A word from Rick...

I am thankful that God continues to heal our hearts though the loss is huge.

Life is fragile. Time is short. Let's give our best to the things that really matter.

When you pray:

• Declare His greatness
• Surrender your will
• Acknowledge your dependence for provision, pardon, protection.

Rick Painter

Worship Arts Pastor

Whose side are you leaning on?

There's a great song we used to sing in preschool chapel called "Whose Side Are You Leaning On?" Ever heard it?

"I lean, I lean, I lean, I lean.

Leanin' on the Lord's side!"

(call me and I'll sing it for you!)

Well, that's the song that went through my head last night as I thought about this subject of bad things happening and how we interpret how to feel and who to listen to. When something that is difficult or painful happens to us and we hear that voice that says, "things will never be the same", why do we always assume that is bad?

Clearly the voice that says "you are a failure" or "how stupid can you be" is bad and does not come from the Lord. We must question any thought that tears us down and tells us we cannot be used by or to walk away from God. However, when our decisions or actions cause a major change and soul searching in our lives why is it so difficult to see this as an opportunity for God to do something new and powerful if we let Him? That verse in Romans (8:28) really is true. "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose." (NIRV)

Not because its always easy but because:

• He is always faithful.
• He is all knowing.
• He is not surprised or caught off guard by what has happened.
• He already has a plan and He will walk beside us the whole way.
• He will even carry us when we need Him to.

I won't pretend I am so excited to do the hard stuff He asks me to or that I jump for joy when I talk to someone I know or look in the mirror and find out a big mistake has been made. But we all get to choose the direction we lean.

Do we get angry at God? Do we give up on ourselves and Him? Or, do we find hope in all the love and blessings God has already given us and still promises? Do we choose to say
"Okay, I'm hurting but I know You are bigger than even this so please show me Your plan and give me the courage to get on board." That to me is leanin' on the Lord's side.

Our preschoolers just need to know which way to lean but as the grown ups we get to choose to lean into His plan for our lives, even when things are hard and instead of leaning on the enemy's side of defeat, misery and self doubt.

God can speak to our hearts in different ways so here are some other ways of saying the same thing. Today I read an article explaining how a Pastor I follow is living this out - (Click here to read the article).

I read a blog a few weeks ago that says it another way. The author asks "What does this make possible?" (click here to read it)

Everyday we have a choice to make about whose side we're leanin' on. Every time I lean on the Lord's side I am more convinced that He is who He says He is. Pray for me as I pray with you to choose leanin' on the Lord's side.


Hope and Courage in Christ,
Amy

God's Word - Weapon or Protection?

I had someone ask me this week, "Is it ever inappropriate to share God's word with a child and if so at what age?"

On the surface this is an easy question; right? Given some basic Bible knowledge, it's always appropriate to share God's word. However, with a little deeper knowledge of the Bible, there are some stories and verses that, in my opinion, are not age appropriate for children 4 and under or even some of the elementary aged crowd. Yes, I realized this was a loaded or trick question but from the person who asked it the trick was their motive. They worded the question to serve their purpose. They were also attempting to use my position in children's ministry to force my answer; i.e. "As a children's ministry director, at what age do you believe it inappropriate to share God's word with a child?"

Have you ever used God's word as a weapon? I mean, a weapon to justify your actions or to make someone else feel guilty? Have you ever used it to win an argument even if you knew you were taking His word out of context to do it? Maybe pulling out the verse about wives submitting to their husbands to "put a wife in her place" (Ephesians 5:21-33; read the whole thing) or the verse about money being the root of all evil, to blame money instead of our greed. The verse says the "...love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). I've had to read it myself.

I have so much yet to learn but in my relationship with Christ, He has never used His word to hurt me. His word builds me up, corrects me, comforts me, directs me, (directs me again and again) and gives me strength, grace, peace, joy, conviction, wisdom and love. His word is for protection against evil. it is an integral piece of the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). It is not ever to be mistaken for a weapon used in personal gain or justification.

