Sadly, statistics would tell us there is no difference between the way a Christian views generosity and the way the secular world views generosity. As believers in Christ, we believe that we serve a generous God who has given us a generous gospel. In the gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ emptied himself of all his riches and walked among us, becoming like us in every way. Then on the cross, our great God gave himself for us by becoming our sin offering and extending his righteousness to all who would believe in Him. Jesus is a generous God!
Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...”
In this text, it is clear that the key that worship begins with accurate thinking, not necessarily accurate actions. In other words, the ability to worship Jesus through generosity has less to do with what we do with our resources, and everything to do with how we think of our resources.
In 1 Chronicles 29:1-14 we learn that “Everything under heaven and earth belongs to the Lord” and by Gods grace, we have been entrusted with the responsibility of managing some of the Lords resources. A faithful manager, manages assets for the owners benefit and carries no sense of entitlement to the assets that he manages. But rather, it is his or her job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets and then carry out his will.
Biblical generosity starts with being able to grab a hold of the beauty of Jesus Christ. Jesus is so incredible, so powerful and so beautiful that our only response to Him should be...“Everything under heaven and earth is your.” By “thinking” in this way, we will become incredible worshipers of God and generosity will flow out of us like never before. Generosity will become a response of seeing how incredible Jesus is and how massive his mission is in comparison to our mission. And generosity no longer becomes a duty, but can now be a reflective reaction of understanding who we are in light of who He is.
If everyday of every week believers would see how great Jesus is, how powerful Jesus is, how glorious Jesus is, how victorious Jesus is, how majestic Jesus is; then who knows how God may use a church like that.
"Yours, O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours." Therefore, may we be faithful managers of His stuff. And may we worship Him well.
Showing posts with label matt chewning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matt chewning. Show all posts
Marriage and Paul Tripp
After performing my very first wedding this past weekend, I was reminded of some of the basic truths that I wish someone would have taught Beth and I before marriage. Often times we forget the unavoidable realities that come with marriage and its God ordained purpose. Marriage has always been God's design in helping to point us to Jesus. Marriage is God's greatest design to continually reveal to ourselves that we are sinners and desperately need grace.
There is no relationship on earth that will more expose your brokenness and need for grace than the marriage relationship. Because this is true, marriage should be a relationship full of authentic and transparent communication and grace being extended. Not using grace as an excuse for hurting one another, but rather as a way of extending love towards one another. We are all sinners and we all need grace. Praise God for sending Jesus who paid the penalty for my sin and continually extends grace to me. It is His goodness that leads me to repentance, not his wrath. He is patient and kinda, extending grace to the multitudes. Lets resemble that in our marriages.
Here is a short Q&A from Paul Tripp that has been revolutionary in my relationship with Beth.
Q: You write that all couples enter marriage with some unrealistic expectations. Isn’t this something you resolve in premarital counseling?
Paul David Tripp: I wish it were that easy! But it’s almost as though each potential husband and wife is motivated to dismiss the truth about what they will inevitably face. In the midst of the power of premarital romance, it is very hard to get yourself to want to take a hard and honest look at reality. You are in love, and you are sure that everything will work out right.
Most couples are simply not interested in being realistic.
Q: What perspectives can we keep in mind in order to keep our expectations of marriage (and life!) in check?
Paul David Tripp: There are three wisdom perspectives from Scripture that enable us to have realistic expectations for marriage:
· First, you are conducting your marriage in a fallen world. This means we all face the same thing and your marriage will be touched every day by the brokenness of our world.
· Second, you are married to a sinner. We just don’t get to be married to someone perfect. Your life will be affected by the sin, weakness, and failure of the person you are living with. And at some point you will sin against your spouse.
· Finally, you must remember that God is with you. You are not alone in your struggle. Yes, you live in a bad neighborhood (fallen world), and the two of you are less than perfect (sin), but in all this you are not left to your own resources.
