Pastor James’ Blog

Last night was the first Life House Boys Ministry meeting. This meeting is primarily designed to mentor boys and young men in our local area.  Many of them come from a home where there is either an “absent” father figure or the father figure that is in the home simply doesn’t take the time to show them the “ropes” of life.  Bro. Markeith and me are teaming up together to try to make a difference in the lives of the young men in our area. Last night we just “hung out” with the guys, played games with them in the gym, ate pizza with them at  Razorback Pizza and began to “brainstorm” with them about the new ministry. If all goes as planned each week we will have fun, eat, listen, and  teach a pointed (hard hitting but short) lesson to get a life point across to the guys. We are also planning some fun things outside our church building like fishing trip, skating, fun park, movie night, ect.  Many of these youth have NEVER been anywhere – out to eat at a “sit down” restaurant, fun park or anywhere of the like. We are hoping to open up new doors and create an exciting enviroment for them to be able to bond with other christian guys and men.  Pray for us.

Also, pray for the Life House Girls Ministry. They are now in their fourth week and it’s really grown. Pray that God will use the ladies who are in that ministry to make a real difference in the lives of the girls in our area.

One more – Pray for the ladies of Life House. It appears that soon they will begin a Ladies Ministry – Bible study group and more. God is “UP TO SOMETHING” at Life House!!

Better go – gotta get ready and head out — today is sub and WW day!  Have a good one and let us hear from you!              Pastor James

As most know I am a Weight Watchers leader part time as well as a substitute teacher and church planter.  Well – I have a MOST unusual request.  I found out that Weight Watchers has a program that makes it possible to redeem UPC Barcodes of their product and you are able to “buy” products from them.  Anyone who would like to can help out Life House by buying Weight Watcher products in your local store or in the nearest Weight Watchers Center and saving the UPC Barcode off of each product and mailing them to us at Life House. It will take alot of them to be able to redeem them for free “stuff” but there are several items in the “catalog” that we could use at Life House. So help us out – buy those Weight Watcher products – cut off the barcode and send them to us at:  Life House Church, P.O. Box 3006, Texarkana, AR 75504. Thanks for the help -and spread the word to your family, friends and even the people at  your church. Put it in your church newsletter or bulletin!!  This could really help us get some “stuff” that otherwise we might have to save up and purchase. Thanks! 

                                                                                                                    Pastor James

We just finished service at Life House today and we really had a good day!  God just keeps on pouring out His blessings on the new work.  We had several first time visitors with us and right now we have three people that are going through our church membership course so that they might be able to move their letter to Life House.   We hit another “record” attendance today – 64!  Praise the Lord!

 Also, our children’s ministry hit a new record attendance today with 15!  They are having a blast in the D.O. G. Kidz Zone! (Depend On God!). 

    The young preacher that I invited to preach today was unable to preach this morning but is scheduled to preach for us next Sunday. Come, bring a friend and join us! You will be blessed!

   Starting tomorrow night at 6 p.m. – we will begin Life House Boys Ministry. It’s for guys 7th – 12th grade. If a guy is a LITTLE younger than that and REALLY REALLY wants to come – we might make an exception and “sneak him in” LOL.  Pray for Bro. Markeith and me as we try to impact the young men in our community. We know God has some great plans for them. 

  Continue to pray for Life House and if you get the chance – come visit! Gotta run – more later!

                                                                                              Pastor James

The ministry at Life House has really been a learning experience for me in many ways.  I’ve always pastored established churches where everyone had been “IN CHURCH” and knew what a basic “christian family” life was all about. Our new mission is really a mission field. We are dealing with children and youth that have no idea what “normal” (or at least the “normal” that you and I think is “normal”) is. These kids feel that their lives are “normal”.  For many of them the idea of not knowing who their parents are, where their parents are or where they are going to live tomorrow – is normal.   For many the only type of love or discipline they get is physical and mental abuse.  It’s normal for them to be called stupid, fat, or many other names which wouldn’t be good for me to write here. For many of them it’s normal not to get steady meals or even three meals a day. For many – it’s normal to never hear “I love you” or “you can do it”. For many it’s normal to never know what it’s like to go out to eat (seriously – because they can’t afford it). For many the idea of going to a movie, the mall or skating – is just a dream.  Many are trapped – or so they feel. Many aren’t encouraged to get an education and in fact many are DIScouraged from going to school.  Some are put on the streets and that’s the only life they know. Many only know cussing, fighting, sleeping around, drugs, alcohol, gambling. They only know that type “normal” life.  It’s easy for me to say now that i’ve lived in this area for almost a year -  we as “churched” people – are spoiled and naive. We see the world through rose colored glasses and we build glass walls between us and the hurting world. We refuse to admit that down the street people are hungry, hopeless and hurting.

