Making the Connection

Do you have The Human Sindrome?

Cole — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:06 +0000

It’s a sweeping pandemic that’s gone viral since way back in the day! We were all born with The Human Sindrome. That soft spot toward sin, that appetite for anger, the propensity toward pride, the leaning toward lust and laziness, grooving toward greed and gluttony, and a capacity for covetousness. Left untreated, it becomes deadly, destroying us from the inside out. So, we try to cure it with self-help exercises and home-made remedies, but in spite of all our efforts, it grows inside of us like a fatal cancer. So we do our best to cover it up. To relabel it as a mistake or a bad choice. But the outcome is the same: disconnection and destruction of everything we love.

This week, we’re going to begin tackling our toughest temptations head-on. In our newest series, The Human Sindrome, we’ll decode the 7 deadly sins and discover the way to free their hold on us. I can’t wait to begin to show you the original cure for the Human Sindrome and reveal some practical steps to live free from sin’s devastating effects.

Make plans now to be with us this Sunday at our new location at 9:30am and 11:00am as we kick it off with some new surprises. For more info, check out our website or our event page on Facebook.

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The River Where Mercy Flows

Cole — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:32:01 +0000

On Sunday afternoon, August 8th, we went down to 5 Mile Dam for Baptism Celebration. I got to baptize 6 people, Nic baptized 4, our deaf pastor Tim baptized 3, Javi baptized his nephew and Rico baptized his daughter! What a blast it was to be a part of those 15 people’s “Going Public” party! Every one of them has been changed by the power of God at work in their lives! We also met some people at the river who came to church the following Sunday to get connected to what God is doing through The Connection Church. As many people as we’ve got to lead to Christ along the way, it’s just the tip of the iceberg of the BIG things that God has in store for South Central Texas in the coming days! Keep up the great work Connectors! Let’s do this!!!

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Getting Through The Dip

Cole — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:42:33 +0000

This week I listened to “The Dip” audiobook by Seth Godin. I’m looking forward to sharing this with our staff. It’s a quick listen, or read, full of helpful counter-intuitive principles that will help you move beyond average to being the best at whatever you’re doing.

Every endeavor, job, project, even relationship, has a dip, that place where moving forward gets difficult. That’s a good thing, because most people give up or go average when facing the dip. So, you can be the best in whatever you are doing if you are willing to pay the price of the dip, simply because most people don’t.

Right now, I, along with all of us at The Connection Church, are faced with a serious dip, a challenge that separates the place of average from reaching our destiny. As we are getting into the toughest part of the new building, things are going to be harder before they get easier. The finances are tighter because the majority of our resources have already been invested. Many of those who’ve been working long hours on construction are getting tired or in some cases even sick.

But now is not the time to let up. It’s the time to press through, to keep advancing, to keep working, to step up our financial investments in this work. To make it through a dip, you have to ask, “Is it worth what it will take to make it through to the other side?” Without a doubt, 100%!!! Because, on the other side, is the place of incredible impact and life-change that God is calling us to. And, by God’s power, we will succeed, together.

What Dip are you facing right now? Press through to victory!

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KIDstruction is Underway

Cole — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:54:31 +0000

This week, we started a new message series called “KIDstruction: Raising Indestructible Kids” all about the building blocks of parenting. We had a great kickoff on Mother’s Day, that you can watch here if you missed it.

Every successful building project begins with the foundation. If the foundation is solid, then, no matter what happens in the future, the foundation will remain. As parents, it’s our job to lay that rock solid foundation in place in our homes as soon as we can.

How can we do that?

First, center your life around God and His Word. That means in every area: schedule, friendships, media, finances, and work. You can think of it like the spokes of a wheel with every spoke attached to the center. God will hold your life and family together when you put Him at the very center.

Second, establish family values. Every family has values, but many of them are unspoken and loosely defined. As a result, no one really knows what they are. You can make a list of the non-negotiables and the goals in your family. Let me give you a hint, it’s not just to survive. God wants to use your whole family to make a difference for Him. With clear, biblical values in place, your family can be extraordinary in making a difference.

Never underestimate the value of a strong foundation! And make sure you don’t miss a single message in this series to continue building an indestructible family. We’re meeting at Hemphill Elementary at 9:30am and 11:00am. See you there!

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Kenzie’s Crazy Cooking Show

Cole — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:49:00 +0000

It’s another school project for Makenzie. This time, she was to make a cooking show about tasty ways to prepare bird dishes for her science class. So we all get the benefit of enjoying a little zany time with Kenzie as she cooks her way through this one:

Kenzie’s Crazy Cooking Show from Cole Phillips on Vimeo.

With recipes for chicken, turkey, and quail, this episode is for the birds! Join Kenzie in the kitchen as she shows you how to prepare some delicious dishes. Of course, it’s Kenzie, so you know there’s gonna be a lot of fun along the way.

Additional credits: Camera work by Bethanie and my mom.

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On My Way to Paradise

Cole — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:37:42 +0000

When Jesus was on the cross, the second statement he made was to one of the criminals hanging beside him. When the dying thief asked Jesus to remember him in Heaven, Jesus assured, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Jesus was giving His life so that anyone who trusts in Him can spend eternity with Him in a literal perfect place called heaven.

I’m going to spend a lot longer on the other side of eternity than I will on this side. As a Christ-follower, if we know that we’re going to spend forever (a very, very long time) in heaven, what difference does that make today? That reality changes everything! Once I understand it, I will live my life in light of eternity.

My Time

First, I’ll invest my time in eternity. There’s a huge difference between spending my time and investing it. My time is my life, and I have a limited amount it, only 24 hours in a day. When I live to make a difference for God’s Kingdom, my time isn’t wasted, it’s invested and will have a huge return.

My Treasure

Next, I’ll invest my treasure in eternity. Everything we have is a gift from God. You can’t take it with you when you’re gone, but you can send it on ahead. How do we do that? By generously giving to a local church that is focused on mission to Go and Tell the Good News of Jesus. Where do you have the biggest savings account? On Earth or in Heaven?

My Talent

We’ll also invest our talents for eternity. You’re unique and have something to offer the Body of Christ as you serve in ministry. I have to ask myself, “Is what I’m doing with the gifts and abilities God gave me really making an eternal impact?” Even the smallest act of selfless service can make a difference when you do it in Jesus’ name.

My Testimony

Finally, I’ll invest my testimony in eternity. In court, you testify about what you have seen or experienced. To make a difference in someone’s life, you can show and tell them about what you’ve experienced Jesus do in your life. You might not be a Bible scholar, but no one can argue with your personal experience. Who do you know who needs to hear your story this week?

The issue isn’t, “Will I live forever?” It’s “How will I live forever?” This week is the perfect time to make a difference for eternity.

The Easter List

Cole — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:03:54 +0000

Are you a list person? Do you like to check off your to-do list? Do you make a shopping list? Do you enjoy a funny Top 10 list? You might have a bucket list of things you want to accomplish in your life. And hopefully, you don’t have a hit list. ☺ Lists help us keep track of important details and info.

A lot of people make Christmas Lists, but we also need to make an Easter List. Colossians 2:14 reminds us of a list that Jesus dealt with when He was on the cross: “He canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.” When it comes to the cross of Easter, there are 3 important lists that we need to remember.

Our Forgiveness

The first list is the list of our sins. Isaiah 65:6 says, “Look at this! Their sins are all written out— I have the list before me. I’m not putting up with this any longer. I’ll pay them the wages.” Everybody has a record of sins we’ve committed. Since none of us are perfect, we all fall short of the high standard of God. The price of our sin is a huge disconnect between us and God.

Our Future

But there’s another list that’s written in the Book of Life talked about in Revelation 3:5. This permanent list is a record of everyone who has trusted in Jesus as the Forgiver of their sin and the Leader of their life. And if your name is on that list, then the first list, the one with all of your wrongs, is shredded and your future home in heaven is sure and secure.

Our Friends and Family

Which brings us to the last list: the list of people that you’re praying for to trust in Jesus. When Jesus was on the cross, He wasn’t thinking about Himself. He was thinking about others who needed God. And we need to be thinking about others too. We don’t want to come to church on Easter and hear the greatest news in all the world without bringing someone with us!

Make a list right now of people in your circle of influence who need a connection with God through Jesus and start praying your heart out for them. Make it a priority this week to invite them to church with you on Easter Sunday to give them the best opportunity to connect with God. When you do, you will have made an eternal difference in their life!

How Many Services?

Cole — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:50:37 +0000

How many Celebration Services will we be offering on Easter Sunday?

Let’s see if you can guess:

Yes, the answer of course is “3″! At 9, 10:15, and 11:30. With a 15 minute passing period in-between.

And we’re going to continue offering these 3 service times throughout the “CHAINged” series for 5 weeks. Then, our prayer is that we’ll be ready to move into the new building on Mother’s Day and move back to 2 services.

Why 3 services when we’re so close to moving locations? Well, when you get down to it, that’s the reason! It would be easy to just coast until we make the move. But now is not the time to slack up or be comfortable. We have to make room for the people who will be coming for Easter and as a result of our connections through The Big Hunt. Our setup time will still be at 7am, we’ll just need all hands on deck to hustle to create the TCC environment.

You can commit to come to the early service (9am) so we’ll have the seats available during the prime times of 10:30 and 11:15. You can even stick around for one or both of the other times to serve.

So how many services? Bottom line: We’ll have as many services as it takes to see Hays County changed one life at a time!

Top 10 Reasons We Like Meeting at Hemphill

Happy Spiritual Birthday To Me

Cole — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:00:06 +0000

Gift Bible given to me by my Grandparents

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪♫ Happy Spiritual Birthday ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♪♫ to me!!!!

The greatest gift that I ever got was when I received the gift of salvation 32 years ago on March 23, 1978. That’s when I was born for the second time!

I heard about Jesus during the first years of my life, and when I was 7 years old, God got a hold of my heart and I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Even though I knew about Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection, it wasn’t until I trusted that He actually gave His life for me that I became a Christian. And even though I didn’t understand it all, I came to Him with the faith of a child (Mark 10:15), and God brought me into His forever family.

I’m thanking God today for all the incredible birthday gifts that He has given me:

Forgiveness for all my sin
A personal friendship and relationship with Jesus
The presence and filling of God’s Holy Spirit in my life
Freedom from the power of sin and the power to have victory over sin
Spiritual gifts like leadership, evangelism, and teaching
An abundant new life with purpose and meaning and a mission to live for
Hope for my future including eternal life and a home in heaven

WOW! How could I ask for more?

After I trusted in Christ, I went public with my faith by following Jesus in baptism. That was my first step of obedience to show that I was serious about living for Him.

This Sunday, we’re going to be baptizing at The Connection Church. If you have trusted in Christ, I want to challenge you to Go Public and be baptized this week. There’s no greater time to take that step than now, during the Easter season. Check out this page for more info and sign up today.

The Writing’s On The Wall

Cole — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:41:55 +0000

Deuteronomy 6:9 says that God’s Word is so powerful that the children of Israel were to write His commands on the doorposts and gates of their homes. Today, as we were working on the new TCC location, we wrote Bible verses that are foundational to what we’re about on the metal studs that will be in the walls of the building. If you come up in the next week or so to serve, feel free to bring a sharpie and add scriptures to the walls. Because, one thing that will never change is our commitment to the unchanging truth of God’s Word!

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