Archive for July, 2011
A Quick Statement About My Dad July 30, 2011
First of all…a HUGE thank you for all of the phone calls, text messages, tweets and comments on our churches facebook page…the outpouring of love and concern has been quite overwhelming.
For those who may not know…my dad (Melvin E. Noble) passed away yesterday…I received the call informing me about his passing at 9:53 am.
It was a HUGE mixture of relief and deep sadness. A relief because I watched him battle Alzheimers for years…and he had digressed quite rapidly since breaking his hip last month. However, it was deeply saddening as now both my mother and father are now gone…and although I know all of the theological answers it’s still pretty emotional.
The thing that brings me the most comfort is that I know he is healed, in the presence of Jesus and reunited with my mother.
As far as what me and my family need…we have been very well taken care of. We have had so many people from our amazing church that have surrounded us and are taking very good care of us. Honestly, the thing we really need right now is your continued prayers…that is one of the biggest sources of comfort, knowing that our church family is rallied around us in that way.
I’m looking forward to being at church tomorrow…there is no way that I would miss it…when things like this happen we can run too the Lord or away from Him…and I need Him now more than ever before.
“God is still God and God is still good…to God be the glory!”
Hold On…God’s About To BLOW YOUR MIND! July 28, 2011
I read something in the Scriptures the other day that literally blew my mind and encouraged the heck out of me…and I walked away with this thought…
Many times the reason God says “no” to something now is only because He desires to say “yes” to something greater later!
Stay with me here…take a second to read Acts 16:6…at first that verse doesn’t seem like a big deal but the more I think about it the more I am almost positive it crushed Paul. He had a passion to reach the people in the province of Asia…he was on fire to tell people about Jesus and was willing to go wherever and do whatever.
BUT…God said “no!” I know that personally when God tells me no I usually do not take it well…especially when I am convinced that my idea is best for HIS Kingdom (how silly is that?)
Maybe you are in the same boat…you are a church planter and thought your were going down the right path…but God has told you “no” for now and you don’t understand.
Maybe you are a pastor who wanted to launch a new campus or a new ministry…but God has told you “no” for now and you are feeling like a failure because you really did think you were doing what is best.
Maybe you really thought you were supposed to take a particular step of faith…but nothing has seemed to work out the way you planned it and you just seem to be getting “no” from God over and over again. (Read Acts 16::6-8…that’s all that Paul seemed to be getting!)
Just remember…the reason God says “no” to something now is only because He desires to say “yes” to something greater later.
As we read Acts 16, 17 and 18 we see Paul experiencing Jesus and seeing the Lord work and do things that he had never experienced before. To say that the Lord used this time to shape his life and ministry would be an understatement.
THEN…we get to Acts 19…I want you to go back and read Acts 16:6 again…seriously, go ahead and do it…
NOW read Acts 19 :8-10!!! Especially focus on Acts 19:10!!!
What God said “no” to in Acts 16:6 was only because He was going to do something greater that happened in Acts 19:10!!! God did want to reach the province of Asia…He did want to see lives changed…He just wanted to do it through the church and Ephesus which would not have happened had He not taken Paul down the path that He took him down.
AMAZING!!!
So…for all those out there who are discouraged and/or doubting…HOLD ON, God is a GREAT GOD who wants GREAT THINGS for HIS CHILDREN! His plans are greater than ours…His ways are higher than ours…and I am fully convinced that the reason He has said “no” for now is because He is going to say “yes” to something greater later.
Ephesians 3:20 is true!!! So hold on…don’t give up…He has GREATER things in store!!!
Ten Reasons I Think Your Marriage Is Going To “Make It!” July 27, 2011
#1 – Because you are willing to swallow your pride and ask for help, understanding that you are NOT the first married couple that has ever had trials and struggles.
#2 – Because you are willing to stop pointing out all of the problems your spouse has and begin to beg God to reveal your shortcomings to you so that you can focus on the changes you need to make. (I will focus on my responsibilities and not my “rights!”)
#3 – Because you will stop investing tons of time in Facebook and reruns of movies you have already seen and actually begin talking to your spouse again, you know…like you did when you were dating.
#4 – Because you will listen to what the LORD says about marriage instead of listening to singles who are bitter and/or people who can’t seem to stay out of someone else’s bed!
#5 – Because Galatians 6:9 packs a promise that is worth holding on to!
#6 – Because you understand that two people who are willing to love Jesus first and then one another can overcome any problem or trial that comes their way!
#7 – Because you are going to commit to spending quality time together and actually date one another at least once a week…WITHOUT the kids or the cell phone.
#8 – Because you are going to continually practice forgiveness towards your spouse in regards to the way they have hurt you in the past. (If someone is unwilling to forgive a spouse for a sin or sins that have been confessed and repented of they can ultimately destroy a marriage.)
#9 – Because you are going to make attending and being involved in a local church a priority!
#10 – Because your kids need to see a godly example of what marriage looks like so that they have something to look forward to.
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church July 26, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church…SEVEN things I want to share with you today…
#1 – To say that I am absolutely FIRED UP about all that God is doing in our church right now would be an understatement! WOW…the vision event this past Friday night was absolutely AMAZING…a huge “thank you” to everyone who attended that event.
#2 – This past Sunday was amazing…we saw evidence of John 5:17 STILL taking place, He is STILL at work, drawing people to Him and changing lives. We were able to see people surrender their lives to Christ at every campus…and THAT NEVER GETS OLD!!!
#3 – DO NOT MISS CHURCH THIS SUNDAY! Our teenagers will be back from the beach and will be FIRED UP (which ALWAYS brings SO MUCH energy to our services)…and we have several more stories to share as well as the video from this past week at the Gauntlet. I cannot wait!!! (AND…please keep us in your prayers BIG TIME this week!)
#4 – Beginning on Sunday, August 7 we are going to be spending eight weeks in the book of Revelation, specifically chapters 1-3…I really do feel like Jesus is going to use this series of messages to draw HUNDREDS of people to Him through salvation…and for those who know Him I believe He is going to challenge us to take another step (or two) in our walk with Him.
#5 – We’re going to start three campuses next year…the locations we announced are…
- Spartanburg
- Myrtle Beach
- Greenwood
God is SO FAITHFUL! Through the persistant prayer, faithful volunteering, passionate evangelism and radical generosity of people who attend our church we’re seeing Him do miracle after miracle…and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!
#6 – More to come regarding this announcement…but…we’re finally going to be starting a church planting network and will be planting our first church next year, I cannot wait to share the details of how this came about!!!
#7 – Remember, August 21, 2011 is THE DAY I’m asking every person at every campus to step up and bring as many people as possible with them to church as we are going to go all out on that day to share the Gospel very specifically and directly. Last year we did this and saw Jesus draw over 500 people to Himself…and this year we’re asking Him for MORE. I’m asking that everyone PRAY like crazy for this day and PARTICIPATE by being very intentional in regards to inviting as many people as possible to church that weekend.
I LOVE MY CHURCH!!!!
It’s Filling Up FAST!!! NLC 2011 July 25, 2011
So…last week I said that we only have around 500 tickets available for NLC 2011…
This week we only have around 400!!!
Tickets are going FAST…and once we’ve sold all of the seats there is literally NO MORE ROOM!!
The details? Easy…
- It’s a ONE DAY Church leadership conference
- The cost is $129
- The cost includes lunch from Chic Fil A and snacks
The speakers are:
- Steven Furtick
- Jud Wilhite
- Andy Stanley
- Craig Groeschel
- Mark Driscoll
- Judah Smith
- Perry Noble
It is seriously going to be an amazing event…it WILL be at capacity…get your tickets (HERE) as soon as possible.
(And remember…the price increases to $159 on August 15, so the sooner you sign up, the better!)
Four Ways I Believe We Can Lead Like Jesus July 21, 2011
I believe Jesus was the best leader that has ever lived. Seriously, look at what HE accomplished with just three years of a public ministry…it’s STILL impacting people all over the world. In today’s post…I wanted to cover four things (and there ARE way more than four) that I believe Jesus did that made Him an effective leader.
(AND…by the way…we talk about a few of these on the Perry Noble Leadership Podcast July Edition which is available on itunes TODAY!)
#1 – Jesus Spent Time With His Inner Circle
The idea that the leader cannot be close with the people he works with simply isn’t Christ like. Jesus did not isolate Himself from “his staff,” but rather He did life and ministry with them. The leader who is afraid to be known by the people he has been called to serve with is in a dangerous place as he either thinks himself better than them or is quite possibly trying to hide something from them. Jesus didn’t lead through fear…He led through relationships and these only become stronger as we spend time with one another. In fact, He actually called them His friends (see John 15:15.) If Jesus can be friends with His “staff”, then why can’t we do the same?
#2 – Jesus Was More About Who His Followers Were Becoming Than What They Were Doing
If a leader cares more about the work his staff produces rather than the fruit that the Lord is producing in them, then he will often put his team in a dangerous place because he will attempt to DRIVE them through his agenda rather than attempt to lead them through the Lord’s agenda. He knew if they developed fully devoted hearts for Him that the quality of their work would show it!
#3 – Jesus Was Patient With Those Closest To Him
As we read the Gospels we never see Jesus going on a rant against His disciples. Sure, there are places where He offers correction and/or rebuke…but this is the exception, NOT the rule…and He does not go on and on for chapter after chapter. He addresses the issue and then moves on. He approaches His “staff” with a patient attitude and does not assume that just because someone makes a mistake that they are either disloyal to Him or simply an idiot who is incapable of doing anything signifiant. A leader that is always losing his/her temper with others because “they don’t get it” usually does not realize that the reason many people don’t “get it” isn’t because they are lacking intelligence but rather because they haven’t been led well.
(And…btw…when Peter “blew it” by denying Christ…Jesus did not write him off or “fire him,” he went from Jerusalem to Galilee to find him and restore him to the ministry! See John 21! Great leaders don’t look to fire people first…they look to walk them through the mistake and restore them!)
#4 – Jesus Was Not Paranoid.
One of the craziest things that takes place in Christian leadership circles is the incredibly insane idea that a leader always needs to be paranoid about which staff are and are not with him…and who might ultimately betray him. Jesus KNEW He was going to be betrayed by Judas…and yet that did not distract Him from what God had called Him to do. (In fact, I would argue that Judas’ betrayal ultimately led to Jesus moving into a greater place!!!)
If you are in leadership long enough someone WILL betray you…it will hurt; however, that does not give us an excuse to run around and constantly create an atmosphere of fear and doubt on our staff and call everything that we don’t like or perceive as an attack against an idea we might have as “disloyal.”
The better question for a leader to ask is NOT, “are these people for me,” but rather, “am I for these people?” Because…if a staff knows that the leader loves them, that he wants the best for them and is willing to fight to lead them, love them and be patient with them, then betrayal is far less of a threat than the leader who is always freaking out about who might and might not be fully sold out to the vision.
Spiritual Warfare July 20, 2011
Spiritual warfare is real…every time I read Ephesians 6:10-12 I am reminded of that fact; however, sometimes something happens pretty close to home…like what happened with Charisse last Friday…
Friday mornings are usually my mornings to “sleep in.” Usually I do so until around 7:00…but last Friday I was very tired and wound up staying in bed until around 8:15 or so. I finally got out of bed, turned on my coffee maker and then walked upstairs to Charisse’s room where Lucretia had been for about 45 minutes or so.
(For new readers…Charisse is my four year old daughter, Lucretia is my amazing wife!)
Whether Lucretia or myself gets Charisse up in the mornings it is pretty much the same routine. We spend some time chatting with her when she first wakes up then she makes up her bed (with a little assistance from us) and then we sit down and read her children’s Bible and a devotional with her.
When I got into the room on Friday morning Lucretia had “that look” on her face, the one that says “I’m frustrated.” (If you are a husband then you know that look quite well and usually your biggest prayer is “that look” has something to do with the kids and not you!!!)
So, I asked her (with a touch of nervousness) “what’s wrong?”
She said, “It’s been a frustrating morning, Charisse hasn’t been paying attention to her Bible or devotional and has been actually resisting wanting to read it and/or listen to it. It’s never been like this and I knew something was wrong. It took some time but she finally told me what was happening.”
I was curious and so I asked what Charisse had said, to which she turned to Charisse and said, “tell daddy what you told me about why you didn’t want to read your Bible.”
Charisse looked me and said, “Daddy, I had a bad dream last night. Satan was in my dream and he told me that he didn’t want me to read my Bible anymore or even listen to it and that when you or mommy tried to read it to me that I needed to cry and be not nice and not pay attention.”
I was stunned.
I have read about things like this. Heck, I’ve talked with people about spiritual warfare issues…and I’ve even experienced some things personally that I do not talk about publicly that much (because it would simply bring out the people who happen to see a demon behind every bad thing that happens!)
But this was real…it was serious…and it was happening in my home!
(AND…for the record let me be VERY clear. We do not allow Charisse to have a lot of television time…and so she doesn’t know about “scary movies” and such. We don’t talk a whole lot about the devil in our house. We’re always talking to her about Jesus. This was not something she had seen on television or the computer.)
The enemy launched a direct attack against my daughter…and his attack on her was the same basic attack he launched on Eve in the Garden of Eden (and that he launches on us every day)…don’t listen to the Word of God. If he can get us to doubt and discard God’s Word, then he can ultimately destroy our lives (see John 10:10)…and he does not care how young or old we are…he’s on the attack (I Peter 5:8) and warfare is real.
Lucretia and I spent some time with her that morning explaining to her that Satan is a liar (see John 8:44) and that anything he says is meant to hurt us, not help us. She received what we were teaching her and went on to listen to the Bible stories and the devotional like normal…however, that event was a divine slap in the face for me as I was reminded by the Lord that I need to pray more fervently for my family (see Lamentations 2:19)…that we would be ROOTED in God’s Word and protected from the enemy and the schemes he has to attack and destroy our family. (II Corinthians 2:11)
Spiritual warfare is real…it happens everyday and the main goal of the enemy is to get us to doubt and discard God’s Word!
I do not write this to scare you (and for the record, Charisse does not live in fear about this bad dream she had!) I write this to encourage you to pray like you’ve never prayed and to DIVE into God’s Word…because if the enemy is trying to keep you away from something then it MUST be good for you.
I’ve never met anyone who was sold out to God’s Word and God’s ways confess to me about a past life that they regret…however, I’ve had numerous people who have followed the way of rebellion tell me that they wish they had it to do all over again.
God can use all things for His glory and our good…and He has done so with this event in my life, I hope that me writing about it encourages you to be aware that we have a real, live enemy…and that you will not fear him but rather take up the fight against him through prayer and applying the Word of God in your life.