THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMPTS US TO WORSHIP.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” Luke 10:21,

True worship must be “IN SPIRIT,” that is, engaging the whole heart. Unless there’s a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. At the same time, worship must be “IN TRUTH,” that is, properly informed. Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for satisfying and God-honoring worship.

SPIRIT WITHOUT TRUTH leads to a shallow, overly-emotional experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over, when the fervor cools, so does the worship.

TRUTH WITHOUT SPIRIT can result in a dry, passionless encounter that can easily lead to a form of joyless legalism. The best combination of both aspects of worship results in a joyous appreciation of God informed by Scripture.

The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle CONNECTION CLASS THIS SUNDAY 12:45PM  Come hear from Pastors Kyle & Brant about what makes C3 unique and what you can do to become a part of it. Lunch is served, Child care provided.

THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US!

We are looking at WHO the Holy Spirit IS and WHAT the Holy Spirit DOES! The Holy Spirit Exalts Jesus, Convicts us and Regenerates us. Resides in us and Seals us as believers. Today we see that the Holy Spirit GUIDES US!

When we live in close proximity to God, his spirit guides us.  He encourages us, calms us, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit we have peace, confidence assurance.    peace when one is led by the spirit.  There is assurance. Confidence. When we walk closely with God, we allow his spirit to guide us in life.  I can’t tell you how many times God has led me to a particular  place or warned me not to go to another place. When I have had to make major decisions about things in the ministry here like staff or new programs, I pray and  I  listen for guidance !  Let me ask you this? Are you listening? Are you opening up and reading God’s word?  Are you praying with an open heart and open ears to hear from Him?  

5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

Listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and he will guide you in the way you should go.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

CONNECTION CLASS THIS SUNDAY 12:45PM Come hear from Pastors Kyle & Brant about what makes C3 unique and what you can do to become a part of it. Lunch is served, Child care provided.

THE HOLY SPIRIT SEALS BELIEVERS

We are looking at WHO the Holy Spirit IS and WHAT the Holy Spirit DOES! The Holy Spirit Exalts Jesus, Convicts us and Regenerates us.Resides in us and today we learn that the Holy Spirit SEALS BELIEVERS.

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.”-Ephesians 1:13-14.

The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own. The Greek word is translated “earnest”  like putting earnest money down as a pledge to buy a house.    

The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.
The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a “first installment” to assure us that our full inheritance as children of God will be delivered. The Holy Spirit is given to us to confirm to us that we belong to God and will forever.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

CONNECTION CLASS THIS SUNDAY 12:45PM Come hear from Pastors Kyle & Brant about what makes C3 unique and what you can do to become a part of it. Lunch is served, Child care provided.

Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention Class tonight at 7pm Presented by Great Plains Dermatology. 7pm in the Celebration Cafe.

Questions? Contact health@celebratejesus.org

THE HOLY SPIRIT RESIDES IN US

In our series on A.D. we are studying the Book The Acts of the Apostles but what the book really should be called is the The Acts of the Holy Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit? God is three persons in one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God became a man in Jesus so that Jesus could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, his physical presence left the earth, but he promised to send the Holy Spirit so that his spiritual presence would still be among humankind. The Holy Spirit first became available to all believers at Pentecost as seen in the 2nd chapter of Acts and the miniseries A.D. Whereas in Old Testament days the Holy Spirit empowered specific individuals for specific purposes, now all believers have the power of the Holy Spirit available to them. We are looking at WHO the Holy Spirit IS and WHAT the Holy Spirit DOES!

Last week we learned that:

The Holy Spirit Exalts Jesus, Convicts us and Regenerates us.

Today we will focus on the miracle of the Holy Spirit residing in us.

When Jesus birth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, he said that one of the names he would be called was Emmanuel which means “God with us” God with us. That’s a pretty big deal.

On Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came he came he came to live IN us. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

The spirit of God resides in us. Lives in us. Empowers us like he did with the first century disciples.  What a privilege to be the embodiment of the Spirit of the Creator of the universe. So be careful what we do with these bodies. We are the carriers of God’s Holy Spirit.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

CONNECTION CLASS THIS SUNDAY 12:45PM Come hear from Pastors Kyle & Brant about what makes C3 unique and what you can do to become a part of it. Lunch is served, Child care provided.

THE HOLY SPIRIT REGENERATES US.

This week we have begun an overview of WHO the Holy Spirit IS and WHAT the Holy Spirit DOES. Yesterday we learned that

1. The Holy Spirit Exalts Jesus.
2. The Holy Spirit Convicts us.

Today we are going to see that:

THE HOLY SPIRIT REGENERATES US.

Another word for regeneration is rebirth, from which we get the phrase “born again.” To be born again, born anew or born from above are the Biblical expressions for a spiritual rebirth.  This is distinguished from, our first birth, when we were born of the flesh and conceived in sin. The new birth is a holy and heavenly birth signified by a being made alive in a spiritual sense. Jesus tells us that,“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” John 3:5.

Spiritual regeneration comes through the Supernatural rebirth through the Holy Spirit NOT just head knowledge but a transformation of the heart. The Holy Spirit gives life a new sense. a new start.
Next week we will begin to look at what the Holy Spirit did to transform Jesus earliest disciples into a powerful force we know as the church.
Your pastor and partner in ministry, Kyle

God Guns and Guys
Sat 4/25 10 amWe will shoot from yen to noon. Lunch will follow in the pond.Cost us five dollars a person.

Who the Holy Spirit is

There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy Spirit. So today we are going to look at what does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit?

Simply put, the Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a will.

TODAY we begin an overview of 10 marks of WHO the HOLY SPIRIT IS, and WHAT the Holy Spirit DOES.

1. The Holy Spirit Exalts Jesus.
Back in john 15, Jesus talks about what was going to happen:“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—The Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father—will testify about me.” -John 15:26 The Holy Spirit Advocates For Jesus, Exalts Jesus and Testifies about Jesus Jesus makes it clear in Scripture that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to EXALT Jesus as the name above all names, the Lord and Savior of the world.

2. The Holy Spirit Convicts us.
Conviction isn’t a very popular word. Usually it is followed by a punishment, right? Convicted of a crime, The Gavel comes down your convicted, now do the time.

That way of thinking in Christianity doesn’t account for God’s grace and the price Jesus paid for our sin!

What I am talking about is a different kind of conviction:
Jesus says… 8  And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit is that tap on the shoulder that reminds us of how we are to live, what we are to do and what we are NOT to do. The Holy Spirit reminds that we are to live our lives in such a way as to honor the ONE who died for us.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

God Guns and Guys
Sat 4/25 10 am
We will shoot from yen to noon. Lunch will follow in the pond.
Cost us five dollars a person.

Why tongues of fire?

Before Jesus presented himself to his disciples on the night of his resurrection they were scared, cowering in the upper room fearful of the Jewish authorities and the Roman soldiers. But after experiencing the risen Jesus they did what he asked them to do, wait, pray prepare themselves to receive God’s power. Here’s what happened next,

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

This was a fulfillment of John the Baptist's words about the Holy Spirit's baptizing with fire (Luke 3:16) and of the prophet Joel's words about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28, 29). Why tongues of fire? Tongues symbolize speech and the communication of the Good News. Fire symbolizes God's purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives and sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others.

For the rest of this week and part of next we will be looking at an overview of 10 marks of WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS. AND WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

BIBLE BASICS - OT BASICS SCHEDULE:

Wednesday Nights, 5:45-7:00pm in Preschool Room.

April 22nd - OT Basics, Week 1 led by Mike Crain

You will receive power

Today we are going to look at significant day in the life of the first apostles involving the Holy Spirit and how that encounter impacts our lives so radically today.

It Was The Day Of Pentecost a day significant in both the Old and New Testaments. “Pentecost” is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks. The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Palms on Palm Sunday which began the feast of Passover. The Feast of Weeks 50 days after Passover celebrated the end of the grain harvest. Most interesting, however, is its use in Joel and Acts. Looking back to Joel’s prophecy and forward to the promise of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s last words on earth before His ascension into heaven Pentecost signals the beginning of what we call the church age.

But remember… The Holy Spirit has always been around, In the beginning The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2… From the beginning God the Father //God the Son// God the Holy Spirit.

Before Acts, the Holy Spirit was active.

In the Old Testament we see on numerous the Holy Spirit coming on His people, judges and prophets and Kings.

In the New Testament we see the Holy Spirit conceiving Jesus in Mary’s womb, coming down like a dove at Jesus’ baptism, anointing his preaching and giving him supernatural powers to perform miracles then after the resurrection, Jesus tells his disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -Acts 1:8

So the disciples did what Jesus told them to do, they went back to Jerusalem, to wait, to pray and to prepare themselves to receive God’s power. Tomorrow we will focus on the Holy Spirit’s power and purpose.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

20. Celebrate Health Transformation
    
21. Tuesday, 6:30pm in the Pond
    

BIBLE BASICS - OT BASICS SCHEDULE:

Wednesday Nights, 5:45-7:00pm in Preschool Room.

April 22nd - OT Basics, Week 1 led by Mike Crain

Holy Ghost

Last Monday at our weekly staff meeting we were talking about our favorite hymns we sang as kids in church. Many remembered singing the Doxology every Sunday at church.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly Host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Everyone agreed that they loved that inspiring triumphant chorus that stirred something in us that we agreed was the presence of God. We also agreed on one other thing The Holy Ghost part FREAKED US KIDS OUT.

We were afraid of ghosts…and when we sang that part of the chorus we were not thinking about a friendly ghost like Casper. The King James Version of the Bible refers to the third part of the Trinity, God the father, God the Son, God the…… Holy Ghost. Versions written after 1611 pretty much all have the Holy Spirit.

I hope you got the opportunity to see last night’s episode of the NBC mini series A.D. because it introduced it’s viewers to the Holy Spirit. Throughout this week in this blog we we look at what the Bible has to say about WHO the Holy Spirit is and WHAT the Holy Spirit does.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Some people think they would believe in Jesus IF they could see a definite sign or miracle, like Thomas who doubted unless he saw the nail marks in his hands and put his finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, he would not believe in Jesus’ resurrection. But Jesus says “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”  I think he is talking about us. History tells us that all of the disciples lived the rest of their lives spreading the news that Jesus was alive. All of them, except John the beloved, died a martyr’s death. The resurrection was such a personal reality that they gave up their lives for it.  

We never saw Jesus in person but we have all the proof we need in the words of the Bible and the testimony of believers for over 2000 years. A physical appearance would not make Jesus any more real to us than he is now, would it? Thomas was perhaps the only apostle who went outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. According to Christian tradition, Thomas’s reach extended as far as India, where he was martyred for his teaching on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not bad for the disciple known as “Doubting Thomas”.  “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

BELIEVE and let your belief carry you to wherever God leads you to share his life and love. Your pastor and partner in ministry, Kyle

TONIGHT!!! IT’S NOT TOO LATE for you to sign up.

Register at womens@celebratejesus.org  

Vote for your top three quilts in the gym after the service you attend this Sunday.   

ATTENTION MEN: Because of C3’s Women’s Conference

THERE WILL BE NO MEN’S BREAKFAST this Saturday 4/18

We will meet NEXT SATURDAY APRIL 25th 10am for

$5 gets you $10 worth of shells and all you can eat lunch following.

For more info go to mens@celebratejesus.org  

"I believe…help my unbelief"

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” John 20:25

Doubting Thomas has gotten a bad rap because he followed the premise that “seeing is believing”.  I do appreciate Thomas because he’s honest and open about his doubts. He is an honest seeker with some honest doubts. I don’t just automatically accept what people tell me. I check it out for myself. All of us should have a discerning spirit when it comes to things about our faith. Doubt is good if it motivates to investigate. Jesus even warns us that in the last days there will come a leader who claims to be the people’s Messiah who will deceive those who follow him and draw them away from Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Thomas believed…he just struggled with his doubts.

This reminds me of the father of the demon possessed boy who Jesus asks if he believes he can heal him. Jesus, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

This man’s unbelief was not rebellion. ‘Help my unbelief’ is something a person can only say by faith. No matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. Faith is not stored away like money in the bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus.

Thomas’s doubt didn’t make Jesus reject him. Instead, his doubt drew Jesus to Thomas. Jesus wanted to prove to Thomas that His resurrection was real because He wanted loved him and wanted him to believe.

When Thomas finally did see and touch Jesus wounds he exclaimed,

28  “My Lord and my God!”   
29  Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:28-29 (NLT)

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

IT’S NOT TOO LATE for you to sign up.

Register at womens@celebratejesus.org  

52 quilt tops have been sewn by the quilters of the Hays and Colby Celebration Quilt Ministries and are on display in the gym.

21 of these tops have been entered to be voted on by the congregation.

These quilt tops will be finished and donated to Pregnancy Lifeline in Ft. Worth, Texas, an organization that provides counsel to women who are considering abortion. Vote for your top three in the gym after the service you attend this Sunday.   

ATTENTION MEN: Because of C3’s Women’s Conference

THERE WILL BE NO MEN’S BREAKFAST this Saturday 4/18

We will meet NEXT SATURDAY APRIL 25th 10am for

$5 gets you $10 worth of shells and all you can eat lunch following.

For more info go to mens@celebratejesus.org  

WHAT’S IN A NAME

24  Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:24,29 (NIV)

Resolve is defined as “commitment, boldness, and courage.”  

Resolve is easy to have while things are going well and hard to come by when circumstances radically change. Courage quickly diminishes when you or your family’s life is in danger. Questions and denial and doubt fill your mind.

Thomas wasn’t the only one to doubt.  How would you like to be labeled with a disparaging nickname like “Doubting Thomas” or “Lazy Susan”? My wife Debbie is anything but a “Downer” Like many in that day, Thomas had two names: “Thomas” is Aramaic, and “Didymus” is Greek (John 20:24). They both mean “twin.”

It could mean Thomas literally had a twin. Or it could refer to his double minded faith struggle. Thomas was obviously struggling with doubt.

When Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified, it seemed that in one sweeping moment, the disciples lost all their resolve. What happened?

I believe their fear and lack of courage surprised even themselves.  

We tend to think highly of ourselves. We imagine scenarios where we face our weaknesses and our oppressors, and we imagine ourselves saying just the right words at just the right time. We imagine ourselves being bold, courageous maybe even heroic. But when reality squeezes us we don’t know what is going to come out.  

After the crucifixion all of the disciples with the exception of John lost all their resolve. Three days later Jesus followers wrestled with the loss of their friend and leader, and wild rumors spread, did someone steal the body? Or even wilder…was he alive?  Was it true? What were they to do next?

In the moment of their confusion and weakness, they cowered together behind locked doors. They were afraid of the religious leaders who conspired against Jesus.  They were afraid of the Roman soldiers who put Jesus to death. It was then and there, in their uncertainty, that Jesus showed up!

What is it that has you afraid, confused,  filled with doubt. Fear not!  Call upon the name above all names… Jesus. Who still shows up when we need.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

IT’S NOT TOO LATE for you to sign up.

Register at womens@celebratejesus.org  

Unexpected Circumstances

If there is one thing I have learned in over 30 years in ministry is that life rarely happens as we plan it.

The person you hoped to be married to forever becomes interested in someone else. Your best friend moves out of state and you lose touch. The company you dedicated years of hard work to just let you go. The children who you poured your life into don’t take the time and effort to communicate.  The good health you always had and took for granted now requires daily monitoring and care.

Unexpected circumstances sweep through our lives, and we’re left feeling unstable and vulnerable.

I can only imagine that Jesus’ followers felt the same way. Can you just hear the disciples coming together after the death of Jesus? One looks to the other: “Where did you go? Did anyone follow you?  What did you do? What did you say? Did anyone stand up for Jesus?” Imagine now at the news of Jesus arrest, trial and execution the fear, shame and humiliation the disciples felt.

Just a week before, they expected Jesus to be a political savior who would lead them in forceful rebellion against the oppressive Roman government. They expected Jesus to restore things to how they once were. They all expected to be with him in significant positions during his reign.

Through his resurrection Jesus brought peace and hope in light of their fears and doubts. He told His followers God wasn’t done with him and that he wasn’t done with them yet either as a matter of fact it was just beginning. A.D. and He prepared them for the next steps they were to take.

But instead, the disciples’ hopes were dashed. Their built-up expectations unraveled as Jesus died at the hands of the Romans. He was placed in a tomb and all seemed lost.

However, Jesus wasn’t done and he wasn’t done with them.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Attention Women There is still time for you to sign up. Register at womens@celebratejesus.org

The Doxology

Growing up going to traditional church services there were two hymn choruses that we sang every Sunday. One we sang after we recited the Lord’s Prayer called the Gloria Patrie.   

“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be

World without end Amen,  Amen”

Yesterday during our Celebration Worship services we sang another  traditional Christian hymn that expresses praise to the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Protestant traditions commonly referred to this simply as The Doxology:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

These words were written in 1674 by Thomas Ken.

In Mennonite church circles, this doxology is commonly known as "606" for its hymn number in the 1969 The Mennonite Hymnal and is known as the "Mennonite National Anthem." Students at Goshen College, a Mennonite college in Indiana that my son Taylor is about to graduate from has a tradition of standing and singing the doxology whenever  6:06  remains on the clock  in a soccer game. 

Yesterday we sang it as it has been sung for hundreds of years; as a song of praise acknowledging that God is worthy of our praise because of who He is and what he has done. God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit is the source of everything good thing in our lives.

Today let’s praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.

Your pastor and partner in ministry.

Kyle