Coffee Time

I know, its been a while since you have heard from me. No excuses, but it truly has been a very busy few weeks for me.

Ever since my Army days, I look forward to having my daily coffee. Not just the coffee, but it also means a time to slow down and reflect. The past 2 weeks I have had reflecting moments. First one. I’m now hosting our second LifeGroup of the week on Thursday nights. One of the things we do is to share about ourselves to get to know each other. That activity always causes me to reflect on the family life that I had as a child, the experiences that God has brought me through, and my wife. I love to hear her reflect as she shares our early years of marriage with others.

Second one. In preparing for a ministry conference, I had to “look back on the timeline of my life” and list the experiences that made me who I am today. That was a big list. It caused me to look a both Positive and Negative experiences with family, church and work. As I pause with my coffee, I can truly say that I am thankful for all of those Life Mile Markers.

I challenge you to take pen and paper and “timeline” your life, and thank a Holy God for making you who you are today. I will not be easy, because you would be including some uncomfortable times. God will for us is not to be comfortable, but to be moldable. The questions today are:

Who do I have the passion for, to share the Love of God with?

How will I use my experiences to reach the precious?

How can I make a difference in the institutional mindset of “church” to be church?

First century Christians did not call themselves Christian, they called themselves Christ followers, because that was what they were doing. They were identified as Christian, by others, that saw their walk as a follower.

John 20:30-31
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

One Year Later

One Year Later

Its hard to believe that one year ago this month a merge between to different congregations happened. Much fear was expressed as to what LifeSong Lyman would look like when it was all done. Of the new changes that were experienced was the idea of LifeGroups. I have to admit, some fear entered into my heart because I just wasn’t sure that I could communicate clearly, what I knew as to what God was doing in my heart in terms of growing relationships and learning God’s word, verses something that we all have been use to… Sunday School.

In October of 2007 we began training LifeGroup leaders in our home. During those amazing 6 weeks, God conquered our fears as we trained, practiced, and prayed. January 2008 God started 5 LifeGroups. Today God has to be given the Glory and Praise, because of His guidance, LifeGroups have grown from 5 groups in January to 12 in October 2008. I expect to see even more in 2009.

It has been difficult thing for me personally, to move people out of their current group in order to start new groups, but with the explosive growth that we are experiencing at LifeSong, it is simply necessary. I am beginning the process for the next Host (leader) training as we continue to move forward. More Hosts and Host Homes are needed.

Please know my heart; my passion is not to simply multiply groups, but help create an environment where three relationships can thrive. The 3 relationships that I speak of, is with God, Christ followers, and the ones that don’t have a relationship with God yet. In order for Iron to Sharpen Iron, there has to be more than just a few rubbings. Personal & Spiritual growth will take place in LifeGroups the longer the group stays active. Current groups will end at the end of the school year.

Thank you LifeSong family for your Love, Support, and Prayers. I am truly blessed to be with you!
Pastor Tim

We have room for you if are not currently in a LifeGroup. See List

Who - Where - Day
Matthew Christopher - LifeSong Church (SINGLES) - Sunday night

Troy & Brandi Cole - Reidville - Sunday night

Jon & Kim Adam Adam - Duncan - Wednesday night

Brian Christopher - Lyman/Inman - Wednesday night

A Note About Communication

Text messaging is one of the simplest and most useful means of mobile communication. No one can doubt the popularity of text messaging, but is it really communication when there is no voice, and no body language?

Is texting addictive? I don’t know, but do you ever have feelings of anger or tension when you are separated from your texting tool? Do you long for a better texting phone? Do you need an extra set of hands when you thumb through you cell phone bill?

Top 10 list of texting guidelines.
1. Common courtesy still rules. Contrary to popular belief, composing a text message while you're in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just about as rude as taking a homeless person’s biscuit. It says to people around you that they are less important to talk to than the person being texted.

2. Remember that texting is informal. Texting shouldn't be used for formal invitations. The casualness of texting diminishes the strength and meaning of the message.

3. Don't get upset if you don't get a reply. If it's immediate, make a voice call. If you can't get through and your text message is ignored, there's probably a good reason. If you live at the Lyda house, you don’t have “texting” anyway.

