If you are looking for all your favorite posts from the past, you’ll find them here! We’ve decided on a simple title: the CTR Blog. It may not be the most creative name, but it communicates exactly what you’ll find on this new site.

And with this launch of the CTR Blog, we’re renewing our commitment to come together as one Body of believers to share what God is doing in the lives of people everywhere.

Head on over and tell us what you think!

NOTE: Last weekend Pastor Bill encouraged us to imagine heaven, and shared scriptures about our new and glorified bodies. That message prompted long-time CTR member and former firefighter John Reese to write about the freedom he will find as he runs into his Father’s arms!

John Reese with his children. A diving accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Through his trials, he came to know Jesus.

I can only imagine the ever-increasing joy, the sheer exultation, the newly restored and glorified body, the promise and the very reality of no shame, no pain, no sorrow, no sin etc.

To be freed from the curse and so many of the earthly constraints we have will be bliss. It is as the Scriptures say, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). The former things will pass away.

But chiefly, and I mean this in the most serious way, I cannot wait to see my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, face-to-face…! I am panting for that moment! To be finally, reunited with my beloved Bridegroom who is altogether Supreme and merciful and glorious in every way.

Man, it just blows me away! I’ve replayed this moment over and over in my head. All I can think of doing is falling at His feet and worshiping Him in gratitude, praise and honor. That would be the ultimate service I would want to do after being restored in the new body. I would want to first use my new body to fall prostrate on my belly, prone in a posture of worship, kissing the feet of my great God… or doing whatever He would want me to do!

Then after I’ve worshiped Him for as long as I can imagine; I would relish the opportunity to look at Jesus face-to-face and to stare into His eyes. I want to embrace Him. I really do feel like Job and many others. His desire was to see His Redeemer face-to-face. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27).

I have many thoughts about getting a new body. I wonder about the limitations given to it. Will we be able to appear suddenly in different places just as Jesus did? Will there be travel limitations with the glorified body? I wonder how our new bodies will interact with our new environment.

I dream of being able to flex my hands, to stretch them out and grasp things, to utilize my once strong arms and legs as I used to, except even more. Physically, I can’t wait to exert my new body to its limits, to run beside a fast animal, to play an old or new sport, to hone old talents and learn new ones. I’ll love to simply stretch out my limbs, to move my body at will, to regain functionality and to finally feel the things around me. No more paralysis, only ability. I’ll be able to feel the ground on my feet, to feel the sand between my toes. I’ll be able to stand up tall. I’ll have full movement and sensation, no more guessing if my legs are cold or if my arm is touching something. To be able to have the full use of my lungs again, to breathe in and out deeply, to shout, to sing with great joy, all of it will be precious.

I’ll love to be able to run, jump and swim again, to exercise, to glorify God with hobbies and work. I dream of being able to physically work for the Lord, to build, to make things. I wonder what kinds of projects He will have for us, what He’ll put us in charge of. I think about all the activities Christ will have for us there. I believe there’ll be many wonderful things there to enjoy that are already here on this earth, but they’ll be even more wonderful, and I believe that God will be constantly in the process of creating, constantly showing us new things and revealing new depths to Himself.

I can’t even begin to put it all into words. I wonder what heaven and the new earth will be like? I imagine heaven having the huge cubic dimensions it says in Scripture, and I wonder about what creations that great city will have in it. I imagine the incredibly high level of fellowship and kinship with others, each of us serving the King and each other. Everyone will be gracious hosts. Likewise, I wonder about the new earth, and I imagine it looking like one big Garden of Eden… What kinds of beautiful aspects will the heavenly great outdoors have if nature on this earth currently takes our breath away?

It’ll be truly amazing, and that’s such an understatement! His love astounds me.

Enjoy the photos from our Challenge of the Heart weekend at Christ The Rock, March 27-28.  The theme focused on pain, suffering and hurtful experiences we all share, and how we can use that suffering to either draw closer to God or shut Him out.  It wasn’t your ordinary weekend service experience.  Visitors were given the opportunity to draw closer to God individually, experientially and by entering into the pain and suffering of other people’s powerful stories.

These are just a few of the photos. Check back soon as we post more!

SPECIAL DELIVERY

To get the online version of our 40-Day Challenge In The Word delivered daily to your inbox, send an email to Nola Sweet at nsweet@christtherock.org, or call 920-730-8383 ext. 332 and leave your e-mail address on her voicemail.

Want to know more about the 40 Day Challenge in the Word? Scroll down and read the posts about why we’re taking this challenge together and what we hope the outcome will be.

We’ve never done anything quite like this challenge before, and we always welcome your feedback and comments about how you are doing with this experience.

Happy journaling!

Gold medallist Bjorn Ferry of Sweden bites his medal during an awards ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Are you watching the 2010 Olympic Games this week? If you are, you know that incredible thrill when a competitor performs flawlessly for the top prize, or that soaring feeling in your heart when that athlete stands before millions while the national anthem plays.

Can you imagine being in that athlete’s place up on the podium? What would it feel like in your heart? Take that feeling and multiply it. That’s the excitement God wants for us in our relationship with Him!

Sadly, many of us simply don’t feel that passion and excitement in our faith. Our busy lives are so noisy with activity we can barely take in the peace and power of His magnificence. To change that for you and for all of us, Christ The Rock is embarking on a challenge.

For 40 days, we’re going on a journey together called Challenge In The Word, and your reward for taking this challenge is even more valuable than an Olympic Gold medal.  This reward is a heart that wakes up, comes alive and draws closer to Him than ever before.

10 Fun Facts about our Challenge In The Word:

1. The 40-Day Challenge begins Sunday, February 21^st.
2. All CTR adults and teenagers 6^th grade and up are invited to join.
3. Everyone will read and journal about a key passage in the Word every day for 40 days.
4. Participants can use a specially-designed Daily Companion Journal.
5. The Daily Companion Journal is available in the Lobby and holds sermon notes from the weekend.
6. Hard-copy binder journals are free (Donations are always welcomed to help cover costs).
7. The smaller binder is a handy place to keep your weekend sermon notes.
8. You can get your daily reading and journal questions sent right to your email.
9. Children will be encouraged to join us for the final week of the Challenge.
10. At the end of 40 Days, it will be Easter!

E-Mail Delivery:

Get your companion journal delivered to your email by sending us a note at nsweet@christtherock.org, or call Nola Sweet at 920-730-8383 ext. 332 and leave your e-mail address on her voicemail.  We’ll send you all the Challenge materials you’ll need.

“Come Away With Me!”

Sounds like an ad for a fabulous vacation getaway, doesn’t it? God extends this invitation to us every day. But sometimes the noise in our lives keeps us from hearing Him, in fact at times we might even feel dead in the faith that is supposed to make us alive.

God has said through His word that if we “Draw near to Him; He will draw near to us.” He wants us to be in daily relationship with Him! And if we can somehow connect with Him in the way He designed us, our hearts can be transformed forever. We begin to have an eternal impact on the world around us because our perspective and motivation begins to change from “self-centeredness” to being “God and others” centered.

What would it look like to actually come away with Him?

When we’re with Him, the distractions of world begin to fade and we begin to hear His voice more clearly. The very thing we all long for, love and acceptance, happens only when we are in His presence. Our faith begins to come alive!

This month Christ The Rock is inviting everyone to turn a corner in their faith. For 40 days, we’re going on a journey together. A Challenge In The Word is much cheaper than a vacation, and the reward is priceless: a heart that wakes up, comes alive and draws closer to Him than ever before.

The Challenge is to read and journal about a key passage in the Word from February 21^st to Easter.

Ready to get started?

It’s our prayer that your journey into how you experience God will go deeper than simply a weekend experience. We want to explore together what it might be like to change our lifestyle, day by day so that we can actually hear what Christ is already saying to us. So to get started, we invite every teen and adult to purchase a specially-designed companion journal.  You can pick up a hard-copy binder that will not only capture your journey day by day, it will also be a place to keep your sermon notes for each theme over this next year.  These journals will be available for a suggested free-will offering to help us cover costs starting next weekend.

Children will be encouraged to join the Challenge for one week right before Easter. Special Bible study pages will be created geared just for them.

We’ve designed this Challenge to be easy, and we don’t want anything to get in your way. So if you would prefer to get your 40-Day Challenge In The Word delivered to your email, simply SIGN UP HERE and we’ll email you all the Challenge materials you’ll need for free.

(You may have to create an online login account for our system).

By Bee Vang

Jr Highers (6-8th grade) to join us for this year’s Winter Retreat!

Where

Fort Wilderness near Rhinelander, WI. From conversations in the Coffee Shop, high fives on the broomball courts, screams on the tubing run, skating on the ice, quiet times on the ski trails, or horseback rides through snow-covered forests, Fort Wilderness is a place to connect with God and people. The Fort Staff is ready and able to provide quality speakers, music, storytelling, and life stories to encourage and challenge campers of all ages!

What

This year Iceblast 2010 is going to be looking at the Heroes of our faith! With guest speaker Michael Lane, we’ll be learning about the life of King Josiah who, though he was young, was able to do great things for God. Students will be challenged to understand how God has fashioned them to use their lives to be a Hero for Him! Come and join us for the weekend of a lifetime!

What to Bring

LOTS of warm winter clothes! Outside activities abound so be sure to bring snowpants, mittens/gloves, hat, scarf, warm coat, boots & warm socks, etc. Other items to bring include sleeping bag and pillow, your Bible, notebook, pen, snacks, spending money for canteen and McDonald’s, snow equipment (if you didn’t get that already), a warm and teachable heart and mind…..maybe a friend or two!

Cost

$100 per person, which includes lodging, food, and transportation.

Scholarships applications and fundraising are available to make it affordable!  SIGN UP HERE

If you want to know how you can help send immediate aid to those suffering in the earthquake aftermath in Haiti, check out the Haiti Releif Fund information over on our Global blog.

The event begins at 7:45 a.m. with a continental breakfast, and ends at about 9:30. Tickets are just $5 at the door. Visit our Web site for more information.