The Wrath of God

"If there is a God, then why doesn't he do something about the evil in the world?" I've heard the question many times, particularly from people who scoff at the idea of God. It is hard to watch the inhumanity in the world. The murders, armed rebellions, drug dealing and sexual abuse can make us sick. Why doesn't he do something?

It's ironic that many of the same scoffers mock at the idea that God might actually do something about evil. There was incredible uproar when some preachers speculated that perhaps the destruction of New Orleans was a judgement of God. "God wouldn't do that...he is too loving." Apparently God isn't supposed to do the Sodom and Gomorrah thing anymore. He's supposed to be positive and uplifting all the time, and at the same time "do something" about the wickedness in the world.

I'm not sure whether the hurricane was one of those sad things that happens or if it was the judgement of God. I do know that we are going to learn a lot about God over the next weeks as we dust off the concept of "The Wrath of God" that is found in the next section of Romans (Chapter 1:18-32). Personally, I believe that as we do, we are going to be transfixed by the awesomeness of the God we serve.

Join us for this incredible study of God's character!

Pastor Karl

A Call to Prayer

Over the last several years we have seen God do some pretty incredible things. As I have ponder the "whys" of this, the conclusion that I have come to is that as a church we have really gotten serious about following His leading, regardless of where that takes us. An example of this is the literal weeks that we have spent in prayer.

Over the last months as we have been busy with the necessary work of construction, I have been sensing that we need to return to our "first work" of prayer. We have also seen a number of indications that the enemy has increased his attacks upon the leadership of the church. Key people have suffered a number of injuries and illnesses that are far beyond what might be explained via random chance. In addition, we are entering into a season of ministry and planning for ministry that will impact our church for some time. We need to seek God both alone and together so that we can make sure that we are in step with what the Lord wants us to be doing.

Therefore, we are going to having two special prayer events this month.

• An Evening of Prayer beginning at 7:00 this Friday, June 6. Join us for a time of seeking God together!
• A Week of Prayer - 24/7. We'll begin after our Dedication Service on June 22 and pray here at church around the clock for a week. Sign up sheets to pray are located in the entryway.

As we gather to pray, I am reminded of the words of Andrew Murray:

It is prayer that lies at the root of the spiritual life and power of the Church. The measure of continued believing prayer will be the measure of the Spirit's working in the Church.

-Pastor Karl

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Paul writes to the Romans that he is "not ashamed of the gospel." I've always been struck by that idea. Perhaps because my experience is that sometimes I am afraid of the ridicule that following Christ can entail. I feel it occassionally when I am in a social setting with people I've just met and they ask me what I do for a living. I wonder what their reaction will be. I hope that the relationship will continue. Maybe you've been there.

In this passage Paul helps us get over our fear by teaching us that:

• We will not be ashamed if we really understand what the gospel is.
• We will not be ashamed if we factor in the power of God.
• We will not be ashamed if we truly believe the gospel.

I beleive that God will really do an incredible work in our midst over the coming weeks. See you there!

Pastor Karl

First Service at the new building- May 18th, 2008

The first Sunday Worship service at our new location was help on Sunday, May 18th, 2008.

You could tell even before service started that everyone was so encouraged and excited to FINALLY be in the new facility. We had to set up all the extra folding chairs that we could find around the building so there would be enough seating for all of those that were there.

The worship team sounded even better than normal - coming through our new sound system.

Above is a picture to give you a little bit of an idea of what our new sanctuary looks like!

God is so good!

K.Olson

Playing in the Mud

One afternoon a few years ago I was trying to teach my elementary school basketball team the to be more aggressive when they went to rebound. "Jump up, yank the ball out of the air, and roar like a lion!" Corny, I know, but it worked! The players would grab the ball and let out a piercing roar. Such is the power of an image to change the way we see ourselves.

Jesus knew that. He was a master at using word pictures to describe life and our relationships with God and others. One of my favorites is found in John 7:37-38. Jesus said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Jesus speaks of a spiritually thirsty person finally coming to Christ. The result is that they will no longer be thirsty. In fact, they will be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. So much so that the Spirit will flow like water out of their lives, presumably watering others.

I was thinking of this image a few weeks ago when the snows were melting and I found myself outside in the driveway doing what I have done every spring for as long as I can remember: playing in the puddles. Actually, I consider it "work" rather than "play." I enjoy taking a stick and running it through the mud so that the water can drain out of the puddles faster. This year, I struck the mother lode when I discovered that Mike's plow and dumped a bunch of dirt near the small culvert on our driveway and an entire corner of our neighbor's yard was flooded. I worked with my stick, pulling away dirt, stones and leaves until finally the water could run down the ditch through the culvert and down into the lake. What fun! Um, I mean work!

I as I was hard at work, I starting wondering what things in life keep the streams of living water from flowing from within. What is the mud that causes puddles to form where there should be streams? While I am sure that there are more, two things came to my mind as I was thinking about this.

First, selfishness can cause me to want to keep my water all to myself. When I see the water as "mine" I will want to keep the blessings to myself. I will, in effect, build a dam to keep the water in rather than allowing it to flow through me.

Second, sinfulness will cause the Lord to close the spigot of water flowing into my life. It is one of the ways that he seeks to get my attention. If his blessing no longer seems to be on what I am doing, then something is wrong. Seriously wrong, and I need to find out what it is that is blocking the flow of the Spirit in my life.

I was excited to find that blocked culvert, but not just because it was fun see the water flowing again. I also knew that if that water sat there long enough, it would become a tremendous breeding ground for mosquitoes. In the same way, if the water stops flowing through us, we will become stagnant and actually become a nuisance to others rather than a blessing.

So, how is the water in your life? Is it flowing or do you have some work to do?

Pastor Karl

A Moment in Time

Occasionally there are events that you wish you could freeze and store forever. This morning was one of those times for me. The final worship service at 318 Central was a incredibly moving experience for me.

I guess it was the fact that so much of our lives have been entwined in the walls of that building. Weekly worship services, week-long prayer meetings, Christmas programs and snak-n-yaks all blended together in a rush of memories that brought tears to my eyes. God has been so good and so faithful over the years.

I especially enjoyed the testimonies of the "old-timers", who talked about the way things were before there was a Sanctuary, about heating the building with wood and ladies sleep-overs. Then again, I appreciated the stories of newcomers being welcomed and becoming a part of our family. We could have listened all day to the things that God has done!

Then again, perhaps it was the theme of the sermon - about being a servant/slave of Christ and surrendering to his agenda that spoke to me (yes, I try to listen to the sermon while I preach).
It set the stage for the moving of the chairs to the new building. As Steve led us in a few songs in the new Sanctuary and Jim led us in prayer, I couldn't help but think about how following Christ involves change and risk. Surrendering to him brings incredible blessings that are frequently beyond anything we can hope or imagine.

Perhaps you have a memory that did not get shared this morning. Why not post a comment and we can all hear your favorite moment at 318 Central?

Pastor Karl

Servants of Christ

This Sunday we will be starting a new sermon series. We will be working our way through the book of Romans. I am approaching this series with both fear and excitement. Romans is one of my favorite books, but at the same time it is one of the most challenging books in the Bible.

The truth is that as I have considered where to head next in preaching, Romans has always been near the bottom of the list because it can be a little intimidating. As much as I have studied it, I still feel like I'm standing ankle deep in the ocean of what is to be found in the book. It is a book that I treasure, but to stand and expound upon its truth seems beyond my limited abilities.

Over the last several weeks, as I have sought God's direction, the Holy Spirit has clearly spoken to my heart that it is time to start this awesome book. At moments like this I am reminded of two important facts. The first is that I (and we) need to be taught by the Holy Spirit. Book learning and "common sense" simply won't cut it. I need the Holy Spirit's instruction as I prepare each week. The Holy Spirit needs to guide my study, my prayer and my writing.

The second is a truth that is found in the first sentence of the book of Romans. Paul considered himself a servant of Christ. So should we. For me, that means that because the Lord spoke to me that Romans is next, I need to be obedient to that directive and jump in with both feet believing that His guidance, as always, will be true.

Let's together ask God to amaze us as we work our way through this incredible book!

"Romans is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes." - Martin Luther, Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, (1522).

-Pastor Karl