Triple C News - November 13, 2020

Before we begin…

Just a quick announcement! Because of the forecast for rain this Sunday morning, along with our regular worship online Sunday am at 10:45…

we’ll also be offering a time of worship and praise at Elm Grove Park tomorrow afternoon at 4:30! 

Come if you can!

(Chance of rain…0%)

Read more below…





Hey, everyone!


Hope you’re having a PFD today!!


“PFD??”


Oh…Sorry! I’ve been reading about so many different acronyms that I’m starting to TIA (“Think in acronyms”) myself!


Acronyms are abbreviated labels that come from the first letters in a phrase, like…


NASA (“National Aeronautics and Space Administration”)

SEC (“South Eastern Conference”)

NFL (“National Football League”)

VOLS (Various Odds of Losing Saturday”…Wait! That’s not right, is it?)


Lately, we’ve all been hearing and reading alot about…

the NIH (“National Institutes of Health”)…

PPM (“parts per million”)

PPE (“Personal protective equipment”)…

WHO (“World Health Organization”)…

PITA (“pain in the arm”…I think this refers to the vaccine shot when we get it…)


So…


PFD is my personal acronym for “praise-filled day”!


As in, “Hope you’re having a PFD!”


BTW (“by the way”) BIF (“before I forget”) my new AOD (“acronym of the day”) for CCC (“Christ Community Church”) is FFC!


This stands for “Flexibility, Fluidity, and Creativity”


We’re in such a unique, weird, precarious, ever-changing and fluid time, that we need to stay flexible and be ready to change, adapt, and be…creative!! 


Like meeting, praising and worshipping together outside! 

At the park! It’s been so FFF (“free, fulfilling and fun”!)


It’s not new for me ‘cause our church in Milan, Italy started in a park called Parco di Viale Argonne and on Tuesday evenings I’d go to Parco Sempione in front of the Sforzesco Castle to preach to Filipinos who meet there to worship and praise! 


They had nowhere to go and the Lord led them there! 


I started going out there with them in January and February when it was really cold! 

Milan is the same latitude as Montreal, Canada! 

But they continued to meet and worship Jesus outside!


There was a small English language church in Milan that met on Sunday evenings.

They wanted to close it because only about ten people came regularly.

Al Nucciarone and I liked it and decided to keep it open.

So I invited the Filipinos to come…

And they did!

The church went from ten to about 100 in six weeks!


God knew exactly what He was going to do!


That was in1988 and that church is still going strong today!


And He knows exactly how He’s going to lead us too!


So, believing He KCHP (“knows, cares and has a plan”), we just have to stay FFC!


Soooooo…


(Speaking of FFC…)


Sunday morning is supposed to be rainy, so we’ll have as always worship and encouragement online at c3oakridge.org at 10:45…


But we thought that since tomorrow is going to 100% sunny…


And since the Vols game is postponed due to the CV…


Why not meet for whoever wants to at 4:30 tomorrow, Saturday afternoon for our Sunday worship on Saturday?


Why not enjoy a little SAL (“Saturday Afternoon Live”)??


IBC (“It’ll be cool!”)


We’ll PTL (“Praise the Lord!”)


Hope to CU (See you!”) tomorrow! 


TQVM!! (“Thank you very much!”)

Triple C News - November 4, 2020

Hey, everyone!


Whoa! It’s really been quite a unique election time! And it’s not over yet! It’s been so polarizing between the two parties that I’ve heard more than one person expressing the wish that there should be more than two parties to choose from!


Actually, there is a third party. 


Unfortunately, many haven’t heard of it.


And it’s waaay more important than the two parties we hear about all the time.


In Luke 15, a fellow lost a sheep, search for it until he found it, carried it home, invited his friends over, and threw a party to celebrate. And our Lord Jesus said that “in the same way, there is rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents!”


It may seem hard to imagine with all the issues swirling about in the news, but it’s the party in Heaven when someone believes in Jesus that matters most!


You don’t hear about it in cable news but everyday around the world, women, men, girls and boys are coming quietly, unnoticed into the Kingdom of Jesus! One sociologist estimated that the number is 3000 per hour!


And the angels party!! 


We’ve had loads of parties that aren’t around any more…


There was the Whig Party…

the Federalist Party…

the Know-nothing Party…

the Anti-Nebraska Party…

the Anti-Masonic Party…

and the Minnesota Farm-Labor Party…


but they’ve all been over for a long time!


But the party in Heaven when someone says, “Yes!” to Jesus is the party that never ends!


That’s why Paul instructed us to pray and intercede “…for kings and those in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life…” 1 Timothy 2.1-2


He wants us to pray for leaders in politics…(he was talking about Nero and that bunch!)…


that everything could stay quiet and peaceful…


Not stirred up, conflictual and chaotic!


So that our lives could be quiet and peaceful…


Why??


“This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth!” (1 Timothy 2.3-4)


Because God wants people “to be saved”, quite simply!


Praying for calm and peace and a quieting of chaos and conflict between parties because there’s another party that matters more the ones we care so much about!


The party in Heaven that always grows and never ends!


Would you join with me in asking God to bring peace and quietness to our troubled society during these stressful days? 


That God would speak peace over our conflicted land?


That there might be an unexpected calm settle over us as they figure things out in this election and beyond?


And would you join with me in doing our part and giving our heart to be peace-makers, rather than peace-breakers? 


For our Savior said the peace-makers are blessed “for they shall be called the children of God” . 

(Matthew 5.9)


Would you remember with me the words of the Apostle who wrote to us, “Let no unwholesome, hurtful talk come out of your mouth but only those words that build others up and give grace to those who listen…” (Ephesians 4.29)


He says this just before he adds, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (5.1-2)


Think before you tweet!


And if like me you have loved ones and friends on both sides and in both parties down here…


to misquote my mom when I was a kid…


“Remember to look both ways before you cross the…line!”


“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy. 


O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love…”


Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Praise in the Park - this Sunday morning at 9:30am!!

Praise In the Park! This SUNDAY!! 

Elm Grove Park at 9:30 am!!

Hey, everyone!

As many of you know, we’ve been meeting on Wednesday evenings at beautiful, shady, breezy Elm Grove Park (“BYOLC”…”Bring Your Own Lawn Chair”) at 6:30 in the evening for a time of singing, praising, encouragement from the Word and chatting, sharing the joy of just being together…

It’s been so fun! And rich! And healing! 

But we know it hasn’t been a convenient time for everyone.

And so many long for Sundays together! 

So we thought, “Hey! Let’s worship in the park on Sunday mornings!!”

We haven’t been meeting in ol’ 100 Ogden for a lot of reasons…

Fear is NOT one of them!!

Sometimes, folks around the country say, “I’m not going to live in fear! I’m going to live in faith!”

In faith, we have wanted to let LOVE guide all of our decisions during the pandemic.

It’s still out there! And we just don’t want to be a part of making a global mess worse! 

Gathering indoors in a crowd with singing over longer periods of time are the quickest way to spread it! 

From churches and bars…

We’ve been praying for my awesome neighbor as he is still in ICU from Covid (tho’ thankfully it looks like God has made things turn for the better! But we did have some anxious days!)

