WEST CAMPUS

Paul was a pretty bold guy.  As we have been going through the book of 1 Corinthians on Wednesday nights we have seen a theme in Paul’s writings to the church at Corinth.  

1 Corinthians 8:9 – “Be careful however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak”

He even goes on in 1 Corinthians 11:17 to say– “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good”. 

Now, can you actually imagine a minister or pastor saying this today? – “Please…don’t come to church…you would be better off staying at home. Go to the mall, the beach, or anywhere else….just don’t come to church”.  You definitely don’t hear that often today.  

Paul was saying that when the church was coming together, there were divisions among the people.  There were differences among them and it was causing conflicts.  One person believed one thing was right; someone else thought something else was right and there was constant division and conflict among the Corinthian church.  

Let’s be honest, do you want to go to a church where there are constant power struggles and strife and division and you feel drained every time you attend? Well that is a church reality for some that no one wants to talk about. 

I know you want to go to a church where you are making a difference in people’s lives, where you are encouraged to be all that God has designed you to be.  You want to go to a place where you are built up on your journey with your creator.  

But think about this…according to God’s word, not everyone is going to think like you do.  When it comes to some topics, the Bible is very clear about what is right and what is wrong. What about areas in our life that the Bible doesn’t address? How then do we determine what is right and wrong? How do we process that? If the Bible doesn’t say its wrong, is it ok to do it?   How do we address what I would call “The Gray Areas”? 

Gray areas could be anything from what you wear, what you eat, what you watch. Should you dance, should you play cards, etc?  The answer to these and hundreds of others are not specifically found in scripture.  So, how do we decide what is right and what is wrong? 

Here are 7 Biblical Guidelines To Dealing With Gray Areas:

1. Edification – Will doing this strengthen my walk with God or not? (Romans 14:19)
   Many people are asking the wrong question as it relates to gray areas …They ask: How far can I go and still keep my relationship with God? But the better question I think is: Will I grow in Christ because of it!?!
2. Excess – Will this slow me down in the race? (Hebrews 12:1)
   The bible talks about our relationship with God and compares it to a runner running a race. Anything that hinders you from running the Christian race … you should do away with. There are some things that are not necessarily wrong, but if you add then to your life, they can slow you down.
3. Enslavement – Will this bring me into bondage? (Rom. 6:6; 2 Pet. 2:19; 1 Cor. 6:12)
   How many times do people say “Well the Bible doesn’t say anything about it … So it MUST be permissible!! So they try it, and they are trapped, or they become addicted!! My question is: “How many people, because they had the liberty and freedom to drink became addicted to the drink?” I’m not saying everything you are doing is wrong … I’m Asking: “Are you enslaved to it?” When it becomes your master you have become enslaved!!
4. Evangelism – Will this lead others to Christ? (Eph. 5:15-16)
   You have to pay careful attention as to how you act because people are watching!! Is what you are about to do going to hinder sharing the gospel with someone? As believers, we SHOULD think about how our actions affect others!
5. Emulation – Is this Christ-Like? (Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:15; 1 John 2:6)
   Is this something Jesus would watch? Is this a place Jesus would go? If we say we belong to Christ then we should listen when His Spirit speaks!
6. Example – Will my example help or hurt other Christians? (2 Cor. 3:2)
   Will others stumble because of my example? Will they fall into sin if they follow my lead? Maybe I could avoid the temptation to stumble, but what about them? Pauls says: We are epistles (an OPEN BOOK) read by all men! People are watching how you act, and evaluating your claim to Christianity!
7. Exaltation – Will this glorify God? (1 Cor. 10:31) 
   For Paul the whole argument comes down to the end of 1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 10:31 – NIV 31  So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Is it exalting Christ … is it lifting Him up … is it honoring Him? Paul says … even when it comes to areas of diet … if it’s going to cause someone to fall … I’m not going to do it!

Ultimately…Paul’s recurring theme in 1 Corinthians is this….. “But if you have not love”   

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing. 

