Go Chiefs!!!

By far the biggest topic of conversation in KC this past week is the 42-36 OT win for the Kansas City Chiefs. In case you’ve been in isolation for the past week, the Chiefs were down 36-33 with 13 SECONDS left in the game.

Many are calling this the greatest game of all time with 31 points being scored between the two teams after the 2-minute warning in the 4^th Quarter.

I’m sure a few fans gave up hope after the Bills scored with 13 seconds left (Not in our house 😊)….however, the team didn’t give up at all, they stepped up AND CAME BACK FOR THE WIN!!!!!

Let’s GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

It’s obvious the Chiefs have great leadership. From the ownership and front office to Coach Andy Reid of course and each of his coaches to the players starting with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Noah Gray 🙂 and so many more…

Leadership is necessary for any team to succeed in the NFL. Leadership is also important in so many other aspects of life, especially in the church.

This Sunday, we will continue our sermon series through Titus, and Pastor Dave will be preaching a sermon from Titus 1:10-16 about how important it is for spiritual leaders to keep the Gospel clear and remove all that would distract, distort or oppose it.

It’s clear Coach Reid wasn’t scrolling through social media in the 4^th quarter or adding movies to the queue, rather he was dialed into the game plan. He had his game face on and was totally focused on the task at hand.

Similarly, as Christians, we have a task at hand and as aspiring leaders, we must stay on point. There is so much more to discuss, but you have to come on Sunday…plus, the Chiefs need our prayers 😊.

I sure hope you can attend in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Go Chiefs,
Troy

Leadership…

On January 15, 1929, Michael King Jr. was born. This was the beginning of a life that impacted millions of people and inspired change for generations to come. He was the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel peace prize. He delivered his famous “I have a dream speech” in front of more than 250,000 people in Washington DC. He was also the first African American to receive the honor of being named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year.

His leadership skills date back to his father and his early childhood. In fact, it wasn’t until he and his father became so inspired by Martin Luther when they visited Germany that his dad changed both of their names from Michael Luther, to Martin Luther.

Perhaps it was the inspiration from the great reformer that empowered MLK to stand against the evils of racism and unify people to fight for human rights.

What was it that made MLK JR such an incredible leader?

Of course, books could be written in response, however, there are a few of my favorite quotes that could shed some light.

“Everyone can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.”

This Sunday, we will enter our third week in our sermon series through the book of Titus. This week we will cover Titus 1:5-9 and delve into the reason and need for strong leaders in the church. Whether it is fighting the evils of racism or delivering the hope of the Gospel, God uses human leaders to encourage unity and speak the truth of the Gospel.

I sure hope you can attend in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Stay safe and have a great weekend,
Troy

Empty Tube…

This morning as I was getting ready for the day, I got to the “brush my teeth” part of the routine and noticed the tube was about empty.

This was not a surprise…it’s been getting close for a while and since Leigh-Ann and I have separate sinks and toothpaste…this one is on me. We also have plenty of teeth to brush in our household so there’s that….

But today, I am pretty sure I squeezed the final bit of minty gel out…I am also pretty sure that Leigh-Ann will find out that I need toothpaste for the first time when she reads this email. 😊 😊

As I reflect on my empty tube of toothpaste, I can’t help but compare it to our own lives. It’s not easy to get toothpaste out of an empty tube…and it’s also not easy to get selfless service out of an empty soul.

New Life CityChurch is committed to helping you serve from a full soul in 2022. There are plenty of practical ways we are helping such as Worship Services and Connect Groups, however for the first time ever we are offering a Development Academy.

This is an opportunity for you to dig deep into Theology and also test drive some practical ministry opportunities. It all starts tomorrow at 7:30 am and you can get all the information and sign up on our NLDA Webpage.

Additionally, this Sunday I look forward to building on the introduction Pastor Don shared for Titus last Sunday. We will dig deep into Titus 1:1-4 and be assured God is trustworthy and He has promised us eternal hope!

I sure hope you can attend in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

There is so much more for us to learn about our eternal hope, but you have to come Sunday to find out 😊.

Stay safe and have a great weekend,
Troy

Transformation…

Several days ago we had a tragedy at our home…it was actually New Year’s day and we were each laying around watching football when all of a sudden, Gratzi came walking over toward us and Poppi attacked her viciously, unprovoked.

This was not a friendly wrestling match at all….

Within a split second, Poppi lost it on Gratzi….even though she is younger and smaller, she went after Gratzi like a shark with blood in the water.

Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the dogs were fighting, Poppi literally was choking Gratzi by her neck…Leigh-Ann was first to the scene and the kids were right behind….there was barking and screaming, pillows were flying and after a few seconds that seemed like minutes, Poppi was pulled off and Gratzi was completely traumatized from being victimized.

We were at a loss for what to do next. This was the second vicious attack within a few weeks, and since they seemed to be escalating we wondered if we had not been there, what could have happened.

We have guests to our house regularly and this was also something to consider. Finally, after a few hours of discussion back and forth with the rescue who gave us Poppi…and plenty of tears, we decided the best decision would be to bring Poppi to KC Pet Project.

The people there were incredibly helpful and calming. We shared our story and every bit of information we had on Poppi. They were very confident she would be adopted out soon into a one-puppy, no kid home.

We stopped at Sonic to help everyone feel better and began settling into a new norm with just one dog. Although the decision was very difficult, we haven’t regretted it, because we couldn’t guarantee Poppi would change (or that Gratzi would ever come out from under the bed again).

Fortunately, when it comes to our spiritual lives, people can change. Not on our own, but by the power of God. This Sunday, Pastor Don Lewis will be starting a new sermon series from the book of Titus on the topic of transformation.

The Apostle Paul wrote to people who were known for dishonesty. The people from Crete had a reputation for lying, However, when the Gospel of Jesus was introduced, people were transformed and the Island began to have a different reputation.

I sure hope you can attend in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Troy
Development Academy: Check out the details for our New Life Development Academy starting January 15^th HERE.