This Sunday is a big day as our Backyard Kids Camps kick off in the evening. This is one of our most exciting summer outreaches into the community. Gathering children from communities into a backyard, volunteers will lead them in games, singing, crafts, and Bible stories.

Last year we were able to reach hundreds of children from around the Franklin community and hope to do so again this year. Be praying for the hosts, volunteers, and children involved in the Camps and that lives will be impacted through this next week! If you’re looking for a camp near you, look at our list of locations!

This week is Superhero Week! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a super power? Have you ever thought which one you would want? Well, we all have that power through Christ. This week the kids will learn about the power that comes from knowing and following Jesus. Elementary kids will learn about Peter and how following Jesus changed his life. Preschool kids will learn about the power of God’s love and how He makes us strong. Kids will also learn about the special skills and talents God has given us, and will even have a chance to learn new ones!

This past Sunday it was oddly quiet around the Warehouse as the church left the building. We had more than 500 volunteers go out to 20 different locations throughout the community to serve others and spread some of God’s love. From house and yard work to litter pickup, painting a school, doing crafts with the elderly, and everything in between, our church made an impact in the community this past Sunday.

Our parking lot looked more like a festival than a church building on Sunday Morning. With up-beat music playing, information tables and tents set up, and hundreds of people milling about, our church looked like anything but a group ready to stay inside. After registration and a quick rally in the church parking lot, groups departed to their work sites.

If there was one theme that ran through the morning it was this: today is about showing others the love of Christ, not about us. When you make this your focus, others notice. A Fox 17 news team was even on site to do a story about us. This is evidence to the power of loving others through serving. When a church stops talking and acts, great things happen. More people than we could have expected saw God's love this past Sunday.

We would like to extend gratitude to all of the amazing volunteers who made Sunday such an great day. It was hot and a step outside the norm, but you made an impact and it was noticed by those you served and by many others. Thank you a blessings on you for serving others!

“The Church has Left the Building” is THIS SUNDAY, May 26! How exciting to think that nearly 500 of us will be out in the community serving and making a difference!  We will serve in 20 different areas, but most importantly we ask that you join us in praying that God would provide us opportunities to simply “be present” in the community as we focus on others.

• Plan on arriving at RHCC on Sunday May 26 by 9:15am if possible. Our assembly will be outside in the parking lo at 9:30am.
• Pre-registration is now closed, but walk-ups are welcome!
• Wear closed-toed shoes and clothes that are comfortable for working. If you have a Church Has Left the Building t-shirt, please wear it. we will have some t-shirt sizes on Sunday and will take orders for sizes we're sold out of.
• We’re all serving this day…whether you have babies or teens, there will be places for all. Families will serve together. Little children will be placed in a kid-friendly environment.
• No worries if you are confused! Plenty of volunteers will be present on Sunday to lead you and make sure you know exactly what is going on.
• After a short welcome and instruction for the day, you will depart with your group at 10:15am and serve until approximately 12:30pm.
• Each group will dismiss from their individual sites when finished.
• Do us a huge favor and begin to pray that God would use you on May 26 in whatever way He chooses. Remember, we're not simply going to perform tasks in the community... we are going to serve the people in our community and meet needs where they are, even if it's not the specific assignment we signed up for. We do appreciate in advance your flexibility, servant’s heart and excitement to serve.

Sound familiar? Are you focused on whittling down your task list while life is passing by at light speed? Have you lost track of your finances and relationships, or given up on a dream? There is a better way and it doesn't require you getting rid of any of the things that you enjoy. It's all about a heightened sense of awareness and a commitment (or recommitment) to focus your life on Christ. There are six main areas where this happens, and if you commit to placing these six areas first, life change can happen. 

What are these six areas of life you ask?

1. Growing in your relationship with Jesus – Are you spending time daily in His word?
2. Committing fully to your family – Are you playing an active role in the spiritual development of your children, siblings and parents?
3. Investing in the lives of others – Are you making time for others or have your interactions become transactions?
4. Partnering with the local Church – Are you connected or simply consuming? The church model doesn't work when the commitment is one directional. 
5. Stewarding of finances – Are you giving God your first 10% and prioritizing  finances 
6. Honoring the dreams God has placed within you – Are you punching the clock? Do you feel like you're doing the work God has equipped you to do? Is there a dream you continue to put off because of the business in your life?

On Sunday, Jeff gave us a great illustration during his sermon that showed the importance of ordering your priorities around Jesus. We've included the video here incase you missed it or want a refresher. As you watch this illustration and begin reordering the priorities in your life, remember that when we focus on Jesus and others, there will be enough room for the right amount of smaller obligations.

From the beginning of time, people from every culture and every tongue, have turned to prayer as a way of connecting with God, their Creator. In times of sorrow, we find comfort in laying our troubles at the feet of a God who loves us unconditionally. He surrounds us and upholds us with His grace, mercy and peace. In times of joy we look heavenward and pray words of thanksgiving to the One from whom all blessings flow.

Today, as we celebrate the National Day of Prayer, let us pause for a moment to give thanks to our great God. Let us thank Him that we live in a country where we have the freedom to worship and pray in public. Let us also remember those around the world who are forced to worship in underground churches and who face persecution on a daily basis, sometimes at the cost of their very lives.  Let us pray for those who are bringing the Gospel to these dark corners of the Earth, many of whom we’ve personally sent from within our Rolling Hills family. Their courage and devotion to sharing Jesus with those who are far from Him should serve as a model for us. We all have people in our own lives – family, friends, co-workers, neighbors who do not know God (our own mission fields) that we are called to reach, so let's pray for each of these as well.

Most importantly, let us not forget that we have a God who loves us. A Heavenly Father who desires relationship with us, and who is always there for us. He is worthy of our daily praise. It is wonderful that we have a day set aside each year to recognize the importance of prayer, but it is my prayer as your pastor and brother in Christ that prayer is the foundation in our daily life. Praying for our family, church, country and the global glory of our God.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Our country and our world face many struggles, but God promises to forgive and heal if we humble ourselves, pray and seek His face. May this be our prayer today, and every day, as we endeavor to make a difference in the world for His Kingdom.

- Jeff Simmons, Lead Pastor

On Sunday, May 26, we have a unique opportunity to "be the church" in the community. In place of our normal Sunday morning worship experience, we will go out into the community and be the hands and feet of Christ as we serve our neighbors. Regardless of your age, ability, or family status, there is something for you to do that day! We will meet at the WareHouse at 9:30am, depart to serve, and finish up by 12:30pm. Ministry sites include working in local Franklin Parks, assisting elderly with projects in their homes, partnering with community organizations, ministering to nursing home residents, picking up litter and a variety of other opportunities. 

Please plan on registering by Sunday May 12, so we can assign you to a group and provide you all of the information you need for the day. Each serving group will consist of 20-30 participants. Register Here.

So team up with your friends, family or Small Group and make plans to leave the building with us this May 26!

The Rolling Hills Church Picnic is moving indoors! We are still having the picnic, but it will be inside The WareHouse at 12:30 pm. So, keep cooking! We're providing burgers and hot dogs, but we need you to bring sides and desserts. Using your last name as a guide, please bring the following: A-R: a side dish; S-Z: a dessert. Cost is $2 per person with a $10 family max. We'll eat and enjoy some great entertainment!

Creation is wonderful, isn’t it? The color of the leaves changing each fall, flowers blossom each spring, and the birds singing each morning are only a few strains in the song of praise that creation sings to God. Jesus says in Luke 19 that if man were silent, “Even the rocks will cry out.” We aren’t meant to just sit back and enjoy creation though; we have been given stewardship over it.

We need to be sure that we are being good stewards with what God has entrusted to us. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Man was given control over the Earth and its contents, to manage and care for in service to God. This isn’t just for farmers, but for everyone. In our daily lives we need to manage the earth well, be it through recycling, conservation, or simply picking up the trash. Caring for His creation is an act of obedience to God.

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” There is no doubt that God’s creation is full of grace. Through it he provides us food, shelter, clothing, and even companionship. Do not forget that we are commanded to share that grace with others. 

So not just today, on Earth Day, but everyday put a focus on serving our Lord through stewardship of His creation and in sharing with others the grace that He has given to us.

Join us for a benefit concert benefitting our own Sara Ezell. After a lifetime of broken bones, some of which refuse to heal properly, Sara can no longer work full time. Because of this she needs some help. Specifically, we need $75K to pay off Sara's mortgage. That would be huge, mainly financially, but emotionally and physically it's a major burden lifted, and she can keep her accessible condo close to everything she needs! Join us for a free benefit concert featuring Ginny Owens!

This past week we began our new 8 part sermon series, FOCUS. Here is an introduction to our series from Adult Discipleship Pastor, William Guice.

Mark you calendars for our special events this Easter Weekend!

It can be hard to connect with the Easter story. Sometimes reading black text on a white page doesn't quite drive home the reality of the events. Via Crucis, our Good Friday experience, tells the story of Jesus’ last day in a way that you can see and touch. The name Via Crucis means “Way of the Cross”. There will be thirteen stations along the way created by the Rolling Hills community. Each station will tell the Good Friday story, from the Garden of Gethsemane to Jesus’ death on the cross, in its own unique way. These stations will be available to walk through all day on Friday, March 29 so that you may take your time moving through them. We will have a corporate time of worship at 6:30pm in the Auditorium. This time of worship will include music, readings, communion, and other elements to experience as a community. 

We are a visual society. It's proven that we consume and retain information best when we not only read about it, but watch and hear it as well. This was the foundation for us making our media enriched Holy Week Devotional. 

Here's what you get:

• Seven days of written devotion
• Photos depicting key elements of the days reading
• Links to on-line scripture to coincide with daily readings
• Embedded "Going Deeper" videos with teachings from Adult Discipleship Pastor, William Guice, that help explain words, phrases and situations that we encounter in our readings

This FREE half-day event is aimed at tackling the big questions you have about your finances. Topics include estate planning and trusts, investment tools, retirement planning and more. This is not a sales conference and all our financial experts are here for educational purposes only. The event takes place at the WareHouse, so make plans to attend and take control of your finances. For more information, contact Solomon Kafoure (skafoure@me.com). Visit our Facebook page to sign-up!

Camille Melki was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, a country that had been through 18 years of civil war. Camille’s focus in ministry is on building up a new generation of leaders for Lebanon and the region. His passion is to train young men and women dedicated to serve the Almighty God with a steadfast heart, refined skills and a message of peace and reconciliation. Camille has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Anderson University and an Honorary Doctorate of Theology from Warner Pacific College. He has served as a volunteer Youth Pastor and Scout Leader, as well as Dean and later President of the Mediterranean Bible College, an institution of higher education with a central task of raising up servant-leadership for the Church in the region.
 

In October 2006, Camille and his wife, Hoda, started a new ministry called Heart for Lebanon in response to the overwhelming needs created by the devastating July war. Heart for Lebanon is a relief and compassionate ministry aimed at sharing the gospel by bringing encouragement to those who have lost hope in Lebanon. Heart for Lebanon’s mission is to see lives changed and communities transformed. This is done through facilitating proper education, providing humanitarian aid, strengthening community development, and promoting leadership empowerment.

We've heard many heartwarming stories that came from this event, including one father who got to spend a special day with his recently baptized son. It's truly surprising how meaningful a casual game of flag football can be.

One of the most profound ways we're able to provide an engaging worship experience for our people and the larger community is through our Good Friday service we've come to know as Via Crucis (literally, the Way of the Cross, or the Way of Sorrows). This is a chance for us to gather together and remember integral moments from the first day in a weekend that forever changed history - the day our beloved Jesus was brutally tortured and died on a cross next to common criminals.

Of course, we know how the story ends. On the third day, He conquered death and rose from the grave, ultimately paying the sacrificial price for mankind in order that we may know salvation through Him. But on Good Friday we stop and provide space for brokenness and lament, allowing ourselves a moment to better understand the pain and suffering that provided the victory of life we now experience through Christ.

In the process of envisioning a multisensory environment where people could somehow experience each step along the Way, we understood that the best way to create this service for our people was to actually involve the entire community in the process. Encouraging the entire community to participate in the creative process provides space for the various talents, perspectives, styles and stories to shine through, and ultimately create a more authentic experience for our people in this moment in time.

Bottom line: we want you to help us create! 

So here's the big ask:

GATHER A GROUP TOGETHER: This could be a small group, breakfast group, youth group, softball team, book club, family or people you sit with on a Sunday morning. Who do you connect with? Who could you create with?

SELECT A STATION: Read through the list of Stations and the corresponding Scripture passages at the bottom of this post and prayerfully consider which of these Stations you would like to help create. What speaks to you? What intrigues you? 

LET US KNOW: Complete the Via Crucis Online Signup form with the top two Stations you would like to help create. We'll be in contact with more details and a confirmation of which Station you'll create.

CREATE YOUR STATION: Use the talents and artistic mediums available to your group and create something for the community. This could include:

• things to look at:  painting, mosaic, photography,poetry
• things to do: space for prayer, food/tasting, creating individual/communal art piece, textures & objects to touch

We'll have many parts of the building to use, so space will not be an issue. Also, keep in mind, we'll have over 900 people experiencing your station.

SETUP: Stations will need to be set up by Thursday at 2pm. We will open the Warehouse on Thursday evening and keep it open all day Friday, leading up to our Good Friday service at 6:30. This will provide extended time for our community to walk through and experience the Stations without feeling rushed.

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE: Join us at 6:30 for a Good Friday service. The Stations will remain open for you to walk through, and we'll have music, readings, communion and other elements to experience corporately.

KIDS: This year we'll have a separate experience during the 6:30 Good Friday service, designed especially for children.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Nate Ragan.

__________________________________________________

STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Station 1 - The Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-41)
Station 2 - Jesus Betrayed by Judas (Mark 14:43-46)
Station 3 - Jesus Condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71)
Station 4 - Jesus Denied by Peter (Matthew 26: 69-75)
Station 5 - Jesus Judged by Pilate (Mark 15:1-15)
Station 6 - Jesus Scourged and Crowned with Thorns  (John 19:1-3)
Station 7 - Jesus Bears the Cross  (John 19:6, 15-17)
Station 8 - Jesus Meets Simon the Cyrenian (Mark 15:21)
Station 9 - Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Luke 23: 27-31)
Station 10 - Jesus is Crucified (Luke 23:33-34)
Station 11 - Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Thief (Luke 23:32-43)
Station 12 - Jesus Speaks to His Mother and Disciple (John 19:25-27)
Station 13 - Jesus Dies on the Cross (Luke 23:44-46) 

  .

We're excited to announce our first ever recording project!

