BACKPACKS OF HOPE-
Our Backpacks of Hope campaign is in full swing and the money and supplies are pouring in right now. Just last night I received confirmation from Bic Pens that they are going to supply every child with pens and pencils. WOW! Yeah God!! Also, this week one of our member while "On Mission with God" in their work setting, told a client about Backpacks of Hope and the client was so moved that he took out his checkbook and wrote a check for $500 without batting an eye. THAT JUST PUMPS ME UP!!!! Also, last week in church someone who was a guest for the first time who is still not sure about this whole Jesus thing decided to invest in someone else and give $10 for a backpack. AMAZING!
I spoke with Mr Pepe this week at BT Washington Elementary and he was just overwhelmed that we would adopt their school this year and provide backpacks and more for every student. For those of you who do not know much about BT Washington Elementary. It is the only "D" rated elementary school in the city of Tampa, which means that most of the students are one or two grade levels behind in most of their subjects especially reading. Our goal is to develop a long term relationship with this school to help kids and families that are marginalized by society in general and help them begin to realize their God given potential.
So far we have collected about $1500 of the $5000 that we need to pay for the backpacks.
I am asking that everyone give at least $20 above their regular giving to help pay for these backpacks for the kids of Booker T Washington. If you can give more that would be great as well. You can give on Sunday in the regular offering or you can go to www.relevantchurch.com and click on the giving link and give through our secure online giving.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
"I was Blind but now I can See"
Well I am sitting here in my office in Ybor sipping some coffee while listening to the rosters in Ybor crow. Boy I love Ybor!! Where else can you look out of your window and see skyscrapers and listen to rosters at the same time. LOL. But seriously this has been an amazing week. Sunday was incredible with so many of you joining us for the Hope Epidemic and Easter. My prayer is that you have been able to share that hope with someone else this week.
I have heard some incredible stories about the hope epidemic this week and also have heard that some of you are struggling a bit. So I wanted to give you a few pointers.
Someone from Relevant gave their Hope Envelope to a cashier at a grocery store and then about an hour later someone from Relevant went into the same store and saw the envelope sitting on the cash register so the person enquired about it. The cashier said oh some lady gave it to me about an hour ago, it is just some church thing I think, I haven't even opened it yet. The person from relevant said "I kind of know about that Hope Epidemic and I think it is worth opening. So the Cashier opened the envelope and saw the $5 then he started running around the front of the store telling everyone the he got $5. The person from relevant said it was priceless. That is what the Hope Epidemic is all about. If you have a story of how you shared Hope this week go to HopeEpidemic.com and submit your story. Let's make this viral.
I was reading John 9 in my Bible this morning and there is a story in this chapter about a man who was blind since birth who Jesus healed. After he was healed the religious leaders began to question him about his miraculous healing and here is what he said.
John 9:24-25 (NLT)
24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God by telling the truth, because we know Jesus is a sinner.” 25“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
This statement rocked my world this morning "I was blind and now I can see" SIMPLE AND TOO THE POINT He was basically saying until this Jesus guy came along he was helpless, hopeless, and in despair, but when Jesus entered his world He opened his eyes to see thing completely different. That is why Relevant exists and that is what the HopeEpidemic is all about. To impact the emerging culture with the reality of Christ. To clear the vision. You see when you are blind like the guy in the story and someone helps you to see for the first time you cannot help but tell someone about it. My prayer is that we would begin sharing our stories of how we were blind in certain areas and then we meet this guy Jesus and he opened our eyes to the truth.
I have heard some incredible stories about the hope epidemic this week and also have heard that some of you are struggling a bit. So I wanted to give you a few pointers.
- Be natural. (Just walk up to someone and say "hey I just wanted to give you a little hope today")
- Don't tell them it is from a church (many people think it is just religious propaganda then)
- You may have to instruct them to look inside cause most people won't think that there is $5 inside. LOL
- Be creative
Someone from Relevant gave their Hope Envelope to a cashier at a grocery store and then about an hour later someone from Relevant went into the same store and saw the envelope sitting on the cash register so the person enquired about it. The cashier said oh some lady gave it to me about an hour ago, it is just some church thing I think, I haven't even opened it yet. The person from relevant said "I kind of know about that Hope Epidemic and I think it is worth opening. So the Cashier opened the envelope and saw the $5 then he started running around the front of the store telling everyone the he got $5. The person from relevant said it was priceless. That is what the Hope Epidemic is all about. If you have a story of how you shared Hope this week go to HopeEpidemic.com and submit your story. Let's make this viral.
I was reading John 9 in my Bible this morning and there is a story in this chapter about a man who was blind since birth who Jesus healed. After he was healed the religious leaders began to question him about his miraculous healing and here is what he said.
John 9:24-25 (NLT)
24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God by telling the truth, because we know Jesus is a sinner.” 25“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
This statement rocked my world this morning "I was blind and now I can see" SIMPLE AND TOO THE POINT He was basically saying until this Jesus guy came along he was helpless, hopeless, and in despair, but when Jesus entered his world He opened his eyes to see thing completely different. That is why Relevant exists and that is what the HopeEpidemic is all about. To impact the emerging culture with the reality of Christ. To clear the vision. You see when you are blind like the guy in the story and someone helps you to see for the first time you cannot help but tell someone about it. My prayer is that we would begin sharing our stories of how we were blind in certain areas and then we meet this guy Jesus and he opened our eyes to the truth.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Good Golly its Good Friday
Can you believe that it is already Good Friday and that this Sunday is going to be Easter? It seems like just yesterday that I was putting away my Christmas decorations and now I am prepping for summer vacation. Every year that I grow older I am amazed at how fast time seems to fly. One day I was 10 years old and the next day I have a 10 year old of my own and I wonder, "where did the time go?
This week Susie and I have been hanging out with my parents and our kids over here in Orlando at Universal Studios. I am now sitting here this morning on our last day reflecting a bit on our time here and to be honest I am sad and excited at the same time. I am sad because today we must pack up and head home. No more thrill rides that make me scream at the top of my lungs, no more all you can eat buffets where I don't care how much I eat cause I'm on vacation, no more staying up as late as possible just to catch a glimpse of the fireworks in the distance, no more completely uninterrupted time with the people that I love the most, my family. Not that all of those things cannot happen at home; but a lot of times they don't. Why? because time won't allow it.
This week I found myself excited while listening to my dad tell my son some of the same stories that I heard as a kid. He told them with the same excitement and passion that he shared them with me over 30 years ago when I was Anthony’s age. I watched my dad and mom ride the amusement park rides with my kids like they did with me when I was a kid still laughing like they were 30 years old again. But they are not and all I could do was keep hoping that this time would never end. It was that good. And as my parents drove away last night and I watched my son look out the window of his room and say, “we sure had a great time with Nana and Papa didn’t we dad” I was a bit overwhelmed. I kept saying to myself I HOPE we can do this again real soon, I HOPE that my mom and dad stay healthy. I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE.
All this hoping led me to the passage that I read last night in John 17 and all of the other accounts of the prayer of Jesus in the Garden just before he went to the cross. I kept reading over and over again all that Jesus was praying and this theme kept coming up. HOPE. Jesus was the giver of HOPE yet during this time He was asking for HOPE from His father. HOPE that this was the right choice, HOPE that His followers would be ok, HOPE that his followers would share His message with the world. Then I thought about Jesus human side and wondered if during His prayer to His father was He hoping for more time with those He loved so much like I was last night. Was He hoping for more laughs together, more meals together, more, memories? Probably. But he knew for them to have any eternal Hope that He would have to become their HOPE.
And so here I am at the close of another Holy week, so what do I do? I HOPE. HOPE for more time, more vacation, more food, and more fun. The problem is, all my hopes seem like dreams to me and I am tired of dreaming aren’t you. I want my HOPE to be a reality and I know that the only way for that to happen is for me to first find my HOPE in Jesus and then become His Agent of HOPE. I believe that Jesus wants His message of HOPE to become an epidemic that sweeps across our lives and transforms our world. I believe He wants it to become an epidemic -a HOPE EPIDEMIC. And this Sunday at Relevant Church we are going to launch that epidemic.
I want to encourage you to be here this week and to bring someone with you. We are about to launch into something BIG.
See you all Sunday,
Paul
This week Susie and I have been hanging out with my parents and our kids over here in Orlando at Universal Studios. I am now sitting here this morning on our last day reflecting a bit on our time here and to be honest I am sad and excited at the same time. I am sad because today we must pack up and head home. No more thrill rides that make me scream at the top of my lungs, no more all you can eat buffets where I don't care how much I eat cause I'm on vacation, no more staying up as late as possible just to catch a glimpse of the fireworks in the distance, no more completely uninterrupted time with the people that I love the most, my family. Not that all of those things cannot happen at home; but a lot of times they don't. Why? because time won't allow it.
This week I found myself excited while listening to my dad tell my son some of the same stories that I heard as a kid. He told them with the same excitement and passion that he shared them with me over 30 years ago when I was Anthony’s age. I watched my dad and mom ride the amusement park rides with my kids like they did with me when I was a kid still laughing like they were 30 years old again. But they are not and all I could do was keep hoping that this time would never end. It was that good. And as my parents drove away last night and I watched my son look out the window of his room and say, “we sure had a great time with Nana and Papa didn’t we dad” I was a bit overwhelmed. I kept saying to myself I HOPE we can do this again real soon, I HOPE that my mom and dad stay healthy. I HOPE, I HOPE, I HOPE.
All this hoping led me to the passage that I read last night in John 17 and all of the other accounts of the prayer of Jesus in the Garden just before he went to the cross. I kept reading over and over again all that Jesus was praying and this theme kept coming up. HOPE. Jesus was the giver of HOPE yet during this time He was asking for HOPE from His father. HOPE that this was the right choice, HOPE that His followers would be ok, HOPE that his followers would share His message with the world. Then I thought about Jesus human side and wondered if during His prayer to His father was He hoping for more time with those He loved so much like I was last night. Was He hoping for more laughs together, more meals together, more, memories? Probably. But he knew for them to have any eternal Hope that He would have to become their HOPE.
And so here I am at the close of another Holy week, so what do I do? I HOPE. HOPE for more time, more vacation, more food, and more fun. The problem is, all my hopes seem like dreams to me and I am tired of dreaming aren’t you. I want my HOPE to be a reality and I know that the only way for that to happen is for me to first find my HOPE in Jesus and then become His Agent of HOPE. I believe that Jesus wants His message of HOPE to become an epidemic that sweeps across our lives and transforms our world. I believe He wants it to become an epidemic -a HOPE EPIDEMIC. And this Sunday at Relevant Church we are going to launch that epidemic.
I want to encourage you to be here this week and to bring someone with you. We are about to launch into something BIG.
See you all Sunday,
Paul
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Fast Tuesdy week 4
Well it is week four of Fast Tuesday and God is doing some cool stuff. Join us today for Fast Tuesday. The instructions are below.
Here are the basic instruction again for the fast:
1. We are only fasting during breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, (Drink water only).
2. We are praying for three areas and reading scripture that goes along with each prayer section.
Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal)
Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership)
Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders)
3. When you get hungry use that as a time to remind you to pray for an area.
4. To help with understanding the scripture each week stop after each section and ask yourself these questions and write out your answers:
What is God speaking to me/us through this passage?
What do I/we need to do?
FAST TUESDAY WEEK THREE SCRIPTURE (click on the verses to view them)
Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal) Psalms 32:8-9(NLT)
Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership) Luke 11:1-11 (NLT)
Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders) Proverbs 2
Here are the basic instruction again for the fast:
1. We are only fasting during breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, (Drink water only).
2. We are praying for three areas and reading scripture that goes along with each prayer section.
Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal)
Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership)
Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders)
3. When you get hungry use that as a time to remind you to pray for an area.
4. To help with understanding the scripture each week stop after each section and ask yourself these questions and write out your answers:
What is God speaking to me/us through this passage?
What do I/we need to do?
FAST TUESDAY WEEK THREE SCRIPTURE (click on the verses to view them)
Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal) Psalms 32:8-9(NLT)
Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership) Luke 11:1-11 (NLT)
Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders) Proverbs 2
Monday, March 16, 2009
Fast Tuesday Week 2
Congratulations!!
You have made it to week 2 of Fast Tuesday. I do not know about you but last week God seemed to be doing some amazing stuff. The reason I know that is because I felt and saw satan working overtime. I really believe that when the people of God begin to live out the verse that we studied last week Satan really starts getting nervous. Let's look at it again.
II Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Satan know that something is about to change.
Here are the basic instruction again for the fast in case you were confused:
1. We are only fasting during breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, (Drink water only).
2. We are praying for three areas and reading scripture that goes along with each prayer section.
4. To help with understanding the scripture each week stop after each section and ask yourself these questions and write out your answers:
FAST TUESDAY WEEK TWO SCRIPTURE (click on the verses to view them)
You have made it to week 2 of Fast Tuesday. I do not know about you but last week God seemed to be doing some amazing stuff. The reason I know that is because I felt and saw satan working overtime. I really believe that when the people of God begin to live out the verse that we studied last week Satan really starts getting nervous. Let's look at it again.
II Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Satan know that something is about to change.
Here are the basic instruction again for the fast in case you were confused:
1. We are only fasting during breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, (Drink water only).
2. We are praying for three areas and reading scripture that goes along with each prayer section.
- Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal)
- Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership)
- Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders)
4. To help with understanding the scripture each week stop after each section and ask yourself these questions and write out your answers:
- What is God speaking to me/us through this passage?
- What do I/we need to do?
FAST TUESDAY WEEK TWO SCRIPTURE (click on the verses to view them)
- Personal Direction (Spiritual Renewal) Proverbs 3:5-12 (The Message)
- Corporate Direction (Direction for Relevant Church and its leadership) Psalms 37:3-5; 23-24
- Global Direction (Direction for our Nation, our leaders and world leaders) Ezekiel 37:1-4
Monday, November 24, 2008
From Homeless to Home
Here is a story sent to me by one of our members. It is one of those stories that you hope to hear but sometimes never do. I was moved by it this morning, I trust you are as well. This is why we do church. So the physically and spiritually homeless can find a home. Way to go Relevant!!! You Rock!!!
Hey Guys,
I just wanted to say thanks for making Rudy feel at home. He is our homeless, vet friend but we don't see him as 'homeless'. We see him as family. :)
We met Rudy 3 years ago in the Ybor park on 8th Ave. It happened to be Veteran's Day. I was still attending Bible College and a group of us kids from the school were doing street ministry in Ybor every weekend. Rudy stole our hearts the moment we met him. His has a huge heart, he has issues, and he is desperate for something more.
He made a promise that one day he would come to church...I never pressured him...his own words kept him bound...he finally did show, as soon as the second service ended. I was excited that he walked through the doors...As you preached that following week you said, 'Little progress is still progress...' . Rudy felt bad that he missed the service and promised that he would come again...hahaha. He did...this time he caught the service right after the worship. He hasn't stopped coming. He fell in love with the people , the band, and the preaching and won't miss them again. :)
When Rudy was young, he was an altar boy at a Catholic church and the priest would give him and his friends four shots of wine before mass....his mom couldn't figure out why he wanted to go to church so much!
Well, here he is many years later...and we are all amazed...we can't figure out why he wants to come to church so bad. :) He is being drawn to something more than wine. :) Jesus is totally changing his life...he is definitely not the same guy we met in the park. I filled out Rudy's visitor card. He didn't think the gift would apply to him...and then he got his starbuck's card....he was excited...he went and got a hot chocolate. :) You made his week once again.
This Sunday we printed his name tag...it's official...Rudy is now one of the bunch. This past Sunday, after the service was over he said, 'The preacher preached a damn good message'! ...Just thought you should know. :) (THAT IS MY FAVORITE LINE I DID NOT KNOW I WAS DAMN GOOD. WOW)
Have a great week and thanks for making a difference in Rudy's life...I know it's not by accident that he started coming to church during the 'Messy' series. It has been really impactful. You guys are amazing. On behalf of Rudy, thanks for everything.
Hey Guys,
I just wanted to say thanks for making Rudy feel at home. He is our homeless, vet friend but we don't see him as 'homeless'. We see him as family. :)
We met Rudy 3 years ago in the Ybor park on 8th Ave. It happened to be Veteran's Day. I was still attending Bible College and a group of us kids from the school were doing street ministry in Ybor every weekend. Rudy stole our hearts the moment we met him. His has a huge heart, he has issues, and he is desperate for something more.
He made a promise that one day he would come to church...I never pressured him...his own words kept him bound...he finally did show, as soon as the second service ended. I was excited that he walked through the doors...As you preached that following week you said, 'Little progress is still progress...' . Rudy felt bad that he missed the service and promised that he would come again...hahaha. He did...this time he caught the service right after the worship. He hasn't stopped coming. He fell in love with the people , the band, and the preaching and won't miss them again. :)
When Rudy was young, he was an altar boy at a Catholic church and the priest would give him and his friends four shots of wine before mass....his mom couldn't figure out why he wanted to go to church so much!
Well, here he is many years later...and we are all amazed...we can't figure out why he wants to come to church so bad. :) He is being drawn to something more than wine. :) Jesus is totally changing his life...he is definitely not the same guy we met in the park. I filled out Rudy's visitor card. He didn't think the gift would apply to him...and then he got his starbuck's card....he was excited...he went and got a hot chocolate. :) You made his week once again.
This Sunday we printed his name tag...it's official...Rudy is now one of the bunch. This past Sunday, after the service was over he said, 'The preacher preached a damn good message'! ...Just thought you should know. :) (THAT IS MY FAVORITE LINE I DID NOT KNOW I WAS DAMN GOOD. WOW)
Have a great week and thanks for making a difference in Rudy's life...I know it's not by accident that he started coming to church during the 'Messy' series. It has been really impactful. You guys are amazing. On behalf of Rudy, thanks for everything.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Leadership leadership wherefore art thou leadership?
I know. I know my old theater days are getting the best of me today. But seriously, where are the real leaders of today. I know that I hear guys talk about their leadership and talk about their ideas but sometimes it all just seems like talk. In this rant I am including myself just for the record.
Fast forward 15 years later. I was working in student ministry at Baylife Church and I had a youth worker come up to me and tell me he wanted to work in student ministry. He said that he felt like he wanted to do it full time and what could he do in our ministry. I informed him that I did not have any paid position and he informed me that he would do it for a "PUNCH IN THE FACE" Steve Frissell you rock man!! That is leadership. BTW when I left to start Relevant who do you think I said should take my place at Baylife. You guessed it Steve.
Then at the launch of Relevant my BFF (James Adair) and his wife felt like they were called to go with us on this adventure. However, we did not have any money to pay him on staff so how could he work at the church and support his family. Well he informed me that he would do whatever it took for however long it took to support his family while he served as a full time staff member for no pay what so ever. He bought and sold houses for 2 years before he ever came on staff and then when he did he raised half of his salary for the first year.
I say all of that to say this: leadership in not found in a vacuum of service it is found in the middle of the heart of service. The person who comes to me with all of his or her degrees and accomplishments does not impress me as much as the person who comes in and say what can I do to see lives changed and what do you need me to do right now. There is an incredible book out by Mark Sanborn that really hits on this point of no matter what you do you can lead if you have "The Fred Factor". This idea is that service is at the heart of leadership. You have heard two of my examples of Fred's now how about you going out and being a Fred.
Leading like Fred seems to me like the example Christ modeled. His leadership was not from a stage but from the streets. The leadership of the men I spoke of was that of active leadership and by active I am not meaning an active tongue. These men lead by acting on their leadership. I am drawn to that kind of leadership because that is the leadership that I think our world is desperately looking for. That is my kind of leadership. That is the kind of leader I want to be.
- All too often we talk about our leadership more than we act upon our leadership.
Fast forward 15 years later. I was working in student ministry at Baylife Church and I had a youth worker come up to me and tell me he wanted to work in student ministry. He said that he felt like he wanted to do it full time and what could he do in our ministry. I informed him that I did not have any paid position and he informed me that he would do it for a "PUNCH IN THE FACE" Steve Frissell you rock man!! That is leadership. BTW when I left to start Relevant who do you think I said should take my place at Baylife. You guessed it Steve.
Then at the launch of Relevant my BFF (James Adair) and his wife felt like they were called to go with us on this adventure. However, we did not have any money to pay him on staff so how could he work at the church and support his family. Well he informed me that he would do whatever it took for however long it took to support his family while he served as a full time staff member for no pay what so ever. He bought and sold houses for 2 years before he ever came on staff and then when he did he raised half of his salary for the first year.
I say all of that to say this: leadership in not found in a vacuum of service it is found in the middle of the heart of service. The person who comes to me with all of his or her degrees and accomplishments does not impress me as much as the person who comes in and say what can I do to see lives changed and what do you need me to do right now. There is an incredible book out by Mark Sanborn that really hits on this point of no matter what you do you can lead if you have "The Fred Factor". This idea is that service is at the heart of leadership. You have heard two of my examples of Fred's now how about you going out and being a Fred.
Leading like Fred seems to me like the example Christ modeled. His leadership was not from a stage but from the streets. The leadership of the men I spoke of was that of active leadership and by active I am not meaning an active tongue. These men lead by acting on their leadership. I am drawn to that kind of leadership because that is the leadership that I think our world is desperately looking for. That is my kind of leadership. That is the kind of leader I want to be.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Salt and Light
Well happy Wednesday everyone. As I was out on my morning 20 mile bike ride this morning. (And for those of you who think I am lying about the 20 miles you can join me any day at my house at 7am for what I call the ride to glory) However, now that I am off of that hobby horse I was listening to a fellow pastor speak a sermon on the passage in Matthew 5 about salt and light and all I can say is that it rocked my world. Here are some thoughts that I had during my ride with God this morning.
Jesus goes on to say that when we loss our effectiveness in being the preservative agents in our culture then we are good for nothing and should be thrown out. The reason that the church has been so ineffective in the past decade or so is because it has lost its saltiness. And I believe that there is a new generation of leaders in our churches today that are saying "by what ever means necessary I am going to stand up and proclaim the name of Jesus, I am going to be a preservative no matter the cost" I am so glad I a part of this revolution.
I am more excited than ever before about the opportunities that we have to share Jesus with people and be the true preservative agents and light for our culture. I believe that change is coming to our culture and I believe that it is going to start with the change that God wants to begin in us. Let's go change the world for Jesus sake.
- the people that Jesus was addressing were living in the middle of financial, political, and religious unrest.
- they were desiring something different and were hoping Jesus was going to provide it. I mean if he was the Messiah wasn't that kind of in his job description. You know come to earth, save the world, rescue the down cast, heal the sick, fix all of our problems.
- They were shocked at his answers.
- You are the salt of the earth.
Jesus goes on to say that when we loss our effectiveness in being the preservative agents in our culture then we are good for nothing and should be thrown out. The reason that the church has been so ineffective in the past decade or so is because it has lost its saltiness. And I believe that there is a new generation of leaders in our churches today that are saying "by what ever means necessary I am going to stand up and proclaim the name of Jesus, I am going to be a preservative no matter the cost" I am so glad I a part of this revolution.
- "you are the light of the world"
I am more excited than ever before about the opportunities that we have to share Jesus with people and be the true preservative agents and light for our culture. I believe that change is coming to our culture and I believe that it is going to start with the change that God wants to begin in us. Let's go change the world for Jesus sake.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
It's Been A While
Well I was shocked to see how long it has been since I last blogged. And quite frankly I guess I just got out of the swing of things. I have since turned to Twittering because they are short bits of thoughts and I can then move on. I guess some would call this laziness while other may just assume that I have nothing really to say. Both of which could be true on any given day. So what I have decided to do is at least post something new three times per week. One will be spiritual in nature, one will be personal, and one will be leadership oriented. I think this will help me be accountable to actually do it and I will have implemented a system. So we will try it and see how things go. Here will be the schedule:
Monday- Sunday reflections/ leadership "careful I am sometimes grumpy on Monday
Wednesday- Spiritual
Friday- Personal/ update This will probably be via video so we will see how that goes.
Since today is Wednesday and we are launching this thing today I guess I need to talk about something spiritual. Well this morning I was able to visit a dear friend who was recently involved in what should have been a fatal motorcycle accident, however my friend Fred Stubbs is now in a rehab facility doing amazing. I know that this does not sound extremely spiritual but when I was with him this morning he was sharing how he has so much more to do for God and BTW he is 70 years young. I could not help but think of all of the people in the Bible who when they were old they we still doing great things for God. Moses, Abraham, Noah, David and many many more. When I looked at Fred and the adversity he has endured through the past few months and then compared it to the men of the Bible who were up there in years I was struck with something. I meet a ton of young church planters and pastors who get mad and even run at the first sign of adversity and yet this man I was with today was saying I want to endure through this adversity so that I can have more opprotunities to share Jesus with people. WOW!! I think Fred has once again taught me something. Adversity does not prevent you from ministering, it can actually enable you to minister on a whole new level. Thanks Fred!! you have taught me something one again. I think I understand Paul's passage a little better now.
Phillipians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
I will choose to live in the moment that God has given me now and realize I will never have this opportunity again. So I will make the most of it. People around all of us today need to know that they can make it and it is our responsibility to let them know that they can through the power of Jesus. Thanks for modeling that Fred.
Monday- Sunday reflections/ leadership "careful I am sometimes grumpy on Monday
Wednesday- Spiritual
Friday- Personal/ update This will probably be via video so we will see how that goes.
Since today is Wednesday and we are launching this thing today I guess I need to talk about something spiritual. Well this morning I was able to visit a dear friend who was recently involved in what should have been a fatal motorcycle accident, however my friend Fred Stubbs is now in a rehab facility doing amazing. I know that this does not sound extremely spiritual but when I was with him this morning he was sharing how he has so much more to do for God and BTW he is 70 years young. I could not help but think of all of the people in the Bible who when they were old they we still doing great things for God. Moses, Abraham, Noah, David and many many more. When I looked at Fred and the adversity he has endured through the past few months and then compared it to the men of the Bible who were up there in years I was struck with something. I meet a ton of young church planters and pastors who get mad and even run at the first sign of adversity and yet this man I was with today was saying I want to endure through this adversity so that I can have more opprotunities to share Jesus with people. WOW!! I think Fred has once again taught me something. Adversity does not prevent you from ministering, it can actually enable you to minister on a whole new level. Thanks Fred!! you have taught me something one again. I think I understand Paul's passage a little better now.
Phillipians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
I will choose to live in the moment that God has given me now and realize I will never have this opportunity again. So I will make the most of it. People around all of us today need to know that they can make it and it is our responsibility to let them know that they can through the power of Jesus. Thanks for modeling that Fred.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Mental Toughness Recap
So this past Sunday we looked at the idea of "McGyvering It". Do you remember the show McGyver he was amazing!! I have never seen anyone in a bomer jacket with a mullet as sweet as his do so many cool things, and all in the middle of stressful situations. So this begs the question, how do you respond in the middle of crisis or stress? From athletes, to zoo keepers we all deal with situations that cause us to scratch our heads sometimes and wonder how in the world that we are going to make it through. I think that the key to all of this is mental toughness. I know for me every morning I am faced with the reality that there is a treadmill and weight bench calling my name and I have a choice to make when my body says no to have my mind say yes. And I can honestly say that for the past 30 days I have worked out 5 days per week and the amazing thing is that my body is responding to my mind telling it what it is supposed to do. To date I have lost 15lbs and have lost a whole pants size. I am stoked and am really loving the way that I am feeling because of it. So I just wanted to encourage everyone where ever you are on this journey of fitness to just not quit keep going and the results will follow. I think that this is true physically, spiritually, and mentally. So here are the key points from this past weekend in case you missed them.
Tools for Mental Toughness:
1. Listen to the experts. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING Check out success stories in magazines and the Internet - fitness, money, or otherwise - you'll find they are people JUST LIKE YOU. So if they can do it, WHY CAN'T YOU?
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
2. No pain, no gain vs. Patience, pacing, and persistence. PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT YOU LEARNED. When you realize that failure and handicaps have NOT prevented winners in any area of life, you gain more confidence and courage to pursue your own dreams.
Phil 4:9
9Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
3. "What next?" thinking. "KEEP MOVING FORWARD" -"Walt Disney" Give yourself solution-oriented feedback when solving your problems. Don't dwell on what went wrong. What are you going to do about it? Spend your energy on moving forward, finding an answer.
Phil 4:12
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
4. Get comfortable with the unfamiliar. Make it a part of your daily routine to do something totally different than what you normally do. You'll be better prepared to handle diverse environments with greater calm and confidence.
Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)
43“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 45for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selve
5. THINK AND SPEAK WELL OF YOUR HEALTH. THINK ABOUT WHAT IS TRUE AND RIGHT. We tend to make real what is the "main feature" of ourselves. What's YOUR "main feature"?
Phil 4:8
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.
6. Don't be a victim of ads and fads. DON'T COPY THE BEHAVIORS AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD. Yes, the world is full of greedy people looking for a fast and easy way to put your money in their pockets. Make sure the thing that impresses you meets your criteria, and satisfies your concerns.
Romans 12:2
2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
7. Hang out with people who have already achieved their goals or who are dedicated to goals similar to yours. Avoid associating with people who have the same unresolved problems or who are frustrated by their lack of achievement. You know, the pity parties. "Oh, woe is me. My life is in an upheaval. How about you?" "You poor thing. Woe is me, too. I feel terrible about myself. How about you?"
Proverbs 27:17
17As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
8. Focus on desired results. Pure and simple: winners dwell on the rewards of success. Losers focus on mistakes and failure. Do what's necessary NOW. Be in the present. Then you don't have to worry about what happened yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow.
Philippians 4:12-14 (NLT)
12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heave
9. Expect the unexpected. You can't control what happens and what others do. You can anticipate what MAY happen, and prepare for them as best you can. You can also control your response to what happens.
Philippians 4:6-8
6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Hope this helps you guys on your journey.
Tools for Mental Toughness:
1. Listen to the experts. PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING Check out success stories in magazines and the Internet - fitness, money, or otherwise - you'll find they are people JUST LIKE YOU. So if they can do it, WHY CAN'T YOU?
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
2. No pain, no gain vs. Patience, pacing, and persistence. PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT YOU LEARNED. When you realize that failure and handicaps have NOT prevented winners in any area of life, you gain more confidence and courage to pursue your own dreams.
Phil 4:9
9Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
3. "What next?" thinking. "KEEP MOVING FORWARD" -"Walt Disney" Give yourself solution-oriented feedback when solving your problems. Don't dwell on what went wrong. What are you going to do about it? Spend your energy on moving forward, finding an answer.
Phil 4:12
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.
4. Get comfortable with the unfamiliar. Make it a part of your daily routine to do something totally different than what you normally do. You'll be better prepared to handle diverse environments with greater calm and confidence.
Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)
43“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 45for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selve
5. THINK AND SPEAK WELL OF YOUR HEALTH. THINK ABOUT WHAT IS TRUE AND RIGHT. We tend to make real what is the "main feature" of ourselves. What's YOUR "main feature"?
Phil 4:8
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.
6. Don't be a victim of ads and fads. DON'T COPY THE BEHAVIORS AND CUSTOMS OF THIS WORLD. Yes, the world is full of greedy people looking for a fast and easy way to put your money in their pockets. Make sure the thing that impresses you meets your criteria, and satisfies your concerns.
Romans 12:2
2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
7. Hang out with people who have already achieved their goals or who are dedicated to goals similar to yours. Avoid associating with people who have the same unresolved problems or who are frustrated by their lack of achievement. You know, the pity parties. "Oh, woe is me. My life is in an upheaval. How about you?" "You poor thing. Woe is me, too. I feel terrible about myself. How about you?"
Proverbs 27:17
17As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
8. Focus on desired results. Pure and simple: winners dwell on the rewards of success. Losers focus on mistakes and failure. Do what's necessary NOW. Be in the present. Then you don't have to worry about what happened yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow.
Philippians 4:12-14 (NLT)
12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heave
9. Expect the unexpected. You can't control what happens and what others do. You can anticipate what MAY happen, and prepare for them as best you can. You can also control your response to what happens.
Philippians 4:6-8
6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Hope this helps you guys on your journey.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sweatin to the 80's is sometimes just sweatin
Well Sunday we launched our "Sweatin to the 80's" series amid some killer 80's tunes, "Eye of the Tiger" to be exact. I think it is amazing how much I feel like working out when I have the right music playing on my ipod. Now I know that there are some people who can work out and listen to sermons or books, but I am not one of those guys. I really need some driving guitar licks and head banging music of the 80's to really get me going. So to help people "get off of the couch" and get moving we have created a workout video with me as your coach. Now I know what you are saying "Paul you as a coach? Don't you need this as much as anyone?" to which I would respond Yes. That is why I am sort of a player/ coach. You see I am actually doing the workouts with you. It is kind of funny and serious at the same time. Check it out at our church blog.
So I thought I would drop in here the main points from Sunday just in case anyone missed out or would like to refer back to the main points of the "Eye of the Tiger" message you can also check out the podcast from Sunday's service on our web site:
Main passage for series
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.
Practical biblical tools for exercise
1. get off of the couch
- stop making excuses for not working out
- we cannot hire someone to exercise for us we have to do it ourselves
13Loafers say, “It’s dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!” and then pull the covers back over their heads. 14Just as a door turns on its hinges, so a lazybones turns back over in bed. 15A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie, but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth.
2. Stop raiding the fridge
- stop making it about what you eat and make it about how much you eat
- a great web site to help track your food intake for you is Myfooddiary.com
- to many people quite because they hate the food that they have to eat. Start by adding God food back into you diet.
1When you go out to dinner with an influential person, mind your manners: 2Don’t gobble your food, don’t talk with your mouth full. 3And don’t stuff yourself; bridle your appetite.
Proverbs 23:20-21 (The Message
20Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk; don’t eat too much food and get fat.21Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row, in a stupor and dressed in rags.
3. Get a partner
- Use the buddy system
- Friends don’t let friends work out alone
6Wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
17As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
4. Get moving
- stop watching people work out and start working out
- stop talking about working out and just start
24Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. 25All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. _ 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
We live in a culture that is obsessed with the physical body. My prayer is that by earning their respect in regards to the honoring the body that God has given me that I may earn a right to share with them about the love that Christ has for them and their body. Spiritually and physically. I do not want to be disqualified from being able to speak into peoples lives.
What about you?
Happy workout.
Paul
the workout video will be up sometime this afternoon. Sorry about the delay.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sweatin to the 80's is sometimes just sweatin
Well this weekend launches our brand new series "Sweatin to the 80's" and as many of you may know the staff and I started working out at the YMCA everyday for the last two weeks. Well I am excited to say that this past week I have lost 5lbs. I am so stoked about this I can hardly stand it. I know that it is not much but it is a start and I am pumped.
Know I want everyone to know that this series is going to be much more than just physical fitness. We are going to deal with emotional fitness, spiritual fitness, and our churches fitness as a whole. But this week we are going to focus our attention on our physical bodies.
Here are a couple of things I have noticed since I have begun to work out again. And please remember I am not the poster child for GNC. I struggle with a need for some double cheeseburger actions all the time.
- Having a partner makes all the difference. Knowing that people are depending on me everyday to be there motivates me to get up every morning and workout.
- When I work out I feel better about myself. I do not know what it is but when I am working out I feel better about my whole appearance even though there have not been significant changes yet.
- My attitude is better. Maybe I just had a bad attitude before, but now I seem to be a bit more even tempered. My staff may disagree though.
During this journey we are going to be giving you tool to help you along the journey. So start looking at our Blog starting Monday for your first training schedule.
Monday, April 28, 2008
FYI message follow-up
WOW!!! Yesterday was amazing at Relevant. I know that I told you that I would post some more Bible study helps for you today so here goes. I am going to give you the sketch outline from yesterday to make sure that you follow the proper format when approaching the Bible for Study.
1. Remember that you have to read it if you are going to ever get anything out of it
2. Find out the meaning of the passage that you are reading.
This form of Biblical study is call the inductive Bible Study Method for a detailed program of inductive Bible Study Methods check out Into Thy Word.
3. Apply what you have read
Remember what Starbucks says about what they supply.
1. Remember that you have to read it if you are going to ever get anything out of it
- Read about what you dealing with right now.
- anger
- pride
- lust
- patience
- questions about God
- etc
2. Find out the meaning of the passage that you are reading.
- Ask the following questions
- Who? is in the story? is it written too? wrote it?
- What? is it about? kind of culture is it? type of people are they?
- Where? are the people located? is the writer?
- When? did the story take place?
- Why? was the story written, did the situation happen?
This form of Biblical study is call the inductive Bible Study Method for a detailed program of inductive Bible Study Methods check out Into Thy Word.
3. Apply what you have read
- Remember Information without application will never lead to transformation and the reason the Bible was written was for our transformation.
- Application happens when you see your story as it related to the stories in the Bible not as you place yourself into the stories of the Bible.
- as we model what we have learned others will catch on as well.
- people cannot follow what is not modeled.
Remember what Starbucks says about what they supply.
- flavors our senses
- sweetens my disposition
- stirs my imagination
- nourishes my dreams
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
What is it costing you?
Two days ago we had about 10 pastors here for our monthly gathering of church planters. This is always a great time to get together and share ideas, struggles, and just life together. As I was preparing for the meeting and our challenge for the day this idea of cost kept coming up in my head. For weeks now the word cost has just been buzzing around every area of my life. So as I was preparing for my talk I started unpacking this idea of cost and here is what I came up with.
We are blessed in the fact that we can store a lot of our stuff at our rented facility but we still have a major set up and tear down on Sunday morning. In some ways I wonder just how we would plug that many people into serving if we did not have those jobs for them. Some of them will never be children's workers or greeters but they are fulfilled when they serve setting up and tearing down and they are awesome.
As a church planter I heard a guy once say that as a church plant pastor, you are the chief, cook and bottle washer. Basically he was letting me know you do everything for a while and then you as a leader enlist other people to join you in serving. Bill Hybels once said that we should never be ashamed to ask people to serve because we are giving them an opportunity to serve the King of Kings and that is so much bigger than any fortune 500 gig they could ever have. The problem happens when after 6 months or a year and you still have the same people helping every week and you have not enlisted anyone else to join you on the journey. We are blessed to have over 100 volunteers serving at Relevant. WOW!!! you volunteers rock my world every week.
Peter Drucker once said "whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision"
That is so true and courageous decisions are not made while counting pennies they are made while spending courageously. Notice I did not say spending foolishly but courageously. There is a huge difference. We can spend foolishly and get no results or spend courageously and watch God show up big.
I was drawn to the story of King David in II Samuel 24 where David was going to build an altar and offering a sacrifice to God. Now the story goes that David went to build an altar to sacrifice a burnt offering to appease the anger of God but when he arrived at the place where he was to build the altar the man there said that he would give him everything to build the altar and he would even give him the animal to offer. Now I know most church planter that I roll wit would see this as an answered prayer and say God this is cool you have provided again just like you did when Abraham was going to offer up Issac. But for some reason David said no and I think his comments are piercing. Here is what he said "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” I wonder how many times we are offering up to God an offering that does not cost us anything.
I remember as a kid my parent would say just wait until you have to pay for things yourself then you will learn to appreciate them. They were right; now I find myself saying the same things to my kids. You see when things cost us something we work hard at them and we lay ourselves on the line to make sure that they make it but when it cost us nothing then we have nothing to lose.
I know for me this whole idea of church planting has cost Susie and I and our team a great deal; security, relationships, support, sleep, finances and much more but the rewards of lives being changed is so worth it.
My challenge to you today is that if you are a church leader and what you are doing right now is not costing you anything. Take a good hard look at your ministry and you life and ask God what He may be asking you to spend. Remember comfort is the breading ground for complacency and complacency only leads to a critical spirit. If you find yourself criticizing more than creating you may be in the dreaded comfort zone and not in the cost zone. In the cost zone you must create or you will go bankrupt. Think about it.
Paul
- What is pastoring or church planting costing you right now?
We are blessed in the fact that we can store a lot of our stuff at our rented facility but we still have a major set up and tear down on Sunday morning. In some ways I wonder just how we would plug that many people into serving if we did not have those jobs for them. Some of them will never be children's workers or greeters but they are fulfilled when they serve setting up and tearing down and they are awesome.
As a church planter I heard a guy once say that as a church plant pastor, you are the chief, cook and bottle washer. Basically he was letting me know you do everything for a while and then you as a leader enlist other people to join you in serving. Bill Hybels once said that we should never be ashamed to ask people to serve because we are giving them an opportunity to serve the King of Kings and that is so much bigger than any fortune 500 gig they could ever have. The problem happens when after 6 months or a year and you still have the same people helping every week and you have not enlisted anyone else to join you on the journey. We are blessed to have over 100 volunteers serving at Relevant. WOW!!! you volunteers rock my world every week.
Peter Drucker once said "whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision"
That is so true and courageous decisions are not made while counting pennies they are made while spending courageously. Notice I did not say spending foolishly but courageously. There is a huge difference. We can spend foolishly and get no results or spend courageously and watch God show up big.
I was drawn to the story of King David in II Samuel 24 where David was going to build an altar and offering a sacrifice to God. Now the story goes that David went to build an altar to sacrifice a burnt offering to appease the anger of God but when he arrived at the place where he was to build the altar the man there said that he would give him everything to build the altar and he would even give him the animal to offer. Now I know most church planter that I roll wit would see this as an answered prayer and say God this is cool you have provided again just like you did when Abraham was going to offer up Issac. But for some reason David said no and I think his comments are piercing. Here is what he said "No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” I wonder how many times we are offering up to God an offering that does not cost us anything.
I remember as a kid my parent would say just wait until you have to pay for things yourself then you will learn to appreciate them. They were right; now I find myself saying the same things to my kids. You see when things cost us something we work hard at them and we lay ourselves on the line to make sure that they make it but when it cost us nothing then we have nothing to lose.
I know for me this whole idea of church planting has cost Susie and I and our team a great deal; security, relationships, support, sleep, finances and much more but the rewards of lives being changed is so worth it.
My challenge to you today is that if you are a church leader and what you are doing right now is not costing you anything. Take a good hard look at your ministry and you life and ask God what He may be asking you to spend. Remember comfort is the breading ground for complacency and complacency only leads to a critical spirit. If you find yourself criticizing more than creating you may be in the dreaded comfort zone and not in the cost zone. In the cost zone you must create or you will go bankrupt. Think about it.
Paul
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
My Prayer Time Today
Well I had an extended prayer time today because God woke me up at 3am. I am not complaining although I did wake Susie up as well. So she may be a little sleepy this morning. I will tell you this when God does these sort of thing in my life I usually just go back to sleep but this morning was different. Susie and I enjoyed the most incredible time of prayer together and talking about what God was doing with this whole 30 days things and we just gave it back over to God and said this is all yours do whatever you want with it to make Your name famous. I truly believe God wants to restore marriages and relationship back to the way He intended them to be and for 30 days if we will do it His way I think there could be a revolution. Let pray that way.
Here is a verse that kept popping into my head this morning.
John 3:14-15
14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
This is my prayer in all of this that the Name of Jesus would be made famous over all of the earth.
Paul
Here is a verse that kept popping into my head this morning.
John 3:14-15
14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
This is my prayer in all of this that the Name of Jesus would be made famous over all of the earth.
Paul
Monday, February 4, 2008
Giant Suprise
WOW! I did not see that coming. Did any of you? As I tuned in to the super bowl last night I was quite dis-interested in who was playing. I mean one team is just to perfect and the other team seems to have a teenager as a quarterback. So as I settled in to my couch just to watch the commercials I begin to see this team emerge from the shadows of the perfect to completely disrupt the powerhouse Patriots. As I watched the scene unfold I found myself drawn into the excitement of rooting for the underdog. By the end of the game I was standing up rooting for the young Manning to win it all. It felt good to see the impossible happen. I mean no one really gave them a chance and yet they came out victorious.
This got me thinking I wonder how many of us in our faith walk feel a bit like an underdog and do not feel like we will ever end up on the win side of the win/ loss column. I know I have felt that way many time in my faith journey and for the most part when I feel that way I am prone to quit or get discouraged. Maybe you feel this way too sometimes. Well here are a few things I am learning about God on this journey of faith I am on.
1. God is not like me a fickle fan who only likes winners. In fact He specializes in failures and misfits. Read some of the stories of the disciples> Now that was a Motley Crew.
2. God specializes in turning Losers to winners. Just check out this verse.
3. God knows that the win is not always seen right away. Sometimes you have to wait a few days. Read this you will get the picture.
4. God knows the art of Declaring the win.
This got me thinking I wonder how many of us in our faith walk feel a bit like an underdog and do not feel like we will ever end up on the win side of the win/ loss column. I know I have felt that way many time in my faith journey and for the most part when I feel that way I am prone to quit or get discouraged. Maybe you feel this way too sometimes. Well here are a few things I am learning about God on this journey of faith I am on.
1. God is not like me a fickle fan who only likes winners. In fact He specializes in failures and misfits. Read some of the stories of the disciples> Now that was a Motley Crew.
2. God specializes in turning Losers to winners. Just check out this verse.
3. God knows that the win is not always seen right away. Sometimes you have to wait a few days. Read this you will get the picture.
4. God knows the art of Declaring the win.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
WOW I can's believe it's been 3 years
So I was came face to face with the reality that we are no longer a church plant but a church the other day when we celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. Yes that is right on January the 9 Relevant turned 3 years old. I know if you have been around here for a while it seems crazy that we are that old but we are. Here are just a few things that have amazed me over the past 3 years and also things that I am thankful for.
1. Thanks Perry for telling me to jump I really needed a friend to tell me straight just do it if God is calling you. And you have not stopped since then. Thanks dude you are an inspiration.
2. Thanks Kevin, Charlotte, Jamie, Carly, and Susie for believing in me even when I questioned myself. You guys are the best. I will never forget some of those meetings with just the 6 of us in a living room dreaming of what Relevant might be and now look at it. God is so good.
3. Thanks Carl and Kristin you are the best worship leader in the country and you listened to God and came on the dream of what God could do here at Relevant. You were worth the risk of having no money. You guys are incredible.
4. Thanks Bay Life Church. You guys have been such a great support church. You prepared me for the journey I am now on.
5. Thanks to the people who started with us in the hotel ballroom and are still with us today at the Italian Club. You guys serve like no other church in America.
6. Thanks Jason for serving here while working at other places just to be a part of Relevant your kind of commitment is rare.
So now that I have thanked people I just want to thank God because without Him I know I would be stuck in the burbs not having a blast in the city.
1. Thanks Perry for telling me to jump I really needed a friend to tell me straight just do it if God is calling you. And you have not stopped since then. Thanks dude you are an inspiration.
2. Thanks Kevin, Charlotte, Jamie, Carly, and Susie for believing in me even when I questioned myself. You guys are the best. I will never forget some of those meetings with just the 6 of us in a living room dreaming of what Relevant might be and now look at it. God is so good.
3. Thanks Carl and Kristin you are the best worship leader in the country and you listened to God and came on the dream of what God could do here at Relevant. You were worth the risk of having no money. You guys are incredible.
4. Thanks Bay Life Church. You guys have been such a great support church. You prepared me for the journey I am now on.
5. Thanks to the people who started with us in the hotel ballroom and are still with us today at the Italian Club. You guys serve like no other church in America.
6. Thanks Jason for serving here while working at other places just to be a part of Relevant your kind of commitment is rare.
So now that I have thanked people I just want to thank God because without Him I know I would be stuck in the burbs not having a blast in the city.
- God I am amazed everyday that you choose to let me be a part of your big plan here at Relevant.
- Thanks for proving all of our critics wrong who said that a church for 20 and 3o somethings was impossible.
- Thanks for the over 150 people who have been baptized over the last 3 years.
- Thanks for crazy growth. from 120 on the first Sunday to over 350 after just 3 years that is 50% growth per year. Only you can do that.
- Thanks for taking care of us financially. Without outside support once we launched You God provided for every need. I am in awe of that.
- From 1 service in Jan of 05 to two services 9 months later to three services one year after that WOW God you are awesome.
- Over 100 volunteers serving each weekend just to make sure we make the name of Jesus famous.
- God you allowed us to rebuild a house for a widow on our 1 year anniversary. WOW
Thursday, November 8, 2007
It is Finally Fall
Well Fall has finally arrived here in Tampa and it is awesome. I know some of you live in the north and fall has already come and gone and now you are staring down 3 to 4 months of winter. Well I just want to say here in Florida we have summer and fall and that is just fine with me. With Fall comes the anticipation of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. And this year is no different my kids are already getting out the Toys r Us catalog and picking out the toys that they want for Christmas. It is funny Anthony has a total of $3000 worth of toys picked out. I quickly told him he may need to scale it back by about 95%.
There is something else that I notice during this time of year. I seem to slow down a bit. You know when the weather is nice outside I do not find myself walking so fast from one place to another I just seem to stroll and enjoy the day. Which is quite unusal for me. This got me to thinking is this what it meant that Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. I wonder if in the garden the weather was like fall where it is cool enough for a jacket but so nice you wanted to stay as long as possible. I can honestly say that my time with God is not often like this where I just want to hang with him as long as possible. Often time mine is more like "drive-thru Jesus" where I order my spiritual life to go and try to make that work.
I guess all I am saying is that during this season I am going to try to take more strolls with God and just enjoy his company. Maybe you will join me.
There is something else that I notice during this time of year. I seem to slow down a bit. You know when the weather is nice outside I do not find myself walking so fast from one place to another I just seem to stroll and enjoy the day. Which is quite unusal for me. This got me to thinking is this what it meant that Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. I wonder if in the garden the weather was like fall where it is cool enough for a jacket but so nice you wanted to stay as long as possible. I can honestly say that my time with God is not often like this where I just want to hang with him as long as possible. Often time mine is more like "drive-thru Jesus" where I order my spiritual life to go and try to make that work.
I guess all I am saying is that during this season I am going to try to take more strolls with God and just enjoy his company. Maybe you will join me.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Sharing Your Faith
So I was online the other night and ran across a web site that was pretty interesting. On this site there are several interviews with people who are not Christ followers yet and they begin sharing their stories and opinions about how they feel about born again Christians. I kept hearing this reoccuring theme they said that all of the Christians that they knew always tried to convince them that they were wrong and the Christian was right without ever dialoging with them. So let me share with you my experience. This past Friday night I was speaking at another church to their singles and after the service we all went out to dinner at a local Mexican Restarunt. Well as we were leaving two girls approached us and asked if we knew we were going to heaven. We said yes and she continued with the how did we know to which we responded that we had invited Christ into our lives. Well that did not seem like a good enough answer for her so she continued to probe further and I began to get offended and I am a Christ-follower. So I said well I may not be a Christian because I am a pastor in Ybor City. One of them said oh Ybor that is the best place to go and tell people about Jesus. I wanted to tell her that if that is gong to be her approach the I would prefer if she never came down to Ybor. You see we are down here everyday of the week developing relationships with the people of Ybor we are not rolling in on a Friday night when people are heading out to the clubs telling them they are going to hell for walking into a club. Because last I checked that is where Jesus hung out in the gospels building relationships and sharing good news. Not beating people up with self righteous religion. Here is what one of the people who was not a follower of Christ said about how we label them "LOST". She said "I really do not feel lost, I have direction and purpose, mostly I feel confused". After hearing her comments I thought to myself why do we call people who do not know Christ lost because the term lost assumes that the person had a map or directions and somehow lost their way. But people who do not know Christ for the most part just do not know that there is another way. I think that it is not our job to be the person who convinces people of their need for Christ but to just share with them what having Christ as a part of our lives has done for us. God is the one who draws people.
So here is my final thoughts. All of us want someone to listen to us. So why not begin developing some relationships with people who do not have a relationship with Christ yet and just share with them your story as you listen to theirs. Remember your story includes His story.
So here is my final thoughts. All of us want someone to listen to us. So why not begin developing some relationships with people who do not have a relationship with Christ yet and just share with them your story as you listen to theirs. Remember your story includes His story.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Thoughts on Thursday
Well I guess by the title you have figured out what day it is and yes I have some random thoughts to share with you as Good Friday approaches. I have often thought of this whole Good Friday thing as just another day that my kids are out of school. But this year when our public school board decided to no longer recognize Good Friday as a holiday you should have seen the religious people rise up in protest. Now I am not saying that I agree with the school board because I do not. But I do this it is interesting that those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ would much rather follow from a far than right up close. You see following close would mean that we would have to do far more with this relationship that just pull out the Christian card when our family beach day gets taken away.
Peter learned this lesson all to well on probably a Thursday night some 2000 years ago. He had a decision to make "would he identify himself with this Jesus guy who had raised the dead, fed 5,000 people with a school lunch, and walked on water while letting Peter do the same. Or would he play it safe. And the survey says "yes Peter did what I do most of the time, he played it safe and in essence said "Jesus who"
Maybe tomorrow will be a different kind of Good Friday for me. Maybe I will wake up and realize that this Friday is far more significant that the invention of casual Friday were you can dress like you want at work. Maybe this Friday I will realize that Good Friday actually signifies the fact that because of someone else I can come to God just as I am and He will not send me home to change before I come to Him.
My prayer is that each of you will be struck with awe Friday like you have not been struck in a while. Then your awe would lead you to share with someone else just why you are awe struck.
Good Friday to you all.
Peter learned this lesson all to well on probably a Thursday night some 2000 years ago. He had a decision to make "would he identify himself with this Jesus guy who had raised the dead, fed 5,000 people with a school lunch, and walked on water while letting Peter do the same. Or would he play it safe. And the survey says "yes Peter did what I do most of the time, he played it safe and in essence said "Jesus who"
Maybe tomorrow will be a different kind of Good Friday for me. Maybe I will wake up and realize that this Friday is far more significant that the invention of casual Friday were you can dress like you want at work. Maybe this Friday I will realize that Good Friday actually signifies the fact that because of someone else I can come to God just as I am and He will not send me home to change before I come to Him.
My prayer is that each of you will be struck with awe Friday like you have not been struck in a while. Then your awe would lead you to share with someone else just why you are awe struck.
Good Friday to you all.
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