When my children were younger they loved any dollar store.  I didn’t.  They were sure that the items that they couldn’t wait to purchase for a dollar would bring them long lasting and complete joy and satisfaction.  I knew that if they made it home unbroken, we had success.  The difference was that I could tell how fragile and simple these gadgets were.  My kids were just too infatuated by them, and it always left them disappointed.  I’m glad those days are over…

It’s not like we put our hope in worthless things right?  Can’t wait for the new home to just change our lives?  How about that new car?  Maybe the new carpet, wife, lawnchair, camper, cell phone, computer, craft item, picture, vacation will do it for us.  Nope.  Worthless.  The writer of 2 Kings 17:15 says:

“They worshipped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves.”

A large number of people spend their entire lives chasing after worthless things.  The only way to have a worthy life is to serve something or someone worthwhile.  I think you get the point.  When it comes to our lives, God is the only one worthy worshipping with all that we are!
What are you hoping will be the next thing to bring you happiness?  What are you chasing after?  What can things do for you that God can’t?  When will you give him your all?

Pastor Thad

The East Michigan District is taking a team of people to Iowa for disaster relief. The work is being done through World Hope and we are partnering with them. Flood buckets are being collected through CWC right now to take with them. The team will be leaving on Sunday afternoon, July 13th from New Baltimore. If you are interested in going, please download the application and information for the trip in the office or contact Pastor Thad at pastor@cwchurch.com.

iowa-mission-trip

694. That was the number given Friday night at our praise service to open family camp. Our worship team did a wonderful job leading the service and it was a great way to open camp! 694. This was the number given yesterday at district conference. 694. This is the number of recorded salvations from the 33 churches in the East Michigan District. 694. This is the number of people who turned to Christ this last year for the forgiveness of their sins and to find new life and new hope in a relationship with God.

The Psalmist said:

“Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

There are so many people that intersect our lives on a daily basis. Many of them are putting their hope in other things and other people. Our job is to live such good lives among them that they see the hope that we have in Jesus Christ alone! 694. That is the number that was given from last year’s ministry. What the number is next year is dependent upon you and your testimony and work to bring the lost to Jesus.

Whose salvation are you praying for? Who are you building a relationship with for the purpose of introducing them to Christ? Have you written your own testimony down? What would you say concerning the hope that Jesus has brought to your life?

Pastor Thad

Money.  Money makes the world go around.  Except for the believer.  Money becomes a tool, an instrument, a resource for God’s work.  When a person has given themselves fully to God’s work and God’s call, money only becomes another tool.  I was impressed by the temple workers in today’s passage:

2 Kings 12:13-15, “The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD; it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple. They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”

No accounting?  How would that work today?  My finance team would have a fit!  I’m not sure it would even work in our house!  No accounting?  AND the reason was because they were so honest.  Would others be so quick to trust you?  How honest have you been with your money?  Would you be tempted to put money before the work of God?  Have you so committed your life and your work to God that money is only a tool and resource or does it affect whether your obedient to the call or not?

Pastor Thad

My mother, Sandy Hay fell at Memorial Stadium on Monday night.She broke her
glasses and her face is badly bruised and scraped. She also has a lot of
pain in her arms. Please pray that she heals quickly and that the school
helps pay the medical bills. The fall was due to uneven pavement and she has
no insurance.

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The A&E show Paranormal State asks the question, “When was your last paranormal experience?” It’s not a bad question. When asked, most of us think about ghosts. And although we can get into a debate on what happens to a person when they die, there is a real dimension to our world that we do not see. It is a spiritual dimension that exists. One in which demonic and angelic beings roam.

Daniel is told by an angel that he had to fight through an army of evil to get to him with a message from God. Gabriel shows up and speaks with Mary. Angels have dinner with Abraham. Demonic possession also takes place. Here in today’s story, Paul and Silas run into such a person. Acts 16:16-18:

“Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.”

1. There is a spiritual dimension to our lives that you and I cannot ignore. There is a battle waging for the souls of every man and woman you walk by. And whether we like it or not, we are already engaged in the battle either for or against God.

2. The demonic forces know who they are fighting. The woman in this story even confesses that Paul and Silas are servants of the Most High God. Would they recognize you and I? Would they know whose side you are on?

3. Christians are on the winning side. Paul and Silas had no problem confronting this spirit and making it known what John said in 1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  The word overcome is from the Greek root “nike” which means to have victory.  Works great for the shoes…works even more for Christ!

4. Paranormal experiences are normal for believers. If you are in prayer each day, worshiping in private or corporate, meditating on God’s Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, you are experiencing the presence of God in your life. You know the unseen. You hear the unheard. This is why we are called “believers” and not “provers”. We don’t prove the existence of spiritual forces…we believe in them because of our experience with God.

May today be another day that you have a paranormal experience with God. May you know that you are a part of the army of God when you enter into prayer. And may you know it is by the name of Jesus that we conquer!

Pastor Thad

Preliminary meeting for all those interested in the Philippines trip will be held at CWC at 7:30 pm. Please contact Rod McLane if you are interested in going but cannot make the meeting 810-364-7084.

Hello Everyone,
We have had a bit of turmoil with the group we were going to work with this year in
the Philippines. The government has taken the compound/church we usually stay and
work for themselves. We were trying to work out other locations with them where we
could stay but the alternatives (we all agreed) were not very good.
So we have shifted gears and are going to stay and work at the Aeta Children’s Home.
We have worked with them for years and our last team from CWC stayed there and
worked for 3 days. I have been given a list of projects that we can chose from to
work on.
1. Medical and dental mission at ACH and to the Aeta villages.
2. Feeding the malnourished and sick children at the Aeta villages.
3. Equipping and manning the medical clinic and open it for the Aeta and non-Aeta
people. As of this date, the construction of the medical clinic has been completed.
We are now praying, waiting for the Lord to provide medical equipment and supplies,
including ambulance to fetch very sick Aetas at the villages. WE are also praying
for 2 little aricons and a generator for the clinic as there are frequent brownouts
here.
4. Concreting pavement around the medical clinic;
5. Repair of the roofs of school buildings which are eaten by termites;
6. Ministering, teaching, praying, playing with the Aeta kids in the children’s home.
7. Help in the cooking and preparation of foods for the ACH kids, setting tables,
washing dishes, washing clothes, cleaning their dormitories. We have few staff in
the ACH and your help in this aspect will be much appreciated to give a little
relief to our hardworking staff;
8. Swimming or teaching the children how to swim.
Our tentative dates to go is November 19/20 thru December 2/3. Cost should be $1000
plus airfare. Everyone will need a passport.
A information meeting will be Monday June 30 at 7:30 at CWC. If you know others who
were interested please pass this message on.
You can find out more about ACH at our web site www.HopeEndeavors.com
Please let me know if you cannot make it Monday night.
In His Service,
Rod McLane
364-7084

Well, it’s official that the foot is a bad sprain with a light fracture.  I’m in a boot right now and working on the message for this week about the vision of the church.  So I can’t ride my motorcycle or drive a car right now.  If you are wanting to connect, the best place is online!

Pastor Thad

Please keep David Boroff and family in your prayers.  David has visited the oncology doctors in Ann Arbor and the news is not what we expected.  The cancer has spread from the bladder and into the pelvis.  At this point the doctors say it is in-operable.  It appears radiation and possibly chemotherapy is the only recourse.

Details are forthcoming, and he and Bonnie will be spending at least tonight in Ann Arbor.  Please pray for peace and grace for the family in this emotional time.

Thanks for your prayers and condolences.