Leap of faith…

Several weeks ago, while on vacation, most of our family took a leap of faith. For more than a decade while vacationing on Table Rock Lake, we have watched people jump off a cliff. And for more than a decade, we have said we wanted to try that sometime.

Well, we finally had enough “some times” and made it a “this time.”

After a full day of tubing and swimming, we made our way over toward the cliff…and as soon as the boat slowed down, the kids started to jump off and swim over to land one by one. After a few minutes, I followed them over there motivated by a mix of curiosity and pride and an attempt to stay young.

In the time it took to pull myself out of the water and climb up the rocks, it seemed like the cliff grew significantly.

The cliff seems a lot larger looking down from the top than looking up from the bottom…I must admit, I had a few butterflies in my stomach, but my pride was stronger.

As I stood on the top, for only a few seconds, I reminded myself I just needed to hold my breath and jump…. also I reminded myself if I didn’t jump, I would never hear the end of it from my kids since all 5 had already jumped.

Deep breathe…jump….flapping arms…SPLASH!!!!!

And that was it….in fact, it was so fun, I did it again 😊.

Before I jumped or encouraged my kids to jump, I made sure it was safe…everyone under 18 had to wear a life jacket…and after evaluating the potential dangers, we jumped. It took faith, but it was also a sensible decision….and worth it, I might add 😊.

This Sunday, Pastor Don will be sharing a sermon about God’s interaction with Noah from Genesis 6:5-8, in our sermon series, “God, up close and personal.” While sharing the story of Noah and the Ark, he will be addressing the perspectives of judgment and redemption.

Although Noah didn’t jump off the Ark, at least as far as we know 😊, he did need to take a considerable leap of faith in order to spend decades building the Ark. There is much more Pastor Don will share on this topic along with a few great stories.

Additionally, this Sunday, we are celebrating Baptism at Lake Quivira. Similarly, many will be proclaiming their personal faith by following the Lord in water baptism. If you are interested in participating in the baptism or celebrating with your church fam, make sure to Sign Up Here.

I can hardly wait for Sunday to arrive, see you soon!
Troy

Putt Putt…

Over the past few years, our family has started a tradition of mini-golfing while on vacation. We love the challenge of putting the golf ball around obstacles, through tight spots, up and down hills, and if we are persistent into the hole.

You might know that we are a very competitive family and we have had to improvise in order to keep our vacations relaxing and not stressful.

So, in order to keep it fun, we play “best ball” on the putt-putt course. Each person partners up….and in order to keep it fair, we randomly select our teams.

As far as the game itself, we each have our good shots and then plenty of not-so-good shots.

If you have played mini-golf, you know how it feels to miss it badly…. it’s a feeling that is a combo of frustration and “hurry and play again in order to make it better” (I’ve named a new emotion 😊).

You also might know how it feels to get a hole-in-one…you know…you hit the ball and after it rolls a few seconds, you get a quick thought that it could be a hole-in-one…and then you doubt yourself…and then….

IT GOES IN!!!!!

And if you are like any of us….you jump…shout…and run to pick the ball out of the hole.

Then you pause for a few seconds to enjoy the moment.

The memory of a good putt is what gives me the desire and confidence to keep on playing.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing the final sermon in our series from Galatians. We will be talking about the feeling you and I get when we sink a putt….this is a word that describes how we get “the confidence to keep going or to charge ahead.”

The particular word is “boast” and its found in Galatians 6:14, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul wrote this entire book to tell his close friends in Galatia who had reverted to finding confidence in religion that only the cross of Jesus gives us the confidence to charge ahead in life.

So what gives you the confidence to charge ahead in life? If it’s a hole-in-one….you really need to come on Sunday 😊.

I look forward to sharing more about boasting in Christ from Galatians 6:11-18, at 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and enjoy this cool weather,
Troy

Genius Dad Move…

For the past several days our family has been on vacation in Branson, MO and we’ve actually enjoyed the hot, steamy weather because we’ve spent most of our time at one of the pools or on the lazy river.

And when we were not in the water, we were reading, canoeing, playing mini-golf, or eating good food.

Very relaxing….

Yesterday, while we were on a lazy river marathon, four people jumped in ahead of us. It was a dad, two teenage sons, and a teenage daughter. Before the first corner, the daughter had started splashing her brothers…as a parent of five kids, I knew where this was headed…..immediately.

Only a short distance passed and ultimatums were offered….and then it happened…the older brother upended his sister’s tube, tossing his sibling into the water and her tube off to the side.

The only thing our entire family missing was popcorn….things were about to get interesting for sure 😊.

The dad was a Type A and it was obvious to us, his kids were each pretty athletic. Right after the tipping incident, in a deep voice, he shouted, “That’s enough!”

The kids got back onto the tubes and resumed a lazy float…but the sibling side eyes and splashing only got more intense.

Another warning from dad….(number two to be exact)…and by now they had extended the space between us to about twenty yards.

Meanwhile, we were just waiting for the next sibling interaction….and then it happened….

…from our perspective, it was mostly splashing water….a sort of wrestling match…and shouting…mostly happy shouts…but nonetheless, this was the third interaction of the short trip down the lazy river.

Dad made no shouts…and for a moment I wondered if he had lost control….NOT AT ALL. I was about to experience one of the best dad moves I’ve ever seen….

As the water settled, we all looked at the family in front of us and it was almost surreal…..both the teenage son and daughter who had been splashing and fighting in the water were back to back….IN THE SAME TUBE!

It was parenting genius!

And Leigh-Ann and I were full of respect. I wanted to get an autograph or pictures…and got neither….but this unknown father had struck a perfect balance between holding a line and distributing discipline on vacation.

Well, this Sunday, we will be back from vacation and I look forward to sharing a sermon from Galatians 6:1-10 about a different kind of balance.

A balance between controlling religion and rebel individuality when it comes to the church community and mission. When it comes to those of us in the church serving each other and the world around us, too often we look like siblings fighting in the water, when we should resemble siblings enjoying and encouraging each other.

There is much more to share with regard to community and mission, especially at New Life CityChurch, I hope to see you this 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and stay cool,
Troy

Fruit…

About thirteen years ago, God brought Dave and Karen Robinson to Leigh-Ann and me. Their friendship has changed our lives and ministry…in a really good way 😊.

We’ve served in the city together, listening to firsthand stories about injustice and pain. We have served in Budapest sharing the Gospel with school teachers, students, and others struggling to understand life and feel love. We have also traveled to the Philippines to learn from pastors and ministry leaders who have planted hundreds of churches and led thousands to faith in Jesus.

Such great memories.

Dave has made me laugh hard….like really hard…he makes ministry fun. He has also taught me much about relationships and leadership….and the value of a really good “clicker” 😊. Dave has even given me a special appreciation for Bob Dylon. At the same time, we have also had a few challenging conversations. I’m so thankful for this friendship.

This morning I was reminded again of the significant influence Dave has had on my life. We had a New Life CityChurch elder team meeting. Dave opened us up with a few verses to help us in our prayer life. He asked us to share a name or a characteristic that we think of when we consider Jesus.

He then asked us to pray with this descriptor in mind.

God used this practical teaching to lift my heart and be reminded that Jesus is the King of Kings. No matter what is happening around me, I can trust Jesus.  

Selah!

Through a friendship that is ready to enter its teenage years, I have watched Dave and Karen bear burdens, serve selflessly and pour themselves into Leigh-Ann and me and so many others.

It’s clear, they bear the fruit of the Spirit.

With this in mind, I am really excited for Pastor Dave to preach this Sunday as we continue our sermon series, Deep Faith in the Gospel of Grace, He will share a sermon from Galatians 5:16-26 entitled, “Joining the Spirits fight against the Flesh.”

I have no doubt Dave’s ministry will encourage your soul and strengthen your faith.

I hope to see you this 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and stay cool,
Troy

Crashed….

Leigh-Ann, Dallas, and Sophie left last night to travel to St. Louis for Sophia’s final club soccer tournament. Her next games will be in college.

Alexa, Isaiah, Ian, and I stayed home! 😊

After eating some dinner, they took off and headed East on I-70. We jumped in a different vehicle and headed south toward the pool. When we arrived at the pool, it was closed due to a swim meet so we called to ask the name of another pool we could crash and they told us they would call us right back, they had just been in a literal crash.

A few seconds later my phone rang, and Leigh-Ann said they had been rear-ended. It was not their fault and everyone was ok, but the car was definitely damaged.

My mind started racing….I wondered how bad the damage was on the car…. ”was it drivable or should we trade cars?” I wanted to make sure they got the insurance information from the “Rear-Ender.” Also, “Were they still on I-70, or had they gotten off the road?” “Were the police there?”

So many questions…

We started driving towards them since we were about 30 miles away and they had a long trip ahead. We wondered if we would make it to the pool…we didn’t 😊. Also, we were very low on gas. We had planned to stop on the way home. As the situation continued to unfold, it became difficult to make well-thought-out decisions instantly.

We decided to meet up at a Costco where we could gas up our vehicle and then they could continue on their trip. We wanted to get to them as quickly as possible and we decided to go for it, but we didn’t tell them we had more miles to drive than we had gas in the tank. We decided to take the risk and this time it worked in our favor….we made it.

I’m sure you’ve felt the pressure of making tough decisions in a limited amount of time. Life can throw more at us than we are ready to handle for sure.

This Sunday, we continue our sermon series through Galatians, “Deep Faith in the Gospel of Grace.” We will study Galatians 5:1-15, where Paul contrasts the difference between frantic performance and patient faith. Even as Christians, we can fall into the trap of attempting to make God happy by what we do. Often this only makes matters worse. Together we will discover that even during difficult times we will experience peace when we settle into a life of patient faith.

I hope to see you this Sunday at New Life CityChurch 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend and stay safe,
Troy

It’s your birthday…

Today is our annual celebration of Leigh-Ann’s journey around the sun. We’ve officially been married for more than half of her life.

Wow!

I still remember the first time we locked eyes….there was certainly a spark. We lived a time zone away from each other, however just over a year later we began dating.

We made it official on June 6^th, 1996.

It would take a book to write everything I love about her, and I don’t want to be late for our dinner reservation, so you will have to trust me that she is amazing.

As we have grown in our relationship, we have learned a lot about each other. We each have plenty to frustrate the other….although, I’m sure if we counted (which we don’t) I am probably more frustrating.

On the other hand, we have plenty to celebrate about each other. Leigh-Ann is beautiful inside and out. She loves well and is wise and discerning. She is hilariously sarcastic and has a great sense of humor (she even laughs at most of my dad jokes).

Leigh-Ann is a passionate follower of Jesus, the best wife and mom, and a mentor to many.

We have grown to know each other so much better since we first locked eyes in the spring of 1995.

This is not to say we haven’t had our struggles. There have been seasons when we haven’t felt as close or connected as we would like. Most often these moments of “disconnection” can be traced back to our failure to meet the expectations of the other. Often these expectations were unattainable…. sometimes we just simply fell short.

A relationship that demands perfection will fail because we are human and unable to achieve perfection. Rather a relationship that grows in intimacy will be marked by vulnerability, failure, and forgiveness.

The same is true for our relationship with God, He doesn’t want our conformity, God wants intimacy.

This Sunday, I look forward to sharing a sermon from our series in Galatians, “Deep Faith in the Gospel of Grace” explaining how to grow in intimacy with God as opposed to conforming to a list of rules.

We will study from Galatians 4:21-31. In these verses Paul contrasts the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, and concludes, the only way into God’s family is through our genealogy, but rather through faith in Jesus.

I hope to see you this 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Sunglasses…

For the past few days, I’ve been wearing sunglasses.

The sun is bright, and I want to protect my eyes from ultraviolet light…but that’s not really why I’m wearing sunglasses.

I’ve realized it’s easier to risk people wondering why I’m wearing sunglasses than to risk showing them why.

The reason I’m wearing sunglasses is because I am covering up something embarrassing.

Want to know why?

Ok….

I have Pink Eye.

It’s not the worst sickness or pain, but I certainly don’t like it. I also don’t love wondering what people think when they see my “Pink (Red) Eye.”

So, it’s easier to cover it up than to have to explain it to everyone.

However, when I get home, I take off my sunglasses. My family knows I have “Pink Eye” and they may feel bad for me, but they don’t judge me. I know they receive me as I am….”Pink Eye” and all.

This Sunday, Will Boroughs will teach from Galatians 4:8-20 in our sermon series from Galatians, “Deep Faith in the Gospel of Grace.” These verses reveal that Paul had a bodily ailment that was a trial to the church. And the Galatian Christians did not scorn or despise him, they received him.

I hope New Life CityChurch is a place where we don’t need sunglasses for our lives. I hope we are a community that is full of grace for differences and full of inspiration for change where necessary. I hope we are a church that points everyone to Jesus, whether we are wearing sunglasses or not.

I hope to see you this 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend,
Troy

The table…and a dad joke…

How have you experienced a healthy family?

Although health in our biological families is not always possible, our Scripture passage for Sunday from Galatians 3:25-4:7 offers us hope for health in our spiritual family.

As I consider a healthy family I think of:

• Long and deep conversations over some great food
• The freedom to express opinions without fear of judgment
• Laughter
• Raw communication of hopes and dreams
• Respect
• Long walks on the beach
• And of course, Dad jokes 😊….

One of our kids has tracked my Dad jokes for the past several years. And if you get to hear them, you are family. As I get older and older (took on another year this week) I work harder at perfecting the art of the dad joke.

