Hello Friends,

On behalf of all our WSFC staff, key leaders, elders and council, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas to you and yours. We are so blessed. The words captured on the wall of our lobby say it so well:

“We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are one happy people.”
Psalm 126:2

Denise and I are so happy to serve as your Lead Pastors. We are simply following the model of our Senior Pastor Jesus Christ. He is the one that came as the Ultimate Servant. The Incarnation (God with us) is affirmed in Philippians 2 when it says:

“Christ Jesus…Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In coming to earth in human likeness, Jesus displayed how WIDE, LONG, HIGH and DEEP is his love for us. Join us this Christmas as we celebrate the vast dimensions of his LOVE. Our celebration services are Friday, December 23 at 6:00 & 7:30 PM and Saturday, December 24 at 4:30 & 6:00 PM. All are invited and welcomed!

Blessings,

Pastors John & Denise

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Hello Friends,

Hello Friends,

Ah…

The Red Cup.

You know what Red Cup I’m talking about, don’t you?

Not the Red Solo Cup that you find at parties, ala Toby Keith.

Instead, I’m referring to the Red Cup at Starbucks. Many folks have come to believe IT is the official beginning of the Christmas season.

More than Christmas music, frosty sidewalks, Black Friday sales, or precariously hanging lights from the eves. I’m here to declare that the new official start to Christmas has become the Red Cup….or so I’ve been told (don’t shoot the messenger).

And if that is indeed true then we’ve placed a lot of symbolic weight upon a circular piece of graphically enhanced cardboard with a plastic lid and overpriced java within. Don’t get me wrong:  I’m a fan. I’ve dropped quite a bit of cash for that designer caffeine fix. The baristas know me by name and often have my drink ready when I walk in. I have a Starbucks Gold Card for crying out loud.

So, I too have waited with bated breath for the Red Cup to usher in the days of Christmas.

But hopefully Christmas doesn’t begin and end with a Red Cup. Hopefully there is more to this season than that. More than a cup. More than lights. More than gifts. More than shopping. More than church services. More than family meals. More than white elephant exchanges, office parties, fruitcake and figgy pudding (what IS that stuff anyway?!?).

Hopefully JESUS is in the mix.

He is the whole point of Christmas. Everything else is…well…a Red Cup.  The point is, plain and simple: JESUS.

Be excited about JESUS. Anticipate JESUS. Talk about JESUS. Put down the Red Cup and LIFT UP JESUS!!

Blessings,

Pastors John & Denise

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Christmas is crazy. I’m not necessarily referring to the hustle and bustle of the season. Not to mention the overspending. Who can understand the frenzy at Wal-Mart to get a cruddy DVD player? Why all the hype? Does the holiday music really have to start filling the stores around the end of October?

The first and foremost one is that God would become a baby. Please don’t miss the magnitude of this:

God and Baby.
Big and Little.
Powerful and Weak.

Go figure. How is it possible to have the fullness of the Godhead reduced down into an 8 pound 10 ounce bundle of energy? It’s similar to the task of putting a nuclear power plant into a thimble! In the end we are grasping the ungraspable and that might be just how God wants it. In Ephesians 3:19 the reader can find two tension-filled concepts that emphasize the absurdity of the Gospel. In Paul’s prayer he asks “that Christ might dwell in our hearts and that we might be able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” This prayer seems simple enough. It’s the desire of earnest, growing believers to have Jesus be at home within our hearts. And we most certainly want to have the love of Christ flowing in and through us.

But then it gets weird. Paul goes postal and the Bible gets bizarre. It’s says, catch this: “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

How does one know what can’t be known? The love of God surpasses knowledge according to this passage. So how can we know it then? It’s like roping the wind or catching a sunbeam or defying gravity. Doesn’t this sound absurd? But wait, there’s more…

Try comprehending how we as humans can be filled with all the fullness of God. Finite simply cannot contain the infinite. Right? That goes back to the whole nuclear power plant/thimble scenario! I can understand how we could have a part or portion of God fill us up. In Exodus 33, Moses was allowed to see only God’s back side because if he saw the magnitude of God’s being then he would not live. The fullness of God’s presence is simply more than we can handle. And yet Paul has the audacity to pray for us to be filled with the full measure of God! Can we really handle it?

I’m convinced that God thrives on this craziness. He loves the tension and the absurdity because it fuels the mystery and feeds our faith (or lack thereof). Just when we think we’ve got God all figured out we unwrap another layer of his complexity. That’s what makes Christmas so ‘wonder full’ – the knowing what can’t be known – the being filled with someone so much bigger than ourselves.

This is grasping the ungraspable and that might be just how God wants it to be.

