He Who Began A Good Work In You...

Brad began with the classic opening, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." It's Pastor Shannon's last day here and he reiterated how much he loves us. He also found a couple things as he was cleaning which he brought to give a couple people. Ear plugs for Marlys and a container of Flarp for Leonard. Brad's favorite book of Bible and favorite text.would be the focus of his message.

Before entering into worship Chuck shared a few notes and thoughts. This church has grown into a family these forty years. He shared several verses about God's faithfulness. "No good thing does He withhold from those who love Him." The music team then sang "Through It All., following it with Mighty To Save." Then we all stood and joined in singing several songs from the blue songbook. During the offering they went on to sing "Heaven On My MInd."

He Who Began A Good Work In You

Brad led us in prayer. Then began speaking about his message for us from the Book of Philippians, chapter 1. The opening verses are from Paul to a church community whom Paul loved very much. The verse he wanted to focus on, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it..." God began the work, and God will finish the work.

Paul never intended to go to Philippi, but God blocked Paul's plans and he ended up there. This community became the first church family in Europe.

God has the power to do this because he is God. Brad listed all the moments in history that demonstrate the kind of power God has, from the parting of the Red Sea to the power to roll away the stone and raise Jesus from the grave. God has the power to change hearts, the power to love difficult people, the power to never give up, and the power to complete the work He began in this church 80 years ago.

"He who began..." God began the work in us and He is not finished. When God begins something He is planning to follow up. The key thing is for us to be patient, and trust. As Americans we're not very good at waiting.

It's more important what God is doing in us than this building itself.

"He who began a good work..."  God's work is always good. He doesn't do anything that isn't good. In the very beginning, in Creation, after completing the act of creation it says, "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

But it's more than about God doing work out there in the world throughout history. "He who began a good work in you."

"Have you ever felt inadequate?" Brad says there is a reason we feel that way. "It's because we are. God is the one who activates our spiritual gifts and makes us adequate, fulfills our purpose in life and enables us and empowers us to make a difference in the world."

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Great is God's faithfulness. He is the faithful God, to a thousand generations. "He is faithful in all He does." It is His nature and His character. God does not get discouraged. He never gives up.

It is not about our adequacy. God is the one who is faithful.

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it on the day of Christ Jesus."

Our lives is about something so much bigger than what we are doing here. It's global. And it forever.

God doesn't quit and that day is coming. Whatever happens, live in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

* * * *

After the message Pam was invited to come forward to share a few words. She emotionally told how the Pastor Brad not only lived with us but showed his faith by the manner in which Brad and his family lived among us. There were tears among many this morning as they remembered or recounted Brad's time with us.

Duane said a prayer for them and then gave gifts to Brook to help her washing clothes -- a washboard, agitator and wringer as well as a solar clothes dryer (clothesline.) He also gave a saw  which Brad could use for both work and to make music.

A Vision for the Future

Now only two weeks away.

Grey misty morning, but no dampened spirits here as we gather to worship with the people of the Word. Brad smiles while tuning his guitar as he gets ready to welcome us. "Hey, good morning!" Then he reminds us that this is one of the last two services in this building as we prepare to move across the street.

Announcements
Next week worship will be at 9:30 a.m.
In two weeks we will begin worshiping in our new facility. This is a transition period and we would benefit from those who can help carry things across the way to the new building.
Next week is the last week that we will be collecting shiny paper. We have successfully raised the $7500 needed to send our kids to CHIC.  
VBS is coming quickly and we still need volunteers to sign up for our various needs.

Brad stated he would be talking about the way forward today. Even though the candidates are already coming forward for the 2016 election, the purposes of God will not be advanced or thwarted by whoever is elected. God has a plan that transcends the plans and politics of man.

After leading us in a number of hymns and songs Brad led us in a time of prayer.

A Vision for the Future

Pastor Brad opened by asking how many of us remember the three words that make up our mission statement. This would be the object of our discussion today. The three words are: Connect, Grow and Become.

Community, not isolation. A community that is not just assenting to intellectual truth, We want to become the incarnation of Jesus here in this community.

Brad cited The Screwtape Letters (Great book, worth reading) about a demon and his underling in a dialogue on how to keep an individual from become a fully committed and growing Christian.

Jesus said, "I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The second half of this, unspoken, is that hell may not prevail but it will certainly try to derail us.

The evil one will whisper in your ear many lies, primarily to get us to just accept our boundaries, our limitations and don't expect too much because it will just disappoint you.

The Bible is full of stories about people who walked with God, who experienced God's presence even when in Eqypt and the Wilderness. The idea of being connected to God is available to anyone and everyone. That is why His name is Emmanuel, "God with us."

Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches." We're connected to Him. It's all about being connected to Him.

The evil one says, "You can't do that."

The biggest way the evil one gets to us is when we get used to living as if He isn't there, taking God for granted.

What God wants for us to experience are rivers of living water rushing through our souls. All too often we're content with a trickle. Yet Jesus says the Spirit of God is available to us without limit, without measure. Anyone can come to Jesus, can be connected to Jesus, and can experience those rivers of living water.

Isaiah 26:3 says "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Another translation of this verse states, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

This is the path to life, being connected to God, our thoughts reaching out to Him continually. Brad stated that more than anything he wants God to cleanse us and free us and give us this kind of life.

The second word is Grow. The enemy is out to trip us up on this one, too. "A little gossip never hurt anyone. Being judgmental is OK," the enemy says, "because they deserve it anyways and you can see that so clearly." Mercy is the ruling principle in the Kingdom of God.

What God aches for us is to do is to get beyond just being "fine" and unruffled, but to actually go deeper, get out of our comfort zones. Becoming who we're meant to be may include some messy moments. It's easy to play it safe, but Jesus didn't play it safe and he expects the same from His followers.

Becoming is not some kind of "strategy." If we walk with God and stay connected to God, we will experience His power and become what He wants us to become. Trying to change the world is not changed by our trying to change the world, but by we ourselves connecting to God and thereby discovering our supernatural influence. People who walk with God change the world.

"May Heaven bestow its best blessings on this house and all who inhabit it," is a prayer someone once hung in the White House.

And as Jesus taught: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Lord of the Harvest

Wonderful weekend weather made it possible for a lot of us to work in our gardens, garages and other general projects around the house yesterday. With the sun shining into our sanctuary it appears another similar afternoon awaits us. Pastor Brad welcomed us enthusiastically, as is his custom. Our God is a God who meets needs, and it's a privilege to be in His presence today.

Brad began with some thoughts about driving: "What is it that drives your life?"

Chuck shared an update on the new church building as there's been some great progress. Anyone who wishes to come up and do some cleanup on the exterior these next two weeks would be most welcome while the electricians and other professionals address internal projects.

The music team will be at Edgewood Vista at 3:00 this Tuesday. If you wish to join us to help turn pages in hymnals or help be part of it, you're invited.

The Trio led our worship this morning, leading off with "Till the Storm Passes By" followed by several songs from the new songbook.

There were many prayer needs plus a story by Mick about a young man who was killed while texting and driving, and died with his cell phone in his hand.

The Trio sang "Until Then" as the offering was taken.

Lord of the Harvest

Last week was Easter, and we talked about the fact that it was the greatest act in all the world. The Resurrection was the greatest event in history.... and should be the driving force in our lives.

For many people it's money, ambition or fear that drives us; it could be ego, security or something else... and that something else is what I want to look at.

Same question applies to our church. What drives our church? Budgets? Spiritual consumerism... or something else.

Pastor Brad then read Matt 9:35-39. When Jesus saw the crowds He had compassion on them. Not judgment, no superiority.... All kinds of people came to Him, blind, lame, untouchable, broken... "harassed"... They were like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus went everywhere telling people the good news. "You can have a fresh start every morning. You can have a hope." But the scale of human need was so great that it broke His heart.

Jesus turned to His disciples and said, "Do you see it?"

He wanted them to understand that we are not here for us. People are alone, people are afraid. But we could see a harvest. A harvest of righteousness in which marriages are being restored, character restored, broken lives restored.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers few. Too often we spend more time worrying about food going bad in our refrigerators than we do about the great needs in our community and world. Jesus needs workers, not consultants.

In John 9 Jesus said, "As long as it is day we must do the work the Father has given us."

Jesus was on a mission, and He invited the disciples to follow through and be a part of it. (Matthew 10:1)

Brad told the story of a ship that was designed to be a troop carrier that ended up being a luxury cruise ship, never used for what it was intended. This is a danger in the church, missing the mark as to what we were designed for.

Today, if Jesus went out into our community what would he see? And He would ask, "Friends, do you see what I see?"

Brooke was called forward to share about our youth group going to the Twin Cities for Friday and Saturday event call M.O.V.E. (Mission Outreach Venture Experience.) This was a rich experience for the dozen who went and participated in both group worship and outreach with 20 other churches.

"There's nothing like the church when it shows up. It's not extravagant, it's just being there with a heart of compassion," Brad said.

We're not called to judge it. We're called to serve it, nor scold it. Jesus is the one who saves. Love them, for in so many ways we are side by side with hurting people, in the marketplace and in the streets and wherever we find ourselves.

There are way too many sheep without a shepherd.

Today, the fastest growing religious group according to polls is "no religious affiliation." It used to be 7% and today it is 20%.

We have a mission. There is a harvest out there waiting to be found.

Rest in the New Year

A sunny Sunday morning, but bitterly cold after last night's wind shift. Nevertheless Pastor Brad welcomed us warmly, as is his custom. "How many of you when you woke up this morning felt alive and energized and said, 'This is the day the Lord has made.'? And how many woke up and had a discussion about whether you should venture out into the cold and come to worship this morning?"

Brad suggested that he had a very special message that is both simple and profound and that he hoped he would be able to adequately convey it on this Communion Sunday.

Announcements
Women's Bible Study is suspended for the time being.
Valentine's Day Leonard and Micah will be cooking a special Valentine's meal which will include fresh Alaskan Salmon, among other delights.

Darlene ushered us into worship with yet another beautiful piano solo before we joined in singing several hymns of the faith.

An offering taken, we spent some time in prayer.

Rest in the New Year

Brad wanted to share from a couple of passages. The first is from Revelation 3, the letter to the church at Philadelphia.

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

The second passage came from I Corinthians 15:1-8

First he shared an insight about the different verb tenses in Greek. One tense means it happened and is done. The second means it happened but continues to impact the future.

Christ died for our sins. Past completed tense. But in the middle of many factual statements past complete, he uses the alternative tense when referring to the resurrection in verse 4.

And again we looked at Revelation 3. The statement that there is an open door uses this permanently future-facing tense. The open door was not for the church at Philadelphia only. It was for all time.

Soe the question I have again... as you look at the year ahead, what are the open doors God has placed in front of you for 2015?

No matter where you have been, no matter what your brokenness, each day you can begin by asking what open door is before you so that you're not just passing time but living a significant life.

We do not want to be a church that just gets on a drift mode. We want to be a church, and individuals, who live in the excitement of God's presence and possibilities.

At this we turned to share in the Lord's Supper.

Unexpected Power

Today is Palm Sunday. Though still chilly for a spring day, our hearts are warmed by our proximity to the greatest event in history, the victory over death by our Lord Jesus Christ. He is risen indeed.

"Good morning! I'm grateful you're here on this Palm Sunday." This a day in which we celebrate the Triumphal Entry so the children were

Announcements (Life of the Church)
Brook shared that Vacation Bible School is coming, June 16-19. We were encouraged to participate in one way or another. An insert showed the different ways we can help out. Please sign up.
Curt shared that this week in youth group they will be reading John 15 and 16. 
Tuesday 10:00-11:30 a.m. Women's Bible Study 
Wednesday 6:00 p.m. Family Night. Includes a meal and groups for all ages.
Good Friday Service at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday will begin with an Easter Egg Hunt and breakfast from 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Saturday there will be a Rummage Sale at the Twig Town Hall. Set-up will be on Friday. See Suzi Lane for details on how to help or contribute.
April 27 we will have our semi-annual congregational meeting after the service. 

After the traditional greeting we sang Hosanna as the children brought their palms toward the altar.

We began our worship time with the beautful Above All, penned by Lenny LeBlanc. Followed by How Beautiful and Here I Am To Worship.

In our time of prayer we we asked to pray for Rob Strom who fell and fractured his skull. Many other needs were shared, as well as updates on other current struggles. It is always comforting to know we do not bear our burdens alone.

Ed Newman then sang The Holy City.

Unexpected Power

Pastor Brad began by reading from the Gospel the story of the Triumphal Entry. I always struggle on this day because of how the people misunderstood why Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. (See Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44 and John 12:12-19. As Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives towards Jerusalem the crowds lay their clothes on the ground to welcome Jesus as he triumphantly enters the city.

In 2011 there was an F3 tornado in North Minneapolis. Brad shared about a church there called Sanctuary Covenant that became a center for helping meet needs in the wake of this tornado and the disaster it created.  It had always established itself as a helping, service oriented church, so it was natural that the church became a touchstone for the neighborhood. Since there was no electricity the church set up generators to create power for people to re-charge cell phones so they could contact friends and family to let them know they were safe.

As church people were helping the neighborhood a group of gang members approached in formation. Church members went out to meet them and the leader of the group said, "We hear you have power." Indeed. The response to these men led some of them to become part of this congregation.

In the days leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus was approached by James and John regarding a matter that was the last thing on His mind. They said, "Lord, we want you to do for us whatever you ask." Jesus had just finished telling them that He would be spit on, beaten and flogged, and crucified before rising on the third day.

Nevertheless, He did not berate them for the audacity of this request. Instead He replied, "Are you willing to drink my cup?" When you serve with a heart for others, rewards are not what you're doing it for.

The people shouted "Hosanna" which means "Save Now!" or "Save Us!"

What is shocking is how the crowds who praised Him as He rode into Jerusalem were the same who a few days later were shouting, "Crucify Him!"

Brad then told the story of the Maccabees, an uprising two hundred years earlier that used force to overthrow Antiochus IV and the oppressors who were violating the Temple in a manner blasphemous to God. The meaning of the palms was connected to this event, thus the palm branch came to symbolize victory and deliverance from oppression.

The crowd wanted Jesus to be like the Macabees, to deliver Israel from Roman oppression. But Jesus came wearing a different disposition, as referenced by Paul in Phil. 2:5-8. Jesus was willing to be insignificant in order to be effective. He demonstrated His power not in the absence of fear, but with a conviction that says, "Fear doesn't get to dictate what I do."

He trusted the Father regardless of the aftermath, praying, "Father, take this cup from Me, though not My will but Yours be done."

We ourselves have the power to transform this community. When the love of Jesus Christ flows through us in this place, with the same humility... we will have power.

In Mark 14 Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover Supper." Jesus is thinking about the cross and yet despite the horrors awaiting him, including experiencing separation from the Father and death, He gives them instructions and doesn't say, "Hey, when are you guys going to start making decisions and taking responsibility?"

We're all very distracted, and the disciples were distracted, too, but Jesus wanted to meet with them.

In the week ahead we have opportunity to let the important moments speak to us, to make time to hear from God and the meaning of this time. My prayer is that you wouldn't let this week pass without making time to meet with God.

Everyone's Issue

Third day of spring at New Life Covenant...

Hoo boy, it's another cold one. Twelve below doesn't feel like spring, but the days are getting longer and it's highly probable that the temperatures will warm our countryside the way making music warms our hearts. Pastor Brad welcomed us again with enthusiasm on this Third Sunday in Lent.

Sin is the primary issue that the human race has to deal with and today's theme will be about spiritual healing, a need we all share.

Announcements
Brad stated that he will lead a New Members class for those interested in joining our family.
Mary and Irv Stauffer will be speaking here Friday, April 4, 5:30. After a ham dinner they will share her experience of being kidnapped with her daughter and held hostage. It was a time of terror but also of strength drawn from faith and trust in the Lord. It is an amazing story.

Chuck, Ken and Darlene performed Dallas Holm's Rise Again and Andrea Crouch's Through It All before leading us in a time of worship. The offering followed after which the trio sang What A Day That Will Be.

A number of prayer needs were lifted up and people remembered..

Today's Scripture reading was from Romans 3:10-18.

Everyone's Issue

...and third week of Lent.

I need to be healed, not just physical. The heart needs to be healed.

In the Old Testament there is a real connection between the forgiveness of sins and the healing of bodies. Psalm 103 makes the connection and many other verses do as well. God is good and He cares about our brokenness.

When Jesus came, healing was central to His mission. It was a sign that in Jesus, God's work to heal human brokenness has begun.

Brad shared how in the book of Matthew, the writer tells a string of stories of healings, and in the middle of this states how he was called. What is implied here is, "Hey, I got healed, too."

What does it look like for us to be healed? What does it look like for us to be a healing community?

In Matthew 9 Jesus says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick and needy." In other words, the unrighteous, the broken, the shunned. The doctor in this parable is Jesus. Who did He come for? The sick. He did not come for the healthy ones.

What's the disease the sick people are suffering from? Jesus said "I come for sinners." The disease that the needy suffer from is sin. At the core, the disease that really threatens our souls is sin.

Part of the power of sin is that it blinds us to how sinful we are. The multitude of ways we twist the truth, we spin, we hype.

What are the greatest temptation you face with regard to sin? Now think about the list of things wrong with the world.... the hate, violence.

Here's what God says about our condition:

10 “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Self-serving words and tones, the way we cater to people because they are wealthy or attractive, jeaousy, chronic ingratitude...

Paul wrote, "I do not understand what I do..."

Brad talked briefly about habits. Habit is neutral. Habits are what we do without thinking, second nature. Without habits we couldn't make it through a day. All of us are a collection of habits. The problem is when sin permeates the core of our habits. When bad habits become second nature, it corrupts our behavior.

Fixing the problem is not going to happen by sheer willpower. Over the long haul, your habits will always defeat your willpower. That is why our only hope is not more willpower, but a new set of habits.

We must surrender our will, die to our past habits and let God give us new habits. This is the essence of AA. We must replace sinful habits with new habits. "Offer yourselves to God."

Enter into a new way so that you may experience the freedom.

Brad closed with an explanation of original sin. Sin has bent human nature from the beginning. Paul states that there is something wrong with the world that is deeper than any logical explanation. The world is intrinsically broken. It's a complicated mess, and at the core is the problem of sin, not out there somewhere but at the core of my being.

What it takes for Jesus to work in our lives is to admit the truth, that we are in the category of the sick, not the healthy. A central feature of AA is brutal honesty. Our strength comes from this confessing our brokenness and failings.

Confession, openness and honesty are an essential part of healing.

Lessons from the Trail

Spring has not yet spring per se, but it's moving in the right direction. The days are getting longer and last night we were instructed to turn our clocks forward an hour for Daylight Savings Time. It's getting warmer and it seems hard to believe less than two weeks ago it was thirty below. Pastor Brad was just back last week for his near 2000 mile trek to Hudson Bay by snowmobile. And this morning he's planned to share many of the God-moments he experienced on this trip of a lifetime.

"Good morning! The Lord be with you!"
"And also with you," the congregation replied.

Announcements
1. Brooke shared about an app for your smartphone or iPad for a daily devotion supplied by the Covenant Church.
2. Secret Sisters is after church today.
3. March 28-29 there's a Red Hat event in which there is a need for assistance setting up. The assistants will be paid $200. Call Paula Saxin for details if interested.

Chuck, Darlene and Ken led worship today beginning with the song One Scarred Hand, a favorite of Ken's with it's tender chorus, "The Great Physician's touch is a balm that can mend broken hearts with one scarred hand." Afterwards while the offering was being taken they sang No One Understands Like Jesus.

After a time of prayer, the pastor shared his...

Lessons from the Trail

Brad began by thanking us for allowing he and his family yo go on this adventure. He wanted to share today about the trip because it is a metaphor for stepping out into the unknown.

Most common question he was asked: Did you see any polar bears?
No, most are out on the ice hunting or hibernating.

The second most asked question: Did you have any moments you feared for your safety or that you were lost? There were a couple times where the trails were inaccessible, and one day we had to go 375 miles because the planned trail was closed. There were a few other places where we were anxious and had to turn back for another route.

What if you break down? How do you travel when there is no trail? Proverbs says you need to plan. Planning involves anticipation of things that could go wrong. This was not a joyride. There were risks.

Was the journey as scary as it seems from the outside?

Any time we attempt something big it may appear scary to others. But like the church building project, it wasn't scary to follow God's leading. God calls us to step out in faith.

Brad shared a story from Gary Haugen that was a good metaphor for the life of faith.  Haugen tells story of hiking on Mount Rainier with his family when he was ten. He saw a sign that warned all the dangers to beware of, and it scared him so much that he stayed in the visitors center. He brother and father went on that hike and saw some fabulous things. He later regretted that he played it safe.

Brad noted too often the church in Amercia opts to play it safe, but misses something spectacular because they didn't want to take risks.

We ourselves fall into the same trap, choosing safety rather than risk, missing out on more fulfilling experiences.

The safest place is not the visitor center but to be in the center of God's will.

This does not mean that things always work out. --> cite Hebrews 11

The American Trinity seems to be comfort, pleasure, and success, and because of this one of our big idols is safety. We are the most seat-belted, air-bagged, bike-helmeted, knee-pad-wearing, hyper-insured, sunscreen-slathering, massively medicated, protected and inoculated generation in history, and all it has done it to make us more afraid," he said.

Safety shrinks our lives. We become like the

Safety shrinks God. It becomes a celestial seat belt...

God believes in life after birth, not just life after death.

Lessons from the trail...

1. I didn't and couldn't have done this trip alone. Whenever you want to do something big for God, it always takes teamwork. It's a beautiful thing when people come together around something.
We live in a culture that makes it hard for people to work together, in part because we need to learn trust. Pride and process can be a problem, but it always takes teamwork to make the dream work.

Brad expressed gratitude to his family, and for those many faithful friends and well-wishers who helped in various stages along the way.

God is more concerned about the players than the play. It's always about transformed lives.

Brad then read from Ephesians 4
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

2. The big things we want to do for God always boil down to the small things we do daily for other people.
I wasn't scared because it was one day at a time.

We tend to overestimate as human beings what can be done in the short term and underestimate what can be done in the long term when our priorities are right.

3. If you want something you've never had, you need to do something you've never done. There's a part we play. God is powerful and active and present, and our willingness is more important than our competence. When we have a sense that God is with us it enables us to move beyond our comfort zones.

At the end of his report Brad shared slides from the journey. It was a very special service.

I Stand Amazed

"Good morning. I'm delighted your here. Since the beginning of the year we've been talking about fresh starts and new beginnings," Pastor Brad said as he welcomed us. The message today would focus on the scripture The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Announcements
1. If anyone has a used couch or chair that can be contributed for the youth group.
2. Wednesday the youth will be going to The Edge from 5:30 - 8:30. Meet at the church.
3. There will be a youth group Lock In at the church Feb. 21.

With a light snow falling outside Brad shared that he and Brooke are going on a snowmobile trip called New Frontier Expedition, which is also a fund raiser for the church. Brad will be on snowmobile beginning here and heading to Churchill, Manitoba, a portion of the journey on ungroomed terrain that will be navigated by GPS. Thus far $6300 has been raised in sponsorships, with a target of $12,000. His journey will begin right here at New Life and proceed to MacGregor, then to Bimidji. From there to Roseau, to Steinbach, to Brandon, to the middle of nowhere, to Snow Lake, Gillam, to Churchill. Brooke and the kids will drive to the end of all roads and meet Brad by means a train. For those of you online you can follow on Facebook and at  www.newfrontierexpedition.com

Darlene, Ken and Chuck led worship today, opening with "Little is much when God is in it."

After the offering, we had a prayer time for the many needs we share and lift to God.

I Stand Amazed

Brad began by citing the show Fear Factor, where people are paid money to face their greatest fears. What would you most fear? Eating bugs? Jumping out of airplanes blindfolded?

Many people have shared their fears in Brad's office, from aging to catastrophic illness to loss of a loved one.

One of Brad's fears is preaching about the Fear of the Lord. "I'd rather talk about the love of Jesus than the fear of the Lord. I would rather talk about 'perfect love casts out all fear' than 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.'"

Many verses say fear the Lord and others say "Don't be afraid" and "Fear not." So, how do we reconcile these seeming contradictions.

The word fear has several translations. One version is the idea of terror. The second notion of fear has to do with awe and reverence. I think this latter is the meaning of the word in Proverbs. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Several verses were then shared including Acts 9:31 which says, "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers."

The writer of Hebrews wrote, "Worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."

Think of the response of those who encountered God. The standard response is awe. Awe at the grandeur and otherness of God is a good thing. All too often we forget this. We forget the fear factor in our faith. When was the last time you sat in awe at something?

Brad shared anecdotes about the hush that came over people as they visited the ice caves in Cornucopia, gloriously more magnificent than people could imagination. Is that what God is for you? Glorious and magnificent beyond all you can imagine?

