Archive for July, 2011
“But I Don’t Feel Like It!” July 7, 2011
Maturity as a believer in Christ is when I consistently make the decision to trust and obey what God’s Word says rather than the way that I feel. BECAUSE…honestly, there are going to be times as human beings where obedience isn’t the easy thing or the fun thing…but it’s always the right thing.
I’ll say it again…what God’s Word says MUST trump the way I feel. Our feelings often change based on what we eat, how much coffee we have or if our favorite sports team wins; however, God’s Word DOES NOT CHANGE…it is both constant and consistant…and when we place ourselves in submission to HIS WORD rather than our world of feelings, greater things are in store.
For example…
I may not feel like forgiving someone. They hurt me, wronged me…and for me to forgive them feels like they are getting away with what they do. However, God’s Word commands me to love and forgive others (see Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:14-15, Romans 12:14-21). Forgiveness is NOT an option for followers of Christ…it is a command.
I may feel that nothing is wrong with the person I am dating. No, they are not a Christian…but they are really nice, do some nice things…and if I continue to stay with them then they “might” give their lives to Christ. However, God’s Word clearly says in II Corinthians 6:14 to NOT be yoked together with unbelievers. We can’t say we completely belong to Jesus if we are going to be flippant about what He has clearly commanded in His Word.
I may feel that there is nothing wrong with sex outside of marriage; after all, what’s the problem if both people are consenting adults, right? However, the Bible is so clear in I Corinthians 6:18-20 and I Thessalonians 4:3-8 that we are to run away from sexual immorality, not towards it. When we desire an orgasm more than obedience to God’s Word the result is always disaster!
I may feel like I can worship Jesus without my money being fully surrendered to Him; however, He said WAY too much in His Word for this to be an option. AND…He said in Matthew 6:21 that our heart WILL follow our money. The quickest way to have a fully surrendered heart is to have a fully surrendered wallet!
I may feel like I don’t need church to worship Jesus; after all, there are a whole bunch of imperfect people at church. However, the Bible is clear in Colossians 1:18 that Jesus is THE HEAD of the church, it is HIS body…and if we are going to be fully devoted followers of Christ, then what matters to Him MUST matter to us…and one would have to be a fool to look at the Scriptures and conclude that His church does not matter to Him!
I may feel like lashing out in anger because I am not getting my way…but God’s Word clearly says in Philippians 2:3-5 that it is NOT about me and that I am clearly responsible for my attitude.
I may not feel like sharing Christ with someone or inviting them to church; however, Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:45-48, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8 that us sharing our faith is NOT an option. He didn’t suggest it…He commanded it and then empowered us to do it.
I could go on and on…but you have definitely gotten the point by now. When God’s Word is so clear on something for us to choose to follow our feelings over His facts is absolute insanity! Jesus Christ is the same always (Hebrews 13:8) and HIS WORD will NEVER pass away (Luke 21:33!)
I’m not saying this is easy, heck, even the apostle Paul wrestled with this (See Romans 7:15-21!!!) However, when we choose to fix our eyes and thoughts on Jesus and HIS WORD (Colossians 3:1-2) then we can rest assured that we will ALWAYS make the right decision!
10 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking July 6, 2011
I did a post about a month ago entitled, “10 Questions Staff Members Should Be Asking.” I wanted to follow it up with this one…
#1 – Am I angry at something or someone…and have I allowed that anger to impact the way I preach and the way I lead? (Leading out of anger never really leads to anything good!)
#2 – Am I leading people or driving them? (To find the answer of this question simply look in the wake of your leadership, and see if you see people rising to their potential OR if you see lives being destroyed.)
#3 – Do I always find myself having to share my opinion about everything and feel like it is my job to correct everyone I work with rather than trying to learn from them? (if so then there could be a pride problem!)
#4 – Am I more obsessed with the perceived sins of others…OR the ones that I am completely aware of in my own life? (Being obsessed with the sins of others and becoming highly critical of them is most often a way to stay away from the fact that God is calling me to confess and repent of something.)
#5 – Am I ok with someone else on my staff having the spotlight on them…or does it always have to be about me?
#6 – If I stood in front of God today and shared my dreams with Him regarding the future of this church, would He accuse me of dreaming to small?
#7 – Do I sincerely believe that God has called, gifted and empowered the leaders who work with me? And…if so…do they know it by the way I empower and release them?
