t feel his presence because of what is going on in our life.

Even when……..

God desires to dwell with you.

Whatever season you might find yourself in today, rest in this peace, that God desires you.

With all of your shortcomings. With all of our mistakes. With all of our doubts and fears. With all of our thoughts that lead us away from Him.

God still and wants desires a relationship with you.

May 21, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC

by Brendon

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Words on a page or words of truth?

This thought has been one burning in my mind for a little while now, because it is a thought that is going to become super important with a middle school daughter. And to be honest this next season of life for her, I am excited for! She is smart and dedicated and strong and powerful. My prayer and thought for her, is what will she do with all of that in her life?

So as we begin this thought, I want to say that I believe the Bible, whether you believe it or not, can be boiled down to this:

” In the beginning God created……..” Genesis 1:1a

Those five words can dictate the way that we read the Bible, interact with the Bible and even allow the Bible to interact with our hearts, minds and souls.

” All scripture is God breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God, may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17

The graphic above, you probably have seen floating around your social media feeds over the last few months. It is a graph that shows in detail the cross references of the Bible in its entirety. Not just a few of them but all the references that are used in the bible. As one pastor put it, ” if this was the work on one man, we would think that he is the greatest composer of all time. But in reality, the scriptures were written by over 40 people and over 1500 years of history…” The graph shows that there are 63,779 cross references in scripture.

To be honest with you, this thought is one that over my entire life span I have never asked, is the Bible real or is it just a group of made up stories? I have never once asked myself, why do I believe what is written in these pages? Why do I continue to study these scriptures throughout my life?

The answer……because I believe the first five words of the Bible are true.

I believe that God created the earth and sky and space and heaven and stars and trees and oceans and waters and animals and birds and humans. I believe that when in the garden of eden when humans were left to their own choices, we made the wrong one which brought separation from God who created us to be with him in His creation. I believe that God then set humans, his creation, apart from the rest of creation to be the key piece to reconciling his creation back to Himself. I believe that God used fallen humans to be spokesman for Himself by giving the words of the Bible to men and woman to write down and be taught and remembered and passed down. I believe that God used his creation to send his Son Jesus down to earth to live a life that is worth of emulating and following because that is the way Grace was given to anyone who will listen and believe. I also believe that without the Bible, Christianity would not have a guide that is living and breathing and interacting with minds, bodies, hearts and society….even when society doesn’t know it.

The Bible is the story of God and God’s people. God’s people in the Old Testament being the nation of Israel and in the New Testament we learn that the people of God are not just limited to one group but to any and all that will listen and believe and turn back to God. God working through his creation, even though fallen and separated from Him due to sin, to bring his creation back to himself.

Does the Bible have some crazy stories inside the covers, absolutely! A man being swallowed by a fish and then being spat out in the exact place that he needs to be, or how about the story of a king that is transformed into a donkey because he makes some dumb decisions, or what about the stories of kings going to war for the soul purpose of covering up the fact he slept with the wrong person. The Bible is full of stories that are crazy to the reader, especially when you read in the book of Judges that a man took his concubine and cut her up and sent pieces of her to all over the world at the time.

But here is the key – In the beginning God Created.

There are lots of holy texts in the world, whether it is the Qur’an, the Dhammapada of Buddhism, The Tanahk of Judaism, The Rig Veda of Hinduism, the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible and even the book of Mormon.

Holy texts can be found in all religions across the world. The genuine question that comes back to any written scripture or literature for a religion is…..

Do you believe it?

Whatever the holy text is….that is always the baseline question.

For me, the Bible in all of the craziness and all of the cross references and even the things that I do not fully understand points me this:

A love God, that created everything so that his creation can be perfect with Him. And throughout the 2 canons of the bible, we read God’s story of constantly loving, forgiving, rebuking, teaching, drawing closer, grace-giving and in the end, defeating the power of Sin to give his creation the ability to come and reconcile their relationship with Him. For me, the first five words of the Bible are true. Which means everything else in the Bible, whether I understand them or not, I will wrestle and interact and allow God’s Spirit to work in my life through the study of the Bible and allow me to extend that love and grace that I learn to those around me as I become more like Jesus reaching out to introduce others to Jesus.

Might be the least amount of Bible usage to have a thought on the Bible, but scriptures are something that you have to interact with and come to your own conclusion on whether or not to believe it or whether or not you pick and chose and only believe what you want to believe.

The Bible is full of hard lessons and ideas to comprehend and demonstrations to follow, but that is also why this journey of following Jesus to be reconciled with God in the work of the Spirit is not one that comes to an end or a finish line. It is a journey that will be forever long and however you run the race, the Bible will never change, just like its heavenly author will never change and just like its main hero will never change and just like the love, grace and mercy that is free to anyone who will listen will never change.

The Bible is the written word of God, and God breathed the words into over 40 different people to write the story of how God wants to reconcile his creation to himself. The Bible is the lifeblood of the Christ follower and the authority in which we should live and direct our lives.

May 21, 2024

in DTOTD

by Brendon

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Persuading…not coercing or manipulating

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Brendon

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others……Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ was reconciling us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” – 2 Cor. 5: 11a, 17-18

Have you ever been persuaded to do something? Or maybe to buy something? Or maybe even to sign up for something??

