» dan Warner Alliance Church - Lewiston, Idaho

While looking over some journal entries that I made earlier this year, I ran across one that really seemed to stick out. John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you”, and although he was speaking to his disciples at that particular moment, I believe there is definitely a timeless transfer of truth to us today.

Because God has chosen to use his children, us(disciples), to be the messengers of bringing the lost to him, we have been chosen, too. Immediately I think of school yard days and the picking of teams… wanting to be chosen. Unfortunately wanting to be chosen didn’t stop after grade school.

Today it may be being chosen for a position at work, chosen as a potential spouse or chosen as a close friend. We still want to be chosen. Be reminded that you are chosen… for the most significant and lasting team ever.

Lets allow this truth to be the foundation that prepares us for what is ahead of us today and the days to come. You have been chosen!

While recently at a friend’s party, I was able to meet several of his friends that are not affiliated with Warner. People I would not have necessarily crossed paths with in my daily route.

The next day I heard of a significant conversation that took place after the birthday party with my friend (who is a part of the L.I.F.E. group that I lead), four other people from our group and a non-Christian couple, who also attended the birthday party. The non-Christian couple was getting ready to relocate to the East Coast soon and after several hours of hanging out they entered into a discussion about God. The husband made the comment that he wished he had met this group of friends earlier.

I have realized that since much of my time is spent with believers, that unless I purposely make efforts to connect with non-Christians, I would live life in a Christian bubble. Sometimes we segregate ourselves from non-Christians, for fear that we may be “influenced”.

Don’t forget that “greater is He who is in me, than he that is in the world”. It is the world that should try to stay away from the Spirit-filled Christians because it is they who carry the greatest Influencer.

May God richly bless you as you continue to say, “Yes” to Him.

It has been my experience, that there are many “good” things I can find for my time, energy & finances to be spent on. What has also been my experience is that, while heavily involved in “good” things, the “most important” things can be neglected.

Heidi and I have had many great plans for ourselves and our kids, but sometimes the “good” things have been allowed to take the place of the “most important” things. I am sure that many of you can identify with that as well. I want to encourage you to identify a few of the “most important” things that need to happen in your life and then make time for them.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to run your “most important” things by God first and see what he thinks about them.  May God richly bless you as you continue to say yes to Him.

I just returned this past weekend from our Men’s Retreat, and I want to say that I was really challenged! To any wife reading this- push your man into times with other men like this retreat.

Steve Altmeyer was our speaker and he did a terrific job. It was a great reminder to me of the overwhelming task of being a husband/father/pastor and most importantly a child of God, and how much I need God each day to be everything that I need to be.

Are you tired of trying to be everything to everybody?  Stop, drop & pray (you thought I was going to say roll didn’t you).  God has all we need to carry out His Will.  I guess that’s the question we need to ask.  How much of what I do is related to “His Will” and how much is related to “my way”.  May God richly bless you as you continue to say yes to Him.

Isn’t it funny how a little stone can just rock your world…the answer is no- nothing funny about it at all. Slowly but surely we have been able to begin to get some of you into a L.I.F.E. Group. After my surgery next week, I will be sitting down with a few trusted leaders and setting up a “better way”. Thank you for your continued patience and support as we venture together into the unknown- at least by us anyway.  May God continue to bless you as you continue to say “yes” to Him.

As I have been working with some individuals to get them into L.I.F.E. Groups, I have come to appreciate my existing group leaders more. The reality is we have grown so quickly that we don’t have enough leaders to go around. I guess that’s a good problem to have.

I want to thank those who are leading and participating in groups, as well as the patience of those who are still waiting to get into a group.

I am continuing to contact potential leaders so we can have plenty of room for those of you that are interested in joining a group and those that will want to in the near future.  Gods work is best accomplished in Gods timing.  May God continue to bless you as you continue to say “yes” to Him.

In a book that I am reading, “Too Christian, Too Pagan”, I have been challenged in my lack of intentional choices of reaching the lost. I get consumed in my job (connecting & building up Christians) and my pursuits in life and somehow lose track of the eternal.

Let me encourage you to take a look at your average weekly schedule and see how much time & effort you put into building relationships with those who do not yet know the forgiveness and true life that God has to offer.  May God continue to bless you as you continue to say “yes” to Him.

In several conversations over the past few weeks the topic of “buy in” has come to the surface. “Buy in,” would be the point in which a person has decided that whatever the opportunity being considered, it is a worthwhile investment of their time, money & ability–so they agree to “buy” into it.

In the world of L.I.F.E. Groups there are people that have agreed to try one and those that have, have chosen to “buy in”.  The difficulty in trying one in order to potentially “buy in” is that a L.I.F.E. Group’s true potential is only realized when you fully engage yourself in it.

We are all very busy people, with many different responsibilities and choices that demand our time, money & talents.  Let me encourage those in groups to fully engage in your group, be willing to share life with the others in your group and let’s just see what “life” begins to grow.  May God continue to bless you as you continue to say “yes” to Him.

It’s been an interesting past couple of months for me as I am continuing to have conversations with people about L.I.F.E. Groups, but at this point have very little room for others to join or begin.  I appreciate those of you that have been patiently waiting for an opportunity to arise and will continue to try and get you into a group. The issue of “community” and being “connected” is actually bigger than L.I.F.E. Groups, yet is the very reason L.I.F.E. Groups were developed and why the Cornell’s (my family) moved to Lewiston from Pennsylvania.

Community can be found in events like a Saturday men’s breakfast gathering, a Ladies Night Out Event, a night of Bunco or Adult Sunday School.  These are all ways to “connect” with and get to know others better and are very good.

L.I.F.E. Groups are a way to take it to the next level of getting beyond names, vocations & family associations, to who we are and who by the grace of God we are becoming.  I will continue to work at raising leaders and creating space for others to join a L.I.F.E. Group.  Thank you for your patience as we continue to experience this journey of faith together.