admin, Author at Capital Campaign

Devotional Mar. 27th, 2020

Posted on Mar 27, 2020 by admin in General |

Growing A Legacy Together

Friday, March 27th – Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”

Paul is praying over the church of Ephesus in this passage. He wants them to gain wisdom so they may know God better. He wants us to have Hope. Hope that only comes from resting in who we serve and proclaim as Jesus Christ.

How do you become a stronger Christian? By falling in love with Jesus. By getting to know who God is better. This knowledge leads to an understanding of God’s power and love for you.

Many Christians do not know this power – or they only know it from a distance. God wants resurrection life to be real in the life of the believer. “The very same power which raised Christ is waiting to raise the drunkard from his drunkenness, to raise the thief from his dishonesty, to raise the Pharisee from his self-righteousness, to raise the Sadducee from his unbelief.” (Spurgeon)

Understanding God’s power gives hope in every situation. Paul is praying that the church of Ephesus seeks and gains this knowledge.

My prayer echoes that of Paul:

Lord,

I ask you to give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation of who you are and what you think of us. I pray our hearts and minds are opened to your truths. That the glorious inheritance we have from you will give us hope to face the day and hope for whatever we face tomorrow. With you, all things are possible and we can rest easy. Thank you for that Lord.

Amen

– Matthew Paulson

Devotional Mar. 26th, 2020

Posted on Mar 26, 2020 by admin in General |

Growing A Legacy Together

Thursday, March 26th – John 17:20-26 (NIV)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

These verses conclude Jesus’ high priestly prayer. Jesus is praying for his disciples and followers in this prayer. This prayer is significant to us as believers for many reasons. It is also known as his “Farewell Discourse”. This prayer takes place directly before Jesus is betrayed and arrested. Jesus is visibly distraught, to the point of sweating blood. Somehow in all of his stress He maintains an attitude of worship. The more interesting part to me though, is that he addresses the future of The Church directly. This interests me, because whilst some of Scripture is relatively ambiguous in how it is applied today, this is one of those undeniable addresses. I would encourage you to read the whole chapter, and really pay attention to what Jesus is saying about us and for us.

Then pray this with me:

Lord, You pray better than anyone I know. I pray that we would focus on your glory and your power. I pray that through this campaign we can grow in unity, just as you prayed this for us. Help us to show the world what it looks like for us to live these verses out each and every day.

All Glory to The Lord.

Amen

– Allison DeJong

Devotional Mar. 25th, 2020

Posted on Mar 26, 2020 by admin in General |

Growing A Legacy Together

Wednesday, March 25th – Philippians 2:1-2 (ESV)

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Before we dive into this section, we will need to get some context. For that let’s look at a few verses earlier Phil. 1:27 “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one Spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the gospel,” Now take a moment and reread verses 2:1-2 with that in mind. I’ll wait.

Isn’t that awesome! Think about what we can do if we were to live our individual lives in conjunction with the Spirit, which in turn leads us to live in conjunction (harmony) with those around us, which leads to the fulfillment of the joy of Paul. Which, the joy from his Spirit is the SAME Spirit that is in you and me. We will be fulfilling our own joy!

Alright, now that I’ve convinced you of how great this all is, let’s get the rubber to meet the road. What does it take for this to ACTUALLY happen? What would it take for us all to be on board, all heading in the same direction, all striving for the same goal, together as one?

First let me say this is a hard one for me. I’ve always been someone to pride myself on purposefully going against the grain, who enjoys being the devil’s advocate, and is contumacious by nature. However I have to come to terms with the value of standing together as one. In the quiet of prayer and conviction of the Spirit I have found one answer: obedience.

Never have I thought of obedience with such encouragement! Let us all rally together in love, joy, and obedience to our God’s will and strive on, together as one. Whatever we do, everything we do, let’s do it together as one so that we will be heard with one voice and one purpose to serve. What a difference we can make.

Father, thank you for another day that wasn’t promised. You are the Author of Good and Architect of Truth. Thank you for giving us your Spirit and thank you for giving us Jesus, that He would die so that we may be with you. I love you. Help us to be obedient to your will, to be joyous in our work, and lovers of righteousness. Give us the strength to set aside differences and disagreements so that we may march forward, together as one, accomplishing your will. Bless our leadership with wisdom and grace helping direct us in righteousness. And bless our church with love and joy that surpasses reason, so that all the world will know who we love and who we serve. Amen.

