Video's From Sunday

Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

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I'm interested to hear comments on what you think about Obama picking Rick Warren to do is invocation at his inauguration. You can read an article on it here. Letme know what you think.

I've heard this song before sung by Kim Walker. But this is the guy who wrote the song. Powerful testimony behind how it was written. Listen to it all and may your spirit be touched to know the power and love of Jesus Christ.

Ignorance Overcome by Knowledge

After reading a blog by Paul Grabill, I have to admit how unknowledgable I am when it comes to Pentecostal History from the book of Acts on. (If you want to check out the blog he wrote click here.) There is so much to know and understand as Christians and we don't seem to care. I'm ashamed of my ignorance on a lot of our history. I believe it's time to do some studying. Lord, help me to learn Your ways and not my own. How You want things to run and not how I think they should. Amen.

What do you think?

Spiritual Muscle

I have the privilege to coach 22 7th graders at Ford City Jr./Sr. High School the game of basketball. This recently got me thinking. When I played basketball, I did many drills to develop muscle memory. What is muscle memory you may ask? It's where you do something over and over again to where you can do it without even thinking about it. Your muscles just react to different situations. I would do dribbling drills, and shooting drills, to develop muscle memory so I could do them in my sleep if I had to. The only problem is I only developed certain muscles. I was happy with being able to dribble and shoot and never developed any other areas. It's kind of like a weightlifter who does his arms only. Eventually, his arms are huge and well sculpted, but his chest and legs, well lets just not go there. Or if someone only works on their upper body and gets cut but never does anything with their legs, you end up with string bean legs holding up a well built upper body.

Now I say all of this because we take this mentality into our walk with the Lord. We all have something in our walk with Jesus that we have done over and over again to the point that we can do it in our sleep. It may be praying. It may be fasting. It may be evangelizing. Etc. When problems come, we tend to rely on that muscle. The problem is that we do nothing to develop the other muscles to truly drive off the enemy. We may be good at praying but if we could develop the habit of fasting to go along with our prayer time, how much stronger we would become.

I am seeing in myself, where I have relied on the spiritual muscles that I have built up through the years but have forgotten about the other muscles that could help me fight the good fight. I so often turn to those built up muscles to help me fight the battle but sometimes the battle is greater than those muscles can take. Just like getting into a baskball game. I might be able to dribble around people and shoot really well but if I can't pass to open teamates then how effective will I be in the end? The battle of good and evil rages around us and we need to discipline ourselves to do the hard work to build these weaker muscles so that eventually, they will become a part of our lives.

This month and this coming year of 2009, let us begin to build the spiritual muscles that we have not touched in awhile. Develop the muscle to pray. The muscle to fast. The muscle to evangelize. The muscle to sit in silence. The muscle to read God's Word. Whatever muscle it may be. Then when a problem comes, instead of relying on what we always do, let us use these other spiritual muscles.

Can I get an "AMEN!" (This is probably where we gulp and wonder if we can do this and think that we probably can't. Yes, you can do this. As I tell my 7th graders in basketball we don't say can't. If I only taught them things they knew then what kind of coach would I be. The same goes for being a pastor. If I only challenged you in areas that are strengths, what kind of pastor would I be? You can do it and I believe that you will!)

Parable of Starbucks Marketing Like the Church

This is something to think about when we ask ourselves what others might think about when they walk into our church.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have become a bad blogger. With the start of coaching basketball, the thanksgiving dinner we did for the community (which was very successful), starting small groups in January, studying for my sermon series on the Gifts of the Spirit, trying to buy a parking lot, I think that's it but I'm not sure, it has been tough to sit down and type my thoughts. I'm not complaining, just letting you all know what I've been doing.

Right now I would like to ask everyone for their prayers. We are in the process of possibly putting a bid on a building that burned down and is being cleaned up right now, to turn it into a parking lot. That's right. We are going to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Well, it's not really paradise but it would be a great parking lot. I think the process might be a little easier if the guy who owns the area had just named a price but instead he has asked for us to bid on it. I don't know if we will get it because I've been told we are up against a bank and a local Ford City business, but God does and He will take care of everything. I've done my homework and now tonight I will present the information at a church business meeting for members/partners to decide if we are going to bid, how much to bid, and what to do if we are the winning bid.

I believe a parking lot would be very big in us breaking the growth barrier of 110 that we are at as a church and I know that God knows this. Satan knows this as well and would try to do anything to keep us from this. So, whether you are a member/partner, or just someone who calles New Life Center home, join me in praying for a parking lot and specifically, for this piece of ground that God would have His way and that Satan would be defeated in the process. It doesn't matter what giant (bank) might come our way, God can slay any giant.