Legendary college football coach Knute Rockne was really tough.
In his 13 years as the leader of Notre Dame, his teams went 105-12-5, making his .881 winning percentage the highest in history. His teams epitomized toughness and a can-win attitude every time they took the field. He had five undefeated teams and won three national championships. When you think college football, you think Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. He had a plan and carried it out!
God calls us to be committed to Him. Jeremiah 29:11-12 boldly states that God has a plan of prosperity and hope for me! God asks not to be into foolish ways or with our head in the sand, but with Him and eternity in view. God wants us to win in this life with a plan which leads to heaven. To this point, I love the first Psalm on this issue. Psalm1:1-6 states unequivocally that a God-follower is to be anchored in “the delight of the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” There is power in God to stay the course of life, no matter the path God has given you.
Sometimes this feels a whole lot easier said than done. The trials and tragedies of life can be overpowering! It’s at this point that the secret of staying the course for believers shine through Psalm 1. The playbook is God’s word deeply embedded in our lives. A fair question to always ask is what do I reach for when faced with these inevitable challenges? Do I reach for solutions and resiliency on my own, or like the tree planted by the waters of eternal life, lean into God? But there is a second part too, that is our choice to be planted in God’s words. Knute Rockne was committed to his time-tested winning ways. His teams reflected his devotion to his plan to win. They chose to follow it. The same is true for believers too. We make a choice whether to be planted or drift!
Summertime is always a challenge at Christ’s Body. As it gets warmer, the temptation to slide off course grows. Our commitment this summer is to take the opposite tack and lean into excellence in all our work and ministry to the homeless. We also hope that you will continue to be with us too. Your prayers, volunteer hours and financial support are our summer life blood. Thank you! We want our work to be deeply planted alongside that beautiful river of God’s Word and presence. It is the way to win in this life for heaven.
Blessings to you!
Pastor Jim
If you have any questions, prayer requests or other issues, call us at 303-860-1272 or email us at info@christsbody.org.
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Clothing Drive - Eat and Greet Saturday July 8th
11 AM - 2 PM
Stop by with your clothing donations and enjoy some
BBQ on us!
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or Visit us during
Regular Donation Hours
Monday - Friday from 8 AM - 2 PM
Email us or call 303.860.1272 to set up a different time
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At Christ’s Body, we are continuously exploring new ways to expand our reach to the community; building partnerships with like-minded agencies and supporting efforts that are doing Kingdom work.
Last summer we took a left turn into the unknown, as we reached out to Cars For Christ. This is a car club in Denver known not only for their passion for cars, but for their outstanding work partnering with churches and businesses to serve those in need. The collision of our ministries proved to be divine. It was an intersection of common beliefs! Ok, I’ll stop with the traffic puns, and yield to the details as this meeting between us was no accident.
Lenny and his team were more than gracious in their willingness to join together in an attempt to raise awareness about CBM, and reach a new segment of the metro community…
car enthusiasts!
What an effort it was! We gathered at Golden Corral off Sante Fe on Saturday May 20th, and around 30 cars were present, representing nearly every decade back to the 1930’s. Favorites included a Foose Mustang, a 2021 McClaren, and a 70’s era Charger. But that only scratches the surface of the incredible variety.
This collaboration was a blessing to CBM. We are extremely grateful to Cars For Christ and their entire team! I encourage you to look into attending one of their free events this summer.
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The gentle giant that you see standing next to Pastor Sterling is a man by the name of Lawrence. Lawrence came to Christ’s Body Ministries as a new member of the CORE (Community Reentry) transitional housing program. After experiencing over 20 years of incarceration, Lawrence had to overcome a lot of challenges to make it in the world outside, and that can be a daunting task for many in Lawrence's situation. But that didn’t stop Lawrence. He trusted in the Lord, and patiently put his life back together. So can we brag on Lawrence a little?
After spending a little over 90 days with us here at CBM, Lawrence was able to get a phone, establish financial benefits, apply for a handful of apartments, apply to get a part-time job, reunite with his family, attend all required treatment meetings (even catching multiple bus connections in the snow and rain) - and all while participating in church activities at CBM. And you know what? He got ‘em all. A new apartment, a new job, and even after successfully moving off campus and becoming fully independent, Lawrence still attends CBM church services every Friday morning.
We are proud of the work that he has done. We’re also proud to share another victory story where a CBM program and staff could assist, but ultimately God gets the glory!
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WE EXCEEDED OUR SPRING MATCH. THANK YOU!
WOW! We are praising God for your generosity into our work this spring. Our goal had been to match and raise $50k, and we were blessed and blew past it to the tune of $78,834.37. I know that some of you dug a bit deeper than normal to support our ministry to the homeless, so thank you. This match effort reminds me of the words found in Isaiah 61, which beautifully tells us to “bring good news to the poor; bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives!” Every day, Christ’s Body brings this good news in our ministry of feeding, clothing and sharing the Gospel with desperate, hungry and homeless individuals in our communities. You are a key part of this mission. Thank you for your help and resources we need to complete it!
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STAY THE COURSE WITH US THIS SUMMER! |
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Did you know that your family, small group or youth group can stay the course with us this summer too? Check out a few ideas to get your group or family engaged in ministry this summer…
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Come to Christ’s Body and roll burritos with us! This is a big hit with student groups and is a great way to connect kids to how God is at work in many ways. We LOVE to serve with you!
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Got Crafty kids? Kids can decorate and label a “donations” box for your church lobby. They can watch the box fill up, and when it’s full drop it by CBM. Pray together as a family for the folks who will receive the items the kids gathered.
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Make kits with your group! Did you know that every kit or item that we hand out gives a volunteer a one-on-one opportunity to engage with a guest? A simple gesture of getting a kit warms the heart. Need some ideas?
- Make Hygiene kits in plastic bags
- Assemble snack bags with items like granola bars, gummies, gum, mints. Even include a note of encouragement, prayer or verse in the bags
- Tie or tape a pack of gum and a chapstick together with a note - it will end up in the right hands to make someone's day
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Host a VBS drive for clothing, bibles or hygiene items.
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