Earlier this week we had a wonderful funeral service in which we gave witness to the resurrection. At the end of the service, I thought, "Don't we worship a big God?"

All too often we get caught up in things like what we're planning for lunch or other little things and forget the reality of this big God, this living God. He is alive, and His mercy is vast. He is in relentless pursuit of people who are lost. And all too often we make Jesus small, a buddy who helps us, and forget the immensity and majesty of this God we worship.

Israel's concept of God was that He was holy. Holy doesn't mean purity at its core. It means "other." His name, Yahweh, was too sacred to even be spoken.

The reason people often cry when they experience God is that it seems too good to be true, this great and majestic God who created all is not indifferent but actually cares about you, personally. The reality is, it's too good not to be true.

Don't stand in awe of your problems as if they are what is big. God is so big your problems are as nothing. Stand in awe of God. God is big enough to handle your needs, both your inner and outer needs.

Cameras, phones and tech toys keep getting smaller. But as this happens, don't let your God shrink with them. Don't lose that sense of awe and wonder in His presence.

When you let God be God and allow Him to be big for you, you can begin to understand what Paul is saying when he writes in Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God is big enough to handle whatever is going on in your life.
Prov 14:26 states, "Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge."

When you fear God, there is nothing to fear. This is the beginning of wisdom.

Brad shared additional verses here to serve as food for thought...

Prov 26:12
Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Prov 15:12
Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise.

Prov 15:33
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. 

First you experience humility. And then you experience glory.

Fellowship

The first week of Sunday School drew a healthy turnout. The adult class is watching segments of a video series on Christian Atheism, about people who "believe in God but live as if He doesn't exist." Pastor Brad led a discussion, exploring aspects of the ideas that there are different levels of knowing God.

Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:00 a.m. and the worship service resumes at our regular 10:15 a..m. hour. After greeting us, Brad stated that he would be talking about community, and the importance of being connected.

Announcements began with a thank you letter from Cindy Anderson, who now has a new set of lungs and moving into a healthy full recovery. The letter included a reminder to live each day as if it were your last. An insert in the bulletin noted that Girls Art Club will be starting up again soon. One a month Susie Newman will be leading art projects for all girls ages 9-15. Adult women are welcome as well. The art club will be held on the last Sunday of each month (Sept. 29th this month.) Contact Susie if you are interested so she can bring enough materials for everyone. Bring a bag lunch.

After the offering was taken and a time of prayer, Chuck shared from his heart and sang a duet with Darlene before leading us in songs from the silver song book.

Fellowship

Brad's message today focused on demonstrating that community is at the heart of what we believe. He began by reading from Mark 1:14-20. It is the beginning of Jesus' ministry, a journey that leads to the cross. The first task that he undertakes is to gather his team, a community of followers. When Jesus ascended after His resurrection, he did not leave assets or buildings, only His circle of friends.

Christianity is not a self-study initiative. It is a community who of people, intersecting circles of commitment and intimacy. To illustrate, Brad had us picture what happens at a bonfire when you roll a log out of the fire. It usually goes out.  The writer of Hebrews stated that we are not to forsake meeting together.

Community helps prevent spiritual drift. Proverbs 27:17 states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Jesus never talked about going to church. He called people to community.

Christian community is the one place where it's safe to take off our masks. In Paradise, before the fall, Adam and Eve "were naked and not ashamed." After the fall, Adam's guilt and shame led him to hide from God. It is our tendency to hide from one another that needs to be dispensed with. James 5:16 says that we need to become more transparent: "Confess your sins to one another." The reason is that you can only be loved to the extent that you are known. You can only be fully loved when you're full known. This kind of depth takes time.

Community is the place where we learn to love as Jesus loves. In His last hours with the disciples, Jesus repeatedly told them to love one another. (John 13:35, John 15:12 and 17)

Community is not easy. When you read the list of disciples you find some interesting backgrounds. One of these called ones was Simon the Zealot. A Zealot was the modern equivalent of a terrorist. The zealots were politically motivated Jews in Jesus' day who by a hatred of Roman occupation of Palestine which they found incompatible with monotheism. They had even taken an oath to kill anyone working in concert with Rome, which would include people like Matthew who was a tax collector. There economic differences between some of the other disciples. But in Jesus' circle none of these differences were to make any difference at all in the new community.

Pastor Brad concluded by encouraging us to take further steps to strengthening our community by signing up for a series of "Friendship Dinners" that we'll be having over the coming months. All who sign up will be grouped in sets of eight, so we can get to know one another in a more intimate setting... our homes.

God Keeps His Promises

A fresh snowfall fell gently over the countryside during the night and continued again this morning. The outdoor quiet lay in distinct contrast to the energetic practice taking place in the sanctuary in preparation for the upcoming Christmas concert. Downstairs many others were assembled for a Christmas-focused adult Sunday school gathering.

Brad welcomed us and grabbed our attention with a booming “Good morning! Thank you for braving this storm today.”

He then directed us toward the theme that he would be sharing from the pulpit this morning. "There is only one person who always keeps his promises and that is God. How does God break into our world to keep His promises even today."

Life of the Church

Tonight at 5:00 p.m. there is a men’s ministry event taking place here, Men as Peacemakers. Fire departments throughout the region will be here for a presentation on domestic abuse. There will be a meal preceding.

Christmas Around the World is our theme for this year’s Christmas program which will be next Sunday. There will be an international meal after the program which begins at 4:00 p.m. This is a reminder that the children need to be here for Wednesday and Saturday practice. (10 – noon next week.)

Regarding the Salvation Army family we have adopted, a Mom and 2 kids: bring your gifts by next Sunday.

Ed Newman played piano this morning in Darlene’s absence, beginning with an Appalachian carol, and then accompanying the congregation as we sang several Christmas hymns.

The lighting of the second Advent candle followed with Larsen family… Advent is a time of waiting and anticipation. The first candle is the Candle of Hope. The second, which was lit today, is the Candle of Preparation as Christians "prepare" to receive God.

Duayne Anderson shared with us during a Ministry Moment in response to the question, “What has God been doing in your life?”

“What I’m sharing is what God is doing in my life by being in my life.” He shared about his brother-in-law’s recent passing last month. Throughout his suffering with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, he was happy to know he was saved and repeatedly said “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.”

Shared the challenge it is when faced with suffering in others’ lives. Duayne affirmed that whatever we go through He is there, and we can go to Him.

