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FINE-TUNING YOUR LIFE ~ Part 7 Making Your Community A Better Place to Live - E In fine tuning your life. Making you Home a better place to be. Making your Church a better place to go. Making your Community a better place to live. As I sat down with this phrase, “Making my community a better place to live,” I see different aspects to this statement. Am I wanting my community to be a better place for me to live? For my family, friends and neighbors? For our young people who are up and coming? Where do you start with these questions? Before I can answer these questions, I need to be in the presence of God and see my community from the eyes of the Father. I must use the Great commission to align my life with God’s purpose for me and my community. What on earth am I here for? “God, how do I make my community a better place to live?” Text: John 13:4-5, 12-17, Isaiah 6:1-9a Eze 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” When it comes to making my community a better place to live, it has to start with knowing why God has you here. Over the years, I’ve asked a lot of people, “What brought you to Seeley Lake? And I’ve heard a lot of answers – it’s beautiful country – I like the outdoors - I love the mountains - I love to fish and hunt - It seemed like a nice community. Occasionally, I hear an answer I love – I believe God has me here. Too often I see people make life changes, getting married, changing jobs, or moving to a new place, with the idea that you just take a chance and see where life will take you – just roll the dice and hope for the best. But for the Christian who knows that their life is not their own, every major decision in life is made from being in the presence of the Father. If I understand that God has me living in Seeley Lake for a reason, how I live life here is different than someone else. 2Co 5:20 “… we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.” Not just when it’s convenient, or my schedule allows. I am called to Seeley Lake as an ambassador for Him. An ambassador lives in such a way as their lives reflect the principles and truths of another kingdom. It’s more than words, it’s how you live. How will people know you are a disciple of Jesus? By how you demonstrate your love for people. Joh 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." An ambassador for Jesus is not just trying to get people to come to church on Sundays. Ambassadors express how incredible God is, and how much He loves us. Demonstrated by how we love people – how we serve our community. Why did Jesus wash the disciples’ feet? They needed to hear the message from Jesus that to be great in His kingdom, you NEED to be a servant. John 13:4-5, 12-17 Jesus redefined the meaning of greatness, reversing the values of the world. True greatness is measured in terms of service. To make a difference for God in His kingdom here in S.L., I HAVE to have a heart towards my community that He has – I serve the community. Some of us are called to minister to God in a position recognized by the church as ministry. Pastor, teacher, etc. But many here operate in a ministry not necessarily recognized by a church but commissioned by God to “minister” to Him outside a church setting. Glen Morin is a minister to this community working at Glen’s Automotive. He ministers to God by serving people in Seeley Lake with EXCELENT service. Barb Knopp is a minister to this community working as a board chairman for the Veterans group, AND the Seeley Lake Cemetery. She ministers to God by serving people in S.L. with EXELENT service. "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Answer the call – “Here I am Lord Send me!” “God, how do I make my community a better place to live?”

The Journey of a Disciple of Jesus ~ #2 By Dale Stamper

The Journey of a Disciple of Jesus By Dale Stamper On a journey you would need a map; our map is the word of God. You might need a compass; our compass is God's definition and design of words and concepts. The Tower of Babel illustrates what happens when people can't communicate: Speak the same words: Language or meaning. On a journey there is a starting point and a final destination: spiritual maturity is our goal. Our map is: Inerrant. 2 Peter 1:20-21, Trustworthy. Psalms 119:104-105, Useful. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. It reveals that His message came from the Father. ‭‬ John 12:49 NKJV For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ‬ It reveals that His methods came from the Father. ‭John 5:19 NKJV “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”‬ Matthew ‭4:18‭-‬22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and‭‭ followed him. ‬‬‬‬‬ What is a disciple of Jesus? Identify. Who is a disciple of Jesus? Imitate. What does a disciple of Jesus do? Inspiration. Matthew ‭28:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age amen. authority: go make disciples, baptizing, teaching commandments. inspiration the Father, administration the Son, operation the Holy Spirit. ‭‭‬‬‬‬‬ John ‭13:34‭-‬35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another ,‬‬‬ 7 essentials of a disciple-making church: 1 Abiding in Chris. 2 Reach the lost. 3 Connect the unconnected. 4 Chase the strays. 5 Shepherd toward spiritual maturity. 6 Identify equip release leaders. 7 Function as a team.‭‭‬‬ John 15:7-8 NKJV‬‬ 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

FINE-TUNING YOUR LIFE Part 6 Making Your Church A Better Place to Go – D By Pastor Gary Wayne In fine tuning your life. Making you Home a better place to be. Making your Church a better place to go. Making your Community a better place to live. “If I wanted my Sunday morning services to be a better place for visitors, I would _____.” Text: Hebrews 13:2 How many of you grew up with your parents telling you, “Don’t talk to strangers?” Well for children that’s important, but for adults wanting to make visitors feel welcome, this is a terrible saying. So today, we want to change that message and say, “Do Talk To Strangers!” Why don’t we? Sometimes we have such important things to say to our friends, that we can’t wait. Sometimes we are consumed with our own problems, we can’t handle anyone else’s. Sometimes we come to church so rarely ourselves we can’t tell who the visitors are. “Hi, are you a visitor? No, I’m a deacon.” But I think for the most part, we get distracted, and I think most people don’t know how to talk to someone we don’t know, and it’s so awkward we don’t even try. This morning, I want us to develop good FORM in talking to new people. Just remember the acronym for the word FORM. F = Friends – Do you have any friends that come here? Or that live here in town? O = Occupation – What do you do for a living? R = Recreation – What do you do for fun in this area? M = Marriage – Do you have any family? Go down this list, and by the time you go through this, you will have spent at least 30 seconds in quality conversation with someone that will help make them more comfortable. In the survey “If I wanted my Sunday morning services to be a better place for visitors, I would _____.” Some people responded as if they had my notes from this message already. ********************** Meet them as they come in and seek to be genuinely interested in them and make sure they know that. Smile at them, welcoming them, remember their names and ask questions about them and listen to them. I would take up the attitude in Phil 2:3 -in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Let them know they are important to me and to God. Also, I’d give them a hug if they seem open to do so. ************************** Be friendly and welcoming, introduce yourself, if they have children tell them about the nursery and children's church and toddler care. Point out the sermon notes. Continue to be friendly after church if given the opportunity and invite them to come back. ********************* Make sure no one came without leaving with at least one new friend. ***************** Come ready to serve as well as receive by praying for the service, the pastor, the worship team, and the spirit of God to move. Be available to respond to their needs. ********************** I want to look at what I think is an important “To Do List” in greeting visitors. 1. Come to the service praying for visitors who will be there. I covered this a lot of this last week. “God, I pray for any visitors at our service today. Help them find the healing God that you are.” Let this paradigm shift be our normal thinking. 2. Come bringing visitors. #1 reason people come to church is invitation. When there is no invitation from someone here, most choose a church based on its convenience or comfort level, not because of its doctrine. We know doctrine is VERY important, but comfort usually surpasses. 3. Come early. Why? Because visitors come early. When you go somewhere new, remember how awkward it can be to be there before most people arrive. Those of you that have attended here for a while, the awkward stage is over. But to go and be early, (actually on time) and watch people come in and be friendly with each other but ignore me is ugly. Why come back if I am not wanted? 4. Come and take the worst seat. Why? So my guests can have the best seats in the building. Where do visitors want to sit when they come? In the back, and on the outside, so if things get weird, they can make a break for the door. 5. I would make sure visitors didn’t sit by themselves. (unless they want to) When you see someone come in and start to look for a place to sit, go introduce yourself, use your best FORM, then ask them if they would like to sit with you, or if you can sit with them. Be there to answer questions like, where do my children go for service? Where are the restrooms? Where can I take my crying baby? 6. I would come to church. We might think, it doesn’t matter if I go or not today, nobody will miss me. If you are not at service, then you can’t reach out to minister to visitors. We don’t go to service to get, but to give, to minister.

