Would you consider joining us in prayer and giving to see God continue to move among these people? If you’d like to give, click here to do so, selecting the “India Church Planting” designated fund.

All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat’ (1 Kings 19:5).

Lent is known as a season of fasting. Traditionally, it means skipping a meal one day a week or no meat on specific days. But over the years, this has been expanded. Now people fast from sweets or sugar, entertainment, technology, or social media. Today, just about anything can be fasted from during Lent.

The command to Elijah was to eat. His body was weak, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He needed sustenance to go on. That is rarely our problem. If anything, we can be guilty of wasting more food in a day than some have the opportunity to eat in a week.

The idea of fasting, or giving something up, even for a brief season, seems very contrary to human nature. We love to indulge. Ice cream. Steak. Chocolates. Pizza. French fries. Cookies. Truth be told, we love to overindulge.

And while the sacrifice of fasting can be difficult, it is often so because we keep the focus on what we have given up. Amazingly, telling ourselves we can’t have something only makes us want it more. It becomes all-consuming, a thought or desire we can’t seem to shake, like a broken record that plays the same 10 seconds of a song over and over again.

God offers to us something in our fasting that we often cannot receive during seasons of feasting. We become more aware of his presence, more in tune with his voice, more sensitive to his promptings. And in reality, we aren’t really giving up that much when you consider what we are getting in return.

Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’’ (Matthew 4:4).

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (Joel 2:13).

A well-known expression — and the title of a novel by Thomas Wolfe — is “you can’t go home again.” With this comes the assumption that things won’t be the way they were — and if they are, they will probably be worse. There is something inherent in our nature that resists going back, returning, especially if we’ve burned a bridge or two on the way out. So we tell ourselves, keep looking forward, don’t look back. 

But this assumes that progress can only be made by moving forward, that there is nothing to gain by turning around and returning. And while this might be true in some relationships, it is not true with God.

The Lenten season is a pause before the rebirth of spring, to slow down, reflect, and return to the Lord. We bring not just the good stuff, the parts we are proud of, the parts we hope others notice. No, God desires all of you, your whole heart, your hurts, your trauma, your pride, your apathy, and your anger. All of you.

And who knows? Maybe it is when we bring all of ourselves that we are met with a surprise: God’s grace, love, compassion, and mercy.  And maybe we find we can go (return) home again. 

‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’ (Zechariah 1:3).

If you would prefer a printed copy of one of the guides, we’ll have several printed and waiting for you on Sundays on the tall tables just outside the sanctuary!

Advent Meditations

Practicing the Way has prepared a guide with weekly devotionals, reflection questions, and practices centered around the idea of “preparing for the King.” Check it out!

Advent Scripture Calendar

This resource from the BibleProject is very simple. For each day of Advent, they provide a Scripture and reflection question for you to consider. Take a look at it here!

Unhurried Advent

This guide from Unhurried Living provides weekly Visio Divina and devotional reflections followed by questions to consider. All invite their readers to reflect upon the traditional values of Advent: hope, peace, love, and joy. Look at it here.

Sacred Space

This Advent devotional is a daily guided prayer experience inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The ministry behind the devotional also developed an app you can download here with prayer experiences for every day of the year!

Making Room in Advent

In this Advent devotional from Bette Dickinson, you’ll find 25 devotionals with invitations to step away from the chaos and into the space where God is at work. Find it on Amazon here!

Hope Ministries Turkey Pickin’

Saturday, November 22 at 8:30 am
Hope Ministries: Bethel Mission (1310 6th Ave., Des Moines)

For our 11th year in a row, we’re helping Hope Ministries prepare Thanksgiving meals for the homeless and hungry families in the Des Moines metro. We help transform large, pre-cooked turkeys into pulled meat they can use for their meals. It’s a tangible way for us to serve and bless our community during the holiday season.

Anyone aged 13 and up is welcome to join! Please sign up on our Turkey Pickin’ page if you haven’t already done so already.

Single Moms Blessing Bags

Support Single Parent Provision and the Christmas party they’re throwing for single moms in Des Moines! Fill a bag with one or more of each of the items listed below and bring it to the church by Tuesday, December 2 so we can deliver it.

• One $15 (or more) gift card for gas, groceries, or a restaurant
• One personal item such as lotion, jewelry, lip balm, etc.
• One inspirational item like a devotional, journal, or book
• One household item like a candle, water bottle, or fun kitchen or bath item
• One “just because” item like chocolates, a magazine, or cook book

Christmas Caroling

Saturday, December 13 at 5 pm
Ashworth Church

Caroling is a wonderful way to spread Christmas cheer! We’ll meet at the church before singing at several homes of people in our community who could use a little extra cheer this holiday season.

Family Support at the Learning Center

Sponsor a family from Ashworth Learning Center who is experiencing extra need over the holiday season. Pastor Amy will contact you with specific needs for the family you’re supporting once you sign up. After wrapping and labeling your gifts, return them to the main church office by Sunday, December 14.

Learning Center Christmas Party

Thursday, December 11 from 5:30 to 7 pm
Ashworth Church

We are excited to connect with our Learning Center families and teachers this Christmas! We’re throwing them a Christmas party complete with crafts, games, and goodies. If you’re interested in helping direct a craft or game, making Christmas cookies, or helping set up or tear down for the event, please fill out the form below.

How Will You Participate?

• Gently used or new t-shirts of any size
• Travel-sized toiletries, including soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and lotion
• New men’s underwear (size large preferred)

Drop off any or all of the following items in the grocery cart in the church foyer during the month of July. Thank you for helping us make a difference in our community this summer!

“[Jesus] breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22

I’ve read this passage many times. I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to be in the room when this happened. What would it have felt like? Would it have been awkward? Did Jesus need a breath mint? Or would the power of the moment be so mind-blowing that all you would remember is the overwhelming presence of the Spirit of God around you?

After this day’s reading, I prayed, “Jesus, breathe on me.” But the last line of the reading stuck in my head: “He is willing to do this for anyone and everyone, especially for those willing to come close enough to feel his breath.” And my prayer changed. “Jesus, move me close enough to feel your breath.”

(The simplicity of the book Pauses for Pentecost can lead us to believe there is a lack of depth. But nothing can be further from the truth. It’s in the simplicity where truth can have its greatest impact.)

It may not have been easy at times, and it may not have always been enjoyable, but the digital fast was a gift to help us realize we are more than our impulses towards technology and social media. We can be free! And while we may return to some of the habits we had before the fast, my prayer is that we are more aware of the snare that it can be and that we are made for so much more. 

In the book The Digital Fast, author Darren Whitehead poses significant questions to ask following the fast. Take some time to reflect on these questions: What did you learn about God, yourself, and others?  What insights came out of the 28 days?  How has your perspective changed? Where do you want to continue to grow?  What did you enjoy most about your fast that you want to continue?

As you reflect, we would love to hear how the digital fast impacted you. Send me an email to tell me how God used the digital fast in your life. It could be as simple as answering one of the questions above. May God continue to use your time in the fast to draw you closer to him.

One of the big questions we are faced with is what now? Do you jump right back into where you were before we started? Or do you find new rhythms or habits to help keep a healthier relationship with your device and technology?

The goal was never to deprive ourselves for the sake of deprivation. It was to make us more aware of how dependent we might have become on our devices, how much we turned to them in times of silence as a distraction, and to open ourselves up to more of the presence of God.

For me, I found more time to play games with my son, Julian (he is a killer at Uno No Mercy!). I also discovered that, where an evening before this might have been spent doing a crossword or some other game on my iPad, my iPad now stays in my bag with my laptop. Well, unless I need to find a new recipe for dinner because I am bored with the old ones! 

I’ve discovered that I don’t “need” my devices as much as I thought I did. The fast made me more aware every time I picked one up or opened a browser to search for something on the internet. While I may be a bit more open to some social media or a game here or there on my device, I hope I can maintain the spirit of the fast by watching how much time and how distracting this actually can be. 

So, as we go through these final four days, spend some time thinking about what technology, if any, you plan to allow back into your life and at what levels. Don’t just slide back to what was. Be intentional about not becoming a slave once again to the technology around you. What steps could you take to create a sustainable boundary around your devices and technology?

Has the digital fast made a difference for you? We’d love to hear your digital fast story! Send an email, text, audio, video, or carrier pigeon to me and let me know what you learned, what you loved (what you hated), and how this has impacted you in the short and long term. How have your daily rhythms changed throughout the digital fast? How have you experienced God or others differently as a result of the fast?

The season is framed by prayer, fasting, and benevolence—each an invitation to grow closer to the heart of God. Through prayer, we seek guidance and communion with God. Fasting reminds us of our need for spiritual nourishment and the power of self-discipline. Benevolence calls us to serve others, reflecting the love Christ showed through His sacrifice. To get the most out of this season, we put together a few resources below that may help guide your journey.

Devotionals & Books

An Unhurried Lent: This 40-day series of emails will help you cultivate an unhurried heart as you prepare for Easter.

Lent for Everyone: This inspirational series of devotionals from N.T. Wright guides readers through the Lenten season, offering prayers and reflections for each day.

Gospel in Life – A Journey Thought Lent: A free 40-day devotional emailed to you daily during this upcoming season of Lent.

Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri J. M. Nouwen: These daily reflections, compiled by Judy Bauer, lead readers along a journey of both penance and celebration through the season of Lent.

Small Surrenders: Author Emilie Griffin offers readers daily devotionals using ancient and modern texts as inspiration in order to gain a deeper knowledge of ourselves and God.

Apps & Other Digital Resources

Lectio365: Each week through Lent, this app will offer prayer experiences focusing on the wilderness experience of a person or community, noticing how God met with them, shaped them and provided for them in the dry and desolate landscapes of their lives.

Bible Project: A Journey Through Luke & Acts inspires individuals, small groups, and families to read through the books of Luke and Acts in 40 days. This plan incorporates animated videos and insightful summaries to help participants encounter Jesus and engage with Luke’s brilliant literary design and flow of thought.

She Reads Truth: This digital community and app invites women of all ages to engage with Scripture. Check out some of their Lenten resources here!

Lent Spotify Playlist: These 40 songs were chosen (by Liz Pavey!) in hopes to capture the quietness, beauty, and reflection present in the season of Lent.

One thing I have noticed is that some of the things that I would be drawn to before now have little to no appeal. A show I might have been interested in watching previously makes me lose interest after a few minutes. An email from somewhere I had previously subscribed to shows up, and as I start reading it, I realize I am not as interested as I used to be. So I go to the bottom of the email and hit unsubscribe. (Before the fast, I would wake up to about 15-20 emails every morning from services I thought I needed. It is now down to around three!)

On my journey of spiritual formation, I encountered an idea known as disordered attachments. Attachments are things we feel we cannot live without. They become disordered when they take priority, even above God. These are unhealthy desires or habits that prevent us from living authentically and connecting with God. A fast can help reveal disordered attachments in our lives. Once we identify these unhealthy desires, we can start to address them in prayer with the Father, Son, and Spirit to get to the root of why they are so important to us, to begin to understand the harm they may be causing us, and then release them to the Father. 

And when we release them and move toward ordered attachments, we find freedom. A freedom of heart and mind. A freedom in knowing who we are, our gifts and our limitations, and who we are in Christ. 

As we spend these final 10 days or so in the digital fast, may we become more aware of our disordered attachments so that we may become even more aware of who God is and His love for us. And may the space you’ve cleared out by releasing these disordered attachments be filled with the power and the presence of God.

As you fast, you may notice things shifting in you. The “withdrawals” of the first week may become the urges and pangs of this week. You may even feel compelled to give yourself back to browsing and endless scrolling. The natural response is to look at the urge, the symptom, to identify what’s visible. But in doing so, we miss what might be driving that compulsion, what is actually behind it, the motivation. What shows up as fruit should encourage us to examine its root. Ignoring the root will ensure the same fruit over and over again.

Fasting isn’t just about what we give up. It is also about what we might get in return. And in addition to the presence of God, friendship with Jesus, and the indwelling of the Spirit, it can also be a releasing of those things that have enslaved us. What “pain” are you experiencing in this fast? Is that something that you are trying to control through sheer force or willpower? Or is God inviting you to surrender those discomforts and pains so that in the long run, you might find true freedom?

This week can be about discovery. What moves us, what controls us, what might need releasing. And in discovering these things, we name them and release them and, in Jesus’ name, find freedom, healing, and forgiveness.

One of the most fascinating things that I am discovering is just how much of my technology habits have been on autopilot. I sit down on the couch, and my first action is to grab my phone, click one of my normal go-to apps, and start swiping. Or when I grab my iPad, thinking I will read a book on the Kindle app, and my finger naturally and without any effort goes quicker to the games and crossword app I usually do rather than the Kindle app. I actually had to stop myself because I had already clicked on the game app before I realized what I had done. I had no idea I was mindlessly clicking into apps with no thought or intention!

I think the most interesting thing is that if you were to tell me these would be the things I struggled with when I started, I would have argued with you and said not me! I guess technology has more of a hold on me than I want to admit. I’m praying for you as we use the next month to detox from technology, turn our attention to God, and notice the graces he gives us every day. 

Keep going! You can do this! We can do this together!

Do your social media accounts, emails, news channels, and video games give you peace and help you connect with Jesus? Maybe. But, if you’re like us, it’s easy for technology to go from harmless to distracting, anxiety-inducing, and unfulfilling. That’s why we’re inviting you to join us in a 28-day digital fast beginning on Sunday, February 2 and ending on Sunday, March 2. 

What does that look like for Ashworth Church and its staff, you ask? We’re participating too. Other than our weekly worship live streams, you won’t find any extra posts on our social media accounts. We’ll continue publishing our weekly e-newsletter so you can stay connected with what’s going on in our community, and our website will remain updated with any upcoming events. We look forward to fasting with you!

Books to Guide You

The Digital Fast Workbook: This guide and devotional accompanies The Digital Fast (listed below!) to help you reflect and reconnect with those around you during your fast.

The Digital Fast: Learn what it looks like to disconnect from screens and rediscover the sacred art of listening to the voice of God.

The Tech-Wise Family: Learn everyday steps for putting technology in its proper place, particularly in family settings.

The Anxious Generation: Explore a generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

How to Break Up with Your Phone: Learn more about a practical hands-on plan to break up—and then makeup—with your phone. The goal? A long-term relationship that actually feels good and healthy.

The Power of Fun: This sequel to How to Break Up with Your Phone guides its reader to move from the brief entertainment and distraction smartphones provide to a life of real, flourishing fun.

Things to do

Once we turn off our televisions and eliminate a few apps on our phones, some of us may find ourselves with extra time on our hands. Do something fun this February! Below are a few helpful resources we found.

• Things to do in Des Moines for kids and families
• Things to do in Greater Des Moines
• Things to do in Des Moines in February

However, when we look carefully at God’s wording of the First Commandment:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬).

God seems to be recognizing that people can have other gods, albeit counterfeit. Paraphrasing: “You should center yourselves in God only and avoid those “other gods.”

The Second Commandment carries forward the thought commanding that the starting place for serving God only is:

“. . . not make[ing] for yourself an image [that which arises from our imagination; i.e. our thought life] in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. . .(Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬).”

So the question before us is: cloaked in the cultural norms and routines of our day to day, are there “other gods” represented by material objects or thought-occupying objects of affection that hold our attention, divert and consume our money and energy into unhealthy and improper uses, and intrude upon our thoughts and attitudes such that they in sum “come before” God. Do we feel like we’ve become enslaved by something/someone that at first promised much and asked little only to later realize we’ve become subservient to what has given little and taken from us much? That’s what “other gods” do.

To learn more about these “other gods” and how they can affect our lives, check out our Counterfeit Gods series here!

“Ewww. This is so gross! Here, try it!” Have you ever been in this situation? With a friend? A spouse? My immediate response is, “Absolutely not!” (Hopefully, you’ve never been the one to do this to someone!) 

