Pastoral Ponderings
You’re a Youth Leader…Yes, YOU! by Pastor Bennett
New Life made a prayerful shift in ministry focus within this past year: we transitioned from a traditional youth ministry approach to a more holistic and integrated approach to discipleship with youth.
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Down But Not Out by Zack Fugate
“But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”-Luke 21: 12-13
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What is the Mission of the Church? Pastor Paul
Most of us have heard The Great Commission a hundred times. Jesus’ last words before ascending into Heaven were, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
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Owning Your Faith by Pastor Bennett
My new Immerse class is called “Owning Your Faith.” That, essentially, is the call of God’s people throughout all time: to make their faith their own, to experience it and live it for real. Saving faith in only Jesus is meant to be tangible, not abstract. It is meant to infuse and transform every facet of our lives. While the strength or quality of our faith in Jesus may vary from time to time, our pursuit of Him should never grow stale.
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Watchfulness–Jim Nelson
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41
Watchfulness is necessary for a healthy spiritual life. Jesus tells his disciples to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” The letters of Paul, Peter, and John repeats the same note, urging us to exercise moral vigilance and watchful prayer…
To Bless–Pastor Tony
Tomorrow is the eve of one of the grandest miracles of all time. Eternity will not be enough time for us to consider even the slightest glimpse of the grandeur of the idea that God almighty became a baby; Oh, how wonderful a thought; Lean in brothers and sisters.
As we seek to celebrate this vast miracle, each of us, in our own way, are seeking to bless our loved ones (I may or may not be still seeking gift ideas for Julie). It is a native desire of this time of year. We find ourselves proclaiming to loved ones, with Bing Crosby, “…May your days be merry and bright.”; Our language even shifts to a version that would make King James proud, singing, “God bless ye merry Gentlemen!
Suffering–by Rene Milner
I have been pondering the question of suffering lately. In the question of comfort, the world would have us believe that we are dealing with a new and different era. We are currently battling an “Opioid Crisis” or an “Epidemic of Narcotics”. I would argue that currently we do not have an opioid epidemic any more than we have an Insulin epidemic. What we have now and have always had is a pandemic of suffering. Suffering is the process of dealing with some sort of pain. Opiates work on both physical and psychological aspects of pain so well that we have turned to them almost exclusively with the most dangerous side effect, that to a large extent people quit asking the question of “Why do we have suffering”?
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Preparing the Way – By Pastor Paul
In the opening chapter of the gospel of Luke, shortly before Jesus’ birth, was the birth of another man named John. He was prophesied about generations earlier and would play a key part in Jesus’ ministry. The angel of the Lord spoke about John before he was even conceived saying, “He will turn many of […]
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Only Jesus – By Pastor Bennett
Big transitions often involve a healthy mix of challenge and excitement, tension and joy. It’s been a wild ride so far. Moving our family from one town and church family to another has had its share of both ends of the spectrum. Saying goodbye to our family and friends was difficult after nearly seven years […]
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