One of our missions at Life House is to break the chains of the past for these kids. There is hope. There is love. There is a future for all of these kids if we can only get them pointed in the right direction.  Life House has started a Tuesday night girls ministry. The goal of this ministry is to love, mentor, feed, teach and befriend the girls (7th – 12th grade) in our area. It’s not an easy ministry but it’s one that is going to prove to be fruitful.  There is now interest in beginning a teen boys ministry.  Plans are underway and we are trying to get things in order to begin.  In both cases it’s going to take a lot of love, patience and winning friendship and trust.  Many of these kids don’t know how to receive love or friendship.  I know someone reading this might be saying, “it won’t work“, “you can’t reach or help them all“, “you can’t break the chains of the past“.  AND TO THOSE STATEMENTS I SAY… YOU ARE RIGHT.  You are right – we can’t and won’t reach them all – but we are going to reach SOME.  You are right, we can’t break the chains of the past – but Jesus can! You are right – it won’t work — but we are going to work at it and give it to Jesus!  If we can rescue one or two – five or ten then we will have made a difference in their world and in their future and in their eternity.  So you might ask – “how can I help?”.  The most important thing you can do is PRAY.  Pray for those of us who are seeking to mentor these kids. Pray for more workers. Pray for the kids and their families. Pray for them to be saved so that their homes can change, their lives be more stable and their future bright.  Pray for Life House – we aren’t your typical church with your typical mission.  Pray that Satan would be bound from College Hill – the streets, the homes and the places of ill repute. Pray that God would send a revival to this area and that pastor and churches can get together to do kingdom work in this area. The longer I serve here – the more the peopleof College Hill  become a part of my heart.  PRAY.

Thanks for being faithful to read my blog. Thanks for praying. Thanks for loving souls and this new mission church.  Comment if you want – all are welcome. Come see us (even if you already have a church and you just want to drop by and see the building and see what we are doing.).  It’s a blessing for Cindy and I to serve as your North American Mission Board Missionaries to College Hill & Texarkana.   Pray for us! 

                                                                                              Pastor James

 The Life House Church family officially began 40 days of prayer today.  We are seeking God for many things – especially revival for nation.  America is in a bad shape financially but even more so spiritually.  Our mission field is” white unto harvest”.  So many people in our field are living tulmultuous lives – lives that seemingly have no hope. We see people who are generation after generation falling for the lies that Satan has deceived them with – and never finding peace, security or even purpose for their lives. They don’t know what it means to have peace in this life or even peace with God about the next. They go from relationship to relationship. They seek hope in a bottle, pill or thrill. They are always looking but never finding.  We are praying that God will open doors and allow us to be the LIFE HOUSE for those in College Hill.  

We are also praying for a revival among the Lord’s churches.  Far too long there has been a competative spirit among the churches. Jealousy and suspicion is a big problem. We are living in the last days and it’s time for the church to come together to work with each other to reach our city, states, nation and world for Jesus.  We are not in competition. We are not (at least Life House is not) about stealing members from other churches. It’s time the church of Jesus gets together – pulls together and work for the good of the kingdom instead of our own little private kingdoms. 

We are praying that God will send a revival to our area and to our nation.  The only “good thing” I can think of that might happen if our nation does hit rock bottom financially and experiences a time of depression is that maybe then people will be forced to seek help from the only one who can help and that is GOD!  Washington doesn’t have the answer.  McCain & Obama don’t have the answer. The only answer and hope for us as a nation is the Lord.

Will you join us in praying for 40 days?  If you would like one of our weekly prayer guides  – let me know and we will make sure we have enough printed for you to drop by and get one. You don’t have to be a part of the Life House Family to join in this time of prayer. Let me know.

Pray – PRAY – P R A Y!!!!            Pastor James

You don’t want to miss next Sunday as I have invited my new preacher friend to preach for the Life House Family. Pray for this young man and his wife. They earnestly want to serve the Lord and I know you will enjoy hearing him. Pray for him as he prays, prepares and gets ready to preach for us.   Spread the word, pack the pews and you WILL experience a blessing next Sunday!  Hope to see you in church! 

Gotta get going – get ready and head to school!  Have a great day in the Lord!   Pastor James

For anyone who knows me very well will readily agree that patience isn’t something I’m good at. If we are planning on doing something – my motto: Let’s do it! Stop talking about it – just get it done.  Well,  God’s timing is always best but we are seeing His hand move in some great ways in recent days at Life House. 

Our services today were a blessing!  In spite of several of our regulars out due to being sick and one couple away “filling in” at another church so the pastor could be on vacation our attendance was still great!  We are even seeing God possibly opening a door to provide us with an answer to one of our biggest prayer requests: a black associate pastor.  We enjoyed a time of fellowship at lunch today with a young man and his wife – he’s 30 and a great man of God. We enjoyed getting to know this new family and who knows this might be the man God has for us at Life House. For now — He is praying and we are praying and will take some time to get to know one another better. We will be sharing, discussing our vision for Life House and seeing if God is in this. Pray that both parties know God’s will.  If this is the man God wants for us – let’s get him on board — if he’s not then one thing for sure – i’ve made a new friend and a helper in the ministry.

Tonight we had the blessing of filling in for Bro. Donnie Edwards at Dallas Avenue Baptist Church in Mena, AR.  This is a growing, friendly and happy church. The music was great. The fellowship and unity in the atmosphere was a blessing. They are an easy group to preach to and they love souls.  They have been and are being a blessing to the work at Life House!   They have voted to partner with us and we are excited to have them “on board” as prayer partners and financial helpers in the mission work.  Pray for this good church and their staff. We look forward to working with them in the future at Life House.

Well – I hope your day was blessed and that you can look back on it with a joy in your heart.  Pray for us and pray for Cindy’s Dad who will have surgery Wednesday morning.  Pray for us as we try to take care of him.

Bed time and much to do – so i’m outta here!  Pastor James

God never ceases to amaze me!  Yesterday when I got home and was reading the mail one of the things in the pile was a note and a tithe check from an inmate in Newport.  This young lady is in the PAL (Principals & Application For Life) Program in prison. Cindy & Teresa met this person while she was in Miller County and continue to see her now that she is serving time in McPherson Prison.  God has done a real work in this young ladies heart. To be in the PAL Program in prison you have to sign up but to stay in the PAL Program you have to follow the rules and be cooperative with it.  Here is a little info about it:

• Addresses the spiritual needs of the inmates
• Confronts the inmates’ destructive thinking patterns
• Enables the inmates to respond to their situations in a Biblical manner

Since its beginning in 1998, the PAL™ program has seen hundreds of inmates’ lives changed. The success of the PAL™ program is attributed to the training, meditation and application of the Bible in the lives of the PAL instructors and in the lives of the inmates. Free-world visitors have noted how walking into the PAL™ barracks they can sense the working of the Holy Spirit. Even in the midst of prison, God’s Word is able to break the chains of spiritual bondage and bring freedom to those who are rejected by society.

Many times those in prison are more free than us “free-world” people. They have come to a place in their lives that they finally have hit “rock bottom” and now God is using it to help them “look up” and come to Him.   Most come from  a life that was on the worst road and headed for destruction. God is so awesome that He can break a heart, save a soul and change a life. God can rescue the person and give them a life that’s worth living for Him!  The tithe check from someone who was in prison is a real surprise but the fact that this person, (and many in the free world are the same),  would never have given the idea of tithing a thought but now desires to honor God and give Him her tithe is so amazing!  No,  Life House won’t be able to “buy a bus” or “pay off our building” with her tithe but before we discount anyones gift to the Lord – remember the widow’s mite in the scriptures!!  Think about it!   Little is MUCH when God is in it!  Maybe we need a few people on the “outside” to get an “inside” heart change!  Just thinking…. Pastor James

Our day was filled with “new faces” at Life House.  From the 1 p.m. Sr. Adult Game Day (each Wednesday at 1 p.m. until…) we saw one new face. This ministry is brand new and will take some time to grow but one new face is one new face! We are looking for others next week! 

We saw several “new faces” at the 4 – 6:30 “open gym” for kids and youth. We even saw two adult ladies from our community come to Life Group tonight! (They allowed their children to come to the open gym time.)   God is UP TO SOMETHING at Life House!  We realize mission work is slow especially multi-ethnic work. We also know that  you have to sow the gospel seed and pray. You must gain their confidence and friendship in order to ” bring them into” your circle. Pray for us. This mission work is totally different from anything that Cindy and I have ever been involved in but already it’s been rewarding.  Thanks to all of you who pray for us, thanks to all of our Partner Churches and even those who are so faithful to give to Dixie Jackson State Missions Offering and for all who are dedicated to giving to the Cooperative Program. Thanks to all of you – you are making this new mission possible!  Thanks and keep praying.  Night – Pastor James

We have A LOT of people who read the daily blog but never comment (SHAME ON YOU!) soooooo….if you can read then i’m sure you can PRAY!  Tonight will be our first “LIFE HOUSE GIRLS MINISTRY MEETING”.  Girls grades 6th – 12th are invited to come. This new ministry will be to mentor area girls and help them as they go through their lives. It’s going to be fun, instructional AND give them a place that they can safely open their hearts as they grow into young women.  Pray for those who are leading this new group. We already have a great number of young ladies who attend our services and who knows how many are going to show up tonight. Pray that God would use this new ministry to touch the hearts and lives of these young girls. Pray for the girls that they will hear the Word and that their future lives will be changed, shaped and moulded into what Jesus wants for them.  Thanks for praying!  Pastor James