10:31 Student Ministries

10:31 Fight Night 2011 Trailer

2011-06-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

This a longtime Timberlake tradition and it is coming soon! This is a time where everyone will get a chance to “die to self” and work together as a team to accomplish a common goal. We will be starting this event at TCS at 6pm and ending shortly after 8pm. The cost is $2 per person, with $5 max per family. We do recommend wearing clothes and shoes that you do not mind getting dirty.

10:31 Fight Night 2011 Trailer from Stephen Conley on Vimeo.

Journey with Isaac

2011-05-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is our 74 day journey with Isaac from his time in the NICU to finally bringing him home. God has already used him and this trial to be instruments of grace and blessing in our lives. Thanks to everyone for their constant prayers for us and incredible acts of service for our family.

Journey with Isaac from Stephen Conley on Vimeo.

10:31 Summer 2011 Trailer

2011-05-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

What will you be doing this summer? This summer, we will be going on a “10:31 Summer Expedition!” Each student will have the opportunity to serve our community from Lynchburg to Richmond as well as begin a journey in search of true wisdom through the book of Proverbs. From fellowship activities to outreach events, it is going to be a great time to be a student in the 10:31 Ministry this summer!

10:31 Summer Expedition from Timberlake Baptist Church on Vimeo.

10:31 Summer Events Calendar

2011-05-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

Here are our summer events for 2011!! You can download this file here.

Resurrection

2011-04-24T14:55:00.001-07:00

This reading from the Valley of Vision was done in our church for Easter today. What a powerful message as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ!

RESURRECTION

O God of my exodus,

Great was the joy of Israel’s sons

when Egypt died upon the shore,

Far greater the joy

when the Redeemer’s foe lay crushed in the dust.

Jesus strides forth as the victor,

conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing might;

He bursts the bands of death,

tramples the powers of darkness down,

and lives for ever.

He, my gracious surety,

apprehended for payment of my debt,

comes forth from the prison house of the grave

free, and triumphant over sin, Satan, and death.

Show me herein the proof that his vicarious offering is accepted,

that the claims of justice are satisfied,

that the devil’s sceptre is shivered,

that his wrongful throne is levelled.

Give me the assurance that in Christ I died, in Him I rose,

in His life I live, in His victory I triumph,

in His ascension I shall be glorified.

Adorable Redeemer,

Thou who wast lifted up upon a cross

art ascended to highest heaven.

Thou, who as man of sorrows wast crowned with thorns,

art now as Lord of life wreathed with glory.

Once, no shame more deep than Thine,

no agony more bitter, no death more cruel.

Now, no exaltation more high,

no life more glorious,

no advocate more effective.

Thou art in the triumph car leading captive Thine enemies behind Thee.

What more could be done than Thou hast done!

Thy death is my life, Thy resurrection my peace,

Thy ascension my hope, Thy prayers my comfort.

Coming Home Soon!

2011-03-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Well, the schedule has changed....again. Sue Cook was able to secure a flight last night out of San Salvador for the entire team and they safely landed in Dulles at 4:30am. She just called me and said that they are passing Warrenton, VA which is about 140 miles away. This should put the team at TCS between 9:30-10:00am. The team has done admirably, but they are visibly weary from all of their traveling over the last 24 hours. They will be home soon!

Semper Gumby,

Pastor Stephen

G-mala -Mar. 25 -Friday -enroute

2011-03-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

We did not think we would be sending another blog, but Semper Gumby. Sitting in the airport in San Salvador with students sitting on the ground playing the guitar andsinging the song that they wrote as well as other praise and worship songs. They are being mucho, mucho (very,very) Semper Gumby. Just another experience to add to their Senior trip.

Hopefully see you sometimes tomorrow with a bunch of tired seniors.

Don and Donna

Farewell to Guatemala

2011-03-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

We say farewell to the Sr. Class of 2011 Missions trip to Guatemala. There were a lot of tears and sadness as the team parted with friends that had been made this week, especially with the orphanage children. We were treated in Guatemala party style atmosphere,complete with music while we ate dinner. The food was truly fabulous-favorite dishes of these people. Afterwards the orphanage children treated us to a program. Final packing is taking place as we blog,since we leave for Guatemala City right after breakfast. It will certainly be a long day for us. I am sure your senior will be talking nonstop for the next several days telling you details about their personal experiences and reflections. We certainly hope many of you will be able to attend the chapel service when they present their trip to the student body. We certainly want to thank each of you parents for entrusting your Senior to us this week. We have found it to be a joy to serve alongside them this week. Trusting this is only the beginning of changes from the inside out.

Don and Donna Updike

Thursday Mar. 24

2011-03-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

Today concludes our last full day in Guatemala before our return home. Just a few adjectives to describe participants on this trip-hard workers, submissive,one-another minded and practicing Semper Gumby.
Today we hiked to the waterfall enjoying all the things God created along the way even
some cows beside the creek. Some enjoyed jumping in the waterfall from the rocks. During the waterfall hike the character traits of perseverance and sense of helping one another (pulling them up the rocks,etc) were portrayed today. After lunch the group have gone to various locations-orphanage, nutrition center and construction site to give workers their gloves and hats. Many have developed some close ties with the children and leaving them will be difficult. Don't forget to check your Frig. information for return times, etc. This may be last blog.We may have a short one after dinner tonight!!

Thursday- Dump/waterfall

2011-03-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

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G-mala-Wednesday Mar. 23

2011-03-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

We started out our day with our established routine of breakfast at 7:30, then on to lots of different involvements for the day. The weather today was a little more like we are close to the equator but certainly not like others have experienced when they came down here. Some of the team headed out to the Nutrition center (baby house), while most of the team headed to the hospital work site. There we worked on parging some more walls and getting things ready for another support column.The amount of equipment they have for construction is limited compared to the states. OHSA would also have a blast here!!!
We had an early lunch so we could go out to the Dump to fed the people there. We are
SO blessed. While some were serving others had the opportunity to engage the children in play and adults in conversation when Miss Nice or spanish speaking students were around. Later in the afternoon some went back to the Nutrition center and others to the
orphanage. Some of the srs. are begging to spend as much time as possible with the children. It has been quite a busy day, yet no complaints from anyone.
I am sure it thrills Miss Nice' see her students engaged in many different levels of conversations.
The electric power has been out twice today so we have been unable to get this blog posted earlier. Sorry no pictures tonight,Be assured your Child is well and enjoying an incredible week. They just could not be more servant minded , cooperative and a delight to be with

Don & Dpnna

2011-03-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

We are not sure how the post are coming through because we are sending the blog and slideshow usually separately, so be sure to check out the new posts to view both.

We are loving this time with your Senior.

Don and Donna

G-mala Tuesday Mar. 22

2011-03-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

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Tuesday Mar. 22-G-mala

2011-03-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Each day as we close out activities,we have a devotional time to focus on our morning quiet time as well as share new experiences,blessings and lessons from the day. Last night we had several students share
thoughts on how to effectively interact at the Orphanage. Singing with this group is always special because they are truly singing from their hearts and not just saying the words. Last night the guys sang a song they had written. They had been collaborating on it since the first night of our trip.
Today began a little warmer than the others have been and the afternoon work at the hospital required a little more sunscreen, but still not up to normal for this time of the year.
Once again our group divided up with some going to the Nutrition center (baby house) and others to work on the hospital.Most of the Srs were at the hospital construction site today. They were carrying 100 lb. cement bags up to the second level, mixing concrete,putting up a form for a column and parging (which yesterday,we called putting up stucco). The Guatemala workers are very patient with our students showing them how to do things. They may actually see us as comic relief and we just don't understand what they are saying about us. It is nice to see progress each day at the hospital work site. The girls are almost as anxious to be mixing concrete as the guys. There are certainly no slackers in this group.
Today at lunch some of the
Srs gathered up the plates from the workers and helped with risning of dishes before they went into the dishwasher.These acts were not been prompted by anyone, just thinking of others before themselves. They are practicing being others minded.
Tomorrow may be a hard day as we go to the dump to feed the individuals there.
We appreciate your continual prayers for our team.

Don and Donna for the 2011 Sr. class

GMala Monday 3212011

2011-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

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G-mala-Monday-March 21

2011-03-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon the Srs. played with the orphanage children in the pool. One student told us that a child on Sat. seemed sad and would not smile, but by the end of the afternoon with our teens they were smiling. It is so neat that they can see how people showing they care can make a difference. We attended a different church tonight where the students once again ministered with testimonies and song. As they attend these Spanish speaking services without a translator, it is neat to see how much they have retained of their Spanish from class. The message focused on being a servant of Christ which is what the seniors are practicing. Monday started a little earlier than previous days, but no complaints at all. We just want to praise how cooperative these students have been. We have not had to tell anyone it is bedtime (I think their bodies are telling them this.)
Getting them up in the morning has not been an issue. It has been mentioned that the guys are getting Don Updike up-what a role reversal!
Today some of the girls washed windows at the baby house and older folks home. They also cleaned the cribs. The rest of the team moved rock, sand and concrete at the hospital. It was quite amusing to us and especially to the Guatemalan workers to see the team try to make stucco stick to the walls.Our students and some of the men had a hard time getting the right technique in the wrist action. Many of the students are trying things they have NEVER done before.

Keep praying for safety, spiritual growth and changes from the inside out.

Don and Donna for the Srs.

G-Mala-Sunday

2011-03-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

We apologize for the very late or should I say early posting for Saturday. We experineced some technical difficulties in creating the blog. By the end of the trip we should fully understand blogging, but we are trying to keep you up to date. Thank Tamara Mock for the great photos you are receiving.

The students ministered in the village church of Chiquimula, this morning. This is where the TCS team painted the church as well as worked on a house for Pastor Salvador below the church last year. Those that worked on that project would be pleased with the finished project. Amy, Jessica Korn and Miss Nice shared testimonies in the morning service.The seniors did a fabulous job of about 10 minutes of praise and worship.Don brought a message from the Word via translator. Tracy Cooter sang a solo in the service. The Guatemala people are so expressive in their church services. Regardless of what language you speak, it is so neat how you can all worship the same God together. After the church service we passed out food pacakges we had assembed yesterday to the church families. We had a great time singing on the way to and from the church.

This afternoon the teens are playing with the orphage children and tonight we will attend a different church service. You would be very proud of the servant 's heart each of your children are displaying.

Don and Donna for the 2011 Sr. class

Sunday-Mar. 20

2011-03-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

2011-03-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

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2011-03-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

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March 20th

2011-03-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

The trip went as was planned-no delays-no lost luggage, which is always a blessing. We arrived to WONDERFUL weather, cool,very pleasant evening. The students are enjoying adapting to a new culture. All those students that know Spanish are having an opportunity to use it. They are asking Miss Nice for new words and expressions. Sleep was not an issue for anyone last night. They did not even hear the men snoring. Tracy and Don were sung to sleep by the guys singing in their bunks.

This morning we toured the Hope of Life ministry and packed bags to be distributed later in the week. There is a real team spirit among everyone.

The students immediately warmed up to the babies, children and adults-chatting with the adults and playing with the children.

Your children are not starving. The meals are incredible.

Tonight we attended the church where Herbert (the group manager of the facility )attends. Amy Fowler and Jessica Korn gave their testimonies in Spanish. All the students ministered in song.Mr Foss treated everyone to ice cream after the service

Our evening devotional time was described by Chad Hamel as "powerful" It truly was a special time together.

D0n and Donna for the senior class

Update from Guatemala

2011-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

From Sue Cook this morning...

Morning at Hope of Life.....All is well. Everybody had a good night. Reveling in the beauty of the surroundings. Don did an excellent devotion with them last night--short, because we were all exhausted--but very good words.

Today we are going to tour the compound, then pack bags of food to distribute after church tomorrow, spend some time at the orphanage (because this is the day that the kids are out of school), then church tonight (yes, it is Saturday night, but there is a church nearby that has a service.

Sue Cook

Allow The Children Ministries
1969 Bethel Church Road
Forest, Virginia 24551
Sue@allowthechildren.org

Safely arrived in Guatemala!!

2011-03-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Great news! Sue Cook just called me to let me know that the TCS Guatemala Team safely arrived about an hour ago to the Hope of Life Mission Compound in Zacapa, Guatemala. Even though it was a tough day of driving through the night and traveling all day, they are all in good spirits and excited about what is before them. Their accommodations are great with newly renovated dorm rooms for guys and girls. They will be touring the Hope of Life ministry tomorrow and packing food for the church in Chiquimula that they will be ministering in for Sunday. Tonight they will have a chance to relax and get some much needed rest! Thank you for your prayers for the team as they prepare to minister.

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

TCS Guatemala Trip Coming Soon...Please be in prayer!!

2011-03-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

In just a few short days, the TCS seniors, sponsors, and parents will be off to Guatemala from March 17-26! We appreciate everyone's prayers for the team as they leave and look forward to how God will use His Word and team as His instruments. As the team goes forth to serve, they must do so with His Word on their lips. Here are the verses of Scripture that we have meditating on as a team in preparation for this trip:

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Philippians 2:1-8

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

These passages point us to the One we are preaching, the One we are serving, the One whose example we are following, and the One who gives us the strength and power to serve! As the team prepares to leave, here are some prayer requests to keep in mind...

1. Pray for the team as they spend consistent time in Scripture and prayer as they continue to prepare their hearts and attitudes in service to the Lord.

2. Pray that the team would become more unified and close before and during the trip, not allowing anything to come between them as they serve together.

