Review of Fearless by author Eric Blehm

I just finished the Book Fearless.  This book tells the amazing story of Navy Seal, Adam Brown's life.The story is gripping and the book was hard to put down.  Except for some harsh language I would recommend this book to anyone.  I think it would be especially helpful to those who are struggling to find their path or purpose in life. It would be great for High School students and graduates, college students, those struggling with addictions, those who find themselves in orison, those who feel hopeless, or simply those who are looking for an inspiring story.  I don't want to give away anything in the book but it gives an account of a man who struggles in life with many demons and ultimately shows what Adam is made of.  A man of extraordinary strength, resolve, character, compassion, and craziness and the ultimate sacrifice he is willing to make for his family,friends, and country.

Mothers Day Sunday Seven

Here are this weeks 7 great things that happened at Galena Assembly on Sunday:

1. Attendance in the Sunday service was up 12% over last week.
2. A girl came to kids church with a brace on her leg. Pastor Kyle, Ren and the children prayed for her and she was able to take the brace off and walk around without any pain!
3. We had a wonderful time of worship. The freedom and joy in the Holy Spirit was amazing.
4. We had several guests in the service Sunday morning.
5. JoLynn's message was challenging to the women. Every woman responded and came forward at the end of the service.
6. Testimony from parents of a baby that was having acid reflux issues who had an ultrasound and the doctors report was a good one.
7. Announced that on June 3 the Take the Plunge (baptism) service will take place and we already have had several people ask to be baptized.


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Sunday Seven

Here are the top 7 things that happened at Galena Assembly Sunday

1.  This was the third Sunday in a row excluding Easter that we saw an increase in our Sunday morning attendance!

2.  We saw several new faces in the service yesterday.  That is always a positive sign.

3.  Both the church vans have been in need of repair and a couple donated what was needed to fix them.  This is important for our ministry to kids in the Galena area.

4.  A woman who had Hepatitis C was healed of this disease.

5.  We concluded the NEVERTHELESS series and people are pumped and excited about what God is doing!

6.  A man that came forward for prayer Sunday morning for heart and lung issues came to my office today to tell us the medical tests came back perfectly normal!

7.  The presence of God was overwhelming during the entire service.  God is moving in our midst and it is an exciting time to be a part of Galena Assembly!

In Memory of Steve Jobs

A few years ago I read this.  It is the commencement address that Steve Jobs gave at Stanford University in 2005:

     Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

DNA- Week 1 review

This past Sunday we kicked off the DNA series with the first subject, Evangelism.  


God has placed within each one of us a desire to share Christ with those around us. 


What did we learn?


1. 89% of church goers say that the church exists to meet my needs and the needs of my family. Only 11% said the purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus. 95% of all Christians never win a single soul to Christ. 


2. Evangelism is not easy, yet for many it is scary. 


3. Evangelism is one of the highest values of the church, but one of the least practiced. 


4. Over time, the church if it does not practice evangelism will move towards self-centeredness. 


5. Evangelism must be loving. The greatest command is to Love God, the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. 


6. Evangelism must be relevant. It must meet real needs that people have. 


7. Evangelism must make connections. 6 million people were asked, "What would it take to get you to church?" 90% answered, "Someone to ask me." 74% of people today came to Christ through a friend or relative, not as a result of an altar call, pastor, or church program. 


8. Evangelism must be with urgency. There will be a time when it will be too late. 


I don't think we ever purposefully stop doing evangelism personally. I think over time unless we keep reminding ourselves of the great commission, we just lose the focus we need to have on it. 


Coming Next Sunday, DNA- Relationships -


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Location:Historic U.S. 66,Galena,United States

New Series

We are excited about a new series we will be starting this next Sunday, October 2 at Galena Assembly.  The series is entitled DNA.

DNA is essential for life.  It is essentially the blueprint for our lives. The instructions for how to build your body are encoded in your DNA.  It is responsible for gender, hair color, eye color, how big your ears are, whether you have dimples, freckles, or attached or unattached ear lobes.  Our fingerprints come from our DNA.

Since Christ has told us that we are his body here on this earth, we need to rediscover our DNA.  What defines us as a church?  What defines us as followers of Christ?  It isn't the building we meet in.  It isn't the programs that we have.  Both the building and programs make it possible for our DNA to come out.

Over the next 4 weeks we are going to look at 4 things that God has placed in our DNA as Christ followers.  These things are important to the health of the church, just as DNA in our bodies in important to the health of our physical bodies.

We hope you can join us Sunday Mornings at 10.  You can attend in person or watch live here http://www.ustream.tv/channel/galenaassembly

Accountability

Last night in church we talked about the issue of accountability.  I believe that the lack of accountability is one of the major hindrances to healthy, vibrant, growing churches today.  The bible in James 5:16 says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."    When we have those same people in our lives that we are able to confess our sins, issues, problems, and areas of weakness to it makes a way for the healing power of God to come into our lives.  


The power of sin tries to keep us in the dark. Our enemy, the devil, wants to isolate us and make us feel like we are the only ones in the world who struggle with (fill in the blank).   But when we are able to share our struggles with others who will hold us accountable, pray for us, and encourage us, a transfer of power takes place.  The power of sin is deflated and the power of God is released.  Read these verses and see how the power can be released in your life.  
  
     Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  But someone who falls alone is in real trouble..... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
                                                                                          Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12


In order for us to be healthy as followers of Christ we have to have the friendships that provide accountability for us.  No one likes accountability because our flesh pushes so hard against it.  We must pursue accountability if we want to be all that God desires us to be.


Here are some questions that can be used for accountability:
     1. Are you spending time alone with God?
     2. Are you in studying the Bible?
     3. Are you praying?
     4. Is your thought life pure?
     5. Have you seen something you shouldn't see (movies, magazines, Internet)?
     6. Are you misusing your power on the job? At home?
     7. Are you walking in total obedience to God? (Remember, partial obedience is disobedience.)
     8. Have you lied about any of the previous questions?


These questions are one's that Leadership Guru John Maxwell recommends.  This is a base to start from and not an exhaustive list.  Feel free to add your own that is more applicable to your situation.  Find someone to whom you can be accountability partners with and then get free.


Be free in Jesus name because "he whom the Son sets free, is free indeed!"

Update

I am really enjoying the Hostage series that we have been teaching on over the last 3 weeks.  It seems to be a very popular topic and everyone seems very engaged by the messages.  This coming Sunday will be the final message in the series.  I will be announcing the subject later this week. My prayer is that those who have heard the messages have found freedom in Christ.  If you missed any of the messages, you can watch them on Ustream Galena.

Great Sunday

We had a great Sunday yesterday as we kicked off the HOSTAGE series.  So exciting to hear how God is touching people lives and how people are getting healed of various problems.  So far this year we have had 2 blind people receive their sight back, a deaf ear opened, and numerous other healings and miracles have taken place.  Take God at his word and believe!

Tuesday

We are continuing to focus on taking care of teams as they come in to work providing food, lodging and food for them.  We are also continuing to sort through donations as they come and get them where they need to go.  We are also making all the resources available to those who come and pick items up.  Our biggest need right now is for teams and individuals to come and help organize and sort the donations that have come in as well as help get them to the areas where they are needed the most.  If you would like to bring a team or come individually please call me at 620-202-3257.  We can also house your workers here if needed.

Weekend Update

We had a good weekend @galenaassembly. Preached on What's Left? 1Corinthians 13:13, Faith, Hope, and Love. We want to be encouraging people and building faith and hope through the love of Christ. A lot of new faces in the services. To give you an update on needs we are needing drinks other than water a personal toiletry items, food, sunscreen for those out going through homes and survivors sorting through the destruction. We are hearing that many other places are turning away donations. We WILL not. The needs are going to be ongoing for months and we want to make sure we have what people need. Have a great day! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Joplin Tornado

This week has been very hectic with all the chaos caused by the tornado 6 days ago. The response has been unbelievable and overwhelming. At Galena Assembly we are focusing our efforts on being a resourcing point for victims and other shelters and a resting and rejuvenating place for workers. We are housing many of the Convoy of Hope workers as well as workers for many other outlets. Some teams are getting in to work but the bulk will be allowed in early next week. The needs are great as we continue to meet needs. On a personal note, this is definitely the most devastating natural disaster I have ever seen. Please continue to pray for the victims, the families affected, those that are missing and those who have the difficulty of identifying bodies. Pray for an overwhelming presence of God to be in churches all over the area tomorrow. Lots of healing and hope needs to be given to those in our churches tomorrow. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone