Abiding In Christ

A major theme God continues to teach me in my prayer life involves learning how to abide in Christ. Keep in mind that abiding does not mean we sit quietly, do nothing, and contemplate warm fuzzy thoughts about Jesus. Abiding actually means to obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to, adhere to, stick to, and stand by. While abiding in Christ certainly produces fruit and peace in our lives (the aspect of abiding most talked about) there is also an aspect of abiding that calls us into action. Abiding is never passive. Abiding is active and involves a conscious decision on our part as followers of Jesus Christ. 

Right now in the life of Northwest there are plenty of opportunities for us to stop abiding and start acting on our own power and determined will. Needs are everywhere and uncertainty abounds in the form of both blessings and challenges. For instance God is blessing Northwest with new leaders (Scott and Amilee Sanders), new ministries (5th and 6th Grade, Student Ministry, and Missions), and new families. At the same time, we are being hit with new challenges such as students coming from tough family situations, neighbors far from God, and increased financial demands. But here's the deal, our directive does not change. WE ARE TO ABIDE IN CHRIST. If a million blessings come our way, we are to abide in Christ. If a million challenges come our way, we are to abide in Christ. 

One of the most incredible things about Jesus is the fact that the Son of the Living God has invited us to be his friend! We have been invited into a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior...let that sink in for a moment. But wait! The deal gets even sweeter. Christ tells us we do not have to muster up our own strength to follow and obey him. Jesus provides the grace and the strength necessary for us to love Him and serve others if we are willing to abide in Christ. 

Will Blanchard

Following the Call | Sanders Family

Following the Call


Northwest Community Church is excited to announce that Scott and Amilee Sanders and their children Benjamin (5), Nathan (3), and Abigail (1) will soon be joining the Northwest family. Scott will join our team of pastors and will be providing leadership primarily in the areas of students and missions. The Sanders are moving from Macon, GA to Northwest Arkansas and anticipate joining us for our worship gathering on Sunday, December 7th. Scott has received his M.A. in Teaching and B.S. in Mathematics from The University of Arkansas and has completed credits towards his M.A. in Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Previously Scott and Amilee served as short-term missionaries through the IMB in Naples, Italy. Most recently Scott has led a successful and growing ministry as the Pastor to Students at Northway Church in Macon, GA for the past 6 years. Scott and Amilee’s leadership is shaped by two great passions: Seeing students become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ and reaching the nations with the life-changing message of the gospel. Please join us in praying for the Sanders and giving thanks to God for the ways He continues to provide for Northwest.

Since the launch of Northwest Community Church, our vision has been to lead people to experience a new life in Christ. During each step of the journey, God has provided the people and resources necessary for us to pursue this vision and see steady life-change and growth in the overall momentum of the church. This is another example of God's overflowing provision for us as a church.

From the human perspective, this move does not make sense. Scott will be leaving a large church, a steady salary, and a student ministry that is twice the size of our church in order to serve in a role at Northwest that will require Scott to become a bi-vocational pastor for a season. All of these things seem ridiculous, and even foolish in the world's eyes, but in order to be obedient to the call God has placed on their lives to serve at Northwest Community Church, these steps of faith are totally worth it.

As always, we will continue to rely on Christ to provide the necessary resources along this journey. Over the past 6 months, God has not only created new avenues of ministry for Northwest in Bella Vista and around the world but He has also allowed Northwest to double our team of pastors. Our only true response to God's leadership and provision remains humble adoration of God and gratefulness for His mercy on us. Along the way we sincerely believe that God is going to provide His power as we take these next steps of faith. God is on the move at Northwest and we will continue to trust and follow after Him with everything. He is worth it!

The Sanders' Blog

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