By Sean Nelson, Pastor of Discipleship
            I absolutely love when nature points to God and provides immediate application. I also love listening to people's travel stories that involve nature because it makes me feel like I was there. You may or may not have seen Donna’s picture of the tuna they caught, but you should (check out her FB page). Even better is the story that surrounds this great catch.
                  The catch happened during their 3-hour fishing excursion.  Her youngest son Evan caught a nice 163 lb fish and her sons and husband together reeled in the “big one”. After asking Donna about the Tuna she mentioned something that spoke to me. “Evan was the first to feel the tug but through all his efforts he couldn’t reel it in. There was a sudden pull and the reel released. All his efforts were gone and he asked Dad to step in.” Donna explained. She showed me a picture that captured the moment and my attention.
                  There was Evan, with his muscle flexed, trying his best to bring this fish in and Dad right next to him navigating the line. Donna explained that it’s hard to do both – deep sea fish and ensure that the line retracts correctly. See, if the line comes back in tangled then the rod will malfunction later on. That’s why they were able to bring in the memorable catch – one worked and the other guided.
                You and I will labor in different functions but both are necessary. Whether it be be parenting, business, church, etc., understand your gifts and the others needed to accomplish more for the Kingdom of God.


“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” In his presence and with his people…

​

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
We are in the planning stage of developing an evangelism strategy to reach the Katy area with the Gospel of Jesus through the ministry at COTHA.  Read through the strategy and let me know if you are interested in helping.  You can reach me at darrel@cotha.org.  Here are the plans:


Reaching the Katy Area for Jesus through the ministry of COTHA


Where do our people live?  Let’s organize our community of disciples at COTHA and both empower and equip them to reach their neighbors with both information and an invitation to come and see what is going on at COTHA.
​

By Anotinette Chew, Ministry Pastor of COTHA Kids
  
 What an amazing week we had giving God all the Glory last week at Shine VBS. It was a huge success. It was wonderful to see all the long hours and time spent preparing for over 170 children really pay off. The VBS team started in February planning and preparing. Four months later VBS was upon us, and it was show time. God was definitely present during the week.
 We opened the morning in the Sanctuary singing songs, dancing, listening to our Bible story and watching a skit.  Our actors were amazing and even interacted with the children throughout their day at VBS. We were even Superheroes for a time. Then our groups were off to learn more about our Bible lesson and crown of the day. The children rotated daily between Crafts, Bible Story Time, Tasty Treats and Funky Beats, and Games. We then all gathered for a final thought and more singing and dancing. 


 Our leaders for VBS were incredible. They worked tirelessly ensuring that all children were included and felt God’s love and presence during the week. Our leaders were true leaders. They took the material and ran with it. They were prepared and inspiring throughout the week.
  
“The scope of your influence is determined by the success of your leaders” Reggie Joiner
 Although VBS is a huge undertaking and many, many hours of time are put into the planning and execution of this huge event, it is definitely worth it. When you see the children’s faces and the joy that the word of God brings to each one of them, you know it is all part of His plan.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he had stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12

​

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
Starting on August 3, a sermon series on the book of Galatians will begin. Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians because they were struggling with the difference between trying to earn God’s favor through our works versus accepting it by grace. The implications of this are profound. I think most believers understand that faith and salvation are gifts of grace. We cannot do anything to earn them nor do we deserve them. The problem is this: we accept that we come to faith by grace but then we try to live by law. It is easy to develop a set of rules and laws to live by and end up losing our freedom.
But beyond this, there are questions that emerge for me such as how do I discover the grace that God freely gives? Do I have to do something to discover it? What happens when I do discover it?
As in all issues related to faith, God desires to both reveal Himself and through that, offer us grace. That is the important point. How often do we seek what God would have us do, what His will is for our lives, and not seek Him? It is important that we not get that out of order.
Paul reminds the Church in Galatia that they received the Spirit by believing what they had heard. The Gospel is a gospel of freedom and grace. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
We are not justified by works but by faith. This means we can stop trying so hard and start trusting God. Do not neglect your relationship with God because that is where we are changed. Once our relationship with God becomes vibrant, everything else falls into place. Through grace!

By Paula Wilbrant, Ministry Pastor of Care


Your guess is as good as mine!  These two little Geckos were crawling towards each other on a Jasmine branch in my back yard just a few days ago.  I’m not sure why but they caught my attention while I was watering my flowers.  They were crawling towards each other when all of a sudden the one coming from the bottom leaped towards the other one and put his entire mouth (which I had no idea could open SO WIDE) around the other’s entire head!!!!! In the picture you can see just the pretty blue eye barely escaping the others mouth!
I watched this for several minutes wondering “is the one trying to kill the other by suffocation? Is he threatening power over the other or is it a LOVE bite? "  I hesitated taking the time to go inside to grab my phone so I could capture the picture, but I realized soon that this could go on a while…. So, I did get my phone and was actually able to get several pictures all the while being totally ignored by my little creepy crawler lovers, fighters or what evers?
After a few more minutes, I decided to take matters into my own hands and sprayed them with the hose. Immediately they broke apart and scurried off in opposite directions never to know what they were doing. UNLESS of course, I Google and become educated in Gecko love affairs?
I love to spend time in nature and drinking in God’s creation.  It’s amazing how nature works and just knowing and believing that God created each and every single living thing is truly awesome!!!
Genesis 1:21
21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

By Sean Nelson, Pastor of Discipleship
The theme for VBS this year is “SHINE” – be a glory giver not a glory getter. This is a great summer broadcast for our youth and children to focus on, but it must transcend further than this demographic. It starts with us – the parent/adult/leaders of our home and city!


In Luke 5:1-11 we see how Glory Givers live a life that SHINE’s for Jesus.

1. Glory Givers trust in God! v. 8 – 10 show how Jesus reveals his power over nature and how Peter responds to this revelation. How do you respond to the glory of God daily?
2. Glory Givers leave everything! v. 11 shows how the fisherman are now ready to leave what they have invested in, labored over, and witnessed being a lucrative business to leave it all for a new venture – laboring for the lives of man.
3. Glory Givers courageously follow Jesus! v. 9- 11 show that when “awe” is turned into “amen” fear is no longer relevant but belief fuels trust. The fishermen who once caught living creatures and killed them are now into disciples who go after the dead and bring them to the life of Christ.

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
The Truth Project 
My small group is currently working through the Truth Project curriculum.  This is my fifth or sixth time that I have listened and reflected on this incredible resource.  Del Tackett, the teacher in the curriculum, raises a host of interesting questions and points.  Perhaps the thing that makes me think the most is the whole issue of “worldview.”  We all have a worldview but many of us do not realize how we got one.  We do not usually choose one, it is given to us by many different sources including the media, television, movies, books and contemporary society.  A recent survey discovered that only 7% of Bible believing Christians have a biblical worldview.  If nothing else, that should give us pause.
In the first lesson of the curriculum, we discover that “in almost every area of life, the perspective of contemporary culture stands in direct opposition to the worldview presented in the Bible.  Hence our culture is not only filled with lies but is heading in the direction of social insanity.”  Before I reflected on the issues raised, I had a subtle sense that something was wrong.  I now can see how pervasive and pernicious these lies are.  As a follower of Jesus, I need to be aware of these lies and understand how the Bible can help me overcome them. 
As the old Chinese proverb says “we live in interesting times.”  If we are to not be co-opted by the world, we need to understand what we believe and the implications that has on all of life.  Let me encourage you to be thoughtful, prayerful and aware that there is a cosmic battle underway to lead us from truth to falsehood.  As Paul warned us, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  The Truth Project has helped me see this in a clearer way.

