Weekly Update – March 18, 2020

March 18, 2020

Sermon Recap:

Title: Looking Out for Others

Passage: Philippians 1:27-2:11

The Context: Christ’s joy in the midst of difficulty

The Call: Experience joy as you live as citizens of the gospel

The Conduct: Display the gospel through humble concern for others

The Challenge: Put Christ and the gospel on display.

While there are plenty of negatives that come with the current situation surrounding the coronavirus, I must admit that I like the way it has brought our family together.  It even helped me write this update.  We sat with three of our four kids home tonight around the dinner table, and I asked everyone to help me think of examples of compassion for the update.  However, I tried to phrase my request without sounding like a Sunday school teacher so I asked, “What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?”  Josh described a time in fourth grade after we had moved from Texas to Washington, DC when a classmate asked him to come sit at his lunch table because Josh was all alone in the cafeteria.  Mike mentioned a time when his parents endured six months of living apart during the week, so Mike wouldn’t have to move his senior year of high school. 

Then I decided to turn the tables and asked, “What has been the nicest thing you have ever done for someone else, outside of our immediate family?” This was seemed trickier and was met by silence at first. However, our daughter, Abby, described how even though she was in a highly competitive advertising program sequence at UT, one semester she took on an additional project– which meant a lot of extra work for her– to help a classmate who didn’t have a partner. I asked why that was so “nice,” and she explained that since the advertising world is so competitive, no one ever really wants to risk helping anyone else. I followed up with, “What do you think made you different than everyone else?  Why were you willing to help?”  And she said something really interesting.  She said, “Well, I guess I was just confident. I knew I was doing well enough in the program, and that made it easier to be willing to sacrifice for someone else. I knew I stood at the top of the program, so I didn’t have to worry.”

Her comments, in light of Matt’s sermon on Sunday, really struck me.  We are told to be compassionate and to love our neighbor.  As we are hearing in the news every day, our compassionate actions (social distancing) can actually save lives. Yet we see people doing just the opposite.  They hoard toilet paper and cleaning supplies or worse– blatantly ignore requests from public officials to limit their interactions with other people. Why is this?

I submit: it is difficult to show compassion if you’re not confident in whom you’ve chosen to follow. If you’re trying to get through this crisis in your own strength, by your own wits, and through your own ingenuity, it’s going to be hard to be compassionate and show the humble concern for others Matt spoke of in his sermon. News flash: you have misplaced your confidence.

There are SO many verses that speak to where we should place our confidence:

Psalms 71:5—For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.

Jeremiah 17:7 But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Hebrews 13:6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Luke 18:9-14  The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  As Jesus gets ready to ream the Pharisees for their pride and unrepentant spirits, He starts out by describing their misplaced confidence– “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else…”

And there are so many more.

To truly be compassionate and show the humble concern for others that our Lord and these times require, we must put our confidence in Him and not in our own flesh.  We should stop trying to manage everything on our own.  It’s impossible in these times anyway.  We need to put our confidence in Christ.  He’s got this. Coronavirus and all.  Then and only then will we have the real freedom to sacrifice in humble concern for someone else.

Save the date/Ongoing:

Well, sadly enough, this section of the update is pretty empty.  This breaks my heart a little as I take the first part of our MBC mission “To glorify God and make disciples by bringing people together through the gospel…” as my personal challenge.  However, we are going to do our best to use technology as a way to bring people together and help keep you connected to the body here at MBC.  We will be live streaming our service again, so look for details about that in the coming days.  In fact, keep checking your email, Facebook, and Realm as we are using these to make sure we get decisions out.  We also have some creative ideas to meet you across the distance using programs and apps like Zoom, FaceTime, Marco Polo, and possibly even our own MBC YouTube channel!  If you have expertise in any of these areas, or you just want to get involved, shoot me an email (click here), and I’ll make sure to include you as we ramp up these offerings.

Final thoughts:

Please know that we are here for you!  We are keeping the MBC office open during its normal hours (9am-3pm), so if you have any needs, concerns, or you just want to talk, give me a call (972-723-0002)!

And speaking of confidence, I’m going to steal Paul’s words, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in YOU

will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).

