Pastor Jeremy's Latest...

Between Sundays: Super Sunday @ Living Hope

2012-02-03T08:47:00.003-05:00

Living Hope Family,

Yes, I am excited about this coming Sunday, and not just because of my NY Giants playing in the Super Bowl. More importantly, we have the opportunity to gather together and have the FREEDOM to worship Christ! During the month of January, there were a record number of visitors and one of the highest attendance months yet! The Lord truly is growing His church. We will be turning the page to Acts 7 and see how the Gospel was propelled out of Jerusalem & into the world through the radical obedience of a man named Stephen. Remember to stay connected to the Lord and others, not isolated. For all of you desiring to become members and take those next steps, please read below:

Become Members... The next, "iDiscover Membership Class" will be held on Sunday morning, March 4th. It will be from 8:30-9:45, and will be located at the school right before the morning worship service. Childcare IS available, but you must sign up for it. This class is designed to inform you of the vision & values of Living Hope and how you can take the next steps in joining the Living Hope Church family.

Baptism Celebration... Our next baptism service will be held at the local YMCA here in Marysville on Sunday, March 25th.

Baby Shower... Please join us for a baby shower honoring Beth Ellinger. She is having a baby boy! When: TOMORROW, February 4, at 1:30 pm Where: the Westbrook's (1913 Saddlehorn Way, Marysville) Contact Jennifer Westbrook or Autumn Reighard [acreighard@hotmail.com] for more information.

Be Ready... Click HERE to listen and see the worship songs we will be singing this coming Sunday morning.

Bible Study... Join us for our spring Bible study "The Chronological Bible Discipleship (First Semester)." "The primary goal of Chronological Bible Discipleship is to enable participants to understand the big story of the Bible and to gain a high view of Scripture as it alone reveals God as He is - not as we want Him to be or who we even think that He is."
When: Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm-8:30pm, beginning THIS TUESDAY, February 7-May 1. Where: at the home of Tammy Ervin (951 Kentucky Circle, Marysville) Please contact Jennifer Westbrook (jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com) for more information.

Bible Reading... Continue reading the Word of God with us chronologically, as we are entering week 6! Just a reminder, you can go to the church website by clicking HERE and find some helpful resources to read & study the Bible in different translations.

The Latest...

2011-12-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Living Hope Family,

I want to personally say THANK YOU for how you responded this week to helping our young adults go to Passion! Because of your generosity, all the sponsorships needed have been provided. It is true, we are never more like Jesus than when we give, so thank you! Also, what a wonderful baptism celebration we had last Sunday afternoon. 7 more people took their next steps. Praise the Lord for the 80 people that have been baptized since we began 2.5 years ago. This Sunday will be extra special, so be there at 10am and bring someone with you. Until then, read the latest below...

Children's Choir - This coming Sunday morning, our children will be performing and singing for us in the morning worship service, so get there early and get a good seat!

Christmas Eve Service - The Marysville school system has asked us not to have a Christmas service, in order that the custodians could spend that day with their families and not having to work. We desire to respect their wishes and be a good testimony, therefore we will ONLY have a Christmas Eve service from 5-6pm on December 24th and no service on Sunday, December 25th.

Ellinger Family - Please be praying for LH family members Shaun & Beth Ellinger. Earlier this week, Shaun's father suddenly passed away in Logan, Ohio. The funeral was held this morning in Sugar Grove, Ohio.

PCC Baby Calendars - These calendars will be on the welcome table once again this Sunday morning. You may take one home with you by making a donation (any amount) to the PCC. They would make great Christmas gifts and serve as a reminder to pray for the PCC and the children. By God's grace, five of the babies pictured are rescued from abortion!

Ladies Christmas Party - The Ladies of Living Hope will have their annual Christmas Party on Monday evening, December 19th at 7p.m. It will be at the home of Kim Armstrong (679 Gallop Ln.) Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share. It will be an evening of food, fun, and fellowship and we hope you can make it!

Passion 2012 - Living Hope is taking college students and young adults (18-25) to Passion 2012 this January 1st - 6th. Passion 2012 is a conference in Atlanta, Georgia where thousands of college and young adults meet in the Georgia Dome to worship Jesus. If you are interested in going please contact Pastor Adam: adam@livinghopemarysville.com. The cost to sign up is $219. You will need $50 extra for food and traveling.

Between Sundays: Count the Cost & Fall Back at Living Hope

2011-11-04T09:51:00.002-04:00

Good Morning!

Just wanted to give you a quick update from Monster Mash this past Monday night. Simply calculated from the number of bags given to visitors and food passed out, there were around 600+ individuals that came thru! That easily doubled last years attendance...WOW. Thank you so much for your faithfulness to show up, share, serve, and shake hands with our community! Needless to say, hundreds of people now have a copy of the Gospel & know there is a church called Living Hope that desires to make Jesus known! Below are a few quick REMINDERS...

1. Count the Cost Sunday... will be this Sunday morning. We will make our pledges as a church family to renovate the new building. Once again, click here to view the architect & financial plans.

2. Fall Back Time Change... remember to set your clocks back an hour this Saturday night and gain that extra hour of sleep!

3. Ladies Event... we are having a ladies social at the home of Wren Davis (5824 Springburn Dr., Dublin, OH) Saturday, November 5, from 6:30pm- 9. Bring a dessert to share. Please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

4. Ladies Bible study... ladies bible studies have begun! We are going through the Restore My Heart study that started last week on Wednesday, November 2. There is a morning AND evening session, so if interested please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com if you would like to sign up for this study.

5. Mother-Daughter Sleepover... mark your calendars for November 11th-12th for our first ever girl sleepover. We will be taking over the Comfort Inn and its going to be crazy!! We will be throwing down some pizza, swimming, laughing, working on a mission project together and so much more that I can not begin to put into words... mostly cause I am a guy! We are going to be putting 2 families in each room (depending on the size of the family), so if you have someone you would like to room with be sure to let us know. We will be wrapping up things on Saturday before lunch to give you time to get home to eat with your family. The cost is $35 and this will cover everything you will need. To get signed up or if you have any questions, feel free to send pastor James an email at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Monster Mash!

2011-10-21T14:01:00.001-04:00

I cannot even begin to describe to you how PUMPED I am about the worship service this Sunday morning. We will be looking at Acts 3:1-10 and should CLEARLY see our mission as followers of Christ from this passage of Scripture. Come expecting to worship our Savior and BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU! We should always view every Sunday just as important as we view Easter Sunday...why? Because EVERY Sunday we gather together, we are celebrating that Jesus is alive and changing lives.

* Count the Cost... Click HERE to view the drawings & financial plans for renovating the building! Videos were filmed earlier this week and are being edited and will hopefully be up early next week!

* Pledges... Over the next 2 weeks, please pray as an individual or family as to what the Lord would have you sacrificially and generously give. We will make our pledges together as a church family on Sunday morning, November 6th. The renovation campaign will begin this day and extend until Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012. You may give weekly, monthly, or the entire amount at one time to fulfill your pledge. You may give your pledge when you give your normal offering or online at www.livinghopemarysville.com/give

* Host-Homes... we still need 1 (possibly 2) host homes in the Mill-Valley/Scott-Farms area for the mission team coming in from Orlando, FL later next week. They will arrive on Friday evening, October 28th and depart early Tuesday morning, November 1st. This will involve housing them and feeding them a few meals. If interested, please contact Pastor Jeremy ASAP by responding to this email.

* Monster-Mash... We are changing the name of our Halloween event from Trick or Truth to MONSTER MASH and I couldn't be more excited!! That night is going to look the same as except for the fact that it is going to be bigger then ever! We have 2 Giant inflatables coming, more games then before, more candy then ever before, but the one thing we still need is you! We would love for you to be a part of this event and there are several ways you can serve. We need un-opened bags of candy, people to help set up that Monday, people to run the games, help with food, and also people to just hang out and talk to the families that stop by. If you have any interest in helping or serving in any way, please feel free to contact Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

* Kids Worship... Next Sunday Morning (October 30th) our kids are going to be taking over the service and it is going to be a blast! The will be greeting, taking up the offering, helping Adam with worship, and one lucky kid is going to get to preach with Pastor Jeremy… ok maybe not the last one, but it is going to be fun! On that day we will also layout the paintings for missions for the church to look at to buy the following week. We are asking for your kids to get to church by 9am on this Sunday (Oct 30th) for the kids to run through songs with Pastor Adam and to get ready for the service. So make sure you invite all your family and friends to get ready for an exciting worship service led by your kids!

* Mother-Daughter Sleep Over... Will be November 11th-12th, so go ahead and mark your calendar and get ready for a fun night with just the girls. More details to come soon...

Between Sundays: THE LORD HAS PROVIDED!

2011-09-29T17:08:00.000-04:00

Living Hope Family,

I am beyond words as I write these lines! The Lord provided once again as we signed the papers and closed on the property yesterday. What was once commonly known in Marysville as the Karen's Event Center is now Living Hope Church...to God be the glory!!! These past 6 months have been a faith stretch for us all and what a story we will be able to look back upon the rest of our lives and say the Lord allowed us to be a part of! October is shaping up to be an extremely important and busy month for us, so please read all the new events below. This coming Sunday, we begin Acts 2 with one of the most powerful events in all of Scripture...BE THERE!

Family Membership Meeting...we are asking that ALL covenant-signed members of Living Hope Church gather together on Sunday evening, October 9th @ 6pm for an informational meeting concerning the new property. In this meeting, we will unveil the plans, time-line, etc...concerning the next steps for us as a church family. We will meet there at the new property (16701 Square Drive). We are asking that none of our small groups meet that day in lieu of this important gathering.

Father & Son Camp-Out...on October 14th, the men of Living Hope will embark on a journey that will change the course of manhood forever... A CAMPOUT! That's right, the men of Living Hope will be getting together to live in the wild, to survive nature, to withstand all the natural elements... in the Comstock's backyard. We will be cooking out, shooting guns, learning survival technicians, growing together as men of God and yes, I am pretty sure will be smelling like men too. So make sure you get signed up for this event and get ready to have a weekend away with the men. We will meet out at the Comstocks around 6pm on that Friday and will pack it all up before Lunch on Saturday. The cost of each man is $5 or you can pay $10 per family. For more questions or information feel free to email Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Fall Outreach...be praying and getting ready for our annual Trick or Truth fall outreach at the end of October. A mission team of 10 adults & students from the First Baptist Church of Central Florida in Orlando will be flying up here and helping us for 4 days! More details to come soon.

Thank You from the Wiley Family

2011-09-22T13:23:00.002-04:00

Dear Living Hope Church Family,

Words fail in trying to convey to you how much we love you all and have been blessed by the love, prayers, meals, and gifts that you have so lavishly poured on us. Worshipping our risen LORD together with you the last three years has certainly bound our hearts with yours and has been sweeter than we could have ever imagined. We hope you will keep in touch with us and continue to let us be a part of what God is doing in your lives. We are so thankful that in Christ there are never any good-byes, just "see ya laters". Even these though are still painful as we know that we will not see many of you again on this earth. The apostle Peter captures our desire for your lives and Living Hope best in some of his last words before he was martyred. "...according to His promises we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace......take care that you are not carried away by the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity!! Amen" (from 2 Peter ch 3)

Be there!!!
Gerry & Carol

Between Sundays: Beth Moore Weekend @ Living Hope

2011-08-11T14:50:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Can you believe this weather? I hope this does not mean that winter is coming too early!! The Lord continues to bless us as a church family during the summer months, and so we continue to pray and anticipate the month of August to be no different. School will soon start back for many in a couple of weeks, so that means getting back into the routine of things. However, may we never get into a routine in our walk with the Lord! We should remember what the Spirit of God through Solomon has been teaching us, to not take our days for granted and make the most of them! I will be preaching from Ecclesiastes 10 on Sunday morning, so please go ahead and read these verses and prepare to worship. Until then, please check out the latest announcements below:

Beth Moore Conference...will be THIS Friday evening and Saturday in Columbus. There are a couple of tickets that someone has purchased, but due to a schedule conflict can no longer use them. If you desire to go and can use these tickets, please contact Jennifer Westbrook at jjcwestbrook@yahoo.com for more info.

iDiscover Membership Class...will be on Sunday morning, September 11th from 8:30-9:45. It will be held at the school before the morning worship service. Childcare IS available, but you must sign up on your response card in the Sunday worship bulletin or via this email.

Worship Songs...click here to view and listen to the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday morning!

From Pastor James...Volunteers Needed! If you have not noticed our church family is growing and each week we are blessed with so many new faces, but with the blessing of growth comes the opportunity to serve. You may be sitting back as a member of Living Hope & you want to serve and get plugged in, but you just don't know where or how to get plugged in. Well, you are in luck because the Children's Ministry and the Student Ministry is in need of volunteers to come along side of the leadership and be the hands & feet of Christ. So many times we strive in our lives to look, talk, and act like Christ to the best of our ability. However, sometimes we get so caught up trying to look at ourselves we forget that looking at others (serving others) is one of the ways Jesus calls us to be like Him. From holding a baby, helping a 4 year old with a craft, being crowd control in Pipeline, or helping a student in their daily walk with Christ we have a place for you to serve. If you are interested in getting more involved and plugged into serving in one of our family ministries, please contact Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com ASAP. Jesus describes this exact thing in Matthew chapter 9...

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Please take the time to get alone with God and pray to not asking "should I serve?" but ask the question "Where do you want me to serve You?"

5th Sunday @ Living Hope

2011-07-28T16:28:00.002-04:00

This coming Lord's Day will be the 5th Sunday of July and I pray one of the best yet. The Lord continues to move in our worship services and we are seeing new guests visit each week! Go ahead and read Ecclesiastes 8 for Sunday, as we will take a biblical and practical look at using wisdom in everyday life. We need to learn to look at our situations and circumstances from God's point of view. I believe if we come ready to hear, the Lord will speak to our hearts and teach us how to look at life, deal with work situations, and relate to our families. Read below for the latest and we will see you on Sunday:

Pipeline... the 1st-5th grade kids ministry is back on schedule and WILL be meeting during the worship service for all the kiddos who want to get into God's Word and have a blast with Pastor James. He is also preaching through the book of Ecclesiastes, as our desire is for you to be able to drive home as a family and be on the same page as you discuss what God taught you as a family.

iDiscover Membership Class... several have indicated their desire to attend the next membership class at Living Hope! We are excited about this next class and are currently planning the date for it. We will keep you posted when the date is actually set.

Deeper in the Word at the Fernández residence:

2011-07-22T09:33:00.002-04:00

We had a very encouraging first meeting last Sunday! I think we all
felt the Holy Spirit leading us in the direction of a dedicated study
of 1 John. So for anyone interested in joining up, here is what was
decided:

All the members of our group have agreed to read all five chapters of
1 John every day (starting yesterday, when we read all five chapters
corporately) until the last day of our summer session, which will be
five Sundays from yesterday. Our goal is to cover one chapter a week,
and by the time we meet on our last Sunday, we will have each read
this book at least 37 times. That means that if you put all of our
readings together for a corporate count, our group will have read the
book 333 times! And that is only counting the adults that were
present last Sunday! So I am hoping the actual count will be higher
than that by the end of summer.

Our goal is to make every effort to keep all of our members part of
this small body by adjusting our schedule as needed. A couple of
families needed to be free this coming Sunday, so we decided to make
our next meeting at 6:30 this Saturday the 23d. So anyone interested
in coming to this Home of Hope should plan on joining us then. Every
other meeting should be as usual, at 1:30 Sunday afternoons.

To be clear: If you want to join this group, we would love to have
you! And here's what you can do to plug right in:

Please come this next session on Saturday at 6:30;
Start reading the entire book of 1 John every day;
Take notes and prepare to discuss the first chapter next time we meet.

To those who were here, I thank you so much for listening to my
introduction from I Corinthians 12, and then showing so willingly how
a body is supposed to act under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to
build one another up in Christ! I cannot tell you how blessed I was
and how much I am looking forward to learning from the Word with you!

See you next week, Lord willing. Happy reading!

José F.

Church Planting Today

2011-07-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

Click here to read a recent article submitted by Dr. Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research on the current state of church planting in the Southern Baptist Convention. Obviously, we need to plant stronger and healthier churches at a faster pace. God give us a heart for the unreached and unchurched!

Day 4 and Last Day

2011-07-18T11:33:00.001-04:00

Thursday, July 14, was the last day for VBS. We are so grateful the Lord allowed the Kirby Woods puppet mission team to come. This was their 3rd consecutive time to come, which is unprecedented! God allowed us to see a wonderful turnout with a record high 137 kids coming on the last evening. Also, a record high of $550 was raised through the mission offering taken up by the boys and girls nightly to support sending missionaries Ryan & Priscilla Hart overseas to Malawi. God is good!

Day 3 of VBS...

2011-07-18T11:29:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was an awesome but crazy day. It all started when 128 kids showed up for VBS and ended with around 90 youth coming for SUMMERJAM 2011. WOW...the Lord did a great work on this day.

Day 2...

2011-07-13T11:07:00.003-04:00

Here is a pic from last night as several new guests joined us...there were 123 kids last night!

VBS 2011: Pirates...In Search of the One True God!

2011-07-13T11:05:00.002-04:00

There were 105 kids present on the first night of VBS...praise God for this record turnout on a first night! VBS will be from Monday, July 11th - Thursday, July 14th and will be held nightly from 5:45-8:15pm at the Union County Fairgrounds here in Marysville.

Between Sundays: New Membership Edition

2011-06-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I hope and pray your week is going well. Just one more day until the weekend is here and that means Sunday is coming! This coming Lord's day we will be recognizing those who have signed the membership covenant and joined the Living Hope Church family. While many churches slow down during the summer months, Living Hope is gearing up for an amazing opportunity to reach out to our city and watch the Lord move among us! Please continue to pray and read all of the latest news below and we will see you Sunday morning @ 10!

VBS...click HERE to check out the new logo/theme this year and pre-register your child! Kirby Woods Baptist and the puppet ministry team is coming back once again and this year will be bigger and better. More details coming soon as to the location!

Worship Songs...click HERE to view the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday morning.

Hope In the Park...that is right, our annual church cookout worship service will be on Sunday morning, July 3rd. We will have an outdoor service followed by a cookout, games, and that all important corn-hole tournament! Bring your own meat to grill and the church will provide drinks, chips, and all the fixins'.

Between Sundays: Father's Day @ Living Hope

2011-06-16T11:18:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I trust and pray your week is going well and are looking forward to the weekend. Jennifer and I missed being with you last Sunday, but look forward to coming home and seeing you this coming Lord's Day! Wow, the Lord continues to amaze us and move within the church family. 8 people took their next steps and were baptized last Sunday!!! I will continue preaching thru the book of Ecclesiastes this coming Sunday, so please go ahead and read chapter 3 to prepare your heart to hear God's Word. Below are some new announcements you need to catch up on and we will see you soon...

PCC Bottle Return...this coming Sunday, June 19th, is the day you need to bring back your PCC baby bottle that you received on Mother's Day to Living Hope Church filled with your donation to the ministry. Please remember and place it near the welcome center as you enter on Sunday morning.

Father's Day...this coming Sunday is also Father's Day. We will recognize all of our dads in the service and have a special time of prayer for them.

Hope in the Park...our annual cookout/worship service will be Sunday, July 3rd. Be watching and waiting for more info and get those grills ready!

VBS...go ahead and mark your calendars for VBS at Living Hope! The puppet team from Kirby Woods in Memphis, TN is coming back and this year is going to be amazing. The dates are going to be from July 11th -14th. More details to come soon...

