Influences

So I’ve been experiencing something the past few years. It seems like the older I get, the more I catch myself in situations acting exactly like my dad. The good news is that I love my dad. He is a great follower of Jesus, husband, father, role model, and more. It’s that as I mature as a husband and father myself, I am beginning to pinpoint real ways he has had an influence on me.

This realization supports something that I have known for a long time. It’s a research-backed fact that we work to incorporate into our next generation ministries.

Parents are the #1 influence in the life of a child.

This fact may seem matter-of-fact, but it is so important to what we do. Since parents can be a positive influence on their children, we see it as vital that we work to effectively minister to and support parents.

To that end, I am excited to share not one, but two upcoming initiatives we are launching for parents of kids and teenagers!

The first initiative is a new Parents Chit Chat Cafe group meeting concurrent with Awana. From 6:00-7:15 pm each Wednesday, our very own Candace Jeancake will be leading relevant discussions in a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere in the Family Life Center, just inside from the playground.

Our second initiative is a series of free, live webinars about parenting in the unique phase your child(ren) are in today. Visit our website at ibcsav.com/phasewebinar for more information and to get signed up. The webinars we have scheduled are:

• Parenting in the Preschool Phase - Monday, November 6 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the Elementary Phase - Tuesday, November 7 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the Middle School Phase - Thursday, November 9 from 8-9 pm
• Parenting in the High School Phase - Friday, November 10 from 8-9 pm

And even if you aren’t able to join us live, we’ll have session recordings on our website too!

Our hope is that these two new initiatives will spark great conversations and lead to spiritual growth as we support parents in being positive influences in the lives of their kids!

God is Faithful!

One of the reasons we sing is to be reminded of what God has done in our lives. Many of us can probably think of a hymn or song we sang a long time ago that still holds influence on us today.

Some of us can remember the first Christian song we sang after putting our faith in Jesus. Some of us were singing at the very moment that we put our faith in Him. Some of us can mark a moment when God was very close to lead us through a tragedy by the way of song. Others can remember pouring out praise in a moment of great joy. And when we sing those songs again, it’s an opportunity to be encouraged and excited and humbled all over again..

As you remember God’s faithfulness in your past, so often etched in your hearts through a song, you are inspired and equipped to face the ups and downs of the week. This is one of the reasons you need a good amount of good songs stored up to carry with you through all of your life.

(from “Sing!” by Keith and Kristyn Getty)

Giving Thanks

Dear Church Family,

I want to share these words by Chuck Swindoll. I pray that you will look up throughout the Thanksgiving season!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Giving Thanks All Around

by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING . . . MY FAVORITE. When it comes to holidays, this one tops 'em all, in my opinion. I prefer it because it is so healthy, so encouraging, so valuable . . . and so understated. I prefer it because there are no jingles to sing, commercials to endure, gifts to buy, places to go, or meetings to attend—just be thankful. Just look up, look around, look within, and say, "Thank you, Lord."

So let's start early with our Thanksgiving this year. Maybe these few thoughts will stimulate you to give God your thanks in greater abundance.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

Looking up . . . thank You, Lord: for Your sovereign control over our circumstances, for Your gentle compassion in our sorrows, for Your consistent faithfulness through our highs and lows, for Your grace that removes our guilt, for Your love that holds us close.

Thank You, Lord, for all You are, all You do, all You say. If we were unable to look up into Your face, Thanksgiving would be just another day.

Looking around . . . thank You, Lord: for our close family ties, so affirming, so enjoyable; for our marvelous church, so many gifted and loving servants; for our strong heritage, so wholesome, so wise; for the joy of seeing our children grow and learn; for an occupation that enables us to make a living; for the embrace of a friend who really cares.

Thank You, Lord, for all You provide in such variety and incredible abundance. By just looking around, we are made aware of how rich we are this Thanksgiving.

Looking within . . . thank You, Lord: for eyes that see the beauty of Your creation, for ears that receive the world of sounds surrounding us, for the special stimulation of taste and touch, for hands to work with and legs to walk with, for a sense of humor that brought healing and hope, for the sheer delight of knowing and walking with You!

Thanksgiving is my favorite. Now you see why.

The Giving Crisis by Andrew McNair

Dear Church Family,

I recently confessed to you that I had not done a good job of discipling the church in the area of finances. I’d like to change that, and for more reasons than what is probably coming to your mind right now.

As I was reading a book in my office on the subject of generosity, I came across this excerpt. I thought it was worth sharing. It came from Andrew McNair’s The Giving Crisis. I pray it speaks to your heart…

Some Christians hold the mistaken belief that the Bible is silent on giving. Nothing could be further from the truth. One count tallies 2,350 versus about money. One-fifth of Jesus’ parables involve money. According to Forbes, money and material possessions is the second most referenced topic in the Bible, appearing more than 800 times. Money - collecting it, giving it, paying the government, and the dangers of money - is quite present in the Bible.

