Why should healthy living be important?
A great book on your health and being a follower of Jesus.
For the next couple of the weeks at Elevation we are going to be doing a series called, “Built 4 Life”. Where we are going to be focusing on how God has giving us the direction about living a healthy life. So the focus verse for this series is:
John 10:10 (NLT) 10 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
We are hoping and praying that people will be able to see that it is important to tie our physical being with the spiritual. That as a person of faith I should see the need to be healthy and that God has created me to have a rich life. But I need to see the why in my life whether it is personal or as a mission in my life. In fact that is how we created the statement for this weekend; “The why leads me try.” The why in my life should lead me to try and live a healthier life. So here are some of my personal whys:
- I hope to live a long life with her.
- I hope to be able to walk my girls down the isle.
- I hope to be able to play catch with my grandkids.
But then there is the mission whys in my life:
- I hope to see all the people in Aurora know Jesus.
- I hope to be able to travel around the world and share about Jesus.
- I hope to be able to lead other groups in planting churches.
What are the whys in your life? How are those whys going to lead you to try and live a healthier life?
In the book “Winning My Race: Discovering the energy, time and discipline to fulfill your destiny.” By Dr. Ben Lerner & Dr. Chris Zaino there is a quote that challenges us to know our whys.
“The two most important days in someone’s life are the day you are born and the day you discover why.” Anonymous
What are your whys and how will you start to take some steps to lead a healthier life?
21 Years in 21 Pictures
It is so easy to be able to sit back and just buy a card. But when it comes to celebrating one of the greatest days of my life I don’t ever just want it to be easy. So here is a special gift to my bride on May 16th our 21st Anniversary.
I praise God for the woman who has made me better and stronger because she is in my life.
Sunday Thoughts shared on Monday
After Sunday mornings as the lead pastor at Elevation Christian Church in Aurora, CO I always am excited. This Sunday is no different! I was able to watch and see things that only some people in a church start get to dream about:
- 6 people put their faith and trust in Jesus Chirst.
- We had over 40 people serving in different places through out the church.
- We had 6 first time guest and 6 second time guests hang out with us.
- We had 31 people make commitments to memorize verses in the bible.
- We had fun as our worship team played, WAR. (Flashback to Roller skating.)
- We had another back pack come in for Save Our Youth partners totally 79. The goal was 61.
Each day and each week I thank God that I get to be involved with Elevation. I am so thankful that I get to work with the team that I get to work with everyday. There are guys that God has put in my life that have allowed me to really start to lead at the church the way that God has called me to lead. I am so excited as we head into this fall and all that God has for us.
Let me now what you see God doing in the church that you attend.
Community during Chaos
These are just a few of the faces that received a back pack this last week.
While the city of Aurora was reeling from the shooting at the Century 16 Theaters on Friday. Saturday some students from Marachek Middle School and who are partnered with Save Our Youth came to our offices to get back packs for school. These students each have an adult mentor that is focusing on enabling them to see a brighter future.
Through out the summer the team members of Elevation have been putting together the back packs. We started with the goal of sixty back packs. Wanting to make sure that we were able to take care of all the students that make up the Aurora Public Schools students in Save Our Youth. What happened was Elevation really stepped up and we ended up with seventy-one backpacks as well as seven extra bags worth of school supplies.
Even though we had spent the last day and a half with families that were experiencing great hurt and loss. That evening we were able to see some smiles on faces that might not have been smiling when it came to the first day of school. The people of Elevation was used by God to make a difference in our community. I am so fortunate to be the pastor at Elevation and to see the people understand the value of being a church for the community not just in the community.
Thanks to all of the Community Groups and the Team members that donated to these smiles at Elevation. I can not wait to see what happens next when it comes to caring for our community.
What are some of the ways that you can be used to be for your community?
First Response to Aurora Theater Shooting
At 3:30AM on Friday, July 20, 2012 a week ago today I woke up to a flurry of text messages on my phone. People that we knew from all over the U.S. were asking if our family was okay. We had no idea of the horror that had happened earlier that morning. So my wife and I proceeded to get up and see on T.V. what was happening. We were overwhelmed with the reports that were coming out of the Century 16 Theater a few miles down the road from our home.
After a few moments of sitting there I couldn’t take it anymore I had to do something. So my first response was to think of the policemen and women that were there at the theater. So with the help of our Worship Pastor at Elevation Christian Church, Gregg Barbour we purchased and loaded up 20 cases of water from King Soopers in the truck. Then headed down to the Century 16 Theater.
We were immediately met by the officers that were at the South end of Sable by the Aurora Town Center where the theater is located. From there we were escorted to the Aurora Municipal Building, the officers around the theater, the area of the media by the theater, and then to Victim’s assistance at Gateway high school.
The people in the Municipal building said, “Oh, thank God you are hear we were waiting for the water.” A radio reporter announced on air that he was tired and hot and all of sudden in through the window was a hand with bottled water. Then at the Victims assistance area all of the reporters thanked us as the temperature began to rise on this horrible day. Inside the Gateway gym we were met with more comments of thanks and then we met with people in the parking lot to pray for them.
The thought that kept running through my head was from this verse:
Matthew 10:42 (NLT) “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
This is what the first response was for me when it came to the events of that night. What did you do as a first response to the shooting at the theater? (Call someone, hug your kids, or pray for those that were being personally affected by loss that day.) Leave your responses below.
Sunday Night Thoughts
There are moments in life and working in a church that you just have to be able to share with others. We have been able to see God do some really amazing things through out the last couple of weeks. But on Sunday was one of those days that was just overwhelming and awesome.
- We started our “Elevation at the Movies” series and talked about our orignal parents Adam and Eve and how our “Our Parents past points to our possible future”.
- Sunday we had 10 people give their lives to Jesus. Several of these people had never attended church in their life.
- Sunday we had 5 guys take the step of Baptism. In fact one of the young men that was baptized decided right then and there and was baptized in his clothes. His mom was overwhelmed and in tears.
- We had 30 first time guests for our “Elevation at the Movies”. The people of Elevation really stepped up and invited their friends and family to join us.
We know that as a church that has only been around for 20 months we are celebrating 92 baptisms and that God is doing something incredible in and through us. So I am excited to be able to take the next couple of weeks away and focus on what we will be doing in the coming year. We know that there is more and more to come when it comes to being the church that is going to, “Engage the world to elevate the name of Jesus one life at a time.”
“Save Our Youth” Partnership
Over this last Sunday at Elevation we were excited to announce to our church team our partnership with “Save Our Youth”. ‘Save Our Youth” is an organization that helps kids that are at risk and partners them with mentors that are willing to walk through life with these kids. In most mentoring organizations the average relationship between a student and their mentor is 18 months. But with “Save Our Youth” it is a much different picture, their average relationship is 3 years. We believe that this is an opportunity that we have to make a difference in our community but most of the lives of students and their families. Take a moment and watch this video about what one man did in a little boys life.
Take some time to think and pray about how you can make a difference in a kids life.
Bronco Prayer at Elevation
Here is a prayer that Pastor Ryan Duncan shared at the end of the second gathering at Elevation Christian Church. What a great day to be a Bronco Fan! We Believe!
Please make sure that you go and share this video with everyone else. What a great way to talk about the way we have a great time clebrating what God does and can do!
FIVE things to do to start the year off RIGHT!
Here are five things that you can do to start your year off right when it comes to being a team member at Elevation Christian Church. Each one of them will help us accomplish our mission statement: “Develop relational environments where people can become followers of Jesus.”
#5 Set-up Online Giving
As you prepare and plan for this coming year when it comes to your finances get your online giving set-up. I pray that each and everyone of you has set some financial goals that are based in what God wants for you and your family. So make your tithe to the church one of the first things that is taken care of this month. You can get it started in CCB through your login and if you don’t have a login just go to the Community tab on the website and you can ask for one.
