Good news....school gets out in 8 weeks.  Well that may be not so good news to some.  I like it and look forward to summer.  I like the freedom of late night runs to dairy queen (fingers crossed it is open by then,)  love the flexibility of going out to eat after The Rock on Wednesdays with students or simply opening up the house and letting them flood the backyard.  I love the sounds of the evenings and the realization the rush of homework, projects, and activities have slowed down a bit.  And then there's lining up babysitters, the danger of sinking back to childhood when summer meant doing nothing which is not the same for an adult during summer because you still have to work.  The late night runs bite you as you awaken to actually go to work. Rather than cold nights expecting to wake up to white yards you face sleepless nights fearing severe weather.  So there are definitely two sides to every coin.  

But when I think of summer and all of the above I come to one last reason to look forward to summer;  REACH SUMMER CAMP.  June 22-26 will be a week that will be far from the negative side of summer.  This week is what we point to each year.  It's a year we sum up all we've looked at and point to all we're heading into.  It's a week of fun, worship, teaching, singing, playing, eating, living.  A week where the central focus is the Lord, His glory and fame.

We also have an exciting week in Atlanta to look forward to as we partner with Whirlwind Mission and Tim Cummins.  The opportunity here is to travel around the world while only driving an hour to Atlanta.  This will take place July 13-27 with a quick stop by 6 flags on the way home.  We hope to have more information about this later but for now you have the dates and the expected cost is about $100.   We do have signups for both events and would love for you to begin signing up so we can prepare!

Good morning or afternoon!  Hope everyone is well and gearing up for Spring Break.  You can feel the tide turning from winter to summer.  Spring comes in and adds this fresh new, warm breeze that reminds us change is coming.  I had the opportunity to participate in a funeral service yesterday and as I prepared and participated one word screamed out to me.  That word was HOPE.  Hope is an incredible thing.  We all hope is something.  We all hold fast to a person, situation, future event, raise, something that we think will make the present suffering worth it.  We all do this but I pray at the top is this living hope we have in Christ.  If we believe the Bible to be true and to be God's word we know that not even death, the worst that could happen, can extinguish the flame of Hope in Christ.  We often don't think of hope when things are well but as soon as they turn dark or hard we look for something to hope in.  Many students and adults today are simply hoping in, turning to, the wrong thing.  As followers we must cling to Jesus and live in a way that makes Him the blazing center of our lives.  In doing so we not only reap the benefits of experience true hope but we also scream to the world around us that there is something much bigger to live for in this life.  Take hope that spring is coming, take hope that Sunday is coming, take hope that one day Jesus is coming and will wipe away every tear.  Hope 

Hoping you make it down this far for two huge events we need to tell you about.

1. This weekend is our Missions Celebration weekend (GIMC.)  This is a great way for the church to hear about missions, learn about missions, get involved with missions, celebrate missions.  Please take note of two huge ways for students to get involved.  

• Saturday morning we are having a free yard sale, we need help.  So arrive around 8:15 wearing red and be ready to serve.  This will last until around lunch.
  
• Sunday night is when each SS class will have some time with their missionary.  Our missionary is Tim Cummins of Whirlwind Mission.  We are currently planning a trip in July to visit Tim in Atlanta for an exciting time of ministry.  Imagine going to Africa, Honduras, Vietnam, and Japan in the same week without flying and for a fraction of the cost all while making just as much impact.  Sound good?  Well that's what this week will be like.  Unsure of how?  Have your student in the Rock Sunday night to hear from Tim himself and hear how we can serve and ministry this summer.  We need students here....it's a bit embarrassing when the crowd is low for something special like this.  We realize it's a school night but I can't think of a better reason to not get home until 8:30.  They'd just be watching tv or staring at their phone anyway.  But seriously, this is a huge way for them to hear about what God is doing around the world.
• Of course there are other things going on during the weekend but we especially want you to know about these things above.  Hope to see you here this weekend at some point!

2. Reach Summer Camp - We need to begin our sign ups.  Not sure the best way to get the word out other than to call you all personally.  We'll save that for later but for now spread the word. "It's time to sign up for camp."  Tell anyone you know that attends the Rock and while you're at it....make sure they are getting the blogs.  This is the best way we know to contact everyone with all the happenings of The Rock SM.

Thanks for your involvement in this ministry and please join us in prayer as we seek to honor God through leading students to know and follow Christ.

Last night we spent some time reviewing Kingdom Come Dnow.  We had a great time this past weekend and regretted some of our students we not able to attend.  For that reason we helped set the stage last week and reviewed the weekend last night.  Our heart is not to simply do an event....each event we do is intended on having a lasting impression and effect.  We desire for students to grow in truth, not ride emotional roller coasters.  We desire for God to the blazing center of all we do....His glory is first.  We desire this for all our students, not just the ones who choose to come or are able to come.  So we try and do all we can to keep all students on the same page.  The last several years we have attempted to keep each activity and event centered around a theme.  This year that theme is Reach.  We hope students will go deeper down and further in, strengthening their knowledge of God that will be seen in their pursuit of Him, how they walk and live.  DNOW was a loud echo of this.  The King, Jesus, sharing what it means to live as a citizen of the kingdom, as a child of God, a follower of Christ.   The message of DNOW fits so well with Reach and this ultimately points to Summer Camp where we bring it all together and leave with understanding which then leads to a changed life, for His glory and the good of others.   Emotions come in as we stand and view God's greatness.  We do get emotional thinking about Him but these emotions are driven by the truth of who He is, what He has done, and what He will do for our good and His glory.

So last night we spend some time looking back to help us move forward.  Attached is the outline which will help you see the high points of the teaching and also some questions we asked.

There is a lot going on next week (March 21&22) for our celebration of what God is doing in the nations.
There are ministry opportunities, fellowship opportunities, learning opportunities, worship opportunities.

Saturday morning we are hosting a free yard sale, we need help.  Show up at 8am ready to serve and be a presence in our community.  We are also asking families to bring in food boxes.  There are directions in the church bulletin for what needs to be in each box.  These will be given to people as they come and go that Saturday morning.

Saturday evening is a night of fun and learning.  We will have a comedian and an opportunity for your to visit the missionary booths.   Sunday AM is SS round the world.  Look at the list, pick out a missionary and go learn how you can get involved.  Sunday PM is our closing service and night for Sunday School groups to spend some time with their assigned missionary.

So....a great, gospel centered weekend for you and the family.  Please, get involved.  Yes, we're busy but what a great opportunity to show the world what matters most.  Hope to see you there!

Never too early to start planning....it really helps us to know who is going.  So visit the Reach Summer Camp page and see what's up!


Have a great weekend!  Sunday's Comin'

Good morning!  Enjoying the spring weather?  Too bad it ends tomorrow.  But before long it will be 94 degrees with 100% humidity and we'll be longing for cold days again.  The seasons have a way of reminding us that nothing in life is certain....other than the Lord.  He is the only constant in our life.  When we trust Him and believe He is able life seems to work.  Now it may not seem it's working but as we trust Him we are believing that He is working for our good.  It doesn't matter what situation comes up because I know my reward is Heaven, not anything here I can gain.  Like the weather our days are mixed up with changes, rapid ones and sometimes even change that comes from left field (the one you never saw coming.)  In these times and on the 72 and sunny days we trust God, the only constant One in our life.  Praying you see this today and also praying you trust in Him today.  Don't allow the clouds and the cold to prevent you from seeing the sun!   It's still there, above it all, shining bright.

Last night we sought to go two different routes...actually these two routes were traveling the same path and heading to the same destination.  The destination is this; God has a clear path He desires for us to walk.  The Bible is our roadmap per say and tells us how we should live our lives.  Some people have issues with this because they simply do not like being told what to do.  In Titus 3:1-2 we see instruction on how we are to live and respond to the world around us.  Titus 3:3 reminds us that we were once that way....needing help, the answer.  Titus 3:4-7 shares with us how we were brought out of the rut, the darkness.  In 7 short verses we are told to live differently in light of all that God has done for us.  In light of God's grace be and do good!

This weekend during DNOW our students will go deeper into what it means to live a kingdom life.  I'm so excited for the opportunity to teach and also soak in Matthew 5.  In this short chapter we see this, here is the entire theme:  Because you belong to the kingdom your life should look different.

Does your life look different because you belong to the kingdom?
Do your responses to the world look different because God has saved you? (Titus 4-7)
Has your life changed since you began following Christ?

If my life is the same I must question if I truly know Christ?
I'm either in the dark or simply not trusting Him daily?

We can guess or we can simply take inventory and look at our actions....do they show Christ?

The trail of Titus and Matthew 5 are very close together.  One leads to changed actions in light of a changed life and the other gives details as to what this life looks like.  It's a perfect marriage but then again, The Bible is telling one big story isn't it?  A story of a holy God redeeming filthy people for His good purpose.   So how does Titus fit into this story?  What am I supposed to know and do in light of it and the sermon on the mount?

I must ask these questions....I must have a response.  I can't simply read Scripture and set it down as if it were a novel.  NO!  I must put it into practice....I must make changes, worship God greater, turn my eyes to Him.  Life will change when the King comes in.   Is your life different because you know the King?

Attached are the notes and outline from last night.