SimplyBeTheChurch

Up’ing Your Game

2009-11-16T06:39:00.001-08:00

Pastor Jason said a statistic that really caught my attention this
morning. He said that only 20% of the people in Warren County attend
worship - on any given Sunday. That number is not just Christian
worship...it is all faith systems. I was thinking, "Wow, that is a lot of people that don’t worship Jesus each week." It seems there are two main reasons people don’t come to church 1) because they don’t have a relationship with Jesus; or 2) they are believers and they choose not to go to church.

During the missions conference yesterday, Dr. Sills said that you are
either a missionary or an impostor. Yikes. That is strong. It is
true though. Believers are called to be missionaries (Matthew 28:19,
20). No options are given. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you must
pursue missions. It is not a program. It is a lifestyle. So when
our feet hit the ground...we are in the mission field.

Dr. Sills said that it took Coca Cola only 113 years for 94% of the
world to recognize the Coca Cola logo. He also shared that although believers have had the Great Commission for over 2000 years, 2 billion people still haven't heard the name of Jesus. Hmmmm. Makes one think...there are more people that know Coke than Christ. The Kingdom of God needs people stepping up their “game.” Are we impostors or are we sharing what we know about Jesus?

Pastor Jason has been challenging the congregation each week about
being active in our faith and sharing Jesus with others. Today he
communicated about how we need to be active in politics (local and
national). Believers need to be voting what we believe. We also need Christian men and women to be active in all areas of our government, schools, and city.

Big challenges today...are you ready to “Up Your Game!”?

Pastor Jeff Carlisle, Missions Pastor

"This is an Emergency”

2009-11-04T19:46:00.001-08:00

We have an emergency here on Earth. It is a challenge, as Christians, to fear Hell and share with others about the Savior who can keep them from Hell. It is a challenge of evangelism that not only reaches to the people next door, but to the farthest stretches of the earth. It is a global emergency, one that Christians should warn everyone about.

My name is Emily Harrod- I’m a sophomore Elementary Education/ESL major at WKU, and I love being involved in the College Ministry at Living Hope! The College Ministry has been such a great way to respond to the global emergency of winning people to Christ. Even this past weekend, several college students participated in Trunks of Treats by creating “Bible Story Lane” to walk children through the story of the Bible, sharing how each story ultimately points to Jesus. We were able to share the Gospel with so many children and their parents!

The College Ministry redefined evangelism for me. Evangelism comes in many forms- it can mean dressing up like a “wee little man” so children will know the story of Zacchaeus and see that God loves all people. Evangelism can mean investing in an international student with a completely different worldview. It can even mean giving up a summer, winter, or spring break from classes to travel across the world and evangelize to the unreached people groups. Whatever the case, we have been encouraged to evangelize during this unique time in our lives!

After the sermon we heard Sunday on the challenge of evangelism, my heart was burning for the people I met while serving in Asia this summer. I cannot wait to go back one day and continue the work the Lord has given to me. Until then, however, we have been encouraged to channel that motivation into our classmates and friends here on our college campus, and to simply pray for those in the unreached countries. Live like there is an emergency wherever you are, in every situation!

“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”- Acts 20:24

Family Dedication Ceremony

2009-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning we celebrated our Family Dedication service. On the surface this is a ceremony of wonder, of hope, of delight as we see these young families and adore the precious babies on the platform. However, below the surface lies a greater call.

Our commitment to Family Dedication is founded on the Biblical principles of both Psalm 78 and Deuteronomy 6. Both passages clearly define the utmost responsibility of the parents to remember the words of Scripture and to teach them to their children. God makes parents responsible for passing on the truths of their faith within every afforded opportunity. In addition, the community of faith was held accountable to bring support. This is why we have “raised the bar” so to speak by requiring membership of one parent and attendance at a “parenting class” by both parents prior to our Family dedication Sunday. These prerequisites strengthen the lines of accountability.

Deeper still is our realization of the power and sovereignty of God in the lives of our children. This is why it is always stated that “this ceremony is not one of guarantee, but rather intent”. This serves as a reminder that we are fully dependent on God. We are called to obedience; we are called to treasure God’s Word; we are called to obey the commands of God; we are called to live in the light of His glory and persevere as witnesses for the Gospel. The results of our obedience rest in God alone. Every act of salvation is a miracle of God and if we were going to stake our lives on the “probable” we would all come up short. Instead, we stake our lives on the power of God, His unwavering attributes, and the truth of His Word. God is the one who changes hearts and saves us from sin. This is why the Family Dedication service and the covenant expressed there is so vital to the health of our community of faith. It is because we are coming together and committing ourselves to connection, accountability, fervent prayer, and clear teaching with the hope that our children will come to know Christ as Savior and will continue in the faith as powerful witnesses.

Join me in commitment to guardianship – guarding our hearts and minds so that we treasure God alone and communicate and live that lifestyle in our homes, in our faith community, in our world, and thereby show the next generation the glory of God through our lives.

HE Holds the Future

2009-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as a Trustee for the past three years. As I reflect on my time of service, I can honestly say that it’s been very educational, thought provoking, challenging, sometimes frustrating and humbling. I listened with interest this morning during the worship service as Trustee Chair, John Mark Fones outlined how mightily God has worked in our building project over the past several years. Just when we thought we’d go this or that direction, God had another plan. Many times, the Trustees were anxious as to what was going on, but all along, trusted that God would work it out for His glory.

I hope that everyone in attendance in worship today was inspired to trust God daily – to expect great things from Him. I was encouraged to hear again how the Lord made our building program possible; slowing us down for the day HE would act to make it a reality. I think it is important to note that the Trustees and Building Committee were prepared for whatever God had in store for us; whether it was just building the education wing, building the whole planned project or to build nothing at all. Like John Mark, I greatly appreciate the years of service the members of the Building Committee and collateral committees have put into this new project. While witnessing the new building project go from idea to design to reality is exciting, it’s what will be happening inside those walls that count – the lives saved and relationships made. That’s why God showed up – it’s not so Living Hope could brag about what we have; it’s so Living Hope could live out the great commission. It is also so people like you and I could be encouraged to trust God with all areas of our lives.

John Mark’s testimony was reinforced by the songs in worship today – all describing the character of our Lord. We sang, “You are God, you are holy, how awesome are the things we’ve yet to see” – we sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” and we heard a beautiful song about how “Beautiful” our Lord is. Why is it, that as Christians we many times have to be cornered to trust Him? Why is it that we cannot daily trust and depend on our holy, awesome and beautiful God? My experience as a Trustee has provided me with firsthand accounts of how the Lord has been faithful with our church’s finances and in the lives of our pastors and staff members. I am thankful to have been able to serve Him in this capacity.

As Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Please continue to pray for our church’s ministers, our staff, the Trustees and the various other committees who are dedicated to doing the Lord’s work. According to a certain Bible commentary, “As long as God, who knows the future, provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean that we will be spared pain, suffering or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.”

Stacey Sims

Events for Everybody!

2009-10-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

As I shared during the Worship Service on Sunday, we have some exciting events coming up in the Adult Discipleship Ministry. Here are a few events coming up in the next two weeks that we would love for you to consider participating in:

Women’s Muslim Prayer Tea: (Saturday, October 17th at 9:00 a.m.)
This is an opportunity to join other women in praying for Muslim women around the world to come to faith through Jesus Christ. For more information, please contact Dwan Graham at
dwan.graham@gmail.com.

Man to Man Retreat: (Friday, October 23rd to Saturday, October 24th)
This is our annual Men’s Retreat in Hardin, KY. This is a great opportunity to fellowship with other men and to grow in relationship with Christ. The cost is $45, which covers meals and overnight stay at the retreat center. Tickets are available at the Men’s Ministry kiosk in the church lobby. For information contact t.brown@tomjames.com.

Single Parents University (Saturday, October 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m)
Join us as we gain some great insights from guest speakers Dr. Bruce Ware of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary & Children’s Minister Cindy Starr. There will be several breakout sessions offered to help equip single parents on a variety of areas. Lunch & childcare provided. The cost is $10, and you can sign up at www.livinghopewired.com/spu.

We hope that you will join us for one of these Adult Discipleship Ministry Events!

Grace and Peace,

Richard Carwile
Adult Discipleship Pastor

Senior Adults

2009-10-06T15:39:00.001-07:00

My name is Teresa Willoughby. I serve on the senior adult council of which I am the current president. I am chairperson of the bereavement committee and the kitchen –hospitality committee. I serve monthly with the hospital hospitality ministry, and most recently have been volunteering my time on Tuesday and Thursdays at Hope House. I facilitate the ABF lesson when our regular teacher isn’t present. My husband, Steve, and I host our small group in our home. I feel as though I am an active senior adult, but still can’t be compared to what others in our church are doing.

These are some of the areas of ministry that Living Hope’s senior adults are active participants:

BASKETS of LOVE Baskets are assembled at church containing items that are useful to hospital patients. The baskets are delivered to local hospital patients who are listed on the church CAREnet.

HOSPITAL HOSPITALITY Volunteers assemble bagged lunches which are prepared at church and taken to family members of patients in the waiting rooms of local hospitals.

BEREAVEMENT When the need arises, volunteers are phoned and asked to
prepare a dish of food. They may also be asked to help serve the meal or clean up afterwards.

NURSING HOME MINITRY Volunteers meet to practice and then go to local nursing homes to sing. Volunteers don’t have to have a beautiful voice just one that makes a joyful noise and a willing heart that wants to share the love of Jesus.

HOPE HOUSE This is a new outreach ministry which seeks to meet a material need, but more importantly share the Gospel so that unsaved people will come to know Jesus and get connected with an area church. The ministry includes all ages; however, several seniors play an active role.

I would like to share how serving in one of these ministries has helped to change me. I am a retired elementary school teacher and have been so for six years. I still enjoy returning to the school from which I retired and substitute. Eleven years ago we purchased a newly constructed house. Recently I began to think of some updating that the house needed especially the kitchen. My husband said we need to wait until we finished paying for our youngest daughter’s college education before we took on such an expensive project. Not wanting to concede that he is right, I begin to think of how this could be done sooner. After much thought the idea come to me that I could save all of the money that I make substituting this school year and if I taught as many days as I usually do I could probably pay for the upgrades by next summer or early fall. I felt that was a great solution.

Shortly before this school year began, I attended a training session at Hope House. I immediately felt that this was a ministry that I needed to be a part of. After praying about when and how much time I should commit to Hope Hose, I felt led to serve each Tuesday and Thursday. I became very excited about this time and found myself wishing for Tuesday and Thursday. Shortly after I begin giving of my time to Hope House school opened. Wouldn’t you know that for the first three Tuesdays of school, I received a call about 6:00 A.M. asking if I was available to teach. I said I had a prior commitment. I began to think will I ever get called on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Still I was glad that I had honored my commitment.

After serving a few weeks at Hope House, God began to change the desire of my heart. Seeing the many material needs that the guests have not to mention their spiritual needs, made me realize how truly inconsequential and unimportant updating my kitchen really is. I now have a heart that is full of so much more gratitude than before. God has lavishly poured out his blessings on me both materially and spiritually. He has given me much more of a servant’s heart. I see the hurt in these people’s eyes, and their troubled faces and I can’t help but want to more. What a wonderful opportunity God has placed in my path. I want to be faithful and honor my commitment to God.