By Darrel Proffitt, Lead Pastor
I read recently the following about leadership: “God never asks you to do anything that He doesn’t give you the ability and the power to do."  The same is true of leadership.  God doesn’t ask you to be a leader unless He gives you the abilities to lead, the opportunities to lead, the resources to lead and the people to lead.  He won’t ask you to be a leader without giving you the gifts of leadership.  That’s what those things are – opportunities, abilities, resources, and people.”  While this is true, there is a threat or temptation that challenges all leaders.  That temptation is to lead in such a way that benefits the leader only.  That is not the model that Jesus taught his disciples.
Jesus taught His disciples that biblical leadership was different than what the world teaches.  “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.' ” (Luke 22: 24-27)
I recently had a conversation with a group of leaders about what their experience of leadership in the marketplace was.  To a person, they said that they had not seen many examples of servant leadership, the kind of leadership that Jesus taught by both word and example.  Not only is that a sad commentary on the state of leadership all around us, but it is also a clarion call for followers of Jesus to live into a more excellent way.
Have you seen the model of leadership that Jesus taught where you work?  Do you embody servant leadership in your position of influence?  If not, what keeps you from responding to Jesus’ call to “serve and not to be served?”

By Paula Wilbrant, Ministry Pastor of Care
Every morning around 7:30 I receive a text message from a special friend; it is a bible verse. I read it first no matter what other texts have come in because I know the importance of reading the word…it IS a beautiful way to start the day.
On Father’s Day Sunday, the text read; Psalm 103:13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
There was a side note saying “Don’t forget to say happy Father’s Day to your father and if your father is no longer alive, bless him and thank him for all the blessings he did for you out of his love for you.”
There aren’t enough words to describe the love, admiration, respect and adoration that I have for my dad. He was my very best friend and confidant, the person who was always there for me teaching me to be the best person I could be. He believed in me (as I did in him), and I never once doubted his love. As a matter of fact, that is the same love that our Heavenly Father has for us and I for Him.
I wish my dad would’ve had more time on this earth, but I guess God had other plans for him. He went to heaven at the age of 53 after suffering a heart attack. I was 25, but my brother was only 16.
Since that time, a day hasn’t gone by that I haven’t thanked God for my dad. He was the neatest person I’ve ever known, and I still miss him. I do know that he’s with God, doing good things, and I know without a doubt we’ll be together again. And when that time comes, I’ll say I sure have missed you but I knew that you were always with me, thanks Dad, you’re the greatest. Most of all, thanks God for giving me my dad, I love you both with all of my heart.

By Sean Nelson, Pastor of Discipleship
3 New Classes this summer!
Grow deeper in the way you see yourself and your finances. Whichever path is chosen I’m sure you will find a richer “you” at the end! Also, be encouraged by the life of Father Desmond Goonesekera.
 “The me I want to be – becoming God’s best version of you”
Study led by Trish Thompson
This is a powerful study in becoming the unique, fully alive, flourishing people God intended. Pastor and author John Ortberg teaches through five sessions about how you can move toward becoming God’s best version of you in four specific areas; your mind, your time, your relationships, and your experiences.
Sundays June 29th – July 27th
COTHA U from 9a – 10a in Room #103....Stay for Breakfast in GrandCentral!
 
At the Center of it All
Study led by Rev. Desmond Goonesekera
 Hear how evangelism, the scriptures, and the Holy Spirit charted the course for a life of ministry with our very own Rev. Desmond Goonesekera. He will share with you his passions and how God has been the center of it all.
Sundays July 6th – July 20th
COTHA U from 9a – 10a in Room #101....Stay for Breakfast in GrandCentral!


Financial Peace University
Study led by Sean Nelson and Neil Stratton
Your Money. Your story. Your life.
Learn God’s ways of handling money with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University! The average turnaround is $8,000 in just the first three months! To go from debt and discontentment to Financial Peace will take some work, but it’s not as far off as it seems. You just need will power and a plan.  $100 per couple for class materials.
Wednesdays June 25th – August 20th  
7:15 pm – 8:30p in City Centre
Arrive early and join us for Spaghetti dinner in Grand Central from 6-7p.
​