It's almost Christmas

It's almost Christmas. I'm really looking forward to our Christmas Eve Candle Light gathering this Thursday evening at 7 PM at the Holiday Inn Executive Center. The kids really love it. It's a great celebration of Christmas for the whole family.

I love our Christmas Eve gathering for the following reasons.

1. the sacred music

2. the candles

3. the pictures

4. the families

5. the message of Christmas

Christmas reminds us of the real value of Christianity. God loves you and took action to restore your fellowship with him through His Son, Jesus Christ. It's a beautiful thought. Because of Christ Jesus we have peace with God and peace in our hearts. The Bible says, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)

Many people today can only dream about peace. There are wars and conflicts too numerous to count which destroy people's lives. Not to mention the domestic squabbles which plague us at home. Most live without peace. Christmas reminds us that peace is possible. We need to know the Prince of peace to truly know peace in our hearts.

I wish you peace this Christmas season and throughout the year. Pastor Tom

Trouble

The trouble with trouble is that it leaves us hopeless and confused. Have you ever been lost? I have an interesting story to share.

My son, Micah was born in Kiev, Ukraine, a city of 3.5 million people. It was January and cold. After his birth, I was responsible to secure a birth certificate and get things underway with the US Embassy for a social security number and a US passport. Time was important as Micah couldn't fly with us to America without the correct documentation.

Before I could work the US Embassy side, I had to get all of the Ukrainian documents in order. Let me fast forward, so I don't bore you with the details. I was on foot looking for a certain government office tucked away in a downtown building. I had given up my car because of traffic and was continuing the search on foot. I knew I was close, but just couldn't find the office. I asked a number of people on the street for help. Many didn't know or didn't care. Others, tried to help, but only helped me get lost with their bad directions. Finally, after an hour of wandering and growing increasingly frustrated, I asked one more person for help. This time the person not only said, "I know where it is located"; they promised to show me the way. Five minutes later my search had ended.

In life we face all kinds of troubles and most of the time we are trapped in our trouble. We don't know the way out. It's not until someone shows us the way or shows us a better way that we are able to find triumph in the midst of our trouble. What kind of trouble are you facing today? Let Jesus show you the way.

In John 14, Jesus knew his disciples were troubled. Jesus was going to the cross and then to heaven. Judas was betraying Jesus and Peter would deny him. The disciples were troubled and confused. Jesus said to them, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me." (14:1) Then he said something even more profound, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus had been talking about the hope of heaven. Now he claims that he is the way to get to there! WOW!!

In life that's what we really need -- someone to show us the way out of our trouble and into a life of triumph! That's why Jesus came, to show us the way. Join us Sunday as we trade our troubles for triumph and we look at the beauty of Jesus as the way to heaven. See you there. Pastor Tom

Resurrection and Life

Living sure beats dying. I just wrapped up a grave site funeral in 18 degree weather with snow falling and wind blowing. It reminded me of all the good things we share together in life such as memories, adventure, good food, love and marriage, our children, fishing, hunting, sports. The list could go on and on. Life is definitely better than death. And yet, death is certain to come to all of us.

Death reminds us to value our life and live with meaning and purpose. In John's gospel chapter 11 we encounter a story about life and death and how our relationship with Christ can produce life even after we die.

Jesus said in 11:25, "I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" He said this after one of his close friends, Lazarus had passed from life into death. But, Jesus had a plan. He would raise up Lazarus form the dead.

From out of this powerful story flows both historical and spiritual realities. Historically speaking, archeologists tell us that churches were built on the grave site of Lazarus from as early as the 4th century if not earlier. In other words, this story spread through out the region and down through the pages of history. People came to believe in Jesus as the Christ because they saw him raise up Lazarus from the dead. It's hard to dispute a miracle when the very evidence is walking around and living just like you. Tradition tells us that Lazarus later served in Cyprus as the Bishop of the church.

Spiritually speaking, there are some very important truths we learn from Lazarus' story about how we can live a resurrected life. Let's take a look.

1. Faith and a change of mind - Faith is the first step to receiving the glory of God in your life. When Jesus said, "Take away the stone," others expressed practical concerns. Lazarus had been dead for four days (11:39). But Jesus wanted them to have faith. Jesus' offer of life must be received by faith.

2. Obedient action - Although their minds told them no, their spirits said "yes". They obediently removed the stone (11:41). Faith must always be followed by action. If we say we believe, we need to live like we believe.

3. Removing the old life - When Lazarus came out from the grave, he was still wrapped in grave clothes. Jesus, then, commanded "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (11:44) This may be the most important step to living the resurrected life. Removing the old life allows us to step into the new life we possess as a child of God. Whatever is holding you back must be thrown off.

This week believe the promise of Jesus and live the resurrected life for which Jesus died and you were redeemed. See you Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection and the life.

Pastor Tom

Do you have a shepherd?

Do you have a shepherd? The Bible is full of agricultural images. One of the greatest is the image of sheep and shepherd. We are all like sheep following someone or something. The question is -- Do you have a "good shepherd"?

Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23. Psalm 23:1 begins "The Lord is my shepherd." Jesus picks up on the image of sheep and shepherd in John 10, saying, "I am the good shepherd." (10:11)

You probably have never seen a shepherd up close, but you may have a pretty good idea of a shepherd's job. The shepherd is responsible to take care of the sheep and keep them safe from harm. The shepherd's job is hands-on, 24-7. You can't be a shepherd from a distance; you have to be willing to get involved, and to get your hands dirty. When Jesus compared himself to a shepherd he made a number of interesting comparisons that reveal a lot about our relationship with Jesus. Let's take a look.

1. Jesus points out that sheep listen to the shepherd's voice (10:3-4). I can tell you from working with farm animals, especially horses, that sheep listen to the shepherd's voice because 1) they recognize the shepherd's voice, and 2) they have come to trust the shepherd's voice. The shepherd has spent much time with the sheep to earn this trust.

2. Jesus points out that the shepherd leads the sheep and calls them by name (10:3-4). Most of us have a picture of the shepherd herding the sheep much as cowboys herd cattle on the movie screen. But Judean shepherds would often go out in front and call to the sheep to follow. Real leadership is not manipulation. It is showing someone a better way and call them to step forward.

Jesus personalized the shepherd's role by adding that the shepherd calls the sheep by name. A good shepherd knows his sheep, even by name.

3. Jesus points out that the sheep run from a strange voice (10:5). Not only do the sheep know the shepherd's voice, but they run from a strange voice. Believe it or not animals recognize you or not fairly quickly. They know you by your smell, by your voice, and sometimes by your mannerisms. One of the characteristics of those who follow Jesus is that we are quick to flee other voices. You can't follow multiple shepherds.

A good shepherd not only keeps the sheep safe, he leads the sheep into green pastures, and abundant water. A good shepherd provides life for the sheep. Jesus offers himself to us as the good shepherd. It's up to us to follow his lead and listen to his voice.

