Praying For An Authentic Body Of Believers

I was asked to do some guest blogging for Redemption Church’s 30 days of prayer campaign prior to our public launch on January 12. This is my first installment. The rest will be posted later in the month and you can find everyone else’s blogs at RedemptionOKC.com Thanks!

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)

“Lord I pray that our congregation would be a group who didn’t hide behind a mask. A congregation that comes without pretense. A congregation whose only focus is using what you have put us through for your glory. We pray you bless our fears and insecurities and our misgivings. Lord, we also ask that you combat out egos, our selfishness and our pride. Help us to put aside ourselves for your glory. Bless Redemption Church in every way for your glory.”

One of the biggest trials facing the modern church is unfortunately the modern church. We have become obsessive about having the nicest building or the best band. We go to church with people who look like us, think like us, act like us and do the same things we do. It’s safe and it’s comfortable, it’s easy. We hide behind masks of fashion, cars, and neighborhoods but Christ has called us to so much more than that. Living a life on mission for God means showing the junk you have buried deep inside, having the faith that Christ will take what’s messed up in you and use it for His glory.

As God continues to grow Redemption Church I pray that we will become a people who look past outward appearances and socio-economic status. Simply put, we should not pre-judge people that we come in contact with and in return we must take our own masks off in order to foster that environment. Then, they will feel more at ease and more likely to let their guard down and be comfortable enough to take off their own masks. It is imperative that we are all real with one another and more importantly, with God.

I believe that sharing the trials God has put us through will be used for His glory, if we are willing to let it. People are often more at ease with someone who has been through the same situations or endured the same hardships. If we hide behind a mask we will never be real and share what the power of Christ has done for us.

For many Christians taking off the mask can be terrifying. I pray that as a body we show God’s grace and mercy as sinners begin to open up and let their true selves be seen and that daily we remember to dust off our skeletons and proudly display them for the world to see so that others might know they are not alone and that they too can have the glorious salvation we so enjoy!

Guest Blogger: Justin Wade

Justin is member at Redemption Church in Edmond Ok. He is married to Kristin Wade and they have two dogs, Conway and Rowdy. Justin is currently pursuing a degree in Industrial Safety Engineering when he’s not fishing or watching the sooners. You can follow him on Twitter at @wadebythewater or read his other blogs at wadebythewater.wordpress.com

My Cousin, Justin Jackson, On Biblical Repentance

Enjoy! This is my cousin, hes a discipleship wizard and phenomenal teacher!

Pre-Thanksgiving Service opprotunity

Redemption Church is partnering with All Things Baby to provide a Thanksgiving meal for families in the area between Edmond Rd and Hurd, and from Kelly to Fretz (by Chitwood Park).

THIS SATURDAY

We need a total of 16 volunteers to divide into groups of two and personally invite the families in this area to the Thanksgiving event on November 27th.

We’ll meet at the offices for All Things Baby at 9:30am, where we will be provided with invite cards, talking points to share with residents, and any other basic details. 

There are 4 streets in the area. Each street will have 4 people, groups of two. I’m expecting all of the groups to finish up between 11am and noon.

WHY THIS EVENT?

Courtney Gregg and All Things Baby have been ministering to this area for more than 6 years, and knows first-hand that many of these residents will not have a Thanksgiving meal like most are accustomed to. The heart behind this event is to simply have a family thanksgiving meal with those who often do without. 

I’m excited about this opportunity and for the conversations and life-change that could follow! The door-to-door invite event this Saturday is really important to help get the word out for the actual Thanksgiving event.

CAN YOU HELP?

If you can help, please indicate here as soon as you can so I can let Courtney know how many volunteers to expect from Redemption Church. 

Thanks- 

Redemption Leadership

Address

405 W 2nd St
Edmond, OK 73003 (map)

What it means to be a Missional Church?!?!