James 2: 14-17 says: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well”, but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works is dead by itself.

We are saved by grace and through our faith by trusting in and committing to Jesus Christ. We must do more that just talk about faith. We must demonstrate compassionate actions. Genuine faith is active and productive. We show that our faith is genuine by doing good works. We can not do everything and help every body but we are not exempt from translating our faith into concrete actions.

Once again James reminds us in 2:26 that faith without works is dead.

Please as a senior adult join with others as we live out our saving faith. Prayerfully consider serving in one of these ministry areas.
A call to service is not limited to Senior Adults. No matter how old you are, if you are a Christian, you are called to serve. Please find your place of service so that together we can fulfill Living Hope’s mission Get to God, Grow in Christ, and Give to others.

Adult Bible Fellowship

2009-09-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tim Brown has been a member of Living Hope since moving to Bowling Green in 1997. Tim has been an ABF teacher for 9 years and currently teaches an ABF Class at 9:30 and 11:00 and is also active in the Mens Minstry at Living Hope. Tim has been married to his wife Mylinda for 24 years and their family is made up of son Travis and daughter-in-law Laura, and another son Tyler.

I have had the honor, blessing, and responsibility the past nine years of teaching an ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) class at Living Hope. During that time I have seen so many lives changed and watched as God increased the hunger for Him in many individuals. ABF’s (AKA: Sunday School Classes) are the greatest venue to make sure God’s Word is being taught in a group setting every Sunday in the local church. ABF’s provide three crucial benefits: 1)A place to study God’s Word with others 2)A place where you can get plugged in right away and where questions can freely be asked 3)Equips the participants to serve and provides a great place to connect to maturing believers.

I believe the greatest opportunity it provides is a place where individuals can discover or rediscover the Person of Christ. A quote I recently came across by Major Ian Thomas, who founded Torchbearers International states, “The upmost need in the ministry of the church today is to rediscover the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the indispensability of His indwelling presence within the believer”. I believe the tool of ABF is where that has the best chance of happening.

I am an old football player so I use a lot of analogies from my playing days that give me a visual of things in my spiritual life. I compare ABF’s to the fundamentals of blocking and tackling – no matter what else you do in the game of football, if you can’t block and tackle, you are not going to win a lot of games. ABF’s are where blocking and tackling get done in our spiritual lives. Every week up and down those hallways you have the certainty that blocking and tackling is going on. We are in a “war” with an enemy who hates our guts and doesn’t want us to work on our blocking and tackling so he tries to convince us that we don’t need to be connected to an ABF class, especially if we are connected to some other group. Truth is --- we need both! Barna Research has revealed that Sunday School attendance has actually grown due to attenders saying they needed more than they were getting in the groups they were connected to. In other words they needed more blocking and tackling to help them SIMPLY BE THE CHURCH GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE.

So let me challenge everyone to get involved with an ABF class and let God take you deeper as He uses the following individuals to help reveal the Person of Christ to you:

Tony Walker Todd Steward

Peggy Easley Andy Parsley

Sharon Stokes Ed Wilson

John & Nan Higgins Steve Henry

Dennis Strom Larry Causey

Mike Wilson Peggy Parrot

Tim Brown Pat McCubbin

Thomas Weakley Dan Edmonson

Sean Latham Gary Allen

Kimmy Stofer Matt Haste

Mike Roemer Bryan Keene

Brenda Martin Norris Shehan

Jackie Stewart

One Great Day

2009-09-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

For me, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. I think it is great to see so many from Living Hope out in our community on the same day serving our Lord and our city. Each Sunday we gather together to worship and listen to Pastor Jason’s teaching. Each encounter we have with God’s word we become more like him. One Great Day is a great example of us acting on our understanding. Each year we seek to, as a community, go to our city and serve the people that need it. It could be building a wheel chair ramp for a disabled person, or mulching a flower bed at a local non-profit. It could be sorting clothes at Hope House or delivering meals to shut-ins in our city. Whatever projects happen, they do so to make God’s name great in this city. This year is even more special as Living Hope is teaming up with more than 20 other churches in our county on this Saturday to have One Great Day. This is possible through the Warren Association of Baptists.

Yesterday we heard a great testimony from Josh Porter, one of Living Hope’s own, about how his school has been impacted by One Great Day and the opportunities that it has given him to share about Christ. In everything we do on this one day it provides opportunities the other 364 days of the year. It might provide you those opportunities as you connect with a family through your group’s project or it might be another believer that works at the organization that you served. Either way the day’s impact stretches much further than the couple hours that you and your family serves on Saturday, September 26th.

One Great Day is for everyone! While we are getting ready to end our Church On Mission small group emphasis, its open to anyone who wants to serve our city. So if you are in a small group you should have been talking about what projects you want to do and have decided. If you are a small group leader and haven’t looked at the projects that are available yet, click here and login. If you are an individual or family that isn’t in a small group, but want to participate then please contact me (email or 270.843.9462) and I will get you connected to a project.

Stuart Borders

First Impressions

2009-09-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings to my Living Hope family! I am Kirby Ramsey, the First Impressions Coordinator at Living Hope. I work with and assist Mark Gilliam, the Staff Liaison, for First Impressions. My wife Judy and I have been attending Living Hope for almost ten years. We chose to attend Living Hope to be with our youngest son, Derek Willis and his now wife, Ja’net as they worshiped our Lord. We are blessed with five grown children and ten grandchildren and truly enjoy serving in First Impressions at Living Hope. We both got involved in the First Impressions Ministry at the Knicely Center assisting Jeff Carlisle for the period of time Living Hope maintained two locations for Sunday services. We found that by serving in First Impressions you could not help but meet new people, both members and visitors who were trying us out for the first time.

Most people realize that members of the First Impression team serve to create an atmosphere of welcome to all who venture onto Living Hope property. The First Impressions program consists of several divisions with everyone performing their duties in a manner both pleasing to our Lord and respectful to everyone who frequents our worship services and activities. Our divisions include:

First and foremost the task of helping members and guests find a suitable parking spot in our huge parking lot is directed by David Knighton. David always arrives early to strategically place entrance and directional signage for everyone. Along with the First Touch team members, members assisting with vehicular traffic serve in all kinds of weather, both good and bad. The First Touch Ministry is under the supervision of Tim Booth. You’ll find First Touch in our parking lot looking for and greeting visitors and guests as well as regular attendees. First Touch is simply an extension of the Greeters division headed by Cathy Adams. Greeters are stationed at every entrance for every service and with a smile, a friendly handshake and a welcoming comment, make sure everyone who enters our facility feels at home once inside. The Welcome Center team is headed by Murl and Trudy Weaver and offer everyone literature, information, and assistance in locating particular classrooms at Living Hope. Ushers are led by Blaine Whitmer and provide a third round of welcoming smiles, handing out worship guides, assist individuals in locating an available seat and collect offerings. Last but not least First Impressions also handles hall monitoring under the direction of Jimmy Thomas. Particular emphasis is placed on areas in and around the children’s area of our facility.

With all this being said, it’s important to realize that First Impressions is all about serving with a goal of having individuals experience such a fantastic feeling of warmth and friendliness that they will want to keep coming back. In Matthew 13:9 it says “Let anyone with ears listen.” From a First Impressions perspective, one can’t hear the word of God nor listen and understand its meaning, without being present. For this very reason First Impression team members have numerous opportunities to make Living Hope stand out as a godly place of worship, with loving people who want and pray for non-believers to “Get to God, Grow in Christ, and Give to Others.” It’s a very small part but as the saying goes, one’s first impression is usually a controlling factor in their decision to like or dislike someone, some place, or some thing. It’s hard to change someone’s first impression so members of the First Impression team know full well the importance of putting their best foot forward so if Living Hope is being appraised by someone visiting for the first time, it will be a positive appraisal. Helping Living Hope grow by making a fabulous impression on people is a major goal of the First Impressions Ministry. If you’re not currently serving in another ministry at Living Hope, please know that you are so welcome to become an active member of our First Impressions team. May God bless you and your family and may He help you find your ministry at Living Hope.

Something Bobby Welch Taught Me

2009-08-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

At Living Hope yesterday we enjoyed a time of Spiritual Renewal. Dr. Bobby Welch was our guest speaker for the day. Bobby is a man I have admired for many years. It was an honor to have him come and share the Gospel at Living Hope. You can listen to his message to us by clicking here. We put up the 8:00 and 9:30 service because what he said at the 8:00 service was somewhat different than what he said at the 9:30 and 11:00 services, especially at the end.

He talked to us about authentic faith. One of the things he shared that I had never heard and absolutely loved was how the people in his small Northern Alabama town would describe someone that had become a Christian.

When a person in their town would come to that place in their life where they surrendered their life to the risen Christ, they were said to have changed. For instance someone might ask, "Jimmy, what year was it, when you changed?" Or asking about someone they might say, "Has Joey had a change yet?"

What I love is that this language speaks to what happens to a person's life. When a person comes to faith in Christ, they are changed. Jesus saves by grace through faith and not by works, but anyone who has been saved by grace through faith always has works. A person of faith always lives out their faith and their life is changed and other people can see the change in the way they treat others, speak, and approach their life.

I think I am going to start using that because it is Biblical.

James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Pastor Jason

Being a Deacon at Living Hope

2009-08-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings Living Hope family! I am John Paul Blair, 2009 Deacon Chair.
My wife Leslie and I began attending Living Hope in the late 80's when dating as WKU students. We now have two children, John Robert ("Jack", age 10) and Margaret Grace ("Maggie", age 5) growing their faith as a part of the Living Hope family as well. What a blessing our church has been and continues to be!

What a pleasure it is to serve the Lord as a Living Hope deacon! As
deacon, our primary role is to serve the membership by extending the
reach of the pastoral and ministry staff. On Sundays, you see us
prepare and serve Communion, and you may notice us congregate in the
front of the worship center to assist in decision counseling. We enjoy
these parts of our ministry.

During the week, every member of our team (38 strong) makes visits to
hospitals and long term care and rehabilitation facilities, including
Nashville. We visit funeral homes and follow up at least once with all
we've touched. We visit not only those from our membership, but also
regular attenders, family members and friends of our congregation. This
also is a joy.

We help care for the widows and widowers in our fold through service
projects and special events. We are joyfully exploring ways to serve
our shut-ins (members who cannot make it to church on Sunday) and to
help welcome new members to our church family.

What a joy it is to serve alongside our staff and to serve as a vessel
for the Lord to work through! If we have visited you, our hope is you
were blessed as much as we are to serve His Kingdom.

Thank you church family for your recent nominations to add to our
ranks. Thank you for allowing us to serve you. We are blessed.

John Paul Blair
2009 Deacon Chair

Grace Community and Grattitude

2009-08-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

I would never want to imagine life without a being part of a group of fellow believers. This morning, Rick gave his testimony about how much the choir means to him. He shared that his life is richer, and his family's life is richer because of his decision to be part of the Worship Choir. He talked about the opportunity in that group to share concerns, hurts, and victories with each other. We were created to live in community. I am thankful for my choir family and my church family.

Today, as Living Hope gathered to worship, I was struck by the strength that I gained through the unity of the congregation singing together great truths about God, Jesus, and Spirit and the Word of God. There is something very powerful about the gathering of God's people to declare praise, thanksgiving, and truths in unity. Again, in community, we not only live life together, we also gather to worship in Spirit and in Truth. What a great priviledge!

