February 13, 2015
Dear Eastridge Family,
Josh and I attended the M-15 Conference in Kansas City this
week. There were some excellent speakers
and good information shared during the event.
Of course my favorite part was seeing some friends that I had not seen
for several years. I was able to see some
pastors from Alaska; I had lunch with a good friend who pastors a church in
Washington State on one day. The next
day I had lunch with another friend who pastors a church in North Dakota. Before we left Kansas City we shared a meal
with the twins and enjoyed spending some time with them.
We have a number of items that I want to make you aware of in
this enote; however before I get into some of those items let me take a moment
to talk about “Why You Are Here.” Why
did God create you and put you in the place you are? There are many books out there designed to
help people discover their purpose. About a year ago we did a study as a church
on “The Purpose Driven Life.” I love the
way the author starts that book out with this line: “It’s not about you. It is about God.”
You cannot discover the real reason God made you without
having an authentic relationship with Christ. In fact, you will never grasp the meaning of
your life apart from an intimate relationship with Him.
You have been created by God and for God. Therefore, a first step to discover what God
wants you to do with your life is to understand that it’s not really your purpose
you should be seeking; it’s God’s purpose for you. Anything less will
leave you unfulfilled.
The first thing He wants to do is to reconcile the world to
Himself through love (John 3:16). Therefore,
there is no way to find long-term fulfillment in something that is in
opposition to—or even neutral to—that goal. Entertaining, perhaps. Fulfilling, no.
Because His desire is for us to “make disciples,” then it’s
logical that we will be more fulfilled when our lives support that effort—or
another of God’s purposes. This doesn’t
mean that you have to be an evangelist. However
your natural skills and talents can be used—if even in an indirect
way—to help accomplish God’s purposes in the world.
There are numerous ways God can use you right now, right where
you are. This is good news because
everyone can experience fulfillment by leveraging their position in life to
serve Him and help accomplish His purposes in the world.
Are you a teacher? A
banker? A construction worker? A web designer? How can you use your current occupation to
make disciples, love others, and demonstrate His grace? When you begin to take even the smallest steps
toward using your gifts and talents to fulfill His purposes in the world–if
even in an indirect way–then you can know the fulfillment that comes from
experiencing the real reason you are here.
Alabaster
Offering
Alabaster offering will be received on February 22nd. Be sure to pick up an offering box if you
have not already done so from the information table.
Valentines
Banquet
Money raised for this banquet will go towards the teens youth
fund, and help them go on a mission trip this summer!
Blood
Drive
On Saturday February 21st from 10:30am-2:30pm Westside Church
of the Nazarene is having a blood drive in honor of their pastor’s wife who is battling
leukemia. If you are interested in
donating blood you may contact Natalie Thomas at 469-4521 or cnthomas6@cox.net or David Young at
268-9057 for an appointment. You will
need your photo id when you give blood.
Gaither
Vocal Band
Central Community Church is having the Gaither Vocal Band in
concert on Friday, April 10, 2015. The
Church is located at 6100 W. Maple we have more information on the information
desk in the church entryway.
MNU Night
at Worlds of Fun
MNU Night at Worlds of Fun is Friday, April 24th, 2015 from
6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This event will
once again be one of the many fun-filled activities of our MAX event. Join in the great times of fellowship and
support for MidAmerica Nazarene University to make it a wonderful 41st
year! By attending this year’s MNU Night
at Worlds of Fun, you will not only have fun, but will help present and future
students attend MNU.
Visit www.mnu.edu/worldsoffun to order your ticket
online. Online tickets are printed
instantly from your home or office, so be sure to have a printer handy. No
refunds or credit will be issued for unused online tickets. Online tickets are $26.50 (plus tax) prior to
Wednesday, April 4, and $30.00 (plus tax) after April 4.
Favorite Quotes
of the Week
We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence,
and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship. – C. S.
Lewis
If you need something in addition to God to make you happy,
that is your true King. – Timothy Keller
We can do more with 12 disciples than we can with 12,000
religious consumers. - Alan Hirsch
God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still
more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners. - Soren Kierkegaard
To be too busy with God’s work to commune with God is the
highway to backsliding. – E. M. Bounds
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