Pastor James’ Blog

    The ministry at Life House is very different from many traditional churches in our day. While there is nothing wrong with a traditional approach to church – there is also nothing wrong with meeting your culture where they are and meeting needs in a unique way.  What we are doing at Life House may or may not work in other areas.  We are simply seeking to find needs, meet them and watch where God is working and join Him in HIS WORK.  Many Christians and Churches in this day and age feel it is useless and “not our job” to go out, feed people, pick up trash, give out water, clothing, school supplies or anything else.  Some are afraid that they will be “USED” and they will be used by some people but in the midst of being used they will also reach people who are hurting, hungry, lost and dying. We’ve been blessed so many times to be able to share physical food, clothing, school supplies and more as a church family. Yes, we’ve been “USED” by some who took advantage of the church but in the midst of it all they KNOW that someone cared for them and loves them.  This ministry isn’t about us. It isn’t about making a name for Life House.  We are a very simple church. No big names, no bright lights, no big buildings but a BIG HEART for souls and the needs of people.  The new food ministry has fed several people already and this morning we saw a few of the people who came to eat come worship with us. What a blessing!     It’s our prayer that we will see some of our new friends come to know Jesus as Savior.   God has plans for Life House and He has plans for your church to “get out into the field” and reach souls.  No matter what it takes – let’s love ‘em, feed ‘em, clothe ‘em, and bring them to Jesus. (Matthew 25).   Pray for us that God would continue to lead this ministry and bless us with a huge harvest of souls in our area.     Pastor James

SIDE NOTE:  We rejoiced that we had 94 in Celebration Worship this morning.  People everywhere and this was a “regular” Sunday – no big emphasis, no special event – just God’s people gathering to worship!

One of our dreams as a new church is to be able to pay off the building we are meeting in. We are paying monthly on the note (owner finance ) and realize that as a mission in a economically challenged area that it’s a big task to pay off $140,000.00 building. BUT,  if we could pay it off then the monthly payment amount would be free to be used in other areas of the ministry to be able to reach College Hill and the world for Jesus.  We would be able to feed, clothe, buys more school supplies and meet the needs of this community in a bigger and better way with that money.  Soooo….. with that in mind…. 

 We are praying that God will raise up 1000 people who love souls, missions and want to help a new church to give $100 before Christmas 2009 to help us pay off our building. 

We realize not everyone has a “spare $100.00) but we also know that some can give 10.00 some can give 25.00, others can give 100.00 or 500.00 or more.  Our goal is simply to pay off our building so we can use the monthly payment towards reaching more people.  Our insurance company has appraised our building worth between $800,000.00 to $1,200,000.00.  So we are getting a “bargain” by buying it for $140,000.00.  WON’T YOU PRAY FOR US AND SPREAD THE WORD?  We believe God wants us to pay this building off in record time.  

For more information or to come see the building and ministry “first hand” – give me a call:   903-278-0984.  THANKS – and KEEP PRAYING for this ministry!!    Pastor James

Life House Church, P.O. Box 3006, Texarkana, AR  75504 

We are 501 3 c  approved non profit organization so all donations ARE tax deductible.

Because we are a mission church I’m always asked questions like:  “If someone wanted to help out what exactly are some things you need?” or “If a church wanted to help you guys out what could we do or what do you need?”   So….here are some answers!!

The Lord continues to open ministry doors for us as a church to be able to touch the lives of those in our community.  WE NEED…

1. Commercial Pots, Pans, Trays, Cafeteria Trays, a newer and larger microwave, cooking utensils, a free standing ice machine and a couple of more deep freezes for our new food ministry.

2. We are in need of a mission team to come help “wall up” a garage door and build a couple of free standing walls near our kitchen area for a pantry.

3. We need someone to wire and install lights to shine on the sign on the front of our building.

4. We need two a/c units for worship area, coffee shop area and foyer. 

5. We need  a tree cut down on our lot – free wood for whoever does it! (LOL)

6. We need the money to repair a nice electric piano that a church donated to us.

7. We need an awning/drive under built over the side door of the building.

8. We need a portable baptistery.

9. We need a larger sound board (mixer?) for our worship area.

10.  BIGGIE: (But God is MORE THAN ABLE!)  We need you to pray that God would provide a way for us to pay off our building so as to free up the monthly payment to be used to minister even more ways to this community.

WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE…

1. NIV Bibles

2. Chairs for the worship center

3.  Nursery Items  

4.  A good used golf cart to enable us to slowly go through the target neighborhoods that surround our building, so we can travel openly, slowly, and stop – speak to people, share Jesus with them, give them pamphlets and more….

      In the short time this mission has been in existence, God has proven Himself faithful time and time again. We believe that He has the things we need and will provide them when He wants us to have them.  If you feel God touching you or your church to help us out please let me know!  Contact me at: 903-278-0984 or jross@life-house.us   THANKS for praying for us and bring a group from your church to visit us on Sunday or during the week so that you might see your mission dollars at work!  AGAIN, PRAY FOR US!  Pastor James

to come to the Rock Creek Baptist Church Revival  in Maud, Texas this next week. The revival is from Monday to Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. each night.  Pastor Steve Minter and the members of Rock Creek would love to have you join us for the revival meeting. I am preaching the revival and the Life House Praise Team and Band will be taking care of the music for the three nights.  Make plans to join us.  If you would like to ride Life House Van then show up at life house by 6:00 p.m. and you can ride the van.   Can’t wait to see what all God is going to do at Rock Creek this week!  Pray for us and if you get the chance come see us.   Pastor James

…our house will be flooded with guests!   It looks like 10 – 15 people will be coming to our home to spend the night so that they will be able to be “up and ready” to hit the road at 4:00 a.m. Friday morning for the mission trip. It’s gonna be a wild night!!  We’ve not promised beds for everyone but we have said – come if you want, grab a couch, love seat, chair, floor space or whatever.  All are welcome – you just can’t have MY bed LOL!  Hey – I gotta help out with the driving and I NEED my beauty sleep!  LOL    Anyways it looks like most of the teens and some adults are coming to our house late this evening and hopefully at a decent hour we will be able to “hit the hay” and get a little rest. We are gonna need it!!  Better go for now – much to do before “COMPANY” gets here LOL — Pray for us and i’ll keep you posted along the “mission trail highway”.    Pastor James

We are already getting geared up to make the most of this summer at Life House.  We held a Prayer Walk yesterday and covered the perimeters of College Hill.  We had the blessing of meeting people, praying for people and inviting them to come to Life House for worship. 

We begin 7th – 12th Grade Day Camp tomorrow morning. It will be held Monday – Friday and we are hoping for a good week of teaching, ministry and fun. If you know any 7th – 12th grade students who might enjoy coming – invite them. Also, if you are an adult and wanna come join us – come on! 

 We have several events planned for this summer and believe God is going to use them to help us reach souls for Him. More on those later!!

The services today were a blessing too.  Although we had a few of our regulars out on vacation and etc. we were blessed to see six new faces in our service.  All of them seemed to enjoy the service and it’s our prayer that they will come worship with us again.  God is putting together a dedicated, evangelistic group of people that have the same heart and desire: to reach souls no matter what color, age or economic status.  The faithful members of Life House have the same love and share a desire to reach out.  Sure we have a few members (like all churches) that started out with a big bang and have now fallen by the wayside. I thank God for those members who don’t just talk a good talk but who are faithful and dedicated.  As a pastor it’s awesome to have people you can count on.  Anyone can talk but it takes dedication and commitment to put words into action. At Life House you MUST have a servants heart if you are going to be able to help us accomplish the task we’ve been called to do.

I’ve been asked:  What are your present needs?  Answer:

1.  Pray for the present members of Life House. Pray that they will ALL be faithful, dedicated and have a servants heart.

2. Pray that God will send us 10 (couples or singles doesn’t matter – just a total of at least 10) solid, grounded, faithful workers to join with us to reach souls.

3. Pray that God would open the door for a solid, grounded, doctrinally sound, black pastor to join the staff as one of the associate pastors.  Also, for a black youth pastor who would serve with a white youth pastor as co- youth pastor’s.   We also are praying for a black man/woman to join us as co-worship leader.  Pray for God’s leadership and direction in these matters.

4. Pray for souls to be saved, lives to be changed, homes to be mended, marriages restored, addictions broken and much more in our area. 

5. Pray for wisdom for me as pastor as I try to lead this great church. It’s a great responsibility to be called to lead a new church and help it get established. I want us to be all that God desires for us to be as a church. 

God has been sooo good to Life House and I can’t praise Him enough for all He’s done. Pray for us – come see us and most of all – keep on loving and serving Jesus ’till He comes!     Pastor James

One of my friends posted on their facebook status the following verse: 

 ”Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:14-15

   Do you ever find yourself looking on life in the “half empty” mindset?  The negative will always bring you down.  I’m not suggesting we not be honest or realistic with ourselves but the truth is that our perspective can make or break us in many areas of our lives.  It’s a sin to complain all of the time. It’s not healthy, productive or beneficial.  Negativity only breeds negativity in others around us and the situations we find ourselves in.  WE ARE BLESSED and many times are so negative we don’t even SEE the blessings.   I know for sure I’m blessed and sometimes let people, attitudes, mouths and etc. get me down when there is really no use in me even paying attention to the negative.  I love what one of my friends says from time to time:     I AM TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED OR DEPRESSED!!!  

Today – make it a point to THINK ON GOOD THINGS and EXPECT to see God’s hand in your life. Expect God to show up and reveal His love to you.  YOU ARE BLESSED!  Get up, smile and walk with a spring in your step – you are BLESSED!!  No more complaining – no more whining – no more depression!   It’s time to get up and LIVE for HIM!  Hope you have a BLESSED DAY!!!  Just some rambling thoughts from a crazy preacher!!    Pastor James

   The Lord laid it on my heart to preach this morning about our need to bear fruit for Him.  The sad thing is that many Christians sit on the sidelines of life and show little fruit. They are all “talk” and no “do”.   There are those who are in church every week and “profess” to be saved but have NO FRUIT at all. No fruit = no salvation.  As a mission church it’s our goal to reach the community and see souls saved. After they are saved it’s our job to help them grow and mature to the point that they begin to bear “much fruit”.   It really burdens a pastor’s heart to see/hear people “talk a good talk” and then never follow through with their commitments.  One consolation is that it’s in every church you’ve ever been a part of (doesn’t make it right or scriptural but every church has people like that).  When Cindy and I attended Church Planter training in Oklahoma in 2008 one of the team leaders made the statement that “50% of the people you start a mission with will not be there at the end of the first year.”  and that is so sad but so true. Many “start out with a bang” but they fall by the wayside.  We are so blessed at Life House to have a great group of committed believers who have a passion and zeal to reach our community and Texarkana with the gospel. It is sad though that some who started with us are no longer active and have allowed every excuse in the world to keep them from being faithful, serving or committed.   God has put together a great group of people to be the “core group” of believers at Life House…..but I am praying for five couples or a total of 10 people to be brought to Life House in the coming year (established, dedicated, grounded people) to help us teach new believers and grow this great work.  We are growing and seeing more and more every month but we need some good, solid, sold out believers who will come and help us in this new mission.  We are praying and God is already working on some hearts and soon we will see those coming to join us and help.  Pray for us as we seek to “bear much fruit” in the days and months ahead at Life House.    Just some thoughts for you to ponder and pray about….

On a side note … Our 7th – 12th Grade Day Camp is coming up. Pray for the youth that will be present and pray that we can teach them and make a difference in their hearts and lives. Many good things are ahead and i’ll keep you  posted.  Praise God for all He is doing at Life House!!                                                       Pastor James

   Sometimes we get the question: “Are you guys Baptist?” and our standard answer is “YES, YES, YES – we are Southern Baptists and proud of it!”.   Life House started over a year ago as a mission plant of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.  We are supported by them as well as the North American Mission Board, Southwest Arkansas Baptist State Convention, our sponsor church – Shiloh Baptist Church, Texarkana, AR and several other churches that contribute monthly to help and bless the mission work in Texarkana and College Hill.  The Lord has blessed this work in the past year and God has used our State Convention as well as all of our supporting partners to get this work off the ground. Twenty four souls were saved the first year – and there are many more out there who need the Lord. Keep praying for us and do come see us sometime — see for yourself – we REALLY ARE BAPTIST!    Pastor James

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