It's Always Today

I love Hebrews 3:13a. It says, "But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called "Today." It makes me smile, because when you think about it, we are being exhorted to encourage one another everyday....since it is actually always today. Tomorrow never comes, because once the clock turns to midnight and one milli-second (or whatever is a smaller unit than that), it isn't tomorrow....it's today. It's another one of those 'keep on keepin' on' passages. Barnabas is one of my favorite Biblical characters...we are told his name means Encourager.


I can remember telling my kids, 'tomorrow, we'll...' do such and such. So then when that day came, they asked, 'is this tomorrow?' That was a hard one to answer...."Well, it's actually today"..."But you said we'd do this tomorrow, and now we're doing it--so isn't this tomorrow?" Try to explain to a four-year old that yesterday today was tomorrow, but now it's today, and tomorrow is tomorrow.... It laughingly makes my brain spin even now!

But this instruction isn't confusing....as a matter of fact, it's very straightforward -

Encourage one another TODAY!

Night Out

Everybody likes a night out. Whether its dinner at your favorite restaurant, or just spending time with family and friends, a night out can be a wonderful break from the routine of the everyday. NHBC is set to begin a new opportunity called National Heights Night Out. Each month, we will choose a restaurant and invite the NHBC family to join together in a time of fellowship and outreach. This month, we will meet at Panera's on Kansas Expressway Monday, September 29th. If you bring a NHBC flyer between 4-8 PM (available at www.nationalheights.org/nightout.html) Panera's will make a donation to our partner school, Fremont Elementary. The evening will also include an informal worship service in the party room at Panera's at 6:30 PM. Invite a friend and join us for a great time of outreach and fellowship in our community.

Just a Little Thing

Three to four inches wide and just an inch long. Just a little bitty thing--but oh, the havoc it can cause. My husband had a gallbladder attack in the middle of the night last week, and that 'little bitty thing' caused him enormous pain. And to top it off, what was REALLY the cause was a stone lodged in the gallbladder's neck - so, even smaller still!


It's amazing what trouble small things can cause....a hangnail, a splinter, even a paper cut. Similarly, it's amazing what trouble small things can cause in relationships. A careless word, a thoughtless look, an ill-timed laugh. How carefully we need to be watchful over small things throughout the day.


It's also amazing what GOOD can come from small things. A kind word, a hand squeeze, a quick word of prayer, or even a short note. May we be faithful to the small things that are good....and watchful over those small 'stones' that can be hurtful to the cause of Christ.

Labor Day

Labor Day is around the corner. That used to mean the end of summer vacation. Now it means that school has been in session for several weeks - we are ready for a break! Use this Labor Day as an opportunity to celebrate the opportunities we have to serve the Lord. It is a privilege and a joy we so often miss because we are not watching for the opportunities we have each day.

Psalm 100:2

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Colossians 3:23–24
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Brand New

New crayons, a full bottle of glue, a blank composition notebook, brand new folders, and everything loaded into a new backpack! A new teacher, new classmates, a new grade, and sometimes a new school.  Our backpack giveaway was last night, and it was so much fun to see the excitement of the kids as they picked the new backpack of their choosing, and then looked like Christmas, as they unpacked their bag of supplies custom packed for them, according to their teachers' specific requests.

The Bible has something to say about new beginnings, too:

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Isaiah 43:19 -  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The new school supplies will get used and wear out. However, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He gives life-changing gifts of freedom to anyone who follows him as Lord and Savior. Unlike our worldly gifts, what He offers is the ultimate gift, the greatest gift of all!

125th Anniversary Reflections

One hundred and twenty five years. That seems like a lot. Many people have passed through the doors of our church in those years. Many have found salvation in Christ, seen their lives and families transformed by His grace, worshiped the Savior, and served the Lord through all those years. Celebrating our anniversary July 27 was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on and give thanks for all the ways that God has worked in and through the congregation of our church.

God has exciting days ahead for us. People all around NHBC and our world need to know the love of Christ. That's our focus. That's our call. That's our vision - to Love God, Love People, and Grow Together.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do in year 126!

Different, yet same

What a wonderful two weeks of VBS we had. It's hard to believe they are both already over. Since we have one at church, and one at an apartment complex, they are VERY different. Tons of kids and workers vs. a handful of workers and a few kids; rooms all over the church, decorated and in use compared to one room for all; three hours for five days instead of two hours for three days--just to name a few. However, the message is the same for both...the message of Jesus--a real man who loved us and died for us, and the redemption that can be ours. And the kids are ultimately the same....just like us, in need of a Savior. It doesn't matter if they've heard of Him, have a church home, or what their family life is like.

Just as these two VBS weeks differ, everywhere we look in the world, we see change and inconsistences. What a blessing to know that Jesus NEVER changes. "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, He never changes or casts shifting shadows" (James 1:17)." "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

Big church, small church, blended family, raised in church or not, young, old, male, female....it just doesn't matter. We've all sinned. We're all condemned on our own. But the wonderful news is...He died for all, and desires that no one perishes. It truly is the good news of the gospel!!!!