Encouraging Email

I received this from a guest who was visiting Living Hope this past Sunday. It was a huge encouragement to me and a reminder of what makes the God and the people I serve so special.

Hey Dr. Pettus!I happened to visit your church today (Sunday, March 29). I was in town visiting some good friends of mine who happen to be new to the community of Bowling Green and have been visiting your church now for a few weeks. They really enjoy your church by the way. The reason for my email to you this afternoon is I wanted to let you know from a visitors standpoint how wonderful your church is and how much I enjoyed worshipping with your church family today and how I truly felt the presence of God today. I walked away from the 11:00 service feeling joy and blessed to know there is a church like yours that is preaching the word and is not afraid to do so. It was also so refreshing to see the joy your congregation had in worshipping today and to just feel the love your congregation has for the body of Christ. I felt like your congregation truly got what it means to be a body of Christ. I loved the fact your congregation even knew the church's mission statement and said it with such conviction and passion.

The service today was also a motivator for me to quit feeling sorry for myself. I have just recently moved to a new city(it has alone been 3 weeks) and I have been somewhat depressed and thinking about all the negative things that have been going on instead of the positive. My move was very much of a God thing and I chose to make this move. Your point today regarding how our Christian walk does not solely need to be about us was a good reminder today for me that I was given this opportunity by God to move to pursue what God wants for my life and to get going with it. First off, I need to find a church home where I can be apart of a body of Christ and do like your mission says, serve and grow. Secondly, I need to continue being in prayer and seek God for direction in what he wants me to do for a career (I am currently unemployed looking for a new direction that has been what I feel God breathed).

I appreciate your time and again just wanted to thank you for being obedient to God and not afraid to preach the word. I pray blessings for your church and know when I am back in town, I will definitely be visiting your church again.

Prayer

My name is Gaye Pearl. My husband, Mike, and I share five children who have blessed us with three grandchildren (with another blessing due in June). We have been members of Living Hope for over five years. We love working at the Welcome Center as part of the First Impressions Ministry and we are members of an ABF class. I also serve in the Prayer Ministry.

When we arrived for worship, I was delighted to see that our friend, Dan Edmonson, was giving his testimony about the importance of prayer. Dan shared with us how he is often asked to pray with and for his employees and this reminded me that our mission field is often our work place or, for that matter, wherever we happen to be. Dan invited the church to join with the Prayer Ministry in praying for our church leadership and staff.

Pastor Jason began today’s message entitled “Why We Eat in Church” by asking if any of us were forgetful. Of course, most of us raised our hands in affirmation. Pastor Jason pointed out that sometimes we forget that God loves us and has a plan for us – that He is with us at all times. Even in the beginning, Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve forgot God’s plans for them.

So, to help us remember, God has given us a wonderful ordinance to remind us of the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ – the Lord’s Supper. Our sermon note outline states that the Lord’s Supper is the ordinance (outward expression of faith commanded by Christ) that memorializes Christ’s sacrifice that frees all who believe. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we would not have access to the throne of Grace through prayer.

My family attended a church where communion was served every Sunday. As a small child, I remember believing the real blood and flesh of Jesus was being served. I was petrified - I did not understand that this was symbolic of His sacrifice on the cross. Of course, our preacher may have explained this on occasion, but I was too young to understand (and probably not paying attention, either).

However, in order to help us understand the Lord’s Supper, Pastor Jason pointed out to us what the Lord’s Supper is not: it is not the actual body of Jesus, it is not partly the body of Jesus, and it cannot save a person. Pastor Jason then explained what the Lord’s Supper was: it is to unify the body of believers, it is to be received regularly, it is a testimony to the power of the gospel, and it is a celebration of Jesus and His atoning death.
This week, Pastor Jason challenged us to examine ourselves through prayer in preparation of receiving the Lord’s Supper next Sunday. It can be a dangerous thing if we receive this ordinance without self-examination. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11-27-29: 27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. (NASB)
If you haven’t noticed, the back of our sermon outline sheet has a nifty spot where you can list names of anyone needing prayer for salvation. There are also several opportunities for prayer listed there, as well.

Today was a day of rejoicing in our ABF class - one of our class members received news that he was cancer free after a year of surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy. There aren’t enough words to describe how our ABF class supports, encourages, and prays for each other during good and bad times alike. We are like a really, really big family!

These are tough times for many of the body of Christ at Living Hope. This week, we are asked to meditate on the following scripture, Matthew 11:28-30, where Jesus tells us: Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (NASB)

In our prayer life, do we go to Jesus in prayer as our first and greatest resource or our last resort?

Descriptions

My name is Rachel Summar. I am married to Bart. We have three daughters, Grace (13), Emily (11) and Caroline (7). We have been members at Living Hope for almost two years. I teach a Sunday school class of 7th grade girls, and Bart teaches a class of 8th grade boys. I am a full-time wife and mom and work part-time as a photographer.

As Jason preached this morning from Acts 2:37-42 there were a few things that he mentioned that just never seem to grow old for me. One of those things is the fact that I am “forgiven.” He reminded us that for those who are believers in Christ all of our sins are forgiven (past, present and future). In our 7th grade girls Sunday school class, we are currently studying the book of 1 John. We talked a few weeks ago about the phrase “little children” and the fact that “little children” know they are forgiven and the fact that they know they have a Father. Although they don’t know a whole lot more than that, they have everything they need. I told my group of young believers that I am side-by-side with them as a “little child” always needing to understand and experience the reality of what it means to be forgiven.

I appreciated what Logan West shared in his testimony as a middle school student growing in his walk with the Lord. He talked about how after a year or so of growing he looked back and it didn’t really seem like he had grown all that much. That tied in so perfectly with what Jason said this morning, “The closer you get to God, the further you feel from Him.” I think Logan was experiencing what many of us feel when God allows us to see more of who He is. He’s so much more than we ever could imagine!

A while back, in an effort to try to keep up with the rest of the world (including my teenage daughter), I joined Facebook. I always struggle with filling out personal information that describes “who I am,” particularly as it pertains to the category of “Religion.” I find it challenging to put into a word or two what Christ has done for me. The best one word description that I have come up with thus far is “Rescued.” That’s the most accurate way I know to describe God’s work in my life. I was so glad to hear what Jason had to say about the holiness of God and the great distance that exists between me and God outside of the blood of Christ. It was a good reminder of who God is (the great holy and sovereign ruler of this universe) and who I am (a person greatly in need of His grace and mercy every day).

Spiritual Renewal Sunday

Today was an amazing day. There was a wonderful spirit all around the church and I was very thankful to have Pastor Ricky speaking today. He did an amazing job. He has a ton of passion and his excitement is contagious. Some of the truths he brought out really had an impact on me. I hope they had an impact on you as well.

One point that really stood out to me was the idea of Moses having to lay down his staff and how hard that might have been for him. Sometimes we get attached to things that are good, but that are not God and we begin to place value on them that go beyond their worth. It may be a job, a house, a car, some techno gadget, a relationship, or even a position that we take pride in and are afraid to give up. When that happens, that thing, whatever it may be, becomes our functional savior. We tell ourselves that we must have it to be safe and successful.

God told Moses to throw his staff down and when he did, it became a snake and Moses ran from it. Sometimes the thing that God gives us to do and use for His glory is scary. It may be a calling to forgive, to love, or to serve in a way that you do not feel qualified or even care to. God has no fear and He also knows what is best. We must learn to trust Him.

God then has Moses pick the snake up by the most dangerous part of the snake - the tail. If Moses had picked it up by the neck, he would have been able to control it. By picking it up by the tail as God commanded Moses was showing faith and also learning that God's work depends on God and we will not be able to be in control. This was an important lesson because Moses had a huge fight ahead of him with Pharaoh. This is a huge lesson for us as well because God wants us to be like Paul and say, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

God wants us to be committed to walking closely with Him no matter what and moving forward in His grace.

Pastor Jason

Joy

My name is Tom Noser, and I have been a member of Living Hope for several years. I first visited when the worship center was what we now call the Fellowship Hall, would attend the worship service, receive good teaching, and then leave. In a large church, anonymity is easy to achieve. God (gently) worked on my reticence and stubbornness, such that I eventually became more involved in small groups and ABF classes. What a blessing that has been. Though I can’t tell you the exact date I became a member, I was baptized on Christmas Eve, 2003.



The day of worship, teaching, and service was one of emotions. Given my choice, I’ll deal with those bringing joy.

I knew that Kay (Edwards) would be sharing her testimony regarding the Singles Ministry, and how God is using that to work in her life and the lives of others. I can confirm everything she shared. In my time of involvement in our ABF Singles class and small groups, I have witnessed God caring for us in amazing ways. Many of us (not all!) have come from broken situations, where marriages and families have been torn apart. Please understand; we believe in marriage. In spite of our shortcomings, we believe in God’s sovereignty and His love for us. God is growing our numbers, and more importantly, God is restoring, teaching, nurturing, and growing us. It is a genuine treat to be part of a group of people who care so much for one another.

Jason welcomed us this morning with something like “Thanks for bringing the church here this morning.” While I know we are in a series of sermons about our faith, it is good & affirming to again hear that we are the church. I look forward to learning more this year about simply being the church – being the people God has ordained us to be, walking in the good works which God has prepared beforehand (see Ephesians 2:10). When Christ returns to claim His church, He will not be here for the building and the bus, but for us, and the Bride of Christ needs to be spotless and perfect.

As Jason dealt with the uniqueness of the Christian faith this morning, I was reminded of something we covered in our ABF class recently. It is quite common that topics we cover in our class closely dovetail with Jason’s teachings. Matt Haste, substituting for Sean Latham while he was on a two week mission trip to South Africa (I told you our ABF was a good place to be; next week Trenda Wilcox is off to Honduras), was dealing with the topic of salvation. My understanding of what Jason said this morning is that New Testament Christianity teaches that God is holy, and became one of us to make us holy, and to save us. That is unique. Jesus is the only one who is both God and man; Jesus paid the price to save us. My understanding – for us to be acceptable in God’s sight, we must be perfect, and that can only occur if we are 1) forgiven, and 2) covered by Christ’s righteousness. Accepting Christ’s sacrifice in our place removes our sin guilt, and replaces it with the righteousness of Christ. Wow, what a gift, and only Jesus, the only one who was God & man, can do that.

