Pastor Kim Burnell

About Pastor Kim Burnell

Kim Burnell is Assistant Campus Pastor at Love Church Winchester. She’s passionate about God’s Word, people finding life in Jesus, and encouraging others along life’s journey. She’s been married to her high-school sweetheart, Ed, for 38 years. They have 5 children and 8 grandchildren, and love their family time together out at their country home!

Posts by Pastor Kim Burnell:

January 4 2022

Believe

Pastor Kim Burnell Blog, Contributor, new 21 Days of Prayer

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If you were to visit our home or walk into my office, you would see the word BELIEVE in pictures and plaques everywhere. BELIEVE is at the very core of my heart. There was a time though, after the death of our 2 month old son, that I didn’t believe anything or anyone; I even questioned my belief in the existence of God Himself. After a very dark season, I began to BELIEVE again but with a greater understanding of God and His love for me, and how I could connect with Him at any time through prayer.

Prayer had always been so confusing to me as a child. I had heard many adults pray with such eloquent and “big” words, and the volume in which they spoke was so boisterous and loud. I believed I had to pray like them in order for God to hear me, and being a quiet child, I believed God wasn’t hearing my prayers.

When I was about 9 years old, my dad asked me to pray during our family devotionals. I was terrified to pray out loud as it wasn’t going to sound like my dad or other adults I had heard pray. My father saw my hesitation and simply said, “Kimberly, praying is just talking with God.” I understood what he said, but it was still intimidating. That began my prayer journey but not in a healthy way. I believe this insecurity and wrong thinking of prayer and God not hearing my prayers added to my doubt of Him years later during one of the most traumatic moments of my life.

As I made the choice to BELIEVE, my heart followed, for you see – choices lead; feelings follow.

Fast forward many years, my husband and I were leading a small group and having a conversation about prayer. Ed made a statement which has stuck with me ever since. “I pray what I BELIEVE and BELIEVE what I pray.” What a straight-forward statement that made such an impact on me. I had a healthy prayer life with God by this time, and his statement helped me realize a fundamental truth that Jesus stated in Matthew 21:22, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (NIV) and the Message paraphrase, “Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”

Does this mean that you get whatever you ask for? No, not at all. I believe Jesus is talking about relationship here, not our desires. As we spend time with God, read His Word, and talk to Him, we begin to know more about Him, about Jesus, and start to BELIEVE His Word. In my prayer time, I allow the Holy Spirit to correct my wrong thinking and bring it into alignment with His Truth. I have learned more about God, His purposes, and His concerns which helps me pray according to His will.

In the beginning of this journey though, it was really difficult to BELIEVE, to change many years of a wrong mindset about God. But as I made the choice to BELIEVE, my heart followed, for you see – choices lead; feelings follow. It may be difficult to grasp at first because of what you may be going through or what you believe about God, but do it anyway. I promise you that one day you will BELIEVE. And if you have any unbelief, cry out to God as this father did in Mark 9:23-24 NLT

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Jesus healed this father’s son and I imagine he BELIEVED that day! Jesus didn’t condemn him for his unbelief, nor does he condemn us. He loves us and will help us overcome our unbelief if we just ask. So ask. He is faithful and loves you so much.

BELIEVING may be difficult for you right now, and prayer might be confusing for you as it was for me, but take that first step. If you don’t see answers right away, BELIEVE He’s making a way! If you don’t feel Him close, BELIEVE He is always with you! If you’re waiting on a breakthrough, BELIEVE it’s on its way! BELIEVE He loves you and has a hope and future for you!! As you do, I BELIEVE you’ll begin to see things differently and will BELIEVE in the One who loves you, hears your prayers, and is working all things out for your good and His glory! Trust Him and just…BELIEVE!✨

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May 6 2021

Mom, Mum, Momma, Mommy…What?

Pastor Kim Burnell Blog, Contributor, new Mother's Day, Motherhood

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“Mom, Mum, Mommy, Momma, Ma, Mom….”
“What?!”
“Hi!!”

How many moms can relate to Lois’s reaction to Stewie’s continual calling of her? That scene from “Family Guy” is funny and very familiar. I remember the frustration of trying to find five minutes of quiet during the day. One of my littles would call my name as soon as I’d lay down, or stare at me until I could feel their gaze. I’d open my eyes to a little voice asking, “Momma, are you awake?”

I am now!

It’s funny now, and I miss those eyes staring me down and the very loud voices. All our kids are adults, on their own, and Ed and I are “empty nesters.” I love this season together, but I do miss my kids being around. Time goes by so quickly, and thinking back on those years, I remember my impatience and wonder, “How much did I rush those years?”

“If only they could do it themselves instead of me always having to do it for them.” “If only they could read, then I wouldn’t have to teach them.” (side note – Stephen insists he homeschooled himself! I did a good job teaching him, right?)

And now those “if onlys” are years later, and I have what I thought I wanted: peace and quiet. I didn’t understand how much I was wishing time away, and I have learned there will be frustrations and challenges in every season of life. What matters most is my response, and more importantly, what I am teaching this next generation of mine. More often than not, I was reacting instead of responding. I was reacting from emotions, like being tired or overwhelmed, which honestly had nothing to do with them and were more about me and what I was dealing with.

We live in a world where we can access things immediately. We can microwave a meal in three minutes and the internet is available 24/7 for instant satisfaction. This instant gratification can easily bleed into every area of our life. And if not monitored, that expectation can move into our parenting where frustration builds if we fail in any way, or our children don’t meet our expectations for them.

I have learned there will be frustrations and challenges in every season of life. What matters most is my response, and more importantly, what I am teaching this next generation of mine.

When they first learned to walk, we stopped everything and recorded this lifetime moment. They took a step and they fell. Did we get frustrated? No, because they were learning. We clapped and cheered them on to do it again knowing that they would get it someday. And through the years, if we’re not careful, we can stop being encouraging and start to expect immediate results. We don’t do it intentionally; it just happens. More than likely, it comes from life struggles we’re dealing with, frustrations in what we’re going through, and even expectations of ourselves and how we see God.

Galatians 6:9 in the Message says, “so let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time, we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.”

Honestly, there were times I wanted to give up. I didn’t feel adequate or good enough to be a mother. It was painful especially when our second child died at two months old. Life certainly wasn’t like I had planned. And as normal as it is to grieve, I couldn’t stay there. As a Christian, I’ve learned that life isn’t about me but about the One I reflect and represent. I was looking at what I didn’t have or how it wasn’t working out, instead of looking at what I’d been given with many more children to come. If I’d given up when it was difficult to feel or even breathe, I wouldn’t have this beautiful life with this amazing family!

I wanted it the way I had imagined it, and as good as that was, God had something better. I had to get my eyes off myself, off my pain and frustrations, to see that clearly. Life is an incredible journey with challenges along the way. They can’t be avoided. But if we don’t give up, if we keep pressing forward, if we continually look to Him with a grateful heart, we’ll see life is pretty amazing. And these kids that sometimes frustrate us and get on our last nerve? They are worth it! We’ll see them become amazing adults with great purpose that God has allowed us to be a
part in preparing them and access to front row seats on their incredible journey! I’m believing this Mother’s Day will be full of life, love, and laughter for you amidst the many, “Mom, Mum, Momma.” And for those praying for motherhood? Continue to trust God. He loves you and has good things for you. It just may not look how you pictured it but trust me, it’s even better!

April 1 2021

Why Should I Help

Pastor Kim Burnell Blog, Contributor, new

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I love springtime! Nature that was sleeping now springs to life! Grass sprouts up green, and flowers blossom as life-giving nutrients flow up through their roots. The birds’ songs even seem brighter with each morning’s dawn. Easter arrives during this time which reminds me of the eternal life, complete forgiveness, and reconciliation with the Father that we’ve been given.

I’m a Lord of the Rings fan! I love reading about the characters’ adventures, their struggles, and the victories they achieve! There are so many great stories within these pages. Join along with me as I share just a part of a much bigger story and see how it might relate to us.

There are many kingdoms in this fictitious setting of Middle Earth, and they all have one common enemy – Sauron. Sauron is trying to destroy every race except the evil one he created. Every kingdom is united by this common destruction of Sauron and his pursuit of dominion. One by one, the kingdoms are destroyed by Sauron, and now he reaches the Kingdom of Gondor with an enormous army. Gondor cannot withstand this army alone and sends word to the other kingdoms for help. When word reaches the King of Rohan, he asks a curious question from a supposed ally of a common foe, “Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?” But before we write this off as just some fictitious story, I would propose that we might see real life exposed here.

