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A lot of great things are happening with Global Missions. Our congregation continues to respond to the call to “go to the ends of the earth.” Where do I begin?
First of all, can you believe that 85 people have already been on one of the three short-term trips so far this year! That is a big chunk of our congregation. These trips include the Chinese New Year trip to Thailand, the Spring Break Youth Ministry trip to Thailand, and the Spring Break Progreso, TX trip.
A sampling of what our BIG God did on these trips includes: thousands of Bibles distributed to Chinese tourists; many children and adults responding to the gospel message; the building of a home and other construction projects for needy families; ministering to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of those in jails, slums, families in poor neighborhoods; outreaches to teens, men and women; training for church leaders; and much more. If I had a couple of more pages available in this blog, I could include dozens of things God did on each one of these trips.
Next month we will send our first team to Taiwan through our long-term partnership with Southern Cross, which recently moved its operations from Thailand to Taiwan. God has provided nine people – from three churches - to go on this trip. And one of these families, who attend our church plant - The Church at Bee Caves - were missionaries to Taiwan for 16 years! What a bonus to have them on this trip! And we are excited to see what other ministry partners, besides Southern Cross, God might connect us with while we are there.
In July, our Youth Ministry will go on its annual summer trip to Progreso, TX. And through the Church Builders organization, our church will send a team somewhere in the United States (we should have the location any day now) where they will work with churches all over the nation to help build a church in one week - from the foundation up!
Sometime in the Fall, we will send a team to East Asia to work with our missionaries there. Won’t you pray about going?
One of our new missions initiatives is the East Asia Strategic Team. This team has formulated a long-range plan to help the missionaries there accomplish their goals to reach an Unreached People Group, or UPG. (This is a people group where less than 2% are believers.) This team will be implementing this plan over the next several years until this people group is “reached” – meaning 10% believers.
Another exciting thing to report is that we have several families and individuals in our congregation who are either praying about, or planning, to become long-term missionaries. One of those families will be headed to Turkey in August to serve as teachers there for a year.
The call to “go” has been declared. Are you going? Do you want to go? Will you go? Will you at least pray about going? I return from every mission trip amazed and changed by God. Come aboard. Join us. God will grow you leaps and bounds. And you will be tremendously blessed for making this investment in the Kingdom.
by Keith Tooley, On Mission Pastor on May 12th, 2012
by Patty Evans, children's minister on May 4th, 2012
40 vs 3000… that’s the number of hours a year the church has to teach kids about Jesus vs the number of hours a year a parent can. This sobering statistic was shared with me recently at a conference. I didn’t get depressed about it because I think our church is a statistic buster!! I am also confident that our team is committed to making those 40 hours the best they can be. But it just reminded me about the fact that we as ministers are limited in our impact. I have seen other surveys that say that parents are still the most important influences in a kid’s life. Since I am currently living with two teenagers, that statistic doesn’t always seem a reality as they roll their eyes at me. But thinking back upon my teenage years and the impact my parents had on me, I have to believe it’s true.
Discipling my kids feels a lot like trying to lose weight. My natural tendency is to ignore the issue and say I’ll get to it later, and later never comes. I learned a long time ago that what works best for me is to schedule it. I also know that if I get partners to help me out I am more effective. With this in mind, I have intentionally become strategic with the training of my kids. I have started two separate clubs that meet the needs of my individual kids.
My son is an avid reader. I decided to start a mother son book club. Five moms and their sons meet at the beginning of the year and we bring different book suggestions. We discuss them and then vote on which ones we are going to read. We will then meet monthly at Barnes and Noble to discuss one of the books. They have been all kinds of genres but what amazes me is that with each book we can still have spiritual conversations. We treat each kid as an equal contributor to the discussion. I have noticed that my son values the time I spend getting into his world.
As for my daughter, she is more about friends and doing girly things. We have a club where we meet once a month with 3 other moms and their daughters and do an activity. We might go to a pottery place, nail salon or play. After each activity, we always have a devotional. We talk about our value to God, mean girls, or any character issue we see needs to be addressed. We even have a charm bracelet that we have added to throughout the years that mark meaningful times.
I hope that when my kids look back on their childhood they will see that I really put an effort into building a relationship with them and intentionally discipling them. I know that there are plenty of other opportunities during the month as I drive my kids or as we sit around the dinner table. But it seems like those moments don’t stand out as much and I just hope that our clubs become some of the greatest memories of their childhood.
