No Christmas?

On a recent trip back from St. Louis, I noticed a sign on the side of the road which challenged people to skip church this Christmas.  The basis of the sign was an imaginary letter from a young girl which reads, "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church!  I'm too old for fairy tales."  It was sponsored by the American Atheists National Convention, but, nevertheless, it caused me to think about the meaning and message of Christmas and how the church fits into the Christmas season.  So what if there was no Christmas and no church?

If there was no Christmas, there would be no celebration of Immanuel, God-with-us (Matthew 1:23); no celebration of God dwelling with men (John 1:12).  God would remain nothing more than a mere idea in the hearts of men and women; a distant designer who is indifferent to our trials or triumphs.

If there was no Christmas--no baby Jesus in a manager--then there would, of course, be no Easter.  If no Easter celebration, then no resurrection power or the promise of New Life in Christ!  If there was no Easter, then there is no more promise of "dead to sin and alive to God" (Romans 6).  No hope for heaven, no joy in a transformed life, and no peace with God.  Forgiveness would be nothing more than an empty word without spiritual power and the promise of eternity would only be real in a person's imagination.

If there was no Christmas, there would be no kingdom of God and no local church to proclaim the gospel and live out the compassion of Christ in a local community.  Without the historical reality of Christmas, there is no personal responsibility for sin and no need for salvation.  Without Christmas,  we have no message of hope for a world which is increasingly lost, secular, humanistic, broken, and corrupt.

So what if there was no Christmas?  And what if you and I simply skipped church this year and celebrated Christmas without Christ?  Would the world be a better place?  Would people live in peace in a new enlightened era in which God is a fairy tale and we exist to serve ourselves or worse our governments?  Would corruption cease?  Would humanity save itself?

No . . . I'm convinced that my life, your life, and the world would be a darker place void of God's amazing love, peace in our hearts, joy in our thoughts, and hope for a brighter day ahead.

I'm so grateful for Christmas and the church which is a gift from God to convey God's message of salvation to our local community.

Join with me this Christmas and worship our Savior at a local church.   If you are looking for a place to worship, we welcome you to New Life Community Church this Sunday, December 21st or Christmas Eve, December 24th.  Go to newlifecolumbia.org for more information.

Building the Church

There's a lot of excitement at New Life.  This past week we had a terrific mid-week service.  If you missed it, you really missed it!  Renovations are coming along fast now.  Tomorrow morning another church form Southern Missouri is joining with us to continue renovations.

Sunday I plan to preach on 1 Corinthians 3 focusing on becoming a wise builder in God's kingdom.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:10, "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care."

It's amazing what can happen in our lives, our families, and our church when we begin to go, give, serve, and sacrifice for God's cause and kingdom in specific and intentional ways.

If you can't join us tomorrow morning for the all-church work day, I hope you will make it to the Sunday worship gathering as we experience God's presence and learn new ways to become a wise builder in God's kingdom.  

Blessed to be a blessing, Pastor Tom

People of God - People of Presence

Exodus 6:7 reads, "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." The Hebrews were in slavery 430 years in Egypt.  Then God sent Moses and set the people free (Exodus 16:35).  God's presence was with the people in the desert wanderings for 40 years -- a pillar of fire in the night and a cloud by day.  

Hit the rewind button some 500 years and Abraham is just appearing on the scene of God's redemptive story.  Adam and Eve and Noah and the Ark are long gone (like 800 plus years past, Genesis 7:6).    God's story is just beginning.  Adam, Eve, and Noah are just one act in a grand play.  Now Abraham takes center stage. 

Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abraham was 75 years old when he set out to follow God's call.  The preceding three verses are pivotal.  In Genesis 12:1-3, Abraham receives the call to leave his country and head out to the "promised land"(12:1).  God promises to make him into "a great nation" (12:2) and to bless him and make him a blessing to all peoples on the planet (12:3).  The second part of 12:3 reads, "and through you all the people of the earth will be blessed."  Imagine that - God was choosing Abraham and promising to make him a great nation so that "all peoples" (literally all ethnic groups) would be included in God's plan and promise of blessing.

The rest is history so to speak . . . Israel does become a great nation and in Christ Jesus, the church becomes the people of God witnessing to the power and presence of God in the world today.  In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter writes, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."  You might think Peter is referring to the Israelites, but no . . . he is referring to the church (the people of God). 

The biblical pattern is clear - 1) God is a people choosing God, 2) God blesses his people so that they might be a blessing, and 3) the presence and the people of God belong together.  I began with a passage from Exodus so I will leave you with Exodus 33:14 says -  "The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

I'm grateful that God has a people called the church.  We are far from perfect and more importantly we are dependent on God's presence in our lives.  As I look at how God has worked in the past, I am reminded that God still has a people today--a people of the presence.  May God help each of us to cherish the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and seek to share him with those we meet.  Pastor Tom

Christianity teaches that God 

people of God

presence of God 

The Church Is . . .

Really excited about the upcoming series, "The Church Is . . ."  The church has always been an important part of my life as a pastor.  For me, every sunday is like super bowl Sunday.  Increasingly, however most Americans don't attend church or even feel animosity or suspicion towards the church.  How has the church impacted your life?  During the month of September, I hope you will join us each Sunday for the series and consider why you're a New Lifer.  See you Sunday!  Pastor Tom

Branching Out - Belong

Branching Out is a way of life at New Life Community Church.  Recently we went through a process of selecting a new logo for NLCC.  We chose the new life tree not only because it has a classic look, but the symbolism of the tree speaks volumes to every new lifer.

At New Life we are branching out as we grow our new life tree.  This week we are focusing on our core value of BELONG.  Belong id about relationships and community.  We want every new lifer to enjoy Christian community as they grow in their spiritual journey of faith.  We really believe that community can make a difference in your spiritual journey.  Come join us Sunday and learn more about the value of BELONG.  See you @ the ARC on Sunday at 10:15 AM. Tom Ragsdell