Sunday Reflections - December 30, 2015

Year End Reflections

Hello Deer Flat Family,

I just wanted to grab a few minutes of your time and let you know how grateful to God I am for His incredible goodness to Deer Flat Church during this past year. As I reminisced for a bit I had so many great reminders of the hand of God being extended to our flock in so many areas, for instance:

Growing Number of New People – You’ve seen it happening and so have I. The Deer Flat family does an amazing job inviting friends! Beyond that, God continues to draw people through the doors.  We have enjoyed wonderful growth during 2015.

New Followers – With the new attenders, there comes many new followers of Christ. We have had no shortage of people dedicating their lives to the Kingdom of God and becoming new Christians.  What is greater than this?

Many Answers To Prayer – Week after week people submit prayer requests. There has been no shortage of people and circumstances to pray over. Week after week, we as a Staff have met together and prayed. Time after time so many in our congregation have interceded and prayed over the needs.  And we have rejoiced about the many answers that have come. God has certainly been good to us in His response to our prayers. Thank you for praying!

Health and Life – Have you ever stood in the lobby between services? You watch people and you can feel the life happening in the flock. You can see that God has blessed us with some wonderful levels of health in all of the areas of Deer Flat Church. Children, Youth, Adult, Celebrate Recovery, Life Groups, Volunteers, and so much more have enjoyed healthy ministries and God’s blessings.

Spiritual Growth – Beyond numerical growth has been something so significant that has taken place, and that is the spiritual growth happening in the lives of our kids, students and adults. People have moved forward in their love for God and their knowledge of His Word. There is a climate of spiritual education and hunger that is definitely a part of Deer Flat. I am so grateful to God for creating this passion to know Him and His Word better than we do.

Time doesn’t permit me to cover all of the things that have made this year significant, but we praise God for His goodness for each of these and more. While we have much to rejoice over, there still remains some very real needs. I’ll close with just a couple…

Upgrading the Prayer Life of Deer Flat – This is an area that needs and deserves our attention. I think we can improve and raise the importance of the role of prayer in the life of the church. I’ll be talking more about this as we head into 2016. However there is a prayer opportunity every Sunday from 8-9 am in room 13. If you arrive early enough, your time of intercession will truly make a difference.

Spiritual Formation – With the amount of new people and new believers, I’d like to step up our investment into these lives and help people really get anchored in their faith. Nothing beats High Impact Low Maintenance converts.

Both of these areas will require leaders who share a passion for these arenas. As opportunity is provided, I hope you’ll dedicate yourself to help us take these needs to some new levels.

There are a few dates that you need to be aware of coming up:

December 31st - last day to give and have it count toward your 2015 taxes. The office will be closed, but as long as you have it postmarked by tomorrow or give online before midnight tomorrow night, it will still count for 2015.

Tuesday, January 12th at 7 pm - Jeremy Gimpel, The flyers last week listed the incorrect time! It is truly 7 pm and not 6 pm as listed on the insert. Please plan to join us for a great evening.

Tuesday, January 26th - Financial Peace University - classes will be held at 7 pm beginning the 26th at City Pointe in Caldwell. REGISTER HERE

Sunday, January 31st - Financial Peace University - classes will be held at 9:30 am in Room 19 at Deer Flat Church. REGISTER HERE

Remember, this Sunday only, one service at 10:30 am. I can’t wait to see you! Come expecting a tremendous Lord’s Day.

Loving You and Him!

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 22, 2015

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

    Like every Christmas, one of the most significant aspects is our ability to remember. We tell and retell the story so that it will NEVER be forgotten – GOD CAME INTO OUR WORLD AS A BABE IN THE MANGER. Here’s one more prayer to enjoy from one of my most favored books, Valley of Vision. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lord Jesus,

I am blind, be thou my light,

ignorant, be thou my wisdom,

self-willed, be thou my mind.

Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit’s voice,

and delightfully run after his beckoning hand;

Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,

make it alive to evil’s slightest touch;

When Satan approaches may I flee to thy wounds,

and there cease to tremble at all alarms.

Be my good shepherd to lead me into

the green pastures of thy Word,

and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.

Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales

may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.

Thy cross was upraised to be my refuge,

Thy blood streamed forth to wash me clean,

Thy death occurred to give me a surety,

Thy name is my property to save me,

By thee all heaven is poured into my heart,

but it is too narrow to comprehend thy love.

I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,

but thy cross has brought me near,

has softened my heart,

has made me thy Father’s child,

has admitted me to thy family,

has made me joint-heir with thyself.

O that I may love thee as thou lovest me,

that I may walk worthy of thee, my Lord,

that I may reflect the image of heaven’s first-born.

