January 2019

By Mike Woolley
The New Year is upon us and that means the challenge to read through the entire Bible in 2019 is here. I look forward to all of us reading the same passages together and developing a habit of being in the Word daily.
So why do we need to read the Bible every day? I have noticed that the older I get the more forgetful I am becoming. I tell myself to write things down, so I will remember and then I forget to write it down. I have walked into a room to get something only to forget what it is I came in there for. I can see you nodding in agreement because you can relate.
The all-knowing God who loves you with a perfect love knows you need to be reminded. In fact, the Bible is a book filled with reminders and repetition. It repeats things and reminds us of things because we forget. We need to be renewed and transformed and revived over and over again.
Ps.119:11 “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
What you remember about God has everything to do with how you will live. What He says about Himself is the most important thing we could focus on and not forget. Hide His Word in your heart. Know it. God promises that it will not return void. It will prosper in the place where God sends it. A Bible that is falling apart is usually the sign of a life that isn’t.
But not only are there things to remember in the coming year, there are also things to forget.
Phil.3:13-14 “…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…”
The word “forgetting” does not mean to fail to remember. But rather Paul will no longer be influenced or affected by what happened before. There comes a point where we say, “That was then, this is now.” And we put it behind us.
God fed the Israelites in the desert with manna. Every morning it would be waiting for them, but they could not keep it overnight. God did not want them to live off the manna from yesterday. He wanted them to depend on Him on a regular basis and gather it fresh each day.
In the same way, you and I can’t live off the experience from last week, last year, or 20 years ago. God wants to do something fresh in your life right now through the wisdom of His Word. Take the challenge. Start reading your Bible and remind yourself of what God wants to do in your life today!
 
How Do I Know?
By Jake Myers
Now that 2019 is here, we often reflect on the past year and everything that we have been through. I had a lot of time to reflect and go over my year and I would like to share one of the main things that I learned from my reflection.
One of my biggest questions I have is, “How do I know that this is what God wants me to do?” This past year I asked myself that question a lot, whether it was last Spring and I was looking for a job or when I questioned my major that I chose for school or even asking a girl out on a date.
I remember having a conversation with my dad about that, about not knowing the direction God wants us to go and how we will know it. He then gave me some advice that was given to him years ago, which was “First you pray; pray about it and give your thoughts to God and really let Him know your heart. Second, after prayer, you choose a direction. Once you’ve chosen the direction and have started walking you tend to get a sense of whether or not you’re supposed to be there.” Of course, I had a million questions after that but I think the main thing I had was when was I going to know because I can get impatient and I just want to know NOW.
I found out that God has His own time and He’s not going to speed up or slow down for anyone. I prayed last February for God to show me the what he has planned for me for work and for a career. I got my answer 6 months later when I was offered this job here at CCC. I know there are people who have had to wait a lot longer than I had to, but in my case, 6 months felt like forever.
The main thing I want to share with you all is that whenever we feel lost or in a moment of doubt, just pray. Pray to God and share fully with Him your heart. After prayer, go and pick a direction and start walking. Set up that interview with that job you weren’t sure about or choose that major you’ve been thinking about. God is going to be with us in anything and everything we do and we should find comfort in that.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6
 
Vision and Values
By Taylor Bohn
A while back when I was encouraged to apply for the Children’s Ministry Director position here at CCC I decided to research other Children’s Ministries to see what this job may be like. I spent hours looking up churches just to see what captivated children and parents alike and to get an idea of why they keep coming back. The biggest thing that caught my eye when reading about all these children’s ministries was, they all had a core vision statement and very specific values.
Just like any business, and especially a church, that is something people always research before deciding where they will attend or spend their resources. It made me think deeply of what my vision would be if I were to have this job. What would I value in teaching these kids? What was important to me, to kids, to parents, and even more importantly God. After praying about it for a while the same word kept ringing in my head: foundation.
I realized every minute spent prepping or cleaning or even teaching may not feel significant to anyone. The kids won’t often remember the exact verse or story we teach. They won’t remember the crafts and the videos. They won’t even remember the snacks or playtime. So, I thought to myself, what is it all for then? It is for the foundation. Through the repetition of church what kids will take away is the foundation of God and His love for us. They will remember the core values taught and how significant being in church really is. I decided that building a foundation for kids, remembering the big picture behind it all is what is most important to everyone. That is when my vision for our children here at CCC became this: Simply, creatively, and effectively teaching the Word of God and building a foundation of Christ for the rest of their lives.
Christ is our building block. He is our cornerstone, and everything is built up from Him. I pray everyday for our kids and our ministries here that they will always remember Christ’s love for us and that we are truly grounded in Him. I will continue to pray, asking God that our values and visions are aligned with Him and we teach that to our children.

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