Loving God means: You love what HE loves.  This is the answer to the “gray areas” in our lives.

As always…Michele and I love you all dearly and look forward to seeing you again on Sunday as we discuss more “Reality Checks” in life.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

What is dedication?  One way Webster’s defines dedication is it is “self-sacrificing devotion”. In a world full of the mindset that it’s all about me, it is very difficult to find much self-sacrificing devotion these days. However, the hardships that we encounter in life can bring that dedication to the surface. It brings us to do things sometimes that we would never dream we would do.    
 
It reminds me of the story of the O’Neill family of Ireland. The O’Neill family has a Coat of Arms that represents their family heritage.  On their Coat of Arms is a symbol…a red hand. This red hand symbolizes great devotion and sacrifice. The dedication and sacrifice of one of their family members years ago has marked a defining symbol for their family’s heritage.
 
Before Ireland was fully settled, the founding fathers were trying to come up with a fair way to distribute the land to the explorers.  Men were participating in these expeditions to claim the land mass that would belong to their family for generations to come.  
 
Now, legend has it that O’Neill from the province of Ulster, now in Northern Ireland, was participating in this expedition or race to possess land for his family.  He was trying to beat others to be the first person whose hand touches an area of land. If he won…the land was his.
 
As he was racing and rowing to be the first person, another boat took the lead and he fell behind. But the dedication and self sacrificing devotion he had for his family stirred inside of him to do something extreme.  
 
An Historian writes that “with a grim look of mingled wrath and triumph at the rival boat, the strong-minded, iron-nerved O’Neill dropped the oars, seized a battle-axe, and chopped off his left hand….and threw it to the land ahead of the other boat.” This act…made his hand the first to possess that land.
 
WOW…talk about self-sacrificing devotion! That is truly amazing. As I think about Paul, I realize that he had the same kind of dedication as O’Neill did.  Only the dedication that Paul had was for a goal much greater than the possession of land … It was to lead people to Christ.
 
For Paul, winning the lost to Jesus was one of the most important things in his life. He would do absolutely anything to fulfill his mission.  He mentions this passion several times in 1 Corinthians 9.
 
 1 Corinthians 9:19 says;“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”
 
Rather than exercising his rights as a freed man, Paul instead chooses to exercise self-denial and self-discipline.  If you are going to be a soul-winner … If you are going to win people to Jesus Christ, (and we are all called to do this) then it is going to require dedication, and it has to be a priority!
 
I encourage you to examine your life.  Do you exhibit the self-sacrificing devotion and dedication that you should in order to share Christ’s love with others?  I truly believe that these moments of tragedy can be defining moments for us in the Kingdom of God.  As you begin to seek more of who He is … I believe that God will give you the courage you need to step forward in boldness to share Christ’s love and HIS self-sacrificing devotion with others!
 
Michele and I bless you this week and look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Blessings,
Pastor Mark

With all the recent news in our community, faith has been something more and more people are reaching for.  The faith I’m referring to is really trust. After all, faith is trust.  In light of such terrible circumstances such as the shootings at Discovery Middle School and UAH, how do we find the faith that we need to press through these tough times?

Paul says in Romans 5:3-5 “ … we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

In essence, what Paul is saying is “Without these times, I would be robbed of life lessons … because they taught me about faith in Christ …”

Where do we find the faith to press on? Let me encourage you that it is the resistance to our faith that makes us stronger! Anyone who lifts weights knows that without resistance  we couldn’t get stronger. Throughout Biblical history God has shown that with great pressure comes great deliverance!

Don’t loose heart when you begin to walk through tough times.  I’ve heard people say that they have such great faith that they’ve NEVER HAD TO go through anything, but let me ask you these questions….

~  How do you know if you HAVE great faith UNTIL you go through hardship?

~  How can you call God you’re healer if you’ve never been sick?

~  How can you call God your provider if you’ve never needed anything?

