Community Life Church

Lunch Compliment

A few weeks ago while I was standing at the redbox getting movies a woman came up to me and told me what a wonderful church CLC is. I happened to be wearing my brown 4 year shirt at the time and evidently she is a teacher at McKinney High. She was very appreciative of the lunch our church serves their staff and wanted to say thank you.

-Julie Talton, CLC Church Member

The Treasure Principle

Hi Pastor Mike,

I just wanted to thank you for The Treasure Principle gift. Randy Alcorn does a fantastic job of explaining the six keys to understanding the principle. I certainly learned a great deal, and I wanted to point out one particular key that really stood out to me.

Treasure principle key # 4 states that I should live not for the dot, but for the line. This is a unique way to explain life, and our eternity after life. Today we are all living in the natural life, which Alcorn explains with the dot. The dot is short and definite, with a beginning and an end. Extending out from the end of the dot is a never ending line. This line represents an eternity in heaven that I strive for.

The representation is simple, but very powerful and makes so much sense. It helps me to understand how the dot is the smallest part of what God has planned for me. But at the same time, so much depends on how I use the dot (and how the dot uses me). It is during this very small amount of time that I have to accept Jesus and live for Christ, in order to maximize my experience along the line.

I just thought this idea was really cool and I wanted to share it. Thank you! JF

A Cool Reminder of who He is

Hi Pastor Mike,

I just wanted to share an amazing image that God gave me. Thought you might like it.

On my first day as a member I had the opportunity to serve by working at the bounce house obstacle course for the treats and eats. As you may recall, I covered the middle section of the obstacle course in which the children were faced with “the wall.”

The kids started off by crawling through a tunnel and then maneuvered over, under and through the inflatable barriers. As they continued they were faced with “the wall.” Many older kids tackled this task with little hesitation. While some started crying when faced with this daunting challenge. The fear in their eyes revealed they had absolutely no idea how they were supposed to get over this mountain. That’s the part where I would come in.

My job was to be the cheerleader- their biggest fan. If there was a child who started crying I would take them over to the wall and let them know I am right behind them every step of the way. Reassuring them I would catch them if they fell. Over and over I spoke encouraging words that helped them scale the wall. And because I had a different perspective I told them where to place their hands and feet so they could continue their ascent. I continually reminded them to take it one step at a time. That first time through they needed a lot of support to get to the top. When they reached the top a huge smile spread across their face and then they would take the dive down the slide and quickly get in line to go again. Second time through the obstacle course they needed less support when facing “the wall.” And by the fifth time they were flinging themselves wildly up those stairs with no fear.

Later that night when reflecting on the day, God gave me the image of me being the one scaling the wall. I am the child and he is the cheerleader, the great encourager, my biggest fan. There are so many times when I stand before a wall and think to myself, “I can’t do this! It’s too big and scary.” As I edge up close to it he reassures me that he is there. He will never leave me. He will catch me if I fall. When I get overwhelmed by the big picture, he lovingly reminds me to take it one step at a time. In the moments when I am stuck and can’t see, he tells me where to place my hands and feet. As soon I reach the top I look down and realize how far I have come.

All of this to say, I am thankful for the reminders in which God reveals his unending love for me.

Men's Victory Weekend

Pastor Mike, a few things...

First after talking with you Monday, my wife and I have prayed about the purchase of the van and we are pretty much using the stoplight approach, we have given the purchase a red light so we will re-visit it at a later date. Just one way this church has helped us grow in our relationship with the Lord and with each other!!!

For the victory weekend, to follow up on my phone conversation. I came in with one expectation, to address some petty pride I had been feeling recently about some extended family matters. Through this weekend, the Lord revealed so much more to me...

1) Through the spiritual assessment, the Lord revealed to me when there are times I do not feel his presence, it is not because He has left me but rather, I have built a brick wall keeping Him out. When He cannot look on sin, how difficult for Him to see me through all of my sinful actions, thoughts, etc! The assessment was an eye opener for me and the reason I wanted a copy for home is because I would like to look back in a year to see how much improvement I have accomplished in tearing down that wall and not replacing the old bricks with new ones.

2) The Lord revealed to me how much I have changed in the last three years from a generally positive person to a frowning, angry and somewhat negative person. I am having a difficult time being His light because I have not been willing to let go of the need to be frustrated by material things in my life. I see now the need to combat those influences that brought me to this place and through His power, I am discovering just why it was that I became that kind of negative person. Already I can see things that influence me towards negativity and I am able to address them as they are revealed.

3) Two times I completed the small survey provided by the Letter's From Dad program, "Did you receive...from your dad, your mom". Both times brought tears to my eyes followed by extreme anger, the kind that had me pacing the floor and wanting to put a hole in my own walls at home! The deepest thing the Lord revealed to me this last weekend was a dark cloud of unforgiveness and bitterness that I held onto tightly within my soul. It was there for 32 years and I learned to live with it to the point I did not even see it there anymore. I was not aware how much of an impact this had in my daily life until the Lord revealed it to me and encouraged me to give it to him! I was dissappointed Saturday evening because I could still feel that anger however, Sunday morning I woke feeling like a thousand pounds of weight had been taken off my shoulders. I am confident I can now complete that survey with no tears, anger or bitterness.

I spoke with my sister on Sunday, discussing this very issue. Her position is that I remember more of the bad times when we were growing up where she remembers more of the good times. I choose now to focus on the good times. I have asked her to email me when she remembers the good things and I have discussed with my Brother that I will do the same for all of my siblings. I rebuke the sins of Satan that permeated my father's family, I will no longer let that distance me from the fullest relationship I can have with Him!

Thank you and this entire church for being good stewards of the responsibilities the Lord has given to you. My prayer is that others will experience the healing and growth that my family has already received in the 9 months we have been attending Community Life Church...praise God!

Thank you,

Sunday Night - What a Blessing

Pastor Mike,

I would like that thank you for listening to God's voice.. It just amazes me how He works! I was seriously touched tonight and wanted to well I guess tell you a testimony, I will try to keep it short...

Okay so for YEARS, I have kept part of my heart to myself, the part of hurt that for some reason I felt the need to hang on to, I am not talking a few years of pain. I am talking over 15 years.. I was in a relationship for over 5 years and it did a BIG number on me. I would always joke about it because that was my way of dealing with it. Years later I still saw this pain coming back, it affected my walk with God, my confidence was pretty much shot, and started to affect my marriage. I told NO one how much pain I was holding in, and when it came up I would just try to push it further back into my heart and move on. This grudge started to grow, and I would add other grudges on top of it, before I knew it over 15 years of pain would affect pretty much every thing in my life....
For some reason I did not want to deal with it because I knew it would be a huge thing to deal with. Well, PTL, tonight was the night, and God was not about to let me get out of there without dealing with it..

When Adrian got up there, talking about forgiveness for people in the past, I thought wow this is so me, but I thought oh well, not going to deal with it now, don't want to... well God had another plan,,, I just BROKE!!!!! And you know it was the best feeling I have had in a LONG time. I could actually feel the bitterness and hurt leave me. For the first time in 15 years I felt like I truly was worth being loved... I have heard the forgive and forget for years but never really hit me the way it did tonight.

Anyways, I would like to say I feel like a new person, well same Krizty but FREE!!!and I have a new look on life.. and can't wait to see what God has next..
I wanted to share this tonight, but we ran out of time.. so I had to share with you..

Also I just love this church! I am home!!!! Thank God for this church and your heart for people. I look forward to getting to know that family in the Church..

Have a blessed and great day!

Prayer of Faith

Dear Pastor Mike,

This is KL, AF's Mom.

Last Sunday, you led a prayer of faith, for anything we were believing for. My prayer was to be drawn closer to God, for Him to touch me and heal me in all of the ways He knew I needed.
I just got my old computer going again, and I wanted to let you know that God answered that prayer, that very day, before we got home from church. God reminded me of the time when the kids were young, we were in church every time the church doors opened for anything. I taught the youth group, the 3 and 4 year old cubbies class and was on the bus every Sunday to pick up children who might not have made it to church otherwise.
I feel He is calling me back to be a PART of the church in only ways He knows for now.
I also ended up in the emergency room right after church, as I had been getting sicker and weaker for the previous 2 to 3 weeks. They gave me a prescription and I have improved so DRASTICALLY. I can't even tell you how much better I have felt all week and how God has re-opened my eyes to the ways I used to serve Him. The happiest and most peaceful time in my life was when I served God and those around me.
Thank you Pastor Mike, for having the faith in the Lord and the love for your flock, to ask what some may feel as impossible, but for me and mine, we know God is watching over us, and is shaping us into the people he wants us to be, in spite of the drastic ways we are sometimes brought closer to Him, I would not change a day of this cancer nor the stuff I have been through. You are right, sometimes it takes a lightening bolt to get our full attention, I can testify to that!

You are welcome to share this with anyone and everyone, as I want to be God's example.

Love in Christ,
KL