Fine-Tuning Your Life ~ Part 5 Making Your Church A Better Place to Go – C By Pastor Gary Wayne I want to cover three areas in this series on fine tuning your life. • Making you Home a better place to be. • Making your Church a better place to go. • Making your Community a better place to live. Review: Who invented Church? When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” was He referring to what takes place on Sunday mornings? (Mt.16:18) “We don't go to church; We are the church!” We spent a couple of weeks looking at how many view “doing church” as what takes place on a Sunday morning. Yet making my home a better place is where church should be the strongest. We talked about the difference between having the heart of a servant or son – having His heart changes how I do church. We sent out a survey: If I wanted my church to be a better place to go, I would ___. This was not to tell Pastor Gary what needs to change on a Sunday morning, but this is for self-reflection – God what do You want me to do? – How can I make church a better place to go? This morning, I want to look at how we can make what we do on a Sunday morning a better place to go. Text:1 Corinthians 16:13-16, Psalms 127:1 Ver. 14 At the end of my message 2 weeks ago, I broke the question If I wanted Sunday mornings … into different categories. Better for Children? or teens? or visitors?, for hurting people?, - there are a bunch of different directions you can run with that question. If you have attended church long enough to know the ropes, one of our personal responsibilities is to help make each church service a success. How? I would: • Show up. • Don’t just show up when church starts, come early enough you have time to minister to people. Come early enough to lint roll, or vacuum, using that time to intercede for Father’s heart to be fulfilled. • Be a thermostat instead of a thermometer for your community. Don’t come under the current atmosphere, create atmosphere. • Come prayed up – Spend time before each service praying for God to move. For years I have fantasized about what could happen if the church came early to create spiritual atmosphere over the daily schedule. Over S.L. • Come expecting to touch someone else. Ask Holy Spirit to ramp up your spiritual gifts and perception. • Come asking this question with the heart of a Son or Daughter. “God, how can I make this morning a better place to go?” Consider the different moving parts of a morning service. How can I minister to God today? Start thinking from the moment you turn into the driveway. Where do I park? Is there snow that needs to be dealt with? Should I be a parking lot greeter? Do the children’s ministry team need help today? (But I don’t want to work with tots. Is that coming from the heart of a servant or child of the Father?) 1Co 16:14 “Let all that you do be done with love.” If I do any churchy stuff – children’s ministry, youth, music, greeting, snacks, decorating, – outside of love, it takes on a religious smell, and people pick up on that, and don’t want anything to do with it. Going to Sunday morning service is not about me – it’s about my relation to Father God. When I make it about me, it’s like picking up stinking grave clothes wrapping myself up to do religious activities. Next week: “If I wanted my Sunday morning services to be a better place for visitors, I would _____.”

If There Were No Easter By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: 1 Corinthians 15:13-19, 20-22, 51-58 Ver.13 If there is no resurrection, then Christ is not risen. What we celebrate at Easier time is the single most important event in all of History. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection speaks more than any other happening. Jesus’ birth is radically important, but it is only as significant as the events surrounding Easter give it validity. If there were no resurrection, then all of what the Bible is about, All of what we do in Christianity, What we do every Sunday mornings is just mere religious activity. It has some social value, but it would only be like a club for likeminded people. Paul says, if there were no resurrection: 1. Our message is powerless: ver.12-15 2. Our faith is useless: ver.14 3. Our salvation is pointless: ver.17-18 4. Our life would be hopeless: ver.19 BUT Easter Is True!!! Christ has risen! Paul did not leave us standing at the side grave without hope. He went on to write the rest of this chapter. V.20-22 Notice Paul moves from “if” to “is.” Christ IS risen! The resurrection clearly demonstrates that God is who He says He is. If God is who He says He is, then I need to hold what He says in the highest regard. How I live places His instructions as the highest of importance. When He says, don’t sin because it will hurt you – I need to understand that takes in every area He has explained regardless of whether social norms say something is ok. Because it’s legal by the laws of the land is irrelevant. We get so accustomed by our culture that sin is normal and it’s not that bad. Rom. 12:9 “… Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” But Jesus’ death on the cross sets us free from the power of sin to rule us. And the Resurrection puts in perspective God’s values system. Because God is who He says He is, I give my life to Him - my present and future. I make Him the Lord of my life. (What does that mean?) Not only when it’s convenient, or when the mood hits me. De 5:33 “You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.” De 12:28 “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.” Because Easter is real, I dedicate my life to serving Him. I follow hard after fulfilling His heart – for me, my family, my city. 2 Cor.3 Paul says our lives are a living epistle that other people read. How we live tells them who Christ is. Is He alive? How we serve Him lets others know! Ver.58 “With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.” Message Bible