In order for it to be good, a Dad Joke must have a little shock value, it should make everyone pause and wonder “Did he really say that” and “What is he talking about” and then like a flash of lightning…IT HITS….and although no one verbalizes “Ah, I get it now” their faces make it clear.

All of this then a few laughs….and of course, the loudest and deepest laugh is from me…and to wrap it up, a perfect dad joke must elicit some form of eye roll.

I think what I love about a good dad joke is that it reminds us we can be ourselves…we can enjoy simple pleasures like conversation, surprises, and laughter…we simply enjoy us.

I wonder if God ever enjoys some form of Dad joke when He sees our behavior….and how seriously we take ourselves and our ego….I wonder if God ever allows circumstances into our lives to help us see the punch line that life is more about vulnerability and acceptance than performance and approval.

I’m looking forward to Sunday when we will study much more about family….faith….and of course God’s grace. We will be at the halfway point of our sermon series studying through Galatians, “Deep Faith in the Gospel of Grace.” Who knows, maybe there will even be a few Dad Jokes 😊.

Our services are 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Broken rules…

As a family, we have a mission statement posted on the refrigerator that we use to inform our direction. Here is what it says:

Serve Jesus as the Lord of our home,
Value honesty with ourselves and others,
Create a loving environment to nurture God-sized goals,
Support and cheer for each other,
Work through conflict,
Have fun, laugh a lot,
And reflect God’s glory to change the world.

This sounds great…at least we think it does…but it’s not always the reality. A few days ago, WW III almost broke out in public between the boys. I was still parking the car, but Leigh-Ann made her point very clear, that behavior would not be tolerated.

Fighting in public (and private 😊) is never ok. We have made this expectation explicitly clear and yet it still happens.

We expect respect and honesty and kindness and so many other good things…but those things can be difficult to quantify….So, we have specific rules such as “honor your parents”, “don’t lie” and certainly “don’t steal”. Another rule is that the best seats in the car are arranged by seniority. Unless they choose it (which they never do) you won’t find our oldest kids sitting behind the youngest ones.

Why?

It takes away the argument over who gets the best seat.

We have rules because we want to create a loving environment to nurture God-sized goals…we want to have fun and laugh a lot….we want to reflect God’s glory to change the world.

We have plenty of rules in our household. But the rules and keeping the rules never guarantee good relationships.

It is possible that our kids don’t lie, never fight, and always sit in the right seat…and still fail to create a loving environment…. still fail to support and cheer for one another…and still fail to have fun and laugh a lot.

The rules are meant to inform our relationship, however, if we keep the rules and fail in the relationship, we are missing the point.

Similarly, in Galatians 3, we discover rules (the law) are in place to inform our relationship with God. However, the rules never ensure relationships. There is so much more for us to learn from Galatians 3:15-25…I hope to see you 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Glimpses of grace…

Sunday is Mother’s Day!

I know Mother’s Day can be tough for some…for those of you who like Hannah in the Old Testament long to become a mom, this day might be a reminder of that void…for others who have lost their mom, Mother’s Day might add to your grief….there are still others who did not get to have an exemplary mom….and Mother’s Day might dredge up some painful memories.

I’m very sorry for those who are feeling pain and struggle….at the same time, I know God has sufficient grace for you…even now.

It is my prayer that we are able to point toward God’s sufficient grace this Sunday while still celebrating the beauty and strength of mothers.

Both my mom and Leigh-Ann are great examples of showing those around them a portrait of God’s grace. Each has a gift of showing selfless, generous love.

Growing up, my mom loved to surprise me on weekends and run my paper route so I could sleep in….she also loved making a big dinner and would coax us boys to eat seconds, thirds, and fourths…compliments to the chef…mom has been a beautiful picture of selfless love and grace.

Leigh-Ann also has the gift of hospitality, she loves to prepare a great meal so we can sit around the table and share our lives. She carries a heavy load as a mom with five kids plus friends. She is beautiful and courageous. She is honest and down to earth. She is a friend no matter your background or status.

Leigh-Ann reminds me of God’s grace in that she is the rare person who will run toward danger.

If there is an emergency, you absolutely want Leigh-Ann close by!

Several years ago, while I was still at the church, we had an intruder walk into our house and up the stairs at dinner time…all five kids were in the kitchen living area and Leigh-Ann turned around to see an intoxicated stranger in our kitchen just a step away from the kids.

She calmly walked him out the front door telling him, “We need to go…” She deadbolted the lock, called 911, and then me.

Talk about taking care of business….just like God’s grace.

I can’t wait to share more 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 9:15 am. Additionally, we are also publishing our sermons on Spotify.
Troy
P.S. We have some great gifts for every mother and person who has mothered. We also will have a photographer to take your pictures.