Weekly Note From Pastor Jeremy

Hey Movement Church!  I am so grateful and thankful for you all!  I love my church! I have 2 things to share with you today:

1.  Last Sunday!  WOW!  Last Sunday was, in my opinion, was THE BEST worship experience in the history of our church!  Here's a quick recap for you to THINK on today:

• Proverbs 23:7 "For as he THINKS in his heart, so IS he."  Is your soul covered in Stinking Thinking?
• The Enemy is after your MIND.  The soul is the place where we are made aware of ourselves, the place where we think.  It makes sense then, that Satan would attack you with thoughts of fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and guilt.
• It's NOT God's will for you to harvest TOXIC thoughts in your mind (Matt. 6:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Phil. 4:6-7).

Luke 10:38-42

Martha: Was too DISTRACTED and BUSY to make time for God's presence in her life.  As a result, she was falling apart!  

Mary: POSITIONED herself in God's presence and LISTENED to His Words.  As a result, she was at peace.

Bottom Line:  Rather than thinking Satan's TOXIC lies over your life that seek to destroy you (Jn. 10:10), STOP, POSITION YOURSELF IN GOD'S PRESENCE, AND LISTEN to His WORD!  Believe what God's WORD says about you, and you will live in PEACE!

2.  I am SO PUMPED for THIS Sunday!  The truth that I'll be sharing with you is one of the single most powerful things I've EVER learned in my walk with Jesus!  It literally SET ME FREE!  So, join me in praying NOW for God's Spirit to show up in a POWERFUL way, GET EXCITED, and BRING a friend!  

I am praying for God's favor to protect you like a shield this week (Ps. 5:11-12)!  Please pray for me too, because we're in this together!

SEE YOU SUNDAY!

Pastor Jeremy

What's NEXT?

Greetings Movement Church! I am hoping/praying that your week has been blessed! I am 100000% PUMPED this time of year, and here's why:

1) Summertime is usually when churches shrink, because everyone does everything else besides getting excited to worship Jesus on Sundays. However, we actually grew during the summertime - and I praise God for that and thank you for taking Jesus seriously!

2) We had 17 baptisms from May to August, and that is a WIN! That's 17 names and stories that matter to God! I LOVE THAT!

3) With the possibility of merging with FBC over the summer, we felt it necessary to slow down and wait on the outcome of their vote, rather than push to grow. In other words, we weren't even trying to grow, and we did. Again, I praise and honor Jesus and thank you for taking Him seriously. Found people find people!

4) Now is the time when families will consider going to church, or going back to church again! We're going to give it EVERYTHING we've got to win AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, and we want you to go wild with us in this! That means this is your opportunity to see those you love meet Jesus!

We know that ultimately, it's Jesus who grows His Church, so we're going to beg Him for blessing in this season of ministry! As we prepare for Christmas 2012, and the end of the year, we want to finish STRONG as a church! With you beside us, we can do it!

Let me be clear, I believe that the VERY BEST of Movement Church is ahead of us! Here's a brief sneak-peak of what's coming:

• Graduation Sunday - This week (9/23/12), we have 10-12 kids graduating into the next Zone, and we will LOSE OUR MINDS for them and cheer them on to success with a certificate AND a gift! INVITE! INVITE! INVITE! Who to invite? Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, etc.
• Soul Detox - STARTS NEXT WEEK (9/30/12). 4 week series on finding rest for your HEAVY soul! Very practical! Very helpful! Don't miss it!
• Movement Church's 4th birthday - Sunday Oct. 28th! It's going to be HUGE! I'm praying that we'll either run out of chairs or space on that Sunday! Cake, ice cream, balloons - it's going to be a BIG party! INVITE! INVITE! INVITE!
• New Sermon Series begins on our 4th birthday - The series is entitled, Choosing to Cheat: Everybody's Doing It! This series is all about FAMILY, and it is POWERFUL! INVITE! INVITE! INVITE!
• KIDZONE - Our goal is to make your child's church experience BETTER THAN RECESS! So stay tuned for an update on all that's going on in the KidZone (that's a blog post all by itself!).

I could go on and on, but I won't! Just get ready to have your mind blown, life changed and joy restored...all because JESUS KICKED OPEN THE GRAVE! We can! We will!

I love my church!

Pastor Jeremy

Weekly Update from Pastor Jeremy

Hey MOVEMENT, I have 3 things for you today!

1. I'm so thankful that Pastor Jeff brought the Word last week and challenged each ONE to bring ONE to church this Sunday. Personally, I prefer the "Come and See" approach, because I believe this is not only biblical, but it's also the easiest way to see those you love saved and changed by the POWER of our LIVING GOD (Romans 1:16)! So, let us SERVE YOU by doing the hard work of preparing to serve, love, and genuinely care for our new guests that YOU invite to COME AND SEE! Bring somebody this week and WATCH what GOD does!

2. This week I'm preaching over Mark 2:1-12, and I'm holding NOTHING BACK! Trust me, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS! Listen, it is very important that you take OWNERSHIP of your church, especially when God is working so POWERFULLY in our midst! This year we've witnessed countless BAPTISMS and real LIFE-CHANGE! Sadly, only 15% of churches in America get to experience what you get to EVERY SUNDAY! As your pastor, I'm challenging you to get behind me and LOVE YOUR CHURCH WITH ME!

HOW? Easy: 1) Take your next step! 2) Plug in and serve SOMEWHERE! 3) INVITE! INVITE! INVITE! And we'll do the rest!

3. CONNECT GROUPS ARE FORMING NOW! This Sunday you'll have an opportunity to GET IN A GROUP!

5 REASONS YOU NEED TO JOIN A CONNECT GROUP:

1. You want to take your faith to the next level!
2. You are a newer Christian, and want to grow in your faith! YES!
   
3. You have questions about the bible that you wish you could ask someone.
   
4. You want to CONNECT with people that love Jesus and want to get healthy.
   
5. You CANNOT get ENOUGH of MOVEMENT CHURCH!

Please know that I love you all! You are in my prayers on a regular basis! It's an honor serving you! With Jesus, REMEMBER that we WIN! THE BEST IS STILL TO COME!

I'll see you THIS SUNDAY! BE READY!

Pastor Jeremy

Stay Connected

Hey Movement Church! Here’s Tuesday’s update:

1. Thank You: I want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Dave Rey and each and every one of our MVP’s for doing such an AMAZING job last Sunday! Many didn’t know it but Pastor Jeff was filling in for a sister church of ours (preaching), and I had a Town Hall Meeting with the congregation of FBC during our Worship Experience. The pastors weren’t even there, yet by God’s grace you all filled in the gaps beautifully! You ARE Movement Church and I am so grateful!

2. Committed 120: This Sunday night is our next VISION SUNDAY! We’ll have LIVE WORSHIP, SNACKS, AND all the LATEST NEWS about our LAUNCH in Coventry! If you’re an OWNER, we need you to invite 5 people who want to make a serious difference with their lives to this event!

Next month (Sept. 9^th) will be our BIGGEST VISION SUNDAY YET! We’re meeting in the Coventry High School Auditorium! We’ll have LIVE WORSHIP, FREE FOOD, and GIVEAWAYS! Who are you going to bring? We need all hands on deck for this event! It will be life-changing, I promise!

3. Naked Truth, Part 2: We had such an AWESOME response to this series a few weeks ago that we decided to do it AGAIN! Just like before, you can text your questions in this week to 330.687.9284! The earlier you text in your questions, the better chance to get them answered! Some of the topics include: Is cussing a sin? Is it a sin to drink alcohol? What about near death experiences? So, grab your phone and text away! The crazier the question, the better!

4. IT’S HOT: I am grateful that you’re enduring the HOT and STEAMY rooms on Sundays! That shows serious dedication and love for your CHURCH! Because we don’t plan on being at that location for much longer, a more “long-term” solution isn’t wise. That being said, I would like your FEEDBACK (at the bottom) on the following “short-term” solution. What if we moved the remainder of our Worship Experiences to Sunday evenings (6:00PM)? We’d worship in the upstairs sanctuary in the A.C. The KidZone rooms would hopefully be a bit cooler than they are at NOON! Thoughts?

As always, I love all of you, and I am praying for God’s favor to fix us for His glory and our joy! Stay faithful to Him and honor Him and you will WIN!

I CANNOT WAIT UNITL SUNDAY! IT WILL BE AWESOME! WHO ARE YOU BRINGING?

Pastor Jeremy

3 Things I Want Movement Church to Know TODAY

Happy Tuesday Movement Church! I want to quickly share 3 things with you!

1. How AWESOME was it to have Dave Rey preach last Sunday? He was an addict, on the verge of a divorce, and Jesus saved him, made him BRAND NEW, and restored his marriage through the ministry of YOUR CHURCH! He preached on the topic of Idol Worship, and I learned A TON! Here's 3 things that I took away from last week's message:

• ALL people worship. Question is, what are we worshipping? God or a lie?



• Idol worship is placing our faith and hope in whatever we are worshiping rather than in Jesus!



• Idol worship is easily missed in our own culture: success, relationships, sports, sex, etc. These things are not bad things, but can become bad if we look to them for happiness rather than Jesus.

I praise Jesus alone for life-change! Sadly, this is a very rare thing to encounter today in American Church. However, I believe God is alive and well and continuing to build his Kingdom by saving people like Dave Rey!

2. The Naked Truth is coming to Movement Church this week! Get excited! The reasoning behind this series is to give you a chance to ASK the question you've always wanted to ask, but were too afraid, or NEVER had the chance!

Well, here's your CHANCE! There are two ways to submit your questions.

• Email - You can email all questions to Marsha@movementchurch.com. The earlier you submit your questions the better!



• Text - You can also text your questions to 330.687.9284. Again, the earlier you submit your questions the better. TEXT EARLY! TEXT OFTEN! TEXT AWAY!

Some of the questions that we've received so far are:

• Is it right to remarry if you've been divorced?



• Why did Elizabeth's baby (John the Baptist) jump in her womb at the sound of Mary's voice? Is this possible?



• Speaking in Tongues?



• When, exactly, does the Holy Spirit enter a Christian?



• What power does Satan have over you? Can he stop your prayers from getting to Jesus?

Great questions CHURCH! Keep them coming!

3. Be a bringer! Who are you going to bring to church with you THIS Sunday? Bring the skeptic. Bring you Mom. Bring your spouse. BRING SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS JESUS!

I CANNOT wait for this Sunday! I'll see you there!

Pastor Jeremy

Happy Wednesday Movement Church

Happy Wednesday Movement Church! By now, last Sunday is long gone from most of our hearts and minds. So, I wanted to take a brief moment and remind you of a few things about the Principle of the Path:

1. Your direction, not your intention, determines your destination. Just because you intend to grow in your faith, have a better marriage, be a better parent, get in shape - doesn't guarantee you will. What are you INTENTIONALLY doing TODAY to make sure you end up where you desire to be?

• Daily time in God's Word/Prayer (PRIORITY!)
• Scheduled Date Nights w/ Spouse
• Scheduled Date Nights w/ Kids
• Scheduled workout plan

2. There are two major paths for us to choose daily: 1) Destruction Prov. 7:6-27; 2) Life Jn. 14:6

3. If we want to CHANGE our path/direction, there's 4 dynamics to be aware of:

• Action - Do something to change your direction TODAY (stop, phone call, apology, scheduling). Joseph fled Gen. 39:12.
• Sacrifice - Be willing to sacrifice something in order to CHANGE (reputation, friendship, romance, comfort, money). Joseph sacrificed his position Gen. 39:19-20.
• Embarrassment - Be willing to be embarrassed. People won't understand why you are making necessary changes. Remember, you shouldn't be as concerned with where you are as you are about where you are going! Don't sacrifice the eternal for the temporal. Joseph was accused of rape Gen. 39:16-18.
• Relief - Be ready to experience relief! Sin entangles, and bad choices linger. But doing the right thing results in blessing! Joseph was promoted Gen. 41:39-43.

I love my church! Thank you for the opportunity to serve you! I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY!

Pastor Jeremy

Are You ALL IN?

Good Morning Movement Church!

As I sit in an airport awaiting a flight, I am recapping the last 4 weeks of our ALL IN Series! This Series has been a personal favorite for me. Below I am going to briefly cover the main points of each week, and I am hoping that you use this as a tool to revisit when you may feel ready to throw in the towel. As always, you can listen online by clicking here.

Mark 12:30(NIV)
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

We learned that Jesus is a bottom line kind of guy, and he sums up all 613 commandments in the Old Testament with one: That we would go ALL IN in our pursuit of Christ!

1. ALL IN HEART: Growing in Christ doesn't just "happen." It is intentional, not accidental. Pursuing Jesus with all our hearts means to do so as an act of the will (intentionally).

2. ALL IN MIND: Humans hear approximately 50,000 words per day, which is the equivalent of an average sized book! That means that something is capitalizing our minds daily, and if we are not intentional in our pursuit of Jesus with our minds, we can easily be overcome by all the other conflicting messages battling for our mind space! Read, pray, journal at least 3 days per week, and watch God perform miracles in your life!

3. ALL IN SOUL: If a person begins to connect with another person at the deepest part of himself (the soul), then he will begin to become like the other person overtime (married couples for example). If we are increasingly becoming more and more like Jesus then we will begin to care about what he cares about, which are LOST people (Lk.19:10).

4. ALL IN STRENGTH: This means to literally pursue him with "all the strength of us," or to leave EVERYTHING on the field and hold nothing back. You can't ever get comfortable in your pursuit of Christ, because at that point you stop moving toward him and therefore, you stop maturing. All of us have a Next Step to take in our pursuit Jesus! It could be trusting him with our salvation, or trusting him with our finances. It may be different for all of us, but we all have a next step to take!

To conclude this post, I leave you with a quote and a thought:

"If Christianity is false, then it is of no importance. If Christianity is true, then it is of infinite importance. However, what it cannot be is moderately important" (C.S. Lewis).

If Christianity is true, then the only biblical option is that we obey Jesus' commandment to go ALL IN! That's the only option. Anything else is TOO risky!

I love you all!

Cheers!

Pastor Jeremy