The Wisdom Flywheel

"What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" Imagine if God asked you that question. How would you answer? Would you ask God for wealth? Better looks? More influence or popularity? Maybe true love?

In 1 Kings 3:5-15 God asks that same question to a man named Solomon. We are privileged to see the way Solomon responded because he answered the question exactly right! And as a result, God allowed Solomon to experience the momentum of the wisdom flywheel as a young leader. 

The Wisdom Flywheel
1 Kings 1-10

Instead of being motivated by selfish desires, Solomon asked God for an understanding heart, for wisdom, and for discernment in leadership. It was a request God was thrilled to answer! Then in 1 Kings 4-10 Solomon serves as one of the greatest examples of godly wisdom and effectiveness in human history as the wisdom flywheel began to turn.

This week reflect on Solomon, the Wisdom Flywheel, and 1 Kings. Download the connect sheet, and experience God-fueled wisdom and effectiveness. To learn more about the Wisdom Flywheel and how you can experience it in your own life be sure to listen to this week's podcast and make plans to join us this Sunday at Northwest for week 2 of the Way of Wisdom.   

The Way of Wisdom

Have you ever felt like you were in over your head? I can definitely recall a few times in my life. Seeing Sarah walk down the aisle towards me at our wedding, holding each of our 3 daughters for the very first time, and deciding to launch Northwest Community Church would all be near the top of my list. In those types of situations, your next move is critical. In fact, your next move will often determine your path for years to come. When you are in over your head, do you rely on blind luck? Or do you pursue true wisdom?

On Sunday, April 15th Northwest will begin a new teaching series on the book of Proverbs. For the next 8 weeks we will study the way of wisdom and the path it takes us down in the major areas of life. 

New Series Begins Sunday April 15th 

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to prepare for the next time you encounter a situation where it feels like you are in over your head! In fact, invite a friend or family member to come experience the way of wisdom with you.

Remember Northwest Community Church meets in Cooper Elementary in Bella Vista every Sunday morning at 10am. Throw on a pair of jeans and come get a taste of what life is like at Northwest.

Living In Light of God's Faithfulness

Happy Birthday Northwest!

Northwest is gonna throw a party and we want you and your family to be there. On Sunday, February 18th Northwest Community Church will celebrate our 8th birthday with worship, stories of life change, baptisms, and of course BBQ! As we celebrate God's faithfulness we are also going to look to the future and the vision God has given us for leading people to experience a new life in Christ.

Living in light of God's faithfulness over the past 8 years, the Leadership Team has prayerfully developed  some strategic facility goals for Northwest's future designed to better serve the needs of our church and community. The strategic aim for the future Northwest campus is best summed up in the 4 P's of the Serve the City Center.    

The strategic facility goals for Northwest over the next 5 years are broken down into 3 broad categories: Short Range, Mid Range, and Long Range Plans.

In order to pursue these strategic goals, the Leadership Team has initially asked the members of Northwest to generously and sacrificially give $100,000 to the Northwest Facility Fund in order to cover projected first-year costs for operating in our own facility. In light of God's faithfulness we trust that God will provide through the generosity of His people. There is a beautiful, biblical example of this type of process in Exodus 35 and 36 where Moses comes to the people of Israel with plans to construct the Tabernacle and asks the people to sacrificially give to the project. 

"So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle...Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings." (Exodus 35:20-22) What happens next is even more amazing. The generosity levels were so great that Moses had to actually go back to the people of Israel and ask them to stop giving! "Men and women, don't prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!...Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project." (Exodus 36:6-7)   

Once again, in light of God's faithfulness we believe God can supply more than enough.

Trusting God in the Silence

For most people, awkward silence in a conversation is painful. It causes us to get nervous, fidgety, and uncomfortable and we begin to look for anything to fill the void. Sometimes we even want to scream, "Just make it stop!" If we feel that way in a conversation, imagine what it feels like when that silence seems to be coming from God. Have you felt that way before? Do you feel that way now? If so, you are not alone.

In the Old Testament book of Genesis almost 2,000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, there lived a man named Joseph whose life shows us how to trust God in seasons of silence. At Northwest Community Church over the next 9 weeks we are studying the life of Joseph in our Sunday morning worship gatherings, through daily quiet times, and with connect sheets in our community groups. In fact this is a perfect opportunity to jump into a community group in 2018! You can sign up and get more info HERE.

As we get to know Joseph and his family's heritage we will discover the damaging effects of passive leadership in the home and the destructive impact it can have on future generations. In contrast we will also see that God is the great promise keeper even when it feels as if He is silent. Be sure to follow along and stay connected to the weekly talks at Northwest by subscribing to the Northwest podcast.