One Small Step for Our Church, One Giant Step for Our Community!

Yep. It's done! We have officially closed on our loan. This month is the month we've been waiting for; we can now start construction of our new facility. Look for concrete in the next two weeks and steel to go up around the beginning of July.

Praise God! He's been with us every step and today was a big one. It was one small step for our church, one giant step for our community. I believe the landscape of our city will be different because of our faithful obedience to Jesus. Keep praying and get ready!

-Ben

10 Years = 3,650 Days!

This Thursday is a particularly special day for me. It's an important milestone that I'm really looking forward to because this Thursday Melanie and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage! Thank you Jesus! I really can't believe 10 years have flown by this fast. That's 3,650 days of waking up and doing life together. If there's one thing I've learned in 10 years it's that you spell marriage, "W-O-R-K." But I have to say, I love my job!

Those first couple of years were tough. Lots of fighting. Lots of apologies (from me!). Lots of counseling. But it's been SOOOOO worth it. It's still a lot of work, but the kind that's truly rewarding. The kind that brings growth, true intimacy, and joy. Even as we started talking last week about The Holy Spirit being The Helper, I guess one of the reasons I'm excited about 10 years together is because I can look back and see all the ways God has carried us through! I've never needed The Helper more than in my marriage. Can I get an AMEN?!! I don't care who you are or who you marry, it ain't easy! But The Helper helps me see things differently, helps me apologize and admit when I'm wrong, helps me love, helps me forgive and forget, helps me know what to do when I don't have a clue...and He's great to talk to when I just feel like breaking something or running away!

Marriage for me is the ultimate crucible. So thankful for my wife. The Lord uses her in so many ways to challenge, inspire, and encourage me. I really know that much of who I am today is because of her. 10 years and two kids later I can say I love her more than ever...thanks to The Helper.

-Ben

Well, Whadda-ya Know?

Jesus says in John 8:31-32, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The word "know" used in this verse is key in our relationship to the Lord because it means much more than an intellectual knowing of facts. That's usually our understanding of knowing, especially when it comes to knowing truth. I know 2+2=4. I know that George Washington was our country's first President. And so on. These are facts that we memorize, and many times we approach "discipleship" in a similar fashion.

But in this verse, "know" means more than information. It is a knowing that cannot be separated from personal experience. We could say we "know" about climbing Mount Everest because we know where it is, we know what supplies to take, we know how long it would take to scale, we know the dangers to avoid, etc. But have you ever heard someone who's actually experienced it talk about it? They know about climbing Mount Everest in a very different way. They know the thrills and the challenges. They know the taste of snow in their mouth. They know what frostbite feels like. They've been to the summit and been changed by the view!

Jesus invites us to climb the mountain. He invites us to an experience of truth that changes us and sets us free. We need more than information; we need transformation. Our "knowing" becomes multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, rich and above all relational. So, whadda-ya know? Are you enjoying a relationship with Jesus? Are you experiencing truth in a way that is changing you and setting you free?

If you're looking for a jump-start, I would recommend Mission Bridge School. It's a 10-week discipleship invitation to climb the mountain. To register, email me (ben@themission.org) or sign up this weekend. We start June 3rd!

-Ben