Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek is a non-denominational, evangelical, Christian church, affiliated with Calvary Chapel in Centennial, CO and our website outlines our beliefs, philosophy of ministry, and services. https://calvarycherrycreek.org Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:35:00 +0000 Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:35:00 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com #MOMLIFE IN HIM https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2020/02/23/momlife-in-him Sun, 23 Feb 2020 16:30:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2020/02/23/momlife-in-him

WHEN LIFE HAPPENS, LOOK UP AS GOD PROMISES YOU PERFECT PEACE WHEN YOU RE-FOCUS YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT ON HIM.

by Lindsey Pintar on January 23, 2020

Heading into this week with gusto, I was hopeful that we were putting our five-week streak of sporadic sickness behind us. I made an effort to spend part of my Sunday getting organized with a plan and a to-do list. The past month has been a whirlwind of a new school for my older boys, Christmas, a ski trip, birthdays, and, unfortunately, intermittent sicknesses. I was reinvigorated and ready to reset.

At 3am Sunday night, my three-year-old Benji walks into our bedroom and says his tummy hurts and throws up – somehow the sweet thing makes it to the toilet in the midst of my husband's and my half-awake, stumbling confusion. His preschool teacher at church had told me earlier that day that he had licked the bottom of his shoes in defiance during class, so I couldn’t help but think this was payback. Monday was a holiday, and we took it easy, thinking we were on the up-and-up headed into Tuesday. Tuesday morning arrives, and we are all dressed, ready to go, for one of those days you’re going to leave the house at 7:30 and not return until evening – lunches are packed, everything’s organized and in the car. As we are all getting on shoes, Benji throws up all over the kitchen. “Ok God… I guess this is what You have for me today… again.” I reschedule the day’s plans, some of them having already been rescheduled 3+ times before, and I get into sweats. My oldest comes home later that day with a fever and is down and out with some other type of bug. What?!? Why?!? I just want to get a few things done and get out of the house!!!

It’s now Thursday, and I’ve literally cancelled everything I had on the calendar this week. I’ve been inside on these beautiful Colorado 50-degree days. I’ve cleaned up every bodily fluid you can name except for blood, thank God. As I’m getting my oldest tucked into bed for a nap, I turn on his music and an upbeat Bible verse song comes on. I hum along to it and realize I’m singing “in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. Haha, ok God, You’re funny! I see what You’re doing.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 SAYS: “REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU.”

When God speaks to you like that, you better think and pray on it. So, with a third cup of coffee (why not?) and an unknown amount of time until I would get interrupted, I sat down with God.

Lord, I rejoice that You sent Your one and only Son for me. I certainly can’t achieve the perfection You require on my own. Hello? I can’t even help but be frustrated that my poor kid is sick and that I have to give up what I want. I rejoice that with Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I know where I am going (heaven-bound, baby!) and that the sufferings of this life are not compared to what is coming (Romans 8:18). I can’t wait to see You, Jesus, face to face! God, Your grace is sufficient for me. What You’ve done through Your Son on the cross and through His resurrection from the dead is all I really need. You have done so much more though. You somehow, for some reason, want fellowship with me. You WANT to spend time with ME! You are here with me and I’m with You, and whatever You allow in my life, I just want to please You while I’m in it.

I can’t pray every waking moment of the day, but I can certainly talk to You and trust You all day long, knowing You are always there. You just want me to abide with You and come to You with my rejoicing and thanksgiving but also with my heartaches and frustrations – the big ones and the small ones.

Lord, I am thankful for You and the blessings You have so abundantly poured out. Thank You for Your Word that sustains me and leads me through the ups and downs. Thank You that the time I spend in Your Word on good days helps prepare me for bad days like this. Thank You for Disney+, that I can so easily entertain my kids when they are sick so I can spend time with You to get refreshed and be ready to serve them the next time bodily fluid erupts out or when they are so full of energy despite the thermometer saying 102. Thank You that we only have tummy bugs and head colds. Thank You for knowing exactly what I’d need, before I knew I even needed it, and for reminding me of Your love for me through my Bible studies this week. Thank You for a husband who helps take some of the burden so I can take a bath or go to church. Thank You for mid-week church service, solid Bible teaching, and a fellowship of believers who loves our family and provides comfort and encouragement when I need it most. Thank You for friends that check in on me, send funny memes, and bring flowers just because. Thank You for making me a mom – that I can get just a glimpse of the unconditional love You have for me, and thank You for teaching me, through motherhood, to be more flexible and gracious in circumstances I can’t control that are, quite frankly, gross. Thank You also for my mom who loved me through it all too.

THEN VERSES 19-22 SAY: “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT. DO NOT DESPISE PROPHECIES. TEST ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST WHAT IS GOOD. ABSTAIN FROM EVERY FORM OF EVIL.”

Oh man! I quench the Spirit when I’m frustrated, angry, harsh, or even when I just withdraw and am a quiet pouter. I don’t want to do that. Lord, fill me afresh with Your Spirit, that I may pour love, patience, and kindness on these precious children, even when they puke at 3am.

I will delight in Your Word, Lord, and will mediate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2), and I will not despise it. I will hold fast to Your Word as You are good, and You know what’s best for me because You know all of me – the past, present, and future – and You created me for a purpose. I will do my best to test all things against what You say in Your Word and will try to abstain from what is evil, but You know I will screw up. When I do, I will repent and return to You, because You are good.

In texting with mom friends this week, it’s been abundantly clear that many families are dealing with sickness, and I so wanted to share how God has comforted me in hopes it comforts some of you too (or at least makes you laugh at the "joys" of motherhood, ha!) You are loved!

“YOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON YOU, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN YOU.” ISAIAH 26:3

“BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.” ISAIAH 40:31

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2020/02/23/momlife-in-him#comments 0 BUT IF NOT! https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/24/but-if-not Sun, 24 Mar 2019 13:42:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/24/but-if-not

WE FIND IT SO EASY TO BELIEVE GOD WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, YET AS WE LOOK AT DANIEL 3 WE SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THE DEPTH OF FAITH THAT GOD CALLS US TO, THE "BUT IF NOT" DEPTH OF FAITH!

by Kristin Coupal on March 24, 2019

I’ve been asking myself recently: what is faith?

As a missionary, I often feel like I should have a great answer to that. I can’t tell you how many people have commented something like, ‘I wish I had your kind of faith.’ There are some days where I feel like I have this faith thing figured out, where I find myself trusting the Lord. More often than not, I find myself begging for additional faith in my life.

As I’ve studied the character of God in Scripture, especially in the Law, I have come to realize the amazing juxtaposition of His character.

God is other than me in so many ways, but my favorite is in His attributes I can’t reconcile. Somehow God is love and wrath, justice and mercy, peacemaker and conqueror, forgiver and avenger.

I can usually be one thing at a time; I can have wrath, but I almost never do it with love...I can be just, but I become hard-hearted...I can be gentle, but I lose my ability to stand fast for righteousness. Yet somehow, God is all these things at once. Somehow in God’s nature these things aren’t in any sort of conflict; they are beautifully matched and intertwined. That is something I have been begging for God to bring into my life. I want that amazing balance in my own nature that so reflects God’s.

I think faith is something that is a similar conundrum. My favorite example is from Daniel chapter 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego have refused to worship the giant idol of the king and are facing the fiery furnace. They look to the king and answer his question of who could save them from the flames and say:

“O Nebuchandezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we service is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

I see three levels to their faith here. First, they tell the king that God is ABLE to save them. This is the faith I see most often in my life. I can declare with confidence that God is ABLE to handle whatever is in my life. I know that in my core and believe it fully. This is the kind of faith I think most Christians are able to claim with confidence -- God is ABLE.

It is the other statements that I pray to see grow in my life. They move on to say that God WILL deliver them. Often this is where our faith is tested. Sure, God is ABLE to do something, but I often find myself doubting if He WILL. God can deliver me from this constricting sin in my life, but do I believe He will? God can heal my terminally ill father, but do I believe He will? God can save the soul of the staunchest unbeliever, but do I think He will?

DO I PRAY LIKE HE WILL?

Often I don’t, not because I doubt God’s ability, but because I doubt myself. I doubt my ability to finish the statement these three made: BUT IF NOT. Somehow, these three could say God WILL deliver us in total confidence and add BUT IF NOT in just as much confidence. I don’t know how to pray a prayer like, “God, You will heal this sick person, but if not, You are just as faithful.” I don’t have the capacity to have complete confidence in the “will” and also the “but if not.” I often pray things like, ‘If You could, would you maybe do this, but if You don’t I guess that’s ok too.’

The prayer of total faith in the "will" and the "but if not" seems as impossible to my mind as the love and wrath of God’s nature. However, many of the authors of Scripture lived their lives in the amazing balance of those things. They had such trust in God that they could approach His throne with total trust that He would do as they asked, but if not then it was the best.

Even as Paul prepares to go to Spain and Rome, we never see him accuse God as those plans aren’t fulfilled. Even as Abraham takes Isaac to the altar to kill his beloved son, we see him believing that God would save him, but if not he could raise him from the dead. We see David singing praises even as his family and kingdom are torn away from him.

As I consider these things, I’m challenged by what I’d have done if faced with a fiery furnace. Perhaps I could have walked in knowing God would save me, but could I also have truthfully said, ‘but if not I will not worship false things’? As we see God’s amazing character and goodness, we can be confident in His ability and willingness, but we can also rest safely in Him even when the ‘but if not’s’ of life come along.

As I reflect more and more on the idea of what that kind of faith would look like in my own life, I find myself begging along with a father pleading for his daughter’s life, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” I’m thankful that God is faithful even when I am faithless. And I am thankful that He gives me opportunities and grace to grow my faith, even when I don’t know how.

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/24/but-if-not#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 10: IN JESUS NAME https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/11/prayer-series-10-in-jesus-name Mon, 11 Mar 2019 16:46:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/11/prayer-series-10-in-jesus-name

THIS IS THE TENTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER STUDYING WHY CHRISTIANS SO OFTEN SAY: "IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN" AT THE END OF OUR PRAYERS. IT'S BIBLICAL! THIS BLOG WILL HELP SET YOUR HEART STRAIGHT NEXT TIME YOU PRAY IN JESUS' NAME.

by Lindsey Pintar on March 11, 2019

At the end of so many prayers, we hear and say: “in Jesus' name we pray, amen.” Why? Well, it’s not just a traditional, canned ending to prayers. In the book of John, Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of praying in His name when teaching the disciples how to pray.

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15:16

These are promises straight from Jesus Himself! “Whatever” we ask. “Anything” we ask. Wow! There is power when we pray in the name of Jesus.

So what’s in a name?

It’s because of Jesus that we even have the opportunity to pray in the first place. When He gave His life for us on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, He restored His original design for humankind – that we can have a direct relationship with Him. We are no longer under the law and separated from Him by sin, but through His free gift of salvation we are forgiven of our sin when we believe He is God. We can now commune directly with God Himself, and that means we can talk directly to Him through prayer, just like a relationship with a close friend. It’s because of Jesus’ precious blood that we even have the privilege to call upon the Father, anytime, anywhere.

“For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

His Spirit lives in us.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He makes His home in us. His Spirit dwells in us. We are no longer ourselves, but Christ who lives within us (Galatians 2:20). It’s the Helper or the Holy Spirit who God the Father sent in Jesus’ name that teaches us all things and is always with us.

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

Jesus was comforting His disciples with accepting His coming earthly departure in this verse as the Spirit would later come to allow each and every person direct access to God all of the time, above and beyond what Jesus could do as one man, in one place, at any given time.

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

As a new creation in Christ, we now have His Spirit in us. Just like a woman who takes her husband’s name in marriage, we now take on the name of Christ when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We pray in His name as His humble and obedient children because we love Him. Andrew Murray says it beautifully in his book “Teach Me to Pray”: “To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray in unity and in sympathy with Him. Such prayer has power. If with Jesus you glorify the Father, the Father will glorify Jesus by doing what you ask in His name.”

The Spirit in us prays on our behalf, and Jesus intercedes and advocates for us with God the Father.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He (Jesus) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

He rose from the dead, is alive, and lives to forever intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. It’s Him that is really doing the asking and taking our requests to the Father when we pray, receiving those requests from the Spirit who lives in us.

How amazing is it that we have the power of Jesus in us? Before Jesus promised that the Father will give us “whatever” and “anything”, He said:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12

Our strength and power IS Jesus. He alone is the power of prayer. It’s in His name prayer is powerful. It’s nothing we’ve done or earned, it’s all Him. What a privilege it is to pray!

So, is it about ending each prayer with the memorized phrase of: “in Jesus name, amen?” just to sound all churchy? No! Like anything concerning our relationship with God, it’s not about checking the box, but rather your heart’s motivation. When you pray, acknowledge from the depths of your heart and mind that it’s through Jesus that you can even pray in the first place. Picture Jesus sitting at the right hand of God praying on your behalf. Have confidence that when you are praying God’s will (His Word), in unity with Jesus, that you will receive what you ask. Allow these truths to sink into your heart and change your heart’s approach to praying, and come to your Lord in gratitude and adoration. The next time you say, “in Jesus name,” your heart will be outpouring praise versus it just being the typical ending to your prayers.

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

“It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:34

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/03/11/prayer-series-10-in-jesus-name#comments 0 DESIRING SPIRITUAL MATURITY https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/24/desiring-spiritual-maturity Thu, 24 Jan 2019 16:58:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/24/desiring-spiritual-maturity

ARE YOU STILL JUST ON THE MILK OF THE WORD, OR ARE YOU CRAVING MORE? TIME TO GROW!

by Lezli Urlacher on January 24, 2019

My 5-year-old, Levi, wants to be a baby again. He has been joking with me about buying him diapers (he thinks that will solve the issue of him having to wipe himself when he goes to the restroom -- sorry if that's too much info). A few days ago, he told me, “Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a baby.” Not sure where this is coming from, but apparently he already thinks adulting is hard!