God Keeps His Promises

For a lot of people the Christmas season has other emotional associations. For Pastor Brad, this time of year reminds Brad of his father’s passing, and the difficult time that preceded it as Brad was involved with taking care of him as he declined. What made the experience especially difficult was that many people prayed for his father’s healing, but it never happened.

In A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis bared his soul as he wrote about the passing of his wife, Joy Davidman. The reason he married her was to assure her that when she died of cancer he would take care of her sons, but then she survived and the formality of marriage became something more. But then, she was taken from him as her cancer returned, and he turned his skillful pen toward expressing the pain and grief of his loss. 

It was so personal that he wrote the book and published it under a pseudonym. primarily because it was so open about his anger and questioning God.It was only after he died that the book was properly attributed to this influential Christian.

In both instances, Lewis' and Pastor Shannon's, there was pain because expectations about God's intervention did not happen in the manner they assumed God should intervene.

We live in an assumptive world… all too often confused and disillusioned when things don’t happen the way we think they should and our belief structures are shaken.

Here's the passage from Isaiah 40 that Brad proceeded to read:

25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who wait upon the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

How does God keep His promises? How does God work? Some strong Calvinist friends say that God controls everything. We're just going through the motions of appearing to have a say in our life choices. Others see absolutely no involvement and we’re left to muddle along on our own.

But how does God break into human affairs? There are three ways which were presented.

1. Intervention is where God actually reaches down and intervenes. An example of this is in Exodus 14. Israel left Egypt, but got stuck at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army’s rapidly approaching chariots coming on strong. As we remember, God parted the Red Sea and the fleeing Israelites cross on dry ground, a miraculous intervention of God on behalf of His people. In NT we see another example in Luke 18. A man born blind receives his sight at Jesus' word. Jesus spoke, and the man could see.

Too often, though, we think this is the way God should act, always, and we can expect that He will act when we have a need.

It’s good that we expect or desire miracles from God. Many of us can share stories like this. It’s not wrong to expect a miracle. but here is the problem. It is not God’s primary method of working and it will leave you disillusioned if you expect this kind of problem solving all the time.

2. Interaction is where God works through His people. Here is another example from Exodus, this time from chapter 2. Moses kills an Egyptian to save Israel from oppression, but flees to the backside of desert because of his fear. Moses' life can be summed up in three acts. The first 40 years he learned he was a somebody thru association with pharaoh’s courts. The second 40, he learned he was a nobody. In his third 40, he learned what God could do through a somebody who knew he was a nobody.

God says to Moses, “You go, and I’ll go with you.” They are team. He is a worker together with God.

I have friends who say they have miracles every day… before breakfast, later in the afternoon and again in the evening. My experience tell me there are some things that will not be changed unless God works and WE work together with Him.

The Great Commission is an example here. Jesus affirms His omnipotence and omniscience, but in between, God commissions his people to change the world by making disciples of all nations. Unless we do our part, it will not happen.

3. Inner Action is where God does not do a miracle, or change our situation, but through His inaction He does something beautiful inside us. An example can be found in II Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about his thorn in the flesh. It is never identified, but what we know is that God did not pull the thorn. Nor could Paul remove the thorn himself. But by means of the thorn Paul's relationship with God was deepened.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Brad then shared the story of Jim, a wheelchair-bound man whose situation was not changed, but who became an incredible man through God’s inner action.

The people of God were awaiting a Messiah for centuries. God seemed to have forsaken them. But God was not absent and had not forsaken them.

Then Brad opened the windows into his own life and shared how difficult this past 14 months had been after their home burned. " I often wondered if I could make it through the day… and many days I ended the day thankful that I had walked and had not fainted."

God's promise is that our strength will be renewed when we learn to wait on Him. God keeps His promises. Sometimes we can soar on eagle's wings or run and not be weary, but other times we will walk and not faint. You can bet your soul on that.

Downward Mobility

The service began with uncommon punctuality as Pastor Brad greeted us and indicated that today’s message will be on the familiar passage from Philippians 2:5-11. 

Today's Announcements:
Brief meeting with the council after the service today.
Thursday at 7 p.m. building committee meeting here at the church.
Brooke noted that this Wednesday we'll be hosting the first Family Night, with Adventure Club meetings for youth and young adults, 6:00 – 7:30.
Dawn Walsh mentioned a fund raiser for blankets during the month of October for Bethany Crisis Shelter, an on-going need that we have helped with in the past.
Paula also requested old flannel shirts for a special quilt being made.
Chuck said the Salvation Army Brass Band will be in town this Friday, 6:30 pm at Salvation Army.

Darlene initiated worship with a tender rendition of This Is My Father’s World. Then, Drake Peterson and Megan Blomberg, seniors at UMD, were introduced. Originally from other parts of Minnesota currently in leadership with Campus Crusade at the university. Trivia: Drake is the mascot for the UMD Bulldogs.

Drake and Megan led us in worship this morning and hope to become more involved with our church family this coming year.

Come Holy Spirit
Come in the wind
Come be Lord of our hearts
Come fill your Church once again…

After worship we shifted to a time of prayer for the various needs in our church family. 

Downward Mobility

Brad began with the commnet that Philippians 2:5-11 is an earth-shattering text.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

This text ties to everything in history from the Garden of Eden onward. Upward mobility is what life seems to be about for people of all ages. Downsizing, downscaling, demotion, etc. all have a negative connotation. The values in this passage are not embraced many. It is perhaps the most counter-conventional passage in Scripture.

Paul’s life goal in Phil. 1 is plain: “For me, to live is Christ… and to die and be with Christ is even better."

What does living for Christ mean? In this passage Paul shows that it has something to do with downward mobility.

Vs 5: Think like Jesus thought. Have Jesus’ attitude...

Brad noted that this passage shows seven downward steps to greatness in the eyes of God.

Where did Jesus start from? He was God. He began at the top. He was never a VP like Joe Biden or junior partner to God. He was equal to God, a singular person in the Godhead.

“He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

First voluntary demotion: From God to being a human….

How willing are you willing to loose your grip on your own prerogatives? We tend to be clutchers… power, positions, possessions… We have difficulty letting go…

“He made himself nothing…” He emptied himself. He did not cease from being God, but he put aside his God-rights. He divested himself of that which He had every right to hold.

