Southview Connect

Trivial Things, Andy King

I was at the DMV in Chantilly in March renewing my license plates.  I crawled out of my Honda Civic after grabbing a folder with all the necessary paperwork needed to get the deed done.  As I began to shut my door, I realized I had set my keys down on the driver's seat.  As if I were in that cinematic slow-motion scene we have all seen, I attempted to stop my hand from closing the door.  "Nooooooooo!", "I'm an idiot", "Aaaahhhhhh!"  My keys looked up at me on the other side of the glass with a smirk.  "Blasted keys!"  I only have one set of keys.  I know that's stupid.  Oh, and I forgot to mention I left my phone in the car as well.  

So, defeated, I walked into the DMV an angry mess.  I came to the desk and a very nice lady asked me for all the appropriate paperwork.  Since I prepared, I pulled out my black folder and handed her my proof of existence.  "Sir, do you have your birth certificate?"..."Oh, is that important?"...."Sorry sir, you'll need to come back with your birth certificate."  

Ever had one of those days?  Or worse?  When you're pretty sure the overall intelligence quotient in a room would drop 50 points if you walked into it?  When you feel like you have no business walking into that next meeting because you have nothing of value to add?  When it seems like all your past failures start creeping up on you like a stranger in a dark alley? 

Then a security guard said, "Can I help you?"  After explaining myself, he proceeded to find a metal hanger and a screwdriver.  I thanked him for attempting to help me get my keys and he said he had nothing else to do.  I'm sure that wasn't completely true.  While he pried my door frame open, I played "the Claw" game with a hanger hoping to snag my keys from the seat.  After 20 minutes of what felt like brain surgery, but probably looked like two monkeys banging rocks together, we had the keys.  

I was relieved because the security guard saved me $100 in locksmith fees.  I was more impressed because he went out of his way to help me, and he did it with a great attitude.  Made me feel important.  

I had to stop and think about all the times I've ignored the needs of people when it wasn't convenient.  I've drove by that family broken down on the side of the road.  I've avoided those people that make me uncomfortable because they aren't afraid to share their struggles with me.  And worse yet, my own wife Krissy, when all she really desires is for me to just listen.

I want to just listen.  This world is too noisy.  Sometimes, I can't quite hear that still small voice.  Habakkuk 2:20 says, "The Lord is in His holy temple; hush before His face, all the earth!"  I'm in need of some silence.  But I thank God for His grace and that we are all on this journey together.  He has this uncanny way of overlooking our failures when we turn our face to Him.  And He even goes beyond that by calling us His own.  John 10:27, "The sheep are My own and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow me."  

It's odd how God can use seemingly trivial things to teach us a thing or two sometimes.  Maybe that happens every day?  Maybe it's so we can be prepared to listen when the flood starts rising?  Or maybe I'm a monkey.

-Andy

 

April 2012 Note From Pastor William

I finished my 5K! Thanks to all of you who asked how it went and prayed for me – I finished it, and I wasn’t last  That’s a win! Next time I want to see my time go down, but it’s a start!

We finished our study of Hosea last Sunday in worship with a message called “White Flag,” and we had 4 people raise their white flags to Jesus at the end of the service – praise God! I love to see people “get it” and reach out to accept the gift that God offers – the gift of real abundant life, of salvation – that never gets old!

In April we’ll be in a series called “Save!” that will focus on Jesus’ mission. I believe God has much to teach us from the stories of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, of Easter Sunday, and of the restoration of Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Our small groups continue to grow together in community and in the Word, and it’s exciting to hear how God is using these groups to help people grow in their faith. We have 10 groups currently that meet on various days during the week, so if you’re not in a group yet, find one that meets at a time that fits your schedule! All groups are listed on the website (www.southview.org) under ‘small groups’ on the ‘Connect’ tab. Our goal is that every member would be plugged into a small group in 2012, doing life together in community and growing spiritually closer to God.

