The Latest...

Living Hope Family,

I want to personally say THANK YOU for how you responded this week to helping our young adults go to Passion! Because of your generosity, all the sponsorships needed have been provided. It is true, we are never more like Jesus than when we give, so thank you! Also, what a wonderful baptism celebration we had last Sunday afternoon. 7 more people took their next steps. Praise the Lord for the 80 people that have been baptized since we began 2.5 years ago. This Sunday will be extra special, so be there at 10am and bring someone with you. Until then, read the latest below...

Children's Choir - This coming Sunday morning, our children will be performing and singing for us in the morning worship service, so get there early and get a good seat!

Christmas Eve Service - The Marysville school system has asked us not to have a Christmas service, in order that the custodians could spend that day with their families and not having to work. We desire to respect their wishes and be a good testimony, therefore we will ONLY have a Christmas Eve service from 5-6pm on December 24th and no service on Sunday, December 25th.

Ellinger Family - Please be praying for LH family members Shaun & Beth Ellinger. Earlier this week, Shaun's father suddenly passed away in Logan, Ohio. The funeral was held this morning in Sugar Grove, Ohio.

PCC Baby Calendars - These calendars will be on the welcome table once again this Sunday morning. You may take one home with you by making a donation (any amount) to the PCC. They would make great Christmas gifts and serve as a reminder to pray for the PCC and the children. By God's grace, five of the babies pictured are rescued from abortion!

Ladies Christmas Party - The Ladies of Living Hope will have their annual Christmas Party on Monday evening, December 19th at 7p.m. It will be at the home of Kim Armstrong (679 Gallop Ln.) Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. It will be an evening of food, fun, and fellowship and we hope you can make it!

Passion 2012 - Living Hope is taking college students and young adults (18-25) to Passion 2012 this January 1st - 6th. Passion 2012 is a conference in Atlanta, Georgia where thousands of college and young adults meet in the Georgia Dome to worship Jesus. If you are interested in going please contact Pastor Adam: adam@livinghopemarysville.com. The cost to sign up is $219. You will need $50 extra for food and traveling.

Between Sundays: Count the Cost & Fall Back at Living Hope

Good Morning!

Just wanted to give you a quick update from Monster Mash this past Monday night. Simply calculated from the number of bags given to visitors and food passed out, there were around 600+ individuals that came thru! That easily doubled last years attendance...WOW. Thank you so much for your faithfulness to show up, share, serve, and shake hands with our community! Needless to say, hundreds of people now have a copy of the Gospel & know there is a church called Living Hope that desires to make Jesus known! Below are a few quick REMINDERS...

1. Count the Cost Sunday... will be this Sunday morning. We will make our pledges as a church family to renovate the new building. Once again, click here to view the architect & financial plans.


2. Fall Back Time Change... remember to set your clocks back an hour this Saturday night and gain that extra hour of sleep!


3. Ladies Event... we are having a ladies social at the home of Wren Davis (5824 Springburn Dr., Dublin, OH) Saturday, November 5, from 6:30pm- 9. Bring a dessert to share. Please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

4. Ladies Bible study... ladies bible studies have begun! We are going through the Restore My Heart study that started last week on Wednesday, November 2. There is a morning AND evening session, so if interested please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com if you would like to sign up for this study.

5. Mother-Daughter Sleepover... mark your calendars for November 11th-12th for our first ever girl sleepover. We will be taking over the Comfort Inn and its going to be crazy!! We will be throwing down some pizza, swimming, laughing, working on a mission project together and so much more that I can not begin to put into words... mostly cause I am a guy! We are going to be putting 2 families in each room (depending on the size of the family), so if you have someone you would like to room with be sure to let us know. We will be wrapping up things on Saturday before lunch to give you time to get home to eat with your family. The cost is $35 and this will cover everything you will need. To get signed up or if you have any questions, feel free to send pastor James an email at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Monster Mash!

