The Thursday Update

AUGUST 7, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

I’m excited to be back to work this week after my four-week break. Contrary to what some people may think, I actually spend two of those four weeks working from home and thinking about the “big-picture” things related to our church corporately and my life personally. I really did a lot of thinking about both this July, even more than usual. As I celebrate 64 years of life on earth this week, I realize how limited my time at Lakeshore is and how important the rest of my days on earth are. I want to make my life count for God, for you, and for others.

With that said, I realize that one of the biggest enemies of a meaningful life is procrastination.

Procrastination is, “the act of voluntarily delaying or postponing tasks or decisions, despite knowing that doing so may have negative consequences.”

It’s so tempting to put off those tasks that we don’t like and the decisions that we really dread. And even when we know that putting these things off will only cause us even more problems in the days ahead, we still choose to procrastinate. We all know people who are procrastinators. Sometimes procrastinators are just plain lazy, other times they are unsure what is involved in taking action so they refrain from doing anything, and still other times they like to wait until the last minute to get certain things done. The reasons may vary, but the results are very predictable: an unfulfilled life that falls short of all that God intended.

As I prepared for teaching on this subject on Sunday, I constantly thought of others who struggle with procrastination. Yet, I didn’t realize that most people struggle with it at some level (yes, even me to a certain degree in certain areas). While one survey showed that 75% of people are self-described procrastinators, I think all of us are procrastinators given the right (or is it “the wrong”?) set of circumstances.

That’s why I think this Sunday’s message will be a big help as we look into what the Old Testament book of Proverbs has to say about procrastination in our series, “Uncommon Sense”.

So don’t procrastinate, be at church on Sunday, and learn how to put off procrastination in your life.

I’ll look forward to seeing you all!

Warmly,
Vince

JULY 31, 2025

Lakeshore Friends,

This week, we were able to take 18 of our students to Kingdom Bound at Six Flags Darien Lake to enjoy the thrill of rides, cool off in the water park, and the highlight of enjoying engaging, life-giving music from several Christian bands. Of all the blessings I get to experience in my role, one of my favorites is watching students engage in times of worship and participating in worship alongside them. One of the bands that led us in worship was We Are Messengers, a band you may know for songs like "Come What May" or "Maybe It's Ok."

During worship, the lead singer, Darren Mulligan, took a moment to talk about joy before singing one of their other popular songs, "Where The Joy Is," to talk about his own faith journey and his heart behind the song. He talked about struggles with depression and mental health, and how God had been so faithful to bring "joy in the morning." Having experienced similar things in my own life, I related to what he had to say and thought, "Wow, what a great thing for me to talk about in this week's Thursday email!"

All joking aside, I did find what he had to say touching, so I spent some time in my personal devotions this morning walking through the passage that this comes from, Psalm 30. In this beautiful Psalm, David praises God for rescuing him from trouble and calls others to praise God because, "his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning" (v.5).

God never promises that we will never have trouble in this life, and our everyday experience confirms this. Although we can take hope in the fact that our troubles are temporary, and joy comes in the morning. As believers, we can have hope that in this life, God has good plans and has good purpose even during our pain. Furthermore, we can look to eternity, knowing that while we experience hardship here, we will one day experience joy to the fullest in the presence of our Savior Jesus.

So whatever pain or trial you may be experiencing through this "night" of your life, be encouraged, because joy comes in the morning.

Pastor Nate

JULY 24, 2025

Lakeshore Family,

Some of you may have seen the news this week about the death of Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic heavy metal singer, often referred to as the “Prince of Darkness.” For me, this one hit differently. As a teenager and young adult, I listened to a lot of his music from Black Sabbath and his solo career. Songs like Paranoid, Iron Man, Crazy Train, Diary of A Madman, Bark at the Moon, and Mama I’m Coming Home, were all part of the soundtrack of my life before I came to faith in Jesus. Back then, I didn’t think much about the spiritual weight of the music I consumed. I was just drawn to the energy, rebellion, and incredible guitar playing from the likes of Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, and Zach Wylde. But looking back, I now see how deeply it reflected a longing for something more - a search for identity, truth, and peace.

Ozzy’s life was full of extremes: incredible fame, intense personal struggles, and a complicated spiritual backdrop. While he played with dark themes of wizardry, mystery, and the demonic, his music often hinted at inner turmoil and brokenness. It’s a reminder that even people who look like they’re flying high again, can be struggling inside. As believers, we know that only Christ can fill that aching void in the human heart. Jesus said in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” That’s the hope we cling to and the light we carry into the world.

Ozzy’s death also reminds us of a sobering truth: life is short, and eternity is real. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” That might sound heavy, but it’s actually a call to live with purpose. We all leave behind a legacy—through our choices, our character, and the message our lives communicate. The world may celebrate stars like Ozzy for their boldness or edge, but God honors those who walk humbly, love deeply, and shine His light in a dark world.

So let’s be people who don’t just go off the rails on culture’s crazy train, but who live with intention and compassion. Let’s not make our mamas worry because we’ve been bad, bad boys – instead let’s practice kindness and live our lives in accordance with God’s will. Let’s continue to pray for those who still feel lost in the darkness and remember that no one — not even a man once called the Prince of Darkness — is ever beyond the reach of God’s grace. If God can rescue someone like me from all that noise and give me a new song to worship Him, then He can do the same for anyone. Let’s keep pointing people to Jesus—the Prince of Peace and the only source of light, truth, and hope.

Make a great day!

Frank D.