I started my credit history this way. I was on a mission trip to Boston, which was one of my favorite cities in the country, but at a Red Sox game at Fenway park, I was for sure overwhelmed with where I was and all that I was experiencing. I remember walking through the concourse of Fenway and just marveling at the history and the structure of the ball field. I also remember how cold I was. I had just purchased a new hoodie thinking that might be warm enough for the night…I was wrong. So as I was walking around, I heard the question “Would you like a blanket?”

I stopped and looked at a table with a bunch of fleece Red Sox blankets. I wanted one. So I listened to this dude talk to me about getting this blanket and I found myself filling out a form to open my first ever credit card, to get a blanket for free! Great deal!! I know, I was young and vulnerable and cold and gullible. However, as I read the passage above that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, I realized how easily I was persuaded to sign up for something that I didn’t want or need at the time, just for a blanket.

What if it was that easy to persuade someone to know and believe and follow Jesus?

We see it all the time in our worlds, people are persuaded to buy that item that is on sale for the next three and half minutes. We are persuaded to go to the place that has a deal on all of its meats in the market so we can get the best price for our favorite cut of beef. We are persuaded to believe someone is wrong to vote for someone else. We are persuaded to follow the crowd of whatever the new thing to ‘cancel’ is. We are persuaded by others to doubt ourself about what we believe. We are persuaded in all sorts of ways.

What if we were able to be persuaded by God every day of our lives?

Persuasion in this case is not making mention to someone tricking you into something, but really the complete opposite in persuading someone by the words you speak and the life you live to show Jesus’ love to those around you, to the point that those around you want to know who Jesus is because of the way you live your life.

May 13, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Child Welfare, Church, DTOTD, Global, Guest Services, HCC, Local, Natural Disaster Response, Outreach, packapack, School Outreach, Serve Teams, The Sharing Shed

by Brendon

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Faith without works, is dead

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

– James 2:14-17

Serving others, out of a humble heart, is not an easy choice that not everyone will make.

In the church, we talk about serving all of the time. And to be honest, we have too. Serving is of vital importance to every church’s existence and operational ability. The church was not created to be a paid enterprise organization that is able to pay every single person that changes a diaper or leads a small group. As crazy as it sounds, the church was created to be a vessel of people that would pour into the people around them and inside the walls of the church building to be able to lead those to knowing and following Jesus.

There is one thing about learning about God from an academic stand point, but it is something completely different when it comes to following Jesus’ example of life here on earth.

When we see the disciples, which eventually become Apostles in the book of Acts, get called by Jesus, very early on we see the disciples both learning things and unlearning things. The disciples are learning from Jesus about what life could look like and unlearning what they have been taught since they were kids. Jesus also takes the moments to send his disciples out, very often, the disciples are sent out to serve and to preach the good news of Jesus.

You see when you begin to follow Jesus, and become his disciple, we find that serving is intertwined with your faith and your deepening understanding of who Jesus is for us and through us.

The problem we all face, is that serving has become somewhat of a ‘glamour’ seeking endeavor. Serving has been distorted to be into something that we can brag about. If you read Thought #8, you may be thinking, this sounds a whole lot like hospitality, well because serving and hospitality go hand in hand with our discipleship to Jesus.

You see as we get closer to Jesus, we see that Jesus had a natural rhythm to life that we can emulate. It may not be as deep or as perfect as Jesus’, which is no surprise, it can be lived out in a daily way.

” ………….But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-45

Serving is not about your ability to brag about where you serve or how many people you serve. Serving is about the love you have for Jesus overflowing out of our hearts towards others. It could look like this:

Having a meal with family friends that don’t know Jesus. (hospitality)

Planning a VBS while on a mission trip in Ethiopia. (serving)

Wiping the nose of an upset 3 year old at church in the middle of the summer. (serving)

Stopping to listen to a hurting friend or coworker. (hospitality)

Cleaning the bathrooms at a church that doesn’t have anyone to clean the church on a regular basis. (serving)

Reaching out to your neighbor about the doctors appointment they had. (hospitality)

Could it be hauling furniture from The Sharing Shed to a family in our community? (serving)

As our love for Jesus grows, our hearts for hospitality and serving increase.

There is a forward-facing part of serving and hospitality that is undeniable and very real.

When we serve someone or a group of people, there is a very real and undeniable focus put on you and the same goes for when you show hospitality to someone or a group. As Christians, we are called to go and make disciples of all nations, of anyone that will listen and accept the good news of Jesus and to lead them to following Jesus and his commands. Which means we will be looked at and unfortunately, potentially judged for our actions.

Jesus gave us a new command in John 13 by saying ” we must love one another, like I have loved you…..BY THIS, all people will know you are my DISCIPLES.” – John 13:34 & 35

Then again in John 17, Jesus says ” I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…..I do not ask this for these only, but also for those who WILL believe in me through their word, that they may be one just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me….” – John 17:15-21

To James’ point, can we have faith with out works….yes but it doesn’t mean much. On the flip side of that, can we just serve others with out the faith behind it….sure but that also doesn’t mean much because there is nothing attached to the deed. Sure you could be looked at a good person, but in the discourse of salvation, serving to check a box on a to-do list, doesn’t lead to being a disciple of Jesus.

