As Moses is saying his last words to the people of Israel before he dies and they enter the promised land, he wants to make one thing perfectly clear:  The promised land is exactly that.  A promise that God will keep.  The promise is not based on the “righteousness” or “integrity” of the Israelites.  It is not based on their ability to win battles or have the largest army.  It’s not based on their possessions or livestock or population size.

Everything that the Israelites (and us) have or will have, is based on God’s grace and generosity, not our own ability to provide for ourselves.  Let’s all remember this when we are “counting our blessings”.

In today’s reading we see God making the case for why his people should live in obedience to Him. There are a few points to consider as we take a look at the Deuteronomy text. First, God is devoted to us and has chosen us. This should be something that makes us celebrate God in all His goodness. He chose us in order to make us his people. It reminds me of Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” which let’s us know that we are a chosen people.

Secondly, God chose us not for what we have done, but for what he can do through us. The great numbers of the Israelites was not the  reason for God’s choice. It was also not because of their moral or ethical behavior. It was due to the fact that God could be glorified through them.  The reason He instructs them to “keep the commands” is so that their behavior will be known as Godly, or that of people who glorify Go with their lives. When we follow God in obedience it shows our appreciation to Him.

Lastly, God is loyal. Even though we might step away, He will not. He is in constant pursuit of us, even when we aren’t of Him. Let that be a reminder to us that daily repentance is necessary. In order to fully appreciate who God is, we must submit ourselves to Him daily. Let us pray today that our actions demonstrate our appreciation of God’s choosing us.

Psalms 68:19 HCSB

“May the Lord be praised! Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation. Selah”

Just stop and think about that.  Day after day God bears our burdens.  He carries them.  He carries us through them.  He cares.  All of them.  Family, finances, sadness – all of it.  He is aware.  He is over them, in them, and under them, carrying them for us.  Our God is not merely transcendent, but immanent.  Praise God for His intimate care.

This healing occurred by faith in God’s provision, not by faith in the bronze snake. It was God who did the healing, not magic or because the people worshiped the snake.  Flash forward to John 3:14-16 and we see Jesus use this imagery as a metaphor for what is about to happen.  Just as the Israelites looked upon the snake and were healed, those who look in faith Jesus who was lifted up on the cross will be healed of their sins. Those who looked upon Him and believed in Him would have eternal life.

Thank You God!  We are grateful that your Word isn’t a bunch of disconnected stories assembled in some anthology.  Your desire for people to turn to you for healing and salvation is one of the golden threads woven throughout your entire Bible!

Proverbs 11:4, “Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death.”

We understand that everything belongs to God…

We understand that you can’t take earthly wealth into the afterlife…

We understand that “righteousness” (in this case, how we use our resources) is more important than accumulating “things”…

We understand that God wants and deserves our best (Time, Talents, Resources)…

We would love to share more with you about how God wants all of us to CONTRIBUTE to His Story and live out Proverbs 11:4.  If you haven’t been through our ELEMENTS class, be on the lookout for the next class offering and get signed up!

In today’s reading there cannot be a greater demonstration to full submission than Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to his Father. Mark’s gospel demonstrates the conflicting will of Father and Son, but also the absolute surrender of Jesus’ power to the plan God had for him. Think of it–Jesus, fully knowing what was about to take place, since we was fully God and fully man, asks God if it is possible the events that were about to take place to be avoided. Is there anything so theologically complex?

But let’s not focus on theological theories for what transpired and instead focus on what we do know–Jesus submitted himself to the Father’s will even unto death.I find it had to separate the pain of the physical torture, from the torment of being separated from the Father because the weight of humanity’s sin in resting upon you. I think both of these aspects of what laid ahead for Jesus had him pleading for another way. Yet, he relented and submitted to the Father.

Let us think for ourselves today how well we submit. What is God asking of us that we need to give in to him. In comparison to the cross, does it even seem important?