Discipling my kids feels a lot like trying to lose weight. My natural tendency is to ignore the issue and say I’ll get to it later, and later never comes. I learned a long time ago that what works best for me is to schedule it. I also know that if I get partners to help me out I am more effective. With this in mind, I have intentionally become strategic with the training of my kids. I have started two separate clubs that meet the needs of my individual kids.
My son is an avid reader. I decided to start a mother son book club. Five moms and their sons meet at the beginning of the year and we bring different book suggestions. We discuss them and then vote on which ones we are going to read. We will then meet monthly at Barnes and Noble to discuss one of the books. They have been all kinds of genres but what amazes me is that with each book we can still have spiritual conversations. We treat each kid as an equal contributor to the discussion. I have noticed that my son values the time I spend getting into his world.
As for my daughter, she is more about friends and doing girly things. We have a club where we meet once a month with 3 other moms and their daughters and do an activity. We might go to a pottery place, nail salon or play. After each activity, we always have a devotional. We talk about our value to God, mean girls, or any character issue we see needs to be addressed. We even have a charm bracelet that we have added to throughout the years that mark meaningful times.
I hope that when my kids look back on their childhood they will see that I really put an effort into building a relationship with them and intentionally discipling them. I know that there are plenty of other opportunities during the month as I drive my kids or as we sit around the dinner table. But it seems like those moments don’t stand out as much and I just hope that our clubs become some of the greatest memories of their childhood.
by Mark Perkins, elder on April 22nd, 2012
LifeWay Research recently surveyed 1,000 Protestant churchgoers and asked them to respond to the following statement, “If a person is sincerely seeking God, he/she can obtain eternal life through religions other than Christianity.” In response, only 40 percent of the churchgoers disagreed with this statement. Unfortunately, this would indicate that the other 60 percent either agreed or were undecided about whether eternal life could be obtained through religions other than Christianity. As Christian leaders, parents and other followers of Christ, this should be alarming and gives insight into the shift taking place in the belief system of many, not only within secular society, but also for some within the church.
The quest by mankind to bypass the exclusivity of Christ for salvation is not new, but it seems that our modern society has accelerated the advocacy of universalism. Our news media especially seems saturated with calls for tolerance of other religious teachings and the advocacy that there are many ways to heaven. Such universalistic viewpoints are contrary to the absolute truths spoken of in the Bible. Jesus clearly proclaims in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” In this verse, the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only approach to the Father is emphatic and does not offer any of the so-called alternatives that many are seeking today. Good works will not get you there, nor will the belief in the teachings of false religions or humanism. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone and that if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9). There is no other way to obtain eternal life.
I am reminded of the words to the old hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” written by Edward Mote in the 1830’s:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.
My hope is that you have placed your complete faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is the way, and the truth, and the life.
The quest by mankind to bypass the exclusivity of Christ for salvation is not new, but it seems that our modern society has accelerated the advocacy of universalism. Our news media especially seems saturated with calls for tolerance of other religious teachings and the advocacy that there are many ways to heaven. Such universalistic viewpoints are contrary to the absolute truths spoken of in the Bible. Jesus clearly proclaims in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” In this verse, the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only approach to the Father is emphatic and does not offer any of the so-called alternatives that many are seeking today. Good works will not get you there, nor will the belief in the teachings of false religions or humanism. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone and that if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9). There is no other way to obtain eternal life.
I am reminded of the words to the old hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” written by Edward Mote in the 1830’s:
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.
My hope is that you have placed your complete faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is the way, and the truth, and the life.
Posted on April 19th, 2012
Requested excerpt from Monty's Easter Message
THE CASUAL CHRISTIAN VERSUS THE PASSIONATE CHRISTIAN
Monty Watson
To hear or read the full message, go to Media at www.churchatcanyoncreek.com, and look for the Easter message from April 8, 2012, entitled “Passion … Why We Should Live for Him.”
THE CASUAL CHRISTIAN VERSUS THE PASSIONATE CHRISTIAN
Monty Watson
To hear or read the full message, go to Media at www.churchatcanyoncreek.com, and look for the Easter message from April 8, 2012, entitled “Passion … Why We Should Live for Him.”
