Live... Without a Net!!!

One Down, Eleven to Go!!!

Wow... it's hard to believe that January 2012 is almost at an end! As a great American once said in  the greatest chick-flick of all time, Steel Magnolias, “Time marches on, and sooner or later you realize it is marching across your face.” - Dolly Parton! :)

We've had a great month at Gateway in January... It's been awesome to see what God has been doing through our "Forward" Series on Sunday mornings, and I can't wait to see what happens this Sunday morning as we bring the series to a close.

But now's a time to look ahead!!!

As we look further into 2012, I'm excited to see what God has in store to do in and through Gateway Community Church!  We’ve got God-sized plans to love our neighbors and share the good news of Jesus.  In the coming months, I’m looking forward to sharing with you details about these things:

• Our new young adults’ ministry—“Manifest”—and its role in reaching college students and other ‘millennials’ in our community!
• A special day of community-wide ministry the first weekend in May!
• Our new men’s discipleship ministry—“True North”—and our passion for seeing men become the husbands, fathers, & CHRIST FOLLOWERS they’re called to be!
• A brand-new worship CD featuring original songs written by our own Kevin Gardner and performed by our Gateway Worship Team, AND a special “Night of Worship” that will launch it all!

So hold on tight and keep pressing on! These next eleven months are gonna be quite a ride!!!

See ya Sunday at Gateway Community Church!!!

And BTW - Here's to hoping that time's footprints are heavier on your face than mine!!! :)

Big Time is THIS SUNDAY!!!

A lot of times, people ask us what "Big Time" at Gateway is all about... Well, it's a whole lot easier to show you than to tell you. Check this out!!!

 

We'll see you for another AWESOME family worship experience at "Big Time" this Sunday evening (January 29) at 6 PM!!!

 

Courage in Moving Forward!!!

Over the past month at Gateway, we’ve talked about what it means to get ahead in your life--"Forward Principles."

• You must remember that some things never change… (God’s Word, God’s Power, & God’s Presence)
• You must be willing to let go of some things (Old Identities, Old Provisions) in your past to embrace the things in your future
• You must completely dedicate yourself to give God what is His in your life (that’s everything), to confess the areas where sin has interrupted or short-circuited the blessing of God in your life, and make the necessary changes (repentance).

This week we’ll talk about GENUINELY PURSUING those principles, and THE ONE THING that holds that pursuit together… COURAGE!

Following "Forward Principles" is not about making a “one and done” determination in your life. That initial determination is tremendously important, but moving forward is hands-on decision that must be lived out in real-life situations daily and intentionally. There’s no sleeping at the wheel if you’re gonna pursue these God-given and God-ordained principles to move forward in your life. That's why courage is so vital!

Curious about how it all comes together??? Then we'll see you Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11 AM!!!

Stopping God's Blessing in Your Life!

You know., it’s exciting to be a part of a place where God is doing some absolutely magnificent things. Why God would choose to do great things anywhere in this world should absolutely amaze us… and right here in Pikeville, NC, He’s chosen us to be a part of it all. To be honest, I don’t fully understand it all, what’s behind that movement, what He’s up to, how it’s all going to look. I just look around in wonder and amazement, and say, “Amen,” even though I may not understand it all.

But you know, I do understand this about what God is doing in and through me personally and within us as a congregation.

I know how to stop it.

In fact, I know exactly how to stop God's blessing in my life, and how you can stop it in yours, too!

Curious...? Good! We'll see you at Gateway this Sunday at 9:30 and 11 AM!

Moving Forward by Letting Go!

The path forward often is as much as about endings as it is about beginnings, what you’re putting behind you as much as what your choosing to pursue. In a January 2011 interview with PopEater Magazine, Ozzy Osbourne spoke about his recurring battle with addiction and his hope to beat it. He said, “I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Whether or not he continues to be sick and tired enough to forever turn his back on old habits and ways of life remains to be seen. That’s up to him, but we would be wrong not to pray for him.

Last weekend, we saw that God's Word, God's Power, and God's Presence are always with His people, but this Sunday, we’ll see that moving forward in 2012 requires us to leave some things behind...

We'll see you at Gateway this Sunday at 9:30 and 11 AM!

"Forward" in Your Personal Life

To truly move "Forward" in 2012, there will be at least seven areas where you must make intentional and disciplined decisions; and then live out those decisions in your everyday life. Those areas are:

1. Spiritual Growth (If the ultimate goal of the SUCCESSFUL Christian Life is to become more like Jesus, what specific things must be your priorities to you AND how will you move those priorities from the possible to the actual during 2012?)
2. Family (You don't just "wake up" one day to a successful marriage, but you can "wake up" one day to an unfulfilling/broken/dead marriage. And feel free to substitute any "family relationship" in the place of "marriage" in the previous sentence. Are you happy with the way your family dynamics are playing out now? If so, what must you do to keep them moving in the right direction this year? If not, what must begin (and/or stop) to start moving them in the right direction in 2012?
3. Career (You may not have realized it 'til now, but God actually created you to work and that He expects the best in our efforts because when we work 'cause we're working for Him! Now that begs the question... Are you fulfilling God's calling in the work--whether you're a doctor, lawyer, teacher, stay-at-home mom, accountant, engineer, pilot, preacher, or any other career for that matter--that you're doing right now? Is your career about you or about Him? Is your chosen career path really not fulfilling because it's not about Him? Would you be willing to change careers in 2012 to obey the heart of God? What kind of progress in your work could you make in the upcoming year if your career was truly about Him?)
4. Finances (Good intentions are never a valid substitute for positive action... Are you happy with where your financial income and spending are right now? Have you mastered the "art of the negative cash flow?" Is your attitude toward your possessions keeping you in bondage to them? Did you realize that God's plan for your finances is bigger, better, and more fulfilling than yours in 2012 and beyond? Are you willing to trust Him--and His plan--and obey?
5. Health (Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit! Why should you resign yourself to treat it as a sewer? What are you taking into your body--swallowing, drinking, viewing, injecting, listening, etc--that must stop for you to move forward? What must you do--not just to maintain--to bring the temple to where it should be in 2012?)
6. Thinking (Some of us actually take pride in the fact that we haven't actually read anything meaningful since high school... REALLY???? God never intended any of us to be intellectually "flabby," especially when we're commanded to meditate on his Word day and night! But remember, God's Word isn't the limit of what you're to read; it's the filter, but it's not the limit. So listen, read, discuss, stretch that brain, and grow! What will you do to grease up the intellectual gears and get 'em turning in 2012?)
7. Friendships (Just because some of us are a little more outgoing than others, does not mean that we're meant to live completely on our own. That means either beginning or ramping up your efforts to open up and meet other people in a way that you never have before. It means seeking out relationships with people who can make you stronger. AND for all of us in those two areas, it's not an "either/or" proposition; it's "both/and." What are you willing to do to build and strengthen relationships outside your immediate family in 2012?

Serious about these things...? Then we'll see you for "Forward" this Sunday morning (9:30 and 11 AM) at Gateway Community Church!!!

FORWARD!!!

It's 2012, we're starting strong, and we're challenging you to move "FORWARD" at Gateway Community Church!

As we read the book of Joshua, we see that going, living, thinking, pressing, and acting forward means coming to terms with at least four "musts" in our lives!

1. We must stake everything we are on something that will never change
2. We must break out of comfort zones to become all that God wants us to be
3. We must consistently re-visit, re-evaluate, and re-align our priorities
4. We must have the courage to see the first three all the way through

Tired of being stuck in reverse? Tired of spinning your wheels and never gaining traction? Tired of no direction or purpose as you live your life? Tired of thinking that life's left you behind? Tired of just "wishing" for solutions to deep-seated issues in your life?

Then we'll see you Sunday mornings in January 2012 (9:30 & 11 AM) at Gateway Community Church!!!