the guy on the plus sign?

In a recent article by James Emery White, entitled In the Land of Swedes, he discussed the alarming stat from a recent Time Magazine study that suggests that the fastest growing "faith" group are the NONES. Have you heard of them? The NONES, are actually a fast rising group that declare themselves as people who have no faith at all. In other words, when given a box to check on a list of "faith" beliefs or doctrine they check the NONE box. Even more alarming, is the group of people in America (in the shadows of Sweden) who say that "belief" or "eternity" or "faith" doesn't even cross their mind during a typical year. In fact, one story tells of an Episcopalian priest from South Carolina who recently told of “a couple came in to my office once with a yellow pad of their teenage son’s questions. One of them was: ‘What is that guy doing hanging up there on the plus sign?’”
What would you say if someone asked you that? Could you give them a clear and concise answer? As we head toward Easter have you taken time to explain the death and resurrection of God's perfect Son? How do you and your friends or family plan on celebrating Easter? Who could you tell that doesn't know?

Poll Results

Well,

Looks like the 9:30am service will be 2X the people that 11am will be - and there will be a small group of people who will get together from 10:30-11:30 - you know who you are.

Well with these results, seems that if you want a good seat in a service, 11am is your service.

Now for the small group quiz above, lets here it Rejoice South.....

truthtelling

Henri Nouwen once confessed the following about truthtelling:

"I am beginning now to see how radically the character of my spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it difficult as possible for me to find him, but, instead, as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding."

Over the last 10 weeks, we have seen several people at Rejoice understand for the first time that God is pursing us and we can stop hiding from His love and forgiveness! When was the last time you stopped to thank God for finding you? Do you have any other things in your life that you are afraid to confess to God?

learning from other history makers

I can't help it! It seems like I learn so much from stories of sports and/or athletics because competition has a way of bringing out the best in us and the worst in us. This week I ran across the historic story and life of Anthony Robles. Anthony was born with only one leg but that hasn't stopped him from competing in one of the most difficult collegiate sports, wrestling, and at the highest Div.1 level. This week, Anthony, competed in the national tournament. As if competing in wrestling at the Div. 1 level wouldn't be difficult enough-he happens to be really good. The other day, Anthony's run toward the 125 lb. championship ended when he lost to the #1 rated wrestler in his division that is 32-0. When interviewed after the loss his character shined, "He didn't beat me because I was born with one leg," Robles said. "He beat me because he was the better wrestler tonight. It's that simple." Robles has learned amazing will and character through competing. Wrestling has made him better. Because of Robles and his history making achievements all of us are also better! -How do you respond when you face difficult odds? Have you ever found yourself overlooking people who are physically or mentally challenged? How has God used a "weakness" in your life to show Himself strong? -Casey C.

Feedback

Here are the results of our recent polls

Most people love the NIV....

We spend on average 3 hours a day on line - but there are some of us who are addicted. (we say this proudly with i-phone or blackberry in hand)

The next few polls, first one is above, are important - they will help us plan for the Easter crowd and beyond, I know it's still 3+ weeks away, but that time will fly by.

Are you ready to get more involved in God's plan, we can always use more volunteers in just about every type of ministry

video, lights, ECM, RCkids, hospitality, ushers, ...and the list goes on so if you feel God's calling you to serve but don't know where to start, send me an e-mail and I will help you.

tpryor@rejoicechurch.com

blind in sight but not blind of victory

Matt Steven is like most other teenagers. He loves being around people his age, he loves to compete, he loves to be a part of the crowd, and he has hobbies. His favorite hobby is basketball, which is not that unusual unless you have faced what Matt Steven has faced. Since birth, Matt has been blind, because of two detached retinas. In the fifth grade he had one eye removed and in the sixth grade he had the other eye removed. Over the last few years he has begged his parents to let him go to the school that his brother goes too. Not long after his parents gave in, Matt decided he wanted to be a part of the basketball team. He went to every practice, attended every game, listened to every instruction by the coach and cheered the team on from the bench. Then one day his older brother decided that during a fundraiser game that it would be cool if Matt could shoot every free throw. The other team agreed to letting him shoot ever free throw. How did he do? Matt made the first two and ended up going 4 for 8...then at the end of the game, his team had come back, the best player got fouled while being down by 1 point...and suddenly guess who finds himself at the free throw line with 2 free throws to shoot? Matt Steven! That's right, the team let Matt Steven shoot the final second free throws and Matt calmly stepped to the line and nailed them both. Matt Steven's team won the game and Matt was the hero! Matt may be blind but that day he saw and felt victory in a new and bright way. Is there anything that God is calling you to do that seems to be too difficult? -Casey (original story written by Rick Reilly at http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3967807)

St. Patricks Day and Spring Break

Welcome to spring break - for some of us that just means a higher food bill because the kids, and sometimes us are at home and eating like crazy. Which makes me thing of St. Patricks day, a day reserved in most of the world for crazy green things, drinking and general making merry and feasting.

What makes this odd is the history around St. Patrick is not about the crazy behavior we see today, but about a young boy, taken into slavery, who then escapes. But then finds himself yearning to lead his captors to a Christian way of life. To introduce them to the one that helped him outlast their cruelty.

If left to my own thoughts, I want revenge on those that persecute me. But when God lives within you, you have the ability, and I might even say the mandate to love those that persecute you.

In our little part of the world in Owasso, we don't find much persecution. Yet we are still called to love. Avoid the green beer today and reach out and love someone with the love of Christ. It's a better way to honor St. Patrick and you'll feel better in the morning.

Tom

“.. the blessing of your weakness is it forces you into friendships”

The quote above is from Bono, the lead singer for U2. I listened to the new U2 album for free online the other day. You can too by clicking here. I like U2 and most of this latest offering is really good. It has been labeled by many as their "most Christian effort" to date. Not sure if I am qualified to make that assesment, but read some of the lyrics and I can see why some say that. In particular "Magnificent" would fit nice in any churches Sunday line up.

But here is my question - how will Christian's view this? As some greedy move by Bono and his band to grab a portion of the Christian music market $$$? Will it just pass by without notice. Or will some of us begin to question (and maybe drop) our judgmental view of pop culture - maybe even try to understand the tatooed or pierced person living across the street or serving our meal. Dare I say be compassionate and show love. To use an overused phrase, what would Jesus do......

One more quote from the lead singer of the band "The true life of a believer is one of a longer, more hazardous or uphill pilgrimage, and where you uncover slowly the sort of illumination for your next step. Religious people, generally, they freak me out. Honestly, I start twitching when I'm around them. But sometimes, maybe weirdos are the only people who really know they need God”

Weirdo hmmmm, Bono also said "I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity”

I guess weakness does force you into friendships - the first one should be a friendship with Jesus - which I guess makes me a weirdo...I'm ok with that.

Talking Dogs....

I saw this video, and honestly laughed out loud. But then I began to think how much time it must have taken to get these animals to "speak" in this way. All this time for a laugh, or maybe a chance at $10,000 on AFV. But I wonder, if we could hear God speak back to us, answer our prayers, or even just say "I love you" would we spend that much time with him?

I guess the key is putting the time in first, then we can hear him speak.

Happy Thursday

Tom

taking the gospel to the nations...for here and forever

I (Casey) ran across this story from one of our missionaries and our missionary team (a few from Rejoice Church) who recently did a great work in the Ivory Coast of Africa. This is amazing that they are bringing hope for here and hope for eternity! Read below... Every year there is something that stands out in our 10 days in Doropo in the NE corner of CI with the project Save-A-Life, an outreach of THP. This year was no different.

Each day started with hundreds gathering over at the hospital, awaiting the morning arrival of the medical team, hoping that they would be one of the "lucky" ones who would be chosen to be treated and/or operated on by the visiting doctors from America. Every day they waited hours in the heat…patiently, some not so patiently….but waiting….and waiting.

And each day, I, as the team leader for the medical team, would line up the patients, and choose those cases from the scores, who the doctors would see… those who would be operated on as the doctors examined them and gave their input. It was not an easy task.

