August 2009


August 2009
PONDER ANEW What The Beach Whispers We spent last week on vacation at the beach in Florida. One of my favorite parts of that sort of vacation is simply walking the beach. There’s something soothing and soul-refreshing about the simplicity and solitude of walking with your feet in the surf. Usually, I begin the week by opening my heart to the Lord and asking Him to speak clearly to my heart in the days away. For me, the break in my normal life rhythms enable me to tune my ear to hear the Lord’s voice more clearly. Some significant life decisions have been made while walking the beach. Some things the Lord whispered at the beach are helpful for all of us. Here’s what I was reminded of: + It’s possible to clean up my daily mess every day. People and nature leave their mark on the beach with things from popsicle sticks dropped by a child to crab entrails left by a gull. When the tide flows in at high tide and then ebbs back out with low tide, the beach is cleansed by the constant scrubbing of that tide. As imperfect, messed-up people, we leave our own mark of selfishness, irritableness and more. But when we take time to be honest before the Lord an confess our sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) + God’s faithful love is more constant than my little brain can comprehend. The waves never stop coming. My eyes pop open in the morning and I hear the dull hiss in the background. I go out in the middle of the day and there are waves. I look out at night and can barely make out the white foam in the moonlight, but still hear the hypnotic rhythm of the waves. Constant. That reminds me that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam.3:22-23) My Father “gives to His beloved in their sleep” (Ps.127:2). When it’s dark and when it’s light, when I understand and when I don’t, His love is there, the constant of my life. + There are things going on beyond what I can see. When the waves rush back out from around my feet, crabs scurry back into the water, tiny creatures burrow back into the sand and fish swim back with the outflow. When body surfing, I’m always aware of the fish (I hope!) I can’t see bumping against my legs. That reminds me that there is a world of activity going on all around me that I never see with my physical eyes. There’s God’s providence, providing for my needs like He does the sparrow (Matt. 6:26). There are His sovereign purposes “working all things together for good” (Rom. 8:28), His wisdom, ordering all things rightly and more. My God can make a way where there seems to be no way for “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters, yet your footprints were unseen.” (Ps. 77:19) There’s a lot more, but those were just a few of the encouraging things the Lord whispered to me last week. The thing is that He whispers to hearts in the rolling hills and meadows of central Kentucky just as clearly. Listen…He’s speaking to all of us. Listening with you, Pastor David (Join the conversation at www.ponderanew.wordpress.com)
	SUMMER EVENTS August 4, 6:30 pm Pack-A-Backpack Your chance to provide backpacks and supplies to provide for at-risk children. Click here for a supplies list! August 5, 6:33 pm Prayer For The Harvest Prayer walk our schools and neighborhoods, praying blessing on people, asking the Father to help us reach them. August 8, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Victory Leadership Retreat Join us for a time of praying, sharing and dreaming and planning together as we get ready for a new ministry year. August 10, 7:05 pm Victory @ the Legends (rescheduled from July 22 due to rain) August 14, 9:00 pm Family Movie Night Come enjoy two family films with the Victory family.
PRESCHOOL FOOTPRINTS Congratulations! Congratulations to Mark & Lisa King on the birth of their son, John Mark. John Mark was born on Sunday, July 5th, join us as we celebrate with them! A Baby Shower You're invited to a diaper shower for Stacy Jones! Please join us on Sunday, August 9th @ noon, in the Bradley House. Contact Betsy London (272-0418) for more information. Preschool Promotion We want to affirm and celebrate the foundational milestone that has been reached by our 4's-PreK children! Please join us for a time of celebration during the morning worship service on Sunday, August 30th.
FLiP KIDS (K-5th Grade) Parent Meeting Parents of children K-5th, and their families, are invited to have lunch with us on Sunday, August 23 @ noon, in the multi-purpose room. Join the Children's Leadership Team as they give you a sneak peak at what's new for our K-5th grade kids! We'll provide pizza & drinks, please plan to bring a salad or dessert. We are very excited to unveil the new Sunday morning format and the Wednesday night plan for this active group!!
STUDENT MINISTRY (grades 6-12) Movin' On Up! Wednesday, August 12th will be the six graders first Wednesday night youth service, and the following Sunday, August 16th will be their first Sunday morning Life Group as a part of the student ministry. New Life Group Format Starting August 16th, all students grades 6-12 will meet in the Multi-Purpose room first, before breaking up into their respective classes
YOUNG AT HEART (ages 50+) Covered Dish Dinner Join us Thursday, August 13, at 6:00 pm, for a potluck dinner and program. Guests are always welcome!
THURSDAY PRAYER Every Thursday morning at 6:00 am, you are invited to join Tim Stokes, in the sanctuary, for a time of prayer for Victory, its leaders, its people, and its mission here in Lexington.
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August 2009

PONDER ANEW

What The Beach Whispers

We spent last week on vacation at the beach in Florida. One of my favorite parts of that sort of vacation is simply walking the beach. There’s something soothing and soul-refreshing about the simplicity and solitude of walking with your feet in the surf.

Usually, I begin the week by opening my heart to the Lord and asking Him to speak clearly to my heart in the days away. For me, the break in my normal life rhythms enable me to tune my ear to hear the Lord’s voice more clearly. Some significant life decisions have been made while walking the beach.

Some things the Lord whispered at the beach are helpful for all of us. Here’s what I was reminded of:

+ It’s possible to clean up my daily mess every day. People and nature leave their mark on the beach with things from popsicle sticks dropped by a child to crab entrails left by a gull. When the tide flows in at high tide and then ebbs back out with low tide, the beach is cleansed by the constant scrubbing of that tide. As imperfect, messed-up people, we leave our own mark of selfishness, irritableness and more. But when we take time to be honest before the Lord an confess our sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

+ God’s faithful love is more constant than my little brain can comprehend. The waves never stop coming. My eyes pop open in the morning and I hear the dull hiss in the background. I go out in the middle of the day and there are waves. I look out at night and can barely make out the white foam in the moonlight, but still hear the hypnotic rhythm of the waves. Constant. That reminds me that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam.3:22-23) My Father “gives to His beloved in their sleep” (Ps.127:2). When it’s dark and when it’s light, when I understand and when I don’t, His love is there, the constant of my life.

+ There are things going on beyond what I can see. When the waves rush back out from around my feet, crabs scurry back into the water, tiny creatures burrow back into the sand and fish swim back with the outflow. When body surfing, I’m always aware of the fish (I hope!) I can’t see bumping against my legs. That reminds me that there is a world of activity going on all around me that I never see with my physical eyes. There’s God’s providence, providing for my needs like He does the sparrow (Matt. 6:26). There are His sovereign purposes “working all things together for good” (Rom. 8:28), His wisdom, ordering all things rightly and more. My God can make a way where there seems to be no way for “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters, yet your footprints were unseen.” (Ps. 77:19)

There’s a lot more, but those were just a few of the encouraging things the Lord whispered to me last week. The thing is that He whispers to hearts in the rolling hills and meadows of central Kentucky just as clearly. Listen…He’s speaking to all of us.

Listening with you,
Pastor David

(Join the conversation at www.ponderanew.wordpress.com)

SUMMER EVENTS

Take the Plunge Summer 09 Activities

August 4, 6:30 pm
Pack-A-Backpack
Your chance to provide backpacks and supplies to provide for at-risk children. Click here for a supplies list!

August 5, 6:33 pm
Prayer For The Harvest
Prayer walk our schools and neighborhoods, praying blessing on people, asking the Father to help us reach them.
August 8, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Victory Leadership Retreat
Join us for a time of praying, sharing and dreaming and planning together as we get ready for a new ministry year.

August 10, 7:05 pm
Victory @ the Legends
(rescheduled from July 22 due to rain)
August 14, 9:00 pm
Family Movie Night
Come enjoy two family films with the Victory family.

PRESCHOOL FOOTPRINTS

Congratulations!
Congratulations to Mark & Lisa King on the birth of their son, John Mark. John Mark was born on Sunday, July 5th, join us as we celebrate with them!

A Baby Shower
You're invited to a diaper shower for Stacy Jones! Please join us on Sunday, August 9th @ noon, in the Bradley House. Contact Betsy London (272-0418) for more information.

Preschool Promotion
We want to affirm and celebrate the foundational milestone that has been reached by our 4's-PreK children! Please join us for a time of celebration during the morning worship service on Sunday, August 30th.

FLiP KIDS (K-5th Grade)

Parent Meeting
Parents of children K-5th, and their families, are invited to have lunch with us on Sunday, August 23 @ noon, in the multi-purpose room. Join the Children's Leadership Team as they give you a sneak peak at what's new for our K-5th grade kids! We'll provide pizza & drinks, please plan to bring a salad or dessert. We are very excited to unveil the new Sunday morning format and the Wednesday night plan for this active group!!

STUDENT MINISTRY (grades 6-12)

Movin' On Up!
Wednesday, August 12th will be the six graders first Wednesday night youth service, and the following Sunday, August 16th will be their first Sunday morning Life Group as a part of the student ministry.

New Life Group Format
Starting August 16th, all students grades 6-12 will meet in the Multi-Purpose room first, before breaking up into their respective classes

YOUNG AT HEART (ages 50+)

Covered Dish Dinner
Join us Thursday, August 13, at 6:00 pm, for a potluck dinner and program. Guests are always welcome!

THURSDAY PRAYER

Every Thursday morning at 6:00 am, you are invited to join Tim Stokes, in the sanctuary, for a time of prayer for Victory, its leaders, its people, and its mission here in Lexington.