This season….

I love this time of year. The weather over the past few days has been nearly perfect. Cool in the morning and evening with sunshine and a nice breeze throughout the day. But that’s not all….it’s also football season.

😊

For some of you (Ahem….Leigh-Ann…) this may seem insignificant…however, it’s not. This is a time when negotiations for the remote control heat up. And I must say, similar to a successful political campaign, I am slowly moving towards a majority vote in our house for football.

Here’s why…our middle son Isaiah has started to play tackle football for his middle school this year. He’s in 6^th grade and one of the smallest on the field. But he’s a fighter….and he loves to play.

Until this year, I tried to teach him the details of the beautiful game of football, however, it really went over his head. He would choose to watch nearly anything but football…but the winds of change are coming….and I can just feel we are close to winning him over…

Here’s why….

He knew a little about football from our games in the backyard and with family during holidays. He watched the Chiefs with the family. But, when he put on the pads and strapped on the helmet, he really began to experience the beauty of the game.

Swimming through the O-line on a linebacker blitz and wrapping up the ball carrier and hanging on for dear life…hearing the referee’s whistle calling the play for a loss and the crowd cheering loudly…still hasn’t happened 😊….but he has made some great tackles and catches and is learning the system.

He loves the game because he plays the game.

The same is true with our faith.

This Sunday, James changes topics from dealing with trials and temptations to moving beyond talking about our faith to living it out. James put it this way, “be doers of the word and not hearers only.”

This Sunday, I will share from James 1:19-27 about pure religion. The Gospel empowers meekness, obedience, and pure religion. And when we are doers of the word, we get to experience God at work. There is so much more to share, I really hope to see you on Sunday 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.

Enjoy the weekend,
Troy

Daredevil…

I grew up in St. Cloud, MN, less than a mile from the Mississippi River. As a kid, on hot summer days,  I remember loading up my fishing pole and tackle box and biking down to the river. I had a favorite place just downriver from the Mississippi River Dam where I had learned how to use a daredevil fishing lure.

I remember back to catching plenty of bass, walleye, carp, and even northern pike with a red and white daredevil lure. It was always fun to cast it out into the current, and reel it in, bouncing it off the rocks and sticks and moving water, and then, all of a sudden….a fish would STRIKE.

Often if it was a bass, it would jump out of the water…a carp would drag it down and the northern pike would fight. This challenge of reeling in the fish, often against the current was always a blast. Most times I could reel it in, but sometimes the big one would get away….and then I would have to bike over to the bait shop on 9^th Avenue and buy another daredevil lure with the money I earned from my paper route.

I am smiling now as I reflect on those beautiful summer days as a young teenager getting to fish in the river.

It is pretty mind-boggling to think that a fish would fall for that lure… made out of stainless steel, with three very sharp, barbed hooks and simply painted red and white. When examined closely, it’s not appetizing at all.

Yet, the fish would somehow see the flash of silver on one side and red and white on the other and believe it would satisfy their hunger.

Boy, were they wrong!

I still remember trying to get the hook out of the fish’s mouth after fighting for several minutes against the current. Even if the fish survived, it would always be scarred.

This is similar to our Scripture for this Sunday, where James warns us about being lured and enticed by sin that ultimately ends in death.

At first, sin might seem exciting or fulfilling, but in the end, when we are tempted, Satan always magnifies the potential pleasure and hides the consequences of sin.

This Sunday, Pastor Don Lewis will be continuing our series through the book of James, with a sermon from James 1:13-18 entitled, “Death by Desire.”

There is so much more to share, I really hope to see you on Sunday (with an adjusted service order) 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

#sharehappiness

Several weeks ago, we took a few days for vacation in Branson. It was way too short, but we had a blast while we were there.

We boated, floated, swam, and soaked in the sun.

Considering the hectic pace of the fall, I think I’m ready to go back 😊.

At one of the pools, there was a photo opportunity with a large frame….so the kids gave us a pose and we snapped the pic.

There is a hashtag at the bottom, #sharehappiness.

Vacation is often a time for happiness…laughter, smiles, and great memories. However, as much as we might desire it, we can’t stay on vacation for life.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t experience satisfaction in the good times and bad.

James offers us a key to unlocking satisfaction…it’s wisdom.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing the second sermon in our series, “Faith that works” from James 1:5-12.

Together, we will discover, James is encouraging us to ask for wisdom that sees beyond the trials to eternal glory.

This wisdom, through Christ, satisfies.

Whether we are on vacation or in the middle of a really tough trial, we can experience satisfaction even better than vacation happiness.

There is so much more to share, I really hope to see you on Sunday (with an adjusted service order) 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.

#sharesatisfaction,
Troy

Powerless…

Our family has lived downtown KC for twelve years….and we love it! We have heard our share of sirens and gunshots…we’ve also witnessed plenty of unique situations…from someone passed out in our front yard….to someone entering our house while Leigh-Ann was making dinner….to high-speed chases through our alley…to some interesting interactions at our front door…Despite some chaotic situations, living downtown is incredibly rewarding and we are so thankful for the opportunity God has given us to be in the middle of all the action.

It seems there is always something to do….we love to crash some of the events downtown…whether it’s the taping of a TV show, free concerts and festivals or even sitting out on our porch to watch fireworks multiple times a year….the energy of the city (even though it’s not NYC or LA) is invigorating.

And when possible, we love to ride our scooters around to check out the action.

A few weeks ago, I was driving a scooter home from church…I got to the top of the hill on Troost and it died….so I coasted down the hill and back up toward our house as far as gravity would allow….and then had to walk/run it home for the final block….I was guessing I had run out of gas…

However, when I got home, I immediately smelled gas….and then after pulling off the seat and looking a bit closer, I noticed a gas line had become disconnected….

Carefully, I fastened it back on, turned on the ignition, and Vrrrrrrooooooomm….it was back up and running.

I’ve learned the city can be packed with exciting opportunities and the scooter is a great way to get to it all….but if the gas line is disconnected…it will all get old…..fast.

Similarly, in our journey with Christ, we are called to be active in service for the Kingdom….however, if we are not regularly empowered by the Gospel, we will get tired out and discouraged fast. In our own strength, the opportunity that was once a privilege will become drudgery!

This Sunday, we are starting a new sermon series through the book of James, “Faith that Works.” There are 54 commands within 5 short chapters….and we must obey the commands, but we can’t do it on our own, we must be connected to the power of the Gospel. This Sunday, I look forward to sharing an overview of the book and James 1:1-4 in a sermon entitled, “Complete in Christ.”

There is so much more to share, I really hope to see you on Sunday 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

Team…

This evening we are looking forward to watching our oldest daughter play soccer. She’s a junior in college and has the opportunity to play in a healthy environment for a great coach.

I remember the first year she played soccer at the ripe age of 6…

It was basically a mob of ponytails surrounding a ball and buzzing around the field. The technical expertise consisted of staying on one’s feet and chasing the ball around the field while parents cheered and yelled at the ref.

Each of our kids started at this level and to be very honest, it was painful to watch. Leigh-Ann and I are each competitive people and having to endure poor soccer tested each of us.

However, we have survived the initial years of non-skill and now each of our kids are at the level where its actually fun to watch….usually 😊.

There have been times when one of our kids has been the leader on the field, making her/his teammates look good…AND…there have been plenty of times when our kids have depended on teammates for a win.

The beauty of team sports is kids learn from early on, they win and lose as a team. And of course, playing sports is much bigger than simply winning or losing. Playing on a team builds character, teaches life lessons, and helps kids of all ages mature.

This Sunday, I look forward to talking about a different kind of team….the church community. There are plenty of similarities to team sports. Just like a good team has a goal to win a championship, a good church is in the community for the good of the Kingdom.

We will review Psalm 37 and offer some basics for thriving in our church community. There is so much more to share, I really hope to see you on Sunday 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