We may laugh at this and think it’s a little cute at this age, but don’t we do the same thing spiritually as adults? Don’t we want to stay comfortable in our onesies, letting others spoon-feed us, bathe us, and rock us to sleep? The Bible is very clear that we are not to stay in the “infant” stage in our walk with Christ. We must keep growing!

Hebrews 5:11-14 says, “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (NLT)

When we are first saved, we need help with EVERYTHING, just like a newborn baby! We need constant discipleship and guidance as we learn what it means to live as a Christian, to study His Word, to pray, etc. We are essentially being “nursed” or “spoon-fed,” and that is TOTALLY okay at this point in our walks! It’s expected!

BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN WE COME ACROSS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A BELIEVER FOR YEARS AND IS STILL EXPECTING TO BE SPOON-FED EVERYTHING?

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 has a pretty stern warning about this: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (NLT)

CHRISTIAN, IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!

Don't just sit on the sidelines and watch everyone around you grow. Get into the game -- study your Bible, develop a prayer life, serve in your church, fellowship with believers, minister to people around you, and don't be controlled by sin. Don't you want to live to the full potential God has for your life?

If you have kids, you know that they get so excited when they learn something new and are finally a “big kid”! It should be exciting to us as believers when we are learning new truths and growing in Christ!

When we first become a believer, we spend a lot of time just learning the basic, foundational spiritual truths -- that is the “milk,” which is very important! But what will happen if we just stay on that milk?
We will be malnourished! We will not grow as we should. When we reach a certain point, our spirits should crave deeper truths.

Hebrews 6:1 (NLT) says, "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God."

As we continue to spend time with God in prayer and reading His Word, He is going to keep teaching us new truths. And as we learn and apply these truths, we will be taking bigger and bigger “bites” and eventually move on to meat. The most important part of taking those bites is to chew them and digest them so that our bodies can actually use them and be satisfied! If we just keep the bites in our mouths and never actually use (apply) them, they might taste good at the moment, but they are useless to us in the end.

When you study the Word on your own or are sitting under a teaching through the Word, be sure to ask God to show you how to apply that teaching to YOUR life, and then - get this - actually DO IT! This is the most important part!

James 1:22 (NLT) says, “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

As you take these bigger “bites” and digest (apply) them, you will be nourished. You will be satisfied. You will get stronger in your walk with Christ. Just as your body needs to be fed, your spirit needs to be fed!

I hope you will feast on His Word today and continue to grow in Christ!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/24/desiring-spiritual-maturity#comments 0 RELIGHT THAT FIRE https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/07/relight-that-fire Mon, 07 Jan 2019 18:00:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/07/relight-that-fire

SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE WE GET STUCK IN OUR WALK WITH GOD. THE FIRE WE ONCE HAD SEEMS TO DWINDLE INTO A SMOLDER. RELIGHTING THAT FIRE MAY JUST BE AS EASY AS TRYING SOMETHING NEW!

by Ben Young on January 07, 2019

We bought our house almost exactly 5 years ago. At the time we were desperate to get out of our lease (thanks to an 18% increase…yuck!), and we were on a tight budget, so this little place really suited us well. Sure, we had to compromise on a few things we wanted, but there were some things that we really loved about this place, specifically the wood-burning fireplace.

Nichole and I both grew up with wood-burning fireplaces. We love the look, the sounds, the smells…Some people find them too messy, but there is just something about it that is comforting to us. Needless to say, we were ecstatic to try it out.

I excitedly bought some wood and proceeded to build a fire worthy of the cover of Fireplaces R Us magazine (ok maybe that’s not a thing, but I sure acted like it was). It was perfect!…in my head, at least. Logs neatly stacked, Aim 'n Flame in my hand, I lit the fire starter and watched the glorious flame grow...and then die. "This can’t be right!" I lit it again. The flame began to grow and then died.

Puzzled, I began the checklist in my head.
Flue open - Check
Wood dry - Check
Check outside, is there anything blocking the chimney? - Nope

What in the world?!
I tried and I tried, and I could not get that fire to stay lit. I bought fire logs. No go. I tried different types of wood from different stores. Nope. I did all sorts of things to get a fire going, and I couldn’t keep a fire lit to save my life! Defeated, and feeling my man card being revoked [insert “he didn’t go there” sigh here], we closed the flue, sealed up the front of the fireplace, and settled into our fireplace-less lives.

THAT IS, UNTIL LAST YEAR!

Determined to get my money’s worth out of this fireplace, we decided try to give it another shot…THREE YEARS after my devastating defeat!

This time I consulted with a good friend, and he gave me some clear direction. He told me to experiment. “Start with small pieces of wood until you have a nice bed of coals, and then add in the large logs. Move the grate around to make sure you have sufficient air flow on all sides of the fire.”

He gave me a bunch of other advice to which I responded, "I didn't realize there was that much to it!"

His response: “It’s just fire science, Bro”.

I couldn’t believe it. How could I miss something so basic?!

With a renewed sense of resolve, I picked up some wood at Lowe's, tried a few of the tactics that he gave me, and voila! We had a fire! Excited from the newfound success, we continued to experiment to make sure we had the formula down. We experimented with the grate position, played around with the way we stacked the wood, and eventually found that if we take steps “X, Y, Z” then the fire started and continued to burn every single time. Now, every time we try to start the fire we get the same result!

"So what?!" you say. Well, our struggle with building a fire in this fireplace is similar to the fire we have inside for the Lord!

DON’T CLOSE THE BROWSER JUST YET! HEAR ME OUT…

How many times have you felt defeated in your walk with God? You “TRY” to get into the Word, glorify God, and “be a Christian”. Then something doesn’t go right, you run into a rough time, and all of the sudden "it’s not working” for you. You feel like your walk is ineffective. Maybe you get to a point where you feel like studying doesn’t result in what you want. Or maybe it feels like you’re constantly battling with thoughts that you know you shouldn’t or struggle with bitterness and anger and don’t know how to get away from it.

So you stop, close up the flue, and put a cover over it. It’s still there…you’re still a Christian, you still love God, yet you’re not doing anything about it because you simply can’t keep the fire going.

You know, I could have had fires in this fireplace for the last three years had I just tried something different. It’s the same in our walk! We get defeated in our faith, and even though we're still saved, we can't seem to progress in our faith. So what can you do? My simple advice is this: Change what you’re doing!

Of course, there are many things we can do to draw closer to God, but I would encourage you to start simple and simply change something that you're doing!

STUDY IN THE EVENING INSTEAD OF IN THE MORNING

GET AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND STUDY

GO TO A PARK AND STUDY

READ THE BIBLE ONLINE

READ FROM A COMMENTATOR ALONG WITH THE BIBLE

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO BIBLE

STUDY IN YOUR PANTRY

PRAY IN YOUR GARAGE

Sometimes we just need a little CHANGE in how we're approaching God to help us break through and relight our fire for Him!

So as we begin 2019, I encourage you to take some time, think about the areas where you’re stale, and make a change! Shuffle the coals around, move the grate, increase the air circulation. Do something different to light that fire again!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Young

I am a husband first, father second, and worshiper of God through it all. My passion is to serve the Lord by leading people in the worship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Worship is so much more than music, it's the way we live our lives walking with the Lord, and I pray that these writings help you grow in that! God Bless!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2019/01/07/relight-that-fire#comments 0 THE RESTING FAITH: BE ENCOURAGED BY OTHERS https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/10/the-resting-faith-be-encouraged-by-others Mon, 10 Dec 2018 18:15:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/10/the-resting-faith-be-encouraged-by-others

THE THIRD SEGMENT IN OUR SERIES ON THE RESTING FAITH. DON'T ISOLATE YOURSELF WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING. OTHERS WILL ENCOURAGE YOU AND STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH!

by Ben Young on December 10, 2018

“There are three kinds of faith in Christ:

1. Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming.

2. Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat.

3. Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat (and able to reach out with a hand to help someone else get in).”

-- Dwight L. Moody

Hello again, and welcome back! If you recall, we previously discovered how asking God for stronger faith and getting into the Word will both strengthen your faith. These are logical, practical steps to transitioning from that place of struggling faith that we're all so familiar with to a resting faith, where we're firmly grounded in the Lord and able to help encourage and strengthen others. Yes, you CAN get to that place in your relationship with God!

In this last segment of the Resting Faith series, I want to share another way that you can strengthen your faith -- maybe a way that you wouldn't expect. What is it?

BE ENCOURAGED BY OTHERS!!

That's right! Be encouraged by others! Stick with me. You'll see what I mean.

If you're like me, you tend to withdraw when you're struggling. Things aren't going the way you hoped they would; everywhere you turn, plans seem to fail. You've tried to get into the Word but feel like it's not making sense. You've been asking God for more faith but feel like He hasn't heard you... You feel alone, desperately swimming, and your faith is slipping. Questions begin to swirl in your mind:

"Is God real?"

"What is this all for?"

"How does that person seem on fire for God?"

"What if all of this is a lie?"

Of course, the fact that you've pulled away from others, not wanting them to know what's going on or see you feeling like this, doesn't help!

It's in these moments of struggling faith that we NEED to surround ourselves with brothers and sisters in Christ who can encourage us, pray for us, and build us up. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that people are a replacement for God or that you should turn to people instead of Him. I'm simply pointing out that surrounding yourself with other believers is a crucial step to growing in your faith. When you're around other believers, you see God work in their lives, and God uses them to speak into your life. They can often answer your questions, and they can help you get out of the brain fog that you've become trapped in.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says:
²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (NKJV)

Let's break this down...

"Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works" -- The Greek word for "consider" is katanoéō, which means to perceive, consider attentively, or fix one's eyes or mind upon something. It's really a simple concept. When we turn our focus to others, love and good works naturally follow and our faith is strengthened. Don't believe me? I challenge you to serve God sacrificially. Do something outside of your comfort zone to serve someone else, and watch how your faith follows.

Verse 25 goes on to say, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another..." It's really pretty clear -- "not forsaking the assembly" quite literally means not to abandon the assembly of people together (and this verse isn't talking about people in general; it's speaking about the followers of Christ).

It turns out, people back in the early church struggled with many of the same things we do today, and withdrawing from the church was (and still is) an issue. I don't know how many times I've seen people who are struggling with their faith, really having a hard time figuring out who God is and what He wants from them, and through the confusion they decide to stop communicating with other believers. They stop going to church, stop calling or texting their believer friends, all the while using the excuse that they "just need time" to figure things out.

Oh, my heart breaks for these brothers and sisters! The writer of Hebrews gave us this exhortation because he knew the positive impact that being around other believers would have on our faith!

When we're struggling, the last thing we should do is isolate ourselves.

We're family, brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need to help each other as we walk through this thing called life and as we grow in our faith. If we isolate ourselves, we'll soon begin to spiral into destruction.

If you've found that you're in the "struggling faith" category, draw close to other believers. You'll soon find that they will encourage and strengthen you as you walk through this life.

So there you have it -- three things you can do to strengthen your faith. Ask God for it, get in the Word, and be encouraged by others! No matter where you find yourself in the spectrum of faith, whether you're barely treading water or boldly standing in your faith and helping others out, these three principles should be in the front of your mind, and if they are, you'll find that your faith will be strengthened day by day!

God Bless! I'll see you next time!
-Ben

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/10/the-resting-faith-be-encouraged-by-others#comments 0 HE LOVED US FIRST He first loved us.” -- 1 John 4:19Amazing, right? God chose to love us.All three of my sons bless me tremendously in different ways. God knew I would need some extra love, affection, and encouragement to get me through my days, so He gave me Isaac, my encourager. Each day -- sometimes multiple times a day -- Isaac genuinely tells me how ...]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/02/he-loved-us-first Sun, 02 Dec 2018 11:47:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/02/he-loved-us-first

CAN YOU REALLY GRASP HOW MUCH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU? HERE'S A GLIMPSE...

by Lezli Urlacher on December 02, 2018

“We love Him because He first loved us.” -- 1 John 4:19

Amazing, right? God chose to love us.

All three of my sons bless me tremendously in different ways. God knew I would need some extra love, affection, and encouragement to get me through my days, so He gave me Isaac, my encourager. Each day -- sometimes multiple times a day -- Isaac genuinely tells me how much he loves me, how “great” I am, or that I’m “the best Mom ever.” (He will make an excellent husband some day!)

One night, he said something pretty profound to me. As I was saying goodnight to him, we had this little conversation:

Isaac: “I love you, Mom.”

Me: “I love you more!”

Isaac: “I love you the most! I loved you first... Wait... I guess YOU actually loved ME first since you knew me before I knew you.”

WOW… talk about God dropping a truth bomb on me!

Before my children were even born, I knew them… I loved them so much, my heart could burst. I can’t explain it, but if you’re a parent, I’m sure you understand what I mean. And when they were born, I cared for them and loved them before they could ever comprehend who I really was to them. They were helpless, especially as newborns. All they could really do to communicate was to cry out for Mom or Dad. They did nothing to earn my love.

And now, because I simply loved (and love) my children, we have a relationship with each other because they have chosen to love me back. Even if they had chosen not to love me back, it would not change my love for them.

What a great parallel to God’s precious love for us, His children. He created you and me. He loved us and knew us before we were even born. And when we choose to love Him back, we can have a relationship with Him. Meditate on these sweet verses about God’s intimate love for you:

Ephesians 1:4 says that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”

He told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”

Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

Do you realize how much the God of the Universe loves YOU?

Do you realize He gave His own Son, Jesus, on the cross just so that He could be with YOU for eternity?

Do you realize how desperately He wants to have a relationship with YOU?