Summer Groups...they will begin July 17th. Sign up sheets are at the welcome table. Please sign up so we will know how many people to prepare for in each group. If you need additional information please contact Pastor Gerry at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com. Group 1 - Love and Respect, led by Brent and Kim Armstrong & Group 2 - Go deeper into the weekly sermon, led by Jose and Tracy Fernandez.

Living Hope Latest...

2011-05-12T14:01:00.000-04:00

Hope you have enjoyed the sunshine this week. What an awesome Mother's Day service we celebrated together! We continue our current series revolving around the core values of Living Hope called, "Vital" this Sunday. We will be looking at Luke 10:25-37 and the mission of the church. Until then, check out all of the new events below and we will see you on Sunday!

Homes of Hope...We begin our small group ministry this coming Sunday. If you are not plugged into a small group and desire to be, please email Pastor Gerry at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com for more info.

Act Like Men...Guys, our next time to get together will be Saturday, May 21st. We will meet at the Hampton Inn from 10-Noon.

iDiscover Membership Class...Several have already signed up, but there is still room for more. The next class will be Sunday, May 22nd from 8:30-9:45am at the school and right before the worship service. Childcare IS available, but you must sign up for it by replying to this email or signing up in the worship bulletin on Sunday.

Baptism Service...The next baptism service will take place on Sunday, June 5th. It will be held at the YMCA here in Marysville around 1:45pm. If you are interested in taking your next steps to follow Christ in baptism, please contact Pastor Jeremy.

Worship Set...click here to view the songs we will be singing this coming Sunday!

Youth Camp..."Ignite" will be held from June 6th-9th. Our Student Camp is goona be rockin out this year! Go to the student website (www.project517.com) for a schedule of the week and to get get signed up today!

Youth Discipleship...Pulse is every Tuesday night @ 6:30. Are you a student looking to go deeper in your walk? Feel like your all alone in your walk with Christ? Have questions about the Bible, or stumbling over sin? If any of this describes you, then Pulse is the answer! Get plugged, and start living the epic life God has called us all to live! Contact Pastor James for more info at james@livinghopemarysville.com.

Easter Sunday 2011...

2011-04-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

WOW,

What an incredible Easter Sunday we had last week! The Lord brought 330 people to Living Hope as we celebrated the life of Christ and 2 year anniversary of the church. That is a record attendance and we pray just the beginning of what God has in store for the future. Thank you church for all the candy you donated and time you served, you were such a blessing to us and the kids. I am asking you to begin praying and getting ready for what could be a HUGE DAY in your life spiritually. We are going to be discussing a topic this Sunday that could potentially change the way you look at your life and everything around you...SO DON'T MISS IT!

Family Meeting...If you are a member of Living Hope Church, then you need to be there on Sunday evening, May 1st @6pm. The meeting will be held at the YMCA here in Marysville and there WILL be childcare available. We will be giving several updates as well as the future plans for the church!

Baby Reighard is Here...Hope Katherine Reighard arrived at 1:41pm on Easter Day, April 24...Weight: 7lbs 14oz...Length: 18in. Autumn and Hope are both doing great (as is Jim). Luke and Caleb enjoyed getting to meet their new little sister.

Beth Moore...Ladies of Living Hope, you need to reserve your spot NOW! Tickets are $55 and a $35 deposit is required to reserve your spot. She is coming to Columbus, OH on August 12-13th (your pastor's birthday;). See Wren Davis or Jennifer Westbrook to reserve your ticket.

Living Hope Latest...

2011-04-14T11:31:00.002-04:00

Hey Living Hope,

WOW, I am so excited for this coming Sunday commonly known as Palm Sunday. It is the Sunday before Easter, in which the Lord Jesus entered into Jerusalem on His way to the cross to die for us! This Sunday we finish our current series, "Vintage Jesus" as we will look at His mission found in John 19:28-30. It blows my mind all that the Lord is doing in and through Living Hope Church...be praying and inviting people to come hear the good news of Christ on Easter! We cannot wait to see you this Sunday morning, but until then check out all the new events below that you need to take the time to READ:

Family Meeting... That is right, Living Hope Church will have a membership meeting that we are asking EVERYONE who is a member to be at on Sunday evening, May 1st. It will be from 6-7pm at the YMCA here in Marysville. On the agenda will be a financial update, as well as the land/building opportunity about Karen's Event Center we have told you about. This is a CRITICAL meeting and you need to make sure you are there for this important moment in our church!

Ladies Retreat 2011... What an amazing response we had last Sunday from the ladies of Living Hope! Almost the entire first batch of tickets purchased were spoken for, so you need to sign up, pay your deposit, and make plans to attend this incredible event. Beth Moore is coming to Columbus! She will be here August 12th-13th. The total cost is $55. Tickets are limited and a deposit of $35 is required to reserve your spot. Please see Jennifer Westbrook or Wren Davis for details.

Easter Eggs... There are 3,000 EGGS ready to be stuffed with candy for our Easter service. We are are asking you to help out with the candy part. The students are going to have a egg stuffing party, but if you could help out by bringing an unopened bag of candy THIS Sunday (this is the last Sunday we have to bring them) we would appreciate it! Pastor James is leading the kids on a Resurrection Egg Hunt on the property immediately following the Easter Service.

Small Groups Leaders Meeting... Pastor Gerry will be meeting with ALL small group leaders THIS coming Sunday, April 17th @ 6pm. It will be held at his home (638 Gallop Lane) and dinner will be provided. For more info, email him at gerry@livinghopemarysville.com.

Worship Set... please click here to view, listen, and prepare for the songs we will be singing this Sunday at Living Hope!

View the Life & Ministry of Whitefield

2011-03-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

Watch this historical gem where Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, walks us through the life of George Whitefield, one of the greatest preachers of the 18th century. Click here to view...

New Teaching Series...

2011-03-25T15:02:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

The calendar says we are officially in the Spring season, but as I stepped outside this morning to some snow on the ground, it is hard for me to believe that! However, I am glad to be home. I have been in Atlanta, GA this week (where is was 80 degrees and sunny) to attend a church planting school with Dr. Johnny Hunt and the FBC of Woodstock, GA. The Lord really taught me several things and showed me areas in my life and ministry that need to get better, for which I am thankful. Also, there is an amazing opportunity that the church will be partnering with Living Hope! FBC Woodstock is one of the largest churches in America with nearly 15,000 members and is extremely mission minded. We begin a new teaching series this coming Sunday as we move closer to Easter Sunday and will focus on the Gospels. Each Gospel writer portrays Christ and His mission in a unique context. I cannot wait to see you on Sunday, but until then check out the latest below:

Act Like Men... guys our next meeting is THIS SATURDAY (March 26th). We will be meeting from 10-Noon at the Hampton Inn here in Marysville. Youth guys and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Do Something Now Homeless Ministry... starting THIS SUNDAY and over the next couple of weeks there will be a box in the back as we will be taking up several items for the homeless. They need deodorant, soap, shampoo, tooth paste, personal items for women along with any other stuff that someone wants to bring. We are developing care bags for around 200 people in need. If you have any questions, please see Tony Wright or email him at wright.anthony19@gmail.com

New Teaching Series... join us THIS SUNDAY as we begin a new series looking at Jesus through the eyes of the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John called, "Vintage Jesus." I hope you will be faithful to attend and invite someone else to join you!

Father/Daughter Banquet... remember this has been rescheduled for Thursday evening, April 7th. For more info, please email Pastor James at james@livinghopemarysville.com

Baptism Weekend @ Living Hope...

2011-03-18T10:55:00.003-04:00

WOW,

That is all I have to say after last weekend...what an awesome D-NOW weekend and membership class we had at Living Hope! The place was full last Sunday, and it continued on as several people have repented of their sins and surrendered their lives to Christ during the week!! This Sunday we wrap up our current sermon series called, "Desperate" which you do not wanna miss as well as the best part, our next BAPTISM SERVICE! This is why we do what we do , to see Jesus change lives and celebrate that. PLUS, we have a couple of exciting announcements about Easter Sunday as well, so check out the latest below and we will see you on Sunday...bring somebody with you!!

1. Act Like Men... guys our next meeting will be Saturday, March 26th from 10am-Noon. It will be held at the Hampton Inn here in Marysville

2. Baptism Service... will be THIS SUNDAY March 20th at 1:45pm. It will be held at the local YMCA here in Marysville

3. Children's Ministry Growth/Changes...We are excited to inform you of some upcoming changes we are making to both of these classes. First, the age group for Genesis 2 will change to 18 months to 36 months. In order to graduate to the next class, your child will need to be 3 years of age AND potty trained. We ask that the child is potty trained due to the setup of the older classroom will not be conducive for diaper changing. This class will meet in the classroom that the four and five year olds currently meet. In this classroom, there will be the same classroom activities offered for the children as Genesis 2 offers now (Bible lesson, snack, music, and age appropriate craft/coloring sheet). Second, the age group for Treehouse will be 3 year old to five year old (and up to 6 year old if they are still in Kindergarten). This class will meet where the two and three year olds currently meet. In this classroom, we will be breaking the classroom by age and each group will rotate through different stations in the classroom that will have the Bible lesson, craft, snack, music, and games. It will have a similar setup as VBS, only every station will be in one room, but separated by dividers. We are excited about these changes, since we believe this will allow the best opportunity for the children to learn and interact and to best accommodate the growing number of children in each classroom.These changes will begin the first Sunday of April, April 3.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding these changes. We have enjoyed teaching your children and they continue to be a joy in our classroom! Thank you for making it a priority to ensure the Word of God is taught to your children!

In Christ,
Pastor James Moseley, Cara Miller, Allie Burghardt, and Jennifer Westbrook

Straight from the President...

2011-03-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

Click here to watch Dr. Al Mohler interview the new President of NAMB (North American Mission Board) today. This discussion took place at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Dr. Ezell has served as pastor of the Highview Baptist Church in Louisville for the past 15 years before transitioning to his new assignment from the Lord this year. Continue to seek the Lord as to how we can better pray, participate, and partner with NAMB to reach the more than 250 million North Americans who are lost without Christ.

Biblical Love

2011-02-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

Taken from Justin Taylor, here is Paul Tripp’s definition of love: “Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving” (What Did You Expect? p. 188).

In the following he unpacks the definition (pp. 188-189):

Love is willing.

Jesus said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). The decisions, words, and actions of love always grow in the soil of a willing heart. You cannot force a person to love. If you are forcing someone to love, by the very nature of the act you are demonstrating that this person doesn’t in fact love.

Love is willing self-sacrifice.

There is no such thing as love without sacrifice.

Love calls you beyond the borders of your own wants, needs, and feelings.

Love calls you to be willing to invest time, energy, money, resources, personal ability, and gifts for the good of another.

Love calls you to lay down your life in ways that are concrete and specific.

Love calls you to serve, to wait, to give, to suffer, to forgive, and to do all these things again and again.

Love calls you to be silent when you want to speak, and to speak when you would like to be silent.

Love calls you to act when you would really like to wait, and to wait when you would really like to act.

Love calls you to stop when you really want to continue, and it calls you to continue when you feel like stopping.

Love again and again calls you away from your instincts and your comfort.

Love always requires personal sacrifice.

Love calls you to give up your life.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another.

Love always has the good of another in view.

Love is motivated by the interests and needs of others.

Love is excited at the prospect of alleviating burdens and meeting needs.

Love feels poor when the loved one is poor.

Love suffers when the loved one suffers.

Love wants the best for the loved one and works to deliver it.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation.

The Bible says that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. If he had waited until we were able to reciprocate, there would be no hope for us.

Love isn’t a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” bargain.

Love isn’t about placing people in our debt and waiting for them to pay off their debts.

Love isn’t a negotiation for mutual good.

Real love does not demand reciprocation, because real love isn’t motivated by the return on the investment. No, real love is motivated by the good that will result in the life of the person being loved.

Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.

Christ was willing to go to the cross and carry our sin precisely because there was nothing that we could ever do to earn, achieve, or deserve the love of God. If you are interested only in loving people who are deserving, the reality is that you are not motivated by love for them but by love for yourself. Love does its best work when the other person is undeserving. It is in these moments that love is most needed. It is in these moments that love is protective and preventative. It stays the course while refusing to quit or to get down and get dirty and give way to things that are anything but love.

There is never a day in your marriage when you aren’t called to be willing.

There is never a day in your marriage when some personal sacrifice is not needed.

There is never a day when you are free from the need to consider the good of your husband or wife.

There is never a day when you aren’t called to do what is not reciprocated and to offer what has not been deserved.

There is never a day when your marriage can coast along without being infused by this kind of love.

The Loop...

2011-02-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the LATEST video announcements from Living Hope Church!!

How to Turn Off the Unchurched...

2011-02-10T16:15:00.002-05:00

Sam Rainer, who is the President of Rainer Research (www.rainerresearch.com) and Pastor of First Baptist Church Murray, KY has an excellent article concerning the unchurched. You can read it here. Did you know most surveys indicate that 7 out of 10 Americans will come to church if they are invited. What are you waiting for? Your family, friends, and co-workers are waiting to be asked!

New Strategy

2011-02-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

The North American Mission Board unveiled their new strategy for reaching the people of North America. Click here to read more about their announcement today. It may come as a shock to many, but the United States in now one of the largest, yet most unreached nations in the world. Current estimates now suggest that 3 out of every 4 Americans are lost without a relationship with Christ. May we pray the Lord of the harvest to stir our hearts and reach our own backyard!

Spurgeon on Spiritual Drought...

2011-01-20T20:16:00.000-05:00

Click here to view an excellent article by the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon on going thru a spiritual drought.

Missionary Moments...

2011-01-11T13:51:00.005-05:00

Last month, the Living Hope Church family gave an incredible and sacrificial mission offering to missionaries Ivos & Ellen, who live in the Czech Republic. We asked them (had to drag it out of them:) what some of their needs were out of a desire to bless them during the Christmas season. The items they listed were a refrigerator/freezer for their flat (apartment) along with a new laptop computer. They have been living and ministering without them and never have slowed down or complained without them! We as the American church could learn some valuable lessons from the rest of the world and how they live! Both of these items totaled around $800. I am happy to report that the Living Hope Church family not only met that goal , but exceeded it. I am so honored and humbled to pastor this amazing church plant!. We are as Christ followers and a church family to, "Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!" Psalm 96:3

Thoughts from Sunday

2011-01-02T14:28:00.001-05:00

Today was an awesome day at Living Hope and it appeared the Lord met with us. Several families were back in town, but there were still several away. I wanted to post a video that we showed at the end of the service from Francis Chan. Interesting how we judge normalcy mostly by what others do rather than what the Scriptures say isn't it?

Click here to view the video...

Are We Desperate for God in 2011?

2011-01-01T16:49:00.002-05:00

I cannot wait to preach tomorrow and share what God has been teaching me. 2011 is going to be amazing, but will depend on how desperate we are for Him. Man, Moses understood this principle and God used someone that could not have otherwise been able to be used. The question I often hear people say is they desire to be used by God. However, the real question that we must be asking ourselves is are we usable?

There is nothing in ourselves that makes us usable, only Christ in us and through us (Psalm 24). I will be preaching from James 5:7-12 about how we need to look at this new year as a new opportunity to see our lives and our church from God's perspective and not our own!

Pumped and Praying!!

Ready to Read the Bible in 2011?

2010-12-31T08:58:00.004-05:00

Alright,

Many of us are already beginning those New Year's Resolutions and many of us will once again desire to read the entire Bible in 2011. So often we begin strong, but quickly fall behind for various reasons. There is no greater goal than to study and share the Word of God with others!

Click here to follow a link I posted with TONS of variety for you as you pray and customize a plan to read the Bible.

Enjoy!

History of Santa...

2010-12-14T14:04:00.001-05:00

Click here to read the history of Santa from Pastor Mark Driscoll...

Living Hope Latest: Fall 2010 Edition

2010-11-19T00:28:00.003-05:00

Well Glory!

I am so excited to see the Lord continuing to move among us here in Marysville as I write these lines. The past couple of months have been a whirlwind, but there in no greater work than Kingdom work! First of all, in September we had our first ever Men’s Tailgate Party. It was a huge success with several visitors that were brought by Living Hope members. 2002 Ohio State National Champion Joel Penton brought a challenging message with a clear Gospel presentation. Also, the guys really enjoyed a night of BBQ ribs! There were some decisions made and it was a successful first-time outreach event.

Next, we had another first at Living Hope, which was our World Missions Conference! It was a day that we gathered together to worship the Lord and celebrate all that He is doing among the nations. 9 missionaries came to share their story and help connect the Living Hope family to the mission field. At the end of the evening service, ALL of the passport applications were taken and several came to me and said they were going to renew their old passports!

Also, our annual Trick or Truth outreach was held on Sunday evening, October 31st. This was by far the best year as literally hundreds of people came by to see what was going on in the neighborhood as they were out with their kids. Even more exciting, because this ministry has grown, we have had to change the location and people were actually looking for it in the neighborhood! What an amazing mission field that is right before us.

Finally, the ladies of Living Hope Church had their first annual women’s retreat. Diane Daniel from the ministry of Mother-Wise along with Amy Barron from Kirby Woods Baptist led the retreat. Tara Ritchie Tanner also came from Memphis and led them in worship. Living Hope partnered with another partnering church plant, Lifepoint Church. Nearly 90 women were refreshed and challenged from the Word of God.

In conclusion, I am humbled and happy to report that over the past 8 weeks, Living Hope has averaged around 210 in Sunday morning attendance. We have also baptized 53 people to the glory of God since we began last year. Would you please continue praying and partnering with us as we seek to obey His will here in Marysville and around the world. Your partnership is critical to us and allows us the freedom to devote ourselves to ministry in the field. I love you and thank the Lord for you daily.

A Glimpse of Faithfulness...

2010-09-03T10:10:00.003-04:00

You must click to listen...well worth your time!

Back to Reality

2010-07-05T13:55:00.004-04:00

In all of the weekend celebrations around the birthday of the United States and our freedom, here is an article that soberly reminds us of the freedom we have. However, with that freedom comes responsibility and accountability before the Lord. In this article, a North Korean man suffers greatly and ultimately dies for the Gospel. What would you and I do, better yet, what are we doing for the spread of the Gospel?

Bible Study Links...

2010-06-21T12:05:00.006-04:00

Currently at Living Hope Church, we are teaching a 4 week discipleship class called Journey. Yesterday, class 301 was all about knowing Scripture and how to study it. I told those in the class that I would post a few links on the blog today for the purpose of learning how to better study the Bible and purchase a good study Bible...

ESV Study Bible

Dr. MacArthur's Method

Dr. Mohler's Method

Change...

2010-06-15T11:04:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest chapters in the Word of God is Psalm 73. In this Psalm, we find a man named Asaph who the Lord inspired to write this powerful chapter. This Psalm is divided into 2 sections, or 2 world-views. In the first half of this Psalm (verses 1-16), it appears that Asaph is giving a report to the Lord that his enemies and those who seem to live their lives for themselves are doing better than he. He says in verse 3 that the wicked actually were prospering. This was and still is a frustrating concept for Christians today. Often, we are really good at throwing a pity-party for ourselves and telling the Lord what we deserve and what others do not. The Lord brought change into the life of Asaph, for the Bible says in verse 17 that when Asaph finally went into the sanctuary of the Lord, he saw their end. There was change in this Psalm, however, the Lord did not change the situation of Asaph, but the Lord changed the heart of Asaph. God may not change your situation today, but ask Him to change YOU today. Learn to see things from an eternal perspective rather than a temporal perspective. Enter into the sanctuary of the Lord, pray, read the Bible, and be encouraged!

