Living in faith, hope and Love

On September 14th last year we rolled out our “Celebration Challenge.” It was part of a concentrated effort to mark the 25th year of Seneca Creek. And rather than pat ourselves on the back, we chose to use this year to celebrate God’s faithfulness, and create meaningful memories of this milestone.

We created monthly, unique “Unleash Prayer” events that included family prayer cards, neighborhood prayer walks, telephone prayer bridges, and a concert of prayer. Because prayer is how we “unleash God’s power into our lives and our church.”

We also worked diligently to memorize 25 verses of God’s word. It’s a way to unleash his “truth, power and wisdom,” in order to have it available to us when and where we need it the most. And each weekend we’ve done review. It’s hard to believe, but we’re finished! All 25 verses!

Some of you have opted out of the “Celebration challenge.” Others of you have jumped in and out, and you know that it’s been a partially completed challenge. And there’s a smaller group of you who have been determined to conquer this challenge. You’ve reviewed the tent cards. You’ve hit the web site. And you have memorized ALL 25 VERSES! If you’re in that last category, I have good news for you. We have an exciting reward to present to you. In order to receive that, we’re asking you to demonstrate that you’ve actually memorized all 25 verses. To do that, please use the response form in the weekly happenings, or use the comment section at the bottom of this blog post to let us know you’d like to sign up for a memory verse presentation. We’ll schedule you for a one on one session with a staff member to verify that you know all 25 verses. Then we’ll present the prizes on an upcoming Sunday gathering.

And as we roll into another year of living out God’s mission for us as a church, I’m excited that you’re part of this journey together with us. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead in the coming year. If you’d like more info about our plans for 2015-2016, be sure to pick up a copy of the annual Seneca Creek magazine at Connection Point, or request a copy by mail.

Together we’ll continue to celebrate our great and gracious God.

– Pastor Mark

P.S. If you have a story of how the Celebration Challenge verses have helped you in the past year, I’d love to hear about it. Just use the comment section below. Thanks!

Wouldn’t it be great to wake up one day and discover that you’re magically on top of your game?  That you conquered your mountain, accomplished your goals and became the person you dreamed of becoming?

Crazy, right? Because we know it doesn’t work like that.  It takes effort, perseverance, hard work, and sometimes even scary risks that are way outside our comfort zone.

But when it comes to our spirituality, should it be hard?  Didn’t Jesus even say,

My yoke is easy and my burden is light.  (Matthew 11:30)

Yes.  But he also (repeatedly) mentioned things like,

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

Because no one ever drifts into greatness. (Tweet this)

This year we’re challenging each of us to press on…to lean hard into the journey that Jesus calls us to.  Is that an “easy yoke” and a “light burden”?  Yes it is, when compared to the burden of sin, and the burden of legalism, and the burden of trying to fix myself and make myself presentable in God’s sight.  It’s not something we do out of guilt or shame or fear.

But will you drift into the life God created you for?  Nope.  None of us will.  That’s why our new series, “Press On,” is built on the compelling words of Paul in Philippians 3:12

But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Not to work ourselves into exhaustion or to pin some kind of religious medal to our chest, but to become the person that God designed us to be…that we long to be.

If you missed last weekend at Seneca Creek, be sure to pick up a copy of the “Press On” magazine this weekend.  You’ll need that roadmap to understand how we’re going to work together to Discover, Grow and Lead in the coming year.  You can also listen in to the podcast by clicking here.

And I hope you’ll be able to join us this weekend as we continue to “Press On with HOPE.”  It’s a lot more than wishful thinking.  It’s life-changing, world-changing stuff!

– Pastor Mark

P.S. Beginning in October we’ll suspend our Saturday gatherings and switch to three (3) Sunday morning gatherings at 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30.  Mark your calendars and get ready for an exciting change!

Have you ever noticed how much of an uproar Jesus seems to cause?  From the moment of his birth there have been convulsions in the kingdoms and communities where he shows up.

First it was Herod’s slaughter of the innocents.  Then it was his family who was convinced he was “out of his mind.”  Then it was the demons who fled one man and drove a large herd of pigs over a cliff.  It followed right up to the riotous crowd calling for Jesus’ crucifixion.  But it didn’t stop there.  The early church encountered riots and menacing crowds wherever the name of Jesus was proclaimed. (Read the book of Acts for a whirlwind account of the chaos.)

It continues to this day. I’m not talking about county clerks and media mayhem.  I’m talking about the riot that takes place in each human heart when we’re confronted with Jesus’ claim to be the real king of our lives.  Our desires, our habits, our appetites, our broken tendencies, our woundedness, our self-righteousness, our pride, and our ego all conspire together to riot.  “NOT GONNA HAPPEN, JESUS!” they cry out.

That’s why surrendering to Christ is such a challenge.  That’s why we resist yielding to the winsome call of the Holy Spirit.  There’s a riot going on in our own lives.  It’s all the fearful, prideful parts of us that make excuses, and dodge the real issues.

Jesus still causes riots.  Because he still threatens everything in us that longs to establish ourselves as little gods, as the ones in control, as the ones who make the rules.

But there’s nothing to fear.  Our loving heavenly father isn’t interested in controlling us, but in unleashing us to authentic humanity.  He longs to free us from the shackles of pride, fear, and brokenness.

I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full! (John 10:10)

That’s why Jesus instructs us to pray, “YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done.”  He reminds us to pray that his kingdom would come, and his will would be done…starting in US.  Starting in ME.  When that happens, the riot disappears, and the power and peace of the kingdom of God takes its place.  Until that happens, the riot continues.

Is there a “Jesus riot” going on in your life right now?

– Pastor Mark

P.S. We’re kicking off a new fall series, “Press On” this weekend.  Philippians 3:12, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

P.P.S. Keep reviewing your Celebration Challenge verses!

If you normally skim this first sentence and then it delete, you definitely want to reconsider this time.  Why? Because there’s an exciting change coming to Seneca Creek this fall.

This change will affect every person who attends, even if you only attend occasionally.  What’s the change?

We’re adding a third Sunday gathering!  Yes, beginning in October, we’re going to have three identical gatherings on Sunday mornings!  The new times will be 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30.

The reason we’re doing this is to create more room for more people.  Our 11:00 gathering is consistently bumping up against maximum capacity, even during the summer months.  And because we want to create a place where everyone can come and experience what God has for them, and because Sundays are the time most people are able to do that, we’re making this change.

For parents, here’s what you need to know:

• PowerHouse will meet at all three Sunday gatherings.
• Middle School will meet at 10:00 and 11:30
• High School will meet only at 10:00

What does this mean for Saturday gatherings?  We’ll continue to meet during September ONLY.  We will discontinue Saturday gatherings beginning in October.  We simply won’t have the resources to do four weekend gatherings at this time.

Once again, these changes will take place starting in October.  If you’re on one of our weekend volunteer teams, you’ll be hearing from your team leader in the coming days.

As we make this exciting change, I would appreciate your prayers for a smooth transition.  This will impact every one of us in some way.  And I am confident this will strengthen our ability to ignite the HOPE of Christ in the months and years to come.

– Pastor Mark

For the last 11 months we’ve been chipping away at a massive challenge: To memorize 25 verses of Scripture in the course of one year.  Now comes the report that this project has the additional benefit of actually making you smarter!

Besides giving you access to God’s wisdom, power and truth when you need it the most, it will literally change your brain, helping you get smarter as you go.

A recent article in Entrepreneur magazine cited “7 Hobbies Will Make You Smarter.”  Included in the list are:

• Reading (anything). Memorizing scripture begins with reading, so right there you’re on a good path.
• Testing your cumulative learning. This means reviewing an increasing number of things you’ve learned…which is precisely what we’ve been doing every weekend at our Saturday and Sunday gatherings.
• Meditation.  This is a natural companion of memorizing, as you take the words of a verse and reflect on them during the day, or during your down time, or as you’re lying in bed trying to sleep.

So as we finish up this year-long challenge, let me encourage you to persevere.  Not only will you have God’s wisdom, power and truth for those crucial times in your life, but you’ll be a smarter person as well.

If you want to review all the verse, click here.  And then join us this weekend for another brief review and a fascinating journey into Jesus’ powerful stories, “Once Upon A Time…There Was A Widow.”

– Pastor Mark

The stronger and deeper your roots, the richer and more fruitful your life.  This fall we’re kicking off a brand new venture for Seneca Creek. It’s called, “Rooted.”

Rooted is a ten week high-commitment experience designed to help you connect with God, with others, and with your purpose.  Whether you’re brand new in your faith, or a seasoned veteran, this is going to change your life.

The first groups will start September 15^th.  The next groups will launch in January and April.  Space is limited, especially for the first groups.  You can find applications at Connection Point on the weekends, or by clicking on this link.

Check out what others have said about their Rooted experience, and then prayerfully consider if this is the next step for you.

-Pastor Mark

Jesus seems so peaceful, loving and serene (except for some outbursts at the religious hypocrites).  Yet the actions of God in the Old Testament sometimes border on barbaric and genocidal.  What’s up with that?

If you haven’t wondered about this, I promise that your friends  have. It’s an important conversation to have in our increasingly diverse and informed world.

I recently came across an interesting video by pastor/author/professor Greg Boyd in which he attempts to answer this question. (Along the way, he promotes his upcoming enormous book, which I didn’t know about.) I think he raises some great points…and probably some other questions, too.  Was God condescending and stooping to take on the sin of people both in the ugliness of the cross and in the horrors in the Old Testament?  (If you’re in a super hurry, you can start the video around minute 6.)

Take a look at this video and then add your thoughts/comments below.  (My apologies if the video won’t play nicely on your smart phone.  It certainly wouldn’t on mine.)

http://view.vzaar.com/4645637/flashplayer

Or, try this link:

http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/fully-revealed-in-christ

-Pastor Mark

P.S. I tried to get permission to post the actual MPEG on my site, but was declined.  You can view it at www.theworkofthepeople.com

Starting this Saturday, and for the month of August, you’re invited to join us for drinks on Saturday.

No, not alcoholic beverages…iced coffee.  And light refreshments.  And an engaging, totally different experience than you’ve ever seen at Seneca Creek.  That’s right, it’s the Summer Soul Café!

Starting at 6 pm, the evening will include acoustic music, refreshments, a unique teaching segment, discussions around your tables, and practical, hands-on applications for your life.  Engaging, informal, and interactive.  (Sorry, but we’re not able to provide any programs for kids at this point.)

If this sounds interesting, plan to join us each Saturday in August.  I hope to see many of you there.  Drinking iced coffee, of course!

-Pastor Mark

At this moment, six time zones away, an epic contest is being waged…and you probably didn’t even realize it.

I know that the world of professional cycling is mostly invisible in our country.  And yet as I write this, there are several hundred thousand of people lining up to watch today’s stage of the three week, 2,000 mile bike race called the Tour de France.  It’s so popular that an estimated 15 million people will see it in person! That’s not counting the millions and millions of viewers of the televised broadcasts.  By comparison the next largest crowd of sports spectators would be the Indianapolis 500 with about 400,000 spectators.  Not even a drop in the bucket compared to the Tour.

What are all these people lining up to see?  A group of incredibly fit athletes compete for a prize, for the chance to stand on the podium, to wear a brightly colored shirt, and to enjoy a fleeting moment in the spotlight.  Or as one writer put it, “to win a prize that will fade away.”

In the ancient world, athletes had to undergo several months of strict training before competition. And the winner got a wreath…which would eventually rot.  That’s why Paul put it like this:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 

Today, we give gold statues as prizes.  They last a little longer.  But not really.

What does the apostle Paul mean by “a crown that will last forever?”

The life you live here matters. Forever.  Not just the prayer you prayed to become a follower of Christ.  But everything after that.

• Every decision to follow in the tough decisions.
• Every decision to be generous with your time, talent, and treasures.
• Every moment spent laboring in prayer for those who are far from God.
• Every hour spent serving others when you could have been serving yourself.
• Every spiritual practice that you made part of your daily/weekly routine.
• Every kind word offered in response to anger.
• Every choice to forgive when the other person didn’t really deserve it.

It’s all training.  And it all matters.  It shapes you, and others, not just for this life, but for eternity.  For a prize that will last forever.

So if you happen to see news about the most watched sporting event in the world…let it remind you that you’re not just a spectator.  You’re an athlete in the game that matters for eternity.  Train hard!

-Pastor Mark

Maybe you’ve heard the phrase at a church gathering that goes like this: “We’re gathered today in the Lord’s house to worship/learn/honor/ etc.”  But I have to be honest with you.  It’s not true.

There is no building/structure/room/cathedral/auditorium/sanctuary/amphitheatre that can claim to be God’s house.

Paul is pretty clear about this in Acts 17:24

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.

That’s not to say God doesn’t have a house.  Just that it doesn’t look like yours and mine.  It looks like you and me.  That’s right…God’s house is his people…people who are made to bear his image, to reflect his character into this world.

And Peter drives this point home with clarity when he says this in 1 Peter 2:5

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. 

As we continue in our series on “Where Was God,” it’s encouraging (or maybe a bit unsettling?) to remember that God is not locked up in a building somewhere.  God’s residence is in you.  And me.  And every follower of Christ.

So when we gather on the weekend, that’s God’s house.  But not because of the bricks and concrete, but because of the brothers and sisters who make up the family of God.

See you at “God’s house” when it meets this weekend!

-Pastor Mark