Dominican Recap #1

I am sitting at my desk in my office at home and I am reading my journal entries from my latest trip to the Dominican Republic. I continue to marvel at how awesome the Lord really is. He continues to do exactly what He says He will do. He continues to meet me at the deepest point of my needs but has no desire to leave me there. He continues to push me further in following His leading. He continues to extend His loving grace and blessing upon my life and my family. He continues to show me that He is GOD.

Before I left on the trip, I read through John Piper's book, called Let The Nations Be Glad. It was once again, a beautiful reminder of why missions exists. In Piper's own words he states,

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

Once I arrived back in the Dominican Republic, I fell immediately back in love with the country. This was my fourth visit and I am already looking forward to my return. We worked closely with Mercy and Julio DeRuiter who connected us with Pastor Manny and his work in the villages of Dos Hermanos and Monte Largo located in the San Pedro de Macoris region of the Dominican Republic. This is a different area than I had been in before but I really feel in love with the people of the villages and Pastor Manny's heart to plant churches in that area.



We spent several days working in the villages and had some time available to us to work on the church by putting in a new floor, painting the worship area, planting flowers and bushes around the church (so the villagers would understand that God's things are beautiful and need to be taken care of~ this was Pastor Manny's idea and I loved it) and then we were able to go and paint some of the houses that belonged to the men who worked and served in the church there. We also had the opportunity to lead a few backyard Bible studies in the schools and villages that we were at. Here is a clip of one of the villagers singing for us.



I will be sharing more over the next few days, and or weeks about our trip and all that the Lord has done in us, to us and through us. What an amazing journey the He has us all on and i am excited about what is around the corner.

Wow, what a week

It is 6:39 am in Santo Domingo, and I think I may be the only one up. It has been almost two weeks since my last post and I have so much to share. I have been in the Dominican Republic with 14 students and 2 adults since December 11th. This is my 4th trip to this country and I fall more in love with it every time I come. I tend to always leave a portion of my heart here, when I leave.
The Lord allowed us to do some amazing things while we were here and I am looking forward to transcribing my daily journal into a blog over the next few days and weeks. We worked with the bateys called Monte Largo and Dos Hermanos and started some amazing relationships with the men, women and children of those bateys. Mercy and Julio, our Dominican contacts, were a joy to work with. I am really looking forward to our future together, as we schedule and plan more trips. We also spend some time with Pastor Manny and his family. They are church planters here in the Domincan. We are gettings things ready to fly back to Dallas today, so I have lots to do but will be sharing very soon all that the Lord has done in us, to us, and through us

Reflections From Sunday

The Lord continues to amaze me at what He is doing in the life of our church. There is not a week that goes by that I am continually reminded why He placed us here for this chapter in our life. The conversations and prayer times that I have had after services the past few weeks, have all been subtle reminders. Thank you Lord. If you have missed the services the last few weeks, you can catch them here at GatewayTV

We have been studying the "I Am" statements that are found in the Gospel of John as we look at what Jesus said about himself. We see that He tells us that He is the "I Am". He tells us He is "The Bread of Life". He states that He is "The Light of the World", "The Gate" and this past week we looked at the fact that He is "The Good Shepherd".

Here are the notes from Sunday's Message::

John 10:11-21


11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.This charge I have received from my Father."

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" 21Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

The Shepherd::

* is authoritative (sheep know and hear His voice)
* is a protector (He lays down his life for his sheep)
* is a rescuer (He leaves no one behind. He goes after those who have gone astray)
* is devoted (He is invested in his sheep, he commands authority, provides protection, and rescues us)

I will be leaving on December 11th to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with Greenville Christian School, where I teach and Bible and serve as the Spiritual Life Director. Will you please pray for our trip and our team as we share the Gospel of Christ with the Haitians and Dominicans.

Zach Snow will be teaching on December 12th and 19th. He will be walking the church through the statement made by Jesus that He is "The Resurrection and The Life" and the fact that He is "The Way, The Truth and The Life"", which will conclude our series over the "I AM" statements

We will have "Family Worship" on Sunday morning, December 26, 2010. We will have coffee and conversation, as usual, at 10:100 am and worship at 10:30 am.

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Pastor's Open House on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
...Family Worship on Sunday, December 26, 2010



ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

GFchurch

It has been a few weeks since I have posted a "Reflections From Sunday" post, so I will try to catch up now. The Lord continues to amaze me at what He is doing in the life of our church. There is not a week that goes by that I am continually reminded why He placed us here for this chapter in our life. The conversations and prayer times that I have had after services the past few weeks, have all been subtle reminders. Thank you Lord. If you have missed the services the last few weeks, you can catch them here at GatewayTV

We have been studying the "I Am" statements that are found in the Gospel of John as we look at what Jesus said about himself. We see that He tells us that He is the "I Am". He tells us He is "The Bread of Life". He states that He is "The Light of the World", "The Gate" and this week we will look at the fact that He is "The Good Shepherd".

I will be leaving on December 11th to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with Greenville Christian School, where I teach and Bible and serve as the Spiritual Life Director. Will you please pray for our trip and our team as we share the Gospel of Christ with the Haitians and Dominicans.

Zach Snow will be teaching on December 12th and 19th. He will be walking the church through the statement made by Jesus that He is "The Resurrection and The Life" and the fact that He is "The Way, The Truth and The Life"", which will conclude our series over the "I AM" statements

We will have "Family Worship" on Sunday morning, December 26, 2010. We will have coffee and conversation, as usual, at 10:100 am and worship at 10:30 am.

Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...This Friday, December 3, 2010 is the GFchurch Ladies Ornament Exchange
...Pastor's Open House on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
...Family Worship on Sunday, December 26, 2010


In case, you did not get a chance to see this, here is an article about our Food Drive in the community. Thanks @GFchurch for being the church on mission!!


Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

By JIM HARDINHerald-Banner

Rockwall County — A Royse City Church held a neighborhood-based food drive Saturday to help Helping Hands of Rockwall County restock its food shelves.

Signs in Royse City led to a residence on Mockingbird Street. And in the home’s driveway were several boxes of food and another sign promoting the food drive.

Donna Webb, who hosted the food drive at her residence, said the food drive was sponsored as a community event by Gateway Fellowship Church.

Few Royse City residents dropped off food, so church members started going door-to-door. Webb said that effort was more productive.

“We’re doing this to provide a service to the community and to meet the community,” Webb said.

Several families from the church helped Webb and her husband, Max, with the project.


Here is the link to the article in the Herald Banner
http://roysecityheraldbanner.com/local/x2055606979/Neighborhood-event-raises-food-for-Helping-Hands



ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Quote~ J.C. Ryle

It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, and follow Christ, and believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, and our self-righteousness, and our ease, and our worldliness. All- all must be given up. We must fight an enemy who comes against us with twenty thousand followers. We must build a tower in troubled times. Our Lord Jesus Christ would have us thoroughly understand this. He bids us “count the cost.”

~ J.C. Ryle

Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

Here is an article about our Food Drive in the community. Thanks @GFchurch for being the church on mission!!


Neighborhood event raises food for Helping Hands

By JIM HARDINHerald-Banner

Rockwall County — A Royse City Church held a neighborhood-based food drive Saturday to help Helping Hands of Rockwall County restock its food shelves.

Signs in Royse City led to a residence on Mockingbird Street. And in the home’s driveway were several boxes of food and another sign promoting the food drive.

Donna Webb, who hosted the food drive at her residence, said the food drive was sponsored as a community event by Gateway Fellowship Church.

Few Royse City residents dropped off food, so church members started going door-to-door. Webb said that effort was more productive.

“We’re doing this to provide a service to the community and to meet the community,” Webb said.

Several families from the church helped Webb and her husband, Max, with the project.


Here is the link to the article in the Herald Banner
http://roysecityheraldbanner.com/local/x2055606979/Neighborhood-event-raises-food-for-Helping-Hands

November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference session2

JR Vassar
The Sacred Call To Work

Ephesians 6: 5-9

....How does this change our view about work
....How we work as those who supervised other as well as being supervised by someone else
....Work was given to us before the fall

What is God's vision for work

People spend the most of their time in their workplaces
We must disciple them to use their workplace as a mission field

1. Identity is not in a position but in a person
..... We are bond-slaves to Jesus
.... We are someone because of who we are in Him not what we do

2. Work is worship
.... But you are not called to worship your work
.... We are called to work as doing everything as unto the Lord
..... No matter what you do, or whatever task you are given.. do as unto the lord
..... Work is sacred ... Do not preach the word if you are called to serve tables..... Do not serve tables if you have been called to preach the word ---- The Disciples had that one right!!

What are the implications?

1. Your work needs to be good work
... For work to be good it has an upward, inward and outward dimension

2. Your work needs to have proper motivation
..... Define the "win" in your work
..... must see that the Lord is the one we are ultimately serving
1a. Doing your work from the heart (integrity, diligent, and with excellence )
2b..Treat those who you work with, with Gospel humility
.... Treat others with dignity, love, and respect
.... The Gospel levels everyone and lifts everyone
3c. Work mindful of what the reward is in HIM
... Believe the Gospel
.... You will have no regrets

3. Work is a Gospel opportunity
.... Whatever you do as a vocation do it as a witness of the Gospel- adorn your work with the Gospel
..... Every portion of your life is brought under subjection of the Gospel

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference.... Breakout

David Kinnaman
From Unchristian to Christian

What we need to do in order to gain the attention of those who are unchristian

Scripture::

Teach the high standard of image-bearing to which Christ holds believers

Romans 2:24
Matthew 23:13
Matthew 5:16
John 17:23

Restore a proper theology of insiders an outsiders

Colossians 4: 5-6
1 Corinthians 5: 9-13

Rediscover the deeper meaning of the "offense" of the Gospel

Galatians 2:13 and 5:11
Luke 15

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 12, 2010~RightNow Conference session1

JR Vassar
Depending on the Holy Spirit

Don't settle for the results of the work of your flesh

Don't let intimidation lead you into imitation

We must rely on the Holy Spirit
John 20:19

You need the same resources
.... The presence an the purpose of the Holy Spirt
.... In Jesus' incarnation He became reliant upon the Holy Spirt

The people of God have to be dependent on the Holy Spirit to be a prophetic, priestly, people of God

God has to be intimate and in you rather than just among you

This is the promise of the new covenant

Our default is manufacturing ministries in the church - imitation
.....Imitation slays creativity

What would I look like if we began to experience the Spirit in similar ways as Jesus did with similar affects

1. Experience a confirmation of our sonship
2. Prompting toward ministry and an empowerment for ministry
.... Are we responding to the prompting of the Spirt
.... What are we forfeiting on the other side of the prompting by not responding to the Spirit

There must be an expectancy in our hearts for what He wants for us, what He want to do to us, and what He want to do through us
.... It is about posture!

