Summer VBS Guide
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CONTENTS 06
08
NATASHA BURE: FIGURING IT OUT BY FAITH Seeking God’s leading through her creative ventures
11
MY BIGGEST MISTAKE AS A MOTHER Overcoming guilt and fear in your parenting
15
SUMMER VBS GUIDE Local vacation bible school options for your kids
22
PERSONAL REVIVAL The transforming power of revival marks the church history, but does it mark our lives?
11
31
32
GOODlife EVENTS Upcoming local events with activities for all ages
32
CONFESSIONS OF A WORKAHOLIC Re-evaluating the source of our identity and worth GOODlife TRAVEL New SoundWaves Water Park at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville
17 FEATURED COVER: HILLSONG UNITED “The call to love our neighbor is a revolutionary act that perhaps rings louder now than ever. If there’s one thing that music can do better than anything else on earth, it is its innate ability to unify people.”
Publisher / Editor Kristen Bland
Creative Director Gabriel Bland
Contributing Writer Sharita Hanley
Assistant Editor Autumn Burr
Advertising James Slaughter Jslaughter@goodlifemagazine.org 678.222.8212
Article submissions
submissions@goodlifemagazine.org 1582 Williams Dr, Suite 250 Marietta, GA 30066
facebook.com/goodlifechristian GOODlife Magazine is a bi-monthly publication distributed throughout Atlanta and Metro Atlanta. Entire contents, including design elements and logos, are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any media without the express written consent of the publisher. GOODlife Magazine, LLC reserves the right to edit or reject any editorial or advertising content. Advertisers assume liability for content of all advertisements. All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of our ability. Not responsible for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies. © 2019 GOODlife Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved.
J
esus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me
and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me....” “...20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17: 1-8 ; 20-23
Be on the lookout in the next issue for a message from the GOODlife team.
EVENTS Woodstock First Friday Night Live
Now - December from 6-9pm, first Friday each month Downtown Woodstock This event gives the downtown Woodstock shops and restaurants an evening to stay open late and host events, while live music creates a street-party style atmosphere. visitwoodstockga.com
Marietta Square Art Walk
Now - December from 5-9pm, first Friday each month The Marietta Square Enjoy an evening of live music, performances, and local art as you shop, dine, and experience all The Marietta Square has to offer. Art Walk is a free self-guided walking tour of the Marietta Square’s galleries, museums, cultural venues, restaurants, and businesses on the first Friday. During Art Walk, each participating venue hosts a local artist outside of its storefront. mariettaartwalk.com
34th annual Georgia Renaissance Festival
Now - June 2, Saturdays and Sundays plus Memorial Day Monday 6905 Virlyn B. Smith Road, Fairburn Each weekend you can step inside the gates of Newcastle and find yourself transported back to 16th-century England! The 32-acre village is filled with over 150 artisan craft shops, 10 stages of endless entertainment, wonderful pubs and taverns, plus food galore! You’ll laugh out loud at the antics of the costumed characters, try your skill at carnival games, and enjoy human-powered rides for kids of all ages. garenfest.com
Hillsong UNITED in Concert
Friday, May 3 at 7:30pm State Farm Arena, Atlanta The Hillsong UNITED Tour with Joel Houston, Taya Smith, 6
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JD, Matt Crocker, Jad Gillies, Ben Hastings, and special guests Amanda Lindsey Cook and Mack Brock hillsongunited.com
Cars and ‘Q
Saturday, May 4 from 4-7pm 8200 Roberts Drive, Atlanta This award-winning car show supports the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Come enjoy 120+ stellar cars, a generous spread of BBQ from Jim ‘n Nicks, auction, live music, and more. carsnq.com
Leadercast – Leading Healthy Teams
Friday, May 10 from 9am-3:30pm Infinite Energy Arena Duluth Largest one-day leadership event in the world, bringing together experts in leadership and organizational health to help attendees master the art and science of developing and leading healthy teams. leadercast.com
May-retta Daze
May 4-5 Glover Park on the Marietta Square Annual arts and crafts festival features exhibitors and artists showcasing handmade goods, including painting, pottery, woodwork, metal, glass, fabric, soap, candles, and more. Saturday Night Concert features Chris Stalcup & The Grange. marietta.com/may-retta-daze
Drive Conference
May 6-7 North Point Community Church, Alpharetta Drive Conference is a two-day event for church leaders. Think of Drive as a rest stop to inspire, equip, and refuel you for the road ahead. Andy Stanley and North Point’s leading communicators will be sharing their latest learnings and tools to help you take your ministry further faster. driveconference.com
Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival
May 10-11 Cauble Park on Lake Acworth This annual two-day event features a Friday night concert from the Georgia Players Guild, performing an Alabama and Eagles tribute. There is also a Lord of the Wings tasting competition on Friday night and BBQ competition on Saturday! Come enjoy great food, family entertainment, and fireworks. smokeonthelake.org
Marietta Greek Festival
May 17-19 Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Marietta The 29th annual Marietta Greek Festival celebrates Greek traditions, culture, and delicious Greek food. mariettagreekfestival.com
The 77th Annual Yaarab Shrine Circus and Fair
May 18-27 Jim R. Miller Park, Marietta The largest Shrine Circus and Fair in North America is back for its 77th year, packed with more excitement than ever. The Yaarab Shrine has proudly partnered with Royal Hanneford Circus to provide circus-goers with some of the best entertainment under the Big Top. 2019shrinecircus.com
FerVent 2.0 with Priscilla Shirer and Anthony Evans
Tuesday, May 21 at 7pm Mount Paran Church, Atlanta Join the dynamic brother and sister duo for an evening filled with exciting new music from Anthony’s forthcoming worship album and a unforgettable new message inspired by Priscilla’s upcoming new film, Overcomer. itickets.com
Memorial Day Ceremony
Saturday, May 25 at 10am Veterans Memorial at Patriots Point in
Freedom Celebration Cauble Park A ceremony to honor those who have given their lives in service to our country 770-917-1234
Mount Paran North Summer Camps
May 28 - July 22 Mount Paran North Church, Marietta Weekly day camp during the summer, with two field trips per week (skating, bowling, or an indoor location with inflatables). On-campus events include outdoor and indoor activities led by our Camp Coach and CPRcertified camp counselors. mpnsports.com
Power Camp
June 17-21 from 9am-noon Northstar Church, Acworth Kids, this summer don’t just sit behind your Nintendo Switch! Get out and LET’S GO! NorthStar Church is partnering with Fellowship of Christian Athletes for this extreme week focused on Biblical truths fused with multi-sports training to make an unforgettable, lifechanging experience! Choose from a selection of many different sport tracks. From flag football to soccer to lacrosse to cheer/tumble, there is a track for everyone! K - completed 5th grade. northstarchurch.org/powercamp
Forward Conference
June 27-29 Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth Each year, 13,000 students gather at the Infinite Energy Arena to be part of an incredible weekend of worship and fun. Presented by Free Chapel, the conference features the best worship artists and guest speakers in the world. forwardconference.org
Wednesday, July 3 Mount Paran North Church, Marietta Come and celebrate with food trucks, kids’ zone with inflatables, live entertainment, and fireworks. mountparannorth.com
July 4th Concert and Fireworks
Thursday, July 4 Cauble Park, Acworth Featuring live music starting at 5:30pm followed by fireworks at approximately 9:30pm acworthparksandrecreation.org
GraceLife 2019 Conference
July 8-12 World Changers, College Park Get ready to go to an even higher level in the believer’s understanding of grace. Speakers include: Creflo Dollar, Taffi Dollar, Gregory Dickow, Earl Johnson, Michael Smith, and Andrew Wommack creflodollarministries.org/events
Winshape Day Camps for Communities June 3 - July 19 Multiple Dates Available Mt. Bethel Christian Academy 2509 Post Oak Tritt Rd., Marietta June 3-7 North Metro Baptist Church 1026 Old Peachtree Rd. NE, Lawrenceville June 3-7 Rockmart High School 990 Cartersville Hwy., Rockmart July 1-5 Pleasant Valley North Baptist Church 735 Old Summerville Rd., Rome July 15-19 Hamilton Mill UMC 1450 Pine Rd., Dacula camps.winshape.org
NATASHA BURE:
Figuring it out by faith By:
Whether you know her as Candace Cameron Bure’s daughter, as author of Let’s Be Real: Living Life as an Open and Honest You, as an Instagram model and fashionista, or from her YouTube channel, twenty-year-old Natasha Bure is making a name for herself. But what stands out most about Natasha isn’t the fame behind her family name or the hundreds of thousands of followers she has on social media. Instead, it’s her determination to live by faith. “Sometimes, I’m really stressed about things,” she admits, “like, ‘Was that the right decision or wrong decision?’ But at the end of the day, if you strive every morning to be the best version of yourself rather than focus on what people think of you, then that’s the best life you can live because it’s the most authentic,” she explains, acknowledging she doesn’t have life one hundred percent figured out.
Hanley
motherly figure, which helped fill the void she was experiencing. It’s definitely something that a lot of people have experienced,” she explained, opening up about her own journey. “There were particular years where I just felt kind of lost and didn’t really know what I believed. I had some trouble figuring it out, but I think that’s the whole part of having a relationship with Jesus Christ and having faith in general. You have to make it your own, and you have to go through struggles.” “When I was going through that difficult time, I was straying away from my relationship with God...I wanted to be on my own path. I wanted to be popular. I wanted to be cool,” she explains. But as with the character she portrays in the film, family and faith held her together.
What she does have is faith in God, hope for the future, and an undying love for the arts. “To be honest, I don’t like to be put in a box. I enjoy doing whatever I feel led to do, and that’s something different every single day. That’s why I’m so open to all avenues whether that’s singing or acting or YouTube or being on social media or even writing. I simply try to do what I’m passionate about that day and trust that God’s leading the way.”
“For a long time, my mom was just strictly my mother. She was somebody who was discipling me and setting rules, but my parents knew what I needed. That’s what got me out of a bad time,” she explains, emphasizing the importance of letting others help you grow.
Her latest venture, Faith, Hope & Love, a film released in March of this year, is one of the many ways God has been leading her life and shaping her future.
Stepping out in Faith
Faith, Hope & Love Based on 1 Corinthians 13:13, the film is a modern-day faith-based love story that tackles divorce, death, love after loss, restoration, identity, having fun despite the circumstances, and, of course, faith. Natasha reflects on the character she plays, Gia Elpidas. “She’s just kind of your typical teenager,” she laughs. “She’s a little difficult, has a boyfriend and a younger sister. I think she’s really relatable because we all go through a year where we might feel a bit distant from family and are just having a tough time fitting in. But Faith, played by Peta Murgatroyd, was really able to step in and be that 8
S h a r i ta
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“Just be open to learning because that’s the way to grow and find out what you believe and who you believe in.”
Unlike the vast majority of adolescents her age, Natasha decided to pursue her passion for music instead of attending college. “I remember when I was six or seven, I would write songs and make my mom and dad sing them,” she shares. “It’s just something I really love.” “It’s a really personal, creative space for me because I think a lot of songs tell stories, and that’s exactly what I try to convey in my music—just being honest and telling a story that’s personal even if it’s something that I haven’t yet experienced. Just being able to help someone else is awesome. For me, music is a way to connect [to others and God]. So, I always take any opportunity that I can to sing and lead worship.”
Ultimately, though, deciding to skip college wasn’t easy even though she was chasing a God-given dream. “I don’t recommend that choice for everyone, but I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I knew that this was the time to pursue my dream. I made the riskier choice, knowing that I would have to work as hard as I possibly could and become a mature adult very quickly,” she writes in Let’s Be Real. So, she plunged ahead, trusting that by faith she’d figure it out, despite her fears and insecurities.
Pursuing Dreams with Hope Since then, she’s pursued her dreams with hope. On top of making her runway debut at the Sherri Hill Fashion Show during New York Fashion week, she has performed on The View, has hosted the 2019 MovieGuide Awards, and was even a contestant on The Voice, something she never expected to do. “To be honest, I actually didn’t even want to do The Voice, but my mom always says, ‘If you have an opportunity, say yes, even if it scares you.’ And The Voice was something that really scared me,” she explains, confessing that her competitive nature often makes her overly emotional. “But I did it, and it was a great learning experience.” She encourages others to take similar leaps of faith. “Follow your heart regardless of the outlet. Some people like writing, some people like art. Music isn’t any different. Being authentic is the most important thing,” she says, affirming authenticity was her main goal in writing Let’s Be Real: Living Life as an Open and Honest You. “I wanted to write something that could be for any girl that doesn’t have a support system so that maybe she could read my book and know that I could be her support system.” “It’s kind of funny how the book even got started because I didn’t even know what I wanted to write about. I was seventeen
or eighteen at the time. I was like, ‘I don’t even know what I’m supposed to write about. I don’t even have it all figured out. How am I supposed to write this all-knowing book about one topic?’ And then I was like, ‘That’s kind of what I want to write about, just being authentic and being okay with the fact that I don’t have it all together and that life is crazy and ever-changing and you have to be your authentic self to find who you are.’”
