Jesus

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A Little Raw & Honest Truth: Do We Need A Serve Week?

I will get right to the point. I debated for a long time this year on whether it was a good idea or not to organize another Serve Week for our HCC family. Let me be clear. My ping-ponging in my head was not about whether it was a good idea or a needed thing much less a commandment to serve. The Bible is pretty clear on that one. If you need a list of biblical proof you can find a growing list here.

My concern is if I was giving people a reason NOT to serve. I worried that if we focused all of our attention and energy on this one week would we be fooled into thinking we had done our duty for the year. That somehow there was a spiritual checklist that we checked off serving one time that we were good to go until next year. I debated on perpetuating the idea that serving in this day and age had to be convenient, it had to fit in between this soccer game, this trip to the lake, this business engagement, and these two birthday parties, and if it was a full moon, and if it was not too hot and not too cold and with the people I know, doing a thing I know how to do that wasn’t too hard or too strenuous or too involved or too messy or if it interfered with my work-life balance. We tend not to commit to something ongoing or even one time as we wait to see if something better or more enticing or entertaining comes along.

Did I mention this post was a little raw and honest this time?

I am genuinely worried that we are selling ourselves short of all the blessings God truly intends for us by offering ourselves up as a living sacrifice obedient to Him. There are loads of “feel good” reasons to serve. You no longer feel guilty about sidestepping your Local Outreach Pastor (wink, wink). It makes for some very likable Instagram posts. Science also tells us that serving makes us healthier, it helps us live longer fulfilling lives because we have a sense of purpose and identity in something greater than ourselves. Our service directly glorifies Him. Serving isn’t a clickable option for living as a Jesus Follower. God hard-wired us to serve. Serving others is a form of worship. It puts us in our proper place and posture to God. But it’s also messy, And it doesn’t always work out into a neat social media post. And the people we serve are not always dripping with gratitude. And the people we serve with are just as likely to be stinky, biting, obstinant sheep like us. Serving is probably going to test our boundaries and push us way out of our comfort zone. It usually takes place during a time that doesn’t fit the family calendar.

Serving allows us to experience God’s presence in a new way. If we stop relying on an annual serving event to remind us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves and rather allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to serve others we start to see that the small, cumulative intentional acts of kindness, gentleness, and love in God’s name are what are truly pleasing to God. When we are real and authentic about serving, the cost of serving, the reason why we serve, and WHO we serve, this is what will lead our neighbors to find and follow Jesus.

we start to see that the small, cumulative intentional acts of kindness, gentleness, and love in God’s name are what are truly pleasing to God.

So here’s the confusing part about being raw and honest. God has cleared the way for Serve Week. 🙂

Our Good Neighbor Serve Week is September 28-October 3. I hope you will take advantage of some of the serving opportunities we have lined up to use your gifts and talents for God, connect to other HCC members, meet our neighbors at Fieldview Church who are also serving with us, to unleash the hope of Jesus. I also hope you and your life group will seek God and see where He wants you to consistently serve your neighbors again and again.

But my ultimate prayer is that you will wake every day asking God how you can love and serve others in His name through the everyday seemingly small but intentional acts of love. I hope you can’t help yourself because of what Jesus has done for you.

Click the link below to sign up for one of our

Good Neighbor Serve Week

serving opportunities here ==>

https://harvestercc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/487/responses/new

August 22, 2024

in Alleviation of Poverty, Child Welfare, Church, Discipleship, Jesus, Local, Outreach

The Good Neighbor.

In Luke 10, we read a story that we have heard since we were kids, the Good Samaritan. It is a story that can encompass a lot of lessons learned throughout life. If you haven’t read the story or maybe haven’t read it as an adult…..take a moment to read it:

” And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” – Luke 10:25-37

It’s a fascinating story when you really dig into the content. First off, Jesus, being a master story/parable communicator, finds a man that is looking to catch him off guard and/or trick him into saying something that the Pharisee’s could use to arrest him, so Jesus uses a story to answer his question. Secondly, the content of the story revealed a glaring piece to not only the social status/structure, but also the image that some of these people that everyone would have known, had to the public. Lastly, Jesus uses a kind of a dark horse character in the end to illustrate the point of the story.

This story, as much as it is about Jesus teaching about the two greatest commandments of the 10, but he also calls those that follow Him, to a goal in life:

to be The Good Neighbor.

That might look different for all of us. It might literally mean the person that lives right next store to you, in all reality those neighbors should be on your heart all the time, but it could also be someone that lives around the corner or up the street or around the block or in a different apartment building. It could be someone that lives in a completely different area.

The thing about this story Jesus tells, is that it is in a random spot on the side of a dangerous road where this outside of the time, shows what it means to really show mercy to someone. The Good Samaritan in this case, was The Good Neighbor.

The question of our day, is will you be The Good Neighbor?

John 13, gives us another example of what Jesus means by loving and being a good neighbor. In the upper room, before passover we see Jesus take the place of a servant, by bending down with a basin or water and a towel to wash his disciples feet. This was the role of typically a servant of the house to clean the guest’s feet, not the person sitting at the head of the table. But Jesus does this and then he looks at his disciples and says:

” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. ” – John 13:12-17

Even as Lord and Teacher and Rabbi and Messiah and King….Jesus showed us what it means to be The Good Neighbor.

A few moments later, Jesus also commands his disciples to love one another and those around you just like Jesus loves them and that BY THAT LOVE SHOWN, people will know you are disciple of Jesus.

As people, we have a hard time looking past our own situations and problems and seasons and tasks and home to-do lists and schedules and the rest of the things that keep us bogged down. What if as a group of people that love and follow Jesus, we look to be The Good Neighbor? Not just to our own neighborhood, but the one’s that need their lawns mowed or that need help moving or need help with getting a dresser up some stairs??

We have the ability and the time, we just need to think about re-prioritizing that time.

If you would like to stay in touch with our Local Outreach opportunities — BE THE GOOD NEIGHBOR — click that link, it might bring you an experience that you don’t expect.

When we allow God to work in our lives and then also through our lives……we can also be The Good Neighbor.

June 13, 2024

in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus

Unity in the Spirit- Why should we care?

No one believes me that I am an introvert hiding in bright-colored clothing. I can draw a lot of attention but it’s very easy for me to disappear on a trail or behind a book. I find it especially easy separate myself from the crowd when I am tired, weary, grumpy, stressed, hurried, overscheduled, confused, hurt, or at the very least struggling with low blood sugar. 🙂 The long and short of it is that given my own devices I am more likely to separate from the pack. However, I have this tension within me that I also firmly believe that unity within our community is foundational to living out our faith in Christ. Ephesians 4:3, which calls us to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” serves as a guiding principle for the people of God. This verse is not just an encouragement; it is a call to action, a reminder of the importance of maintaining harmony and friendship within the body of Christ.

But why should we care?

The Call to Unity

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a profound exploration of what it means to live as a Christian. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul emphasizes the necessity of unity among believers. This unity is not merely a superficial agreement but a deep, spiritual bond that reflects the unity of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we are connected, regardless of our diverse backgrounds, opinions, personal preferences or sleep schedules. God inspired Paul to teach us that we all tend to pull away from each other or break off and form factions.

Making Every Effort

The phrase “make every effort” indicates that maintaining unity requires intentional and persistent effort. It is not something that happens by chance or without work. As Christ followers, we have to strive to embody this through how we schedule our time, and how we use our talents, to enable us to connect through various ministries, life groups, and outreach efforts. We have to understand that unity involves active participation and commitment from each member to each other.

The Bond of Peace

Peace is the glue that holds unity together. It is a peace that transcends understanding, rooted in the love and grace of Christ. This peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of reconciliation and love. I love how God tells us over and over again in His word that it is not our peace we are looking for. It is His peace. We are kind of stinky when it comes to keeping the peace on our own. It’s becoming more and more common to look for ways to not be peaceful. But we have God’s peace that is a whole different story. During trying uncertain times we need to make a priority to promote peace through open communication, patience, forgiveness, and a willingness to understand and support one another.

How do we keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace with each other?

Prayer: We need to pray for one another and with one another. Prayer puts us in a proper posture of humility. Prayer is a powerful tool that strengthens our spiritual bond and fosters unity.
Life Groups: Joining a small group or a bible study is an excellent way to build relationships and experience the unity of the Spirit. These groups can provide a safe space for sharing, learning, and growing together. The more time you spend with someone the more you get to know them more patience and empathy you can have for them.
Serve Teams: Serving together in ministries and community projects unites us in purpose and mission. It allows us to put our faith into action and support one another in tangible ways. There is nothing better than witnessing each other love others because of how God first loved us to tie us together.
Forgiveness: Embracing a spirit of forgiveness is crucial for maintaining unity. We are all human and will inevitably make mistakes. Having patience with one another, assuming the best about each other, choosing to forgive and seek reconciliation helps preserve the bond of peace.

