Pastor James’ Blog

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

Usually when long holiday weekends roll around church attendance takes a big hit but in spite of the holiday and several of our regulars having to be away we still had 59 in attendance. God is blessing the mission work at Life House and for that we are thankful.  We had a couple of new faces in our service this morning and it was refreshing to see them with us.  The Life Group Studies for the next few weeks will center on prayer. God desires the church to be a “house of prayer”.  One of the foundational lessons that we at the mission must learn is to be people of prayer. This Wednesday night during Life Group we will be learning what it means to get down to the business of prayer. If you get a chance join us this Wednesday night for Life Group at 6:30 p.m. .   Hope you all have a great “rest of the holiday” !!  Pastor James

   Just a quick note to wish all of our friends and “readers” a happy Labor Day weekend.  Hope you are in church somewhere tomorrow and hope you have a great time enjoying your family, friends and all of the blessings we enjoy as americans.  Take care and come see us at Life House this weekend if you get the chance!  Pastor James

It’s hard to believe but our FIRST Vacation Bible School as a church will be over after tonight. It’s been a great week. We’ve seen some headway and progress as far as reaching into the hearts of many in our new community. Many seeds of salvation have been planted and we are trusting God that they will come up in the days, months and years to come. Pray for this community – that they might have LIFE (salvation) and have LIFE to the FULL!

  Following VBS tonight we will clean up the building and begin the preperation of getting it ready for open house. The building won’t be totally ready but I have a feeling with this type ministry our building will always be a “work in progress”.  We will do our best to have the building presentable for anyone who comes by for open house tomorrow night (between 6:00 & 8:00 p.m.). 

We are excited that THIS COMING SUNDAY we will have regular services in the AM (9:45 a.m. – Prayer Time, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Life House Coffee Shop Fellowship Time, 10:30 a.m. Celebration Worship Service) and following our morning worship service we will have a BIG church wide potluck lunch. Following the Lunch – YOU ARE invited to come join us for a short,  afternoon service at 1:30 to DEDICATE and LAUNCH this new ministry. We will officially LAUNCH and SET SAIL to reach souls, teach the Word and grow a strong New Testament, simple, church in College Hill.  If you can’t come to any of these events – PRAY FOR US!

Lastly – THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all who have worked long and hard hours this week to make VBS and get the building funtional.  Thanks to the Life House Church Family who worked hard and to our brothers and sisters from our sister churches that gave up time and effort to be with us and help. We could have never done it without you!  THANKS!!!  We love you for all you’ve done for Jesus and for us too!

Well, time to head out – gotta get busy ’cause VBS will be here in no time!!     Pastor James

Well, the first night of our very first Vacation Bible School has come and gone!  It was a great night. I think we had 46.  We really are blessed to have had several from our sister churches assist us in so many ways to make the first night a success.  We are in the “seed planting” mode and God is going to use every seed planted to come forth with good things in the future. It was a joy to see children all over the building. Smiles, laughter, songs, Bible stories and crafts – what a night!  I can’t wait till tomorrow night! Keep praying that we can plant salvation seeds in the minds and hearts of all the children who attend. Pray that some will be saved!  Thanks again to all who read these blogs and take prayer seriously!  See you again soon — Pastor James

After we felt God lead us to begin the new work at Life House God blessed and allowed Cindy and I to be approved as North American Mission Board Missionaries.  We have always pastored “established” churches. Our first church just celebrated their 129th anniversary and our last church was in it’s 30′s. Being a part of a new work and serving as a missionary is new territory for us yet exciting territory. We’ve been blessed in this short time of serving to find many people and churches in the body of Christ who have a “kingdom mind”. They have the mind that kingdom work isn’t about just their local body but reaching souls world wide. Someone summed it up at a recent church visit when they said, “I’m excited that we can go on a missions trip to reach souls in another country, another state or even a few miles from home in Texarkana.”

We have been blessed by churches already both personally and as a mission.  One VBS from a church in Arkansas sent me a “get well” card signed by every child in VBS from the Kindergarten to 6th grade. What a blessing! To think the church thought of us and prayed for us during VBS. This church also gave their missions offering to Life House Church to help the mission. THANK YOU! AMEN!!

We’ve seen churches give time, energy and money to help us…and we are humbled and blessed that they would travel, take time and give their hard earned money to get this work off the ground. We’ve seen several churches in both of our local associations, state of arkansas and even some churches that aren’t even Southern Baptist give to help a mission work to become a new, strong church.  Thank God for churches that have “kingdom minds”.

I”m proud to be a Baptist, even a Southern Baptist. Baptists by and large are people with a heart for souls. Yes, there are some churches who are more concerned with their programs, policies and politics – but that’s all over the world. Thank God for those who don’t just write a check but actually put their heart into missions and get their hands dirty for the kingdom.  It’s our joy to labour with kingdom minded people and churches. Pray for us and come see us at Life House.  Pastor James

Yesterday Cindy and I had a full day of church activities. I had the blessing of preaching the homecoming message at the first church I pastored (over 20 years ago).  It was great to see so many of the faces we knew and loved while were were there. Some who were children during our time there are now adults with children of their own. It was so great to sit and listen and join in as they sang the old four part harmony gospel songs that were so popular duing the “singing school” days. This is a singing church! It was great to watch as people of all ages (yes even teenagers and some in their 20′s) stood up and “led a song” from one of the three hymnals that this church uses. Several piano players are always used during the song service (whoever the person leading the song at the moment asks to play) and they all can make the piano sing. No matter what “style” christian music you prefer you would have to admire and admit that the singing at this church is heart warming and beautiful.  From solo’s to quartets they blessed the Lord and sang with all their hearts.  It was good to go back again, see hear and taste (yes they have heavenly food too! Great cooks!!) their home cooking. I’m sure that this is what one corner of heaven is going to be – all day singing and dinner on the grounds.  It’s a dying art form but one that we really enjoyed experiencing again yesterday!

The morning was also a little sad for us.  This was the first time we can remember going to homecoming at Bodcaw #1 that Cindy’s mom was unable to be with us. Bodcaw  was here “home town” and Bodcaw #1 was her home church.  How she loved those homecomings!  She loved the singing as much as anyone around.  To hear her sing with all of her heart, those old time four part harmony songs was a joy and one that we will cherish forever.  Thankfully  Cindy’s dad was able to be there and give the morning devotional. Seemed like old times!  Many of the faces that sat in the pews while I was pastor there have gone home. I couldn’t begin to name the names for fear of missing one. Each one of those people have a part in our hearts and having shaped our lives for the better. Precious memories.  Soon though – because of Jesus we will be with them again and enjoy a homecoming like none of us have ever experienced here. AMEN!!!!!!

Last night we had the blessing of preaching at First Baptist Church of Lewisville. This great missions minded, loving church is always a blessing to be with. They have such big hearts. They are one of our partner churches for Life House Ministries.  It was great to have several from Life House Church drive up to be with us and many of them shared their hearts during the service. It was a great night! Pray for this great church as God is working in their hearts to possibly step out on faith to begin a ministry in their part of the world that could impact their church and their community in big ways.  God is working if only you and I will get out of the way and let Him!

I appreciate the members of Life House taking care of the services while I was away. It’s great to see many stepping up and showing more and more leadership abilities.  Pray for our church family and if you get a chance – come worship with us one Sunday to experience Life House with us!

Pastor James

  This morning Cindy and I will be with Bodcaw #1 Baptist Church in Bodcaw, Arkansas to preach at their annual homecoming. This church was our first church to ever pastor and they are precious to us in many many ways. We look forward to being with them, renewing old aquaintences and hearing their great singing. They still “do” the four part harmony, everybody sing a part – kinda singing. Then after the service there will be “dinner on the grounds” or as in our day -”dinner on the table in fellowship hall”. These people can cook! They helped make me what I was for five years! LOL   Then tonight Cindy and I will be with the First Baptist Church in Lewisville, (Pastor Bobby Daniel will be away headed to camp).  We’ve invited any and all of our church family from Life House to meet us there at 6 p.m. to share with this church in their services. If anyone from Life House is able to come I am going to give them the opportunity to share their hearts for a few moments about the mission work, their vision and what God is doing in their lives. Pray for us throughout the day but most of all pray for the Life House Core Group who will be here having services today. Ray Williford will be preaching, Josh Ross will lead the music and I know it’s going to be a great time of fellowship and worship at Life House.  I pray that the afternoon report from Life House says “WE BROKE ANOTHER ATTENDANCE RECORD!”.  Continue to pray as God leads and deals with people’s heart about becoming a member of this body.  We are not pushing church membership. We are centering on knowing that you are saved and if you are saved then growing into a daily walk with the Lord. We want people to have RELATIONSHIP and not RELIGION.  It’s my prayer that we always have more in attendance than we have on the “church roll”.  Those who are a part of the church need to be committed, faithful, serving. 

This week in Life Group we will be doing a Core Group Spiritual Check-Up. Our church family will sit in the presence of the Lord, study His Word and search their hearts to see if they are truly committed to this new work.  We MUST have a committed group if this church is to be solid and be the light and life house God intends it to be! 

Lastly – there is MUCH work to be done next week. Walls to be erected, painted, finished. Bathroom to get finished. Exterior siding and walls to be erected and much more if we are to have any chance of having our building ready for OPEN HOUSE on August 9 and Launch Sunday – August 10. 

Pray for us and get your work boots on – it’s going to be a great week for the Lord.  Pastor James

   Tonight was our second Outdoor Bible Bash and it was great!  We had plenty of volunteers and lots of kids, food and fun!  Thanks to all who were able to come work, those who donated food, those who set up, those who tore down and cleaned up – THANK YOU!  Together we were able to reach into several NEW homes and several repeat homes in the College Hill area. It was great to see some adults from the area come by – many that said they didn’t attend church anywhere.  We were thanked by several people who said they appreciated us trying to make a difference in the area.  Some have promised to visit our church others already attend other places. No matter what happens we as a church family can lay our heads on our pillows tonight and know that we tried to make a difference in several children’s lives.  We are called to go forth sowing precious seed and God is responsible for the increase. I pray that sometime in the future we might see souls saved because of the love someone showed the community. I’m tired but it’s a good kind of tired.  Thanks also to our sponsor church, Shiloh and their youth group for showing up and playing a major role in the events of tonight. You guys are a blessing!  Thanks again….see you online again soon!

Pastor James

Last night was our first 7th – 12th Grade Game Night in the Life House gym and we weren’t really sure what to expect. We had prayed, planned and worked to get things ready and little by little we saw 20+ youth show up. All of the youth were from our target area – some were already churched and some unchurched. Looking out over the gym watching kids play basketball, pool and pingpong – watching as some “hung out” around the picnic tables for fellowship, watching them eat and drink, laugh and share – really made the night a blessing. Getting to know many of these youth was a joy!  We were able to “spread some seeds” and meet them, talk to them, gain some confidence and comfortableness with them and the Life House Church Family believes that those seeds are going to spring up in the near future. Thanks to all the Life House Church Family that were able to come and work this event – It was a success!  I’m sure that the next time we have such an event we will see twice the number of youth because many of the ones who came last night said they thought that the building had closed and that a church had taken over and there wouldn’t be anymore game nights — YES AN NO! Yes, there is a new church on the hill – LIFE HOUSE!  NO, it’s not correct that there won’t be any more game nights. God has given us this facility to USE for His glory to touch people and seek to reach them for the Kingdom. YES, we are are “business” and our business is to do the work that Jesus did…mix with people, love people, accept people and bring them to the cross! 

Now to work and then tonight we will have our second, Outdoor Bible Bash. Pray!! See you here soon.  Pastor James