new life ramblings (4/24/09)

Every week (or most weeks) I take a moment to share what is on my heart.  Everything from what is happening at New Life, our culture, in my life and just random stuff.  I call this “New Life Ramblings”.  Enjoy! Feel free to respond back!  Give input!  Ask questions!  Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what is going on in my mind. 
 

• Tonight (Friday night) we are honoring our volunteers at New Life.  Click HERE for more information.  We are a volunteer driven organization. Thank you for involvement.
• I met with our Elders this week.  Our Elders provide a healthy check and balance system at New Life.
• Sunday Night is Membership Orientation.  Click HERE for more information.  I believe everyone who calls New Life home needs to take an evening to hear the heart and vision of the church.   
• Keep up to date with our building progress.  Check us out on our live webcam.
• We have built a viewing station for our building.  On Sunday (or any day of the week) visit our viewing station on the patio to see the progress with our building. 
• MarriedLife Live is May 1.  Click HERE for more information.  Is this in one week?  Where did April go?  We need to fight for healthy marriages.  We need to be intentional and purposeful about our spouses.  Ok, now I am preaching. But I am passionate to help married people love each other, develop a date night, and just have a ton of fun together.
• Horses cannot vomit.
• I am writing a small group series called “Pastor’s Picks”.  I am done with two of them.  They will be available online soon.  Over the last 18 months I have determined 400 “go to” Scriptures for me personally.  I am writing “Pastor’s Picks” around these Scriptures.
• This Monday we will have a 105′ long trailer on site delivering Geo Pier equipment (this machine weighs 146,000 lb).
• Now is the Time officially ends November 1, 2009.  Six more months.  Finish strong.  We need to bring in another $800,000 to get into this building.  I know $800,000 sounds like a ton of money.  We have $400,000 already committed.  Many new people at New Life are catching on and taking ownership of the dream.  We need another $400,000 to be given by people who haven’t given yet.  November 1 is the big milestone to receive this money.  God is big!
• RCS will serve 20,445 lunches this school year.
• Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.
• Read Genesis 39 to prepare for Sunday.  This is an unbelievable story.  Genesis 39 may become one of my life chapters.  So much meat.  So many life lessons.  So good.  I can’t wait to preach on Sunday.  If you think the Bible is boring and irrelevant—you haven’t read Genesis 39.  Mrs. Potiphar was the first desperate housewife.
• My daughter preaches at Fine Arts Festival on Saturday.  Her message has a great touch of God on it.  I am proud of my girls. 

new life ramblings (4/17/09)

Every week (or most weeks) I take a moment to share what is on my heart.  Everything from what is happening at New Life, our culture, in my life and just random stuff.  I call this “New Life Ramblings”.  Enjoy! Feel free to respond back!  Give input!  Ask questions!  Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what is going on in my mind. 

 

• Easter was absolutely amazing!  We had 35 people give their lives to Jesus.  3342 people in attendance.  Six services.  I love this church!
• We dive into Genesis 37-50 this weekend.  We are going to study the life of Joseph.  Amazing lessons this man of God teaches us
• We are baptizing 6 adults this weekend. 
• I was exhausted after Sunday.  It has taken me all week to get back to normal.  I’m here!  Ready to speak on Sunday!
• They are making lots of progress on the building.  Make sure you take a peek over the fence on Sunday.  Also visit our live webcam to get updates. www.newliferentonexperience.com
• Follow me on twitter.
• Most lipstick contains fish scales.
• 23 days and Jana and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage. 
• I had a great small group this week.  Spending an evening with friends having a cup of coffee, laughing and talking about the Bible is a good night.  We have been together for almost two years. We multiply our group next Wednesday night.  This is bittersweet for me.  
• Membership Orientation is coming in a few weeks on Sunday, April 26^th at 5pm.  Click HERE for more information.
• I just had a financial advisor tell me I need a durable power of attorney and revocable living trust.  Strange to think about things like this. But—you have to.
• Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating!
• MarriedLife Live is in a few weeks.  Click HERE for more information. 
• Once a year we are going to do an evening to honor volunteers at New Life.  We have 740 volunteers that make New Life great.  If you’ve been a volunteer within the last year, mark your calendar now for Friday night, April 24 at 7:30pm.  Is this a week from today?  Where did April go?  You can register for this event on our website HERE.   
• Our parking lot can be crowded and full on Sundays—especially during construction. Be patient with us! We need parking lot attendants.  Soon we will have off-site parking available every week.  If you are willing to help be a parking lot attendant email Pastor Ricardo at ricardo.quintana@newliferenton.com
• Did you know that when we are done with this building our next step is to remodel our current building into a kid’s theater, gym and more room for nursery on Sunday?
• It’s Friday.  I’m spending the day with my wife.  Date night and probably a movie tonight. 

new life ramblings 4/10/2009

Every week (or most weeks) I take a moment to share what is on my heart.  Everything from what is happening at New Life, our culture, in my life and just random stuff.  I call this “New Life Ramblings”.  Enjoy! Feel free to respond back!  Give input!  Ask questions!  Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what is going on in my mind. 

• For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor.15:3-4)
• And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:17)
• We brought in $29,000 for the One Day offering.  Amazing!  I love this church. This will help over 30,000 people.  If you still want to give, just put it in the normal offering or in a giving kiosk and note “One Day” offering on the envelope. 
• Jeff Swaim is our contact person from Convoy of Hope.  I texted him our offering amount from last week. Here is his text back, “Oh my goodness! I never heard of a two week emphasis that great. Troy you will help over 30,000 people with your response! Amazing love. Amazing God!”
• Who are you inviting this weekend? Send me their names and Jana and I will whisper their name to Jesus. 
• We bought in 51 yards of fresh bark for Easter.
• Our Good Friday services are tonight at 7 & 8:30 PM.  See you in a few hours.
• We are officially moving dirt. It is very exciting to see the progress. 
• Keep updated on the building. Visit our live webcam and check it out. See pictures on Facebook. Make sure you take a moment and peek over the fence this weekend.
• This potentially is the last Easter that we will be in this building.
• Easter is Sunday. Invite a friend. Our services will be at 7:30, 9:00, 10:30, noon and 6:30 PM. 
• A bunch of people will be parking off campus at Ron Regis Park.  You can park there—we will have shuttles all morning bringing people back and forth.
• We have 32 people doing Fireproof on Wednesday nights. 
• The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket
• In 33 days Jana and I will be married for 20 years. I love my wife. We read Psalms backwards as a countdown to our marriage. This means 20 years ago today we read Psalms 33 together. 
• We are going to Hawaii together to celebrate 20 years. Can’t wait. 
• LOST is the theme this weekend.  We are all lost. This is why Jesus died and was resurrected.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells a beautiful story that illustrates how God responds to lost people.  Read Luke 15 to prepare for Sunday.
• On Sunday I will speak in four services and then have Olive Garden at my house with a bunch of friends. I call this a good day!

new life ramblings (4/3/09)

Every week (or most weeks) I take a moment to share what is on my heart.  Everything from what is happening at New Life, our culture, in my life and just random stuff.  I call this “New Life Ramblings”.  Enjoy! Feel free to respond back!  Give input!  Ask questions!  Grab a cup of coffee and catch up on what is going on in my mind. 

 

• Easter is in one week.  I want to personally challenge you to invite someone, not simply inform someone.  Say something like this, “I would love to meet you at the church”.  Let’s meet early.  I can show you around and we can sit together.”
• I love our Good Friday services.  We have two this year—7pm and 8:30 pm.
• Sunday we are receiving an offering to feed the world.  It is called “One Day” to Feed the World.  We want to challenge you to give one day of your salary to feed the world.  Example: If you make $1,000 a week this means you make approximately $200 a day. 
• We are partnering with Convoy of Hope.  Click here to visit their web site.  http://convoyofhope.org/go/oneday
• I had someone ask me “how much of this offering goes to Convoy of Hope?” and “how much does Convoy of Hope use for administration?”.  Answer:  100% of the offering goes to Convoy of Hope and they use only 8% for administration.  Excellent questions. 
• We are moving dirt on Monday! 
• We begin our series over the life of Joseph one week after Easter
• Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
• Simply Worship was last Wednesday.  I love this environment.  It is incredible to see so many people come out just to worship and pray!
• We are planning for this to be our last Easter in this building!  Well—this is our plan!  It is difficult to predict construction.  But—I am optimistic!
• Did you know we have 55 acres at New Life?  Much of this you can’t see—it is on the west side of the property. 
• One of our core values at New Life is “Relational Evangelism”.  Influencing people far from God by investing in personal relationships.
• Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 to prepare for Sunday!
• Long week—short ramblings this week!  I’m exhausted.  I look forward to my day off on Friday.