Q: Is every marriage destined for struggle?
Paul David Tripp: It happens to everyone. It is the unavoidable reality of marriage. Somehow, someway, every marriage becomes a struggle. Everyone’s marriage becomes something they didn’t intend it to be. Spending time together is radically different from living together. Reasons for attraction now become sources of irritation. At some point you need something sturdier than romance. You need something deeper than shared interests and mutual attraction. You need something more than marital survival skills. In every marriage either giddy romance wanes and is replaced with a sturdier and more mature love, or the selfishness of sin reduces the marriage to a state of relational détente.
Q: So what do we do when this inevitable point of disillusionment collides with our expectations?
Paul David Tripp: Both the problem and the solution can be summed up in one word: worship. I have become more and more persuaded that marriages are fixed vertically before they are ever fixed horizontally. We have to deal with what is driving us before we ever deal with how we are reacting to one another. Every relationship is victimized in some way when we seek to get from the surrounding creation what we were designed to get form God. When God is in his rightful place, then we are on the way to putting people in their rightful place. I am convinced it is only in the worship of God in our marriages that we find reason to continue.
Being a worshiper means that you attach your identity, meaning and purpose, and your inner sense of well-being to something. You either get these things vertically (from the Creator) or you look to get them horizontally (from the creation). This insight has everything to do with how a marriage becomes what it is. No marriage will be unaffected when the people in the marriage are seeking to get from the creation what they were only ever meant to get from the Creator.
Q: Tell us more about the power of worship in marriage.
Paul David Tripp: This is the bottom line: the war for our marriages is a war of worship. The fundamental problem of every marriage is misplaced worship. The cure of every marriage is renewed worship of God. Does it wound too simple? Well, it is and it isn’t. Although this principle is true of every marriage, the war and the cure look different for every couple.
This may not sound very romantic, but my intention is not to disrespect romance. I love romance. On the vast continuum of what defines maledom, I am way over on the romantic end. But a good marriage doesn’t grow out of the soil of romance. No, the soil in which a good marriage grows is the soil of worship, and the fruit that a good marriage produces is sweet, long-term, mutually satisfying romance.
Q: What do you say to the couple who says “we’re just too different to make it work.”
Paul David Tripp: First of all, don’t run away in fear. You haven’t made a horrible mistake. What you are dealing with is part of the plan. And it really is a gorgeous plan; in your marriage God will take you where you never though you would go in order to give you what you could not achieve on your own. He is working on something that is very good—lasting personal change—and he is with you during the process. He is giving you what you need to be, what you have been designed to be, and to do what you have been called to do. Now, that is a reason to be encouraged, even on the days that are difficult.
Q: Explain how praying for your marriage, and praying together, can affect a marriage relationship.
Paul David Tripp: The Bible reveals that we are kingdom-minded people, and we either live in service to the kingdom of self to serve the kingdom of God. So when you are hurt, angry or disappointed with your husband or wife, it is not because he or she has broken the laws of God’s kingdom, and it really concerns you. No, you are most often angry because your spouse has broken the laws of your kingdom. And the problem is that our spouse does the same thing. So, it will just be a matter of time before the carnage begins as our little kingdoms of one collide.
Reconciling your marriage begins when you begin to reconcile with God. It begins when you begin to pray this radical prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, right here, right now in this marriage as it is in heaven.” Good things happen as a result of that prayer!
There is no relationship on earth that will more expose your brokenness and need for grace than the marriage relationship. Because this is true, marriage should be a relationship full of authentic and transparent communication and grace being extended. Not using grace as an excuse for hurting one another, but rather as a way of extending love towards one another. We are all sinners and we all need grace. Praise God for sending Jesus who paid the penalty for my sin and continually extends grace to me. It is His goodness that leads me to repentance, not his wrath. He is patient and kinda, extending grace to the multitudes. Lets resemble that in our marriages.
Here is a short Q&A from Paul Tripp that has been revolutionary in my relationship with Beth.
Q: You write that all couples enter marriage with some unrealistic expectations. Isn’t this something you resolve in premarital counseling?
Paul David Tripp: I wish it were that easy! But it’s almost as though each potential husband and wife is motivated to dismiss the truth about what they will inevitably face. In the midst of the power of premarital romance, it is very hard to get yourself to want to take a hard and honest look at reality. You are in love, and you are sure that everything will work out right.
Most couples are simply not interested in being realistic.
Q: What perspectives can we keep in mind in order to keep our expectations of marriage (and life!) in check?
Paul David Tripp: There are three wisdom perspectives from Scripture that enable us to have realistic expectations for marriage:
· First, you are conducting your marriage in a fallen world. This means we all face the same thing and your marriage will be touched every day by the brokenness of our world.
· Second, you are married to a sinner. We just don’t get to be married to someone perfect. Your life will be affected by the sin, weakness, and failure of the person you are living with. And at some point you will sin against your spouse.
· Finally, you must remember that God is with you. You are not alone in your struggle. Yes, you live in a bad neighborhood (fallen world), and the two of you are less than perfect (sin), but in all this you are not left to your own resources.
Q: Is every marriage destined for struggle?
Paul David Tripp: It happens to everyone. It is the unavoidable reality of marriage. Somehow, someway, every marriage becomes a struggle. Everyone’s marriage becomes something they didn’t intend it to be. Spending time together is radically different from living together. Reasons for attraction now become sources of irritation. At some point you need something sturdier than romance. You need something deeper than shared interests and mutual attraction. You need something more than marital survival skills. In every marriage either giddy romance wanes and is replaced with a sturdier and more mature love, or the selfishness of sin reduces the marriage to a state of relational détente.
Q: So what do we do when this inevitable point of disillusionment collides with our expectations?
Paul David Tripp: Both the problem and the solution can be summed up in one word: worship. I have become more and more persuaded that marriages are fixed vertically before they are ever fixed horizontally. We have to deal with what is driving us before we ever deal with how we are reacting to one another. Every relationship is victimized in some way when we seek to get from the surrounding creation what we were designed to get form God. When God is in his rightful place, then we are on the way to putting people in their rightful place. I am convinced it is only in the worship of God in our marriages that we find reason to continue.
Being a worshiper means that you attach your identity, meaning and purpose, and your inner sense of well-being to something. You either get these things vertically (from the Creator) or you look to get them horizontally (from the creation). This insight has everything to do with how a marriage becomes what it is. No marriage will be unaffected when the people in the marriage are seeking to get from the creation what they were only ever meant to get from the Creator.
Q: Tell us more about the power of worship in marriage.
Paul David Tripp: This is the bottom line: the war for our marriages is a war of worship. The fundamental problem of every marriage is misplaced worship. The cure of every marriage is renewed worship of God. Does it wound too simple? Well, it is and it isn’t. Although this principle is true of every marriage, the war and the cure look different for every couple.
This may not sound very romantic, but my intention is not to disrespect romance. I love romance. On the vast continuum of what defines maledom, I am way over on the romantic end. But a good marriage doesn’t grow out of the soil of romance. No, the soil in which a good marriage grows is the soil of worship, and the fruit that a good marriage produces is sweet, long-term, mutually satisfying romance.
Q: What do you say to the couple who says “we’re just too different to make it work.”
Paul David Tripp: First of all, don’t run away in fear. You haven’t made a horrible mistake. What you are dealing with is part of the plan. And it really is a gorgeous plan; in your marriage God will take you where you never though you would go in order to give you what you could not achieve on your own. He is working on something that is very good—lasting personal change—and he is with you during the process. He is giving you what you need to be, what you have been designed to be, and to do what you have been called to do. Now, that is a reason to be encouraged, even on the days that are difficult.
Q: Explain how praying for your marriage, and praying together, can affect a marriage relationship.
Paul David Tripp: The Bible reveals that we are kingdom-minded people, and we either live in service to the kingdom of self to serve the kingdom of God. So when you are hurt, angry or disappointed with your husband or wife, it is not because he or she has broken the laws of God’s kingdom, and it really concerns you. No, you are most often angry because your spouse has broken the laws of your kingdom. And the problem is that our spouse does the same thing. So, it will just be a matter of time before the carnage begins as our little kingdoms of one collide.
Reconciling your marriage begins when you begin to reconcile with God. It begins when you begin to pray this radical prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, right here, right now in this marriage as it is in heaven.” Good things happen as a result of that prayer!
Hell…Is it real? Is it eternal?
In light of a conversation that got brought up on Wednesday in my community group, I thought I would send this out for clarification to everyone. There a bunch of scriptures below that you can reference yourself for further study.
The question was…..."Is hell real? Is hell eternal? What happens to the un-repentant sinner (non-christian) after they die?"
It is interesting that a much higher percentage of people believe in the existence of heaven than believe in the existence of hell. According to the Bible, though, hell is just as real as heaven. The Bible clearly and explicitly teaches that hell is a real place to which the wicked/unbelieving are sent after death. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23). The just punishment for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Since all of our sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), and since God is an infinite and eternal Being, the punishment for sin, death, must also be infinite and eternal. Hell is this infinite and eternal death which we have earned, and asked for, because of our lack of desire for Jesus displayed through our sin. Heaven is a place where the people who love Jesus, get Jesus in all his fullness.
The punishment of the unbeliever in hell is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), a place of “torment” and “fire” (Luke 16:23-24), “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place where “the smoke of torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10-11), and a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
The punishment of the wicked in hell is as never ending as the bliss of the righteous in heaven. Jesus Himself indicates that punishment in hell is just as everlasting as life in heaven (Matthew 25:46). The wicked are forever subject to the fury and the wrath of God. Those in hell will acknowledge the perfect justice of God (Psalm 76:10). Those who are in hell will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are to blame (Deuteronomy 32:3-5). Yes, hell is real. Yes, hell is a place of torment and punishment that lasts forever and ever, with no end. Praise God that, through Jesus, we can escape this eternal fate (John 3:16, 18,36).
My main job at Netcast is to make sure we uphold sound doctrine and I was burdened to clarify as my personal bible reading was in Matthew 25 this morning. The entire chapter is on this subject.
The question was…..."Is hell real? Is hell eternal? What happens to the un-repentant sinner (non-christian) after they die?"
It is interesting that a much higher percentage of people believe in the existence of heaven than believe in the existence of hell. According to the Bible, though, hell is just as real as heaven. The Bible clearly and explicitly teaches that hell is a real place to which the wicked/unbelieving are sent after death. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23). The just punishment for that sin is death (Romans 6:23). Since all of our sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), and since God is an infinite and eternal Being, the punishment for sin, death, must also be infinite and eternal. Hell is this infinite and eternal death which we have earned, and asked for, because of our lack of desire for Jesus displayed through our sin. Heaven is a place where the people who love Jesus, get Jesus in all his fullness.
The punishment of the unbeliever in hell is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), a place of “torment” and “fire” (Luke 16:23-24), “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place where “the smoke of torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10-11), and a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
The punishment of the wicked in hell is as never ending as the bliss of the righteous in heaven. Jesus Himself indicates that punishment in hell is just as everlasting as life in heaven (Matthew 25:46). The wicked are forever subject to the fury and the wrath of God. Those in hell will acknowledge the perfect justice of God (Psalm 76:10). Those who are in hell will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are to blame (Deuteronomy 32:3-5). Yes, hell is real. Yes, hell is a place of torment and punishment that lasts forever and ever, with no end. Praise God that, through Jesus, we can escape this eternal fate (John 3:16, 18,36).
