Emotional Baggage [Going Deeper]

On Sunday as we continued in our series called Baggage we answered the question, "Who am I in Christ?'

• You are forgiven in Christ
• You are complete in Christ
• You are secure in Christ

There is often a contradiction between our new identity in Christ and how we think and feel about ourselves, which affects the way we live and what we do. The truth of who we are in Christ becomes our experience as we renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and agree with God. Check any statements below that describe how you often think or feel about yourself. Then look up the corresponding verses and write out what God says is true about you. Each time you recognize that you are thinking an old belief, reject it and agree with what God says. Ask God to show you how to act on this truth, and trust the Holy Spirit to empower you.

__ I feel weak and powerless.  [Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 1:7]
__ I am unloved and un-loveable.  [Ephesians 2:4-5; John 15:9]
__ I feel guilty.  [Colossians 1:14,20; 2:13-14]
__ I am not good enough.  [Hebrews 10:10, 14]
__ I feel inadequate. [2 Corinthians 3:5-6]
__ I am a fearful and anxious person.  [2 Timothy 1:7]
__ I am a disappointment to God.  [Zephaniah 3:17]
__ I am not very smart.  [1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:16]
__ I am worthless & don’t deserve anything. [Isa 43:3-4; 1Pt 1:18-19]
__ I am not special or important. [Zephaniah 3:17; Ephesians 2:10]
__ I am a sinner.  [Colossians 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:21]
__ I feel responsible for my life.  [Phil. 1:6; 2:13; 2 Thess. 3:3]
__ I feel like I never measure up.  [Romans 15:7]
__ I don’t have enough ______________. [Ph 4:19; Ep 1:3]
__ I am unwanted and don’t belong. [Ephesians 1:4-5; 1 John 3:1-2]
__ I feel condemned.  [John 3:18; Romans 8:1]
__ I am alone with no one to care of me. [Heb13:5; 1Pt 5:7; Ps 91]
__ I have no plan or purpose for my life. [Jer29:11; Eph2:10; Ps38:23]

 Remember who God says you are!

Camp NH Story

Over the summer many kids from all 3 campuses went to Camp New Hope.

Our very own Dylan Counts loved it.  He writes...

I loved camp! One of my favorite parts was canoeing and riding a horse and maybe, well NOT maybe...I LOVED shoe-dini!!! I liked being on the top bunk of Elm cabin. I loved going to bed at 10:00pm and waking up at 7:00am. Even though I felt like 2 hours of sleep, it was still fun!

Thank you, New Hope, for letting me go to camp!

Dylan Counts

 His parents did too...

We were blessed to have our son, Dylan, go to camp this year. This was his first year ever going to camp and when we asked him if he was interested, he told us he would try it out for a day!! Needless to say, it was one of the best weeks of his life!

As a parent, with your kid away, it was great to see pictures throughout the week at camp! We looked forward to pictures being posted each night of the different activities of the day! We also liked the idea of being able to send emails and care packages to the kids!

Our Dylan got hurt the last night at camp. It was nothing major, but they called us once he was cleaned up to let us know what happened and let us decide how we wanted to handle it. We appreciated the call to let us know what was going on and to let us, as parents, do what we felt was necessary.

From the time he was checked in to the time he left, everything was very organized! We were very impressed with the way things ran and as a parent, those things are important to us.

We are thankful that Dylan had the opportunity to go to camp and for the life-long experience that he was able to get from it!

Thank you,
Jason and Traci Counts

Don't miss out on Camp New Hope next summer!

PS - I think you can find some footage of Shoe-dini on Facebook.

Overcoming Additiction [Going Deeper]

Last Sunday we talked about addictions.

We asked, "What has mastered you?"
We talked about taking it to God, taking it public and taking it down.

Most of us struggle with one form of addiction or another. What makes an addiction so hard to break? Our struggle with addiction is an internal battle with indwelling sin. Read Romans 7:19-8:6.

• Is Paul battle with himself or something else (v 19-20)?
• Where does this battle take place (v21)? 
• The word wretched means frustrated and exhausted from self-effort. Who set Paul free? How does God see us while we are still struggling with sin (8:1)? 
• What does Paul say is the key to walking in freedom (8:3- 6)? 

What role does our thought life play in our addictions?
Read Galatians 5:16-24.

Within every believer there is a battle between the flesh and Spirit. The flesh (some versions use sinful nature) is the tendency within us to operate in our own strength and rely on our old ways of making life work. What does Paul instruct believers to do in order to break free from the deeds of the flesh (v16)? What does this mean?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

• How do we usually view our weaknesses?
• Why did Paul boast in his weaknesses? 
• How did God use Paul’s thorn in the flesh benefit him? 
• How can God use our addictions to do this same thing in our lives?
  

Read James 5:16 and Galatians 6:1-2.

• Why is it important to confess our sins to each other? 
• How do we carry one another's burdens? 
• What do you think Paul meant by, “the one who is spiritual?”
  

Your Next Step...

• Commit to carrying another’s burden by praying and encouraging them until they are free.
• Who do you need to solicit help from and be accountable to?
• What steps will you take this week to break free from your addiction?
  

40 Days of Love Campign

Starting on October 18th we will launch a church wide campaign that will impact every aspect of our church called 40 Days Of Love. From Hopeland into the little theater on Sundays and out into small groups during the week we will be exploring how faith and love impacts all of our relationships.

During this series I (Pastor Kevin) am asking everyone who calls New Hope Ashland home (teenagers and above) to join a small group as we go through 40 Days of Love together. We are asking that you commit to meet in a small group once a week (on Sunday or Wednesday evenings) for six-weeks. Your group will follow the six-week DVD study taught by Pastor Rick Warren. Each group member will also receive a free study guide and have the option to purchase a copy of The Relationship Principles of Jesus by Pastor Tom Holladay, the companion volume to the 40 Days of Love study.

The goal of this study is to learn what the Bible teaches about God’s love and our lives—and how those two things intersect. We were made for relationships and the more we learn to how to love authentically, the more like Jesus we become. Please check “join a 40 day group” on the connect card.

Worship Service Time Change | Vote

One thing that our leadership team is evaluating is what time should we start service? We know that may don't like the 11:22am starting time because it bleeds in to lunch time and the middle of the day. Especially for those of you who serve.

So I wanted to quickly poll you, but keep two things in mind when you vote...

1. What time is best for someone who is far from God?
2. What works best for our volunteers?

Note - having service too early will put a strain our our ministry teams because of setup time.

Baggage [Going Deeper]

Hope this posts help you go a little bit deeper on our Baggage Series.

• Read Isaiah 61:1-3
What does God promise to do for those who have been wounded by life? Who did Jesus come for? How does Jesus fulfill this prophecy?

• Read Matthew 5:3
The word “poor” means poverty stricken, helpless, so poor that he can only obtain a living by begging. Why is it important that we recognize our spiritual poverty?

• Read Psalm 109:21-22, 26, 20-31
How is God glorified through healing our brokenness?

Christ has restored for us what was lost through the fall: our relationship with God and abundant and eternal life. Read the following verses to discover what else God desires to restore to us.
• Read Psalm 23:3; 41:3; 51:12; Jeremiah 30:17; Malachi 4:6; James 5:15

• Read Colossians 2:13-14
Forgiveness simply means we release the person from the debt they owe us. On what basis did God forgive us? How many of our sins are forgiven?

• Read Colossians 3:12-13 and Ephesians 4:32
How are we to forgive others? How does forgiving help us get free from past baggage?

• Read Ephesians 4:26-27 and Hebrews 12:15
Forgiveness is for our benefit and God’s glory. What happens to us if we don’t forgive those who have wounded us?

Next Steps Following Baggage

Today we talked about Acknowledge Your Baggage and praying these 3 prayers...

• God, Help Renew My Mind With Truth
• God, Help Restore What’s Lost
• God, Help Me Release My Offender
  

Living in an imperfect world insures that we all have some baggage of one kind or another. What are some common types of baggage and what might cause them?

BAGGAGE!

Everyone has some Baggage. You picked it up some where along your life. Join us this Sunday as we start a four week series to we learn how to check the baggage once and for all by finding our true identity in Christ.

An Awesome Old School Potluck Celebration!

We had a great time last Sunday worshiping, eating, and playing together. We did not have anyone baptized, but have some who are interested.

Join the family and the mission as we impact Ashland for Jesus Christ!
We are having a blast along the way.

Old School Potluck and Baptism Celebration!

Don't forget that this Sunday at our normal worship time (11:22a) is our Old School Potluck and Baptism Celebration. This will be a time to worship, celebrate, and connect with one another over a meal. We will have a brief time of singing and teaching followed by baptisms and then lunch at the Pavilion beside Ashland High School.


(above: the pavilion during the Easter Baptisms)

Please remember to bring food. Below is a list of what you should bring according to your last name.

• A-G 12 pack of pop or juice
• H-Q main dish
• R-Z side dish

Feel free to bring some lawn chairs and outside games. We will have the sand volleyball courts so prepared for a beat down!