Children of Destiny

06/12/2024

Happy Pentecost, everyone!!

05/17/2024

This beautiful paragraph was in my daily practice of Lectio365 this morning:

08/27/2022

Moving through life can be tough. And it can often feel as though parts of ourselves get left behind in the process. David characterized it as “a broken dish thrown into the trash.” So, what do we do? In this message, Pastor Jack and Becky team up to bring encouragement and hope to the process of reclaiming what has been lost along the way, and moving forward in broken wholeness.

Moving through life can be tough. And it can often feel as though parts of ourselves get left behind in the process. David characterized it as “a broken…

05/02/2022

A re-storied life is what happens after the Holy Spirit enters and redeems your past, gives you victory for today, and hope for tomorrow. As a result, your life tells a different story and you live a different story. So, how does that happen? In this series, Pastor Jack will explore ways God intersects your story, and how we live differently as a result. First up, kindness! Contrary to its rather bland reputation, kindness is one of the most powerful weapons we have. In this moving message, Pastor Jack explains why.

01/03/2022

We have all been through a lot these past few years, and many are entering this coming year with weariness, caution, and trepidation. In this powerful message, Pastor Jack Sytsema lays out why this coming year is full of potential, possibilities, and all the provision you need, come what may. This is the go-to message for breaking lack of expectation or even fear off of your spirit as you enter 2022!

08/16/2021

Honest question: Do you pray as much as you'd like (or think you should)? If the answer is no, what do you think holds you back? This week Pastor Jack begins looking at prayer element of spiritual formation, and takes a look at these questions. (BTW, this is a judgement-free message for those of you who are allergic to that).

08/15/2021

This week Pastor Jack takes an honest look at what can seriously impact our intimacy with God and with each other, as well as destroy a healthy church culture. This message is full of truth, but also has a good dose of hopeful encouragement!

12/30/2020

Malachi 4: 5-6 is a promise that is fulfilled in Luke 1:16-17-- a promise that is especially dear to me because it’s a promise I have lived out of for the last 46 years of my life. These verses are the promise God makes to his people that he will heal and restore their families, not just them as individuals. This is a promise to take back what the enemy has stolen from families because of sin.

We all know sin is not self-contained. It never affects only the person committing it. It's like trying to keep water in a cardboard box, it may initially hold it in, but eventually it saturates the box, destroys the box and leaks out everywhere. This is what addiction does. It seeps out of its container and saturates everyone around it. This is what happened to my family.

But God. But God intervened 46 years ago and saved the addict. He picked up the saturated box and dried it and reinforced it and made it stronger and better than it was to begin with. And in doing that, he dried us off to and restored us as a family. The box became a home, a haven, a safe dwelling that many could run to for help. The box became a new creation and in turn made a new creation out of all that it came into contact with.

This isn't just a story for addicts and their families. This is hope for every family touched by sin and, let's be honest, that is every family on the planet. Even Jesus’ family. Jesus was human AND sinless but his parents were only human, so therefore his family struggled with sin just like we do. But their legacy is that they were the family of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. That's what we remember them for. The presence of Jesus in their family determined their legacy.

Likewise, it is the presence of Jesus in our families that determines our legacy. No matter what your past or your family’s past might look like, there is a chance yet to change it. God our father delights in “turning the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” because this mirrors what he does for us in salvation. He turns his heart toward us causing us, in turn, to turn our hearts toward him. He made the first move that saved my father and my family 46 years ago, God our father always does that because he loves us too much to leave us on our own.

12/28/2020

Hebrews 8:11 is, to me, one of the most hopeful verses of the New Testament. Can you even imagine a day coming when; “…they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.”? From the smallest child to the most brilliant and powerful human being on the earth, ALL will know Christ as their King and their Lord!

But for now, people only know if we tell them, if we teach them and say, “Know the Lord.” Right now, our world is full of teaching and telling that is about everything but the Lord, so the task before us is great. But, we possess the superior teaching and we have the most effective means of transmitting it--prayer! When we pray to our holy and all powerful God, He hears us and He delights to answer our prayers.

Today, make a list of those you want desperately to hear the message of salvation and commit to praying for them to that end.

Here are some verses you can pray specifically for your family and friends who don’t know the Lord as their Savior:

John 9:25
1 Timothy 2:4
Jeremiah 24:7
Acts 2:37
Mark 1:15
Ephesians 1:7
2 Corinthians 7:10
Romans 10:13
Romans 10:9
Romans 5:8

12/24/2020

What does a wagon, a hammer, and 2 pounds of nails have to do with Christmas and the end of a very tough year? Pastor Jack Sytsema has the answer! Join us for this brief but very uplifting Christmas Eve message.

12/23/2020

“Rejection is God’s protection.” I said this phrase so often to my kids during their adolescent years that one time, as it sat perched on my lips, my very troubled son said to me, “Don’t say it mom or I swear I might punch you!” I didn't mean for it to lack compassion. It was just vivid to me from where I stood, that God had indeed given him a great gift in this particular, but painful, rejection.

Rejection is spoken of in today's verses: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lords doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23.
How does rejection become marvelous in anyone's eyes? The answer is because in this instance, Rejection is God's inclusion!

Because the Jews rejected Jesus, his message of salvation came to the Gentiles (you and me). But hear me, our inclusion is not a consolation prize because those he really wanted rejected him. No, he planned to include us all along but he chose to do so in a way that would highlight our chosenness by setting it against the backdrop of their rejection. For proof, look again at Psalm 118: 23: “This is the Lord’s doing…” To do something is to bring it to pass, to carry it out, to make it happen. In these verses God was doing something profound. He was using the rejection of his chosen people to make a way for all (meaning all peoples, not everyone) to be saved.

Understanding my chosenness in this context evokes a deep sense of awe and gratitude. But it is also meant to move me to action. I am meant to carry this message, to share this gift. At a time of year when there seems to be so much to do, I want to challenge myself, and you, to make sure we don't neglect doing that which is most important.

12/21/2020

In Deuteronomy 18:15-22 the people ask Moses to be the spokesman of God because his power and glory are so overwhelming they cannot bear it. This refers back to Exodus 20:18-21 when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments;

“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightening… the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”

In these verses, Moses becomes the first of many prophets who served as mediators between God and his people. People feared God and thus didn't deal directly with him… they “listened” to his voice by listening to the voice of another - a prophet.

Even though the verses you're journaling today are the same words, there is a big difference to me. In the Deuteronomy and Exodus verses the people are afraid. They want and need to hear from God but the display of his power terrifies them. It reminds me of kids entering a dark room or a haunted house, they pick someone and say, “You go first…”

But in Mark 9, having witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, and seeing Moses and Elijah appear from the dead no less, the two greatest prophets of the Old Testament! What is Peter's response? “This is wonderful! Let's make three tents and stay here!” (my paraphrase). It goes on to say he was terrified but it seems his excitement overrode his fear. And I think the difference was the presence of Jesus. Jesus was God incarnate, God made flesh, and although he came in power and authority, people flocked to him. People weren't afraid of Jesus, they boldly approached him and asked for healing, even children were comfortable and unafraid in his presence.

In Deuteronomy 18:15 God comes in terrifying power and tells the people to listen to Moses and they agree. But is their agreement largely out of fear, I wonder? In Mark 9:7 God says the same thing but Peter, James, and John have been walking with Jesus and have come to know him. They have seen his gentleness and his care for people, they have experienced the comfort of his presence. And so, when Jesus’ deity is revealed to them up on the mountain, although they are afraid, they don't back away. Jesus makes the power approachable, which is exactly what he came to do. His death and resurrection tore the veil between us and God the Father. Instead of standing far off in fear waiting for someone else to tell us what God is saying, we can, “… with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Jesus gave us direct and fearless access to God the Father through his death and resurrection. I know, that's Easter but this is Christmas. However, the two are invariably connected. At this time of year, we largely focus on Jesus as the baby in the manger. But consider this--the baby in the manger was no less filled with power and authority than the man on the mount of Transfiguration, or the Savior who defeated death and rose from the grave.

This is who we listen to and this is why.