Southeast Christian NEXT Magazine | September 2018

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SEPTEMBER 2018

SOU T HE A S T CHRIS T IAN.ORG

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CONTENTS GROW

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SEPTEMBER 2018

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ISSUE 23

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OUR CAMPUSES

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

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LIFE @ SOUTHE AST

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QUICK QUESTION

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THE PULPIT

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SERVE WITH US

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WHEN I GROW UP

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FROM GROWING TO GOING

PAG E

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F R O M GR OWI NG TO G OI NG

Not every child’s s tory begins w it h a lov ing famil y. Could G od be cal l ing you to turn someone’s s tory around?

A s Jesus beckons us for ward in grea ter sacrif ice, He proves Himsel f to be wor t hy of grea ter dependence and t rus t .

M os t of our spiritual development happens t hrough per sonal rela t ionships. Don’t go it alone!

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PUT ON THE NE W

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AT HOME

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M I S S I O N S I N M I N D

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ON MY HE ART

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GE T EQUIPPED

In this magazine, hear the hear tbeat of Southeas t Chris tian Church and discover where you belong in our mission of connec ting people to Jesus and one another.

If you want to grow in your rela t ionship w it h Chris t , you mus t be w il l ing to gi ve your sel f a way.

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W H AT ’ S Y O U R S ?

We’re meant not onl y to ex perience G od’s love for our selves, bu t al so to ex tend it to ot her s.

1 8 » W H O ’ S Y O U R P A U L ?

WHO’S YOUR TIMOTHY ?

W E A L L H AV E A N E X T S T E P T O TA K E I N O U R WA L K W I T H J E S U S .

James H auser ref lec t s on how we can reach our neighbor s and build community t hrough FamilyPalooza.

Jesus has l ibera ted us from sin’s ensla v ing power.

So, w hy do we of ten l i ve l ike we’ve never been freed?

Hel p your kids to grow in t heir fait h using t hese tool s from our Children’s and Nex t G en Minis t ries.

G od is using Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center to t rans form a community, one p a t ient a t a t ime.

Somet imes, it ’s t he l it t le t hings t ha t make a marriage f lourish.

A ll S cr ip tur e quo t a t ions in t his public a t ion , unle s s o t her w ise indic a t ed , ar e f r om t he HOLY B IB L E , NE W IN T E R N AT ION A L V E R SION ® NI V® Copyright © 197 3, 1978, 198 4 , 201 1 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission. A ll rights reser ved worldwide.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

OUR CAMPUSES BL A NK ENB A K ER C A MPUS

920 Blankenbaker Parkway Louisville, KY 40243 • 502.253.8000

INDI A N A C A MPUS

1309 Charlestown New Albany Road Jeffersonville, IN 47 130 • 812.704.1951

CRE S T WOOD C A MPUS

6201 Crestwood Station Crestwood, KY 40014 • 502.873.1100

SOUTHWE S T C A MPUS

8301 Saint Andrews Church Road Louisville, KY 40258 • 502.614.1500

L A GR A NGE C A MPUS

410 South 1st Street La Grange, KY 40031 • 502.614.1200

The Gospel Is Our Growth A

fter Jesus shared one final meal with His disciples, the men who had followed after Him for three years and learned from Him directly, Christ prepared them for the challenges ahead by painting a picture of a grapevine. “I am the vine; you are the branches,” He said. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) The disciples had seen Jesus heal the sick with a word, cure lepers with a touch, and raise the dead to life. More astonishing still, they listened as this Man promised the forgiveness of sin—something God alone can do. Now, their Master was bracing them for His greatest work of all. Jesus, the vine of life, was nailed to a lifeless tree, bearing sin’s curse of spiritual death in their place and ours.

Before we come to faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we’re like a dry, old shrub in the desert dunes

W H AT I S T H E G O S P E L ?

EL IZ A BE THT OWN C A MPUS

600 North Dixie Avenue Elizabethtown, KY 42701 • 270.506.4630

GOD God is the only sovereign, wise, and good Creator of all things, who reigns as King over all creation for His own glory.

ROMANS 11:33-36

Visit southeastchristian.org for more information.

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(Jeremiah 17:5-6), far from the life-giving water of our Creator’s presence. All of us are dead in the wilderness of sin until God draws our panting souls to the cross. There we hear the Savior say, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) From the moment we receive His gift of forgiveness, Christ’s living water flows into us, welling up into eternal life (John 4:14). He tears us free from sin’s choking thorns and grafts us into a new life of freedom, joy, and spiritual vitality as the redeemed people of God (Romans 11:23-24).

Through faith in His sacrifice we are made right with God, and as our faith flourishes we become more like God with right loves, right desires, and a right heart set on worship. Only by the Gospel are we saved, and only through the Gospel do we grow.

This good news of salvation, called the Gospel, is so much more than the starting point of our Christian lives. The Gospel is the sum and substance of who we are as Christians, because the cross is Christ’s way of transforming us from beginning to end.

Every disciple of Jesus is either growing or wilting. At Southeast, we want everyone in our church family to be rooted in the sacred soil of Jesus’ sacrifice, thriving under the light of our Father’s love, and seeing fruit form in us by the patient watering of His Spirit.

As well-nourished branches, we want to be people who are developing in love, wisdom, and faith-driven obedience, giving ourselves to the service of others and laying down our lives to make our Savior known. Jesus is our strength, our identity, and our everdeepening delight. We were created by Him

MAN

CHRIS T

Human beings were made in God’s image to love and worship Him forever. But ever since Adam first rebelled against God, we have all been lost in sin, under God’s judgment, and unable to save ourselves.

and for Him (Colossians 1:16). It’s time to live that way.

As we seek Jesus diligently in His Word and call upon Him desperately in prayer, He will grow us into His likeness and fit us for His service. Just as He told His first followers, so our Lord says to us today: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

RE SPONSE

Out of undeserved love and grace, God sent His only Son to save us from sin and reconcile us to Himself through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

God offers us His gift of salvation by grace, which we receive through faith in Jesus. He makes us new, calls us to leave sin behind, and invites us to join His work in the world.

JOHN 3:16

EPHESIANS 2:8-10

ROMANS 3:23

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LIFE AT SOUTHEAST

The Missions Ministry hosted a Short-Term Mission Trip Celebration in honor of this year’s trips within the U.S. and around the world.

“The worst thing would be if you spent your life trying to outrun God when He’s really trying to chase you to give you what you could never afford.” @KyleIdleman

Camp Freedom was a fun-filled weekend for campers with disabilities and the volunteers who served them.