3. Pray that God would be glorified in all that they do.

4. Pray for a burden for the lost and boldness to share the gospel without fear.

5. Pray that they would have lives that are willing to “deny self” and show a servant’s heart like Jesus did by being others-minded.

6. Pray that the team would be a genuine blessing and encouragement to the body of Christ in Guatemala.

7. Pray that the team would show the love and compassion of Christ to the children in the orphanages and hospitals.

8. Pray that the team will still be living out what God teaches us on this trip upon their return.

Thank you for your prayers! See you on the blog soon!

Proclaiming His Name,

Pastor Stephen

Parent Perspective: Prepared Spontaneity

2011-01-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

Parents and Students,

In light of Pastor Ferrell’s new Sunday series on Biblical Productivity, we all have been reminded to have a Scriptural perspective on our roles in the home. This week, I would like to encourage the parents as they seek to shepherd their children to the glory of God. What follows comes from an article by Paul Tripp that I read this week that really challenged my thinking as a parent. So much of our teaching and shepherding is needed the most when we have the least amount of time and energy! :) However, this paves the way for God’s sufficient grace to strengthen us and reminds us of our dependent we are upon God. Please take some time to read this. You can view the entire article here - http://j.mp/e3x40v.

Parenting is all about living by the principle of prepared spontaneity. You don’t really know what’s going to happen next. You don’t really know when you’ll have to enforce a command, intervene in an argument, confront a wrong, hold out for a better way, remind someone of a truth, call for forgiveness, lead someone to confession, point to Jesus, restore peace, hold someone accountable, explain a wisdom principle, give a hug of love, laugh in the face of adversity, help someone complete a task, mediate an argument, stop with someone and pray, assist someone to see his heart, or talk once again about what it means to live together in a community of love.

What you do know is that Scripture gives you the wisdom that you need, and your always-present Messiah gives you the grace that you need to be ready to respond to the moments of opportunity he will give you. Along with this, you and I must remember that our Lord loves our children more than we ever could, and his commitment to their growth and change is more faithful and persevering than ours could ever be. Because of this, in his grace and love, he will manufacture moments that expose the needy hearts of our children to us. He will faithfully employ the little moments of everyday life to expose to us and our children their need of rescuing and forgiving grace. And he will not do this only at the moments that you feel are appropriate and when you feel most prepared.

There is a better way. It begins with praying that God would give you new eyes; eyes that are more focused on his eternal work of grace than on your momentary plans for you. This better way also includes seeking God for a flexible and willing heart, ready to abandon your agenda for God’s greater plan. And it lives with the confidence that God is in you, with you, and for you and will give you what you need so that you can face, with courage and grace, the parenting moment that you didn’t know was coming.

In Sunday School, we are continuing our DVD series with John Piper on “The Blazing Center.” We will be focusing this week on how our love for God and others flows from a delight in God, and not so much a duty to be dreaded. On Wednesdays, we are continuing to come alongside the children’s ministry by leading the worship, teaching, and game time at TCS.

Here is what is coming up in 10:31...

FOCUS Conference in February: We have had a good number sign up for this event! If you are still interested in going and have not signed up, we do have a few openings. Please let me know this week!
10:31 Super Bowl Party: We will be having our annual Super Bowl party on Feb. 6th @ 7:30pm, right after the evening service. Parents and students are encouraged to come! The cost is $2 per person or $5 per family. More details to come next week!

Let’s remember to pray for one another and provoke one another to love and good works!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

Contemplating Christmas

2010-12-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

Sermon Excerpts by George Whitefield

We read this to our congregation this month on Sunday nights, and it really caused me to ponder how I will spend my time and energy this Christmas. Enjoy!

"What, shall we not remember the birth of our Jesus? Shall we yearly celebrate the birth of our temporal king, and shall that of the King of kings be quite forgotten? God forbid! No, my dear brethren, let us celebrate and keep this festival of our church with joy in our hearts: let the birth of the Redeemer, which redeemed us from sin, from wrath, from death, from hell, be always remembered; may this Savior’s love never be forgotten! But may we sing forth all His love and glory as long as life shall last here, and through an endless eternity in the world above! May we chant forth the wonders of redeeming love and the riches of His grace, without intermission, forever and ever! And as, my brethren, the time for keeping this festival is approaching, let us consider our duty in the true observation thereof, of the right way for the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls, to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; an event which ought to be had in eternal remembrance."

"What can we do to employ our time to a more noble purpose than reading of what our dear Redeemer has done and suffered; to read that the King of kings and the Lord of lords came from His throne and took upon Him the form of the lowest of His servants; and what great things He underwent. This, this is a history worth reading, this is worth employing our time about: and surely, when we read of the sufferings of our Savior, it should excite us to prayer, that we might have an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ; that the blood which He spilt upon Mount Calvary, and His death and crucifixion, has made an atonement for our sins, that we might be made holy; that we might be enabled to put off the old man with His deeds, and put on the new man, even the Lord Jesus Christ; that we may throw away the heavy yoke of sin, and put on the yoke of the Lord Jesus Christ."

"O do not, I beseech you, trust unto yourselves for justification; you cannot, indeed, you cannot be justified by the works of the law. I entreat that your time may be thus spent; and if you are in company, let your time be spent in that conversation which profits eternally: let it not be about your profits or your worldly concerns, but let it be the wonders of redeeming love. O tell, tell to each other what great things the Lord has done for your souls; declare unto one another how you were delivered from the hands of your common enemy, Satan, and how the Lord has brought your feet from the clay and has set them upon the rock of ages, the Lord Jesus Christ; there, my brethren, is no slipping. So let Jesus be the subject, my brethren, of all your conversation. Let your time be spent on Him!"

"O my dear brethren, be found in the ways of God; let us not bring shame to our dear Redeemer by how we bear His Name and proclaim His Gospel. Let me beseech you to strive to love, fear, honor, and obey Him, more than ever you have done yet. O do not be so ungrateful to Him who has been so kind to you! What could the Lord Jesus Christ have done for you more than he has? Then do not abuse His mercy, but let your time be spent in thinking and talking of the love of Jesus, who was incarnate for us, who was born of a woman, and made under the law, to redeem us from the wrath to come!"

Are you believing a counterfeit gospel?

2010-12-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Parents and students,

As we continue to focus on the Gospel this month, I have a question for you: Are you believing a counterfeit gospel?

In his book How People Change, Paul Tripp identifies seven counterfeit gospels– ways we try and “justify” or “save” ourselves apart from the Gospel of God’s grace. I found these unbelievably helpful and revealing J. Which of these do you tend to gravitate towards?

Formalism. “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.”

Legalism. “I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.”

Mysticism. “I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don’t feel that way.”

Activism. “I recognize the missional nature of Christianity and am passionately involved in fixing this broken world. But at the end of the day, my life is more of a defense of what’s right than a joyful pursuit of Christ.”

Biblicism. “I know my Bible inside and out, but I do not let it master me. I have reduced the gospel to a mastery of biblical content and theology, so I am intolerant and critical of those with lesser knowledge.”

Therapism. “I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more of a Therapist rather than a Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than the sin itself—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs.”

Social-ism. “The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.”

I don’t know about you, but I found these statements very eye-opening! Certainly, there are idols that we can worship that are outside the church. But it is the idols of our hearts that we cannot neglect to address, and these things are often hard to identify! One theologian said that “we know it’s wrong to bow to the god of power—but it’s also wrong to bow to the god of preferences. We know it’s wrong to worship immorality—but it’s also wrong to worship morality. We know it’s wrong to seek freedom by breaking the rules—but it’s also wrong to seek freedom by keeping them. We know God hates unrighteousness—but he also hates self-righteousness. We know crime is a sin—but so is control. If people outside the church try to save themselves by being bad; people inside the church try to save themselves by being good.” As we celebrate this Christmas season let’s remember that Christ came not to angrily strip away our freedom, but to compassionately strip away our slavery to idols so that we might become truly free!

In Sunday School, our DVD series on “The Blazing Center” continued as we examined what true love toward God and others is – delight versus duty. For our 10:31 Bible Study tonight, we will continue our study on the church, and meet in Wednesday Discussion Groups, breaking down the one-another passages in the New Testament.

Here is what is coming up in 10:31...

Christmas Caroling and Party: This annual event will be held on Saturday, December 11th from 3pm-9pm. Come ready to serve and fellowship with one another! We will start at the Student Ministry Room at 3pm and end at the church by 9pm. We ask that each student bake and bring 2 dozen of their favorite kind of cookies and we will sort them out and put them into gift bags. After caroling around our community, we will head back to the church for supper and our Christmas party. You will need to bring a gift to the party, but this gift DOES NOT have to cost any money at all. If you want to spend some money, I ask that you not spend more than $5. Please let me know if you are coming. Parents and students are welcome to attend!

New Year’s Eve Party: Details to come next week! Stay tuned...

Let’s remember to pray for one another that we would reject any counterfeit gospel and address the idols of our hearts!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

How Gospel-Centered Are You?

2010-12-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Parents and students,

So, how Gospel-Centered are you? If you really want to find out, you have to do the math...Gospel Math! Jesus + Nothing = EVERYTHING!!! This concept is nothing new, but it is radical in our day and age. I know that most of us are not struggling with our works earning God’s favor in our redemption, but many of us struggle with thinking that God’s continued favor toward us is based on our performance. It is my desire to liberate you from that thinking by pointing you to the freedom that the Gospel brings! According to Colossians 1:12-23, The Gospel is about Jesus' performance on our behalf not about our performance for Him! Through the Gospel we have been qualified, delivered, transferred, redeemed, and forgiven! Preach this to yourself everyday when you wake up in the morning - “Because of God’s grace, I have been qualified to share in God’s inheritance as a son, delivered from the domain of darkness, transferred to the kingdom of Christ, redeemed from sin’s slavery, and forgiven from our lawless deeds!” Being Gospel-centered focuses your attention on becoming increasingly more of what you already are in Christ and never anchoring your identity to anything smaller than Jesus Christ. The Gospel causes us to rejoice that our lives are not primarily about becoming better Christians, but being a people who believe in the power of the Gospel to transform our lives and sanctify us! It was Christ’s obedience to His Father on the cross that empowers our obedience to the Father. What a liberating truth this is!

I encourage you to take this month of December and mediate on the Gospel. After all, this is the month that we celebrate the incarnation of Christ and His coming to earth in Bethlehem. He came be our Savior and be a ransom for us! In light of this, there are two resources that I would highly recommend. The first is already attached to this e-mail entitled, “Gospel Math – Jesus + Nothing = EVERYTHING.” This message by Tullian Tchividjian (weird name, I know!) will minister to your soul! His message is Gospel-centered and from Colossians 1. You can download the entire message here.

The other resource is the book entitled, What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert. This book can be purchased in church bookstore. You can also check it out in our new “Book Nook” in the Ministry Center Lobby and Carol Laury can direct you to this very helpful resource. You can watch a quick preview video of it on Amazon.com here.

In Sunday School, we are continuing our DVD series with John Piper on “The Blazing Center.” Last week we learned how glorifying God is not based on duty, but delight in God. Tonight we will continue our study on the church, and meet in Wednesday Discussion Groups, breaking down the one-another passages in the New Testament.

Here is what is coming up in 10:31...

Christmas Caroling and Party: This annual event will be held on Saturday, December 11th from 3pm-9pm. Come ready to serve and fellowship with one another! We will start at the Student Ministry Room at 3pm and end at the church by 9pm. We ask that each student bake and bring 2 dozen of their favorite kind of cookies and we will sort them out and put them into gift bags. After caroling around our community, we will head back to the church for supper and our Christmas party. You will need to bring a gift to the party, but this gift DOES NOT have to cost any money at all. If you want to spend some money, I ask that you not spend more than $5. Please let me know if you are coming.

On a final note, it our intention as pastors to provide opportunities for the men in our church to be sharpened, discipled, and encouraged. That is why we are offering 3 men’s groups throughout the week! The time commitment would be at least 60-90 minutes, but feel free to come and stay as long as you are able to. The goal of these groups is to be intentional in our relationship to God, to our wives/families, and to one another as men in the body of Christ. Here are the times...

MONDAYS with Pastor Ferrell at 9:00pm at Pastor Ferrell’s house
WEDNESDAYS with Pastor Nathan and me at 6:30am in the new church library.
FRIDAYS with Pastor Brodie at 6:30am at the church

Let’s remember to pray for one another that we would all be Gospel-centered this month when the world around us will certainly be self-centered!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

Being Intentional: The MUSTS versus the CANS

2010-11-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

Parents and students,

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15). Busyness does not mean that I am diligent. Busyness does not mean I am faithful. Busyness does not mean I am fruitful. When we consider our schedules, we have endless options. But there are few clear priorities and projects, derived from my God‐assigned roles, that should occupy the majority of my time during a given week.

In addition, there are a thousand tasks of secondary importance that tempt us to devote a lopsided amount of time to completing an endless to do do list. And, if we are not intentional, we will inevitably neglect the important for the urgent. It is good for us to ask, “Where has God placed me? and “Where am I positioned to serve others?” If you are a parent, then God has placed you in that role to shepherd your children in formal teaching/training and discipline/correction while not provoking them to anger (Ephesians 6:4). If you are student, God has placed in that role to obey and honor your parents and authorities with joy (Ephesians 6:1-2; Hebrews 13:17). There are thousands of things that we CAN do as parents and students, but it is essential for us to discern what we MUST do in these God-ordained roles! The MUSTS are clearly defined in the Scripture, and we must search them out and then strive with utmost diligence and fervor to live them out for the glory of God! So, are you majoring on.....the MUSTS or the CANS?

So how has God called you? I encourage you to take a moment to list God’s callings on your life and the personal roles you have. Writing this out will increase your awareness of your God-given roles, which will help you prioritize and plan. (You can read more about Biblical Productivity here: http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/cj-mahaney/post/biblical-productivity-series-pdf.aspx)

In Sunday School, we are continuing our DVD series with John Piper on “The Blazing Center: A Soul-Satisfying Supremacy of God in All Things.” Last week could be summed up in this phrase: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” Our pursuit of satisfaction and glorifying God are not at odds when we pursue satisfaction in God alone! Last Wednesday, we continued our series on the Church. We specifically met in discussion groups, breaking down the one-another passages in the New Testament. Tonight I will be preaching for Pastor Ferrell in the old sanctuary, so we will have a combined service with students and adults. Please make note of the change!

Here is what is coming up in 10:31...

CALENDAR CHANGE: The Underground Church Activity that was scheduled for this Friday has been postponed to the end of the year. Thank you for your flexibility.
10:31 Christmas Caroling and Party will be held on Saturday, December 11th from 4pm-9pm. More details to come!

As a final note, I would love for you all to come to a special Thanksgiving Praise Service this coming Sunday night, beginning at 6pm! We will be devoting this time to sing with thankfulness in our hearts to the Lord and give testimony to His all sufficient grace. There will be a brief time of ''open mic'' testimonies, so come ready to share with the body of Christ how God has blessed you in times of blessing and trial. We are looking forward to this time together with great anticipation! We hope to see you there.

Let’s remember to seize the opportunities to be intentional and invest for eternity!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

(You can view all of our fall events on our website:
http://www.timberlakebaptist.org/images/stories/documents/2010%20fall%20event%20calendar.pdf)

Redeeming the Time

2010-10-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Parents and students,

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” As you finish up your day, let me ask you a question: “Were you biblically productive? I’m not saying whether you completed your endless to do list or not. I’m not even saying whether you were on time to everything on your schedule. But were you biblically productive? Every living person has the same number of hours to use in every day. Busy people are not given a special bonus added on to the hours of the day :). The clock plays no favorites. We all have an equal measure of time in every day. Where we differ from one another is in how we redeem the time that God has given us. When something is redeemed, it is rescued or purchased from a negative situation or circumstance. The basic negative condition we are concerned with is WASTE. To waste time is to spend it on that which has little or no value for eternity. Let me challenge us all with this….what are you spending your time on? Will you look back with regret and see that you have not redeemed the time from wasting it on temporal events? Or, will you look back with the assurance that you have invested your life in the eternal things that matter to your Creator God? God does not call us to a busy life that is cluttered with distractions, but to an intentional life where we are living for His glory and His kingdom. I realize that we all have our pursuits, goals, and dreams for ourselves and our children. I encourage you to take some inventory during this month of November as a family and see if you are being biblically productive in your different roles, responsibilities, and activities. To help you with this, I am pointing you to a great resource for your walk by C.J. Mahaney entitled, “Biblical Productivity.” As I watch for your soul this month, my desire to come alongside you and encourage us all to live intentional lives that are invested in the eternal.

In Sunday School, we are continuing our DVD series with John Piper on “The Blazing Center: A Soul-Satisfying Supremacy of God in All Things.” Last week, we went through the importance of seeing God as supreme. This Sunday (10/24), we will resume our study on. Last Wednesday, we talked about how essential it is for us to be committed in loving and serving the local church that Christ has called us to. Tonight we will continue to break up into small groups and discuss the “one another” passages in the New Testament. I’m really looking forward to getting into these passages together with you!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The Harvest Party Event for this Saturday has been changed! We had to move it to another date for several reasons, but one main reason was transportation and leader involvement. By moving the event to next Wednesday evening, we will have all of our buses available and our leaders will be able to come and help with the event. So, we will have our annual 10:31 Harvest Party on Wednesday, November 3rd at Glen Thomas’ Property in Bedford. The cost is $2 per person ($5 max per family). Parents and students are welcome to attend this event. We will meet at the church at 5pm and drive over to the property, but you are free to meet us there and park outside of the gate. We will return to the church by 10pm.

Here are directions if you are driving your own vehicle: Take 460 West toward Roanoke. Once you arrive in Bedford, turn right off 460 into Wal-Mart parking lot and go toward Ruby Tuesday. Follow Lowry St/Fuqua Mill Rd to Venhorst Drive. Turn right onto gravel road and follow to the gate and park your vehicle on the grass. Do not pull through the gate and park by the pavilion.

Here are our upcoming October Events :

Harvest Party Event: Wednesday, November 3rd from 5pm-10pm
TBC Men’s Retreat: 11/12-11/13 (Friday PM‐Saturday afternoon). I encourage ALL Fathers and Sons (who are 9th grade and older) to consider coming to this event! Sign up and see the details on our website:
Snowflex S.N.A.C. – We will be having a Sunday Night After Church Activity on 11/14 from 7:30‐9:30pm at Liberty Mtn. Snowflex Center
Underground Church Activity Canceled: This event that was scheduled for Friday, 11/19 from 7‐11pm is now canceled. We will hold this event at another time.

Let’s remember to seize the opportunities to be intentional and invest for eternity!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

(You can view all of our fall events on our website)

Resources and Update

2010-10-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Parents and students,

Good afternoon! God’s grace is so amazing and so wonderful is it not? I have found myself praising God for His grace to me and our family as we have the privilege to serve alongside you all for the glory of God! It is also a privilege from the Lord to not only receive His love and mercy, but to invest our time in showing love and sharing God’s Word with each other. In the midst of our busy schedules, it is easy to miss the opportunities that we have with each other to “provoke unto love and good works.” It is crucial for us to build each other up and minister to one another in the body!

One of the ways that I want to build you up this week, is to encourage you to look at two resources for your walk. One is an article that will push your limits of what laying down your life for the Gospel’s sake may look like. The other is Sunday Night’s message from Pastor Nathan on “Barriers to a Praying Life.” This message will be like water on a thirsty soul for your prayer life! It is worth your time to mediate on the implications of Matthew 7:7-11 and understand it more fully in light of who God is and what He promises to do for us.

Weeping for North Korea - http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/weeping-for-north-korea
Barriers to a Praying Life - http://www.timberlakebaptist.org/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=159&func=fileinfo&id=38

In Sunday School, we are continuing our DVD series with John Piper on “The Blazing Center: A Soul-Satisfying Supremacy of God in All Things.” Last week, we went through the importance of seeing God as supreme in our lives and that He has every right to be who He claims to be. This Sunday (10/24), we will not be meeting for Sunday School due to the Anniversary Sunday Schedule, so we will resume our study on October 31st.

Last Wednesday, we talked about how essential it is for us to be committed in loving and serving the local church that Christ has called us to. Tonight we will unpack this further in discussing the passages that call us to faithfully serve the body of Christ – whether we are students or adults!

Here are our upcoming October Events :

Harvest Party: We are having our annual 10:31 Harvest Party on Saturday, October 30th at Glen Thomas’ Property in Bedford! The cost is $2 per person ($5 max per family). You can expect lots of fun, food, fellowship, a bonfire, and some special surprises! Parents and students are welcome to attend this event. We will meet at the church at 5pm and drive over to the property, but you are free to meet us there and park outside of the gate. We will return to the church by 11pm.
TBC Men’s Retreat: 11/12-11/13 (Friday PM‐Saturday afternoon). I encourage ALL Fathers and Sons (who are 9th grade and older) to consider coming to this event! Sign up and see the details on our website: http://www.timberlakebaptist.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=258
Snowflex S.N.A.C. – We will be having a Sunday Night After Church Activity on 11/14 from 7:30‐9:30pm at Liberty Mtn. Snowflex Center
Underground Church Activity: This annual event will be held on Friday, 11/19 from 7‐11pm. More details to come...

Let’s remember to seize the opportunities to share God’s love and God’s Word with one another this week and may God grant us the grace to serve with undeniable and unshakable passion for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom glory among the lost!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

(You can view all of our fall events on our website: http://www.timberlakebaptist.org/images/stories/documents/2010%20fall%20event%20calendar.pdf)

2010-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

T. T. L. I. F. (Thank the Lord it is Friday). Today we woke up early and headed down to breakfast. French toast and Eggs gave us the energy to tackle the day. Today we spilt into 3 groups for a half a day of slightly easier work. I decided that the group needed at least half the day to relax and recover from the slave labor, it made me fell better when I found out that the mission gave all the Guatemalan construction workers the day off because of how hard they worked the last two days. Pastor Alley was a little upset that we were not going to be doing the “hard” stuff today, but by 12:30 he was thanking me for an afternoon of rest (he finally slowed down ) The first group went to the baby rescue house. The entire Phelps family, including Jack, and Rita Linton got the opportunity to serve together holding and playing with babies (I am not sure if Jack changed any diapers I am sure he left that up to the ladies). The second group was asked to unload 3 full trailers of food that was donated to the mission. The Wood Family, Pastor Alley, Ed Maddox, Ben Fisher, Seth Parris, Rebekah Meredith, Steve Linton, and Govinda worked on unloading the trailers, it was a welcome step down in work intensity compared to the previous days. The last group consisting of Renee Marilla, Matt Combs and the rest of the youth were sent to the greenhouse to work. Natalie Cook, Jannah Cooter, Kaylee Bryant, Caleb Lee, Zach Pulliam, Renee Marilla, and Sarah Beth Marilla were put on rock and weed duty, clearing and leveling the ground that will be inside the greenhouse where the vegetables will be planted. Stephen Burrill and Samantha Chapman joined with the Guatemalan workers and put together the skeletal frame for the greenhouse, I have to admit it was VERY SCARY seeing Samantha using a hack saw (I stayed as far away as possible). Matt Combs, Chad “Grover” Hamel, Michael Ertel, and Michael Duncan, got a very special job. They were put in charge of Larry and Bertha. Who are Larry and Bertha you may ask? Well let me tell you. Larry is a young but very mature and very large stump. Bertha is a boulder sized rock that is keeping Larry from being released. The boys spent hours trying the destroy their marriage, but it was clear that they have a true covenant bond and that they have no intentions of ever being separated. We are not usually the type of people that try to break up good strong relationships, but in order to accomplish our mission we have to separate them. The only hope of reuniting for Larry and Bertha will be in the nearby ditch, but the Guatemalans control their destiny. Well, Larry and Bertha were too much for the boys, so the very brainy Matt Combs had a light bulb moment and remembered that Mr. Aubrey Wood made a living removing and separating these types of relationships, so we called him in to save the day. Aubrey showed up in his superhero costume (a blue Speedo over a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt with a big letter A on it) and quickly diagnosed the problem (just a little more information for those of you that are thinking stump removal is easy, all we have is 4 shovels, an iron rod, 3 picks and of course Aubrey’s super powers). Lunch time came and Larry and Bertha were given one last night together (I just found out that the mission is going to give us a chainsaw tomorrow, divorce papers have been served, Aubrey is drooling). After lunch the adults that did not have a chance to go to the garbage dump feeding center on Wednesday went to feed today. Steve Linton shared a testimony in devotions this evening about how it was great for him to see the dump because it gave him a proper perspective on his life and the abundance he has. The teens spent two hours after lunch in the pool cooling down and relaxing from their 3 straight days of hard work. After the refreshing time in the pool we headed up to the orphanage to hang out and do a beaded bracelet and necklace craft. The kids enjoyed it a lot although more beads were on the ground when we were finished then actually made it onto the “jewelry”. After the orphanage it was dinner time, steak and rice where the main course, and dessert consisted of a visit from the orphans who put on a short authentic Guatemalan dance performance for us. After dinner we returned for a time of team devotions, where we talked about the attribute of God’s infinity. If you want to truly try to understand how awesome God is, try to define infinity or eternity, I know I can’t do it. HE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN - - AND WILL ALWAYS BE, WOW (what does that even mean)! God is awesome. Tomorrow we will be studying God’s holiness in our devotional time which in my estimation is the essence of God, everything about Him is within his holiness. We will finish the greenhouse in the morning and dedicate it to the Lord in the afternoon. Please pray for our last 2 days, that we would be able to be effective in our evangelistic efforts and that we would finish strong. We love you all and miss you. (Michael really misses Yoo).
-Matt Combs and Michael Duncan

P.S. we have been having internet issues so we apologize for things being delayed.

