June 2008

Increase Our Faith

Come As You Are — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:15:58 +0000

Well, we finally made it to summer...officially and actual weather conditions as well. I pray you have all enjoyed a weekend of sunshine and SONSHINE. This beautiful weather makes me think about next Saturday (June 28th) and the great outdoor gathering that is being planned. I pray God would favor us with some more sunshine and SONSHINE, as well. Please be planning who you are going to invite and quickly pass on those great invitations/fliers.......and pray for a great day of fun, food and fellowship. See you all on Saturday!

Last week the Lord had brought both Nehemiah and Noah to mind and their exemplary lives of character and integrity. Certainly their obedience to the call of God on their lives was a witness. Then, I realized what great faith was required in each of their respective callings, along with obedience. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Our relationships with God, just as those of Nehemiah and Noah, are largely determined by our faith. When we come to Him, we must believe that He exists and that He is exactly who He has revealed Himself to be in Scriptures. We must also believe that He will respond to us when we earnestly seek Him. Without that kind of faith, we cannot please God. Regardless of the morality of our lives, our good works and the good words we speak, or the sacrifices we make for His sake, if we do not have faith we will not please Him. It can be tempting to substitute religious activity for faith in God. As Christians, we may think/claim we are being "good stewards" of our resources, when in fact we are wanting to walk by sight rather than by faith....walking in the flesh as opposed to the Spirit. It may be that we actually refuse to do what God tells us unless we see all the resources in place first.

For certain we cannot struggle at the core of our relationship with God and still enjoy an alive/vibrant fellowship with Him. Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps us in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of our problems. Faith has everything to do with our relationship and not our circumstances. We will never do anything more practical than placing our faith in the Lord. Nothing is more secure or certain than that which we entrust to God! We have continually asked the Lord to "Increase our FAITH" in our prayer requests each week for CenterPoint Church. As we continue in our journey to build the ministry/vision of CenterPoint, I pray we might all have great FAITH, and an ever increasing FAITH. After all, this is all about HIM and bringing Him Glory! We do serve an AWESOME GOD!

In Him, Sandy

Encouraging Conversation!

Come As You Are — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:30:02 +0000

Dr. Stu Dix, with the Great Lakes Baptist Conference (GLBC), was the speaker at Faith Community Church in New Richmond this past weekend. Several of us went to hear him and then talked with him over a cup of coffee between the services. Everyone was very encouraged by what Stu shared with us. Simply stated, the GLBC exists to ensure that each church affiliated with them succeeds in reaching their community for Christ. Dr. Stu will again be speaking this coming Sunday, June 29th. He has agreed to go for lunch after the second service with our group. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered about the GLBC, and to learn more about the conference we are investigating affiliating with. If you are planning to come along, please contact me or Julie. Pastor Dick

Hearing God's Voice

Come As You Are — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:11:27 +0000

                                                                                         Something that Henry Blackaby wrote really struck me today. He writes: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelations 2-3). Just as those churches in Revelations heard and responded and were used of God to transform their world in a great revival, so also will it be in our time.
    The world in our day wants to see God at work through His people, but unless we hear and obey in the things He assigns us (things that only God can accomplish), the world will not experience Him; they will only see "religion" and be turned away. As individuals we must learn how to hear God's voice. Without such close, personal fellowship with God, we'll be practicing mere "religion" rather than living in a relationship with our risen Lord."
    The Launch Team will be meeting once again THIS Sunday morning, June 15th (Panda King on Hwy 8 in St. Croix Falls @ 9AM). We will be brainstorming on ways to serve our communities, and praying together as we try to determine the next steps God wants us to take. It is not for us to dream our own dreams of what we want to do for God. God already knows what He is purposing to do through us. He's waiting for us to adjust our lives to His purposes so He can work powerfully through us to redeem our lost world. Please come if you are interested in serving on the Launch Team!

I hope to see you on Sunday, Pastor Dick

Godly Influence

Come As You Are — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:04:37 +0000

Sunday, June 8th marked our second Preview Service and it was so very evident that the warmth of the Spirit was with us. God's favor is showing up in so many ways and directions! It's exciting to see the hand of God move as He blesses us with answered prayer. We serve an AWESOME GOD. Thanks to all who have so faithfully carried out their commitment of prayer and fasting on Tuesdays. And, thank you to each and every one who signed up to serve and carried out their servant role at the service. I know for certain the Children's Church was having a great time outdoors as they ventured through and around the Nile River!