Every single person on this earth was created by God. Every person, including YOU, was created thoughtfully and intentionally by our loving Father. No matter what any person tells you, you are not an accident. You have purpose here on earth.

What grace and mercy our amazing God has. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? He loved you first, His precious child. Give your heart to Him. Click here if you would like to have a relationship with Jesus and know that you’ll be in Heaven with Him for eternity.

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]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/12/02/he-loved-us-first#comments 0 THE RESTING FAITH: GET IN THE WORD https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/11/12/the-resting-faith-get-in-the-word Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:54:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/11/12/the-resting-faith-get-in-the-word

THE SECOND EDITION IN BEN’S SERIES ON THE RESTING FAITH, WHERE WE EXPLORE HOW GETTING IN GOD’S WORD CAN HELP YOU GROW INTO A RESTING FAITH!

by Ben Young on November 12, 2018

“THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF FAITH IN CHRIST:

1. STRUGGLING FAITH, LIKE A MAN IN DEEP WATER DESPERATELY SWIMMING.

2. CLINGING FAITH, LIKE A MAN HANGING TO THE SIDE OF A BOAT.

3. RESTING FAITH, LIKE A MAN SAFELY WITHIN THE BOAT (AND ABLE TO REACH OUT WITH A HAND TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET IN).”

-- Dwight L. Moody

If you recall, during this series of posts we’re exploring how we can come to a resting faith in God. In the last post we talked about the quote from D.L. Moody and how oftentimes the first step to being in a resting faith is simply asking God for stronger faith.

This week, I want to visit yet another very simple step to being in a resting faith:

SPENDING TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD!
"SO THEN FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD."

Romans 10:17

Faith comes from hearing the word of God! What better way to get the Word of God than simply spending time in the Word? Sure, we learn about God when we go to church, but what are you going to do the rest of the week? Really, stop and think about it. What kind of relationship would you have with your best friend if you only thought about them, spent time with them, or talked with them for an hour and a half, one day a week?!

I can tell you with certainty that in times when I’ve really been struggling with my faith, I have found that I really need to re-evaluate my time spent in God’s Word. Oftentimes I find that I’m lacking in this area.

A word of warning...when we’re struggling in our faith, we may find it especially difficult to discipline ourselves to get into the Word. Don’t fall into that cycle; instead prepare to buckle down and spend the time with God regardless of whether you “feel” like it or not.

God’s Word holds wisdom, healing, strength, and love. It’s the story of how we relate to Him and what He has done for us.

Take just a second and think of the person you’re closest to... someone you love, respect, care for, and enjoy spending time with. How did that relationship develop? I’m confident in saying that the relationship you have was NOT instantaneous. Such a deep, personal, loving relationship takes time to cultivate, refine, and build. No doubt you had to spend time with that person, maybe even hundreds or thousands of hours. Yet now, your heart is built up by them, you trust them, you lean on them, and you genuinely care for them.

The same is true in our relationship with God!
The strength, encouragement, and love you will find by spending time in the Word will build over time. The more time you spend with God, the more you benefit from it. Ultimately, the greatest side effect to spending time in the Word is a strengthened faith. We simply need to spend time in the Word, absorbing what God has for us, and that time spent will help put us into a state of resting faith!

So you may be sitting there, saying

“But I’ve tried reading the Bible, and I just don’t get it.”

If I can offer one piece of advice, it would be, "Don’t go at this alone!" Ask a brother or sister in Christ to help you. I’ll admit, for years there were entire segments of scripture that I would avoid reading, simply because I didn’t understand it and thought it was for those “smarter” people who had theology degrees and all that stuff. But I’ll tell you, God has given us the ability to read and understand His Word. Sometimes we just need a little help with understanding the context and verbiage held within the pages. That’s where your brothers and sisters in Christ can help.

We live in an age when we have so much information at our fingertips. I can’t imagine what Spurgeon or Matthew Henry would do if they had access to the level of information that we do. Grab that friend who you know walks closely with the Lord, and ask them to help you out. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll grow even closer to resting safely in the boat!

God bless! See you next time!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/11/12/the-resting-faith-get-in-the-word#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 9: YIELDING https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/10/22/prayer-series-9-yielding Mon, 22 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/10/22/prayer-series-9-yielding

THIS IS THE NINTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, FOCUSING ON WHY WE ARE TO PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL.

by Lindsey Pintar on October 22, 2018

God really laid this blog post on my heart in a roundabout way. Over the past month, every time I saw or heard the words “according to” in the Bible, the Holy Spirit would just poke me. When I looked up the meaning of the word κατά in the Greek, it’s simply a preposition that occurs 482 times in the Bible. No wonder I was seeing it a lot – it’s all over the place! Then I finally realized it was God simply giving me the prayer topic on which I was supposed to write next. Praying according to God's will and not our own. Thank you Lord!

Last time, we discussed our heart’s motivation behind what we are asking for during prayer, and we’ve started focusing our prayers so God may be glorified and honored instead of wanting our own selves to be glorified, comfortable, or our desires fulfilled. Now, to take that a step further, after we ask God for help and bring our petitions to Him, we then must yield to God with the confidence that He will answer our prayers according to His will and not our will.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Did you hear that? God hears us when we ask ANYTHING according to His will – big or small – ANYTHING – as long as we ask according to His will. We have total confidence that, if our prayer is according to His will, then what we asked for will be done! But what about our prayers we consider unanswered?

First of all, are you sure it’s not answered? Maybe God has answered it…according to His will and not yours. Maybe He is answering it in His perfect timing, and His timing hasn’t come yet. Or, finally, maybe your prayer request was not in His will. Are you ok with it going unanswered? Is the Garth Brook’s voice singing “sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers” twanging in your head yet?

In a conversation about prayer with my beautiful Aunt Sue last week, she said something so profound, and I’ve just been chewing on it all week. She said that so many times she catches herself giving God her problems AND a solution versus just the problem. I mean, think about that – does God need our solutions? No way. His perspective is so much greater than ours.

Of course, we can look to Jesus as our primary example. He Himself prayed when His soul was extremely sorrowful in the Garden of Gethsemane before His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. Both Matthew and Mark recall that Jesus said the following prayer three times. In fact, the gospel of Luke says Jesus, being in agony, prayed more earnestly, and then His sweat became like great drops of blood. Here was Jesus’s prayer:

“Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

From Jesus’s mouth and a promise to us in His word – for God, all things are possible. He could answer your prayer according to your will right now if He wanted to…He is absolutely capable. Sit for a minute, and think about this prayer. Jesus, God’s own son, dripping drops of blood, in agony, extremely sorrowful, and praying earnestly asked for the pain of crucifixion to be taken from Him, and God could have said “ok.” Thank God, Jesus yielded to His Father’s will and said: “nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” God’s plan was accomplished, and our salvation was made possible through the painful, horrific sacrifice that was ahead of Jesus in that very moment. Wow! And we are so quick to give God our solutions! Shouldn’t we all add: “nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” to each one of our prayers?

Secondly, Jesus taught His disciples to yield to God’s will when He showed them how to pray by example in The Model Prayer (remember, it isn’t The Lord’s Prayer, it’s Jesus’s example of how we should pray):

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

I love the way Chuck Smith put it: “Prayer was never intended as a vehicle by which I can get my will done on the earth. Prayer is the vehicle by which I cooperate with God in order to get His will done.”

Rejoice in the confidence you have that when you pray God’s will, HE HEARS YOU, and your prayers WILL BE ANSWERED. When we pray with this confidence, it gives us rest and turns our eyes back on Him and His eternal purpose and sovereignty and away from ourselves and our circumstances. It's how we live by faith - trusting that His will is what's best and giving Him the reigns. Don't forget to give yourselves some grace too...you may have to pray the same prayer many more times than Jesus’s three times as our eyes so easily turn back to our own selves and away from God.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5

"Look among the nations and watch--Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you." Habakkuk 1:5

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/10/22/prayer-series-9-yielding#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 8: ASKING https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/21/prayer-series-8-asking Fri, 21 Sep 2018 12:44:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/21/prayer-series-8-asking

THIS IS THE EIGHTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, FOCUSING ON HOW WE ARE TO LAY OUR PETITIONS BEFORE GOD.

by Lindsey Pintar on September 21, 2018

In my last blog about prayer, we discussed our heart’s motivation and attitude towards prayer – to come to Him and seek Him with a motivation to know Him. After all, He already knows ALL of us, so our role in our relationship with God is to quiet our fleshly loud spirits that are focused on our own selves and to focus on Him with a servant’s heart that’s willing to respond.

In this blog, we are again going to focus on our heart’s motivation, but this time focusing on how we ask or lay our petitions before God. Asking is a key component of prayer, but it’s probably the component we too easily jump right into and spend the majority of our prayer time doing. God is not Santa, but I fully admit I regularly catch myself jumping right into my laundry list of requests for God, without: 1) taking the time to put my heart in the right place of submitting to who I am talking to through praise and thanksgiving (previous blogs) and 2) thinking about the “why” of my heart’s motivation in whatever I am asking (this blog).

James 4:1-2 says:

“Where do wars and fights [come] from among you? Do [they] not [come] from your [desires for] pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

The Bible says: “you do not have because you do not ask,” so it is absolutely Biblical for us to lay out our concerns before Him and to ask for His help.

Earlier in this verse, it points out the reason we are all bent out of shape about many issues in our own lives…from our desires for pleasure. This verse uses pretty strong language that’s easy for our self-righteous selves to skip over – wars, fights, lust, murder, and covetousness – but, STOP, we all are guilty of these sins in seeking our own pleasure. Do you argue? Do you have conflicts? Do you always have to be right? Do you want to be comfortable and have it easy? Do you want that “perfect” life someone else has on social media? Do you want what you don’t have- that house, that “perfect” body? Do you hate or disdain anyone (murder)? Is there someone you haven’t forgiven that still overwhelms you with anger and malice (murder)? We are all guilty of desiring our own pleasure – putting ourselves first before others. In a sermon by Greg Laurie this week on GraceFM, he asked: “Are you more concerned with your own comfort than the souls around you?” Ouch! My answer was yes, many times I am. Many of my requests for prayer are often fueled by these very pleasures.

Secondly, there is heaviness and tragedy everywhere you look because of sin – cancer, death, sickness, injuries, car accidents, murder, people getting hurt because of other people’s sin, and on and on. As Christians, we are called to intercede and pray for others (1 Samuel 12:23, Acts 12:5, Ephesians 6:18).

Quite frankly, I’m often overwhelmed with where to start – my list of requests for my own self, my family and friends, our church family, and for the world around me is LONG! I could pray all day! I think we can all agree we have a lot to ask for in this fallen, sinful world and God wants us to seek Him and depend on Him. So, now, what about our heart in asking? Stay with me for this…

James goes on to say in verse 3:

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.”

WHOA! Ah-ha moment! Sometimes we ask and we don’t receive because we ask amiss? In Greek, the word amiss is kakōs which means "to do improperly, wrongly, or with bad intent." We ask for things with the bad intent of “spending it on our pleasures.” Ok, instead of what?

In studying Malachi this week, my heart literally stopped on this verse where the Lord is correcting corrupt priests. We too, like these priests, are corrupt with sin that we know better than to commit.

“'If you will not hear, And if you will not take [it] to heart, To give glory to My name,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take [it] to heart.’” Malachi 2:2

We must take it to heart to give glory to God. It’s not enough to just say the truth and hear the truth, we must be motivated to glorify God authentically from our hearts through our lives, our actions, our activities, our body language, our attitudes, our words, our thoughts, and OUR PRAYERS.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:7-8

When we abide in Him, our desires become His desires. We are to crucify our own flesh. Our desire will be for Our Father to be glorified through our lives of discipleship and bearing eternal fruit (good works) in His name.

So…what does this have to do with what and how we are asking God for? Next time you pray, think about what you are asking for and the “why” you are asking for it? Are you asking for your husband’s salvation because you want him to be more loving to you and you can’t bear the thought of him spending eternity in hell? This is absolutely an appropriate prayer to ask of God, but the motivation should be that God may be glorified and not dishonored by a life not lived for Him rather than for your own pleasure (feeling loved and so you’re not grieved). Make sense?

Let’s lighten this up here. It’s that time of year again – cold and flu season! When school starts, germs run rampant, and let’s face it, a lot of prayer for healing and comfort comes into play. I had to take my three boys in for flu shots last week. Last year it was a disaster. They literally were screaming and crying, all three of them, at the top of their lungs: “don’t hurt me, help me, save me!” during the busy flu clinic at the pediatrician’s office. So, OF COURSE, I prayed about it this year! First, I will admit, I was 100% praying for my own pleasure - so I didn’t have to go through the discomfort again and be embarrassed. During prayer, I stopped and changed my request so God could be glorified by my family while we were at the pediatrician’s office this year. I even put on my new C4 t-shirt to project God even more (haha!). God was glorified by my loving, respectful kids, and the prayer was answered.

So, practically speaking, start paying attention to your heart’s motivation behind what you are asking for while you are praying. Start focusing your prayers so God may be glorified and honored and put your own comfort and pleasure aside. If it’s God’s will for you to have discomfort or to have to go through something you don’t want to go through, all so He can be glorified in this sinful world, it’s worth it (Romans 8:18). Have faith that, despite the temporary discomfort, He knows all and is working it all out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

“Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, ‘Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.’” Psalm 35:27

“My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:2-3

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/21/prayer-series-8-asking#comments 0 THE RESTING FAITH: JUST ASK https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/17/the-resting-faith-just-ask Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:52:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/17/the-resting-faith-just-ask

FAITH: BEING CONFIDENT OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND CONVINCED OF WHAT WE CANNOT SEE. WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A BLESSING IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD, BUT HOW DO WE KEEP A STRONG FAITH IN HIM? FOLLOW ME ON THIS JOURNEY TO LEARN HOW TO HAVE A RESTING FAITH IN THE LORD!

by Ben Young on September 17, 2018

“THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF FAITH IN CHRIST:

1. STRUGGLING FAITH, LIKE A MAN IN DEEP WATER DESPERATELY SWIMMING.

2. CLINGING FAITH, LIKE A MAN HANGING TO THE SIDE OF A BOAT.

3. RESTING FAITH, LIKE A MAN SAFELY WITHIN THE BOAT (AND ABLE TO REACH OUT WITH A HAND TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET IN).”