Verses 3-5 all relate to the incarnation:
~ The God of the universe took on the appearance of a man
~ To be made in the likeness of man
~ To become a bondservant

Here's an amazing thought. God took on the binding confines of the flesh to rub shoulders with people whom He created. It's a mind-boggling transition. Jesus relaxes his grip to take on the likeness of a bondservant, serving obstinate sinful people.

From there He humbled Himself yet even further and became obedient unto death. He let death win. The eternal life-giver gives up His life. And not just any death... He became obedient to the humiliation of crucifiction, the most intense form of hellish suffering, all the while being mocked. This is the basement of human abasement.

Best selling books are usually rags to riches books. What Paul outlines here is a fully contrarian stance… riches to rags. Jesus decreased and downscaled to lose on purpose. This happened in history. There were eyewitnesses and Jesus did it out of love for you and me. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow…

There will be a day when the world wakes up to who Jesus is. When people die and enter the world beyond the veil each will hear the thunderous high-volume choruses of He is Lord.

Why did Paul write this text? To remind us of who Jesus was? Not primary though true. Rather, Paul is calling every Christian to a life of downward mobility.

Decreasing, demoting, downscaling for the advancement for the Gospel.

Walk With the Lord

The morning began grey and cold, but the sun eventually emerged and though still chill outside we were welcomed warmly as Pastor Brad Shannon exclaimed, "Good morning!" He proceeded to note that it was the fifth Sunday in Lent, and our theme these past many weeks has been about discerning God's voice and learning to walk with Jesus every day.

There were a string of announcements including the following:
1. Following service the nominating committee will meet to discuss recommendations for leadership in the church.
2. At the end of April the church will have its annual meeting
3. New Membership meetings will be held and people interested in joining out church family should contact Brad for details.
4. Palm Sunday is next week and there will be a Good Friday service on April 6th and an Easter Breakfast here at the church followed by our traditional Easter egg hunt for the kids.
5. This Friday there will be an overnight event for youth…. Elsa said to come at 7:00 p.m. and bring snacks. (A $20 contribution was suggested for those for whom it is not a hardship.)

After annoncements we transitioned into the service with Brad's blessing, “The Lord be with you…”

“And also with you," the congregation affirmed.

Chuck Vanderscheuren read to us a passage from Romans 8. He prefaced it with comments about how he has been involved in visiting the prison and some homeless shelters lately and thinking about how kids are affected as he sees children visit their fathers and talk to them through a screen. “Even though I’m an ordinary guy, we serve an extraordinary God.”

It was a spot on intro to the song “Marvelous Grace… God’s grace… grace that will pardon and cleanse within… grace that is greater than all our sin,” by the quartet, beautiful as usual, tenderly singing of God’s grace.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace… freely bestowed on all who receive.

The quartet followed this with Heavenward Bound, their voices melodically blending and lifting us to worship, and then Come to the Waters, inviting us to join in on the chorus that so stirs us when fully grasped... “And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.”

At the opening of the service Brad said we were grateful to have Joel Osterlund with us, director of Covenant Park Bible Camp. After the congregational songs were complete, he invited Joel to the pulpit.

Joel shared that he was here the first Sunday of the year, and happy to back with us. He's anticipating a very busy summer. He's served on summer staff in 1995 and 96 when he was at UMD and is happy to be back. He reminded us that New Life Covenant is one of the owners of the camp which consists of numerous buildings and dozens of acres near on a lake in Mahtowa. One goal of the camp is to help the member churches achieve their own missions and goals. Joel said he liked our mission, which is to connect, grow and become.

Osterlund also shared some of the significant impact of what has been happening there at the camp and asked us to pray and continue praying for the ministry there.

Like all ministries, volunteers help make it happen. "Whatever your skill, there’s a place for you." Financial support helps ministries to exist, too. He encouraged us to continue to use the camp, send kids to camp and tell people about the camp. The theme this summer: Power Up!
“And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…”

Ed Newman read John 12:20-33 for us. Afterwards, prayer requests were taken, and a time of intercession for the many needs in our church family.

Walk with the Lord

We have a God who does speak to us. He is not silent. He has a great adventure planned that is full of hope and a future for us. It’s not like a maze or so complicated we can’t hope to figure it out.

Pastor Shannon summed up the key points of recent messages in this series. Here's the basic principle: God is much more concerned about who we are than where we are going or what we do. It’s not like searching for a needle in a haystack. It’s about listening for His voice. As we learned from Joseph, we know God is always at work and will not bail out on us. But we also learned that God is never in a hurry. And we’ve learned that waiting is an active thing, not passive. Moment by moment surrender to His leadership of our lives.

Of course we can go wrong on both sides of the road. If you’re getting neurotic about every decision… relax. If you’re too laid back, you will also miss out on God’s best for your life.

Here's one last principle to help you, he said as we returned to Psalm 37:3-5. Trust, do good, delight yourself in the Lord, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him

If you think God does NOT care about the desires of your heart, THAT is a lie. It’s the kind of lie that Satan, the deceiver, told Adam and Eve in the Garden…

God has plans for us. Good plans…
This verse in Psalm 37 assures us that if we make pursuing Him the supreme delight of our hearts, He will give us the desires of our hearts. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

The Key Thought: If you are pursuing God’s person, then pursue the passions that are running deepest in your heart.

God stamped in us a passion that honors Him. But it's a bad thing to skip the “delight yourself in the Lord” and just pursue passions. You'll end up in the Mojave Desert without a compass. The key is to pursue wisely. When we sense it’s time to go in a direction, here are four principles to keep you on track.

1) Run your passions through the filter of His Word
Full of hope, real life studies, ability to discern right actions… Ps. 119: “By Your words I can see where I am going…” This is the inspired revelation of God. (The entirety of Psalm 119 is a worthwhile source of meditation.)
Psalm 19, too, has much to say on this subject, beginning with verses 7 and 8.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

If your passions match up with Word, this is an excellent beginning.

2) Through the presence of God’s Spirit
A person’s presence has an impact on us. Brad told a golfing story in which he and a friend were paired with another pair of golfers whom they didn't know. The one fellow cussed like a sailor after every smack of the ball. Brad didn't say a censoring word about it. But when they finished the third hole the one fellow asked what Brad and his friend did for a living. Brad said he was a pastor, and what a change came over the other golfer. After shanking his next shot, he bit his lip and simply said, "My, my, my."

Here's the point. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is with you. Do you live your life as if accompanied by the person of God? What if Jesus was on your foursome? What if Jesus was in your garage with you? What if Jesus came to your house and spent a day with you?

