Don't give the enemy one more minute! You are not your past. You are a Child of God! 1.5.24

 

Christian Watts Health Update January 3, 2024

Hello Friends and Family,
It has been one week since Christian came home from the hospital and we are still praising and thanking God for the miracle He did by healing Christian. Not only was Christian's immune system compromised because of chemotherapy, he had Covid, Legionnaires' disease (a very serious, often deadly form of pneumonia), sepsis, and the rhinovirus. No One other than God could have brought the healing that Christian has experienced. To God be the glory!
Christian is doing better little by little each day, but he still has a long road ahead of him as he works to return to full strength. We want to thank all of you that have prayed and have supported Christian and his family by providing meals and/or financial support.
Christian has not been able to work for over a month, and will not be able to return to work for some time as he allows his lungs and body to heal from all he has been through. In addition to this, Kelleye has had to take several unpaid days off from work to care for Christian.
Between chemotherapy and Christian's recent illness, medical bills are beginning to roll in and pile up. With this in mind, we humbly ask for those that love and care for Christian and his family to consider giving financially to help the Watts family as they work to pay medical expenses and recoup lost wages.
Financial gifts can be given via the Meal Train link at https://mealtrain.com/ly0g9m. You can also give via Christian's Venmo Account at https://account.venmo.com/u/Christian-Watts-18. Please feel free to share this post as you feel led.
Again, thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. Please continue to pray for Christian as he goes to the doctor on Wednesday, January 10th for his follow-up appointment, and as he undergoes a Pet Scan on Friday, January 12th to confirm his cancer has remained in remission. Christian will find out the results of his Pet Scan on Tuesday, January 16th at 8:30 at Tennessee Oncology.
May God bless you and keep you in the New Year and beyond!

Our God is a God of Miracles! 12.26.23

 

Church...

 Disclaimer: The words I share below come from my heart. A heart that is heavy when it comes to “the church”. At the end of this post, I have a few questions for you that I would appreciate your honest answers to, even if you believe your answer might step on MY toes! Thank you in advance for sharing thoughtfully and honestly with me and with others. I have purposely made this post public, and in doing so, I fully understand that some comments may prove difficult to read which is ok as I am seeking truth and not comfort.

For the majority of my nearly 52 years, I have attended church regularly either as the son of a minister or as one who was serving in full-time ministry. Therefore, until recently, not attending church was never really an option for me. I guess you could say it was something I was expected to do either as a child of a minister, or as one that was actively serving a church. However, 11 months ago that all changed…

When God led me to begin a new work in Tullahoma called Life Change Church Tullahoma, it was never about me. You may believe it was, and you are entitled to your opinion, but God knows it was not. I believed that God had called me to plant a church that people would want to attend. A church that was REAL! A church where people with real problems could encounter a real God that has the answers to their problems. A church that didn’t judge people based on their past, but helped people see their potential future in Christ. A church where people could find community, and realize they were not alone in their struggles. I truly believed that God had called me to lay the foundation of a church that would meet the needs of people in our area of many many years after I was gone.

Let me make something very clear… Being a pastor was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Yes, there are times when it can be very rewarding, but carrying the burdens, heartaches, tears, and the needs of others on your shoulders is excruciating and exhausting. You might be surprised to hear that I find life much easier being out of ministry than in it. Truthfully, I enjoy having my weekends. I like the fact that I don’t have to go to church if I don’t want to. I have a newfound freedom that I never fully experienced before, which in turn, has me rethinking everything I ever did when I served as a minister within the church.

I think it is important to note that my faith in God is still very much fully intact. What is not so intact is my faith in the church; at least not the church as I see it from where I sit today.
These past 11 months have changed me in so many ways. For the first time in my life, I have been able to see the church from from an outside perspective, and it has been life-changing. If I were to ever serve a church again, I would do so many things differently. Why? Because I have become “that person”. The person I never thought I would be. Yes, I have become the person who sees the church as something that is better out of my life than in it.

It may sound like I have given up on church… Well, not exactly. What I have given up on is the church that so many of us see or know. I see pastors that live to hear the approval of their congregants. I see church attendees that see their pastor as some sort of celebrity that they place on a huge pedestal. And let me tell you that the pedestal will break and your pastor will let you down. He/she is human BTW. I hear pastors scolding their attendees when they aren’t at “their church” on any given Sunday. I see money being used for bigger buildings and more staff rather than being used to meet the needs of those that are in need. I see people posting on Facebook about how great their church or pastor is rather than posting about how great their God is! I literally could go on and on when it comes to what I see. And hind sight being 20/20, I can look back and see that the church I once led was beginning to reflect some of the negative attributes I mentioned above. It can happen even with the best of intentions.

Someone once told me that, “ministry is about people”. This should be no shocker as we only have to look at Jesus to see what the church (the Body of Christ) is supposed to look like and act like. Jesus met people where there are. He made time for them, one on one, and His disciples followed His example. It is extremely hard to do, but it is what “we” (you and I that claim the name of Christ), are called to do. And it doesn’t take a degree, a position, nor the approval of others to do it. We only need to follow the One that showed us how to live and how to love and that is Jesus.

Friends, I want to ask you a few questions that I would appreciate honest answers to. You can answer one, or you can answer them all. I truly believe your answers will help others.

1. Do you attend church? Why or why not?
2. Are you one that has given up on church? Why?
3. If you were able, what would you change about church as we know it today?

Thank you for allowing me to share. It is my prayer that God uses even the worst days of my life to bring about good for His glory and to further His kingdom! 

Christian

Today

TODAY...
Today I visited a friend that I hadn't seen nor spoken to in many years. This person has known me for over 20 years and is someone I had worked with and spent time with on a weekly. This is someone that has known me and has seen me on good days, and on the not-so-good days.
 
BUT TODAY...
I knocked on the door, and this person answered the door. "Who are you??', she asked. "I'm Christian Watts and I'm here about cutting your lawn", I told her. She quickly pointed me to her husband (He and I have known one another for a long time as well). He immediately knew who I was, and we talked about my caring for their lawn.
 
HERE'S THE THING...
The man's wife... the person that had known me for over 20 years had no memory of me. She had no idea who I was. Why? Because since the time I had last see her, she has developed severe Alzheimer's Disease.
 
MY "AHA" MOMENT...
All of the sudden hit me.. "This is what forgiveness through Christ is like!"
 
THE TAKEAWAY...
God has known me since my very existence. He's seen me and known me on my good days and my bad days. He knows every sin I have ever committed. He knows the worst of the worst of me. However, When I knock on my Lord and Savior's door... He opens it and He doesn't see my sin, he doesn't remember my past, He doesn't know me as a failure. My God knows me as the man I am today!!
 
THE BIG TAKEAWAY...
Jesus literally has SPIRITUAL ALZHEIMER'S when it comes to remembering our sin. He knows absolutely nothing of it. He doesn't even remember it. IT IS GONE!!

Psalms 103:12 - He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west! Amen!!

Yes, this is a true story!

What I Believe about The Church

 One thing that I will never change is what I believe about "church". (My beliefs stated below have only become stronger over the past 5 months)

You don't go to church. "The Church" IS a person that is a Disciple of Christ. You will never find the "perfect church" because there was only One who was and is perfect and that is Jesus. 

The church gathered is called, "The Body of Christ". There is no one, including the pastor, within any gathering of The Body of Christ that isn't flawed. In fact, "The Church" (a disciple of Christ) is so sinful that God the Father had to allow His one and only Son to be crucified because only His shed blood allows "The Church" to be fit to have a relationship with Himself.

As long as people see the church as an organization, they will always be disappointed. No matter how awesome, great, or incredible "your church" is (or was), it will fail, and one day die. 
Other disciples of Christ will fail you or hurt you. And yes, even your pastor will fail you or hurt you. All of these things are flawed.
If you ever wonder why people give up on "church", just re-read what I have written above.

Sounds hopeless doesn't it? 

If you see "the church" as an organization, or place others that call themselves "The Church" on a pedestal, you will be greatly disappointed. This is why the organized church is dying and will continue to die. We have made church something it was never meant to be.

We will only find and have hope when we fix our eyes on Jesus, and not on any person or organization. We must surround ourselves with other disciples that are also dedicated to fixing their eyes on Jesus. If you want to know what YOU, "The Church" should look like, look no further than Acts 2:42-47. And please note they did not call themselves "The Church" and their gatherings were small, not large. They met in homes, not buildings. They were committed to God's Word, prayer, fellowship, and remembering what Jesus did for them through the breaking of bread. People were saved because they were being "The Church". Those saved grew in number not because they attended church, they grew in number because of the examples of those that were disciples. And when their gatherings grew too large for the house they were meeting in, others would open their home to begin a new gathering. "The Church" was never meant to be an organization. Again, if it is, it will fail.

