A Weekend in Maryland

Memorial Weekend 2008 was both tiring and refreshing at the same time. Myself and an awesome group of parents and students from Richland Creek Community Church tackled 5 roofing projects and some of 1 John.

I am grateful for the work the Lord is doing in and through the students at RCCC and I saw some amazing progress in students this weekend. May He continue to raise up leadership among the students to influence them in passion and commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am also thankful for the ministry of Zack Furches who just recently came on staff for RCCC student ministries as the High School Ministry Director. His passion for the Word and ability to make decisions with wisdom and grace are a blessing to us all. Thanks Zack for all you do! May God continue to bless our partnership in the gospel!

Do you think the tree feels left out?

A Message from Louie Giglio featuring Laminin

This is well worth the watch.

glocal

Just this last January the students at Richland Creek spent a month training and preparing for outreach through Sunday school. Int eh process they each signed a Glocal Covenant as the committed to not allow anyone in the student ministry to graduate High school without sharing their faith at least one time.

Just 4 months later the work the Lord has done in their lives has been amazing to say the least. I was planning on a year turn around to move these students into an outward focus and begin to think of evangelism as a normal way of life, yet just this Wednesday over 40 students hit the road on a visitation night.

From personal invitations on cold door knocks to servant evangelism projects to guest follow up these students have started on a one way track to understanding what the Great Commission is all about. They are thinking Locally about God's work and missions.

This summer we will be headed to Virginia and Cornall, Ontario for even more missions and evangelism, not to mention that next summer a team of students will be headed across the Atlantic to Greece to work with the Roma Gypsies. Now they are thinking globally.

I am in awe of how fast God has moved these students into action and I pray that hardships, hindrances, unexpected events, and unresponsive visits will not turn the hearts of our students away from a life of making Jesus Christ known.

We will continue to be global and local in the cause of Christ.

Faith Overcomes Fear

Just a couple of weeks ago I shared with the students the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4. The stark contrast between the reaction of the disciples to the storm and the reaction of Jesus is remarkable. The difference, trust. Jesus had an unshakable confidence in God the Father.

It seems that every time I turn around God speaks to my heart saying, just keep on believing. I must say I have an overwhelming passion and burden to see students here at Richland Creek become completely sold out to Jesus Christ. I want to see them take the nonreturnable leap of faith into the eternal work for Christ's Kingdom. Yet we move so slow.

Frustration builds when I look at my weakness as a pastor, my inability to put inside the hearts of our students what a passionate unshakable faith looks like and how they should live it out. Yet God is the heart changer through the power of the Holy Spirit pressing the Word of God upon the hearts of men.

As Jesus told Jairus, the synagogue ruler,"Do not fear, only keep on believing." I will continue to struggle with all His energy as I pray and hope for student after student to catch the Great Commission lifestyle, overcome apathy, and look beyond themselves to a God who desires to captivate their hearts and to the lost all around them.

John 6 tells the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, in verse 5 the apostle writes, "Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."

What are we for so many in this world who do not know Christ? Where are we to find enough food for these people to eat?

"For [Jesus] himself knew what he would do." - "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Do not fear, only believe.