#4 Join a Community Group
In the coming weeks we are going to be talking about the importance of having a community of people around you as you walk through life. So why not this weekend make it a priority to get signed up for a community group at the Guest Services booth. It is as easy as picking what night works best for you and your family then getting your name on the Community Group card at the booth. Then the leader will get in touch with you and make sure you are ready to do life with others.
#3 Learn to Laugh
I know that you might think that this is a strange thing to put in this list. But I believe that if we were to live life more in the joy of being a child of God then we wouldn’t be as stressed out. So learn to laugh at the things that are going on in your life and know that there is a Father that loves you in a huge way and is there with you each step. Plus, they say that laughing actually extends your life that means my wife is going to live a long time. (Insert Laugh)
#2 Get to know someone NEW
We are so excited to share with you that on Christmas Eve that we had our largest attended service ever. So that will mean that we will see more and more new people attending our services over the next couple of weeks. Make sure that you take the time to stop and talk to someone new invite them to get a cup of coffee and some cookies in the E-Lounge during the gatherings. Who knows you might even get in a Community Group together.
#1 Learn that WE ARE . . . means something to us all
This month WE ARE going through a series called WE ARE. It is a series that is going to get us focused again on what is important to Elevation. It is a series that is going to push us each to take next steps when it comes to our walks with Jesus Christ. So I am asking you to take the time to see what WE ARE means to you and what God is calling you to do next. Because WE ARE a movement of Jesus Christ and WE ARE not going to sit back and wait anymore.
The First in the WE ARE series
Here is the first message in the series WE ARE . . . for Elevation Christian Church in Aurora, CO. Please take the time to check us out and come and find out more about who we are as a church and a movement of God.
Sandusky, Sullivan, and Scott
It has been one of those seasons in life where more and more that we are reading or hearing about another individual that has fallen in a position of leadership. In some cases they are things that just down right tick you off or shock you. Whether it is Sandusky and his abuse of his position that lead to the abuse of young boys, Sullivan being a sheriff and a person that is to protect and serve, not enslave through addiction and abuse. The thing that amazes me is that each of these men were at the top of their game, they were seen as men that were top notch in their area of leadership. So it really challenges me to say, “What about me?” What if my life, my career, my family, were all to become majorly successful? How would I handle it?
As I was reading through, “The Five Levels of Leadership” by John Maxwell a quote by Henry Ford really made think.
“More men are failures on account of success than on account of failures. They beat their way over a dozen obstacles; overcome a host of difficulties, sacrifice and sweat. They make the impossible the possible; then along comes a little success, and it tumbles them from their perch. They let up. They slip and over they go. Nobody can count the number of people who have been halted and beaten by recognition and reward!”
So many times we have seen great men and women take a tumble; why is that? Unfortunately, I believe it is because they start believing it is all about them. They believe because of their accomplishments they can begin to relax in the areas of importance when it comes to character and discipline. A couple of verses in the bible that I cling to daily is this;
Proverbs 30: 8&9, “First, help me never to lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”
The more and I lead and watch other leaders around me I always come back to remember that “God is God and I am not him”. I always want to be a person that is satisfied with who I am in Jesus Christ. Because let’s be honest each one of us could very easily be the next person that tumbles and falls. May we each take the time every day to pray Proverbs 30:8&9 over our lives.
Forgiveness the PAIN we bare . . .
This week we started the series “The F-Bomb” and it is all about dealing with and sharing the gift of forgiveness. In fact we started out by saying what forgiveness is and then understanding that when it comes to forgiveness that we are always called to forgive. We may not like it, we may not even want to do it, but if you are a person that calls yourself a follower of Jesus we just don’t have the option not too. The definition that we pinned to forgiveness is this; FORGIVENESS is not an emotion and does not mean you forget but you choose to end the cycle of revenge, and leave justice to Jesus. In fact we took a look at Romans 12: 17 – 21 where Paul in the chapter about being a living sacrifice to God makes a huge statement by saying, “Instead, if your enemies are hungry, fee them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their head.” v20.
