Hey NewLife Family,
Here are five observations from 2 Sam 6, when David was bringing the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.
Friends, we have the blessing of having the Presence of Jesus in our lives. Let’s pay attention to Him AND rejoice and delight in Him! Blessings! Pastor Andy Questions for Reflection:
Paul reminded us that it isn’t about us. We don’t have to perform for the world to get their attention. We don’t need to pretend to our fellow believers that we have everything under control. All we have to be is authentic. It is through authenticity that Christ ministered to others. Who He said He was, He is. Jesus never tried to create an atmosphere of bells and whistles in order to get the attention of those around Him. He was just real.
NewLife can we be real too? When we come together, can we be authentic with each other? Is it possible? There are two extremes we can so easily fall into which each present as an obstacle to true authenticity. 1. Eeyore syndrome – This is where all we do is point out what is wrong with the world, or tell those around us how we are expecting bad things to happen soon because they “always do”. We begin to see the world and define our lives by the struggles only and not by how Christ met us in those struggles. And the other extreme is: 2. Social Anxiety – This is where the fear of being judged, seen, watched, or revealed is so strong we avoid sharing anything of substance (scopophobia, scoptophobia, or ophthalmophobia). This category I also call the FaceBook Persona. This is where we only put the good in front of the public. We want the world to see how much we have life together – and dread what would happen if they knew us – or truly saw us. Both scenarios keep fear in the driver’s seat and leave us disconnected from those we actually long to connect with. Paul wanted people to like him. He wanted to be known and appreciated, to be judged favorably. Yet, Paul didn't change who he was out of fear of not being liked, or judged. He kept his eyes on being real and being true to Christ and the Gospel. Jesus did the same thing. He was the same yesterday, today and will be tomorrow. He is authentic in all circumstances – with all people. NewLife, can we be authentic with our brothers and sisters? Can we walk the talk of being real in order to be known? We should not ignore the difficulties, but let us not make them the sole focus of our lives. It is okay to talk about the good too, but let us not avoid being real out of fear. Fear is one of the enemy’s greatest tactics. If he can make us afraid of other people judging us, we will never connect to others, we will stay isolated, and we will always believe we are being judged by those around us. It becomes a vicious cycle. Let us embrace our humanity (not to give into the flesh, but to know that obedience is expected of us, not perfection) and look to God for His strength. Life is not about us – it is about Christ. Blessings, Kyle
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was a letter of encouragement for them, correction on certain issues, and instruction on other issues. It was a reminder that God had enriched them in all speech and knowledge and that they were not lacking any gift in Christ (1 Cor. 1:5-7).
Among the major exhortations that Paul gave to the Corinthian Church:
Paul spends the entirety of chapter 15 teaching about the Resurrection of Christ and our hope of salvation and resurrection based on His victory over the grave. This is to correct false thinking that had slipped into the church that there was no resurrection of the body. Paul quickly corrects this thinking by noting that if there is no resurrection of the body, then not even Christ has been raised from the dead (1. Cor. 15:16) and if that’s the case, then our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:17-19). Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, as we know, Christ is raised! As Paul writes, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3-4, ESV) So then, we can confidently move forward in our faith, based on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the Resurrection power He has given to us. It’s all because of Jesus and through Him that we have fellowship with the Father and can live out the Christian life. I think that is why Paul includes, as a reference to the Isthmian Games, the encouragement in 1 Corinthians 9:24, to run in a way to win the prize, to do what it takes to go the distance in our relationships with Jesus. Let’s keep running this race together, Pastor Andy Please start reading 2 Corinthians for Sunday. Questions for Reflection:
Friends, NewLifers, lend me your ear on Romans!
Here are some stops from our walk through Romans on Sunday:
Here’s a shorter version of the Romans Road that helps with sharing our faith: Rom. 3:23 All have sinned Rom. 6:23 The wages of sin is death but free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Rom. 5:8 Christ died for us while we were still sinners Rom. 10:9-10 Confess with your mouth and believe with your heart that Jesus is Lord, and you will be saved Let us be persuaded, let us be convinced that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! Pastor Andy Please begin reading through 1 Corinthians for our time on Sunday. Questions for Reflection:
We began our journey through the book of Romans this past Sunday. In this book we see the Apostle Paul explaining the gospel to the church in Rome. The reason he was writing so boldly (as he acknowledges in chapter 15) is that he wanted the church to grasp the deep truths of the gospel and for their lives to be changed by the love of Jesus. So, we began our walk through Romans and stopped at the following points:
These truths really can change our lives as we not only mentally agree with them but believe what God is telling us through them and by meditating on them. And, if you may recall, I assigned for everyone to read Romans chapter 8 for this coming Sunday. It’s called the Spirit Filled chapter and as you read it you will see why. My friends, whatever road you’ve been roamin’ in your life, come join us as we are on the Roman road to growing deeper in Christ this Sunday! Blessings on the journey! Pastor Andy P.S. Remember to read Romans 8!!
Dear NewLife Family,
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead changed everything! Everything that we studied on Sunday in the book of Acts flows out of His Resurrection. For example, if Christ was not resurrected, then there would be no Ascension or the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and certainly there would be no Church or missions movement. But, He arose from the grave! Thus, He went to the Father, the Spirit was poured out, the Church was born and the Word began to spread. The Church continues to this day as Jesus promised and we are empowered by His Spirit for holy living and to be His witnesses. Here’s a quick list of the 7 Things That We See in Acts, which we studied on Sunday:
Pastor Andy
Happy New Year, NewLife!