Serving should first and foremost always come from the outpour of love that Jesus has given you and now you attempt to give to others.

As much as bible study and worship and small groups and prayer and silence and solitude are important to your discipleship with Jesus, if we neglect to serve also, then we are missing the whole picture of being a disciple of Jesus.

The question then is, where will you serve to be able to breath the life and love of Jesus out to others?

If you are reading this and are not serving, here is a painted picture worth thinking about:

Here at Harvester Christian Church, there are hundreds of places you can serve…….hundreds really.

Recently I asked just some of the ministries around HCC, what kind of volunteer numbers could they use right now…….150…..Meaning, we could use 150 more people to come and serve the church and the guests that are coming to church each and every week and month.

That number gets even larger when asked what would a dream number of volunteers be….one ministry said 200, another said 270!!

Imagine the kingdom impact we could make as a church if we all took one opportunity to serve in some way….what would it look like, what would it feel like, how would you be used to impact someone else’s life?

Can I challenge you…..take a moment and think about where you would want to serve, just TWO TIMES…what ministry would be it, how would you be serving?

Could it be that you want to help guests find a parking spot with our parking team?

Could it be opening a door for one of our disabled guests that struggle to open the door themselves?

Could it be serving behind the cafe counter helping our guests with some donuts to make the environment of Sunday morning warm and welcoming?

Could it be holding a crying baby until they fall asleep in your arms so that the parents can go and worship?

Could it be leading a small group of 2nd graders to help them understand how much God loves them?

Could it be flipping switches on our tech team in that back where if we didn’t have people, our services wouldn’t happen?

Could it be having conversation with our online guests to welcome them and help them have the best online experience they can?

Could it be helping a new family walk from Guest Central to Kids Check in to help them feel calm and welcomed as they bring their kids to Harvester Kids?

There are so many opportunities for you to step out, in faith, and serve those coming to Harvester Christian Church.

The question is, will you?

If you are interested, let us know or join us for Discover Harvester on June 9th, here is a link – Discover Harvester –

April 17, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, Jesus

by Brendon

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what the old can teach the new

” Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” – Exodus 1:8

Over the past several months, the Old Testament has been speaking loudly. Not just in terms of learning or academic knowledge, but speaking life to an overworked mind and heart. There have been revelations about certain stories that have been read hundreds of times. There are have been new thoughts about how stories are connected within the context of scripture that were never thought about before. There is a fresh view of why some of these stories are even written down and told and read and taught throughout human history.

Something struck deep however when reading a commentary book on the last book of the bible. Revelation is one of the most hard and, probably, misunderstood books of the bible. It is a masterpiece of images, analogies, and hyperbole that makes anyone question what they are reading. When you dive into the text and you have some guidance, there begins to be a revelation of your own when reading the confusing stories of the great beast or the Scarlett beast or great whore who is torn apart and burned. What was fascinating about a portion of a book I was reading was this:

” This clear link with Egypt reinforces St. John’s emphasis on WORSHIP, for we recall that the ten plagues were not visited on the Egyptians because they were an extraordinary evil people, but for a single reason which had no apparent moral content to it at all: they were determined to prevent Israel from WORSHIPPING God.” – Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder pg. 143

Can you let that sink in for a second…….the ten plagues of Egypt happened solely because Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Israelite people worship God the Creator.

Peterson goes on to talk about the concept of worship and how it is central to the life of a Christian because without worship, there is no way we can stay attune to what God is doing and as Christians we should be praying and looking to where God is active to be able to move towards him.

There are a few things here to point out. Firstly, God is a jealous God. Not because other things that he created are bad, but because God created you to BE WITH Him. Think about a time when you felt dried up or burnt out or maybe you were so busy that you hadn’t been able to get to church to worship with others for a while. How did life feel? What were the the feelings and emotions like that ran through your body? What were your thoughts like? When we are not able to spend time in worship being with God, it becomes easier and easier to miss the point of worship, being connected to the God that is jealous for our attention.

Secondly, God will go to no boundary to bring his people to him. Reading through the ten plagues, some of them are crazy! Frogs, millions of frogs. Locusts…..turning water into blood, which would kill anything in the water…darkness…..death of the firstborn. These are some intense plagues that barely changed Pharaoh’s mind about letting the Israelites go. God shows in this situation, as well as in Revelation 17. & 18, that He will do what he must to bring his people to a place of worship. When there are things standing in the way, God will put something into motion that will change the course back to Him.

