Peace…

Peace!

It seems pretty clear that nearly everyone wants peace, however, when asked to describe one’s life, it is rarely the first word given.

Earlier today, a car cut in front of me and then slowed down to stop barely leaving enough room to take my right-hand turn at the light and keep moving.

I was in a pretty good mood, so I chose not to honk or do anything crazy but as I drove by I looked in the window and noticed an elderly couple who seemed oblivious to the situation. I was of course glad I had kept my thoughts and actions to myself.

On the same trip, I drove by another slow car in the left lane, and this time as I looked over I noticed he was on his phone and was reminded of the verse, “he that is without sin cast the first stone.” 😊Again I moved on…but what if I had honked my horn and pointed at the phone as I drove by? There is a good chance it would have escalated.

Conflict is often unwelcome, but at the same time is too common in our world. Unfortunately, we are used to experiencing everyday frustrations such as poor drivers and thoughtless people all the way to life and death situations such as the war in Ukraine which has already caused a confirmed 2,829 civilian deaths.

Peace seems like a timely topic and this Sunday, Pastor Dave will be continuing our series in the Gospel of John with a sermon from John 20:19-23 entitled, “Peace & Purpose, Jesus and His disciples.”

I am so glad Jesus died on the cross and then resurrected so we could experience peace with God and often through His grace peace with those around us…even slow drivers in the left lane.

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

In the meantime, if you aren’t driving the speed limit, move over to the right lane 😊,
Troy

Alive and well…

Several years ago, we planted five apple trees in our yard. And within a few years, they were producing apples. We’ve had a few attacks from Japanese Beetles and plenty of squirrels pillaging for their share, but every year they continue to grow and produce fruit.

Since I grew up with apple trees, I love eating an apple straight from the tree.  I also really love eating Leigh-Ann’s world-famous apple crisp (hint…hint).

A few weeks ago, I noticed the trees were growing out of control and needed to be pruned. It had been a few years since I had attended to the trees, so I started pruning….and pruning…and pruning.

What is significant is while I cut off the branches, the trees appeared to be dormant…there were no apples or leaves. However, just a few weeks later, the trees are blooming with life.

The tree’s transition from dormant to flourishing trees is one of my favorite things to watch.

This past Sunday, we celebrated a different transition. However, Jesus wasn’t dormant, he was dead, and then He arose from the grave. As impressive as it might be to watch a seed go into the ground and die before sprouting to life, or witnessing trees go dormant before spring to life, the resurrection of Jesus is unparalleled.

Following His resurrection, Jesus interacted with more than five hundred people including some very close friends. For the next six weeks, our sermon series will look closely at the people Jesus interacted with after His resurrection. And the first person Jesus met following the resurrection was Mary Magdalene. This Sunday, Gabor Gresz will be preaching a sermon entitled, “Grief, comfort and mission” in our series “raised from the dead.”

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

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Greatest Moment…

Over the past few days, Dallas and I have been at a soccer tournament for his team. And to be honest, it’s been a tough tournament with plenty of learning experiences. On the parent’s side of the field, we really, really want the boys to win, however, we also know that losses can bring the most growth.

And if this weekend is any indication, we are about ready for a growth spurt 😊.

I’ve observed that many games come down to one moment…one great run or touch or..the.miss…can be the difference in a game. Since one goal is often the difference between winning and losing, much of the game is about a buildup to one moment.

This is why giving up a goal is incredibly painful and scoring is full of exhilaration…I’ve been to a lot of games and some days are painful and others are hard to stop talking about because they are so memorable.

Life is like this.

It has been said, time is measured in hours and days while life is measured in moments.

Consider some of the most significant moments of your life, perhaps you’ve had a close call with death or maybe you think back to marriage or children. For others, it’s a job offer or acceptance into a school that can be a life-changing moment.

As Christians, we have been celebrating the most significant moments in our faith for holy week. Of course, the incarnation of Jesus was an incredible moment, there were miracles and teaching. Last Sunday we rehearsed the story of Jesus walking into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Shortly after coming to the tune of “Hosanna”, the shouts changed to “Crucify Him.” After a hurried arrest and hearing, Jesus was sentenced to death.

The crucifixion of Jesus is a life-changing moment. It was on the cross, Jesus took the sins of the world on himself, satisfied the wrath of God, and provided forgiveness for our sins and peace with God.

We have created a 9 minute Good Friday video to help you reflect on this incredible sacrifice by Jesus providing you the gift of eternal life. I hope you can take some time to feel the darkness and the pain of this life-changing moment.

But the story doesn’t end on Friday. As Christians, we may feel the pain of Friday, but we also know the resurrection of Jesus is the biggest moment in history. This moment not only answers to toughest questions of life, but it also provides us hope for eternity.

I sure hope you can join us this Sunday for our celebration of the GREATEST MOMENT IN HISTORY.  Our service times are 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available), or you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Have a great weekend,
Troy
P.S. I hope you can take a few minutes to watch our Good Friday Video HERE.

Ahhhhh…Ughhhhh

A few days ago, on a beautiful evening, Ian and I went for a bike ride. The other kids were participating in soccer practices, so we loaded up the bikes and took off on our own exploration.

It didn’t take long to hear the birds and squirrels rustling in the woods. There was a river of water and plenty of trees just starting to bud.

I love spending time in nature, especially with my kids.

Then as we rounded a corner, in front of us was an exorbitant amount of trash…bags, clothes, bottles, and boxes. Clearly an abandoned homeless camp.

It seemed like as soon as we saw the trash, we stopped hearing the birds and seeing the beauty.

Later on in our ride, we came across some historical monuments telling about the Battle of Westport. This battle in the civil war was the largest engagement in the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. It was the pivot point for two days as the armies battled. One monument stated that “wounded and dead soldiers littered this area.”

It was hard to imagine that just over 150 years ago, the same woods where we heard the birds and river and enjoyed the serenity were burial grounds fueled by hate and injustice.

The irony of beauty ruined by evil is the story of mankind.

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we continue our journey through John and will study from John 19:31-42. We will see a crowd that was shouting “Hosanna”, turn against Jesus, and shout “Crucify Him.”

In spite of fallen people and disappointing circumstances, we have a Savior who is always faithful. We can trust Jesus.

There is so much more I want to share, but you have to come Sunday. Our service times are 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available) or 10:45 am, or you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am. If you want to catch up on our sermon series, you can watch last week’s sermon HERE.

Have a great evening,
Troy
P.S. This Sunday New Life turns 15 and we are celebrating. We will have services like normal, however, we will also have a party outside for when you are not attending church. Some of our church leaders will be flipping pancakes and offering some great toppings, we will have yard games, a place to share some of your favorite memories, and a place to get individual or family pictures. Whether you have attended New Life once or for 15 years, we would love for you to join in the celebration!

That looks amazing…

Leigh-Ann is incredibly talented at putting together pretty much anything edible. Whether it’s the main course, a snack, or a desert, if her hands have touched it, you can expect your mouth to be watering.

This week our kitchen has been brimming with nearly anything that can be concocted with sugar, tastes great, and looks amazing.  

There has been a rare occasion where one of the kids or I gets to test for quality control, but for the most part, we’ve had to exercise discipline.

Here’s why….

Leigh-Ann is in charge of the dessert table for the New Life CityChurch Women’s Retreat that starts tonight. If you are reading this before you head out there, save some room, it’s going to be amazing. If you are like me and unable to attend, pray for leftovers 😊.

I know Leigh-Ann has invested an incredible amount of time and energy into preparing dessert for her New Life family and friends. Her motivation is that she wants every woman to have fun, relax and grow closer to Jesus and somehow desert is a key ingredient to all of the above.

It might look like caramel popcorn or a chocolate-covered pretzel or a cookie to most, but I know is much more than that, it’s an expression of her love for people.

This Sunday, we will study from John 19:16-30, where we read about the journey Jesus took to the cross. He endured humiliation and put up with hypocrisy in order to express His love for you and me.

Of course, the love Jesus expressed on the cross provides us forgiveness for our sin, peace with God, and hope for eternity.

There is much more to the sermon, but you have to come on Sunday 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. If you want to catch up on our sermon series, you can watch last week’s sermon HERE.

Have a great evening,
Troy