Pastor Jeff

Pressing In

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless.
Pastor Jeff

Why A School?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff

Christian Training Event

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff

Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Him

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

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

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

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff

A Divine Romance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas with love,
Pastor Rebecca

America's Godly Heritage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

A New Season

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

Hello,

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Pastor Jeff

A Parent's Job

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

Hello everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff and I love you!

Blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

A Time to Rejoice

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff

Holy Spirit: Not Allowed

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

Dear Friends,

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

That got me thinking...

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

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

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

Not ashamed of the Gospel,
Pastor Rebecca

Update on Velocity Student Ministries

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

Hello everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Pastor Dave

Pursuing Passionate Living

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

With love,

Pastor Rebecca

Staying Alive Your Whole Life by Joel Osteen

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

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

Puppy Love

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

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff

FOR HIS GLORY

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Pastor Jeff

A Scary Thought

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love In Christ,
Pastor Rebecca

Forward Moving Faith

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the Kingdom,
Pastor Rebecca

Strongmen

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

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

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

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

We love you!

Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

Home Improvement

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

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

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

In Christ's love,
Pastors Jeff and Rebecca

Mind Maintenance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love and blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

Made New By The Blood

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

Dear church family,

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

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

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

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

Pastor Jeff

An Open Door

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

Dear Church Family,

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

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

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

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

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

With love and blessings,
Pastor Rebecca

Children of God

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

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

Be blessed,
Pastor Jeff

New Grace for the New Year

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

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

Have a prosperous 2007!
Pastor Jeff