Richard Sims

Pivotal Circumstances

This Sunday, September 20, we'll close out the series Five Things God Uses to Grow Your Faith with the message "Pivotal Circumstances."

Every one of us has faced circumstances, both good experiences and bad, that have effected our faith. When we face one of these times, we get to decide whether our faith grows stronger or gets weaker.

In the great times, the times of celebration and joy, our faith grows when we decide to praise and thank our Heavenly Father and acknowledge that he is the source of our celebration. Our faith weakens when we pat ourselves on the back and give all the credit to our abilities, our wisdom, ourselves.

In the difficult times, our faith can grow weak very quickly. We begin to doubt that God loves us and that he could do anything to help us even if he wanted to. Or, our faith can grow huge, as we cling the One who created all things and who loves us more than we can comprehend and who is in absolute charge of our circumstances, whether or not we understand it.

God wants to grow your faith. Sometimes he chooses to do that through difficult circumstances. It's up to us how we respond.

Everyone you know is either going through a tough time or is heading toward one. Do everything you can to get them to Tapestry to hear this message. It's that important, and they'll thank you after the service.

I'll see you this Sunday at 6pm for our final worship service at New Covenant Church and to take a closer look at "Pivotal Circumstances."

God Wants to Grow Our Faith

This Sunday at Tapestry we're back in business with worship at New Covenant at 6pm. This will be our next to last meeting at New Covenant, and we'll continue with part 5 of the 6-part series Five Things God Uses To Grow Your Faith. (Just a reminder, moving weekend is September 26-27, and then we get to celebrate God's faithfulness on October 4 at Gold's Gym.)

Speaking of faith, many of you began praying in faith way back in January, or even earlier, that God would provide Tapestry with a Sunday morning meeting place. When nothing seemed to happen for so many months, many of us had our faith tested. What we couldn't see was that God was working behind the scenes on our behalf. But that's why it felt like a test, we couldn't see that God was working. And, of course, that's why it's called faith.

In the meantime, we worked, and we worked hard. We looked far and wide for facilities, we talked to people, we crunched numbers, we were told "no" too many times to count. But we were working, because, after all, meeting places don't just drop into your lap, right?

Until God dropped this one in our lap.

I was actually at the beach when I received a call from Danny Wannall, owner of Gold's Gym. Danny said the he had heard we were looking for a place to meet on Sunday mornings and wanted to verify that, because he was looking for a church that might could use his facilities on Sunday mornings. This is one of those phone calls you never forget.

Between January and August 2009, how many of us lost faith that God would ever provide us with a Sunday morning foyer environment? How many of us are struggling in our faith right now because we can't see God at work in our lives? How many of us would like God to grow our faith BIG?

This Sunday we'll look at yet another way that God grows our faith. Don't miss it!

Key Dates in the Big Move

Many of you have heard by now that Tapestry Church is making the big move!

That's right, we'll soon begin meeting on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am at Gold's Gym, in West End Commons at 650 Henderson Drive, Cartersville.

Here are some BIG DATES for the BIG MOVE:

• Sunday, September 20 - Last Day at New Covenant Church
• Saturday-Sunday, September 26-27 - MOVING DAYS
• Sunday, October 4 - 1st Sunday at Gold's

In addition to these dates, it's very possible that we'll meet at Gold's on Saturday, October 3 to set-up for our Sunday services. Since it will be our first set-up at Gold's, this will give us plenty of time to get it right, rather than having the time constraints of doing this on the morning of the 4th.

So, whether you're a part of Tapestry or not, we ask for your prayers. We'd love to have your help on our moving days. And we'd be thrilled if you'd join us on October 4th!

Making a Difference This Saturday

Last Monday night I attended a parent's meeting for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Cartersville High School. I was really impressed and want to let all Bartow Countians know about something cool that will take place this Saturday, August 29th, and that will benefit the FCA chapters at EVERY Bartow County high school.

First, FCA members will offer free car washes at Diamond Auto Wash on Old Mill Road (across from Crescent Bank) from 11am - 2pm this Saturday. Donations will be accepted, and every penny goes to the local FCA chapters.

Second, Gold's Gym is sponsoring Gold's Fest this Saturday, 11am til whenever, at West End Commons (off Henderson Drive). There will be lots of games for the kids, bounce house, face painting, free food, and a chance to buy a $5 raffle ticket. (More on that in a moment, but it's the whole reason behind Gold's Fest). Grand Prize is a full body makeover at Gold's, and there are all kinds of other prizes.

Here's the deal with the $5 raffle tickets - every single penny from the sale of the tickets goes directly to help send teenagers to FCA camp next summer. Every single penny.

So take some time this Saturday and help the FCA continue to make an impact in the lives of the teenagers of Bartow County. It'll be well worth it.

The Big Move

Yes, it's been a while since I've blogged, but this one is worth the wait!

Just in case you haven't heard, Tapestry Church is making the big move!

One of our key environments at Tapestry is our Sunday worship gathering, and like a foyer in a home, it's a place where people can come, meet us, check things out, and hopefully find it enjoyable and helpful and want to come back.

In January 2009, God blessed us by allowing us to meet on Sunday nights at New Covenant Church. It's been a tremendous opportunity for ministry and we're grateful for it. But all along we've been praying this prayer together: "Father, please provide us with a Sunday morning location, one that can become an irresistible foyer environment, a place where unchurched people would love to attend."

So many of you have been faithful over the last seven months of meeting on Sunday nights, and you've been praying this prayer. We haven't been asking God for this because we prefer Sunday mornings or because we'd rather not sit in pews or for any other reason than this: we desire an environment that will help us reach the most people for Christ. Period.

And now, God has provided.

On Sunday, October 4, 2009, we'll begin having Sunday morning worship services at Gold's Gym in West End Commons, Cartersville!

God is so faithful!

More details to come in future posts, but for now, let's begin to pray that God will work through us in our new facility to lead people from all over this county into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ!

Messy Ministry

At Tapestry Church, we want to be a place "where people who are broken or frayed are woven together into the body of Christ." What do we mean by "people who are broken or frayed"?

Just what it says. All of us have sinned. All of us are broken and frayed in some way. The good news is that all of us are loved dearly by our Heavenly Father. But there are lots of people around us who haven't heard that incredible news. And that should break our hearts.

There are broken, frayed, messy people all around us. Many of them need to know Jesus. The truth is, lots of churches want these messy people to know Jesus, but they don't really want those messy people in their churches.

I do. I want God to send to Tapestry messy people who no one else wants. I want us to love them, and I want them to understand that God loves them.

This isn't an easy ministry. Messy people are, well, messy. But God loves them just as much as he loves me. He sent his Son for them, just like he did for me.

Here's where the church comes in: "And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." (2 Corinthians 18b-19)

So let's tell others. Let's love people, even messy people. Especially messy people. Let's invite them. And let's make sure they hear the wonderful message that their Creator loves them and wants them to be reconciled with him.

Sunday Recap

What a great Father's Day! It started out with breakfast in bed along with a Sunday newspaper, which featured a picture of me and the kids and Father's Day greetings from them. I am so blessed to have three incredible children!

Lots of Tapestry folks were out of town this weekend, but those who were here, well, we experienced a truly powerful service. Jason Sartain and the band rocked it out, then Louie Giglio talked about grace while sharing the story of Ashley, a college student in the last semester of her senior year.

Here's one of the many takeaways: "Most people who aren't followers of Christ, it isn't because they don't believe in God. It's because they don't think that God believes in them." Let that sink in for a moment.

The band led us in "Mighty to Save" to close us out, and, wow, just a great experience. Thanks to all who joined us and to those who helped us set up and tear down. Special, special day.

Up next - no worship service this Sunday, June 28, but we'll have InsideOut for grades 6-12 at 7pm on the 28th.

Waiting and Trusting

If you're a believer, then chances are you've read Isaiah 40:27-31 before. My high school, the Northside Eagles, used it on our FCA t-shirts. It's printed on just about everything in any Christian bookstore. I know, I've been in a few.

But today as I read those words, God really spoke to me. Some of us are out there trying to live a life that's pleasing to God, trying to do what's right when the rest of the world doesn't care, and we're tired. Some of you have been praying and praying and praying, and God hasn't responded, at least not the way you want him to. Maybe there are areas of your life where you've been struggling to have the patience to wait on God's timing. When all of those feelings start creeping in, it's easy to begin to doubt that God will do anything.

Then we start reading Isaiah 40:27-31. God does hear our prayers. God does know what's best. God's going to provide for me, when he's good and ready. (God is never in a hurry, and he's never late.) How could I ever doubt any of that? After all, God is the Creator of the universe.

When we get tired, when we start to doubt, when we pray and God says "wait," or even "no," God is there to provide us with his strength; strength to do, strength to wait, and strength to trust. When we don't have the strength or the patience or the faith, all we have to do is lean hard into the One who has all the strength, patience and faith we'll ever need.

Fruitcake and Ice Cream

I'm so excited about this Sunday's message, Fruitcake and Ice Cream. If you were h ere at Tapestry back in June 2008, then you may remember the Hope video series with Louie Giglio, and the story of Ashley, a young college student at the University of Florida. Well, in Fruitcake and Ice Cream, Louie speaks about grace while he reads from Ashley's personal journal. The message is encouraging and challenging to believers: the way we live our lives is crucial, and no matter how far away from God someone is, we can't give up on them.

Fruitcake and Ice Cream has so much to say for the unbeliever as well. They'll recognize a lot of themselves in Ashley's journal. This is a perfect opportunity to invite someone who doesn't usually attend church!  A lot of our regular attenders will be out of town or away this Sunday, so if you're anywhere near here, join us for this Sunday's service and invite someone to come with you. 

Sunday Recap

Last night we wrapped up the short, 2-part series Boulevard of Broken Dreams by looking at the story of King David and the rebellion of his son, Absalom. It was a unique perspective on that story, as David's dreams were crushed right before his eyes. His dreams were dashed, but not his faith. When you realize that your dreams can't come true, that isn't the time to take control of the situation. It's the time to lean hard into the only one who was ever in control in the first place, your Heavenly Father.

It was great to have James David Carter back with us leading worship! He did a great job and it was good to spend some time with him again. I really felt God speaking to many of us during the closing song, "Never Let Go."

You don't want to miss this Sunday! Louie Giglio continues last June's series Hope with a one-part video message entitled Fruitcake and Ice Cream. I'll share some more insight into this message in future posts.