In service to Him and to you–even during these crazy times,
Heather Hogue

Posted in MBC Family News

Weekly Update – March 10, 2020

March 12, 2020
Sermon Notes: I think the most interesting item to me from Pastor Matt’s message on Sunday was the Greek word in Mark 1:41 which the ESV translates as compassion: Σπλαγχνίζομαι–splagchnizomai I love to study words, and I love how Greek and Latin roots often transfer into recognizable modern words.  Anthropology, antipathy, agriculture, democracy…  all those words can be essentially “built” from Greek or Latin roots.  I expected the word for compassion to be the same.  However, that was not the case at all! Σπλαγχνίζομαι—splagchnizomai— when a person feels so moved by something that they can feel it deep in their stomach. Have you ever felt splagchnizomai for someone?  Jesus felt it for the leper in Mark 1.  But what does this feel like for us? Yesterday, while Mike and I were out working in the yard, our neighbor from behind us came out and struggled through tears to tell us his wife had passed away from a massive aneurysm a few days prior. I felt splagchnizomai then. 

They had been married 38 years, and now he was alone.  Even though he loves the Lord, he described how he couldn’t even walk through his house now, how he hasn’t been able to sleep for days, how a husband shouldn’t have to bury his wife.  I had no words.  This world is not the way it is supposed to be.  I felt sick for him. Splagchnizomai.

Another time I felt splagchnizomai was while Mike was in the Air Force.  It was right around November, and Mike and his squadron had just deployed with little notice to an undisclosed location in the Middle East.  We had three kids under the age of six at the time, and for once, they were all healthy.  As wives, we would often use a phone tree to make sure everyone was okay while their husbands were away.  I made my call to the next wife on the tree only to discover that she was stuck in her house with three sick boys, little food, and about to go crazy.  I felt splagchnizomai then, too.

All the way down in my stomach. I knew what I had to do.  I needed to go over, take her some hot dinner, and make sure she and the kids were alright.  I just didn’t want to do it.  I didn’t want to expose myself or my healthy kids to a new illness. But as I sat and struggled with what I needed to do, I came to the realization that the God who created the universe was big enough to keep my kids healthy if I made the choice to serve Him by visiting them.  And even if He did not, He would be there for me if they did get sick.
 Splagchnizomai.
I don’t know if all these thoughts went through Jesus’ hand when He reached out to touch the leper’s hand.  But I do know it would do us all a good to feel a little more splagchnizomai in our lives–toward our spouses, coworkers, unbelieving friends or relatives.  We probably won’t have to touch a leper, but may we trust that God will give us the strength to do so if He calls us to.

This Friday and Saturday, March 13th and 14th, women from MBC will be attending a “mini-retreat” for the Hope 2020 Conference at The Avenue Church in Waxahachie.  I just checked, and there are just a few seats remaining if you want to join us to hear Liz Curtis Higgs and Lysa TerKeurst.  Get your ticketshere.  We hope you can join us!

Wednesday, March 18th, is our next Family Meal Night!  Please register on the website or in Realm now for a yummy enchilada dinner and surprise Mexican dessert so we know how much food to prepare.  $5 per person, $10 max per family suggested donation.

Opportunities for Service & Discipleship:

We will be putting on an Easter program for inmates and their children at the Venus Correctional Facility on April 4th.  Then, on April 5th, we will have a church-wide picnic and Easter egg hunt.  Both of those activities will require A LOT of candy. We would appreciate any sugary sweets you are able to provide for these events. Please bring donations of candy and/or filled Easter eggs to Heather in the church office or Lydia in the Children’s Ministry wing of the building. Thank you in advance for your help!

Final Challenge:

Remember to pray at 1:11 each day for:

1 person to share your faith with

1 person to come to believe in Christ

1 person to personally disciple in 2021

And pray for opportunities to demonstrate splagchnizomai.  May the Lord give us hearts of true compassion–especially for those who need it most.

In service to Him and to you,
Heather Hogue

Posted in MBC Family News

Weekly Update – 2/25/19

February 26, 2020

MBC Newsletter

Sermon Recap–

Those of you who were here on Sunday know that the service was crammed with activity!  From a sermon from Luke, to a role-play of a gospel presentation using an E3 foldable, to a series of testimonies capped off with two baptisms, it was an exciting time.  So in case it was a little more than you could remember, let me recap the message for you!  

