Easter 2014 Invite!

Easter 2014 is almost here.  Matthew 28:5-6 is my favorite Bible verse related to Easter.  It reads like this, "The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

Easter at New Life will be a celebration of Jesus death and resurrection.  Because he died, I am free.  Because he lives, He lives in me.  Share a Bible verse related to Easter with your friends and give them an invitation to join New Life for Easter.  See you Sunday at 1300 Blue Ridge Road (10:15 AM).

Power of the Resurrection

This Sunday, we are kicking off our series, "He is Risen".  I hope you will join us.  The series will lead us through the book of Romans and remind us of the gospel story and the power of a life-changing relationship with God.

This Sunday we will focus on Romans 1:16-17.  Paul wrote to the Roman believers only 27-30 years after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.  As Paul begins his letter to the Roman believers, he is focused on the power of Christ' resurrection.  Come experience a resurrection in your walk with God.

He is Risen!

Easter celebration is early this year.  So on Sunday, April 8th we are kicking off a new series entitled, "He is Risen" and planning an Easter Egg Hunt and a water baptism.  It focuses on the life-changing power of the gospel which Paul writes about in the book of Romans.  Make plans now to celebrate with us on Easter Sunday and throughout the month of April.

Easter Excitement

Sometimes in life, it's good to pause and give thanks.  This Easter was one of those moments for me.  It was really great to see so many people gathered together and worshipping the Lord at New Life Community Church.  

Just two years ago we would have been hard pressed to find 20 people to worship with us.  Three years ago NLCC was only a dream.  Now look at us!!!  God really does build his church and its a joy to be a part of what God is doing.  Thanks for coming along for the journey and allowing God to change you for His glory.

I really believe the best is yet to come.  Have a great week.  Tom Ragsdell

Becoming an Overcomer

This Easter we are kicking off a series called, "Hell on Earth: Overcoming Your Negative Emotions."  I know, the title is kinda' strong, but I think it fits.  Over the last few years, I've met a lot of people who are struggling with negative emotions like, unforgiveness, bitterness, fear and insecurity, depression, and hopelessness.  These negative emotions create a "hell on earth" for many people.  Do you feel trapped by your negative emotions? 

Easter is a great time to kick off this series because Easter Sunday is about the resurrection of Christ Jesus and the power available to us to live a new life.  The Apostle Paul probably said it best in Romans 8:11 with these words, "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."  


The Bible everywhere encourages us to be overcomers.  Jesus said "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome the world."  Easter Sunday is a celebration of the "overcoming power of Christ".  Easter brings us great hope.  Don't miss it.  See you Sunday!  Tom Ragsdell

Easter @ New Life

Invite a friend.  Did you know that well over 90% of New Lifers came to our Sunday morning gathering or a small group because some one invited them?  We have a few new lifers who found us on the internet or came as a result of a post card, but most came as a result of an invitation.

Easter is a great Sunday to invite your friends to church.  Who knows?!  They may come it might change their future.  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

Failure and your future

Are your failures holding you back from more out of life?  I've been thinking a lot about failure this week as we get ready for Sunday's message "Embracing the Way of the Cross."  I'm sure many in Jesus' day, saw his crucifixion as the end; as a failure of everything he tried to accomplish in three years of public ministry.  But, Jesus saw his demise as a victory, believing it was the fulfillment of prophesy and obedience to God's plan.  Jesus knew something that other didn't -- God specializes in turning our failures into successes.  The cross of Jesus challenges the way we think about success and failure.

 Do you have any failures, set backs, or short comings that could become a great victory with God's intervention?  I think God specializes in turning our failings into our God-directed futures.  There are two characters that stand out in Jesus drama that knew failure.  Both Peter and Judas failed miserably.  Peter denied Jesus three times and wept bitterly, even though he promised the Lord it would never happen.  Judas also was a failure.  He sold out to the religious authorities for 30 pieces of silver.  After Jesus was arrested, Judas went back to the Temple and returned the money, knowing that Jesus was innocent of all charges.  But it was too late, Jesus would be crucified, and Judas could not forgive himself.  Both Peter and Judas were failures, but each faced a different future.  Why?

