FAMILY FOCUS... (Hawkeyes & GOLF!)

Last week was as close to INSANE as it could be! A pretty LONG WEEKEND!

Isaac & I took a break to go to TUCSON and ck-out the HAWKEYES on their National Championship run - which came to a DRAMATIC HAULT as the UofA Wildcats punched them in the face and knocked them off! Pretty CrAzY atmosphere down there - I could only imagine what a UofA & ASU athletic event might look like?!? Nonetheless... Isaac & I had a GREAT TIME together and it was really fun - the HAWKS bounced back this past weekend with a royal butt-kickin' of Ball State (45-0)! I'm calling it RIGHT NOW - they got their Wake-Up Call and they are going to RUN THE TABLE in the BIG 10 - yep... that's right - I just called all of THE Ohio State Buckeye fans out!

I then made it through a GREAT DAY at COC on Sunday and followed it up with only about SIX ROUNDS OF GOLF on Monday! That's right - 108 total holes - ALL for Maricopa Trick or Treat! It was known as PJ vs The Duke and people at COC pledged towards however many holes I could play in one day - that tallied to be 108 total holes! We raised just short of $2500 to go towards Trick or Treat! TY COC for being such a GENEROUS Church!

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (Pursuit Of Holiness)

(Wk 4 / HABITS OF HOLINESS)

BIG IDEA... It's not What We Do that determines Who We Are - it's WHO WE ARE that determines WHAT WE DO!

A Look At What HABITS OF HOLINESS Look Like Spiritually...

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY and PLEASING TO GOD - this is your SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP! Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOU MIND. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.

TRANSFORMATION... 'do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world - but be TRANSFORMED!'

-Pursuing Holiness is a Pluralistic Process!

PRESENTATION... '...offer your bodies as living sacrifices...'

-Until you make yourself AVAILABLE - you are not USABLE!

CONSECRATION... '...by the renewing of your mind!'

-Holiness requires DAILY RENEWAL - it's a byproduct of a Close Walk With God - DAILY!

Remember... OBEDIENCE IS NOT AN OPTION IN PURSUING HOLINESS!

WHY MUST I BE HOLY?

BECAUSE GOD SAID SO. (Period!)

1 Peter 1:14-16... "BE HOLY - BECAUSE I AM HOLY!"

See you Sunday at COC as we wrap up the PURSUIT OF HOLINESS! (Maricopa Wells Middle Schoool / 9a & 10:45a)

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (Pursuit Of Holiness)

GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE LIKE YOU ARE SAVED!

2 Corinthians 5:17...' If anyone is in Christ - HE IS A NEW CREATION...!'

SANCTIFICATION is HOW God MAKES YOU HOLY and HOLINESS is the RESULT of God's WORK OF SANCTIFICATION in YOU!

HOLINESS is not PERFECTION!

We may sin but b/c we are alive in Christ - we will FEEL THE PAIN OF OUR SIN and will desire to do what's right!

Romans 6:18... You have been set free from sin and have become SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS! Righteousness is a GOOD MASTER to have!

1 Peter 1:14-16 (What it's ALL about!) "BE HOLY-BECAUSE I AM HOLY!" Batteries are INCLUDED with your Salvation!

See you SUNDAY @ COC!!

(Maricopa Wells Middle School / 9a & 10:45a)

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (Pursuit Of Holiness)

(Wk2) THE BATTLE FOR HOLINESS!

A.W. Tozer writes...

"The difference between EXPERIENCE and NO EXPERIENCE would be that acute sense of SOMEONE THERE. It is not true that for most of us who call ourselves Christians - there is NO REAL EXPERIENCE? We have substituted theological ideas for an arresting encounter; we are full of religious notions, but our great weakness is that for our heart there is no one there.

Whatever else it embraces, true Christian EXPERIENCE must always include a genuine ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. Without this, religion is but a shadow, a reflection of reality, a cheap copy of an original once enjoyed by someone else of whom we have heard. It cannot but be a major tragedy in the life of any man to live in a church from childhood to old age and know nothing more real than some synthetic god compounded of theology and logic, but having no eyes to see, no ears to hear, and no heart to love.

The spiritual giants of old were men who at some time became acutely conscious of the real PRESENCE OF GOD and maintained that consciousness for the rest of their lives. The first encounter may have been one of terror, as when a 'horror of great darkness' fell up on Abraham, or as when Moses at the bush hid his face because he was afraid to look upon God. Usually this fear soon lost its content of terror and changed after a while to DELIGHTSOME AWE, to level off finally into a reverent sense of complete nearness to God. The essential point is... THEY EXPERIENCED GOD!"

There is a BATTLE FOR YOUR HOLINESS going on everyday in your HEART & MIND!

Being PREPARED for this BATTLE is ESSENTIAL!

At some point in time in our Christian Lives we must learn what the word CONVICTION means and become CONVINCED in the truth of this passage... (Heb 12:14) 'Without HOLINESS - NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD!"

Don't miss this Sunday at COC as we investigate even deeper into the understanding of the BATTLE FOR HOLINESS!!

(Maricopa Wells Middle School / 9a & 10:45a)

Family Focus... (Camping/Woods Canyon Lake)

A week ago - the Barrett Fam spent a week in the WOODS!

The COC Family Camping Trip led to an awesome FAMILY time with a lot of ACTION!

Let's See...

-75 Degree Weather - GREAT!

-Family Time - GREAT!

-Trails & Nature - GREAT!

-Campfires & S'mores - GREAT!

-BBQ / Pancakes / Bacon / Snacks - GREAT!

-ATV Tickets - NOT GREAT!

-4 Inch RAIN/THUNDERSTORM last night - NOT SO GREAT!

All in all in was a MAJOR SUCCESS - so much that we're heading back up there in OCTOBER! Ginger LOVES Camping - it's GROWING on me & the MEMORIES that it's burning into our KIDS LIVES - makes it ALL WORTH IT!

Enjoy some of our Memories...

SUNDAY SNAPSHOT... (Pursuit Of Holiness)

It is written... 'BE HOLY - BECAUSE I AM HOLY!' (1 Pet 1:15-16)

When Pursuing Holiness...

It's not What You Do that determines Who You Are - but it's WHO YOU ARE that determines WHAT YOU DO!

HOLINESS IS NOT AN OPTION!!

Don't Miss COC this week as we begin a BRAND NEW Series that will be LIFE-CHANGING!

Maricopa Wells Middle School / 9a & 10:45a