News from the Pews

Your Seven-Day Challenge

We had a great time of worship Sunday.  God was speaking to several of us about the same thing all week.  I felt like it would honor God to put aside my series for one Sunday and communicate what I thought would be more useful for building up the Body of Christ.  At the end of the service I issued a seven day challenge.  I recognize that without having been there, you won't fully understand the significance of the challenge, but I invite you to participate anyhow.

The challenge is to read out loud every day the "motto" style reading and Scripture at the end.  The purpose is to help you see how valuable you are as a follower of Christ and how important it is for you to grow deeper in your relationship with God.  I encourage you to meditate on these words and say them boldly as you apply the principles to your life.  I hope these words will help you find your identity in Christ.  Let me know if this has been helpful.

Pastor Mark

Reading is as follows:

I am a Christian

I do not have to be the most intelligent, athletic, successful, beautiful or popular.

I find my value in being created in the image of God.

I find my purpose in loving God, loving others and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I don’t have to be happy, comfortable, rich, right, in charge, appreciated or respected in this world because when I stand before God, I expect to hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.,”

Today, I reject my desire to please myself, pursuit of things that don’t honor God and personal pride as the Holy Spirit empowers me.

Nothing other than a life of holiness and faithfulness to Jesus will define me because nothing is more important or valuable than a fully-committed follower of Jesus.

The Bible is my standard, God is my creator, Jesus is my Savior and the Holy Spirit is my sanctifier and sustainer.

I am a Christian.


Luke 9:23-26(NIV) 23Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.