Lastly, God always provides a way through the darkness. In the case of people of Israel, they were enslaved for hundreds of years and Egypt became accustomed to having such a large force of slaves to build their buildings and take care of their lands. What Egypt didn’t do was realize that the God who brought forth creation, would bring about a way for His people to leave and worship him. Personally, this was something experienced when in a transition period of my life. Darkness overshadowed everything that happened. Whether good or bad, it was clearly a moment of darkness in life that could not be avoided. For some reason though, as God continued to pave a way, the hard part was putting one foot in front of the other each day to continue moving in the direction of God’s call on my life. There is a lot more to say about that season of my life, but to turn it back to scripture, the plague of Darkness was an interesting one, because as the Egyptians were cased in a darkness that they could not see –

” The the Lord said to Moses, ‘ stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven , and there was pitch darkness in ALL the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, BUT ALL the people of Israel HAD LIGHT where they lived.” Exodus 10:21-23

For those of you that might be going through a time of darkness where it paralyzes you with fear and makes you stay right where you are, know this, that the old can teach the new. Know this, that God is the light that you are looking for. When you come to Him in worship, the light begins to be brighter. It may be dim at first, but as time goes and worship happens and our actions and heart continue to grow closer to our creator and savior, the light begins to brighten.

April 17, 2024

in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach

by cefiggins

0 Comments

They Don’t Know To Count On Us

It’s pretty well known that sleep is a struggle for me. But one of the blessings of being awake when the rest of the world is asleep is my conversations with God. Now granted, they can be pretty well laced with exhaustion and anxious thoughts but He can handle it. A lot of my worried thoughts center around the pain and suffering in this world. My heart breaks especially for those that suffer in silence and isolation. How will they know that God loves them? I know without a doubt these are some of Satan’s most powerful tools of manipulation and deceit. He convinces so many of us that we are alone. I think worse yet he convinces Christians not to step into others’ darkness, confusion, and loneliness.

How many of us when our gut tells us that our neighbor is hurting, or we read the unspoken body language of our neighbors that seems to be that they want to be left alone justify our inactions? How many of us who call ourselves followers of Christ talk ourselves out of connecting with our neighbors in their pain by saying they aren’t friendly, or they aren’t outgoing? How many of us use the phrase “it didn’t seem to be any of my business” or “I didn’t really want to get involved because I don’t know them very well?” Are we surprised when our neighbors don’t trust us to reach out?

They don’t know to count on us.

We live in a world where news headlines and cycles are dominated by war, death, violence, and political and ideological division. No one around us is unaffected by disease or divorce. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle. Satan is convincing us all to withdraw, hunker down, and disengage from our communities. It is a sin for us to ignore the pain around us. Many of us often forget the second greatest commandment Christ gave us: to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The world needs us more than ever to engage in love and step into our neighbor’s lives with gentleness, patience, grace, and mercy.

How do you do that in today’s climate? Well first, you go to the source of your strength. Our God goes before us, hedges us in on either side and protects us from behind. After prayer, you step out boldly and courageously.

And then you go to your neighbor consistently and lovingly so they know they can count on you,

Pray for Them: Regularly pray for your neighbors, asking God to bless them, meet their needs, and reveal His love and truth to them. James 5:16 tells us there is tremendous power in the prayer of a righteous person.
Serve Them: Look for ways to serve your neighbors with kindness and generosity. This could involve helping with yard work, offering to run errands, or simply being available to listen and offer support when needed. Jesus taught about the importance of serving others in Matthew 25:35-36, highlighting that serving others is akin to serving Him.
Share Your Faith with Love: When appropriate and in a respectful manner, share your faith and the hope you have in Christ with your neighbors. This could include inviting them to church or Bible study, sharing personal testimonies of how your faith has impacted your life positively, or answering questions they may have about Christianity. Sharing our faith is more than having religious symbols on our houses or wearing Christian t-shirts in public. Our faith is a muscle that needs to be worked out over and over again. Our loving faith in God should be evident in our body language, our speech, our social media posts, our financial choices but most of all how we interact with those God specifically places around us. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages believers to be ready to give a reason for their hope but to do so with gentleness and respect.

Don’t let Satan win in your circle of neighbors. This week be bold and courageous in your neighbors’ lives sharing a peace that passes all understanding through a hope in Jesus. Fervently pray to God about how to step into the messiness of people’s lives, how to be present in their pain, and how to love them. Then go, don’t hesitate, go and let them know they can count on you because of your God.

April 15, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, Jesus

by Brendon

0 Comments

Press Pause –> RESET

” Jesus came and told his disciples, ” I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, GO, and make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

Since the turn of the new year, it has seemed like someone launched a time pod into the future and instead of living life, it has felt like we are just riding this time pod to where we are today. There has been so much that happened since January and it is hard to really understand and imagine how fast the first 3 months of the year went…..

13 Sundays

4 Belong Experiences

New Space Beta Testing

Palm Sunday

Good Friday

Easter Sunday celebrations

A Guest Services and Local Outreach training

Spring Break

Baptism Sunday

The launch of a new space – Discover Harvester

But yet, as the busyness comes to a slow, I find myself yearning for the beginning. I find myself yearning to go back to where it is simple and understandable and life giving.

Not that any of the events or sundays or things that are listed above are not life giving or fun or anything along those lines. But I find myself drifting back to those things that seem simple or the things that we learned as kids. And I wonder, do we make our lives to complicated??

Life is hard. I know. I live it every day just like you do. It is a hard thing to remember every practice, find every document, be at every meeting on time, be in the office, get the to-do list done at the house, clean the carpet where the dog peed, create a healthy and balanced meal and then execute it, and don’t forget that is just for the 4 year old….

