Pastor James’ Blog

    Some of us at Life House are concerned for the people of Texarkana and especially College Hill in a big way.  We see a cycle that had developed in the families of our area. Many of the children come from one parent or broken homes.  The “norm” for many of the the families is drinking, drugs, sleeping around and stealing. These character qualities are being passed on to the next generation and the next. The thought of God, morality or absolutes is a minor detail of their lives. Many of the people will lie, cheat, steal and do whatever to make a dollar and or get by – but before you get prideful – there are many in your area that have the same foundational values in their lives.  The children are learning to lie, cheat, steal, curse and sleep around from experts – THEIR PARENTS!  It’s time that Life House join hands and hearts with other churches, pastors and fellow Christians of all denominations and TAKE COLLEGE HILL BACK from the devil. He desires to “steal, kill and destroy” the lives of people.  Can we  see every soul in College Hill get saved? NO – probably not.  Can we take a stand for goodness, godliness and right? ABSOLUTELY! Can we begin to take the streets back? YES. Can we begin to make College Hill a clean place, a place where children are safe?  YES if we want to.  Pray for me and for the Life House Church family. God is doing a work in our hearts and we are trying to understand what we are to do to take it back… In the coming weeks and months you are going to hear about it – but pray that God will give us the wisdom, strength and unity as a community to TAKE IT BACK!  I’m excited – God is about to do something BIG in College Hill. Pray for us!  Pastor James

    Our services yesterday were a blessing to me. We are seeing more and more of our regular people step up and take a part of this new ministry. The person who normally plays keyboard for us was going to have to be out of town yesterday but our musicians and music leaders really stepped up to the plate, worked hard and it was great!  There was a very worshipful attitude in the church yesterday and that touches my heart.  There was freedom to worship, an open heart seemed to be in the room while I was preaching and then God brought several to the altar.  The “Purpose Driven Life” series has been good for our people. Many are beginning to realize that their birth wasn’t an “accident” between two adults –they really are created, planned and loved. God has a purpose for them and their lives.  We are working with all types of people, with all types of struggles and all types of needs. One of those who is struggling with drugs and desperately wants to get off of them and get their life back on track came up after church and asked me to pray with them. Another, struggling with one of the issues of this life, came to Cindy for prayer after services. Another man, a first time visitor, came and thanked me for allowing him to come to a church that “seems real”.  This work is MISSION WORK.  We know that with God’s leadership and help we are going to see a church come forth out of this work. It’s our prayer that this new church really becomes a strong LIFE HOUSE for our community and the surrounding areas. People are hurting and need help. People don’t know where to turn to…so we MUST offer them Jesus.  Life at Life House is different from anything I’ve ever done as a pastor…but God is providing, going before us and making a way in this work. Pray for us and pray that we can be the instruments God needs to touch the lives and people of this community. We love this community and want to see good things come about for them.  God has big plans and I can’t wait to see all He’s going to do in College Hill.

Pastor James

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   I’m mad!  I’m VERY mad!  Here we are in a neighborhood ravaged by many vices and the devil is having a ball.  The Word of God says that the “thief cometh not but to steal, kill and destroy,” and that’s exactly what he is doing.  Tonight, during our Life Group meeting the mother of one of our ladies came in and asked where her daughter was. She had some news she needed to tell her. The lady, who is a member of our church, got the news that her son was in the emergency room at a local hospital because he had over dosed on some pills. This young man is probably one of the nicest young men you would ever want to be around when he is sober and not “using”.  But when he is not sober – he is one mean and nasty drunk. He has already had part of his physical health destroyed because of the vices of the devil and now he is layin in ICU. We have no idea what the outcome will be. He could have brain damage, he could die, he could come out of this to live and drink and use again.  He could come out of this a changed man – and that’s our prayer. The thief has stolen too much from him for too long. His “FRIENDS” (if that’s what you want to call them) are liars, thieves and dealers. They are his “friend” when he has money and can buy or use it for “fun” but when the money isn’t there or it looks like trouble they all vanish. One of his “friends” drove him to a relatives house, dropped him off and RAN when he had taken too many pills tonight. That’s a REAL friend!!  I’m tired of the devil doing this to our young people. I’m sick of all of the lies the devil is telling our young people and many of the people in our community.  I KNOW that God put us in this community to be a light and that is what LIFE HOUSE is doing but we must do more to reach people and rescue them from the wiles of the devil. He is stealing…their future, their health, their money,  he killing…their bodies, families and hope, he destroying…their minds, health and anything else he can.  PRAY FOR US…that we can do more to reach out to the residents of our area. They are “good people” but they don’t see that there is another way. They don’t understand that they CAN break the cycle of poverty, drugs, drink and the rest of the junk the devil has placed in their lives. We MUST “rescue the perishing, care for the dying”.  We are seeing souls saved, lives changed and homes restored. We are seeing many good things in this ministry – but there are soooo many more that we need to reach.  Pray for us…my heart is heavy for this young man and for the other 1000 in our community just like him.  The devil has no new tricks just the same old lies.   We WILL reach more – we are going to see souls saved – we are going to fight the devil tooth and nail for every soul we can reach!  We ‘ve been called to it and the devil isn’t going to stop us! IN JESUS NAME!  Pastor James

   Tonight several people from the Life House church family had the blessing of attending the “ROCK THE HOUSE” service at First Baptist Church, Texarkana, Texas.  It was totally a blessing and a half!  What a joy to see God’s people come together for a time of worship. The Lord showed up and poured out a blessing on the service. It was great for our church to see that there are other believers that are striving to break down the racial walls that exist in so many places. The messages were “right on target”, the music was heavenly and the worship was free. God was all over the place. Pastor Jeff Shreve stated that there would possibly be more services just like the one tonight in the future and if there are – I will again take a van load with us and attend. If you weren’t able to be there tonight – you missed a blessing. Watch for it to air on the local cable station on Channel 10 in the near future.  It was great tonight to get a “little taste of heaven”.  Pastor James

Life House Church had a great day of worship today. The service was great and the altars full. God is doing a work in the heart of many of our people. Even though we were hit hard by sickness number wise this morning the Lord blessed with a good crowd, new faces and a spirit of real worship.  We believe God has great things intore for our church  and ministry in the near future. 

Tonight we are going to attend “ROCK THE HOUSE” at FBC Texarkana, Texas as a group.  Four churches are gathering together to have a combined worship service. We are excited to be able to take several from Life House tonight to this service. We pray the Lord will give us a great time of worship with other believers tonight. 

Lastly – once again I/we want to thank the Shiloh Baptist Church Family (Texarkana, AR) and Pastor Todd Reed for the dontation of a church van to be used by this ministry. We believe this van is going to open doors for us to bring in moreople to hear the gospel. Pray!

    Better go for now – got some things to do before tonight. Thanks again to all who pray, give and support this new work in whatever way. God is using you thelp get this mission off the ground! THANKS!   Pastor James

   We are totally excited that soon the Life House Family will be able to go up and down the streets of College Hill and the surrounding areas and pick up and deliver people to our services and events!  THANK YOU Shiloh Baptist Church family for voting to donate a van to the mission. Shiloh is our sponsor church and they have supported us financially, emotionally, prayerfully, physically and one thousand other ways since this new mission began. THANKS CHURCH and Bro. Todd too!   We are ministering in an area where many people have to walk to get to the store, school, church and other areas. The van will enable us to go out and “bring them in” as well as get them home safely.  When the weather is cold, damp and windy it will surely help to be able to  give people a ride to church events.  Again, we are excited and can’t thank the Lord or the Shiloh Church Family enough for the gift of the van.  We promise to put it to good use reaching souls in our area!!  Pastor James

    Throughout this journey of planting a new mission church there have been many needs and much prayer has “gone up” by us, our church family and others. God continually “shows Himself” faithful and answers our prayers according to His will.  Today I have seen God working several things out for our church and if all goes as planned we will have some good news coming to our church soon.  God is working in at least three areas and doing things we couldn’t do!  PRAY PRAY PRAY and KEEP ON PRAYING!  Saints – get ready — cause the good news is on it’s way!  Don’t miss any of our services or you WILL miss out on what God is doing!   Pastor James

…a good used organ?  If so – let me know. We need one in our worship services.  THANKS – Pastor James

God continues to bless the work, ministry and mission of Life House.  Today was a great day. Although some of our “regulars” were out due to sickness and one family attending sick parents we had a good attendance and even saw some “new” faces among us. The praise service was great and the message well received. We even have two that have expressed a desire to become members and are starting our new members course. We had two others complete their course and have been added to our fellowship. God continues to move!!!  

Tonight the Life House family hosted a “Super Bowl Fellowship” complete with food, fellowship and fun. For those who like football – it was a good time. For those who don’t – it was still a great time of fellowship. Thanks to the young adults who worked hard to make the event tonight happen.  As pastor I had very little to do with anything tonight and that is a mark that our mission family is growing because they planned, implemented and carried out an event on their own. Great job for Jesus guys! 

In the coming days we will be having some outreach events and we want to start praying now for the people we will come in contact with. There are lots of souls that need a touch. There are many lives who need a someone to care, comfort, and pray. Jesus cares about our earthly lives as well as our eternal lives. It’s our duty as a church to be HIS hands and feet while here on earth.  Pray for us that we can be the church Jesus wants us to be. 

  More later – till then…..keep working for Jesus and keep your eyes on the eastern sky ’cause He could come back any time now!!   Pastor James