Join us at our services over the next few weekends and at one of our Special Christmas Services on Friday, Dec 23 at 6:00 & 7:30pm and Saturday, Dec 24 at 4:30 & 6:00pm as we try to grasp the ungraspable LOVE OF GOD together!

Merry Christmas you and yours.

Blessings,

Pastors John & Denise

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May I recommend a few basic things for your Thanksgiving Day? It’s a day for the most basic things. The basics are always best.

Thanksgiving Day may be the best of all our holidays. There is no confusion about the purpose of this wonderful, uniquely American day. It’s all about a few basic things, shared by family, friends, and guests.

Here’s the basic picture: Our family’s good china and silverware, passed down two or three generations. Turkey with stuffing. Mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, butter, salt and pepper. Sweet potatoes with marshmallow and molasses sauce. Green beans. Cranberry sauce slid whole from the can onto a small garnish dish to be sliced and served on the table. Golden brown crescent rolls by the dozens. Three kinds of olives. Two kinds of pickles. A variety of six or seven cut vegetables on a sectioned relish platter. And of course, pumpkin pie with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Sparkling cider in crystal stemware during dinner and coffee after. Turkey sandwiches later on in the evening. It’s a wonderful life…

Add to this scene one more basic thing, not just for this one day of course. Nurture this one basic thing, whether or not you gather with family, or have the big overflowing feast. Add this one basic thing to your lifestyle and your character…

A heart of thankfulness.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6 – 7

“Give thanks for all things, for this is the will of God concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

A heart of thankfulness will settle your focus. If you set your heart to be thankful, putting sarcasm and harsh opinion aside, then you’ll more easily focus on the Lord Jesus and give Him thanks.

A heart of thankfulness will settle your differences. If you set your heart to be thankful, putting your family and relationships up to the Lord Jesus in prayer, then you’ll more easily love and serve those with whom you’ve had differences up to now.

And, well… basically, a heart of thankfulness will settle your dinner. If you set your heart to be thankful, then you’ll rest when you would have been worrying and your Thanksgiving dinner will just sit better.

The basics are always best. Stick to the basics. Seek to grow in a heart of thankfulness.

Blessings to you and your family, especially that you would have a thankful heart.

Pastor Rich and Sandy Marshall

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Over the last few months I have been tripping through the Book of Acts with the goal of spotlighting a man named Barnabas. It’s natural to think of Paul or Peter in association with the Acts of the Apostles because they’re larger than life and left a huge fingerprint upon the New Testament. But I like to draw attention to an Underdog: Barnabas. He often gets overlooked and/or minimized, but his investment is so impacting. I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: “Without Barnabas, we would not have a Paul.”

Barnabas worked behind the scenes.
Barnabas took a backseat.
Barnabas deferred attention to others.
Barnabas served diligently without applause.

Barnabas is representative of our West Salem Foursquare SERVANTS. We have a wonderful group of people that serve the Kingdom of God wholeheartedly and selflessly. These are the folks that give, pray, build, teach, smile, cook, clean, sing, play, reach, wave and worship with their passions and gifts.

I LOVE our SERVANTS.

Too often a local church is only known by its facility, senior pastor, worship leader, or a particular program or event. These are important and should not be negated; however, I want our church community to be known not for the few, but for the many – those that lay themselves down in big and small ways each and every day.

I see a couple of characteristics of Barnabas in Acts 15 that apply so well to our WSFC Servants:

1. First to Arrive

In chapter 15 we read about a situation in which newly converted Gentiles in Antioch were being required by the religious leaders to perform certain customs, or else put their salvation into jeopardy. This was certainly NOT the heart of the Lord, and Paul and Barnabas were the first to confront it. They were appointed to go to Jerusalem to meet with the council in order to sort the matter out. After an agreement was reached by Peter and others on the council, Barnabas and Paul were then the first to be sent back to Antioch with the verdict.

I love the initiative of these two. They didn’t wait around for “someone else” to do something. Waiting to see if someone else will do it is an easy posture to take in today’s overcommitted culture. Someone else will clean up that mess. Someone else will reach out to the “urban campers.” Someone else will pray for that single mom. Someone else will hold a baby or play with a preschooler. The problem with a “someone else” mentality is that it is alway deferring personal responsibility.

Servants reject a “someone else” mentality. They are the first to arrive, first to say yes (with reasonable balance, of course) and the first to jump in; lending a hand.

They are also the:

2. Last to Leave

After Paul and Barnabas delivered the letter from the Jerusalem Council, and their work was technically done, they “remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord…(vs. 35).” It’s this kind of commitment to the Kingdom that sets them apart. The were the “last to leave.”

Denise and I have always been “last to leave” people. It’s a mentality that we’ve held for as long as we can remember.

I blame it on Pastor Tom.

Tom was my youth pastor growing up in Osceola, Wisconsin. I loved being mentored by him and found any opportunity I could for us to hang out. That often meant staying at the church until he left, and he was always the “last to leave.” Together we would put away chairs, take down posters, wrap up microphone cables, and throw away wrappers and pop cans. During these “last to leave” moments I was unknowingly being discipled into Kingdom ways and means.

First to arrive. Last to leave. Servants with a Barnabas Spirit.

That’s why I LOVE our SERVANTS.

Blessings,

John

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Today I am sitting at a local coffee shop and around me are a number of pastors and leaders “doing their work” (as well as sipping their favorite coffee drinks).

The phrase “doing their work” is an interesting one. The questions I hear from folks (sometimes jokingly) are:

“What does a pastor do?”
“Do they only work a couple of hours on the weekend?”

I giggle when I hear these questions, not only due to the sheer volume of hours I work each week, but also because the pastoral office indeed operates with a level of mystery as it deals with matters of the heart and soul.

“Doing their work” could very well mean a number of things to a number of people. For some, it’s pastoral counseling with a parishioner or preparation for a sermon. For others it could be thoughtful mediation or reflective study. For me today, my “work” involves reading my Bible, writing, brainstorming for upcoming teachings, and vision-casting for our leadership team (not to mention all the nods and greetings to folks from around our fair city)!

I think often about my pastoral role. I am consistently musing on what “doing my work” means. I write whitepapers and blog about it often, but much of what I write is rarely shared with our congregation. Pastoring can be like making sausage. We like sausage but not everyone wants to see how it’s made!

However, based upon my reading of Acts 14:19-23 (and it’s focus upon Barnabas), I want to expound a bit upon the “Ministry of the Minister.”

Over the last few months I have been spotlighting the New Testament character of Barnabas. He is an underdog. He is lesser known than his buddy Paul, which is why I like him so much. I am focusing upon Barnabas for this week’s study of the “Ministry of the Minister.”

Acts 14:19-23 (ESV) But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Go back and reread the passage and notice the bolded phrases. These phrases constitute a very clear, and progressive mission of pastoral leadership: the ministry of the minister.

1. Preach the Gospel

2. Make many disciples

3. Strengthen the souls of the disciples

4. Encourage disciples to continue in the faith

5. Prayerfully appoint leadership

Undoubtedly, pastors do so much more than these five things…I know I do! Sadly, I often liken myself to a cruise director, like Julie McCoy on The Love Boat, running around trying to keep everybody happy and smiling. But the problem with the ‘cruise director’ concept is that it turns The Church into a pleasure craft complete with every creature comfort; a spiritual smorgasbord or hedonistic hideaway of sorts.

That, however, is NOT the purpose of The Church.

Instead, we are to be a lifeboat or a battleship. We have a huge and honorable mission. The pastoral calling is to serve The Church in this clear and compelling mission:

• To preach the Gospel: The Apostle Paul told the church in Galatia that he was “entrusted with the Gospel” (Gal. 2:7) and then to the church in Corinth, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). Pastoral leaders must preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again. That is our mandate.

• Make many disciples: The result of the preaching of the Gospel is not just that people would have heard, but that they would believe and obey. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 is that we would “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…teaching them to observe all that I [Jesus] have commanded you.” Our clear and compelling mission at West Salem Foursquare is aligned to the Great Commission: Making More and Maturing Disciples.

• Strengthen the souls of the disciples: I have a wonderful friend and spiritual mentor that would often ask me: “How is it with your soul?” This is a good question that gets right to the heart of the matter: our souls. Pastoral leaders concern themselves with the soul and seek to see it strengthened in the Lord.

• Encourage disciples to continue in the faith: Life is hard. God is good. The task of pastoral leadership is to connect the two: Life and God. We serve as a Barnabas, whose name means ‘Son of Encouragement’, to disciples that are sojourning together in Christ. The ministry of the minister is to encourage (which means to put courage into) believers to continue in the faith. In other words: don’t give up. Finish well!

• Prayerfully appoint leadership: Paul and Barnabas were going from city to city appointing elders in the churches. The word elder is interchangeable with overseer, bishop and pastor. With prayer and fasting, they would recognize and release key people to lead and govern the ministry of the local church. This is the role of modern day pastors as well. We still are to recognize and release people into leadership ministry. Ephesians 4:12,13 tells us that we are to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

There it is again. Our clear and compelling mission: Making More and Maturing Disciples.

Blessings,

Pastor John

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Recently I co-lead a group of students and pastors on a tour of the Footsteps of Paul in Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Patmos, Crete and Rome. It was an amazing time with much to learn and see. It’s powerful to walk in the places which the New Testament Scriptures were originated and to visit the cities in which the Apostle Paul planted churches and established the work of the Lord.

Simply put: The Bible comes alive.

But there is also a sad element to it as well. Everywhere you look there are statues, auditoriums, idols and places of worship established for Greek gods and goddesses. Zeus, Apollos, and Dionysus, to name a few. The City of Ephesus, for example, was dedicated to the worship of the goddess of fertility, Artemis.

Here is what I concluded: People crave something to worship.

We see this happening in Acts 14:8-15. This portion of Scripture is the next in a series of texts that spotlights Barnabas. Barnabas was a linchpin. He was a catalyst. I have been devoting a handful of these email devotionals to Barnabas – a guy that is peppered throughout the Book of Acts, and had a considerable impact on the trajectory of the church.

Take a moment to read Acts 14:8-15.  Do you see what happens?  Paul and Barnabas were involved in the healing of a man that was crippled since birth. Undoubtedly, the Lord is the Healer, but he used two willing vessels to extend that healing to the hurting. When the crowds witnessed the healing they shouted: “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” They gave Barnabas the name Zeus. Paul they called Hermes. Temple priests we’re poised to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.  It was getting pretty crazy.

How did they get to this point?

Well…the answer is that people crave something to worship.

As you walk the Footsteps of Paul you’ll note something interesting. The worship of Greek gods and goddesses is obviously not as pervasive as it once was but now you see in their place other statues, religious icons, of folks such as Peter, Paul and Mary (sorry, I had to do it). One focal point of worship has been replaced with another. Visit Rome and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Bottom line: People crave something to worship.

Denise and I watched a powerful movie yesterday. It’s called “The Way” starring Martin Sheen. It’s about pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. It was a deeply impacting film with a number of spiritual implications. It had us pondering and talking long after leaving the theater. Our common synopsis was that people are longing to worship…something…anything.  Unfortunately, folks all too often miss the mark. They worship wrongly. They venerate people and things. They elevate human accomplishment and honor good deeds. They seek out experiential and relational connection and call it spiritual.

To combat this, Paul and Barnabas ran into the crowd and tore their garments, and in essence said: “Why are you doing this? Don’t worship us! Worship the Living God!”

What I observe about Paul and Barnabas is that they were good “Deflectors of Glory.” Rather than receiving honor (as wonderful as that would be) they deflected it to the one who made the heavens and the earth. That’s where our worship should be directed.

Question:  Are you a good deflector of glory? Do you point people to Jesus?

People all over the world are craving something to worship.  There is a God-shaped hole in everyone’s heart. Will you point people to the ONLY ONE that can properly fill that void?

Blessings!

John
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How are you? Good? Bad? Ugly?

Feel free to shout it out right now. I’m listening…

Go ahead. Yell it out…

…I can’t hear you. You gotta speak up…

:)

This week in my “Hello Friends” I want to write about “Speaking Up” from the perspective of Barnabas. For a number of weeks we have been spotlighting an aspect of the life of Barnabas (one of my favorite characters in the Bible). This week’s focus is upon Acts 14.

Acts 14:1-3 “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke in such a way that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”

Paul and Barnabas spoke “in such a way” that people believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t you want to speak in such a way? The remainder of this passage gives us some clues as to the way they spoke.

1.  With Strength.

The Scripture tells us that they spoke boldly for the Lord. There was a weight to their words. The last sentence in the Book of Acts tells us that Paul finished his life in a Roman prison “proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”  And a number of New Testament passages refer to Jesus as someone who spoke with authority (Matthew 7:29; Mark 1:22, 27; Luke 4:32, 36).

Barnabas. Paul. Jesus. Three examples of people that spoke with strength. I want to be on this list. Don’t you?

2. With Signs

Not only was the word spoken boldly but it was accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders of the Lord. Now that’s a one/two punch!

Not only is Missouri the Show-Me State. I think people all over the world want to see the Gospel in action and not just hear it spoken. So many Christians would do well to not only speak about the Lord, but to accompany those words with Spirit-infused signs and wonders. Imagine non-believers hearing AND seeing the grace of God in action.

The Great Commission in Mark 16:20 says “they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” Another one/two punch.

This reminds me of Ephesians 4:15 that challenges us to “speak the truth in love.” Words (truth) are to be paired up with actions (love). Again, another great one/two punch.

Strength.
Signs.
Truth.
Love.

Let’s speak up…in such a way…that a great number of people will believe! Amen? Amen.

Hello Friends,