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A week ago today, the Lord impressed on me to call an audible. It was sparked by a conversation with our prayer group on Wednesday morning in the Worship Center. Since then, we have titled it, “Finding Freedom in Chaos.” We are having this in response to the activities that will go on in Findlay this weekend. June has been claimed as Pride month. I can’t even begin to describe my thoughts and disappointment in the fact that these events are taking place in Findlay, Ohio. Unfortunately, these things happen in bigger cities, but Findlay, Ohio?
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:7-10 We cannot just sit back and pretend that this sexual immorality is not happening. We need to pray as if the Lord is waiting for us to desperately call on His name on behalf of the next generation. The lies of the enemy needs to be exposed and the remedy for such corruption needs to be heard and sought out. We will reap what we sow. What are we sowing? I want to encourage you to come on Sunday, June 4 at 6pm, and join with us in prayer for the Lord to bring conviction to those who are intentionally planting seeds of destruction in our community. We are going to watch two testimonies of transformation on two lives who bought into the lies being promoted in our culture. First, the author Jackie Hill Perry talks about “Leaving Homosexuality and Finding Forgiveness.” Growing up in a single-parent home, Jackie Hill Perry learned very early that men were unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, while women were loving and safe. She felt same-sex attractions at an early age, and eventually pursued an active lesbian lifestyle. When she was 19 years old, God called Jackie to purity, which led her into a wonderful relationship with the man who eventually became her husband and the father of her children. The second testimony will be an interview by Focus on the Family with Becket Cook. He will share how he left homosexuality to follow Christ. Childcare and children’s ministry will be provided for children birth through elementary. We are relying on our parents to decide if they want their children to be with them or not. Many of our elementary children have already seen and heard of this indoctrination from a worldly perspective. Would you help us to promote this event in our community? We will be placing it on Facebook and getting the word out. Pray for the Lord to protect us as we take bold steps in our response to the sin that abounds around us. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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In football, the quarterback calls a play in the huddle and gets ready to carry it out until he looks across the field and sees how the defense is set up. Right before they hike the ball at the line of scrimmage, he decides to call an audible. The quarterback is seeing something that very few people in the game are seeing. He is seeing the defensive line ready for the play he just called. So, at the last minute, he decides to change the play in order to trick the defense. Everyone has to be in tune with the quarterback in order to hear the audible being called.
This morning after prayer, I decided to call an audible. We have our church calendar figured out for the summer, but the Lord began to stir my heart for the month of June. For the past several years, this month has been called Pride month in communities around the Nation. It has been going on since the 1970’s. Many communities are embracing it now and it is getting more and more recognition. Businesses and city leaders are putting it on calendars and promoting events that celebrate LGBTQ+ events. My heart goes out to the people and children who are impacted by the blatant presence of immorality. I am not about picketing these events and letting the community know what we are against, I want to provide opportunities where we can speak on the Truth of the matters at hand. So here are just a few things we are going to do to focus on the purity God encourages us to uphold. On Sunday, June 4 at 6:00pm, we will have a service in our Worship Center where we will gather and watch the author Jackie Hill Perry talk about, “Leaving Homosexuality and Finding Forgiveness.” Growing up in a single-parent home, Jackie Hill Perry learned very early that men were unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, while women were loving and safe. She felt same-sex attractions at an early age, and eventually pursued an active lesbian lifestyle. When she was 19 years old, God called Jackie to purity, which led her into a wonderful relationship with the man who eventually became her husband and the father of her children. We will also watch an interview with Becket Cook from Focus on the Family. He will share how he left homosexuality to follow Christ. If you want your children to come and listen to this then we encourage your kids to come with you. If not, we will provide something for them to do during this presentation. Our teens will definitely be here since they are bombarded by this at their schools. Our culture, schools, and different organizations are pushing an agenda to make these different lifestyles optional and accepted among our youth. We cannot just sit back and have no response. Focus on the Family has done an excellent job at looking at the story behind the story. By offering these things we can be labeled as “haters,” but I want to be the first to say that love is the reason I want to call this audible. As I have been preaching through the book of Revelation, I realize more and more that the enemy has pulled all stops out to deceive people and make them apathetic toward the issues that are happening right under our noses. On Wednesday, June 7 at 7pm, we are going to come together and watch a service we had on Saturday night, November 12 during a revival, where Dr. Jim Garlow is talking about how God established male and female from the very beginning of time. He talks about the meaning of Hebrew names that is astounding and brings the Old Testament alive. You will be blessed to be here and hear this truth that exposes the lies being taught in our schools and culture. Invite your friends and come and hear these messages in the midst of the chaos and noise happening in our world today – especially in the month of June. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I hope to see everyone at our “End of School Bash” tonight from 5-7pm. We need all the help we can get as our community comes for this outreach event. One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 We are to put our whole weight on God, no exceptions. We are to fully trust Him. My own understanding will not do. When I do give God my all, then I can expect a movement in the right direction. I am the first to tell you that there is always movement in your life. The question is: which way is it taking you? Is it taking you to your desired destination or is it only distracting you from reaching your goal? The option is simple; choose the path the Israelites took to go to the promised land by doubting and complaining, or you can choose to trust and enjoy the journey and make everything an opportunity to obey the God of the universe in all matters. He promises straight paths. I think I would like that better. It’s definitely less stress producing. This Sunday we are celebrating our babies under 2 years old in our church. Some of the parents are going to dedicate their children to the Lord. That is a form of trusting our children to the Lords’ watch care. I still remember taking my children down to the front of the worship center and giving them back to God. I am so glad Vickie and I continue to do that each day. It’s the only way. As a matter of fact, I believe that has affected their paths as well. Can I remind you that we have a church workday scheduled for this Saturday from 9am – 1pm? We are still in need of a few more hands to help us. There are going to be several jobs that need to be done. It will be good fellowship and at 12:30 we plan to eat pizza together. Doesn’t that sound inviting? I hope it does because I don’t want to be one of the few and the brave. If you plan on coming, send our secretary confirmation by texting (419-422-8660) or emailing office@findlayfirstnaz.org. Thank you for making an impact for Jesus wherever you go. I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday and jumping into Revelation 8. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Vickie and I were walking our little “precious” the other day in our neighborhood. She is a 9-pound Morkie. She is a mix between a Yorkie and a Maltese. She thinks that she is a Rottweiler. My kids think she is a cat because we are used to larger breeds. Anyway, as we are walking, she always barks at larger dogs like she is going to take them down a notch. We hold her back and add to her hysteria by not allowing the inevitable to happen. That is for her to quickly realize how small she is.
A fire hydrant is small too. Now let me finish before you assume where I am going with my dog and this fire hydrant story. This small fire hydrant can spew water in volume and force that is out of proportion to its size, unlike my dog. The reason being is because the water isn’t in the hydrant. The hydrant is connected to a reservoir that is full. When the church is in sync with Jesus Christ, it has a connection to a reservoir that is always overflowing. When we as the people of God are connected to the source, we too have the power of God in and through our life. Let’s unpack that a little. We have the living God residing in our lives when we give Him our all and seek Him with all we have and do. The same God that delivered Daniel from the lion’s den, rescued Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, gave sight to the blind, fed the 5,000 from a few fish and loaves, and set the captives free, is the same God who resides in hearts of His disciples. That is why Paul can pray such a bold prayer. 20 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” Ephesians 3:20-21. I was at a primed luncheon at our church yesterday and we had some visitors that could sense the power of the Holy Spirit in our church. Pastor Jin was sharing with us the ministry happening in our Chinese Church. They wanted to come back and just be around our church and the power that flows from our people. There is power in our church when we make God the source of all things and speak from the truth of His word. I want to encourage you today to stand taller and reach wider because you have the power of God living inside of you. Nothing or no one can hold Him down. Live out the power that resides in you as you seek to glorify the name of Jesus! This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Come and let our church spur you on in so many ways. Our children will be sharing a special song for our mothers in our services. It will be a good day! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I was thinking the other day that we have everything in Christ in order to live a victorious life. We are so fortunate to always have the Word of God accessible at any moment. There is so much richness available that the world cannot offer.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek the things of Christ who is seated at the right hand of God. When you put that into practice, there is a strength that comes from your life. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1-2 Paul goes on and says to put to death what is earthly and put on the things of the Spirit. He begins to list the different fruits of the Spirit. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Colossians 3:12-13 It’s interesting that he includes bearing with one another and forgiving each other. I know that I need people to forgive my stupidity from time to time. If you don’t have that forgiveness muscle active in your life, then you will be a miserable person. We need to remember that the Lord has forgiven each one of us. Forgiveness is releasing people from meeting your expectations. This may come in the form of forgiving someone even though they don’t ask for it. Whether they ask or not, unforgiveness will be poison to your spirit and attitude. Unforgiveness also gets your life out of alignment. Have you driven a car out of alignment lately? It’s difficult to keep it on the road. When you commit to set your mind on the things of Christ, you are setting your life back in line with God’s way of peace. It’s the only way to live. It was good to worship together on Sunday night as we celebrated the baptisms of Avery, Ellie, Elizabeth, and Jonathan. I just love our church and what God is doing among us. I want to remind you of a few things coming up. Tomorrow is National Day of Prayer. Join us downtown Dorney Plaza at Noon for prayer. We will gather with other believers in Findlay. This Saturday is a Men of Legacy Breakfast at 7:30am. If you haven’t called or texted the church office (419-422-8660), do it now and let us know you are coming. This is open to all the men of our church. It will be a great time together. I pray that the Lord shows you something today that will remind you of His faithfulness. I am so excited about the things God is doing in this place. Remember, if you come to the second service on Sunday, please remember to move to the center of the row so others can find a seat easier. God is so good! I am looking forward to our time of worship on Sunday. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Starting on Monday, our Co-Directors of Children and Families will begin. We have prayed for over a year and feel like we have been led in a new direction. We are excited as we continue to make ministry to children and their families a priority in our church.
Laura Bowman and Angela Guthrie come to us with passion and experience that will continue to ignite our church with an excellent ministry to families alongside our Early Childhood Director Susan Beggs. For the past several years we have seen families come to our church and their children grow up and enter the youth group. It is wonderful to look out in the youth group and see children that we have dedicated over the years. As a church, we have a great team of individuals who minister to our children and families. We are so grateful for everyone who has stepped up and led different aspects of our ministry. Joy Morse has led the PowerPlant, Haley Leaks has led our Wednesday night kid’s ministry, and Kathy Bishop has led the KMAT (Kid’s Ministry Admin Team). There are so many others who have continued to minister on a weekly basis. There has been no area untouched. I think of the Apostle Paul who wrote: 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15 Can you join me in thanking our people who make children’s ministry a great experience for all involved? I am looking forward to being together on Sunday. You will notice booths in the foyer for voting. If you are a member, we ask you to stop by the table and pick up your ballots to vote for next year’s leaders. Great things are happening! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike One of my favorite sayings is, “We are at our best when we serve.” I truly mean that. Whenever life becomes about “me” then I get distracted by the things of life. The walls quickly come crashing in on me. Now when I serve others and ask the Lord to use me, my perspective stays in a kingdom mode.
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:1-5 Notice the word, “same.” It is used in verses 2 and 5. This word has to do with harmony and unity in the body of Christ. Where there is disunity, the spirit of God backs up. When there is unity then the Spirit of God is at home in our midst. Notice I didn’t use the word, “uniformity.” We are in harmony because we are striving for the same goal, that is to glorify the name of Jesus. We all have different gifts and graces and would approach things a little differently, but we are going in the same direction. We are first servants of God. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I love that title. All that we do is for the Lord. By definition, servants serve others not themselves. In verse 3, the word, “nothing,” doesn’t give room for anything to get in the way of my service for God. It would have been easier if Paul said, “Don’t do most things out of selfish ambition or conceit.” That would allow for an escape clause. Praise the Lord there is no excuse. I humbly serve the Lord with all that I am. We have some opportunities coming up that will help us all get out of our comfort zone and serve others. The Backyard Mission Trip is here locally and will be on Saturday, April 22. If you would like to serve, then stop by the Hands of Hope table in the foyer. We would love to see a group from our church work alongside each other that day. Another opportunity to serve is going to be July 29-August 4. We will be partnering with Appalachian Reach Out in Kentucky and serving a poverty-stricken area. The cost is only $299 for food and lodging. We will have an informational meeting on Sunday, May 7, at 6pm. Plan to come and learn more about what we will be doing. Our goal is to have 15 people on this team. I am still praising the Lord for Sunday’s service. I especially love worshipping with our church family and choir. Our kids in Powerplant and Promise Land also had a great day. We have such willing people to provide life-changing ministry to all ages. What a great day to be together. It matched the sunshine we enjoyed the rest of the day. On Sunday, we will continue our series in Revelation as we take a Fresh Look at the Last Book. Let’s continue to invite our family and friends as we dive into Revelation 5. I am excited to be together again. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike We are now in the middle of Holy Week. It is called Passion Week and is leading us to Easter Sunday where we celebrate the resurrected Savior who conquered death and the grave. To get to Easter, we must move through darkness and suffering in the upper room as well as experience the crucifixion of our Lord on Good Friday.