First, you might recall that Mike told an awful joke about slamming a cat in a door and then exacerbated the injury with a terrible pun (“catastrophic”).  He got back on track when he reminded us of our MBC vision and goals for 2020. Then, he gave us seven principles for effective outreach based on Luke 10: 1-12.  Those principles were:

  1. Participate! (Luke 10:1) Sharing the gospel is not just for pastors, missionaries and “Big Tent Revival”-style evangelists.  As Pastor Matt often asks us, “Who are the ministers of the church?” Our response is supposed to be a resounding, “WE ARE!”   We cannot have the mindset that we can leave sharing the gospel to others.
  2. Partner! (Luke 10:1) Almost everything from working out to studying for a test is better with someone else.  That person can provide assistance when needed and accountability (aka a kick in the pants) when required.  Sharing the gospel is no exception.  I’ve already written about my dear mentor, Bess, who used to take me door-to-door to distribute Bibles and share the gospel. Find a partner and go together somewhere where you might get a chance to share your faith.  Then go for a coffee or a round of skeet later.
  3. Plan for God to show up! (Luke 10:1 & 16) In the passage, we saw that Jesus sent out the 70 (or 72) to places He was about to go.  God was getting ready to do something big in each of those places. Henry Blackaby says in his excellent book, Experiencing God, “Watch to see where God is working and join Him.” (John 5:17, 19-20) When you’re around people, listen closely for openings in the conversation that show the person might be searching. Have faith that God is working in their lives and you might be part of their next steps with Christ.
  4. Pray!  (Luke 10:2) To help you remember to pray, set your watch alarms to 1:11pm daily!  That will hopefully remind you to pray for:
    • One person to share the gospel with in 2020
    • One person you know or have met to come to faith in Christ in 2020
    • One person to personally disciple in 2021
  5. Provision comes from the Lord.  (Luke 10:4) We’ve given you the E3 foldable, but you really don’t need any special tricks or tools to share the gospel.  God will give you the words and supplies you need.  And if God is calling you to share the gospel in a BIG way like going on a mission trip, trust that He will supply what you need to go.  That’s a promise straight out of Philippians 4:19.
  6. Prioritize those who are open to the gospel.  (Luke 10:5-9) There are those who like to argue theology and the finer points of creationism with unbelievers.  If you feel God calling you to that end, I don’t want to discourage you. But my experience is that those type of arguments are not usually fruitful.  Yes, we need to be grounded in apologetics, but we also don’t need to be drawn into “myths and endless genealogies,” “controversial speculations”, and arguments (1 Tim 1:4).  Pray that God helps you see who is really searching and who just wants to pick a fight with you.
  7. Perceive what’s at stake. (Luke 10:10-12) If we truly believe that there is one way to God and heaven, and that our time here on earth may come to an end at any instant, we need to have a sense of urgency about sharing our faith.  During my sophomore and junior years of high school, I lived in England. Those of you who have been to England know that for all its beautiful churches and cathedrals, it is a spiritually dark place.  While I lived there, I had a British neighbor, Claire, who was my age and with whom I hung out pretty regularly. However, I never had that conversation with her or any conversation about my faith.  I remember thinking, “I don’t need to tell her I’m going to a Bible study tonight. I don’t want to bring up religion.  That might make our friendship awkward. I’ll tell her about my faith some other time.”  I told myself that for two years.  Two years. I was too embarrassed.  Too non-confrontational. Too cowardly to share my faith.  I pray to this day that someone Claire comes into contact with will have the guts to share with her the most important news she’ll ever hear. 

So take seriously your role as disciples of Christ and the Great Commission.  As Geoff Moore sings in a song from his album Threads:

How can this be true? // What kind of place is this? // Where the guilty are Forgiven // Where the blind can see // And losers win // And slaves go free…

Hurry, Hurry! // Drop your stuff, grab your friends // Take everyone we can // Together, we’ll find mercy for all.

We’ll walk, we’ll run, we’ll crawl…

Save the Dates!  (Click on highlighted name to request more information)

Coming UP!