More Baptisms in May...

2010-05-19T22:10:00.005-04:00

The Lord allowed us the honor to baptize 13 people who took the next step of obedience in their walk with Christ this past Sunday!

Video of Arrested Preacher

2010-05-15T21:44:00.001-04:00

Click on the link to watch actual footage of street preacher in Europe being arrested...

LINK

The Noose Tightens

2010-05-04T22:06:00.002-04:00

Click here to view the latest news on a street preacher overseas who was arrested...

All I Have is Christ Video

2010-05-02T21:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a link to one of the most powerful songs and videos I have seen in a while. You will want to take time to watch this! May this be our prayer!

Click here and play the video as you scroll down the page

Easter Sunday 2010

2010-04-04T20:21:00.002-04:00

Today was amazing, as the Lord brought around 329 people to Living Hope Church to celebrate the life of Christ and 1 year anniversary of Living Hope! There were many first time guests with some decisions made concerning baptism, wanting to know more about becoming a Christian, and membership!

Easter Service & More...

2010-03-24T09:49:00.003-04:00

The Lord continues to move among us here in Marysville...even last night Pastor Gerry and I had the opportunity to visit with a woman and her son. The young man repented of his sins and trusted Christ as his Savior and is now telling all of his friends on Facebook and school today what happened to him last night! Jesus tells us Mark 5 to go and tell others what has happened to us...SO GO TELL. They visited Living Hope Church last Sunday looking for a church to find truth in. They came to know about Living Hope through the church website (www.livinghopemarysville.com). Please be praying for our Easter service on April 4th as we celebrate the life of Christ and the 1 year celebration of Living Hope Church!

January & February 2010 Latest...

2010-03-08T15:58:00.003-05:00

The journey continues to be amazing here at Living Hope Church in Marysville, Ohio. God continues to show us how big He really is and how small we really are! The New Year got off to a fast start with more people coming to know Christ, taking their next steps through baptism, and several signing the covenant and joining the church family.

Growth and excitement is not the only event we have seen here in Central Ohio, as there were 3 major snowstorms that have hit the Midwest and more specifically, Central Ohio. You can see to your left a picture of just how high the snow piled up. As a result, we had to cancel the worship service on Sunday, February 7th due to a level 2-snow emergency. This southern boy from Memphis is still adjusting to this stuff!

Living Hope Church baptized 3 more individuals on Sunday, February 21st. Their picture on the left is a representation of the different people and ages that we are seeing lives changed by the Lord. There are already several individuals waiting to be baptized at the next baptism service in a few weeks, to God be the glory!

I had the honor of traveling to Orlando, Florida February 24th -28th to speak and teach at the First Baptist Church of Central Florida (www.fbccf.net). Dr. Clayton Cloer is Pastor and they began partnering with us in January. I preached at their Men’s Breakfast and shared what the Lord is doing here in Marysville.

Even this past week, a woman drove by our church office sign and saw the words “Living Hope Church Offices” and felt the Lord move in her heart. She said she had reached her end and did not know where to turn. As a result, she walked in and said she needed Living Hope and an hour later repented of her sins and trusted Christ to save her! Your faithful and sacrificial partnership is making an eternal difference here in Marysville and around the world.

Please pray for our 1-year anniversary service that occurs on Easter Sunday, April 4th. We are asking the Lord for 300 people on this special day to celebrate Christ and the difference He makes through His resurrection, how we have Living Hope because He is alive! (1 Peter 1:3)

We are in the middle of praying and raising $7,500 to purchase a video camera, new projector, screen, and staging. As a result of the growth which we praise the Lord for, we must grow with the growth in order for those in the back of the service to see and hear everything in the service. If you would like to help us reach this goal, you may visit our website (www.livinghopemarysville.com) and make a donation on-line or contact us here at the church offices!

I thank the Lord for your partnership in the Gospel,

A Stirring...

2010-02-22T09:47:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was an incredible day yesterday, as we saw the Lord show Himself in mighty ways. The church was full and we held another baptism service as well. 3 more took their next steps in their walk with Christ and were baptized. Even better is the fact that the father of one of the young men getting baptized came to me afterward and said he was lost and wanted to be saved! God is good and there is a stirring within the body of Living Hope...we must keep thanking God and keep praying.

Bobby Bowden & Heaven

2010-02-10T13:37:00.004-05:00

Here is a link to a good story on Bobby Bowden and his desire to get to Heaven!

Sunday Morning Worship Guide

2010-02-06T22:13:00.003-05:00

Below is a quick guide for you and your family to use if you choose to do so. It reveals interesting scientific facts found in the Bible, yet revealing the power and truth of the Word of God.

1. Read Psalm 19:7-10

2. Walk through and read this document below:

Genesis 1:1-2- Science expresses the universe in five terms: time, space, matter, power, and motion. These two verses in Genesis revealed such truths to the Hebrews in the year 1450. “In the beginning [time] God created [power] the heaven [space] and the earth [matter]…And the Spirit of God moved [motion] upon the face of the waters.” The first thing God tells man is that He is in control of all aspects of the universe.

Hebrews 11:3 – Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of invisible atoms. “The things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Psalm 104:2- Scientists now understand that the universe is expanding or stretching out. Nine times in Scripture we are told that God stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

Job 26:7- Around 1500 B.C. it was believed that the earth was sitting upon a large animal or a giant. However, the Bible has said all along that the earth was floating free in space. “He hangs the earth on nothing.”

Isaiah 40:22- We did not need Christopher Columbus to tell us the earth is round, we had the prophet Isaiah! At a time when science believed that the earth was flat, it was the Scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world. “It is He that sits upon the circle of the earth.”

Job 38:12-14- For ages, scientists have believed in a geocentric view of the universe. The differences between night and day were believed to be caused by the sun revolving around the earth. Today, we know that the earth’s rotation on its axis is responsible for the sun’s rising and setting. Over 4,000 years ago, it was written about. “Have you commanded the morning since your days; and caused the day spring [dawn] to know his place?... It [the earth] is turned as clay to the seal.” The picture here is of a clay vessel being turned or rotated upon the potter’s wheel- an accurate analogy of the earth’s rotation.

Luke 17:34-36- Another clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring at the same time.

Psalm 19:5-6- The psalmist says of the Sun that “Its going forth is from the end of the heaven, and its circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from its heat.” For hundreds of year scientists scoffed at the verses thinking that the Sun was stationary in the universe. It was discovered in recent years that the sun is in fact moving through space at 600,000 miles per hour. Its circuit is so big that it would take approximately 200 million years to complete one orbit.

Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 102:25-26; Hebrews 1:11- These verses indicate that the earth is wearing out. This is what the second law of thermodynamics (Law of Increasing Entropy) states: in all physical processes, every ordered system over time tends to become more disordered. Everything is running down and wearing out as energy is becoming less available for use.

Job 38:35- God told Job in 1500 B.C., “Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?” The Bible here is making what appears to be a scientifically ludicrous statement that light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. But did you know that radio waves travel at the speed of light? This is why you have instant wireless communication with someone on the other side of the earth. This wasn’t discovered until 1864 when “British scientist James Clerk Maxwell suggested that electricity and light waves were two forms of the same thing (Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia.)

Job 38:7- Astrologists have discovered that stars emit radii waves, which are received on earth as a high pitch. God mentioned this in Job 38:7, “When the morning stars sang together.”

Genesis 1:14- How could Moses have known 3,500 years ago that the “lights” of the sun and moon were the actual determining factors of the seasons, days, and years, unless God inspired his words?

Ecclesiastes 1:7; 11:3; Amos 9:6; Job 28:26- The Mississippi River dumps 6 million gallons of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico. Where does all of that water go? And that’s just one of thousands of rivers. The answer lies in the hydrologic cycle, so well brought out in the Bible. Centuries later, scientists began to discern the decrees for the rain. Rainfall is part of a process called the “water cycle.” The sun evaporates water from the ocean. The water vapor then rises and becomes clouds. This water in the clouds falls back to the earth as rain, collects in streams and rivers, and then makes its way back to the ocean. This idea of a complete water cycle was not discovered until the seventeenth century.

Psalm 8:8- Man discovered the existence of ocean currents in the late 1850s, but the Bible declared the science of oceanography 2,800 years ago. Matthew Maury (1806-1873), who is known as the father of oceanography, noticed the expression “paths of the sea” in Psalm 8:8. He said, If God said there are paths in the sea; I am going to find them. He discovered the warm and cold continental currents.

Jonah 2:6- It has been discovered that there are mountains on the bottom of the ocean floor. Jonah already discovered that!

Leviticus 17:11- Until 120 years, people who became ill were actually bled to death. It was believed that you could bleed out the blood that caused you to become sick, and as a result most of them often died. 3,000 years ago, this verse proves Medical Science, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”

Leviticus 15:13- In 1845 a young doctor in Vienna named Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that the reason 30 percent of all women were dying after giving birth is because doctors were not washing their hands properly. They would simply dip them into the same bowl over and over due to the unawareness of microscopic diseases. After they took the advice of this verse of using running water, the death rate immediately dropped to 2 percent! (Encyclopedia Britannica)

3. Ask one another what they are currently reading and learning from the Word of God.

4. Pray for one another and ask the Lord to open doors to show and share the love of Christ with those around you.

Dr. Mohler & The Haitian Adoption Process

2010-02-04T20:13:00.002-05:00

Click here to view the most recent ABC interview with Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This 3 minute clip revolves around the Haitian adoption and relief efforts of Christians worldwide.

Men's Retreat Messages

2010-02-02T09:54:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to inform you that all four of the messages from the retreat are now online. Click here to go to the website and click under ministries. There you will find, "Directions Weekend" and just click to listen. Enjoy!

Mens Retreat

2010-01-25T15:56:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a weekend! It all started with our first annual men's retreat. Over 30 men came, hearing God's Word from 4 men within Living Hope Church. It was a great time to get away and refresh. A video and more pics to come soon...

Licensing Pastor James...

2010-01-19T09:56:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday, Living Hope had the honor of licensing our Youth and Children's Pastor, James Moseley into the Gospel ministry. The school was full and the Lord moved. 2 young men came forward wanting to repent of their sins and place their faith and trust in Christ! Another came forward rededicating her life to the Lord! God is good and another update concerning the Victory Center will be coming soon...

Living Hope for Haiti

2010-01-14T10:45:00.004-05:00

I am posting several links here on the Pastor's blog for you to pray, read, and give toward the relief efforts currently taking place for the people of Haiti. We must understand that God is all-knowing, powerful and sovereign (Psalm 115:3). I will comment more later, but for now just click on the links below:

Baptist Global Response

International Mission Board

North American Mission Board

Keep praying and more to come soon...

Victory Center Update

2010-01-12T11:39:00.002-05:00

I just received some AMAZING news from the Victory Center here in Marysville. Keep praying and I will unfold details as they progress soon!!!

Missionary Anniversary

2010-01-09T20:51:00.003-05:00

54 years ago yesterday (Jan. 8, 1956) Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian were martyred in Ecuador, killed by the Wuaorani Indians. Many of the Wuaorani later came to know the Lord...

Jim Elliot’s best-known quote is, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

You can listen to 2 audio sermons preached in the 1950's by Jim Elliot by clicking here

Personal Blog of Dr. Clayton Cloer

2010-01-06T16:03:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to introduce you to the personal resource website of Dr. Clayton Cloer. You can click here to go to it, so save it in your bookmarks. Bro. Clayton is the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Central Florida, who began a partnership with us this month, January 2010! There are some good resources on this site, so feel free to browse around and reference it often.

Marvelous Monday!

2010-01-04T14:11:00.004-05:00

Well, all the guys are back in the office here in Marysville on this snowy Monday in January. A productive morning was achieved as we spent time together casting vision for 2010 and beyond. I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

There is a challenge that all of us must undertake, and that simply is to reproduce ourselves. The church and her ministries therein must NEVER revolve around one person or personality. There is a condition that Paul tells Timothy, and that is to entrust them to faithful men. As I close, the first question I ask you is who are you reproducing yourself in. Secondly, are you worth reproducing as a follower of Christ?

Engage Scripture Website

2010-01-01T14:32:00.003-05:00

Just came across this website last night that not only provides an awesome bible reading plan, it also helps engage the reader by providing helpful resources to the chapters being read...

2009 in Review

2009-12-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

Well, 2009 has come to a close and all I can say is WOW! The Lord has been so good to us and we are extremely grateful for the birth of Living Hope Church here in Marysville, Ohio.

Living Hope Church launched on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. There were 244 people in attendance on that day…to God be the glory! Since then, our average weekly attendance has grown to over 175 on Sunday mornings with new faces every Sunday.

“Homes of Hope”, our new small group ministry, began in September and was a huge success. Overall, there were 9 small groups that met in Marysville and 3 other surrounding cities. Each “Home of Hope” has an outreach ministry project for which they are responsible. The new semester begins again in January and we are praying and anticipating God for mighty things as we strive to serve and share Christ on our street, in our city, and to the nations.

Living Hope Church just held another membership class and baptism service on December 13th. Eight more signed the covenant and joined the church, as well as six more being baptized! Thus far, we have baptized 26 individuals in 2009! Here are a few quick facts about the progress and growth…

• Average weekly attendance has doubled
• Average weekly tithes and offerings have doubled
• 104 members
• 26 baptized
• 5 new babies born with more on the way in 2010!

Your financial commitment to us is critical, as we are still 50% away from being financially self-supporting. Thank you so much for your faithful and sacrificial support, for without which much of this would not be possible.

Finally, I graduated with my Doctor of Ministry degree from The Billy Graham School of Missions & Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. The Lord is good and we are praying and asking God to keep His hand upon us in the days ahead!

Faithfully,
Dr. Jeremy Westbrook

Another Resource

2009-12-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Denny Burk, Dean of Boyce College in Louisville, KY has developed his own personalized plan for reading the Bible in a year. You can click here to download it...

Ready to Read the Bible in a Year?

2009-12-29T21:47:00.001-05:00

Here is a helpful link if reading the Bible from cover-to-cover is a goal for you in 2010...just click here. It should be the goal of every believer in Christ!

Sunday and Snow

2009-12-27T19:16:00.003-05:00

Well, the first Sunday after Christmas turned out to be an awesome time together as a church family! Two families came forward at the invitation desiring to join and ask more questions. However, there were a lot of our core church membership gone out of town traveling. As a matter of fact, there were 20 families gone...that is a lot of people! There were some visitors and I continued preaching from the book of 1 Corinthians. Today, we looked at Chapter 3 and verses 10-15. The Apostle Paul instructs and exhorts the church at Corinth to be careful how they build on the foundation, which is the Lord Jesus. Scripture teaches us that as believers', we will face a second judgment known as the "Bema" seat of Christ, where we will be rewarded for our good works. Dr. Adrian Rogers rightly said that good works are not the root of salvation, but they are the fruit of salvation. Either we are building with gold, silver, and precious stones or we are building with wood, hay, and stubble that will burn up on that day. May we live our lives from an eternal perspective and not waste it, for one day we will lay those crowns at the feet of Jesus, the only one who deserves anything!!

By the way, the snow continues to fall here in OHIO. A good reminder that our sins are now as white as snow thanks to the Lord Jesus...

The New Birth

2009-12-24T13:41:00.002-05:00

This time of year brings out so many truths, emotions, and stories of why Jesus came. It is true that without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity is in vain (1 Corinthians 15). However, if Jesus never came born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died for the sins of the world, these would be NO reason to celebrate Christmas and Easter. This picture is from 2 Sunday's ago when 6 individuals took their next step in following Christ. I would say that another miracle is that of the New Birth found in John 3 when sinners repent and place their faith and trust in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Time to Study

2009-12-22T10:42:00.004-05:00

Here is a graduation pic I took with Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY a couple of weeks ago. As part of the graduation ceremonies, graduates are invited to the home of Dr. Mohler and allowed to tour his home and library. Needless to say, the studying of the Word of God, literature, and world news ranks high on his priority list. Some may say, well he is the President of a Seminary, so he should. The problem is that Scripture exhorts us in 1 Peter 3:15 to, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Simply, we must be in the Word to proclaim and spread the Word! You and I should devote our hearts, mind, and time to the study of the Bible daily. I want to encourage you not to waste your time and spend it on eternal matters...

Change Of Plans

2009-12-21T07:08:00.003-05:00

Well, the Lord in His wisdom & sovereignty changed a lot of plans yesterday. For the 2nd straight Saturday night in a row, our Worship Pastor, Adam Fisher, called and said he would not be able to be there on Sunday morning. This time, however, it was due to the fact of his wife being in labor! All that said, the special choir and the KIDS choir were not able to perform their Christmas music and we learned some very valuable lessons. First of all, what true worship really is and it should never revolve around one person. The second lesson is that we must all be reproducing ourselves in someone else. The Bible teaches us in 2 Timothy 2:2 that we are to teach and model the Scriptures to others and be making disciples. It still was an awesome day, as to the best of my knowledge around 180 were in attendance, with almost 45 of our regular members out of town traveling for Christmas week! I hope to have baptism pics up by tomorrow...

Press On!

Day of Prayer

2009-12-18T17:15:00.004-05:00

Dr. Johnny Hunt, the President of The Southern Baptist Convention, has asked that January 31, 2010 be set aside as a day of prayer. Hunt says, "We live in unprecedented times, with Christian and moral foundations rapidly crumbling before our very eyes. Meanwhile, many Christian churches, which should be a mighty force ready to spread salt and light in this dark world, are prepared. God's glory has been set aside while other things have overshadowed our first love." He goes on to say, "The reputation of SBC churches is akin to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-5. Jesus commended them for doing many things, but called them to repent." May we as the church put feet to our faith and fall on our knees. Remember, Jesus never said if you pray and fast, He said when you pray and fast! Should we have these moments where we stop and commit to praying, or should this be a daily commitment? Leave your comments...

Multi-Site Churches

2009-12-17T11:28:00.002-05:00

There is an interesting article in the USA Today concerning multi-site churches. You can click here to read it. Much discussion has been raised revolving the use of one church with many locations. Read and leave a comment, what do you think? Is it right, biblical, or does it even matter?

It Is Finished!

2009-12-16T11:31:00.002-05:00

As I write these words, it is hard to imagine that the journey which began in 2006 has now come to an end in 2009. God is faithful and has tremendously blessed us in every possible way. On Friday, December 11th, 2009, I graduated with my Doctor of Ministry degree from The Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. You can watch the ceremony by clicking here.

Global Impact

2009-11-20T13:34:00.004-05:00

Well, after a short time away I hope to begin my journal scribing or as some call it blogging! This past week I was honored to return to my home and sponsoring church in Memphis, TN, Kirby Woods Baptist Church. God tremendously blessed the conference as Kirby pledged over $680,000 for missions on top of the missions budget! You can listen to the messages by clicking here...

May the Lord continue to bless Kirby Woods and may Living Hope be a launching pad to the nations! As Hudson Taylor said, "Missions is not an option to be considered, it is a command to be obeyed." Remember, you are never more like Jesus than when you give!

Buckeyes in the Czech!

2009-09-30T15:52:00.003-04:00

Can you believe that the OHIO nation is all over the world. Buckeye trees are all over the world and even here in the Czech Republic. I am going to scoop as many up as I can and bring them home! Today was an awesome, but much cooler day with some rain. We spent the day walking all over the city of Olomouc and saw the outer parts of the city and majority of the population here. Also, we saw some ministry opportunities Ivos and his wife Ellen have here with social ministry as a means of servant evangelism and making contacts to share Christ. Tonight, we just got back from having a bible study meeting with 7 other believers about a possible movement! I spoke from Acts 1 and the importance of remaining faithful and prayerful. Paul spoke about being filled with the Holy Spirit on a constant basis (Ephesians 5). Only 2 more days before we make the long trek home, so pray as we have 2 meetings tomorrow with a local pastor and businessman here in the city. Attached is a photo from last night as we found a group of college students worshipping...very encouraging here!

First Day From the Czech

2009-09-29T10:04:00.002-04:00

After almost 24 hours of flying and driving, we finally made it here to Olomouc, Czech Republic. It is a city of around 100,000 people and when college students are here, around 120,000. It is like stepping back in time when you look around at the architecture and buildings. However, the culture is extremely progressive and liberal. In almost everyone's hand is a cigarette and beer bottle along with a closed view about God. Today, we walked the streets as most here do not drive cars within the city, they walk or use transport shuttles. So, we walked, prayed, and shared Christ with some college students at a coffee/cafe on the campus. The pic you see is from us climbing up 300 stairs in an old Catholic church building that was constructed back in 1412...I don't know how safe it was, but we made it. We are 6 hours ahead over here, so we are close to having dinner and go to a meeting with some college students and talk. Please keep praying as we leave on Saturday morning and time is going by quick...

Living Hope Latest

2009-09-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

Good Afternoon,

Just wanted to update you on the latest as to what the Lord is doing here in Marysville, Ohio. The family is doing great and we are extremely blessed. Caden turned 4 in May and finished his first summer of t-ball. He made his daddy proud! Abigail is the apple of her daddy's eye and already has me wrapped. Jennifer is amazing and is the glue that holds it all together...I am incredibly thankful for her! Below is a quick update in several different areas:

Traveling...I will be leaving this coming Sunday evening, September 27th, on a mission journey to the Czech Republic. I will be traveling with Paul Davis, a man in our church and Randall Wood, missions pastor at Dublin Baptist Church. Please pray for our traveling journeys and vision for how Living Hope could possibly be involved in reaching this people group.

Defending...Friday, October 23rd, I will travel to Louisville, KY and defend my DMIN dissertation at the Billy Graham School of Missions & Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Pray the Lord will give me wisdom as I prepare and speak as to what the Lord has taught me through this incredible degree program. If the Lord allows, I will graduate in December!

Preaching...I will be traveling back home and preaching at the Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. The dates for the Global Impact Conference are November 11-15, 2009. I will be preaching and sharing the story of what God is doing here on Friday night, November 13. Please visit www.kwbc.org for more information.

Moving...As a result of the growth, Living Hope Church has outgrown her meeting space at the school and has to move! Beginning this Sunday, September 27th, Living Hope signed a 1 year lease and will begin meeting at Creekview Intermediate School. We will be in the same sub-division and meeting next door from where we have been the past year. Living Hope is currently averaging over 160 on Sunday mornings. There have been 4 saved in the past month with another baptism service and membership class scheduled soon!

Sharing...This past week, I was offered the opportunity to share the vision and story of Living Hope on the Christian radio station WRFD (wrfd.com) here in Columbus. Please click here or you can go to our website to listen to the program in its entirety under the "media" section.

Honoring & Licensing...Sunday, September 6, 2009, was a special day in the life of our young church. We licensed Josh Wiley, son of Associate Pastor Gerry Wiley, into the Gospel ministry. Josh is a senior at The Ohio State University and will be graduating in May 2010. Also, Living Hope honored IMB Trustee and charter member Will Pollard in recognition of 50 years in the Gospel ministry. We are honored to have Godly men and women who understand missions in the life of our young church.

Giving...As the church grows, so do expenses. Though our giving is increasing as a result of families joining, we are still in need of financial partners and givers. Several of our families have been laid off and are looking for work. Since moving in to a bigger facility, there are some items we have purchased and STILL need to purchase. We are praying, seeking, and asking to raise $6,000.00 for the move to our new facility. This money will be used to buy extra staging and curtains, a new welcome center, advertising to the community informing them we have moved, a nice but used video camera to film and edit ministry videos and signage throughout the building and outside the building, etc...

Partnering...I am pleased to announce that Dr. Clayton Cloer and the FBC of Central Florida will begin partnering with us in 2010! Would you please consider a one-time financial gift or a monthly commitment to meet this goal at Living Hope. You can click here and donate to Living Hope on-line through our local sponsor church, Dublin Baptist. Also, you can make a check out to Living Hope Church and mail it to the church office at:

246 West Fifth Street
Marysville, Ohio 43040

Thank you for your time and faithful commitment to the Lord and His Kingdom. Please keep praying for the harvest here!

--

Jeremy Westbrook

Living Hope Church
www.livinghopemarysville.com
937.738.7114

On Hold.....

2009-09-17T14:31:00.002-04:00

Do you ever feel as if you are on hold and nobody is ever going to give you an answer? Well, join the club! Right now, we are waiting to hear back from a couple of people as to a new meeting place for the youth ministry and also the Victory Outreach Center here in the heart of Marysville. However, we did get some exciting news concerning a new meeting place on Sunday mornings that I will be announcing this coming Sunday morning! Thank the Lord that when we pray, the Father hears and never puts us on hold!

I will keep you posted...

"Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
- Psalm 121:4

Need More Room

2009-09-08T15:04:00.002-04:00

Today, the staff and I met at an undisclosed location to consider moving from where we currently are meeting on Sunday mornings. Currently, the growth rate of Living Hope has pushed us to the max where we currently are, leaving us with space problems, which is a GOOD problem! The meeting went well and I hope to have some exciting news to announce soon, so please pray. Also, be praying for our youth ministry and a place for them to hold their Wednesday night worship service as they are already out of room!

Praying For A Victory!

2009-08-28T09:13:00.001-04:00

Living Hope Family,

I want to make you aware and ask you to pray for this opportunity. Yesterday, James, Gerry, and myself went to the Victory Center here in downtown Marysville to meet with Dr. Michael Witzky. They purchased the building a while back for $150,000 and are looking to sell it. It will need an enormous amount of work, but the space and opportunities are endless here in the heart of Marysville. I know of several mission teams from around the country that would be willing to come and help us renovate it and be used as a lighthouse for this city and community!

Anyway, I do not mind asking, remember we have not because we ask not, so I did. I asked if he would go back to his board of directors after sharing the vision with him and see if they would donate the property and building to Living Hope. He said he did not know, but he LOVED the vision and that is what they want the building to be used for! So, please pray and I will keep you up to date. The Victory Center building is located next door to the U.S. Post Office here on Main street.

"The problem is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer." - Dr. Adrian Rogers
--

New Partnering Church

2009-08-26T10:48:00.004-04:00

I am pleased to announce that Living Hope has a new partnering church, the First Baptist Church of Central Florida. Dr. Clayton Cloer is the pastor of this mission minded church located in the heart of Central Florida. God continues to bless Living Hope with biblical and missional church partnerships that have a heart for the nations. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:3-5, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Please be praying as I turn most of my attention to praying and seeking new church partnerships for Living Hope in 2010.

Time to Face the Music

2009-08-19T21:49:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest from Dr. Al Mohler and a panel from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Are we willing to change in order to reach a lost generation or do we desire to decline at a record pace? Click here to read, listen, and watch...

A Great Commission Resurgence

2009-08-17T13:25:00.003-04:00

Well, it is Monday and I am back in the office. It feels weird to say this, but I had an awesome time on vacation; however, am glad to back in Ohio and in the office. A church ought to feel and be a home to members and that is certainly what I love about Living Hope! There is an urgent call for our Southern Baptist churches across America to be praying and take part in a Great Commission Resurgence. Find out more at the new official website just launched by clicking here...

Lessons Learned Already

2009-08-10T09:35:00.004-04:00

We have been here at the beach for only a day and yet the Lord has already begun to reveal some things to me. On the way down Saturday, my phone went dead a few miles outside of Louisville. The iPhone battery saidf it was fully charged and for some reason it died. No problem, Jennifer got one last month so we could just use her phone. Well, she did not have much battery life left on hers, so I told her to to turn it off and conserve the power in case we would ever need it. Keep in mind that we have an ever excited and energy filled 4 year old little boy in the back and an almost 3 month old that is not a big fan of her car seat. Usually people put their kids in the car seat to make them go to sleep while they drive; however, Abigail prefers to actually sleep in her bed already and nowhere else!

So the LONG journey continued through Kentucky with construction delays, Tennessee (yes I saluted), and Alabama finally led us into the panhandle of Florida around 9 o'clock. My wife kept asking me, "Are you sure you know where you are going?". Thankfully, I printed off google maps as a back-up to my iPhone GPS. So here we are, it is dark now with both phones dead, the kids and wife ready to get out of the car and I have no gas in the van with no station around for miles. I begin to wonder about Heaven, because I might be there soon if we run out of gas and my wife gets really upset with me:) Not 3 minutes later in the middle of nowhere a gas station appeared and boy did I fill up as quick as I could. I felt as if I was at a pit stop in the Indy 500!

As I got really anxious, the Lord reminded me that He was there and to cast all of our anxieties upon Him for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7)...Needless to say we are here and having an incredible time already with lessons learned. What are you worried about today, just give it away to the one who wants to carry it for you, Jesus!

Back at the Beach

2009-08-09T09:44:00.001-04:00

Well, we finally made it to Destin, Florida! You will not believe the story I have to tell about our journey here from Ohio yesterday...gotta love construction and sitting still on the interstate with 2 kids in the back:) I will be writing and updating again in a few hours, but I gotta get out there and soak up some sun!

Have You Been to P.E. Lately?

2009-08-05T09:58:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday evening, PE (Personal Evangelism) began here at Living Hope. The Bible teaches us to be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15). Our Associate Pastor, Gerry Wiley, teaches the class at his home on Sunday evenings @ 6pm. 23 people from the church came and even some visitors! Imagine...a church full of trained soul-winners combined with the power of prayer. Keep praying and proclaiming...do you have a story to tell? If you are saved you do!

Love Loud

2009-08-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

Today, we began our new sermon series called, "Love Loud." Yesterday, a team of 110 students from 1st Baptist Church in Collierville, Tennessee helped us pass out over 2,000 cards to the neighborhood as they stopped on their way to Cedarpoint. It was a huge success as we had several first time visitors this morning. Some indicated they desired to know more about membership, some wanting to know more about establishing a relationship with Christ, and one couple even wanting coffee with the pastor. God is good and today I preached one verse, John 3:16. This is the loudest act of love ever known to the world...God sending His one and only Son Jesus Christ. Keep praying...

Back In The Water Again!

2009-07-27T22:35:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was an incredible day at Living Hope. Even in the midst of the summer months with several core families gone, there were 150 in attendance! Also, the best part is that 6 more were baptized yesterday afternoon @ the YMCA! There is a stirring...keep praying for the harvest here as we have baptized 20 so far this year and I pray many more...

Baseball and Witnessing...

2009-07-25T15:45:00.003-04:00

Well, today has been a good and wet kinda day here in Marysville. Caden had his second t-ball game today. His first hit was off of the tee and the second hit was even better. He had a solid hit as we did over-handed coach pitch today! They even asked me to help coach and pitch the game...they must really need help to ask me:) I really love connecting with Caden and others here in the city of Marysville through this. Several know that I am a pastor and it gives me the platform to tell them why we moved here to begin Living Hope. This afternoon while I was on the treadmill (which I should do more often), I had the opportunity to witness to a man who was Hindu. He claimed there are many gods and paths to Heaven. I kindly shared with him the 10 commandments and the claim Jesus made in John 14:6 when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." He listened and kindly said that whatever makes you happy is all that matters. These encounters are exactly why we are here! Pray for me as I preach Jonah 4 tomorrow and conclude our series.

Why We Should Pray...

2009-07-23T10:14:00.002-04:00

It appears as if everyone over the past few years has spent more time complaining than praying. However, there are voices crying out in the wilderness and it belongs to men and women, boys and girls, as well as pastors and staff. It is an exhortation to return back to prayer as we strive to move toward a Great Commission Resurgence. Dr. Chuck Lawless, Dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary has written a wonderful letter concerning this issue...you can read it by clicking here.

"The problem is not unanswered prayer, it is that of unoffered prayer." - Dr. Adrian Rogers

PRAY THE PRICE

What Is Our Mission?

2009-07-21T12:03:00.003-04:00

Let's face it, we live in a time where there has never been more confusion in the church about what the church should be doing. The problem is that Scripture has been replaced with programs, personalities, and politics. Here at Living Hope, our only mission is THE GREAT COMMISSION found in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said that we will reach the world by making disciples. As a college student at the University of Memphis, I became heavily involved and even president one year at the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry there on campus. The mission statement of Crusade is to win, build, and send. I have yet to find a more simple and effective method of sharing the vision and mission of The Great Commission. Christian, quit sitting around looking for holes in other people's theology puffing up with pride and focus on the 1.7 billion people who have no access to the Gospel in the world! Our prayer and vision here at Living Hope is the same to that of Scripture. The Bible is not the book of the month, it is the book of the ages! Now pray and get moving...

Sunday Summary

2009-07-19T20:57:00.003-04:00

Today at Living Hope, we held our third membership class and I preached through the third chapter of Jonah. It was a great class with several new members joining and signing the covenant! Next Sunday, July 26th, we will have our fourth baptism service at the YMCA. 3 are scheduled to be baptized with a possibility of 3 more, so if you get a chance pray for that all important next step of obedience for several next Sunday. The Lord continues to bless us here in the summer months as several of our key families were gone today on vacation and yet 150 people were in attendance today! Keep praying...

T-Ball & Jonah 3

2009-07-18T15:36:00.004-04:00

Today has been a busy but awesome day. Started out with Caden's first t-ball game...he had an awesome first hit and eventually made his way around the bases and scored! Then, off to a birthday party, now he and I are here at the office finishing up a few last minute things. Tomorrow, I am preaching Jonah chapter 3, which reveals to us the heart of a holy and powerful God. Just as God's desire was for Nineveh to repent, the message has not changed though the city has. God desires for the city of Marysville not to feel good about themselves, not to live better lives for themselves, but for the ENTIRE city to repent! Jesus said in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, we will perish and spend eternity in hell. The message of Jesus should be the mission of the church. Please pray for our service tomorrow that God will continue to move among us...

The Gospel & Partnership

2009-07-17T13:22:00.005-04:00

Well, Friday's around the Living Hope church offices are suppose to be vacant, however, I find myself here writing these words! There is so much to do right now and God is blessing us in tremendous ways. I want to introduce you to a young church planter named Nick Nye. Nick moved here a few months before we did and is planting a church in the "Short North" arts district of downtown Columbus. Click here to go to the church website. God is doing great things through this church in an incredible hostile environment and culture to the Gospel. As a young church, we we desire to give back as the Lord has given us so much. Indeed, the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:3-5, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."

You have always heard your pastor say talk is cheap because it is! If you have a heart for God and missions then put your money where your mouth is. Living Hope is excited and blessed to help this young church in whatever way we can to get the Gospel out...we just met a critical need they had and will continue to pray and partner with them. Tell someone about Jesus today!

Van For Sale and Homes of Hope

2009-07-16T15:33:00.002-04:00

Today has been an awesome yet overwhelming day. First, I am trying to sell our 2003 Dodge Caravan, so if you know anyone that is interested have them email me at jeremy@livinghopemarysville.com if interested! You can click here to view the ad on autotrader.com.

Also, the staff and I along with Bobby Wilkerson had a wonderful meeting about the future small group ministry of Living Hope called "Homes of Hope." Please be praying as we launch these small groups all over Marysville, Richwood, Plain City, Dublin, Powell, etc...I am not praying for revival, I am praying for an awakening! Please pray for us and with us...

The Unchurched and Their Thoughts

2009-07-09T10:47:00.002-04:00

Here in a link from a new blog post by Dr. Thom Rainer, the President of Lifeway in Nashville, TN. May we as Christians pursue holiness and remember that not only is God watching, others around us are as well!

Prayer That Changes the World

2009-05-30T15:49:00.002-04:00

A short message on prayer from John Piper on praying small groups. When will we stop focusing on people who come rather than the prayers that are offered!

A Gospel Pandemic

2009-04-27T14:36:00.002-04:00

Today, there is much concern about a possible outbreak or pandemic of the flu-like virus called the "Swine Flu." What if the Gospel spread from one person to another so rapidly that newspapers, tv reporters, and blogs all across the web reported an outbreak of Christianity? Is Acts 1:8 a command or just an option for believers? Biblically, it is a command to be obeyed. Do you know your neighbor. Do you know where he or she stands spiritually? Why must it take an economic or physical crisis to get our attention. Jesus said in John 9 that it is day, however, night is coming when no man can work any longer. May this be our prayer, to get out of our comfort zones and spread the good news that Jesus is alive and Living Hope has come to Marysville, Union County, Central Ohio, and the World.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T17:29:00.004-04:00

Easter Sunday at Living Hope was amazing. It was our grand opening and public launch to Marysville, Union County, Central Ohio, and the World. We had an attendance of 244 people with 2 receiving Christ as their Lord and Savior and one family coming to join! God is good so keep praying!

Getting Ready...

2009-04-07T16:34:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday, April 5th, Long Hollow Baptist Church in Nashville, TN arrived to help us pass out over 20,000 door-hangers all over Marysville and Union County getting ready for our public launch on Easter Sunday, April 12th. Here is a pic from this past week's service where we had 250 in attendance!

The Next 3 Sunday's @ Living Hope

2009-03-25T08:21:00.003-04:00

Currently, I am preaching through the last week of Jesus' life as he marched toward Calvary to pay the ultimate price for our sin debt. This coming Sunday, we will look at Thursday, the day before the crucifixion, when Jesus had His Last Supper with the disciples, thus instituting the Lord's Supper as an ordinance to remember. We will have several guests with us from Dublin as well.

The following Sunday, a team from around 125-175 will be here from Nashville to help us blitz our county and get ready for Easter Sunday, April 12th. It is going to be busy, however, this is the kind of busy that brings eternal dividends. Hope to see you Sunday and remember not to waste your life on things that do not matter in the end!

Here is a pic from our Missions day service on March 15th...

A House of Prayer...

2009-03-07T10:27:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow morning I will be preaching from Matthew 21:12-17, with the message being titled, "Cleaning house and Clarifying." Jesus says in verse 13 that He wants His house to be a house of prayer. Notice that He did not say a house of programs, rather prayer. Are programs bad? I am not against programs and organized ministry, however, I do think prayer serves as the foundation for all ministries in the life of a healthy, biblical and reproducing church. There must be a divine balance with prayer and the Gospel serving as a firm foundation. Dr. Chuck Lawless, dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary, believes prayer should be added as a purpose to the church...adding to the popular five of worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. What do you think?

More Time in the Water!

2009-02-25T05:57:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to baptize 5 more into the Living Hope church family. God is good so please continue to keep praying for the harvest here in Marysville as we move closer to "launching" on Easter Sunday!

Heading to Nashville...

2009-02-17T07:45:00.002-05:00

Just finished our men's prayer breakfast an hour ago and going to spend this Tuesday preparing to leave for Nashville, TN. The Lord has provided me the opportunity to preach to the student ministry at Long Hollow Baptist Church. Their student ministry is preparing to bring around 100-150 students and adults to help us blitz Union County the week before Easter. Please pray as we leave early in the morning to spend the day there and come back through Louisville, KY on Thursday.

Are You Dangerous?

2009-02-11T13:14:00.002-05:00

Click on the link to watch a short clip that will challenge you to not just know dangerous people, rather to be the danger!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguw1ewAkWg