Dave Bowman

Batman Lives?

Just a little funny video on Saturday morning...

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Gettin' Baptized Pt. 2

Yesterday I posted about what baptism is NOT. So what IS baptism?

• It is a step of obedience

Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Jesus himself was baptized and he told us to be baptized as an act of submission to his lordship of our lives.

• It is a public statement

Galatians 3:26,27 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Baptism is a way of clothing ourselves with Christ. We're putting on the team jersey, taking a public stand, saying to a watching world that we are now followers of Jesus Christ.

• It is a matter of identity

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Once we make a commitment to Christ, baptism is the way we identify with his death, burial and resurrection. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with the meaning of baptism we have a great packet of information available at Next Steps. Stop by this Sunday and pick one up.

And if you haven't been baptized you can take the plunge on November the 8th at New Horizon! Stop by Next Steps this weekend at get registered!!

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

WARNING: THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO OPEN A CAN OF WORMS FOR SOMEBODY!!

Every year I get more and more amused at how Christians handle the celebration or non-celebration of Halloween. Don't get me wrong. I know all the history behind it. I've read the Christian articles and pamphlets about it. I know all the arguments.

So here's my question: Then what makes it all right to do Trunk of Treats? Fall Festivals? Christian-themed haunted houses? And why is it OK to do them on the same weekend as Halloween?

Here's where I'm at on this at this point in my life. I feel that this is a personal decision for every family to make. If you choose to let your kids go trick or treating, fine. Or if you choose not to, I'm fine with that too. It's a matter of conscience.

As for me and our house, we're going trick or treating Saturday night. And I'll be waiting by the door of our house with a big bowl of candy for the kids of our neighborhood. Arianna is going as a dancer and Jayden will probably dress up as her favorite singer - Hannah Montana (who else?). Me? I'm going as a crazy preacher. And we're going to have fun. And I'm hoping that I'll get lots of Reese's cups!!

Gettin' Baptized

On Sunday, November 8^th, we’ll be doing our next round of baptism at NHC. So in preparation I thought I’d just post a few thoughts on what baptism is and isn’t. Before we can understand what baptism is, we need to understand what it is NOT:

 • It’s not required for salvation

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are saved by one thing and one thing only – placing our faith and trust in what Jesus Christ did for us. We are NOT saved by anything we DO – religious or otherwise.

 • It is not optional

 Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ…”

Notice what it says – EVERYONE…this is not a suggestion, it’s a command. If you have commit your life to Christ this is NOT an option!

 • It is not something we do to babies

 Acts 2:14 Those who believed and accepted his message were baptized…

Baptism is an act we enter into after making a decision to follow Christ. Not only is that the pattern of scripture, but there is not a single example of infant baptism anywhere in the Bible.

So what IS baptism? Check back tomorrow!

Miracle of Life Change

Just in case you missed it last weekend, here's the video story of Karla and Ryan. Enjoy...

Karla and Ryan's story from New Horizon Church on Vimeo.

R U Spiked?

Guest Blogger: K.G.Medlin, Spiked Student Director

So, there you are, walking up to New Horizon on Wednesday night and you ask, what is going on here?  All you see everywhere is teenagers, talking, texting, being teenagers.  Yeah, we are probably a little loud, a little abrasive, and a little too wild, but Spiked is New Horizon Church.  We are not some group that we have just to keep teenagers entertained; it’s an opportunity to meet and encounter God on their level.  We do messages that have to do with things going on in their lives.  We have music that they like and can worship to (Did you know the Beatles are popular again because of Rock Band, and the Spiked Band is going to bring it Wednesday night?).  It’s not just about keeping them entertained and quiet; it is about letting them be teenagers and giving them an environment where they can do that and encounter God.

The other thing we strive for in Spiked is getting teens engaged in community through serving.  For those of you that have kids in NHC Kids, I am sure you have seen the multitude of teens we have serving there.  Once again, this is not just something else to keep them busy. These students want to serve and they want to be involved at New Horizon.   These students can be just as big a driving force in serving and reaching out to the community as anyone else.  When Paul wrote Timothy he told him, “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life , in love, in faith and in purity.”  So, don’t count these students out, they are dealing with a lot of stuff we never had to deal with.  They are setting examples here and out in the community.  They are part of our outreach to the world around us. 

So, check us out at ruspiked.com. It stays up to date on what we are doing, where we are going and may even have an inside glimpse through pics or videos.  Parents, check it out so you know what is going on.  And, if you feel like you want to help make a difference in a student’s life and have them make an impact on yours, check us out Wednesday Nights.  If you are unsure about serving in Spiked, let me give you a little test; if you know what bff, omg, cya, gtg, and sup mean without looking them up, then you might be ready for Spiked!

Weekend Rewind

• I was so pumped coming into this weekend. God had been really driving this message into my heart in a personal way over the last few days and I was really "feeling" it as we came into Sunday. And then Sunday morning about 9:00 AM, it hit. I started feeling sick. Not like pig flu sick, but just sick. I prayed. I tried to clear my head. Nothing seemed to help. So about 9:20 I stepped out into the hallway and Adam was doing something in one of the other offices. I asked him to step into my office to pray for me. And boy did he pray! And God answered. When I walked onto the stage to preach I felt fine. In fact, I felt really good! It was just another reminder to me that this thing is all about God and his plan, not me. What a privilege to preach his Word!!

• In my mind, yesterday's message set the tone for the next few weeks and what God wants to do in our church. It's all about coming to the altar of sacrifice. And not just sacrificing a few dollars, it's about crawling up on the altar and giving OURSELVES as sacrifices to God.

• Jon and the band did a great job of leading us to worship yesterday. The last song, Beautiful Jesus, really grabbed my heart. I know I've said this over and over, but IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!

• I introduced our first official "church furniture" yesterday. An altar!

• Loved the video story. I never get tired of hearing how God works in the hearts and lives of people he brings into our church. I'll post it on my blog later this week for those who missed it.

• I took some time yesterday to share my own struggles with doing this initiative. One of the reasons I shared the story is because sometimes people have an unhealthy view of pastors and other spiritual leaders. There's this false perception that pastors are such great people of faith that they never have doubts, fears or questions. WRONG!!! In fact, there's a whole unique set of fears, doubts and questions that comes with being  a pastor. And believe me, I have all of them from time to time.

• So, if you're thinking, "This is just something Dave wants," NO WAY! Trust me, there's no way I would have led us into this on my own. God is all over this thing and I know we're going to step up big!

• Again, if you have questions about Unstoppable just shoot us an email and we'll make sure someone answers your question. 

• This coming week we're going to talk about the big elephant in the room - how do we respond to what God wants us to do in the middle of a down economy? I'll be interviewing a young couple from the leadership team of our church who will be sharing their story of learning to trust and follow God's leading in their lives. Should be GOOD STUFF!!

• New Horizon - I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Unstoppable Pt. 2

Don't Miss Week 2!

NHC Gets UNSTOPPABLE!!

Get here early and don't miss the first song!!!

Are Your Overcoming?

1 John 5:5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

What do I have to do to overcome?

- Show up (you can't win if you don't show up at the game)

- Keep doing the next right thing

- Outlast (outlast your critics, outlast the enemy, outlast the problems, outlast the naysayers)

- Trust God

Don't give up today! Decide to be an overcomer!

Where Do You Need To Step Up?

Sunday we looked at the story of Jonathan and his armor-bearer attacking the Philistine camp by themselves with only one sword between them. In the story Jonathan and his armor-bearer stepped up and killed 20 enemy soldiers. And what happened next?

THEN panic struck the whole army - those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties - and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God. 1 Samuel 14:15

Emphasis on "THEN!" God didn't show up until they stepped up. Over and over throughout the scriptures there is a correlation between our willingness to step out in faith and do something, and the miraculous power of God showing up on the scene.

It seems that most of the time God wants us to put our faith on the line and the miraculous shows up on the other side of that line.

- Abraham had to step up and leave his home country before God could lead him to the land he promised

- Moses had to step up and stand up to Pharaoh in order to see Israel delivered

- David had to step up with five stones and take on Goliath

- Peter had to throw his nets over the other side of the boat to haul in the load of fish

It was a matter of stepping up...doing something...acting in faith...obedience...even though at the time it seemed like a ridiculous thing to do.

So where do you need to step up to see God show up?

- In your marriage?

- With your kids?

- Tithing?

- Getting baptized?

- Joining a Community Group or Serving Team?

- Inviting someone to church?

Step up and see what God does!