Wednesday Words

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

For the past few Wednesday nights at Grace Point Talbott, we have been studying this one passage of Scripture under the title, "What to do when you don't know what to do." All of us experience seasons in life when it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under us, or as a friend recently described an experience in their family - an earthquake has happened. The "ground" moved and shook up our lives.

What do you do when those experiences happen? You wonder what God is doing in/through your circumstances, or if He is even involved in the circumstances; is He even paying attention to what is going on in your life. And if He is, why isn't He doing something about the situation? And what does He want me to do about the situation - do I try to fix it, do I ride it out, or do I bail out and go in a different direction myself? I realize these are pretty vague and broad statements, but I trust you get the picture, there are seasons in life when it is hard to 'feel" God's presence, or see how He is working, or know what He wants us to do. So what do you do when you don't know what to do?

The above passage gives us three important statements:
1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart - when you don't know what to do, trust that God is doing something both in you and in your circumstances. As the preacher C.H. Spurgeon said, "God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart." 

2. Lean not on your own understanding. Our human nature is such that if we don't see God doing something about our situation, He must want us to figure it out ourselves. More often than not, this is a mistake. Our "understanding" is limited and finite, and when we try to fix it ourselves we end up making things worse (think Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael, Genesis 16-17). We are going to lean on something, but let us lean on the Lord and His promises rather than our own limited mental and physical abilities.

3. Tonight we are going to look at the last statement in that passage: "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." We are going to unpack this verse and look at our "ways", what it means to "acknowledge Him" and what "direct your paths" really looks like.

Join us tonight at 7pm at Grace Point Talbott, or watch my Facebook page around 7:15 and we will be going live.

See you tonight.

In the wake of tragedy...

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:21 (NLT)

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." Luke 6:27-28 (NLT)

Yesterday morning we woke to the news of another horrible tragedy in our nation. A gunman opened fire on a crowd at a musical festival, from his room on the 32nd floor of a hotel in Las Vegas. The last report I read said that 58 were confirmed dead and more than 500 were injured. Police investigations so far have not found any motive to the shooter's actions. This seems to be just a horrible, random act of violence.

My first thought is "What is wrong with people?" How can you just open fire and kill people that you don't know and have never done anything to you? This just doesn't make sense...

Evil doesn't make sense, but it is real. People do terrible things; they hurt others for no apparent reason. They kill without cause, steal for personal gain, and destroy without thought to the consequences on themselves or others.... that sounded familiar... "The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy..." (John 10:10). The "thief" is the enemy, Satan, the personification of evil. His goal is to kill, steal and destroy, and he does it through the evil acts of human beings. I'm not suggesting we alleviate personal responsibility, the Las Vegas shooter chose to do what he did, and he could have chosen not to do it. He could have resisted those impulses to plan and carry out this murderous act, but he didn't. And behind every horrible act such as this, there is an evil one that is encouraging it. The enemy is real, and he is active.

So how do we respond in the wake of such evil. Politicians and pundits will argue for stricter gun laws, and various political measures to try to prevent mass killings. While laws and regulations can sometimes make it more difficult to carry out such violent acts, the real problem is evil in the human heart, and until that is eliminated, we will continue to experience these violent acts in our world. How, then, do we eliminate evil in the human heart? It is only through the love of God expressed through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our response to horrific events such as what happened in Vegas is to boldly and consistently share the good news of Jesus, and live out the gospel in our homes, communities and the world. We overcome evil with good; we triumph over tragedy with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pray for those who lost loved ones in Las Vegas. Pray for the police, first responders and care givers that are working in the midst of this tragedy. But also pray for the Church to be the Church, to do what God has instructed us to do - overcome evil with good, pray for those who commit such horrible acts, and pray for ourselves to be salt and light in the world and boldly share the gospel through word and deed. In the wake of such tragedy and evil, BE the Church...

You Are His...

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!

1 John 3:1 (NLT)

Imagine this scene; you have just been born and are taking your first breathe from outside of your mother's womb. The doctors and nurses are smiling, looking lovingly at your little body. But you notice your parents are strangely quiet. They are looking at you and conferring with one another in hushed voices. 

     Then your father says, "Doctor, could you hold him up in the light so we could get a better look at him? We just want to check everything out and make sure this child is right for us. We were looking at the other children in the nursery earlier, and another baby there seemed to have, well, a little more promise. This one is a little chubby and has dark colored eyes and brown hair. We wanted one with blue eyes, and, you know... a little less baby fat." 