Finding faith, requires trust.  In the uncertain times that we live in….know that your faith is being strengthened….you are developing character and perseverance…and hope is being birthed through these trials.  Hope does not disappoint us! I encourage you not loose heart when you walk through uncertain and disappointing times. It is through these times that we all realize who our dependence is upon, and it is through realizing that…that we find faith.

Michele and I are so grateful for each of you and we look forward to seeing you at West Campus on Sunday!

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

December:

Next Step Membership Class

Our Next Step Membership Class will be taking place on the following Wednesday nights at 6:30pm – December 2, 9, and 16^th this month.  If you are interested in becoming more involved at The Rock West Campus…this is your Next Step. Questions?  Contact Buffi Young at byoung@therockfwc.org

Parents Night Out
Need some time to do a little Christmas shopping with out the kids? Our West Campus Kids Quest ministry will be having a “Parents Night Out” to help give you a little bit of that time.  This will be Friday, December 11^th from 5 pm to 10 pm for children 5 years of age and up. It will be $20 per child & $10 for additional siblings.

Questions??? Contact Natalie Jay at 337-1786 or j_household@bellsouth.net

Christmas in the Bayou
We will have Christmas in the Bayou immediately following worship on Sunday, December 13^th.  ­This is a Special Christmas celebration for the entire family!! Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Bayou or Little Praisers check-in. Questions?? Contact Mandy Pfeifer at pfeiferkm@bellsouth.net

West Campus Ladies Christmas Party
December 15^th @ 6pm we will be having a West Campus Ladies Christmas Party at West Campus.  Bring your favorite appetizer or dessert, and come ready to laugh, connect and have fun! Questions?? – Contact Pastor Michele Benson @ Michele.benson@therockfwc.org  

January:

January 10  – Next Step Introductory lunch
Our Next Step introductory lunch is a time where you can learn more about who we are as a church and decide if you’d like to partner with us in building The Kingdom.  Lunch and Childcare is provided.  Questions?? or To register for this lunch, contact DeAnna Scott at Scottfamily01@bellsouth.net

January 13, 20 & 27 – Next Step Membership Class                                   
 (Wednesday nights @ 6:30pm) Questions?? Contact Buffi Young at byoung@therockfwc.org

January 24 – Worship auditions (vocal and band) 4pm @ West
Questions??? Contact Caleb Box at calebmailbox@gmail.com

I want to take a brief moment to thank so many of you for participating in our West Campus Church Directory process. Thanks to many of you who helped work to make it such a smooth process. It was a wonderful experience and these directories will be a terrific resource for us all to have. I anticipate your free pictures to be in soon…and the directories within a few weeks. Thanks to you all for joining us in this process.

I also wanted to mention that next Wednesday, November 25th, we will not have Wednesday night services. Please take this time to be with your family as we prepare for our Thanksgiving Holiday. We have so much to be thankful for. I bless you, and pray that we all remember the many blessings that we do have. We indeed live a Blessed Life!

Michele and I are so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful church family. We love and appreciate you.
Blessings,
Pastor Mark

When was the last time that you had a professional portrait of yourself or your family taken?  Our church families value family portraits and we know others in our community do as well.  We want to personally invite you, and any other family you know to participate in our professional photography event for a complimentary portrait session and a free 8×10 portrait.  It is also a great chance to get Christmas Cards. 

We are doing these sessions for our church directory…but you do not have to be a member of the church to participate in the photo sessions.  We would love to see you there!

Register online here, just to the right of this blog post.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Buffi Young at byoung@therockfwc.org or DeAnna Scott at Scottfamily01@bellsouth.net .  They will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. 

I hope to see you the week of November 3-7.  There are sessions available all day each day. Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

Have you ever sat down to visit with someone you haven’t seen in a while? Yes, you may be very excited and glad to see this friend….but because you haven’t spent that much time with them…things seem a little awkward until you get re-acquainted.   Does this sound familiar to you?

It is a very common thing that many of us experience. We experience this disconnect because in order to build relationships…you have to spend time together.  This is something the early church did as you read in Galatians 6:2 and Hebrews 10:25…they encouraged each other and they carried each other’s burdens.  They did this by going to each others homes, and spending time with one another.

Our society today has some how gotten away from this concept.  We all seem to be so busy, and do not have a lot of time outside of our own schedules.  While it is common…it is not good.  We cannot go through this life alone.  We need friends; we need relationships that will provide accountability and encouragement.  We need to know we’re not the only ones that are experiencing life’s struggles.  We need each other.

This is why we have Life Groups.  It is a great way for each of us to connect with other families, with other people, and to build lasting relationships.  I would like to encourage you to take a look below at the Life Groups we have available at West Campus beginning in September.  Find one you think you would like and get connected.  The contact information is below, and we also have flyers and sign ups in the foyer at West Campus.

Just remember, we need each other. Don’t try to go through life alone….doing it all by yourself.  There is someone out there that would be a blessing to you, and someone out there that you could be an answer to their prayer.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

West Campus Life Groups

Chris & Hannah Ellis – Young Couples Fellowship Group
cse780@yahoo.com /653-5733 / 256-975-3845

Debra Pittman – Women’s Fellowship Group
debrapittman@yahoo.com / 714-7503

Josh & Briana Walter – Echo Young Couples Fellowship Group
brianawalter@hotmail.com / 256-348-8250

Jeremy & DeAnna Scott – Young Family Fellowship Group
scottfamily01@bellsouth.net / 334-315-2188 / 541-4721

Sophie Floyd – Working Mom’s Fellowship Group
drsophie@yahoo.com / 256-971-1401

Randi Osborne – Ladies (in their 20’s & 30’s) Fellowship Group
hope024@hotmail.com / 256-426-3678

Chris & Jodi Rasnake – Fellowship group (all ages and stages)
Rasnake_5@att.net / 256-721-3347

Buffi Young – Mom Time Fellowship Group
markandbuffi@gmail.com / 895-8454

Jack & Peggy Young – Fellowship Group (all ages and stages)
jack.young@knology.net / 489-7073

Pat Greta – Stamp Camp Activity Group
patgreta@aol.com / 772-8759 / 604-0555

Pam Coward –  Ladies Brunch Bunch Fellowship Group
coward777@bellsouth.net / 771-3112

Rick & Lynn Russell – Fellowship Group (for ages 50 & over)
lynn.russell@live.com / 417-1474

Becky Wheatley – Raising Butterflies Activity Group
becky.wheatley@pclnet.net / 431-0144

Michele Byrd – Mommy & Me Play Group – Activity Group
jointheirs@gmail.com / 256-366-5144

Mark Young – Men’s Fellowship Group
mayoung71@gmail.com / 694-4887

Kent Cawthorne – Men’s Fellowship Group
kentcawthorne@gmail.com / 698-3895

I hope you have all had a wonderful 4th of July.  We are so glad we can celebrate this time of independence. Our nation can celebrate not only its freedom of speech, but is freedom of religion….being able to meet together and share the love of Jesus Christ and what he has done for us.

We are free because men and women laid down their lives and paid a price for our freedom here in the United States. Yet, how many of us have thought about the price that was paid for our spiritual freedom…the price that was paid on the cross so that we might be set free?

Most of us are celebrating our independence, but I wonder how many of us are celebrating our dependence? There is an utter dependence upon Christ for everything.  We often don’t think of it that way, but think about it. How many of us this last weekend enjoyed sitting down at a meal or a cookout with family and friends? I can just see you now enjoying that corn on the cob…all that butter dripping off the edges and can tell you are enjoying every bite! How many of you realize that we are dependent upon something else in order to enjoy that corn?

First…we are dependent upon God to produce the rain and sun so that crops could even grow. Because it has to be in the right environment for the corn to turn out just right.  Then, we have to have farmers who are willing to work diligently every morning or night to bring in the harvest. Finally…we have truck drivers across the country who are bringing corn from different locations to our supermarkets. Oh and then, the store managers who are putting the corn out in a way that it would be eye catching for all of us to purchase. Then, you have people who go and purchase that corn…and shuck it. Maybe family or friends help do this and cook the corn. So, it takes a dependence upon many others for you to have enjoyed that one piece (or many pieces) of corn.

When we think of dependence, we often think of it in a negative sense.  But dependence can be a very good and healthy thing. Because our lives are not our own. They were bought with a price.

So this week, celebrate not only your independence, but your dependence on God!  We bless you and we love you!

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

As many of you from West Campus know, we have been going through the Apostles Creed, and the importance of having a creed – something you would be willing to live and die for.  If you don’t know what you believe or why you believe, you will fall for anything.  If you stand for something that is wrong or unhealthy, that foundation will eventually crumble.  But, if you stand on the solid doctrine of God’s Word, you will stand on a rock that cannot be shaken.

A creed is usually emphasized by beliefs and it opposes those errors that are typically problematic in a society.  The Apostles Creed was drawn up in the first and second century…emphasizing the true humanity of Christ as well as the deity of Christ.  It expresses the importance of the past, which is His birth, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. But also, it expresses the importance of the now with His reign.  Finally, the future with His coming

The importance of living your life according to the Word of God is not only that there are blessings that accompany it, but it decreases your vulnerability to the enemy’s lies.  Often in society, we are desensitized by our media and the slant of the media that gives us only one side.  But, the Word of God expresses the truth that is timeless and that can’t be shaken.  Man’s opinions will come and go, but God’s Word will truly stand the test of time.

So, my prayer for each and everyone of you today is that you not only believe in God’s Word, but act on  God’s Word.  Because it is timeless.  It has stood for thousands of years.  It will continue to stand the test of time as a guide book for our every day life.  It is a love letter from Christ to us.

My prayer is you receive that love letter as your own – that you see your name in every page, and that you see God’s promises toward you and your families.

God Bless! We love you and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

Hey West Campus! It is so good to see what God is doing in your lives and hearing the reports of how the Lord is using the Word of God to strengthen you in your faith and mature you in your walk with Him.  I am excited to see how God is using talents and abilities and giftings for His glory.  One of the greatest weaknesses though in the body of Christ is our lack of humility when it comes to our gifts.

How do our gifts become our gifts? They become our gifts when the Lord gives them to us.  Thats why they are called gifts.  They are from Him and only by him, can we use them.  But, they are ours to use and we can use them for ourselves, we can use them for others, or we can use them for Him.

When we use our gifts to edify, strengthen, and uplift ourselves, we find ourselves in a state of pride where we no longer have a need for God.  We think that we can do what we want, when we want, without His approval and anointing.  And often, because they are a gift from God, He doesn’t take them back from us when we improperly use our gifts to glorify ourselves, but He will never bless it beyond the blessing we receive on earth.

We receive though, not only an earthly blessing when we use our gifts for Him…but we get the blessing of knowing God is using us to touch and reach other people.  That is part of his plan and His great commission in our lives…to be used by Him to serve others.

Then at times, there can be a sense of false humility that comes when we feel that others are being blessed by our gift. We tend to put our gifts on a pedastal.  Then..rather than self promotion, we become prideful in ourselves. We think that we ourselves make a difference in other peoples lives.  But without the Holy Spirits power and presence in our life, we can do nothing. The Bible says that without Him, we can do nothing, but through Him, we can do all things!

So giving our gifts to Him and being used by Him, the fullness of the gift can take root in others lives, in our lives and for the furtherance of His Kingdom.

Today, if you have a gift, It is wonderful that God has gifted you – or given you a talent or an ability to use for His glory, but don’t waste it on yourself. You will only get an earthly benefit.  Don’t waste it simply for your self gratification or for even for others.  Because others did not give you that gift – God did.  Use it for His glory today, and you will find the blessings of God upon you, upon your family, and even generationally beyond you into your children’s lives and those that are around you.

I believe that as He uses those gifts, and you submit yourself to His will, you will find yourself blessed beyond measure.

Michele and I love you and look forward to seeing you soon!

Blessings,
Pastor Mark