December is Here!

Now that December is here we are preparing to celebrate the season. Here is how we celebrated tonight!

A Quote to make you THINK!

"Christians don't tell lies they just go to church and sing them"

~ A.W. Tozer

Gospel Community Groups Begin

Tonight we are starting our first Gospel Community Group (cell group). We are expecting 10-12 people to attend. We are very excited for this part of our ministry to grow and blossom.

Please pray that the LORD would knit our hearts together in love and unity as we band together to reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ and plant his church in the Brainerd/Baxter area.

We continue to be humbled by the way the LORD is using us to plant his church and we are continuously filled with wonder and awe at the way he works.

Soli Deo Gloria - To God Alone Be the Glory

StAn Returns

STeve and ANne are excited to announce the return of StAn. That's right, another Steve & Anne combo is on the way!!! The newest member of the Erickson Clan "should" arrive sometime in July. Please pray that Anne would have a healthy pregnancy and that our new little one would also be strong and healthy.

Praise the LORD for this precious gift of grace!

Asher's Dance

This is Asher's Favorite Bible Song!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Remember ~ It is not about turkey ~ It is not about family ~ It is not about football!
This is a day set aside to express our thanksgiving to the LORD who gives us life. Try to make room for thanksgiving this Thanksgiving!

The words of Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation, in 1863 and the first declaring Thanksgiving as a national holiday, seem particularly apt for this Thanksgiving also.

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God . . . Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, (sic) have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. . . the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility (sic) and Union.” Abraham Lincoln

These excerpts are taken from the collection of Lincoln's papers in the Library of America series, Vol II, pp. 520-521.

Living the Dream Baby!

This is a phrase that some church planters were using at the Christian and Missionary Alliance's Strategic Multiplication Training. It was used in jest as the trainer was talking about some difficult situations that he had encountered.

I am using this phrase today because I truly am Living the Dream! Someone asked me this morning how I was doing and my response was, "I don't think I have ever been better in my entire life than I am right now."

That is truly how I feel today. I feel that way because I can not imagine having a better family, I can not imagine doing anything other than planting Pointway Church, I can not imagine anything better than being a child of the Living God.

I know that dwelling in the glorious presence of our God and King Jesus Christ in the New Heavens and the New Earth will far surpass what I am experiencing at this moment, but that is beyond what I can imagine.

So I praise the LORD today because I can not remember a time that has ever been better than this time in my life. Praiz-a-lujah!!! I rejoice in my God and in my call to plant His church.

I'm Living the Dream Baby!!!

Soli Deo Gloria

Listen to Chuck!!!

Good Reading

The Great Work of the Gospel
by John Ensor

This is another book that focuses on Gospel-Driven Living. It is deeply theological and practical. The subtitle of the book is How We Experience God's Grace. Ensor's presupposition is that, "Only a truth-soaked mind can reshape our opinions, attitudes, responses, and decisions." Therefore if we are to experience radical gospel transformation we must be saturated with the truth of the gospel of God's grace.

This book has helped me to have a deeper understanding of the truth of the gospel and a more vibrant experience of the grace of God. I highly recommend it.

Alone With The Lord: A Guide for a Personal Day of Prayer
by Gordon T. Smith

This short little book provides a lot of wisdom and insight in the practice of prayer. Smith lays out a plan for a day set apart for personal prayer. This book is valuable to all who desire a deeper experience in their practice of prayer.

One of the Best websites EVER!

My little brother tipped me off to this one!

Click the link and listen very carefully….

Click here…………..

Filled or Flowing?

I was studying Jn. 7:37-43 this morning and I was struck with Jesus' statement, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink, Whoever believers in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'"

As I meditated upon this statement a number of thoughts flooded my mind and heart. One question is sticking with me.

What is the connection between being filled with the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit flowing out of your inner most being?


I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this one!

Our Plant is Growing

This is our third week on site in Brainerd/Baxter and this week our church doubled in size. We grew from 3 to 7 people. I am not sure if we can continue to grow at a rate of 133% every week, but it is sure nice to see God at work!

Our plant is growing to the glory and praise of God.

Asher Loves Blogging

Asher continues to learn and develop at a rapid pace. He loves the computer and wants to share his thoughts on the family blog.

He wants you to know that he is thankful that Jesus loves him!

Free Audio Book

Christian Audio is offering Jonathan Edward's Religious Affections free this month.

I Rejoice in My Scars!!!

I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ in June 1998 after 28 years of living a life of celebratory debauchery. I clearly remember the sensational feeling of the Holy Spirit coming into me and bringing life to my dead soul. The LORD did an amazing work in my life that afternoon and the scales fell off of my eyes and revealed a life to me that was beyond comprehension.

Since that day I have alway rejoiced in my salvation and also grieved and regretted my past life before Christ. The closer I have walked with my LORD the more I have come to understand the great offense my sin was to God and how much that sin damaged my soul. My willful and deliberate sinful living inflicted wounds deep within me.

When Jesus Christ transformed my life he healed my wounds. In fact it is by his own wounds that I am healed! Now when a wound is healed it leaves a scar. Sin has consequences! Sin is forgiven 100% and there are times when we must deal with the consequences that result from various sins we have committed.

For too long I allowed the scars to remind me of my sinful past and the damage that was inflicted upon me as a result. My wounds have been healed, but the scars remain I would lament. I believe that it is healthy to lament over your past sin, but one can easily focus on past sin and the damage it cause rather than the healing that has taken place.

Scars are reminders of wounds, but more than that they are a testimony to the healing that has taken place in our lives. John Ensor in The Great Work of the Gospel, reminds us that...

"We may choose to hide the scars of our past sin in shame and guilt, or bear them graciously as a testimony to the grace of God. The ongoing consequences of some of our sins are not reminders of our sin, they are reminders of the Great Work on our behalf. In this way, our triumph ovr shame is completed. What guilt and shame once used to black mail us into silence, God now uses to make our testimony ring authentic and glad of heart."

My scars testify to the glory of God and the grace of the gospel. They speak of the wonderful healing that God has done in my life. My wounds were so severe that certain death awaited me, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great live with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my sin, made me alive together with Christ.

I have been rebuked, and rightfully so. Now I will rejoice in my scars. Jesus himself bears scars that testify to the grace of God. I am thankful that the LORD saw fit to reveal the power of the gospel to me in a deeper and more profound way.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sunday Worship

There are many interesting adventures in church planting. In the early stages you do not meet for Sunday worship. The obvious question is: what are we going to do Sunday morning? The answer is we are going to worship somewhere. Where?

That is the question we face again today at the end of our second week in Brainerd/Baxter. Last week we went to Heritage Assembly of God. This week we are going to Staples Alliance, and next week we will go to Lakewood Evangelical Free church.

We are very much looking forward to gathering with the people of God tomorrow to worship. As we go to different worship services in our community we will also seek to learn what the spiritual climate is like. We also hope to connect with local pastors.

We are praying that God will use this time to reveal himself in deeper and more profound ways in our hearts.

Church Planting ~ Livin the Dream Baby!!!

When Graphic Designers get bored...

And Now This...

The "Now, This..." Culture:
Daily News and the Death of Wisdom

Why is Dan Rather not considered one of the wisest men in America?

We Made it!

Yes we finally made to to Brainerd/Baxter and have hit the ground running. We moved in last week and spent most of that time unpacking and getting our house in order. We have already had a couple of good opportunities to share the gospel and we have made a lot of connections with people wh0 have shown various levels of interest in being a part of our church plant.

We will be hosting two informational gatherings next week to share the vision for Pointway Church and answer questions people may have about following Christ and planting a church.

Please pray that God would use these gatherings to help us connect with these new friends. Also continue to pray for us that God would open doors for the gospel to go forth.

Free Book.

You can download a copy of John Piper's The Future of Justification here for free! If you don't have time to read the whole book read the intro, ch. 11 and the conclusion.

Challies November Giveaway

Win a ESV Listener's Bible and a Christian Classics CD

Enter Here and remember to enter my referral number 30661

Asher and Mommy

Anne says I never put good pictures of her up. I think its safe to say that this is a good one. I finally got it right!

I Challenge You

Mommy and Asher

Asher Doing Some Reading

Asher and Daddy

Asher Chillin Out

We Made It!!!

We finally moved into our apartment in Baxter and are fully engaged in the unpacking process. It is a little scary how good we have gotten at the moving experience. This is the eighth place we have lived in six years of marriage.

We had lunch at Wendy's on Monday and had the opportunity to share the gospel with a man we saw there. I had seen him in town previously at Caribou Coffee and at the post office. (We have p.o. boxes right next to each other.) When I saw him at Wendy's I commented that we keep on running in to each other. To which he replied, "maybe there is some reason we keep meeting".

I was greatly encouraged by the opportunity to share the grace of God with this man and after lunch I rejoiced because I had specifically asked the LORD to give me an opportunity to testify concerning His goodness and grace.

We are busy getting utilities hooked up and updating information with all the people we want to keep in touch with. We are excited and humbled to be serving the LORD in this mission to plant Pointway Church. I can't think of one thing I would rather do with my life.

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory