No Way Out

I was reminded recently about the Israelite escape from Egypt and Pharaohs pursuit. I love the story and all the symbolism that it produces for Christians and God leading us out of slavery and to the Promise Land. It's interesting to think on the path that God chose to lead them on. After the 10 plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh breaks down and let's the nation of Israel go after 430 years of slavery. God takes the lead with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. To protect their heart, he kept them away from the Philistines so they wouldn't have to face war so close to Egypt and want to turn around and go back.

So where did they go? The Red Sea. God lead His people to a place where they would have no way out. Then He hardens Pharaoh's heart to pursue His people when they are backed into a corner. Why would God do all this? To cause His people to look to Him for salvation and bring glory to Himself. Most know what happened, God parted the Red Sea and provided the way out and as the Egyptian army pursued, the sea collapsed on them and destroyed Israel's enemy.

I saw a parallel with our situation at LSCC. God has lead us to a building in McCordsville that is serving as a wonderful place to start the church and even grow. There is a problem though. At some point, our friends at Meijer will want to build a store on the grounds where we meet so we'll need to relocate. The expense of buying land and building a building is in the neighborhood of 1 million dollars, renting space will be an expensive avenue for the sq. ft. we need, it seems God has lead us into a corner. A place where the only solution that will work for the church is something like God parting the Red Sea. All of this brought me some comfort and excitement. To know God is caring for us like He did the Israelites, to know He lead them to the Red Sea and He has been leading us too and to know He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine if we'll trust and follow. I believe He has a plan for LSCC that will bring glory to Himself and cause His people to trust and worship Him more. Join me in praying for that plan to be revealed as we wait upon the Lord to see the way out. Blessings, Pastor Greg

The After Easter Glow

It's a couple days after Easter and the glow continues to fill me up. What an amazing thing God is doing at LSCC. When you look at the numbers, it is no less than a God story. We did three services Easter Sunday filled with music, drama, mime, a Jesus testimony and God's word. There was much preparation that went into the weekend by several Streamers. My heart was totally full as they worshiped God with their gifts and helped celebrate the empty tomb. Linda Zwick shared her Jesus story with the confidence of God's Spirit. At the end of the service, we all prayed a sinners pray and left wanting to live a life like Jesus is alive. The day was themed, "All Things New" so we gave away brand new bibles all those attending. I gotta say, I love the church God is forming and the work that is happening within us. I'm praying and believing that work will flow out from us as we live like that tomb is empty. Pray with me! Blessings, Pastor Greg

Learning To Walk By Faith

The New Year has started off great at LSCC. We have welcomed visitors every week this year and few have even come back! God continues to draw people from the neighborhood as we keep praying for people to come. This journey of blessings has been humbling and fulfilling. I never considered myself to much of a people person but one of the joy's in these last two years of ministry has been meeting new faces and getting to know them.
I have been more and more convicted about sharing God's word each week in a relevant way while still handling it correctly (rightly dividing). The challenge of hearing from God through His word and sharing that with people He has sent us is at times is overwhelming and exhausting. I am learning to trust God through the process, He has always given me a message rooted in His word to feed the people at LSCC. My anxiety comes from me being involved in the process!!
As we watch this new church grow, we have come to another place much like we were at the beginning of the journey. We're running out of room. So we are praying for what the Lord has in store for this congregation and what our next facility step is. There is land available for sale in the area but at prices above our budget. We could add-on to the building we're in and expand the worship space but there are no guarantees we'd be there long enough to be good stewards of the investment. There's still the possibility Meijer would gift us land where we are (what I'm believing God for). Any direction we turn, there is an opportunity to believe God to act for His church. To Him, these are not big concerns. I'm learning to trust in His plan for us and working to teach people how to walk by faith while I learn it myself. There will be a step of faith in our future, one of risk that I'm sure will stretch us.
Right now, there's work to do! If we can't grow the church under our roof, we sure can grow it out in the world. Pray for the stream that comes out of Living Streams Community Church, that it will come alive and share the gospel with those around us. Jesus is alive! I know because I know Him. I sure want others to know Him too. Blessings, Pastor Greg

Hoping In The Lord

The Christmas season has arrived at LSCC, one of my favorite times of year. Sunday we focused in having hope and putting our hope in the Lord. Mary got a message from an angel with bookends of hope, "God is with you" and "Nothing is impossible with God." I thought it would be a good idea to have people fill out prayer requests, asking God for the impossible. We had a great response and I have this stack of prayer requests full of impossibilities in the lives of people. There are requests for salvation, healing, prodigals to come home, jobs to be found, comfort for the grieving, financial help and on it goes. As I read through them, my heart got a little anxious. I began to carry some of the burdens written on those cards, I wanted to try and fix some of those problems, to be the answer for the prayers of people. I realized just how impossible it was for me to meet all these demands, many didn't have names, many were spiritual in nature, what was I going to do?! Then it hit me, I don't have to do anything. These weren't request for me to solve, people weren't putting there hope in Pastor Greg! My hands and feet are available for God to use how He may see fit, maybe I'll have a chance to be the answer to one or two of these impossibilities but people have put their hope in God and I think it best if I would join them in that. I'm hoping for Christmas miracles in the lives of the Streamers at LSCC. I'm putting my hope in the God who is with us and does impossible things.

Hoping your Christmas is full of hope this year! Blessings, Pastor Greg

Thanksgiving

Let's not overlook it. I know it's just one day, one meal and then it's gone ushering in a very exciting season of celebration but we can't overlook Thanksgiving! I like the fact that we have this day to remember where all good gifts come from. There seems to be this attitude out there about thanksgiving that it ought to be a life style and not just a day. I totally agree but there seems to be an abundance of negative messages to make you feel guilty that you are not living a life of gratitude. Forcing someone to be thankful doesn't get the job done. Reminding my kids to say thank you when they get something from us or anyone doesn't make them feel grateful it just breeds good manners and maybe a guilty feeling for not actually being thankful.

My wife Lori has on occasion provided a lesson in gratitude to our children (and to me). On Thanksgiving Eve we sit down to a dinner table with one candle in the middle and a small bowl of rice to eat. The kids are reminded that roughly half the world lives on that one bowl every single day. We then pray over the meal and thank God for our lives and the many things He has given to us. It seems to me, the most grateful people are the ones who have done without at some time or another. To be without a home or a family makes one so thankful for a home to live in and a family to share life with. To be without a meal or clean water or heat or electricity sure makes one grateful when those basics are readily available. The list goes on and on. I guess the point is to really be thankful for things, to recognize the good gifts God has poured out on you, just think what life would be like without them. What would life be like without food, without friends, without laughter? Think about not having a bed, a coat, a hot shower or coffee:)! What about a bible or worse yet a Savior?

We've celebrated Thanksgiving, have you given thanks, really? Try the bowl of rice tonight and count your blessings. Trust me on this, it really works! I have never seen kids so grateful when the pizza was finally delivered to our door:) Blessings, Pastor Greg

Milestones

I can't believe how quick time goes. Pastoring at LSCC has been a joy and privilege. I am approaching a milestone here in a couple weeks. I will have preached my way through the book of Revelation. If you ever doubted there was a Holy Spirit, I can vouch for His existence as every week He has given me words for His people from this mysterious book. All praise and honor to God who has never left me standing on Sunday morning without something for His people. Investing 20 or so hrs every week for the message on Sunday has a side effect, it makes the weeks really short and Sunday comes around pretty fast. It really does feel like my life is speeding by right now. In the midst of the whirlwind of ministry, God continues to give me the grace to be a dad and husband, son and brother and a friend.

There have been some other milestones here recently. Casey started college and is doing great. Even though she might rather not be a student right now, she is working hard and already being a light in a dark place. Garrett turned 16 in August. We marked the occasion by taking a few days by ourselves down in the Smoky Mountains @ Kickback Kottage (Thank you Lance and Jennifer Matson,) We hiked, ate and did some manhood vision stuff. It was a great time together. Gavin just turned 13, another milestone in life. We spent a day out at Shades state park, hiking, throwing the football and thinking on scriptures to live by as a man. God has convicted me to teach and show the two boys He has given me what it means to be a real man. When they are ready to leave my home, I pray they will be strong, faithful men of God and will know how to love a woman, disciple their children and make an impact for God's Kingdom. Maisy will have a birthday in a couple weeks, hitting double digits (10). She always seems to be smiling, works hard at learning and is back on the piano:) Like her older sister, she has a song in heart and can be heard quite often singing worship songs in the shower! Lucy is almost ready to cross the milestone of no more diapers!! Woohoo!! That girl never stops talking and never forgets anything we say! (Maybe a bad combination.)

LSCC has just passed a milestone too, Oct 11 we were two years old. We have met so many people! God has grown our fellowship to over 100 people now. It's amazing how quickly He ties our hearts together. I am so grateful for these special milestones in my life. They cause me to stop and look around and see the incredible work God is doing in my heart, my family and my church. Life comes at you fast (I think a commercial said....) It's good to stop and celebrate the markers along the way!

Voices

We are in such a unique and special time as a church. Our numbers on Sunday morning have begun to show us that a change is needed in our place of worship. We are running out of space! The trouble is we have no more space to go to. In response to these circumstances I felt the burden to ask our congregation to pray for 40 days, asking God to open the way for our next step of growth. Needless to say, there's a lot of room for God to work! The grounds we meet on are owned by the Meijer Corp. To be able to purchase acreage there would be a miracle. It is expensive land and last we heard, Meijer wanted to build a store there. Though God has richly supplied our needs, our funds are small when compared to the prospect of buying land somewhere and putting up a building. Acquiring debt in large amounts isn't on the table at all so, we've turned to our heavenly Father, knowing He started this church and has a plan for it.

As I have told our situation to different people, I get a variety of responses, mostly positive. A week ago though, there were three different individuals who responded with something like, "God will do it!" I heard each of those voices speak faith into my heart. At first, I didn't hear them that way, it wasn't until the third voice that made me stop and think, "Is God speaking to me?" When I woke the next morning, those three voices became one and I knew God was encouraging me to believe.

Why is it so hard to believe? Maybe because the voices of doubt are there in the air too. My own being one of the most consistent! What an opportunity for God to show His love and care for His church. What a chance for people to see His hand at work in these circumstances! We might become a praying church out of this!! We might be people who live by faith and not by sight!!! In the midst of all this, I'm striving to hear the voice of faith and look for God to answer us when we call. Lord, help my unbelief! Blessings, Pastor Greg