Vision Night was a night for the church to come together to celebrate all that God has done in our church and believing that He has so much more in store. We took time to assess where we are today, introduce a new mission statement, and focus on a specific goal in the coming year to launch a new campus in East Rockingham County. We will keep sharing in the weeks to come!

http://bible.com/events/7055715

The Future Is Now – February 9
“The Call to Relevance”

The early history of the US Coast Guard had a simple but profound motto:
“We have to go out, we don’t have to come back.”

Instead of feeling INSPIRED, COMPELLED, and CALLED, the Church is often defined as FEARFUL and PASSIVE, while being DISCONNECTED and DISENGAGED from our world.

The Church in 2020 will always face the temptation the run away from danger, but we are called to go.  

Background of Ephesians 2:
 In the midst of turmoil and division, Paul is calling the Church towards a message of ONE:
-ONE humanity (verse 15)
-ONE body (verse 16)
-ONE spirit (verse 18)

Ephesians 2:19-22
One Nation (verse 19)
“You are no longer foreigners and strangers”

Within the church there is a seat at the table for each and every person

One Family (verse 19)
“Fellow citizen’s with God’s people and members of His household”

Within the church our identity comes from being a citizen of His kingdom.

One Temple (verses 20-22)
“Rises to become a holy temple in the Lord”

Jesus is the cornerstone, and the church is RISING UP to become His temple, a place where His Spirit dwells.

What does it mean for us, the church, ”to rise to become His temple” in 2020? 

At HFCN we are committed to living lives of complete obedience to God. So we sense His love compelling us to worship Him wholeheartedly but, more than that, we will reach beyond our walls to welcome the outsider, the broken, the lost, the hopeless. Our work to bring hope to others through the person of Jesus Christ will make us relevant and valuable in our community. 
HFCN Church Purpose Statement

What does it mean to be relevant?
• We believe that God’s purpose for the church was relevant then.
• We believe that God’s purpose for the church is relevant today.
• God’s purpose for the church is not outdated.

Specifically, when we speak of a church that is relevant, we are focusing on three things:

REAL
• We are REAL – honest about who we are (and who we’re not)
• We take time to listen, to understand those we are reaching
• We tell our real story about faith in Christ
• We don’t pretend or hype and we aren’t playing games
• We’re not afraid to speak truth to what’s happening today

URGENT
• We understand that this really matters –  eternal life and eternal death hang in the balance
• We believe that we are in the last days and that “waiting till tomorrow” is bad evangelism and bad theology. (Thus, “The Future is Now.”)
• We have hope and we will cannot keep it to ourselves
• We won’t be pushy, but we will have urgency to share the Gospel faithfully.

IMPACTFUL
• We make a meaningful difference.
• We realize that nothing happens apart from the love of Christ flowing through us.
• We don’t expect people to “have their act together” before extending a hand to them.
• We truly care and people know it.
• We’re not intimidated by sin, but we don’t turn a blind eye to it either.

 Ephesians 3:10-11 
• God’s work will be done through the church (We are His Plan A)
• If the church is irrelevant, it’s not because our marching orders have changed.
• God doesn’t become irrelevant.

Bottom Line: 
There is no substitute for the church being the church.

http://bible.com/events/7052310
Afraid Not: Brave

There at least 21 different times in the Gospels alone where Jesus encourages us not to fear. 

-Matthew 10:31 – So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows
-Luke 8:50 – Don’t be afraid, just believe
-John 14:1 – Don’t let your hearts be troubled
-Others examples: Matthew 6:25, Matthew 14:27, Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:32, Luke 24:18, Matthew 24:6

Throughout Scripture the command not to fear often includes the command to “be strong and courageous”.  

-Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
-Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
-1 Chronicles 28:20 – David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.
-Daniel 10:19 – And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
-1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong

We conclude our series on fear by leaning into this topic of courage:

-Courage does not mean you’re not afraid (all the fearless people are dead!)
-Courage does not mean you’re an impenetrable robot.
-Courage does not mean you pretend to be unfazed by the hardships in your life

We witness one of the most important struggles of courage in history in today’s passage:  

Matthew 26:36-46
As Jesus prepares to go to the cross, He clearly experienced fear (Luke’s account speaks of Jesus’ sweat like drops of blood).
Despite the fear that he was experiencing, Jesus’ response was ultimately one of surrender to the will of the Father.

What does courage mean?
-Obedient action in the face of fear and uncertainty
-Courage cannot be the absence of fear.  The one thing you must have to have courage is fear, because courage isn’t overcoming nothing. Courage is overcoming fear.

In the moment of uncertainty, it is not fear that determines the outcome, but rather obedience. 

There are three different pictures of Jesus’ obedience
1. Verse 39 “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
2. Verse 42 “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
3. Verse 46 “Rise! Let us go!”

A closer look at Matthew 26:46 “Let Us Go” 
1. Jesus was saying yes to God’s calling  
    a. The felt real fear and anxiety, but ultimately he chose obedience
    b. Jesus was saying yes to the cross of suffering
2. Jesus was inviting his disciples to say yes to God’s calling  
    a. Jesus’ response was also an invitation to others
    b. The road ahead would be marked with difficulty, pain, and heartache
    c. Jesus is challenging them to model their obedience after his own
3. Jesus was acknowledging that we walk in obedience together  
    a. The power of presence of God would be undeniable in the days ahead
    b.  The presence of God allows us to obey in spite of fear

Bottom Line:
Without courage, your calling is crippled.

At the end of our lives, what we will regret most is not the risks we took,
instead the times when we played it safe.

Other Texts for Study & Reflection:

Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

http://bible.com/events/7047267
Afraid Not: Anxious for Nothing

“Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one. Fear screams, Get out! Anxiety ponders, What if?”
Max Lucado

The United States is considered by many the most anxious nation in the world.

While many of us can identify with anxiety in so many ways, God’s Word gives us a clear command and a clear promise:

The command:
 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

-The command is not to be anxious, but rather to pursue relationship!
-We overcome anxiety by turning to God in relationship, which is what prayer is really all about.

The promise:
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

-For some, there is an incredible peace that comes instantly.  -For others, this is a peace that comes one step at a time, one moment at a time.  As they pursue relationship, as they turn to God, moment by moment they walk in peace.  
Bottom line: 
Our circumstances never have the power to give us peace

What is your role in regards to the anxiety and fear you face?

Our Focus
-our focus becomes distracted, distorted, or clouded by so many others things

-our expectations
-we fill our hearts and minds with so many things that create faulty expectations for ourselves and for others around us
-we embrace “bad theology” where we expect that we wont face opposition

-our thoughts
-we entertain a toxic mindset about our circumstances and the people around us
-we replay negative thoughts about ourselves repeatedly, which leads to shame  

-our words
-a distorted focus will ultimately come out in our words and in our actions
-we give voice to things that are not of God, creating storms of destruction  

Psalms‬ ‭16:8‬ ‭ESV
 1 Peter 5:7

Other Texts For Study & Reflection:

Lamentations 3:17-26

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:7-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Chris Holcomb is the Executive Pastor of Age Group Ministries at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma. Pastor Chris was the guest speaker for the 2020 Virginia District Teen Winter Retreat. Friday Night of Retreat he ask the question How do we see God? Saturday Night he ask How do we see ourselves? Sunday Morning he ask How do we see others? He preached from Mark 11:12-25.