I hope all who read this blog and are mother’s have a great day today. Enjoy the attention and enjoy the time spent with loved ones. Life is to short not to enjoy such a time. Remember to say “I LOVE YOU” and mean it! Happy Mother’s day to my wife, Cindy – the best “MAMA” in the world! Thanks for loving me and for loving our boys and daughters-in-laws too! Have a great one! Pastor James
Life House is in need of an electrician to put in a few plug ins. We also need one to work on our church sign. We also need one to run exterior lights on our awning to shine on our sign on the building and put it on on a timer. We need someone who can do simple frame work and sheet rock on a small room (really small room). We also will be laying some type of flooring (not sure what type is best) in that same room. We have a work crew with a couple of licensed plumbers coming next weekend so the plumbing thing should be taken care of. Can you guys help? IF so – let me know…we need this room finished before the end of May so that the crew that is going to do cabinets and etc. can get in and have it finished before the end of May.
Even if you can’t do the work – you might know someone who would be willing to come help us out ASAP. We can purchase the materials – we just need someone who knows how to do it – to do it! Let me know. Thanks so much for loving missions and being willing to help us out! I’ll be praying that God will lay it on someones heart. Thanks ahead of time. Pastor James
A couple of the young men in our community that were recently saved have taken to texting me every morning. The conversations are usually very light and have hardly any significant context but evidently to them it’s important to hear from “pastor” and just chat. I don’t mind it but had a thought this morning. I recently gave them a new Bible from Life House Church and it’s one that is easy to read and it’s for new believers. This morning the thought hit me to challenge them to read one chapter a day – starting with John 1. I challenged them and promised that I would read the same chapter each day and when we text we can share what we learned/read/thought about the passage. One of them has texted back and accepted the challenge. This may seem a little unconventional – but we are on an unconventional mission field. I don’t know how this will turn out or work – but i’m willing to give it a shot if it encourages them to get in the Word and grow. Pray for us – who knows this might work or might be a flop – but I’m gonna try it. Who knows – we might get a guys group up that reads and shares the Word with each other — hmmm maybe we could be called the “TEXTERS”??? LOL Pray for me as I seek creative ways to not “get in their space” and scare them off – but get in their space and in their hearts. They are good guys – newly saved – have a good spirit about them and really just need a friend they can share with. Texting is a non confrontational way to do just that. Pray and let’s see what happens? CAN I COUNT ON YOU TO PRAY FOR THE “TEXTER GUYS”?????? If so – respond with a simple “I WILL PRAY” or more – so I can know how many prayer warriors we have for us. THANKS! Pastor James
Through the past year we’ve seen God do “things that only He could take credit for” in the life of Life House Church. He is still doing those kinda things and it’s still just as amazing as ever. Let me share what He’s been doing…
Recently a pastor friend called and asked if we needed a group to come for a mission trip this summer and help us. Of course I said a huge YES, YES, YES!!! He put me in touch with a youth pastor in Morton, MS who had a group of students that were searching for a mission trip. They had originally scheduled a trip to Alabama but that trip “fell through”. After he and I talked for some time I asked what the dates were that he wanted to make this trip to see what we had scheduled. The dates on their calendar for their mission trip were the very same dates of our Vacation Bible School in July!! The timing of their trip couldn’t have been better! Jesus provided extra workers for us – ONE MORE TIME! AMEN, AMEN & AMEN!!!!!
Then we had the blessing Sunday of meeting a couple that had origionally lived in Mena, AR and had attended one of our partner churches until the Lord moved them (job change) to New Boston, Texas. New Boston (for those who don’t know it) is just down the road on interstate 30 from Texarkana about 25 miles. This couple called and wanted to drop some Bibles by for us to give away in our ministry. While touring our church building and asking questions about Life House and what we were doing they became convinced that this type ministry is the type church they felt called to be a part of. They are supposed to come visit with us in the near future and explore God’s possibilities for their lives. Pray for them as they seek God’s will.
Then Sunday night late – a local pastor sent me a simple note on facebook that asked the question: “If you had $500.00 to spend for Life House, how would you spend it?” I thought that was a wild question but I quickly sent an answer back to him. Since there are so many needs in the church it wasn’t hard to think of something that we could do or use. I simply told him that we would love to be able to provide the funds for some of our faithful youth to be able to make the mission trip to Jackson, Mississippi with us in June. Several wanted to go but don’t have the funds to do so. Then I shared that if there was money left over from the $500.00 we needed/wanted a color outreach pamphlet to be able to give out to the community, visitor, prospects and anyone else that might want to know more about Life House, her ministries, her vision and etc. There are many more needs and things that Life House needs or could use to further the ministry here but those are two of the “biggies” I could think of at that moment. So, I pressed the “SEND” button and wasn’t sure what kind of response I was going to get. I had never played the “If you had $500.00 game” before!! LOL In a few moments a note appeared that read, “Consider both of those things DONE.” – I was overwhelmed! Cindy and I both couldn’t believe that ONE MORE TIME God had provided!!! AMEN AND AMEN!!! AMEN and AMEN and AMEN – 100 times over!!!!!
Then it happens again — yesterday while at the church office a youth pastor from the local area that we’ve known for several years dropped by Life House. He was working on the local “Mission Texarkana” planning and wanted to know if we needed any volunteers to help us this summer for one week. Of course the answer was, is and always shall be — YES YES YES!!! So I asked what date he was looking at and he shared a date with me in June. Just “so happens” that the date is the very week of our first scheduled 7-12th Grade “DAY CAMP”!! It couldn’t have happened any better!!!!! YEA! God did it again!!! WOW! What a mighty God we serve!!!!!!!!
These are just SOME OF THE THINGS that God has been doing at Life House in recent days. Pray for us and know that we are excited to be your North American Mission Board missionaries in the Texarkana area. Pray for souls, pray for provision and pray that God will be glorified in the lives of the members of Life House Church. It’s a blessing to serve the Lord and watch Him work. Can’t wait to see what God is going to do today! Pastor James
P.S. One of our “biggies” which would help Life House immensely now and in the future is for us to be able to “pay off” our building. We are purchasing the building for $140,000.00 and our payments right now are set at $1,000.00 a month (and God has provided above and beyond every month for us to make that payment). If we could pay off the building it would open up that $1,000.00 per month to help us do more ministry in the local area. We are PRAYING and BELIEVING that God is going to send that $140,000.00 to pay off the building. HE CAN, HE WILL and We are just waiting to see Him do it. It might not all come in one lump sum – might be lots of little gifts or several larger ones or who knows could even come in one check but God can and will supply our needs. He’s promised, we are trusting and watching the mailbox and offering box every week! Pray for that miracle to happen! (BTW – our building has been valued at up to 9 times that amount and the owner is selling it to us at the reduced rate to help us reach and minister to College Hill. He isn’t making money from us – simply helping us as a church. He’s a great man who attends a local church near College Hill and wants to be a blessing to the community. “Ain’t God good?” YES!!!!! Trust me – we will let you know when we reach the day of paying off the building – so STAY TUNED – it’s on it’s way!!!!
Our first anniversary service is now history and what a day it’s been. I’m full – not just from food but from the Word and from SEEING God speak through people today.
Some of our regulars were out of service due to the storms of the night but we were so blessed to have others drop in and worship with us. God is not through with Life House -by a long shot! He has a plan and a purpose for this ministry. Today we saw a young man (that we ALL have prayed for some time) saved at the end of the service. God has His hand upon several of our young people and we are seeing His fruit become evident in their lives. Pray for those who have been saved that they will continue to grow in the Word and to maturity so that they in turn can reach out and reach this community for the Lord.
At the end of our service we enjoyed hamburgers and all the trimmings. It was good to be able to laugh, fellowship and enjoy our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We even had several from First Baptist, Lewisville, AR (one of our partner churches) come over and eat with us and share in the afternoon service. Life House is blessed to have several GREAT partner churches and this church has been with us from day one of the mission. They are a blessing to us – more than they could ever know. Thanks Bro. Bobby, Mrs Bridgette and FBC Lewisville family!!
This afternoon we shared a time of testimony and memories. Several of our people shared what the Lord had done for them, what the church meant them and the blessing God had given them this year. Many share memories that have happened in the life of Life House in the past year. Several of those memories mentioned were things that I had almost forgotten. Let me share some of the blessings shared with you:
1. First Baptist Lewisville, AR coming and cleaning and painting the nursery/children’s area and while here writing scripture on the floor before the carpet was laid. Our church family is literally walking on the Word and founded on the Word of God! (Thanks Mrs. Bridgette Daniel for sharing that with us and reminding me!)
2. One of our first events in front of the building, speaking with, getting to know, sharing food with and even praying with people off of the street. One man came on his way home from the local bar “honky tonk” and spoke with one of our ladies and allowed her to pray over him. He also “donated” his two cold “40 oz” beers to us – which got poured out and accidentally spilled on one of our ladies while she was pouring them out.
3. One of the best ones shared though was when I called on one of our young men and asked, “What do you remember most happening this year” and he replied, “When I got saved.” — and that wasn’t too long ago!
There are so many memories and the slide show today really put things in perspective. I only wish I could get that slide show placed on our web site so YOU could take a trip with us down memory lane and see all that God has done.
It was a great and encouraging day. God has GREATER THINGS for us in the next year. We are going to see Him do things that only He could take credit for. We stand amazed at all He has done and all that He is getting ready to do!
Pray for us and know that we are thankful to be your mission in College Hill. Time to go – I’m tired! LOL Pastor James
P.S. THANK YOU to all of the Life House family for all you did to make this day a HUGE success. The cooks, servers, and all who did ANYTHING really made the day a great day. I love you all!!