If you truly want to be "The Church" you must do the following four things...

1. Fix your eyes on Jesus only. Be a Disciple!
2. Only surround yourself with others that, like you, desire to be true disciples of Christ.
3. Stop telling people how great your church is and start showing people how great your Savior is!
4. Strive to be "The Church" as seen in Acts 2:42-47.

Acts 2:42-47 - They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Saturday's Truths - December 10, 2022

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

When you go through something as I have, you learn a lot about yourself and others. Here are eight of the many things I’ve learned in the past 3 months.

1. No matter how many FB friends you have, you only have a few true friends. These are the people that are still encouraging you and loving on you three months later.

2. You find out that many of your friends were simply “fair weather friends”. And when the weather got rough, they ran for cover.

3. People who say the media is crooked suddenly believe that a journalist story is 100% fact, or they believe the story of someone they’ve never met over yours even though they’ve known you for years.

4. FB Friends and a true friend are not even on the same planet. My FB friend count has dropped by some 50 persons over the last 3 months. For more on this, refer to #2.

5. Everyone is hurting or has been hurt. Sadly, many people are hurting from hurt they’ve never dealt with. Hurting people hurt people. On the flip side, those who have been hurt but have experienced grace, healing, or redemption will be the ones that exhibit grace to you… they will help you to be restored, they help you heal, and they will be there for you in the storm and on the other side of it. These are the people you need and value the most.

6. Most people are good, and they do care. They just don’t know what to say or how to say it. Bottom line, be careful or else you’ll begin to believe everyone is against you.

7. People use Social Media as a shield that they believe enables them to say whatever they want to about you. However, when you run into them and you’re face to face, they suddenly become mute.

8. People see the unfriend button as something they can use to either hurt you with or something they believe will stop their hurt.

One final truth…

989 people have read my testimony via my blog since I posted it on Tuesday. I continue to pray for God to use it for His glory. Amen!

Honor in Cancel Culture

Worship at LCCT October 3, 2021

Honor in Cancel Culture 10.3.2021 

My Testimony

I stumbled across this document today while doing some work on my computer. I shared this testimony in front of the congregation of Valley View Baptist Church on December 14 of 2003 after going through a process of counseling and restoration for some 14 months. I took the liberty to update some information so to give a better picture of what God has done in my life. My testimony is a work in progress and will be so until the day I die.  

 

Two things: One, although there are more things I could share as a part of my testimony, I feel this is what God would have me share in the now. Secondly, I in no way share this in an attempt to justify my poor choices, nor to degrade anyone that might be a part of my story. This is simply my story. It is my prayer that sharing my story helps someone else that believes they are beyond God’s grace, love, and forgiveness.

Testimony of Christian Watts 

     Let me say first of all, that what I am about to share with you is testimony that God is in the business of changing lives.  Although I realized my need for Christ at an early age, I never truly had a relationship with Him until much later in life (age 31).  Throughout much of my life I have faced struggles which have tested me, and have led me to ask, “Exactly what am I here for, and what do I believe?”

 

     My struggles began when I was in 5^th grade.  Our family began experiencing some extreme difficulties that lasted for many years. This, in-turn, had a profound effect on me.  At school, I tried to overcome this by being the “class clown”, while at home I would often withdraw to my room and spent most of my time alone.  By the time I was 16 we had moved four times, and as each move came I found it more difficult to adjust and make new friends.  I began hanging out with the wrong crowd and soon found myself skipping school and drinking.  I began dating, and thought that I might find some security there, but as each relationship ended, I would find myself alone, hurting, and more insecure. My relationship with God was at the very least clouded. I mean, I believed in God, but I certainly did not trust Him, nor did I have a relationship with Christ.

 

    The reason I share this part of my story with you is two-fold; One, I truly believe that what we experience in our younger years does have an effect on our adult years.  Secondly, I want to encourage you as parents to do whatever it takes to live Godly lives before your children and to love them through life’s difficulties.  We as parents can go a long way in helping our children know the love and security of Christ in their lives.

 

     After graduating from high school in the fall of 1990, I began attending college in an effort to obtain a Bachelor of Music Ministry degree.  By my second year of college, I was working part time in a local church as a “music minister”.  Unfortunately, making poor choices and my severe insecurities were becoming more and more a part of my everyday life.  I continued to allow myself to be hurt by going from one relationship to another, all the while finding myself having little to no time for God even though I was working in a church.  Satan began to attack me all the more as I began to struggle with lust, a struggle that would ensnare me for many years to come.  I began to lose all trust in myself and in others.  Every time I turned a corner I would just hit another wall.  Every time I picked myself up, I fell right back down again.  Therein was the problem.  I was trying to do things on my own, and it would take me losing all hope and strength to eventually turn to the One who would change my life.

 

     Growing up I had dreamed of one day attending college at Mars Hill College in Ashville, North Carolina. However, my parents wanted me to remain closer to our home which at the time was Homestead, Florida. Therefore, in an effort to honor my parents wishes I instead attended school at Palm Beach Atlantic College. In the fall of 1991, my parents accepted a call to serve at First Baptist Church of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was devastated. I mean, I had gone to the college they had asked me to go to so that I might be close to them. I remember my parents driving away... I literally could not even speak! I now found myself hundreds of miles away from any one of my family members. I struggled with severe loneliness and depression. I came to the conclusion that the only way I would find peace was to find someone to love and someone that would love me. Therefore, I began my quest in finding a life-long partner to marry. 

 

    In the fall of 1991, God brought someone into my life that would change my life for eternity; that being my wife Kelleye.  Kelleye and I dated off and on for several months.  However, Kelleye was a fairly independent, confident young lady that was not in a hurry to get married.  Continuing my history of poor choices, I eventually found someone that was as anxious to get married as I was.  We began dating and after only 6 months we got married on August 8, 1992.  I won’t go into detail, but the marriage was doomed from the start to say the least. Several people tried to talk me out of marrying this young lady including my wife of 28 years, Kelleye.  Kelleye even came to the wedding and wore a bright orange dress that stood out among the crowd of over 400 attendees.  In June of 1993, I came home to find a letter on the kitchen table from my then current spouse telling me she was leaving me and did not love me.  She filed for divorce which was finalized on August 31, 1993.

     Having no family nearby, and needing to talk to someone, I called Kelleye’s dad, Phil Hogan.  Later that evening Kelleye called me, and we spoke over the phone for some time.  In the months to follow, Kelleye and I began dating. However, I was a mess to say the least. The church I had been serving kept me on staff even though I had gone through a divorce.  It was kind of like, “out of sight, out of mind”.  I never went to counseling and the church I served offered no help.  They even encouraged me as I began dating Kelleye only a couple of months after I had become divorced.  I often look back on those days and wonder how different life might have been if I had had a Godly mentor or counselor in my life at that time. 

 

     Continuing my string of poor choices and reckless living, Kelleye and I’s relationship became more and more physical. In late March of 1994, Kelleye and I found out she was pregnant.  Having no idea what we were doing, we got married in Stuart, Florida on April 2, 1994.  On December 6^th of that same year, Kelleye gave birth to our daughter Ashton Noel.

 

     Our marriage was rough to say the least.  It truly is a testimony of God’s grace that our marriage survived.  The first 8 years were, to say the least, difficult.  I was literally a wrecking ball and a complete mess.  Shortly after we got married, we moved to Louisville, Kentucky. After working as a painter for nearly two years, I began serving a church in Grove City, Kentucky in January of 1996.  In January of 1997 I began serving as the “Minister of Music and Youth at Bethany Baptist Church in Louisville Kentucky.  Honestly, I had no business serving in any church as my life was still a mess, and my relationship with God was distant at best.

     My life on the inside was not what it appeared to be on the outside (By the way, what is on the inside will eventually come out!).  Furthermore, my insecurities were leading me to believe that Kelleye could not truly love me, and our marriage was bound to be doomed.  To make matters worse, my struggle with lust only intensified as we purchased our first computer in the Spring of 1998, at which time I was introduced to the Internet. Let me say to you that there is no way you can be God’s best for your wife and family if you dishonor God by going to places over the internet that lead you to affairs of the mind.  One of the greatest tragedies of today’s world is that people can have an affair without leaving their phone, tablet, or computer.  I am convinced that there are folks that are reading this right now that are struggling with moral issues (pornography) that do not allow them to be all that God has for them to be.  People that are a slave to porn rather than a slave to God.  God is calling Christians to be pure and to lead their families down paths of Godliness.  Whatever it might be that enslaves you today, know that Christ offers you freedom, redemption, and restoration.  The key is you must want to change in order for God to make a change in you.  I can personally testify to you that it is better to be a slave of Christ than to be a slave of sin.  

