As Americans, our future looks very precarious at best in these days of financial disaster, war and spiritual bankruptcy. I hope each Christian will pray fervently for God to guide our leaders — whoever they might be. I also hope that each Christian will carefully consider the issues of today in light of God’s Word as they participate in choosing our leaders for the future. I was recently asked about how to choose a leader as I consider the upcoming election. It was startling to me in that discussion that not only was the matter of faith and conscience considered low on the list for evaluating a candidate, but integrity also seemed to be easily traded for the promise of personal prosperity. We have sunk very low here in the USA. Many times lately I’ve felt a little bit like George Bailey in the popular Christmas Movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. Remember when George is stumbling through “Pottersville,” shocked at the moral decline of his beloved hometown? It was just a bad dream for him, but for us today it is reality.
At Powerlines on Wednesday nights, we’ve been talking about end time events and I want to share a link to an interesting article that was posted today by Joel Rosenberg.
Whatever our future may be here in the United States, I hope we will be found faithful about our Master’s work in these last days.
All posts by Mary Alice
There are so many things that have happened over the last several weeks that I’m excited about! Every week at NewSpring we are hearing from people that have prayed to receive Christ during one of our weekend services. In the last four weeks alone, 34 people have prayed to receive Christ! Just since our amazing Watermark service on August 24, a total of fifty-five people have accepted Christ! And that only includes those who have responded in the main services and doesn’t include any decisions made in KidzWorld, Project 628, or Clayhouse.
It has been amazing to see God work with such great power in people’s lives during the Pillow Talk series. Mark has received many, many emails, phone calls, and personal messages describing how God has and is using this series to change lives and restore marriages. If you missed one of the messages, you can watch it online.
Don’t miss the upcoming series Running which begins this weekend. If you didn’t have an opportunity to see the promotional video last weekend, check it out!
God is busy doing amazing things and I’ve so excited to have a front row seat! For many years I heard stories about God miraculously changing hearts and lives — usually in a far away country. Meeting so many people here at NewSpring especially over the last three or four years, I’ve discovered that the same God is at work right here in Wichita, Kansas! That reminds me of a song title from some years back, God Is Still Doing Great Things!
During this time of great uncertainty in our country and in our world, I’m so glad that my confidence is not tied to any political party or brokerage firm. My confidence is in a God who is holding the world in place and overseeing all the affairs of man — who never changes, but is always up-to-date — who knows the future and is not nervous about any election outcome — I could go on and on and on — Isn’t God Awesome!!
One more note: Be sure to pick up mini invites for Judgement House and email the link to all your friends and family to get online and make their reservation.
Last weekend was GAD — Greater Andover Days — and NewSpring participated. KidzWorld had some very fun things to offer both during the Saturday parade and after. You can read about that and see pictures on Dan’s blog.
I was also at the parade because Stephen was marching with the Andover High School band. They did an awesome job. It was so unusual to have a day in late September that was very warm — in the upper 80’s I think. I know the band members were very glad to shed their uniforms as soon as they reached the end of the parade route. Because I’m old and like to reminisce, I had to tell Stephen that when I marched in a parade in our high school marching band back in 1973, it was in the 20’s and I froze. Isn’t it hard to believe the weather was so much colder in Texas than in Kansas? One detail though is the parade we marched in was the Stock Show parade and it is always in January. Texas does get cold in January! I also mentioned to him — playing the glad game — that when we marched, we came after the horses — his band was in front of them and for that he should be thankful.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I treasure my heritage and I’m thrilled to look back on all the wonderful things God has done for me. I can be very sentimental about my memories. When Mark and I visit Texas, one of our favorite things to do is drive by the houses we lived in during our childhood, we go by houses where my grandparents lived, churches and schools we attended and even shopping areas in the “old” part of town. All of these places bring back treasured memories but we don’t live there anymore. We aren’t children anymore, we’re grandparents! … and we’re busy making new memories for us and for our children and grandchildren. God was so faithful and good to us in the past, but I’m glad our God is a God of the future as well. He has such wonderful plans for today and tomorrow and I’m anxious to be in the here and now, with an eye toward the future. If we fail to think about the future, we will fail. After all, this life we are living is just an investment in eternity — that’s where we will spend the “bulk” of our existence.
As a matter of fact, we are commanded to “set our sights” on Heaven — our future.
Colossians 3:1-3
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Heaven is what we are talking about on Wednesday evenings at Powerlines. Join us next Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 in the East Building and our discussion will include a special guest from Scotland.
Have you ever heard the phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” ? I came across that just recently and it really made me stop and think about the logic of that oft-quoted mantra. It might sound reasonable when we are struggling to learn a new process that seems to take more time and effort temporarily, but what if we go back and apply that to all those “new fixes” that we now enjoy every day.
For example…
My legs get me where I need to go just fine… why do I need wheels?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I enjoy hauling water to our house from the creek nearby. It works for us to use that water for cooking, cleaning, and bathing and we’ve always had an outhouse – it works just fine… why do we need indoor plumbing?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I love the glow of oil lamps in our house… why do I need electricity?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My mother taught me how to dip our clothes into these tubs for washing and it’s so much fun to use the wringer… I think my clothes smell extra fresh hanging on the line outside… why would I want an automatic washer and dryer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My mother gave me this cast iron manual typewriter, it works just fine… why do I need a computer?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My rotary telephone works just fine… why do I need one with buttons… and I surely don’t need a phone to carry with me!
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
My vinyl records have all my favorite songs and they work just fine, why would I want to use CD’s?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
I love shopping for stationery and writing long letters to my friends. They don’t mind waiting a few days to hear from me – that’s so special and it works great. Why would I want to use email?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it..
Maybe since Mark and I have been talking so much about Heaven lately, I was thinking about those who don’t like change … don’t like new. It may be a difficult adjustment in Heaven, because God has announced to us about our future….
Revelation 21:5
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”
Which brings me back to….. I Like New!!
Wasn’t Watermark weekend AWESOME? and that’s an understatement!
Believe it or not, there’s more excitement to come.
This weekend begins a brand new series, Pillow Talk, Five Secrets of Love and Sex.
Since my passion is Starting Point, I’m VERY excited to host the Starting Point Orientation this Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the East Building, Room A. If you want to know what Starting Point is, you are invited to come have a cup of coffee, look at the materials and hear from some SP “grads” to see if Starting Point is for you.
Another big event is the grand opening of our new and improved 252 Theatre, the fantastic kid space for kids first grade through fifth.
If your kids are 6th – 8th graders, NewSpring is launching a brand new Sunday morning experience for middle school students this Sunday at 9:30 in the East Building.
If you missed Powerlines during the summer like I did, you’ll want to join us this Wednesday, Sept 10 at 6:30. Mark has a brand new format and will be talking about Heaven.
There are so many exciting things to talk about, and these I’ve mentioned are only a few. God is blessing so much that it’s almost overwhelming. I’m reminded of a passage in Malachi that actually is talking about tithing, but I think it applies here in that it describes how abundantly God blesses our faith and obedience. In the middle of Malachi 3:10, the Bible says,
“…I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in!…”
Maybe another reason that passage comes to mind is the reference to “enough room.” If you’ve been attending the 11 o’clock service, you may have noticed how crowded it is. You might have struggled to get through the incoming traffic and then find a good parking spot. If you’re not that fond of big crowds, there’s good news! NewSpring has two other identical services available — Saturday @ 6 p.m., Sunday @ 9:30. There’s more space in the auditorium, in the kid’s classes and in the parking lot. So, give it a try! (My personal favorite is Saturday at 6 p.m.)
See you this weekend!
This summer is almost gone — not the hot weather, but summer vacation. Our youngest son, Stephen will be attending band camp this coming week and the following week classes begin. It’s always sad to see summer vacation come to an end even though I’m not in school. I’m also still trying to get used to the fact that my youngest child is starting high school. At my age, four years go by so fast that I’m trying to prepare myself for the empty nest that’s coming all too soon.
As we prepare for this fall, we are very excited to anticipate what God is going to do at NewSpring Church. Even though summer attendance is usually down, the last two weekends we have had over 2,000 and from those two weekends, 15 people have let us know that they prayed to receive Christ. Last weekend, KidzWorld had their highest attendance (472) since Easter and as of last Monday, 103 people have registered to be baptized at Watermark on August 24. Forty-two people have signed up for Discovery Reception where we will introduce our leadership team and ministry opportunities. Discovery is also the place to find out how to become a member of the NewSpring Church family.
This weekend begins a new series and I have gotten some previews, so I can say that you won’t want to miss it. The first message is called “Filing Jointly.” Mark and I were sitting at the lunch table when he was telling me how he was still struggling with the illustration he needed. A minute or two went by and I saw the light come on! God gave him just what he had been asking for. Although I got a small sample, I’m very anxious to hear the whole message this weekend.
I can’t imagine a more exciting life than what God has given me. Even with another summer coming to an end, the best is yet to come!
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4 (NLT) (emphasis mine)
If you have a friend or family member who is making bad choices, you probably want very much to rescue them from the consequences that loom on the horizon. You might consider impassioned warnings, perhaps loud and stern condemnation. You might want to give up on them and turn away. Paul tells us in Romans that the method God uses to turn us from our sin is kindness, tolerance and patience.
These are not three things that most people think of when they think of God. At least that has been my discovery as I have talked with people over the last 30+ years. Many, if not most people think that God is holding a list in His hand and watching to see how many things you manage to get checked off before your time is up. On the other hand, some people think that God is a kind of Santa or genie in a bottle to grant wishes. I have found those people to be very few — usually because if they approached God with that concept in mind, they were quickly disappointed and moved on.
In the environment I lived in for over 30 years, I was given the impression that God loved me in a general way, (my sins were forgiven and I would go to Heaven) but that He would only be pleased with me if I followed a very strict code of behavior, which those in authority would specifically define and although not taught in the Bible, certain verses, if taken out of their context, could be used to “back up” the list. It almost seems amusing to look over that list now. It could even be funny, if it weren’t so sad to me that many people are still being held hostage to this teaching.