I cannot even begin to describe to you how PUMPED I am about the worship service this Sunday morning. We will be looking at Acts 3:1-10 and should CLEARLY see our mission as followers of Christ from this passage of Scripture. Come expecting to worship our Savior and BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU! We should always view every Sunday just as important as we view Easter Sunday...why? Because EVERY Sunday we gather together, we are celebrating that Jesus is alive and changing lives.

* Count the Cost... Click HERE to view the drawings & financial plans for renovating the building! Videos were filmed earlier this week and are being edited and will hopefully be up early next week!

* Pledges... Over the next 2 weeks, please pray as an individual or family as to what the Lord would have you sacrificially and generously give. We will make our pledges together as a church family on Sunday morning, November 6th. The renovation campaign will begin this day and extend until Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012. You may give weekly, monthly, or the entire amount at one time to fulfill your pledge. You may give your pledge when you give your normal offering or online at www.livinghopemarysville.com/give

* Host-Homes... we still need 1 (possibly 2) host homes in the Mill-Valley/Scott-Farms area for the mission team coming in from Orlando, FL later next week. They will arrive on Friday evening, October 28th and depart early Tuesday morning, November 1st. This will involve housing them and feeding them a few meals. If interested, please contact Pastor Jeremy ASAP by responding to this email.

* Monster-Mash... We are changing the name of our Halloween event from Trick or Truth to MONSTER MASH and I couldn't be more excited!! That night is going to look the same as except for the fact that it is going to be bigger then ever! We have 2 Giant inflatables coming, more games then before, more candy then ever before, but the one thing we still need is you! We would love for you to be a part of this event and there are several ways you can serve. We need un-opened bags of candy, people to help set up that Monday, people to run the games, help with food, and also people to just hang out and talk to the families that stop by. If you have any interest in helping or serving in any way, please feel free to contact Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

* Kids Worship... Next Sunday Morning (October 30th) our kids are going to be taking over the service and it is going to be a blast! The will be greeting, taking up the offering, helping Adam with worship, and one lucky kid is going to get to preach with Pastor Jeremy… ok maybe not the last one, but it is going to be fun! On that day we will also layout the paintings for missions for the church to look at to buy the following week. We are asking for your kids to get to church by 9am on this Sunday (Oct 30th) for the kids to run through songs with Pastor Adam and to get ready for the service. So make sure you invite all your family and friends to get ready for an exciting worship service led by your kids!

* Mother-Daughter Sleep Over... Will be November 11th-12th, so go ahead and mark your calendar and get ready for a fun night with just the girls. More details to come soon...

Between Sundays: THE LORD HAS PROVIDED!

Living Hope Family,

I am beyond words as I write these lines! The Lord provided once again as we signed the papers and closed on the property yesterday. What was once commonly known in Marysville as the Karen's Event Center is now Living Hope Church...to God be the glory!!! These past 6 months have been a faith stretch for us all and what a story we will be able to look back upon the rest of our lives and say the Lord allowed us to be a part of! October is shaping up to be an extremely important and busy month for us, so please read all the new events below. This coming Sunday, we begin Acts 2 with one of the most powerful events in all of Scripture...BE THERE!

Family Membership Meeting...we are asking that ALL covenant-signed members of Living Hope Church gather together on Sunday evening, October 9th @ 6pm for an informational meeting concerning the new property. In this meeting, we will unveil the plans, time-line, etc...concerning the next steps for us as a church family. We will meet there at the new property (16701 Square Drive). We are asking that none of our small groups meet that day in lieu of this important gathering.

Father & Son Camp-Out...on October 14th, the men of Living Hope will embark on a journey that will change the course of manhood forever... A CAMPOUT! That's right, the men of Living Hope will be getting together to live in the wild, to survive nature, to withstand all the natural elements... in the Comstock's backyard. We will be cooking out, shooting guns, learning survival technicians, growing together as men of God and yes, I am pretty sure will be smelling like men too. So make sure you get signed up for this event and get ready to have a weekend away with the men. We will meet out at the Comstocks around 6pm on that Friday and will pack it all up before Lunch on Saturday. The cost of each man is $5 or you can pay $10 per family. For more questions or information feel free to email Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Fall Outreach...be praying and getting ready for our annual Trick or Truth fall outreach at the end of October. A mission team of 10 adults & students from the First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando will be flying up here and helping us for 4 days! More details to come soon.

Thank You from the Wiley Family

Dear Living Hope Church Family,

Words fail in trying to convey to you how much we love you all and have been blessed by the love, prayers, meals, and gifts that you have so lavishly poured on us. Worshipping our risen LORD together with you the last three years has certainly bound our hearts with yours and has been sweeter than we could have ever imagined. We hope you will keep in touch with us and continue to let us be a part of what God is doing in your lives. We are so thankful that in Christ there are never any good-byes, just "see ya laters". Even these though are still painful as we know that we will not see many of you again on this earth. The apostle Peter captures our desire for your lives and Living Hope best in some of his last words before he was martyred. "...according to His promises we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace......take care that you are not carried away by the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity!! Amen" (from 2 Peter ch 3)

Be there!!!
Gerry & Carol

Between Sundays: Beth Moore Weekend @ Living Hope

Hey Everyone,

Can you believe this weather? I hope this does not mean that winter is coming too early!! The Lord continues to bless us as a church family during the summer months, and so we continue to pray and anticipate the month of August to be no different. School will soon start back for many in a couple of weeks, so that means getting back into the routine of things. However, may we never get into a routine in our walk with the Lord! We should remember what the Spirit of God through Solomon has been teaching us, to not take our days for granted and make the most of them! I will be preaching from Ecclesiastes 10 on Sunday morning, so please go ahead and read these verses and prepare to worship. Until then, please check out the latest announcements below:

Beth Moore Conference...will be THIS Friday evening and Saturday in Columbus. There are a couple of tickets that someone has purchased, but due to a schedule conflict can no longer use them. If you desire to go and can use these tickets, please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com for more info.

iDiscover Membership Class...will be on Sunday morning, September 11th from 8:30-9:45. It will be held at the school before the morning worship service. Childcare IS available, but you must sign up on your response card in the Sunday worship bulletin or via this email.

Worship Songs...click here to view and listen to the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday morning!

From Pastor James...Volunteers Needed! If you have not noticed our church family is growing and each week we are blessed with so many new faces, but with the blessing of growth comes the opportunity to serve. You may be sitting back as a member of Living Hope & you want to serve and get plugged in, but you just don't know where or how to get plugged in. Well, you are in luck because the Children's Ministry and the Student Ministry is in need of volunteers to come along side of the leadership and be the hands & feet of Christ. So many times we strive in our lives to look, talk, and act like Christ to the best of our ability. However, sometimes we get so caught up trying to look at ourselves we forget that looking at others (serving others) is one of the ways Jesus calls us to be like Him. From holding a baby, helping a 4 year old with a craft, being crowd control in Pipeline, or helping a student in their daily walk with Christ we have a place for you to serve. If you are interested in getting more involved and plugged into serving in one of our family ministries, please contact Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com ASAP. Jesus describes this exact thing in Matthew chapter 9...

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Please take the time to get alone with God and pray to not asking "should I serve?" but ask the question "Where do you want me to serve You?"

5th Sunday @ Living Hope

This coming Lord's Day will be the 5th Sunday of July and I pray one of the best yet. The Lord continues to move in our worship services and we are seeing new guests visit each week! Go ahead and read Ecclesiastes 8 for Sunday, as we will take a biblical and practical look at using wisdom in everyday life. We need to learn to look at our situations and circumstances from God's point of view. I believe if we come ready to hear, the Lord will speak to our hearts and teach us how to look at life, deal with work situations, and relate to our families. Read below for the latest and we will see you on Sunday:

Pipeline... the 1st-5th grade kids ministry is back on schedule and WILL be meeting during the worship service for all the kiddos who want to get into God's Word and have a blast with Pastor James. He is also preaching through the book of Ecclesiastes, as our desire is for you to be able to drive home as a family and be on the same page as you discuss what God taught you as a family.

iDiscover Membership Class... several have indicated their desire to attend the next membership class at Living Hope! We are excited about this next class and are currently planning the date for it. We will keep you posted when the date is actually set.

Deeper in the Word at the Fernández residence:

We had a very encouraging first meeting last Sunday! I think we all
felt the Holy Spirit leading us in the direction of a dedicated study
of 1 John. So for anyone interested in joining up, here is what was
decided:

All the members of our group have agreed to read all five chapters of
1 John every day (starting yesterday, when we read all five chapters
corporately) until the last day of our summer session, which will be
five Sundays from yesterday. Our goal is to cover one chapter a week,
and by the time we meet on our last Sunday, we will have each read
this book at least 37 times. That means that if you put all of our
readings together for a corporate count, our group will have read the
book 333 times! And that is only counting the adults that were
present last Sunday! So I am hoping the actual count will be higher
than that by the end of summer.

Our goal is to make every effort to keep all of our members part of
this small body by adjusting our schedule as needed. A couple of
families needed to be free this coming Sunday, so we decided to make
our next meeting at 6:30 this Saturday the 23d. So anyone interested
in coming to this Home of Hope should plan on joining us then. Every
other meeting should be as usual, at 1:30 Sunday afternoons.

To be clear: If you want to join this group, we would love to have
you! And here's what you can do to plug right in:

Please come this next session on Saturday at 6:30;
Start reading the entire book of 1 John every day;
Take notes and prepare to discuss the first chapter next time we meet.

To those who were here, I thank you so much for listening to my
introduction from I Corinthians 12, and then showing so willingly how
a body is supposed to act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to
build one another up in Christ! I cannot tell you how blessed I was
and how much I am looking forward to learning from the Word with you!

See you next week, Lord willing. Happy reading!

José F.

Church Planting Today

Click here to read a recent article submitted by Dr. Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research on the current state of church planting in the Southern Baptist Convention. Obviously, we need to plant stronger and healthier churches at a faster pace. God give us a heart for the unreached and unchurched!

Day 4 and Last Day

Thursday, July 14, was the last day for VBS. We are so grateful the Lord allowed the Kirby Woods puppet mission team to come. This was their 3rd consecutive time to come, which is unprecedented! God allowed us to see a wonderful turnout with a record high 137 kids coming on the last evening. Also, a record high of $550 was raised through the mission offering taken up by the boys and girls nightly to support sending missionaries Ryan & Priscilla Hart overseas to Malawi. God is good!

Day 3 of VBS...

Wednesday was an awesome but crazy day. It all started when 128 kids showed up for VBS and ended with around 90 youth coming for SUMMERJAM 2011. WOW...the Lord did a great work on this day.

Day 2...

Here is a pic from last night as several new guests joined us...there were 123 kids last night!

VBS 2011: Pirates...In Search of the One True God!

There were 105 kids present on the first night of VBS...praise God for this record turnout on a first night! VBS will be from Monday, July 11th - Thursday, July 14th and will be held nightly from 5:45-8:15pm at the Union County Fairgrounds here in Marysville.

Between Sundays: New Membership Edition

Hey Everyone,

I hope and pray your week is going well. Just one more day until the weekend is here and that means Sunday is coming! This coming Lord's day we will be recognizing those who have signed the membership covenant and joined the Living Hope Church family. While many churches slow down during the summer months, Living Hope is gearing up for an amazing opportunity to reach out to our city and watch the Lord move among us! Please continue to pray and read all of the latest news below and we will see you Sunday morning @ 10!

VBS...click HERE to check out the new logo/theme this year and pre-register your child! Kirby Woods Baptist and the puppet ministry team is coming back once again and this year will be bigger and better. More details coming soon as to the location!

Worship Songs...click HERE to view the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday morning.

Hope In the Park...that is right, our annual church cookout worship service will be on Sunday morning, July 3rd. We will have an outdoor service followed by a cookout, games, and that all important corn-hole tournament! Bring your own meat to grill and the church will provide drinks, chips, and all the fixins'.