I hope you will turn to him as your shepherd. See you Sunday. Tom Ragsdell

Spiritual Blindness

How would you define spiritual blindness? If you know someone who struggles with their sight, you know how truly precious good eyesight can be. Most of us have pretty good eyesight. Unfortunately spiritual eyesight is not as common.

This past week we took a look at Jesus' words "I am the light of the world." In the following chapter (9) Jesus heals a man born blind and then warns the Pharisees about spiritual blindness. In the story of the blind man gaining sight we receive a simple definition of "spiritual blindness."

Jesus says to the Pharisees "For judgement I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." (John 9:39) What did Jesus mean? I think the answer is both profound and a simple. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5, when he said, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit."? He is saying something very similar here.

Spiritual blindness is failing to acknowledge your need for God's help. If you think you have it all together and everything under control, God's word says, "you are blind". How many people do you know that are trying to live life on their own? Somewhere in their heart or mind they are convinced they can make it in their own strength.

Jesus reminds us that spiritual eyesight begins when we acknowledge our need for God. There are many ways to acknowledge God in your life. Pause for prayer with your family. Begin a devotional life of personal prayer and Bible study. Submit your finances to God. Participate in church life. You can probably add to the list.

The most important thing is that we never look past God in our pursuit for sight or success in this life or the life to come.

Join us Sunday at the ARC as we consider steps to spiritual eyesight. Tom Ragsdell

Connecting with God

Just got the rough draft icon for our January series on prayer. It's entitled, "Connecting with God". It's a five part series on the importance of prayer. Just wanted to get the word out and ask you to spread the word.

More later on prayer. . . . Tom

Walking in the Light

Are you walking in the light? Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world."

Here's some ways you can walk in the light:

1. Change highways - When Jesus said, "I am the light of the world", he also said, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The Greek word akoloutheo means "to follow" or "to be in the same path or way together".

If you want to walk in the light you have to get on the right road. You have to step off your own path or the path of darkness and step onto Jesus' path of light. Walking in the light requires crossing over from darkness to light. You can't have it both ways.

2. Hold on for the ride - Jesus spoke of discipleship in these terms, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples." (8:31)

Holding on the the teaching of Jesus requires the heart of a learner and a willingness to obey. If you "hold on" tightly to Jesus' ways you are destined to live in the light. So, once you choose Jesus' path, you have to stick with it and don't give up.

3. Live with Truth - Jesus described the results of walking in the light with these words, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Truth has a way of exposing error. Just like light dispels darkness, so truth cuts away at the error and sin in our lives. Jesus said of himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." To know Christ is to know Truth. To know Truth is to walk in the freedom and life-changing power of Christ .

Walking in the light begins when we open up our lives to receive more of Christ's light. As we walk on the path together, Jesus' light produces a changed life full of light, truth, and freedom.

Have a great day as you walk in the light. Pastor Tom

Jesus and forgiveness

Have you ever needed forgiveness? I mean, you really messed up and you need someone to offer you mercy and forgive your mistake. Forgiveness is one of the most important teachings of the Bible. All cultures share the idea of mercy or forgiveness, but the Bible's teaching on forgiveness is unique for a number of reasons.

John's gospel tells us the story of the woman caught in adultery (8:1-11). There are three characters who stand out in the story line. They are the critics, the criminal, and Christ. The critics are the "teachers of the law and the Pharisees". They are more focused on trapping Jesus than showing concern for the welfare of the woman. For them the woman is nothing more than an object with which to trap Jesus. Jesus points out their hypocrisy with the words, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (8:7)

The woman, of course, is a criminal. By Jewish law she could be legally stoned for her trespass of adultery. But so could the man! So where was he?! Leviticus 20:10 says, "If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress should be put to death."

Christ is on center stage in this drama. Both because the religious leaders want to trap him and because the woman needs his compassion and forgiveness. Jesus doesn't ignore or minimize her sin, but neither does he condemn her. Instead, he offers her compassion and hope for the future.

Where do you see yourself in the story? Are you more like the critics or the compassionate Christ? The Bible says "confess your faults one to another" (James 5:16), not confess the faults of others. A critic is someone who loves to point out everyone else's problems, pretending that they have none of their own. Christ, on the other hand, shows us a better way. The next time someone you know fails miserably, why not show them compassion and offer them a better way.

Maybe, as you read this, you can identify with the woman? We've all messed up in life. Too often we allow our sins to condemn us and keep us tied to the past. Receive the forgiveness of Jesus into your life today and move past your mistakes and short comings. Jesus offers us not only compassion, but also cleansing. He said to the woman, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." (8:11)

Through the power of forgiveness we can rise up to live a life free from the past. I'm praying for you today to receive the forgiveness which Jesus offered the woman in John 8.

Have a great week, Pastor Tom

The Hard Sayings

Have you ever thought about the "hard sayings" of Jesus?Many of Jesus' teachings are easy to swallow; others not so easy! Teachings such as God is loving or God is forgiving are attractive to everyone who reads them (John 3:16).

In Jesus day many were attracted to the moral beauty and life-changing power of Jesus' teachings. But what about the harder sayings and the claims which Jesus made about himself. Let's take a look at just a few of these teachings. What about Jesus' teaching to "go the extra mile" or to "turn the other cheek"? What about his command to "love your enemies" and to "do good to those who mistreat you"? Those are easy to understand, but hard to live out. They are hard sayings. What do you think might have been the hardest saying of Jesus?

In John 6, the crowd ran into another hard saying of Jesus. This time it was a claim about himself. Jesus had been teaching about manna from heaven and the bread of life. Hours earlier he had worked one of the greatest miracles anyone had ever witnessed -- the feeding of the 5,000 plus. Then Jesus said something which caused many who were following him to scratch their heads.

"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." (John 6:53-58)

John adds these words, "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" And then in one of the saddest verses in the Bible, John reports, "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." (John 6:66)

Have you ever thought about what it would take for you to turn away from following Jesus? Many in Jesus day followed him because of his miracles and their own personal agendas. Not unlike us today. John makes it clear that by John 6 Jesus has become popular and the crowd hopes Jesus will fulfill their expectation for a Messiah. What was it about Jesus' words in John 6:53-58 that turned them away from Jesus?

The Jews of Jesus' day were looking for a human Messiah form the line of David. They were hoping for a conquering warrior who would set up his throne in Jerusalem and rule Judea much as David had ruled. God had a different plan and Jesus was the fulfillment of that plan. You see the Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying. He was claiming to be a divine Messiah, not just a Jew from Nazareth.

This claim was very hard to accept for many Jews and many folks today. But that, in a nutshell, is the teaching of Jesus in the gospels. He is manna from heaven; God himself come down to save humanity.

Many were unwilling to believe, but many others believed and followed Jesus. What do you really believe about Jesus? Is he just a good man? A great prophet? Or could he be the One he claimed to be--God in human form?

Join us Sunday at New Life as we take a look at the hard sayings of Jesus. See you at the ARC at 10:15. It will be worth your time.