“God bless you!” How often do you find yourself saying that each day? What is the context; a cordial exchange? A prayer? A sneeze? In today’s reading we see how much power there can be in God’s blessing. God tells Moses to instruct his brother, Aaron, how to bless the Children of Israel. They are to recite a saying that God gives them. Is the power in the words? No, the power is in the name. God says, “In this way they will pronounce My name of the Israelites, and I will bless them.” So, this should challenge us to ask, “Do I see power in God’s name?”

Every Monday and Thursday I spend time in prayer with either the Westwind staff, or the elder team. During these great moments we intercede on behalf of the people of Westwind. We lift up the names of the sick, those looking for jobs, marriages in trouble, and other issues that are brought before us as spiritual leaders. From time to time the list seems so overwhelming because of all the issues facing our worshipping community. It can feel like we are just presenting a “To Do” list to God. It is in times like these when I pray, “God we bring these requests to you as an act of worship. We recognize that there is no other person or god who could meet these needs. Please, see this as our humble request, recognizing that you are God and we need you.” What a humbling thing to acknowledge. In our world of self reliance, when we offer requests to the Lord we are admitting that we need His help.

When Moses shares the God-given prayer with Aaron, he is showing that they need God, just like we do, too. We need God’s blessing. We need God’s graciousness. We need His favor and peace. And how do these things come to us? By calling on His name and recognizing that He is Yahweh!

Let us recognize our need for God today and call on his NAME.

“God, within Your temple, we contemplate Your faithful love. Your name, God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with justice.”

The psalmist says something interesting here.  In the temple, he contemplates God’s faithful love.  And so I’ll do the same.  I see God’s love in many ways.

As I type, I am eating a cereal I love.  God is good.  It’s cheaper than the name brand but still tastes the same.  I delight in how God provides even little gifts.  My dad is visiting and it seems the Lord is doing a work in his heart.  I’ve prayed for this now 20 years.  God hears and works.  I feel better today than I have the last week.  It seems Jenni is feeling better today as well.  Another expression of God’s love.  The Lord really blessed my connection group last night.  People were very honest, open, and my mom and my dad both jumped right in.  God is so good.  I look forward to opening this passage with my kids tonight at dinner and asking them and my mom and dad to contemplate God’s various expressions of love to them.  I want to encourage you to pause, with your families if you have them, and contemplate and draw attention to and celebrate God’s manifold love for you.  Enjoy!

Ever talk to someone and notice that they aren’t really paying attention to what you are saying? Embarrassingly enough, I do this too often. I am sure it frustrates people and it makes me seem uncaring. I know when I am explaining something of interest to me to someone, and the person I am talking with doesn’t really seem to be listening, I get frustrated to the point of being perturbed. How much more so it would have been for Jesus in today’s reading when he says that he is going into Jerusalem to be tortured and punished, only to have one of his disciples say, “Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask You. Allow us to sit at Your right and at Your left in Your glory.” It’s like telling someone you are dying only for them to ask if they can have your stuff when you are gone. Jesus is being vulnerable with his disciples and they see this as an opportunity to find out which one of them will be his favorites. They miss the entire point.

It seems like Jesus addresses their desire for power with these words later in that chapter;

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

While the disciples are almost uncaringly disregarding the fate of their Rabbi and pursuing their own individual gains, Jesus addresses what real leadership looks like–servant leadership. Not only is Jesus teaching this with his words, but every step that he takes toward Jerusalem, and his pending execution is testimony to his servant leadership to the world. What a contrast! While disciples try to buddy up to Jesus to get prestige, Jesus gathers dust on his feet that will soon be dripping with blood because of the terrible torture he will endure for his followers, and the world.

Can we learn from this? Let Westwind be a place where people don’t seek selfish gain, but become slaves to others. Let our leaders not pursue their own “domination” but be humble of heart and moved by the model of Christ (I would say even unto death). Let our passion for others always eclipse out own agendas. Let us be like Christ.

Proverbs 10:21 HCSB

“The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.”

Last night I asked the parents of Grow if they feed their children.  Everyone raised their hands.  To not feed your children would be abuse.  I next challenged parents to feed their kids God’s word, opening their Bibles regularly with their children.  Jesus said that man does not live on bread alone but on every word from God (Deut. 8:3; Mt. 4:4).  There is something to be learned here.  While our bodies need physical food, our souls need spiritual food.  There is a hunger in our souls that food and sex and friendships and new apps can’t ever satisfy.  And Pr. 10:21 says that the lips of the righteous feed many.  May God feed your souls with His word and may you not keep it to yourself, but turn around and nourish someone with those life-giving truths.  Eat up, my friend.  Eat up!

I just want to take this opportunity to encourage you in your reading.  When I told Allison about no reading tomorrow, she responded with, “phew, now I can get caught up”.  We don’t want you to get all legalistic about reading EVERY verse if you are behind.  Take this day to get caught up.  If you are current with your reading, take this opportunity to read some of the other blogs that Brandon, Paul, and I have written about our readings.

If you need something else to do, send us a note to let us know how you are doing.  How is the reading going?  What’s it been doing for your faith?  Share any stories you might have about how God is working through the One Year Bible plan.  We are two full months into this and it is a blast for us to share with you our thoughts and we want to hear yours.  Drop us an email or give us a call!

In today’s reading we are challenged to keep a day “holy” by not working on it. We know that after God created the universe He rested. We shouldn’t think that God needed rest as if He were tired. Instead, He was taking time to relish in the majesty of His creation. When we are called to rest, it isn’t because God wants us to be energized for the other six days a week. We are being called to take time weekly to reflect on who God is and His wonder.

So, does the sabbath apply today? Are we supposed to take time to not work, not shop, not support those who do? To do this would miss the spirit of the sabbath. As God’s children we need to take time to reflect on his glory. We need to do this on a daily basis of course, but we also need to make sure that we taking time weekly to honor Him.

At Westwind that is why we provide a Celebration Service every week. It is an opportunity for you to take time in your hectic week to honor God. When we think that we are just “doing church” we minimize the importance of this Leviticus passage and what the sabbath represented. Our worship service is to  allow us an opportunity to give our entire focus on God. We are to push aside everything that might hinder this and focus on God’s majesty.

As our weekly schedules get more and more busy, we need to make sure we are taking time to honor God in worship, just as those who practiced a sabbath day did in the Old Testament times.

Mark 9:20–25 HCSB

“So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Then Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ Everything is possible to the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!””

Twice in the same conversation, this father lays his cards on the table and shows Jesus right where he is at, saying, “But if you can do anything” and then, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”  Though the father isn’t fully sure and though the father has less than perfect faith, he cries out to Jesus and Jesus meets him where he is at.  I can connect with this guy.  I believe and yet I struggle to believe.  I doubt all the time, but I feel so invited towards Jesus by this passage realizing Jesus is ready to work with people right where they are at.  How wonderful.

The woman’s response is beautiful… “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”.  She understands.  She gets it.  She knows what Jesus is all about.  But she also appeals to Jesus’ love and grace for of God’s children.  And Jesus responds with, “…you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter”

But the story does not end there.  After another healing (of a deaf man with speech difficulties) Jesus has compassion on a crowd (Gentiles) of people that have been following Him for three days.  What does He start feeding this large group of people (the “dogs” of 7:27-28)?  Bread.  It looks like the woman’s request in verse 28 is fulfilled.

What an amazing look into the heart of Jesus…

In today’s reading we are warned of the danger of placing our own religious practices above God. The Pharisees, it trying to prove that Jesus and his disciples were a rebellious bunch, point out the fact the they were not practicing a Jewish tradition that the pious of that day enforced. They were placing religious tradition over the teaching of God. This angered Jesus, as it should, as he saw those who called themselves spiritual using their spiritual influence to misdirect people’s attentions away from God and more toward a man-made spirituality.

