Becoming “Like” Jesus

God's desire for all who know Him is for us to become more like Christ. Becoming more like Christ should also be the desire of every believer. In fact, the Bible says that God “predestined [believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” Romans 8:29.

One of the ways we do this is by first growing in our knowledge of Christ. It stands to reason that we cannot grow to be like someone we don’t know. The deeper our knowledge of Christ, the deeper our understanding of Him, and the more like Him we become.
Of course, knowledge alone will not produce a Christlike character. The knowledge we gain from God’s Word must impact our hearts and convict us of the need to obey what we have learned.

Throughout the summer months our teaching Pastors Brant Rice, Derek Mayfield, Dr. Jeff Burnett and I will present various aspects of what it means to be more “Like” Jesus. This Sunday at 8:30, 10, 11:30 am and 6pm at our Hays campus, Pastor Brant will help us understand what it means to “forgive” like Christ. Do you’re very best to be there and if you cannot, I invite you to go to our website and view his message anytime after Monday afternoon.  

If you are spending your weekend at Lake Wilson come to Celebration @ the Lake at 9:45am or if you are headed west attend our C3 Colby campus at 10:45am at the Colby Community Center.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

 

NEW TIME

Meet at C3 @ 4pm for a 4:25pm Showtime TONIGHT!

Tickets $5- childcare available upon request RSVP to womens@celebratejesus.org

Prayer Request: 

Continue to pray for our 43 Encounter students and sponsors traveling back from Haiti.

Praise Report:

 

















Kim Heron is a grandmother. Her son Keith and daughter in law Megan gave birth to Kyleigh Analies Heron  born 3.19.14  weighing 7.15 lbs 20" long. Congratulations!

Giving is Worship

God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this 10% represented the first or most important portion of all that they had. The New Testament does not suggest a certain percentage for giving, but gives us at least four beneficial instructions as to how we are to give. 

       

    1.  Believers should give according to their income.

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 1 Corinthians 16:2

Note that the offering was set aside on the first day of the week. When we are willing to offer the first portion of our wealth back to him, then God knows he has our hearts. He knows—and we also know—that we are submitted completely in trust and obedience to our Lord and Savior.

       

    2.  We are blessed when we give.

... remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35

God wants us to give because he knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to him and to others. Giving is a kingdom principle—it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient.

         

    3.  When we give freely to God, we receive freely from God.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

God promises that we will be blessed over and above what we give and also according to the measure that we use to give. But, if we hold back from giving with a stingy heart, we hinder God from blessing our lives.

    4.  Believers should seek God and not a legalistic rule about how much to give.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving is meant to be a joyful expression of thanks to God from the heart, not a legalistic obligation.

This summer we have introduced online giving as a way for you to continue to worship by giving even if you are away enjoying leisure activities. You may make one time gifts or scheduled withdrawals through our website www.celebratejesus.org or by our Celebration Community Church App on your smart phones and tablets.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Ladies Night Out to see Mom's Night Out 

Friday at 6:30pm 

Meet at C3

Tickets are only $5 

RSVP to womens@celebratejesus.org 

Childcare available upon request

NEW MESSAGE SERIES BEGINS THIS SUNDAY 

Why Some People Don’t Give

Several research groups, including The Barna Group, have reported a decreasing trend in church giving and tithing. The Barna Group's director, George Barna, said this trend is influenced by the following factors:

1. "Some” people lack the motivation to give away their hard-earned money because the church has failed to provide a compelling vision for how the money will make a difference in the world."
2. "Some” people see their giving as leverage on the future. They withhold money from the church because they do not see a sufficient return on their investment."
3. "Some” people ... do not realize the church needs their money to be effective. Their church has done an inadequate job of asking for money, so people remain oblivious to the church’s expectations and potential."
4. "Some” people are ignorant of what the Bible teaches about our responsibility to apply God’s resources in ways that affect lives."
5. "The final category points to the reality that ‘Some’ people are just selfish. They figure they worked hard for their money and it’s theirs to use as they please. Their priorities revolve around their personal needs and desires."

Everything we own and everything we have comes from God. So, when we give, we simply offer him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God. It comes from a heart of worship that recognizes that everything we give already belongs to him.

Summertime is a particularly slow time when it comes to underwriting our church’s budget. This summer for the first time we have introduced online giving as a way for you to continue to give even if you are away enjoying leisure activities.. You may make one time gifts or scheduled withdrawals through our website www.celebratejesus.org or by our Celebration Community Church app on your smart phones and tablets.

Thank you for not being like ‘some’ people who forget to support Christ’s mission and ministry at C3 throughout the summer.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

 Wednesday 7pm: The End Part 2 

Want to watch The End Part 1 click here:http://vimeo.com/96361460

Ladies Night Out to see Mom's Night Out 

Friday at 6:30pm 

Meet at C3

Tickets are only $5 

RSVP to womens@celebratejesus.org 

Childcare available upon request

Summer Slump

I’m a Chicago Cubs fan.
But there is the problem with being a Cubs fan; we start off every season full of hope and expectation, only to come crashing down painfully by the end of May …
I guess it’s just a summer slump.
 
Summer slumps affect ball teams, businesses and they certainly affect churches. 
You know the signs, a decrease in attendance followed by a down turn in giving.
And when the slump is in full effect, and if we are not careful we can be disheartened and begin wondering, “What is wrong?” Over most of the last 18 years we at Celebration Community Church have struggled with a summer financial slump. Giving to the church falls off substantially beginning on Memorial Day weekend and struggles to recover until September.  

I am not suggesting that you don’t take your vacations, we need those times away. So hit the road, go visit Mickey and Minnie, go to the Lake, (Last Sunday we launched Celebration @ The Lake as a way to keep our camping members connected) go somewhere and enjoy some recreational time  …but please remember to continue giving to your church. Our activities in the summer don’t slow down they actually increase with camps and conferences and weddings and mission trips.

This summer for the first time we have introduced online giving as a way for you to continue to give even if you are away. You may make one time gifts or scheduled withdrawals through our website www.celebratejesus.org or by our Celebration Community Church app on your smart phones and tablets. We have made giving to your church easy even when you are away.   
While you enjoy time away this summer, a time with family and friends, or just time to do absolute nothing… please remember to give to the Lord and to the work of His church here at C3.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Prayer Requests:

CrossCurrent Middle School Camp students and sponsors leaving for Rexford KS.

Encounter Mission Trip to Haiti

Tuesday @ 6:30 in the C3 Cafe "What Is Hospice?"

The End Part 2

Wednesday @ 7pm in the C3 Pond

 Ladies Night Out to see

Mom’s Night Out 

Friday at 6:30pm

Meet at the Church

Tickets just $5

Contact women@celebratejesus.org for more info

Freedom Isn't Free

Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our Armed Services who have made the supreme sacrifice who gave their lives for their country. These days, Memorial Day seems nothing more than a time for cookouts and swim parties. We cannot be reminded often enough about how great a debt we owe to those who died in military service. 

I can't help but recall the brilliant film Saving Private Ryan. James Ryan, now in his seventies, has returned with his family to the military cemetery above the beach at Normandy France where so many men lost their lives.  He visits the grave of Captain John Miller, the man who, a half a century before, led the mission to retrieve—to save—Private Ryan. At the end of the mission, Miller was fatally wounded. As he lay dying, his final words to Private Ryan were, "James. Earn this...earn it."

We then see Ryan kneeling at Captain Miller's grave, marked by a cross. Ryan, his voice trembling with emotion, says, "Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me."Red-eyed, Ryan turns to his wife and says, "Tell me I've led a good life...tell me I am a good man."With great dignity, she says, "You are."With that, James Ryan salutes the grave of Captain Miller. You see, Private Ryan, out of gratitude for Captain Miller's sacrifice, did all in his power to live a good life.

Memorial Day is a great time for each of us to look into the mirror...to examine our own lives. Are we living good lives in gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for us—including our men and women in the military, our families, our friends, and most of all Christ? Charles Colson wrote, “Are we, like Ryan, kneeling before the cross—Steven Spielberg the director of saving Private Ryan, had to realize the power of this imagery. Are we, out of gratitude, doing our duty for Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to those in prison, in whatever harvest field to which the Lord has called us?”

This Memorial Day, reflect on the freedom that we have been given paid for by the lives of those who have sacrificed for you. And then go and remember the One who made the ultimate sacrifice for us upon a cross.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,
Kyle

Remember the 43 Encounter students and sponsors traveling to Haiti for a mission trip.

Praying for our Missionaries as C3 reaches out to Haiti, for traveling baseball teams in Denver.





  Tuesday 6:30pm : 
Celebrate Health: What is Hospice?  

Wednesday 7pm: The End Part 2  
Want to watch The End Part 1?
Click here: http://vimeo.com/96361460

Friday: 98.5 THE TRUTH & Celebrating Women presents “Mom’s Night Out” only $5 RSVP to women@celebratejesus.org Child Care available upon request.

Praise Report: 45 people attended the kick off service of Celebration @ The Lake. Thanks to Randy & Paula Staab for having a vision of reaching out to those enjoying their Sundays at Lake Wilson.