A guy who works in the same office strip does the same thing every day, at the same time. Every morning between 8:30 and 9:30 he walks down the sidewalk while he’s talking on the phone. He stops and stands directly in front of my window and proceeds to pick the green leaves off of the bush. When he’s done talking…he walks back.
I can set my clock to this guys routine. I mean, what does he do on the weekends?

I have no idea who he’s talking to…I have no idea what he’s up to…
I’ve often wanted to ask, but today I was struck with a different thought: what are the routines that I have in my life? What things do I do the same way every day? And here’s the bigger question – do those routines include developing my relationship with Jesus? If not, what routines can I work on that will help me develop healthy patterns over the long haul?

How about you? What routines do you have on a daily basis that help you grow in your relationship with Jesus?

Saturday about 20 people showed up at the White Deer Dash and served our community well. I was out on the course with others, monitoring the race, handing out Gatorade and cheering runners on. (There’s alot of power in the orange vest!) Others waited at the finish line with signs, cheering the contestants as they crossed the line. We even got to put medals on the kids. In the end, we passed out 300 bottles of water to runners, workers, and family members who were part of the day.
Big thanks go out to everyone who gave their morning to love and serve people this way. I was proud to be part of our church!

Yesterday we continued our series “Summer @ the Lake”. A few of you were extremely excited to bump into old friends who showed up for the first time. And then we had TNC’ers who were thrilled that long time friends actually asked to come along for the day. (And you thought that might never happen!) We even had a HS student hang out with friends all day and then go to the HS group meeting in the evening. (That student had a 12 hour TNC day bookended with worship and community group!) It’s awesome to see so many new faces around the church during the summer…and it humbles me to again, be part of what God is doing in His church. Keep praying…keep inviting…keep thanking God for lives he is changing.

The good times kept rolling at our Lunch with Leaders. Had a good time just talking to people who are new to True North, getting to know them better. I love talking about the basics of our church, how people can get connected, and what the next steps are those who want to join in with what God is doing here.

Don’t forget that our Partners Night is Sunday, August 29th @ 6 PM. It’s being held at the Garner Church of Christ! Be there as we talk about vision and mission and some of the next things that are coming up for True North!

The Dash is an annual, one mile Family Fun Run, followed by a 5K race, that takes place at Lake Benson Park.

True North is somewhat of a sponsor for the event – primarily we got involved passing out water at the end of the race. But we’re needed for much more now. This a great opportunity to connect with potentially hundreds of people from our community.

Here are few jobs we’re needed for:
- Parking assistants – arrive at 6:45am
- Course monitors, passing out water (during the race) – arrive at 7:15am
- Passing out water at end of race – arrive at 7:15ish

Everyone should report to Shelter 2, which is the first one on the right.
If you’re interested in serving OR need more info…let us know!

The challenge as part of this miracle we looked at was to consider the things we “hunger” for in our life. We all have things we long for and desire and seek to fill our lives with, but in the end we find that we’re full, but not satisfied. Jesus called himself the “bread of life” and pushed people towards filling their lives with him…developing and nurturing that relationship that will satisfy us.

Here are some ideas and suggestions that might help you as you learn to feed yourself and build your relationship with Jesus.

Simple things you can do include prayer, journaling and Bible reading.
Many people have found writing out their thoughts and prayers to be a great way to communicate with God. Whatever you do – choose a time of day…a length of time…and go for it. There’s no right or wrong way to do this. If this is new for you, let me suggest reading The Message – it’s easy to read and understand.

BIBLE READING PLANS – if you want something more structured, try these:
Read the entire Bible in one year…there’s a hundred plans…
Read the entire Bible in 90 Days.
Read the New Testament in 30 Days.

Stuff you can do anywhere…in the car, working out, mowing the lawn.
WORSHIP MUSIC (3 I currently am listening to.)
Hillsong – A Beautiful Exchange
Passion – Awakening
Northpoint Live – Awake

MESSAGE PODCASTS (there’s a ton…a few I like.)
True North
Andy Stanley
Jon Weece
Flat Irons Church

There’s a ton more resources out there…hopefully this will get you going if you need some ideas!

OH, how could I have forgotten one of the best resources? The Bible for your phone! Check out YouVersion.

There are 3 really big things coming up that you need to know:
1. We are passing out water at the White Deer Dash – August 21st. After alot of work with the Town, they are finally calling our number and in need of our help. We need willing people who can simply pass out a bottle of water after the 5K race…pass out cups of water during the race…or serve as course monitors throughout the race. This is a great opportunity to love and serve our community and simply interact with people during a community event. If you’re interested in helping out just go here.

2. Lunch With Leaders is happening on Sunday, August 22nd. This is a free lunch for anyone who is new to True North. It’s a very relaxed environment to meet the pastors and some other leaders; hear about the beginning and future of the church; and ask some questions you’ve been wanting to ask. Lunch is taking place at White Deer Nature Center @ 12:15, just after morning services. If you’re interested in attending, just go here.

3. Partners Night is taking place on Sunday, August 29th. This evening is for everyone who calls True North “home”, especially those who are official Partners of True North – been to class and have committed to the mission of the church.
Again, this particular evening is also open to ANYONE who loves the church, is committed to the values we hold – relationship with Jesus, engaged in community, using our time/talent/treasures to serve.
Partners’ Night is being held at Garner Church of Christ. Coffee and dessert are being served AND childcare is available for some ages.

Partners Night is all about having a time together where we can recalibrate around the mission of our church. There are things to celebrate about what God is doing in our church and there things we need to talk about that we can do that will better help fulfill the mission we have. Hope to see you there!

I was a little unsure about 12 weeks on one series going into the summer, but I’ve been really pleased with what has happened. If you’ve been out of town or missed a Sunday – you an always catch up on the podcast. Check out past messages here.

Two notes – we will participating in communion together during the service too. Come prepared for that. And, if you’re a regular around TNC, we’ve been having a lot of guests over the summer for the 1st or 2nd time. Let me ask you to pay attention to that and make yourself available and welcoming.

See you Sunday!

VIDEOS – not all of the videos we’ve done are here, but many of them are. Announcements videos OR some sermon intro videos are in other places… You will find videos on our trip to Kenya, Pastor Appreciation or shorts from our series on When a Man Loves a Woman and Spiritual Urban Legends.

CALENDAR – it may not have a ton of things on it…but there is some helpful info there if you need to know something. At least you can save yourself the embarrassment of saying, “I didn’t know we had a day to work at With Love From Jesus” or “how long does Summer @ the Lake last?”. It’s all there for you. So check it out!

E-VITE – The email invite is an easy way to drop a virtual line to a friend and invite them to meet you at True North. Just drop your friend’s email address in there and send it out.