Every now and again, I think there are RESET moments in our lives that we all desperately need.

Peter experienced a reset moment in his life with Jesus when Jesus approached him in John 21. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him and Peter shows he loves Jesus. And Jesus gives a foreshadowing to Peter’s life.

Paul was given a RESET moment on the road to Damascus when Jesus came and approached him in the light. Paul, at that moment Saul, met Jesus and spent 3 days in a house with a scale like blindness on his eyes. Once the RESET moment happened, Paul went on to be one of, if not, the most influential pastor, church planter and writer for all of the Christian faith.

The man healed of his blindness from birth in John 9. Jesus meets this man that is born blind and Jesus uses this RESET moment to show God’s power here on earth by healing this man’s blindness. The man is known and is questioned because he was the man that was blind, but because of Jesus he was not the same.

The woman caught in adultry in John 8 was given a reset moment also when Jesus stepped in front of her and got every single person to drop their stone. Jesus was the only one left when he bent down and talked to the woman and showed her compassion and mercy and love and forgiveness.

RESET’s are not just for video games when you are losing and want to start over. There is going to be a moment in time when we all need to find Jesus in a RESET moment just like the ones listed above.

Why a RESET?

Because when we begin to think and rely on ourselves more than we rely on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, thats when we fall short of everything we are asked to do.

Including, the great commission that Jesus gave us to GO into the world and make disciples of all nations.

When we get overrun with busyness and schedules and plans and all of the things that come at us in life, we begin to slip away from the foundation of our lives which should be Jesus. And as we see in the accounts above, when Jesus is the reason for the RESET,

then we can be reminded that Jesus promised he would be with us to the end of the age. ( see above )

Another one of these foundation scriptures to think about this week:

” Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:1-3

Jesus wants to be a part of your RESET. Let him be.

March 21, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD

by Brendon

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The Lord with _

” The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.” – Gen. 39:2

Recently, life has been busy. It has been filled with meetings, appointments, sick kids, deadlines, new things, old things, sports, school stuff, homework, cleaning, laundry and so much more. Sound familiar? We all have seasons of life when it just seems out of control. What do I do next? What can I check off my to-do list? Where do I have to get the kids to? Which practice is tonight? And my favorite, how the heck am I supposed to get all of this together when there is so much to do?

As a life group, we have been working through a study of the book of Genesis. If you have not read Genesis in a while or maybe at all, you should! The stories that we are reading and the way that life began, is fascinating. However, there are some stories that stick out more than some. Some of the stories that we read in Genesis are:

Creation

Adam and Eve

The Fall

Noah

The Tower of Babel

Abram / Abraham and Sarai / Sarah

Isaac and Rebekah

Jacob and Esau

Jacob’s 12 sons

The one that is sticking out the most, is the story of Joseph. Did you know that Joseph’s story is one of the longest recorded story in the Bible? There is almost 15 chapters dedicated to Joseph’s story. It is not one that is easy to read. It is filled with ups and downs and twists and turns and dreams and prophecy and scandal and betrayal and death and famine and grace.

Joseph was the second youngest son of Jacob, also known as Israel. He was the son born from Rachel which was Jacob’s favorite. So automatically there was a jealousy and anger towards Joseph from his brothers. But Joseph doesn’t help himself. When Joseph was 16, he tells his brothers about a dream that he has about how when in a field, Joseph and his brothers had sheaves of wheat in the fields and his sheaf stood up and the brothers gathered around his and bowed down to his sheaf. The brothers didn’t like that too much…But then Joseph tells his brothers and his father another dream….the second dream was that the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to him. Again, brothers didn’t like it at all, but Joseph’s father was also a little perplexed by it.

We see Joseph’s brothers get even angrier when Joseph receives a coat of many colors from their Father. Joseph’s brothers have enough. They go out to take the flocks out and have them graze. Joseph is sent by Israel to find his brothers and deliver a report back. The brothers have a different plan. They plan to kill Joseph. So not only does Joseph not have his brothers affection, they want to get him out the picture entirely. Unbeknownst to Joseph, when he finally catches up with his brothers, they have a plan to throw him in a cistern and leave him for dead. However, there was grace shown to him and instead of leaving him for dead, the brothers decide to sell Joseph to some traders and he made his way to Egypt where Joseph would eventually be sold to Potiphar. The brothers went back after killing a sheep and covering the coat of many colors in the blood of the sheep.

The we read in Genesis 39, an interesting statement:

” The Lord was with Joseph…..”

Kind of hard to beleive that statement after everything that Joseph has already gone through in his life. Even after this statement is made, we see that Joseph is put in charge of his masters home, but because he is described as handsome in appearance, his masters wife try to force herself on him. It didn’t work. But because she claimed and blamed Joseph for coming after her, his master threw Joseph into prison. In prison, Joseph is seen as responsible and respectable, to the point where he was put in charge of all of the inmates.

Still, Joseph ends up showing that he can perceive and interpret dreams. He does so for one that serve Pharaoh at the time. Joseph ends up being put as second in command in all of Egypt. So the Lord was with Joseph and it showed in how Joseph was seen and loved and trusted.

The crazy part of Joseph’s story is at the end when there is a famine in the land and his brothers come to Egypt to buy food that Joseph was able to save for during the 7 year famine that was interpreted from Pharaoh’s dream. Not only do we see Joseph’s brothers fall before him just like in his dreams when he was 16, we see that Joseph shows grace and love and care for his brothers by sending word to their Father that he is alive and he wants the entire clan to come and live in Egypt.

So what is so important about Joseph’s story?

In the midst of Joseph’s life, the Lord was WITH Joseph.

It is super hard to truly understand and really grasp, but in the midst of our up’s and downs and moutains and valleys and successes and failures…….the Lord IS with YOU.

Whether we know it or not. Whether we can feel it or not. Whether we can see it or not. Whether we believe it or not.

The Lord DESIRES to be WITH YOU.

He is not distant. He is not absent. He is not waiting for the right time. He is not waiting for you to clean yourself up. He is not waiting for you to figure it out.

You do not make God hesitate.

You do not cause God to doubt.

You do not cause God to not save you.

God shows from the very beginning of time, that HE WANTS TO BE WITH YOU.

WE see it as truth when we read in the Revelation of John:

” Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and first earth had passed away……And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying ” Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell WITH them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be WITH THEM as their God.” – Rev. 21: 1,3

When you face seasons of busyness, know this: The Lord IS WITH YOU.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other and walk with confidence knowing that God desires to be with and IS with you.

It is up to us to live in God’s presence however that may look for you.

March 7, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC

by Brendon

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Baptism

” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, ” Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” – Acts 2: 37-39

There are lots of thoughts about Baptism out there. Some good, some bad and some are just confusing.

Here at Harvester Christian Church, we think a lot about Baptism. The act of baptism, the heart behind baptism, the symbolic nature of baptism, and most importantly, the relationship you are growing as you are baptized by immersion in the baptistry. Here are Harvester Christian Church we believe that God created all. He is the good and beautiful creator who created human beings. But we as humans fell into sin when Adam and Eve ate the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. When that happened, we as humans created a chasm between us and God. Forever severing the once perfect and close-knit relationship that God intended to have with his creation. We see in Genesis that God desires to walk with his creation as he did in the cool of the day in the Garden. Because of our decision to eat of the apple and the tempter being successful at pulling us away, we enter in to a life that is inherently sinful and yet inherently good all at the same time. The reason it is inherently good, is because along the way of His creation, God decided to send a rescuer, a healer, a mighty one, a redeemer, a sanctifier, a savior. Yes, life is good because God sent his one and only son Jesus, to the earth, coming in the form of a baby and living a perfect life for all to see and emulate.

You see, Jesus came in a time of conquest, confusion, losing, hardship and maybe most of all, Jesus came in a time where Hope and Love were needed. Jesus came in the time of an empire that was striving to be the biggest and best in the world. Jesus came in a time when people were falling left and right into temptation and slavery and financial hardship. But Jesus came and brought hope, he brought a light in what seemed like a very dark world for those that heard the message that Jesus was preaching.

Baptism is a way that we get to show others where we are on our journey with Jesus. When the disciples in Acts 2 preached at Pentecost, baptism what the immediate next step for anyone who believed the message of Jesus. It still reigns true today! Baptism is our outward expression and acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior as we repent for our sins, confess Jesus as Lord and then we are immersed in the water and come out of the water a new creation in Jesus. The act of baptism is symbolic of Jesus dying on the cross, being buried in the tomb and then rising again. With Baptism, we are dying to our old self, being cleansed by the water or buried in the water and coming out of the water a new creation just as Jesus came out of the tomb as a new creation!

The Apostle Paul writes it this way:

” Do you no know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were burried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:3 & 4

” I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me……..For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 2:20 & Galatians 3:27

if you would like to look more at Harvester Christian Church’s stance on baptism, click this link – Discover Harvester –

Another great resource for you might be this video, that Pastor Doyle Roth filmed on HCC’s stance of Baptism:

If you are ready to get baptized, let us know! We as a church would love to come alongside you and celebrate this decision! You can let us know by filling this form out:

– Baptism Form –

If you have other questions or would simply like to talk to someone more about Baptism and what it might mean for you, feel free to reach out to us anytime! You can fill out a questionare over at harvester.cc or you could email our Next Steps Director here – bfoulke@harvester.cc –

Some might be wondering, ‘ well I was baptized as an infant or my parents had me sprinkled as a child ‘ All of those are amazing things! The fact that your parents were wanting you to be baptized and known by Jesus is something we will celebrate all day long! At Harvester, we believe that baptism is a choice that you as an individual would make for your relationship with Jesus. It doesn’t mean that what your parents did for you were wrong or bad, but the decision to be baptized may not have been yours. To continue growing in your relationship with Jesus, we would encourage you to read scripture, think and pray about it and ask as many questions as you would like! The journey with Jesus is not one that is simple or easy. It is a lifelong process of allowing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit form you in a way that is not culturally normal. Baptism is one of the major steps in that journey of following Jesus that can represent the start of walking with Jesus for the rest of your days.

