Outpour Magazine - April 2021 Issue

Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen!

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Krystion Nelson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joy Shamberger COPY EDITOR Bryndle Bottoms CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Donald Currie, 12/24 Media THEOLOGY EDITOR Ronald Obie SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Justice Zimmerman

Apr. 2021 CONTRIBUTORS Beckie Hudson Melissa Tate-Scruse Diana Marshall-McCrorey Eric McCombs Nneka Collins Published by Issuu Inc. Cover/Article pictures: Envato Elements/Canva CONTACT info@outpourmagazine.com Outpour Magazine, Apr. 2021 (c) All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible.

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE

ENCOURAGING EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail'.

Lamentations 3:22

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE ENCOURAGING EVERYDAY PEOPLE TD LIVE FOR CHRIST

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I remember singing this song each Holy Week as a young child. It was an exciting time as our church prepared to celebrate Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday on Easter weekend. This song brings back memories, reminding me that this time is a celebration! Celebrate with me as we revere the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!

Let’s recall what the angel of the Lord told the women who visited Jesus' tomb: “ The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay” (Matt. 28:5-6 NIV). The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, our Prince of Peace - is ALIVE! Rejoice and again I say, rejoice! (Phil. 4:4).

In this month’s issue, we invite you to meet a family that loves to serve the Lord (page 16); learn how Good Friday was dark in many ways (page 10); and how to step out in faith (page 23). Also explore how to birth your purpose (page 14); maintain a state of joy (page 21); and praise God continually (page 32). And lastly, meet Pastors Whitman and Ressie Toland of the Church on 68 in Greensboro, NC (page 26).

Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE magazine at outpourmagazine.com and share with your family and friends! And we’d love to hear from you! How are you celebrating the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior? Contact us and send us prayer requests at info@ outpourmagazine.com.

We love you and are praying for you!

Remember: Jesus Died that we may LIVE in Him! God Bless!

*Follow us on IG @outpourmag and FB @outpourmagazine for more daily encouragement and inspiration!

HE IS

Loving God and Living on Purpose

Meet Th Contr

his Month’s ributors!

W P U

G

M S J

Good (and Dark) Friday Meet Pastors Whitman and Ressie Toland of the Church on 68 in Greensboro, NC.

Good Friday was dark in many ways. But Resurrection Sunday celebrates the hope after the darkness. For out of darkness came the greatest victory ever known!

Family Feature: the McGlawn Family Meet Brian and Ashley and their two beautiful children, Jordan and Brianna. They talked to us about serving in ministry, keeping God first in their marriage and how they are teaching their kids to love God and others.

E A S T E R

It feels like we’ve been through a dark year in history. Global pandemic, political unrest here in the land of the free, and countless personal repercussions from both fall onto our shoulders in the form of loss, grief, financial struggles, and fear of the unknown. It feels pretty dark some days.

But, beloved, in the midst of these dark times, we have hope! Resurrection Sunday celebrates that hope after the darkness that began on what we like to refer to as Good Friday. I’ve often thought that is somewhat of a misnomer. It takes some time to understand how the events of that dark day could ever be called “good.”

Good Friday was dark in many ways.

Luke 23:44-45 NASB tells us that as Jesus was hanging on the cross, unprecedented daytime blackness hit. “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour, because the sun stopped shining...” It was an utter blackout.

Did it give Pilate and the soldiers pause to see creation responding to the suffering of the Creator? Did they wonder what on earth was happening? Because there definitely was something going on in the heavenly realms and most likely there was a riot in hell—the devil and his demons thinking they had at last killed the Christ. I can’t think of anything much darker than the enemy’s lair while he celebrated the Savior’s demise.

Even leading up to the actual crucifixion, scripture describes numerous accounts of the blackened hearts of men. Those who arrested and tortured Jesus surely were capable of following dark orders from the powers that be. The hands that fashioned the “crown” of thorns mocked His claim as King (Matt. 27:29).

The soldiers hammered the stakes through His healing hands and road weary feet, their dark actions only emphasizing the blackness of their hearts. But they were just minor players in the horrific execution. There were major players in this Black Friday saga, some of whom were disciples, even friends, of Jesus Christ.

Let’s start with the most obvious one— Judas, the betrayer. Matthew’s account gives an emotional description of the events at the last supper that Jesus shared with His friends before His death. “And as they were eating, He said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ And they were very sorrowful and began to say to Him one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with Me will betray Me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ Judas, who would betray Him, answered, ‘Is it I, Rabbi?’ He said to him, ‘You have said so.’” (Matt. 26:21-25 ESV).

E A S T E R

I’ve often wondered how Judas could have followed Jesus around for three years, watching Him fulfill every prophecy as the Messiah, and for a few hundred dollars throw all that heart knowledge away. A heart darkened by greed and the enemy’s control does the unthinkable. Judas remains historical proof of this fact.

Later in the evening’s events we witness another player in this dark drama as Peter denies Jesus. “...Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with Him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman I don’t know Him,’ he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ ‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’ Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking , the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And [Peter] went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:54-62 NIV).

Peter’s great failing is recorded in all four gospels; not exactly a bright spot on his record.

Truly a dark moment in his relationship with Jesus. I would be remiss not to point out that Peter’s remorse for his behavior turned his life around to the point where he would willingly die for his commitment to Christ. In sharp contrast, Judas’ regret led him to end his own life instead of repenting. Out of twelve friends thus far, two proved to be unfaithful while the other ten were nowhere to be found—deserting Jesus in his darkest hour.

But the ultimate depth of darkness was the moment on the cross when the sacrificial Lamb took each of our sins upon Him in the final act of atonement for all time. As 1 John 2:2 NIV tells us, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” He took every single sin of all mankind and the very guilt we feel for those sins upon Himself.

But then…the sound of a veil ripping from top to bottom is followed by the earthshattering noise of rocks splitting in two and a most unbelievable sight! Matthew 27:52 NIV records something I’ve heard few, if any preachers expound on. It’s so exciting I have to express it like this, “THE TOMBS BROKE OPEN AND THE BODIES OF MANY HOLY PEOPLE WHO HAD

DIED WERE RAISED TO LIFE.” Out of darkness came the greatest victory ever known! Our hearts blackened with sin were washed clean, whiter than snow the Bible says (Ps. 51:7; Isaiah 1:18). The contrast is not lost on me, the darkest night with no sun and the blinding white like fresh fallen snow. Oh beloved, do you know the Light of the World who turns our darkest night into the brightest day?

John 3:16 NIV is your promise. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That’s why Friday is called good. What Jesus did made it “good” for us, because Sunday came and with it the light of resurrection glory.

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P U R P O S E

her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Within a few days, Mary hurried to leave town to visit Elizabeth.

Upon entering the house and greeting her, Elizabeth’s baby leapt with excitement and she was filled with the Holy Spirit (v. 41). The scripture says Mary stayed with her about three months.

What can we learn about our own birthing ability from this biblical account?

• SERVICE: Zechariah was on priestly assignment “in the sanctuary” serving the Lord when the messenger angel arrived.

Be mindful of where and how you spend your time as you are trying to bring an idea or concept to fruition. Colossians 3:23 tells us to do everything unto the Lord, not for man. Honor Him with your service and your works and bring your ideas before Him with prayer and supplication. Keep your mind on those things that keep Him present in your heart and in your thoughts.

We all have spiritual, God-gifted abilities to birth an idea, a talent, or a work of some kind. To BIRTH means “to bring forth,” as in labor and childbirth, an experience reserved for women and maternal parentage.

However, birth is also synonymous with the word BEAR (as in bear fruit) and PRODUCE (as in a product or project). In this context, birthing abilities are not tied to motherhood, gender or any biological assignment. We all have the capacity to birth or to bring forth something, for our birthing abilities are about • RESILIENCE: Despite Zechariah’s initial our posture towards the Lord. Let us look disbelief in the God-given message, it did closely at the biblical example of Zechariah, not stop the truth of God’s Word. He was Elizabeth, and the Virgin Mary as we consider stricken mute unable to speak, but the our own birthing abilities. prophecy still came to pass. Regardless In Luke 1:11-13, Zechariah was in the of the stumbling blocks, what people may sanctuary serving the Lord and executing the say, and other setbacks in the process, if priestly duties when he was visited by the the Lord means for you to birth this idea, it angel Gabriel. The angel told him that God will come to pass. Stay resilient through it heard his prayers and that his barren wife, all and rest assured on what He has given Elizabeth, who was beyond her birthing years, you. would bring forth a son. Because Zechariah initially questioned the angel and responded with unbelief in the God-given message, he was stricken mute, unable to speak until the prophecy would come to pass (v. 20).

Soon afterward, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She exclaimed praises to the Lord and went into seclusion for five months.

In the sixth month, the same messenger angel, Gabriel, visited the Virgin Mary to inform her that she would birth the Son of God (v. 31) and that her relative Elizabeth was also pregnant despite her old age. Verse 36-37 NKJV reads, “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for

P U R P O S E

• SECLUSION: When Elizabeth realized she was expecting, she then hid herself away for the first five months of her pregnancy. You may need to hide yourself away from the multitude of people, places, and things to let the Lord’s seed take root. God is notorious for gifting us with time for seclusion so that He can perform something within us. Praise Him throughout your consecrated time/season as He is growing something within you.

• FAITH: Although it made no earthly sense that Mary would birth the Son of God as a virgin, unlike Zechariah, she received her with faith. With no evidence or experience before her, she believed what was conceived in her. Is it possible you have let a lack of experience keep you from birthing what God has given you? Where is your faith? Likewise, Elizabeth shouted praises unto the Lord when she discovered she was pregnant. Psalm 42:11 NKJV says “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” Enact your hope, faith, and praises.

• FELLOWSHIP: Upon Mary’s arrival, her greetings to Elizabeth brought energy and joy. Her baby, six months in utero, leapt with excitement and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. What you are assigned to birth should enthuse somebody. Be purposeful with whom you share your visions and ideas. There may be naysayers or those who try to bring you down, but those who truly support you will be thrilled! And they will be eager to have conversations with God on your behalf. The scripture says Mary stayed with Elizabeth approximately three months before returning home (Luke 1:56). Mary was with Elizabeth in her final trimester and could have potentially been present with her through labor and delivery. Your circle should be supportive and enduring at all stages of your birthing—through its inception, labor, and delivery.

With these things in mind, I pray you can take better stock of your birthing abilities on your journey to fulfilling your purpose in Him. As you seek to bring forth an idea, project, or concept, rest assured that what God has given you is true, resilient, and unfailing in His will. No purpose of His can be withheld (Job 42:2 NKJV). Your birthing posture is in the Lord.

M A G A Z I N E O U T P O U R |

Photos by She’Rae Hunter, SL Hunter Photography www.slhunterphotography.com IG @lovewritteninred

1 6 P A G E

Residence: Manassas, VA Church: Love Church Favorite Family Activity? Being outside together and watching Marvel Movies Favorite Family Vacation? The Beach One word to describe your family: Honest

F A M I L Y

Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves: Who are the McGlawns?

Brian McGlawn: We are a faith-based family that believes in being exactly who God created us to be. And have fun while doing it. That’s how we would describe us in a few words.

Ashley McGlawn: That’s our tagline (laughs). We are fun - even though we can go deep sometimes, which may cause people to rethink some things.

But we hope it’s in a helpful way the majority of the time. We’re not perfect but want to be helpful.

And we always want to make sure our home is a place where people feel comfortable and welcomed. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will do what He needs to do with people when they come over [to our house]. What that looks like, is not my business (laughs).

BM: We are a very honest family. Even as parents, we are very honest with our children. That’s one thing we wanted to instill [in them]. We don’t want to say, “we’re the adults and you are the kids and you shouldn’t know [about things].” We just try to break it down to their level but always be honest with them.

OM: What have been some of your best memories as a family?

BM: One of our favorite memories was when we were on vacation at the beach in 2015. Brianna was 2 and Jordan was 9. And the kids had a ball.

They buried us in the sand, and they gave me a mermaid tail. That’s probably our favorite family vacation.

AM: For me, it was when we got married, at our wedding. This was before Brianna, although I was pregnant with her. We had our first dance, Brian and I, and then had dances with our parents.

Then Jordan and I had a dance together, because we wanted to make sure that he knew he was an important part of our union and that we were now all a family. He and I did our dance together and he was like “I just want to go out there and dance.”

And I was like, ok, thinking I was going to have to encourage him to dance. But listen, as soon as that music came on, Jordan started ‘pop-locking and dropping’ it, in his little tuxedo (laughs). I actually stopped dancing so that I could look at him. It was just so cute because he was so little.

He’s super tall now so just thinking about it brings back fond memories.

F E A T U R E

BM: Another fond memory was when we took the kids to a ballet, two years ago. We love to get the kids involved in culture. Alvin Ailey Dance Company came to town for a week tour. We all got dressed up and took them to a nice dinner - P.F. Chang’s at Tysons Corner - then caught the train to D.C. We just watched their expressions during the ballet. Jordan at the time was 13 and at first was unsure [of the show]; but we watched him fall in love with it. And we watched Brianna see other ballerinas that looked like her and Jordan saw males doing ballet. And on the train ride home, that’s all they could talk about - all the dancers, all the moves, all the music, and the costumes.

Jordan could even pick out some instruments in the orchestra. Just talking with them afterwards was the best, because as a kid I always wanted [to go to a show]. So being able to do that [with our kids] - that’s probably my fondest memory of us all together.

OM: How are you modeling loving God and loving others for your children?

AM: The first thing that comes to mind is leading by example. One thing that we’ve instilled in them is the importance of a personal relationship with Christ - which they will have to build on their own.

We also do daily devotions. As soon as they were old enough to read, they had their bible and when they finished getting ready for school, they knew they needed to take 20 minutes and read their bible, pray and talk to God about what they’ve read. Jordan is old enough that he has a phone so he’s on the YouVersion app, so he can keep up with his devotional. Sometimes he’ll do stuff with his friends that they will initiate on their own, so this [foundation] was the first important thing.

BM: First time we realized we were doing a good job was when two years ago Jordan was at a friend’s house and he was fasting for something; I forget why. But he was reading his bible and praying every day. Even at his friend’s house. His friend asked what he was doing and he actually led his friend through the devotions, through the prayer, and that’s when I was like “yes, we are succeeding!” Because he’s at a sleepover still sticking to his fast, still sticking to his devotions.

And then when he’s questioned about it, instead of shutting down, he was able to talk to his friend about it. That made me feel so good as a father.

He’s not doing it because we’re making him and he’s doing this in other places.

AM: Sometimes as a parent you have this big checklist and you are constantly fussing at [your kids] to make sure they are on the right path. But then you realize that they are getting it and that

F A M I L Y

F E A T U R E

enjoy doing it. Is it perfect all the time, no. But we enjoy it and we are doing it to serve the Lord. And she sees her big brother in the classroom with her so she gets to see him teaching and praying for other kids. So we are definitely grateful to God for the opportunities.

[their faith] is something that is growing within them.

OM: You both serve on numerous ministries at your church. Tell us more about the areas where you serve and why this is important to you both.

BM: We are on the leadership team [of our church], which is equivalent to being a deacon or deaconess. A lot of times we just serve where our pastors ask us to. Ashley is on the Board of Directors, which is pretty awesome. She beat me out of that role. I’m a little salty (laughs). Our pastor came up to me and said “well you know Brian, it came down to you and Ashley.” And I was like, “oh you didn’t have to tell me that she beat me” (laughs). So a lot of the time they may call us to lead prayer or we’ll do premarital counseling for couples. It’s just whatever they ask and we are just happy to serve. For me it’s very important that my children see a black man love Jesus, and who’s willing to worship and lead his family. So wherever our pastors ask us to serve, we jump at that.

It’s even a reminder of what we are doing [as a family] - Jordan wants to serve, he likes to serve. The children’s ministry grandfathered him in - he was too young to serve at one point - but because he had such a big heart for serving, they bent the rules for him. So he’s been serving in the kids’ ministry since 11 years old. You have to be 12.

He’s a leader and a lot of kids look up to him and look to him for guidance. And Brianna the same thing. She’s not leading by title, but a lot of kids look to her as already a leader, [because] of her character and drive.

AM: And I’m really excited that she sees her whole family serving; it’s a lifestyle for us. And we

BM: And I think this being a lifestyle makes it so easy for us. I tell people that there really isn’t an on or off switch for us. We really do incorporate God in everything that we do. It’s not like [our kids] see us go back and forth. From the music, to the shows we watch, to the games we play, literally everything we do in life is centered around God. On Saturday nights, there’s no “are we going to church.” Sunday is church; Monday is small groups for me; Tuesday is small groups for Ashley; Wednesday is church for Jordan - they just know that this is what we have to do every day of the week. [Our faith] is really a part of our core life.

Talking to God, being with Him, and we make sure [our kids] actually enjoy it. Our church’s youth department is really awesome and our kids love being there. And that makes it easy for us as well.

AM: Specifically, what we do for the church as far as title, we’re the small groups campus directors.

Our church has three campuses and we’re the directors for the Manassas campus. Small groups for us is like a bible study group. And as long as you are talking about the Word of God and Jesus is invited into what you are doing, we have a free market system where people can do different activities, talk about Jesus and do this Christian life together. We’re responsible for training the leaders that are leading the groups to make sure that first they have their personal relationship with Christ; that they are in line with the Word of God; that they line up with the vision and mission of the church; and that they are healthy leaders as well and have what they need. And we do training and answer questions on Sundays if people want to know how they can get “plugged in” to the church.

OM: How have you and your family been able to stay connected with your church and small groups during the pandemic? And what advice might you have for those who feel disconnected during this time?

AM: We went completely virtual this time last year. All of our Sunday morning worship services were online, via Facebook and YouTube. We also used Facebook live for daily interactive prayer - an opportunity for our church family to pray together and encourage each other throughout the quarantine.

F A M I L Y

We also pushed virtual small groups, which we were able to jump on quickly. I’m really proud of this because one of my friends was the first person to actually have a virtual small group - having started it in 2018. I was the one that encouraged her to do it and keep up with it and make sure she documented it in our system. And I knew [the church] could do this because it was already being done.

Not only that, our church had “live link’’ which is a system to connect all three campuses.

We all needed to make sure we had the same culture, the same way of doing things, have the same message and of course we’re all serving the same God. So we started using this technology and people started getting used to that in 2019.

So when the pandemic happened and I was to be on the board [of directors], effective that year, [virtual small groups] was one of the things we talked about. We were ready to go; we already had this. God really prepared us “for such a time as this” (Est. 4:14) to minister to the community.

That’s what we did to encourage people to stay connected. Now, people make their choices.

There were some people who completely disconnected but the opportunity was there. And lastly I would say, think outside the box.

BM: I was going to say the same thing! (laughs).

Get creative. For one of our small groups, since we couldn’t get together, we met in a parking lot.

We all brought our lawn chairs, some sat in the trunk of their car and we were about eight feet apart and talked. We’ve done drive-by birthdays.

Try writing somebody a letter. Go back to how we did life pre-social media. But get creative.

Go outside and speak to someone through their screen door. You have to be creative and it has to be in your heart, but you are able to connect with people during this pandemic.

And as far as advice, I tell people you have to be friendly in order to have friends. Reach out; make those phone calls; start that text chain. God calls for us to hold each other accountable. I’m part of two text chains with about 12 men. And we do roll call about once a week. If we haven’t heard from everybody, we ask what’s going on. How can I pray for you? What are you struggling with? Just ask that question. Or do a virtual bible study. We have to first be friendly in order to stay connected.

It calls for the real leaders to reach out, make those phone calls….

AM: ...and follow through.

F E A T U R E

BM: Reach out to people; call them. They want to hear your voice. They really do.

OM: And lastly, what are some important lessons you hope your children will learn as they grow older?

BM: That they will continue to keep God close to them. That it will be easy for them to forgive. And to be loving and compassionate. I believe with those values they can accomplish so much more in life. Anybody can go to school to be a lawyer, a doctor or a basketball player; but if you are not a nice person, if you don’t know God, if you don’t love Him, if you are not able to seek Him out in the middle of the storm, you won’t make it far in life.

We both want them to always go to God first, not go to a bottle; not go to a friend. But to seek Him out first - even before they come to us.

AM: And to walk in the boldness and authority that God blessed them with. And be who God created them to be, because there’s nobody else like them. Don’t be ashamed and don’t be scared, because God created them to be just who they are. -OM

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J O Y

It’s the beginning of April, and spring has finally arrived. The change in weather ushers in feelings of hope and renewal, happiness and joy. There’s a certain sense of optimism that the sun and warm weather can provide. Unfortunately, the winter often hardens us, as it keeps us wrapped up inside.

However, when we see flowers begin to bud up and bloom, when we see grass turn from a dull brown to a bright green, it reminds us that we too can start over, just like nature does every year. As we take a step back and look at how life changed a year ago, it causes us to reflect. For most of us, we transitioned to working from home, sports came to a screeching halt, and birthday celebrations, weddings and funerals were dramatically altered; even simple trips to the grocery store were no longer the same.

Along with the global pandemic, we faced challenges with the continual rise of racial injustice, the divisiveness of political ideology, and many of us endured personal hardships. But during those times, are we finding ways to maintain a state of joy?

Much like the winter, the pandemic hardened us. Inevitably we know there’s an end in sight with winter, and slowly but surely, I

am hopeful we are starting to see a return to normalcy regarding the pandemic. This hopefulness can absolutely bring us joy.

Joy is all around us, but during those aforementioned times of uncertainty, stress and heartache, it may seem unachievable.

Some people often use the terms happiness and joy interchangeably; yet I believe there is a vast difference in their meanings. Both cause a similar pleasant emotional response, but happiness seems to rely entirely upon circumstance. As soon as difficulty arises and pain intrudes, a person ceases to be happy.

On the other hand, joy is a gift from God that enables believers and earnest followers to find hope and peace—even when life seemingly falls apart. So again, I ask the question, are we maintaining a state of joy? And how can we maintain joy despite what life throws our way?

Joy is a gift from God and a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV claims that “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Joy is what we have been given. Further, all things can be endured because God is with us. This is an unshakable belief that we can have as Christians. At times, however, some Christians live joylessly.

Sinful behavior is one simple reason. But there can be other causes, too, including regret about past failures, fear of future mishaps, or a pattern of discontentment. In a unique manner, Christians should remember that Jesus is behind the wheel. The following quotes in the Bible help steer me when life’s burdens bring me down, so perhaps they too will bring you joy:

J O Y

If you are a follower of Jesus but lack eternal and steadfast joy, take a moment to remember who Christ is—and who you are in Him. To begin with, you are saved eternally, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The love of our almighty God is unconditional, and His unwavering Spirit will never abandon you. He understands everything that you face and promises to provide for your needs.

When you stop to consider the amazing blessings that are yours in Christ, gratitude will likely overwhelm you. Sadness concerning circumstances may still endure, but the joy of the Lord will carry you through even the deepest pain. Amid the ups and downs of life, does God’s joy sustain you? Or do trials leave you hopeless and discontented? Our Father offers a higher way of living—not without pain, but with strength to endure and ultimately to live joyfully. Continually remember the vast treasure you have in Him and His promises.

To love and believe in God, and to know that He is in control should allow you to maintain a state of joy during the coldest winters, or even during a global pandemic.

FAITH over FEAR!

F A I T H

Have you

ever had a desire or dream to do something?

Something different, something out of your comfort zone?

Perhaps you felt and sensed the spirit of God nudging you, but you were just too afraid to move. I’ve been there and at times, I’m still there.

I’ve always had a desire to write. Yet, I don’t have an English degree and I didn’t even believe I was articulate enough, or that anyone would want to read what I had to say. But God placed something in me way before I realized it.

I remember my first book, “Going to the Circus,” that I wrote in the first grade. The teacher had it bound and there was a section in the back entitled “About the Author” along with my picture.

I was so pleased with my work. However, as years passed life took its course. That desire to write slowly faded out of sight and was buried underneath a career, dirty diapers, temper tantrums, dirty dishes, mountains of laundry and whatever else was thrown my way. But God, being faithful as He is, rekindled the flame of writing at the beginning of 2020.

Stepping out into the unknown can be frightening. It can and will stir up the emotions of anxiety, doubt, and fear, not to mention those all too familiar “what if” questions: What if I fail?

What if I am not good enough, educated enough, or pretty enough? However, I would like to pose a

different what if. What IF you and I let our faith arise over the what ifs of anxiety, doubt, and fear?

But first, what is faith and why do we need it? The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 HCSB, Remember that nudge from God, that dream or desire placed on your heart?

Maybe it was to start a nonprofit business or write a book. Whatever it may be, faith is required to make it happen. Faith is an action verb, meaning that it is a word that expresses some sort of action or follow through on our part.

We need to let faith arise since the Bible declares in Hebrews 11:6 HCSB that In other words, it pleases God when we believe in and on Him. This scripture continues by saying, The latter half of this verse tells us we need to put our faith into action by drawing near to God, believing He exists and seek Him. Well, where and how do we begin to grow in faith? Thankfully, Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 NKJV The more we listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached, read and study the Word ourselves, and pray, the more our faith will arise. As we are strengthened, our confidence grows exceedingly. Matthew 14:25-29 HCSB details a familiar story requiring faith and confidence:

F A I T H

Notice that the very disciples that Jesus handpicked were terrified and afraid. Yet Jesus offers the comforting words of, “Don’t be afraid.”

Further, notice that Peter displayed great faith even though he was fearful. He put his trust in Jesus by asking Him to command that he come.

This should encourage us. The Lord is saying, “Come!” We should not be afraid to take that step of faith and get out of our boats of anxiety,

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With over 19 years of experience as a Soccer Coach, Michael Shamberger 1s encouraging and scripture rich book uses the game he loves to help people grow in

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M A G A Z I N E O U T P O U R | 2 6 P A G E

We sat down with Pastors Whitman and Ressie Toland of the Church on 68 in Greensboro, NC. They talk about their church, the call of God on their ministry and how believers can live a Holy Spirit filled life.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE TOLAND FAMILY

P A S T O R

Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves and your ministry.

Whitman Toland: We planted our church 21 years ago in November 1999. We are the first church plant from the Rock Church in Asheville, NC, where we served on church staff right at ten years, with Pastor Kirk and Suzette Bowman. We planted from there and were sent from [the church] - we did not split from there; and having served them for ten years, really by God’s design, set us up to be a son and daughter [that was] sent 21 years ago to Greensboro, NC. Ressie Toland: We still have such a great relationship with our Pastors there [at the Rock Church]. One of the things that is important to know is that they recognized the call of God on our lives through relationship; so in some sense it was a very organic discovery. It wasn’t like we started attending church and then were seeking a position.

Really through relationship we developed a heart to serve them and also to serve in the house of God anyway we could. We did that by taking care of their children, cleaning the bathrooms, serving in kids ministry - really anything we could possibly do to make things flow and make their job easier. And we didn’t do it in hopes to gain any sort of position.

Honestly, we would have been happy to stay [at the Rock Church] and continue to serve them, all of our lives (laughs).

OM: Please talk more about “the call” and serving in ministry.

WT: Jesus said that He didn’t come to be served but to serve (Matt. 20:28). I have this thing brewing in my heart - whatever we’ve learned in the past 30 years, to develop a church planters curriculum for some impartation - not just information on how you grow an organization. The reality is that ministry is an overflow of our relationship with God, with the heart and attitude of serving the purpose of God, instead of serving the man or woman of God; [rather] we find ourselves carrying that heart of service. Pastor [Kirk] at one point had given me a gift - a book by George Barna - and it was very encouraging. He said “thank you for forcing me into spiritual fatherhood.” Again, this was out of relationship and wanting to make their life and call easier.

RT: Both Pastor Kirk and Suzette showed us that more is caught than taught. It may surprise readers but we do not have your typical formal training because we really were trained under their leadership. Again, it was the recognition of the call of God on our lives. It doesn’t discount formal training; but it is important to recognize that you can have a lot of head knowledge, but if there’s not a

S P O T L I G H T

call, there won’t be the accompanying grace.

You can have a lot of head knowledge and go out there [in the world] and think oh my goodness, now I’m squandering. But when you are confident that God’s called you to a thing, when the weather is stormy, you can find your footing in that and totally lean on God and not just on what I know about Him. It’s a real life flow.

Additionally, we have always had [our pastors] as a bit of a safety net. We were given instruction early on not to go too far away from where people that do love us could help if they need to, so we weren’t just going to be thrown into the deep end and expected to make it.

WT: To touch on what Ressie said, you have a lot of folks that have a gift, have personality, and can do well in front of people. But I think what sustains you is a profound sense of calling. And again, that calling was recognized by somebody else, that comes through relationship. I think it’s really through relationship that you can discern calls and placement. Even thinking about the scripture in Ephesians 4:11-12, the five-fold ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints; one of those words for “perfecting” actually means “placement.” Almost like a puzzle piece. And today we aren’t very placeable.

[People are like] “you aren’t the boss of me; you can’t tell me what to do.” And I’m very grateful that we didn’t know so much that we were bucking [our pastors’] authority.

Rather, we just submitted to their authority and allowed them to place us, in the context of the Rock Church. And then sending us has been very helpful.

OM: I love how you mention that your church “is a group of people actively chasing God.” What does that mean, to actively chase God? WT: God is quite findable. And instead of chasing Him, it’s ridding ourselves of all the things that present themselves as distractions, even good things and having a keen sense of awareness of His nearness.

Also creating a place at 68 where we feel this profound sense of responsibility where both God and people are welcome. We’ve just found that when we give God space, it becomes a safe place for people to come and experience [Him]. Folks walk in the door and are like, “what is this? what’s the catch?” Because we’re not trying to build on clever ministries or dynamic personality and preaching, or programs that cater to the needs of people. We’re just giving God space to be God. And it’s free from a lot of the trappings in religious circles [where] sometimes we lose God but gain the approval of man.

P A S T O R

S P O T L I G H T

RT: It helps us to create, what we say, a space for God to do what only God can do.

So in some sense it takes eyes off of our human abilities, because again, when we show up, there’s a work being done in all of us. It doesn’t separate us just because we are leaders; it doesn’t separate us from our dependence on God - on a minute by minute basis. There’s sometimes a mindset that because you are a pastor or leader in a church, that you have all the answers or can solve everything. Our job is to point you [to Jesus] and for us to keep our eyes on Him. We’re not the fixers. And I think this levels the playing field so that when you are in the presence of God, there is a work that is continuing in all of us.

WT: I’ve got a friend whose bishop told him that as the man of God, his people never need to see him sweat. And I’m thinking, how dangerous is that. That leads to pretense and idolatry. We need to model our dependence on the Lord, so people can see that we’re people too. It doesn’t take away from our responsibility or position of authority. But we try to be intentional of letting folks see our humanity and see our dependence on God. Showing that if we need to depend on God, then they can as well.

OM: You write and sing your own worship songs. Talk a little bit more about that and the importance of worship.

RT: We spent a lot of years singing other [churches’] songs, before writing [our own].

Another cultural influence that the church has picked up is a bit of a cookie cutter mentality. This idea that if this church does it and they’re succeeding, then we should pick that up and do the exact same thing.

And we tried to do that in some sense with certain worship songs and it was like a glove that didn’t fit. There was a little bit of awkwardness and unsettledness. And so we just stayed before the Lord in prayer, asking “what’s the sound of our house supposed to be?” We were prophesied early on that there would be a unique sound for the Church on 68 - that it would go out from here and touch the world. And so we just picked that up, and said, “ok God, what does that sound like?

How do you want us to represent [You]?”

And we had no idea that our son would be an answer to that prayer. Honestly. We did not know he could sing (laughs). When you realize that God does give gifts - our sons are perfect examples of that. Our one son leads worship and he just stepped up in obedience.

He taught himself to play the guitar and another son taught himself to play the drums.

And honestly it’s mindblowing that they were some of the answers to that prayer. I’m actually thankful we didn’t know that because

it kept us, as parents, from misplacing that expectation and let them discover God’s gifts [for them]. It was very organic and such a purity really in how it began to happen.

WT: It’s almost like [singing other songs] didn’t match our call. We’ve been very fortunate in that God has been very generous in letting us know what our particular assignment is and it’s a lot more narrow than being all things for all people. So I think there is an apostolic grace - which simply means “sent one” - but there really is a breakthrough grace on our church. So instead of creating an environment where me and Jesus can have this worship - it makes me think about Isaiah where there should be no end to His increase, government, rule or authority (Is. 9:7). Even the songs being written are more kingdom advancement than just me and Jesus having a good touch or an emotionally driven experience. And sometimes [our call] can be misunderstood, where we’ve tried other people’s songs and it just fell flat. [And] we’ve invited creative musicians that are not free to be creative [in church] as part of our call and desire to see musicians and songwriters come back to church. We’re getting recovering church people.

RT: We know that “vision” is restraint of focus. So part of realizing and acknowledging the call on our house has also ushered in a bit of freedom for us to do this and not a lot of other things. One of our strengths and what makes us unique is that though we may sing the same song two weeks in a row, because we are giving God space - even in our worship - there will be something [new], as God’s Word tells us His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23). We come into the house of God expecting things not to be like they were yesterday; it will contain something fresh so there may be a little bit of difference, even with the same song. And we do that really in our services. We have an overarching schedule, but that is also subject to the leading of the Lord and the Holy Spirit.

If He decides to direct us in a different way, then the schedule is tossed out for the day.

OM: Talk about the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit and how believers can live a Holy Spirit-filled life today.

P A S T O R

WT: It’s recognizing our absolute need for Him. When there’s no recognition that we need the power of God, then there’s no dependence on Him. And I think we’ve grown very self-reliant, very natural in our approach to things. But when you think about Mark 16:17 - “these signs shall follow those who believe.” I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of signs following believers [today], that I see in our culture. Now overseas, people recognize that my life is in jeopardy for being a Christian and they really do need to rely on the power of God. I think we’ve reduced [our] reliance on Him to an idea or a concept only in crisis. And yet if you look around, we’re in crisis. And without the Lord helping us to see our need for Him, we’re just going to walk around really prideful, thinking we can manage our own lives.

RT: The Word tells us that God in His generosity left us the helper and that’s the Holy Spirit. I can’t imagine my life without His help (laughs). God gives us our basic equipment - ears to hear and eyes to see.

Our hope and our instruction to our folks is that we would live open and that every day be available to say “God, what’s the assignment that you would have for me today?” And I think about the church, the body functioning - I cannot imagine not following the nudges of the Holy Spirit, whether it’s to reach out to text someone or pay for someone’s groceries in front of you.

He’s constantly communicating. We know that God cannot accomplish His will in the earth without willing hands and feet. So it’s living open and attentive.

And when you think about prayer, which is part of our life as believers, we will all get to a point when we are like, we don’t know what to pray or how to pray about that. And the Holy Spirit is our helper. He can give us wisdom that we would never in our limited mind be able to sort out. Or circumstances will overwhelm us and He’s like, look, this is how you pray about this.

Life would be so empty without His help.

OM: We are called to be salt and light in this world. How have Christians perhaps lost their saltiness and how can they regain it?

WT: I think we’ve lost some of our saltiness because of the adoption of cultural values.

I had one of my guys preach for me and I was sitting in the front row. And he was talking about when the children of Israel were told to drive out the Canaanites and they decided in their own wisdom not to drive everyone out but to make them their

S P O T L I G H T

slaves (see Joshua 16 & 17). That certainly seems like a good idea. But the children of Israel just ended up picking up all the cultural values of that which they had embraced.

I made a statement the other day that “God is not an American.”

OM: Yes! Say that again!

WT: We have preached that [America] is the center. Even business success - the more people you’ve got, means you’re successful. And the church has started grading its success, comparing ourselves with ourselves, [which] the bible says is sin, [and] means that we’ve missed the mark.

So you are either going to be prideful, that you have more numbers than someone else, or you are going to be discouraged and like Ressie said, copy what they do to get results. So again, [the church’s] measurement for success has come from an American business model - how do we get more customers. And we are catering to customers rather than equipping saints for kingdom advancement.

RT: The two things that come to mind is conformity and neglect. I think we have conformed to not just worldly [ideals] but to satisfying our souls. We’ve lived out of a very soulless place because we want things to be fun and convenient. And we forget things like we sacrifice to follow Jesus.

And I think we’ve neglected the Word of God. We’re so busy all the time and neglect time spent in the Word. God’s Word is alive and active. And if we’re never going there for how to live….the Word tells us that He will teach us His ways and show us how to live. Wisdom is learning how to live and navigate every circumstance you find yourself in. And it’s coupled with prayer. We have adopted a bit of a mindset that we can separate God from His Word and we can separate Him from His church and they’re all together. And we forget to stream to the house, because other things are important.

I remember one time when one of our boys

P A S T O R

S P O T L I G H T

was offered an opportunity to play on a traveling basketball team. We decided that our family would all be in the house of God on a Sunday morning. And if [basketball] interfered, it meant that wasn’t going to fit for us in that season.

WT: And there’s grace for that. That doesn’t mean that you can’t miss [church]. But we just determined that we weren’t going to build in our schedule Sunday basketball travel.

RT: And it taught our sons that one, God would honor our decision to choose to build His house. That He would begin to pour out His favor and blessing on us. Rather than us pursuing our [own] thing. I just think it’s so important to teach the next generation how to honor God with our lives, and that means saying no to some things and saying yes to a lot of things.

WT: Paul says that you have a lot of teachers but not many fathers (1 Cor. 4:15).

And I think the curse of fatherlessness is evident not only in the church but in our culture. And [parenting is] our job, even still. Our youngest is 18 and a couple of weeks ago he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t let him go to a particular friend’s house who we’d never met. And he was like “you never let me do anything.” But [Ressie and I] have to give an account for him. And we are open to communicating that with him, because he’s going to be a dad one day. So we have been very fortunate and as Ressie’s said, God in His wisdom in giving us four sons...which by the way we just had our first grandson!

OM: Oh wow! Congratulations! That is a perfect transition to talk about family.

Especially doing ministry with family. Can you talk about that commitment and even some of the highs and lows of doing ministry with family?

WT: Early on we saw other families and their commitment in ministry. The call isn’t just on me and Ressie; it’s actually on our family.

We help our sons understand that they didn’t choose this; God in His infinite wisdom did.

And honestly, we wouldn’t put ministry on anybody - the highs and lows of ministry, the misunderstandings and pressures - we wouldn’t want that on our sons. But I think for us, helping them to understand prioritizing God’s house, they [in turn] woke up to the call of God that’s on their lives. We’ve not put pressure on our children to be anything. In fact, the “preacher’s kids” syndrome where your kids have to perform at a certain level, is why they

freak out when they get away from family. So we’ve created a safe space for them to discover themselves and how God has created them.

RT: And I think this [space] has been filled with so much grace. We want them to understand that even though the call of God is on our family, they can’t ride on the coattails of anything that we’ve done. At some point, they have to make their own decision to follow God. It’s easy for folks to look at our family and think we’ve kept them in this nucleus.

But one of the things we have done is that we’ve trained them to hear the voice of God. We have nudged them to find out what God is saying. And we have tried to walk [life] out uniquely with each of them, with their gifts and their calling as individuals. And even as we have added daughters to our family [through marriage to our sons], we see that our sons have responded to the call - not just to us as mom and dad saying we want you here.

WT: My first ministry is to God, then to my wife.

I could have all the things in the world and travel and be in every magazine; but if I lose her, in God’s eyes, I lose. Then to our children.

That is helping to reestablish proper order biblical order- that’s going to affect generations to come. We both came from broken families, with no real born-again spirit led anything. And

by God’s grace, He’s doing something in us.

RT: One of our real values as a family is that we honor one another. Whitman has done such a great job of loving our family, and loving me so well. He has been an example as he’s sought God and stayed in such a strong relationship with the Lord that he’s been able to lead our family well. But we’re not perfect, even in our parenting. We say we’re sorry; we repent; we’re forgiven; and now we’re good. Again, we want our lives to honor Him. -OM

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T H E O L O G Y

When I was a little girl in church, there was a part of the service that we called “Testimony Service.” During Testimony Service, anyone in the sanctuary could stand up and testify about how good God had been to them. I remember there was one particular church mother that always stood to testify.

She would begin her testimony with, “First giving honor to God who is the head of my life...” She would then, end her testimony with, “God is great, and there is nobody great, but God!” To me, that was simply the way she testified.

As I grew older and began to experience God for myself, I realized that the words of the church mother’s testimony were more than an opening and closing statement.

Her words articulated how she felt about God. Her words conveyed what she knew about God. Her words were an offering of praise unto God. Praise is the way we express our thanks and gratitude to God. It is humble recognition of the one, true living King. There are endless reasons to praise God! His goodness never stops (Psalm 23:6). His mercy is new

every day (Lam. 3:22-23). He is faithful and dependable (Num. 23:19). He is our provider (Phil. 4:19). He is our protector (Psalm 91).

He is our comforter (Matt. 5:4). He cares about what we care about (1 Peter 5:7), and He is wise (Prov. 2:6; Rom. 11:33). If these characteristics do not move you, consider that God is worthy to be praised because He is our creator and He made us for Himself (Col. 1:16).

Revelations 4:11 ESV says, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Our praise should be unlimited and unwavering for our God, who has accomplished countless and mighty acts!

When we praise, we are boasting about God’s goodness, acknowledging His greatness, and recognizing the magnitude of His character. Praise brings us to a humble place of reverence and worship to the One who created us (Psalm 95:2-3). Perhaps the greatest love story is of God sacrificing His only Son so that you and I would have eternal life. That alone justifies heartfelt praise from His creation. Psalm 150:3-5 NASB is a magnificent scripture which instructs us to praise with instruments: “Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals.” Even if many of us may not be instrumentally inclined, 2 Chronicles 5:12-14 encourages us to

T H E O L O G Y

praise collectively with our voices in a beautiful chorus of words of affection, admiration and adoration that will touch God and cause His presence to rest heavily on us.

Although praise is from us to God, we also receive blessings as a result of our praises unto Him. When we praise God, we can expect victory! In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat received word that war was imminent against him and the people of Judah. He prayed and reminded God of His past actions of protection and asked God for wisdom in his current situation. When we have a relationship with God, we can give our cares to Him and expect Him to respond.

I want to encourage you to praise God more than you normally do. Too often we wait for God to provide a specific blessing or answer a specific prayer before we give Him the praise that is due. Praise should be proactive, not reactive. Whether you recognize it or not, you are already blessed!

Take a look around at all that you have. Think about what God has already done. Recount the prayers that have already been answered.

You will see that God is good and currently

deserves your praise. Psalm 100:5 says, “For the LORD is good; His loving kindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” Make praise a priority, a habit, and a lifestyle. God is certainly worthy of it!

“Praise is the way we express our thanks and gratitude to God. It is humble recognition of the one, true living King.”

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