We all go all in on some things. The list is endless, I suppose - careers, relationships, winning, degrees, pleasures, guys, gals, cell phones, hobbies, vacations, clothes, fandom, shopping, houses, sports...

 

God created us with deep passions, so we were created to go all in. But we can’t miss the hidden potential for grave danger. Jesus made sure to warn us. 

 

Religious and political leaders were teaching things contrary to Jesus’ message. Naturally, this led to confusion, prompting Jesus to clarify the truth. His life was nearing the end, and He was preparing His followers to go all in with the things that mattered. 

 

Luke recorded Jesus’ words about being blessed (6:20-23), loving enemies (6:27), the imperative of non-judgment (6:37), the endurance required in trials (7:23), the essence of saving faith (7:50), understanding the Kingdom of God (8:10), placing unwavering trust in Him (8:25), overcoming fear (8:50), the call to follow Him (9:23), embracing humility (9:48), living on mission (10:1), prioritizing the eternal over the temporal (10:20), the significance of prayer (11:1), and going public with faith (11:33).                                                                                    *All Bible verses from the Gospel of Luke. 

 

Wow, Jesus unpacked a lot in these six chapters. Yet, even after all this, something was off. 

 

Enough people were still missing something critical, so Jesus zeroed in. 

 

Luke 12:15-21

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’” Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” 

 

They didn’t miss it this time. Go all in with things that matter. Eternal over temporal. Guard your heart against going all in on money and possessions. You were created for more than making and saving “crops.”   

 

Jesus doesn’t want us to miss it. Everyone goes All In on some things, so be wise with your choices.

Jeff

There is always something going on at BCC.  Not just anything…but something.  That something can range from preschool cooking days to Senior Adult baseball games (and EVERYTHING in between), but there is always something going on!  And God has used and continues to use that something to change people’s lives.

Why?  Because the majority of us have all been that person.  The person who was looking for community.  The person looking for connection and relationships.  The person so desperately looking for opportunities to grow…A church to raise their family in.  Those looking to surround themselves with people who listen, understand, and love like family.  Who guide, encourage, and direct us. We’ve been that person looking for purpose, chasing our next faith step, and finding our desire to leave a stern footprint and a lasting impression on God’s kingdom. And we found it through that something here at BCC. 

BCC is full of people with the “we’re in this together” mindset…but that mindset quickly morphs into an “All In” mindset because we understand that the something—takes people.  It takes people like me and you. It takes time, money, space, intentionality, planning, organization, resources, and more importantly, it takes your yes!

I can think of hundreds of examples over the years that illustrate the importance of BCC’s something. The one that comes to my mind immediately, was our past Student Ministry trip to Black Mountain.  Can you imagine taking on the responsibility of taking 95 people across state lines, into the heart of Black Mountain, North Carolina for a week?  Transporting 95 people…feeding 95 people…organizing and facilitating 95 people…housing 95 people…programming for 95 people…keeping 95 people safe…creating a fun environment for 95 people?  We did! Because we have a great God and a church that said YES.  We had Adult leaders who sacrificed family time and the comfort of their own beds, that said YES.  A kitchen crew that said YES.  Parents that said YES. And we had students that said YES.  And because of everyone’s YES, 95 lives were dramatically impacted, with many lives changing forever.  Some of which had never stepped foot inside Blount Community Church beforehand, all because of that something.

BCC’s something takes your something, whatever that may be.  There is someone out there right now that needs your something…I was.

We All Go All In On Something (All Bible verses from the Gospel of Luke)We all go all in on something. The list is endless I suppose. Careers, relationships, games, degrees, pleasures, guys, gals, success, cell phones, hobbies, vacations, clothes, sports, fandom, shopping, houses...God created us with deep passions, so going all in is not wrong, but it comes with a camouflaged potential for grave danger.

Religious and political leaders were teaching things contrary to Jesus’ message. Naturally, this led to confusion, prompting Jesus to clarify the truth. His life was nearing the end, and He was preparing His followers to go all in with things that mattered. He unraveled the secrets of being blessed (6:20-22), the radical concept of loving enemies (6:27), the promise of the greatest rewards (6:35), the imperative of non-judgment (6:37), the endurance required in trials (7:23), the transformative power of associating with sinful people (7:36), the essence of saving faith (7:50), understanding the Kingdom of God (8:10), placing unwavering trust in Him (8:25), overcoming fear (8:50), the call to follow Him (9:23), embracing humility (9:48), living on mission (10:1), prioritizing the eternal over the temporal (10:20), embodying goodness as a neighbor (10:36), the significance of prayer (11:1), and going public with faith (11:33).

Wow, Jesus unpacked a lot. Yet, even after all this, something was off. Enough people were missing something critically important, so Jesus zeroed in. Luke 12:15-21“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’” Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

I don’t think they missed it this time. Go all in with things that matter. Eternal over temporal. Guard your heart against money and possessions. You were created for more than making and saving good crops. Jesus doesn’t want us to miss it. Everyone goes All In on something, so be wise with your choices.

The BCC Bash is a part of our DNA We recently held our annual BCC Bash at Springbrook Pool. We have been hosting this event for a long time and it is always such a fun time. It is such a reminder of why we do what we do here at Blount Community Church. 

I had a church attender come up to me at the beginning of the event to let me know how much she appreciated all the effort and work that goes into hosting such an event. She proceeded to let me know her parents were hesitant to attend because they had not been to church in a long time, if ever. She said they had attempted to come to our bash previous years, but not once had been able to work up the courage to come in. Made it to the parking lot before but left before entering. This past Sunday was a special day because they actually walked through the gate and attended their very first BCC Bash…their very first event at our church, period. Can you imagine what this daughter felt knowing that her parents had finally entered for the very first time? Her smile said it all. She trusted us. She knew this event would be an easy way to get her parents to feel at home, at ease, fellowshipping with other BCCers. Way to go church. 

This is why we do what we do each and every week. This is why we invest in parties such as the BCC Bash each year. For the parents that finally worked up the courage to walk through the gates of a church pool party. For the person who enters our building for the first time on a Sunday morning. For the kids who go to class when it’s scary. For the students who attend the first youth or college function…this is why we do what we do! 

As we start gearing up for our “All In” emphasis and building new space for students, kids, more adults and parking, I get fired up because this is why we do what we do. It’s not about new buildings and classrooms, it’s about real people walking through the doors for the first time or the first time in a long time even when it’s hard. 

I can’t wait to see what is in the future for BCC. Not just a bigger building and more parking, but BCC Bash’s that allow a place for a person to come who doesn’t do church but will swim with us and fellowship with us. We have some great and exciting times ahead of us and my prayer is that God will be glorified, people will feel loved and welcomed at our fellowships, at our church, and in our lives. 

Being “All In” for BCC’s future is thrilling to me. Don’t miss the thrill of a lifetime. Come go “All In” with me!

Blessings, Gina Williams

So many times in life, we feel like we are on the defensive. We feel like we are only responding

to whatever happens to us. Sometimes we respond well, but many times we feel we could have

done so much better. Life can feel like chaos and we feel powerless to make any changes.This

makes me think of something that Paul said in the book of Romans.

Romans 8:37-39

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am

convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the

future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able

to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So many times we feel defeated and not like a conqueror. However this scripture calls believers

“more than conquerors''. Not only do we survive trials, but we take the trial and use it to our

advantage in Christ.

We are in a spiritual battle and God has given us weapons. One of those important weapons is

worship.

Specifically here, I am talking about times we have set apart for engaging with God through

music and singing. This is where we talk to God, meditate on Him and His words, we thank Him,

we pour our heart out to Him, claim promises He’s spoken, proclaim what He has done, and ask

Him to act on our behalfs. These are powerful and special times where God meets with us.

Worship is a place where we can be on the offensive! Worship brings victory! As we worship, we

realize more of who God is and who we are in Him. We find that believers are not powerless

because the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the grave is inside of us. Our situations can

change supernaturally and God is still in the business of doing miracles! However, many times

WE are changed in our situations. We gain a new perspective and God changes our heart.

When inevitable surprises still arise and we are forced to respond; our reactions become more

Christlike because of the time we have spent with Him. We are comforted so that we can

comfort others and our trials are a springboard for future victories both for us and others around

us. We look forward to these specific times of worship at BCC every week.

One thing I have always appreciated about BCC is that we are frugal and also wise and

obedient with our finances. We want resources to go to the area where it is needed most. We

are very resourceful and we get the most out of our equipment. However, I have never felt like

we had to go without something that we needed. This is due to the generosity of the people at

BCC. With the auditorium changes on the horizon and much of our equipment needing updates,

the need for more equipment will be needed now more than ever. However, I know that God will

provide through the generosity of His people. I just want to thank BCC for always “Loving God

and Loving People”. I am reminded that we are “more than conquerors” through Christ and that

is why we are “All In” for Him. We are truly blessed to be a part of what God is doing. - Danny

contagious

 /kənˈtājəs/ 

spread from one person to another by direct or indirect contact.

Picture this: a church where the invitation is as wide open as the sky and as warm as a summer breeze. You've probably heard it before, or maybe you've even said it yourself: "Just come check us out one time." And guess what? When you do, there's no need to fret about the what-ifs.

What if no one greets them at the door? What if the worship band is having a bit of a funky day? What if the pastor goes off on a tangent? And hey, what if the coffee machine decides to take a day off and the donuts are a no-show? Oh, and let's not forget the classic, "Where on earth do I park?" But fear not, because at our church, these worries are mere myths.

Our secret sauce? Well, it's a mix of strategic planning, countless smiling faces, and a whole lot of heart. We're not just any church – we're the kind that wraps you in a big ol' hug and whispers, "Welcome home."

But here's the kicker: it's not just about the fancy programs or the perfectly brewed coffee. It's about creating a space where everyone, from the tiniest tot to the seasoned saint, feels like they belong. And you know what ties it all together? It's the fact that we're all in this together.

That's right, we're talking about a community that's not afraid to dive headfirst into faith, love, and all the messy bits in between. Whether you've been here for years or you're just dipping your toes in the water, being "All In" is the name of the game. Because let's be real, life's too short for halfway commitments.

And here's the magic part: when you surround yourself with people who are all in, it's contagious. Suddenly, you find yourself diving deeper, loving harder, and laughing louder than you ever thought possible. Trust me, I've been there, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer.

So here's to being "All In" – to taking those next faith steps, to finding warmth, healing, and a whole lot of practical progress along the way. Because when we're all in, anything is possible. And hey, who knows? Maybe it'll change your life too.

- Steven

If you were in service in mid-October, you heard Jeff talk about getting a midnight (a slight exaggeration) phone call from “Bubba.” Well, that’s me and I really am “ALL IN” with Blount Community Church! But, more importantly, I’m “ALL IN” with Jesus.Being “ALL IN” with Jesus has looked different throughout my faith journey. As a college kid, being “ALL IN” looked like answering the call to ministry with Young Life. I had a hard time wrapping my head around how Jesus planned to use me in the lives of high school girls when I was just a few years out of high school myself. Early in my career, being “ALL IN” looked like answering an invitation to interview for a teaching position at Maryville High School. I felt woefully inadequate to put my name in at such a reputable school!Early in our marriage, being “ALL IN” looked like trusting God’s timing during our infertility struggle. “ALL IN” has always insinuated “action” to me, but I have learned that’s not always the case. Sometimes God wants to use the waiting to prepare us for what’s coming.After having children, “ALL IN” looked very much like “NOT ALL IN” at all, haha. During this time, I had to take a supporting role to my husband in organized ministry because my ministry was being a mom to 3 little boys. During the pandemic, “ALL IN” looked like our family taking a faith step for Bartley to leave teaching and go on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Read…leave a salaried position and take on the task of fundraising 100% of his salary. Did I mention this was during a world pandemic?Most recently, “ALL IN” looks like accepting the job as the BCC Preschool Director! When SarahBeth approached me, my initial response was “that doesn’t sound like me.” However, as I learned more about the job and I spent more time with Jesus, I realized that the job requires several of my gifts and skills, but packaged in a way I never expected. How cool is that? I’ve spent the last several years of my life thinking that God would use my leadership skills, patience, organization, empathy, and discernment as an educational leader in a school setting. Nope. He wants me to use those exact same gifts and skills to love on preschoolers and parents at Blount Community Church. What a surprise blessing! Of everything I’ve learned about being “ALL IN” with Jesus, my favorite part is that it’s never boring. If you’re truly “ALL IN,” be prepared for a wild ride! Natasha

The only land we’ve ever really talked about around here was the easement with our driveway on it that links Lamar Alexander Parkway (321) to BCC’s property. Yes, we have a road on it, but we don’t have a sign on it. We don’t have a sign because the city code does not permit a sign on any property not owned outright. So, until we own it, no sign. 

 

No sign on 321 is not an issue for those who know where we are, it’s problematic for guests and emergency responders though. We have stories to back it up. We’ve talked about this easementwith each other and God (in case He doesn’t know we need it 😊). This is the property I prayed about. Like the land promised to Israel, I hope we possess it someday. 

 

That’s why I was surprised one afternoon, a good while ago, when Gary pointed to the property directly in front of our church building in the Industrial Park and told me why that property was the most valuable to BCC. Just to be clear, he told me, “We need it!”

 

He wasn’t wrong. It’s 50 steps from our front doors and adjacent. I just wasn’t sure if he knew why that property wasn’t an option, so I told him.

 

Nine years ago, while standing on the land with the property owner and her contractor, I saw the architectural plans to develop that property. The owner agreed to meet there to calculate if we could run a water line for BCC and not impede their masterplan. This is the day I realized our front-door neighbor would be a manufacturer.

 

She never went through with her plan, then we heard she sold the property. Two years ago, the new owner developed another set of plans, hired a contractor, and had a long-term lease from a local business to rent the facility upon completion.

 

So, tongue in cheek, I told Gary he’d better pray hard. Then we saw the large sign go up.

 

“INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE Coming March 2023”

 

I thought Gary was a better pray-er than that, but I didn’t say anything.

 

With our new neighbor inevitable, conversations turned to the sight and sounds of a business on top of us. How close would it be? What if they manufacture on Sunday? When should we plant BIG trees? Should we add a privacy fence? When they excavate, maybe we can convince them to work on the unsightly bank and create a barrier? Will we hear annoying beeps of heavy equipment backing up?

 

Turns out, I was right, Gary was a better pray-er, but I didn’t say anything. 

 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. An unknown man rings the front door intercom.

 

“Hi, my name is Jay. I own the property right there (pointing to the land just up the bank with the Industrial Warehouse Sign on it just like Gary did long before). Would the church be interested in buying it? I’d love for a church to own that property.”

 

If you heard Gina’s land announcement, now you know the rest of the story.

 

If you didn’t hear Gina’s land announcement, watch the service on September 24th.

 

Pastor Jeff

A few weeks ago, I was asked by some church members from a Knoxville congregation to come take a tour of our building.  You see, they had heard someone say that our building was designed to be multifunctional, and they wanted to see it for themselves.  This group of people are getting ready to build a facility and wanted ideas for their project.

What I wasn’t prepared for, and never will get used to, is the wow factor when people walk through our doors.  So many times, I get comments of how amazing our church building is.  How roomy it feels from the inside yet how it doesn’t seem to look that large from the outside.  

It made me start thinking about how blessed we truly are as a church to be able to come to our church building each week, have such a crowd on Sunday’s, host small groups, ministry groups such as student’s and college, have event after event, all in a facility that God has seen fit for us to use.  It’s His, we all know, but man, what a great feeling for us to get to utilize it week after week, month after month and year after year.  

It's not lost on me, that after 7 years of having a place to meet and not set up each week, we are truly blessed.  Not just blessed but a God size blessing that never loses its WOW factor.  The Lord truly is good.  

As we start focusing on our “Next Phase” of our building, I am positive that God has another blessing in store for us.  He has used this building to reach people, to tell others about Him, to love others to Him and we are just getting started.  Are we getting a little “snug” in our kids’ hallway, in our gathering area…does our auditorium seem to be filling up more and more each week.  Yes, yes it does.  We wouldn’t want it any other way.  Right!!

I can hardly wait to see what is in store for us.  I can hardly wait to see how God will continue to bless Blount Community Church.  I can hardly wait to see the new parts of this plan come together to make more room, to give us more space, and space we don’t even know we need yet.  I can hardly wait!

I hope you too are as excited about the future as I am.  I hope you are looking forward to the many blessings we will see and witness through this place.  I hope you will be ALL IN with me and our church to see this through to bigger and brighter days with more space to fill up loving on people who need Jesus.  Let’s get ready to see the amazing things happen that only God can orchestrate.  Let’s get ready to be wowed once again.

Blessings,

Gina

Initially, I wasn't all in on All In.

Several of us were discussing BCC's future, which included the facility and overcrowding. We were on the same page because God already made it clear to begin working toward Phase 2. What was open for discussion was a theme, a rallying cry to keep us focused.

Solid ideas around legacy and finishing what was started were pitched. They were good. I was leaning toward legacy. All In was then pitched. I immediately assigned it last place on my list. And I was vocal about it. 

"All in is a poker term!" Not that I know much about poker. "We've done All In in the past!" Eleven years ago. Easter 2012. You remember, don't you? If not, I'll post a promotional mailer at the end to prove it. "All in...small in! Can't we be more original?"

They let me rant. Not much else to do when someone is popping off and refusing to listen. They didn't even remind me of messages I taught on James 1:19. Then we broke until the next time.

What I think happened after this meeting is they ganged up on me in prayer. I think this because All In naturally became the idea we all began to lean on. Even me and I didn't realize it was happening. 

God began reminding me of past BCC'ers who had gone all in to follow Him and start this church. BCC'ers who gave so much time, so much money, so much faith. There's no better way to describe what they did than All In.

God reminded me of the present. Current BCC'ers going all in with passion to Love Him and love others. Sacrificing what they want for the mission of Jesus. Many in this camp are old enough and thinking about legacy. I'm one of these.

And we know what's required to leave a legacy. Going All In. 

All In requires faith and sacrifice. These make God smile. Neither faith nor sacrifice hangs out with comfort, and I enjoy comfort. But I love to make God smile even more. I've learned I can't let comfort trump faith and obedience. When I do, I regret it. 

God demonstrated going All In, so it's no wonder that He expects the same. Complete commitment glorifies God. It also makes us more like Him. Since the disciples, there's always been Christians who gave their all. BCC joined this endangered species of Christ-followers years ago. It's our story. It took a minute, but I get it now. I'm all in on All In. 

Pastor Jeff