C3 Journey

Have you ever wondered how God uniquely made you? Find out this Sunday at our Step Three class!
Step Three of our Next Steps pathway is a lab-style class is designed to help you learn how God made you and gifted you. You'll take a personality and spiritual gifts assessment, and discover how to develop your unique giftings. Learn how you're uniquely suited for the purpose God has for you!
You’re invited this Sunday at 11:15am up in the Gray Room - RSVP at the link in our bio!

Merry Christmas!

From our families to yours, we wish you all a Merry Christmas! Christ is Born!

The Rhythm of Grace... - Jim Crumbley

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. - Matthew 11:29-30

- recover -1. find or regain possession of (something stolen or lost). 2. return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength.
- rhythm - a regular, repeated pattern of sounds or movements
- grace - 1. the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. - 2. simple elegance or refinement of movement.

Many of us live life on the cusp of anxiety. To combat this tendency, we will quote scripture and believe that God has a plan for us...God wants to prosper us...and God has for us a hope and a future but our pattern is to return to the fountain instead of being of the fountain. We come to Jesus to be filled, again and again, when His promise is that in Him, we are COMPLETELY filled.

Being part of the fountain is to live our lives in the pattern, the rhythm that Jesus lived. If we are observant, if we take care to listen and not go off beat, we can walk with Jesus and see how he stays in beat with the Holy Spirit.

A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks (beats, clicks) — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion (e.g. pendulum-swing). The metronome dates from the early 19th century, where it was patented by Johann Maelzel in 1815.

Jesus used a spiritual metronome to stay in a three beat rhythm with God. For Him as for us, Jesus' metronome was SUBMISSION...not my will but yours be done." As it was for Jesus, so it is for us.

The Three Beat Rhythm of Submission

STUDY - Even the Son of God had to study the word of God to keep Himself on track. Satan tempted Jesus to go off beat and get out of sync with God's plan. The word is what Jesus used to stay in the unforced rhythm of grace and resist them temptation to go out on His own.

PRAYER - The gospels record a number of times where Jesus went off to pray. Prayer was where Jesus heard from God the father and expressed to God His hopes and desires for His people. Prayer was Jesus' one on one time with God. If you are not sure what to do, don't force the rhythm, just step into the rhythm by going off alone and pray.

MINISTER - The word "Minister" as a noun is a member of the clergy. But Jesus ministered as an action word, a verb where He would "attend to the needs of (someone)." The unforced rhythm of grace allowed Jesus to walk in his ministry by walking in service. Ministry was where Jesus taught, shared, loved, prayed for and healed "the multitudes" from the diseases and "the bad effects of their bad lives" out of the abundance of His study and prayer life.

Jesus' promise is that if we get away with Him we will recover our lives...our hopes...our dreams...and our peace. We can't get there by walking to the beat of our own drum but only through the syncing of our heart with God's. by watching Jesus and walking out the three beat rhythm of submission.

With seeking comes finding... - Jim Crumbley

When we set a goal to break bad habits, shift our thinking or seek with more diligence we tend to put more focus on US than on HIM.

It is not about what we DO it's about who we seek.

8 Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! 9 We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! 10 No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. - Ephesians 2:8-10

It's not that what we do is unimportant.

You see, he (Abraham) was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did -- by his actions. - James 2:22

Our actions…what we do and don't do…completes our faith. And yet, we can't focus on what we do. Faith comes first. Then comes the doing.

Subsequently, be satisfied with your progress but never stop AT your place of progress. Keep striving ahead. Don't falter in your faith nor lose heart when there is more sweat than "sweet" in your efforts.

But remember this…saving is all Jesus. All real change begins at the cross and was made complete in the resurrection. Looking to Jesus and living by the commands of Jesus will bring you to the real place of change.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. - Matthew 6:33

Here is your promise; with seeking comes finding. There is found real satisfaction.

Your "how"" promise... - Jim Crumbley

Mary was young...a virgin...never with a man and promised to Joseph as his wife. Then, she had a vision...a visit from Gabriel with a promise that she would become pregnant, birth a son and his name would be Jesus. "How?" she asked. Gabriel's response to Mary is God's promise to us.

For nothing is impossible with God.” - Luke 1:37
For no word from God will ever fail. - Luke 1:37 NIV

Do you have a "how" promise? Do you have a word from God that is humanely impossible to fulfill? Has God given you a word for your health, your finances, your marriage or your emotional recovery that, right now, seems unlikely at best?

No matter what others might say…no matter the negativity you face…no matter the internal struggle based on what you think or feel...no matter the odds or delay…

NO MATTER

No promise from God is impossible because no word from God will ever fail.

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. - Luke 1:38 NLT

Mary's faith response was to proclaim that she was God's servant. What marks a good servant?

- A servant recognizes his master's voice.
- A servant responds to his master's call.
- A servant trusts his master's directive.
- A servant seeks to do his master's will.

Accept your blessing…Accept your directive…accept your promise...by being God's servant.

No matter "HOW" impossible it may seem or "HOW" far away it may look...accept and believe. For NOTHING is impossible with God.

12 Verses to Remember - Dave Hastings

The word of God's is our weapon of war.

When a soldier is given a rifle, they are taught to assemble and disassemble it. The do this so often that they know everything about the rifle. The weight, the feel, how it acts. They have memorized their rifle so they could assemble and disassemble it in their sleep.

If the military does this with their weapons we can do no less with the word of God. We need to know it inside and out. We need to have it readily accessible at all times so we can call on it when needed.

Here are 12 verses that should be memorized so you can instantly call on them in times of need.

Anger
Ephesians 4:26 - And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
James 1:19 - You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Comfort
Hebrews 13:5 - I will never leave you or forsake you.
Phillippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Future
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Healing
Exodus 15:26 - ‘… I am the LORD who heals you.’
Psalm 91:3 - For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

Fear
2 Timothy 1:7 - God has not given to us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind
Isiah 43:2 - FEAR NOT FOR I AM WITH YOU

Prayer
Phillipians 4:6 - Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Ephesians 6:18 - Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

What is your favorite verse?

Belief... - Jim Crumbley

BELIEF noun - an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

There's no proof that God exists. There's no smoking gun that points emphatically to Jesus being the Messiah and the true Son of God. There is seldom immediate physical evidence that a prayer was heard. There is nothing beyond His word that gives us assurance that God's promise in our lives will be fulfilled.

There is only BELIEF.

In the midst of a storm...in the transition between old ways of living and new habits formed; hope can be misplaced, difficult to see and hard to hold on to. But when hope seems a speck in the distance, belief keeps us moving forward towards its voice. For the true seeker, belief is the engine that keeps us in the race.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. - Philippians 3:14

Belief drives the "one more" of the true seeker.

- "One more inch"
- "One more time"
- "One more step"
- "One more day"

One more...through pure obedience. One more...out of tenacious belief. One more...

Choose belief. Today could be the the day

What is Greatness? - Kristien Kramer

What does it mean to be Great? A quick search on Google will demonstrate the versatility of the word Great.

One users defines Greatness as… “A genuinely enriched soul..”

One blogger I came across (calls himself “The Stan”) describes greatness as the following…

“The conclusion I came to is that greatness includes someone who has not only mastered a skill or particular subject, but has a positive and lasting influence on those around him."

While I wouldn't argue with greatness having these attributes, I think we can simplify the definition just a bit. On numerous occasions Jesus spoke of greatness with His disciples. In one instance, the disciples were arguing who was the greatest among them, to which Jesus replied, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” - Luke 9:48

Another time, Jesus talks of greatness during a defense of John the Baptist, “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

In both instances Jesus wanted to drive home the importance of being the least among His people. God’s definition of greatness is simply defined by our willingness to be the least.

Our willingness to serve God in the lowest form brings brings Him more honor than our "desire" to serve him in a high form. In other words, serve where you are!

- The greatest leader is the greatest follower.
- The greatest advisor is the greatest listener.
- The greatest husband and father is the one willing to lay down his life and personal desires for his family.
- The greatest evangelist is the one willing to get his hands “dirty” by sacrificing and being involved in someone else’s personal life.

So, if someone were to ask me what I thought greatness was my response would be “ willingness to be last.”

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all." - Mark 9:35

Be last and God will make you first.

God’s got your back! - Jason Thomas

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. - Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

In today’s world of ever changing...well...everything, feelings of depression, doubt, and fear cloud our day to day thinking.

A few years ago now, I was laid off from a job that I had worked at for over 19 years. I had a side business bringing in some income, but no job. With two kids and a wife to support, this was a huge weight on my shoulders. I went through a long bout of depression while trying to keep it hidden from others. Soon after this layoff I also got injured, therefore increasing my worry AND carried weight.

I had to put everything in God’s hands, pray, and look for the right answers. It was then and only then that I got the confidence and freedom to push my side business to support my family.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

Many thoughts went through my mind during the time between losing my job and turning it over to God. Thoughts that I had to come to grips with. Everything was not perfect but we not only made it, we truly prospered. Once I learned to trust God, I found that He had a plan for me that I was not seeing.

What I found was my prosperity is not just about money. I had more time to spend time with family and friends. I got to help with projects and events at Church that I never had time for before. My relationships as a whole, with others and God became so much stronger. I also found paths of inspiration that I would never have had in my old situation. God had a path for me. Not someone else, but me.

Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. - Luke 12:27

God has a path and purpose set out for all of us, as long as we ask and listen. Many people (even if they are spiritual) don’t turn their worries over to God. They think that their small problem aren't important to God, but all of our worries are important.

People need to remember that God has our back. He’s looking out for us at every turn. Even if it feels to the contrary. He knows the whole story from beginning to end, and all that is in between, for all of us.

Waiting...good company - Jim Crumbley

If you are waiting on God's promise, God's prophecy, God's word to be fulfilled in your life then you are in good company.

- Noah waited 120 years preaching righteousness with no converts and building the Ark with no rain, before he saw any evidence of the flood.
- Abraham waited through multiple mistakes, failures and false starts for 25 years before the promise of a son was fulfilled.
- Moses spent 40 years in the desert tending sheep and another 40 years in the desert tending rebellious Israelites and never crossed over to the promised land.
- Joshua and Caleb spent 40 years serving Moses before they crossed the Jordan into their Promised Land.
- Caleb spent another 5 years serving Joshua before he received his promised mountain (and then he still had to go fight for it).
- David went through at least 15 years of heartache and persecution before he realized Samuel's prophetic anointing as King of Israel.

A promise unrealized is NOT a promise unfulfilled. It is just the wait and sometimes the wait is the thing.

- The wait is where we grow stronger.
- The wait is where the evidence of our faith is proven.
- The wait is where we build the skills necessary to survive in the dry times.
- The wait is where we get to know God.
- The wait is where we serve another man's vision.
- The wait is where we get clarity in our own vision.
- The wait is where the failures of our past are forgotten as we moved forward into the success of our future.

We shouldn't hate the wait! We should embrace it...learn from it...grow through it...be patient in it and all the while, hold on to the promise.

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. - Lamentations 3:25

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:14

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes. - Psalm 37:7

O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. - Isaiah 33:2

Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. - Proverbs 20:22
So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God. - Hoseah 12:6

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. - James 5:7

Go beat your mountain... - Jim Crumbley

I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. - Psalm 121:1-2

What is your mountain? What stares at you day and night? What do you place above God or see as being bigger than God?

- If you believe that that your marriage is too painful to be healed...
- If you believe that your family is too dysfunctional to be stable...
- If you believe that your sin is too big to be forgiven...
- If you believe that your health is too weak to become strong...
- If you believe that your habit is too entrenched to be broken...
- If you believe that your debt is too high to be overcome...
- If you believe that your depression is too deep to find joy...
- If you believe circumstances prevents you from following your ministry dream...

If you believe "IT" can't happen then you believe your mountain over your God.

Nothing, you see, is impossible with God. - Luke 1:37

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 1:19-20

Faith has no stopwatch. Faith doesn't hold itself to worldly standards and common sense. You can't conjure it up. You can't work it up. You simply trust and believe. Then after you believe, you obey.
“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” - Matthew 17:20

And in obedience...you will find your strength.

Now, get up. Go beat your mountain.

6 Steps on my Walk to Deliverance - Jim Crumbley

Much has been made of Peter's failure of faith when he stepped out of the boat and walked on water to Jesus. I prefer to focus more on the fact that he stepped out of the boat. Peter's failure and subsequent recovery gives me hope that my failures will end in recovery!

When I fail, Jesus is there to lift me up. He shows me that there are SIX steps to my deliverance from faulty faith. These steps lead to the recovery I seek!

STEP ONE...Fear
But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."
Unsure of what they were facing and in the midst of a storm the disciples were afraid. Jesus’ response to the disciples...and to us...”COURAGE, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

STEP TWO...Sudden Boldness
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."
When in fear, we have two choices. We can back down or move to sudden boldness. Peter choice the bold. When ”suddenly bold,” our mind shuts down and our ACTIONS meet our FAITH.

STEP THREE...Failure
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink.
Boldness turns to timidity when our eyes turn from Jesus to our circumstances. Nerve lost in the midst of our action brings failure in our circumstances. If we keep our eyes on Jesus we can skip this step. Grace allows us to grow beyond failure to STEP FOUR.

FOUR...Reliance
He cried, "Master, save me!"
At the point where our faith fails us is an opportunity to discover our total reliance upon Jesus. Calling out to Him in our failure brings victory to our defeat.

FIVE...Deliverance
Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?"
When we call to our Master, he reaches down to where we are. See that again; Jesus reaches down to where we are. Then, correcting and encouraging, Jesus tells us to rise up and believe in who He is.

SIX...Testimony
The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!"
Our failure can hurt our ego. We can feel ashamed at our inability to push through. Yet our failure, when we receive His deliverance, becomes a testimony to who He is. Others, facing similar storms realize that; “this is it! You are God Son for sure!”

__________________________

God has put people in your world that need to hear of your failure AND deliverance. Come on...step out of the boat.

Tsunami...the momentum of change - Jim Crumbley

He (John the Baptist) is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
“Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. - Matthew 11:10-14

I've heard Phil Pringle describe momentum as a tsunami. A powerful wave that moves across the ocean at the speed of a passenger jet. At 20 inches in height, the wave is barely discernible as it travels across thousands of miles until it hits the shallow waters leading up to land. At the point of land, the 20 inch wave grows and becomes a destructive force of change.

It's there, where the point of change meets the point of land that momentum shows its force. Until then, it is not seen. Until then, it is not felt. Until then, it is not known but this does not mean it does not exist.

Just because you cannot SEE the change does not mean that the change is not there. Just because the fruit is not budding does not mean that the fruit, deep within the cells of the vine, is not there.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! - Psalm 31:24

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. - Romans 12:12

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

Be courageous...be constant in prayer...don't give up! What you are sowing will bear fruit!

Where your point of change meets your point of land, your momentum will show its force.

Faith...the seed of a true seeker - Jim Crumbley

In 1848 at Sutter's Mill, near what would become Sacramento, California, gold was discovered by James Marshall. Marshall, a sawmill operator and carpenter tested the mineral, found it to be gold and told his co-worker, "Mr. Scott" of his discovery.

"What is it?" inquired Scott. "Gold," I answered. "Oh! no," replied Scott, "That can't be." I said,--"I know it to be nothing else." The discovery of two nuggets set off the an influx of fortune seekers from all over the world. All told, over 300,000 immigrated to California to find, as they heard it, gold lying on the ground ready for the picking. For the "seekers," only one thing stood in their way...The Rocky Mountains.

The 49ers, those seeing their fortune in California, could not find their future without going over or around the Rockies.

To get beyond their mountain, many took ships from the east for a dangerous journey around the southern tip of South America. This route would take as long as 8 months at considerable risk. Others would take a faster, but even more dangerous route by sailing to Panama. Since there was no canal at that time, these seekers would trek through the jungles to the Pacific side and wait there for a ship. Others who could not afford to sail would take the direct route west over the Rockies. They all knew that there was no way to get to their future without getting beyond their mountain.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

We, as Christians, are seekers too. We are seeking a kingdom that is not of our own making. In our own strength, we can struggle for years to get beyond our mountain to our future. Jesus tells His true seekers of another way...FAITH.

“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” - Matthew 17:20

We all have a mountain, perhaps a range of mountains, that stand in the way of where we are called to go. In our own strength we can find our way around the mountain or, in the strength of Christ we can tell it, "...'Move!' and it would move."

Our future contained in the smallest kernel of faith.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Today....who, what, where? - Jim Crumbley

"So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God. If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve - and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God." - Joshua 24:14-15

Believe it or not but focus on our problems, worries and giants is a form of FAITH. Faith exercised is worship. Who or what are you worshiping today?

If you see your problems as bigger than your God then you have more FAITH in their ability to defeat YOU than you have FAITH in the ability of God’s power in you to defeat THEM.

Remember today what God has done for you in your life. Meditate on the victories you have received, the blessings you walk in and, most importantly, the salvation you have experienced. God wants you to see, receive and share His blessings but we have to see it before we can receive it.

Focus your faith towards WORSHIP in "total commitment." Get rid of the "god's" of self and fear. Then decide today to serve the one whose desire is to know you as a son.

And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. - Matthew 6:33

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. - Ephesians 3:20

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. - Philippians 4:12-13

What's really important... - Jim Crumbley

A look at Luke 10

72 had a mission. They returned victorious with stories of salvations, healing and deliverance...” even the demons submit to us in your name (vs17).”

Jesus understood the excitement of the flush of their victory but our walk with Christ is not all about our victories. Ultimately what is really important is God's authority over our lives.

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” - Luke 10:19-20 NLT

All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. - vs 20 MSG

What we do on earth DOES matter. What we go through, the good and the bad, DOES matter. What we feel...what we experience...the grief that we taste and the victories we achieve are all important to God.

And yet, this story reminds us of what is REALLY important. God has authority over the world and over our lives. This authority is then given to us. Our mission is to share this authority so that others can experience the relational salvation that we have experienced.

So, with all of this authority why do we continue to continue to face daily struggles? When life can seem more overwhelming than overcoming it is easy to question; "where is my big life?"

There is hope!

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

Keep driving forward...learn to make better choices and find friends to help you through the tough times. Implement God’s word into your life and things will change. Use your authority to build your world and, as you build, share the story of your relational salvation with others.

Then, at the end of the day, when you have done all that you can; take Jesus’ words to heart. REJOICE (celebrate, jump in excitement, throw a party) that your name is written in Heaven. You are chosen...loved...cared for...and have a hope for the future.