Easter is coming fast, and we’re going to celebrate the Risen Jesus! On Good Friday, we’ll be hosting a simulcast of “Secret Church,” a 6 hour intense Bible study session focusing on the cross and suffering. We’ll start at 7 p.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. Plan to join us for this “going deeper” time in the Word of God! On Saturday, April 7 we’ll host our annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at 10:30, followed by lunch, and then on Easter Sunday morning we’ll gather in worship in two identical services (9:30 and 11 a.m.) – plenty of invite opportunities for you to take advantage of this Easter! Invite cards are available at the foyer counter, or you can forward the e-mail invite that was sent out in late March. Use this as an opportunity to invite someone you know who’s far from God to come and hear about the message of hope and life that is found only in Jesus!

Many of you have begun using the e-giving option through the website, and I’ve heard a lot of very positive comments. It’s safe and secure, and very easy to set up. It’s a great way to stay regular in your giving, especially in times of travel or vacation.

Our next Discover Southview class will be on Saturday, April 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you’ve been our guest and are looking to find out more info about the church, our ministries, who we are and where we’re going, this is the class for you! It is required for membership at Southview, and we offer it 5 times a year; our next one will be in June.

Our next Faith in Action Community Day of Service is planned for Saturday, April 28. This is a great way for individuals, couples, families, and small groups to serve others in Jesus’ name. We have 8 different community service projects available that you can sign up for at our website – go to ‘Faith in Action’ under the ‘Connect’ tab and you can sign up today!

In August, we’ll be taking a team to Rwanda on a mission trip with Compassion International. Though we’ve been working with Compassion there for over 2 years, this will be the first time that we’ll be going. I’d love for you to come with us as we go to see what God is doing and join Him in it! More details can be found in the trip informational brochure that’s available at the foyer counter outside the worship center, or at our website. Deadline for sign up is Monday, April 30.

The Chick-Fil-A Leadercast is right around the corner as well, on Friday, May 4. This simulcast conference is going to be a great opportunity for leadership development, no matter what you’re leading! Speakers include Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, Tim Tebow, John Maxwell, and so many others. The cost is $79, and that includes lunch from Chick-Fil-A. Tickets are still available, and you can register and pay through the website.

Whew! A lot going on – and I didn’t even mention all the summer camps for kids and youth that are coming soon! Be praying that God would give us favor as we seek to reach out through all these opportunities in His name to those in our community who are far from Him. We’re praying the words of Psalm 2:8 – “Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.” That’s what we want to see in these days – we want to see the nations that are all around us come to know Jesus. Pray with us that God would use all that we’re doing to advance His Kingdom purposes in Herndon, Fairfax County, and around the world. Thanks for being a part – let’s commit to leverage all that we have been given by our Father for His honor and His glory!!

Loving, growing, and serving with you,

--Pastor William

You Want Me To Do What?!

For those of you who are not already aware, I have been working hard to get back into shape, i.e., physically fit and at the proper weight. However, it seems like just about the time I feel like I am finally getting there, a new challenge surfaces. As a case in point, let me take you back to last November. I finally realized that without the accountability imposed by a training partner and a plan, it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to meet the conditioning goals that I had established. (There are a lot of life lessons in that sentence.) So I contacted a friend of mine who had similar goals, and we started down that road together.

We hadn't traveled very far in our journey when my friend suggested that we needed a near-term goal, incorporating a clear vision of something tangible to work towards. After some further discussion at the end of last year, we picked a 5K race for this coming May, and we each started working with a personal trainer to handle the conditioning. As a side note, I have not run ten feet since I was sixteen—let alone 3.1 miles (5K). However, in January, my friend challenged me to run a 10K race at the same event in May, instead of 5K. My response, “You want me to do what?!”, eventually led to a new training goal; and now we are training for that race.

“But wait; there’s more!” This past week, my co-workers raised the bar again by challenging me to get involved in training for a half marathon—to which I replied, “You want me to do what?!". I am still not sure about that one, but one thing I am sure of is that having goals, and a vision of something to achieve, is critical if you are to grow and accomplish anything in life. Take Noah, for example. I'm sure that when God spoke to Noah about building an ark, he probably replied “You want me to do what?"; and when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, calling him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan, a similar response could be heard. In fact, I bet that's exactly what Joshua said when God laid out the plan for bringing down the walls of Jericho by simply having the people parade around the city walls and blowing trumpets. Can’t you just hear Joshua saying "You want me to do what?!"?

Living the successful Christian life means taking on those challenges. It means having a vision and a goal that takes our breath away, bolstered by a faith and determination that with Christ we can succeed. Just as God told Noah, Moses, Joshua and so many others in the Bible that He would be with them and grant them success, so does He offer that promise to us.

The Apostle Paul wrote that our Christian life is a race, a race we are to run to win—not just to complete. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul writes, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."[NIV] And in Philippians 3:14, Paul writes, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."[NIV]

Coming to Southview in April and May are two opportunities to really challenge you: April 28th is our next community-wide Faith In Action day and May 6th is the Ministry Fair, which will be full of new and exciting opportunities to serve. Later in the year will be the Compassion Trip, World Changers, and the Coates Elementary School “Back to School Boutique”. Challenge yourself, take on a brand new ministry, get involved in a brand new activity, ask Christ to challenge you to the point where you respond "You want me to do what?!"— then go do it for Him. You won't be disappointed. On the contrary, you will be amazed at what God can do through you, and you'll be growing in His Kingdom. How totally awesome is that?!

Perhaps you are reading this today and you are not currently involved anywhere, or you are heavily involved somewhere, but you sense a dryness in your walk and in your ministry. Make today the day that you ask Christ to really challenge you. Ask him to once again restore your excitement and “light the fire in your heart again” about working in the Kingdom. You will never regret it. There's a lot of race left to run out there, so let's get ready to run!

In Christ,

Wes

Created With A Purpose

Like many hundreds of thousands of people living in Northern Virginia, I’m an early morning commuter. This has turned out to be both a burden and a blessing. It is a burden when I’m stuck in four-lane wide traffic, barely moving forward (if at all), and worried about how long it will be until I’m actually at my destination. The "not knowing" part really kills me. However, it is now also a blessing, in that God has shown me how to use these commutes to have some quality time with Him. I listen to the Bible on CD and reflect both on what the Lord is doing in my life that day as well as what He has already done.

It was on such a heavy-traffic morning, as I questioned my sanity making this painful drive each day to get work, that I realized that it was the work that drove me. God showed me that we are indeed created with a purpose, noting Jeremiah 1:5a "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." [NIV] I wonder — have you ever considered that? Have you ever considered that perhaps that job, church duty, household chore, or volunteer position you currently have is God’s intended purpose for your life at this very moment? Ephesians 1:11 states, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will:" [KJV]

God created mankind to be active, to be productive, and to have a purpose. Fellowship with God being our top priority, it is that fellowship which we find so rewarding and yet so easy to push off as we get caught up in the daily work that God has provided us to do. I then realized during that drive that I was headed to a job that God had provided me, to work with people that God wanted me to interact with on His behalf, and to spend another day in this great creation He made for us. So now, traffic or no traffic, I rejoice that God created me, that He’s included me in His eternal plan through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, and that I have a purpose. If you don’t know how important knowing that is, try to reach out to someone lost. You will typically find a lack of direction and the lack of a sense of purpose in their lives. Point out to them that Christ will provide both of these for them, and that the Bible tells us He will provide it "abundantly".

Rejoice with me this morning that God has given you a life with purpose, and celebrate with me that God has included us in His Eternal Kingdom. Take time today and reach out to someone lost or searching for direction. Perhaps Christ will use you in a mighty way as we build His kingdom together.

Serving Christ with you,

Wes Husted