4. Be aware of your tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in e-mail. What seems to you to be a completely innocent message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm.

5. Don't text while you're driving. You won't know what hit you - or what you hit.

6. Leave the slang to the kids. Don't expect people you know to be hip to the lingo of the “texting” streets. And don't expect to win points with your kids by trying to be cool, either.

7. I’m tired of looking at the tops of people’s heads. I sometimes misinterpret a bowed head for someone praying, and I tend to get a little “gnashing of the teeth” attitude, when … well you know.

8. Before you hit the send button, ask yourself “am I gossiping?” I have this feeling in my stomach that more gossip and less glorifying is being texted, but hey that’s just me.

9. Remember that your phone does have an off button. There are very, very few things in the world that absolutely cannot wait.

10. In short, when we think of relationships, don’t settle for Twinkies when you can have Pecan Pie. If you don’t know what that means, come see me.

In His Love
Pastor Tim

Adjustments

Nothing can change us more than the Application of scripture. No matter how much we hear the word of God through preaching often times it fails to bear fruit. Why? Scripture was not applied.

James 1:22-24
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Wouldn’t you be just a little concerned with someone that got up in the morning, looked in the mirror, and walked away without making adjustments? That is exactly what happens when we encounter scripture and walk away without making changes in our lives.

A person, who looks in the mirror and makes no changes, does not understand the purpose of the mirror. The person that routinely listens to God’s word but fails to apply it, will experience self deception and no growth toward Christ.

As a Christ follower you should be making adjustments every time you are encountering God’s word. Wouldn’t be great to look back in the past 12 months and identify distinct areas of your life in which you have changed based on what has been reflected back to you from God’ word? This is another reason you hear me say so much about LifeGroups. LifeGroups are designed for Application.

See you at LifeGroup!

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Sanctification / Justification

Sanctification
Theologian Wayne Grudem defines Sanctification this way:
Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives.

I believe that LifeGroups are an ideal environment for this process to take place. Not all small groups have sanctification in mind as a goal. In fact sometimes small groups can do more harm than good if the group is more of a social time and not focused on it intended purpose which is to fellowship in God’s love, study His word and apply it to our lives, then hold each other up in prayer. “to strengthen each others hand in God”. LifeGroups meet for a purpose, which is sanctification.

Justification
Is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and declares us to be righteous in His sight.

Justification refers to a Christian’s position before God. The moment you were born again, God justified you.

Sanctification refers to our practice before God. It is the ongoing process of battling sin and becoming more like Jesus.

Question:
If someone in your group pointed out what he/she thought was sin in your life, how would you respond?

1. Become offended and internalize it
2. Become offended and express it
3. Dissolve into tears
4. Point out sins in their lives
5. Thank him/he for care and concern

Read Romans 5:1-2
Meditate and be thankful

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

The past few weeks, I have been visiting our LifeGroups during the fellowship time and to share with the groups the direction that we are going. The one thing that seems to be very common with all of our groups is, everyone that comes through the door seems excited about being there. Fellowship is happening.

I feel very strong about this issue of fellowship within our groups. Genuine Fellowship has a way of squashing the “Me Church” mentality, and focuses more on the other person that God has placed in our lives. You are most likely tired of hearing me say this, but I see small groups as a priority for every Christian, and every church. Why? Scripture constantly underscores the centrality of relationships and fellowship.

J.I. Packer says:
“We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotions. Fellowship is one of the great words of the New Testament: it denotes something that is vital to a Christians spiritual health, and central to the Churches true life… The church will flourish and Christians will be strong only when there is fellowship”.

My prayer and goal is to have a place for everyone in LifeGroups. We are not there yet. We still need more homes to meet in and more people to Host the group for bible study.

Further Study:
How ought Christians to relate to one another in order to experience fellowship?
See 1 John 1:7

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Who’s in your wallet?