If you are a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will take up residence in you…. God is paying attention, but speaks to us quietly, and guides us if we will listen.

3) The counsel of close friends
Proverbs 13:20 states, “Whoever walks with the wise will become wise.”

Who do you get advice from? Who do you listen to when you need counsel? Who are your close spiritual companions? “Close friendships in Christ have played a huge role in my life,” Brad said.
Some people play a roulette game with counselors. They go share their passion with one person, and when they don’t hear what they want to hear, they go to someone else, and then someone else till the can find somebody who says “That’s a good idea.”

I bounce off friends, ask them to pray, but still run it through filter of God’s word.

4) Convergence as a guiding factor
When you look back at your life you see that the combination of serendipitous events and opening doors leads to a single lane road that is clear. The convergence of various signals and paths is a serious clue.

Brad shared an example from American Idol where people get the door slammed in their faces yet they somehow imagine, delusionally, “I will not let this stop me.” They ignore all the signals, determined to get through.

But sometimes the door opens and it gets pretty exciting. Brad said that when he has this experience of opening doors and it is “right” it is always accompanied by peace. "Peace is not the absence of fear. It is a deep, abiding sense that you have in spite of the fears."

Isa. 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

This is not some mystical experience that a few unusual people have.

Brad summarized his thoughts by noting that this Lenten series has had one aim, that of having our hearts right so we fall in love with God again. And to make Him the joy of our lives.

If you pursue His person, and start moving toward the passions He's put within you, you really could end up being the right person in the right place at the right time for His right purposes.

Have you become a follower of Jesus? Have you accepted His invitation to come? If not, maybe it is time…

God Still Speaks

"Good morning. I am grateful you’re here to worship," Pastor Brad said, announcing, "We worship a big God."

There were two announcements this morning. First, to note the insert in our bulletin about prayer. The Covenant has always had a central message of calling people to hear, repent, believe… and praying for those who are far from Christ. Norm shared a second announcement about the need for volunteers March 23 to April 1 to go to Tuscaloosa in a re-building project there. Contact Mark Hudson (St. Louis County) or Norm.

Brad then asked, "Do you want to hear from God? Does God still speak? The answer is, yes, God still speaks." This would be the theme of today's sermon. Darlene then ushered us into worship this second Sunday in Lent with the "Here I Am To Worship."

Brad read a passage from the Pslams. “Out of the depths I cry… I wait for the Lord, more than the watchmen wait for the morning" and we sang the beautiful, "Knowing You>"

Brad shared how they were talking in the adult Sunday School class about how all that we have is a gift of God. “Now finish the work… according to your means.” The offering was taken while Darlene played a melodic song of thoughtful reflection.

The Scripture reading by Joanne was from Mark 9:2-9.

One reason for many new faces that were with us this morning was the Sacrament of Baptism for Braylee Frye, infant daughter of Sean and Kim. Brad shared how the Covenant church views baptism as a symbolic act but even though it is not a saving act, it is a picture of God’s initiative in a child’s life. God initiates, and we can look back to His prevenient grace, His sign of desire to bring to fulfillment His promises in and for us.

The prayer time, which included expressions of gratefulness and intercession, was followed by the sermon.

God Still Speaks

Is God trying to talk to you? Is God trying to talk to me? Does God actually want to lead our lives?

Is it possible some of you are saying, “I am having to make some big time decisions right now. I want to know if I’m where I’m supposed to be? How do I know?”

Some decisions in life are not that big. Oatmeal or Pop Tart? White shirt or blue shirt? These are not big decisions, but some decisions really are big and loom over us.

Back up a sec… Does God even care? I know God spoke to Abraham and Moses, but does God speak to ordinary people like me?

The Bible has many very practical principles around this topic. Knowing God’s will is not like trying to find Waldo in Where Waldo books.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

Prosper here does not mean being incredibly wealthy. It means God cares about our well-being. A hope and a future is promised here.

Brad said he wanted to share two principles today. The first is that God’s will is more about who you are than where you go or what you do. It’s not about where you’ll work or who you marry, but it’s about who you are.

What if you figured out the right place God wanted you, but never made yourself the person God wanted you to be. Even if you are in the right place, you can be out of God’s will if you are not the person God wants you to be in that place.

Give your whole life, completely, to God. Worship is this: being His always in all things. Romans 12:1-2 puts it this way...

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I have to continually be in God’s word, I have to continue to place my life in His hands, on His altar.

“Brad, I know all this stuff. What I want to know is whether it should be Bachelor #2 or Bachelor #1. I want to know if it is door number two or door number one.”

But God says when we put ourselves on the potter’s wheel and let Him mold us, we’ll know.

God’s will… rejoice in all circumstances, praying always.

Many questions do not require deep prayer. The Scriptures spell things out in many areas. I Thessalonians 4 notes that it is God’s will that live lives that are holy and pure. Ephesians 5 speaks of walking in the way of love, putting aside sexual immorality, greed, foolish talk and coarse joking. We need to work on being more selfless and in verse 17 Paul says to be intoxicated by God, not wine.

God would rather be a sculptor in our lives than a traffic cop. God would rather be a watercolor artist than the answer man at the Mall of America who tells us how to find the bathroom. God wants to make each of us into something beautiful, His masterpiece.

The second principle Brad put forth was this: God wants us to desire Him more than we want to know His answers.

“Excuse me, do you really love Me, or do you really just want answers?” It is not God’s desire for us to be using God like a Google search engine. God wants us to know Him, not all the answers.

Brad then told us the story of Brother Lawrence, a lay brother who spent most of his life working in the kitchen at a monastery in France. He was not educated enough to become a cleric, so he washed dishes, but all the while he practiced the presence of God. His writings were later assembled into a book that had touched countless people since, The Practicing of the Presence of God. "There is nothing more holy than living in His presence," he wrote.

This, too, was David’s one request: “That I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever… “

It is out of that intimate friendship that God’s answers begin to flow.

“I will instruct you in the way you ought to go, and I will guide you with My eye upon you.” In order for us to have God’s guidance, we need to be seeking His face. Brad shared the example of being at a party with your spouse across the room and with her eyes she says it’s time to go… God wants to communicate this way with us, Brad said. It was a beautiful way for us to transition into Communion.


Our mission here at New Life Covenant: Connect, Grow, Become