So- let's think about how we use the Bible. Is it an every day part of life? Is is something only heard about on Sunday? What about only when there is one of those "controversial" stories in the news?

Please take the time to read it today and this week. Not just a verse or two or even a chapter- how about one whole book of the Bible? The books referenced above are some I would recommend, but really I suggest reading where you are led. Pray for God's guidance before opening the Bible. I'm genuinely interested in learning what you have to say about what you find.

And as for my answer to the question: As a children's ministry director and child of God I believe if you are sharing God's word to share His love, then there is no age limit. Pray with me that we continue to learn and grow in His word and will.

Wisdom and Joy in Christ,
Amy

About Worship...

Please print this and put it on your mirror:

“Most of my life, I thought that you went to church to worship. But now I see that the better approach is to go worshiping to church. Corporate worship works best when we arrive with something to offer God, as opposed to coming only to get something for us.”

Quoted from Louie Gigleo, from his book The Air I Breathe.

Peace,
Rick Painter

But Why Can't I Please Everyone?

"Hi. My name is Amy, and I'm a people pleaser."

And the crowd says, "Hi, Amy."

Yes, I admit it, I am a people pleaser. I want everyone to be happy; in particular, happy with me. If you are a people pleaser (or maybe even if you're not) you have learned, as I have, that you can't please everyone. It can not be done. "Why not," you ask? Well, the first and most important reason is because people are different. God made them that way for a lot of important reasons. If people are different it means they don't like the same things and that includes not liking the same people.

That was a hard lesson for me to accept. The first time I remember having to accept this reality was in high school. I was not in any one clique; I knew a lot of people because (I talk a lot and) I tried to be nice to everyone. My Daddy taught me this was the way to live- so, I did. Well, there was a girl in school who was not known for being nice. As a matter of fact she was known for being tough. Not mean exactly- just tough. You didn't mess with her and she didn't mess with you. No, I didn't get in a fight with her because I tried to make her like me and she did not pick on me or anything. I just heard from someone that she didn't like me and it bothered me because we didn't know each other well, I had never done anything to her and, OK, I just couldn't accept that she didn't like me.

It bothered me so much that I finally just went up and asked her why she didn't like me. Yep, I did. I actually had the sense not to talk about her behind her back or start a rumor about her to get back at her (because that would have ended badly in addition to not being nice). I just went up to her one day in the hall and calmly asked her, "Why don't you like me?". I know it sounds pitiful but I had to know. Do you know what she said? "Because you're too nice." Well, what could I say to that? Nothing. I basically said, "Okay" and went about my business.

What did it teach me? Everyone is not going to like me and you guessed it, I just can't please everybody. Since being nice was not something I was willing to change, I had to accept that she just wasn't going to like me. Over the years that acceptance has grown into the understanding that, while I still want everyone to be happy, I don't need them to be happy with me.

I have also narrowed my focus of who I want to please and why. I have wasted a lot of time and energy through the years taking responsibility for other people's happiness. Caring for someone is never a waste of time. Believing that their happiness is based changing how you behave, look, or give to please them, is a big waste of time.

I still have a lot to learn but here are the reasons I know this to be true.

• I am not the origin of happiness; Christ is. He is the giver of all good things (James 1:17). I am just His servant and am to be most concerned with pleasing Him.
• He has a plan for me. If I am willing to change who I am or try to be good at things he has not gifted me with in order to please whoever is in front of me at the moment, it will not only  displease God, it will be tear me apart.
• The people God puts in your life to love and support you and for you to love and support back, do not need you to be somebody different to like you.

If you know me, you know I haven't stopped wanting everybody to be happy. I still work to remember I am not the one who is responsible for their happiness. I pray to do my best to share my joy and help everybody know where it comes from and then trust God to take care of the rest.

Peace and Joy in Christ,
Amy Gieger

It Is Well

We live in America where there is plenty of everything. Plenty of the good stuff and plenty of the bad stuff. Plenty of what we need and plenty of what we “want”. How could anyone be unhappy in America? How can anyone not have enough? Why is it possible to live in the richest country in the world and be poor?