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 11, 2010~RightNow Conference session2

Tim Ross
Too Much Information

John 4:

Jesus had an assignment to reveal Himself to those around Him. A brief but very profound ministry. His own people would not listen so He goes elsewhere. He gets weary and rests at the well.
Physical well- spiritual well

As leaders for us to reach people we have to be able communicate about something we both now
.... Meet them on their turf

..... The story unfolds:: they are both thirsty but thirsty for something different .... Literal vs spiritual

Water here is the common denominator between them both

....Starts off with something natural and then gets personal

It is all about relationship
.... Move past religion

You have had 5 husbands and the one you are with now is not your husband but I don't care

Look at the disciples.. The religious people are questioning themselves on why He is talking to her

We can't try to push people into a relationship with Jesus through the eyehole of Religion

She runs to the village and tells everyone about the man that just told me everything about my life and didn't care

... We must release people from our own perception of what we think people are gonna think about them
.... We must release people into relationship rather than into religion
.... Why do we think He does not call us to be vulnerable
.... Ministry calls us to give Too Much Information
..... We need to run back to the community and scream "Come See A Man" who loves me
..... People want to connect to those who know about them but still love them
..... This women had to perform for 6 men until she met The Man who loved her for who she is

We must release people from the shame of their past

He loves us right where we are

Grace is more promiscuous than any prostitute
Grace will get with anyone!!

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 11, 2010~RightNow Conference breakout2

Mac Lake and Michael Lukaszewski
Keys to planting healthy, thriving churches

1. New churches have to rely on God
.... Not on anything else
.... You have to rely on God, not your talent

2. New churches must develop new leaders
..... Growing churches have growing leaders
..... Healthy churches have healthy leaders

The habits of your core group will become the culture of your church

3. New churches have to develop strong systems
..... Missional
..... Discipleship
..... Leadership
...... Accountability

People are drawn to places that life change is happening

Capitalize on the power of Story

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 11, 2010~RightNow Conference....breakout1

Matt Carter
Reaching the college student, 20's and 30's

There is a huge demographic that is missing from our church in America 18-35yr olds

Principles that the Austin Stone is applying to the church in order to reach that generation

You must lift up the name of Jesus in all that you do
He must be the star of all that we do

The way your church worships may attract people but it will not keep them

First reason they stay is the Preaching, teaching and doctrine is what keeps people

..... Teach the Word
..... Teach doctrine but do so in a way that people will understand
..... Teach all of the Word
..... Challenge with the Word
..... Transparency is crucial. It is okay for them to see you being real
..... Give people a chance to not be okay

Get your mind around the Gospel
.....Teach them to fall in love with Jesus and let Him work through you
..... Are we teaching the Gospel or self righteousness

Second reason they stay is because we get them on mission

.... They want to be in the fight
.... They want to Christianity that is displayed in the book of Acts
...... They need to be released into service
...... They want to make a difference.
..... They hate injustice and want to be a part of making a difference

We must challenge our people to give their lives away for the cause of Christ

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 11, 2010~ RightNow Conference session1

Pete Briscoe
The Mystery Of It All

Ephesians 3
Ephesians 6

What did Paul trade in his life for?

1. He traded for Christ
....I am an apostle of Christ, I am a minister of Christ
Paul was a Christ intoxicated man
He traded in the law of Judaism for the person of Christ
2. He traded for Grace
.... The administration of grace
.... We must be stewards of grace
.... We embrace it, receive it, and give it
3. He traded for the mystery
.... The mystery made known to me by revelation
.... Christ in which everything is found
.... Christ indwelling me which is the hope of glory
.... Christ in me, Christ in us
4. He traded for the church
.... The dynamic of Christ in us is real and unique
.... The church takes Christ to the world
.... Christ in us the hope of glory
5. He traded for ministry
.... Servant of the Gospel
.... God by his grace has given me the gift of ministry
.... Ministry is not our gift to God. It is his gift to us

We must become Christ intoxicated people
We must become messengers of the mystery

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 10, 2010~RightNow session4 (Pre Conference)

Matt Carter
Moving "small groups" to "Missional communities"

We can never allow our churches to fall in live with the mission more that the Savior

You can not fall more in live with mission than Jesus

Ephesians 4:11 and 16

What causes the body of Christ to grow?
.... Each part has to work properly

The body of Christ in America is not growing therefore we have to realize that all of it's parts are not working properly

What does the Gospel look like when it works and walks through our lives?

What are we really trying to achieve?

There is a growing sense of restlessness in the laity of the church

18-30 year olds are not okay with sitting on the sidelines of ministry. They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

They want to know when they can get into the fight.

We must equip and empower them to DO and to be SENT

If your church is preaching the Word of God and the people are on mission- it will grow

Question:: if my church grew by thousands, would my city really change?

It would if we equipped them and sent them into the neighborhoods and community- that is when change occurs

Jesus' church growth model was to take 12 ordinary guys. He equipped them, trained them and released them

Is it possible to attract people and release them?
..... It is!
.... Move from community groups to Missional Communities
..... Don't just come together to pray and eat but come together with the goal in mind to really be Missional in our community

1. Changes definition of success for small group
.... Has the group of people moved from just meeting together to engaging missionally in the community
........... "there is nothing that fosters community better than mission"
2. Change how we train and disciple leaders
...... Train them to think and act like missionaries
3. Raise the bar for the groups
...... Challenge them to do huge things
....... Scripture tells us that the power of the resurrection resides within those who are sitting in our churches... Release them!

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 10, 2010~ RightNow Session3 (Pre Conference)

Mac Lake
Mentoring Made Easy

why we should mentor

1. It is Biblical
.... We have to think generationally
.... We have to recruit for vision not need
..... We must have a leadership development culture

2. It is the best method of transformation

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 10, 2010-Rightnow session2 (Pre Conference)

Dr. Larry Osborne
Sticky Church: slamming your back door

The people we have are tools to be used
.... Shepherd the flock God has entrusted to you

We can not overlook the ones who are struggling in the flock

Assimilation and retention (sticky church)
....assimilation equals getting people to come back and get them into a program (vital first step but not a place of connection)
....retention equals getting people to stay (goal is lifelong relationship)

Question:: what are we doing relationally in our small groups as well as what we are doing missionaly

Our groups have to be highly Missional but relational as well
.... Are we creating tight family relationships
.... People have to learn to be vulnerable not "friendly"
Example....how are you? .... I am fine (when really they are not)
..... Friendly does not equal connection
Many people will be friendly by will not connect

Churches have to be birthing centers
.... People need to grow and be nurtured
.... People stay where there is growth

We can not think that just because we are friendly that we are connected

Question... Are we really connecting and becoming sticky?
Or are we just acting friendly

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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November 10, 2010~ RightNow session1 (Pre Conference)

Dr. Larry Osborne
The Church Has Left The Building
~the transforming power of a church-wide weekend of service

2 keys to reaching our culture today::
- authenticity
- Bono factor= what are you doing for someone else?