~Dwight L. Moody

I recently came across this quote from Dwight L. Moody, an evangelist from the 1800’s. If you don’t know much about him, Moody was a humble, devoted, and strong man of faith. At the time, he was simply living out his faith and spreading the Word of God in any way he could. Yet as we look back, we can easily say that he was one of the forefathers of the modern day evangelical movement. His service changed the trajectory of the church around the globe!

When I read the words of Moody, I realize that I don’t often take inventory of my own faith. After all, I spend so much time running, doing, getting, winning, losing, finding, preparing...and all the other “...ings”, that I hardly ever sit down in silence and reflect on my own heart. I honestly just rely on my faith being there, regardless of its condition. I suppose you could say I assume that my faith somehow always falls into the “Resting Faith” category. However, if I’m honest, the truth hits me directly in the heart that so very often I’m in the “Struggling Faith" or Clinging Faith” categories.

I don’t want to have a struggling faith or a clinging faith (I mean, really, who wants that!?). It’s during those times when my faith is weak, that I feel furthest from God. Rather than feeling like I’m wrapped in His arms, I feel like I can barely touch His fingertips. The truth of the matter is that in those times God hasn’t moved, rather, I’ve slipped away. It’s not God who is weak, it’s my faith that is weak.

So the question is, “How do I get to a resting faith in God? How do I get to a point where I am safely within the boat?” as Moody would say. Well, during my next three posts, I want to take a look at three ways we can grow in our faith. I hope to give you practical steps to follow that will help you grow in your faith and get yourself back into the boat! For today, let’s take a look at the first way to be strengthened in our faith.

ASK FOR IT

Ok, let’s be real. How often have you found yourself realizing, halfway through a trial (or all the way through the trial for that matter), that you have not taken the time to pray. Yeah, I’m there too. Unfortunately, when we’re struggling with our faith, prayer is often missing in our lives. So if you find yourself out of the boat, struggling to get back in, spend some time in prayer. God wants us to be firm in our faith, so if you need strengthening simply ASK!

1 John 5:14-15 says...

"¹⁴NOW THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN HIM, THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. 15AND IF WE KNOW THAT HE HEARS US, WHATEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PETITIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM."

This isn't our free pass to get whatever we want from God, rather it is a path to align ourselves with God's will. God desires for us to look to Him and rely on our faith in Him to carry us through. Now get ready, because when we ask for strengthening of faith, God often provides it in ways we least expect. For me, it's not like I have a cosmic power up (like Mario devouring a flashing star), rather this strengthening comes in the form of words spoken through a dear friend, my wife, or even my kids.

I said we would have practical steps right? Well, here it is!

THE CHALLENGE!

For the next seven days, when you wake up, ask God for strengthened faith. I'm not talking about a murmur, "Yeah, uh, God give me more faith." I'm talking about a heart felt plea to the Lord! Ask Him to grow you and strengthen your faith in Him. Ask Him to show you what it means to have a resting faith, where you're firmly planted in the boat, reaching out to help others. If you do this, every day, your heart will grow and your faith will too.

God Bless! See you next time!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/17/the-resting-faith-just-ask#comments 0 KEEPING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/10/keeping-an-eternal-perspective Mon, 10 Sep 2018 12:59:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/10/keeping-an-eternal-perspective

HOW CAN WE KEEP AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE WHEN THE WORLD IS SURROUNDING US WITH TEMPTATIONS?

by Lezli Urlacher on September 10, 2018

Wake. Eat. Work. Sleep. Repeat.

In the midst of our daily routines, our perspectives can get muddled. It’s easy to get caught up in what the world has to offer -- buying the latest gadgets, staying up with the current clothing trends, moving into a bigger and better house, ditching the “old” car for a brand new one -- it goes on and on. None of these things are bad in and of themselves -- it’s really about where our hearts are when we make these decisions. However, I am learning to ask myself some questions before I impulsively jump into something that might not be God’s will:

"Can I take this to heaven with me?"

"Can this bring glory to God?"

"Is this a need? Or a want?"

"Can I use this money to bless someone else instead?"

About two years ago, David and I decided we wanted to move somewhere with a little acreage. We dreamed of sitting on a big, wraparound porch at sunset while watching the boys run around and explore. So we contacted the realtor we used when we bought our current house. We wanted to know what our current house was worth so we could decide if this was a good move or not. And of course, being in the current Denver market, our home had appreciated enough that we would make a great profit by selling our home. Unfortunately, that meant we would have to buy a home that had also appreciated and would cost a lot more per month… like double our current payment. Yikes.

Long story short… We looked at hundreds of homes off and on for the past two years. No joke. We even put an offer in on one and backed out because it didn’t seem right. Every amazing home we went into never felt right, even if it checked all our boxes.

The more we looked, the more depressed we got. Literally depressed.

Then a few days ago, my “One Year Bible” took me to Ecclesiastes for that day’s reading. Now I realize this book is a little different than the others in the Bible. It is meant to be more of a look at what our lives would be WITHOUT God (meaningless). However, God definitely spoke to me through a couple of verses. One in particular was Ecclesiastes 6:9, “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” (NLT)

BOOM

I don’t think our hearts were wrong in the first place of wanting to move and enjoy a little more land for the boys. However, the more we looked, the higher our budget got, the more boxes we had to check, and I suddenly became a kitchen snob!

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 says, “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!” (NLT)

This is true not just of money, but of any material possession. No matter how much we have, is it truly ever enough? We keep trading up for better, hoping this next THING will make us happy.

David and I finally came to the conclusion that God wanted to shut the door on us looking at homes. Once we contacted our realtor and told her we were backing off for now, we were so happy. Giddy! THAT felt right. The depression was gone. We knew we did what God wanted us to. And we don’t feel that that the past two years were wasted, either. We learned a lot, we got a lot of home projects completed, and we decluttered a lot. Most of all, it taught us to be content. When it’s time to move to a different house, God will make it really clear to us.

We can’t take our money or material possessions with us to heaven. Why do we spend SO much time researching, shopping for, obsessing over, cleaning, and protecting these “precious treasures”?

What can we take with us to heaven? Nothing. What can we SEND AHEAD to heaven? Anything of eternal value... Telling people about Jesus. Secretly blessing someone. Spending time with the Lord. Raising our kids in His ways. Putting others before ourselves. Choosing humility. Being Christlike. These gain eternal rewards.

We need to keep our lives in perspective. Our lives are but a tiny dot on the line of eternity. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (NKJV) Romans 8:18 says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (NKJV) Let these verses encourage you… This place is NOT our home! We are just passing through. This life truly is short, compared to eternity. Let’s choose wisely how we will be good stewards of all the gifts, talents, money, possessions, and people God has put in our care during our time here.

Type your new text here.

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/09/10/keeping-an-eternal-perspective#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 7: KNOW HIM https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/27/prayer-series-7-know-him Mon, 27 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/27/prayer-series-7-know-him

THIS IS THE SEVENTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF A MOTIVATION TO KNOW GOD.

by Lindsey Pintar on August 27, 2018

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is in 1 Chronicles when King David is announcing that his young and inexperienced son Solomon will become Israel’s next king, and he is communicating that God wants Solomon to complete the mighty work of building the temple. After David communicates God’s plans for Solomon to the leaders of Israel, he exhorts his son and future king of Israel with this verse:

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.” - 1 Chronicles 28:9

I love this verse because God’s heart for how we love Him, serve Him, and seek Him first is all here. Also, David, a loving father with the experience of being the greatest king of Israel and a man after God’s own heart, in his final years chose to exhort his beloved son with these words of wisdom. Bottomline is, this verse is WISDOM, and it starts with “KNOW the God of your father.”

The Hebrew word for “know” is yada,` which means to be acquainted with, to know by experience, to recognize, or to consider. It's a relationship! If you really think about it, God knows more about you than you know about yourself. He created you, He’s omnipresent and omniscient (He is always present and knows everything), He sees your outward actions, He even knows your thoughts, and He knows your tomorrow. What I love about this verse is it goes even further and says God knows your heart and understands the intent of your thoughts. Yikes! He knows our deepest motivations. He knows ALL. Furthermore, what always blows my mind is that He knows each and every person in the world on this same level and loves each one. WOW!

So, obviously, you can’t hide anything from God, and He loves you right where you are at today regardless of your sin, your state-of-mind, your intentions, or your attitude. Further in the verse, it says “if YOU SEEK Him, He will be found by you.” It’s up to us to seek Him. He is and always will be right there and available, just wanting to spend time with us. We are wired with a soul that thirsts to spend time with God as it’s in our original DNA - the “Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day” wanting to spend time with Adam and Eve, but they were ashamed and avoided His presence because of sin (Gen. 3:8). We are sinful because it’s our nature and it’s so easy to avoid His presence because our sinful nature separates us from His presence – we are thinking more about ourselves, our comforts, our “need” for sleep, our busy schedules, what we need to do today, how to get ahead, etc. etc, etc.

God gave us free will - free will to seek Him or forsake Him. It’s our choice, and it has eternal implications. He just wants to spend time in relationship with us. He already knows all of us, so we need to know Him to have this relationship. He is good all of the time, He wants to teach us, encourage us, bless us, grow us, change us, make us more like Him, and help us glorify Him so others can come to salvation and know truth through our lives. Understanding that we were made to have a relationship with God and that prayer is the method for how we talk to God, prompts me to consider my heart and approach to “knowing God”.

Yes, the “components” of prayer we’ve discussed in this blog series so far are all important, including: praise, thankfulness, praying scripture, repentance, and obedience, and we should challenge ourselves to make a habit of incorporating them into our prayer lives on a regular basis. But don’t approach prayer with a checklist either. Check your heart. What is the motivation of your heart and the intent of your thoughts? Is it to know Him? Is it to acquaint yourself more with God’s heart and will? Is it so you can recognize and consider His purpose and plan for your life because His thoughts are greater?

Here’s a practical example considering prayer before Bible study. In Matt’s powerful Rocket Fuel study a few weeks back, he said the first step of Bible study is quieting your own spirit. You can do this and should do this through prayer. I don’t know about you, but my spirit is LOUD! My mind is always swirling with the things I need to do today, the people I need to call/text, emotions, etc… This is one of the reasons I study the Bible in the morning, because my spirit is naturally a little quieter. I haven’t fully engaged in email, texts, social media, the news, my kids aren’t awake, and my fully-packed day isn’t in full swing yet. It is so much harder for me to quiet my spirit for an afternoon or evening Bible study. It can be done, but it’s harder. Regardless, whenever you study the Bible, make sure you quiet your spirit through prayer.

What does “quiet your spirit” mean? Purpose in your heart and mind to seek God first and suppress your flesh through prayer. Start with a heart to know God to get acquainted with Him, not the other way around. Praise God for who He is, and take time to be grateful for all He’s done, putting yourself in a place of submission, ready to receive from the God of the Universe who is spending time with YOU. Ask God to teach you, correct you, grow you, show you more of Himself, change you, reveal sin in your life, show you how to love others, prepare you for the day/week/months ahead, and for you to have an ear to listen and obey Him. Whatever you do, don’t jump into a Bible study with a loud spirit that is focused on yourself to check “do Bible study” off your list. God wants to spend time with YOU. He wants you to KNOW HIM. If you really wanted to get to know a new friend, would you say “Ok, you have 30 minutes. Make me feel good please”? No! You would make it a priority to spend quality time with that friend.

Remember, the purpose of prayer is communication between you and God. Keep it simple, come to Him and SEEK Him with a motivation to KNOW Him. He already knows ALL of you, so our place is to simply come to Him, to quiet our fleshly loud spirits, let His Spirit and presence in, just spending time with Him listening and meditating on His Word, with a heart ready to serve Him and not ourselves.

"Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

“Be still, and know that I [am] God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” - Psalms 46:10

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/27/prayer-series-7-know-him#comments 0 MIX TAPE VOL. I TRACK 6 - CAME TO MY RESCUE https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/20/mix-tape-vol-i-track-6-came-to-my-rescue Mon, 20 Aug 2018 14:10:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/20/mix-tape-vol-i-track-6-came-to-my-rescue

THIS SONG HAS BEEN AN ANTHEM FOR OUR CHURCH SINCE THE BEGINNING, NOT BECAUSE WE THINK IT’S GOOD, BUT BECAUSE IT PERFECTLY DESCRIBES OUR POSITION IN CHRIST! CHECK IT OUT!

by Ben Young on August 20, 2018

Well, the time has come. We’ve reached track six of my worship mixed tape! As the last installment in this series, it’s only fitting to cover one of my all time favorite worship songs, a song that I was introduced to at C4, and a song that has been an anthem for our church since the very beginning. That song is Came to My Rescue by Hillsong.

This song is the cry of my heart as it speaks to the heart of true submission to God, a desire to have God be glorified in all aspects of my life.

Of course I could tell you all about the song myself, but I felt it more fitting to bring in a guest on this one, someone who has been here since the beginning and knows the heart and drive behind this song firsthand. That guest is none other than our very own worship leader, Matt Wallenburg.

I know he’s not a “guest” to you, but he is a guest to the blog...so just roll with it.

The following was written by Matt back in October...2017... So I’ve been waiting a long time to post it. It’s full of heart, passion, and the Lord, so sit back and enjoy (Might I suggest clicking play and letting this song play as you read on?).

