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Thanks so much for coming to the Nerf Wars! We had a great time with a lot of our friends and meeting some new friends at the Nerf Wars!
It is great to have fun and play aggressive in the Nerf Wars, but there is a time to be gentle too. I shared last night about how the shepherds who looked after sheep were gentle to them because they were easily frightened, but these same shepherds were warriors and very aggressive when it came to protecting the sheep from the mountain lions and bears. Jesus is gentle toward us but He is also a Warrior, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
I gave all of the parents there an arrow head as a reminder that God wants our kids to fly like straight arrows. The best way to help our kids fly like straight arrows is to allow Jesus to remove the crookedness and warped ways from our lives.
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.” Psalm 127:3-4
Blessings
Bill and Stephanie Stevens
Nerf War Games!
Family Fun!
Bring your Nerf Guns!
We have 2,500 rounds of Nerf Ammo!
We have 100 pair of KIDS Eye protection.
Parents bring your own eye protection if you want to play in the Parent challenge!
More Info Coming!
Park & Pavillion at Thompson River Ranch
5334 Ravenswood Lane, Johnstown, CO 80534
Friday Evening, July 26th
6:30-7:30ish
Watch the video from last year’s NERF WARS!
Stay Connected with Upcoming Events
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The Kingdom of God and the USA
July 4, 2019
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
We live in the best country in the world, but it is sooo far from perfect. Everyone has a great desire to live in a perfect world, but that will never happen through the means of people. Why? We are all broken and have broken and imperfect desires. Simply put, if we were in charge, our corrupted selves would still create an imperfect corrupt country and world. We yearn for a Kingdom, ruled honestly, justly, in love, where we can live life to the full without fear for anything or any of our needs. God, King Jesus, is returning to create such a Kingdom here on earth.
We have an inner desire from someone great to be in charge, a Savior to fix us and fix our world. God who created the universe and set his affections on this world which He created is the Savior we need. He stepped out of Heaven, in the person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man who revealed the ways of the Father and died on the cross for us to have forgiveness, peace with God, and an amazing quality of life called “Eternal Life” which also guarantees us a home in His Kingdom. His first coming was to help fix us through faith in Him and His death on the cross. His resurrection proves He can fix us, create in us a new heart with new and right desires, and to reconcile us to God the Father. But His second coming will not be for His crucifixion. His first coming was for us to understand His glorious love, mercy, and grace.
His second coming will be in such creative power that the entire world will be dissolved and He will recreate it perfectly, with all of those who had become His followers. His Kingdom will come in greatness, power, defeat of all enemies of good and of those who reject Him as King.
America will cease to exist, as will Russia, UK, and even Israel. There will be no nations and national divisions as we know today, because we will be ruled by King Jesus. Friends, I am celebrating the 4th of July today enjoying American Independence, but the USA and American values are NOT the answer for the world or America. The Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and all other parties do not have the answer. Should you vote and serve this nation? Yes, vote your conscience and serve this nation, but remember King Jesus is the Answer for you, your world, this country, and our world.
The question is… Are you follower of King Jesus? Followers of King Jesus are citizens of the Kingdom of God and will be part of His Kingdom forever, even when Old Glory stops waving and the kingdoms of this world are dissolved.
Blessings
Bill Stevens
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Moving Past Wrong Thoughts
“We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Have you ever let something get in your head, consume your thoughts, and then only to bring you pain? We all have. It is called being a human. If the wrong things get in your head, it can spell disaster for your life, and for those closest to you.
God created everything perfect in the beginning, then Adam & Eve let some wrong thoughts get in their head, then in their heart, and ultimately in their actions. Adam’s actions brought death, pain, and suffering to the entire world.
We are all prone to letting the wrong things get in our heads everyday: fear, anxiety, worry, lust, pride, bad advise from others, offenses, injustice, suffering, the desire for more stuff, wealth, pleasure, depression, sadness, unmet expectations, anger, broken trust, betrayal, jealously, greed, hate, racism, and even ageism.
We are all prone to have the wrong ideas about how we should live our lives and how life should be lived. God is the Answer for us as we enter into a personal relationship with Christ, and God has the answer for us as we seek to understand His ways of living, and how life should be lived.
The biggest and most dangerous thing that gets in our head and controls our heart is our own selves. Yes, I. I am my own worst enemy and you are your own worst enemy. Pride – thinking too highly of myself. Yes, we are all prone to think too highly of ourselves, our abilities, our heritage, our upbringing, our resources, and our ______ whatevers. When pride takes deep root in our lives, we become arrogant. The difference between arrogance and pride, is that the arrogant don’t even realize how proud they are.
Begin today by tell God, “Father, I need you to help me have the right thoughts about myself, others, stuff, life, and You. Please help me.” Then open up God’s Word, the Bible, and begin with the Gospel of John or Luke. Read how Jesus lived his life toward others, toward God, and toward Himself. Ask God to help you have His attitude and thought life. Jesus will bring peace to your struggle. He brings peace to mine!
Blessings!
Bill Stevens
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Are you being troubled and grieved by trials that sadden you and make you weep? God is not out to get you, He loves you! Trials are something you are going THROUGH not getting stuck IN. God will not leave you there forever, He will deliver you.
The Apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ key leaders wrote this.
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” 1 Peter 1:6–7 (NLT)
Trails test the reality of your faith. They reveal the impure things of your that that must be removed so you can have a pure faith, solid, secure, and unwavering. Like gold heated to the melting point 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit, the impurities rise quickly to the surface at that heat level. What is rising to the surface in your trial? Fear, anxiety, worry, and anger all seem to bubble up to the surface first.
Our Refiner, King Jesus, speaks to us in our trials when these things rise to the surface. He helps us recognize them, pull them away and slowly learn to trust Him more and more in our trials. He keeps purifying us in these trials so our faith would reflect the faith of Jesus Himself.
Imagine the temptation of Jesus to dive into fear, anxiety, worry, and anger at the prospect of being betrayed, beaten and going to the cross for humanity who had rejected Him. The night before His crucifixion, He was sweating great drops of blood, crying out to God the Father for some other way, but yielding fully to the Father’s will, saying “Not my will but Thine be done.” He was to face a death like no other man, taking the punishment for all the sins of all humanity upon Himself. Jesus struggled through this trial and got his eyes firmly fixed on the Resurrection that the Father had promised and the place of honor at the right hand of God that was His when He ascended.
He went through the betrayal and the crucifixion as no other man. His eyes were on the promise of God to Him and not on the pain and trouble He was to face. He went through it powerfully, magnificently, and perfectly. He went through it with peace and love, not anger and anxiety. He went through it with an unwavering trust in the Father’s love for Him not a fear that God was out to get Him. He knew the Father was going to deliver Him. His spirit and mind were settled upon following the Father’s and doing things God’s way. This is why the Word of God calls Jesus, the Author our Faith. He wrote the manual on faith and exemplified how we should live by faith.
So remember, when the heat is turned up in your life, and you are being grieved by various trials, that the ugliness of fear, anxiety/worry, and anger are being scraped away from your soul. Peace, love, joy, and an unwavering trust in God is being built in your life and the ugliness is being removed.
How do you know there is an end to these trials? The Goldsmith would stand at the furnace clearing off the impurities that rise to the surface. He knew he was finished purifying the gold when He could see the perfect reflection of His face in the pure gold!
So it is in our lives, when we face fiery trials. We are NOT being punished, but God is transforming us into His beautiful perfect reflection.
Trials are for your beautiful transformation into Christlikeness. Keep trusting God through your trials and know that He will deliver you through them! Sit down today and read quietly 1 Peter 1 and let God’s word soak in your life. Rest in His love for you. Tell Him everything that is bothering you. Thank Him for changing you and that He is going to deliver you through this troubling time.
Don’t give up!
Bill Stevens
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Hey friends
I want you to meet Joe Noelliste, professional musician down the street from where we live! He is working on his PhD in music and will be working with The Well and helping us build a worship team.
Check out this interview!
Bill Stevens
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PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
May 26th
Hey Friends,
Prayer Changes Things! I have seen God do miraculous things in peoples lives, my friends lives, my family’s lives, and many others! This will conclude our preview series for the Spring! But you don’t want to miss out on this Summer! Big announcements coming soon!
Bill Stevens, Lead Pastor
SCHEDULE
May 26th – 10:30 at Comfort Suites by SCHEELS Sporting goods.
This will conclude our Spring PREVIEW SERIES.
We will concentrate this Summer on community groups, team building, serving the community, Bible study, and moving toward a Fall launch at a larger facility with a full team.
We will NOT be meeting on Sunday mornings this Summer.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Currently meeting at Comfort Suites in Loveland by Scheels Sporting Goods at 25-34 Intersection.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
Please dress casual!
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HEALING BROKEN AMERICA
TWO PART MESSAGE SERIES
May 19th & 26th
Hey Friends,
Has America gone so far that it cannot be fixed? No! I believe God is able to turn this country around. Please come to this important two part message series on how God can heal our broken country, world, families, friends, and even our lives. This is NOT a message about politics, how to vote, or even protesting. I will be speaking on what the early church did in Bible times and how they helped heal their broken world by tapping into God’s power!
You don’t want to miss this!
Bill Stevens, Lead Pastor
SCHEDULE
May 19th – 10:30 at Comfort Suites by SCHEELS Sporting goods.
May 26th – 10:30 at Comfort Suites by SCHEELS Sporting goods.
This will conclude our Spring PREVIEW SERIES.
We will concentrate this Summer on community groups, team building, serving the community, Bible study, and moving toward a Fall launch at a larger facility with a full team.
We will NOT be meeting on Sunday mornings this Summer.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Currently meeting at Comfort Suites in Loveland by Scheels Sporting Goods at 25-34 Intersection.
Sunday Mornings at 10:30
Please dress casual!
Get updates in your Inbox!
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Serving a lot? Giving a lot of yourself? Distracted? Worried? Anxious? Frustrated? If these words don’t describe you, they describe me, many times. Too many times for my own comfort. Jesus was visiting some friends of his and had a convo with a lady named Martha who had let her spiritual self-care slip and it began to show negatively in her life. You won’t believe how she did it, by serving.
Can you actually serve too much? Yes, you can. Her little sister Mary wasn’t like that at all, she took care of herself spiritually much better than Martha. Personally, I think most normal people are like Martha and Mary is the person we want to be like.
Look at the story and see what we can learn about proper spiritual self-care.
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42 (NLT)
Notice what happens when we fail to care for our spiritual life:
- We begin to think our work and serving is more important than spiritual self-care.
- We work and serve continually expending our energy without genuinely recharging, thus depleting any joy we might have to share with others.
- We start comparing our work and service with others who don’t look like they are serving as hard as we are.
- We become upset, frustrated, angry, bitter, and resentful because our batteries are low and our focus is not on Jesus in the right way.
- We don’t feel we are being treated fairly.
- We get distracted away from God and being in community with others because of our serving.
- We don’t think God cares about how much we are serving.
When we get in this place we need to recognize it and put the brakes on! Our emotions are fractured and our souls are empty. We need to stay filled up on a regular basis by through Spiritual self-care. Look at Mary’s example for proper Spiritual self-care.
How to care for yourself spiritually.
- Walk away from your to-do list and all the distracting work you have to do. There are legit things that must be done, like taking care of the needs of 13 hungry men who just dropped in. They didn’t even text them to let them know. Dominos was closed. Sometimes the things we have to walk away from for a while are extremely important, but we have to care for ourselves in this journey of life.
- Spend extended time at the “feet of Jesus” listening to Him teach you of Himself and His ways. I do this through Scripture reading, meditation, journaling, listening to the audio Bible, Bible study groups, and going to church.
- Still yourself and quieten your mind. Remove yourself from all distractions. I get alone and turn off all of the devices.
- Engage in community with others who are pursuing knowing Christ. You need to hang out with others who are pursuing Christ.
- Focus your attention on Jesus and His words. Let them sink in, read it over and over again. Think about one verse or one passage and ask Him to help you understand it. He will.
Spending time in spiritual self-care will do great things!
- Mary wasn’t bitter, angry, or frustrated. She was calm, peace filled, and encouraged greatly by the things Jesus said, especially those things He said about her.
- You will be blessed by Jesus! Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing the best thing. This is difficult to grasp for us doers.
- Your spiritual battery will be recharged! Your soul will be filled up with the joy, love, and care of Jesus. He will help wash away all of the cares and help strengthen you internally so you can serve with joy, not bitterness.
- God will reward you because your seeking Him will please Him! “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Your spiritual self-care is NECESSARY.
He said there is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary discovered it. She is the one being honored as an example to follow. Now, look at the context of this passage. Jesus had just sent out 72 missionaries, preached and taught, debriefed the 72 missionaries, and then this happened with Martha and Mary. He immediately taught on prayer and time with God after this passage. The placement of this passage in Scripture speaks volumes on the emphasis that Jesus is trying to get us to understand how much we need time with Him. Serving expends energy and requires us to spend time with Jesus.
He said without Spiritual self-care we can do NOTHING.
- “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
He said with Spiritual self-care we can do ANYTHING!
- “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7 (NLT)
Take some Simple Steps
So, take time out each day to pursue Christ, simply, quietly, without the distractions. Take some time to read His Word. You can begin in the Gospel of John or Luke. Those are both great places to begin your journey of pursuing Him. Read until you get a verse or passage that arrests your attention and ask Him to help you understand it. Tell him the troubles you are facing and the things you need. He understands all you are going through. Let His life fill yours. You won’t regret it!
Bill Stevens
Lead Pastor at The Well
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About
Bill and Stephanie Stevens lead The Well, a new church coming to northern Colorado in the Loveland-Johnstown area. Email them for more information about The Well.
Info@TheWellLoveland.com
Serving a lot? Giving a lot of yourself? Distracted? Worried? Anxious? Frustrated? If these words don’t describe you, they describe me, many times. Too many times for my own comfort. Jesus was visiting some friends of his and had a convo with a lady named Martha who had let her spiritual self-care slip and it began to show negatively in her life. You won’t believe how she did it, by serving.
Can you actually serve too much? Yes, you can. Her little sister Mary wasn’t like that at all, she took care of herself spiritually much better than Martha. Personally, I think most normal people are like Martha and Mary is the person we want to be like.
Look at the story and see what we can learn about proper spiritual self-care.
“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42 (NLT)
Notice what happens when we fail to care for our spiritual life:
- We begin to think our work and serving is more important than spiritual self-care.
- We work and serve continually expending our energy without genuinely recharging, thus depleting any joy we might have to share with others.
- We start comparing our work and service with others who don’t look like they are serving as hard as we are.
- We become upset, frustrated, angry, bitter, and resentful because our batteries are low and our focus is not on Jesus in the right way.
- We don’t feel we are being treated fairly.
- We get distracted away from God and being in community with others because of our serving.
- We don’t think God cares about how much we are serving.
When we get in this place we need to recognize it and put the brakes on! Our emotions are fractured and our souls are empty. We need to stay filled up on a regular basis by through Spiritual self-care. Look at Mary’s example for proper Spiritual self-care.
How to care for yourself spiritually.
- Walk away from your to-do list and all the distracting work you have to do. There are legit things that must be done, like taking care of the needs of 13 hungry men who just dropped in. They didn’t even text them to let them know. Dominos was closed. Sometimes the things we have to walk away from for a while are extremely important, but we have to care for ourselves in this journey of life.
- Spend extended time at the “feet of Jesus” listening to Him teach you of Himself and His ways. I do this through Scripture reading, meditation, journaling, listening to the audio Bible, Bible study groups, and going to church.
- Still yourself and quieten your mind. Remove yourself from all distractions. I get alone and turn off all of the devices.
- Engage in community with others who are pursuing knowing Christ. You need to hang out with others who are pursuing Christ.
- Focus your attention on Jesus and His words. Let them sink in, read it over and over again. Think about one verse or one passage and ask Him to help you understand it. He will.
Spending time in spiritual self-care will do great things!
- Mary wasn’t bitter, angry, or frustrated. She was calm, peace filled, and encouraged greatly by the things Jesus said, especially those things He said about her.
- You will be blessed by Jesus! Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing the best thing. This is difficult to grasp for us doers.
- Your spiritual battery will be recharged! Your soul will be filled up with the joy, love, and care of Jesus. He will help wash away all of the cares and help strengthen you internally so you can serve with joy, not bitterness.
- God will reward you because your seeking Him will please Him! “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Your spiritual self-care is NECESSARY.
He said there is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary discovered it. She is the one being honored as an example to follow. Now, look at the context of this passage. Jesus had just sent out 72 missionaries, preached and taught, debriefed the 72 missionaries, and then this happened with Martha and Mary. He immediately taught on prayer and time with God after this passage. The placement of this passage in Scripture speaks volumes on the emphasis that Jesus is trying to get us to understand how much we need time with Him. Serving expends energy and requires us to spend time with Jesus.
He said without Spiritual self-care we can do NOTHING.
- “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
He said with Spiritual self-care we can do ANYTHING!
- “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7 (NLT)
Take some Simple Steps
So, take time out each day to pursue Christ, simply, quietly, without the distractions. Take some time to read His Word. You can begin in the Gospel of John or Luke. Those are both great places to begin your journey of pursuing Him. Read until you get a verse or passage that arrests your attention and ask Him to help you understand it. Tell him the troubles you are facing and the things you need. He understands all you are going through. Let His life fill yours. You won’t regret it!
Bill Stevens
Lead Pastor at The Well
Get Encouraging Devotionals Like This in your Inbox
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