Archive for the ‘From the Pastor’ Category

Dear friends,

I want to give you a bit of a warning, this may be a hard morning for you.

This is basically what Jesus’ disciples said after He had finished His 4th discourse on being the bread of life.  After Jesus taught that He was the bread of life His disciples made this observation, “This is a hard teaching.  Who can accept it?”

This is indeed some hard teaching, the question for you and for me is, “Can we handle the truth?”

One the other hand, this morning may not be hard for you, it may be very encouraging.

You may be very encouraged with hearing about our upcoming missions trip to Ethiopia.

You may be very encouraged with receiving communion today.

You may be very encouraged with this hard teaching today.

I’m not exactly sure of what God has in store for you this morning, but I do hope and pray that you and I don’t miss it.

It’s good to have you here today

Jeff

31 Names of God Devotion

Good Morning and Welcome!

Welcome to the brand spankin’ new and improved Christ Community Church meeting space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a day!

Let’s Praise God!

Let’s praise God
for His faithfulness
for His mighty, rescuing hand

Let’s never forget what God has done.

You picked a great day to come to church.

It is so good to share this day with you.

Let’s party
Jeff

Dear friends

After a long winter’s night those sweet words can be uttered…”Pitchers and catchers have reported”  After waiting all these months since the Giants won the World Series, spring training has opened!

I love going to a ball park not only for the game but for the whole experience.  The fans, the announcer, the between innings antics, the hot dogs, the chance of catching a ball, the seventh inning stretch, and just enjoying the time with the friends I went with.

You see, those masses of steel, concrete, and brick are transformed into events and experiences when the players and the fans enter those ballparks.

In a similar way, you and I are about to hear sweet and long awaited words – “We have the keys!”  We are one week closer to to occupying our new space.  After waiting all these years, the time has come.

And just like a ballpark, that mass of steel, concrete, and brick will be transformed into events and experiences.  Whenever we enter that space God will transform that space into a place that He inhabits and accomplishes His purposes.

I want us to dream about some of those events and experiences today.  I want God to breath into our imaginations visions of what He wants to happen in our lives and in the lives of people we care so deeply about.

It’s good to have you here

Jeff

Dear friends,

We’re close.

We have a walk through scheduled for this week and if all goes well, next week may be our last Sunday here at Sanders Corner. We want to focus that day on what God had His people focus on during their last days in the wilderness.

God wanted His children to remember how He had led them and what they had learned from when God had tested them.

I want us to take some time this week and think about these two things. How has God led us and what have we learned from when He tested us? Let’s remember the stories of His faithfulness. Let’s reflect on the things we think He wants us to learn from our days gathering at Sanders Corner.

For this week I think God wants to answer a question that Cindy asked me several times during our recent move – “So tell me again, why are we moving?” This question made me reflect on what was most important in the middle of the mess and stress of moving.

God has clearly led us to occupy this space. I want to offer three reasons that He has put on my heart from His word.

We’re close. Let’s honor God well as we close this chapter of His work in us.

I’m glad you’re here.

Jeff

Dear friends,

I hope you have enjoyed this snow. Weren’t the scenes of snow Wednesday night just absolutely beautiful? Call me crazy, but I am looking forward to more snow.

I am also looking forward to the Super Bowl. There are story lines on both sides of the line of scrimmage that interest me. Okay, I admit it, I am also looking forward to the commercials.

Believe it or not I think God wants to use both of these events. He wants to bring some essential truths home to not our minds and hearts, and to our everyday, walking around life. And He wants to use kids in snow and coaches in football to do just that.

I am glad you’re here, but I am thrilled that God has brought Cody Andersen back from his 6 month discipleship training with Youth With a Mission! Welcome back Code Man, you were missed.

It’s good to see you.

Jeff

Dear friends,

As you know today is just the 23rd day of this new year. We are just ____ days away from being able to meet in our new space. Which means we are on the front end of a brand new season of life together! I am very excited about how we’re going to experience God’s hand on our life in 2011, wherever we gather.

But this time of transition is bringing added stress and therefore greater vulnerability to our weaknesses and our enemy, the devil. So God is calling us to a heightened sense of alertness and action.

And thus as your lead shepherd I am feeling a strong compulsion to have us focus on three specific passages in the New Testament that will help us be aware, alert, and ready to do battle.

With that in mind, I have invited the Apostle Peter to come today and speak to us from his letter to followers of Christ spread out all over Asia Minor and also all over the Ashburn area of Northern Virginia.

I am glad you’re here, I hope we’re awake!

Jeff

Dear friends,

It’s a new year, we’re excited about getting into our new space, and beginning a new season. A new season of living life together and pursuing God as friends.

I am very excited about our new space, our new season, and my new office with high speed internet!

But as excited as I am about all this, as your shepherd I am both compelled and commanded to remind us about another reality. The reality is – we have an enemy, an enemy that is real and lurking.

I have a responsibility to lead us in such a way that we can say together with confidence, “we are not unaware of his schemes, we are alert, and the armor is on.”

We’re going to focus on these three phrases for the next three weeks. These phrases come from three different New Testament letters all with important implications for us today, in our new season.

It is good to see you this morning

Jeff

Dear friends

It is good to be back with you this morning. After a couple of weeks of taking a breather and spending some concentrated time with my family I am glad to be back in your company.

First thing – I want to thank Perry for his ministry to us last week. Perry opened the Word of God to us and his heart in a way that brought glory to God and strongly encouraged us. I am deeply grateful Perry for your leadership, friendship, and your courage and willingness to be authentic and transparent.

Since we are still in the “not yet” phase of entering our new space I want to take today and share with you something from the letter to the Hebrews. I have found these truths to be very helpful as I anticipate the unknowns of 2011. I hope you find them useful as well.

Looking forward to 2011 I am very glad to be in this journey with you as we confidently anticipate the faithfulness of God to us once again.

It’s good to have you here today.

Jeff