Subscribe

Well, it’s September and you know what that means-Summer’s over and now we really get moving! All our activities are back, Wednesday nights are back and the busyness is here. We all have a lot on our calendars, but I hope you will still try and make every effort to be a part of all the things going on here at church.

We have kind of a kickoff for the rest of the year, and it is our Back to Church Bash. Most of you know that it is our “high attendance Sunday” but it is also a time where we all come together to celebrate what God is going to do! The day will be full of all kinds of fun events. It is September 13th , the Sunday AFTER Labor Day. Our theme this year is a Great New Adventure! We will be focusing on what God has in store for you and our church this coming year. And I know that is exciting!

The Back to Church Bash is a great time to get plugged into a Sunday School class. We have a goal of 120 people for Sunday School that Sunday. Sunday School, or morning bible study, is a chance to be part of a smaller group to share and grow together. It is a great place of friendship, prayer and discipleship. Don’t miss this important part of being in our church. After Bible Study, we will all come into church for a great time of worship. Our goal for worship is 220! I know that we can surpass that goal, but only if you are here and invite a friend. I kind of hope… we reach our goal. I “Kind of hope” we don’t hit our goal. You see if you were here last Sunday, you know a challenge was made. If we hit our goals then, me, Tyler and Marie will all eat a bug! We will eat real, not gummy worms but a real (dead) scorpion.

If you know how picky of an eater I am, you know I am willing to do “anything” to
get people at church and reach others for Christ.

We will worship and then go to the Family Life Center and eat a BarBQ lunch. We will have all the brisket, fixins and you can bring the desserts. We will also have the “eating bug ceremony”, as well as a waterslide. We have ordered a waterslide, and I think the weather will make it hot enough that it will be a big hit.

This is a huge event for our church. It takes a lot of time and money, so why do we do it? First, it is important as a family to come together and celebrate what God is doing in our lives and what God is also doing in our church. Psalms 145:3-5 says,

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. (NIV)
__

Second, we do it because it gives us a great opportunity to invite someone who is not attending or to encourage those who aren’t here as often as they should be to come and get back into the habit of worshiping together. Hebrews 10:24-25 says,

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in
the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more
as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)
__

Lastly, we do it so that each of us knows we are important and a part of the body of Christ. Romans 12:4-8 says,

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and
these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we,
though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the
others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to
each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance
with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then
teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving,
then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show
mercy, do it cheerfully. (NIV)
__

I say on my call out every week, “I hope I’ll see you tomorrow, because when
you’re not here church just isn’t the same.” While that may sound silly but it’s Biblical! So, plan right now, commit right now, make sure you are here for the Back to Church Bash. It is important not just to come to church but to worship the almighty King!

In Christ,

Brother Alan

I’m a Cowboys fan and I’m telling you right now, this year feels like our year. Every season I say that, but this time I mean it. There’s something about watching a team train, prepare, and put in the work that gets me fired up. They don’t just show up on game day and hope for the best. They grind. They practice. They push themselves. They stay focused on the goal.

And honestly, that’s exactly what the Christian life looks like.

We don’t grow by sitting still. We grow by training, by putting our faith in motion. And our youth have been showing us what that looks like in real time. They’ve stepped out in faith by singing in front of the whole congregation. That takes courage, practice, and a willingness to be used by God. They’ve trained their hearts to serve by showing up for yard work sweat, dirt, sore muscles, and still good attitudes. And they’ve been sharing Jesus with their friends, inviting peers to church, and having real conversations about faith. That’s not just movement… that’s maturity. That’s spiritual conditioning.

All of this reminds me of Philippians 3:13–14, where Paul says, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is being and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul here is talking about forgetting what’s behind and pressing on toward the goal. Pressing on is training language. It’s the picture of someone who refuses to stay still someone who keeps moving forward in faith.

Our youth are pressing on. They’re training. They’re moving. They’re showing us what faith in motion really looks like.

And it’s a challenge for all of us young and old to keep training for the Christian life. To keep stepping out. To keep pressing forward. To keep our faith moving.

Much love Yall,

Tyler