As Jason preached today, there was a strong movement of the Spirit of God among us. I consider myself gratdful person. However, I realized that a life completely given to gratitude would be a life refusing to sin against Jesus who paid the ultimate price for my sin. I also realized that my life has much room to grow in gratitude. As the Holy Spirit faithfully does, He challenged me through Jason's sermon to press on to become a person totally given to a life reflecting my thanksgiving to a loving God, Savior, and Spirit.

Benny Stofer
Worship Pastor

Church Picnic

2009-08-03T12:31:00.001-07:00

We had a fantastic time last night at our church picnic. There were a lot of people there from all different ages. We had lots of babies, students, seniors, singles, and families that were laughing and enjoying time together. The picnic was geared around getting small groups together to launch our fall focus "Church on Mission." It was a lot of fun to walk around and talk to hundreds of people and see old friends catching up and seeing new friendships formed.

I met two small groups last night that were all meeting each other for the first time. It was quite a logistical feat for them to figure out where to meet, but they got connected. It was clear in both of those instances that these groups of people were going to become great friends and grow together in Christ and in their love for one another.

Whenever I see a small group form I get excited because I know that if the group does what it is supposed to that these people are going to be blessed. Over the next few years as each person in the group experiences sorrow, success, and everything in between, there will be friends that will be there with them. I am on call this week so I will be visiting those that are in the hospital. I know that those that are connected in a small group or an ABF are going to have already been cared for and prayed for. I will be there just to bless God's people doing what God's people do: loving Jesus and loving each other.

Pastor Jason Pettus

Closing the Gap

2009-07-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings Living Hope Family! I’m Robert Duvall; my wife is Amy, and I have 3 sons: Alex (13), William (9), and Grayson (5). Amy & I have been members of Living Hope since 1996. I’m currently serving as the elder overseeing ABF and small groups. Amy is serving as a high school table leader & a high school girls’ small group leader. We are excited to see what God is doing at Living Hope as we take a step of faith each day to serve Him and bring glory to His name.

We talk about it all the time: “How are we going to close the gap?” The gap between broken relationships…. The gap between the amount of money we overspend & our income…. The gap between the amount of time we spend developing our children & the actual amount of time we invest in their lives….. The gap between loving our spouse like they’re the most important person in our life & the demonstration of love through our words and actions…. The gap between what we say & what we do. In today’s sermon, Pastor Richard spoke of the gap between our knowledge of God’s Word & its application in our lives. It is not enough to say we love someone or to say we love God. We must demonstrate this love. The apostle John writes in I John 3:18, “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” Yes, Brothers & Sisters in Christ, we must do all we can to close this gap.

As part of God’s perfect design, we need each other to help close the gap. Rick Warren writes, “It may seem easier to be holy when no one else is around to frustrate your preferences, but that is a false, untested holiness. Isolation breeds deceitfulness; it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one to challenge us. Real maturity shows up in relationships.” God intends for us to develop these authentic relationships so that we can both challenge one another & encourage one another. There must be a healthy balance between the two.

As Christ’s Church, as a country founded on biblical principles, as a local community of faith, as a small group, as a family, and as an individual, we realize there is little evidence of perfection. Consequently, there is a gap between our commitments and our accomplishments. To a world that would call us “hypocrites”, what can we say? Or a better question is, “What can we show?” There must be fruits of our labor culminating in an undeniable evidence of LOVE. I am proud to be part of a local body of believers who “get it” and who “show it”. At Living Hope, I believe our gap is relatively small. We understand, albeit imperfectly, that we have been called to love God, love each other, and love lost people. Certainly there is room for improvement, but I believe our members’ “heart’s desire” is to embrace Pastor Jason’s challenge to “be the most LOVING place on the planet.” We have seen this through our support of Hope House by loving people and expecting nothing in return. We have seen this in our deacon ministry by loving people in their most desperate hours of sickness and grief. We have seen this in our children’s ministry as volunteers love our kids through the teaching of God’s Word while having lots of fun. We have seen this in our senior adult ministry that celebrates God’s gifts of wisdom and self-sacrifice. We have seen this in our ABF’s and small groups by fulfilling Christ’s example of serving one another & speaking the truth in love. We have seen this in a senior pastor leading his flock with a simple, yet powerful, message of love, “To help people: Get to God, Grow in Christ, and Give to Others.”

Pastor Richard accurately said that we have a Family Reunion of God’s people each and every Sunday at church. Without hesitation, I can say that I’m proud to be a member of this loving Family called Living Hope. Let’s close the gap TOGETHER!

Excited to be "On Mission"

2009-07-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

My name is Todd Crosby and my wife's name is LeAnn. I have one daughter Anslee and one daughter (Averi) on her way in about 2 1/2 weeks. They are truly gifts from God. My family lives in Knoxville, TN and my wife's family lives in Owensboro. With both sets of families away our small group has truly become our family. I also am a small group leader and it is an absolute passion that God has given me to edify our small group and be edified myself at the same time. Being a small group leader has forced me to study the word of God more often and with more intensity than I would have ever imagined. I once thought that a small group leaders role was insignificant and trivial in the church, however in the process I have found that no role in God's church is trivial or unseen by God. In 1st Chronicles I recently read how Mattithiah was entrusted with making flat cakes in 1st Chronicles 9:31. This may seem dull and mundane but what is interesting about this text is in God's Authoritative, Inerrant, Clear, Sufficient, and Necessary eternal word he took notice of this man's faithful service of making flat cakes. The point is clear that no job is trivial and God commends faithful service, no matter how small or large. As a small group leader this text is very encouraging.

As we gear up for the Church on mission I personally am excited to take a deeper look into the book of Acts. As small groups become more and more a source of where people seek Biblical training it's encouraging to see true Biblical training as the emphasis. As I have followed along with Pastor Jason this year and read commentaries on Acts I have been most profoundly transformed by chapter 15 (The Jerusalem council). If I take nothing else from the whole years worth of study in the book of Acts, I will take chapter 15 with me. Chapter 15 shows us the first and longest lasting heresy within the church. It also showed me how easily heresy can creep into the church if we are not careful. Of course the central doctrinal issue of chapter 15 was the doctrine of salvation. The leaders of the church make it very clear that it is by Grace "Alone" that we are saved. Bill Star's wonderful testimony recently was the essence of this truth. His testimony and many
others may not be as clear had Peter, James, and Paul not stood up for the truth that we indeed are saved by God's unmerited favor. In chapter 15 scripture is used to validate the truth. This emphasizes the importance of reading, studying, and applying scripture in order to proclaim and defend truth. So as we collectively as a church dig into the scripture I get really excited about that because we too will be able to with confidence proclaim and defend truth because of such Biblical training.

I do believe that we will only get out of this study as much as we put into it. If we show up to small group, service, and etc unprepared and unwilling to put forth the effort in our personal quite time the impact will be quite sub par. However I firmly believe that if we will put forth the effort if even for just these two months we will see a wonderful transformation in our own lives and most importantly give God glory because of it. Considering the success that we have had before with church wide studies like this I think the same will happen this go around as well.

Therefore my thoughts and prayers are with Jason as he preaches, with Richard as he prepares the lessons, and the rest of LHBG staff for so many details that goes into a study like this. My thoughts and prayers are also for us within the congregation who will be fed by this study and hopefully in return feed others and give God glory.

Thanks and God bless.
Todd Crosby

Four Friends and Jesus

2009-07-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Bill Starr and my wife Cindy and I have been Members at Living Hope for the past 5 years. We have three grown daughters, all of whom are married and three grandchildren. I currently serve as a 4th grade boys shepherd at 9:30 and as a teacher with the 3 year olds at 11:00.

At the beginning of Scott’s message yesterday he was discussing how we look at our faith and the fact that we often treat God as a cosmic bell hop who exists to meet our needs and grant our wishes. I believe that if most of us listened to several days of our prayers we would find that much of our prayer time is spent presenting a “to do” list to God and then following up to see what the hold up is on getting our requests answered. The scriptures present a very different picture of what our interaction with God should be. God is worthy of our worship and our service. As we consider what He has done for us in sending His son Jesus to earth to take on flesh, live a sinless life and then be offered as the final sacrifice for sin, how can we have any response other than thankfulness and gratitude? When my heart struggles to evoke this type of response, I have learned to go back and consider again what God has done through Christ on my behalf. As you read the Psalms look how often the Psalmist reflects on how God has acted in the past and this makes him worship and it gives him hope for the future.

The four friends of the paralytic put their faith into action. What did they know about Jesus? Perhaps not very much, but they did know that Jesus had healed people of various afflictions. They believed that He could heal their friend and they took steps to make it happen. Scott noted their perseverance – the room was full, the way was blocked. They did not give up but became creative and found a way to get their friend face to face with the Savior.

Notice that Jesus deals one on one with the paralytic. The friends have done their part; they have brought their friend to the Messiah. Do you think the paralytic was surprised when Jesus said “Son your sins are forgiven”? Jesus got right to the ultimate core issue – the sin problem. Notice also how the paralytic did exactly what Jesus told him to – take up your mat and go home. This is a great example of simple obedience.

Scott closed the sermon by mentioning that the man came in on a mat and he went home carrying the mat. To Scott’s point this morning, my guess is that the man shared the “good news” of his encounter with Jesus with everyone he met. When we encounter Jesus our lives are no less changed than this man’s. We experience a heart change. This heart change should be as evident to those around us as the change in the paralytic was to those who saw him walk out of the room carrying the very mat he had been carried in on.

God is good

Bill

Missional Living

2009-07-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Dwan Graham. My husband Jason and I started attending Living Hope in 1999 and became members in 2001. We have three children—Isabel, Mattie and Noah. We currently serve as small group leaders, work in the children’s ministry and are active in missions. I have also had the privilege to serve in Women’s Ministry leadership through MOPS and most recently missions. Serving at Living Hope has given me the opportunity to use the gifts God has given me and it is through service that He has shaped much of my life.

Living Hope is more than a church building, Living Hope is an extension of who we are as we come to serve, to worship, to grow, and to live missional lives. Jason and I do hold many different service titles within the church body; however, Small Group Leaders is one specific title that continues to stretch us, mold us, and encourage us. We believe Small Groups are an extension of the body of Christ that serves and loves one another as family but also reaches out to the community as a group to effectively serve and share the love of Christ with others.

Small Groups are a community of disciples who carry out Christ’s ministry. So how do we carry out Christ’s ministry? We do this by studying God’s word together, serving in love, praying for one another and others, providing support for those with a need, and going where He asks. In short, Small Groups are the Christian community living missional lives in relationship to one another and the world. Mark 10:45, says “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

So what does this look like inside our Small Group? Providing meals, mowing one another’s lawn, offering/giving financial assistance during difficult times, babysitting one another’s kids, praying for each other, holding one another accountable and so much more! During our meetings, we have the opportunity to study, to worship, to pray, and to have communion with one another. Yet, even more than the love and service and study with one another as a Small Group, we have had the great opportunity to serve our community by adopting angel tree families, giving food baskets to people in need, providing lawn care for widows, taking care packages to an assisted living center, and presenting Backyard VBS for an apartment complex. This summer will be the second year our Small Group has hosted the Backyard VBS.