As we celebrate 10 years of RHCC, God has been doing what only God can do! The journey has been incredible. We're excited about what's next with the Arts and Music.

We would like to introduce, LuminousCity! "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5

For the past few years, we've been waiting, praying, and writing, as well as remaining faithful to the Sunday morning worship experience. We have been blown away by the gifts, talent, and hearts of the musicians, worshipers, and artists that call RHCC their home. This Sunday will be the final Sunday to donate live at RHCC. If you would like to help out by pledging online, please go to HERE! We have 18 days left to raise $10,000.

Last year, we began a spiritual encouragement event called LuminousProject, which happens each May here at Rolling Hills. We would love for each of you be present at this experience May 1-3, 2013. As a part of the vision and heart behind LuminousProject, we hope to continue expanding that influence into creating music, books, curriculum, and art that assists in allowing people to connect and commune with our Holy Father through worship. Enter LuminousCity, the collective of songwriters, artists, and worshipers from Rolling Hills Community Church. We hope to share these songs and resources with the world.

Shalom.

Chad and LuminousCity

This Sunday is the final week in our sermon series, Be Present. As we've walked through this Christmas season, we've looked at what it means to be present in your family, in your neighborhood, in your world and in your heart as you remained focused on the true meaning of Christmas…Christ the Lord!

As we leave this series, we will take a look this week at what it means to be present wherever you are. This is a great reminder as we start planning for 2013. Don't leave this season and loose sight of what God is doing in your life. We have great stories from the wrapping station this year of how people were simply being present and what a difference that made in the lives of those around them and in their own hearts as well. We even had someone pray right there in the middle of the Cool Springs Galleria for Christ to come into his heart and be at the center of his life. All because someone decided to wrap a gift and simply be present.

So as you plan for 2013 and start making your New Year resolution lists for working out more often, eating better, spending more time with your family, serving more, attending Church regularly, tithing Biblically, etc. add this to the top of the list…Be Present. In addition to taking time daily to read God's Word and seek His guidance for the day-to-day, make sure that you keep your head up, eyes and ears open and hands and feet ready for taking action when He places you in circumstances to do His work. Maybe that's something simple like delivering warm blankets to those in need, tutoring a child through our Path Project ministry or investing in an orphan and writing letters to let them know someone out there loves them. Maybe it will require you to step outside of your comfort zone and talk to someone in your office about Christ or go on a mission trip. Whatever the case, get in the practice of being aware that God is at work and has a purpose for your life. Keeping this top of mind will change how you do, well, just about everything.

We sing songs about it every year, but through the shopping, the parties, the wrapping paper, the cards and more, sometimes the real meaning gets lost. Think about it… “Christ”mas. Unto you a child is born. Jesus Christ. 

Christmas is clearly about celebrating the birth of God’s own Son. This is an event so powerful that it split history in two - BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini - in the year of our Lord). Everything in the world was impacted with the coming of Jesus Christ. 

Because of this, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive. He meets our deepest needs and extends grace to those who will receive Him.

This Christmas, our prayer is that we will all “Be Present” in the season, in our families, in our neighborhoods and in our world. If you’ve found your way to this blog and don’t already have plans to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas Eve, we ask that you join us at 4pm or 6pm as we come together for an amazing birthday celebration!

God bless you and your family this Christmas. 

As we get ready to start our new sermon series Be Present, we wanted to take a few moments and share some ways that you can be present this season.

1. Warm Their Hearts: Now through December 16, we are collecting new, dark-colored clothing items: warm socks, waterproof gloves, sweat suits, long underwear, warm pajamas, hats, and scarves for orphans in Moldova. Please drop off donations to the basket at the JMI booth. For customs and packing purposes, we are unable to take coats, and we ask that you remove all store tags from the items you donate.

2. The Wrapping Station: Can you wrap?! That's right, from Black Friday until Christmas Eve ... we're working three-hour shifts. We need wrappers and greeters to help us in this great community outreach, especially the weekday 11am-2pm shifts! Go here to see the online schedule and sign up for a place to serve! It takes all of us!

3. Red Envelope: Every Christmas, we give a Red Envelope gift that goes above and beyond our normal tithe. This extra gift is a blessing to those who give as it is to those it is given to. In a season where we give gifts to friends and loved ones, set something aside to give a gift to our Lord!

4. Invite Someone: This one is as simple as it sounds. Invite someone to one of our services, Sunday or Wednesday. Our Christmas Eve services (4pm and 6pm) would be a great opportunity to extend an invitation. Rolling Hills information packets/invitations are available in the office and at the welcome desks on Sundays.

5. Sponsor a Child: So many children miss out on the love and feeling of home that we enjoy during Christmas. You can help us to give those gifts to children who need them this season by sponsoring a child through JMI. More information is available on their website. Sponsoring a child never fails to radically change their lives. Are you interested in helping God change a life?

When most people think of Christmas they think of presents (admit it, we all do). This year, try to think about being present instead. This Sunday, we start our new sermon series Be Present. We’re very excited for this series and the encouragement that it will bring not to zone out during the busy Christmas season. Each week during this series we will discuss how to be present in a particular area.

This Christmas season, be present in:

Your Family - It seems like it’s so easy to spend time with family during Christmas, but conflicting schedules, gift shopping, special activities, Christmas parties…these can all spread a family every which way but home. Be sure to set aside some time where all family members are in one place at the same time. If this is a huge family gathering, don’t hide behind a fruit cake or avoid that weird uncle who makes those awkward jokes. Be present.

Your Neighborhood – It’s easy to forget how important a friendly neighbor can be. Something as small as a plate of cookies or a Christmas card can be just the blessing someone’s needed. If it’s cooking, visiting, or even helping to decorate for Christmas don’t be afraid to invest some of your time into a neighbor’s life.

Your Community – Everyone has a unique circle of influence that we have a chance to bless and minister to. Every friend, acquaintance, or co-worker is an opportunity to show Christ’s love. Find some way to connect with someone in a special way. It can be to the whole community, like Share Your Shelf or the Wrapping Station, or to your handful of coworkers.

Your World – We are called into a global church. We at Rolling Hills are but a section of a world-wide body of believers serving God. At the time of year where we celebrate Christ’s birth, we shouldn’t forget that we are commissioned to serve the world. A great chance to do that this year is by giving to JMI’s Warm Their Hearts campaign.

Wherever You Are – Schedules and lists are necessary and useful, but don’t get so lost in them that you miss an opportunity you didn’t plan for. God loves to surprise us. Be ready for it.

When the to-do list grows two sizes too big don’t forget to slow down and just…be present.

Wrap That! from Rolling Hills on Vimeo.

With the Christmas season rapidly approaching, that means that something else is on its way as well: Our Christmas wrapping station! This is a chance we have to bless our community during the season. Christmas time is a very stressful and busy time of year for so many people. Schedules are packed, nerves are frayed, and many are just looking for some relief. We want to be that relief, which is why we have the wrapping station.

By setting up a station next to the food court in the Cool Springs Galleria, we can put ourselves in a great position to wrap some Christmas gifts free of charge. We do this because we want to be able to reach into people’s lives and bless them through taking even such a simple thing as gift wrapping off of their plate. We also have a chance to point people back to God during Christmas time not through sermons or tracts, but by our presence and service.

If you’re interested there are volunteer positions to fit all schedules (it's also a great Christmas outreach for small groups)! We are also accepting supply donations for the station. For more information on either, be sure to stop by the information table set up in the Gallery! You can also sign up online!

 It was a great time in the Gallery on Saturday. People were laughing, having fun, enjoying each other’s company. Classic rock songs were playing loudly over the PA system providing a great, upbeat mood to the room. The energy in the building was running high from the second you walked in the door. You could tell people were having a great time. More important, though, were the meals of rice they were packing.

In fact, they packed 108,683 meals of rice. With more than 500 volunteers from across the community partnering with Feed My Starving Children, that total is the number of meals that were packed up last Saturday. These meals are ready to be shipped to starving children across the world. The numbers involved with the event are simply humbling. With volunteer shifts running from 9:00am to 6:30pm, we were able to pack 11,440 meals per hour. The food blend, called MannaPack Rice (a special designed blend of rice, soy protein, and dried vegetables), contains almost an entire day of necessary nutrition in one meal. A bag of rice (6 meals) costs only $1.32. Of the donations received by Feed My Starving Children, 92% go straight to the food program. The low cost, high nutrition qualities of their food help in their mission to feed God’s starving children.

The packing event was an amazing setting to be in. People from all walks of life came together and gave their time and energy to prepare food for those who need it. At one table, a father and his young daughter sealed the bags of rice that had been filled by a husband and wife who have been together for many years. Most of all, it was humbling because it was an event where you could see God’s hand in providing for his children by calling other children to serve. In an event like this, where you get hands on, you feel the full impact why that food is being packed. The rice that spent a day in our church will be used to bring life and nourishment to a child who is also being fed the word of God from missionaries.

We are called to minister to the least and the needy. Starving children certainly qualify, but not everyone can go, or send money or food. It’s a daunting task. Through hosting Feed my Starving Children, we were able to truly follow through on that command and impart health and life into someone who needs it. Rolling Hills is blessed to have been a part of God’s Work last week!

As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to take care of orphans. This is something that is so important to God's people, and especially to all of us here at Rolling Hills. As a church, this call is woven into the very fabric of our body. When we first started as a church, God called us to go to the country of Moldova. Moldova is located between Romania and the Ukraine, and is the smallest and poorest country in the former Soviet Union. Moldova has been defined by its orphanage problems which have translated into this country becoming a major source for human trafficking in the world today. Even as an infant church plant in 2003, we knew we could not sit idly by – we had to do something.

As a church, we have now served in Moldova every summer (and winter) since 2003, and there is a remarkable difference! With close to 50 people from our church serving there this summer, we are truly seeing lives changed for the glory of our great God! About five years ago, we started a non-profit called Justice and Mercy International in order to do an even greater work. Today, we are ministering in nine different orphanages, over 225 precious orphan children are being sponsored, we have a Transitional Living Home for girls (the Grace House) and a Transitional Living Home for boys (Boys2Leaders). What God is doing is truly miraculous! We are seeing lives transformed for His glory, and you are making a huge difference!

"One American changed my life." These are the words of a 19-year-old orphan we met in the orphanage the first year. This past week he described meeting a person from our church who came on one of our trips. He talked about how what he saw and experienced was real love. He said, "I never knew that someone could love me." This young man, through the help of so many, is now in seminary in Moldova and has a desire to help other orphan kids. He served as one of our translators in the orphanage camps this summer.

These are not statistics. These are real live children who are being saved both physically and spiritually. Precious children like Elena, Eduard, Jazgul, Tudor, Natalia, and the list goes on and on. Precious orphan children who simply need to know someone out there loves them. As we go, we show that although they may not have an earthly father, they do have a Heavenly Father who loves them! He loves them so much that He sent His own Son, and He sends His own disciples to take care of them. We truly become the hands and feet of Christ.

This call to take care of orphans comes to all Christ-followers. We cannot do everything, but we can all do something. Whether you go, sponsor, give, and/or pray, we all have a part to play in God's redemptive story. I am thankful for a church that takes this call seriously. Praise God for what He has done, but we must also know there is more to do. It takes all of us working, serving and praying together to make a difference. The amazing part of all of this is as we go, give, pray and serve, we are actually the ones who are changed. We grow to become like Jesus.

Here are some more stories from our time in Moldova. Please continue praying for our third and final team that is serving now and returns this weekend. 

• The Currency of Love
• Lee Company Partners w/ JMI to Invest in Moldova
• What Makes You Beautiful (Moldova)
• Taking Time to Take it All In
• Snapshots from Moldova

A few weeks ago I had the honor of traveling with a group of U.S. missionaries to Beirut, Lebanon to help train pastors from from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. This was my first time to this special place in the world and honestly, I was a little uneasy about the trip. 

Everyone Has a Story

Meeting pastors and leaders from these Middle Eastern countries was deeply rich and meaningful. These are the pastors and leaders on the front lines of ministry – many literally risking their lives for the Gospel. Every pastor had a story. A story of persecution. A story of endurance. A story of God’s protection and His never-ending grace. These men and women have been shot at, run into by cars, had to flee their countries for a period of time and yet they continue to serve, to pray and to love “their people.” There is a passionate desire people come to know Christ, and they will understand God has them where they are for this purpose.

My Heroes

Kahli (who pastors the largest church in Jordan and just launched a church plant in Iraq), Camille (who leads Heart for Lebanon in Beirut), Mariaf (who leads Youth For Christ), and the list goes on. These are friends and brothers for whom I am most thankful!

Moved by the Spirit

One of my highlights was a special prayer time we had for pastors and leaders of the Church in Syria. Such a powerful picture of Christ’s love as pastors from other countries surrounded their brothers and sisters, laid hands and prayed over them. As I led this prayer time over these faithful servants, I asked God for His protection, peace, presence and purpose. People were praying in different languages, and yet everyone understood. Tears and sobs for loved ones who were in danger and yet resolve to stand firm in the Lord come what may. You could literally feel God’s Spirit. As one person said, “It is in times of persecution that the church truly grows.” God is Sovereign. Our faith, hope and future is in His hands.

Takeaways

Not unlike the other mission trips I've been part of, my time in Beirut reminded me when God calls you to go serve, you are the one who is changed. My understanding of the Middle East will never be the same. My respect for the Christians facing persecution will be more personal. My time in prayer will be more intentional. Also, I have a deeper appreciation for the power of investing in the same place over time. 

All In

This long-term commitment is something Kim Tone, a missionary from Rolling Hills, knows all about. Kim is serving God in Beirut and has just committed to a long-term appointment. It was so good seeing her and celebrating what God is doing through her ministry there. Whether a place like Beirut, South Africa, Moldova, Brazil, or other place, I encourage you to find a country in the world and invest! Be involved in what God is doing here in the U.S. and throughout the world! Lebanon is called the “Gateway to the Middle East,” as God transforms lives there so many other people are being impacted. It is not safe or easy, but God is our Protection and our Provider. He draws us to Himself and then sends us out for His glory! Let’s change the world together!

Last evening, Best Buddies and Rolling Hills Community Church Student Ministry paired together to further the campaign “Spread the Word to End the Word” through a carnival and concert. About 150 people came out to enjoy this evening complete with carnival-themed food, games, inflatables and live music.  The event was held to increase awareness and end the use of the R word, “retard(ed).”  Upon entering the WareHouse, everyone was asked to sign the pledge to “Spread the Word to End the Word” on a large banner. 

