Hey everyone, a new church web site is up. SameURL www.laog.net
Also our promo materials for Easter are in. Invite card will be in with the bulletin on Sunday and we will have some on the info table in the lobby too. Yard signs have started going out, if you want one let us know Sunday. We are very excited about what God is doing and what He is about to do. Pray for nice weather for Easter Sunday!
Bobby Gruenewald from life church posted this video on Swerve this morning. I watched it and all I could say was WOW, I was struck with the enormity of it and it end with a question and I am left excited, scared, overwhelmed, and saying WOW. So I figured I would share and you can add your 2 Cents. How should we be capitalizing on technology to build God’s Kingdom?
Give Bigger
Giving takes faith. And giving takes more faith when there might be less to give. That’s why in tough times, I believe it is important to give bigger.
As the spiritual leader of the church, we tend to set the tone.
My whole family met recently to plan how we could dramatically increase the percentage of our giving. It is easy to give what we know we can give. I love what God does in us when we plan to give more than we thought we ever could.
Whether your church knows what you give or not isn’t important. God knows. And I believe He will honor the faith and sacrifices of the ministry leader during rocky financial times.
What is God showing you about this?
I’ve been a lazy blogger as of late, lots of stuff going, bla, bla, bla, etc…. anyway I have been reposting things from some of my favorite blogs/bloggers, so here is another cool one from Tony Morgan so enjoy and please throw in your two cents.
I’ve experienced failures. I’ve watched others fail. I’m guessing you’ve seen plenty as well. This morning I tried to think through some common reasons why failure happens. I’m looking forward to some healthy conversation on this one. With that, here are:
10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail
Here’s the deal. I don’t think this list is just about personal failure. This is about organizational failure (your ministry, your church plant, etc.). This is about business failure (your start up, your turnaround effort, etc.). This is about relational failure (your marriage, your dating relationship, etc.). The same principles apply.
Now it’s your turn. What else should be on the list? What are some other ingredients for failure you’ve experienced or witnessed? What would you add/delete from the list?
Last week I posted some of Andy Stanley’s closing thought from Catalyst. We discussed them for awhile at our Elders meeting Tuesday night.
“To reach people no one else is reaching, we have to do things no one else is doing. We must become preoccupied with those you want to reach rather than those you are trying to keep.”
In Rochester there are about 35,000 people, and about 25 churches. Bottom line, there are a lot of people who are not being reached.
What can we do that no one else is doing to reach them?
Are we committed to reaching the lost or satisfying the saints?
If we were to get into the head of those outside the church, what we would we want from the church?
I love Perry Noble, He is the Pastor of Newspring Church, a very hard hitting and innovative church in South Carolina. He does not mince words and says what is on his heart. The following is a blog he posted today, he is talking to pastors, but the principles apply to us all, we cannot give the enemy a foothold or even crack the door for him.
No, the title is NOT a type-o! I meant exactly what I said…and I will mean every single word that follows.
Before you write me an email (which will automatically deleted…I don’t freakin’ care what anyone thinks about this post) you need to understand that I am completely pissed off…and…at the same time completely broken over this subject!
AND…this is something that NEEDS to be addressed. Unfortunately at conferences people will talk about it in the corners and private conversations…but rarely will anyone speak (or blog) about it because they feel they may offend someone if they use “strong language.” I am SICK and TIRED of people dancing around the issue and speaking in OBSCURE terms!
It’s about freakin’ time SOMEONE quite worrying about who gets offended and just flat out told the truth…
PASTORS…we have a calling from God, we are called to live with integrity, we are called to LEAD by living an example…and that CANNOT be done if we are trying to have sex with women that we are NOT MARRIED TOO!
The other day I was sitting at my desk and received an email from a friend informing me that another good friend of ours had disqualified himself from the ministry because of an affair.
I wanted to throw up! I began shaking all over. I wanted to cry…and at the same time I wanted to throw things and cuss. The enemy scored another notch…another black eye on the Christian faith.
Am I judging the guy? Heck no! Anytime I hear of something like this happening I always say, “It’s by God’s grace that it didn’t happen to me.” In fact; I called him and spoke with him for quite a while. I love the guy–he’s my friend and always will be.
However, pastors–THIS HAS TO STOP! We cannot get up on Sunday and tell people how to live if lust and sexual fantasies with women we are not married to are dominating our minds.
