The Necessary Evil of Meetings

By Pastor Troy

Last night I was in the van with Alexa and Sophia and we were running a few minutes late as a result of packing a lot of things into a little time. They asked where we were going and the following conversation took place:

Alexa: Dad where are we going?
Troy: To a meeting over at Mr. Tony’s house.
Sophia: Why are you going to a meeting?
Troy: To talk about how we can let everyone know that our church is moving.
Sophia: Meetings are ‘toopid?
Troy: What?
Sophia: Silent Grin
Alexa: No they’re not; meetings are for adults to get together just like kids do when they play.
Sophia: Do you like meetings?
Alexa: I went to a meeting one time with daddy and it was boring…do you remember that daddy?
Troy: (Silence—thinking—boring meeting…that doesn’t eliminate many meetings) Oh yeah, I remember, you had to sit for an hour an a half…(laugh) how do you remember that?
Alexa: Remember there were no kids?

The conversation continued, but I could not stop smiling because without hesitation, Sophie blurted out, “Meetings are ‘toopid.”

I must admit, there have been moments when I am in total agreement. Meetings certainly are a catch 22….until someone can come up with a better way to communicate and work together, I think we will all be spending time in meetings.

With this in mind we are getting closer to a solution for our relocation. Please continue to pray that the details will be worked out for us to transition over to the “Cold Storage Lofts.” Specifically we need prayer for finances, permits and construction. It seems like this is an ideal location for a church to meet—in the midst of a lot of people. I will certainly keep you posted in regard to progress throughout the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, this Sunday we will be meeting at the Scarritt building and the focus of the service will be “the sufficiency of Christ in this life and in our heavenly home.” The text is John 14:1-14. Please take some time to read and pray for God to work through the Scriptures to be a catalyst for spiritual growth.

Of Snow and People

By Pastor Troy

I hope you have had a great week staying warm and free from accidents (hopefully…). This week, I have enjoyed watching the snow from the window and have had a miserable time navigating through it. Snow has a way of bringing out all sorts of different emotions. If you are a kid, snow can provide some awesome fun…..cancelled school, sledding and snow forts. If you are an adult it is a curse…..sore back from shoveling, stopped traffic, and work as usual; except now you have to find a babysitter because there is no school for the kids.

Snow can also teach us all more than we want to know about ourselves. When it snows we realize how embarrassing it is to slip and fall, how frazzled our nerves can become when we are driving and how cold we can get when we do not dress warm enough.

Snow is also a mirror that can help us to learn many lessons about people. I know you are probably wondering how something as small and insignificant as a snowflake can be compared to someone as smart, powerful and good-looking as you:

• No two snowflakes are alike and certainly no two people are alike.
• Snowflakes and people often react to pressure in the same way…..they have a meltdown.
• Snowflakes can come in many different forms, including columns, needles, bricks and plates. People also come in many forms (ok, I’m not going there).
• Our environment will only be healthy when there is enough snow and enough people.
• Snow can turn into a danger exemplified by mudslides, avalanches or floods and people can be dangerous exemplified by inappropriate words, threats and actions.
• Snowflakes are small, weak and useless alone, but when combined with other snowflakes they are beautiful, powerful and essential for the hydrologic cycle. Likewise, we are small, weak and useless alone, but when unified around a meaningful cause together we can be a force that changes the world.

The meaningful cause is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus consistently showed his perfect love to imperfect people. This loves reached its climax at the crucifixion. Jesus died for each of us because He loves us and wants us to experience life the way it is meant to be. God has created each person in the world with a very specific purpose in life. We will only find satisfaction and fulfillment when we complete the role for which we were created.

This Sunday, we will study from John 13:18-38. In this passage we will see an example of someone who failed to live out his purpose and also someone who succeeded in living out his purpose. If you cannot make it to the service on Sunday (because of snow :-) ) the sermons are posted on the website. I hope you have a GREAT weekend.

Ego Free Living

By Pastor Troy

This week someone sent me an incredible video that illustrates the essence of the sermon for this week. Our text is found in John 13:1-17 and it is the story about Jesus washing the disciple’s feet. The sermon title is “Sustaining an environment for ego free living.”

The video I have referenced is about a basketball team from Grace Athena High School in Rochester, New York. Jason McElway is the manager and he is autistic. One word used to describe him is ENTHUSIASTIC. In fact his dad said that one thing he worried about was that Jason would be too enthusiastic and earn the team a technical. While most of the boys on the team spent time running, shooting and practicing plays, Jason kept himself busy fetching water and towling sweat.
For the last game of the season the coach decided to let Jason suit up….not to play, but just to experience what is was like to be one of the team. With four minutes to go in the game, the coach decided to let him play.

Jason McElway, #52 was going into the game. His teammates and the fans went wild. As soon as he touched the ball he threw up a 20 foot prayer that wasn’t even close. He missed his next shot as well…..then his fortune (God’s sovereignty :)) changed. He swished a three pointer from the side of the arc and then in the final minutes threw up a total of six three pointers that were all good. Jason McElway scored a total of 20 points by the time the buzzer sounded and the stands emptied out on to the court. I am certain that no one present in the gym will ever forget the day that Jason McElway, the team manager was the hero.

As I think through this story I am moved by the fact that if Jason had been the star player, people would have been excited, however this would not have created the mayhem in the Greece Athena gym that night. WHY? Everyone loved Jason because he was a servant. He was used to living an ego free life. People wanted to see him shine, not because he had made any huge promises of scoring lots of points but because he fetched water and toweled sweat.

Jesus makes it clear that no servant is above his master. As the supreme master, Jesus washed dirty feet. Just remember we are not above our master. Not one of us is too good to serve. And by the way, if you would like to watch the video of Jason, click here.

The Profundity of Unbelief

By Pastor Troy

This week the topic for the service is trusting Jesus. As I mull over the implications of John 12:37-50, I am struck by the profundity (def. the quality or state of being profound; depth) of unbelief. I have been wondering how the same people who watched Jesus turn water into wine, heal the blind and raise Lazarus from the dead struggled with unbelief. How could they fail to see the power and love of Jesus?

As is often the case, I turn to my children for direction. How can kids do the things they do? For instance:

• How can kids remember that you promised them ice cream for hours and forget the reason they walked upstairs in just a few seconds?
• How can kids be so full at dinner and then within five minutes be so hungry for a snack?
• How can kids be crying their eyes out one minute and laughing their head off the next?
• How can a girl so little and cute, burp so loud?
• How can kids think of such hard questions?
• How can kids find every possible place for their food except their mouth
• How can sisters continually find new reasons to argue?
• How can kids hear every secret and not hear any requests?

On a more mature note, how can we fail to accept the promises from Jesus and trust in Him? At any given time, we can fail to see God’s grace and mercy in spite of all He has done to reveal Himself and His will.

I hope you will join us for the service this Sunday. It is my prayer that we will each have our faith strengthened as we allow the text to “Shed some light on unbelief.” If you are unable to attend, we post the sermons online here.