Fine-Tuning Your Life ~ Part 4 Making Your Church A Better Place to Go – B By Pastor Gary Wayne I want to cover three areas in this series on fine tuning your life. • Making you Home a better place to be. • Making your Church a better place to go. • Making your community a better place to live. Review from last week - Who invented Church? When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” was He referring to what takes place on Sunday mornings? “We don't go to church; We are the church!” Servants are motivated by wages, but what motivates sons? Relationship with the Father – a desire to please the Father. Being a part of making church a better place to go (not just referring to Sunday morning service) should flow from my understand that as a son or daughter of Father, I give myself to His passions. So how plugged into church I am can show whether I have the heart of a servant or a son. Text: 1 Corinthians 3:6-15, Psalms 127:1 From our texts, we can see that a person can busy themselves building for God, yet it not be what God wants – doing ministry, but not God’s way. So to make our church a better place to go – where do we start? Ministry has to come from being in the presence of God. Our foundation of why we do what we do has to come from relationship. When it comes to Christian activities, why do we do what we do? We need to use the Great commission to align my life with God’s purpose for me and my ministry. (Mat. 28:16-20 Mar.16:14-20) We don’t need busy work – we need Spirit inspired progress. Often a church’s activity can be based on tradition instead of what the Spirit is doing. What motivates us? The Father’s heart, or our feelings? What are you passionate about? “The passions we pursue will rule our life.” “The passions we give ourselves to will rule our home.” “The passions we give ourselves to will rule our destiny.” What part of the great commission do you own? As a Christian, that should consume me, not just an option I give myself to. Don Johnson’s message - What moves the God of the universe? What moved Jesus. Mt 9:36 “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” People in need. A son’s heart toward Father lives from this. Are God’s priorities my highest priority in life? I want to share a couple of responses from the question we sent out in our survey. “If I wanted to make my church a better place to go, I would _______.” Pastor Gary has said many times that we can draw a circle around us to invite the Holy Spirit. I think the same circle can be drawn to envelop the Church building, not only on Sundays, but to be there permanently. I believe within that circle our focus should be on God and God only, not permitting anything like politics to break that focus. The Bible clearly illustrates that God is a jealous God, let's not, even in a fractional way, compromise this. Outside the Church let freedom ring, he gave us a brain and he expects us to use it. Deep question. This is what I have been seeking to do and will continue to learn to do as I work on this: ....I would... seek to prepare myself in advance to be full of the Holy Spirit and overflowing so when I arrive at church I can overflow/pour into others. I do not go to church to get but to give. I decide I am going to church to be a change agent. At any time I might need to change atmospheres if needed and be a spiritual doorkeeper. I seek to change/help people to grow in the spirit and seek to disciple others. I will help others see what God’s vision for their life might be. I seek to help others love prayer and hunger and thirst for the presence of God. I want to make my church a better place to go....I will serve my Father and pastors in any way I can. I will be available as I can to respond, participate, lead or follow, any leading of the Holy Spirit. I will continue to pray for all of Seeley Lake community. Next time I address this: That’s the topic, but there are different aspects I want to look at. Making Sundy morning meetings better. Making Sunday morning meetings better for visitors. Making Sunday morning better for Children. For teens.

Fine-Tuning Your Life - Part 3 Making Your Church A Better Place to Go – A By Pastor Gary Wayne I want to cover three areas in this series on fine tuning your life. • Making you Home a better place to be. • Making your Church a better place to go. • Making your community a better place to live. Who invented Church? Not Clergy! Who is church for? Not Clergy! “If I wanted to make my church a better place to go, I would _______.” This is just to stimulate your thinking on a personal level. What you do with the question and your ideas are up to you. This is not to evaluate the problems you know exist, or to evaluate what someone else is doing – this is for you – draw a circle and start there. This message is more about revelation, and less about sharing of information. Let start with a MAJOR foundation – what is church? Text: John 15:15, Galatians 4:4-7, Matthew 16:18, Psalms 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house…” - What comes to your mind when we read this? God has to be the director of where we are going, what, why and how we do church. When Jesus said, “I will build My church,” was He referring to what takes place on Sunday mornings? Church = ek-klay-see'-ah, “called out ones” “governing body.” “We don't go to church, we are the church!” So this question is almost a trick question, because it is not talking just about what happens to make our Sunday morning gatherings exceptional. It is more about HOW WE DO LIFE! Gal.4:4-7, Joh.15:14-15 I want to talk about the difference between the heart of a servant and the heart of a son. Sonship is not a matter of gender or age, but it is an attitude towards the Father. For reasons WAY beyond my understanding, God has chosen to give us an honored position as sons and daughters instead of servants. In talking about making my church a better place to go, I want to look at some heart issues. Because the highest quality of ministry flows from the heart of sonship. Servants are motivated by wages, but what motivates sons? Relationship with the Father – a desire to please the Father. In the family business, this is how Father would do it. We live in a consumer mentality society – What’s in it for me – we go where the service is best, and if doesn’t meet my whims, I take my business elsewhere. How does this attitude affect choosing where to go to church? How does this attitude affect my church attendance? How does this attitude affect my thinking towards ministry? What heart attitude do I have concerning making my church a better place to go? Servant or son? Let’s say Pastor Gary woke up one Sunday morning and decided to stay home – based on how I felt. Why would that be wrong? Why do we plug into our church base on our feelings? How would this work with my weekly job - If I work based on how I feel? I believe it is partly do to the issue of son VS servant mentality. Sons help the Father build the house where servants only serve in it. Sons see a bigger picture where servants only do what they have to. Let’s say we arrive here one Sunday morning and a bear has dragged a neighbor’s garbage over here and spread it around. How will a servant respond to the situation? Someone should clean this mess up - It’s not my job, - I wonder who’s responsible for letting this look this way. What’s the heart issue? How will a son respond to the situation? They clean it up without any hesitation. Why? What’s the heart issue? It’s their house. (They have the heart of the Father) I want to simply close with a few personal questions: Whose kingdom am I building – mine or the Father’s? In being fully aware that God has called me personally to full time ministry, how does this affect my view of church? Do I realize I need to be full of the Holy Spirit in order to walk out life – ministry? When it comes to making my church a better place to go, do I approach this question as a consumer or a son? “If I wanted to make my church a better place to go, I would I do?”

Fine-Tuning Your Life Part 2 Making Your Home A Better Place to Be – B By Pastor Gary Wayne This Morning I want to continue a series of messages on fine tuning your life. I want to cover three areas: 1. Making you Home a better place to be. 2. Making your Church a better place to go. 3. Making your community a better place to live. Last week we talked about starting with yourself at home. Draw a circle and start there. To make your home a better place to be, start by working on who you are. Text: Joshua 1:6-9, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 In Josh.1, notice in ver.8 how important it is to have the Word of God as a centerpiece in our homes. Our homes should be a place where the presence of God is comfortable. Take look at what takes place in our home that is conducive to the presence of God thriving where I live. In 2 Samuel 6 we find the story of the Ark of the Covenant being temporarily left by King David at the house of Obed-Edom’s house. It is probably an understatement that Obed’s home had an instant atmosphere change overnight. How he treated his wife, his kids, what kind of TV programs he chose to watch. What kind of language he used. If God came to your house to hang out for a few weeks, what wound change? Be mindful and purposeful about remembering that Jesus lives in our home, every room; kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living room. He’s not only in our hearts but in our home! This is the attitude where we should live REGULARLY. Create an atmosphere where the presence of God is comfortable. Take more time to read study material that has helps me respond quicker to the Spirit's correction. The lord builds the homes, we as his children fill the home. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Praying and Giving thanks in all circumstances making melody and worshipping the Lord thru every season in our life. Make quality time for praise and worship - Dedicate more time to talk & listen to Jesus Make more room in my heart for Jesus Listen to more Christian music Watch more Christian ministries Re-dedicate my life to God Love and pray for my neighbors more often Remember that if you're not joyful, you're doing something wrong. When the joy leaves, make the necessary changes to bring it back ASAP. Pride is usually the reason. Play the bible in the background of your home. Create Atmosphere! If I wanted to make my home a better place to be, I would be serious about working on the relationships in my home. “I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live. Jesus Christ now lives in me.” “I esteem others better than myself”. I quit thinking everything revolves around self and put God and others first! This is what I am working on but I can’t do it by myself, oh wretched woman that I am. I need to surrender to the Spirit more and more - completely - to work in me cause I’m a failure of trying to do so in my own fleshly effort. Our relationships with those closest to us is our teaching grounds for learning to be Christlike. Also praying together as a family and teaching kids to love and be comfortable in a praying relationship with God. Start with your marriage. Husbands – Wives, focus on your task to be the right kind of spouse. Sit down and make a list of priorities in marriage, then you work on those priorities yourself. If you see areas your partner needs to work on – pray about it. Let God change them, then spend time talking to Him about you. For my home to be a better place to live, I need to make the most important relationships I have become better, and then move to excellent. I would set a specific time for reading the Bible, in my case the morning when I’m most alert, to set the tone for the day. Spend quality time asking God, “How can I make my home a better place to be.” Next week’s survey: If I were to make my church a better place to go, I would _______?

Fine-Tuning Your Life ~ Part 1 Making Your Home A Better Place to Be part – A By Pastor Gary Wayne This Morning I want to start a series of messages on fine tuning your life. Taking time to re-examine our priorities in life, and making sure we are walking out how we know we should live. In the course of an important journey, there are essential moments when you take time to see where you have been, where you are now, and where you need to go. I believe it is critical in a person’s spiritual life to set aside quality time to do this. For years, I have dedicated September to spiritual emphasis month, but last September I felt we needed to talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit. I want to take the next few weeks to cover: Making you Home a better place to be. Making your Church a better place to go. Making your community a better place to live. I want to attempt to do an interactive survey of different questions around these topics. So Pastor Heatherann and I have put our heads together to try and glean your points of view around these topics. There are 3 different ways you can contribute. 1 the question in your bulletin. 2. In text form – Heatherann will text people this question, and you can comment back. 3. Email form – there will be a web address for you to click on and you can submit your answers on a survey. Name optional. Text: Deuteronomy 11:18-21, Joshua 1:1-9 Let’s take a hard look at our home life and focus on making where we live a better place to be. A place where the presence of God can thrive. Set aside some quality time with God and ask Him some basic questions about our home life. Maybe set down as a family – at least husband and wives and pray this question: “God, how can our home be a better place to live?” Take time to work on yourself – not the other people in your home – just you. Focus on what needs to change in your personal life. Make a list, and then pray the list. (What are some practical examples.) When was the last time you set aside quality time to talk to God about who you are? Re-establish daily personal devotions. Go for quality, not quantity. Human tendency is to launch into a good thing and do too much, then it gets too hard and we quit. Keep It SIMPLE! This is a time where you set aside quality time alone with God DAILY. • Re-listen to the app – “The Pause.” This is about a 10 min pause time for you to set aside for Father to speak into your life. Go to the app store on your phone, download, sign up, then twice a day, pause and spend quality time with God. • Maybe take the book of Proverbs and read one chapter a day. • Have a personal Bible reading plan. • Find a Christian book that will challenge you. • Replace some of your TV time – or fill in the blank ______ with 15 min. of Spiritual Emphasis. How can we take this message past “Good Intentions?”

How to Share the Good News – Part 5 ~ Go Make Disciples By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: Matthew 28:19-20 What does it actually mean to be a “disciple” of Jesus? If we are going to make disciples, we need to know what that is. According to the Bible? The word for “disciple” is a learner who follows a master teacher. But discipleship is much more than just the transfer of information, more than a student of a teacher. It is imitating / emulating - the teacher’s life, inculcating his values, and reproducing the teacher.” Christian discipleship is a relationship with Jesus, following His teaching and His way of life until His ways become the lens that I look at life through. The term “disciple” is used 269 times as opposed to the term “Christian” which is used only 3 times. So the term disciple is used to describe the followers of Jesus through the NT. In looking at our text - In these two verses, there is one main command: make disciples. And three directives as to how to make disciples – go, baptize, and teach. As I was studying this, I was excited to see that our Mission Statement directly lines up with this. Engage people, Enrich Believers, Empower the called. Joh 20:21 “ As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." This means that Jesus’s disciples are on a mission. So a disciple is someone following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and committed to His mission – pointing people to Jesus. I believe when my heart is truly devoted to Him, what is on His heart is what matters most to me. His desires become my desires, blessed and anointed by God. Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” That causes me to be involved in developing relationships to help people come to know Jesus. This is not a sales pitch like a used car salesman, or an Amway dealer. People can smell that a mile away. This is winning people to Jesus, then staying connected with them to “disciple” them until they can stand on their own and make disciples themselves. How do we disciple people? Just like personal evangelism, there are multiple methods. Books, classes, conferences, cover this material a lot. But as I look at the Church overall in America, I feel this is a major area that we haven’t done very well in. It’s similar to helping to birth a baby, but after they are born, saying, ok, you are on your own. Some make it, MANY do not. My pastoral goal for this series, “HOW TO SHAIR THE GOOD NEWS” is to give us information to get started on how to do this. But head knowledge is not enough. I have been asking Holy Spirit to breath on our hearts to help us become passionate about what is on His heart. Over about a year’s time, I have been studying how to reproduce reproducers, and I have looked at a bunch of different methods. I have settled on one I want to introduce us to. “The New Believers Handbook.” & “The New Believers friend Handbook.” This is a discipline tool that can be used in SEVERAL ways. I only have about 15 small, and 10 “friend” books available. The best-case scenario – I win someone to Christ, then I ask them if they would like a small book to help them understand what just took place. So I introduce “The New Believers Handbook.” It is an easy reading devotional intended to give them a foundation in 8 weeks of daily reading. Ideally, you invite them to meet with you every week to discuss what they experienced, and to “disciple” them into a life commitment with Jesus. Very much like my pastoral advice in learning how to share the Good News, I am expecting us to study the material, and figure out how to use what works best for you individually. 2Ti 2:15 “Do your best (KJV – study) to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” NIV

