WEST CAMPUS

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

Good morning West Campus.  I am so grateful for each one of you. Thank you so much for sharing with us your prayer requests and comments on our new Connection Cards. I have been blessed to hear from each of you…to pray for your needs…and rejoice with you in your answered prayers.

As many of you know, we have been going through the book of 1Corinthians on Wednesday nights. It has been a wonderful time of teaching and digging into the Word.  If you haven’t been able to come out on Wednesday nights, I would love to invite you to join us at 6:30 each Wednesday. But today, there is a nugget I’d like to share with you from the first chapter of 1 Corinthians.

I want to encourage each of you that when you came to Christ….you were given everything you need to fulfill what God has called you to do.  From the moment you were born….God placed inside of you everything you need to function and develop into the child of God he envisioned when He created you. All you have to do is grow in who He has made you.

1 Corinthians 1:6 says: “because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you…(7) Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

You lack nothing when it comes to Christ.  Each of you know enough, you’ve heard enough, you’ve seen enough to fulfill your great commission. Each of you have been given so much compassion and love…the question is….do you give it?

So, think about it….If you have been given everything that you need to fulfill what Christ has called you to do…then He has already equipped you to serve in ministry in this house.  And more than that…He has equipped you with the answer for a lost and dying world…your neighbors, your co-workers, your family, your friends.

When you came to Christ and submitted to His Lordship….He Stocked Your Shelves!! You have everything you need for God’s task to be accomplished; you just need to learn how to use all that God has given you!

I want to encourage each of you to be confident in who God has created you to be. Step out…serve the Lord with the passions He has placed in your heart. You are destined to be a world changer! You have all you need to do it….you just have to step out and be a difference maker!

Michele and I are so grateful for each one of you. We pray that the seeds sown in your hearts and lives will grow to full fruition and bring forth fruit to change the lives of all you come in contact with!  I am praying for you. Have a blessed week!

Pastor Mark

I am on my way to Florence to meet with Caleb Box for lunch. Caleb does a great job leading us in worship at the West Campus. While driving to Florence, I am listening to John Bevere’s series on honoring. As I am listening, it came to mind how wonderful it has been to serve at a campus that knows how to honor each other.

There has been a great blessing that God has brought to the West Campus because we know how to honor each other. Looking at the relationships that have been built over the last two to three years, seeing how our guests are honored, and seeing how the campus has grown, Michele and I could not be more thankful that you at the West Campus have learned how to honor one another, and how to honor the Lord.

We look forward to seeing how this principle of honoring will continue to create perpetual blessings in the coming months and year. We love you all!

Pastors Mark & Michele

Hey West Campus!

We had a great time last Sunday at our cookout. I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know each and every one of you. It was a blessing to watch you connect with one another.

We are thankful that the weather was warm and that the sun was shining. No rain….thank God!

We are delighted to see what God is doing in each of your lives, and we look forward to future events and family time at our summer cookouts together.

Michele and I are thankful for the opportunity to serve the West Campus. Blessings to all. Hope you have a great day!

Pastor Mark