Is There Hope For America?

January 29, 2009

This weekend I'll start a new series I'm calling Recession or Revival - Is there hope for America? We've started a new year and we're being led by a new administration. Paul gave us instructions about what we're to do for our leaders:

Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.1 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)
These certainly are unusual times - the worst of times according to the experts, that this nation has seen in sixty-nine years. Those who are leading us certainly have their hands full. From bailouts to bombings to Baghdad and back home again; where's it all going to end and how? No doubt we're in a recession but every recession is an opportunity for revival!

Join us this weekend as we start this new series and find out if there's any hope in this time of need. Bring a friend with you. This is a great opportunity to invite someone because everyone, and I mean everyone is interested in the subtitle of this series, Is there hope for America?

Stay safe, stay warm, and we hope to see you and someone you're willing to invest in and bring with you this weekend.

Pastor Steve

Updates on 2009 "Year of The Bible" & TVCC'S New Campus

"I've tried before (to read the Bible through) and I just couldn't get through it!" If you've said this (I have) then I want to encourage you: TRY AGAIN! Why? Because there's no replacement for reading God's Word; the key is the plan.

Be sure and get a modern translation of the Bible to read. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a good, readable, modern day Bible we use at TVCC.

Do four things and see what a difference it makes:

1. PRAY and ask God to meet with you as you read and help you to understand.
2. DO the reading plan from our Life Journals (You can pick them up at Mineral Wells Monday-Friday or Connection Point on Sunday $7 ea.) . It only takes a few minutes a day to read the three or so chapters and it's Old & New Testament each day with some Psalms and Proverbs interspersed.
3. PICK out ONE verse that speaks to you and write it in your journal, think about it then write what you believe it meant to the people it was written to. Next write what it means to you and if there's a way it can apply to your life now, and then write a simple, one sentence prayer to God, thanking Him and asking for His power to live out what the verse spoke to your life.
4. DON'T STOP! Even if you miss a day (I'm one day behind now!) it doesn't matter; just keep at it! There is no substitute for a love relationship with God and there's no way to have it without Christ as your Lord and the Bible, God's Word as your guide.

Each day, you will encounter God as you read. When you sense God speaking through the Bible, that is the ENCOUNTER with GOD! When you hear Him speaking to you, be willing to ADJUST your life to what He has just shown you, OBEY Him, and then as Henry Blackaby says, "You will EXPERIENCE God." If I can help you with this in any way or if you have questions, please email me at pastorsteve@tvcc.us and I'll get right back with you. This is just too valuable for you to miss!

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GREAT NEWS!
Construction began Friday on our new campus at 2500 E. Wood Street! Be praying for low cost, high efficiency, and for the project to be completed as quickly as possible. Especially pray that God will be preparing our hearts and minds so that WE will ALL recognize the full scope of the mission He has for TVCC as we reach out to our community and world with the Good News that Jesus Christ has a super trade-in program, regardless of the economy:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Matthew 11:28 (MSG)

Movin' On With Christ!

Pastor Steve

TVCC-Wii Channel Upload

What a great weekend! Wow - you guys are great and I wanted to give you a quick update on our Wii Channel Upload from the TVCC communication cards.

• 6 indicated committing their lives to Christ
• 5 first time guest
• 3 second time guest
• 1 volunteered to serve
• 5 signed up for class 101
• 9 signed up for life groups
• 7 signed up for Sunday morning Celebrate Recovery step study
• 6 want information on Dominican Republic Mission trip
• 26 attended the journaling class Sunday afternoon
  

My challenge to the overwhelming response from yesterday's message is this: What will you do with what God taught you? Will you keep your thimble out or will you pull out the 30 gallon container and say, "God fill me up and then pour me out"? Don't let Satan snatch the word from your life. The only way this or any other teaching will become act-tive in your life is to act upon it. Acting upon it is also the only way you'll ever experience the manifested presence of Christ. Jesus gave us these instructions in the fourteenth chapter of John.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest (reveal) Myself to him." John 14:21 (NKJV) (Emphasis mine)

This week, practice being a WE church focusing on others, helping others, inviting others, rather than a ME church only focusing on yourself.

Also, if you didn't get to attend the journaling class, it will be offered again at our Mineral Wells location Tuesday, January 6 and 13 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. and again Sunday, January 25 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

And remember, WE are better together!

Thirty-Six Years Today

To one gorgeous lady. I'm so thankful to God for Marylin and that He had the great wisdom to give me a partner who would stand with me and by me. One who would be the greatest soul mate and friend. I couldn't have the life I have today, nor enjoy any measure of the blessings I've been privileged to enjoy without her in my life; this I'm sure of.

So as the old song says, this is dedicated to the one I love - my wife of 36 years today, Marylin. I love you babe!

Always and forever,

Steve

The Joy of God

How Can I have It?

This week, I want to drill down deeper on this subject of joy. After the overwhelming response to the teaching on God's Gift of Joy, I realize there are so many who are struggling in this area of life.

Let's begin with the area of repentance. Is it the cause or effect of salvation? Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for my sins. Here is a great definition for repentance:

To change; to turn; to change one's mind; to turn one's life. It is a turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is a change of mind, a forsaking of sin. It is putting sin out of one's thoughts and behavior. It is resolving never to think or do a thing again. (Cp. Matthew 3:2; Luke 13:2-3; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 8:22; Acts 26:20.) - Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary

But be very careful here, for repentance is not the cause of your forgiveness and therefore your joy, it is the result! Listen to these words from Oswald Chambers:

The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us.

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Everything that we have-right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start-comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30 (MSG)

Then Oswald concludes his thought by saying:

Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect. So, is there an area of your life where you're not experiencing joy? If there is, it's because you have not yet realized that attitude or mind set's death in you by its death in the sacrifice of Christ.

You can have a fresh start today by taking that fear, relationship, anger, depression, hurt, hang-up, or habit, or whatever it may be and literally receive God's joy over it through the Cross of Christ.

Joyfully!

Pastor Steve


Coming Next: Satan's Attempts to Destroy Our Joy