tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361384534629761932011-07-30T22:12:17.619-05:00This blog is dedicated to lives and ministry of the Harvest Community Church.Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-41150705283024469182009-10-26T09:53:00.006-05:002009-10-26T10:25:39.400-05:00

Angela and I have been married for over six years, but she’s never seen me cry. So, when she asked about a sermon she missed while teaching Sunday school, she was shocked when I told her I had tears in my eyes during the service. The message and testimony that day were about adoption.Angela would occasionally talk about adopting a child. I guess it was natural considering her grandfather and

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-82109735289508943502009-08-10T11:30:00.005-05:002009-08-10T11:51:33.680-05:00

Exactly one year ago, I remember having a community group meeting at Katie and Peter’s place to discuss and address concerns of the group. The discussion was brought up because several members were unable to be committed to the group for various different reasons. I still remember feeling so content and complete as I was coming out of the meeting. We all shared that with a smaller group we could

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-25863891749483300812009-08-04T13:09:00.004-05:002009-08-04T13:16:37.493-05:00

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11God has been teaching and challenging me in the area of self discipline this year. As a child, I knew if I was disobedient then the end result would be disciplinary action from my parents, which I often observed with

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-71937140845425296352009-06-15T16:17:00.005-05:002009-06-15T16:30:12.681-05:00

"David perceived the Lord was with him." What would it be like to perceive the Lord is with me through all the mundane chores of the day such as diaper changes, bottle washings, and cleaning baby spit-up? What would it mean to perceive the Lord was with me through all moments of my day? Last week we started Sean on solids and he was cranky, fussy, and unable to sleep at night due to

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-47622894949267654512009-04-10T10:15:00.006-05:002009-04-10T10:35:48.641-05:00

In searching for ministry or volunteer opportunities, it is often easy to overlook some of the organizations that happen to be located right in your backyard. In early 2008, as the TGIF and Oasis community groups were looking for local ministries to volunteer at, the organization known as Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) surfaced, mainly through positive word of mouth from other community groups'

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-78780930694806589292009-04-01T15:29:00.004-05:002009-04-01T15:52:41.831-05:00

It was the evening of St. Patrick’s Day and as I walked out of Hans & Susie’s building into some brisk weather, I felt like I was falling in love with our church all over again. Our staff had just gathered for our quarterly fellowship, a time when we get together with our families and just hang out together (no shop talk, just friendship). We decided to do a St. Patrick’s theme dinner. It was a

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Picture yourself taking a walk in a forest preserve. It is a sunny, comfortably warm day. You start out on a narrow gravel path. The grass alongside the path is freshly green and scattered with tiny white and purple wild-flowers. As you move into the forest, you begin to notice a variety of trees. Some look old and gnarled. Others are saplings that bend and sway in the light breeze. There

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-74709080874339202302009-03-03T15:02:00.007-06:002009-03-03T15:27:03.313-06:00

“Where can I serve?”“Harvest already seems to be well run and all the places I can volunteer seem to be filled” “I don’t really have the time” “I live too far” “What skills do I really have that the church can use?” These are some of the thoughts that went through my mind when I first started considering volunteering in some way at Harvest. Ok, I admit it, they can also be considered

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-55774620677369649592009-02-21T10:00:00.005-06:002009-02-21T10:30:14.061-06:00

Early in my life, God brought me to a place where all I could do was to trust and obey Him. When things are going well, I thank God. At the same time, I ask God to grant me the faith to have the same joy and thankfulness even in times when things may not go well (at least not going well according to my narrow perspective on life). After all, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-59566479176400852242009-02-09T15:37:00.005-06:002009-02-17T13:19:31.639-06:00

...is something all of us ask everyday, especially in tough situations.It is hard to imagine that I have been involved in women’s ministry for 3 years. I struggled with feeling accepted by women my whole life, always feeling like an outsider. So, imagine my surprise when I was approached by Jen Carlson in 2007 to join women’s ministry. But God knew why – He knew what I needed to experience and

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-55627584566840597522009-01-25T19:46:00.003-06:002009-01-25T20:17:49.858-06:00

Lately, I've been feeling the encouragement from the spirit to get more involved in community affairs. For most of my life, I have not been a political guy and preferred not to consume myself in it. However, after witnessing the 2008 presidential race, I've been a lot more motivated to get involved in community issues than before. Even though I'm a single voice, I feel like it's important to

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-31519849411664530262009-01-20T09:47:00.003-06:002009-01-20T10:20:32.661-06:00

It’s January 20th today--just about the time most of us are seeing our new year’s resolutions faltering. Some of them may have had to do with exercising more, eating better, or wasting less time. They end up being good intentions that just don’t make it to reality, for very long.My Christian journey has often been stuck in that struggle between noble intentions and tangible action. Through the

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-27218202999310104232009-01-15T14:09:00.008-06:002009-02-21T10:00:12.685-06:00

A question that friends at church often ask is, “Is there any method by which you select songs for Sunday mornings?” YES, there is…but it has taken years of leading worship to finally have a method to my madness.I think there are some “unbalanced” ways of selecting songs for corporate worship. When I say “unbalanced”, I mean that there is an over-emphasis on certain themes/ideas, and an

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-28375548564734595612009-01-09T10:06:00.003-06:002009-01-09T10:28:56.663-06:00

I've been reflecting on leaving a legacy ... Last Sunday, I "officiated" the renewal of vows for a couple celebrating 50 years of marriage. That's almost as old as ... well, I won't mention names. Anyway, the best part of the service was when the children and grandchildren shared the legacy the couple had passed on. It was very emotional and moving. In reflecting on the sharing, I hope my kids

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-10307436689734379912008-12-30T10:40:00.006-06:002009-01-06T13:10:12.138-06:00

As we sat in my office and looked over her bills two days before Christmas, it was quickly obvious that the money that she brings in was simply not enough to cover her expenses this month. Catherine (not her real name) had called me to set up a meeting earlier that morning because she was in a difficult situation. A culmination of issues had caused her to find herself in this predicament. She had

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-65307994485675311032008-12-23T09:31:00.005-06:002008-12-23T09:46:39.360-06:00

People say that in most marriages one spouse is the spender and the other is the saver. Unfortunately for my husband, I have always been a spender and he has been the saver. Each time I share my testimony with one of the Crown classes, I reflect on how God brought the two of us together and how much I have learned since then about God's perspective on finances and stewardship.I grew up having a

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-28214445776447028502008-12-23T09:26:00.001-06:002008-12-23T09:27:52.214-06:00

Take a few minutes and prayerfully soak in this song.

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-65640381014385314142008-12-22T11:59:00.007-06:002008-12-22T15:53:39.024-06:00

I have been involved in Ambassadors for ten years. Looking back to when I first entered school, I had a difficult time adapting to the college life. I also knew that my faith was not build on the toughest foundations and was afraid that I would fall away. I wanted to go to U of I or UIC where there were reputable campus ministries to grow my faith. However, God had other plans. He led

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-50830330565406592142008-12-03T10:29:00.011-06:002008-12-03T10:42:33.040-06:00

Originally posted to Life is Ministry on Monday, October 15, 2007"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Last Friday night my daughter Abigail and I and a group from Harvest Church went to a Feed My Starving Children mobile packing event. It is exactly what it sounds like. FMSC is an organization that prepares special

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-47235436145877427462008-12-01T09:47:00.005-06:002008-12-01T14:57:47.354-06:00

Many years ago, my friends and I attended a 12 hour prayer conference, standing side by side with 20,000 other believers in a large outdoor stadium to fast and pray together. During the time of praise, I noticed a middle-aged woman worshipping God through interpretive dance nearby. She hopped and twirled with her arms gracefully moving in all directions, and I soon realized that her movements

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-15542015594747593922008-11-22T10:58:00.002-06:002008-11-22T11:02:09.486-06:00

This is a video of some footage of friends of Harvest during their recent furlough in the states. As you watch this please remember to lift up not only their family, but each of the families that HCC is partnering with around the globe.

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-24954228834633367402008-11-18T08:56:00.003-06:002008-11-18T09:13:05.650-06:00

When I read the Bible, occasionally a verse, sentence or phrase will stand out as though in bold print. I take that as the Lord wanting me to pay special attention to it, to chew on it awhile. The most recent example comes from Romans 12:16 which includes, “Do not be wise in your own opinion.” To me this meant, “Don’t think you know it all. Don’t be conceited. Be humble and willing to learn.

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-18576748180071776132008-11-17T10:55:00.004-06:002008-11-17T11:04:14.289-06:00

I am not surprised by Jesus’ answer to the disciples when asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” His answer…little children. Every Sunday morning in SEEDS, I get to see with my own eyes why Jesus told them, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” As the SEEDS Director, I wish I could say that I get to church every Sunday

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-30663691571809712052008-11-12T15:08:00.007-06:002008-11-12T15:20:55.834-06:00

I thought a lot about what I should share in terms of Praise team at Harvest and I went through a list in my head; a soul-penetrating quote? a reflective devotional that would cause a revival in the hearts of all men? a mini-sermon on praise and songs of the Bible that would challenge Pastor Dave’s sermon in profundity? But when the dust settled after all these ideas clouded my head, it was

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-62097305781099229692008-11-10T13:52:00.005-06:002008-11-12T15:18:57.165-06:00

I hope all is well with y'all! I'm at Ft. Benning, GA enjoying Army life in a barracks with wasps, a and temperatures around 75 degrees. Because of Veteran's Day, I have the day off, and I was listening to this song and it reminded me of some of our times at Tuba City. I just wanted to send you guys this song as a blessing and a reminder of God's faithfulness at a time of our lives....wherever

Harvest Commuinty Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08046064489729940804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-536138453462976193.post-20077407454878858312008-11-05T15:51:00.004-06:002008-11-08T14:14:24.529-06:00

At the beginning of Luke after spending 40 days fasting in the wilderness Jesus inaugurates his ministry by reading a portion of this passage. Among the many inspiring pictures that Isaiah 61 conveys is the idea of replacing ashes with crowns of beauty. In ancient cultures ashes were often used as and external and public display of remorse and grief. As Jesus read this passage and says that

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