Mark Beeson

Session Two - Rick Waren

 

Walking back to the Green Room after the first session with my brother-in-law (Joel Hunter: Lead Pastor of Northland - A Church Distributed), Rick grabbed us and I got this photo.  Fun, eh?

What follows will be my notes on Rick's second session...about Relational Renewal.  He'll focus on the question, "What causes relational conflict?" His answer is, "immaturity."

Rick’s study of how Jesus made disciples developed these Eight Laws of Spiritual Growth

1.Spiritual Growth is incarnational.

The Christian life is not imitation; it is inhabitation.  It is Christ in you!
Galatians 2:20 “…Christ lives in me…”

Spiritual Growth is both mystical and practical.
All of the practices make no difference without the Holy Spirit, because He is the one who transforms.

     1 Cor. 3:6 “…God makes it grow…”
     I have a part and God has a part.

2. Spiritual Growth is intentional.

Maturity is not inevitable.  You can grow old without growing up.
Maturity is not automatic.  We grow my making commitments.  Decide to grow.
 
You are as close to God as you choose to be.

Maturity is a choice.
Make the commitment and then grow through it.

Jesus method…
When he trained his disciples he took them through graduated systematic sustained development. 
a. come and see….(Jesus’ first recorded words to his disciples)
b. eat my flesh and drink my blood…(He did not say this on their first day)
c. take up your cross, deny your self….basically “come and die.”

There is a big difference between “come and see” and “come and die”….
Some pastors have a church filled with “come and see” disciples.  There is nothing wrong with that!  Jesus called people to "come and see" too!  You have a long process to move people from “come and see” to “come and die.”  Some of us need to emphasize the “come and die” more. Both are true.  Jesus did it all! 
You must move people from “come and see” to “come and die.”

Strategy to move people….
Come and see (Come to Me…I’ll give you rest) – that is “felt-need” by the way….
Come and learn
Come and belong
Come and serve
Come and Go

     Go and SEEK….

Tools we use…

a. Weekly Commitment Cards
If you don’t record commitments, you’re just preaching good sermons.
Every sermon must come down to two words, “Will you?”  You must ask for commitment.
b. Covenants.
Traditional and historical and biblical (Nehemiah 9:38-10:1)  “I, Nehemiah signed the covenant…”
Covenants turn up the heat…from “come and see” to “come and die.”
c. Message Notes. Outlines…
We forget 90-95% of what we hear within 72 hours.
People don’t remember.  You can go to church your entire life and forget everything but 5% of everything you heard!

EIGHT REASONS to USE OUTLINES:

1. It increases attention.  People listen better.
2. It increases retention. People remember more.  The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.
3. It increases participation.
4. You can cover more material in less time.
5. You can review the message for years to come. For 1500 years the church grew without anyone owning their own bible!  It is not more spiritual to have it between leather.
6. You can use multiple translations.
There are 13,000 Hebrew and Greek words…we need multiple translations to get the full meaning.  You
7. Unbelievers don’t bring bibles…and they don’t have bibles.

3. Spiritual Growth is incremental.

We grow through a step-by-step process.
Sequential, systematic, gradual development.

A baby must learn to breath before it learns to eat….

Know, love, grow, serve, share Christ….in sequence.

4. Spiritual Growth is personal.

You can’t mass produce disciples.  There is no “one size fits all.”
We are all different…and we grow according to our S.H.A.P.E.

Growth plans must be customized.  We don’t expect everybody to do everything.  People learn different ways and people grow different ways. 

5. Spiritual Growth is habitual.

We grow by developing good habits.  These good habits, for 2000 years, have been called “spiritual disciplines.”  Today we call them “habits.”

To develop habits we…
a.  Assign homework.  Jesus said, “Now, go and do…”  He said in the Great Commission, “…teach them to do everything I’ve commanded…”
b. Journal.  Write down your prayers. 
c. Drive Time Devotions. People download to their ipods.
d. Daily email devotionals.
e. Offer our Guide to fasting.

Focus on helping people develop godly habits rather than come to meetings.

6. Spiritual Growth is Communal / Relational.

In every other religion, the holiest people are the ones who isolate themselves from the world.  Jesus taught the opposite…because it’s all about love.
Infiltration is key.
We only grow in community. 
The bible says 58 times in the New Testament, “..one another…”

You cannot grow without love.
1 Corinthians 8:1 “….love builds up….”

Three tools for relational growth:
a. Small Groups
b. Spiritual Coaches
c. Retreats

7. Spiritual Growth is multi-dimensional.

Maturity is not only measured by your Bible knowledge.  Real maturity is far more than knowing; it is about “being” and “doing.”  Maturity is behavior and belief.

“You only believe the part of the Bible you do!” – Rick Warren|

It takes all five purposes to grow.  Maturity is not an end in itself; maturity is so we live the life of Christ.

James 1:27 “…pure and lasting religion” involves two things: public charity and personal purity. True religion cares for the widow and orphan.

8. Spiritual Growth is Seasonal.

We grow in spurts.

"Ministry is a Marathon" - Rick Warren

 

Rob and Michelle have joined Sheila beside me at Saddleback.  We're determined to serve Christ together and help GCC be the healthy church God wants it to be.  So we're studying together, worshipping together and learning how to serve you better.

Rick Warren is teaching.  Here is some more great stuff from Rick this morning.

Paul knew the secrets of personal renewal. Rick identified SEVEN from 2 Corinthians 4.  Here they are.

1. Enjoy the Grace of God.

Your value has nothing to do with the size of your church; it has to do with who you are.  It’s all grace.  You won’t last in ministry unless you enjoy the grace of God.
Never confuse prominence and significance. They are not the same.
Size has nothing to do with strength.
Big isn’t better. Small isn’t better. Better is better.
Look at your nose….is may be prominent…but not significant.

God created an entire Universe to create this Galaxy to create this solar system to create this planet so he could create you!  He wanted a family and He wanted you in it!

Ministry is received….it is not achieved.

2. You must be authentic.

You must be yourself.
You must decide if you want to impress people, or influence people.  You can impress people from a distance, but you can’t influence them without getting up close.

When you authentically love people, they know it.  You can fake it for a couple of years, but you can’t fake it for 20 years.

3. Remember it is not about you.

The average pastor leaves a church because of 7 critics.
Is you church worth fighting for? 

2 Cor. 4:5  “We don’t preach about ourselves.  We preach Christ…”

The most counter-culture statement you can make in this world is, “It’s not about you.”

If you are going go have a Christ-like ministry, you are going to be criticized.
The Pharisees despised Jesus.  And their #1 criticism was, “He associated with bad people.” They called Him the “friend of sinners.”  Rick said, “I’m proud to be the friend of sinners.”

If you have no friends who are unbelievers, if you have no friends with bad reputations, your ministry is not like the ministry of Jesus!
The real motive behind Jesus’ crucifixion was envy.  “It was out of envy that the chief priests handed Jesus over to Pilate.” Mark 10:15

4. Accept your human limitations.

The quickest way to burn out is to try to be Superman.  You are not Superman.  You can’t fix every person’s problem.  You can’t fix stupid.  “Answer not a fool.”  - Bible.

The pastor who is available to people all the time isn’t worth much when he is there.

God told Rick, “You build the people and I’ll build the church.”
Exodus 23:29-30  “I will not drive them out…I will drive them out slowly…until you have increased enough to possess the land.”
While God is growing your church He is growing YOU! God won’t build it quickly. 

It takes a long time to grow people spiritually.
God takes six hours to make a mushroom; God takes a hundred years to make an Oak tree.
Do you want to be a mushroom or an Oak tree?

5. Do everything out of love.
If you don’t love people, you’ll never last in the ministry.
Do everything in your life out of love. 
Start with your wife.
The purpose of marriage is not to make you happy; it is to make you holy.
How do you spell LOVE?  T.I.M.E.
Want to last in ministry?  Love your wife.  Value, honor, promote, encourage, equip, cherish your wife. 
Start with loving your own family.

2 Cor. 4:15  “All these things we go through for your benefit…God will receive more and more glory!”  Paul says, “I keep on going for the benefit of other people. 
You are there for your people.  They are not there for you.
The church that doesn’t want to grow is saying to the world, “You can go to hell.”  It takes unselfish people

Every church caters to somebody. A lot of churches cater to selfish Christians!  Rick said, "They’d rather let people go to hell than change their music.  We’re not talking about watering down the Gospel; we’re talking about being nice to people!.
Be sensitive to the needs of others."
I don’t care if you love to preach.  I just want to know if you love the people you preach to.  Some preachers love crowds but don’t like the people in them.

6.  Make time for daily renewal. 

Service a car regularly….and it’ll last a long time.
Divert daily.
Withdraw Weekly.
Abandon Annually.
If you work with your mind, work with your hands to reduce stress. 
Don’t do anything competitive; pastors are too competitive already.

Take a day off each week.  Sunday isn’t a good day for pastors to rest.  Jesus said, “the Sabbath was made for man!”  Jesus said, “I made this for your benefit.”
If you’re not taking a day off you’re breaking one of the Ten Commandments.
Do not call it your “Day Off.”  Instead, call it your “Sabbath.”
   Rick takes Monday.  Rest. Recreation.

Most pastors are like a poor photograph...Over-exposed and Under-developed.

Paul said, “I renew myself daily.” 

You need a plan and a partner.
1. Have a PLAN. 

2. Have  PARTNER.
None of us are very good at balancing ourselves.  The heart is deceitful; we have the amazing ability to lie to ourselves. 
Who pastors you?  Every pastor needs a pastor.
Get mentors in several areas; don’t have one mentor, have ten.

The #1 problem pastors around the world mentioned is… “Pastors are lonely.”

Eccles. 4:12  “…a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

7. Learn to live in light of eternity.
You lose your perspective when you are tired.

There are only three great motivations…..
Internal Motivation.
External Motivation.
Eternal Motivation.
Jesus endured the cross looking forward …

Keep your eyes on eternity and you get perspective.
Only he who sees the invisible can accomplish the impossible.

Notes from Rick's 1st Session

 

This is some of what I got.  Hope it helps you.

When God wants to renew your church….or any church…He always takes it through the same 5 renewals.  Here they are:

1.  Personal Renewal. 
It starts in the heart.  If God is going to do something in your church, God will first do something in you!  The bottom line is this; fall in love with Jesus again.  It’s about a relationship with Jesus. 
It starts in the HEART.

2. Relational Renewal. 
First I’m right with God, then I’m right with you.
Love God – Personal Renewal.
Love your neighbor as yourself – Relational Renewal.
The gossip goes down and the
Conflict goes down and unity goes up.

Two signs of renewal:
a. The singing gets better. 
When people love God and each other…they want to sing.
     Harmony creates harmony!
b. People hang around longer after church is over. 
They want to hang out together.
     If people can’t wait to leave each other,
           you don’t have a service – you have a performance.

3. Missional Renewal
We have a purpose.  We have an assignment.
We don’t just love each other and no one else.
We have 5 things we are supposed to do. 
Great Commandment and Great Commission.
When we get the purposes lined up in our churches they grow again.

Get these three: Personal, Relational and Missional Renewal…and you’ll grow!

4. Cultural Renewal.
This is after the first three renewals!  You cannot change the culture of a church. Only God can change it and it comes through Personal, Relational or Missional Renewal!
God does this…after the first three renewal movements!
The bigger a church is, the harder it is to change the culture.
The #1 tool for changing the culture of a church is the PULPIT.

5. Structural Renewal.
You can’t put new wine in old wineskins.
As your church gets healthier the structure must change.
There is no perfect structure in a church.  There is no perfect structure in the bible.  There are character traits but no “job descriptions.”
Structure must change as the church grows!

6. Institutional Renewal.
Institutions are always the last thing to change!
    They never institute change. Ever.
Institutions take longer to change. 
Seminaries are 60 to 90 years behind.
Institutions preserve the changes of the previous generations!

Here We Go!

Worship is beginning.  Rick is on stage and we're going for it.

Rick declared five purposes for this conference...can you imagine?  Rick having five purposes for something?  Here they are.

1. Encourage our spirits.
2. Sharpen our skills.
3. Strengthen our churches.
4. Stretch our minds.
5. Enlist us in partnership.

I'll take notes and pass along what I can.  Hang on.

Commendation

                                                                                         -Photo by Jeff Myers

Last weekend Darnell Bailey was one of our 25 Smooth Stone Award winners. We had one of the greatest weekends I've experienced at GCC. What an honor to see the entire congregation thank and encourage a few who represent so many!

Paul once commended a woman to his people of the church in Rome. He said, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me." (Romans 16:1-2)

In the same way I commend Darnell to you.  She has been helpful to many, and especially to me.

   

Introducing Jeff and Leslee Bell!

 

                                                                   - Photo by Jeff Myers

Jeff and Leslee Bell are now officially running point on our Elkhart site!  I had the high privilege of introducing them to everyone at last night's Town Hall Meeting. Everyone cheered and enjoyed one of the highlights of our ministry!

You can jump in and help the Bells. They're holding a meeting on June 10th to help you connect with them, and their Elkhart teammates. Jeff will lay out his plan and you'll see how you can play a significant part.

Sheila and I couldn't be more proud of Jeff and Leslee. God has raised up the right people, at the right time, to help us take the right steps, in the right direction, for the right reasons. 
They are courageous.
They are in love with Jesus, each other and their two children.
They love GCC and they're committed to our mission, vision and values.
The favor of God is resting on them.

Mark June 10th on your calendar. Our Elkhart site is officially underway.

Pray Jeff's love for Jesus and Leslee will only increase as he launches this ministry with us. Jeff is a great man. Pray about the affections of his heart. What he loves most will impact everything he touches.

The good man walks along in the ever-brightening light of God’s favor; the dawn gives way to morning splendor, while the evil man gropes and stumbles in the dark. Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they will mean real life for you and radiant health. Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life.   (Proverbs 4:18-23)

Town Hall Meeting Tonight @ 7:00

Want to know which "multi-site" site we're launching first?
     South Bend?
     Elkhart?
     Niles?

Want to know the name of our first "multi-site" pastor?
     Bob?
     John?
     Cindy?
     Jeff?
     Bruce?
     Wilma?
     Frank?

Want to know how we're doing Children's Ministry at the sites?
     Kids have great leaders?
     Kids have peer-leaders as kids-lead-kids?
     Kids have no leaders and simply wander the facility while
          their parents are attending the service?

Want to know when we've scheduled our first community meeting with our first multi-site pastor?
     Soon?
     Sooner?
     Soonest?

Come to New Community tonight at 7:00.  We'll worship, celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion and answer these questions...and more!

Sheila and I will see you there.

Steve Took Me Hunting And I Killed This Elk

 

If you don't go elk hunting, you can't kill an elk.

If you don't go fishing, you can't catch a fish.

If you don't exercise, you won't be fit.

If you don't eat rigtht, you won't be healthy.

If spouses don't treat each other right, they won't have a shot at the best marriage possible.

If you don't listen, you won't hear.

If you don't speak the truth in love, you won't be heard.

If you don't save, you won't have money.

If you don't tithe, you won't have a strong church, strong faith, strong witness or strong ministry.

If you don't study the Bible, you won't know what it says.

If you don't learn God's way, you won't know how to stay the course.

If you don't care about the lost, you won't bring anyone to Jesus.

If you choose not to participate in your church, you won't have a church.

If you don't follow Jesus, you won't end up where He's going.

Make a decision.

Start living now so you can become the person you want to be tomorrow.

Today is your day. 

Jesus is your Lord; live like it.

"I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20a)

Blue Jay / Cyanocitta cristata

 

I saw this Blue Jay near our house.
I took these pictures this morning.

Blue Jays form long-lasting monogamous pairs. The bond usually lasts until one of the pair dies. Both the male and female feed their nestlings and both parents actively defend their nest against predators.

These birds are omnivorous. They eat everything from fruit and nuts to insects, mice, frogs and small song birds. They're very aggressive and noisy, driving other birds away from their food sources and their territory.

As I watched this Blue Jay I remembered reading the thoughts of Friar Jack Wintz regarding St Francis preaching to birds.  The Friar's ruminations were worth reading, so I'm passing them on to you.

He wrote:

In reading St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis recently, I was surprised by where Bonaventure positioned what was Francis’ most famous story of preaching to birds. He has the story occurring right at the point in Francis’ life where Francis is struggling with a deep personal dilemma: Should he retire from the world and devote himself entirely to prayer or should he continue traveling about as a preacher of the gospel? To answer this question, St. Francis sends brothers to seek the advice of two of his most trusted colleagues: Brother Sylvester and the holy virgin Clare and her sisters.

The word comes back very quickly from both Sylvester and Clare that it is their clear judgment that God wants Francis to keep proclaiming the good news of God’s saving love. No sooner does Francis hear their response than he immediately stands up, and in the words of St. Bonaventure, “without the slightest delay he takes to the roads, to carry out the divine command with great fervor.”

The typical reader at this juncture, I believe, would expect St. Bonaventure to portray St. Francis as rushing off to the nearest village or marketplace to begin preaching the gospel to the people gathered there. But where does Francis actually go? Francis’ very next stop, according to Bonaventure, is this: “He came to a spot where a large flock of birds of various kinds had come together. When God’s saint saw them, he quickly ran to the spot and greeted them as if they were endowed with reason….

“He went right up to them and solicitously urged them to listen to the word of God, saying,  ‘Oh birds, my brothers and sisters, you have a great obligation to praise your Creator, who clothed you in feathers and gave you wings to fly with, provided you with pure air and cares for you without any worry on your part.’…The birds showed their joy in a remarkable fashion: They began to stretch their necks, extend their wings, open their beaks and gaze at him attentively.

