Chip Wheeler.com

Enjoy The Journey

This Sunday our Peru mission team will be sharing about their experience! Our mission team represents the beginning of what will become a reoccurring opportunity for those who feel called to “Go” and bring truth and people together in places like Peru.

The opportunity to go overseas will be more and more available, but we must not forget about connecting with those in our community. In many ways, it is easier to go to a different part of the world, but those we love most (our neighbors, co-workers, friends and family members) are just as in need of the gospel.

The month of August is a watershed event for River Hills Church. God has been blessing our church for the last 12 months, but we want to continue our momentum by reaching out to 20,000-30,000 people in our community and inviting them to our August teach series “Finding Purpose.” We are challenging everyone to “Give and Go.”

Due to our recession – times are lean and budgets are tight, but we must continue to express truth. We’re encouraging everyone to “Give” $10-$50 over their normal offering in order to provide the resources necessary to invite 30,000 people to River Hills in August. For the next three weeks – pray about how God would have you “give” over and beyond your normal tithe.

We’re also encouraging people to “Go.” Begin to pray about five people in your life that may not be connected to church – and invite them to come to “Finding Purpose” on Sunday, August 8. This is an incredible opportunity to be a missionary without buying a plane ticket. Pray how God would have you to “Give and Go.”

The last fourteen days have been a whirlwind for me and my family. Two Mondays ago I left to speak at a missions camp for teenagers in southwest Louisiana – and was delayed because of a mechanical problem on my flight (this will become a theme). After spending a fantastic week with students, adults and old friends – I started my journey back to Atlanta to meet our Peru mission team (my flight was delayed). Our team met at 3:30 a.m. – we experienced no delays on the way to Peru, but 29 hours of travel stinks no matter what. We had a great week in Peru and then headed back only to be delayed 14 hours – but when I finally made it home (after 36 hours of travel) – I can wholeheartedly say -  it was awesome!

Our first international mission trip at River Hills Church was an amazing success, in spite of sickness and flight delays. There are so many stories and experiences that were had – that there is no way I can tell them all. I would encourage you to be in worship this Sunday as four of our Peru Team members share their stories.  But here are a few things that I learned/experienced while in Peru:

1) We are blessed with some amazing people in our church. God orchestrated the perfect team, perfect timing and perfect location. I am so thankful for each person that gave up 8 days of their life to come and serve the children of Arequipa, Peru. You should be proud of their sacrifice – although they would tell you it was nothing – it is a BIG DEAL!

2) I loved the kids and the adults that we served. The missionary – David – who started the children’s home is a man like no other. He has an abundance of faith and vision – I’m humbled to be his friend. What I enjoyed most is watching our people and the experiences they had. From the moment that we stepped into the children’s home and then into the worship service of a local church – God was moving in the hearts of our people. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.

3) You don’t have to be super spiritual to serve people – you just need to be available. Anyone can paint a fence, pull some weeds, hug a child or kick a soccer ball.

4) Philippians 1:21 says “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” This verse echoed in my mind over and over again over the last 12 days. I was incredibly home sick (I really missed my wife and kids – here is a secret: I hate leaving them at home) and I was sick – to the point that I was taken to the Peruvian ER (that is another story for another time) – but the thought that maintained me during a very rough day “To live is Christ” – my life should reflect to the Gospel – “To Die Is Gain” – nothing compares to the glory one day to be experienced in heaven.

5) Serving people is very different than serving people in the name of Jesus. Anyone can help a fellow human being and meet a felt need (temporarily), but only Christ can bring eternal hope to those in need.

6) This is only the first mission trip. I hope and pray that our Arequipa location will be a permanent mission site for us in years to come. I am prayerfully hoping that we will be able to send two teams a year – but that may be a little too ambitious. We also are going to look at missions sites in the U.S., Europe and Africa in the next 18 months.

7) Weird Story From Peru: While walking through an open market in a very secluded village in the Andes Mtns. – we watched a video of Justin Bieber – that was a little bizarre.

God is doing some great things in our church and in the lives of those of us who had the opportunity to go to Peru. Pray about what God may be calling you to do. And let us never forget that all of us are called to the mission field that is immediately around us: our homes, workplaces, community and spheres of influence.

Also, Sarah Beth and I are inviting everyone (our entire church) to a cookout at our house this Sunday night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Please bring a side, two-liter, and a yard chair -hamburgers and hotdogs provided – please RSVP.

I’m sitting in a small airport in Central Louisiana. For some reason my Delta flight had mechanical difficulties and I’m five hours late and totally missed my speaking engagement. The bad thing is that I have to wait another two hours on my ride. The good thing is that it has given me plenty of time to reflect on the last week (especially yesterday) and look forward to the next few weeks.

This week is a milestone for our church: We’re commissioning our first ever international mission team. Fourteen River Hills folks will be heading to Arequipa, Peru this Friday. As most of you know, we will be serving an orphanage in the area. On Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the YMCA – several of our team members will be collecting kids supplies for the trip. Things like sidewalk chalk, Spanish Christian literature and everyday supplies that a child at an orphanage may need are needed. Please come by and drop off some crayons or coloring books. There is also a need for used lap top computers – so if you have one sitting around (broken or usable) please send them along.

I love missions – in fact as I think about why we started River Hills Church almost three years ago – I’m reminded that we are a mission. We (our church) are a mission to our families, communities, culture and world. We’ve been doing missions for three years – and now we get to take it to another continent. Please pray for our team – that God would give us traveling mercies and an opportunity to bring truth and people together.

Yesterday we finished up “Redeeming Love: A Study On The Book Of Ruth.” I have personally grown through this study and I”m looking forward to our “Q and A” series starting on July 11. Don’t forget: if you have a tough question about the Bible, spirituality, or God – send it to us at questions@churchatriverhills.com. We’re going to attempt to answer as many questions as possible on July 25 – it is also a great opportunity to bring your more skeptical friends to church. I’m also excited to hear our Executive Pastor, Spencer Breedlove, and student minister, Will Clark, preach the next two weeks.

It is currently 98 degrees in central Louisiana with 100% humidity, but I’m encouraged and excited about speaking to 500 mission-minded teenagers over the next few days. Pray that God would speak and do big things. Pray that God would bless our mission team. Pray that God would use our church in big ways.

Awesome Sunday yesterday! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! We baptized 6 people – and worship was absolutely amazing! God is truly moving in the lives of people and in the life of our church. What is incredible is the testimonies of each person who was baptized – how they were far from God and now they are in a complete relationship with Christ. I am astonished at the life transformation that has occurred in each person baptized yesterday – and overwhelmed by what is happening in our church.

Here are some thoughts from yesterday:

1) As we continue our study on the book of Ruth we learned that trusting God means that we will have to take risks. What is so amazing about taking the risk is that in our minds it is “risky” but in God’s plan it is finalized. I believe that God will be challenging our church to take some risks in the near future. What will it be? What “risks” is God calling you to take?

2) Last week we sent our first student group to camp. Awesome! They had a great experience and I’m excited to see what will be developed in the life of our student ministry this year.

3) Small groups are gearing up for this August. If you haven’t signed up, joined or expressed and interest – DO NOT MISS OUT!!!!

4) Pray for our Peru mission team! We will have  special time of prayer for them this Sunday – and be looking for some upcoming missions events in the coming 12 months.

Have a great week – look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Good Morning! I should probably rename this blog “vacation reflections” due to the fact that we were 5ooo feet above the ground as most of you were in worship yesterday. Sarah Beth and I just returned from Jamaica where we celebrated 10 years of marriage – without our kids. It was an incredible experience – one I hope to do again, and I am so thankful for grandparents for keeping our kids, church staff for working harder in my absence and my wife for agreeing to let me go with her .

During our time in Jamaica I specifically prayed that God would do three things while we were gone: 1) Create a greater sense of oneness between Sarah Beth and I – our marriage is great – just want it to be greater, 2) To restore both Sarah Beth and I physically and mentally, and 3) Speak to me specifically about River Hills Church and our future. To be honest it was difficult to hear God because of the sound of my snoring – He did restore us and we are continuing to grow in our marriage, but I wanted to hear God this week and get a sense of what He wants.

The hotel we stayed at was brand new – and part of the amenities at the hotel was the opportunity to snorkel off their beach. About 50 yards from the shore, the hotel was attempting to create some sort of coral reef with piles of rocks and debris. I love to swim and I spent an hour snorkeling and diving around this man-made reef. Their were tons of tropical fish and an assortment of shells and plant life. All alone in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean – I was overcome by the wonder of God’s creation. Although this was simply a pile of rocks that someone thought would be a great idea to draw people to their hotel (Come explore our private coral reef) – I was overcome with what God can do with something so utterly man-made. I’ve had the opportunity to snorkel in some great places – Belize for example has the 2nd largest coral reef in the world – but what fascinated me was this: God makes everything glorious – even our weak efforts to reflect Him. He took some rocks and other debris – and was creating a wonder-world of plant life and fish. As I snorkeled the song by David Crowder “You Make Everything Glorious” continued to run through my mind.

So here is what I think God was speaking to me during our time a way: 1) God is doing a great thing in our church and is going to use that in the lives of others. He is making all things glorious. Are we willing to be used? Our humble beginnings are an example of God making all things glorious – and I am thankful that He is doing the work – not us. 2) Missions is so vitally important – and will become an even greater ministry in the life of our church (I believe He is leading us to Jamaica in the near future) – but the point is that we have to become “other’s focused” in order to be made glorious.

Fired up about being back – thank you for the time off. Be praying for our student ministry and its leaders today – we are sending our first group to student camp this afternoon – awesome!!!

Another great day at River Hills yesterday! We celebrated our first annual Jersey Day. Although the invites and fliers never made it to our intended audience – it was still a great time for our kids and an excellent opportunity to prepare ourselves for the day when we do have an onslaught of kids. We took another week off from “Redeeming Love” and tackled Luke 15:11-31 – the Prodigal Son. What is most interesting about this text is Jesus’ unique ability to communicate truth in a very simple way. The illustration of this passage gives a revealing look at the nature of man, the purpose of God and the blindness of the religious. Staying on “God’s Path” is vitally important for every Christian, and what we must beware of is the notion that being “religious” is synonymous with being spiritual. Remember: Religion Is A Routine, Relationship Is A Response. When we seek to be religious the routine of feeling like one “owes” more or “deserves” more is prevalent. When Christ is our path – we respond to his relationship in bold humility – seeking to express and know truth more and more.

Changing gears completely: summer is always a great time to slow down, relax and spend quality time with those we love. While these practices are very important (and should be pursued 12 months a year) – summer tends to be a slow time at church. Most churches call summer the “summer slump.” We have a very exciting summer planned this year. Small groups are canceled, but we have many student events, church-wide fellowships, small group gatherings, seminars, special sermon series, baptisms, and more. The schedule will be published soon – but what I want to challenge everyone to do is this: 1) Don’t “slump” in participating or being with the body of Christ this summer. 2) Don’t “slump” in being obedient in giving. While this is always a tricky topic to talk about – it is very relevant to where we are as a church – times are tight. God is doing great things, make it a point to maintain momentum in the weeks to come so that we can continue to bring truth and people together.

Most people are really good at being a “judge.” Although we abhor the idea of being judged and even judging others – we do it all the same. We may try to hide it with statements and appearances – but judging is something that comes very natural to most people. For me – one of the things I have to protect myself against is judging other Christians. Its easy for me not to judge those who aren’t Christ-followers – because non-Christians act like non-Christians (I’m not judging here). I have a soft spot for those who are need of Christ, and although I don’t always express truth – I do give them a pass when their morality doesn’t match my convictions. However, Christians drive me nuts sometimes! I tend to judge Christians who – not so much in how they act – but in what they believe. Let me give you an example: Several years ago after 911 a popular pastor/political activist spoke out and said that the attacks were due to the immorality found in the United States. This steamed me for a lot of reason: 1) This was a totally unBiblical comment, 2) Unfortunately this statement is stereotypical of many Christians who live like Pharisees and/or in fear, and 3) Those “immoral” people need Jesus – serve them don’t condemn them. My judgmental attitude flared up – and I was wrong for devaluing this person. I still don’t agree with their comment, but I appreciate that God has used them in many ways.

This morning while reading Acts 10 – God makes an incredible statement to Simon Peter pertaining to those Gentiles who had come to Christ. Peter was struggling with this because he had followed Jewish law, and the Gentiles did not. Peter saw these Gentile “sinners” as un-spiritual and people whom he didn’t want to associate with because their spiritual growth or opinion was different than his. Interestingly enough  God says this “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:15). Those whom Christ has died for and redeemed were bought with a price – just like Peter and just like me. So many times I live the life of a Pharisee or a “fear” based Christian – and I judge other Christians. God forgive me! But what I’m learning – and I think this is necessary for all of us who desire to know and become more like Jesus is this: those “common” unspiritual people whom we may disagree with or condemn – were bought with a price – just I was. May our hearts and minds reflect Christ as we appreciate, correct and encourage others who are in the body of Christ. The body is different, unique, and has various functions and stages of spiritual growth. All of us need and should yearn for more spiritual maturity – and I for one am still growing.

This Sunday at River Hills we’re going to wade into some “deep water.” Yes – we are taking a break from the book of Ruth and we’ll be discussing what I think is the most important message in the history of our church. If you’re new to River Hills – don’t miss this – in fact: no one should miss this! We’ve experienced so much growth in the last few months that it is important to revisit where we’ve come from, where we are and where we’re going. I truly believe that this message will set the pace for the next year. God is doing great things – see you Sunday!

What an incredible day yesterday! Finished up our “Losing My Religion” teaching series. All sermons will be posted online by Thursday this week. This has been an incredible time in the life of our church – I hope you have “lost your religion.” Yesterday we finished up by observing the life of Timothy – a person who was on the brink of being petrified and neutralized with fear. Unfortunately for many of us we allow fear to control our decisions and reactions. We learned yesterday that fear is not something that is of God – in fact in contradicts God’s will for our lives. Here are a few thoughts from yesterday:

1) Lose your religion by walking by faith and not by fear. 2 Timothy 1:1-7 teaches us that God does not give us a spirit of timidity (or cowardice) but boldness, love and self-discipline.

2) If we are to live by faith and not by fear – then we must come to the realization that God has saved us, and continues to save us. Fear Not – because we are under the protection of a big God.

3) In order to conquer fear – we must learn to repent and practice daily resurgence (vs. 6).

Thanks to all of you who went to Subway yesterday – River Hills purchased over 80 sandwiches! Subway will contribute $3.50 per sandwich to our student ministry – how awesome!

Be praying for our service this week as we celebrate Mother’s Day, parent/child dedication and the beginning of our newest teaching series “Redeeming Love: The Book Of Ruth.”

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind – both personally and at church. There really is too much to go into, but River Hills Church is experiencing some amazing growth pains. The good thing is this: there is growth. However, with growth comes transition, change and sometimes pain. While this is sometimes unexpected and unwanted – the pain is necessary if we are to grow. This growth is not limited to numerical statistics, but it bleeds into the spiritual growth of River Hills as well.

While reading John 15:1-5 this week I was reminded of one important truth: God prunes what is bearing fruit. Any good gardener knows if a particular plant is to grow and produce more flowers/fruit – then it must be pruned. Jesus says that he is vine – those branches that don’t produce fruit he cuts off, and those branches that DO produce fruit he prunes. We are being pruned – and this is a GOOD THING!

Here are some things that I’m learning as I am being “pruned”:

- I don’t like it, it is painful – but knowing that you are in the middle of God’s will makes it very sweet.

- If we are to bear fruit, then we must bear the pruning. Reminding myself that His shears are necessary and full of grace – is comforting, but remember that grace is sometimes painful.

- Spirituality is a process and progression – not a behavior or affiliation. I’ve spent a lot time this week going through a mental file of people who have come to Christ or who are growing in Christ through River Hills Church. The stories are countless – and overwhelming. One day I’ll share them – but for now let’s just say this: I am humbled and excited at how awesome God is in the community of believers. People are growing – lives are being changed – sometimes we have to look close for the fruit – but it is there and for many it is abundant!

I hate being pruned – but I love the fact that God has chosen River Hills Church to prune and to bear His fruit. I use to think that one day “we will get there” – but if we are to bring truth and people together – “there” is a distant trumpet call not a set numeral or permanent location. Sola Deo Gloria!