If you are in one of our LifeGroups, you have been or will be given a card to carry in your wallet. It is called the 3-1-6 card. It is a tool for you to use to pray for 3 people 1 time a day, for 6 days. Your group has also been given a list of businesses located in Lyman, which needs your prayers. You can select a business and add it to your card. Prayer for those who don’t know Him yet, as well as those who know, but have no relationship with the father, is extremely important. Don’t leave your card in your wallet…show it to the Father.

A few weeks ago Pastor Jeff shared in his sermon about giving God your firsts. Here is the list:

Give God the first day of every week.
Give God the first part of everyday.
Give God the first portion of your income.
Give God FIRST consideration of every decision.

Acts 4:29-31
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

NKJV

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Are you experiencing everything you should be?

Communism falls. In Romania there were many orphans who were warehoused in huge orphanages. They were understaffed and were only able to provide for the physical needs of the babies, such as food, and shelter. The babies were very hardly ever picked up and were never cuddled or played with at all. This neglect led to a condition called "failure to thrive syndrome". Whether they were several months old or even years old they still looked and acted like newborn babies. What they were missing was a family, even a surrogate family that would encourage growth through consistent contact.

Christians can have that same "failure to thrive syndrome" in our spiritual lives. Have you seen this Syndrome in any of your family or friends, which you believe to be Christian? I am of the opinion that if Christians that join a church, and don’t get connected in a smaller body of believers, will eventually leave that church and go into isolation.

Once in isolation it is very difficult to convince someone to come out of that lifestyle. Why? It’s a safe place where there is no effort needed for relationships. No one can hurt you therefore you don’t have to worry about forgiving others. If that sounds a little selfish, that’s because it is. Since Jesus defined forgiveness with His life, shouldn’t that thrust us toward relationships with others?

This is why Paul teaches that it is so important to be adopted into a fully functioning body of believers, a small group for instance.

In Ephesians 4:14, Paul says "Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth."

Praise!
There is a very special person in my life that I met in 2003 at my second job - BMW. He is a husband, father, and grandfather. He is also a person that others seem to be drawn to. Why? He is a person of Love. Plain and simple “Love”. He and I have and many conversations concerning Faith, God, and what in means to be a Christ follower. Two weeks ago I had an opportunity to share or answer a few of his questions concerning being a disciple of Christ and having eternal life in heaven. That day, he became more than a special person… he is my brother in Christ!

Praise #2, that weekend, he shared with his wife his good news. They attended church that Sunday, and you guessed it, she became a Christ follower as well. It’s funny how our love and Christ’s love seems to be contagious.

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Below is a preview of Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer

Across North America many churches are experiencing explosive growth because they are learning to connect with their communities. Pastors and churches are breaking the cultural codes of their communities. People are responding to biblical faithful and culturally relevant outreach.
Breaking the code means discovering the principles that work in every context, selecting the tools most relevant for your context, and then learning to apply them in a missionally effective manner.
There is not just one white, young, cultural code to be broken. Every culture needs to be exegeted [de-coded] for the gospel.
Breaking the code is a missionary’s work, and it should be seen [even in North America] as a missional process. A commitment to the integrity and authority of the Scripture, combined with a passion for reaching people to whom you are called, requires a commitment to prayerfully create a plan and strategy to reach your community.
Code-breaking churches must be indigenous in their context, and indigenous churches look different from culture to culture.


Attendance for August

1st Sunday 242
2nd Sunday 276
3rd Sunday 285
4th Sunday 297
5th Sunday 242

Average is 268

Gather Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Promises

This past Sunday, Jeff preached on "Covenant" then we eyewitnessed Jon & Karen Ives make a covenant at the end of the service as they became husband and wife. Promises. How many have I made, and how many have I broken?

I was reminded this morning by someone about God's promises. Today was I day that I needed to remember:.

Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Matthew 28:20 And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

John 14:18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to you.

Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. will advise you and watch over you.

John 6:40 For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day."

Psalm 37:39 The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

2 Samuel 22:31 God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking

I could go on with scripture. This is not a complete list that is recorded in God's word.

Ask your self this question that I have asked myself the past weeks:
Have I been remembering Satans lies or God's promises. Why has it been easier to see the faults of men and not the promises of God. Is it because we see what we are looking for?


Gather, Grow, & Go


Pastor Tim