Sunday morning message at Faith Chapel by Dave Rowell

How to Share the Good News – Part 4 Your Personal Testimony Text: 1 John 5:11-13 What is a testimony? Something you have seen or heard for yourself. If you were called as a witness in a court room, you would not tell what you thought had happened, what you wished had happened, or what someone else said had happened, you simply tell what you knew had happened from your own experience. Ver.11 This is our testimony! (Google – The God Test) Salt Evangelism - Col.4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” S - Start a conversation – take the initiative. A - ask a question – “Are you a spiritual person?” etc. L - listen T - tell the story – “Can I share with you how I came to know Jesus?” I want to take the rest of this time to talk about our personal testimony. Our personal testimony is the best tool we have to talk to someone about God. People can argue the validity of the Bible, but they can’t argue with your experience of what God has done for you. Many Christians don’t witness simply because they don’t know how. 1 Peter 3:15 “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have….” Many haven’t prepared or organized what to say so their attempt is like trying to put a gig-saw puzzle together with no picture and they end up stumbling through the process that can leave them saying, “I’m never doing that again.” So I want to go through some step by step mechanics as to how to organize your testimony to be an effective tool. In organizing this, I believe it is important to write it out. By doing so, you mentally focus on your personal experience with a new perspective. It will also help you to organize the details into progressive, everyday language that leads to a conclusion. Not rambling on and on, going back to fill in forgotten points, then ending with “and why did you tell me all this?” Since the aim of our testimony is to share “How I came to know Jesus,” that’s the focus. Christian jargon is so hard to get away from that it takes effort. Unfortunately, the terms, “becoming a Christian”, “being saved”, “being born-again”, “trusting in Christ,” are words and phrases that mean different things to different people, so it’s best not use those terms. Here is a suggested outline to help you write your testimony. A. Before I came to know Jesus. B. Then I came to know Jesus. C. Now that I know Jesus. A. Before I came to know Jesus - In talking about your life B.C. the mistake some make is to spend too much time explaining in depth of sin in your life, or by almost glorying in the memory. The point you want to make is you came to realized you were lost, without hope and separated from God. B. Then I came to know Jesus – Not everyone who receives gives their life to Jesus has a deep emotional experience. Be pictorial in this part, but don’t leave the idea that “this” is how you will feel, or “this” is what you will experience. The goal is to share the turning point in your life. C. Now that I Know Jesus – Our tendency is to generalize our life now, such as, now life is wonderful, It’s been great… What does that mean? Be specific about the benefits life has for you now. For instance: I have a personal relationship with Jesus, I have peace in life, I am no longer afraid of death, I now have direction in my life…etc. However don’t leave the impression that you have “arrived” and have no problems. Now what? Why do we want this tool, our personal testimony, in our toolbox? To influence someone to want Christ. If by now you can see they are with you and want you to continue, you take the next step of leading them to Christ. (What we talked about last week.) If they are not there, don’t push them, but leave the door open for a future time.

How to Share the Good News – Part 3 Talking to Someone about Jesus By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: Colossians 4:5-6, Proverbs 11:30 Ver.30 A life lived loving God bears lasting fruit, for the one who is truly wise wins souls. (Passion Translation) Ver.5 NIV - make the most of every opportunity. When it comes to trying to explain how to become a Christian, there are a lot of different techniques you can use. While I was in Bible College, I took an in-depth course on this subject. It’s an effective method. The method you use is not as important as your heart behind your efforts. 1 Corinthians 13 says this must be from love. I do believe in learning different methods, but find what works for you. In the military, basic training teaches everybody the basics regardless of the job they will do. If a cook looks up one day to see an enemy taking over the base, they will have some basic idea of how to use a gun to defend the base instead of not knowing anything to do. Some use “tracks” or a handout to start a conversation. This morning it’s my intention not to teach a method, but just some practical do’s and don’ts when it comes to leading someone to Christ. Let me start out with some don’ts. There are some methods that just should not be used. Don’t center your message on Hell. Example: You’re a sinner and God hates sinners, and you’re going to Hell! We want people to respond to God out of love not fear. If in the course of conversation the person brings it up, you can respond that yes hell is a real place and something to fear, but the message of the Gospel is more on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave…” Try your best to not use Christian jargon or clichés. – Have you been saved by the blood of the Lamb? They are thinking – “Bloody sheep??? Weird! Don’t leave the impression that all your problems have been solved since you became a Christian – life will become a bed of roses once they receive Christ. Don’t ask them: “Are you a Christian?” This means so many different things to different people. I like to start by asking some simple questions. But I think it’s important to ask permission to ask them spiritual questions. And if at any time I sense the door has closed, I simply back away because I don’t want to callas them to hearing this message. Here is a simple method using the Romans Road. May I ask you a spiritual question? Have you come to a place in your spiritual life where you know for sure that if you were to die you would go to Heaven? Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you, “Why should I let you into my Heaven? What would you say? Most people respond: “Well I’m a good person…” Did you know the Bible says that Rom. 3:10 No one is good and all have sinned and missed the glory of God? Romans 3:23 Write the reference for the next scripture beside the last one. That means that every one of us have missed the requirements to get to Heaven on our own. The word “sinned” is an old archery term that was used to describe when an archer shot at a target and missed, they sinned. We have all sinned and missed God’s requirements to go to Heaven. But the Bible also says that even though the wages of sin is death, God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) God loves us and demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) All I have to do is ask God to forgive me of my sin and ask Jesus to be the leader of my life, and I receive eternal life. I can know for certain that when I die, I will go to Heaven. Not because I’m a good person, but because Jesus gave His life for me so I could go to Heaven. Is this something you would like to do? Would you like to pray with me right now to ask Jesus into your life? If they want to, then lead them in a simple prayer. Just repeat these words after me. Jesus I realize that I am a sinner. And I need you in my life. Please forgive me of my sin. Come into my life. In Jesus’ name Amen! Now here’s where the work begins – When you have a new baby, you don’t just say, ok, see you later. In a later message, I want to spend time on the next step – making disciples. ****** THE ROMANS ROAD This pathway leads from verse to verse in the book of Romans that will help you to understand the need for salvation. Romans 3:10 “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:23 ”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 10:13 ” For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-10 ” That if you confess with your mouth the lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Guest speaker Herb Ellis

How to Share the Good News – Part 2 Strategically Be Yourself By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: John 1:6-13, 19-42 Last week I talked about the call of God to us to be a witness for Him. If you witnessed an accident, you testify only to what you saw and heard. In our text, notice in v.34 that John told what he had seen, and he testified that Jesus was the “Son of God.” In ver.40 after Andrew experienced Jesus, what did he do? Ver.41 Last week I talked about the negative response some have when the topic of “evangelism” comes up. Often people think we must fit into a mold of evangelism that we know just won’t work for who they are. Today I want to revisit the understanding that how you evangelize will look different than how anyone else does it. It may look similar, but our greatest asset towards personal evangelism is to Strategically Be Yourself! A good definition of evangelism is when one beggar tells another beggar where to find food. Notice in scripture, no two people approached evangelism the same. Let’s look at some examples in the Bible. When Saul tried to equip David to fight Goliath with Saul’s armor, what happened? 1 Sam.17:39 “David said, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off.” David’s Strategy was - he had to be himself – I don’t think he had ever heard of this kind of strategy before, and we don’t see it used again.” The Apostle Paul often used an “intellectual” approach. Study his letters and you will see that he was a master at laying out a sound explanation concerning the truths of God. There are people who need an evangelist like Paul to hear the gospel not only declared but defined and defended. This is how Josh McDowell came to know Christ. But this may or may not fit who you are. Do you remember the blind man that Jesus healed? He used a “testimonial” approach. He simply spoke from experience and said, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John.9:25) Some people need someone to simply tell them, “I don’t understand how it all works, but this is what I know….” Remember the Samaritan woman at the well? She used an “invitational” approach. (John 4:39) When she experienced Jesus, she immediately went to town, “Come hear a man that told me all I ever did.” Her simple invitation brought salvation to her city. How many people have come to Christ simply become someone asked them to come with them and hear? Tabitha used a “service” approach – lifestyle evangelism. Ac 9:36 “At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha…. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.” Because of simple acts of service to her community, she influenced people. I believe Tabitha’s approach can reach people nobody else can. Your greatest tool in evangelism is to strategically be yourself! As you study this topic for yourself, and as You spend time with Jesus, He will make you fishers of men, using who you are and what is in your hand. Start asking Him how. Our play call: Strategically Be Yourself!