There are lots of complicated answers but one simple answer is because we don’t know how to be content. We don’t know how to be thankful for what we have. We have not learned how to say, “It is well”. An old hymn that I can hear in my heart and want heard at my funeral someday, says “It is well with my soul”. (If I get to see Jesus before my Uncle Lloyd, he would be my choice of singers too. Just sayin’.) I was reminded of it yesterday when a friend shared a beautiful, acapella version of it on Facebook. (click here to see it), or look up Chris Tomlin’s version on YouTube. Both are glorious.

This song to me is a precious reminder of what Paul says in Philippians 4:12-13 NIV. “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”The key of course is the last verse. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

Paul is not saying I love being hungry as much as being full, or I am just as thrilled to be in jail or without a home as I am to be in my home surrounded by the people that love me. What I believe he is saying is that we can find peace and comfort no matter what is happening in our lives by looking to and living for Christ. Paul is telling us what it means to say, “It is well”.

When we find our peace in Christ instead of money, it means that we don’t confuse storing up treasure with wanting to be a millionaire. When we find our strength in Christ instead of worldly power, it means that “looking out for number One” has a whole new definition. When we find our joy in Christ instead of in fame or worldly success, it means that we have joy to share for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health. When we let Christ’s provision fill our hearts and meet our needs, it means we understand success is not about how much we can have but how much we can give.

We’re coming quickly upon the “holiday” season. Yes, I just had to go there. Thanksgiving and Christmas are such important opportunities as Christians to give instead of get as we are called to show others who Jesus is by how we live. The most important ones we can show being our children. Pray with me to be able to walk so closely with the Lord that we can truly know and share that “It is well.”

Can I skip this season and say I didn’t?

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV).

I was reading my devotion this morning and this was the verse that inspired it. The devotion was about a mom who is homeschooling her children and on that day felt like she would never get past the lesson they were learning that week. We all know how that feels. It may be the assignment we have in school, the particular job/account/mission we’re assigned to at work, the age of our children and the specific difficulties that come with it, (you know potty training or junior high or dating, etc.), the stage our marriage is in right now, our health or the health of a loved one, or the state of our finances. Some days it feels like we will be there forever and we so desperately wish to be through it, over it, even just away from it for a while. We want to escape- right?

I was feeling like that myself this past week and then I went to an early childhood education conference on Saturday. The keynote speaker was a woman who has been in early childhood education for more than 30 years. She shared specific instances God has used in her life where there have been parents who seemed as though they were so far from God and from being good parents that no matter how she tried to help and care about their child and family nothing seemed to change or reach them. Time after time they would show up late or walk in high on something, send their children to school in the same diaper they had left in the evening before, etc.  She would get so frustrated and discouraged that she would finally decide to tell them they could not be in her school anymore. She would get to the point where she was telling God, “I’ve helped all I can.” “I’ve tried hard enough. I’m done!"

Of course, that was the point where that family, that Mom or Dad would finally ask for help, or open up and want to know more about Jesus. She was honest enough to say how hard it was to put her anger aside at that point. To not look at them and say, “Oh, now you want help?”. But, praise God, she would stop, let go of how she was feeling and let God work through her to say "Yes, He really does love you. It really is as simple as He says it is. He loves us, He sent His son to die for us and all we have to do is admit what we already know about ourselves and choose Him."

There were some amazing stories of life change and Godly restoration and healing! Each story was a clear reminder that He can do anything but is so often patiently waiting, while preparing the way for me or you as believers to share Him. He is waiting for us, as the ones who have lived in His love and forgiveness, to be the salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV). Preparing us through these seasons of testing to be the person that is trusted with the question, “Is it true? Is it true what you are teaching my child? Is it true what I see by how you live your life? Is it true what the Pastor says?"

Rest in His love today and remember with me that no matter what season we are in we can trust God’s timing and purpose. We can trust Him to show us grace so that we can show it to others. We can trust His forgiveness so we must forgive. We can trust Him to speak when we are out of words. We can trust Him to use even us, in our weakness, to show others how to reach Him and find what we’ve found- peace, restoration and hope.

Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director

A Blank Check...

On a recent day off, I had an appointment. Naturally, there would be a fee involved, so I asked Becky for a blank check. She gave me one, somewhat reluctantly, based on past experience (You need to read the book).

The professional visit went well, and as I was leaving I took out the blank check and he said, "No charge- just please send me a copy of the book." Sounded like a great deal to me!

On the way home, a strange, powerful force took control of my 4,000 pound vehicle, and I found myself sitting in the parking lot of a golf course. Hmmm, this Harry Potter stuff may have something to it (just kidding). Well, not wanting to waste the trip, I hit a bucket of balls before I finished the trip home.

A few hours later, Becky told me she got a call from the golf club. My first thought was, "What did I leave behind?" It was that blank check. They wanted us to know they found it and ripped it up for us. Talk about being grateful for a random act of kindness.

But then I started thinking about how Jesus wrote a blank check on my behalf on the cross. His sacrifice, written in blood, covered all of my sin debt. His name was written in red, not in a random act of kindness, but in a totally purposeful transaction for my redemption, a check in my name, cashed before the first rock was formed.

Ken Dyal

Listening To My Own Advice (as said to my kids)

I make my sons do workbooks over the summer. Actually, I am the enforcer but it is my husband who is so passionate about them maintaining brain function. Most days in the summer, they come to work with me so I get to be the one to tell them why, and hear them complain and try to negotiate. Yes, there are days I don't make them or when my husband holds me accountable that I want to say a few not so nice words about his big ideas. But most days, I suffer through and actually survive being the mean mom.

The reason I agreed to be the enforcer is because my husband is right (I'm not afraid to admit it). He is the better educated, more motivated and disciplined one of the two of us, with four degrees (seriously, four!) and his own business to show for it. While he never uses that against me, I have a lot of respect for him and that reality. I want my kids to have every chance to learn and be better at studying and getting the whole concept of pushing past the "I don't want to", to the "wow, that was worth it." That actually does happen with them occasionally. Praise God!!

The listening to my own advice is the hard part. The part where God steps in and speaks to me and says, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you practice what you preach?"

For example, this morning other staff members/teachers had their children with them and my kids were doing their workbooks, knowing that their friends were waiting on them or playing without them. They were whining and negotiating and manipulating their socks off to get out of having to do any or all of the pages, and I wouldn't budge.

My oldest is the worst about it, going as far as to try to say he had done more pages than he could have in the time they had been working and his brother was calling him on it. I stepped in with "focus on your own work, you are not the parent" to the youngest and "do the right thing" to my oldest. I added, "this is not for me, it is for you. This is to grow your brain and ability to learn so you can be all God wants you to be. This is your job. I have to do things all the time that I don't want to do to keep growing and learning." What a great mom lecture!

Right after all that came out of my mouth, looking at my son eye to eye, that voice in my head said, "Did you hear what you just said to your son? Do you always do what I ask you to do to keep growing and learning?"

If you read my last blog, you know I do- sometimes. But I know I don't do it all of the time. Okay, nobody gets it right all the time- I know that. But I've learned to listen to that voice and stop and evaluate and ask, "what difficult or important thing am I putting You off about, Lord? Is there something more I could and should be doing to learn in my relationship with You and who You are growing me to be?"

Some answers come to mind, like "Where is your consistent quiet time with Me? I reminded you three times this morning and you put it off" and "Are you really trusting Me to provide for your ministry and setting your church and community on fire about Me?"

"We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13) You don't have to walk very far down the path with Him to not just hear that verse but to know it's really true. Why do we still put Him off? I'm going to stop typing now and get into His word like I should have this morning so I can get closer to starting that fire!

What is He speaking to your heart about so that you're going to stop reading and start doing?

Grace and Strength in Christ,
Amy

Golf Junkie Preacher

How much better does it get? One Sunday recently, I got up at 4:30 am to pray and prepare for my message later that morning. At 6:00 am the British Open telecast began, and the old geezer Tom Watson was positioned to make golfing history. I tell you, from 6 to 9 am I was glued to the TV, and I had to force myself to get into the car and head to the church for our Worship Gathering. I hate to admit it, but that morning I was like a lot of you about heading to "work" - there was something else on my mind.

There I was, riding down the road, Becky beside me, still thinking about Tom Watson maybe making golf history. Still thinking about something other than what was about to happen at Argyle.

A song came on the radio, and it's hard to put into words what happened. Chris Tomlin was singing a new arrangement of an old hymn- I Stand Amazed. As I listened to that song, my heart melted. Tom Watson and the British Open were no longer on my mind. The words of that old hymn led me to the foot of the cross, and right there in our car I experienced real worship.

The bible has a lot to say about idols. On that Sunday morning God used a contemporary artist singing an old song to kick over a few of this preacher's idols, to move his mind from the earthly to the eternal.

"I stand in the presence of Jesus the Nazerine,
and wonder how he could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean."

Ken Dyal

Imitation

Over the years I have learned how to copy with the best of them. It's interesting that the Apostle Paul asked his readers to imitate his life (1 Corinthians 4:16), but that's how it should be for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus. We never know who is watching us. Our words or our actions may have a positive or negative on the lives we encounter.

Recently, I joined a gym. By the way, I heard about this place from a church member- this invest and invite thing really works. Going to this gym for the first time reminded me a little of how it must be for someone to leave their comfort zone and visit a church for the first time. It's scary walking in a place when everyone is a stranger. But. the employees were friendly and well trained; the place was clean; there were all kinds of people there- large, small, short, tall. They even had a class to teach the newcomers how to use the equipment.

Of course, I skipped all that stuff and went straight to the task at hand. Only one problem- I didn't know how to work some of the machines. In fact, I'm sure I looked a little geeky. Why am I so hard-headed? It took me two weeks to figure how to use the different stations. But how did I finally learn? Imitation. Watching other people who knew what they were doing and imitating them.

Paul had a point.

Ken Dyal

Inspired yet?

Okay, so all that talk about reading and inspiration- I'll go first. Here's a note about something I read that inspired me.

I read a book by John Steinbeck recently called "The Pearl". I can't claim to be a fan of his or to have read many of his books that I wasn't required to read in school. I just happened upon this book at the library and decided to give it a try. The Pearl is the retelling of an old Mexican folk tale and plays out the battle between greed and contentment through the desire to rise above your "station" in life and provide a better future/better opportunities for your family than you had growing up. A relevant topic; I could relate. It was sad yet triumphant; a good read.

What actually inspired me more than the story though was something shared at the back of the book about John Steinbeck. It says that "...throughout his life he signed his letters with his personal 'Pigasus logo', symbolizing himself 'a lumbering soul but trying to fly'". There is a picture of a pig with wings and above it there are Latin words that read "Ad Astra Per Alla Porci". The translation is "To the stars on the wings of a pig".

Of course pigs don't fly, so how is this inspiring you ask? It is inspiring to me for someone who was as outwardly successful as any famous person could be, during his life, that he knows the reality that we are never "all that". I'm inspired when people who achieve earthly fame respect the fact that this is all temporary (Matthew 6:19-20), and don't get caught up in all the compliments- empty or genuine- and the attention/money and remember who they really and forever will be. Just a human being.

Staying humble is a gift. As I mentioned in an earlier post, in our weakness He is strong and that works two wonderful ways. One - He can use us in spite of our flaws and mistakes and work through us even in our weakness. Two - we must stay humble and give Him the glory and honor for all the blessings and success to truly be followers of Christ and lead people to know Him. When we start taking the credit for achievements and forgetting to praise and honor the Lord we are not leading people to Him- we are leading them to us, and no matter how "fabulous" we are, we will let them down. We are not perfect. Period. (Need to hear it again, like music? Just listen to the Mary, Mary lyrics in "It's the God in me".)

