You Are Invited!!!!

Hello Everyone–

I hope this finds you all doing well.  Just wanted to extend the invite to Countryside’s Fall Kick-Off on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 12:45pm.

It will be a great time to celebrate another beautiful summer and a great time to look forward to another amazing fall.  Countryside jumps forward into full gear in all of our ministry environments with something for all ages.

We will also start a new teaching series entitled reEngage:  We will be searching the bible and discovering how God desires our lives to be totally engaged in Him.  It will be a blast.

So, join us on September 13 for some great food, rides for the kids, bean bag toss, and next steps into a great fall season at Countryside.

For more info check out www.countrysidechurch.org

Hope to see you there!

kevin

The Main Thing

The Main Thing… August 23 through September 6

There are so many churches.  Different sizes, different beliefs, different convictions, different styles, all make up different gatherings of those seeking to know God.   The main thing for every church that claims Jesus as their saviour, is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever in that glory.  But each different faith community has a specific purpose–a specific mission….

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the importance of our mission at Countryside–to grow a community of committed Christ-followers who love God and love others.  We believe that this mission is realized in the pursuit of community, dicipleship, and mission.  I encourage you to come and be a part of our gatherings as we seek to exalt Christ by discovering how to be faithful to our mission.

You can always find out more at www.countrysidechurch.org and you can watch each week’s sermons here.

Peace

kevin

Grace and Peace

This coming Sunday marks the start of a new teaching series at Countryside entitled Grace and Peace.  This well-known phrase is often said as a greeting or farewell. but in all reality means much more than words to be only shared in passing.

It’s so easy to think of the words grace and peace and think of pink skies, rainbows, still waters, sleeping children, laughing babies…. you get it.  And I believe with all my heart that grace and peace bring those exact things.  The Bible uses language like lions laying down with lambs and babies playing near snake dens in complete safety when ultimate grace and peace (shalom) are realized.

While grace and peace can paint such artful pictures–grace and peace also come in incredible power.  Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1 to be strengthened by the grace found in Jesus.  Grace and peace culminate and flow from the cross as the earth shakes, graves open, the temple curtain torn, and as darkness covers the earth.  The loud cry of “It is finished” shakes the very foundation of Hell as well as the foundation of history forever.

Wow….so it’s easy to see that I am pretty fired up about the upcoming weeks’ studies and conversations.  I so want you to join us in this time of study and discovery as we explore Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Paul begins and ends his letter with the blessing of grace and peace to the community of believers. We will study this blessing along with the entire context of instruction to the church over the next few weeks.  Invite a friend to join you as we make much of the grace and peace that has been extended and offered to us–as we make much of Jesus.

Grace and Peace……

kevin

God is Sovereign

It’s been a long day. It’s been a long couple of weeks. Not in a bad way, mind you, just long. I’ve had the privilege of spending time under the teaching of so many passionate and gifted disciples of Jesus at two different gatherings of church leaders and innovators in Chicago and Austin, TX.  My head and my heart are full…..

The one common passion shared by everyone that I’ve heard over the past two weeks is the need for the church to share the gospel (good news) about Jesus and the wholeness of life lived with Him forever.

I’ve heard teaching from the likes of John Piper, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, C.J. Mahaney, and Joshua Harris to George P. Bush, Andy Crouch, Shane Hipps, Tim Keel, Fox News reporters, and many workers of social justice.  I even heard from Ted Hagard today.

While I find myself agreeing and disagreeing points with each presenter, the bottom line is that I am inspired and moved to know God more deeply and intimately. I want others to know Him. I long to see the church worship and tell of His glory.

So much has happened in the world over the last few weeks. Joshua Harris posted the following on Twitter today: “Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power. He is sovereign over swine flu, the economy & every nation. And he is good. Heb. 1:3″

Josh is right–God is sovereign.  He is sovereign over our ecclesiology-theology-or any ology.

God is God-we are not.  May we be seekers of God’s perfect truth-will-and goodness.  May we be brokers of the same.

As I looked up in the Austin sky tonight, God reminded me of His sovereignty (see pic). The sliver of moon in the Austin sky is the same moon that, may look different in another part of the world today, but is still the same moon nonetheless.

God is God-we are man….may we make much of Him.

Quiet Roar

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,  that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.–James 5:13-16

Last night’s gathering for prayer at Countryside was a picture of what James communicates in this well known passage.  If you were there you heard it.  It was the quiet roar of God’s people praying for His way for so many people. It was the sound of humility and worship.  It was the sound of Christ’s centrality in the moment.  As our elders led prayers and meditations and as we responded together, we realized the presence of God’s Spirit. It was so beautiful to witness the sick prayed for and anointed with oil by the elders.  It was inspiring to witness the trust that was offered to God.  Much was made of Christ.  God was exalted.  We were changed.

“…True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.”  C. H. Spurgeon

“As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.”  Martin Luther

Trust in love

So, quick question….

Can we truly love God if we don’t trust Him?

Is it possible?  Can one exist without the other?

I think this a great question to consider with great implications.

Peace-

kevin

Trust…

Saw this pic on the web that moved me to this question.  How can we help each other trust God? Do  the good intentions of this guy with the sandwich board–(and I am sure , by the picture,conversation with some) help others to do what Jeremiah called out to his own sinful community–trust God.  (I have no idea of the context that this picture was taken but have seen scenes like this so many times)

Jeremiah paints a picture of anxiety, fear, lonlieness, doubt, and simply missing good things when they come, for those who trust in self or others for strength.

Look around, watch the news, follow a Twitter, read a Facebook entry,  and you will see the picture that Jeremaih painted all around.  Doubt, fear, focus on the negative, dryness, death…..

Does the church look any different?  I would say yes in some ways and no in others.  How about you?

Jeremiah also paints a picture of what it looks like to trust God.  Flowing streams, deep nourished roots, green leaves, fruit….life.  The picture is beautiful.  It even smells good to write these words.

What do you see?  I am interested in hearing some of the ways that you are pointing others to hope—-to life found when we trust.

In God We Trust?

I’m excited to be working on our upcoming teaching series called In God We Trust-finding hope in times of crisis.

We will be searching to see who or what it is that we are trusting during this crazy and seemingly hopeless time in history.

In God We Trust….

Our money declares it.

In Indiana, our license plate declares it.

But the real question is, do our lives declare it?  We’ll be exploring Jeremiah 17 together as we look for our hope in the only One who can offer true hope—God.

I hope to see you at Countryside this weekend!!!! Until then-

Peace

kevin

Present Risenness

Easter at Countryside was beautiful.  So many people responding to the greatness of the risen Jesus in so many ways was nothing less than beautiful.  If you were at one of the worship gatherings, you heard me share about the many ways that I had experienced the present risenness of Jesus over the past few days.  I shared about the unmistakable presence of Jesus in the hospital rooms of two dying friends of mine and how they both were sure of the hope of the resurrection and the eternal life they had in Jesus while living in the sacredness between the seen and unseen.   I reminded us that we are no different.  Whether we realize or not, we too are living in the threshold of the seen and unseen presence of God.  I spoke of the frailty of life seen whether laying in a hospital bed or walking out in front of a city bus that morning while leaving the church building.  I joked about the cliche’ of walking out in front of a bus and the absence of worry as a city bus has never driven through the campus.  (we are located out of city limits)

That thought and moment (the cliche’ about the bus) seemed to come and go until one of Countryside’s First Impressions team approached me afterwards and told me that a city bus drove through the campus right after I talked abut the present risenness of Christ and made the comment about the bus.

Coincidence?  You tell me…. How often does the Michigan City Bus come to the Countryside Campus which is located well outside of the city limits?  How often does the bus run outside of the city on a Sunday???  How often does the bus run outside of the city on a holiday????

Or, could it really be true that we worship a God who actually  is with us to the very end of the age.  A God who gently reminds us to be aware of His presence.  A God who will run the bus out to us to simply remind us that He is present…..that He is Risen……

May we be aware.

Amazing Day

Easter at Countryside was amazing.  I could give all of the reasons why, but all I really can say is–I am thankful.  I am thankful that we came together to express gratitude and authentic worship to God.  Thankful for the reality of the reconciliation of the Cross and the power of life in the resurrection. I am thankful for the presence of Jesus in our lives. I am thankful and glad for you if you are one of the ones who confessed that Jesus is the Lord of your life.  I am thankful that I could baptize a new sister.

Thanks to all the countless people of the Countryside community who gave of themselves to make yesterday (and the entire weekend) so special.

And obviously–thank you God.  Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving of yourself in Jesus so that we could have life with you abundantly and forever.

We made much of Jesus last weekend—what a joy……