If it’s all true. We say we believe that Jesus loved us so much that He died for us. We say we believe that Jesus supernaturally rose the dead proving to be the Son of God. But too often there is a gap. There is a gap between what we profess to believe and how we really live. Of course, we’ll never be perfect. But the gap I’m talking is not a morality gap or a knowledge gap. The gap between what we believe and how we live is a passion gap. It’s the difference between being a casual Christian and a passionate Christian.
When I say casual Christian, I’m not talking about being a bad Christian. I’m talking about being an 80% Christian. You might say 80% is pretty good. If I do what God wants 8 out of 10 times, then I’m doing pretty good. No wife would feel that way if her husband was faithful only 80% of the time. An 80 is a C. It’s average, but it’s certainly not passionate.
Let me give you some examples.
When it comes to obedience, the casual Christian is committed to living a moral life, but not quite willing to do everything Jesus said. But the passionate Christian is so motivated by a love for Jesus that he’s willing to do anything Jesus asks; no matter how radical, no matter how counter-cultural, no matter how unpopular. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The passionate Christian obeys Jesus because he loves Jesus.
When it comes to CHARACTER, the casual Christian is a good person, yet tends to blend in with the crowd and gauge his morality by comparing himself to others. And when it comes to sin, the casual Christian avoids big sins, but rationalizes little sins. The casual Christian fears getting caught, but the passionate Christian dreads the thought of offending his Father. The passionate Christian hates his sin and is quick to repent, just like David. “Have mercy on me, O God … Wash me clean from my guilt … I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:1-4, NLT).
When it comes to SEX, the casual Christian would never think about committing adultery. But the casual Christian tends to let down his guard and has a secret place in his mind for sexual sin. But the passionate Christian realizes the dangerous consequences of carelessness. The passionate Christian dreads the thought of hurting his family. The passionate Christian hears the warning of Scripture. “Flee immorality … do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you … You have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
When it comes to MONEY, the casual Christian “gives money to charity and to church as long as it does not impinge on his standard of living.” The casual Christian gives, but does not sacrifice. The casual Christian worries about having enough. But the passionate Christian is concerned about those who don’t have enough. The passionate Christian views money as a blessing from God that is to be used as a blessing to others and to advance God’s kingdom. The passionate Christian takes to heart what Jesus said. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NAS).
When it comes to HEAVEN AND EARTH, the casual Christian believes in heaven and looks forward to seeing Jesus one day. But the casual Christian is often preoccupied with living the good life. Even his spirituality is a means to guaranteeing a comfortable and peaceful life. But the passionate Christian places sigificance on what has eternal value. He makes decisions in light of eternity. Paul said, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2, NAS). Eternity is the filter through which the passionate Christian assesses his values.
When it comes to THE BIBLE, the casual Christian believes the Bible is true, but is selective in how it shapes the way he lives. But the passionate Christian reads the Bible like it is food for the soul. The prophet Jeremiah said, “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16, NLT). For the passionate Christian, “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night”
(Psalm 1:2, NAS).
When it comes to CHURCH, the casual Christian often attends church expecting the best music, the best preaching, the best children’s program. For the casual Christian, church is often a consumer activity. But the passionate Christian knows that God is not impressed with our programs or our attendance. God wants our hearts. David realized, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:16-17, NLT). God wants our hearts.
When it comes to WORSHIP, the casual Christian loves to sing songs about God, and sings loud when things are going well. But the passionate Christian worships God even when life is painful. After losing his family and his wealth, Job still worshipped God and said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). The passionate Christian lives in awe of God and worships Him as the majestic Creator of the universe. David cried out, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place … O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:3, 9, NIV).
When it comes to KNOWING AND LOVING GOD, the casual Christian really does love God and knows a lot of good theology about God. But the passionate Christian moves beyond knowing a lot about God, about knowing God on paper, to experiencing an intimate, personal relationship with Him. The passionate Christian loves God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind (Matthew 22:37). For the passionate Christian, Jesus is the love of his life.
Again, when I say casual Christian, I’m not talking about being a bad Christian. I’m talking about being an 80% Christian. But again, an 80 is a C. It’s average, but it’s certainly not passionate. Jesus called it as being lukewarm. And here’s what He said about being lukewarm. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16, NIV). Casual Christianity makes Jesus sick to His stomach. It makes Him want to throw up. Casual Christianity is superficial. It’s looking the part. It’s going through the motions. But Jesus is not pleased with that. He wants our love, not our activity. There’s a new book out called Not A Fan. The author challenges Christians to be more than fans of Jesus, more than admirers of Him, and to be followers. To be passionate, radical, fully devoted followers of Jesus.
So, why are we so content with the casual, with being average, with being lukewarm?
The answer is in 2 Corinthians 5. Paul said, “For the love of Christ compels us … that we should no longer live for ourselves for Him.” When the “love of Christ” is no longer compelling, when the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is no longer compelling, when the miracle of the resurrection is no longer compelling, we become content with the casual, with being average, and with being lukewarm.
There’s no music we can play and there’s no locker room speech I can give that will change that. The only thing that will ever move us from being casual to being passionate is the love of Christ. “For the love of Christ compels us.” It’s looking up at the cross. It’s looking inside the empty tomb. It’s hearing the voice of Jesus and making up our minds to follow Him passionately, to obey Him passionately, to love Him passionately, and to live for Him passionately.
When I say casual Christian, I’m not talking about being a bad Christian. I’m talking about being an 80% Christian. You might say 80% is pretty good. If I do what God wants 8 out of 10 times, then I’m doing pretty good. No wife would feel that way if her husband was faithful only 80% of the time. An 80 is a C. It’s average, but it’s certainly not passionate.
Let me give you some examples.
When it comes to obedience, the casual Christian is committed to living a moral life, but not quite willing to do everything Jesus said. But the passionate Christian is so motivated by a love for Jesus that he’s willing to do anything Jesus asks; no matter how radical, no matter how counter-cultural, no matter how unpopular. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The passionate Christian obeys Jesus because he loves Jesus.
When it comes to CHARACTER, the casual Christian is a good person, yet tends to blend in with the crowd and gauge his morality by comparing himself to others. And when it comes to sin, the casual Christian avoids big sins, but rationalizes little sins. The casual Christian fears getting caught, but the passionate Christian dreads the thought of offending his Father. The passionate Christian hates his sin and is quick to repent, just like David. “Have mercy on me, O God … Wash me clean from my guilt … I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:1-4, NLT).
When it comes to SEX, the casual Christian would never think about committing adultery. But the casual Christian tends to let down his guard and has a secret place in his mind for sexual sin. But the passionate Christian realizes the dangerous consequences of carelessness. The passionate Christian dreads the thought of hurting his family. The passionate Christian hears the warning of Scripture. “Flee immorality … do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you … You have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
When it comes to MONEY, the casual Christian “gives money to charity and to church as long as it does not impinge on his standard of living.” The casual Christian gives, but does not sacrifice. The casual Christian worries about having enough. But the passionate Christian is concerned about those who don’t have enough. The passionate Christian views money as a blessing from God that is to be used as a blessing to others and to advance God’s kingdom. The passionate Christian takes to heart what Jesus said. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NAS).
When it comes to HEAVEN AND EARTH, the casual Christian believes in heaven and looks forward to seeing Jesus one day. But the casual Christian is often preoccupied with living the good life. Even his spirituality is a means to guaranteeing a comfortable and peaceful life. But the passionate Christian places sigificance on what has eternal value. He makes decisions in light of eternity. Paul said, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2, NAS). Eternity is the filter through which the passionate Christian assesses his values.
When it comes to THE BIBLE, the casual Christian believes the Bible is true, but is selective in how it shapes the way he lives. But the passionate Christian reads the Bible like it is food for the soul. The prophet Jeremiah said, “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16, NLT). For the passionate Christian, “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night”
(Psalm 1:2, NAS).
When it comes to CHURCH, the casual Christian often attends church expecting the best music, the best preaching, the best children’s program. For the casual Christian, church is often a consumer activity. But the passionate Christian knows that God is not impressed with our programs or our attendance. God wants our hearts. David realized, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Psalm 51:16-17, NLT). God wants our hearts.
When it comes to WORSHIP, the casual Christian loves to sing songs about God, and sings loud when things are going well. But the passionate Christian worships God even when life is painful. After losing his family and his wealth, Job still worshipped God and said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). The passionate Christian lives in awe of God and worships Him as the majestic Creator of the universe. David cried out, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place … O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:3, 9, NIV).
When it comes to KNOWING AND LOVING GOD, the casual Christian really does love God and knows a lot of good theology about God. But the passionate Christian moves beyond knowing a lot about God, about knowing God on paper, to experiencing an intimate, personal relationship with Him. The passionate Christian loves God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind (Matthew 22:37). For the passionate Christian, Jesus is the love of his life.
Again, when I say casual Christian, I’m not talking about being a bad Christian. I’m talking about being an 80% Christian. But again, an 80 is a C. It’s average, but it’s certainly not passionate. Jesus called it as being lukewarm. And here’s what He said about being lukewarm. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16, NIV). Casual Christianity makes Jesus sick to His stomach. It makes Him want to throw up. Casual Christianity is superficial. It’s looking the part. It’s going through the motions. But Jesus is not pleased with that. He wants our love, not our activity. There’s a new book out called Not A Fan. The author challenges Christians to be more than fans of Jesus, more than admirers of Him, and to be followers. To be passionate, radical, fully devoted followers of Jesus.
So, why are we so content with the casual, with being average, with being lukewarm?
The answer is in 2 Corinthians 5. Paul said, “For the love of Christ compels us … that we should no longer live for ourselves for Him.” When the “love of Christ” is no longer compelling, when the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is no longer compelling, when the miracle of the resurrection is no longer compelling, we become content with the casual, with being average, and with being lukewarm.
There’s no music we can play and there’s no locker room speech I can give that will change that. The only thing that will ever move us from being casual to being passionate is the love of Christ. “For the love of Christ compels us.” It’s looking up at the cross. It’s looking inside the empty tomb. It’s hearing the voice of Jesus and making up our minds to follow Him passionately, to obey Him passionately, to love Him passionately, and to live for Him passionately.
by Monty Watson on March 30th, 2012
I knew I was overdue for an oil change. So when I saw the sign that offered an oil change for $20 in ten minutes, I pulled in. Two-and-a-half hours and $280 later, I drove away. That’s not how I wanted to start my day. But the time was not wasted. I had some work with me. So I sat in the tiny waiting room going through my notes for Easter.
This Sunday, we’re going to look at Isaiah 53 and why Jesus died for us. Then on Easter Sunday, we’re going to talk about why we should live for Him. Second Corinthians 5:14-15 is one of my favorite passages. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all … that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” That’s Christianity. As I sat there waiting on my car, the thought keep rolling around in my head. “If it’s all true … if it’s all true.” Well, if it’s all true – that Jesus died on the cross for our sin and that He supernaturally rose again – then the passion Jesus had for us should compel us to live with passion for Him! That’s the message I want to talk about on Easter Sunday. The passion of Jesus should compel us. It should compel us to reject a casual, complacent Christianity. And instead, compel us to passionately pursue Christ, to boldly tell as many people as we can about Him, to humbly worship Him, to intimately love Him. If it’s true, then the passion Jesus had for us should compel us to live with passion for Him. I challenge you think about this. Are you living the casual life or the passionate life?
Both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday will great times to invite your friends who are still thinking about faith issues. The gospel will be clearly presented and people will be lovingly led to an opportunity to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. So, please pray for friends and please pray over these two Sundays.
This Sunday, we’re going to look at Isaiah 53 and why Jesus died for us. Then on Easter Sunday, we’re going to talk about why we should live for Him. Second Corinthians 5:14-15 is one of my favorite passages. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all … that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” That’s Christianity. As I sat there waiting on my car, the thought keep rolling around in my head. “If it’s all true … if it’s all true.” Well, if it’s all true – that Jesus died on the cross for our sin and that He supernaturally rose again – then the passion Jesus had for us should compel us to live with passion for Him! That’s the message I want to talk about on Easter Sunday. The passion of Jesus should compel us. It should compel us to reject a casual, complacent Christianity. And instead, compel us to passionately pursue Christ, to boldly tell as many people as we can about Him, to humbly worship Him, to intimately love Him. If it’s true, then the passion Jesus had for us should compel us to live with passion for Him. I challenge you think about this. Are you living the casual life or the passionate life?
Both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday will great times to invite your friends who are still thinking about faith issues. The gospel will be clearly presented and people will be lovingly led to an opportunity to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. So, please pray for friends and please pray over these two Sundays.
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