My main job at Netcast is to make sure we uphold sound doctrine and I was burdened to clarify as my personal bible reading was in Matthew 25 this morning. The entire chapter is on this subject.
Reference: www.gotquestions.org for additional answers.
Christ will Build His Church!! (Crazy Things that are happening.)
We can already still see the hand of God on our ministry and we feel like we have barely started.
I got an email from the YMCA this week about getting creative in order to use their facility as a meeting place. The woman who I am working with over there is so awesome. She isn't a believer but wants to work with us to help us get into the building as cheap as possible. She offered to hire me part time for about 6 hours a week to work in the after-school program which will do a number of things to help us. 1. It will allow us to get our foot into the community and meet kids, parents, people, etc. 2. It will give our family a super cheap YMCA membership. 3. It will make me a staff person so that when we start to meet as a church, they won't need to staff someone for the building and it will keep our facility cost way down.
I went to pick up Daniel from school one day this week and his teacher comes up to me and literally whispers these words into my ears, "Are you a Christian?" I was like "Yeah. Are you?" She said that when Beth went to drop Daniel off on the first day of school, The Spirit whispered to her that our family was Christian. How cool is that? We had been praying for her before we ever moved. And, God provided with a teacher who is filled with the Holy Spirit. That is just amazing.
A few weeks back, I was a camp pastor at a youth missions camp in NC. One of the students of the leader of the camp is a freshman at Gordon College which is in Beverly MA. His name is Luke and was recruited to play basketball there. So, I went to go and play pick-up with the team earlier in the week and when I got there a young man came up to me and said, "Are you Matt?" And I was like, "Yeah." he was like, "Its me, Shaun Roach." Now here is the back story to that. I have known Shaun since he was a little kid in like 5th grade. His dad, Kevin, was probably one of the most spiritually influential men in my life during college. Besides that, I was Shaun's camp councilor at basketball camps for years in college. His dad was like a father to me and I convinced my coach during my senior year to contact him to be an assistant coach. Which he did. Crazy!!! Turns out that Shaun is like best buds with this dude Luke. They are probably the only 2 freshman students fighting for minutes this year. Plus, Shaun has known that we were coming out to plant Netcast but had no idea we were going to be in his town.
Yesterday, I had lunch with the coach of the Gordon College basketball team. He is a great dude and is just in his 2nd year. After some awesome conversations and connecting, he asked me if I'd like to help out his program as an assistant coach or team pastor. Knowing that I don't want to commit to too much, I turned down the idea of assistant coach, but totally love the idea of being some sort of team pastor or team chaplain. I will conduct bible-studies with the team, do a chapel before every home game, and meet with the players for one on one discipleship. What an awesome opportunity to invest in young people and get connected with the community.
Last night, we went to an Ice Cream social at Daniel's school. We met a family there that are believers and live about 9 houses down from us. They go to North Shore Community Baptist but feel like God may be leading there somewhere else. Crazy!! No idea what may come of that, but it seems like a God thing to me. If nothing else, we may have some new friends.
We're also getting to know our neighbors. We have met almost everybody on the block and cant wait to get into our house so we can start having people over. I think that most people get confused when they meet us. Being a young church planter, with 4 kids and a wife that stays at home just about throws everyone for a loop out here. Then add on top of that, that we seem normal, really makes them wonder. Pray for our neighborhood, we really want to pour our lives into this community and serve them in ways that they have never seen before.
On Thursday, I had coffee with a guy who was a worship leader at a thriving church here on the North Shore. He's a young dude who's recently married and seems great. We totally connected right off the bat. Recently, he felt that the Lord was leading him out of his church which we was a part when it was planted 2 years ago. That night, I went to a pastors meeting where he led worship and he is a gifted young man. I have no idea what God has for our future, however, I know that I met a new friend who is like minded in ministry and has a real heart for Christ.
Most of you know and have been praying for Steve and Karen Shomo, my inlaws and executive pastor. They were needing their house to sell or lease so that they can move to be a part of what God is doing out here through Netcast. Their real-estate agent said that with the market the way that it is, there is no telling how things will work out. It could take a year to get them out of Greensboro. However, we plan our way but Christ directs our paths. The very first people to come and look at the house want to lease it for 2 years. They have already signed a contract and will be moving in October 1st. My inlaws are looking to rent the vacant apartment in the house that our unit is. Literally a door away. What a blessing that would be.
None of these things could have been planned. Actually, in my finite mind, I couldn't have even dreamt these things up. These are all divine things that are happening in only our first 2 weeks being here. Christ tells us clearly that He will build his church and not even Hell itself can get in the way. Please continue to pray for me as I seek God as we are planting Netcast. Pray that God grants me a humble spirit and anoints me with supernatural wisdom and courage to do what he is calling us to do. To Christ be all of the glory.
Divine Order: Christ has gone ahead of us.
Hello Everyone from Greater Boston.
We have arrived safe and sound. There is so much to tell and just by writing this to you, it is not enough to get across the excitement and joy that we have already. In Matthew 26 Jesus says this; "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you" and we have seen the evidence of this grace since the minute we got here.
Before we were even able to begin unloading the truck we had a divine appointment with a man at Panera Bread. This man began telling us how he and his wife just lost their son who was only 6 weeks old. We had a opportunity to pray with him in Panera Bread. Then the next day I was emailed by someone who has been following me on Facebook and Twitter. He said that he was assigned the Christmas Issue for the North Shore Magazine and wanted to do a piece on us and Netcast Church. He said that he doesn't understand why someone would pack up their family and move to the most liberal and pagan area of the United States to start a christian church. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Last week we went to eat breakfast at a local spot and Beth started talking to the lady sitting at the table next to us. Turns out that her little daughter and Abby have the same Kindergarten teacher and she wants to get the kids together for play-dates. She is a single mother who just moved from LA with her 2 adopted children. Beth and her exchanged email addresses. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Pertaining to our housing. Last month was probably the hardest month that we've had since starting to plan for the church plant. We couldn't find a spot to live that was suitable to our family and in the area we felt that God wanted us to plant Netcast. Literally, the only spot available was a disgusting 4 bedroom apartment in which was so nasty, that one of the contractors recently told us that he would frequently have to take breaks from cleaning the house out because the maggots were making him nauseous. Not to mention that the asking price was way out of our price range. It didn't seem like much of an option as we walked through the house as Beth cried just thinking of having to raise the kids there.
If you read Nehemiah 1 and 2 you will see how God puts it on the Kings heart to help Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jeresulem. The King sent workers and funded the whole mission as well as leaving Nehemiah in charge of managing the project. It seems something similar is going on here with our landlord. He has spent about $50,000 in remodeling the new unit. On top of that, Beth was able to pick out the flooring, all appliances, all paint, etc. Since he lives in LA, he has put me in charge of working with the General Contractor and managing the project. Plus, we are getting the unit for significantly less per month and it includes all utilities, cable and internet; which is an absolute steal here. Then on Friday, we were eating Chinese food and had our landlord over and he said "I dont know why, but I am happy to do all of this work for you because I feel like you are family." Christ has gone ahead of us.
On Saturday, we went to the YMCA to get a tour and talk about getting our family signed up. The woman giving us the tour asked why we just moved so I was able to explain it to her. She asked where our church was going to meet when we begin to gather. She was very excited about the idea of us meeting at the downtown Beverly YMCA which is a prime location. She said she would be very negotiable on any pricing. We are scheduled to meet with her on Wednesday morning to take a tour of the building. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Keep up to date with us. We love you and are so thankful for your faithfulness in following along with Netcast Church.
We have arrived safe and sound. There is so much to tell and just by writing this to you, it is not enough to get across the excitement and joy that we have already. In Matthew 26 Jesus says this; "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you" and we have seen the evidence of this grace since the minute we got here.
Before we were even able to begin unloading the truck we had a divine appointment with a man at Panera Bread. This man began telling us how he and his wife just lost their son who was only 6 weeks old. We had a opportunity to pray with him in Panera Bread. Then the next day I was emailed by someone who has been following me on Facebook and Twitter. He said that he was assigned the Christmas Issue for the North Shore Magazine and wanted to do a piece on us and Netcast Church. He said that he doesn't understand why someone would pack up their family and move to the most liberal and pagan area of the United States to start a christian church. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Last week we went to eat breakfast at a local spot and Beth started talking to the lady sitting at the table next to us. Turns out that her little daughter and Abby have the same Kindergarten teacher and she wants to get the kids together for play-dates. She is a single mother who just moved from LA with her 2 adopted children. Beth and her exchanged email addresses. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Pertaining to our housing. Last month was probably the hardest month that we've had since starting to plan for the church plant. We couldn't find a spot to live that was suitable to our family and in the area we felt that God wanted us to plant Netcast. Literally, the only spot available was a disgusting 4 bedroom apartment in which was so nasty, that one of the contractors recently told us that he would frequently have to take breaks from cleaning the house out because the maggots were making him nauseous. Not to mention that the asking price was way out of our price range. It didn't seem like much of an option as we walked through the house as Beth cried just thinking of having to raise the kids there.
If you read Nehemiah 1 and 2 you will see how God puts it on the Kings heart to help Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jeresulem. The King sent workers and funded the whole mission as well as leaving Nehemiah in charge of managing the project. It seems something similar is going on here with our landlord. He has spent about $50,000 in remodeling the new unit. On top of that, Beth was able to pick out the flooring, all appliances, all paint, etc. Since he lives in LA, he has put me in charge of working with the General Contractor and managing the project. Plus, we are getting the unit for significantly less per month and it includes all utilities, cable and internet; which is an absolute steal here. Then on Friday, we were eating Chinese food and had our landlord over and he said "I dont know why, but I am happy to do all of this work for you because I feel like you are family." Christ has gone ahead of us.
On Saturday, we went to the YMCA to get a tour and talk about getting our family signed up. The woman giving us the tour asked why we just moved so I was able to explain it to her. She asked where our church was going to meet when we begin to gather. She was very excited about the idea of us meeting at the downtown Beverly YMCA which is a prime location. She said she would be very negotiable on any pricing. We are scheduled to meet with her on Wednesday morning to take a tour of the building. Christ has gone ahead of us.
Keep up to date with us. We love you and are so thankful for your faithfulness in following along with Netcast Church.
"Confessions of a Pastor" Q&A Video Series
So Far we have 11 video's online at http://www.netcastchurch.org/#/video-and-media
In this video series called "Confessions of a Pastor" we take some of the top questions that we have been asked from people in Greater Boston, and seek to answer them. The questions are:
1. Can you trust the bible?
2. Why are Christians such hypocrites?
3. Is sex a bad thing?
4. What is sin?
5. What do I do to become a Christian?
6. Why do churches want my money?
7. Why another church in the Boston area?
8. What? No sex outside of marriage?
9. Who is this dude, Jesus?
10. Does God hate some of us?
11. Why do Christians think they're better than everyone else
Check it out. http://www.netcastchurch.org/#/video-and-media
In this video series called "Confessions of a Pastor" we take some of the top questions that we have been asked from people in Greater Boston, and seek to answer them. The questions are:
1. Can you trust the bible?
2. Why are Christians such hypocrites?
3. Is sex a bad thing?
4. What is sin?
5. What do I do to become a Christian?
6. Why do churches want my money?
7. Why another church in the Boston area?
8. What? No sex outside of marriage?
9. Who is this dude, Jesus?
10. Does God hate some of us?
11. Why do Christians think they're better than everyone else
Check it out. http://www.netcastchurch.org/#/video-and-media
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