ClayHouse is starting a new series called God’s good design in sex. Basically this will be a walk through the topics of dating, relationships, homosexuality, common questions and misconceptions, and purity. God designed sex to be a wonderful and magnificant thing, but this world like so many other things has distorted and skewed what it [...]
Many teachers have walked through the book of Romans, and God has used this book of His inspired word to grasp the lives of so many. Â Paul wrote this letter to the church of Rome a little over 1900 years ago and today we are benefitting from his faithful service to our God and King. [...]
This week in ClayHouse we will be talking about prayer. Â What does it mean to pray, why do we pray, and who do we pray to? Â These are all questions that we can struggle with sometimes so I hope to help clarify through Matthew 6:5-13 how Jesus has taught us to pray through His word. [...]
Evangelism…this seems to be a foreign concept to most Christians in the church today. Â I have been thinking and wondering about why we do not share Christ with others, and really what my conclusion came down to was that we just don’t care enough about other human beings. Â Sure we don’t want to go out [...]
May 14th, 2012 
mschaap Come out and join us for an end of the school year bon-fire out at the Beaties farm!
Meet at the church 6:30pm to ride together out to the farm or meet us there at 7:15pm we will be back home at 11:00pm when it’s all over!
When: May 25th
Where: 11961 SE 36th Ave Runnells, IA
What: Food, Hot dogs, S’mores, Worship, Fellowship, Hang out
Cost: $3
Questions email Mark.Schaap@eccdsm.org and check the website for rain details
May 14th, 2012 mschaap ClayHouse is starting a new series called God’s good design in sex. Basically this will be a walk through the topics of dating, relationships, homosexuality, common questions and misconceptions, and purity. God designed sex to be a wonderful and magnificant thing, but this world like so many other things has distorted and skewed what it was designed for. Through this series we will walk though the topics of love and what it means to truly be a man or woman of God as you look for a lifelong marriage relationship. Stick with us over the next few weeks and check out what each teaching will bring!
November 28th, 2011 mschaap Had a great time this New Years and it was awesome brining the night across with some prayer and lifting up the city of Des Moines to God! Thanks to all of our leaders for the help and to the students for a great evening of games, food, and worship!
September 19th, 2011 mschaap Many teachers have walked through the book of Romans, and God has used this book of His inspired word to grasp the lives of so many.  Paul wrote this letter to the church of Rome a little over 1900 years ago and today we are benefitting from his faithful service to our God and King.  Paul was not a perfect man and certainly would not claim to be, but despite his imperfections God chose to use him in incredible ways to write biblical truth that does not change and will not change.  Despite popular demand the words of the bible are not a culturally changing wave which is moved and pushed by the world around us.  Paul wrote to a specific audience in a specific cultural context yes, but God ordained His every word and knew the generations that would be reached by these provoking words.
It will be our goal over the next few months to trek through this amazing book and see Jesus lifted high through His servent Paul.  Come join us on Wednesday nights as we discover Gods truth at work in this book.
August 31st, 2011 mschaap This week in ClayHouse we will be talking about prayer.  What does it mean to pray, why do we pray, and who do we pray to?  These are all questions that we can struggle with sometimes so I hope to help clarify through Matthew 6:5-13 how Jesus has taught us to pray through His word.  Christ has given us this great ability to communicate with Him through our verbal speech and in doing so move the wondrous hand of God at times!  This in it self is purely a sweet enough reason to come before our creator humbled in prayer.
So Check out the new video posted on the site here and remember to pray to your Father today!
August 10th, 2011 mschaap Evangelism…this seems to be a foreign concept to most Christians in the church today. Â I have been thinking and wondering about why we do not share Christ with others, and really what my conclusion came down to was that we just don’t care enough about other human beings. Â Sure we don’t want to go out in the streets and kill people and we certainly don’t want to let the homeless go cold right before our very eyes, but when it comes to eternally caring for someone’s soul, I think we struggle to care. Â 2 Timothy 1:8 says ” Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,”. Â Sometimes it just seems like that suffering or that shame is a little too much to bare as Christians, we would rather fill someones physical need and send them away, then fill that need and then tell them about everlasting joy, peace, and comfort in Christ Jesus.
