Date post: | 25-Mar-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | champions-centre |
View: | 215 times |
Download: | 0 times |
check out thisissue onlinechampionscentre.com
FALL2009
OctOber 2 & 3BOLD Men’s Conference
OctOber 9Fred Hammond in Concert
(Tacoma Campus)
OctOber 31Scrooge the Musical
tickets on sale
NOvember 26 Thanksgiving
NOvember 28 & 29 Operation Blessing kick-off
December 11-20Scrooge the Musical
performances
December 19 & 20Family Christmas services
December 24Christmas Eve services (Tacoma & Bellevue)
December 25 Christmas Day
Visit championscentre.com for more information.
425 • 289 • 1878 | kevingerald.tv | 253 • 475 • 6454
Bellevue Tacoma
Sunday @ 10am Saturday @ 6pm
Sunday @ 8:45am & 11:30am
ExEcuTivE PuBlishErs
Kevin Gerald Sheila Gerald
EDiTOr-iN-chiEF
Jodi Gerald-Cameron
sENiOr PrOjEcT MaNagEr
Jen Mueller
arT DirEcTOr
Adam Welch, Hemisphere Design
MarkETiNg & cOMMuNicaTiONs
Tinia Nelson
cONTriBuTiNg EDiTOrs
Kim Ludwick Leslie PowellRaelynn Poulin Elizabeth QuickJudi Shackett
cONTriBuTiNg PhOTOgraPhy
J. Hobson Photography
cONTriBuTiNg graPhic DEsigN
Venessa Koehn Mickey Elliott
cONTriBuTiNg WriTErs
Abbie Buck Brandon StewartKevin Gerald Mark StewartSue Kahawaii Tim TolliverScot Nicholson Ed Young
DisTriBuTiON
Kim Ludwick
PrODucEr
Champion Life Magazine is produced by Kevin Gerald Communications (KGC). KGC is a department of Champions Centre in Tacoma | Bellevue, WA, a non-profit organization.
QuEsTiONs / cOMMENTs / iDEas
Champion Life Editorial1819 E. 72nd St.Tacoma, WA 98404
Produced by Champions Centre Publishing © 2009. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without expressed written permission is prohibited and a violation of applicable laws.
2009 copyright
Printed by Capitol City Press
doubt strife worry
F E AT U R E S
4 God is NOT Everywhere by Kevin Gerald
1 0 Relational Realities by Ed Young
1 6 More than Music by Brandon Stewart & Tim Tolliver
I N E V E R Y I S S U E
3 Let’s Talk
8 Champions Foundation Update
1 2 Champion Finds
2 2 Real Life Champions
2 4 K. Wise
Champion Life Magazine
purposes to equip
people to live successful
Christian lives.
ABOUT US
“Some Christians are so caught
up in culture that they abandon
God's word in order to fit in with
popular thinking.”
- Kevin Gerald
16
4
10
8
Fall 2009 | 1
Life is good. We are moving ahead to great things in the upcoming season, while most people just get back to "real life" when autumn rolls around. But even with school buses back on the road and cloudy days potentially ahead, we can choose to live life to the fullest!
Living the good life doesn’t always include blending into culture so much that we lose ourselves. I think some Christians are so caught up in culture that they abandon God’s Word in order to fit in with popular thinking. Let’s be people of God who embrace culture but never shrink back from bringing out God’s truth in our everyday lives. That is what being relevant in today’s society is all about – being in the world, but not of it.
I want to challenge your thinking a bit when it comes to a simple phrase that most people hear growing up that "God is everywhere." I have begun to realize that while I believe in the omnipresence of God and the theology behind it, I also believe that there are some places where God is not (page 4). Knowing the difference will help us mingle with today’s culture, but always keep God’s plan and purpose in focus.
One of the things I believe is crucial for people today is living a life of
healthy relationships. I’m excited for you to hear from my friend, Pastor Ed
Young Jr., about how great relationships are key if we are going to influence our
communities (page 10). He and his wife, Lisa, will be with us this October over the entire BOLD weekend. Don’t miss out!
When it comes to worshipping God, our team has put together some thoughts that
you’ll find encouraging on why worship is “More than Music” (page 16). Also, you'll get to hear from a great man with an incredible heart of worship and about his Real Life Champion Story (page 22) and about how he ended up where he is today.
Let's not forget the lessons we’ve learned so far this year. Take some time today to do a quick self evaluation. Am I going where I planned to go? How do I stay on track or get back on track with the goals I’ve set for this year? How can I apply some of the lessons I’ve learned this past season to my future?
Choose to do life great!
Let’s taLkLET’s TaLK
Fall 2009 | 3
by Kevin Gerald
NOT
4 | Champion Life Magazine
The mother, seeing a teachable mo-
ment, told her daughter that she was
never alone, that God is everywhere.
“He’s present in the daylight and the
darkness, and He’s on the back porch
right now. You don’t need to be afraid,”
the mother said. “Now walk out there
and get me the broom!”
The girl slowly walked to the door,
easing it open. “God if you’re out there,”
she appealed, “would you please hand
me the broom?”
Maybe, at times, we have been a bit
like that little girl. Maybe we have
heard that God is everywhere, but
sometimes we questioned whether
He truly is where we are.
There is a story of a mother who
asked her 10-year-old daugh-
ter to get a broom on the back
porch one dark night. The girl,
afraid of the dark, started to
cry. “i don’t want to go out on
the porch. somebody will get
me if i go out there.”
Fall 2009 | 5
Although this goes against
everything most of us learned
about God, I want to say that
God is NOT everywhere.
The idea that God is everywhere at the same time is what theolo-gians refer to as the omnipresence of God. I believe in the omnipres-ence of God. The prophet Jeremiah said of the Lord, “Am I only a God nearby ... and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? ... Do I not fill heaven and earth?”1 And, King David wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”2
However, there’s a difference in where God is and where God is able to see and be. The eyes of God are always on us; His ears can always hear us. But, I believe God is not everywhere.
A teacher once stepped out of her classroom, observing her students through a window while they took
a test. When the students com-pleted their work, she told them she would not be looking at the paper. The real test, she said, was on their character and what they did when she was out of the room. The teacher was not in the room, but she knew and saw everything that happened.
In one sense, God is everywhere, but in a relational sense, God is not everywhere, and that’s the point I want to get across. The revealed, relational presence of God is in some places and not others.
This is why scripture says, “the proud he knows from afar.” (Psalm 138:6).
It is why David repeatedly asked God, “Do not be far from me.” (Ps. 22:11, Ps. 35:22, Ps. 38:21, Ps. 71:12).
In Proverbs, we see that “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”3
Have you ever walked into a place and felt that there is no way that God would be there, that He was not invited there, not worshipped there, not honored there? And, when you walked in, did you sensed that He was saying to you, “Let's not stay here!”?
At times, I see people doing all the wrong things and then asking,
“Where is God?” Here are a few examples of where God is NOT.
GOD Is NOT IN OUR STUPID, HE Is IN OUR WISDOM.
God is NOT in our stupid, He is in our wisdom. Have you noticed that intelligent, professional, educated, and church-going people some-times do stupid things? Stupid behavior, not God, ruins lives. The Bible talks about it plainly when it says: "A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. Or put this way, people ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?4
I hear people ask, “If God is good, why don’t I experience God being good?” The answer may be they are not experiencing God, but con-sequences of their own life choices. If people thumb their nose at His instruction for life, they experience stupid.
God may not be in stupid, but He is in wisdom.
GOD Is NOT IN OUR DOUBTS, HE Is IN OUR FAITH.
In First Kings 17 is the story of Elijah, he was told by the Lord to go to Zarephath, where a widow was to supply his food. Upon his arrival, the prophet asked the poor woman for a drink and some food. She replied that she had no bread, only a bit of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug with which to make a meal for her and her son. Elijah commanded her to not be afraid. The story goes on to describe how
“The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
1. Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV
2. Psalm 139:7-10 NIV
3. Proverbs 15:29 NIV
4. Proverbs 19:3 NIV and Message
5. I Kings 17 KJV
6. 1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV
7. Psalm 46:1 KJV
8. Acts 16:25-34 KJV
6 | Champion Life Magazine
the widow’s needs were met con-tinually during a time of shortage.5
God is in the place where hope and faith rise up and doubts and fears are set aside—where men and women choose to pray for the best, hope for the best, and work for the best.
GOD Is NOT IN OUR STRIFE, HE Is IN OUR UNITY.
One day I prayed with a couple in financial trouble. As I started to pray, I felt like I needed to stop and ask them whether or not they tithed. The wife looked at her hus-band as if to say, “I told you so!” I knew there had been resistance, so I told them they could not pray their way out of something they behaved themselves into.
When we have been taught some-thing and then we don’t do it, we walk in disobedience. Disobedience hinders our prayers. The good news is that this couple received my word, made some changes in their life, and ended up with a fantastic turnaround story.
God is in the place of agreement—where individuals set aside differences, pettiness, and small-mindedness to unite around a higher purpose, to accomplish a worthwhile goal.
GOD Is NOT IN OUR CONFUSION, HE Is IN OUR PEACE.
Confusion comes to all of us at times. It can appear in the options of choices we have to make, the variety of voices we listen to, or in a rushing, unconcentrated approach to life.
God is not the author of confusion but of peace.6
Psalm 27:1-3 says this: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men
advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident."
The truth is, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble7. Instead of living in confu-sion or drama in our lives, let’s look to the promises in God’s Word.
GOD Is NOT IN OUR WORRY, HE Is IN OUR WORSHIP.
In Acts, we read about how Paul and Silas took a unique approach to a tough situation. They were harassed, beaten, wrongly accused, and thrown into jail. Rather than wallowing in the injustice, we read that they burst into prayer and robust singing.8 The other prisoners could not believe what they were hearing, and their jailer asked what he had to do to be saved, to really live life. The jailer asked the men into his house, the whole family put their trust in God, and they cel-ebrated.
Don't let what's wrong about life keep you from worshiping what's right about God.
I’m convinced the eyes of God are
always on us, His ears can always
hear us. But, I believe God is not
everywhere. Let’s make a decision
to live the majority of our lives in
the places where God is welcomed
and worshipped. Choose to live in
the place of God’s promises!
kevin gerald is the lead
pastor of Champions
Centre in Tacoma and
Bellevue, WA. For great
resources from Kevin,
visit kevingerald.tv.
Dont' let what's wrong about life keep you from worshipping
what's right about God.
Fall 2009 | 7
Warren (12) and Glen (10)
have known a life growing
up in Zimbabwe that most
of us cannot even begin
to imagine. Zimbabwe,
once known as the
"bread basket" of Africa,
has endured decades
of deprivation and
starvation due to corrupt
government policies.
Their mother, named Blessing, was forced to flee to South Africa to find a job to support her family.
Mama Blessing ended up as the house parent in our Champions Forever Home and has provided incredible love and stability since the home opened. However, not having her own children with her was heart breaking. It would take a miracle to bring a solution that would allow the boys to come to South Africa.
In December 2008, that miracle took place as the boys were admit-ted to South Africa and approved to attend school locally. Warren and Glen are now part of our Champions Forever Home family and have become brothers to the other children. When the boys first arrived from Zimbabwe, the only thing they wanted to do was eat all the time. They could not believe that food was going to be avail-able every day. No longer having to
struggle just to stay alive, the boys are flourishing in school and are active in sports.
The Champions Forever Home con-tinues to make a difference in this AIDS ravaged area of the world. Mama Blessing said, shortly after the boys arrived, “God is still doing miracles. I prayed so hard, because my heart was torn between the Forever Home family here and my children in Zimbabwe. Now I have both, and I thank God for the Champions Foundation, and every-one who has given to help this miracle take place.”
FOrEvEr hOME uPDaTE
A FAMILY UNITED
"God is still doing miracles."
8 | Champion Life Magazine
"My life has been a series
of tragedies, sufferings,
and injustices that have
kept me limping along
and never really being
able to create or have a
"home"—ever. I am alone
and physically limited. It
used to be a wish that one
day I would have a home.
Now it is today!
Thank you, again, for all you have done and are doing. I appreciate the team so much! You guys are not only helping me, but you are also doing so with kindness rather than judgment or criticism.
It is difficult to allow strangers to rifle through your belongings, but if I were to choose a team to do it, The Justice Project would be my first choice. The team has come along side my situation and me and asked, rather than told; supported, rather than demanded. It brings joy to me to know that there is a group out in the community that is truly an example of the love and com-passion of our Lord Jesus Christ – His Heart extended to the world. I pray that God will send each one of you rich reward, far beyond what I could ever give!
Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! I really like it here. There is an atmosphere of peace at this location. It's starting to feel like I
belong here or something. I have sun, fresh air, I am not SICK like I was at the old place! God has blessed me so much. I honestly think this is the first place I have ever lived that allows me peace. I can come home after work and actually rest. It used to be that I would escape to work and return to conflict. I am so blessed to be here and grateful to God every day that I get to drink this in.
I owe The Justice Project a HUGE thank you! Please know from these words, and the little tears welling up in my eyes, that I am so grate-ful to you all for saying yes to the Lord to get me moved into this new place. I may not be a family or a crowd, but I am one person that is changed because of your willing-ness to demonstrate God's love to me through the works of your hands."
— anonymous letter from a justice Project recipient
jusTicE PrOjEcT 2009
A HEALTHY PLACEJoin the Justice Project atchampionsFoundation.com
Fall 2009 | 9
Notice a trend here? Those were all accounts from the Gospels related to the interaction Jesus had with his closest companions. Jesus needed friends too.
Peter, John, and James were the posse of Jesus. They were his buddies, his homeboys, his friends. It’s hard for us to imagine that the Son of God had human relationships. It’s even harder for us to imagine that he needed them. But since Jesus
was as a man who was made in the image of God, he too was wired for relationships. He craved friends with whom he could share the highest highs. And also the burdens that weighed him down. The friends of Jesus comforted him.
They made him laugh. And cry. Life was better with them. Jesus loved his friends. And if Jesus, the second person in the Trinity needed friends, we do too.
“he did not let anyone
follow him except Peter,
james, and john …”
“When he arrived at the
house of jairus, he did
not let anyone go in
with him except Peter,
john, and james …”
“jesus said to his
disciples, ‘sit here while
i pray.’ he took Peter,
james, and john along
with him, and he began
to be deeply distressed
and troubled.”
“jesus took Peter, john,
and james with him
and went up onto a
mountain to pray.”
an excerpt from Outrageous, Contagious Joy (Berkley Praise) by Ed young
10 | Champion Life Magazine
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” — Albert Einstein
developing quality friends is intentional, not accidental
We don’t just fall into a friendship. We don’t develop friends in a vacuum. Building quality friendships requires intentionality. The good news is that we have the freedom to choose our friends. We step out and meet new people and we’ll often find people on a similar track. Careless choices will yield big trouble because our friends influence us in a huge way. So as we make decisions about the people we want in our inner circle, we need to discern whether a person is going to help us along our journey or hinder us.
If I could just talk to your best friends, I’d know all about you. And that’s without ever even meeting you. The friends you choose says a lot about the kind of person you are. Choosing friends is like looking in a mirror. I would guess that you looked in the mirror this morning before you started your
God graciously cured one of our deepest emotional problems. He cured the problem of inner-core loneliness when God sent His son Jesus to die on a cross and then rise again for all of us. He rebuilt the God-man relationship that was fractured by Adam and Eve.
However, loneliness is still an ongoing issue for many of us. Even those who follow Jesus still have another hole that can only be filled through human relationships. Even if Christ filled the God-gap in their lives, we are incomplete without a close friend and a community where we belong.
God truly wants the best for us relationally. He has some incredible people in store for us that will help us along the journey toward joy.
day. You wouldn’t want any parsley hanging between your teeth or to miss a button on your shirt. A mirror reflects your face. A mirror is limited though; it is meant to reflect physical reality. You can still choose to leave a mirror and say, “Okay, I look alright.” Your friends, on the other hand, do not let you off the hook quite so easily. Your character, your true nature, is revealed by the friends you choose.
Do you ever wonder, “Who am I? I mean, who am I really?” Do you want to see who you are and where your life is headed? All you have to do is take a look at your friends. When you examine your relationships, you’ll see your character plainly just as if you were looking into a mirror. A mirror is one dimensional, but friends take you to a much deeper level. There’s depth and richness to that kind of self-examination. We can know who we really are by the friends we choose. We have choices when it comes to your friends, and God wants us to choose the best relationally.
Parents, one of the greatest opportunities we have is the ability to help our children select great friends. I believe we have the responsibility of monitoring
Fall 2009 | 11
continued on page 14 ...
booksWith topics ranging from leader-
ship to daily living, Kevin Gerald’s
books offer solid biblical learning
and practical takeaway. These
books are sure to motivate and
inspire you in your day-to-day
life. Books include: Pardon Me,
I’m Prospering, Forces that Form
Your Future, Mind Monsters, By
Design or Default, The Proving
Ground, Developing Confidence,
and Raising Champion Children.
champion findsCHaMPION FINDs
Resource YourselfVisit kevingerald.tv to find a
wealth of resources, including
MP3s of messages and free
wisdom tips from Kevin Gerald.
PodcastingCheck out Kevin Gerald’s FREE
Podcast now available through
iTunes. Search for “Kevin Gerald”
or “Champions Centre” in the
iTunes Store. Video streaming
and MP3 downloads are also
available on kevingerald.tv.
Champion Life MagazineGet a FREE subscription!Champion Life Magazine is
a quarterly publication by
Kevin Gerald Communications
and will equip you to live a
successful Christian life! Look
for the online version of CLM
online at kevingerald.tv.
12 | Champion Life Magazine
Fueling Your Future3 cDs; DvD
God wants us to live a full life,
a FUELED life, so why is it that
many of us still feel like we are
running on empty? Learn to
Fire up your spirit, Upgrade
your thinking, Exercise self
control, and how to Lift the
people around you. It’s not just
about starting well, it’s about
staying full, strong, and making
the whole journey!
I Heart Usa1 cD; DvD
Live a life that pleases God while being surrounded by a culture that approaches life
differently than we do as Christians. We are not here by accident. We are here on
purpose, on assignment, here to stand firm in love, and to enjoy and love our nation!
approved1 cD; DvD
Even when heaven doesn’t
approve of what you’ve
done, heaven still approves
of you. Something big
happens when we stop
seeking God’s approval
and start accepting God’s
approval in our lives!
God is NOT Everywhere1 cD; DvD
Where is God? Some people assume
that because God is omnipresent,
that he is everywhere. The truth is
that God is NOT everywhere. He is
not in our stupid, our confusion, or
strife. He is not in our doubts. God is
in wisdom, peace, unity, and faith … If
you look in the right places you can
find him there.
High Immunity Households1 cD; DvD
There is a serious virus that is plaguing our communities, neighborhoods, and
households. By applying wisdom, you will protect your house and make it a
high immunity household growing healthy, strong, and positive.
253.475.6454 ext. 361888.935.6914kevingerald.tv
Fall 2009 | 13
our children’s relationships. We can guide them and help them set relational patterns today that will influence them for a lifetime. We can do this whether our kids are 5, 15, or even 25. Do you know what your kids are doing and who they’re with? Let me challenge you to keep your parental radar on high alert when it comes to your child’s friends. You have tremendous power to shape the future of your kids' lives just by helping them to choose great friends who will build them up and help them in this game called life.
And don’t ignore the fact that your kids will examine the kind of friends you choose. They’ll test you at times to make sure you practice what you preach. So parents, who do you run with? Who are your best friends? How are you guiding your children by example? My
oldest daughter is 18. And I know that LeeBeth’s best friends will mirror my best friends. When it gets down to the rugged plains of reality, this reality can hit you pretty heavy.
But, while you are developing those friendships, beware the strong forces of negative peer pressure. It can bring down even the best of us. You might wonder, what does a pastor know about peer pressure? What do you know about real relationships? That brings us to the second statement about friendships.
the friend you are is the friend you’ll attract
Who are you? What kind of person are you? It’s important to know because you’re going to attract that same kind of person as a friend. You want to attract high-quality people? Be a high-quality person. Real friends support, help, and encourage you when times are tough. They’ve got your back. What kind of friend are you? Do you have your friend’s back? Are you there when they need you most? The kind of friend you are is the kind of friend you’ll attract.
"Don’t ignore the fact that your kids will examine the kind of friends you choose. They’ll test you at times to make sure you practice what you preach."
14 | Champion Life Magazine
ED yOuNg is a straightforward communicator who uniquely connects God’s unchanging truth with a diverse culture through compelling and creative teaching methods. He is the founding and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church.
He and his wife Lisa have been married for twenty-five years and have four children. More information about Ed and his various ministries can be found online at EdYoung.com.
"the kind of friend you are is the kind of friend you'll attract."
Fall 2009 | 15
more t
han
music
BrandonStewart& TimTolliver
Worship is the activity of
the human soul. Everyone
worships something.
Every person you have
met on the planet
(Christian or not) is a
worshipper … whether
they realize it or not.
16 | Champion Life Magazine
Tim Tolliver is the owner of T3
Performance Fitness and is a strength
and conditioning skills specialist
in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Tim is
an active member and volunteer at
Champions Centre.
Worship is a statement of
value. It is a response to
what we value most.
As Louie Giglio says in his book “WIRED for a Life of Worship”:
“Some of the purest forms of worship are found outside the walls of the Church and have no reference at all to the God of all creation. All you have to do is drop in on a concert at the local arena or go to a sporting event at a nearby stadium to see amazing worship. People going for it, lifting their hands, shouting like crazy, staking their claim, standing in awe, declar-ing their allegiance.”
What is interesting is that these forms of worship are the same as those written about in scrip-ture … the worship that God Himself desires. Worship is the activity of the human soul—and we were designed first and foremost to come together to worship the Living God.
What many people forget is that worship is both an indi-vidual and team sport. In other words, worship is something that God’s people do corpo-rately together in Church, as well as individually throughout each day. Individual worship is not more important than corpo-rate worship, and worshipping together isn’t more significant than worshipping alone. In fact, both are incomplete without each other.
BRANDON: We cannot live in
the full power of God’s pres-
ence without times of intimacy
with the Father, one on one.
And we can’t experience the
strength of Christ’s body to-
gether in any greater way than
corporate worship.
Ephesians 1:22-23 in the Mes-
sage is one of my favorite pas-
sages of scripture. It reads: “At
the center of all this, Christ rules
the church. The church, you see,
is not peripheral to the world;
the world is peripheral to the
church. The church is Christ's
body, in which he speaks and
acts, by which he fills everything
with his presence.”
We come together for corpo-
rate worship because it is the
highest form of worship. It is
the Body of Christ together as
one, in strength and unity. It is
the greatest picture of heaven
we can give to this earth. When
we’ve been together, it sends us
into our various spheres of influ-
ence, armed and ready to make
impact for the Cause of Christ.
TIM: The Bible says, “O’ magni-
fy the Lord with me, and let us
exalt his name together” (Psalm
34:3). The time we share in wor-
ship when we come together
during our weekend services
is far more than an opening
act or the soundtrack to Pastor
Kevin’s message.
When I think of public worship,
I envision an army preparing
for battle. I see warriors prepar-
ing their armor and sharpen-
ing their swords. I see focused
wORshIp: to honor
with extravagant love and
extreme submission.
webster’s 1828 Dictionary
wORshIp is a response to what
we vAlue most
Brandon stewart is passionate
about building the local church.
He is the Director of Champion
Life Groups and serves on the
worship team and teaching
team at Champions Centre.
publicworship
Fall 2009 | 17
BRANDON: Many people consider the Church as a place they
attend or a part of their week. In reality, the Church is intended
to be HOME BASE from which we are sent into our world! We
take the fuel we get from weekend services and apply it to our
daily lives. Additionally, we can refuel on a daily basis through
personal times of worship and connection to God.
As we take a look at the life of David in the Bible, we see he was
not only a leader that brought the people of God together to
worship but he also had an incredible heart of worship. In fact,
David established a new form of worship that would usher in
greater intimacy with God. There are countless times in the book
of Psalm alone that David is worshipping God through song or
prayer on a personal and intimate level. What a great example for
us to look to today.
When we stop and think about all that Christ has
done in each of our lives, I believe the only logical
response is extravagant worship!
TIM: Times of personal worship build deep intimacy and a heart-
to-heart connection with God. It’s been my experience that my
private times of worship and connection with God provide the
fuel for my times of public worship. It’s in these times that I’ve
found my relationship with God has been built up and deepened.
I think of these times as our chance to be “unplugged” with God.
No time limits, always our favorite worship songs, we have a
front row seat, and we have a private audience with our Creator. I
really believe that these private sessions with God create a space
where we can be in His presence without distraction and build
our worship muscles.
It’s in times like these that I’ve been able to reconnect to God’s
strength and His peace, receive direction, and find rest in His
presence. They also allow me to be with God in a way that is real,
raw, and true.
minds and full hearts getting ready
to give everything. I see people
caught in the grip of a common
cause and drawn into a shared vi-
sion. Our public worship is much
the same way, and it’s in this power-
ful atmosphere of worship that we
build one another up in our faith,
encourage each other, and draw
fresh strength for the battles in our
life. It’s more than just for individu-
al’s sake; it’s about moving forward
together with one heart.
I think sometimes we discount the
value of this time together and
either come late or completely avoid
the musical worship of our services
altogether. I wish I could begin to
explain how much I believe we give
up in our walk with God and in our
relationship with others when we
choose not to show up, connect
with other believers, and participate
in this kind of worship.
Public worship in the corporate
setting serves as a reminder that
we, together, are the children of
God. We are what the Bible calls
the “community” or the “household
of faith.” In other words, our public
worship reminds us that we are the
church.
We are the people of
God and we are deeply
connected to one
another in our house
and as believers around
the world.
privateworship
18 | Champion Life Magazine
Fall 2009 | 21
I grew up in a Christian home,
and my family attended an ex-
tremely conservative Evangelical
Baptist Church. I am so thankful
for my Christian upbringing and
being brought up in that envi-
ronment, as it gave me a very
solid foundation in my funda-
mental belief in Jesus Christ as
my Lord and Savior.
When I was about nine years old, I formally gave my life to the Lord. I continued to mature and grow in my relationship with Him over the years, I stayed very actively in-volved in my youth group. It was a wonderful time in my life.
I went away to attend college at WSU after high school. The particu-lar group of Christians that I sought to get connected with upon arrival were not exactly “my cup of tea” personality wise. I began to spend time with people who were merely pleasant to be around and fun to hang out with. Unfortunately, my
new friends did not love and honor God. Slowly, I began changing to adopt the value system and ideals that they possessed. This was the beginning of an eight-year period in my life when I did not serve God; my heart had grown hard, and I had become indifferent toward the Lord. Over time, I took on the val-ues of the world, and soon I was no different than the rest of the pack.
I began to date a woman named Liz. After a couple of years, Liz began to bring up the topic of marriage. The idea of marriage made me sick; I was frightened of the commitment. I told her before I could ever consider marriage I would have to start going to church again, that I needed to get my life right with God. Well, even though my words to Liz were true, I had an ulterior motive. I lacked the cour-age to break off my relationship to avoid marriage, so I told Liz I want-ed to go to church and serve the Lord, in hopes she would disagree.
My plan backfired. Liz responded favorably towards attending church. The following Sunday we went to the local Peoples Church. At the end of the service, Liz went forward when they gave the invitation to in-vite Jesus into your life. She became a born again Christian that day.
This, of course, screwed up ev-
erything. Now, I had a girlfriend
who was a Christian. Before I
knew it, Liz had fallen head over
heels in love with Jesus. She
chased after the Lord with all her
might. All I ever did was eat and
breathe the cloud of dust that
trailed behind Liz as she chased
after our Living God.
About a year later, Liz and I got married. Married life was good for a few minutes, but then reality be-gan to set in. Liz had insecurities she was dealing with, and I was an inconsiderate clod who didn’t know how to live under the same
Scot Nicholson & His Family
"My heart had grown hard, and I had become indifferent toward the Lord."
Real life championsREaL LIFE CHaMPIONs
22 | Champion Life Magazine
roof with a wife. Arguments, frus-tration, and yelling quickly became commonplace. However, I was still going to church every week simply because I had married someone who was completely in love with God. Whether I liked it or not, good things had been getting inside of me. God’s principles and attitudes were infiltrating my mind and spirit.
As a result of all the good stuff in me, eventually, when the yelling and arguing would occur, I imme-diately would go to God in prayer and ask for help. I began to insist on holding my wife’s hand to pray with her about what had just hap-pened. We would ask God to bless us, help us to choose to love each other, and to have a wonderful mar-riage on purpose. We grew stron-ger together in our marriage.
About 14 months into our marriage, Liz and I were on our way home from playing golf, when a truck did not see a stop sign at an intersection that we were passing through. His vehicle struck our family car on the passenger side, where Liz was sitting. Emergency surgeons desperately tried to save her life once we arrived at the hospital, but the internal injuries proved too severe. Four hours after the accident, Liz died.
I could write for a long time here and still not correctly describe the feelings which I experienced during that time in my life. It felt like half of me was gone; I was numb and in shock. That terrible accident hap-pened on a Thursday. By Saturday, I knew that I wanted to be with my church family the next day. So, I kept going to church.
My story continues from here,
and it gets better and better. I
stayed in church over the years,
met and married a gorgeous
girl who loved and lived for God.
Jeri and I will celebrate our 25th
wedding anniversary next year.
We have three beautiful children
(Chelsea - 20, Haley - 18, Chase
16); the five of us serve and honor
God and remain deeply rooted in
His house!
Pastors Kevin and Sheila Gerald are always encouraging our church family to get planted in the House of the Lord; that way, when the storms of life come at you, you will not be uprooted or blown away. Well it turns out, they are right. I ex-perienced a storm. And I can stand here today and say with boldness and thanksgiving: “I was not blown away! I’m still here!”
"I experienced a storm. I was not blown away! I am still here!"
Fall 2009 | 23
Back in August 2003, a dream vacation to Europe and Bermuda
to celebrate 25 years of marriage ended in tragedy when Sheila
and I were in a motorbike accident on a major thoroughway in
Bermuda. Sheila walked away with only a few minor scrapes, but I
was glued to the pavement with a fractured pelvis.
In life things just happen. Not every bad thing in life that happens
is caused by the devil. The devil didn’t cause my accident in
Bermuda. The combination of inexperienced riders, narrow
roads, left-side-of-the-road driving, fast-moving traffic, and bad
judgment equaled a disaster waiting to happen. Sometimes the
recipes of life include some not-so-good things. However, in those
times, if you train your eyes to look for God, you will see that He is
still at work.
here is how we found god working on our behalf:
We didn’t go over the edge of the road or under the guardrail.•
There was a group of police officers in training jogging •
right at that instant and place of the accident. They had the
accident scene under control within a minutes and a couple of
them joined us in prayer.
The guy behind us had a cell phone for an officer to use.•
The only hospital in the area was only a couple miles away •
(people bleed to death from pelvis fractures).
At the hospital in Bermuda, I had a private room with a view •
of the ocean.
One of the nurses who transported me back to Seattle had a •
daughter who attended our church and was praying for her
mother to come to know God.
Without surgery my pelvis healed with no long-term damage.•
Sometimes seasons of our lives don’t look good. There were
some scary moments throughout that season for our family, but
we kept looking for God at work; and in the end, we saw that
He really did work all things together for the good. I’ve learned
sometimes as experiences touch the taste buds of our lives it
doesn’t taste good. It’s not until it gets mixed into the recipe of
God’s plan for our lives that we can realize … it’s all good.
k.WISE
“And we know that in all
things God works for the
good of those who love
Him, who have been called
according to His purpose.”
(Romans 8:28)
24 | Champion Life Magazine
What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance. Blending in so well that people
can’t see the difference - and it’s the difference that sets the world free.
Casting Crowns