So as followers of Jesus we are to take every opportunity to extend the forgiveness that we so richly received from Christ and share it with the rest of the world in all the situations we encounter. But man is that tough. I mean is forgiveness possible in all situations? Look at what Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in the book “The Cost of Discipleship”:
“The call to follow Christ means a call to share the work of forgiving men their sins. Forgiveness is the Christlike suffering which is the Christians duty to bear.”
Tell me what you think about this quote. Share with me how you are walking through life in the work of forgiving men their sins.
The F-Bomb reading plan. . .
As we take the next month to really walk through and chew on how to live lives where we are dropping the F-bomb all over the place. I would like to encourage you to take the F-Bomb reading challenge. Here on the blog you are able to have different verses from the bible to read that deal with forgiveness. What I would pray that you do is share what you are hearing from God about be a person that is able to accept forgiveness and share forgiveness with all of those around you. Forgiveness is a challenge for each one us, it is a challenge to how we are going to walk through a life that can be filled with pain and hurt. Pain and hurt that comes from people that Jesus loves and was willing to to die for, so willing that he said on the cross, Luke 23:34; “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” There is an example of a life filled with the F-bomb. May we live that life too.
F-Bomb Reading Plan for the month of August:
8th – Genesis 50:15 – 21
9th – Exodus 30:11 – 16
10th – Leviticus 26:13
11th – Judges 15:1
12th – 2 Samuel 12:14
13th – 1 Chronicle 21:8
14th – Psalm 32:1
15th – Matthew 5:32
16th – Matthew 6:14 – 15
17th – John 20:23
18th – John 8:11
19th – Luke 11:4
20th – Luke 15:30
21st – Luke 15:32
22nd – Matthew 28:10
23rd – Acts 8:18-23
24th – Romans 1:5 – 6
25th – Romans 4:6 – 8
26th – Romans 12:17 – 21
27th – Philemon 1:10
28th – Hebrews 9:22
29th – 1 John 1:9
30th – Ephesians 4:32
31st – Luke 23:34
Sunday Night Thoughts . . .
It is always a great feeling to finish off a Sunday and be able to think about all that I was honored to be a part of when it comes to Elevation. I get so excited that I get to be a part of a movement of God here in Aurora. Today we started our series called the “F-Bomb” and it was quite explosive when it came to dealing with the area of forgiveness in people’s lives. Here are a few of the things that just blew us away:
- We had 7 first time decisions for Jesus Christ.
- Then had the honor to be able to pray for up to 40 people as the share the gift of forgiveness with those in their lives.
- Was honored to have a friend from High school show up with her daughter that I have not seen since I graduated. (Yeah I am old)
- Enjoyed the opportunity to have 8 new families check out Elevation and all that is going on.
- Was able to enjoy an awesome lunch with the awesome volunteers at Elevation as we had our Fall Leadership Community.
- Was told today by the custodian at Dalton that she was listening to message from her office and she said, “I was thinking that this is a message that my friend should hear, but then realized that Jesus was talking to me.”
Faith Confessions from “Sun Stand Still” by Pastor Steven Furtick
As we continue in the “Sun Stand Still” series it is amazing to continue to hear about how God is moving in each of our lives each week. I am so excited that we were able to talk this week about how the Bible the word of God is so important to our ability to live a life of Audacious Faith. So as I said I a want to share with you the Faith Confessions that you can find in the book “Sun Stand Still” on pages 114 and 115. I beleive that as we take these confessions that are grounded in the word of God the Bible we feel an sense of what God is doing in us and through us.
Faith Confessions (page 114 & 115)
- I am fully forgiven and from all shame and condemnation. (Romans 8:1 – 2, Ephesians 1:7 – 8, 1 John 1:9)
- I act in audacious faith to change the world in my generation. (Joshua 10:12 – 14, John 14:12)
- I have no fear or anxiety; I trust in the Lord with all my heart. (Proverbs 3:5 – 6, Philippians 4:6 – 7, 1 Peter 5:7)
- I am able to fulfill the calling God has placed on my life. (Exodus 3:9 – 12, Psalm 57:2, Colossians 1:24 – 29)
- I am fully resourced to do everything God has called me to do. (Deuteronomy 8:18, Luke 6:38, Philippians 4:13)
- I have no insecurity, because I see myself the way God sees me. (Genesis 1:26 – 27, Psalm 139:13-16, Ephesians 5:25 – 27)
- I am a faithful spouse (if you’re single, you can slip FUTURE in there) and godly parent our family is blessed. (Deuteronomy 6:6 – 9, Ephesians 5:22 – 25, Colossians 3:18 – 19, 1 Peter 3:1 – 7)
- I am completely whole – physically, mentally, and emotionally. (Pslam 103:1 – 5, Matthew 8:16 – 17, Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 2:24)
- I am increasing in influence and favor for the kingdom of God. (Genesis 45: 5 – 8, 1 Samuel 2:26, Acts 2:37 – 47)
- I am enabled to walk in the sacrificial love of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:16 -17, 1 John 3:16; 4: 9 – 12)
- I have the wisdom of the Lord concerning every decision I make. (2 Chronicles 1:7 – 12, Proverbs 2:6, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5)
- I am protected from all harm and evil in Jesus’ name. (Genesis 50:20, Psalm 3:1 – 3, 2 Thessalonians 3: 2 – 3)
Here is something that I would challenge you to do. Take these statements and print them up and place them in a place where you will see them every morning. We as a family have placed them in each of the bathrooms in our house as a reminder of how are life can look as we speak the word og God over our lives. We seek to be a family that lives a life of Audacious Faith.
Nuclear Plants and Following Jesus
So just like the rest of the world I have been sitting by and watching as the power company tries to contain the nuclear waste that is coming from the power plant in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami. It has been amazing to hear of the stories of different workers that are taking the time to work at the plant while they could lose their life. But I have to be honest it made me think of churches and followers of Jesus. While I have been praying for the people of Japan and watching the workers do their best it was at the gym this week that it all became clear. An older woman walked by me this week wearing a shirt that said, “At my age exercise is damage control”. I thought it was really funny that she was wearing it but then it made me think. It is exactly what the workers are doing in Japan it is all just damage control. The nuclear plant and all the people that are close to it are already starting to see and feel the damage to the plant.
I then thought of this when it comes to people that are followers of Jesus. There are some followers of Jesus that go to church and go through the religous do’s and don’ts just for DAMAGE CONTROL. They don’t see the need to follow after Jesus day after day. To being a follower of Jesus a lifestyle but more of damage control. I pray that this week that those who are following after Jesus see that we are called to be the ones that are in the midst of life in struggle or in good times are always pointing to Jesus the Risen Savior of the world.
Elevation and the Miracle Party
Yesterday we were so excited to be able to share with everyone the commitment that we are making to support as well as partner with the Miracle Party. For those of you that do not know what the Miracle Party is then I would encourage you to click on the word Miracle Party and follow the link to their website. It is an amazing event that is for children with cancer and it is an opportunity to love on the kids and their families. So yesterday we gave to this organization for several reasons. We gave to this organization as a church because we are blessed to have the family that started the Miracle Party as a part of our team. We gave because we wanted to be able to model what it means to be generous givers to those around us. We gave because we believe that this is a great opportunity to not just give of our finances but our time and talent. So we will be committing to serve before, during, and after the party. We decided long ago that as a church we are not going to be a team that just gives a check but we are going to be giving of our time and talent too. So if you are wanting too or are willing to serve as a volunteer at the Miracle Party then click on the word VOLUNTEER and show them your support. We cannot wait to see what God does through this years Miracle Party and the families that we as Elevation come in contact. We are praying for miracles at the Miracle Party.
