Tag : Jesus

Set Free

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 8:31 am

I believe there is an element where we have forgotten our own personal freedoms whether we’ve forgot the freedom the American Solider fought for or the freedom in Christ we have from the Cross. We have to balance the fact the we are dead in sin and that we have been set free in Christ through His sacrifice on the cross. Its easy to camp out on one side of the spectrum but I find it is difficult to live a balance between man’s sinful nature and the freedom of the cross.

My fear is that we live content with the vanishing thought of those who fought and paid the ultimate price for our freedom and an eternal tragedy if we forget the freedom found in Christ. What are your thoughts?

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Journey Summer News

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 9:30 am

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Sunday Reflection

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 2:13 pm

Well…no surprise but this Sunday way huge. It never gets old to hear people talking about ways to reach people for the Gospel. Here are some of my thoughts on Sunday

• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 is probably the most convicting scripture that I have ever read, let alone preached
• We need to serve the nonbelievers in out community by proclaiming the Gospel
• Jesus, not having sin became sin for us.  THAT BLOWS MY MIND!
• The old is gone and we are new creations IN CHRIST
• We prayed for a Journey group that will be elevated Jesus on Wednesday…AWESOME!
• We we place our Faith in Christ we are brought into harmony with THE CREATOR
• Jesus Messiah…great worship song for today
• Our children’s team rocks.  I walked into a room full of leaders planing our first VBS
• If we aren’t about 1 Corinthians 5:17-21 we need to go flip burgers
• If you weren’t excited about the Gospel after church today then you need to check your pulse

The best is yet to come.

Pastor Jeff

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Sunday Reflection

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 9:08 am

We finished the Foundation Series this Sunday and it was apparent that God was at work.  People were coming up to me after the services talking about ways they are going to reach our community, that pumps me up!! Here are some thoughts about Sunday:

• Its time to make BOLD moves for the Kingdom
• Jesus will always be there to bring us to safety
• There is a passion for the Gospel that is starting to stir in our church!!
• Fear sometimes keeps us in the boat
• We are going to intentionally reach our community
• When we make BOLD moves JESUS is elevated
• People experience JESUS when we make BOLD moves
• Jesus is inviting us to make BOLD moves like he invited Peter to walk on the water
• You guys gave the most in the history of our church!

This week was awesome and the best is yet to come.  Be faithful and available!

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Sunday Reflection

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 11:05 pm

Week two of Foundation and we unpacked Acts 1:8.  It was an awesome day as we started to understand just who we are going to reach as a church.  Here are a few thoughts.

• We have access the Holy Spirit (that’s the Spirit of God!!)
• We are going to rock our community
• God is stirring the hearts of our people to reach the unreached
• We all have a Jerusalem
• I love our new building
• Watch out IUS (go Lara and Heather)
• We have an awesome Youth Ministry team
• We have TONS of Kids
• Our volunteers ROCK
• Next week is going to be awesome as we unfold our plan to reach our community

Hold on tight Journey.  God is a work and he is going to use us in a big way but we must be willing a ready to go!

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American Spoiled Version

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 10:09 am

We have so many talented people at Journey Church.  This week I had the distinct privilege to read  a very creative rendition of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 by one our many talented people, Cole Harper.   I was talking to Cole prior to Sunday and we started talking about how the church in America has lost its first love and how we have distorted what the Great Commission embodies and have deduced the commission from our Savior Jesus Christ to something that is more focused on buildings, lights and HD videos cameras and a passionless life not focused on people who need Jesus.  Before all the emails and comments start coming in, I am not suggesting we can’t use buildings, lights and HD video cameras to promote the Great Commission but what is our motive, OUR kingdom or HIS Kingdom?  Without further ado, the American Spoiled Version of the Great Commission by Cole Harper.

Go therefore and make disciples of already lukewarm Christians, baptizing them in the name of cool buildings, consumerism and the fear of lost people, teaching them to ignore both the Gospel and that lost people go to hell. And behold, I am with you always [assuming your sound system is sweet] even as you pogo-stick aimlessly from church to church for the duration of your anemic, passionless lives.

Lets keep Jesus the main thing, shall we?  I can speak for myself and for Journey Church, we will not subscribe to this idea.  In fact, we will die flying the banner of Jesus Christ.  Who is with us?  The time is now.

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Sunday Reflection

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 11:30 pm

So…we started a new series called Foundation and Sunday we talked about the foundation of Journey Church.  To sum it all up…its Jesus!  But here are my thoughts anyway.

• Church in America is in decline and we are going to do something about it
• We have TONS of children (man it would be good if we had a Student and Family Pastor)
• Journey Church exists to share Jesus with people and to see them baptized and become disciples
• You exist to….well, tell people about Jesus and help them to become disciples
• It’s time to roll up our sleeves
• Yes, I said I would eat wood (sometimes my mouth moves but my brain does not)
• Some of you need to call Bart and tell him you want to LEAD a journey group
• Some of you need to call Bart and tell him you want to HOST a journey group
• American spoiled version of the Great Commission (need I say more?)
• Don’t know why but God is up to something huge in our church!! (stand by because its going to be awesome)
• Last day at Silver Creek
• The CROSS is real and we have a REAL command to tell people about Jesus

Next week we continue the Foundation series and we are going to talk about who we are going to reach as a church.  I have a strong suspicion it will be people who do not know Jesus but come and hear what our Biblical Foundation is for reaching people.

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Sunday Reflection

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 10:58 am

Just a few thoughts from Sunday morning as we wrapped up our series in Jonah:

• The best is yet to come
• God is at work in the lives other people, even our enemies
• We have not right to angry if we are taping into God’s grace
• We can’t have double standards
• Our children’s ministry and volunteers are the BEST!
• God is calling us to our community
• Change is among us and it going to be awesome
• New building same purpose
• God is freeing us up to focus on people and not facilities
• We had our first official business meeting with no cussing or name calling(are you sure we are Baptist??)
• God will use his people even disobedient ones, God is that awesome.

That is it for now.  Don’t forget to invite people to Easter Sunday and our Easter Egg Hunt and Cook Out.

Jeff

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1000 ways to die and one way to LIVE.

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 2:53 pm

There is a show on TV called 1000 ways to die. It always catches my attention but I really don’t have a desire to see all the different ways to die. In fact it kind of freaks me out that there are enough people out there that want to fantasize about death but that is another post. We can focus on on the different ways to die or we can CHOOSE to focus on the one way to live. I chose to live, how about you?

I was recently motivated by a Bible study from the book of Philippians. Paul is in prison, in chains, and continues to preach the Gospel. Not worried about what the guards will think of him when he tells them about Jesus, he continues to preach (Philippians 1:13). Not concerned about the people preaching the Gospel with wrong motives, he continues to preach (Philippians 1:17). He wants to die but knows he will be used for the Kingdom if he stays the course, he continues to preach (Philippians 1:23). The one continuous theme we read through this chapter is that no matter what Paul is faced with he continues to preach the life changing message of Jesus Christ, crucified, laid to rest and raised from the dead. What is your message? What will you preach? I am convinced there might be thousands of ways to die but only one true way to life.

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Buck Up Boy

Posted by Jeff Jackson at 10:08 am

I was recently talking on the phone to one of my good friends John Stamper and he reminded me of a story I told him one time about a personal experience I had growing up.  It’s funny how you will forget and someone else will remind you about yourself.  I told him a story one time about when I was working on a farm in High School.  I worked for an old school farmer who pretty much rigged everything he did.  We were walking a fence line one day repairing the barbed wire.  The old farmer would get me to place my shoulder behind the fence post and he would swing a SLEDGE hammer nailing the wire back to the fence post.  You can imagine that every time he swung I was praying that it would be the last because it would rock my world every time.  He was hitting me so hard that I kept falling down and all I heard him saying was “Buck Up Boy!” Swing after swing, “Buck Up Boy!” Its a funny story to laugh at now but the reality is the majority of people who call themselves Christians, need to “Buck Up Boy!”

Done are the days up pathetic Christianity.  I envision a group of believers not of afraid to speak the name of Jesus.  People who not afraid to stand up for what we believe in.  Dads, man enough to lead their families and do what is right no MATTER the cost.  DONE are the days but the reality is that we all need to buck up and take the bull by the horns.  Who will come with me?  Who will stand up and say enough is enough?  Now is the time, today is the day.

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