Pastor Dick has been sharing from the Book of Nehemiah and how, as a cup-bearer, Nehemiah had gained much favor and respect in the eyes of the king during his years of service. Although his role wasn't difficult, it was significant in terms of the wellbeing of the king. I believe Nehemiah had a godly influence on the king due to his character and integrity. When Nehemiah sensed his call to obey and return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, he approached the king (after much prayer, time, and careful consideration), for a leave of absence from his duties. The king not only agreed but granted him a twelve year leave, as well as building materials and travel necessities.

That led me to think of Noah and his family. Living circumstances were different, but the impact of a life lived for the Lord was consistent. Noah and his family resided in the midst of a world where everyone blatantly disregarded God. I would say wickedness was the norm. Noah had a call from God to build an ark in preparation for a flood. Noah's sons had a huge decision to make when they were asked by their father to join him in spending one hundred years building an ark in obedience to a word from God. With wickedness and ungodly behaviors and attitudes the norm, no one would have condemned his three sons for following the ways of their society. However, because of a godly, faithful father, they chose to join him. What a witness Noah's life was in his home....character and integrity (just like Nehemiah) , spells GODLY INFLUENCE.

It all made me think of the influence our lives have on our families, co-workers, friends, neighbors....all those around us. Our choices can have a huge impact as the world tries to persuade people to follow its standards. Our lives should convince those around us of the wisdom in following God. Do we underestimate the positive effect that our obedience can and does have upon those around us day by day? As the body of Christ and the family of CenterPoint Church, let's pray we do walk what we talk. Let's be bold and obedient to the Great Commission and make an impact in the St. Croix Valley, just as Nehemiah and Noah did in their given situations through their obedience, character, and integrity.
In Him, Sandy

A God-Sized Task!

Come As You Are — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:28:30 +0000

We received an email from one of our daughters this morning asking us how the Preview Service went on Sunday. She was reflecting on how busy she and her husband have been lately and how they have missed several Sundays at their church. It made her think of all of us at CenterPoint Church and how challelnging it must be to get things going in the summer. She's right! It is a challenge to build momentum in the summer months. We are so grateful for everyone who is committed to this effort and who were able to come to the Preview Service on Sunday. The message from the book of Nehemiah was very appropriate to where we are in this endeavor. God had placed it on Nehemiah's heart to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. In order to accomplish this almost impossible task, it required months of prayer, planning, and finally moving ahead and gathering the resources necessary to accomplish the task. It is much the same with CenterPoint. We are praying and planning as we move ahead to accomplish the God-sized task of starting a new church. We are confident that God will supply all that is needed to establish a new community of faith that will reach out with the light of the Gospel to the larger community in which we live; a community that has so many needs. We are to be salt and light, living a life of unresistable influence!

In Christ, Pastor Dick

Preview Service on Sunday, June 8th

Come As You Are — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:57:34 +0000

CenterPoint Church will be celebrating its 2nd Preview Service in the conference room at the Holiday Inn Express in St. Croix Falls this Sunday, June 8th. The service will take place from 10:00-11:00AM. A nursery will be provided, and Children's Church for kids Kindergarten through 5th grade, will be available following a time of singing songs of worship.

You are invited! Please feel free to invite those you know who might be interested in a "sneak preview" of this exciting new endeavor. Our desire is to follow God and join Him where He’s working in this new thing He wants to accomplish here in the St. Croix Valley.

The purpose of the Preview Services is to invite the community in order to build momentum and excitement for the ultimate launch of this new church on September 14th, 2008. There will be two more Preview Services...on Sunday, July 13th, and on Sunday, August 10th. Between the Preview Services, we've developed a Sunday schedule of Launch Team meetings and Come Back Events. Please check the weekend schedule to keep up with what's happening each weekend.

We hope to see you soon! Pastor Dick

Great Time!

Come As You Are — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:45:07 +0000

We had great sunny weather for flying kites on Sunday. The wind current was a little less than desirable, but there were many great attempts at getting those kites in the air....and keeping them up. Great fun and also good exercise! Following the kite-flying event we ventured to Lions Park where hot dogs were grilled and all enjoyed a great potluck of salads, snacks, veggies and, of course, desserts. Fun, food and fellowship.....a fantastic mixture.

On to next Sunday... CenterPoint's 2nd Preview Service at the Holiday Inn Express in St. Croix Falls. The service will take place from 10:00-11:00AM, followed by a time of fellowship. Please come...and invite someone to come along with you!

Pastor Dick