Here are the details for our trip:

1. We will meet at the church this Friday March 26th at 5:30 pm and will provide sandwiches, chips, & drinks in the fellowship hall.
2. We will receive our travel & room assignments before leaving at 6:00 pm.
3. We are looking for willing drivers of SUV’s & Vans. We will also be taking the Church Van. Please let me know if you can volunteer to drive a group of guys!
4. It will take about 1.5 hours to get there and then we will help direct you to your cottage to get settled.
5. You will need to bring your own pillow and sleeping bag/sheets/blankets. You will have your own bed but no linens! Don’t forget to bring your BIBLE!!
6. Our 1st ministry session will start by 8:30 pm and end by 10:00.
7. We will have a short devotional at 7:30 am on Sat. morning prior to breakfast (8 to 9 am).
8. We will have a time of team building as we take on the Frisbee Golf course from 9:15 until 12:15 pm.
9. Lunch is served at 12:30 until 1:30 pm.
10. Our 2nd and final ministry session will begin at 2:30 pm and end by 3:30.
11. Make sure our stuff is packed up and loaded in vehicles.
12. Head back to church arriving at about 5:30 pm.

For itinerary-lovers:

Friday, March 26th
5:30 pm Meet at Church
6:00 pm Travel to Camp Silver Beach
7:30 pm Arrive at Camp Silver Beach
8:30 pm Session I
10:00 pm Campfire

Saturday, March 27th
7:30 am Morning Devotions
8:00 am Breakfast
9:15 am Frisbee Golf Tournament
12:30 pm Lunch
2:30 pm Session II
3:30 pm Pack up vehicles
4:00 pm Travel to Greenbrier Church
5:30 pm Home Sweet Home!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 819-1070.

May the Lord bless you and keep you close to His heart!

In His Service,
Pastor Curtis

We are gathering all men for an awesome day of food, fellowship and fun. Here are the details:

Date: Saturday, November 7th
Time: 2 pm to 8 pm
Cost: $15 per person
Location: Brew’s Ranch (directions available @ church)
Who’s Invited: Men (18 and up)

Description of Event: There will be team competition (ladderball, cornhole, etc.), an evening meal, worship time, challenging message, and a bonfire. This is a great opportunity to meet the guys of Greenbrier and have loads of fun at the same time. Our very own Dean Zawacki will lead worship and Pastor Eric will challenge and inspire us to reach new heights as men of God.

Save the date and join us for this special time. Sign ups begin October 11th in the sanctuary.

For example, we may profess faith in Jesus Christ who conquered death, hell, and the grave; the One before whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord; the One who forever lives and now stands at the right hand of the Father in heaven constantly interceding on our behalf–and our professions go on and on. Yet we live our lives in constant fear and anxiousness as if Satan will, at any moment, overpower Christ and everything God has planned for us will be totally destroyed. With our mouths we say I don’t really believe Satan can do that, but the way we actually live our lives says we believe it much more than we can ever admit. Where does something like that come from? Why does it happen over and over?  

Senge says, The discipline of working with mental models starts with turning the mirror inward; learning to unearth our internal pictures of the world, to bring them to the surface and hold them rigorously to scrutiny. This does not happen in isolation. It takes courage to allow caring friends to point out the inconsistencies we cannot see on our own. It takes courage to admit the lens through which we have viewed life is distorted. It takes courage to trust God as much as we say we do. Together we can find that courage. Let today be the day you allow God to bring all your mental models into alignment with His plans and His purposes for your life. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. –Proverbs 3:5-8

All these men were athletes. Two of them were currently playing football in the NFL. They had all the safety equipment, and the owner of the boat was an experienced boater and fisherman. They all, no doubt, knew their best chance of survival was to stay with the boat. So what happened? It would appear the effects of hypothermia caused confusion that led to fatal decisions.