How do we mobilize the congregation to get out and serve the community?
-small groups have to model
-church wide service of serving in the community

Luke 10: 1-20
A weekend of service

1. They went as his advance team to a specific place- verse1
2. They went with a specific cause- verse 2-9
3. They returned with joy -verse 17-20

Points to ponder::

Before they went out to serve Jesus thinned the herd

They were sent out Not just to do good deeds

They were sent out to be the advance team so that the people would be willing to accept Jesus, when He came

They focused on those who were opened to their message

Poverty, injustice and disease are not life's biggest problem. Eternity is!

Practical App::
1. Be sure you are asking what is our purpose and how will we measure success?
2. How can we make this a great experience for everyone?
3. How can we institutionalize good intentions?

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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"I Had No Shirt"

While reading through John Piper's book "Let The Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions", I came across this excerpt and I wanted to share it. On page 103 it states:

"It is almost impossible for Americans to come to terms with Jesus' commendation of the widow who "out of her poverty put in all she had to live on"(Luke 21:4). To see this spirit fleshed out, we may have to leave America and go elsewhere. Stanford Kelly illustrates it from Haiti.
The church was having a Thanksgiving festival, and each Christian was invited to bring a love offering. One envelope from a Haitian man named Edmund held $ 13. That amount was three month's income for a working man there. Kelly was as surprised as those counting a Sunday offering in the United States might be to get a $ 6,000 cash gift. He looked around for Edmund but could not see him.
Later Kelly met him in the village and questioned him. He pressed him for an explanation and found that Edmund had sold his horse in order to give the $ 13 gift to God. But why hadn't he come to the festival? He hesitated and didn't want to answer. Finally, Edmund said, "I had no shirt to wear"

.... I am not sure anything else needs to be said!

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday we had a great day @GFchurch. I love our team and all that He is doing in us, to us, and through us. Scott Finch did a great job leading us in worship. If you were unable to attend service this past Sunday you can watch it here on GatewayTV. We looked at Discipleship, and what it looks like to be a disciple. Here is the basic outline of the message::

The Great Commission: “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’”” ~ Matthew 28:19-20

...... Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you




excerpt from Dallas Willard‘s The Spirit of the Disciplines

The word "disciple" occurs 269 times in the New Testament. "Christian" is found only three times and was first introduced to refer precisely to the disciples…. The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ.


But the point is not merely verbal. What is more important is the kind of life we see in the earliest church is that of a special type of person. All of the assurances and the benefits offered to humankind in the gospel evidently presuppose such a life and do not make realistic sense apart from it. The disciple of Jesus is not the deluxe or heavy-duty model of the Christian — especially padded, textured, streamlined, and empowered for the fast lane on the straight and narrow way. He stands on the pages of the New Testament as the first level of basic transportation in the kingdom of God.


For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit, and teachings as a condition of membership — either or entering into or continuing in fellowship of a denomination or a local church…


…So far as the visible Christian institutions of our day are concerned, discipleship is clearly optional….



(Cited in Richard Foster’s Devotional Classics, pp. 14-15.)



Luke 5:1-11

5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

qualities of a disciple::

* obedience
* humility
* mission
* spiritual health / disciplines


In the words of James E. Faust:

“Our true claim as disciples comes when we can say with certainty that His ways have become our ways.” James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 20–23


.....Brief overview of Romans 6-8



* A Disciple not only confesses with his mouth but also confesses by his actions.
* A Disciple confesses Jesus with their life.
* A Disciple loves Jesus more than anything.

...... Summary of Galatians 5


We have some big events coming up in the life of our church. We are now in the preparation stages of putting our neighborhood block parties together. We will also be pushing out some information regarding a Gateway Community Day, as well as many other opportunities to embrace the community around us. One of the big things we need your help with is gathering candy for the Royse City "Trick or Treat on Main Street" community event that will be held on Wednesday, October 27th.


......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......

~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~October 23, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~October 27, 2010 Trick or Treat on Main Street


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday we had a great day @GFchurch. I love our team and all that He is doing in us, to us, and through us. Scott Finch did a great job leading us in worship. If you were unable to attend service this past Sunday you can watch it here on GatewayTV. We looked at our Fellowship/ Identity in Christ, here is the basic outline of the message::

* When you abandon an identity that you receive from God, you are forced to create one on your own ~JR Vassar
* Rest in the identity that He has given you
* Often times our Identity is exchanged for Imagery (something we have done, trying to save yourself)

Christians are often hampered from moving forward spiritually because they lack an understanding of who they really are in Christ.
Often times our faith becomes checking off religious boxes and checklists instead of living the reality of who God has declared us to be!

Our enemy seeks to distort our understanding of who we are.
..... He cannot rob us of our identity~ our identity is secure, but he can mess with our view of our identity.
........For example, many people struggle with seeing God as a Father and seeing themselves as His child because of a bad earthly father.



The Great Commission: “Jesus said, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’””
Matthew 28:19-20

* Baptism is a public declaration of one’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
* Baptism is a perfect illustration of what Christ has done for all sinners through His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4)

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

* Baptism is also a personal identification with Christ and with His Church (Galatians 3:27).

27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.


Baptism not only signifies our identification with Jesus Christ but also our desire to live a life of obedience to Him

When a person becomes a disciple of Jesus, he relates in a new way to the entire Godhead. The Father becomes our heavenly Father, the Son our Lord, the Spirit our indwelling enabler. And in the act of baptism we submit ourselves to all three, and we pledge allegiance to all three.

We have fellowship with Him and the local church.

Paul’s words to the church in Corinth::

Divisions in the Church

10 I appeal to you, brothers,1 by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:10-17



“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 15:5-6


Fellowship is the evidence of waking in the light::
~ 1 John 1:5-7


Loving people is an evidence of that walk::
~1 John 2:9-11


Fellowship with people is an exercise of love bringing us toward spiritual maturity:: 1 John 4:7-21



The Challenge::

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:1-2

.......out of the Message::
1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.


In Christ you are…

• God’s beloved child (Jn 1:12: Eph 1:5)
• Christ’s dear friend (Jn 15:5)
• Declared perfectly righteous (“justified”) (Rom 5:1)
• Free from condemnation (Rom 8:1; Col 2:14-16)
• United with Christ, “one spirit” with Christ (I Cor 6:17; Eph 5:31)
• A member of Christ’s body (I Cor 6:15/ 12:27)
• The Temple of God (I Cor 6:19)
• Filled with the “fullness of God” (Eph 3:19)
• A “holy one” [saint] (Eph 1:1)
• Blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3)
• Holy and blameless (Eph 1:4)
• Bought with an infinite price and forgiven (I Cor 6: 20; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14)
• Bathed with wisdom and understanding (Eph 1:8)
• The recipient of an eternal, infinitely rich, inheritance (Eph 1:11, 18)
• Possessed with the mind of Christ (I Cor 2:16)
• Inseparable form God’s love (Rom 8:35-39)
• One who will NEVER be abandoned (Mt 28:20)
• The beautiful bride of Christ who “ravishes” the heart of God (Song of Songs, 4:1ff; 6:4ff).
• One over whom the Lord rejoices, sings and claps his hands(Zeph 3:17)
• One for whom the Lord throws a party (Zeph 3:17; Lk 15:7-10)
• A recipient of God’s own peace (Jn 14:27)
• Filled with the peace and joy of God (Rom 14:17)
• One in whom Christ’s joy is fulfilled (Jn 15:11)
• Given direct access to the Father by the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)
• Seated with Christ in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6)
• Seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” with Christ (Eph 1:21).
• Hid in Christ in heavenly realms (Col 3:1-5)
• Crucified, Buried and Raised with Christ (Rom 6:1-11)
• Made perfect forever (Heb 10:14)
• Made complete in Christ (Col 2:10)
• Indwelled by a fearless Spirit (2 Tim 1:7)
• One of God’s precious works of art (Eph 2:10)
• Indwelt by a spirit of power, love and stability (2 Tim 1:7)
• A citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20)
• Predestined to look like Jesus and see him in his glory (Rom 8:29; I Jn 3:1-5)
• One in whom God is working to bring good out of evil (Rom 8:28)
• Salt of the earth (Mt 5:13)
• A branch chosen to bear fruit (Jn 15:16)
• A co-worker with God (I Cor 3:9)
• An ambassador of Christ and minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-20)
• A priest of the most high God ( I Pet 2:5-9)
• More than a conqueror in all things (Rom 8:37)
• One who knows the truth and is set free (Jn 8:32).
• One who can do all things in Christ (Phil 4:13)

* When you abandon an identity that you receive from God, you are forced to create one on your own~ JR Vassar
* Rest in the identity that He has given you
* Often times our Identity is exchanged for Imagery (something we have done, trying to save yourself)



We have some big events coming up in the life of our church. We are now in the preparation stages of putting our neighborhood block parties together. We will also be pushing out some information regarding a Gateway Community Day, as well as many other opportunities to embrace the community around us. One of the big things we need your help with is gathering candy for the Royse City "Trick or Treat on Main Street" community event that will be held on Wednesday, October 27th.


......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......

~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~October 23, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~October 27, 2010 Trick or Treat on Main Street


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us

Fields of the Fatherless

Tom Davis, in his book, Fields of the Fatherless, wrote::

What am I missing? Some years ago, I found myself asking this question almost daily. As a pastor, I thought I knew what mattered to God. I read my Bible almost every day. I tithed, I watched the “right” movies, I prayed as often as I could, I kept my devotions on track and I even journaled in an attempt to reflect on what was happening in my life! But none of this could shake my conviction that I was still missing something. Something important.

The rest of the book he talks about his journey into finding Jesus in a whole new dimension as he joined Jesus in the “fields of the fatherless” – orphan ministry in post communist Russia. This book is about adoption; not only our adoption as believers in Christ but also the fact that the Gospel spurs us into action.

Here are some of my favorite statements and or thoughts throughout his book:

.... Living Jesus' way demands that turn our back on our natural inclinations. Instead of self-concern, we need to be more concerned with loving our neighbors as ourselves and taking care of their needs ~p.34

.... God wants us to remember our bondage, remember how He has saved us, and in that remembrance, He wants us to reach out in love to the fatherless ~p.35

.... If the early church spent so much of it's time focusing on the fatherless in this respect, shouldn't we make them a priority as well? God gave us the responsibility to care for the defenseless ~p.37

.... Because of Christ's love for us, because He forgave us such an enormous debt we could never repay, we can show others the forgiveness and love of Christ. Genuine, believing faith manifests itself in tangible ways when we care for those who are poor, suffering, and fatherless or motherless ~p.63

.... If I am living in comfort and blessing, more is required of me as a follower of Christ ~p.64

.... My "blessings" are opportunities for me to reveal the reality of the faith I proclaim to possess. ~p.64

.... "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" Matt 25:40

Wow, if that's the reason Jesus gives for ushering us into His Kingdom, it is surely a powerful statement as to what He's looking for from us"
He aches for those in pain, He sees the needs of the hungry and hungers with them. He hears they cry of the orphans, identifies Himself with their misery, and lowers Himself to their level ~p.71

.... One person has the ability to completely revolutionize the life of an abandon child, a foreigner, a single mom, or an elderly widow. Your creative energy could be the very thing that helps him or her keep going and even experience God's love for the first time ~p.98

.... each of us can do something to alter the life of at least one person whom God loves and cherishes ~p.100

.... simple acts of kindness are all it takes to change a life, a community, even a nation ~p.107

....God's love was most tangible when Jesus noticed the defenseless, Jesus identified with those who were forced to live in misery and then He did something to relive their pain ~p.109

.... The character of our Savior is compassion ~p.110

.... Most of His opportunities to care and heal occurred because He was out walking among them ~p.115

.... The greatest need each of us has-to know our true Father. Knowing Him brings definition, fulfillment, and completion to our lives. It truly answers the questions of our existence, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. ~p.125

.... If I could live my life doing one thing, what would You want me to do? I believe the message of Isaiah 58:7-9, would be His answer

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.


This is a great read. Go out and pick up a copy. Remember that in biblical times God maintained a special portion for the less fortunate. During harvest time, His people were instructed to leave a portion of the crops for those in need.

Are you leaving a portion to serve as provision for those who are less fortunate?

ONE campaign

On September 12, 2010, we celebrated our 5yr anniversary and we talked about the ONE campaign. The ONE campaign is a campaign for us to "engage in" and "partner with" over the next year.

We are looking at each family in our church prayerfully INVESTING&INVITING at least ONE family over the year to one of our ministry events. We are asking each family to engage in a relationship with at least ONE family or person that is pre-churched, de-churched or anti-churched in an effort to share the Gospel of Christ with them. As a part of this campaign, we asked you to fill out an IMPACT card this past Sunday that you can keep in your Bible to help remind you to pray for them. On that card are the names of the 10 families or persons we just shared about above. We also asked that you fill out another card with the exact information on it and turn it back into the church so the Elders and staff can pray over them specifically.

We are asking our connect groups to begin "stretching" themselves in the area of local and global missions. We are also asking them to begin the birthing process of another group out of their existing one. We must be intentional about the discipleship process and forming new leaders. We must birth at least ONE more connect group out of each of our existing ones.

We are also planning on birthing ONE more GFchurch campus over the next year. Church planting is a part of our DNA and we must be going through birthing pains over the next year. We are already a regional church, and as we experience God's growth, we know we will need to meet needs by offering services in different places and at different times.

Another challenge we are asking our people to partner in is sacrificing ONE "going out" meal a week and give that money to the church to help support our missional efforts in our community and other surrounding communities.

We are really excited about all that is going on in the life of our church and we are asking you to pray with us that this year will be the best yet.

Remember the next few months we will be hosting several block parties, a couple food drives in order to help support the food pantry, and participating in some community wide events in an effort to share the Gospel of Christ.


LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, CHANGE THE WORLD

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday @GFchurch we continued our series where we are looking at the functions of the church and our calling in life as believers in Jesus Christ. Zach Snow, shared with us a message on evangelism. If you were unable to attend service or would like to hear the message again, you can catch it on GatewayTV. Here are the scriptures that Zach shared used in his message::

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (New American Standard Bible)

11"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.

12"It is not in heaven, that you should say, '(A)Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'

13"Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'

14"But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
Choose Life
15"See, (B)I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;

16in that I command you today (C)to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you (D)may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.

17"But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

18I declare to you today that (E)you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.

19"(F)I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, (G)the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

20(H)by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and (I)by holding fast to Him; (J)for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in (K)the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."



Romans 10:1-15 (New American Standard Bible)
Romans 10
The Word of Faith Brings Salvation
1Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

2For I testify about them that they have (A)a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

3For not knowing about (B)God's righteousness and (C)seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

4For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to (E)everyone who believes.

5For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law (F)shall live by that righteousness.

6But (G)the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "(H)DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down),

7or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE (I)ABYSS?' (that is, to (J)bring Christ up from the dead)."

8But what does it say? "(K)THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

9that (L)if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and (M)believe in your heart that (N)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

11For the Scripture says, "(O)WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

12For (P)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is (Q)Lord of (R)all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;

13for "(S)WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him (T)whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without (U)a preacher?

15How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "(V)HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO (W)BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"



This Sunday, October 17th, we will be looking at Fellowship. We will be discussing our identification(fellowship) with the Father as believers in Jesus Christ, as well as our call towards biblical community. The Gospel of Jesus has to be at the center of everything that we do.

We have some big events coming up in the life of our church. We are now in the preparation stages of putting our neighborhood block parties together. We will also be pushing out some information regarding a Gateway Community Day, as well as many other opportunities to embrace the community around us. One of the big things we need your help with is gathering candy for the Royse City "Trick or Treat on Main Street" community event that will be held on Wednesday, October 27th.


......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......

~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~October 9, 2010 GF Ladies Bunco
~October 23, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~October 27, 2010 Trick or Treat on Main Street


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday at GFchurch we began looking at the 5 functions of the church. We are going back and covering some basic Biblical principles for how we are to be going about ministry in our communities. This week we covered Worship. We looked at and discussed some of the expressions of worship like singing, commitment, hearing the Word, giving, baptism, meditation, Lord's Supear and such....We will be looking at Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship and Ministry. We have set apart 5 weeks for this, but I am not sure we will actually get it covered in that amount of time.


Worship is with all your heart, soul, and mind
....... "This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me"~ Matthew 15:8. Worship is real, authentic experience in the heart with God, or it is nothing.
Worship is in 'Spirit and Truth"
....... C. S. Lewis - "We only learn to behave ourselves in the presence of God."
....... Richard Foster - "As worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience. Holy obedience saves worship from becoming an opiate, an escape from the pressing needs of modern life."
Worship is a LIFESTYLE
....... Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.~ Romans 12:1-2
Worship is being satisfied with God
....... as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.~Philippians 1:20-21

We must see God as He is. When we worship in truth and spirit as is referenced in scripture, it leads to confession and repentance. It also leads us to proclaim the Gospel. When we truly worship it demands from us a response.

If you missed the service, you can catch it in its entirety at GatewayTV
Here are the scripture texts for the message this past weekend::
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."

17"I have no husband," she replied.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

21Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."





......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......


~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~October 9, 2010 GF Ladies Bunco


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Quote~ Charles Spurgeon

I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love. So I am forced to accept that great Biblical doctrine. — Charles Spurgeon

We are in need of the Gospel. People may know church, but they need to know Jesus. We must be intentional about our celebration of what the Gospel has done. It has saved us. It has justified us, and it sanctifies us. Determining to celebrate what Christ has done for us keeps our heart's devoted to HIS fame and not our own personal success.

Reflections From Sunday

This week at GFchurch we heard from one of our elders, Dennis Dodds. Dennis shared out of Romans helping us close out our 4 week long discussion over Romans 8. If you were unable to attend service this past week, you can watch it in its entirety here at GatewayTV

Here is the scripture text for the message this past week::
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am excited about the next few week as we begin a new series that will cause us to look at the biblical purposes of the church and how it relates to us and our community. As we understand that we have been called to live communally, think missionally and worship authentically, I pray He continues to stir our affections for His Word and His Will.


Last week, when we celebrates our 5yr anniversary, we talked about the ONE campaign. The ONE campaign is a campaign for us to engage in and partner with over the next year. We are looking at each family in our church prayerfully INVESTING&INVITING at least ONE family over the year to one of our ministry events. We are asking each family to engage in a relationship with at least ONE family or person that is pre-churched, de-churched or anti-churched in an effort to share the Gospel of Christ with them. As a part of this campaign, we asked you to fill out an IMPACT card this past Sunday that you can keep in your Bible to help remind you to pray for them. On that card are the names of the 10 families or persons we just shared about above. We also asked that you fill out another card with the exact information on it and turn it back into the church so the Elders and staff can pray over them specifically.
We are asking our connect groups to begin "stretching" themselves in the area of local and global missions. We are also asking them to begin the birthing process of another group out of their existing one. We must be intentional about the discipleship process and forming new leaders. We must birth at least ONE more connect group out of each of our existing ones.
We are also planning on birthing ONE more GFchurch campus over the next year. Church planting is a part of our DNA and we must be going through birthing pains over the next year. We are already a regional church, and as we experience God's growth, we know we will need to meet needs by offering services in different places and at different times.
Another challenge we are asking our people to partner in is sacrificing ONE "going out" meal a week and give that money to the church to help support our missional efforts in our community and other surrounding communities.




......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......


~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::


~September 25, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~September 26, 2010 101/membership Class
~October 9, 2010 GF Ladies Bunco


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday at GFchurch was a big day for us. We celebrated our 5th anniversary and we talked about the ONE campaign, which is a campaign for us to partner with over the next year. We are looking at each family in our church prayerfully INVESTING&INVITING at least ONE family over the year to one of our ministry events. We are asking each family to engage in a relationship with at least ONE family or person that is pre-churched, de-churched or anti-churched in an effort to share the Gospel of Christ with them. As a part of this campaign, we asked you to fill out an IMPACT card this past Sunday that you can keep in your Bible to help remind you to pray for them. On that card are the names of the 10 families or persons we just shared about above. We also asked that you fill out another card with the exact information on it and turn it back into the church so the Elders and staff can pray over them specifically.
We are asking our connect groups to begin "stretching" themselves in the area of local and global missions. We are also asking them to begin the birthing process of another group out of their existing one. We must be intentional about the discipleship process and forming new leaders. We must birth at least ONE more connect group out of each of our existing ones.
We are also planning on birthing ONE more GFchurch campus over the next year. Church planting is a part of our DNA and we must be going through birthing pains over the next year. We are already a regional church, and as we experience God's growth, we know we will need to meet needs by offering services in different places and at different times.
Another challenge we are asking our people to partner in is sacrificing ONE "going out" meal a week and give that money to the church to help support our missional efforts in our community and other surrounding communities.
If you were unable to attend this past Sunday, you can catch the service in its entirety on GatewayTV
If you would like to see the slide presentation for the ONE campaign you can see it here


We also covered Romans8 part3 Sunday morning:

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[j] who[k] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[l] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines 3 weeks ago. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......


~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::


~September 25, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~September 26, 2010 101/membership Class
~October 9, 2010 GF Ladies Bunco


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Reflections From Sunday

I am encouraged with what is taking place in the life of our church. It is a blessing and a privilege to serve the body of Christ at GFchurch. This past Sunday we continued our look at Romans 8. If you were unable to attend service this past week, you can catch it in its entirety here at GatewayTV. As always Scott Finch did a great job leading us, with his team, in worship. This coming Sunday is an important day for our church. Sunday, September 12, 2010 will be our Vision Sunday. We will be looking at some important steps for our family of faith and for us as individuals, as we look at the future of GFchurch and what the Lord has in store for us. Please make time in your schedule to come and worship with us this Sunday. You do not want to miss it.
The elders are really excited about what the Lord has put in front of us as a church and realize that it is going to take some "stretching" in all of us. We are asking you to begin praying now about what it is that HE will call you to and what sacrifices He may ask of you.

Don't Forget:: Join us this Sunday, September 12, 2010 for VISION SUNDAY

......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines 2 weeks ago. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......


~Worship
~Meditation on Scripture
~Prayer
~Fasting
~Making war against sin
~Others before self
~Submission
~Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~September 12, 2010 Vision Sunday (notice this is a new date)
~September 18, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~September 26, 2010 101/membership Class


ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday at GFchurch we looked at "Living Life In The Spirit" as we walked through Romans 8. Scott Finch did a great job leading us in worship this past Sunday. If you were not able to be with us, you can catch the video of the service here at GatewayTV

We basically covered Romans 8: 1-17 this past Sunday and we will pick up the rest of Chapter 8 this week. Here are the verses we covered, as well as the rest of the chapter.

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Future Glory

18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.



....chapter 7 of Romans asked "who shall deliver me'" Romans 8:2 says "Christ has already delivered me'"

....the law is just but it cannot justify, the law is holy bit it cannot sanctify-what the law could not do Jesus did

....God’s method of dealing with the flesh is not to change it but to condemn it(Rom.8:3) and crucify it (Gal.5:24; 2:20 and compare Rom.6:6)

....those who live in the flesh. live in hostility toward God

....those who live according to the Spirit find life and peace





......Don't forget about our discussion about Spiritual Disciplines 2 weeks ago. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week......


Worship

Meditation on Scripture

Prayer

Fasting

Making war against sin

Others before self

Submission

Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~September 12, 2010 Vision Sunday (notice this is a new date)

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Reflections From Sunday

This past Sunday at GFchurch we looked at being "Enslaved To Christ". Zach Snow , one of our elders, walked through Hebrews 5 and then Romans 6. Scott Finch did a great job leading us in worship this past Sunday. If you were not able to be with us, you can catch the video of the service here at GatewayTV

Here are the scriptures that Zach covered Sunday morning. The list of Spiritual Disciplines that was shared is also below::

Hebrews 5

1Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

4No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.[a]"[b] 6And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."[c]

7During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Falling Away
11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.


Romans 6

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b] Christ Jesus our Lord.



Here is the list that Zach shared with the church about Spiritual Disciplines. We hope you decide to pick one (or more) of these to begin training this week.


Worship

Meditation on Scripture

Prayer

Fasting

Making war against sin

Others before self

Submission

Service




Mark Your Calendars::

~September 12, 2010 Vision Sunday (notice this is a new date)

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch (Youth)


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us

Mid Week Reflections

This Sunday we looked at the final part of our series over The Beatitudes. It is a tremendous joy to serve along side the team here and I am always blessed to see what the Lord is doing in, to and through those who are a part of our community. Scott Finch and Susan Snowdid a great job leading us in worship this past Sunday. If you were not able to be with us, you can catch the video of the service here at GatewayTV

Here is what we looked at this past Sunday::
August 15, 2010~ The Beatitudes part9

Matthew 5
1When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

2He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for heirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

12"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

* “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that, count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens, give a cheer even! For though they don’t like it it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And you know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.”

~The Message



The word for persecution is:
diōkō dee-o'-ko .....to pursue; ensue, “follow after” with the idea of inflicting some sort of suffering


The dictionary describes persecution as: to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently; to annoy or trouble persistently.


Persecution is to be expected.

(John 15:18-20) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. (19) If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (20) Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."

The Apostle Paul puts it this way:

(2 Tim 3:12) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted ...


* Jesus qualifies the persecution when He says it is because of righteousness and because of Him. The persecution He speaks of is like the saints of old who were burned at the stake or thrown to the lions simply because they claimed to be Christian. There were others who were beaten and mutilated simply because they would not stop preaching the gospel.


William Barclay writes, ―The penalties which a Christian had to suffer were terrible beyond description. All the world knows of the Christians who were flung to the lions or burned at the stake; but these were kindly deaths. Nero wrapped the Christians in pitch and set them alight, and used them as living torches to light his gardens. He sewed them in the skins of wild animals and set his hunting dogs upon them to tear them to death. They were tortured on the rack; they were scraped with pincers; molten lead was poured hissing upon them; red hot brass plates were affixed to the tenderest parts of their bodies; eyes were torn out; parts of their bodies were cut off and roasted before their eyes; their hands and feet were burned while cold water was poured over them to enlighten the agony.‖

* Those who are persecuted will suffer insults, lies, and all kinds of evils. This will not be a continual persecution, but Jesus does say “whenever”. It is the idea that as the believer continues to live a righteous life he will cross paths with those who will despise righteousness and persecute him. It is not as much the individual but the righteousness that people attack because it exposes their own sin.


* we are not alone in our persecution. Jesus explains that the prophets before us endured persecution as well. You are not a lonely sufferer for God, but a child in the midst of many who have suffered for the Savior. There is encouragement in company.

In the end, there is the blessing of those who are persecuted gaining the kingdom of heaven. Live righteously and take the persecution of the ungodly in stride because in the end, you will be given the kingdom of heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, ―For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

The Apostle Paul knew an awful lot about suffering. Having seen it from both sides, he says that affliction "prepares" or "brings about" an eternal weight of glory. Jesus teaches us to rejoice and be glad in the midst of suffering for righteousness and for Jesus, because that very suffering will receive a very great compensation and a very great reward. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven!




Mark Your Calendars::
~August 21, 2010 Men's Breakfast
~August 20-21, 2010 Women of Faith Conf.
~September 12, 2010 Vision Sunday (notice this is a new date)

ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 915am @ GFchurch


I love our church
I love our people
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
I love that He is not done with us