11.20.08
Dear Connect,
Devotion drives desire. Whatever we are devoted to, our desires won't be far behind. This truth works for us but can also work against us. If we want to change our desires we must first change our devotion. The Apostle Paul challenges us to be devoted to prayer, be watchful for what God is doing, and be thankful.
As you prepare your heart for worship this week, take a moment to read Colossians 4:2-6. Answer these questions: 1) What are you devoted to? 2) What area in your life is God working the most? 3) What are you thankful for? Ask God to help you be more devoted to Him, able to identify where He is at work, and fill your heart with gratitude.
As we enter into a week filled with thankfulness, we will celebrate this Sunday with the Table of Mercy (Communion). I hope you will make plans to join us for this very meaningful and worshipful encounter with God. You won't want to miss it.
Have a great week. See you Sunday.
Humbled and grateful for You,
Mark
11.12.08
Dear Connect,
What does the life of a ROOTED person looks like? Paul gives us a detailed picture of such a person, but the list seems pretty overwhelming. Is it possible? Can we really live out the standard Paul outlines for us in chapter 3? This Sunday we will look at Paul's advice on how to live out such a high calling.
As you get ready for Sunday, read Colossians 3:1-17. Take a moment to think about a few questions...
- What does the life of a ROOTED person look like?
- Do most Christians live a ROOTED lifestyle?
- What would happen if most Christians' lives reflected a ROOTED faith?
Have a great week. See you Sunday.
Marked By Him,
Mark
11.6.08
Dear Connect,
All of us are treasure hunters at heart. Rather it's a prized buck, a garage sale bargain, or looking for our car keys, all of us are searching for something. When we find it we're excited and celebrate, but how long is it until we're off to the next hunt?
What about spiritually? What are you looking to discover about God this week? Colossians 2 tells us that in Christ are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That means everything we need to stand strong is found in Christ, we just need to search God's Word for what we need.
As you prepare your heart for worship this week, take a moment to read Colossians 2:1-5. What arena of your life do you need God's wisdom and knowledge? Marriage? Parenting? Finances? Friends? Ask God to give you His take on the situation and help you not be deceived by fine-sounding arguments.
Have a great week. See you Sunday.
Searching and Discovering,
Mark
10.29.08
Dear Connect,
Have you ever been to a concert and the lead singer was not center stage? Or at the end of a play have the actors ever not taken their bow center stage? Or has the conductor ever directed the orchestra from anywhere but center stage? Some of life's most important things happen center stage. What about our lives? What takes center stage? Is it the kids, our careers, 401K's, or GPA's? What has preeminence? What's supreme?
As you prepare your heart for worship this week, take a moment to read Colossians 1:15-29. Think about what is center stage in your life? How would your life look different if Jesus were to be center stage in every arena of life? Ask God to show you how to make Him center stage.
Update on Julie:
For those that are new to Connect, my wife, Julie, has been battling cancer for the last three years. She was diagnosed in September 2005 with colon and liver cancer. Through God's mighty power, chemo, and several surgeries she is cancer free today! Her last surgery was a hysterectomy in August. (Needless to say I have enjoyed sleeping with the fan on and windows open. We never know when Julie's going to get a hot flash.)
The doctor recommended chemo and radiation everyday for 30 days as a precaution. As we prayed about what to do, the Lord gave me 2 Chronicles 20:15. I asked Him to have that scripture come back to me if He didn't want us to do the treatment. The next day, while praying with some friends, the Lord gave that verse to a friend, which she read out loud!
So for now, we are asking God to fight this battle for us. We are also asking for people to continue to pray for Julie and her healing. Some people are fasting on Julie's behalf once a month. If you are interested in fasting please email me what day of the month you would be willing to fast and pray specifically for Julie. We would love to pray for you as you pray for us.
God has used our journey so many times. It seems like every week Julie and I are getting the opportunity to minister to and walk with people we've never met. To be honest, I wish I did not know the effects of cancer first hand, but we are committed to using this season in our lives to make the name of Jesus famous.
Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. You have been the arms and feet of Jesus Christ for us. God has used you to sustain us and support us when we could not do it ourselves. We love you and thank God for you.
Have a great week. See you Sunday.
Centered,
Mark
10.23.08
Dear Connect,
Last week we kicked off our new series called ROOTED, a study on Colossians. (I hope you have been working on memorizing Colossians 2:6-7.) We said that both captive and rooted hold us. Captive holds us from living the life God wants us to live, and rooted holds us to the Word of God when the storms of life come.
Who or what do you strive to align yourself with? What do you tend to dive into? Who do you strive to be like? Who do you lead? Do you ever stop and evaluate your relationship with Jesus? All of these questions Paul answers in chapter one of Colossians. It's these questions that we must answer if we are to stand strong in life and in our faith. It's these questions that provide us with practical steps for us to be ROOTED.
As you prepare your heart for worship this week, take a moment to read Colossians 1:1-14. Take a moment to answer the questions above. Ask God to help you become more ROOTED in Him this week.
Have a great week. See you Sunday.
Standing Strong,
Mark
10.17.08
Dear Connect,
We've all seen the pictures of the aftermath Hurricane Ike left behind: shattered windows, downed power lines, and uprooted trees. It's these pictures of toppled over trees that serve as the backdrop for our new series, ROOTED.
The roots of a tree give the tree strength and health. The roots provide nutrients for growth and anchor the tree firmly to the ground. It's the roots that allow the tree to stand strong in a storm or high winds.
As you prepare your heart for worship this week, take a moment to read Colossians 2:1-10. What have you placed your trust in to see you through the storms of life? On a scale from 1 - 10 (10 being the highest), how rooted are you in God's Word? Ask God to establish and build you up in Him. Make a commitment to God to walk through the book of Colossians with us for the next six weeks.
Have a great day. See you Sunday!
Growing,
Mark