May I always see thy beauty with the clear eye of faith,

and feel the power of thy Spirit in my heart,

for unless he move mightily in me

no inward fire will be kindled. Amen!

REMEMBER: 

1) Christmas Eve service Thursday at 6 pm 

2) Combined Family service this Sunday at 10:30 am 

3) Jer and I, along with all of the Staff, are loving you and thanking God for you. I can’t wait to see you. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love my church!

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 16, 2015

A TREMENDOUS DAY, A TREMENDOUS MONTH

Hello Deer Flat Family,

LAST SUNDAY - I’m still basking in the joy of last Sunday. WOW, what a fantastic morning of celebration and inclusion. The Children, along with Julie and her team, knocked us out with their meaningful performance, “The Fear Not Factor.” It’s always a highlight when we get to see what’s happening in the Children’s Ministry arena. And, what an OUTSTANDING group of children God has given us at Deer Flat. These kids are AMAZING! If you’re a parent reading this, THANK YOU FOR LOANING US YOUR CHILDREN! They are so critical to the life of the church.

And then there are our fantastic VOLUNTEERS! Julie's team works diligently  throughout the year making a huge investment in the lives of these little ones.  But when they take on a production, it demands many more hours of preparation and practice. Our dedicated volunteers step up time after time and give of themselves selflessly. We couldn’t do what we do without our faithful Volunteers. THANK YOU!

I COULD CARE…MORE – Thank you for your participation in this love offering for the Free Methodist Churches of Syria. What a great opportunity to help the Syrian people be able to stay in their own country. 100% of the dollars raised goes directly into the need. These church will use the vast majority of this money to feed and clothe people. These churches are serving 10 times the amount of people in their church. PLEASE MARK YOUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION PAYABLE TO "TRC", instead of Deer Flat Church. What an expression of love during this time of year!

IMPORTANT EVENTS YET THIS MONTH – As we move into the second half of December, it only gets better. This Sunday, both hours, we will enjoy THE WORLD OF WHITE ICE COMPANY, a great musical/drama presentation that includes choir, orchestra and our drama team. This is one of those perfect times to reach out and invite someone.

            Christmas Eve Service – 6 pm

            Sunday, December 27 – Combined Family Service at 10:30 am

THINGS I LOVE DURING DECEMBER –

-  That God came into our world

-  All the Christmas music

-  Watching favorite movies: Miracle on 34^th Street, A Christmas Carol, 

   White Christmas, Polar Express

-  Some great quotes: 

       * The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the 

          sons of God. -C.S.Lewis

       * How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! 

          O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. 

          - Benjamin Franklin

       * Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a 

          conspiracy of love. -Hamilton Wright Mabie

       * If you can't wrap Christmas presents well, at least make it           look like they put up a good fight. - A Guy Named Kelly

I am also loving each of you! I’m so thankful to God for the Deer Flat Family - A rich mix of crazy and common, generous and conservative, lovers of God and lovers of others. What a great demonstration of God’s grace toward people! I can’t wait to see you this Sunday!

Loving You and Loving Him,

Pastor D

Couple of extra notes:

Thank you for your generous and ongoing support of Deer Flat. Without your giving, we wouldn't be able to do what we do! If you are planning on a year-end gift, please remember that it needs to be in the office or postmarked on/before December 31st to count toward your 2015 giving.

For those of you who ordered The Names of God calendars, they have arrived! They will be available to pick up at Guest Services this Sunday. We have 15 extra calendars, so if you would like one please be sure to stop by and pick one up. They are only $12 each & are beautiful! Would make a great Christmas gift.

Sunday Reflections - December 10, 2015

SOME IMPORTANT INFO AND UPDATES YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

I’ll get right to it…

1. Is It Possible We’re Living In The Last Days?  We have been overwhelmed with requests for CD’s of this series, and had a number of new people come through our doors who want to know what the Bible says about the times we live in. THANK YOU for inviting friends. I met a couple last Sunday who attended DF for the first time, but came because someone had told them about the current series we were in. They shared with me that they listened to the previous 3 weeks of podcasts to make sure they were caught up for what they would hear Sunday. I was reminded over these weeks the hunger and curiosity that marks so many people today. Never underestimate the POWER OF AN INVITATION! 