7-1&2-10 Pictures

2010-07-03T07:43:00.001-07:00

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7-1-10

2010-07-02T06:37:00.001-07:00

If I fall asleep writing this please forzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzgive me, sorry it’s been a rough day, hard hard work in hot hot weather. Luckily I have a 4 part harmony of snoring in the men’s room behind me to wake me every once zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and awhile. Where do I start? Today was great but hard!! We again woke early (before the Guatemalan roosters began crowing). Breakfast was pancakes and eggs a good start to the day. Then we again split into work groups. Today there were four groups formed to do work for the “Hope of Life” mission. The first group headed out to the front gate to finish the painting that was started our first day here. The Phelps girls, Natalie Cook, Rita Linton, Renee and Sarah Beth Marilla, headed off for their somewhat “physical” work in the shade, just kidding they worked hard and did a great job making the entrance look beautiful. The second group of Kaylee Bryant, Stephanie Combs, Tamara Mock, Michael Duncan, Rebekah Meredith, Zach Pulliam, Lee Ann and Jessica Wood headed to the school to dig a ditch and continue to work on the retaining wall. Zach Pulliam led the way working so hard that he literally wore off some of the skin on his hands, battle scars to bring home to impress his lady friend (hi Caitlin from Zach). The last group again ALL MEN (again insert grunting here) headed into the village to do more concrete work on a local house. Today was much harder than yesterday, not only was the concrete going to the roof of a 2 story home, but the temperature easily topped 100 today. Jack Phelps, Aubry Wood, Steve Linton, Ed Maddox, Pastor Alley, Govinda, Matt Combs, Seth Parris, Ben Fisher, Chad “Grover” Hamel, Michael Ertel, and Stephen Burrill literally worked their tails off. I want to take a minute to tell all you parents that your kids have been awesome, they have worked so hard and there has been absolutely no complaining (be proud, I am extremely proud). The last group Sam Chapman, Jannah Cooter, and Lauren Good got to spend the morning in the baby rescue center playing with and helping care for the sick little ones. After a lunch of grilled steak and rice we reorganized the groups a little bit and headed back out for more punshiment, I mean work  (you know most people get paid to work this hard, in our case we paid them to work this hard, something is wrong here ). Kaylee Bryant and Stephanie Combs joined the concrete crew and messed up the ALL MEN bond, but quickly learned how to loosen their belts, belch and grunt just like us. PAY ATTENTION HERE MACK DADDY AND TRACY, Kaylee actually did some pretty physical work, she shoveled sand into buckets for 2 hours, would of made you proud, and she only cried about how hard it was twelve times (just kidding she did great). Due to the lack of skin on Zach’s hands we sent Michael Ertel and Caleb Lee to help with the more demanding physical work at the school. Mr. Ertel, Michael is going to need a week off of work when he returns, he is working incredibly hard and the harder the work gets the harder he works. BIG SURPRISE: after lunch the Phelps girls went to the baby house and Samantha Chapman and Jannah Cooter joined the painting crew. 3:30 P.M. was rescue time, that is when we stopped work for the day. The teens went to the orphanage to play with their friends and the rest of the crew hung out at the dorms and rested and cleaned up in preparation for Church in a nearby village. This is a good time to insert the story of the day which involves Sue Cook. First of all to preface the story you have to know that Sue rides up and down the mountain here on a motorized scooter, she calls it her “motor bike” I call it her “hog”. Anyway she decided to give Rita a ride and there was an incident (Sue is adamant not to call it an accident, although . . . ). Anyway Rita burned her leg pretty bad (how bad? There is a baseball size burn protruding from the back of her calf, actually a quarter sized burn but I love to exaggerate) on the hot muffler, but she will be ok. Rebekeh Meridith popped the blister to drain it tonight (sorry if anyone is eating as they read this). Anyway after dinner we went to a local Church where Pastor Alley brought the word from Psalm 23. The Guatemalan people were very welcoming and loving to us all. After Church we stopped a local Sheetz (well, small convenience store) for cold sodas and Helado, ice cream. It is now 10:45 P.M. and I need to sleep so I will talk to you guys tomorrow. In devotions tomorrow we will be studying God being without beginning and without end, His infinity. Pray for us, we miss you all!! As a P.S. I must say that Seth Parris is really enjoying his $1400 date, and says it was worth every penny  - -

Pictures coming later!

Love Matt Combs and Michael Duncan

2010-07-01T08:13:00.001-07:00

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6-30-10

2010-07-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Day 3 has come and gone. As I sit here writing this, I cannot move my arms from all the construction work we did today, but I will get to that in a minute. Another early morning came really fast, we were up and moving by 6 AM. There was a miscommunication with our transportation to breakfast so we all got to take a morning stroll down the mountain. At breakfast the construction assignments were handed out and we split into four work groups to serve “Hope of Life” with many different projects. Our first group went to the baby rescues house. Cindy Cook, Rebekah Meredith, Kaylee Bryant, Rita Linton, Sarah Beth and Renee Marilla spent the morning holding and loving the babies. The second group went to work on the greenhouse. The entire Wood family, Aubry, Jessica and Lee Ann along with Stephen Burrill, Jannah, Caleb Lee and Samantha Chapman carried concrete blocks and laid the foundation for the greenhouse the group paid to build. The third group, all women, went to the school to work on building a retaining wall. Stephanie Combs, Laruen Good, Natalie Cook, Tamara Mock and all the Phelps girls, Jessica, Betty and Christa struggled through some very manly work mixing and pouring concrete, and when we joined them later in the day you could see all the work that was done on Stephanie’s (my wife) shirt, you would not believe the amount of sweat dripping off of her. The last construction group was THE MEN (insert grunt here) who spent the morning working harder than most had ever worked before. Pastor Alley and Ed Maddox led the way hoisting 100 pound (exaggeration) bucket of concrete on their backs. Jack Phelps jumped right in and was carrying two buckets of concrete at a time, after 30 seconds of that he was down to carrying one half bucket every 15 minutes (a joke he worked really hard). Steve Linton and Seth Parris had sand shoveling duty and spent three straight hours filling five gallon buckets to mix for concrete. Matt Combs and Michael Duncan had a similar job shoveling gravel into buckets for the same purpose. Zach Pulliam, Ben Fisher, Chad “Grover” Hamel, Govinda, and Michael Ertel were “transporters”. Their job was to take the mixed concrete in buckets to the Guatemalan workers to pour. After 4 hours of that Zach and Grover had to throw their clothes away (Debbie, Chad said you told him not to bring anything nasty home so he won’t). Michael Ertel had the “story of the day” experience. He was carrying a bucket of concrete and while trying to lift it up over his head to one of the workers it slipped out of the workers had and landed on the floor and splashed all over the place, mostly on Michael. It not only got all over his clothes but it got in his nose and mouth (don’t worry mom and dad this is a funny story, he is fine and everyone including Michael and the Guatemalan workers had a big laugh). At 12PM we went quickly up to the dorms to clean up and then went to a lunch of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. After lunch we split into two groups one group stayed at “Hope of Life” to serve however they chose, some construction others with the babies, while the teens and their families went to feed the homeless at the local city dump. This was an eye opening experience for everyone, to see all the children and mothers waiting in line with their old bowls and cups to be fed one of three meals they will have for the entire week. Every teen got to serve food and drink to the people. You might think that was a busy day, well . . . we still did a bunch more. After returning to the mission we went to the orphanage and new and old relationships were rekindled. The kids ran around and around and around and around and then they ran around again, the important thing was they were having fun for the kingdom. After the orphanage we returned to the mission house to finally partake in showers and cleanliness and as I (Matt Combs) stepped into the shower the water in the whole dorms shut off. Michael Duncan was left with a nice lather and nothing to rinse with; it was quite a fun time. Anyway we headed down for dinner and tonight was the “fiesta” (party for those who have never watched Dora the Explorer or for you older folk Speedy Gonzalez). The fiesta included a live Cuban music and a smorgasbord of authentic Guatemalan food, it was the essence of GMALA (a word coined by myself to signify the finer things of the Guatemalan culture)! We returned later than normal from dinner so we split into small groups for devotions to talk about God’s love. God is truly working in our hearts and we cannot wait to see what He will do tomorrow! Please pray for the people that we are sharing the gospel with, that we will be clear in our communication and the Spirit will move. Tomorrow in devotions we will be focusing the attribute of God’s immutability. We love you!!

Matt Combs & Michael Duncan

6-29-10 Pictures

2010-06-30T06:08:00.001-07:00

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6-29-10

2010-06-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

God is good! As we spend time here in Guatemala studying the attributes of God, today we are focusing on his goodness. It was an early start today, up at 6 and breakfast at 7. Then we were off on our tour of the “Hope of Life” facilities. As we toured, it became truly obvious that God is good, and we gained a new perspective for what we have and don’t have. As we toured the facility through the elderly home, baby rescue center, orphanage, widows’ homes and food distribution center it became increasingly more obvious that if Jesus himself was walking the earth today, this would be exactly what He would be doing--feeding the poor and providing for the widows and orphans. The tour was emotional and several times we were all fighting the tears (led primarily by Betty Phelps who got an awesome opportunity to see the little girl that her daughter, Christa, has visited and prayed for over the past few years.) I might add that it has been a blessing seeing families, friends, and husbands and wives serving the Lord together. Several of our Guatemala repeats were anxiously waiting to visit the orphanage for a time of special reunification. Michael Duncan found Angela, Zach Pulliam found Karla, and Kaylee found Lady and Alicia; and the orphans were so excited to see them. After the Tour was over we had a wonderful lunch and then split into groups to help with different needs that “Hope of Life” had. Some of our females split away and went to the baby rescue center. Christa, Betty and Jessica Phelps along with Natalie and Cindy Cook spent the afternoon playing with and caring for (changing diapers and feeding) the children in the undermanned home. Another group of strapping young men Ed Maddox, Seth Farris, Ben Fisher and Steve Linton went to dig holes for a drainage system at the school. Yet another group of old men, Jack Phelps, Pastor Alley and Aubry Wood went to build a bridge at the elderly home. The teens split into two groups. The first group started our week long project of building a greenhouse. Stephen Burrill, Lauren Good, Michael Ertel, Sarah Beth and Renee Marilla, and Chad “Grover” Hamel spent the afternoon mixing concrete and moving concrete blocks. The other half of the youth gave the front gate and pillars at the “Hope of Life” complex a complete white makeover. Matt and Stephanie Combs, Michael Duncan, Jannah Cooter, Sam Chapman, Kaylee Bryant, Rebekah Meredith, Lee Ann and Jessica Wood made the entrance a beautiful masterpiece. After the work was finished for the day we returned to our rooms to change for a time of fellowship and swimming (again I promise it is a mission’s trip). Lasagna was for dinner then we returned to the dorms for team devotions. Tonight we focused on the “goodness of God” and we had a wonderful time of sharing about how God has used the “good” and the “bad” to prove how good He really is. The Phelps and Mr. Maddox revealed how God has been good in very difficult times, and several other people shared so many blessings of how God has shown Himself good in their lives. Tomorrow the real work begins as we will be working hard on the greenhouse and the hospital (by the way for those of you who have been to “Hope of Life” before the hospital is set to open in February next year AMEN!!) In our devotional time tomorrow we will be focusing on God’s Love!! We miss and love you all,

Michael Duncan & Matt Combs.

6-28-10 Pictures

2010-06-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

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6-28-10

2010-06-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

20 hours later we finally made it!! 2 busses and 2 planes later we arrived at Hope of
Life in Zacapa, Guatemala. God showed us grace throughout our long day. The bus from
Lynchburg to Dulles was such a blessing, our flights from Miami and into Guatemala City could
not have been smoother. After arriving in the airport in Guatemala you feel as i f you have arrived, but after going through wonderfully long customs line we hopped on another bus for another three and a half ride to the missions complex. It was great to see familiar faces when Gerber met us at the airport and were blessed with a great meal along the way at the KFC of Guatemala "Pollo Campero" (chicken country for those who are not fluent in spanish). After our stomachs were full we got to see the beautiful sights as we drove through the mountains. We also got to see the destruction as a result from the recent bombardment of tropical storms in the country (as we are writing we are experiencing the effects of tropical storm Alex). The roads were torn up from mudslides and boulders falling everywhere. When we arrived at Hope of Life it was already time for dinnre. W really had to rough it with a steak, chicken, and potato dinner with fresh fruits and vegetables. After dinner we took a stoll around the two beautiful pools and peeked at the hot tubs and hammocks (it's a missions trip, I promise). Then we returned to the dorms for a time of team devotions. We are focusing this week on eight specific attributes of God and trying to draw as close to Him as humanly possible. Please pray for us as we serve the Guatemalan people.

Michael Duncan & Matt Combs

Guatemala Summer Ministry Trip

2010-06-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

From June 28-July 5, our church will be taking a ministry trip to Guatemala! We appreciate everyone's prayers as we leave and we look forward to how God will use His Word and His people as His instruments. As we leave, we must do so with His Word on our lips. Here are the verses of Scripture that we have meditating on as a team in preparation for this trip:

These passages point us to the One we are preaching and the One we are serving! As we leave, here are some prayer requests for our team to keep in mind...

1. Pray for our consistent time in Scripture and prayer to continue to prepare our hearts and attitudes as we prepare to serve.

2. Pray that we would become unified and close before and during the trip, not allowing anything to come between us as we serve together.

3. Pray that God would be glorified in all that we do.

4. Pray for a burden for the lost and boldness to share the gospel without fear.

5. Pray that we would have lives that are willing to “deny self” and show a servant’s heart like Jesus did by being others-minded.

6. Pray that we would be a genuine blessing and encouragement to the body of Christ in Guatemala.

7. Pray that we would show the love and compassion of Christ to the children in the orphanages and hospitals.

8. Pray that we will still be living out what God teaches us on this trip when we return.

Thank you for your prayers! See you on the blog soon!

Going for the sake of His Name,

Pastor Stephen

March 15th Pictures

2010-03-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

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March 15th - FINAL POST

2010-03-15T16:48:00.001-07:00

Well, this is our last full day in Zacapa! We kicked off the day with something special. All of the students desired to take up a love offering for Pastor Salvador and his family. I was very impressed in how the students desired to be a blessing to the man who had blessed us so much. We also decided to take the clothes, stuffed animals, and supplies to him. So, we dropped everything off at this office this morning. He told us that he will use everything we gave him for the church and the community. We told him that would be fine for him to give some of the clothes and supplies to his community, since there are lots of children there. However, we urged him to take the money we had given him and use it to meet his family's needs. We could tell that had not crossed his mind at all. He has got to be one of the most self-less men I have ever met!

2009-07-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a more relaxed day. We woke up at 8, the girls cleaned up after ourselves at this church and then the guys went to Manor Community Church and cleaned out the basement/gym area. We stayed there until lunch and then the guys that wanted to finished shopping and the girls shopped after they finished also. The people that didn't want to walk and shop anymore stayed here,(including myself), and got naps or hung out at the park.(I took a glorious 3 hour nap!) After the shoppers got back we went to dinner at a place where you can get anything from breakfast to salad to cakes to steak...and it was good. Then we headed straight out to the streets near the Hudson to watch the fireworks. We got there around 9 and even before the show started there were masses of people everywhere. The roads were blocked off and we stood on them. It reminded me of New Years Eve. People were shoulder to shoulder the whole time, and then the fireworks ended....oh my. it was craziness! We were all holding onto one anothers bags etc. so we wouldn't get spread apart. The subway was the most insane though, I've never seen it more packed in my life. After a couple clostraphobic stops we were at our exit. Then we walked our usual 10 minute walk and made it home. Now I'm getting ready to go to sleep and Ps is finishing up the video testimonies with the students. It has been an honor to be in this city with your teenagers. Thank you for allowing them to come be apart of God's sovereign will over this city, Tompkins Square Gopspel Fellowship and Manor Community Church. It is bitter-sweet leaving because we feel like we've known the Jones family forever and they will be missed, but we are ready to come home and be with you all at our church...in a rural, light traffic town! Thanks for your prayers this week. Also, pray for traveling safety and ease tomorrow. We will be leaving at 8 and should be back around 5. Look forward to seeing you all.

In Christ,

Zach White

Manor Community Church

2009-07-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. We woke up around 8:30am, ate breakfast, did our devotions and then headed out to Manor Community Church. We had planned on working at the church for a while and then doing a kids club, but those plans changed. After we met Mrs. Betty Little, we realized how awesome and generous this 90 year old lady is. She made us coffee cakes and brought us drinks. Pastor Bill was telling us stories about her doing work around her house recently. He told us that one time she even went on to her 3rd story roof, slid down it, cleaned the gutters, and then climbed back up. She is in great shape for a 90 year old woman, but has great trouble cleaning and maintaining the huge church she lives in. Her apartment is upstairs and the church is downstairs. The church is actually very old. It has been there since the 1800's. You can only imaging how beautiful it will be when it's fully restored. There is a main, puritan, traditional looking auditorium, a balcony, kitchen, fellowship hall and about 20 other rooms including a gym downstairs with tons of antiques from the war. This church actually housed soldiers from WWII. There are so many interesting antiques there like: ping pong tables/paddles, boxing gloves, work out equipment etc. We spent all day cleaning, mopping, dusting the place and me and Randy put tar in cracks on the roof. Tomorrow we plan to wake up around 8am. The girls will stay here and clean the mission and the guys will go back to Manor Community Church and clear out the bottom level gym area. Then after lunch, whoever wants to can shop, then we will go see fireworks. We plan to go to bed as soon as we get back from fireworks and then we will wake up and drive back to you all. This trip has been a blessing. We had a great devotion time, and the students want to come back and help make our youth group a more God-centered place. They are also broken for lost people and want to do something about it at home. We warned one another of the danger of spiritual highs and want to help the students develop a consistent discipline of study, outreach, worship etc. in their lives, if they have not already.I am excited to come home and see how these teenagers impact the rest of the youth group. Please pray that their hearts will stay broken and that they will have the strength to keep up discipline. Thank you for praying for us, as I'm sure you have. The Jones' are incredible and we can't wait to share stories with you all ni person. God is good, and the students have the right attitude for service to the Lord for the rest of the summer.

Soli deo Gloria!

Zach

Big Copper Lady and Some Good Cheesecake!

2009-07-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

This morning was the most difficult morning to wake up, and it wasn't even for ministry! It was for a giant green woman! We got up early so that we wouldn't have to wait in the increasingly large line to see the Statue of Liberty. It was windy and cold this morning until we got to the island, then it was sunny...until we climbed 275 steps to the overlook and it poured :)It was alright though. The students had a great attitude. As a matter of fact, it would be sunny, then raining like doomsday, then sunny, then raining etc. all day long. We got to walk past the World Trade Center until it poured haha, and then we found shelter in a Starbucks...(the students have been begging Ps for their blessed Starbucks). After it stopped raining we went to the church beside the World Trade Center and payed our respects. Then we headed back to the mission. We were all more than willing to stop touring today for some rest. About half the kids stayed up and played cards and the other half,(including myself), took an amazing nap! I usually don't nap because I can't get back to sleep at night, but today i fell asleep around the time my eyes closed. As you can tell, this trip has been a very tiring one, for all of us. I would credit most of it to the walking though. Even to get to the subway we have to walk a couple blocks. But, please don't get the idea that were not loving serving the Lord just because we're tired. Ps told me in Romania, and I've reminded myself here that,"I can sleep when I get home!" After our nap time we ate some pizza and prepared for our "cheesecake and a conversation that will change your life" open house. It actually just ended and it went very well. We had a good turnout and many people asked questions, were prayed over, and asked about coming to the church. I know that I can speak for Ps, as well as myself when I say this, but your teenagers impressed me tonight. Even the more shy ones were on the street passing out fliers and then sitting at tables beside random New Yowkas making small talk, then sharing their personal testimonies and the Gospel of Jesus Messiah! They served the Lord today in very tired spirits but didn't act like it was a problem. I have been encouraged and blessed to help lead your students this summer. I keep getting really great experiences that remind me that your students can encourage me, just as much as I can disciple and encourage them. Now were getting ready to go to sleep and will spend tomorrow working at Manor Community Church. We hope to play some games with the local kids in the park beside it and witness, but who knows what will happen! I know I've probably said this every post but please continue to pray for us. Not only for us, but pray that "the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into the field" here in New York. Our hearts are heavy for this place. The students are constantly being reminded that God is doing exactly what He wants with this city and that it is not a lost cause. He is sovereign over all and they trust that, but they also realize that the Lord fulfills His will through us. We get the honor of being used by God as his privy pots, or literally dung pots. I honestly think the students have learned a lot from Dr. Bill Jones' teaching, the Lord and from each other this week. I challenge you parents with this: be ready to listen to what the Lord has done in your teenagers life when they come home and continue to teach them from the Word, which will breed the next generations of real, sincere Christ followers. The Lord is doing a work in our students lives and I pray that it won't die when we return. We are excited about our last day of ministry and sad. We are ready to get home, but not ready to leave then Jones family, because they are being encouraged, and are vocal about it! Anyways, I've typed enough. Pray for us, and well see you in 2 and a half days!

Zach

Grace Plaza

2009-07-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today was our last singing day. We woke up, ate breakfast, heard from Pastor Bill this morning as he shared the amazing story about the new church they will be pastoring, Manor Church. I'm sure the story will be shared when we return, so I'm not going to take the time to type it all out :) After that we loaded up the van, as usual, and headed to Grace plaza on the other side of Time's Square. The crowd there was different. We had people that were getting emotionally annoyed and angry with us for the Gospel but we also had many more people than usual show their support for our cause. Overall I would say today was the most encouraging out of the four singing days. We sang our set twice, like we have been doing, and then stopped. We were planned to go clean Manor Community Church but that was changed to Friday. Instead, we went shopping in China Town,(lets just say there are some VERY interesting stories from there ;), and then ate in Little Italy. We then got back on the subway, came to the church here at Tompkins Square and took part in the Wednesday night service. Ps preached out of 1 John 2:15-17 and did an excellent job. Then we just got to laugh together as a group and relax until now, bedtime, as I am coveting the sleep of the other guys. Tomorrow we plan to go to the Statue of Liberty early, ground zero and battery park, then spend the rest of the day relaxing until we set up for an open house at the mission here. It is a "dessert and a conversation that will change your life" event where homeless people can come in, get some food, and we have the opportunity to talk with them about the Gospel. Thank you for praying for us. The students are being stretched, tired and probably miss home, but they are loving it. The amount of people we get to share Christ with is tremendous, especially for myself, Ps, and Pastor Bill, when we talk to the people in the microphones, which is heard all around us, on the streets, plazas and even inside building. Many people have told us and the mission that they were blessed to hear us in their office while they were working! But it really is a honor to realize that we all get to preach Christ through song, but for Ps, me and Pastor Bill to be able to speak to, literally thousands of people at one time about Jesus Christ is awesome, but yet weighty. There are masses of people that are under the sound of our voices, more than we would ever be able to speak to in a church, ever! So, the opportunity and field here is great, but the laborers are few. The Lord is still sovereign over this city and will ultimately do what He wants. More than praying for your kids, pray for the Jones family. They have some awesome opportunities but with that comes a lot of tough times and stresses. They are doing a great job though, and are obviously being used by the Lord. We only have three more days here to serve and are up for the challenge. Once again, we appreciate your prayers and are looking forward to being with you.

Zach

Golda Meir Plaza...Second Time Around

2009-06-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well we woke up this morning, ate our cereal then went downstairs and heard from Pastor Bill, (who I found out is actually Dr. Bill Jones. Apparently he went to seminary at Bob Jones.) He challenged us again this morning on the same topic of the Old Testament, especially in talking with Jewish people. After that we loaded up, a few guys helped out by riding in the van and the rest of us took the subway and met them there. After we were set up, we ran down to a Mcdonalds and ate a quick lunch, then we came back and sang. We sang two sets back to back. Golda Meir Sqaure has been a fairly friendly sqaure to minister to. Sure, it has its own set of mockers and people that will laugh at us. But surprisingly enough, people will sit and listen and even sing along. We've met christians there both days and that has been a real encouragment. At the end of our second set a man named Alberto came to us and told us that he was sitting on the other side of the street and couldn't get the thought of the Gospel out of his mind. He said that he even tried walking away but couldn't, so he came and listened for about an hour. He said that he was confessing sin to the Lord and was feeling the conviction of his unrighteousness. Apparently he had been converted, probably recently, and was getting faint hearted about christianity. He prayed with Ps and "renewed his faith" per se. So whether he was saved today or in recent weeks we don't know. But we do know that the Lord did a tremendous work in his life today and that if he was converted, he is starting over, ready to serve the Lord, and if he wasn't converted, he is now, only by the grace of God. After we sang and talked with people we took horse-drawn carriage rides through Central Park, went to the Apple store, FAO Schwartz, and Bloomingdales. Then we ate at a pizza place,(Oprah says its the best pizza in the nation), and took the subway home. We just finished team devos, where the students had an opportunity to worship the Lord through songs and testimonies of experience on this trip and what they have been learning from the word. Now everyone is on the phone with you guys,(the parents), and are headed to bed. Once again, please pray for us! The Lord uses prayer as a vessel to fulfill His sovereign plan. We will be singing for the last time in Grace Plaza tomorrow, then cleaning out a church in the city. We miss you all, but are having a great time serving the Lord together.

ZDBWW

Golda Meir Plaza

2009-06-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today the students are either remembering or realizing what it means to be stretched. It's only monday and were already very tired, but the Lord is good. The students have had great opportunities to do ministry that takes them out of their comfort zone and wears them out. Singing for a long time and walking from place to place is easier said than done, but they are doing great! I can't think of any complaints, just teenagers ready to serve the Lord. We started out the day listening to a lecture by Pastor Bill. He went over some basic aspects of the Gospel that we often take for granted. Then Me, Lori, and most of the girls took the subway to Golda Meir Plaza and the guys loaded up the van and drove there. When we got off the subway and went to the plaza we realized that we were basically in Time's Square. Golda Meir plaza is known as the "Garment district." Basically, it is where all the fashion buildings are...and we got to sing right there in the plaza. When Pastor Bill and the guys arrived they realized that they forgot the keyboard, so they had to drive back and get it. Once we were set up and ready to go a crowd had already formed. The students sang great and people were clapping, crying, singing along, and then there were the random booo-ers. For the most part, though, the people there were more responsive than Coney Island and we all thought it went very well. We ended up singing two sets and preaching the Gospel in between. After we were done we walked up to Time's Sqaure, went into Toy's R us, M&M store, and ate at Ellen's Stardust Cafe. After that we walked around a while, we eventually made it to the Rockafeller Center. We bought tickets and watched the sunset from the roof...67 floors! It was an awesome view. Now we just got back to the mission after a long subway ride and walk home. We are all super tired and ready for bed. We are all appreciative of your prayers and trust that you will keep praying. Remember that a "results gospel" is not Biblical, but that planting the seeds and being used by God, in His sovereign plan is. We look forward to returning to Golda Meir Plaza tomorrow and then finish the rest of our Time's Square tour.