We hope that this post and the video are helpful to you on your journey learning what Jesus is calling you towards and how Jesus wants to free you not just from your sin and shame, but free you into a new life and a new creation that bring glory to God the Father through what He will do in your life and through your life.

Praying for you.

February 23, 2024

in DTOTD, Jesus

by cefiggins

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Three Suggestions for when you are Stupid Tired

Imagine sitting across from someone who is just Stupid Tired. This is the kind of tiredness where the person across from you can barely make sense. Their weariness is palpable. They try to laugh off the fact that they can’t get their sentences to come out of their mouth correctly because they are just bone tired. Under their bloodshot eyes, you can see moonlight shadows of exhaustion. You can see the weight of weariness in their neck and shoulders with fatigue throbbing through every fiber of their being. The person across from you may be a friend, a family member, or a co-worker who just seems to be knocked down over and over again. They just can’t catch a break physically, spiritually professionally, or financially. Perhaps the person across from you is a reflection of yourself in a mirror.

Life seems to be overwhelming for so many of us right now. My days seem filled with just sitting with people in their pain. There is tension, sorrow, grief, disappointment, and stress at every corner. As Christians, we are not immune to weariness and feeling beaten down by the trials of life. However, during our struggles, we have a source of strength and comfort in our faith. Matthew 11:28 reminds us of the invitation extended by Jesus himself: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matthew 11:28, The Message).

So, what can we do as Christians when we find ourselves exhausted, weary, and beaten down? Here are three suggestions.:

1. Find Comforting Shelter in Prayer: In John 16:33, Jesus assures us, “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (John 16:33, The Message).

Prayer is our direct line of communication with God, our shelter of comfort in times of trouble. When we are weary, we can turn to prayer for strength, guidance, and comfort. Pouring out our hearts to God allows us to find peace amidst the storms of life. When you are even too worn out to find words Scripture tells us that the Spirit will intercede for use when we don’t know what we should say to God (Romans 8:26-27.) We just need to keep turning to the Father and crying out His name. There is no need for eloquence.

2. Rest in God’s Word: The Bible is filled with promises of hope, strength, and encouragement. In moments of weariness, immersing ourselves in scripture can renew our spirits and remind us of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, The Message). By meditating on God’s Word and allowing it to guide us, we can find direction and solace, even in the darkest of times. I want to emphasize the importance of meditation when you are exhausted. You may be so Stupid Tired that you can’t imagine even physically being able to lift a bible much less dive into an in-depth study. Meditation is often a serious reflection, thought, and rumination on scripture. You may not have the mental capacity to do any of those things right now. But meditation can also be devotion. In seasons of fatigue keep the devotion and commitment to at least listening to scripture to soothe your soul. Devote yourself to listening to the Bible as you get ready for the day, pause in a parking lot to catch your breath, or as you fall into bed at night.

3. Lean on Christian Community: Satan is the creator of Stupid Tired. He purposefully runs us down and wears us out. He convinces us that we are too tired to be with people, or we will bring people down with our weariness, or that we have no one to rely on in the first place. We were never meant to journey through life alone. God has given us the gift of Christian community to support, encourage, and uplift one another. Galatians 6:2 instructs us, “Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.” (Galatians 6:2, The Message). When we are Stupid Tired, we can lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ, allowing them to walk alongside us, lift us up, pray for us, and provide practical assistance. Email, text, call fight out of your fog to reach out to your people. Your season of weariness could be someone else’s season to be a blessing of stability and comfort. Just like when you come out of this season you will be a blessing of strength and energy to someone else.

Christians are not promised a life free from weariness or hardship. However, we have the assurance that in Christ, we can find rest, peace, and strength to endure. By seeking refuge in prayer, resting in God’s Word, and leaning on Christian community, we can navigate through life’s challenges with hope and resilience, knowing that we are never alone in our journey.

February 20, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, Local

by Brendon

0 Comments

DTOTD – Thought #4 – Grace

” Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God thought our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2

Grace. Grace is defined as unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Grace is central to the message of Jesus and the Bible. God the father from the very beginning of time has given Grace to all of mankind for all sorts of things.

I heard it once said like this, ” as we become more and more aware of Jesus in our lives, we become more and more aware that we need more grace than we ever imagined.” It was interesting the first time I wrestled with that statement, because I have never thought about it before. I never thought that once I become part of the kingdom of God, I would need more and more grace. Because of course, once we find Jesus, we are all good to go……I guess I was off a little bit.

In the definition of Grace, the word sanctification stands out. The act of sanctification is the idea that as we go through life, searching for God and following his son Jesus, He will sanctify or continually form us into his likeness. So in turn, the idea of Grace is something that is ongoing and essential for our becoming like Jesus.

It’s hard though isn’t? The thought that we need to be vulnerable and humble enough to say that we messed up and the only help or saving that we need is the grace of Jesus?

Let’s be honest, we live in a culture right now that crucifies anyone that does anything wrong. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of circumstances where someone getting caught or in trouble for something that they did is absolutely the right thing to happen. But what would happen if instead of cancel culture, there is grace culture. A place, a community, a group of people that will listen and forgive and give grace instead of a tongue thrashing and a turn your back away from those that aren’t perfect place. Perfection can never be attained, even though that is what is desired by so many.

