The End

Challenges

My Dream

Military Chaplain

Finish Bachelors - Enter Military - Start Masters

Work as Chaplain Assistant

Become a Chaplain

Heart Surgery

No longer pass physical

Event + Response = Outcome (E + R = O)

I become weak mentally with a hardened heart

Until I read a book (In a Pit With A Lion on a Snowy Day)

Making Obstacles into Opportunity

Changed my Mindset changed the trajectory of my life.

Parable (Fable) (Book: The Coffee Bean)

Abe

Loved school and football

Stressed (Papers due/ Football game on Friday night)

Parents going through a divorce

Tried to lose himself on social media (That made things worse)

Opened up to his Teacher Mr. Jackson

Carrot, Egg, Coffee Bean

What happens when you put a carrot in really hot water?

It gets weakened by its environment.

What happens when you put an eg in really hot water?

The Egg is hardened by its environment.

What happens when you put a coffee bean in really hot water?

The Coffee Bean transformed. It took over the hot water and became coffee.

Us

Carrot

We let ourselves become weak based off the environments around us.

Egg

Mean, Angry, Negative, and Numb

Leading to caring less about life and or people

The lose the desire to love and be loved

Coffee Bean

Psalm 80

The Psalmist Plea

God has the power to Revive this hurting nation

Enemies had them surrounded (Mocking them - Mocking God)

Pleas on to Israel...

Turn us again to yourself God...

Shine down upon us...

Take Root in Him...

He is clearing a pathway...

Revive our Journeys

Ezekiel 34:16

Ezekiel pleading to his people.

A hope and return to the one true God

People had weakened (Let the environment shape them)

People had hardened (Turned away and given up on God)

(v.16) - I will bandage the injured and strengthened the weak.

God has the Power to REVIVE anyones story no matter what!

Make God the central point of your life

Ever been dizzy? Felt off? Can’t seem to get right?

What are you centered on? - Only Jesus can fill that gap!

Center yourself in JESUS!

What does this all mean for Us?

Life is often like a pot of hot water

It can be harsh, stressful, and a difficult place.

Challenges will test who you are.

Fight Finish Faithful

Don’t QUIT before the miracle!

Those challenges have the potential to...

Change who you are.

Weaken who you are.

Harden who you are.

You have a choice!

You can be weakened (The Carrot)

You can be hardened (The Egg)

You can transform yourself and the environment you find yourself in (The Coffee Bean) .

You have the power to transform any challenge that is in front of you.

Coffee Bean - JESUS

No matter how hard things get or how hopeless things look.

DON’T GIVE UP

Do not let the outside world impact you!

The power in you is far greater than the power outside of you.

The power you’ve been searching for has been in you all along!

I know the best is yet to come for you and your families

1 Peter 1:6 - A wonderful Joy awaits you

The Church

Challenges

We all know the story of this church and the challenges that we have faced over the years.

Recent Challenges

Lack of Growth - Lack of momentum

We have tried a lot of things

My heart from day 1

Create healthy environments for families to come and grow closer to God.

Over the Summer

The Trustees and have taken the time to reflect on where we are as a church and where we want to go.

Through pryer, talking with our network, talking with the leadership of Faith.

The best thing for all of us…individually and as a church

With a heavy heart tonight we officially announce and that at the end of this month this church will be closing

We believe this is what is best for the church’s future

We believe this is what is best for you and your families future.

I believe after some time has passed

Once we find our Church homes - NEW LIFE will take place for all of us.

We will meet for two more weeks

Sunday - September 15th - 5pm

Sunday - September 22nd - 5pm

BBQ’S, Baby Dedications, Baptisms, Communion, Prayer

This is not the end -

This is a celebration of what God has done in many lives over the past 7 years

I truly believe with all my heart

The best is yet to come for you and your families

Acts 1: 9-11

They strained to see Jesus

GO!

You already have the power within!

No reason to look back!

Look Forward!

My Plea to you tonight Church...

You will choose to be intentional about finding another church to Grow at and begin to serve.

Only two weeks of us meeting on a sunday

You will pray about giving to this church until the remainder of the 2019 year.

We want to make sure that our church finishes the right way.

The friendships will last. People will still hangout.

We will look at this challenge just as Abe did in the story I shared earlier (The Coffee Bean)

We will not be weakened

We will not let our hearts be hardened

We will not finger point - Complain, Criticize, Condemn

We will now continue to go and grow by transforming ourselves and the environments around us because of the power that is within us!

Communion

Take time to reflect on Jesus sacrifice

Take time to remember the power that is within yourself because of the cross

Take time to remember and celebrate what God has done in you and others over the last 7 years at this church.

People to Pray with you.

Trustees make an announcement

The best is yet to come for you and your families

Remember - No matter what you face in life

You already have the power within to win.

That power is JESUS.

Close in prayer

Trustees and I will be available for questions up front here if you have any.