Hello ICC Family!

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Psalm 67

I am a fairly content guy most of the time, but last night I found myself intensely jealous! My brother and his three sons were in Kansas City at Arrowhead stadium watching the Argentina national soccer team beat Algeria 3-0 in the World Cup. They were in the stadium watching Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, score a hat trick - 3 goals in one game. For those of you not that into soccer… it would be similar to being in Yankee stadium and seeing Babe Ruth hit 3 home runs in a game. Then, add that my brother said the atmosphere in the 70,000-person stadium was electric and joyful and positive the entire time, and let’s just say that I would have loved to have been there!

I played soccer in junior high and high school like many young American kids, and I have always enjoyed following the World Cup every four years. Then, of course, our family lived overseas for 25 years or so, and soccer was always something that you could talk about no matter what country you were in. It truly is a global sport like no other. The last week or so it has been great to hear about how even in a time of world conflict and turmoil, something as simple as the game of soccer can bring people together. Visitors from around the world are currently here in the U.S. for soccer matches, and having positive experiences and interactions with everyday Americans.

My hope and prayer is that this is largely as a result of what we read in the Psalm above. That people from “the nations” are encountering God’s people here in America that have experienced God’s grace and blessing so much that they are seeing the love of Christ in and through us! We hope they will someday soon give their lives to Jesus - experiencing his salvation and taking it back to their own countries. The great thing is that whether World Cup fans from abroad are seeing and experiencing God’s salvation now or not… eventually… that will, indeed, take place. Every tribe and tongue and nation all over the earth will be represented around the throne of God. And that includes us, ICC! That day is coming, and it will be even more exciting and electric and positive than the soccer game I missed last night. Praise the Lord that God will build his church - among all peoples!

Tonight we kick off a new discipleship study on spiritual gifts. It will be a lot of fun and very helpful, so please come and join us. Sunday, we start a new sermon series going through the book of Joshua. It is full of incredible stories, so don’t miss out on the introduction of the book so you know where the story is going. Then, looking ahead we have a summer movie night on Friday, June 28th. And our next big fellowship Sunday is International Sunday at ICC which will be on August 9th followed by what we are going to call the Global Feast! Put that on your calendars now!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)

It’s already been a great week here at ICC! We have had a group of 7 precious young people come down from the Upstate to help us with some projects around the church. As they have been working hard cleaning and sprucing things up a bit, they have been a great blessing and witness to us, and a wonderful example of Paul’s exhortation to young Timothy that you read in the verse above. Today, they put on a mini-VBS for our ICC kids. I am not sure who had more fun - the teenagers or our ICC preschoolers! Unfortunately, they will not be able to stick around through our church picnic or Sunday service, but you will still hear from them on Sunday.

Speaking of the church picnic… I hope that you are ready to have some fun on Saturday! Yes, it is supposed to be pretty hot. But we will be prepared to have some fun inside. There will be a worship time, plenty of games for all ages, Family Feud!, raffle prizes, and a lot of food. Please come and be ready to laugh and have a good time. And make sure you invite your family, friends, and neighbors as well. It will be a great opportunity to introduce them to the ICC family.

Sunday morning we will be having a praise and testimony service, so be thinking right now of how you can encourage and bless your brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing what the Lord has been teaching you or how you have seen him move in your life and family.

There’s a lot going on this week, but it is so good to be with the body of Christ. Don’t miss it!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

But in keeping with his promise
we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
where righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:13 (NIV)

As we have been considering revival the past couple of weeks at ICC, my thoughts have gone more and more towards heaven. Because what is revival if not just a taste, or a glimpse of the beauty and wonders and delights of the eternity with God which is to come? As we pray and invite the Lord to work in and through us, we are experiencing God’s goodness as we taste and see him. That then increases our longing to taste and see him even more… which finds its ultimate fulfillment in heaven!

It breaks my heart that so many Christians don’t look forward to heaven because they think it’s going to be boring. We Christians really need to read and study our Bibles more! Instead, we get our ideas about heaven from Renaissance paintings and nursery rhymes. Or perhaps from people that were technically dead for a few minutes and come back with a story of their experience. But Scripture has a lot to say about heaven, including in the verse above. If we paid attention to it, we wouldn’t worry for one second about being bored in the life to come.

One of the key things that most people get confused about heaven is the difference between the present heaven and the future heaven. The present (or intermediary) heaven is where we go when we die. It is a wonderful place without suffering and with Jesus, but it is not the place that Christians will live forever. That place is the new heaven and new earth mentioned in the verse above. When we say as Christians that the world is not our home… that is not quite true. The world as it is now is not our home, but the new earth will be our home forever. A new earth where God’s people will serve the King, and reign and rule with him. As Randy Alcorn says in his book on heaven, Immanuel does not mean us with God. It means God with us - together with his people on the new earth. And that new heaven/earth will be perfect. It will have all of the good things that we love and enjoy without any of the negatives. And with no temptation or sin, and no pain, and no sadness, and no death… we can enjoy it all while being with the Lord as He created us in the beginning. Revival is yet another taste of the new heaven and earth to come!

