en joy for the journey! http://www.healthebroken.com © Copyright 2000 - 2008Church Community Builder. All Rights Reserved. http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=52 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=52&article_id=73 The House of Prayer Budget May to August 2008 Line ItemMay-08Jun-08Jul-08Aug-08Total 2008 May-Aug Budget DetailsINCOME Gifts from outside HOP Family$1,850 $2,110 $1,080 $ 1,100 $ 6,140 Roughly $1100/mo is received in support from friends and donors outside the HOP family in a typical month. General Fund (HOP Family) $ 1,123 $ 1,968 $ 1,982 $ 2,000 $ 7,073 Estimated monthly giving from HOP family is approx $1800 to 2000 per month. Sub-total $ 2,973 $ 4,078 $ 3,062 $ 3,100 $ 13,213 Total Income Budget $ 2,973 $ 4,078 $ 3,062 $ 3,100 $ 13,213 EXPENSE MISSION TO VIVIDLY EXPERIENCE THE GRACE OF GOD SO THAT OUR LIVES VIBRANTLY COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL. Great Commission Fund (3%)$89 $122 $92 $93 $ 396 3% of monthly giving District Operating Budget (7%)$208 $285 $214 $217 $ 925 7% of monthly giving Greg Renn (Timberbay Ministry)$75 $75 $75 $75 $300 Daughter Church (Plant)$149 $204 $153 $155 $ 661 5% of monthly giving Benevolent Funds Sub-total Mission Giving $ 521 $ 687 $ 534 $ 540 $ 2,282 Local Publicity Television Advertising $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Yellow Page Advertising $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Mailings $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Newspaper Advertising $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Signs $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Internal postcards $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Local Publicity $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Total Mission Budget $ 521 $ 687 $ 534 $ 540 $ 2,282 ADMINISTRATION VITAL SUPPORT FOR THE MISSION Employee Expenses: Volunteer Staff Appreciation $ - $ 50 $ - $ - $ 50 Heath Insurance $ 695 $ 695 $ 695 $ 695 $ 2,780 Plan B Alliance healthcare Life/Disability Insurance $ 67 $ 67 $ 67 $ 67 $ 268 Dental benefit $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Payroll processing fees $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Tuition/ Education $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Emp. Exp. $ 762 $ 812 $ 762 $ 762 $ 3,098 Other Admin Professional Dues/Licenses $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Chamber of Commerce Web Site $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Office Expense $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 120 postage, paper, toner, bulletins, newsletters Payroll Expenses: Salary Pastor Mike Salary $ 1,200 $ 1,700 $ 1,200 $ 1,200 $ 5,300 Office Staff $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Expense Account $ 50 $ 50 $ 50 $ 50 $ 200 FICA $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Employee 403B $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Retirement in leiu of social security Sub-total Payroll & Other Exp. $ 1,280 $ 1,780 $ 1,280 $ 1,280 $ 5,620 General Insurance $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Trailer Insurance $ - $ 27 $ - $ - $ 27 Volunteer Staff Appreciation $ - $ 25 $ - $ 25 $ 50 Total Administration Budget $ 2,042 $ 2,644 $ 2,042 $ 2,067 $ 8,795 DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING FOR THE MISSIONCourses These costs are absorbed in office expenses with all current courses designed and printed in house.Books $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Courses $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Leadership Training Conferences for leaders/shepherds/staff $ 256 $ - $ - $ 400 May-One night stay at Cozy Bay Resort for D & T Caron, Bjornruds, Knotts, Olson for planning & leadership training on May 2nd. August-2 night prayer retreat. leader/shepherd/staff training $ - $ - $ - $ 100 August 3rd meeting with Ned Berube - "Discerning Our Call", food for 20 people leader/shepherd/staff appreciation $ - $ - $ - $ - curriculum $ - $ - $ - $ - Books $ 33 May - 2 copies of Organic Church by Neil Cole for D&T Caron & BjornrudsSub-total Leader Training $ 289 $ - $ - $ 500 $ 789 Children's Ministry Staff Appreciation $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 120 Thank yous, pizza parties, etc Background checks $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Snacks $ 10 $ 10 $ 10 $ 10 $ 40 Curriculum $ 35 $ 35 $ 35 $ 35 $ 140 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - VBS $ - Sub-total Children's ministry $ 75 $ 75 $ 75 $ 75 $ 300 Youth Ministry Monthly activities $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Summer Events $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Retreat $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Youth leader/enrichment $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Guest Speakers $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Resources/books/materials $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Equipment/Supplies $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Youth Ministry $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Total Discipleship budget $ 364 $ 75 $ 75 $ 575 $ 300 WORSHIP AND PRAYER THE FUEL FOR OUR MISSION AND THE FRUIT FROM OUR MISSIONFull Worship J.W. Smith Rental $ 710 $ - $ - $ - $ 710 Liability Insurance $ - $ - $ - $ - Worship Team Appreciation $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 120 Thank yous, pizza parties, etc Sound Equip $ - $ - Hospitality/Welcome Team $ 15 $ 15 $ 15 $ 15 $ 60 Coffee, tea, hot choc., juice, cream, sugar, cups Tech/Audio/Visual Equipment $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Training resources $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Books, DVD's, cards Guest Speakers Communion $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Juice, bread, crackers, cups - typically donatedSub-total Prayer/Worship $ 755 $ 45 $ 45 $ 45 $ 890 Total Worship & Prayer Budget $ 755 $ 45 $ 45 $ 45 $ 890 Total Expense Budget $ 3,682 $ 3,451 $ 2,696 $ 3,227 $ 13,056 Windfall(Shortfall) $ (709) $ 627 $ 366 $ (127) $ 157 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:49:30 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=23 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=23&article_id=10 Past. Future. Present. What did you do in your past? Where are you going in the future? And how does all of that affect your present? You may not even be aware of the ways in which shame drives you, but you feel it. We all feel the shame of our past. We all feel toxic emotions of shame, guilt, insecurity and regret because we live in a world gone wrong. John got terribly sick at the age of 1. He spent 10 days in the hospital and nearly died of dehydration. More (or should I say "less"?) than thin, he was positively stick-like as a child. "Look at your puny arms!" other boys would say. "Look at your ribs," he often heard from his sisters, "you're so scrawny!" And "You're so vein-y," girls in his class would exclaim, "that's just gross." John, like many of us, grew up extremely insecure about his appearance. Every unkind comment drove the pain of his insecurity deeper into his psyche. He vowed to prove he wasn't weak by excelling in athletics and spent uncounted hours over the years working out. John has a fundamental fear that something is wrong with him, especially his appearance, and others will not like him unless he fixes it. Gina grew up without her father in her life. Her mother, though well-intentioned, didn't have the emotional wherewithal to stand up to her children in a loving, balanced way after their father left. Passivity was punctuated by bouts of aggression. When arguments ensued, Gina's mother used guilt and played the victim, but didn't have the grit to apply loving discipline to the "rules." Without strong parents to establish appropriate boundaries, Gina grew up lacking self-control. Having never experience her father's love, she is consumed by the unspoken fear that no man will ever love her. In an effort to win love from men, Gina does ... things. Being needy, undisciplined, and volatile, Gina's efforts to win the love, respect and trust she craves continue to backfire. The shame of repeated moral compromise and rejection continue to pull her in a downward spiral of alcohol abuse and tawdry relationships. Amber, John and Gina are all being driven by the overwhelming emotion of shame and a deep-seated fear of rejection. How about you? Is there something that keeps you working hard to prove everyone wrong? What inner horror do those pills mask? Is "comfort food" a way of life for you? Why are you trying so hard to accumulate so much stuff? Do you know what getting that promotion really means to you? Do you know what God is asking you? The question God wants you to answer is, "Who told you that you are naked?" Nakedness. Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:10:10 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=18 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=18&article_id=9 Do you long for a different way of living?Are you dying for life?Are you willing to risk feeling dirty in order to be clean again? You. Feel. It.Nakedness.Change Your Mind.Corruption.Darkness and Light.Moment of Truth.Broken Pipes.A Watery Grave.Body and Blood. Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:09:01 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=56 Right now we worship in the home of Mike & Jennifer Knott at 1306 Minnesota Ave NW. You are warmly invited to join us. Fri, 30 May 2008 05:32:33 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=32 We regularly celebrate communion together. Anyone seeking a deeper or more meaningful relationship with Jesus can participate in this time of reflection and prayer. Wed, 28 May 2008 20:03:27 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=28 Have you ever come to church right after you got in a fight with your wife, were annoyed with a roommate, or felt burdened by stressful deadlines? It happens to all of us from time to time. So we set aside a time to ready our hearts to hear from God and speak to him. We want to set aside our anxiety and settle our minds on the compassion of God. We usually sing 2 or 3 songs during this time. The Family Band will lead us in upbeat songs of celebration, as well as more intimate songs of worship. Everyone worships in his or her own way. For many, that means raising hands, singing and clapping along, and for others it means quietly reflecting on the words. You're welcome to do whatever helps you connect with the Lord. Wed, 28 May 2008 20:01:59 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=26 At House of Prayer, you'll notice a casual atmosphere. Grab a cookie and a cup of coffee, cocoa or juice. Sit wherever you are most comfortable. Wed, 28 May 2008 20:00:27 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=24 House of Prayer's worship gathering currently meets Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in the home of Mike and Jennifer Knott located at 1306 Minnesota Ave NW, just 2 blocks south of the old high school. Wed, 28 May 2008 19:59:21 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=43 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=43&article_id=44 Starting Sunday, June 2, our weekly worship gathering will be held in the home of Mike and Jennifer Knott - 1306 Minnesota Ave NW, just 2 blocks south of the old high school. Worship, as usual, will commence a few minutes after 10 am. Wed, 28 May 2008 19:37:11 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47&article_id=70 The House of Prayer Budget Jan-April 2008 Line ItemJan-08Feb-08Mar-08Apr-08Total 2008 Jan-April Budget DetailsINCOME Undesignated Gifts Life on the Vine $0 Support given from non-HOP Attenders$750 $2,230 $2,190 $ 1,005 $ 6,175 Typically $1400/mo was received in outside support from Sept to Dec. Some of that support was pledged for a year last fall and will be dropping now that the year is up. General Fund $ 3,426 $ 1,562 $ 2,385 $ 1,796 $ 9,169 Average HOP giving from Sept to Dec was $1300/mo. Sub-total $ 4,176 $ 3,792 $ 4,575 $ 2,801 $ 15,344 Total Jan/Apr '08 Income Budget $ 4,176 $ 3,792 $ 4,575 $ 2,801 $ 15,344 EXPENSE MISSION TO LOVE GOD AND OTHERS SO THAT WE VIVIDLY COMMUNICATE THE GOSPEL Great Commission Fund (3%)$125 $114 $137 $84 $ 460 3% of monthly giving District Operating Budget (7%)$292 $265 $320 $196 $ 1,074 7% of monthly giving Greg Renn (Timberbay Ministry)$75 $75 $75 $75 $300 Daughter Church (Plant)$209 $190 $229 $140 $ 767 5% of monthly giving Benevolent Funds Sub-total Mission Giving $ 701 $ 644 $ 761 $ 495 $ 2,602 Local Outreach Television Advertising $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Yellow Page Advertising $ 198 $ - $ - $ - $ 198 Mailings $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Newspaper Advertising $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $0 Signs $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Signage for outside of building and parking lot Internal postcards $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Local Outreach $ 198 $ - $ - $ - $ 198 Total Jan/Apr '08 Mission Budget $ 899 $ 644 $ 761 $ 495 $ 2,800 ADMINISTRATION VITAL SUPPORT FOR THE MISSION Employee Expenses: Volunteer Staff Appreciation $ - $ - $ 50 $ - $ 50 We want to celebrate what God is doing! Heath Insurance $ 695 $ 695 $ 695 $ 695 $ 2,780 Plan B Alliance healthcare Life/Disability Insurance $ 67 $ 67 $ 67 $ 67 $ 268 Dental benefit $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Payroll processing fees $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Tuition/ Education $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Emp. Exp. $ 762 $ 762 $ 812 $ 762 $ 3,098 Other Admin Professional Dues/Licenses $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Chamber of Commerce Web Site $ - $ - $ 599 $ - $ 599 CCB website cost for 2008. Office Expense $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 120 postage, paper, toner, bulletins, newsletters New laptop$637 $200$837 New laptop in Jan and $200 for Microsoft Office Pro in April when trial software expires. Payroll Expenses: Salary Pastor Mike Salary $ 2,000 $ 1,400 $ 1,300 $ 1,300 $ 6,000 In January we spent out of our surplus from December's giving because Mike was only called to sub once a week. Office Staff $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Expense Account $ 50 $ 50 $ 50 $ 50 $ 200 FICA $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Employee 403B $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Retirement in leiu of social security Sub-total Payroll & Other Exp. $ 2,717 $ 1,480 $ 1,979 $ 1,580 $ 7,756 General Insurance $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Trailer Insurance $ - $ 27 $ - $ - $ 27 Volunteer Staff Appreciation $ - $ 25 $ - $ 25 $ 50 Total Jan/Apr '08 Administration Budget $ 3,479 $ 2,294 $ 2,791 $ 2,367 $ 10,931 DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING FOR THE MISSIONCourses These costs are absorbed in office expenses with all current courses designed and printed in house.Books $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Some will be given to staff, etc... some are for the book table. In April I want to buy several copies of Rick Richardson's "Re-imagining Evangelism" $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Courses $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Community Groups Conferences for pastors/staff $ - $ - $ - $ - pastor/staff training $ - $ - $ - $ - pastor appreciation $ - $ - $ - $ - curriculum $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Courses $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Children's Ministry Volunteer recruitment, equip., recg. $ - $ 10 $ 10 $ 10 $ 30 Background checks $ 26 $ - $ - $ - $ 26 Snacks $ - $ 10 $ 10 $ 10 $ 30 Curriculum $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 30 $ 120 Volunteer/staff appreciation $ - $ 25 $ - $ - $ 25 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - VBS $ - Sub-total Children's ministry $ 56 $ 75 $ 50 $ 50 $ 231 Youth Ministry Monthly activities $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Summer Events $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Retreat $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Youth leader/enrichment $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Guest Speakers $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Resources/books/materials $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Equipment/Supplies $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Sub-total Youth Ministry $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Total Jan/Apr '08 Discipleship budget $ 56 $ 75 $ 50 $ 50 $ 231 WORSHIP AND PRAYER THE FUEL FOR OUR MISSION AND THE FRUIT FROM OUR MISSIONFull Worship J.W. Smith Rental $ 800 $ 800 $ 800 $ 600 $ 3,000 Liability Insurance $ - $ - $ - $ - Worship Team $ 50 $ 50 Thank yous, etc Sound Equip $ 147 $ 147 Power conditioner bought in April to Hospitality/Welcome Team $ 15 $ 15 $ 15 $ 15 $ 60 Coffee, tea, hot choc., juice, cream, sugar, cups Tech/Audio/Visual Equipment $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - CVLI - Church Video Licensing for the year. Training resources $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Books, DVD's, cards Communion $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Juice, bread, crackers, cups - typically donatedSub-total Prayer/Worship $ 815 $ 815 $ 865 $ 762 $ 3,257 $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Meals, snacks, coffee, etc.Sub-total $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Guest Speakers $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - Total Jan-Apr Worship & Prayer Budget $ 815 $ 815 $ 865 $ 762 $ 3,257 Total Expense Jan-April 2008 Budget $ 5,249 $ 3,828 $ 4,467 $ 3,674 $ 17,219 $ 17,219 Windfall(Shortfall) $ (1,073) $ (35) $ 108 $ (874) $ (1,875) January's shortfall was primarily a product of the one-time laptop expense (637) and the one-time the yellow pages add (198) in addition to paying Pastor Mike extra (700) because there were very few sub jobs available. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:48:58 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47&article_id=63 Please note the following:This budget is from an Excel spreadsheet and the formatting did not translate perfectly to this webpage. There are 2 primary categories: Income & Expense.There are 4 subcategories under Expense and they are Mission, Administration, Discipleship, and Prayer & Worship. Expense categories align with our mission and vision so we can clearly see whether we are faithfully stewarding the financial resources God has entrusted to us.The far right column is "Details" and we have used it to describe/explain certain budget items.This budget reflects actual gifts and expenditures from January to April 2008. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:37:06 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=41 Welcome to House of Prayer, a community of people going deeper with God - together. We want you to know that wherever you are in your spiritual journey, you are welcome to travel with us. We don't love people based on their performance, intelligence, or beauty. We love people because God loves people. Whoever you are, wherever you are, we look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday and getting to know you over the coming weeks, months, and years, as we walk with God - together. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:28:58 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=49 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=49&article_id=67 Dear House of Prayer Congregation, A new challenge awaits you in "Life Transformation Groups." The idea is simple but the implications are complex and rewarding: groups of two or three people meet to discuss Scripture, pray, and answer deep accountibility questions. Before you run screaming away from the computer, hear me out. I was once a scared young boy who showed up to a small group meeting for the first time. We were asked some questions that I at first was not comfortable with. In these questions, I discovered a power within myself fostered by God Himself. I was on my way to becoming a leader! It is surprising what God will do if you will only stop to listen to Him for a little while. In LTG's, God is the focus for all. The members of the group come together and decide first on the Scripture that will be read for the next meeting. Then it is on to discussion of the current reading. This is typically an entire book of the Bible and can come in any order. The trick here is that if even one person in the group doesn't complete the reading, the entire group has to do it again. This isn't punitive, even though it sounds like a High School Literature class Study Hall rule. The meaning of this is that building character means doing what is expected. Reading Scripture is a wholly rewarding act that will serve for the rest of your life! The second part of the process is the Prayer. We pray to speak with God and in all groups prayer as a whole brings God into focus in the best way possible. Finally, there are the questions. These can be created by the members of the group or found on many LTG sites around cyberspace. Honesty brings strength of character and LTGs ask that you be perfectly honest so that the answers you give with teach you more about yourself than any other tool found. If you are interested in meeting in a Life Transformation Group or starting one yourself, please email Me or Pastor Mike or see one of us at a service some time soon! Of course, if you want to jump in and start one go ahead! That's the beauty of this whole thing! Thanks, Justin Lillich Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:19:11 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=47&article_id=64 We depend on the generosity of our members and supporters. That generosity buys us the time and resources we need to be a praying, discipling church. If you want to know how your gifts are being used, then we want you to have that information. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:00:59 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=46 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=46&article_id=57 Here's the link to my (Mike Knott's) blog, Climbing Jacob's Ladder. It generally chronicles my God experiences and thoughts as a church-planter in Bemidji. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:17:39 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=27 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=27&article_id=14 Many people, even though they wouldn't say it, see God as some kind of a mellow Cosmic Grandfather. The Cosmic Grandfather God is super duper nice, and if you go to church, he's even nicer, like the grandpa who gives you a stick of bubble gum when you visit. Like a good grandpa, he's always warm and accepting and he wouldn't condemn anyone unless they're really bad. Sadly, while he's kind, Cosmic Grandpa God is a little boring. He's nice and all, but time has passed him by, and he likes to talk about the good old days, which is mostly weird stories about people, events, ceremonies and rules that don't make sense, let alone apply, to modern, enlightened people. Sort of like when your great uncle talks about the Works Progress Administration, the Battle for the Sorbonne, or the lineup for the 1951 New York Yankees. Nonetheless, the people who believe in Cosmic Grandpa God try to visit him regularly, like Christmas and Easter, so they stay in the will, but not too often because he's starting to smell like geriatric medications. But that's not how the Bible describes God. To love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind and strength is the greatest commandment. Yet no one does that. God is worthy of love, honor and glory because he is infinite, eternal, all-wise, loving, humble (yes, humble!), compassionate, forgiving, and just, among other things. But we don't love God for these things. We don't love God even though, in his creative brilliance, he made hummingbirds, Coho Salmon, the Mississippi River, little boys who can't resist jumping in mud puddles, wild blueberries, home-grown green beans, mountain-grown coffee beans, blue mountains and even bluegrass mountain music. He did it all because he loves us. But we don't really love God much. We ignore him, mostly, but sometimes we scorn him. We usually don't seek him. We take his name in vain and we find ways not to need him. The Bible describes that kind of behavior as darkness, as in the third chapter John's gospel: This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. We prefer other things to God, and that is the heart of what it means to be a sinner. That is the heart of darkness. Not only is rejecting God described as darkness. The punishment for rejecting God is described as, among other things, darkness. It only makes sense. Think again of the Bible's story about the beginning of everything. In the beginning of everything: "the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light" and there was light..." (Genesis 1:2-3). Rejecting God is rejecting the very source of light. Rejecting God is asking to spend eternity without light. That's why Jesus says those who have no faith will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; cf. 22:13). Rejecting God, or choosing to give one's self to anything other than God is rejecting the source of life, the source of goodness, beauty, love and pleasure. The Bible says "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Romans 1:18). Sin, lack of trust in the goodness of God, and choosing to please ourselves instead of God has fearful, horrifying, and drastic consequences. Moment of Truth. Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:31:10 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=25 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=25&article_id=13 The challenge for every worldview competing in the economy of ideas is to clearly explain life. According to the thinker and author Ravi Zacharias, every worldview, whether it be a religion like Christianity or Buddhism, or an atheistic theory such as existentialism or naturalism must answer essential questions about origins (Where did I come from?), condition (Why am I the way I am?), meaning (What am I here for?) and destination (What happens after I die?). In the Christian worldview, the questions of origin and meaning are answered simply enough: Speaking to the philosophers and thinkers at Mars Hill in Athens, Paul said, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:24-27). In sum, we were created by God to know God. This is how the Bible describes our origin and the meaning of life. But if that's the case, how do we find ourselves so alienated from God and others, burdened by physical disease, spiritual desolation and relational dysfunction? I've already described the pain and shame of our condition, but now I want to go deeper and more fully explain how we arrived in this condition. Referencing again the Bible's story about the beginning, God warned Adam and Eve, saying, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Tempted by Satan, they ate the fruit anyway. Clearly Adam and Eve didn't curl up and die immediately after eating the fruit. Instead, in that moment of disobedience, death was unleashed in God's good creation. With death came disease, suffering, plague, hatred and every other force that destroys life. Sin has separated us from God, and as a result our bodies waste away, our spirits languish, and our relationships are pained. Adam and Eve's disobedience thoroughly corrupted the creation. We experience the toxic effects of this corruption in every aspect of our lives, from hangnails to hangovers, but the greatest effect of this corruption has been mentioned already: we have distanced ourselves from our Creator. We hide from God because we do not love God as we ought. This is how the Story of God, the Bible, explains our condition: We are alienated from God, aligned with sin, and assaulted by death. I've described the Christian view of our origin, meaning, and condition, but how does the Bible describe our destination? Darkness and Light. Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:27:55 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=38 House of Prayer is a "come as you are" church. No previous religious experience is necessary and people of every age and background are welcome. Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:48:44 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=31 Before we conclude, we take time to worship God again, usually 2 or 3 more songs. If you want, you may pick up your kids from the children's ministry and bring them in to worship with us. Children learn best from their parents and this is a great opportunity for them to see us worship God and learn from that example. Perfect behavior is not expected. Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:46:59 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=29 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=29&article_id=16 When I started hanging out with Alan, it seemed like he had everything going for him. A tremendous athlete, he was fast and strong, good-looking and charming. Being cool, easy-going and funny, he had a way with women. He had what the whole world seems to want. But on the inside he was tore up from the floor up. His heart was broken because his easy way with women had destroyed his relationship with his girlfriend. He was far from God and far from the girl he loved. His own actions were destroying his life. The mounting consequences of his decisions were weighing him down and no sex, no popularity, no achievement could lift the burden. Alan didn't need another woman. He didn't need more pleasure or instant gratification. And he didn't need a lecture on the moral prerogatives of monogamous sex. At least, that's not the first thing he needed. The pipes of his life were broken and sewage was spewing everywhere. He needed a guy who could clean up and fix the mess. I wasn't that guy, but I took Alan to the man as quickly as I could. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23). When someone gets up in the morning to go to work, it is with the sincere expectation that he or she will get paid for the work performed. "I've earned it," we think. "Give me my check." Sin also earns a wage - death. The payment for sin is the undoing of life, the destruction of our lives and eternal destruction. Alan knew all about it. His life was a mess. But he gave God a moment of truth-honestly confessing and repenting of his sin and he was given a gift. Whereas wages are earned, gifts aren't. Gifts are given freely because of the love the giver feels for the one receiving the gift. The gift Alan received transformed his life and relationships and you can have that gift too. Jesus died to give life to everyone who will trust him. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6). I heard a brother break it down like this: "Jesus paid a price he did not owe because we owed a price we could not pay." The Bible consistently teaches that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and we can be forgiven by placing our trust in him. When we do this, God moves into our lives with grace and forgiveness, restores our relationship with Him and gives us the power to live in a way that pleases Him: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Faith is the humility to quit trying to earn our salvation and the happy trust that God has forgiven us through Jesus Christ. "You are saved by grace, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). God is calling and He's offering you a gift. Himself. How do you want to answer? Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:13:16 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=28 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=28&article_id=15 But it gets worse. Jesus consistently described the afterlife for those who reject God as a place of eternal conscious torment in a lake of fire, what we call Hell. All true pleasures, like eating a big juicy peach, listening to beautiful music, or hiking high up into the mountains are a foretaste of the pleasure we will experience with God in the new heavens and the new earth. Rejecting God and the salvation he offers is rejecting all true pleasure because God is the source of all things true, good, and beautiful. Rejecting God is telling him that one prefers an eternity of torment apart from him to an eternity of pleasure with him. This answers, in part, the question of destination. But there's another part to the answer. We can live eternally in darkness and torment or we can live in the presence of God and his light and love forever. If you don't want to live eternally in darkness separated from the life and love of God, confess your darkness. Confess that you have not loved God. Have you loved anything more than God? Confess that you love money, video games, shopping, football, success, sex, or whatever more than God. Give God that honesty. "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). Please, give God that moment of clear reasoning. Please, you can begin a new life with a moment of truth. Broken Pipes. Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:10:18 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=26 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=26&article_id=12 God asked Adam and Eve one last question: "Did you eat from the tree I commanded you not to eat from?" Again, God is not asking because he's ignorant. He's asking because he desires a truthful response. Sanity, clarity, wholeness, goodness even, all begin with simple truth. You might call it accepting reality. Did you do what you were commanded by God not to do - yes or no? If we will be honest to God, he will be gracious to us. Healing begins with accepting the truth about ourselves. God wants Adam and Eve to confess the simple truth - they did what God told them not to do. The Bible calls this process of being honest to God "confession" and when we turn away from the wrong we've confessed it's called "repentance." Repentance is a lifelong process of coming to grips with reality. When I invite people to our church, I often say something like, "There's a catch: you can only come if you're a sinner. Only sinners are welcome at our church." The fact is God can't help you until you admit you're a sinner. When Jesus began his public ministry, he went around telling people, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand, therefore repent and believe the good news." The Greek verb for repentance, metanoia, refers to a change of mind. Sin isn't merely an action, it is a habit and a way of life. Sin is something we are as beings separated from God. No amount of therapy, cognitive reorientation, positive thinking, operant conditioning, or medication will change that. Modernist thinkers of the early twentieth century proudly trumpeted a day when science and technology would cure all of mankind's ills. This well-intended but misguided notion stubbed its toe against the first world war, was repeatedly stomped on by the second world war, was kicked in the groin by the Soviet gulags, and, still woozy, has subsequently been slapped around by conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Baltic States, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among others. There is no technological fix for human depravity. We sin because we are sinners compelled to sin. We are oriented toward sin the way rednecks are oriented toward Nascar races, gun shows, coon dogs, and Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts. We are oriented toward sin the way teenage girls are oriented toward cell phones, text messaging, and boy bands. We can't help ourselves, but God wants to help us. Repentance, metanoia, is a desire to break away from all the godless thoughts, words, and deeds that come so naturally, to enter into a new way of life with the power of God to live supernaturally in the grace and love of God. The Boundary Waters are thousands and thousands of acres of pristine lakes and woods in northeast Minnesota and Canada. Motors are prohibited so the only access is on foot or in a boat with paddles like a canoe or kayak. The wilderness is exhilarating and the fishing is phenomenal. I've had the privilege of journeying into the boundary waters on two occasions and I have longed to go back ever since. But if you want to go to the boundary waters, there's a catch: you need to apply for a permit and you can only get in at certain designated entry points. When Jesus began his public ministry, he was telling people Your entry into the kingdom of love, the kingdom of eternal life, the kingdom of beauty and goodness is very near, but there is only one way to get a permit: change your mind and trust me. This is the entry point to salvation. Have you changed your mind and trusted Jesus? Corruption. Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:59:08 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=24 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=24&article_id=11 The Bible tells a story about the beginning of everything. In this story, Adam and Eve help us understand our current condition. Before they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their relationship is described like this: "The man and his wife were both naked and they knew no shame." Did you catch that? They knew no shame. Do you remember what that was like? I think my son, who is three, does. It's adorable. But do you know how they describe themselves after they eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? God calls to them, saying, "Where are you?" God doesn't ask because he is ignorant of Adam and Eve's location. He knows where they are. He wants to elicit an honest answer that will restore the relationship which has been broken by Adam and Eve's disobedience. The process of salvation begins with telling God honestly where we are. When God made everything, the Bible says, "God looked on all he had made and saw that it was very good." If everything God made was very good, why would Adam and Eve feel such frightening shame? If God made us good, why do we feel so distant, so awkward, so ill at ease before him and others? Unless, of course, things are no longer very good. Adam tells God, "I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid." This is the human condition. We are all afraid, we all hide from each other and from God, and we all feel naked. So we try to cover our nakedness. We put on masks, we pretend to be important and successful, and, like Adam and Eve, we diligently arrange fig leaves to hide our nakedness. "Nakedness? Really, nakedness?" you might ask. Yes, nakedness. Try thinking about it like this: imagine you are at work or church, and you are naked but everyone else has their clothes on. How do you feel? You want to hide, don't you? It's a remarkably awkward feeling. We were not designed to handle the knowledge of good and evil. It's a system overload. Our emotional grid was not designed to withstand the raw power of the knowledge of good and evil. We have all disobeyed God and the resulting shame is crippling. Let me explain: The fear of being seen naked is just a part of a greater insecurity. We all fear being exposed as we really are. We all have an unconfessed, unconfronted, subconscious fear that fundamentally we are flawed and if others see those fundamental flaws, they will not like us. So we pursue success and conquests and good works and accumulation and entertainment and recreation and trophy wives (or husbands) and a thousand ways to hide from the chronic itch of this insecurity. We put on a bold face and proudly display our masks when we meet new people. But we don't just hide our true selves from people. We try to hide our true selves from God, even though He knows us better than we know ourselves. It's not simply that we know good from evil, it's much worse than that - we know that we, ourselves, are evil and separated from our Creator. We know that we are not what we should be and we are what we should not be. God looks at us and he sees us working to climb the corporate ladder and watching TV and taking pills and buying new things we don't need but really want and faking our resumes and all these other things we do to feel better about ourselves and he asks, "Who told you that you were naked?" That is, "Who said you should be embarrassed if others see you as you really are? - Who told you that there's something wrong with the way I made you?" Ever wonder why normally conservative men spend themselves silly to have a big, fancy pickup truck? Ever wonder why you feel so awkward after saying the wrong thing at a dinner party?Ever wonder why your wife asks you if that dress makes her look fat?Ever wonder why someone would pay a therapist $200 an hour to help them feel better?Every wonder why women spend so much time tweezing their eyebrows and men clip their nosehairs? Somewhere, in each of our lives, things have gone wrong. We feel it. We feel it subtly and we feel it deeply. Over and over and over again, every day, we feel it. But that's not the worst part. What we feel, all the insecurity, shame, pain and guilt, is only a symptom of a greater sickness - sin, which separates us from God. Things are no longer very good because we have separated ourselves from God and corrupted the creation. Change Your Mind. Sat, 25 Aug 2007 09:55:07 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35&article_id=21 House of Prayer is a churchplant of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. You can read about the core doctrines of the Christian and Missionary Alliance here >> Alliance beliefs.One year from now, are you going to be a happier, more peaceful person? One year from now, will you be more satisfied because of the presence of God in your life? One year from now, will you be better able to withstand the pressures and storms of life because you have walked in the shadow of the Almighty and been counseled by the Savior, Jesus Christ?We are a weave of ordinary people drawn together to help one another pursue God. We would love to know where you came from if it helps us know you and helps you grow, but what we really care about is where you are going. Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:33:50 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=15 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=15&article_id=8 The following is a simple confession that helps us understand the kind of lifestyle God has called us to in Jesus Christ:We have heard God's Story, met Him, and experience His Salvation daily. Living in the presence of God's Spirit, we are Sent on His mission. We Serve others in Jesus' name and Sing His song.Story - The Bible is the story of God reconciling everything to himself through Jesus Christ for his glory. Salvation - The ongoing experience of God's forgiveness, grace, and empowerment in our lives Spirit - The ongoing experience of God's presence in our lives. Sent - The ongoing experience of God's mission to the world in our lives. Serve - The ongoing expression of God's love for others through our lives. Sing - The ongoing experience of worship and love for God in every aspect of our lives. Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:31:31 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=34 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=34&article_id=19 I recently went with some friends to hear a faith healer speak. The man was zany. This took place in a tent about 20 minutes outside the small logging town of Northome. If you think Bemidji is a rural community, you have never been to Northome. Or twenty minutes outside Northome. The whole experience was surreal. I found myself repeatedly asking one of life's primary questions: "How did we get here?" As I surveyed the immediate surroundings, I found no easy answer forthcoming. I did, however, realize something significant. I definitely believe that God heals when we call out to him in simple trust but I don't like faith healers. Part of the problem is that there's too much wacky quackery and hype. The guy I heard outside Northome repeatedly exclaimed, "Bring your friends to the meeting tomorrow night, mate. It's going to be action packed!" I sorta wanted to give him a good shake. More importantly, I believe that faith and healing belong to all the children of God, not some super-spiritual elites. I believe the power of God is for the people of God - power to the people! God wants us to do more than organize a tidy little worship gathering where people sit in the same seats each Sunday and politely sing the same songs after nodding affirmatively to another boring sermon they didn't hear because they were busy thinking about what good people they are. God wants to pour out his power on humble, repentant people who cry out to him in faith and dependence. God wants to give power to his people. When Christ called us as his disciples, to what was he calling us? And he went up to the mountain and summoned those whom he himself wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. Mark 3:13-15 Jesus called his disciples: 1. To be with him - are we spending time with Jesus? 2. To send them out with a clear message and with authority (read: power) - are we on Christ's mission? Matthew 28 explains Jesus' mission further: All authority in heaven an on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commissions his disciples: 1. With all the authority in heaven and earth. 2. To make disciples. 3. To baptize those disciples. 4. To teach those disciples to obey. 5. To live in his presence always. This commission is for every follower of Jesus Christ. Faithful discipleship means living in the presence of Jesus, knowing and teaching the precepts that he taught for abundant living. Ministry is not about a bunch of people gathering every week to watch, theatre-style, a dynamic, inspiring speaker and listen to catchy, uplifting music. Ministry is about power to the people. Paul writes to the Ephesians: It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for the work of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 Let me summarize. Jesus has given gifts to the church: 1. He has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers. 2. These men and women prepare the rest for the work of ministry. 3. The result is that everyone gets built up in a unified faith and the knowledge of God. So we see that there are no spiritual elites. Some equip, others do the work of ministry, but all are involved in discipling. As each one functions in his or her role, the whole body is equipped and built up. Practically, what does this look like? Let's check take a look at 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of may witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 Here's a simple sketch of what we're looking at:Paul to Timothy to Faithful to Others But it might be more accurately represented this way: PaulTimothyFaithful Faithful FaithfulOthers Others Others Others Others Others Can you see the multiplied growth? So, we could try to put on a big show and do things the slow way...One person reaching 1000 people everydaywould need 18,000 years to reach the world for Christ. Or, we could go deeper, emphasize quality, and do something phenomenal:One person reaching and discipling one person a year,each of them discipling someone else the next year,each discipling another person the following year, etccould reach the world in 33 years. Knowing this, how would you like to invest your time?? Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:26:22 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=34 Children ages 3 to 10 are dismissed to Sunday School after the call to worship, which is the first few songs at the beginning of worship. In Sunday School, kids will participate in an interactive lesson, learning principles that will help them walk with God now and for the rest of their lives. Rather than dividing children up by age, we prefer to leave the older children with the younger ones so we can gently train them to be helpers and "mini-teachers." Our vision is to be a church where everyone participates in helping others grow, and that includes our children. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and give my life as a ransom for many." In that same spirit, we want to teach our children to serve one another. Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:09:43 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=25 Our nursery and Sunday School are great places for children from birth to age 10. The staff and volunteers create a safe, fun atmosphere in which children can learn Bible stories and participate in age-appropriate learning. If you have children ages 0-3, feel free to check them in to the nursery or bring them to the service. Children ages 3 to 10 should be signed in, but will join the adults in the service during the call to worship. The call to worship is usually one to three songs of worship we sing to signal the beginning of the worship gathering. Children are then dismissed with our staff to Sunday School during the welcome and announcements. Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:07:46 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=33 Each week, House of Prayer's regular attenders leave their offerings in the hand-crafted box in the back. Offering is about a lot more than a sense of duty or obligation. Giving is an opportunity to rejoice in all that God has done for us and to express our gratitude. Each time we give, we reaffirm our belief that God is a loving Father and gracious Provider for us, His children. We scorn the duty of giving so we can embrace the soul-satisfying joy of generosity. God has promised to provide for us and this allows us to meet the needs of others and advance Christ's mission to the world. This is an act of worship for our regular attenders. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:52:07 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=54 We are currently striving to put together a discipleship-based youth ministry. Our vision is to develop a team of mentors. Each mentor will then equip and disciple 1 to 3 youth. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:46:21 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=32 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=32&article_id=17 Our mission is to relentlessly love God and others so that we vividly communicate the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ. Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:33:57 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=33 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=33&article_id=18 Our vision is to be a praying, discipling, multiplying church where power, God's power, is available to every believer. Want to learn more? Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:07:37 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=group&id=1 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=group&id=1&article_id=1 You have entered a zone of rich communication, discussion, and friendship. There are several fun, encouraging discussions that you are invited to join - please read the rules first. If you feel there's a discussion that needs to be started, you are invited to initiate it. You can check the calendar for upcoming events. We will regularly update the positions. It has become clear in recent months that House of Prayer is a talent rich environment. We have diverse people with a wide range of skills and gifts. We want to help you find ways to use those gifts to advance God's mission to the world through Jesus Christ. It would be great if you would edit and update your profile. FAIR WARNING: People who leave their profile unfinished often find that the all-powerful web administrator has chosen an "attractive" picture for them. Click individuals, find your name, click it, then click edit. You'll be glad you did! Finally, checking your dashboard is one way to view all the information pertinent to you at one time - your groups, discussions, tasks, giving statement, calendar.... Again, welcome to the online community. Enjoy your stay! Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:01:37 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=31 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=31&article_id=37 We all eat to live. When I eat a hamburger, a cow has died so that I can live. When I eat a veggie burger, soybeans have died so I can live. When we eat the bread and drink the cup of communion, we are declaring our belief that Jesus Christ died so that we can live eternally with God the Father. The cup, filled with grape juice or wine, symbolizes the blood Jesus shed on the cross so our blood would not need to be shed. The bread symbolizes his body, which was crushed and broken by God so we would not be crushed and broken. Because He died in our place, we have forgiveness of sins and freedom from the wrath of God. He died, we live, and our meal celebrates that new life. Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:19:06 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=42 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=42&article_id=42 If you want to get to know someone, you have to ask the right questions. Can you imagine attending a speed-dating event, sitting across from an eligible man or woman, and being peppered with questions such as, "How tall are you? What do you weigh? What size are your feet? Can you describe, in millimeters, how far apart your eyes are?" The response would be sheer bafflement. There is an endless amount of biological data one could learn about another without ever touching who that person really is. Life isn't simply a collection of data. If you want to begin to know someone you need to listen to their life's experiences, their stories. And if you want to know someone deeply, you need to walk closely with them down the path of life's experiences. Take, for instance, a pair of speed-daters. In order for their relationship to progress beyond simply let's-see-if-you-can-pique-my-interest-in-8-minutes, they will need to go out again. If that goes well, they will date again. If things continue to go well, they will date again and again over the ensuing months while they layer in several other forms of communication - calls, letters, gifts, emails, textmessages, i.m.s, etc... The time spent together and the forms of communication will enable them to hear one another's story while they begin to walk the path of life's experiences together. Have you been speed-dating God? How carefully are you listening to His story while you walk the path of life's experiences together? House of Prayer is committed to going deeper with God - together. Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:06:30 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35&article_id=39 We take little concepts like "joy" and "peace" pretty seriously. We're saddened by the epidemic levels of anxiety and depression we see in the people around us. People, we might note, who live in by far the wealthiest society in the history of the world. Neil Postman, author of Amusing Ourselves to Death, notes that our society has changed. We no longer live in neighborhoods where people sit out on the front porch with their neighbors and share a cup of lemonade. Home architecture reflects this fact. Instead, we hunker down in over-sized leather recliners in our oversized living rooms in front of over-sized televisions, engrossed, not in relationships, but in spectacle. And what we see on the television slowly shapes who we are as people. Sociological data reveals that we are much more cynical about and fearful of our neighbor than our grandparents were. Postman points out that this is largely because of the influence of television violence, particularly the nightly "news." If you want to live your life addicted to happy pills and unhappy television, that's your choice. But someday, you'll stand before God, accountable for the life's blood that has been given to you, accountable for the life's blood of your fellow man, accountable for every day. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:18:49 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=35&article_id=40 At House of Prayer, we believe that relationships matter and are the key to restoring peace and joy to our lives. Our most important relationship, the one we pursue most vigorously, is our sacred walk with God through Jesus Christ. God said in the Bible: "Call on me in the day of trouble and I will answer you and you will honor me, says the Lord..." So we read the Bible and we talk to God. A lot. We talk to God because He cares. We talk to God because He hears us. We talk to God because, simply, God answers prayer. After that, we strive to create authentic, encouraging relationships with one another. We meet together in small groups to study God's story, the ancient scriptures, and to pray. We talk and laugh and encourage each other. We meet in homes, in coffee shops, in apartments and sometimes in pubs. Where we meet doesn't matter. What matters is our camaraderie, our common bond - that we are all sinners, at one time on the run from God, who have been spared from absolute catastrophe by the free, radical, and unlimited grace of God. What matters is our love - that we are willing to die for God and each other. We have all pursued joy and peace and satisfaction in something, or some things, besides God. This is what the Bible calls idolatry. Yet God did not choose to crush us for our idolatry and lack of respect and love for him. Instead, He crushed his Son, Jesus, and poured out his blood so that you and I might go free. If guilty sinners like us have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, shall we not also be reconciled to one another, having close relationships and dynamic friendships? Since God made so great a sacrifice for us, will we not make great sacrifices for one another? Indeed, we shall. So we relentlessly pursue peace, joy, happiness, and satisfaction in Jesus Christ. We leap into the light of sacred relationships, the ancient scripture and conversational prayer. We then plunge into the abyss of this world's darkness - the addictions, the abuse, the relational dysfunction, the loneliness, the spirit-depleting careerism, the soul-scorching materialism, the mind-numbing entertainment, the heart-perverting imagery - we risk all, plunging into the darkness to help our neighbors, ourselves. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:16:40 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=30 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=30&article_id=36 "Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him by baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life...We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin." Romans 6:3-4,6 Are you afraid to die? Most people I know say they aren't and maybe that's true. Yet one could make a case that many are afraid to live. We live, but we live in fear. We fear rejection, failure, disease, awkward moments, financial hardship, deadlines, loss of status... boy, do we fear. "It's a good day to die!" Connor Holt would bark in his Irish brogue as we walked to the line before cross country races. Cross country is a sport about pain. Races were typically 5 or 6 miles. It was agony after the first mile. The pain was so intense and prolonged there was a powerful temptation to quit. There were 2 ways to deal with the pain and keep running hard. The first, and more common method, was to fight it. Just grit your teeth and try to push through. The second, and better way, was to give in to it. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but let me explain. To give in to the pain, one needed to acknowledge and accept it. It was a way of saying, "Yeah, it hurts incredibly, but that's okay. I can only run as fast as I can run, but I won't let fear and pain keep me from doing my best. I will feel the pain, live in it, and keep going." Pain, when fought, produces cowardice if it overcomes our will. Pain, when accepted, can produce new courage: "I feel pain, but it can't stop me if I don't want to stop." Our better, nobler selves always want to face the fear and pain and triumph through it. Our weaker selves just want the easy way out. If we accept life's discomfort and die to that sniveling, whiny voice that whimpers for the easy way, we will conquer. Are you ready to die to your weak self, what the Bible calls "the flesh," that sniveling, simpering, pampering blister on your ego that always needs to be cushioned and coddled? Are you willing to die to yourself and live for Christ? If you have been baptized, then you have died to sin, died to fear, died to selfishness and anxiety and worry and doubt. You were crucified with Christ and walk in new life. You can accept the pain and fear and everything that is out of your control because God controls all things. We conquer in Christ. Baptism is a symbol - it is a watery grave. We die with Christ to our old way of life and we rise to live with him in new life. It's a good day to die. Do it now. So you can live. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:46:09 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=30 Every weekend, our pastor gives a straightforward message from a passage of Scripture that is crafted to help your everyday journey of faith. These messages will help you develop a growing, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, and apply biblical teaching to your own life. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:57:00 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=38&article_id=27 Thu, 8 Mar 2007 20:35:51 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=2 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=2&article_id=20 We are a church-plant of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. You can learn about Alliance doctrine here.You can learn about Alliance distinctives here. Thu, 4 Jan 2007 20:04:12 MST http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.healthebroken.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=7 A while back, my wife and I were watching Joe Somebody, starring Tim Allen. As the movie progressed, I noticed that my emotions were in lock-step with the storyline of the film. No one needed to explain to me that Joe is a good guy worthy of my compassion. And I never consciously thought, "The antagonist in this story is a mean-eyed punk who deserves a beat down." Yet, somehow, that is exactly how I felt. Why did I feel that way? Because stories have the power to communicate a world-view, values, and morals without resorting to lecture or discourse. Stories have power to shape the way we think and feel. Stories have power. We all love stories. Stories of noble and courageous people inspire us and entertain us. They give us hope and teach us lessons. We all love rags-to-riches stories because they give us hope that we, too, can some day make it big. And we all want to make it big because we all want the things that purportedly come with big-ness: esteem, value, security... Stories move us to feel powerful emotions and can sustain us in difficulty. Who could watch Shawshank Redemption and not be deeply moved by each man's struggle to regain his freedom? Who can read The Lord of the Rings without being desperately fearful for Frodo, the diminutive champion of the story? Yet, for all his weakness, he courageously faces overwhelming evil and somehow encourages us as well. When we hear stories from another people or culture, we learn about the values and beliefs of that people. Storytellers, even if the story is fiction, can teach us. The tellers of fictional stories at times reveal more about themselves because their identity is hidden. But the Bible is even better than that. As the historical record about God's interactions with people, it is the truth. What's more, as the story of God, it teaches us how God interacts with people even today - it's true. Historically, it's the truth. Every day, it's true. Now that is a story with power. Today, we live in post-Christian America. There was a time when most people shared the same basic understandings about the nature of God and morality, even if they were not followers of Christ. Now, however, things are different. America holds many people with many worldviews and religious perspectives. In a society with many explanations of the mystery of life, how do we explain what we believe? We tell a story. We tell the story. The Bible contains God's story. It tells us why God made us. It helps us understand why the world is so full of joy and wonder, and yet it also explains life's incredible pain, suffering, and even cruelty. The Bible makes sense of life and it answers some of life's most puzzling questions: Where did I come from? Why am I the way I am? What is my purpose in life? Where will I go when I die? But it answers these questions without resorting to lecture or discourse. It answers these questions by telling us a story - the Story. And as crucial as these explanations are, this story does so much more than help us understand life as it is. This is the only story that has the power to raise the dead. A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are as grass and as the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God remains forever." Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21 Is not my word like a fire, and like a hammer which breaks a rock in pieces? Jeremiah Philosopher Emile Cailliet was born in a small French village near the end of the 19th century. His early education was committed to naturalism, leaving no room for God or supernatural intervention in human affairs. But his naturalistically inspirited studies in philosophy proved of little help during his front-line experiences as a lad of 20 in World War I. Confronted with the horrors of war, he asked: "What use, the ill-kept, ancient type of sophistry in the philosophic banter of the seminar, when your own buddy-at the time speaking to you of his mother-dies standing in front of you, a bullet in his chest. Was there a meaning to it all? A [person] can endure anything if only it appears meaningful.... I, too, felt-not with my reason, but with my whole being-that I was naked and, war or no war, destined to perish miserably when the hour came." One night a bullet found Cailliet, too. An American field ambulance crew saved his life, and after a nine-month hospital stay, he was discharged and resumed his graduate studies. But he had to admit that the books no longer seemed like the same books, nor was his motivation the same. Reading at length in philosophy and literature, he found himself probing in depth for meaning. He testifies: "During long night watches in the foxholes I had in a strange way been longing-I must say it, however queer it may sound-for a book that would understand me. But I knew of no such book. Now I would in secret prepare one for my own private use. And so, as I went on reading for my courses, I would file passages that would speak to my condition, then carefully copy them in a leather-bound pocket book I would always carry with me. The quotations, which I numbered in red ink for easier reference, would lead me as it were from fear and anguish, through a variety of intervening stages, to supreme utterances of release and jubilation." At last, the day came when he put the finishing touches on, as he said it, "the book that would understand me." He describes a beautiful, sunny day in which he sat under a tree and opened his precious anthology. As he read, however, he was overcome by a growing disappointment. Instead of speaking to his condition as he expected, the passages only reminded him of their context-of the circumstances of his labor over their selection. Then, Cailliet says, he knew that the whole undertaking would not work, simply because it was of his own making. It carried no strength of persuasion. In a dejected mood, he put the little book back into his pocket. On that same day, Cailliet's wife had come into the possession of a Bible by extraordinary circumstances. Emile had always been adamant that religion would be taboo in their home, and at the age of 23 had never even seen a Bible. But at the end of that disappointing day, when she apologetically tried to explain how she had providentially (as he would later realize!) picked up a copy of the Bible, he was eager to see it. He describes what happened next: "I literally grabbed the book and rushed to my study with it. I opened it and "chanced" upon the Beatitudes. I read and read and read-now aloud with an indescribable warmth surging within.... I could not find words to express my awe and wonder. And suddenly the realization dawned upon me: This was the Book that would understand me! I needed it so much, yet, unaware, I had attempted to write my own-in vain. I continued to read deeply into the night, mostly from the Gospels. And lo and behold, as I looked through them, the one of whom they spoke, the one who spoke and acted in them, became alive in me." Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; source: Emile Cailliet, Journey into Light (Zondervan, 1968), p. 12-18 Wed, 3 Jan 2007 22:19:01 MST