tylerramsbey

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015 tylerramsbey Culture, Ministry

God Is Not Angry At You.

God is not angry at you.

Whenever I see Street Preachers screaming at the top of their lungs, proclaiming that every single person around them is going to Hell, I cannot stand it! These “preachers” attempt to scare people into the Kingdom of God. They make God out to be an angry, abusive, and distant Father that is waiting to punish every slight act of disobedience with eternal fire, offering no mercy.

I want to share a powerful verse with you from the Psalms that I read today.

“For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive
rich in faithful love to all who call on You.” – Psalm 86:5

I want to draw three applications from this verse.

1. All of us are sinful and in need of God’s forgiveness.
Don’t get me wrong. When I say that God is not angry at you, I do not mean He will not punish sin. Scripture teaches that Hell is hot and eternity is a LONG time and all those who reject Jesus Christ will suffer for all eternity.

With that being said, God desires ALL to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Gospel (That’s why Jesus lived a PERFECT life and died a BRUTAL death so you don’t have to!). He does NOT delight in the death of the wicked.

All of us NEED forgiveness – from the pastor to the prostitute; we all stand condemned apart from Jesus.

2. God is ready RIGHT NOW to forgive your sin.
You do not have to wait until you “have your life together” before you ask for forgiveness. We see all throughout Scripture that God stands ready to forgive us of ALL our sin. Our sin can ONLY be forgiven by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Brennan Manning, in his book Ruthless Trust, helps us understand God’s love:

“With a strong affirmation of our goodness and a gentle understanding of our weakness, God is loving us – you and me – this moment, just as we are and not as we should be. There is nothing any of us can do to increase His love for us and nothing we can do to diminish it.”

3. In order to be forgiven, you need to CALL on God!
There is a condition attached to this verse. Yes, God stands ready to forgive your sin but YOU have to do something. James teaches, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. (James 4:8)”

You absolutely cannot afford to stand distant from God!

He promises if you draw near to Him (regardless of the junk and sin your life) He will draw near to you. Then, if you confess your sin (which means agreeing with God about it) and repent by the power of the Holy Spirit (turning FROM your sin and TO Jesus) you will be forgiven.

I want to invite you today to confess your sin, turn to Jesus, and know that the Father stands READY to forgive you of ALL sin (see 1 John 1:9)!

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015 tylerramsbey Christian Life, Culture, Ministry

I REFUSE!

I just finished reading Revelation 14. God has convicted me of a truth we often overlook in our evangelical church culture.

God will not overlook sin forever.

Hear me Christian!

I am disgusted by the fact that so many of us are content with keeping quiet about who Jesus is. I have seen many people in the church – who claim the name of Christ – refuse to call people to repentance in an effort to be “tolerant”.

I REFUSE to tolerate millions of people dying apart from Jesus Christ and spending eternity in Hell.

I REFUSE to tolerate sitting idly by while friends, family, and even church members live with a false sense of security.

Christian – Why is it that when you are in the midst of unbelievers you are too much of a COWARD to talk about Jesus? The most UNLOVING thing you can possibly do is be quiet about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Not everyone is going to Heaven.

Matter of fact, the vast majority of people walking on earth today will spend eternity separated from God (see Matthew 7:14). Apart from Jesus Christ, there is absolutely NO way to the Father.

Not Islam. Not Buddhism. Not New-Age. Not Mormonism. Not the Watchtower. Not Hinduism. Not even “being a good person”.

Truth is NOT politically correct.

Every single day, you look into the eyes of fellow human beings who, if they were to die today, will suffer “the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger.” They “will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night.” (Revelation 14:10-11)

Yet… “God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

You can’t afford to be a coward!

Christian – I PLEAD with you to lovingly but BOLDLY proclaim who Jesus is in every area of your life.

REFUSE to be silent.

(DISCLAIMER: I do not advocate self-righteous hatred against those of different religions. But I DO believe that love is shown in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with EVERYONE of EVERY religion. Even if they are offended.)

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 tylerramsbey Culture, Leadership, Ministry

Peter Pan Syndrome

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12

There are times (more than I would like to admit) that I HATE being young. The fact that my age group tends to spend their days getting drunk, having sex with anyone/everyone, and playing HOURS of video games does not help. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have realized that 18 seems to be the new 12. NO ONE wants to grow up… I feel like my generation is in a screwed up version of Peter Pan.

What I love about Scripture is how practical it is. As a young pastor in ministry, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and looked down upon. Paul writes to a young pastor named Timothy and gives him five ways to set an example while he’s young. This applies to you EVEN if you are not a pastor. This is some rock solid advice.

Set an example with your speech.

What are young people known for? Probably NOT speaking with wisdom and intelligence. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young people seem to breath vulgar and disrespectful language.

If you are young, people are EXPECTING you to be like that.

Prove them wrong. Speak life and not death. Be an encourager!

Set an example with your conduct.

Once again, young people are known for getting drunk and being stupid (occasionally on video). DO NOT give into that stereotype. Be the type of person that when people ask your age, they are visibly surprised when you tell them BECAUSE of your maturity and conduct.

Set your eyes on eternity and pursue the joy that is found in Jesus. I can speak from firsthand experience when I say it is FAR BETTER than living for the next high!

Set an example with your love.

If you are married, a great way to do this is by treasuring and cherishing your wife. I got married when I was 19 (which is considered almost crazy in our culture). My goal is to place my wife above EVERYONE except God.

Another way you can set an example in love is by serving people. Unfortunately, our generation is known as being self-centered and lazy. PROVE this wrong!

Put down the controller, get off the coach, and serve someone for FREE.

Set an example with your faith.

This one applies ESPECIALLY to Christian teenagers and young adults. Most of us grew up in youth groups where Jesus nor the Bible were taught. It seemed that the focus was more on drinking soda out of a sock and less on worshiping the Living God. As a result, many people abandon their faith when they graduate high school.

Do NOT be that person. PURSUE the things of God! Yet be careful that you are known NOT by how much you know, but instead by how much you actually live it out.

Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.

Let your faith be the fire that enables you to set an example in speech, conduct, love, and purity.

Set an example with your purity.

This one is completely counter-cultural to popular culture today. We are told to live our lives “young, wild, and free”. Have sex, look at pornography, and fantasize in your mind; everyone is doing it so you should join them.

PLEASE do not give in to the culture on this issue. MAKE WAR against sexual immorality. Every time you are tempted, God WILL provide a way out.

Being young may honestly suck at times but God has called YOU to live out 1 Timothy 4:12. Which one of these do you find the hardest to live out? What are some good resources YOU recommend? Let me know by leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you!

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Pastor

Small Town, Big Church (Rural Ministry!)

Being in ministry can definitely be tough at times.

Pastors NEED encouragement and teaching. Something that I have noticed in the Evangelical world is that the vast majority of teaching geared towards pastors has a focus from a Mega-church perspective – which definitely makes sense. If you are the pastor of a church with 2,000+ people, you are going to have a much larger platform than a pastor of a 100-person church.

Don’t get me wrong, mega-churches are not evil and small churches are not automatically holy.

I pastor a campus of The Rescue Church and our vision is to plant healthy church campuses in small communities. I am a pastor in a town of about 1,200 people and I am always searching for solid resources that apply to rural ministry.

I want to invite you to check out Pastor Jon Sander’s podcast “Small Town Big Church”. Jon is the senior pastor (and founding pastor) of The Rescue Church and I have the honor of working alongside him. He has 10+ years of experience in rural ministry and I believe this podcast would be extremely helpful; ESPECIALLY if you are a pastor or church leader in a rural setting.

Check it out here!

November 6, 2014December 4, 2014 tylerramsbey Christian Life, Ministry

Lost (for 40 years!)

Missed church? Check out the message HERE!

Can you imagine being lost for forty years?

I have the opportunity of teaching the Bible this weekend at The Rescue Church. We are currently going through a series called “The Story”. It is based on a book called The Story which removes verse numbers and breaks large sections of the Bible into chapters (using transitions in order to cover large amounts of text, at times). It is not meant to be a replacement for the Bible but it is a very good introduction; especially for people who are new to Christianity.

I will be sharing from Chapter 6 which is called “Wandering”. This chapter is about the Israelites wandering around in the wilderness for forty years – Can you imagine??

One of the leaders of the early church, James, refers to the Bible as a mirror. When we set our attention on the Bible, God enables us to view ourselves through the lens of Scripture. As I have been studying this chapter, God has convicted me of sin and led me into worship more times than I can count.

I believe God has something powerful to say to you this weekend!

Whether you are a Christian or not, it would be an honor to have you join us this Sunday. We have multiple locations and service times (including online!)

Flandreau, SD: 10:00am
Colman, SD: 10:00am
Deeside, Jamaica: 10:00am
iCampus: 10:00am
Garretson, SD: 6:00pm

Head on over to www.therescuechurch.com for directions, more information, and past messages!

October 20, 2014December 4, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

God Chooses Weak People.

Check out the Message that inspired this post by clicking HERE!

Have you ever faced a challenge and felt COMPLETELY inadequate and unprepared?

I have felt this way for the past eleven months (and still do). I have the honor and privilege of pastoring The Rescue Church in Garretson, SD. I remember having many conversations with my wife leading up to launch, explaining how I thought I was the wrong guy for the job. I’m not the best leader. I’m not the best counselor. I’m not the best speaker. And I’m definitely not the best pastor.

Why the heck would God choose ME to help lead His Church?

When I got to Garretson this morning, I sat in the sanctuary and looked out over all the chairs and equipment. Eleven months ago, I thought all of it was impossible. I never would have said that out loud, but in the quiet times the enemy whispered lies into my ear.

If you have ever felt this way, I want to encourage you with a Scripture that has spoken deeply into my heart and situation. The Apostle Paul writes this to a young church in Corinth –
“Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in his presence.” 1 Cor. 1:26-29

If you feel foolish, weak, insignificant, and despised you are in the BEST position to be used powerfully by the Living God.

Be of good courage today if you are overwhelmed by what God has called you to do. He has purposely chosen YOU for His purposes so that HE receives all the credit. I discovered that God chose me to plant His Church in Garretson precisely because there is no possible way I could do it in my own power.

God chooses people who seem to have nothing to offer SO THAT when God paints a beautiful picture with that person’s life, HE receives the credit and glory – not the brush.

What about you? Leave a comment about a time when you felt inadequate yet God STILL showed up in a powerful way THROUGH your weaknesses.

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

Now ALL Glory to God… [Garretson Update]

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20

I am sitting here in awe at the power of God.

The past couple of weeks have been both exhausting and rewarding. Our team in Garretson has experienced intense spiritual warfare as we came closer to holding our first public service; I now understand why.

If you don’t think Satan is real, try venturing into a new town to help establish a community of committed followers of Jesus Christ.

We have officially launched; this is a great milestone. Not only did we have every ministry in place (Worship Service, Rescue Kidz, and Nursery), we had 75 people join us!! Honestly, I told God I would be happy if there were 40 people there. Due to my lack of faith, I thought I was setting myself up for disappointment if I believed God for anything more. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. (Take this as encouragement that God can accomplish infinitely more than YOU might ask or think too!)

Below are some pictures of the night!

**By the way, if you live in the area we would be honored to have you join us on Sunday nights at 6pm. Our building is right on Main Street, you can’t miss it!

View from the Coffee Bar before the service.

Rachel Kuphal leading worship (She did AWESOME!)

My beautiful wife hanging out in the Nursery!

September 26, 2014September 26, 2014 tylerramsbey Christian Life, Leadership

Three Books YOU Should Read!

I recently wrote a blog post explaining the statement “Leaders are readers.” If you haven’t read that yet, click HERE and check it out!

I want to recommend three AWESOME books I have read recently.

Taking God At His Word: Why the Bible Is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung

This book is great probably because it is about the greatest book ever written (well, technically collection of books; namely, the Bible!) DeYoung goes into detail explaining what it means for the Bible to be knowable, necessary, and enough. One of the best things about this book is how short it is. It is a very easy read and theological primer for those who either have questions about or would like to learn more about the Bible. So… READ IT!

Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung

Yup, another book by DeYoung. He is a great writer and is able to make difficult and complex topics easy to understand for the average person. The subtitle for this book explains why it is so awesome, this is what it says – “How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc.” If you want to understand the will of God, read this book!

Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

What the world needs is positive role models, especially those who are men. The vast majority of modern movies, sitcoms, and songs make men appear like incompetent, ignorant, and foolish cave dwellers. Unfortunately, many young guys are following in those exact footsteps and the only goals they aspire to is having sex with as many women as they can and beating their last high score on a video game.

Eric Metaxas lays out mini biographies on seven different men in order to inspire us to lead lives that make a difference. The seven men that Metaxas cover are George Washington, William Wilberforce, Eric Liddell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jackie Robinson, Pope John Paul II, and Charles W. Colson.

Leaders ARE readers. What are some books you have read recently that you would recommend? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Ministry

Garretson Update!!

I love my church.

It has been an AWESOME privilege to participate in what Jesus is doing in the community of Garretson. If you would like a recap on everything that God has used the Rescue Church to do, click HERE.

As students have been heading back to school, we have been remodeling our building here in Garretson. The work is coming along quickly, thanks to a great team of people dedicating countless hours of their time to help.

October 5^th is our launch date.

Yes, it is coming quick… like REALLY quick!

I am both excited and nervous as we get ready to hold our first service. As October 5^th approaches, we are still in need of some very important pieces. Below are some of the crucial items we need with attached price tags.

Main, motorized projection screen ($500)
Rear projection screen ($100)
Carpet for the Lobby ($2,500)
70 High-Quality Chairs ($2,800)
Pro-presenter License ($400)

Total Need: $6,300

In order to launch on October 5^th, we need YOUR help. Below are ways to give.

Online Giving*
1. Click HERE to give from our website.
2. Type your amount into the “Special Designation” area.
3. For the description of your donation, type “Garretson Needs”.
4. Click “Continue” and fill out your information.

Giving via Mail*
You can make a check out to “The Rescue Church” and write in the Memo field “Garretson Needs”. Your check can be mailed to our church office – 300 E. 2^nd Avenue, Flandreau, SD 57028

*The Rescue Church is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which means your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a record for your giving for tax purposes.

Check out the pictures below to see the work that has been done so far!

This is the Coffee bar in the Lobby.

These are the double doors that separate the lobby from the sanctuary.

This is a view of both the coffee bar and the Nursery we built.

This is the Audio Booth in the Sanctuary.

Another view of the Audio Booth.

This is the stage in the sanctuary.

September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

REFUSE to be Ignored

Refused to be ignored!

I first heard this statement last week when I was at a roundtable event in Chicago with a group of roughly 18 pastors and church leaders. The biggest insult to a church is not to have people slander the members and leaders but instead to simply ignore them.

Satan wants quiet little churches that mind their own business and make absolutely no impact in the lives of those around them.

That’s not the church in Acts.

That’s not the church Jesus promised to build.

That’s not the church that will change the world.

If your church was to shut down today, would the community notice? Or would everyone continue their days and weeks without even realizing there was a church there in the first place? Is the church you belong to a FORCE that makes a difference or a FORTRESS for dead religion?

What is YOUR church doing in order to NOT be ignored and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around you? Let me know by leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you!