just great stuff!

Update on Building Negotiations

2009-11-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

Today, we meet directly with the Bud Building realtor to iron out final details of the deal. As Creed said yesterday, their lawyers keep adding & deleting items in the contract; then, our lawyers add and delete items in the contract (because they're looking out for their clients best interests). So, the primary negotiators are sitting down today to work out the final contract face to face.

I'd ask you to pray for God to lead this discussion.

Our next steps will be to get final approvals for building use, and to work out finances. To purchase the building and to build out phase 1, we will need about $8 million ($2 million less than the original asking price for just the building, alone).

We will reach that goal by:
1) Raising funds internally
2) Renting the building for community use activities
3) Taking out a loan

Significant hills still lie before us. Taking them will demand intensified prayer, faith, and sacrifice. The great news is that God is for us! Hang on to your hats. God is doing more than we could ask or imagine.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

Growing Spiritually

2009-11-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

We are often asked at New Life about how to grow spiritually. I have to admit, the answer to that question is both simple and yet so difficult.

You see, the basic process of developing any relationship (in this case with God) is to spend time and communicate with the person. The challenge is how can you do that with the God of the universe with whom you cannot sit down at Starbucks and chat about your life. The short answer is to listen to Him (options include listening to sermons, reading the Bible and quietly praying listening for Him to speak to your soul), to commune with other believers (small groups), and to serve the one you love (either at New Life or in the the community or both).

So the first questions are: Do you regularly attend worship services? Are you in a small group? Do you read the Bible on a regular basis? Do you talk to God in prayer? Are you serving Him and His cause?

If you can't answer yes to each of those I would encourage you to do what you aren't sooner than later. They pay off can be huge. As we interview people who feel distant from God we find those key things to be missing. Rarely do we find someone who is consistently doing them feeling distant from God.

Okay ... so by now you are thinking, thanks for the "church answer"... but really, how do I do those things?

Find a small group. These are informal groups that meet in people's homes, often with dinner, that talk about God and how He is working in our lives.
Read the scripture listed in the program each week (it is also sent out in our twitter feed - www.twitter.com/nlcc)
Pray. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just find a quiet spot and tell God what you are thinking.
Find a place to serve. We always need people to help as we impact the community around New Life, and many people find serving others the most therapeutic way to deal with their own lives and grow closer to God as they act as His hands and feet.

If you need help doing any of these please call or email us. If any of those make you nervous, queezy, or otherwise hesitant, rest assured, like all things New Life, it doesn't have to be this big, formal, scary deal. Trust us, the groups are safe, and serving can be real fun.

Pat Furgerson, Utility Guy

You matter to your coach!

2009-11-11T09:30:00.001-08:00

Last night our AAA Nationals played our final game. I'm at work this morning wishing this team could stay together. We won a bunch; we lost a few; but that’s not why I am saddened the season is over.

Our kids and parents were the best! Win or lose, our parents were enthusiastic, positive, & supportive. The players reflected their good parents: well-behaved, disciplined, and respectful of coaches and each other.

Do you know how rare it is to find a team full of families like that?

I’ve experienced 3 kinds of players & families:

Type 1: After the season if you find out they are part of a church, you think, “I’d go to church with them.”

Type 2: After the season if you find out they are part of a church, you think, “Either they are part of a weak church, or they aren’t serious about their faith.”

Type 3: Those who claim no faith and bring no shame to Jesus.

In the heat of battle, I am the FIRST to forget this momentarily! My Nats families have reminded me how much our conduct matters more than what we claim. New Lifers, you matter to your coaches – more than you may realize.

Thanks AAA Nationals.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

giving up

2009-11-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

I think we like to give up. I look around and listen to people's stories, and it always seems to me that we look at our lives and figure it is easier to just give up than to keep pushing forward.

There are 2 places I have noticed this lately - in marriages and in ministry. Sure, the m&m's if you will. As I read stories and listen to people talk about their marriages, the phrase that seems to keep popping up is 'it would be easier to just make a change'. Wow! Make a change. Do things differently. Move on. How's that been working for people? Stats show that 50% of 1st time marriages end up in divorce and if that group remarries, their divorce numbers for marriage #2 shoots up to 80%. Hmmmmmm ... not good! Oh well, I'll give up anyway.

In ministry I see the same thing. Now, being in ministry I know it can be tough and hard and sometimes unrewarding, but so many guys I know are packing up, leaving ministry and going into other fields of work. And they love it! They jump from ministry to the work force and they tell me, I have more time for my family, I can relax on the weekends, I can leave my work at the office. I hear that and wonder, are they just giving up? (Or are they being smart?)

Both of these - marriages and ministry - are tough. But they are also so important to bringing the best out in the world. I hope less people will stop giving up and start giving in - to their marriage relationship and to impacting the world around us through ministry. Giving in to how God has made you and created you, giving in to the attention and love your spouse needs and wants. And in it all, putting Christ first.

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Special note from Brett

2009-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Laura and I watched the movie Fireproof again last night. Seeing this movie will challenge & bless your marriage.

Join us tonight at Westfield HS for our 7pm showing.

Read what the New York Times had to say about Fireproof:

Putting Out House Fires, Reigniting Passions

By NEIL GENZLINGER

Published: September 27, 2008

“Fireproof” may not be the most profound movie ever made, but it does have its commendable elements, including that rarest of creatures on the big (or small) screen: characters with a strong, conservative Christian faith who don’t sound crazy.

The movie is about a firefighter named Caleb (Kirk Cameron) whose loveless marriage to Catherine (Erin Bethea) is headed for divorce court until Caleb’s father (Harris Malcom) talks him into trying a 40-day caring-for-marriage regimen with a Christian underpinning. “The Love Dare,” it’s called.

The screenwriters, the brothers Alex Kendrick (who also directed) and Stephen Kendrick, give the story some pull by not making Catherine into the usual neglected wallflower of a wife. Instead she’s a publicist at a hospital who spends most of the film contemplating whether to hop into bed with one of the doctors.

For two-thirds of the movie, the filmmakers show a restraint rare in the movie-with-a-Message genre, so much so that the two most appealing characters are those nudging Caleb toward Christianity (Mr. Malcom and Ken Bevel as a fellow firefighter).

The story may be a bit gimmicky — yes, there are dramatic firefighter rescues that have little to do with the main plot — and the central couple is thinly drawn. It’s never clear what attracted these two to each other in the first place, and the hard-edged Catherine’s inevitable coming-around hinges, disappointingly, on some simplistic sensitive-male displays. (He does the dishes!)

But the cast of mostly amateurs (Mr. Cameron of “Growing Pains” being the exception) is surprisingly good. And the moments of comic relief are mildly amusing.

Only at the end do the filmmakers get heavy-handed, and they seem not to know when to wrap up, letting the movie run on for several smarmy scenes beyond its natural endpoint. Until then, though, this is a decent attempt to combine faith and storytelling that will certainly register with its target audience.

And maybe with other folks as well: among those caring-for-marriage tips are some that anyone could use to improve any type of relationship, with or without the God part.

Pray for this weekend and pray for relationships in the church!

See you soon!

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

I need to spend more time...

2009-10-29T06:26:00.001-07:00

My Dad was in town this past weekend. Caleb & Logan had 4 baseball games scheduled between them. Dad drove the 6 hours from PA to see them play. Each game was cancelled because of rain, but the weekend wasn’t a total loss.

Dad grew up on a farm, so the school of hard knocks taught him how to repair almost everything. (He saved us over $400 in repairs this weekend. He needs to come down to watch baseball more often!)

While I was at work Monday, Dad took Logan golfing. As Laura tucked Logan into bed, he said, “Mom, do you know what spending time with Papa John has taught me?”

“What Logan?”

“It’s taught me that I need to spend more time with Dad.”

Hmmm.

I feel the same way. My Dad is 74 years old. Because he’s always been so vigorous and active, I’ve not appreciated that he’s not as young as he used to be. While he was here, I was struck in the heart by the thought, “I need to spend more time with my Dad.”

And, Logan, as your Dad, I enjoy every minute I get to spend with you. As you grow, it will be easy for me to not appreciate how quickly your time with me is passing. Whatever minutes we have together, I want to spend more of those minutes enjoying you, not distracted by all the things that clutter my time.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

shameless ask

2009-10-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

I recently asked a church planter what exciting things were going on at his church, Velocity in Cleveland, OH, and wanted to pass along to you all just a small glimpse of how New Life is part of reaching lost people halfway across the country.

What's most exciting about Velocity right now is that we are in such a great new season of ministry here. We started back in April of 2009 and things have been absolutely crazy since then. We've had 21 baptisms in 30 weeks. The mayor of our city asked Velocity to start a youth program for our entire city. We are now the chaplains for the police and fire departments. Next week we are doing an event called "Serve the Servants" where we are serving lunch for the police department. The media got hold of what we are doing and they are sending a reporter to do a story on why Velocity is serving people. Things are so unbelievable - we just can't believe what God is doing in a city like Cleveland Ohio.

One of the things that I am really thankful for in this whole process are the things that Passion For Planting has done to help us get such a great start. We could have NEVER done all that we have done without being a part of the STADIA network. We are so thankful for the staff at P4P (Doug, Pat, Bradley) and all that they have done to help us get such a strong start. You guys are the best!

Scott Pugh

Lead Pastor

Velocity Church

Pat Furgerson, Associate Guy

2009-10-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

Ran across this article online. It talks about the state of the church in America today. Very eye-opening and a bit disheartening. However...

It's why I love being a part of a church-planting church like New Life! Some people see the doom and gloom of religious organizations. I think we see opportunities! It is said that some of the best ideas and opportunities have come during the worst economic times in our country's history. Could this be true of churches?

Sometimes we forget that life is about birth, life, and death. Everything dies. Maybe we hold on too long to what we once had, or felt, or experienced, or hoped for. Maybe our best bet is to let things die off and new births happen.

Maybe it is a good thing that churches are dying. Maybe it allows church plants to come in and revitalize a town, a people. Statistics show the churches today making the biggest difference in communities are church plants. Are they perfect? Nope. Do they fail? Yep. Do they have all the answers? No way. But more often than not, they bring enthusiasm, hope, community impact, excitement and life to an area.

So I see opportunities that abound after reading this article, not doom and gloom. And maybe it's time to close a few church doors and open some new ones and see if that changes our religious landscape.

So where to next?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Life Interrupted

2009-10-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Weird night at life group. Prayers going up for travel mercies for one of our number attending funeral in Atlanta, for another traveling to California to be with mom with stage 4 colon cancer, for one of our guys in pain who is awaiting knee replacement surgery and for a new couple in need of jobs.

And then. . .well, then something happened I didn't expect. One person shouted out a praise for having gotten cancer. She's just coming off chemo. But she talked of how cancer for her was a blessing, that it forced her to focus, get her priorities in line with God's, and that she's seeing God at work in new, more vivid ways. Ok, after that, it was hard to ask for prayer for my hangnail.

But this dealing with seeing God at work in the interruptions of life popped up in our scripture for the night--Acts 16. Paul and Barnabas determine to visit all the churches they started on their first journey. They can't even get packed before they split up over who would come with them. Rats. Interrupted.

We're sure Barnabas is doing great work, too, but the Holy Spirit zeroes in here on Paul. As he's about the work, we're told that he is forbidden by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia (verse 6). Rats. Interrupted.

Then Paul intends to go to Bithynia, but, again, the Holy Spirit did not permit it. Rats. Interrupted.

We don't know why or how the Holy Spirit communicated this. Did Paul fall ill? Could they not get correct change for the subway? Easy at this point for Paul to go "God, what's the deal? You are standing in the way of my well-conceived travel plans." Sounds like he didn't do that, since he then gets a vision to go to Macedonia and obeys.

Paul eventually ends up in Philippi, where there is this hilarious story. On the Sabbath, Paul and his troupe decide to go down to the river for a little peace and quiet, "supposing there would be a place of prayer" there. They supposed wrong. Instead, there were a bunch of women yacking it up. Rats. Interrupted.

Instead of rolling their eyes, they sit down and start talking to the women. One, Lydia, overhears, gets saved, and then her whole household gets saved. And the gospel is off and running in Europe! Who'd have thunk it?

So, here's one for ya. Are you actually about the business of God's work and purposes? Do you have a plan to be a minister of the gospel and are you pursuing it? As you pursue it, are you open to the Holy Spirit altering those plans without become bitter and thereby missing God's purposes? Yeah, some exciting things can happen. You get a promotion, you get engaged, you get some blessing. But God often directs through inconveniences. The loss of a job, a broken down car, a serious illness, a betrayal, or some other huge disappointment. Do you stop in those times to listen, to see what God might be up to?

He's probably leading you to your Lydia.

But we'll miss that if we're bummed that He interrupted our plans. But isn't that where we spend too much of our time? I mean, seriously, when's the last time you shared your faith outside the church walls? Is it really that there's just a lack of lost people out there, or are you just not listening?

Ok, I'm done. You can go back to what you were doing now. Sorry for the interruption.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

today

2009-10-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

What do you have planned to do today? Eat some food, go to a meeting, drive to work, watch some tv, take care of the kiddos, workout, eat some more food, sleep?

What if, in the midst of all that we normally do, we began to ask ourselves each day - how can I make a difference in the world today?

I am sitting here drinking some coffee, doing some planning, catching up on emails, reading, writing, contemplating, daydreaming and that thought came into my head - how am I making a difference today? What phone call do I need to make, what note do I need to send, what email needs to be written, who do I need to have coffee with, what prayer do I need to make?

I don't know about you, but I want to look back at my life when I am lying on some freezing cold gurney about ready to breathe my last breath and say to those around me (if anyone is there), I made a difference in the world.

But that has to start today. And it is a question we need to ask ourselves each day when we wake up. We don't know when that gurney may come rolling by...

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Planting in San Fran

2009-10-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday I was able to read an excerpt from an email I received from a church planter we are working with. I thought it would be worth sharing.

From Aaron Monts at Ikon in SF, CA

Sunday morning, Siobhan (the house manager of Mezzanine) pulled Taryn (the wife of one of our staff members) aside to ask permission to bring a friend on October 4th. This is the same girl that drug her heels, cursed the idea of church in a nightclub, and had plenty of reservations about IKON at Mezzanine ... and she's inviting a friend. To church. I watch her some times. Sitting in the corner. I wonder what she is thinking. What she is feeling. Does she wonder why we are singing? Who we are singing to? Is it just another gig for her? I'm beginning to think that it's not. I'm beginning to think that God's promise is true that where two or more are gathered, curiosity is sparked and beauty is manifest. No matter how the service goes or how we feel about the message, God is moving.

This past weekend we had a couple show up because of the IKON card they were handed at the Ferry Building by the missions team from Community Christian Church in Naperville. They were excited about what was taking place and "refreshed to see a church actually care about San Francisco!" They're looking forward to getting involved in our community to "make a difference!"

We had a homeless man, Shae, say "that its finally good to see a church doing something in this city". Meanwhile, the Mint Plaza security guard told one of our greeters that he sneaks close to our door so that he can hear the Word of God because "you can't really find that around here much".

