Choices:Where is Life Leading You?

When I say Adam and Eve, what do you think of?  Paradise, the garden of Eden, the fall, original sin?  The first story in the Bible teaches us many things about God and humanity.    Here's a short list - God is good and we are created in his image.  God desires to bless us and he has given us rule over the earth and the opportunity to be fruitful.  One thing we shouldn't miss in the original story about Adam and Eve is that God has given us free will.  We choose and our choices matter.  Decisions determine our destiny.

For the more philosophical among us, man's moral free agency and God's sovereign choosing seem like opposing forces, but in reality they are more like two sides to the same coin.  Remember, we are reflections of God himself.  Just as God chooses, so too do we have the opportunity to choose our direction in life.  We may never know exactly how God's sovereignty and our choosing work together.  What we do know is that life is full of choices that have eternal importance.

When Adam and Eve chose, we all felt the shockwaves.  When they fell, we were tripped up as well.  This reality highlights just one aspect of "choice": Our choices have a ripple effect on the lives of others.  The choices you and I make will surely impact our future and possibly even alter the future of our children, grandchildren, friends, or neighbors.  Remember the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life."  that's the message of the movie.  Your life; your choices, impact the lives of others.

I wonder if we can learn from the mistakes of others and make better choices than Adam and Eve?  I wonder?

Water baptism coming soon

I love water baptism time at New Life!  This year, we are planning a back to school baptism sometime in September.  Stay tuned for more info.  If you are interested in water baptism or just learning about it.  Go to the web page and take a look at the media page.  Feel free to also give us a call at 443-LIFE.

Choices:Where is Life Leading You?

Can't wait for August!  Sunday, August 1st we kick off a new series called "Choices".  It has been said that the gates of history turns on small hinges, and so do people's lives.  The choices we make determine our destiny.  Throughout the series we will take a look at various Bible characters who made good choices and bad and hopefully we will experience personal spiritual growth as we learn about the importance of our decisions.   Can't wait!  Tell and friend and choose to be present!

Decisions determine destiny.  Pastor Tom  

Branded The Series

Well this is it.  This Sunday is the 6th and last week of the Branded Series.  I hope you have enjoyed it.  We began talking about the importance of "riding for the brand" in the old west.  We will wrap things up with a message about transformation and "Riding for the King's ranch".  Every ranch had a trail boss and you didn't cross him if you wanted to keep your job or even your life.  On the trail he was "god".

Every kingdom has a king and it's no different in the Christian faith.  Jesus is the king of the kingdom; he is the trail boss.  If we want to experience everything God has in store for us as we "ride for the king" we have to commit ourselves to transformation.

I hope you will join us Sunday as we wrap up the series.  See you at the ARC.  Pastor Tom

family matters most

Just a few thoughts on marriage and relationships.  I'm going to lead a small group this fall on Five Signs of a Functional Family.  The very first sign is the attitude of service.  Marriage is touch because you have two different people with a different set of expectations, communication skills, and family backgrounds.  All of that can drain the life out of a relationship, especially if you aren't intensional about building up your marriage.

So what's the answer?  Well, one part of the answer is the "attitude of service".  Everyone enjoys being served.  So if you can decide to focus on serving your spouse rather than focusing on your pain and unfulfilled expectation, you might just melt your spouse's heart.

Here's the key.  You need God's help to find the strength to serve.  I've met very few people who just naturally serve others, especially in marriage.  You need to find a source of humility; a source of strength.  For me that's Christ Jesus.  Give service a try in your home.  Don't wait for your spouse to serve,  You start.

fishing is refreshing

Fishing is almost always refreshing for me.   It's an opportunity to get away and spend some time outdoors. I'm trying to teach my youngest son the value of persistence.   It's amazing how one good catch can turn a boy into a life-long fisherman.  I wonder what methods God uses to teach us persistence?

Second Chance Cowboy

This week we continue the Branded series with a central message of Christianity.  Christians are marked by love and forgiveness flowing from God's grace into our hearts and outward to others.  Second Chance Cowboy emphasizes God's forgiving nature.  We all fall down.  But how do we get back up?  Join us Sunday as we look at love, grace, and forgiveness.  See you @ the ARC

Cowboy up

This past week at New Life we focused on holiness.  In the Old West, cowboys were often encouraged to "cowboy up" when faced with overwhelming challenges.  One of the greatest challenges we face in our Christian journey is the 'mark of holiness'.  The good news is that God not only calls us to holiness but he empowers us by the Spirit to live up to the calling.  To be a Christian is to be holy.

I Love America Festival a great success

Wow . . . What a day!  Thanks to everyone who came out for the I Love America Festival in Columbia.  We have a great crowd and the kids had a blast.  I never did really make it over to the BBQ grill.  So next year I might have to join the grill team.

Thanks again for a great day.  I hope you enjoyed it and will make plans to participate next year.  We live in a great country.