What about tithing, specifically?

Some dismiss tithing as an outdated Levitical law - but is that the case? It’s amazing how many people become overnight biblical researchers when defending their current spending habits.

Tithing has a broader foundation than Levitical code. We can trace tithing all the way back to the first book of the Bible: Genesis. In Genesis we encounter the story of Abraham, called by God as the Father of many nations. Abraham’s story is the beginning of the story of the people of God, the Jews. Chapter 14 describes his quest to rescue his nephew, Lot, from his captors. When he returns successfully, he gives 10 percent of his spoils to the priest-king Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews, a book in the New Testament, affirms Abraham’s tithe.

Later in Genesis, Jacob, grandson of Abraham, vows to give 10% of everything to God.

You might be asking, “What about grace” It’s true. We must remember that because of the New Covenant, we Christians are now covered with a layer of grace that wasn’t known in the Old Testament. Grace never lowers the bar for living Godly lives.

In fact, we learn from the Sermon on the Mount that grace raises the bar. The law was only the beginning. It was a starting point. It set the standard for us to follow. The Law reveals to us our own reluctance to give; it reveals our selfishness. As New Testament Christians, we are challenged to give even more. As we grow in spiritual maturity, the tithe becomes something we feel eager to give, not a check we feel obligated to write. The 10% required by Law becomes a baseline for our giving - not the maximum amount.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Psalms - The Bible's "songbook"

Many people love the book of Psalms. The Bible’s “songbook” shows us how to deal with real life. Eugene Peterson writes that the Psalms are a place where we “find the experience of being human before God exposed and sharpened.” The Psalms are incredibly honest, embracing the realities of life and singing through them.

Over a third of the Psalms can be categorized as laments. Over and over again these songs face up to the sharpest of pains, the deepest of struggles, and the loneliest of moments. This is where many of us are as we gather together on a Sunday. There are times when we come to sing with a heaviness of heart. None of us comes with everything figured out. We need to sing songs that recognize these realities without leaving us to despair of those realities, because they bring us to the Rock that is higher than us.

The Psalms tell us to sing when we’re happy. We have freedom to dance, to shout, to sing and play music, and to celebrate our victories. But we must not only sing songs that help us when we’re happy. We can also sing because we’re sad, and we must also sing of Christ when we’re sad. We have freedom to weep, to pour out our souls to a God who hears and who acts. We sing for our brothers and sisters in those moments or seasons when they cannot.

We sing, as the Psalms train us, to help us bring all of our lives, failures, successes, losses, gains, dreams, and ambitions into gospel perspective. Our singing can prepare us for every season of life, and sustain us through every season of life. We don’t need a musical escape from our lives; we need to gaze on the Savior of our lives – our refuge and help and comfort.

(from “Sing!” by Keith and Kristyn Getty)

PraiSing Him!

Mark

Growing Things Change

It’s been about one month since Awana started back this year, and I am excited to be experiencing something I’ve known to be true:

Healthy things grow, and growing things change.

Two years ago we chose Awana as part of our discipleship strategy for the next generation. I am so proud of all of our volunteers who continue to make Awana better and better every week. In addition to adding a high school Bible study on Wednesday nights, we also launched a middle school component to Awana. We currently serve around 40 students each week, including many families that are new just in the past month!

As Awana continues to grow, we’ll continue to change to accommodate that growth. There are some key volunteer spots we need to fill, including lining up substitute leaders to fill in when someone is out of pocket. We are trusting God to provide those volunteers, and maybe he is leading you to step out and jump into one of those roles.

We continue to look forward to an amazing year sharing the love of Jesus with the next generation. We look forward to continued growth in the future, and we know that with God’s help, we’ll be ready when it comes!

Still Small Voice

There was a time in my life when I was hiding. I was scared, unsure of what to do, or where to go. I felt like I was out of options. As my husband likes to say I buried my head in the sand. These verses make me think of that even though I was hiding from bad decisions and mistakes. Elijah was hiding because he had done what God asked him to do and people were angry at him. Two different reasons to hide, but God still showed up, even for me. 

I was sitting outside one day doing my Bible Study. I have no idea what that was or what scripture it involved. I do know I was sitting outside and it was a calm day, no wind or rain just a stillness. I started praying, the kind of prayer that ends with nothing but tears and crying. I can remember this so clearly even though it has been about 16 years. Suddenly a gentle breeze blew through my yard. It felt like a gentle caress on my cheek and I could hear God telling me deep within - "It's going to be ok. I will be with you as you walk through this." That day was a new beginning for me! 

Are you hiding from something? No matter what your reason for hiding, God will walk with you through it. Call out to Him! If you would like us to pray for you, fill out the form on the left. We would love to pray for you!

~CJ

1 Kings 19:11-13