West Ridge Church

A.T Barnes gave up the chance to play in the NFL so he could leave a legacy for his children.

Last words.

They are powerful, important, and unforgettable. They are spoken in a brief moment when all of life becomes sobering and clear. The love you you feel, the deepest wishes you hold dear, the regrets you long to be made right; these are the sentiments expressed in last words. They are the punctuation at the end of life’s story.

Jesus, while hanging on the cross and gasping for breath, uttered his last words. The last words of God himself. Unexpected words of the savior expressing the deepest longing of his heart; plunging the depths of who we are and the root issues of life: forgiveness, salvation, abandonment, distress, relationship, victory, and eternity.  

As we march toward celebrating Easter at West Ridge Church, join us for this life-shaping series that will examine the sayings from the cross - the last words of Jesus. Come discover how Jesus’ last words could change your life, relationships, and family forever.  

Series begins February 26th.

The Couple Checkup is an online assessment tool designed to identify the unique relationship strengths and growth areas of dating, engaged, or married couples. Based on the results of a tailored premarital or marital inventory, couples immediately receive a 20-page Couple Checkup Report on their relationship. Couples also receive an extensive discussion guide designed to help them learn proven relationship skills. Research has shown this process improves relationships by stimulating honest dialogue, increasing understanding, and empowering couples.

Click here http://www.couplecheckup.com/wrc.html to get started and take advantage of the reduced rate of $19.95 per couple between Feb. 7-14.

What can stand in the way of you getting baptized?

As part of the goal of better stewardship, we are continuing to leverage technology to better serve our people. This year as in last, your year-end tax deductible giving statements are downloadable for you to print, rather than the costly and time consuming process of printing, assembling and mailing of these statements. Your year-end statements are available online for you to download today and can be accessed anytime throughout the year. Here's how you can access them:

• Select the "My Contributions" tab
• Select the "Report" tab
• Select the "Detailed Contributions" button
• Select the date range for Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011.
• Statement type: Select Family 
  (if applicable to capture all your giving statements).
• Print the detailed tax deductible contributions report in .pdf format.
  This is the same report that has been mailed to you historically.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Men and women have equal value and dignity but different roles in marriage.

The Bible affirms this in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them”. The Apostle Paul also speaks of this equality of men and women in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,  there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Any discussion of manhood and womanhood in the Bible must start here. Every time we look at each other and talk to each other as men and women, we must remember the person we are talking to is a creature of God who is more like God than anything else in the universe.

Therefore we should treat men and women with equal dignity, and we should think of men and women as having equal value.

Men and women have different roles in marriage as part of the created order.

Adam’s headship in marriage was established by God before the Fall, and was not the result of sin. God spoke to Adam first after the Fall even though Eve sinned first. God summoned Adam to give account for what had happened. “But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” – Genesis 3:9. This suggests that Adam was the one primarily accountable for what had happened in the family.

As we move to the New Testament we see Paul instructing the church of Ephesus, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” -Ephesians 5:23-24. The biblical ideal for men is to provide loving, humble leadership and avoid errors of passivity and aggressiveness. “At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man’s differing relationships.” (Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood).

The biblical ideal for women is not an ideal of a woman being a doormat but a picture of a joyful intelligent woman submitting to her husband. This submission is not like a child obeying their parents. Rather it is a voluntary yielding in love to the authority God has ordained. This submission is reserved for the wife’s husband and not to all men. “At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman’s differing relationships.

Don’t miss our series “I do, we did, now what?” as we discuss the roles of men and women in marriage. Also, get connected to a journey group where you can discuss topics like this with other followers of Christ as well as pray for and encourage one another. Register for our next Grouplink at http://westridge.com/events/details/grouplink.

Husbands, wives, parents, singles, and even children can better understand their love language and find practical and powerful ways to express love by taking the assessment at http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/.

The 5 Love Languages® by Gary Chapman

Words of Affirmation

Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Quality Time

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Receiving Gifts

Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

Acts of Service

Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

Physical Touch

This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.