A Real Challenge

The ultimate challenge, world-class performance, world-beaters, gutsy, courageous, inspirational...phrases like that are tossed around a lot these days. As the Olympics approach, that kind of rhetoric is becoming routine. We live in the age of reality TV and adventure sports. Sometimes we live vicariously through those with the courage and time to do the high level of training and fortitude necessary to compete in such things. I want you to know I am a fan of adventure and pushing one’s limits. Everest beckons!!

I have to confess however, that I am embarrassed by the superlatives that are employed in our descriptions of these things. When someone speaks of courage, or toughness and fortitude, I can’t keep my mind on athletes, athletic achievements, or recreation. It drifts around the world to the nameless faces of those who fight against hunger and disease as a way of life. Then it settles in on you who have endured chemo-therapy or watched a loved one slowly be taken by terminal disease, or had your life upset by unspeakable tragedy, or have a son or daughter serving in Iraq.

There are a number of you in our congregation that I see enduring these kinds of things. I’m thinking of you by name, but I won’t name your names here. You are not just surviving, you are displaying Christ in the midst of your challenge. I want you to know what a joy you are to me, but more importantly to the Lord. With your permission, I’ll use a trite phrase: Your performance under pressure is inspirational! It provides us with a chance to see God. That’s certainly the greatest race one could seek to run.

Here is the REAL ultimate challenge, the toughest mountain to climb, the only thing worthy of the superlatives we waste on sports. Can we believe that God is good when there are no grapes on the vines, when the fields produce no food, when there are no cattle in the stalls? (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Sooner or later we’ll all get the opportunity to run that race. A special thanks to you who are running it now so well. You’re world-beaters!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." ― John 16:33 (NIV)

Bob Fox

A Stimulus Package from God

It is funny and sometimes scary how God moves us. Our church’s thrust this year is to Give, not just financially, but of our time and resources as well. I remember sitting down with my wife and trying to figure out our budget for 2008. We started with the house payment and then our 10% tithe and our food and we also wanted to have children―and by the time we got done there wasn't anything left.

The what If building campaign was starting and we wanted to be a part of that, so we sacrificed some things to make a pledge that, honestly, stretched us. One of us would ask, "how are we going to live up to that pledge" while the other would ask, "how can we make it more?" On paper, we figured we could just make it happen but things would be tight. Then God blessed me with a raise that put some wind in our sails, and it came just in time as we then started having car trouble!

After Compassion Sunday, we felt moved by the Lord to sponsor a second Compassion International child. Again, we knew money would be tight, but maybe we could live without landscaping for a while in our backyard. Then we got news of the Economic Stimulus Package and all of a sudden we had money for landscaping! But I started to sense that God wanted me to give that money too. I sensed God leading us to give the whole thing in addition to our what if? pledge. I didn"t feel that a portion was appropriate, and if I wanted my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to also sacrifice and give to the church then I needed to do so as well.

We were apprehensive, but in the end we went ahead with the idea. A few days after we gave the rebate check to the church we received over $800 in refunds (escrow and insurance) that we were not expecting at all. It has been a journey of faith to give, but we have both found that we cannot outgive God. We have become better stewards of our money and are working on becoming better stewards of our time. Believe it or not we now have money in savings and God has enabled us to help other family members out financially. I don"t completely understand it, but as my wife and I continue to give, God has given much more back to us.

Anonymous Couple

Plant, Water and Bloom

When you become involved in our small group ministry, God gives you so many opportunities to meet others in a more personal way. Many of our groups have been together for years and they have walked through many life circumstances together. Deep friendships have been cultivated because God has allowed them to speak truth and grace to each other and plant seeds for His kingdom. Enjoy this God story from someone in one of our groups.

My small group had been studying Daniel, and as it is every time we meet, our leader has specific questions for the group to discuss which keeps us from straying too far away from the topic―we love talking about our grandkids you know!

As we reviewed the story about Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace the issue of how we are all sinners came up. Someone in our group asked what she had done to be considered a sinner. I knew from previous conversations that she was from a Mormon background and since I was also born and raised Mormon, I understood why she was asking the question. The Spirit prompted me to respond and I explained that since Adam and Eve had first sinned every person since then is born with a sin nature. We sin because we have a sin nature. It’s the sin that separates us from God.

Our group got real quiet they were probably wondering where I was going with this. I just sensed that even though she had been studying God’s word, she may not know Jesus Christ as her personal Savior so on I went. I said that only Jesus is perfect, He was born of a virgin, born of God, without sin, but clean and pure. This is what made Him to be able to carry our sins to the cross; He was a perfect sacrifice for sin, our sin. She was looking directly at me and then I said that for us to be considered sinless in the sight of God we must each personally accept the free gift of salvation for ourselves. Then I said to her, "if you are not sure you are saved you need to make that decision soon." Unfortunately, she and her husband were leaving for the summer so I wouldn’t see her again for a while, but I committed to stay in touch and see how she was doing. I planted a seed and God will be faithful to keep it watered while she is gone. My prayer is that she will return in beautiful bloom.

We didn’t get a chance to get into our lesson in Daniel, but I know God had a different plan for our discussion time, and I am glad God used me to cover what He wanted.

Patiently Waiting

God is so faithful as He continues to reach the hearts of women through Women’s Bible study. I want to share a journey God took one of our young mother’s on during her study in The Search for Significance.

Nancy Braun, Pastor of Women’s Ministry

My name is Sarah, a work in progress and I want to share my story of the path the Lord took me on as He came to live in my heart.

Growing up I attended many different churches with my mom. We ended up at the Mormon Church when I was about eleven years old, where we were baptized. We stopped attending not long after that and didn’t visit another church again.

I dropped out of school and began to take the wide road to death. God divinely intervened in my life when I was sixteen and introduced me to John who was eighteen. We began dating and I began attending church with him. We married shortly after that. We attended the Catholic Church steadily for a few years and then less frequently as we started feeling uncomfortable. Something vital was missing, we wanted to find a church home and a place that was the best for our children―that’s when, God directed us to Red Mountain Community Church.

We began attending RMCC in May of 2006 and this is where I was introduced to God and His Son and then prayed and asked Jesus into my heart, I thought. My family really started connecting and making new friends as we got involved in the many opportunities offered, I even started going to Bible study for the first time!

It was in my last Bible study, The Search for Significance, where my teacher, Evelyn Hellinga asked about my personal faith. I responded that I believe in God. She said that even the devil believes there is a God which hit home in my soul! As I continued to study I realized that while I believed in God and Jesus Christ, I never truly accepted Christ’s love for me or His payment for my sins. One evening after completing my homework I got on my knees, prayed and asked Christ into my heart again. This time fully accepting Him, His love, His sacrifice, His Holy Spirit and my imperfections.

A few days after this landmark event in my life, we dedicated our newest blessing Emma, and in my heart our three other blessings Celeste, John and Joseph to our Father, God. That same evening I was baptized―words can not express the feelings that followed!

So this how I came to Christ―by God’s divine grace and planning, a patient and loving husband, a church that teaches truth with compassion and some really wonderfully amazing people.

View a video of Nancy interviewing women, who are part of the Women’s Bible Studies.