We may not be in the ocean, but no one would argue that our nation is facing the rough seas of economic turmoil and global conflict. The waves have grown to the point many lives are being upended. The unimaginable has become reality and those who were once comfortable are now struggling to survive.

Guys, we are no match for this storm. The men in the boat that sank off the Florida coast were physically and mentally tough. They were professional athletes in one of the toughest sports in the world, but they were no match for the forces of nature that came against them. On our own, we are no match for the forces coming against us today. We are prone to make the same kind of wrong decisions these men made.

We may have been self-sufficient in the past, but this does not mean being self-sufficient will be enough now or in the future. It is in these times that deceptive forces say let go of the boat; compromise your values and cut a few corners to get through this crisis. Don’t do it! The results can be catastrophic. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25).

This is the time to hold fast to what is good and right, even though everything in you wants to let go. Help is on the way and you will be able to hang on until it arrives. How do I know? Because God said He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). That means you will be rescued!

 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:12-13).

Each of us carried a rock representing burdens we have not laid down. I was quickly aware of how that burden got in the way of almost everything I did. It occupied my hands, which meant it occupied my mind and compromised my focus every time I did something. I put it in my pocket, but then I had to hold my pants up when I was running. That rock just held me back. When I laid that rock at the foot of a cross Saturday afternoon to symbolically let go of my burdens, I was keenly aware of how holding on to the enemy’s unnecessary baggage separates us from the liberty we are to live daily in Christ.

If we carry something long enough, we convince ourselves it is part of who we are. We believe the lie and live condemned when God has made provision through Christ for us to be whole and absolutely free. I encourage everyone to seek a new revelation of who you are in Christ. Let Him show you the deceptions that have become so much a part of your life that you are treating them as truth. Let Him set you free to be who He created you to be. Lay your burdens at the foot of the Cross where they belong. They do not belong to you. They have been purchased by the One who is perfect in every way. Exchange gladness for mourning and praise for despair (Isaiah 61:3).

The focus of a recent meeting I attended turned to the need for regular accountability and evaluation from above and below. The discussion suggested a need for constant evaluation from those we lead and from those who lead us. One person boldly said I really want that kind of evaluation; shouldn’t every Christian want honest and open feedback? I don’t remember the statement getting much of a response. How many of us honestly relish being scrutinized? We do like being complimented and affirmed, but not examined and evaluated.

How many times has the plate life serves up been filled with those unpleasant situations that force deep scrutiny of motives and attitudes. Living becomes much simpler once we learn life’s plate of unpleasant food is so rich in nutrients that only a few bites give enough energy to run through a troop and leap over a wall? Cake is sweet, but cake is insufficient fuel for fighting the good fight and finishing the race. Lord, help us understand how those things unpleasant are allowing us to see ourselves as you see us that we might be strengthened for the journey to which we are called. 

I am asking everyone that is signed up to reach out to their sphere of influence and encourage the men @ Greenbrier to sign up this Sunday. Our hope is for every man from our church to come out and be a part of the Men’s Advance. It is an awesome place to connect with each other, establish new friendships and deepen existing ones.

We also have two special guests joining us this year: Clark Stallings and Adam Herod. Clark will be joining the teaching team and Adam will be joining Pastor Matt in leading us into worship.

Here are the details for our trip:

1. We will meet at the church on Friday March 6th at 5:30 pm and will provide sandwiches, chips, & drinks in the fellowship hall.
2. We will receive our travel & room assignments before leaving at 6:00 pm.
3. We are looking for willing drivers of SUV’s & Vans. We will also be taking the Church Van. Please let me know if you can volunteer to drive a group of guys!
4. It will take about 1.5 hours to get there and then we will help direct you to your cottage too get settled.
5. You will need to bring your own pillow and sleeping bag/sheets/blankets. You will have your own bed but no linens!
6. Our 1st ministry session will start by 8:30 pm and end by 10:00.
7. We will have a short devotional at 7:30 am on Sat. morning prior to breakfast (8 to 9 am).
8. We will have a time of team building as we take on the “Challenge Course” from 9:15 until 12:15 pm. We will do this in two groups of about 25 men each. 1st team goes from 9:15 to
10:30 while other team has free time to do any number of activities from basketball, soccer, tennis, play other games, exercise in fitness room, etc. Then the 2nd team begins at 10:45 until
12 noon.
9. Lunch is served at 12:30 until 1:30 pm.
10. Make sure our stuff is packed up and loaded in vehicles.
11. Our 2nd and final ministry session will begin at 2 pm and end by 3:30.
12. Load up in our vehicles and head back to church arriving at about 5:30 pm.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 819-1070.

May the Lord bless you and keep you close to His heart!

In His Service,
Pastor Curtis

We are quick to pray for hearts and minds. We ask God to lift people into heavenly places, but we can easily forget that each one of us is firmly attached to this earth with all its hurts, disappointments, and strife. Oh, I know God allows our spirits to commune with Him. I have been there and nothing is so sweet, but these times do not change the fact that my feet must, for now, walk this dusty earth.

The glory of God is revealed in the mundane journey we find ourselves walking day by day. We so often long for times of spiritual ecstasy, only to realize our feet are still planted firmly on terra firma and the muck through which I walked yesterday is waiting for the soles of my feet again today. That is the reality of life.

What a beautiful picture of Jesus’ love for us is drawn by his washing the dust and the dung from the feet of his disciples. It is as if He was saying, I will touch you where the world touches you. I will touch you just where you are. If the burdens are so heavy right now that you feel it is impossible to raise your heart to Jesus, just let Him touch your “sole.” Let Him touch you where the world is touching you. Don’t feel you must overcome the world. He has already done that. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33). If you believe this, your soul will be refreshed while your soles continue the journey. 

Well, I can’t necessarily afford everything I want, but I am amazed at how true what my grandmother said turned out to be. I was then reminded of Proverbs 13:12, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. How many people are absolutely heartsick today because their hope is in those things they can no longer have. For those whose life has been filled with fun and pleasure but no recognition that all good things come from our Heavenly Father, their hope has been deferred; it has been sidetracked by a world economic situation over which they have no control.

Where is your hope today? If your hope is fully in Christ and the eternal promises he represents for all of us, the deepest longings of your heart are constantly fulfilled. To hope in Him is to embrace hope that will never be deferred. It is a hope that is not subject to this world or any economic crisis this world may experience. Why not exchange a sick heart for a tree of life that never stops bearing good fruit, no matter what goes on around us. 

What really made me laugh out loud was remembering the mailing scheme we tried. I now know it was a scheme because the stern letter we received from the U.S. Postal Service after our first mailing explained the illegalities of our new venture in very clear language. It also spelled out the fines and prison terms associated with our get rich quick scheme. After confessing all my sins and reminding God how little service this good church-going boy would be to him in prison, I found out it was a form letter sent to all gullible people who fell for this scheme. It worked. I am proud to say I have been crime free for decades now.

In retrospect, we should have done our homework, but we did not. The resulting ignorance earned us a warning. Had we thumbed our nose at that warning and continued doing what we were doing, the consequences of our actions would have been severe, and rightfully so. Have you received any warnings lately? Has God shown you, as only He can, the blind spots in your life that are taking you down a path of pain and suffering. If He has, you can use the excuse of ignorance only once.

I always look back on our home business debacle as a vivid reminder of God’s grace and mercy. If you have made a mistake, big or small, and God has been gracious to you, learn from the experience. Accept His forgiveness and purpose never to go there again. To repeat the mistake when you know better is no longer an act of ignorance but an act of sinful rebellion. There is no such thing as a business that makes you rich with no work, and there is no such thing as sin without consequences. Christ paid a high price for our sins and prepared a path of forgiveness, hope, and restoration that leads right to His feet. May we all go there often and not down the lonely and desolate path of rebellion.