Love's Got everything to do with It!

Tina Turner is famous for singing "What's Love Got to Do With It"? This song is about romantic love, about boy-girl attraction. In the song she calls this "love", a "sweet old-fahioned notion", a "second hand emotion" that can break a heart. Where do I sign up?

Well the truth is, "Love has got everything to do with everything!" We just have to make sure the right love( 1 John 4:7-9), God's love saturates our lives so love's behaviors are obvious.(1 Cor. 13:4-7, Love your neighbor as yourself). "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

I hope to see you this weekend. If the Bible is true about what it says about God's Love: 1. It is the most excellent way. 2. It is the greatest. 3. It never fails. It might mean we ought to pay attention to Love's way and actions. I think you will be encouraged by considering how love can be more evident in your life.

I encourage you to invite a friend. I truly believe people want to be in a place and around people where they are Loved, Accepted and Forgiven.

A mailer inviting our friends and neighbors to the ministries of Constance will be arriving in many neighborhoods beginning today. I encourage you to use these as reminders to chat with your friends and neighbors about Jesus and your experience of knowing Jesus in this local body.

It's been great to see so many of our ministries kick off this week. I encourage you to participate either as one being served or as a servant. Either way it will create an environment necessary for spiritual growth in your life. I hope that each one of us will see Christ being formed in our lives this year. It's interesting but as we grow to be more Christ-like we become a gift to God (Paul says a fragrant offering) we become a gift to others(loving and serving others) and a gift to ourselves(there is no better way to live life than being a servant of Christ). I encourage you to pursue practical growth in your Christian walk this year.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power to grasp ....the love of Christ, and to know his love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 4:16-19

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Keep The Doors Open

There is an old saying in the church-"Keep the lights burning". Historically the church was one of the places in town that had electricity. The thought was that especially on the weekend if you kept the lights burning and especially on a Sunday night the community would join in. And for a time that worked. Most people in the Andover area have electricity in their homes and so now the church is expected to have electricity. Apparently electricity is no longer novel.(And neither are Sunday night services) Bizarre how things change.

So how do we as a people of God, communicate the timeless message of Jesus our generation? How do we Keep the Doors open so people can see the grace and goodness of Jesus and experience his life in their own lives. Honestly it's a big question, one every generation has had to answer. The first time we see the Church wrestle with his question is in Acts 15. It is a fascinating passage that moves from principle to people. Take some time to read Acts 15 before the weekend. Ask these two questions. 1. What doors is God opening for me(or the church) in sharing his love to those around me? 2. What attitudes or actions do I have that work to close doors for me(or the church) in sharing his love to those around me?

"...they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." Acts 14:27

It's God's way of grace to use us to "open doors of faith" to many who have yet responded to the Gospel Message. I want to encourage you to continue to Pray and Watch. Expecting God to "open the door of faith" so those you know and love will experience an "open door of faith" in their lives. As you Pray and Watch ask God to openly reveal all the doors of opportunity and faith he is asking you to walk through. I am convinced I miss doors of opportunity everyday because I am not "watching" as I should.

Pray and Watch Prayer: Father, please send your Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of these people.(name them) Draw them to Jesus and make them kingdom workers.

What a great time of the year. Many around you are asking "fall questions". Should I go to church somewhere?? Should I get my kids involved in Sunday School, Youth group?? Should I join a group?? Let people know you are diving in. Ask them to dive in with you. I believe God blesses each one of us with many opportunities to "open a door of faith" for those we associate with daily. KEEP THE DOORS OPEN!

I Look forward to seeing you this weekend.

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Church-A Team endeavor!

I hope you are enjoying the last weeks of Minnesota summer! Just like MN-we go from 90's to 70's and all of the sudden I need a blanket. So enjoy. BUT--don't forget to pursue our Lord in the different paces of summer. Paul writes "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord....I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.....Phil. 3:8-10. I don't think there is ever a time we should feel comfortable putting Jesus and our walk of faith "on the shelf for a while".

I had opportunity to contemplate this scripture a bit last week. Several things challenged me concerning living this out on a daily basis. One thought challenged me concerning both now and eternity. What if this is the whole standard of expectation and evaluation. Will I be eternally evaluated on my passion for knowing Christ and letting that saturate my whole being.

I want to encourage you to consider how that will be worked in your life this year. How will you grow toward knowing Christ fully???? "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Col 1:20

This weekend: We will continue our study in Acts by looking at chapter's 13-14. This is Paul's First Missionary Journey and marks the beginning of the Gospel message saturating all nations. As we consider the Gospel message saturating our city we see the importance of the Body and the power of a team. Most of us recognize that few accomplisments in life are done alone. This is true of the church as well. The Gospel will never saturate the ends of the earth or every city in our county and world until the church works in unity. It's exciting to see how our gifts can be used in a team to see the Gospel spread to every area of our county and world.

See You this weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Alive

Last week I told you about a recommended new technique for CPR. Here is a place to watch. It's about five minutes and will probably come in handy some day. And yes you will have to download the Bee Gees song on your own--

http://tinyurl.com/2fx8r59

I find it interesting that we can learn a simple technique that can save a physical life-but don't often think about the fact that we can carry the message of Christ wherever we go and can have an eternal impact. What a blessing we can be to those we are in contact with during the daily routines of life. This truly does take life from ordinary to extra-ordinary.

This week we will see an incident in Peter's life where he is called by God to be involved with something and someone he is not sure about. His heart is definitely not into the call he receives but responds anyhow. I think eventually he is glad he said YES. Read all about this incident in Acts 10-11:18.

Whatever you do today--Spend some time reading God's Word. You will never be sorry.

Look forward to seeing you all this weekend.

God BLess

Pastor Randy

Open Doors

We don't often give doors much thought. Unless of course they don't work or won't open. Then we know something needs to change. It's interesting to think about the message of Jesus as it pertains to doors. Not only it's reception in an individual heart but also breaking open the doors in area after area, culture after culture, nation after nation.(Acts 1:8-witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth. )

This week we continue our study in the book of Acts. We will begin by seeing how one life can make a difference in generations to come. There is no question that life could be yours. I invite you to read Acts 9 -It is the story of Saul's encounter with the risen Lord. That encounter not only changed a life but is still testifying to the power of that risen Lord today. Our lives can have that same kind of impact in the lives placed in our paths.

We had a wonderful Annual Business meeting last Sunday. We heard some testimonies, recounted with joy how God has led and directed our church this past year. We also passed next years budget. It can sound kinda drab until you realize that a budget becomes a full ledger of God 's leading, guiding and directing a congregation to consequential ministry in their lives and community. What a joy to see how God is growing us on so many levels. It was Paul's desire " to present every person mature and equipped forChrist filled ministry." This is our church desire also. If you want to see a copy of the budget please feel free to contact our church office.

I hope to see you at this weekend. I know you will be blessed as you worship with the community of those who believe in Jesus.

God BLess

Pastor Randy

30 Years

This week Deb and I celebrated 30 years of Marriage. One the one hand we both can't believe it. TIme went by so fast. On the other hand we expected it. I don't think either of us thinks marriage is all that easy. I think you have to work at some stuff-well more stuff than just some. On the other hand there are things only the Spirit can do-If we will let him! When I think about being patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, not proud, not self seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, never delights in evil, rejoices in truth, always protects, always trust, hopes and perseveres I am so glad the Spirit is working and transforming my life. If I submit to that work--I might make another 30 years of marriage. If I don't that's a list that will kill me if done only on my own effort and strength. Well first you have to have the want to- and thats in short supply in most of our lives. I am so thankful the Spirit gives the ability to do in the believers life.

I wouldn't mind another 30 years. I don't really want to hang on forever but if I can spend those years with Deb, who more than anyone I know exemplifies the above qualities-well I might just look forward to that and hang on as long as I can.(Better exercise today) Anyhow I want to encourage all of you married folks to expect to be together until death separates you. And keep allowing the Spirit to work deep in your life so that your spouse will have the best,growing godly spouse possible. That will take you to the finish line-together.

Thanks Deb for the best 30 years of my life. I definitely got the better end of the lifetime deal we made 30 years ago. I Love You!

Well moving from one extra-ordinary miracle to another I invite you to explore the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church this weekend. I will be dealing with the topic "Are Miraculous Gifts For Today?". The miracle of the church and how God can take people who have been dead in sin and bring them back to a life lived in the presence of God and using that life for his purposes and glory is really worth taking a look at.

See You This Weekend

God BLess

Pastor Randy

No Accidents

Lots of stuff happens. As I was praying, I recognized my tendency for wanting circumstances changed. My tendency is to believe I know how things should be changed rather than wondering what God wants to do in the midst of those circumstances. If this sounds like a tendency you have, I invite you to think along with me this weekend as we look at the life of Philip (Acts 8). This guy was a real normal guy living the normal Christian life and God used him in (what we would say) small but extraordinary ways. I want that to be true in my life!

I hope you were able to be with us last weekend. What a wonderful challenge by both the Livesay's (Haiti) and Pastor David Kiamu (Liberia). You can listen his message online at www.constancefree.org. I encourage you to do it.

Deb and I watched the movie "The Princess Bride" recently. I have seen the movie probably 100 times. It's the only movie I believe is an all time classic. I am sure you disagree and all I can say is ... well ... nothing. You either get it or you don't. Anyhow, during the Miracle Max scene (my favorite scene) he ask's our "mostly dead" hero, "What do you got to live for?" What comes out of our mostly dead hero sounds like "true love." A noble cause of course but not enough to motivate Max. He eventually responds to an opportunity for revenge. It's a great reminder to live for something that truly exceeds the norm.

Helen Keller once said, "Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self gratification but through fidelity to a worth purpose."

So "what do you got to live for?" Perhaps a better question: what are you living and giving your life for right now that will last forever? I believe a follower of Jesus has the greatest opportunity in the world to live for the cause of Christ, a worthy purpose that will exceed all time and history.

What a privilege to do that together as the body of Christ. "He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose! - Jim Elliot

It's my hope and prayer that your desires continually grow for the worthy purpose of the name and cause of Christ.

"I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. Philippians 3:7-9

See you this weekend!

God Bless,

Pastor Randy

A Special Week!

This week at Constance we will get to experience the book of Acts present tense. Speaking this week will be David Kiamu. David is a leader in our Liberian Free Church and a point person for our partnership in Liberia as well as Reach Africa.( consortium of African countries working together to reach Africa with the Gospel). David has been to Constance before to meet with our Global team and it's a joy to welcome him to our pulpit this weekend. I heard him preach at our Congo Conference last July(in English) and was inspired by the Word he preached and His heart and passion for our Lord.

We also welcome for a Grace Story this weekend Troy and Tara Livesay. Troy and Tara have been ministering in Haiti for several years, have adopted three Haitian children and recently went through the earthquake in Haiti. You will be inspired by their first hand reports of what God is doing in Haiti. Tara's parent's Randy and Carolyn Porter and sister Tina and husband(Matt and Tina CLeary) all are regular attenders at Constance. Recently Matt and Tina adopted Annie from Haiti. You can find out more at Livesayhaiti.blogspot.com

I am always amazed at how God uses ordinary, avaliable, powered by His spirit people. It's the normal Christian life as we learned last week by examining Stephens Life. It's my prayer that our time together this weekend will inspire you by means of God's Spirit to give yourself totally to God.

My wife recently alerted me to this quote, "There is a cost to following Jesus, but there is a greater cost in not following Him. Whatever you give up to follow Christ will be more than made up to you in this life and certainly in the life to come." As a Pastor almost daily I get to see first hand the high cost of not following Jesus in real life circumstances. It saddens me because I know Jesus died to bring us life. Sin always has as a purpose separation and death.

I encourage you with the words of the Apostle Paul, " to live a life worthy of the calling you have recieved.... and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus....

I close with some of my favorite AW Tozer words, " Everyman is as close to God as he wants to be, he is as holy and full of the Spirit, as he wills to be...

Hope To See You This Weekend!

God BLess

Pastor Randy

It's Official-Kinda

Recently Deb and I became empty nesters. It's been a process. So now we begin to ponder what is next? It's a big question. I think many times Christian parents become "empty nester's" without contemplating how God can now use them in different or more intense ways. I intend to pursue God and his intentions for my life more intensly and deliberately with these new circumstances. If this is your situation I hope you will do the same. I have seen many do the opposite and truthfully it relegates kingdom work and God's call to an after thought rather than the first and best thought.

This weekend we will investigate the life of Stephen. Stephen is the first martyr in Church History. Take some time to read his story in Acts 6-8. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you to live and serve with the same joy and grace as did Stephen. As believers though few of us are asked to give as Stephen the ultimate witness(a martyr) all of us are asked to lay down our lives for the sake of the name of Jesus.

Stephen teaches each of us to "lead a life worthy of your calling" in a gentle, humble and patient way. The writer of Hebrews speaks of those who willingly lay down their life for Jesus as those "of whom the world was not worthy". It is my prayer that the life of Stephen will ignite in each of us a desire for God to be glorified in our lives. What a privilege.

"To this end I always pray for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus becasue of you, and you will be honored in him, becasue of the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 1:11-12)

Hope to See You this Weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

It's Official

According to most Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer. Whether it is true or not most of us recognize a mental and physical shift this time of year. That of course can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. One thing I know-Regardless of your shifts one thing should not change-Your walk and pursuit of God.

Whether you are reading in the Old or New Testamnet of the bible one thing is always clear-God never takes second place. So I want to encourage each of you not to allow the "summer slump" to get to your walk with God! Use the summer to allow the Holy Spirit access to speak to your life. Continually ask God what He is trying to teach you through his Word. In what ways does He desire to deepen and change you. I encourage you to use some of your down time to read larger portions of the Bible just to allow the Holy Spirit to speak into your life.

This week, walking alongside Peter as a leader of the early church we will ask the question "What would be different if Jesus was really First? in my life? church? community?"
What do you think? We will be taking stories from Acts 3-4, I encourage you to read these passages and see what difference Christ wants for you.

June will be a great month at Constance. We have some special guests coming to share I think you will enjoy. This week Larry Backlund representing Dr. Pat and Newsservice 2000 will share in our services. This is a ministry we support as a Body that is focused on encouraging the Persecuted Church.

I also want to encourage you if you have not done so yet to make a commitment to our Church of Influence Fund. Your gifts not only encourage our ministry here but throughout the world. I know as well from my own life the great joy in being able to give to our local body and see the impact we bring to our communities as we unite together. I am continually thankful for the generous heart of our Body.

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ...that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." Philippians 1:27.

