Reset

Do you remember the original Super Mario Brothers games? If so, you have good and bad memories of the infamous reset button on the Nintedo console! If you were making progress on a new level and your little sister hit the reset button out of meanness, you discovered the horrors of starting over. On the other hand, if you were about to watch Mario plummet to his demise in a pit of lava, you could hit the reset button yourself and avoid watching your hero's death. You discovered the joy of starting over.

"Reset" is JLM's look at this starting over process. We're currently resetting ministries and the people who fill those roles. We're reexamining our level of excitement and passion for the things we've been involved in. Not as excited as you used to be? Hit reset. Have another direction you'd like to go in life and ministry? Hit reset.

The reset button can be dreadful or exciting. We're choosing to change in a positive way and see the opportunity for a new life as an exciting event in our lives! God's reset button? "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Signs of New Life

Our current series, just in time for Spring, is called Signs of New Life. It's a series of messages and Bible studies dedicated to studying the New Life that Jesus Christ brings. Jesus once said, "These signs shall follow them that believe..." and indicated that there were miracles, signs, and wonders that would be part of the Christian church. Here's a list of the messages in the series:

1) Modern-Day Miracles (See previous blog for details)
2) Going Green (Offering an Alternative to People Paying a High Price for Their Life Choices)
3) Haven't Been There, Haven't Done That, Haven't Got the T-Shirt (Seeking More
from God? God can Still Blow Your Mind!)
4) Consumed (Everyone will be Consumed by Something. Why not Let it be the Spirit of a
God Who wants the Best for You?)
5) Reset (God has a Reset Button for Our Life When We're Headed in the Wrong Direction.
"If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things
are become new.")
6) Stuck Outside (Everything God did, Everything Jesus Accomplished, was for the Purpose
of Bringing People on the Outside to the Inside; to Call People who felt Distant from God to
a Close Relationship with Him.)
7) Oh What a Change! (The Greatest Agent of Change in This World is the Holy Spirit.
When a Positive Change Occurs in Your Life, Something You Couldn't Possibly Do on Your
Own, God Gets the Glory)

Modern-Day Miracle

A couple of weeks ago a young lady in our church reported an urgent need for healing in her body. Her doctor found a mass that was cause for serious concern. The church responded to the need with prayer and fasting: every person in the church committed to praying and fasting until we received news of a miracle. We weren't alone in this response; other friends and family members at other churches also joined in praying for this need.

One week later our friend received a call from her doctor: The mass was gone! The doctor reported that what she had seen and felt was not there anymore.

We celebrated the news of this answered prayer, and faith is building in our church as a result! We are committing to more prayer and fasting for other needs. We understand that prayer and fasting aren't methods of earning the blessings and miracles God has for us. But we do know that Jesus called us to sacrifice and pay the price to see some of the things He wants to provide. I'm so excited to see everyone coming together to meet others' needs!

Dedicated to the Vision for Richmond

One week from today, Joyful Life Ministries will host its dedication service. Together with many friends and family members who have prayed for the church, we will celebrate what God has done and dedicate ourselves to what He still wants to do. Looking back over almost two years of ministry, the hand of God is evident in our short history. From our beginning as a Bible Study Group in a local coffeehouse to our first service in a hotel conference room, God has blessed our efforts and established us more deeply in the community.

JLM now has a great facility and location that allows us to increase the impact we have on lives here in Richmond. It has also enabled us to begin ministries that were impossible to start before, when we were using borrowed rooms and buildings. In January, we hosted our first Marriage Conference in this new location. We've been able to have separate classroom sessions for various groups in our church. We're thankful for what God has done for us and we're looking forward to even more!

Short Time, Big Changes

Blogging capabilities and my knowledge of them have changed so much in a short time. Par for the course in our wonderful age of technology. I'm hoping to update the look of our former Ground Up blog and move all old blogs to this new location. Check back soon for a look at our archived articles and for more updates on the progress of planting a church...always an adventure! We've got so much to share; part of the reason the blog hasn't been updated more often is because the church has been so busy taking deeper root and becoming more established. Still, I'd like to keep you up-to-speed on the blessings and miracles we're experiencing. Watch this space for Good News!

All of Us Are Smarter Than One of Us

The Word on Life gave us an opportunity on Wednesday to hear from each person in the group as we discussed "God's Customer Service Department." It's always great to draw from the unique insights of each person as we have our Bible study discussions.
I appreciate the input and the wisdom apparent in the comments. It's obvious that the people of Joyful Life Ministries have a love for their church and a vision to see greater things accomplished by the hand of God. I'm looking forward to continued labor in the harvest field with each of them.

Mind Expansion Doesn't Have to Hurt

What an amazing time we had together on Sunday! It was so good to feel the presence of God as the people of Joyful Life Ministries came together for worship, Word, and fellowship. Thanks to everyone who helped create an Apostolic atmosphere that allowed God to move like He always wants to!
I'm remembering the words of a college professor who told our class, "Once your mind has been expanded it will never go back to its original state." While you might be thinking of someone right now who seems to disprove that statement, I happen to believe it is absolutely true. I think our minds were expanded yesterday as we saw what's possible every time we meet as believers. Now that we have seen how God can move we won't settle for less than His perfect plan for us each time we meet again.
Thanks again for your sacrifice in our quest to find Christ more completely!