All these ways of serving and studying together grows you close in relationship with one another as a Small Group family but more importantly grows you into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. I praise God for our Small Group which has walked along side us during difficult times as well as joyous occasions. And through each circumstance or season our Small Group has joined us in prayer, provided spiritual support and loved us unconditionally. God is sovereign and faithful—and has given us a loving, giving Small Group Family.

The heart of the church is covenant: God’s commitment to us in Christ, and our commitment to God and one another in Christ. Do you realize that the phrase ‘one another’ is used 153 times in scripture? Love one another, spur one another on… Through Small Group we commit to help one another live our lives in grace by vowing to support the church’s common life and ministry with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. Without covenant and commitment, there is no church. And what better way to commit to the church than through living life-together as a Small Group.

Commit today to either strengthen your Small Group or to join a Small Group! And may Christ be manifested in the life of our church and Small Groups today! Glory be to God!!

2009-06-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Father’s Day provides a nice backdrop for considering family and the role God has for us. No matter how you remember your time with your father, family is where we learn what kind of parents we want to be. Some of us are fortunate to have great biblical examples in our fathers, who taught their children about God, the power of his Word and how to pray. Others may have longed for that kind of time and interaction with their dad, but it was not forthcoming. This often builds determination to take a different path with your own family. Whatever your experience, that has shaped your approach with your children, we are fortunate that our heavenly Father has given us instruction in His Word and has charged us with teaching, loving and correcting our children to build a strong foundation for a faith filled life. My favorite verses on this are Deut 11:18-19 as Moses is instructing Israel on how to use God’s word: “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.” (NASB 1995) How’s that for clear practical instruction? (Also see Deut 4:10; Deut 6:7; Ps 78:5).

Hello, my name is Steve Pattison, the newest Elder affirmed by Living Hope. My wife Karen and I have been members and have served at Living Hope since 1994. Our four children have always enjoyed attending and worshiping with us: Tracey, Steven, Heather and Kristina. I have been blessed to see three of my children baptized in the church with the fourth firmly on the same path. Karen and I have served together as children’s Sunday school teachers. I have served on and chaired the personnel committee, led and coached small groups, and was ordained as a deacon in 2005, serving as chairman for two years.

My own experience was likely common for many. My mother took me to Sunday School, but I received no teaching at home from God’s word or instruction in prayer. My stepfather pointed to some bad experience as a child with someone from church as his reason/excuse to avoid church and matters of the faith altogether. Fortunately, God’s call to me brought with it a hunger for the Word, and being a skilled reader, I learned a great deal about God’s nature from Old Testament stories. Still I wonder, what mistakes and consequences would I have been spared, had my spiritual walk been fully developed before leaving home.

Without a doubt we all want the best for our children. But often we feel we can only teach up to the limits of our own knowledge and experience. This should certainly drive us to our own personal studies and a desire for a firm understanding of God’s word. However, don’t under estimate the wisdom already present in God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit in you to interpret its meaning. Simply reading God’s word directly to your children carries an innate lesson in every chapter. Learning together with your children is certainly far superior to leaving them to learn on their own, or relegating that responsibility to the church. You may not be able to answer their every question right away. But you have a large church family to lean on for help with those tough questions. I am convinced that God will bless efforts like these mightily, and you will find joy in learning and hearing God’s wisdom come from your own child’s mouth. All it takes from you is time and commitment. That sounds like love to me!

May God bless you and your family richly!

Steve Pattison

God, Grandmothers, and the Great Commission

2009-06-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

During spring break of 1983 while I was in high school, I was staying with a friend who attended Living Hope. We were suppose to play baseball that week for the junior varsity team, but we got rained out the entire week. Being young boys, we were obviously full of energy and needed something to do. My friend Scott, whose mother Cheryl has served at Living Hope for a number of years, suggested we might help come and do some cleaning and chores around the church. At the time, the church was what we know as fellowship hall today. We spent most of the day working and getting the church ready for Sunday morning worship. Little did I know at the time that I would have a chance to serve Living Hope in a whole different role.

My name is Greg Morris and my wife Mia, daughter McKenzie and son Max have worshiped at Living Hope since 2003. Our journey began at Living Hope after a request from my daughter to visit where some of her friends from school worshiped. We visited that day and have been here ever since. I have had the privilege and blessing of serving in the children's ministry, on the men's ministry team, and as a deacon. I also was blessed to baptize my daughter McKenzie in 2006.

It has truly been a humbling experience to consider serving as elder of Living Hope.I have spent much time in prayer, studying the Word and talking with others. God spoke to me in a number of different ways. None more that yesterday when after giving my testimony at the 11:00 service a lady met me in the hall and said "I am waiting to see you!". She continued by saying "I have got something we have got to talk about". I must say I don't recall meeting her before, but she had my attention. With my family by my side, she said "I was friends with your grandmother and we used to play golf together. She would have been so proud of you!" My grandmother passed away September 11,2001, not a date that's hard to remember.

As I shared during my time Sunday the passage from Hebrews 12:1-3, I thought about my grandmother. In that passage it says "since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses". The writer is talking about so many examples of those whose past life of faith have been an encouragement to ours. When I read about these witnesses, I think about many examples from scriptures, but I also think about those people in my life who have given me encouragement. When I read that passage Sunday morning before coming to church, I thought about her and remembered back on what she had taught me. Little did I know there would be someone who was connected to one of those witnesses that has encouraged my walk of faith.

I look forward to what God has in store for not only this community, but for the world as the Lord works through us to help other people get to God, grow in Christ and give to others.

"Others"

2009-06-07T19:26:00.001-07:00

During the late 1800s, William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army was preparing to send out his annual Christmas message to the workers around the world. At that time communication was by telegraph & you paid by the word. At first his message was a paragraph. When told the cost was prohibitive to send it out to all the workers, he pared the message down to a couple of sentences. Still the cost was too much. Finally, Booth sent out simply one word..."Others". That was the message he wanted his missionaries & workers in the field to remember. That is also the mission of the deacon body here at Living Hope Baptist Church.

Hello, my name is Mike Wilson. My wife Lori & I started attending Living Hope in 1992 & have been here since then. We were married here, have served here & raised & dedicated three children here - Meredith, Josh & Madelyn. Living Hope is more than just our church...it is where our family goes to learn, be refreshed, serve & love.

As deacons at Living Hope, we are simply focused on others. Whether they are sick, infirm, elderly, poor, widowed or simply in need; our deacons are here to serve others. Our deacons go to hospitals to visit & pray with those who are ill. Visitations at funeral homes to comfort those in need of solace. A friendly visit to take a flower or a good word to those in rehab or nursing homes. Helping clear a flower bed for a widow or delivering the only presents some less fortunate children will receive for Christmas. These are some of the activities of your deacons. With almost 40 men currently serving, the deacons at Living Hope are totally service oriented & are always on call along with our pastoral staff to help serve others both within & outside our church. I encourage you to assist us in identifying willing men to join this group of deacons to help continue the mission of focusing on others here at Living Hope. Please feel free to contact our group of deacons with any needs you may have. We are here to pray for you & with you as well as serve in whatever capacity we can. Having been a deacon here for almost ten years, I've had the opportunity to see love in action through the work of the men who are deacons. I've often said & have heard other deacons say as well, that we have often been blessed more than any blessing we may be to those we see. It is truly an honor to represent Living Hope by doing the work Jesus would have us do. To love others even more than ourselves. That is our calling as deacons.

Thank you Living Hope for being such a great congregation to serve with & for.

Mike Wilson
Matthew 7:12

Summer Camp: -)

2009-06-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Jeff Armstrong is the Next Generation Pastor at Living Hope. He oversees birth through high school graduates. His job is to make disciples out of students so that they are capable of living well for Jesus the rest of their life. He is married to Kelly and they have two children Dallas and JT and they have one on the way.

I recently ran across a Top Ten List from David Letterman about Summer camp, here are 5 from the list I thought were worth mentioning:

Top Ten ways to know your kid is having a bad experience at summer Camp:

Have to toast marshmallows by laying them on the exhaust pipe off counselor's Buick.
Camp's Indian name translates to "Land of the Giant Ticks"
When you visit, proudly shows off tunnel he's digging under cabin
“Craft time" is 14 hours of making counterfeit Nikes.
You ask to see picture of his friends -- he sends photo of a stick.

Trust me; our students will not have any of those experiences at the camps we attend. This summer we have three fantastic camps that our next generation ministry will attend. All three camps are top notch and will provide a fun, safe, environment that will enable them to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Camps are unique because they promote separation from a student’s everyday hectic, media filled, fast paced lifestyle. This allows a student to focus on God’s word, because they are saturated with it from the time they wake up, until they go to bed at night. Many first time decisions for Christ, rededications, and calls to full time Christian vocation are made at camp.
On a personal level, I have made serious spiritual decisions at the camps I have attended. Someone the other day asked me how many years I have been going to camp. Since I was 8 years old, I have not had a summer where I did not go to camp as a camper, a counselor, or taking a group to camp. Every summer for 30 years, I have eaten camp food, lost sleep, and pulled pranks, or been targeted with pranks.
Please pray for our camps this summer:
Pray for our students and counselors.
Pray that God will speak to the hearts of our campers.
Pray for Ross Wellman, our interim junior high minister as he attends J Creek, July 13-17th.
Pray for Cindy Starr as she takes our children to Centri Kid the week of July 13-17th.

Finally, as many of us retreat this summer to camps and vacations, pray that we come back from our retreats, and advance….
Advance in our knowledge of Christ.
Advance with a passion to reach the lost that have not heard the gospel.

Jeff Armstrong

Suffering for Jesus?

2009-05-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bill Daniel has served as an elder for over seven years at Living Hope. He and his wife Annie are faithful members of the church and participate in small group together. Bill is a teacher, a leader, and regularly serves on foreign soil as a medical missionary.

What am I willing to die for?

What am I willing to suffer pain for?

What am I willing to be imprisoned for ?

These are the deep questions that are answered by the martyrs.

" some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--- of whom the world was not worthy--- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." Hebrews 11:35b-38

Those are safe questions for me to ponder because in the thirty-five years I have been a Christian I have never had to face such situations. More appropriate for me is...

Am I willing to be socially uncomfortable?

Am I willing to be rejected?

Am I willing to be made fun of?

These are the questions I find most uncomfortable.

Am I willing to risk my shallow and uneasy associations I have with my non-Christian friends for the joy of seeing their salvation?

As Brandon Porter shared with us on Sunday morning in worship, persecution is accompanied by pleasure as we see God at work through us. Or as Jason shared last week - how much do I have to hate some one not to share God's salvation with them.

Giving Them What They Need…

2009-05-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

My name is Caroline Millette. My husband Eric and I have been members of Living Hope for 2 ½ years. We are blessed to be involved with several ministries at Living Hope, including small group, mentoring, volunteering with our Burmese/Karen families and Children’s Ministry.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I took the elevator to our Sunday School class. Our hands were full and one of our “senior saints” kindly held the door for us. After greeting each other, my husband asked the lady, “What floor, please?” The lady answered, “Why I just don’t know? There are so many choices!” He pressed the 3rd floor button as she smiled and laughed. Imagine her surprise when the doors opened! She quickly turned to us and said, “We have a 3rd floor? How long have we had a 3rd floor? And what goes on up here?!”

