Thursday, December 22, 2011

Overcome

   Before moving to Colorado I had grown up going to the same church, Good News Church (previously called Glad Tidings Assembly of God), my entire life. I absolutely love my church. And the people. ;) They are truly my family. A couple of years ago I felt like God was speaking to me and saying that I would not always go to Good News. I like to jump-the-gun sometimes and so I visited a few of my friends churches and thought I must have heard God wrong on that one. There is no church like my church. That statement is still true. There is no other church exactly like Good News Church in Topeka, Kansas. I still felt I was going to go somewhere else someday and so I told God 'you better have an amazing church in store for me, because my church is amazing, and I can't go somewhere less amazing.' I am sure that God just chuckled at me. 
   I am pleased to say that God has provided me with yet another amazing church. :) New Life Church in Colorado Springs is a church like no other. We dance around like crazy during worship. New Life Worship band has produced worship cd's and the student ministry Desperation has also produced cd's which are directly under Hillsong music in popularity. Just plug in a cd to listen and you can feel the power of God in the songs. The worship is incredible! We encounter God.
  We pray. All the time. On New Life's campus there is what we call the World Prayer Center. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week people are praying. It is incredible. Late night prayer is the best. When we are at our weakest points, aka no energy left, God moves in the biggest ways.
  We serve. New Life has opened what is called the Dream Center, a non-profit clinic which serves women in the community who don't have a lot of money to pay for medical needs, and they are ministered to along the way. As a part of DLA I have the opportunity to serve the junior high students every week. It is such an incredible experience to minister to students and see God moving in them at such a young age!
  To me the thing that stands out the most about New Life Church is that they overcome. The past 5 years has seen New Life through 2 different events which might shut a church down. The founding pastor of the church was found out to have been involved in things that were not of God and left the church. New Life was without a pastor for about a year. A new pastor came and 100 days into his time as pastor there was a shooting that occurred on New Life's campus and two girls were killed. Instead of backing down, New Life got back up and took a stand. 3 days after the shooting the church got together. Instead of a sermon Pastor Brady Boyd read scripture after scripture of God's promises to the congregation. At the end of the night the church erupted into the song Overcome, written by Jon Egan, the worship pastor of New Life. They decided that they were not going to let Satan win the battle. God has the victory! We will overcome!
   I write this blog because last Sunday, December 4th 2011, was the four-year anniversary of the shooting. To be a part of New Life now and see what God has done in them is incredible. Our God is a mighty MIGHTY God. Pastor Brady Boyd wrote the book, Fear No Evil,  a few years after the shooting to talk about what God has done in the church. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book.
  I am not sure what God is calling me to do after DLA is over. If I am to stay in Colorado, I would be happy to call New Life my church. ;) I've even gotten over the fact that there are between 8,000-10,000 people that attend the church. Crazy, I know!!

Overcome
New Life Worship

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love
Destined to die, poured out for all mankind
God's only son perfect and spotless one
He never sinned, but suffered as if he did

All authority, every victo-ry is Yours
All authority, every victory is Yours

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise,
You overcame
Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name,
You overcame

Power in hand speaking the Father's plan
You're sending us out, light in this broken land

We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb
And the word of our testimony,
Everyone overcome

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