2. Syria – As you know, there’s been much to do about this issue. The Nation is quite split on how it should be handled. The argument about whether to allow refugees in America or not has been blatant. Here’s what you need to know.  We have a tremendous opportunity to help the Syrian people remain in their homeland. Because we have a number of Free Methodist Churches in Syria, we can come alongside them and help them by ministering to and sustaining many of the Syrian people, especially those Christians who are under great duress.  We are told that each Free Methodist church is serving 10 times the amount of their congregation. The church of 100 is caring for 1,000. The church of 1,000 is serving 10,000. The Denomination has the ability to make sure that these funds go directly into the situation and that these churches get direct and more immediate help. There has been great monitoring and connection with the pastors of these churches who have been very informative about the grass roots environment. I want to challenge each of you to plan to give a sacrificial gift to help make a difference whereby we enable many of the Syrian people to remain in their homeland. I’d like to call this effort, the “I could care… More.” Love offering. Would you plan to give something specific towards this project over the next couple of weeks? Whether you think refugees should come here or whether you think they shouldn’t – this offering helps care for the people of Syria no matter what. Please mark your gift clearly and expect to put a huge smile on the face of God! You guys are ALWAYS the best!

3. Exceptional Events at Deer Flat – This Sunday during Second Hour, we’ll have the chance to enjoy having all of the kids being in the service, as Julie and her team have been working hard to put together their Christmas Program.  Our Children’s Ministry adds an enormous amount of blessing and life week after week. Let’s rally for the Kids and overwhelm them with love.

Sunday, December 20^th Christmas Musical and Drama.  Here’s another opportunity to invite someone to an outstanding morning at DF. This will be presented in both hours. Our Choir and Drama group have been working diligently to give you an unforgettable performance.

Christmas Eve – 6 pm.  As always, this will be a time of celebration and inspiration for the whole DF family. Bring your family and friends. It’s going to be a great evening!

December 27^th is one service at 10:30 a.m. 

As you can see, it’s an outstanding season at Deer Flat. Each of you make such a great contribution by your faithfulness, generosity, and heart for God. Thank you for helping us stay in step financially as we close out the year. We fell short just a bit in November. Let’s finish the year strong. It’s a great time to give an end of the year gift that will be a blessing to Deer Flat and to you. 

I can’t wait to see you this Sunday! We’re taking a great look at the story of Bethlehem. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

Loving You and Him,

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 2, 2015

ITS ADVENT!

What’s that about? The word, ADVENT means “the arrival” or, the coming. It’s a wonderful season and it is rich in meaning and accomplishment. However, it involves something that I just hate… waiting!

I had to go to the doctor today, and you know what that means? Waiting. They even call it a “waiting room.” As soon as you enter a waiting room, you start to feel uncomfortable. There is something about the not-knowing how long you will be there for. And then, there’s the uncertainty of what the doctor or whoever it is will say when you finally get in. You rehearse what you will say. You get fidgety and keep looking at your watch. Most of the time, the magazines are old, and the room is boring. The silence is an irritable one; you can feel the stress arising from a room full of people with sighs and annoying movements, and their own worries and preoccupations. You look around for the newspaper and once locating it, make a mad dash for it, just wanting to distract yourself, redeem the time. You start feeling restless and in-between.

And then, when the call finally comes, you never feel prepared. It always feels like an unexpected and rude interruption, “Mr. McGarrah,” even though it was what you were waiting for all along. I hate having people announce that I’m waiting to see the doctor.

Mary had to wait. Pregnancy is a time of waiting.

In the days before ultrasounds, it would probably have been several months before the bulge was prominent enough to be confident, before she felt movement kick to know that it was a new life and not a tumor growing inside her, making her feel nauseated.

While she waited, I wonder what her thoughts were? I wonder if she ever doubted the words the Angel spoke to her? I wonder what her thoughts were about God?

James writes, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7 We are also called to be ones who wait.

For all the doing, the rushing of this life and our Christian endeavors, this is a very passive command. It calls us to trust in what we can’t see, remembering and leaning on God’s words as Mary did, choosing God’s promise over our self-doubt. We wait for Christ’s return, living in the waiting room, without knowing when it will happen. To wait is to surrender our control. To wait is to trust in God.

When that Day comes, it will undoubtedly feel like an unexpected happening, no matter how prepared we think we have been. There are too many magazines in this life for us to flip through, it is too difficult to wholly commit ourselves to live in a state of constant preparedness to really acknowledge that this day could be our last. We are so easily distracted.

The Early Church had a word they often used, “Maranatha!  Even so, Lord, come quickly.” I don’t want to wait for heaven with a sense of impatience and irritation at this world. I want to remember that Jesus is coming again, and that He will bring restoration in His timing. I want to learn to wait like Mary. 

This Sunday we’ll be capitalizing on the times in which we live as we look again at 

Ezekiel 38-39.  We had such a great day last week. I can’t wait to see you this week!  Until then, “Maranatha!”

Loving You, Loving Him, and trying to love waiting…

Pastor D

PS – If you’re looking for a unique and wonderful Christmas gift, why not check out one of the books in our Library. It’s called “Enter His Gates” and it is filled with lots of amazing insights that link the Believer with their Jewish Roots.