How to Share the Good News – Part 1 Called as a Witness By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: Romans 10:13-15, Matthew 28:16-20 We have been called by God as a witness. What does a witness do? They tell what they have seen and heard. Most of us have heard all our church lives about our responsibility to share the “Good News,” but I think it happens on a small scale. I want to spend some time looking at this topic, How to Shair The Good News. Its amazing to me that God didn’t leave this task in the hands of angels, but to people like me and you – imperfect real people with real lives. Today our mission is still the same – build Church buildings & maintain them, have potlucks and on Sunday mornings – No! Our mission is to share the “gospel” with the world. Rom.10:13-15 To most, the word preach throws people off. The word preach = to herald, to proclaim. Living Translation – “unless someone tells them?” It is important for us to realize that Jesus has sent us to share God’s love with those around us, and to the world. But how do we do that? In Mat. 4 when Jesus called His disciples, in ver.19 “He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Note the pronouns - Jesus is promising His presence and power in us to help us share His truth. Like many of you I have been in church for a long time and heard many messages about the importance of telling others about Jesus. Yet I wonder if we haven’t been stymied by the misconceptions toward the dreaded “E” word? What image comes to mind when you think of the word “evangelism?” What happens inside your heart when you hear again that God wants you to be an evangelist? Does it cause enthusiasm and excitement, or carry negative connotations? Do we think evangelism means going door to door, or standing on the street corner loudly preaching to those “SINNERS” who are passing by? Our enemy has hindered the church by causing us to think we have to fit into a mold of evangelism that we know just won’t work for who we are. When I went to Bible College, one of my main goals was to learn how to do personal evangelism. I actually took a class called “Personal Evangelism” designed to teach you a method of evangelism. It was a great experience – and I learned a lot about evangelism and about me. One thing I learned is I’m not called to go door to door and witness. I found myself overwhelmed with anxiety while standing knocking on the door praying nobody would answer. I believe in learning a method of personal evangelism, but then adapting that method to fit who I am. How you evangelize will look different than how anyone else does it. It may look similar, but our greatest asset towards personal evangelism is to strategically be yourself! Notice in scripture, no two people approached evangelism the same. Peter was confrontational. Paul was intellectual. Barnabus was gentle. Jonah preached Hell, Fire & Damnation. Stephen waited tables. The blind man gave his testimony. Tabitha sowed clothes for the poor. This season, I want to share different tools to place in your tool box so we can be equipped to be followers of Christ, and be fishers of men. To know how to “Shair the Good News.”

Taking a Look Down the Road By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry…” Jesus gave pastors to the church to equip / train church people to minister. Looking down the road for this year at our church, there is a simple mission statement that I want to use to identify the different purposes we have as a working body of people who are after the heart of God. Faith Chapel’s mission statement for 2024: Engage People Enrich Believes Empower the Called Engage People: - Becoming skilled at being a bridge to connect people with an incredible God - Personal evangelism - People who are lost, wounded, disconnected Enrich Believers: - Teaching people to feed themselves from the Word - Help each person to mature in their spiritual lives - To find healing for wounded places in their heart Empower the Called: - Help people to recognize / understand their calling - Equip people for ministry - Provide opportunities for people to minister in their giftings The main Engine that drives Faith Chapel to where we want to go needs to be Prayer. As a pastor, that is a major emphasis on my heart – prayer. Having events and activities for our church needs to be focused on our mission statement. We don’t need business, we want to fulfill the reason / purpose F.C. is in Seeley Lake.

I Must Be About My Father’s Business Text: Luke 2:40-52 Ver.44 people who went to Jerusalem for special festivals often traveled in caravans, with the women and children in the front and the men in the back. Sometimes the whole village would travel in groups together. We can assume that both parents thought Jesus was with the other parent. After about 4 days, even though Jesus was 12, can you imagine the fear games they would have wrestled with in their heads? Imagine for a bit the conversation they must have had when they went to bed for the night – wherever they might have slept – if they slept. - Joseph – “God is going to kill me, I lost His only Son!” Lu 2:46 “… after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” After they found him, maybe in hindsight it might have been a logical place, but still - at the temple??? Ver.48 “So when they saw Him, they were amazed…” This was a surprise to them - he was sitting in the middle of the Hebrew teachers – listening & asking them questions. Ver.49 – the first recorded words of Jesus. “And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Jesus in turn seems surprised that Joseph and Mary were surprised. Perhaps as Jesus was growing up, they had already discussed this – that is, His purpose. Ver. 51 “But they did not understand …” HUGE understatement. Even though Joseph and Mary knew Jesus was God’s son, their way of thinking was VERY different than how Jesus thought. They filtered what they knew about Jesus, and what God had shared with them through their human reasoning, understanding and perspectives. These first recorded words of Jesus are important because it shows that Jesus knew at age twelve what His purpose was all about. “I must be about My Father’s business.” The basis of this message is this: I am asking God to give to us today the same level of understanding / revelation / conviction Jesus had for the purpose of His life - that SAME understanding for our life. My understanding of God’s purpose for me should have the same revelation as to why I live. Too often like Joseph and Mary, we hear with our head, but not at a heart conviction. We grow up in a different culture of reality – especially in America, where I think of my life as my own, to do what I want with it, to set my own agenda for the day. But when I give my life to God, I take on the same purpose as Jesus had – “I must be about my Father’s business.” Theres a balance here somewhere – I believe God calls me to be a good husband, father, before I am a minister / pastor. But the understanding that my life is His, my purpose is from Him, my LIFE is His. This NEEDS to be from the same perspective as Jesus had. How I give myself to this revelation sets the tone for my everyday life. How I live life. How I treat my wife, my family, how I interact with people. I am not my own. (1 Cor.6:19-20) When I wake up in the morning, I start out asking, “God, what are we going to do today? What is on Your heart for me this morning?” As I drive to work, or to the post office, I’m communicating with Holy Spirit. Jesus had one focus – a singleness of mind / purpose. Everything He did, went through that filter. I want to live my daily life with this single-minded understanding that Jesus had. We see life thought the filters we have learned to live with. We hear truth, then filter it with my: experiences, understandings, questions, education, etc. Take a moment and simply ask: “Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me today? How do You want me to apply this message to my life?”