    They whisper into each other's ears as the doctor holds you up in the light. Your mother says, "Doctor, I'm sure we would eventually learn to love this baby, but we really have our hearts set on that blond little baby in the nursery. We think he would fit our family much better. Do you think we could make arrangements to exchange our baby of the one in the nursery? We will be glad to pay for all the expenses." 

     This scenario is obviously absurd. When you were born, your parents didn't negotiate for a better child, they accepted you into their family without qualifications. Their love for you was not based on the color of your hair, the size of your body, or your performance as a baby. They loved you simply because you were their child. Their love may have been imperfect at times, because they are human like you and me, but they loved you because you were theirs. 

    God also loves you, but His love is a perfect love. He loves you not because of who you are, what you do or don't do, or what you accomplish in your life. He loves you because you are His. His love is unconditional and nothing you have done or will ever do can cause Him not to love you. As He said through the prophet Jeremiah,  “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT) 

    When you realize that you are loved with an "everlasting" love; loved not because of what you do, or who you are, but loved because of who God is and what He has done for you, it will change your life. God loves you because He created you, and He has proven His love for you through His Son Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross (Romans 5:8). He loves you and calls you into His family as His own child. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1 (NLT)

    Live today in the reality of His everlasting love for you. 

Catching Up

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
               Several weeks ago I rediscovered my blog page and thought it would be a great idea to blog during our mission trip to Guatemala. I had planned to post each night about our adventures during the day. It didn't take long to realize I hadn't thought this plan through very well. I assumed I would have internet access daily, but that didn't work out. I think I was on the internet around three times total during the week and it was just for short periods.                I thought I would just catch up when I got back to the states, but the sudden passing of a dear friend changed everything; I couldn't wrap my mind around a 28 year old, new mom passing away (and still have trouble comprehending that it happened). Needless to say, blog posting didn't even enter my thought processes for quite a while.                The above Scripture has been burned into my brain the last few weeks (and months). I made plans, but the Lord determined my steps. I haven't anticipated some of the "steps" I've had to take over the past several weeks, but I'm (still) learning to trust the Lord to take me where He wants me to go.  He is a good Father and even in the seasons of life where I don't understand what is happening, or what He is doing, I can trust the process He has me in, because I know who He is.                It is still on my heart to blog on a regular basis, so this is another attempt at starting. My prayer is that God will use this exercise to grow me spiritually and perhaps use what He is doing in my life to encourage someone else.  I will still (prayerfully) make plans, but I will also trust God to change those plans and redirect my steps to lead me where He wants me to go. And maybe He will use the changes in my life to help someone else along the journey.              Prayerfully,              George 

Getting Ready for Guatemala

So it has been several years since I've blogged. I was kind of surprised to discover it was still active though the last post was in 2012. But I thought a blog would be a good way to communicate about  our upcoming mission trip to Guatemala. We have a team of 11 going to work with a ministry called Hope for Home Ministries. My daughter Lydia made a connection with one of their missionaries when she was attending school in Antigua earlier this year. This is our first time working with them so it is kind of a "vision trip" to see if we might be able to partner together in the future.

So far all of our interactions have been great, and we are looking forward to being on the ground with them. Here is a video introduction to the ministry.

As you can see, this is a ministry to "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40). We leave Saturday, the 19th at 7:45am. We would appreciate your prayers!

A FAMILY HISTORY OF GRACE AND TRUTH

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1


And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14


You can learn a lot about a family just by reading its genealogy. A quick reading of the family history of Jesus is very insightful and helpful to understand who He is and who we are in Him. There are a lot of great names and heroes of the faith in Jesus' family tree. Names like Abraham and David, Isaac and Jacob, Solomon, Uzziah, and Hezekiah. These are the names of great kings and mighty warriors. Not perfect people by any stretch of the imagination, but people who achieved a level of greatness in their lives.

But there are also some gnarled branches in Jesus' family tree. Judah, who fathered Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar, whom he thought was a prostitute when he slept with her (see Genesis 38). Mentioned also in Jesus' genealogy is Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute living in Jericho, whose life was spared because she lied to protect the Israelite spies who came to check-out the great walled city (see Joshua 2). Then there is Bathsheba, who is not mentioned by name, but whose story with David is well known.

Perhaps my favorite is Manasseh who became the King of Judah after his father Hezekiah had led the people in a time of spiritual renewal and revival. Manasseh rebelled against the ways of his father and became one of Judah's most vicious, blood-thirsty and power hungry kings. According to 2 Kings 21, Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the Lord’s sight. (2 Kings 21:16 NLT). Manasseh's evil was so great the Lord removed him from the throne by having him captured by the Assyrians.

At first thought, one may wonder why you would put the names of such notorious people in the genealogy of the Savior of the world. Wouldn't you want to focus on His godly heritage to enhance His hero status? Why include these nefarious sinners? The simple answer is two words: GRACE and TRUTH. Each of these stories reflects the truth of Scripture and the amazing grace of God overcoming the sinful failures of man to the glory of God.

Manasseh's story is a supreme example of God's grace. While in prison in Assyria, Manasseh experienced the grace of the Lord and a transformation of life. He prayed to the Lord in repentance and the Lord restored him to the throne and he worked, in the latter years of his life, to overcome all the wrong he had done(see 2 Chronicles 33).

The Bible says that Jesus came in to the world "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). We see His nature and character reflected in His family tree - in the stories of the heroes and villains of the faith, we see God's grace and truth.   And the good news is, His story is our story. Jesus is still growing the family tree, and all who come to Him know His grace and truth. We are in the family tree because of God's grace and the truth of His Word.

Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone?

Am I a stumbling block or a stepping stone? Do I make it easier for people to know to Jesus, or do I create obstacles that make it harder for people to come to Jesus?

1. Stepping stones are people of grace. They are not shocked by the sins of others. They understand that people do what they do because they are what they are; they know that sinners sin. Stepping stones are not shocked when people fail. Stumbling blocks act as if other people's sins are worse than their own, and condemn others for their sins and failures. Stepping stones offer grace and point the way to forgiveness in Christ. Stepping stones live in grace, knowing that it is only by grace that anyone can be saved.

2. Stepping stones introduce people to Jesus. Stumbling blocks offer rules to be followed, a list of "do's and don't's" for people to live by. Stepping stones introduce people to Jesus and let Him write His commands on their hearts.

3. Stepping stones love unconditionally. Stumbling blocks put conditions on their love and acceptance. They say things like, "I will love you as long as you love me." Or, "We can have a relationship as long as you live up to my expectations and standards." Stepping stones love without conditions, not condoning the sins of sinners, but loving them in spite of their sins.

4. Stepping stones love Jesus with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, making it easier for others to fall in love with Jesus as well. They love others to Jesus through their life of loving Him.

Am I a stumbling block or a stepping stone? Are others coming to Christ because of you?

Messiah in the Passover

Love God, Love Others, Reach the World

Hey Family, 

I want to encourage everyone to come out Friday night for our Messiah in the Passover event. Boris Goldin of Chosen People Ministries based in New York will be with us to share the Gospel through a Jewish Passover Seder. Chosen People Ministries is one of the leading ministries reaching out to evangelize the Jewish people, with ministry centers in 13 nations including multiple ministries in Israel. You can learn more about Chosen People Ministries at their website, www.chosenpeople.com. 

Friday night we will begin at 6 pm with a covered-dish fellowship meal. Toward the end of the meal, Mr. Goldin will share the various elements of the Passover Seder and explain how each one points to Christ and is fulfilled by Him. If you've never before seen the connection between the Old Testament Passover and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament, you are in for a real blessing. In presenting Messiah in the Passover, Mr. Goldin will also be presenting the Gospel of Christ, so if you have friends who are lost, please bring them with you. 

The Messiah in the Passover event is free, but we will receive a love offering for Chosen People Ministries during the evening. Child-care will be provided. Be sure to bring a friend or family member and food for the covered-dish meal. If you have any questions, give me a call. I look forward to seeing you Friday night at 6:00 pm. 

MVBC Connection 04-05-12

Love God, Love Others, Reach the World

Dear Family, 

Cannot wait for this weekend! It actually started tonight with a great time of worship, prayer and fellowship. We prayed over all the pews in the sanctuary, prayed for friends and family who are far from God, and nailed them to the cross (actually just papers with their names on them, lol). 

Tomorrow night is Secret Church. I still have a few study guides if you are available to come. The simulcast starts at 7 pm. 

Sunday morning is going to be unbelievable! We'll kick-off the service by baptizing three followers of Christ. We will have some wonderful special music, and our choir and newly formed drama team have an amazing presentation that will blow you away. We'll be bringing our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering to the cross during Pastor's Pals, so come prepared to give. I will be giving a clear presentation of the Gospel in the message and then we're going to end the service in a way that we've never ended it before! I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do. 

After the service we will have our annual Children's Easter Egg Hunt. We've got prize eggs for each age group and lots of candy for everyone. Invite your family and friends to bring their kids and their Easter baskets and come on out!

Here is our Volunteer Ministry Team* for Easter Sunday: 

• Ushers: *Bernard Bull, Jim Ellis, Scott Hickey, Brandon Wilmoth, Shawn Wilmoth, & Harold McCarter
• Greeters: Stacy Self, Winston Large, Carmen Hall, Ryan Rice
• Counters: Mike Heffner and Karen Rice
• Audio/Visual: Andrew Wilmoth & David Hegel

*If you aren't able to keep your commitment, please contact your Team Leader.

There will not be any small groups this Sunday night, so you can enjoy the rest of the "Holy-Day" with your family.

Our family will be on vacation April 9-23. If you have ministry needs while I am away, please call on one of the staff members or deacons.  

Thank you for your service to the Lord. I'm praying for you, that you would experience God in a powerful, life-changing way this Easter!

Remember: God is able to do EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY above all that we ask, or even think!

LESSONS FROM UNLEASH2012

I had the privilege of attending Unleash2012 at Newspring Church (www.newspring.cc) in Anderson, S.C. and it was a great day of worship and encouragement. The whole day was a blessing but the morning worship service impacted me more than anything. I thought the best way to share it would be to share the notes I took. The message was preached by Perry Noble, senior pastor of Newspring, it is from Joshua 1;

Four Things God is Saying to Church Leaders

Joshua 1:1-11

1. Let Go (vs.1-2a)

• "Moses my servant is dead..." It's time to let of the past in order to move into the future. 
• Moses was a great leader, and his legacy should be celebrated, but now he is dead and it's time to move on. 
• We need to talk more about our dreams than our memories. 
• What, in your church, is dead that you need to let go of? 
• If Joshua and the people of Israel had never let go of Moses, they would never have seen the great miracles of God that He performed on their behalf. 

2. Get Ready (vs. 2b-4)

• Joshua didn't have all the details, but he told the people to get ready anyway. 
• People think you are crazy when they can't see what you can see. 
• Don't apologize for having a big vision. 
• The church today has more potential to reach the world than it has ever had. 
• We have to be passionate about the things God is passionate about. 

3. I'm Here (vs.5-9)

• How many times in the Bible does God say - "I am with you?"
• Even if people leave, God is still with you.
• Every Sunday, our biggest obligation is to help people meet Jesus and realize that He is with them always. 
• When you realize God is with you, you will have ...

                   ... Power to preach His word.
                   ... An increasing love for God's people - Moses cared more about
                       his people than he did his position.
                   ... An increasing love for God's vision.

4. Let's do this! (vs. 10-11)

• God has a strategic plan for your church - "Listen to Me, believe Me, do what I say."
• Illus. skydiving requires and incredible amount of faith; you strap yourself to someone you do not know, and then jump when he says jump. Following God requires faith to strap ourselves to Him and jump when He says jump. 
• God specializes in destroying "I don't think that can be done" mentality. 

I hope the notes encourage you. A video of the sermon should posted on the Unleash2012 website by the end of the month. It's well worth the wait!

MVBC Connection 03-08-12

Love God, Love Others, Reach the World

Hey Family, 

Looking forward to the weekend. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Daylight savings time begins this weekend. Be sure to set your clock forward an hour on Saturday night!
• We'll continue our series, "Stories of Grace"; this week we'll consider what it means to be "Found!" Wes Adams will be sharing his story. 
• Sunday night is small groups. Be sure to check the bulletin for times and locations. 
• Our Operation Christmas Child Mission project for this month is: hygiene items, deodorant, combs, brushes, etc.

In the Future:

• On Wednesday, March 14th we will have a special called Business meeting. The Campus Maintenance Team will be presenting a proposal to upgrade the lighting in our sanctuary. The meeting will be at 7 pm.
•  The Youth are going to Winter Jam, Friday March 16th, if you would like to go, contact Adam Tilson.
• It's time to "Say Yes to VBS"! There will be a VBS introduction/information meeting on Sunday, Mar 18th after the morning worship service for all those who would like to know more about our upcoming Vacation Bible School. 
• Church-Wide Clean-up Day, Saturday March 24th. 
• There will be a Missions Fair in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, March 25th. Come learn more about how Magna View is involved in the Lord's work throughout the world.
• Church-Wide Breakfast and Community Blitz, Saturday March, 31st at 8 am. 
• Secret Church, Friday April 6, 7 pm - 1 am. The cost is $10. 

OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012

Ushers : *Harold McCarter, Jim Ellis, Scott Hickey, Brandon Wilmoth, Shawn Wilmoth, Bernard Bull

Greeters Today: Ron Wilson, Cathy Burchell, Dana Honnold and Austin Hall

Counters Today: Christina O’Brien and Shawn Wilmoth

Audio/Visual: Andrew Wilmoth & Adam Tilson

(If you are not able to keep your commitment, please contact your team leader)

C U Sunday!

Love God, Love Others, Reach the World

Dear Family, 

Looking forward to another great weekend. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• It's finally here: Saturday is our Wild Beast Feast! Activities will begin at 4:30 pm and the meal will be served at 5:30 pm. Aaron Bell will be the guest speaker. Keith Lawson will be here most of the day cooking and getting set up, and he would appreciate any help he can get. We can also use folks as "minglers" Saturday night, welcoming our guests and making sure things run smooth. So plan to join us!
• Sunday we will continue our series on "Love and Marriage" with "When Happily-Ever-After Isn't", what causes "trouble in paradise" and how can we overcome it? This Sunday is also "Pray for Marriage Day" across our nation!
• We'll be baptizing Rebecca Hinson this coming Sunday!
• Small groups meet Sunday night. 
• Don't forget the Operation Christmas Child project - we're collecting soap, wash cloths, and small stuffed animals this month. 
• Also don't forget that the deadline to sign-up for the Summer Mission Trip to Guatemala is next Sunday, March 4th. You'll need to turn in your missions application and a $100 deposit to hold your spot!

Our Volunteer Team for this Sunday is: 

Greeters: Jim & Gay Ellis and Sunny Hall

Ushers: *Jim Ellis, Scott Hickey, Brandon Wilmoth, Mike Heffner, Bernard Bull & Harold McCarter

Counters: Karen Rice and Jennifer Jackson

Audio/Visual: Andrew Wilmoth and Adam Tilson

(If you're not able to keep your commitment, please notify your Team Leader to find a replacement. Thanks.)

C U this weekend!

MVBC Connection 02-03-12

Love God, Love Others, Reach the World

Reminder: 

• Keep our Honduras Mission Team in your prayers - Bernard, Barbara and Dean
• We start our new series, "Love and Marriage" this week. We'll be talking about "A Marriage Worth Fighting For." We're also baptizing Cindi Heffner Sunday morning. 
• Not all of our small groups are meeting Sunday night so be sure to watch the bulletin. The college group and the youth group are joining together for a time of worship and then a Big Game Party. They will be meeting in the Children's Wing Sunday evening at 5:45 pm. Everyone is welcome to join them, just bring your own food!
• The Hegel small group has been ministering to the Elliot Family of Dandridge, trying to help provide some reliable transportation. They are needing about $400 to repair an engine. We'll receive a love offering at the end of the service Sunday for anyone that would like to give to help out. If you'd like to write a check, just make it out to Magna View and put "Elliot family" on the memo line.
• Saturday, Feb 11 is our next Hwy Clean-Up day. We'll start at 9:30 am and end with a lunch around 11:30 am. Be sure to let David Hegel know if you are coming so we have enough food for lunch. 
• The youth are sponsoring a Valentine's supper on Saturday, Feb 11 at 6:30 pm. Registration forms will be in the bulletin on Sunday. The meal is free, but a donation would be appreciated. Proceeds go to the summer mission trip to Guatemala, July 6-13. The mission trip is open to everyone and We have applications for the trip available. 
• We also have tickets to the Wild Beast Feast coming up on Saturday, February 25th. 
• Be sure to check out the online calendar at our website (www.magnaview.org) to keep up with upcoming events. You can also access our sermon page from the website as well to hear previous sermons. 

I think that is all for now. Look forward to seeing you Sunday!