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/southeastchrist @southeastchrist @southeastchrist southeastchristian.org

Participants in a Real Women Bible study gathered to explore Scripture, learn, and grow together.

Through Southeast’s Basic Needs Drive at all campuses, we provided pallets of school supplies all across Kentuckiana.

Hundreds of SE!Kids students and volunteers enjoyed a life-changing camp experience at Country Lake.

“God never wastes a hurt.” @DaveStone920 A Southeast team visited our Mission Partner, 20 Schemes, to support and encourage their ministry of revitalizing churches in Scotland.

SOUTHEASTCHRISTIAN.ORG

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QUICK QUESTION B rief c o n ve r s ati o n s w i th our lea der s

An Interview with Southwest Campus Pastor James Hauser on FamilyPalooza

What is FamilyPalooza?

It’s a huge, annual outreach event held at some of Southeast’s campuses on Labor Day. This year, it’ll be at the Blankenbaker, Crestwood, and Southwest Campuses from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 3.

What was it like the first year the Southwest Campus did FamilyPalooza?

The year we launched, we wanted a way to build excitement. In our community, there aren’t a lot of events like FamilyPalooza. It was something really special for the people around us. We had 4,000 people come to our campus for that first event. Our campus has a really good layout to be able to host FamilyPalooza because we have the parking space and the event space, so it worked out well for us to host.

The event created a lot of excitement for our volunteers, who were able to serve all together from every ministry area for the first 6

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time. It takes a huge amount of volunteers to put on FamilyPalooza, and it was a really neat first-serve opportunity for us. It was the first major opportunity for all of us to serve the community together, and that was really special and exciting.

What is one impact of FamilyPalooza that surprised you?

One really cool thing is how it’s affected those who serve. It’s one of the easiest ways to get started, and often after someone serves with FamilyPalooza, they get more involved in serving in other areas. It’s a great way to bond and get connected.

It’s also really fun for a family to serve together. They can run a game or hand out snow cones as a family, and then it’s exciting for kids and their parents. Some of the same families from the church come back to participate every year.

We also partner with the staff from Country Lake. They come out and oversee the food that is served, and we had some people go out

and help build bunk beds at the camp. It’s been a really neat partnership that’s developed over the years through serving together.

How is the Southwest Campus using this event to be intentional in the community?

Before we even start, we gather all the volunteers together for a meeting and we emphasize the relationships. It’s important that the kids get through the lines in an efficient manner, but it’s more important that each family who visits feels loved and valued.

At Southwest, we also host parts of FamilyPalooza in our building.

We have inflatables and games in the parking lot, but we invite people inside, where they can see the building and get familiar with the layout. It’s valuable to us to have families walk inside the doors.

Of course, we’re always looking for ways to be connected with the community outside of the weekend service, and FamilyPalooza offers us a way to do that. It’s a great event and we’ll keep doing it as long as it’s the most effective and beneficial way for us to share God’s love with our part of town.

We make sure there are greeters all over. We want to connect with the families from our community who visit our campus for FamilyPalooza. We intentionally aren’t kicking off our Men’s and Women’s Ministries until right after the event, so there’s a clear next step for involvement immediately following this big outreach.

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THE PULPIT S e r mo n s e r i e s p r e v i e w

SERMON SERIES

Overflow: A Study through 1 Thessalonians

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OVERFLOWING EXPERIENCE September 15/16 • Dave Stone

OVERFLOWING POWER October 6/7 • Kyle Idleman

OVERFLOWING LOVE September 22/23 • Dave Stone

OVERFLOWING CONFIDENCE October 13/14 • Kyle Idleman

OVERFLOWING COMMITMENT September 29/30 • Kyle Idleman

OVERFLOWING PURSUIT October 20/21 • Dave Stone

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OVERFLOW

BY ASHLEY WEECE

M

any of us can think back

temporary news—the Gospel is unending

you don’t know what it looks like to

to a time in our life when

good news! It was good news to the world

be consistently filled to the point

we encountered God in a

back in the First Century, and today this

of overflowing. That’s why we are so

powerful way. Whether it was through a

same news invites us into a life where we

excited about the group study we’ve

song we heard, a word spoken to us, or a

may be consistently filled in a world that

produced to go along with this series.

prayer spoken over us, we left knowing

leaves us empty.

Using the same topics preached on

the powerful love of God.

In the book of 1 Thessalonians, we read

It’s a beautiful thing to be filled in such

about a group of Christians who had

a way that we overflow with His peace,

every reason to feel empty—persecution,

presence, and power. So often, though,

uncertainty, and a new faith with many

we see this as the exception, not the

questions. Yet, regardless of what the

norm. But Jesus hasn’t brought us

world threw their way, these Christians stood strong and overflowed with love for everyone they came in contact with.

Paul wrote to them with this hope in 1 Thessalonians 3:12: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each

the weekend, we have recorded more in-depth teaching videos and created a curriculum to help us understand what it means to live a life filled to overflowing.

Whether you have been in a Home Group before at Southeast, or you’ve been waiting to jump into a group, we encourage you to start with this series!

Visit southeastchristian.org and click EVENTS to find open Home Groups near you.

other and for everyone else, just as ours

Or maybe you would like to open your

does for you.”

home and host a group! If so, we would

Our desire at Southeast Christian Church is that very same thing. We want to be a people so filled with the things of God that His grace overflows to every person that we come in contact with. We believe the love of God is an uncontainable, captivating, unstoppable,

love to equip you with the teaching videos and group curriculum you’ll need for this Overflow study. You can go to southeastchristian.org/EVENTS to sign up to open your home to others, and we’ll make sure you get all the group materials you need!

and overflowing kind of love. But God’s

We firmly believe that God has something

powerful love isn’t just something we

special to teach all of us individually and

were meant to experience—it’s something

collectively through this study. Our hope

we were made to extend to others.

is that you will find a great community at

Maybe you’ve only experienced His love, but never extended it. Or maybe

Southeast, a love for one another as well as for people outside of church, and that your life would grow and overflow.

ASHLEY WEECE Preaching Ministry Assistant

SOUTHEASTCHRISTIAN.ORG

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SERVE WITH US Use y o u r g i ft s t o b l e s s o t h ers

You Can’t Grow Unless You Give Yourself Away

BY STEPHEN PURICELLI

H

ere’s a paradox: In order to be filled, we have to be pouring out. As human beings, we weren’t designed to be in a constant state of

There’s another side to spiritual growth that many of us haven’t tapped into: the giving half, the doing half, the serving half. We won’t know the

have dozens of ways you can serve, both on the weekend and throughout the week—from serving at your campus, to getting involved with one of

consumption. We need to give and to receive— there are blessings to both.

fullness of what God wants for our lives until we are serving. Unless we are connected to a place of spiritual service, we will miss out on one of the key ways God grows us. Serving is another way we grow in our knowledge of Christ and it’s one of the best applications of that knowledge.

our local Mission Partners, to going on a mission trip, and more.