See You this Weekend

God BLess

Pastor Randy

My Influence Revealed?

"With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day....praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:40-41,47.

The gift of the Holy Spirit, promised by the Father(Acts 1:4-5, John 14) was given to the church at Pentecost.(Acts 2) This is the record of God's creation of the church, desgined to be a supernatural movement, powered by the Holy Spirit unlike any other organization. It's main task by means of the Holy Spirit is to give testimony to the Good News about Jesus' life, death and resurrection "that through repentance in the name of Jesus Christ forgiveness is found."Acts 2:38) And the Lord added to their number daily as they were faithful to this call.

This is more than an institutional call! This is God's plan for each indivdual believer empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear witness to all that Jesus is in their lives. This is the influence given to each believer. Influencing my world in many locations(wherever I am placed) with the love and good deeds of Christ. It is my prayer that this vision will be your vision for our world!

It is during the month of May that we ask you to prayerfully and by faith consider your financial support for our local church. I believe this is an expression of belief and faith in God's church to influence our world with message that salvation is found in no other name but Jesus. I want to encourage you to give yourselk in obedience, fully to this privilege of influencing our world in many locations with the love and good deeds of Christ!

For each of us The Church of Influence Fund becomes a yearly way to assess our generosity. Most of the church funding comes from the general fund, but a very important 20% of our funding comes from the pledges we make to the Church fo Influence Fund. The funds are used for current ministry including some staff costs. If pledges exceed our current ministry needs, this allows us to expand our ministry influence in this community.

This year we will use some of the funds to save for parking expansion, auditorium technology and seating enhancements, replacing worn carpeting, and improved signage inside and outside the building. All of these measures will make our experience and that of our guests much more pleasant.

Our pledge desisions should be made by this Sunday, May 23rd. They can be mailed into the church, placed in the offering plate, or communicated online through the church website. I will be praying for you as you faithfully and obediently step out in faith to honor our Lord with a generous heart and mind.

See You this Weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Inner Circles

But you will recieve power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Jesus says His followers are empowered witnesses. That is our identity. Being a witness is simply a function of who we are as Christians. We just tell others about all Jesus is in our own lives.

How being an empowered witness is our identity and not just a task is all because of the Holy Spirit.

Do not leave Jerusalem; but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5

This week we will learn about "the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." If you are a believer this promised gift is yours. The Holy Spirit is the reason you are an empowered witness.

I trust you will make this weekend a priority on your schedule. Understanding these important truths is so important to our lives and witness in OUR WORLD. By means of the Holy SPirit we are way more influential than most of us realize.

This weekend you will see many ministry testimonies of God's goodness to our Constance Family. We will also be reading a first hand testimony of one of the great "fishers of men". You can read ahead in Acts 2:1-41.

I am so encouraged by our churches desire 'to exist for the one not yet here.' This is a living out of our vision to influence our world in many locations with Christ's love and good deeds. What a joy for each one of us to fully participate in God's heart and kingdom priorities.

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Circles of Influence

Most of us underestimate our influence. I was talking to a friend in the church lobby Wednesday night. He told me he had been praying for his neighbors and his Christian testimony in his neighborhood. He has had some talks with neighbors about spiritual things and some of the neighborhood kids have come to youth group at times. One neighbor seemed to have no interest, and he had no opportunity to talk about spiritual things with this family. This family knew some of the neighborhood kids had come to Constance. This week that family asked for the times of our Constance Worship Services. They said they were coming to Church this Sunday. Amazing! Also an answer to faithful prayers (Pray and Watch) and living an authentic Christian life before neighbors.

I believe God has strategically placed each one of you as beacons of hope and light in your neighborhoods. The hope we have and the light we shine all comes from Jesus who uses your life and circumstances to show his love and mercy to all who are still far away from knowing him.
"And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making hsi appeal through us...." 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

Ask God to continually help you to see your neighbors and friends as He does, pray for them, love them, serve them in Jesus' name. "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view...." 2 Corithinas 5:16. I know God will bless this faithfulness for it is his desire that all come to a knowledge of faith in Jesus Christ!

Speaking of influential people. Who has more influence than Mom's?? This week is Mother's Day and also a day we do Baby dedications. This week we will have many guests invited by these parents. Please pray for these family members and friends that Our Father by means of the Holy Spirit would work in hearts and lives and draw them to Jesus. Pray for these families as they desire to raise their families with Jesus at the center of their lives.

This month we are considering our vision as it pertains to the call of God in our lives as a local church body. Our vision as a church is to influence our world in many locations with Christ's love and good deeds. During this time would you come before God and ask what that means for God using your time , talent and treasure for His kingdom building purposes.

Who in your life has God placed so that they can see God's love and grace??? "Father, please send your Holy SPirit to work in the hearts of these people. Draw them to Jesus and make them kingdom workers."

See you all this weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Being a People of Vision

"The vision at Constance Free Church is to influence OUR world in many locations with the Christ's love and good deeds."

I love our vision statement! It is so personal! It paints a reality of each one of us, in our unique worlds, walking in step with the Father, taking each situation of our lives as an opportunity to share Christ with others. To truly be a church and people of influence.

Oswald Chambers shares some thoughts about the everyday circumstance of our lives:

"The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight....

It was said of Jesus — 'He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .' (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose."

This is my desire for us as a body of believers, namely that we would allow God's Spirit to transform how we view our world. That the impossible becomes possible as people are attracted to the love and good deeds of Jesus Christ that are lived out through his people. Pray and Watch God work through your lives.

I look forward to worshiping together this weekend. There is a tremendous blessing and encouragement when we come together as a church family. Make this a priority for your weekend.

Sharing in the Vision,

Pastor Randy

Transitions Continued

Last week Pastor Jim Barber announced that he would be resigning his position as a Sr. Associate Pastor at Constance Free Church. Pastor Jim senses a strong call to use his gifts, talents and learnings to encourage other churches to grow as a full time church consultant. You can read more in last week's Log Eye and in Jim's Blog.(Link is in last weeks Blog)

Many of you have asked what will we do next in this transition. After looking at different options we are transitioning to manage Constance Free Church through a common model of having an Executive Pastor. I have asked Pastor Jim Scott to serve as my Executive Pastor. I believe that Jim is the right man for the job and look forward to all God has for us as a church as he serves in this new pastoral position.

This means we will begin a search for a Church Business Administrator. Within a week or so we will have the job description written and posted. Pray for Pastor Jim Scott. He was scheduled to return from the Berlin Church Planting Summit last Friday but due to the volcano is now scheduled home this weekend. Once he gets back Jim and Jim will write a position description and continue the transition.


This week most of our ministry staff spent a day at our North Central District Conference(our Free church association). Our speaker was Pete Scazzero who has authored the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. I recommend this to you. I warn you it is not a book you will read quickly. It is a book designed for your long term life in Christ. If you have found your Christian life stalled or feel that transformation is not happening in your life I recommend this study to you. I know it will bless and change you in Christ's image.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend as Pastor Sean leads us in considering a question every one asks, "What Happens When We Die?" I am sure your friends are asking this question. The question may be asked when a friend or relative dies, or when they see a tragic event on the news. I encourage you to invite a friend -it might be the beginning of a great conversation.

What a blessing we all have to know Christ and to live life fully in him.

God's Rich Blessing

Pastor Randy

One Way

Is Jesus Really the only way to find God?? An important question. This will be the question we will address this weekend. The answer really does affect the way you live life whether you are a follower of Jesus or still a spiritual seeker. I encourage each of you to invite a friend. This question for seekers is an important one and second only to "Why does a loving God allow suffering" in spiritual investigation.

Thank You- for your participation in making Easter a special day of life change for the many who attended. Many of you invited a friend. Statistically speaking people accept over 80% of Easter invitations so thank you for inviting your friends. We hosted almost 1000 extra people on Easter.
Many of you went to Saturday night and Sonrise service on Easter weekend and allowed for better traffic flow and space in our parking lot. Thank You for your service in this way. Continue to Pray and Watch for your friends. I know God is working.

This week we are also announcing Pastor Jim Barber's transition to full time church leadership consulting. I have posted a full story on this in an earlier blog post and you can read Pastor Jim's story in full on his blog site as well.

God Bless

Pastor Randy.

Transitions

On March 1, 1995 Pastor Jim Barber walked on the Constance Campus as a pastor called to minister to this local body. He was leaving a successful business career at Honeywell /Alliant Tech and sensing a growing interest in a call to ministry that led him to join the pastoral staff here at Constance Free Church. He had already been serving as an adult teacher, growth group leader and chairman of the elder board.

On March 16, 2010 Pastor Jim Barber tendered his resignation as a Pastor at Constance Free Church. In his words “As you know, I have had an interest in church consulting for some time now. My earliest leanings this way were ten years ago. I think it has been seven years since we agreed that this could be a part of my ministry. After careful consideration, prayer, and agreement with Cheri, I have concluded that I am again at a crossroads in my calling. I plan to take formal steps to become a church leadership consultant …”

Since I’ve had the privilege of knowing Jim for the past 23 years, I too acknowledge God’s leading and calling in his life. I know God has gifted him, placed this desire in his heart, and fully support this calling of God in his life.

On a personal note, I am so thankful for having had the privilege to serve these past 15 years with Jim. Thanks Jim for faithfully using your spiritual gifts and talent for the Glory of God. Your service to God has been a huge blessing to me and Constance. Thank You so much.

To learn more about Jim’s journey, I would encourage you to read the rest of the story on his blog.

Pastor Jim will continue serving full-time until September 1 and thereafter continue to serve as the President of BridgeLink (as well as assisting Constance in the transition period). I will offer additional details about the transition next week.

God Bless

Pastor Randy

On The Road

And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24: 25-27

This weekend is Palm Sunday and we are going to investigate a passage I am sure that Jesus taught these two disciples while walking the Road to Emmaus. The passage is found in Genesis 22 entitled in my Bible -"The Sacrifice of Isaac". A baffling passage, "Why would God encourage Abraham to child sacrifice???" If Jesus used this passage to teach about himself, what did he teach? How was God working in this passage to reveal Jesus and His heart for mankind?

I pray as we look at this passage it will chase away "your foolish and slow to believe heart" and replace it with a heart "burning for Jesus" and the truth found in the cross and the resurrection.

I look forward to seeing you this weekend and hope you will make worshipping our Lord a priority in your schedule.

This would be a great week to invite a friend! I have had many people ask the question about child sacrifice and this passage. So Bring a Friend! It's one of the great OT Gospel passages and we will investigate it together.

Please continue to "Pray and Watch" in "your world". Easter is the most attended Sunday in the Church year! It's a great opportunity to invite a friend and to share all that God has done and been doing in your life. People are interested in Jesus Christ and especially how he has changed your life.

God Bless and See You This Weekend!

Pastor Randy

Big Thaw

It's 62 degrees today and my father-in-law is in town to do some ice fishing. He is out right now and probably within the hour I will be cleaning fish. (should I have given him a life-jacket this morning?) It seems like a couple days ago that winter had a firm grip on our area. How quickly things can change. In two days the calendar changes to spring and new stuff starts happening all over the place.

As I thought about this sudden change I was reminded of the Chronicles of Narnia and how the ice queen had complete icy control and a new wind and breath (Aslan-a representation of the power and presence of God) came, touched hearts and new life came about.

If you are a believer, Spring is a great time to celebrate and remember God's life changing touch and presence in your life. As we celebrate the life we have in Christ this Easter (of course we celebrate daily as well) it is my prayer that you will share this life with other's around you.

Take on the mindset of Paul, who once he had experienced new life in Christ, said he could never see anyone around him the same again. We all need a life changing touch from God. It might seem that all those around you aren't interested or have everything together. Take on Paul's and Christ's mind, know everyone needs a touch from God. "Pray and Watch" and trust that God is working because He promises to "Draw All to Himself".

This weekend we continue looking at the most famous sermon in the world and probably some of the most famous words of this sermon acknowledged and honored through out the world called "the golden rule." Though these words are heralded as some of the wisest and acknowledged as the highest ideal and good in the world, there is a problem. It never seems to work. People don't seem to ever follow the rule. Find out why and what you can do about this problem and "oops" that you may be part of the problem-this weekend at Constance.

I hope you will prioritize our time together. No question, Christ has entrusted and changed each believer with the Gospel message of life in Christ. It matters for the world around us that this message is heard and understood. Just remember--If God can change you-He can thaw and change those you are praying for. What a privilege to be apart of life transformation that will last forever.

See You this weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Anniversaries and Things

Judge Not! Lest You Be Judged! Most of us have heard those words of Jesus many times. Sometimes people use those words defensively by saying,"Stop Judging Me!" It seems we use these words frequently and many times to our advantage. All of us are pretty good at quick opinions and judgments. This weekend we will explore what Jesus said on this topic and why this sin if often misunderstood and often devastating to community.

Deb and I just got back from visiting family and friends in Texas. It's actually a part of our 30th anniversary celebration that will continue until after our actual July 12 date. We had a great time and experienced the Houston rodeo. WOW, I never knew such a things existed but it was fun and I ate more beef in three days than a normal month. It's a three week celebration with parades, concerts, the largest and richest rodeo event the largest livestock exhibition in the world etc.............Find out more at www.houstonrodeo.net if you are looking for an anniversary outing. You will have about 2 million friends to celebrate with.

March 9th marked my 24th anniversary at Constance Free Church. Several folks from the original calling committee still call Constance home-all the original committee are still friends. March 9th every year I thank God for this amazing church. It's such a blessing to be your Pastor.

Just a reminder for the weekend- DAYLIGHT SAVINGS BEGINS!!!!- So set your clock forward 1 hour on Saturday night and you won't miss the blessing of gathering as a body this weekend.

See you this weekend and don't forget to Pray and Watch wherever you go. You can be about the work of God's Kingdom everywhere and all the time.

God Bless,

Pastor Randy

Days of Hope

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. In liturgical churches, Ash Wednesday is a day of repentence that begins a 46 day period, not including Sundays, of preparation for Easter. Easter is a day of Celebration of the life and redemption we find in Christ our crucified and risen Lord. Though we are not a liturgical church, I encourage you to be sensitive to the God-Given spiritual climate you might find in those you love and care for during the time of Lent. It's a great time to talk about Jesus and the life he wants us all to experience.

What I am saying is use this time to be redemptive in your conversations. I believe there is a great spiritual hunger in our society that will never be quenched without people seeing Jesus for who he really is. You might be all someone sees of Jesus so Pray that God's Spirit uses you as part of his redemptive plan. I will remind you of our Pray and Watch Prayer at the end of the blog.

Last week in I told you one of the ways to experience the presence of God throughout the day is a Catholic Tradition called the Divine Hours. Phyllis Tickle has written several books that give you scripture prompts and prayers throughout the day. I find them helpful to remind me all day of God's presence in my life. A church in Michigan hosts Tickle's writings online. Add this link to your favorites and go there often.

I encourage each of you to experiment to see what different spiritual disciples work best for you to create space in your life to conform to the image of Christ.

As we begin preparation for this Easter season, I encourage you to begin praying for those in your life you might want to invite to an Easter service. I know this will be a great joy for you and I will be praying for you as you invite.

What a joy for us to serve our Lord together. I am constantly amazed at the stories I hear of how God places each of you for his purposes. You are a great blessing to our community.

I look forward to seeing you all as we worship our Lord together this weekend. I just got new glasses so, I am literally looking forward to seeing you this weekend.

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Pray and Watch--Father, please send your Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of these people. Draw them to Jesus and make them kingdom workers.

Our lives can be all about the kingdom all the time. It's the privilege of His Presence.

Prayer Outage

Let's all admit how challenging it is to pray. I have met few believers who are satisfied with their prayer life, who have not in some way felt inadequate in their praying. I know I often feel that way. I get discouraged thinking I could have , I should have prayed more or with more energy. It's often our first way of dealing with a spiritual discipline. We feel guilt so we try harder, that doesn't work and we get frustrated and we try again, harder this time. Eventually we lose motivation and quit.

John Ortberg asks a good question. How do we do spiritual practices and devotion so the Pharisees can't win??? Good question and I pray as we study the Lord's prayer we will learn the secret of being in secret with God.

How are you doing this week?? Have you designated a secret place to meet with God? I encourage you to do it then simply ask God as did his disciples, "Lord Teach Me to Pray."

Many questions may come to your mind. Do I have enough time to pray; I don't know what to pray; Can I pray in a wrong way; Whatever your question I encourage you not to hesitate just start praying-Whatever, whenever, however.

This weekend we will focus on Mt. 6:5-8 with the theme of "Find God In Prayer." I have been blessed as I have studied-I know God will speak to you as well.

Remember to invite a friend- See you this weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Deeper

Luther once said it is a fearful thing for a sinner to come into the presence of a Holy God. Truth is a sinner can't come into the presence of a Holy God without the covering of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have full access as believers to the presence of God. It is for every believer to know and be known by God. What a joy.

As we begin this new series it's my prayer that you will desire and crave being in God's presence . It is a great privilege. Beginning this week we will discuss the privilege of coming into God's presence by prayer.

I encourage you to invite a friend. The Lord's Prayer is known by many people. Was it meant to be recited as a prayer or does it point to a greater reality we are to experience in prayer. I truthfully don't believe when the disciples begged Jesus to teach them to pray they were looking for another memorized prayer. I have enjoyed digging into the Lord's Prayer again and I pray you will come with an expectant heart as we ask the Lord to reveal himself to us anew this weekend.

Most of you know I love the writings of AW Tozer. His writings challenge me to go deeper in my expereince with Christ. You can recieve a daily devotional by AW Tozer @ http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer

Enjoy and See you this weekend!

Pastor Randy

Double WOW

This past weekend our church received a special offering to build a housing unit for the Elikya Center. This building will be used to house widows and ophans in Congo, Africa. Our goal was to raise $35,000.00. As of Wednesday, the offering was over $37,000.00. All I can say is WOW!! I praise God for you and your heart of generosity to see the Kingdom of God built one life at a time. Please know your gifts to the Lord touch lives in a very real and tangible way and I know God is brought glory when we are generous givers.

I know some of you where not able to give last week and I encourage you to do so this weekend.

This weekend we will talk about Jesus' words to those who give to the least.(Mt. 6:1-4) He addresses this in a larger context of "How we practice public "righteous acts." I sure have enjoyed the insights I have recieved from my study. I pray you will be encouraged and challenged as we ask our Lord to lead, teach and guide us this weekend.

It would be a good week to invite a friend. We will talk about Hypocrites as Jesus does in this passage. Many people outside the church believe the church is full of Hypocrites. I wonder what they will think about what Jesus has to say to all the Hypocrites. Invite a friend and find out. I bet you will have a lot to talk about after you admit......................

What a joy to see God at work in our Body!! See You this weekend.

God Bless,

Pastor Randy

Worry Society

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life.... If Jesus wouldn't have said that, I think I would discount the speaker as out of touch with real life. Thankfully Jesus wasn't out of touch and wants us to live in His life and fullness. I invite you to the weekend services, you will find great Hope from the stress, anxiety and worry that you might be holding.

Elikya Offering: This weekend we will be recieving your gifts for buying the materials for a housing unit for the widows and orphans at the Elikya Center. What a privilege and a joy for us to unite and bring this offering. We are trying to raise 35,000.00 dollars to be able to complete this project.
I gotta warn you the Sonday Adventure Kids are ahead of us right now. They have bought 12 bricks(@10$ a brick) so far. They have great hearts to serve the Lord and I pray we will all be able to match their vision and desire to complete this great project.

Sponsor An Orphan: Anytime is a right time to do this. You are giving a life and a future to an orphan in the Congo. Stop by the Kiosk or go online to begin your sponsorship. www.globalfingerprints.org

We serve a great God---Maybe that's one of the reasons you don't need to worry. Find out this weekend!

God Bless

Pastor Randy

Eelpout and Stinkabees

My father-in-law is in town this week so a one day ice fishing trip was in the plans. It was one of those trips with alot of firsts. It was the first time I stayed for 24 hours in a fish house. (maybe the last) It was a first for my son who caught his first walleye through the ice. (hopefully not the last) It was the first time that a group I have been with caught an eelpout and tullibee.

It turns out the eelpout has it's own International Festival on Leech Lake in Walker MN. (Feb 17-21) An eelpout is a ugly slimy fish that looks like something they eat down south. I am sure they taste just like a walleye. And it turns out that a tullibee is part of the cisco family with the 4lb 3oz record taken from Big Sandy lake in McGregor MN. I have nick named them stinkabees because-well they just plain stink, Mc-Gregorites must be so proud.

Anyhow it got me thinking about God and his wonderful creation the church. I think sometimes we forget how wonderful the body of Christ is and what a privilege it is to participate in the Lord's purposes and causes to build his kingdom. You can read all about the body, each one's participation, vital role played and the importance of that in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Anyhow, I know some of you wouldn't want to be known as an eelpout or a stinkabee but believe it or not each one has a vital part to play. Here are a few things I thought about.

1. How creative God is.
2. How purposeful God is.
3. Eelpout is quit a cleaner.
4. Stinkabees are vital to the food chain.
5. Everyone in the body is meant to be celebrated for God's good work and purpose in their lives.
6. Everyone's part is vital.
7. We really need each other.(Sometimes hard to believe and not always appreciated)

One of the tullibees as it was being caught, spun around and wrapped up 5 lines and caused over an hours worth of untangling work. Believe it or not it lived to tell the tale and so did those who cleaned up and impossible mess. In this case nothing could steal a blessing.

This week I had the privilege to begin our Church Vision process for the coming year with our Elders. I once again feel so privileged to be your pastor. I am amazed that God has entrusted to this church a vital ministry to our county that extends beyond the borders of our country. You are an amazing congregation and I encourage you to run hard for and after Jesus. Let's be sure to do our part for partnering in building God's Kingdom with the gifts and resources with which we have been given.

Fincancial Peace University- WOW over 300 people pre-registered for this fantastic course taught by David Ramsey. I know this will change your world for the good. How great will it be for you to really experience God's Freedom Financially. It was a great start and I am praying for each of you. If you haven't signed up but want to--don't hesitiate it's not too late but you need to get started this week.

Prioritize worshipping together this weekend. We will be having Baptisms in the Current services this week and that is always a special time of celebration for our Church. We will also be highlighting our Congo partnership project. This year we hope to raise money to build a housing unit that will house some of the widows and orphans of Elikya. What a privilege for us to serve our brothers and sisters in this way.

See You this Weekend

God BLess

Pastor Randy

Meet Kazika

I have had a bunch of wonderful African memories flooding through my heart and mind this week. You will get to share in some of those memories this weekend. In our services, you are going to see my first meeting with Kazika, the Global FingerPrint Orphan Deb and I support monthly. The fact that I was able to go to Africa is on account of our shared desire to influence and touch our world with the Good News that Jesus saves. Each one of us shared in the blessing. It is building for each of us "eternal heavenly treasure that will never be destroyed"(Mt. 6:19-21).

Right Sight-New Freedom! This weekend we will be challenged by Jesus' words. Namely, that in the practical living of life, our vision of Kingdom Principles really matters. Almost every person with whom I come into contact desires their life to count for something. And I believe wholeheartedly Jesus wants that for each of us more than we probably do for ourselves.

I hope you make weekend worship a priority in your schedule. It's my prayer that God will meet you as we worship together. I am confident he will, for it is a stated desire of God. As we" draw near to God he will draw near to us".(James 4:8)

Financial Peace University begins this weekend. At last count I heard over 250 have signed to take this course. It is a wonderful tool to help all of us find financial freedom. I believe almost every person at Constance can profit from this great teaching by David Ramsey. I encourage you still to take steps to sign up for the Sunday, Tuesday or Wednesday night sessions. I know this teaching tool will be a factor in your growing toward Christ this year.

I know we have all been travelling and very busy this last month. During that time, I was reminded what a blessing the body of Christ is in our lives. It's such a blessing to serve as your Pastor. I am continually amazed by the heart of this body and know your love and service is making an eternal difference for the kingdom of God.

See You this Weekend

God Bless

Pastor Randy