Dinner Time…

Dinner time is a big deal for our family. There are many reasons…we talk about our day, plan out our next 24 hours and we pray together, which is a good thing I’m sure for a Pastor’s family :).

Oh, we also eat.

Well, most of us eat. I would say our youngest is a wild card. He has somehow developed a “picky palate.”

With a family of seven, when the food is ready…we sit down and put down (our devices), hold hands and pray.

Typically, everyone jumps in to help get plates filled and then it is usually quiet for a few minutes while we inhale our food and then slowly conversation starts.

It is not uncommon for most of the plates to be almost empty and one of them to still be untouched….

“I’m not hungry…(cue sad face)”

            “I don’t care” (said by either or both parents at the same time)

“I don’t like it”

            “You haven’t even tasted it” (said by either or both parents at the same time)

Threats follow…

More excuses…

Threats with a time limit…

Finally, the fork is lifted and food is ingested.

And believe it or not, he usually likes it and then finishes his plate.

Why is it so difficult to try something new?

This Sunday, we continue our sermon series in the Gospel of John. I look forward to beginning the dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. As we study, we will discover there are a lot of new things being discussed. We will touch on topics of racism, political differences and relational offenses.

I hope you can take a few minutes to read John 4 and then plan to attend the service at either 9:00 or 10:45 am.

Now to get home for dinner, have a great weekend,

Troy

Announcement: This Sunday, January 27^th at 5pm we are hosting our quarterly core conversation. Food and childcare will be provided while we talk about our vision for the future, future elders and finances. You can RSVP HERE.

Super Ball…

This Sunday at 5:40pm the Kansas City Chiefs compete against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. This is a critical event in their pursuit of a trip to the Super Bowl and the Lamar Hunt trophy.

Interestingly enough, the winner receives a trophy named after Lamar Hunt who owned the Chiefs until his passing in 2006. Furthermore, it has been said that the “Super Bowl” was named by Lamar Hunt after the professional football club owners were looking for something catchier than “A.F.L.-N.F.L. Championship Game.” Hunt remembered his daughter Sharon had a “Super Ball” that she had bounced over the roof of their Dallas house and so he suggested they call it the “Super Bowl.”

I bet he could not have imagined how big the Super Bowl would become.

There are times when we know we are a part of a critical event for our lives and there are also times we don’t realize how critical an event is in our lives.

This Sunday, Pastor Dave will share a sermon from John 3:31-36 entitled, “The Critical Event of our Lives.” This event is more important than any other event, including the Super Bowl.

The great news is that you don’t have to choose between learning about the “critical event” at church and watching the Chiefs this Sunday…and…the Chiefs could probably use your prayers :).

So, I hope to see you on Sunday at either 9 or 10:45am. If you are feeling under the weather or the roads prohibit you from driving, we are now live streaming the services and you can find them HERE. I suggest you subscribe to our page and then you will always be up to date.

I hope you have a great weekend and stay safe and warm,

Troy

Announcement: We are still planning to meet for our men’s breakfast at New Life tomorrow at 8am. I hope to see you there.

Windshield wipers…

The winter weather has arrived.

Earlier this afternoon I was out driving in the rain/snow and was reminded of the value of my windshield wipers.

Can you imagine driving in wintry conditions without them?

Mary Anderson felt the pain of driving without windshield wipers.

In 1902, during a visit to New York City, she was riding in a streetcar on a snowy day. Mary noticed that the driver had to continually get out and clean off the windshield.

This got her to thinking about a way to clean off the windshield without having to stop and get out and wipe it by hand.

After heading back to Birmingham, Mary made a sketch, wrote up a description and applied for a patent for the windshield wiper.

Unfortunately, there were more skeptics than believers back then. In fact, one manufacturing firm she contacted replied to her invention with this gem,

Dear madam, we beg to acknowledge receipt of your recent favor with reference to   the sale of your patent. In reply, we regret to state we do not consider it to be of such commercial value as would warrant our undertaking its sale.”

Mary Anderson lived another fifty years and so at some point she saw the fruit of her labor. Finally, in 2011 she was inducted into the inventor’s hall of fame.

However, my guess is that until this email, if I had asked you about Mary Anderson, you would have no idea who she was or what she had done.

This Sunday, I am excited to share a sermon from John 3:23-30 about a conversation regarding the disciples of Jesus. Some of John the Baptist’s followers were concerned that “all the people were now going to Jesus.” It’s certainly implied that John’s followers were concerned about losing popularity. And they would even be forgotten.

Much to their surprise (at least I think) John the Baptist was more than happy to be forgotten. In fact he closes out our Scripture with this opinion about Jesus, “He must increase, I must decrease.”

Chances are you and I won’t come up with an invention near as cool as the windshield wiper and chances are within a generation or two we will also be forgotten. But that’s ok because we were made to point the attention to Jesus and not ourselves.

There is so much more to discuss, so I hope you can make a plan to attend the service either at 9:00 or 10:45am on Sunday. And don’t forget to cheer for the Chiefs tomorrow.

Be safe,
Troy

New Life Sunday…

At age 59, a barber from Reading OH, named Merle Robbins got into an argument with his son about the rules of the card game, “Crazy Eights.” In order to resolve the argument, he invented a game that he and his family designed and made on the dining room table.

In 1971, Merle Robbins invented the game of UNO. Today, UNO has sold more than 150 million copies in more than 80 countries.

Our family loves the game of UNO and played it multiple times over the holidays. If you’ve played UNO recently you know that the game goes in a circle and the only way to play is to have a matching color or number or wild card.

When I am holding a wild card, I feel so much more confident. Typically, I hold that card as my back up until I really need it. The best case scenario is to hold it until the end as the final card.

Conversely, when the play is getting close to me and I am not holding the right color or number, I begin to worry that I’ll have to draw another card. Having no options creates stress.

Life can be like this.

As you and I look ahead to 2019, we may consider our future and feel like we are holding a wild card. Conversely, we may look at the immediate future and feel like we have the wrong numbers and colors in our hand.

This Sunday, I am looking forward to sharing a sermon from John 3:16-21 that is full of options for 2019. In fact, if we accept the perspective from John 3:16 we can live as if we have an eternal supply of wild cards.

Here’s why…God has already offered us an eternal supply of love. He gave His only Son. In other words, God has given us God.

As we look at our circumstances and then look at our great God, we will overflow with hope. In fact, we don’t have to worry about circumstances, we have already been given everything we need for success in 2019.

The only decision we have to make is where we will place our faith.

I really hope you can plan to come New Life tomorrow at 9:00 or 10:45am. I look forward to sharing some thoughts from John 3:16 about the character of God and the difference He can make in our lives this year.

Have a great day and next time you get in a family argument, maybe you should try to invent a game.

Troy