After signing the pledge, the attendees enjoyed typical carnival-themed games, balloon animals, and even a show put on by a magician. (The kids really enjoyed that!) Everyone then went into the auditorium where a live band was playing songs for everyone to dance and sing along.  

Following a few songs, a Best Buddies “pair” came to the stage to discuss their friendship and how the program has positively affected their lives.

Audacious Faith v2 from Nate Ragan on Vimeo.

1. Following Christ

I will commit to follow Christ with all my heart by:

• Accepting Christ as my personal Savior – Giving your life to Christ is the beginning of the journey.
• Following Christ in believer’s baptism – Baptism is the outward mark of a Christ-follower. If you have accepted Christ in your life, but you have yet to be baptized, make the commitment and follow through.
• Practicing immediate obedience – Following Christ is a journey of faith. Make a commitment to be a full-on disciple, remaining faithful and obedient throughout the ups and downs of the coming year.

2. God’s Word

I will commit to: 

• Read through the Bible this year – Most Christians have never read through the entire Bible. On our Web site you’ll find a chronological reading plan. Make a commitment to invest 15 minutes a day in knowing and studying God’s Word.

3. Worship

I will commit to:

• Personal Worship through daily prayer and journaling.
• Corporate Worship through weekly Sunday morning gathering.

4. Small Group

I will commit to:

• Being active in a Small Group – Small Groups are where you have Bible study, and where you find true fellowship with other people on the journey. We have new groups beginning in 2012. Go to the Web site and sign up today.

5. Serve

I will commit to:

• Serving in an area of ministry – Jesus’ life was defined by serving. At Rolling Hills, we ask everyone to “Worship One / Serve One” – meaning, worship one hour and serve one hour. God has given us all gifts and talents. Put them to use for Him this year by being a teacher, greeter, usher, parking attendant, audio/visual tech, etc. 

6. Giving

I will commit to:

• Investing financially in God’s kingdom – This is the only place in Scripture where God says, “Test Me in this.” Commit to giving your first 10% back to God and watch God work in your life. 

7. Missions

I will commit to being involved in local and international missions:

• In my sphere of influence – Ask God to put one person on your heart that you will pray for each day. When the opportunity arises, talk with them about Jesus and/or invite them to church.
• In my community – Invest locally through giving back in some way to serve our community. Our bi-monthly Saturday Serve days are a great way to serve locally. You can start with our first one on January 21.
• Throughout the world - Make 2012 the year to go on a mission trip. We have incredible opportunities both nationally and internationally. You will make a huge difference in the lives of many, but it will be your life that is impacted the most!

For years, I never understood Christmas. Admittedly, I was a bit of a Scrooge. It just seemed like the whole thing was a farce.

Every made-for-TV movie I watched between Thanksgiving and New Year’s preached the same gospel: “It’s not about presents.” But then, every Christmas morning, I was inundated with presents. It didn’t make sense. Someone was lying.

Everything you want?

My parents, and probably yours, would conclude every December 25th with the same nervous question: “So… did you get everything you wanted?”

Are you kidding me? Everything I wanted? Is this what we want to teach our children about life? That you can get everything you want?

I remember being a kid. I NEVER got everything I wanted. (Thank God.) My parents had the best of intentions at heart. Most do. But this is telling of our culture.

Maybe it’s America. Maybe it’s humanity at its most broken. But I shudder to think of the implications of that phrase: everything you want.

Over the years, I’ve grown cynical of Christmas. I’ve run out of good gift ideas, gotten fed up with the shopping mall feeding frenzy, and been downright been pissed-off at ungrateful people. It’s made me want to write off the whole ridiculous holiday. (Told you I was a Scrooge.)

But there’s another story to tell.

Rethinking the point of Christmas

When Mary finds out she’s pregnant with the Jesus, she sings a song — a pretty interesting one:

He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.


—Luke 1:52-55

When I first read this, I swear I heard Santa Claus instantly drop dead of a heart attack. “He has sent the rich away empty…” Does that sound like everything you wanted? Not quite.

God loves the poor. He is among them. And if we are going to celebrate the birth of his Son with any sense of conscience, we must be with them, as well.

Making poverty (and Christmas) personal

A few years ago, I spent the month of December hanging out with a community of homeless men and women who lived under a bridge in downtown Nashville.

My friend Paul and I brought them candy canes, shoes, and coats. Sure, we gave them gifts. But they gave us a gift we could never repay. They opened our eyes to the spirit of Christmas.

As it turns out, it’s not about holiday specials and sugar cookies. Nor is it about getting everything you ever wanted.

Through the dirty and downtrodden and nearly-forgotten, I learned what December 25 is really about: compassion.

Christmas belongs to the poor

I caught an old rerun of

the other night. It was a Christmas episode. On the show, Frasier meets a homeless man who tells him, rather pointedly, what Christmas is all about:

“The rest of the year belongs to rich people with their fancy houses and expensive foreign cars, but Christmas, Christmas belongs to guys like us.”

Frasier forgets his wallet and can’t cover the cost of his meal. The homeless man and his friends cover it. This is the great irony and paradox of Christmas, of learning to live compassionately: We don’t give to the poor; they give to us.

One Sunday afternoon in 2007, I drove a car full of Christmas presents to a small rented house in south Nashville. In that home, a family of three lived — without a phone, sometimes without heat, and seemingly without hope.

A week before, this family didn’t think they were going to be able to have Christmas at all that year. But there was another story to be told.

A church group of about thirty people banded together to buy gifts, food, toys, and more for this family.

The best Christmas gift I received that year — maybe ever — was the look on the two children’s faces as I pulled up in my Buick, the back seat and trunk full of presents from perfect strangers.

“How could this be?” they marveled. They were told Santa wasn’t coming this year. This had to be magic. And indeed it was.

After a long hiatus, I believed in Christmas again.

Christmas belongs to the poor — let’s not forget that. We should be raising our glasses to them, to the outcast and the hungry, the handicapped and oppressed.

Maybe if we’re lucky, they'll let us in on the true spirit of the season.

A radical way to do your holiday shopping

This year, my wife and I are doing something different for Christmas. No, we won’t be celebrating it on the streets (unless the opportunity presents itself). However, we will be finding a way to connect with those in need.

We’re buying gifts. But not just any kind of gifts. The kind that make a difference.

In your hustle-and-bustle holiday, I hope you find an opportunity to do something similar. If you’re looking for a way to give back, check out Justice & Mercy International's giving page. It’s one of the best ways I know to reconnect with the true spirit of Christmas, and with sponsorship opportunities that run throughout the year, it's the gift that keeps on giving. 

Because there’s just something about celebrating Christmas without the poor that feels dishonest.

May we connect with the story of a boy born in a manger and find Christmas where it belongs — in humble places, like barns and dumps and alleys. This is where we’ll find baby Jesus, if we’re willing to look.

And maybe he will lead us, like he promised, out of our own prisons.

Find this story in its original form and see comments on Jeff's blog.

Suport the Mission Vision project at: themissionvision.net

This coming Sunday, September 18, we are beginning a brand new series here at Rolling Hills entitled "Why Pray?" Prayer is one of the most important, and yet most difficult, practices for us all. Have you ever thought about why pray? I mean if God is Sovereign (which He is), then why do we pray about things in our life and in our world? Yet, Jesus prayed. The Bible says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." Mark 1:35. Maybe the fact is that prayer doesn't change God (or maybe in some way it does), but prayer definitely changes us. You see, there is something that happens to us just being in the very Presence of God. Being in the very Presence of the One who orders the entire world. Being in the Presence of the One who loves us more than you can even dream or imagine. Prayer is our very life-line to our Heavenly Father. In one of His first teaching times (the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus taught about prayer (Matthew 6). He said, "And when you pray…" (knowing this was something we would do), He said, "this is how you should pray…" Jesus gave the disciples the model prayer – the Lord's Prayer – beginning with "Our Father…" Come on this five-week journey with us at Rolling Hills. I truly believe God will transform your prayer life during these next 30-days. You will learn the Presence, the Perspective, the Provision, the Power and the Peace of prayer. I look forward to learning and growing with you during this time!

1. Pray for all those directly impacted that day as well as for their families. Pray for the children growing up without parents as well as for the parents growing up without children. Anniversaries of a loss are gut-wrenching, and the 10th will be especially difficult for friends and families. Pray for God's strength and comfort.
2. Pray for the "heros" – those who volunteered to help and everyone who gave. Thank God for the way our country came together, for leadership and everyday people who dropped everything to serve. In the darkest hour is where our God shines the brightest. God stepped into the darkness as the Light of the World, and His Light shines through His people. Pray for His Spirit to permeate our lives every day as we hold out the Light of Life.
3. Pray for peace. Pray that Satan would not get a foothold in our lives and in our country. Pray that hatred would not be bred in our hearts toward any, but God will bring peace in the midst of tragedy – peace in our hearts and peace in a world of deep need.

Secondly, hope. So many times, the problems of the world seem overwhelming. Can there really be peace? Will we always be at war? As Christians, we never lose hope. Hope that God can and will change lives for His glory. God is working in all parts of the world. We must be people who always believe that the best is yet to come. One day there will be peace – everlasting peace. However, until that day comes, we hold out the Word of Truth and invite people to Jesus. Hope allows us to offer hands of peace to both the injured and our enemies. As 1 Thessalonians 1:3 says, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Never lose hope in a God who specializes in redeeming and restoring, a God who says, "I am making all things new." Let's ask God to use us to point people to the hope and redemption found in Christ and Christ alone!
 
Finally, trust. God is still sovereign over all creation. Our God is greater, He is stronger, and He is mightier than the enemies we face in this world. Let not this impending anniversary lead us to fear, but let us resolve to be people of faith. Our trust for peace and protection in this world is in the Lord. Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God." We live in a fallen world, but God is our Rock and our Redeemer. We do not have to live in fear, but by God's grace we live by faith. 
 
Church, I love you. I know God has called us and allowed us to live during this crucial time in history. May He find us faithful. May He find us praying, hoping and trusting that God will do what only God can do - bring life out of our deepest tragedy. May He find us active during our time – active in offering peace, active in sharing the Good News of Grace, and active in loving all those around us. Now is not the time to retreat in fear, but for us, as believers, to stand together united in Christ. Godspeed as 9/11/11 approaches. May He find us faithful!

Jeff Simmons, Pastor

Chase Baker, Student Pastor

Understanding our Spiritual Gifts in the Kingdom is so important, because once we know how God has wired us and we use those gifts, we will be fruitful and fulfilled in meaningful service. First, we need to make the distinction between gifts and talents. Spiritual Gifts are not natural talents like singing, cooking, sports, etc. Nor are they the Fruits of the Spirit, positions in the church, or Christian disciplines like fasting, prayer, Bible study, tithing. Spiritual Gifts are rooted in Scripture, clearly evident in the life of the local church, and are affirmed in the lives of some believers. In the following passages you will find examples of Spiritual Gifts, notice that the lists are not identical. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 4:9-10, Exodus 31:3-5, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, and Psalm 150: 3-5.  At Rolling Hills we offer a four week Discovery Class where we work through the Network curriculum from Willow Creek. In this class, you will discover your spiritual gifts (what you do best), personal style (how you best serve) and God-given passion (where you best serve) for serving in the body of Christ. The Discovery Class will begin on Wednesday, September 14, at 6 pm at The WareHouse. You can register and find more information here.

If we don’t use talents will God take them away? The Parable of the Talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30.
See this answer from Rick Warren

If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it. This principle is true of anything in your life — time, money, effort, energy, talent or abilities. If you don't use it, you lose it. "The master says, 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.'" (Matt. 25:28, NIV) That doesn't seem fair! The rich get richer and the talented get more talented. But it is fair. God has the right to take away anything that I don't use for him. He gave it to me in the first place. He has the right to do that. I forfeit it if I don't use it. It's a universal law: if I don't use my muscles I lose my muscles. If I don't use my mind, I lose it — it becomes mentally dull. If I don't use the opportunities God has given me in business, sports, ministry, whatever, I lose the opportunities. If I don't practice my talent, I lose my talent. Use it or lose it.
Just start using what you have been given for God. If you find you need more energy, use what you've got for God and watch what happens. Little becomes much when you put it in the master's hand. If I need more time, I give my time to God. If I need more money, I give my money to God. If I need more talent, I give my talent to God. Watch him multiply it — just like the five loaves and two fish. He multiples it when we place it in the Master's hand.

Laura Chapman, Equipping Minister

- Brent Hutchinson, Community Life Pastor

Small Groups launch September 11. Click Here to find a group that's right for you. 

If one takes a purely literal view of specific, contextualized scriptures with regard to the role of women in the church, little room is left to support women serving in leadership roles (1 Timothy 2:11-14, 1 Corinthians 14:33b-36, for example). However, there are other passages which tend to support women's roles as leaders in the movement known in the early Christian era as "The Way"--Jesus' first post-resurrection appearance to Mary with the instruction to "go and tell" or the lauding of Priscilla's leading role in the church in Ephesus (ironically, the same church to which Paul refers the silence of women in 1 Timothy), for example. Conservative theologians typically disagree that these latter arguments negate Paul's instruction to the church. So, the question remains. If God uses women, why is the early church instructed to disallow women a voice and seat at the table of leadership? In fact, a number of other passages refer to this very issue: Romans 16:1-2, 1 Timothy 3:3-13, and 1 Corinthians 11:4-10. While some of these deal with specific instances in the culture and church of the day, they do not necessarily specifically negate women's roles in other places. In fact, Ephesians 4:11 names several leadership functions of the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers. There is biblical evidence and support of both men and women in all of these roles (although the evidence regarding women as pastors is less clear than the other highly regarded functions).

The question is not whether women have a place and a role in the church. History and experience have clearly shown God's respect for and position on the equality of men and women, not to mention the Scriptures themselves: Genesis 1:27, Acts 2:17-18, Galatians 3:28. God speaks to and through all people. He continues to use women to lead and nurture within the church and in the culture-at-large. The argument that God chooses to use women because men won't step into roles such as these obfuscates the argument itself and obscures what God continues to do in and through His people: those who are obedient, He uses. Those who say, "Send me," go in the name of the Lord, man or woman. Many believers who study the same scriptures and pray, believing they hear from the same God, come to different conclusions on this matter. Unfortunately, this blog post doesn't do much to alleviate the tension between the cultural embedding of equal gender roles and the scriptural dictum given us by Paul through the Holy Spirit. What is clear is that God utilizes the whole counsel of the church—men and women—as followers hear the whole counsel of God through His word and His Spirit. Steer clear of any argument that is so black and white that division arises in light of such disagreement and the peace of God cannot be found. Most definitely, this is not God's intent.

Brent Hutchinson, Community Life Pastor

A number of Christian denominations, including Lutheranism, baptize both infants and adults. By reading Martin Luther’s large catechism, key writings of Lutheran doctrine, you see that baptism is a holy sacrament that even though it is performed by human hands, is nevertheless truly God’s work. In regards to infant baptism, Lutherans believe the Baptism of infants is pleasing to Christ and is sufficiently proved from His own work, namely, that God sanctifies many of them who have been thus baptized, and has given them the Holy Ghost; and that there are yet many even to-day in whom we perceive that they have the Holy Ghost both because of their doctrine and life; as it is also given to us by the grace of God that we can explain the Scriptures and come to the knowledge of Christ, which is impossible without the Holy Ghost. 

However, Baptist doctrine would recognize infant baptism as a parents’ decision on the child’s behalf and does not signify personal redemptive life change. Here at Rolling Hills we have family and baby dedication services where parents and families can come together and commit to the church and others that they will raise their child in fear of reverence of the Lord, while ultimately recognizing that salvation and personal redemptive life change does not depend on the parents decisions for the child. If you were baptized only as an infant, baptism as an adult should not be viewed as a statement against your parents’ personal beliefs, but can be viewed as the fulfillment of your parents’ wishes for you at the time they observed this practice in your former church. 
Baptism is one of the believer’s first steps of public obedience to Christ. In Matthew 3:13-17 we see that Jesus was baptized the beginning of His public ministry, while He also gave the command to baptize in Matthew 28:19-20 at the end of His public ministry. Baptism symbolizes a death to and cleansing from sin and follows an individual’s decision to trust in Christ for salvation. Baptism paints a beautiful picture of the believer identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. For more readings, check out Romans 6:1-11, Acts 8:9-12 and Acts 8:26-39. 

It is not necessary for anyone to be re-baptized if their decision to be baptized followed a commitment to Christ. Yet, there are a number of people who were baptized as infants or at a point in their life when they had not made a decision to commit and follow Christ and we would encourage that person to follow in believer’s baptism by immersion.

Jason Hale, Young Adult/Missions Minister

Much of the time, you hear about the errant path someone took that led them towards bad decisions and resulted in their poor situation. However, the stories that stay with us are ones where good people get hurt for, what seems to be, no reason at all… The school principal who was brutally murdered by a student; the single mother who is living on the streets because she lost her job in the wake of a poor economy; the orphan who is dreading their next birthday because they know it will mean they have to leave the orphanage and have no place to go; and the list goes on.
So the question is… why do these bad things happen to good people? If we have a God who loves us, and we are clinging to Him daily and praying for His help and guidance, why does He allow worldly troubles to fall on us?

Join us at 9:30 or 11am this Sunday as we use scripture to tackle this tough question and seek God’s wisdom on this topic. 

Question: If we follow God with everything we have and follow him but then commit suicide, will we go to Heaven?

Answer: 
God's word consistently warns us that suicide is always wrong.  Deuteronomy 30:19 is God's command, "Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."  Job knew that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, that life and death are with God and not us (Job 1:21).  Paul teaches us, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  And the sixth commandment is clear: "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).

God gives us life and he alone has the right to take it.  It is always too soon to give up on life.  God can always intervene, and often does.  You're not done until God says you're done.
That said, why is suicide so often thought to be the "unpardonable sin"?  Not because the Bible ever teaches this, for nowhere does God's word make this connection.  Here's the story in brief.
Eventually the Church came to separate "mortal" from "venial" sins.  "Mortal" sins would condemn a person to hell, "venial" to Purgatory.  Only by confessing a mortal sin could a person avoid hell.

Murder, including self-murder, was one of these mortal sins.  And of course a person could not confess this sin after committing it. So by logic, suicide was defined as the unpardonable sin.  But nowhere does the Bible teach that this is so.

Suicide is always wrong, always a sin, and always a tragedy.  It places far more grief and pain on family and friends than life would have.  It takes into human hands a decision which is God's alone.  It leads to judgment and loss of reward by God in eternity.  But it is not the unpardonable sin.  Those you care about who committed this sin are not in hell for having done so.  Rejecting Christ (see Matthew 12:31-32) is the unpardonable sin, and the only one.

Answer taken from http://www.denisonforum.org/faith-questions/questions-about-the-bible/43-what-is-the-unpardonable-sin (accessed August 9, 2011)

The first night of our Student VBS was jam packed with excitement. Teams were formed, relationships were building, snacks were MESSY (5 gallon cooler over concrete floor, great!), and leaders were crazy. I LOVE IT! I believe the first night jitters are over for the incoming 5th graders and I expect the volume of the crowd to be a little louder tonight.

Each night a team is chosen who has the most team spirit, the winner of team spirit gets to take home an oar, yes you heard right an oar. Instead of a spirit stick, we have a spirit oar. A member from the winning team gets to decorate the oar as he/she pleases (pictures to come).

Throughout the night our students were taught about faith and healing. They were taken through the biblical truth found in Matthew 8:1-17, 23-27 that we can have faith that Jesus care for us and those we love. This truth was demonstrated through the very life of Jesus. We can have courage in knowing that Jesus' love is amazing and he longs for us to trust Him with our lives. 

I can't wait for tonight!

-Chase Baker, Student Pastor

It's not too late to come be part of Big Apple Adventure VBS at Rolling Hills. Start tonight or any night this week 6:00-8:00pm at the WareHouse (ages 3 through 8th grade)

Watch a recap of this Sunday's sermon as God reveals five life lessons to help us guard our heart from the "little" sins that creep into our lives. 

Five life lessons for us…

Little things matter to God.  (7:10-12)

The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”

There is time to repent.  (7:14-15)

“‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the LORD takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the LORD takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the LORD and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!’”

The consequence of sin is death.  (7:24-25)

Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

God extends grace when the price is paid.  (7:26)

Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from His fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

Obedience to God and His timing results in blessings.  (8:1-2)

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

It has been very beautiful and inspiring to be a part of what God is doing in the country of Moldova! Relationships are being made, needs are being met (spiritual and physical), and leaders are being brought up. Christ's love is shining through!  And I'm very proud to be a part of a church that takes seriously the call to reflect it!

In Christ,

Jason Watkins

Abbey Watkins

Chisinau Team

While with the kids I know everyone is able to see that the Lord is with us! We are now adjusted to the time change! We are also getting to know each other better, traveling with each other everywhere. This is an amazing place to be, the kids love to see the "Americans!" This is a life-changing experience, and the life stories are just amazing! I know if it were me I wouldn’t tell anyone this stuff, but these people have so much courage and know God is here! Tonight at Jesus Savior Camp we had a big concert for our last day there! All of the people loved Clemency and their songs! Even though it was all in English they knew most of the words. 

At Internat in our bible study groups we have been talking about the stories of Daniel! They are having a very big impact on everyone! I would like everyone to keep one kid in you prayers because yesterday after we left Internat he was hit in the head with a rock, and he had his head wrapped up and he must have started having problems with it because we had an ambulance come pick him up earlier this morning. After lunch half of us went back to Internat while the others were at Jesus Savior Camp they asked if he was back yet and the kids said no and haven't heard anything back yet. We are now settling in getting ready for bed! Noapte Buna! God Bless and Thank you for your prayers!

Josh Townsend

Chisinau Team

It isn’t always easy to find a lunch spot for a group our size but Andy’s Pizza was ready for the challenge. Yes, some of the pizzas contain mayonnaise and looked a bit different but most had the look and feel of our favorite comfort food from home. Getting comfortable at Andy’s, however, was not an option and we were soon back in the vans on our way to Internat Two.

The ride into the countryside was a little smoother than the pothole filled streets of the city but turning onto the single lane dirt road to Internat Two quickly announced another change. What was once probably a quaint Soviet era vacation spot is now a more dilapidated summer home for the 120 plus children of Internat who have not been dispersed elsewhere for the summer. Today offered us a brief introduction to the youth and teens we will work with this week. There are those who remembered our team, others who jumped at the chance to make a new friend and still others who seemed to wish they could blend into the background.

Late in the afternoon our vans were once again loaded up and headed back to Jesus Savior Church and while the music of the church is spectacular our very own band, Clemency made their Moldova debut with How deep the Fathers love and How great is our God. It was inspiring to watch as a few of the church choir members sang along in English. Jason, Paul and Jake represented us well.  

After yet another amazing dinner we find ourselves at 10PM, recapping the day and talking strategy for tomorrow. Tune in tomorrow night for updates on our first day at Internat Two and afternoon/evening at Jesus Savior youth camp

Grace and peace,

Sara Bogue

Rolling Hills Mission Team

The summer is also a great time to plug into a Small Group. If you are not yet in a group, check out some of the great options here on our Web site. Many of our Small Groups will meet for just June and July, then take a break in August to regroup. An eight-week commitment is perfect to dig into God's Word and establish some new friendships as well.

Along with worship and Bible study, there are many amazing opportunities to serve in our community and throughout the world. From continued disaster relief work in Alabama to ongoing work right here in Middle Tennessee, there is a place for you to serve (for more information on local or national missions, contact Jason Hale, our Local Missions Minister). In July, we have multiple mission teams headed to Moldova. Moldova is the smallest and poorest country in the former Soviet Union. In this country, we work with precious orphan children, and we see God work in incredible ways. Later in the year, we will send mission teams to Haiti and Brazil. (Visit www.justiceandmercy.org to learn more.)

Finally, there are amazing opportunities for children and students this summer as well.

* M-Fuge Camp for students who have completed grades 7-12 (June 13-17) – To sign up, contact Chase Baker, Student Pastor.

* CentriKid Camp for kids who have completed grades 3-5 (June 13-17) – To sign up, contact Nic Allen, Family and Children's Pastor.

* Vacation Bible School for kids ages 4 through 5th grade (July 19-22) – To sign up, contact Nic Allen.

Friends, God is at work! Let's make the most of this summer for spiritual growth and development. Let's continue to "reach out, grow up, give all" for the glory of God, our Father! It's summertime!

In Christ,

Jeff Simmons, Pastor

We had the privilege of working with Guy, a pastor from St. Lukes Baptist Church and were so encouraged by his heart, joy and passion to show love in the community. We headed out into the community to cut trees, clean up yards and simply be present. There are many people hurting and the power of just being present and offering hope is a humbling responsibility.

We would love for you to be a part of this and join us on Friday. Teams will meet at the WareHouse at 2pm. If you can't make it by this time there may be the possibility of coordinating with a later group. Please contact Jason Hale with the times you are available.

Link to needed supplies. 

Our first assessment team, led by Rolling Hills missions intern, Stephen Edwards, left last Friday for his hometown of Cullman, AL to help with immediate needs and make connections for future Rolling Hills teams. The result of this trip has opened many doors for us to serve the people of this area as they attempt to put their lives back in order.

“Cullman is a great place to grow up and it was really hard to see my hometown in that bad of shape,” said Edwards. “I encourage anyone who is able, to join our teams that are returning to Cullman and Birmingham this weekend to help these families.”

Our team helped remove fallen trees, patch open roofs and broken windows, clean debris from inside the home and just be a listening ear for the people who are coping with this tragedy.

This morning our second mission team left for Alabama to help with clean up efforts from last weeks devastating storms. The team, lead by Jason Hale, will serve for two days in Birmingham as they help with clean up and serve meals.

If you are interested in serving in Cullman or Birmingham this weekend, we have teams leaving from the WareHouse Friday at 2pm and returning Sunday afternoon. We have indoor lodging at both work sites, however, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag, work clothes, and toiletries. Here is a list of additional supplies we need and are accepting these at the church office between 9am and 5pm this week. 

Those interested in being part of our trips this weekend should contact Jason Hale. 

The first team will be departing on Tuesday morning (May 3) and will return on Thursday afternoon (May 5). Contact Jason Hale by Monday noon for more information and to participate.  

The second team will be sent out on Friday afternoon (May 6) and return on Sunday afternoon (May 8). Contact Jason Hale by Wednesday noon for more information and to participate.

2.  Bring supplies to The WareHouse to send with our teams departing Tuesday and Friday.
Generators-- pressing need (an idea is to have Small Groups go in together to buy a generator or chainsaw)
Chainsaws-- pressing need
Heavy work gloves
Bleach
Clorox wipes
Baby diapers
Baby food

3. Give blood during our American Red Cross Blood Drive this Thursday (May 5) at The WareHouse from 3 - 7 pm. Go here to sign up for an appointment.

4. Keep praying for those who were personally impacted and for those assisting with recovery efforts.

We're excited to announce that Chase Baker has been called as the next Student Pastor for Rolling Hills Community Church! 

Chase has been the Middle School Pastor for the past eight years at Gladeville Baptist Church near Mount Juliet, TN. In addition to his primary responsibility as Middle School Pastor, he served as the Young Men's Ministry Director and graphic designer for GBC. Chase's undergraduate degree in Sociology is from MTSU and his Master of Divinity degree is from Rockbridge Seminary. 

Chase and his wife, Courtney, will be married five years in May. Courtney is a marketing strategist for LifeWay Christian Resources. Chase and Courtney enjoy spending time playing and watching just about any sport, playing with their five pound Yorkie named Maddie, traveling and dreaming up their next home improvement project. 

Chase is excited about the opportunity to serve here at Rolling Hills Community Church! He has a passion to see life transformation happen in the lives of students through the power of Jesus Christ. Chase will officially join the RHCC team on Sunday, March 6, but you can find him in advance on Facebook and Twitter. 

Are you ready for some football?

Rolling Hills is once again proud to support the The Father & Son Bowl, February 5, 2011 at Lasko Fields (across Columbia Ave. from the WareHouse). Father & Son Bowl is a commUNITY backyard style flag football game for men and boys of all ages. We have a fun day of football and create memories that last a lifetime. There are punt, pass and kick skill stations and other cool stuff. This is not a serious competition (except for braggin’ rights!). You don’t have to be athletic or in shape, it’s all about having a good time. Don’t watch your son from the sidelines... get in the game!

Register Here to Play!

Register Here to Volunteer!

Following the service, we drove to the city of Edinet to see a camp that the church is hoping to purchase with support from church partners in the U.S.  The camp is very large with a tennis court, swimming pool, basketball courts, a soccer field and 5 dormitories, 3 of which are in good condition.  This camp was originally one that the Communists used to indoctrinate young people.  After the war it was deeded to a factory as a sanitorium (something akin to a retreat or health camp so that people could rest from their labors).  It has not been used in 15 years, but the church would use it for summer camps, conferences and a seminary if afforded the opportunity.

Upon returning to Balti and loading up, Alina, JMI's North Region Coordinator, wanted to show us a home for sale, something we are interested in purchasing at some point in the future for a possible combination team house and transitional living program.  I was skeptical of what we'd see, but the property was phenomenal including 2, 2-story houses within a courtyard and a room with a sauna (which I project as my future private office!  :)  One of the houses is fully furnished, though some additional restrooms would need to be installed to suit our purposes.  The cost is 320,000 EU....a dream home for our purposes should God open this financial door.

At this writing we are back in Chisinau and making plans for Internat 2 tomorrow.

- Moldova Mission Team

We made it! We are so thankful that God covered us in our travels and getting all of our luggage too. It has been great being back here for us. In the van ride to the International Mission Board house in Chisinau, I told my teammate Brian that it was strange that nothing seemed strange to me anymore. At dinner we discussed the homely feel that this place has for us now. We are so excited to see what God has in store for us in these upcoming days! Tomorrow we travel to Falesti and Cupcini, where we will visit two orphanages north of Chisinau. We wont be able to blog again until we get back to Chisinau on Sunday, however, we are thankful to know that your prayers are still coming our way. In addition to the blog, Harry Butler will be updating his facebook page with pictures from our amazing adventures. For now, we are all excited to sleep in a bed and not on an airplane, so I am going to do just that. Goodnight!

-Mandy McDermott

There is something very mysterious and yet powerful about this thing called momentum. With it a person can accomplish more, a team can change the direction of a competiton and an organization make can a greater impact than even imaginable. But how do you get, and even keep, this thing called momentum? How do you harness that energy and put it to work in your own life? This January, at Rolling Hills, we will talk about momentum and see some practical lessons from a church in the Bible. We will dig deep into the book of 1 Thessalonians and discover how these Biblical truths can help transform our lives for His glory. Don't miss this series! And, be sure to come this Sunday Morning as we celebrate eight amazing years at Rolling Hills! 

See you Sunday at 9:30 and/or 11:00 am at the WareHouse! Let's start the New Year off right by focusing on our God and His Truth! God bless!

Also, please keep our Moldova mission teams in your prayers as they travel between December 29 and January 6.

God used the trip to open my eyes to a suffering population I have never really thought much about. It is easy for those of us who are blessed to live in a country where so many resources are readily available to reduce the plight of so many who are without to a statistic. While there was a lack of resources in Red Hill, there was no lack of hunger for love and hope. Building on the partnership that exists between Rolling Hills and Living Hope, we spent our days giving the greatest gift we could, the message of Jesus Christ and the hope and love he has for all the residents of Red Hill through a variety of activities. Another exciting task for our team was a one day retreat for the Life Skills Educators who work in townships all around Cape Town every day throughout the year. These incredible leaders are from all over the world but primarily from South Africa. They are literally in the trenches as they go into schools and townships teaching children of all ages about the love of God. How refreshing it was to meet such joyful servants who are dedicating their lives to something that truly matters.  It is one thing to pray for and read about people who are in such need in every sense; it is an entirely different story to experience it first hand. The Life Skills Educators are on the front lines of a war against AIDS and poverty and spend a great amount of time with students who cannot afford the luxury of a formal education. When we boarded the plane at the end of our time in South Africa, I knew I would return. 

I am looking forward to once again being a part of the daily life of Red Hill. I am excited to reconnect with people I met this past year in the township and to meet others for the first time. Encouraging the Life Skills Educators is certainly high on my list of things I am looking forward to as I return with a new team in 2011.  Perhaps the most exciting prospect of all is in knowing we will once again bring with us the imperishable gift of Jesus Christ who can heal the hurts of those in Red Hill. 

The team Rolling Hills sends out each year to this special place represents so much more than arts and crafts with children, encouraging Life Skills Educators and building medical clinics. These teams help build a bridge between the ministry of Living Hope and the community. This bridge is used throughout the year by Living Hope to bring resources to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the people in Red Hill. 

        As the time approaches for the 2011 South Africa team to return to Cape Town, please be in prayer for those who have made the commitment to go. Also remember those people with whom we will interact, especially those who live and work in Cape Town year round. This trip is significant in both in the life of Rolling Hills Community Church and the ministry of Living Hope because it is an opportunity for the church to act as a true body, being the hands and feet of Christ in place that longs for His presence. 

- Adrienne Casey, South Africa 2011 Mission Team Member

This Sunday we talked about being Fearless of Death and how Jesus explains in Luke 16:19-31 that death is not the end, but the beginning.  Take an inventory this week and see if you are ready to die. Do you have a personal, growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son? Have you taken the time to pray for and share with your family and friends about Christ and His eternal hope? Will you forgive those who have wronged you and make peace with your past? Have you invested the resources given you for the glory of God? 

When God calls, let’s be ready! Let’s live our lives well so that we are able to be “fearless” of death. Next week, we are studying “Fearless of God.” What a great week to invite someone to come with you to hear about the life-transforming love of Christ!

How do we live fearless in a world of constant change, some of which impacts us in negative ways? This past Sunday we studied Matthew 8:18-27 and saw how Jesus addressed two individuals who desperately wanted to follow him, but were paralyzed by a fear of the change that would occur. Together we realized a truth – being a disciple of Jesus means making a commitment and acting on faith. If you were not able to join us for worship, please take some time and watch this video podcast. Then, as you evaluate your own life, ask yourself... Am I living with a spirit of fear or faith? The truth is, we will all face storms in this life, and many will seem overwhelming at the time. However, in the midst of these troubles remember what God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

This week, let’s lean on God in the good times and bad. Let’s make a commitment to Him and have faith that He is in control. Let’s live life... Fearless. 

My next question after passing along sympathy was “now what?” after a short pause she said she liked working at the barber shop wanted to support her mom but she really had a desire to get back involved in church and wanted to find a husband and settle down here. When I asked what church she attended or if there were any prospects of husbands she brushed it aside and said at her age she did not have much hope for finding a good husband and she was “just not ready” for the church thing again. However there was this guy (who was an old family friend) who has been trying to get her to attend church with him and just happened to be single and was a real “spiritual blessing” according her when this guy showed up at her fathers funeral unexpectedly…about the time she was describing this guy who could accomplish both her desire for a husband and her desired to get plugged back in church the bell at the front door rang and sure enough this guys walks in the door. He had driven all the way form Ashland City to surprise her at work and just say hello!

She almost passed out right there, her skin turned a ghost white and then followed by bright red as this guys walks over. She said a shocked hello and then told him he had to leave or she would get fired. He walked out a little dejected and she finished my haircut and apologized repeatedly to me for the interruption (like I would report her to the better business bureau).  As we walked to the counter for me to pay I asked if she was going to chase after this guy. She was not sure if she could leave without getting in trouble by loosing customers and was not even sure if the guy would stick around. So my response as I signed my receipt and prepared to fill in the tip amount was “I was given a favor a few weeks ago at my church that I would like to pay forward…I am sure that if this guy drove for an hour just to say hi he is still waiting right outside so the first half of the tip is for you to take this guy over to Starbucks and buy a coffee for you both. Next, if time away from work and loosing a few customers is the issue the rest of this tip is for the next two people that may walk through this door while you are gone so you don’t loose any money.” As you can imagine she was pretty surprised and a little embarrassed and as I walked out on the door I left a final word I would be back in a couple weeks to check in on her and find out how things turned out.

Unfortunately my hair does not grow as quick as it used to so I have not been back yet but I am very anxious to follow up and see what has transpired and what God had done. What an awesome opportunity it was for me and such a blessing to be able to help out and watch from the sideline as such an unbelievable and perfectly orchestrated event took place.

When I left church that Sunday with the dollar bill tucked in my Bible, I wondered what I was going to do with $1.  I mean it won’t even buy someone a good cup of coffee.  Then I realized what was meant by “prayerfully” deciding how to pay it forward. 

So I began to pray about it and the answer I got was that I should write a letter to my dad.  He is terminally ill with cancer and has not had a relationship with the Lord since he was a teenager, some 50 years ago.  I had been wanting to talk to him about the Lord for a couple of years but I have never been able to find the right words or the right time. I have been putting it off, basically.

So when that was my answer, I thought, no, that can’t be.  I will just pray some more…so I did.  And the same idea kept coming.  I even saw a homeless man pushing a trashcan in Franklin and thought about giving it to him but that letter idea stopped me dead in my tracks. 

Eventually I realized that my prayers about what to do with the dollar had been answered but I had been looking for another answer, not listening to God.  Something I am guilty of too often. 

I finally heeded God’s answer and sat down to write the letter last week.  The words flowed from my pen like magic.  Before I knew it, I had written a 5 page letter.  Instead of just telling my dad about the Lord, what appeared on the paper was encouragement about God’s love but mostly news about the miracle of prayer.  I know where the words that appeared came from—God was making my ink flow.  I had tried so many times to come up with the right words and could not.  This time I could not stop writing! 

In the next couple of weeks, my dad will have some tests that will possibly give him a new dreaded diagnosis and a finite amount of time to live.  He will get the results on October 5. I believe God wanted this letter written, not just to share His love but to remind my dad about the importance of prayer and the miracles it can bring. 

I mailed that letter Wednesday. I do not know if he has received it or not. I am not sure he will acknowledge it to me.  But I am hopeful, since God had such a purpose to have taken me to RHCC that Sunday of all Sundays and to give me the words to say in that letter, that my dad will get on his knees and pray for healing, understanding, peace, more good days than bad, whatever he needs. 

And by the way, because the letter was so lengthy and I wanted it mailed flat, not folded, I spent the whole dollar! 

She then called my wife and asked if she could take money out of her savings to buy the young man sheets and pillows for his bed and surfed the web and found a smaller TV for his room. She purchased the items and took them to him. I cannot tell you how proud I was when I found out she had done this. Who would ever believe a teenager really listening to what their parents say and remembering the "pay it forward" series recently completed at RHCC?

One guy i work with said while he was breathing heavy. "You probably saved me from passing out." The next day another guy from my work belt returned the favor because I nearly passed out in the 1st hour of the day.

The series Paying it Forward has been such an amaizing series. I have been attending th college Bible study off and on since the church was meeting at the movie theater. I came back a week before this series started. When you said in worship that you were starting a series called Pay it Forward i immediatly thought of the movie. When i thought more about it i knew i had to be there every week for this series. i missed the first week of it because of a family get together. I enjoyed every single week of this series and cant wait for the next sermon series. The more i come there the more i am wanting to get involved in the church. I have recently signed up for a college small group. I have also signed up to go on the college fall retreat.  

Like i said in my email earlier. I have been coming to the church since it was at the theater. I am a close friend of a family in your church. When I was asked if i wanted to crash at their house on a saturday night and go to church with them i said ok. When they told me the church met in the theater, honestly my first thought was wow. I thought, why in a theater. When i got there everyone was so excited to be there. I had never so many people excited to worshiping God.

This morning (Friday), it hit me. I was the servant with 1 talent. I was afraid. Who am I to decide how the dollar would affect someone. I suddenly realized that I didn’t have faith that God would use the dollar in many ways that were beyond my understanding. Who was I to judge who needed the dollar? I did not see myself as the servant with 1 talent during the service last Sunday. However, through this challenge, I realized that I can be afraid. More importantly, I realized I don't want to be afraid.

Last Sunday’s message was clear to me on a whole new level. It is my job to plant as many seeds as I can and leave it to the Lord to decide how the seeds would grow. See, we don’t have control of the elements that affect the seeds or the how the seeds will grow, but we do have control over how many seeds we plant. We can provide an environment that helps seeds to grow. We can water the seed, we can fertilize the seed, we can provide love, care, and support to those around us. How the Lord uses what you do for Him is HIS glory.

My new thought is to make a difference in every moment that crosses, not just certain moments that I think are worth it. I choose to make a difference everyday by a gentle smile, an open door, a lended ear, a simple thank you. For you never know how God will use these moments to bless others. How many days have you secretly thought “I wish someone would notice me; I wish someone would smile at me, or hold the door open for me?” It is often the little things that can make a difference. I now know to stop waiting for the big moments, because it is the millions of small ones that can do wonders! The Lord can turn the small moments into a huge opportunity and you may never know.

Keep it simple.

Thank you for the message and the opportunity to be challenged, as this is how we grow.

My wife commented to me, "Its a long time since I have been challenged like that" and I know she means it as a complement.

We have been visiting many churches in the area this past year-and have not found one that is close to the church we attended in Calif. It just so happened that we moved at the same time as 2 other families from the same church we attended in CA.-- and we all moved to this same area. The church we attended in Calif was committed to giving away 50% of all its givings from the attenders there-- to the needs of God's people in the U.S and around the world--it was amazing to see how God has worked in the lives of the people and the church there.

I took your message yesterday and decided to give the money to Children's Hunger Fund -in honor of Rolling Hills Community Church. It is where the money will multiply, to feed children around the world--a great organization headquartered in Southern Calif.--- but branching out across the country. They use God's wisdom and His resources to set up Mercy Networks to feed the world with His Word while also feeding the world with nourishment.  The money was spent on helping a child somewhere receive a meal.

I am looking forward to visiting again with the rest of my family and our friends that also moved here.  Thanks for a great message   God Bless  

RHCC is a blessing!

It also blew me away later that day to hang out with a middle schooler and hear her passionately brainstorm different ways she could pay it forward with her two dollars. I love that students are becoming less consumed with their own lives and are becoming more sensitive to the needs around them.  It makes me SO excited that together as a church we're pushing each other toward having a mindset that's more like Christ! I can't wait to learn more about proclaiming Christ through meeting needs around us.

It's clear that our church is being prayed for and God's faithfulness is so evident!

Friday afternoon I received some troubling news from home about a man that my widowed mother had been dating. We, the children, had our doubts about him when we met him, but we gave him the benefit of the doubt.  Our suspicions were confirmed, though, and we learned that this man was having an affair with a married woman behind my mother's back.  My brothers and sisters spoke to me about this, and also broke the news to her about what he had been doing. 

Oh, I forgot to mention that they had promised mom to not tell ME, and yes, they broke that promise.  Needless to say, that put all of us in an awkward position.  But that's the family dynamic - we keep secrets, only certain family members know the whole truth, and we can't talk openly about our problems.  We all know they exist, but we don't talk about them.

I decided that this was not something I could participate in any longer, that trying to keep the lie of my knowledge secret was going to eat me up inside, and I wrote my family (minus mom) an email saying essentially that we need to change the way we handle things as a family.  Imagine, a single, 28 year old guy telling his older, married with children siblings that we need to change the way we operate as a family, a manner I'm sure has been around since before I was born. 

I didn't how how it would be received, but I knew that this was what was right.  Would you believe they concurred.  In two weeks, when I go home, we are having a quote-unquote summit to talk about how to promote disclosure and openness about the good and the bad that comes upon us as a family.  This past weekend exposed serious problems in our family that we are addressing.  Praise God!

But, specifically, about paying it forward.  My mom broke up with the man, and I called her Monday morning, and she was hurting, I could tell, but her pride was overrunning her hurt.  I decided to write her a letter.  (If you could only see my tears as I'm writing this email to you).  In that letter I praised her for weathering the storms of the past two years - my accident and admission of a drinking problem, dad's cancer treatment and eventual passing, and now my oldest brother undergoing chemotherapy for bladder and colon cancer, and so much more that I can't enumerate here, as it would be too overwhelming.  I thanked her for confiding in me, and for treating me like an adult.  I told her about recovery, what it means to let a community of safe people into your mess and struggles.  I told her that she was worth working on, that I cared more about her healthiness than I did about her happiness, and that her healthiness can lead to happiness, joy, and peace.  I told her about a book I'm going to bring her, Life's Healing Choices, and how I want her to read it and for us to discuss it. 

I don't know how she will respond to the letter, but I pray it opens up a conversation between us.  All I can do is trust God in this time, and that's it.  I love her with all my heart, and I want her to be well. 

That envelope from Sunday paid for my 44 cent stamp for that letter.  I'm working on what to do with the other 56 cents.

1. Using my $1 to Pay It Forward this week was really easy. My pregnant daughter called me while I was still in bed and said she was wiped out on the sofa and craving Burger King bacon, egg and cheese croissants. So I got up, got dressed and went through the drive-thru (since I hadn't had my shower yet and didn't have makeup on) and made her dream come true!

2. But I really want to tell you about something that happened to me last week.

I had gone to the post office and when I drove up I heard a gentleman in the parking lot on a rather loud and stressed phone call. He was pacing all over with a very distressed and hurting look on his face. There was a very small trailer attached to his car.  I went on in, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. While I was inside, he came in and began almost crying to the clerk that he had no place to live, no where to go, etc. (He came to the p.o. b/c he was concerned about where his mail would go.) But he kept saying he was in so much trouble and didn't have any idea what he was going to do. My heart broke for him but I had no idea how or if I should/could help him.

When I went back to my car I thought about putting a note and the $20 bill I had in my wallet on his window. Well, I drove off instead and made it about 1/2 block down the road when God clearly told me that the idea was indeed HIS and not mine. So I immediately turned around and went back to the post office and wrote a note of encouragement which I left with the $20 on his window.  I quickly drove away so as not to be detected and went through the drive-thru at McDonald's to get a $1 large soda. When I went to pay, the lady informed me that the gentleman in the truck in front of me had paid for mine. What a cool way for God to show me that He takes care of me even with covering $1 (which I would have had to scrape the change together to pay) for a soda. It also made me feel more loved by the guy that paid for my soda than proud of myself for what I had done. And way more in love with my Jesus! For a person that struggles a lot with feeling loved and accepted, I have to say that that stranger's simple act of paying $1 for me made me feel so loved. I smiled the rest of the day because of it. We never know who is behind us and what they are struggling with and how our simple little acts of love and kindness might possibly change/save their life.

Also, the 5 people set on my heart to pray for is a family who visited our community group.  After our last community group, one of them said to me "That was a really great experience!" After worship he said "we are not very 'religious', but if we had a church like this, we would want to be part of it". I pray God provides for them and through us and others in their life they come to know the living Jesus.  I feel I am in a similar position as Bill Hybels with his sailing friend in the Walk Across The Room series you led in 2007.

God is sooooooo good.  And I thank him for this opportunity to Pay It Forward.

May God be glorified.

1. God has His hand on His church here at Rolling Hills. 

As we looked back at this past year, we pressed pause for a moment to reflect on the amazing miracles God has done in our midst and to thank Him for continuing to stretch us and lead us in ways we could never imagine. The fact that we’re even IN the WareHouse is a huge miracle in itself!

2. We are a people of God – and we are growing together in His love.

As each of our staff members prayed about the opportunities they see in their own specific ministry area, it became clear that we are growing in numbers, but we are also growing deeper in our relationships with God and others like never before! This is truly an amazing time to be part of what God’s doing here and I’m blessed to be surrounded by so many who love people well.

3. We have not arrived.

Our mission as a church is to, “... reach people for Christ and nurturing them in the faith through inspired worship, genuine community and passionate ministry that transforms lives in our neighborhoods and throughout the world.” How excited it was to end our retreat with the realization that God has even bigger and more amazing plans for us than we could ever imagine in a three day retreat! Praise God for what He has done and what He will continue to do as we give our lives to Him!

This week we will continue in our series, Pay it Forward, as we examine what it looks like to give of our service. Join us Sunday at 9:30 or 11am as we discover God’s truth for how to serve God and others well.

Blessings,

Jeff

For the past seven weeks we've been on an amazing journey here at Rolling Hills as we've walked through the book of Isaiah. We've seen how God encouraged, challenged and redeemed His people in Isaiah's day, and how the same rings true for us, His people, today.

This past Sunday we studied Isaiah 53 and watched as his prophesy about the coming Messiah was perfectly fulfilled more than 700 years later in Jesus. Praise God!

This Sunday at 9:30 and 11am we'll complete our Hope Rising series as we discover God's plan for the righteous in Isaiah 58-66. You won't want to miss the amazing truths God has for us in these final chapters! Also, we'll have a full report from our recent mission trip to Moldova. It's going to be an amazing time of worship! Join us!

A look at the Jewish people of Isaiah’s day paints an all-too-familiar picture of our sinful nature, even today: we live in our own personal exile, far from home, far from God. But God’s deepest desire is to deliver His children from this captivity to liberty, our very own road to freedom in Christ. All who believe travel this same journey: from exile to exodus. This Sunday at Rolling Hills, we’ll be talking about the road from imprisonment to freedom and learn how Isaiah’s words echo so hauntingly and authentically to followers of Jesus and beckon those who are a long way away from God, now even thousands of years later. 

At Rolling Hills, we are on an amazing journey through the Old Testament book of Isaiah.  This powerful book of the Bible reveals incredible insight into the character and heart of our God.  We see God’s heart of love, discipline as well as judgment; and through it all we see over and over “Hope Rising.”  Understanding the historical time periods of the book is essential to unlocking its deeper discoveries.  This Sunday Morning, June 27, we come to Isaiah 28-39.  This section of the book serves as the bridge between the historical period of the Assyrians (mainly chapters 1-39) and the historical period of the Babylonians (chapters 40-66).  This week we see that the people of God (and especially their King Hezekiah) are in trouble.  In our life, we all face times of trouble.  The key is how we respond.  As we walk through Isaiah 36-39, we see Hezekiah’s response and God’s deliverance.  This is such an important series for all of us in our spiritual journey.  Isaiah is one of the most important books of the Bible and a greater knowledge of His Word leads to a deeper walk in our lives.  I encourage you to read through the book of Isaiah this summer and to make Sunday Mornings (or the podcast if you are travelling) a priority.  I know God has a word for you just as He had a word for His people back then.  Let’s continue to dig deep as we become the men and women God created and desires!  Godspeed in our journey!
 

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”  Isaiah 26:3

Over the past 2 weeks, Rolling Hills has been able to work and spend significant time in over 35 different homes doing flood relief. As a church we have mobilized over 325 volunteers, which have contributed 2500 hours to flood relief here in our community, in addition to the countless donations and supplies you have given. Over the next several days we will be assessing the long-term, ongoing needs of the many homeowners and neighbors we have been working with and will continue to ask for your help as we map out the next level of service to our community. Please continue checking the Rolling Hills blog and website for the most up to date info.

In the meantime if you are interested in volunteering please meet at the WareHouse Saturday at 8am for your assignments. Also, we are still accepting donations, However, due to the change in needs in our community, we are encouraging those donations be in the form of gift cards to Kroger, Wal-Mart, Lowes or Home Depot. Gift cards can be dropped off at the church office anytime during business hours.

Thank you so much for your support during this critical time. You truly are the hands and feet of christ in our community. 

In Christ,

Jason Hale, Young Adult/Missions Minister 

Over the past week most of us have watched in dismay as our community and the surrounding areas have been devastated by flooding. We often see these images and hear such difficult stories and want to do something to make a difference. Thank you Rolling Hills for the ways you have stepped up, given of your time and supported those here in our own neighborhoods. We are thankful for the ways you have served and the ways you have simply made yourselves available.
 
Mark Ahlberg, who has been critically involved in Rolling Hills flood relief and other mission experiences with our church said it well when he commented, “If I can fly half-way around the world to help a stranger, then I can certainly drive down the street to do the same.” Because so many within Middle TN and our church have adopted a similar attitude, we have been blessed and humbled to spend significant time gutting and working in 29 different homes, 1 church and 1 small business among 8 different neighborhoods here in Franklin. Yet, there is still much to do.
 
“God has positioned us as a church in this community and we are His plan to help those who are hurting all over the world and next door”, commented Lesli Crawford, Rolling Hills partner and disaster relief worker.  As a result, our goal as a church is to continue serving and meeting whatever needs we can for those who are hurting.
 
Thank you church for all that you have done, and will continue to do. Through Thursday of this week, we will still assemble teams at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. here at The WareHouse and can use those wanting to do disaster relief as well as those who cannot do manual labor. The amount of donations we have received has been very encouraging and volunteers are still needed to sort these donations for easy distribution.
 
Keep checking our website and blog for updated needs and continue to pray for those families and individuals who are hurting so badly at this time.
 
Updated Needs
Gift cards to Kroger, Wal-mart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Jason A. Hale, Young Adult/Missions Minister

What a week this has been! We have been overwhelmed with the support, manpower, donations and time so many of you have given to the flood relief efforts here in Franklin. Since Monday, Rolling Hills has had over 100 volunteers working in 5 different neighborhoods on over 20 homes. So many of you have shown up to help and have already made a huge difference. Yet, in some ways our work is just beginning as we partner with families and individuals throughout Middle Tennessee who have been devastated by the impact of this flooding. Many of you have not had a chance to volunteer because of work schedules, but we are asking you to join us this Saturday. 

Attached is a brief form for you to provide as much information as possible so we can best mobilize you on Saturday. If at all possible, send this form back to us by noon on Friday, May 7. By way of supplies and dress, be sure to wear closed toe shoes, bring a pair of work gloves and some clothes you don't mind to get dirty. On the form, you will see some additional items you may be able to provide. You can also check our supply list for up-to-date supply needs and information.

Our first teams need to meet at the WareHouse on Columbia Ave. at 8:00 am on Saturday, and we will organize you from there. The second time you can meet is at 1:00 pm. We would love for you to join us for one or both of those times.

Parents, many of the areas we are working in have experienced significant damage and are not safe for children.  Please consider swapping childcare with friends or alternating within your own home who comes at the designated team times. In the coming weeks, opportunities to serve together as families will arise; however, this weekend is not that time. Also, we are unable to provide childcare for this work day as this would require too many volunteers that we sincerely need to be out in the community.

If you are a Davidson County resident and wanting to volunteer, we would encourage you to work with Samaritan's Purse. They have asked us for volunteers to work in hard hit areas of Nashville, and you will need to contact them directly. See below from Samaritan's Purse:

We ask that all day volunteers interested in volunteering Monday-Saturday arrive at our site by 7:30am. Our site is located at Bethel World Outreach Center at 5670 Granny White Pike, Brentwood, TN 37027. When you arrive, please look for the Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief Truck and the "Volunteer Check-In" Sign. If you are interested in volunteering on Sunday, please contact our site at 615-346-1310 as volunteer hours will differ.

Thanks again for all you have done and will continue to do as we seek to serve those who are hurting at this time.

Jason Hale, Missions Minister

Today was the day when it all sunk in. Most of us have been running on adrenalin since the weekend – and praise God for adrenalin because there has been a lot to do in the first 72 hours.

But today the impact of this past weekend resonated in a whole new way among our volunteers. The working relationships we’ve formed with the homeowners we’re serving, has matured into genuine friendships. As their own shock began to stabilize and the reality of the tough weeks and months ahead became more real, we have taken time to put down the shovel, and just listen. As we’ve said all along, the need changes daily and I’m so proud of the volunteers who have given of their time and resources to answer this need – no matter how large or small it may seem.

One home we visited today had barely been touched since Saturday. How do you think about rebuilding when all your memories are wasting away in soggy boxes? While the floors and walls needed attention, the immediate need for this homeowner was saving as many photos as possible. Our team did just that. Throughout the course of an afternoon the yard filled with photos drying in the sun, and slowly the smile returned to the face of someone who thought she’d lost everything.

Tomorrow we are asking anyone who is available to show up at the WareHouse at either 8 am or 1pm as we head back into a community still very much in need. If you have items from our supply list, please bring them. If you are unable to make it but would like to support our efforts by giving online, please visit the giving page and be sure to select “Help with Flood Relief Efforts” from the “purpose” dropdown menu.

Stay tuned to this blog throughout the day Thursday to find out the latest about our plan for a big volunteer push this Saturday. I’m humbled to serve with each of you and please know that what you are doing has eternal significance.

In Christ,

Jason Hale, Local Missions Minister

If you have access to any of the supplies below, we have a special need for them in one of our hardest hit neighborhoods.

• Goulashes
• Flat nose shovel (snow shovel)
• Disposable ventilation masks
• Empty 5-gallon buckets
• Heavy duty work gloves

At Rolling Hills our vision has always been, “A People of God, Reaching Out, Growing Up and Giving All.” The past two days we’ve put that vision into action as we sent team after team into our flood damaged community.

While our tasks included moving furniture, pulling up floors, taking down drywall and handing out supplies, the value of our presence was most felt in the conversations. The families we’ve had the pleasure of working with the past two days have been so loving and appreciative, but when the day is done, it is us – the volunteers – who feel like we’ve been blessed.

If you’ve not taken an opportunity to love on and serve those who are hurting, we encourage you to do so. As these families move forward in the rebuilding process, their needs change daily and we would love to have a database of volunteers with a variety of skill sets who are available to serve. Please contact Lisa Rollins with your name, cell phone number, day and time (morning / afternoon / evening) if you are available in the next two weeks.

As always, the supplies we take with us into these areas are always needed and appreciated. Please take a moment to review our supply list and bring these items by the church office any time between 8am and 5pm. If you would like to give online to our relief fund, you can do so on our giving page. (Make sure to choose the “Help our Flood Relief Efforts” tab from the “purpose” drop down.)