Patrick Furgerson, Associate Guy

play-doh

2009-10-02T06:55:00.001-07:00

For what to me seems like a decade (more like 2 weeks), I have been working on organizational structure for New Life. Like many churches, we ask people to serve in some capacity but do not have the right channels set up for success for them and our many areas to serve. Makes for fun chaos some days!

The good thing is that we recognize the need to organize and are moving in that direction (and others) to make sure we can help people grow and make the church a better place for people. Seemed to work back in the book of Acts pretty well too.

I sometimes wonder what is the real need for structure. I am not much of a structure guy. I like taking Play-Doh, throwing it on a table and instead of flattening it out and using cookie cutters, I like to mold and make my own designs. It seems easier and more fun.

What I have learned though is that any organization or organism needs structure. You can only go so far, grow so much, play with the doh for so long before the need for structure comes into play. My creation usually isn't as good as when I use the structures in place to make my 'art' (I use that term loosely).

Structure is good. It's healthy. It's not something I like or even like to think about, but it makes us all better in the end!

And it doesn't end at work. How can we be better at using structure as parents, in financing, in life?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Inching along

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Lifegroup Tuesday. Acts 13. Came across an intriguing fella named Elymas. The description of him was clear, but it appeared to make no sense.

He was a false prophet.

He was a sorcerer.

He was a Jew.

Like the aptitute test that asks "Which of these things is not like the others?" these three descriptors do not go together naturally. Why? Well, the Old Testament clearly states that if you were a Jew, you were not to be a false prophet. The result? Big rocks dropped on ya. How about if you thought sorcery would be a good career choice? Result? Big rocks dropped on ya.

And that got us to thinking about how this could happen. Does a good little Jewish boy just wake up one day and think to himself, "Yeah, today it's gonna be sorcery and false prophesying. That's the ticket." And then we asked, "Does the high school teacher arrested for having child porn on his computer just wake up one day and go there and get nabbed right out of the chute?" Probably not. In fact, 15 years ago, if you had told that high school teacher, fresh out of college, that he'd lose his job, his family, his reputation, and his friends because he got caught doing child porn, he'd have told you you were nuts.

No, the path was probably long and twisting. Long because it took a whole lot of steps to get there. Twisting because each step had to occur with the final destination concealed. Had he seen it coming, he might have changed course. Makes sense. Proverbs tells us that it's the little foxes that ruin the vineyard, not one big fox. Lots of little things add up. Add up for good or for ill. Romans tells us that ending up in a good place is the result of little steps, too--little steps of faith that build on each other.

So, what to do? We sought to evaluate our lives right now. Where are we, in little things, in seemingly inconsequential things, in "what's the big deal?" things, taking little steps leading to righteousness? And where are we, in little things, in seemingly inconsequential things, in "what's the big deal?" things, taking little steps that are taking us to utter destruction currently hidden by the twists in the road?

For some, it was the need to bow a head and pray publicly for that meal in the restaurant. For others, it was talking to that family member who asks the question that forces us to profess what we really believe about Jesus. For me, it was not just saying I'll pray for ya, but actually stopping and doing it. Or, seeing the need of a brother in pain and stopping from my so-called busy schedule to hang out with him at the doc's. A lot of the time, I'm impatient for the big rush, the major accomplishment. But today. . .today some mighty good stuff flowed from what would appear to be just dinky little things.

Liked it enough, I'm thinking about trying a little step of faith again tomorrow. Who knows where this might lead?

Could be bailing someone out of the adult detention center who's taken too few of them, I suppose.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

The Greatest Compliment

2009-09-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon and evening Laura and I kept a little girl so her parents could celebrate their anniversary. At one point Emma asked, “Can I just ask you questions about the Bible?” (Is the Pope Catholic?)

“Tell me about the princess who found Moses in the river.”

“What was Joseph’s wife’s name? Was she beautiful?”

“Do you think Eve was beautiful?”

After 30 minutes of questions, Emma asked a question that demanded that we look in the Bible. As she got up to look on our bookshelf, she said, “Mr. Andrews, I see Jesus in you.” (Causing me to wonder, “How many times she’s thought, ‘I don’t see Jesus in him’?”)

Historic Christianity calls the challenge to live like Christ the imitatio die, the imitation of God. Imitatio die is our highest calling. That’s why we encourage everyone to read the Bible and pray daily. Walk near to God and He will be near you. Want a good book recommendation? Consider Charles Sheldon’s 1896 classic, In His Steps.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

Looking Like Jesus

2009-09-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Next week, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers” opens in our area. If you haven’t heard, this film is a documentary about a guy who traveled America interviewing people about Jesus and his followers - Christians. My immediate response is, “Why do we need another reminder that Christ followers don’t act like Christ?” Later, I realized the answer is clear: because we live in the same world as people who don’t give a flip about anything. Or could it be something else? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” I’m guilty! I’m guilty of the same looking-down-my-nose, Bible-thumping, beat-you-over-the-head philosophy of Christianity. My guess is that if you have been a follower of Jesus for any length of time you are probably guilty too. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. So here’s the good news: you can change that today. You can slow down, look around and talk to someone you don’t know or meet someone's need, and you can do it without telling them you are a Christ follower, just letting people see Jesus in you.

This is the very reason that I think we need to occupy the Bud building. Imagine a place where people come every day to take their children to a sporting event and happen to bump into someone who is willing to share a cup of coffee and just be nice. Imagine a place where you could take your kids knowing they would be safe, where you could hang out with people who need Jesus, and they could see Jesus in you. Imagine almost 2 acres under roof where children are playing basketball, lacrosse or baseball, or where adults are working out while they are watching their kids doing all of these things. The size and scope of this facility is limited only to our imagination.

I can imagine such a place. I can! It's on Lee Road, and it's available to the Centreville/Chantilly area. You can be part of telling people about Jesus through your behavior; and, if necessary you could use words. BTW, that last line is centuries old. I think Augustine said it first.

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

Boldness Revisited

2009-09-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

I was out in Indiana a couple of weeks ago. Didn't want to be there. Oh, I like Indiana just fine. All the family is there. But I was in town to do the funeral for Bill, my brother-in-law. Tough stuff. But I find it's easy when I'm doing my "minister" thing to spot the moments for boldness, for speaking out. For example, we couldn't stay with family members because other family was packed in there, so we stayed with John and Jeannie, long-time friends of Bill's. I'm sitting at midnight at the computer working on the funeral message when John walks in and tries to look over my shoulder at what I'm writing. After just standing there for a while, he just says, "Well, I know I'm going to hell." You don't have to be brilliant to know "Hey, here's a opportunity for boldness."

At life group yesterday, we were kicking around Psalm 139 and Ephesians 1 and talking about boldness. Here's another reason to be in life group--my understanding got broadened as we kicked this around. It struck us that boldness might not look the same for everyone. Depending upon how God has fearfully and wonderfully made us, it might look like a funeral message, but it also might look like cooking a meal for a neighbor. It might look like letting someone in front of you in traffic, especially if you've got a fish on your rear fender. It might look like asking if you could pray for someone at work whose family member has taken ill. It might look like offering to babysit a neighbor's kids so they can go out and talk. It might look like paying for another couple's meal that you don't know sitting across the room at a restaurant, or maybe a huge tip to bless the wait staff. Maybe it looks like raking a neighbor's leaves or cutting their grass. Maybe it's saddling up to the outcast at work that no one else likes and being a friend.

Maybe it's not always talking, but maybe it's doing life in a way that will make people ask you what the deal is with you, make them ask why you're different, why you're being nice to them. And when they do, you can talk then.

Ephesians tells us that we've been saved, we've been wiped clean, we've been given the Holy Spirit for a reason, for a purpose, to accomplish an end. And that end is amazingly not so we can just do our thing and "be happy." It's all for the purpose that we would be "to the praise of His glory."

It changes things a bit when you walk out the door in the morning if you consider that your purpose today, no matter what the day holds, is to testify to the glory, the beauty, the majesty, the might, the awesomeness of the One who made you. That testimony can be as varied as the stars, as God has put you together uniquely.

Want to go to sleep tonight fulfilled? Live, exist, operate to bring praise to His glory.

Oh, and have a nice day.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Big Week - Pray Big Prayers!

2009-09-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

Since the Bud Building has come back on the market, we've been scurrying like... really intense scrurriers. Every week is huge. Every meeting is weighty. So, everyone praying every day matters!

This week we will be meeting with bankers about a loan. The banker we are working with is a Christian man with long time connections to New Life. He knows our church. He knows the Bud Building (he made the first loan on the building when it was initially built). And, he is more excited about our potential with Bud than I am! His words last week, "If you can get this building at that price, it will be something that only God could have done." That's been our prayer!

Pray for God's blessing on our meeting with the bankers.

Thursday, we have a meeting scheduled with the Bud building owners. We are confident that with God's blessing, we can get this deal done. In that meeting, we will present to them our situation: opportunities, obstacles, and options. Our prayer is that the building owners will resonate with one of the options, so we can move forward as quickly as possible.

Pray for God to bless our negotiations.

Hold on to God's promise to do more than we could ever ask or imagine through His power that is at work within us!

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

The Civility Project

2009-09-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Weary of the harshening of discourse in America? So are Lanny Davis, former Clinton Administration adviser, and Mark DeMoss, president of the DeMoss group. Feeling the same need for change, they have started The Civility Project.

Self-described on their website, The Civility Project is a voluntary, grassroots movement of people from diverse backgrounds who agree that, at this critical time in America’s history, solutions to our most pressing problems will be found only through a more civil exchange of ideas.

Want to read more? Go to http://www.civilityproject.org/index.php.

Jesus followers are called to be salt & light. What better way than with the way we use our tongues, which the Bible says is powerful enough start a powerful fire, or to steer a massive ship – for good or for destruction?

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

New Life: A Place to Belong

2009-09-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

Our mission at New Life is to “create safe places where people discover God.” So, for me to say that we are a place to belong makes sense. If you visit New Life and aren’t a Christ follower we want you to discover God – God wants you to discover God. We also want you to discover God every day through prayer, study and Bible meditation. In fact, we can find God everywhere we look once we have that first experience of what God has done to be with us. However, many people that visit New Life are on a journey to discover God for the first time. This is why we make a concerted effort to be creative and fun. It is also why we play music that you'll find on a non-Christian radio station. I use “non-Christian” because I think some over use “secular” as a description of the music we play. Perhaps I am being a little defensive in this regard but there is a lot of music that glorifies God that isn’t “Christian.” This past Sunday we played an Eric Clapton song, “If I could change the world.” Before time was created God chose people to be his instruments in changing the world. People like you and me.

This past Sunday someone told me that the music we play isn’t Christian music. It would be real easy to disregard this statement as lacking merit but I decided to hear them out. I’m not sure how much success I had in helping this person realize that New Life is a place first to belong, and then to find God. There are many examples of people who came to New Life because they needed the music or the laughter – the escape from the world on Sunday morning. Some needed friends or needed to serve others. In the process they discover God. Many turn their lives over to God and some go into full-time ministry. Many realize that they were created to change the world in God’s name. My hope is that Christ followers would be the kind of people that are really impacted by God to make a difference in helping people find a place to belong. It is in this safety of belonging that people can truly discover God.

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

Who You Talking To?

2009-09-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday. It's life group. It's God using His word to give us a little shot across the chops.

Acts 11. Yeah, we were there last week, but at least we're in the second half of the chapter. Now, Peter has just reported to the folks in Jerusalem about this Gentile fella, Cornelius, who has gone and done the unthinkable--accepted Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit without becoming a Jew first. How dare he. And even though the Jewish Christians seemed to offer no resistance to Peter's account, it doesn't seem that they really get what's going on. Why do I think so?

Well, in the very next verse, verse 19 actually, it says that, as the Jewish believers were scattered from Jerusalem because of the persecution there, they ended up in various places--Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch--and decided to talk to no one except other Jews about Christ. No way were they going to reach out to those dirty Gentiles.

This cycle was amazingly broken by Jewish believers from Cyprus and Cyrene. Those ne'er- do-wells show up in Antioch and started sharing the gospel with the Greeks (a highly classified euphemism for "non-Jews"). Not only that, but a bunch of these "Greeks" accepted Christ, causing such a ruckus that the folks in Jerusalem hear about it and sent Barnabas to check it out.

Now, Barnabas is very impressed by what he sees, but he appears very concerned, too, that these new believers might be tempted back to their old ways. Good reason to be worried. Worship of Venus and Apollo in that area included some serious sexual depravity. We found it interesting that, rather than go and report back to Jerusalem what he had seen, Barnabas goes looking for Paul. That verb "look for" doesn't do justice to the sentiment here. It really means that he went searching frantically, like you would if your child got separated from you in the mall. Its the same verb used to describe Mary and Joseph's search for Jesus when he was left behind in Jerusalem. You get the drift. Barnabas was absolutely determined to get Paul, bring him to Antioch, and have him teach these new believers.

There's a lot to glean from this account, but one thing we were challenged with is whether we come to church on Sunday determined to speak only to "Jews", i.e., the people we already know, our friends, people we're comfortable with. I read a list of some new people who've been coming to the McLean campus over the last couple of months to see whether everyone in the group knew them. We didn't. So, we challenged ourselves to be about the business on Sunday mornings of reaching outside our circle of friends and to meet anyone whose name and story we don't know.

McLean is a pretty friendly campus, but keeping it that way requires reminding ourselves from time to time what we're all about. How sad would it be if someone walked in who didn't know Christ and was able to walk out not knowing anyone else in the room, either.

So, the goal is to remember this not just next Tuesday, but on Sunday morning at 11:00. Should be fun to see what happens.

By the way, these guys make life group a highlight of the week!!

Dwaine Darrah
McLean Campus Pastor

Why do I need a study break?

2009-08-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

While sitting in the Westfield service yesterday, I was struck by two other reasons for me to take a study break:

1) Leading a church like NL and preaching to many people every Sunday can be a heady experience. People actually sit and (act like they?) listen. I lead a staff that respects what I say and follows where I lead. If a preacher is not careful, it's easy to start believing he is more important than he is.

During the month of August, I experience reality more than usual. I get to be a regular person. I am not the head of the office, the most influential voice in a staff meeting, or the center of focus on Sunday morning. During August, my voice is small on everything. I'm not the center of our family's focus. In our marital staff meetings, my voice (how can I say this?) is appropriately proportioned.

My study break humbles me.

2) Yesterday, I was reminded how much NL needs me to get away. Healthiest churches are not about one leader. One of our goals is that NL will be stronger after I leave/die/waste away in Margaritaville. When the preacher backs off, the church realizes how the church is led and blessed by God, not by one person. (True story: over the past couple years, I have heard more stories of ministers getting fired after returning from their study breaks. Apparently, they discovered they didn't need their ministers at all!)

So, as my study break comes to a close, thanks for giving me this opportunity. Ministry life is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash. Changing speed for a month has helped me plan, refresh, and re-engage in my 17 years of leading NL.

Brett Andrews
Lead Guy

Justing thinking...

2009-08-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

by Gary DeMar, Aug 31, 2009

Before Jeff Foxworthy made a fortune telling redneck Jokes, Jerry Clower had developed his own brand of Southern humor. Born and raised in Liberty, Mississippi, Clower had a talent telling stories that went a long way to help him sell seed and fertilizer. Many of his comedic stories revolved around the non-fictional Ledbetter family. While the stories he told were embellished, they were based on actual events and served as informal chronicles of early 20th century rural Southern life.

Clower often told the story of a church meeting where the members were voting on the purchase of a new chandelier for the church. It seemed like it would be a routine meeting until Uncle Versie Ledbetter got word of the meeting and decided to attend so he could learn more about this new fangled chandelier. Being up there in years, he called on his grandson to take him to the meeting. As the deacons were about to vote, Uncle Versie asked to be heard. He noted “that no one among them could spell it, certainly no one among them could play it and what was [really] needed instead was lighting for the sanctuary.” I suspect that the word “worldview” carries a similar amount of ambiguity as the word chandelier did for Uncle Versie, and yet having a well-defined and comprehensive biblical worldview is necessary to shed light on the world.

Brett Andrews
Lead Minister

Westmoreland Campus $1 Car Wash

2009-08-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Give it a Rest

2009-08-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

This blew me away at lifegroup the other night. Hacking through the 1st half of Acts 11. Peter returns to Jerusalem after the Gentile, Cornelius, has the Holy Spirit fall on him and gets baptized. He is immediately set upon by Jewish Christians for daring to mingle with a Gentile. So Peter recalls the whole story, and it says at the end of his telling of it, his critics "quieted down."

What we found interesting is that this same Greek word is used in Luke 14. Jesus is out walking around on the Sabbath, following by a bunch of lawyers and religious leaders looking for Him to make a mistake. Jesus sees a man suffering from dropsy in front of him. He turns to the religious types and asks them whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The scriptures say that they kept silent. "Kept silent" is the same word as "quieted down" in Acts.

In Luke 23, after Jesus' crucifixion, the women saw Jesus' tomb and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath, it says, they rested according to the commandment. The word "rested" is the same word translated "kept silent" and "quieted down."

Putting these all together, what do you get? Maybe resting in the Lord has a lot more to do with shutting up for a change. Before the God of all the Universe, the Creator of all things, the One who sees the end from the very beginning, the Merciful and Just God who knows us better than we do, perhaps we'd be wise to be as savvy as the Pharisees and just give it a rest. Realize we have nothing to say that really matters. There's no defense we can make. No excuse that works. No argument that sounds wise. No plans or strategies that impress.

Maybe we should just give it a rest. Maybe if we shut up, He'll have a chance to talk to us. Maybe He'll tell us what to pray for. Maybe He'll tell us how to pray for it. Maybe He'll rip our hearts open, as He did mine last night, and show us areas of us He doesn't yet posses but wants to.

So, for 13 minutes last night, we just allowed Him the opportunity to have His way, to have the floor, our hearts a quiet pool to stir with his finger. To be truthful, we didn't find it easy. Maybe the joy of transforming lives will give us perseverance. So, we're writing down what we heard. Our boldness move next week is to share that.

Dangerous stuff.

Dwaine Darrah
McLean Campus Pastor

Stick it in your eye!

2009-08-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was criticized for following people on Twitter that are unbelievers. I admit that some of the language they use is awful! One example of a tweet that showed up was, "She's dying, the buff chick is gonna die. Damn the writers of this stupid program!!!." Quite frankly I am flattered that I would receive criticism for another person’s behavior. I am reminded of those criticizing Jesus for associating with prostitutes and tax collectors. I can't say that I think this language is appropriate for a bunch of Christians but it is appropriate for the author. It is something they learned and could even be cultural. I would also think that if we are to be like Jesus and associate with unbelievers we should expect this kind of behavior. Jesus died for them too. After all, why would someone who is not a Christ follower ever be expected to act like one? We should love them. We should not look down on them or even expect our attempts to address their behavior to be successful. Until they are transformed in their thinking we should not expect change. Regarding Twitter, Christ followers should post things that our followers might see and therefore be drawn to Christ. Sorry for the rant. By the way, the author of this tweet was commenting on a scene from an episode of “House” where someone was inserting a needle into a woman’s eye.

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

What do you do on your study break?

2009-08-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

Great question. I get asked that every year during my annual study break in August.

One lesson I learned from a mentor was to see the ministry as a marathon, not a 100 yard dash. For that reason, he has encouraged all of his mentees to take an annual study break. Why?

1) Worship

Almost every Sunday for over 2 decades, I have been responsible for leading worship services. Even when I’m not preaching, I attend our services as an overseer – and I love it! I am passionate about helping people discover God on Sundays. It is an honor to feel entrusted by God to lead people to connect with Him every week! That’s one reason I love being in ministry!

However, its not healthy for me to be in that role all the time. During my study break, I get to participate. Undistracted by responsibilities. Undistracted with the constant thoughts like: “What are newcomers thinking? How can we do this better next time? What’s that on Tim’s T-shirt?”

So, one purpose of my break is to worship God unfettered by distractions.

2) Benevolent Rest

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. In other words, God built one day of rest into every week and commanded one year of rest every 49 in ancient Israel, not to be legalistic, but because we need rest. As old Native American proverb says, “You will break the bow if you keep it constantly bent.”

I am called to ministry & blessed to get paid to do what I do. Still, the each year as the study break approaches, I can feel it. Less creative. Less patient under stress. More frustrated by mountains that won’t move.

The study break is a time for me to refill the tanks. So, I read books, listen to lectures and sermons, and talk with other ministers. Sometimes, I go to seminars.

Sometimes, I just make time to think. That’s one reason I like going to the lake as much as I can on my break. Nothing clears my head more than rigging the sunfish and sailing around the lake. And, there’s no better place in the world for me to get perspective and dream than on the front porch swing… or, the front yard hammock… or, in front of the fire as the sun sets across the lake.

This summer, I’m reading books on Elijah and church growth, as well as my favorite Leadership to Leader magazines.

3) Sermon Work

It’s hard to be spiritual and busy. So, study break is the best time for me to look out and the year ahead, pray, and plan all the sermon series through Fall 2010. Do you know how fun it is to think through the needs of the church, seek God, and prepare series? So far, I’ve worked on sermon series about Joseph, Elijah, Jonah, Practical Proverbs, 1 John, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Habakkuk, just for starters. All of them won’t make the cut for this year, but within the next five years, we’ll use the material.

Oh, wait. It’s not really fun. It’s awful. Horrible. You don’t know how difficult it is! (I don’t want you to think this is too easy!)

To get ahead for the fall, my goal is always to have 4 new sermons written by September. That allows more flexibility in my schedule (and less tension and anger, making me a nicer person to live with).

4) Visit Churches

Last week, we visited J10, the church NL started in Ashburn 8 years ago. Every year we try to visit as many churches that NL has started as we can. We’re planning to visit Common Ground and Momentum. It’s always rewarding to go and encourage former staff members!

This year, I want to visit a large church in Akron, OH to see how they use their building & do multi-site. We’ve also talked about a trip to visit a church in Idaho with Creed.

Think I’m going to run out of Sundays before I run out of churches?

5) Family Time

Sometimes, I think my family needs my study break more than I do. Many of you work on-call 24 hours a day. That’s the nature of our work. And, its great to work knowing what you are doing is needed all the time.

At the same time, the schedule and stresses of ministry can take a toll on the family. (My college roommate, a Christian college professor’s son, always said, “You’re not really in ministry until you’ve neglected your family.”)

I try to honor God, my family, and the ministry every week. But, study break is a break for my family, because I’m not being pulled in so many directions, I’m more relaxed, and we’re able to spend a little more time together away from the stress, as well.

My mentor took at least 4-6 weeks for a study break every summer for the last 30 years of his life. He retired at 65, still climbing. He’s probably more effective in his retirement years than most people are in their work years. One reason he’d tell you: he ran like a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks for allowing me to do the same.

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Blind Spots

2009-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

I delivered the same message to each campus beginning 3 weeks ago at Centreville. My focus was on “Leading by Example” and I referred to a Bible verse, which I realized was the wrong reference after the fact. The reference provided in each sermon was Numbers 22 when referencing Solomon’s sin, which he was apparently unaware of. I said that God despised the high places created for false gods and had commanded the Israelites to tear them down. I said that Solomon offered God his sacrifice on one of the high places. The correct reference is Numbers 33.52: “Drive out all the inhabitants in the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.” See 1 Kings 3.4.

Now if you want to read a good Old Testament story you really should read Numbers 22. It’s the story of Balaam’s donkey – a talking donkey no less.

We all know another word that refers to a donkey. Frankly this is kind of how I feel when I do these kinds of things. So please accept my apology if you were looking for the reference in Numbers 22. I hope you had a good laugh and accept that our mistakes can make a “donkey” out of all of us.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Read this if you get tired of the journey

2009-07-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

John Wooden, Basketball's Coaching Legend once wrote:

It's the road to getting there is the very important part. The end in some ways, it's exhilarating in some ways, it's a let-down. It's the getting there.

I think Robert Louis Stevenson said, "It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive." Once you arrive, the journey is over in a sense. It's the journey that's the important thing. Yes. The fact that it is an accomplishment for which you've been working gives you a feeling, maybe the best feeling from a coaching point of view, when you just see the thrill it is giving the youngsters under your supervision.

My teams got to the National Championship ten times, the National Championship game, and we happened to win every one of those that we got there. Before the end of each game none of them were determined in the last seconds. We had them won within the last minute or so. And there would be a time-out. There was in every one. Each time, I told my players, "Now I'm very proud of you. You've had a great achievement. But now, when this is over, don't make a fool out of yourself. Let our alumni do that. Feel good. Cut the nets down if you want to, but don't get carried away. This is something for us to enjoy for the moment, and let's not get carried away. But it's been a great accomplishment and I'm very proud of you."

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Thinking Out Loud

2009-07-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our life group hit on Acts 8 last night, but I wasn't there. Heading for the beach. Getting some of the R&R everyone says humans need from time to time. Looking forward to a little crab. Crabs probably looking a little less forward to it. We always enjoy the porpoises skimming along, aware of us, but not close enough to touch.

But, I digress. I was thinking, as I said, about the life group and how much I would be missing by not being there. So, I pretended I was going to be there and zeroed in on Acts 8.

Here's one thing that struck me. After Stephen's martyrdom, this huge persecution breaks out, and the Christians in Jerusalem have to beat feet. I talked about this last week. But I was struck that Philip heads to Samaria. It doesn't say whether he opted to go there on his own in the confusion or whether all the apostles and the elders got together and directed people to various places. But Samaria. Tough mission field, what with all the hatred between Jews and Samaritans. But Philip sees this revival break out. Was wondering whether he tapped into what could have been a growing number of believers there from Jesus' time with the Samaritan woman at the well. Dunno. Just thinking out loud.

And it made me wonder.

Why Samaria? Why Philip? Why does Philip have only one "L"?

And it made me remember.

Jesus had commanded His followers to preach in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and everywhere else. So, to be obedient, someone had to go to Samaria.

Philip was a Jew, alright, and the Samaritans would have viewed him with suspicion. However, he was not a Jew from Palestine, where the greatest animosity towards the Samaritans existed. As a Jew from outside Palestine, could he have bridged the gap easier because he would have had fewer barriers to climb over. Dunno if that's the case. Just thinking out loud.

Philip was already a bridge builder, a peacemaker. He was one of the seven overseers chosen back in Acts 6 to resolve disputes between Palestinian Jews and Jews who had come from outside Palestine. A good guy with proven skills who lived the life and had success in crossing cultural lines.

Philip went in the power of the Holy Spirit. Things happened that awed folks. And, he preached Christ and the kingdom of God.

And it made me convicted.

Am I faithful every day in sharing the good news in one of the locations Jesus commanded: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, everywhere else?

Am I building bridges? Making connections?

Are there people out there that I may be the absolutely best person in the whole world to share the gospel with because of my upbringing, life experiences, life's disasters, training, whatever? If not me, then who?

Is there a power of the Holy Spirit operating in my life sufficient to cause people to ask "What is the deal with you, man?" (Or, in Bible parlance "What is the reason for the hope that is in you?")

Am I really proclaiming Christ and the kingdom, or am I proclaiming something else that sounds good, but isn't, in the end, Christ?

And it made me determined.

I'm coming back in a few days with answers to the questions.

Feel free to join me, or, like the porpoises, sail on by without being touched.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

Wasting Time

2009-07-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every 4^th of July, my family spends a week together back home at Conneaut Lake. One of our favorite annual traditions is the neighborhood softball game.

It’s never the best played ball you’ll ever see, but we have a great time.

If you are like I am, you have lots of deadlines, important meetings, and demanding responsibilities that make you feel like any non-productive time is a waste of time. Last week as we spent time playing together with our extended family, I kept thinking of the question my wife, Laura, sometimes asks me: “Who will cry at your funeral?”

I’m not sure how many people I’ve ever ministered to will show up at my funeral. But, I’m confident the people in this picture will cry at mine.

Who will cry at your funeral? Need to play some softball soon?

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

On That Day: A DocuDrama

2009-07-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I have a lot in common. We grew up in the same town. Went to the same church growing up. Came to believe in the same Jesus. Saw the same miracles.

Died on the same day.

That day began like most others in Jerusalem. Job was going fine, had my health. I also was a new Christian. In fact, my whole family had come to know this Jesus guy and call him Lord. And He was changing us from the inside out in amazing ways. And the teaching. . ..AWESOME. Best sermons on the planet. The church was happening, man. We were seeing incredible things. Like, some days, thousands of my friends and neighbors became followers of Jesus. It was pretty sweet.

Well, mostly sweet. Up to that day. Should have seen it coming. Just wasn't looking. Man, they got Stephen the same way they got Jesus. Had some dudes invent lies about what he was saying, stirred up a mob, and just murdered him. Not cool at all. So, I think it's right that Stephen gets written up in the bible. What he laid on the religious leaders in his defense was for the ages.

Me? I don't make it through the day, either. I'm just a footnote, like everyone else who bought the farm on that day when all hell broke loose against the church.

I had a lot of questions, for sure. You would have, too. I mean, to stop breathing on that day was not in my five-year plan. I double-checked. Not there. There were still more people with whom I wanted to share the gospel, more things to learn, more changes to make, more tithes to give, more impact to have. Dying on that day? Just didn't seem to make a lot of sense. Why did this happen? Why would God allow it? Does He know what He's doing? Is He really in control? If not, can I trust Him?

Things happened so fast after Stephen's death that I didn't have a chance to get good answers to these questions. The mob just turned immediately on anyone who was a Christian. It looked like leaving town would be the only option, but we didn't have time to pack before they dragged us off.

So, here I am. Looking down on the earth I used to walk, trying to figure it out. I've got this incredible eternity to look forward to. Not particularly bitter. Just wanting to make sense of why I was at all. What purpose was there in my life down there, and what good did I accomplish? I was only a Christian for a couple of months. Seems like such a waste.

But sitting here, I'm reminded that Jesus told us we would be His witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but in Judea, in Samaria, and in the remotest parts of the earth. While I thought I'd leave Jerusalem someday and spread the gospel, seems God's idea was that I was to serve as the catalyst for others to make that journey. Wasn't easy to accommodate, but it seems I was supposed to die there in Jerusalem. It wasn't some fluke, an accident. My death forced those whose job was to move out and spread the gospel to get on with it.

Ok, I'm still pretty sure I would have written a different role for myself in this saga, but I'm getting it that God knows exactly what He's doing. I also got it just how much of my relationship with Jesus revolved around my expectations of what He'd do for me, how He'd make me happy, and how He'd give me this or that thing or experience, how He'd make me notable or great or something. You know, I thought my mindset was eternally focused, but in reality I had way too much stock in life down there. Maybe I'd have seen things more clearly if my life revolved less around my happiness and more around seeing how every situation was an opportunity to give Him glory.

So, for those of you still down there, maybe you're wondering about hard times, illnesses, disappointments, whatever. Maybe there's something bigger afoot. Are you looking for it? Maybe it's not going badly. Maybe it's just going godly. And, on that day--you know, when you get here--it'll be fun to compare notes.

Wanna read some more about this stuff, cull through Acts 1:1-8; Acts 6:1-8:4.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

What should you do next?

2009-07-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Instead of focusing on what's next , let's get back to what's first .

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/66/mylife.html

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Seeing growth

2009-07-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes growth is easily measured. Our son, Caleb, turned 13 last week. He played his last game of regular season baseball. Overnight, he’s shot up to be as tall as his 15 year old sister!

Other times, growth happens underground. The roots grow deeper, but tree appears the same. Logan, our youngest, played another season in AA league baseball. He’s at baseball camp this week. He’s having fun, but he’s celebrating no dramatic milestones this season.

Sometimes, God works as in Springtime—with lots of obvious, measurable growth. Sometimes, God works underground, and the growth is not so noticeable on the surface.

This is another reason I value my daily personal time of prayer and Bible study with God. In times of obvious growth, this time keeps me grounded. In times when the tree shows no blossoms, this time with God reminds me that He is still at work in me.

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables, Final Part

2009-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

The solution to our understanding the parables is first to hear them and secondly to understand them in the context which they were originally meant. When the parables “were originally spoken, they seldom needed interpretation” (Fee and Stuart, page 160), thus the first part of the solution is to hear them. They were written by the authors to transmit the message found in the parables. The reader of the time would have immediately understood the meaning. The second part of the solution is to place them in context either by understanding the context of the day or to place them in the context of today. For example, the parable of the Good Samaritan could be understood in the historical perspective of the day or it could be paraphrased to bring understanding in today’s culture. To understand the historical perspective of the day requires an intimate understanding that Samaritans and Jews had a hate for each other much like many might find between extreme Islamists and legalizing Christians. The reason for this began when the Jewish nation was taken into captivity to Babylon. The Jews left behind inter-mingled with non-Jews, and those left behind by Babylon. Later when Nehemiah and Ezra returned to re-build the temple these same Samaritans harassed the Jews in their building process.

The Samaritans were despised by the Jews for establishing a rival offshoot of Judaism – a heretical sect. The Samaritans despised their despisers. A centuries-long running feud resulted, with provocative acts on both sides. The Samaritans protested the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls after the Babylonian exile, making a precarious political situation much worse. In turn, John Hyrcanius, a Jewish governor and priest, marched on the Samaritan sanctuary at Shechem in 128 B.C. and destroyed it. (Fickett 1999, page 107)

Approximately two years before Jesus told this parable, a group of Samaritans had defiled the Jewish celebration of Passover by throwing human remains into the temple courtyard during the celebration. And again, in our understanding of Jewish orthodoxy, we need an awareness of the significance of this act to truly understand the interpretation. Once this is understood it is easy to understand why the Jews despised the Samaritans. The point is this: the parables need to be placed in context to allow us to be truly moved by them. Another solution would be to bring the parable into today’s cultural understanding. For example, one could substitute the characters in the parable of the Good Samaritan with modern day characters. The expert in the Law could easily be characterized as a lawyer. The Priest could be replaced with a Cardinal or Bishop; the Levite could be replaced with a conservative Christian, and the Samaritan could be replaced by a Muslim extremist. In fact, read Luke 10:30-36 and replace the names to understand context. The point of the parables is to evoke a change in the person hearing the story. As Frederick Buechner has said, “A parable is a small story with a large point.” As Jesus told parables, their meaning was unlocked in the mind of the recipient. In our endeavor to understand parables this should be our primary objective - to get to the meaning of the parable as we understand it in our particular culture. Without this unlocking of the mind the parable is just a useless story.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

And That's the Truth

2009-06-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

What is?

That was my answer. And it was my answer every time.

I don't know where the kids' fascination with the concept originated. A story read to them? Sunday School? Discussions about lying? Who knows. I just know that at some point they asked the question, "Daddy, what is truth?" My response was "Truth is what is." They thought this was so amusing that it became a ritual. Any time they had friends over, they'd drag 'em to me and say "Daddy, tell Billy what truth is." And they wouldn't stop until I'd say "The truth is what is." Then they'd run off howling. Yeah, I've got weird kids.

At first glance, you'd think that everyone was as interested in truth as my kids were. I mean, juries want you to testify and tell the truth. It's important enough that you have to swear to do so. More than 15 countries have instituted truth commissions of one kind or another to get to the bottom of some issue haunting their past. One of Malcolm X's exhibits is title "A Search for Truth."

I've found, however, that sometimes, we're not that interested in the straight up truth, because it can be hard to swallow. My sister-in-law is wanting truth to go far away right now. It's not because she's a bad person. She just wants to suppress the truth because she's in pain. My brother-in-law's been battling cancer, and the doctors are now saying that even though it's in remission right now, it's still there and will take him within 5 years. She doesn't want "what is." She wants something else.

Sometimes, even when you want to deal with the truth, it seems beyond your grasp. Ask someone addicted to drugs or alcohol or sex or whatever. They know it's killing them, destroying them. But suppressing the truth persuades you to do it again, expecting somehow that it'll turn out alright this time.

And then there's me. The Bible tells me straight up in the early part of the book of Romans that when I decide to do my own thing or believe something that God doesn't believe, that I am suppressing truth. Oh, sure, I'm not gonna call it that, but I want what I want even though God tells me it's bad for me. But I suppress that, choosing to believe a lie--that somehow my good will result from it--to justify my own selfishness. The Bible even goes so far as to say that I can be so blinded by my selfishness that I can't even think straight. I know this is true. I've done it more times than I care to remember. I can con myself so well that I forget I'm conning myself and believe this thing I know is bad for me is actually good for me.

The Bible makes a pretty bold claim. Not only does Jesus have the skinny on some truth. It goes beyond that to say that Jesus actually is truth. Jesus Himself says that. And if that's true, then if I really want to know the truth about what will bring me happiness, or the truth on how to find meaning for my life, or the truth about what I'm doing that's working for my good or ill, or the truth about how to understand my own heart and my own desires, or the truth about how to make sense of the stuff that just seems to happen all around me, then I'd better get to know Jesus. Not know about Him. Not memorize facts about what He did, where He went, what He said. Really know Him.

Realizing this has made me zero in more on walking and talking to Him like the real person He is, rather that studying about Him like He's some great work of art or something. And it's made all the difference.

Reflecting back, truth really is "what is." But what really is, is Jesus.

No lie.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Do You See What I See?

2009-06-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we announced staff transitions.

Lucy Martinez, our Passion 4 Community director, is moving her ministry to California, where she will be closer to her beau, Charles (great guy!). She will be leaving at the end of July, leaving big leadership shoes to fill.

Mike Fewster, who’s been a key leader & part of the core of Spring from its inception, is leaving the marketplace to take the P4C lead. Mike’s passion & calling will inspire you!

Josh Burnett came to New Life to learn how to church plant. Next year, he and Sarah will plant around Annapolis. Are we glad to see this? (Are you glad to see your child go to war?) Yes. No. Yes.

Pat Furgerson has been part of New Life since 9 months before we launched. He’s been on staff in several capacities. Recently, he has led our church planting ministry, Passion 4 Planting. Creed Branson, our Executive Minister, is excited about overseeing the Centreville campus as Campus Pastor, Pat will be the “go-to” guy.

Do you see what I see?

Four next steps for New Life. Four gains for God’s Kingdom. Listen to each of them, and you will hear four people who are clearly hearing God’s calling. These are four people who have prayed, thought deeply, agonized with God over a good period of time to discern His next steps for them.

Praise God that He still calls each of us to a life that matters! Praise Lucy, Mike, Josh, & Pat that they are willing to step out of their comfort zones to discover God’s dangerous dreams!

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables, Part 2

2009-06-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our sympathies can easily be with the grumbling workers in Matthew 20, but can they be with the landowner? In this parable a landowner asks men to work in his vineyard early in the morning; he hires men again at about 9:00 a.m., at noon, and finally at 3:00 p.m. He calls all the workers together at 5:00 p.m. and being a generous man pays the workers hired last the amount the landowner agreed to pay those hired early in the morning. Those that had worked all day were paid last and received the same pay as those hired at 3:00 p.m. Not only did they work all day, but they had to wait in line the longest to receive the same pay as those hired last. It is easy for the interpreter to relate to the workers who labored all day because of their own definition of fairness. It is harder if the interpreter is one who is not a fair person. The lens with which they see the world is quite different. Jesus closes this parable with, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16, TNIV).

To place the last verse in context one must go back to the first verse in Matthew 20 when Jesus prefaces the parable with, “For the kingdom of heaven is like…” (Matthew 20:1a, TNIV). Jesus is describing how God, in His wonderful mercy, has extended His invitation to be with Him in heaven to everyone. Once there we recognize no pecking order; everyone is equal in God’s eyes. Frankly, this is one of the easier parables to understand.

When Jesus is telling the parable of the lost sheep he is targeting the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who would have immediately snickered at the thought of owning sheep when Jesus said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep” (Luke 15:4a TNIV). Unless it is understood who Jesus is addressing we will never get this point. It would be like Jesus addressing all the CEOs of the Fortune 500 firms and saying, “Suppose when you went to work tomorrow and you were flipping hamburgers at McDonald’s,” and then continuing with his story. Only those CEOs wanting to understand the point Jesus was making would have even continued to listen. Jesus knew long before modern day marketers that emotions are required to learn anything. “Emotions are the keys to learning, the keys to imprinting. The stronger the emotion, the more clearly the experience is learned” (Rapaille, Clotaire, The Culture Code, page 17). Final part next week…

Creed Branson, Executive Minister and Centreville Campus Pastor

Great Expectations

2009-06-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last week at lifegroup, we challenged ourselves to be more bold. This week, we all wanted, of course, to forget that we had prayed about that and to just keep on plowing through Acts. I mean, it's all about getting more Bible facts in our brains, right?

Sadly reminded that the Bible tells us not to be like people who look in mirror and then forget our appearance when we turn away, we went for it. We went around the room to tell what happened. All I gotta say was that it was AWESOME!!!! I'll mention no names to protect the innocent, but here are the stories:

One guy teamed up with another Christian at work to start having lunch with this particularly troubled person no one wants anything to do with. When they raised the idea of getting together with this person to a couple of other non-Christian colleagues, it's caused all kinds of discussions to break out.

One gal told of a young couple who are sort of distant relatives by marriage with whom she's had some recent conversations. The young woman just told her that her boyfriend is moving and has asked her to move in with him in the new location. The way she mentioned this, it was almost like the young girl is inviting a conversation on the topic. So, doors are opening.

One guy had a conversation with a neighbor. As soon as anything about church was mentioned, the neighbor clammed up. So, we kicked around ideas for helping jump start the conversation again.

One gal is moving toward getting into a crafting club to meet people to start conversations.

One guy noted that his neighbors, who have been separated on and off for years are back together. He is determined to strike up a conversation with them this week.

One gal, who was an avowed atheist before accepting Jesus, has singled out a close friend who is still an atheist, to reach out to boldly.

Some points worth noting. Doing this together was incredibly encouraging. The people in the room are just like me--just people living life, working, eating, sleeping. . . got the same pressures I do. There was this "we're all in this thing together" feel to the room. I left feeling like I could do this, I could persevere, these guys have my back.

I also found the accountability rewarding. To have people who know you and love you anyway holding you accountable feels a whole lot different than having it done by some impersonal "boss type." It was a lot of fun.

Finally, it was incredibly helpful. As we shared, others threw out ideas that might work, things that might be said to break through the barriers. And the real benefit was that these comments came often from people with backgrounds similar to those some of us were trying to reach. They had insights into how those people think and how they would respond that I did not.

In the end, I left more equipped for the task this week, feeling like I was part of something much bigger than me, and encouraged that I was not in this alone.

If you're not in a lifegroup, all I can tell you is that you are missing out big time. Now, I know it's possible that you are just growing and growing, and starting conversations with the unchurched, and leading people to Jesus all the time. But I know it's more likely that you aren't.

We're gonna be talking about what it means to be on Jesus' team on Sunday at McLean. Team certainly implies connecting. Why not check out the lifegroups, make the time, and be there.

Oh, and you can study up on Jesus' team in Matthew 10 if you want a leg up for Sunday.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Summer Reading

2009-06-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Recently, Caleb, Logan and I have been [slowly] reading through the New Testament book of James together. It’s always a rich experience. Whenever we’re done, I always feel like it was great time well spent.

So, why don’t I make it happen more regularly? If you’re looking for an excuse not to read the Bible with your kids, I have a good list.

It’s too early to get them out of bed
It’s too late because… (Multiple choice: Baseball practice went late; American Idol was on; I got too tired; They got too tired; The phone rang….)
The regular schedule is too full
We’re on vacation…
My dog ate my Bible

What’s it mean that my kids know more about Wii Sports and Disney Channel actors than they do about the Bible?

I’m feeling convicted. One of my goals this summer is to get back to the good old habit of reading through books of the Bible with my kids. If you are, the following hints may help:

Pick a regular time.
Pick a book. (I find James, Proverbs, Mark are good places to start. Then, try Genesis.)
Pick a regular place. (When Zachary &Emily were young, we always read in a bedroom just before going to bed.)
Set a goal. (Four times a week? Five? Three?)
End with prayer

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables, Part 1

2009-06-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

People learn best through stories. At least stories are easier to remember than a series of facts. I think this is why we remember the Old Testament stories or specifics of movies so easily. Jesus used narrative teaching, hyperbole and other methods but one of his favorites was the use of parables.

Parable is a form of communication that does not give information but breaches the defense of the listener. It allows the listener (more difficult with a reader!) to experience something so new and different that it would otherwise be rejected out of hand. Parable permits entry into a new and different world, a world called the "kingdom" or "reign" of God and, sometimes, the "aha" of the Spirit. Though parable calls for a "yes" decision, it permits rejection of that new world.” (Siverns, Ted, Parabolas, Parables, Prodigals and Pouty People. Presbyterian Record, March 1, 2001)

As in biblical narrative, interpreters of parables sometimes seek to attach some significant meaning to a text that was never meant. The lack of historical context and literary understanding seem to be at least two of the primary reasons for this problem. The problems associated with the misinterpretation of the parables of the Bible are secondary only to those problems interpreters have with Revelation. In Revelation, “Instead of narratives and letters containing plain statements of fact and imperatives, one comes to a book full of angels, trumpets, and earthquakes; of beasts, dragons, and bottomless pits.” (Fee, Gordon D. and Stuart, Douglas How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, page 249) In the parables, Jesus uses stories to evoke a response, which to the casual reader makes no sense at all except the story applies to the point the orator is attempting to make. This is partially because the parables were meant to be heard, and not read, by Jesus’ contemporaries. The parables are meant to prompt the hearers to a different understanding of their true nature. Once the hearer understands the parable in light of the response Jesus was intending, a person is stuck with a decision; to continue to live in the dark selfish nature or to change to conformity in Jesus’ likeness. They are meant for us to take a deep look inside ourselves! “Considered as a self-help-manual, Jesus’ parables suggest there’s no helping the self – the self cannot help itself because it’s blind to its own good, the slave appetites and the stooge of a perverse ego.” (Fickett, Harold, Conversations with Jesus, page 87) Part 2 next week…

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

Generating a Little Fear

2009-06-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's the day after the white supremacist, the Jew and Black hater, opened fire at the Holocaust Museum in DC. I'm in DC today helping my daughter with the twins. As Jackie and Amy head to the grocery store, I decide to walk to McDonald's, two blocks away. Amy's not happy. That location is notorious as a center for drugs and gangs. I'll have to walk by the place where, in broad daylight a few weeks ago, a young kid was shot dead. I'm a man, after all, and thus too stupid to know anything. So, I walk. But, I gotta say that I was on high alert and the eyes behind my Oakley's didn't miss a thing. I soldiered through because I was hungry, pressed ahead despite the risk. Got my burger, walked back the two blocks, and downed it safely.

Reminds me a smidge of lifegroup this week. It's the early chapters of Acts. Peter and John heal a lame guy, and the crowd goes wild. But the authorities don't and haul them off to jail for the night. All the brass gather the next morning, which, for all Peter and John knew, could be their last. They give an impressive testimony that Jesus Christ was behind the miracle. Unable to crack these guys, worried about the crowd reaction, and reconciled to the fact that an actual miracle had occurred, the brass let Peter and John go, ordering them to not mention Jesus' name again. Implicit in the order is "Or else." Peter and John say "No way, dudes" and head off to meet with the church.

What happens next is interesting to me, because in the face of the threat, the whole church unifies behind this prayer, and I'm paraphrasing: "Help us overcome our fear and testify boldy of You, Jesus." And to the 1,000s already saved since Pentecost, multitudes continued to be saved.

So I'm thinking, maybe we're not afraid enough yet to pray for boldness. Maybe that's why we've not filled our auditoria yet to the brim. The church in China, under attack and underground, is and has been experiencing exponential growth for years.

So, I'm thinking, can we get a proper fear going without having to rely on the government to persecute us? Can we be fearful of our family members spending an eternity in misery? Can we be fearful of our friends spending an eternity in misery? Can we be fearful of our neighbors spending an eternity in misery? Can we be fearful of Americans spending an eternity in misery? Can we be fearful of the nations spending an eternity in misery?

Can we be fearful of people living lives of misery and purposeless right here on this planet? I mean, fearful enough to get on our knees and pray for boldness to testify of Jesus Christ?

Our lifegroup took on the challenge this week, with a commitment to hold ourselves accountable. I've got to go into that room next Tuesday night, and as the pastor, I'd better have a story. And the pressure just got worse. One guy in the group told me the very next day of a "boldness" story. Geez, who'd have thought they were all serious???

So, ok, I'm not afraid for my life, but I'm hoping the fear of being embarrassed at not living the life I say I believe in will propel me to my knees and that the Holy Spirit will lead me into action. Cause it'd be cool if this turns out not to be just a fad, but a lifestyle.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Need to Get Away?

2009-06-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Laura and I didn’t feel we needed any time away by ourselves. Our marriage is in a great place. Our energy is high. We’re in a good place.

Laura and I didn’t feel we needed any time away by ourselves until the second day of our Marriage Couple’s retreat sponsored by Bob Russell ministries. Everything was great: the speakers, the free golf, the spa (for the ladies)—all at no cost!

Midway through the second day of the retreat, I felt more deeply in love with Laura than I ever have. (Remember: I didn’t feel the need for a couple’s retreat).

Here was the big take-away for me: It’s better to refill the gas tank when it is still half full than to wait until the empty light has been on for 30 miles.

Don’t wait until you feel the need for a marriage get-away before you get away.

Summer’s here. Plan a couple days for marriage time—before you feel you need it.

Need an idea? http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3082787/k.BF6A/Home.htm

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

We Need the Bible! Final Part

2009-06-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

We also need theology to explain concepts not clearly defined in the Bible, e.g., the Trinity. The Jehovah Witness would argue that nowhere in the Bible is the word “trinity” used. When a leader was about to make a statement in the Old Testament for God he would say, “Hear oh Israel, God is one.” We have to reason then that God is one. If Jesus and the Father are one and the Holy Spirit is also part of this union then we have to apply a term that represents this concept. Abortion is not mentioned in the New Testament even though the act was prevalent at the time of its writing. One could argue that the mention of murder is enough to cover the abortion question. Perhaps, but the point is we need to be able to explain difficult concepts. We have to be able to be consistent with God’s attributes.

In closing, I believe we need the Bible as the ultimate source of our knowledge of God. We also need reason, logic, and tradition and experience that salute to the Bible. We need to be open to hearing from others about their own understanding of God but ultimately we represent God as leaders in his church. So we must take a stand on our beliefs; certainly not on all things because we need to exercise tolerance. Our millennial view is an example of an area where we can have differences of opinion. However: what and who God is; while open to interpretation, must be defined and properly represented. And finally, the essentials of doctrine have to be sound in understanding and easily communicated.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

We Need the Bible! Part 3

2009-05-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

We must begin our understanding of God with the premise that “God is God,” and we are not. Sure we can understand many of the mysteries of God but there is a pressing danger among some that espouse the beginning statement that “God is love.” This has led to Open Theism and Process Theology.

Open theism endeavors to revise the traditional doctrine of God to make it more biblical and of greater contemporary relevance. It fleshes out its intuitions by differentiating itself from the classical doctrine of God and process theism. On the one hand, open theism disputes the traditional doctrines of divine immutability, impassibility, omnipotence, omniscience, aseity, and eternity. On the other hand, it declines process theism's invitation to follow it in rejecting the doctrines of God's unlimited nature and creation from nothing. Open theism dissents from the traditional consensus that God controls all things, but it refuses to give up the belief that God could control all things, if he so chose. (Ron Highfield, Journal of Evangelical Theological Society, June 1, 2002)

“Process theology [is a] Christian theological system emphasizing the fluid rather than static nature of the universe, and finding God within the process of becoming, rather than as the transcendent source of being.” (John Bowker, Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions) As church leaders we need to be willing to look at such concepts but we must also take a stand on what and who we believe God is: more importantly what the Bible says. Last part next week…

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

NL Student Ministry: Adapting, Reshaping, and Reforming

2009-05-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

Rewind: October 2008, disappointment looms again at the loss of another student minister. We hoped that this would be the one to change everything and finally get us on the road to building a solid student ministry. But, God had other plans. Should it lie on the shoulders on one human person to come in and change everything? Is that the way God created it?

When we look at the life of Jesus, He chose to use a team of people to accomplish His purposes. Why? Because Jesus came to bring out the best in us. And this is what I have seen Him do in our New Life Student Ministry. God took what seemed to be a defeat and revealed His glory through a group of dedicated adult and student volunteers. Volunteers whose commitment is to serve the Lord before anything else.

At New Life we create safe places for people to discover their dangerous steps with God. Steps where we find ourselves in places never imagined and doing things that we thought we never could do. This is the place where we come to rely on God’s strength and power and we experience freedom as we learn what it means to be used as a vessel. These God discoveries create passionate living!

In the absence of a full time student minister, I have seen our adults and student leaders grow in ways that they might have never experienced if it fell on the shoulders of one person. I’ve seen an increase passion for serving Jesus and ministry; students moving and growing in their leadership positions to take responsibility for things adults usually do; students taking roles in discipling their peers; struggling students taking next steps to deal with their ‘hurts, habits, and hang-ups’; students making decisions to pursue a career in full time ministry - and these are just a few exciting things. Our team is experiencing the value of community and unity where we work as a team to accomplish a piece of the big picture. A true testament of each of us doing our part to ‘rebuild the wall’ (Nehemiah).

When I look back and think about our bumpy ride over the years with New Life Student Ministry I’m reminded of some of the stories in the Old Testament – mainly the history of the Jewish people. One of the amazing things about the Jewish people is that under extraordinary difficulty, time and time again, in different environments and circumstances (all of them almost always oppressive), they managed not only to survive but also to flourish. They found ways in the midst of persecution to accomplish amazing things that have guided and shaped the course of human history.

If we truly want to experience the real life of a Christ follower and make a significant impact in our hurting world then we have to be willing to reshape and reform ourselves to face whatever crisis or challenge lies in front of us. We have to learn to adapt. No matter how big our obstacles or challenges are, God created us, together with Him, to find a solution to overcome them. God rarely solves a problem with people who just say “If He wants it solved, He’ll solve it”. Instead, He seems to solve the problem with people who don’t give up. Our world (and even other Christ followers) need to see God’s ‘mighty hand and outstretched arm’ working through His people. This is the stuff that will change the world and we are a part of that right here in our own church family!

Lucy Martinez, P4C Gal

We Need the Bible! Part 2

2009-05-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

The church is an established organization founded by Jesus Christ. Once becoming a Christ follower a person then submits to the will of God and to the person/entity Jesus Christ as the leader of the church. If we accept this truth then we must reason that we must be able to explain this truth. “True knowledge of God is indeed available by means other than the Bible…Such sources, however, must be reliable in themselves, and their data must always pass the test of the consistency of biblical data.” (Cottrell, 2002, page 25) This is where both the Bible and our own understanding of theology must be applied. If we apply the Bible then we are stuck with varying interpretations. If we have different views then we must apply tolerance to our understanding of it. One of Jesus’ last prayers was for all people to have unity. (John 17) If we have different views or interpretations then we must exercise tolerance that; one, we could be wrong in our view and two, God may have revealed some truth to someone else that he has chosen not to reveal to us. If there is one thing that I have learned about the Bible it is this – the more I learn the more I realize what I don’t know about God’s word and God himself. We must always ask the question that Cottrell poses: Does it pass the test of consistency of biblical data? So this leaves us with the Bible being our primary source of theology albeit complicated and obscure; and reason, experience and tradition as secondary sources. In a very broad sense, this is systematic theology. More next week…

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Coming Attraction: Transformers

2009-05-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

Saw the Star Trek movie this week. Only one question. William Shatner. Where were you, dude? Oh, and a comment. Uhuru and Spock? I don't think so.

And now to one of my favorite parts of every movie experience. . .Coming Attractions!! This time it was all about the new Transformers flick. Glad they're making a sequel. Perhaps the director will have gained familiarity with the concept of character development. Still, it got me thinking. Some of the cars and trucks and bulldozers transform into good guys; some transform into bad guys. What's going on in the deepest part determines everything. Same with us, it seems.

Ezekiel 7:19-20 talks about how it's possible for us to transform things beautiful into that which is abhorrent. Doesn't have to be that way. Check out Romans 12:2. It's possible that we can be transformed from the inside out in a way that proves just how good and perfect and pleasing God is. Is it an unfair question to ask you to ponder which path you're pursuing? Look back 5 years. What do you see?

To encourage you, we'll be hearing from people on Sunday who will tell us their stories of transformation on the second path. No, they're not angels. Just imperfect people like you and me, still a work in progress, but who are finding hope and joy they couldn't manufacture themselves. Tired of just hearing all about what God could do? Come and see what He has done and is doing! It'll bless your socks off--good thing we're an informal bunch, eh?

Come early for a refreshing beverage and something to munch.
11:00 a.m.
1988 Kirby Road
Mclean

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

But Not Hypocrites!

2009-05-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was sitting at Starbucks while waiting to meet with a NLer just down the street. As the time of the meeting was getting closer two guys came and sat down near me and began discussing politics. I couldn't help overhearing them... They were talking about how so and so is a total hypocrite. Then they moved on to a discussion of hypocrites in general. Interesting discussion, so I sort of casually listened while sending out a few emails. As I was getting up to leave I heard one of them summarizing their conversation by saying, "Yeah, they are just like those Christians who say they believe in God but all they care about is themselves, they don't ever help anyone." - True story.

Now I don't know the guy who said that. I don't know what his experience with the church has been. I don't know what prompted that comment from him. But as I got up to walk to my meeting I thought that is really sad. In fact I almost blew off my meeting just to go and sit with him and ask - if you saw a group of Christians who truly cared, a group of people through whom you could see the love of God at work in our world... would it change your mind? My bet is that it would.

The problem that we have as the church today is that people think of Christians as fakes. And to be honest there are some pretty good reasons for that, but we don't have time to go into that or really even think about that. Our mission today is to redeem the name of Jesus! I don't know about you but when people say Christian I want them to think about a group of people who have the love of God exploding out of them! I want people to think of a group of people who help the community and love people tangibly. I want people to say things like "I don't understand them but one thing you can say about Christians is that they are the real deal. They believe what they say they believe!"

And the truth is that starts with me every day... and it starts with us everyday! So my question for myself today and for each of you who reads this is - what are you doing today to be real? To be a follower of Jesus? Who do you need to serve? Who do you need to talk to?

People should be able to call Christians a lot of things but not hypocrites!

Josh Burnett, Centreville Campus Pastor

We Need the Bible! Part 1

2009-05-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Bible is a believer’s guidebook for life; not just for one’s spiritual life but it provides the answers to emotional, physical, and intellectual problems as well. We need to apply logic and reason to our understanding as well as tradition, both to the Bible’s words and ideas and our modern culture.

If God is the ultimate subject of theology, then he is also the ultimate source of theology. Every theological statement must be traceable back to the reality of God himself; this is the only way to ensure its truth. This raises the question of the sources of theology, i.e., how is it possible for us to have access to the reality of God and thus to true knowledge about him...Precisely speaking, theology is the reflection upon the analysis of something within our own consciousness. (Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once For All, 2002, page 17)

God can be found in the Bible but the Bible is not the only source of God. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20, TNIV) “When it comes to spiritual growth the Bible obviously plays a major role. According to the apostle Peter, it contains everything we need for life and godliness.” (Larry Osborne, The Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God, 2007, page 64) I consider myself a disciple of Christ; however, even though I confessed Christ some 15 years ago I have not behaved as a disciple for 15 years. I was one of those Christians that started reading the Bible as soon I confessed Christ as Lord and Savior. I have read the Bible in a year three times now and have studied it just about every day for most of that time.

But the problem is that the Bible is a big book. Few of us know all the answers or life principles it contains. If you’re like me, you’ve probably turned to it for help more than once only to be frustrated by the I-know-it’s-there-somewhere-but-I-can’t-find-it syndrome. (Osborne, 2007, page 64)

In my opinion, this is exactly why we need a theology of Christian life. In the book of Acts of the Apostles, Peter gave one the most famous of all sermons ever given. (Acts 2:14-41) At the end of this message many repented and were baptized. But what they did next is the thing that one could overlook when thinking and developing a way of life to be modeled for the church. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42, TNIV) Many have been converted to Christianity because of some testimony of another, or to some event in a small group setting or to a lunch or dinner where “bread was broken.” So the church needs people as much as it needs the Bible. And it needs people that are devoted to all those things identified in Acts 2. More Next week…

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Finding Myself in the Journey, Final Part

2009-05-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

For context read previous posts.

The final part of Piper’s quote is, “in a way that does not replace grace.” (Piper, 2004, page 44) Grace is the work Christ completed on the cross; it is a free gift from God. I am closest to God when I have this picture clearly in my mind, heart and soul. When I see God I have an abundance of joy that is beyond explanation. It is during worship or when I have responded to the Spirit’s prompting or when I am doing the work of God when I see God. I don’t see God when I fail to respond to the Spirit’s call for some change. There are times when I see God very clearly; usually when I feel as if I am being obedient to what God is calling me to do. The problem I have is this – sometimes I am replacing God’s grace with my action. I think this is exactly what the author is talking about; at least it is for my life. I know that Christ was obedient to God, and his obedience led him to the cross. The cross is where Jesus was glorified. This is a paradox for me that I am sure God will work out which is exactly what I am attempting as this is written.

In summary, I can find the gospel in Piper’s quote, “The essence of the Christian faith is learning to fight for joy in a way that doesn’t replace grace” and the action required by Christ followers. To learn and not act is not at all what Jesus asked his apostles to do or what the apostles asked those that would follow. Our joy comes from a deep understanding of what Jesus did on the cross then to follow his very actions. Out of love for people we are to tell others about him. Being a follower of Christ requires action. Jesus said to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Following Christ is our only source of true joy. This is what God wanted in the beginning. The brokenness of the world is why Christ had to come in the form of a man and teach, heal, die and finally be resurrected from the dead. This very action occurring in common man is where we find hope. God’s free gift to me is why I should be on the same mission to reconcile others to God. So then the essence of full living (the Christian faith) is to learn everyday to have more hope (see God more clearly and gain joy), even fight for it in a way that always recognizes Jesus’ gift of taking my sin on the cross (not replace grace).

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Just a Moment—1992

2009-05-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

I walked into the living room Sunday morning. Zachary was watching the news, turned to me and asked, “Was that the guy?” I said, “Yes.” That was the guy 17 years ago. Just a few moments 16 years ago.

Seventeen years ago, a life-long friend of mine moved out of D.C. Laura and I were at his small going away party with our new baby, Zachary. Hosted by Chris & Judith Nolan, we weren’t surprised when Judith’s Dad, Jack walked in the door.

When we struck up a conversation with Judith’s Dad, he picked up our little baby, held Zachary high and yelled, “This is the cutest baby to ever enter the world!” Or, something like that. (Laura tells me my memory is a little exaggerated. Forgive me. I’m gettin’ old.)

Through the years, whenever Jack Kemp made a television appearance, we’ve said to Zachary, “That’s the man who thought you were such a cute little boy.” (That part is true.)

One moment. Seventeen years ago. Still creates fond emotions. (Okay, this stuff happens to the rest of you ALL THE TIME. But, for us normal folk, that was a stand out moment.)

When I heard that Jack Kemp had passed, I thought of the number of “Moments” we have. Moments that don’t seem like a big deal to us (I don’t think Jack Kemp retold our story more than 6 or 7 times), but they impact others for a lifetime.

Examples from my life:

Mrs. Hills writing me a note after I cried while singing a song as a young boy in front of the church.

Pat, Thatcher, & Brian moving us into our townhouse at midnight.

Mr. Barnes calling me from Tennessee the night before I went to college to say he believed in me.

Brad Melton taking time off work to help me in a crisis.

I’m sure those people have no idea the impact of their “moment” with me. I’m sure we have no idea of the potential “moments” in front of us each week.

Love God. Love People.

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

Bud Prayer

2009-05-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live

together in unity! For there the Lord bestows his blessing,

even life forevermore. (Psalm 133.1, 3b)

As the Leadership Team enters into this time of decision regarding the acquisition of the Bud Building, we desire your prayers. We believe God has been leading us to the Bud Building because it more than satisfies our vision of a place for the community; and more importantly, a place in the community where people overhear the Good News of Jesus. The question that must be satisfied is, “Will the kingdom of God be more effective in reaching people far from Jesus because of this community building?” We believe this purchase creates a better intermediate future for the kingdom of God.

Imagine a place where thousands of people walk through a “third place” to get to a child’s sporting event. Imagine if they could feel, see, and think that something must be different about this place. Imagine, as they realize they have a void in the spiritual life they choose to visit the very place where their children play soccer or basketball or lacrosse. Imagine these people experiencing new life at a building called “New Life.”

Imagine a group of people so committed to the cause of Christ they are willing to sacrifice their own needs and desires for those far from Jesus. And ask yourself, “Am I one of those people?” We need your prayers. You need to pray because God uses the least of His to reach the ones far from Him.

Prayer vigil Friday 5:00 PM until Saturday 5:00 PM

Will you be part of this? Follow this link for more info:

http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?prayersite

Will you volunteer to be on-site for 1 hour during this time?

NEXT Gathering

Friday set-up

Tour of the facility

God is moving…we will go until we get a no.

Another Blog from Brett

2009-05-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 2:10-12:
"In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but You will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end."

I hope NLers will do their best to protect themselves from the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. Wash your hands. Use lots of hand sanitizer. Teenagers should stop all kissing. Don't shake hands with strange people like our teaching team. You know the drill.

The news about H1N1 sounds cautioning-- for good reason. And, every time I hear it, I'm reminded of how vulnerable we are all the time in this world. C.S. Lewis once made the point that war does not change the statistics on death one iota. Each life is always vulnerable. Dangers like war and viruses simply remind us of our reality.

Dangers also remind us that we are not made for this world. We are made for a world that is safe, invulnerable, and secure. Days like this make me thankful for the certainty of The Day we're made for.

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

May 1 Blog

2009-05-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

Ever look for Biblical thinking applied to current issues? One of my favorite thinkers is Charles Colson, President of Prison Fellowship. Every day he publishes an article called, "Breakpoint". Find it here. http://www.breakpoint.org/listings.asp?ID=158

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

Help from the Other Side

2009-04-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you turn, there's another news story that suggests God is taking a pounding:

-A porn movie broadcast at the University of Maryland

-The 10 Commandments removed from government property
-Courts redefining what marriage is

-Criticism of Rick Warren's prayer at Obama's inauguration (how dare he mention Jesus!!)

You'd think that all of America had come to the same conclusion--God isn't.

Despite this, Americans have this fascination with the spiritual. It's everywhere, not just on Oprah.

-Ghost Town - a jerk dentist survives a near-death experience and sees ghosts.
-Ghost Whisperer - Jennifer Love Hewitt's character aids troubled spirits.

-Supernatural - two brothers hunting demons.

-Medium - Allison Dubois helps the police solve murders through visions and contact with the dead. Interestingly, this week, she concludes that God gave her this gift.

We could go on--Touched by an Angel, Joan of Arcadia, Ghost, The Others, Sixth Sense, A Haunting in Connecticut, The Gift. . .

Oh, don't forget that great book on the supernatural. It's called the Bible. It's author might know something about this subject.

Now, the story it tells doesn't read anything like what we're getting from Hollywood.

But, hey, if you think Hollywood has a bead on things spiritual, I've got a bridge in New York I want to sell ya.

Want to compare Hollywood's take with God's? Visit us at 11:00 Sunday at 1988 Kirby Road, McLean, VA.

It might make your head spin--but probably not a full 360 degrees.

Wanna ponder in advance? Try Galatians 5.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

One of Those Days

2009-04-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ever feel this way?

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

I wasn't focusing on the 'life with your wife' part, but the 'all the days of this meaningless life' part. The writer here is Solomon - supposedly the wisest man ever. Not sure if he was wise because God gave him wisdom or he was wise because he experienced life and learned the hard way.

Anyway, the dude was hurting when he wrote this! Bad day, bad week, bad month, bad year maybe. Yet, in his negativity, I think he speaks for where many of us find ourselves often. We look at our life and think, 'Is it worth it?'

Got to admit having one of those moments this past weekend. Why God? What is the purpose of all of this? What is life all about?

These are the days we have to look for inspiration from somewhere - your friends, your spouse, your kids, etc. I know when I get to those points in my life, I have to look towards God. No one else can make me 'feel better'. I have to reach out to God and say, 'This is where I am, now lead me.' And in those times, I find God leads me in ways I never expected...

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Finding Myself in the Journey, Part 3

2009-04-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Chip Dodd in his book The Voice of the Heart identifies eight emotions common to man; hurt, sadness, loneliness, fear, anger, shame, guilt and gladness. Each feeling has a corresponding benefit and impairment. The impairment for gladness is happiness and entertainment. (Dodd, 2001, page 137) Happiness then is not gladness, nor is it joy. "To hope is to live from our hearts, and living out of our hearts we find fulfillment. As frightening as it may seem, gladness is not about outcomes. It’s about living fully.” (Dodd, 2001, page 119) Full living includes all the eight feelings that Dodd includes in his writing. Full living also includes having God in one’s life. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8, TNIV) But before he said this he talked about being broken in spirit, mourning over sin, seeking righteousness, showing mercy; and all of this leads us to be meek (or under God’s control).

Being under God’s control and following Christ is the essence of joy in my opinion. Paul wrote to the Romans that, “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:4, TNIV) Later in this book Paul urges believers to “be joyful in hope.” (Romans 12:12, TNIV) Paul describes himself as “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:10, TNIV) James wrote that for pure joy to be complete one’s faith must be tested. (James 1:2-5, TNIV) But most importantly, this joy that I am referring is not found in the spirit of man but the Spirit of God. (Galatians 5:22, TNIV) God has control over this joy, yet it is the individual who walks closely with God who reaps this fruit. The individual walking closely with God also knows that God commands His followers to be joyful on at least four occasions; Matthew 5:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4 and 1 Peter 4:13. Matthew Henry comments on the subject far better than I ever could. “The joy and peace of believers arise chiefly from their hopes. What is laid out upon them is but little, compared with what is laid up for them; therefore the more hope they have the more joy and peace they have…Christians should desire after an abundance of hope.” (Henry on Romans 15:13) Christians then are to fight for joy, and the primary method according to the Biblical writers and at least one commentator is to believe in the hope of God. Final part next week.

Creed Branson, Executive Pastor

Finding Myself in the Journey, Part 2

2009-04-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

"The essence of the Christian life is learning to fight for joy in a way that does not replace grace." (John Piper,When I Don't Desire God)

The essence of anything is its most important element, or the thing that identifies its nature or quality. When embodied in its perfect form Christianity is a walk where one’s relationship with God is fully realized and the joy of God is present in daily living. The paradox in this statement is all Christ followers have this available but few are ever able to fully realize their potential. Christians do have a role model and that is Christ himself. It is he who we are to learn from as well as Bible authors and those around us who are finishing well. All such people that I personally know consider the walk a journey; and are active learners. Piper clearly says that the essence of faith is in learning and specifically “to fight for joy.” Learning is an attribute that the wise person is always pursuing and the Christ follower should be no different. The difference is what the Christian should be learning; and, further what this individual is doing with the knowledge. The Christian who learns and does not apply knowledge tends to become legalistic. I have seen many people who can recite scripture or can tell in detail what a Bible writer may have been attempting to impart; yet find little evidence of real change in behavior or their treatment of others. Piper states we are to “learn to fight for joy” and this pursuit is part of the essence of a believer’s faith. The question then becomes where does the believer find their joy? It is my opinion that it is only when we truly accept what Christ did on the cross that we are able to see the fullness, and feel the joy of Christ. It is here where we are to place our hope. So, it is my contention that joy is derived from hope – more hope equals more joy." The apostle Paul said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, TNIV) He also said to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, TNIV) So then, joy comes from the overflow of hope; hope for eternal salvation, regeneration and eternal encouragement through the promises of God. (1 Peter 1:3 & Romans 15:4) Followers hope for Christ’s appearing, for redemption of their bodies, the consummation of righteousness and the inheriting of eternal life. This hope should produce the fruit of boldness, courage, and endurance. This hope should be present even in the face of many trials and difficulties. More next week.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Hurts So Good?

2009-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone still recovering from this last weekend? To me, it feels like the day after a basketball over-time win: I’m exhausted, and it feels great!

We had a great day! Lots of energy. Great worship. Great food in abundance (If you made food for Sunday, THANKS! That was HUGE!) Great attendance (1683 people).

Yet, the best part of the weekend for me was our team players. Our parking team set the pace. Chip Retson rallied a team that gave everyone a fun greeting, and an unexpected bottle of water on their way in and on their way out. Westfield H.S. was so impressed that they are changing their parking lot procedures to follow ours! We are not surprised that this team produced such quality results. Research shows that they are also the best-educated church parking lot greeters in the world.

Josh tells me that over 60 new players joined the team who worked with set up, front-line, food, prayer, tear down, and holding Savannah duties. Michelle & Cindy report that over 50 new people served in KidZone. That’s huge!

The best part for me was the fun everyone had. A huge group set up the school Saturday morning, and it felt like we were setting up for Christmas: laughter, smiles, fun working together for a significant purpose. It felt like family working together—we had work to be done, but everyone enjoyed simply being together.

After one service, a lady told me it was the first time she’d served in KidZone, and it was great. “I think I’ve found my place,” she said. Another person told me they loved seeing all the “Ask Me” shirts, because she wouldn’t have known that many of those people were New Lifers.

The best part of the day, of course, is that we are remembering that Jesus conquered death, so we can be right with God. That truth is the core that drives all we do. I wish I’d found this cartoon before Easter: http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/GlennMcCoy/2009/04/1

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

Getting What's Coming to Ya

2009-04-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

The classic black-and-white ganster movie.

Particularly starring Edward G. Robinson. Man, the best ever.

There was this recurring line: "I want what's coming to me."

The other person ominously promises: "Yeah, you'll get what's coming to ya."

The first guy is expecting a payoff or something.

But he always gets whacked.

So, sometimes getting what's coming to ya isn't that grand.

Here's an example. It's 15 April, TAX DAY. I just hit the send button.

I didn't really want what I had coming to me.

But I got what was coming to me. POW!!! BLAM!!! SHOT DEAD!!!

So, when I think about taxes or anything else, really, I think I've landed on something.

I'd like not to get what's coming to me.

I'd like to get something better. Something I didn't deserve.

Where do I get some of that?

Good news is that there is some of this out there--It's called grace.

And God's sending some of it your way.

Hear all about it Sunday at 11:00 at Moland. 1988 Kirby Road, McLean, VA.

Want to ponder the thought in advance? Check out John 6:29.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Finding Myself in the Journey

2009-04-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here thinking how over-used this cliché has been since the 1960's; that is "finding myself." In modern culture we use this "finding myself" or "getting in touch with myself" language because the current generation uses experience and feelings instead of logic and reason as the criteria for decision making, making friends, etc. Sociologists today might say we are living in a post-modern society. At least this is my opinion albeit a broad generalization. However, man has been struggling with trying to discover who they are and why they exist forever.

I believe that man exists because God made him in His own image. The problem is man has been trying to figure out who God is and how they fit in the relationship ever since. As a result we have made God into who or what we want Him to be. But God is God and we aren't. So many people are so close to figuring it out. Instead of trying to be God we should try to be the person God created us to be. Years ago I built a new house and as the maker of this house I expected it to protect me from the elements. That's what a house does. A house becomes a home where there is love, friendliness and kindness. The same is true with man - man is just a mere shell until he allows God into their life. The battle should be to understand who God is and why He made us. This process is called spiritual formation. "Once we understand spiritual formation is a process, all of life becomes spiritual formation." (Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey) This means there is no distinction between my spirituality and my secular life; in fact, once I become a Christ follower there is no such thing as a secular life. Mulholland writes much about this and he continues to say that we are in the process of being conformed, not conforming. Perhaps a subtle difference, but a difference none the less. Man (me included) does not want to change - it is only God working in me to change. As for me I struggled for years until there was this sudden epiphany that I was different. Now I am by no means the pillar of what the perfect Christian should look like. But what I am saying is that God was at work in me for years and it took years for me to see it. It’s like pushing a giant wheel and then one day you get to the top of a hill and suddenly the wheel takes off. If you don't like something in your life ask God to give you the desire to change - NOT - change you. If you're struggling with your relationship with God or who you are in God take heart. He is probably doing something with your character. God is a lot more concerned about who you are than what you are. More on this in my next post.

Creed Branson, Executive Pastor

WOW!

2009-04-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was out of town last week, so I have to revel in the our 2nd Easter Egg Drop today! Here are our numbers from the day...

30,000 Candy/Toy-filled Easter Eggs

180+ Volunteers

6 Policemen

2 1/2 Truckloads of food for the pantry

2 Shuttle Buses

1 Helicopter

And 3,600 KIDS! Yes, KIDS!

It was a blast! A HUGE thank you to all who came out to make our event incredible and to impact our community!

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

April 10 Blog

2009-04-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

The evidence continues to pile up: our communities need New Life. People desperately need God. People increasingly feel the need for something more than independence. Charles Colson recently shared another reason we ought to be passionate about our purpose to reach out to our neighbors-- http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=11564.

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor of New Life

Lord, Help Me to be My True Self!

2009-04-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

In my last post I discussed how we are called to be authentic; and specifically, how our personalities sometimes get in the way. I have to admit that I too have a side that I don’t want others to see. This has become more important to me because last summer I had the opportunity to work heavily with high school students. These kids walk around every day desperately wanting to have meaningful relationships. They fear rejection and failure and loss just like the rest of us except you can easily see it. I had a choice to behave like the guy that has it all together or I could allow them the opportunity to see someone who understands the nature of sin, struggles with it and genuinely wants to live in the power and presence of God. I tried to teach them that being a Christian is a process. We don't put the baby to bed one night and go to the crib the next morning to find a fully independent functioning adult. It’s the same with being a disciple (convinced adherent) of Jesus Christ. We are in the process of being conformed - not conforming - to the very nature of God. However subtle the difference, there is a difference. I cannot do the work of God. My very nature loves my sin even though it is destructive to my soul. I can't turn a light switch on my human nature. I cannot do any work to be conformed to Christ. What I can do is ask God to give me the desire to become more like Jesus. "The difference between conforming ourselves and being conformed is the vital issue of control." (M. Robert Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey, page 25) We must submit our very will to the control of God. We must ask God to live in us and for us to live in Him. Jesus talked about this the night before his crucifixion - check out John 17. The result is people will change around you. They will see that they don't have to be perfect.

We are being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others: more on this in my next post.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Psalm 127

2009-04-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

"Unless the Lord builds the house, it’s builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for He grants sleep to those He loves."

The next few weeks provide critical opportunities for us. So, I am asking everyone to increase their prayers and consider fasting for a meal, a day, or two.

1) Easter: Many people who aren’t open to church will give Jesus a hearing around Easter. Pray that God will work powerfully in the hearts of everyone.

2) TV Commercials. There is no transforming power in tv commercials. But God uses weak stuff like commercials to make powerful connections. Please pray that God use our commercials to connect with people at just the right time. (see-- http://www.newlife4me.com/our-commercials/)

3) Bud Building: Before the end of April, we will sit down with the owner of the Bud Building to see if we can negotiate a final deal. I can see God using this building in HUGE ways to expand our impact on the community. I see the need for us to pursue this vision all the time (just today I read-- http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=11564).

Please intensify your prayers. Unless the Lord builds the house, we’re wasting our time. When He builds the house, it’s the ride you’ve always dreamed to be part of!

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

Who Made Up All the Rules. . .We Follow Them Like Fools (First line of "They" by JEM)

2009-04-03T05:31:00.000-07:00

Jenny was late. . .She was late. . .For a very important date.

This would be the perfect job, she thought. Only 15 minutes from home. Gotta make up the minutes lost searching for the keys. But how?

The complete answer never came, because the rolling stop through the intersection got her introduced immediately to a member of the motorcycle police force.

Fuming while waiting and and waiting and waiting and waiting to get the bloody ticket, she reflected that this didn't seem fair. She had, after all, stopped at that same sign hundreds of times in the past. Why doesn't she get some credit or something for all the times she obeyed the law? But "NOOOOOO!!!" One violation, and BOOM, she's nabbed.

And then it hit her. The law is not her friend. It's never sitting there on the books to tell her how wonderful she is. Nope.

It's just sitting there waiting patiently for her to mess up. Just biding its time until she screws up just that one tiny bit.

And then Jenny reflected on the stuff she'd been hearing at church lately. Hmmm. . . wonder if that's what the pastor meant when he said we can never be good enough to make God happy by just following all the rules. Maybe God's rules are like this stupid stop sign. Only good for one thing--to accuse us when we violate them. And, oh yeah, she's violated a few of those God rules, too.

Well, if following the rules isn't the way to make God happy with me, she thought, then how do I do that?

We hope Jenny is with us Sunday--when we explore that question. You might want to give a listen, too.

If you're inclined, read through Exodus 20.

11:00 a.m. 1988 Kirby Road, McLean, VA.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Also, check out the poster below for a great event coming up at our McLean Campus!

Psalm 127

2009-04-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

The next few weeks provide critical opportunities for us. So, I am asking everyone to increase their prayers and consider fasting for a meal, a day, or two.

1) Easter: Many people who aren’t open to church will give Jesus a hearing around Easter. Pray that God will work powerfully in the hearts of everyone.

Please intensify your prayers. Unless the Lord builds the house, we’re wasting our time. When He builds the house, it’s the ride you’ve always dreamed to be part of!

Brett Andrews, Lead Pastor

That's Just My Personality

2009-04-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Persona is another word for mask or disguise. Persona is the root word for personality. So the personality that is visible on the outside is the thing that we allow people to see. But is that really who I am? Jung defined traits that are prevalent through all nationalities and people groups. Now all of this is nothing new except to say the traits that we allow people to see is how we define ourselves. This is a very narrow view from the eyes of God. According to Jung we all have a propensity to either be introverted or extroverted; intuitive or sensing; thinking or feeling; and judging or perceiving.

In the beginning God made man in His image and man was the perfect man. Man can never be God or a god as some believe yet the lack of real understanding of our opposite self may be the foundation of our sin. For example, an introvert would prefer to gain their energy with down time or alone time or at most a few close friends. If these people also find their spiritual renewal the same way (and I would argue they do) they miss out on the blessing of the large gathering and the learning through a group of like believers. If we tend to be introverted we should practice by exercising the muscle of meeting together in a larger group. This isn't easy by any means but the introvert misses out on this blessing and is constantly searching to fill the void. The same can be said of the intuitive when acting on impulse because this has always worked for them or at least most times. What is lacking is the opposite characteristic - sensing. Instead of filling this void with the positive aspect of sensing; human nature may take precedent and turn to self-indulgence. If we don't search out our opposite identity our nature puts us in a greater place to do the thing that God would not have us do - sin. So if you feel God working on your character you may want to analyze the thing, apply it to your personality type and do the opposite of your nature.

Lots of stuff has been written on the subject. I would recommend Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mulholland, Jr.

Creed Branson, Executive Pastor

Easter Egg Drop

2009-03-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

www.haymarketeggdrop.com

Check us out for details and ways to get involved. Coming this Sunday, April 5th.

Cleaning Up After Us

2009-03-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

We've all seen the pictures, haven't we?

The aftermath of a hurricane, or a flood, or a tornado that rips through a town.

Where everything is destroyed, covered in gooey muck, washed away.

We see that and imagine, "What if that were my home, my town, my mess? Where would I even begin? It's too massive to even come up with a game plan for cleaning this up."

Truth is, you'd begin just like those people. One board at a time, one branch at a time, one step at a time. Messes this big don't get cleaned up in a day or a week.

But then we go back some time later and are amazed to find that things are restored, homes rebuilt, the piles of debris are gone. Life has returned to some semblance of normalcy.

We've talked last week about why the world is in such a mess. And we found that it's not God's fault. It's ours. So, when God looks down and sees this world we totally messed up, it might have looked impossible, might have looked hopeless, might have looked unredeemable. He could have just built a big wall around this world and started up something new on some other planet.

But that's what separates God from the rest of us. The mess we couldn't fix, He did. Want to know about his strategy? Amazingly, He started just like we do in cleaning up after a tornado--with one branch, one board. . .or, in this case, one man.

Genesis 11-15 might be some interesting reading in preparation.

Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

What Does God Want Anyway?

2009-03-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

What does God want from us? I think what God wants more than anything is for us just to be real. As a new Christian I wanted to be perfect just like all the people who were in my little group of friends. They had everything I wanted in life: strong spirituality, a calm demeanor, real friends, an active social life, etc. The problem: I soon discovered that they weren't perfect! In fact, from that point forward my mantra when talking to people about problems in interpersonal relationships was, "People will always disappoint you." This certainly seemed easier than sitting with people and helping them through their pain and hurt. If you were one of those people that are reading this right now, please allow me this opportunity to apologize and ask your forgiveness. See, I thought this was a good answer at the time and while it is true it is way too superficial. God wants us to have authentic relationships. I sometimes don't know what to say and you know what - that's what I should say - and so should you.

The next thing I did was find an accountability partner. Now, accountability partners are good but we have to be honest with them. My accountability partner's name was Chris. Chris is a great guy but we have somehow lost contact with one another. He married Debbie and they started having babies while attending Cincinnati Bible College (it has a new name but I think this was the name at the time, the name isn't the point). Chris and I met every Saturday morning at a park in Louisville and we talked about our struggles and it was great but I have to admit I wasn't very honest with Chris. I still had thoughts and sin that I should have shared and asked his help but I was afraid of rejection. Even today my mind drifts to thoughts that I should not be having. God knows it and I think this is one of those areas where God really wants to heal me. But I can't be real unless I'm authentic. In God's word there is this wonderful story in 1 Kings 3 where Solomon (the third king of Israel) goes up to a mountain and asks God for wisdom. God is so pleased that Solomon didn't ask for riches and peace that He gives all the good stuff to Solomon anyway. The problem isn't that Solomon asked for wisdom. The problem is Solomon had committed two sins: 1) He married this Egyptian princess (and Isaiah clearly talks about forming allegiances with anyone but God a sin, Isaiah 30) and, 2) Solomon made his sacrifice on the altar of an idol on a high place (see Numbers 33:52). But what does God do - He gives Solomon what he wants and a huge bonus. Larry Osborne in his book, A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God, talks about this subject at great length. He calls this a blind spot. In other words Solomon wasn't aware that this was a sin and as a result God blessed him because his heart was pure. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8, TNIV) I don't know if Solomon knew these were sins or not but his own words were, "But I am a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties." (1 Kings 3:7b) He was just being real with God and it pleased God so much that He gave Solomon everything he asked for and everything he didn't.

So, how then are we to live? What does God want anyway? God wants us to act justly (do what is right), love mercy (right behavior should compel us to help others), and to walk humbly with God (remain responsive to God). (Micah 6:8) As much as this God just wants us to be real with Him and real with people.

Creed Branson, NL Executive Minister

Check it out! Get involved!

2009-03-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

www.haymarketeggdrop.com

What's Wrong With the World Today?

2009-03-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

The news from Jackie's hairdresser yesterday was depressing. Brain dead??

I hadn't heard it from anywhere else, and I was an intelligence analyst. I'm supposed to know things.

So, it probably wasn't true.

But it came from a hairdresser!!

These gals know almost before it happens. So, could it be fact?

Sure enough. I pick up the paper today and see that, yet again, hairdressers are pretty much clued in to everything.

Natasha Richardson, esteemed stage and screen actress, wife of Liam Neesom, dead at 45. From a fall on a bunny slope.

That's right. . .a bunny slope.

Somehow, we just know, don't we, that this isn't right? We know Liam knows it isn't supposed to be this way. We know Natasha's two kids know it isn't supposed to be this way. How to make sense of something like this?

And for those who believe in God, there's this tendency to look toward the sky and ask: "What are you thinking? Are you even thinking? Are you aware of what's going on down here?"

Yeah, good questions. Are there good answers?

We'll give it a shot Sunday at 11:00 at 1988 Kirby Road, McLean. The topic? Why is the World So Messed Up? Perspective is everything.

You can take a pass on this one, however, if nothing bad has ever happened, or will ever happen, to you or to anyone you know. I'm sure we'll do a message on "Being in Denial" soon.

Dwaine Darrah, Westmoreland Campus Pastor

March 18 Thoughts

2009-03-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday mornings I meet with a group of guys and we are studying 1 Peter,. The stuff below is today’s lesson. I thought it worth sharing.

Peter tells us, and I paraphrase, as we prepare our minds for action and live our lives in reverence to God we are to be holy. Holiness is to be set apart for God, which is often confused with perfection. In the Greek, perfection means to be in a constant state of conforming to Christ. And we are to rid ourselves of all intentional sin, which leads to deceitfulness, envy, and legalism. (1 Peter 1.24-25, again a paraphrase) This wrong thinking can be replaced with something altogether Christ-like: preparing our minds to fall in love with what God has done for us in Jesus. Once we have this love we see Christ and his sacrifice more clearly. The metaphor Peter uses here is to crave Christ: in our case, as the first century Christian, Christ’s manifestation in our lives through the Spirit but also through the word. (For more read John 1)

As we see Christ’s manifestation in our life through the actions where we discover God we begin to love his presence and we see him everywhere.

This process is exactly what all Christians are to experience as they become mature in Christ:

New Discovery: We are awakened to God
New Connections: to God and to people. We are changed to move toward God
New Meaning: we see God at work everywhere. Illumination
New Life: We are at peace with God willing to take any step He has for our life. We are at one with God

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2.1 that we will grow up in our salvation. Implicit in this statement is the fact that there is a process. As we taste what is good (Christ) we grow in Christ.

Peter then tells us as we move toward Christ and take on his character we will be transformed into a priest able to make sacrifices to God and humanity out of our need for gratification to God. In other words we can’t help but give back to God out of the fullness that He has given us. Peter even compares our walk to a house being built. This house if built properly will be made true. The one who trusts in Christ will never be put to shame. To those who do not believe Jesus will become a stumbling block. A person cannot walk around Jesus if they have been exposed to the truth. Rather, they will stumble or trip over the facts.

Peter states in 1 Peter 2.9 that we are a “special possession” so we may declare God’s greatness but only after we are called out of the darkness; again implicit with a process. We are 1, chosen; 2, brought out of darkness; 3, made holy; and 4, that we may declare God’s praises! Exactly the process described above. How is all this possible? Verse 10 states, “because now you have received mercy,” if you have accepted Jesus.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Don't Miss This!

2009-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

www.haymarketeggdrop.com

Join us as a volunteer and make a difference in the Haymarket community. If you would like to help, please send us an email at haymarketeggdrop@newlife4me.com. Our event is going to support our new food pantry in Haymarket!

Does it Really Take a Village?

2009-03-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone's terrified of the monster lurking right outside the house, in the dark, now tromping on the front porch, now rattling the door handle. Everyone knows it's there, and you're trembling with fear even as you know you have want to remain absolutely still. . .try not to breath. . .if you could stop your heart from beating, you would. . .because surely it can hear you. . . .OHMYGOSH, I'M GONNA DIE TONIGHT. . .

This, a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's movie, The Village. It's from 2004, so if you wanted to see it, you already should have, so let's blow the ending, shall we?

THE WHOLE THING'S A SCAM. Well, sort of. There is a monster. But it's the leadership of the village, who has invented this whole "religion" to keep the sect together. And they are not above killing someone to keep the charade alive.

You know, this sounds farfetched, but it's what a lot of people think of Christians who yap on about how the Bible is God's Word and use it to keep people in line. I mean, after all, we know the BIble is full of errors and contradictions, right? And that supernatural stuff. What's the deal with that? Great for a Tolkien fantasy. But, come on, it's the 21st Century already. Please, get a grip.

Hey, here's a thought. What if you're wrong? What if you're actually in the village, and you're being scammed? What if the Bible really is God's Word and can be trusted? Couldn't be true, right? Yeah, cause some freakin' nutty professor told you otherwise when you were in college, and we know that all professors have all the truth on all things and never make mistakes and never mislead anyone...............................................Ooops.

So, here's our deal. We're not looking to prove anything to you on Sunday. Just want you to think for yourself. But, hey, if that's too scary for ya, just join the people in the movie--stay in your village, man.

1988 Kirby Road, McLean, VA. . .11:00. The sun'll be up, so it'll be safe to go outside.

For folks who want to, ponder 2 Timothy 3:13-17.

Dwaine Darrah, New Life at McLean Pastor

March 11

2009-03-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

It just seems weird to me that in order for man to have a deeper understanding of God he must first know himself. It seems counter-intuitive to me for some reason yet all my reading on spiritual formation makes it quite clear that God wants us to know our true self. There is a verse in Isaiah that makes it abundantly clear that we are to know our true nature..." Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, 'I am and there is none besides me'...a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you." (Isaiah 40.8a, 11b) This is saying that we are to really understand our true nature with respect to God's nature.

There are so many people in the world who see their behavior in light of the world's standards. God issues a strong warning to those people that a catastrophe is coming. So God stands at the door and knocks and the wise let Him in. God pounds on the door for those who will not listen; and He suddenly knocks the door down. And even after all this God allows us to come to Him for forgiveness and He gives it out of love. If you are at a place right now where God is knocking then be wise and let Him in. If God is knocking and wants you to know the true nature of your current behavior then, before catastrophe ensues, listen and understand that God just wants you to count on Him and not some misplaced pleasure. God tells through Jeremiah that we have committed only two sins, 1) we have forsaken God, and 2) we have replaced God with something else.

This probably sounds more like a sermon than a blog but I really feel like God placed this on my heart today for someone...maybe it's just for me.

Creed Branson, Executive Pastor

"Why is There Evil in the World?" Continued...

2009-03-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

God gives people an opportunity to change — but even when He knows they won't — He doesn't take them out ahead of time. In waiting, He shows the whole world His patience, justice, and foreknowledge.

People do not appreciate this about God. Because once everything unfolds, they want to know why God didn't intervene and keep it from happening. Think about it, though, if God went around intervening before anybody did evil, then people would say: “Why did God take Frank out? He wasn't such a bad guy...”. Lucky for God, His main goal in this life is not to keep us happy and informed.

I love that this verse is in here. I think this reference to God waiting for the Amorite's sin to reach “its full measure”, actually answers a lot of questions we might have as we look through history. For instance: “Why did God allow Hitler to wreak such havoc?” I'm not going to claim to know the answer to that question in full, but I think there are a few things we can't miss here — but lets just look at one: if God had taken Hitler out early on, the world would have never known the extent of sin that mankind is capable of. (As Dr. Phil would say: “If you don't acknowledge the problem, you can't fix it.”) It is only when the world sees how broken it really is, that they have the chance to see their need for a Savior. And us getting that, is actually God's goal for us in this life.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3: 9)

God is. God is great. God is good... and His answer to evil in this world is — The Savior — who did the perishing for us.

From Guest Blogger, Lisa Jones.

Why is There Evil in the World?

2009-03-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Brett's sermon on Sunday got me thinking. I really appreciated the conversation of : “God is. God is great. God is good...so why is there evil in the world?”

It reminded me of a strange little verse in Genesis 15: “In the 4^th generation your descendants, (Abraham), will come back here, (to take the Amorite's land) for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” (v.16)

What? God was telling Israel they were to take the Amorites land...but not yet...because these people haven't gotten as bad as they're gonna get yet?! Wouldn't now be a really good time to go in and take the land before they get r e a l l y bad? Why would God wait?

The beautiful thing about God, is that He doesn't think at all like us (Isaiah 55:8-9). And much of the time we won't know why He does what He does, but some of the time, we can see little pieces of the puzzle fit together as only God can fit them—and that's our chance to think a little bit more like Him. Which can only be a good thing, right?

Read more on this topic tomorrow from our guest blogger, Lisa Jones.

Brett's Banter

2009-03-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

Consistent Sunday morning “Wow” either sets the pace, establishes momentum & expectations for everything else that happens in the church. I’ve known seasons when that Mo is working for us. It feels like the wind is at our backs. I’ve also known seasons when that wind is against us. Ugh.

This morning I brainstormed a list of essentials for creating an atmosphere where God is honored and His presence is powerful.

• Prayer – much prayer, much power; no prayer, no power
• Consistent Biblical Teaching – Cool & creative are great. The promise is that God’s Word will not return without doing its work. But, the Bible must be taught powerfully every week. Consistent teaching creates expectation.
• Connections – a “Family Reunion” feel is fine. But, to create “Wow” for people far from Christ, we must be intentional about helping first timers feel like family.
• Great First Impressions – Welcome area: does it exist to give information and a cup of coffee, or to start conversations with newcomers? Look at every table, every piece of paper and ask, “How does this create a ‘Wow’ for the newcomer?”
• Engaging Music – Is the music quality a step down from what newcomers were listening to in their cars? “Wow” worship is not measured by the performance of the band, but by the quality of music that makes it hard for people not to sing to and experience God.
• Surprising Creatives – People engaging God are set up to be moved emotionally—whether to laughter or tears. Are people moved?
• Excellence From Start to Finish – Excellence means producing an excellent result. Excellence means not settling for “my best effort,” if it is not producing consistent “Wow” results.
• Transformation – No one can genuinely encounter God and leave unchanged. Bottom line: Are people being challenged? Are people taking next steps? Are lives, homes, marriages, and communities genuinely transformed?

Dwaine's Digs

2009-03-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, You've Got Some Questions.

Bart's just out of college. Got a nice job working downtown. The office also hired Sandra, and Bart's already got his antennae up on her. He's not exactly sure what makes her tick, but she seems really nice, and their conversations so far have only enticed him to want to check her out a little more thoroughly. Only thing weird up to now is that she's got this Bible on her bookshelf. What's the deal with that?

She doesn't seem like the wackos who picketed the Oscars, and she's not tried dropping Bible verses on him or asked him if he knows where he's going after he dies. So, what's her shtick? Bart's kinda wishing there was a place he could go to get some insight into what Sandra's all about, but, you know, without sounding "interested" in that religion thing. Where could such a place be?

Good for Bart, this fun church is just starting a series of messages that cover the basics of Christianity. And, to top it off, the series kicks off with funny man, Tim Jones, talking about the "c" word. Ok, maybe that's a little mystifying, but it's on creation, or more specifically, does this goofy world we live in suggest there might have been some kind of intelligent design behind all that we see.

Not asking Bart to buy into the concepts, but if he's going to get closer to Sandra, he needs at least to get a clue on her world view, and this is a safe way to do that without risking too much. At least he'll sound knowledgeable when he's talking to her. Who wants to look stupid, right?

We kick off at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday at 1988 Kirby Road in Mclean, VA.

Oh, and we'll have coffee and snacks there. No question about who makes that stuff.

We do!!

Finally, if you're a regular at Moland, you might check out Job 38-39.

Chad's Chatter

2009-03-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

Companies rise and fall with leadership. As we look at the mess we are in economically right now, I see 2 types of leadership. One is making a difference and the other isn't. Well, it is but only for some people. Leadership falls under two categories - Cause leadership and Effect leadership.

Cause Leadership is what most people want to be a part of. When there is this kind of leadership, we work together towards a cause, to make something happen, to impact a community. We lead to help others make a difference. People want to be a part of this type of leadership. It makes us feel connected and useful in the world.

Effect Leadership is what we tend to see in many businesses and probably percolating in most of our souls waiting to come out. The impact is all about what effect will this have on my bottom line, or in my pocket book, for my circle of friends. Many of us fall into this type of leadership easily. It's all about power, greed, self preservation. IE, why our economy is hurting right now.

So, how are you leading in your organization, company, ministry area? Are you working to lead towards a Cause or are you working to lead for your effect?

Josh's Jive

2009-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

The other day I was reading 1 Corinthians 4. I like 1st and 2nd Corinthians... I think because Paul is so sarcastic in these books. But I came across a verse that I had never taken notice of before. Verse 20 says this, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." It raised several questions for me which I will now recount for you:

- What does the power of God do in relation to the kingdom of God?

- What does it mean for me to be tapped into the power of God?

- What does it mean for me to challenge the church (our volunteers, small group leaders, and the people I am discipling) to be about power and not talk so that we can bring the kingdom of God here now?

How would you answer these questions? Let me know by posting a response here or by shooting me an email at Joshb@newlife4me.com.

Surviving the Financial Crisis - Wealth Building

2009-02-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

So, I'm watching The Duchess the other night. Don't gag, guys. Chick flicks are a way to your woman's heart. And don't worry. I'm not going to spoil the ending for you. But the movie opens with the Duke staring out a window at some children playing. Later in the movie, after much has happened, he's standing in the same place, looking out the same window, watching children play. And after gazing for a few moments, he utters a cry from the heart, a statement something like this: "Oh, to have the freedom to experience that much joy." And, with the weight of the world and the consequences of the choices he has made on his shoulders, he slowly turns from the window, turns his back to the camera, and drags his body and his load down the hall. Rich enough to have everything he wanted; impoverished, having nothing he needed.

Not to be too heavy here, but this is not the life God intends for you. Is there a way to achieve clarity on what to invest in to prevent a forlorn looking back 10, 15, 20, 30 years down the road? What could life be like if we purposed to be free to experience much joy?

We'll dig into this as we conclude the riveting series on Surviving the Financial Crisis this Sunday at Moland. See ya at 11:00--and come early for some coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and munchies.

If you want to get a jump on where we're going, check out Matthew 6:19-23.

Dwaine Darrah, Westmoreland Campus Pastor

I Want To Be Perfect

2009-02-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why some people are just not happy with the faith that God gave them? Or, have you ever met someone who is a Christ-follower yet is always impatient? All Christians are in the process of becoming the person God wants them to become. The interesting thing is we must also want to change; yet no matter how much we try, it is God who does the changing. John Wesley wrote extensively about how we must be perfect if we are to have communion with God. Perfection in the Greek refers to the process of becoming better today than I was yesterday, not being without flaw. So, if it is God who does the conforming and we are unhappy with our current state how then are we to be conformed? The answer is we must ask God to give us a desire for change and then place ourselves in a place where God can do the work. This is where spiritual disciplines are applied. The paradox is God does the changing but we can't change until we ask God to give us the desire to change. We are to spend time with God through solitude, prayer, fasting and anything else that will cause you to sense the presence of God.

God longs that we might know true peace and rest but unhealthy habits limit what God can do in our lives. Or, God is calling us to take a step into something greater and we are wrestling with Him over our own selfish needs or desires.

A good friend of mine tells people regularly that a wise person learns from other people's mistakes so s/he doesn't have to make those mistakes. Where is God calling you to change your behavior? Let God work on your mind. Think differently. Then let Him give you peace and rest. After looking at Isaiah 30.15 ask yourself if this can be applied to your life. Are you having anything to do with it?

Easter Egg Drop

2009-02-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

We are about 6 weeks away from our 2nd ever Easter Egg Drop here at the Haymarket campus. The excitement in the air is getting thick! People are talking! Moms are swooning! Dads are taking up kick boxing! All for the BIG day on Saturday, April 4th.

Last year we planned on 1000 people showing up. 4500 decided to come. AWESOME! So we are better prepared this year (we think).

Also, this year we are teaming up with the town of Haymarket and other local businesses. The event is free but we are asking all people who come out to bring a can or two of food for our brand new food pantry we have started here in the town.

Great stuff!

If you are a New Lifer and would like to be a part of this incredible day (controlled chaos is a good term to use), let us know! Email Sheryll at Haymarket@newlife4me.com. Come be a part of a great event in Haymarket!

One BIG Story...

2009-02-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

How is God at work in your life?

2 Corinthians 1 says that God gives us stories so we can help other people who go through the same struggles we’ve experienced. So, we are collecting stories. Your story.

Ask yourself these questions and let us know how God is working in your life and those around you.

How has God encouraged you?
How have you seen God do more than you could ask or imagine?
Has God used anyone in the church to help you at just the right time?

Send your stories to jessh@newlife4me.com. God wants to encourage others with the encouragement you have received.

Want to read great stories of God at work? Read the Spring Blog to see how God is already at work at New Life...

just great stuff!

2009-02-17T06:30:00.001-08:00

Life got you down? Feel run over by, we don't know, bulls with huge horns? Well, welcome to our new blog for new life christian church! Everyday someone from our staff will post a little piece of info, a thought, an upcoming event, or just dribble. You choose which one you think it is, and hopefully, we'll help you feel less run over too.

You can also get each one of our posts sent directly to your email inbox through Feedburner. Or, set us up in your RSS feeds.

Thanks and enjoy!