HOME RUN Movie

Steve and I took in a great new movie last weekend.  The movie is Home Run and was produced by Current C Creative/ Impact Productions.  “Based on thousands of true stories, HOME RUN is a powerful reminder that with God, it’s never too late … freedom is possible.”

The story follows a major league baseball player, Cory Brand, as he recovers from an alcohol addiction that was fueled by the pain of childhood abuse.

Cory attends the Celebrate Recovery program at a local church as a condition of his suspension from his team and eventually comes to realize that only God can fill the void in his life that he had been trying to fill with alcohol.

Some endorsements from people you may know:

"HOME RUN depicts that even though most adult problems come from unresolved childhood issues, through a relationship with Jesus Christ we can break generational curses and establish a legacy of God's love and live a victorious life!"   Mariano Rivera, All-Star Pitcher

"I was amazed to see how HOME RUN paralleled my life and career in baseball, and the addictions and issues I have dealt with in my lifetime. Only through the grace of God and my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, I have been transformed and redeemed. Without question, I truly believe HOME RUN will help transform people's lives. Glory to God!"  Barry Lyons, Former Big-League Catcher and World Series Champion

"HOME RUN portrays the church in its beauty—true life transformation through real and honest relationships with one another and with Jesus."  Joyce Meyer, Author and Speaker

"HOME RUN is great for not only baseball fans, but anyone looking to be inspired. The story provides an important reminder that no matter how successful we are, we are all affected by the issues that come along. Only through Jesus we can find the peace and comfort to live this life." Andy Pettitte, All-Star Pitcher

"HOME RUN is a powerful parable showing us what God can do for a person who hits bottom. Many who come from dysfunctional homes or deal with addictions will find a ray of hope as they watch this film. This is a tool churches and ministries can use now and for decades to come." Michael Catt, Best-Selling Author; Senior Pastor, Sherwood Baptist Church; Executive Producer, Fireproof and Courageous

"I love the heart and the message of HOME RUN: No matter what you've done or what you've endured, with Christ … freedom and redemption is possible. I am living proof."  R.A. Dickey, Cy Young Award Winner

"The Message of HOME RUN is one every baseball player, coach, and parent needs to hear. Without Christ in one's life true peace and contentment can never be found. God can mold us and make us when we allow Him to do so! A great movie with an even greater message." David Daly, National Director of Baseball Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes

The movie is playing at Celebration Cinemas and I encourage all of you to go see it.  Not only because it’s a fantastic movie but also to show support for Christian filmmakers.

-Kim

"5"

Hello Friends...It's five days away from this five thing.  And with it five days away I thought it would be fun to fill you in with some fives...

• Five is the third prime number.
• Five is the only prime number to end in the digit 5.
• A polygon with five sides is a pentagon.
• An informal term for the British Security Service, MI5.
• No. 5 is the name of the iconic fragrance created by Chanel.
• The 5th U.S. President was James Monroe.
• The five second rule is a commonly used rule of thumb for dropped food.
•  What about in Sports.  Between the goalies legs in hockey is the five hole and a center on a basketball team is usually in the five spot.  Third basemen are five on the scorecard.
•  The Jersey Number 5 has been worn by many famous athletes:
• Third Basemen Brooks Robinson of the Orioles and George Brett of the Royal
• Center Fielder Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees
• Catcher Johnny Bench of the Reds
• and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Hank Greenberg of our beloved Tigers.
• In Hockey what about Nicklaus Lidstom former captain of the Red Wings.

So with that my friends.  It will just be a couple more days until we release 5 onto you.  What will you do when 5 comes to you?  Sounds like something like Hulk Hogan would have said when wrestling was real ;)

Have a blessed week.

Passover Meal

We’re in the season of Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Holy Week and the celebration of Easter.  This Sunday, 1^st-4^th graders in Kingdom Quest and their families will be sharing in the traditions of a Jewish Seder (Passover) meal.  Every other year, we participate in this meal to better understand the connection of our Jewish roots to our Christian beliefs.  The remembrance and celebration of Passover comes from the Old Testament story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.  The Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go easily, so God brought 10 plagues down upon the Egyptians.  The 10^th and final plague was striking down the firstborn children of Egyptians.  The Israelite children were saved from this by putting the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorways, so they would be “passed over.”  God instructed the Israelites to pass this story down to future generations so it would never be forgotten.  We celebrate how the sacrifice of the lamb made at Passover is lived out in our Christian faith through Jesus’ death on the cross.  He is the perfect Lamb of God who was sacrificed for us – to forgive all the sins of the world.  Praise God for loving us so much!

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Sue Campbell

Director of Children’s Ministry

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is not just a day for those married, in a relationship or single. It is a day of love for all those in your life that make it special; friends, family, co-workers etc. But more than that is a day to reflect on the awesomeness of God’s love for us! This is the love we receive daily no matter the circumstance. All He wants is for us to never give up on Him, never lose faith in Him, always hope in His good doing and stand in every situation with Him. He also asks that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Relish in His everlasting love and feel His grace given all for you! Everything good, happy, positive, bright is all from God. He will walk with you through any stage of life and hold you close. The greatest thing is Love!

 *John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”

 *1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

 

Let's Have a Great 2013

Happy New Year from Redeemer and we pray that this new year will be a blessing to you all as we move and bless many more throughout this year...

I was reading one of my devotions and this verse was used with a simple message about how we are new each and every day and we ought to do something about it.   

2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

With that - I'm sure glad the Mayans were mistaken - aren't you?  I can't begin to describe how much sleep I lost on December 20th as I anticipated waking up to hurricanes, blizzards, nuclear warfare from a crazy nation, and even the tragic end to One Direction's illustrious career...if you don't have a grandchild or student that talks about them obsessively, count yourself lucky...

Actually I didn't lose one wink of sleep, because I was way too confident that Jesus wouldn't let His birthday be cancelled because of some sort of galactic alignment, and I was more than convinced that if my Savior desired that I stick around for at least one more trip around the sun, I would definitely be here.

How about you? Does the New Year bring hope and anticipation of seeing and doing the mighty works of God?  Or do you look on 2013 with apprehension and much trepidation?  While on vacation last week I saw a shirt in Nashville that said "10 years ago we had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope, and Johnny Cash and now we have NO jobs, no hope, and no cash."

If you feel like that t-shirt...fear not, my friends, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which will be for all readers! For unto you this day I will present three small steps to ensure you have your best year yet.  If you prayerfully and purposely put these into practice, the next 12 months will be a journey you hardly thought possible, because impossibility is God's specialty!!!!!

Step One: Be Still

    "Be still, and know that I am God!

    I will be honored by every nation.

    I will be honored throughout the world" (Psalm 46:10).

When was the last time you were "still"? School, work, stress, drama, sports, iPods, iPads, Facebook and Facetime make it *virtually* impossible to heed this timeless command from God.  

But if you want a great 2013, it will start with quieting your soul and centering your attention on the fact that God is God and you are not. The word for "still" here literally means to drop your arms - in other words - take your weak human hands off His heavenly work in your life! You literally do not even have control over your next heartbeat, so why not take some time each day this year to slow your pulse, unplug and let the Lord fulfill His purposes in your life?  His main purpose in our lives is to bring honor to His name, so come triumphs or trials - know that Jesus is working in ways that we cannot even understand!

Step Two: Be Satisfied

    Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you    have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Is there any quicker way to ruin your year than wallowing in a disposition of discontentment? I don't think so! And when you think about the floodgates of blessings that have been down-poured on America, and more specifically on DeWitt, why would we ever be tempted to feel like a "have not"?  What we do have is the promise of God's loving and fulfilling presence, which cannot be compared to all the combined riches on this planet! Rich or poor, single or involved, healthy or bedridden - God's eternal and unchanging Word remains:

    

     I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! (Hebrews 13:5, Amplified).

Step Three: Be Strong and Fearless

    Be strong! Be fearless! Don't be afraid and don't be scared by your enemies, because the LORD your God is the one who marches with you. He won't let you down, and he won't abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Can you picture 2013 as a year of conquest and triumph? 365 days of marching into the enemy's territory with Jesus as the Captain of our salvation. Yes, there will be the adversaries of peer pressure, doubt and apprehensive expectations - but what are they compared to the God who spoke the universe into existence with just a word and flung the stars into place?

So when you hear the footsteps of our enemy coming near and shaking the foundations of your confidence, focus on the banner of the God who shattered the grave and marches by your side into every battle you could possibly face!

Finally, if you want to have an incredible year, commit yourself to the causes of Christ each and every day of 2013. Each moment that passes brings us closer to Christ's return, so we cannot afford to miss one opportunity to tell our friends about the forgiveness and salvation offered through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Here’s what I think, the New Year is upon us, so will you:  

• Truly be still and know that He is God?
• Be satisfied with His presence alone?
• Be strong and fearless in the face of our enemies?

And will you make 2013 the Year of His Cause?

If so, watch out - this may be the most amazing year you've ever experienced!

God Rocks and We Roll,

Ron

 

Being Thankful . . .

November marks when Thanksgiving falls upon us, and as such it seems that a good number of people are posting each day online what they are thankful for.  I thought I would take the opportunity to jump on that bandwagon for this blog post.  In no particular order, here are a few things that I am thankful for.

Middle School/Junior High Students:  I am thankful for this group of kids.  I am thankful they allow someone as goofy as me to be able to spend time with them on a weekly basis playing fun games and more importantly going thru God’s word together.  I am thankful they continue to open my eyes to new teachings and show me why this age group should not be shrugged off by adults.  Middle school can be one of the more difficult periods of life; kids are trying to figure out who they are, what their place is in the world, they get tons of media dumped on them every day, they want to be kids yet some are being thrown into roles beyond their years…it’s just tough.  I feel blessed that I get to try and help them thru this four-year stretch of life.  I’m thankful that some of them think I’m “cool  enough” to still talk to me once they have graduated from our age group, makes a guy feel loved.

Technology:  I am thankful that as I write this my daughter is in the midst of a one week trip to Japan, and thanks to modern technology I can get updates as to how they are doing and where they are.  I don’t typically over-worry about such things, but it would be tough to not know anything about what is going on while they are so far away.  I’m thankful she gets the opportunity to travel the world at such a young age, something most will never experience.

Family:  My family rocks!  I am thankful that I have a wife that puts up with my stubborn and perhaps borderline immature ways.  I love the fact that my family has a great sense of humor and knows how to have good honest fun.  I am thankful that my kids are all awesome people who love God and are not afraid to let that be known.  I am thankful that God has entrusted me to take care of a family even when I feel inadequate for the task at times, and no matter how many times I mess up, through His grace and mercy I am forgiven.

Church:  I am thankful I belong to a church that has such a heart for serving others that it shows in so many ways.  I am thankful for the body of people that have been placed in my life that have become close friends and people I consider family, and the impact they have had on my life.  I am thankful that we are free to praise and worship our Lord and Savior and do not have to try and hide while doing so.

There are so many other things I am thankful for that I cannot write about all of them.  Things like sports, especially dodgeball. There’s nothing like a good clean face-shot, even if it does mean I’m out of the game. Mt. Dew, my favorite drink in the history of forever.  I could go on and on. 

I pray that all will take a moment during this holiday season to reflect on the blessings in their life and all the things they are truly thankful for.  God has blessed many of us with much more than we could ever need, and for that we should all be thankful.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and takes some time to be thankful for all the blessings in their life.  God Bless!

Justin Bowman

Reflections of a Busy July

Hello Redeemer Family...

Ron here, 

I just wanted to take a few minutes and share some of my post "camp" thoughts and such.  

I would start by telling you how blessed I feel to have been able to be a part of two camps put on by the West Michigan Conference and supported by numerous peeps of Redeemer.  In the two weeks (week 1 at Christian Athletic Camp and week 2 at ACT at Wesley Woods) that I was serving at camp we were able to reach out to over 410 youth.  That's a huge Praise God thing in itself, but when you get the opportunity to pray with kids and help them through many of their problems, it truly becomes something I thank God for the opportunity.  

At CAC, we did a whole "Throwback Jesus" series.  When we talk "throwback", think retro!!!  Not like we're throwing Him back.  We talked about who He is and what He means to us.  At ACT, we discovered through superheroes how we too can become superheroes for Jesus because as Matthew 19:26 says; "with man it's impossible, but with God it is possible."  

I will tell you coming back to church this past week was a little weird.  I've been talking to many staff from both camps on Facebook these past couple weeks and it's amazing how much we all miss it and are so happy with the impact we've made on students.  Not to mention how much fun we had serving Jesus in camper mode.\

I am so happy to belong to a church family that so strongly supports camp opportunities.  When we needed help with scholarships for campers you were there, when we were looking for help with Workcamp you were there. When it comes to helping kids in our congregation you all shine the best.  I can't even begin to tell you thank you enough for helping to insure that God's work is done outside the walls of our church.  Truly Blessed is all that comes to mind when I think of all the people here that serve at a camp; from the kids in CREW and Next to the ones that attend all of the services we offer.  

God showed up Big; as He always does and it wouldn't have been possible without the prayers and support of this congregation.  Looking forward to the many opportunities that we will have in the future to be God's people outside the walls of Redeemer!!!  

Only 5 weeks and the kids will be back in school and more programming will kick off...Let's keep the Holy Ghost party going, I need it to continue after an awesome God filled summer!!!!