I took a break from my congregation today--something more preachers need to do more often--and my family and I visited Spring Creek Community Church. The message from Pastor Keith Stewart was on "Influence," a series he was beginning today. I was most moved by the message and what God was telling everyone in that assembly.
He mentioned a quote from a man whose name now escapes me, how there are 5, not 4 Gospels. There is Matthew, Mark, Luke, John--and then there is each of us. Many lost people out there today--may not read the first 4 Gospels any time soon--but they will read us. What will they read?
Pastor Stewart was talking about our great need in this country and even within the Kingdom at times to "persuade" or just "Be right." What good is it to be "Right" if we can't do it in love?
Who will be motivated to hear the Christian message if it is delivered in harshness or rudeness?
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, that "Love is not rude."
Let us share God's word with non-believers with love, sweetness, and kindness. Even if they don't grab hold of that word immediately--keep loving them and being kind. For God is love!
We don't just need more civlity in politics and government--we need it desperately in the Kingdom of God and within the Lord's Church!
Here is the sermon link if you'd like to here it: http://www.springcreekchurch.org/series2011/i_current_series.html
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, December 6, 2010
ARCHER FAMILY MISSIONARY SUPPORT REQUEST
Dear Family and Friends,
As we approach 2011, I have been working very hard to raise funds for the outreach ministry I've led here in Mesquite the past 6 years--based on the concept of Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem--and the church I lead the past 3 and a half years that was a result of what we once called the Nehemiah Ministry. Since I began that step of faith out of the business world those 6 plus years ago--I have seen God do absolutely amazing things!
I have personally had the privelige of teaching and baptizing over a 100 people--several who are now faithfully serving Christ and who are now out evangelizing and planting seeds. I've got to see numerous people who were once living in absolute rebellion to the Lord--who did not fit into society or into churches--who have since been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ! Parents are parenting better, spouses are better loving spouses, addictions have stilled or slowed, anger has turned to love, and there are so many stores I could share. Of course, there are many heartbreak stories too--but God is still to be praised through it all!
Recently, we have revived and put what once was the Nehemiah Ministry--into a renewed very aggressive evangelistic (that is practical and flexible in terms of how we reach different kinds of people in the community) work--and we now call it the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission. One of the purposes of this work is to bring in more and more Christians from the community to help us reach the entire City of Mesquite one day--especially the areas where there is poverty and real brokenness and children who have no Christian parents to teach them about the Lord's ways. This renewed Nehemiah work--is currently under At The Cross Church of Christ--our congregation--but will eventually be a 5013c. This allows us to better shepherd and equip the members of At The Cross--who are mostly new Christians--and better disciple them. At The Cross will still be very evangelistic in nature--but as The Nehemiah Mesquite Mission grows--At The Cross will hopefully soon have some of the pressure taken off it it with the many masses we currently serve--by getting more help from Christians in the community who may not want to join At The Cross Church--but could still help us in our community outreach work.
The three primary areas are are working and serving in, in Mesquite are: Allenhurst Apatments, Peachtree Apartments, and The Valley View Heights Neighborhood near the Rodeo--a low income neighborhood thats been infested for years with decaying homes, crime, and other struggles. Because of God's power and grace, progress continues to be made in all three areas! One day Lord willing, we will be in many apartment complexes and low income neighborhoods!
But to keep all this going--I need to be able to still provide for my family. Our primary funding we had for the first 3 years of our church plant is gone--we are still grateful for it though!!! We had a grant from a church last year that helped fund my salary through this coming February--which we are also sooo grateful for!!! So I am seeking just as a foreign missionary woulld (I am a local missionary)--funds for my family's provision for 2011. If you could support us in 2011 with a monthly support of $200, $100, $50, or even $25. Or if you could just make a one time contribution--that would also be a blessing.
My work goes beyond my congregational service and our community outreach. I also handle a number of weddings and funerals each year for families who have no church home--who look to me for help--and these are wonderful seed planting opportunities.
My family had some tough attacks from Satan in 2009 and 2010, but there have also been many blessings. Christi continues to be a great support to me and a wonderful mother to our kids. Jaici is now 13 and in 8th grade. Jayden is 11 and is a 6th grader. And our newest addition, Bryson Anthamatten--my best friend Shawn's son--who passed away last December--is part of our family now--and a great blessing to us. Bryson is 13 also.
If you can help for next year and support our work--you could start sending your support in January if you want--or anytime you desire. Make checks out to At The Cross and send to:
429 S. Walker
Mesquite, Tx 75149
Or you can use our paypal if its convenient from our website: http://www.atthecrosscofc.org/
Please continue to keep my family and our work for Jesus lifted up in prayer.
Blessings,
Bruce Archer
Bruce Archer
At The Cross Church of Christ--Minister
Nehemiah Mesquite Mission--Servant Leader
(972) 834-7099
Dallas Christian College 07
http://soulsavin.blogspot.com/
http://kinderamerica.blogspot.com/
"Love One Another"
As we approach 2011, I have been working very hard to raise funds for the outreach ministry I've led here in Mesquite the past 6 years--based on the concept of Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem--and the church I lead the past 3 and a half years that was a result of what we once called the Nehemiah Ministry. Since I began that step of faith out of the business world those 6 plus years ago--I have seen God do absolutely amazing things!
I have personally had the privelige of teaching and baptizing over a 100 people--several who are now faithfully serving Christ and who are now out evangelizing and planting seeds. I've got to see numerous people who were once living in absolute rebellion to the Lord--who did not fit into society or into churches--who have since been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ! Parents are parenting better, spouses are better loving spouses, addictions have stilled or slowed, anger has turned to love, and there are so many stores I could share. Of course, there are many heartbreak stories too--but God is still to be praised through it all!
Recently, we have revived and put what once was the Nehemiah Ministry--into a renewed very aggressive evangelistic (that is practical and flexible in terms of how we reach different kinds of people in the community) work--and we now call it the Nehemiah Mesquite Mission. One of the purposes of this work is to bring in more and more Christians from the community to help us reach the entire City of Mesquite one day--especially the areas where there is poverty and real brokenness and children who have no Christian parents to teach them about the Lord's ways. This renewed Nehemiah work--is currently under At The Cross Church of Christ--our congregation--but will eventually be a 5013c. This allows us to better shepherd and equip the members of At The Cross--who are mostly new Christians--and better disciple them. At The Cross will still be very evangelistic in nature--but as The Nehemiah Mesquite Mission grows--At The Cross will hopefully soon have some of the pressure taken off it it with the many masses we currently serve--by getting more help from Christians in the community who may not want to join At The Cross Church--but could still help us in our community outreach work.
The three primary areas are are working and serving in, in Mesquite are: Allenhurst Apatments, Peachtree Apartments, and The Valley View Heights Neighborhood near the Rodeo--a low income neighborhood thats been infested for years with decaying homes, crime, and other struggles. Because of God's power and grace, progress continues to be made in all three areas! One day Lord willing, we will be in many apartment complexes and low income neighborhoods!
But to keep all this going--I need to be able to still provide for my family. Our primary funding we had for the first 3 years of our church plant is gone--we are still grateful for it though!!! We had a grant from a church last year that helped fund my salary through this coming February--which we are also sooo grateful for!!! So I am seeking just as a foreign missionary woulld (I am a local missionary)--funds for my family's provision for 2011. If you could support us in 2011 with a monthly support of $200, $100, $50, or even $25. Or if you could just make a one time contribution--that would also be a blessing.
My work goes beyond my congregational service and our community outreach. I also handle a number of weddings and funerals each year for families who have no church home--who look to me for help--and these are wonderful seed planting opportunities.
My family had some tough attacks from Satan in 2009 and 2010, but there have also been many blessings. Christi continues to be a great support to me and a wonderful mother to our kids. Jaici is now 13 and in 8th grade. Jayden is 11 and is a 6th grader. And our newest addition, Bryson Anthamatten--my best friend Shawn's son--who passed away last December--is part of our family now--and a great blessing to us. Bryson is 13 also.
If you can help for next year and support our work--you could start sending your support in January if you want--or anytime you desire. Make checks out to At The Cross and send to:
429 S. Walker
Mesquite, Tx 75149
Or you can use our paypal if its convenient from our website: http://www.atthecrosscofc.org/
Please continue to keep my family and our work for Jesus lifted up in prayer.
Blessings,
Bruce Archer
Bruce Archer
At The Cross Church of Christ--Minister
Nehemiah Mesquite Mission--Servant Leader
(972) 834-7099
Dallas Christian College 07
http://soulsavin.blogspot.com/
http://kinderamerica.blogspot.com/
"Love One Another"
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Authentic Worship Today
Today was such an awesome day the Lord gave us! Today At The Cross Church of Christ left our building and had our worship service on the grounds of Peachtree Apartments. We had so many residents including many children join us--it was so beautiful! I preached a message called "Whats The Bottom Line?" from 1 John 4. I drove home--that Christ's desire for all of us as He hung on the Cross--was not for us to be "good church folks." It was for us to love one another well--that anyone who loves--knows God. Anyone who does not love--does not know God.
Of course, we know its just a tad more complicated than that--for we know that even pagans and non-believers love their family members. But they don't understand true love--agape love--UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! Thats the kind of love God wants us to understand.
Very special thanks to the brothers from Saturn Road Church of Christ and First United Methodist Church in Mesquite for helping to provide a cookout of hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone!
There have been many hard days since I began this ministry 6 years ago--but days like today when you get to see people who live in poverty and struggle--get to see how wonderful Jesus truly is--MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT!
May the Lord bless each of you today!
Bruce
Of course, we know its just a tad more complicated than that--for we know that even pagans and non-believers love their family members. But they don't understand true love--agape love--UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! Thats the kind of love God wants us to understand.
Very special thanks to the brothers from Saturn Road Church of Christ and First United Methodist Church in Mesquite for helping to provide a cookout of hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone!
There have been many hard days since I began this ministry 6 years ago--but days like today when you get to see people who live in poverty and struggle--get to see how wonderful Jesus truly is--MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT!
May the Lord bless each of you today!
Bruce
Monday, October 4, 2010
Tellling Jesus "To Hit The Road Jack, And Don't Ya Come Back...!"
I was reading this weekend from Matthew 8 where Jesus healed the two demon possessed men by driving the demons into the herd of pigs--who all were thus killed by going off a cliff! Then in the last verse, we see where neighbors and villagers then pleaded with Jesus to leave the area!??
Interesting, how they had witnessed the Son of God do something good for men and drive demons out--and yet--they wanted Him to leave? Now maybe some of them did not realize who Jesus truly was? We don't fully know. But we know that to date--over and over Jesus had done nothing but good for people! And perhaps over the fear of losing economic gain--these folks--after witnessing Jesus do something good--asked him to leave?
Do we ever do that? Do we ever subconciously ask Jesus to leave when we really want to focus on other things? Do we sometimes without realizing it--ask our Savior to leave when we don't want to be bothered by His ways when they interefere with our desires and our agenda? The good news is--HE never stops loving us and never stops gently knocking on our doors so HE can come back into our lives--no matter how often we may ask HIM to hit the road! What a beautiful and loving Savior Jesus is to us!
Embrace these words from the book of Job:
"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God!" (Job 37:14).
I love each of you dearly!
Bruce
Interesting, how they had witnessed the Son of God do something good for men and drive demons out--and yet--they wanted Him to leave? Now maybe some of them did not realize who Jesus truly was? We don't fully know. But we know that to date--over and over Jesus had done nothing but good for people! And perhaps over the fear of losing economic gain--these folks--after witnessing Jesus do something good--asked him to leave?
Do we ever do that? Do we ever subconciously ask Jesus to leave when we really want to focus on other things? Do we sometimes without realizing it--ask our Savior to leave when we don't want to be bothered by His ways when they interefere with our desires and our agenda? The good news is--HE never stops loving us and never stops gently knocking on our doors so HE can come back into our lives--no matter how often we may ask HIM to hit the road! What a beautiful and loving Savior Jesus is to us!
Embrace these words from the book of Job:
"Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God!" (Job 37:14).
I love each of you dearly!
Bruce
Thursday, August 12, 2010
At The Cross Update
It has been a very exciting summer for those of us serving the Lord through At The Cross Church of Christ. God has been doing awesome and incredible things as usual! There has been a lot of change and transformation of our ministry this summer.
OUR APARTMENT MINISTRY
We began the summer with the realization that the ministry at Allenhurst Apartments that was once so flourishing, had slowed down tremendously and we no longer had the energy and excitement it once had. We lost about 5 families that had lived at Allenhurst for a long time who could no longer pay their rent or had to move for other reasons. As we lost those families, I noticed more and more that the newer families that were moving in had less and less interest in what we were offering and the child population has continued to decline the past several months there. So when the owners told me back in May that they were definitely raising our rent--I simply felt like God was telling me that what we had done and seen at Allenhurst the past 5 years, was meant to be done at other apartment complexes in Mesquite. So we began to make plans to let our two church apartments go after June--which we did--and now all our operations are out of our building--FOR NOW!
This last spring we did not do our annual big cookout/funfest at Allenhurst for the first time in 5 years--simply because we've also lost a few of our good worker families who had grown tired of the work and ministry we do and they went back to more traditional church settings--and given our tightening funds--I just did not think we could easily sustain such an activity this last year--not too mention again, the lower child population at Allenhurst.
Balch Springs Church of Christ spent a few days helping us do some work at our building and we had a joint Sunday evening devotional with them in early June. Then a week later, The Heartlands Church from Lincoln, Nebraska joined us again for a week for their mission trip. They did wonderful work on our building during the day and awesome mission/discipling work at Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments at night! Along with a big dinner/worship service on the grounds of Allenhurst (a couple of weeks before we shut down our two church apartments). Those young Nebraskan Christians were sooooo wonderful!! Watching them love on so many adults and children unconditionally and so fired up to show and share Jesus with everyone!
We still take a van through Allenhurst during the week and on Sundays and we still spend time there each week just visiting people and loving on them--but slowing our operations at Allenhurst has finally allowed us to really work Peachtree Apartments a lot harder and more consistently. We moved our Wednesday night dinner/Bible class to Tuesday nights at our building now. So the last few weeks, I have been picking up several kids from Allenhurst and dropping them off at the building and then running down the street and picking up a "FULL" van load from Peachtree--mostly kids but a few adults! These are children who really live in a rough environment! We serve dinner at 6:30 and those kids are so glad to get it--and then class at 7pm. Once a month, we don't have class and we do something fun for the kids. Like recently we had a "Teen Surge" night for all our teens and pre-teens. A brother named Jairus Withrow, who is a very talented musician, Christian rapper, worship leader and more--did some fun Christian rap and music that is somewhat relative to the culture of the young people we are ministering to--and then my old co-worker from CiCi's Pizza Sean Maness, who grew up in a low income apartment complex in Mesquite--gave a great kid friendly devotional talk! We are finding more and more, that WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO THINGS OUT OF THE BOX--THAT DIFFERENT CULTURES OF PEOPLE TODAY CAN RELATE TO--SO THEY CAN GRASP AND GET THE GOSPEL MESSAGE!!!! That night we had over 40 kids and it was wonderful!
We are hoping to do some on site activities soon at Peachtree--like a back to school cookout. My summer intern, Jonathan Brooks from Harding University, and I went a couple of nights a week and just walked through both Allenhurst and Peachtree and said hi to folks and made friends. Speaking of Jonathan, it was a blessing to have his help. Although I don't look at interns as workers to help us--I look at them as an opportunity to give them as much exposure for future kingdom leadership/ministry roles. Jonathan sat in on some Christian marital counseling, some one on one Bible studies, taught every age group within the congregation Bible class, preached two different Sundays, made shepherding and outreach visits with me, and participated in every Sunday worship service in one capacity or another. He got to see some difficult people/bloody sheep situations. And he took a group of our kids to church camp for a week this summer. I am very proud of Jonathan. This Sunday we are having a special lunch honoring his service.
OUR WOMEN'S MINISTRY
A year ago I said our teen ministry which was going through a really rough time was our weakest link. Then a few months later, I looked closely at our women's ministry which had once flourished--was really hurting and had become our weakest link. I prayed and prayed for God to give some of our new sisters in Christ--some older, more mature Christian sisters to love on our women and provide some mentoring. Those prayers have been answered! God has since sent several of the sweet sisters again--from Highland Oaks Church of Christ to be a blessing to our women and they have a breakfast/devo once a month and other activities.
PRISON/JAIL MINISTRY
For years my family has written a brother in Christ who is in prison to keep him encouraged and occasionally put some funds on his books so he can get basic necessities. We have recently been involving our teens and younger kids in writing him and now we are going to start including other prison inmates in our regular love correspondence. If you have a loved one or a friend in prison and they need some encouragement, get us the mailing info and we will gladly encourage them.
FOOD PANTRY/CLOTHES CLOSET
Our food pantry has continued to grow--not just in clients, but in volunteers. Every week we have several sweet sisters from Highland Oaks Church of Christ who help us in that work. However, we are in the process of changing up both our food pantry and really all our benevolence ministry service. We are working to move into a new ministry that provides the good samaritan approach, but also at some point requires some giving back in work or service--so we do not hurt people by enablement. We'd covet your prayers as we pray and work through preparing for this new approach.
Please continue to pray for our work. We need to raise $75,000 by spring of next year so we can do the following:
1. Continue with at least one full time person (which has been me thus far)
2. Be able to go into a new apartment complex (not Allenhurst or Peachtree) and build infrastructure and rent an apartment like we once did at Allenhurst and be able to pay a part time minister to help with that work. I am currently looking at Hickory Tree Apartments not far from our operations and praying about that complex.
3. Continue to be able to provide some benevolence to the many poor families we work with and serve.
Please also be praying for God to keep not only sending us part time workers from other congregations--which are wonderful! But to send us a few more families from a church background who can put their lot in with us full time--who can serve, work, and tithe--so one day we are not so dependent on outside funds.
If you can give, please send checks (made out to At The Cross) to:
429 S. Walker
Mesquite, Tx 75149
Or you can give through our paypal--just go to our website at: http://www.atthecrosscofc.org/
There is much, much more work yet to be done in Mesquite! Many, many lost souls yet to reach! But all things are possible with God!
Love in Christ,
Bruce
OUR APARTMENT MINISTRY
We began the summer with the realization that the ministry at Allenhurst Apartments that was once so flourishing, had slowed down tremendously and we no longer had the energy and excitement it once had. We lost about 5 families that had lived at Allenhurst for a long time who could no longer pay their rent or had to move for other reasons. As we lost those families, I noticed more and more that the newer families that were moving in had less and less interest in what we were offering and the child population has continued to decline the past several months there. So when the owners told me back in May that they were definitely raising our rent--I simply felt like God was telling me that what we had done and seen at Allenhurst the past 5 years, was meant to be done at other apartment complexes in Mesquite. So we began to make plans to let our two church apartments go after June--which we did--and now all our operations are out of our building--FOR NOW!
This last spring we did not do our annual big cookout/funfest at Allenhurst for the first time in 5 years--simply because we've also lost a few of our good worker families who had grown tired of the work and ministry we do and they went back to more traditional church settings--and given our tightening funds--I just did not think we could easily sustain such an activity this last year--not too mention again, the lower child population at Allenhurst.
Balch Springs Church of Christ spent a few days helping us do some work at our building and we had a joint Sunday evening devotional with them in early June. Then a week later, The Heartlands Church from Lincoln, Nebraska joined us again for a week for their mission trip. They did wonderful work on our building during the day and awesome mission/discipling work at Allenhurst and Peachtree Apartments at night! Along with a big dinner/worship service on the grounds of Allenhurst (a couple of weeks before we shut down our two church apartments). Those young Nebraskan Christians were sooooo wonderful!! Watching them love on so many adults and children unconditionally and so fired up to show and share Jesus with everyone!
We still take a van through Allenhurst during the week and on Sundays and we still spend time there each week just visiting people and loving on them--but slowing our operations at Allenhurst has finally allowed us to really work Peachtree Apartments a lot harder and more consistently. We moved our Wednesday night dinner/Bible class to Tuesday nights at our building now. So the last few weeks, I have been picking up several kids from Allenhurst and dropping them off at the building and then running down the street and picking up a "FULL" van load from Peachtree--mostly kids but a few adults! These are children who really live in a rough environment! We serve dinner at 6:30 and those kids are so glad to get it--and then class at 7pm. Once a month, we don't have class and we do something fun for the kids. Like recently we had a "Teen Surge" night for all our teens and pre-teens. A brother named Jairus Withrow, who is a very talented musician, Christian rapper, worship leader and more--did some fun Christian rap and music that is somewhat relative to the culture of the young people we are ministering to--and then my old co-worker from CiCi's Pizza Sean Maness, who grew up in a low income apartment complex in Mesquite--gave a great kid friendly devotional talk! We are finding more and more, that WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO THINGS OUT OF THE BOX--THAT DIFFERENT CULTURES OF PEOPLE TODAY CAN RELATE TO--SO THEY CAN GRASP AND GET THE GOSPEL MESSAGE!!!! That night we had over 40 kids and it was wonderful!
We are hoping to do some on site activities soon at Peachtree--like a back to school cookout. My summer intern, Jonathan Brooks from Harding University, and I went a couple of nights a week and just walked through both Allenhurst and Peachtree and said hi to folks and made friends. Speaking of Jonathan, it was a blessing to have his help. Although I don't look at interns as workers to help us--I look at them as an opportunity to give them as much exposure for future kingdom leadership/ministry roles. Jonathan sat in on some Christian marital counseling, some one on one Bible studies, taught every age group within the congregation Bible class, preached two different Sundays, made shepherding and outreach visits with me, and participated in every Sunday worship service in one capacity or another. He got to see some difficult people/bloody sheep situations. And he took a group of our kids to church camp for a week this summer. I am very proud of Jonathan. This Sunday we are having a special lunch honoring his service.
OUR WOMEN'S MINISTRY
A year ago I said our teen ministry which was going through a really rough time was our weakest link. Then a few months later, I looked closely at our women's ministry which had once flourished--was really hurting and had become our weakest link. I prayed and prayed for God to give some of our new sisters in Christ--some older, more mature Christian sisters to love on our women and provide some mentoring. Those prayers have been answered! God has since sent several of the sweet sisters again--from Highland Oaks Church of Christ to be a blessing to our women and they have a breakfast/devo once a month and other activities.
PRISON/JAIL MINISTRY
For years my family has written a brother in Christ who is in prison to keep him encouraged and occasionally put some funds on his books so he can get basic necessities. We have recently been involving our teens and younger kids in writing him and now we are going to start including other prison inmates in our regular love correspondence. If you have a loved one or a friend in prison and they need some encouragement, get us the mailing info and we will gladly encourage them.
FOOD PANTRY/CLOTHES CLOSET
Our food pantry has continued to grow--not just in clients, but in volunteers. Every week we have several sweet sisters from Highland Oaks Church of Christ who help us in that work. However, we are in the process of changing up both our food pantry and really all our benevolence ministry service. We are working to move into a new ministry that provides the good samaritan approach, but also at some point requires some giving back in work or service--so we do not hurt people by enablement. We'd covet your prayers as we pray and work through preparing for this new approach.
Please continue to pray for our work. We need to raise $75,000 by spring of next year so we can do the following:
1. Continue with at least one full time person (which has been me thus far)
2. Be able to go into a new apartment complex (not Allenhurst or Peachtree) and build infrastructure and rent an apartment like we once did at Allenhurst and be able to pay a part time minister to help with that work. I am currently looking at Hickory Tree Apartments not far from our operations and praying about that complex.
3. Continue to be able to provide some benevolence to the many poor families we work with and serve.
Please also be praying for God to keep not only sending us part time workers from other congregations--which are wonderful! But to send us a few more families from a church background who can put their lot in with us full time--who can serve, work, and tithe--so one day we are not so dependent on outside funds.
If you can give, please send checks (made out to At The Cross) to:
429 S. Walker
Mesquite, Tx 75149
Or you can give through our paypal--just go to our website at: http://www.atthecrosscofc.org/
There is much, much more work yet to be done in Mesquite! Many, many lost souls yet to reach! But all things are possible with God!
Love in Christ,
Bruce
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A STORY OF HOPE
There is a lady I went to Jr. High and High School with named Robyn Terrill. I didn’t know Robyn well in school, but began to get to know her a couple of years ago on Facebook. Most of the posts I’d see from her always seemed very negative and she seemed so miserable. Whenever I tried to say something encouraging to her, I’d often get a sarcastic response back from her. It was as if she could not believe anyone would just be kind for the sake of being kind.
As the months went by, I began to see a slow softening of Robyn’s heart. We began to message some back and forth and she expressed to me that she was living with family member near the metroplex and had recently become a Christian. As we spoke more, Robyn shared that she had lived in Los Angeles for a number of years and had led a very rough and sinful life. Then a few years ago, she got pregnant and she realized she had to make some changes. What we know now is that God was working His plan out through her life.
As the final months of 2009 wound down, Robyn was fearing she would not be able to stay where she was much longer and she so hated to leave the church she was at and have to up root her and her daughter to San Antonio to go live with her mother, who was also having a lot of struggles. But she did have to go to San Antonio, and myself and others were trying to figure out how to help this woman and her child find a better life. We prayed and we prayed and we prayed! And Robyn waited patiently on the Lord. Oh, not without some real frustration, anger, fear, and anxiety like we all have when we are living on the edge. Then one day, a sister from my congregation whose son was going to go live at Medina Children’s Home mentioned to me about Medina. Medina is a wonderful place where single mothers in difficult situations and children who need a fresh start can go live and have a second chance at life. I immediately could not believe that I had not thought of Medina?
I called a dear brother named Richard Brown from Highland Oaks Church of Christ who is a Medina Representative in the Dallas area and he started the ball rolling. I also spoke to a brother down at Medina who was very helpful and he started dialoging with with Robyn. After a few weeks of Robyn going through process and BY THE GRACE OF GOD—ROBYN AND HER DAUGHTER BELLA GOT INTO MEDINA!
Since then, Robyn and her daughter’s lives have been so blessed! They have a wonderful church home, a stable living environment, a job, daycare, and an overall heavenly Christian community in which to live! Only our God can take such difficult situations and turn them into such a beautiful story of hope! I'm reminded of the story of Ruth.
Robyn praises our God non-stop everyday! She has such a grateful heart and she knows that “her redeemer lives!” I have no doubt that one day Robyn will be a tremendous asset to the Kingdom of God and be a great source of support for many young women who will be going through difficult struggles!
What a mighty God we serve! HE is mighty to save!
As the months went by, I began to see a slow softening of Robyn’s heart. We began to message some back and forth and she expressed to me that she was living with family member near the metroplex and had recently become a Christian. As we spoke more, Robyn shared that she had lived in Los Angeles for a number of years and had led a very rough and sinful life. Then a few years ago, she got pregnant and she realized she had to make some changes. What we know now is that God was working His plan out through her life.
As the final months of 2009 wound down, Robyn was fearing she would not be able to stay where she was much longer and she so hated to leave the church she was at and have to up root her and her daughter to San Antonio to go live with her mother, who was also having a lot of struggles. But she did have to go to San Antonio, and myself and others were trying to figure out how to help this woman and her child find a better life. We prayed and we prayed and we prayed! And Robyn waited patiently on the Lord. Oh, not without some real frustration, anger, fear, and anxiety like we all have when we are living on the edge. Then one day, a sister from my congregation whose son was going to go live at Medina Children’s Home mentioned to me about Medina. Medina is a wonderful place where single mothers in difficult situations and children who need a fresh start can go live and have a second chance at life. I immediately could not believe that I had not thought of Medina?
I called a dear brother named Richard Brown from Highland Oaks Church of Christ who is a Medina Representative in the Dallas area and he started the ball rolling. I also spoke to a brother down at Medina who was very helpful and he started dialoging with with Robyn. After a few weeks of Robyn going through process and BY THE GRACE OF GOD—ROBYN AND HER DAUGHTER BELLA GOT INTO MEDINA!
Since then, Robyn and her daughter’s lives have been so blessed! They have a wonderful church home, a stable living environment, a job, daycare, and an overall heavenly Christian community in which to live! Only our God can take such difficult situations and turn them into such a beautiful story of hope! I'm reminded of the story of Ruth.
Robyn praises our God non-stop everyday! She has such a grateful heart and she knows that “her redeemer lives!” I have no doubt that one day Robyn will be a tremendous asset to the Kingdom of God and be a great source of support for many young women who will be going through difficult struggles!
What a mighty God we serve! HE is mighty to save!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Dare To Dream
Fellow Workers in Christ,
What I am going to share here, is going to challenge and stretch some of you who are in church leadership. But God did not call us to be comfortable! He called us to obey Him and live our lives to give Him great honor and glory!
I believe 2011 is going to be a very special year for the Lord. I believe deep in my spirit that He is calling all of us to real action, the kind in which we have never seen before! Jesus is coming back one day! Look around the community in which you live, and see the many, many of lost people amongst us! We know the Lord has said that He does not want one person to perish.
Brothers and sisters in Christ--while we as congregations are busy looking for a new youth minister, or raising funds to remodel our facility, or meeting to address some behavior issues with kids during the worship service, discussing while the utility bills are too high, looking for a new pulpit minister, deciding on rules for our new children's ministry, who will have keys to the new youth center we just built, how we will do VBS next year and a whole host of other things we do in churches--(which all are certainly important)--LOST PEOPLE ALL AROUND US ARE HEADED FOR HELL AND MORE YEARS OF A MISERABLE LIFE TIL THEIR DEATH--AND THEY ARE NOT BEING REACHED FOR CHRIST!
We all talk about evangelism and reaching the lost--but what is the fruit of our labor? And are we really laboring with all we have to bring in lost people? Or do we find ourselves spending most of our time around other saved people and being involved with lots of church activities--and never finding ourselves around unchurched people? JESUS DID NOT SUFFER AND DIE ON THE CROSS SO WE COULD LIVE NICE LIVES WITHIN THE CHURCH THE REST OF OUR LIVES! In fact, Jesus tells us that "to those who much is given, much is expected! Jesus has given us the ultimate gift of salvation, He expects us to live our lives in grattitude for that gift and He has commanded us to go share our hope with others who don't yet have that hope!
I'm a dreamer. I dream big things. We need to be dreaming big things on God's behalf! We need to be risk takers for the Lord! What if we dreamed this big dream?
Fellow Church Leaders--what if we dreamed a dream that for one year--we would set aside all projects and issues before the church--and would focus entirely on our congregations going out and reaching the lost of our community? Just take a moment to think and dream about how that would look........
What if every congregation in each community canceled their Sunday services at the building at least once a month and went to a neighborhood or an apartment complex where they would appear to be little Christianity--and had their worship in that place and invited all those living nearby to join them? What if once a month we canceled our Wednesday night service/classes and went to the same type of place and just knocked doors and said hi to everybody or had a cookout and served families living in that area or place?
What if our congregations asked their memberships to bring furniture, appliances, and all other household items they no longer need--and have a "free" sale if you will--where the neighborhood people could come get things they need for their homes--and all of this would be done in the name of Jesus Christ? Spring Creek Community Church in Garland recently did this.
What if each of our congregational memberships were constantly looking for opportunities to make friends and contacts that would give them the opportunity to show love and share Jesus with those people they meet? What if our members took their Bibles with them everytime they went to a restaurant to eat--but not shove Jesus down people's throats--but just show love and kindness in such a way that foodservers and other employees would eventually be asking those members questions? Many times I have had my Bible with me when I ate dinner somewhere and often by me just being real friendly--I was asked questions about my Bible or maybe that person was having a rough day and asked me if I would pray for them.
What if each of our congregations had members who would adopt retail stores like Wal-Marts and became regular shoppers and faces at those stores and made friends with all the employees and maybe had lunch or dinner often at the snack bars of McDonalds within those stores and became regular known and welcome customers? Imagine how many of those employees would be so happy to see those church members come in because they'd know that those Christians would offer them much love and kindness and the aroma of Christ!
What if each of our members started having Bible studies in their homes one night a week where they invite their neighbors to come and make it a comfortable and casual environment for those folks who are not quite ready to come into our church buildings yet? Or what if our members had a devotional in their front yards and a cookout and invited neighbors once a week or month? What if our members became the "ministers" of their streets--and were in regular contact with all the neighbors on their street--and everyone on those streets would know they could count on our members for prayer and love and support?
What if employers or supervisors or folks in leadership positions in the work force began to love their employees as more than just people who work for them--and looked for opportunities to minister to them? I have a lot of experience in this area. Without violating certain work place rules or crossing certain lines of people's personal space--when I was a restaurant manager, I wound up teaching the Gospel to and baptizing many employees who worked for me over the years! As did my old boss at CiCi's Pizza when I was working for him early on before I was a Christian! WE CAN USE OUR WORKPLACE AS CHRIST'S WORKBENCH!
What if every Saturday morning/afternoon, each congregation had a rotating group of workers who were knocking doors in neighborhoods inviting people to church or just saying hi and showing them love in the name of Jesus?
Just imagine if every member in every congregation were using their gifts to show Jesus love to unchurched people and share the truth about Jesus with many people each week where they live?
These things and soooo many more relational and easy things we could do to reach people that would eventually lead to conversations about Jesus--WE COULD DO! THIS IS VERY DOABLE! To just give one year of our lives and the lives of our congregations to reach lost people with all we have in us! And of course, with the Lord's help!
Imagine in one year--if we set everything else aside for one year--to be local missionaries--and our congregations fully devoted to reaching the lost for just one year--IMAGINE HOW DIFFERENT THE SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR COMMUNITIES WOULD BE????
Just imagine and dream for a moment.......
Imagine the many new faces that would be a part of our lives, headed to Heaven with us! Imagine the blessings that would flow for all of those who went out and followed Christ by reaching lost people!
So how would we do this?
It would first start with church leaders fully committing themselves to lead by example and call out and inspire the flock to follow them! Sheep will follow good shepherds! If they sheep see church leaders not just handling matters of the church--but also getting involved in people's lives and bringing in unchurched people and out evangelizing themselves--the members will follow that example!
And with a lot of prayer and asking God to lead and guide such an effort--MANY, MANY PEOPLE COULD BE TRANSFORMED TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS AND SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM! In fact, by just committing one year of our lives to this--GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM HERE ON OUT--COULD ONE DAY SPEND ETERNITY WITH JESUS!
Dare to dream fellow Christians! Dare to step out of our comfort zones! Dare to obey and follow Jesus Christ and His example!
Dare to dream--AND THEN GO!
If myself our my congregation At The Cross Church can help your congregation to go live out the Great Commission--we will partner with you arm and arm and go spread the Gospel with you!
Why not? Jesus is coming back. Let us show our true faithfulness to Him when He comes back and take many with us home when He returns!
Why not?
Why not?
LETS GO!
Bruce
What I am going to share here, is going to challenge and stretch some of you who are in church leadership. But God did not call us to be comfortable! He called us to obey Him and live our lives to give Him great honor and glory!
I believe 2011 is going to be a very special year for the Lord. I believe deep in my spirit that He is calling all of us to real action, the kind in which we have never seen before! Jesus is coming back one day! Look around the community in which you live, and see the many, many of lost people amongst us! We know the Lord has said that He does not want one person to perish.
Brothers and sisters in Christ--while we as congregations are busy looking for a new youth minister, or raising funds to remodel our facility, or meeting to address some behavior issues with kids during the worship service, discussing while the utility bills are too high, looking for a new pulpit minister, deciding on rules for our new children's ministry, who will have keys to the new youth center we just built, how we will do VBS next year and a whole host of other things we do in churches--(which all are certainly important)--LOST PEOPLE ALL AROUND US ARE HEADED FOR HELL AND MORE YEARS OF A MISERABLE LIFE TIL THEIR DEATH--AND THEY ARE NOT BEING REACHED FOR CHRIST!
We all talk about evangelism and reaching the lost--but what is the fruit of our labor? And are we really laboring with all we have to bring in lost people? Or do we find ourselves spending most of our time around other saved people and being involved with lots of church activities--and never finding ourselves around unchurched people? JESUS DID NOT SUFFER AND DIE ON THE CROSS SO WE COULD LIVE NICE LIVES WITHIN THE CHURCH THE REST OF OUR LIVES! In fact, Jesus tells us that "to those who much is given, much is expected! Jesus has given us the ultimate gift of salvation, He expects us to live our lives in grattitude for that gift and He has commanded us to go share our hope with others who don't yet have that hope!
I'm a dreamer. I dream big things. We need to be dreaming big things on God's behalf! We need to be risk takers for the Lord! What if we dreamed this big dream?
Fellow Church Leaders--what if we dreamed a dream that for one year--we would set aside all projects and issues before the church--and would focus entirely on our congregations going out and reaching the lost of our community? Just take a moment to think and dream about how that would look........
What if every congregation in each community canceled their Sunday services at the building at least once a month and went to a neighborhood or an apartment complex where they would appear to be little Christianity--and had their worship in that place and invited all those living nearby to join them? What if once a month we canceled our Wednesday night service/classes and went to the same type of place and just knocked doors and said hi to everybody or had a cookout and served families living in that area or place?
What if our congregations asked their memberships to bring furniture, appliances, and all other household items they no longer need--and have a "free" sale if you will--where the neighborhood people could come get things they need for their homes--and all of this would be done in the name of Jesus Christ? Spring Creek Community Church in Garland recently did this.
What if each of our congregational memberships were constantly looking for opportunities to make friends and contacts that would give them the opportunity to show love and share Jesus with those people they meet? What if our members took their Bibles with them everytime they went to a restaurant to eat--but not shove Jesus down people's throats--but just show love and kindness in such a way that foodservers and other employees would eventually be asking those members questions? Many times I have had my Bible with me when I ate dinner somewhere and often by me just being real friendly--I was asked questions about my Bible or maybe that person was having a rough day and asked me if I would pray for them.
What if each of our congregations had members who would adopt retail stores like Wal-Marts and became regular shoppers and faces at those stores and made friends with all the employees and maybe had lunch or dinner often at the snack bars of McDonalds within those stores and became regular known and welcome customers? Imagine how many of those employees would be so happy to see those church members come in because they'd know that those Christians would offer them much love and kindness and the aroma of Christ!
What if each of our members started having Bible studies in their homes one night a week where they invite their neighbors to come and make it a comfortable and casual environment for those folks who are not quite ready to come into our church buildings yet? Or what if our members had a devotional in their front yards and a cookout and invited neighbors once a week or month? What if our members became the "ministers" of their streets--and were in regular contact with all the neighbors on their street--and everyone on those streets would know they could count on our members for prayer and love and support?
What if employers or supervisors or folks in leadership positions in the work force began to love their employees as more than just people who work for them--and looked for opportunities to minister to them? I have a lot of experience in this area. Without violating certain work place rules or crossing certain lines of people's personal space--when I was a restaurant manager, I wound up teaching the Gospel to and baptizing many employees who worked for me over the years! As did my old boss at CiCi's Pizza when I was working for him early on before I was a Christian! WE CAN USE OUR WORKPLACE AS CHRIST'S WORKBENCH!
What if every Saturday morning/afternoon, each congregation had a rotating group of workers who were knocking doors in neighborhoods inviting people to church or just saying hi and showing them love in the name of Jesus?
Just imagine if every member in every congregation were using their gifts to show Jesus love to unchurched people and share the truth about Jesus with many people each week where they live?
These things and soooo many more relational and easy things we could do to reach people that would eventually lead to conversations about Jesus--WE COULD DO! THIS IS VERY DOABLE! To just give one year of our lives and the lives of our congregations to reach lost people with all we have in us! And of course, with the Lord's help!
Imagine in one year--if we set everything else aside for one year--to be local missionaries--and our congregations fully devoted to reaching the lost for just one year--IMAGINE HOW DIFFERENT THE SPIRITUAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR COMMUNITIES WOULD BE????
Just imagine and dream for a moment.......
Imagine the many new faces that would be a part of our lives, headed to Heaven with us! Imagine the blessings that would flow for all of those who went out and followed Christ by reaching lost people!
So how would we do this?
It would first start with church leaders fully committing themselves to lead by example and call out and inspire the flock to follow them! Sheep will follow good shepherds! If they sheep see church leaders not just handling matters of the church--but also getting involved in people's lives and bringing in unchurched people and out evangelizing themselves--the members will follow that example!
And with a lot of prayer and asking God to lead and guide such an effort--MANY, MANY PEOPLE COULD BE TRANSFORMED TO BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS AND SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM! In fact, by just committing one year of our lives to this--GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM HERE ON OUT--COULD ONE DAY SPEND ETERNITY WITH JESUS!
Dare to dream fellow Christians! Dare to step out of our comfort zones! Dare to obey and follow Jesus Christ and His example!
Dare to dream--AND THEN GO!
If myself our my congregation At The Cross Church can help your congregation to go live out the Great Commission--we will partner with you arm and arm and go spread the Gospel with you!
Why not? Jesus is coming back. Let us show our true faithfulness to Him when He comes back and take many with us home when He returns!
Why not?
Why not?
LETS GO!
Bruce
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