Pastor Tom

Giving

You can't out give God! There are many lessons to be learned in the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (see John 6), but my favorite lesson comes from the little boy. The boy's presence reminds us that Jesus fed more than 5,000 men that day. Women and children were also present.

We don't know how Andrew found the boy or if the boy perhaps offered his lunch to the disciple (John 6:8). I would like to think that the little boy offered his lunch to Andrew when he overheard Philip's answer to Jesus' question, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (6:5) I am certain of this: Andrew didn't force the boy to give up his lunch to Jesus.

Children view problems in very simplistic terms. I remember the time I was having a discussion with my wife about some monthly bills. One of my younger children overheard the conversation and quickly offered to use his own money to pay for the bill. He really didn't understand how much the bill cost, but he was willing to help -- in that moment that's all that mattered to him and to me!

I wonder how often we look up to God with the heart of this little boy. We see a problem or a need and say to the Lord, "I don't have much, but here's what I have!" I really think that is the kind of heart that God is looking for in us. He's not waiting for us to solve the problem, he just wants to know if we are willing to help, willing to believe. He will work the miracle with the little we offer him.

Some people miss this, but one of the most amazing parts of this miracle is not the feeding of the 5,000 plus people, but the fact that there were 12 baskets of bread left over. I wonder who they gave the bread to? Remember what Jesus said, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." (6:12)

I think the disciples gave the 12 baskets back to the boy who gave up his lunch. So imagine yourself as the little boy. Your family has been wandering around following Jesus for the day. Mom had put together a lunch for the family that morning. Then a big surprise - you offer the family lunch to Jesus to help feed the crowd. Wow! What a moment! Then comes the bigger surprise. You gave two fish and five loaves of bread but you got back 12 baskets full of food.

What is God asking you to give up to him in your life today? I hope you have the heart of the little boy in John 6. Because you can't out give God. Giving is really not about money at all; it's about your heart. If you give God your heart, you won't have any problem giving him your time, talent, or treasure.

Whatever you give will be blessed and multiplied. This is especially true when we offer our lives to the Lord to serve him and others. Jesus said, "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6:38)

I want to encourage you to be like the little boy in John 6. Be a giver and enjoy the blessings of God in your life. See you Sunday. Pastor Tom

Brokenness and sin

Brokenness . . . . Jesus met many broken people during his ministry. Some were broken physically, others emotionally, and some socially or economically. All were broken spiritually.

Years ago when I was just getting started in ministry, I worked at a church in Branson with a homeless shelter in the basement. I was the youth pastor, but every staff person had the opportunity to help in the homeless shelter. It was my first real experience trying to help people who were down on their luck in life. The interesting twist on this particular homeless shelter was it's location -- Branson. Back in the early 90s, Branson was a big draw for dreamers and musicians of all types. But some of these dreamers ended up in the homeless shelter broken and down on their luck. Here's a simple truth I learned from working with guys in this homeless shelter -- There is a strong human tendency towards blaming others when we are down on our luck or when life disappoints us. It can't be me; so it must be that life has been unfair or I've been mistreated in some way.

In John 4 and 5 Jesus encounters two broken people in need of a miracle. As I read the stories I am reminded of our human tendency to look for someone or something besides ourself to blame when things go wrong in life. In both of these stories, Jesus pinpoints this tendency. Take a look.

The first story is the record of the official's son who is sick and close to death (some type of fever). Jesus heals him with only his word, saying, "You may go. Your son will live." But the point of the healing seems to be more than just bringing the official's son back from the doorstep of death. Jesus is concerned about the Galileans' lack of faith and he wants the official to trust in him. He says to them, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe." (John 4:48) You can sense the frustration in Jesus' voice as he points out what so many of us lack -- faith!

The second story unveils the spiritual brokenness that we often hide beneath our physical or emotionally brokenness. John 5 tells us the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. The title "Bethesda" means "house of mercy". It is at the pool of Bethesda that Jesus reveals the beauty of God's mercy to a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. But first he asks him a question!?!

When Jesus encounter this physically broken person, he asked him a politically incorrect question. He says to the lame man,"Do you want to get well?" Why would Jesus ask such n insensitive question? Of course, he wants to get well?! Right?!

Obviously Jesus perceived something about this lame man. His response to Jesus confirmed what Jesus had suspected. The lame man had "excuses". In those days, an angel would come down and trouble the waters of the pool. The first person in the water would be healed. The lame man had never been able to make it into the water before someone else. so in his mind, others were keeping him from begin healed.

When Jesus came along and said, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk", he was asking the lame man to re-focus on his own lack and place his faith in God. Later, Jesus adds insult to injury by connecting the man's former lack of faith with sin. Jesus says to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (John 5:14)

Both of these stories remind me of three important truths: 1) we are broken and need the touch of God's mercy in our lives. Jesus offers us God's mercy. 2) We are most often broken because of our own lack of faith in God and ourselves, not because of our circumstances. 3) Spiritual brokenness or sin is our greatest lack. Sin is the unwillingness to believe God and the tendency to go our own way.

Brokenness . . . It's something we all experience in life. Brokenness is loss, disappointment, failure, sadness, and sinful disobedience. Let me encourage you to take a look at the brokenness in your own life. How can you get whole? do you want to get well? Are you willing to get up? Are you willing to believe? No life is not fair, and we have all faced difficulties and disappointments. But if we will believe, god will show us the beauty of his mercy.

Have a great week and see you Sunday! Pastor Tom

Jesus as the living water

Jesus was a master at taking everyday situations and teaching us deeper spiritual truths. That's the story in John 4. As the story begins we find Jesus at a well in Samaria. Apparently he is thirsty, but he also has something other than thirst on his mind.

To begin the conversation, Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for some water. The story is full of interesting details. For instance, why was the woman coming to the well at noon? Why was Jesus talking to a woman or a Samaritan? Apparently, Jesus had a plan for the woman's life that included more than helping her get some water from Jacob's well at Sychar.

I see three important truths in this story that we can apply to our lives. One, Jesus is willing to cross barriers to communicate God's love and life. Two, Jesus is the only true source of spiritual water on the planet. And three, Jesus had one great purpose in life. Let's try to break these down and apply them to our lives.

#1: Crossing barriers -- Bill Hybels wrote a book called "Walk Across the Room". In the book Bill suggests that all we need to do as Christians is walk across the room and make ourselves available to others, if we want to share our story of God's love and his grace in our lives.

Jesus is a great example of this in John 4. He not only walked across the room, he crossed some major barriers. First of all, no Rabbi in that day would have been caught dead having a spiritual discussion with a woman. Jesus overlooked this artificial barrier. Second, the Jews and Samaritans hated each other mostly for good historical reasons (come to the Sunday gathering and I'll explain). Let's just say that the Samaritans were illegitimate as far as the Jews from Judea were concerned. But Jesus ignored this barrier as well. Third, this woman was not an "upstanding citizen" (maybe that's why she was drawing water at noon). This woman had experienced brokenness and failure in her life and most likely was an outcast. This didn't stop Jesus either.