“He went through their midst with amazing fervor of spirit, brushing against them with his tunic. Yet none of them moved from the spot until the man of God made the sign of the cross and gave them permission to leave; then they all flew away together. His companions waiting on the road saw all these things. When he returned to them, that pure and simple man began to accuse himself of negligence because he had not preached to the birds before.”

Thomas of Celano, who wrote an earlier biography of St. Francis, told this same story of Francis’ sermon to the birds, including Francis’ admission of “negligence,” but Celano adds this sentence: “From that day on, [Francis] carefully exhorted all birds, all animals, all reptiles, and also insensible creatures, to praise and love the creator…” (see I Celano XXI)

I wonder if St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis positioned St. Francis' story of preaching to birds to shock us into deeper appreciation for the entire creation. St. Francis believed all creation mattered. Was he right? Has God charged us with great responsibility for all creation?

Indeed, He has.

"So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals." - Genesis 1:27-28

Choreographed Steps

 

Special thanks to Amy O'Day for giving us so much time this weekend.  She choreographed the steps for the Soul Man routine that helped raise so much money for The Center for the Homeless.

Amy and DC danced in every service with all their strength - and God got all the glory.  It was a great weekend.

2 Samuel 6:14 - David danced before the Lord with all his might ...

You Gotta Be Kidding Me...

GCC is incredible. 

But occasionally I have an experience in church that is weird. Occasionally I'll have an encounter with someone who does something so bizarre it boggles my mind.

It happened this weekend.

Here's the story. 

As always, I carried my bottle of water into the service with me.  Sipping water during each service, I preserve my ability to speak. The water helps me protect my voice. Preaching in five services each weekend taxes me and the water helps. 

So, I set a bottle near my chair and continually sip water.

This weekend, after drinking from my bottle, I was replacing the cap when a lady put her hand on my arm and said, "I hope you don't care; I was thirsty and I drank some of your water."

You gotta be kidding me! I put my water bottle down for one minute and some lady picks it up, takes a big swig, replaces the cap, and sets it back in place for me to enjoy.

Can you say, "Backwash?"

Zow. 

That is one of the weirdest things that's ever happened to me at church.

I thought you'd like to know so you can keep an eye on your coffee. 
She may get thirsty again.

"Hunger is no excuse for a thief to steal."  (Proverbs 6:30)

North American River Otter / Lutra canadensis

 

Who are you when no one is looking?

These wild otters were surprised when I slipped into their Florida river habitat. I heard them chirping before I saw them. I watched them for a few seconds before they noticed me. When they looked up from the river's edge I froze this moment in time.  River otters are mostly active at night so this was a fortuitous occasion.

For a moment they returned my gaze, but only briefly.  Sensing no threat, they got back to their business...which apparently involves a lot of play.

Did you ever wonder about the behavior of people you "catch" when they don't think anyone sees them? I often wonder about the impression I make when I don't know I'm under observation.

I'm not concerned about the commonplace - like the time I was singing in my car and noticed the people in the car next to me watching in stunned amazement, or the time I decided to count my strides in a mile (out loud) and failed to notice the kid standing in the yard staring at me (mouth wide open) as I "counted" my way past.  I'm not talking about stuff like that.

I'm wondering about the impression I leave when I don't see the people who are watching me...
     - resolve a conflict over the phone.
     - discipline a child.
     - touch my wife.
     - drive my car.
     - shop for groceries.
     - worship.
     - watch a movie with friends.
     - eat with my family at a restaurant.
     - play on the riverbank with a friend.

What is the example I'm setting? 
What do people see when they look at me when I'm not on?
Am I living the life I should?

I want to. 

So I'm training to learn the steps God has choreographed for my life. I'm studying. I'm following Christ's lead. My partner is Jesus and I'm determined to walk in His steps. If I do that, my example will be positive.

Lord, make it so.

There are a lot of people around who can't wait to tell you what you've done wrong, but there aren't many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God's Message to you that I became your father. I'm not, you know, asking you to do anything I'm not already doing myself. (1 Corinthians 4:15-16)

Extraordinary

Adam is remarkable.

He and Becky were enjoying Dustin Maust's wedding when I took this picture last night. As I watched them relaxing with friends I thought, "This guy is awesome. He's loyal, diligent and talented.  His team loves him. His boss loves him. His friends love him. His kids love him. His wife loves him. Come to think of it, I love him too."

Adam carries huge responsibility.  Butch has tasked him with authority as our Director of Technical Arts.

The players around Adam are high-capacity-wild-eyed-zealots. They know their stuff.  Not many could pilot such a team. Adam leads them well. They thrive under his leadership and learn from his example.

Adam sees the big picture yet never misses the little details.
   He protects our values and values his team.
      He knows our priorities and holds them when values compete.
         He follows Jesus and carries a lot of us with him on the journey.

I'm proud of Adam.  You should be too.

Proverbs 20:6-7 - Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man? A righteous man who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him. 

Mother's Day 2008

 

Happy Mother's Day Sheila!

Thanks for being the best "Mom" ever. Our children live in the blessing of your faith. I'm honored to serve Christ beside you.

I think Solomon described you when he wrote these words in Proverbs 31, "Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!"

I love you.

Worship Last Night

 

After singing the old DC Talk song Red Letters with Seth Bible last weekend, Trace led worship last night.

I'm proud of Trace. He has decided to pursue Jesus' dream (VISION), according to Jesus' decision (INTENTION), the Jesus' method (WAY). He is determined to live in The Kingdom of the Transformed Heart. (Rob taught the VIM process at New Community.)

Trace knows a life that "shines like stars in the Universe" requires the disciplines of abstinence and engagement. He is training. His life makes a good case for Christ. 

Sheldon VanAulkens said, "The best argument for Christianity is Christians."  He was right. 

Galatians 5:22-23 -  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

35 Minutes

 

I took this picture ten minutes ago. I've been in the auditorium preparing for the New Community.

Rehearsal is over.

The musicians are ready. The technicians are ready. Trace is ready. Rob is ready. The crowd of people filling the Atrium, and waiting to get in, is ready.

We've come to worship. Only 35 minutes remain. We are ready.

Come. Give God praise tonight.

   Psalm 150:1-6 

    Praise the Lord.

    Praise God in his sanctuary;
        praise him in his mighty heavens.
    [2] Praise him for his acts of power;
        praise him for his surpassing greatness.
    [3] Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
        praise him with the harp and lyre,
    [4] praise him with tambourine and dancing,
        praise him with the strings and flute,
    [5] praise him with the clash of cymbals,
        praise him with resounding cymbals.

    [6] Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

    Praise the Lord.

The Fast and The Fire

Worship ignites the soul.  Prayer fuels the inferno.

At the core of the church there's a fire, a love for Christ that burns hot and bright. The searing heat of that brilliant flame warms the pulpit and ignites the congregation. When God sets the leaders of a church ablaze, the entire congregation feels the burn. 

We've been fasting this month. We've been praying.

It's in times of fasting and prayer that I often hear more clearly from God. Sometimes there's a new understanding of scripture; sometimes I hear God's whisper; sometimes God brings conviction through a trusted friend. 

That's what happened a couple of days ago.

God used Rob Wegner to bring me this NT Wright quote. God set Rob on fire with these words, then Rob torched me. Read Wright's words...and let the conflagration roar.   

"...when Tiberius or Nero came to power, the imperial heralds did not go around saying, 'There is this new experience you might like to try on for size, namely, you might like to give allegiance to Caesar if that suits you and if that's where you are right now in your own personal journey.' No, they said, 'Tiberius is emperor! Get down on your knees!'"   (NT Wright)

God, make your church courageous.
   Save us from tepid preaching.
      Deliver us from cold hearts, weak wills and mushy faith.
         Jesus is Lord.
            Help us boldly proclaim it.
               Amen.

One Prayer: Make Us Courageous

                                                                                      - Photo by Dustin Maust

My "ONE PRAYER" message is recorded and ready.  God showed up; scores of people from GCC prayed and encouraged me during the entire process.

I thank God for the privilege.  What an honor to offer my "One Prayer" for the Church. 

Lord, make us courageous!

1 Chronicles 28:20  -  David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you...."

North American Raccoon / Procyon lotor

This raccoon is living in our woods.

Looking at this little guy through the lens of my camera I thought, "Wow.  God's creativity is astounding."

God is awesome.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. (Psalms 36:5-7)

Three More Hours...

 

It's almost time.

At 11:30 this morning I stand to deliver. 

The One Prayer request is that I record my one prayer for the Church.  Praying with Jesus for the Church, I'm asking God to give us courage.

My prayer, "Lord, Make Us Courageous."

The Lord spoke to Joshua and said, "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”    (Joshua 1:9)