I thought about her puzzled look and curious questions that week. I kept wondering how many other people don’t know we have a 3rd floor or what goes on “up here?”
“Yes, Virginia, there is a 3rd floor!”

The Children’s Ministry is a vital part of Sunday mornings at Living Hope. On 3 floors, we have hundreds of children who come to learn and grow in Christ. There are many volunteers who serve those children as well, teaching them that God is faithful and holy, a God of mercy and grace.

The 3rd floor is where our 4th and 5th grade children meet. This year they are studying “To Be Like Jesus.” Each week, the kids take home a handout to give to their parents. It lets them know what we have studied for the day and how to focus on the lesson at home during the next week.

Here is a quote from a recent handout: “The world has an agenda for our children and it is well written. Do we have an agenda for our children?”

What are we teaching each Sunday morning, on 3 floors, to hundreds of children? The Word of God!

Do we have an agenda for them? Absolutely…to love and obey God and to become like Jesus as we walk with Him daily.

Jason stated this morning that Stephen didn’t give (the people) what they wanted; he gave them what they needed. (Ref. Acts 7)

The same is true of Sunday mornings on the 3rd floor. We are giving the children the only thing they will ever need…a foundation in Christ Jesus, solidly built on the Word of God. The hope is that they may not only know the Word, but the Word Giver.

I invite you to take a ride or stroll up to the 3rd floor. Come and watch. Listen to the children recite scripture, pray for their lost friends, and sing praise songs to Jesus!

Yes, there is a 3rd floor Living Hope. And we will not be silent! We have an agenda and are ready to share with the world!

Sacrificial Service

2009-05-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

My name is Jason Graham. My wife Dwan and I have 3 children Isabel (8), Mattie (4) and Noah (3). Dwan and I have been members of Living Hope for 9 years. We currently serve as small group leaders, work in the children’s ministry and are active in missions. I also currently serve as a deacon. Serving at Living Hope has given me the opportunity to use the gifts God has given me and it is through service that he has shaped much of my life.

The title of today’s message was The Church is Built Through Sacrificial Service. The title is as true of the church in the 21st century as it was in the 1st Century. Ultimately God builds the church, but he does so through the blood, sweat, and tears of followers of Christ. This morning I heard the message at the 8 AM service. Afterwards, I was able to walk through the halls of Living Hope and see that message being lived out in the lives of men and women who have chosen to make service in the name of Christ a part of their Sunday morning.

The great challenge of any sermon is not in listening to the sermon, it is not even in preaching the sermon. The great challenge is in how we actually live the sermon. It is here that we must stop and ask ourselves, are we really allowing the gospel to penetrate us to the very core? Are we living a life of sacrificial service? Are we being poured out as an offering to the Lord? This morning the special song was entitled Alabaster Jar, the interesting thing about an alabaster jar is often in order to get access to the contents of the jar – it had to be broken. 2 Corinthians 4:7 describes the followers of Christ as “earthen vessels” – fragile pots. The verse goes on to say that we are fragile so that the strength and greatness of God may be made known.

We at Living Hope have a wide variety of opportunities to serve both our church body and the surrounding community. We must continually be available to share the gospel with unbelievers. These individuals need their names lifted up before the Lord in prayer. Also, unbelievers need to see the body of Christ in action—loving one another and living sacrificial lives of service. Within Living Hope there are numerous opportunities to serve. The Bible commands us to love one another, encourage one another, build up one another, and comfort one another. Actually that list could be lengthened. In fact the words “one another” occur together approximately 93 times in the New Testament. That means that we are unable to obey a good part of the New Testament if we are not in community with other Christians.

I leave you with these words from Aristides as he describes the early Christians to the Roman emperor Hadrian:

Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.

May Christ be so manifested in the life of our church today! Glory be to God!

Authentic Pursuits

2009-05-04T06:52:00.001-07:00

Charles Fortney has been a follower of Christ for more than 40 years, first responding to the call of the Holy Spirit to accept Christ after viewing a Billy Graham film at a local theater in his hometown. Charles and his wife, Connie, have been members of Living Hope for 19 years and they both currently teach Middle School students. They have two sons, Stephen and Casey, who both attend Greenwood High School. Living Hope ordained Charles as a deacon in 1992 and for the past 10 ½ years he has been an elder. He will rotate off the elder body next month. Charles co-owns an occupational health business based in Bowling Green.

One of the joys of my life is teaching students and I currently co-teach Middle School students with Ross Wellman. Today, as we studied 1 John 3: 18 – 24, we emphasized that being a Christian and having Christ in you is evident by what you pursue. 18th century theologian Jonathon Edwards, a key figure in the Great Awakening, wrote A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections to make that very point. Edwards says it is not an isolated experience in our lives that defines us as Christians, but rather the continual pursuits, or affections, that the Holy Spirit places in us. One of Jason’s points in Sunday’s service was how Barnabas sold a piece of land and gave all of the proceeds to the church. When Ananias and Sapphira sold some land and only gave a portion of the proceeds to the church, they were struck dead. The basic concept of giving to God out of what he has blessed us with is a sound one. But this couple gave the illusion of making a greater sacrifice than what was really true. It was deception and a lack of authenticity that did them in.

All of us are prone to making bad judgments, but what drives those decisions? It was clear from Peter’s declaration that Ananias and Sapphira allowed Satan to guide their decision. Are we as Christians driven by God’ Holy Spirit to pursue Him in all our decisions? If so, this is a mark and an assurance that our faith is real.

I also saw another “real” example of Christian service on Sunday. It came during Terry McDaniel’s report on the status of the Building Expansion project. There are many questions unanswered. What will the bids for construction come in at? We have very real shortfalls in our general fund giving and the More Hope for More People Capital Campaign has come in at about 53% of the original amount pledged to date. Based on that information, how much can we build? What long term affect does our current economic situation play in our building and funding other ministries? Terry chairs the Building Design Team and he and many others have been working on this project for several years now. They and our other leaders face the challenge of making difficult decisions. But what struck me was the commitment that Terry and his family made to this project. Even though they completed their pledge today, he said they would continue to give to the More Hope fund, over and above their regular tithing. Their commitment has already been fulfilled, but a need still exists. And they believe in the cause of expanding facilities here to help reach and disciple people for Christ.

Authentic Holy pursuits please God. He gives us many opportunities to follow Him each day. I want to do this in all areas of my life – financial, spiritual, social, work and family. We have an opportunity as a local body of believers to express our pursuits through missions, volunteering in ministries at Living Hope and outreach areas like Hope House. None of these is authentic without the leading of our hearts, following the Holy Spirit, guiding and driving us each step of the way. Take a look at your heart and pursuits today. How authentic are they?

Faith

2009-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Don and Paula Basham have been members of Living Hope since 1995. Paula has been a director in the preschool ministry now for over 10 years. Don is currently assisting with Plan B volunteers and also, is currently serving as a deacon .They have been involved with the same small group for over 11 years which now they consider them as family. They have a son Ross, age 13, that is activity in the middle school ministry, and their daughter, Hannah, age 9, is activity in children’s ministry. They will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this summer.

When you know God, you know there are no coincidence. Everything from every moment has a reason. So this morning when Paula and I arrived in worship at 8am, and we saw our names in the bulletin sharing our testimony in addition to “blogging” there was that deep breath before the plunge.

Quickly years of serving with preschoolers presented itself before my mind. I tried to make mental notes at dizzying pace but mostly I was reminded of my own initial training in God’s Word as a High School Junior not in Sunday school class of my peers but as an assistant to a friend who was teaching Royal Ambassadors (kids).

Benny put our mind at ease that Mr. Bill would be sharing his testimony.

I told Mr. Bill we should frame his 10 reasons for serving because each was very true.

Most of the initial truths about our faith I learned playing Bible baseball and other fun stuff with these little guys. The “Being” with Jesus I had done with my “Belief” in God’s power and sacrifice for me. I guess it was the “Belonging” I desired that was lacking at first. And it was my infants knowledge of the Bible and its truths that I needed training in. Faith can move mountains, make the lame walk, cast out evil, and see God at work all around us every moment. Faith comes easy to me because I believe without a doubt that each breath I take is sustained by Christ and every atom of my being is in existence due to Him. I take those spiritual gifts test and faith is always head and shoulders above the others in score. So it was no surprise to me that Jason’s sermon from Acts today was the “foundation” of a small group Bible study we currently have been doing called “Go Fish” by Andy Stanley.

Now since there is no such that as a coincidence it is opportune to tell you that that is a study you should take at the earliest opportunity. It will deepen your understanding about what a growing vibrant church like ours should be doing. (Sorry about that deviation from today’s sermon but I know God would have me tell you about something like that when he puts those doors in my path.)

Now faith means stepping on toes to do what/when God would have you do something. Being faithful can be painful in the world today because the world tells us to keep it inside the building walls on Sunday only. But I can’t argue theology with you and quote on demand multiple scripture to back up what I may say. But I can tell you that I have hung the hope of my existence, my future past the grave, and the center of my life and family on Jesus Christ because of his sacrifice for me and my trust in Him and His love for me. If we as a congregation want to be a thriving vibrant growing body of believers in the future we need to encourage deep faith in Christ from each other. Since God is love we encourage him into all we do when we do it in love. The preschool ministry is a great place to serve and love others.

You can gain experience to be:
1. a better parent – learning to guide children not your own will help you find nuances of positive influence instead of negative discipline.
2. a better spouse – learning the struggle of guiding and tending children you will experience the frustration and the joys your spouse may experience on a more frequent level. Or you may see the effects of separations on the lives of children.
3. a better brother/sister – you will come to close understanding of interactions and love strangers can provide one another and how children within the church can grow to become closer than family they were born into.
4. a better child – you will learn to see the interaction of parents with children and know that your life can be a blessing to your parents. You will see that the love you shown from kids to parents is a true blessing from God.
5. and a better community member through your interaction – as you watch the kids interact with each other you can see facets of our local community reflected in their actions. You will become keenly aware of both the negative and positive influences each of our interactions can have both for and against Christ at work around us and through our community.

All that is in addition to learning foundational elements of the Bible and Christ’s life here among us. So if you have accepted Christ and truly believe God’s power your next step is to gain that feeling of “Belonging”. Now you are not going to get that from a pew – although if you set in the same place time after time you will get the same smiles around you time after time. You can edge into it in an Adult Bible Fellowship class of your peers, but be fore warned you may need to sharpen your Biblical skills to participate there. You can most easily gain the feeling of “Belonging” from preschool ministry and service there. Who knows you may stumble upon those there you can fellowship with in small group and gain lifetime friends and all because you took time to read a story about Jesus to a kid who couldn’t even read…

Paula’s View of the Day
I was reminded in a statement Jason made on the founding members wanting Living Hope to be a church that embraced children and families today in the sermon. Don and I were members of another congregation when we realized that we would not want to bring our children up in what they valued. We made the decision to leave that congregation due to this even when we did not know if God would bless us with children. At Living Hope, we felt his spirit each week and knew that is where we should be. We were at Living Hope approximately a year when God blessed us with our son Ross through adoption. He came home at 4 ½ months from South Korea and within the first week of being home we took him to the church nursery. It was one of the best parent decisions we ever made.