Loving Who We’re Created to Be Natasha’s life is a wonderful testament of what God can do with an open mind, open heart, and faith. It’s also a great reminder that we’re made in the image of a creative God. Regardless of whether she’s singing covers of popular songs on YouTube, acting, modeling, performing on national TV, or opening her heart through written words, Natasha was created to create. It’s a huge part
of who she’s grown to be. That’s what she wants for everyone else—not a love for the arts necessarily but a love for being who they were created to be. “Be the best version of you that you can be. We live in a world where there’s this pressure to always compare yourself to the next person or compare yourself to someone from a specific industry, and it can be really discouraging when you feel like you might not have it all together or you might not know what you want to do or you might not be where you thought you’d be. But at the end of the day, striving to be someone you’re not is pointless.” And that’s where faith, hope, and love come in. Have faith in God’s master plan. Hope for the best even when you’re unsure, scared, and insecure. Love yourself and others enough to be real. Life isn’t perfect—you don’t have to be either. Instead, like Natasha, make the decision to figure it out by faith.
Be sure to watch Natasha in Faith, Hope & Love and keep up with her latest pursuits on social media.
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My Biggest Mistake as a
Mother by: Carolyn Mahaney
Y
ears ago, I was asked, “If you could parent your daughters all over again, what would you do differently?” Mistakes and failures flooded my mind, but in a moment, I had my answer. I wish I had trusted God more. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:3: “Trust in the Lord, and do good.” In my dayto-day mothering, however, I sometimes got this verse backward. I put the “doing good” in front of the “trusting God.”
It’s not that I didn’t trust God ultimately. But at times, doing good would creep up to the front, and trusting God would get shoved to the back. I was focused on what I was doing (or not doing) for my children and only vaguely aware of what God was doing in my children’s lives. Trusting God became something of an afterthought, and I would mother my children as if it was all up to me.
Guilt Dogged Me When I put doing good before trusting God, guilt dogged my mothering. If my toddler threw a tantrum, I thought, My discipline is not consistent enough. If my teenager was spiritually lethargic, I believed, My discipleship is not compelling enough. If my child fell behind, made a mistake, or sinned in any way, I berated myself, You’re not helping them enough.
“
I obsessed over my failures and overlooked God’s faithfulness.
”
I lay awake at nights, rehearsing my deficiencies, revising my plans to be a better mom tomorrow. I obsessed over my failures and overlooked God’s faithfulness. When I put doing good first, nothing good I did was ever good enough.
Fear Stalked Me When I put doing good before trusting God, fear stalked my mothering. I worried that my efforts would result in failure. I worried that my limitations would hold them back. I worried that my sins would scar them for life. I worried that my hopes and desires for my children would end in bitter disappointment. When my doing good was propelled by fear, I would panic if my teenagers broke the rules, may/june 2019
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and then I would persist in admonishing them if they didn’t show signs of repentance. I tried to be the Holy Spirit to my kids, and we all know how well that works out.
What’s a Weary Mom to Do? “Laden with guilt and full of fears, I fly to Thee, my Lord.” -Isaac Watts What’s a weary, guilt-dogged, fear-stalked mom to do? We must do what Isaac Watts did: fly to God. We must trust God in our doing good. Trusting God doesn’t nullify doing good; rather, it empowers every good work. Trusting God douses our fears and turns our selfeffort on its head. Trusting God infuses our doing good with peace, joy, and energizing hope. In fact, trusting God and doing good go hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other. Only when we trust God can we do our children any good.
“
We must trust God that even though we are far from perfect, we are the perfect mother of our children.
“
We must trust God that, even though we are far from perfect, we are the perfect mother for our children. We must trust God that, even though our doing good falls short, he is doing far more good than we can possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We must trust God that he hears the cry of the needy, that he exalts the humble, and that he rewards faithfulness (Psalm 34:17; James 4:10; Matthew 25:21). We must trust God that our feeble efforts to do good are only fruitful because he is actively, aggressively doing good to us (Psalm 23:6).
What I Tell My Daughters Today So, when my daughters lament their mothering failures and fears, “I’m not consistent enough in disciplining my toddler,” or “What if I’m not getting through to my teenager?” I tell them, “How like your mother you are! I too fell short and fretted at times, but the good thing for both of us is that our gracious God is always, only, ever doing good for us. So, trust him and continue to do good.” One of the benefits of getting older is that, in hindsight, I can see that God did what I could never have done. And I believe that God is going to continue to do above and beyond what I could possibly do. I look at my four adult children and see that they are fruitful in ways far beyond what I could have hoped. They excel in endeavors above anything I could ever have taught them. That doesn’t mean there weren’t setbacks and detours along the way. But this much I know: God is trustworthy. Eighteen years after I was first asked the question, “What would you do differently?” my answer is still the same, but I would add one thing: I wish I had trusted God more because he is trustworthy. And I would declare it more confidently than ever because I am more sure than ever that God is faithful. And so, I say to you, dear mothers, laden with guilt and fear, fly to him today. And trust him.
Carolyn Mahaney is a pastor’s wife and homemaker who has written several books including, most recently, True Feelings. She also writes with her daughters at www. girltalkhome.com. Carolyn and her husband, CJ, have four children and twelve grandchildren. 12
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By: Gavin Adams
I
had the opportunity to preach last Sunday. I love when those weeks roll around.
the crowd was still on their first cup of coffee and so was our production crew.
After our final service concluded (we have three every week), my production director asked me the same question every communicator is asked at the end of each Sunday: “Which message would you like to be the ‘master’?” The master message is the one that is uploaded to all our online portals.
When we only remember their highlight and our lowlight, we find ourselves in a dark place.
We talked for a moment about each and ultimately decided the 11:00 a.m. message was the best of the three. And that got me to thinking. Every week, all across the country, pastors and leaders are being recorded. But more often than not, there is a good deal of editing, re-communicating, and “let’s try that again” happening before it ever goes public. We watch these other preachers and teachers and feel both inspired by their message and intimidated by their abilities. But we’re only seeing their 11:00 a.m. service. We’re “When we only only seeing their highlight remember their reels. We’re only seeing their best. It’s the same as with highlight and social media profile pictures our lowlight, and the 15,000 selfies that were posted in the time it we find takes us to read the word ourselves in a “selfie.” More than ever, we have the ability to only post dark place.” what’s best. And with that, we are positioned like never before to be intimidated by others and convinced we aren’t good enough. In contrast, we seem to only remember our 9:00 a.m. message, where
I guess we could go through a nice, neat list of what we should do in the face of everyone’s highlights, but honestly, we know what to do. Just compare yourself to yourself. Work to improve yourself every day because your benchmark isn’t Andy Stanley—it’s you last week. You are the benchmark for your own growth and improvement. “Be your own Your last message creates the perfect comparison for benchmark your next evaluation. Your and become last leadership decision is your newest leadership better by that benchmark. Your last hire comparison.” is your newest Human Resources benchmark. Be your own benchmark and become better by that comparison. There are two good questions we should all ask ourselves: How are you evaluating and improving? Who are you inviting into the process? Being intentional about these two things will make all the difference in how we grow and where our next benchmark is set. We can always get better, but our best benchmark is always based on where we are today, not what we saw online from someone else yesterday. Gavin Adams is the Lead Pastor of Woodstock City Church, a campus location of North Point Ministries, and a student of leadership, communication, church, and faith.