 

      In the fall of 2002, after admitting to an inappropriate sexual relationship, I resigned from Bethany Baptist Church and was forced to leave the seminary I had been attending.  Just a week before, I confessed everything to my wife including my years of bondage to sin. I then begged my wife to leave me... to give up on me... to find someone better than the piece of crap I was. I even tried yelling at her and telling her I didn’t love her. What my wife said to me next would forever change my life. She said, and I quote, “God has not given up on you and neither will I”. In that moment, for the first time in my life I saw Jesus!  Although broken, worn, weary, and wounded, my wife demonstrated to me what the love and grace of Christ looked like. It was there and then that I fell to my knees and surrendered my life to Christ.

 

     God has been faithful.  He restored my marriage, my family, and my ability to trust.  I was released from years of lies that Satan used to hold me captive.  Satan wanted me to believe that I would always struggle with lust, that I could never trust the love of my wife, and that I had already sinned way too much to experience God’s grace.  Bottom line... God won, and Satan was defeated.

     I believe God is in the business of restoring broken lives and giving hope to the hopeless.  I share this with you today to testify that there is no pit too deep, nor circumstance too great that God cannot deliver you from.  I want to say how thankful I am to Pastor Kevin Hamm and the deacon body of Valley View Baptist Church for being so instrumental in our healing and restoration process.

 

My Life Journey from January 2004 to Present

     In January of 2004 I began serving in the position of Music and Worship Associate at North Way Christian Community in Wexford PA. The leadership was made aware of my past failure. For the first year I served as a part-time hourly employee. After a year of serving part-time, I was hired as a full-time employee. I served North Way Christian Community for 3 years.

 

     In January of 2007, I accepted the position of Worship Pastor at Grace Community Church in Cranberry Twp. PA. I resigned my position at Grace Community Church in July of 2009. My resignation came out of a mutual agreement between the Executive Pastor, Lead Pastor, and myself, that God was leading me away from Grace Community Church and into a new ministry. I served Grace Community Church 2.5 years.

 

     During the months of July, August, and September of 2009, my wife Kelleye and I, along with five couples from our local area began the process of planting a new church in our home community of Gibsonia PA. The church (Living Bridge Community Church) launched on September 27 of 2009. In January 2010 I began having neck problems which led to a one level cervical fusion. The fusion failed and the result would be years of pain and numerous other surgeries (a total of 4 anterior and 3 posterior). My neck and thoracic spine are currently fused from C3 to T3.

 

     Due to my physical limitations, burn out, and a combination of constant pain and being placed on pain medications and muscle relaxers, I felt I could no longer lead the church plant effectively. In January of 2012, I began discussions with First Baptist Tullahoma TN to be considered for their open position of Minister of Music. I served Living Bridge Community Church for 2.5 years.

 

     On July 1, 2012, I began a five-year tenure as Minister of Music at FBC Tullahoma TN. Four years into my tenure the pastor retired, and the staff and church philosophy began to change. In June of 2017 I resigned my position at FBC Tullahoma. I served FBC Tullahoma for five years.

 

     I spent much of the summer of 2017 interviewing with various churches as Kelleye and I sought God’s will for our future. As the summer progressed, God made it clear that we were not only to stay in Tullahoma, but that He was leading us to plant a new church in Tullahoma.  As I began planting the church, and in an effort to bring in some much-needed income, I worked as a substitute teacher at Tullahoma High School from October 2017 to December 2017. In January 2018 I made the decision to devote all of my time to planting God’s church called Life Change Church Tullahoma. I faithfully served LCCT from September 2017 up until my resignation on September 14, 2022. 

     

     I want to make it clear that over the past 20+ years I have not engaged in, been accused of, nor have I placed myself in a position that would ever allow myself to be found in the unfortunate situation I placed myself in over 20 years ago.  I have strived to make the necessary changes in my life and lifestyle, including accountability and safeguards, to never place myself in a compromising situation again. 

 

     I have repented of my sin, been reconciled to my wife, and am deeply remorseful for my failure.  The man I am today would do anything, if I could, to change what transpired so many years ago. I am truly sorry for the hurt and the pain that I caused all involved.

 

     My wife and I will celebrate our 29^th wedding anniversary on April 2, 2023. I have a 28-year-old daughter who is married to a wonderful man, a grandson I absolutely can’t get enough of, and another grandson on the way. I have a 23-year-old son who is extremely talented and of whom I am very proud of.  My family is my first priority under my relationship with God. I have and am doing my best to live a life that honors God and my family. I continue to strive to be the man of integrity God has called me to be and will continue to call me to be until the Lord calls me home.

 

Below is a Psalm that I have prayed through many times and will always mean so very much to me.

 

Psalms 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. ² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. ⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. ⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. ¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. ¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. ¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. ¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is^[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. ¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

 

Christian Watts

December 6, 2022

5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM ERIC DANIEL JACKSON

On December 18, 2018, I had the honor of preaching at my good friend Eric D. Jackson's funeral. I first met Eric in June of 2012. By that time, Eric had lost the use of his legs and was in a wheelchair. In early 2018, Eric had to have his legs removed due to infections and clotting issues. By the fall of 2018, Eric was doing much better and was even getting out and about from the skilled nursing facility that had become his home some five years earlier. Eric's death was a shock as he had seemed to be doing so much better. Over the span of 6.5 years, Eric and I developed a close friendship, one that I will always cherish. Eric was a true man of God! He had a love for Jesus and others like none I had ever seen. I look forward to seeing him again one day in heaven. Here are 5 things I learned from my time spent with Eric...

1.    Live a life of worship! No matter the circumstances, no matter what a day brings, no matter the situation you find yourself in, always worship! Eric knew that no matter what he was facing physically, mentally, or spiritually, that God was in control and he had a plan for his life. Eric had an unshakable faith!

2 Timothy 1:6-14

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.¹¹ And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

2.    Always put others first! Before I could even get a word out of my mouth, Eric would ask me how I was doing. And unlike many of us when we are hurting or are having a bad day, Eric never made our time togeher about himself. He wanted to know how the family was doing, how the church was doing, how I was doing… He had a genuine care and concern for others.

Phillipians 2:1-4

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

3.    Never be afraid to let others know when you need prayer, encouragement, or a friend. Several times over the years Eric would call me or message me asking me to pray for him or that he needed a visit (especially on days when he was struggling mentally, spiritually, or physically).

James 5:13-16

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oilin the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

4.   Write a card. Eric loved writing cards and he loved receiving them. In this world of technology, text, and emails, nothing shows genuine care and love like a hand written note or card.

Galatians 6:9-10

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

5.   Know where you’re going. Eric had no doubt that when the day came that he would die a physical death here on earth, he would be with Jesus in heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.^[a] 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

⁶ So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. ⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing. ⁸ Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. ¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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God is Faithful!

God is good! And I just want to give Him praise as I start a new week. I am blessed with a wonderful family, a roof over my head, bills that are paid, and I have the love and support of many friends who have demonstrated their love for my family and I through what has been difficult times. I haven't received a paycheck since September 14th but we are blessed! God has provided our every need. I will receive my first paycheck for substitute teaching on November 10th, PTL! The church plant is growing and has developed a solid core of 30 people. We are seeing new faces each week! God showed me many years ago when I came to Tullahoma that He had a greater plan in store for ministry and our family; a plan that is now coming to fruition. God is showing us what is important and what we can do without and what are truly "needs" in our lives. The bottom line... everything that has happened to me, transpired over the past few months, both the difficulties and the joys have been used to draw me closer to Him. What an awesome, faithful God we serve! To Him be all the glory both now and forever more! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness! PCW

A Note Regarding "A Night in Bethlehem"

In 1997 my father Dave Watts began a tradition in Tullahoma that became a staple in our community. Every December 21, 22, and 23rd "A Night in Bethlehem took place at 108 East Grundy Street. For the past five years, I have had the joy of leading this community ministry. This year was to be our 20th year. Unfortunately, due to circumstances and decisions beyond my control, "A Night in Bethlehem" will not take place this December 21, 22, and 23rd. And in all honesty, I have no idea whether it will ever take place again.  There are young people, young adults even who do not know Christmas in Tullahoma without a visit to "A Night in Bethlehem". People came from near and far, many from other states, and many who planned their vacation around it, to experience this wonderful event that included nearly 100 volunteers and paid workers to make happen. Typically we would be in the midst of preparation for "A Night in Bethlehem" from August through December 24th when the event culminated into the packed-out Christmas Eve service where the nativity scene came to life and entered into the Worship Center. Last year was our largest attendance in all 19 years with thousands attending all three nights. It saddens me to think about the Christmas season in Tullahoma without this event that brought so many together in service, and in wonder as we reflected upon the night that Heaven came down to earth.  I share this with you as I have had many ask me via social media or in person about "A Night in Bethlehem" 2017. Regardless, even now as the Christmas decoration are popping up in our local stores, I implore you to be reminded this year, as in years past, that Christ is what Christmas is all about. I encourage you as you begin planning and buying gifts to remember "The Gift" (Jesus) that forever changed the world! And as you prepare for Christmas 2017, think more about what you can give rather than what you might receive. Think about those who are in need during this Christmas season and be the hands, feet, voice, grace, and love of Christ. In all reality, that's why we did "A Night Bethlehem" for some 19 years. We did it to serve as a reminder of what is the true meaning of Christmas... and that being Jesus! The greatest gift we can ever receive! The greatest gift we can ever share!  Finally, I want to say "Thank You" to all who worked so hard to make "A Night in Bethlehem" the community outreach it was to all who attended. Your hard work and dedication will never be forgotten. May God bless you all as you celebrate Him, not just at Christmastime, but all of the time.

Pastor Christian Watts

Watch "A Night in Bethlehem" 2015 Highlights at https://youtu.be/kqFFQyA0UN8

From My Heart to Yours

Over the past 4 months I have had an array of emotions and thoughts run through my heart and mind. I have been hurt, unheard, and have felt abandoned by people that over the span of some 5 years I had poured my life into. I admit I made mistakes along the way, but they have only proved to make me a better person as I have learned from them. However, I can honestly say that in every circumstance, every situation, I strived with the best of my ability to bring Glory to God by standing up for what I believed was best for the Body of Christ I served. Over the past 3 years I strived to better myself even more, by going to counseling 2 years in a row for a span of 3 months per year (2015, 2016). And no one prompted me to go to counseling. I did this on my own accord to strive to be the best Man of God I could be. And I can wholeheartedly hold my head up and say that I not only strived to become a better Pastor and Servant of Christ, I believe I did. Perhaps that is what perplexes me the most when I think of how things ended with a Body of Believer's of whom my family and I had poured 20 years of life, our families, and ministry into.

Over the past two weeks I have come to a crossroads as far as how to handle things from here. Amidst the struggle, God has continually brought the passages of scripture below to the forefront of my mind. And although it has taken time, tears, and a humbling of myself to not seek revenge, I am finally at peace and have let go and have laid everything at the feet of Christ. Do I still hurt? Do I hurt for my children, my wife, my parents, my sister and her family? Do I hurt for those who were innocent bystanders, but themselves have been hurt, or at the very least, left confused by it all? Yes. Healing will take time, but it will come. God is fully in control and He will make things right, even in dealing justly with those who took part in the hurting.

I write this publicly for two reasons: One, to let you know that I have placed everything that has happened over these past 4 months in God's hands. He knows what is right, what is true, and will deal with those of whom need dealing with. Secondly, I want you to know that Tullahoma Church Plant is not being done out of retaliation, ill will, or as a competition to any other church in or around Tullahoma. This church plant is being planted because God has called me to continue serving Him here where he placed me in June of 2012, Tullahoma.

Sometimes God's best plan comes out of what seems like tragedy. But in all reality, what we deem as a tragedy, is in all reality a part of His greater plan. For several years God has been speaking to me about stepping out and planting a new church right here in Tullahoma. A church for those who have given up on church. A church for those who are broken, hurting, addicted to drugs, struggling through divorce, contemplating suicide, and a host of other issues people face that Tullahoma Church Plant will minister to. Genesis 50:20 really sums things up... "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives".

I truly believe this verse explains the "what" and "why" of what has happened to me, and for that I am grateful!

The following passages are ones God has set before me in recent days...

Philippians 1:12-19 - Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[b] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. (The Apostle Paul)

Romans 12:9-21 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (The Apostle Paul)

May God bring us to peace in the days, months, and years to come as we all work together to advance the Gospel and further the Kingdom with the Hope that is Christ.

In Him Alone,

Pastor Christian Watts