We have officially entered 2024, y’all! I don’t know about you but it always takes me a little while to get used to writing the new year down. It’s also that time of the year when folks reflect back over the past year and look forward to the new one. Often this can include new goals or resolutions for what we want to accomplish in the coming year. As you ponder, reflect, and prepare for 2024, here is a W.O.R.R.D of encouragement from Phil. 2:12-16. Work-out your salvation: Continue to work out in your life what God is working in you. Please note that this is NOT working for your salvation! It’s the walking out, living out the new life that God has given to you in Christ Jesus. Obedience that is genuine: This is a sincere following of Christ and His commands, as well as promptings from the Holy Spirit. Paul encouraged the Philippians to obey, not just in his presence but in his absence. This would lead to a maturing faith in them that wasn’t based on pleasing Paul. Reverence: All this is to be done with fear and trembling, having a reverence for the Lord that desires to be pleasing to Him and to be doing what He wants, out of love for Him. Refuse to grumble: This is so we don’t tear down the work of God in our lives. Grumbling defiles us and tears us down. It tears others down and can lead to divisions in the body of Christ. Dear Life: Hold on to God’s word for dear life! As we do this, we shine like stars! Let’s hold on to His W.O.R.R.D in 2024! I look forward to seeing you on Sunday since I haven’t seen you since last year! Pastor Andy
Everything changed for the shepherds that Divine night that the angel broke through the night with the life-changing message that Christ was born. I can imagine them hustling to find the newborn baby king. How magnificent to see Him and to know that God gave them a special revelation so that they could find His Son. As we just celebrated Christmas, and look to a new year, let us be encouraged that God has revealed His Son to us, and that in Him, we have salvation.
I hope this season is a season of celebration of Jesus and of time with family for you. And as we walk into a new year, may we lift our eyes to Him who changed everything that momentous night. Blessings in this new year! Pastor Andy Everyone has different traditions as they head into a new year. Some ask God to give them a specific word or phrase for the year. This Sunday, we'll spend a few minutes asking God for a word or sharing one He's already given you. God can speak quickly and give you something in that moment, but since He often speaks in the quiet, we wanted to let you know ahead of time. Please spend some time in the next few days asking God if He has a word for you individually or for you family - and eagerly listening for His answer.
Have you sung your song yet?
Zechariah was silenced for at least 9 months after encountering Gabriel. When John was ready to be circumcised, the authorities asked what the name of the child would be and Elizabeth said “John.” The authorities didn’t understand since there was no John in their family. Zechariah wrote that his name is John and immediately he got his voice back. Then he broke out into praise and worship – in song. Take some time this season to think about what God has done for you throughout your life – then sing about it. This doesn’t mean we don’t have stressors, struggles and hurts. God is asking us to sing praise to Him, despite those pains and hurts. Singing doesn’t have to be a public event where we are centered on the stage. Let it be in an intimate setting where there is only an audience of One. Or maybe you feel more comfortable just speaking those praises to Him. Either way – celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do in your life. Don’t let another day pass where we just get through, where we praise ourselves, or where we are too busy to stop and look at God’s work around us. Let the light shine from Christ to you! Rejoice this season and may others see the Light in you. Blessings, Pastor Kyle
Greetings NewLife,
How are you letting your light shine this Christmas season? Sure, it is warm and fuzzy to go shopping for gifts for those that you love, to decorate your house with lights and greenery, and to set up displays that remind you of all the amazing Christmases you have experienced with those loved ones that you miss. All that stuff is good – but let us not forget that we are called to let our light shine for ALL to see. Shine His Light for the person stressed out at the cash register because she has been on her feet all day and each new face brings along hurriedness all the while never really acknowledging her existence. Shine His Light for the one whose Christmas is filled with loneliness – grief and memories that remind him of who is no longer here. Shine His Light for the believer who is trying his hardest to keep his mask on, to show the rest of the church that he has life under control. Yet on the inside, his world is falling apart and he wants someone to talk to who won’t judge him – won’t give him mainstream Christian advice, but will hear him; someone to listen with their heart. NewLife – there is no reason you should not be shining your light. The Light is within us – do not hide it under a bush. Let it SHINE. How do we do that, you may ask. When you shop – look at the cashier and use her name as you thank her. Look her in the eyes and wish her a Merry Christmas and that her new year will be filled with blessings from God. Remind her that Jesus loves her. When you hear of a lonely heart – talk about their loved one. Step into their grief and hear the stories of their beloved. Pray with them and ask God to comfort him as he recalls the memories. For the believer, first take off your mask. Let the light shine on you first in the dark place. As the light shines it forces you to be vulnerable and exposed. To share how being a Christian is hard sometimes. How all of us struggle at times – but that as a family we are called to walk together, to point each other back to Christ. We expose what God has helped us through, offering hope that God will help the other through as well – and we will be there as well. The light is not meant just to push away darkness. The light is a way for others to see us take action in our faith – to not only talk the talk – but to walk it out in everyday life. You are the light of the world – go act like it. Go be it! Blessings, Kyle |