Vision, cont’d

When you hear the word “vision” what do you think of? Is it how well you see when you wear your glasses? Maybe. But the kind of vision we are going to be talking about at Christ Fellowship for the next few weeks is the kind of vision that God gives to people to let them know what He wants. God spoke to the Old Testament prophets in dreams and through angels or a burning bush or even talking donkeys. Today God usually gives us His vision through His word, the Bible.

This coming Sunday we will see the vision God gave to Jonah and what happens when we don’t embrace His vision. It’s like trying to use the wrong tool for the job. It just doesn’t work out very well. But when we see God’s vision and embrace it as our own, God can do the miraculous! 

Make plans to be here this Sunday to see what miracles God can do in and though Christ Fellowship as we see His vision for us! I can’t wait to see you! I love you all! — Todd

Vision

Woman looking in mirror – “Honey, I look fat. Will you give me some kind of compliment?”

“Well, your vision is perfect!”

Vision. When I use the word, you may think of different things. But I’m not talking about eyesight and I’m not talking about seeing a ghost or some apparition, things you might call a vision.

Biblical vision is having God’s will revealed to you. Maybe it is through a dream (like some of the prophets) or by an angel (like Mary and others) but today we usually get God’s will revealed to us through reading the Bible. And Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision, the people perish.

This coming Sunday, we will get to hear the Gideons speak and I always love it when they come to Christ Fellowship. But after that we will start a new sermon series on vision. I believe God has a vision for us as individuals and for us as a church and we need to know what that vision is.

So, I pray that you will join your family at church this Sunday ready to support the Gideons and ready to start talking about God’s vision for our church. Your church needs you and you need the church! I love you all! — Todd

Memorial Day

Well, happy Memorial Day weekend to you! For lots of people that means a long weekend of grilling outside or going to the lake or having a quick much-needed vacation. And that’s great! We should do that. But we all know this weekend is about more than that. We honor all those that gave their lives for the United States in the military. True heroes should be honored and we are grateful for them.

So, while you are doing all that this weekend, spend some time honoring the Hero of Heaven! Just like so many men and women have left their homes to serve and even die for their country that they love, Jesus left the glories of Heaven to die for everybody…including you. And He deserves all the honor and all the glory! How will you celebrate His sacrifice this weekend?

Psalm 99 says, “The Lord reigns…let the nations tremble!”

When does it end?

“God will never give you more than you can handle.” Now, doesn’t that just sound so nice? And sweet? And spiritual? And completely wrong! That’s the wrongest wrong thing that’s ever been wrongly said. If you have been alive for more than a few days, you know that can’t be true. You are attacked by Satan tempting you to sin. You are attacked by Satan with bad things that happen to you. You are attacked by the world for being a believer. And you are attacked by the world even if you aren’t a believer. When will it ever end?

Well, believe it or not, it will end and there will be rewards for those who live according to God’s word. And I can’t wait to talk about it this Sunday morning and evening! This will be our last message focusing on spiritual warfare for a while and I hope you will make plans right now to be there. I love you all! — Todd

Trade-offs

To find out what a grenade launcher has to do with our spiritual life, you will have to show up this Sunday. But just know that this life is all about trade-offs. If you want money, you have to work for it. If you want people to be nice to you, you have to be nice to them. If you love rules and hate dogs, you probably shouldn’t be coming to Christ Fellowship. That’s just how this life is. And that’s also how spiritual warfare is as well. It is a trade-off. If you want to defeat the devil, you have to put on the full armor. If you want to have peace, you have to be obedient. And we are going to see this Sunday morning and evening that if you want to defeat the enemy, you have to use the right weapon. And to use the right weapon in the right way, you have to be ready to pay the price.

I hope you will make the choice now to join us in worship! Don’t let Satan’s excuses keep you out of church this Sunday. You are missed when you aren’t here! I love you all! — Todd

D&G

I love the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 probably more than any other Old Testament story. I have always loved it. Maybe you have too. But this Sunday, I want to view it in another light. What can we learn; what can we take away; what can we use from this story to ALWAYS help us be victorious over our enemy? Hint: it’s not a slingshot.