Right off he was loved by some of the most caring ladies I had ever met. I am still blessed when I run into them and they dote over him. I know that he was loved. They also gave Don and I a gift - a time we could go to worship our Lord. That praise time with our Lord thanking Him for the precious life that he brought to us from across the world. We could also attend our ABF and grow in the word with out any worries. As Ross grew some of the first sentences he said were bible songs that he had learned in the nursery. He continued to grow and learn more truths of God’s Word in his preschool years. It was so precious to see him grasp those truths so innocently that we as adults doubt or forget. He made friends that are still his friends today. Because of these foundation truths that he learned in his preschool days, Ross came to Christ at the age of 6. There is nothing like knowing that you will be part of an eternal family.

When Ross was four God blessed us with a baby girl, Hannah that also came to us through adoption from Korea. I can too say that in her first week at home she was in the church nursery being loved on like Ross and that was beyond belief. I am telling you that it was not the easiest thing that I ever did to leave my babies after waiting so long for them to come home, but it was the best thing I ever did to establish a habit of them being in God’s house learning his word. I am so thankful to say at the age of 6 Hannah came to Christ.

What a joy to know that are family will always be together no matter what life brings. Again, when we were preparing for her baptism, I knew it was due to the precious men and women that had taken the time to plant those truths of his word into her heart. I can also say at the age of 9 and 13 they still will tell you they love Sunday school. They have had opportunities of being discipled unlike Don and I had as children.

How more blessed than that could the Basham’s be?

I am saddened each time I hear a child cry or parent struggle with a little one in the service. I just pray that they would realize what the blessing it would be to their family if their child was involved in the preschool ministry. I know as a parent and volunteer in preschool that child is going to be loved, prayed for, and taught the truth of God’s word.

I was blessed tonight with a lady in my discipleship class give her testimony. She stated that she can clearly remember the Sunday school room that she was in when someone told her that God loved her and he had a special plan for her live at age 3. She stated due to this that her life has always had hope. Do we not all want that for our children, our grandchildren, our neighbor, our niece or nephew? Please encourage our young parents to leave their sons and daughters in our preschool ministry. I know it can be hard but it can be the best decision you ever made for your child.

I continue to serve in preschool ministry because I love preschoolers and their parents. I want them to have the same opportunity that the Basham’s have had for our kids. I was blessed again today to overhear a mom tell a preschool volunteer that her 3 year old got up this morning and asked if this is a church day and when she said yes he got excited because it was his favorite thing to do. What bigger blessing than to see a 3 year old already loved in God’s house and by His people. The preschool ministry is not about childcare but about planting God’s word into little lives.

One Godly Thing You Can't Do in Heaven

2009-04-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

Katie Lewis moved to Bowling Green, KY from Cookeville, TN with her family and became a member of Living Hope in 2000. Katie has served in the children’s ministry as a summer intern, attended many youth retreats, summer camps, and volunteered on a couple of mission trips with Living Hope over the years. She is now a sophomore at WKU pursuing a major in exercise science.

Earlier this week, I met with my bible study leader on WKU’s campus, where we decided to share our faith about Christ with someone we did not know. After an hour long conversation with an international student from China, I was reminded just what it means to be intentional about sharing the Gospel with others. That night I listened to someone preach. He said something that stuck, “When you know Jesus, we have to talk about it.”

Jason’s sermon was exactly what God had been reminding me all week – be intentional about sharing the Gospel. We are to present the Gospel when God gives us the opportunity and we should look for opportunities throughout the day. We as a church body must be intentional in sharing about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.

In Acts 3, Peter and John were on there way to the temple when they came across a crippled man. Peter had nothing to offer the man in way of silver or gold, but he was willing to give the man what he did have. Peter had Jesus. He sensed the urgency of the Gospel despite his agenda in going to the temple. Peter was in the middle of something, he was preoccupied, and was headed to the temple with John, but he stopped. He stopped to share the Gospel.

How often do we share our faith?
How often do we sense the urgency of the Gospel?
How often do we stop our schedules and agendas to share with someone about the hope that we have?

Listening to Jason preach about the Gospel, I was convicted by my own lack of urgency. This week when I was sharing about Jesus to an international student, I left the conversation feeling blessed. Even though she did not choose to accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior I could tell He was softening her heart to the Gospel. She was open to hearing what my bible study leader and I had to share, and she listened. Our words were not eloquent and we had nothing [like Peter and John] to offer her, but we stopped long enough to share about Jesus. He can use the least of us to make His name known. It is not about the presentation, but about being obedient to the Lord by sharing what He has done in your life.

The Gospel is what the church should be based on. Are we as a body of believers intentional about sharing the Gospel? “And he [Peter] took him [crippled man] by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.” Acts 3:7 Peter stopped on his way to the temple. He gave all that he had, and helped the crippled man to his feet. The man leaped! When we are intentional about sharing the Gospel, we give all that we have so others might come to know the Lord. It is not the end result that matters, but about following God’s command to therefore go and make disciples.

Where will you go tomorrow that you can share your faith?
Will you stop long enough to share?
Who is that person that God has placed in your life that does not have a personal relationship with Him?

Jason’s Challenge: write three paragraphs.
1. Write about your life before you became a Christian.
2. Write about how you came to know the Lord – who, what, when, where
3. Write about your life now that you know Jesus – priorities, time, treasure

Before this summer, share with three people your three paragraphs.

Easter

2009-04-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

Terri Hewitt is a key leader in the High School Ministry of Living Hope. She and her husband Keith have been a members of Living Hope for over twenty years. Terri has a deep love for people and a deep commitment to growing in and serving her Lord Jesus Christ.

Easter services are like funerals because the pastor gets to preach to people that rarely hear the good news of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jason knows this better than most. I pray that many of the lost made the most important decision to except salvation in Christ today. I also hope they didn’t fear their lives envisioning him with a gun shooting wild turkeys.

Jason was clear in his definition on when life begins. He also made it clear how long it takes for the world to destroy it. That’s why we have to be made alive again through Jesus Christ. Only Christ can make the dead alive. I find it amazing that when you turn to Christ for life somehow as a believer He becomes your life. Will you always do the right thing? No. Will things always go as planned? No. But you can always be sure that when you trust in God for the things He says He can do, you won’t be disappointed. The biggest problem is doing it. Jason listed the four big lies of the world: Possessions, Power, Popularity, and Pleasure. I also believe these to be a big problem because all four lies are common areas in all our lives and take control over our minds and hearts. They cause us to waste time on things that are not eternal; they take our eyes and thoughts away from our Savior.

I was at a Tennis Tournament in Louisville this weekend with my daughter Halle and the High School Tennis Team. While Halle was playing, I was on the edge of my seat watching and waiting for each point, happy if she got it and sick if she didn’t. If she won I was happy, if she lost I’d say, “You will have another chance.” While Jason was preaching today, I was thinking, if only I had the same passion for the lost as I did for a sporting event, watching and waiting for the Lord to return and take as many people as I can with me. The problem is the world can not see the winner’s trophy. Spending eternity with Jesus Christ won’t get you on the cover of a magazine or lots of money, so no-one cares. But they will, because the losers of the Eternity match won’t get another chance.

Watching the news on TV can be depressing. Like Jason said, pirates… where did they come from? I thought they were talking about a new movie coming out. Scary, but now Keith doesn’t need an excuse for never taking me on a cruise! The statement “The End is near” isn’t just a statement to me anymore. I can see it unfolding right before my eyes, now I just have to turn to Jesus and not worry about the world but focus on eternal life. I sense now more than ever the urgency to tell other about Christ. The Pinerolas were our roommates this weekend. We were talking about Christ and what we have to do in our families to hold on and stay strong in our beliefs. I told her, “You know for me to share the gospel with others it’s not that I don’t walk my talk, but that I don’t walk what I know in my heart, that God does make the dead alive and the weak strong.” I know this because He did it for me and I do know in my heart, He will do it for you too!

Crowd vs. Committed

2009-04-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jeff Carlisle is the missions pastor at Living Hope. He has served at the church for over fifteen years. He came to faith at Living Hope, while he was a college student at Western Kentucky University.

Today Scott Kilgore, the executive pastor, delivered a great message today.
As usual Scott delivered a funny and applicable word about how we, as church
members, can be committed to the cause of Christ. He also dropped a nugget
of a take away for us. Scott said a golf club in his hands was worth about
$200. A golf club in Tiger Wood¹s hands is worth about a million. Same
club, but the worth all depends on whose hands it was in. He went on to say
that three nails in his hands might be enough to hang something on the wall,
but three nails for Jesus was a way for Him to save the world.

Wow! That illustration opened up the floodgates of thought. Two thoughts
surface after pondering this nugget. One, Christ saved me. There is nothing
I could have done that would have brought me closer to the almighty Father.
It was only through the actions of the Son that I have been forgiven and
saved. I often overlook the power of Christ's action. I take it for
granted.

The second thought refers to what God has put in my hands. God has placed
His word in my hands. He has given it to me, not to hide in, but to give it
away. It is so easy to hold on to His word instead of giving it away.

I think the Vanderpools' model is what hit me today. The Vanderpools are
committed followers of Christ. They realize what Christ did for them and
they don't take it lightly. They are taking what Christ gave them and are
going into South Asia to give it away. How cool is that?

What is stopping us from being committed? What is preventing us from taking
our faith into a dying world?

Encouraging Email

2009-03-31T05:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T05:50:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-02T05:07:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-02-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

Chris Jones is 23 years old and has been saved by grace since 2005 and a member of LHBC since early 2006. He is married to Brittney Jones, his beloved gift from God.

After listening to Jason’s sermon and taking extensive notes, I came away with much in the form of a single yet weighty truth, the propitiation of Christ. Jason inspired me to go back and reexamine this essential doctrine of the Church more closely, and to plumb its depths. Thanks Jason!

Although Jason did not name the word “propitiation” in his sermon (to my memory, which is often in error!), he did explain its meaning and thus define it in reference to its usage for Christ (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10, Rom. 3:24-26) and for atonement in the O.T.. Jason basically said that the example in the O.T. sacrifices and in the N.T. fulfillment is that Christ completely satisfied the just demands of a holy God for judgment on sin by His death on the cross. God, in foreseeing the cross, is declared righteous in forgiving sins in the O.T. period as well as in justifying sinners under the new covenant (Rom. 3:25-26). Hallelujah!

What a wonderful truth! The Gospel of Jesus Christ and it preached makes my heart flutter and melt within me, my Spirit cries out in worship and approval, my inner man dances! I must exclaim with the Seraphim in Isaiah's vision, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isa. 6:3 NASB) I must also echo the words of Isaiah in the midst of that same vision, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” The revelation of Jesus Christ as put forward in the Gospel provokes two reactions from me, reverence and ruin. Reverence because He is Holy and ruin because I am not. This I have come to see, that He is utterly unlike me, but rather set apart, and there is nothing to compare Him with.