If we met Sunday mornings in the building right now, we’d have to limit numbers to about 40, and take reservations and be careful about singing…

But outdoors is awesome!!

Outside, we can ALL be there together! 

And sing as loud as we want!

You can find a spot, bring a blanket and, even better than social distancing”…

you can “social picnic”! 

Folks hang out, catch up, and “chat it up” (we wear masks when we’re “up close and personal”) after as long as they want!

We’ll continue to produce our online 10:45 service for those who can’t be there!

Many catch it later in the week anyway.

Lots of folks “beyond our flock” enjoy it also.

We’ve made a DVD each week for the Morgan County prison and guys there are worshipping with us each week, including guys who could never be with us before, such as men in solitary confinement!

And you’ll be able to tell your grandkids about the “time you worshipped with your friends in a park because of the pandemic of 2020”!

There’s a port-a-potty on site and we’ll leave Triple C open for anyone who needs a trip up the hill…It’s only three minutes away!

If it rains one Sunday, we’ll make the call early in the morning and get the word out by church-wide text to everyone. 

(But the next two months have the least rainfall of the year!)

You can bring a blanket, snacks and spread out if you want and enjoy this with all your heart!

Super casual (what you’d wear to the park…because it is one!)

Our worship time won’t be super long! Probably 45 minutes or so, start to finish! But you can stay as long as you want!!

Two of our community groups are going to “circle up” after at the park and meet “un-zoomed” in 3D!

We’ll sing! We’ll worship! We’ll be together!! As we…PRAISE IN THE PARK!! 

Sunday mornings at 9:30 at Elm Grove Park! 

(Don’t forget! BYOLC!)

Weekly e-news August 14, 2020

Hey, everyone!

What a beautiful day!! 

What a beautiful sky!

What wonderful things 

are passing by!

As I sit on the pew 

outside Triple C,

It’s the perfect time 

to enjoy being …me!

Where’d THAT come from???

Wait a sec…

Oh.

I was talking with someone yesterday about how much they liked Dr Suess, growing up!

Seriously!

Speaking of influential doctors…

I’ve been praying everyday for the Corona virus vaccine and especially for one particular doctor who is heading up the national effort to develop one or more of them.

Not everyone agrees with him about everything but not only is he a genius and an amazing leader of this scientific quest, but he LOVES Jesus and his life story and heart are two national treasures of inestimable worth in confusing times!

Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the National Institute of Health, led the Human Genome Project which “culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book…”

(I may need someone to explain that to me…)

Francis was an atheist…

(he wanted to be a medical scientist and he thought that for that you kinda had to be!)… 

in his third year of med school at the University of North Carolina. 

And he kept finding himself at the bedside of “the good people of North Carolina” who were facing the end of life with problems he couldn’t solve and yet with a faith he couldn’t explain! 

“I wondered what I would do if I were there.”

He had a patient who was “lovely and grandmotherly” from the country. 

She was dying of heart failure and yet had a certainty of the constant presence of Jesus 

and that she was soon going to her heart’s true home.

“You know doctor, I’ve told you about my faith and you never say anything. 

What do you believe, Doctor?”

“Nobody had ever asked me that, in such an open, honest, wonderfully caring way…”

“And I stammered something like, ‘Well, I don’t think I really know…’

Her eyes widened, like, ‘Really?!’ 

And I got out of the room as fast as I could!

And that really tormented me for the next few days!”

“Like, I’m supposed to be a scientist. 

I’m supposed to care about answering important questions. 

She just asked me a really important question that I realized I have absolutely no answer for!”

“I would identify myself as an atheist but it was because that was the answer I wanted, 

not because it was something that I’d actually explored… 

Maybe it’s time to explore it…”

He took a walk down the street to a pastor’s house his wife had met…

knocked and…

it wasn’t long before he had answers he’d never heard before in his brain…

a copy of “Mere Christianity” by C. S. Lewis in his hand…

and just a little later, Jesus in his heart!

Isn’t it amazing that in a global crisis, one of the most important scientists in the world…

and a person we ALL need to succeed in his labor…

and one we are all looking to for a solution and resolution…

in a time when what it means to be a Christian has become so confusing and even acrimonious…

Isn’t it amazing…

that God would put someone in that place who loves Jesus and who loves Him so humbly and well?

Ain’t God good?

Weekly e-news August 4, 2020

Hey, everyone!

Hope your day is full of “praise-no-matter-what-might come”! 

And “trust-no-matter-when-this-ends”! 

And “joy-no-matter-where-you-are”!

So many questions!

But I’ve seen a bunch of brave kids go into their elementary schools…

marching forward…

backpacks behind…

masks and courage on their little faces!

How do you explain it?

The ones I know are trusting those who are wiser and bigger than they to know how to keep them safe.

And some I know are also trusting Him Who is wiser and bigger than they to know how to keep them safe!

The other morning I was reading in Matthew where Jesus’ friends asked Him who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven… 

(“I think I know!” each thought)

But the answer was surprising!

Jesus invited a little kid to come stand by Him. With His hand on the curls above the beaming face, He answered, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!”

The ones who rock the Kingdom of God are the ones who know how to be a kid in heart!

The word translated “change” is a Greek word that means “to turn and go the other way”

You’ve been getting bigger and taller so far? Go the other way! Grow smaller!

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Grab your backpack and your little mask and trust Him Who is wiser and bigger than you to know how to keep you safe!

I was reading of an elementary music teacher (this was “btc”…”Before the Corona) who had a lot of anxiety at school because she was going to go to the principal and ask to change the date for the big music program they had practiced…and scheduled!…for months.

It wasn’t gonna be an easy conversation.

With heart racing, she was rummaging thru a bunch of clutter on her desk and a slip of paper fell to the floor. 

She picked it up and read, “When I am afraid I will trust in You”

She couldn’t believe it!!

Just the words she needed!!

She marched into that office with a heart full of…you know! Courage!… and their time wasn’t as nearly as bad as imagined.

A coupla days latter, a little girl asked her, “Ms Jacobs, have you seen a little piece of paper that says, ‘When I am afraid, I will trust in You’?”

“Yes, Rachel! Is it yours?”

With a little reflection, she added, “Are you alright, honey? Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Well, remember the other day when we had to take all those tests? I was afraid I wouldn’t pass and my mom put those words on that paper in my lunch box and it helped me. Then I lost it.”

Ms Jacobs shared how she had been afraid also. And had found from Rachel’s mom…and God’s Word!…just the help she needed!

So remember:

Trust Him Who is wiser and bigger than you to know how to keep you safe!

You can do it, kid!

Weekly e-news June 12, 2020

So, When Will We Meet Together Again?!

From the Elders of Christ Community,

The biggest question for so many churches all over the world right now is, “When will we meet together again? And how will we do it?

So, what about us? Christ Community Church, at the top of the hill in Oak Ridge? Do we have a plan for how and when we will get together as a church body and worship in person, in our building on Sunday mornings again?

To be perfectly honest, the answer is sorta, “No. We don’t. And yet, we may have some other ideas."

Let me explain what we mean by that:

When we stopped meeting together in March, it was a decision made out of love and respect, fused with responsibility and compliance. Our heart was focussed on doing what we could as a church to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. As a ministry team, once we decided that we would have to bring worship to you on a digital platform, we poured our energy and creativity into making that experience as immersive and interesting as we could. So many gifted members of our congregation work long hours every week to make this happen. When this began, we asked some fundamental questions, such as, “How can you truly worship in your living room? How can our church feel connected while apart?” We wanted you all to be a part of it, and you have answered that call! So many of you have read Scriptures to us, prayed over us, shared your stories and pictures with us, made us laugh and made us cry. I feel like we have all grabbed our smart phones and stacked hands to make sure that Triple C worship services still feel as though this church family is together despite being apart.

Our goal has been to give every person at Christ Community the best possible worship experience we could come up with until this whole season is over. So, why don’t we have a plan for getting back together yet? Well, we don’t feel as though this season is over yet. We don’t want to open our doors too early and risk infection for our most vulnerable. We don’t want to open our doors to some and exclude others, such as kids and families with kids. We don’t want to have something that only a few can come to. We want our church to worship together, in a way where everyone is welcome in exactly the same place. For right now, that central location of universal welcome remains online.

As Elders, we don’t believe we are out of the woods when it comes to the Corona virus. Our healthcare workers are still masked up and gloved up. If we can’t all get together at 100 Ogden, then let's continue to pour our hearts into all getting together over the internet. Let’s remain in this together, until a time where we can safely be together and welcome everyone. 

That being said, Monday Night prayer remains on. Every Monday night at 6:30, some of us meet to pray. If you are itching to worship together at 100 Ogden, come sit on the front porch with us this Monday. We worship and pray, and we would love to have you. In addition, we are working on a plan to have a special Wednesday evening service outside at Elm Grove Park on Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge. It'll be a BYOCC (bring your own camp chair) time to spread out in that field and worship together outdoors. We will be watching the weather and letting you know!

In the meantime, thank you for your encouragement and participation in the online services. We love and miss you all very much!

Weekly e-news June 8, 2020

Hey, everyone,

So apparently the cicadas are coming.

We’ve had the global pandemic for almost five months.

No baseball.

No sports of any kind.

Days of marches, protests and tension across the country.

Now the cicadas.

I’m so tired I bet I’ll sleep right through whatever buzz they make.

I’m soooo glad Jesus is on His Throne, ruling over all!!

I know many are wondering, “Protest marches…with some becoming ugly…The confrontation makes me so nervous! Do they do any good?”

I marched in one the other night.

In Oak Ridge, some dynamic and impressive young people wanted to organize a peaceful march for racial justice. 

Pastor Derek Hammond of Oak Valley Baptist Church offered them his leadership and helped them pull everything together. He needed to line up the speakers.

One of his first calls was to Lee!

Our Lee is so loved in the African American community of Oak Ridge! In his work as a Young Life volunteer, he has had such a burden for the African American guys! And for the Latino guys! He’s taught himself Spanish (he’s really gotten good!) to speak to them in the language of their heart! Along with Devon and Thomas (and others!), he’s become such a friend, older brother and spiritual shepherd to so many young men of different cultures! 

ALL of our Young Life leaders have been like an army on a mission of love, taking the Great News of Jesus to students by caring, listening and being present when they’ve needed someone to care! 

How many kids have come to know the love of our Lord because of their love for them! 

As kids began to talk about the joy they’ve experienced at Young Life activities, Lee, Thomas and Devon were invited to provide the comic relief at the Oak Valley Baptist Church annual “Youth Revival” in the Scarborough community for the past few years. Then this year, Lee was asked to be the speaker at the meetings. And for three nights, he shared in his clear, insightful, and love-filled way the Message of the gift and gifts Jesus offers to all who want them. So many kids (and adults) opened their hearts wider…and some for the first time!…to “His love reaching”!

Long seasons of labor…rides to school, lunches at home, and long talks about life…are yielding the fruits of a harvest!

So when Pastor Hammond needed voices of love and hope at the march, he knew whom he could count on!

Lee was one of his first phone calls!

The crowd around the Friendship Bell was impressive. The sun was intense and so were emotions. 

To begin, Pastor Hammond asked all to bow their heads. 

We all did…

(except the guy playing the bagpipe who didn’t know we were praying…

because he couldn’t hear anything but himself!)  

and he led us in a beautiful prayer.

I think Lee was the second to speak. 

As he got ready to begin, a group of white supremacists started to make a disturbance behind him. The police surrounded them and stood in a circle with their faces an inch or less from those yelling faces, staring them down. 

Lee began his message and his voice was strong and clear.

He spoke (punctuated with lots of applause and “Amens!”) about “a great love that has come from Heaven” into his heart and changed him…

“A love that says…

Love as I have loved you…

and

anyone who comes to Me I will never cast out…

and

I do not condemn you…

and

I call you My friends…

(There were loads of “Amen”s after each of these!!)

A Love that teaches us…

to mourn with those who mourn…

and

to remember those who are mistreated…

and

to do to others as we would have others do unto us…”

Lee’s words were all about Jesus and  cheers and “Amen”s were filling the air!

Others shared their thoughts and there was a wonderful talk by the Chief of the Oak Ridge Police.

Then the police officers who were present on duty were invited to come forward and Pastor Hammond, Lee and others prayed over them! 

Pastor Hammond closed in prayer and we all went home with these thoughts in our hearts 

(at least I did!):

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5.9)

and 

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace!” (Romans 14:19)

and

“…God gave us the ministry of reconciliation!” (2 Corinthians 5.18)

and

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3.18)

So, it was good.

Weekly e-news May 30, 2020

Hey, everyone,

So it’s Friday…

Usually, I try to think up a handful of encouragement to toss on the page for the end of the week…

But this was a tough one.

“How do I find anything to share in a week of so much grief and sadness…
so many gone in death across our country…
so many friends…grandpas and grandmas…lifelong loves…included in the “100,000”…
so many broken-hearted families who couldn’t even hold a hand or say ‘good-bye’…
so much cruelty and racial hate…
so much animosity and antagonism…
so much sorrow…”

And then I got it…My encouraging thought!

“It won’t be this way forever!”

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away!…
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  (Revelation 21:1, 5)

There’ll be no social distancing there!
We’ll all be scrunched up together around the Throne and around the Table!
We’ll hug and embrace without fear just like they did way back when!
(“They all kissed and embraced him…” Acts 20:37)

“And they are singing with a loud voice”…
(with NO fear of spreading the corona!)…
“Worthy is the Lamb!” (Revelation 5:12)

And all of them “have the right to…go through the gates into the city…” (Revelation 22:14)
“How many do they let in at one time?? 
How many are in there together? 
More than fifty in one space??”

Yes!! 

There are “thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand!” (Revelation 5:11)

And around the Throne there will be people from…
“every tongue…
tribe…
people…
and nation!” (Revelation 5:9-10)

Thousands upon thousands of people…
Black, brown, white, Asian…
Ten thousand times ten thousand!!

Worshipping and praising the Lamb their Savior all together!

Just like the family of love they were ALWAYS supposed to be!

All hugs!
No hurt!

All praising!
No tears!

All love!
No hate!!

Only love!

I can only imagine.

Weekly e-news May 25, 2020


Hey, everyone!

Hope you’re having a wonderful…
but weird…
or at least different…
or at least “un-normal”…
holiday weekend!

I remember Memorial Day, May 28, 2018!

What an unforgettable day!!

D-Rod, Thomas and I were at SunTrust Park, 
screamin’ and shoutin’ as Charlie “Clutch” Culberson rounded the bases 
after a walk-off homer over centerfield against the Mets!

Seems like a loooooong time ago.

(Sigh…)

Y’know (chill piano music playing…) “in these uncertain times”, we’re all looking for good examples to follow.

I wanted to tell you about one that I’ve taken as kind of a role model.

The one I have in mind is quiet, faithful, and always there for everyone in need!

This week, it was me who needed help!

Never a complaint…ever! 

My hero may be a little rusty in spots, but has been devoted to serving the people of God from the first day in the Kingdom! 
In fact, you might say there is a 100% dedication to His work!

Inconspicuous, never one to want attention…

but the living fulfillment of Paul’s words “Bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the Law of Christ!”

My friend can bear a LOT of burdens…
carry a lot of weight…
and never quits!

Anyone who needs help always gets it! 
Without exception! 
Without fail!

You know the verse that says…
“Serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13)?

And the one that says, “Don’t look out for your own interests 
but be concerned about the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4)?

Or how ‘bout “Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10)?

That’s the one I’m think of!

Of course, many of you know that I’m talking about…

Mr T! 

Mr T is Pottsie’s Ford F-250 pick-up truck with rust on the hood and a million miles on the engine. 
It has moved houses, furniture and literally tons of mulch for so many of us…

Mr T has always been available to serve anyone and is one completely devoted to God’s work! 
In fact, it does nothing but serve!

A true servant…
the best of friends in need…
and a good example for us all!

(Just like its owner.)

Weekly e-news May 15, 2020

Message from Tom


Hey, everyone!

Hope you’re having an awesome day!

If you’re not, I have an idea coming up in a few minutes! It’s kind of a spiritual “hack”.

As you know (I bet) a hack is “a clever tip or technique for doing or improving something”

“Clean your keyboard with a toothbrush”…

“Clean up spilled glitter with a ball of Play-Dough”

“Cut cheese with dental floss” (or use a knife like always)

Here are some “hacks” for the times of the corona virus…

“Wear an umbrella hat to social distance”

In Iceland, they suggest if kids can’t hug their grandparents, “hug a tree!…You get a good relaxing feeling and are ready for a new day and new challenges!”

(Nope. Not the same.)

Spiritually, if you’re feeling discouraged and a little hopeless after weeks of news filled with words like “gloomy” and “dire” (as in “dire forecast”)…

here’s a “spiritual hack”! 

It’s simple, easy and biblical!

Ask God for some hope!

It’s what I do! 

And Paul said you could!

Well, actually, there’s an awesome prayer in Romans 15:13 that Paul prayed for those Romans and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it and prayed it for yourself! 

Ready?

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!”  

(Maybe you could cut it out and tape it on the bathroom mirror or fridge where you can see it everyday to remember to pray it!)

I love how most of the prayers of Paul are for someone’s heart and that God would help them feel inside what they should feel!

Do you need to feel more the love of God for you these days? Pray this:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!” (Ephesians 3:16-19)    

Wow! Simple and oh,so easy!

Need some strength for a tough day? Ask God to show you how strong you truly are in Him! 

Try this prayer:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,  and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms!” (Ephesians 1:18-20)

His strength that He makes available to you is the same power that raised Jesus! Imagine that! 
I love to ask Him to open my heart’s eyes to help me believe it! You can, too!!

With folks stuck at home more than they’re used to…

with some of them getting on each other’s “last nerve”…

some need to pray this one!

 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else…!” 
(1 Thessalonians 3:12)

I love these prayers! 

A simple, easy solution straight out of the Bible!

But the verse right before that is the one I’m praying for you!

“Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you!”

There’s no way anyone can make missing y’all easy or simple.

All I can do is ask Him to get us together soon!

Love y’all!!

Weekly e-news May 8, 2020

Hey, everyone!

Hope you are having an awesome, albeit historically chilly May 8! 

(“…albeit”?)

Spring will be back soon!

We’ll be in the 70’s by Wednesday and 80’s by Thursday!

Sun both days!

And irises blooming! 

And birds singing!

Loud, right??

How you noticed it?

It seems like the birds singing is louder than it used to be! 

And not only to me! 

There have been reports from around the world that the birds seem so loud these days. 

But ornithologist Sue Anne Zollinger at Manchester University in England says it’s like an optical illusion…only it’s in your ears!

During the pandemic…”with the decrease in traffic, there's less noise pollution. That means birds have less noise to compete with…Although our perception might be that they're singing louder, it's actually likely in places that are typically noisy that they're singing more quietly than normal…In other words, birds are like us: In a noisy bar, people will raise their voices…”

So the birds are quieter than usual; you just hear better.

Because you’re quieter than normal right now.

Sometimes people talk about “God speaking to them” and it can seem a little…you know…different than you’re used to. Maybe it even seems a little weird when they talk that way.

But He does.

In Galatians 5, Paul says “the Spirit has desires that are contrary to your sinful nature” and vice versa. The Holy Spirit is always telling you what He wants for you in a situation. And contrarily, your worst self is telling what it wants. You usually know what the bad urging is. 

But if you ask God what He wants in that moment…

and be quiet a few…

you’ll know!

Paul says the Spirit is always bearing witness with our spirit that we’re God’s kids. (Romans 8.16) 

He’s always telling you that! 

He also says that the love of God is always being poured out into your heart through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5.5)

He’s always telling you He loves you!

So…

in these days of the corona virus…

if you have a moment when you really feel like you need to cry to God like a little kid to their dad because you don’t know what to do and He seems like the only One to go to…

Or if you feel like you know what God is asking you to do about a certain thing that’s been kind of “on you” lately. 

(Like, you know what would be wrong to do, but you also know clearly what would be right…)

Or if in this awful, confusing, flood of constant bad news…

you have a little but beautiful moment…

when you just know…

feel…

and are filled with thankfulness…

that you are just…

simply…

loved…

by Him…

I have a theory.

He’s not speaking louder.

It’s because you’re quieter.

Here are some announcements…

Speaking of listening to birds sing, you can hear them so well from the outside pews at Triple C! We’ll be out there every Monday evening, praying like always if you’d like to join us! 

We’ll be outside in the open-air with plenty of space between us so we take care of each other!

Come join us if you can and help us pray for so many needs all around us!

Mondays

6:30 pm here at Triple C

And remember…

We’re streaming our Sunday worship time at 10:45 on Sundays (or you can find it any time after that on our FaceBook page or YouTube channel), along with talks and music we put on our webpage (and those other places!) thru the week! 

If you need help, prayer, or anything else, text, email, or call!!

Weekly e-news May 2, 2020

Hey, everyone!

Wow! We miss seeing everyone soooooo much! 

We hope it won’t be long till we’re together again! 

And as Andy Dufresne said (in the “Shawshank Redemption”)…

“Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things!”

Well, actually the best of things would be to be together again praising the Lord!

I mean, it sure would be better than hoping we could…

Hey! Here’s some good news!! 

(Actually, it’s from the weather desk!)

