inflow~outflow » UpLife

2009 – Can You Believe It!?

Dan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:05:32 +0000

How will 2008 be better than 2009? I think we need to get to that place where we truly desire to live life with God every day.

But … YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP BEFORE YOU GO UP â€¦

2 Corinthians 5 [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Romans 6 [6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

Ephesians 4 [22] You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [ 24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

So what are some old things that we can give up and what are the new things that God wants us to do â€¦ so that we really start living out this new me that we really are â€“ as Christians â€¦ so that we start to live life the way God intended for us in 2009?

~ Give up negative thinking â€¦ instead, learn to be content no matter what. Ph.4:10-12.

Contentment: Realizing that God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.

~ Give up your unbelief â€¦ instead, believe that you can change. (Phil 4:13)

Weâ€™re not talking here about positive thinking. Weâ€™re talking about supernatural power. I believe I can change – not on my own power but with the power that Christ gives me.

~ Give up your grip on things â€¦ instead, invest your life in sharing what you have to help others connect with God.

Galatians 6 [8] The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. [9] Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Doing good means investing your time, talent and treasure in helping others â€¦

You have to give up before you can go up. You have to give up some things in order to live the life that God intended you to live â€¦ give up your

The Perfect Gift

Dan — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:13:49 +0000

With all of the craziness in the economy this year, perhaps we will stop and reflect more than we have in the past and be thankful for all that God has given us — and even taken from us.

There’s no gift like Jesus – God’s perfect gift to humankind.

To My Brother John … and Mom too

Dan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:17:23 +0000

My brother John – my spiritual mentor, friend and brother – died on this day back in 1996. John, I still miss you and think of you often. Your love of life, Christ, Pam and your boys still lives on!

The reunion in heaven with mom must have been something! We you and mom … but … we know that we will be with you soon enough — forever with our Lord … enjoying life with God and so many others!

Thanks everyone!

Dan — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:39:32 +0000

Laura and I had a wonderful time at the special gathering to honor mom today! It was great to be with so many of you and just celebrate her life, enjoy her paintings and just connect some with so many of you from church today! Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support as we continue to grieve and also at the same time celebrate mom too.

Honoring Mom

Dan — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Lots of emotions today. What a beautiful service to honor mom and lift up Jesus to all of the people there. The support and love of our church, and family has been something in the midst of losing mom. There was even a time in her funeral service where people shared stories about her. It went on and on. She touched a lot of people. The graphic here is from the funeral service and the flowers are part of one her own paintings. Mom was quite an artist.

In Memory of Mom

Dan — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:15:31 +0000

Yesterday, mom went home to be with the Lord. She had gone in for surgery just a few days ago and she didn’t survive the recovery. We are all grieving her loss. It’s hard to believe. She was such an encourager to so many here at The Church Upcounty. Mom rarely missed a Sunday gathering at the Regal Theater. There’s incredible comfort to know that she didn’t suffer a lot and that she’s now with Jesus in heaven. Laura and I are so grateful to so many at the church for all of your love and support – already. It truly speaks volumes to us.

Our theme as a church for 2008

Dan — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:10:07 +0000

Helping people love God, follow Jesus and serve our neighbors.

What an incredible day!

Dan — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:46:39 +0000

The Grand Opening yesterday was beyond what I could have imagined! We had lots of new people. About 130 people were there! Our Upcounty Kids ministry was was full of children having fun, worshipping and learning a story from the Bible. The energy and excitement was something to experience. To see so many new people connect so readily with each other was a picture of a key part of what we want TCU to be. That was really encouraging!

At the beginning of the service, we had a simple meet and greet kind of time. It was great to see people laughing, talking loudly and just being friendly to others they just met. Then afterwards, the hallway was filled with people hanging around celebrating at our first Upcounty Reception.

The worship by Rental Space added to the environment and created a genuine sense of worship. They did the song Amazing Grace in a way that really set the tone for the the talk on A New Start. Our heart as a church is to help people go beyond just knowing things about the Bible to the place where the life that the Bible talks about happens naturally and freely within them.

Our current series on More Than Sunday will paint a picture of what a church community can be if we latch on to the vision of loving God and loving people as the main thing.

The whole day was a great experience! We’re grateful to God more than anything else.

Great time of praying

Dan — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:22:57 +0000

We had a great time of praying, dinner and just sharing as a team to get ready for our Grand Opening time. This is only the beginning. We’re so excited that God has called us to start a church like this in a diverse, changing community!

Come out on to our Sunday Grand Opening!

Dan — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:01:50 +0000

You’re invited to our Sunday Grand Opening at the Germantown Regal Theater, 20000 Century Blvd., Germantown, MD 20874 at 10:30 am. It’s going to be an incredible time! The theme for Sunday is … A New Start in Life. Hope to see you there.