So what do we do about this hardship that is placed before us?  How do we move forward from our stagnant stance of complacency and move into a world of really loving people with the truth?  Well we are only able to complete this task through the work of the Holy Spirit and that means that our lives must be engulfed in the word of Christ.  We as feeble human beings cannot save anyone, but God does use us for His will to be brought fourth.  So instead of making excuses like Moses did we need to obey and go forward in faith knowing that we are backed by the mighty God, creator of all things.
Be bold for He is worthy of brave servants!
April 6th, 2011 mschaap John 8:31b-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know he truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The word of God says that if we live our lives according to the scriptures that are breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and live these words out with our lives the truth will be in us. Â This world has always had questions about truth and the relativity of truth, but the word of God assures us that God is truth and the one truth that He offers will set us free in Christ. Â The problem with most people and truth today is that it does not fit the sinful life style that some like to adhere to and this causes problems. Â Truth though is inevitable and we cannot escape the ultimate truth that God is, and will be forever more and since He is truth we will always have truth and be responsible for truth!
Further on in John 8 we see that Jesus calls some of the Jewish leaders sons of the devil because they are not willing to adhere to the truth that is Christ! Â This is extremely sad, but unfortunately our sinful nature leads us to these kinds of conclusions all the time and it draws us away from the one true God that can lead us to salvation. Â Because we so often buy into the lie that the devil has truth and not lies, we fall to the temptations of this world instead of resisting the devil and fleeing form him as James 4:7 calls us to do. Â We must continue on to verse 8 of James 4 and run to God for the truth that only He can offer us!
This is a call to truth, which is a call to Christ! Â Come to Christ and find the truth you have always been looking for.
April 5th, 2011 mschaap For the past couple of months we have been working our way through the book of Acts. Â This has been a great opportunity for us to take a walk through the text and see how both Peter and Paul started most of their ministry in the midst of trials and persecution. Â The early church has so much to teach us today so this study has really been a great opportunity for us to slowly walk through the text and explore this book a little deeper!
March 23rd, 2011 mschaap This week in ClayHouse we are taking a walk through 2 Peter 3:1-18 which emphasizes the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! Â Peter gives a number of different interesting comments within these verses. Â He gives the challenge to christians about how they are living for Christ, about the prophets and what they have said about Jesus second coming, and about the fact that our Lord is not constrained by the human conception of time. Â Peter is in prison about to be murdered for being a Christian and he is writing to the church some last instructions. Â It is interesting that he calls people to be in waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ and His return. Â I don’t think it would be uncharacteristic for him to be so urgant in this because he sees the importance of spreading the name of Jesus before this day comes.
Peter warns us that we won’t see this coming, because it will come like a thief in the night. Â This could be scary imagery if you don’t have the assurance that Christ is your salvation. Â This thief can either come to take us away from the destruction of the old heavens and earth or this thief can come as quickly to destroy us for the depths of our sin against a perfect and Holy God. Â So may we heed Peters warning and continue to make war on sin, fight for righteousness, and live as though Jesus is right around the corner waiting to steal us away!
February 21st, 2011 mschaap Have you ever sat and wondered if you salvation was real, or if you maybe got it wrong along the way. Â Well 2 Peter gives us some great ways to push ourselves towards an authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Â Peter is writing from a Roman prison and it seems as through there is a bit of urgency in his voice as he writes these words. Â 2 Peter 1:1-15 gives a plea to the church to live in such a virtuous that your salvation cannot be in question. Â I guess this seems a little elementary to some, but really it makes perfect sense when we look to what Peter is saying. Â If we can live lives that are virtuous, knowledgeable, self-controlled, steadfast with godliness, full of brotherly affection, and love. Â This seems like a mix only fit for one who is serving the creator of this earth and searching for a satisfaction that is only filled in the Father.
So therefore, as we look towards the assurance of our salvation and the election that God has possibly placed on your life may we remember to seek the fruit that is taught here by Peter. Â It seems at times to be an easy task, but as you and I both know all of these tasks can seem daunting without the Fathers help spurring us on towards the end goal of God’s glory!