The Gift of God By Gary Wayne This Christmas season, as I have read and studied the Christmas story, I keep coming back to the basic topic of gifts and giving. Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God...”. Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave…” Text: Isaiah 9:2, 6, Have you ever given gifts that needed to be opened in a specific order? For instance, the first gift you give are tools to put together the next gifts in line. The best way to beat the Christmas stress is to stress the things that are important - to emphasize this gift from God to you. Start by unwrapping the main gift that is designed to help me function with what is to come. Unwrap Jesus first. Why is it that this time of year can be overwhelming for many people? How many have received a gift that at the time, the “awe factor” wasn’t that great, so we set it aside to fixate on the shiny gadget type of gift that captured our attention. But at some point as we return the first gift, realizing it’s value over all the other things that grab our focus. There is an unrealistic expectation that the “magic of Christmas” will transport me into a state of happiness that fixes everything. Simply receive God’s gift of Jesus into your lives, and life will smooth out, and we can live like heaven on earth. The truth is that the stress of Christmas time is not new. Think with me the stress that the major players in this event LIVED with. Look at the stress Mary began to live with after the angel shard God’s news with her. What about Joseph before they were married. After they were married. After the Magi left. Talk about Christmas Stress! I thought Jesus was the “Prince of Peace?” The greatest gift is not just that we get to go to heaven when we die, but the presence of Jesus is God’s present to us. His presence is given so I can handle the stress of life – the stress of a holiday season with Jesus living inside me. Many times, He doesn’t calm the storm, but He calms the child. So in the middle of the presence this year – the presence of anxiety, of stress, of business, etc. take a moment to look inside for the gift from God of Jesus – He does life WITH us - His presences gives me the ability to deal with the reality life.

What Gift do You Give Jesus? By Pastor Gary Wayne In our culture, gift giving, and Christmas just go together. Max Lucado - Open letter to wives from Husbands. As we read our text for today, I want to ask you to think about the different gifts that were offered to Jesus on this first Christmas day. Text: Luke 2:1-20 What gift did Joseph give Jesus? What was the gift Mary gave? What about the shepherds – what did they give? How about the little drummer boy? Just kidding - I’m fairly certain he wasn’t there. We didn’t read this account which is in Matthew 2, what did the Magi give later when Jesus was a child? What about the Angels – what did they offer? This is one gift that is interesting to me. The Angles gave worship. Ver.13-14 On the surface their gift seems shallow considering how we think the King of Kings should be worshiped. Had humans orchestrated this angelic event, it would have lasted for way too long, and the main event would have been downplayed. "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" That’s it, they worshiped. Shouldn’t they have done something more SPECTULAR? More practical? Mary could have used a bed; Jesus could have used a decent place to be born with a crib. These were angels - couldn’t they have done better? But then again these were angels – they knew Jesus better than anyone on Earth. Those who knew Him best, gave Him worship! According to scripture, at this very moment, heaven is filled with the sound of worship. Surrounding the thrown of God, are angels who worship our 24/7. According to Isaiah 6, the very door posts shake with the sound. I wonder if the importance of worship is almost lost on our understanding. What offerings did Solomon give when dedicating the temple? 144,000 animals. 2Ch 7:5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. Just a question – do you think this impressed God? Maybe – we don’t know – but ponder with me the value God placed on the worship the angels gave. Now let’s turn the corner a bit and talk about us. Joh 4:23-24 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." God is seeking worshipers. Note – this isn’t saying He is seeking worship, but worshipers. One of the meanings to the word worship – to ascribe worth or value. Any time you ascribe worth or value to God – you worship. Whey we say things like – “God You are worthy.” We are declaring His value. Whenever you schedule into your calendar time for prayer, you are declaring God’s value – worship. When you mentally tune into the Christian Radio and listen – to preaching / teaching, to worship music, you are ascribing value to God. When you sit down with the Word of God to read or memorize His words – you are worshiping. When you purpose to focus on God during different parts of your day – Worship. According to Biblical Hebrew explanation of worship, worship is how you live your life every day – every part put together, not just one moment caught on video for social media. Worship happens at home, on the job, driving down to the post office, etc. Sometimes it has been known to happen at churches on Sunday morning. What worship do you give that has God’s attention? Church attendance? How boisterous you are when you sing? How much you give in offerings – sacrificial giving? What is worship in God’s definition, not ours? What happens when the people of God have worship as their priority? What is the gift your life is giving to God this Christmas? Max Lucado - Open letter to wives from Husbands. Dear ladies, we know you mean well, we know you think you know best. But enough is enough. We have suffered in silence for too long. Having shared our pain with each other we husbands, hereby step out of the shadows and we open up our hearts. This year as you shop for our Christmas gift, please don’t buy us what we need. We know we need to smell better. And look nicer. We know you like us in warm pajamas and new underwear. But we do not know what to say when we open these gifts. How can you fake enthusiasm over house slippers? How can you look happy holding a nose hair trimmer? We’ve lied long enough for the sake of integrity on Christmas morning, we offer this guidance. As you look at any potential gift, ask yourself these questions. Can he play with it? Does it swing, bounce, shuffle, cast or roll? Can you find on it a trigger, grip, ripcord or stick shift? Does it consume oil or dog food? Does it have a big screen and remote control? If it does, buy it. It doesn’t matter if he already has one, this is not time to be practical. When considering an item of men’s apparel, ask yourself, is it brown and green and rain resistant? You can’t lose with any garment that is. But realizing that many women prefer to shop anywhere except the hunting department, we offer these two questions. Does it make him look cute? Does it make him look like a hunk? If the clothing makes him look cute, drop it immediately. If it makes him look like a hunk, buy two. When all else fails, ask this – can he eat it? Note: the question is not, would you eat it? Or do other humans eat it? Or is it edible? Don’t occupy yourself with trivialities. The question is: can he eat it? If the answer is yes, consider yourself on safe ground. In closing we extend this offer. If you will buy us what we want, we will do the same for you. And without revealing any details, we will tell you this – a large vacuum cleaner company has offered us a group discount. And you thought we were insensitive. No need to thank us, Your Husbands.