Today is gonna be awesome!

Lower 80’s and sunshine! 

Wow!!

You’ll be able to do so many things!!

How ‘bout a softball game?

Wait. 

Maybe not that. 

If you have to take a six foot lead off the base to social distance from the guy playing first, you’d get thrown out.

Well, hey! Maybe you could have a bunch of friends over for a grill-out!

On second thought, probably not yet. You haven’t seen ‘em in so long, you’d want to give ‘em all a big hug! It’s not time for that. We’re still in the hug-free zone.

Plus, when I hear “a bunch”, that sounds like more than ten to me.

“Well, it just seems like we can’t do anything! Lord, please make this be over!!”

There you go! You CAN do that!! 

“What? I can do what?!”

You can ask God to make this be over!

You can totally pray for that!!

I mean, God is in control of all of this…

and He is working out a plan that only He understands…

and one day we’ll hear stories of how His Kingdom advanced in amazing ways in this time…

and Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”

But…

We can go boldly to Him and ask for relief from this and the dawn of a new day!

You can talk to Him and ask for help in any little thing and every huge problem!

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus said to pray for…

“our daily bread” (something to eat today) and…

 “Your Kingdom come” (a new global regime and the conquering reign of Jesus over the world)!!

Once a troubled woman asked Pastor G. Campbell Morgan, “Dr Morgan, can I pray about little things that are bothering me as much as the big concerns?”

“Of course! Do you think any concern or problem is big to Him?”

In May 1940, almost a third of a million Allied forces in France were trapped by the sea on one side and the Nazi army and airplanes on the other. The German High Command ordered the annihilation of the entire British army. There was the possibility of losing everyone.

Churchill was preparing everyone for a catastrophe.

On Thursday May 23, King George VI called for the nation to devote an entire day to prayer for God to have mercy…

to go Sunday, May 26 into “churches, cathedrals and chapels and seek God”

On Monday, 840 boats and vessels, many of them private and fishing boats set across the channel to try to rescue up to 30,000 of the trapped troops, exposed to Hitler’s bombers and fighter planes. 

But inexplicably…

There were huge storms across France, grounding the German Luftwaffe…

and inexplicably…

Hitler called a halt to the impending attack…

and also inexplicably…

during the next three days there was an unusual calm on the waters of the English Channel…

And  during “the miracle at Dunkirk”, in 840 boats, 338,000 British troops were rescued!

What if millions of us…

in private…

and in sincerity…

and in humility…

and true dependency…

asked God to…

help us in ways that only He could…

to heal our world…

to bring a new season to us?

I don’t know about “millions”…

But we can!

And I’m gonna!

Join me! 

Weekly e-news April 24, 2020

Hey, everyone!

So….how’s it going?

I know that for some loooooots of time at home is proving to be a unique experience. 

And lots of us are learning (as Gandalf said) how “to make the most of the time that is given”.

I personally think everyone’s yard is looking great!

I read an article about how to cut your own hair. Women (or guys!) with long hair just have to pull it all up to the top of their heads, give it a twist, and whack it off right there! 

Done!

I mean…how hard was that?

And it looks great!

(Oh. It doesn’t? Sorry!)

I personally have never been to the barber in my whole life. 

My dad cut my hair when I was a kid and then I started cutting my own. 

Always have.

That habit set me up well for these days!

Kind of like Sonic. 

I personally feel Sonic is the perfect fast food place for our unique time! 

You’ve never gone in; they always come out to you. 

No reason to change that now!

How about learning a new language? I’ve been working on my Dutch and just wanted to say “We weten dat God alles ten goede zal gebruiken voor de mensen die van Hem houden en die Hij volgens zijn plan geroepen heeft om bij Hem te horen!”

Right?!  Amen!

In Saratoga County, NY the King Bros. Dairy has been responding to requests for home delivery and someone realized, “I remember something like this when I was a kid!” 

Welcome back, Milkman! We’ve missed you!

Lots of amazing things happen when folks are obligated to stay in one place!

Maybe it’s about the quiet…

Maybe it’s about learning to be more still…

Maybe it’s about changing speeds in the heart…

Maybe it’s about drawing closer to God when you feel stuck…

But…

Some of the most wonderful works and words were done, said, and written by those who were made to stay put! 

The Apostle Paul wrote his astonishing letters to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, and to his friend Philemon while he was “sheltering-in-place”! In prison!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer never wrote anything as warm, beautiful and moving as his “Letters From Prison”, written in the time of his incarceration by the Nazis.

There was once a “tinker” (a traveling kitchen utensil and pot repair person) who had never really been to school. He invited Jesus into his conflicted, profane heart after a long struggle and discovered that he was a wonderful preacher!

He was invited to share his thoughts, talks and messages in non-government sponsored churches around the countryside.

But when Charles II came back on the throne, John Bunyan was arrested for preaching in places other than the official Church of England and was thrown in the Bedfordshire County prison! 

He could have been released at any moment if he just promised he wouldn’t preach anymore (which he couldn’t and wouldn’t do!) and so spent the years from 1660 to 1672 locked away!

So he decided to write stuff!

He wrote a book about a fellow who had a dream…

Some think that his book, “Pilgrim’s Progress” is the first true English novel! 

It’s been translated into 200 languages…

It’s sold millions(!) of copies…

It’s never been out of print…

And it’s still awesome!

There is a place where the main character, “Christian”, who was escaping from his city and trying to find the Celestial City wasn’t making super good progress because he had a huge pack on his back of all his spiritual burdens and debts.

“He ran thus till he came at a place…and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more!

Wow! As soon as he looked at the cross, the load fell right off his back!!

“Then was Christian glad and lightsome!… 

Then he stood still a while, to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden…

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing!”

“Glad and lightsome”! 

“Lightsome!”

I love that word!

I want to have a lightsome heart!

Especially these days!

So….

Looking for a goal while sheltering at home?

Write a novel!

A classic!

No pressure.

Weekly e-news April 17, 2020

Hey, everyone!

Hope you’re filled with hope today!

And if you have some but wouldn’t call yourself exactly “filled” with it, why not try praying this for yourself a few (several?!) times each day:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” (Romans 15:13)

I’m gonna put that verse somewhere where I don’t miss it!

‘Cause I wanna remember to not forget to pray it for myself everyday!!

“Remember to not forget to..”?

Yeah! You know what I mean, right? 
I don’t want to forget to do certain things everyday.
So I have to remember to not forget to do ‘em!

I’ve been forgetting stuff a lot lately and I have to remember to not forget to do certain things. Like…

Take a vitamin everyday. (Never done it. Gummies are best.)

Take my mask if I have to go to Kroger’s (I used to go there everyday for something! So weird.)…

Thank God for this time we’re in…

“What?! Thank God for this??”

Well, Paul the Apostle does say, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus!” (1 Thes 5:18)

Maybe he doesn’t mean I have to gulp and thank God FOR every circumstance but at least IN all of them!
And, truth be told, there are things that are happening in the world…
and in my heart…
that wouldn’t have without all this!

When I was a kid on Thanksgiving, I didn’t know Jesus yet, but I always wanted to remember not to forget to be thankful like Thanksgiving Day everyday!

There was an old Thanksgiving hymn I loved.

“Now thank we all our God,
With hearts and hands and voices!
Who wondrous things has done,
In Whom this world rejoices!

Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today!”

Remember that one? Along with “Come Ye Thankful People Come” it was kind of the Thankgiving carol!

It wasn’t written for Thanksgiving Day, tho’

It was written in the middle of an infectious disease outbreak. 
In the middle of a horrible wartime. 
The Thirty Years’ War…
“Thirty years…
Gross.

Martin Rinkart became a pastor in Eilenburg, Germany the year the war broke out. After 20 years of it, the invading Swedish marauders had driven thousands of war refugees into the walled city and in 1637, an infectious disease outbreak claimed 8000 within the walls of the city, including most of the city council and Mrs. Rinkart. The entire time, day after day, he cared for the sick, prayed with the dying and personally buried 4480 people. 

Pastor Rinkart boldly walked outside the protection of the city walls to plead with the Swede general to have mercy of his town and starving people. The general was implacable so the pastor turned to his companions and said, “Come, my children, we can find no mercy with men, let us take refuge with God!”

And he dropped to his knees right there and began to plead to God for help!

The general was touched and gave in.

It was in the middle of all of this that Martin Rinkart wrote and sang his hymn!

From a heart-full of thanks to the One Who would never leave or forsake him!

“O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us!
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us!

And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
Of this world and the next!

Wow!

If he could do it…

we can too!

Weekly e-news April 10, 2020

Hey, everyone! Happy Good Friday!

“Should you really say that? What would would be happy about remembering the saddest day of all?Especially this year with everything we’re in?”

Well, you know what I mean.

Maybe it would have been better to say ‘Blessed Good Friday’ That probably would have been more appropriate.

Well, why do they even call it that? To call that Friday ‘good’ almost seems inappropriate in itself!”

Why DO they call it “Good Friday? “ Great question!

I don’t think anyone really knows why they call it Good Friday. Some people think “Good Friday” comes from “God’s Friday”. Like “good-bye” comes from “God be with ye”.  Other people believe that we call it Good Friday because of all the good that came on that day.

“What was good about that day? It was the saddest day in the history of the earth!”

It was a day of all things sad and painful…

Jesus stumbling...

hammers ringing…

thieves swearing...

soldiers betting…

Jesus bleeding...

soldiers mocking…

women weeping...

friends hiding...

Jesus dying...

friends grieving...

stones rolling…

sun setting…

darkness reigning…

The sun hid its face so it didn’t have to watch. 

And yet, in the darkness, there was good.

For the first time in the history of the world, a life was lived perfectly until death.

And because of Him, an innumerable multitude will live perfectly after death. That’s good.

Also, by the end of that day, our Lord was finally home. That’s good.

And because of that day, I’ve found a home. That’s good.

In the first moments of His nailing, our Savior asked the Father to forgive those who so horribly abused Him. Then He assured a criminal of a place in Heaven with Him that very day.  That’s very good.

Then it became dark. For three hours. And it became quiet. Our Lord suffered silently.

As an old spiritual says, “They crucified my Lord and He never said a mumblin’ word… not a word… not a word.”  The cruelest, coldest hearts on the planet, employed to nail humans down and hoist them up, and do it without a qualm or shiver, watched the Son of God suffer in silence, as blood and love flowed. 

And then He spoke. And one thing He said just before He breathed the last time was, “I’m thirsty.” 

Why would He say this? Why say that to the most unconcerned, uncaring assembly of human beings of all time?  Did He hope that from those emotionless, cold, dead hearts, someone would care that He was thirsty? …that hands that had hammered Him would now help Him? 

And yet…And yet…

“And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.” (Matthew 27.48)

Could it be that one of them, having heard words of forgiveness and of a home in heaven… royal words spoken from a cross where a King ruled through love… had opened his heart to Him?

And out of that new and reborn heart that moments before had been only dark and cold… out of that unlikely place… some pity… some caring… some good had come?

In almost the next verse after this, our Lord was dead. But just before that darkest of moments… on that darkest of Fridays… on the worst Friday ever… someone with love for Jesus, did something good.

And around the world, those who love Him… for what He did for them that day… in one of the most confusing and difficult times any of us have known… will do something good for someone today.

That’s good.

Weekly e-news April 3, 2020

Hey, everyone!

I sooooo hope and pray each of you is well, healthy and hopeful today!

(As Andy Dufresne said, “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things…”)

Someone asked me, “What did Christians do when things like this happened in ages past?”

Not this!

Offer a hug? No way! 6 feet!

Go to the hospital and volunteer? You can’t get in!

Preach to the crowds desperate for the Words of Life? You can’t (and shouldn’t!) find one to preach to!

This is like no other time! You can’t put an arm around a shoulder… You can’t take someone by the hand to comfort them… You can’t hug someone while they cry… Because all of those things might be making things worse and not better! It’s NEVER been this way!

“So what can I do?”

I always live by the rule: ”When you don’t know what to do, do what you KNOW to do!”

And I KNOW you can pray!! What if so many of us determined that we were going to join an army of the people of God around the world and REALLY ask our Dad in Heaven to intervene in a million different ways??

Paul tells us in Colossians 4 that this is hard work! It’s like wrestling! Struggling! What if you decided you were going to walk everyday and during that time, you would pray! For peace for the troubled… For all the health workers you know who are really “out there”… For places that are straining and overwhelmed… For hearts everywhere to turn to Him… For opportunities to share the Message of His love… For hearts (including our own!) to be more open and sensitive than ever before to what God is doing in us… For our missionaries who are locked down, closed in, shut down around the world in ways they never dreamed… For creative thoughts of how we can help, care and love in new ways… For Italy and the decreasing in numbers and hope of going outside again… For mercy and miracles and hope for better days… For… For… For…

In the Book of Revelation, there is a place where angels take the prayers of the saints and collect them into a golden ball with incense, together with coals from the fire of the altar of God in Heaven and with a lot of smoke, hurled them to the earth! (Revelation 8) Wow!! Your prayers having a meteoric impact of the world!! BOOOM!!

I remember when Bill Bright was dying. Bill was the founder of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade For Christ) with it’s 26,000 staff members and 225000 volunteers, reaching people for Jesus in 191 countries(!)… and the author of a booklet that explains how to accept Jesus (“The Four Spiritual Laws”) with it’s 2.5 billion copies, translated into 200 languages(!!)… and the genius behind the “Jesus” movie from the Gospel of Luke, seen by 5.1 BILLION people in 225 languages(!!!)… He suffered from pulmonary fibrosis and in his last days… on oxygen 24 hours a day… he wrote to his staff and friends around the world… “…I am reminded of Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (NIV). As long as I am here, as long as I have breath, I will praise and serve the Lord! …As long as you have breath… He has something for you to do! There are many possibilities. Perhaps you can be a prayer intercessor. There is not a more important job in the body of Christ than that of an intercessor. You can be a prayer intercessor while confined to a bed or a wheelchair. You pray literally anywhere. If you do not have the strength to pray aloud, you can whisper. If you cannot whisper, you can move your lips. If you cannot move your lips, then pray silently, in your mind. God knows and reads your heart. Your humble prayers can actually help change your world! Are you still breathing? Then be encouraged, and get busy! Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright”

Wow.