“The song Came to My Rescue was written by some of the musicians with Hillsong who had a desire to convey a simple heart of gratitude for what God has done. It stands out as one of my all-time favorites that I learned under my beloved mentor Sam Park before Matt Korniotes asked me to lead worship for C4 in early 2011.

Nearly my whole adult career has been in project management of some kind or another between engineering and the military, and at that time I knew that the beginning phase of this ministry was the same as the beginning phase of any project- it sets the foundation on which everything else is built going forward. Any future adjustment or correction to the foundation requires ripping down anything that has been built on top of the foundation.

Which is why during the first days I was praying hard about how God would establish this brand new worship ministry and make it what He wanted, not what I had a vision for or what I was comfortable with.

I have led worship since I was 14 and experienced so many different ways to lead. With a completely open-ended decision to make, I sought that the Lord would establish something new and fresh in me that was appropriate for the work He wanted to do at C4. I didn't want something that was right for the previous ministries I had served with, but a fresh outpouring that was tailored for the specific work that the LORD was wanting to do with our newborn fellowship.

The structure that God brought from that time of seeking Him is a story all on its own, but out of that time of prayer came a very clear vision that God wanted me to simply remind His kids of who He is and about what our response should be because of that.

Yes, I know that's a generic statement that describes how all worship should be, and every Christian knows it; at the same time, we get so caught up in trying to do what's right, trying to understand God, and the complexity of living for Him in a world that opposes Him, that our worship gets cloudy. Routine and religion set in as we try to figure things out, and the simplicity of being kids reaching up, out of our mess, for Daddy, becomes something we look down on. What God wanted for C4 had to be simple and so very clear, and it had to stay that way. We would start with singing songs that reminded us of who God is and what He has done, and then as the worship set progressed we would intentionally put ourselves in a position of humility before Him as a result of those truths we reminded ourselves of.

Came to My Rescue fits that vision so perfectly. The writers of this song had the same heart that I had when they wrote Came to My Rescue. Since it so appropriately describes our position in the Lord, it became our first anthem as a new fellowship, completely unifying Matt K and myself around the fundamental importance of that sort of powerful simplicity.

Here’s what the song says:

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
LORD all I am is Yours

My whole life I place in Your hands
God of mercy, humbled I bow down
In Your presence at Your throne

I called, You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
Want to be where You are

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

Look at how intimate the language is. Nearly every line of the song mentions both me as the rescue and God as the rescuer.

It can be hard to find worship songs where our response isn’t all about us and what WE say we can and will do. So much of our worship response is about the things we'll do for God, but this one is simply about us being and leaving the doing to our Savior. The only thing we’re called to do in this song is fall on our knees and place our lives in His hands. Through that He is glorified and lifted high in our lives. THAT is salvation, folks!

Paul says in Galatians 3:3 (though really the whole book of Galatians addresses this point so wonderfully),

"Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"
We are saved when we realize that there is no hope for us fixing ourselves and that we have a critical need that nobody but Jesus can fill. The best that we can ever do and the greatest thing that we can give to God is to simply exist in Him and lift up to Him our broken, messed up hearts. That is worship. That is our response to Him when we first allow Him to take His place as the Sovereign King of our reality, and it remains our only real response as we walk through our long journey of faith.

I never develop anything more to give to God as a Christian.

I never become anything better than a pitiful wretch incapable of anything good

I AM a pitiful wretch in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

I am confident that Came to My Rescue will always be an anthem for me personally and for C4 as a family no matter how long we follow the LORD because our position never changes. The only thing we can ever do is kneel and place our lives in His merciful, capable hands and accept the rescue that He has performed.”

Well, there you have it folks. Came to my Rescue, an anthem for our church, and an anthem for our hearts. I pray you’re blessed by this song as you listen to the words. Close your eyes, pray to God, and call out for Him to be lifted high in your life!

God Bless! I’ll see you next time!

CCLI #4705190
©2005 Hillsong Music Publishing

Replayed with CCLI License CSPL0596

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/08/20/mix-tape-vol-i-track-6-came-to-my-rescue#comments 0 MIX TAPE VOL. I TRACK 5 - GLORIOUS DAY https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/09/mix-tape-vol-i-track-5-glorious-day Mon, 09 Jul 2018 16:19:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/09/mix-tape-vol-i-track-5-glorious-day

WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM GOD? LOOK TO HIM AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM CALL YOU OUT OF THE TOMB!

by Ben Young on July 09, 2018

Alright, back to my mix tape!

Do you remember those tabs on the top of the cassette tapes? When you had a REALLY important recording, you could pop out the tabs to keep anyone, usually yourself, from accidentally writing over the recording on the tape. Since I was limited in resources, I rarely had a mix that was that important. I really enjoyed being able to put new songs on the mix as time went on...of course if the mix was for that special someone, I popped those tabs right out so they had to work to record over it...you know what I'm talking about.

These days, all you have to do is click the + or - symbol to add or remove the song from your playlist...far less exciting than back in the day!

Anyway, the reason for mentioning this is that I think it’s important to remember that our mix tapes can (and will) change over time. As artists release new songs, we have the proverbial revolving door in our top list. The song for this week falls right into that category! Back when I started writing this series, I hadn’t even heard this song. Now every time I hear it, the volume gets cranked, and the singing begins! (Even Greyson, our three year old, has memorized most of the words!)

Which song is it? Drum roll please......

Glorious Day by Passion!

I’m sure you know the song. If you don’t know its name, you’ll probably recognize it as soon as you hear it. We’ve played it several times during service, and man is it a blast to play! But that’s not the only reason I like it.

You see, in John 11 we see the story of Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus who had gotten ill and passed away. As the story goes, Jesus arrives at the tomb days after Lazarus died and commands that the people around open the tomb. Of course this directive was met with opposition...I mean...he’d been dead several days. What was going on inside of that tomb was NOT pretty, and it certainly wouldn’t have smelled pretty either. In fact, Martha specifically called it out when she said, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."

Jesus knew that the tomb would smell horrible, but He had another plan! Jesus' response to the crowd was, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" Jesus had a plan the whole time, and it was to show His glory through this painful situation. Jesus proceeded to pray to God the Father and then commanded Lazarus to come out of that grave. Does the story stop there? Absolutely not! You might say the most important part came next.

Lazarus actually got up and walked out of the grave!

Man, what a sight that must have been! To see a man who everyone knew was dead, walk right out of that tomb!

At face value, maybe the story isn't that impressive...ok, if a dead guy coming back to life isn't impressive, let's talk...otherwise, if you think about it, we're all just like Lazarus. I know, you're not dead...I think. And you're not stuck in a tomb on the side of a cliff. I get it. But what we fail to realize is that the sin that we've become involved in is just like the illness that Lazarus suffered from, and often times that sin has us bound, just like the tomb that Lazarus was in. That sin, without warning, takes everything away from us and causes death and decay in our lives.

That sin could be anger towards others, it could be lust, it could be lying, stealing, adultery, sexual immorality, selfishness...the list goes on and on.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE SIN IS, IT'S CAUSING DEATH IN YOUR LIFE!

That's where the good news comes in! You see, that my friend, is where Jesus steps down, opens the tomb, and calls your name.

JUST AS LAZARUS WOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED OUT OF THAT TOMB WITHOUT JESUS, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE CONFINES OF OUR SIN WITHOUT JESUS!

And THAT is why I love this song!

I have spent so much of my life walking in sin, so much of my life allowing the selfish desires, lust, bitterness, anger, and all of the other sins to rule my thoughts, my actions, my words, my entire life. But God is gracious and has allowed Jesus Christ to come down, live as a man, give up His life, and ascend to Heaven, as the payment for those sins that have gained such a strong grip on my life. So now, rather than being a slave to that sin, I can have freedom from that sin, because Jesus is calling me out of the tomb!

And that's what this song is all about!

What is it that keeps you from drawing closer to God? Is it how you look to other people? Is it sin that you've gotten caught up in? Is it the personal drive to do things yourself? There are many things that keep us from drawing close to God, but once we submit to Him and let Him into our hearts, Jesus will call us out of the tomb!

Check out this song. I know you'll be blessed as you listen to the lyrics!

CCLI #6219031
© 2017 Kristian Stanfill Publishing Designee; sixsteps Music; Sixsteps Songs; Sounds Of Jericho; Worship Together Music; worshiptogether.com songs; Fellow Ships Music; Hickory Bill Doc; So Essential Tunes

Replayed with CCLI License CSPL0596

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/09/mix-tape-vol-i-track-5-glorious-day#comments 0 CHUTES AND LADDERS OR CANDY LAND? https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/02/chutes-and-ladders-or-candy-land Mon, 02 Jul 2018 16:24:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/02/chutes-and-ladders-or-candy-land

by Scott Brown on July 02, 2018

I love how God will use the little things to help me in my walk with Him. He will use simple examples to speak about what the Word means or to help guide me through something. The other day I was thinking about roller coaster Christians. They are people who are up and down all the time. They kind of ride the waves of life and go where circumstances take them. This is opposed to solid Christians who have circumstances in their lives that suck or can be great, but they have a solid foundation in Christ so they don't fall into traps of circumstances. But as I was thinking about this, God was showing me this in context of a couple of kids' games. Many of you have played one or both or have kids who have played one or both.

The roller coaster Christian is like the game Chutes and Ladders.

This game is probably the most frustrating game that I have ever played. You can advance quickly in the game, or you can get sent all the way back to the beginning very quickly. In any given turn you can go from the lead to last place. You can get stuck in cycles of up and down. Just as soon as you think you might win, you drop down to the bottom. It is so frustrating! I know that people have walks with Jesus like this though. You don't know where you stand with Him. One minute things are good and you are following after Him, then boom you stumble a little. But it's not just a stumble - it sends you back to the beginning. You are no longer running the race that Paul exhorts us to do, but instead you are trying to figure out where on the map you are. Your life feels like chaos because you don't know where you stand with God, or you feel like He is mad at you for the choices you made. Both of these are symptoms of a life that isn't founded in the Word of God. If you aren't in the Word, you will feel like this. I know this, because if you are in the Word you will know how much that God does love you. You will know that once you are in His hand, there is nothing that can take you from it.

The person who lives their life in the Word following after Jesus is like playing Candy Land.

In Candy Land, you are almost always moving forward. You occasionally draw one of those candy cards that can take you backwards, but every other turn you go forward. You sometimes get stuck on licorice, but you move forward. You always know where you are on the board, and you don't worry about what is going to happen next. You just move as quickly as you can to King Kandy's Castle. The speed at which you advance can vary depending on the cards you draw, but there is way less drama in this game. The race is awesome as you go through cool places like the Peppermint Forest or Frosted Palace, which are like seasons or circumstances in life. But you also go through Licorice Lagoon, which is not a good place to be. (Why people like licorice, I don't understand. I'm sorry if you do.) The person who is founded in the Word of God will move forward. Every once in a while you might go back a little bit and relearn something you already learned, but you are back moving forward again right afterward. Life throws circumstances at you that might really suck, but it doesn't alter who you are or how you run the race. You keep pressing in on the Lord.

Here is the cool thing about it - it doesn't matter which game you are playing, you will finish the race. One race isn't the race that God would have you to run though, and it is way more frustrating than the one that He has called you to. When we go in a direction that God doesn't want us to go, it is like beating our heads against the wall. The other way isn't always pretty or glamorous (or filled with candy), but it is satisfying and fulfilling knowing that I am doing what God wants me to be doing. I am doing what He has called me to do. Even when times get tough, even when things aren't perfect, I can know that He is there with me and is leading me along that nice candy road towards the Father. It is in those days that I know the circumstances and things that we go through in life aren't in vain. God will use them for His glory and His purpose because I am following after Him. That is the only way we make it through some days, is knowing that He is in control.

Which race do you want to run?

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/07/02/chutes-and-ladders-or-candy-land#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 6: WALK IN OBEDIENCE https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/25/prayer-series-6-walk-in-obedience Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:34:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/25/prayer-series-6-walk-in-obedience

THIS IS THE SIXTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER.

by Lindsey Pintar on June 25, 2018

What is it about the word obedience that makes each of us sigh “ugh…” inside? The truth is, we have an issue with obedience because of our fallen nature. When I ponder “why?”, it’s because obedience has a negative connotation that someone is forcing me to do something I don’t want to do and, of course, our flesh doesn’t like that as it’s screaming ME, ME, ME! Jesus addressed obedience in Matthew 7:24-27:

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

And James 1:21-25 says this about obedience:

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [in it], and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

When you think about it, it is actually harder to obey than to do what your flesh wants to do. It takes strength, it takes submission, it takes effort, it takes meekness as the verse above says. If you are a parent, especially of young kids, teaching obedience is a constant battle. After my kids disobey, which sometimes seems like it’s all day long, I ask them; “Did you obey?” Even my two year old is self-aware enough to say “no.” Next, I ask them what it means to obey, and I’ve ingrained the definition of “hearing and doing” into their minds from the verses above. Most of the time, they will admit they heard what I said and will even repeat exactly what I asked them to do, but they will admit they didn’t “do” what I asked. Oh how this is SO relevant to us adults, too! There are so many Christians who hear the Word of God on Sundays or go to Bible Studies and get head knowledge and comprehension, but totally miss the mark on the “doing” part - the part where God calls us to live it out! Or as Pastor Matt says "install it"!

In the Bible, it’s clear that God wants us to obey His commandments. Under the New Covenant, we don’t need to follow the ceremonial law of the Jews as Jesus died for our sins, and we are forgiven and clean as Christians once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We don’t need earthly ceremonial traditions to cleanse us. Praise God! However, the moral law is still intact as God’s heart is still the same. It’s always been the same and always will be – He is constant, never changing, and forever faithful. He created us, He knows what is best for us, He knows the intentions of our hearts, and He does not want sin to separate us from our relationship with Him. After all, He created us to fellowship with Him and to glorify Him in all we do.

Jesus exhorted us in John 14:15:

"If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Our heart should be to obey Him because we love Him. We love Him for who He is, for what He’s done for us, and because we know as our Abba Father that He wants what is best for us. It’s not forced obedience - it’s something we chose to do because He loved us first. Like Pastor Matt said a few weeks back, “We obey because of salvation, not for salvation.”

So, what does obedience have to do with prayer you ask? When it comes to prayer, obedience is a key component to effective prayer as 1 John 3:22 says:

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

If we expect God to answer our prayers, we must do our part and OBEY HIM, trusting and respecting that He knows best. To obey His precepts, we must know them and be in the Bible regularly. If we aren’t in church or spending time in the Word, how do we “hear” the Word of God to “do” the Word of God? But it’s not just about a list of commandments and rules to follow. Our heart should be to glorify Him and be pleasing in His sight, so we must have a heart to honor Him above all else. We must study His heart and His Will to know what will please Him. If we are true children of God, it brings us joy to please our Father, our Creator. We do it gladly!

Here’s a practical example for you from my life. A few years ago, God convicted my heart about drinking alcohol. Now, I didn’t have an addiction problem or anything. I knew God commands us not to be drunk with wine, and I was very good about restricting myself to a glass or two max. I was following the “rules.” But God kept convicting my heart and, to be honest, my flesh wanted more than a glass or two (flashback to my 20’s and many stupid choices). Why was I so convicted then? Even though I was following the “rules” regarding alcohol, could it stumble me someday? Yes. Could it stumble others? Yes. Did it please God, and was it helpful in bringing me closer to Him? No. Did it help me glorify Him to others around me? No. Once I understood God’s heart to protect me and my relationship with Him and that His plan is to use me as an instrument for His kingdom and for His glory, I realized that God was convicting my heart about alcohol because it could interfere with His best plan for my life. Why would I want to hinder His perfect and complete plan for my life? Once I made the decision not to drink at all, it released a burden I didn’t even know I had, and His promised freedom and liberty overflowed. Why? Because I wasn’t in bondage forcing obedience with a heart that secretly despised it. He changed my heart to please Him, and it brought joy, gratitude, and honor into our relationship.

“Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters,’ Says the LORD Almighty." – 2 Cor. 6:17-18

It’s ok to be separate! It’s ok to be different, because you are a Child of God! (Here’s a truth I wish I understood in my teens and 20’s!) Children of God should be separate from cultural and societal “norms” that are determined by imperfect people and are ever-changing. Make it your focus to please the Lord. He alone should be our standard to emulate. Walk in the light, and let your light so shine among men! 1 John 1:5-7 says:

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We must walk in the light OBEYING GOD to have fellowship with Him and to have an effective prayer life that works! It takes action, strength, and humility, but JUST DO IT like the prophet Nike once said.

“But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” - Psalm 103:17-18

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/25/prayer-series-6-walk-in-obedience#comments 0 PRAISING GOD IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”At all times? Continually? Even when there’s cancer? Even when I'm robbed? What about when I lose a loved one?...]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/14/praising-god-in-all-circumstances Thu, 14 Jun 2018 16:40:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/14/praising-god-in-all-circumstances

IT'S EASY TO PRAISE GOD WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, BUT DOES GOD REALLY EXPECT US TO PRAISE HIM WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH TRAGEDY, SUFFERING, AND HARD TIMES? (HINT: THE ANSWER IS YES!) READ ON!

by Lezli Urlacher on June 14, 2018

In response to Pastor Trifon’s amazing message on Psalm 34 last Wednesday, I wanted to share a very simple tool I learned as a teen in my youth group.

Psalm 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

At all times? Continually? Even when there’s cancer? Even when I'm robbed? What about when I lose a loved one?

Yes. Continually.

We can praise God no matter the circumstance, because He doesn’t change. He is always God. He is always good. He is always on His throne, and He has you in the palm of His hand. We can rest in the hope that He has a good plan for us.

As Trifon said, “We praise God because Jesus died for us!” Our praise should not be dependent upon our current circumstances. Our trials and tribulations are but light and momentary compared to the glory that awaits us in heaven! It helps to keep that in perspective.

So… about this tool I was talking about. Sometimes when I pray, I get in a rut or I find myself immediately jumping into my prayer requests, treating Jesus more like Santa than my Lord. I was taught a simple acronym to help me remember all aspects of prayer. This is not a “formula,” but just a tool that helps keep me focused. There are several out there, but the one that sticks with me is ACTS:

A: Adoration - Praise God! Describe how awesome He is. Praise Him for the wonderful things He has done in your life. Call Him by the many names He is known by (more on that in a bit).

C: Confession - This isn’t talking about going to a priest and listing off all your sins to get you off the hook until next time. This is a one-on-one with God, your Father. Be honest with God about the struggles with sin that you have. He already knows. Take the time to truly repent and turn from the sin you are in bondage to. He has already forgiven you.

T: Thanksgiving - We don’t do this enough! Thank Him for clean clothes, for your refrigerator, for the good food you eat, for running water. Thank Him for dying on the cross for you. Thank Him that He is ALIVE today, and that we will live with Him for eternity. There is so much to be thankful for.

S: Supplication - This word means more than just asking for something. It means to ask someone for something earnestly and humbly -- even begging for something. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” God is a good Father -- He wants to answer your prayers according to HIS will. Try keeping a journal of your prayer requests and how God answers them. It will help you branch out in prayer, and it will encourage you later as you look back at how faithful God is.

Since we are talking about praising God continually in Psalm 34, there is one more tool I want to share with you regarding the “Adoration” portion of the acronym above. When I was a teen, our youth group was at a conference in a huge stadium filled with thousands of spiritually hungry youth. The guy leading worship asked us to just go through the alphabet and speak out words that describe or name God. Moments later, one teen broke the silence and boldly spoke out, “God, you are Almighty.” Then another called out, “Lord, You are Beautiful.” And yet another called out, “Father, you are my Creator,” and so on, until we had gone through the entire alphabet. It was a beautiful way to get a glimpse of God’s multifaceted character.

I often do this when I’m “stuck” in prayer and am not sure how to praise God in a current situation. Praise is the gateway into the very throne room of God. It truly brings us into His presence and fills us with the faith needed to boldly ask God our requests.

Don’t forget that God is not only our Friend and Father, but He is the Lord, worthy of our praise!
Psalm 71:8 says, “Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.”

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/06/14/praising-god-in-all-circumstances#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 5: EXHALE REPENTANCE https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/28/prayer-series-5-exhale-repentance Mon, 28 May 2018 16:51:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/28/prayer-series-5-exhale-repentance

THIS IS THE FIFTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTING.

by Lindsey Pintar on May 28, 2018

Sin. We all fall short (Romans 3:23). We all sin. Even as believers we sin, whether we are strong, weak, mature, or babies in our relationship with the Lord. Do you want to walk in the Spirit? Do you want to be constantly connected and guided by God? Do you want to be maturing in your walk at the fastest pace possible? Well, reality is, sin puts up resistance to our connection with God. Sin is the kink in your hose that prohibits His living water to freely flow into your heart, mind, and soul.

D.L. Moody said it this way: “The fact is, we are leaky vessels, and we have to keep right under the fountain all the time to keep full of Christ, and so have fresh supply.”

The leaks are caused by sin or obstructions we allow that block our own selves from a free and unobstructed connection with God. Praise God for new mercies every morning, because we need a fresh supply of His living water each and every day to give us more of Him and to wash away our fleshy, selfish natures. That fresh supply comes from spending time with God. Yes, corporate church and group Bible study is all good and so is fellowship with other believers, but how is your individual, by-yourself, just you and Him, quality time with God? Are you seeking His will for your life and regularly examining your innermost self through prayer and His Word?

Each time you “inhale His Word, exhale repentance” (Jon Courson). It is so easy to gather up knowledge and temporarily feel better for “the work” of spending time with the Lord, but are you internalizing His Word, being honest about the issues of your own heart, and laying those hard-to-admit, dirty, and impure areas before Jesus in prayer? Ed Taylor tweeted this gem, putting it this way: “The only difference between a strong believer and a weak one is responsiveness.”

True, Biblical repentance is the changing of one’s mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He has forgiven you of all the sin you’ve ever committed and all of the sin you will ever commit. He has made you a pure, blameless, and righteous child of God, so that you can have an unrestricted relationship with Him for eternity. Our salvation will result in a new, born again, changed heart (2 Cor. 5:17) that will bear fruit (Luke 3:8-14). Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. The action is to grow closer to Him and to mature in our walks with the Lord, by learning more about His heart and His will and then surrendering more and more of our broken sinful natures to Him, seeking His perfect and complete, lacking-nothing plan for our lives (James 1:4).

Sin can be blatant and obvious or it can be those hidden attitudes and thoughts we all are guilty of, and it seems like our sin is constantly changing based on our daily circumstances, relationships, and stages of life. God has a loving way of bringing to light your hard, stubborn, sinful areas when you truly seek Him and meditate on His promises. Do you have sin that’s obstructing that free-flowing living water from filling you up and releasing that promised refreshment of joy, peace, hope, and freedom to you? The answer is YES. We all have some. Is it pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, idols, being fleshly in times of discomfort, impatience, self righteousness, isolation, an overloaded schedule of busy-bodyness, etc… etc… etc… Only you and God know the intentions of your heart (1 Chronicles 28:9). When you pray and spend time with God in His Word alone (just you and Him), admit those obstructions and kinks and ask Him to change you. He will help you and will fill you up with His Spirit! It only hurts me and the others around me when I allow sin in my life, and why would I want to allow kinks in my hose? I don’t know about you, but I need His presence at the volume of a fire hose on a daily basis, and it’s up to me to get those kinks out and allow His refreshing living water to freely flow from Him to me. Inhale His Word, exhale repentance in prayer.

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank [is] in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:3-5

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/28/prayer-series-5-exhale-repentance#comments 0 THE TACTICS OF THE ENEMY “For we do not wres...]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/21/the-tactics-of-the-enemy Mon, 21 May 2018 16:57:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/21/the-tactics-of-the-enemy

DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH SIN AND TEMPTATION? DO YOU WONDER HOW TO OVERCOME? READ AHEAD.

by Lezli Urlacher on May 21, 2018

You have an enemy.

He studies you. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your strengths. He is on a mission to derail you and deceive you and entrap you in fear. He will tell you enough truth to sound believable, but lies will be intertwined throughout. He hates God and all who follow Him. He seeks to divide and distract. He condemns you and brings up the past.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Nehemiah and the Israelites had some physical enemies, specifically Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. In Nehemiah 6, we read that Nehemiah and his people were super close to finishing the wall around Jerusalem. All they had left to do was hang the doors in the gates. This is when the enemy got very persistent and tricky, trying to get Nehemiah to “just come meet with them,” because they knew the gates were about to be hung and the wall would be completed.

Nehemiah could have just quit there and said, “Well, this is close enough. We’ll just post a couple of soldiers at each gate and call it good.” This would have left them very vulnerable!

Think about the areas of your life where you are weakest in terms of temptation. These are the areas where we MUST close every gap, or else we are leaving ourselves very vulnerable to the enemy. Practically speaking, that means getting rid of every form of temptation possible and replacing those things with Jesus. If drugs are a temptation for you, say goodbye to your friends who do drugs, and surround yourself with strong believers that can check in with you. Move out of the house if drugs are there. Stay out of situations that could lead into temptation, and stay busy serving others and doing new things that will build you up and others up. Get into the Word. Be at the church every time the doors are open. Pray, pray, pray. Close the gates to the enemy who so wants you to fall into temptation “just this once.” Don’t give him ANY opportunity.

Ephesians 5:11 says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” And James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

There is no shame in confiding in a trusted believer if you are struggling with ongoing sin. They can commit to pray with you. Exposing those sins are half the battle. And the rest is left up to the Lord -- He has already overcome and given you victory on the cross! You just have to recognize that and step into the victory He has for you. Every temptation presents itself with a choice -- accept or ignore.

You have a Savior.

He pursues you. His grace is sufficient for you, for His strength is made perfect in weakness. He is on a mission to reveal His love and truth to you as He reminds you that He died on the cross to set you free from sin. He can only tell the truth -- it is impossible for Him to lie. He loves all -- even those that don’t love Him back -- and He desires that all are saved. He seeks to unify and focus our minds on eternity. He forgives our past and loves us unconditionally.

The more you fill your mind with the Word, the less room for temptation there will be. We WILL be tempted, and we need to expect it and be ready for it.

Do you know what Jesus did when Satan tempted Him (Matthew 4:1-11)? He simply answered back with the Word of God. Besides some of the practical ideas I listed above, this is ALL we need to do. God’s Word is sufficient - it is POWERFUL, it is LIVING, and it has the power to crush anything the enemy throws at us.

Satan himself knows this, so he will try everything to distract you and keep you from knowing God’s Word yourself. It is SO important to be in the Word so you can grow closer to the Lord. Even Satan knows the Word (he just doesn’t follow it), and he will try and twist it to deceive you. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Back to Nehemiah 6 verse 3… The enemies kept asking Nehemiah to just come and meet with them. He responded with, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” I love this! When God calls us to something, we need to set our minds to it and commit to it. Nothing should stand in the way, and we should never leave our post in order to go meet with the enemy. That leaves the entire work and all the people there vulnerable. It makes YOU very vulnerable.

Stay surrounded by believers who will keep you in check. Be in the Word. Pray. Be honest with others. Keep your guard up. Know that you have an enemy. But most importantly, know the Lord. And know who you are IN the Lord -- a child of God, righteous and redeemed.

