Back In The Water Again!

Yesterday was an incredible day at Living Hope. Even in the midst of the summer months with several core families gone, there were 150 in attendance! Also, the best part is that 6 more were baptized yesterday afternoon @ the YMCA! There is a stirring...keep praying for the harvest here as we have baptized 20 so far this year and I pray many more...

Baseball and Witnessing...

Well, today has been a good and wet kinda day here in Marysville. Caden had his second t-ball game today. His first hit was off of the tee and the second hit was even better. He had a solid hit as we did over-handed coach pitch today! They even asked me to help coach and pitch the game...they must really need help to ask me:) I really love connecting with Caden and others here in the city of Marysville through this. Several know that I am a pastor and it gives me the platform to tell them why we moved here to begin Living Hope. This afternoon while I was on the treadmill (which I should do more often), I had the opportunity to witness to a man who was Hindu. He claimed there are many gods and paths to Heaven. I kindly shared with him the 10 commandments and the claim Jesus made in John 14:6 when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He listened and kindly said that whatever makes you happy is all that matters. These encounters are exactly why we are here! Pray for me as I preach Jonah 4 tomorrow and conclude our series.

Why We Should Pray...

It appears as if everyone over the past few years has spent more time complaining than praying. However, there are voices crying out in the wilderness and it belongs to men and women, boys and girls, as well as pastors and staff. It is an exhortation to return back to prayer as we strive to move toward a Great Commission Resurgence. Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary has written a wonderful letter concerning this issue...you can read it by clicking here.

"The problem is not unanswered prayer, it is that of unoffered prayer." - Dr. Adrian Rogers

PRAY THE PRICE

What Is Our Mission?

Let's face it, we live in a time where there has never been more confusion in the church about what the church should be doing. The problem is that Scripture has been replaced with programs, personalities, and politics. Here at Living Hope, our only mission is THE GREAT COMMISSION found in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said that we will reach the world by making disciples. As a college student at the University of Memphis, I became heavily involved and even president one year at the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry there on campus. The mission statement of Crusade is to win, build, and send. I have yet to find a more simple and effective method of sharing the vision and mission of The Great Commission. Christian, quit sitting around looking for holes in other people's theology puffing up with pride and focus on the 1.7 billion people who have no access to the Gospel in the world! Our prayer and vision here at Living Hope is the same to that of Scripture. The Bible is not the book of the month, it is the book of the ages! Now pray and get moving...

Sunday Summary

Today at Living Hope, we held our third membership class and I preached through the third chapter of Jonah. It was a great class with several new members joining and signing the covenant! Next Sunday, July 26th, we will have our fourth baptism service at the YMCA. 3 are scheduled to be baptized with a possibility of 3 more, so if you get a chance pray for that all important next step of obedience for several next Sunday. The Lord continues to bless us here in the summer months as several of our key families were gone today on vacation and yet 150 people were in attendance today! Keep praying...

T-Ball & Jonah 3

Today has been a busy but awesome day. Started out with Caden's first t-ball game...he had an awesome first hit and eventually made his way around the bases and scored! Then, off to a birthday party, now he and I are here at the office finishing up a few last minute things. Tomorrow, I am preaching Jonah chapter 3, which reveals to us the heart of a holy and powerful God. Just as God's desire was for Nineveh to repent, the message has not changed though the city has. God desires for the city of Marysville not to feel good about themselves, not to live better lives for themselves, but for the ENTIRE city to repent! Jesus said in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, we will perish and spend eternity in hell. The message of Jesus should be the mission of the church. Please pray for our service tomorrow that God will continue to move among us...

The Gospel & Partnership

Well, Friday's around the Living Hope church offices are suppose to be vacant, however, I find myself here writing these words! There is so much to do right now and God is blessing us in tremendous ways. I want to introduce you to a young church planter named Nick Nye. Nick moved here a few months before we did and is planting a church in the "Short North" arts district of downtown Columbus. Click here to go to the church website. God is doing great things through this church in an incredible hostile environment and culture to the Gospel. As a young church, we we desire to give back as the Lord has given us so much. Indeed, the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:3-5, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."

You have always heard your pastor say talk is cheap because it is! If you have a heart for God and missions then put your money where your mouth is. Living Hope is excited and blessed to help this young church in whatever way we can to get the Gospel out...we just met a critical need they had and will continue to pray and partner with them. Tell someone about Jesus today!

Van For Sale and Homes of Hope

Today has been an awesome yet overwhelming day. First, I am trying to sell our 2003 Dodge Caravan, so if you know anyone that is interested have them email me at jeremy@livinghopemarysville.com if interested! You can click here to view the ad on autotrader.com.

Also, the staff and I along with Bobby Wilkerson had a wonderful meeting about the future small group ministry of Living Hope called "Homes of Hope." Please be praying as we launch these small groups all over Marysville, Richwood, Plain City, Dublin, Powell, etc...I am not praying for revival, I am praying for an awakening! Please pray for us and with us...

The Unchurched and Their Thoughts

Here in a link from a new blog post by Dr. Thom Rainer, the President of Lifeway in Nashville, TN. May we as Christians pursue holiness and remember that not only is God watching, others around us are as well!