As I would step out into the waiting room or roped off area outside of the hospital, hordes of people would hold up their small, registration papers, or push a child with a health problem in front of me. Others would grab my arm, speaking in my face….all were desperate to receive this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for treatment that they could never receive or afford if we had not come. For some, next year, if we did come back, would be too late.

The morning of the last full day of surgeries... This morning my heart was heavy because I already knew I had too many surgeries scheduled….I was only hoping….

But as I stepped into the inside courtyard of the hospital, the African head nurse stopped me. "We have an urgent case, Maman. Can you come see it?" An older, half-naked man lay on one of the plastic covered mattresses in a small, dirty patient room. He was curled up in gripping pain, a strangulated hernia, and an imminent death certain without the intervention of our general surgeon.

All of our scheduled patients were forgotten as our doctor and the nurses prepared the humble operating room and the suffering patient for surgery. At the end of four hours, a man's life was saved. And finally, reluctantly, I moved to tell those waiting patiently on the benches that, this year, they would not get the needed operation. "I am so sorry we can't operate on all of you. We wish we could. But I want you to know this: we haven't come because we are making money on these operations. We are here because God sent us. This year you won't be able to get this free surgery. But there is something much more important that we are here to offer you that is free…that is God's love…."
Over and over the Lord's love was shown and spoken to the crowds as they waited for the free medical care. Sixty-six received a life-changing operation, in the villages hundreds received the free medical care …..and praise God, 189 received His free gift of salvation. Are you sending people "to the nations" with the resources God has given you? Are you willing to "go" until God says "stay"? -Casey C.

"You've reached God..I can't come to the phone right now....."

Check out this article about a Dutch artist who set up a phone line for people to leave God a message.

Another form of prayer? What do you think?

jacob owens earns scholarship/bball award/bright future

Over the past 6 years, I (Casey) have had the privilege of coaching the Rejoice Christian School boys'/men's basketball team. It has been an absolute blast seeing these 6th-7th graders learn so much about the game of basketball but more importantly about the game of life lived for Christ. Over the past few weeks, there have been some real exciting things happen to our program and its bright future! Part of the reason for the success of the basketball program are great guys like Jacob Owens. Jacob is the son of Terry and Kelli Owens (Chris' is his "little" brother). The Owens family has been a major part of the success of Rejoice Christian School and a vital part of Rejoice Church. Recently, Jacob Owens (a senior in h.s.) was awarded a huge compliment by being awarded the "Whole-Life Scholarship" at Oral Roberts University. This scholarship is only awarded to a small number of candidates and is applied for by over a thousand people or more. The "Whole-Life Scholarship" is given to special leaders who have shown academic rigor, leadership among the peers, high character and integrity, and the ability to live for Christ. So its' no suprise to me that Jacob Owens was awarded this $10,000 per year (up to $40,000 total) scholarship!

Then to top it off, Jacob just got news that he made All-State Honorable Mention for the second year in a row. He has some basketball "skills" too! Way to go Jacob. Next time you are at Rejoice Church and you see Jacob make sure to say hi!

Investments - what's your view

So if you’re like me, your 401K is off by 50%, your company is reducing it’s work force and you are wondering when it will all stop. Do I move my money, to I keep it where it is, do I just buy a motorcycle and drive off a cliff somewhere. It’s not that we put our trust in our money (at least that’s what we tell our “Christian” friends so they think we are more spiritual then we are) because the bible says to put our trust in Christ alone. But it’s like anything else in life, when we spend all our time in the minutia and don’t step back to take that 20,000 ft view, we can seem to get lost or worse yet follow the wrong path. My dad used to say, “you can’t see the forest for the trees, son”

Of course I have found the opposite is also true, if we spend all our time at 20,000 ft, we never grasp the reality of the situation for ourselves or anyone else. We do that sometimes when we make blanket statements about who is a good person or bad person, who is the right political party or candidate, or which path someone else should take, and we do so from the safety of our white washed sepulcher; never experiencing what those people experience each day.

So, if you are still reading this you may wonder what the heck Tom is talking about. Well I have been spending a lot of time at 20,000 ft. In my 401K at work I had that hands off mentality, long term, 20,000 ft - which cost me some last year, but I could have saved a lot money this year if I had just been a little more engaged in my investments. Have you had this experience? At church I have been watching the campus launch from a distance. Oh, I’m there each week, but not really engaged, staying safe in my white sepulcher

At home, I’ve been in the minutia, running from sporting event, to event; eating dinners from a sack and wondering at times when it would all end. Oh, and driving past hurting people in need; some of those even in my own house, without notice or care.

Have you been there? Did you find your way out?

I have, and it’s all come together in a word…. E N G A G E D.

Instead of just doing what happens either in the little details of life or at 20,000 ft, I have become engaged in what I am doing. I guess you could say I care again.

If you are not engaged the solution doesn’t matter, only the problem does. But when you get engaged, your not part of the problem, you are the solution.

God’s solution.

You see,
Being Engaged is looking to God’s word to guide you and give you peace, not the financial section of the newspaper.
Being Engaged is having a growing relationship with Jesus Christ (only happens when you listen to his word and act on it)
Being Engaged is looking for the place to serve at church because what you invest in, you care about (mine is ECM)
Being Engaged is looking around you to those in need while you live life (mine is my small group that meets on Sunday nights)

Are you Engaged?

loss of innocence in generation z

I can remember the days where watching a solid hour of television meant hoping that I could go to my friend's house to watch their TV that had cable! Not just cable, but the special channel called Nickelodeon. The Nick show was most famous for presenting a game and the loser of the game would have to sit down and be "slimed" by the infamous green slush. Recently, I ran across an article on http://www.churchrelevance.com/ that updated me on this years Nickelodeon Awards: surely it must have lots of hand outs to people like Barney, Diego, and Wonder Girl. But it looks like the "target audience" has changed just a little. According to the Nickelodeon Awards 2009 the "Kids Choice Awards" go to: Beyonce, Chris Brown, Katy Perry, and the Pussycat Dolls. These "choice" singers include lines like: “Now take it off while I watch you perform"...Let’s get and make love on Venus.” “I kissed a girl just to try it. I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it....and “I can get off when you ain’t around.” In fact, one author goes on to say that now in the UK 44% of parents sing their pop songs and TV themes rather than nursery rhymes. (Or better yet Scripture memory!) So the big question is what is filling the memory of the minds of our children? What do you spend time singing while getting them ready for bed or cleaning up from the day? Do you hear your child singing songs that remind them of God and his characteristics or more about the culture and its values? At Rejoice, we constantly try to help our families find ways to teach our babies, kids, and teens the greatness of God while we are driving to school, eating at the table, playing in the living room, and going to bed! This is always better than getting "slimed" by the wrong "choice" awards.

who's on your top 10?

You may remember the infamous, Wayne's World (if not, you didn't miss anything lifechanging) from Saturday Night Live and then from their own movie. The sometimes crude, sometimes funny sketch would typically center around who these frat boys considered to be the most beautiful women in the world. Each week would be centered around the Top 10 women in the world. Since those days, David Letterman has continued the famous top 10 countdown with his own current event Top 10. The Harris Poll recently asked a number of adults in America who they "admired most to call them their hero?" Here is this year's top 10:
1. Barack Obama
2. Jesus Christ
3. Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. Ronald Reagan
5. George W. Bush
6. Abraham Lincoln
7. John McCain
8. John F. Kennedy
9. Chesley Sullenberger
10. Mother Teresa

other notables: God, Bill Gates, George Washington, Oprah Winfrey...
The survey was last conducted in 2001, and in that survey Jesus Christ was the hero mentioned most often, followed by Martin Luther King, Colin Powell, John F. Kennedy and Mother Teresa.
So what makes a hero? Doing things right? Being well known? Lots of Power? What makes the difference between a hero and a "celebrity"? In short, heroes are people who have dramatic personal influence directly on our lives and celebrities are people who are well known for what they have done, achieved, or for what they possess. In his seminal study The Image, Daniel J. Boorstin says "the hero created himself, the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big person, the celebrity is a big name. (read more at www.serioustimes.com) So who is on your top 10 list? How did they arrive on your top 10 list? The key to the top 10 list is remembering that God has allowed these people to come into your life. It's my hope that each one of these people have influence you to become more like Christ!