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On the morning of Saturday, March 7, the women of MCC were treated to a nourishing retreat at Nature Pointe in Tijeras. We were warmly welcomed upon our arrival to the rustic clubhouse and greeted by a beautiful welcome display where we donned name tags.

The morning started with worship which was led by our own Radigan sisters as we circled the piano and sang from song sheets. We concluded worship with the blessing of “The Lord Bless You And Keep You:"

“The Lord bless you

And keep you

Make His face shine upon you

And be gracious to you

The Lord turn His

Face toward you And give you peace”

The retreat continued in the main dining room, lovingly decorated with flowers, colorful napkins, program materials and a butterfly and flower card for each with a verse from scripture:

Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone in in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

For our retreat, we studied “Seek His Face,” a Gospel Coalition Retreat Ready women’s event focused on cultivating a life of persistent prayer in a noisy world. The program consisted of three videos, each followed by ten minutes of discussion at our tables.

Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Session One was: Persistent Prayer When Everything Else Seems More Interesting. The discussion topic for our tables was: Identify one opportunity you have for prayer that you aren’t currently using. Women shared both about their current prayer routine and about other opportunities for prayer. 

Mark 1:35-37: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’”

Session Two was: Persistent Prayer When Everyone is Looking for You. The group discussion topic was: How does temporarily putting aside people’s needs in order to pray actually enable us to serve them better?

The program concluded with Session Three: Persistent Prayer When No One Else is Praying and the group discussion question: What are some promises of God that you could pray regularly?

After the program lunch was served along with the opportunity for ongoing fellowship. The MCC women who planned and led the retreat graciously ensured that the event flowed and that all were attended to. The warmth and beauty of the retreat, and the fellowship and connection with the women and with God continue on in my heart.

Most families don’t go into debt because they’re careless. They go into debt trying to do good things for their families, such as provide for their kids, handle emergencies, and get through tight seasons.  

Over time, what starts as “manageable” can quietly grow into a very heavy burden. If you’ve ever felt stressed when the bills come in and you don't have the money to pay it, frustrated that progress feels slow at eliminating debt, hesitant to even look at the numbers, or discouraged wondering “Will we ever be free from this?” Well, you’re not alone.

Scripture tells us that “the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). That verse isn’t meant to shame us — it’s meant to invite us into freedom.

What we see again and again is this: Faith-filled, hardworking families doing their best carrying unnecessary financial stress because no one ever showed them a simple, sustainable path forward. Debt persists not because people don’t love God or don’t lack discipline — but because they don’t know how to make their financial stewardship reflect their values.

Why Getting Out of Debt Feels So Hard
1. Life doesn’t pause while you “get disciplined”
Kids, work, ministry, and responsibilities don’t slow down. A white-knuckle, restriction-only budget rarely survives real life for long.

2. Shame keeps people stuck
Many families feel embarrassed or believe they “should know better,” so they struggle quietly in isolation instead of getting help.

3. There’s no clear plan — just pressure
Without a clear, realistic spending plan paired with encouragement and accountability, debt feels overwhelming and defeating instead of conquerable..

There Is a Better Way — One That Brings Peace
Living debt free isn’t about perfection or deprivation. It’s about clarity, intentionality, and learning to work together with purpose. When money is handled intentionally, it stops dominating conversations and mental space—and starts supporting the life and calling God has placed on your family.

Why We’re Hosting the Living Debt Free Workshop
We’re hosting this free, Christian faith-based workshop because we believe families deserve to use their finances to honor God and fulfill His purpose for their lives.

This workshop is designed to help you:

Understand why debt tends to linger

Learn a clear, biblical framework for moving forward

Identify practical next steps you can take immediately

Replace anxiety and confusion with confidence and peace

Living Debt Free Workshop Details 

Sunday, March 15, 12:30-5:30 pm
Cost: Free
Lunch Provided
Child Care Provided

This workshop is for:
Families and singles 
Couples navigating financial stress
Teens

Anyone who wants their finances to reflect their faith

Contact Von and Elisa Trullinger at 505-917-7432

A Final Encouragement: Debt does not define you. Your past decisions do not disqualify you. And freedom is not out of reach.

Sometimes the most faithful next step is simply learning — together — how to steward what God has entrusted to us.

If you’re ready to take that step, we’d love to see you at the workshop.

We often speak of the grace of God—and rightly so. The Lord’s grace and mercy are at the very heart of Christian belief, both in their overwhelming sufficiency and their endless renewal. Grace is the baseline for any and all hope we have. It is grace that resulted in the most wonderful and glorious news the world has ever known. It is the grace of a loving Father who sent His Son to take the place and punishment of hopeless sinners, all out of love. This loving kindness and unbelievable goodness draw men and women to place their faith and hope in Him.

Yet despite the incredible wonder and beauty of this realization, I find that there are still times in my walk when my sin and failure surround me at every turn. Sometimes the crushing weight of sin drags us down to the point where we forget the Lord’s grace, and we feel the distance our sin creates. Sometimes we simply do not feel His grace. It is in this place that we once again see the goodness of our God.

Because despite our failure, and despite our self-imposed distance, the Savior still chooses to come after us. The very grace we turn from is the same grace that renews and restores us.

 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are,  yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15–16

In my weakness, He is strong. In my failure, He succeeds. One of the greatest wonders of the gospel is that I, being the sinner I am, can draw near to the throne of grace—and the Savior will offer not only His mercy, but His help in my time of desperate need.

When life closes in, when our burdens weigh us down, and when we reach the end of ourselves, all we must do is run to His throne and receive His grace.

Hello my sweet sisters. As you may have heard, Mountain Christian Church is blessed to be able to bring a women’s retreat, Seek His Face, right here to the East Mountains. It will be held at Nature Pointe in Tijeras on March 7th from 9:30 AM-1:30 PM. 

