August 24- How The Well?
September- Man vs. Wild Series
October- Election ’08: Where do you stand on the issues?
Our oldest son’s second birthday is this weekend and Melissa and I can’t believe he’s almost 2! Time flies… and it seems like the older you get the quicker it goes by. Jackson has changed a lot in the past 2 years…. and it causes me to think how (or if) I have changed during this same time period. I’d like to think I have, of course for the better, but it really doesn’t feel like it. I have changed quite a bit, because two years ago I had never…
I’d like to believe that I’m a more educated, caring, compassionate, faithful, funny person, and a better husband and father than I was in July of 2006. Let me ask you a question…. have you changed lately? I believe your answer should tilt towards the affirmative. Although it really is subjective as to HOW you have changed. So honestly…. how have you changed?
Come join other Well folks at the Jacksonville Suns game versus Chattanooga Lookouts this Sunday at 3:05pm. There is a Big Daddy Weave concert immediately after the game, included in the price of admission ($10 for Well peeps!). We only have a few homeplate/shaded tickets left, so email Moo mmediately to secure your spot! There is not a program at Church (June 29).
The Well must go on! If you have not been around recently and are kind of out of the loop… this Sunday night would be a perfect time to come back. The next two weeks we’ll unpack the agenda/purpose for The Well. Also, this Sunday (March 30) we are having a pizza connection immediately afterwards in The Attic… hope to see you this week as we discuss Connect/Grow/Serve! -Moo
Do you have a ministry that you are serving in? Not attending…. SERVING! We need several enthusiastic folks to contribute their time and talent regularly to the ministry of The Well, in the following areas: greeting, tech, creating a warm environment, set-up, tear-down, Attic café to name a few. Please post or contact Moo as to your area of interest.
1. Follow-up (This has not been mentioned before, but could easily use “behind the scenes” type peeps to write notes, send emails, things of that nature to visitors on a more personal level…. From someone not getting paid to do it!)
2. Greeting (probably good to have 15 every week, preferable a rotation of atleast 2 teams)
3. Tech (video camera, video switcher, Mediashout (words), lights and sound) 4. Creating a warm environment (What Trista and Sam do…. But give them a team to work with/train)5. Set-up/tear-down (Tables, chairs, props, signage, etc)6. Attic café (Need 2 peeps per week, with preferable 4 teams)
7. Connection Clean-up (This isn’t glamorous, but does need to be done at the monthly dinners)
My wife and I had Jackson’s (our son) 1st Birthday Party this past weekend…. And it was a blast! I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about a birthday bash… even for any of mine, and I’ve had quite a few. It’s amazing because we have been to several “first” birthday parties in the past several months, and every time it’s the parents or family members that are more excited about the event, rather than the one-year old child. It’s kinda crazy what some parents do for their kids.
Whether it’s waking up in the middle of the night to change a dirty diaper for their newborn or working a second job to feed the family or taking out a 2nd mortgage to finance college or declining the management position to spend more time with family….. parents make a lot of sacrifices for their children…. Because they are crazy about their kids.
You need to know that God is crazy about you! God is always there for you, even in the middle of the night. God is ready to provide for your needs, even if you can’t see how He will deliver. God values time spent with you, even when you don’t value time with Him. God sacrificed much for you and I, by offering Jesus Christ as a substitute for our sin. God is crazy about you, and you should remember that.
Galatians 4 tells us that, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” We are heirs with Christ. God is crazy about you, He loves you. Soak up His love and enjoy reading this week. -Moo
Faith vs. Law
Which would you prefer? The steady, stable structure of the law or the freedom-filled, fluidity of the faith? On one hand you know precisely what you should do to obey the law…. Now, you could never fulfill every tenet, but atleast you’d know where you were wrong. Then again, the faith infuses an element of grace…. You have a little room to maneuver you inevitable mistakes.
A lot of folks outside the walls of the church believe that Christians are all about the law. What are we (Church, Christians, Believers, etc.) known for? Are we known for our love? NO! Are we known for our hope? NO! Are we known for our grace? NO! Are we known for our peace? NO! More often than not, we are known for our “rules”, our morals, our laws.
Think about it, we would rather ostracize the single, unwed mother for her indiscretion, then hold and help her raise a child in the training and instruction of the Lord. Galatians 3:11 tells us that we are all in the same situation under the law…. Condemned. Not one of us will ever be good enough, smart enough, holy enough, give enough to gain entrance into God’s Kingdom on our own merits. That’s why Christ came, to relieve the curse, by being hanged on a cross. He became a curse, so that we could receive a blessing.
I’m thankful for what Christ did, because I could never come close to being good enough. After almost 20 years of having a relationship with Him and I still mess up every day. It bothers me when folks think they are “good” because they go to church, or know something about the Bible, or teach a class, or give more than a tithe…. It bothers me when I think those things too. Have you ever caught yourself thinking along those lines?
-Moo
Have you ever felt dirty? I mean really nasty, raunchy, disgustingly dirty… the kind where you look back and are somewhat ashamed to even think or talk about. I’m not talking about the summers in Middle School where you went to the pool, in substitute for a shower. I’m not talking about those days in college where you would rifle through your hamper to see which shirt was the least stinky of them all. I’m asking if you have ever been nasty, sweaty, stinking, muddy, or otherwise dirty. Have you ever been that dirty?
When I’m dirty all I wanted to do is get clean? When your body is begrimed with nastiness you want to bathe…. when your stinkiness is supreme all you can think about is a shower. If you are dirty, then you want to get clean! It’s the same way spiritually speaking, every one of us has felt spiritually/morally “dirty”, like our soul needs a deep scouring… WE WANT TO BE CLEAN!
Christ came to clean & to change you. Our Father in Heaven is the only one who can take away your filth. Our Creator is the only one who can clear you completely. Our God is the only one who can take away your grubbiness and guilt. Our Redeemer is the only one who can make you righteous. Our Savior is the only one who can make you spotless.
God wants to do more than just clean you up… He wants to change you. He wants to make you better, stronger, smarter, wiser, more useful and productive for His work. Living by faith means that you give God a chance to change you as He sees necessary in all areas of your life. There is a lot of work to be done to glorify God. If Christ has cleaned you up, then it’s time to let the Lord change you… Christ came to clean & to change you.
-Moo
When I pick up God’s Word I expect to hear something that will make me a better man, husband and father. Oftentimes I read about how God feels, thinks and acts, as well as what He expects from me. When handling this small book, initially written to converted Jewish Christians in Galatia, I’m confronted with many of my own misconceptions. Maybe you could relate to several of these same challenges…..
Moo’s misconception: It’s rare, but occasionally I think that I can take care of myself and be “good enough”.
Biblical fact: Jesus Christ came here to give Himself to rescue us… because we cannot rescue ourselves at all. (Gal. 1:4)
Moo’s misconception: If “spiritual” people, or those I respect, applaud my actions then God does as well.
Biblical fact: Serving our Savior doesn’t guarantee the admiration of others (Gal. 1:10).
Moo’s misconception: People rarely change.
Biblical fact: Paul was changed. I was changed. Anyone can be changed with the grace that God gives (Gal. 1:13ff).
Moo’s misconception: I don’t need that much time to “train” and develop discipline spiritually, I’ve been doing this Christianity deal for a while now.
Biblical fact: Paul was a Pharisee (he grew up studying the Scriotures)…. And even he needed time to “train” before he was completely ready for God’s purpose (Gal. 1:18).
I look forward to digging into this book with you at The Well Sunday nights this summer! Hope you take the time to see what God has to say to you through His Word.
-Moo Hadden
Last night at The Well we talked about two things…. Dealing with our Divine Daddy and Leaving a Legacy. With it being Father’s Day I felt that it was appropriate to look at how our Divine Daddy protects, provides and pursues us. We all have just one life and I believe that God wants us to use it to leave a godly legacy on those around us. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, married or single, a parent or not…. we as beleivers should be in the business of leaving a godly legacy by protecting, providing and pursuing those we’ve been entrusted with!
Arron will be back next week, we look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday. Remember The Well is for all who thirst….
-Moo Hadden
