Here we go:

1st: We continued our series through the book of James, and I can see Gods Word truly changing the hearts of our congregation! Let’s put what we read and heard into action this week…. Seek Godly Wisdom from His Word and apply it to life!

2nd: It was great to see a bunch of visitors from the previous week back again… I saw some of them signing up for our membership class… that’s called plugging in!

3rd: There was a huge chunk of our leadership missing due to flu, yesterday, yet the people that stepped up, just plain got it done!

4th: We had our lowest attendance day since July, yet it didn’t seem that way by the time 11:09 rolled around. We gathered 271 people and we worshiped like there was a 1,000!

5th: The facility expansion plan continues to move forward, and funds continue to come in. I am not sure of exact numbers, but we are in the $60,000 – $70,000 range!!!

That’s it, Keep reflecting Jesus!

The essentials about Wisdom

Essentials part 2

James 3:13

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. [ESV]

What do you do first when faced with a decision?

How do you re-act to the decision? Do you re-act based on what your heart is feeling? Do you begin to think through how the decision effects your life? Do you evaluate how the decision will make you look? Do you base your decision making process on whether or not this will profit you and you alone?

How do we become wise and understanding???

See you Sunday at 9:29 or 11:09… in the big brown warehouse in Dumfries!!!

Thought this one was worth a re-cap…

The essentials about Speech

essentials part 1 [James 3:1-12]

James 3:1-8 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [ESV]

James 3:9-12 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. [ESV]

 

The tongue is essential because…

1^st: The tongue has the power to control life – James 3:2

2^nd: The tongue has the power to destroy life – James 3:7-8

3^rd: The tongue has the power to proclaim life – James 3:9-12

Our speech is essential because…

It proclaims who we truly are, and can be used by God, to proclaim the truth about who He truly is!!!

We had a very energetic day, here it is:

1st: Critter Country, our pre-school age I-KIDS, came into the gathering and helped lead worship and sung some songs! They did an amazing job and had tons of energy!!!

2nd: Image Band did an incredible job leading us today! Loved hearing everyone shouting “WE WON’T BE QUIET”

3rd: I met several new families today… again we keep growing!

4th: We gathered 295 people today, and saw another $2700 come in for the warehouse space… we are getting close!

5th: It was the first Sunday of the month, which is always great, because we get to celebrate the Lords death, burial, resurrection and coming again through communion. Always love partaking in communion.

6th: James 3 is always a passage that needs to be read, preached and applied… Don’t forget what the WORD said today!

Keep reflecting Jesus!!!

We get back into the book of James, this Sunday, with a new series…

 

Some things just aren’t important…

James chapters 3 – 5 reveals the deep truth about certain things, in this life,

that we need to view as not just important, but essentials!

11.01.09 – the essentials about SPEECH [James 3:1-12]

11.08.09 – the essentials about WISDOM [James 3:13-18]

11.15.09 – the essentials about MOTIVES [James 4:1-12]

11.22.09 – the essentials about FUTURE [James 4:13-17]

11.29.09. – the essentials about MONEY [James 5:1-6]

12.06.09 – the essentials about PATIENCE & PRAYER [James 5:7-20]

God has been very good to me and the church, and I have often tried to understand and explain it. I have said it is the favor of God, or it is the result of God’s blessings, or  it is God being glorified and these all are true. BUT the main reason is a very humbling one and I have come to realize this through HIS WORD and prayer. God has chosen, for some reason, to use Image Church to proclaim HIM and experience the fruit of HIS work! It was and is God’s choice to use us, not ours, and we can take credit for none of it, it is all HIM! So all Glory to God and because He has chosen to use us, I can post this below…

We have seen young men commit their lives to Jesus and be baptized… [DIVE-IN 09 baptism video]

We have seen God use our church to come together, run on mission, and raise money for orphans…

We have seen God use us to renovate a shelter and proclaim HIS redemption… [Renovation video]

We have seen God choose to grow HIS church and always provide for HIS church, even redeem an old warehouse…

Let’s continue to proclaim the redeeming message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, watch Him continue to choose to use us, and continue to experience the fruit of HIS work!!!

Today was a defining day at Image, and here is why:

1st: We worshiped in the new warehouse space that God is going to deliver to us, and we glorified Jesus and Jesus alone!!!

2nd: We gathered 300 people, another person committed her life to Jesus, and we were able to see what the new worship space is going to look like!

3rd: We sacrificially gave over $32,000 today, toward the new space, in one offering, which brings us to over $55,000 towards the new space!!! Way to go, lets keep on giving and sacrificing for the mission!

4th: We shouted the Redeeming message of the Gospel!!!

5th: We had more first time visitors!

6th: The video for DIVE-IN 2009 was just plain amazing, it will be on our website soon, you can check it out on facebook as well. Thanks to Brian Knapp, one of our elders, for his hard and creative work on it!

7th: The shelter renovation video was amazing as well, props to our Creative Arts elder, Mike Scott, for putting it together!

8th: Check out this article about the I-RACE from the Potomac News

That’s it, stay humble, stay focused on the vision, and be willing to sacrifice for the mission!

Be here Sunday to experience what will be in our future ,as we gather to WORSHIP our KING!!!

This is going to be a very exciting Sunday, as we look back at some video footage, of what God has done with the church… Lets be ready to hear from HIM!!!

P.S. Make sure you dress warm!

We have just had one of the best weekends in our churches history!!! I-RACE went off without a hitch even in the cold, pouring rain, Ralph hit a home run with proclaiming MANNA on Sunday, and we raised over $7,000! Here’s the details…

1st: It is always encouraging and challenging having Ralph Done in to speak about our mission in Asia. The most exciting part was hearing how God has opened a door for us to do missions work in a closed region of the world!!!

2nd: The media really drove home the need for our presence and work in Asia.

3rd: Our church really jumped on board and caught the global vision of Image yesterday. We haven’t counted all the commitments, but it is a great majority of the church that has committed to support Manna Kids!!!

4th: BIG PROPS to Kate Shifflett for her hard work on I-RACE! Thanks to Craig and Michele Burris for having us over Friday night to pray and pack for the RACE!

5th: Our giving was STRONG yesterday and we gathered over 300 people again!!! We will be seeing the vision this coming Sunday for our expansion!

I am in Lynchburg right now, but will be heading back this afternoon. Had the privilege of speaking at Liberty University today, to some ministry students. Always love being able to encourage a bunch of young pastors getting ready to get after the mission!!!

Keep reflecting JESUS!!!

Get ready, here we go!!!

I-RACE: registration begins at 9a.m. the race begins at 10a.m.

MANNA SUNDAY: Ralph Done, our missionary from Manna Worldwide will be preaching both hours at Image Church, do not miss out on this weekend, it is one of the highlights in our churches life!!!