I have to wonder why there is a tendency to walk away from grace so quickly and devise some kind of system to measure one another’s spiritual condition. I still know Christians who want to play the role of God’s policeman. It reminds me a little of Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith show. He was so zealous in his role that in one episode, he had arrested the entire community, including the mayor, Aunt Bee and even Opie. Some Christians, just like Barney, want to whip out their ticket book and issue citations to everyone around them. Even though God clearly warns us not to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2; Luke 6:37; James 4:11-12) and yet it is so easy to make that our life’s purpose.
I want to pattern myself after God, who is kind, tolerant and patient. After all, it was God’s kind, tolerant and patient love that motivated Him to send His only Son, Jesus to pay the ultimate price so that we could be forgiven and transformed into His children forever.
I don’t know what phrase they use nowadays, but when I was in school, that meant a pop quiz was coming. A pop quiz was an unannounced test over material that had been covered either in class or in a homework assignment. Usually, there were only a few questions, which meant they all had a high value. (In other words, it only took one or two wrong answers to fail.) If you’re like me and you’ve been out of school for a long time, you may have forgotten that sinking feeling that you felt when you took one of those quizzes, but I have been revisiting that lately.
I have noticed a pattern that I picked up on a while back, and it seems to be consistent with me. Whenever a series is preached on a particular subject, I seem to get a quiz. For instance, this summer the series have covered anger and humility. So.. I should have had a clue what was coming. Indeed, I have had many pop quizzes on both subjects (which, by the way are very much related), and I’ve passed a few and failed a few. Now, I have noted that the ones I passed were ones I was prepared for. How? I was much in prayer and finding help in the Bible. I also spent time reflecting on the practical helps given in the messages. Those quizzes I failed… well, you can guess.
My conclusion on these quizzes is that if I stay prepared by prayer and reading God’s Word, I am much less likely to suffer that sinking feeling. I can face tomorrow’s quiz with confidence.
By the way, what’s the next series?
We were sitting on the back porch with our bowls of homemade chocolate chip ice cream and enjoying the fireworks displayed all over our neighborhood. It was an amazing site to see! It seemed that each neighbor was alternating in such a way that it almost seemed choreographed. There were multiple concussions followed by spectacular explosions of light that turned the dark night into what seemed like broad daylight. This went on for hours. (I’m glad I didn’t have to clean up after all that this morning.) Our area must have been quite a sight because we saw several private planes circling around above us. I wonder what it looked like from up there.
Anyway, it was a wonderful Americana experience. Like all our other holidays, it brought back many memories, but also created some new ones.
I had to chuckle a couple of times and if I thought about it, I’m sure I could figure out what these things might illustrate, but for now I’ll just put them into my mental file cabinet for future reference.
When Stephen came out onto the porch, he commented that it sounded like a war out there. Of course, as I understand it, that is sort of the whole point, or at least it started out to be. The fireworks celebration is commemorating our fight for independence. It should remind us of the fact that there was a war here on our soil that cost many lives in order to gain our freedom from foreign rule.
Then there was another moment I will remember for a while. In between the bright and loud series of fireworks, I kept thinking I saw a rather faint glow flashing off and on down below us. At first I thought I was just seeing a reflection in a neighbor’s window — maybe reflecting some fireworks behind us, but then I was sure it couldn’t be a reflection. I asked Mark, “Do you see a little firefly down there or is that just my imagination?” He then confirmed what I thought I was seeing — it was a little firefly — glowing away, joining in this wonderful celebration (it would seem). It just impressed me, I don’t know why exactly.
Isn’t summer wonderful?
Our family is enjoying a great summer this year, mostly at home, but with a few “away” adventures sprinkled in. Stephen is participating in junior golf and also getting ready for camp coming up next week. Mark is preparing to speak at a church in the great state of Texas, however it will be in West Texas which is very different from northeast and south central Texas where our roots are. West Texas is a little more like the wilderness the Children of Israel wandered through — or at least that’s my opinion. When I visited there as a young girl, my cousin Carolyn and I went out to explore and I remember looking for a tree (of any size) or even a small patch of grass to get some relief from the hot summer sun, but to no avail, there was none to be found. It was a hot, barren desert.
Speaking of grass.. we’re trying to grow some in our yard. It’s one of the projects that goes with a new house. We are watching the weather patterns and looking out at our partial crop with great interest daily as we chose seeding over sodding. It’s definitely a long-term project.
In my world at NewSpring, we had a wonderful Discovery Reception on June 8 with a room full of people who want to be part of what God is doing here. This last weekend, we had a Starting Point orientation and will begin a new group this Sunday that will meet through the summer. I’m so thankful that God has now given us six couples to lead Starting Point groups, so at the present time, with two groups just concluded last weekend, we have three active groups going even through the summer months — awesome! AND we will plan to begin at least three new groups in the fall. What a great joy to get to know everyone that comes through Discovery and Starting Point!
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