Water of Life Community Church

This is the very starting point of a transformed life. It speaks to maturing people to a closer relationship with Christ, not just getting better inside. Jesus put a huge value on healing -- putting people back together again, healing of the sick, wounded and broken lives is a high priority to a compassionate and loving God."The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, and that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." ---Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

Healing is so important to God that He made it a key part of discipleship or growing in Jesus. Healing occurred many times in Jesus' ministry and miracles frequently occurred; but His healing was not just about making people well physically, but rather it was to restore them in the Kingdom, in a right relationship with God. Ephesians 4:11-13 talks of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and the pastors and teachers all having the responsibility "to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." The word equip, kartatizo, in Greek means to mend, restore, and be put back together.

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command." ---Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT)

The goal in all we do must be transformation -- that is where winning begins. God has called us into relationship with one another where we can be healed and then become instruments of His healing.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which ourselves are comforted by God." ---1 Corinthians 1:3-4 He does not call us to store up what He gives, but to pass it on to others. Transformation occurs in our small groups, as well as in our healing and recovery groups where we can find support, care, prayer and encouragement.

Sending is our second core value. We Believe it is foundational to all God wants to do in us.

EVERYTHING ABOUT ALL OF US LIKES TO BE COMFORTABLE BUT JESUS SAID THE WAY TO GROW IS TO GET STRETCHED OUT – EKTENO IN THE GREEK; WE NEED TO GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE.

In Acts 12:1-3, the church in Jerusalem sent out Paul and Barnabas on the first real "missionary" journey. The goal was to reproduce the work God had done in them and other believers by spreading the word of Jesus’ love and transformed lives and starting churches. This church planting model has been followed in various forms ever since. Our desire at Water of Life is to send teams out for short term exposure on a regular basis, and at the same time train and expose our church to many cross-cultural types of ministry as possible. This includes those near to us, (our valley) and those far from us (our world). In our history we have sent short-term teams to 15-20 different countries, including Malaysia, Hong Kong, Russia, China, Jamaica, Venezuela, Guatemala, Lebanon, Panama, Kenya, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba and Honduras. More recently, we have sent teams to Mexico, Cambodia and Thailand.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" ---Matthew 28:19 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “You heard of from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” …you will received power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem,and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” ---Acts 1:4-8

Jerusalem and Judea were home to Jesus and the disciples, that is local. So, we do local outreach at our food and clothing warehouse, Adopt-a-Block, Mobile Medical Unit, and with our annual Trunk or Treat Halloween alternative event. The remote parts of the world for Water of Life are Cambodia and Thailand, as well as other nations we have reached. This is all based on Holy Spirit empowerment and we seek to establish long-term relationships in each of those areas. This results in transformed lives in us as we go and in them as they receive.

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…” ---Ephesians 4:11-12

This core value, again, speaks to transforming lives. Winning at Water of Life is, “A transformed life demonstrated by being given to God and given to people”. In this case, as we learn the truth in the Word of God, we also receive training in what we are to do with what we learn. It is not just about words, but an action. A changed life is one that loves God and loves people, as well as serves God and serves people. Equipping at Water of Life means more than just attending church or a bible study.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” ---II Timothy 2:2

At Water of Life, this means teaching and releasing people with the purpose of both mind and heart transformation. Practically speaking, all of our small groups will teach and do outreach ministry where they extend themselves to others. Individuals as well are provided with the opportunity to serve by caring for others and putting their knowledge to work, giving life to other people.

"What use is it , my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give then what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." ---James 2:14-17

We believe that one of Water of Life's main priorities is to those in need. The principle is, we get so we can give, which we believe is a part of God's heart for all people. We need the poor and downtrodden as much as they need us. It is with them that we gain the heart of God and that the Holy Spirit is able to soften us and impart the Father's heart to us.

The Bible is emphatic about the church's responsibility to care for those in need. "But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother (or sister) in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? ---1 John 3:17

In Matthew 25, Jesus expects nothing less from His church, which is why this core value is so important at Water of Life, as this expectation is clearly shown.

"...Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me." ---Matthew 25:34-36

We want to be counted among the faithful described above as those who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, invited the stranger in, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and also visited those in prison.

"The King will say to them, truly I say to you to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me" ---Matthew 25:40.

Lives are transformed through relationships…community and family relationships. 

“You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family…we who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.” ---Ephesians 2:19

Everyone who believes in Jesus is part of His family.  He has joined us together and He tells us we should get along.  He is the one who holds everything together.  He holds the world together, marriages together, he holds the church family together, and he holds personal relationships together.

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” ---Colossians 1:17

First Corinthians is quite clear that He put us together; we are one body and we are supposed to live like it.

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” ---I Corinthians 12:12-13

The rules of the family of God are clear and simple:  we are called to serve one another.  This is only possible through our relationship with Jesus.  To have a powerful and on-fire relationship with Jesus, you have to get your mind off of yourself and choose to focus on other people.  Christ always did this and He built His relationship with many people based on compassion, and he asks us to do the same.  In Mark 1:41, as Jesus spoke with a leper, He was “moved with compassion” and He stretched out His hand, touched the leper and healed him. In order to be really connected with others at a deep level, we must be compassionate.

The heart of a servant is a heart of compassion.  There is power in serving others and there is also a blessing in serving others.  As we come together in a right relationship with others, we are positioning ourselves to be blessed by God.