#8 – Am I willing to have tough conversations where expectations are clearly spoken and people are held accountable? (If you are afraid to do so because it may hurt someone’s feelings then you need to come to grips with the fact that God has called you to lead…and by not doing so you actually dishonor the calling God has placed on your life to lead.)
#9 – Am I willing to receive input from people who are neck deep in the ministry of this church? (Volunteers and staff members are not only great sources of information…but also inspiration as God speaks very clearly to them quite frequently!)
#10 – Am I as loyal to the people who work for me as I expect them to be to me? (True loyalty is a two way street!)
BONUS: Am I willing to receive the blame for my own shortcomings or am I always looking for someone to throw under the bus?
BONUS: Does my family know, love and respect me or am I sacrificing them for the perceived success of the church/ministry I claim that I’m serving?
Seven Things I Try To Do In Order To Raise A Godly Daughter July 5, 2011
#1 – I date her mother EVERY week!!! (One of the best things I can do as a father is make sure that the foundation at home is SOLID…and that WILL NOT happen without Lucretia and I spending time together.)
#2 – I am at home with my family nearly EVERY night (a ministry calendar does not dominate me…I dominate it!) Lucretia and I both put her to bed, and I sing songs to her and do whatever it takes to hear her laugh.
#3 – I take her on a date every week…and in those dates I actually talk to her. (I do not put in a DVD for a five minute drive to Chick-Fil-A!!! I try my best to have conversations now with her while she is four so that she will actually want to talk with me when she is fourteen!)
#4 – I establish clear boundaries and enforce them. In other words…Lucretia and I are the parents which actually means loving her enough to say “NO” to her at times.
#5 – We have made “fun” a core value in our family, there are times when I come home at night and want to dive onto the couch and do nothing…but if I do that she will grow up seeing church take the best part of my day (thus causing her to get the leftovers) which could cause her to resent what Jesus actually died for.
#6 – We talk about God’s Word…and I allow her to ask questions without getting angry at her.
#7 – We pray together every night…I always want her to remember that her daddy made it a priority to pray with her. I’m not telling her to pray…I’m teaching her how.
Just a few thoughts.
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church July 5, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church…eight things I want to share with you today…
#1 – Sunday was AMAZING! I am so thankful for every single staff member and volunteer that spent hundreds of hours to make sure that we were able to have that experience as a church. It absolutely pumps me up when I think about how our kids here at NewSpring Church get that quality of ministry every single week…and I honestly believe their generation is going to lead the greatest awakening this world has ever seen.
#2 – Just so you know…events like this past Sunday AND upcoming events like the Gauntlet absolutely clarify the vision for our church in regards to doing all we can do to invest in the next generation. I believe that one of the GREATEST mission fields on the planet are the group of people who attend our services every week who are 18 and under.
#3 – I am SO PUMPED about the reports coming from our team that returned this past Saturday from Kenya!!! We saw 44 people on this trip receive Christ…and the work that is being done on the ground over there is literally transforming a community.
#4 – This coming Sunday we will continue to dive into the most frequently asked questions we receive about the ministry here at NewSpring Church…and, I will not be wearing a suit. :-) Seriously, “on the farm” has been an amazing series for us as a church and we’ve been able to rally around the vision the Lord has given us to be a church that makes a difference.
#5 – I am getting more and more excited about announcing the locations of our two new campuses that we are going to start by next Easter…I’m going to be announcing them at the Volunteer Event that we are having at every campus on Friday, July 22!!! (Last years event was one of the most exciting things our church has ever done…and this year will be no exception!) AND…for those who have had questions about the multi site model of church…we will be diving into why we do church that way THIS weekend! CANNOT WAIT!
#6 – HUGE PRAYER REQUEST…The Gauntlet (our summer camp experience for students in grades 6-12) is less than three weeks away. We’re taking more teenagers this year than we’ve ever taken before…and I am asking EVERYONE in our church to BEG GOD as often as possible to do something among us while we are in Daytona that is undeniable! Seriously church…let’s rally behind this thing by asking Jesus to DRAW people to Himself and to set everyones heart on fire for Him!!!
#7 – It has amazed me how people have been responding to the Israel trip so far…there are people signing up and the stats on our web page show there has been a lot of interest. Once again…here is the website with more information if you are interested in going…it’s going to be an amazing trip!
#8 – I cannot wait to spend eight weeks in the book of Revelation beginning on Sunday, August 7th. More information to come later…let’s just say I believe it’s going to be one of the most intense things we’ve ever attempted as a church.
I LOVE MY CHURCH!