FRESH STARTS! How I love it that God gives us a new year every 365 days – for the purpose, if nothing less, than the hope that comes with new beginnings. And to tag along with that, the new year is a great time to re-evaluate our lives! What do we like about how we are living life right now? And what about our lives leaves some room for a little improvement – or a major overhaul? It’s a really healthy exercise to do for ourselves, and actually, we’d be doing ourselves a huge favor if we would step back and take a look at our lives every three months. We wait too long, and then it’s just too easy to get stuck in the ruts of life. One day blends into the next. A week evaporates into a month. And before we realize it, another year has been filed away into the history books. And with a deep sigh we feel like nothing has changed. So let’s ask ourselves as we stand on this high point of 2012 – taking one last look at 2011 … how do we like what we see? Are we satisfied and content with how we lived it? Or do the regrets outweigh the rewards of a life well-lived? You see, with each step of this past year, we surged ever forward, sometimes taking a few steps backwards, but overall, we made it to the precipice that let us catch sight of the brand new year. So here we are standing and looking out over the horizon of nearly 365 new, yet unlived days. And you know what? We get to write them – by our choices. Yes, God has ordained them. And He has gifted them to us. But they are ours to live. We get to choose the words we speak. We get to decide how to act. It is up to us how we relate to those we love. We can either bless strangers with a smile – or we can walk right on by. We can share what we have, or we can spend it all on ourselves. We can invest in the lives of others by the time that we give them. And we can impact others positively – or negatively, but sharing that time willingly and fully without reservation – or by giving it grudgingly. We have the privilege of giving our time to God, our talents, our gifts… and our money. We can choose whether doing that is an honor – or a duty out of an unwilling spirit. We can choose whether we will embrace others with the love of Christ – or whether we will judge them harshly because we think they are less than what we think they should be. Or … because we think they act differently than how we think they should act. Just think – we have the choice of loving them into the Kingdom, of helping grow them in their walk with God, of nurturing them to their fullest potential in Christ. Or … with a flick of the wrist and some critical, pointless words – we can nearly destroy what God has begun in them. Alright, by now, I’m sure you’re getting the point. So now what? Well, desired improvements in our lives will never happen without some changes being made. Right now your pastor and I are in the midst of re-evaluating and putting into place some new changes that will ultimately effect greater results in our personal lives as well as in our ministry at Elevation North. We will be critiquing ourselves frequently, under the magnifying glass of God’s Word and in the revealing Light of His Spirit. For over four years now, our life’s story has been lived to the fullest with God’s help - but three words could pretty much summarize it all: working, eating, and sleeping. Heavy on the first word, and very light on the next two! That, of course, included doing God’s work which was our greatest joy – wherever we were at! But now as we stand and look from this vantage point of the new year, we strongly sense that God is leading us to a new level of rest, renewal, and revival which will explode into results that will honor and glorify God – as well as impact our ministry in ways never before experienced. And we are so excited about that! Did you notice our new theme for this new year? “DOING IT GOD’S WAY ~ IN 2012!” Were we not doing it God’s way before? Yes, we were … we lived each day seeking His will to be done in our lives here on this earth as it is in Heaven. (Not that we couldn’t have done it better – we ARE human, after all!) But there’s something just waiting to be ignited as we cross this threshold, and we believe God is calling us to “step it up a notch”. We sense Him asking us for total abandonment to His ways – from the teensiest thing to the most important, momentous decisions. That’s going to call for some focused, committed, sacrificial choices in the days ahead. That may call for some uncomfortable places that God brings us to – in our own lives, and even in our church! We know of a young man led to pastor a new work in Wyoming who cried out to God to bring people to them. What he didn’t expect was that God brought him people - people that perhaps no other church would have taken in – because sadly lots of Christians in a typical church setting would have shunned them and cast them out. People like drug dealers and gays and lesbians. Would that make you uncomfortable? But young Adam loved them with Christ’s love and his own passion to reach them. He came alongside them and talked and prayed – sometimes in places we just don’t frequent. But Adam went in the strength of the Lord and with the covering of His blood … and do you know what? These people are being saved and changed and transformed miraculously! Sure, Adam may not look like your typical pastor. His church does not resemble a typical church in the least. But souls are being saved that we know none of our typical churches would reach. That’s cause for celebration in Heaven! What will God call us to at Elevation North in 2012? We don’t know … but let’s be ready and willing to DO IT GOD’S WAY as He leads us … day by day! We want HIS SPIRIT & HIS POWER to explode in our midst!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- GOD GIFTED US with not only His presence and anointing this past Sunday in a powerful way, but with the encouragement that having people come for the first time brings to the body of Christ!
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Caroline, to Robert and June, and to Kyle and Candy! How we loved having you worship God with us – and your passion and participation! We pray you were blessed by God’s Spirit and will join us again soon!
- BIRTHDAY WISHES are shared with Kelly who celebrates on January 10th! May your year and your life be blessed in amazing ways, we pray!
LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 8TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug sharing a “State of the Church” message to set out challenges for this new year at Elevation North as we anticipate all that God has planned for us to be
and do in 2012!
- 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION Sunday School classes for the entire family; bring your Bibles!
- WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10TH: MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY – “Fan or Follower” – for adults and youth for the first half-hour, then “question/answer” time for the adults and game time for the youth for the second half-hour. Again, be sure to bring your Bibles – and invite a friend or two! There will be child-care & Bible videos for the little ones, too!
- JANUARY 11 – 31ST: 21 days of Fasting and Prayer … we will be sharing this Sunday, the 8th, about different kinds of fasting. Pray about how God would have you be involved in this precious and powerful time that will break down strongholds – personally in your life, and corporately in the church! Be drawn into deeper intimacy with our Lord!
- AT THE WELCOME CENTER: Check out the sign-up sheets to see what ministries you can serve in – and be sure to participate in the giving for our sponsored children, Daouda and Tarike, from Senegal & Ethiopia! We will soon be sharing news from them!
- SUNDAY, JANUARY 29TH: ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING w/potluck meal following worship. Plan to come!
- PRAYER PRODUCES RESULTS! We are so thrilled about miracles for Gerard,
Cierra, & Elevation North! Let’s remain in fervent prayer for the needs listed last week! Our God is on the Throne; how we praise Him!
- REMEMBER . . . “Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt on the door at night.” ~ Unknown
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
