Do we really want to see God move?

I would define God-sized movements as events in our world that no person or persons could ever have accomplished on their own. As a church planter (someone working to start a new church) I often pray for God to move. I ask Him to use me and others in our ministry for His glory. Today I caught myself wondering if I was really ready for Him to move in a God-sized way. Do I really want to be a part of a God-sized movement? Am I willing to follow His lead wherever it may lead? What if He moves in a way I am not prepared to go?

This led me to check out some of God’s great movements in the Bible. I wondered if studying these would help me prepare to be a part of what He is doing here in Dubuque. Check out these top 3 movements of God in the book of Acts and how they were so far outside of the box for those involved:

1) Acts 1: The disciples eagerly anticipate Jesus’ immediate restoration of Israel. Instead Jesus is taken away, the Holy Spirit came, and He would begin God’s work to gather people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. The Old Covenant was fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah, and a New Covenant had begun in order to build God’s church, a spiritual Israel.

2) Acts 9: Saul, a zealous persecutor of the followers of Jesus, becomes a believer himself. God has plans for him to “carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (v.15). Little does anyone know that Saul, later named Paul, would share the gospel and plant churches throughout the Middle East and even in Rome, which was probably the most powerful city in the world at that time.

3) Acts 10: Peter, an apostle of Jesus, receives a command from God to go and share the good news about Jesus to a family of Gentiles (people who were not Jewish). “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word” (v.44). Later, Peter meets with other apostles and church leaders in Jerusalem to talk about what happened. Here is what happened: “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (11:18).

What is the common thread in each of these movements of God? In each event, I see two things. First, I see man-sized expectations completely obliterated by God’s awesome work. Second, I see God doing things that no person could ever accomplish on his or her own. In Acts 1 we learn that Jesus’ kingdom would be of an incomprehensible magnitude including all of creation. That is quite larger than the disciples initially expected! In Acts 9 we learn that Saul would be used by God as a catalyst for the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel. Who would have thought that the “kings” to which God was referring would be the most powerful men in the world! In Acts 10 we learn that all people everywhere are invited to be followers of Jesus and adopted into the family of God. A movement that began in an obscure corner of the world soon became the hope for everyone in all of the world for all time.

I think we could all agree that these three events are God-sized movements. When we apply our two observations of these events to the ministry today, our initial question becomes much more critical. In lieu of the fact that God’s movements oftentimes obliterate our expectations and are of such a great magnitude that we could never accomplish them on our own.

As we continue to pray for God-sized movements, should we also pray that we are prepared to be a part of movements of God? Do we really want to be a part of a God-sized movement? Are we willing to follow His lead wherever He directs? Just a thought from Dubuque, Iowa, where we long to see God move and hope He will use us to do so.

River City Church has a new Website

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to write and ask you to visit our new website: www.rccdbq.com.

We would love to hear your feedback as our website is a work in progress.

Thanks to my cousin Tony for designing this for us!

River City Church Underground: Pre-Launch Worship

Hey everyone. I just wanted to write to invite you to come check out our pre-launch worship service (River City Church Underground), which takes place each Sunday at 4:30pm @ 419 N. Grandview Ave, Dubuque, Iowa (New Life Church). We would love for you and your family to come join us as we prepare to officially launch our new church sometime in the spring.

Our worship atmosphere is upbeat, casual, and family-friendly. We offer childcare but are always happy to include the whole family in our worship services.

Our worship music is led by Jonny Dirks, lead singer and guitarist for "Doxa", the River City Church worship team.

Over the next four weeks I will be talking about our pursuit of happiness. I believe that Jesus gives us 8 character attributes in Matthew 5:1-12 (The Beatitudes) which lead us to be blessed or approved by God and thus truly happy. Come join us as we discover "The Pursuit of Happiness According to Jesus."

Why Many Like Thanksgiving Better Than Christmas

Let me just start this post by stating that I love holidays. Ever since I was a child, holidays have always been a great time in my home. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s day were always times of wonderful celebration. Most of my extended family came together to eat, laugh, and enjoy a card game or two. I can safely say that I am not a holiday hater but I do have a rant to make today.

For the second time in a couple of days I have heard someone say that they are really looking forward to Thanksgiving and prefer it over Christmas because it doesn’t have the stress attached to it like Christmas. It seems some prefer Thanksgiving because they don’t have to buy gifts, spend hours putting up decorations, and rush around from place to place.

This makes me sad. Not because Thanksgiving is an unworthy holiday but because the Christmas holiday has become unworthy of what it represents. What was once a day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God in the flesh who came to save man from his sins and give eternal life, has become a mad dash to fulfill one’s obligations to the great Christmas idol: consumerism.

Now that I have destroyed any amount of Christmas spirit that may have been stirring in your heart, let me say something. I enjoy giving presents to those I love. I enjoy the banquets. I enjoy the lights. I enjoy the tacky Christmas sweaters…wait, that one is not true. I think perhaps we may have just lost our focus. I think maybe if the main thing, Jesus, could again become the main thing everything we enjoy about Christmas would regain its purpose. Christmas would be Christmas and perhaps the hearts of many in the world would be softened and a spiritual revival would sweep across the very creation Jesus came to save.

Late In Coming Post: The Cost of Freedom

Hey everyone out there. Recently I had an experience that I have to share with you.

While my family and I were traveling to raise funds for the River City Church plant, I happened to run into a soldier in the U.S. Army. He was traveling home to be with his family for a week or so and we were waiting for the same connection flight. I asked him what he did and he explained his job, which is the Army equivalent to the bomb squad on a local police department. The biggest difference, however, is he defuses bombs in combat situations on foreign soil. I thanked him for his service and asked him how he was doing. I explained that I am a pastor and would gladly pray for him. He explained that he is a believer and hopes to be a light for Jesus to his fellow soldiers who so desperately need Jesus in their lives. He said every day people die or are seriously wounded and wishes they would have believed in Christ. Anyway, he asked me to pray for his recovery as he had recently suffered injuries after a bomb exploded while he was attempting to defuse it. I asked him to give me some details. If he could. Here are the details that tugged at my heart, brought a lump to my throat, and tears in my eyes...

On July 4th, while the rest of the country was celebrating our independence from tyranny and freedom as a nation, this soldier was stationed in the Middle East responding to a bomb call. While we gathered for bbqs, pool parties, fireworks, and time with friends and family, this soldier loyally fulfilled his duty to his country and considered his country worth the sacrifice of his life for our freedom. On July 4th, this soldier received several life-threatening injuries from a homemade bomb so that on July 4th our freedom would continue to exist. He thanked God for his recovery and considered himself blessed to be alive and able to continue serving. What a tremendous testimony to God's love!

I prayed for my new friend and thanked God for men like him who serve the country courageously with valor and honor. He is living as a light in the world saving lives and perhaps by God's grace his faithfulness as a believer will be used by God to save souls as well!

Thank you friend for all you do. You are a soldier in the United States Army who secures our freedom but more importantly you are a brother in Christ who seeks to lead others to the true freedom from the penalty of sin that only He can offer.

God's Story for You

Sometimes in the midst of our complicated lives we miss the point. Amidst Fourth of July parties, work, school, and whatever else consumes our time, it becomes easy to become nearsighted about the purpose of life as believers in Jesus Christ. This post is not meant to be tool used to berate everyone who enjoys these parts of life. It is obvious that Jesus wants us to enjoy these things. The post is, however, meant to remind us of the grand purpose for which we are here. Just in case we have forgotten, Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20). What does that mean?

I think it means different things for different people depending on what the Lord has called him or her to do in ministry. For some disciple-making is done at work in a secular job and for others it is done as a pastor of a church congregation. Whatever our calling, no one person is more important than another nor one more worthy of God's grace than another. Whatever our calling, we must fulfill his mission for us faithfully with every fiber of our being.

God has invited us into His story...Now He has equipped us with His Holy Spirit to share the message that has changed our lives. Tell the story!

Here's a tool sponsored by River City Church for you to use in telling God's Story.

View "The Story"

A Name and a Mission

Hey Everyone! We are excited to present the name, logo, and mission of our new church plant in Dubuque, Iowa: River City Church. Check out the logo and videopresentation describing what we are about.

Also, here's a link to the pdf of the slide show just in case the video doesn't work for you:

River City Church: What We're About