Perspective…

Recently, while biking with a friend, we missed our turn on the trail and ended up in new territory. We were on a path that was completely foreign to each of us.

And it was not an easy path.

I was sweating and breathing heavy, my legs were killing, but there was no option but to keep pedaling forward.

After what seemed like a very long ride, we stopped to look at a map…we zoomed out and saw where we had traveled already and then attempted to figure out the best path to get back to our vehicles.

Although we were not certain when we would get back to familiar territory, we took off in the direction we thought would give us the best chance…and within a few feet we began recognizing the trail.

While totally confused and looking at the map, we were just a few feet away from familiar territory …however we didn’t recognize it at all because we were facing it from a different direction.

Same trail…different perspective.

When I think back over the past six months, there is a big portion of our path in life that looks foreign and difficult…2020 has a new look for sure…however, it’s possible our interpretation could be impacted by our perspective.

So, how can you and I be sure we have the right perspective when it comes to our path of life?

I am hoping my sermon for this Sunday can help.

This is our last sermon in the series through the book of Daniel. We will take some time to review the big events in Daniel such as the exile, fiery furnace, lion’s den, visions and promotions. Spoiler alert: we will discover that when it comes to massive movement at the world changing level, God is sovereign and we have to simply trust He is in control.

However, when it comes to our daily decisions, I think we have much to learn from Daniel and four prayers of his that are weaved throughout the book (Daniel 2, 6, 9 and 10). Ultimately, we will discover we must pray our way through the chaos of life. And here is the good news, when we understand the value of prayer, we will invest more time into it than ever before…and that is a game changer when it comes to perspective.

I hope you can plan to attend our services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

Additionally, if you are interested, you can check out our video podcast discussing one of our NLCC Core Values, “Authenticity and Grace.”

I hope you have a great weekend, Troy

1st week, 1st low tire…

Yesterday marked the 1-week anniversary of Alexa going away to college. In the afternoon my phone rang and her name popped up on my caller ID.

Hmmm….

She proceeded to let me know her tire pressure light had come on and wanted to know what to do.

I walked her through the basics of checking and inflating her tires. Then we decided it would be best to get it checked out just in case there was a puncture or larger problem.

At this part of the story, I beam a bit with pride. On her own, she decided to go to a tire place that was “sketch” but had the highest stars. In addition, her friend went with her so she didn’t get “snatched.”

As a family we pride ourselves in never paying full price if we can help it. And the “sketch with high stars” is something I’m going to borrow in the future.

In the end, the owner was from KC, they checked out the tire and it was low, but there were no leaks so they aired it up and she is back on the road for a grand total of $0.

Of course, nobody wants a flat tire…otherwise known as a “trial.” However, in retrospect, the trial provided an opportunity for Lexi to learn more about her car and discover a great tire shop in town. Ultimately, it is shaping her into a better person.

This Sunday, Pastor Dave will bring a sermon from Daniel 12:1-13 entitled, “Trials and Triumph.” Ultimately, we will discover how God desires to use our current trials to purify us and ultimately purify His church.

I sure hope you can plan to attend our services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

Also, for many of you, this has been a very long time to be without deep relational connection to your church family, if we can pray for you or help you in any way, please send a quick email to info@newlifekc.org.
Have a great weekend,

Troy

Unexpected visitor….

A few days ago, I heard the garage door open and then shortly thereafter, my phone rang and it was my daughter who had opened the garage door.

She hasn’t been driving very long and I was almost certain, she had run into something in the garage…

Nope!

“There is an Opossum in the garage and we are not getting out of the car until you get it out.”

I am decent when it comes to exterminating small animals….not great, but not bad either. However, one of the few animals that can give me the chills is the Opossum. Mostly because of the tail…and paws…seriously, just thinking about it now gave me the chills.

To make a long story short…it took a long time…but we finally coaxed it out of the back corner of the garage with a leaf blower.

Since the start of the pandemic, we have had mice, birds and plenty of kids in our garage.

However, I just never imagined the only marsupial native to North America would run into our garage. I feel honored!

Surprising and sometimes scary moments are most often unexpected. I doubt anyone would have predicted our current situation while getting ready to go back to school last year.

Unexpected news comes in many different forms. Sometimes it is a slight nuisance and other times the unexpected can be disastrous and even tragic.

This Sunday, one of our NLCC elders, Jason Parr will continue our sermon series in Daniel by studying from chapter nine on the topic of prayer. These verses provide incredible hope and direction for life, especially when dealing with the unexpected.