As Christians, we fight against a common enemy, too, satan. By sharing the Good News of Jesus, we’re in great opposition with this evil one. If a fellow Christian is in trouble, we should be the first to aid them, right? But sometimes aid doesn’t arrive. “What have they done for us? Did they help us when we were in trouble?” Maybe our questions are a bit more subtle. “They liked a certain (media post, political party, certain organization). Why should I help?” Or maybe our thoughts are, “They believe differently about God than me. I don’t need to help.” You can fill in the blanks. And what about non-Christians who don’t even know about this battle against them or who is luring them away from God and yet, we still don’t help?

Let us put aside all our differences, fight together against the true enemy, and be the ambassadors of love this spring, allowing Jesus to shine through us brightly!

This may seem drastic, but my question is this – are we willing to do whatever’s necessary to help someone, to come alongside them if it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable, if they go against what we think is right, or if they think differently than us? I feel too often we are quick to justify why we shouldn’t help because of an offense or hurts we’ve experienced. But Christ didn’t do that with us, and if we’re followers of Jesus, then we need to follow His heart!

2 Corinthians 5:15-20 says that Christ died for everyone and those who receive His new life, no longer live for themselves. Christ died for us all, and as verse 16 states, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” We’re called to see people through Christ’s love and not our human mindset! (emphasis added)

The Message version paraphrases verses 18-20 like this:
All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and Him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with Himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ Himself now: Become friends with God; He’s already a friend with you.”

God reconciled us to Himself and forgave us of everything! Our job here on earth is to point people to Jesus so they can experience His life-giving love! We can’t do that if we’re offended. As Christians, we aren’t living for ourselves anymore. We are living for Christ alone! It’s not easy, but it is possible with the Holy Spirit’s help.

This Easter, let us reflect upon the selfless love Christ showed us! His death and willing sacrifice brought us into reconciliation with the Father, access into His very presence, and adopted into His family. Let our hearts be changed to be every bit like Him. If He did this for us, we must do this for others! Let us put aside all our differences, fight together against the true enemy, and be the ambassadors of love this spring, allowing Jesus to shine through us brightly! The people we could reach could be countless!

September 22 2020

Love is All You Need

Pastor Kim Burnell Contributor Love

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Yes, I took a line from a popular Beatles song but could it be that simple? There’s so much fighting in our world right now about so many different issues. Just pick one: racism, the virus, masks, religion, politics. Everyone has an opinion, usually a strong one. And if someone doesn’t agree with them, there will be an argument over it, maybe a relationship broken, and worse yet, hatred might rise. So, could LOVE really be all we need?

I believe that LOVE is all we need, but we have to make the choice to lay down our selfish desires, give up our right to be right, and at times, even lay down our right for others. We’re all born with the “me” mentality, which is seen in children as they grow older and are able to communicate.

Yes, I took a line from a popular Beatles song but could it be that simple?

I love my grandchildren and through my “grandma” eyes, they can do no wrong! Of course, that’s not true, but have you seen 2 toddlers playing and one has the other’s toy? The toddler sees their toy in someone else’s hand, and what do they say? “MINE,” along with pulling and tugging. As we mature, we don’t yell or snatch things — well at least I hope not — but we still have that “me” mentality and thus we are always looking out for ourselves.

But God didn’t create us to constantly be thinking of ourselves. In one of the most famous LOVE chapters known, Paul talks about LOVE being above all else –

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT

The Message translation says, “So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” We could be the richest and most intelligent person, have the most Facebook friends or Instagram followers, and know everything about God, but if we did not LOVE others, we have nothing.

We were created to LOVE — to love God and love people! Our skills and talents are not for ourselves but to help others. Jesus demonstrated this by His LOVE for us. He came to earth, lived among us, and was humiliated, beaten, and crucified — then, He rose from the grave, defeating death — all because of His abundant LOVE for us!

There’s a phrase I heard many years ago: People don’t care what you know; they want to know that you care. What if we accepted and LOVED people just as they are, just where they are, no matter what they believed? God loved and accepted us before we even asked for forgiveness and said yes to Jesus. If His LOVE did all that for us, we can surely LOVE others!

I’d be the first to tell you that loving others isn’t always easy, especially those that treat you badly, but the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to LOVE, and the more we LOVE, the easier it becomes. I truly believe LOVE is all we need to transform a world, one life at a time. All they need is LOVE!

Kim Burnell is Assistant Campus Pastor at The Life Church Winchester. She’s passionate about God’s Word, people finding life in Jesus, and encouraging others along life’s journey. She’s been married to her high-school sweetheart, Ed Burnell, for 36 years. They have 5 children and 8 grandchildren, and she says when this social distancing is over, there will be snuggles for days!

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Better Than 20/20 Vision

Pastor Kim Burnell Contributor focus, uncertainty

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I’m a planner. I love setting goals and working towards achieving them. There’s a feeling of excitement as I reach each step toward that goal, and a feeling of accomplishment when I’ve succeeded. I think many of us feel that way about a project or goal we have. But what happens when our plans don’t work out the way we planned, or when they stop completely? I’ve had this happen many times in my life, and to be honest, I didn’t always have the best attitude. I’ve gotten better over the years, but it still happens.

We are currently in the midst of moving. Selling and buying a home definitely ranks up there with being one of the most stressful events in life. Last week, something else came up in our process which put us back at the beginning. I went through all the emotions from being sad, to crying, to being mad, to questioning if we were supposed to be doing this at all. Then I stopped my emotional rollercoaster and prayed. God very kindly and gently said, “You’ve lost focus, Kimberly, and you’ve taken your eyes off Jesus.” Ouch! It was true! I was looking at what was going on around me which was so discouraging. I needed to redirect my focus and get clear vision on Jesus again!

20/20 vision is normal vision. In the year 2020, I’ve needed more than normal vision. My eyes had to be on Jesus! In this seemingly uncertain time in our world, He is the only One certain. In a time where our nation is divided on so many issues, He is the only One that brings unity and peace!

Proverbs 29:18 TPT says, “When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray. But when you follow the revelation of the word, heaven’s bliss fills your soul.”

Jesus is the Word made flesh. When we have a revelation of Him, and have a relationship with Him, He not only saves our soul and makes us right with God, but also gives us peace, hope, and life. He will help us plan our path and will give us direction, but it goes deeper than that. He will give us a clear understanding of His Word and clear vision into the things around us.

Spending time reading the Bible, and praying and talking to God, helps us clearly see His love for us, His protection over us, His desire for us, and helps us move forward in all He’s asking of us. We don’t live in fear of what is going on around us when we see Jesus! He is for us, He goes before us, and He is with us. As we focus our vision on Him, we can love freely, serve wholeheartedly, and make an impact in our world. With our eyes on Jesus, we have better than 20/20 vision; we have prophetic vision of the revealed Word!

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Peace in the Midst

Pastor Kim Burnell Contributor, Current Series Anxiety, Change, Doubt, Holy Spirit, Jesus, pain, peace, plan

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“I wish none of this had happened.”

In Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo laments over a burden he wasn’t supposed to bear, traveling a path he didn’t plan. Gandalf tells him many have felt that way, but “all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”[1]

That’s a fictional story. This is real life and I’m sure many of us have said, “I wish none of this had happened.” What are we doing with the time we’ve been given?

We’ve been in our homes for over a month, and before COVID-19, many of us would’ve enjoyed thirty days at home. But we didn’t plan this, and people are sick, many are dying, and this time seems uncertain.

What happens when life isn’t what we hoped, or we’re thrust into a situation we didn’t plan, or our dreams crumble? Grief, fear, and anger can overtake us. It can cause us to question ourselves, our goals, and even question God.

I have felt like this before. But I learned that even though my plan didn’t turn out the way I thought, God was with me in the midst of my pain, and He had a beautiful plan for me in the middle of the storm. If I could just push past my very real feelings and trust Him through the pain and doubt, I would see Him and see He was with me making a way!

The disciples, I’m sure, felt that way when Jesus died. They saw Jesus’ victory different than the way of the cross. He died and they fled, and on that Sunday morning when Jesus arose, they were hiding behind locked doors, afraid of being found, and believing Jesus was dead.

John 20:19-23 shows us Jesus’ first appearance to His disciples. Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” As He shows them His wounds, they are overcome with joy. Why? Nothing changed on the outside of that locked room. The Jewish leaders were still looking for them. But something changed inside the room. They saw Jesus and all fear was gone.

Again, Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” I believe Jesus said this twice to make a point. It was more than, “Hello guys! I’m here.” He said it again to bring them assurance, to bring peace to their spirit. He wanted them to leave that place of hiding, but they couldn’t do that full of fear. They needed His peace.

So, what are we doing with the time we’ve been given? Though we can’t change what is going on around us, we can have that same peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s press in, push past our fear, our anxiousness, and even our doubt, and ask Jesus to breathe His peace on us.

Take courage! Jesus lives! He is with you. Peace be with you.

[1] Tolkien, FotR, The Shadow of the Past

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