Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
When did we miss the mission...
1 Mission Trip vs. 52 Sermons -Mark batterson gets it way right...
Posted: 17 Jul 2009 07:04 AM PDT
This past year we took ten missions trips as part of our A18 initiative. I honestly think one missions trip is worth more than fifty-two sermons. That's why we put so much emphasis on trips. We want to tithe our congregation to missions.We're going to do ten trips again in 2010. Here are the countries:
Nicaragua
Spain
UgandaIsrael
Las Vegas
Bolivia
Puerto Rico
Ethiopia
Thailand
Ghana
Posted: 17 Jul 2009 07:04 AM PDT
This past year we took ten missions trips as part of our A18 initiative. I honestly think one missions trip is worth more than fifty-two sermons. That's why we put so much emphasis on trips. We want to tithe our congregation to missions.We're going to do ten trips again in 2010. Here are the countries:
Nicaragua
Spain
UgandaIsrael
Las Vegas
Bolivia
Puerto Rico
Ethiopia
Thailand
Ghana
Monday, July 27, 2009
interesting concepts.
To read more get the book "Future Grace". This is a small piece of the puzzle
It's helpful to distinguish between two types of liberalism. One is the classical liberalism of the American founding. Call this Liberalism 1, which is reflected in such principles as the right to vote, to assemble freely, to trade with others and keep the fruits of one's labor, to practice one's religion, to tolerate different political and religious views, and so on.
Then there is the modern liberalism that developed in the West after World War II. Call this Liberalism 2, which is characterized by the right to blaspheme, pornography as a protected form of free expression, the exclusion of religious symbols from the public square, the right of teenagers to receive sex education and contraceptives, the right to abortion, prostitution as a worker's right, and so on.
It's helpful to distinguish between two types of liberalism. One is the classical liberalism of the American founding. Call this Liberalism 1, which is reflected in such principles as the right to vote, to assemble freely, to trade with others and keep the fruits of one's labor, to practice one's religion, to tolerate different political and religious views, and so on.
Then there is the modern liberalism that developed in the West after World War II. Call this Liberalism 2, which is characterized by the right to blaspheme, pornography as a protected form of free expression, the exclusion of religious symbols from the public square, the right of teenagers to receive sex education and contraceptives, the right to abortion, prostitution as a worker's right, and so on.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
simplicity of church growth!
How can church growth happen?
We enable experiences and interactions that leave our people saying:I love my church
So they’ll tell their friends:You’ve got to come check out my church
The friends come.We worship Jesus and preach the Gospel with excellence.
The friends leave saying:I really like this church
Inspiring them to come back again and again until they say:I love my church
And tell their friends:You’ve got to come check out my church…
We enable experiences and interactions that leave our people saying:I love my church
So they’ll tell their friends:You’ve got to come check out my church
The friends come.We worship Jesus and preach the Gospel with excellence.
The friends leave saying:I really like this church
Inspiring them to come back again and again until they say:I love my church
And tell their friends:You’ve got to come check out my church…
encouraging!
Men…Ephesians 5:25 says we are to love our wives as Christ loves the church…
He never stops loving the church…
He never stops pursuing the church…
He always comes home for the church…
He never cheats on the church…
He never stops thinking about the church…
He takes the church seriously…
He never stops loving the church…
He never stops pursuing the church…
He always comes home for the church…
He never cheats on the church…
He never stops thinking about the church…
He takes the church seriously…
My boy!
I wanted to keep all the people updated on what's going on. My baby boy has been diagnosed with some devistating medical conditions. To name them would be hard cosidering i can't spell them. He has a very fatal condition that casues his bones to break while in the the womb. So as of right now a majority of his bones are already broken as well as some physiological disruptions. He will most likely make it to birth alive and shortly after delivery, die due to abnormalities.
Your prayers are coveted, and know that there's no way on earth that this situation has not been a belssing in more ways than one. God has chosen us for such God honoring times, so we will due nothing but honor Him with them.
Aly and I are showered with the spirit during this time, which is why i can write with confidence that Gods plan has been revealed to us throught scripture, the church, and our incredible family. Thank you again for prayer.
Your prayers are coveted, and know that there's no way on earth that this situation has not been a belssing in more ways than one. God has chosen us for such God honoring times, so we will due nothing but honor Him with them.
Aly and I are showered with the spirit during this time, which is why i can write with confidence that Gods plan has been revealed to us throught scripture, the church, and our incredible family. Thank you again for prayer.
Monday, July 20, 2009
This is the truth! It just happened.
A synical world doesn't like the church much, but do you blame them. They often times see more clearly from the outside view what's really happeneing. They see the church being the church in the church. When we (Christians) are outside the church it's a whole different ballgame.
I recently went to our beloved Corona Crossings for an evangelising trip with Generate High. I wasn't so shocked because i'm not ignorant to find hundreds of the same age group gathered around and when asked the question saying yes i'm Christian. This bothered me greatly. It caused some intense and yet some peaceful conversatins throught the night.
You see i have a real problem with people using that word so losely as if it were just a word. By definition a Christian is a "Christ follower" lets pretend we know what that looks like for time sake. So back to the story we are out there with hundreds of "Christians" uterly greived by their statements. Yes we go to church when i can, i read sometimes when i need to, my favorite, i go on Sundays. Where in the world did that come from?
Are you ready for this! Where do they get the right to call themselves Christians while acting that way, cusing, crousing, fighting, ... The answer, Us. The American Church Doesn't even respect the church. Why? We pick and choose that which fits or feels good and leave the rest on the pue. In that we have denied love to the full consel of Christs bride leaving out the reallife change.
My point is this. How can I, you, or any other, go out there and expect them to love, respect, admonish, or obey Christ and His bride when we don't even love, respect, admonish, promote, serve, protect, teach, repoof, or care for the church ourselves. "If you can't say amen, you better say ouch".
If this doesn't make sense it's because i'm not a writter: Key concepts, The church needs to wake up yesterday!
I recently went to our beloved Corona Crossings for an evangelising trip with Generate High. I wasn't so shocked because i'm not ignorant to find hundreds of the same age group gathered around and when asked the question saying yes i'm Christian. This bothered me greatly. It caused some intense and yet some peaceful conversatins throught the night.
You see i have a real problem with people using that word so losely as if it were just a word. By definition a Christian is a "Christ follower" lets pretend we know what that looks like for time sake. So back to the story we are out there with hundreds of "Christians" uterly greived by their statements. Yes we go to church when i can, i read sometimes when i need to, my favorite, i go on Sundays. Where in the world did that come from?
Are you ready for this! Where do they get the right to call themselves Christians while acting that way, cusing, crousing, fighting, ... The answer, Us. The American Church Doesn't even respect the church. Why? We pick and choose that which fits or feels good and leave the rest on the pue. In that we have denied love to the full consel of Christs bride leaving out the reallife change.
My point is this. How can I, you, or any other, go out there and expect them to love, respect, admonish, or obey Christ and His bride when we don't even love, respect, admonish, promote, serve, protect, teach, repoof, or care for the church ourselves. "If you can't say amen, you better say ouch".
If this doesn't make sense it's because i'm not a writter: Key concepts, The church needs to wake up yesterday!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
This is true true true!
Protecting From Sin and Folly -Mark Driscoll
In addition to discipline for sin, a father is to provide protection from sin for his children. This is particularly true of sexual sin, from molestation when they are little to fornication and date rape when they are older. Deuteronomy 22 tells a particularly sobering story for fathers: a young woman is married to a man who claims that she was not a virgin on their wedding night, and so he wants a divorce. Basically a judicial court hearing is held, the woman and her husband are brought in, and they need someone to testify as to the condition of her sexual history. Her father is brought in as the expert witness because he knows her best, loves her most, and has protected her to the degree that he can ensure the court that she has not been with another man. Today that kind of father would be labeled as unloving and overly protective, because the fools are winning.
One of the dumbest conversations I've ever had on this topic was with a pastor. He asked me to pray for his teenage daughter, who claimed to be a Christian but was dating and having sex with a non-Christian teenage boy. I asked him what specifically I should pray for—that God would give him a steady trigger finger? He told me that he had never told her not to have sex because she was an adult, and he did not want to pry into her personal life. I told the man that I would not pray that God would give his daughter wisdom, because God had already given that wisdom to her father, who did not lovingly dispense it to his daughter, and that he was a wicked man who apparently hated his daughter and was a coward unfit for the pastorate. Any man who allows his daughter to sin and be sinned against in the name of loving her knows little of God's love.
Deuteronomy 22 also tells the story of a girl who commits adultery with a married man, and she is sentenced to death by stoning. They put her to death on the steps of her father's home, because she is his responsibility and he has failed in his duties to lovingly instruct, correct, and protect her. Dads are supposed to know that their blossoming daughters are often the objects of lust for sinful men, and unless they stand between their daughters and men, the men will use them for sexual sin, even telling these vulnerable young women that they love them if it helps soften them up for sin. Daddies with daughters who are boy crazy and flirtatious have to labor even more diligently to oversee the purity of their daughters.
I can still recall one occasion when I was doing a wedding in the California Napa Valley. Before the wedding, I took some time to take my daughter Ashley on a shoeless walk through the vineyards as I was dressed in my suit and she was looking cute in a dress. She was nearly three years old at the time and as we held hands and walked, she looked at me and said, "Daddy, some day I will be married." I said, "Yes, you will, sweetheart." I then asked her, "How will you know who you are supposed to marry?" She said, "You and mommy will help decide," and then she giggled. As her father, I am called by God to be the biggest man in her life until her husband earns her love and my approval. Every girl needs a Christian daddy who loves her, snuggles with her, encourages her, compliments her, protects her, and enjoys "daddy dates" with her where they go out to have fun together.
In addition to discipline for sin, a father is to provide protection from sin for his children. This is particularly true of sexual sin, from molestation when they are little to fornication and date rape when they are older. Deuteronomy 22 tells a particularly sobering story for fathers: a young woman is married to a man who claims that she was not a virgin on their wedding night, and so he wants a divorce. Basically a judicial court hearing is held, the woman and her husband are brought in, and they need someone to testify as to the condition of her sexual history. Her father is brought in as the expert witness because he knows her best, loves her most, and has protected her to the degree that he can ensure the court that she has not been with another man. Today that kind of father would be labeled as unloving and overly protective, because the fools are winning.
One of the dumbest conversations I've ever had on this topic was with a pastor. He asked me to pray for his teenage daughter, who claimed to be a Christian but was dating and having sex with a non-Christian teenage boy. I asked him what specifically I should pray for—that God would give him a steady trigger finger? He told me that he had never told her not to have sex because she was an adult, and he did not want to pry into her personal life. I told the man that I would not pray that God would give his daughter wisdom, because God had already given that wisdom to her father, who did not lovingly dispense it to his daughter, and that he was a wicked man who apparently hated his daughter and was a coward unfit for the pastorate. Any man who allows his daughter to sin and be sinned against in the name of loving her knows little of God's love.
Deuteronomy 22 also tells the story of a girl who commits adultery with a married man, and she is sentenced to death by stoning. They put her to death on the steps of her father's home, because she is his responsibility and he has failed in his duties to lovingly instruct, correct, and protect her. Dads are supposed to know that their blossoming daughters are often the objects of lust for sinful men, and unless they stand between their daughters and men, the men will use them for sexual sin, even telling these vulnerable young women that they love them if it helps soften them up for sin. Daddies with daughters who are boy crazy and flirtatious have to labor even more diligently to oversee the purity of their daughters.
I can still recall one occasion when I was doing a wedding in the California Napa Valley. Before the wedding, I took some time to take my daughter Ashley on a shoeless walk through the vineyards as I was dressed in my suit and she was looking cute in a dress. She was nearly three years old at the time and as we held hands and walked, she looked at me and said, "Daddy, some day I will be married." I said, "Yes, you will, sweetheart." I then asked her, "How will you know who you are supposed to marry?" She said, "You and mommy will help decide," and then she giggled. As her father, I am called by God to be the biggest man in her life until her husband earns her love and my approval. Every girl needs a Christian daddy who loves her, snuggles with her, encourages her, compliments her, protects her, and enjoys "daddy dates" with her where they go out to have fun together.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Gooooood stuff!
What's the Worst that Can Happen?
I love what Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, most of which, never happened." I think it's safe to say that I've feared far more things than have actually happened in my life. What a shame.
Fear paralyzes progress. Fear keeps you in bad jobs. Fear keeps you single. Fear keeps you in the same town your whole life. Fear keeps you from following your God-given dreams.
Every morning, I have to spend at least 30 minutes praying and banishing fear from my life. It slowly creeps up on me each day and blankets me in the mornings.
What's interesting is that whenever I imagine the scenario of my worst fears coming true... it's not actually that bad. =) Honestly, it simplifies my life.
I was talking to a pastor the other day who is on his second church plant. He said that failing was a gift from God because it taught him that he didn't have all that much to fear.
Not a sermon. Just a blog post.
I love what Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, most of which, never happened." I think it's safe to say that I've feared far more things than have actually happened in my life. What a shame.
Fear paralyzes progress. Fear keeps you in bad jobs. Fear keeps you single. Fear keeps you in the same town your whole life. Fear keeps you from following your God-given dreams.
Every morning, I have to spend at least 30 minutes praying and banishing fear from my life. It slowly creeps up on me each day and blankets me in the mornings.
What's interesting is that whenever I imagine the scenario of my worst fears coming true... it's not actually that bad. =) Honestly, it simplifies my life.
I was talking to a pastor the other day who is on his second church plant. He said that failing was a gift from God because it taught him that he didn't have all that much to fear.
Not a sermon. Just a blog post.
Just a thought!!
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
Heres to you that are going through a desert. Don't mind the hard time, but remember to embrace it and grow.
The above verse is not to cause you to think okay, it's going to be okay. Instead analyze you and your life and think, while i know God will never pile on to much or over tempt me am i doing it to myself. You see He doesn't we do.
If you are in that spot, desert, ditch, or whatever, stop and think is it my pile of crap messing me up, or is it Gods test in my life, James 1:2. You'll know this by what it's producing.
Heres to you that are going through a desert. Don't mind the hard time, but remember to embrace it and grow.
The above verse is not to cause you to think okay, it's going to be okay. Instead analyze you and your life and think, while i know God will never pile on to much or over tempt me am i doing it to myself. You see He doesn't we do.
If you are in that spot, desert, ditch, or whatever, stop and think is it my pile of crap messing me up, or is it Gods test in my life, James 1:2. You'll know this by what it's producing.
Practical things!
It really is hard to look down on others when we realized how absolutely screwed we would be without Jesus!
The ONLY difference between a non-Christian and a Christian is JESUS…that’s IT!!! If we lose sight of that–we lose sight of what He REALLY did for us on the cross!
We should confront people because we love them…not to feel better about ourselves (that would be self righteousness!)
from what I’ve experienced…those who seem to be obsessed with the “sins” of others are often that way to keep from dealing with their own sins!
Jesus did say we are not to judge one another…but He didn’t say we were not to confront one another!
The ONLY difference between a non-Christian and a Christian is JESUS…that’s IT!!! If we lose sight of that–we lose sight of what He REALLY did for us on the cross!
We should confront people because we love them…not to feel better about ourselves (that would be self righteousness!)
from what I’ve experienced…those who seem to be obsessed with the “sins” of others are often that way to keep from dealing with their own sins!
Jesus did say we are not to judge one another…but He didn’t say we were not to confront one another!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
David is one of the most annoying characters in the bible. When i say this it's purely out of respect for Him. He was a sheep hearding, harp playin, crazy cool warrior, servant, weakest of the brothers in everyones eyes. Yet he plays a great part in History.
My loving envy comes from desire to obtain his attitude and leadership. Saul on a number of occasions tries to kill him, but here's the cool part. David is humble and it earned him something, honor from Jonathan. Sauls son defends David to the ends of the earth.
What's the point. Unexpected things, circumstances, other people, Jobs, school, Whatever it is in life There's a point. You as a person have the oppurtunity to be a better you from it. In Davids case it was future King. In your case it may the next raise, degree, marriage, child, ect...
Let your David experience inhance you future.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
baby, baby, baby, oh baby
If i could draw a picture of my baby i would. But i just found out i am having a boy! I want the whole world to know. Thats all i have to say.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
winning with inexperience!
The famous David and Goliath Battle is still today heard around the world. People know bits and peices, or some are fully devoted to uncover the incredible story to it's fullest.
1 Samuel 17:33 the great story, or was God trying to show us incredible oppurtnuity. What is the point. She we see that with the power of God all things are possible as David displayed. But what about other detail.
Saul told david that he was to young and inexperienced. That's a ture thought. If David had tried to defeat Goliath by way of sword (conventioanl) there have been no chance. What about the unconventional way of war. A slingshot gave David from the distnace advantage to do the impossible. You see David wasn't a warrior, He was a shepard. Therefore methods have to be changed according to the strategy of the individual.
Inexperience can be a plus and a minus. To not know makes us take risks. To know just enough makes us say why not.
Point. SOmetimes Davids need to work harder than Goliaths. Be innovative, creative, and risky and then your overwhelming battle comes victorious.
1 Samuel 17:33 the great story, or was God trying to show us incredible oppurtnuity. What is the point. She we see that with the power of God all things are possible as David displayed. But what about other detail.
Saul told david that he was to young and inexperienced. That's a ture thought. If David had tried to defeat Goliath by way of sword (conventioanl) there have been no chance. What about the unconventional way of war. A slingshot gave David from the distnace advantage to do the impossible. You see David wasn't a warrior, He was a shepard. Therefore methods have to be changed according to the strategy of the individual.
Inexperience can be a plus and a minus. To not know makes us take risks. To know just enough makes us say why not.
Point. SOmetimes Davids need to work harder than Goliaths. Be innovative, creative, and risky and then your overwhelming battle comes victorious.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
PARALYSIS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY!
Interesting bit from Perry Noble i read recently. paraphrased
Think about the fears in your life. My fear is that my knee will be bent backwards and that all that is in there will snap off. Weird i know, but thank of what keeps you from doing in life. There are points that i remain frozen when it comes to a challenge because the thought of that knee thing happening to me.
Thank about yourself and what your afraid of. Wether it's leadership, preaching, evangelising, or a number of other things your fear paralyzes your ability to be affective for His kingdom. Your afraid to mess up so you don't even attempt to strech yourself. What you do simply remians all you do.
We forget often that for those who have accepted Him He now lives in you. if i remember correctly you can do all things Phil 4:13. I'm not saying be stupid, but innovation, creativity, generational change, leadership, and yes preaching die if no risk is involved. And risk does mean faceing your fear, and stepping out on water even when all your life someone has told you can't walk on that stuff. Life as the christian only involves risk taking for the glory and building of His kingdom. Face your fears and move forward.
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