Last week we did an outreach to collect donations for those affected by the Joplin tornado. So many people from Journey Church stepped up to the plate and made it happen! What a great way to be the hands and feet of Jesus! Here’s the video we showed last Sunday….

Joplin from Journey Church on Vimeo.

Missions

We don’t always have as much time as I’d like during our gatherings on Sunday mornings to talk about all we are doing as a church so I thought I’d let you know more through the blog about some of the missionaries that we support.  Some of you will remember when Jerry and Rosanne came and spoke earlier this year at Journey.  I wanted to give you an opportunity to learn more about them and see if God speaks to any of you to support what they are doing.

What Has Begun in the Spirit

Hey everybody, Pastor Shawn here….These past few weeks at Journey Church have been pretty special.  God has moved in so many ways.  I’m so glad to be a part of what he’s doing in our church.  I’m also so glad that I’m not the ONLY part of what He’s doing in our church.  If you were at Journey the past couple of weeks you will remember that I had Luke Balsley come up and share what God had spoken to him as he was praying for the church.  I believe they are “right now” words from God.  I’ve invited him to share some of these thoughts in our blog this week.  Also, I’m sure you’ll hear more from him and others on this blog in the future from time to time.  So here’s Luke:

For those who were at the church services the last two weekends, this is based on the words that were shared in service.  This post was actually written over a week ago, so some of what is covered here you may have already heard, while other parts did not get shared.  My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use these words to edify the body of Christ at Journey Church and impart grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29Ephesians 4:29
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29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

WP-Bible plugin).

What awesome services we have had at Journey Church!  At the recent healing service, the presence of God was strong in the auditorium.  I believe that many of you felt the power of the Holy Spirit moving.  I believe God began a work in His church that will continue to grow, to mature, and to increase the faith and hunger for His presence among His people.

As I began last week reading my Bible and asking the Lord what His plan was for me and for His church moving forward, I began to sense strongly that the Holy Spirit desires to continue the work that started at the Sunday morning healing service.  I believe many people felt the presence of God in ways they had never experienced before.  I believe there was a sense of expectancy among the congregation that God would be present, and He was.  I know of the hundreds of services I have been apart of in my lifetime, I can recall only a small handful of times I have felt the presence of God so strongly.  Events such as those we experienced recently can only be described as a move of the Spirit of God.  While seeking the Lord as to what was next for us as a congregation, He spoke Galatians 3:3Galatians 3:3
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3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

WP-Bible plugin, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you new being made perfect by the flesh?“  In my experience, following true encounters with the presence of God, it is natural for us to start asking ourselves what we must do to continue the work that the Holy Spirit started.  This is a good thing.  We are created to desire the presence of God; to walk, talk, and live in constant fellowship with Him.  It was not until sin entered the world that Adam hid himself from God’s presence.  The question is not whether or not we want God to continue to move among us, but rather, how to cultivate the seed the Holy Spirit has planted.

I believe the first thing we need to recognize is that it is God’s work in the first place.  Philippians 1:6Philippians 1:6
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6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

WP-Bible plugin, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God began the work.  He planted the seeds of expectation among His people, and then honored those expectations by rewarding them with His Spirit. Philippians 3:3Philippians 3:3
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3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh;

WP-Bible plugin tells us to “put no confidence in the flesh.” Nothing can be done by our flesh to nurture and cultivate an outpouring of God’s Spirit.  A move of the presence of God is born of the Spirit and must continue by the Spirit.

The second thing we need to recognize is that we live under the new covenant.  We no longer receive from God by the works of the law.  Galatians 3:5Galatians 3:5
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5 He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?

WP-Bible plugin, “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Under the old covenant, the people of God were not filled with the Holy Spirit.  They were left to follow the law of God in their flesh, a task at which they failed miserably!  But we under the new covenant have something so much better!  Romans 8:3-4Romans 8:3-4
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3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; ⁴ that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

WP-Bible plugin says, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” It is no longer up to us to be good enough to receive from God.  After the lame man was healed in Acts chapter 3, Peter says in verse 12, “why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” The disciples in the book of Acts understood that it is the righteousness of God in Christ that positions us to receive from, and be used by God, not our own works.

So what then is our part?  Colossians 2:6Colossians 2:6
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6 As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,

WP-Bible plugin, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” The way we are born again, is the same way we are healed, which is the same way we receive anything from God… by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8Ephesians 2:8
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8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

WP-Bible plugin).  We cannot earn the presence of God, but rather we can ask of Him who freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32Romans 8:32
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32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?

WP-Bible plugin), and believe that “it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32Luke 12:32
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32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

WP-Bible plugin).  Remember, “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you” (Romans 8:11Romans 8:11
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11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

WP-Bible plugin), and in the same way that the Spirit brings life to your body, it can manifest the life of God in every area of your life.  As a congregation we are of one mind, with a shared goal and shared faith.  Philemon 1:6Philemon 1:6
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6 that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus.

WP-Bible plugin says, “that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Every good thing you need is on the inside of you, not in your flesh, but in your born again spirit.  The fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) are already apart of you.  The life of God, the love of God, and the power of God dwell in you.  Your part is to learn to let it all out!

Joplin Tornado Disaster Relief

Items will be collected at Area 2 on Wednesday, May 25 between 6pm and 8pm to send to the Joplin area. See Pastor Shawn’s note on this effort here.

Suggested Donation List: 

• Flashlights
• Batteries
• Bottled water
• Towels
• Blankets
• Toiletries
• Large storage containers
• Breakfast bars
• Canned fruit/veggies
• Can openers
• Work gloves
• New underwear
• Gently used T-shirts, shorts, etc.
• Baby kits – formula, wipes, diapers, baby food
• Kids Fun Kits – 1 gallon bags with small toys, coloring books, games, play dough, etc.
• Chainsaws
• Gas cans
• Dust masks
• Safety Glasses

Way to Go!

We had a great time last Saturday at the Outreach Day!  So proud of all of the Journey people coming out to pass out door hangers and what a great job the guys did building the wheel chair ramp!  Way to go!  Here are a couple pics…

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