It is so good to hear our names called as the inventor, the artist, the author, the champion, the award winner, the hero but when we start believing that we achieved it alone then we are being fooled. We are listening to that prideful voice in our heads that says, "Hmmm, I did do that, look at me, Go Me, Go Me!" I can only imagine how hard it is not to buy into the lies people tell you when you are famous. We want to be told and to believe we are special, accepted and liked. We want to believe we are "smarter than the average bear" and in control of our future. In my own life I have learned many times, many ways, I simply and truly do not have the better plan. When I depend on myself and start chasing my ideas and my plans, I end up going in circles or giving up. When I take the time to pray and seek the Lord's will, His paths are straight and have purpose and bear fruit. His plan is always better than mine!

Take the time to ask Him today, what His plan is for the problem you're solving or the future that you dream of. Stay humble, pray without ceasing and stay focused on Christ. Being a "people pleaser" myself, it has taken me all 40 of my years to understand and submit to why following God is more valuable than chasing my own dreams, chasing someone else's or as nice as I desire to be, chasing the approval of others. Even knowing I will never be able to please everyone rarely stops me from trying. With all the praise and criticism readily available here on earth I can honestly tell you the most precious praise I will forever seek is my Father in Heaven's gentle words when I meet Him. "Well done my good and faithful servant".

Because He loved us first,
Amy

Who me? Afraid??

I was just reading a recent Perry Noble blog ("dead snakes and screaming like a girl") and though I present myself as a strong and faithful Christ follower and truly have witnessed His power and love so much more than I deserve, I was hit upside the head with how much time I spend being afraid! Not, hide in the storm cellar afraid but the kind of afraid that keeps me from asking questions, keeps me from overcoming simple, stupid habits of not speaking up because I want to avoid conflict, not asking for help because I don't want to appear as weak as I really am, not making better choices about how I save my money or how I spend my time because I am lazy. The kind of afraid that makes a project or decision that should only take a few weeks, take 3 or 4 months or a year or even never happen.

I use the excuse that I am the only person I can say no to but really, by being less than I know I should be, whether it's less organized or managing my time poorly or saying yes to my kids when I should have said no, I am not being all God would have me to be. He can not use me to all of His glory if I am wasting my time and energy being afraid or too lazy to speak up, ask questions, be organized, manage my time.

Now, I know I am a work in progress and I can look back through my life and see all the ways He has grown me for His glory. I'm not saying I will ever be perfect at these things or saying that you have to be either to be used greatly by God. I am so thankful to know the true statement "in my weakness He is strong." However, what I am saying is we have to stop confusing fear with discernment. Discernment is gathering facts and information about a new project or ministry God has laid on your heart before you start it without knowing what it should look like - discernment is praying before you go welcome the new neighbor or speak to the one who has lived next door to you for 5 years and you've never even said hello, much less invited them to church - discernment is talking to Godly friends who have kids (or Godly friends you trust) before you decide where to send them to school or whether to let them have a Facebook account or go to camp.

Fear is never doing any of the above because as soon as the thought comes to mind, you think, I don't know enough, I don't have enough experience, someone else would be better at that - they don't like me anyway so they wouldn't listen or they should have spoken to me first - they will think I am such a bad parent if I don't already know the answer to this, I'm supposed to have all the answers for my kids.

Praise Him for knowing my faults and weaknesses and loving and working through me anyway. But what greater things does He have planned that He is having to do in other ways until I wake up and stop being afraid of what I can't do when I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that with HIM, with GOD, our loving and all powerful savior, ALL things are possible.

I know that He can use these rantings of mine to speak to your heart because while I am not all that, HE IS!!!

Love and Peace in Christ,

Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director

Friends Forever...

Today, I was riding down the street. I would like to say I was focused, but then I would be lying and preachers aren't supposed to do that. In all likelihood I was in Fantasyland- that big theme park in my mind. (Come on- you've been there- you drive on Argyle Forest, too)

Suddenly, this car flashes their lights in the middle of the day. My first instinct (I think you call it guilt) was to let up on the accelerator. Ten seconds later, there he was; the man in black with his smart gun. But, because someone cared enough to send a ray of light my way, I was saved.

I don't know the guy who flashed his light my way and saved me, but we are friends forever. Think about sending some of the light we have toward someone today- even someone you don't know.

Pastor Ken

Another word on worship from Louie Giglio...

"Whatever you value most will ultimately determine who you are.

• If you worship money, you'll become greedy at the core of your heart.
• If you worship some sinful habit, that same sin will grip your soul and poison your character to death.
• If you worship stuff, your life will become material, void of eternal significance.
• If you give all of your praise to the god of you, you'll become a disappointing little god to yourself and to all those who trust in you.
  

Simply put: We become what we worship.

If you don't like what you're becoming, take a quick inventory of the things on the throne of your heart."

Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor

One reason why we do what we do...

Every now and then something happens that really brings home, in a powerful way, why we do what we do, as a church and as individuals in the Body of Christ. This is one of those things. Take a moment and read a portion of an email from a member of the Argyle family.

I am also so grateful to the Church at Argyle. I told you a little about this, but I left the Catholic church about a year ago, and started searching at all the local churches. I found my home at The Church at Argyle. The music at the Church at Argyle is unmatched -- anywhere. Pastor Ken's ability to connect with me as I sit and listen is also unmatched.

I find now that instead of feeling like I "have to" go to church, I actually very much look forward to it each week. I used to just sit in church for an hour, not really learning anything. Now, I take something new away every time I go. I am learning huge things about my Faith that somehow managed to escape me even through 12 years of Catholic school. Church is now not just something I think about or do on Sunday, but it is always with me. I hear a lot about "life change" at The Church at Argyle and I have noticed that every aspect of my life is changing for the better.

I just wanted to let you know all of this because I am sure you don't hear it enough. :) If you would like, feel free to share this email with other members of the TCAA staff. I know encouragement is something we could all use more of.

I write a blog called "Out and About in Jax" all about events in Jacksonville. I wrote an entry about the Prayer Walk last Friday and what it meant to me. Maybe if you have some time, you could check it out http://outandaboutinjax.blogspot.com/2009/04/prayer-walk-at-church-at-argyle.html

Anyways, thanks again, and I'll see you Sunday...

Erica

Another word on worship from Louie Giglio...

"Every day there's a battle for your worship. The things we elevate. The values we serve. None of these choices are made in a vacuum. There's a war raging since before there was time."

What you worship is your choice. Choose wisely.

Thank you for a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Rick Painter
Worship Arts Pastor

Maundy Thursday...

Maundy is from the Middle English and Old French mandé, in turn from the Latin mandatum (commandment), the first word in the Latin version of John 13:34. It was on this day, the day before His crucifixion, that Jesus gave us a new commandment- to love one another.

Pastor Ken is winding up the message series 3-1-6, centered around what may be the most recognized Biblical reference, John 3:16. Today, of all days, we ought to be reminded of the central themes of John 3:16- love and giving. God loved us, so He gave to us- He gave us a way to be saved from our sins, He gave us comfort in His family, He gave us joy in His presence, He gave us the opportunity to work as His agents in the world to accomplish His ends, and He gave us eternity with Him.

The end of John 13:34 reads "Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another." To love as He loved, we must give, too. Loving as He loves us means we must reach out to the dying world around us and tell them about His wonderful gift.

A Special Meal...

Something occurred to me after we celebrated The Lord's Supper this past week at the Wednesday Night Connecting Point. There are two elements- bread and wine.

Bread is frequently symbolic of nourishment. Wine is frequently a symbol of joy. Let's face it- we need both.

A really awesome short read...

Everyone should take a minute and read this- and think about the times we have been "in the snow." http://www.perrynoble.com/2009/03/19/sometimes-we-have-to-face-our-fears/