Often, it’s easy to ignore the giving half, the pouring out. Jesus told us it’s better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), but we keep telling ourselves that all we need is more and more.

Spiritually, we can fall into this same trap. It’s tempting to be in a state of only receiving— reading, listening, watching, and consuming the best spiritual content around. Books.

Podcasts. Sermons.

Jesus spent time teaching the 12 disciples, but then He sent them out. There came a place in their spiritual development where they were called to serve, joining in God’s worldwide mission of redemption. The same is true for you and for me.

We all need to go and serve. And at Southeast, we

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT

We would love to have you serve with us. Won’t you consider taking that next step in your growth as a disciple of Christ?

STEPHEN PURICELLI Volunteer Engagement Leader

TAKE ACTION!

THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN GET CONNECTED BY SERVING WITH US:

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Go to southeastchristian.org/SERVE to serve with one of our ministries.

TANK PERCENTIE SOUTHWEST CAMPUS

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Stop by the Connection Center at your campus and ask how you can start serving.

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Fill out a Connection Card, located in the seat-back of every chair in the Sanctuary.

“Serving grows my faith because it keeps my mind occupied

Reach out to Drew in our Missions Ministry at ddavis@secc.org to learn about the ways you can

Ministry, it raises my awareness of how I treat people and

serve in your community and around the world.

view their situations. I believe God allows our paths to cross for a reason, and I’m learning to look for what my contribution should be at each of these crossings.”

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on how I can help others. When I serve with the Disabilities

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Connect with your local Community Pastor at lovewhereuare@secc.org to learn about the ways you can reach your own neighborhood for Christ.

“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.�

M A RK 10: 4 3 - 4 5 NLT

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When I Grow Up: An Adoption Story

By Blaine Hamilton

hen you ask most kids what they want to be when they grow up, you usually get pretty typical answers— doctor, fireman, police officer, basketball star. So when Liam’s fifth grade teacher asked him, she wasn’t expecting his answer.

“When I grow up, I just want a family.”

Liam had lived for years without a family.

When he was six, he came home from school and found his mother unresponsive on her bed. His one-year-old and twoyear-old brother and sister were locked in their bedroom crying. Liam went next door and banged on the neighbor’s door.

An ambulance came and took Liam’s mom to the hospital and a social worker came and took Liam and his siblings to their first foster home.

That night as Liam fell asleep, he was angry.

He was scared. The foster home was fine, but it wasn’t his home and he wanted his mom. Two days later, the social worker came back to the foster home and told Liam that his mother had died. Liam was alone.

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After the weekend, Liam had to start at a new school. Some kids asked him where he moved from, but Liam didn’t know what to say. He just stayed quiet. Eventually, someone asked about his mom and Liam threw his first punch. His foster parents tried to talk to him, but Liam was too mad.

He went to his room and broke a lamp and a closet door.

The fear and rage continued, and after a few days a social worker came to get him.

She took Liam to another foster home by himself, hoping that he would be better off with some individual attention. This only upset Liam more and he broke more things, fought with other kids in the home, and got himself moved again and again. At six, Liam already believed no one could be trusted.

Eventually, Liam’s brother and sister were adopted, while he kept bouncing from place to place. Everyone just saw an angry kid.

No one could see the trauma and fear behind that anger. Liam knew that he wanted a family, but he never thought that would happen for him. A couple of foster parents talked about adopting Liam, but then he would act out and they would change their minds.

“Today in Jefferson County, there are 419 children available for adoption and almost half of them have no adoption plan in place.”

What’s Next?

If you would consider becoming a family for a child awaiting adoption, then join us:

ACT II: Finding Families for Waiting Children Saturday, September 29 • 9:30 a.m.

Blankenbaker Campus Fellowship Hall 2 Hear adoption stories and get all the information you need to take the next steps in turning a child’s story around.

Please visit southeastchristian.org to find more information and register for ACT II.

ACT II Then one day when he was 12, Liam met Matt and Amy. Matt and Amy were a little different. They were older than most of the foster parents he had met. They took him to lunch, but Liam was pretty quiet and withdrawn. Matt and Amy told Liam about their family. They had three kids— one married, one in college, and one was a senior in high school. Their house was now full of empty bedrooms waiting to be filled.

After another lunch, Liam went to spend the night at Matt and Amy’s house. Matt was a die-hard Kentucky fan, but he knew that Liam loved UofL, so he bought a flag and hung it up in Liam’s bedroom.

The next day, his social worker asked him if he would like to go and live with Matt and Amy. Liam didn’t care. To him, it was just another bed, just another foster home. At some point, he would do something wrong and they would send him on his way.

But Matt and Amy never sent him away.

When Liam broke a closet door, Matt showed him how to fix it. When Liam got in a fight at school, Amy picked him up and took him out for ice cream. Liam couldn’t

figure it out. When he asked Amy why she didn’t send him away, she pointed to a print of 1 Corinthians 13:13 on the kitchen wall: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love.”

Amy said, “Liam, I have faith that God can get you through this; I hope that things will get better, but no matter what, I love you.”

Liam certainly didn’t heal overnight, but that moment was powerful. That day, his story changed. What had started as a tragedy became a story of hope and possibility. Matt and Amy gave Liam a second act—an opportunity for his story to turn around. And more importantly, they gave Liam what he really needed: a family.

Every child has a story. Unfortunately, some stories begin as tragedies. Every day, children are abused, neglected, and forgotten. They are living stories of heartache and loneliness. However, their stories are not over. They need someone who will welcome them with open arms and look past the anger and brokenness to see a child who is hurting and lonely. What they need is a family.

Adoption and foster care are certainly not easy, but our walk of faith isn’t always meant to be easy. Is God calling you to a life of faith, hope, and love? Is God calling you to step up and offer a child a second act?

[This is a fictionalized story based on true events.]

419 Children Liam’s story is not uncommon. Today in Jefferson County, there are 419 children available for adoption and almost half of them have no adoption plan in place. They are like Liam, bouncing from place to place, assuming that no one will ever love them.

