You are More

To the young lady who this Sunday didn't think that she was enough. and you know who you are.

God Loved Her

She had a rough life.
Something early on triggered it. I'll never know.
It affected every relationship she had.
She lived with it.
One day she got cancer and it scared her.
She came to see us.
It was not easy for her.
Last week she left.
Did we do enough?

Be not Weary

I know for many who serve at newLife, it seems as if there is so much work to do and it takes so much of your time and energy. At times its exhausting and you can even get resentful as it seems as if your the only one serving. So today I want you to know why it matters that you do what you do.

You are not just getting up early – You are going before those who will show up for the first time to meet their Savior.

You are not just setting up the building – You are providing a place for the wounded to come and sit in the lap of their Healer.

You are not “doing church” – You are creating an experience with God for those who have never experienced Him.

 

For every chair you set out…For every crayon you put in a basket…For every coffee creamer you place in a bowl…For every cable you run under the building to an amp…For every sign you hang…For each and everything your hands commit to you are creating an experience for those to come. You are creating an atmosphere for others to come into and rest. A place for God’s people to enter into to find hope, encouragement, friendship, counsel, healing…life. A safe place for others to meet God.

I know this is hard work and I am exhausted from serving every Sunday. I am told that I need to exercise but what some don't realize is that every Sunday is like doing a week of P90X. And every single drop of sweat is worth it because its about God and those He sent His son to love on.

So whether you hold babies, set up the coffee, turn knobs on the sound board, pray your heart out, greet people or count the money in the upper room, please know that what you do REALLY MATTERS.

I can't wait for Sunday.

If I could........

I would like to take a moment to speak to someone who has a father wound.
Someone whose father failed to fulfill his role.

Here is part of her comment.
"BUT I am struggling to forgive my dad for letting a lot of evil happen to me... It is hard because I want to hear him say I am sorry for all the times that he knowingly let evil have me, for all the times he just knew something wasn't right but did nothing to stop it."

As a Father this hurts as it is so close to the heart.
I hear the pain of an innocent child left alone to defend herself.
and worse, I see the pain I have caused my daughter.

I was so busy trying to survive life that I ignored my daughters needs. I was so full of wrong teaching that I believed that I was right to live the way I was. I was consumed by work, other peoples problems, and caring for a wounded wife that my daughter became an unintentional casualty in my life.

While I have told her I was sorry, it doesn't seem to help. I can't make up for the pain I have caused and I have no words to defend it.

My only hope is that the course I sent her on leads her to a father who is far greater than I. My prayer for her is that she would find in God what she could not find in me.
A Father who lovingly guides.
A Father who carefully corrects.
A Father who passionately protects.
A Father who famously forgives.

While I do not know what evil your father let have you, I know that as a father if I could I would never let it happen again, but once you've failed as a father its hard to live with the facts and even harder to move forward.

It might be that your forgiveness might just be the hope He needs to find his forgiveness and become the father he always wanted to be.

If I could......

The Missing Link

Just when I thought we were done, you and God said no. (Not necessarily in that order)

While I am amazed at the number of people who are being freed through forgiveness and Years of suffering and pain are being healed by love, were not all there yet.
While I do not expect 100% I can hope and so I have a question today.

What is the missing link to forgiveness for you?
What do you need to hear and understand?

Let me know

There is much to learn

 This morning I want to simply share some open thoughts I have had. There are no promises that they will make sense but only that they are on my heart this morning. Do what you want with them.

I have come to know two types of Christians.
Those who seek information and those that seek inspiration.

Those who seek information can easily find it today. From the Internet to the television we can get informed from around the world from some of the best teachers available. This is especially true when it comes to bible teachings.
I know this in my own life as I am a voracious reader and a connoisseur of fine sermons and yet in the end knowledge does little more than puff up or fills us with air (1 Cor 8:1). Paul himself even said that in the end, men would be seeking teachers wanting much teaching yet struggling with standing on truth (2 Tim 4:3). 

Jesus concern when He returned was this? Not would there be a people who are informed about me but would there be anyone who had faith (Luke 18:8)? Faith does not come from information but Inspiration. When that which we know is not just truth, but true. So true that we would be living it.

Inspiration was the platform whereby Jesus lived.
His lessons were not truths read from a book or thoughts taken from a sermon, but were truths and thoughts that inspired Him by life.
Much of Jesus teachings came from things He had seen, stories He had experienced and people that He had known. His information came from things that inspired Him. This takes time, experience, silence, and processing thoughts.

Most Christians are informed, few inspired. The inspired seek faith, the informed facts. And only one of those pleases God.

Today I seek to be inspired.
Today I want to learn from you as I live with you.
Today I want to take what I know and inspire you by it as you inspire me.

There is much to learn.

PRob is Learning

One of the things that God is teaching me is the power of emotional stress. All forms of ministry carries it.
As a church we work with people, not machines or systems.

When I worked at the mill my day ended when someone relieved my position or the machine was down.
I could go home and leave it all behind because it wasn't personal.

But working with humans is very personal. Every week we work with people who have been deeply hurt, horribly scarred, and are painfully existing. Their pain, their problems are not easy to shut off for them let alone ourselves. Their pain speaks to our pain and often awakens things in us we thought long forgotten and we often carry their pain in our hearts and minds.

This is a major drain on us emotionally which is why many quit ministry because they can no longer live with the stress of working with such pain. There is a reason school teachers need to retire often after working only 25 to 30 years and why most Pastors 90% don't finish well.

This week for me is about regaining some sanity from the emotional stress of ministry. The marriage and the  F-Bomb series have been fruitful but also draining and I believe that God is teaching me things that will be helpful to my own Ministry longevity but also to yours.

Here are a few things that I am learning about emotional stress.

#1 Ignore Critics. No one called them to critique your ministry. Critics think too much and do to little. Trust those God has intrusted to encourage your ministry, don't trust those who just think they have been.

#2 Ignite Celebrations. Parties are always a great way to relieve emotional stress. They allow you to see the value in the heavy work that we do. When someone gets saved - Celebrate, when someone gets Baptized - Celebrate, when someone becomes an Owner - Celebrate, when someone finishes discipleship- Celebrate, when someone repents of sin - Celebrate, when someone forgives another - Celebrate. Ministry ought to be celebrated on a weekly basis and nothing is more encouraging than a constant party.

#3 Investigate Christ. Do what Jesus did. When the emotional stress was too much, He prayed, He stayed (waited a few days before going to raise Lazarus from the dead) He cried (Many times), He died (the emotional stress of dealing with people was the reason He died on the cross)

This week I have been praying.
This week I have been staying. Waiting on Gods timing
This week I have been crying.
This week I have been dying. There is much I need to do, but one thing is best to do, get ready for Sunday.

Tonight, Have a party and enjoy being together.
I can't wait to see you all Sunday