We’re going to consider heaven a little more in our discipleship time this evening. It would be great to see many of you there. And please make sure you try your best to come this Sunday to hear our guest speaker, Dr. Zakayo Nzogere. What a blessing to be part of an international church! Yet another glimpse of what it will be like in heaven!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Quick greetings from Kansas. I hope you’re having a great week. Tonight Brother Bayani will be leading our Wednesday discipleship time, so thanks to him. I want you take note of our guest preacher on June 7th. We are pleased to have Dr. Zakoyo Nzogere join us to bring the message of the Lord. Read more about him below. Be blessed with the following verses and I will see you all on Sunday…

20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
Jude 1:20-21

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Most Christians don’t spend much time reading the minor prophets in the Old Testament. That is understandable in many ways. Outside of the crazy story we find in the book of Jonah, those guys get a little repetitive. The pagan nations and peoples that they often were cursing seem far removed from present day. And yet… we are told that all Scripture is helpful and profitable to us. I love Bible reading programs because they help us take in all of God’s word. And when we read all of it - even the parts that seem like a waste of time, the Spirit, in his mercy and love, leads us to passages like this one in Habakkuk:

17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT)

I remember the first time I read and actually understood the message and love of those verses. I was in college and my parents were going through a difficult transition due to being let go from a job. There was betrayal involved. Financial insecurity. From my perspective - hours away, busy with college life - I was hurting for them. But then the Spirit led me to these verses and I was given something to pray for them. That even though things seemed difficult and dire… that they would be able to see God’s loving hand in their lives. That they would still rejoice in the Lord. That they would find joy and strength in their salvation. Not just to scrape by… but to the point that they would be dancing like a mountain goat on a cliff - sure-footed and carefree, even with what seemed like danger and calamity all around. The Lord eventually answered that prayer!

Since then, it seems like the Lord brings these verses back to me whenever I need them - for others, and for my family, and for myself. In every time of heartache and trouble, He is ready to remind us of his love and faithfulness. If that is where you are today, church, please take a moment to meditate and pray over these verses. You may feel empty, life may seem meaningless, your circumstances may look dire, your prospects may appear slim. Calamity and pain, trouble and need, cruelty and injustice may all seem to be extinguishing hope and joy from your life… But please know that is not actually the case. There is light. There is hope. And there is a new day coming. Remember the words of another prophet:

19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. 20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. 21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Lamentations 3:19-23

Praise be to God that today is a new day. This day has new mercies for you that will comfort you and help you in your time of need. Father, open our eyes to see them! Amen.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son…
Romans 8:29a (NLT)

A couple of years ago I introduced you to a regular prayer that I lift up. It is written at the top of my prayer list that I use each day, reminding me that God is at work in my life. Yes, God is always working in the grand sense of things - building his church and establishing his kingdom. He truly is in control of all things, and all of his purposes will be accomplished.
But… He also is working personally in my life, with the end result of me becoming like his Son, Jesus. What an amazing statement and promise we see there in Romans 8:29! God knows his children, and loves us, and will absolutely and ultimately see us conformed into the image of his Son!

The prayer goes like this…
Father, as I approach your Word and everything that you have planned for me today, would you comfort me, confront me, and conform me more and more into the image of your Son, through the power of your Spirit, Amen.

Romans 8:29 tells us and promises us that God is doing this in his children.

But by praying this prayer… I am reminded that He is doing it. I can be encouraged and challenged by the promise. I can actively try to join him in carrying his purpose to completion in my life - not in my own strength or using my own giftings, but by being aware and available and open to his work. When I am walking in the Spirit like this, it helps me not miss the spiritual truths that He is trying to teach me, or the witnessing opportunities that He has blessed me with. Or a hundred other things that He is actively doing in my life to help me become more like his Son. What a privilege we have of being loved so much, and walking with the Savior!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Greetings from Florida! While we are away this week, Billy Graham has some words for you…

"God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don't let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He's still on the throne."
Billy Graham

"I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right."
Billy Graham

Great reminders for these days! Take them to heart this week no matter what you hear or experience. And then remember the words of Scripture:

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.
He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.
Deuteronomy 31:8

Join us tonight for fellowship meal and discipleship at 5:45/6:15. And the young adults tomorrow night at 6:30!

Blessings to you all! See you next week…
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

When the Lord called Laurel and I to ICC a few years ago, we were talking to several other churches at the same time. In the same way that ICC was praying about which of the multiple candidates that applied for this job they should interview and hire, Laurel and I were seeking guidance as to which church God was calling us to. Just a few weeks before preaching for the first time here, we were up in Dearborn, Michigan interviewing with a church there. There were other churches in Chicago, Boston, and New Jersey to which we thought the Lord was potentially calling us. Needless to say, we are so very grateful that the Lord led us here and led all of you to bring us to Goose Creek! We love this place and love this church!

I bring this up because this week I was reminded of one particular Zoom interview that I had during that job search process. It was with a church up in New England. From the start, the interview was not near as warm and friendly as all of the others that I had. The reason became clear as we got through the pleasantries and introductions, as one man on their search committee asked me why I didn’t believe the Bible(!) They had my statement of faith and ministry philosophy which clearly stated that I did, but he kept pushing, finally bringing up that one of my statements said that I believe that in some situations women can and should be able to teach and lead areas of the church. And he referenced a verse in 1 Corinthians that we didn’t have time for last Sunday…

Women should be silent during the church meetings.
It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.
35 If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home,
for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35

“Why don’t you believe that?” he kept asking. It was clear that this was not going to be a good fit for any of us, and everybody on the call was uncomfortable except for this man. To this day I can’t understand why that search committee wanted to interview me if they didn’t like my doctrinal statement, although I got the feeling that it was just the one guy that disagreed. There are many things that I wish I would have said at the time, but the Spirit directed me to politely disengage and wish them the best.

If I hadn’t been so shocked by the quick turn in the interview, I would have responded this way… Usually when we run across verses in Scripture that make us think, “Surely it can’t mean that!…” it is because we don’t like what the verse says and it doesn’t fit our modern worldview. However, there are times when we know the Scripture doesn’t mean what it says simply because of the context of the verse itself. This happens to be one of those times. We know that Paul was not banning women from speaking in the church service because of the numerous other verses that talk about what women can and should do in the service! We know this from a few chapters earlier (11) when Paul made an extended point about how women should pray and prophecy in church! We know this because Paul has made the point over and over that everyone in the church (including women) has been given a spiritual gift and each one should use it to help each other - in songs, teaching, prophecy, tongues, or interpretation. All ways that require women to speak! Instead of the plain meaning, these verses in chapter 14 appear to be either in relation to women not being allowed to evaluate prophecy (since that function went along with an elder role in the church), or that some women in the church were in the habit of interrupting things while their husbands were prophesying. In those cases, these verses are telling those particular women to stay quiet.

There will be several more verses that I will not have time to talk about as we finish up our series in 1st Corinthians this coming Sunday. Perhaps I can write about those next week, or you can always send me a note and I will try to address them. Don’t hesitate to ask hard questions when it comes to God’s Word. If you are seeking the truth, the Lord will reveal it to you in his perfect timing!

We will be celebrating Communion together this coming Sunday as we look at the beautiful story of the gospel together. Please come so you can participate with us in person. And we would love to see you tonight at discipleship time as well. 5:45 for dinner and 6:15 for study.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

We started looking at spiritual gifts in our study of Corinthians last Sunday. I didn’t give you a definition last week but let me share one with you now. Wayne Grudem says that a spiritual gift is any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. I like this definition because it uses the word “any” - there are not a small, set number of gifts. The gift also has to be empowered by the Spirit, meaning it’s both given by the Spirit and charged by the Spirit. It’s not just like a cell phone with a dead battery. Finally, the gift is used in the context of the church. A spiritual gift is not useful at all if the person that receives it is not involved with the church!

We are going to be continuing to talk about spiritual gifts this Sunday, looking specifically at the gifts of prophecy and tongues in chapter 14. I encourage you to read ahead and start thinking about this fascinating passage right now.

And then I’m copying an illustration from Charles Stanley about spiritual gifts below…

In his book, How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, Charles Stanley tells a story about a young woman named Sammi. More than one person who knew Sammi said to her, "Sammi, you have a real heart for God. I believe God is raising you up to lead praise and worship at our church." But there was one problem with this prediction—Sammi wasn't a good singer. If you've watched American Idol, you know how dangerous it is to tell a young person she's a gifted singer when she's not. This was one of those times.

When Sammi auditioned for the worship team, she learned a hard lesson. She was used to singing in the congregation where she could belt out notes with reckless abandon. But singing in front of others was different. She sang horribly off key. The audition was a disaster!

When her audition mercifully came to an end, the worship pastor asked Sammi to stay behind while the rest of the worship team packed up the equipment. He asked her what she liked doing and asked her about her relationship with Christ. As they talked, she joked with him about how, when she was younger, her grandfather taught her to play the accordion. She loved playing it, but it was pretty old-fashioned; there weren't many opportunities to play it anyways. Then, the worship pastor said something unexpected, "Have you ever thought of playing it in praise to God?" he asked.

"No," she said. The thought hadn't really entered her mind.

"Bring your accordion to church next Sunday and, after the service, play me a song."

So she did, and when she did, the worship pastor was blown away. No more stage fright. No more anxiety-induced paralysis. But, freedom and, yes, sweet music played perfectly. She played the accordion better than anyone he'd ever heard.

The next week, the worship team added its first ever accordionist to its praise set. The week after that, Stanley writes, "Sammi brought down the house with her rendition of 'We're Marching to Zion,' a classic gospel hymn" familiar to older church members.

So, it turns out the adults in the church who made prophetic predictions about Sammi were right after all. She may not have been gifted in the ways they thought, but she was gifted. All she needed was to find out how her particular gifts could be used in the right way in the right place at the right time.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Come let us worship our King
Come let us bow at His feet
He has done great things

We sang those lyrics this past Sunday in thanksgiving and praise. God truly has done great things for us, so let’s praise him! And since that is true, it means that we can look expectantly for him to continue to do great things in the future. These words echo those of the Psalmist…

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Psalms 95:6-7

The reason that we can continue to expect God to do great things is because we are his people, and He cares for us! Plain and simple.

I just finished reading the biography of Eugene Peterson, who was a pastor and writer for many years. One of the passages I underlined (one of many!) was a realization that he had early on in his pastoral ministry. He concluded that the most essential in all his work as a pastor was the opening invitation that he offered at the beginning of every Sunday service: "Let us worship God!" I hope that each of you have taken a moment to do just that today! And if you have already… then take another one!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

What a great Resurrection Day celebration we had on Sunday! And a worshipful and meaningful Holy Week overall. I appreciate everyone who contributed in different ways last week - food, decoration, dancing, reading, clean up, …everything! Each one of you are a blessing to the church, and it was wonderful to see us working in unity to celebrate well.

…As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: 2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly— not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.
1 Peter 5:1-3

The theme of unity will come back to the forefront of our minds as we continue this week in 1st Corinthians. We are getting to the latter chapters of Paul’s letter which start to focus directly on our actual worship within the church service. Several principles are evident from Scripture that direct our worship and organization. We are going to see right away in Corinthians that our worship should be orderly. While all Christians are capable of relating to God directly, there should be an order to our worship. Everybody can’t just be doing what seems right or feels right to themselves. Another principle is that decision making in the church should be broadly based. Each person in the church is filled with the Holy Spirit, and their opinion and gifting and service is vital to the health of the church.

These two principles (orderliness and the priesthood of all believers) are both stressed in Scripture, and at times seem to conflict with each other. Which is one reason as to why there are so many forms of church government. In episcopal forms of church government, the structure is top-down, so that there is an orderliness that can be more easily managed. In congregational forms of church government there is a democracy that allows each member’s opinion to count. It should be no wonder then, that many churches and denominations end up being organized just like our U.S. government - as a representational democracy, with elders being elected to represent the will of the people. This is the leadership structure that we have at ICC, with deacons being elected as well. In general, elders are elected to lead and deacons are elected to serve, but these categories are not mutually exclusive. Elders serve their people by leading, teaching, praying, counseling, etc.; and deacons may lead others in service. There is not a strict line between the two, especially in a church the size of ICC.

I bring this subject up to remind us all of the importance of leadership in the church. No one person has the time or energy or giftedness to do everything that needs to be done in the church. And as we have seen in our study, we are better - we are healthier - when everybody plays their part. On Sunday we will announce our leadership candidates for the coming year to the church, so that we can be in prayer for our leadership elections on April 26th after the service. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your pastor. Please be praying with me that the right people are put in place to lead and serve with me the next year.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

My first year here in Goose Creek after living for 25 years overseas, I was made aware that some Christians prefer to call the holiday at which Christians celebrate Jesus’ victory over death Resurrection Day instead of Easter. This was a new debate for me…

There are several reasons why using the name Resurrection Day is preferable for some people. While there is not anything close to the secularization of this holiday compared to Christmas, the name and background of Easter evokes many cultural images of spring and fertility. And chocolate for some reason. Since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news of the Gospel itself, it is important that the church be clear and bold when we state that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical and spiritual event that changed the world. It is the message that Paul writes is “most important” in his letter to the Corinthians.

3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

And yet, it is also valuable to maintain the historical continuity and global recognition of the name Easter. This is the name that has been used for centuries to refer to the church’s celebration of the resurrection. It is the word that most English-speaking internationals have used for this holiday their entire lives. It is simple and familiar, making it a convenient and practical choice for referring to the holiday. Using the term Easter helps foster a sense of unity and solidarity among Christians of various denominations and traditions.

I can see both points of view. Which is perhaps why this Sunday, you will probably hear me use both terms. And you see both terms in our graphic to advertise our worship celebration above. If I know that you prefer one term or the other, I will try to use that term for you in my attempt to live out what we have learned recently about showing each other deference and becoming all things to all people. I would ask all of you to do the same. But also remember that regardless of what term you prefer, we will be coming together to worship our loving Savior, who gave his life as a ransom for many. Don’t let anything keep you from celebrating and proclaiming God’s love this weekend! And please invite your family and friends and neighbors to join you in worship as well.

He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Don’t forget… Good Friday service is at 7PM Friday evening. This is a crucial part of the story as well as our celebration on Sunday. Please try to be there and worship with us!

And then on Sunday morning… don’t forget that service starts at 8:30 AM! Followed by brunch afterwards. Please bring something to share with everyone if you are able. It will be a wonderful time!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Last year I shared a couple of the prayers out of the book A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie. I would highly recommend getting a copy of it if you would like some new prayer prompts in your daily prayers. For every day of the month, it has one prayer to lift up in the morning and another prayer at night. Once again I want to share with you one of the prayers that has blessed and challenged me. This one is from the morning prayer on Day 28…

O Lord my God, may I go out now to the work of another day, still surrounded by your wonderful loving kindnesses, still committed to your loyal service, still standing in your strength and not my own.

May I today be a Christian not only in my words but also in my deeds;
May I follow bravely in the footsteps of my Master, wherever they may lead;
May I be uncompromising and honest with myself;
May there be no self-pity or self-indulgence in my life today;
May my thinking be clear, my speech truthful and open, and my action courageous and decisive.

O Lord, I pray not only for myself but for the entire community to which I belong: for all my family, friends, and colleagues, asking you to keep a fatherly eye upon them. I pray also…

For all who today will face any great decision;
For all those today working to settle important affairs in the lives of individuals and nations;
For all who are shaping public opinion in our time;
For all who write what other people read;
For all who are lifting up the light of truth in a world of ignorance and sin;
For all whose hands are worn with too much work, and for the unemployed whose hands have found no work today.

O Christ my Lord, who for the sake of all my brothers and sisters relinquished earthly comfort and satisfaction, forbid it that I should ever again live for myself alone. Amen.

Our regular prayers should not just focus on ourselves and our own family’s needs, but on the needs of others and the needs of the larger world around us. To that end, please join us tonight for our regular fellowship meal and discipleship time at 5:45/6:15 or for the Young Adult discipleship group that meets Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Last Wednesday evening we had a great first session of The Marriage Course. We had a big crowd, and my hope is that we will get even more people to come tonight. Just like for our last discipleship course on prayer… I believe that the Lord can use this topic to bring much healing and growth to ICC. And I am excited to see the Lord bless the individual marriages and future marriages in our congregation as well. The first two lessons in this course cover connection and communication. Our homework assignment consisted of talking about several subjects, including our friendship, communication, physical relationship, and future. It was a challenge and reminder about how it is so important to discuss things with our spouse regularly in order to communicate encouragement and joy, to reminisce about things in the past, as well as tackle more difficult subjects now and then. This is part of the reason that I write this newsletter to you each week. I want you to have a taste of what I am thinking about or learning, and I want to remind you of things that are going on at the church. Even so, I realize that I probably don’t communicate my love for the church often enough. I love ICC. I love our people. I love our history. I love our name. I love our diversity. And I am excited about our future. I love our church!

As Laurel and I were working on our homework we discovered there were a couple of areas in which we had very different perceptions of how we were doing in our marriage! We were totally unaware that we saw things differently, so it was a good opportunity to communicate, which I am sure will lead us to grow even closer in our relationship!

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Going through this communication exercise this week has impressed on me that there is probably an aspect of ICC’s church health that most people are unaware of, and that is all my fault. As your pastor, I have communicated poorly about our church’s finances! This week I realized that most of you probably are unaware that on a month-to-month basis, ICC is not meeting our budget.

Before I go into more detail, let me say there is nothing to be alarmed about at this time. We are not in an emergency or a crisis. The reason being that all of you, under the guidance of Pastor Jimmy, previously built up a good-sized reserve fund. Because of your generosity and faithfulness in the past, at the end of 2022 ICC was able to bring me on as your first, full-time, paid pastor. In addition to that, the reserves were sizable enough that last year the elders decided to spend down a portion of that reserve to make long-term improvements in our facility. We freshened the sanctuary, invested in some tech upgrades, installed a new A/C unit, and made extensive roof repairs.

However, while our financial situation is not an emergency, I do want to clearly communicate that at some point in the next year or two, we will not be able to continue things as we are… unless our current giving levels increase. Last year we failed to meet budget in 10 months out of 12, although our budget was a little higher than this year. Even if our budget had been the current level of $9200/month, we still would not have made budget 6 out of 12 months.  As you can see in the stewardship update below, we have missed budget in both January and February to start this year.

With the goal of better communication and clarity about this situation… I am going to start to share our monthly stewardship/financial numbers in this weekly email. That way we all can be thanking the Lord for how He blesses us, and we can be united in prayer about our need.  I am also going to try to have printed versions of this email available on a monthly basis for those that don’t read email or enjoy reading on their phones.

Let me reiterate… this isn’t an emergency. I am not worried. I believe that God in his providential care for our church will provide what we need, whether or not that amount is what we hope for. I bring this up because finances are a part of life, and a subject that we need to communicate clearly about - for our long-term spiritual and congregational health. I am certain that God will provide for us as long as we have a purpose in his kingdom. I want us to start making budget not just because I think we need to keep the doors open at all costs. I want us to be financially healthy because that will allow us to do more! Not more just for us, but more for missions, more for our community, more for the lost, and more for the kingdom of God!

If any of you have ideas for how to communicate better about the church’s financial situation, or if you have any questions or concerns about ICC budget or finances, don’t hesitate to email, text, or call me at any time!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Pollen season is back. Along with the yellow dust, the allergies, the headaches, and everything else that comes with it. I just found out that the bright yellow pollen that looks menacing and messy and that covers everything is probably not the cause of the allergies and discomfort many people deal with. It might be annoying and difficult to clean, but because it is so heavy, the yellow pollen doesn’t blow around very much and therefore doesn’t usually affect people. It is lighter, unseen, airborne pollen from other trees that is probably causing most of your symptoms.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Don’t fool yourselves…
1 Corinthians 6:9

This reminded me of our study in Corinthians - especially in comparison to sin. Sin, which is so deceptive and that separates us from God. While all sin originates in our own hearts and will ultimately lead to death, some sin is more deceptive and destructive in the short-term. And it is not always the sin that seems obvious. We need to be on guard and diligent so that we can resist the devil and flee from sin. We need to be walking with the Spirit so that we can identify anything that could possibly harm us and lead us astray.

The key relationships in our lives are one usually unseen way that the enemy sows seeds of rebellion in us. One such relationship for many of us is our marriage. Tonight we start our new discipleship class called “The Marriage Course.” I’m very excited about this and want to implore all of you to try to attend if at all possible. This has the potential to be life-changing for each of us, for each of our marriages, and for our entire church! Tomorrow night the young adults will continue their look at the book of Ephesians. And then Saturday morning the men’s fellowship will get together for breakfast and study at 8:30 in the morning.

If those are not enough options for you to meet with your brothers and sisters and be in the Word… then there is also our Crowfield Bible Club that meets Tuesdays at noon. We just started a new series going deep to learn how to study the Bible. One person in the class was upset that the whole church was not getting to study this! I agree, so please come and join us! And then finally, I am at the church every Friday morning at 7:30 AM to spend focused time praying for revival for our church and community. Please come and let’s pray together!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

When it comes to prayer, we are incredibly blessed by the fact that we pray to a God that knows us, loves us, and wants the best for us. This means that we can pray honestly, emotionally, and persistently without the Lord getting tired of us. We can pray sometimes without having any idea of what we are actually asking God to do, and the Lord still understands. We can pray entirely unaware of the consequences that would come about if He gave us what we were asking for, and He will still answer in a way that will be a blessing to us. These truths led Tim Keller to come to an encouraging conclusion in his book on prayer: “God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.” That is such an incredibly helpful observation! Basically… when we pray, God will either give us what we ask, or He will give us something even better!

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)

We will gather this evening for a special prayer time focused on the current conflict in the Middle East and Iran. Please come and join us because as Keller also says, “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” We need his guidance, his peace, his direction, his wisdom, and his provision in this situation, and every other one in our lives! Let’s confess that and pray together tonight!

Next Wednesday night we will be starting a new discipleship series called “The Marriage Course.” This is a great opportunity to either learn for the first time or be reminded of things concerning one of the most important relationships we can have on earth. I know it will be a blessing whether you are currently married, have been married in the past, or maybe are just looking forward to it. Whether you think your marriage is doing well or needs a lot of help, you don’t want to miss it!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

I have been looking for good modern examples of Christian unity in the church for several months now. Between google and AI, you can find answers to almost any question and solutions to almost every problem, but finding a great testimony of people within a church who were in disagreement on how to move forward or how to change, coming together through prayer and compromise seems to be beyond the capability of the algorithms. Likewise, I can’t find examples of churches working together despite their differences to minister to the lost and proclaim the name of Jesus in their communities. Perhaps this should come as no surprise given how divided we are in every area of life (see the absolute polarization surrounding the State of the Union address last night), but shouldn’t the church be different? Shouldn’t there be examples and stories of Christian unity that shine so brightly in comparison to the surrounding discord that they are impossible to miss? Scripture seems to tell us that the church should be different…

21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
John 17:21-23 NLT

We have been in the book of 1st Corinthians for just a month or so now, and I am starting to think that it might take a lifetime to understand the importance of unity in the Christian life. At this point “Unity in Christ” might have been a better tagline for this current sermon series than “Basics of Life in the Church.” The verses from the gospel of John above show both the foundation and depth of our calling to be unified. The foundation is found in the relationship of the Trinity itself. Jesus states plainly that God the Father is in him and He is in the Father. There is unity in the Trinity! We also see in these verses that through our salvation, each Christian has unity with Christ as well. And just as we are one with Jesus, we then are called to be one with each other. This is the sense of unity within the church that we have been studying in 1st Corinthians. And the effect of this unity absolutely should be noticeable to the world around us - the world is supposed to know about Jesus and God’s love because of our unity! Please come this Sunday as we look again at how the call to holiness and purity should be helping us be unified.

Finally, there is another aspect of unity we find throughout Scripture. In Christian marriage, we are called to become unified as well - “One flesh.” As Larry Crabb states, “When God presented Eve to her husband, the Bible tells us, they became one flesh, that is, they fully experienced a relationship of Oneness. Developing this kind of relationship is the goal of marriage.” How fitting then, as we study unity in the church, that our next Wednesday discipleship series will be on marriage! I am very excited to lead this new study from the people that produced the Alpha course. It doesn’t have a catchy name - “The Marriage Course,” but I am greatly looking forward to spending a couple of months working on our marriages. There will be more information coming the next couple of Sundays, but I would highly encourage all of you to make this a priority - even if you don’t typically come on Wednesday nights. It will be well worth your time!  Starting on March 10th.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

What a great time of worship and fellowship we had last Sunday for Valentines Day! Throughout the whole service we heard how God’s love is so amazing, and so far beyond our typical idea of love. We lifted up God in praise because He is love. Many verses were shared that proclaimed God’s love. Our children (and their parents) sang about how Jesus loves us. (Who knew there were so many verses!) Pastor Jimmy preached about it and challenged us to share God’s love with others. And then we blessed each other in love as were able to enjoy a great potluck meal together. Let me extend my appreciation to Pastor Jimmy and Sister Riza and Sisters Yay and Liza for preaching and organizing the special music and decorations. Thank you for the many others that helped decorate and sing and clean up and all that cooked and brought food. What a great church family and what a wonderful day! And what an amazing God we serve!

As we were cleaning up after lunch, it was unanimously decided that we need to keep some of the decorations up for at least another few weeks. They are beautiful reminders of what we learned. With all of the activity and visitors (and food!) I doubt many of you had time to read the verses and notes written on the wall of love. So, I captured a few of them for you below…

Please try to come tonight as we finish up our series on Life Changing Prayer for discipleship. It has been a fabulous study and all that have attended have been blessed and learned so much. Tomorrow night the young adults will continue their study of Ephesians.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths….
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
Psalm 36:5-7

During our years as missionaries among a small Muslim people group there were several families among that group that we became close with. These were mostly young couples with small children similar in age to our own. They became the people that we learned the language and culture from. We ate in their homes often - meaning we jammed around the coffee table with our coats on in their one-room home that was heated with a coal burning stove in one corner. Sometimes the stir-fried dishes contained meat, but often they did not because they couldn’t afford it. We usually brought a leg of lamb as a gift when we visited, which they would make last an entire month.

We enjoyed our time with all these families, but one of the couples - Mr. and Mrs. Ma - were different. They truly seemed to love each other! Almost all marriages in this people group were arranged, meaning the husband and wife didn’t necessarily choose each other. Sometimes they had never even met each other! So, love was not usually part of the equation like in western marriages. In most of the families we met there, the husband and wife treated each other more like co-workers than spouses. There was not much warmth, and absolutely no romantic connection that could be seen. Which made the Ma’s so different! They genuinely seemed to both like and love each other. They would smile at each other in ways that the other couples did not. They would tease each other and voice appreciation of each other. We would come home after spending time with them and be shocked at how different they were compared to the other families that we knew. And it would make us think that they must be close to understanding Jesus’ love for them.

But as far as we know… they still have not accepted the gospel. The romantic love that they shared, and that we celebrate on Valentine’s Day is not the same love that the Bible talks about when it says that God is love (1 John 4:16).  Romantic love is part of it… but God’s love is also so much more! God’s love is unfailing, vast, faithful, righteous, and precious according to the Psalmist above. And it is made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ who displayed it in one amazing act of humility and sacrifice - while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7-8).

The Ma’s love for each other was so different than the marriages of our other friends in that people group. It was so clear that they loved each other. In this way, they were blessed to know an aspect of God’s love that most of their people group did not have any experience with, but they still need to accept that love and repent of their sins. There are many people here in America, perhaps your own friends and family members that are similar. Would you please consider inviting them to join us this Sunday for our Valentine’s Day service and fellowship meal? They will be able to celebrate their love for their spouses and their kids, but they will get to hear about God’s incredible love for them as well.  A love that is so different and so much higher than any they have ever experienced.

It’s going to be a great time of fellowship and fun. Our kids are going to sing a song. And we will enjoy some great food together. You don’t want to miss it!

Once again, I hope to see you tonight for discipleship. Or to hear that you have joined the young adults that will meet tomorrow night. We have two great studies going on right now!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)

We did not linger very long on these verses a couple of weeks ago as we were focusing on the power and Spirit of God. So, I want to make two quick points today…

The first is simple… What a blessing and what an encouragement verse 16 is for us! This is why it is such a blessing to be able to come together as the body of Christ each week to worship - because God is there! He is present in each of us individually and personally. But He is also present with us corporately as the church, supernaturally drawing us together as one family with one Father. God’s Spirit dwells in our midst at International Christian Church! That is amazing! The God who spoke all things into being, and who continues to hold all things together… the God who is the giver of all life and every good gift… the God who loves us so much that He sent his Son to die for us… knows us and wants to fellowship with us and dwells with us!

This is why what happened a couple of weeks ago at Cities Church in Minneapolis is so shocking and so dangerous. And my meaning is not that it is shocking and dangerous for the church - whether that be Cities Church or another at some point in the future - even our own. God will build his church, and the gates of hell will not stand against it (Matthew 16:18). God’s will will be done and his kingdom will come. We should have no doubt or worry about that at all. But until it does, we have to remember that we are sent out as sheep among wolves to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Therefore, we should not be surprised that wolves would want to attack us. And we should always be praying for wisdom for God to show us how to be serpents and doves at the same time - innocent and blameless, yet shrewd and wise. To that end, we will be having a review of our safety and security procedures this Saturday morning at 9:30 at the church. If we would like to be on the security team, please join us!

What is shocking about the church protest was to see people (some wearing the name of Christ) disregarding the consequences of verse 17 above: If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. The temple that is being referred to here is the church, and it is not referring to a building but the gathering of the church - the worship that takes place as God’s people come together as the bride of Christ. People that hinder that - whether it’s protesters from the outside or members on the inside that harm the unity in thought and purpose of the church - have been warned. It is dangerous for them! And therefore, even as we review our security plans we also pray for those that would seek to destroy us. We pray that God would have mercy on them, open their eyes and hearts to the beauty of his love, and that they would surrender their lives and wills to God.

If you have any questions about these things at all… don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I hope to see you tonight at discipleship or joining the young adults tomorrow night. We have two great studies going on right now!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

There is no denying that the country feels a little on edge at the moment. There are serious problems that need to be solved – politically, culturally, economically, and more. We pray for these issues every week at our service, discipleship meetings and Bible studies, and I hope you are praying for them regularly as well. The Lord Jesus himself modeled for us and told us what to pray… “may your kingdom come soon,” “may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and “rescue us from the evil one.” Prayer is vital and important and key to seeing change in our society.

However, for many people (including Christians unfortunately) prayer does not seem to be enough. And therefore, we are now being pushed and pulled, bullied and browbeaten into choosing sides. On every issue. In every area of life. It no longer matters whether you personally are on social media or watch the evening news… Even if you don’t, most everyone around you does, and regardless of what side of whichever issues they are on… they want you to engage. They want you to take everything as seriously as they do. They want you to have the same level of passion about the same issues as they do. And when it comes down to it… they really want you to agree with them and even feel the exact same way as them.

I have seen people on opposite sides of issues quote Martin Luther King, Jr. saying that someday we will have to repent over the appalling silence of good people. People on both sides of arguments refer to Jesus flipping over the money-changer tables in the temple as justification for taking action and being angry. The cumulative effect of these passionate pleas and arguments weighs heavy. I write this today not to say that you shouldn’t have an opinion or shouldn’t be moved into action or take a side. As I said, you should be praying about things and then step out in courage however the Lord leads you. I am in almost constant prayer about whether or not to speak on various matters from the pulpit at ICC. Last Sunday I mentioned that I have been thinking and praying about stepping out of our 1st Corinthians series for a moment to address a couple of current events.

But once again the Spirit has led me not to do so at this time. I don’t want to draw a line in the sand. I do believe that the Bible is powerful and wise and relevant for our society and for us personally even today. But as we have been learning in Corinthians, the wisdom of God seems foolish to the world. And all this week the following Scriptures have helped to remind me that we are called to listen and engage and love others in a different way than the world. So, I leave you to read and meditate on these verses and pray for yourself how God is leading you to interact with others in the days ahead…

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
James 1:19

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
Proverbs 19:11

The first to speak in court sounds right— until the cross-examination begins.
Proverbs 18:17

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9

This last one is key for me as I continually attempt to model and lead us to imitate Christ. That will be our topic in 1st Corinthians 4 this Sunday. Until then, I’ll be praying for each of you that we can all be peacemakers in every conversation and situation. Being a peacemaker is not cowardly, regardless of what your friend on either side will tell you. It is the very heart of God.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
James 4:17

Yesterday at our Crowfield Bible Club study we finished James chapter 4 with this verse. The first time I was challenged by this verse was in college. Like it is for most students away from home for the first time, every day was a test. Nobody made me get up to go to class or work. There was no one to hold me accountable to live according to the values and morals that I grew up with and personally held to. The decision was mine alone. Leaving home for the first time and facing the decision of how to live is a trying time in life - whether one attends college or not. Young people are faced with the question - What do you really believe? Unfortunately, studies show that more than 50% of young people leave the faith fairly soon after leaving their childhood home. When confronted with the opportunity to live like the world in sin, the temptation is too overwhelming.

This verse, however, is talking about a different kind of sin. One that continues to tempt Christians even after they have made a commitment to their faith by resisting the devil and fleeing temptation. These are sometimes called sins of omission. You see, sin is not just giving into the temptations to do something that God has forbidden. Sin also includes the things that we know through his Word are right to do, and that God through his Holy Spirit has asked us to do, yet we have not done. When we confess our sins and ask the Lord to forgive us, it is usually easy to remember the ways that we have broken God’s law. But we don’t even usually recognize, let alone ask forgiveness for the things that He has asked from us, but that we have either ignored or refused. Failing to help a person that asked for it and we know needed it… Failing to offer the encouraging words that God told us to tell another person. Failing to be available or generous or hard-working, etc. James challenges his readers to be careful because failing in this way is also a sin. How different would the church look, if we took this verse seriously?…

Yesterday, I sang the following lyrics from old hymns that I led with the residents at Pinewood Square…
• Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
• Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe
• Where He leads me, I will follow. I’ll go with him, with him all the way.
• I surrender all. I surrender all. All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

I have mentioned often how God always wants to do something new in our lives and in the church. This is the character of his kingdom. This verse bluntly calls us out and holds us accountable to take steps to see that happen. The Christian life requires courage and conviction and perseverance every day, not just when we first give our lives to Christ. So, whatever area the Lord is speaking to you about - whether in your work, or your marriage, or in your personal faith, or your place of service at church… whatever it is… make a commitment today to surrender all of yourself. Pray desperately, and then actually do the things that God has asked you to do!

Let me ask one little thing of you before Sunday… We will be covering all of 1 Corinthians chapters 2 and 3 and it would be great if you could read those chapters before the service. Thanks for that! And don’t forget… please join us tonight for discipleship at 6:15 or, if you are a young adult, tomorrow at 6:30.

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand.
Isaiah 32:8

It is still early in the new year. and once again my heart and spirit have been directed to this verse. It seems every year the Lord brings this verse (that I was first challenged with long ago in college) across my path so that I can spend time reflecting. Is this verse a good description of my life? Have I made any progress in this since the last time I prayed about this verse?

Isaiah 32 is describing what it is like to live in a very different kingdom than the ancient Israel that was being threatened by Assyria.  And for that matter a very different kingdom than modern day America. Because he is describing a kingdom to come whose King will reign in righteousness and loves and cares for and serves his people. The righteous King’s people have had their eyes and ears opened to see and hear and experience the transforming power of the gospel. Their hearts and character have been changed such that they are no longer foolish or wicked, but noble. That word has nothing to do with rank or status or power or riches, but character. And most specifically the character of God. There is no way to make oneself noble. That said, the Lord will make you noble if you ask him. If you trade your way and your character and your heart for his…

If you have asked him to make you noble, then He has done it. And now you just need to live in that reality. You are noble… so… make noble plans and carry them out with noble deeds. And if you would like somebody to encourage you and pray for you and your plans, send me a note. It would be my privilege to pray for you to make progress in this! I will pray for you as I continue to pray the same thing for myself!

Don’t forget we are kicking off our new discipleship study this evening! The Lord is doing something new at ICC and prayer is a huge part of it. Don’t miss it!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

About 20 years ago I remember getting a call from my mother (from the other side of the world) saying that dad had fallen off a ladder in the garage and broken his wrist. I assume my initial thought was the same that most other people would have… “Why in the world is dad on a ladder at his age?!?” The clearest memories I have of my grandparents were their love for watching game shows, how their houses would always feel like 80 degrees, and my parents fighting with them to stay off of ladders.

Yesterday, the weather was so nice that I had to get outside for a while, and cleaning out the gutters from the annual fall of leaves and pine needles has been on my to-do list. Unless you are going to hire somebody else to do this for you (which is not a feasible financial option for most people) this task is going to involve going up on a ladder. In the past, I have done this by climbing up and grabbing out the leaves and needles and other gunk by hand and putting it in a bucket. You clear out as much of the gutter as you can reach, and then you climb down, dump the bucket, and move the ladder 4-5 feet over and do it again. The process is slow and tedious and involves going up and down the ladder about 50 times, which seems unadvisable if one is worried about falling off a ladder…

Last year, I discovered a way better option - that doesn’t involve hiring somebody else to do it or investing however many thousands of dollars it costs to have gutter guards installed by one of the hundreds of companies that leave leaflets at our door. You climb up the ladder just one time, get up on the roof, and take the leaf blower up with you! And then you just blow off the roof and blow out all of the gutters. You do have to walk fairly close to the edge of the roof the whole time, so when it comes to safety… it is probably a toss-up of whether it is safer than repeatedly climbing a ladder. But this method is so much faster and WAY more fun! The only problem was that the whole time I was wondering what my daughters would say if I fell off, though. Am I at the age already where they would say, “Why in the world is dad on a ladder at his age?!?” And how old should I be before I admit that perhaps I am?

That is an impossible question to answer, but I think the subject is appropriate in following up last Sunday’s service talking about how God wants to do something new in your life and in our church in 2026.  

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

At first glance, the Bible would seem to encourage taking risks and being adventurous…

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

But we have to be careful… these verses don’t really tell us whether it is a good idea to go up on a roof with a leaf blower. You could take them out of context and convince yourself that the Bible is all about risk-taking. But the Bible never tells us how daring we should be. What it does tell us, however, is to pray and ask for courage. And wisdom. And boldness. And when it comes to matters of faith like in these verses above… we should be the boldest, bravest, and most daring people alive. This attitude and mindset doesn’t have any cutoff date when it comes to age either. Every week as I talk to the folks at Pinewood nursing home, I try to encourage them to figure out what new thing God is doing in their hearts and lives, and then figure out a new way to be a blessing to others. Even in their situation, where their food and sleep and exercise is monitored, and even the thought of climbing a ladder would get them in trouble, spiritually they can be as risk-taking and adventurous as any young teenager. If they can be spiritually bold and adventurous in the year ahead, so can we. So, as you think about all that God could possibly do in and through you in 2026… definitely climb up on the roof. And don’t forget to take the leaf blower with you.  

It would be great to see many of you for fellowship meal and discipleship tonight.  The young adults will be starting again next week.  Don’t forget men’s fellowship Saturday morning.  And then a new sermon series starting on Sunday!  New things all around!

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron

Hello ICC Family!

I hope you are having a wonderful week as you continue to celebrate Advent here in 2025. Let me once again say thanks to everyone who helped with last Sunday’s Candlelight service, especially Sisters Joy, Alice, and Marilyn. So many people contributed, especially in helping with clean-up, but those ladies took on the bulk of the planning and preparation.

We have one more Sunday in Advent on the 21st. That will be a normal ICC worship service at the church. Then we will have a quiet, Scripture-centered Christmas Eve service one week from tonight, the 24th. Please join us for that special time.

Starting at midnight tonight is our final Pray for Charleston 3rd Thursday of the year. Please see below for a link to this month’s prayer requests.

The devotional today is an excerpt from one of my favorite Christmas books…

“Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears and who are heavy and who are crying over the fact that the earth has gracelessly torn us away. Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near. something different from what you see daily will happen. Just be aware, be watchful, wait just another short moment. Wait and something quite new will break over you: God will come.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas

Blessings to you all!
And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron