Hey Lakesider’s! 2012 is coming quick and I would love to see some of you join up and participate in a Bible Reading Plan this year. Rather than reinventing the wheel I am going to join a group that a friend of mine, Josh Cousineau has put together. The group is going to be following the Chronological Plan. I encourage you to read Josh’s Blog Post and join the group. I am looking forward to being accountable with others as I read and hear from God through His Word daily and I wold love for you to join us.
Dec 292011
- Have someone read the following quote.
On this side of eternity, Christmas is still a promise. Yes, the Savior has come, and with him peace on earth, but the story is not finished. Yes, there is peace in our hearts, but we long for peace in our world.
Every Christmas is still ‘a turning of the page’ until Jesus returns. Every December 25 marks another year that draws us closer to the fulfillment of the ages, that draws us closer to home.
When we realize that Jesus is the answer to our deepest longing, even Christmas longings, each Advent brings us closer to his glorious return to earth. When we see him as he is, King of kings and Lord of lords, that will be ‘Christmas’ indeed!
— Joni Eareckson Tada”A Christmas Longing” in Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, ed. Nancy Guthrie(Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2008), 137
- Have someone read Luke 2:22-38 .
- Sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing together.
Family Discussion Questions
- How did the LORD keep His promise to Simeon? (See Luke 2:26-29) What did Simeon mean when he stated “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;” How does God’s faithfulness to Simeon encourage your heart and bring you peace today?
- What does Simeon say about having laid eyes on Jesus? Why was this such a blessing in Simeon’s life?
- How does Anna respond to the birth of Jesus? What can we learn from this response? What does such a response say about Jesus?
1) Sing Joy to the World as a Family -Joy to the World
2) Read Luke 2:1-21
Family Discussion Questions
3) What is the joy the Angels speak of in Luke 2:10? What does the word joy mean? How does one find the source of that joy today (2000 years later)? Have you found that joy in your life?
4) Why is it important that Jesus came as a baby and was laid in a manger?
What a great day Sunday October 23rd was for LCC and Two Rivers! I was so blessed to participate and hear all that God was doing in and through so many of you as you faithfully served God, His Church, and our communities. I wanted to follow up and give you all some details of all that took place Sunday.
First of all, what an exciting time of praise and prayer we had at LCC prior to being sent out to serve. . I also want to reiterate the huge blessing that all of our team leaders were to me as they each stepped up and led with grace, faith, and hearts zeroed in on God’s glory. Thank you all for your service and willingness to lead us to accomplish greater things together than we could have alone.
The team who served at the Waterboro Elementary School did a great job cleaning the school grounds ,painting outside doors, and taking care of all of the outside flower beds and gardens. I was blown away at the difference the team of 40 people made in the appearance of the School building in the course of four hours of work. Much of the faculty was encouraged by the willingness of people in the community to pitch in and make a difference.
Another team of people worked together on Vince and Lori Palmer’s home and yard. Vince has cancer and this was a great way for the Church to bless this family. An outside crew did all kinds of yard work, including the cleaning of leaves, mowing, and the removal of debris. They also sanded, painted, and solidified a wheel chair ramp on the front of the Palmer’s home. The inside crew painted a bedroom, as well as tore out the carpets and put down floor in the master bedroom. They even had a couple of team members unable to do physical labor who supported their team in prayer.
Peter’s team gathered at Peter William’s home and did a wonderful time ministering to our senior citizen friend who has found a wonderful family at LCC. They bush-hogged, cut down trees, built shelves in the basement, shampooed the entire house, and did a huge cleaning of everything, both inside and out. They also accomplished some light maintenance work around the house. I was absolutely blown away after walking into their house later in the day. What a fabulous job they did on Sunday.
Christine Ming led a team of 16 into down town Portland that spent their day taking socks, hot chocolate, and bag lunches to the homeless and needy. They also had the opportunity to love them through encouragement and sharing the message of Jesus. The team had a fabulous day, being humbled by God’s grace and the extraordinary needs that surround us right here in our home state.
Several teams of people participated in a bottle drive in Waterboro, Sanford, and Limerick. The proceeds of which will go to the Town of Waterboro, Heating Oil Assistance program. The total amount of money raised is still unknown, but we give you the results asap.
Another team of people worked with Donnie and Laurie Coldwell to host a party at their home to deepen and develop relationships with their not yet believing neighbors and friends for the purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus with them. The Coldwell’s were very encouraged by the people that came and the opportunities to encourage and get to know the people in their community. They look forward to more opportunities to use hospitality as a primary means to share the Gospel with their neighbors.
Last but not least a group of families, many with small children, provided large plates of fruit, and baked goods for our local Fire and Police departments. I was amazed when I found out that the group delivered these awesome plates to eighteen different locations all the way from Buxton to Shapleigh, thanking them for their service to our community.
Also Two Rivers worked together in three locations. Two of their projects included serving members of the community through yard work, and providing fire wood. Another team painted a fence that encompasses the town cemetery on Route 25 in Cornish. This fence has not been painted in years so this was a great opportunity to be a blessing. Great job Two Rivers.
Thank you for your servant hearts. I would like to share with you three things I was reminded of this weekend and then I would love to see your comments expressing what you feel like you learned through this church-wide event.
1) I was reminded that Ecclesiastes 4:12 “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” is true. We are stronger when we join together. I was so blessed to see how God worked in and through us as we served in the unity of Jesus.
2) I was reminded of the unleashed potential in the body of Christ. Lakeside and Two Rivers, as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, willing to live out the servant nature of Jesus, the impact we can make in our communities and beyond is beyond our imagination.
3) We can’t do this on our own. John 15:5. Thank you so much for all of you who could not make a project but spent significant time praying for all those involved in Church Without Walls Sunday. Your prayers were felt, and I know that God honored them. Let us always remember that our efforts outside of the message of the cross, and the power of the Spirit are worthless.
I thank God for all of you, and may he multiply your ministry and produce fruit that lasts for eternity.
Sep 072011
Here is some direction as you participate in 48 hours of prayer with LCC and TR.
1) Open your time by reading several Psalms to help you focus on God himself and to prepare your heart for worship and prayer.
2) Spend some time praising and worshiping God for who he is. Consider who Jesus is and what He has done.
3) Spend some time allowing God to search your heart and confess any known sin.
4) Spend time thanking God for specific acts of grace in your life. Give Him credit and glory for all the good that is in your life.
5) Pray for the marriage conference and that God would powerfully work in all the people who attend. That there would be lasting fruit come out of the weekend. Pray for God to restore marriages that are in deep trouble.
6) Pray for Lakeside and Two Rivers to be transformed by God’s grace during our upcoming sermon series. Pray for the leaders to hear from God and have hearts of obedience. Pray that you would hear from God and obey.
7) Pray that the church family at Two Rivers and Lakeside would grow in unity, love and generosity.
Pray for not-yet-Christians to be meet Jesus and be born again during our coming sermon series.
9) Pray that the message of the Gospel would renew our heads, hearts, and the work of our hands over the coming weeks.
10) Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill our congregations and give us a growing passion for Jesus that would drive us to His word with expectancy.
11) Pray specifically for your individual family and fellowship group members.
Aug 262011
Renew Campaign at Lakeside and Two Rivers-September 9th through October 23rd
If you are a Christian, you have been made new. You have moved from spiritual death and darkness to having been regenerated by Christ and filled with life through the Holy Spirit. Listen to the words of 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The Bible teaches that you not only have been made new through faith in Jesus Christ, but you are to be continually spiritually renewed in your mind as you walk in a lifestyle of repenting and believing this same Gospel (See Ephesians 4:20-24 and Romans12:2). During our upcoming Renew Campaign, we are praying that God will refresh us and renew our minds corporately as part of His faithful work in both of our congregations. Please join us in prayer as we prepare our expectant hearts for God to move in us and through us.
Renew Campaign Calendar
September 9th- 48 hours of Prayer Kickoff
September 9th-10th- Cultivating a Gospel Centered Marriage
September 11th- Worshipers-Mark 7:1-23 (Fellowship Group Sign Ups)
September 18th-Learners- Matthew 11:28-30 (Fellowship Group Fall Session Begins)
September 25th- Family-Mark 3:20-35 (Family Harvest Party at the Wrights) (Lakeside will only meet for the 9:00 am Service on the 25th)
October 2nd- Servants-Mark 10:35-45 (Ministry Fair and Servant-hood Sunday Sign Ups)
October 9th- Missionaries- Mark 6:6-13 and Acts 13 (Fellowship Group Commissioning Sunday)
October 16th- Basic Training for Families – Ephesians 6:4 & Colossians 3:21
October 19th- Potluck at LCC and then a teaching time with Pastor Steve Bakos from Nicaragua
Octber 23rd – Church Without Walls Sunday (Lakeside and Two Rivers will not gather for Sunday Services but will instead go to various locations and participate in opportunities to serve our communities and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.)
God is Great therefore I don’t need to be in control. As a matter of fact I am not in control of anything, not even a little bit. This is not a new concept to me and I probably think or say something along these lines every day of my life. So how does a little boy under two years old teach me about surrendering the control I think I have in this world to the Sovereign God of creation?
First, Jean-Marie has an amazing story of God’s miraculous deliverance that led him to Kingdom of Kids Orphanage (KKO). His only hope when on the streets of Port-au-Prince as a baby was God. Like so many of the children at KKO and other orphanages over the world, Jean-Marie is here today because God is in control and has a family for him. As Missy and I left him behind at the orphanage last week after the first of what might be many trips to Haiti, we were reminded that our hope is ultimately in God. There are some amazing faith-filled people caring for the children at KKO and we praise God for them. At the same time, it is obviously necessary to surrender the control we think we have as parents to our King. This is true for all of our children, and for every relationship in our lives. You see God is in control and I am not and Jean-Marie is teaching me that from almost 2000 miles away. God forgive us and teach us. Who is teaching you about yourself and what are you learning?
I hope to use this blog to share some stories about how God has used my recent time in Haiti to impact my life. Missy and I just returned from our 5 day trip to meet our new son Jean-Marie. It was an amazing, life-changing trip, and we met some cool people that I know God will continue to use in our lives.
While I hope to share all of these people with you, I am going to start with my new son Jean-Marie. What a lovable little guy. He is hilarious, has a contagious smile (all the girls love him) and is so smart that you sometimes wonder what might be going on in that little mind of his.
While I knew that God was going to use the adoption process in my own sanctification, I had no idea how deeply and quickly this would begin. As is the case in most international adoptions, the process in Haiti is long, sometimes taking a full two years. I was prepared for this, practically and theologically, or so I thought. Then I met Jean-Marie and quickly developed a father’s kind of love for him. A fathers love protects, teaches, encourages, disciplines, and has compassion for his son. A father’s love leads him to long for the homecoming of his son. It is right for a father to be with his son.
I think of the story in the New Testament of the Prodigal Son. The prodigal left, and his father (our Father) longingly waits, looking out for the appearance of his son’s figure in the distance. While the connection to this scripture is not perfect, I think the family waiting for the long process of international adoption to be completed experiences something of the Father’s compassion and longing.
So Jean -Marie is teaching me about the deep compassion, faithfulness, and perseverance of my Heavenly Father when he calls me and I resist his calling initially. I thank my God for His loving faithfulness as he waited 27 years and received me completely and continues to do so every day. Now he is giving me the privilege of growing in faith, love, patience, and holiness as I wait for and learn from my new son, Jean-Marie. Who is God using in your life to teach you more about Himself?