It is never a statement of, “God is love so He will save everyone,” but rather “God is love so He must condemn sin and punish.” If God is love, then He must hate sin, indeed, He does and hates all those who sin (Psalm 5). It would be contrary to say that I loved babies but did not simultaneously hate abortion, in the same way God has a holy hatred against all that is sin. Thus God put to death Jesus Christ, who fully became sin for us and fully satisfied the wrath due sinners, putting on display His greatness in holy Love. It is never “why does God send people to hell?” but rather “why hasn’t God sent everyone to hell? Why does God save anyone at all?” The answer is so that His name will be glorified and exalted. Do you see the cost?! It cost Him His Son, Christ crucified! In light of what Christ has done, that is, dying under the wrath of a holy God smitten and afflicted for the punishment of sin (Isaiah 53), God’s name is glorified and exalted. God has left no room for questions, He has vindicated Himself, He is just and the justifier of wicked, wretched, sinful people by the substitution of Christ. He has not left sin unpunished nor has He violated His righteousness by merely forgiving sinners (Rom. 3:24-26). Having come to grasp with this truth at my conversion four years ago, and then having it reiterated to me in Jason’s sermon, God has shown me once again what it is to be forgiven much. Sin is hatred of God in Christ Jesus, and it is a horrific offense against Him, worthy of the strictest censor. Yet in His mercies He has shown me the grievousness of my transgression, the great price at which I am purchased, the depth of forgiveness that I have been given in Christ Jesus, and the worthiness of Him who was slain to receive the reward of His suffering, that is, GLORY and HONOR!

Convicted to Pray

2009-02-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

By: Todd White

Todd and his wife Robin volunteer in the children's ministry. They live in Allen county with teenage sons Sam and Will. All four are Living Hope members.

God’s Holy Spirit convicted me today through Pastor Jason’s words. I know I’m not alone. I usually keep it a secret, but let’s don’t. If God spoke to you today, tell Pastor Jason, or someone else, or leave a comment on this blog.

God convicted me today about prayer. Like you, I know the importance of prayer. And, like the Pharisees, I never miss my prayer-times. But you know, I take it for granted. Am I the only one? I throw the phrase away—“I’ll be praying for you.” Or “ya’ll be sure to pray for me.” Do you do it too? Sometimes my prayers are less like a conversation or a petition and more like a quick review of a do-to list. Just like Pastor Jason said last week about filling out my sermon sheet, sometimes I’m in a hurry to get through my prayer-time and say “That’s done. Now I can do the next thing.” How amazing that the great God Who created the universe and sustains life and engineers circumstance wants me to come to Him as His child in prayer and I take that for granted!

God reminded me today that prayer is the only real work I can do. The best Sunday School lesson I can prepare—the best music Pastor Benny can arrange—the best mission trip the congregation can organize—its just so much busy-work unless grounded before, during and after with prayer.

Did you hear Mrs. Cindy Starr in the baptism video of young Miles Robinson say to the Dad “What an answer to your biggest prayer!” I bet I’m not the only one touched by that. Did you hear Pastor Jason say “do you know anyone ever saved without earnest prayer from others who love them?” Did you see Pastor Jason point to a lady in the 8:00 am service and say “she just told me that she knows you’ve been praying for her. Are you aware of the times people have been praying for you?” I know I’ve had people in my life who love me, who were worried about me who spent their precious prayer time earnestly entreating God for my sake. I know it. And I know I’m not often praying for others, the way I know others have prayed for me.

God convicted me with Pastor Jason’s words about the amount of fear and anger I’ve wasted on the economy and government compared with how much I’ve prayed. I’ve been worried about what the Federal Reserve might do instead of waiting for what the Father will do. I’ve been afraid of what Congress is doing instead of resting in what God has done.

God convicted me of these things and I’m responding by asking Him to help me pray aright. I’m asking Him to help me commit to praying not just for my family’s health but for our relationship with Him. I’m committing to praying not just for my pastors but for our congregation—not just for our nation’s economy but for her spiritual revival—for her salvation.

And I’m asking you for something. Sincerely asking. Please pray for the Children’s Ministry. There are so many at Living Hope who volunteer to teach the children who come here. They love it. They are very intentional about it. Frankly, they are good at it. Statistically the best chance of reaching anyone with the good news of Jesus Christ is while they are young. Pray that God will continue to save children through this ministry. Pray that the volunteers will be energized and empowered by His Holy Spirit. Pray that the children saved here will grow and mature and persevere and tell others. Pray that each of us will trust and obey.

True Hope

2009-02-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Emily Cassetty has been calling Living Hope home for about twelve years. She came to know Christ as a teenager in the youth group at Living Hope and was baptized at Living Hope as well. She met her husband Matt at Living HOpe and they both dearly love raising their children within this church family. Emily has served everywhere from the church nursery to preschool to Financial Peace University in the past and currently serve in the high school ministry, with the women's ministry leadership team, and she leads a women's Bible study on Thursday evenings. Emily and Matt also adore their small group that we have been apart of for three years now. They both rejoice at how the Living Hope Body of Christ has loved them so well, given them so much, and walked alongside them through the happiest and most devastating times of their life and they are just grateful to be able to give back in any way we can!

As the worship hour began today, a video was played featuring a brother in Christ sharing his testimony of what his small group means to him. I was nodding in agreement with his every word, as my mind filled with images of all the times our small group has blessed us and rallied around us closer than brothers. Although my husband and I met in the youth group many years ago here at Living Hope, I am not sure we understood the concept of a true church family until we joined our small group in 2005. In the almost four years we have spent together, our group has endured the high highs of new babies, job promotions, cured illnesses, and baptisms. We have also weathered the low lows of scary medical diagnoses, funerals, grief, and financial strain. In times when true extended family either could not or would not come alongside, our group has held together as the body of Christ, meeting whatever needs we can and consistently standing in the gap in prayer for one another.

I looked around our church this morning and wondered how many of our brothers and sisters do not yet know the blessing of being plugged into a small group, ABF, or Bible study. I am so excited about all the new small groups and studies that are available to those who might feel as disconnected as we did in those years before we took the leap of faith to step out of our comfort zone and into the homes of fellow believers, that we might grow in Christ and give to others. Last fall, I had the incredible privilege of leading a women's Bible study for the first time. At first, I was more than a little intimidated by the task set before me. But now, I cannot imagine my Thursdays without my sisters. It is such a precious gift, each semester, to witness the transformation as our little group of women becomes less like strangers and more like sisters. We, too, share our highs and our lows, as we seek God's voice together. As iron sharpens iron, we challenge each other to draw closer to Christ and to press on in our individual pursuit of His glory. For just a little while, once the work day is done, the children are fed and the family is settled for the evening, we have the incredible privilege of coming together as women simply seeking their God. Some work outside the home, some do not. Some are married, some are not. Some are mothers of small children, some have never had children, and others are adjusting to life with an empty nest. No job title or phase in life defines us on Thursdays. We are just sisters sharing the hope that's been given to us.

Perhaps our nation's economic state has you worried or maybe you've lost someone you loved or maybe, just maybe this is actually a very joyful season for you. Wouldn't you like to have a family to share that with? There are small groups, Bible studies, and Adult Bible fellowships designed for your specific place in life. It won't be the same without you! It is awesome to see our physical building expand, but I cannot imagine that anything would delight the heart of God more than seeing an actual body of believers grow and come together in His name. Sunday mornings are great, it's true. But the church has so much more to offer than a single hour of music and truth! Your family is waiting for you. Come, be the church and witness tihe awesome power of the body of Christ working together. That is where change begins. That is where true hope comes from. Living Hope.

Simply BUILD the Church

2009-02-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

Charles Fortney has been a follower of Christ for more than 40 years, having come to faith in Christ following the calling of the Holy Spirit after viewing a Billy Graham film at a local theater in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Service through the local church is a key to his walk, beginning as a congregational song leader and serving as a teacher of children, youth and adults for many years. Charles is an ordained deacon through Living Hope and has served as an elder for the past 10 years. He currently teaches in the Middle School ministry. Charles and Connie have been members of Living Hope for 19 years and are the parents of Stephen and Casey Fortney. He co-owns an occupational health business based in Bowling Green.

What a journey! Earth is being move and parking for Sunday morning worship is going to be a completely different adventure in a couple of weeks. Exposed ugly rock, caution tape and ripped-up blacktop now litter the grounds around both the Living Hope and Holy Spirit buildings. We’re learning a lot about the nature of God. As we read often in scripture, following God’s plan involves a great deal of patience and sometimes following a winding path. What is promised to us is God’s presence and leadership. Just think, by 2010 (if we stay on schedule), our square footage will be doubled with the opportunity to host such ministries such as Upward Bound basketball, fellowship dinners where a majority of Living Hope can gather and more educational space. Our student and college ministries will have space in what is now the Holy Spirit buildings for Bible studies, discipleship groups, fun activities and worship.

This may be the best time to be part of the family of Living Hope. It comes with great responsibility. If this additional space is only used for what we can only see now, we are missing a potential blessing.

Untold hundreds and perhaps thousands of future generations will be impacted by the ministries this expanded facility will allow us to deliver to our community, this region and even the world. Your family and mine may not see an immediate result from expanded facilities, but this really should not be about us – any of us, whatever stage of life find ourselves. Our faithfulness will never be measured in the number or size of buildings we can build, it is in the love of Christ we demonstrate to others. Buildings are only tools that allow us to provide ministry. Prepare yourselves for the next steps on this journey!

Charles Fortney

The Faith of a Child

2009-01-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Sweeney was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and come to know the Lord at the age of 12. This relationship with the Lord has been a continuing influence throughout her high school and college years, and has remained a critical part of her life since coming to Living Hope nearly 10 years ago. In those years at Living Hope she has been involved in ABF, preschool ministry and small group leadership, and has been blessed by the growth and fellowship experienced by her involvement in those ministries here at Living Hope.

Each Sunday I am struck and often entertained by our preschoolers in their matter-of-fact outlook. To each of them the stories that they learn on Sunday are just that . . . a matter of fact. The aspects and attributes that we teach them about God are . . . a matter of fact. And the forgiveness that God offers to them is . . . a matter of fact.

I recall on several occasions overhearing our preschoolers discussing the details of what they learned that day, and these discussions always bring a smile to my face. Just a few weeks ago it was a discussion about Joseph. Of course in December, with the Christmas season, we were learning of Jesus’ birth. On the surface it seems easy enough, but the complexity arises when there is a Heavenly father and an earthly father, enter Joseph. As the boys were discussing about Gabriel talking to Mary and then later to Joseph, one of the boys made the comment that it was good that the angel let Jesus’ dad know what was going on. This of course sparked the other preschooler to make sure we were aware that Joseph was Jesus’ earthly father because God was Jesus’ “real dad”. It made me smile to hear their “fresh” outlook on this story from God’s word, but it’s not to be overlooked the spirit in which they discussed it. To each of these little boys there was no question. To them every aspect was truth.

Through our preschoolers I am always refreshed by their matter-of-fact belief. Some call it “childlike faith” but it all boils down to them believing these truths as fact without question. To them the stories of the Bible are fact. They believe Jonah was in the belly of the whale, that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in the fiery furnace, and that Jesus was born in a stable with farm animals surrounding him and Mary and Joseph. These are not up for discussion; they are black and white with no gray.

Somehow along the way as we become adults gray sometimes enters our minds and our views. We all get busy and life becomes much more complex than it was as a child, and somehow the stories of the Bible can often lose their marvel in our hearts and minds. How recently have you sat and thought about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fact that those three men stepped into an unbearably hot fiery furnace and survived? Can you imagine yourself there? When was the last time you thought about Jonah being thrown off of a boat and ending up inside a whale? Not one person in history has endured the belly of a whale since, but that doesn’t mean God ceases to do amazing works and that the story of Jonah didn’t really happen.