Jason’s discussion of two seeming conflicts – that God is in complete control, and yet we are responsible for our choices – also struck a chord with me. We live in a world of “it’s not my fault; it’s not my responsibility”, but that’s not God’s view, as I understand it. God is in control, complete control. God is sovereign, but once saved we have a responsibility to walk in the good works which God has prepared beforehand. Ephesians 2:10 does not tell us to “sit” in those good works. Things will happen, bad things – cancers, deaths, divorce, unemployment … the list goes on – but Romans 8:35-39 tells us that in spite of all those things, essentially, nothing will separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Are we sure God will see us through? Philippians 1:6 answers that – “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

One more thought of the joy-bringing nature that Jason brought to us – for those in Christ, we have the promise of life now and eternally. Only Christ rose from the dead; our Savior is alive! Our Christian faith teaches that truth, as I understand it, but that gift of everlasting life must be accepted personally.

What I have discovered is that I don’t have to wait until I am called home to enjoy life to the full. In the ABF and small group “family”, I have people who genuinely care for and love me, who are concerned about my temporal & eternal welfare, and that of others. Perhaps that is what “simply being the church” is all about.

Worship The King

Paula and I have been members of Living Hope since 2005. Our sons Seth and Patrick are members as well by letter of transfer. Austin is our oldest child and is still a member of First Baptist Church in Hodgenville while attending college at WKU. I have been involved with the Tech Ministry as a Sound Tech from the time we joined the church. I had been part of a Tech Ministry prior to coming to Living Hope. I also serve in the Personal Finance Ministry and on the Parent Leadership Team of the student ministry. Paula and I are members of an ABF and small group.

I would like to start this conversation with some thoughts about the Worship Service. I struggle to express how much this hour means to me and the impact it has on my life. It is the culmination and yet the beginning of my walk each week with God. I reflect on how awesome our God is as we sing praises to the King. The words of the songs prepare my heart for the message and connect me to the body of Christ as only the Holy Spirit can do. I serve in the Tech Ministry with the purpose of supporting the efforts necessary to provide this experience. Each of us that serve, with the gifts God has given us, realizes the contribution we offer to the moments of the service that touch our sensibilities. From the singing and music to the video, graphics, and lighting, artistry is created that exalts our Lord and praises His holiness. These scenes are then captured by camera and CD to be made available after the service and published on the web for others to experience. The modern technology we use and the dedicated people that operate it help to provide a level of excellence in the presentation of the gospel. This presentation brings about a connection with the daily lives we lead during the week with the fullness of the living God who created this world we are traveling through. For me, as I participate with the worship team, I am able to exalt the God who created me, praise the God who loves me, and acknowledge the God who came to me through his son Jesus. If these words capture your heart with a calling to serve, there is a place for you in the many opportunities available through the Worship Ministry.

We worshipped the King today through the Lord’s Supper. I am always humbled during this time of reflection over the sacrifice Jesus made for me. As we sang the words of Rescue, I am awakened again to how “this world has nothing for me”.

The special music leading into the sermon today connected so well for me with the message. As Jon sang the words about the “fear that tears at our words”, I came face to face with that person whom we all know. That person for whom “time is not their friend” and “as we dance around the truth” we realize this might be our last chance to save their life. I know this may be over-playing the phrases of the song. But, we hear this music in our cars and homes every day and to have it performed within the context of a message changes its impact.

Jason encouraged me concerning the impact I have with others from Acts 2:14-28 with the story of Peter. A fisherman who left everything he knew and possessed to follow a man that he later came to realize was God. Yet after this revelation, he denied Jesus three times. But Jesus knew Peter’s destiny would not end with those moments. Peter is later found by Jesus to be forgiven, healed, and emboldened through the Holy Spirit to open the Kingdom of God to the world. I see the hope that only Jesus can restore when the “Accuser” tells us we have failed beyond any possible redemption.

Jason challenged me with Peter’s testimony to know the word of God as he did. To be able to express my faith with a resolve and confidence that leaves no doubts about what is truth and what is not. His illustration of the Holy Spirit expanding our lives similar to how he filled the balloon with air left me examining my life for that spiritual growth.

As the service ended in prayer with Beth singing “there is something about that name”, I realized that my hope is not of this world but is in knowing the name and person of Jesus.

My hope in leaving this article with you is that you can see how God works through the men and women of the Worship Ministry to bring revelation to the service. If you are someone that has a desire to contribute to this ministry, there are many ways to offer service. Opportunities exist for participation in the music or serving behind the scenes with the technical and administrative staff. Come and be a part of a team that supports our experiences as we worship the King.