How dangerous we can become if we spiritualize small groups, or 40-Day Bible campaigns, or dress codes to worship. All these can be an expression of worship, but non of these should be placed into “law”. When Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” He was saying that these are THE most important things. Followers of him are to be set in that direction toward worship. To illustrate that he adds, “all the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” This means that the accumulation of the the Old Testament is to get people to love God and others. Any thing outside of this is an addition that must be seen as such.

The reason people tend to make their own rules when it comes to worship is because it is easier to go through the check list of what worship is (sang the song, stood up, dressed appropriately, etc) instead of face the heart issue inside. I wonder how many Americas enter into a church on a weekend and never really worship God. However, in their minds they are worshipping because they meet the manmade criteria for worship.

Let’s be mindful of this every day as we enter the presence of God–He cares about our hearts.

Mark 6:31–32

“He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place,”

It seems only right that they needed a break.  Everyone needs margins.  Jesus gets that and lovingly takes them off the frontlines.  Yet the sentence that began in verse 32 isn’t quite finished…

Mark 6:33–34 HCSB

“but many saw them leaving and recognized them. People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.”

How do you know when you are going too hard and need a break?  How can you be sure that the rest you “need” isn’t merely an excuse to get your kids to bed and out of your hair so that you can put the next Redbox in?  Jesus had compassion for people and could be interrupted when it wasn’t convenient.  He wasn’t a workaholic.  He created the Sabbath because we would need it.  May God help us find the tender balance between the ditches of laziness and workaholism.

For the Lord is great and is highly praised;  He is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary

– Psalm 96:4-6

And now we approach Philippians chapter 2 and humility as demonstrated by Jesus.

Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men.  And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death —even to death on a cross  – Philippians 2:5-8

How do we reconcile these two very different pictures of God?  God’s holiness and His humility?  Why would God “empty Himself” of such “splendor and majesty” to become a “slave”.   The answer is the gospel.

For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! – Romans 3:23

If we continue reading our in Philippians 2 :9-11, we see that it is because Jesus humbled himself that he will be glorified.  In considering God’s holiness and his humility the picture of the gospel comes into sharp focus and we are reminded at what cost our salvation comes.

For this reason God highly exalted Him sand gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —of those who are in heaven and on earthand under the earth — and every tongue  should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  – Philippians 2:9-11

This week at Westwind we will encounter and celebrate God,  His holiness and humility, and “we will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.  You find our set list below.  See you there!

Beautiful Jesus – Kristian Stanfill

Holy, Holy, Holy – Hillsong Live

Unending Song – Leeland

The Saving One – Starfield

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

Nova – Hillsong

In today’s reading we see how God’ glory cannot be manipulated for our own benefit. Aaron, the leader of God’s chosen holy people (the Levites) was in charge of presenting the people’s offering to the Lord. It would have been an amazing, and somewhat terrifying ceremony, filled with blood and guts. As Aaron had the sacrifice prepared, following the rules handed down by God through Moses would have been very important. Aaron, understanding God’s holiness, would have followed every word of direction; and because of this “fire came from the LORD and consumed the burnt offering.” The result of this was that people fell down and worship the Lord. Aaron’s obedience brought about a supernatural act from the Lord that led to people glorifying God.

Enter Aaron’s sons. Seeing the power and awesomeness of this event, Nadab and Abihu try to become part of these event by capturing their own fire and presenting it to the Lord in an unauthorized manner. The result of which is that God brings down fire to consume them.

So, what can we take from this? I think there are two distinct messages that come from this passage. First, God is holy and his holiness cannot be altered or diminished. We must be mindful that we serve the a holy God, one that is always 100% holy and because of that he cannot be in the presence of unholiness. We must be wise to remember Samuel’s words “There is no one holy like the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:2).

Secondly, we must always check out motives when it comes to worshipping God. Nadab and Abihu we looking for personal gain or an association with God’s power that was to benefit them, and not to worship God. What are our motives when it comes to worship. Do we think that if we pray for something that God should answer it? Do we think if we go to church, our lives should be suffering free? If you think like that, then you are trying to manipulate God’s power like Aaron’s son’s. Let us remember that God will be glorified before all people because of what he has done, and not for what we have gotten him to do.

Let us pray today for a spirit of humility and true worship as we be our offerings (our lives) before God.

It has been this way for a very long time. I remember the first time I heard it, that voice. The memories are not pleasant, for they come with heartache and pain. I am a simple man, with a simple life. My name is Simeon, and I live in Jerusalem. I have lived in this area all my life. I have grown up knowing the stories of my relatives. I am even named after one of Jacob’s sons. I studied to become a rabbi, but it was not to be. I knew the law, and did my best to keep it. As I said, I am a simple man. So I did what I could, and worked my way up the ladder, and even owned my own shop in the market. I sold the everyday wares needed in the house. I worked hard. I was so excited when my father told me a bride had been found for me. We were engaged, and the future looked bright. The first year of our marriage was rocky as we came to know each other, but our love grew. She was a simple girl as well, and she loved our people, and our heritage. Her faith was strong and she believed all she had been taught. She always reminded me that the day would come when the “Promised One” would come and take away our bondage. We talked of it often. It was as if she knew something was coming.

After several years, we found out she was going to have a baby. We were very excited, and it became the topic of our daily conversation. We talked of names, of our history, and of the future. I began to get our own home ready for the new addition. Then, the day of the delivery arrived. It did not go as I had thought. Something went wrong, and the midwives were scurrying around. There was not the joy and laughter that I had experienced as others had babies. It seemed as if I was in a dream, no, more of a nightmare. They came to me and told me that there had been problems in the delivery, and my wife had not made it. She had died giving birth. The baby, he never made it either. In one brief moment, I lost all I had planned. My family, my future, my joy, it was all gone. I stumbled around for days. My family did what they could, but there was no peace. I tried to focus on the business, but all I could see was the face of my wife, and my son, for the moment I held him close. How could I go on? What was there to live for?

So, not knowing what else to do, I went to Temple, and offered my sacrifices. I went to give God that which he deserved. I was not sure that I wanted much to do with this God. I knew the stories of deliverance, and the stories of miracles. There was no miracle in my life. I still believed that there was a promise coming, but it all seemed much harder to celebrate now. As I recited some of the Law, I heard the words of the prophets in the background, and then, I heard a much clearer voice. “You will see my promise. Your eyes will see my Salvation. You will see Messiah.” I turned to see who had spoken to me. While the yard was full of worshippers, no one was speaking to me. I put my head down, and I heard it again. “You will see the promised one of Israel. Your eyes will behold the redemption of the nations.” I looked around again, and thought to myself, “Simeon, you have had some really bad wine!” I asked, “God, is that you?” The reply was, “Simeon, you will see the Glory of Israel, and the light of the nations.” As quickly as it came, it was gone.

I woke up the next morning. My thoughts immediately went to the events of the day before. Had I really heard a voice? Was God telling me that I would really see “Messiah?” After all these years, with no words from God to anyone? I went to work, thinking about it the whole time, went to Temple, and came home. Nothing. I kept thinking that I would hear the voice again, but I did not. This became my ritual, my reason for living, everyday, would begin, “Maybe today?” The days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to years. I found myself meditating on the prophets and their description of the promised one. In the process, I found my sorrow being replaced with joy, and my despair turning to hope. God had spoken! To a simple man He had given a promise! So the “Maybe today?” became “Maybe today!” Year after year, it never got old. In time, I sold my shop to my young apprentice. I went to the Temple everyday. I looked in the crowds, and tried to scan faces. Messiah became my destination. I am now an old man, my hands shake, and my eyes have grown dim, but not my hope. Maybe today!

Then, about six weeks ago, I had a dream. It was more of a nightmare. I awoke in the middle of the night. I felt a tremendous burden of conflict. It was as if I was on the edge of a battle, but could not see it. There was hope and horror. There was victory and defeat. There was anger and hatred, and there was joy and love. Ridiculous, hilarious, love. I went outside to clear my head, and it seemed as if the whole world was involved in something otherworldly. I could feel captivity giving way to freedom. This was not the captivity that held Israel in bondage. This was a captivity of the soul. I did not know what to make of it. It might just have been the evening meal. I am an old man, and my stomach is not always right! I finally went back to bed. I slept restlessly, and awoke in the morning, “Maybe today!” Nothing.

That was six weeks ago. This morning I woke up, and immediately thought, “Maybe today!” I cleaned myself up, and decided to go to Temple early. I thought of the events of the last several months, with the census, all the travelers, and the oppression of Rome. I thought to myself, “Today would be a good day to see Messiah.” I thought that all the time. I was becoming a vintage believer. I made my way to the Temple, and that is when I saw them. A young couple, obviously from the farmlands. He was a strong young man, holding a couple of pigeons. She was holding a baby close to her chest. They went to the priest, and made the offering. It was obvious that they were not from wealth or affluence. I watched from the distance. There was something different about them. They had a maturity about them. I came closer, and could see that he was a hard worker. His hands were calloused, and his eyes were those that measured everyone around. Her eyes were only for her baby, a boy.

It was then, I heard the voice again. “My redemption is here. This is Messiah!” I came closer, and the father looked at me. I haltingly held out my weak and aged arms, and she placed the baby in my shaking hands. At once, my hands became steady. My arms were strengthened. It seemed as if a whole new force was taking over my body. The words that flowed were no longer mine. “My God, you can now take me home. You can take your slave in peace, for today my eyes have beheld Salvation. You have been preparing the whole world for this light for all time. This glory for Israel, and the hope of redemption for the world!” In that moment, I knew that what I was holding and seeing was supernatural. The baby I held was the hope of the world! This was Messiah! In my simple, aged, hands, was the redeemer of all mankind!

I looked into Mary’s eyes as Joseph took Jesus from me. In that moment, I knew that she would feel some of the pain that I had experienced. She would lose her baby as well. It would be different, but it would be piercing. I told her what I had seen, and her eyes told me, she understood. It was as if my own pain had prepared me for this moment with Mary and Joseph. All of that dimmed in the glorious light of the restoration of God’s promise. This baby was the fulfillment of the promise made to Adam, Abraham, and Jacob. I had seen and held the Salvation of our God. Messiah had slept in my arms. Maybe today? It was today!

Today is the day that God has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. For I have seen the glory of the Lord, and He has made me glad! Merry Christmas!

I am sure every family has it traditions. Whether it is the food you eat, the things you do before or after the meal, or who sits where, traditions are a part of every community. The same is true of a worshipping community–there are traditions that give it identity. As people continue to come to Westwind, it is important to share those traditions so as to continually perpetuate the culture of our church. Just like the Barker family and giblet gravy go hand in hand, so does Westwind and its traditions. So, here are a few traditions I see at Westwind, that are our “giblet gravy” to our community. Feel free to write your own below in the comment section.

1. Westwind serves well: I want our church to be a place that is known for our service inside and out of our walls.
2. Smiles and Hugs: People will know the love of Jesus through a joyful spirit of those at Westwind.
3. Authenticity: No boxed potatoes for us, we want to be the real deal. That means admitting our weakness and mistakes and sharing who we are really.
4. Bible Doers: We aren’t just interested in hearing the Word, but actually putting it to use in our lives.

These Westwind traditions are already in place, but remember–what makes a tradition in the continuation of an event or behavior. So, lets use this holiday season to continue the Westwind traditions.

Instantaneously, various people throughout the crowd got up and hustled to different areas of the school to see if they could lend a hand to stop the music that was being played (now it was “Freeze Frame” by the J. Geils Band). Although the music being played was completely distracting, it didn’t seem to bother our worshipping community. People laughed as different songs would be played. There were even people tapping their toes to the tunes.

When it looked like the music issue wasn’t going to be fixed, one person suggested that we keep worshipping. The band got back up to the platform and drowned out the classic 80′s rock songs with praises to the Most High God. It was great to see people praising God over the distraction. After the songs were sung, the crowd was encouraged to stick around and just hang out (with full accompaniment of the intercom radio station). It was a delight to see all the people who used it as an opportunity to get to know other people from Westwind. God did use it for His glory.

There were a lot of laughs that day, so here are just few of the funny things that got said:

• Best sermon ever, pastor.
• Even junior high boys should have their prayers answered every once in a while.
• Can I make a request for MC Hammer?
• So, is your church like this every Sunday?

Thanks again for all those who tried to help, and for those who laughed it off with us and had a great time of fellowship. We will make sure for next Sunday that we will clear the floor so people can “cut a rug”.

Leadership is an important component to a starting a church, so as part of that decision, Geoff has taken the leap of faith and agreed to lead the New Heights church plant. Although this is sad for our worshipping community, you can see that this is an amazing symbol of our commitment to making New Heights an impact church in Warren County. I am sure you will want to continue praying for Geoff and his family as they prepare themselves to lead this God-driven vision.

Just as dual-leadership is an important aspect of Westwind, it will also be part of the DNA of New Heights. That is why Geoff has asked Kevin Mayer, our Missional Lead and elder to be his ministry partner. Kevin and Geoff will co-lead New Heights as Geoff and I have led Westwind these last four years. Please pray for Kevin and Pat as they make their transition.

Below you will find the answers to some of the questions you may have. They have been grouped to help you.

Timeline

• Over the next two months Westwind will be spending time recruiting people to be a part of the core team. We will also be organizing socials and information/prayer meetings.
• In January Geoff and Kevin will begin the process of phasing out at Westwind. Geoff will still oversee Grow on Wednesday nights and Kevin will still be our Missional Lead.
• In Febraury there will be soft launches, as well as a special service for New Heights during our Missional Living Week here at Westwind.
• In March we will be counting down the days until our launch on Easter Sunday.

Westwind Information

• The Elder Team is currently in search of Geoff’s replacement, and have talked to many qualified people. It is our plan to have that person in place by January.
• Efforts have been made to search for people in our worshipping community who have the spiritual gift of teaching. They have been contacted and will begin teaching in a limited capacity in our celebration service.
• Westwind has pledged $40,000 over the next two years to helping New Heights get off the ground.
• We are expecting anywhere between 30-50 people from Westwind to be a part of this initiative.
• Although it doesn’t need to be said, this church plant is in no way the fruit of division or conflict among the Westwind leadership.

Prayer

• Be in prayer for Geoff, Deb, Trent and Naomi as they venture to replicate the message and methods of Westwind in Warren County.
• Pray for Kevin and Pat as they prepare themselves for this next ministry leap.
• Pray for the people of Westwind who feel called to be a part of this exciting ministry opportunity.
• Pray for our worship team, as we will have many members leaving to be a part of New Heights.
• Pray for the funding to continue pouring in so that we can start well.
• Pray for the Elder Team as they search for Geoff’s replacement.

Four Considerations

As part of the Westwind worshipping community, we hope you will consider being a part of our New Heights initiative in the following ways:

1. Be a prayer warrior for this endeavor,
2. Give more financially to Westwind as we seek to bless New Heights,
3. Get more involved in Westwind through volunteering. Remember the people who leave for New Heights will create opportunities for others to lead. Also, help us recruit others to use their time, talents and resources.
4. Be a part of New Heights. We want to bless this church plant not only with funding, but with the horses to help make New Heights an impact church.

We hope you will join us in our excitement about New Heights and what God can do through this vision. Think about that fact that on Sunday, April 8 there will be more people in our two churches than we would have in just one. This thought compells us to move forward to plant New Heights!

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Westwind, Cornerstone and Calvary (via Jeff, Troy, Tim, Dan, Brandon and Geoff)-
Veritas just celebrated our one year anniversary. We continually point back to God (duh) but also you guys for thrusting us out with such blessing and planting this thing with great sacrifice… people, money, prayer, etc. We want you to know that the fruit we have seen ought to be credited to your account. We will never forget your investment and will not soon forget that we are being carried on your shoulders. Please let your churches know how thankful we are to you and God for the great things He has done.
May God do this a thousand times over and give us the privilege of partnering with you to plant the next church…
Here’s the video we showed on Sunday to celebrate:

One Year Anniversary of Veritas Church from Veritas Church on Vimeo.

As a father of two kids I think back to the time when they were three years old. This was one of my favorite times in their lives. Three year olds are walking, running, talking, laughing, engaging in conversation–all things that I loved experiencing with them. One of my favorite things about three year olds is their sense of curiosity. I recall may moments holding my children in my arms and having them point with enthusiasm to something and say, “what’s this?” I would answer them, only to be pointed in a different direction and asked again, “what’s this?”

As Westwind celebrates her third birthday, just like a three year old child, I look forward to the way that she walks and runs, and laughs and engages in conversation at new levels. But, I am more excited to see her curiosity. What will we point to as a worshipping community and ask “what’s this?” What will we see as new things to learn and new frontiers to explore? How will we grow together in understanding of who God is and what He wants from us on a daily basis?

New Heights and Grow

Two new frontiers that we are exploring are our new church plant in Indianola which will be planted in 2012. We have faithfully opened ourselves up to God’s will and followed Him into an unimaginable opportunity. Although our church is young we are sending people, resources and leaders to reach Warren County with the Gospel. Our child-like faith has allowed God to show us an exciting direction toward church planting, that most churches don’t get to experience in a lifetime. It is as if we are being held in God’s arm and asking “what’s this?” to His reply, “a growing area that needs more Bible teaching churches.”

The second frontier is our new midweek family ministry, Grow. We have asked God, “what’s this?” and he has answered, “families that need to know my Word so they can grow spiritually together.” Equipping families to follow Christ is a priority at Westwind and we believe that this not only means teaching kids, but their parents as well. We are stepping out in faith and challenging parents, and volunteers like never before in our three year history. We do this because we believe that helping families commit to walking daily in obedience to God’s Word is of the highest importance and the church should be engaged in equipping parents to take the lead.

Personal Growth

Turning three as a worshipping community could not happen without the personal spiritual growth of so many at Westwind. Some have been with Westwind from the very beginning, but most have only just joined us on our spiritual journey. It is exciting to imagine what God will continue to do through the people of Westwind. We hope all who join us with live out 2 Corinthians 4:5 in their lives

“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.”

As Westwind turns three and moves into her forth year of ministry, I pray that God will help us continue to share his son with Dallas County (and beyond) and we submit as slaves to that end.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

First, there are 3500 — 4000 churches in America that close their doors each year (www.barna.org). That means that if 4000 churches were planted in America each year, we would only be breaking even. In fact, with the growing population, that actually means that we are losing ground with providing evangelical churches to this country.

Secondly, more people are searching for spiritual truth outside of the church walls. Because of traditional thinking, old fashioned strategies, and demographic ignorance, more and more churches are becoming ineffective and telling God’s story in an innovative and relevant way. Planting new churches allows for a freshness that compels people to see church in a new way.

Thirdly, Christianity is quickly losing its influence as America’s number one religion. The number of adults who classify themselves in non-Christian religious groups has increased from about 5.8 million to about 7.7 million.
(American Religion Identification Survey). With more people taking their spirituality on individually, and the increased number of other religions, the American church is lacking the strength to make the impact it once did.

Lastly, the church is the God-ordained institution that was created to meet needs, instruct biblically, and connect others to God and each other. The trend for para-church organizations to fill the needs where the church has failed is proof that the church (as God intended it) is necessary and needed.

As Westwind moves forward toward our Warren County church planting initiative it will be imperative that we continue to see the growing need for churches in our state. Are a worshipping community we will all be able to help change the trends in spirituality that our facing our nation.