BLAINE HAMILTON Director of Foster Care & Adoption Ministries

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FROM GROWING TO GOING: A N AT OM Y OF A DISCIPL E

BY CARLA WILLIAMS

hen we surrender our lives to Christ, we begin an epic journey. Each time we pursue Him more deeply, it will come with more sacrifice, more faith, more endurance, and more spiritual growth. Our relationship with Him will involve a lifetime of refinement, and as we trust Him more, He’ll ask us to take greater risks. But ultimately, there’s nothing better than living fully engaged in our ultimate purpose—knowing God and making Him known.

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As believers pursue Christ more deeply, four stages of growth mark our walk with Christ.

EXPLORING Our journey begins when we start to ask important questions: Who is God? What is the church? What does that mean for me?

ENGAGING Once we’ve surrendered our lives to Him, we begin learning what that means for us personally. This is a season for experiencing God through prayer, study of the Bible, community, worship, and service.

EQUIPPING Any mature believer should move into a season of intentionally investing in the development of other believers. We should grow in knowledge, faith, and action not just for ourselves, but to equip others as well.

EXPLORING Eric and Rachel Rolston grew up going to Southeast.

They met in the Middle School Ministry in 6th grade, and participated in Bible Bowl together from 7th-12th grades. After going away to separate colleges, they came right back to Louisville, got married, and jumped into life at Southeast. He was on the Facilities staff with the church. She was teaching math and Latin at a high school, and life was going well.

Following the birth of their second daughter, Rachel recognized that something was off. She was anxious and disconnected from her family. After living with this intensity for a while, she sought Christian counseling for post-partum depression. As she was healing and learning how to move forward, they decided she should stop teaching to stay home with her daughters.

During this season, Rachel discovered that though she’d been a faithful believer her whole life, she had never fully trusted God. He was teaching her during this hardship how to rely on Him completely. She would need that faith again soon.

“IN EACH STEP FORWARD, WHAT SHOULD HAVE SEEMED LIKE A GREATER RISK AND SACRIFICE

EXPANDING Our great privilege as devoted followers of Christ is to see His Kingdom multiply here on earth, as God uses us to make disciples who make disciples.

ACTUALLY BECAME A GREATER TRUST IN GOD.”

Continued on page 16

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From Growing to Going: Anatomy of a Disciple // Continued from page 15

ENGAGING Because Rachel now had more flexibility in her schedule, and in an effort to bring renewed closeness to their marriage after a difficult season, they decided to take the Perspectives class together at Southeast. As they started to learn about God’s heart for the nations, and how many people in the world still have never heard the Gospel, God began to draw them into a much bigger journey than they ever expected.

Neither Eric nor Rachel had seminary degrees or evangelistic training. They didn’t know how to multiply disciples, learn a new language, or raise a family in a foreign culture. But they knew that people were dying every day without ever having access to the Gospel, and they knew that God was asking them to be willing to go. Over the next year, He’d fill in all the details.

Though they had been investing in the growth and discipleship of others for years through Bible Bowl and Bible studies, most of what they had done was with those who were already believers. As they went through Perspectives, they thought more about the imbalance between the resources that go toward established churches and the resources that go toward unchurched places.

They were convicted.

After the Perspectives class, the Rolstons began looking for an agency to equip and send them. They wanted to work with an organization that served in unreached places—areas where less than 2-5% of the population are evangelical Christians. They eventually connected with Team Expansion, which soon resulted in their participation in a six-month immersive disciple-multiplication apprenticeship.

As they began processing what they were learning in Perspectives, Eric and Rachel realized God was asking them to trust Him and take a big step. They needed to be missionaries. For them, the reason was simple: obedience.

Throughout the class, they had prayed that God would draw their hearts into alignment with His heart, and His heart has always been for the redemption of all people. When that was clear, they knew they needed to be willing to go where He led, and trust that He’d use them at home or He’d move them where He wanted them to be. Wherever they ended up, they wanted to be obedient to Him.

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EQUIPPING

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Over the next months, in addition to adding a third daughter to their family, Rachel and Eric lived and served in the Highlands area of Louisville under the direct guidance of experienced disciple-makers. They learned strategies for engaging strangers in spiritual discussions, leading simple and reproducible Bible studies, and empowering new believers to immediately begin connecting others to the hope of the Gospel.

Through their training, they learned how to share their faith and then they practiced it, over and over with a team. It was going to change their approach forever, whether or not God moved them across the world. They had no idea at the time that He was going to move them to Africa.

“ALL OF US SHOULD ACTIVELY GROW DEEPER, FOLLOW CHRIST MORE CLOSELY, AND PURSUE MORE OF HIS KINGDOM EACH DAY.”

E X PA NDING Following their disciple-multiplication immersion experience, Eric and Rachel began conversations with teams in various parts of the world who were implementing disciple-multiplication strategies. They were also praying for an international school for the sustainability of their daughters, and a solid community with other Christians on the field.

God connected them to a team in Tanzania. Dar Es Salaam is a booming city of more than 6 million people. Within the city, all of the unreached people groups of Tanzania are accessible, and there is a team already there actively engaging seekers and new disciples. The Rolstons met with the team, visited Dar Es Salaam, and prayerfully agreed to move there in the Summer of 2018.

Of course, there was still that “small” step of support-raising, which they were slightly apprehensive about. But this was just another way that God showed them that He was enough—He would provide when they were willing to trust Him. And even harder than support-raising was knowing they would be gone from family and friends. Again, they chose to trust God and He was faithful to give them peace.

The Rolstons’ journey to Tanzania required them to walk a long and winding road. God moved them forward one step at a time. They began as participants in church, then took steps toward knowing more, then began inviting others to experience Christ, and are now working toward multiplying the impact of the Gospel among the nations. In each step

forward, what should have seemed like a greater risk and sacrifice actually became a greater trust in God as He provided and walked with them in overwhelming ways. He wanted to accomplish great things, and they just needed to trust Him enough to let Him work.

Your story will not look exactly like Eric and Rachel’s story.

God guides each believer differently, but all of us should actively grow deeper, follow Christ more closely, and pursue more of His Kingdom each day. Where are you in the process? We’d love to help you take the next step, however that might look.

Find ways to grow, learn, and get involved at southeastchristian.org.

CARLA WILLIAMS Story Curator/Writer Communications

SOUTHEASTCHRISTIAN.ORG

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Who’s Your Paul?

Who’s Your Timothy?

Growing alone in your faith is not an option

By Brent Dennison

ave you ever promised yourself that you’re going to get physically fit?

You begin a new diet or workout regimen with great excitement and expectation. However, if you’re like most people, after a few weeks (maybe days!) your initial dedication wanes and you fall back into your same old habits. If we know that regular exercise and a proper diet lead to good health, why do we stop?

I believe the answer for many of us is because we try to do it alone, without any support system.

Unfortunately, the same is often true for our spiritual health. We surrender our life to Jesus, get baptized, and join the church—yet, we struggle to grow in our faith because we don’t have a personal support system. Jesus knew the importance of relationships and that’s why His final words to His disciples were for them to go and make more disciples. (Matthew 28:19) Jesus wanted them to understand that most spiritual growth happens through personal relationships.

In the New Testament, this is demonstrated powerfully through the apostle Paul’s relationship with Timothy. Paul met Timothy on his second missionary journey through the Mediterranean, and he became a spiritual mentor to Timothy.

Timothy accompanied Paul on his journeys and their relationship deepened to the point that Paul called Timothy “my true son in the faith.”

(1 Timothy 1:2) Their relationship provides a blueprint for Christians to follow as we seek to grow in our faith together.

Here are four disciple-making truths we can draw from Paul and Timothy’s relationship: 1. Disciple-Making Is Intentional In Acts 16, Paul intentionally chose Timothy to travel with him on his journeys so that he could help Timothy grow in his faith. As Christ-followers, we should be prayerfully intentional about finding others to build up in their faith.

2. Disciple-Making Is Bible-Centered Paul encouraged Timothy to continue learning from God’s Word so that he would be equipped to do good works. (2 Timothy 3:14-17) As followers of 18

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Jesus, we should encourage and equip one another by studying God’s Word together regularly.

3. Disciple-Making Is Accountable Paul urged Timothy to be devoted and diligent in the way he lived his life, telling him to “watch your life and doctrine closely.” (1 Timothy 4:16) As Christfollowers, it’s not enough to know God’s Word—we must lovingly hold one another accountable to obey it.

4. Disciple-Making Is Reproducible Paul challenged Timothy to teach other men the things he had learned from Paul. That way, they could eventually go on to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:1-2) As followers of Christ, we must build our relationships with that end in mind. Our goal is not only to make one disciple of Jesus, but to make disciples who make disciples.

Who Are You Walking With?

Now take a little inventory of your own life. Who’s your Paul—a friend or mentor that’s actively encouraging you and challenging you in your relationship with Christ? Who’s your Timothy—a new believer or younger Christ-follower you’ve committed to building up spiritually and relationally as you follow Jesus together?

If you don’t currently have these types of relationships in your life, let me encourage you to seek them out. At Southeast, we want to help you get connected in intentional disciple-making relationships, and that’s why we offer a variety of group opportunities at each of our campuses.

If you would like some help finding a group or a spiritual mentor, contact the Connections Pastor at your campus and he will be more than willing to help you take your next step!

BRENT DENNISON Connections Pastor La Grange Campus

Connections Pastors at Southeast Our Connections Pastors strive to help you find community, plug into a group, and actively serve at your campus. Contact the Connections Pastor at the campus you attend to get more involved in the life of our church family.

Blankenbaker Campus Doron Jones djones@secc.org 502.253.8477

Indiana Campus Matt Clark mclark@secc.org 812.704.1983

Crestwood Campus

Mark Berggren mberggren@secc.org 502.873.1096

Southwest Campus

Jim Veihl jveihl@secc.org 502.614.1507

“Most of our spiritual growth happens through personal relationships.�

La Grange Campus

Brent Dennison bdennison@secc.org 502.614.1209

Elizabethtown Campus Justin Fluhr jfluhr@secc.org 270.506.4638

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PUT ON THE NEW JESUS HAS LIBERATED US FROM SIN’S ENSLAVING POWER. DO YOU LIVE LIKE THAT’S TRUE?

By Tim Giovanetto

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I REMEMBER ONLY FRAGMENTS OF THAT HELLISH NIGHT. Doubled over in agony, retching from the poisonous mixture of high-proof alcohol and a full bottle of pills, I wavered in and out of consciousness and blacked out until the following afternoon. The thing I most vividly recall may also be the most grotesque.

Lingering on the edge of life and death, I called out to God with red-eyed resentment, demanding that He let me die.

It was the second time I attempted suicide all those years ago. You might not believe me, but this self-destructive tailspin happened long after my conversion to Christ.

Following a series of losses and painful disappointments, I came to believe the lie that I was all alone in this life. And if I really was alone, I knew I was unequipped to cope with the harsh realities of a corrupt and sinful world.

It’s staggering how blind sin makes us. The most frequent promise God gives to His people is, “So do not fear, for I am with you…”

(Isaiah 41:10) Yet it is often the first truth we doubt. Instead of clinging to the Lord in desperate dependence, in my darkest season I sought to medicate my pain through escapism, overindulgence, and unrestrained rage. Rather than placing my hope in God, I turned to sin in its most basic form: surrendering ultimate trust to everything

other than Him—to myself, to others, and to my circumstances. None of these could bear the weight that Christ alone can carry.

DEADLY POISON The world is ravaged by the effects of our cosmic rebellion: sorrow, suffering, and strife.

Creation is cursed because of sin (Genesis 3:17), subjected to futility under God’s wrath (Romans 8:20). But if we respond to sin’s curse with our own sin—languishing in selfpity, criticizing God, lashing out at others and ourselves—we mistake the problem for a solution. Sin is nothing less than poison masquerading as the cure. It promises peace, pleasure, and satisfaction, but it only brings death.

In my bewilderment, I was furious at God and furious at the world. I hated my circumstances, hated myself, and despaired of life. I dared to believe that I was a victim, that I deserved better than what this twisted world had given me, and that my rage was somehow warranted.

Self-pity is the darker side of pride. It assures you that you deserve everything, when in reality you merit nothing. God’s Law shows us what we truly deserve—“For the wages of sin is death”—and His Gospel offers us what Christ alone deserves—“but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 6:23) Continued on page 22 >>

“Sin is nothing less than poison masquerading as the cure. It promises peace, pleasure, and satisfaction, but it only brings death.”

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“RATHER THAN WALKING IN THE FREEDOM OF A NEW LIFE, A LIFE SET APART FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, I WAS STILL WEARING CHAINS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN BROKEN.”

PUT ON THE NEW // continued from page 21

I wasn’t taking the Gospel seriously. My own sin was small in my eyes. Therefore, I was prone to see myself as someone swindled by circumstance rather than a death-row rebel saved by grace.

DON’T YOU KNOW? It was during this dark time that the Lord brought Ed, a dear brother in Christ, into my life. For three years, Ed selflessly poured into me. Week after week without fail, he spent time mentoring me, listening to me, and offering his counsel. He would pray tirelessly on my behalf, bear my groaning with patience, and turn my eyes ever back to God’s Word. Few men like Ed ever make the history books; God only knows how many mountains He has moved through the faithfulness of these unsung servants.

One day when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, Ed listened quietly as I bared my soul before him. I laid on him all the weight of my anger, my self-hatred, and my disappointment with God until I finally settled down to hear his response. Only, Ed didn’t respond. In the stillness of that moment, I lifted my gaze from the floor. Ed was staring at me with tender solemnity.

“Tim,” he said gently, “don’t you know who you are in Christ?”

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The bottom fell out of my self-pity. I was graciously pierced. Never in my life had someone so beautifully exemplified Paul’s command to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). I wanted Ed to give me sympathy, but he was more concerned that I grow to be like Jesus. He hated my sin and loved me enough to tell me. When I looked at myself, I saw a victim. But when Ed looked at me, he saw a Christian who had forgotten that he’d been set free.

OUT WITH THE OLD Our sin is more deeply rooted than we have ever imagined. Sin is stillborn, yet fully grown; it has so thoroughly corrupted the essence of who we are that Paul calls us “dead in transgressions and sins” and “by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1, 3). But once God breathes new life into us, when He gives us His Spirit, uniting us to His Son by faith, a transformation takes place. God has not only forgiven our disobedience, as astonishing as that is. In Christ, He has given us an entirely new nature. If that is true of us, only one option remains. Our lives must be shaped by this new reality of freedom and joy.

Paul puts it this way: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in

the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) Paul was a self-righteous murderer before he met Jesus. Then Christ brought him to the end of himself and a new man was born. Washed in the blood of the Savior, Paul made a break with the sin that previously enslaved and controlled him. Even as he continued to wrestle with temptation, sin was so separated from his identity that the apostle could say, “it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” (Romans 7:17) The old self no longer defined Paul; in Christ he was set free to live for God, cutting out the remaining rebellion from his life. “In the same way,” Paul exhorts us, “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

(Romans 6:11) When Ed confronted me with loving frankness, he helped me to recognize how I’d been carrying around the old self rather than putting on the new. I was too casual with my sin, leaving it untouched in the shaded corners of my life instead of striving to kill its influence day by day.

Rather than walking in the freedom of a new life, a life set apart for righteousness, I was still wearing chains that had already been broken.

“That old man is no more,” Ed told me.

“He died long ago. Take the corpse off your back and take up the life Jesus died for you to have.”

IN WITH THE NEW Jesus finishes what He starts (Philippians 1:6). On the cross, He saved us not only from sin’s punishment, but also from its power. United to Him, we are slaves to sin no longer. So, why is it that so many of us live as though we haven’t been freed?

I fear many Christians are still carrying the old self on their shoulders. I fear we play with sin rather than leave it behind.

We entertain it in the shadows, taking pleasure in the things Jesus laid down His life to destroy. Too many of us are spiritually suicidal, gulping down the poison of our own ruin and convinced that moderation is the key. Sin has become small in our eyes. And if sin is small, then God is small, then grace is small, and Christ died for nothing.

Pride and self-pity have no place in the Christian life. We’re not victims, we’re sinners—sinners set free. Free to put sin’s lingering influence to death. Free to fight temptation by the Spirit’s power. Free to delight more in Jesus than in the empty amusement of self-destruction. The old self is dead and gone. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,” Paul says, “but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.”

(Galatians 2:20)

and turn my faith into action. Since then, He has used countless others to support me in the fight for holiness and blessed me with friendships where I can support others. Now, allow me to plead with you as my friend pleaded with me all those years ago.

Hate sin. Don’t merely look around you at the curse sin has wrought in this world.

Hate your sin as a life-destroying cancer that must be annihilated. Lay your hands onto sin’s throat before it can sputter out another lie, another empty promise of satisfaction. And with the strength Christ purchased for you at the cross, snuff out sin’s final breaths until the old self lies lifeless on the floor. Leave that old corpse behind. That isn’t who you are anymore.

Jesus has liberated you from sin’s punishment and its power, and He will sweep away all remnants of its presence when you finally see Him face to face.

Until then, stand shoulder to shoulder with His people and arm yourself with His Word, because no one can do this alone. March on in pursuit of a life of righteousness, a life with Him at the center, a life that finds its highest pleasure in pleasing God. Put on the new self, purchased by Jesus’ blood, and embrace your everlasting joy in Him.

TIM GIOVANETTO Copywriter Communications

GO TO WAR In my darkest season, I tried to end my life—but God sought to transform my life. He used Ed to save me from the brink

WHAT’S NEXT? We all need community and support as we grow in our relationship with Jesus. Take your next step by connecting with one of Southeast’s ministries—Men, Women, Care, Senior Adults, Single Life, and more—at southeastchristian.org/CONNECT.

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AT HOME

Equipping Parents for Spiritual Leadership outheast Christian Church takes great care to provide our children with valuable, engaging Bible stories and lessons each week through our children’s ministries and youth programming. But we firmly believe that your child’s spiritual journey begins at home. We want to equip you to engage your child in discussion, application, and growth of their faith.

Early Childhood (Birth-Preschool)

“Colorific”

September’s Challenge We’ve all experienced a broken promise or two and our preschoolers won’t have to wait long to experience one too. We want them to grow up knowing that God always keeps His promises. No matter how long we have to wait, God will come through.

SEPTEMBER 1/2: Moses and the Burning Bush Exodus 3; Psalm 118:7 God promises to always be with me.

SEPTEMBER 8/9: Moses in the Sea Exodus 13:17-18; 14 God’s promises are awesome!

SEPTEMBER 15/16: Abraham and Sarah Genesis 12:2-3: 18:1-15; 21:1-6 God keeps His promises even if we have to wait.

SEPTEMBER 22/23: Noah (God’s Plan) Genesis 6:8-33; 7:1-20 I can believe God’s promises.

SEPTEMBER 29/30: Noah (God’s Promise) Genesis 8:1-9:17 God keeps His promises.

Our AT HOME feature includes practical insight about what your preschool and elementary children are learning at church, plus suggestions for ways to engage your kids in deeper discussions at home. There’s also a devotion specifically written for your middle and high school students. Working together, we will raise up the next generation of Christ’s followers!

Memory Verse

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

Proverbs 3:5

Engage Your Child BABY: Cuddle up with your baby this month and pray, “Dear God, thank You for this child.

As much as I love him/her, I know You love him/her even more. Please help us both to trust Your plan and remember that You always keep Your promises.”

TODDLER: During bath time, soap up half of your child’s leg.

Ask, “Is all of your leg soapy or just some of your leg?” Do this with other parts of their body, asking the question each time.