Paul said in Philippians 4:8 that we need to think about things that exalt Christ…NOT satisfy our own flesh! Let me ask you an honest question pastor–RIGHT NOW…is there a woman other than you wife that you are thinking sexual thoughts about?
If the answer is yes then you’ve GOT TO TELL SOMEONE! PLEASE, get some help!!! Talk to a friend…go see a Counselor…but DO IT NOW! I know you think you are strong…but all it takes is ONE WEAK MOMENT and then BAM…everything you’ve worked so hard for is LOST on the five seconds of sensation that you obtain!
It’s SO SAD when pastors will talk about how bad it was that Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup…and then they will turn around and sell their ministry for an orgasm!
Is it tough to maintain a sexually pure mind? YOU HAD BETTER BELIEVE IT! I remember my pastor saying to me back in 1990 when he was meeting with a group of young men who were called into the ministry, “Boys, everyone of you is going to have a chance to have an affair…and it’s not because you are good looking but rather because the enemy is crafty and knows he can use a woman to take you down!”
I know of some pastors who have had emotional affairs with women…and when questioned about it they will simply say, “Well, my wife just wasn’t there for me!”
WHAT A FREAKIN’ WIMP!!! In 99.9% of the cases the wife wasn’t there because the PASTOR was out trying to impress everyone else and, in doing so, didn’t pursue his wife!!!!!!! SHE NEEDS YOU BRO!!! AND…if you would pursue her and QUIT allowing the church to be your mistress…things would be a lot better!
Pastors…I am NOT a legalist…except for this subject! We simply CANNOT allow the enemy to steal our calling, kill God’s work and destroy our families simply because we began thinking between our legs and not between our ears!
My advice…take RADICAL steps. Make a committment to NEVER be alone with a woman! EVER…under ANY circumstances. Form a relationship with a godly man whom you trust and talk about your struggles…every single one of them. Pastors–we’ve GOT to stop trying to impress others with how “godly we are!” HONESTY paves the way to INTIMACY with GOD…and the reason a lot of pastors don’t feel a connection with the ALMIGHTY is because they are too busy trying to “connect” with a willing woman…BUT denying that they have the desire to do so!!!
If you are a church member…PRAY for the purity of your pastor–EVERY SINGLE DAY! Is sexual temptation real for him? Let me go ahead and say it–YES! (And the pastor who says no is a freakin’ liar!!!) As I said earlier…the enemy is wise…he knows WHEN to tempt and WHAT to tempt with!!! Pray that he will walk with Jesus and ONLY have eyes for his wife!!!
PASTORS…the battle is REAL…and IF you are struggling it is NOT going to go away! How do you resist?
STOP DENYING there is a problem…if there is…CONFESS IT!!!
PURSUE YOUR WIFE with passion like never before! Warning…if you haven’t pursued her in a while she is going to be skeptical of your advances…it’s going to take time to win back her heart.
II Corinthians 10:5 says that we should take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ…that means WHEN (not if) the lustful thoughts come your way…understand that those thoughts are NOT FROM GOD…take them captive!
STOP FLIRTING WITH ANYONE EXCEPT FOR YOUR WIFE!!! No texting, no emails, no chatting online, no “counseling appointments,” no long lunches…STOP IT NOW!!!
I’ve said about all I am going to say about this for now…as I said…I am ANGRY…angry that the enemy is so persistent and that SO MANY men give in rather than calling on the unbelievable power that Christ has placed inside of us through HIS Holy Spirit.
Pastors…let’s be men who LOVE Jesus, LOVE our wives, LOVE our children and then LOVE His church!
AND…one more time, IF you are struggling with this–PLEASE GET HELP! You cannot keep sin in the dark…Galatians 6:7 says God will not be mocked…you know that verse…you’ve preached it many times…problem is you don’t think it applies to you…and it does!!!
My desire when it is all said & done is NOT to pastor the largest church in the world or to speak at tons of conferences or to sell lots of books…but rather to hear the words of my Lord, “Well done my good and faihtful servant.”
And…if I die before ‘Cretia I want for her to be able to stand over my coffin and KNOW that I was 100% faithful to her…that I was a man who took a vow to forsake all others…and that I was man enough to fulfill that vow!!!
Do you have the stones to man up? Will you commit to purity RIGHT NOW? Seriously, break off a phone call to someone TODAY and have a serious conversation about this. Ask them to ask you the tough questions…and be man enough to be honest!!! We can’t let the enemy have any more ground here…let’s take it back!!!
Ok here is the final installment of this set of posts. As a member/partner we agree to
1-Protect the Unity of Lihthouse
2-Share the Responsibility of Lighthouse
3-Serve the Ministry of Lighthouse
and 4th and finally I will Support the Testimony of Lighthouse Assembly this is done by:
Supporting the church is more than lip service.
You cannot protect the unity, share the responsiblity, or serve the ministry if you do not attend regularly! You have to be here to be a part of what is going on!
If you fail to live a Godly life you undermine your credibility to protect unity, share the responsibility, & serve the ministry! If you fail to live right it does not matter what you do!
By giving regularly you are saving I am part of this family and I help to pay the bills. We do our very best to keep our monthly expenses down and direct as much money toward ministry as possible. If our partners fail to give we are limited in what we are able to do. God provides for Lighthouse by providing for you. Every member/partner must Support the Testimony by supporting the church financially.
Being a member/partner of Lighthouse is not a causal thing, it is not spectator sport, it is a team effort, and as “each part does its own special work, the body become healthy, growing and full of love” (Eph 4:16)
God has been doing great things in our church because of members/partners like you. Remain faithful and let’s take more ground for the Kingdom of God!
So we are continuing the theme of the week, “What it means to be a member/partner” of Lighthouse Assembly. Today we are onto the 3rd commitment of the membership agreement:
3. I will share the MINSTRY of my Church
I love the use of the word “SHARE” here. I will share the ministry of my church. In some churches there is the expectation that the ministry is to be done by the hired “Holy Men” and in other is dictated from an all powerful board, in others insecure pastors feel the need to do everything. At Lighthouse we believe that EVERY MEMBER is a MINISTER. We share the ministry responsibliities. We are big proponents of gift based ministry, let those who are gifted to serve in an area, SERVE IN THAT AREA!
AS members/partners it is our RESPONSIBLITITY to:
-Discover our gifts and talents. “Discover” that implies a search, an intentional quest to uncover them. We need to invest time and effort into discovering our “gifts” (God given special abilities) and “Talents” (Natural ablilties). CLASS 301 is all about this process.
-Being equipped to serve. This again where the responsibility falls on each member/partner. You have to let us know how & where you want to serve so we can train you to do! We can only equip/train you if we know that you want to serve. If you don’t know where you want to serve or aren’t sure how you gifts & talents fit, TAKE CLASS 301!!!
-Develop a Servant’s Heart. What this means is having they attitude of Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate example, He was willing to wash His disciples feet, Jesus, God in the flesh, was willing to do the task of the lowest servant. Jesus was basically saying “If I am willing to serve you in this way you need to have the same attitude and be willing to do whatever task no matter how lowely it may seem.” We all need to have the attitude that no task is beneath us. We may be gifted to do different things but we must be WILLING to do anything.
Are you sharing in the ministry of our church?
Yesterday we talked about the first part of what it means to be a member/partner of Lighthouse Assembly and today we are looking at part 2:
2. I will share the RESPONSIBILITYof my church
In every healthy family each member has a role and responsibility, the church is no different. As members of this family we all share in the responisiblity of church.
So what are we as members responsible to do?
-Each member should pray daily for the church that it will be “healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16)
-Each member should be investing their lives in their friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc and when the Lord open the door INVITE them to attend Lighthouse.
***Side note: IF you are a member/partner of Lighthouse that means the church has made a difference in your life and you agree with what we are trying to accomplish for the glory of God. If that is the case you should want others to experience the life change that you have expereinced in Jesus Christ. So if Lighthouse is where you are growing and being feed you should want others to expereince it as well. IF not why are you a member of Lighthouse? Fare question!
-Each member should warm and welcoming to ALL who visit!!! You never know will walk through the door on any given Sunday, this may be their first time in church EVER or it may be the LAST TIME they will ever come back to any church. How we treat people really matters! We need to be warm and welcoming of everyone who walks through our doors. See them as Jesus sees them.
The responsibility of every member is to pray for health and growth, invite people, and be warm & welcoming to all who attend.
Are you doing your part?
This week Pastor Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch has been doing a sereis of posts on Swerve dealing with questions that he asks his leaders and team members. I am re-posting the questions that he challenges team members to ask each other. These are great questions for those in accountablity friendships.
Team Member to Team Member:
