Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Organization Sunday!

A quick reminder...Reconciliation Church's organizational (charter) service is this Sunday May 4th. Make plans now to join and celebrate with us, what God is doing in the heart of Willard.

Book Spotlight: "David"

One of the most enjoyable books that I've read since becoming a believer is Chuck Swindoll's David. The shepherd-king was Swindoll's first subject in his Great Lives from God's Word series. Subsequent figures whom Swindoll has chronicled include Moses, Job, and Paul. Maybe it was the book or the season of life in which I read the book, but David was a source of inspiration and comfort when I first read it in 1997. Swindoll uses the Old Testament narrative to trace David's life, from tending his father's flock to standing toe to toe with a giant, to the death of his son after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. I cannot recommend David enough to you. It will make you laugh and cry while you see a little of yourself in this good but flawed man.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sunday laugh...


Ummm........huh?

God's invitation

Pastor Joel Santti: Isaiah 55

verse 6: "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near"

-this verse implies urgency.

-Jesus is returning soon (see John 14:3)

-key phrase: "while he may be found"

-David's words in Psalm 27:8 - "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. "

-God has been seeking man since the beginning (see Gen. 3:9).

-God's promise in Jeremiah 29:13 - "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

-God's word through Amos: "For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live" (Amos 5:4).

-God doesn't abandon them which seek Him (see Psalm 9:10).

-There is security in seeking the Lord. Peter says believers are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation..."

-Jesus' injunction to seek the things of God first; all other things (see Matt. 6:31) shall then be added to the seeker.

Fun, Frivolous Historical Fact...

On this day in history, April 27th, the universe was created. At least that was the view of German mathematician Johannes Kepler (right). Kepler's belief was that the universe came into being on April 27, 4977 (BC). Big wig scientists in the 20th Century later discounted Kepler's view while promulgating their own "Big Bang" theory.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sunday, May 4th Sunday, May 4th, Sunday, May 4th, Sunday May 4th...

Have you got the date nailed down in your head yet? A big day for our church May 4, 2008 will be. That Sunday morning at 10:00am will be our charter/organizing service. Make plans to be there (early) and bring your cameras! This will be a very special day for all of us!
(Right) an old church charter from Fresno, CA.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Desire

Pastor Joel Santti: Psalm 37

37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

-"Desire", literally meaning "to covet". There are positive (righteous) and negative (sinful) aspects to this.

-Question: At the core of your being, what do you desire?

-We are motivated by our desires; desires are determinative in our earthly relationships.

-Remember, "desires" of one's heart and lusts of one's heart are not the same thing.

-Proverbs 23: 7-"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he".

A biblical example of a wrong desire

Israel wants a king: I Samuel 8

-Israel desired a king, even though they already had God as a ruler.

-Samuel tells the people what life will be like under a king; nonetheless Israel persists in their desire.

-They refuse the counsel of Samuel and continue to demand a king.

-God grants their wish (see I Sam. 8:22)

A biblical example of a right desire

David's wish: Psalm 27:4

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."

-"that will I seek after" shows David's desire.

New Testament Application: Ask, Seek, and Knock

Matthew 7:7-8

-"Ask, and it shall be given you..." asking reveals our need before God.
-"seek, and ye shall find..." seeking involves active searching.
-"knock, and it shall be opened unto you..." knocking requires close proximity; closeness to God.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sunday laugh...

Because it's Sunday, and every one needs a laugh going into Monday:

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Pastor...

Joel & Taffy Santti
The man behind the messages is none other than our pastor, Joel Santti. His lovely wife Taffy is pictured with him. A graduate of Baptist Bible College, Joel has held music director positions in Michigan and Texas before coming to Springfield to be music minister/associate pastor of South Side Baptist Church. In 2004, Joel was called to pastor in the Willard area and is doing wonderful things at Reconciliation Church. We are blessed to have him.

Sunday gamenight

It's Sunday night...

And it's gamenight!

Above: A cutthroat game of "Wahoo".
Sunday night was "gamenight". A fun time was had by all, not the least of which was the pastor, who's quite proficient at dominos...

Interior decorating...

Finally, some photos of the interior progress at Reconciliation Church!

Above: Sitting area and PM Bible study location.
Above: Entryway.

Above: The colorful and bright look of the nursery/toddler area.

Monday, April 14, 2008

New to "Linkworthy"

Welcome the Church History Timeline to the "Linkworthy" section (bottom at left). Since the launch of this blog, I've been looking for a good site with a good, solid overview of church history. I believe I've found it, with this disclaimer: just because an event may be listed as noteworthy in church history doesn't mean our church or myself personally agrees with that event. This being said, this website is all in all informative and well done. So, click the above link or the one under "Linkworthy" below and enjoy the journey through church history.

Oh, and the individual at left? That's John Wycliffe, a man who fervently believed that the Bible should be available in everyday language- not Latin. He is reported to have once told a church bigwig: If God shall spare my life, I will make it so that a plow boy in England will know more of Holy Scripture than thou.” For his courage, the pope ordered his bones dug up and burned- 44 years after his death.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sunday laugh...


Not only is the sign above humorous, but it's biblical as well. Read here what Paul wrote in Romans 12:20-21.

The Believer's Blessings and Inheritance in Christ

Pastor Joel Santti: Ephesians 1

1:3 - believer blessed with "all spiritual blessings" in Christ.
1:4 - believer "chosen in him" before foundation of the world.
chosen also to be "holy and without blame" before Him. (see also Rom. 8:28-29).
1:5 - believer "predestinated" unto adoption.
adoption brings inheritance.
1:6 - believer "accepted" in Christ.
1:7 - believer has "redemption through his blood", and the forgiveness of sins.
1:9 - believer has had God's will made known to them.
this true in a general (broad) sense as well as in a (individual) specific sense.
1:13 - believer has been sealed by the Holy Spirit.
1:14 - believer has Holy Spirit given in part as an "earnest" of our inheritance.
(for more on the term "earnest", go here).

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Sunday night is game night...


This coming Sunday (April 13th) night, at 5 p.m., we are having a game night at the church. Bring finger foods and your favorite board game and be ready to have fun!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Sunday laugh...

This is from a church in Michigan. Read closely the bottom of the sign.



"You should come, it's not that bad"?
They should be writing cards for Hallmark, or fortune cookie sayings.

What does it mean to worship?

Pastor Joel Santti: Elements of Worship

Luke 4:8 - for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

An acrostic which reveals the nature of worship:

W - willingness; involves a choice or act of the will. (see John 4:23)
O - oneness; God desires unity in the body (remember unity is not uniformity). (see John 17:21)
R - repentance; worship can't take place without this. (see Heb. 12:1).
S - submission (see James 4:7, Ephesians 5:21).
H - holiness (see Ephesians 5:27).
I - involvement; each member of the body of Christ has a part to play. (see Heb. 10:25).
P - praise (see Psalm 50:23, I Pet. 2:9).

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Weekend music, and a little inspiration


Sometimes, after a hectic day or week, it's good to unwind while listening to music that simply makes you feel good. Maybe it gives you a boost of hope and faith- I don't know. I can't explain it, but I had a similar experience with a song recently and I wanted to share it. If I'm crazy, I'll beg for your indulgence...

Bethany Dillon's (left) 2005 song "Dreamer" reached through my radio and grabbed me (not literally, that'd be painful!). When I dug deeper into the song, I found rich and powerful lyrics about the value of being a dreamer, especially as a Christian. While daydreaming can get you fired from your job, some times it's good to pause and meditate on the Lord and His will for our lives (don't take it from me, count the number of times the Psalms use the term "selah" which translated means "stop and listen").

Joseph's brothers, who wound up selling him into slavery and faking his death, referred to Joseph as "this dreamer". They, of course, meant it in a derogatory manner but in reality, weren't they really paying Joseph a compliment? If by "dreamer" they meant that Joseph was looking for God's direction in his life and wanted a deeper relationship with God, I'd love to be known as a dreamer, too! Imagination is an incredible gift from God. As I write, I'm watching my daughter line up little chairs in a row while placing a favorite stuffed toy in each chair- she's making a "choo choo". Sometimes as believers, aren't we sold a "bill of goods" by the world which focuses on sight-walking and limited objectives? How many believers live simply just go get through the day, when Jesus talked about bringing His followers "abundant life"? And didn't Paul say that God was "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"?

So, if my being called a "dreamer" by the world, I can see the world, my life, and God's will from God's perspective, that's more than fine by me. The refrain in Bethany Dillon's song that reached through my radio was this: I am a dreamer/ Take me higher/ Open the sky up/ Start a fire/ I believe/ Even if it's just a dream.


If I, by believing in Jesus, His Word, and His Father am deemed a dreamer and a fool by the world, so be it. There are far worse things to be known by and legacies to leave.



If you want to watch Bethany Dillon's "Dreamer", it can be found here.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The Pony Express

Here's a fun fact: the Pony Express began operation on April 3, 1860. This April 3rd- 2008 to be exact- couldn't be allowed to pass by without pointing out that Reconciliation Church meets in the same building where a convenience store used to operate. The name of the convenience store? The Pony Express.

Of old green tile, and the meaning of life


OK, so maybe this isn't about the meaning of life after all. But it is about old green tile- lots of it- and its need to be taken up. In one of the rooms at the church is tile similar to what is pictured to the right- only older and dirtier. A group of us began the work of tearing up this tile last night. With putty knives, hammers, crowbars, and hoes inch by inch and tile by tile it came up.


We weren't the only ones working at the church. All around the church building in fact people were working. Hanging curtains, cleaning bathrooms, primering walls, and mopping floors as folks from 2 years old and up worked on various tasks. And still more people had been there earlier in the day performing different tasks.

I began this post about the meaning of life- but then what does old green tile have to do with that? Maybe though, as all sorts of people worked doing various tasks yesterday at the church, part of what life should be about came into focus- serving others. In John 13, as Jesus washes the disciples' feet, he tells them this: "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

Nehemiah said this about the people who rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem: "the people had a mind to work." As Reconciliation Church gets off the ground, I see people all around me with a mind to work and in so doing, serve the Lord and others.

It's a great thing and a privilage to be a part of.



Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Nifty web site...



For those of you who are interested in the life of the Apostle Paul, this website has a very good chronology of his life, travels, and writings. Check it out when you get a chance.

Right: early Christian art of Peter (left) and Paul (right)