Yesterday we sent three recovery teams into our community to start the clean up efforts. We are so thankful for those who have given of their time and resources, and based on our reports from teams in the field yesterday, your prayers and support are still very much in need.

Thanks to an amazing display of community support, we have doubled our recovery teams today. However, the needs we encounter change daily and we can use all the help we can get. If you can give of your time at some point in the next two weeks, please contact Lisa Rollins with your cell phone number and the day and time you are available.

Also, please revisit our list of supplies as these needs change daily. If you would like to make a donation towards our relief efforts, you can do so through our giving page. (Please remember to select the “Help for Flood Relief Efforts” from the "purpose" dropdown). 

Rolling Hills Family,

As you know, our community has been hit hard the past 36 hours. As the waters diminish, we are evaluating needs and mobilizing volunteers to help in the rebuilding of lives in our community.  If you would like to partner with us in these relief efforts, here are ways you can help:

Immediate Ways to Help

Help us collect these essential items that will be redistributed to families in need in our community. Donations can be dropped off at the WareHouse any time between 8 am and 5 pm.

Food and Hygiene Supplies

• Individual Prepackaged Snacks (granola bars, chips, crackers, etc.)
• Bottled Watter
• Shampoo
• Bars of Soap
• Combs
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Deodorants
• Feminine Products
• Other Toiletry Items

Clean-up Supplies

• Trash Bags
• Bleach
• All-purpose Cleaners
• Rags
• Shovels
• Mops
• Extension chords
• Gas Powered Generators
• Water Pumps

Cash Donations (Make sure the "Help with Flood Relief Efforts" field is selected from the drop-down.) 

If you or a neighbor have been affected by the storm and could use immediate or long-term assistance for clean-up, supplies, or just someone to talk to, please email Jason Hale;or call 615-823-0277. 

Volunteer Your Time

If you are interested in being put on a team to help with those who may have needs, please email Lisa Rollins with your name, cell number and availability (i.e. I am available Tuesday afternoons, Saturdays, etc.) You will be contacted as the need for teams in the community arise.

After much prayer and consultation, we have decided to cancel our Sunday Morning Worship services at 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. for today, May 2. With Williamson County being under a tornado watch, record flood levels across most of Middle Tennessee and the mayor of Nashville admonishing people not to leave their homes, we believe it best to heed these warnings.  

As your pastor, I care so much about you and your family, and your safety is our top priority.  At Rolling Hills, we have so many families with young children, and we don't want to chance them coming to the WareHouse to worship and not being able to return home.  Please worship and pray individually and as a family today, and we will gather together as our "church family" next Sunday Morning, May 9 (Mother's Day).

Church, this is actually time for us to be the "church" to our community! We need to be there to help people in any way possible. On our Rolling HIlls website there are ways to get involved in helping  with relief efforts as we partner with the Red Cross.  Also, church, please give on-line to our church, so together we can help fund times like this.  Also, if you are interested in being put on a team to help with clean-up in our community, please e-mail Jason Hale, our Local Missions / Young Adult pastor at jason@rollinghillscommunity.org. Most of all, please pray. Pray for those in our community and for God's protection in these times.

Church, I love you!  Know that I, as well as your entire church staff, am praying for you.  If you have needs in your own home or with your neighbors then please let us know.

In Christ,

Jeff Simmons, Pastor

Rolling Hills Church Family,

If you have been effected by the storm and could use immediate assistance of any kind by way of clean-up, temporary housing or supplies, please let Jason Hale - jason@rollinghillscommunity.org or 615-823-0277 know of those needs.

 If you are interested in being put on a team to help with those who may have needs, please email Jason Hale with your name, cell #, and availability (i.e. I am available Tuesday afternoons, Saturdays, etc.) You will be contacted as the need for teams in the community become clearer throughout the next couple days.

Additionally, as the storms continue to roll through our community, many of our friends and neighbors are without a place to stay and in need of basic necessities in the coming week. Therefore, Rolling Hills has partnered with the American Red Cross of Williamson County and below is a list of items most in need.

Please take a moment to bring one or more of these items with you to the Rolling Hills Church office anytime this week for immediate distribution to families and individuals affected by flooding in our community. We are also accepting donations to help pay for supplies the church has already provided to meet immediate needs. (Make sure the "Flood Relief Efforts" field is selected from the drop-down.) 

• Individual Prepackaged Snacks (granola bars, chips, crackers, etc.)
• Shampoo
• Bars of Soap
• Combs
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Deodorants
• Feminine Products
• Other Toiletry Items
• Cash Donations

 Please be sure all items are new (Travel Sizes or Full Size Items will work).

Jason A. Hale, Young Adult/Missions Minister

Rolling Hills Community Church

Awaken: The Big Picture from Rolling Hills on Vimeo.

Obviously, Biblical teaching is an important process which involves much prayer and spiritual discernment. In actuality, we plan our teaching calendar about three years in advance. Even now we are thinking about 2012 and beyond. This helps us know where we are going as well as helps us develop fully mature followers of Christ. Each year, we endeavor to have a balanced diet on Sunday mornings so that people are maturing in all aspects of their spiritual growth. Take, for example, this year. We began the year by recasting the vision for God’s church at Rolling Hills. This was a crucial time for all of us to be on the same page going forward as the Body of Christ. We are God’s church today, and this brings an incredible responsibility for us to live as His people and His ambassadors in our day and in our generation. 

With all of us on the same page, we experienced an incredible series, “Blessed Are…Life’s Healing Choices.” In this series, we walked through the Beatitudes of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount, and who can forget the powerful testimonies we heard from people within our own body of believers?

Next, we spent three weeks focusing on the “Art Of…Sharing, Speaking and Living our Faith.” Digging into Acts 3 and 4 was a natural follow-up to our previous series as well as a time to prepare God’s people for the Easter season. For this most special time of the year, we “Enter”ed the Easter season with teaching on the major doctrinal themes related to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. We have been teaching foundational doctrine in this series as we have opened door after door – the doctrine of Hope, Redemption, Salvation, Reconciliation and Freedom.

As we continue in 2010, we will grow deeper through some powerful series. This Sunday, we begin a new series on the topic of worship. Our series entitled, “Awaken – the Big Picture,” will help us understand that worship is far more than what we do for 20 minutes on a Sunday morning. God intends for us to live a life of worship, and this series will help us re-order our lives around this heartbeat of God.

Our summer study will be amazing as we spend June and July digging into the Book of Isaiah. If you have not spent much time in this pivotal book, get ready to mine out deep truths from the Old Testament that will strongly impact your life today.

With August comes a great opportunity for us to develop godly character. Our study will focus on becoming more like Christ as a “Contagious Giver” – giving our time, our resources, our experiences and ultimately our lives for the glory of our great God! Fall will find us digging into the New Testament with our “New Testament Challenge.” We will challenge our entire congregation to read through the New Testament, and we will address the major themes on Sunday morning. This leads into our Thanksgiving and Christmas series, and I believe these will be unbelievably special times for us to worship and celebrate all our God is doing in our lives individually and corporately together as His church.

This year promises to be truly incredible as we develop into fully mature followers of Christ. From the Old Testament to the New Testament as well as teaching series focusing on the five major purposes of our lives (worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship and ministry), I believe God has so much to mature in all of us. From Sunday morning worship to Community Groups, we will become more like Christ as we grow in His Truth and His Word. Each series will be powerful in and of itself, but together they will comprise a year of deep personal growth and development. Add to these times of teaching, mission trips, serving opportunities and personal spiritual development like Monvee, and you have one awesome year! So, let’s go! Don’t miss a Sunday morning and let’s grow together as Christ’s disciples today! 

Our God is truly doing something special here at Rolling Hills, and I love being on this journey with each of you! All glory to our great God!

This coming Sunday, April 25, we will conclude our amazing series, “Enter.” This week we will open the last “Door” - the Door of Freedom! Please don’t miss this powerful time of worship, teaching and spiritual connection! This week will be especially strong as we grow in our understanding of how Christ has come to set us free! I believe very few Christians truly live in freedom. We find ourselves bound to our past, bound to worry, bound to legalism, bound to addiction and bound to so much more.  Very few ever experience life as it was meant to be lived in Christ. Yet, the incredible truth is that Christ wants us to be free!

Come Sunday as we dig into Mark 5 and let’s see another life that was changed. I pray this Sunday that life change will happen for all of us. We will be free to laugh, free to love, and free to live life the way it was meant to be lived! Free to be the men and the women He created us to be! Free! Come ready this coming Sunday Morning at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m. and let’s walk through this last door together. Also, this is a great week to invite a friend, neighbor, family member or co-worker to come and experience what God, and God alone, can give to us – Freedom!

For me, this was one of my best Easters ever! Participating with you all in “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting” really helped till my heart and make it fertile soil. “The Way of the Cross” on Good Friday focused my mind on the cross and the price paid for my sins. Eggstravaganza on Saturday provided so much joy with my precious family as well as my incredibly special church family.  Then, Easter Sunday morning at Rolling Hills was absolutely God-ordained! I worshipped, celebrated and feasted on His goodness and the overwhelming redemption we have in Christ! Then I watched in amazement as five believers were baptized! Praise be to our great God!

Now what? I mean, what do we do now that we have all shared this incredible Easter experience together? The calling and the challenge now is to live like “Easter” people year round! May the resurrection not simply arise in us one day a year, but may His love spring to life each and every day! As Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” May the love of God fill us up each day and may His grace slosh out of us onto every one in our path!  May our lives be forever and may they be new for He is alive!

If you are new to Rolling Hills, this is a great time to get involved! God initiated this relationship with us through His Son at Easter, now it’s our turn to take steps toward strengthening this connection with Him. I encourage you to make Sunday morning worship a priority. In addition, check out Starting Point this week as a great way to join a Community Group and continue to grow.  Pray about a mission opportunity this summer. Begin to invest in the life of God’s church, and watch God take the seed He planted in us at Easter and grow it to fruition in your life!

Blessings on you as we endeavor now to live out the Easter celebration!

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! This is the most special time of the year for those of us who are followers of Christ, as we honor His death, burial and Resurrection! This Sunday, April 4, we will join together to celebrate the greatest day of all, Easter, here at Rolling Hills! At 9:30 and 11:00 am we will have a special time of worship as we witness together the depth of His love! 

We will continue in our teaching series “{Enter}” as we explore the Door of Redemption. If you’re not a regular attendee at Rolling Hills, we want to extend a special invitation to join us this week and encourage you to invite a friend, family member, co-worker or neighbor to come with you!

As we lead up to Easter Sunday morning, I challenge you to remove the distractions and the “noise” of our over-crowded lives and listen for the “still small voice (and knock) of God.” As a part of our preparation, I invite you to our Good Friday experience – “Via Crucis” (Latin for, “The Way of the Cross”) which begins at 6:30pm. Then on Saturday, from 10am to noon, pack a picnic and bring your children to Lasko Fields (across Columbia Ave. from the WareHouse) for a special family experience at our Eggstravaganza!

May we drink in all God has for us this Easter Season! As our “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting” comes to an incredible climax, let’s be ready to celebrate Christ – the One who changed everything! Come ready to worship this Easter! All glory to our great God!

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’”  John 11:25-26

This coming Sunday, March 28, we are beginning a brand new series here at Rolling Hills - “Enter.”  What a perfect expression of what the Easter Season is really all about – A loving God inviting each of us to Enter into a relationship with Him through the gift of His Son!  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6.  Jesus is the Way, and through Him we Enter:

• The Door of Hope – March 28 (Palm Sunday)
• The Door of Redemption – April 4 (Easter Sunday Morning!)
• The Door of Salvation – April 11
• The Door of Reconciliation – April 18
• And, the Door of Freedom! – April 25

I encourage you to engage in this life-changing series for I believe God has a very unique and powerful message for each of us. In this series, we are going to see how individual lives are changed when Jesus invites them to “Enter” into a relationship with Him. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20.  Come let’s enter into this amazing series together today! 

Church, let’s continue our “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting” together as we prepare our hearts this Easter Season.  What a special time of introspection is coming through God’s Word and through our Good Friday experience.  And, then what an incredible time of celebration is coming as we join together on Easter Sunday Morning! Let’s be diligent to pray, to fast, and to invite others to come on this amazing journey with us.  All glory to our great God!  He has Risen; He has Risen Indeed!

For most Christ-followers, one of the most challenging aspects to the Christian life is this call to share our faith. We love Community, Bible Study and other aspects of spiritual growth, but when it comes to sharing and speaking about Jesus to other people, many Christians think (and maybe you have had some of these thoughts):

• “My faith is private; I don’t really want to talk about it with anyone else.”
• “Why can’t we believe what we want to believe and other people can believe what they want to believe? Why do we need to share our faith?”
• “Don’t all roads lead to heaven? As long as people are sincere, it will all work out in the end.”

Join us on this journey Sunday mornings at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. as well as in our Community Groups, as we explore these questions and more. In this series, we will focus on two chapters of Scripture, Acts 3-4, and witness the transformation of two of Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John, as they shared their faith. Just like these early disciples, we will discover the art and the joy of sharing, speaking and living our faith in our day and in our generation.

Essentially, all of us come to Jesus for what He can do for us – eternal life, peace, hope, purpose, and the list goes on. These are all great reasons to come to Christ, and He certainly meets and exceeds all our needs and expectations. However, Jesus’ call to His first disciples and to us as His disciples today, is, “Come follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In essence, Jesus says, “I will make you something you are not. You are selfish, but I want to transform you to be selfless. You come to Me for what I can do for you, and I will take care of you, but I also want to work through you.” This transformation process is the most invigorating, life-changing, faith-growing and world-impacting part of the Christian life as we allow Christ to use us! Let’s dig in and explore this incredible call of Christ together as we endeavor to live our lives for His glory! See you on Sunday!

• God's continued favor and blessing of His church
• God to bring more and more people to experience His love and grace
• God to grow us and His church deeper in our walk with Him
• God to use us to radiate His light to our community and to the world
• God to place people on our heart that we can intentionally invite to church and to Him

Let’s pour all our energies during this special season to fuel the fire of impacting lives in our community and maturing in our faith.  All glory to our great God!

Everyone has broken relationships. In our pain and our woundedness we can build walls to keep the pain out, to keep ourselves from being hurt again. When we do that we end up locking ourselves in a prison and locking other people out. To rebuild relationships you have to tear down walls.

That’s what we’ve been talking about in the last six weeks – the ways to tear down the walls between us and God, and between us and other people. We talked about choices and how the choices that we make can either create or keep us in our hurts, our habits and our hang-ups. We talked about how making different choices, better choices, can open up the possibilities that life can be radically different.  

This week we look at the sixth choice of Life's Healing Choices, the Relationship Choice. We are concentrating on what Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Blessed are the Hungry/Thirsty from Rolling Hills on Vimeo.

Rolling Hills Church Family,

In order to allow for the roads to be cleared from tonight’s freezing temperatures, we are combining our 9:30 and 11 a.m. worship times into one service at 11 a.m. Programming for our children, student and college ministries will run as scheduled during this hour.   

In the event you and your family are iced/snowed in and are unable to attend, we will be broadcasting our service LIVE this Sunday. Check back tomorrow morning for a link to streaming video.

In addition, our partnership information class will still meet at 12:30 pm in the gallery. In the event you are unable to attend, we are hosting a second partnership class next Sunday, February 7 at 9:30 a.m. Our Trail Guide classes have been rescheduled to start next week as well. 

Lastly, our “Draw Near” worship event for tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m is rescheduled to FEB 28th. Same time, same place. This will be an amazing night of music, prayer, inspiration and Worship. I hope you can make it in FEB!

Keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as this blog for additional news and updates.

In Christ,

Jeff Simmons

We grow up learning to be tough and strong…to win and avoid losing at all costs. Meekness translates to weakness and no one wants to wear that hat. So what do we do when the very characteristic we hope to avoid is the very thing that Jesus tells us to be. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says plainly, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The earth? That’s a pretty big inheritance. What does meekness really mean? How does scripture’s definition differ from our human ideas and how can we adopt the character of Christ in our own lives even when it comes to meekness? That’s what this week’s message is about. May you be challenged by God this week.

- Nic Allen, Student Pastor

Presently we are on an amazing journey here at Rolling Hills as we walk through Jesus’ teaching in the first part of His famous Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus draws people back to the inward spirituality since the law had degenerated into mere external observances. Jesus begins His earthly teaching ministry with these eight key phrases, “Blessed are…” The word “blessed” in the Greek means “Happy.”  In this, Jesus is essentially saying here are the eight keys to earthly fulfillment – happiness.  If you have missed either of the first two sermons in this series, I encourage you to go watch or listen to the podcast here on our website.  It is amazing what God is doing in people’s life through His Word and through His church!  Life-change!  Also, I encourage you not to miss this week as we explore Jesus’ third Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…”  Overall, there is a subtle, but powerful, progression in these Beatitudes, and I hope you digest this insight as our series unfolds.  Let’s dig deep into Jesus’ Word to us, and let’s begin living a life of fulfillment today! 

- Rolling Hills Community Church

Life’s Healing Choices begins with the understanding that Jesus really does want us to be happy. As we encounter Jesus’ words of encouragement to us in Matthew 5, “Blessed are…” we dig deeply to comprehend that the blessings of being spiritually poor, of mourning and being comforted, of being meek, pure in heart, etc. are at the heart of Jesus’ greatest desires for us — to know that a life hidden in Christ is a life that has all the capacity in the world to be truly, deeply, enduringly happy.

This week’s choice, The Reality Choice, helps us realize and accept the fact that we’re not God, and that we need help from someone much greater than ourselves to overcome our personal hurts, hang-ups, or habits. We don’t have to be an addict to need help. We just need to be human, accept our human condition and allow God to clean up the parts of us that are less than His plan for our holiness.

Life’s Healing Choices extends throughout our Community Groups as well as in Celebrate Recovery, which meets at Rolling Hills every Monday night at 7:00. Life causing you to struggle? Rolling Hills is a place for you to find resources to help you heal. Hang in there these next eight weeks and beyond, and see what God has planned for you!

What Would Jesus Write to Rolling Hills Community Church?

In the book of Revelation, Jesus peels back the curtain of heaven and allows the apostle John to take a look.  Yes, the book of Revelation is about eschatology (the end times), but it is also a very powerful and practical message to God’s church.  The church is the Body of Christ and Jesus is very concerned about His church.  In Revelation 2-3, Jesus writes to each one of the seven major churches in the Asian province at that time.  To each church Jesus commends the good and points out the areas which are potential pitfalls.  He makes allowance for repentance and calls His people to be wholly committed to Him. 

From Jesus’ words to these churches come seven challenges to you and me as we enter this New Year:

Challenge #1 – Remember your First Love

(never forget life is all about Jesus – keep your love and passion for Him) – church in Ephesus

Challenge #2 – Be involved in the Global Glory of God

(address suffering in the world – go on a mission trip, sponsor an orphan, adopt, help someone who is going) – church in Smryna

Challenge #3 – Take the Next Step in your Spiritual Journey

(read the Bible through this year, join a Community Group, Discovery or Disciplines class, biblical study tour of Israel) – church in Pergamum

Challenge #4 – Address Compromises in your Character

(sexual impurity, anger issues, any questionable areas – impacts your life and God’s church) – church in Thyatira

Challenge #5 – Carve out Time to Pray

(find time every day to pray because prayer is the evidence you are spiritually alive) – church in Sardis

Challenge #6 – Find a Place to Serve

(whether on Sunday mornings, Habitat, Saturday Serve days, mission trips) – church in Philadelphia

Challenge #7 – Give back to God Financially

(practice biblical tithing as a mark of your spiritual maturity in Christ) – church in Laodecia

As I read Jesus’ words to each of these churches, I thought, “What would Jesus write to Rolling Hills Community Church today?”  After much prayer, here is what I think Jesus would say…

            “I know your deeds – your love for Me, your love for one another, and your passion for the least, the last and the lost.  Never lose your heart for Me or for the orphans and the poorest of the poor of the world.  Yet, I say this to you – you have not arrived.  I have given you a new home, not so you can become complacent, but so you can flourish.  You have a great foundation – a new building, a great staff team and so many amazing people.  Now, build on that foundation for My Name and My Glory.  Stay true to the vision I have given you – to Reach Out by impacting your community and the world, Grow Up by maturing in your faith and staying steadfast in your character, and Give All because I have blessed you so that you will be a blessing to others.  To whom much is given, much is expected.  I love you, My church!”

For more details, read Revelation 2-3 and watch the podcast of the Sunday morning worship service on January 3, 2010, at Rolling Hills.

What an unbelievable year here at Rolling Hills in 2009!  All glory to our great God! There are so many highlights, it is hard to know where to begin. We’ve witnessed lives transformed for Christ – praise God for all the people who were baptized into Christ this year – the most ever here at Rolling Hills! These incredible people publicly professed their faith in Christ before family, friends and their church family!  In addition, we’ve seen more than 100 people join in what God is doing here at Rolling Hills by becoming partners of God’s church! God continues to bring such gifted and spiritually mature people to join in His work at His church. Add to these commitments those who were married this year as well as all the new babies born, and you understand we are all truly a part of something very special!

Speaking of changed lives, I praise God for the 100+ orphans in Moldova and South Africa now being sponsored by people at Rolling Hills. This is phenomenal as we have the opportunity to directly provide for these precious children. In addition, our Transitional Living Home in Moldova is flourishing.  With eight girls now living in the “Grace House,” you can see lives changing right before our eyes.  Even as we close the year, we have a mission team in Moldova serving in three different orphanages along with our Grace House girls, and we have a mission team preparing to go to South Africa.  Not only are we serving overseas, but right here in our own community.  With our first Habitat build as well as Saturday Serve days, we are seeing lives impacted in our neighborhoods. It is amazing to be a part of a young church, through the leading of God, making a difference in lives throughout the world.

And we have a new home! A year ago for our Christmas Eve service, we were sitting in this empty warehouse with no heat, a few lights, facing a blank corner.  However, that night we were able to write on the walls prayers of dedication and gratitude to God, and wow, did He ever bless!  This year’s Christmas Eve service was packed!  Full of people, full of love and full of the presence of the One who is the Giver of all good gifts! God has blessed us with a beautiful new home with an amazing children’s area, student space, worship center and so much more. We are truly a blessed people, and the hand of God is upon His church!

What is so exciting is this is just the beginning!  It has been an unbelievable year, but our God is just getting started. I can’t wait to see what He is going to do in 2010 and beyond. God has blessed us with a home base, an incredible Staff Team, and a sold-out congregation for the global glory of our great God! What a blessing to be a part of His story with you! Keep praying, giving, serving and investing! The best is yet to come!

Christmas has been called “the most wonderful time of the year.”  Yet, for most people it is also the craziest time of the year.  This is when we try to add to our already busy and overscheduled lives – Christmas parties, Christmas cards, Christmas decorations and the desire to buy a gift for everyone we have ever known or met.  Through all the madness, what usually happens is people miss or forget what the season is truly all about – “Immanuel – God with us!”

This Christmas, let’s begin a revolution!  Let’s begin to see Christmas from God’s point of view, and in the process make a commitment to “Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.”  The change will bring a welcome breath of fresh air to a season that has lost its identity in our consumer driven culture.  Think about the people who were first there – Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds – what did they see?; what did they experience?  Why did God choose to share the first Christmas with them?  In this series, “Do You See What I See?” we will go back to the beginning of it all to find the Gift that changed the world.  And, it might surprise you, but it wasn’t a $30 sweater from GAP.

Luke tells about Jesus’ birth through Mary’s eyes. Why was it important for Luke to communicate about the birth of the Messiah through the eyes of His mother? Think about your own story. Whether you’re a mother or are close to someone who is, seeing the world from a mother’s perspective is a life-changing shift. Not only would Mary’s life be different, but she understood that Jesus’ life would be special in ways she couldn’t even comprehend. This Sunday we discussed the three key reasons God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus – she was humble, willing and obedient – and talked about how we should react with the same humility, willingness and obedience when the Holy Spirit moves in our own lives.

This week, try to put yourself in Mary’s shoes. Go back and read Luke 1:26-38 and see how a poor, uneducated, teenage girl stepped out in faith and allowed God to use her in an amazing way. And guess what, He wants to use you too! So this Christmas season, instead of stressing over what gift you’ll buy for the person who doesn’t really need anything, set your heart on finding, meeting and experiencing the Savior of the world – God’s Gift to you!

As Jesus’ disciples watched Jesus pray, they realized there was something powerful and amazing there they had yet to experience – “Lord, teach us to pray,” they exclaimed.  Prayer is the life-line of a Christian - it is our heart-beat; the very breath of our spiritual life.  Yet, when we are honest, we all struggle with prayer – time to pray, what to pray, and even, as Jesus’ first followers, how to pray.

This coming Sunday morning at Rolling Hills, we are going to explore this subject of prayer as we complete our series "DNA: At the Core." Prayer is one of the core values Rolling Hills is founded on and is the basis for everything we do as a church. 

I believe God will teach us this week in a way that will deeply impact our spiritual lives.  I encourage you to make this Sunday a priority, and to bring a friend.  As James tells us, prayers are “powerful and effective.”  Many times we do not understand the power we have available to us – power to heal, power to change, power to redeem and power to restore.  You see, prayer changes things; but even more, prayer changes us!  Also, this Sunday, we will be preparing our hearts for the time of Thanksgiving.  We all have so much for which to be thankful. I pray Sunday is a time to focus our hearts on what our God has done for us and remind us of what all He still wants to do!

The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Wow!  What a difference it makes as we live life not only as God being our Savior, but also with Him as our Lord and our Boss.  You see, God wants the best for us, but God also wants the best from us!  As the title of Oswald Chambers famous devotional book says, “My Utmost for His Hightest;” in other words, God wants us to give our best for His glory. God wants us to live life with excellence.  As a father, you are the only dad your kids will ever have; you are the only mom, you are the only child to your parents, you are the only person who can do your job (as long as God has you there) or your ministry.  Charles Swindoll says, “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.  And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”  Therefore, whatever you do – do it with all your heart!  It is not enough to just go through the motions of worship, relationships or life.  God expects our best; in fact, the entire book of Malachi in the Old Testament is about giving God our best – excellence.  Jim Collins says, “Good is the enemy of great.”  Let’s give it our best.  Let’s give our best to God first, and then our best to those around us.  Let’s invest our lives in the things that really matter and let’s do worship, life, and ministry with excellence!

Watch this sermon video for more on what it means to live life with excellence. 

Joy is a mark of spiritual growth in one’s journey. Jesus wants us to have a great life, and have it “to the full!” Also, the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 1:8-9, “…and you are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” God wants you to experience joy in this life. This does not mean that we will have everything we want in this life or that our life is going to be perfect – we live in a fallen world – but it does mean that God is always going to be with us working all things together for good. How do we live lives of joy?  As A. W. Tozer writes in The Pursuit of God, we develop “the inward habit of beholding God.”  See God at work in your life and live your life for Him.

For more on this topic of joy, listen to our podcast from Sunday, November 1.  Also, you don’t want to miss this coming Sunday, November 8, as we explore this topic of change in our world and in our lives.  Also, it is World Orphans Sunday.  It is going to be a great day, and I can’t wait to worship our God together with you here at Rolling Hills!

Last Sunday, we celebrated our first baptism in our new home, and we rejoiced as seven people were baptized into Christ! After worship that morning, we had 15 new partners make the commitment to join God in what He is doing here at Rolling Hills! Each week seems to get better and better, and I still can't believe we are in this amazing place that our God has so graciously given!

 This coming weekend, October 24-25, is going to be a great opportunity to serve and to grow spiritually! On Saturday, we will have our first "Saturday Serve" and we will be working on our Habitat Home. If you would like to be involved, please check the Saturday Serve or Habitat pages in our events section or call our church office (861-3663) for more information. In regards to the Habitat build, we've been so blessed to get to connect with the Amy Dixon and her children. What a joy to be able to work on the home of this precious family, and an even bigger joy to welcome them at worship this past Sunday. 

Following a great day on Saturday, we will gather to worship on Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11:00 am and celebrate all our God is doing in our lives as well as in His church. We will continue our series, "DNA: At the Core," and this week we will be talking about how we grow spiritually in our relationship with God. If you've missed any of our past sermons on DNA, you can view them all here. 

Our weekend will culminate with our "Trunktacular" event for kids and their families on Sunday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm here at the WareHouse. It is going to be a great weekend!

Church, this is such an exciting time! So many things just starting up, including new Community Groups. If you are not yet in a Community Group, I encourage you to sign up for one today. Also, Celebrate Recovery begins on November 2 - just two weeks away! With all that's going on at Rolling Hills, this is a great time to get involved. I also want to encourage you to pray. Pray for all the new people our God is bringing to His church - pray for hearts to be open and lives to be changed! And pray God uses us, His church, for His purpose and His glory! I love being on this journey with each of you!

May our God bless you and surround you with His peace and His abiding love today!