This week commit yourself again to making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Reflect on Ephesians 4:3, Be inspired to live out this call in your daily life continually seeking ways to foster unity and peace within our church and the broader community. When we are rooted in love and bound together in peace and unity we can withstand any level of chaos. Through our collective efforts, we can be a powerful witness to the transformative power of Christ’s love.

June 1, 2024

in DTOTD, HCC, Jesus

How do you know? DTOTD

At our recent leadership retreat, Nikomas asked this question.

How do you know God is good to you?

It should be an easy answer, right? But it took me more than a hot minute to find the words. My brain had to rifle through its files to find the evidence of God’s goodness. In Psalm 34:8 David writes, “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him.” We can perceive God’s goodness in so many ways. How could I pick just one? I almost experienced a feeling of panic trying to think of what I was going to say when it was my turn. How do I nail it down to something brief and concise?

Then I realized why I was really struggling with how to answer how God is good. I know His goodness is evidenced in His love by sending His one and only son to be sacrificed for our sins. I know His goodness is evidenced by His faithfulness over and over again to His people. I know His goodness is evidenced by the good works God’s children were created to do all over the world.

I was struggling with the answer to the full question of how I know God is good TO ME.

In all transparency, I can share God’s love with whomever. It is my deepest desire for the world to know just how much God loves them. I need the world to know the freedom of resting in the sacrifice of Christ. But sometimes I listen to Satan’s whispers that God’s love is for everyone else but me. His sneaky lies start to somehow ring true that I have not earned God’s goodness yet. My heart knows the real truth. My mouth can speak the real truth. But my mind can be a battleground.

In that one minute of uncomfortableness and discomfort, the Holy Spirit spoke on my behalf.

I know God is good to me because He calls me His baby girl.

This identity breathes new life into me every day. It is the sweetest and most filling thing I can taste. It is a sight of awe and wonder that my eyes will never tire of seeing. I am blessed with God’s goodness as I run back to my Father’s arms again and again.

How do you know that God is good to you?

May 23, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, Guest Services, HCC, Jesus, Outreach, Serve Teams

An Ode to Volunteer

” …. But that misses out the vital middles stage – that those who are declared to be in the right, to be God’s people, are the renewed humans, the people God had in mind when creating his image-bearing creatures in the first place, the people who now, in the present age have a decisive role to play in the coming to birth of the new creation….”

– NT Wright, Into the Heart of Romans pg. 16

” All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. THEREFORE, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Paul, 2 Corinthians 5: 18-20

Serving is hard. Serving is counterintuitive. Serving is putting others before ourselves. Serving is thinking differently than we typically would. Serving is not always the hot thing to do. Serving doesn’t always lead to a sexy outcome. Serving doesn’t also bring about all the accolades that we might be searching for.

However, serving may not be the things listed above, it is something that we are called to do. Even if we are not serving in a role or on a serve team or at an event. Serving is what we are called to do always.

Rich Villodas, a pastor in New York, said this about Jesus ” Jesus went towards all….”. He was making reference to how Jesus continually found himself around people serving them however was needed. Whether it was teaching, clearing out a temple, healing, relieving from a demon, recovering the sick, waking the dead or drowning a herd of pigs after putting demons in them. Jesus was always serving, wherever he was with whoever was around.

Every week, we have the chance to serve others when we open the doors for worship services on Sunday’s. I know, serving does not only have to happen on Sundays, but there is a lot of opportunity on Sundays to serve others. Some that do are consistent and others not so much. But whether you are there every Sunday or once a month, you are an ambassador of Jesus to those you are serving. You cannot change that fact.

For those that serve, we thank you! For those that will serve, we thank you! For those that have not yet served…..think about it.

Here is one guests story about their encounter on a Sunday morning:

From:
Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 1:29 PM
To: Lead Pastor <leadpastor@harvester.cc>
Subject: Recent Visit

Nikomas Perez,

I was happy to attend Harvester this past Sunday with my son on the way to his hockey game. My interest

was piqued at your invite to the Living Room. I enjoyed meeting you and wanted to share how I came about

coming to Harvester. My home church is Oak Bridge but when I cannot attend I love to seek out other similar

Christian Churches just enjoy the service and see how well they welcome visitors.