On Thursday we will be coming together to experience the agony and culmination of the price that is to be paid for our sin. Suffering is a big part of life. It is as if suffering of the soul is like oxygen to the lungs. There is no way to escape it. I think of the families of the ones who were killed in the school shooting in Nashville just this past week. The Pastor’s daughter was one of the victims who was trying to pull the fire alarm. Suffering is unavoidable when you live in this world. It can come at many different levels. Jesus says, “I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 (GNT) Peter gives us insight into suffering and affirms the fact that it is inevitable. Look at the hope he gives us. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) I am so glad to know that just as suffering is inevitable, so is the grace of God when you turn to Him. We can know that when we give God our suffering, that the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and restores us. We should expect suffering to come but not allow the enemy to talk us into making that a part of our identity. Just as Jesus experienced the agony of sin, rejection, and suffering, we too can cling to the old rugged cross and find comfort in the arms of God. This will not last forever. There will be an end to your suffering. I want to encourage you to walk with us on Thursday as we have our Upper Room Experience. Come at 5:30pm, 6:00pm, or 6:30pm and prepare to open your heart to God and embrace the suffering that leads to the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Just remember, Easter is coming! As we gather for Easter Sunday services, we will be announcing our Legacy offering total, our Children’s ministry direction, and most of all, celebrating that Jesus is alive! Don’t forget that breakfast will happen from 10:00am – 11:00am in the Family Life Center. Overflow will be set up to accommodate your Easter invitations. What are you waiting for, invite that person that the Lord has laid on your heart. What a great day it’s going to be. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike The excavator has shown up and has begun preparations for our building expansion. Let the fun begin. Please pray for everyone who works on this building. We want to have a positive influence on all who participate and pray for Jesus’ name to be glorified.
We are excited to move toward one of the greatest seasons of all – Easter! There are activities and events for the whole family so make plans to participate. Saturday, April 1 Easteriffic (9 am – Noon) Families, come join us for a breakfast and games. There will be a story time, face painting, glow in the dark dodge ball and more. If you are able to come please click here to RSVP so we can make sure to have enough food. Sunday, April 2 Palm Sunday (9:15am & 10:45am) Come and Worship with us as we are led by our orchestra. Yes, we will have several musicians playing and we will be blessed to share in the talents of our very own people. We will also continue in our series, A Fresh Look at the Last Book and worship with our children waving palm branches as well as share in the Lord’s supper together. It will be a powerful Sunday. Maundy Thursday, April 6 (5:30pm, 6:00pm, & 6:30pm) We will have 3 time slots to have an upper room experience as we open the door to Good Friday and culminate on Easter Sunday when we celebrate that Jesus is alive! Attend one of the 30 minutes slots and have communion with your church family. Sunday, April 9 Easter Sunday (9:15am & 10:45am) He Is Alive! He Is Alive! He Is Alive! Come and celebrate the resurrection with us as we look to the Risen Lord for our hope and salvation. The Powerplant, Promise Land, Toddlers, and Nursery will be available for both services. Easter Breakfast (10:00am – 11:00am) If you attend the 1st worship service (9:15am), then plan to stay afterward to eat a delicious breakfast. If attend the 2nd worship service (10:45am), then plan to come before worship and eat breakfast with others. I am looking forward to being with our church family during these wonderful days. Invite someone to experience Easter with you this year. They may even enjoy one of the extra events offered. I guarantee that someone is waiting for an invitation. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike What a wonderful weekend with our Missionaries Chad and Crystal Gibbons. It is great to be a part of what God is doing in Ukraine. Continue to pray and ask the Lord what He wants to give through you to the Odessa Church as they start another church during this war. God is moving in powerful ways to help the people come to know him in this uncertain time. All you have to do is label your offering, “Odessa Project.”
It has finally arrived. This Sunday after the second service, we will be breaking ground for our new addition. I want to invite everyone for this brief time of praising the Lord for helping us to expand and accommodate some of our growth. This addition will include a Nursery, Classrooms, and a Children’s Check-In area. The playground will be placed right outside of the building which is on the East side of our Worship Center. More renovation will follow when this addition is completed. The renovation will include expansion of a toddler room, library, cry room, and a wider hallway leading to the new addition. We are in exciting days! In the book of Nehemiah, the Lord placed a burden on the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. As they were preparing to build the walls, the Lord strengthened their hands to do this good work. Anytime you venture out to do the will of God, the enemy always shows up to try to distract your progress. These distractions sometimes show up in the form of a person. I realize that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but sometimes it feels like it. Look with me at Nehemiah’s response in the heat of the moment. Let’s look in on a quick scene. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem” Nehemiah 2:19-20. I love the fact that he totally relied on God for the success of the building. That is what we want to do as we enter into this first phase. Join me and pray for the Lord to build this building and use it for His glory. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Psalm 127:1 Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike |
Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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