I hope you can join us for services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

I hope you have a great weekend,

Troy

Announcement: Check out our new podcast, “Learning to think in emotional settings” with Don Lewis, Jeff Shrout, Jordan Marcotte and Troy Campbell

Canoe race…

This past week our family was able to head down to Ridgedale, MO for a few days of vacation. It was truly a blessing to unwind after a busier than normal summer schedule.

When we get away for vacation, we have a few traditions we like to keep. We love to swim in the pools and soak in the hot tubs. We have an inside joke that we can clear most any hot tub within five minutes or less when our family of seven arrives. When its available, we also love to swim and tube in the lake. Of course, getting S’more kits and watching a movie every night is always a blast.

Perhaps our favorite tradition is the day we take out the canoes. For the past several years we have paddled at a leisure pace out to a waterfall and then we race back. It is always boys against girls and this year…the winning canoe was…the BOYS.

Of course, there was a reason the girls came up short. I would call this “reason” an “excuse” but, I can go with reason if it makes them feel better about losing :).

Here’s the thing…the boys lost last year, so when it came to making predictions about the race, I didn’t want to say too much for fear I would have to eat some humble pie.

This Sunday, I am really looking forward to seeing everyone (in masks of course) to worship together and hear from Gabor Gresz who will be sharing a sermon about a much more serious prediction from Daniel 7-8.

The prediction in these verses is about the anti-Christ. And in the end there will be no dispute, Jesus will reign! Which is great news for 2020.

I hope you can join us for services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

In addition, this Sunday, we will host a baby dedication and baptism service at Lake Quivira at 5pm with a cookout afterwards. We are asking everyone to wear a mask for the times we are gathered together, however for the most part we will be able to socially distance. If you would like to RSVP, just send an email to: gmoore@newlifekc.org. ALSO, if you are interested in being baptized, please send a quick email to me at: trcampbell@newlifekc.org.

Hope you have a great weekend, 
Troy

Smoker…

I am officially a smoker!

Yep, we were given a meat smoker a while back, so I googled a few things on how to smoke meat. My initial attempt was pork brisket, and it was less than successful.

Several months went by and as we were attempting to figure out a menu for Alexa’s graduation open house, I decided to give it another try.

Last week we bought some chicken and I started smoking again (I’m having way too much fun with this double meaning).

By the time the day of the party rolled around, I was pretty excited. I bought the meat, soaked it in a secret blend of herbs, and then put it in the smoker, slathered it in BBQ sauce, and after a few minutes put it in the pan to serve.

As much as I would like to take credit for having some long lost skill as a chef, I simply had to have a smoker and learn how to use it.

From now on, our go-to for large gatherings is going to be the smoker.

This Sunday, we are going to look closely at a story that reveals the go-to for difficult situations.

Daniel has been framed…he is facing death…and if I told you this wasn’t stressful, you would think I was smoking something besides chicken (see, there I go again 😊).

Daniel is retirement age and he is taken to court for breaking a new law from a new king. So what is Daniel’s go-to?

It’s not a high priced defense attorney or a private investigator or even a social media campaign.

Daniel’s go-to for tough times is prayer.

And this may seem like an oversimplified sermon, but prayer should also be our go-to for tough times.

For real, when cooking for a large crowd, your go-to should be smoked chicken, and more importantly when facing tough times, your go-to should be prayer.

I hope you can join us for services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

Hope you have a great weekend, 
Troy
Announcement: We will host a baby dedication and baptism service at Lake Quivira on Sunday, August 2 at 5 pm with a celebratory cookout to follow. If you are interested in being baptized, you can find more info HERE or email gmoore@newlifekc.org.

It’s a mystery…

This morning I woke up, put my contacts in, spent some time with the Lord, worked out, got ready for the day, put my glasses on and drove to the church office.

Did you catch it?

I didn’t until I was staring at my computer screen and had a hard time reading…things were blurry and I couldn’t figure it out….until…

Viola’

I suddenly remembered I had put on my contacts AND was also wearing my glasses.

If you have ever made this mistake, you know the feeling. It is really strange to put on your glasses and still have blurred vision, then check your glasses, and even clean them off and put them back and still have a hard time seeing.

Confusion and mystery go way beyond a rough morning with spectacles. It seems like no matter where we go for answers nowadays, it is really tough to interpret reality.

This Sunday, I can’t offer any insight into COVID-19 but I can offer to take you through a study of Daniel 5:1-31. This is a stand-alone story about a King throwing a party and then everything changes when a hand appears and writes a message on the wall.

Talk about confusion….

I am guessing King Belshazzar thought he was seeing things (notice the nice addition of glasses to the Rembrandt), however it quickly became apparent this was a serious message about his immediate future.

Through it all, we will find hope in our sovereign God working through the prophet Daniel to accomplish His plan for the world. The good news is our God is still sovereign and His plan is still on track.

I hope can plan to join us for services EITHER: Together at 9:00 or 10:45 am at NLCC with a mask OR: online at 10:45 am for the Livestream on YouTube or Facebook. If you have specific questions about attending in person, you can find many answers on our website.

Hope you have a great weekend, 
Troy
Announcement: We will host a baby dedication and baptism service at Lake Quivira on Sunday, August 2 at 5 pm with a celebratory cookout to follow. If you are interested in being baptized, you can find more info HERE or email gmoore@newlifekc.org.

Dreams, kids and Mizzou Football…

A few days ago I received this text, “Let me know when you have a few minutes to talk in the next couple of days. The topic would be a partnership with the Missouri football team, CarePortal, and potentially your church meeting needs of kids and families together.”

No offense to those of you who are KU and K-State fans, but I was officially curious.

Long story short, a while back, a well-known Christian artist had a dream (the only one he’s ever had like it) that he was running late to a concert. As he approached the stadium where he was scheduled to perform, he could see the noisy crowd waiting for him. The roads were empty and he stopped at a stoplight…since he was late, he was tempted to run the light. However, he noticed an abandoned child.

It was at that moment, he felt God tell him to pick up the child and bring it to the concert. Since then, the dream has expanded to provide practical opportunities for the people who make up the church to participate.

Which brings me back to the text I received on Tuesday.

While on a trip to Haiti, this Christian artist toured a GOEX facility in Haiti that manufactures apparel and decided to award them the contract for making and printing the merchandise for his tour. Then while in KC for the last stop on his tour, he visited the offices for GOEX and discovered the CarePortal which he had been hearing about on his tour was a part of the same ministry organization.

From there, the connections went into the world of NCAA Division 1 football and landed at Mizzou, so this season, the Mizzou football team will work together to select needs and then partner exclusively with New Life CityChurch to pick up and deliver items to families in Jackson County.

God has used dreams since the beginning of time. But dreams are a tough subject. Is God really speaking, or is it heartburn. For me, it’s always been heartburn, however this Sunday, I look forward to sharing more about one of the many dreams we can read about in the Scriptures.

A dream shown to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon 2,600 years ago. It was a dream that bothered him and fortunately, God revealed the dream and the interpretation to Daniel and it impacted the course of history. I hope you can take some time to read about this dream in Daniel 2:24-49. Ultimately, this dream in Babylon will help us know the difference between being a god and having a God. My choice for life is definitely the latter.

If you plan to attend in person at 9 or 10:45am, you can find the details here. Or, if you prefer, you can join our Livestream here.

If you have questions about how to get more involved serving the needs of children in foster care, you can check out this video.

I hope you have a great weekend and I sure hope to see you soon,

Troy

Juneteenth…

Today is Juneteenth. 155 years ago, enslaved people in Galveston Texas we told they were free. Although this was about 2 ½ years after the Emancipation Proclamation, word finally arrived to the slaves they were officially free.

It is obvious and extremely gut-wrenching to note this official proclamation has not ended racism. Over the past few weeks, I have listened to stories of friends about instances when they have been judged because of the color of their skin and not the content of their character.

Since we have been privileged to adopt two African-American sons, Leigh-Ann and I have worked toward educating ourselves about the problems many Black Americans face every day. We have listened to racist remarks about our boys and endured thoughtless questions.

However, our experience is mild compared to so many others.

I am saddened by those who would attempt to justify or explain away racism. I’m sure you feel the same way. My news feed and notifications tell a story of hopelessness. A story of caring people who want to help end racism but at the same time a story of pain and struggle and vehement anger.

Over the past few days, my heart has been lighter and I’ve been looking through hope-filled glasses.

Why?

Re-learning the story of Daniel has been life-giving.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing part of this story. A story of pain and struggle, exile, and fear turned into a story about a young man God used to impact two world powers first-hand and a story that continues to point people to justice and truth more than 2,500 years later.