Zach

Coney Island

2009-06-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

We were privileged to worship through singing and preaching with Tompkins Square Gospel Fellowship this morning. Pastor Bill is taking his small but devout congregation through Hosea, and preached about the covenants in the Old Testament. Immediately following the service we had lunch with the church members. Then, we loaded up the vans with TONS of sound equipment and headed to Coney Island. Once we were there our minds were blown when we saw the number of people on the boardwalk. It was a beautiful day and there were massive amounts of people there. Pastor Bill challenged us when he said, “you will get to share the gospel with more people today, than the number of people that will come to your church this year.” Before we even started we had at least 50 people waiting to hear us. Unfortunately we didn’t sound so hot on our first song and most of them walked away ; ) It was alright though, because we had to get used to the sound system and singing at the beach! Our second time we sang today, about an hour after the first, (still at Coney Island), we did much better. A new crowd had come and people were actually singing along. The students were able to give away tracts after we sang, and while we were singing Bill’s wife Jill and her irresistibly cute nine year old daughter Charie gave out tracts. After we had sang two sets we ate at the local places on the boardwalk, road the Cyclone and Ferris wheel there and then packed up and came back to the mission. We had team devotions, sang, and shared testimonies. Now everyone is about to go to sleep and I’m ready to also! We are excited to be here but miss home too. Randi Lindsey sent us a video of the fireworks at LU and it made us all miss that time. So, happy pre-fourth of July and please be in prayer for us. Slowly but surely the students are finding out that evangelism is not about numbers but about planting seeds according to God’s sovereignty. So pray specifically that they would not take rejection as failure but doing as Christ commanded us to do. We look forward to tomorrow where Pastor Bill will teach us about witnessing to other types of people and then sing at Goldmeier Plaza during lunch hour. Thank you for praying for us, as I’m sure you have. We look forward to being used by the Lord as His simple vessels.

Zach

NYC...FINALLY HERE!

2009-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Eating lunch at a Burger King just outside of Philadelphia.

Before we left...

At approximately 6:...15 am we embarked upon our 11 and a half hour trip to The BIG Apple. 12 minutes down the road Chad Hamel announces that he had forgotten his wallet. Sure enough Dave Hamel was already at the Wingate and met us on 460...Chad was reunited with his leather billfold. The students didn't seem to like the idea of sleeping, so they talked....the whole time ; ) We stopped on our side of Philadelphia at a Burger King and ate lunch. Shannon and the Kids went with her mom, and Ps and the rest of us continued on. We finally arrived just outside of Manhattan on the "perfect travel day and time," only to find 23 mph traffic. Getting into the city was interesting as we found out that offensive driving is key here. Once we were all settled into the mission we got a short rundown of intinerary, ordered pizza and hung out until our last music practice. Tomorrow we plan to play for the church service here and then perform at the Coney Island Boardwalk. Please pray for us as we minister. Also, pray that the Lord would give boldness to both the students, and the leaders as we will face some tough situations. We miss you all but are glad to be here doing the King's work.

Zachary David Bartholomew Wilson White.

New York City - Ministering to every tongue, tribe, and nation!

2009-06-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Every tongue, tribe, and nation! This will be the scope of our ministry as we minister for Jesus in New York City - the fourth largest city in the world! We appreciate everyone's prayers as we leave and we look forward to how God will use His Word and us as His instruments. As we leave, we must do so with His Word on our lips. . .

2 Corinthians 4:5-7

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

These verses point us to the One we are preaching, the One we are serving, the One whose example we are following, and the One who gives us the strength and power to serve!

From June 27-July 5, please pray for us as we serve the Lord in New York City! Our trip will include setting up a music program in the mass populated areas of the city that will feature gospel preaching and testimonies, street witnessing to the community, and ministering in the local church with Dr. Bill and Jill Jones. We are going on this trip in order to bring God glory by fulfilling the Great Commission and aiding Pastor Bill Jones in fulfilling the leadership God has given to him for the New York Gospel Mission and Tompkins Square Gospel Fellowship Church (you can learn more about his ministry on http://www.nygm.org/). Our aim is to be a serve the Lord by proclaiming the good news of Christ and encourage the local body of Christ in New York City. Praise the Lord for this incredible opportunity!

As we leave on June 27th, here are some prayer requests to keep in mind...

1. For our consistent time in Scripture and prayer to continue to impact our lives as we prepare to minister for God's glory.
2. For all of us who will be singing, preaching, giving testimonies, leading activities, playing music, and serving to place our confidence in the Lord and remember we are doing this as unto Him!
3. For a boldness to share the gospel and a heart to be others-minded.
4. For a life that is willing to “deny self” and live as Jesus did.
5. For our faith in the Gospel of Christ and His sufficiency to strengthened as we get to know God more!
6. That we would be a genuine blessing and encouragement to our co-laborers at the New York Gospel Mission.

As we leave, let's remember the compassion of Christ and the urgency of the Gospel in Matthew 9:36-38 as we ponder the great work that lies before us in God's harvest field...

"Seeing the people, He [Christ] felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

June Summer Events

2009-06-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

We kicked off this summer with several different events that included Student Outreach to witness in Roanoke, be a blessing to our senior pastor, minister to the seniors at Runk and Pratt, and provide a car wash to our church and community. We also had a summer kickoff service where we dedicated ourselves to demonstrating Christ's compassion for the lost this summer as we give ourselves in service to the King of kings. We were able to take a fun trip to King's Dominion where we also able to share Christ with others by the gospel tracts we handed out.

I am looking forward to how God will continue to use us and shape us this summer as He uses His Word to change us into His usable servants! Hope you enjoy the pictures...

Youth Roanoke Rescue Mission Trip

2009-04-26T04:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 25th, we took the teens on a trip to the Roanoke Rescue Mission to tour their facility and then serve the people in a variety of ways. We helped prepare for the meals that were served, sang for the people who came, and sought to share Christ’s love and the message of Gospel with them! It was a blessing to be able to serve the homeless, those who are enslaved by addictions, and those who are in desperate situations. All in all we served 251 meals and had a blast serving Jesus! The teens did a GREAT job fulfilling our purpose in 2 Corinthinans 4:5 - "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake."

Enjoy the pics...

Fireproof Movie Event

2009-04-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that on Friday, April 17th, we will be having a Fireproof Movie Event in the Student Ministry Room at the church from 7:00-10:00pm! We want every youth parent and teenager to come to this event and see how the Gospel can transform a marriage and a family as seen in the movie “Fireproof,” which was released last year. This movie has impacted millions of families across this nation, calling them back to a Christ-centered focus. Even if you have already seen the movie, it will be an event that you will not want to miss! Every person who comes will be entered in a drawing to win a prize. Hope to see you there!

Can't wait until Friday? Check out the sneak preview and many other videos, clips, and resources at www.fireproofthemovie.com!

March 17 Pictures

2009-03-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

March 17 - Governor visit, Shopping, and fellowship dinner

2009-03-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today we spent time with the Governor of Romania as well as going shopping in town. It was amazing to sit and listen to this government official who is also strong Christian fighting for the cause of Christ.

Soon after lunch, we headed to the malls and street shops of Oradea. It was a great experience for all of us, as we purchased things for our loved ones and ourselves to take back to America.

At dinner time, we walked into the cafeteria to find that it was set up for a very elegant dinner! They really pulled out all of the stops to make us appreciate this last meal. Ever since we arrived, we have been overwhelmed at how kind and loving our hosts have been.

After dinner, Pastor Cosmin took some time to challenge our hearts from Phillippians 1. He told us that the good work that Christ has begun in us will be completed! He encourage us to pray for one another and to never forget what God has done in their hearts over the last 10 days. At this time, we all stood in a circle and prayed over one another. It was a sweet time of going before the throne of grace to find the grace we so desperately need!

This mission trip has been the trip of a lifetime! I cannot believe that it is actually over. We have seen God break us and shape us. We has seen God cause us to be emptied of self and filled with Him. We have seen God truly change us from the inside out. As we return, let's remember to focus on what God did in us and through us. Let's remember to encourage one another in our spiritual walk and not let Satan or self get in the way. We all know how much Satan desires to discourage us and hinder us. Now that our trip is over, Satan will attempt to destroy the unity and progress we have made as a team. He will stop at nothing to divide us and keep us from serving and and loving one another. By the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, we cannot allow this to happen! We must be in prayer for one another and be focused on continuing the unity and love that should identify us as brothers and sisters in Christ!

All of these teens are on the brink of a new beginning. They will soon be graduating and heading out to college. I hope that this trip will serve as a turning point for them - a time when they decided that they would take their walk with God seriously and own their faith. I pray that each senior would remain on fire for God by feeding on the Word of God. The Word is what will fan the flames and keep them moving forward!

Please be in prayer for us as we return tomorrow to Lynchburg. We will be traveling for a long time and will be looking forward to seeing our families and friends once again! We will also be having a special chapel at TCS on Tuesday, March 24th in the New Gym at 10:00am. We encourage all to come and hear the full report of what God has done and how He used the team on this life-changing trip.

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

2009-03-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from our Sunday ministry days as well as the ministry we did in the city of Bicatiu with the children and the teens. Enjoy!

March 15-16: Ministry in churches and villages

2009-03-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday and Monday were some incredible days! We had the opportunity to worship with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and hear the Word preached to us. In the morning we gathered together at Emmanuel Baptist Church with over 2,000 people in the sanctuary. We had the opportunity to sing to them and it was a great joy for us. We then heard from Stuart Briscoe, a English theologian and pastor. After this, we split up into different homes for our lunch and it was wonderful to spend some time just getting to know the people of Emmanuel and how Christ has transformed their lives and families before and after Communism. Sunday evening was spent in a nearby church plant that is thriving and growing. They sang several of the songs we sing in youth group, and it was great to hear them in the Romanian language. We also got to sing and preach to them and their response was so good to see!

After we returned to the church for dinner and devotional time, it was evident that God was working in all of our hearts. We sang and praise God's name for that working in us and prayed for one another. It was a great time of fellowship!

For Monday, we went to the village of Bicatiu. We were able to visit in homes and share the Gospel, as well as do a full scale VBS with the children and teens. The evening service was packed! There were over 100 people in a church that only has 11 members total. It was great to see God work and use His Word and His people to accomplish His purpose. There was one young girl who came forward and accepted Christ as her Savior after the service! This alone makes coming to Romania worth it all.

I will post some pictures today, so stay tuned to the blog. We love you all and can't wait to see you in just a couple of days!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

March 15 Pictures

2009-03-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

March 14 - Visiting State Orphanage, Baius, and Bear's Cave

2009-03-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Let me first thank you for your patience! The internet connection has been very sporadic lately, and so I have not been able to post the pictures and journal entries as often as I would like. I want you all to know that I read the e-mails and blog comments to the team on a daily basis and they are greatly encouraged to know that you are all in prayer for them!

Today was spent visiting one of Romania's state orphanages (no pictures allowed, however), the city of Baius, and the famous Bear's Cave. The state orphanage was an eye-opening experience for all of us as we saw the difference between the Christian orphanage of loving families versus the institutional orphanage. We were able to walk in and spend some time with the children, who were mostly teenagers. We wanted to do so much more for them, and even share Jesus with them, but were not given the opportunity.

We also went to Baius, the city where Maria Thomas was born. It was encouraging to think about how God sovereignly brought her to Oradea where she would meet her new family! We were not able to go into the hospital there, but it was a good experience for all of us.

As we continued on our way, we were all enamored with the beauty of God's creation! The snow-capped Carpathean Mountain range was simply breath-taking and beautitful. Soon we arrived at the famous "Bear's Cave." This was awesome! This is comparable to several of the caverns in the U.S., but unique in its story. The story is told of how 141 bears were trapped inside this cave when a sudden cave-in took place. All of the bears perished in the cave. Each bear weighed over 1500 pounds and were 9 feet tall! The cave of was discovered shortly after that and they appropriately named it "Bear's Cave." When we ended our tour, we were asked to sing to the group. We sang "All in All" and our voices echoed through the cave! It was a great time for all of us.

As we returned to the church, the team was able to call home and talk with their parents. This was a huge blessing to them since they all have so much to share. When we returned and ate dinner, we had a special time of fellowship and worship as a team. We have done these things before, but this time would prove to be different. We spent over 3 hours singing and praising God for what He has done in us during this trip! I was dumbfounded to hear testimony after testimony from these teens about how God has broken them and opened their eyes to the sin in their life and how they are just going through the motions spiritually. They testified of how they talk about loving God and loving each other, but how it MUST be evidenced in their walk or it's meaningless! They asked each other for forgiveness and committed their lives to serving Christ wholeheartedly. Tears streamed down our faces as we made this committment to God and each other. It was so evident that the Holy Spirit was moving and working! He was in that room using the Word to convict us and challenge us to holy living and keeping each other accountable. It was like nothing I have ever seen before. ALL of the prayers that we prayed for this team are being answered. God is breaking us, shaping us, and using us for His glory! Our prayer now is that this trip will not just be some spiritual experience, but that we will truly be changed from the inside out to love and serve God with all of our hearts! We must desire nothing but God, possess nothing but God, and pursue nothing but God. Continue to pray for us as He continues to mold us and shape us into His image!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

March 13 Pictures

2009-03-14T21:37:00.001-07:00

March 13 - Children's Hospital and Village Ministry

2009-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Friday was spent in the Children's Hospital of Oradea and in the Village of Margena. This was a great day of ministry that affected all of us in different ways! In the Children's Hospital, we were all struck by the fact that almost each child was one who had been abandoned by their parents. Humanly speaking, these children have no hope. Many of them are stricken with disease, cancer, and deformity. This broke our hearts and brought us all to tears to see them and know that we cannot do what needs to be done for them. Many of them will die in that hospital and never experience what it is like to be in a family. But then we remember Maria Thomas. She used to be in this same hospital. She used to be someone who had no hope in this world. But the Thomas family chose her out of their love for her to be adopted into their family and they rescued her from certain death. This is a picture of what Christ did for us - doing we could never do for ourselves! Christ rescued us from certain death and hopelessness and we are grateful to be His adopted children!