I have begun reading ” Introducing the Missional Church. What it is, Why it matters, How to become one.” Its an interesting thing for me because this is an entirely new was of labeling church. I had always called this meeting people where they were, not judging them and meeting needs the way Christ did! I was raised in a church that did this very well in a different time, but as the neighborhood changed around the church the church stayed the same. Stoic, proud, stationary, and who can blame them! For years and years the church worked like a well oiled machine this way. Where people came in the front door, went through the religious spin cycle of being ministered to by a spiritual person that they have very little actual contact with and came out all squeaky clean.

Churches for years have been based on formulas designed to get people to come to church. This isn’t an inherently bad thing except for the fact that an entire generation of people lost touch with how to share their own faith and how to spiritually connect with people face to face. When people ask me what kind of church RedemptionOKC is, I tell them missional! Well, what exactly is a missional church? The best way I can tell you is this, its a church for people. All people. Christians and sinners, which by the way can be the same thing! We are a church for the people by the people. No one at RedemptionOKC is perfect or has all the answers. Its the kinda place where no one will lie to you. It’s authentic.

With that being said, there is no real model for how we do things. Formulas for creating missional churches are simply nonexistent due to the fact that a body of believers has to have their finger on the pulse of the community they are rooted in, the neighborhoods where its member live, work, play, and do life together. If we compare missional churches then we are missing the point because no two missional churches are the same. Missional churches are not about the church. Many churches try to have an attractional appeal to them but that shouldn’t be out key focus. Matt Chandler is quoted saying that his church, The Village Church, meets in a really nice Albertson’s because its not about spending money on the building. Churches should be out among the people living together and experiencing life together.

As you go through life look for ways to just be friendly and show the love and joy of Christ to everyone! If you would like more information about my church please visit us at http://www.redemptionokc.com there you can find our story, our ideals and see what our plan is for reaching Edmond, Oklahoma City, and the entire state of Oklahoma!

WADE *|||||||*

LEGACY

          Hey everyone, Sorry I haven’t been staying up with writing the way I should. I am going to get it figured out and get more content up soon. 

          Tonight, I sat at T.G.I.Friday’s with my wife, her Grandmother, her Uncle Kevin and his wife Wendy. As many conversations go with the Sweeney clan you cannot talk long before a story about the patriarch of the family, Ed Sweeney, comes up. Ed passed away on July 21st of 2008 and yet in my new family we talk about him daily. The legacy this man has left behind is something to strive for. I absolutely love Ed Sweeney stories and the look in my wife’s eye when she tells them is one of my favorite things!

          I only knew Ed after he had his stroke. He was a shell of his former self yet always welcomed me into his family with open arms. I truly regret not being able to meet him in his prime however I think that’s what legacy is all about. The memories, the stories, the enduring things that last. 

          As an example of how to live my life I often look to my grandfather Charles and to the tales of Ed on how to lead and guide my family. I feel like my generation is bent on making in on their own. Pulling themselves by their own boot straps if you will. This is something that I’ve seen exemplified in my life growing up with Charles. Hard work, smart spending, sound thinking, yet when push came to shove he never hesitated to stop anything he was doing to pick us up, before we were bigger than him, and ask us what was going on! Grandpa took us fishing, and not just took us but taught us the ins and outs of how it was done. In today culture this is a lost art. The right way, the time-tested tried and true ways of doing things are going by the wayside, people can learn to fish, make bait and experiment with new techniques on YouTube, and guess who doesn’t use you tube!?!? You guessed it!! The legacy generation!! Young men my age go to the internet when they have a problem and that’s a HUGE problem!! There are wise men who have lived life and know the answers to all these questions we are constantly asking Google for help with. 

          The Model that has perfectly be laid out for me is this. Walk humbly with God. Don’t just know about God, KNOW GOD! Be his friend, allow him to guide you where you should go and actually follow him where he leads you!

           Second to God put your family. Take time! I knows that is a pretty abrupt phrase but I felt like Grandpa always had time on his hands to spend with us and that was because he took it. He made it happen, not just once, but every single time, and this was a lot. My grandfather worked with my parents, in the same town we grew up in. I probably saw the man every day and sometimes twice a day. He always hugs me! ALWAYS!! As I have grown older I tried shaking his hand and that was something that was not for me. I was closer than that! I was family! That is how this deal works. 

          Thirdly, Honor God and your family in your work. Do you notice how these things build on each other? If one of these things gets crooked it all falls apart yet he has never wavered. He built a very successful business never compromising. In a world today where companies take short cuts to pad their pocket Grandpa would never think of suck a thing. He can hold his head tall at the end of the day knowing he didn’t swindle, cheat, or cut any corners and earned his money. He also worked side by side with his wife and daughters, son-in-law, and countless church friends who needed jobs. He didn’t always hire experts but by honoring God in his business, it always worked out. 

          Trust Me, I can and probably will write a whole other blog soon about the marriage of my grandparents, it’s simply too much for this post. However I can say that I have never once questioned that he loved my grandma more than anything short of his God.

          I want to say thank you  to Ed Sweeney for everything he has meant to my wife. He was her best friend and I think that is maybe the highest honor you can give someone, to call them your best friend! He meant more to her than he probably even knew and I’m so thankful for him and his legacy.

          As far as my grandfather, Charles I love you and I simply cannot imagine life without your wisdom guiding me along the way. Thank you for always being there and for never compromising so that I would know how to do the same thing in my life. Thank you for showing me Jesus and teaching me, my father, my bother and my uncles so that we have the ability to be Godly daddies someday! For those of you that know Charles you know what kind of spiritual legacy he will leave one day and the kind of one he currently maintains. A Family devoted to Christ. Serving and striving for him in every aspect. From ministers, to church planters, to musicians, to teachers, to missionaries,  to salesmen who stand for Christ, business men who give their money with grace and joy and even PhD’s who shine Christs light in the darkness( Charles will try to take credit for Kristin but she will give that to Ed.) 

          I would be remiss to write all this and not ask you when the last time you went to Sunday school was. It drives some of you nuts about my grandfather but he will hold your feet to the fire and make sure you are in church where you should be! Even if its one that doesn’t sing from the hymnal or makes you wear a belt! And I continue to pray this prayer even though my part of the family is small, it’s a prayer that has echoed through now 4 Generations of Haley’s ( welcome little Timothy I love you buddy!)

          And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15, ESV)

          Thank you Lord for Ed Sweeney and Charles Haley!

Wade *|||||||*

God Doesn’t Need Me

Last night I was listening to a podcast from Acts 29 by Mark Driscoll. Driscoll is known for being something of a lightning rod, boldly saying whatever is on his mind. In some ways I’m blown away by him. He is a man who started his ministry quickly after being saved and turned it into something massively huge, yet never wavering or conforming his beliefs. Mars Hill, a church he started in Seattle Washington, has more than 15,000+ Weekly attendees on 14 campuses in 4 states. He also co-founded Acts 29, the largest church planting network in the world.

I saw all that to say this. In the podcast I was listening to last night he told a story of his father being a construction worker and every now and then he would take young Mark along. He has his own little steel toe boots, little construction helmet, little white t-shirt and little jeans. Basically a mini me of his father. His dad would give young Mark menial tasks around the job site, moving little piles of scrap or gathering up screws. Basically nothing that really mattered to much! Young Mark loved going to work and spending time with his father and helping him out with his work. This is a perfect narrative for what helping plan a church feels like. Every day we suit up, dress like our Godly father and “Help him out.”

Our God is Huge, Mighty and Powerful and he really doesn’t need us to help him with his mission. Going to work with our Heavenly Father is a privilege that we get. He can get anyone to do what he needs done and its a blessing. However, Just like young Mark enjoyed working with his father, I’m sure his father enjoyed having him around too. As I continue to help plant this church I feel like God is enjoying having me around more and more.

Remember, God doesn’t specifically need your help. Take joy in the fact that he wants you around and is willing to use you. Put your boots and hard hat on because this isn’t going to be easy.

Wade*|||||||*

Just a Start

Hello Everyone! I just want to welcome you to my blog! I’m just starting out writing so its gonna be pathetic at first so stick with me! I’d love to hear what y’all think as we go along! In Christ!

Wade *|||||||*