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/21/the-tactics-of-the-enemy#comments 0 THREE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WILL HELP YOU SURGE FORWARD https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/14/three-lessons-learned-that-will-help-you-surge-forward Mon, 14 May 2018 17:00:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/14/three-lessons-learned-that-will-help-you-surge-forward

I KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK RETREATS SEEM SILLY. BUT WHEN YOU BREAK AWAY TO SEARCH OUT THE LORD, HE SHOWS YOU SOME AWESOME THINGS! JOIN ME IN DISCUSSING THREE LESSONS I LEARNED AT THE MEN'S RETREAT THAT WILL SURGE YOU FORWARD IN YOUR WALK WITH GOD!

by Ben Young on May 14, 2018

Well, I think I'm going to break from my current series, because God has placed something on my heart that is just too good not to share! Please read on; we'll continue my Mixed Tape next time!

As many of you know, a large group of men just returned from a weekend men's retreat. Now, I know that some of you may love going on retreats, while others could come up with a thousand reasons why you wouldn't want to go on a retreat. Regardless of your preconceived notions, a retreat is a great opportunity to get away from day-to-day life, get to know others better, and clear your head so you can hear more clearly from God. This retreat was no exception!

I went up on the mountain fully expecting to be encouraged by the Lord. I figured I would get to know some guys better, encourage them in their walks, and grow a little bit in my walk with the Lord. What actually happened up there was something completely unexpected. To be honest, I experienced God in a way that I have never experienced Him before... at least not that I can remember. God was vividly present up on that mountain, and His Spirit was moving greatly in the hearts of the men, myself included. I came back with pages of notes, way more than I can cram into a blog post, but I wanted to share with you three important lessons that God installed in my heart during this short time. Grab your coffee, and come along!

LESSON ONE: I AM GOD'S BELOVED CHILD!

Over the course of the weekend, we heard multiple times about Joseph and the multi-colored tunic that his father made for him. This fine tunic signified Joseph's status as beloved child of his father (and of course that's one of the main reasons his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery). Just as Jacob made the tunic for Joseph, God has provided us with a prized "tunic" through the man, Jesus Christ. Did you catch that?! His sacrifice adorns us and allows us to come close to God -- His sacrifice is the tunic that tells us and everyone else that we are His beloved! When was the last time you thought of yourself in that way? As a beloved and coveted child of the Creator of all things, if we truly understand this part of God's heart, we can be unstoppable for Him. Once we fully own the truth, that we are God's beloved children, we will walk in courage, strength, and victory through all situations!

LESSON TWO: I NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND JUST SPEND TIME WITH GOD.

The first night of the retreat, I hiked around the camp looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunrise and study God's Word (cuz that's what you do at a retreat right?). I found a great spot that looked east over the valley, a perfect place to watch the sun pop up over the mountain tops. Clearly the camp directors knew this was a premium spot, because they conveniently set out rocking chairs looking over the valley. The next morning I got up early, grabbed my Bible, and headed for my spot. I sat down in that rocking chair, spread open my Bible and gazed at the words, ready for God to miraculously download wisdom into me.

The next moment, I was struck with a truth that I wasn't expecting. God said, "I don't need you to study right now, I just want you to be with Me." In that second, I realized that I was too focused on learning more about God, and not focused enough on simply KNOWING God.

MIND. BLOWN.

I closed my Bible and spent the next half hour praying, talking to God, singing to Him, and simply being WITH Him. It was incredible! After that sweet time of prayer, I moved to another area where I did open the Word, and God led me through a fantastic study about the call on my life! It turns out, this time spent in prayer and just focusing on God didn't hinder my study of His Word. It accelerated it! We need to remember that this walk with the Lord is not just about studying to learn more about God (granted we do need to study God's Word to draw closer to Him). This walk is about growing to KNOW God, and in order to do that, we must get in the habit of slowing down and simply being WITH Him!

LESSON THREE: GOD'S CALLING ON MY LIFE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A FORMAL MINISTRY.

If I were to ask you to describe God's call on your life, many of you may have a hard time answering. You might be inclined to say it's to serve in children's ministry, maybe it's to help others, maybe you're not even sure. When thinking about God's "calling," most people default to some kind of formal ministry. Yet on this trip, God showed me very clearly that God's calling on my life is so much more than formal ministry. Joseph was a man who was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and then... after all of that, he was given one of the highest positions of power in all of Egypt. Although we may say that God's calling was for Joseph to lead Egypt, I would submit to you that God's calling on Joseph's life was to honor Him every step of the way, and we see that so clearly in Joseph's story! God calls us to walk with Him, spend time with Him, and get to know Him. He calls us to be an example to everyone we encounter. He calls us to lead our families. He calls us to worship Him. He calls us to simply be His child. He calls us to all of this in the good times and the bad, in the times of prosperity and the days of famine. When it comes to God's calling, ministry is simply the by-product of following God's calling in every aspect of our lives. In fact, you'll find that if we try to run into formal ministry before following His call in the other areas of our lives, we will quickly become overwhelmed trying to do the "works" of being a Christian.

There is so much more to share, but that's enough for now. This retreat was fantastic. I pray the next time an opportunity comes along to go on such a trip, that you take it! Go, even if it seems out of place for what you like to do. Break away from your day-to-day, and put some extra focus on the Lord. Remember, you are God's beloved child, spend time just hanging out with Him, and remember that His calling on your life is so much more than some formal ministry. Once you grasp a hold of these realities, you'll surge forward in your walk with God!

God bless! See you next time!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/05/14/three-lessons-learned-that-will-help-you-surge-forward#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 4: PRAYING GOD’S WORD https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/29/prayer-series-4-praying-god-s-word Sun, 29 Apr 2018 16:46:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/29/prayer-series-4-praying-god-s-word

THIS IS THE FOURTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYING GOD’S WORD.

by Lindsey Pintar on April 29, 2018

I am not a great memorizer. In fact, my memory is terrible. Luckily, God has given me a husband who remembers everything, for better and for worse, even things I would rather block from his memory forever (yes, I have those too). Some have said he has a photographic memory. He has the ability to remember places, random facts, analogies, and teachings. Oh man! If I could have a memory for one thing, it would be scripture. Like most, I need repetition, repetition, repetition, and then more repetition. Even if I do memorize scripture, it’s forgotten in no time.

I was so blessed to help my mom move out of our childhood house and into a house with her wonderful new husband the past few weeks. We went through so many childhood memories like photographs, school work, cards, and crafts. One thing I was so amazed by was all of the Bible verses I had on crafts and school work from childhood. I so appreciate that I had parents that developed my godly character and prioritized learning about God throughout my preschool and elementary years, but it made me realize how easy it was to forget all those lessons when we stopped going to church, when sin snuck in, when our family drifted away from the Lord, and I backslid in my teens and twenties.

What’s my point? The Bible is God’s Word to us – to YOU! In it is found His will for our lives. His amazing promises – and He is faithful 100% of the time. Reminders to us, when we forget, of His love for us. How He knew us before we knew Him. How He has forgiven us and loves us. That He has a plan for us. That He will restore us and protect us. That He has already conquered and made us victorious now and for eternity. His love and His Word sets us free, so our joy may be full.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits” – Psalm 103:2

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the “work” of memorizing the Word at all. No one gets points for having the Word memorized or being able to recite a bunch of memory verses. The point is that we must spend time with God consistently, in relationship, to stay strong, to stay filled up, to equip ourselves for trials, discouragement, and afflictions which do come and are many.

When you spend time in His Word and He impresses His promises on your heart, read it over and over and PRAY ON IT! You know those little nuggets that touch your heart during a Bible Study? Those are His words for you today. Praise Him, thank Him, and pray on those promises. Ask Him to help you prepare for the days, weeks, and years ahead by writing His words on your heart. When you feel empty or distant from God, return to your Creator and spend time with Him. He’s available 24/7. It’s us that make ourselves too busy and unavailable, not Him. He is always there with open arms. Get into His actual Word, not just books written by men about the Bible. Meditate on His promises and pray them. Put them on a Post-it. Put them in a prayer journal. Email them to yourself. Put them on your fridge. Put them on your desk. Share them with others. Teach them to your kids. Then repeat, repeat, repeat, and never stop. Our human hearts, minds, and souls need to be in consistent fellowship with our God to have His Will and His Word front and center in our lives where it belongs.

So, what I’m saying is, don’t beat yourself up over your inability to spout off scripture or pray it out loud on the spot. Just keep it simple. Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. I pray for God to continue to increase our passion for Him and our desire to be in His presence and in His Word. Praise God for new mercies every morning! He is so good.

“He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” – Proverbs 4:4-5

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/29/prayer-series-4-praying-god-s-word#comments 0 BE FOUND BY JESUS https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/22/be-found-by-jesus Sun, 22 Apr 2018 17:15:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/22/be-found-by-jesus

ARE YOU RUNNING FROM JESUS, OR ARE YOU ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE FOUND BY HIM?

by Lezli Urlacher on April 22, 2018

If you’re married, I want you to think back to when you first met your spouse. Was it love at first sight? Or did it take some time for the idea of spending your life with this person to sink in? How did you pursue one another? Just take a moment to rekindle those memories . . .

David and I met over email when we were 15 years old before online dating was even a thing (long story -- see David or me for details if you want!). He was in Montana, and I was in Texas. We didn’t even meet in person until we were 18. Within receiving a few emails from David, I knew right away he was “the one,” even before meeting him in person. It took David a little longer to figure it out, but at least we both came to the same conclusion!

Those first few years, especially once we started dating at the age of 18, were all about pursuing one another. We thought about each other all the time. Our free time was spent dreaming of a future together. We would surprise each other with fun, creative gifts, and we had exciting adventures together. We couldn’t stand to be away from one another. We would go out of our way to serve one another and show our love for one another, and we did it joyfully. It was pure bliss! At least, that’s how I remember it!

We have now been married for almost 16 wonderful years. Marriage has certainly had its ups and downs, but what an amazing blessing it has been. I will say -- in my opinion, pursuing one another in marriage is much harder than when dating. I think a certain level of false security sets in. I sometimes think, “Well, he is stuck with me for better or worse, so I’m not even going to try.” What a lie from the enemy! We should ALWAYS be pursuing one another. We have to be intentional about it. If I don’t pursue my spouse, someone else will! (Back off, ladies -- he’s mine!)

This application is two-fold:

First, practically speaking, you should pursue your spouse until the end. Surprise one another. Flirt. Be romantic. Let your spouse know you’re thinking about him/her. Go on fun dates. Pay attention to each other. Be adventurous and spontaneous. Besides God, your spouse should be #1 in your life, and there should be no question about it. Love unconditionally. The pursuit of your spouse should not be dependent on the response you get. We should do it as ministry to the Lord (Colossians 3:23), not to get something in return.

Second, did you know that God never quits pursuing you, the bride of Christ? His treasure? The child of God? He will chase after you until the end. Check this out:

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6 NLT)

and...

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)

While I was a sinner… in the deepest depths of sin… Christ died for ME. He died for YOU. Not while you were at your best -- not while you were doing good things and following all the rules -- He died while you and I were sinners. His dying on the cross was not dependent on us. He did it out of His selfless love for us. This is what we need to do for one another -- die to ourselves for the sake of others.

Whether you have given your life to Jesus or not, He is still pursuing you, and always will. He delights in you and loves you unconditionally. He wants all of you. He wants you to be found by Him. And He wants you to pursue HIM.

James 4:8 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” Remember that He is always pursuing you. But you also have to pursue God. Because He does not force Himself on you, He will not come near to you until you have drawn near to HIM completely. Spend some time with the Lord today -- just you and Him. Rekindle that first love, and be pursued -- which brings me to…

Are You Pursuable?

Something else the Lord spoke to me today is -- “Are you pursuable?” Basically, am I living my life in such a way that my husband wants to pursue me? Do my friends want to keep reaching out to me, or am I constantly negative and pushing them away? Am I letting myself be found by God, or am I running from Him?

I often find myself audibly sighing or groaning when my kids or husband ask me to do something for them (mainly because it's usually right after I sit down to rest!). I am making an intentional decision to stop this now -- something I should have stopped a long time ago. What does this behavior convey to them? It tells them that they are inconveniencing me. It tells them they are unimportant to me. It tells them that I'm not serving them with love. I don’t ever remember my mom or dad rolling their eyes at my requests or showing any sort of annoyance when they did something for me or for one another. They did it lovingly and joyfully.

It’s easy to point out the faults in your spouse. However, Psalm 139:23-24 says “Search ME, God, and know MY heart . . . See if there is any offensive way in ME. . .” We absolutely have to allow God to address the issues of our own hearts first. Today, God revealed to me that MY attitude toward my family can absolutely stink! He revealed that some other undesirable behaviors from the rest of the family could be stemming from my own undesirable behavior. I need to let God change ME first. This type of behavior certainly does not make me pursuable by anyone!

Again, this application is two-fold:

First, we really need to be careful to remember that our family is our first ministry -- keep your guard up, and serve those little munchkins and your spouse with love and joy, as you are serving the Lord when you serve them.

Second, remember how God serves YOU. You are never an annoyance to Him. You are His precious child! He loves you unconditionally, and, “if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13) Just ask Him. He is waiting!

To be pursuable, we need to be teachable and moldable. We can’t put up walls and stay stuck in our sin. We need to stand before God in surrender, open and empty, ready to be filled by His Spirit and ready to allow Him to mold us into His image (Isaiah 64:8).

Take a moment right now to be still before the Lord. Read all of Psalm 139, and think about how God is pursuing YOU. Just you. You can do nothing more or less to change His unending love toward you. Rest in that promise!

In closing, I am going to share one of my Facebook posts that relates to this topic of being pursued by God. I hope you find it encouraging:

This song has been heavy on my heart the past few days. If one of my precious sons ran away or was lost, I would quit everything else to go find him (This has especially been heavy since this just happened to a boy here - he was found, praise God!).