The rest of the day was spent driving to the village of Margena and ministering there. We were able to share the Gospel with many in the village and we invited them to the service that evening. I was so excited to see God using our team and how they willingly shared the Gospel without fear! This is a village that has had great opposition to the Gospel, since the village orthodox priest has forbidden the people to attend this church. However, by God's grace we had a good number come to our service! Zach and Shawn gave their testimonies of how Christ changed their lives and Brian and I preached the Gospel. We trust that God will use His Word to change this village and bring many souls to heaven!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

March 12 Pictures

2009-03-12T23:38:00.001-07:00

March 12 - Touring Emmanuel Baptist's institutions, soccer game, and Church service

2009-03-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a tour of all of Emmanuel's institutions. We started with the Kindergarten, which was a great blessing! The children sang to us and really made us feel welcome. Then we visited the University, Medical center, and Hospice that Emmanuel has under its church leadership. They firmly believe in helping those in their community who are poor and without proper care. They provide medicine and medical care to thousands each year and truly exemplify the 1 John 3 mentality of showing the love of God to others! On the way back from our tour, we stopped at Emmanuel's old church building and then had lunch together.

During the afternoon, we had the opportunity to play soccer with the Emmanuel Christian school team. These guys were GOOD! We lost the game, but still had a lot of fun. Some of the girls on our team joined in the game and even scored a couple of goals!

During the evening, we had a Church service at Emmanuel Baptist Church from 6pm-8pm. It was a blessing to hear the youth of Emmanuel run the music for the service with hymns and praise songs (some of which were original songs by them). Our group sang Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art and Amy gave a testimony of salvation and how God has always been faithful to her. I preached to the congregation on 1 John 2:15-17 and sought to emphasize the importance of loving God versus the world. The people were so responsive and showered us with their kind words of encouragement.

We then spent dinner together with Pastor Cosmin, his family, as well as the senior pastor, Peter Vidu and Lewis and Mary Thomas and their family, who arrived earlier during the service. Before the meal, we sang "happy birthday" to Brandon, who turned 18! The chef made a special cake just for him and it was a very special moment.

After we celebrated and ate, we did a final sorting of all of the medicine we brought so we could give it out to the people in the villages tomorrow and Monday. We will be in the village of Margena tomorrow and will also be touring the children's hospital of Oradea. Thank you for your prayers, comments, and e-mails you have been sending us. We love you all and are excited about what God is doing!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

March 11 Pictures

2009-03-11T23:59:00.001-07:00

March 11 - Orphanage and Village Ministry

2009-03-11T17:03:00.001-07:00

Today was another great day of ministry and God's blessings! One of these blessings came in the form of luggage. I neglected to mention in my last post that Liz Trupia lost her luggage and did not have it as of last night. Thankfully, the Lord worked it out and she received her luggage this morning!

In the morning, we got the opportunity to tour a Christian orphanage called "Caminul Felix Village." This place is really doing a lot for the kids who have been abandoned in Romania and abroad. They have several house parents who take in about 12 kids at a time. They raise these kids as their own and seek to show the love of Christ to them. They make it clear that they are not an institution, but a family! The orphanage also has a farm connected with it containing cows, goats, and chickens.

Pastor Cosmin Marc, who is the missions pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church, has been a special blessing to us. He is in charge of our team while we are here in Oradea, and has planned the details of our itinerary. He has been a great encouragement to all of us!

After eating Hungarian Goulash lunch (which was really good!), Cosmin took us to a village called "Les" (pronounced "Lesh"). It was at this time that we were able to got house to house and share the gospel through a translator. The translators are from the highschool at Emmnauel and speak very good English. They have been wonderful to work with and have already become friends with the team. We all had opportunities to share the truth of the Gospel and sow the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of those in the village. As we visited in each home, we handed them a bag of much-needed medicine for them, a gift for the wife of the home, and a New Testament in their language.

By the late afternoon, we held a short VBS time with the children of the village. We sang a few songs and Randi-Lyndsey told the Bible story of Jesus calming the storm. We also explained and handed out Gospel bracelets that have the wordless book colors. After this, we made balloon animals for the children and handed out New Testaments in their language.

For the evening, we were a part of an evangelistic service to the community of Les. The church service lasted for 2 hours and the church was packed out! We all got to sing to the people and Jesse and Morgan gave their personal salvation testimonies. The governor and mayor of Romania even showed up to this event and wanted to welcome us and thank us for coming. Brian and I both preached and it was amazing to see how tender the people were and how the Holy Spirit was moving.

We then left for the hotel and had pizza and ice cream at the church. Like all of the food we have had so far, it was awesome! Their hospitality has been out of this world. Well, time to sign off for now. All of the teens and leaders are doing well want to let their families know that they love them very much and are excited about what God has been doing in Romania this week. Tomorrow we will be touring the Emmaneul university, playing a soccer match with the highschool team, and ministering in Emmanuel'sThursday night church service.

I am currently loading the pictures to the internet, so check back tomorrow!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

March 8-10 Pictures!

2009-03-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

March 8-10

2009-03-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

Well, what an incredible last couple of days! We have traveled across several countries over a span of 36 hours and have lived to tell about it. Upon arriving at Heathrow Airport in London, we were informed that our flight to Budapest was taking off in one hour! So, we were all running through the airport trying to get through customs and security before our flight boarded. Everything was going according to plan, and then the airport security separated Don, Shawn, and Brandon from our group to another line. The rest of us went through security, trying to get through it as quickly as possible. As we were getting checked, Holly's ticket got shredded on the conveyor belt. At this point, our flight was scheduled to take off in 10 minutes and we still saw no sign of Don, Shawn, and Brandon. Panic began to set in, and the pressure was on! I sent everyone else to the gate and then followed Holly to get another ticket printed. Once we finally got to the gate, we had 2 minutes to spare! Then, in just a few more minutes, Don, Shawn, Brandon showed up just seconds before they closed the hatch. These are just some of the many ways that God has shown us that He is in complete control of everything! We finally made it to Budapest and then took a great tour of the city. We would eventually pass through the border of Romania and into Oradea around 11pm (Romanian time). The teens and the leaders had great attitudes in the midst of 2 long travel days and proved that semper gumby is not just a slogan....it's a way of life on mission trips!

Tuesday came very early after getting only few hours of sleep. However, everyone showed up ready to serve. We had the opportunity to visit Emmanuel Baptist Church and their Christian school. We went to several classes with the high schoolers. They were so kind and friendly! They were so interested in our lives and hearing our personal testimonies of salvation. After this, we were able to lead a highschool chapel in their sanctuary with singing and preaching.

In the afternoon we had the privilege of getting to play basketball against Emmanuel's team. They really came to play. We were able to beat them, but only by 5 points. We were awarded a trophy, a box of Belgian chocolates, and certificates of honor. We had such a wonderful time with them!

Just to let everyone know - we have been treated like kings and queens while we have been here. The people of Emmanuel Baptist Church are first class servants who will go to great lengths to show you that they care about you and your needs. We are so excited to be here and are looking forward to how the Lord will use us tomorrow! We will be heading to a children's orphanage in the morning and then will be ministering in the village of Les. We will be visiting in people's homes in order to share the Gospel with them, doing VBS with the children, and then leading a city-wide evangelistic church service that evening. Please pray that God's Word will change us and transform lives as we seek to serve Him and minister to others!

Your fellow servant,

Pastor Stephen

P.S. We will have the pictures on here tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Off to Romania!!!

2009-03-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Well, the day has finally arrived. The TCS Mission Team will be off to Romania in less than 24 hours! We appreciate everyone's prayers as we leave and we look forward to how God will use His Word and us as His instruments. As we leave, we must do so with His Word on our lips. Here are the verses of Scripture that we have meditating on as a team in preparation for this trip:

These passages point us to the One we are preaching, the One we are serving, the One whose example we are following, and the One who gives us the strength and power to serve!

As we leave, here are some prayer requests for our team to keep in mind...

1. For our consistent time in Scripture and prayer to continue to impact our lives as we prepare to serve.
2. For those who will be teaching, giving testimonies, playing and singing music, serving in the Village Ministry of VBS to the children, and witnessing in the village homes.
3. For a boldness to share the gospel and a heart to be others-minded.
4. For a life that is willing to “deny self” and live as Jesus did.
5. That we would be a genuine blessing and an encouragement to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ at Emanuel Baptist Church in Oradea.
6. That we would show the love of Christ and compassion to the children in the orphanages and hospitals

Thank you for your prayers! See you on the blog soon!

Going for the sake of His Name,

Pastor Stephen

2009-03-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

From March 8-18, Shannon and I will be taking the TCS Seniors on a mission trip to Romania. Please pray for God to use the team as we minister in different villages to children, teens, and adults in homes, hospitals, and orphanages. I will be using this blog to post pictures and journal about what God is doing on our trip, so stay tuned!

For the time being, I would like to encourage you from the Word today as you seek to walk in Spirit by the grace we have in Christ!

AMAZING GRACE!!!

Romans 6:15-19

15 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
16 Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you.
18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
19 I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.

Can you trace God’s amazing grace throughout this passage? The passage we are looking at today has one clear message. GRACE. The unbelievable … and UNDESERVED blessing and gift of God on our behalf.

This grace that was embodied in Christ is our “Hero.” It has set us free from the cruel slave master we had no power to resist … “SIN”. It has given us a living hope. It has freed us from the eternal wrath and torment that would be ours to satisfy the justice of a holy God.

But this grace is not only “future grace” … it is “present grace.” It is a grace that has enables us to choose to submit to God and to yield our bodies to His service and glory.

This is the message of Romans 6. YOU ARE FREE. You do NOT have to obey sin. STOP giving yourself back into slavery. Satan can NO LONGER keep you. You are the one who is giving in. We must learn to take responsibility for our sinfulness. Sin is no match for God’s grace! It is simply a choice to disobey. We must remember that all sin is a choice on our part to not obey. This does not mean that the sin does not look good to us. But will we continue to be fooled into thinking that somehow sin has gotten better. That somehow Satan has gotten kinder. That somehow God is wrong and has stopped keeping His promises!

STOP going back to prison and begging God to help you escape. He has already purchased your freedom if you belong to Him in salvation! He keeps you by His grace and enables you to live by His grace. The doors are open … stop yielding to the seduction … there is NO testing too great that God has not provided a way of escape. RUN!!!! Run from sin and run to the freedom you have in Christ to not obey sin!

SO, HOW ARE YOU DOING? Who do you serve? Are you and I going to be like a “dog that returns to its vomit” (Proverbs 26:11)? Do you keep going back to the vomit of sin and indulging as though it was some great prize and that which brings fulfillment? Or do you embrace the treasure that is freely yours … a life of companionship and co-laboring with the loving God of the universe that gave His life to buy you back when you deserved to be abandoned.

I would challenge us all today to …

1. Meditate on the immensity of the Grace that God has poured on you … realize in a fresh way the awesome gift you have been given. That you were allowed to see, understand, and respond to that which most of the world will never grasp or accept. Find yourself renewed in THANKFULNESS and awe of who God is and what He has done.

2. Let this gratitude inspire a rich new zeal in knowing and loving and serving a God who deserves ALL of our worship and devotion!

It is my desire that you all love Christ PASSIONATELY, know Christ DEEPLY and enjoy Christ FULLY !!!

For His Name,

Pastor Stephen

Massanutten Ski Trip 2009

2009-02-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Overwhelming Anxiety vs. God's Perfect Peace

2009-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

OVERWHELMING ANXIETY IS NO MATCH FOR GOD’S PERFECT PEACE!

I want to encourage all of you today with something that God has really been teaching me lately about anxiety. You know the feeling. Just when you think you have all that you can handle, BOOM! You just got more added to your plate and you feel overwhelmed and frustrated. It is something we all struggle with it, whether you are 3 or 43. Let’s look at Philippians 4…

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Remember that Paul is still in prison, awaiting his trial. How is an attitude of joy possible for Paul, considering his situation? Would you be rejoicing if you were in the same predicament?

What are we to do when we are tempted to worry? What is your normal first response when you are going through a hard time? Here is what Paul tells us to do in Philippians 4…

1. Paul commanded the Philippians to rejoice. He repeated the command immediately, so there is no getting around it! Their joy was to be in the Lord, and it was to be unchanging. The circumstances of Paul’s life reminded him of the joy available in the Lord, and he wished that joy for them as well. Paul knew that no situation is beyond the Lord’s help, even being imprisoned for your faith. We can always rejoice in that!

2. Paul exhorted them to gentleness. The gentle person does not insist on his rights. Paul stresses this point by reminding them that the Lord was at hand. This means that the Lord would be coming soon. This should make us stop and think. Are you presently treating others with gentleness?

3. Paul encouraged them to “not worry about anything.” Jesus also spoke about worry and anxiety in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:25-34), where he stated the most common causes of anxiety. They are: physical appearance (v. 27); clothing (v. 28); food and drink (v. 31); and fear of the future (v. 34). Do any of these describe you when you are tempted to worry? Well, there is hope! Prayer with thanksgiving cures anxiety, because it focuses our attention on the Problem-solver and not on the problem itself.