We seek to be perfect in the way that we look. To be perfect in the way that we dress. To be perfect in the way that we cook. To be perfect in the way that we drive. To be perfect in the way that we parent. To be perfect in the way that people look at us. To be perfect in the way that others treat us. To be perfect in the way that we show ourselves to the world. To be perfect in the way that we play sports. We seek perfection or maybe a better way to think about it, we seek to be better than everyone else in whatever we do or maybe even what our kids do so that we can obtain some sort of status that is unwritten and not given.

Grace is the complete opposite of perfection. When we strive to live like Jesus and live unlike the normal, grace is the only thing we can seek out. Grace requires a level of humility that is against the society that we live in. Grace requires a level of a contrite heart that is willing to say, I am not good enough. Grace requires attention to the actions that we take on a daily basis, even the small ones. Grace requires the nurturing space for God to seep into every corner of our lives to take away the bondage that we all live in.

The question with grace…is how will grace shape your life?

One of the most common phrases or thoughts that I hear or even have myself, is that I have done so much wrong in my life, how could God ever forgive me and also gift me to do anything good for him?

Abram argued with God about what he was going to do to Sodom and Gomorra.

Sarah, laughed at God when he said she would have a baby.

Moses, doubted that God could use him to set the Israelites free.

Jonah, tried to run away from God when God called him to speak to the people of Ninevah.

Saul, the king, lost sight of God in his jealousness of David.

David, committed adultery and murder in the eyes of God.

Peter, denies knowing Jesus.

Paul was a murderer and a zealot to cancel the Christian faith.

Through God’s grace…..all of these people were God’s chosen.

” but God shows his love for us in this, while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

Even when we feel our mistakes, baggage, and sin, holding us back from being called by God and being given grace, God doesn’t look away.

Grace is not something earned. Grace is given, freely, every time.

As a disciple of Jesus, as we draw closer and closer to our Lord and Savior, allow grace to be given to you in the mountaintop and in the valleys.

God gives grace freely.

February 8, 2024

in DTOTD

by cefiggins

1 Comment

Time To Get Rid Of Those Tacky Ill Fitting Clothes – DTOTD

I have a healthy appreciation for putting outfits together. I enjoy mixing and matching colors, textures, patterns, and accessories. If you saw my closet(s), yes that is plural, you might say it borders on obsession. I really enjoy putting on the outfits as a creative outlet.The Bible also talks about putting on certain traits and behaviors. Colossians 3:12-13 reads“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”That phrase “put on” is literally a dressing term. It can also mean assuming the character, disposition, or perspective of another. You get the idea that we may not already have compassionate hearts or kindness. We need to assume the character of Christ. We may not possess humility and patience outside of God. We need to take on the disposition of Christ. But because we are God’s chosen ones who are holy and intensely loved we are handed the expectation to dress ourselves intentionally with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, tolerance, patience, and forgiveness.

I believe those are pieces of a godly wardrobe that we are all willing to try on. However, I also believe it is becoming more and more common for God’s chosen to believe that Compassion gets a bit confining when we decide someone’s decisions deserve suffering. We actively choose to take off Compassion at a time when we need to keep it firmly fastened. We may easily don Kindness until we decide if things don’t go our way we take off Kindness and replace it with Apathy. We may find putting on Humility seems like a really good choice for the day until we listen to the World and agree that we have outgrown Humility and need to replace it with Power. Patience and Tolerance are fantastic coordinating pieces. That is until we notice that Control is also hanging on the rack to try on. Those three pieces together make us look like we are walking garage sale rather than God’s chosen people who are holy and beloved.

Deuteronomy 4:2 states very clearly You shall not add to the word that I command you, not take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. As God’s chosen people living a constant new life, we have to be aware of when we have intentionally taken off the wardrobe that God has picked out for us. We appear to pick and choose what commandments from God that we are going to follow depending on the situation and crowd. There isn’t a place on this outfit from God to add an accessory of offense, unforgiveness, spitefulness, anger, or judgment. Just like your mom told you to leave the house without clean underwear we can never leave the house without our garments of Love.

The world around us is finding all kinds of reasons to be unkind. Our culture is convincing even Christians that to demonstrate humility, quiet strength, and tolerance is to show weakness and lack of faith. We are falling into Satan’s trap that we should lead out of our faith with our tempers, irritability, impatience, meanness, condescension, and divisive talk. These are filthy ill-fitting clothes that are not becoming of God’s children.

My prayer is that we don’t see this scripture as a slap on the wrist to get right with God but as a reminder of who we are. We are God’s Chosen. Sons and daughters of the one True King. Colossians 3:14-17 shows exactly how to wear this godly wardrobe well.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This week let’s ask God to dwell deeper in our hearts, minds, and souls. Lean into His instruction through His Word every day. We can’t afford to be fooled by what Satan is doing through the world right now. Let the peace of Jesus Christ rule our thoughts, words, and actions. Step into that closet of prayer and come out shining brightly in all the brilliant clothes of Love God has picked out for us.

Photo by Amanda Vick

DTOTD

From the HCC Outreach Team: