South Asia Trip

Exciting things happening at North Church!!!  
January 3-13, we will be sending a team to S. Asia in partnership with Freshwater Church in Bolivar, MO.  The team will consist of 7 individuals (3-NC, 4-FW). 

The goals of the trip will be the following:

• A vision trip to see how NC can further partner and support the believers and churches there
• To encourage and train the national church planter and his guys
• To encourage and disciple believers within the 5 church-plants and 2 widow colonies
• To help break new ground through prayer, evangelism and story-telling

How you can get involved:

1.  PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

• Team unity with 2 churches going
• Effective team training meetings as we are planning and preparing
• Reception of visas before we leave
• Our national church planing partner and his family - His uncle passed away Sunday and the funeral is Wednesday.  
• Raising funds - $2000 per person

2. EAT AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO EAT!

Helfer's Pastries and Deli Cafe - giving 10% of every bill to our team when you mention North Church.   Now until Jan 4.

Helfer’s bakes amazing Christmas cookies, pastries, and cakes that would be perfect for your office or Christmas party. You can also stop into the deli for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  M-F 6am-6:30pm, Sat 6am-6pm.

Helfer's is located on the corner of St. Ferdinand/Graham and Washington/Charbonier in Florissant. (380 St. Ferdinand St.).

Frontenac Grill - giving 15% of every bill to our team on DEC 29 only for lunch or dinner.

The Frontenac Grill is a new fine dining restaurant at S Lindbergh and Conway Road (731 South Lindbergh Blvd), owned by the Talayna family. They serve prime steaks, pasta and Talayna’s famous pizza in four different styles. This would be a perfect time for a client lunch or holiday dinner with your family.

Please make a reservation for lunch or dinner by calling 314-569-4115 and mention India. Print out this ticket to present to your server to ensure your bill will count towards our team.

3. GIVE FINANCIALLY!

Online donations can be made by clicking here.  Or you can make a check out to "North Church" and mail it to 49 Meditation Way Ct. Florissant, MO 63031.  All gifts are tax-deductible and must be received by Dec 26.

The King's Speech.

I finally watched this film tonight. What a beautiful statement. We have the main character who is a broken man (both in is stammering and in his failed search for love and affirmation from his family).

Because of his awareness of his brokenness he shrinks from the purpose of his life and uses his brokenness as a vessel to run from his purpose. He lacks faith, he is aware deep in his consciousness of his purpose but when he gets close to probing the depth of his consciousness to bring it to the surface, his lack of faith wins and he hides.

But the heroes of the film that lead to the redemption of this great man enter to pour security and faith into him. The obvious hero is the therapist. He forces the man to deal with the root of the problem rather than changing the surface behavior that everyone can see. It is that fact that leads the man to his ultimate fulfilled purpose.

The less obvious hero is the wife. She is the truest hero in my eyes. I say that, probably because I see so much of my bride in her. She nurtures and unconditionally believes in her man. The ferocity of her devotion to him will not allow him to hide in his brokenness. She firmly and gently nudges him to his purpose. God has given me such a bride and helper. For that I cannot speak words thankful enough to my God for her.

I have prayed a prayer tonight that those who read this and those to whom God has called me to shepherd and those whom I interact with, will be granted someone to pour courage into them as I have had and as George VI has had. And that courage would spur you on to the realization of purpose and mission in this life which ultimately leads to perfectly intense contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading and God bless you today.

Ferocious Faith

When we read and study about the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, we see that every single example of faith produced in them an outward, ferocious way of living for the Kingdom of God. Faith is never simply an inward thing, but always produces an outward way of living that exalts Christ and advances His Kingdom.

How is the Lord calling us to be bold and ferocious in our pursuit of Him - to live out our faith and be placed into the category as people "of whom the world [is] not worthy" (v.38)?

It goes without saying that what these men and women accomplished by faith in advancing the Kingdom (as described in Hebrews 11), required an act of God and never was it comfortable and easy. In fact, most of the time they were probably out of their element and completely out of their comfort zone. I mean, think about it, what in the world is comfortable about "stopping the mouths of lions, escaping the edge of the sword, being tortured, suffering mocking and flogging and chains and imprisonment, being stoned, and sawed in two (SERIOUSLY!?!?!) and killed with the sword?" ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! So why do we think that our calling to advance the Kingdom of God should look any different???

As Matthew put it:
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force (Matt 11:12).

THE ANSWER!!
So how in the world do we do this??? I love it when the Bible shoots you straight...so here it is.

Heb 13:20-21
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Notice how the gospel produces the power of God in our lives to equip us to be and do exactly what he is calling us to be and do. Oh that God would work this kind of faith in our lives...that we would never be the same...that our church and our community and the nations would never be the same!!!

Will you join me???

A Few Questions

Here are a few questions for you to ponder. I have answered the first one to give you an idea about it.

1. What is the mission of your life? The first mission of my life is to daily surrender to my God and worship Him. The second is love and lead my wife in biblical ways. The third is to model a life that is continually being changed by the Gospel for my children. The fourth is to pastor the people of North Church. Last is to build relationship with people who do not know Jesus Christ.

2. Who are you building relationship with inside the church and outside the church?

3. Are you willing to take your life to an uncomfortable place for the sake of someone who is far from Christ?

I would really like for you to respond with answers to the first question.