  • TOMORROW (2/26) from 5:30-6:30pm!!!  Family Meal “Soup Night”! Come beat back the cold wind with your choice of soup (chicken noodle, broccoli cheddar, or tomato), grilled cheese sandwiches or garlic knots, salad, pineapple upside-down cake, and a mystery flavor of Kim Lewis’ famous ice cream!  $5 per person, $10 cap per family.
  • March 5th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Midlothian Conference Center, BESTWA  will have its annual fundraising banquet!  Please join Andy Perkins along with other BESTWA team members to hear the amazing things God is doing in Liberia!  From feeding children to distributing much needed medical equipment, BESTWA is truly “Building Liberia’s Future–One Child at A Time.” The dinner is free, but you must RSVP by clicking here. Come find out how you can partner with this well-deserving and Christ-centered organization.  
  • March 9-13th is Spring Break!  No Wednesday night activities this week!
  • March 13th and 14th—MBC Women’s Mini-Retreat at The Avenue Church in Waxahachie.  We have a great group of about 50 women who have already purchased tickets. Click here to purchase yours!
  • April 4th—Venus Prison Ministry Easter Celebration 1-4pm.  Help us give the gospel message to offenders and their children in an “Afternoon With Dad” program at the Estes Correctional Facility. (Bill Curry)
  • April 5th is Palm Sunday! We will be having a church-wide family picnic and egg hunt. (Lydia Weldy)
  • June 6-13th– MBC and E3 Mission trip to Armenia, Colombia. (Jeff Thompson)
  • June 15-19th—Concrete and Cranes Vacation Bible School from 9am-12pm for kids entering kindergarten through sixth grade. Sign you child up on our website and/or volunteer to help on our website and by clicking here.
  • June 20-27th—Red River Valley Honors Youth Camp for rising 7th graders through graduating seniors. (Leah Austin)
  • July 19-26—Possible MBC mission trip with Cru to Albania. (Mary Thomas)
  • July 22-August 3/4—MBC mission trip to Peru (Jeremy Finnestad)

Ongoing—

  • MBC Women’s Fitness and Fellowship–Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9-10am. NOW PROVIDING CHILDCARE!!!  $5 per child. (Heather Hogue)
  • Revelation Family Bible Study–Sundays from 6-7:30pm. (Linda Hachat)
  • YAMs (Young Adult Ministries) social and Bible study—Sundays from 6-9pm. (Corbin Wadkins)
  • Women’s Bible Studies–Wednesdays from 9:30-11am (Do You Love Me? Peggy Arendsee) and 6:30-8pm (Finding God Faithful Lesa Antwine). Sunday mornings from 9-10am (Revelation Pam Curry)
  • Men’s Bible Studies–Tuesday mornings at 6:30am (Keith Hearn) and Thursday mornings at 6am (Dan Baucum). Wednesday evening from 6:30-8pm (Brent Johnson).
  • “Engaging Mind and Culture”–Wednesdays 6:30-8pm. Contact Doug Arendsee.

In service to Him and to you,
Heather Hogue

Posted in MBC Family News

Weekly Update – 2/4/19

February 5, 2020

MBC Newsletter

Highlights from last week:

As I have visited with people this week, it seems like many felt Sam Ingrassia’s message was particularly timely and meaningful–partly because I think it is easy to picture ourselves as big, thick blocks of marble.  (Picture Lucy yelling at Charlie Brown, “You blockhead!”) And I think, deep down, we all dream of becoming something significant like La Pieta—the sculpture Michelangelo carved of Mary holding Jesus that Sam referenced so many times in his message.  And like Sam mentioned, the problem will always be transforming a big block of marble into a beautiful masterpiece. As Sam hit his chisel with his hammer from the pulpit, I think I heard other people audibly gasp, like I did, with each hit as we remembered certain painful strikes of the hammer in our own lives.

Bang. The hammer hit the chisel.  A childhood hurt. Off came some marble.

Bang. A broken relationship. Off came another chip of rock.

Bang. A critical medical diagnosis. Bang. A sick or lost child.  Bang. Physical pain. More chips explode from the impact.

Bang. A betrayal. Bang. A disappointment. Bang. A missed opportunity.  Almost like the ticking of a watch go the hammer and chisel—reminding us of the clock-tower from Cinderella about to strike midnight–our time here on earth is limited.  Why does it sometimes feel like each minute is filled with so much pain?

May I encourage you that God isn’t finished with you yet?  And while you may be hurting from the impact of the chisel, your pain won’t last forever. He who began a good work in you will see you through each and every circumstance (Philippians 1:6). 

And if you’re still here walking on this planet, no matter how old, how damaged, or how broken you feel, God still has a purpose for you, or you wouldn’t be here. 

So don’t give up.  All your pain.  All. Of. Your. Pain.  God sees it.  All of it.  Not one of your tears has gone unnoticed by our Savior.  And as He wipes away all of your tears (Revelation 21:4), His gentle hand is smoothing out your rough spots.  It may feel like sandpaper, but He’s using a polishing cloth made of diamonds. They’re sharp, but they’re the best at the job.  And you’re worth it.  

Noteworthy:

This week is a communion Sunday, and we will also be taking a benevolence offering.  If you know of a member of the MBC body who is struggling with financial or other needs, you can apply for aid from this fund for them.  Contact the church office (click here) for more information.

This Sunday night, there will also be a Community Praise and Worship service at Stonegate Church. Doors open at 5:30pm and the service starts at 6pm.  The Revelation Family Bible study and the Y.A.M.s group (Young Adult Ministry) will also be meeting on Sunday evening.  Pick one of these ways to “fill your spiritual fuel tank” before starting the work week!

If you’re new to the community at MBC, please consider joining us for our Discover MBC class this Sunday (2/9) and next Sunday (2/16) from 9-10:15am in the Hospitality room.  Here you will get a closer look at our mission statement: To glorify God and make disciples by bringing people together through the Gospel and building up mature followers of Christ. You will also get to meet members of the church leadership team, and we’ll feed you breakfast!  Register now on the website or call the church office to let us know you’re coming.

Coming UP!

Mark your calendars for next Saturday, February 15th , and support our MBC Students as they host a Dinner/Comedy Showcase and silent auction to raise money for this year’s youth camp (June 20-27). Tickets are $5 a person, and you can sign up and pay on our website or you can purchase tickets at the door.  Please join them for an evening of good food, fun, and fellowship. Contact Leah Austin (click here) in the MBC Students’ office for more information.

Sunday, February 23rd will feature a baptism at the end of the service.  If you would like to publicly demonstrate your faith this way, please preregister on the website and a pastor will contact you.

Now I’m going to speak directly to our MBC women for a moment.  First, we are offering two new “Fitness and Fellowship” classes led by Ginger Smith.  Come check out our free low-impact strength and conditioning class on Tuesdays and the cardio/step class on Thursdays from 9-10am. If you resolved to get in better shape for the New Year and you’re starting to lose your motivation, come make new friends and get fit with us!

Second, our next MBC Women’s Coffee and Conversations will be in The Hub on Sunday evening, February 23rd, from 7-8:30pm.  I know Elizabeth Reynolds, Linda Bevier, and Rachel Staalsen have something very special planned.

Last, don’t forget to get your tickets for our mini-retreat March 13-14 at the Hope 2020 Women’s Conference featuring Liz Curtis Higgs and Lysa Terkeurst at The Avenue Church in Waxahachie. 

Finally, the next Family Meal Night will be Wednesday, February 26th and if you don’t want us to say, “No soup for you!” you had better register to attend on the website or in Realm so we have enough food. This “soup-themed” evening which will feature chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, a salad, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert.  Come enjoy dinner before Wednesday night ministries with other members of the MBC family.

So remember, God is smoothing and polishing you into His Poema—His Masterpiece.  You are His workmanship.  Created for the good works He prepared beforehand for you (Ephesians 2:10).  You are a prize sculpture in His art gallery.  You are significant.  Even when you’re experiencing the pain from the chisel, know that He’s holding you.  Tightly.  So the chisel goes where it’s supposed to.  Your pain is not happening by accident.  He won’t ever let you go. And someday He’ll hold you again when we meet Him face-to-face, and He welcomes us home with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21-23).

In service to Him and to you,
Heather Hogue

Posted in MBC Family News