Living Word Church

Christmas Eve Worship

2010-12-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that a good Christmas Eve starts with milk, cookies and a great story by the fire.

We've got a great Christmas story for you!

5:30pm Milk, Cookies and PB&J

(That's Pastor Brad & Jesus - no peanuts involved)

This interactive family event will definitely get you and your kids into the Christmas Story while enjoying good old fashioned milk and cookies.

6:00pm Family Candlelight Service

Get into the Christmas Story with carols, contemporary music, an inspiring message and a moving candle lighting ceremony. After the candle lighting ceremony you will have the option to conclude your worship experience with personal prayer and communion.

All Christmas Eve Events will be in the Hyde Elementary Cafetorium 3700 FM518 East (Deke Slayton Hwy.) League City, TX (Just three lights from the Kemah Walmart)

Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness or ... Joy?

2010-06-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Which would you rather have? What is the difference? Consider how Rich Wagner in "The Myth of Happiness" establishes how different joy and happiness really are from each other:

§ Happiness is all about the here and now.

§ Biblical joy is rooted in eternity.

§ Happiness is a sound bite that does not last, while joy is like a pleasing chorus that cannot be stopped. “There is no happiness; there are only moments of happiness,” says an old Spanish proverb.

§ Joy, on the other hand, combines both: a constant presence of God inside me sprinkled with moments of genuine delight.

§ Time is the archenemy of happiness, but it is joy’s best friend. By its nature, happiness is impatient.

§ Joy, on the other hand, can afford to wait. It knows it has eternity to enjoy.

§ Happiness depends on circumstances,

§ Joy is independent of anything that happens to me.

§ Happiness draws me inward to my own personal fulfillment and fills me with more of myself.

§ Filling me with more of Christ, joy turns me outward to God and the world around me.

§ Happiness seeks temporary peace with myself,

§ But joy embraces lasting peace with Jesus Christ.

§ Pain kills happiness, but joy soothes it. Not surprisingly, 0happiness demands that I flee pain at all cost.

§ Joy, by contrast, is open to the suffering that results from obeying Jesus Christ.

“Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is,” C. S. Lewis says. That’s why, in pursuing happiness, I easily get defensive and bent on protecting the things in my life that make me happy. If Christ leads me away from this end, then I can instinctively become close-minded to his plans. Biblical joy, by contrast, is open to God’s will, even when that call takes me down unhappy roads and gloomy alleyways.

Vine & Branches: Remaining in Him

2010-06-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Anne, a mother of four, told Bruce Wilkinson the author of “The Secrets of The Vine” how she is able to remain or abide in Jesus

Principle 1: To break through to abiding, I must deepen the quality of my devoted time with God.

“I’m not just reading my Bible or making requests anymore. I listen for Him, meditate on His Word. I write down what I hear Him saying to me. I try to make this time as honest, deep and intimate as possible. When I started out doing devotional times, it was like I was getting my time cared stamped by heaven – “Yep, she was here. A whole ten minutes!” Lately, I’ve had to drag myself away.”

Principle 2: To break through to abiding I must broaden my devoted time – taking it from a morning appointment to an all-day attentiveness to His presence.

“I’m putting away groceries, and the kids are tearing through the house with the bags over their heads, screaming. I can be a little frazzled, but inside I’m saying, “Jesus, You are here with me in me, around me. Thank You for food and for my noisy kids.” I’m not always successful at this, but I try to take Jesus with me wherever I go. We keep each other constant company.”

How do you remain in Jesus? Share your comment!

What would you do?

2010-05-19T12:09:00.001-07:00

I’m curious… I got a question for you. If you were preaching a sermon and 1/3 of the people stopped paying attention… what would you do? If all of a sudden they started pointing and talking among themselves… what would you do? If you find out all or the hullabaloo is about a water bug (cockroach) that fell from the ceiling light and was crawling across the stage…what would you do? If your response song to the message was “All Creatures of Our God and King”… What would you do?

I am just curious … give your answer below!

That’s exactly what happened.

See you Sunday … you never know what is going to happen, who or what is going to be there and how God is going to work!

Pastor Brad

P.S. Don’t worry we took care of that water bug problem.

What do balloons, confetti & Christianity Have in Common?

2010-04-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

You will be surprised! (unless you were in worship on Sunday!) The kids saw if you rub a balloon in your hair it creates enough static electricity that it can literally pull confetti into the air and cling to the balloon!

That’s how God wants us to be as Christians. If we have the love of God within us, it is powerful not only to forgive our sins but to be the powerful force that “attracts” more people to Christ through us!

3 Principles to be a more “attractive” Christian:

1. Charge Your Batteries – the EverReady Bunny keeps going and going and going because of its power source. Your power source is God and His Word. Connect with God in prayer and load yourself up with power from His Word every day and you will be a more “attractive” Christian. (Romans 1:16)

2. Don’t Fake It – Be real. If you are sad, be sad but search for joy. (James 1:2) If you are angry, be angry but do not sin. (Ephesians 4:26) If you are grieving, grieve but do not grieve without hope. The Bible is full of real people with real emotions who turn to a real God to give them perspective and power to live out their faith. (Hebrews 11) Be real and you will be a more “attractive” Christian because of it.

3. Do Everything in Love – Ask yourself: Is this the most loving way to do this? If you speak the truth ask yourself if you are doing it in a loving way that builds relationships then you will be a more “attractive” Christian. (Ephesians 4:15)

Inflatable Clown Punching Bags

2010-04-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, my friend had one of those inflatable clown punching bags. What can you learn about friendship and punching bags?

From "Beyond Your Backyard" pg. 54-55

"We could push it, plow into it or punch it; but it always righted itself how? The rounded bottom was filled with sand which served as a ballast to keep it stable. My I suggest that an encouraging friend is the sand in the bottom of a punching bag? If we live long enough, we will be pushed, punched, pummeled and plowed into. Disappointments and tough circumstances work overtime to keep people down, but I believe God wants us to be like the sand in the bottom of the bag -- no matter how often those around us fall over we keep helping them back up. Just like the four roof crashers, a friend encourages people by getting them back on their feet."

Mark 2:1-12

What do you look for ... to be a friend?
Look for
1. A means to CONNECT
2. A NEED to meet
3. A way to ENCOURAGE
4. An OPPORTUNITY TO BE LIKE JESUS

See you Sunday for more of "God Big Backyard",
Pastor Brad

God's Big Backyard!

2010-04-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

Great ready for an adventure that starts in our own backyard and gets bigger each week as we take the love of Jesus into our neighborhoods and community!

God's Big Backyard Message & Small Group Series
April 18 Let's Start with our Friends
April 25 Are you doing good in the hood?
May 2 Can you make a Jesus difference?
May 9 How can you love your family?
May 16 Will you go out on a limb?
May 23 Can you find a way to reach the world?
May 30 Community Serve Event!

See you in worship Sunday and connect with a small group!

The Easter Experience Weekend!

2010-03-28T20:27:00.001-07:00

What if what happened then changes everything now?

The Easter Experience Weekend begins with our Good Friday Worship at 6pm at Hyde Elementary. Paint yourself into the passion of Jesus and ask the Ultimate Question.

The experience is fitting for elementary age children through adults. Experience for young children and childcare is available.

On Easter Sunday experience "The Incredible Answer" 9:30am Egg Hunt and Brunch 10:30am Lord's Supper Worship Celebration

For more information call 281-389-9071

Thief, Believer or Both?

2010-03-23T17:42:00.001-07:00

Was the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus and said, “Remember me when you enter your Kingdom” a believer before he hung on the cross? That’s the question Cindy asked me after she prepared to teach the children last Sunday. What difference does it make if he was a believer who sinned greatly? What difference does it make if he wasn’t a believer until he hung on the cross?
Check out Luke 23:32-43 and then share your comments!

THE EASTER EXPERIENCE

Palm Sunday Praise - March 28, 10:30am Worship

Good Friday Worship - The Ultimate Question! 6pm, April 2

Easter Sunday Celebration - The Incredible Answer!

9:30am Egg Hunt and Brunch

10:30am Worship

Who Is The Greatest Volunteer Ever?

2010-03-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize who this was until reading God's Word this week -- It's Jesus!
Did you know that Jesus wasn't forced, coersed or dragged to the Cross? He went willingly and could have put a stop to it at any time.

Matt. 26:53 – Peter put sword away “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Jesus is the greatest volunteer ever! Next time you volunteer do it because Jesus volunteered his life for yours.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who volunteer their time, talents and treasures to grow God’s Kingdom and help bring households out of spiritual famine.

I Thank God For You,

Pastor Brad

What are you doing today not to dismiss Jesus?

2010-02-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

"Do you dismiss Jesus?"

The soldiers under the cross did! Perhaps due to familiarity of the job, prejudice toward the Jewish people or just being distracted by the games they were playing. In any case God doesn't want us to "dismiss" Jesus during these 40 days until Easter. So this week, let's do something every day to look up to the cross and see our Savior.

Share on Living Word's Blog what you did today not to dismiss Jesus!

The Galveston County Daily News

2010-02-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

Pastor Brad was quoted in the Galveston Daily News article "Clergy offer advice on romance, relationships" on Feb. 13 Click below to read the article

The Galveston County Daily News

Got It?!!!

2010-01-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

Francis Chan, in Chapter 3 of the "Crazy Love" small group videos asked,

"Do you remember the moment when you “got it”? When you first realized you loved God with your heart, mind and soul?"

This question of the week has created a stir of conversation in our small groups. In the two groups that I participated in this week, it also has really opened us up to share our personal experiences with God’s Love. I can feel the Holy Spirit working moving among us – it’s been an amazing week!

Personally, I really "got it" only 10 years when I discovered an answer to prayer ... two weeks after God had answered it! I was driving down 290 and trying to decide what church to serve, only to realize that God had already answered the prayer two weeks earlier. I had been ignoring his answer, making my lists and not listening to God! In that divine moment I fully realized He was God and I wasn't. In that divine moment I let go of the wheel and held up my hands in surrender. I said out loud, "You've got all of me"

How about You? Do you remember when you "Got it?!!!" Maybe you don't "Have It" yet. God wants you to "Get It." Spend some time with Him. Then please share "It!" Leave your comment on the Living Word’s new Blog!

Loving God and it sure is crazy!
Pastor Brad

P.S. If want to talk -- just call me 281-389-9071

Crazy Love

2010-01-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

We have started reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan as a congregation. In the first chapter, Chan says, "What if you were told to stop praying? Stop talking at God for a while, but instead, take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word?" (Crazy Love, pg. 25)

We would love to hear your comments on your long, hard look at God this week!

Check out this video:

Let's see if we can stump Pastor Brad

2009-12-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

Come, Join us on Sunday, December 27th, 10:30 a.m. for our 2nd Annual LWCBA's "Gift Challenge!" Bring a "special" gift that you received, and challenge Pastor Brad to find Christian significance within it! Will you be the one to "stump" Pastor Brad this year?

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

2009-12-18T11:03:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve is THIS WEEK! If you are looking for a place to worship, we would love to have you come join us. We will have a contemporary candlelight service at 6pm at Hyde Elementary in League City. If you need a detailed map, here's a link.

And, as always, we would love to hear from you anytime. Email us at info@lwcba.org with questions, concerns, prayer requests, and praises.

2009-12-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend was our 2nd birthday, so naturally we had a party! We broke up into teams and had a gingerbread church decorating contest. Photos are still coming in, so check back later to place your vote for coolest church!

Gearing up for Back to School

2009-08-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mr. Will is suiting up for the Back to School Bash and Uniform Handout. Our Sunday Serve event this month is going to be to provide lunch, fun, and uniforms to local children in need. The date is August 30th. Check the website for details on participating, donating, volunteering. www.LWCBA.org

Fiesta!!!

2009-06-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Remember old-shool Vacation Bible School? Complete with music, goofy costumes, and good old fashioned Bible Stories set to fun little themes? Good stuff. Well, starting tomorrow Living Word Church is kicking off VBS. It's going to be alot of fun! Oh, and did I mention that you can bring your kids? They can come too. Yeah, this VBS is for all of us. And for the month of June our theme is Fiesta! We will see what's in store for us tomorrow. What is up Pastor Brad's sleeve? Or under his sombrero, shall I say...

May's Sunday Serve Event

2009-06-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday's Serve Event was fantastic! If you didn't get a chance to make it, here's a recap. The project revolved around the Ronald McDonald House. When patients come to stay they are each given a stuffed bear. We wanted to make sure that even the tiniest church members could participate, so we started off the day making bears at the Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Next stop was the Ronald McDonald house to deliver the bears. The best part was watching five kids sort through 30 bears (we were all doing our best to get our bears picked)! We also served up some great breakfast and lunch.

After a big day like that we needed a little time to unwind, right? So we packed the whole thing up and went to Palm Beach in Moody Gardens. We got some sun and a little quality fellowship. We even had a baptism by the picturesque waterfall.

All in all, we had a great day. The Sunday Serve events are held on the 5th Sunday of the month. That only goes for months with 5 Sundays... The next one will be in August. Stay tuned for more details. Every other Sunday you can catch us at Hyde Elementary in League City at 10:30. You can find out more about all that on our website.