may/june 2019
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Goodlife Location Burnt Hickory Church of Christ 2330 Burnt Hickory Rd. NW, Marietta burnthickory.org
Due West UMC 3956 Due West Rd., Marietta duewest.org
Wildwood Baptist Church 4801 Wade Green Rd. NW, Acworth wildwoodbaptist.org
Kennesaw First Baptist Church 2958 N. Main St., Kennesaw kfbc.org/summer
Shallowford FWB Church 1686 Shallowford Rd., Marietta shallowfordchurch.com
Burnt Hickory Baptist Church 5145 Due West Rd., Powder Springs bhbckids.com
Covenant Presbyterian Church 2881 Canton Rd., Marietta covepres.com
The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Rd. NW, Atlanta cathedralATL.org/ weekofwonder 14
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VBS
2019
Dates/Times
Theme
Age
Cost
June 2 - 6 6:30pm - 8:15pm
In the Wild
Preschool - 6th grade
Free
Pre-K 8:45am - 11:45am Elem. 9am - 12pm
Roar!
4 years - 5th grade
Free
June 3 - 6 6:30pm-8:30pm
In the Wild
2 years - 5th grade
Free
June 3 - 7 9am - 12pm
In the Wild
K - 5th grade
Free
June 4 - 7 6:30pm - 8pm
Moose on the Loose II
2 years - 11 years
Free
June 10 - 14 9am - 12pm
In the Wild
K - 5th grade
Free
June 10 - 14 9am - 12pm
To Mars and Beyond
4 years - 5th grade
$25 per child
June 10 - 14 9am - 1pm
Who is My Neighbor? Learning to Live Like Jesus
3 years - 5th grade
$125 per child
Goodlife Location Northwest Christian Church 3737 Dallas Acworth Hwy. NW, Acworth nwcc.net
Towne View Baptist Church 950 Shiloh Road NW, Kennesaw towneview.org
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta johnsonferry.org
Holy Family Catholic Church 3401 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta holyfamilycc.org/ vacation-bible-school
Living Hope Church 3450 Stilesboro Rd, Kennesaw livinghopega.com
Tapestry Community Church 800 Hembree Rd., Roswell tapestryonline.org
First Baptist Woodstock 11905 Hwy. 92, Woodstock vbsatwoodstock.com
Sandy Plains Baptist Church 2825 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta sandyplains.org
Summit Baptist Church 4310 Moon Station Lane, Acworth summitchurch.org
VBS
2019
Dates/Times
Theme
Age
Cost
June 10 - 14 9am - 12pm
Wacky World of Water
3 years - 5th grade
Free
June 10 - 14 9am - 12pm
Roar … Life is wild! God is good!
4 years - 5th grade
Free
June 17 - 20 8:45am - 12:45pm
Videopolis
K - 5th grade
Free
June 17 - 21 10am - 12pm
Athens—Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Share the Truth!
4 years - 10 years
$50 per child
June 17 - 21 Dinner 5:45pm 6:30pm VBS 6:30pm 8:30pm
ROAR, an epic African adventure week
3 years (and potty trained) 5th grade
$10 per child
June 17 - 21 9am - 1pm
Roar … Life is wild! God is good!
4 years - 5th grade
$35 (includes cost of t-shirts, materials, snacks and lunches)
June 24 - 27 9am - 12pm and 6:30pm 8:30pm
The Incredible Race
4 years - 5th grade
Free
July 15 - 19 9am - 12:15pm
Power Up!
K - 5th grade
Free
July 15 - 19 9am - 12:15pm
Roar … Life is wild! God is good!
4 years - 5th grade
Free
may/june 2019
15
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HILLSONG UNITED: PEOPLE UNITED UNDER GOD BY : S H A R I TA H A N L E Y
may/june 2019
17
IF
you’re anything like me, you’ve found yourself “ugly crying” in the middle of worship while listening to Hillsong United. Whether you’ve poured your heart out singing “Oceans,” fallen to your knees declaring “So Will I,” or swayed back and forth with your hands lifted high, humming “From the Inside Out,” Hillsong United has shown us for more than twenty years and counting what it’s like to glorify God through song. Just two years after releasing their album Wonder, the band based out of Sydney, Australia that has uniquely consisted of a number of rotating members, has returned with a newly released album People, which they are featuring on a tour of thirty-three cities across the United States. But despite the notability that surrounds their name, they’re quick to admit that they are everyday, ordinary people just like us.
EVERYDAY PEOPLE “We’ve never felt like the most talented have-it-together people that are most qualified to do what we do, but it’s really just a story of being available for God and working our tails off…,” Jonathon “JD” Douglass, one of the band’s lead singers admits. “We’re very normal, ordinary people that need God’s mercy and kindness and need for Him to be number one in our lives,” bandmate and female lead singer, Taya Smith-Gaukrodger, adds. “We’re not exempt from life,” she continues, explaining how she once forgot the lyrics to a song while leading worship. “It was so bad. I mumbled the song for like three and a half minutes. Then, I turned and said, ‘Church, I’m so sorry. It’s a new song, so it’s new for us as well. We’re going to sing the bridge again.’ And we made it fun. But stuff like that happens to me all the time.” JD has had similar experiences, admitting he once sang the same song at a youth ministry event twice in a row. “I didn’t know what to do, so I sang the first line again and just started praying and wanted to basically die on stage. So, yeah, we are definitely very normal people who make a lot of mistakes.”
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“Often when you look at the dream in the distance and the gap between that, rather than getting discouraged and trying to figure out how it’s going to work out, it’s a journey of trusting God, and that’s what a lot of our songs are about,” he says. And that’s what makes Hillsong United’s latest album so profound and relevant. It’s a musical ensemble of everyday people pledging allegiance to the gospel with their whole hearts—people held together by grace, perfectly loved, and united in faith.
PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO THE GOSPEL “Honestly, I’ve never been more excited about a project we’ve done…It literally was almost a revival within our team,” JD shares. “It’s coming back to those very simple but life-changing truths about the goodness of God’s grace, the fact that we’re broken but God has healed us, the fact that we were lost but now we’re found. It’s like the gospel on CD—if people even use CDs anymore,” he laughs. “Another in the Fire,” one of the album’s tracks that the band pre-released as a single, is a beautiful reminder of what it means to pledge allegiance to the gospel amid life’s storms. One of the composers, Chris Davenport, confesses in a recent video that his faith waned when his non-verbal son was diagnosed with autism. “I felt like I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing to speak faith into the future, and [I was doing] all the things we get told to do. I was pretty upset...” But in that moment, he decided he was going to “make the enemy regret his decision to try and throw this in my face,” Chris recounts, sharing that it motivated him go all out with this song. “At the end of the day, maybe what this song has taught me and what I hope it will teach other people is the in-between is okay. It doesn’t affect true things being true. They’re still true. They are now
and not yet. They are here and yet to come, and that’s okay. The key is that we’re never alone—in any of it.” So with our hands lifted high in surrender and tears in our eyes, we hold on to our faith, declaring the truth of the song’s lyrics: “there is another in the fire/standing next to me/there is another in the waters/holding back the seas/ and should I ever need reminding/what power set me free/there is a grave that holds no body/and now that power lives in me.”
WITH OUR WHOLE HEARTS Focusing on those life circumstances that we face, JD divulges, “What that produced in the team and through the writing process was a sense of desperation, a sense of knowing just how much we need God on these songs. Without that, it’s just noise, and we’ve always just wanted to capture the heart of God.” “That’s why I love it when we get to that second chorus of ‘Whole Heart,’ Taya says, agreeing. “It’s like, ‘Look what my God did—no matter what has gone on, I’ve been forgiven. Look where my chains are now; grace holds that ground,’” she continues, quoting some of the song’s lyrics, words as powerful as a Sunday sermon: “You pulled me from the clay/set me on a rock/called me by Your name/ And made my heart whole again/so here I stand/high in surrender/I need You now.”
HELD TOGETHER BY GRACE “Good Grace,” another single, reminds us just how powerful and transforming grace can be. “We affectionately call ‘Good Grace’ the hug song because it’s a massive hug from God to us and us giving it back to Him,” Taya explains. “God’s already done everything He needs to do for every single one of us,” JD professes. “We just need to accept that, walk in it, trust Him, surround ourselves with people that are going to
sharpen and help us, and understand that it’s a journey. And when we do fall over and stumble, God doesn’t come pointing his finger at us. He gets down on his knees with His arms wide open. He accepts us and gives us new grace and mercy for the journey.” We must accept others in the same way, even when we’re bothered by them, disappointed in them, and different from them. That’s what “Good Grace” is about; that’s what the song proclaims and hopes for: “people come together/strange as neighbors/our blood is one/children of generations/of every nation/of kingdom come.”
PERFECTLY LOVED “When we do these projects,” JD explains, “our aim is to help people glorify God and to bring people closer to Him.” What better way to do that than to sing about the perfect love of God. “As You Find Me,” tells the story of that love. The band’s leader, Joel Houston, shares in a recent video about a season he went through where he had lost perspective: “I was tired, I was a bit worn out, and I just found myself in one of those shadowy moments where you can’t figure out what’s up from down,” he says, admitting he was on the brink of quitting the band. But loving support from other believers held him up when he was down. “There was one person in particular who… gave me some perspective. We kind of talked about the fact that I was fine, that I wasn’t crazy, and that I was just going through a process of what he said was ‘reconciling my shadow’—understanding that there’s a very human side to who we are. He told me I was going to write my way out of this season, that God had given me the tools ahead of time to see my way out of it. He said, ‘You’re going to use metaphor, you’re going to use story, and you’re going to use music—you’re going to write your way through this.”’ The lyrics Joel subsequently wrote are evidence of that foresight: “I’ve been strong/and I’ve been broken within a moment/I’ve been faithful/and I’ve been reckless at every bend/I’ve held everything together/and watched it shatter/I’ve stood tall and I have crumbled/in the same breath/I have wrestled/and I have
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trembled toward surrender/chased my heart adrift/and drifted home again/ plundered blessing/till I’ve been desperate to find redemption/and every time I turn around/Lord You’re still there.” How can we not be moved by such love? It’s the very thing that unifies us—that brings us together, molds our hearts, and solidifies our faith.
UNITED IN FAITH “The big goal of all this is that people would walk out differently from the way they walked in and that they’ll be excited about the truth of God’s word and purpose for their lives,” JD says. “So, that’s the reason we leave our families and sacrifice and do everything we do—because God’s done and is doing it for us.” The mission of the new album is perhaps summed up best in the recent words of Joel Houston: “The hope for the project is simply understanding the power of music as a means of bringing people together and letting it serve as a reminder that in our culture, the call to love our neighbor is a revolutionary act that perhaps rings louder now than ever. If there’s one thing that music can do better than anything else on earth, it is its innate ability to unify people. It’s the essence at the heart of what United has always been about and what we want this project to represent more than anything— bringing people together, from every different walk of life, with all our differing experiences, circumstances, and perspectives, and finding songs that give us reason to sing as individuals with a common voice.” As Hillsong United travels the United States declaring the gospel through song, I pray that the passion of their hearts and the lyrics on their album will remind the body of Christ of two things: first, that the gospel of God is about flawed, imperfect people and secondly, the communal nature of our God. Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again for us. All of us. That is the nature of our great God and He is the unification of three in one. He is unity personified. And that’s what He requires of His body as well— for us to love one another, give grace to another and uphold one another - to be a group of people united under God. That is where the core of my allegiance lies. So, not only do I pledge allegiance to our nation’s flag, but even more so, I pledge allegiance to my faith. I pledge allegiance to the gospel and to the great Redeemer for which it stands, all hope under God, indivisible, with liberty and truth for all. That’s the kind of people we are, and that’s the kind of people this world needs.
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Personal Revival By: Wes Ruff
“The stories of revivals form the true history of the church and to observe the means and instruments by which God has carried out His work cannot fail to be profitable and quickening…” - Scottish preacher, Horatius Bonar, witness to the revivals in Scotland between 1839-42 As I write these words, I must admit I’m mildly embarrassed it has taken me so long to put pen to paper. I decided to take a long lunch today, leave the house, and commit to writing things that my wife has been after me to write for quite some time now. Putting her off, I have waved my hand in dismissal of the suggestions she has offered so patiently, week after week. You see, my wife knows that there is something burning in my heart. Something I have not understood fully. Something that was placed there when I was very young. Something that has consumed my thoughts, often robbed me of sleep, and left me frequently absentminded amid day-to-day living. That can make things difficult, to put it mildly. What could possibly touch the heart in such a way to keep it constantly preoccupied if one isn’t careful? It is love. I love God. When I was younger, God touched my life and put a desire in me to see global awakening, a revival of faith, a march of divine love upon the world that would heal and restore what it touched. At that time, I wasn’t certain what revival was, and so I devoured book after book on the subject, having to feed my hunger to know—and to know Him. I felt that since revival and the promise of it were burning in my very soul, reading about the paths of others as they were drawn toward Him was one way to begin my own journey.
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When I was a teenager, thoughts and visions would fill my heart and mind, making it difficult to sleep at night. I would see, in moments of God’s touch, thousands upon thousands of people calling out to Him, praising Him, praying to Him. It would be then that I would feel the presence of God so deeply that even the bed would tremble. I would stay awake for several hours while He spoke into my heart of things that I did not understand. Some of those things I likely still do not. This went on for several years, but as I grew, life took hold. I became a responsible adult. I served in several ministries. But the burning inside was forced down below the layers of living that occupied my time. God would interrupt my life frequently, usually leaving me feeling a little wrecked on one level or another.
“When I was a teenager, thoughts and visions would fill my heart and mind, making it difficult to sleep at night. I would see, in moments of God’s touch, thousands upon thousands of people calling out to Him, praising Him, praying to Him.”
For many years, I tried to follow His leading and direction for my life. I applied myself daily to what I was certain was His calling, only to come up spectacularly short. I worked hard to ensure that I would not strive for it in my own strength, and yet, I failed, precisely because of that. I had operated under so many human assumptions as to the type of man that God wanted me to be and to become. I was convinced that the image I had erected in my mind’s eye was something that God would approve of and endorse. I could not possibly have been more wrong. I think there is a reason why Matthew 7:13-14 encourages us to look for the path of life and to enter its gates but warns that the gate is narrow and reveals that we are so blinded that few of us see it. I believe now that the opening is narrow because we must go through it with only ourselves— not with our callings, our degrees, our accomplishments, the accolades given to us as we strive for excellence. I am certain that few find it because the bulk of us do what I did: try to accomplish a divine work using our earthly wisdom, comparing ourselves to those around us, and seeking the approval of humanity. God is not worried nor intimidated by our weaknesses and our daily attempts to crash the narrow gate with our distorted views of self-worth. On the other side,
veiled from our view, Heaven is so full of righteous determination to restore Earth to itself that Earth doesn’t stand a chance otherwise, regardless of how bleak things might seem. I am discovering that nothing is impossible for God. With those things in mind, I have begun to recognize lately that He is restoring my wounded and broken heart and life. Perhaps describing it as a resurrection would illustrate it better. What’s beginning to come into sharp focus is the echo and tenor of the word of God revealed to an inexperienced teenager years ago who found inside himself an implanted desire for another Great Awakening. How I have prayed for this for years. It is as if a light and soft rain is beginning to fall. I don’t believe I’m alone in this. I believe that there are countless others who are feeling it too. We may be approaching
the time where we will unite our prayers, be of one heart, and go to the Lord and cry out for a revival upon this nation and this planet. We must ask Him for a revival that resonates through the ages—a move of God that is holy, a fire that can’t be quenched generation to generation. We must prevail upon Him, cry out to Him, and call upon Him to remember His works, as the scriptures say, in our day and in our time! We must go through the narrow gate and lead a multitude of others to follow in our footsteps. We are indeed called to this. Is the time now? Is today the day? Is the hour upon us for a move of God that will humble kings and exalt the lowly? For a day of justice and fire and for the answer of the countless prayers of the poor and downtrodden for justice? For the healing of the abused and forgotten? may/june 2019
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For the millions who have come to a crushing conclusion that God has forgotten them? We are called to tell them the truth, to live out this truth, and to be the ordinary people through whom God moves and does great and marvelous things! “Rains of renewal come, I can smell it on the wind, a deluge for the hearts of women and men and I know, yes I know that He’s bringing revival again…” - Lyrics from “Revival” by David Mullen As my heart yearns for and awaits this worldwide revival, God is first leading me to personal revival. In my weakness, He is revealing Himself. And this revelation is bringing healing and wholeness. My testimony is that God is faithful. I have no doubt that I will see that even more clearly in the years ahead. As we yield to His plan for our lives, we can collectively receive that type of healing. If we will each go through the gate alone, leaving our accoutrements and our attempts at fashioning our own identities behind, He will meet us on the other side. Our lives are earmarked by Heaven for an earthly destiny that will lead to all creation being restored back to the kind and gentle hands of its Maker. As the old hymn goes, “Oh Lord, send a revival, and let it begin in me.” I’ve prayed this prayer. Will you join me?
Wes Ruff is a Georgia native and was raised in and around the ministry. He and his wife, Kathryn, live in Cobb County where they have raised their children for the past several years. Wes has served in several different ministry leadership positions over the course of the last 25 years. He enjoys reading, writing, speaking/preaching, and working with youth. He and his wife are praying about their next steps in these areas and where God is calling them to serve in the community.
CONFESSIONS OF A WORKAHOLIC
D
uring my second year of surgical residency, I totaled my car on the way to work at four o’clock in the morning.
Exhaustion from late nights at the hospital weighed down my limbs as I slogged into Boston. I opened the windows to jolt myself awake, but the sting of the icy winter air faded quickly. As I neared the curve of an on-ramp, my tires lost their grip against a glaze of black ice. I flailed at the steering wheel as my car slid across the highway and careened into a barrier. The airbag punched me in the face. The sickening screech of contorted metal against concrete splintered the air before the car finally skidded to a halt. I sat trembling for several minutes, my chest heaving, blood dripping from my nose. The road was empty. God had spared not only me but also the dozen or so commuters with whom I usually shared that stretch of highway early in the morning. Yet, in those days, my mind was far from the things of God. Instead of thanking him and retreating home to nurse my concussion, I hitched a ride with the tow-truck driver. With my head throbbing, I trekked through two miles of snow and stumbled into the hospital—not to be evaluated, but to work.
Obsessed Taking a day off from my residency would have generated grumblings at worst. But my obsession with work so enslaved me that I barreled through catastrophe to feed my fragile sense of self-importance. I risked lives in the process— first on the road, then through my befuddled meanderings in the hospital. My actions that day were reckless, dangerous, and stupid. But they also solidified my reputation.
Idolatry at the Office B Y: K AT H R Y N B U T L E R
After the accident, colleagues and mentors applauded me as altruistic, selfless, and committed. They nicknamed me “Mighty Mouse.” Around corners, I overheard fellow residents remark about my dedication and strength. Overnight, I transformed from an insecure trainee who endlessly fumbled to the one whose allegiance to the job superseded concerns for herself. To someone scrambling for worth in the dark, the accolades were intoxicating. I soon guarded my professional identity as if it were a crust of bread during famine. I embraced a twisted asceticism that denied worldly comforts in favor may/june 2019
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of “doing the right thing.” My idolatry climaxed in a night spent crammed under my desk at 37-weeks pregnant, napping after staying overnight to perform an operation the on-call surgeon could have completed. The next day, I spent hours in prodromal labor.
A RESPECTABLE IDOL During these years, I worked so feverishly, not to serve God, but to relish the approval it brought me—and because I feared the implications for my identity should the praise fall silent. Our world, it seems, condones such idolatry, and even trains us in it. Modern professionalism demands an impeccable standard of performance from its adherents. Amid the pressure, many of us depend on labels such as thorough, hardworking, diligent, tireless, and strong to substantiate our worth. While the gospel says that we desperately need Jesus because we can’t earn our own worth, Western professionalism teaches a different ethic—a wholly unattainable one. An ideology that claims we can finely control all variables in life if we only work hard enough. A creed that prizes titles, status, and public opinion over humility and quiet faithfulness. And when we ascribe to this philosophy and then fail—which we inevitably do—that failure threatens the core of our being.
Empty Praises Upon first reception, praise seems like a balm for the brokenness that cripples us. When inadequacy burdens our hearts, a complimentary word feels like an embrace; its warmth infuses us with newfound resolve. In the moment, praise seems to renew us. Yet true renewal only wells forth from the Spirit (John 7:37–39). As with anything artificial, praise loses its potency. The initial bloom withers and dies, and desperation mounts as we scramble for the next affirmation. Chasing after the praises of men leaves us empty, always aching for more (Jeremiah 2:13). More importantly, our work does not please God when we labor for people’s applause. The trappings of worldly accomplishments may swell our pride, but when we pursue them to inflate our own egos, they are like filthy rags to the one who made heaven and earth (Isaiah 64:6). Only when we abide in Christ do we accomplish anything that honors God: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). However noble our efforts may appear to the world, we labor in vain when we strive apart from God (Psalm 127:1–2). The momentary euphoria of praise is a measly reward compared to our inheritance in Christ (Colossians 3:23–24). A lust for approval also casts our eyes away from salvation, further miring us in the murk of sin. “How can you believe,” Jesus said, “when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). When we seek approval from the world, we veer away from God’s grace. 26
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A DEEPER IDENTITY When we receive Christ as our Savior, we assume an identity that transcends all praise from human lips. Christ casts away our sinfulness, our corruption, and our failings, and clothes us with “the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). We become members of God’s household, his beloved children (Ephesians 1:5, 2:19). In Christ, our worth is complete. If we strive for the meager praises of men after Christ has washed us with living hope, we clamber after nothingness. Our worth derives not from our own merit, our accolades, or our titles, but from our status as God’s own people (1 Peter 2:9–10). When we embrace that status and rest in God’s everlasting favor, our work achieves new richness. We strive with all our being to serve our great God rather than our flimsy egos. We live according to our new self and let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts instead of the materialism and paltry approval of the world (Colossians 3:10, 15). We sacrifice for others, not to collect their praise, but to reflect the one who gave his life so that we might live. The God who gives us life and breath and everything else renews us with his love. He grants us dignity we could never achieve by our own greedy strivings in the early-morning hours. He completes us where we fail and forges merit that no human hands could achieve. Our identity, our value, our worth arise from him. To God be all the glory and all the praise.
Kathryn Butler is a trauma and critical care surgeon turned writer and homeschooling mom. She is the author of Between Life and Death: A Gospel-Centered Guide to Endof-Life Medical Care. She lives north of Boston and writes at Oceans Rise.
I Can’t Do This, God BY : J O N B LO O M Weak, low, despised, and unlikely are essential qualities God looks for in his servants, and he chooses these qualities with great intentionality (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). Don’t believe me? Look at the odd list of qualifications God gave for incredibly important positions in history: ▪ The Father (and Mother) of God’s Covenant People: married couple; must be infertile and elderly (Genesis 17:6, 8, 15–16); ▪ Israel’s Greatest King: must be a teenage shepherd when identified (1 Samuel 16:11–13); must be a musician and poet; must live as a fugitive under constant threat of assassination for a period of years (1 Samuel 20:3); ▪ The Messiah: must have background in carpentry (Mark 6:3); must be raised in an insignificant, despised town (John 1:46); must have no formal theological education (John 7:15); ▪ Lead Apostle: must have background in fishing industry; must have no formal theological education (Matthew 4:18; Acts 4:13);
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▪ The Apostles’ Chief Theologian, Apologist, and Missiologist: must be the most zealous persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:3).
“God never calls us to any kingdom responsibility we are capable of pulling off on our own.” We might know, abstractly, that God loves to use weakness and brokenness. We might find it encouraging in a Bible story or missionary biography. We might even teach or preach to others about it. But when it comes to our own qualifications, it’s almost always an unpleasant and perplexing surprise that God wants to highlight our weaknesses—which is why we, like Moses, sometimes wish God would just choose someone else for the assignment. But God has a very strategic purpose for this design, one that, if we will embrace it, will make our weaknesses become a source of joy, not shame.
Lord, Send Someone Else Moses was another one of God’s odd picks. What was on God’s list of qualifications for Israel’s Exodus Leader and Greatest Old-Covenant Prophet? Must be a Jewish member of Egyptian royalty (Exodus 2:10), must commit capital murder (Exodus 2:12, 15), must live in obscurity as a fugitive shepherd for forty years (Exodus 2:15; 7:7) — oh, and must be a poor public speaker (Exodus 4:10). Moses’s story is inspiring, but we really need to put ourselves in Moses’s place, right in front of that burning bush. Would you have felt qualified to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of his total slave labor force? Moses certainly didn’t. He had a long list of objections to God’s choice (Exodus 3:13– 4:12). And when God wouldn’t budge, Moses finally came right out and said it: “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). Please send someone else. This is the fearful response of a person who not only feels but knows he is too weak to do what God is assigning him to do. Yes, the response lacks faith, but it is an accurate assessment: in his own strength, Moses would not be able to fulfill the assignment. Trembling is altogether appropriate. Have you ever felt like that? I certainly have. In fact, I have a tendency to feel it more now in middle age than I did when I was younger because I’m much more in touch with my weaknesses and limitations. I now have ministry and family leadership failures on my resumé, largely through my misplaced confidence in my own wisdom and capacities. I recognize this tendency as a lack of faith, but I can relate to Moses’s preference to wander with his flocks through the quiet hills of Horeb rather than take up God’s assignment. 28
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Lord, I’m sure there are more qualified people than I am to [blank]. I’d really prefer to lay low in the safety of obscurity.
Qualifying Weaknesses This response, however humanly understandable, misses the point. God never calls us to any kingdom responsibility we are capable of pulling off on our own. It doesn’t matter whether one is called to confront Pharaoh or to love his neighbor enough to share the gospel with him, no one can do what only God can do: harden or soften the human heart (Romans 9:18). All power belongs to God (Psalm 62:11). And unless it’s God working in us “both to will and to work for his good pleasure,” all our working will come to naught (Philippians 2:13). If we do not feel a keen sense of our inadequacy for whatever assignment God gives us, we’re not in touch with reality. For when it comes to doing anything that is intended to display God’s glory, advance God’s kingdom, proclaim his word to a resistant world, win and save lost people, shepherd souls, battle demonic powers, and mortify our persistent indwelling sin, “Who [in the world] is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16).
ask God to send someone else—those weaknesses are a critical part of the mission. They are part of God’s strategy to reveal himself to the world. It’s through our weaknesses, more than our strengths, that God demonstrates that he exists and rewards those who trust and seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
“If we don’t feel a keen sense of inadequacy for whatever assignment God gives us, we’re not in touch with reality.”
Weaknesses are necessary qualifications for God’s servants for just that reason: to make explicit, both to us and the watching world, that we are not sufficient. God puts his “treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Our weaknesses—those very things we’re embarrassed about and wish we didn’t have to struggle with, those things we want to hide from each other and the world, those things that make us want to
Glad Boasting in Weaknesses Paul, who we all know had many admirable strengths, understood this profound truth and got to the place where he could say, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) Don’t hear this as if it were from someone so immensely gifted that he’s out of touch with sorts of humbling weaknesses we mere mortals deal with. We likely barely grasp how much Paul’s various weaknesses were exposed and how many seemingly impossible deprivations, heartbreaks, and failed attempts he actually experienced. What we do know is that Jesus said right after his conversion, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16). Paul’s suffering and weakness-exposures weren’t punitive because he had previously persecuted Christians. Jesus had paid for that. Rather, they were a significant way in which God’s strength was revealed to the world—so much so, that Paul became a glad boaster in what made
“It’s through our weaknesses, more than our strengths, that God demonstrates that he exists.”
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him look weak. Because in his weaknesses, people saw that the only strength he had came from God.
Why You Are Weak That’s why we have our weaknesses. They are, perhaps more than our strengths, what qualify us to serve where God places us in his kingdom. And nothing teaches us prayerful dependence like the desperation that comes from being assigned to do what you can’t do without God. Humans are impressed by the whole range of human strengths. But God is only impressed by one human strength: strong faith. Because faith is a dependence on God’s strength. This is why, when God calls us into our various and diverse roles in his kingdom, he makes sure that our callings offer plenty of opportunities to expose our weaknesses. The more we understand why, the more these opportunities become occasions for joy instead of shame. Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as author, board chair, and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books, Not by Sight, Things Not Seen, and Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife have five children and make their home in the Twin Cities.
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Gaylord
Nashville
I
f you are familiar with the iconic Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, you know that it offers guests all the excitement and energy of Music City under one spectacular roof. Now it has even more to sing about.
Announcing SoundWaves SoundWaves at Gaylord Opryland is the nation’s first upscale indoor and outdoor resort water park. Spanning four acres, it features 111,000 square feet of indoor rides and attractions, relaxing indulgences, dining options, and services, as well as 106,000 square feet of outdoor water amenities. SoundWaves blends music and water to create an exclusive experience, with something for everyone, from incredible thrill rides to extravagant comforts. “Bringing music into SoundWaves is very important. It’s right inside the name and it’s built in Nashville, in Music City, so what we’ve done is we’ve taken music and we brought it directly to some of the attractions,” SoundWaves General Manager David Andrews explained before the indoor portion opened in December of 2018. “I promise you it’ll blow your socks off,” exclaimed Colin Reed, CEO of Opryland owner Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. “Truly, there’s nothing like it in America.”
The Indoor Water Attraction: First-ofIts-Kind Design The indoor experience is uniquely arranged vertically on three separate levels. With a clean, crisp, modern look, it is enclosed under a soaring atrium, a hallmark of the Gaylord Hotels brand, and surrounded by lush, tropical landscaping. Rides are intertwined with living walls and plant beds, a natural extension of the resort’s nine acres of lush garden atriums and cascading waterfalls. More than 4,000 potted plants line the walls of the indoor water park, contributing to the garden-like feel.
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Much like the temperature-controlled indoor gardens at the resort, the enclosed portion of SoundWaves is kept at 84 degrees year-round. In addition, its uniquelydesigned roof permits natural light, giving guests the opportunity to sunbathe indoors no matter what the season. Year-round indoor attractions include a tower with slides ranging from 32-46 feet tall, a double FlowRider wave simulator, rapid and lazy rivers, an activity pool with rock climbing, a family restaurant, an adults-only pool and bar, private cabanas, and kids’ play areas with slides, splash pads, and spray features.
Now Open! SoundWaves Outdoor Water Attraction With a May 2019 grand opening, the SoundWaves outdoor attraction includes a 45.5-foot multi-slide tower, 315,000-gallon wave pool with a giant LED movie screen, kids’ pool with a multi-level play structure, multiple dining options, exclusive adultsonly outdoor pool, bars and lounging areas, and private cabana rentals. Thrill seekers will love the extreme high-speed, openflume body ride with a six-story free-fall into six feet of water, as well as a floor-dropping ride that plunges riders down a near-vertical tunnel to enter a looping waterslide. “With the addition of SoundWaves, there’s one more reason to visit Nashville and Gaylord Opryland. We are proud to offer this premier water and music attraction you can’t find anywhere else,” said John Adams, VP and market general manager for Gaylord Opryland Resort & Attractions. “Our team has worked diligently on every detail of the design and guest experience, from crafting unexpected dining options to ensuring exclusivity as well as creating an ambience that families, couples, and groups find both inviting and upscale.”
Gaylord Opryland Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center is the flagship property of Gaylord Hotels, recognized around the world for its flawless service, luxurious accommodations, and critically heralded entertainment. It is perfectly situated about ten miles from downtown Nashville, where guests can enjoy some live music and boot scootin’ fun. Guests can also attend a performance of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry® right next door to the hotel or spend a day on Scottish-style links at Gaylord Springs® Golf Links. For more information, visit www.SoundWavesGO.com.
may/june 2019
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Winner of Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorites Auto Mechanic 2017 • 2018
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July 3 at 7:30pm Live Music
★
Inflatables ★ Food Trucks ★ Fireworks
Live music will kick off at 7:30pm, concluding with a tribute to our service men and women. Fireworks will be set off at dark. For more information, call 770-578-9081 or visit www.mountparannorth.com Presented by The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Mount Paran North - Marietta | 1700 Allgood Road ∙ Marietta, GA 30062