Posts Tagged: "Prison"

ruthie post

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Ruthie

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

Here is our twenty-first NWLife video podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: God Will Restore What Was Taken From You

Today, Pastor Andy sits with Ruthie to hear some of her story… one that includes many hard and painful things, but also a story of restoration and healing.

Ruthie talks about her life on the streets, her children she lost before and during prison, her recent battle with cancer, and the miracle of God’s restoring work.

She is raw, unfiltered, and without pretense. Ruthie is one of the most beautiful, encouraging, and faith-filled people I know (and one of my favorites).

I hope you will take 32 minutes to join us for some church today!

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost…” —Joel 2.25

i go to a church that gives away bicycles post

I Go To A Church That Gives Away Bicycles

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

I go to a church that gives away bicycles. Here’s a little background on that—a few lines from our recent Vision Day message at NWLife…

God is FOR THE PEOPLE

The cross means life FOR THE PEOPLE

And God wants his church to always be FOR THE PEOPLE

Look, we have too much work waiting to be done—we don’t have time to waste being all political or afraid or selfish. What I’m talking about here is doing stuff: Real stuff. Hands dirty, hearts breaking, brows sweating… behaving like we give a damn—because we follow Jesus who was, is, and will always be FOR THE PEOPLE.

This thing called church is not for profits, it’s not for power, it’s not for popularity…

What’s it about then?

It’s about… Read More

a muslim man

He Told Me He Was Muslim & Asked If He Could Attend My Church

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. —2 Corinthians 5.19

A few years ago, I noticed a new family at the church – husband and wife along with their three kids. They were good at slipping in and out of church quickly… but I hunted them down, introduced myself, got their names. I made it a point to chat with them – even if just for a few seconds – each Sunday.

After a few months, the husband asked if we could meet. He seemed like he had something heavy to share with me. At lunch, he told me how he had served time in prison – about a decade. After getting out, he met his wife. She’s the one who got the family coming to church.

Then he got to the point. He said, “In prison, I… Read More

barry and don together at church post

Cops, Convicted Felons, Communion, & Church

- - Life With God, Uncategorized

*picture above: Barry (left) and Don (right) at church together last night

*     *     *

Cops, convicted felons, communion, and church… these concepts might, at first glance, seem like they are worlds apart, but if we pause and think about it long enough, we’ll see how beautifully they go together.

Barry shared his story at church last night. He committed a violent crime when he was 13 years old, was sentenced to die in jail – life without the possibility of parole. The youngest in our country to ever receive this sentence, Barry was placed in a Washington state adult prison at the age of 15. It is a miracle that he is out today. Because of the work of Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative, the laws have been changed making life without parole sentences no longer possible for children.

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After serving 29 years in prison, Barry Massey was released because of these new reforms. He has never stepped foot inside a high school, and has never driven a car, having spent his teens, twenties, and thirties behind prison walls.

Don, a Seattle police officer who attends our church, was also at the… Read More