YouVersion.COM

Ok. So here it is Dec 30 and we're all thinking about New Year's resolutions. We're thinking about how 2010 can be better and the second chances that a new year brings. It feels like we all get a clean slate to start over. Or at least that's what we are hoping for!

I know for me that one thing I want to do more of this year is getting into the Word. Well, here is a GREAT tool for making that happen! youversion.com has got it all! There are 20 different reading plans to choose from as well as mobile applications and groups to join. Nothing like reading the Word together with other Christ-followers AND having full access to the Bible via our cell phones!



To get started, simply click on YouVersion on the right side bar of this blog. It's listed under "If You're Stuck, start here". This will take you to the homepage. Next, sign-up and you are on your way!

Once you have signed-up you can chose your plan, add those mobile applications AND join our group here at Suncrest. Our group name is "Suncrest Christian Church". Click on Community and when you get to that page click onto "Groups" and then search for Suncrest Christian Church.

One of the benefits of reading the Bible in a group is being able to share your thoughts on what you've read and read what others have gotten out that passage. It is a beautiful way to grow together and individually.

Don't wait! Get started and signed-up TODAY!
Looking forward to where God will be leading us through His Word in 2010.

See you on YouVersion~

Kay

Beyond Sunday - Let it Be Christmas: Revolution

...by Kevin McHugh

Hello to All and Happy New Year,

I really enjoyed another great visit to East Campus and I thought that Andy delivered a great message - perfectly timed with the arrival of a new year. Looking at my notes from Sunday, I find myself starting to think about this revolution Andy was talking about and wondering what it would look like if the people at Suncrest all completely joined God's revolution of love.

So God wants us to thrive, not merely survive. However I notice there are a lot more people in survival mode these days. The economy has put many out of work or reduced income, families are worried, and people are scared. Andy said that fear holds us down in survival mode. Romans 8:15 says "For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry Abba, Father." We believe that, so let's be revolutionary and live it!

God loves us and His Spirit walks with us at all times. Again from Romans, in 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." and verse 31, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

If everyone at Suncrest embraced the scripture Andy used in his lesson then, we would have a church full of highly confident people totally lacking in fear. But is this realistic? Doesn't our sin get in the way? I know my sin does, but I also know that this can be improved by following the greatest commandment - Love my God, and love one another. If we can all do that with all of our hearts, it would be truly revolutionary.

The Five Essentials of Cultivating: Community

Well, after a busy Christmas season, I'm back here on the Cultivate blog. I know you all missed me! Okay, just kidding.

Anyway, over my past few posts, I've taken some time to talk about different things that have been big "Cultivate essentials" for me. We talked about the importance of humility first, and then the importance of learning how to live a generous, giving lifestyle. Last time, we talked about the importance of utilitzing worship as a way to grow in our relationship with God. This week, we hit the topic of community.

Here at Suncrest, our church recognizes the importance of community, hence one of our 4 C's being "Connect in relationships where truth meets life." And to be honest, I think that for me, connecting in community with other people is so important to having a healthy relationship with God.

People just have this way of being able to rub off on you and help smooth out your rough edges. In Proverbs 27:17, we're told that just as iron sharpens iron, one person "sharpens" another. Chances are that you have some relationships in your life that are like that. Back home in Columbus, I have a friend named Ciara, and she just has this super pure heart and love for Jesus where you just can't help but have that rub off on you when you spend time with her. One of my friends in my community group is Emily Cioroianu, and when you hear her talk about how much she cares for Africa, you can't help but care too. Even at work, people like Bobby Jackson, Mike Ward, Kay Roberts, and Tina Hines have this incredible commitment to doing great work that continually "sharpens" me and pushes me to work harder and get better at what I do.

I think that community makes better. It helps us relate to and learn how to love others, which is part of the new commandment that Christ gave us in John 15:12. And as we learn to love and relate to others, I think that we learn to love and relate to God better, too. For much of my life, I just didn't believe it. But I finally took the "community group" plunge last year, and much to my surprise, discovered that to be the truth.

So, if you're not, I'd love to encourage you to be a part of a community group. Take the plunge and embrace discovering the power of community for yourself! It is amazing!

wb

Beyond Sunday - Let it Be Christmas: All the lonely people

...by Jeff Sanford

Everyone experiences loneliness at some point in life. Some experience it because of the loss of a loved one. Some experience it as a result of a move, or a misunderstanding, or even because of guilt or shame. Some experience it simply because their peers have rejected them. Whatever the case may be, feelings of isolation during the Christmas season are a common occurrence.

Listen to how Isaiah describes Jesus in chapter 53:

“…He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not...But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him...”

This section of Scripture really paints a picture of Jesus’ experience here on earth and demonstrates how Christ can provide us with hope. Scripture says that Jesus was a man of sorrows and that men rejected and despised Him. In fact, the religious leaders were out to get Him and eventually crucified Him. Jesus understands loneliness. Jesus experienced the ultimate isolation on the cross, as He was punished for our sin. But God did not forsake Him, for He was raised from the grave, and it is by the wounds of the Savior that we are healed.

So in this Christmas season when many experience loneliness, there is good news of great joy that shall be for ALL people. A Savior is born and that Savior will be called Immanuel, which means God with us. Did you get that? God is with us…even in our loneliness. The same God who is “close to the brokenhearted” and who “saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The same God who “comforts us in all our troubles.” The same God who “sticks closer than a brother.” The same God who knows the depths of hearts and loves us the same.

During the holiday season, I urge you to trust in the promises of God’s Word. Trust that as you pursue Christ, that He is also drawing near to you. Trust that Christ knows everything about you and still chooses to love you. As a part of the body of Christ, during this season, won’t you listen for those who may show signs of loneliness and make an extra effort to reach out to them, to let them feel the unconditional love of God.

Beyond Sunday - Let it be Christmas: I Believe in Yesterday

...by Cindy Barker

Greg asked us to zero in on someone who’s been a bricklayer in your life and to take on the best qualities of who they are. My mom has been a bricklayer in my life.

She has a strong faith in God and has told us many times when faced with problems that God will take care of her. Through the storms of life – tight finances, when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, when he died six years later, the loneliness of being a widow, when two of my nephews died in car accidents, family strife, and a stroke, she held on to that anchor.

Recently in our family we had a situation where someone wronged another and the two have been living with that hurt for the past few years. When I found out about the situation, I was mad at the one who caused the pain. When my mom found out - yes she was upset but one of the first things she said was I wish we had known, we could have been praying.

My daughter, Tara, later told me, “Mom, do you remember when Grandma said I wish we had known, we could have been praying? I love that that was one of her first thoughts.” Tara won’t soon forget that lesson.

Neither will I. I want that quality in my future; where one of my first thoughts is prayer.

The Five Essentials of Cultivating: Worship

Well, today as we tackle some more cultivate essentials, we come to the topic of worship. I am convinced that having a great worship life is an absolute foundation for having a truly great relationship with Jesus. I mean, think about it... worship forces us to be outwardly focused. My energy and attention is turned away from just thinking about myself and is instead turned toward thinking about the majesty and greatness of God, his kingdom, and my part in all of that. When I sing about the life that Jesus offers, it makes me want to share that with others. I don't think that I can truly worship and not feel compelled and pumped to take the awesome message of the gospel and live that out better in my life, and encourage others to do the same.

But also as strange as it sounds, even though I'm an intern whose primary ministry area is worship, I'm not so sure how great of a job I always do with that. I get distracted and lose my focus. Sometimes I might be physically there in worship, but not there in my spirit and in my mind. I know that for me, on stage, it's always a temptation to think more about playing my instrument or singing or looking cool on stage or whatever than to just sit back and focus on thinking and meaning the words that I sing at each service.

I think in any discussion about worship, it's really important to first think about what worship is. In the New Testament, the Bible commonly uses the Greek word proskuneo, which means "to kiss," and especially refers to kissing the feet or hands of a dignitary like a king or queen, as a sign of not just appreciation, but also reverence and respect. I think that's kind of a cool image for what happens when I worship God.

It's also really important to realize that worship doesn't directly correlate to music, though that's a way God's people have worshipped him for thousands of years. Yes, I worship God when I sing some great songs to Him on Sunday morning, but I also worship God when I take the time to help someone in need, when I take time out of my day to talk to God or study His word and plan for my life, or even when I do something as simple as fulfill my God given roles as a teacher, son, student, or pastor (and maybe one day a husband and father). These are all forms of worship. It's not just the musical part of our services; it's so much more. It sounds kind of cliche, but it's the way I live my life.

A passage I've really been pouring over every so often for the past few years is John 4:24, where Jesus says that true worshippers of him will worship "in spirit and in truth." I'm not totally sure what that means, and am still wrestling through what that means each day, but I think that Jesus is simply saying that our worship has both a mental and spiritual/emotional component. To use the example of singing in church, I need to know what I'm singing and assent to that mentally, but that I also need to mean what I'm singing in my heart and in my spirit. Offering an action without heart behind it is just as bad as not doing something at all.

So how do we worship, or how can we worship better? I humbly offer a few things:

1. We've gotta be open for opportunities, and take advantage of them. In Ephesians 5:16, the apostle Paul talks about the importance of us making the most of every opportunity, for the days are evil (in other words, "Make the most of every opportunity, because time is often NOT your friend!"). I think that applies with our worship. If I want to become a person who is a better worshipper, that means that I have to focus on making the most of the opportunities that I do have. Each Sunday, I'm going to get a chance to worship through song. I need to do everything within my power to focus in on doing just that each morning so that I can make the most of that worship opportunity. Maybe you know a friend or family member who is hurting financially, spiritually, or emotionally this Christmas. Helping them in an appropriate way could be a great form of worship, but not if I don't take advantage of that opportunity. A big part of this also means that we just need to pray to be aware of opportunities to worship God around us, and take advantage when we can.

2. Think of your personal worship as a prayer. This is something that from time to time really helps me. When I do God's will in the world around me, I am essentially saying to God, "God, I love you and I'm going to obey you and do what you ask of me." What better form of worship is there? Sometimes when I sing, I forget that I'm singing to God! I try to think of each word I sing as a prayer to God, asking Him to help me or just thanking Him for who He is and how He's provided for me.

3. Do stuff you know is going to draw you close to God. The more I get "in touch" with God, the easier it is for me to turn right around at any point in my day and just worship and thank God. Sometimes, when I'm in a bit of a worship rut, I realize how little consideration I'm really giving to God in any other parts of my life. James 4:8 says that when we come close to God, he comes close to us. I don't think it's possible for me to make prayer a regular part of my life and not come closer to God. I don't think it's possible to study God's Word and not get closer to him in that relationship. As we do these things and naturally become closer to God, I think we just naturally love God more and want to worship him.

I really want to encourage everyone reading this to take worship seriously! It's a big deal, and an awesome way we can just give thanks to God for all the amazing things he's done and is doing for us. Let's worship together this Christmas season!

wb

Beyond Sunday - Let it be Christmas: Nothing's gonna change my world

...by Jo Anne Stas

“How well do you think you know who Jesus is?”

I’ve had different perceptions of who Jesus is at different times in my life. In my teens Jesus was the frizzy haired character with the Superman shirt and suspenders in Godspell. When I got engaged He was the figure I had to acknowledge to be married by a priest. When I had my first child, Jesus was the name she was baptized in. To me, Jesus was just tradition—someone to be recognized at key points in my life, but nothing more.

It wasn’t until I encountered people who seemed to really know who Jesus was, that I began to investigate Him for myself. Their lives were different in some way that I couldn’t put my finger on, but the difference made me feel like there was something missing in my life. I wanted to find out what the difference was, so I began to investigate who Jesus was. I read books like More than a Carpenter and I asked countless questions about this man who claimed to be God. What I discovered changed my world.

My perception of Jesus changed when I made an honest effort to find out who He really is. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) I pray this holiday season that Jesus would be more than a tradition.

The Five Essentials of Cultivating: Generosity

Well, I'm back to continue our little 5-part series on the essentials of cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus, and today's characteristic we're going to focus on is generosity.

I believe that as we explore the Bible, we discover that giving selflessly is a major theme of God's plan for how we should live our lives. Take a look at the first family, and Abel, who pleased God by freely giving the best of his flocks as an offering to the Lord. In his early years, David was tormented and chased around the countryside by the evil and jealous King Saul, but after Saul died and David was made king, he still generously offered his home and all he had to the last remaining living member of Saul's household, a crippled and lame man named Mephibosheth. Generosity toward God was a hallmark of David's relationship with God as well... just take a look at 2 Samuel 24:24 where David makes the famous proclamation that he will not offer something to God that has cost him nothing.

But the theme of generosity is clearly seen in the life of Jesus. Jesus was generous with his time; using it to train his 12 disciples and also using it to spend time with those who desired to learn about the new kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. He also was generous with his miraculous abilities, frequently using them to help those in need all throughout the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But Jesus' generosity is no clearer seen than on the cross, where he demonstrates the art of selfless giving up to the point of even giving his life for all of us, that we might be able to discover eternal life.

Think I'm over-examining the theme of generosity in Jesus' life? Think again. Right after Jesus ascended back into heaven and we read the story of the early church being formed in the book of Acts, we discover that the early Christ followers made generosity a huge practice. In fact, in Acts 4, we are told that none of the believers considered his/her possessions their own, but that they freely gave and distributed to others as they had need, so that no one had any needs among them. I think that is an incredible statement. People would give their possessions and even sell their land to give to the church to help further the mission of Jesus. This is probably their logical follow-up to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 25. James sums it up perfectly in his letter to churches when he states quite simply that a real relationship with Jesus looks like us giving what we have been given to help the needy among us.

Quite simply, I believe that the Bible commands Christ followers to be people who are defined by their generosity. And it makes sense. Have you ever met people who are "married" to something? It might be their

time

money

talents

or really any other thing that God has been kind enough to entrust to us.

And it looks ugly. Really ugly. I think the reason is because we allow that thing to control us; to essentially "own" us. And that obviously conflicts that believers should submit to Christ, not their talents, money, or time. When I generously give, I am essentially refusing to allow that thing to control and consume me. And in the process, I'm able to mold my life more into the giving and generous type of life that God wants me to live.

Maybe practicing generosity looks like you giving more of your financial resources to church, or even just to start giving for the first time at church. Maybe it looks like you using some of your time to help develop and mentor someone else. Maybe it simply looks like you using the talent God has given you to help serve in the church or the community. I don't know your exact situation, but I do know that God asks us to give generously as part of following him.

It's a wild, exciting, and worthwhile ride. Get ready... and start to live generously.

West Campus Beyond Sunday - Waiting for God knows what

...by Kevin McHugh

The Waiting Room message series has been really good for me. I am a chronically impatient person and get very much wrapped in the "what and when" rather than focusing on my God - the "who." Can anyone relate with me?

Andy really had me thinking when he talked about how dangerous it is to get so caught up in what we are hoping for that it becomes our main focus. We transfer our hope from God to the "what" and the "when" that we are longing for. When I think about big things I have gone through in my life, and things loved ones have gone through, the issues can be huge and consuming. It can be hard to not become overwhelmed by the "what" and the "when."

There are things I am waiting for and I imagine some who read this have been waiting for something as well, perhaps for a long time.

I made some notes at the end of Andy's teaching regarding next steps:
1) Your waiting is about a when/where/what - sit down with God and talk to Him about it.
2) The thing you are waiting for; what would it look like if you truly trusted God? Any different?
3) What would you be willing to endure if you truly believed God was with you and truly for you?

Isaiah Chapter 40 says:

but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

And now I know where one of my favorite worship songs comes from - Isaiah 40! If we can focus on the who, strength can actually rise while we wait on the what/when.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Shameless plug for Wesley and the worship team - you were awesome!!

East Campus Beyond Sunday - Waiting for God knows what

...by Larry McManus

Waiting…for God knows what. The service at East Campus begins with an uncomfortable silence at the close of communion. “I know Doug is preaching today”, I think to myself, “where in the world is he? It’s not like him to be late; he must have somebody out in the commons bending his ear while he missed his cue. Perhaps I should go and find him…..wait, oh there he is.” A well planned pause, Doug was in front the whole time just watching his clock for 60 seconds.

Just whose clock are we going by anyhow? When will we get X? or When will this be over? What is going to happen? These seem like fair questions. Yet they can become as Doug put it, “dangerous”, when we put stock or hope in our potential answers to these two questions. I found myself thinking about both of these questions last week in regard to some pretty big ‘life changing decisions’. The moment I start to firm up in my mind, the possible answers to these two questions, I begin to put God in a box, my box. Yet the heavenly Father gently reminds us that He is uncontainable and multi-dimensional.

Larry Burkett, founder of Crown Financial Services” once said, “God is never late, rarely early, but always on time.” So the real question is: “Who?” Who are we hoping in? Who holds the best answers to the “what” and “when” questions for our lives? Let’s adopt that simple prayer this week: “Lord, when I don’t know what to do, my hope is not what or when, but YOU.”

The Five Essentials of Cultivating: Humility

December is HERE!

It's hard to believe for me, as I'm sure it is for you in many ways as well. In some ways, 2009 has been a great year. In others, a little of a disappointment. But all in all, still just can't believe that another year has run its course and I am looking forward to seeing what 2010 holds.

And that's what I want to use to introduce this blog entry. As we approach the month of December, I know you're going to hear a lot about the Christmas story (and that is not a bad thing!), so I wanted to do something a little different with "Wesley Wednesdays" on here. As we get ready for 2010, there's probably going to be some chatter about resolutions. One of mine is always to try and make my personal relationship with Jesus better than it was the year before. So over the five Wednesdays in December, I'm going to highlight what (for me, anyway) have become five essentials in cultivating my personal relationship with Jesus.

These are not meant to be an all-encompassing list. But these are five pretty good places to start:

• Humility
• Generosity
• Worship
• Community
• Discipleship

Today, I'd like to take some time to focus on humility, which for me has a two-fold definition. On one hand, it involves putting the interests and what's best for others ahead of our own, just as Christ did when he died for us (see Philippians 2:5-8). But secondly, I believe that humility also contains this idea of understanding exactly who I am and (more importantly) who I am not (that is, God... see James 4:10). Being a humble person means that I'm going to have a teachable spirit, understanding that my way isn't always the right or best way, and it also means that I'm going to think of others first. Humility and selflessness are very tied together in that way.

I know that this has been a big struggle area in my life as of late. Humility's tough. But the Bible is pretty adamant about God's people being ones who are defined by their humility. Personally, I think it's the cornerstone of a relationship with God. By its very nature, a relationship with God means that I'm going to admit I am a fallen, sinful person who's done some wrong stuff. It's going to mean me admitting that I don't have all the answers or the ability to save myself and that I need God's help. Without humility, it's impossible to come before God... the very nature of our relationship demands that!

But the example of Jesus ups the standard even more for humility. Before coming to the earth in the form of a baby boy, Jesus lived in heaven. He gave up a place more perfect than you or I could ever dream in the perfect, unbroken presence of God the Father and chose instead to embrace a life of being born in a crappy stable, only to eventually grow up and be killed in a violent, painful death by the people who said they loved God the most. That was a life that certainly doesn't sound to be in Jesus' best interests. Yet, because he was humble, he chose to embrace that life so that you and I could find grace.

I have a tendency to live my life without listening to the wisdom of the Almighty God. I want to do things my own way. I refuse to listen. I refuse to learn. I refuse to ask for help. I refuse to do things God's way. I also have a tendency to do whatever I can to get whatever I want, with precious little care ever being given to the interests of others. Neither of those are very humble characteristics, and when I find myself in a rut spiritually, chances are that when I come back to the whole humility issue, I'll realize how weak I truly am, and recognize how much wiser God is.

I really believe that humility is an essential foundation for a relationship with Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you to take some time over the next week (or month, or whatever) and think about how you are demonstrating humility in your life. The Bible tells us that God "opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." I want to be a person who receives God's grace.

And that means that I need to be a person who receives the teaching of humility.