Everyone has a way of doing life, organizations have a way, some work (like the Patriot way) some don’t work (like the Cleveland Brown way), even Jesus had a way…in fact he said “I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life…” The following values will become the framework for everything we do. This is what will be at the foundation of all that we build, and if the foundation is cracked, it won’t matter what we build- eventually, it will fall. 

These values aren’t just good for a church- they are good for life. If someone decided to live by these 7 values, I believe their life would have a solid foundation that would bring wisdom into their decisions, peace into their life, and provide a heritage for their family.

I. JESUS: is our everything

We believe Jesus is the hope of the world. Our lives are most satisfied when God is most glorified.

We exist to make Jesus famous.

II. PEOPLE: are our heart

We will do whatever it takes to get people to God. Our message is: come as you are, Christ can change you. We will give our lives to others that they may find life.

For God so loved people, so will we.

III. CHURCH: is our home

This is more than a place, it’s a people- a community of Jesus followers. God is building His House, and gathering us into it. We’re all in this together.

IV. SERVING: is our honor

We don’t have to do this, we get to do this. We are all in. We make it happen and have fun along the way. It is our privilege to bring our best. We are more than volunteers, we are passionate people.

V. GENEROSITY: is our lifestyle

Our goal, as Jesus followers, is to be the most generous people on the planet. We believe we are blessed to be a blessing. We give as a response to a God who first gave everything for us.

VI. EXPECTATION: is our approach

We believe that every Sunday is special. Our faith creates the atmosphere for awakening. We want revival, and nothing less.

VII. UNSTOPPABLE: is our nature

We are called to push, to pray, and to pioneer. We believe obstacles are opportunities in disguise. We’re not waiting to see what happens, we make it happen.

Join the Awakening.

God will always exceed your expectations, so raise them. Your brokenness is NOT fatal or final. God has a future for you, so don’t be afraid to hope and expect again, here’s how:

I. Prepare With Prayer

Prayer lays the groundwork for your expectations to be exceeded. There is power in prayer and it’s the most vital means to connect with God. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” – James 4:8

II. Lean In

Expectation demands focus. When you lean into expectation, you eliminate the chance of distractions trying to creep in and lower your expectations. Lean into prayer, lean into God’s Word.

III. Realize Your Attitude Determines The Atmosphere

An attitude of expectation causes the atmosphere to shift in powerful ways. When you respond to our circumstances with a hopeful and expectant attitude, they will change for the better, no matter what you’re going through.

IV. Respond With Mega Faith

Big faith moves God. Get your hopes up and raise your faith. The more faith you have in God’s power, the higher your expectation gets.  “And without faith it is impossible to please God…” – Hebrews 1:6

V. Say It Out Loud

Your words have power, use them to declare what you are expecting!  When your declaration matches your expectation, big things happen. “And Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him’” – Matthew 11:22-23

God will never let you down. Regardless of what you have or are currently going through, when you expect the best, God delivers exceedingly better.

5 Reasons Why You Should Serve

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”” –Mark 9:35

Serving is our honor. We lay down our lives so that others can meet Jesus. In doing this, we find our purpose and serving becomes the overflow of our lives. Here are five things you need to understand about serving:

I. You were designed to serve

Yes, you! Biologically speaking, from your hands to your feet, you were designed to be a serving machine. You were built to work hard and serve hard. You have unique gifts and abilities that were placed in you by God.

II. Serving shifts society

Serving shows people that they are loved and cared for. When you are kind, you inspire kindness in others. When you give to the community, your giving provides for others. When you love, your love transforms others. 

III. Serving makes you more

When you serve, the possibilities are endless. God will transform you into so much more and you will begin to see just how much He has designed for you to accomplish. 

IV. Serving can save your life

Serve, and watch God begin to touch the broken areas in your life and bring healing in ways you could never imagine. Serving consistently over a period of time will transform your life. It’s so much more than one act; it’s the relationships you gain, the love for the church you develop, and the community you join into. 

V. Serving changes lives

The goal? To show Jesus Christ to others. The method? Serving. When you serve, you are a catalyst used by God to change the lives of more people than you can know. Imagine the impact we could have on the world if we all began to serve others as Christ did.

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If you’re wondering, “What’s my next step? How do I begin serving?”, Growth track is the perfect on-ramp to learn more about the A-Team and how you can begin to get involved. Growth Track is a four-week program that runs every Sunday at 1 PM.  You can jump in at any time and take your next step to begin serving at the church. Sign up online it’s super easy: https://atnewlife.org/growth-track/

 

“[The Good Samaritan] went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” – Luke 20:34-35

Towards the end of the story of the Good Samaritan, we see that the injured man is brought to an inn. A place where he can rest and be healed. A place where the man can be looked after and find a home.

The Church is like an inn. It’s a place where you can belong if you are broken. Perhaps you are beat up. Maybe not physically, but in your mind you are struggling with things like depression, addiction and feelings of “I do not belong”. Or, maybe you are confused about what kind of a place Church is, and you question whether or not it can change you. It can, and it will.

When you come to church, it doesn’t matter HOW you come, because you will leave different. The pressure is off to feel like you have to “fix” yourself before you come here. You are welcome here. The Church is a place where Jesus brings us together in a community of extraordinary love, and we can’t wait for you to experience this love. There is nothing like God’s house!

The Church is your home until Heaven, and we believe that God as your healer will bring you into an “inn” where you can continue the healing process- a house where you can feel like family, and a building that feels as warm and welcoming as your own home. This is why we have crews. Crews are communities within New Life where you can join a group of other people in your shoes and experience community together. You don’t have to completely healed to join a crew, and that’s the beautiful thing: You can still help people who also need the visit the inn, even when you are not fully healed yourself!

When we are in the process of healing, God begins to call us to also be a helper to others. Now that you have been introduced to the home, it is time to show others. Welcome them home.

https://atnewlife.org/crews/

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus lays out an incredible story about being a neighbor to others. The premise is simple: A man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, where he is beaten by robbers and left for dead. A priest sees him and passes by on the other side, and a Levite does the same thing. Finally, a Samaritan sees him, takes pity on him and tends to his needs. He bends down, pours on oil and wine, and pays for his recovery at a nearby inn.

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This Samaritan had a heart for people, just like Jesus has a heart for you! Perhaps you are in the same situation. Maybe life has beaten you down, and you find yourself on a road you never thought you’d be on. Maybe it’s a sin cycle, or a tragedy that has struck, and now you feel alone.

It’s not the end. Jesus sees you. As a matter of fact, Jesus sees you because He’s LOOKING for you. He chose to come from Heaven to Earth just for you, and He’s going to begin to bind your wounds and make you whole again. Jesus will not pass you by. He is the one who is going to bend down and take care of you when no one else will. He will be your neighbor!

Not only is Jesus our neighbor, He also empowers us to be good neighbors to others in their times of difficulty too. The lawyer in the parable asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor”? The better question is, “Who can I be a good neighbor to”? If we all came together and made the decision to help those in need around us, we would change the world. We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. When others look over people in need, we must stop and show mercy.

Ask yourself today: Who can I be a good neighbor to?

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has the eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.This is what love looks like.” – Augustine

Everybody has an opinion about Jesus. When you look at our world, you realize everything stems from His life. Our calendar is separated by His birth and death. Our morals stem from the principles He preached while on Earth. Our very government is built on Christian principles and beliefs. One thing stands out for certain- there is no one like Jesus Christ. Here are some noteworthy observations from people in history…

Henry G. Bosch has made this observation:

“Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ’s three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who are among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures, yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo de Vinci received their inspiration from him. Jesus wrote no poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus composed no music, still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in their hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth.”

-Henry G. Bosch

Napoleon Bonaparte said:

“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte (French General, Politician & Emperor (1804-14). 1769-1821)

Albert Einstein noted:

“No man can read the gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life. Theseus and other heroes of his type lack the authentic vitality of Jesus.” — Albert Einstein

Bach signed all his works with Soli Deo Gloria (“Solely to the glory of God”)

Vincent Van Gogh made this observation:

“It is a very good thing that you read the Bible… The Bible is Christ, for the Old Testament leads up to this culminating point… Christ alone… has affirmed as a principal certainty, eternal life, the infinity of time, the nothingness of death… He lived serenely, as a greater artist than all other artists, despising marble and clay as well as color, working in living flesh. That is to say, this matchless artist… made neither statues nor pictures nor books; he loudly proclaimed that he made… living men, immortals.”  —  Vincent Van Gogh

 

You’re created by God to show Jesus to the people around you. God didn’t call you to live an unprovoked life. He wants you to be provoked by the Holy Spirit to bring change, to bring Jesus, to others.

Jason was one such person in scripture who was provoked. He gave shelter to Paul, Silas, and Timothy when they were in Greece. While Paul preached and reasoned with the scholars, Jason kept them safe from harm.

However, the Jews became furious and began to riot. They attempted to drag Paul and Silas from Jason’s house but they were not there. Instead, they dragged Jason to the marketplace and began to accuse him of turning the world upside down with the Gospel.

What an accusation, what a compliment! May we all be people accused of turning the world upside down for Jesus. When God calls us to turn the world upside down, we ourselves change, our coworkers change, our city changes and the world changes. After all, it is God Himself who not only gave us breath, but everything else and this includes our calling in the body of Christ:

“Rather, He (God), gives everyone life and breath and everything else” Acts 17:25

You have nothing to fear. The God who created you has also empowered you to show Jesus to the world. You are equipped with the Holy Spirit and the very breath of God to turn the world around you upside down. This week, look and pray for opportunities for God to use you like he used Jason. When we are intentional about others, God uses us mightily.

 

Worship is one of the key foundational truths that you must understand if you are to walk with the Lord for the long haul.  Pastor Steve Boyce shared an incredible definition of what worship is:

“Worship is an outward expression of love toward God, coming from your spirit.”

– Pastor Steve Boyce –

However, worship is not something that should be put on the sidelines, we are to PUSH into worship.  It’s something to be actively pursued. But when you push and press into worship, God continues to work in you and set you free.

Sin tries to keep you in captivity, but as you worship the Lord, you are delivered from the things that try to hold you down and hold you back. Worship helps you to push past your old nature, your feelings, your pride, and false religion.  

Here are 4 important things to remember when pushing into worship:

Worship invites the presence of The Lord

Salvation is about walking into the deeper things of God but sometimes we have to usher it in.  When worship happens, God’s presence comes into the midst of His people and brings with it all the gifts of His Spirit: joy,  peace, deliverance, liberty and more.

If you need these things in your life, begin worshiping God and invite Him into your life and see if things don’t start to change.

Worship creates an atmosphere of Power

In the Bible, Jehoshaphat was preparing for an enormous battle and instead of sending the warriors first he decided to send out the worshippers.  This is how we should approach our own battles, before rushing in with our own thoughts and plans, we should worship Him and give him control.

Worship invites God’s power into our lives to help us to fight against the resistance that faces us daily.  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Worship is a declaration of Ownership

Worship shows the world Who we belong to.  Our outward worship declares that God reigns over our lives and covers every aspect of it.  When we worship we are fully surrendered to Jesus and we find ourselves in Him. We express that we are children of God. In fact, our worship can help others to find freedom as well. If we are known for anything may it be for unashamed worship.

Worship changes the Atmosphere

Worship changes things.  When you begin to worship the Lord in the midst of trial, you’ll begin to see things shift.  Worship in your home, at work, on your commute and you’ll see God’s hand begin to work in every situation you face.

Never be ashamed of what worship is or what worship does. Be unashamed, worship and proclaim God’s love over every aspect of your life.

To help you live this lifestyle of worship, we put together a Worship Playlist for you, your friends, and your family to enjoy.  Apply these worship principles each day and watch God move in a big way.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

– Psalm 42:4 –

Celebrating New Life’s 30th Anniversary

On August 3-5, 2018, New Life celebrated 30 years of serving God and all that He has done in the church and through its people. It was a historic weekend for the church.

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FRIDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 3rd

On Friday night, Pastor Jude Fouquier, a father to New Life and mentor to Pastor Jordan, reminded us that we pray and we are called to build the House of God and that our prayers bring miracles.

Later that night, The Global Prayer Center opened, where people from around the world can join in to pray over needs from around the globe. Maps of Rhode Island, New England, the United States, Israel and the World adorn the walls of the Global Prayer Center.

Along with the Global Prayer Center grand opening, New Life launched the Global Prayer app with the mission to teach the world how to pray.

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SATURDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 4th

Pastor Jordan Boyce delivered a message on Saturday Night, themed, The Awakening, that God will bring us into a global movement.

Smithfield will become the Awakening Global Broadcast Center where it will broadcast live, build a content network and reach a global audience.

The fulfillment of prayers from Pastors Steve and Nancy 30 years ago, Pastor Jordan and Samantha announced the launch of the Awakening Church in Providence slated for September 2018.

The unveiling of the Awakening Truck that will deliver the gear to Providence church location each week.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 5th

Pastor Mike Servello, another father to New Life,  encouraged the church to be fully surrendered to what God wants to do for the next 30 years at our 9:30am service.

Micah Graham Boyce was dedicated as the first Awakening baby.

Water baptisms were held outside as people of all ages made the decision to bring their faith public.

The address for the Smithfield campus has now been legally reclaimed to 1 New England Way, prophetic for the way New England embodies the winning spirit.

Each campus will now be known as Communities with Pastor Steve, the General, becoming their oversight, helping to spiritually direct each community pastor.

Pastor Steve Boyce capped off the weekend sermons as he returned to the platform to preach for the first time since breaking his neck on June 14th. Always encouraging the church to move beyond small thinking and building the Kingdom of God as the only thing that matters in this life.

After years of building a vibrant youth ministry that yielded the Awakening Conference, Awakening Leadership Center, Church at the Dunk events and a new generation of church leaders, Pastors Steve and Nancy commissioned Pastor Jordan and Samantha to lead the church into its future for the next 30 years. Thank you, Jesus!

 

The life-changing story of when Jesus fed the 5,000 is one of problems, preparation and provision.  In John 6, Jesus comes across a crowd amassing, and knowing their needs, He had compassion on them.

Jesus knew that they were like sheep without a shepherd and needed someone to guide them to a place where they could be fed and cared for. Jesus then called the disciples to send the people to the surrounding countryside and buy them something to eat.

This is where Jesus began a miracle that would be remembered, and told of, for thousands of years.

Act I: The Problem

The disciples now had a challenge ahead of them.  In order to feed all of these men and their families, they needed a God-sized miracle to make it happen.  Luckily, Jesus uses our need to produce the miraculous. He did not do the miracle right away though, instead, He commanded them to go get them something to eat.

However, the disciples immediately saw a massive problem: How were they to feed so many?

They then began to talk about how much it would take to feed a crowd of that size, and how it was out of their capability.  But Jesus changes their perspective from focusing on their lack of resources to focusing on what they had in their hands.

Act II: The Preparation

Now that the disciples had identified the problem, Jesus had them prepare the people for the miracle.  

He asked the disciples how much food they had in their possession and told them to go and see what they could find.  At that time, a young boy, seeing the need, gave his entire lunch to the cause, which was 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus then had the disciples group the crowd, by hundreds and by fifties.  

Here we see the obedience of the disciples to do what Jesus says, regardless of their ability to see the answer to the situation that they faced.  We’re to be like the young boy and give all that’s in our hands and trust God to use it to bless those around us.

Act III: The Provision

After the crowd had been organized, Jesus took the loaves and the 2 fish, He then looked to heaven saying a blessing and broke them, giving them to the disciples to share with the people.

The bible said that, “And they all ate and were satisfied.”  A seemingly impossible situation became a story of miraculous provision.  The main ingredients for this miracle were the need of the people and their willingness to do what Jesus asked of them.  

Our need is actually what qualifies us to be a part of the miracle that God alone provides.

Jesus can turn a little into enough and uses the few to feed the masses. And even after, there is enough left over to feed those who faithfully served.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” — Jesus | John 6:35 (NIV) —