God and Fossils

There are a couple of recurrent questions I've received throughout our current series on Creation v. Evolution. They are similar in kind. 1) If creation happened as the Bible says - 6 literal days from nothing, then how do you account for the vast fossil record? and, 2) How do creationists account for the coal and oil deposits?

For a century and a half, both questions have stumped many people of faith and given evolutionists great fodder to perpetuate the message of uniformitarianistic evolution. (By the way, they're GREAT questions.)

We're looking forward to the conclusion of our series, Origin and Destiny this Sunday as we look at these and similar questions in light of the truth of the Bible. You won't want to miss it.

Hope you're there.

Pastor Mike

Take a Powder

A century ago, it was predicted that advances in technology would radically affect the time of the workforce. It was predicted that a 20-30 hour work week would be the norm, instead of the standard forty! (Oh for those kinder, gentler days of a 40 hour work week, huh!) Well, the predictions were partially right - the technology came. It just wasn't followed by increase in personal and recreational hours. We are, as a race of beings, more universally harried, harassed, hurried, and hassled than at any point in history. One wonders where it all went wrong....

Have you ever asked yourself where the division of seven days we call a week comes from? Think about it. 365 days (solar year) don't divide evenly by seven. A lunar month (30 days) doesn't divide out evenly either. There seems to be no logical or mathematical reason why - nearly universally - mankind's calendars invoke some usage of the 7-day period. It transcends times and cultures and races and religions.

Oh how well our Creator God knows us! Turns out that little seven day idiosyncracy is a great ratio of effort to rest...and from the very beginning of the existence of the universe, God wrote it into mankind's mind and heart. Be a part of celebration this Sunday as we go back to the beginning to get a grip on the day God rested.

Just This Week...

Origin and Destiny...it couldn't be more current. Just this week in the news, we've seen our planet celebrate Earth Day. The discovery of a new, earth-like planet in another solar system has been announced, and we've all seen the promo for the intact baby wooly mammoth fossil documentary that premieres on Sunday evening.

Where do we find meaning and application for all these things? Our relationship with our Creator, of course. I hope you'll be a part of the next installment of our Origin and Destiny series this Sunday morning as we explore the creation of man, take a stroll through the fossil record, and take home truth that can change our lives.

See you there - 9:01 and 10:46

Mike

Happy Anniversary

It came and went quietly, overshadowed by a truly remarkable Easter Celebration. This past Sunday marked the 2 year anniversary of THF in its current location. It doesn't seem that long at all...I think several of us are still tired from all those late nights.

I remain breathless as I see and hear the amazing grace of our God in action in the lives of all the attendership at THF. I revel in the new ministries that He is beginning and of the health and growth of existing ministries. Men and woment and students are awakening to a new awareness of our Creator Savior. But more than that, they are joining Him in the work that He's doing in His world. I so grateful to be a part.

Hope we get to celebrate together this weekend at THF. See you there.

Mike

iHope

It's not that Easter gets a bad rap...it really gets no rap! It's very overlooked, except by the candy makers and floral industry and maybe a few clothing manufacturers. It's sort of viewed as the "other" Christian holiday. I would argue that as great as Christmas is, it pales in comparison to Easter. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to diminish Christmas - and the celebration of the incarnation - in any way. Neither do I want to let Easter be overlooked.

Easter is about fulfillment. It is all about overcoming. Sin was defeated on Friday...death on Sunday. And so it signals to us the possibility, the "what-if" stuff of life. It's all about HOPE.

We have heard much in the news, of late, about businesses and economic down turns and recession. Internationally, there are threats all around us. It's really enough to make you want to quit...unless there is something else there. There is that inkling of HOPE - the stuff of "what-if." And it's rooted and grounded in Easter. We call it iHope.

Because God overcame...I - HOPE.

Let us celebrate together the UP RISING, the OVERCOMING, the VICTORY of God - iHope Weekend - this Easter Sunday. THF will amp it up with additional worship times: Thursday Night 7 pm - and Sunday Morning three times - 8:01, 9:31, and 11:01 am. iHope to see you there too.

Jazz

In case you didn't know, I PASSIONATELY love jazz music. From traditional jazz standards to new age, I love it. As a sax player, I enjoy that you don't have to do a song the same way every time. You can follow a basic pattern and then build an improvisation on that basic theme that is all yours. It's new every time, even though the basic pattern is the same.

I was reading this morning, and a friend reminded me that "Love God, Love your neighbor" is one of the themes, or basic patterns, of the "songs" of Scripture. His question to me is mine to you: how will you improvise on that theme today and make it your own.

Jase

God Stories and Men's Fellowship

We talk a lot around these parts about The Heights being "Deliberately Different." We've made no secret about the fact that THF was begun to reach the "unchurched, dechurched, and poorly churched" of our community. That point was illustrated to me once again on Thursday morning as I met with our THF Men's Fellowship (6:30 am Thursday mornings in the THF Mall, gentlemen!).

One of our elders was leading a discussion of our morning text - Acts 22, and he asked the group to share their God stories with one another. Of the six men who shared, none of them had the same story...only two of them even had the same origin for their spiritual journey. And nearly everyone came from an "unchurched, dechurched, or poorly churched" background too.

As I looked around that room of fellow pilgrims, I was left to ponder the wonder of my God, and His continued work in the lives of those like myself, who are so undeserving. And I remembered that scripture an old fisherman, turned pastor wrote:

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 niv

And I was grateful all over again for the message of mercy!