This weekend Scott Hatfield will be back with us. You may remember Scott because he has shared with us before. We’re excited to have Scott back with us as he and his team prepare for the launch of Resonate Church in Bonney Lake.

This is from Scott to prepare us for his teaching this weekend:

Some of the hardest words on the planet are the words, “I forgive you.” There is a great spiritual cancer than can consume a heart and life. That spiritual cancer is the spirit of unforgiveness. The culture that we find ourselves in is a culture of cut them off, freeze them out and make them pay! Jesus knew of this culture so He spoke much on this specific cancer because he has seen the depth of its devastation. It ruins relationships, it destroys marriages and families, it shrivels hearts until all joy, grace, and life is wrung from it. There is no greater way that we can illustrate God’s activity in our lives is when we preserve, guard and cultivate the space between us. I want to challenge you this week to ask the Holy Spirit to open up your heart and reveal anything that is not of Him that is in that space between.

God’s desire is that we are whole. Whole regardless of what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. The purpose of the cross is to redeem all our broken parts and put us back together again better, stronger, and more whole than ever before. Paul speaks of guarding this wholeness in Ephesians 4:31-32. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.” In guarding the space between us we must remember what was done to protect the space between us and God. How forgiven by God are we? Completely & totally…past, present & future…it is finished-kind of forgiveness. That’s the measure of grace that we have received. It is that same measure that we must use to forgive one another.

I look forward to spending time with you this upcoming weekend. Come ready to hear from Christ and be challenged to live whole lives!

Post your thoughts and comments HERE!

I don’t watch much “foreign” television, but I have to tell you that this is one show that I will stop and linger on each time I flick past it on CBC. There is no television show like it in the good ol’ USofA. George is cultural, willing to tackle tough topics and does not play favorites. I am always intrigued by his interviews and quite often spirituality is a topic he brings into them.

That being said, Karl Hartquist forwarded this link to me today. “The Hour” had Tony Campolo on recently and you can watch it on your computer. I won’t spend time trying to tell you about Tony, but if you can watch this video and not be challenged, you need to check your pulse.

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We had a great time at the Mariner game! Special thanks to Tonya Olds for organizing the evening. Click HERE to see some more pictures.

What to do with anger?

There is no doubt that anger strains relationships, and often it destroys them. Sometimes, it seems like we should just strive to eliminate anger altogether, but is that really the best option?

It doesn’t make it any easier when we see God display anger — Numbers 32:10-13 is just one of many examples. And, when Jesus cleared the temple (Matthew 21:12-17), it doesn’t specifically say he was angry, but he couldn’t exactly be described as gleeful.

So, what to do with anger? How can anger fit into the lives of those who want to be followers of Jesus?

Diversity is beautiful. The universe, the world, and the human body contain evidence of the beauty of diversity. Differences, without understanding, can also bring about chaos. The apostle Paul speaks about the diversity of Kingdom of God as a human body. The foot must care about the needs of the eye, because, though they are different, they rely upon each other.

Each of us bring different gifts, abilities and passions into the Pathways community. Learning to work together in a way that brings about glory to God is one of the many ways in which the world begins to see Jesus in the The Space Between Us.

Read I Corinthians 12:12-31 as we get ready for this weekend.

We are down to five tickets left for Pathways night out at Safeco Field this Friday night. If you want to clain them, contact Tonya Olds at 360.568.7636 and stake your claim.

Here is a quick slideshow of some pictures from this past weekend at the Mill Creek Festival. It was a great time, and our Festival Team did an amazing job! Thank you to all who helped put this weekend together, and to all of you who came out to support Hoops of Hope.