Author: Believers Church

July 13, 2018 Believers Church

Greetings from Duluth!

It’s hard to decide where to begin with everything that’s been going on in our little fellowship up here. God has certainly stirred things up, and there’s a lot to anticipate, be thankful for, and pray for as our summer progresses. We sent our first official Duluth team to Kentucky in mid-June for a week-long building project at Bethany Christian Mission Center. In all respects, we believe the trip was successful.

Not only were we able to replace an entire foundation for a crumbling building, but the unity and camaraderie that grew amongst our group was one thing we didn’t have to leave in the mountains. Being a small church naturally provides some closer bonds, but there’s something deeper that happens when you live, work, laugh, and cry together on mission 24-7. We were encouraged by seeing the passion and work being done through Bethany, and no doubt will continue to think and pray for them in the years to come.

New Ministry Group

Upon our return, we started right into a new endeavor called “Community Group” that we’ll be doing on Sunday afternoons. This group is comprised of several people who are not involved in Street Level Ministries. The mission of the Community Group is pretty simple: go out into the Duluth community and see what God will do!

Our tentative plan is to head over to a local park, grill out, and rub shoulders with whoever we happen to meet. We’ll also set aside time to hang out a local coffee shop right down the street from church at least once a month. We may even pass out ice cream on the street corner right outside of the church building to better connect with the neighborhood right around us. The anticipation is high as we wait to see what will come of this, so please pray for God’s will to be done and for fruitful interactions with those we meet.

Fund Raising

June ended with Street Level hosting their first-ever garage sale. They held it at the church and also served breakfast and lunch to the community. Street Level is planning on taking a mission trip this spring to a ministry in David, Kentucky (about an hour from Bethany), and all proceeds from the sale are going toward this endeavor. It’s exciting to see them branching out as a ministry and being blessed in all they are doing. Please pray for the planning, preparations, and ministry involved in this upcoming trip for Street Level.

Upcoming Event

One final note: we have our 10th Anniversary Celebration coming up on Saturday, July 14th. We’re going to block off part of the street in front of the church and host a party to celebrate being planted in Duluth for 10 years. We’ve invited the community for free food and music, and we’re hoping many of you from Menomonie will come as well. Pray for people in the neighborhood and community to join us for this event, and that we as a church will be blessed in ministering to Duluth in the next 10 years as well.

Annie

Duluth in Kentucky roadside coffeethrift sale

July 10, 2018 Believers Church

stairs and rock

A few weeks ago I was able to travel with our Duluth missions team to Kentucky where we did some extensive work on the foundation of a building. Over the years the foundation of this building had shifted several inches leading to severe compromise of the structure and safety of the building. Simply stated, buildings are not supposed to move and when they do there will inevitably be problems.

You know that the Christian life is one of continual growth, moving forward, continuing to change more and more into the image of Jesus. Christians lives should never be static, yet there is one way that we are to not move, one thing that we are to stand firm upon keeping us unchanging and unwavering. Everything in this world will be moved, everything will change, shift, and waver. There is only one thing that will last and that is the truth of God. We are to be built immovable upon the truth of Jesus Christ. What we are building upon is not to be just words, theories, or human philosophies, but upon Christ himself.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” We are commanded to be immovable and that can seem to be a daunting task when we consider the world that we live in. It seems as though everything around us is pushing and pulling at our hearts and lives. Our worldly desires pull us away from God, the storms and difficulties try to push us down; and yet we are to stand unshaken and unwavering. We are to remain steadfast for our Lord. How can that be possible? The prior verse has the answer. 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are to build our lives upon the rock of Jesus Christ, you know that, but have you?

We can remain steadfast because of God, because of the victory He provides in Christ. God stabilizes our lives. He takes us from going up and down and all over the place to standing firm in Him. He says that we are no longer to be like a wave tossed about too and fro. We are to build our lives upon the rock of Jesus Christ, you know that, but have you? That is the question you have to answer, have you really built you entire life upon Him? Will the problems and pleasure of this life cause you to drift, to be thrown about, to lose the firm foundation that you thought you had? Or will you weather the storm?

It is easy to start well, to began upon that rock of Christ, but then carelessly drift away. Sometimes we think we are standing strong, but really the only reason we haven’t moved is because the right pressure has not yet been applied. What will it take to get you to move? The right job, the right spouse, the right house, the right adventure? If you really know Christ as your strength, none of that will matter. You will not be shaken. You will not be budged from God, His plans for you, the church He has placed you in no matter what happens.

Psalm 62:6 “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”
Psalm 125:1 “Those who trust in the LORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.”
Proverbs 10:31 “The righteous will never be shaken”

Are these verses really true of you? Can you confidently say that you will not be moved because of your trust in Him and what He has done?

So how are we to do this, how can we really become steadfast, immovable, resolute, trusting our Lord? The answer is NOT to try really hard not to move, to flex our muscles, plant our feet, and dig in. This will surely eventually end in failure.

We are to know Him. If we do not know our savior, we do not know what we are to build upon. We are to know His word. His truths are the one thing we have to hold unto in this world that will not change. We obey Him and see Him come through for us time after time. We are to do it together, because it is a lot easier if we are not standing alone. Above all, and really the only answer that matters, we need to love God. If we love Him, above and beyond anything else, nothing will be able to remove us from Him.

Circumstances do not matter. When the earth and sky is falling away, when everyone around you is panicking, when the winds and waves our crashing all around you, when everything in your life seems to be falling apart our God remains sovereignly enthroned; and our God wins.

I’ve been around long enough now to see people moved, people that at one time seemed immovable. I thought they would remain steadfast to the end, but they didn’t. Their lives were built upon a rock of empty religious devotion and fleeting emotions. The foundation looked strong. The rock looked right, but in the end turned out to be hollow. No amount of trying to patch up that hollow rock would suffice. No, the only real fix is just like the fix to the falling building in Kentucky. The old foundation needs to be smashed to bits and removed, allowing no part of it to remain, and in turn replaced with the new unfailing rock of Jesus Christ.

July 7, 2018 Believers Church

Book for July

With deep insight and often surprising advice, Keller shows readers that biblical wisdom is immensely relevant to our questions about our work. In fact, the Christian view of work—that we work to serve others, not ourselves—can provide the foundation of a thriving professional and balanced personal life. Keller shows how excellence, integrity, discipline, creativity, and passion in the workplace can help others and even be considered acts of —not just of self-interest.

Tim Keller Every Good Endeavor professional

How wonderful that the gospel works on every aspect of us—mind, will, and feelings—and enables us to both deeply appreciate the work of non-believers and yet aspire to work in unique ways as believers. Putting all of this together, we see that being a Christian leads us to see our work not as merely a way to earn money, nor as primarily a means of personal advancement, but a truly a calling—to serve God and love our neighbor.

AVAILABLE in the bookstore  in paperback. Keep your eye out for it!

July 4, 2018 Believers Church

R.C. Sproul

The Holiness of God examines the meaning of holiness and why people are both fascinated and terrified by a holy God. R.C. closely explores God’s character, leading to new insights on sin, justice, and grace. The result is a new awareness of our dependence upon God’s mercy and a discovery of the awesomeness of His majestic holiness. R.C. Sproul says, ‘It affects every aspect of our lives — economics, politics, athletics, romance — everything with which we are involved.’

The Holiness of God

To read more on the subject, purchase a copy of R.C. Sproul’s best selling (and highly recommended) book, inquire at the bookstore or look online.

 

 

June 30, 2018 Believers Church

The Dilemma

It seems that many of us have “lost our compass.” Maybe we never had one. For the fact is, many of us have no clue where we are going. Some folks want to be selective in the answer to this question. They say yes, God has a sovereign plan for our lives…a specific “best road” scenario in order to fulfill our purpose for His glory with the time that we have here on this planet. But then those same folks will claim…much to their own fleshly wants, that this item or that issue is not part of the mix. For example, I have had such folks tell me that God has not chosen a specific mate for our lives and decry the idea of “Soul Mate.” The argument is presented thus: what if my spouse dies? Can I not remarry? What if I miss my soul mate, am I therefore relegated to a life of being single? What happens if I marry someone who I now think is not my “soul mate”? Should I…can I, then divorce to marry someone else?

Of course, here and in so many other such situations we are placing a non-linear time based God into a linear time based scenario and expecting to make sense of it. I don’t pretend to know the mind of God or how that exactly works in my world. I however see no “permission” to operate outside of God’s direct and express will and plan for my life in any matter, and I find that scripture only paints a picture that He has a quite specific plan for me. There appears to be no “exempt” issues, and if there are, what are they? If I can “choose my wife off the shelf” then can I do so with my career? What church I go to? …the town I live in? or what friends I hang with? How much of my finances I give to God? And if they answer is “no” to these questions, then what is the criteria for such a godless endeavor on my part? The Bible tells me that God “knows how many hairs are on my head.” Job 23 :10-14 says

“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does. So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.”

Well? Is the Word of God true or not? Does He control your destiny? All of it or just part of it?

Psalms 37:23-24 says “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”
Psalms 139: 1-6 “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!”
Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.”
Psalms 139:16 “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Do I need to continue? Any argument that God is “standing down” in any aspect of the destiny of our lives is based on human reasoning but not scripture. And we all know where human reasoning takes us! It’s just a case of the answer making us uncomfortable so we rewrite scripture to allow us the path we want to take. Such is the same case with the “Family First” doctrine so popular today. No such scriptural directive is found anywhere in the Bible. This is played out throughout Christendom by those who would claim that Christ is in control and that He is “Lord” except for… This path is a slippery slope and many of us eventually find ourselves adrift in a sea of uncertainty and without purpose.

Some of us have chased our own passions and desires for so long, we are miles off course. Perhaps that makes you panic and hyper-ventilate a little. But I assure you that if you are still breathing, it is not too late. You are not “too far out” for God to rescue. Again, let us remember Psalms 37:24; “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”

Change

The idea that God has a perfect will for our lives can often cause a paralyses in our movement…fear immobilizing us. Yet “perfect love casts out all fear.” God’s intention was that we do not live recklessly, but that we do live boldly. That we take time to “wait on the Lord.” Psalms 27:14 “Wait patiently for the LORD. (BUT) Be brave and courageous!” (emphasis mine)

“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:4

Yes, be patient when God is preparing you and the way before you. But keep moving Christian! Ps 37:34 “Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path.” Keep dreaming and keep praying! God loves to give good gifts to His kids. (Matthew 7:11) and “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’’ (1 Cor 2:9.) It is so important to you and those in your immediate circle of influence that you have both dreams and vision for your future. Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The NLT renders that passage thus: “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.” Hmmm. That seems fitting!

What is the plan that God has for your life? Do you know? Are you even looking?

Psalms 37:4 “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”

(For more information on seeking Gods will: http://jfbelievers.familyds.org:5000/fsdownload/x4Yurc1Iv/Sermon%20Archives
Follow: Tim Dodson – Topical – “Hearing God’s Voice in a Noisy World”)

June 28, 2018 Believers Church

Be in the know

By now you’ve probably heard the word “Homeschooling” tossed around our church at some point.  You’ve undoubtedly been curious about it.  It’s something that many people ask questions about.  “Does the state give you curriculum to follow?”  “Are you qualified to teach your child?”  “What about socialization?”  “What does your average day look like?”

For those who we would consider our church family- you’ve probably asked at least one of us families who are homeschooling one of those questions.  You’ve probably heard us talk about one aspect or another.  And that’s great, we love talking about it.  We love it when you ask us questions!

However, I wanted to write up a little information for you about the laws and regulations we follow as well as some of the freedoms we enjoy.  I found all this information on the Home School Legal Defense Association website (hslda.org). Each state follows very different laws regarding schooling children at home.  Some states, such as Texas, Iowa, and Alaska have very little oversight of families who are homeschooling.  They require little or no notification to the state.  Formal assessment through the local school district isn’t needed.  Parents don’t need any qualification (such as a high school diploma, a passed background study or even a college degree).

Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have the highest regulations in the country.  These states require that families who wish to homeschool have approval from local school districts.  Some of the local districts are required to assess/test homeschool students every two years or need to evaluate the curriculum being used to make sure it meets state standards.

Minnesota is considered a state with “Moderate Regulation” according to hslda.org.  It’s certainly not difficult to homeschool here, but there are certain rules that need to be followed.  Homeschooling families with a child age seven or over need to notify their local district in the fall with their intent to homeschool. Reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, health, and physical education are all subjects that need to be taught at some point, but not every year.  Each parent also needs to test their child annually based on a national standardized achievement test.

What about our state?

Wisconsin is a state labeled “Low Regulation” on hslda.org, which means it’s fairly easy to homeschool here.  Every fall, each homeschooling family visits the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website and reports each child ages six and over that is being homeschooled.  In completing the form, they are agreeing that they will provide 875 instructional hours in a calendar year (not school year) of at least reading, language arts, math, social studies, science and health.  These hours can also include electives, such as Bible, foreign language, music, art, physical education, computer skills, etc., etc., etc.

So basically, we need to make sure we are getting 5.25 hours in for a full day of schooling if we are following the local school district’s days.  However, because we are free to school on any day of the week, including summer months (which some do), it would be even less per day.

One area where it gets a little tricky is that because a homeschool is basically a “Home-based Private Education Program”, we can’t count hours that are spent with someone else teaching our kids with kids from other families.  So essentially if there are two or more families involved, it can’t be counted towards the 875 hours.  However, because (I think I speak for all homeschool families of this church) we understand that kids need time developing relationships with their peers, it is a priority to find ways to make this happen.

This is where the importance of having a homeschool group comes in.  Our church is blessed to have an active group that gets together on a weekly basis.  Every Thursday afternoon, you’ll find us playing in a local park.  The kids love their weekly recess and the parents do too!  Once a month, we also get together to learn.  In the past, we’ve done various activities together.  Sometimes, it’s inviting a covenant member with a special skill to teach us.  Sometimes, it’s exploring a local history event, museum or even the zoo!

For more information

In the up and coming months, I hope to address some of the questions you might have about homeschooling.  For now, please talk with one of our homeschooling families if you have any questions, curiosities, or interests in homeschooling.  In addition, if you know any homeschool families in Menomonie or beyond who might be interested in being part of our homeschool group or even playing at recess with us, please email or have them email homeschool@jfbelievers.com to get our current schedule.