vision

By Donna Alexander

Donna Alexander traveled to Peru with five other people from the Ridge in August 2013. The experienced stretched her faith in many ways and made a huge impact on her relationship with God. Here, she shares her story.

My decision to go on the mission trip was kind of interesting. In the beginning, I really was excited and I wanted to go. But then I started thinking, What if my back goes out, what if I have problems with my feet, what if there are issues with my diabetes?

All these questions filled my mind and I just kind of backed off the idea of going. But God kept saying to me, “Donna, you’re not trusting me, you need to trust me.”

So I talked to Amanda Allen about it, and she was kind of having some of the same feelings. But she said, “You know, it really would be neat to go and experience this trip!” I said, “I agree, but I just don’t think it’s something I really want to do.”

Time passed, and then one weekend I was sitting in a worship service at the Ridge, and the pastor was talking about obeying God. It felt like he was talking directly to me! After the service, I walked up to Amanda and said, “Amanda, did you get anything from the message?” She said, ”Yeah, I think we’re going to Peru!”

So then I was back on board. I raised money for the trip and tried to prepare myself in other ways, but I had some apprehension and fear. My biggest fears were about traveling up the mountain to the village where we’d be staying. I am scared to death of heights. But I prayed a lot, and during the seven-hour drive from the airport to the village, I kept my eyes closed a lot. Sometimes we were just two feet from the edge of a cliff! God helped me get through that.

The first night in the village, we went to a church service. It was such a beautiful experience. I didn’t have to understand the language to know the presence of God was there. Even the little children raised their hands and praised the Lord. It was just unbelievable.

That night, after the church service, we went to a soccer field across from the church. We lay down and looked up at the skies, which were full of stars. If you lay there long enough you got to see a shooting star. It was just so beautiful. We felt so close to God.

The thing that probably sticks out the most to me happened on the last day we were there. We traveled up the mountain with a couple we had met and had a church service in one of the villages. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced, it was like a confirmation that we were there for the right reasons—to spread the word of God and help the people in the villages understand that God loves them and is there for them.

When we were in Peru, we felt so connected to God. Our total focus was on him, and everything we did was about God and about spreading his word. At home, there are just so many distractions! But there’s a spiritual need here, too. We don’t have to go thousands and thousands of miles away to have a mission. We definitely have a lot of people on our community who need to hear about God’s love.

For me, the trip was about having time to totally focus on God and give him my life to do with what he wants. I think that’s what it was all about. Once we were there on the mountain, all the fears and doubts and apprehensions just left. I think of the song we recently starting singing in church, “Nothing’s impossible.” And it’s just so true. Nothing is impossible with God.

Stories are a big part of life. For most of human history, stories have been the primary way the wisdom and understanding of previous generations was handed down. And still today, stories play a major part in shaping how we see our world.

Stories are powerful because that’s God’s design. He is greater than we can ever comprehend, so he tells us about himself through stories. The Bible is not primarily a text book, but a story book.

Stories are also how we get to know each other. We may introduce ourselves by saying where we’re from, or what we do. But if you really want to get to know someone you need to hear their stories.

At The Ridge this year we’ve been learning a lot about the power of stories. Our Easter series told the stories of four people in our church whose lives have been changed.  You can still see them at stories.ridge.tv.

Over the summer we heard the stories of the builders who came from all over to help us. And we saw how the stories from our people encouraged them. And together we lived new stories as we saw God do amazing things in the progress of our building.

That’s why we’re giving more time to stories at The Ridge this fall. If you’re in a LifeGroup you’re hearing stories from people in the Bible, and people who’s lives have been changed by God. We trust this will help you find a way to tell your story too.

And, on this blog over the next few weeks, you’ll have the chance to read and hear the stories of those who went on our Peru mission trip this summer.

I hope you’ll keep your ears and hearts open as you hear these stories. Because if you do you’ll hear God’s story. And once we hear His story, we begin see how he’s telling his story through us.

Sometimes life gets overwhelming. We are very good at balancing all kinds of pressures and demands, but every now and then something gets the better of us and we feel overwhelmed.

Feeling overwhelmed is part of living in a fallen world. We were not created to carry the burden of sin that waits for us every morning when we wake up. Instead God has made a way, through Christ, for that burden to be placed on him. He alone can deal with our sin because he is our sinless Savior.

But even with that knowledge, we can still feel overwhelmed. But we’re not alone, either in feeling that way, or in seeking relief.

God has placed us in a spiritual family, or community, that is designed to share that load. The reason we are encouraged to meet together is to motivate and encourage each other in “love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

But some times we need something more that that. We need someone to listen to our frustration and help us pick through the mess and find out what’s really going on. That’s what we are told to do in Galatians 6:1-2. We are all in a battle against sin, and some have more history and experience, and can share that knowledge with others.

There’s opportunities for both these kinds of help on Sunday nights at The Ridge. The Vine is a service that is designed specifically through worship, teaching and conversation to help us share the load.

And after the service there is always someone available to talk about a particular question or struggle, to help identify the sin, and apply the the truth of the cross.

I hope you’ll find your way into the shade some time soon, and allow God to use his family to restore your soul (Psalm 23:3).

And let us not grow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9 KJV

I like that word “faint” used in the King James Version, much more than the newer versions “do not lose heart” and “do not give up”.  About twenty-five years ago, while attending a bible conference, a young evangelist gave an illustration that burned an impression into my mind that I will never forget.  Seems a few centuries ago in Europe the word faint had another meaning that has become rather obsolete to us today.  Faint meant to “unstring the bow”.  Back then one of the primary ways to put meat on the table was to diligently hunt.  It was a long process, it could last hours, and often unsuccessful.  Picture a rugged young man in the early morning preparing to go out hunting to provide for his wife and two children.  On the way out he picks up his favorite bow and a quiver of his straightest arrows.  Just outside he sets down, holds his bow tightly between his knees, bends down the upper limb and puts the string around the string groove.  His bow is now strung and off he goes with the best of intentions.  There were numerous rabbits and squirrels, but each time the arrow missed its mark.  Morning turns into late afternoon, and weariness sets in as he realizes that even though he has had quite a few shots he has nothing to show for his efforts.  Tired from the long, cold day he loses heart and gives up.  He spiritlessly sits down on a stump, holds his bow tightly between his knees, bends down the upper limb and slowly takes the string from around the string groove.  He has decided to faint, “unstring the bow”.  The next instant an elk or a deer could have passed within ten feet of him but he had rendered himself useless, unable to shoot even if the opportunity availed itself.  I sometimes find myself as a Christ follower in the same spot as the young man in the illustration, weary and tired from the long journey, losing heart and even an occasional thought of is it really worth it.  I too started with the best of intentions, my best bow and my straightest arrows, but far too many times I have missed the mark.  Praise God, it’s at those times I find strength and comfort and am brought back to the promise in Galatians 6:9 “stay at it, stay prepared for some great opportunities are just ahead so don’t unstring the bow”

-Paul Wyatt-

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in the conformity with the purpose of His will,

Ephesians 1:11

When I was in 7th grade, one of my teachers arranged the seating weekly, by grades.  There was the “A” row, and then there was everyone else.  Seven rows of seven desks, and each Monday the seating would be changed based on the previous week’s scores. Chair One of “A” row had the highest score from last week, Chair Two had the next highest, and so on.  Last week’s Chair One could be this week’s Chair Five, or worse, end up in General Seating.  The “A” row received recognition in the class, along with special privileges, such as being dismissed from class one minute before the bell rang.

No one’s position was secure.  There was always the chance that someone from general seating could earn a spot in the row, a chance that an “A” row resident could find themselves deemed “not good enough” one week, fighting for a top spot again.

We are continuously fighting to get to the “A” row, no matter what the arena.  We want to be in the top spot in whatever team we are on.  We want to be the points leader, we want to be the go-to guy in the office, we want to be the most respected, most envied, we want to be The Most.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we fight, whether it’s studying for a top spot, practicing for a top position, working long hours for recognition in our workplace, sometimes we don’t make the cut.  Sometimes, the criteria we work within defines us as not quite good enough.  Try harder next time, maybe you’ll make it.

Achieving the top spot in this life is not guaranteed, no matter how bad we want it, no matter how hard we work for it.  Someone else might be working just a bit harder.  Someone else might have a little more talent.  Someone else could have made the cut through no extra effort, just a fluke of the numbers.

This can be discouraging, as we so readily believe that we are defined by our successes.  We can become so driven for success that we notice little else around us.

What I so often forget though, is I’ve already made The Cut.  I’m in the “A” Row.  I have been created with a purpose by the Almighty.  He has given me specific talents and gifts to bring glory to His Kingdom as only I can do.

In this world, I am easily replaced.  Anyone can do what I do at the office.  Anyone can take my position on any team.  Anyone can perform the tasks that I choose to perform.  To God, I cannot be replaced.  He has set out a plan that includes me and my usage of the gifts He has given me.  I can’t earn this position.  I can’t work my way into God’s “A” Row.  I need only accept that I’m already there.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the purpose You have laid out for me.  Forgive me when I chase accolades of this world, which are fleeting and meaningless.  Help me remember that I am chosen, and bringing glory to You, Father, is the reason I am here.

-Jeanne Roberts

I remember in 1961 working the summer at Rike’s Kulmer Co. in downtown Dayton, where the Schuster Center currently sits.  It was a” higher priced” department store occupying an 11 story building on the corner of Second and Main Street.  I was 14 and it was the first job I had that required me to travel outside Johnsville/New Lebanon.  I especially remember that summer working in the hardware department and above all, the boss I had.  He sat in a beautifully paneled office with a large desk placed in the middle of it, nice carpet, comfortable chairs and lots of lighting.  The first week consisted of him showing me a task and then telling me once I had completed it to come see him for another.  I did this over and over and over again.  Come Monday of the next week I was at work right on time.  Just as I had done the previous week, I completed the assigned task and went to his office to get further directions.  It was that morning, at the age of 14, that I learned a lesson that would benefit me the rest of my life.  He asked me to have a seat, and then he said “Paul, you seemed to have picked up a great deal last week and now have a good basic knowledge of what needs to be done.  Starting today I want you to go out on the floor and look around.  If the floor needs swept or mopped do it.  If our stock on the shelves is low, refill it.  Try to keep our stock room as neat and clean as possible.  Once you finish a task, look around and do the next thing.  I’ll let you know when something needs attention.”  What a life lesson I was taught. 

I don’t know about you, but there are times in my Christian walk that I labored to know God’s will for my life.  I have found myself finishing a task then asking God “what do you want me to do next?”  Many times, not audibly mind you, but in my heart I could hear God simply saying “Paul, you seemed to have picked up a great deal and have a good basic knowledge of what needs to be done as a Christ follower.  Look around and do the next thing.  I’ll let you know when something needs attention.”  Yes, God does have a will for our lives, but sometimes we get hung up in finding and doing His will when we already know what needs to be done.  Just do the next thing.

Paul Wyatt

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13

This summer, I’ve had the privilege of giving my testimony a few times to the visiting groups of builders. I’m not a talker, but every time I stood up to tell the story of God’s love for me, I was overcome with emotion and passion for what God has shown me.  It’s good to reflect on our individual story of what God has done for us, even if we didn’t acknowledge His presence at the time.

I was an atheist for many years, although God pursued me heavily.  There was one thing that I could not reconcile.  My identity.  Still, in my weakest moments, in my times of struggle, I hear the whisper that I am not who I appear to be.  I hear the suggestion that this life of mine is a mistake.  As I told my story, I was faced with that lie over and over.  I was forced to see it for what it is, and I was given the strength to acknowledge it and let it go.

Much of my resistance to the Father was based on my idea that I was an abomination.  I believed that my mere existence was a slap in the face of everything that God is, that every breath I took was a mockery of His grace. I believed that He and I could not exist at the same time; it was an unresolved equation.

I believed that even beyond my own sins, my own poor choices, at my core I was bad. My biological father had an affair with one of the nursing staff that cared for his mother.  To avoid the scandal that would certainly come to harm his reputation and his marriage, and would harm the business of the nursing facility, I was given away and taken to another state to be raised far away from the scene of the crime.

When I learned this as an adult, I heard any door to salvation slam shut. “Well, that settles it.”  I thought. There was no further consideration, there was no further curiosity in the validity of the Bible or the claims of Christ.

Many years later, when I gave my life to Christ, when I accepted that God loved me no matter what I did, no matter what anyone else did, I kept my beginning a secret from Him.  I didn’t bring it to Him in prayer.  I kept hold of that shame, hoping He wouldn’t notice.  After all, I had plenty of other transgressions to lay at His feet, surely this one little thing, well, we didn’t need to talk about it.

Shortly before being asked to share my story of salvation, God revealed to me that my conception, my birth, my identity is in Him.  It doesn’t matter what happened in the world, I am born in Him.  He paved the way for me before I knew Him.  When my parents found out about me, they easily could have remedied the problem with a visit to a clinic, but they didn’t.  God provided life.  After being given away, my life held a string of obstacles that as an adult I held onto as further argument that if He was real, He didn’t approve of me. However, I see now that the struggles I faced and the circumstances I found myself in over and over give me more reason to praise Him and the boundless love He has for me.  That is my true identity.  In this world, I don’t have a pedigree.  I don’t have a family history, I don’t have a regal or even ordinary  bloodline.  In Him, though, I am a legal citizen.  I am a child of the King.  That is the only ID I need.

It’s the only ID anyone needs.  It doesn’t matter where you come from.  It doesn’t matter where you’ve been taken or where you’ve gone.  God’s love covers that.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your constant presence and love.  Thank You for the unending grace and acceptance that You have covered me with.

-Jeanne Roberts

In my last post I described how our weekend services are about the “what” and the Vine is about the “why.” But what are we trying to accomplish at the Vine, and why is that important that the Ridge?

The Vine is about relationships. More specifically, relationships that build into our spiritual lives. It’s good to worship and study God’s word together, and there’s many places we can do that.

But building relationships that connect on spiritual things is not easy, and that’s where we need some help. And there’s three things you’ll find to do that at the Vine.

1. A Place. Just by showing up you’re saying “I’m interested in growing, and want to find out more.” The others at the Vine are there for the same reason, and we talk about how to grow every time. There’s even a chance for you to ask a question or talk about what you’re learning, either in the group or afterward. Or you can just listen to what others have to say.

2. Roots. To grow in our spiritual life we need to know what that is, and how it works. God’s Word will show us who we are spiritually.  As we sink our roots into the Bible we’ll begin to see things differently, both in us and in the people and situations around us.

3. Conversation. When you come with a desire to grow and start to see that happen, that gives you something to talk about. And the Vine is a perfect place to start that conversation. I’m available after every Vine service, and you’ll quickly make some new friends, or recognize some old ones.

It’s a pretty simple approach, but it works. In fact, it’s already working! And we are making plans to give more space to each of these three things.

So come see what’s growing on the Vine.You may discover that what’s growing is you.

Do you ever think that maybe we make the idea of living out our Christian faith harder than it has to be?

This summer we have been doing the series called “10 Values that Build Strong Families.” Basically it is a practical series based on the 10 Commandments.  Sometimes, in the back our minds, I think we believe God gave us His Word to take all the “fun” out of life.  When, in reality, our Father is simply giving us a list of do’s and don’ts that, if we obey them, makes our lives better.  God gives us instruction in the Bible for our benefit.

I believe if we can just learn to trust and obey God, our lives will be so much better.  We will be so much better prepared for problems when they come down the pike.  We will have better relationships.  We will impact our community on a more regular basis. We will feel closer to God.

Jesus basically told us the same thing in that we would be smart to listen to Him.  At the end of the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew He says, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.”

Many of us hears Jesus’ words…we just don’t do them.  That makes us very unwise.

Real truth is found in the old hymn “Trust and Obey”–

“Trust and obey, trust and obey, to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey”

I don’t know about you, but it strikes me that maybe I would obey a bit more if I truly trusted that God has given me the Bible for my benefit.

My prayer is that you and I will learn to trust God more today than we did yesterday.  And then through our obedience we can see God do amazing things in and through our lives.