God will NOT quit pursuing you, His precious child. He loves you too much to let you go your own way, yet He also loves you too much to force you to love Him. It's a choice. You can either allow yourself to be found by the Lord and surrender to Him, or you can ignore Him and continue living your life your own way. Just know that if you are running away, you are running away from your Father who desperately loves you. You can never run so far away from Him that He won't take you back. Turn to Jesus!

Luke 15:4 -- "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

CCLI# 7089641

Songwriters: Caleb Culver / Cory Asbury / Ran Jackson
Reckless Love lyrics © Bethel Music Dba Bethel Music Publishing
Replayed with CCLI License CSPL0596

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/22/be-found-by-jesus#comments 0 MIXED TAPE VOL. I TRACK 4 - ALL IN ALL https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/02/mixed-tape-vol-i-track-4-all-in-all Mon, 02 Apr 2018 17:30:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/02/mixed-tape-vol-i-track-4-all-in-all

JESUS, YOU ARE MY ALL IN ALL

by Ben Young on April 02, 2018

Do you have any songs that have stuck with you for years? I know, my series is all about my Worship mix tape, so obviously these are songs I love. Yet, so far, these have been songs that I've grown to love over the last 4-5 years. The next song on my mix tape is a little different; it has been around for nearly 30 years...and it takes me straight back to a small church camp in central Missouri that I attended for several years as a young boy.

The smell of the paneling in the chapel, the sweet aroma of the spaghetti served multiple times during each session (which for some reason I absolutely loved), and the sounds of young voices singing to the Lord, harmonizing with the crackle of the bonfire--all rush back as I hear these words again. However, until about two years ago, this song had sunken far into my memory as a distant remembrance of those summer days.

Then one day, I was working and listening to worship music in the background when that sweet memory returned. As often happens, I stopped dead in my tracks, my mind flooded with emotion, thoughts, memories, and utter wonder at what God has done!

That song is "All in All" by Dennis Jernigan, a classic from the early 90's--a simple, sweet tune that brought my heart close to God, and brought me peace, comfort, and tears all at the same time. And this version...is just outrageous. The duo that put this arrangement together have done an AMAZING job bringing life to this song.

Let's do this a bit differently this time. Scroll down, hit play, and then come back up to check out the lyrics...

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking you as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

WOW! WHAT A POWERFUL ANTHEM TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR!

This song is about more than just memories of church camp for me. You see, I grew up in church. I have MANY memories of Sunday school, plays, VBS, church camp, youth group, and on and on. Yes, I'm grateful for those memories. I'm grateful that my parents pushed us to go to church, and I'm grateful that we had family friends around to encourage us in the Lord.

BUT MOST OF ALL, I'M GRATEFUL THAT GOD DID NOT LET GO OF ME!

As an older teenager and young adult, I let go of all the things I knew when I was young. I thought I could make decisions on my own. I thought I could plan my life better than anyone else (especially God), and I did it all of it under the disguise of a Christian young man. I can't tell you why I turned my heart away (aside from pride...go figure). I didn't hate God. I didn't have any desire to fight against God. I just thought that I didn't NEED God. Man, was I wrong!

All that time I spent living life the way I wanted to, I failed to realize that God was right there. His hand was reaching out to touch mine. His heart was wrapping itself around me, and quite honestly it breaks my heart to think about how many tears He may have shed watching me destroy my life one sin at a time.

That little boy that sang, "You are my strength when I am weak...Lord to give up I'd be a fool...You are my all in all," had become a grown up boy, completely lost to sin and shame. But GOD was still there, reaching out to me.

You see, God's Word tells us that He is sufficient for all of our needs:

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

One day I finally realized that there is nothing I can do apart from God. I realized that Jesus was the strength that I was missing. He was the peace that I was searching for!

When I try to live this life on my own, I end up frustrated, overwhelmed, and searching. When I live this life with God, I am filled with peace, encouragement, and contentment--just like I was during those days at camp. Even though I had turned away, God never did. He always saw that little boy reaching out for Him, and He stayed right by my side, waiting for the day when I would turn back to Him.

I tell you this to encourage you! For those who feel lost, God is right there. Simply turn and open your heart to Him.

For those who have a child, friend, or family member who is lost, just know that God is watching them. His heart is for them to trust in Him, and He will never turn away, even when they do. Keep praying, keep loving them, keep pointing them to the Lord, because He truly is our All in All.

God Bless You!

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/04/02/mixed-tape-vol-i-track-4-all-in-all#comments 0 PRAYER SERIES 3: THANKSGIVING every good gift and perfec...]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/03/26/prayer-series-3-thanksgiving Mon, 26 Mar 2018 17:35:00 +0000 https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/03/26/prayer-series-3-thanksgiving

THIS IS THE THIRD BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, ENCOURAGING BELIEVERS TO APPROACH GOD WITH THANKSGIVING ALWAYS, IN EVERYTHING.

by Lindsey Pintar on March 26, 2018

Continuing on the journey of studying prayer, the Bible states repeatedly to pray with thanksgiving…always…in everything.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Th. 5:16-18

“giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” - Eph. 5:20

Kids are great at giving thanks in prayer. While praying, they think of every person they know and look around at everything they can physically see and thank God. It’s a simple truth that we so easily overlook – every good gift and perfect gift is from above (Jas. 1:17). The breath in our lungs, the warmth of the sun, our relationships, our heartbeat, the food in front of us, the shelter over our heads, our warm blankets, our salvation, the love of our heavenly Father, His Word, the Holy Spirit…the list goes on and on.

While being more purposeful about thanking God this past month, I had an awesome realization. When I stop to thank God, I am giving Him the glory. It’s so easy to take an answered prayer and, without even thinking, turn it into glory for ourselves vs. glorifying and giving credit to God who made it happen in the first place.

The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 always reminds me of the importance of saying thank you. Ten lepers came to Jesus and asked for healing. Jesus healed all of them from an incurable, terminal illness! One of the ten lepers realized that he did not say thank you, so he ran back to Jesus and “with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks”. Jesus healed him spiritually, in addition to the physical healing, because he remembered to say thank you. You see, God wants to bless us, and He wants to heal us spiritually. To be healed, we need to realize (and constantly remind ourselves) that it’s God who’s all-powerful, almighty, and all-knowing. He is the one capable of the incapable. He is God, and we are sinners. He formed us, He gives us our breath, our hearts beat because of Him, and any gift or abilities we have are because He prepared us with them to do His will. Thanksgiving puts us in that position of trust and humility that just doesn’t come naturally to us in our flesh and allows us to be healed spiritually. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding us at any given time, there are always many reasons to offer thanksgiving to our Lord!

There is another key we all need to grasp about offering thanksgiving in everything, at all times, and that’s during times of suffering, tests, and trials. Take the time to read Lezli’s blog: “A Year of Suffering” to immerse yourself there. It will bless you!

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!” – Psa. 106:1

]]> https://calvarycherrycreek.org/blog/2018/03/26/prayer-series-3-thanksgiving#comments 0

WHEN LIFE HAPPENS, LOOK UP AS GOD PROMISES YOU PERFECT PEACE WHEN YOU RE-FOCUS YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT ON HIM.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 SAYS: “REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU.”

THEN VERSES 19-22 SAY: “DO NOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT. DO NOT DESPISE PROPHECIES. TEST ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST WHAT IS GOOD. ABSTAIN FROM EVERY FORM OF EVIL.”

“YOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON YOU, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN YOU.” ISAIAH 26:3“BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.” ISAIAH 40:31

WE FIND IT SO EASY TO BELIEVE GOD WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, YET AS WE LOOK AT DANIEL 3 WE SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THE DEPTH OF FAITH THAT GOD CALLS US TO, THE "BUT IF NOT" DEPTH OF FAITH!

DO I PRAY LIKE HE WILL?

THIS IS THE TENTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER STUDYING WHY CHRISTIANS SO OFTEN SAY: "IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN" AT THE END OF OUR PRAYERS. IT'S BIBLICAL! THIS BLOG WILL HELP SET YOUR HEART STRAIGHT NEXT TIME YOU PRAY IN JESUS' NAME.

“For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12

ARE YOU STILL JUST ON THE MILK OF THE WORD, OR ARE YOU CRAVING MORE? TIME TO GROW!

BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN WE COME ACROSS A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A BELIEVER FOR YEARS AND IS STILL EXPECTING TO BE SPOON-FED EVERYTHING?

CHRISTIAN, IT’S TIME TO GROW UP!

SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE WE GET STUCK IN OUR WALK WITH GOD. THE FIRE WE ONCE HAD SEEMS TO DWINDLE INTO A SMOLDER. RELIGHTING THAT FIRE MAY JUST BE AS EASY AS TRYING SOMETHING NEW!

THAT IS, UNTIL LAST YEAR!

DON’T CLOSE THE BROWSER JUST YET! HEAR ME OUT…

STUDY IN THE EVENING INSTEAD OF IN THE MORNING

GET AWAY FROM THE HOUSE AND STUDY

GO TO A PARK AND STUDY

READ THE BIBLE ONLINE

READ FROM A COMMENTATOR ALONG WITH THE BIBLE

LISTEN TO AN AUDIO BIBLE

STUDY IN YOUR PANTRY

PRAY IN YOUR GARAGE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THE THIRD SEGMENT IN OUR SERIES ON THE RESTING FAITH. DON'T ISOLATE YOURSELF WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING. OTHERS WILL ENCOURAGE YOU AND STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH!

1. Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming.2. Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat.3. Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat (and able to reach out with a hand to help someone else get in).”

BE ENCOURAGED BY OTHERS!!

"Is God real?"

"What is this all for?"

"How does that person seem on fire for God?"

"What if all of this is a lie?"

CAN YOU REALLY GRASP HOW MUCH YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER LOVES YOU? HERE'S A GLIMPSE...

Type your new text here.

THE SECOND EDITION IN BEN’S SERIES ON THE RESTING FAITH, WHERE WE EXPLORE HOW GETTING IN GOD’S WORD CAN HELP YOU GROW INTO A RESTING FAITH!

“THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF FAITH IN CHRIST:

1. STRUGGLING FAITH, LIKE A MAN IN DEEP WATER DESPERATELY SWIMMING.

2. CLINGING FAITH, LIKE A MAN HANGING TO THE SIDE OF A BOAT.

3. RESTING FAITH, LIKE A MAN SAFELY WITHIN THE BOAT (AND ABLE TO REACH OUT WITH A HAND TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET IN).”

SPENDING TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD!"SO THEN FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD."

THIS IS THE NINTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, FOCUSING ON WHY WE ARE TO PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

“Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5

"Look among the nations and watch--Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you." Habakkuk 1:5

THIS IS THE EIGHTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, FOCUSING ON HOW WE ARE TO LAY OUR PETITIONS BEFORE GOD.

“Where do wars and fights [come] from among you? Do [they] not [come] from your [desires for] pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.”

“Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, ‘Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.’” Psalm 35:27

“My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:2-3

FAITH: BEING CONFIDENT OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND CONVINCED OF WHAT WE CANNOT SEE. WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A BLESSING IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD, BUT HOW DO WE KEEP A STRONG FAITH IN HIM? FOLLOW ME ON THIS JOURNEY TO LEARN HOW TO HAVE A RESTING FAITH IN THE LORD!

“THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF FAITH IN CHRIST:

1. STRUGGLING FAITH, LIKE A MAN IN DEEP WATER DESPERATELY SWIMMING.

2. CLINGING FAITH, LIKE A MAN HANGING TO THE SIDE OF A BOAT.

3. RESTING FAITH, LIKE A MAN SAFELY WITHIN THE BOAT (AND ABLE TO REACH OUT WITH A HAND TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET IN).”

ASK FOR IT

"14NOW THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN HIM, THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. 15AND IF WE KNOW THAT HE HEARS US, WHATEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PETITIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM."

THE CHALLENGE!

HOW CAN WE KEEP AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE WHEN THE WORLD IS SURROUNDING US WITH TEMPTATIONS?

"Can I take this to heaven with me?"

"Can this bring glory to God?"

"Is this a need? Or a want?"

"Can I use this money to bless someone else instead?"

BOOM

Type your new text here.

THIS IS THE SEVENTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF A MOTIVATION TO KNOW GOD.

"Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

“Be still, and know that I [am] God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” - Psalms 46:10

THIS SONG HAS BEEN AN ANTHEM FOR OUR CHURCH SINCE THE BEGINNING, NOT BECAUSE WE THINK IT’S GOOD, BUT BECAUSE IT PERFECTLY DESCRIBES OUR POSITION IN CHRIST! CHECK IT OUT!

WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM GOD? LOOK TO HIM AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM CALL YOU OUT OF THE TOMB!

Glorious Day by Passion!

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE SIN IS, IT'S CAUSING DEATH IN YOUR LIFE!

JUST AS LAZARUS WOULD HAVE NEVER WALKED OUT OF THAT TOMB WITHOUT JESUS, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE CONFINES OF OUR SIN WITHOUT JESUS!

THIS IS THE SIXTH BLOG IN A SERIES ABOUT PRAYER, EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

“Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters,’ Says the LORD Almighty." – 2 Cor. 6:17-18

“But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” - Psalm 103:17-18

“YOU WILL KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON YOU, BECAUSE HE TRUSTS IN YOU.” ISAIAH 26:3

“BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT.” ISAIAH 40:31

1. Struggling faith, like a man in deep water desperately swimming.

2. Clinging faith, like a man hanging to the side of a boat.

3. Resting faith, like a man safely within the boat (and able to reach out with a hand to help someone else get in).”

SPENDING TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD!
"SO THEN FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD."

"¹⁴NOW THIS IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN HIM, THAT IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. 15AND IF WE KNOW THAT HE HEARS US, WHATEVER WE ASK, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PETITIONS THAT WE HAVE ASKED OF HIM."

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8