Loving The Journey
Weekly Newsletter
Previous Loving The Journey Newsletters:
December 6, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Christmas Calendar"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Christmas Calendar"
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JINGLE JAM Jingle Jam is a Christmas celebration big enough for the whole family! You and your kids (and your friends) are invited to join us at either our Apopka or Lake County campuses this Friday, December 8th from 7-8:30 pm. Click here for more details. JORDAN SPORTING GOODS STORE We are partnering with the Jordan Smelski Foundation again this Christmas by hosting the Jordan Sporting Goods Store at our Apopka Campus this Saturday, December 9th. All items will be given away for FREE to families and children in need (while supplies last). If you are a family in need or know one who is, please direct them to our Apopka Campus this Saturday. For more details or to help volunteer during this event, click here. FOOD FOR LIFE We understand that times can be hard, especially this time of year. This is why we have a ministry called Food For Life. On the 2nd Saturday of every month (year-round), we provide free breakfast and bags of food through our Food for Life ministry. If you or someone you know is in need and could benefit from the blessing of food, we welcome you to stop by our Apopka Campus this Saturday, December 9th. Food distribution starts at 7:30am (doors open at 6:30am) while supplies last. CHRISTMAS BASH Our annual Christmas Bash is an end-of-year Christmas party for middle school and high school students. It's a night Journey Students and their friends will not want to miss at either of our campuses on Wednesday, December 20th from 7-9 pm. Click here for more details.
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November 29, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"The Time Has Come"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"The Time Has Come"
Dear Journey Friends and Family, The wait is over. Christmas is finally here. You probably don’t need me to tell you that. As the song goes, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go.” The stores are filled with Christmas decorations. The commercials are all set to reel you into some sort of Christmas purchase. The smells are full of holiday scents such as pine, gingerbread, the fireplace, and hot chocolate. The weather even dipped into the 40s this week, amazing! I love this time of year, and I’m all in when it comes to the enchantment of Christmas. However, that’s not at all what I was talking about. When I say the wait is over and Christmas is finally here, I’m talking about the highly anticipated wait for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Did you know that there were 400 years of silence from the last prophet speaking from God until the arrival of Jesus? It’s known as the “400 Silent Years” because in that time frame, no new prophets were raised by God, and as far as we know, God did not reveal anything new during that time. But that silence ended when God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus! Matthew 3:1-3 tells us, |
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” |
Did you know that Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry? Cru Ministry reports that Peter Stoner, Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena College, was passionate about biblical prophecies. With 600 students from the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Stoner looked at eight specific prophecies about Jesus.They came up with extremely conservative probabilities for each one being fulfilled and then considered the likelihood of Jesus fulfilling all eight of those prophecies. The conclusion to his research was staggering. In his book Science Speaks, he described it like this: “Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 100,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.” Did you know that the word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming?” You and I were born in a time after the Messiah, Jesus, had arrived. However, many others in history were not as blessed. Jewish people and those in search of God who walked the planet over 2,000 years ago would have been in anticipation of the Messiah. The arrival of Jesus was very much a long-awaited celebration and one that came with the greatest news our world has ever known. That the God of the Universe became flesh. He is nothing like we thought and everything like we hoped. The wait is over. Christmas is here. Let the celebrations begin! I invite you to bring a friend and join us this December as we celebrate the arrival of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m loving Advent Season Journey, Pastor Dustin Aagaard Lead Pastor Journey Christian Church |
November 15, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Christmas Wish List"
Hello Journey friends and family,
Growing up, I remember anticipating the arrival of the old Sears Christmas Catalog every November. If you are unfamiliar with it, it was a brilliant idea to send to families a catalog of things they should request for Christmas. For my family, it was a great tool to help us decide what we wanted for ourselves or to buy for each other each Christmas. I loved it!
Sadly, with the decline of Christian bookstores, it has become more difficult for people to simply browse a bookstore to see what they may be interested in. This means too many Christians have no idea about the vast number of great Christian resources that are available to them. Long’s Christian Bookstore is one of the few and maybe only Christian Bookstores in Orlando. This is my family's Bookstore, as my Uncle currently owns and operates it. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up with this wonderful store in my family or not, but I can’t imagine where I’d be without so many great resources that have bolstered my faith along my journey.
It’s that time of year for us to rack our brains for hours on what we want for Christmas and what we can get others for Christmas. I took the liberty of making your life a bit easier this holiday season. I came up with a wide variety of Christian resources that can help you get your shopping done and, at the same time, help people experience God in a fresh new way. These are all resources that I have read and highly recommend. I hope you’ll grab one for yourself and for someone you love.
Go ahead and check these books out for yourself or someone on your shopping list by clicking here: Christmas Wish List
I pray that they each minister to you as they have to me. Happy shopping, and I’ll see you Sunday!
I’m loving the Christmas Shopping Journey,
Pastor Dustin Aagaard
Lead Pastor
Journey Christian Church
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Christmas Wish List"
Hello Journey friends and family,
Growing up, I remember anticipating the arrival of the old Sears Christmas Catalog every November. If you are unfamiliar with it, it was a brilliant idea to send to families a catalog of things they should request for Christmas. For my family, it was a great tool to help us decide what we wanted for ourselves or to buy for each other each Christmas. I loved it!
Sadly, with the decline of Christian bookstores, it has become more difficult for people to simply browse a bookstore to see what they may be interested in. This means too many Christians have no idea about the vast number of great Christian resources that are available to them. Long’s Christian Bookstore is one of the few and maybe only Christian Bookstores in Orlando. This is my family's Bookstore, as my Uncle currently owns and operates it. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up with this wonderful store in my family or not, but I can’t imagine where I’d be without so many great resources that have bolstered my faith along my journey.
It’s that time of year for us to rack our brains for hours on what we want for Christmas and what we can get others for Christmas. I took the liberty of making your life a bit easier this holiday season. I came up with a wide variety of Christian resources that can help you get your shopping done and, at the same time, help people experience God in a fresh new way. These are all resources that I have read and highly recommend. I hope you’ll grab one for yourself and for someone you love.
Go ahead and check these books out for yourself or someone on your shopping list by clicking here: Christmas Wish List
I pray that they each minister to you as they have to me. Happy shopping, and I’ll see you Sunday!
I’m loving the Christmas Shopping Journey,
Pastor Dustin Aagaard
Lead Pastor
Journey Christian Church
November 8, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"God Is Good"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"God Is Good"
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November 1, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Love Where You Live"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Love Where You Live"
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One of the ways we served the community was by hosting a free car wash at our Apopka Campus. Through that simple act of kindness, I met two people who are new to Journey. One was a man named Matt. He pulled into the car wash just like everyone else, but we found out that we washed more than his car; we washed his home. You see, unfortunately, Matt is homeless and currently lives in his car. The volunteers gracefully loved Matt and invited him to join us for lunch, which he accepted. I watched how our team loved on, served, and welcomed Matt. That’s how I got to meet Matt and hear his story and his heart. I love how you love people!
On Sunday, I had the privilege of meeting a woman named Lisa. Lisa attended the 10:00am service at our Apopka Campus, and I was able to hear her story, as well. Sunday was her first time at Journey. I asked her how she ended up coming to Journey, and she told me, “Yesterday, I came to the free car wash. The people loved me so well that I felt the presence of God, and I thought, if I feel God this much from a car wash, then this is the kind of church I want to go to.” How awesome is that! I love how you love people!
In Lake County, we sent a team to a women’s home to help clean up and landscape the exterior of the home. The home belongs to a woman who has sadly had mental struggles for years. On Friday, the pallet of mulch was dropped off at her home so that it would be ready to be spread out for the team the next morning. Unfortunately, the homeowner took every bag of mulch, opened it up, and spread it out all over the sod in the front yard. This is not where it was meant to go. It was not meant to go on top of the grass; it was meant to go in the places that didn’t have sod, around flower beds, trees, and around the home. The team was a bit shocked when they arrived at the home, and I loved what they did next. They raked up all the mulch, sifted through it to get rid of the trash that was inadvertently gathered as well, and then placed the mulch where it was intended to go all along. Not a complaint in the air. It wasn’t what the team expected, and I don’t think their response is what the homeowner expected, either. That day, the team didn’t just offer landscaping duties; they offered grace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. I love how you love people!
The tagline of Serve Day is, “Love Where You Live.” We don’t have to attend Serve Day to love where we live. Maybe you couldn’t make it to Serve Day this time. Here’s my challenge to all of us: would you find someone in your neighborhood, workplace, or in your life and simply find a way to serve them this week? Don’t overthink it or make it too complicated; just explore a way to serve someone and go for it. It doesn’t matter how small it is. As Mother Teresa reminds us, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
Journey, I love how you love people. Thanks for being you! Keep shining, and know that I am so grateful to be your pastor.
I want to invite you to join us this Sunday as we kick off a brand-new series called Speak Life: How to Redeem and Revive the Holidays. The goal of the series is to help prepare us for how we can make the most of our holiday season with our friends and family. Hope you can join us!
I’m loving the “Love Where You Live” Journey,
Pastor Dustin Aagaard
Lead Pastor
Journey Christian Church
On Sunday, I had the privilege of meeting a woman named Lisa. Lisa attended the 10:00am service at our Apopka Campus, and I was able to hear her story, as well. Sunday was her first time at Journey. I asked her how she ended up coming to Journey, and she told me, “Yesterday, I came to the free car wash. The people loved me so well that I felt the presence of God, and I thought, if I feel God this much from a car wash, then this is the kind of church I want to go to.” How awesome is that! I love how you love people!
In Lake County, we sent a team to a women’s home to help clean up and landscape the exterior of the home. The home belongs to a woman who has sadly had mental struggles for years. On Friday, the pallet of mulch was dropped off at her home so that it would be ready to be spread out for the team the next morning. Unfortunately, the homeowner took every bag of mulch, opened it up, and spread it out all over the sod in the front yard. This is not where it was meant to go. It was not meant to go on top of the grass; it was meant to go in the places that didn’t have sod, around flower beds, trees, and around the home. The team was a bit shocked when they arrived at the home, and I loved what they did next. They raked up all the mulch, sifted through it to get rid of the trash that was inadvertently gathered as well, and then placed the mulch where it was intended to go all along. Not a complaint in the air. It wasn’t what the team expected, and I don’t think their response is what the homeowner expected, either. That day, the team didn’t just offer landscaping duties; they offered grace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. I love how you love people!
The tagline of Serve Day is, “Love Where You Live.” We don’t have to attend Serve Day to love where we live. Maybe you couldn’t make it to Serve Day this time. Here’s my challenge to all of us: would you find someone in your neighborhood, workplace, or in your life and simply find a way to serve them this week? Don’t overthink it or make it too complicated; just explore a way to serve someone and go for it. It doesn’t matter how small it is. As Mother Teresa reminds us, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
Journey, I love how you love people. Thanks for being you! Keep shining, and know that I am so grateful to be your pastor.
I want to invite you to join us this Sunday as we kick off a brand-new series called Speak Life: How to Redeem and Revive the Holidays. The goal of the series is to help prepare us for how we can make the most of our holiday season with our friends and family. Hope you can join us!
I’m loving the “Love Where You Live” Journey,
Pastor Dustin Aagaard
Lead Pastor
Journey Christian Church
October 25, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Congratulations!"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Congratulations!"
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- Who is Tammy Joseph?
- Tammy is from Buffalo, New York. Thus, she’s a huge Buffalo Bills fan. Tammy has three kids and has been married for 18 years. Tammy enjoys outside activities with her family, has a massive heart for Journey, and deeply believes in the next generation.
- Tammy is from Buffalo, New York. Thus, she’s a huge Buffalo Bills fan. Tammy has three kids and has been married for 18 years. Tammy enjoys outside activities with her family, has a massive heart for Journey, and deeply believes in the next generation.
- Is Tammy the first female to be ordained at Journey Christian Church?
- No, our elders settled the conversation regarding ordaining women into ministry in 2015 after a full year of prayer, fasting, and studying the scriptures. At the end of their process, they aligned to both ordain women in ministry and allow them to teach. It is important to note that both the ordination and teaching were under the authority of the elders, as well as the Lead Pastor.
- No, our elders settled the conversation regarding ordaining women into ministry in 2015 after a full year of prayer, fasting, and studying the scriptures. At the end of their process, they aligned to both ordain women in ministry and allow them to teach. It is important to note that both the ordination and teaching were under the authority of the elders, as well as the Lead Pastor.
- Tammy, tell us how your spiritual journey began.
- As an 18-year-old college student, I found myself caught up in the sinful behaviors of this world. When I ventured out of my mother’s home and started experiencing life in new surroundings, I began to realize that I needed something more in my life. I felt empty, ashamed, and hopeless. I actively sought to find true fulfillment. I was living with a family, and in order for me to live rent-free, they said I must go to church. They didn’t care what church, just a Christian one. I was working with a group of young adults who always talked about church, so I decided to check it out. When I went to this church, I could feel there was something different. I started to recognize that my sins were not only separating me from God, but also hinder me from living the abundant life He had intended for me. Just a few months after going to church every week, I knew I had to make a decision to surrender my life to God. During a Sunday morning service, the gospel was shared, and I decided to follow Jesus. Shortly after, I took the step of publicly expressing my faith through baptism.
It’s always an exciting time when you get to see a friend and co-laborer of the gospel get ordained into ministry. At the same time, we realize that some of you may have questions regarding the role of women in ministry. For more details about Journey's beliefs on the role of women in ministry, you can click here.
I’m loving the Journey,
Pastor Dustin Aagaard
Lead Pastor
Journey Christian Church
October 18, 2023
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Mountaintops and Valleys"
LOVING THE JOURNEY WITH... Pastor Dustin Aagaard
"Mountaintops and Valleys"
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Romans 12:15, tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” |
Have you ever had a season where life was going so well that you thought life couldn’t get any better? Then, suddenly, it felt like someone pulled the rug out from underneath you in every area of your life. That’s what happened to Elijah at Mt. Carmel. In 1 Kings 18, we read a powerful and humorous story of how God used Elijah to do the impossible and incredible. Elijah is a prophet and enters the scene where it's him versus 850 false prophets. The false prophets were enemies of Elijah and were already killing other prophets of God. Yet, Elijah boldly challenged all of them once and for all to see whose god was the real God. Elijah’s “Godfidence” in this moment is at an all-time high. After an epic display of God’s power, God shows Himself as the one true God. It was an incredible miracle and one that only God could script. It would go down as one of the greatest moments of Elijah’s life to see God show up in the way He did! Once Jezebel got word of how God used Elijah on Mt. Carmel, she vowed to kill him. This was his response, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” (1 Kings 19:3) |
How in the world did Elijah go from having incredible spiritual swagger and extreme “Godfidence” one day to literally running for his life the next? Have you ever been there? One day, you’re telling God you’d go anywhere in the world and do whatever He wants. Then the next day you can barely utter a prayer. How do we go from revival to relapse so quickly? Here are some thoughts to help us while we are on the mountain to prepare for the valley in our spiritual journeys. |
When you are on the mountaintop:
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When you are in the valley:
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Whether you are on the mountaintop or in the valley, I want to encourage you to make it a priority to join us this Sunday as we continue our Glow & Tell series. We’ll be diving into Philippians chapter 3 if you’d like to read ahead. Either in the valley or on the mountaintop, I’m loving the Journey, Pastor Dustin Aagaard Lead Pastor Journey Christian Church |