October 19, 2014

Last Sunday we joined the Main Service to celebrate Willow's 39th anniversary! It was simply breath-taking to reflect on all that God has done, from before we were born to today!

Bill unpacked the definition of God's faithfulness. He described it as...

Someone keeping a promise 

for a long period of time. 

Deuteronomy 7:9 is a perfect example: 

"Know therefore that the  Lord  your God is God, 

the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love 

with those who love him and keep his commandments, 

to a thousand generations." 

I also love how 2 Timothy 2:13 shows that God cannot be anything but faithful, because it is part of of His unchanging character. 

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful— 

for he cannot deny himself."

At House Groups... 

We revved up for FALL BALL!

Don't forget to DECK OUT in TAN this Sunday! 

Then we heard Kris, Tiffany and Taisha cast vision about Every Child. God's Word.

Can you imagine your life without a Bible!? 

I truly think I would go nuts without God's Word. 

I am so pumped that we get to be a part of God's provision by sending Bibles to Zambia. I can't think of a better way to spend $5.00 than purchasing a Bible for children that otherwise might never touch one. A BIG thank you to Kris for listening to the whisper of Holy Spirit. 

Let's go all out on this y'all! 

Lastly- guess what!? 

BLAST REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!! 

I'm already registered I'm so pumped!! :) 

That's all! 

You guys rock my world :) 

Fully Known & Fully Loved, 

Cass

October 12, 2014

Last weekend at Service we sang You Make Me Brave

This week, I heard this jam you might be familiar with on the radio:

How perfect do these lyrics tie together the Sticks & Stones series and our new song!? 

You can be amazing

You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love

Or you can start speaking up

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do
When they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight

Sometimes the shadow wins

But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Everybody's been there, everybody's been stared down

By the enemy

Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing

Bow down to the mighty
Don't run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Just a thought- 

What if we were brave with our words? 

What if we didn't hold back when we thought of telling someone words of encouragement?

Let's be brave.

We also sang one of my old favorites: Arms Open Wide

I was reminded of listening to this song on a plane ride to Italy for a mission trip. Someday I'll tell y'all more about that- it was incredible. :) I wrote some of the lyrics to Arms Open Wide in the journal I reserved for the trip: 

Jason Petty closed our series of 

with a fun & challenging talk on gossip! 

He asked us a couple questions... 

Why do we gossip?

He gave us two reasons:

Revenge & Insecurity

Of course gossip harms another, but what we don't realize is that behind both seeking revenge and wallowing in our insecurities, we are harming ourselves.

"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;  

they go down to the inmost parts." Proverbs 18:8

Why is it a big deal? 

"Gossip separates close friends." 

Proverbs 16:28

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. 

The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, 

setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  

With it we bless our Lord and Father, 

and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God."

James 3:6,9 

How do I stop? 

One of my favorite moments from Jason's message was this simple statement:

"It's impossible to gossip when you see people the way God does."

It made me think about the song, Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath. 

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 

that all of them may be one, 

Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. 

May they also be in us 

so that the world may believe that you have sent me.    

I have given them the glory that you gave me, 

that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—

so that they may be brought to complete unity. 

Then the world will know that you sent me 

and have loved them even as you have loved me."

John 17:20-23

In other words, Jason explained that:

"Our unity is tied in to God's Name being spread in our community." 

At House Groups... 

We played a get-to-know-you game! I really enjoyed learning funny facts about y'all! 

Remember- we are collecting team packets for...

THIS Sunday! 

SO thankful for y'all! 

Fully Known & Fully Loved, 

Cass

October 5, 2014

HEYO JS FAMILY!

Last Sunday at Impact Service was Talk/Take Two of

with the lovely Ashlee Eiland! 

But before that! Mia & Tony taught us a new song! 
Which pretty much made my day because I've been playing this song on repeat for just about all summer. :) 

As Your love 

In wave after wave 

Crashes over me 

Crashes over me 

For You are for us 

You are not against us 

Champion of Heaven 

You made a way 

for all to enter in 

Okay, now back to our time with Ashlee! 

Was anyone else tearing up during her wedding video? I definitely was. 
How absolutely beautiful. 
I love the words from the book of Philippians that were read over Ashlee, Delwin and everyone present: 

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, 
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Philippians 4:8 

I was also super excited when she opened her message with Ephesians 4:31. One of my close friends from TX asked me to write this specific verse out for her at the beginning of the summer! 

Ashlee used an analogy of crummy cafeteria food to the free, lavish banquet to illustrate the idea of "grieving the Holy Spirit." It simply saddens God when we don't receive all of the goodness He offers us by His amazing grace. Let's go to the banquet y'all! :) 
To illustrate this even further, Ashlee's analogy reminded me of one of my favorite lines by C.S.Lewis in his book The Weight of Glory. 

"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.

We are offered infinite joy, but it is as if we are an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea." 

Ashlee also explained that it is when we rest in who we are in Christ, 
we are less prone to fall into these sinful patterns. 

So- how do we fortify our identity in Christ!? 

One woman who discipled me in college taught me to have these truths running on replay in my mind, every day. 

I am deeply loved

I am completely forgiven

I am totally accepted

I am fully pleasing

I am a new creation, complete in Christ 

The more we remind ourselves who we truly are in Christ, 
the closer we are to believing it wholeheartedly. 

At House Groups...

I was on the edge of my seat excited for House Groups during Impact Service this Sunday. I couldn't get over the awesome connection between what we learned in service and what we planned for our House Group time. 

I got to share with y'all something that has strengthened my relationship with God in the past year. A couple weeks ago, Bryan shared with us that when we struggle with sin, the heart of the issue is a lack of trust in God. This week at House Groups, we got to get a little more specific about this lack of trust. We looked at 4 qualities of God that when we don't believe wholeheartedly, can throw us off track. 

Then we broke off into groups based on which truth you felt you could grow in trusting. Here's the scripture we read in our groups! :) 

God tells us about the armor He provides for us in Ephesians chapter 6. The only piece of armor described as offensive is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Therefore, let’s look at how we can use this sword of the Spirit to protect our hearts against lies that lead us into sin patterns.

God is great, so I don’t need to be in control

 “There is no one like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might.” Jeremiah 10:6

"Yours, O LORD, 

is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, 

indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; 

Yours is the dominion, O LORD, 

and You exalt Yourself  as head over all." 

1 Chronicles 29:11 

"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, 

and His greatness is unsearchable." 

Psalm 145:3

"Now to Him who is able 

to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works within us, 

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus 

throughout all generations, 

forever and ever. Amen." 

Ephesians 3:20-21

God is glorious, so I don’t need to fear others

"Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and might, 

The LORD mighty in battle." 

Psalm 24:8

“The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?” 

Psalm 27:1

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” 

Romans 8:31

God is good, so I don’t need to be satisfied elsewhere   

“I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; 

I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:2

“Taste and see that the Lord is good! 
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! ” Psalm 34:8

“You are blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God.

He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.” Matthew 5:6

God is gracious, so I don’t need to prove myself

“The Lord waits to be gracious to you,

he rises to show you compassion,” Isaiah 30:18

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith-

and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—

not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

You guys rock my world. :) 

Fully Known & Fully Loved, 

Cassandra

September 28, 2014

Last weekend was PARENTS WEEKEND!

We also kicked off our NEW SERIES... 

Which reminded me of this song I love! :) 

Sticks & Stones by Dave Barnes

I loved that we got to look at scripture from all over the Bible to prove that God's words towards us have power to change our lives. 

Bryan referenced some of my favorite words that Jesus speaks to us in Matthew 11:28-30.
I love the Message version: 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? 

Come to me. 

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. 

I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. 

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” 

These words give rest to our overwhelmed hearts.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, 

nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 
will be able to separate us from the love of God 
in Christ Jesus our Lord." 
Romans 8:38-39
These words give us security in the power of His love.

"Fear not, for I am with you; 
be not dismayed, for I am your God; 
I will strengthen you, I will help you, 
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 
Isaiah 41:10
These words give us hope.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 
where neither moth nor rust destroys 
and where thieves do not break in and steal." 
Matthew 6:19-20

These words give us perspective to live with a God's Kingdom-first mindset.

Then we jumped into James 3!

"But no human being can tame the tongue. 
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 
With it we bless our Lord and Father 
and with it we curse people 
who are made in the likeness of God." 
James 3:8-9

My favorite quote from Bryan this weekend was:

"There is no such thing as neutral words." 

It reminded me of a quote I read right before this service! 

The words we speak to each other should leave stretch marks, not bruises. Love is always picky about what it says. -Bob Goff

Lastly- anyone else thinkin of this jam by TobyMac?

My adorable spin (cycling) instructor at TCU was a believer 

& she would always play this during our classes!

Speak Life y'all ;)

Now let's get to HOUSE GROUPS!

That trivia game was such a blast! 

Then Maria I got to hang with your parents for a bit! Here's a sneak peek... 

It was so important to me to meet the people that have raised some of the most inspiring high schoolers I know. :) We shared a couple laughs & some real talk. 

Can't wait for another great weekend! :D

Fully Known & Fully Loved, 

Cass