This Weekend at Elevation
I want to share with you all that this weekend we are continuing in our series “Where’s My Bailout”. But we are going to be doing something that will catch some people off guard. We are going to be . . . well you will have to just come and find out. We will be having our two services at 9:00 & 10:30AM at Dalton Elementary 17401 E Dartmouth Ave Aurora, CO 80013-2213. Come and see what God does when we let Him have control of our finances.
Don’t forget that this is Daylight Savings weekend and we are going to be springing forward with our clocks one hour. Don’t forget!
Handling Finances when Gas Prices Go Up!
As we continue in our series “Where’s my Bailout” this weekend I have to say that I found a great article on handling your finances in a crazy economy. I would encourage you to take some time and read what Nelson Searcy says about certain areas of finance.
Spending is a habit – Does money burn a hole in your pocket? Does buyer’s remorse set in after you have spent your money? If this sounds familiar, how can you manage your spending so you can buy the things you need now and also save for the things you need in the future.
In order to change spending habits, people must first understand how habits are shaped and the ways spending behavior can be changed. In essence, they must identify spending leaks that give immediate satisfaction but do not help reach financial goals and, instead, substitute desirable spending behavior that may not be immediately gratifying but will allow financial goals to be reached.
How to change the habit, Luke 16:11 says, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” People need to learn to handle the smallest thing God has put under their authority—their money. Larry believes that if the following guidelines are followed it will help control spending.
- Establish self-discipline. Put all spending under God’s control. In so doing, individuals become managers of God’s finances and all spending should then be from the vantage point of whether He would be pleased with the purchase. With God’s guidance, any bad habit can be broken. People need to learn to recognize the drive that places them in a spending situation and then when they shop they can avoid the spending pitfalls produced by that drive by having a purpose for the shopping, a time limit, and a written plan. They need to make a list before they go shopping and then stick to it. In addition, they should limit the number of trips to the store or mall and never shop when hungry or depressed.
- How far money goes usually depends on how much people want something. As such, they need to be in control of the money, under God’s direction, instead of having the money control them by limiting what they do. Once spending has been brought under control, there should be a determination of how much needs to be spent each month in every area of an implemented budget; and, since the basic idea behind budgeting is to save money up front for both known and unknown expenses, there must be a commitment to stick to the budget. Larry believes that if people are having difficulty with income equaling outgo, they must cut some of their outgo. As such, they need to look at their budgets realistically and see where they can start trimming. A budget is a money plan. With it, people can organize and control their financial resources, set and realize goals, and decide in advance how money will work for the good of the family. Therefore, because every purchase should be considered in light of the established budget, buying any non-budgeted items on impulse should be avoided, especially if those non-budgeted items will need to be purchased with a credit card.
- People need to be accountable to other persons for a specified period of time for everything they spend. Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” If there is accountability, people will be more inclined to be more cautious in their spending habits—more of a look now, buy later attitude. So, shop around before buying and learn to say no. Keep a record of spending and purchases and share these with the accountability partner.
- Establish a want-to-buy list. Whenever people feel they need to buy something that is not budgeted, they should put it on the list, but then wait seven days and find two additional prices for the same item, to be sure they are getting a good buy. If they still want the item after a week has passed, they will have thought about it and probably will be getting the best buy on the item. However, they still should not charge it. Finally, people can have only one item on the list at a time, so if they find new “wants” during the week, they will have to decide between the two.
Conclusion A good way to reduce debt is to develop discipline in spending habits. That may include taking away any security that might be used in case of emergencies: credit cards or other avenues of borrowing. By committing not to go further in debt, people begin to reverse the process that produced the debt. Larry often recommends cutting up the credit cards and not taking out any bank or family loans. Then, they can develop a balanced budget that will control spending and will allow them to stay within the parameters of their financial means.
- Larry Burkett, Counselor Self-Study Course, vol. 2, Christian Financial Concepts, 1999, p. A-4.
- Larry Burkett, Counselor Self-Study Course, vol. 2, Christian Financial Concepts, 1999, p. A-5.
- www.nncc.org/Business/devel.spend.plan.html
- www.tuliptreepress.com/why.htm
- www.tuliptreespress.com/why.htm
What the NFL & Players can learn from a marriage
This last Sunday Tom & Amanda Gould shared something with the people of Elevation Christian Church that the NFL & Players Union wish that they could do. They made their relationship new again. It was almost a year ago Tom said that he was done with their marriage. He had moved out and was living in an apartment and was preparing for divorce. But something happened. Something enabled Tom & Amanda to start all over again. It was the relationship that they both began with Jesus Christ. You see Tom & Amanda had been to church and they had heard all the religious conversation, but they had never made their relationship with Jesus a priority. Let alone that relationship with Jesus the center of their relationship. Amanda shared that for a woman that their are two humbling things that occur in a womans life, child birth and a troubled marriage. She went on to share that they she knew that other things had crept into their life that did not make the marriage the priority.
You see I think that as I watch the NFL and the Players fight away. They to have lost the focus on what is important. It is one word “relationship”. They have unfortunately let other things take the focus away just like Tom & Amanda. The only difference is that Tom & Amanda had the humility to see that they needed number one a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with each other centered in Jesus. Wouldn’t it be amazing if those in the NFL would be able to do the same thing, humble themselves to see that a relationship is at stake here. God saw it that is why He sent His son here to earth. To reconcile the relationship between us and Him.
Maybe just maybe the NFL and the Players Union could learn something from Tom & Amanda as they point to Jesus the one who can and will help in our relationships.
If you want to find out more about how life can be different then go to www.elevationcc.com you also can go to our Facebook Fanpage.
“Where’s My Bailout” Reading Plan
“Where’s My Bailout” during the month of March we are going to be taking a look at dealing with our finances. So many people think that all the church is out for is your money, but the truth is it is more about your heart. So take the time to read through these verses and really ask God to speak to your heart about how you are handling your finances.
March
1st Genesis 14:20
2nd Genesis 23:16
3rd Numbers 24:11
4th Numbers 31:25-30
5th 2 Kings 5:20-27
6th 2 Kings 16:10
7th 2 Chron. 25:9-10
8th Psalm 37:21
9th Psalm 119:36
10th Proverbs 6:1-5
11th Proverbs 18:11
12th Proverbs 19:1
13th Proverbs 21:20
14th Eccles. 10:19
15th Ezekiel 7:19 – 20
16th Matthew 6:24
17th Matthew 18:30
18th Matthew 19:21
19th Matthew 23:13-14
20th Mark 11:15-17
21st Luke 12:33
22nd Matthew 26:14-15
23rd Mark 10:17-23
24th 1 Tim. 6:6-10
25th Mark 10:21 – 23
26th Mark 12:41-44
27th Luke 12:18-20
28th Luke 16:10-14
29th Acts 8:18-23
30th 2 Cor. 11:7-12
31st 1 Tim. 6:6-10
Bonus: James 5:1-6
Rev. 18:11-19
I pray that you take the next month to just be able to walk through these verses and know that God wants us to love him with all that we are and what we have.
This Weekend at Elevation
I am so excited that this weekend we are having some very special and awesome people share their story during our services at Elevation Christian Church in Aurora, CO. You are not going to want to miss hearing all that has happend in their life and thier marriage over the last year. So with that we are finishing up our series called “I Want A New Marriage” and we want to do something special. We want to make sure that we are not just a church that talks a good game but really puts our money where are mouth is when it comes to enabling people to experience life change. So this weekend during our services we are going to give away a “NIGHT OUT” we have purchased meals and a movie tickets for two lucky people that come this weekend. The meals are for Chili’s, On The Border, Macaroni Grill, or Maggiano’s. The movie theatres are Regal Cinemas, United Artist Theatres, and Edwards Theatres.
We have been talking about making sure that we are loving and caring for the people in our lives. We know that right now for people it can be a huge financial burden just to be able to afford to go out. Well now that is not going to be an issue because we have taken care of that for you. Who knows maybe we could talk Ryan Graham into being your driver. (That is a joke, not happening) Make sure that you get to one of our services this weekend at 9:00 & 10:30AM at Dalton Elementary School in Aurora, CO. If you are a really nice friend you might even invite them to come with you so that they have a chance at winning as well.
Spouse of a PORN Addict
At the beginning of the month on Superbowl Sunday we as a church chose to also be a part of what is called “Porn Sunday”. Crag Gross and the people at XXXChurch did an awesome job of providing information as well as support to the churches that were a part of “Porn Sunday”. It was a very powerful and amazing day where we saw both men and women start to deal with their addiction to porn. But I want to share with you just a small section of a letter that was sent to me by a very brave and awesome lady that has gone through a destructive relationship that was destroyed by a porn addiction. What she shared was some things for spouses of porn addicts to work through. I felt that they were awesome to let people read because this is from someone that has gone through the fire and is on the other side with a perspective that will enable us to care for and reach not just the porn addict but their family as well. Here is what she shared:
1. I didn’t show honor – At the time, in my mind it was ALL his fault – our divorce. I had done nothing wrong. I now know differently. While I can’t change anyone, I am fully responsible for me. I reacted with rage, anger, bitterness, un-forgiveness, hatred, verbal abuse, and emotional withdrawal. Someone had quoted a verse to me earlier and was right to quote it to me, though it was used out of context: “Love covers a multitude of sins.” I now understand what that means – I had told everyone I knew of all of my husband’s faults and about his addiction for TWO reasons: 1) I really did want help and 2) Honestly, to try to make me look good and him bad. I did not honor him. While what he had done was wrong, what I had done in spreading the gossip about his addiction was just as wrong. It was not honoring, respectful, or loving. I see now it did not provide an environment where he could feel safe to be vulnerable and receive the help & healing he needed. That’s not to say he would have chosen to do that if I had reacted differently. Maybe he would have accepted help, maybe not.
2. It is ok to be angry!! It’s not ok for that to grow to bitterness. Several years later I finally did receive the help that I needed. I was able to express my anger and intense pain to people who listened and didn’t blame. But at the same time they held me accountable for HOW I expressed that anger and wouldn’t let me stay there. There is help out there and for those who have a spouse involved in pornography – THEY HAVE TO GET HELP FOR THEMSELVES. I realized I was trying to change my husband. To make him stop so I wouldn’t hurt any more. I couldn’t change him. I can only change myself. I learned to press deeply into God’s Word and let him change ME. To see my ex-husband through God’s eyes. I was able to release him and forgive him. The pain is still there, but it doesn’t control me. I was able to write my ex-husband a letter asking forgiveness for what I had done in verbally lashing out at him and the other hateful things I had done.
3. Boundaries are necessary. Pornography is progressive. It is a sex-addiction. It is wrong. It destroys families. It may not always be necessary to divorce but sometimes it is necessary to separate. Make boundaries clear beforehand and with a plan as to what will happen during the time of separation.
If are you someone that is in a relationship with someone that is a Porn Addict then I encourage you to go to XXXChurch.com and see what they can do to help you. If you are a person maybe a husband or dad that is dealing with this then I ask you to go to someone and get help right away. This is not just something that affects you it affects your whole family. If you are a lady and would like to email the woman that shared what she dealt with then please message me and I will make sure you can get connected with her. I also want to remind each and every person that reads through this that Jesus loves you not matter what you have done or where you have been and He is waiting for you.
