1…2…3…4…

Since early summer, I’ve been working out with my daughters. I love it for many reasons…although my number one reason is it allows us to spend time together. In case you might be tempted to think more highly of me than you should, I probably only average 1-2x per week 😊 and I’m certainly not going to break any records in the weight room or with my running.

We typically go to the gym and do some type of circuit to build our strength and sometimes we also add in some cardio work.

Each of my daughters has better endurance and is in much better shape, however, they are patient with me (as they should be 😊)…. especially when we run together.

One thing I love to do is throw weights around and shout loudly…. just kidding. To be honest, the last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself in the gym. A good day for us at the gym is to have it to ourselves, complete our reps and get out. And here’s why…I only have two important objectives:

• Spend time with my kids
• Strengthen my muscles

Anything else really just gets in the way.

This Sunday, I am looking forward to sharing the final verses in the book of Colossians. Specifically, in Colossians 4:7-18, we will discover Paul’s final greetings and directions to his friends.

Paul loved spending time with his brothers and sisters in Christ. He also loved it when they grew strong in their faith. Similar to my desire to strengthen the family bonds with my daughters, Paul sought to strengthen his family bonds with his spiritual family.

This Sunday, we will discover that Christ-centered friendships not only strengthen the family of God, they also last forever.  This is important because we will formally be saying farewell to Jordan and Sasha Marcotte and spending time thanking the Lord for the multiple ways He has blessed our friendships.

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

Have a great weekend,
Troy
Announcement: Women of New Life: If you would like to get more updates, tips, and online friends, you are welcome to join our NLCC Women’s P31 Facebook Page HERE.

To be clear…

A few days ago, one of our kiddos lost his tooth. He had been working on it for several days, however, it was a molar and that meant the retraction was a bit more difficult.

Finally, after quite a bit of wiggling, it popped out.

I think my kids view losing their teeth as a part-time job.

As an outsider, you might think they were pretty hard up for cash the way they maneuver their teeth. But trust me, they are just fine, they simply would rather have some money in their pocket than teeth in their mouth.

I’m sure that will change someday, but for now, it’s all about the tooth fairy.

So, after the tooth was lost, he told me the tooth would be under his white pillow. (He brought an extra pillow into bed with him so he wouldn’t be disturbed in his sleep….I can’t even….)

Unfortunately, the first night the tooth went under the pillow, I forgot (I mean, the tooth fairy was backed up with customer service issues and needed to reschedule 😊…yeah, that’s it).

So, the next night, I got another subtle reminder the tooth would be under the “white pillow” in case the Tooth Fairy was able to get there.

Good news….I remembered…and I had $2 in my wallet, so things were looking up. I remember when I grew up it was .25 cents….so I figured that was fair since inflation continues to rise. Anyway, he’s happy, so if you give your kids more $$ don’t tell him :).

As a parent, there are times when schedules are busy and our minds are pre-occupied with more things to do than there is time in the day….and we need clear communication. Now my son and I are each grateful he was clear in his communication. He made a few bucks and I have a good lesson for my sermon.

This Sunday we are going to talk about clarity when it comes to the gospel. In Colossians 4:2-6, Paul taught the church in Colosse, they had to be clear about the sufficiency of Jesus and this meant they had to prioritize prayer, make sure their conduct didn’t detract from the Gospel, and then simply speak well.

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

Have a great weekend,
Troy
Announcement: Women of New Life: If you would like to get more updates, tips and online friends, you are welcome to join our NLCC Women’s P31 Facebook Page HERE.

Represent…

I read a few days ago that over the past decade, the population of downtown Kansas City has grown 29.4%. The vibrancy of downtown KC has continued to expand…businesses continue to open and grow, blighted real estate is being transformed and every day more and more people are coming here to live, work, play….and PRAY.

New Life CityChurch has also been growing. In the midst of tough times, we have added a third service and are still needing to plan for more space.

A few weeks ago, in our Core Conversation, we talked about the plans to expand our auditorium. To add more seats and squeeze every bit of space into something useable.

I shared some building plans that will elevate our seating and allow for a coffee shop/community space underneath. The plans will also provide some additional office and meeting space to meet the needs of our growing leadership team.

I just love looking at plans and dreaming about what the building will look like in the future. In addition to remodeling our auditorium, we are talking about planting new locations around the city to fulfill our mission to develop a community that inspires people to know and follow Jesus.

What if we started to gather supplies and build out the space but it didn’t reflect the plans?

The city would refuse to pass our inspections…we wouldn’t be able to meet for services….and we would waste a lot of time, money, and resources.

If the actual building doesn’t reflect the plan, we have a big problem.

This Sunday, I look forward to continuing our sermon series through Colossians. Our Big Idea is that we are to represent the sufficiency of Jesus in everything. Specifically, in Colossians 3:17-4:1, the Apostle Paul gives us practical examples of how we will represent Jesus in marriage, parenting, and our work-life when Jesus is sufficient.

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

Have a great weekend,
Troy
Announcement: Tomorrow (Saturday, 8/21) morning we will host a men’s breakfast from 8-9:00 am at New Life CityChurch. We will be discussing the topic of forgiveness and enjoying plenty of great food and coffee for breakfast. I hope to see you there.

Coming out…

We have two dogs in our family, Gratzi and Poppi. And I must say, my growth as a “dog person” has been slow and steady. At first in our marriage, Leigh-Ann was the sole lover of dogs in our household.

I put up with a dog because I love her…however, I certainly didn’t love the dog. Our first long-term dog was Pepper…and when she was a puppy, she and I had our share of differences 😊. Back then, dress shoes had tassels and she bit off the tassels of two different shoes, which meant I lost two pairs of leather dress shoes.

Time has a way of healing and when we finally had to put her down after twelve years, I admit, I had a lump in my throat. Our next long-term pet was Zoe. She did a lot to win me over, especially toward to end of her life (R.I.P.).

A year ago, we welcomed our COVID puppy Gratzi and now a few months ago we added Poppi. It’s never been my idea to get another dog, however, I’m glad we have them.

There, I said it…. 😊 😊.

These two are great friends and what I like about them is they just love to be touching a human. If they aren’t running around like crazies….they are lying next to someone close enough to touch.

This morning, I was getting ready to roll out of bed after my alarm went off and Poppi jumped up next to me and simply wanted to be touching me….so I stayed in bed a few more minutes. And to be honest, felt great about how our relationship has been progressing.

As I look back over 22 years of dogs in our household, my journey towards acceptance and enjoying pets has been slow and steady.

The Christian life can be like this…at first, you may hear about knowing Jesus and are turned off because you have heard stories about “Christians” who are unloving and judgmental. You may not want to make sacrifices or changes in the way you live your life. You may struggle with what the Bible teaches about morals and objective truth.

However, in a much greater sense than owning a pet, if you continue to pursue a relationship with Jesus, you will discover the sacrifices you make are not only minimal, they are actually for your own well-being. You will also experience companionship and intimacy with God that would have been impossible for you to explain before knowing Jesus. You will also be content to simply rest in the presence of God.

This Sunday, we continue our sermon series in Colossians by looking closely at Colossians 3:5-17. We will focus on what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and for Him to be all and in all.

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

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Teamwork makes the dream work…

Tomorrow, Leigh-Ann and I celebrate twenty-two years of marriage.

The day we stood together before a pastor and a few hundred of our closest family and friends, we made a covenant to become one. In order for this to work, we each had to give up our individualism and pursue a new identity. In Genesis, when God gives instructions for marriage, He tells husbands and wives to leave (parents), cleave (together), and weave (in covenant with God).

Of course, this is easier said than done. I remember a few weeks into our marriage we were deciding on paint colors for our house and what started as an amicable discussion turned into an argument.

I’d like to say we learned our lesson (Leigh-Ann knows way more about making our home look great) but we’ve had plenty of arguments since then. At the same time, we’ve also had incredible moments of synergy and vision, and accomplishment.

Fortunately, before too long, we recognized we are each pretty hard-headed, and if we disagreed we could do plenty of damage, however if we could get on the same page, we could change the world (or at least survive and have a few kids 😊).

In marriage, it’s important to create a new identity, that is made up of the equal parts of husband and wife.

When it comes to our relationship with God, it’s different. We don’t combine our identity with His, rather we become one in Him through Jesus Christ.

This Sunday, I look forward to continuing our sermon series, “Colossians-It’s all about Jesus” by studying Colossians 2:16-3:4. In these verses, we will continue the theme from last week about satisfaction in Jesus. When we focus our mind on the things above, we will confirm our identity in Jesus.

So, how do we do that?

You’ll have to come Sunday to find out 😊. I hope you can join us in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Have a great weekend,
Troy
Announcement: Gary and Barb McClintock and Leigh-Ann and I will be hosting a Marriage Panel this Tuesday, August 10th. We would love to hear from you with any questions or topics you would like us to address. Please take 2 minutes to share them here: https://newlifekc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/73/responses/new.

New Life CityChurch COVID Team Announcement: Please check your email tomorrow for an update regarding our COVID protocol with regard to the new KCMO mask order.

Oh Carp…

Recently, we took a little trip as a family to feed the fish. It has been about a decade, but since Alexa is going back to college in a week, we have been reminiscing about good ol’ times, and feeding the fish is one of them.

So, we arrived at Blue Springs Lake with five kids, some stale dog food, and high expectations. We hoped to see carp jumping and rolling out of the water for a shot at a kernel of food.

These fish did not disappoint. Some of them were so excited about this stale dog food they were literally crowd surfing….or shall I say carp surfing 😊 😊.

The fun thing about feeding the fish is that a little bit of food creates a lot of excitement (similar to our household LOL). The difference is, these fish have become accustomed to risking their lives for stale dog food or moldy bread.

Why?

It’s all they know.

I hate to say this, but sometimes we as humans are not far from this behavior. We have been known to risk our lives for low-end pleasures. Attempting to satisfy our appetites with temporary solutions. Like the fish, we are lured in by worthless promises and we end up worse than when we started.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing a sermon from Colossians 2:6-15. The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Colosse to remind them that Jesus is sufficiently satisfying (say that 5x in a row :)). We don’t need to look for an experience or a friend or anything that promises to fulfill us….anything we could ever need for fulfillment is found in Jesus.

And just like the fish, when we go outside of our God-given environment to feed our appetites we will always be disappointed. There is so much more to share, I hope you can take some time to read through Colossians 2 for yourself and then plan to join us in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Have a great weekend,
Troy
Announcement: Pastor Don and Hildred and Leigh-Ann and I will be hosting a Parenting Panel this Tuesday, August 3rd. We would love to hear from you with any questions or topics you would like us to address. Please take 2 minutes to share them here: https://newlifekc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/73/responses/new

This Sunday we are hosting our New Life Baptism and Baby Dedication at Lake Quivira at 5pm. If you are interested in getting baptized or having a child dedicated, please email Pastor Jeff: jshrout@newlifekc.org. If you are planning to attend and celebrate, please RSVP with Gary: gmoore@newlifekc.org.

Rejection can be a gift…

This week the teenagers, college-age and young adults from New Life are serving Kansas City on a missions trip called, “For my City.” We have some incredible young leaders who have done everything from planning and budgeting to organizing and now leading about fifty or so people into ministry opportunities all over Kansas City.

A few days ago, we had a final section of the calendar we needed to be filled out on Friday (today) from 11-1:30 pm. I love to help with some of the ministry connections, however, this specific time was simply getting rejected at every attempt.

Finally, on Wednesday, I sat down at my desk to listen for God’s voice on this need and it occurred I should call some daycare facilities.

My second call was to a daycare five minutes away. As soon as I explained we would like to bring over 20-30 teens and young adults to offer a carnival for the kids, the director said, “you’re going to make me cry.”

This had not been my typical response and she followed up by asking how I got her number. I told her I had just googled her and then set a time later in the afternoon to meet her and talk details.

Two of the young adult leaders jumped in my car and we drove to this daycare facility. When we arrived, the director invited us into her office along with an assistant and told us how thankful they were for our help.

She went on to say that at the exact time I had called, they had been trying to plan for a carnival on Friday but didn’t know if they could pull it off on their own.

And then I realized, God had been holding off the other ministry opportunities so we could get to this daycare.


As I reflect on this story, I am again reminded that there are circumstances God allows into our lives that at first might seem to be a trial or unnecessary difficulty, however, God’s plan is often revealed on a different timeline than our expectations.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing from Colossians 1:24-2:5 about how suffering can be a gracious gift from God. Of course at the moment, we typically just want it fixed and for the suffering to go away, however, God’s plan is often so much different and ultimately the suffering we endure as a gracious gift from God should strengthen our confidence in the Gospel.

I hope you can take some time to read through Colossians 1 and 2 for yourself and then plan to join us in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Breaker…breaker…

Recently the boys have been playing with Walkie Talkies. These gizmos are pretty fun because you can talk to and be in constant communication with someone you can’t see.

The other day, I came home and as I walked upstairs, I could hear the boys talking on the Walkie Talkies. One was in the kitchen and another was up in his bedroom.

I heard him say, “Dad’s home…hide…he’s really upset…”

And then I heard the reply, “I know you’re lying….dad never gets mad…”

Well, that is mostly true…it would be very rare for me to be upset when I just get home…my mood after a full day of settling sibling squabbles could be another story.

Using Walkie Talkies to communicate is different than talking in person or on the phone for me because when I use Walkie Talkies, I am focused and committed to the conversation. The moment I hear the beep and voice with static, I’m locked in and ready to respond.

The inherent weakness of Walkie Talkies is the range is typically pretty short…at least with the ones we buy. If you leave the yard, it’s doubtful the communication will go through.

Using Walkie Talkies as a form of communication can be comparable to prayer without the inherent weakness of range. God is always ready to listen to your prayers…at any time and the great news about prayer, as opposed to Walkie Talkies, is God is never out of range, never turns Himself off, and is always ready to listen….24/7.

This Sunday, Pastor Don will continue our sermon series in Colossians by preaching from Colossians 1:9-14 entitled, “Prayers with Paul.” We are told to pray without ceasing and given the promise that God’s ears are always open to our prayers. There will be much more on the topic of prayer and I’m certain you won’t want to miss it.

I hope you can take some time to read through Colossians 1 for yourself and then plan to join us in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Over and out,
Troy
Announcement: Our New Life CityChurch Baptism is coming up on August 1^st. If you are interested in getting baptized, please reply to let me know and I will send you all the details. Also, if you are planning to come and celebrate, Pastor Jeff sent out a link to RSVP today. Or you can simply email Gmoore@newlifekc.org with the names of those attending.

Hope for life….

Over the past several days, we’ve developed a new tradition of playing HORSE after dinner. This may be inspired by the NBA Playoffs and of course, this is a competitive endeavor…nobody in our household likes to lose.

In case you don’t know, the game of HORSE is a game played with a basketball. The first person in line shoots and if they make the basket, the person behind them has to make it. If they make it, the next person goes and so forth.

If and when someone misses, they get a letter to the word, HORSE. When someone gets enough letters to spell HORSE they are out of the game and the winner is the last person in the game.

There have been a few times I’ve launched a shot perfectly into the air and it came down with nothing but net, but most often my shots have banged off the rim or backboard or worse yet landed as an airball.  

Every time I launch a shot, I hope it goes in. I tell myself, “you can make this.” And in my mind, it’s perfect…however in reality, it’s rarely perfect.

The reason I struggle with confidence is I know my track record as an outside shooter in basketball is not the best.

In life, I have similar struggles, I know my track record is not the best when it comes to always doing good. And when it comes to living perfectly, I miss more often than I want to admit. To put it simply, I miss the mark (sin) all the time. And there is no way I will ever get good enough to never miss again and furthermore, I could never make up for all of my past misses.

But there is still hope….

This Sunday, I am looking forward to opening a sermon series in the book of Colossians. The point of the book is that in ourselves, we really are without hope. However, by placing our faith in Jesus we have overwhelming hope to fulfill God’s righteous expectations. We will begin this series with an overview of the book of Colossians and then dig into Colossians 1:1-8. I hope you can take some time to read these verses for yourself and then plan to join us in person at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity) or 10:45 am, or watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or Facebook at 10:45 am.

Now to work on that jump shot…have a great weekend,
Troy