I look forward to sharing from Daniel 2:1-23 this Sunday. It begins with an angry Emperor who goes on a killing spree and ends with a doxology.

We will offer two in-person services at 9:00 and 10:45 am for those of you who are comfortable attending. Please see the details for attending TOGETHER. If you would prefer to continue worshiping with the Livestream, you can tune in at 10:45 am HERE.

If you are interested in listening to some of our church leaders discuss racism, you can watch our weekly podcast HERE. Finally, if you are interested in taking some time to pray about the racism in our city, many Christians will be joining together this evening at 7 pm to Pray on Troost. Several from New Life will be meeting on the South East corner 27^th and Troost.

With everything going on in our world, I sure hope you get to join in our New Life CityChurch service either in person or online.
God Bless,

A battle for control…

A few weeks ago, we welcomed a new family member…a puppy named Gratzi. Her name means grateful which is the word we chose as a family for 2020.

This is dog number 2…no pun intended. Honestly, she has been pretty well behaved. The biggest surprise so far has been we thought Gratzi was male until Leigh-Ann paid a visit to the Vet and we learned Gratzi is female.

Beyond her identity issues, Gratzi just wants to be Zoe’s friend, but that is easier barked than done. Zoe is most definitely playing “hard to get.” There is progress, but it’s very slow. At this point, a win for Gratzi means Zoe doesn’t growl at her or try to chase her out of the room.

This crisis is understandable…Zoe used to be the center of attention…but that changed the moment Gratzi strutted in the door. Before Gratzi, Zoe had her places to sleep, she had full reign on the backyard and nobody ever messed with her food or toys.

It remains to be seen if Zoe will adjust her habits to accommodate Gratzi or if Gratzi will learn to conform to Zoe’s rules of the house?

I’ll keep you posted…

On a much more serious note, a similar battle wages on in our world today. As Christians, we are citizens of an eternal Kingdom, however on a daily basis we are faced with the struggle to remain loyal or to conform to the patterns of the world.

This Sunday, Pastor Gabor will share a sermon from Daniel 1:8-21 entitled, “Living under Cultural Pressure” from our new sermon series in Daniel, ‘The Church’s influence on today’s world.’

This will be our second week to offer the option to come back TOGETHER (see details here) in person at 9:00 or 10:45am. If you are more comfortable watching online, the Livestream will be here at 10:45am.

I sure hope you can join us. Have a great weekend,

Troy

Opportunity:  Over the next two weeks we have some incredible opportunities to learn & grow in our pillars of Worship, Community, Mission & Generosity. Our ministry partners at Cru are offering 4 sessions in a series called “Awakened”. All sessions are on Zoom. Please take advantage of some, if not all, of these sessions by going to http://churchmovements.com/events/awakened/ and clicking “Register Now”.

Embrace the Mystery…

Our boys have started to love magic tricks. Over the past several weeks they have been making money appear out of “nowhere” in my pockets or behind my ears and even have had loose change appear in a jar.  

We are still in the trial and error mode. Plenty of trial and plenty of error…however, occasionally something special happens. A few days ago, Dallas was able to “read my mind” and guess the card I had selected.

It was a good enough trick to keep me wondering about how he did it.

There is something about a good magician that can capture our attention and give us a sense of awe and even inspire us to try to figure out how he/she was able to pull off the trick.

One of my favorite magicians (beside my boys of course) is Shin Lim, winner of Americas Got Talent. Any time I’ve seen him perform, I am blown away and left asking, “How did he do that?” If we are watching as a family, we typically talk about how amazing and unbelievable the magic trick seems to be…

Here is my question….

Why is it, when it comes to a magician, I love embracing the mystery…however when it comes to life it’s not quite so easy?

As I have reflected on the pain in our world, I am tempted to demand answers. But is this really the best response?

This Sunday we are going to begin a sermon series in the book of Daniel entitled, “The Church’s Influence on Today’s World.” We are going to look closely at the story of Daniel who clearly trusts the Sovereignty of God while at the same time embraces the mysteries surrounding pain and injustice.

I look forward to sharing from Daniel 1:1-7 and you have the choice to come to a service in-person at 9:00 or 10:45am or continue to watch the Livestream at 10:45 am HERE.

If you decide to come, please visit our NLCC webpage to RSVP and also look at our restrictions and FAQ’s.

I hope you have a great day,

Troy