Sad Days

Today, a family that has been with me the last four years at Allenhurst Apartments to a rough part of Dallas. It breaks my heart! I baptized three of the kids and the parents over the years--and married the parents this last summer.

We have always had so many families who have come and gone from Allenhurst. So to have a handful of families that have been with us for a few years, are just so very dear to our hearts. Its pretty obvious we will not have the access to the kids we once had and I fear for them.

Sometimes, the kids we work with often become like our own--and its painful when you so want the best for kids and yet--we really have little control over their livese.

So we pray and we pray--that the seeds that were planted while they were a part of our congregation--will one day bloom into the abundant life Jesus promised!

So while I rejoice for the time we had with them--my heart is also heavy right now. Every soul is so precious!

Bruce

Who Is God?

As I work my way through each of our age groups in my congregation--I am spending the next few weeks with the Sr. High teens of my congregation and from Allenhurst Apartments. Not always the easiest group of kids to work with--but I love them dearly! I just finished a stint with a few months with our 3rd through 6th graders and before that had taught our adults for several months.

I am doing a series with these kids who I know struggle with understanding what it means to have a relationship with Jesus--and the series is called "Who Is God?" Tonight we are going to get into the nitty gritty about creation and perhaps what God's desire was with His creation and how much all of us as creators tend to love and adore that which we have created. Thus, I hope to eventually help point these kids to the fact that God is simply--A GOD OF LOVE!

If we don't find a way to help our young people discover who the Lord really is--many will most likely struggle and miss many of the opportunities to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised!

God is indeed--a God of love!

Renaissance Apartments in Midland, Texas

A couple of years ago, there were some Christians from Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland who were dreaming about how they could better spread the hope and love of Jesus Christ to those who would often otherwise be forgotten by most churches. Over a year and a half ago or so--I was in Midland and a group of those Christians were talking about starting an apartment ministry like we were doing here in Mesquite. One afternoon I went out with some brothers from the GCR family to look at a handful of apartment complexes where they could possibly start a new ministry for Christ. One particular complex I most remember us driving by was called Renaissance Apartments. Renaissance is a typical apartment complex with lots of lower income families, many whom most likely don't have a church home or are not actively involved with the Lord.

I remember us sitting there in the car, just praying for God to direct which complex GCR was to go to and begin a work. For some reason, I felt something special about Renaissance. I had these visions of cookouts and bounce houses and lots of kids having fun and the love of Christ abounding all over the complex. And the Lord did indeed direct the GCR family to Renaissance Apartments!

Several months back I went to Midland to preach at GCR and I got to go see the work at Renaissance. They had just had a VBS there and I got to see the apartment they are using. I found out today from a brother on the GCR missions team--that the work has exploded! He said several kids are coming to church each week, there is a meal on Monday nights for the kids, and several Bible studies going on with adults. HALLELUJAH!!!!! Praise God for the Golf Course Road family--they are getting out of the building and living out the Great Commission! Many lives will forever be changed because the Golf Course Road family said yes to Jesus!

Are there some apartments or a neighborhood near your church--that your congregation could go and start a ministry? Start dreaming. Start believing.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).

Let us be in prayer for God to continue to bless the work at Renaissance Apartments in Midland, Texas!

Peace,

Bruce

"Going To Church or Kingdom Advancement?"

I often think about how much we have institutionalized things in the Lord's Church. And when I say that, I am not in any way advocating loosely led congregations with little order where everyone sings cumbaya and just "feels good." There needs to be strong and God led leadership in every congregation and some sense of direction. But we don't need to put so much focus on "doing things the right way" and instead focus on the Great Commission!

Whether it is planting new congregations or working out of established ones--just getting out and ministering to people gets lost in the hussle and bussle of other things. So much "professionalism" and "textbook" ways of doing things are at the constant forefront--instead of the sweet simplicity of reaching out to lost people, teaching God's word, loving one another, and living by Jesus' example. So much money goes into planting churches or maintaining existing ones and so much planning for facilities, acquiring land, and a dozen other man focused ways of doing things--instead of just "keeping the main thing the main thing." Scripture teaches us to multiply, multiply, multiply. How can we do that--if we are so busy organizing and planning. Sometimes by the time we organize and plan everything--we have missed numerous opportunities to share Jesus with lost people!!! Instead of so much planning--how about congregational leaderships teaching members of the flock how to share their faith and evangelize! And then those leaders take those members out with them to go evangelize and set the example. This is what the early church leaders did--they mentored and trained up more and more evangelists and teachers and preachers. WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MASTER DEGREES TO SHARE JESUS WITH PEOPLE! We just have to care and rely on God.

Nice, fancy buildings don't bring people to Christ--loving Christians who minister to lost people bring people to Christ. Instead of putting millions of dollars into facilities--how about going and renting some apartments or trailers or houses in neighborhoods and communities where there is little Christianity? Lets get the churches out of the buildings and into the communities!

And God will use us to do AMAZING AND SUPERNATURAL THINGS!!!

Lets go! Many souls are in in danger!

Bruce

THANKS HIGHLAND OAKS!

When we first planted At The Cross Church of Christ--we had two primary financial supporters--Golf Course Road Church of Christ and Highland Oaks Church of Christ. And while Golf Course Road has blessed us greatly financially and has even sent a couple of youth teams out to help us before--the family at Highland Oaks due to them being closer--has just been a real blessing to our work in Mesquite!

So many of their members help us daily on the ground. Whether its working with our teens or helping with our finances, or the several sisters who help us with our Tuesday morning food pantry--we are just so grateful for the involvement from the family at Highland Oaks!

God continues to bless our ministry--with good workers from numerous congregations. But there is much work to do--and many more lost souls to try to reach! Please continue to pray for our work!

Blessings,

Bruce

Friday Nights At The Skating Rink and Friendship

When I was growing up in Mesquite, for some reason I just never wanted to go skating--even though most of my school friends did! A few years back at one of my children's birthday parties--I put some skates on--and I somehow by the grace of God--was able to walk around the rink one time and that was enough!

So tonight when I went to pick up Jayden and Bryson and young David Oldright from Westlake Skate, I was kinda moved. While I am not a skater, I was nonetheless encouraged at seeing those three boys there together--having fun but still looking out for one another. I was reminded of how me and their dads did just that for many years--had lots of fun and looked out for one another.

I had memories of many times--me, Shawn Anthamatten (Bryson's late father) and David Oldright Sr., being just a tad older than our boys--just enjoying the simple things of life and enjoying youth! After Shawn died, my son Jayden said "Dad, don't worry--me, Bryson, and little David will carry on the legacy of our dads."

Watching them tonight at the skating rink--I saw that legacy in place--and it moved my heart so!

God is so good to me and lets me experience many wonderful moments. Tonight was one of them!

Sometimes we just have to enjoy the simple things in life God provides us. Here is what King Solomon said about the simple life:

"A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work" (Ecclesiastes 2:24, NIV).

Grace and Peace,

MY CONVERSION STORY

So many people who did not know me growing up in Mesquite, often assume I grew up in church. I did not. When I was a small boy, I attended Hickory Tree Baptist Church Nursery School and when I was a teenager, I attended Bruton Road Christian Church a handful of times with my best friend Andy--but that was about all the church I had. (On a side note, many years later I would preach for Bruton Road Christian Church in return for my young congregation getting to meet at their facility and eventually when Bruton Road CC disbanded, they gave us the facility).

Now, I had wonderful parents who lived Godly lives. My dad asked the blessing over the food at every meal and I remember my mom teaching me Bible stories as a child. I remember my dad always teaching us Godly values like fidelity between a husband and wife, honesty and integrity, love and compassion and so many other traits that would line up with what Paul would teach in Galatians 5 called the "Fruit of the Spirit." My dad always taught us the importance of what II Thesalonians teaches regarding that "A man who does not work should not eat." However, my parents did not attend a church during my lifetime. That is a story for another time.

So after my parents had both passed away by the time I was 23, I really had little moral compass in my life other than what stuck with me from their example. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately depending on how you look at it--I knew enough of how to look Christian on the outside--but did not live a Christian lifestyle in my personal life. I was very politically ambitious in my teens and 20s, so I worked very hard to appear like a good Christian businessman. But again, that was not really who I was on the inside. Topless bars, pornography, fornication with every female I could get with (many who I did not treat so great), and a very foul mouth around my worldy friends was who I really was that the community did not see.

Then when I was 27 I went to work for a man who God has used to change my life and the lives of many, many people for the better. Mike Tolleson was the owner of CiCi's Pizza South Mesquite (he still is along with his partner Tom Grace) and I had worked for him part time several years before. At the time, Mike was the Deacon of Evangelism at Mesquite Church of Christ and had led many people to the Lord over the years, including several of his managers. Not long after going to work as a manager for Mike, I began to attend a Monday morning Bible study before our managers' meeting. Although I did not attend real often at first--because THEY MET AT 6 AM!!!! And most who know me know I was a night owl for years. I would attend the Bible studies here and there because I did not want to appear to be anti-Christian. Then after several weeks of attending, I began to hear some things about God's word I had never heard before. I began to listen to some things Mike and Tom and the other managers were sharing with me. One morning when Mike was out of town, I had heard some things about what Jesus said we need to do to attain salvation--and so Tom and I had a follow up study just he and I after our manager's meeting. After that discussion/study--I realized that I was not right with the Lord. So we left and went down the street to Mesquite Church of Christ where Mike and the other managers were members. Mike was out of town, so Tom took my confession--that Jesus is the Son of God, I committed to living a life of repentance, and Tom baptized me. I remember a brother and fellow manager Sean Maness being there along with Mike's mom Diane Tolleson and a couple of other witnesses and my older brother Johnny. That day was the day of my new birth in Jesus Christ!

For the first few months after that, I was on a spiritual high and was fully planning on staying pure until I found a wife and was going to live a new and up right life. I was at worship every Sunday when I was off, Wednesday night Bible class, and every Monday morning Bible study. Then the new wore off and the old Bruce began to want to come back. Satan knew my weaknesses and was angry that I had been taken out of his hold, so he began to make the old life look pretty good again. Soon I was back in sin or working hard to get into sin. And my ambition and career goals continued to be my main priority--not Jesus! A couple of years go by and I lived like many new Christians--some days warm, some days cool--but never really hot or cold. And I am so thankful Jesus did not spew me out of His mouth for being lukewarm!

So many times the other brothers I worked with would really try to hold my feet to the fire. When I would date different women, if one of the brothers thought there was some inappropriate relations, they'd just flat out ask me. Those guys would not let up on me. I kept trying to "play church" and live my own life--and those guys loved me enough to keep holding me accountable. I did not much care for it then, but I thank God today for them not giving up on me!

About 6 months before Christi and I started dating, I had finally started maturing some spiritually and got the "evangelism" itch from Mike and the other guys. I had watched Mike teach and baptize dozens of people and I had watched the other managers bring many of their friends and family to the Lord. So Mike taught me how to sit down with someone one on one and teach them the Gospel and prepare them to know what they needed to do to be born again. I began doing a lot of personal evangelism work. Then Christi and I got married in June of 02.

As a new husband and step-father of two small children, I did not know a lot--but I knew I needed to at least carry my family to worship each Sunday and try to live a good example of Christ. But that just was not enough. And after about 6 months of marraige and almost being ready to divorce, my wife and I realized we would have to get serious about our relationships with God and really get into His word. So both of us got involved in men's and women's Bible studies and we began to grow more. We began to study some together and pray together. Then I continued doing personal evangelism work with friends, people who came into CiCi's, teens who worked for me and others. I got more involved in teaching kids' classes at church and was given some opportunities to participate in worship services--like leading communion thoughts or leading prayers and such. Soon I was teaching individuals here and there and baptizing them. Christi and I had a handful of people we let live with us who were down on their luck--that we were able to lead to the Lord through that process.

As I was going through those early days of ministry, God put another great spiritual mentor in my life, a man named Kent Sutherland. Kent had been a preacher for many years and was at the time--an elder at Highland Oaks Church of Christ. Later, he would help plant New Hope Church of Christ and became an elder there. Kent taught me so much and was such a blessing to both me and my wife. He is still a blessing today. My wife looks at Kent like a daddy. And of course, there were other wonderful men as well who were great mentors and inspirations to me.

Eventually, I had a vision to start ministries and churches in places of poverty and hopelessness--where there would otherwise be no Christianity. Then I read the Book of Nehemiah and was moved by how Nehemiah was so upset at the plight of God's people back in Jerusalem--that he took action and with God's help--led the rebuilding of the walls and gates around Jerusalem. I began to wonder what could happen if Christians in my community saw the plight of what poor people and or people who did not have the Lord in their lives around my community--began to get out of their church buildings and go minister to people and share the hope and love of Jesus! So one day in January of 2005, I began to knock doors at Allenhurst Apartments and made friends and started sharing Jesus with them.

Within a few months, we had taught and baptized about 20 people and lives were changing. We called that new ministry, The Nehemiah Ministry. A few months later, I felt called to go into full time ministry. So my wife and I stepped out on faith and I started to school at Dallas Christian College working on a BS in Ministry and Leadership. While I was in school, I continued to lead the Nehemiah Ministry. Eventually we were able to get an apartment at Allenhurst and was having devotionals, Bible classes, and other activities with kids and a few adults. By the time I graduated DCC in May of 07--we had taught and baptized over 70 people and many of those new Christians were serving God and their lives were slowly being transformed. In June of 07, we transitioned the minsitry into a new congregation that would be called "At The Cross Church of Christ." My wife actually came up with the name--her thought was to keep the focus "On The Cross."

Over the last 5 years of being in full time ministry--I have watched God over and over do absolutely amazing and supernatural things in people's lives! I have been so priveliged to teach and baptize over 100 people! I'd love to say that they were all serving God faithfully--but for the ones that fell away--at least they had the seed planted in them and we know that God always has HIS "Welcome Back" mat out! But many of those new Christians are now serving God and sharing their faith with others and it has been so incredible to watch! I have had the opportunity to baptize and marry several couples at the same time. I have had the opportunity to help other men and women share their faith with others. I have also seen some pretty tough things and seen a lot of misery and pain and hurt in people. I have seen my family be hurt numerous times in ministry--and I have had to make a lot of changes in how I minister--and make sure my family is my first line of ministry!

I need to mention, that we could not have planted At The Cross or done many of the things that have been done for Jesus--were it not for Golf Course Road Church of Christ, Highland Oaks Church of Christ and Nexus Church Planting. Along with many Christians from various different congregations who have rolled up their sleeves to help us in the trenches!

My vision is that Lord willing, we will one day plant more low income apartment ministries and plant many new churches--including house churches. My vision is that from what the Lord started back at CiCi's Pizza--will continue to bless many, many people--and that MANY will come to know Jesus Christ and that generations will one day be in Heaven!

I am so humbled at God's confidence in me--although I have let HIM down sooooo many times! I am so honored to be a fellow worker in Christ and to serve as a servant leader in HIS church. Guys like me, really should not be preachers and doing what we are doing. But God has a plan for each of us. I am so happy to have been a apart of HIS plan! Its funny, for someone who used to be so ambitious--I can honestly say--that at 39 years of age--there is really nothing I could ever be apart of--that would top what I have already done in my service to the Lord! I have gotten to watch the hand of God work in people's lives--including my own. And like everyone else, I am still a piece of clay being molded and shaped and I have so much more growing and maturing to do. I am merely a messenger!

I am so thankful that I met Mike Tolleson many years ago!

And the mission of Jesus goes forward.

Bruce