Get Ready

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Minister
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey Fellow Disciples,

Congrats! You've made it to day 20. We are so excited to celebrate Easter! 

You can use today to get caught up on any days you might have missed. Pick one or two action steps that you can do today and ask God to use those small steps in big ways. 

Today is also a great day to reach out to those you've invited. Check in to answer any questions they might have and build excitement for Easter. 

God is at work! Can't wait to worship Him with you tomorrow for Easter. 

 

 

Shout It Out

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey, Fellow Followers of Christ,

Imagine this - you win an award, walk up on stage to accept the award, and have the opportunity to give an acceptance speech. In that speech, who do you thank? Who helped you become who you are today?

That leads me to today’s challenge - giving someone a social shout-out!

Jump on social media and create a quick post, answering one of these questions:

• Where would you be without God in your life?
• Why do we call it Good Friday when it is the day Jesus died on the cross?
• What has Jesus done in your life?
• Who is a church leader/volunteer who made an impact in your life?
• Why do you love your church?
• Why are you so excited to celebrate Easter this year?

Your post doesn’t need to be long or fancy, just a quick post saying thank you. Here’s what that might look like:

Shout-out to my church, Summit Point Church! They offer awesome kids classes every week so I know my kids are learning great things while I enjoy the worship and sermons. So thankful for all the volunteers who love my kids so much!

I just want to give a social shout-out to the church's leadership team! Because of there influence on my life I have the confidence to follow God’s plan for my life.  I really appreciate them!

Just want to give a shout-out to Jesus right now, He’s totally changed my life! I used to walk around without purpose and now I know what I’m living for. And I’m thankful Summit Point Church helped me find Jesus!

See? Super simple. Just a few sentences thanking someone for helping you be the person you are today. Ready? Go!

 

Generous Hope

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Generosity
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ (9/10)

Hey Fellow Pilgrims,

Today has one of the highest difficulty ratings through the 21 days. Why? Because we’re talking about generosity. But don’t quit...keep reading and see why this day may be the most crucial day of all in the 21 days. 

First, have you noticed how generosity is right in the middle of the Easter story? Look at the most famous passage in all of the Bible, John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Notice how generosity is embedded in the character of God and is central to the Easter message. Now, here’s a huge “aha!” moment for you in this adventure. Generosity is central to the Easter story, but is also unlocks how deeply we receive the message. Look at what Jesus says in Luke 6:38:

Give and it will be given to you…for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

So let me ask you a question…Do you need more hope in your life? 

If so, the best thing you can do is receive God’s free gift of grace. Then the next step? Start sharing hope generously with others. Sometimes the best way to experience hope is to bring hope to others. If you’ve ever been on a mission trip then you know how much of a blessing being a blessing can be. 

So here’s your chance to put this into action. How can you bring hope with your generosity this Easter season? Here are four starter ideas:

1. Make a financial donation to a non-profit making an impact in our community.
2. Set up a recurring donation to the church to support our outreach and missions.
3. Bless a family in need - maybe a single mom, widow, or someone who lost their job.
4. Take those items you were about to sell on Facebook Marketplace and bless another family with them.

As you give hope, remember God has a way of bringing more hope to your heart. John Bunyan illustrated it best when he said, “There was a man, they called him mad. The more he gave, the more he had.”

Easter Invite

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️ (7/10)

Hey Fellow Travelers,

Have you taken a moment yet this year to reflect on the importance of Easter and the impact the message of Easter has on your life? It’s too amazing to keep to yourself, right? 

Today's challenge is all about inviting others to experience the hope of Easter in their life. So let's go ahead and share!

Step 1 - Post an Easter invite to your friends on social media. When you create your post answer these two questions: Why are you so excited to celebrate Easter? How could someone join you in celebrating with your church? 

Step 2 - Remember the three people we've been praying for? Shoot them a text invite. Here are some example scripts to get you started. Remember, they might say no, and that’s okay. “No” now doesn’t mean “no” forever. Plus, if we don’t ask at all, it's for sure a “no.” Step out in faith, and trust the Lord will guide your words. 

“Hey {FIRST_NAME}, how are things going?”
[RESPONSE]

“That’s great! Well, I just wanted to reach out and see if you had any plans to attend church on Easter Sunday.”

[IF RESPONSE IS “NO”]

“Well, I’d love for you to come with me to my church. It’s called [NAME OF CHURCH]. I think you’ll like it. We have

[NAME ELEMENT THAT WOULD RELATE TO THEM LIKE, GREAT MUSIC, RELATABLE PASTOR, SUNDAY BREAKFAST, ETC.]

[IF RESPONSE IS “YES” OR THEY AREN’T INTERESTED]
“No worries at all. I just wanted to throw out the opportunity. If you ever are looking for a church to visit, you’re always welcome to come with me. We’d love to have you.”

Keep it upbeat and relational. Don’t be afraid of a “no.” Again, this might plant a seed that will grow later. You got this!

Your Faith Story

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Great Day Friends,

Have you ever watched a movie, then posted about it on Facebook? Or tried a new Amazon product and shared your experience? Have you posted a quick story of something that happened throughout your day?

Pretty simple, right? There’s a reason we call it social media - we use social media as a tool to connect with others and share our stories.

Today’s challenge: apply this same concept to sharing your faith story. Make a post about when you decided to follow Jesus and how that decision impacted your life (only 1-2 sentences).

I know that sharing your faith story on social media can sound intimidating. But here are 3 things to remember:

• You tell stories every day. Every time you tell a friend “the craziest thing happened the other day” or “let me tell you what happened at the grocery store,” that’s storytelling. You’re already a pro!
• It doesn’t have to be polished. In fact, it shouldn’t be polished. It should be your words, telling your story.
• There’s no right or wrong way to do this - because there’s not a cookie-cutter approach to telling your story! Remember, it’s the story of how God started working in your life. You’re the best one to tell this story because you were the one who witnessed it firsthand!

So jump on social media and make a short post about when you decided to follow Jesus and how it impacted your life. 

Not on social media? Ask God to give you an opportunity to share your story in conversation today, and when the opportunity comes, take it!

Bonus Step
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (8/10)

Share your faith story over a selfie video. This video should be about 45-90 seconds long. You might think that’s too short, but the goal isn’t to share every detail, but just the most important ones. You want to be sure to include where you were in life when you came to faith in Jesus. Then share what made you want to make that decision. Were you invited to church? Were you in tough life circumstances and then turned to God? Were you a child or teen when you came to Christ? Then share where you are now, and why you love living for God and going to church.

 

Monday Encouragement

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/10)

Hey Friends,

People talk a lot about avoiding “mindless” scrolling. Today’s challenge (should you choose to accept it!) is to scroll “mindfully”. (This action step is perfect for a Monday!) Open your favorite social media app and start scrolling. As you scroll, take time to:

• Comment encouraging words
• Compliment people’s vacation photos
• Let people know “I’ve missed you! How have you been?”
• Tell people how adorable their pet photos are

And more! Remember anytime you are on social today your only goal is to encourage others. Scroll mindfully and use your scrolling to engage and bring encouragement! Ready, set… go!


P. S. Not on social media? Do this in everyday life! When you pass someone in the grocery store, compliment their hair or shoes. Co-worker gives you a call? Let them know why you appreciate them. Friend walks by with a dog? Greet the dog and ask your friend how the week’s been!  Remember that someone’s recently returned from a vacation and text them to ask how it went or to let them know that you’ve missed seeing them!  The possibilities are endless.

So Excited To Worship Together

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Devotion
Difficulty: ⭐️ (1/10)
I hope your Saturday is Going well so far.

Easter is a story of hope - Hope in the promise that we have eternal life through Jesus! 

If you’ve been in church for any length of time, you’re probably nodding your head. But when’s the last time you stopped to think about the significance of that?

Today, I’d like to share with you a passage & poem that will stop you in your tracks with the beauty of the gospel. First, read John 1:1-18 & then watch Easter Spoken Word.

Praying that you rest in the hope of Jesus today. Can't wait to worship together tomorrow! 

P. S. If you want to share the hope of Jesus with others today, consider heading outside, and taking a picture of something that’s a “promise”- a bud, thawing snow, or a newly-planted tree.  Then, share from your heart about the hope that Jesus has been bringing you in this season.

  

So Excited To Worship Together - 13 of 21 Days of Hope

Share Your Hope Story

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/10)

Let’s talk about a great way you can bring hope today! How? By sharing your hope story. In this step of the 21 days, we want to hear from you:

• Has God been at work in you?
• Has God been at work through you?

Let us know your story. Here are ways you can share your story today:

• Simply reply to an email. (summitpointchurch@gmail.com)
  
• Share with your small group.
• Create a post in the church Facebook group.
• Let us know before or after Sunday service.

The bottom line is when God is at work, we need to share the story, for His glory.

Prayer Makes A Difference

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Minister
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/10)

There’s nothing quite like knowing that someone is praying for you.  Don’t you agree?

This challenge has a few steps -- for the biggest impact, make sure you do them all! 

1. Post on social media asking how you can pray for your friends. Make the post fit your personality. (Text, photo, or video all can work.)
2. Pray for every request you receive!
3. Write out your prayer and share it with them.

Be prepared to share a prayer request with them if asked how they can pray for you! One of the most important things we can be doing this Easter season is praying for our friends and family.

Let's Spread Hope Today

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Social
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/10)

Welcome to Wednesday,

Here’s an easy challenge for you! It will only take a few minutes and a few keystrokes.

Go to the church’s social platforms and use the posts to invite your friends to join you for Easter!   

https://www.facebook.com/Summitpointchurch

❤️ Give the posts some love (posts with more love reach more people)!

@ Tag a friend in the comments and let them know you'd love for them to join you.

🙌 Share the post on your social media page - add comments letting people know what you love about your church's Easter plans. 

Don’t use social media? No worries. You can send a text invite to a friend asking them to celebrate Easter with you.

 

Let's Spread Hope Today - 10 of 21 Days of Hope

Not So Random Kindness

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Generosity
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Happy Tuesday,

Today’s challenge is a 6/10.

It’s not hard, but it will require a little bit of thought and effort.

It’s this: perform at least one act of generous kindness.

Now, I know, the first thought that comes to your mind is probably, “Oh, they want me to pay for a stranger’s coffee at Starbucks.”

And you can, that’s fine.  

But in order to maximize the hope, I encourage you to think beyond that.  Take a couple of minutes and dream up some ways you can really care for someone- whether you choose to bless a stranger or someone in your life!

Can you say an encouraging word?  
Pray with someone who’s struggling?  
Buy them a gift card and write them a note?
Offer to buy dinner and bring it over, or watch the kids while they go out?
Go over and above for someone who’s normally overlooked, like a server at a restaurant?

Make your plan, carve out the time to give your money and/or attention, and let’s shower our community with not so random acts of generosity today!

 

Not So Random Kindness - 9 of 21 Days of Hope

Hope In His Word

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Devotional
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/10)

Hey Everyone,

It’s been a long season of waiting.  In many ways, we’re still waiting -- waiting for things to return to "normal," waiting for cures or vaccines or herd immunity, waiting for this pandemic to be over.  In Psalm 130, David offers us a blueprint for how to wait well. As we wait for a ‘return to normal’ and as we wait for the reminders Easter brings us that the victory is already secured, let’s jump into this devotion on how to wait well. 

I wait for the Lord; I wait and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning - more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6  CSB

Waiting is part of life, and we've all experienced both the anticipation and the agony of the wait - the birth of a child, a diagnosis, a marriage proposal - the question is not will we wait, but how will we wait. David offers us a blueprint for how to wait well. 

I wait for the Lord.

If we wait for our own outcome to happen, the waiting will eventually disappoint us. David made his declaration to wait for the Lord. It is good to remember that we wait for Someone, not something. 

I wait and put my hope in His word.  

Where we place our hope is critical. Will we hope in the words of men, or in the Word of God? David knew that God's Word is true, and that God will always be faithful to what He has spoken. Where better to put our hope while we wait? 

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.

Watchmen in the night longed for the break of day, but not as those who waited to see if it would come, but as those who waited knowing it would come. More than that, David waited for the Lord. Today, creation waits and groans for the return of Jesus. May we wait for it more than the watchmen for the morning! 

Pray
Father, I wait for You! I put my hope in Your Word and my faith is in Your coming. Teach me, Lord, to wait well. 

Devotional from Karla Wasion (Hope In His Word - 8 of 21 Days of Hope: Text in Church)

Lord's Day Rest

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Minister
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/10)

Hey Church Family,

You've made it to day 6! Today is a catch-up day. Use your time to get all caught up and then get some rest.

I want to encourage you throughout the 21 days to make worship a priority in your life. One of the best ways your soul can be full of hope is to be sure you continue to be engaged in worship services. 

Read through this passage in Hebrews 10:19-25 and see how the Bible connects Easter with a call to persevere in our faith:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

That is exactly what we are doing in the 21 Days of Hope. Let's not give up now. Keep going and keep encouraging. 

See you tomorrow - 6 of 21 Days of Hope!

What does the Bible say about hope?

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Devotional
Difficulty: ⭐️ (1/10)

Hey there,

“I hope my team wins!”
“I hope the grocery store has what I’m looking for!”
“I hope I get to see my friends soon!”

We toss around the word “hope” very lightly. But what does hope really mean?

Hope 
To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.

Today's action step is intentionally simple. Spend a few minutes today thinking about the hope you have from God, in His word, and in His love. Here are a few Psalms you can meditate on:

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him. (Psalm 62:5)

You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word. (Psalm 119:114)

But the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psalm 147:11)

P.C.

 

What does the Bible say about hope? - 4 of 21 Days of Hope (Text in Church). 

Something You Do Every Day

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Minister
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/10)

Hey Y'all,

Today’s challenge is something you already do every single day. Remember those 3 names you wrote down yesterday? The ones God put on your heart?

All you have to do is text those 3 people. Super easy, right? Think about how many texts you send daily. Today’s challenge is just to send 3. 📱

Pull out those names and shoot them a text that says something like:

“Hey, you’ve been on my mind? How are you doing?”
“Hey, how’s your week been? You were on my heart this week.”
“Just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking of you! How are you?”
“I was going to take some time to pray today and wondered if there is something I could pray for you about.”

Super simple. Block out about 15 minutes today, pull out your phone, and text them. The goal is to let them know you’re there for them and that prayer works.

You got this! 👍

P.S. If you missed yesterday, you can combine it with today's action step and get all caught up. 

P.C.

Something You Do Every Day - 3 of 21 Days of Hope (Text at Church)
 

Goal: Hope Through you

Goal: Hope Through you
Theme: Minister
Difficulty Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/10)

Hey Folks,

Set aside 10 minutes for this step. During that time, silence your phone and eliminate distractions. When you're ready, here's what we are going to do:

• Ask God to put three people on your heart.
• Write their names down (in a notebook you can come back to later!).
• Begin asking God how you might be an answer to their prayers this Easter season.
• To conclude your time with God, spend 5 minutes praying for those people.

And that’s it. Great job!  

We’ll see you tomorrow with your next challenge.

Pastor Charles,

A Simple Act of Hope - 2 of 21 Days of Hope (Text at Church).

Goal: Hope To You

 

Goal: Hope To You
Theme: Devotional
Difficulty Rating: ️️️ (3/10) 

Good morning! It is Day #1 of the 21 Days of Hope.

The beautiful part of the Easter season is how it refreshes our soul. It brings much-needed hope to our lives. So the goal of today’s step in the 21 Days of Hope is to allow the hope of Easter to start refreshing your soul. And as with most aspects of our walk with Jesus, that will begin in prayer. Let’s jump into a devotion on The 6 Prayers Your Heart Needs This Easter.

This devotion comes from a post by Lysa TerKeurst.

Let’s look at some of the first words spoken that first Easter: 

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’” Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)

Lysa shows us six different ways we can pray through this passage of scripture. I encourage you to take time and pray these as you read through each one: 
 
"Do not be afraid," — Dear God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith that are squelched by fear.
 
"I know that you are looking for Jesus," — God, when my soul is searching, may I know that the answer to every longing is found in You.
 
"He has risen," — God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.
 
"just as he said," — Dear Jesus, You keep Your promises. Show me how to live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.
 
"Come and see," — Jesus, You had the angels invite the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself … You, Your Word, Your insights.
 
"Then go quickly and tell his disciples," — Jesus, I don’t want to be a secret-keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth-proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the girl whom You loved and redeemed.
 
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

What a powerful way to pray as we kick off the 21 Days Of Hope. I love how this passage builds hope in our hearts and then helps us to start sharing hope with others. That is what Easter is all about. 

21 Days of Hope...

        Thank you for joining the 21 Days of Hope Easter Experience! We believe God is going to use these next three weeks to bring hope to you and hope through you! It’s going to stretch and grow your faith to new levels while helping others see the difference God can make in their life.

Here’s how the 21 Days of Hope works. You will receive a daily email as well as a few text messages throughout the week. Each step along the way will include the following:

• Either a "Hope To You" or a "Hope Through You" action step. 
• A theme: Devotional, Share Your Faith Story, Social, Generosity, Minister
• And a difficulty rating of that step

Each day the goals are designed to help you and others experience God’s love in some way. Some things will involve your social media or texting and others involve sharing your faith story. The idea over the next 3 weeks is to help your friends, family and acquaintances see how God is working in your life. We believe this will have a huge impact on our area as we all jump on board and do this together. 

We are praying for you and know God is going to use you like never before. 

Let’s do this!

 Pastor Charles

Anything but It!

Today, we pack up and head home from the Lake of the Ozarks. This morning, Tammy is in a workshop on Ethics. If you read my last blog post, you can only imagine what that will look like.

On Monday she went to a workshop that had a panel of four family members. Each member took the mic, said their name, and preferred pronoun. The first woman said I prefer “She/Her.” The second woman took the mic and said, you can call me “anything but :It".” Sitting next to her, her husband likewise took the mic and said, "Call me anything but "It"!”

IT? They are okay with being called he or she, regardless of their biological gender. Yet, they do not want you to refer to them as an inanimate object. Do they even think there is a sentence that could be used in which they might be called it? OMG.

But the “It” is, in reality, what has shaped and formed their mindset. It is the culture. It is the institution of American healthcare. It is the left that promotes the gender-fluid ideology. The “It” culture has developed a concept where a man is okay with being called whatever.

The other pronoun that the couple is apparently okay with is “They/Them.” That is also something we can say about them, “They” are part of “Them.” They genuinely do not have a personal identity because once you give into “Them,” you are a tool (an inanimate object) seeking popular approval for your openness to gender ideology. The truth is you are just one of them!

The truth is found in Genesis 1:27 where we see:

        So God created man in his own image, 

            in the image of God he created him;

            male and female he created them.

You have an identity given by God. How much more self-rewarding is it to be someone who stands out, stands up, and declares I was created by God as a Man or Woman? Don’t be a “them” and part of “It” (the culture); be you, made in the image of your creator.

Be prepared by the way for them to point at you and accuse you of being one of "Those" people. Yep, another pronoun! But I am happy to be identified as one of those “Christians” over being one of “Them” who follows the shifting wind of culture.

TTFN,

Pastor Tigger