You may be asking, "Why would I need to attend a women's retreat when I’m fed so well here in church on Sunday morning?" Well, I will ask you a question now: Have you nailed the prayer thing? Or do you feel like things often compete for your attention (and win) when it comes to prioritizing prayers and conversations with your Father in heaven? You are not alone.  

As women in this busy world you may be facing a fulltime career, little children needing all your time and energy, ministry, marriage, school, and the list goes on. While all of these things are important and necessary, I believe we fool ourselves into thinking that any of it can be done and sustained well, without constant reliance on and relinquishing of ourselves to God.

This women's retreat will help us sort through what distracts us and seems more interesting than prayer. We will also discuss how to make time for prayer when everyone is looking for you, and finally, how to seek prayer time with the Father when it seems like no one else is. Believe it or not, Jesus can relate to all of these road blocks to prayer and offers guidance in the Bible. 

Of course, this time with a group of women is sure to be blessed fellowship. We can support each other in our struggles and leave not feeling alone or defeated just because we have not perfected prayer. God is patient and simply wants us to draw near and because we are known and loved, we can begin new habits feeling refreshed and encouraged.

We will begin the retreat with a time of worship, followed by three video sessions. Each session will have a short discussion time after with the women at your table. We will finish by sharing lunch together. 

Whether you are seasoned in your prayer life and can bless another woman with ideas and encouragement, or you need help getting started, please join us. 

Be encouraged, for this is what the Lord says: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up, meeting together.” Hebrews 10:22-25

Every age brings its challenges for Christianity. Among them is the fact that living by faith means that we put the ultimate matters of life and existence into the hands of someone that we cannot see. In a world filled with sensory experiences faith in God is a challenge. This is nothing new of course. In the First Century, the Apostle Peter reminded his church that,

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8–9)

It is not that a lack of sight that makes Christianity seem untenable it just makes it different than most experiences today. Instead of having joy based upon an empirical basis we have joy through our communion with the invisible God through the portal of faith.

In recent years I have noticed a trait, particularly among men, where faith is impeded. I am talking about the cultural fixation upon fantasy. Many man today are wrapped up in a world of fantasy and also find it increasingly difficult to live by faith upon the God who is invisible.

In each of the examples below men are giving themselves to something they can see but is not real. However, with Christianity we give ourselves to something that we cannot see but is actually real. (In the following examples, I want to make clear that I believe the first is sinful but the others are not inherently so.)

Pornography

Over the last 2 dozen years pornography use has exploded. Some may call it an epidemic. Young men are being raised on it and the addiction continues through the college years and into their thirties and forties. As a pastor I don’t often go a week without hearing about somebody’s struggle in this area. Let’s think about what is happening here. Pornography attempts to enjoy the blessings of sex without the relationship of marriage. However, this is not the whole story. There is also the fact the medium for consuming it is not real, it is a bunch of images. Everything about it is a fantasy; the women, the experiences, and whatever the pleasures that come from it. It is all a fantasy. Many men are wrapped up in this sexual fantasy and it is therefore little wonder that they are distracted from a faith what is real yet unseen.

Fantasy Sports

Technological advances have made fantasy sports more accessible. For those who are unfamiliar fantasy sports are a type of online game where participants put together virtual teams of real players in a professional sport. Their teams compete against each other based upon the statistical performance of their respective players on their rosters. Each participant runs their team like an owner or general manager. In these leagues participants will track the stats over the year and award a winner at the end. Obviously playing fantasy sports is not a sin and I am not making this point. However, it is part of the overall cultural preoccupation with a fantasy world. And it is this that attends to my larger point that this fixation upon the visible but unreal tends toward making faith in the invisible but real more difficult.

Video Games

As with fantasy sports, video games are not inherently bad. However, they are a distraction from reality. Nearly 50% of Americans play at least 3 hours of games per week. It is interesting that the average age of a game player is a 35 year-old man. I understand that for many games are fun; they are something of a hobby. I also know for many the hobby can become a bit obsessive and dominating. Many people, particularly men, are caught up in playing video games for hours and hours a day. I have counseled far too many men who were spending their best hours of the day conquering worlds while their real families and real souls were being neglected.

Living in a Fantasy World

When you put these three together there is a common theme of living in a fantasy world. Pastors and church leaders attempt to encourage men to serve in the church, study God’s word, evangelize their neighbors, and step up and lead in the church. However, often times, upon pressing upon the heart, we find that men are reluctant and stagnant in their Christianity because they are thriving in a fantasy world.

Is there any wonder why there is such a decline in biblical masculinity in the church?

It is a shame that many men are far too busy conquering fake lands, looking at fake women, and winning fake championships to follow Christ’s path of self-denying, cross-bearing, service.

Pastors are attempting to preach and teach God’s Word to people who are living in this world with their minds and hearts in a fictional place must be diligent. They must labor to present Christ in his surpassing glory. The Bible that condemns also convicts and converts us. We go from belittling God’s glory to broadcasting it. Christ goes from a fictional hero to a living Savior!

Perhaps you are one who is consumed by a fantasy world. If these things are crowding out or impeding your faith it is time to evaluate and make some adjustments. Perhaps there are sinful indulgences (or in the case of pornography, sinful practices) that are preventing you from growing in Christ. As is always the case the first step is prayer, confession, and repentance. Then work toward accountability and service in the local church. I can assure you that seeing the real gospel work in real people’s lives will bring a lasting joy to your soul that is incomparable by any standard. Christ is far too precious to take a back seat to anything. If we believe this then we ought to live like it.

TheGospelCoalition. The Modern Man and His Fantasy World. Erik Raymond. May 2, 2016.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/the-modern-man-and-his-fantasy-world/