At Your Word Message by Bryce Smith

What is My Mission Field? By Pastor Gary Wayne I want to refresh our understanding of the Great Commission – the last instructions Jesus gave just before He ascended to the Father. According to George Barna, 51% of church people have never heard of the Great Commission. Text: Acts 1:8, Luke 24:45-53, Mark 16:14-20, Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave these instructions to us – NOT just clergy – but to believers. The instructions were: to go, make disciples, teach, and baptize. These signs will follow those who believe: cast out demons; speak with new tongues, supernatural protection from deadly things, lay hands on the sick." What have these instruction been boiled down to in our overall church society? I believe a majority in the American Church un-intentionally believe it’s mostly about going to church on Sunday morning and watching a few people or the pastor do their thing. It has created a consumer mentality. Acts 1:8 NIV – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Amplified – “But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” What is the power for? MULTIPAL reasons and uses. Shair the good news with people, baptize them, disciple them, teaching them to follow the teachings of Jesus, do the signs and wonders Jesus did. Predominantly for us to be witnesses for Jesus to other people. What does a witness do? They tell what they have witnessed. What they have experienced, what they have seen and heard. OVERALL – the Good News. A question I want us to individually ask God: Is what I’m doing as a believer bearing this fruit? Today I am asking God to create a pardine shift in us. Pardine shift = a situation in which the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something changes completely. Pardine shift - think in terms of when I wake up to start my day, my first thought is “today my first priority is to fulfill the great commission.” When I start my day interacting with my family, I am representing Jesus. I NEED to be filled with the Spirit for this. When I start my drive to work, I leave 5-10 min early to do what Brenda instructed us as to how to do drive by prayers. “God what direction should I drive today?” Let’s say you feel a “glancing thought” or idea to drive by the Elementary. Since I gave myself plenty of time to minister, I drive by the elementary, then around the blocks by the elementary which happens to have lots of families with kids that NEED Jesus. With this God induced pardine shift in my thinking and action, I intercede for these people, these teachers, these kids who are in DESPERATE NEED of God. Would you like a list of topics or ideas on how to pray – talk to Brenda. Maybe you are retired and don’t drive to work every day. Then on your way to the post office, or bank, or store, you: leave 5-10 min early to: When you get where you are going, you are “on duty for God”, so before you open your car door and go in, you take a few minutes to ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to shift the atmosphere. As you walk into a store, your goal is to represent Him. WWJD He is why I live! There are so many ministry opportunities – we are limited by our thinking. Are there people and places in our city that NEED you and me to be full of the Holy Spirit and do drive intercession? Do we realize that God doesn’t need me to represent Him. He could speak to my neighbor way better than I can. If he wanted to, he could think a thought in every being on planet Earth could have that thought resonate through their being. He doesn’t NEED me, but He wants me to be a part of bringing people to the Kingdom. What does this question mean? “What is my mission field?” What are the issues that hold me back? Holy Spirit, create a pardine shift in us. Fan into flame our desires / our passion for You.

Thanksgiving is my Battle Cry By Pastor Gary Wayne In the Opening song “Again & Again” we sang: A song of thanksgiving is my battle cry With joy as my weapon, I'll stand and defy The lie of the dark with my hands lifted to the sky Text: Philippians 4:5-8, 1Peter 5:5-9 The Greek word for cares is translated as, anxiety, worry, to be troubled. It has the idea of dividing or separating. Worry and fear causes division in our mind through distraction. The condition in which someone is occupied or fixating upon something. This is exactly what anxiety does to most of us. Note the relationship between ver.7 & 8. The devil is seeking you. Satan is not looking to devour you physically, but spiritually and mentally. The mind is the battle ground. Dan.7:25 tells us the enemy will try to wear out the saints with mental fatigue. When we are in a mental war, we don’t fight thought with thought, but with the Word, Worship, and Praise (Thanksgiving). Phil.4:5-8 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” Shift your mind. V.6 “with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; We are often given a choice as to how we respond to pressure. When I’m driving and find myself surrounded by idiots. God is giving me a choice how to respond. God is giving me a chance to see there are things in my heart that need dealt with – from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Mt 12:34 Lu 6:45 When I find in me anger and frustration coming to the surface, this is my God given opportunity to examine where that fruit is coming from and go after the roots. “God where is this coming from?” When I do that on a regular basis with normal everyday living, when real pressure comes, I have established in me a right response to a Living God. My un-renewed mind is hostile towards God. I become excellent at Rom.12:2 “…be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” So… ver. 8 Think on these things.

Filled with the Holy Spirit ~ Part 4 His Power has a Purpose! By Pastor Gary Wayne Text: Acts 1:8 Power in the Greek is dunamis = force, miraculous power, ability, abundance. Dunamis is where we get the word dynamite from. What is the primary purpose of the power of God for us? I think it is to display God's compassion, love, and the nature to people. Book: Intimacy with God, by Randy Clark – How can we not have expectation for mighty things to happen through us when He is in us, and His Spirit is on us? We must believe that He is in us. We must believe that the living Christ lives in us. He is near, as close as our breath. I read testimonies of God working through people, and I cried out in prayer, “God, if this is possible today, if You still communicate with people like this, if it is possible to live this kind of Christian life – that is what I want.” We are called by Scripture, by the Living God, to take our belief, our doctrine and exercise something inside us. To obey what I know is God’s heart. Does faith or obedience activate the power of God? Yes! When I don't pray for someone's healing, what is active in me, fear, or faith? When I step out of the boat into the realm of the unknown – when I take a chance, and ask someone if I can pray for them, or give a word, I am exercising the theology I say I believe – I am living up to the expectations I think God has for me. I expect the Holy Spirit living in me to fulfill God’s heart for the situation. With or without the miracle I want to see. Lately, I am hungry to see God move. And as I typed this, my knee-jerk reaction was: Prove it! I don’t want this to just be words - statements designed to fire us up at ½ time just before we leave the locker room. “God, move on us to be hungry for Your move!” I am asking God to set me free from fear. From the wrong thinking that my actions, my faith is the source of God moving in signs and wonders. Whether I see the miracle or not – It’s not about me. When I don't step out and pray for people, is it because I want to save face? Definition of Loose Face = suffer a loss of respect; be humiliated. Am I protecting my flesh from embarrassment? At what cost? Who am I protecting by my reluctance? Who am I impressing? If I pray for someone and don't see anything happen, do I lose faith face with those people? It can feel like it. BUT ANYTIME I work out of obedience, I gain face with the father. I am my own worst enemy. It is highly probable when the Holy Spirit speaks to me to pray for someone, or tell someone about Jesus, the enemy doesn't even need to bather trying to stop me, because I do that on my own. We discount ourselves all the time. I have a God thought about something I could do, but then re- think it, talking myself out of it for "logical" reasons. Song “I'm no longer a slave to fear.” We are in this partnership with God for this. Why me? Why us? We have Jesus within us. In the OT, the Holy Spirit would rest on different leaders for a season, then lift. But today, Christ Lives Within us! The Holy Spirit is ALWAYSE on board. We have a partner that is REALLY in tune with Heaven. We are our own worst enemy. TOTALLY SHOCKED when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, and when we obey, miracles happen. We believe in our head – in our theology, but in our hearts??? We are qualified to “Walk in the Spirit” to be a part of signs and wonders. But pastor, you don’t understand what I have done…. Think about the majority of the people God used to write the Bible. Liars, murders, adulteries, doubters - Moses, Gideon, David, Paul, etc. They fought with God often for Him to use someone else. A lot of these guys had issues – it’s true they were murders, adulterers, etc. but they had hearts after God. But we have the opportunity to be “Filled With the Holy Spirit for today.” We are qualified by God Himself. It feels to me like we are coming into a season where we have never been before. And God WANTS to use His favorite people to demonstrate His character to the world. With or Without me, and most of that is my choice. Rom. 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”