Jesus didn't allow man-made barriers to keep him from sharing the good news of God's love with others. We shouldn't either. When is the last time, you walked across the room to tell someone else about God's goodness in your life. Go for it!

#2: Jesus is the only true source of spiritual water on the planet. The overarching point of the story in John 4 is Jesus' identity as "living water". There is a passage in Jeremiah (2:13) which condemns God's people because they have forsaken "springs of living water" and turned to "cisterns made by hand". This is still true today.

The human condition has one common denominator - pain, misery, disappointment, and failure and the desire to get away from it! Call it Murphy's law or original sin, we've all experienced it. And we are all looking for something better. We want to live a satisfying and full life. But there is often just one problem. We tend to look in the wrong places or crate our own artificial wells.

To the woman at the well who was still depending on her spiritual father Jacob to quench her spiritual and physical thirst, Jesus offered himself and a relationship with God as "living Water".

#3: Jesus had one great purpose in life. How many purposes do yo have in your life? Do you have a purpose? Jesus had one. He wanted to fulfill his father's will for his life and proclaim the good news of God's kingdom (John 4:34). Jesus never veered off this course.

How about you? Are you wandering or are you on course? Join us this Sunday morning as we take a look at these three truths and experience the beauty of Jesus as the "living water". See you Sunday!

Blessings, Pastor Tom

Jesus - the Love of God

LOVE! It's what we all want; it's what we all need. But, what's it all about? What is love? What does it look like? There's no doubt our culture is in real trouble when it comes to defining love. We understand romance, sexual attraction, getting what we want. We understand adultery, broken relationships, unfaithfulness, sleeping around, or making commitments and then breaking them. But true love and the ability to offer it to others escapes most of us. It certainly escapes our culture. We are living in an increasingly selfish and hedonistic culture in which people think of themselves first and others only if their behaviors make the morning newspaper.

What does love look like? Love is faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, fidelity, integrity, and selfless behavior. do you see love at work in your life? 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 provides us the best possible definition of love. Let me quote it for you, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." All of us fall short of the Bible's definition of love. Our failings speak of our need for God's love and his help in sharing it with others.

In John 3, John's gospel presents Jesus as the revealed love of God. Probably the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16. The verse teaches us that God is a lover, a giver, and a forgiver. Because he loves, he took action for us, not for himself, by sending His Son to die a criminal's death as the lamb of God. Because he loves, he gives to us what we need to overcome our lack. In christ Jesus, god gives to us a new life and the promise of eternity. Because he loves us, he forgives us our failings so that we will not perish from our own destructive ways.

Everything about God speaks of love -- His character, His loving actions, and His willingness to offer us love, even though we don't deserve it. Most of us can show some type of kindness to those who love us, but only Christ-like love can show kindness to enemies or to those who have hurt us.

This Sunday, we are going to explore how we can invite the love of God into our daily life. Jesus suggested to Nicodemus a "new birth" experience (John 3:3). Too many of us try to go it alone, falsely believing we can make ourselves better people or at least convince others that we aren't really bad people after all. Jesus taught that we need an infusion of God's love and God's Spirit.

I'm praying for you, for your family, and for nation. We desperately need the love of God in our lives and our relationships.

See you Sunday at the ARC (10:15 AM). Pastor Tom

Jesus, the Lamb of God

The innocence of a lamb is hard to match. God choose innocence as the sacrificial exchange for guilt--your guilt and mine. Guilt is not a favorite topic for discussion in our culture today. We are quick to shift the blame even as Adam did in the Genesis record. Some are even proposing that the guilt we feel is self-induced or taught to us by our society; in other words, guilt is not a genuine spiritual reality. But, we know guilt is a genuine reality. Paul wrote to the Romans, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god." (3:23) We feel guilt because we are guilty!

As far back as we can read or remember, sacrificial offerings were required by God's law because of the spiritual reality of guilt. Hebrews 9:22 tells us "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Forgiveness is the byproduct of the great exchange which the innocence of Jesus makes with our guilt. all we have to do is receive the forgiveness offered to us.

Too often, we overlook God's over of forgiveness and seek out our own path to dealing with, hiding from, ignoring, or covering over our guilt. All God requires is that we acknowledge the sacrifice of Christ and run to His protection and forgiveness of our sin. It really is that simple! I want to encourage you this week to run to the cross and embrace Jesus as the Lamb of God.

Join us this week at New Life as we continue the series The Beauty of Jesus and look at Jesus as the Lamb of God. See you at the ARC at 10:15 AM on Sunday morning.

Blessings, Pastor Tom

The Beauty of Jesus in an Ugly world

Sunday, we had a great gathering focusing on the beauty of Jesus in an ugly world. If you weren't there you really missed out. You don't have to look far to uncover the ugliness of our world. Child abuse, sexual slavery, and other injustices remind us that evil is real and present in all of our lives.

Just this last week two stories caught my attention in the daily news. The first was the story of Jaycee Duggard, a young girl abducted, raped, and kept prisoner for 18 years by a husband and wife. How could a couple do this do a young girl and another family? And worse, the guy who perpetrated the heinous crime was defending himself. Also in the news was the story of a couple who basically beat their two-year-old to death. Unbelievable?! What kind of home allows such behavior? We all like to ignore it or avoid it, but the truth is -- we live in an ugly world full or hate, evil, and moral ugliness.

That's why we need the beauty of Jesus in our lives. We all like beauty. We are attracted to beauty and like to surround ourselves with beautiful people or visit beautiful places. The real beauty we seek is the moral and spiritual beauty that can only be found in a relationship with God through Christ.

The apostle John had seen this beauty in Christ Jesus. In his gospel he used the word "glory" to describe the beauty of Jesus. He wrote in John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. The glory of Jesus is what each of us needs to make our lives more beautiful.

For many, Jesus is beautiful because he was a great teacher. For others, he is beautiful because of influence on human history. Why is Jesus beautiful to you? I hope you will decide this week to invite the beauty of Jesus into your life. John's gospel reminds us that Jesus is beautiful because he is the savior of the world and the very image of God.

See you next week for more of the beauty of Jesus! Pastor Tom

The Beauty of Jesus

This Sunday, we are kicking off a new series entitled "The Beauty of John" from the gospel of John. We will focus on three questions: 1) Who is Jesus?, 2) What is His mission?, 3) How should we respond to His claims? As we focus on Jesus, we are going to be looking into 18 chapters of John's gospel and unpacking the stories which tell us the most about the identity, mission, and claims of Jesus. I hope you will join us each Sunday as we re-discover the beauty of Jesus and learn to live it out!

Sadly, our culture today is suspicious of the church and unsure about Christianity. Too often the church has failed the culture down through the ages. Although the church has changed over the years, one thing which hasn't changed is the beauty of Jesus. His teachings are beautiful, His life is beautiful, and the way he has changed human history is beautiful.

Personally experiencing the beauty of Jesus is one of the primary reasons I am Christian today. The joy, peace, and purpose I experience in my life on a daily basis are all the result of my relationship with Jesus. I hope you will join us at New Life Community Church over the next few weeks as we consider the beauty of Jesus and how we can live it out in our neighborhoods.

Join us Sunday as we kick off the first message out of the gospel of John looking at the message of John's gospel as a whole.

Blessings to you and your family,

Pastor Tom

The Holy Spirit is . . .

Last week we began a series entitled, "The Holy Spirit is . . .". The goal of the series is to talk about the Holy Spirit and how He works in our life to help us to grow spiritually. I hope you will join us on Sundays to share in the series.

We began the series focusing on Adventure. If you have time, take a look at Genesis 12:1-3. Genesis records the call of Abraham. God called Abraham to an adventure. He called him to leave his familiar country and move out to his promised land. Obtaining your promised land is not always about finding a new location. Your promised land is your God-given dream. What has God promised your life? What is your dream? Whatever it is, God wants you to trust him to accomplish the dream. God wants us to believe and not give up!

This Sunday, we are going to talk about "Life-change" from Romans 8. When I think of the Holy Spirit, I think of life-change. God wants to transform your life and He has given us the Holy Spirit to work out that change. Join us on Sunday. See you there.

Pastor Tom

This is God's Country

This Sunday, we are beginning a new series entitled, "This is God's Country." Now, I know some of you are probably thinking, "Why is pastor Tom getting political with the 4th of July?" So let me calm your fears--I'm not planning to get political and yes, I believe that liberals, conservatives, and moderates can all love America. So while I'm not looking to get political, I am looking to get you thinking about why America is a great country and what we can do to keep her great.

This Sunday, I will begin the series with the title" Why I Love America". Join us at the ARC.

Pastor Tom

Celebrating America

Fourth of July is almost here and so is the I Love America Festival at the Boone County Fairgrounds. As I write this blog, I'm glancing at a copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging in my office. 56 men signed the original document. Most all of the men suffered great loss because of their stance for freedom. It's still true today -- "freedom isn't free".

During the month of July we are going to celebrate "Faith, Family, and Freedom" -- three core values which we believe make America great. I hope you will join us for the festival on the 4th and join us each Sunday as we celebrate America together.

July 5th, I will be speaking on the topic: "Why I Love America!" Maybe you should take some time this week and make a list of your favorite reasons why you love America. I'd love to hear them.

Here's my short list:
1. I met my wife in America.
2. We are free to worship God.
3. We are free to work where we want, when we want.
4. We can choose to live where we want.
5. We get to vote in elections.
6. There is still justice for all under the law.

Well, I'm off to get some banners and t-shirts ready to go for the event. O yeah, I need to get some ribbons for the Kid's Duathlon.

See ya Saturday at the festival.

Pastor Tom

Overcoming the Parenting Crisis

I’m really excited about this Sunday's message because I believe it can change your life, not just as a parent but as a person! This morning we’re focusing on the biblical theme of the blessing. From cover to cover, the Bible is a book of “blessing”. God’s desire to bless you and to bless others through you is one of the central themes of the Bible. Just consider for a moment that simple truth -- “God wants to bless you!” Go ahead and let that sink into your heart and mind.

1. Let’s take a look at a few of passages on blessing:

“God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28)
“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” (Ps 32:1)
“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.” (Ps 112:1)
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

Story about Peco and forgiveness

2. Defining the parenting crisis -
“the absence of parent’s participation and approval in the lives of children”

There is a parenting crisis in America today. It impacts your community, your neighborhood, and even your household. The industrial revolution took the man out of the home and into the work force. As a result, countless children lost out on valuable interaction with fathers or some fathers looked for other ways to influence their children after hours.

Exactly when “moms” left home and what caused it is a bit more complicated. But the rise of “easy credit” and our consumer culture has forced most households today into what I call “double jeopardy.” there are very few families anymore that can live on one income. A two income household has become an economic reality in our time. Now, my point is not to condemn us or our culture, but to point out that this does create a crisis for parenting, for children, and for the home. If everybody is working just trying to pay the bills, build a career, or find meaning in the work place, then who is keeping the home fire burning? Who is raising the children? Is day care, or the public school system, or a youth group going to raise your child? They can come along side and help, but they can never give your child what only a parent can give!

3. Overcoming the parenting crisis

So what is the parenting crisis that we all face? It is the absence of parents from children’s lives. To overcome this crisis in your “fight for the family” you must overcome two myths about children and parenting.

Myth #1: Kids will raise themselves

This is not true. When kids are left to themselves they naturally look for “parenting” surrogates such as peers, sports figures, celebrities, or gangs to look up to and find direction from. Do you really want someone else to parent your child?

We all lead busy lives, but one thing is for sure---kids don’t raise themselves, they need parents. Peers are not good parents, and day care, public school, or even church youth groups cannot parent your children, they can only assist with specific assignments. Your children need you!

Myth #2: Anyone can parent your child

Anyone can help, but not just anyone can parent your child. In 1996, Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Chicago entitled “It takes a village to raise a child”. Her speech was based on her book about the importance of the community in raising a child. She makes some great points about the importance of community. But the danger of focusing on the village is to forget the priority role of parenting.

That's just for openers. Join us Sunday as we take a look 5 was we can communicate the blessing to our children.

Pastor Tom

The Blessing

Father's day was a real blessing. I hope you told your father how much you appreciate him. We've been working our way through the series "Fighting for the Family." Most of us agree that family is really important, but we also know the pain of broken relationships and disappointment in life. God knows right where you are at and He's waiting to lead you forward to higher ground.

This week we pick up with "Overcoming the Parenting Crisis." If you've read or heard of John Trent's book, "The Blessing" you already know where I'm headed. This Sunday we are going to focus on the importance of blessing your kids.

Too many parents in America today have fallen into the deception that kids raise themselves. The truth is--kids don't raise themselves and if we let it happen, someone or something else will raise our kids for us. Gangs will raise your kids, MTV will raise your kids, peers will raise your kids, or even the school system will raise your kids. But you may not like the outcome!

Kids need the love and directions of parents. The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). Parents have a responsibility to train their children for success in life and the life to come. "Training" is showing more than telling. You can tell your child the way he or she should go, but what they really need is for you to "show them".

What do you think your your child needs you to "show them" more than anything else? How to make money? How to buy a house? the most important thing you can transfer to your children is "the blessing."

John Trent and Gary Smalley wrote a book entitled, "The Blessing" to highlight the privilege of parenting and the importance of transferring the blessing to your children. the book points out 5 ways you can communicate God's blessing to your children. On sunday we are going to take a look at each aspect of the blessing. I believe this one message could change your life and the life of your child. Join us Sunday morning at the ARC (1701 W. Ash) at 10:15 AM as we are "Fighting for the Family".

Blessings,

Tom

Fighting for the family

Fighting for the family is one fight I'm willing to wage.  Aaron Tippin sings a song titled, "You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for everything."  I think the song goes well with our upcoming series focusing on marriage, fatherhood, and parenting.

I'm not much of a fighter.  Really!!  But family is something worth fighting for--my family and yours!!  There are all types of families-- traditional, broken, blended, single, and separated.  Whatever type of family your are leading or living in, it's worth fighting for.  

God ordained family, beginning with marriage, as a place of protection and provision.  Did you know that the human child is the only mammal that can't take care of itself at the age of one?  Human beings need family!!  We are not designed to go it alone emotionally, physically, or spiritually.  The family was God's original planfor success for you and me!

I took a look at Maslow's Hierarchy of human needs.  Maslow suggested five levels of human needs beginning with Physiological and ending with Self-actualization.  According to Maslow, human beings can't start on the "higher level" of needs until the lower levels - physiological, safety, love / belonging, and esteem -- are met.  These needs apply to adults as well, but let's think about children for a minute.  

I would suggest that all of the lower level needs are met or unmet in the home by a person' s family.  The physical needs are things like breathing, food, water, sleep, and clothing.  These are the basic needs for existence.  As I said before human children are especially dependent.  

Next comes the need for safety and security.  We have a tendency towards order and consistency.  We tend toward security in body, employment, and resources.  The family provides the most basic form of security because a true family is there when everything else fails!  

Maslow's list jumps next to the level of "love / belonging" .  You guessed it--family wins again.  It's in our families that we learn the true definition of love and belonging.  On top of "love and belonging" comes "esteem".  In 20 years of working with people, I've people who have healthy self-esteem and too many people who don't think very good thoughts about themselves.  Most of it--good or bad--can be traced back to family.

I hope you are beginning to see how important your family really is to your life!  If you're leading a family, you have a very important role to play.  Over the next few weeks we are going to focus on marriage, fatherhood, and parenting.  If we want to reach our potential and "self-actualize" as Maslow calls it, then we need strong families.  

I was reading through a book from the 1980s entitled, Point Man.  It's a great book about a man leading his family.  Steve Farrar shares a story about the life of Jonathan Edwards who was born in 1703.  He and his wife had 11 children.  His descendants include more than 300 pastors, 120 professors, 110 attorneys, 60 authors, 30 judges, 14 served as presidents of universities, 3 served in congress, and one became vice president of the United States.  Edward's life is a great illustration of how you can impact your family tree.

All I'm trying to say is that your family is worth fighting for.  You may not be able to change the world, but you can change your family and impact your children for generations. 

Join us sunday as we get ready to fight for the family.  Tom Ragsdell

 

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=7779003

Building Up the Wall

Do you have anything in your life, family, or church that needs rebuilding?  Sunday, we began a new series our Nehemiah's story of rebuilding the torn down wall of Jerusalem.  We began with Nehemiah's grief.

Nehemiah heard that the the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem was living in disgrace and that the wall had been torn down and the gates burned.  When he heard this, he grieved.  His grief led him to prayer.

For a lot of us, our grief leads us to griping, not praying.  It's probably easier, just to find a few friends who will help us feel miserable, but Nehemiah was interested in making a difference, not just complaining about his circumstances.  So Nehemiah prayed . . . He took his concerns to the Lord.

Nehemiah's prayer was the beginning of something awesome.  Did you know that they were able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.  The wall itself was 4.5 miles in circumference!  Wow!!!

Do you have anything in your life that is causing you grief?  Maybe a failed relationship or a loss of hope.  Have you ever had a door shut in your face that makes you wonder, "God are you still there and do you even care?"  If the answer is yes, then you have two options.

One, you can gather a group of fellow complainers and spend your tie wallowing in your own misery.  Or, option number 2, you can take your concerns to God and ask him what He and you can do about it.

The one thing which made a big difference for Nehemiah when he prayed, was that he remembered the promises of God.  God had promised a place in the promised land for Israel.  Remembering God's promises gave hope and encouraged Nehemiah to take action.  what has God promised you.

Whatever grieves you about your life or the lives of others, take it to God in prayer and then grab ahold of God's promises.  You and God can make a big difference in your life.

Have a great week building up the wall of God's promises in your life.  See you Sunday at New Life (meeting at the ARC , 1701 W Ash Street).  Tom Ragsdell

Out of Eden: Spiritual Growth,Fertilizer, and Change

Have you ever thought about why God posted an angel with a flaming sword at the edge of Eden?  God had a redemptive purpose for casting Adam and Eve out of Eden!    You might have forgotten about this obscure detail in the Genesis account of man's fall from paradise, so let's take another look.  

Genesis 3:24 says, "After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."  Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden tree of the "knowldege of good and evil" and suffered the consequences.   But why would God want to keep eternal life from his creation?   There are always consequences when we go-it-alone or seek our own way.  God knew that man wanted to taste of eternal life, but He was determined that it would come as a gift and not through further disobedience.  It was time to get the plant out of the greenhouse to face the wilderness of the real world.  the plant of God's creation needed to grow up.

Although we were created for a garden, we live in a wilderness.  God has placed us in the wilderness so that we might long for Him and learn to seek his presence.  Every gardener knows that greenhouses exists for the day when the plant can be removed and placed out in the real world--that's where real growth and fruit bearing will take place.

In the book of James we learn about trials and troubles.  Jesus cautioned us with the words, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  I like to think of trouble as fertilizer.  Did you know that a good gardener doesn't add fertilizer until the leaves on the plant are about half grown?  Too much too early can kill the plant.  

But the right amount of fertilizer at the right time can really accelerate the growth of the plant.

God uses trouble in our lives the same way a gardener uses fertilizer.  James writes, "Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."  No doubt we will face trouble in life, and trouble is not peculiar to Christians.  But is there any purpose for the trouble or trials which we face?  The bible says there is a purpose.  Trials can make us wiser and more spiritual.

Think about it!  A child doesn't get every piece of candy they ask for because it isn't good for them.  We appreciate good health because we experience sickness.  We long for life and eternal life, because we know about death.  It is a thirsty man who really longs for water.  God is at work in our trials and troubles to turn our hearts to him.

God has placed us in the wilderness of this world so that we might turn to him and grow spiritually.  God wants us to grow up.  So in times of trouble or trials look up, reach out, and grow.  If you will look for God in your trouble, I know he will be found by you.

See you Sunday as we get Out of Eden.  Tom Ragsdell 

Soil: Preparing your heart for growth

This week at New Life we are talking about soil.  You might not have heard a sermon about soil before, so it's worth being there.  Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13 called the parable of the sower.  The message of the parable goes right along with our series: The Greenhouse Effect.  Good soil is an important ingredient in the greenhouse and spiritual growth.   I think Jesus' parable could be renamed the parable of the soils. Let's take a look at it.

In Jesus' parable there are four characters: 1) the farmer who sows, 2) the seed of God's word, 3) the soil of your heart, and most importantly 4) a variety of soils.  Jesus focuses on the four types of soil.  the soil represents our heart, so let's think of the soils as different types of people.  

First Jesus spoke about "pathway people".  "Pathway people" have hard hearts and therefore don't understand the message of the kingdom of God--they just don't get it!  If you want to understand Jesus and His message you have to step out by faith and repent of your hard heart.  Passages in the Old Testament like Hosea  10:12 talk about "fallow" or hard ground and command us to break up our hard hearts to receive God's word.  Pathway people can't receive the seed of God's word because their hearts are like a hardened pathway.

Second, Jesus spoke of "rocky road" people.  Rocky road people have no roots because they lack deep soil.  Jesus was saying that shallow hearts produce shallow plants with no roots.  If you want to grow spiritually and keep on growing you must have deep soil or a deep heart.  Jesus spoke about this when he taught us to love God with our whole hearts.  You can't receive the seed of God's word with half your heart and expect it to take root.

Third, Jesus spoke about "thorny people".  these are the ones that allow the distractions of life like money or worry to choke out the seed of God's word.  Many people today are well-intentioned when it comes to the things of God, but they allow other concerns in life to choke out God's kingdom.  

Finally, Jesus spoke of good soil.  When the seed enters the good soil it produces good fruit.  That's what the kingdom of God is all about.  If we will humble our hearts and break up our "fallow ground" with repentance, if we will love God completely, if we will remove anything in competition with our relationship with God, then we can expect to grow spiritually.

So much of our thinking about how God works in our lives focuses on God's activity and certainly there is no spiritual growth without God (see John 15:5).  But the parable of the sower reminds us that preparing our hearts to receive God's word is vital if we expect to grow up in the Lord.  This week let's prepare ourselves to receive the seed and to grow in fruitfulness. See you Sunday, Tom Ragsdell

The Greenhouse, the Gardener, and You

I'm looking forward to this week at NLCC.  We are currently in a  series, called the Greenhouse Effect, it's all about spiritual growth!   This week we will be taking a look at Jesus' allegory of the vine out of John 15.  Have you ever wondered why some people grow and others keep spinning their wheels?  As a spiritual leader, I have!  I think spiritual growth has a lot to do with positioning your life in the presence of God--that's what the Greenhouse Effect is all about!  

It's amazing how clear the Bible is about the reason for our existence on the planet.  Maybe we miss it because it is so simple.  Our purpose is to produce! That's right, God wants us to produce fruit!  He wants us to grow, to flourish, to prosper so that He will be glorified in our lives and so that we will be blessed.

Jesus' allegory in John 15 is all connecting with God and producing fruit.  Fruitfulness is the key to living a joy-filled life.  If your life isn't producing, you're probably not filled with joy!  The key to producing fruit and joy is "remaining" connected to Christ Jesus and living out his commands.

This Sunday, we are taking a look at the essential elements of a greenhouse and fruitfulness.  Every greenhouse consists of a gardener, water, sunlight, good soil, and a seed or seedling.  when each element is brought together in the right proportion maximized growth occurs.  That's exactly what God wants for you.  Take water and sunlight, for example, have you heard of photosynthesis?  Photosynthesis is the process in which a plant transfers sunlight's energy into sugar and oxygen.  Did you know that 6H2O + 6 CO2 = C6H12O6 + 6 O2?  You probably didn't know that, so let me translate.  6 parts water + 6 parts carbon dioxide = 1 part sugar and 6 parts oxygen.  Plant growth produces a terrific byproduct, oxygen!  

That works in spiritual growth as well.  when we submit our lives to God's plans and God's ways, we not grow, but we produce fruit and all kinds of good byproducts that bless others.

Join us at NLCC this Sunday as we commit our lives to fruitfulness.  Tom Ragsdell

 

Greenhouse Effect

I'm excited!  Spiritual growth doesn't happen by accident.  That's why we're launching a new series at NLCC called, "The Greenhouse Effect: Accelerate Your Spiritual Growth".  I'm really looking forward to the series, because I believe spiritual growth is the key to solving most of our problems in life.  Let me say it again another way--if you will include God in the equation of your life, He can help solve a lot of your personal problems.

You might be thinking--why is spiritual growth so important?  I think we in the church have done a really bad job of answering this question.  I think we need to get back to the reality that TRUTH matters especially when it is lived out.  Spiritual growth matters because it can produce in you a truly wonderful life which will bless others as well.  It's like the ripple effect of a pebble in the pond.  You might not think that your life can amount to much.  But, I couldn't disagree more!  When you begin to grow spiritually, not only will you change, but you will begin to impact the lives of others around you, just like a pebble.  That's why spiritual growth is so important because it is the key to saving the planet, not carbon offsets.  So be a pebble!

Here's one more thought.  Our personal problems are why spiritual growth is so important.  Just the other day, I heard about a woman who divorced her husband because she was unhappy and married her high school sweetheart six months later only to discover that he was a real jerk and impossible to live with.   So many of the people I meet with from day to day or hear about on the news are suffering from the same ailment.  They are all looking to circumstances and others for a better life.  This is really timely today as our entire country seems to be looking to the government for a bailout or a promise of prosperity.

I can't promise you that your difficult circumstances will change immediately, but I can promise you that you will change for the better as you turn your life over to the Lord and commit yourself to spiritual growth.  In time many of your circumstances will change!

The first message in the series will be entitled "Inconvenient Truths About Spiritual Growth."  I believe there are many truths about life-change and spiritual growth that we really don't want to face up to, but here is five inconvenient truths to chew on as we look forward to Sunday.

1. Spiritual growth requires a greenhouse

2. Spiritual growth requires a new birth experience

3. Spiritual growth requires child-like faith

4. Spiritual growth requires intentionality

5. Spiritual growth requires selflessness.

Have a great day and see you Sunday! Tom Ragsdell

Rise Up

What's it going to take for you to live the kind of life you have always dreamed about living?  Well I'm not sure what kind of life you're dreaming about, but let me share with you some of my dreams.  I want to live a life that is a blessing to others.  I want my spouse, my children, my friends, and my community to be blessed because they knew me.  I think most of us share this desire, even though we express it in a variety of ways.

I'm not talking about putting on a "public face" or or facade of success, I'm talking about living a truly different kind of life that elevates me from my selfishness and empowers me to live a truly significant life.  How can I do this?  I have found a one word answer -- Easter!

Easter is all about "rising up" and living a resurrected life.  Most people are familiar with the Easter story.  Jesus lived, died, and rose again.  Then he appeared to the disciples and others on many occasions before he gave them the Great Commission and left for heaven.  For too many people that is the end of the Easter story.  I believe Jesus wanted the Easter story to be about you and me today, not just about his death and resurrection over 2,000 years ago.

Easter is the centerpiece of Christianity and the key to "rising up" and living a resurrected life.  Are you satisfied with the life your living?  Often times I am not!  And I see many people around me that are living way beneath their potential in life.  They are bound by selfish desires, addictions, and bad decisions that leave them trapped financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.   I want to rise up and become a better person and more of a blessing for those around me.  And I want to help you rise up and live life god's way!

This Sunday we are going to take a look at the story of Easter, the resurrection of Lazarus, and three steps to rising up to a resurrected life.  Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life."  Then he asked, "Do you believe this?"  I hope you do.  IT can make all the difference in your life.

Join us at the ARC this Sunday for Easter.  Tom Ragsdell

Sayings of Jesus

The last seven sayings of Jesus put into action everything Jesus taught us about living the Christian life.  This coming sunday at NLCC we will focus on the last hours of Jesus' life and the things he said.  I'm hoping we embrace the teachings of Jesus in a new and deeper way as we witness Jesus living out what he taught us even as he faced crucifixion.  Here's a summary of the seven sayings. 

#1: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34)  Jesus often taught about the importance of forgiveness.  Now he was living it out.  It's a lot easier to talk about forgiveness than to offer it to others--that's why we need God's help.  I'm a firm believer that we really can't forgive others until we receive forgiveness from God.  It's certainly more blessed to give than to receive, but we have to receive before we have anything to give.  this principle of forgiveness works in marriage, among friends, and with your enemies.  Only as we receive a large dose of forgiveness form our Father in heaven are we equipped to forgive ourselves and others who harm us.

#2: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Lk 23:43)  I love the simplicity of the gospel.  Over the centuries both friend and foe of the gospel have tried to complicate the message and turn it into to tradition, ritual, or some complicated religious observance.  In the last moments of Jesus' earthly life, he confirmed the simplicity of his message, offering hope to the criminal who turned to him.  How complicated is your Christianity?  the Christianity which Jesus launched was so simple that even a criminal hanging on a cross could receive the promise of paradise.

#3: "Dear woman, here is your son . . . . Here is your mother." (John 19:25-27)  Love is a centerpiece of life and the Christian message.  Too often we speak of love in emotional, spiritual, or intangible ways.  For Jesus, love was practical and tangible.  Love was taking care of your practical responsibilities.  sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in life is just taking care of your responsibilities by loving those around you.

#4: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)  a part of any spiritual journey is spiritual suffering.  Spiritual growth doesn't occur without sacrifice.  Jesus' sacrifice took him face to face with the cup of God's wrath fro the sins of the world.  JEsus was forsaken and he felt the spiritual pain of abandonment.

#5: "I am thirsty" (John 19:28)  Spiritual suffering eventually shows up in the realm of physical suffering.  We are not spirit alone.  We are "dirt and divinity" all mixed up together.  that's why Jesus said to his disciples, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."  It's the same reason today that you feel a desire to pray or grow spiritually, but you still have a battle ahead.  the spirit says go and the flesh says no!

#6: "It is finished" (John 19:30)  Jesus' end was just the beginning.  The obedience of the cross would give way to the victory of the resurrection.  What needs to come to an end in your life so that God can work a victory?  Jesus had accomplished the Father's will by enduring the cross.  Now, he awaited his ultimate victory in the resurrection. 

#7: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)  What helped Jesus get through the shame and pain of the cross?  He trusted the Father.  Jesus lived out Job's cry, "though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." (Job 13:15)  Are you entirely committed to Christ Jesus?  Or have you only trusted him for the good things in life?  The essence of the Christian journey is your willingness to fully trust God, just as Jesus trusted his Father.

The last seven saying of Jesus not only summarize his gospel, but they reveal to us that Jesus was willing to practice what he preached.  In life and death Jesus was committed to forgiveness, love, sacrifice, obedience, victory, and complete trust in God.  If I can commit myself to these truths I know my life will be better for it.  See you Sunday.  Tom Ragsdell 

Falling Forward

Falling forward is still moving forward in life.  I learned something this week about life from my 11 year old son.  We spent spring break together at Keystone in Colorado.  It was my kids first time skiing, so it was quite an adventure.  It only took Luke and John 1 hour on the bunny slope before they were ready to go to the mountain.  We started out on the the green slopes and had a blast.  By afternoon, they were begging for a blue slope, so we went for it.  Half way down, John took a pretty good fall.  He fell forward and slid down the mountain side, leaving his poles, skis, and hat 10 feet behind him.  Thankfully he wasn't hurt.  But John and I both learned something from his fall.

John learned that his confidence had been tested.  The fall really surprised him and he continued his trek down the mountain with less speed and less confidence.  I think John became a better skier after his fall.  Why?  Because, he now knew that he could fall.  Now he skied more intelligently.  Henry Ford once said, "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."  The next day, we found ourselves on another blue slope called the "Irishman".  It was steeper than any we had faced before, but John handled it in stride and with increased speed and confidence.   John was not skiing more intelligently and successfully.

I learned that falling forward is still moving forward.  John Maxwell once said, "Failure is not fatal.  Only failure to get back up is."  There are many ways to come down a mountain slope, some more graceful than others.  Honestly at my age and skiing ability, "graceful" is probably not the first word that comes to mind when you see me ski, but I can ski pretty much any slope I need to including a black diamond.  But back to John's fall.  John learned to ski more intelligently.  I learned from John's fall that falling forward is moving forward if you are willing to get back up.

This is a very important lesson in life.  We all fall down, either because of our own mistakes or the mistakes of others.  But are you willing to get back up and keep moving forward.  That's why we all need God's help in the equation of life.  If we want to keep moving forward to enjoy a beautiful life, we need forgiveness for the past and strength for today, and hope for the future.  All of these inner qualities we find in Christ Jesus our Lord.  He fills us with the power to forgive ourselves and forgive others, strength to face the struggles which today will bring, and hope for a better tomorrow.

In Christ Jesus, falling forward is still moving forward.  So this week, ask the Lord to help you find success even when you fall down.  Tom Ragsdell

  

Fireproof

Never leave your partner behind!  Coming up this Sunday, March 29 at 9 AM New Life Community Church is sponsoring a showing of the movie Fireproof, so I've been thinking a lot about relationships and why we are struggling so much in Western culture to fall in love an stay in love.  While romance seems to be alive and well, we are increasingly alienated from one another and more people than ever are living alone.  Why?  Well, many are waiting longer to get married.  Others are divorcing or separating more often.  And we are living longer.  The net result is that many people are feeling left out, alone, and suffering from the broken relationships of the past.  

And yet there is one constant which we all carry with us.  The constant need for good stable relationships in which we can give and receive true love.  I wonder how many people are living with true love in their lives right now as I write this?  True love really isn't an emption, it is the loving acceptance of a loyal friend.    Jesus said, "greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for a friend."  How many people are you willing to lay down your life for?  the answer might be revealing as it relates to "true love" and your relationships.

That's the idea behind the Fireproof movie--never leave your partner behind!  Firemen live by this motto.  And we know there something noble and enriching about this motto when we live it out in daily life.  Why, then, are we having such difficulty living out "true love" in our lives?

I believe the answer lies in a relationship with God.  You can't really love until you have been loved.  And many of us have never been truly loved.  We need to receive God's love into our lives.  Many people are turning to the love and company of pets these days.  Why?  Because they are looking for unconditional acceptance.  But God will not only love you, he will also transform you into someone who can love others unconditionally.  That's something your pet can't do.

Join us on Sunday at the Forum 8 Theaters for the Fireproof movie.  9 Am on March 29.  See you there.  Tom