January 24, 2019
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9
“Success isn’t owned it's leased and the rent is due everyday.” JJ Watt had these profound words to say about success that altered my thinking about the concept. Recently, I found myself searching for way to describe what it's like to live fearless and came back around to these exact words – swapping the word fearlessness for success. Fearlessness isn’t owned. It is not a state we can achieve and then simply rest and remain there, as much as we may sometimes wish it were. Why can’t we find a way to be fearless each and every moment of each and every day? I believe, it is the battle of our own thoughts that poses the biggest challenge.
If we think about what triggers our fear of a certain situation – a paper due, meeting a person for the first time, giving a speech or even simply providing an answer to a curious friend asking about your faith – it is almost always our thoughts about the situation rather than the situation itself. What if I fail? What if they don’t like me? What if I don’t have the right words to encourage this person’s pursuit of a relationship with Jesus? What's the common thread in all these fears? They are merely thoughts and they live only in our minds.
For me personally, when encountering fear, at first I would try to combat my negative thoughts with a logical ‘past experience’ approach. You passed last time, the last person you met liked you, etc. The issue I quickly found is that negative thoughts are not a product of God and are, in a way, much like a virus. They like to take root and morph as we try to eradicate them. So these logical responses were usually rendered ineffective by another simple but counteractive negative thought like “but what if this time I fail…” This is the ongoing battle of our thoughts in fearful situations.
Fortunately, for myself and all of us, scripture has insight into something powerful enough to win the battle. Take 2 Corinthians 10:5 – "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God." Or Phillipians 4:9 – "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Or, maybe most directly, Joshua 1:9 – "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." It seems faith in God might be the most powerful tool against fear. When I adopted this mindset and shifted my thoughts to be about strength of God instead of the matter of facts, my fear was controllable, defeatable and powerless.
See, if we are going to live fearless, we have to learn how to hold on to the right thoughts and to purge the thoughts that try to capture us or hold us back. We have to renew daily our desire to work to be fearless. Most importantly, we have to change the battle from thought vs thought to thought vs. faith. If we do this, we may still feel fear, but we will be able to have the strength in Christ to confidently defeat it and its power over the direction of our lives.
Grace and Peace,
Joe
*THIS SUNDAY*
Vision Update Meeting
Every January, we invite the friends and members of Restoration to pause with us as we take a pulse on our church's health and reflect on where we are seeing God at work through our church community. We're excited to review our church-wide goals, share progress reports from our ministry teams and staff, and report on the 2018-19 budget. Please join us from 11:15-11:45am on Sunday, January 27 in the Yosemite Auditorium at the Hayes Senior Center immediately following our worship service. Child care provided. If you have any questions prior to the meeting, contact leadershipteam@restorationcov.org.
*NEW*
Join Jacob Sturges to celebrate and hear stories about all God did during his time visiting the orphanages and ministries in the Ukraine. He’ll have a short program and dessert February 16 from 6:30-7:30 at the Ministry Center (7707 147th St W, Apple Valley). Please RSVP to jacobsturges@restorationcov.org so he can plan accordingly. See you there!
Prayer Meeting – January 28
As a church, we gather together to lift up needs within our church and around the world, believing God is going to move in mighty ways. Join us as we pray with faith that the Lord will help us in every area of our lives! Our first monthly group prayer meeting will be January 28, 7-8pm at the Ministry Center. We would love to see you there! Contact MaryBeshara@restorationcov.org with questions.
Sip and Social Baby Shower – February 2
At Restoration we value living life in community and part of living in community includes celebrating major milestones with one another. We are excited to be welcoming several babies at the end of this year and beginning of next. To celebrate these new little ones and to simply gather as women of Restoration of all ages and life stages, we will be having a Sip & Social Baby Shower on February 2 from 1-3pm at the Ministry Center. It'll be a fun-filled afternoon of connection, cake and punch, games, a devotional, and time of prayer. If you have have recently had a baby or will be soon, please come as our guest of honor. Each new mama will leave with one meaningful gift. If you would like to provide a gift, find out how you can help, have any questions or would like to RSVP, please contact kararasmussen@restorationcov.org
Football Sunday – February 3
We hope you'll join us again this year for Football Sunday during our normal worship time on Sunday, February 3. "Football Sunday" will feature exclusive video interviews with professional football players, some who'll be playing in the upcoming Super Bowl as they share how Jesus has made a difference in their lives. Football Sunday is a great opportunity for you to invite a friend or a sports fan to church to hear players share how God shaped their story.
Men's Bowling Night – February 8
Restoration Men, bring a friend and join us on Friday, February 8th from 7-9pm at Apple Place Bowl (14917 Garrett Ave, Apple Valley) for a fun night of bowling with the guys. Costs are $5 per game and $3 for shoes. Please RSVP to Kirk Vilhauer at events@restorationcov.org.
Mom's Play Date Small Group – February 13
Moms of littles, are you looking for a place to connect with other moms during the week while your kids have friends to play with? We’d love for you to join us on the 2nd Wednesday of the month January through April for an informal time of play, connection and prayer! Our next meeting time is February 13th, 9:30-11:30am at Chrystine Vilhauer’s home. Contact kararasmussen@restorationcov.org or chrystinevilhauer@restorationcov.org with questions or to let Chrystine know you'll be there.
Feed My Starving Children – March 16
Looking for an amazing opportunity to serve kids in need with your friends and family? Join us for Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) to pack meals for hungry kids worldwide on Saturday, March 16 from 2-4pm. We will meet at 1:45pm at 990 Lone Oak Road, Suite 136, Eagan. There is no cost to participate, but FMSC welcomes donations. Invite your friends and family for this awesome international outreach! Everyone age 5 and up is welcome, but space is limited. Please RSVP first name, last name, and if you are an adult to communications@restorationcov.org.
Join the Setup Team
Are you a behind-the-scenes type of person ready to serve alongside other men and women at Restoration? Do you know someone who could serve in this capacity? If you're willing to move chairs, do light lifting, and set up the stage and worship area once a month on Sunday mornings, then you'd be a valuable asset on the set up team. At Restoration, the set up team creates the environment where people can encounter God. Michael Van Dyken, the team leader, is looking for volunteers to to serve. To learn more, contact him through setup@restorationcov.org.
Small Groups
Restoration Small Groups exist to help people be known and grow in their relationships with God, the church, and with others far from Christ. We believe that people need different things to grow at different points in their life. Because of that, we offer three types of Restoration Small Groups. Below are some of our available fall Small Groups. For questions or to join a Small Group, please contact kararasmussen@restorationcov.org.
SUNDAY
Women's Life Group
Every other Sunday, 6:30-8:30pm in various homes
Studying the current sermon series
Led by Kara Rasmussen
Family Life Group (children welcome)
Every other Sunday, 5:30-7:30pm in various homes
Studying the current sermon series
Led by Matt & Mallory Allinder
Second Stage Life Group
Every other Sunday, 6:00-8:00pm at the Klatts' home
Studying the current sermon series
Led by Dick & Patte Klatt
Families of Youth Life Group (potluck lunch)
2nd Sunday of the month, Noon-2:00pm in various homes
Fellowship with some discussion and prayer
Led by Janice Svaren
WEDNESDAY
Moms with Young Kids Play Group
2nd Wednesday of the month, January through April, 9:30am in various homes
Informal time of connection and prayer with other moms while our kids play
Led by Chrystine Vilhauer
All Ages Life Group (children welcome)
Every Wednesday 6:30-8:30pm at the Zaffkes' home
Studying the current sermon series
Led by Garrett & Amy Zaffke
SATURDAY
Men's Bible Study Group
Saturdays at 7am at the Ministry Center
Studying the Book of Isaiah
Led by Chad White
Pray or Receive Prayer
Are you gifted at prayer or do you have a prayer request that you’d like to share with our prayer team? We believe in the power of prayer and know that God is listening. We would love to pray for you. If you’re interested in joining the prayer team or have any prayer requests, send them to our prayer team at prayer@restorationcov.org
RESTORATION KIDS
Contact: ChrystineVilhauer@restorationcov.org
What We're Learning in January
Toddlers & Preschoolers
One of the wonderful things about preschoolers is they know they have needs and they are not afraid to let you know. That’s a good thing and something we want to use to help preschoolers see another need they have – a need we all have – and that is Jesus. “I need Jesus” is the focus this month. We know from experience that the older preschoolers get, the more they will need Jesus. Life can be tough. Having a friend like Jesus who knows us, loves us, and has the power to help us can truly change our lives. After all, that’s what friends do. They help one another when they need it. And there is no better friend than Jesus.
Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV
Elementary
This month we will be discussing the connection between self-control and God’s character, as shown through God’s big story. We will be looking at Solomon to help us see examples of self-control in difficult situations and how God can help lead us through those times.
As we follow Jesus, His love transforms us. His Spirit gives us the power to show self-control. We can follow His example and choose to do what we should do—instead of what we want to do.
Memory Verse: “God’s power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life.” 2 Peter 1:3A, NIrV
RESTORATION STUDENTS
Contact: students@restorationcov.org
Restoration Students Wednesday Nights
Upcoming Dates: Jan 30, Feb 6, 13, 20, 27
Students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to join us at the Ministry Center (7707 147th St W, Apple Valley) from 6:30-8pm on Wednesday nights for a time of teaching, activities, and groups that focus on encountering Jesus, building meaningful relationships, and restoring hope to the world. If you have a Bible, bring it. Invite a friend! Contact students@restorationcov.org
Middle School Group
Upcoming Dates: Feb 17, Mar 3, 17
Students in grades 6-8 begin Sunday mornings in the worship service. On the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, they are sent to the café for discussion and activities that complement the Sunday morning message.
