Rain Day

Ok, we all know by now that the weather does not look real promising for a cookout on Sunday. So, we are going to plan for rain….we just don’t want to get wet…unless, of course you are a part of the baptism :). Every week we continue to wait on God’s perfect plan for our relocation and it seems like every week we end up with just enough information for the following week. I guess, God really meant it when He said not to worry and He will provide.

I must admit, I was blown away by last Sunday. In my mind, I was thinking that we may be a little down in attendance since we have had no advertising, we were in a temporary location a few miles away from our previous location and of course there is road construction. The fact that we had 196 is simply a testimony to God’s grace and your resilience.

This week we are going to have another UNIQUE opportunity for worship. We are planning to start our 10:45AM service with a baptism at 712 Central, and then we are changing plans for our cookout/service and will be heading to the Loose Park Shelter at 5200 Wornall Road. We will have printed maps for everyone at the Baptism.

So, why do we go through all the “hassle” to allow believers to express their decision to follow Christ through baptism? Expression is a word that denotes an incredible amount of meaning and leaves much room for interpretation. Expression is something that can be seen on someone’s face by a smile, frown, laugh or tear. Expression can also be interpreted on our face as condescension, disappointment, contentment or anticipation.

Far beyond the facial expressions available for all to see is something often called self-expression. The other day, both girls were in a foul mood and Leigh-Ann and I were not far behind. Instead of wearing a sign that says, “Beware of my foul mood” we all began to express our “grumpiness” with sarcasm and stubbornness.

Since I am on the topic of expression, I will ask a question that has been bugging me, “What is the motivation behind self-expression?” Why do some people decide to express themselves with multiple piercings or tattoos while others express themselves eloquently in conversation? Is there a right and a wrong way to express yourself and if so, who makes the rules? The answers to the questions on expression will depend on your beliefs in regard to the supernatural.

For a Christian, meaning in life is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. This “New Birth” is expressed to others by baptism. On the surface it may seem a little strange to ask adults to participate in a “formal dunking.” Baptism is a rite that was started by Jesus Christ at the very beginning of His earthly ministry. In Matthew 3:13-17 we read that Jesus made the 40 mile journey from Galilee to the Jordan to be immersed in the river.

Why would Jesus choose to be immersed in water? The answer is in the text, “To fulfill the righteous plan of His Father.” Jesus expressed His obedience to the Father by having John the Baptist dip Him under the water. This expression was a picture of the coming death and subsequent resurrection that Jesus would voluntarily experience.

According to Scripture passages such as Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12 baptism pictures the death of Jesus when one goes under the water and the resurrection of Jesus when one comes up out of the water. In its simplest form, baptism is an expression of the New Birth that can be experienced by all who ask forgiveness for their sins and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ by faith.

As a body, we get to watch several new believers express their faith. We have a day planned that you will not want to miss and you will certainly not forget.

Getting Rid of the Old Maid

The other night we decided to sit down for a game of “Old Maid.” If you haven’t played this in awhile, I highly recommend it. The first game, I started with the “Old Maid” card in hand. My strategy was simple, track the cards that the other player chooses and then hopefully predict the best location for the “Old Maid.” After several unsuccessful turns to lose the “Old Maid” card, I began to get frustrated. Not quite to the point where I was willing to cheat with my 3 and 6 year old, however, I am still convinced that someone rigged the game since the “Old Maid” was passed over every time.

I actually began and ended the first game with the “Old Maid” in hand. How could I be such a loser? The three girls seemed to have their own explanation for this. The next game, I did not start with the “Old Maid” so I figured that I had a better chance. After a few turns it was passed from Leigh-Ann to Alexa and then to Sophia. I noticed the “Old Maid” immediately….probably because it was two inches higher than all the other cards. After looking at Sophia’s face, I knew I had to pick it, so I did with the hopes that Leigh-Ann would take it from me and I would not lose again.

I did everything I could to mix up the cards. I shuffled them behind my back and every turn Leigh-Ann was able to dodge the card. This would not be so bad except I seem to lose every game and I am getting sick of losing. My streak reaches far back beyond the game a few nights ago. I “The Loser” held the “Old Maid” card for the rest of the game. This was especially painful, since Leigh-Ann and I can get pretty competitive. How is it even possible for me to lose so often when I have a well thought out strategy and I am flawless in my execution.

Upon further thought, I have discovered that life is often very similar to the game of “Old Maid.” We are given individual situations beyond our control. At times in our lives we can do our best and still end up with a lose-lose scenario. There are parts of our lives over which we have no control. There are some times that we look back and it seems like no matter how hard we try, we still cannot win. Fortunately, in the game of life, unlike “Old Maid”, we are given the promise that no matter how difficult our circumstances may become, we can have perfect peace because Jesus has overcome the world.

With this thought of victory in mind, we move on to John 17 for the sermon this week. This passage reveals the heart of Jesus following His three year ministry with the disciples and preceding His death and resurrection. The worship service planned for this sunday will communicate all that was on the heart of Jesus on that fateful night. I hope to see you on Sunday!

New Meeting Place

Yesterday I received the following e-mail from a fellow New Lifer:

Heard you were swamped this week so take a quick break….

As we were all leaving our Bible study last night, somehow the elevator went up instead of down. A man in a black leather jacket asked if we were going down and we said yes. We were jabbering all the way down and when the door opened this man held the door for all of us and followed us out. As we went out the door he looks at my Bible and asks if it is a Thompson Chain. Everyone else kept going, and I said, "What?" He asked again, and I told him it was, and that it was pretty cool and showed it to him. He proceeded to tell me his name and that he was from Florida. He and his wife were in town because she was seeking a job with the city. He was a backslidden saved Christian and his wife is an unsaved person from Turkey. He told me he really missed the fellowship of a church and said he had been praying that God would help him get back on track. He kept telling me all his vices and I just told him to confess them and God would forgive him. He really wants his wife to be saved. I asked him if I could pray for him and he said sure. I looked him straight in the eye and prayed and he kept eye contact for quite awhile and then closed them. I left him there. Now that was a blessing to me, I don't care what anybody says. Pray for him and his family and so will I.

Now get back to work. Love ya brother.

I have been thinking about our church body and the fact that we are not defined by a building. It seems that just about every day I hear stories about what God is doing in many different locations on Wednesday nights. I struggle sharing stories because it seems that each of us have incredible things that God is teaching and revealing to us, and so nearly every story I could share would be read by the person the story is about. For this reason we have opened up a blog section on our website for you to share your own stories online for mutual growth. If you are interested in writing a blog just reply and let me know. If you want to take a peak at what God is doing in the lives of other New Lifers you can go to the blog page under our Resources.

Although church happens all week long all over the city, we have a Sunday Service for all who can make it to meet together. This week we will be in our temporary location. The service will still be at 10:45AM and we will have nursery and childcare at this facility as well. The Address information is:

Union Hill Veterans Hall

3027 Walnut

KCMO 64108

You can see it on a map here.

ONE MORE THING:

DON”T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR ON SATURDAY SO YOU ARE ON TIME ON SUNDAY!!!

This whole relocation thing is kind of like an adventure and I hope you can join in the excitement! This week we will take a closer look at the 2^nd half of John 16. If you have missed a few weeks you can catch the past weeks messages that are posted on our website.