Between Sundays: Father's Day @ Living Hope

Hey Everyone,

I trust and pray your week is going well and are looking forward to the weekend. Jennifer and I missed being with you last Sunday, but look forward to coming home and seeing you this coming Lord's Day! Wow, the Lord continues to amaze us and move within the church family. 8 people took their next steps and were baptized last Sunday!!! I will continue preaching thru the book of Ecclesiastes this coming Sunday, so please go ahead and read chapter 3 to prepare your heart to hear God's Word. Below are some new announcements you need to catch up on and we will see you soon...

PCC Bottle Return...this coming Sunday, June 19th, is the day you need to bring back your PCC baby bottle that you received on Mother's Day to Living Hope Church filled with your donation to the ministry. Please remember and place it near the welcome center as you enter on Sunday morning.

Father's Day...this coming Sunday is also Father's Day. We will recognize all of our dads in the service and have a special time of prayer for them.

Hope in the Park...our annual cookout/worship service will be Sunday, July 3rd. Be watching and waiting for more info and get those grills ready!

VBS...go ahead and mark your calendars for VBS at Living Hope! The puppet team from Kirby Woods in Memphis, TN is coming back and this year is going to be amazing. The dates are going to be from July 11th -14th. More details to come soon...

Summer Groups...they will begin July 17th. Sign up sheets are at the welcome table. Please sign up so we will know how many people to prepare for in each group. If you need additional information please contact Pastor Gerry at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com. Group 1 - Love and Respect, led by Brent and Kim Armstrong & Group 2 - Go deeper into the weekly sermon, led by Jose and Tracy Fernandez.

Living Hope Latest...

Hope you have enjoyed the sunshine this week. What an awesome Mother's Day service we celebrated together! We continue our current series revolving around the core values of Living Hope called, "Vital" this Sunday. We will be looking at Luke 10:25-37 and the mission of the church. Until then, check out all of the new events below and we will see you on Sunday!

Homes of Hope...We begin our small group ministry this coming Sunday. If you are not plugged into a small group and desire to be, please email Pastor Gerry at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com for more info.

Act Like Men...Guys, our next time to get together will be Saturday, May 21st. We will meet at the Hampton Inn from 10-Noon.

iDiscover Membership Class...Several have already signed up, but there is still room for more. The next class will be Sunday, May 22nd from 8:30-9:45am at the school and right before the worship service. Childcare IS available, but you must sign up for it by replying to this email or signing up in the worship bulletin on Sunday.

Baptism Service...The next baptism service will take place on Sunday, June 5th. It will be held at the YMCA here in Marysville around 1:45pm. If you are interested in taking your next steps to follow Christ in baptism, please contact Pastor Jeremy.

Worship Set...click here to view the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday!

Youth Camp..."Ignite" will be held from June 6th-9th. Our Student Camp is goona be rockin out this year! Go to the student website (www.project517.com) for a schedule of the week and to get get signed up today!

Youth Discipleship...Pulse is every Tuesday night @ 6:30. Are you a student looking to go deeper in your walk? Feel like your all alone in your walk with Christ? Have questions about the Bible, or stumbling over sin? If any of this describes you, then Pulse is the answer! Get plugged, and start living the epic life God has called us all to live! Contact Pastor James for more info at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Easter Sunday 2011...

WOW,

What an incredible Easter Sunday we had last week! The Lord brought 330 people to Living Hope as we celebrated the life of Christ and 2 year anniversary of the church. That is a record attendance and we pray just the beginning of what God has in store for the future. Thank you church for all the candy you donated and time you served, you were such a blessing to us and the kids. I am asking you to begin praying and getting ready for what could be a HUGE DAY in your life spiritually. We are going to be discussing a topic this Sunday that could potentially change the way you look at your life and everything around you...SO DON'T MISS IT!

Family Meeting...If you are a member of Living Hope Church, then you need to be there on Sunday evening, May 1st @6pm. The meeting will be held at the YMCA here in Marysville and there WILL be childcare available. We will be giving several updates as well as the future plans for the church!

Baby Reighard is Here...Hope Katherine Reighard arrived at 1:41pm on Easter Day, April 24...Weight: 7lbs 14oz...Length: 18in. Autumn and Hope are both doing great (as is Jim). Luke and Caleb enjoyed getting to meet their new little sister.

Beth Moore...Ladies of Living Hope, you need to reserve your spot NOW! Tickets are $55 and a $35 deposit is required to reserve your spot. She is coming to Columbus, OH on August 12-13th (your pastor's birthday;). See Wren Davis or Jennifer Westbrook to reserve your ticket.

Living Hope Latest...

Hey Living Hope,

WOW, I am so excited for this coming Sunday commonly known as Palm Sunday. It is the Sunday before Easter, in which the Lord Jesus entered into Jerusalem on His way to the cross to die for us! This Sunday we finish our current series, "Vintage Jesus" as we will look at His mission found in John 19:28-30. It blows my mind all that the Lord is doing in and through Living Hope Church...be praying and inviting people to come hear the good news of Christ on Easter! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday morning, but until then check out all the new events below that you need to take the time to READ:

Family Meeting... That is right, Living Hope Church will have a membership meeting that we are asking EVERYONE who is a member to be at on Sunday evening, May 1st. It will be from 6-7pm at the YMCA here in Marysville. On the agenda will be a financial update, as well as the land/building opportunity about Karen's Event Center we have told you about. This is a CRITICAL meeting and you need to make sure you are there for this important moment in our church!

Ladies Retreat 2011... What an amazing response we had last Sunday from the ladies of Living Hope! Almost the entire first batch of tickets purchased were spoken for, so you need to sign up, pay your deposit, and make plans to attend this incredible event. Beth Moore is coming to Columbus! She will be here August 12th-13th. The total cost is $55. Tickets are limited and a deposit of $35 is required to reserve your spot. Please see Jennifer Westbrook or Wren Davis for details.

Easter Eggs... There are 3,000 EGGS ready to be stuffed with candy for our Easter service. We are are asking you to help out with the candy part. The students are going to have a egg stuffing party, but if you could help out by bringing an unopened bag of candy THIS Sunday (this is the last Sunday we have to bring them) we would appreciate it! Pastor James is leading the kids on a Resurrection Egg Hunt on the property immediately following the Easter Service.

Small Groups Leaders Meeting... Pastor Gerry will be meeting with ALL small group leaders THIS coming Sunday, April 17th @ 6pm. It will be held at his home (638 Gallop Lane) and dinner will be provided. For more info, email him at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com.

Worship Set... please click here to view, listen, and prepare for the songs we will be singing this Sunday at Living Hope!

View the Life & Ministry of Whitefield

Watch this historical gem where Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, walks us through the life of George Whitefield, one of the greatest preachers of the 18th century. Click here to view...

New Teaching Series...

Hey Everyone,

The calendar says we are officially in the Spring season, but as I stepped outside this morning to some snow on the ground, it is hard for me to believe that! However, I am glad to be home. I have been in Atlanta, GA this week (where is was 80 degrees and sunny) to attend a church planting school with Dr. Johnny Hunt and the FBC of Woodstock, GA. The Lord really taught me several things and showed me areas in my life and ministry that need to get better, for which I am thankful. Also, there is an amazing opportunity that the church will be partnering with Living Hope! FBC Woodstock is one of the largest churches in America with nearly 15,000 members and is extremely mission minded. We begin a new teaching series this coming Sunday as we move closer to Easter Sunday and will focus on the Gospels. Each Gospel writer portrays Christ and His mission in a unique context. I cannot wait to see you on Sunday, but until then check out the latest below:

Act Like Men... guys our next meeting is THIS SATURDAY (March 26th). We will be meeting from 10-Noon at the Hampton Inn here in Marysville. Youth guys and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Do Something Now Homeless Ministry... starting THIS SUNDAY and over the next couple of weeks there will be a box in the back as we will be taking up several items for the homeless. They need deodorant, soap, shampoo, tooth paste, personal items for women along with any other stuff that someone wants to bring. We are developing care bags for around 200 people in need. If you have any questions, please see Tony Wright or email him at wright.anthony19@gmail.com

New Teaching Series... join us THIS SUNDAY as we begin a new series looking at Jesus through the eyes of the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John called, "Vintage Jesus." I hope you will be faithful to attend and invite someone else to join you!

Father/Daughter Banquet... remember this has been rescheduled for Thursday evening, April 7th. For more info, please email Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com

Baptism Weekend @ Living Hope...

WOW,

That is all I have to say after last weekend...what an awesome D-NOW weekend and membership class we had at Living Hope! The place was full last Sunday, and it continued on as several people have repented of their sins and surrendered their lives to Christ during the week!! This Sunday we wrap up our current sermon series called, "Desperate" which you do not wanna miss as well as the best part, our next BAPTISM SERVICE! This is why we do what we do , to see Jesus change lives and celebrate that. PLUS, we have a couple of exciting announcements about Easter Sunday as well, so check out the latest below and we will see you on Sunday...bring somebody with you!!

1. Act Like Men... guys our next meeting will be Saturday, March 26th from 10am-Noon. It will be held at the Hampton Inn here in Marysville

2. Baptism Service... will be THIS SUNDAY March 20th at 1:45pm. It will be held at the local YMCA here in Marysville

3. Children's Ministry Growth/Changes...We are excited to inform you of some upcoming changes we are making to both of these classes. First, the age group for Genesis 2 will change to 18 months to 36 months. In order to graduate to the next class, your child will need to be 3 years of age AND potty trained. We ask that the child is potty trained due to the setup of the older classroom will not be conducive for diaper changing. This class will meet in the classroom that the four and five year olds currently meet. In this classroom, there will be the same classroom activities offered for the children as Genesis 2 offers now (Bible lesson, snack, music, and age appropriate craft/coloring sheet). Second, the age group for Treehouse will be 3 year old to five year old (and up to 6 year old if they are still in Kindergarten). This class will meet where the two and three year olds currently meet. In this classroom, we will be breaking the classroom by age and each group will rotate through different stations in the classroom that will have the Bible lesson, craft, snack, music, and games. It will have a similar setup as VBS, only every station will be in one room, but separated by dividers. We are excited about these changes, since we believe this will allow the best opportunity for the children to learn and interact and to best accommodate the growing number of children in each classroom.These changes will begin the first Sunday of April, April 3.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding these changes. We have enjoyed teaching your children and they continue to be a joy in our classroom! Thank you for making it a priority to ensure the Word of God is taught to your children!

In Christ,
Pastor James Moseley, Cara Miller, Allie Burghardt, and Jennifer Westbrook

Straight from the President...

Click here to watch Dr. Al Mohler interview the new President of NAMB (North American Mission Board) today. This discussion took place at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Dr. Ezell has served as pastor of the Highview Baptist Church in Louisville for the past 15 years before transitioning to his new assignment from the Lord this year. Continue to seek the Lord as to how we can better pray, participate, and partner with NAMB to reach the more than 250 million North Americans who are lost without Christ.

Biblical Love

Taken from Justin Taylor, here is Paul Tripp’s definition of love: “Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving” (What Did You Expect? p. 188).

In the following he unpacks the definition (pp. 188-189):

Love is willing.

Jesus said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). The decisions, words, and actions of love always grow in the soil of a willing heart. You cannot force a person to love. If you are forcing someone to love, by the very nature of the act you are demonstrating that this person doesn’t in fact love.

Love is willing self-sacrifice.

There is no such thing as love without sacrifice.

Love calls you beyond the borders of your own wants, needs, and feelings.

Love calls you to be willing to invest time, energy, money, resources, personal ability, and gifts for the good of another.

Love calls you to lay down your life in ways that are concrete and specific.

Love calls you to serve, to wait, to give, to suffer, to forgive, and to do all these things again and again.

Love calls you to be silent when you want to speak, and to speak when you would like to be silent.

Love calls you to act when you would really like to wait, and to wait when you would really like to act.

Love calls you to stop when you really want to continue, and it calls you to continue when you feel like stopping.

Love again and again calls you away from your instincts and your comfort.

Love always requires personal sacrifice.

Love calls you to give up your life.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another.

Love always has the good of another in view.

Love is motivated by the interests and needs of others.

Love is excited at the prospect of alleviating burdens and meeting needs.

Love feels poor when the loved one is poor.

Love suffers when the loved one suffers.

Love wants the best for the loved one and works to deliver it.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation.

The Bible says that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. If he had waited until we were able to reciprocate, there would be no hope for us.

Love isn’t a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” bargain.

Love isn’t about placing people in our debt and waiting for them to pay off their debts.

Love isn’t a negotiation for mutual good.

Real love does not demand reciprocation, because real love isn’t motivated by the return on the investment. No, real love is motivated by the good that will result in the life of the person being loved.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.

Christ was willing to go to the cross and carry our sin precisely because there was nothing that we could ever do to earn, achieve, or deserve the love of God. If you are interested only in loving people who are deserving, the reality is that you are not motivated by love for them but by love for yourself. Love does its best work when the other person is undeserving. It is in these moments that love is most needed. It is in these moments that love is protective and preventative. It stays the course while refusing to quit or to get down and get dirty and give way to things that are anything but love.

There is never a day in your marriage when you aren’t called to be willing.

There is never a day in your marriage when some personal sacrifice is not needed.

There is never a day when you are free from the need to consider the good of your husband or wife.

There is never a day when you aren’t called to do what is not reciprocated and to offer what has not been deserved.

There is never a day when your marriage can coast along without being infused by this kind of love.

The Loop...

Click here to view the LATEST video announcements from Living Hope Church!!

How to Turn Off the Unchurched...

Sam Rainer, who is the President of Rainer Research (www.rainerresearch.com) and Pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, KY has an excellent article concerning the unchurched. You can read it here. Did you know most surveys indicate that 7 out of 10 Americans will come to church if they are invited. What are you waiting for? Your family, friends, and co-workers are waiting to be asked!

New Strategy

The North American Mission Board unveiled their new strategy for reaching the people of North America. Click here to read more about their announcement today. It may come as a shock to many, but the United States in now one of the largest, yet most unreached nations in the world. Current estimates now suggest that 3 out of every 4 Americans are lost without a relationship with Christ. May we pray the Lord of the harvest to stir our hearts and reach our own backyard!

Spurgeon on Spiritual Drought...

Click here to view an excellent article by the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon on going thru a spiritual drought.

Missionary Moments...

Last month, the Living Hope Church family gave an incredible and sacrificial mission offering to missionaries Ivos & Ellen, who live in the Czech Republic. We asked them (had to drag it out of them:) what some of their needs were out of a desire to bless them during the Christmas season. The items they listed were a refrigerator/freezer for their flat (apartment) along with a new laptop computer. They have been living and ministering without them and never have slowed down or complained without them! We as the American church could learn some valuable lessons from the rest of the world and how they live! Both of these items totaled around $800. I am happy to report that the Living Hope Church family not only met that goal , but exceeded it. I am so honored and humbled to pastor this amazing church plant!. We are as Christ followers and a church family to, "Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!" Psalm 96:3

Thoughts from Sunday

Today was an awesome day at Living Hope and it appeared the Lord met with us. Several families were back in town, but there were still several away. I wanted to post a video that we showed at the end of the service from Francis Chan. Interesting how we judge normalcy mostly by what others do rather than what the Scriptures say isn't it?

Click here to view the video...

Are We Desperate for God in 2011?

I cannot wait to preach tomorrow and share what God has been teaching me. 2011 is going to be amazing, but will depend on how desperate we are for Him. Man, Moses understood this principle and God used someone that could not have otherwise been able to be used. The question I often hear people say is they desire to be used by God. However, the real question that we must be asking ourselves is are we usable?

There is nothing in ourselves that makes us usable, only Christ in us and through us (Psalm 24). I will be preaching from James 5:7-12 about how we need to look at this new year as a new opportunity to see our lives and our church from God's perspective and not our own!

Pumped and Praying!!