We all fail at some level in life.  We fail in our character when we give in to temptation or fail to keep our word.  We fail in our professional lives when we launch a new brand or business only too see our goals unrealized.  What business man can't tell you of the number of times they have tried and failed, only to try again and find success?  Or what successful athlete can't tell you the number of times they failed or fell short only to wind up on the top?  Failure is a part of life.  So how will we handle it?

You can't choose when failure will come calling, because much of life is out of our control.  But you can choose how you will handle it.  As a church planter, I can tell you that most of the time you feel like you are "failing forward", not moving forward.  In two years of working to birth a new church in Columbia, most of my "grand" ideas have met with limited success or utter failure.  And yet, we now gather with 50-70 people in our Sunday gatherings and many of them are enjoying church life for the first time ever (after only 1.5 years of meeting publicly).  So we are moving forward, I'm just not always sure how it happened!

When Peter realized he messed up, he went back to fishing.  No doubt he was sorry and ashamed, but Peter still had the chance at redemption.  Judas was also sorry.  But, Judas couldn't forgive himself and after returning the money, he killed himself.  I wonder what would have happened if Judas would have been standing at the feet of Jesus when Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"?  Would God not have forgave Judas?  For Judas, his failure and unforgiveness stood in the way of his redemption.

Maybe it's better if we just get it out in the open, so it doesn't eat us up on the inside.  We all fail, everyone of us and most of us miserably!  That's why churches exist, because perfect people don't!  Failure is never the final word as long as we are willing to turn to God for help and receive his redemption.  God specializes in "buying us" back from our failures.  How you handle your failures will determine your future.

I'm hoping that you will turn to God with your failure and trust him for a brighter future.  Tom Ragsdell

Two Important gardens

Spring time is just around the corner and things are beginning to green up around here in mid-Missouri.  Plus it's almost Easter, and I've been thinking a lot about gardens.  There are two grand gardens in the Bible.  The first is Eden from the Genesis account and the second is Gethsemane in the story of Jesus' passion.  Both gardens represent two choices we all face in life-the choice to obey or the choice to go our own way.

When I think of a garden, I think of a solitary place full of streams (that means lots of fishing), lush vegetation, and lots of fruit to eat.  Most gardens would make a nice place for a resort, that's why the first garden was called "paradise."  Eden was a beautiful place of God's provision--it was home to Adam and Eve, a special place meant to be enjoyed.  Sadly, Eden became "paradise lost" because  Adam and Eve failed to believe God and trust in his words.

I don't know that much about the Garden of Gethsemane, except that it was not far from Jerusalem and it was a garden full of olive trees.   Many scholars believe that Jesus probably went there often to pray.  So it must have been a place of relaxation, reflection, and refreshment.  Just as a side note-do you have a place where you go to relax, reflex, and refresh?  For some of you that might be a solitary place, a church gathering with lots of people, or a special time with your spouse or friend.  I don't know what your garden looks like, but make sure you have such a place in your life.  God designed us for the garden and the garden for us.

Jesus' garden of Gethsemane is significant because it is the place where he chose to fulfill God's will rather than reject God's way as Adam and Eve had done in Eden.  I'm sure Jesus had found Gethsemane a retreat of sorts on many occasions, but on that night when he was arrested it was a place of decision.

Jesus had gone to the garden to pray and he asked his inner circle to pray with him (Mt 26:37).  Jesus was faced with a choice and he faced his choice in a moment of prayer.  Like so many of us, he had come to a fork in the road.  Would he follow God's path for his life or pursue other options?  Jesus understood the seriousness of God's plan--that's what made it so difficult.  He understood the meaning of his crucifixion, even before he was hanging on the cross.  So he asked the Father to take away this "cup" (Mt 26:42)  The cup represented  the cross.  

So often in life we are faced with a fork in the road.  Like Jesus, we wonder "is there another way?"  Many roads promise happiness and demand our attention, but only the path which honors God and fulfills his way for our lives will bring true happiness in the end.  Jesus chose God's way as the only way to happiness.  As a result we have the promise of "paradise lost" restored to us.  

So remember no matter how hard or difficult God's way my seem at first, it's the only path that leads to paradise.  Thanks to Jesus we can enjoy the garden of Eden again as we choose to follow the example of Christ.

Have a great day.  Tom Ragsdell