Our preschoolers in all their vibrant energy know for certain that God is real and that He did the amazing work in the stories we teach them. Several times in scripture God calls us to be child-like, and Jason touched on this today in his sermon. God calls us to emulate children in our faith and our humility. He encourages us to approach Him and “receive the kingdom” as a child would. As simplistic and uncomplicated as the life of a child is, to take on that spirit of a child in relation to God and our relationship with Him is a very tall order. To soak up all that God has to offer in our relationship with Him and with others and to do it in the manner that a child would is not easy, but God does provide and equip us. May we allow God to work in our lives to make us more child-like. May we believe “matter-of-factly that Jesus was God’s Son, that He came as a baby, living a sinless life so He could die in our place . . . but even more may we share such a “matter of fact” with others so they may come to know Him too.

Evangelism in the Church of Ephesus

2009-01-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

Thomas Weakley and His wife Laurie have been on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for 27 years. He has been the director of the ministry at WKU since 1985. The Weakley’s have been members of LHBC for over 20 years serving in numerous capacities. Besides his responsibilities with Campus Crusade, he currently teaches an ABF class and is an adjunct professor at WKU and the Southern Baptist Theological seminary.

As I was listening to Jason’s sermon this morning on the Church at Ephesus, I wondered how Ephesus’s loss of first love impacted its evangelistic zeal. (By the way if you missed the message I would really encourage you to get a copy. It was excellent.) Did the church at Ephesus stay evangelistic with the gospel or did its evangelistic focus change to something else? I believe that every church and every person is evangelistic about something. Churches can be evangelistic about their new program, or their new facility or maybe a new ABF class or possibly even a new staff member. But is the church evangelistic about the Gospel, “for it is the power of god for salvation to everyone who believes” Don’t misunderstand me, programs, facilities, ABFs and staff members are all great. But they are not the Gospel. They may help lead one to hear about the gospel but in themselves they are not.

Individuals can be evangelistic about a lot of things as well. Some may be evangelistic about a new diet program, others about a new parenting approach or the new top selling book or maybe even a basketball or football team (sorry Titan fans). The things may not be bad but they simply are not the Gospel. Nearly twenty years ago I went to my first NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway. Yes, I am a gear head NASCAR fan. In the stands all around me were fans of specific drivers. And yes they were very evangelistic! For nearly four hours I sat next to a man I did not know but you would have thought we were best friends because we supported the same driver. For the entire race we talked about the driver, the pit stops, etc, etc, etc. But strangely I never talked with him about the Gospel. Yes, it is very loud at a NASCAR race but the point still exists. I could have said, you know that Bobby Labonte, he is a Christian or that Kyle Petty he is a believer in Jesus Christ. But in reality I missed my chance!

Even though I have had the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with thousands of people, I still need to keep my focus on the Gospel, the Good news of Jesus Christ. If not I can become evangelistic about many other things. One of the things that have been extremely helpful and has enabled me to be more evangelistic is a definition of successful witnessing. When I was a sophomore in college at WKU, I heard Dr. Bill Bright give this definition: “Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God!” For thirty years, this has been so freeing for me. I used to believe that I had to know every thing about the Gospel and talk a person into salvation, but I do not. I simply need to be available to be used by the Lord. I do need to open my mouth and initiate but success is in God’s hands not mine.

Many of you have seen and even used different tools evangelistically. The one I have used the most is called the Four Spiritual laws or Knowing God Personally. The church office has a number of different tools you can use but the most important tool is your own life. As you live life among coworkers, fellow students, other parents etc, be available to the Lord. An invitation to church, an offer to pray, an encouraging word will do more than you can imagine. You may not be able to share the entire gospel with some one the first time but that is fine. Over time God will continue to open doors for you if you are looking for opportunities to be evangelistic about the Gospel of Christ. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

By the way, what are you evangelistic about?

Upcoming Bloggers

2009-01-16T06:44:00.001-08:00

In the next few weeks you'll get to hear from these leaders in our church.

Thomas Weakley and His wife Laurie have been on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for 27 years. He has been the director of the ministry at WKU since 1985. The Weakley’s have been members of LHBC for over 20 years serving in numerous capacities. Besides his responsibilities with Campus Crusade, he currently teaches an ABF class and is an adjunct professor at WKU and the Southern Baptist Theological seminary.

Jennifer Sweeney was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and come to know the Lord at the age of 12. This relationship with the Lord has been a continuing influence throughout her high school and college years, and has remained a critical part of her life since coming to Living Hope nearly 10 years ago. In those years at Living Hope she has been involved in ABF, preschool ministry and small group leadership, and has been blessed by the growth and fellowship experienced by her involvement in those ministries here at Living Hope.

Emily Cassetty has been calling Living Hope home for about twelve years. She came to know Christ as a teenager in the youth group at Living Hope and was baptized at Living Hope as well. She met her husband Matt at Living HOpe and they both dearly love raising their children within this church family. Emily has served everywhere from the church nursery to preschool to Financial Peace University in the past and currently serve in the high school ministry, with the women's ministry leadership team, and she leads a women's Bible study on Thursday evenings. Emily and Matt also adore their small group that we have been apart of for three years now. They both rejoice at how the Living Hope Body of Christ has loved them so well, given them so much, and walked alongside them through the happiest and most devastating times of their life and they are just grateful to be able to give back in any way we can!

Worship

2009-01-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Jennie Webb and her husband Chad

Jennie started going to Living Hope during college. She got involved in the Young Careers ministry and the choir. Through Young Careers ABF Class, she met her husband Chad. They were married in May last year. They are now in the Young Couples ABF and small group. Jennie serves in the worship choir and also on the vocal team to lead our congregation during times of praise.

One day I was on vocal team about to sing the song Your Grace is Enough. I was not looking forward to it because, well, for one it is not my favorite song, and secondly, the chorus can get pretty high. My throat was sore and I worried that I wouldn't be able to hit the note and I would fail at leading the congregation in worship. Then as I began to sing, the Lord spoke to me through the song. The second line in the song says, "You use the weak to lead the strong." I immediately thought, that's me! I'm weak, doubting that Jesus can help me sing the song, and yet God is using me to lead a congregation of pastors and life-long believers. I felt as though the Lord was telling me to stop worrying about whether you like the song or not; stop fretting about how you will sound. Just worship me. I think back on that moment sometimes when I am beginning worship. No matter what the song or how my voice is, I can experience a true time of worship with my Savior.

Some of you might disagree with me. You might be thinking, Your Grace is Enough is the most awesome song ever sung. You could chime in about what songs you like and don't like, but that's not why I'm writing this blog post. We all have different preferences, but the truth is, it doesn't really matter...not what you or I think anyway.

We looked at the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:1 on Sunday, which said "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." I think of worship in a similar way. You can have a voice greater than anyone in the world, you can close your eyes and look as though you are singing with great passion, but if you are not truly expressing love for the Father through these actions, then it is only a "resounding gong" to the Lord. It might sound beautiful to those in the sanctuary, but as the bulletin insert says, we are singing to "an audience of one." He only requires that we "make a joyful noise unto the Lord." (Psalm 100:1). The worship ministry's purpose is to express love for the Lord and help lead others to do the same. If it sounds nice to the congregation, that is an added bonus.

Something unique about this part of the church body is that church attenders see worship ministry members each week during the services. After a while, they'll start to remember faces. They may know your name or they may just remember you as "the lady that dances" or "the big tall goofy guy." Regardless, they see you as a Living Hoper, a Christian. I think this gives choir members accountability. We should always act in a way that is Christlike, but let's face it, if we knew a church member was watching, we'd be more mindful of how we behaved. I sometimes think about that when I am tempted to respond in a way that is less than holy. I might not know the person who is watching, but it might very well be someone who remembers me from being in the choir. Without even knowing it, my actions could turn someone away from church, even away from Christianity.

We all have a responsibility to live lives that draw others to Jesus. People may know we are believers because we are in the choir, because they see us in another ministry at church, because we tell them, or because we just live our lives in a way that says there is something different. Regardless of how they come to know we are Christians, let our actions continually prove the love we have for the Lord. As Jason says, let them say of Living Hope, that we are a church of love.

Jennie Webb

A Titanic Opportunity – How can we offer hope….

2009-01-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

Dennis Strom is an Adult Bible Fellowship teacher, chair of the construction building team, and has served on mission trips to Costa Rica with Living Hope.

As I sat in one of the pews upstairs and waited for the church service to begin, I marveled at the ministry going on within the sanctuary. The musicians were ensuring that their instruments were ready to play great music for us, the ushers were making sure that people had a church bulletin and a place to sit, several deacons were shaking hands and welcoming people and the ministry staff was down front talking to people who had been at the prior service. Living Hope is a place where ministry happens but a place that could provide so much more to our community.

As the service started I was touched by the baptisms of people willing to follow Christ, encouraged to learn that Living Hope is impacting people all over the world (people being baptized from Russia, China and Romania) and motivated to hear the “Titanic Opportunity” we have here at Living Hope. I want to weigh in on that “opportunity” for a few minutes… As Jason developed the illustration of people in lifeboats from the Titanic who are safe but unwilling to leave that safety to help someone else; the message for the morning was clear to me. Personally, I have been in many different countries all over the world doing short term mission projects. I enjoy them and find great fulfillment in serving in this way. As I thought about Jason’s point, I found myself being convicted about my short-sightedness. I have been walking by people everyday with the same needs as those in other countries, I have been prepared to serve on a foreign field but maybe not so inclined to share my faith or help those I know here in Bowling Green. I am very comfortable with my faith and I am not one who shuns conversations about Jesus but maybe I have not been focused on initiating those conversations. Maybe I need to share my faith differently and more purposefully? What about you ?

As the Church, Christ has called us to love God, to love each other, and to love lost people. Doing these things is what being the Church is all about. So what have we all done lately to love God? What have we done lately to love each other ? And what about those lost people? We all know someone who needs to know Christ, so what are we doing about it?

Maybe the next time you shake a hand you can envision it as an opportunity to pull someone into your lifeboat, maybe the next time you hug someone you can use it as an opportunity to introduce them to your faith and the saving grace of Christ and lastly, maybe the next time you say hello to someone in passing you can make yourself stop and spend a few minutes fellowshipping with them. Who knows what opportunity that encounter might offer you.

I agree with Jason that it is time for believers to stand up for “all” the things we believe in. That includes loving people who are lost, helping people who are in need and building those relationships that allow true Christian fellowship. You remember our call to arms here at Living Hope….. “Get to God, Grow in Christ, Give to others”.

As the church we have been sent by the Savior to carry His message……….we are to do so in our words, in our convictions and in our lives. The benefit will be ours if we impact our community for Christ’s sake. It will add to that “Abundant Life” Tim Brown spoke of this morning.

As I close I must comment on the altar call that deeply touched my heart. Does anything like people coming to the altar to pray move you to tears? It surely does for me. Seeing the call to prayer from our Pastor and the heartfelt response of our church family warmed my heart and motivated me to serve more faithfully. Going to that altar is like taking that special picture that you treasure for a lifetime. It is a memory you will never forget as you spend those few minutes with your Savior. Come on Hopers, we need to be about the work of the Church !

Dennis Strom

First Post Coming January 4th

2008-12-27T09:38:00.001-08:00