Here are a few announcements for you… Can you sew? UT hospital is in very serious need for masks for doctors and nurses!! The pattern they suggest is found at: madeeveryday.com —DOWNLOAD THE FACE MASK PATTERN, WITH FILTER POCKET, HERE— Print it, share it with friends, pass it around. I think these links will take you there! Let us know if you can help, so we can know better where the needs are!!

From Lee… Hey folks, our hope is to continue providing a way for you us all to worship Jesus together (at home) during this difficult season. So, we are thoughtfully and safely creating videos for you to queue up on Sunday morning with your family, as well as other songs and encouraging thoughts throughout the week. You can find every bit of that right here: youtube.com/christcommunitychurchoakridge Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss a thing!  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” Romans 15:13

Weekly e-news March 20, 2020

Hey, everyone!

 

I hope you’re well and finding His peace and feeling Him near this week!

 

We’re super praying for that for all of you!! 

 

“…and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!”

 

What beautiful and precious words!!

 

And if you’re looking for stuff to do/watch/read while we’re home more these days…

 

I just finished a book that I loved! 

 

And if you’re looking for one, it seems perfect for our days ahead!

 

It’s called “The Sun Does Shine” by Anthony Ray Hinton…

 

Ray (as his friends call him) was convicted for two crimes he did not commit and spent 30 years on death row until an amazing lawyer argued his case before the United States Supreme Court and proved his innocence in 2015. 

 

Anthony has been lecturing about his 30 years in a 5’ by 7’ cell…

 

He has a sweet love for Jesus and an amazing heart!

 

“They took my 30’s…

they took my 40’s…

they took my 50’s…

but they couldn’t take my joy!”

 

(I mean, what better book if you’re having to learn to look on the bright side of being cooped up in your house these days?!)

 

He explained that after his first few years, he realized that even tho’ his body was locked up, his heart was free to go wherever his imagination would take him!

 

“Sometimes, from my cell I’d decide that I was going to spend the day in Paris…

I’d get on the plane, flying first class to France…

walk the Champs Elysees…

go up the Eiffel Tower and be back by bedtime!”

 

“Some days, the Queen of England would call and say, ‘Anthony, would you like a spot of tea?’ 

So I’d be on my way to Windsor Castle and we’d have a delightful time chatting about the days events…”

 

“I won Wimbledon three times and led the American League in batting ten years in a row as a third baseman for the Yankees!”

 

Of course, he’d open his eyes and find it all wasn’t true.

 

But today, I decided to try it.

 

With all the anxiety crackling in the atmosphere, I decided I was going to take a break from it.

 

I decided I was going to spend the day in my mind with Jesus Himself beside me all day! 

We chatted about everything!

He was even beside me while I mowed!

Up and down, up and down my yard for a couple of hours! 

 

He had let me know from some things He said previously (in Matthew 6.25-34, for example)

that He didn’t want me worrying about everything that is happening, and that He really expected more from me than that! 

His expectations actually gave me a freedom to say “No!” to fear all day! 

 

“Jesus doesn’t want me doing that stuff!” I thought.

 

My day had begun in my mind with a trip with Jesus thru the heavens to the very presence of God the Father! 

To His very Throne! 

Jesus, being God the Son could bring me there! 

 

And I was able to tell Him all that I hoped would happen!

And what I actually needed Him to do for me and for my heart! 

And my mind! 

That I wanted peace in my heart today!

And I wanted to be able to believe Him better!

And I wanted to feel loved all day!

And with Jesus right beside me the whole day, how could I not!

 

And then I opened my eyes and found it all WAS true!

 

We love y’all!! 

Here are a few announcements…

 

This is from our own Lee!

“Whoa! Triple C is doing tons of stuff online while we’re all cooped up! 

 

How cool! And, how do I find that stuff? — I’m glad you asked. Our hope during this unique time is to bring you encouraging thoughts, Scriptures, songs and even our worship services right over the internet into your phones and computers so that we can worship together - even when we’re not together! So here’s the best way to stay connected and make sure you don’t miss out: 

 

1.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel! When you subscribe and click the little button that looks like a bell, you can make sure you know whenever we post a new video. Our channel is brand new, it’s going to have daily (or nearly daily) videos for your encouragement, and you can find it right here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjKMbKN8RMMgPX8Q5OnnLHg 

 

2. Like our Facebook page - This way, you’ll see our videos, blog posts and stream services (we’re planning to have two a week: Sunday morning at 10:45 EST and Wednesday evening at 7:00).

 

3. Share a link with a friend. If you see a video or post that touches you, send it to a friend who may need to see, hear or think about those same words. Our heart is simply to find new and creative ways to keep each other encouraged and thinking about Jesus during this time. 

We love y’all!”

 

Thanks, Lee! 

Hey, if you’re interested in participating in the ministry of praying in intercessory ways for our community, our own Triple C healthcare workers on the front lines, our country and the world, call or text Tom at 865 320 7692! We have some ideas that honor the distance and numbers together we need to maintain!

 

Also, if you need help (mowing, groceries, errands, etc (or know someone who does) let us know!

Weekly e-news March 13, 2020

Hey, everyone!

I sure hope your day and heart are full of hope! And peace! And joy! Even today! 

Here’s a verse I LOVE! 

“You will keep in perfect peace the ones whose mind is resting on (or “leaning on”) You because they trust in You!”

The phrase “perfect peace” is really written in Hebrew, “peace peace”! 

“You will keep in peace peace…”

Or, “double peace”!

You know, I was reading an article by a guy who loves Jesus who worked for the World Health Organization in Beijing during the SARS epidemic and he writes that communities can be classified as green, yellow or red. Green means there are no confirmed cases in your community and meeting together is not risky. For now, this is us. So, we can worship like normal(-ish)…

We may have to find creative ways to praise in days ahead…

I mean, if this were the yellow fever (where you had to get bit by a mosquito to get the virus instead of the way this virus spreads, where a person’s breath can give it another), I’d step out in faith and risk a mosquito bite to praise Jesus any day! 

But this is a thing that anyone who isn’t even feeling sick could give to someone who might pass it with their breath to someone who is vulnerable (like an older person or someone on chemo)…

And even in praise and worship, I’m responsible to care for the health of others and not just myself!

It’s a matter of faith…

but it’s also a matter of showing love, concern and care for my brother and sister in Jesus (especially the old and health-challenged ones!

And I believe love will lead us to know what to do!

It’s the love of Jesus…

His love for everyone…

especially the weakest!…

that will lead!

And caring for each other, is an act of worship too!

Anyway… 

personally for me as I try to decide how I personally am going to respond to all this situation after looking at the news…

I’ve decide what I myself am going to do…

Ready?

1) I’m gonna wash my hands real good! 

2) I’m gonna sneeze into my elbow!

3) And I’m not going out if I’m sick!

But, hey! That’s stuff I shoulda been doing everyday anyway!

You shouldn’t ever go to work sick!

And when a guy walks outta the bathroom when you’re in there and he skips the soap and sink, I don’t wanna judge but…seriously!? 

I’ve fantasized about getting a little round adhesive sticker printed up that says, “I don’t wash my hands after I P!” and secretly applying it with a friendly pat on the back!

Like I was saying…Especially now but…

these are things I should do…everyday, anyway!!

And in the light of this “different time”, here’s what else I’m gonna do! 

(These are for my spiritual health in these confusing days!)

1) I’m gonna fill my heart early in the morning with Scriptures that encourage me to trust, love, and praise my King!! 

Here’s one I found this morning…

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news… 

who proclaim peace…

who bring good tidings…

who say to Zion…

“YOUR GOD REIGNS!!!”

With all the other news, that was the BEST news!

2) And I’m gonna sing! I’m gonna sing praises along with someone on my playlist songs of praise to Jesus! With all I’ve got! If you hear something like that coming down the road, it may be me! (and Cece Winans and Kirk Franklin!) 

Nothing chases the “scary” away better that praise!

3) And I’m NOT gonna watch the cable news for hours! I’m not sure if they do it on purpose but it makes my heart race. Some say they use fear to make you a loyal listener but I can’t afford to be afraid! 

I think you should only watch for the same amount of time that you spend in the Scriptures, filling your heart with promises!!

4) And I’m gonna find somebody to help! And ask my Shepherd to use me (even more!) in troubled days! I want to take full advantage of these unsettling times to love and help those who may be looking for His love and help!

5) And I’m gonna think about today ONLY! Jesus said, “Give no thought for tomorrow!” and I ain’t gonna! He gives me strength and grace for today, one day at a time and when I get outta that, that’s when my heart pitter pats more than indicated!

6) And I’m gonna turn every anxious thought into a prayer for God’s intervention into our world…

And try to do it within 20 seconds of having it fly into brain! 

So…

“In light of the present distress”…

I’m gonna…

1) Fill my heart with Scripture…

2) Fill my car with praise…

3) Stay away from too much news…

4) Find someone to help…

5) Stay in “today”…

6) Turn cares to prayers!

But, hey! That’s stuff I should do everyday, anyway!

These days might not be so different after all! 

Everyday, anyway!

Weekly e-news March 6, 2020

Hey, everyone!

I’m gonna just skip the weather forecast this week because I want to get right to the point…

I REALLY hope you can make a special effort to make it to Triple C this Sunday! 

We really have some really EXTRA SPECIAL things planned for you this week! 

Just listen to this…

We’re going to have a time to all stand and sing together! 

(Now, seriously…Where else do grown ups get together to sing songs as loud as they can??) 

We’re going to be singing some songs about what it means to trust Jesus and along the way, some other ones praising Him directly while we’re at it! 

Then we’ll have some time to pray to Him! 

We will actually be talking with Jesus personally! 

It’s gonna be awesome!!

Then there’ll be a time to think and reflect on some words from the Bible and why thinking about Jesus is the most important thing you could possibly do! 

Then, we’ll all take what we call “communion” together to remember what Jesus did for us to make us His! 

Then we’ll even EAT TOGETHER!!! Delicious stuff our people fix at home and bring to church and share!!

It’s going to be a super special time! So, I wanted to let y’all know that…

Huh?

I’m sorry…

What’d you say? 

“That’s what we always do! Singing and listening is what we always do every Sunday!! That added  “communion-and-eating-together” thing is what we always do on the third Sunday!!”

Oh! Right! 

In telling you that we’re going to have a super special time at Triple C this Sunday, I probably should have added that the thing that makes it so special is that we’re gonna do what we always do!

We always sing! 

Songs to Jesus! 

We always pray! 

We always have time to listen to thoughts from the Scriptures about Jesus! 

That’s what’s so cool about it! 

It’s always the same!

Because your week always isn’t! In fact, your weeks are never the same! They’re full of…

surprising troubles…

unanticipated problems…

unexpected discouragements…

(if you expected them, they wouldn’t be so discouraging!)…

Every week has that “well, I thought I’d seen it all!” moments…

A criticism you didn’t see coming…

Another school commitment they’re asking you to make…

Another cruel social media hit one of the kids suffers at school…

It can feel SO confusing!! 

“What’s coming next?”

I heard this guy say that when he was taking private (intense!) pilot lessons, his instructor would do this thing at the end of the classes where he’d put a sack over the students head(!) so he or she couldn’t see anything!

Then the teacher would take the controls and start doing mid-air stunts!! 

Loops! 

Then he’d fly straight uuuuuuuup and suddenly flip belly-up! 

Then swoop down towards our earth…

Then add spirals, more loops, nosedives, tailspins and wing-tilts! 

The student would be “utterly discombobulated” at this point! Next…

Next the teacher would put the plane into a “suicide dive”, yank the sack off the student’s noggin, and hand him the controls! The student’s job was to get the plane back flying even, smooth, and under control! 

Quick!

The exercise is called, “Recovering from an Unusual Attitude”

Maybe that’s one of the things worshiping Jesus together on Sunday does for you. 

You’ve spent the week spinning, climbing and suddenly diving…

ups and downs…

highs and lows…

troubles and trials…

dreading the expected and blind-sided by the unexpected…

rockin’ and reelin’…

And then Sunday comes so you go to Triple C and…

you see your friends…

you sing and clap…

you praise your Savior…

you hear His promises…

you feel His Spirit…

you hear that He loves you still and always…

and that you’re His own forever…

“I am a child of the Maker of stars!

The One Who knows everything hand-made my heart!

He cherishes, treasures me, gave life and blood.

He is my Friend and I am His beloved!”

You do the same thing you do every Sunday.

You remember important things you know.

And at the end…

you’ve “recovered from an unusual attitude”.

Weekly e-news February 21, 2020

Hey, everyone!   Hope you’re having an awesome day! And if you’re not… if it’s just a tough one… if you’re struggling to get through it… if you feel weighed down with more than you can deal with… why not stop right now, right where you are, and take these simple steps…   Step 1) Take a deep breath…   Step 2) Read these words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you!!” (1 Pet 5.6-7)   Step 3) Read them again…   Step 4) And again…   Step 5) One more time…with feeling!   Step 6) Try to figure out specifically what it is that is weighing on you, bothering you, worrying you…   Step 7) Do what Peter says! Cast that trouble, anxiety, bother, problem, whatever… on Him! “Cast” is the same word translated “throw upon” in Luke 19.35… When Jesus was almost to Jerusalem, and got ready to ride a donkey into town, ”they threw their cloaks on the colt”…   Whatever is bothering you…throw it on Him! Say to Him, “Here it is. I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t solve it, resolve it, fix it, or make it go away. I’m giving this problem to You. You take it!”   Seven easy steps to a more awesomer (“awesomer”?) day! Aren’t you glad you get your weekly Triple C email? While we’re on the subject… I was reading this book where this dude was himself also reading a book. The book he was reading was on prayer. The book he was writing that I was reading…(in which he talked about this book he was reading)…was also about prayer. (Man! That got complicated in a hurry!) Anyhooo… He said that in this book he was reading, it said that you shouldn’t pray about trivial things like parking places, as in, “God, give me a parking space.”   He told this to his mom, who after raising five kids, went to be a missionary in the slums of Uganda and Dublin, and who at 82, was living in London, reaching out to South Asian women, still a full-time missionary.  He shared this author’s feeling about trivial prayers… Her answer?   “How you supposed to find a parking place?”