I had been to Harvester for an event but not a service when I decided to attend on a cold snowy

day in January. It would have been easy to stay in bed, the roads were bad and I wasn’t even sure the

church would be open since some churches were canceling due to the weather. I had to make the trip

to Wentzville anyway so if being early was the only negative I decided to forge ahead. The Harvester

Facilities team had cleared the lot and salted the steps, kudos to them for a job well done. I walked

in as a familiar looking gentleman held the door open and greeted me with a smile. Wearing a hat with

a jacket I didn’t get a great look at who it was but once inside I had to turn back and see who the

familiar face was. Sure enough I recognized Kim Forney! Kim had attended Oak Bridge and knowing

he had chosen Harvester as his home church I knew I had picked the right church to attend.

Everyone from the parking lot to my seat was cheerful, friendly, and willing to provide any information

that I needed. Knowing a little about the operation of a church, I had to send a note of praise to your

team and all the wonderful volunteers at Harvester. As I mentioned earlier, I brought my son with me

on Sunday and holding open the same door and greeting me with a smile was Kim. Please double his

salary!

Thank you Harvester for reflecting Jesus in such an excellent and authentic way!

Sincerely,

Again, serving is not always the easiest thing to do. But when you do, you make a difference in other people’s lives.

If you need help, let us know. We would love to help get you plugged in to a serve team!

May 21, 2024

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC, Jesus

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.

April 17, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, Jesus

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

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

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.

February 23, 2024

in DTOTD, Jesus

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.

January 10, 2024

in Discipleship, DTOTD, Jesus

DTOTD – Thought 1

” Behold, the dwelling place of God is with Man…..’ and Behold, I am coming soon……Behold, I am coming soon…….I, Jesus have snet my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches…..Surely, I am coming soon.” Rev. 21:3b, Rev. 22: 7a, 12a, 16a and 20b

Life.

What is it? Why is life the way it is? Where did life come from? How did we get here? What made the earth so beautiful? What made the earth so cruel? Is there a system for life? Is life random? Can we predetermine life? Can we determine our own outcome? Why does bad things happen to good people? These amongst others, are some of the most asked questions in history. These are questions that people have asked that have led to incredible discovery, adventure and knowledge.

I love a good question. One that makes you think and ponder and research and read and learn and underline until you come up with your own answer. Some of the questions listed above might be one of those questions for you. Maybe you have other questions that keep you up at night.

As my kids get older, the more inquisitive they become. They also are beginning to ask a lot more questions. Some good, some bad and some that just don’t make any sense. However, I am trying to foster a place in our home where questions are welcomed, which means I have to keep myself in check when one of those ridiculous questions comes out. One of those questions or maybe we can consider it a thought, was this….

” dad, can I really believe that God created the world when everything else tells me that it was something else other than God? “

I got to baptize my son a few years ago and part of me wonders if I should have waited, but part of me also knows that Jesus has his life in his hands and he is now learning and growing into his own belief. My role in his life now is to guide him always back to Jesus. We were lying in his bed before bedtime talking about this and we read out of his big encyclopedia on how the people that put the book together thought the earth was made.

And we began to talk about it more and more until we got to a point in the conversation where he understood that in order for him to really dive into his faith he had to wrestle with 5 words….

” In the beginning, God Created……”

The first five words of the bible. That is what my son was wrestling with. I have a feeling that most of us in our present context, feel the same way. We are all wrestling with whether or not there is a creator or whether this is a bang.

There are seasons of life where we will lean on our faith in an understanding of that God created life. But then there are seasons of life when we question the very reason for life. Some of us battle that question so hard that it leads us to unimaginable pain and confusion.

But if there is a first thought that we can have each and every day…..it might be a good way to start with this:

Thought 1 – God, desires to be with you.

Whatever the season of life that you are in, God desires to be with you.

Whether you are in a good season or a bad season, God desires to be with you.

Whether you are happy with what you see in the mirror or hate what you see in the mirror, God desires to be with you.

Whether you are in the job you love or a job you hate, God desires to be with you.

Each and every morning when you wake up and shake off the sleep grog, God desires to be with you.

Even when things are hard and you don’t know what is next, God desires to be with you.

If you are going to start your journey off with a thought, start with this one.

God, desires to be with you.

Let that be your rock.

Let that be your anchor.

Let than be your life line.

Let that be your compass.

Let that be your prayer.

April 6, 2023

in Church, Discipleship, DTOTD, HCC, Jesus, Local, Outreach