I can’t wait to see you this Sunday! It’s just not the same without you! I love you all! — Todd

Helpless?

Have you seen the news lately? Inflation is through the roof. Our country is nearly 35 trillion dollars in debt. Cities are defunding the police so they have more money to give illegal aliens. “Furries” and others with mental illnesses are causing huge problems in schools. The Middle East is blowing up literally and figuratively. But don’t worry. Consumer Reports says that only 20% of our fruits and veggies have unhealthy levels of pesticides.

So…what are you going to do about any of that? Not much we can do, is there? Do you feel helpless sometimes? Hopeless? Stressed out? Do you feel like you can’t change your situation in life, much less the world?

I have good news for you! There is a way we can make a difference in this world. Join us this Sunday at Christ Fellowship to discuss the ways how we can do that. We are looking at an obscure passage in the book of Judges to help us know how we can do battle to make a difference in this world. We start at 10 Sunday morning and again at 6 that evening. I can’t wait to see you! I love you all! — Todd

Sunday at Christ Fellowship

Have you ever gone to church and been encouraged by somebody else? Have you ever seen somebody at church that you knew was struggling and you were able to encourage them? Where else do you go for that? Seriously, where else can you go where people really want the best for you and want you to succeed? Where else can you get or give that kind of encouragement?

Hebrews 10:24 – 25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

There will be some people at Christ Fellowship this Sunday that have gotten bad news from their doctors. There will be some that have been laid off from their jobs and some that are struggling with finances or kids or in their marriage. Who will encourage those people? Maybe you are one of those people. Maybe you need that encouragement. Let us help spur you on to love and good deeds this Sunday morning at 10:00.

Make the decision right now to go. Be prayed up so your sin doesn’t block what God wants to reveal to you. Be rested up so you don’t sleep through it. We are continuing with our sermon series on spiritual warfare so wear your camo and bring your attitude that says, “Not on my watch!”

Semper Stantes! Always Standing!

I love y’all! — Todd

Peace

I think we all know I’m not the smartest guy in the world. (Hey, you don’t have to say amen like that.) I’m rarely the smartest guy in the room. Shoot, I’m not the smartest guy in the room right now and it’s just me, Bam and LilBit. But one thing I will never understand is the peace that God gives in difficult times. I’m not smart enough to understand it. I’m not good enough to deserve it. All I can do is accept it.

When we have a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we can have peace even in the darkest times of our lives. I know that because it says so in one of my favorite chapters in all the Bible. Philippians 4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Anybody can have peace in the peaceful times. But only God can give peace in the hard times, the scary times, the times of mourning and loss. You don’t have to understand it. Just accept it and rejoice!

I really can’t wait to see you this coming Sunday at Christ Fellowship! Wear your favorite camo (seriously) because we are going to battle. For the next six weeks, we are going to focus on how to be victorious in this mental, spiritual and even physical battle that we are in these days. Our country and our church and our very lives are being threatened by satanic attacks and we need to know who the enemy is, how he works and what we can do to overcome him. 

It’ll be fun so come on! I love you all! — Todd

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord! Why? Well, because we are told to. Have you ever noticed in the Psalms how many times we are commanded to praise the Lord? Over and over again the psalmist tells us to praise the Lord and praise His name. What’s so interesting to me is that so many times the next verse or the next sentence will be something like, “You’re killing me here, God.” or “How long do I have to suffer?” or “Where are you, Lord?” But then he goes right back to saying, “Praise the Lord. Praise His name.”

I want that. I want to be able to praise God in the middle – the very deepest part – of my sorrow and grief and pain and struggle and to still be able to trust Him enough to say, “I don’t understand you, God. I don’t know why this is happening to me. But I trust you so… Praise the Lord!”

What is keeping you from doing that? What mental block, lack of faith or spiritual deception is there in you that keeps you from saying, “Praise the Lord!” today?

I can’t wait to see y’all this Sunday at Christ Fellowship at 10 and 6! We will consider how those crazy Israelis could cheer for Jesus as their Savior at the beginning of the week and yet yell, “Crucify Him!” by the end of the week. And how, maybe, we are just as crazy.

I love you all! — Todd