Say the memory verse together. “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart,” Proverbs 3:5.

PRESCHOOL: As you drive, sing the following to the tune of “A Sailor Went to Sea.” God gives me what I need, need, need. God gives me what I need, need, need. God gives me what I need, need, need. Because He really loves me, me, me!

© 2018 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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Elementary (K-5)

“Dirty Jobs: Somebody’s Gotta Do It”

September’s Challenge When God saw our sin, He took initiative. He sent Jesus to make things right.

When we see a need and choose to do something about it, people can see the reality of God’s love for them.

Life Application

Memory Verse

“Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord...”

Colossians 3:23 NIrV ®

Initiative is seeing what needs to be done and doing it.

SEPTEMBER 1/2: Nehemiah Hears about the Wall Nehemiah 1:1-2:9 Be on the lookout for what needs to be done.

SEPTEMBER 8/9: Nehemiah Plans to Rebuild the Wall Nehemiah 2:11-18 Don’t wait for someone else to do what needs to be done.

SEPTEMBER 15/16: Nehemiah Helps the Poor Nehemiah 5:1-12 Don’t wait for someone else to help people in need.

SEPTEMBER 22/23: Nehemiah and Sanballat Nehemiah 2:19-20; 4; 6 Stay focused on what needs to be done.

SEPTEMBER 29/30: The Wall Is Rebuilt Nehemiah 3-4 Look for ways to celebrate what God has done.

Engage Your Child ON A DRIVE: Make a special trip for ice cream or another special treat and tell your child that you’re celebrating! Ask them to think about what God has done this week in their life and talk about it while enjoying your dessert. If they have a hard time thinking of an idea, prompt them with something you have seen.

MEAL TIME Q & A: Kids: How do you know your parents love you? How can you show others that you love them by finding ways to serve them?

Parents: When it comes to finishing a job, what’s most distracting: people, technology, or other tasks?

AT BEDTIME: Read Nehemiah 2:11-18. Pray about some things that you’ve seen that need to be done that your family could do together. Maybe it’s inviting a new family in the neighborhood for dinner, or cleaning up the trash in an empty lot. Then, don’t wait for someone else to do it.

Instead, plan a time this week for your family to jump into action. Pray together that God would use your family to accomplish the work He has for you. © 2018 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

For Crestwood Campus SEPTEMBER 1/2: God Redeems • Genesis 1-3 Parents of Crestwood Campus elementary kids, your child will continue our journey through the Story of God in September. Engage your student in discussions around these Scriptures BEFORE CHURCH throughout the month.

Did you know?

You can text ATHOMECW to 40650 to get a short “At Home Weekly” texted to you!

SEPTEMBER 8/9: God Keeps His Word • Genesis 6:5-9:17 SEPTEMBER 15/16: God Is Lord of All • Genesis 12:1-9; 15-16; 21:1-7 SEPTEMBER 22/23: God Blesses • Genesis 25, 27, 28, 32 SEPTEMBER 29/30: God Is Good • Genesis 37; 39-50

Continued on page 26

»

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AT HOME // Continued from page 25

NextGen

FRIENDSHIPS

By Cambron Rich, HSM Connections/Outreach Pastor, Blankenbaker Campus

For Parents Forming and maintaining friendships in the digital age is complicated no matter how old you are. But for teenagers, we know that friendships are hard to navigate with school, family, and social media muddying the waters of their lives. Most students struggle to figure out how to have healthy friendships.

What does the Bible have to say about who our friends are and how we treat them?

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For Teens God made us on purpose to be in relationships and He wants to show us how to have healthy ones. One major relationship that you have to figure out in life is friendship. We all have peers in class, work, club, and sports environments that we interact with all the time. What does the Bible have to say about who our friends should be?

SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS AND I’LL SHOW YOU YOUR FUTURE.

Together

READ: Proverbs 13:20 and Matthew 15:1-14

ASK: What do these passages say about the friends that we choose?

What might happen if we choose to follow the wrong people?

EXPLAIN: Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. Both Solomon and Jesus are sharing advice concerning who we let influence us. When you think about those who influence you, try to imagine them sitting around a table with you. We invite others to sit at the table of our lives and speak into the direction of our lives. Anyone that influences you has your permission to do so. A key thing that students need help understanding is that there’s a difference between a friend that you have a relationship with and an example you need to follow. Not all friends are worth following. As believers we always have to balance needing friends who love Jesus and making friends with people who need to meet Jesus.

Forming friendships with people who don’t know Jesus is normally how they meet Jesus! The key difference is deciding who is going to make an impact.

READ: Hebrews 10:24

ASK: What are practical ways that we can “spur one another on?”

Who is sitting at your “table?” (Whose table are you sitting at?)

Are your friends helping your faith grow or hindering your faith from growing?

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MISSIONS IN MIND M e e t So ut he a s t ’ s Mi s s i o n Part n ers

Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center: Healing the Whole Person

BY LINDSAY NELSON

A

few months ago, Dana came into the clinic for an appointment, but her health insurance had been canceled.

I worked with her to get her insurance reinstated and Dana was so relieved that she started to cry.

Dana returned a few weeks later for a follow-up visit and this time she had insurance! She told me what a blessing it was to save $25 on the doctor visit.

Because we had taken care of insurance, which was her first concern, I then found out that she was worried about her housing. She is on a fixed income and her rent and utilities were very high. She was also concerned about her safety and didn’t have friends or family around to support her. I was able to work with Dana to find age-based housing that was much more affordable for her and in a location where she felt safe. I was with her every step of the way— helping with her housing application, working with the housing facility, and praying with her for safety and guidance. Working with her on these issues let Dana focus on improving her health.

This story from Connie Manley, one of our outreach workers at Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center (SCHC), demonstrates the full scope of services at SCHC and how prayer is integrated into every service we provide.

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The Shawnee Neighborhood Residents of the Shawnee neighborhood in West Louisville have some of the lowest incomes in Louisville. Of the 3,600 patients we serve at SCHC, 56% are low-income. On average, residents of the Shawnee neighborhood will die 12 years before their East End counterparts, making the need for neighborhood transformation a matter of life or death.

SCHC seeks to transform the Shawnee neighborhood by sharing the love of Christ in word and deed. We facilitate community development and holistic healthcare by empowering residents of the community. SCHC provides high-quality primary care, dental care, and mental health services in a high-need community.

Our center was born out of an understanding that complex health conditions require a comprehensive, community approach that cannot be accomplished using traditional clinic models. Rather, changing the health care status of a community requires changing the knowledge, behavior, and resources available.

Holistic Health We believe that if we do not address the total needs of an individual—physical, psychological, social, environmental, and spiritual—we cannot expect to see a change in their overall health. For those reasons, SCHC has implemented a model of community health that strives to address not only health, but also spiritual needs and the social determinants of health and disparities.

One of the most impactful ways we can do this is through prayer. Our staff is available to pray with patients during every step of their appointments, and we have a prayer room where staff or volunteers pray with patients. Patients can also fill out prayer request forms and a volunteer will call them to pray over the phone. So far in 2018, our volunteers and staff have spent more than 50 hours praying with patients to address more than 100 specific prayer requests.

Patients are also connected to local churches for support.

By treating the whole person—mind, body, and soul—we hope to see God use SCHC to transform the entire community, one patient at a time.

What’s Next?

GIVE FOR GOOD INITIATIVE • SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 Our focus this year is on directly supporting patient care. Just $65 a month covers all of the primary care, mental health care, and dental care an SCHC patient needs. To help, “Like” Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center on Facebook and share our posts about Give for Good with your social networks.

For more information or to see how you can help SCHC, visit shawneechristianhealthcare.org. There are always volunteer opportunities, and each position includes a brief description of the volunteer duties. We are happy to talk to anyone interested in volunteering to find an opportunity that uses their skills and expertise to support our work.

LINDSAY NELSON Director of Development and Grant Programs Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center

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ON MY HEART R e f l e ct i o n s fr o m o u r Mi n ist ry L eaders

It’s a Little Thing Serving our spouses simply and selflessly

By Susan Wilder

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ausing unexpectedly, just before guiding the giddy bride and groom to repeat their marriage vows, the pastor turned to the wedding guests lining the crowded pews. Speaking for the happy couple, he simply said, “On behalf of our sweet couple, I have a favor to ask of you all. Men, if you are sitting next to your wife, would you take her hand and tell her you love her?”

My words: I do love to cook. And I love to cook for you, but let me tell you what a gift it is for me to walk in the door to that yummy baked potato aroma! Especially when you make my favorite sweet potatoes! It’s a little thing.

The young, bright-eyed couple gleefully watched a humble request blossom into a powerful precious moment sparking smiles, giggles, and even a tear or two. It was a little thing that encouraged a room full of guests and the couple themselves.

Every morning before I leave for work, I make our bed. Frank has battled chronic pain for many years; and even though he will likely return to rest within an hour, he has a smooth and inviting place of rest awaiting him. It’s a little thing, and he is served.

EASY ADVICE An endless number of informative books have been written on marriage. I did a quick Google search, and the result was an overwhelming 33 million marriage-related resources available for research, review, and purchase! But even with all these resources, gloomy statistics suggest that 40 to 50% of marriages (whether Christian or not) end up failing.

What if we spent more time wondering aloud to our spouse, “How can I serve you today?”

With these startling statistics and the plethora of resources available, where do we turn to see our marriages grow and thrive? Many books offer communication tools, others give date night tips, and several provide gift-giving guides.

In the past, my husband, Frank, and I have read and recommended a number of these books, finding wisdom and insight in many of them. Recently, though (and maybe it’s due to an empty nest and 34 years of marriage), the marriage advice we’ve offered has become significantly simplified. Down to two words, actually: Serve selflessly.

LOVE IN ACTION Real-life examples can bring effective evidence, so in a recent stroll down the beach, we brainstormed.

Frank’s words: You love to cook, and I love to eat anything you cook, so there’s a win! Some days you work late; and as much as I love to eat whatever you cook, on those days I’ll throw a couple of baked potatoes in the oven and call it dinner, hoping that will relieve your worries.

It’s a little thing.

There’s another gift my husband gives me.

Every night before going to bed, he prepares coffee and sets the timer so that when I wake up in the morning, fresh coffee greets me. It’s a little thing, and I am served!

JUST LIKE HIM What’s the most helpful book we’ve read about marriage, you ask? That book, the Bible, offers this charge to serve one another with absolute clarity: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 2:3-5) Can I just challenge us all?

Go make the bed.

Fix the coffee.

Grab the hand of the one to whom you said, “I do,” and say again,“I love you.”

Find a little thing, and serve your spouse in love.

SUSAN WILDER Women’s Ministry Leader Crestwood Campus

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GET EQUIPPED Resources to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus

STREAM on RightNow Media

Visit southeastchristian.org/EVENTS to get free access to the biggest video Bible study library in the world!

The Anatomy of a Disciple

8-Part Series with Downloadable Group Booklet

READ

Now available at The Living Word

What if you knew with certainty whether or not you’re actively becoming more like Jesus? Would your spiritual life look different? This incredibly practical series will help you identify areas where you are becoming more like Christ and areas where you may need to grow, offering substantial steps to take for authentic and sustainable spiritual growth.

Unshakable Hope

by Max Lucado What is your life built on—the circumstances of your life or the promises of God? Looking back on 40 years of ministry and counseling, Max Lucado examines 12 of God’s promises that he has turned to the most to encourage himself and others when things get hard.

Embraced

by Lysa TerKeurst On the cross, Jesus spread out His arms to fully embrace us, even in spite of our brokenness and sin. In this 100-day devotional, Lysa TerKeurst shares her own struggles, doubts, and heartbreaks as she offers women Biblical perspective on the issues they face day by day.

The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross

by Carl Laferton and Catalina Echeverri This beautifully illustrated children’s book leads us through an overview of the Bible, from the Garden of Eden to God’s perfect new creation.

“Because of sin, we can’t go in,” but because of Jesus’ victory on the cross, an even better garden awaits us in God’s eternal presence.

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The Good Book 8-Part Series

The Bible is a big book, and that might make it seem daunting to dive into. Simply put, the Bible is all about God. In The Good Book, pastors Kyle Idleman and Deron Spoo visit key passages of Scripture that explore the most salient themes about God in His Word, helping us to grow in our understanding of who God is and how we relate to Him.

All Southeast Campuses At Starting Point, meet our ministry leaders as they share ways you can get connected at Southeast. Or come to a Membership Class to learn more about our church and find out how to become a member of our family.

Additional information is available at southeastchristian.org/EVENTS.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 P.M.

SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH BLANKENBAKER CAMPUS

Bring your beachwear and get your hula on at this exciting dance night celebrating adults with special needs!

Get your tickets at southeastchristian.org/EVENTS. There's still time to sign up as a volunteer at this unforgettable event!

Visit southeastchristian.org/SERVE to learn how you can help our guests feel welcomed and loved.

920 BLANKENBAKER PARKWAY • LOUISVILLE, KY 40243 • southeastchristian.org

DISABILITIES MINISTRY