Archive for January, 2012
10 Things Fear Causes January 18, 2012
One of the most frequent commands in the Bible is “do not fear.” (Once again…it is a command, NOT a suggestion!)
And yet every leader I know (including the guy I shaved with this morning) deals with fear. As I’ve traced my own journey through fear in leadership I wanted to share 10 things fear causes in our lives.
(When I speak of fear in this post I am speaking of fear of man – see Proverbs 29:25 – and irrational fear.)
#1 – Fear causes us to reduce the size of God and elevate the size and opinion of man.
#2 – Fear causes us to lead people in the wrong direction. (Remember when the Israelites wanted to GO BACK TO EGYPT and being slaves because they feared going into the land that God had promised them?)
#3 – Fear causes us to stay quiet when we should clearly speak up. (Mostly because many times we are OBSESSED with what others think about us, see Galatians 1:10)
#4 – Fear causes us to be passive about an issue that the Lord has clearly brought to our attention. (As Edmund Burke once said: ”The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.”)
#5 – Fear causes us to seek consensus rather than really seeking the voice of the Lord.
#6 – Fear causes us to not engage the broken, the hurting, the misfits and the neglected because if we include them in our lives and actually invite them into our homes then it could get messy. (I’m so glad Jesus didn’t have that attitude…if He would have then I would have been screwed!)
#7 – Fear causes us to refuse to embrace change because we care way more about being comfortable than being conformed into the image of Christ.
#8 – Fear causes us to control things and take matters into our own hands rather than trusting the Lord and trusting others. (People who are control freaks really do fear when things don’t go their way! BUT…remember, control is the biggest illusion in the world, I wrote about that here.)
#9 – Fear causes us to conceal sin and shame in our lives when God’s Word is so clear that we should ask others for help – James 5:16
#10 – Fear causes us to seek the easy decision rather than seeking the right one.
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church January 17, 2012
Howdy NewSpring Church, EIGHT things I wanted to share with you today…
#1 – This past Sunday our church set a non-holiday/special event attendance record as nearly 16,500 people attended a NewSpring service. So thankful to everyone in our church who keeps on bringing people to a service…lives are being impacted and eternal destinations are being changed. It’s not about attendance…it’s about people hearing the Gospel and responding to Jesus…and THAT HAPPENS EVERY WEEK!
#2 – We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback about the fact that I talked about my struggle with depression & anxiety. I’ve literally heard people say that someone who knows Christ will never struggle with those things…and they are wrong. I wrestled with depression from December 2007 until January of last year…and I’m still not completely through with this battle. We will be beginning a brand new series starting Sunday, February 12 where I will be walking through that time in my life, how I got there, what I learned and how God was faithful to me in all of it. It’s going to be one of the most raw and transparent series we’ve ever launched here at NewSpring Church, I’m praying that Jesus uses it to set some people free.
#3 – We talked about loving Jesus intellectually on Sunday…too many times we try to pursue Him emotionally but not with our minds, and Scripture clearly calls us to do both. Jesus said in Mark 12:30 to go “all in” with our minds…and the best way to do that is – READ YOUR BIBLE, DO WHAT IT SAYS! (See James 1:22, John 14:15, John 14:21) AND…if you were not present Sunday or somehow missed receiving the Bible reading plan that we’re asking our church to go through then you can get it here!
#4 – This coming Sunday is going to be, hands down, THE defining moment for hundreds of people (maybe even thousands) when it comes to taking their next step in their walk with Christ. I promise you that it’s going to be one of “those days” that many people never forget and reflect back on as the day they stopped playing games with Jesus and absolutely went “ALL IN!”
#5 – There was a rumor that was started by one of our worship leaders that I wore skinny jeans last Sunday (January 8th!) That did not happen! I love NewSpring Church way too much to ever expose you guys to the horror of me in a pair of skinny jeans. They look OK on some people…but not on me! :-) I will not be wearing them anytime in the future…nor will I be wearing a scarf or a deep V-neck, once again, I love you too much to expose you to such an insane sight!!!
#6 – I LOVE KIDSPRING! This past Sunday Charisse (my four year old daughter and I) got in the car to drive home after the 11:15 service and she told me, “I want to go back to church tonight daddy because my class was so much fun!” I’m going to call that a WIN for our children’s ministry, I love the fact that our children’s staff and volunteers work as hard as they can to provide a safe, clean and fun environment where kids can learn about Jesus on their level!!!
#7 – For those who feel like you need a breakthrough…please remember what I shared on Sunday from Philippians 1:6, God’s NOT giving up on you!!! Don’t give up on Him! (I wrote about that several days ago here in regards to people who struggle with thinking that God is through with them.)
#8 – If you are married or one day want to be…PLEASE do everything you can to be here with us as Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace will be hosting a seminar entitled “Real Marriage!” I can promise you that it will be one of the best things you have ever done for your marriage (or one of the best investments you will make in your future marriage.) This event is going to sell out quickly…and so go here for more information and to register.
I hope you have an incredible week…I LOVE MY CHURCH, I love what Jesus is doing…and our best days (as a church and for you as an individual) are yet to come!
A Conversation With My Daughter January 16, 2012
My daughter get’s it!
We were driving home from church a couple of months ago and I asked her this question, “Charisse, did you know that your daddy loves you?”
“Yes sir,” she replied.
“Well, do you know why I love you,” I asked.
“Because I’m your little girl,” she answered.
THEN I asked the BIG Question:
“Do you think daddy could ever stop loving you?”
“No sir,” she said.
“And why not,” I asked.
“Because I’m your little girl and I will always be your little girl!”
I smiled and thought, SHE’S GOT IT…she knows that my love for her is NOT based on her performance but rather her position as my daughter. Even though she will break some rules in the future and do some things that I am quite sure will grieve my heart…she will always be loved by me because she is mine.
I’ve told her on numerous occasions, “You can’t make me not love you!”
It’s funny though…even though I know this when it comes to me and my relationship with Charisse I sometimes struggle with it when it comes to my relationship with God. If I am not careful I will naturally drift into a performance mentality, actually believing He loves me because of how much time I spent reading my Bible, how many people responded to the sermon I preached or how well I fought the urge to sin…
And then during the times when I mess up, when I have a bad attitude, when I entertain a lustful thought…I begin the focus on who I am and think, “there’s no way He loves me, heck, I don’t even love me right now!”
But, what’s true about me and my daughter is true of me and my relationship with God (AND you too if you belong to Him!) That His love for us is not based on our performance but rather our position as His child.
The Apostle Paul said it best in Romans 8:38-39 where He said that NOTHING can separate us from God’s love! NOTHING! (And…if you will read those verses it’s a pretty extensive list!)
I believe it is essential for every believer in Christ to get this…because I am convinced that our lives would look so much different if we lived them out in the confidence that He loves us rather than the false idea that we’re somehow trying to earn His love.
God’s love is based on position, not performance…just felt like someone needed to hear that today.
Your Church Isn’t Missional If… January 12, 2012
If you are the pastor/church leader who is running around declaring that your church is “missional,” then there’s a good shot your probably not.
Before you get angry let me ask a few questions…
- Does Martha Stewart have to declare she is a good cook?
- Does Drew Brees have to declare that he is a good quarterback?
- Does Taylor Swift have to declare that she can sing?
- Does Lebron James have to declare he can dunk a basketball?
- Does B.B. King have to declare that he can play the blues?
- Does John Grisham have to declare that he can write fiction really well?
The answer to these questions is a BIG FAT NO!!! These people aren’t who they are because of what they are declaring, but rather because of what they are doing!!!
Anyone can declare that they can do something, but a really wise man (JESUS) once said that wisdom is proved right by actions (doing) and not merely by declaration! (That is my paraphrase of Matthew 11:19)
If you church is missional then you don’t have to tell anyone, the world already knows.
And, if you are not missional then using that as a buzzword will not help!!!
The church needs to have less declaring and more doing; after all, didn’t that same really wise man say that the world would know we are His because of the way we love one another (see John 13:34-35)?
When a church is missional it never has to declare it to be so…it simply does what it does and the world around it is changed!
Laziness & Prayer Do Not Go Hand In Hand January 11, 2012
A few weeks ago I put out a tweet that said the following…
“Covering laziness in prayer is not a spiritual discipline.”
It was retweeted several times; however, there were also a few people who said that the statement was confusing and asked for an explanation. So here goes…
I believe that many people in the Body of Christ use prayer as an excuse for inactivity and laziness.
Yes, I am ALL ABOUT PRAYER! I’ve seen Jesus do things through the power of prayer that would make a Methodist shout.
However, there are some things that we simply cannot “cover in prayer” and hope they will get better. Nope, we’ve got to take action!!! Things such as…
If you need to lose weight you are not going to “pray the pounds away!” It’s just not going to happen!!! You are going to have to get your butt up off of the couch and exercise. You are going to have to stop slamming cookies in your mouth. You are going to have to stop drinking 10 sodas a day! You can pray all you want…but if you do not put action with your prayer it’s NOT going to help!
If your marriage is in trouble and is on edge then you are not going to “pray it back into a great place.” You are going to have to start paying attention to your wife…and turn the freakin TV off. You are going to have to pursue her…and NOT just when you want something from her. You are going to have to stop being a jerk. And ladies, you are going to have to stop gossipping about your husband to your friends. You are going to have to stop telling your children their father is a loser.
If you want your kids to admire and respect you it’s not going to happen through “just praying about it.” You are going to have to spend time with them. You are going to have to talk with them, even the awkward subjects. You are going to have to admit your sins and shortcomings to them and ask for their forgiveness. You are going to have to STOP trying to be their friend and actually be the parent!
If you are broke then you are not going to just “pray money into your bank account.” You are going to have to put God first in your finances. You are going to have to STOP spending money you don’t have to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like. You are going to have to get on a budget and live within your means.
If you are struggling with a particular sin that is kicking your rear end you aren’t going to “pray it out of your life!” (By the way, many of you have tried that, I just wanted to ask, “how’s that going for you?”) Nope…you are going to need to do what James 5:16 says and confess it, OUT LOUD, to another human being who is stronger than you spiritually and that can help you fight through this issue!
If you are a church leader and there is a situation that is dominating you and your ministry, you’ve got to do something about it!!! David didn’t just pray and pray and God, through his prayer times, took Goliath out! Nope, David picked up five rocks, walked down into the valley and handled business. You cannot be passive about an issue and believe that “through prayer” God will just take it away. If you are a leader and God brings an issue to your attention…He most likely did so because He expects you to take ACTION!
I could go on, but you get the point. Prayer is essential! Prayer is necessary! Prayer is commanded! Prayer is a powerful weapon which we should make more use of in the church; however, God did not just call us to PRAY about His will but also to PARTICIPATE in it. And too many times Christians are willing to pray about things and think we’ve done our part…and then get angry at God because He did not do something amazing to compensate for our laziness and passivity.
Don’t just pray to God…but participate with God as He moves!
Let this be the year that we don’t just pray big prayers…but we take bold steps and believe that as we pray and participate we will see God do amazing things!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church… January 10, 2012
Howdy NewSpring Church, ten things I wanted to share with you today…
#1 – This past Sunday was a GREAT beginning for our ALL IN series as I shared with everyone that I want for 2012 to be the GREATEST year of spiritual growth that you’ve ever had; however, for that to happen it takes more than desire on our part…but the discipline to do what we know we need to do. (DESIRE + DISCIPLINE = DIFFERENCE!) A great walk with Jesus is INTENTIONAL, NOT ACCIDENTAL…and Scripture challenges us more and more to press into our walk with Him. (See I Corinthians 9:24-27)
#2 – AND…remember, this has nothing to do with how much God’s loves us…His love is received, NOT achieved. BUT…it does have everything to do with us knowing Him and loving Him more and more. (See John 14:15 & John 14:21)
#3 – I’m absolutely excited out of my mind that we saw 74 people receive Christ on Sunday…that NEVER GETS OLD!
#4 – For the next several weeks we will be diving into how we can make Mark 12:30 a reality in our own lives, Jesus doesn’t want something from us, He wants EVERYTHING…He didn’t say do whatever you want and then pray to me on occasion, He said go “ALL IN!”
#5 – This past Sunday was fun as we talked about money…how Jesus said our heart always follows our money (Matthew 6:21), how money is the #1 competitor for our worship (Matthew 6:24) and how He is NOT trying to get something from us but rather pour out something on us (Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:8-10!) AND…I think we are still finding skittles on the stage and floor in Anderson! :-)
(AND…as we said on Sunday, we want nothing FROM you, we want something FOR YOU…and one of those things is to learn to learn to live in financial freedom rather than financial bondage, see Proverbs 22:7! SO…we are offering a FREE BUDGETING CLASS at every campus this month. All you have to do is go here and register!! I can promise you that when we do what God’s Word says about money…we experience freedom! So, register and come on out! We will even provide childcare for you!!! No excuses, let’s make 2012 the year we take the necessary steps to LIVE DEBT FREE!)
#6 – This Sunday is going to be a GAME changer as we literally dive into how do we love God with our minds…and I show you from the Scriptures how you can absolutely know God’s will for your life!
#7 – Really excited about our band’s new CD release! We are going to have an AMAZING night together as we celebrate this time…and everyone is invited. However, it is a ticketed event (you can purchase your ticket at your campus OR you can go here) and get ready to sing, celebrate and learn a little more about what the Bible says about worship.
#8 – Parents, please hear me on this. The Gauntlet IS going to sell out this year!!! AND…the price is ONLY $275 until the end of March (after that it increases to $325.) Last year registration completely filled up before the price break ended. So…what I’m trying to say is this…if you want your child to go (and you should because it is one of the most amazing things that God allows our church to do) then you better get them registered ASAP! I promise you that it will be the best $275 you invest in your child all year!!! (Here is the site for more info and registration!)
#9 – One of the most life changing things I’ve ever experienced personally was my trip to Israel last year…and in April/May of this year I am taking a group from our church over there. We originally had a certain number of spaces for this trip…and they filled up, so, the company we are working with was able to secure some more spots. Trust me when I tell you that going over there is something you will NEVER forget. If you want more information or you want to sign up…here is the website for that.
#10 – AND…if you have an Iphone or a droid here are the two places you can go and download our NewSpring app for your phone!!!
(Please notice I placed the Iphone over the droid as it is superior!) :-)
I love my church, can’t wait for Sunday…be here…and bring somebody (because found people find people!)
More Spots Open For Unleash… January 9, 2012
So, EVERY seat in the main auditorium for our Unleash conference is taken. (Insert “seat’s taken” voice from Forest Gump here!)
However, once again, we’ve decided to open up 500 seats in our Fuse auditorium for the event because people are already asking to be on a waiting list. Here are a few things you may need to know about this…
#1 – Our Fuse auditorium is located on our Anderson campus, less than 200 yards away from our main auditorium…so everyone will still be coming to the same location (our Anderson campus) for the conference.
#2 – It will be a video experience! (Which is especially great if your church is considering doing video campuses.) If you are in this room you will experience everything live as it is happening next door. AND…I can promise you it is an amazing experience.
#3 – You will still be attending the breakout sessions AND get a Chic Fil A lunch.
#4 – These seats will sell out fast…and once they are sold we literally have no more room.
#5 – You can go here to register. The cost is $49 per person…which is good until February 9th, after that the price increases to $69 per person.
We’re so excited about this years Unleash. People are literally going to be attending from all over the world! We’ve switched up a few things as well…such as a breakout with me, our creative director and our main worship leader where we will be taking questions as to how we plan a service.
It’s going to be a fantastic event…hope to see you here.
(PS – I would register ASAP…like I said, it will sell out…go for it!)