Jesus gives us several promises that every believer can reach out and hold on to with confidence in this passage of Scripture. God will provide, take care of, sustain, preserve, protect, and love His children. Therefore when we are anxious, we fail “to trust all that God has promised to be for us in Christ Jesus.” This chapter is very encouraging and ties everything to the believer’s faith in a sovereign God to “supply all [his] need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

God is bigger than any problem or worry you have and we can cast all our anxieties upon Him, since He truly cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Once we have given our worries to God in prayer, we experience the incredible peace of God. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God’s power. As Paul says, peace is not always easy to explain or understand (“surpasses all comprehension”). Sometimes we are left wondering why something has happened and we are faced with discouragement. The answers to your questions of why will not satisfy the need of your heart, however. God’s peace is always appropriate and meets the need of the heart. Why? Because God’s peace will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” “Guard” is a military term, implying that peace stands on duty to keep out anything that brings worry and anxiety. Isn’t that an awesome promise from God?

So, what is stopping you from going before the throne of grace in prayer to God? The worst thing that can happen is that you will find grace, peace, and the strength of the Lord at your disposal! Let’s go to the One who can truly satisfy our deepest needs.

The Bible is full of wonderful passages that give hope beyond our anxiety, which give the believer true hope, freedom, and strength! Here are a few...

Ps. 56:3 – “What time I am afraid I will put my trust in You.”
Ps. 94:19 – “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.”
Ps. 37:5-7 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.”
Luke 10:41,42 – “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’.”
I Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
(See also: Matt. 6:25-34)

In conclusion, George Mueller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; the beginning of faith is the end of anxiety.” We must have faith in God that He will remain faithful to His promises! God commands His children to surrender their worries, frustrations, fears, and burdens in faith to Him. No Christian has to be dominated by anxiety. All it takes is to realize what is most needed and cast the anxieties on God. It will be crucial for the counselor to point out that this process is not some mystical, fuzzy feeling that comes over someone. Casting anxieties on the Lord is done in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7), communicating those things with the Lord and then trusting God to be faithful. Once that has been done, there is no reason to dwell on those thoughts, but every reason to trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness as He gives us His perfect peace.

OVERWHELMING ANXIETY IS NO MATCH FOR GOD’S PERFECT PEACE!

Teen Super Bowl Party!

2009-02-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

On February 1st, we went to Glen and Teresa Thomas' home for a Super Bowl Party after church! It was a great time for parents and teens to get together, watch the game, play our own games, and spend some time together as the body of Christ should! Enjoy the pictures...

Outreach Activity

2009-01-25T05:08:00.000-08:00

On January 24th, we met at the Ranowsky's to put together care packages for our college students who have gone away to school and then we played some FOOTBALL! Thanks to everyone who helped with this event and to the Ranowsky's for hosting it.

New Year's Eve Party

2009-01-25T04:55:00.000-08:00

On December 31st, we brought in the New Year with ice skating, bowling, eating out together, praising God and giving testimonies, and also playing some crazy games. We had a blast!

Youth Christmas Caroling Party

2008-12-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

On December 13, we held our Youth Christmas Caroling Party! We went to different homes of people in our church including pastors, shut-ins, and nursing homes to sing Christmas carols and hand out cookies to everyone we met along the way. We ended the night at our home with some pizza, games, and fellowship! Enjoy the pictures...

A Time to Give Thanks

2008-11-26T20:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What comes to your mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Pilgrims, Family, Friends, Turkey, and Football? These elements are wonderful and enjoyable, but do you also find yourself expressing gratitude to your Creator?

1. Thankfulness to our AWESOME God:

Psalm 136:26 – "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever." (ESV)

I have full assurance that everyone reading this is genuinely thankful to God, but I know how often I become comfortable with and "used to" my salvation and the mercy God has given to me. When I take the time and effort to really think of who I used to be and where I used to be destined and even now how I, far to often, treat my holy and loving God - HE IS SO MERCIFUL TO ME!!! Let's ponder God's enduring faithfulness and love, and we really tell Him from our hearts that we love Him and that we are thankful for that undeserved mercy!

2. Thankfulness for RELATIONSHIPS

Ephesians 1:16 – "I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly." (NLT)

The Apostle Paul often refers to his love and prayers for the church. For most of us, it is easy to be thankful for our family and our best friends. But are we truly thankful for who God has placed in our lives – those that we truly love and are blessed by AND those who are difficult to get along with?

So, who are the people that have impacted your life? Who are the people that God has placed in your path to mold you and direct you? Who are the people that God has put under you to impact for His glory? Are you truly thankful for these relationships? May God help us to realize the value of such relationships, and may we express our gratitude to them in how we treat them as well as how we pray for them and challenge them spiritually.

3. Thankfulness in EVERYTHING

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (ESV)

So what does this verse mean? It means that in whatever circumstances you and I are in, it is God's will that we thank Him! Take 2 minutes and think through these questions to help you apply this verse…

When was the last time I was grateful that I can walk without using crutches or a wheelchair?

When was the last time I was grateful that I can breathe without a machine pushing air into my lungs?

When was the last time I was grateful that I was in a country that allows me to worship God?

When was the last time I was grateful to have a family?• When was the last time I was grateful to have clothing and shoes?

When was the last time I was grateful for the food that my parents provide for me each day?

When was the last time I was grateful for "bad events" or "difficult people" knowing that God has ordained these things so that I could be CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE!!! (that IS our desire, right?).

I hope you are already seeing how grateful we can be for the "big" things and the "little" things. May we learn to be truly grateful while we have them and may we not need to lose them to realize their true value and truly be grateful in our hearts.To help us build a grateful attitude in our hearts, I would like to challenge you to do this exercise. It won't take long. Just get out a sheet of paper and a pen and take your time...

1. List 2 decisions made by those in authority over you that you are not happy about

2. List 2 circumstances in life that you wish were different

3. List 2 people who make your life very difficult or stressful

4. List 2 people in life that are the most encouraging to you

5. List 2 things in life that bring you joy or happiness

6. List 2 things about yourself you DON'T like (things you can’t really change)

7. List 2 things about yourself that you do like

Now take this list and PRAY. Thank God for each of these things, both good and bad. If we really believe that everything in life comes to us from God then we will be able to truly thank Him for everything. Make sure you are very specific why you are thankful for each thing and try to think of biblical reasons why you can be thankful. Connect God with your thankfulness!

So, do you want to do God's will today? In EVERYTHING give thanks!!! As you do, remember to love Christ passionately, know Christ deeply, and enjoy Christ fully!

Wishing you all a great Thanksgiving Day,

Pastor Stephen and Shannon

Youth Harvest Party 2008

2008-11-09T12:17:00.001-08:00

On October 31st, we had our Youth Harvest Party at Glen Thomas' property in Bedford. Some of the things we did included food (tons of pizza!), crazy games, a scavenger hunt with an exciting twist, and even some campfire songs and marshmellow roasting. I want to thank all of the parents and teens who came out to this event and especially those who helped to make it all possible! We'll have to do this again next year. Enjoy the pictures...

Youth Family Football Event @ LU

2008-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had our Youth Family Football event at LU. It was a great time of fun, food, fellowship, and football! Thank you to all of you who came and helped to make it such an enjoyable time. Here are a few pictures from the activity (my personal favorite is Jonas at the end with the red hair). . . . . .

Car Wash Fundraiser

2008-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

As you all know, the Timberlake Youth Group held a car wash for our church and the Lynchburg community on October 4th in the church parking lot. The tickets we sold was something people could give as an evangelistic tool or gift to a neighbor, a friend, or a co-worker. It was great to see all of the church people that showed up, and it was also wonderful to meet the people that came to Timberlake for the first time as a result of the car wash. All of the funds raised for this event will enable our youth group to continue providing service-related and relationship-building activities, and help us cover the expenses of the recent summer mission's trip we took to St. Vincent. A huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone who participated and gave for this event. All of the comments that I received were positive about the teens and the parents who came and worked. It was hard work, but we had a lot of fun doing it! Here are a few pictures from the event...

Upcoming Studies this Semester!

2008-08-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time again! School has officially begun and so has the rat race for many of us. As we run from home to school, game to game, activity to activity, let's not forget the keep the main thing in focus. I am reminded by Christ's admonition in Luke 10:41-42 to live for the only thing that is truly necessary - worshipping at the feet of Jesus! It is there that we will cultivate our love for Him, our love for others, and learn how we should order our lives as we listen to His voice. I am so grateful for all of things God has taught us over the summer and I look forward to what God has in store for us this semester. Here are some things that are coming up in our studies together as a Youth Group:

For Sunday School, we will begin some evangelism training for all of the teens entitled, "The Way of the Master." In this study, we will learn a powerful, effective way to witness. We will seek to bypass the intellect and speak directly to the conscience – the way Jesus did. Then we will seek to apply what we learn by taking the Gospel to our communities through outreach opportunities.

For Wednesday nights, we will be entering a book study for the teens, called "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations." This study will focus on the message of 1 Timothy 4:12, which calls us all to be examples of the believers in every area of life. This study will begin on September 3rd at TCS and is open to anyone in grades 7-12. Anyone who decides to enter into this study needs to be committed to it and do their best to be faithful to every Wednesday night time. We will open each time together with music and prayer, which will be followed by the lesson material. Then, we will divide up into small groups to discuss what we are learning and to answer the application questions. Everyone will be responsible to read the assigned portions and be ready to discuss it in their small group. The cost for the book is $10, which will be due on September 3rd.

Praise God for His working in our hearts!

2008-07-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Before we left on Tuesday morning, we were challenged by Pastor Jackson on Monday night at a place called Fort Charlotte. From this point in St. Vincent, you can view the entire capital city of Kingstown. It feels as if you are standing on top of a mountain! Pastor Jackson takes the men of his church up there to pray, so he wanted to take us there for our last team devotional time. He shared his testimony with us and his burden for the people of St. Vincent. He also challenged us to be salt and light in our community when we return to Lynchburg. After singing some praise songs, we began to share the lessons that we will be taking away from this mission trip. It was so encouraging to hear the each teen express from their heart the profound impact that God has had in their lives over the last two weeks! It was a great way to end the trip. On Tuesday morning, we got up bright and early to take our showers, get ready, and board the plane! Even though we were sad to leave, we are taking back the memories of seeing God work in our lives and in the lives of the people of St. Vincent!

As we return, let's remember to focus on what God did in us and through us. Let's remember to encourage one another in our spiritual walk and not let Satan or self get in the way. We all know how much Satan was working to discourage us before our trip even started. Now that our trip is over, he will attempt to destroy the unity and progress we have made as a youth group. He will stop at nothing to divide us and keep us from serving and and loving one another. By the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, we cannot allow this to happen! We must be in prayer for one another and be focused on continuing the unity and love that should identify us as brothers and sisters in Christ!

For His Name,

Pastor Stephen

Sunday and Monday

2008-07-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had a great time of ministry with the children, teens, and adults through teaching, singing, and testimonies. Pastor Jackson and Sharon expressed how much they enjoyed having us come and that we would be welcome to come back soon! However, we are the ones who are thankful to the Lord and Pastor Jackson for providing us with this opportunity to serve the body of Christ in St. Vincent and further the God's kingdom!

On Monday, we had the opportunity to go see the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean," which was filmed in St. Vincent!

Once we got back from seeing the Pirates' set, it was time to work and clean! The teens did a great job (Debbie Hamel would be so proud of us!)

Friday and Saturday

2008-07-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Friday the team enjoyed time souvenir shopping and eating an authentic Vincentian meal. It was delicious, although some enjoyed it less later. That night we had a youth rally. We had 100 teens in attendance. They played some games at the beginning, enjoyed some skits, and then Pastor Stephen preached a great message. Several teens responded, and it was a blessing to see our teens leading souls to Christ. Our team was encouraged by the service.

Saturday God provided us with beautiful weather for our boat ride. We took a catamaran to Bequia and enjoyed some shopping again. For lunch, they delivered pizza on the boat, then we had fun snorkeling afterwards. It was all going well until a couple people got stung by sea urchins. Janey got stung 14 times on her toe. She is doing much better today. Overall, everyone had a wonderful time just enjoying the sunshine and time together after a hard week of laboring. Last night, everyone went to sleep early.
Thanks for your prayers. We are experiencing God's grace and protection in a big way. We miss you all!

Wednesday and Thursday

2008-07-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning we woke up to rain pounding on the roof. Immediately we could tell that it was going to be a "semper gumbi" day. =) Because of the rain, we were not able to go with our original plan of outside games so we were forced to keep over 200 children in doors for all of the activities. During the actual VBS time, the city was working on the water which meant we had clogged toilets and a lot of thirsty children and workers. God is good though. We combined for the Bible story and the missionary story , and things went really well. Several children made professions of faith, proving once again......."God is in control"!!! Several of the local teams had challenged our guys in basketball, but an hour before the game we were told that a tropical depression might be headed our way! Pastor Jackson canceled church and informed the team that the church was a local hurricane shelter. However, God had other plans. At 6:30, we decided to go ahead and have church. Jon Sexton preached, and Nathan, Stephen and Doris sang specials. It was a great evening of fellowship together with our our Vincentian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thursday morning was VERY exciting. We fully expected to cancel because of the storm, but we packed the church again for the last day of VBS. A few adjustments had to be made because of sporadic rainfall, but we worked together as a team and God blessed our efforts. A number of children made professions each day as the gospel was presented in each Bible story and the missionary story about the life of Hudson Taylor.
Thanks for your prayers and kind comments. We are experiencing God's grace in a big way and are learning so much while here.