Friday, December 31, 2010

Year-End Support! It's not too late!


Hello!

It's almost the end of 2010 and if you would like to help our ministry and take advantage of a tax deduction on your 2010 taxes - It's not too late! Please see the following. Thanks for your consideration and Happy New Year!


You Can Mail Donations to:


Northwest Independent Church Extension (NICE)

P.O. BOX 64750

University Place, WA 98464-0750*


* Please indicate that your check is for The Koch Family


Donate Online: http://nicechurchplanters.org/site/donate.asp?sec_id=180001283


See the donation slot toward the bottom titled Missionary Support and then click “Pay Online” - Please indicate The Koch Family on the blank line on the PayPal form.

Monday, November 08, 2010

“Planet Me”


The Word:

Read: (and memorize) Philippians 2:3-4

Additional Reading: Philippians 2:1-13, Romans 12:5, Ephesians 2:10

“Planet Me” by Randolph Koch

Sometimes we get caught up living our lives in an unpleasing manner. Or we’ve possibly fallen into patterns or times of selfishness. We even come across as selfish without even knowing it sometimes. Everywhere we look, the news, TV, the newspaper, etc. we see evidence of lives motivated by selfish desires and actions.

True selfishness can turn into sin. Unless it’s dealt with quickly, it can be very destructive to those who choose to live this way. In past generations and in our current world cultures, people have chosen to live their lives completely for their own needs, wants, desires, and ambitions. This is such a shallow existence and sadly you may stop for a moment to realize that someone you know may come to mind. It’s as if they think they’re “a planet” and everything and everyone on the face of the earth revolves around them. Pray for them or if
it’s you, pray that the Lord will help you break free from these chains. As we look back in history we’ll find that many dictators and other figures were motivated by things like hatred, greed, envy, jealousy, etc., all of which seem to have selfishness at there root. Saul in his jealousy toward and at times rage against David, the nation of Israel as they chose to worship the Golden calf instead of the One true God they knew delivered them from Egypt, as well as Jacob as he stole his brother's birth right, all were driven by selfishness. Just to name a few. Don’t be like them! Learn from their mistakes and help others live right before the Lord our God. No matter what society, the world, or the evil one tries to dictate about
how we should live and operate in this life- let us never forget to place our lives and actions in His hands so we might live our lives pleasing to Him. We have to live our lives with others, including God in mind. The same applies, at work, home, church, or even while driving when someone cuts you off in traffic. Even when your co-worker or a leader at church treats you with disrespect. Choose to please God and “take the high road” if at all possible in every situation. This is tough at times but we need to be found trying to live a God pleasing life.

In addition to this, we need to remember that there’s absolutely nothing in scripture that says we’re in this life alone. There’s also nothing in the scriptures that says we’re supposed to be alone! We need each other! We need other people around us to help us along our path that God through our journey called life takes us on. We need to be actively thinking about the needs of others and seek opportunities to serve and bless others. With this have you ever noticed that there’s no “I” or “me, me, me” in the term family. Whether we like it or not we are a part of a family and this is true whether it’s your biological family, or church family, etc. (see Romans 12:5) We may not agree with each other at times but we sure do need each other.

We have to continually remind ourselves that we need God and others in our lives. We may not get our way all of the time and that’s just life. If we get ourselves into the habit of living our lives unselfishly and focus on serving God and others, our many and seemingly minuscule needs will all but fade away. The fact is, you become more satisfied in life when you seek to live your life this way. Wouldn’t it be great and pleasing to God if we were to be described as someone who lives their life to make a difference in other people’s lives - and doing so without any selfish ambition or motive. Just like Jesus Himself. This is possible if we’re serious and will seek the Holy Spirit’s help to live a God directed life instead of a self-directed life. We need to continually examine ourselves as the scripture states to see if there is anything unpleasing to Him. Let our motives be to completely live to glorify God. We’ve got to stop living our lives out of selfish ambition. We’ve got to get off of “planet me” and back to planet earth living with everyone else around us seeking serve them and the Lord
unselfishly.

Questions to Get Started With:

-Do you seek to live your life to please only you?
-Are up currently caught up in selfish desires and actions?
-Do you seek to live your life for God?
-Are there people you know who are living selfishly that you can actively pray for?
-What have you learned in the selected passages that you can apply in your life now and or help others do the same?
-Have you consulted God lately about your current goals, dreams, and aspirations? Or do you want to continue to be selfishly trying to direct your own life?

Idea:
Take the main selected passage and write it or type it up and print it out on several cards. Then place it in several locations where you’ll be reminded how your life should be directed. (I.E. Your car, refrigerator, bathroom mirror, etc.)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Need Money for Seminary or Bible College?

Need Money for Seminary or Bible College?


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Apply before August 10th to win!


Going to Seminary? www.SeminaryScholarship.com
Going to Bible College? www.BibleCollegeScholarship.com

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Power of The Tongue

Hello,

Wanted to share the below sermon I gave last weekend from James 3 titled, "The Power of The Tongue". May you be challenged and encouraged by what God's Word reveals to you about you're own tongue!

You'll want to pause the music that plays which you'll find on the right hand side before playing this audio where it says "Tunes".

The Power of The Tongue from Randolph Koch on Vimeo.

Here's the sermon info:

Message Title: “The Power of The Tongue”
Text: James 3:1-18
Speaker: Pastor Randolph Koch
Location: Antioch Bible Church, Hillsboro, Oregon (http://abiblechurch.org)
Date: July 25, 2010

Central idea: Taming your tongue will provide evidence of a true and mature faith.

Key Questions:

What are the risks if you don't tame your tongue?

What is the solution for an untamed tongue?

Outline of the Risks and the Solution:

1. The Tongue: Has the Ability to bring Judgment and cause you to Stumble
(V. 1-2)

2. The Tongue: Has the Ability to Control (V. 3-4)

3. The Tongue: Has the Ability to Consume and Corrupt (V. 5-6)

4. The Tongue: Has the Ability to tame but it's not tamable by man. (V. 7-8)

5. The Tongue: Has the Ability to bring Compromise and Hypocrisy (V. 9-12)

6. The Solution: Wisdom From Above (V. 13-18)

As the audio/video progresses the above points will be visible.


All the very best,

rlk

Friday, July 09, 2010

40!



40 - it’s a number, an interesting number, a number that has been significant at different times throughout history.

For example, Noah spent 40 days in the Ark. Moses wandered the wilderness with Israel for 40 years. Jesus fasted and was tested 40 days in the desert. Then after His resurrection He appeared 40 days before ascending to Heaven. There are many other examples throughout history but they are too numerous to mentioned here.

As for me, I can by no means compare my life to the above significant things, however, 40 is a milestone I’ve reached today - 40 years to be exact.

As they say, “life comes at you fast”! Whoever coined that phrase was dead on! I’ve been reflecting a lot about life this week and especially as today is significant for me.

I look back on the four decades that I’ve been blessed to be on this earth and through every joy, pain, hardship, and success - I’m very thankful to be blessed to wake up and just breathe, live, grow, contribute and hopefully live and leave a legacy.

I’m thankful for and blessed to have the family and friends that I do. I’m thankful and blessed to be working and have a ministry to fulfill in my local church.

I don’t understand every part of that last four decades but I know God has strengthened me through everything and He knows and holds the key to what lies ahead in the future. Again, I’m thankful for every bit of it!

My hope and prayer for this day and moving forward is that with God’s help, my family’s help, and friends’ help, is that I continue to grow in being and be faithful to be a better Husband, Father, Friend, Pastor, Employee, and Citizen.

I want to especially thank my wife of almost 16 years and for my kids – I definitely wouldn’t be who I am without you!

Thank you God, family, friends, and co-workers for being a part of my life and for being a huge part in helping me become who I am today!

So here’s to the last four decades and to however many more I’ll be blessed to have in the future!

With Sincere Love and Thanks on this special day,

Randolph Koch

"give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting." -Psalm 107:1

Thursday, June 24, 2010

CEO Leadership?



For at least the last decade there's been a movement within The Church to model church leadership / government after the structures often found in Fortune 500 companies in place of the model laid out in the Bible.

Instead of Pastors who are servant leaders like Jesus, you see more of a CEO with an executive board of directors model. Instead of Pastor/Edlers, and Deacons, you see CEO's, VP's and Directors.

Many conferences have sprung up with the latest fad led by keynote speakers who are seen as the sought after or up-and-coming leaders you "just got to be like", focusing on taking your leadership to the "next level". Unfortunately many of those conferences do not focus on the Biblical model. They often connected these sessions sometimes about strategies, not necessarily for evangelism and not on how to be a Biblical Shepherd, but how to increase your congregation size. They connect this with leadership as if the size of congregation truly has anything to do with leadership. You can have a small or a large congregation and can either be or not be an effective Biblical leader - size doesn't matter but the ability to teach God's Word, your character, your giftedness, your integrity and more are what truly matter.

I work for a fortune 500 company and I know first hand that there's a constant push to bring more and more shareholder value (Increased Profits) every year and it's this same push I see in similar form in the new "leadership" model. In the churches that focus on the new leadership strategies, instead of profits, it's increased congregations size plus increased giving to build a "business" um, I mean a church congregation/ministry. Granted there are obvious "business" aspect of a church but none-the-less the church isn't a business as the world would define rather, it is to be about God's business and we should tirelessly work to make it about Him - Keep the main things the main things!

Don't take me wrong, there are some good conferences out there where pastors can glean a lot from in order to be a more effective pastor and we ought to strive to grow continually be a good and effective shepherd as God Has called us to do so. We need to remember that none of this has anything to do with the latest fad or coolest new strategy. Leadership in the church should focus on and should be about the Bible - What God has to say about leadership. Let's pray that we'd be found doing His will and building His kingdom and not our own.

In Closing, here's another Blog entry that speaks to this and gives some examples of some of the conferences that are typically not truly building or raising up the right leadership in the church. Let's pray that those who choose to attend these conferences will not compromise or sell out to man's wisdom but stick solely with God's Wisdom.

http://www.alittleleaven.com/2010/06/leadership-idol.html

In Christ,

rlk

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Beautiful seatbelt ad that speaks powerfully about more than seatbelts.

To quote what someone else said... Here’s a beautiful seatbelt ad that speaks powerfully about more than seatbelts. Very profound message. (You'll want to pause the music on the right under the "Tunes" section before playing the video)

Friday, April 02, 2010

Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday



I wanted to pause for a moment and wish you a wonderful Resurrection / Easter Sunday! May today, your Good Friday be filled with gratitude and contemplation for the great sacrifice He paid for you and may this Sunday be filled with joy as you celebrate and worship the risen savior Jesus Christ!

Check out the message in the below e-Card.

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

With Love in Christ,

rlk


His Sacrifice