God Bless,

– Daniel Cummings

Devotional Mar. 24th, 2020

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 by admin in General |

Growing A Legacy Together

Monday, March 23rd – Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This is a familiar passage. It’s about the Great Commission, what we are to do as His disciples. What caught my attention this time is: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” WOW, all authority. Most of us have a little authority, dads and moms over their kids, teachers over their students, team leads over the rest of the team… but ALL authority. How great is our God. Jesus has authority over the principalities of the air, He has authority over the wind, rain, snow, sunshine, clouds, over EVERYTHING. He has given us a job to do and He has authority over that job and whatever comes our way to hinder it. We can do it, by His authority.

Jesus, as we bow before you right now, thank You. Thank You for all that you went through for us. Thank You for Your love. Be with us today as we do our part to realize that because you have the authority, You have paved the way for us to do as you ask. Keep us in the center of Your will, protect us from the enemy of our souls. Amen

– LesleyMae Groonros

Devotional Mar. 23, 2020

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 by admin in General |

Growing A Legacy Together

Monday, March 23rd – Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

– LesleyMae Groonros

Devotional Mar. 20th, 2020

Posted on Mar 24, 2020 by admin in General |

They Gave Themselves to God

Friday, March 20th – Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NIV)

“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

The Lord loves communicating with His kids. He has so many awesome and wonderful things to reveal to us, but first we must take the step of asking. In doing so we admit to ourselves we don’t have all the answers. Jesus doesn’t want us stumbling around in the dark, struggling to figure out the direction our lives are supposed to take, or how to parent our kids, or how to share truth in the workplace, or searching for answers to the big questions that keep us up at night! We are not meant to figure this all out alone. We have a God who created all things and made this sacred and beautiful world liveable and lasting for us, His children! He would like nothing more than to share and reveal all that we ask of Him. All you need do is come to Him; ask, seek, knock and He will never leave you hanging.

This brings me to this week’s focus. As we are preparing to take what we have learned these past few weeks and put it into practice in the months and years to come, I take comfort in knowing that even though we don’t have the answers of whether or not this facility will be our permanent home, the Lord does. He already knows the marvelous things our church community will be a part of. He knows the spiritual battles we will face and have victory over, as well as the lives we will touch. We’ll never figure this path out on our own and that’s ok. Personally I’d rather have Jesus in the driver’s seat. His roadtrips are the best adventures, and show us the most beautiful and wondrous things!

Jesus thank you for the promise of knowing when we reach out You are always listening and ready to answer. Help us keep our hearts and minds open to your direction and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Gently remind us to not get caught up in the “I can figure this out myself” attitude, but instead follow humbly the path you have laid before us. Help us continue to seek out answers from you, for there are so many great and amazing things you have yet to show us. In your Name Lord, Amen.

– Monique Murray

Devotional Mar. 19th, 2020

Posted on Mar 19, 2020 by admin in General |

They Gave Themselves to God

Thursday, March 19th – Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Is it better to be told or to volunteer? God doesn’t ‘need’ us to do His will – He invites us to participate! Can you sense the eagerness in Isaiah’s words? Right here Lord – It’s me, Isaiah! I’m ready to carry your message to the world. I want to be your witness. I want to be the one to point others toward you. There was no hesitation in Isaiah. He didn’t need to think about it. He didn’t doubt if he was ready or equipped. He sprung at the opportunity to be a messenger for God.

Lord, give us hearts eager to serve. Open our ears to hear when You call for volunteers. Remove any fear or anxiety about being Your hands and feet. Amen

Devotional Mar. 18th, 2020

Posted on Mar 18, 2020 by admin in General |

They Gave Themselves to God

Wednesday, March 18th – John 15:5-8 (NIV)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Being a part of something bigger, knowing you are not alone, and filling yourself so you can bear fruit: These are the things that give hope and help us to see past the confusion this life can bring.

I know for me these verses take away being overwhelmed. This verse let me know I am never alone as there are always branches near me and I am always connected to the power that gives life. It gives me an easy to follow direction, that if I stick to it, will end in the Glorifying of God. This also lay’s out a wonderful promise that we can count on.

God’s plan is never about being alone or separated from each other as it states here. The tree is a great illumination of how we need to totally depend on the vine but as one tree has many branches they are connected and working together and help make the tree whole. The enemy however wants us alone, separated, and away from the vine to pick us off easy.

We need to build each other up. If you see a branch hanging low come up under it to support it and give it the strength and encouragement to reconnect firmly with the vine, and then together we can joy in the fruit that is produced.

Dear Lord,

Help us to lift each other up, to connect, and learn to know those around us better. To be open to supporting those who might need a little of our time, money, or a listening ear. Help us to be more like you in how we act with others, as we never know what each branch may be facing, and a little support may just keep it from falling away from the vine. Help us Lord to produce a fruit filled crop so that we would grow and remain in you, forever and ever. Amen.

Devotional Mar. 17th, 2020

Posted on Mar 18, 2020 by admin in General |

They Gave Themselves to God

Tuesday, March 17th – 2nd Corinthians 8:12-14 (NASB)

“For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality.”

There was a time in my big house that I had a lady and her four children living with me. She and hers were pretty much destitute (had been living in her car off and on) and dysfunctional. The interest on her charge cards was more than her paycheck. I felt as if money were pouring out of my checkbook just as fast as it was coming in while trying to support myself and her. Lord, what am I supposed to do: The “rules” say, “tithe 10%, save 10% and live on the rest.”

These verses, “not for my affliction,” “not for her ease,” “but by way of equality”, made all the difference in the world to me, being said to me personally by the Lord for this situation. I shared with her and she was relieved too.

Lord, I pray that we will always remember that You do supply–that You are our Provider.

Devotional Mar. 16th, 2020

Posted on Mar 18, 2020 by admin in General |

They Gave Themselves to God

Monday, March 16th – 1st Corinthians 16:1-2 (TLB)

“Now here are the directions about the money you are collecting to send to the Christians in Jerusalem; (and, by the way, these are the same directions I gave to the churches in Galatia). On every Lord’s Day each of you should put aside something from what you have earned during the week, and use it for this offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.”

This isn’t a “tithe”. The purpose of the tithe is to support the on-going ministry needs of the local church. According to DJ Downs “The collection in 2 Corinthians”, when Paul wrote of the “collection” he used a word associated with an irregular tax or contribution of money for some charitable or sacred purpose. In this case specifically for “the poor” in Jerusalem, mentioned also in Galatians 2:10 and Acts 24-17, who were suffering famine. Paul’s purpose was to not only help financially but to demonstrate unity among the Gentile and Jewish churches. Paul instructed the community – most of whom had little to spare – to set aside for the project whatever money they could afford on a regular basis. In this way, they would be able to raise more money than relying on a one time collection (Oxford Biblical Studies). The entire body was able to join with Paul, expanding their impact on the Gospel, investing in the future of the Christian faith, and creating a legacy across the known world. Paul gave easily repeatable instructions: Each person or household is to give whatever they have settled in their heart (as the Holy Spirit leads), to give from their own income, and to set it aside regularly for the cause. No guilt, no coercion. Clear, simple, effective. This type of individual giving has been growing the church for literally thousands of years building churches, supporting missionaries, building Christian schools, and all manner of projects throughout history.

When our son was young I was fond of saying to my wife, “I can’t wait until he’s a teen so we can go do this or that.” She floored me one day saying “What are you doing now to ensure he’s going to want to be around you when that day comes?” Ouch. Needless to say I began putting things into action to promote the future I had in mind. We’ve belonged to this church a long time and we love our church and fellow saints. But have I been putting things into action to promote the future of the church? If I’m honest I’d say I’ve been practicing to keep her “safe”. But have we been practicing for her to grow up? Not so much. Ouch again. I’m a process guy, probably most men are. Here’s an opportunity to use Paul’s clear, simple, effective plan to make a change. Not all at once, but over time. Thanks Paul.

Father God, thank you for your word and for all it can reveal if we really look. Thank you for the hearts of service for the early church to be obedient unto Christ. Help us all to serve your kingdom and expand your church, to help her grow up and become what you have called her to be in the visions and actions you have born in your people.

Amen

– Kevin Deuvall

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