Jesus uses a repulsive metaphor to describe life in him. Why would he do this? This certainly isn’t the way to gain more followers or increase his influence. Why describe following him in such an offensive way?

Thinking through this, is it any less repulsive to be asked to limit ourselves for our faith, for the weaker brother or sister, for life in Christ than it is to be asked to eat flesh and drink blood? Not to our American sensibilities. In fact, we would probably come nearer to cannibalism than to the possibility of diminishing ourselves for someone else. 

The way of Jesus can be repulsive to us because of what it asks of us. This isn’t a call to a picnic at the beach or tiptoeing through the tulips. It’s a complete surrender to King Jesus, a picking up of our cross daily, laying down of my rights, my way, my life, my everything.

I recoil at the thought of eating Jesus’s flesh and drinking his blood. I recoil no less at the thought of giving up my life in total surrender to him.

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly, to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God.”

Uttering this meditative prayer to get our scattered senses focused upon the presence of God with accompanying deep breathing and silence as the starting point for the day usually helps clear one’s thought noise, narrowing one’s options in a good way. Try it. You may find yourself saying, “Ahh, that’s better.”

The Lectio 365 app may be downloaded for free from your App Store.

Sign up below before April 15 if you’d like to participate!

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I . . .

Psalm 61:1-2

Even Jesus, in Gethsemane, prayed with such deep anguish and sweating intensity that it looked like blood dripping from his brow.

Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me . . .

Matthew 26:39

Our religious etiquette lessons have instilled within many the notion that prayer must be formal and offered with learned phrasing. There is a place and time for such. However, a careful study of the multiple occasions when people are just “spilling their guts out” to God will reveal how responsive God is to such outcries. It is reassuring to realize that in the most difficult places of life the Lord is at hand, entering into our feelings, and responding with what is best in the moment.

A broken and contrite heart he will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Nothing will usher us into the presence of God quicker than when, with real feelings and transparency, we weep it, shout it or however we need to wholeheartedly give expression to what is troubling us. So, go ahead and get it out. God is a big, loving, compassionate and kind God who gets us and can take it.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Recent events in my life have gotten me thinking about the help that comes our way when needed. It comes from varying directions and sources, ranging from family, friends, medical professionals, inspirational readings and meditations, and more. Some that can go unrecognized are provided from a desk and computer in an insurance claim processing place somewhere. Just because I had a bad gall bladder, a whole army of help jumped into action on my behalf. I cannot overstate my gratitude to each one. It’s humbling for a guy about whom one hospital nurse scoldingly observed, “I can tell you’re a guy who wants to do things by yourself. Now, let’s get you back in that bed and remind you to use that call button, please.” I was being selfishly inconsiderate of their fall risk protocols. Which brings to mind another verse.

“Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.”

James 4:10

God, I thank you for the help today. And, I pray for those whose circumstances make it seem less visible. May your attendence to their need be very present and recognizable. Lord, hear my prayer.

I feel the heaviness, the weight of the world. Others must feel it too. Divisiveness. Hatred. Murder. War. Enemies. Violence. Cancer. Sickness. Weariness. Exhaustion. Stay busy so I don’t have to face it. Keep the devices on, so I can distract myself from it.

Peace be still
In my mind
Peace be still
In my heart
Peace be still
In my soul
Peace be still
In my family
Peace be still
In my job
Peace be still
In our community
Peace be still
In our nation
Peace be still
In our world
Peace be still
In this place
Peace be still
In me
Peace be still

For more information on our current sermon series and the liturgies below, click here to watch a video from Pastor Brent!

Prayer of Approach

Oh God,

gather me now to be with you

as you are with me.

Soothe my tiredness;

quiet my fretfulness;

curb my aimlessness;

relieve my compulsiveness;

let me be easy for a moment.

Oh Lord,

release me from the fears and guilts

which grip me so tightly;

from the expectations and opinions

which I so tightly grip,

that I may be open to receiving what you give,

to risking something genuinely new,

to learning something

refreshingly different.

Oh God,

gather me to be with you

as you are with me.

Confession

Oh most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you

with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry

and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name.

Pause for confession of anything that comes to mind.

Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me, a sinner.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Listening

Oh Lord God, the day will wait.

I’m here with you.

Engage in breath prayer using the above phrase or anything else that comes to mind.

Closing Prayer

Oh Lord,

our heavenly Father,

almighty and everlasting God,

you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day:

Defend us by your mighty power,

that we may not fall into sin

nor run into any danger;

and that, guided by your Spirit,

we may do what is righteous in your sight;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross

that everyone might come within the reach

of your saving embrace:

So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love,

may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you;

for the honor of your Name.

Come, Holy Spirit,

renew us today

and fill us with your presence.

Give us humility of heart

and a discerning mind

to walk in step with you.

Correct where we need correction,

counsel where we need counsel,

empower us to meet the challenges of the day

and may the fruit of your presence

be present in all we say and do.

Fulfill in us the work begun by Jesus

and may our hearts be attuned to you with a posture that says,

“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

Amen.

“Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Matthew 26:6-13

Jesus countered their short-sighted view of the situation by pointing out that her action was preparation for his impending death and burial, the prerequisite for the gospel that would go global to impact many poor people. That left the disciples with a choice: Stick with the big picture, kingdom of God plan for which Jesus had cast vision, or turn to the human power structure of the empire to make people live and use resources the way they wanted it. Judas chose the latter. We read on.

“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.”

Matthew 26:14-16

While Judas strategized with the power brokers to abandon the Jesus way, Jesus organized the Last Supper. Jesus knew what Judas was up to but compassionately washed his feet and shared the bread and cup with him, along with a lament for the consequence Judas would face. Matthew continues.

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’”

Matthew 26:26-29

While Jesus was foretelling the soul-liberating, new covenant, Holy Spirit-empowered kingdom of his Father that was about to be launched in the aftermath of his death and resurrection, Judas was strategizing with the governing party to order society the way he wanted it. It didn’t work out well for him, as we know. Sadly, I fear there are followers of Jesus today who have lost the plot as Judas did. Rather than staying focused upon the worth and beauty of Jesus, the focus has shifted to people who do things of which they disapprove. Rather than trusting in the inexorable expansion of God’s redeeming influence through the gospel of love and peace, they have opted to plot with the power structures of man to put things right as they see it. It won’t work. It never has. It is a path to self destruction.

Lord, I, like the disciples, have felt reactionary at times about things that don’t fit how I assume they should be. Rather than waiting prayerfully before you and following your lead, I’ve acted with impatience and ignorance that turned out harmful in the end. As, once again, there is an open clash between the ways of man and the ways of God, I ask for forgiveness for my prideful insolence and impatience. Help me to see things from your perspective. I pray the same for others similarly beguiled to partner with the empire and forcing their way forward without you. Lord, hear my prayer.

Today is Ash Wednesday. It calls me to face soberly and sincerely my fallenness from God’s created ideal and the mortality that goes with it. I am a sinner whose best efforts are destined for the ash heap apart from God’s redeeming grace. The season of Lent calls me to confess my need for a Savior who has included me in his own death on a cross and, with His resurrection we celebrate at Easter, raised me from my “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” existence to life eternal in the kingdom of God. So, this evening when I join with Christ-followers around the world, to acknowledge my need for the Savior and sing songs of praise for the wonders of the cross of Christ and respond to the Scripture readings and prayers by accepting the application of the ashes on my forehead, I will do so with deep gratitude, free of condemnation and uplifted by the hope of the resurrection. I will not do so because I am obligated to by some religious law. I do not believe doing so will earn me any more unmerited favor (grace) than I’ve already received. It won’t make me holier. But, I will be more focused and more grateful for the cross. As the hymn writer, Isaac Watts, expressed it:

When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

save in the death of Christ, my God!

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them through his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.

Psalter Hymnal, 1987

Reading Guide

Week 1 (February 26 – March 4): Matthew 1 – 4

Week 2 (March 5 – 11): Matthew 5 – 9

Week 3 (March 12 – 18): Matthew 10 – 14

Week 4 (March 19 – 25): Matthew 15 – 20

Week 5 (March 26 – April 1): Matthew 21 – 24

Week 6 (April 2 – 8): Matthew 25 – 28

Looking for a Bible app for your reading? Check out YouVersion Bible App or BibleGateway! We’ve used and appreciate both apps.

As I was reading John 9 this morning, I was struck by the interaction between a man healed of his blindness and the Pharisees. What an incredible story with a convicting ending. As the man who had been blind his entire life has to justify his healing, he tells the Pharisees (those with religious power), “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:33 NIV)

What happens next is sad and scary. Verse 34: “To this they [the Pharisees ] replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.”

Instead of trying to see how this could be a move of God, they resorted to personal attacks on the man and then kicked him out. I can’t help but feel a tinge of conviction, wondering how I respond when God begins to challenge my paradigms. Even when a miracle might be before me, am I trying to rationalize it away, so it fits how I want God to be instead of how God truly is?

God, give us discernment to be able to see your work in the world, make us humble to be able to accept it even when it challenges us, and give us boldness to proclaim it even when it is costly. Amen.

Hope Ministries Turkey Pickin’

Saturday, November 19 at 8:30 am
Hope Ministries: Bethel Mission (1310 6th Ave., Des Moines)

For our 8th year in a row, we picked the meat off of 150 pre-cooked turkeys for thousands of Thanksgiving meals Bethel Mission served to people in need in our community. Thank you to all who participated to make it happen!

DMARC Food Drive

The food pantries in our area are in greater need than ever before. Due to our partnership with DMARC’s Bidwell Riverside Community Center, we are collecting non-perishable food items for their center in hopes to provide the hungry and homeless in our community with as much food as possible over the holidays. Click here for a list of their most requested food items. You can drop off your food items in our foyer throughout the holiday season. If you would rather donate funds to the pantry, you can do so on our Online Giving page (Select “DMARC” from the dropdown menu!) or by writing “Food Drive” or “DMARC” in the memo of your check.

Backpacks for JOPPA

Purchase a sturdy backpack and fill it with hats, gloves, scarves, heavy socks, below-zero sleeping bags, can openers, and other winter items to bless individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our neighborhood. We’re partnering with Joppa, a local resource center, to hand out these critical items. Drop off your backpacks under the Christmas tree in our foyer this holiday season.

Family Support at the Learning Center

There are several families at the Ashworth Learning Center with specific needs, especially over the Christmas season. Please fill out the form below if you’re interested in purchasing some gifts for these families.

Learning Center Christmas Party

Thursday, December 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Ashworth Church

We are excited to connect with our Learning Center families and teachers this Christmas! We’re throwing them a Christmas party complete with crafts, games, and goodies. If you’re interested in helping direct a craft or game, making Christmas cookies, or helping set up or tear down for the event, please fill out the form below.

How Will You Participate?

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act (Psalm 37:1-5).“

“Fret not,” it begins. That’s so often our default position. It’s so easy to get into the habit of being constantly worried and anxious. It can become a habit of thought life, as we replace the thing we fretted over for the last while, but has now lost its imagined threat, with the new worry we take on for the next while.

To get out of that negative trap I have several interconnected options. First, I can keep reminding myself that evildoers and wrongdoers don’t last too long. They wither like frost-bitten flowers. They have their season but then they’re gone. Once I get that settled in my view of circumstances, I’m ready to spiritually and emotionally have reason to actually delight in the goodness of the Lord. Pausing to remember the many ways God has blessed me along the way is a delightful thing to do. Steadying steps such as trusting in the Lord, concentrating on dwelling in the here and now and finding ways of doing good produce positive energy. Desires begin to align with God and come to be.

“Commit your way to the Lord and trust in him and he will act,” the Psalm asserts. I’m more than ready for some delightful God action. Aren’t you?

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15 NIV).”

It’s the word rule that grabs my attention. It means “to be in charge” or “to make the call,” much like the umpire in a baseball game I watched recently. Whenever I am faced with a difficult decision, it is the choice that relieves tension and brings a greater sense of inner peace that in all likelihood is the choice I should pursue. Let it make the call. Note, however, it isn’t referring to mere selfish desires I might have in isolation. For in its broader context the verse makes reference to peace in community.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts (Colossians 3:15-16).”

In other words, one of the most vital functions of the local Christ-following community is to inspire wise feedback (“admonish one another”) in an atmosphere that fosters peace. Time and again I have experienced how, when facing a personal dilemma, people with whom I have built trust and who will pray with me for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, have assisted me in locating the “peace zone” in my thinking. I may have started out with a different inclination, but patiently processing in unified community made letting the peace I had come to recognize and acknowledge make the call much easier. I once asked a seemingly successful businessman if he ever prayed about his decisions. He answered, “Not really. I figure God gave me a brain and I use it.” Within 5 years he had lost everything. I have always wondered how differently things might have turned out had he let the peace that comes through prayer in fellowship with unified community guide his decisions. I know every time I have just plowed ahead in selfish resolve, it hasn’t worked out too well for me.

So, Lord, I pray for your peace-inducing guidance in every decision I face. I also pray for family and friends who are confronted with as of yet unclear choices. Quiet our hearts before you. Sensitize us to your presence and inner voice. Help us submit to and let your peace govern our lives. Lord, hear my prayer.

Back during Lent, I committed to participate in the Lectio 365 daily devotionals for the season. I have found them so beneficial in these challenging times that the morning and evening meditations have become a regular part of my day. With background music, soft voices uttering guidance through the meditation, they are soothing, relevant, centering and spiritually nourishing. Each is designed around a 10-minute “Pause and Pray” format. I hope you find them as beneficial as I have.

Pause

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly, to re-center my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Pause and Pray

Prayer of Approach: God of Peace, I offer You my worries, I bring You my brokenness, and I surrender my striving. As I rest in Your presence, I receive Your peace.

I retorted to this in-my-face stranger, “Saved from what?” and walked away with further resolve to not have that conversation. Now, those who have known me and how I made a sharp turn in direction from the psychedelic hedonist, university campus protester of the ‘60’s to the Pastoral Theology-degreed, licensed and ordained pastor, church planter, missionary and, more recently, golf course groundskeeper, might assume that if asked that question today I would readily answer, “Yes!” But, if the questioner means “saved” in the sense that I understood the question that day back then, my answer would be a more polite (I hope) “No, I’m found.”

As I see it now, one can never achieve “saved” status by simply repeating a so-called sinner’s prayer and getting religious. Old habits will still plague, lust, covetousness and pride will not just vanish. You will not, if you are being honest, live a sinless life as defined by church rules. And, as you have been led to believe, God will still be angry with you because you aren’t as good a Christian as those other people at church “appear” to be. Shame and condemnation will haunt your every quiet moment. Saved? Not that way.

As I think of my own spiritual journey, I see myself as the lost lamb who the good shepherd went to extraordinary lengths to find in my dead-end lostness, picked me up and, messed up as I was, carried me into his shelter of love and restoration. I was running as hard as I could to get away from that old religion and in the process ran right into the real, living Lord Jesus who made me feel like he was hugging me rather than standing there with arms folded, tapping his foot, sternly looking down waiting for me to get my stuff together. God graciously drew me into the realization of his love and enabled me to trust that he was really for me and not against me. As all this began to take hold of me, I found some of those old things I centered my life in before didn’t seem as interesting and fun now. The old me has been in a life-long process of becoming a new me. I guess I could say I got saved from my old self, but not by any religious self-improvement flops. Some who knew me back in the old days who meet me now can’t believe I’m the same guy. Born again? That’s a novel way to put it.

Oh, let me add that in my own way, I’m still a protester.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Through all the hardships and challenges of life those the author included in his “hall of faith” had one thing in common. They never allowed nostalgia for the old places and good old days to crowd out their hope and longing for the promise of better days and destination ahead. The hope for things longed for. We all treasure memories of time spent with people and experiences had in places past. When life gets especially hard it is tempting to mentally retreat into a sentimental longing for then that overtakes and clouds focus upon the not yet. When we stop seeing memories as only markers of progress on our journey and start retreating into the past losing all focus on what is ahead, we can easily get trapped in despair. God has special regard for those who keep their eyes on the prize. Why? Because God has prepared for us a “city” and really wants us to get there.

Paul described it to the Corinthians as “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1).” God loves it when, in faith, we point our lives toward that future. Faith carries us toward God’s dream for us. I think of faith as that intrinsic, hard to define sense that the best is yet to come. The rough spots of life are temporary. Our God-designed future is eternal. We are on the right path when we long for, believe for and press onward toward it. It has been said we should avoid becoming so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good. I think Hebrews is telling us that without hope for tomorrow earth is no good.

God, author and finisher of our faith, help me today to recapture your vision for my future and draw from it strength for the journey. Amen.

I suppose we could all do fifty jumping jacks while singing “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” That would raise endorphin levels and unshrink our waistbands. But, would it bring sustained joy? A brisk walk in fresh air could be helpful, but some of us are saving our muscles for snow removal. So, are we just doomed to plod through another Monday running on low?

The psalmist thought not and offered this wise counsel. Psalm 121:1-3:

My Help Comes from the LORD
A Song of Ascents.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.”

It’s a much simpler exercise than jumping jacks. Lift up our eyes. Look up. Change our focus. Capture the image of the Lord, creator of all, who never sleeps and is always attentive to our steps. The Lord is our ever-present help in time of trouble. Let’s pause our gaze here. Feel the pressure level rise on our joy gauge. God is so good.

Afghan refugees are beginning to arrive to our city, and we are excited and honored to ease their transition to the U.S. by meeting tangible needs. We are sponsoring at least one family of four to six individuals who will arrive with virtually no furnishings to fill their home.

Click here to view the list of items needed and to register to donate before January 3, 2022.

Hope Ministries Turkey Pickin’

Saturday, November 20 at 8:30 AM
Hope Ministries: Bethel Mission (1310 6th Ave., Des Moines)

For our 7th year in a row, we need 25 people to pick the meat off of 150 pre-cooked turkeys for thousands of Thanksgiving meals Bethel Mission will serve to people in need in our community. Everyone must be 13 or older to participate.

Sign up on the form at the bottom of the page if you would like to join us. Pastor Amy will send you a waiver to sign ahead of time.

Family Support at the Learning Center

There are several families at the Ashworth Learning Center with specific needs, especially over the Christmas season. Please fill out the form below if you’re interested in purchasing some gifts for these families.

winter needs at Bidwell Riverside

Bidwell Riverside Community Center provides food, clothing, and care for people experiencing extra need in our city. They’re especially in need of new adult- and child-size hats, gloves, socks, and winter coats this year. We have a wrapped box in the foyer for donated items if you’d like to participate.

Learning Center Christmas Party

Thursday, December 16 from 5-7 PM
Ashworth Church

We are excited to connect with our Learning Center families and teachers this Christmas! We’re throwing them a Christmas party complete with crafts, games, and goodies. If you’re interested in helping direct a craft or game, making Christmas cookies, or helping set up or tear down for the event, please fill out the form below.

How Will You Participate?

So we are offering this Christmas practice that helps kids—and parents!—anticipate the birth of Jesus, and not just presents.

This practice is a tangible, Bible-based, 25-day guide to creating an exciting environment in the home around God coming to earth.

View the Block Sets Here

The church has pre-ordered blocks and devotional books and is subsidizing the pricing to make it more affordable for everyone!

• You can order the Standard Blocks for $10.
• The Traditions Set, a deluxe set with larger and full color blocks, including the wood block holder is $25.
• If you would like only the devotional book, we will offer those for free.

If you would like an Advent Block Set or Devotional Book, just fill out the form below.

Drought. We hear this word tossed about in the news regularly this summer. Lake Mead is at its lowest levels ever, threatening the water supply and power supply to the western part of the United States. Lake Michigan is getting so low in the summertime that the Chicago River could start to run backwards and drain into the lake rather than the lake drain out the river. The price of hay in Idaho is double because there was no rain to grow much hay in the spring. And in some counties of our own state, the corn is all curled and Des Moines Water Works has implemented a water shortage plan.

But even in this dry year which lacks the usual rain, forests across our nation are successfully working to protect themselves from the devastating heat and evaporation caused by the sun. You see a forest system works together; large, mature trees with deeper roots which are more able to pull every last drop of moisture from the ground shade the younger, more tender, and vulnerable trees. Not only do the largest trees protect the immature trees from the scorching sun, but their roots, all intertwined underneath the soil, actually share water and sugars with trees unable to nourish themselves in these difficult drought years. As a system, a forest all works together for mutual survival.

Our Spiritual Drought

Now turning our attention to ourselves, and our spiritual state – I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that many of us are experiencing a spiritual drought as we come out of a year of pandemic and are still waiting for life to return to any kind of rhythm. Before Covid, we went to work Monday through Friday, played or did projects on Saturday, and went to church on Sunday. We had routines set for prayer and Bible reading, and meeting with our Sunday school classes or Discipleship groups. But now without these rhythms and regular times with God to feed our souls, we find ourselves dry. To make things worse, the scorching heat of culture around us has intensified and reading the news or scrolling through social media seems to zap the very life out of us like never before. And the result is that many of us are spiritually dry. We are trying to survive a time like no other as 2020 and 2021 have been some tough drought years for many of us.

So what are we to do? I believe we need to learn from these forest systems and recognize that we survive dry times better together than we do alone. A single tree in a field receives no shade from other trees and no deep roots to share nutrients. It is alone. And for a tree to survive all on it’s own is challenging and even takes a bit of luck. That’s why lone trees in the middle of a field are a rare sight compared to a grouping of trees growing and surviving together.

Thinking you can survive this spiritual drought all by yourself is foolish. It leaves you exposed. You risk drying out completely or being blown over by the heavy winds of life. Perhaps you think to yourself, “But I have deep roots. I have a strong faith in Jesus and I don’t need community to survive.” However, what if YOUR survival is not what is at stake? What if the survival of all the immature trees depending on the shade you offer and the nourishment you provide, even in these dry times, is at risk by you not being there?

You see, those who are newer to their faith need older, wiser, more mature people in their lives to continue to feed and shade them from a world and culture that is looking to take everything out of them. And the spiritually mature need to understand all they have to offer and find ways to provide that protection and nourishment to those who need it. When we find ways to connect, to bring the mature and the immature together, then like a forest system, as the church, we can all survive this dry moment in time.

How to Weather the Drought Together

I believe most of you reading this article understand the importance of all of us working together and the benefits of mature and the immature Christians coming together. Where we struggle is finding ways to actually do this. So here are a few suggestions of how we can truly connect, share, and nourish one another in these challenging times:

• Come to Church – Friendship is a gift from God. But if none of your friends are Christians, then the spiritual nourishment your soul longs for will never be satisfied by those friends. That’s where connection with the church family becomes so important. But it’s hard to build friendships with others in your church family when you never see anybody face to face or have opportunity to create even basic relationships.
• Share a Meal – Meals provide physical nourishment as well as provide the opportunity for you to spiritually nourish those at your table. Invite somebody to join you for a meal after church and ask what God is doing their life.
• Check in On Others – While it is easier to check in with one another when we all see each other in the church foyer, that is not the world we live in any longer. Many are not yet returning to the church building, but that doesn’t mean they should feel forgotten. And perhaps you haven’t yet returned to the building, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still connect. Write a note or text, call somebody, setup a coffee date or a zoom call with someone you haven’t seen for awhile. Don’t let anybody be a lone tree.
• Join a Discipleship Group – More than ever before, I believe discipleship groups are the way forward for our spiritual maturity. Intentionally setting aside time every week to discuss your own spiritual state and the matters of the heart offers you the drink of fresh water from God that you need. Many say they don’t have the time for a discipleship group, but when your spiritual life depends on finding the next drop of fresh water, I say you can’t afford NOT to make the time. If you are interested in joining a group today, let us know.

Today I announce that this will be the final edition of the Ashworth Feed. But do not fear, you won’t lose this great content you have come to love – we are simply going to consolidate emails and merge the Feed into the bottom of Wednesday’s weekly newsletter. That way, everyone will have access to these articles and not just a select few.

Additionally, we are launching a new Facebook group for our Ashworth Church family to have conversations around each week’s message and other content we will post to foster ongoing spiritual growth between Sundays. With the blending of the digital world with the physical, we see these changes as a step forward in helping you on your journey of faith each and every day.

While some might wonder why we are creating a Facebook Group in addition to the church Facebook Page we already have – the short answer is that Facebook changed what people see in their feed and are much more likely to see what a Group posts than what we post to our Facebook Page. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry about these details and simply click the link below!

All that to say, please take a moment right now to go out and join our Facebook group. And look for this same content below in tomorrow’s newsletter so you know where it is being moved in future weeks.

How Can it Be OK?

America is fascinated with Nightbirde, a contestant on AGT, not simply because her story of repeatedly battling cancer is compelling, but because she seems to possess something elusive we all want. Or rather, someone: the God who knows our pain, meets us in our pain, and redeems our pain. [Read the Article]

A World Without Email

In this final email of The Ashworth Feed, I thought it appropriate to share this article about the destructive aspects of email. Technology has the ability to enhance our lives, but we cannot forget that all the advancement also comes at a cost. [Read the Article]

Seduced by Sex

In this message, Pastor Ryan looks at the seduction of sex in our culture and the holiness that we are called to by God as taught by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4. [Watch the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Why do you think Jesus says we are to take drastic action to address those things we are lusting after?
2. What would you tell someone who shared with you that they were struggling with lust?
3. Are you willing to be open, authentic and transparent with someone about something you might be struggling with? If not, why?
4. Bonus Question: Can you identify the eye traps in this picture?

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Too often we allow situations around us to control our emotions, and then let that anger drive our thoughts and our actions. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls out this behavior and shows us how it is the condition of our heart and how we see people as less than God intended that allows us to name call and act badly. To explore Jesus’ teaching on anger, watch Pastor Amy’s message here.

Controlling Anger Before it Controls You

In the same way God has given us medicine as a gift that brings healing, we can also employ therapeutic strategies to help us deal with the anger that might be destroying our lives. Here’s a link to the American Psychological Association’s guide on everyday strategies you can use if anger is controlling your life. [Read the Article]

Book RECOMMENDATION: What if Jesus was Serious

What If Jesus Was Serious? is a compilation of all-new reflections (and hand-drawn doodles) from Skye Jethani, a man made famous for his doodles and thoughts he tweeted about God. He takes a look at some of Jesus’ most demanding teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and pushes us to ask whether we’re really hearing what Christ is saying.  [View the Book]

Summer School: Anger

In this message, Pastor Brent looks at right and wrong types of anger and describes how as followers of Jesus we must guard against the damaging effects of selfish anger. Yet godly anger that is slow to develop is what drives us to bring justice to the world around. [Read the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Take a few minutes to reflect on the relationships in your life. Is there any anger you are holding that you need to release to Jesus? Has there been hurt or offense that you have caused recently and need to pursue reconciliation? Remember, Jesus invites us to settle matters quickly, so don’t put it off.
2. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus calls name-calling destructive. Pay attention to what you call people or how you label people in your frustration. Are there certain names or insults you use in your anger? Ask Jesus to reveal those to you this week and to help you see and name the image of God in people around you instead.
3. What are ways that you can cultivate joy and gratitude for specific relationships around you? Consider writing a note of encouragement, inviting a friend to lunch, buying coffee for a coworker, taking an extra 10 minutes to play a game with your child, etc.

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Recent slang has turned the word salty into a negative, but a couple millenia ago, being salty referred to the preserving, enriching qualities of salt. That’s why Jesus taught his disciples that rather than hiding off in a corner to hide from the evils of culture that they were supposed to be out and about in society seasoning, preserving, and enriching the world all around them, just like salt. That same instruction holds true for us today. If you missed Sunday’s message on this topic, check it out and be encouraged.

Hybrid Church

The pandemic may be ending but the church’s fight is just beginning. As people return to church, it is apparent that not everyone is going to return in person. This creates a time for the church to consider new ways to disciple their people and reach new ones, if we are willing to engage more fully online. [Read the Article]

Unfiltered: Authenticity in the Kingdom of God

One of the deep fears of the church today is what appears to be a continuous spiral into disunity. The picture-perfect façade which has become “normal” that Sunday morning attendees wear as a mask (figurative and literal these days) gets ripped off as the reality of life crashes into them the moment they exhale in their car after service… [Read the Article]

Jesus is the Light of the World

On Sunday we looked at how Jesus says we are the light of the world, but he is the Original Light. In this message from 2 years ago, Pastor Ryan unpacks what Jesus was saying when he announced that he was truly the Light of the World. [Watch the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. When the world pushes on your Christian beliefs, how do you initially respond? Do you want to run and hide, fight back, or find a way to lovingly influence them towards God?
2. What does this passage from Matthew 5:13-16 say about your tendency in how you respond? Does your initial inclination line up with Jesus’ words?
3. Think about the most recent situation where you were salt or light to somebody. How did it make you feel? How can you offer that to others again this week?

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Oftentimes the Beatitudes, the beginning of the famous Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7, are viewed as how Christians ought to live. But this then implies that Christians are supposed to be poor and mournful. Perhaps there is a different way to view this important passage of scripture. What if, instead of being the way those in the Kingdom should live, it is saying that EVEN THESE types of people are invited in? This is the Gospel – that regardless of who you are, even the losers, are invited to sit with the King at his table. If this concept interests you, I encourage you to watch this past Sunday’s message.

Book Suggestion: Good and Beautiful Life

Pastor Brent taught a class on this book years ago and we have recommended it to many since. In this book James Bryan Smith unpacks what it takes to find true contentment in life by walking through the Sermon on the Mount, which will be our message topic for the remainder of the summer. [Buy the Book]

The Neglected Ministry of Asking Questions

We often talk about connecting with others and our community, but for some people conversation doesn’t come easily. If you want to truly get to know people better and build stronger relationships with friends or foster new relationships with strangers, focus on questions. [Read the Article]

You Are Blessed

Blessed is a word we throw around in church but so few people understand it fully. As it is the key to the Beatitudes we just covered, we thought we would point you to a message where Pastor Brent dove in to what the Bible really means when it says you are blessed [Read / Watch the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Have you ever felt like an outsider within the church? If so, what does it mean to you that the Kingdom of Heaven is filled with outsiders like you.
2. Do you resonate more with the idea of the Beatitudes being a call to Christian Conduct or an Invitation to the Kingdom? What leads you to that conclusion?
3. Take a moment this week to read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and ponder what the main theme of the sermon is.

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We don’t use the word temple often, but the truth is, we can unwittingly treat our church buildings like mini-temples if we don’t understand what a temple is. This past Sunday, Pastor Brent explained how the temple is the space where heaven meets earth. The space where that happened most perfectly was in the person of Jesus. And as a result of his life, death, and resurrection – we now have the Spirit of God inside us. So we are now mini-temples, places where heaven meets earth every single day.

The question then becomes, if this is true, do we need church? If I don’t need to go to the building to encounter God, then why go? Especially in a time when being together with others is so complicated with the pandemic and politics. Below are several articles and videos to help you think through these ideas.

What’s the Point of Church

In this message from 2016, Pastor Brent breaks down why it is important for people to gather as a church. Like he said on Sunday, church is not a building, it is the people. And although we have God inside us, he never intended for us to follow him alone! [Read the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What place do you find you connect with God easiest? Why? What about this place helps you connect with God?
2. How has the Old Testament practice of worship only in the temple and God’s presence being limited to a specific place impacted your faith? Is this something you struggle with? Why or why not?
3. How can you be a temple, the place where heaven meets earth and God intersects with humanity, this week?

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Many people like to draw a line between the people (laity) and the priest or pastor (clergy). They imagine the church leader must be super sanctified and have a special relationship with God. And in the Old Testament of the Bible, that was true. If a commoner went into the Holy of Holies, he would die. But in the New Testament, we are told that we are now a holy priesthood – that is not just for church leaders, but for all who follow Jesus. So all the tasks you through were for your pastor to do – those are actually for you to do as well! Welcome to the team!!

If you missed Sunday’s message, I encourage you to check it out so you understand your role as a priest in this world.

Who Was Melchizedek?

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan mentioned Melchizedek, a minor character in Genesis 14, who turns into a key player when learning about how Jesus is our ultimate high priest – one in the order of Melchizedek. If you’ve never heard about this man with a name that’s a mouthful, read this brief summary of his story and how he might have actually been Jesus showing up to Abraham! [Read the Article]

5 Christian Cliches that Need to Die

Now that you all recognize each of you is a priest, it’s time to learn what NOT to say to people in an effort to make them feel better. Here’s a list of unhelpful cliches we need to stop telling one another. [Read the Article]

Our Message One Year Ago

Exactly one year ago we began a new message series called “The New Normal” where we discussed how things were changing and beginning to stabilize after a full 2 MONTHS into the pandemic. For fun, watch Brent, Ryan, and Amy unpack all that was changing one year ago…. and remember how much more has changed since then.[Watch the Message]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Why is it good news that Jesus is the only mediator between you and God?
2. In what ways have you unconsciously been viewing Ashworth Church leaders like an Old Covenant Priest?
3. How might you act differently knowing you are a priest, with direct access to God who can mediate between God and those who are not yet following Jesus?

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Everything must come to an end at some point. Seniors have to (get to) leave high school knowing they never have to go back. When people retire, they often look forward to that final day that marks never again having to get up for work at 6 AM. And as Christians, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, thereby ending the sacrificial system so we don’t have to splatter blood around the walls of our churches in accordance with the Old Testament law. This past Sunday, Pastor Brent spoke about how the perfect sacrifice of Jesus once and for all put an end to our need to shed more blood for our sins. We simply have to receive it and stop trying to make additional penance for our sins.

Divine Accomodation Explained

In this article, Pastor Bruxy Cavey explains why he believes from both the old testament and new testament scriptures why God never wanted sacrifice, but that he used it because our ideals were calling for us to pay for our own sin in some tangible way. [Read the Article]

Our Christian Faith and the Border

For some people the Christian approach to those wanting to cross our border or who are crossing the border or who have crossed the border is simple: it’s against the law, so send them back. For others it’s an issue of love and compassion so welcome them… [Read the Article]

Our Willingness to Sacrifice

Pastor Brent teaches on Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac and questions how much we are willing to sacrifice for Jesus, not to earn salvation but because of our devotion to him. It’s a different take on the topic we just discussed this past Sunday. [Read the Manuscript]

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Name a task you have to do repeatedly and what you enjoy or dislike about having to do it over and over.
2. Why is it so important for us to understand that the final payment of sin was fully paid by Jesus?  
3. In what ways do you try to sacrifice or atone for your own sin?

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Most people like new things. New car, new couches in the living room, new kitchen remodel. But at other times, we remain nostalgic, hanging on to the way things used to be. Sometimes as followers of Jesus, we end up hanging on to the way things really used to be – like pre-Jesus times! Even though we live in a New Covenant defined by the grace and love of Jesus, we live as law followers, stuck with an Old Covenant mentality, trying to appease God through our good behavior and ability to follow the rules. Last Sunday’s message showed how the covenant has changed and it’s time for our thinking around how we connect with God to keep up.

10 Things Evangelism ISN’T

Evangelism stirs up fear in many of us and conjures up images of evangelism done poorly which make us resistant to want to be evangelists with our own friends and neighbors. Perhaps we might reclaim our mandate to tell people about Jesus if we had a better idea of what Evangelism was never meant to be. [Read the Article]

Grace Under Fire

Pastor Brent looks at Ephesians 2:8-10 and how grace radically changes what we can do to earn our way to and make ourselves right with God.

[Watch the Message]

You Are

Here’s the new song we’ve done in Modern worship the past 2 weeks. I thought some of you might want to listen to it this week. The bridge is especially powerful as it walks through the story of the Bible.

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. In what ways do you find yourself holding on to an old covenant mindset? Too focused on rules? Feeling superior because of your own goodness? Thinking there must be sin behind your trials?
2. Why is it good news that God no longer boxes us in with a fence or regulations but instead draws us to the center through the work of Jesus?
3. In preparation for the rest of the messages in this series, read Hebrews 9-11 and ask God to show you why this is Good News for you!

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We spend too much of our lives at our jobs for it to be a meaningless passage of time with no redeemable purpose. Conversely, while your job has significance, it is not your identity or your calling. Like we discussed on Sunday in the message Beyond Work, we need to find a middle ground. If you’re struggling with the job you work, recognize that God has wired you for a special purpose and look for the ways in which that unique calling overlaps with the job you happen to hold. And thank God every time you have the opportunity to bring your special gifts to your job.

Christians and Climate Change

Political debate around climate change and carbon in the air has been going on for decades now. For the most part, the church has stayed out of the fray. But young people are deeply concerned about the future of the earth. Meanwhile others believe the Bible foretells of the destruction of the earth. So as Christians, where should we stand? [Read the Article]

Don’t Be Lazy

The opposite of working hard is laziness. The book of Proverbs actually has a lot to say about people who are lazy because God didn’t intend for us to sit and do nothing. As we discussed this week, he gave us a calling to live out. In this message from 2016, we discuss why being lazy is not God’s plan for you. [Read the Message]

WORKING FOR THE LORD

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What skills and passions has God put inside of you that uniquely enable you to fulfill your calling?
2. What is that calling? If you had to write down what God called you to do, what would you say?
3. In what ways do your calling and your job overlap?

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We live in a world where most people are looking out for #1 – themselves! We want to fight to protect our rights, our money, our way of life. But Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and follow him. And sometimes our agenda and his overlap. But other times they are at odds with one another. The question then becomes, who will you follow? Your own heart and desires? Or Jesus? Choosing who to follow is much easier once you realize Jesus is #1 and you are a distant #2.

Brainstorming: 13 Biblical Ways to Deny Yourself

Understanding the abstract concept of denying ourselves for the sake of Jesus is one thing. Actually identifying where in our lives we can take that step is more challenging. Here’s a list of ways God might be calling you to deny yourself today. [See the List]

Diversity Advocates at Colleges: ‘… You’re Seen as a Heretic’

Most Christians agree that diversity is a good thing, rooted in the creation narrative of Genesis 1. We agree that racism is wrong and has no place in our culture. But actually bringing change to our lives and way of doing things is much more challenging as many Evangelical colleges are finding out. [Read Article]

Deny Yourself Thru Fasting

In this message from 2018, Pastor Brent looks at one of the most direct ways you can deny yourself – through intentional fasting. Sometimes we need a very obvious outward action to help us grasp an inward attitude. [Read/Watch the Message]

Wise Words

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What version of Jesus is are you most tempted to create? All love, “buddy” Jesus? Firm, school-teacher Jesus? Something else?
2. What barriers keep you from following the instruction to “deny yourself”?
3. What does it means specifically for you to take up your cross this week?

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I hope you now have that famous song from Beauty and the Beast in mind. That scene from the movie fully encapsulates how most people envision hospitality. But as we discussed in our message Sunday, hospitality is more than sharing a meal, it is sharing a life. God has swung the doors of his home wide open and Jesus has invited us inside to join him for a feast, and to stay in the Father’s House. And as we await that moment, we now demonstrate the same heart of hospitality to those all around us. So what is one hospitable step you will take this week in making room for somebody in your home, at your table, in your calendar, or in your heart?

To Be (Social) or Not To Be: 5 Things to Talk About

Sometimes we have the energy and excitement to connect with friends and strangers, but other times we just need solitude to recharge. This article helps you and your spouse navigate ways to stay on the same page. [Read Article]

Tearing Down Fences Through Hospitality

In this message from 2018, Pastor Brent looks at what holds us back from being more hospitable and encourages us to tear down the dividing wall between us and the strangers all around us through the simple act of hospitality. [Read/Watch the Message]

The Father’s House

If you liked the new song we introduced in the Modern service Sunday, check it out here.

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Sunday we summarized that hospitality is “making room for others”. What is the biggest obstacle in making room for others in your life? What can you do to remove that obstacle?
2. Take a moment to think about a time somebody showed extraordinary hospitality to you. How did it make you feel? How did you feel about that person?
3. Practicing hospitality in a COVID world is tricky. What is one action you might feel safe to take in the coming month to show hospitality to someone who would never expect it?

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Do you remember the simple children’s game Follow the Leader where one person was the leader and everyone just imitated whatever that person was doing? It was like Simon says for beginners. In the same way, Jesus made evangelism for beginners just like Follow the Leader. We follow Jesus. We encourage others to follow us. Everyone should be imitating the faith-filled life of somebody further ahead on the faith journey and hopefully has somebody behind them who is newer on the journey. And like any good journey, we talk while we walk, we share and we grow. It’s not as complicated as we have tried to make it.

The 5 Thresholds of Faith

Serving Christ when Everyone Needs You

It was a normal day at home, and my kids weren’t being particularly difficult—they were just being kids. But as I unloaded the dishwasher I pressed my palm to my eyes to stop the tears. I had started to feel resentful about all of the responsibilities I carried, although I couldn’t pinpoint why. Continue Reading…

God is Missional

The reason we talk about the importance of sharing our faith with others is because we follow a missional God. He wants to bring blessings to this entire world, and he can only do that through us. Take a look at this message from 2016. Read the Message.

Who is Following you?

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV)

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How comfortable are you in having spiritual conversations with others?
2. Do you think most people in America today are open or closed to having spiritual conversations? Why do you think that?
3. Take a moment to pray for God to give you spiritual eyes to see moments where you could begin a spiritual conversation with somebody and pray for the boldness to take that step.

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In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, much ink has been spent warning about a 4th wave if we become complacent and let our guard down on all the COVID protocols. But I’m not here to write about masks, actually I’m talking about the days after Easter. You see, our Christian tradition is to put all our focus on Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday, and the crescendo of it all – Easter Sunday. But then come’s Monday, and now Tuesday. And like an athlete after the biggest game of the year, it’s easy to become complacent and stop all the good habits we formed preparing our hearts for Easter.

But what if this year you changed that narrative? What if, instead of seeing Easter as an ending, you saw it as a beginning to live life as a new creation? What if you stopped allowing the never-ending news cycle to control your feelings and instead grounded your life in a never wavering trust in Jesus? And what if this week you put new habits in place to allow this flourishing spiritual life you established before Easter to become your New Normal? Jesus wants this relationship to keep growing. Stay the course.

Monday after Easter

Easter is a beginning, not an ending.
It’s THE beginning, the fresh start all of our hearts long for. It isn’t about fluffy bunnies and pastel colors — it’s about the radical death, relentless love, and revolutionary power of our God. Read More…

Faith That Persists Above Feelings

Part of having a relationship with Jesus means spending time regularly to connect. Rick Warren writes a thought provoking daily devotional you can have sent to your inbox. Yesterday’s devotional challenges you to not allow your feelings to drive your faith. Take a look and perhaps you will want to subscribe.

Death to Life

A message about Jesus’ “Woes” to the pharisees is an unusual Easter message, but when you preach Easter EVERY year, sometimes you want to change it up. If you’re longing for a traditional Easter message, check out one of my favorites from 2015. Read the Message.

Relationship is Better

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Why do you think some could be drawn to religion (right beliefs, behavior, rituals, etc.) over a relationship with Jesus?
2. Why do you think Jesus was so hard and confrontational with the religious leaders in Matthew 23?
3. As Jesus critiqued religion, do any of his critiques surprise you? If so, so why or why not?
4. Of the problems of religion Jesus pointed out, what do Christians today need to be most aware of (or are tempted by) and why? (Religion burdens, brags, blinds, busies, buries)
5. What can you do to make sure you don’t fall into the trap of religion?

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It’s important for Christians to focus on their inward life with Jesus. But we can never stop there. This past Sunday, we looked at how we have to go BEYOND an individual faith of just me and Jesus and invite others to experience the banquet God is preparing for us all.

And there’s no better time to be talking with people than now. With Easter this Sunday, most people are more receptive to talk about Jesus this week than any other time of the year.

Faith Sharing 101

Billy Graham was one of the greats when it came to evangelism. So here’s a link to an article on the Billy Graham website about some simple things to give you greater confidence when sharing your faith.  It doesn’t take a seminary degree to tell somebody about Jesus. A life well-lived, some humility, and a clear explanation of the Gospel are a great start!

From the Empty Tomb to Today’s Abuse: Believe Women

“Believe women” has become the contested slogan of the Me Too movement. It is also the slogan of the Easter message. Read why it’s as important for us to believe women about today’s abuse as it is that we believe their testimony to the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.

What is Your Something to Talk About?

In this message from 2014, Pastor Brent shares about how the Apostle Paul, probably the greatest missionary ever, was one something special to look at or an incredible orator. He was an ordinary man with courage and a trust in God as she shared. Read the Message.

Be a Better Listener

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What keeps you from being more willing to talk about Jesus with others? Limited contact with non-christians, fear of what they will think, fear of what to say, something else?
2. Why are you a Christian? What value is there for YOU in following Jesus?
3. Who are you praying for to come to meet Jesus? Ask God to give you opportunity to speak into their life?

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If you missed this past Sunday’s message, I encourage you to check it out as we took the time to move beyond the essentials of our beliefs and into the non-essentials that are distinctives of who we are as a church. What we keep saying each week is that on each of our distinctives, there are wonderful Christians who respect and study the Bible but come away with opposite views on these issues. It simply shows how in some areas scripture is not as clear as we might like – and that should cause us to take a humble and loving stance as we discuss these issues with those who disagree with us. But on topics of critical importance, like who God is and how salvation works, all of us can agree. And that is something quite rare in this day and age.

Eternal Security?

Since this was the most common question we received in the past few weeks, I thought you might appreciate a few more angles on this question:

GotQuestions.org comes closest to what we described in our message Sunday.

The Assemblies of God describe the alternative position. But after reading their position I am left more convinced that a genuine follower of Jesus would never walk away.

Reflections on the Killings in Atlanta

Wrestling with national tragedies has become far too common for us, and yet we can never become so dull to the pain that we fail to allow them to make an impact on us. Read how one Asian-American pastor is processing his grief. 

Women in Ministry

One of the primary distinctives at Ashworth is our stance on women in leadership within the church. If you want to see in greater detail how we understand the Bible’s support for this position, check out Pastor Brent’s message on this topic.

Priesthood of Believers – Includes YOU!

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. If somebody asked you to explain your understanding of if a person can lose their salvation, what would you tell them?
2. At Ashworth we leave room for a lot of tension and grey in our understanding of scripture. Do you appreciate this approach or do you wish we were more black and white on all issues? Why?
3. What is one issue through these entire series you disagree with us about? Take a moment this week to further investigate this issue to solidify your understanding or to potentially change your view on the issue.

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Our first initiative is the Ashworth Learning Center, a full-day daycare for children 6 weeks old through 5 years we hope to open in August 2021. The Learning Center will accept state funding for a majority of the children it enrolls so that the daycare supports low and medium-income families. After meetings with WDM Human Services and seeing the push for additional childcare by local entities like the Des Moines United Way and the Iowa legislature, we believed this project was the right fit at the right time.

Ashworth Church can accommodate a daycare because we have approximately 5,000 square feet of building space used less than two hours a week. The church will lease the space to the Learning Center, ensuring the daycare can be financially self-sustaining while also covering the additional expenses the church might incur for the building use (i.e., utilities, maintenance, etc.).

The Ashworth Learning Center will be able to accommodate 62 children utilizing six rooms in the education wing of the church with potential for expansion in the future to serve over 80 kids and a summer program for elementary age kids utilizing the basement.

Some modifications have to be made to the building to bring it up to code. The church nursery will be moved from its current location to Room 1 (with a temporary stop in Room 2 during the renovation process). The wall between the current nursery and bed babies room will be removed to consolidate these rooms and allow for larger class size. To maximize capacity and meet building and licensing codes, exterior doors will be added to the existing bed babies room and Room 5. And even though we plan to work with Hy-Vee for meals and snacks for the daycare, we are required to add a small grease interceptor in the kitchen, requiring some modifications there as well.

Kerri Clark has agreed to serve as our initial daycare director to help us get through the licensing process and get the daycare off the ground. Additionally, depending on enrollment, we will be hiring up to eleven teachers and staff.

The Ashworth Learning Center is a large undertaking but not uncharted territory for the church. In the ’80s and ’90s, the church had a daycare and preschool. We believe starting a daycare gives us the best potential for utilizing the space we have that is currently being underused while meeting the real, tangible needs of those in our community. Plus, it gives us a new way to meet and reach out to families that might not realize how life-changing following Jesus can be.

Please pray for the Ashworth Learning Center, Kerri Clark, and the future staff. Be understanding in the coming months as we reconfigure space in the church and create a bit of a mess during the renovation. And if you feel so moved, give to support such a worthy need at https://ashworth.church/give and choose Learning Center from the drop-down.

If you grew up in church, it is likely you sang this song many times. Often, we find ourselves in a love/hate relationship with the Bible. At times we read it and feel encouraged as if the words were jumping off the page at us and guiding our steps as we live. And at other times, we feel the guilt of not picking it up because it just doesn’t seem to resonate with where we are currently at in our lives. This past Sunday’s message reminded us that the true importance of the Bible isn’t in seeing it as our instruction manual for life or a fortune cookie we crack open when we need a pick me up, but it is God’s word that reveals Jesus to us. And while we should see the Bible as an authority in our lives, it isn’t the ultimate authority. Our ultimate authority is Jesus.

WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

The Bible Project explores the origins, content, and purpose of the Bible. This video introduces you to a condensed history of how the Bible came into existence and the different forms of the Bible in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian traditions.

Taking Your Own Advice

Pastor and author Tim Keller was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As he faced an uncertain future, would he be able to live up to the advice he’d given out many times in his ministry? In this article, Tim shares what going through this time has taught him and how his faith has grown in the face of death.

Is the Bible boring?

When we are at our most authentic, we have to admit that the Bible can seem a bit dry and boring at times. But what can we learn about God and what he wants to show us even through the parts that make our eyes glaze over? Pastor Ryan addresses this very question in this blog post.

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. If you had to explain to someone why they should read the Bible, what would you say?
2. What practical steps can be taken to move beyond ignoring the Bible or only studying the Bible and allowing it to speak with authority into our lives?
3. This week’s challenge, join those reading through the Gospel of John between now and Easter. This week is John 6-10.

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The transgender community in India is much different than the western community. While western ideas of sexuality and gender have become popular in recent years, this community is comprised exclusively of men opting to become women. Historically, this community has been marginalized and their usual mode of survival is begging and/or prostitution. They usually do not have Healthcare access. Most do not have the support from their family members and remain cut off from normal life.

There is a hindu temple in south India that welcomes these people once a year to get married to one of the gods and it’s a huge event and attracts thousands of trans women as these women,  unless in prostitution, spend their lives without a partner.

The ministry meeting in the new chapel (Vanathin Vasal) is where trans people worship Jesus Christ with ordinary people. An ordained pastors leads the worship every Sunday. They were previously meeting in the living room of one of the trans women. With this new chapel, more people can meet. Life skills like sewing and cosmetology are taught so they can have an alternate means to livelihood. 

Prayer for this Ministry

• Pray for the Pastor as ministering to them poses challenges. Pray that He will be led by the Holy Spirit and teach the truth in love.
• Pray for discipleship and that these women would learn what it means that they are children of God.
• Pray for the outreach that they do among this community. 

That’s why we are excited to be offering this important curriculum, “The Gospel in Color,” to our kids, youth, and adults this spring. After Easter, our kids and youth will both begin a 5 week study through this book at their usual meeting times of Sunday mornings at 9 AM for kids and Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM for teens.

Additionally, we are offering a 3 week class for adults on Wednesday nights (April 14, 21, 28) at the church from 6:30 -8:00 PM. If you are a parent of a child at the church and want to know what they are learning, or maybe you don’t have any kids at the church but want to learn more about how God and race intersect, then sign up to join the class below.

If you want to order a copy of the book to look through, you can find it here.

Sign Up for the Class

Teens love to watch movies about paranormal activity and frighten their friends with scary ghost stories. It’s surprising then, that Christians have labeled the presence of God in our very lives with this same title – the Holy Ghost! Perhaps that’s why we’re not as comfortable with the workings of the Spirit as I think Jesus wanted for us. But this week’s message challenges us to step into our relationship with Holy Spirit and to trust God to lead us in our own paranormal activities for his purposes and for our good!

Forgotten God

A wonderful book on the topic of the Holy Spirit and his ongoing role in the life of the Christian is Forgotten God by Francis Chan. In the book, Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit for far too long, and we are reaping the disastrous results.  He offers an invitation to stop and remember the One we’ve forgotten.
View the Book at Amazon

Is a Vaccine Connected to Stem Cells Unethical

Some have wondered, seeing headlines tying the vaccines to stem cells, whether taking a COVID-19 vaccine would cause them to be involved, somehow, in abortion or in any way the taking of a human life. This is a serious question which requires thoughtful examination.
Read More

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

One aspect of the Holy Spirit which many Christians debate but which didn’t make it into this week’s message is how the gifts of the Spirit fit into a Christian’s life today. If you’ve found yourself wondering what you believe (or the church believes) about the spiritual gifts described in the Bible, you should take a look.
Read the Message

Holy Spirit Power

The Spirit of God is more than just the third and final part of the trinity. He is the power of God living in you to be his representation to this world! Live in that POWER!

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How do you think your introduction to the Holy Spirit (as a child or as a new believer) impacts how you view the Holy Spirit today?
2. Where do you see the fruit of the Spirit growing in your life? If you don’t see growth, why do you think that might be?
3. This Weeks Challenge: Each morning this week ask the Holy Spirit to show you how he wants to use you that day.

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The common expression Christians use to describe their decision to follow Jesus by telling others they are “Saved” has deep roots in the Bible but fails to connect with those outside our own faith. All through scripture we see Jesus as the hero, the Savior, the Messiah who comes to rescue his people from their sin, death, and more specifically, from the flames of Hell. Unfortunately, this story seems to be uncompelling to the watching world who sees Hell as a fairy tale where you might find a Wicked Witch or the Big, Bad Wolf. Our opportunity as Christians is to demonstrate to others how faith in Jesus truly rescues us from life’s pitfalls, fears, damaging emotions of shame and guilt, and countless other negative experiences that steal our joy. We are saved, or delivered, into an abundant life with the hero of the cosmic story of humanity – Jesus!

Law VS Grace

Tied to our understanding of how we receive salvation and if the idea of perseverance of the saints is the age old question of the law vs grace. One side says, “Salvation is by grace and grace alone.” The other side counters, “That idea leads to lawlessness. God’s righteous standard in the Law must be upheld.”…
Read the Article

Swinging the Pendulum Too Far

Speaking of Law vs Grace, the issue of equality is in the news again and proposed legislation may have a significant impact on the American church going forward. This is a challenging read as we wrestle with how to be loving and grace-filled while holding onto our beliefs.
Read More

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. In what ways are you tempted to ADD the saving work of Jesus? Jesus PLUS Knowledge? Jesus PLUS Good Deeds? Or Jesus PLUS Obedience?
2. When you think about the non-Christians in your life, do most of them seem to not NEED a Savior, not WANT a Savior, or not BELIEVE a Savior exists? What does that say about the culture we live in?
3. Take a moment to thank God for the incredibly generous and loving gift of freely given grace – of his favor to adopt us into his family. Meditate on what it means that God rescued and delivered you from sin, shame, death, judgement, fear, and bondage.

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Through COVID, peanut butter has become a popular item and so the price has increased to $1.50 a jar or $18 a case (12 jars). While the price has increased, so has the need. That’s why this year we want to purchase an entire pallet of peanut butter for hungry families impacted by the pandemic.

During the the month of March, we will have a giant pallet of peanut butter sitting in our foyer ready to be purchased by you. We’re excited to see generosity flow as we watch each jar of peanut butter move from the “For Sale” pallet to the “Sold” pallet!

How to Donate

• Bring cash or check and mark it when putting it in the offering on a Sunday
• Donate whatever amount you desire through our regular giving page and selecting “Peanut Butter” from the drop-down menu.
• Or just fill out the form below!

Whether you are a Christian or not, the universal impact he made on this earth requires every single person who hears his name to make a decision. Who is he? And if he is who he says he is, what are you going to do about it yourself? This is the crux of the Christian faith. Without Jesus, we have no Christ, no Christianity, and no good news. All too often we think of our faith as being a list of facts to learn, but really, our entire faith boils down to a person. A person who can be known and who wants to be known by you. The question is, who is Jesus to you?

Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

Per the great Christian apologist C. S. Lewis, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.
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God is Love

While we’re learning from CS Lewis, here’s another nugget from him about love: “Choosing another’s good in the absence of feeling romantic about it is a far more beautiful and noble thing. It is substantial. It lasts. It is sustainable.” See how your view of love impacts your ability to truly know God.
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What’s the Point of Jesus’ Life?

In this message from Pastor Brent, he answers this critical question. And it isn’t just Christians for whom this question is important. Everyone needs to wrestle with what we gain from the life Jesus lived
Read the Message

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How different would your life be if Jesus were not real or never existed? What does that indicate about your spiritual life?
2. What do Jesus’ statements about himself and his actions show us about who he thought he was? (John 10:30, John 14:1, Luke 5:20-24, John 5:24-25)
3. If asked by a skeptical friend, “Who is Jesus?” how would you respond?

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I assume God hates the cold too, afterall, we are made in his image! This past Sunday’s message, which covered hell while most churches used Valentine’s day as an opportunity to preach on Love, showed us the full scope of what it means to be human. We learned about the incredible potential we have as God’s pinnacle of creation who are made to be like him, but unfortunately made a mess of ourselves as we regularly miss God’s perfect mark and sin against him. I hope you take a moment to think about this chasm between how good you can be and how far you have fallen. And praise God that he closed that gap by dying for your sins!

How Laughter can Help Your Marriage

God made us and he gave us the gift of laughter. Often times, and especially in the hard times, what we need more than anything is a good laugh. Wondering how laughter can help you and your spouse during tough times?
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THe Fall

So much of what we believe as Christians hinges on what the Bible tells us in the first 3 chapters of Genesis. In this series we traced the Big Story of God and in this message Pastor Brent looks at the significance of the fall, the moment when humanity became stained with sin.
Read the Message

We are His Supreme Expression

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. In what areas do you doubt your own worth? Where do you need to remind yourself of how God made you and the potential inside of you?
2. Who do you most struggle to see the image of God inside of? What can you do to see them as a valuable person who is filled with potential?
3. If both men and women are made in the image of God, what does that say about God’s gender? Why is this important?

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While Pastor Brent gave it his best effort to cover the essential doctrine of God in 30 minutes this past Sunday, I think we can all admit, that was an impossible task. God, being infinite, is simply beyond our grasp. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. And it doesn’t mean that God didn’t do all he could to show us who he is by coming to this world as Jesus. And yet, there will always be a chasm as our finite minds try to grasp the infinite. If you want to stretch yourself this week, we have a few videos which explore some of the complexities of understanding God better.

5 Biblical Ways to Take Action Against Racism and Injustice

In this tumultuous season in our country, all of us are bombarded with messages through the news and social media that seem to draw lines in the sand. Phrases such as “systemic racism,” “white privilege,” “implicit bias” and “intersectionality” have increased the learning curve of many. Calls for immediate action bombard many people who have yet to arrive at conclusions.
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Americans Belief in God Declining

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How does your belief in God impact your sense of holiness? Justice? Love for neighbor?
2. Do you tend to think of God as ONE or as THREE distinct and different Gods? Why do you think it is important to our faith to keep a balance between this tension?
3. Take a moment to praise God for this incredible world he created, in all its intricacies and perfect balance.

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This past Sunday we launched a new message series called The Essentials where we discussed the gray areas in the Bible and how that leads thoughtful Christians to sometimes hold different beliefs. At Ashworth, we want to be a place to allow freedom on the non-essentials of our faith while still drawing lines and finding unity on those few beliefs we deem as essential to our faith. If you click only one link below, I highly encourage you to watch the video immediately below – as one pastor explains how his church tries to love like a liberal church while being conservative in theology.

Gen Z is Looking for Religion, But Not Their Parents

With young people less engaged in faith, we need to be looking for new ways to reach them where they are. Pew Research Center reports that those under 30 are the least likely to tune in to virtual worship. Similarly, new data shows teens attended in-person religious services at rates similar to their parents — but they were much less likely to pray.
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Unity, Liberty, and Love

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Thinking about your spiritual upbringing, were you raised with many or few essential beliefs? How has your understanding of what is essential changed over the years?
2. How open are you to differing views in your beliefs? Are you even willing to have a conversation with an open mind with someone that differs from you? 
3. Take a peek at our church’s beliefs and let us know if you have any questions you would like to see addressed in this message series.

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God is love. And so people who love God should love like he does. And in today’s climate we offer several articles about what it might look like to love others well. You could heal a divide between somebody with different beliefs than you through listening and empathy. Or you can pray short prayers asking God to help you stay focused on what really matters – loving him and others. Or find a way to be hospitable in a COVID world in an effort to tear down the barriers which divide. But whatever you do, let the love of God overflow to others around you this week!

Talking with the Other Side

Can the United States resurrect the lofty goal enshrined at our founding: that of e pluribus unum (“out of many, one”)—rather than the current trend of one splintering into many? For those willing to pursue the goal of civil conversation with adversaries, I suggest the following steps.
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20 One-Sentence Prayers that Will Change Your Day

Sometimes I convince myself that I’m too busy to pray. The reality is, though, we can pray a simple prayer that may be only one sentence long yet God will answer it, because He answers our prayers not by how eloquently we pray but by how much faith we pray with.
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Let the Love of God Overflow

If you missed Pastor Amy’s message on Sunday, it was a great reminder to draw close to God. But simply loving God more without letting that overflow into a love for others is not what he intended.

Message Discussion Questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Why do you think your ability to love others is so connected to your love of God?
2. How is your relationship with God impacted when you fail to love others well?
3. What’s one tangible way you can love others this week?

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Wednesday will be an important day in American politics. Many are upset with the outcome of the election. Many are looking to the new administration to be a savior. And still others are worried about what chaos might erupt on this important day. Regardless of where you land, we need to be people who pray for our country, pray for our leaders, and pray for people to come to know the peace that is found in Jesus. So I encourage you to take a moment right now, and say a prayer.

And speaking of prayer, two weeks ago, the day the Capitol was breached by rioters, Pastor Brent wrote out a prayer for the church. Here’s what he prayed that fateful day.

Only Biblical Peacemaking Resolves Racial and Political Injustice

The election highlighted the sociopolitical divide between white evangelicals and the black church. These two groups share the Great Commission but couldn’t be further apart socially. The American church may never agree on partisan affiliation, but what must we agree on in regard to racial justice?
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The new PTSD: Present Traumatic Soul Disorder

I’m experiencing feelings that I’ve never felt before, and I’m not sure what they are. I feel unsettled most of the time, but I can’t quite place my finger on it in a way that is easy to describe. I’m only comforted by the fact that most of the friends and associates I speak with are experiencing the same or similar feelings.
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Opening the Windows of the Echo Chamber

It’s hard to learn anything new when all you hear is your own voice coming back at you. Yet we tend to retreat to our corners when speaking with others who disagree with us on spiritual and political issues. But there can be truth and life found when we listen to those with whom we disagree.
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Honest Prayer When God Feels Distant

Survey QUESTION

We are curious about how helpful you find The Feed. Would you consider taking a moment to reply to the email you received or comment in the section below with a rating from 1-10 of how helpful you find this weekly collection of articles. Additionally, we’d love if you left a comment about your favorite part or what you think we could do better. Thanks!

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In the message this past Sunday we discussed how we all silently carry around unresolved emotions and how it can make a mess of our lives. I truly hope, if you haven’t already, that you will think about the baggage you carry around with you and walk through the 5 steps to unpack it at move forward. And if you would like to read further on this topic, I encourage you to read the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

THE ROMAN ROAD FROM INSURRECTION

This week we watched an insurrection of domestic terrorists, incited and fomented by the President of the United States. We saw the attack on our Capitol, the desecrating of the seat of our democracy, the harming of innocent human lives, and the murdering of a Capitol Police officer. Part of me hesitates to address this at all.
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7 QUESTIONS TO HELP PROCESS FEAR

Fear keeps many people from achieving all God would have them achieve. Rather than assume the risk required to pursue their dreams; fear will keep people from moving forward. This article was written for pastors attempting change but equally applies to our current political situation.
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Authentic Prayer

What attitude do you bring with you to pray? Do you come as one who thinks because of your goodness that God owes you something?  Does your prayer look more like the Pharisee’s than the tax collector’s? Remember, Pharisees come in many packages. We must be on guard against pride shaping our prayers…
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HONEST TO GOD

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What is the main reason you struggle to be honest with God? Shame, pride, fear, thinking God can’t handle it? Why do you think that is?
2. As you have taken time to reflect on the message, what baggage have you realized you have been silently carrying? How are you giving it to God?

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Forgive us, we pray. We have sought power in politics and not in surrender and service to you and to one another. We have looked to politicians and judges for salvation and been willing to overlook and even make excuses for blatant behavior that reveals a heart far from the character of Christ. We have looked the other way so that we can grab and hold on to power. We have put down and desecrated others who have been made in your image. Our impotence to live as Jesus lived has led us to attempt to legislatively and judicially coerce people to the cause of Christ.

We carry banners with the name of Jesus, looking to force our will on others when Jesus is calling us to put down the sword and be voices of healing. We scream and shout at others who look differently, think differently, and believe differently than we do rather than picking up the towel and the basin to wash even our enemies’ feet.

We align ourselves with rumors, baseless theories, and foolish talk so much that when we speak the truth of the gospel, the world assumes it is just another unfounded conspiracy theory.

And we are far beyond pointing fingers at others. Today, the responsibility rests squarely on us. We have failed to follow Jesus. We have bowed our knee to the idol of control and power. We have sinned against you, O God.

By wearing his name but not his heart, we have done great damage to the name of Jesus.

Open our eyes to see the damage in which we have been complicit. Break our hearts for our complicity in the strife and anger and hatred that grows unchecked all around us.

Almighty God, we cry out for mercy. Forgive us, as followers of Jesus Christ. Forgive us as citizens of this country. And forgive us as citizens of the kingdom both here now and to come.

We repent and turn away from the entanglements that have led to this moment, and we turn back to you, oh Lord.

Guide our steps in the days to come to be salt and light, peacemakers and reflections of the one we follow and serve, Jesus Christ.

In his name, we pray,
Amen

It’s a new year and hopefully if you are reading this, then you’re the type of person who wants to be growing and changing and looking more like Jesus each and every day. And while there is no magic in the turning of the calendar page, it does offer a great time for us to slow down and evaluate where we have been and where we want to go. If you haven’t done that already, then the article about an intentional start to the new year is one you’ll want to read. If you have already taken that hard look into the mirror, I hope God has spoken to you about where he wants you to go and grow. And while it may be scary to take the risk and challenging to make the changes necessary, God promises to be our rock and foundation through all that we face. So go forth and set the new rhythms you need in your life to become the person God created you to be.

AN INTENTIONAL START

We have talked a lot about the importance of intentional planning and evaluation in recent Sunday messages. Here’s an article about how one pastor sits with his wife to start each year and evaluate their spiritual health, relationships, and pace of life.
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SECRET TO SELF-DISCIPLINE

After we evaluate our lives and make decisions about what we want to change, it takes a level of self-discipline to stick with those changes. It’s far easier to revert back to old habits than to stick with the new. So what’s the secret to sticking with those changes?
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10 FRESH WAYS TO READ YOUR BIBLE

A mere 9 percent of Americans read their Bible each day in 2019—the lowest number in a decade of research and decreasing more in the first few months of the pandemic. Perhaps a fresh approach to reading your Bible could help you this year.
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GOD IS A SURE FOUNDATION

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What are the spiritual disciplines you need to cultivate to keep connected to God?
2. What are the practices of self-care you need to attend to your body and nurture your soul?
3. What are the gifts, passions, and burdens within you that God wants you to express for the blessing of others this year?

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As pastor Brent described this past Sunday, we tend to make Christmas all about the presents. We remember the best gifts we have received (for me, Nintendo in 1985), we look forward to surprising others with the gifts we carefully picked out for them, and a few of you might currently be worrying about the presents you ordered on Amazon but have not yet arrived! But all of our focus on the presents under our tree are nothing compared to all the gifts God has already given to us. All too often we take these good gifts for granted. We expect them so we fail to cherish them. So I encourage you to take a moment this Christmas season to reflect on all the good things God has given to you in this crazy 2020.

THE GIFT OF LISTENING

We often think that telling people about Jesus is all about our boldness to speak to people (sometimes “at” people). But as we look for opportunities to have spiritual conversations with family members this Christmas, let’s remember to begin by listening.
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PREPARING FOR AN UNUSUAL HOLIDAY

If you find yourself facing down a holiday season that looks nothing like your normal, festive routine, there are some things you and your spouse can do to make it happy and enjoyable for everyone.
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GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

This Sunday, Pastor Brent discussed all the gifts God has given to us, and one of the gifts mentioned were the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In this message from 2015, Pastor Ryan teaches about what this spiritual gifts include – and yes, speaking in tongues is a part of them!
Watch the Message

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. When you give a gift, think about how you like to see the recipient respond to the gift. Is that how you respond to all the gifts God has lavished on you?
2. We often minimize the gifts God has given to us. We trivialize all the gifts other than salvation, or we act as though by being a good person, we earned his favor. In what ways might you inadvertently minimize the gifts of God?
3. Take a moment to thank God for all the gifts he has given to you:
   • Gift of Salvation
   • Gift of Holy Spirit
   • Gift of Grace
   • Gift of Righteousness
   • Gift of Eternal Life
   • Spiritual Gifts

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When we think about our families, we usually think about those with whom we have a blood connection. Blood is the bond that ties. But this past Sunday we taught how Jesus changed everything by being the new bond that binds us all together as brothers and sisters in the family of God. And with a new, broader, more diverse family, we have new blessings as well as new challenges. But the challenges are no different that those we face with our immediate family. Now our crazy family just got a lot bigger!

CRAZY FAMILIES

The upcoming holiday season, along with the crazy circumstances of this whole year, might have you feeling the weight and strain of family issues more acutely. It can be uncomfortable and stressful, and it can stir up things within yourself that don’t feel great either. This is normal, and it’s okay.
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Q&A: GOD AS FATHER?

What does it mean for God to be our Father? Clearly this is an analogy, and analogies work by comparing something that is hard to grasp with something that is very familiar to us and that we can easily understand. God does this by comparing the relationship he seeks with us to the relationship of a father to his own son or daughter.
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MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Our experience with our own family impacts how we view the family of God, and specifically our relationship to God the Father. Where do you see your experience with family impacting your relationship with others in the church or with God?
2. Have you ever felt incredible love from somebody within the church? How did it make you feel towards that person and towards God?
3. What one extra connection will you make this week with somebody from your family to spread Christmas cheer?

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This past Sunday was all about LIGHT! First Pastor Brent traced the theme of light all through scripture, first with God speaking light into existence, and then with Jesus coming into the world as the very light of God. It should change the way you think about all the Christmas light decorations you see.

Speaking of light decorations. Sunday night we held our Celebration of Lights – to some just a fun light show, but to us at Ashworth, it’s an opportunity to bring a glimmer of joy and peace to a chaotic world in an especially difficult year. And now you have the opportunity, every day, to be light to those around you who are struggling to find their way in a dark year.

AN ADVENT INVITATION

How can Christmas come in the midst of such a confusing time, while our grieving hearts are broken by sickness, death, separation, isolation, injustice, division, and more? I imagine I am not alone in trying to navigate the still-persistent surrealness of this year.
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NETS VS FISHING POLES

When Jesus called some of his disciples, he told them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people” (Matthew 4:19). Unfortunately, as Americans, we tend to think of fishing in terms of a fishing pole used to catch a single fish rather than a net used to catch everything. This has major implications for evangelism.
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A CHRISTMAS LIGHT

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Has there ever been a time you were in complete physical darkness? How did that experience make you feel? 
2. In what way has Jesus brought light to your world?
3. If this light is good, why do people have such a problem with it?
4. What areas of your life might you intentionally or unintentionally be trying to keep hidden in the dark? What fears do you have about bringing them into the light?

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Reserve your seat this Christmas Eve

Sign up to join us for a 40 day journey of Restoring Connection with God

In this groundbreaking devotional book, Peter Scazzero introduces the ancient spiritual discipline of the Daily Office. The basic premise of the Daily Office is simple: We need to intentionally stop to be with God more than once a day so that practicing the presence of God becomes real in our lives.

Our journey will begin on Monday, January 4 and last through Friday, February 26. Coinciding with reading this book together, we are launching a new message series in January around the topics from this book.

If you’re interested in joining us on this journey, let us know in the form below:

OK, so this might not be the best feed, but we are definitely in the most wonderful time of the year, and we have the opportunity to choose to make this Christmas, the Best. Christmas. Ever. But that won’t happen by chance. We have to intentionally use this season of advent to prepare our hearts. We have to focus on what it means that God chose to break into our dark world. We have to ponder how Jesus is still breaking into our lives in this challenging year. And we have to prepare for Jesus to return yet again, making all things right and inviting us all into his Father’s house! So make sure your preparation for Christmas this year includes more than decorating, shopping, and baking. Prepare your heart by focusing on the center of it all: Jesus!

If you would like a daily devotional to focus your heart, try following along with this online devotional.

PREPARING THROUGH ADVENT

Contrary to popular culture, the period leading up to Christmas Day is not the Christmas season; it is Advent. Advent is a time of active preparation, not of passive waiting. Advent reminds us that Christian hope is shaped by what has happened and what’s going to happen again.
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MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What does it look like for you to eat from Jesus as the tree of life?
2. We all fall into the temptation to seek eternal life from other, false sources. Where are you tempted to go seeking abundant life?
3. Thinking about this message, take a moment to reflect on what your Christmas tree means to you now.

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This Thursday is Thanksgiving and many of us will sit around a dinner table with fewer family members than usual joining us, thinking about what we are thankful for. And while no doubt, 2020 has been a challenging year, God has still been at work this year in your life and mine.

• I’m grateful for the spring I worked from home and took lunch with my wife each day on the deck as the flowers and trees bloomed.
• I’m grateful for the timing of numerous personal trials this year, all of which could be seen as major challenges, but were also impeccably timed to simplify my life.
• I’m grateful to belong to such a healthy church filled with so many people who are actively and intentionally maintaining relationships in the midst of a pandemic.
• I’m grateful that God’s grace doesn’t diminish when our spiritual fervor does. This has been a hard year for us all, but through it all, God has never left our sides.

Now it’s your turn. As you read the articles below and ponder all that has taken place in 2020, take an inventory of all the ways God has been good to you.

COVID-19 SILVER LININGS

This article may not be from a Christian source, but I bet it will help you brainstorm some of the ways God has been good to you this year. And while it may not present a Christian perspective, I see God’s handiwork all through this list.
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WORDS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR HUSBAND

Speaking of encouraging others, here’s a practical article for the wives out there. As a husband reading this article, I can attest that this hits home. Take a look, think about which words of encouragement best fit your husband, and then in a quiet moment, speak those life giving words to him.
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STAYING THANKFUL: PASTOR AMY’s Perspective

You’ve already heard plenty from Pastor Ryan about having an attitude of gratitude at Thanksgiving. But what does Pastor Amy have to say about the topic. Take a look at what she had to say in a blog from 2014. Hint: it’s not a focus on Black Friday shopping!
Read the Article

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. In what ways do you demonstrate that you are a positive person? What habits do you have that make you a more negative person?
2. Aside from the week of Thanksgiving, how do you incorporate an attitude of gratitude into your life? If you don’t take time to thank God regularly, what could you add to your life to make sure keep gratitude front and center more often?
3. Many people wish they were a more encouraging person than they currently are. What prevents you from being a more encouraging person? How can you remove those barriers?

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Making a mess of life is something we all will inevitably deal with in life – some of us more often than others. Sometimes we damage our relationship with friends or family, sometimes we simply make foolish choices, and other times we make a mess of our relationship with God. No matter the situation, these mistakes we make require us to actively choose to clean up the mess and fix what we have broken. The articles below point us to taking the time to confess our sin to God, heal any emotional damage in our marriage, and stop hiding our secret sins, hoping they will go away on their own. As we heard in this past Sunday’s message, confession needs to be an important part of our everyday lives.

5 WONDERFUL & UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF CONFESSION

Growing up, I couldn’t bear to hear the word “confession” without getting a knot in my stomach. Nothing sounded more miserable than willingly sharing my wrongdoings with other people—let alone with God. This is probably why I wouldn’t do it unless, of course, I was caught in my sin.
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HOW ARE YOU DOING, REALLY?

Speaking of fall clean-up this past Sunday, we can’t forget how emotional health is vital to not only personal wellbeing, but to healthy relationships–especially marriages. That’s why it’s important for you and your spouse to communicate openly and often about how you’re really doing, emotionally.
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SIN IS SNEAKY

When we look at the very first sin in the Bible, we see a pattern of how sin tries to sneak into our lives and we are given the best antidote to dealing with that insidious sin – confession. Take a moment to look at one of the first blog articles we ever posted to our church website.
Read the Article

Continued Reflection from Sunday

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Do you view confession as restorative or punitive? Why?
2. Think about a time you have honestly confessed your thoughts and your sins openly to God. What were the benefits you experienced for your openness with God?
3. Consider how you could build a regular time of confession into the rhythm of your life with God. Try it out for a week and notice how your relationship with God grows.

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We hope you don’t mind an abbreviated edition of The Feed this week as both Pastor Brent and Ryan are taking back-to-back weeks of vacation. And while thinking about it, perhaps we could all use a vacation from more articles about the election, or Covid, or all the ways 2020 has been a challenging year.

The Slow Work of God

The longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve become con­vinced of two impor­tant things. First, it’s tru­ly pos­si­ble for a human being to under­go gen­uine spir­i­tu­al trans­for­ma­tion, evi­denced in tan­gi­ble, pos­i­tive changes in char­ac­ter, behav­iour, and inner peace. Sec­ond, such trans­for­ma­tion almost always hap­pens at a pace slow­er than we would expect or desire.
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OUR CORE VALUE: MOVEMENT

Over 5 years ago we released a message series outlining our core values at Ashworth. Movement is one of those values – one we may not have been doing a lot of in 2020, but one which we need to focus on in the coming months as we seek to grow and be fruitful.
View the Message

Continued Reflection from Sunday

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How connected have you been to the vine in 2020? What’s keeping you from remaining?
2. Where have you been fruitful in 2020?
3. Continue the practice of Lectio Divina with Matthew 6:33. Read through the passage four times. Read and listen. Read and reflect. Read and respond. Read and rest.

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In our always-on culture, it’s easy to feel like you always need to be producing. When I’m at work, I’m always looking for the next item to cross off my to-do list. And then I get home and the tasks may change but my mindset doesn’t. Clean the house, do the laundry, touch up paint on the wall, trim the bushes, take the kids to the park, return the clothes that didn’t fit, pay the utility bill, schedule dinner with friends… I could go on and on and on. From the moment I wake up to the moment I lay my head down, I feel like I need to be doing something productive. I need to be moving the ball of my life forward.

Perhaps you can relate. Most people I talk to have that feeling of too much to do and not enough time. Even in this pandemic, after the first few weeks of feeling out of sorts with nothing to do, we found new ways to fill our time. Sure our kids’ activities were cancelled in the evenings, but that didn’t stop us from tackling house projects we had been putting off or taking up new hobbies like sewing or gardening that sucked up huge amounts of time.

Never Fully Recharged

Ironically, while we like to think we are strong and efficient and able to be 110% productive each day, if you are anything like me, you probably spend more time than you like to admit sitting in a chair or lying in bed soaking up mindless media from a glowing screen. Our idea of being fully productive actually drains our batteries more than we might imagine and it leaves us instead reaching for the remote – sometimes before we even cross one item off our to-do list.

Perhaps we are doing things all wrong. Rather than thinking we are all super human and capable of ceaseless work, what if we acknowledged our humanity, our finiteness, and our need for real rest. Not just dream-about-the-one-week-of-vacation-rest that you probably cancelled during Covid, but real, recharging, life-giving rest.

The Value of Seasons

Here is where we can take a lesson from the woods. As a kid we all learned about the four seasons and how trees bud their leaves in spring and then lose their leaves in the fall. But there is actually so much more that goes on as the seasons turn.

You see, sometimes the tree is moving energy in the form or sap and sugars from the roots up to the leaves to grow taller and reach for more sunshine. Their roots and branches actually grow the most in the late spring when water is abundant. In the summer it is actually “breathing” through the leaves as it photosynthesizes the sun’s rays to make more sugars. Then as summer turns to fall, the trees prepare for the inevitable cooldown and dormancy of another winter. The trees stop using the sugar to produce more growth and instead store those sugars in little buds for the following spring, knowing that winter is approaching. They accept it is impossible to be constantly growing, constantly producing. So they settle into a rhythm. You see, a tree’s growth is not at all constant. It ebbs and it flows, hence why we can count the rings of a tree to tell how old it is. The growth in late spring produces light colored wood while the summer growth with less water creates darker wood.

We see this same example of ebbs and flows in how we should do work set for us by God himself. From the earliest pages of our Bible, we see God create humanity to be productive, but also to take time to rest. In Genesis 1:28 God gives us the command to, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” And then in Genesis 2:2-3 we see how even God rested from his labor: By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. 

Not only did God show us a pattern of weekly rest, but then as he gave the law to the Israelites, he specified special holy days and annual festivals for the people to come together and celebrate (Leviticus 23:1-44). He set aside time to stop producing, stop trying to be always-on, but to rest, to recover, and to prepare for yet another year of planting and harvesting.

Enjoy the Often Changing Seasons of Your Life

If this pandemic has taught us anything, hopefully it is the value of healthy rhythms and rest in your life. It is OK to go home after a day of work and not try to tackle a single project or rush any kids to activities. But rather than vegging out in front of a screen, find something beneficial to really recharge your batteries. Enjoy a night on the deck or a walk down a trail. Have dinner with a friend or unwind with good conversation around the table with your family. Yes, in some seasons you will be busy with activity, but other seasons you need to step away and slow down.

Following the schedule God has set for us, each week, you need to take a sabbath and truly breath. Connect with God, thank him for the work you have done, and recharge. Annually, you should find time to be “dormant” from your job. It’s healthy for you to remember the company or organization you work for will survive without you. And it’s freeing to let go of the pressure to always be producing.

God created seasons which the created world around us naturally follows. The question is, will we learn this wisdom from the woods and follow it’s lead?

I know we are all facing election fatigue. Yet at the end of this race, I’m sure many of us are also anxiously awaiting the results of today’s contests. One thing’s for sure: political ads are finally over!

While the political season can draw us all in to unhealthy ways of thinking, Christians are called to view their political affiliations and their response to the government around them differently. Many of the articles and videos below challenge us to keep Jesus as the center of our lives, regardless of the outcome of today’s elections.

4 WAYS CHRISTIANS SHOULD RESPOND TO THE ELECTION

Today is Election Day in the United States. Every election has winners and losers. Rarely do either respond well. Converge president Scott Ridout’s concern for how the church responds to this election runs deep. He shares four ways Scripture tells Christians to respond, no matter who wins or loses. Read the Article

SEASONS OF LIFE

In an always-on world, even during a pandemic, we struggle to find true rest and turn off our mindset telling us we have to be productive. But when you look at the trees, they don’t produce new growth year round. Instead they read the season and adjust accordingly. Read More

THE DAY AFTER AN ELECTION: NOVEMBER 9, 2016

Take a look at Pastor Brent’s blog from the day after the last presidential election: “Congratulations, America. You’ve survived another election. But are you like me, did you feel like there was something different about this election? Something more divisive. Something nastier….” 
Read the Blog

Because It’s Just Fun to Hear

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How might the world’s opinion of Christians be different if Christians were better known for genuine celebration?
2. If you haven’t already, take a moment to really reflect on what God has done in your life in 2020 and give him thanks for it all.
3. What can you do in your daily / weekly habits to be more aware of God’s goodness in your life and celebrate what he has done?

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Obedience to Jesus is a willingness to yield every part of your life to what he desires for you. This includes the obvious behaviors we are told to avoid in the Bible, but it’s so much more. Obedience includes how you manage your relationships, your willingness to share the Gospel with others, how you use your time and money to serve, and even how you vote. As such, below is an assortment of articles encouraging us obey Jesus in various facets of life. Our hope is that you will ponder Sunday’s message about obedience, read some of these articles, take a look at the discussion questions from the message at the bottom of this feed, and truly consider where Jesus wants you to better align your will with his own.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WINTERIZATION CHECKLIST

Winterizing is basically adapting or preparing something for use in the winter. The idea is that you know a new season is coming, and you’re taking proactive measures to avoid ending up in a less-than-ideal situation. Something to consider if whether your relationship needs winterizing? Here are four questions to sit down and cover with your partner. Read More

7 COMMON CONNECTORS FOR PEOPLE

As we head into the winter months, it’s as important as ever to find ways to connect with one another. Take a look at 7 common connections you might have with others which you can leverage to build deeper relationships. But the only way to find what you have in common is to reach out to others and setup coffee or pick up the phone. Read More

OBEDIENCE ALWAYS BRINGS BLESSING

We often consider obedience as a SACRIFICE of our wants and desires to what Jesus wants instead. But what if you reframed obedience to Jesus as a blessing for your life? Here are three reasons why obedience is critical to the successful Christian life. Read More

HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE

In 2013, Pastor Ryan wrote a blog asking the question, “How Would Jesus Vote?” Since then, the issues haven’t changed, but only become more contentious.
Read Ryan’s Blog

And if you prefer Pastor Brent’s thoughts on the political divide, he also has a blog from 2013 asking if our party affiliation is getting in the way of following Jesus. Read Brent’s Blog

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Are you more compliant or strong-willed? How easy is it for you to obey when someone asks (or requires) something of you? Why do you think this is?
2. How have you tried to substitute other things, like religious activity or legalism for obedience to God?
3. Is God calling you to obedience in some area of your life? If so, what area and what is one tangible action you can do this week to move toward obedience in that area?

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Sunday’s message reminded us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers of our dark world. This couldn’t be more evident than when we think about the political climate in America. The first article by well-respected theologian Darrell Bock shines a light on how Christians should engage the culture given this very different world we now live in. This includes praying against the spiritual forces working behind the scenes to divide.

Or, if you want a break from thinking about all the cultural changes you deal with daily, take a look at the article Rooted Together which takes wisdom found in the woods and applies it to our spiritual lives. No matter what you read, we hope the content below encourages your faith journey. And even better if you find someone to discuss it with!

RESET THE RULES OF CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

My friends often ask me “Why are people so angry?” and they are talking about almost everybody, including even fellow believers. What are thoughtful believers to do? How should we then engage when our tried-and-true strategies don’t reflect the new world we live in? Read More

ROOTED TOGETHER

Check out a new blog series Pastor Ryan is writing called, Wisdom from the Woods where he explains spiritual truths from lessons he sees in nature. Today’s post teaches the advantages of trees being rooted together rather than apart from other trees and how that applies to our connection with the church. Read More

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

One of the best books on the topic of Spiritual War is The Invisible War by Chip Ingram. If this topic is one you want to learn more about, we highly recommend you read this book to learn about the war that rages around you and how you can fight back in the power you have in Jesus. Read More

IS GOD A WHITE, MALE, REPUBLICAN?

As the upcoming election approaches, it’s important to remember where our allegiance as Christians lies. Too often we have tied our faith to a political party, and in this message Pastor Brent unpacks what the Bible truly shows us about God’s political agenda.
Watch the Message

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. What is the problem with going through life without recognizing the fact there is a spiritual battle all around?
2. Where can you join God’s cosmic battle against spiritual darkness this week? What will you commit to pray regularly for?

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One interesting fact about me is that I love the woods (or as we call it in Iowa, timber). I love learning about trees, taking pictures throughout all the seasons, and sitting still in a tree stand to observe wildlife. Perhaps that’s why green is my favorite color.

Often as I sit quietly in the woods praising God for his beauty, or as I read books by others with a love of trees, I see spiritual lessons which apply to our own lives as followers of Jesus. For a long time I’ve wanted to record these lessons, and this blog series, Wisdom from the Woods, is going to be my attempt to share with you some of the amazing lessons God has taught me through my understanding of the woods.

Tree Roots

We’ve all heard the importance roots have to a tree. In school, we were taught how big the tree roots are under the ground, how the roots hold the tree in place in wind storms, and how they pull water and nourishment up to the tree trunk, branches, and leaves from the ground to allow it to grow,

But in good American fashion, we probably all think of tree roots in terms of an individual tree. Each tree has its own roots. And those roots help that one tree. Big trees have big roots and small trees have small roots. Living trees have living roots and when you cut down a tree you kill the tree, and in time, it’s roots. Or so we think…

Stronger Together

Something we typically fail to reflect on is that in the woods, where trees are crowded together, all their roots extend into one another’s space, overlapping and becoming interconnected. No tree really has its own root system, but becomes a part of a much larger shared root system under the ground.

As trees become rooted together, the trees gain some incredible advantages over the single maple tree you have planted all alone in your front yard.

1. Increased Stability – High winds put tremendous pressure on a trees roots to stay grounded and not be ripped out of the earth. Often when storms rip through a community, it’s the solo trees which are knocked over, unable to withstand the wind pushing against the leaves and the branches. But when a tree’s roots are intertwined with others, the stabilizing effect is multiplied. Not only do the cluster of the crowns of the trees reduce the force of the wind on any given tree, but the roots increase their staying power.
2. Shared Nourishment – In Germany a 5 foot wide tree stump was discovered which had been cut down between 400-500 years ago, yet it was still producing chlorophyll – proof that the stump, which had no way to photosynthesize sunlight, was still alive. How is this even possible? Because the shared root system of multiple trees around has allowed the nourishment created in the healthy living trees to feed this old stump which was unable to feed itself.
3. Warning Communication – This is the most fascinating of the tree facts I’ve recently learned, but I bet you didn’t know that trees actually send super-slow electrical impulses through their root system to communicate distress to one another. This shared communication network helps young trees know to prepare for the draught the older trees perceive to be coming. If one tree senses danger, it responds in a way that allows all the other connected trees know to prepare.

Note: If these facts fascinate you as much as they do me, you can read more here.

The Value of Being Rooted Together in a Church

Now as we look at the benefits trees receive from having their roots intertwined with one another in the woods rather than living a solitary life in your front yard, I think the spiritual parallels are striking. As followers of Jesus we need to be rooted together for:

1. Strength – Life is hard and if you aren’t currently facing a storm in life, you know one will be coming… soon. Surviving those challenging times, those crises of faith alone is not only dangerous, but foolish. Too often Christians abandon their faith (are uprooted from the ground) because they aren’t strong enough on their own to withstand the challenges of life. So they give up on God. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When you are rooted with other Christians, your lack of faith and your doubts can be buttressed by the faith of others encouraging you and standing in the gap in prayer for you. The faith of others can give you strength when you have run out!
2. Support – Following Jesus requires that we be taking in nourishment so we can grow in our faith. Jesus calls himself the bread of life and tells his followers to come and eat. But there are times in life when we experience a spiritual drought. Sometimes it is called the dark night of the soul. It’s those moments in life where Jesus feels distant or we wonder where God is. Bible reading becomes dry and our prayers feel like they are falling on deaf ears. We lose our spiritual vitality and don’t know what to do. And in these moments, we must rely on those around us to support, encourage, and nourish our tired souls.
3. Wisdom – Our church is full of people who have experienced a lot of life, who have gone through the ups and downs and know how to survive through it all. They have wisdom and warnings to share with those who are younger which can save them lot of pain. But apart from intergenerational connections, lessons learned from the past will never be leveraged to protect others in the future.

Yes, you can try to be a solo Christian living alone, keeping other Christians at arm’s length, but do so at your own risk. When the storms of life or the spiritual draught come, and they will, you will be on your own to persevere. When life cuts you down to size, nobody will be there to nourish you in your brokenness. And you will have to learn all your lessons the hard way without anyone warning you from past experiences.

So yes, you can try growing in your faith all alone, but why? The advantages of taking time to grow deep roots within a community of faith who will love, protect, nourish, and warn you are too great to live without!

We hope these first few weeks of the Ashworth Feed have delivered content to encourage and challenge you in your walk with Jesus. But beyond giving you different angles to consider as you grow in your faith, we hope some of these articles might allow you to step into a spiritual conversation with a co-worker, friend, or family member.

Despite what you may think, most people aren’t hostile to Christian beliefs, they just never think about the things we do. And in fact, most people are open to having a spiritual conversation if you ask questions and engage them in their thoughts rather than just telling them what you believe. So this week, we challenge you to listen to the Spirit of God and have the courage to SAY YES if he prods you to step into a spiritual conversation with somebody else. Get out of the boat and watch God show up!

POLITICAL RIPTIDES RIP US APART

Christ’s followers tread dangerous waters when trying to navigate America’s socio political currents. Yet, religious undercurrent mandates we stay calm and not panic as cultural oceans roil. This week’s news article encourages you to evaluate how you tie your political ideology to your religious beliefs. Read More

3 QUESTIONS TO BE A BETTER LEADER

This article may be written for pastors, but these 3 questions apply to leaders in business, social organizations, and even parents who are responsible for leading their families. Consider how you might be able to improve your leadership over those God has entrusted to your leadership. Read More

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Saying Yes to God can be terrifying, but failing to do so might leave you to miss out on the adventure of your life. See how Moses saying Yes to God at the burning bush transformed both his life and human history.
Watch the Message

New Song on Sundays

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. How risk averse are you? What do you think contributes to this?
2. Of the list of obstacles that hold us back from exercising our faith, what one or two are the greatest obstacles for you?
3. Is there something you feel God is calling you to do now? If so, what is it? What could cause you to hesitate or say no?

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It’s been 2 days since our message about hearing God speak to us. How have you done creating space for God to speak to you, creating time to sit and be still and actually be able to hear what he has to say? If you haven’t yet made time to sit and be still and listen for God’s whisper, that’s okay. Take the time you were going to spend perusing the articles below, and instead sit quietly for a moment and see if God has anything to share with you.

If you have already made time to sit with God, awesome! We hope you enjoy the articles below. And if you read them with a listening ear, perhaps God will use them to speak to you again. We especially like the article about the Social Dilemma which is available on Netflix. If you haven’t watched the film yet, it would make for a great conversation starter with your children or grandchildren.

IN THE NEWS

The Social Dilemma on Netflix explores how social media sites are specifically designed to serve up a perfectly curated and addictive online world where companies profit from tracking our every digital interaction. The experts focus on the many symptoms associated with social media, but they don’t pinpoint the underlying cause of the disease, the deep-seated nature of sin. Read More

5 MARRIAGE PROBLEMS AND HOW TO TACKLE THEM

Every married couple must overcome problems over the course of their relationship. Obstacles are part of life. Everyone faces them, but couples have the privilege of facing them together. Here we break down five everyday marriage problems most couples will encounter at sometime in their relationship. Read More

LISTENING PRAYER

Prayer and action are as insep­a­ra­ble as lov­ing God and lov­ing one’s neigh­bor are insep­a­ra­ble. And so life is nev­er bor­ing: There’s no bet­ter place than to be on the jour­ney with God. Read More

21 DAY EQUITY CHALLENGE

Consider signing up to join this powerful opportunity for shared learning, action, and growth. Through a daily email that leads you through a self-guided journey, central Iowans are invited to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and our community. Find Out More about the Challenge

FROM THE ARCHIVES

It probably shouldn’t surprise you that we have talked about God speaking to us on a Sunday morning before. In 2016 we did a message series on prayer where we discussed how communication with God through prayer involves both speaking and listening.
Read the Message Transcript

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Take a moment to reflect on what it means that the God of the universe wants to speak to you.
2. What has been your biggest barrier to hearing God speak to you?
3. What action can you take to be prepared to hear God the next time he speaks to you?

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This past Sunday we talked about how we need to look for God’s active work in our lives and this coming Sunday we will be discussing how to hear when God speaks to us. These simple acts of seeing and hearing God are what it means to have a relationship with the God who created us for relationship with him. And it is an incredible opportunity which the Infinite One offers us to commune with him , one we hope you take full advantage of.

And not only does he offer it to each of us, but we can show others how the God we love wants to have a relationship with them as well. He is at work in their lives, even if they don’t see it, and he is trying to speak to them – because he loves them so much!

So we hope you find time and space this week to have a spiritual conversation with somebody about what you are hearing on Sundays or about any of the articles in this edition of The Ashworth Feed.

IN THE NEWS

The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and all the political drama of the moment hides a beautiful lesson we can all learn from her – the friendship of political opponents who valued one another as people, although seeing the world through very different perspectives. The world should know us by our love… so may we love even those who are very different than ourselves. Read More

Spiritual Growth

We’re in the wilderness. All our ideas of what work, school, and church should be have been thrown to the winds. We can relate to the Israelites, wandering in the desert, ripped from their regular routines and comfort, longing for what used to be. And I’m beginning to wonder if we’re more like them than we realize. Read More

How To: Spiritual Conversations

There’s no way around it. Sharing the good news of Jesus with people who will likely reject you is terrifying. Yet lately, some of my peers and I have noticed an interest among our friends in deeper conversations.
Read More

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Did you know our website is fully searchable? We have over 5 years of sermons and blogs easily searchable so if you are curious about what we have said about parenting or money or 2 Chronicles, you can easily find it.
See How to Search our Website

MESSAGE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Why do you think it is so hard for people to see the work of God in life?
2. Where have you see God at work in your life since this pandemic began?
3. What action can you take this week to join where you see God moving in your life or around you?

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Text Search

From any page on the website, you can search all of the text in messages, blogs, or pages on our site. Just click the magnifying glass in the menu header. You may be surprised at how much information you find.

Message Search

If you follow our Media link in the menu to our Messages page, you can search all of our messages by topic, series, book of the Bible, or speaker. In the lower right corner of the header image is a group of all the pull down options to help you search through our extensive database of archived messages. Some messages have full transcripts of the message while others may have only an audio file (older messages) or video file (more recent messages).

This is our inaugural issue of the Ashworth Feed, a weekly email full of content meant to encourage and help you move forward in your faith. Statistics show that many Christians have put their faith on pause, reading the Bible less, praying less, and attending church much less. As our new sermon series declares, it’s time for us to UNPAUSE our lives, including our lives with God. And we understand, during this pandemic, with all the restrictions and limits, it has been more challenging to be growing spiritually. So we hope this will provide you each week with stories, articles, videos, and other features to help you experience all that God has for you.

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IN THE NEWS

Here are 7 church trends every church leader should be watching in light of the disruption this pandemic has been on our culture and churches.
Read More

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The theme of God bringing life into dead things runs all through the pages of scripture. Here’s another challenging message from Jesus’ own words about the transformation he offers us from death to life.
Listen to Pastor Brent’s Message

message discussion questions

We hope the message from each Sunday sticks with you beyond the Sunday morning worship service. Take a moment to consider the questions below, and even better, talk to somebody (who attends the church or doesn’t) about them.

1. Ezekiel explains how the bones were very dry.  What part of your life feels “very dry” and almost hopeless?  What makes it feel so dry?
2. Why do you think God didn’t raise the bones to life himself?  Why is this significant to the story and to your own life?

Too often, when things happen around us that we do not understand or that make us uncomfortable, our immediate response is, “Yes, but…” “Yes, George Floyd died, but he might have had a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill.” “Yes, black lives matter, but all lives matter, too.” “Yes, there are some bad cops, but we still have the greatest justice system in the world.”

And while these statements may technically be true, the “Yes, but…” response is an attempt to shift the focus from the uncomfortable reality in our society to something more palatable to our conscience. 

But stop and think with me for a second. What would you NOT be willing to do if it had been your father or mother, your spouse, your son, daughter, or grandchild under the knee of that police officer? How would you respond if you heard their cries asking for mercy, asking for something as simple as breath? 

One thing we, the majority race in America, need to come to terms with is that this is not new. This injustice has been plaguing people of color for centuries. It is just now we cannot ignore it or dismiss it. It is splashed across the evening news and every social media channel possible. After all, we all heard the words, “I can’t breathe.”

I hear people of color say things that cause an emotional response within me. “It’s a white man’s world.” “This is how it has always been.” “I am hopeless that things will ever change.”

In Genesis 4, we read the story of Cain, who, as a result of his jealousy, killed his brother Abel. As God speaks to Cain, he asks, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10) At this moment, it is time for many us to stop talking, to stop posting, to stop the “Yes, but…” mentality and listen. The blood of people whose skin tones may be different than our own but are still made in the image of God is crying out from the ground.

Just because it hasn’t happened to you or me doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or isn’t real. And right now we have a choice. We can ignore what is going on, which implies we don’t believe our brothers and sister of color and assume they are making up claims of injustice and systemic racism. We can hear the news and even care, but do nothing, knowing that our silence and inactivity is our complicity. Or we can choose the way of Christ. We can stand up and be counted with people of color to say we will no longer sit idly by when any person, male or female, and any skin color, red, yellow, black, or white, suffers unjustly in a system of our own creation. 

God is not colorblind, nor does he ask or want us to be. The cultural, ethnical, and colorful diversity of our world is part of God’s beautiful creation. The real dividing line isn’t skin color but between those who stand and act for justice and those who do not. 

Let’s not be deceived, pacifying ourselves, thinking this is someone else’s problem. Or be dismissive thinking this is a Democrat or Republican issue. It is a justice issue. And God has always been a God of justice who calls his people to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8)

At Ashworth Church, we may not be the first to issue a statement about what we see happening in our world. However, this does not mean we aren’t listening, or we don’t care. We have been and will continue to be in meaningful conversation as a staff and leadership, and in conversation with people who have voices we need to hear. We desire to do more than respond right in the present. Our desire is to find ways we can continue this conversation far into the future to help bring real, systemic change in our community as long as injustice exists. 

Take for instance, the banner image of this post. How many of you noticed that the image changed each week, gradually moving from a dark, dreary image to the bright one at the top of this page?

This is just one small example of how minor changes, small steps, go unnoticed, but over time add up to making a huge difference. When comparing the trees from one week to another, the shift was minor, but when you compare the far left image with the far right image you see how dramatic the change has been.

In the same way, as you committed to participate daily in the Quarantined Challenge, I’m doubtful you noticed any change from day to day in how you were growing in your faith or becoming more like Jesus. But over the course of the month, have you noticed any change in yourself? Have you developed the important habit of making time for Jesus? Have you been stretched to think in new and different ways about God’s work in this world? And if you continue to do this, day after day, month after month, I guarantee you will see noticeable growth in your Christian maturity.

So that is our challenge to you now. As we have finished our 30 day journey, you are now at a new starting line – the month of June. Where will you go from here? How will you continue to take small steps that add up to make a big difference?

We live in a day when there are countless sources of reading plans and content. If you don’t have a reading plan or any devotional content you know you like, perhaps you can try one of these options:

• The Bible App – this app for your Android device or iPhone/iPad is full of Bible reading and devotional plans that you can choose from.
• Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional – this daily devotional written by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church is very popular and inspiring. Plus you can have it delivered straight to your email inbox.
• She Reads Truth – this is a popular daily devotional written for women which is popular with several women in our church. This can also be emailed to you daily.
• Poor Bishop Hooper – this is a Christian band who write content straight out of scripture. If you really connected with the Worship Wednesday songs, you might enjoy signing up to receive an email each week with a new song they wrote from the Psalms.
• Ashworth at Home – join a family or two from the church and worship together and then discuss the message using the discussion questions provided each week during our New Normal series.

The Incarnational Tradition focuses on the relationship between the invisible spirit and physical reality, helping us to see God’s divine presence in the material world in which we live. God manifests himself in his creation, even in the midst of mundane activities, whenever and wherever we acknowledge God.

“Far from being evil, the physical is meant to be inhabited by the spiritual.” Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water

copied from Renovare, https://renovare.org/about/ideas/the-six-streams

So today I encourage you to find a comfortable and quiet place to sit. And close your eyes and sit in silence, focussing on the heart and attributes of God. Think about who he is, what he has done, and why he deserves your worship. While your mind may wander, challenge yourself to quietly gaze upon God for 5 minutes.

TODAY’S JOURNALING REFLECTIONS

• How did this soul-gazing prayer make you feel? Why?
• What was most challenging about sitting in silence before God?
• Reflect on anything that might have surprised you about your time with God. Did your mind wander to any unusual thoughts or did you hear God speak to you?

He went on to say, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) We are also to be bearers of light into a broken world that can be full of darkness and pain.

In this season of quarantine, it may have been challenging to feel like a light. Struggling in our own ways with the difficulties that life has thrown at us, being a light for someone else might have been the last thing on our minds. Yet, it is often through our pain, suffering, brokenness, and struggle that the light of Jesus can shine brightest through us.

We are the presence of Christ in the world. Be that light to someone today.

Today’s Journaling Reflections

• Who has been a light to you during this quarantine season?
• What has been an area of struggle or pain for you? Have you been willing to face it? Why or why not?
• What challenges come with walking in the darkness, both physically and spiritually?
• What practical ways could you be the presence of Jesus to someone else this week?

Many things are changing around us.  As some of us return to work and some of those same things we did before quarantine, we need to be cautious of things we didn’t need to before. But one thing that has stayed the same is what we are called to do as followers of Jesus, and that is to continue to spread the Gospel, not for our own sake but for everyone’s lives to be changed.

Take a listen to this recording of “Blessed Assurance” and take some time to worship through this song. Listen to new words or phrases that jump out to you in this song that God is speaking to you.  

Today’s Journaling Reflections

• What part of this song resonates with you?
• Where do you need to give God thanks and praise for today?
• Pray for different ways to spread the Good News of Jesus in our world today.

Title: Turning Tables
Artist: Suki Joseph Premnath
Artist Statement:
This was a very emotional piece of artwork to paint. When I was asking what I should be painting for social justice, this is the image that the Holy Spirit gave me. To be honest, I was taken by surprise that He would give me this image of an angry Jesus turning tables. I was full of doubt until the very last brush stroke, but I know this is exactly what He wanted me to paint.

The Holy Temple was misused, and it had become a place of trade. The people at the temple were abusing the poor, charging a lot of money to buy animals that would be a requirement for temple sacrifice. They had made the temple a “den of robbers.” These people were a hindrance to worship God in His Holy temple freely. They were also mocking the poor and God’s justice. Their crime was twofold. Jesus refused to sit on the sidelines. So He turned the tables to set things right. His heart burned with passion for His Father’s house. His anger wasn’t an impulsive reaction to injustice, but a well thought out response rightly centered on love for God and love for people.

As God’s children, we are commanded to pray and pray we must, but is that our only response to injustice? We occasionally fight on social media for justice, but does that alone really make any difference? What would Jesus want us to do when we see poverty, homelessness, discrimination, human trafficking, sickness, and other injustices? What is our response to injustice around us? As God’s people, as much as we are a people of prayer, would we also be a people of action and step into the chaos marked by God’s love, mercy, and justice? Would our hearts move for what moves His?

Today’s Journaling Reflections

• Read Micah 6:8 and Matthew 21:12,13. What stands out to you in these passages?
• How sensitive are you when you see injustice on the news or around you? Do you feel a desire to step in to help or a nudge to turn a blind eye and walk away? Why do you think you respond in this way?
• Respond to the question posed in the artist statement: What would Jesus want us to do when we see poverty, homelessness, discrimination, human trafficking, sickness, and other injustices? Name something tangible you can do.

We now know the answer to all these questions is no. Things are no back to normal. In fact, they may never be normal again. So we prepare for a new normal. The virus is not yet under control, although the scientists and medical professionals are working at record speed to create and release a vaccine. Officials continue to tell us to limit our gathers to no more than ten people, wear masks when in public, and keep washing those hands.

If there is one word that we could use to describe where we sit today and as we look out into the future, it is unknown. Unknown when these restrictions ease. Unknown when we will feel comfortable gathering again. Unknown when this new normal feels normal.

Anytime we are faced with the unknown, we can be gripped with fear and anxiety. But for those who follow Jesus, we do not have to fear. Yes, we have the same concerns as everyone else. We are not immune to the nightly newscasts and reports of the state of our world.

But we have a secret weapon. Something, or better yet Someone, who has been given to us to lead us and guide us, comfort us and convict us in these moments of uncertainty and unknowing.

The Holy Spirit. A part of everyone who calls Jesus Lord. Put into our lives to seal us in Christ (Ephesians 1:13), teach us all Jesus has taught (John 14:26), and help us in our weakness and intercede for us (Romans 8:26). He is with us to help us (John 14:15), empower us (Acts 1:8), and give us freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17)

The Apostle Paul wrote to his protege Timothy, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) In these uncertain times, we do not have to be afraid. Neither do we have to stick our hands in the sand or plaster on a fake smile telling everyone, “It will be ok.”

We have the Holy Spirit of God living within us, empowering us with gifts for such a time as this to be helpful, and encouraging, and truthful. We have the gifts of the Spirit that make us joyful, peaceful, kind, gentle and loving (Galatians 5:22-23)

Even in the uncertainty and unknown, lean into and allow your life to be immersed in and empowered by the Spirit of God. And in doing so, you are showing the evidence of the realness of the One True God, and you might just experience something of God you’ve never experienced before.

Today’s Journaling Reflections

• Which of the following best describes the work of the Spirit in your life? A)The Spirit has not been a major part of my spiritual life. B) I am beginning to see signs of the Spirit’s presence in my life. C)The Spirit is an integral part of my spiritual life.
• Why did you choose this answer?
• What could be limiting the empowering of the Spirit in your life?
• What could you do today to become more open to the filling of the Spirit in your life?
• Write a prayer based on the reading and Scriptures reflected on today.

The Evangelical Tradition encompasses much more than simply converting people. The evangel – the “good news” – is God’s great message to humanity: that all can be redeemed and restored to its intended design. This is the message embodied in Jesus himself, rooted in the word of God, and ultimately expressed through the lives of those who follow Christ. It is a living tale of grace spoken in and through word and action.

“This faith stream addresses the crying need for people to see the good news lived and hear the good news proclaimed.” Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water

copied form Renovare, https://renovare.org/about/ideas/the-six-streams