I find it so hard to blog everyday. In fact, I find it hard to blog once a week. But here goes me blogging about what's on my mind this second week in August.
Yesterday, I was preaching on the Armor of God. At the end of my message I always give opportunity for people to embrace the cross of Christ, as I close in prayer. There was a grandma there who had brought her grandchild with her. (I believe she is 4 years old.) The grandchild did not want to go to Children's Church so she stayed with her grandma. As I gave the call to know Jesus, the grandchild's hand shot up to my surprise. She was looking right at me with her hand raised. I was caught off guard and not sure what to do or if she understood but asked the grandma if she could bring her up front. I didn't want to scare her or make her nervous so I asked her if I could pray for her. She said, "Yes." I asked her if I could lay my hand on her shoulder and she said, "Yes," again. So I prayed God's blessings upon her as she took this step. I encouraged her grandma to talk with her grandchild and help her understand what it means to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I thought it would be better for her to be able to talk to someone she knows and ask any questions she may have.
Grandma reported to me today that her grandchild was so excited after church. She went and told everyone in her family that she had blessings prayed on her at church. Most of which do not know go to church. This little girl and her excitement over having blessings prayed on her at church could be the key to her whole family coming to know Christ. Pray and believe with me. I find this such an awesome testimony on this Monday that has found me dragging a bit because of a sickness that I cannot shake. I'm so blessed to pastor the New Life Center at such a time as this. God is doing great things in young and old alike. So pumped for what God is doing and going to do.
Also, check out our Back 2 School Blast at www.tinyurl.com/back2schoolblast. It's an event that will be held in Ford City Park August 28. Children from Kindergarten through 6th grade are eligible for free school supplies but they must be registered by visiting the site above. Check it out.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Your Heart, Part 3...
Sometimes, as Christians, we can develop a resentful heart. How? When you are in ministry, whether pastoring or teaching or helping etc., you can get hurt. People do not always respond the way you think they will when it comes to teaching and/or preaching. This can lead to resentment.
As ministry continues, you can begin to look at that person, and others, and not see them the way Jesus sees them. Vision can become clouded over with the painful thoughts of what they said and/or did to you. That is why it is important to practice forgiveness. It's important to lay the situation at the foot of the cross. God will help you overcome what others do and say. Our example is Jesus. He looked past the fact that people had just crucified Him and asked God to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing.
Now I'm not saying that you go around telling people they just didn't know what they were doing when they said or did whatever they said or did to you, that can be very arrogant. What I am saying is learn to let things go. Recognize the fact that you have been forgiven and forgive others. Resentment can develop very quickly. So take steps now to recognize that hurts will come and know how you will respond to them, by placing them at the foot of the cross. Prepare yourself now so that you are ready to defeat resentment when it comes your way. It's easier said than done, but the truth is the truth, it must be done. And it can be with Jesus' help.
As ministry continues, you can begin to look at that person, and others, and not see them the way Jesus sees them. Vision can become clouded over with the painful thoughts of what they said and/or did to you. That is why it is important to practice forgiveness. It's important to lay the situation at the foot of the cross. God will help you overcome what others do and say. Our example is Jesus. He looked past the fact that people had just crucified Him and asked God to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing.
Now I'm not saying that you go around telling people they just didn't know what they were doing when they said or did whatever they said or did to you, that can be very arrogant. What I am saying is learn to let things go. Recognize the fact that you have been forgiven and forgive others. Resentment can develop very quickly. So take steps now to recognize that hurts will come and know how you will respond to them, by placing them at the foot of the cross. Prepare yourself now so that you are ready to defeat resentment when it comes your way. It's easier said than done, but the truth is the truth, it must be done. And it can be with Jesus' help.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Your Heart, Part 2...
We must also be careful of the Proud Heart. Pride can hinder our intimacy with God.
Pride can also lead to self-reliance. I notice it in myself. Maybe you've heard people talk about how others can't do things the way that they can? I admit that I've done it. Why? Pride. Instead of giving others a chance to grow in ministry, I take that opportunity because I am so focused on me and what I can do and how I can do it. Shame on me. Especially, when I know that there are people out there that can do things 100's of times better than me. That is not putting myself down, it is knowing the truth and we all know that knowing the truth will set us free.
People who minister can be bound by self-reliance so much that it can lead to burn out. We can become full time workers at keeping our reputations instead of letting God do His thing that we burn ourselves out and quit our ministry or leave the church altogether. Why burn out when the answers are sitting all around you... other people. Don't worry about your reputation of always being on top of things or having things altogether. Those talents of getting things done are God given for us to use for His glory, not to be abused by thinking we have some kind of super power that we can't let others be a part.
The Proud Heart must be repented of and humbling ourselves must become our daily routine. Humbling ourselves starts with worshipping God and declaring that without Him we are nothing. He is our source of strength. All the glory and honor and power belong to Him.
Lord, forgive me of my proud heart. Help me realize everyday that it's all about what You do through me, not what I can do. I gladly lay pride down so that I don't burn myself out trying to do what I cannot do. I don't want to try and keep up an appearance for the sake of my ego. I confess and repent and accept Your forgiveness. Amen.
Pride can also lead to self-reliance. I notice it in myself. Maybe you've heard people talk about how others can't do things the way that they can? I admit that I've done it. Why? Pride. Instead of giving others a chance to grow in ministry, I take that opportunity because I am so focused on me and what I can do and how I can do it. Shame on me. Especially, when I know that there are people out there that can do things 100's of times better than me. That is not putting myself down, it is knowing the truth and we all know that knowing the truth will set us free.
People who minister can be bound by self-reliance so much that it can lead to burn out. We can become full time workers at keeping our reputations instead of letting God do His thing that we burn ourselves out and quit our ministry or leave the church altogether. Why burn out when the answers are sitting all around you... other people. Don't worry about your reputation of always being on top of things or having things altogether. Those talents of getting things done are God given for us to use for His glory, not to be abused by thinking we have some kind of super power that we can't let others be a part.
The Proud Heart must be repented of and humbling ourselves must become our daily routine. Humbling ourselves starts with worshipping God and declaring that without Him we are nothing. He is our source of strength. All the glory and honor and power belong to Him.
Lord, forgive me of my proud heart. Help me realize everyday that it's all about what You do through me, not what I can do. I gladly lay pride down so that I don't burn myself out trying to do what I cannot do. I don't want to try and keep up an appearance for the sake of my ego. I confess and repent and accept Your forgiveness. Amen.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Your Heart...
I was recently asked to help mentor someone through their internship class through Global University. What a privilege it is to help another person pursue the calling God has placed on them. I have taken this privilege as a serious responsibility. I believe this person has a great call and I know that Satan will do whatever he can to try and steal, kill, and destroy this calling.
In this class, I read through the same material that the person does, only my reading is abbreviated. The section that we are on now is "Turning from the Wrong Heart." What a powerful section. It has been hitting me hard and bringing me back to the basics of ministry, loving Jesus with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The first heart mentioned in this section is the doubting heart. It is so easy to doubt in ministry. Especially, when people begin to question how you are doing things. And that happens, far too often. But it mustn't dictate the calling and direction that God is leading you. We must remember this. We are put in place to please God, not man.
Sometimes in our doubt we will begin to try and do things on our own, like Jesus is not moving fast enough. Picture Saul when Samuel didn't show up. He got impatient and offered the sacrifices, which was disobedience to God's command. He lost the kingdom. Lord, forgive me for the times I've gotten impatient. The times I doubted whether you were moving because my expectations were not met or someone else's expectations were not met. May the only expectations that count be Yours. May this lead to patience, knowing that God is truly in control. Amen.
As people question, may the calling of God become greater. People will not follow someone who doubts. So be strong and confident in what God has called you to do. We must know who we are in Christ.
"We must conquer our self-reliance, insecurity, fear, and any other reason that turns us from the action God has laid before us. In the life of ministry, people will seldom surpass their leader when it comes to acting on their faith." - pg. 15 Beginning Ministerial Internship - mentor manual
In this class, I read through the same material that the person does, only my reading is abbreviated. The section that we are on now is "Turning from the Wrong Heart." What a powerful section. It has been hitting me hard and bringing me back to the basics of ministry, loving Jesus with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The first heart mentioned in this section is the doubting heart. It is so easy to doubt in ministry. Especially, when people begin to question how you are doing things. And that happens, far too often. But it mustn't dictate the calling and direction that God is leading you. We must remember this. We are put in place to please God, not man.
Sometimes in our doubt we will begin to try and do things on our own, like Jesus is not moving fast enough. Picture Saul when Samuel didn't show up. He got impatient and offered the sacrifices, which was disobedience to God's command. He lost the kingdom. Lord, forgive me for the times I've gotten impatient. The times I doubted whether you were moving because my expectations were not met or someone else's expectations were not met. May the only expectations that count be Yours. May this lead to patience, knowing that God is truly in control. Amen.
As people question, may the calling of God become greater. People will not follow someone who doubts. So be strong and confident in what God has called you to do. We must know who we are in Christ.
"We must conquer our self-reliance, insecurity, fear, and any other reason that turns us from the action God has laid before us. In the life of ministry, people will seldom surpass their leader when it comes to acting on their faith." - pg. 15 Beginning Ministerial Internship - mentor manual
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monumental Event...
I have to say that in my short few years as a senior pastor our Easter Egg Hunt this past Saturday, March 27, was the best one day outreach that we have ever done. We, as a church, have done Easter Egg Hunts before here at the church. We would show a movie, eat some pizza, and find eggs spread throughout the church. This only ever attracted around 50 kids plus some parents. Not to bad but you are hoping for a lot more.
Well, this past Saturday, under the leadership of one our children's ministries leader, Tara Garris, we moved the event outside to Ford City Park. We had food, games, prizes, and of course, the egg hunt. We had advertised in the local paper, sent out postcards, and hung up posters. This lead to the greatest turnout ever. There were 180 kids ages 1-11 that showed up and probably close to 300 counting parents that accompanied the kids. Praise the Lord. At the end, we shared cardboard testimonies. We wrote on cardboard how God has changed our life. It went really well.
Our goal for this year has been to become better at reaching out to families. We want to give families a place to come and hang out and have fun. But most importantly, we want to see families come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What a way to start.
I'm looking forward to other great outreaches that we do this year. Thanks to Tara Garris and all of the others who made this possible. The New Life Center Church truly came together to make this a success. Thank you all! Let's do it again for the glory of God!
Well, this past Saturday, under the leadership of one our children's ministries leader, Tara Garris, we moved the event outside to Ford City Park. We had food, games, prizes, and of course, the egg hunt. We had advertised in the local paper, sent out postcards, and hung up posters. This lead to the greatest turnout ever. There were 180 kids ages 1-11 that showed up and probably close to 300 counting parents that accompanied the kids. Praise the Lord. At the end, we shared cardboard testimonies. We wrote on cardboard how God has changed our life. It went really well.
Our goal for this year has been to become better at reaching out to families. We want to give families a place to come and hang out and have fun. But most importantly, we want to see families come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What a way to start.
I'm looking forward to other great outreaches that we do this year. Thanks to Tara Garris and all of the others who made this possible. The New Life Center Church truly came together to make this a success. Thank you all! Let's do it again for the glory of God!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Observation...
Numbers 13:31-33
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
As I read these verses, I can't help but wonder if we have done this in our church's? Do you know what I mean? Have we spread bad reports about our church and the city that we live in bringing discouragement and despair and squelching the power of God to overcome? There are so many church's that have closed down. There are so many church's that are close to it. Why?
Now I know that there may be many reasons that a church closed down, but maybe one of the main reasons that we fail to take into account is the bad reports that are spread among the Christians. You might have heard statements like, "Ford City is a dying community." "Kittanning isn't anything like it used to be." "You can't talk to people in this town because they are religious." These statements might be true but they are bad reports. That might be the outward perception but what is God's perception? In His eyes, these are bad reports. Yes, Ford City and Kittanning have had seasons of set back but there are still souls ripe for the harvest. There are still God ideas out there to see Ford City and Kittanning come to know Him as Lord and Savior. And that is what I'm pursuing.
I'm looking for some Caleb's and Joshua's (read all of Numbers 13) who will stand with me and take this land for Jesus. Yes, it may look difficult but whose eyes are you looking through. If you are looking through God's eyes, nothing is to difficult or impossible. And that is whose eyes I want to see through.
Lord, may you guard my lips and all of our lips from speaking bad reports about the land. There is still hope for this area because you are still on the throne and you always have another move. We are asking You for another move of Your Holy Spirit in this area bringing people to the foot of the cross and also jobs and properity. May I only spread God reports and not look at the giants that might stand in the way. Because there are giant slayers yet to be unleashed that will go forth slaying those giants through the power of the Holy Spirit. May You raise them up for such a time as this, Lord. Amen.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
As I read these verses, I can't help but wonder if we have done this in our church's? Do you know what I mean? Have we spread bad reports about our church and the city that we live in bringing discouragement and despair and squelching the power of God to overcome? There are so many church's that have closed down. There are so many church's that are close to it. Why?
Now I know that there may be many reasons that a church closed down, but maybe one of the main reasons that we fail to take into account is the bad reports that are spread among the Christians. You might have heard statements like, "Ford City is a dying community." "Kittanning isn't anything like it used to be." "You can't talk to people in this town because they are religious." These statements might be true but they are bad reports. That might be the outward perception but what is God's perception? In His eyes, these are bad reports. Yes, Ford City and Kittanning have had seasons of set back but there are still souls ripe for the harvest. There are still God ideas out there to see Ford City and Kittanning come to know Him as Lord and Savior. And that is what I'm pursuing.
I'm looking for some Caleb's and Joshua's (read all of Numbers 13) who will stand with me and take this land for Jesus. Yes, it may look difficult but whose eyes are you looking through. If you are looking through God's eyes, nothing is to difficult or impossible. And that is whose eyes I want to see through.
Lord, may you guard my lips and all of our lips from speaking bad reports about the land. There is still hope for this area because you are still on the throne and you always have another move. We are asking You for another move of Your Holy Spirit in this area bringing people to the foot of the cross and also jobs and properity. May I only spread God reports and not look at the giants that might stand in the way. Because there are giant slayers yet to be unleashed that will go forth slaying those giants through the power of the Holy Spirit. May You raise them up for such a time as this, Lord. Amen.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Use the Whole Brain Part 2
I wanted to add some more thoughts from the last post on using your whole brain when reading the Bible.
First and foremost, you need to be reading your Bible. J.I. Packer said, "Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover to cover every year." Reading the Bible is important if you are going to grow as a disciple and in your faith. Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." So we must lay a foundation of reading the Scriptures everyday, if we want to grow in our faith. But this must not just become a chore. Yes, it needs to be a habit, but it can not become boring.
As humans, we can get caught up in routines so much that a lot of life is lived out of habits. I fold my shorts a certain way so that when I pull them out of the drawer I can put them on without thinking about it whether there is a light on or not. But if my wife folds them a different way, when I pull them out of the drawer I will put them on backwards because I do not pay attention. It is such a habit to go to the drawer pull out my shorts and put them on that I don't even think about it. Folding them different creates an adventure because now I have to think. This is what I want to see when it comes to reading God's Word. It cannot become mindless ritual. It must be a new adventure everyday.
We will go through valley's as we read and we will have our mountain top experiences as we read, thats understandable. But sometimes we get so caught up in reading or praying in a certain place that we lock our creative juices up and it becomes a mindless ritual. The Bible is alive and needs to be read that way. We must unlock the David in all of us (read the Psalms). He had such wonder and awe for God. He asked questions and talked to God like He was a friend. And do you know what? God desires for you to think and ask and talk to Him like David did.
There is so much more in the Word of God if we would let it come alive. As we have been walking through our sermon series, "Love God..." based off of Mark 12:30 and a book by Mark Batterson called "Primal" it has challenged us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But what does that really mean? Most of us don't take time to ask God what it really means. We read over it and don't give it a second thought. We can quote it to others but we ourselves have no clue what it means. Let us question and meditate on His Word. He will reveal great truths to us as we read.
You may need to get Scripture on your MP3 player and go for a walk while listening to the Word being read. You may need to play Scripture as you are driving. You may need to get out of the office and read in the sun or by a stream. Don't get locked into mindless repitition. Let God unleash a desire in you for the Word to come alive.
So when I talk about reading creatively through the Bible, we must let the Bible be what it was written to be... Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." I don't want us to read the Bible out of mindless repitition like I put on my shorts and miss out on what God wants to say.
I am also by no means saying read your own thoughts and meaning into the Bible. I am simply saying that we need to let our minds wonder onto the wonder and awe of who God is as we read the Bible.
First and foremost, you need to be reading your Bible. J.I. Packer said, "Any Christian worth his salt ought to read the Bible from cover to cover every year." Reading the Bible is important if you are going to grow as a disciple and in your faith. Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." So we must lay a foundation of reading the Scriptures everyday, if we want to grow in our faith. But this must not just become a chore. Yes, it needs to be a habit, but it can not become boring.
As humans, we can get caught up in routines so much that a lot of life is lived out of habits. I fold my shorts a certain way so that when I pull them out of the drawer I can put them on without thinking about it whether there is a light on or not. But if my wife folds them a different way, when I pull them out of the drawer I will put them on backwards because I do not pay attention. It is such a habit to go to the drawer pull out my shorts and put them on that I don't even think about it. Folding them different creates an adventure because now I have to think. This is what I want to see when it comes to reading God's Word. It cannot become mindless ritual. It must be a new adventure everyday.
We will go through valley's as we read and we will have our mountain top experiences as we read, thats understandable. But sometimes we get so caught up in reading or praying in a certain place that we lock our creative juices up and it becomes a mindless ritual. The Bible is alive and needs to be read that way. We must unlock the David in all of us (read the Psalms). He had such wonder and awe for God. He asked questions and talked to God like He was a friend. And do you know what? God desires for you to think and ask and talk to Him like David did.
There is so much more in the Word of God if we would let it come alive. As we have been walking through our sermon series, "Love God..." based off of Mark 12:30 and a book by Mark Batterson called "Primal" it has challenged us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But what does that really mean? Most of us don't take time to ask God what it really means. We read over it and don't give it a second thought. We can quote it to others but we ourselves have no clue what it means. Let us question and meditate on His Word. He will reveal great truths to us as we read.
You may need to get Scripture on your MP3 player and go for a walk while listening to the Word being read. You may need to play Scripture as you are driving. You may need to get out of the office and read in the sun or by a stream. Don't get locked into mindless repitition. Let God unleash a desire in you for the Word to come alive.
So when I talk about reading creatively through the Bible, we must let the Bible be what it was written to be... Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." I don't want us to read the Bible out of mindless repitition like I put on my shorts and miss out on what God wants to say.
I am also by no means saying read your own thoughts and meaning into the Bible. I am simply saying that we need to let our minds wonder onto the wonder and awe of who God is as we read the Bible.
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